Manchester Orchestra celebrating 10 years of Cope at The Fillmore Philadelphia

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Bayside returned to Philly this past week for a two night stand celebrating their music both old and new. i99Radio was on the scene to capture night one of two. For the first night, Bayside brought songs from their early years, 2004 to 2008. For many of us, it takes us back instantly to the songs of our childhood, middle and high school years, and the audience spanning Gen X to Gen Alpha came ready to rock.

Long Island, NY’s The Sleeping started the night off and brought their unique blend of post-hardcore and raw energy to the stage that really got the audience going. People thrashed around and sang along, and even a toddler hopping up on his dad’s shoulders to get a better view of frontman Doug Robinson, who climbed up to the barrier, putting his microphone up to fans to sing along with them, and eventually even crowdsurfing above their heads at one point. The band has been experiencing a revival since their reunion in 2022 and their fantastic newest album, “I Feel Like I’m Becoming a Ghost”, dropping in 2023.

Bayside then took the stage, kicking off their set with the classic track, “Montauk”, from their second self-titled album. Frontman Anthony Ranieri commented how their idea for the “Errors Tour” came about when they wanted to play 44 songs in each city, instead of just 22. He talked about how the band has so many songs that fans love from all across their career, but not enough time to play them all, so they thought, “why not just play 2 nights in every city?”

The night of classic nostalgia continued on, with the band delivering high-energy versions of much loved tracks from their third album, 2007’s “The Walking Wounded”, like “Duality”, “I and I”, and the ballad “Landing Feet First” (of which started a massive audience singalong). The band also reached far back in their discography, playing tracks from their first years as a band, like “Masterpiece”, “Guardrail” and “Kellum”, off of the first album, 2004’s “Sirens and Condolences.” The audience was audibly excited by this, as these tracks are very rarely played live. The audience cheered loudly and unleashed a constant stream of crowd-surfers to the front of stage as they ripped through these classic tracks. The “newest” songs they played for night 1 were tracks from 2008’s classic album, “Shudder”, like “Boy”, “No One Understands” and “The Ghost of St. Valentine”. Again, many of these tracks haven’t been played since the Shudder Tour in 2008 so hearing these songs was certainly a treat for the audience.

Bayside’s show at Brooklyn Bowl was a testament to how the songs we grew up with are forever engrained in our DNA, the music grows with us and becomes a part of us as we grow older, but we never forget the songs that influenced us almost two decades ago. The 1,000 people in the audience who turned up to sing every word of these songs that are almost 20 years old now proves this to be true and Bayside to be a band close to so many people’s hearts.

Photos by Dave Avidan

On September 11, 2024, Manchester Orchestra delivered an unforgettable performance at The Fillmore in Philadelphia, celebrating the 10th anniversary of their seminal album Cope. The band kicked off the night with the powerful opener “Top Notch,” setting an electrifying tone that carried through the entire set. Watching them perform up close made the experience even more personal as the intensity of their sound reverberated through the venue.

Having last seen Manchester Orchestra at Shaky Knees Festival in Atlanta in 2018, where they drew a huge hometown crowd, I was excited to see how they would bring that same energy to the more intimate setting of The Fillmore. The connection with the audience was palpable from the moment they took the stage, and the night was a nostalgic journey through Cope and more.

Starting with fan favorites like “Choose You” and “Girl Harbor,” the band had the audience singing along to every word. “The Mansion” and “The Ocean” followed, with Andy Hull’s haunting vocals and the band’s tight, emotional instrumentation building a powerful atmosphere. Midway through the set, they shifted gears with a stunning acoustic performance of “All That I Really Wanted,” offering a quieter, more introspective moment that contrasted beautifully with the intensity of their harder tracks.

We were treated to gems like “Indentions” and “Every Stone,” both staples from Cope, as well as other career-spanning highlights such as “See It Again” and “After the Scripture.” When the band launched into “Cope,” the title track of their celebrated album, the energy in the room hit its peak. The sheer power of the song, with its driving guitars and Hull’s impassioned delivery, reminded everyone why this record has endured as a landmark in alternative rock.

After a brief encore break, Manchester Orchestra returned to the stage with “The Maze,” quickly followed by the crowd-pleaser “The Gold.” As the night drew to a close, the band played “Bed Head” and “Shake It Out,” leaving fans on a high, with the crowd’s energy matching the band’s until the very last note.

Full Setlist:

  1. Top Notch
  2. Choose You
  3. Girl Harbor
  4. The Mansion
  5. The Ocean
  6. Every Stone
  7. All That I Really Wanted (acoustic)
  8. Trees
  9. Indentions
  10. See It Again
  11. Cope
  12. After the Scripture
  13. The Silence
    Encore:
  14. The Maze
  15. The Gold
  16. Bed Head
  17. Shake It Out

The band’s performance was a masterclass in balancing raw emotion with musicianship, proving why they’ve maintained such a loyal following over the years. From their explosive opening to the final encore, Manchester Orchestra delivered a show that honored their past while showing why they’re still one of the most compelling acts in alternative rock today.

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