You Rock, Philadelphia

Sunday night I was proud to call Philadelphia my home. The audience at the Keane concert was electric. The lead singer of Keane, Tom Chaplin, even commented several times that "The audience in Philadelphia rocks!" and asked "Why didn't we come back here sooner?" That's a good question. Why didn't you come back sooner, Keane? Your show was incredible. I was there to see the opening act, Rocco Deluca and The Burden and was quite happy with their performance, but when Keane walked on stage, they completely blew everyone away.

Rocco Deluca, the lead singer, and The Burden, the four-piece band, started the night out with a short set of songs from their recently released album, I Trust You to Kill Me. Deluca's skill on the Dobro, a type of resonator guitar, was quite impressive and very entertaining to watch. He moved the guitar various directions and at one point his Dobro was vertical (see above picture), yet Deluca was still playing the hell out of it. Reviewing an opening act has its advantages: there are usually open seats at the front. I quickly made myself comfortable on the second row and found myself really enjoying it. I wasn't jumping up and down or screaming, but I just watched as the bluesy rock melodies took life. One thing that Deluca needs to realize is that, at live concerts, he's essentially giving his music away to his audience; throughout every song he had his eyes closed. At first you might not think that is a big deal, but that leaves the audience with no connection with the performer. This connection was the missing link in his otherwise awesome set. Deluca was simply singing those songs for himself, and not for anyone else. For us to catch his vision, he needs to let the audience connect with him. This might be scary at first for him, but in the end much more rewarding for both listener and performer. My favorite number of the night was their hit single, "Colorful." Check it out on his MySpace page or find it on iTunes. It's definitely worth the $0.99 purchase.

As far as Keane goes, I had forgotten how much I loved their music until they started playing. Chaplin's vocals were pitch-perfect the entire night and his energy was infectious. Keane, as a three-piece band, brought the house down with their beautifully-crafted melodies and lyrics. With only a synthesizer and percussion, their sound filled every inch of the legendary Tower Theatre, something that most artists can't do. Everything about this show was incredible, even the graphics added to the seven rectangular screens on stage was mesmerizing.

When I first walked in, I was amazed by the number of couples I saw. Apparently, it was couples night; I didn't get the memo. (My wife stayed home with her visiting parents.) I thought the audience was going to be a bit subdued, but they really came through. Everyone was on their feet, singing their lungs out, and having the time of their life. Now that's a concert.

Photo taken by author