‘Everybody Hits’ Gig Review and Photos

Posted: by Emily Dubin

Very rarely do you have a lineup that can be considered near perfect. Spill, Shannen Moser, Loose Tooth, Clique, and Marietta last night at Everybody Hits in Philadelphia was one of those rare occasions. Spill opened the bill (haha) with their high energy, upbeat and at times anthem-y rock. Shannen Moser followed as a full band act, exciting those who had only thus far seen her acoustic (me), and giving a leave-it-all-on-stage, cathartic vocal performance equated to the likes of Hop Along frontwoman Frances Quinlan. Next was Loose Tooth, quintessentially loud and punk rock and raw, leading into Clique, a name quickly (clique-ly) rising in Philly and for good reason¬– ambient and sincere, they are a scene staple of indie rock.

Closing the night was Marietta, a band I truly love to see play live. The vocals by Evan Lescallette are raw and upbeat, and by Ethan Willard can range from poppy to emotive. As a guitarist, his leads are clean and impressive and his tone is fantastic. Andrew Weigel is easily one of the most talented drummers I have ever seen, pushing each track forward with dynamic and technical fills. Bassist Ben Johnson brings a positive attitude to every set with a constant smile, and his bass lines keep each song flowing, riding just underneath like a current. Overall the fun energy they exude reflects onto the crowd, and the crowd feeds off of it and gets even more into the set. It is the ultimate dynamic that had been carrying all through the night, and was a blast to be a part of.
    
From a photography standpoint this show was a ton of fun, and I had a great time playing with different shadows and the lights coming through the curtain. Throughout each set there were visual effects playing three rolls of film on a white backdrop which would periodically send the projection through a crystal lens to duplicate or distort it. Craig Scheihing was control of these effects, and he did a great job keeping it with the rhythm of the music. It really added another layer to each performance. It was something different and unique, a movement of its own that still moved with the band. 

For my first time at Everybody Hits, I couldn’t have been luckier with the lineup. Each band brought something unique, bringing it together as a whole show and not just individual sets, and that is something special. 

Follow Emily on Twitter at @emdubin