Photo by DYLAN LONG
Last night in Upper Darbyland, 69th Street was crawling with fans anticipating one of the U.K.’s edgiest up-an-coming indie rock bands, The 1975. With just one studio album under their belt — anchored by raw, electrifying singles such as “Robbers”, “Chocolate” and “Sex” — the group is in the midst of a lengthy North American tour that brought them to the Tower last night. The electricity of the crowd was evident from the moment the doors of the Tower Theater opened ’til the last of the fans trickled out onto 69th & Ludlow. Young Rising Sons & CRUISR (indie rockers from Jersey & Philadelphia, respectively) opened things up, triggering waves of good vibes and anticipation through the crowd. After a short delay, Matty Healy and The 1975 took the stage, flickering slo-mo in a mist of fog and strobe lights. Stepping up to the mic and clutching his signature bottle of wine, Healy threw his hair back and took a slug, much to the squealing delight of hundreds of screaming girls. The 1975 then motored through an impressive 15-song set that paired rugged rock riffs with lush atmospherics, with “An Encounter,” “fallingforyou,” and “Girls” among the manifold highlights. Wisely, they encored with “Sex,” which, we can all agree, is the best way to end any night. — DYLAN LONG