The Long Way Home Summer tour came to The Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing Aug. 6. The Goo Goo Dolls headlined the tour with special guest Phillip Phillips acting as the opener. The venue held both a large crowd of teens and post-grads alongside a large middle-aged group.

In 2012 Phillips, known for his acoustic, soulful sound, was the winner of season eleven of American Idol. He has released two albums since his win, “The World From the Side of the Moon” in 2013 and “Behind the Light” in 2014. His most recent single “Miles” was released this year. As the sun set, Phillips shared his excitement over his completed third studio album and finally being able to play some of his new music for the first time.

The date of the album has not been released due to legal drama with his previous record label, but it is predicted to have an early 2018 release. His standout performances from the set were “Raging Fire,” “Gone, Gone, Gone” and his breakout hit “Home,” which he closed the show with. There were two additional guitar players who both performed featured solos, which broke up the set really nicely.

As the sun set completely, the Goo Goo Dolls did not take the stage until around 9:15 p.m. Originally formed in 1985, members Johnny Rzeznik and Robby Takac are a passionate duo. Takac came out without shoes on and did not stop jumping around for the first few songs with his guitar. Rzeznik, on the other hand, stayed still with the microphone and portrayed a cool confidence.

The atmosphere was uniquely romantic — the crowd was peaceful and fully embracing the harmonious music. Incredibly intricate lighting sets made up of bold, saturated, contrasting colors made each song especially unique and memorable. Their lyrics drip of love, honesty and remorse, easily hitting a soft spot for listeners.

Playing an impressive 22 songs, they seamlessly flowed through decades of hits. While their popularity has gone up and down over the years, each album has provided quality music for fans. Opening with a song “Use Me” from the new EP “You Should Be Happy,” Rzeznick wanted to point out the importance of giving new music a chance. When he announced that they were about to play a song from the new EP, the crowd reacted enthusiastically and Rzeznick thanked everyone saying, “We know it’s always the temptation that when a band plays new song that a lot people don’t know, the instinct is to leave and grab a beer or something.

“This might be the best song that you’ve never heard in your lifetime. How are you going to know if you’re not here for it?” Their performance did not disappoint and different members of the crowd appeared to have personal favorites while blissfully enjoying the entirety of the set. Their music has grown and matured over the years, but has always maintained a distinct sound and stayed true to their original aesthetic.

A peaceful, hopeful show was exactly what the city of Philadelphia needed on Aug. 6. Standout performances included “Come With Me,” “So Alive,” “Iris,” and their encore performance “Boxes.” The set time flew by — I was shocked to realize it had already been two hours after the encore performance. The crowd was in a deliriously meditative state and left the show with smiles on their faces, refreshed and ready to take on the upcoming week.

The Wrecks made their Fillmore debut Aug. 6, playing alongside Waterparks, Swmrs and All Time Low on the Young Renegades Tour.

This past year they released their first EP “We Are the Wrecks,” featuring the breakout single “Favorite Liar.” Just three days after the EP was released, both Alt Nation and Spotify featured the EP on multiple playlists. The music video for “Favorite Liar” already has half a million views. This is definitely a band a lot of people are already watching. The Triangle caught up with Nick Anderson, Aaron Kelley, Nick Schmidt, Westen Weiss and Billy Nally to talk music, fame and the true identity of their favorite liar.

The Triangle: How did you guys come together as a band?

The Wrecks: Aaron and I met online like six or seven years ago on Facebook, and then he introduced me to our current manager whom he was interning for in California and we, you know, wanted to start a band. Aaron and I were auditioning members all over the place in LA, no one was working out. We were putting up signs in guitar centers, going to the malls trying to find the perfect fit.

TT: So you guys didn’t start out together?

TW: Aaron and I had a few songs and we were just trying to find members. I had met Billy years before, and he brought Schmidt along. About six months ago we asked Westin to join. Our manager knew us all individually, but it was definitely was not an X-factor, One Direction situation. it was more about finding the right fit and being lucky enough to have connections to find good musicians.

TT: How did you guys get onto All Time Low’s tour?

TW: We just submitted for it. We should honestly ask them why they chose our band or how that happened. Someone told me that Jack liked us. Brian, the AUX guitar player’s girlfriend was saying that Jack knew who we were and really liked us.

This is our third U.S. tour. We did two U.S. tours with Nothing But Thieves, who are an alt rock band from the U.K. and then we did a short run with Alt Nations’ Advanced Placement Tour, which gave us that exposure.

TT: How do you think this tour compares?

TW: Everyone’s stoked. The amount of people, the energy is just crazier. It depends on the show. Sometimes I prefer club shows where everyone knows the songs, knows the band is just freaking out. But I also personally like to win a crowd over who doesn’t know who we are, which is what we strive to do every night.

Sometimes, when we first walk out some of the girls are all grumpy hanging over the barricade, who think they’re just too cool for it — then watching them come around and all have a really good time and start jumping, clapping and being part of the show is my favorite part — that revelation.

TT: Who is your first single, “Favorite Liar” about? Is she a real person or a concept?

TW: None of our songs are concepts. All of our songs are 100 percent real stories, because I would probably puke if I had to sing about something that was fake. I’m not going to give a name, but she came to a show this tour actually. We are still close and we’re still friends. The song is about a girl I was in a relationship with and looking back on that time with rose-colored glasses.

Being like, oh that relationship was great and remembering all of these things that were so nice,  but you need to have that sharp realization of like, this is why we broke up, this is why the relationship hit the fan. It’s hard sometimes to remember that when you’re looking back because you’re hurt or you’re sad or whatever it may be. The song is my personalization of like you know what? I’m alright, I’m in California pursuing music now, I don’t need that. When you’re wearing rose-colored glasses you trust people you shouldn’t.

TT: What are you guys working towards?

TW: Money, fame and fortune. The band’s structure is working on songs that mean something and being honest with our fan base, being transparent and not trying to be anything that we are not. And that’s what you see living in Los Angeles, a bunch of people that are faking it.

We’re just doing us, we just write our songs that we like. We are not being anything that we’re not. People like our personalities and like our music, and that’s what drives the success of the band, and if people don’t like us they don’t have to.

TT: Would you ever change your direction for more potential fame?

TW: We would never change our sound, we would never change who we are for monetary gain. I think that’s more of a reflection of today’s youth. People can see through being fake and selling out. People don’t want Nickelodeon, they don’t want us to look fake, people appreciate honesty.

TT: What do you think helped you gain your popularity?

TW: Spotify and radio helped a lot. Jeff Regan at Alt Nation and Allison Hagendorf at Spotify. Allison put us on all of her big rock playlists and indie rock playlists, and Jeff put us on his advanced playlist show pretty much on the same day, which was only a few days after releasing our first EP. Then the band Nothing But Thieves wanted us on their first U.S. tour, so we were on radio, we were on a lot of people’s Spotify playlists — which is huge for breaking bands now. Then we were on that tour, and now for the past month we’ve been on this All Time Low tour, we’re still really, really new and hoping people get to know us.

TT: Finally, where does “The Wrecks” name come from?

TW: The Wrecks is an allusion to mental stuff. It’s spelled like a car wreck, but for me it’s like you’re a mess and you don’t have your stuff figured out yet. You’ve got your baggage, whatever it may be. We all come from completely different parts of the country and backgrounds and we accept what the issues we have are, or whatever it is.

You never know what people are going through. You never know what someone just realized or what’s going on in their life. You have to approach everyone with the same respect and kindness and that’s something we all try to work on. The Wrecks, I loved that word, was not an obvious reference to mental health issues or anything like that, but being accepting of owning who you are is what the name came from.

June 25 was a picturesque night in Philadelphia. At a mild 75 degrees and only a few days after the summer solstice, the dusk, golden hour extended until after 9 p.m.

The perfect conditions set the scene for the Silversun Pickups and Third Eye Blind concert at Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing. Sitting on the water, while the sun set behind the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, an idyllic summer night unfolded.

Silversun Pickups performed music from their most recent album, “Better Nature,” released in 2015. Their set was mesmerizing and enigmatic, capturing the audience’s attention with Brian Aubert’s distinctive voice. While the majority of the set was from “Better Nature,”, the Californian indie rock band’s most recognizable hits “Lazy Eye” and “Panic Switch” stood out. Alluding to the headliner, they described Third Eye Blind as “amazing people” and described what a joy it has been to tour with them.

Emerging in an unconventional manner, Third Eye Blind started performing as silhouettes. A white sheet was hung, covering the entirety of the stage, and a backlight showed the band as shadows.

When the curtain came down, the landscape of the stage had changed entirely from the openers. A platform was added to the back of the stage, elevated high enough to necessitate a set of stairs connecting it to the main stage. The instruments sat on the platform while the band’s lead singer, Stephan Jenkins, moved throughout the entirety of the stage. He came out in a tuxedo jacket with LED-lit panels, but changed into a T-shirt after a few songs.

As the intro to “Semi-Charmed Life” began, so did the rise of the the band’s name behind the platform. Large “Third Eye Blind” vanity-lit letters now filled the back of the stage and beamed onto the audience. The lights of the letters turned on during the more hype songs, and would shut off and were replaced with mood lighting during their more mellow hits. This was the case when Jenkins performed “Jumper.” The lights dimmed, the letters shut off and a single spotlight shone onto Jenkins as he walked to the front of the stage. “Jumper” is undoubtedly the band’s most popular acoustic song, so when Jenkins was alone with the acoustic guitar in hand and asked the suspecting crowd, “are you ready for this?,” the crowd reciprocated with enthusiastic cheers.

This tour is in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the band’s first record. Jenkins spoke about the magic music has in bringing people together through a common interest. He encouraged the crowd to engage with one another: “I know you’re shy but these are your people! Find someone you don’t know and tell them to have a beautiful summer.”

Jenkins also continuously spoke about their appreciation to the dedicated fans’ 20 years of support, saying, “This is our version of a thank-you letter. We are only here for one reason. We’re here because our music has been kept alive, and it has nothing to do with us. It is solely to do with you guys.” The set was more than  half an hour longer than anticipated.“Every night I feel different; we’re playing the whole album for the first time on the tour. This is about time we call it a night but [performing] feels good. I thought, it being Sunday, the energy would be down,” Jenkins explained.

Other especially memorable performances were “Never Let You Go,” “Shipboard Cook,” “Motorcycle Driveby” and “How’s it Going to Be.” Jenkins repeated the lyrics from “Shipboard Cook” over and over again, singing, “I lost myself and that’s why I lost you” and “I’ve never been so alone, and I’ve never been so alive” to emphasize the emotional connection he has with these songs.

The show ended with “Alright Caroline,” which was written when first record came out, and finally “God of Wine.” Jenkins last words were, “thank you for keeping our music alive.”

The show was a perfect concert for fans of all ages. Third Eye Blind sounded great and I was astounded by the energy and caliber of performance from a band on their 20th anniversary tour. It was truly an unforgettable night provided by a world-renowned band.

Photograph by Marien Wilkinson for The Triangle

Phoenix proved to be true entertainers at their sold out show this past weekend at The Fillmore. After a three-year hiatus, the Ti Amo tour revitalized the fans of the Philadelphia area. Their use of visual projections, lights and crowd engagement made their performance unique and especially memorable. They were perfectly complemented by openers The Lemon Twigs, an incredibly well-reviewed band consisting of two brothers from Long Island, New York.

The Fillmore hosted Phoenix and The Lemon Twigs June 2. The Lemon Twigs released their first album in 2016, called “Do Hollywood.” They opened this weekend’s show with their hit “I Wanna Prove to You” — a lush and creative love song that could have easily been mistaken as being from the the 1960s.

Before hearing they were opening for Phoenix, I myself had not heard of The Lemon Twigs. I was pleasantly surprised by their performance. Their sound was reminiscent of The Beach Boys and The Beatles, but with a new-age twist. The lead singer, Brian D’Addario crooned away to nostalgic melodies. The vintage aesthetic made it easy to sing along to, even to someone unfamiliar with the music. Their shaggy haircuts and bell-bottom jeans further complemented their retro style.

After The Lemon Twigs left the stage, French band Phoenix put on an unforgettable performance.

Phoenix’s music had a unique sound, mixing pop, rock and disco with electronic synthetics. The group’s debut album, “United” came out in 2000 featuring the hit song “If I Ever Feel Better” which remains one of their most listened to tracks. Their following albums, “Alphabetical” (2004) and “It’s Never Been Like That” (2006), preluded 2009’s “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix” which brought them international mainstream recognition.

This album included hits “Lisztomania,” “1901,” “Lasso” and “Girlfriend.” All of these songs have a synthetic, indie-pop vibe signature to Phoenix. Their most recent album “Entertainment” was released in 2013. They are currently on tour in anticipation for their upcoming album, “Ti Amo,” which will be released June 9. So far, three singles have been released: “J-Boy”, “Ti Amo” and “Goodbye Soleil.” This album promises to have a more electronic, european disco vibe than their previous albums.

The set was actually on the longer side, with 14 songs in the main set and three additional ones for the encore. The show opened with “Ti Amo,” the first opportunity the fans had to hear the single live. The lighting was incredibly vibrant throughout the show, with bright orange, fuchsia and electric blue lights shining at the same time. Behind the band was a large projector which at one point had a white geometric building descending on repeat making the viewer feel like they were falling. The projector continued to change throughout the set. This captivating visual element helped make the show a unique experience for the crowd.

The encore started with lead singer Thomas Mars standing in the front of the audience, singing with the crowd. Even after leaving the stage, Mars’ voice continued to be heard. For the grande finale, Mars sang the song “1901” from the back of the audience, while working his way to the middle of the crowd.

From the middle of the venue , the crowd lifted Mars up to where he was standing fully upright. Being up close and personal to one of my favorite vocalists was surreal and exhilarating. This ended the show in the perfect way, as a peak to an already unforgettable night of music.

Photograph by Marien Wilkinson for The Triangle

Wale, a Washington, D.C. native, headlined the Theatre of Living Arts May 26 to a sold-out show as part of “The Shine Tour.” “Shine” is the name of his most recent album, which was only released at the end of April.

There were four openers who built up the anticipation for his set to an indescribable level. Wale used that energy and provided an unforgettable concert experience. The energy was contagious, with the entire crowd fully engaged and hype for the entire hour and half duration of his feature set.

The set contained all of his previous hits, intentionally trying to create a house party vibe. Midway through the show he even tried to turn the audience lights on to give that nostalgic, college-party effect, but the TLA refused to comply. Even with Wale’s wide range of variation in styles and years of previous albums, the show was incredibly cohesive and and successfully showcased his signature style. Regardless of this, he gave an excellent performance, full of energy and passion for his music. Passing around Patron to the band and members of the audience was a nice additional touch.

For those who are unfamiliar with Wale’s music, he has been releasing music for the past decade. Many of his songs reference his past and personal experiences. In addition to being featured on hits like Waka Flocka Flame’s “No Hands” and Juicy J’s “Bounce It,” he released his first album in 2009 called “Attention Deficit,” after the success from “The Mixtape About Nothing,” which came out in 2008.

“Attention Deficit” had noticeable features by Lady Gaga, Pharrell, J. Cole and Gucci Mane with hits like “Pretty Girls” and  “Chillin.” Following this he released “More About Nothing,” “Ambition,” “The Gifted” and “The Album About Nothing.” Popular songs from these albums include “Lotus Flower Bomb,” “That Way” and “Slight Work.” These albums continued to feature major artists including Rihanna, Miguel, Meek Mill, Big Sean and many more.

Not only did Wale put on a great show, he also spoke to the audience about issues personal to him. He encouraged everyone to do the same, to not say silent when they witness morally unjust situations. Change is only possible through action and through showing empathy for others. He was appreciative of every fan there, and that he was able to bring attention to issues that are important to him.

“Shine” has already garnered several hits. Popular song titles to look for include “My Love,” “Running Back” and “PYT.” While he has put out many albums, they all continue to showcase his wide range as a hip hop artist. His music continues to reference his Washington upbringing.

If you want to experience the Shine Tour, Wale will be performing in the Philadelphia area again soon, at the Firefly Music Festival on the first weekend in June. I would highly recommend seeing him if you want to see a passionate, unforgettable performance.

Photograph by Marien Wilkinson for The Triangle

Memorial Day weekend is all about taking advantage of that extra weekend night. While this means escaping to the beach for some, others have a different night out in mind.

On May 28, the Electric Factory hosted Noah Gundersen and City and Colour. While City and Colour encompasses an entire band, Noah Gundersen bravely took the stage solo with his guitar. Gundersen reigns from the Pacific Northwest and is best known for creating music for shows like “Sons of Anarchy,” where he was nominated for an Emmy award. His music has also been featured on “The Vampire Diaries” and “The Following.”

Gundersen has been working as solo artist since 2009, with his two big albums being “Ledges” and “Family.” The set was authentic and soulful. The lyrics came off as incredibly personal to him, referencing addiction, religion and sexuality. Ending with “First Defeat,” Gundersen set the somber, mellow tone that one would expect to experience going into a City and Colour concert.

City and Colour is led by Canadian singer Dallas Green. While they released their first album in 2005, their single “Sleeping Sickness” in 2008 is what brought them major attention. If one song were used to summarize their entire discography, it would be “Sleeping Sickness.” City and Colour tackles issues that other artists shy away from.

“I’m afraid, to sleep because of what haunts me,” is a line from “Sleeping Sickness” which gives a look into the kind of content they use. Breaking down, feeling lost and isolated are feelings that many can relate to. While these moments of sadness are not what define us, they are often not spoken about, which is why City and Colour is so cherished by their fans. Using their lyrics to illuminate and express their feelings makes them incredibly relatable.

City and Colour has retained the same authenticity since releasing their first album over a decade ago. While they have continued to cover similar themes, their set could be described as acoustic, folk, alternative, indie and rock in certain songs. Making certain songs more positive and upbeat for the crowd to engage in singing along with. The tweaks in their music are slight, but keep their songs distinct even when they describe similar themes.

Previous albums by the band are “Sometimes,” “Bring Me Your Love,” “Little Hell,” “The Hurry and The Harm” and “If I Should Go Before You.” All garnered success, but the listener is more likely to connect with songs individually based off of their content.

While the lyrics are what initially connects people to the music, Green’s voice beaufifully enmcompasses the emotions in every song. I was honestly shocked at how great he sounded, if not better than the recorded music. The crowd was stoic and entranced by every sound. I saw people holding each other, looks of adoration and the occasional pair of glassy eyes. The high level of intimacy in their lyrics made the concert a personal experience for every member of the audience, who were clearly reminiscing on previous experiences. The the emotion of the crowd was tangible and heavy, a remarkable feat to be done through a live music performance.