One Big Neighborhood Party: Hop Along celebrates Painted Shut at Union Transfer

Hop Along | photo by Megan Kelly | keganmellyphotography.tumblr.com

The last week has been full of excitement for Hop Along‘s new album Painted Shut, released Tuesday on Saddle Creek. It’s the Philly band’s third full-length album, but in a way, it was almost like its debut to a wider audience. On Saturday night, Hop Along headlined for a packed house at Union Transfer which, with local openers Thin Lips and Clique in tow, felt like one big neighborhood party.

Local musicians, friends and family filled the crowd, and frontwoman Frances Quinlan began by poking fun at herself: “Let’s start out the night honestly. How many people came here because The Replacements tickets were too expensive?” As she dove straight into “Waitress,” the crowd recognized the charging guitar riff and began to sing along with the lyrics. The space in between songs tended to be quiet as the band tuned up and Quinlan admitted “We just want to be perfect for you guys.”

By mid-set, Hop Along delved into 2012’s Get Disowned with “Laments” and “Tibetan Pop Stars”; Quinlan pointed out her mom in the crowd and asked if it sounds okay, mentioning that her bandmates Joe Reinhart and Tyler Long also had family in the house. As the lights dimmed and a spotlight shone on her, she began a solo performance of the moving “Happy to See Me” from Painted Shut. Its soft-spoken melody transcended into something louder and more powerful as the song progressed, sharpening with each note.

The evening ended with the last song on the new record, “Sister Cities.” The song originally appeared in Hop Along’s Shaking Through session in 2013, so the crowd was very familiar with it and sang along. It was heartfelt and wholesome, as the driving music came to a close, Quinlan thanked the audience for being a part of their lives and sharing in this moment with them. Below, check out photos from the show, and catch Hop Along this summer at the XPoNential Music Festival.