Everybody Hits, and Everyone Everywhere hit it out of the park

Everyone Everywhere | Photo by Cameron Pollack | cameronpollack.500px.com

Falling in love with bands that fall off the earth is something I do well.

When I first heard of Everyone Everywhere, it was mid-2013, and the band had just released their second self-titled the previous summer. I was in college far away from Philadelphia, so the chances of seeing them were slim to none. And just as I came home, they had pretty much vanished from the earth. It was like in dream in which I was visited by the most beautiful music, only to wake up the next day and remember nothing.

I’ve realized that the band did in fact play a few shows in 2013, but I was just beginning to dive into the Philly scene – and yeah, I missed my chance. Many times. But not this time around.

Everyone, everywhere, everybody – the show was filled with everything, basically. Probably how the headlining band would describe things, but for the sake of our readers, I’ll get into the specifics.

Philly emo quartet CLIQUE were up to bat first. They’ve been conquering the Philly underground scene with their woozy, slowcore-infused rock for about a year now. It seems as though they’ve been brewing the follow-up to last year’s self-titled, as their set consisted mostly of new material this time around. They also played “Wishful Thinking”, a song off of a 4-way split they did on Fleeting Youth Records. They closed with the familiar smirkiness of “Lil T”.

On deck were Scranton-via-Philly indie rockers Three Man Cannon. Drummer Pat Brier and bassist Dennis Mishko offer a solid rhythm section, and with the addition of atmospheric keyboard, that sets their new band far beyond their time in Tigers Jaw. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Brier does vocals for a good chunk of the songs, which is impressive to watch while he’s drumming. They opened with the gentle “To Sleep”, then gradually increased the energy with songs spanning their full-length debut, Pretty Many People. 

Guitarist/vocalist Matt Schimelfenig’s keyboard playing, as well as his voice, round out Three Man Cannon’s sound into something more than indie rock. Each member has a unique voice on their respective instruments, and they all pool together to create something fresh for the Philadelphia scene. Think of a boppy, yet chill band like A Great Big Pile of Leaves, and combine it with the emotional intensity of a band like Lydia, and Three Man Cannon lives.

 

Prawn took the stage next. They play a unique brand of emo that has hints of post-rock. There was still plenty of twinkling to go around though, especially on songs like “Thalassa” and “Scud Running”, from last year’s Kingfisher. The band thrashed about in the small space, and vocalist/guitarist Tony Clark maintained a great balance between diverted whispering into the mic and full on belting to the air. His bandmates held the crowd in awe – Corey Davis’ rigorous bass lines set the tempo for bobbing heads, and guitarist Kyle Burns kept a steady assault of tremolo picking and post-rock delay.

Everyone Everywhere dashed to the stage. They were supposed to play at 11:30, but the fast 3 sets before them provided extra time. That also meant more time for the band’s signature deadpan humor. “We’re here because we’re rockers,” guitarist/vocalist Brendan McHugh said. “And you’re here. So I guess that makes you all rockers, too.”

After a quick apology (“We haven’t played in a while, give us a minute”) the band effortlessly launched into their set. This included cuts from both their self-titled albums, including “I Feel Exhausted,” “Turn and Go and Turn” and “$1,000,000” (the latter was about Donald Trump, apparently).

Everyone Everywhere can talk about how absent they’ve been forever, but when they play a show, it’s as if they play every night. The band simply has fun, and it’s noticeable as hell, especially in bassist Matthew Scottoline’s goofy smile during the whole set. They may not be a full-time band anymore, but they know how to hit grand slams, and how to time them perfectly.