A cover of “But Not Kiss” featuring a massive, familiar-looking Minion strumming a six-string projected on the big screen at the Dell Music Center, was an unlikely but at the same time hilarious way to kick off Faye Webster‘s Philly show at The Dell on Friday. During the set — the Atlanta indie pop star’s biggest Philly headliner to daye — we took an unpredictable ride through love, sadness, joy, and hilarious meme culture.
The night promised variety from the start, with the West Coast shoegaze trio Julie offering a counterpoint to the more punk-leaning openers Webster has brought in the past. Julie’s late 90s grunge-tapped sound sharply contrasts with Webster’s, jolting the crowd awake with distortion and drum-forward songs that matched their stage setup, with the drums right in front.
Julie | photo by Danielle Ciampaglia for WXPN
Just before the main event, a jazz rendition of Turnstile’s “Underwater Boi” set the tone — a surprising but delightful prelude. The stage was dressed in Faye Webster’s trademark hues of blue and white, featuring a big white T-shirt backdrop, coat racks, and washing machines. Collectively they nodded to lines from the new album, like “I’m wearing new clothes / I’m not the silhouette you know,” found in the title track “Underdressed at the Symphony,” a song about love and new beginnings.
The show officially began with “Wanna Quit All the Time” from the same record. It felt like a dreamy, blue-sky summer afternoon in the countryside, looking out the windows to see drying whites on a clothesline. The mellow, breezy drummer Charles Garner built a serene soundscape of chimes, complemented by the droning steel guitar of Matt Stoessel. The interlude felt like smooth silks, with visuals changing from the clothes drying to blue silks bending and flowing.
One of Atlanta Millionaires Club’s heaviest hitters, “Right Side of My Neck,” was enveloped in the sounds of suds bubbling, with physical bubbles emerging on stage, highlighting the song’s palpable lighthearted energy as partners of diverse orientations swayed along. Webster’s music creates a safe space for everyone to freely express their love; we felt it during “Better Distractions” from her 2021 album I Know I’m Funny Haha, where the song’s steel solo and magical outro were matched by swift drum fills. On the jazzy “A Dream With a Baseball Player,” multi-instrumentalist Annie Leeth switched from keys to saxophone to add a sensual vibe, complemented by bassist Nora’s heavy plucking.
Faye Webster | photo by Danielle Ciampaglia for WXPN
The stage lights shifted to an orange and red hue, and a graphic of a childlike generator introduced “Lego Ring,” which elicited wild cheers when it was revealed, especially from new fans drawn in by her collaboration with Lil Yachty. The visuals of Roblox-like characters in the background video nodded to the video game from the music video. “Jonny” was an emotional moment, with Faye stepping away from her guitar to sing center stage, backed by the display of suds and water droplets. The song’s musical backbone—timid sax, deep bass, and mellow drums—paired perfectly with the audience’s phone flashlights, creating a sea of stars in support of its somber theme.
“He Love Me Yeah!” brought a gritty edge to the set, between Webster’s crunchy guitar riffs and lyrics about new relationship. During the encore, a sweet fan interaction had Faye bending over the edge of the stage to sign a fan’s shirt. The tee that caught Faye’s attention was a popular design within the Faye Webster community online that pokes fun at millennial-style quote tees; it said: “I paused my Faye Webster to be here.” Faye admitted she’s not really acquainted with ‘meme culture’ while humorously expressing her confusion over the merch. “Kingston” and its familiar warm tones cued phones to shoot up, ready to record the popular song. The bubbles reappeared around the very bubbly crowd. As Faye left the stage for the last time, her final “Philly, thank you!” echoed through the air, leaving the audience buzzing with joy.