The Paradox’s electrifying punk wins over the crowd in their Philly debut

PhilaMOCA was packed wall-to-wall with fans of punk and rock, creating an atmosphere that felt both intimate and electric when The Paradox made their Philly debut. The Atlanta-based pop-punk band consisting of Eric Dangerfield on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Rayman on bass, Xelan on lead guitar and background vocals, and PC3 on drums showed love to the city with a shoutout to Jim’s for what they described as “amazing cheesesteaks.” But it was their music that truly won over the crowd.

Some in the crowd mentioned they barely managed to snag a ticket before the show sold out, while others came after catching their tourmates, L.A. pop punk band Games We Play, opening for Fall Out Boy in Maryland — they were eager to see them tear it up on a smaller stage. As for The Paradox, who first impressed me with their viral videos on Instagram, I got a chance to chat with the Dirty South rockers before the show. As they explained, their journey all started because of a New Found Glory show both Xelan and Eric attended.

“In 2022 New Found Glory came to The Masquerade in Atlanta and Chad let me on stage to play guitar with them when they performed ‘Hit or Miss,’” said Xelan. “From that moment, I knew anything was possible.”

He saw New Found Glory again the following year, and this time, he brought Eric along for the ride. Xelan and Eric connected when Eric posted a demo on Facebook, along with the concept for a project.

“I had the idea of starting a punk band that was all Black six months before I met Xelan,” Eric says. “He was the only one who responded, and we started talking, sharing riffs and ideas. He invited me out to that show, and for me, it was definitely the moment I was like, oh yeah, no, we have to do this!”

At PhilaMOCA, The Paradox kicked off their set with “Imani,” a fiery anthem about bassist Donald’s toxic ex — or as Sweetpea from Baby Boy might say, an “unstable creature.” That theme of heartbreak continued with “Kaitlyn,” inspired by the gut-punch of catching an ex cheating with a best friend. Both songs happened to be two of the first tracks they ever created.

“The first song we made actually might have been ‘Imani,’” says Eric. “I had the idea for the chords and everything — had like a little demo bassist track thing — and Donald [Rayman] came to visit with his ex-girlfriend named Imani. She was very mean, and we didn’t really like her. So when they broke up and he told us about how she crashed out, I got the idea and wrote the song in thirty minutes.”

What stood out most about The Paradox was the sheer energy they brought. PC3’s ferocious drumming seemed to spark the movements of his bandmates and the crowd alike. Donald’s basslines kept the heartbeat steady and strong, while guitarists Xelan and Eric Dangerfield shredded with a wild intensity — at one point, it felt like Xelan’s playing could’ve set his instrument on fire.

Despite Eric’s awkward, off-the-wall banter, it didn’t stop the crowd from enjoying The Paradox’s set. The band debuted a defiant new single, “Get The Message,” an anthem about refusing to conform to others’ expectations. They played another original the crowd was familiar with: “Ms. Lauren,” a jawn about Eric fantasizing about his former teacher being his “milk of magnesium” — a song that would have made Dr. Umar Johnson say, “I beg your pardon?” They closed their set with their viral hit “Do Me Like That,” a song about being hit by a Subaru driven by yet another ex.

Emmyn, Kyle, and Nick, better known as Games We Play, took the stage next, initially sporting Adidas tracksuits before shedding them for their regular gear, ready to match the room’s energy. From the opening chords of “If I’m Honest,” it was clear the crowd knew every word, singing along to favorites from their recent album Life’s Going Great.

A standout moment was when Emmyn brought his younger brother Ethan onstage to play bass for the remainder of the set. Although Ethan claimed he’d only recently learned, his playing said otherwise — he even nailed a mini-solo, earning cheers and playful shouts for Emmyn to stop teasing him. The band’s acoustic performance of “Round and Round” brought a sweet, intimate vibe as phones lit up the room. And when they played “Girl Shaped Crater,” Emmyn’s ode to his wife (and his favorite song he’s written), couples in the crowd shared the moment, singing the words to each other.

Throughout the night, both bands were endearingly self-conscious, occasionally calling out moments where they felt they’d slipped up. But from the crowd’s perspective, they had nothing to worry about. Philly may be one of the toughest cities to win over, but as Bobby Flowers once told me, “When Philly’s on your side, they’re down for it 100%.” And this month at PhilaMOCA, both Games We Play and The Paradox had Philly all in.