Sam Fender brings big Brit rock riffs and good times to The Fillmore

The Fillmore was littered with sports merch this Sunday. Kelly green Eagles gear was to be expected, but for every Birds shirt there was a striped Newcastle football club jersey that has become synonymous with Sam Fender’s merch. Between the soccer kits and bucket hats, the Philly crowd made it clear who they were there to see.

Although he played to a sold-out room, I can’t help but insist that Fender is sorely underrated here in the U.S. Earlier this year, he released his third album, People Watching. Its title track is a collaboration with Philly native Adam Granduciel of The War on Drugs, and the record won Fender his third BRIT award. Add to that sold-out stadium shows in the UK and Canada over the summer, and seeing him in a 2,500 capacity venue felt like being in on a good secret.

Fender took the stage with an eight-piece band, filling the room with guitar, bass, drums, saxophone, keys, and backing vocals, but the stage never felt crowded. Keyboardist Joe Atkinson acted as a hype man, leaping from his seat to rally the crowd. Brooke Bentham, the newest addition to the touring crew, added haunting harmonies to “Arm’s Length,” “People Watching,” and “Tyrants,” all while dancing around the stage with contagious energy. At the center of it all were Fender’s unmistakable guitar riffs, often shown off during extended guitar solos.

“People Watching” was one of the biggest moments of the night, drawing massive cheers from the crowd. After the song, Fender explained that the album took three years to finish, with countless tracks left off the record, and teased that a deluxe edition is on the way. Fans even got an early taste with “Talk to You,” one of the unreleased cuts that has become a highlight of his live shows.

Fender didn’t keep things too serious, though. At one point, he admitted to writing “the dumbest song” of his career, a tongue-in-cheek punk track from the pandemic called “Howdown Aldi Death Queue.” After a botched guitar solo – which most of us wouldn’t have noticed had he not pointed it out – he jokingly asked fans to delete any evidence of the mistake, saying “If you saw that, no you didn’t!”

The opener, Young Jesus (no, they are not a Christian rock band, and yes, the irony is not lost on frontman John Rossiter) had much of the same self-deprecating humor and charm. In between songs, frontman John Rossiter cracked jokes about dropping out of college and his dad’s subsequent reaction, balancing storytelling with the band’s folk-tinged indie rock sound. His raw, howling vocals gave their set an edge that matched the restless energy of the night.

As Fender and his band made their way through their set, he invited a fan onstage to play acoustic guitar on “Borders,” stating that moments like those – where fans want to share the stage – are among the most rewarding parts of touring. He even paused to sing “Happy Birthday” to a fan in the front row later on.

That blend of humor, humility, and warmth explains much of his dedicated following. The rest comes from his songs themselves, which often grapple with working-class identity, political frustration, and the turbulence of young adulthood. It’s a mix that speaks to an angst and desire for change among listeners, making his music deeply relatable across generations.

Fender closed the main set with “Seventeen Going Under,” only for the audience to keep the chorus alive long after the band had left. Their voices filled the venue, demanding an encore. When Fender returned, it was alone, sitting at the piano for “Dying Light.” The room, which had roared all night, suddenly fell silent. He also played “Something Heavy,” singling it out as his personal favorite off the new album.

By the time the show ended, it was clear why Fender is already a stadium-filling act overseas. For now, American fans get the privilege of seeing him in smaller rooms. Judging by the passion inside The Fillmore, though, it won’t stay that way for long.