Black Country, New Road (BCNR) returned to Philadelphia for the third time, putting on an incredible and dynamic performance. As soon as they began playing “Besties,” the crowd cheered in excitement, immediately drawn in by the song’s bright piano melodies. The band stepped onto the stage ready to play.

After the song, drummer Charlie Wayne put on a Philly hat, earning loud cheers from the audience. He waved to the crowd and shared how much he loves coming back to Philadelphia, saying it’s one of his favorite places to be and that he was happy to be back for a third time.

Most of the night’s set came from their album Forever Howlong, but the band also took a moment to recognize one of the album’s inspirations, Big Star. Singer Georgia Ellery asked the crowd who liked Big Star. The audience responded with enthusiastic cheers, prompting her to joke, “It’s good to hear more people say yes to that question.”. BCNR then launched “The Ballad of El Goodo.”

Throughout the night, the audience regularly broke into applause, often reacting to the band’s sprawling arrangements and unexpected musical turns. Songs like “The Big Spin” felt like the kind of song you just have to experience live at least once. Every member brought something different to it, with all of the individual parts coming together to create something special.

One of the most impressive parts of the performance was watching how effortlessly the band moved between instruments. Lewis Evans switched between flute, saxophone, piano, and clarinet, while other members traded places throughout the set, moving from guitars to keyboards and back again. There was a sense of curiosity and playfulness in the way they performed, and it was clear that everyone on stage was fully invested in the music they were creating together.

Live Review: Black Country New Road at Franklin Hall Philadelphia June 23 photo by Megan Lorenzo

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