Free at Noon Flashback: Hurry headlines a killer gig on World Cafe Live stage

Hurry | Photo by Sydney Schaefer for WXPN | sydneyschaeferphotos.com

The pros of having a pale yellow and white guitar is, of course, that it looks real cool. The cons? It makes for a bit of a gory scene when you slice your finger open. Yet, amidst the bloodshed and airborne plush monkeys (more on that later), Philadelphia indie poppers Hurry prevailed, offering a spectacular set at this Friday’s XPN Free At Noon concert.

Led by the incomparable Matt Scottoline flanked by cousins Joe and Rob DeCarolis on bass and drums, respectively, Hurry has been an XPN favorite for years now The band stood comfortably and confidently on the World Cafe stage and played a killer 40 minute set that included two encores.

Starting off as they typically do, the band played “Nothing To Say” the first track off their recently released LP Guided Meditation. Flowing between new jams like “When I’m With You” and older favorites like 2014’s Everything / Nothing track “Oh Whitney,” the band’s mellow energy lead to a relaxed, bop-your-head atmosphere. Whether fans were sipping beers or dancing with stuffed animals, the Free at Noon crowd is always a show in itself.

Hurry may have a song titled “Love Is Elusive,” but that’s just love — the band itself is an open book. Scottoline is always present, engaging fans whether he’s on stage or off. Hurry has a way of feeling more like friends and less like intangible artists. They’re super active on Twitter (@hurryband), they’re totally accessible and they’re just downright likable individuals.

Often compared to Teenage Fanclub, the band paid homage to the Scottish alt rockers by covering their song “The Concept.”

When the live broadcast over the airwaves ended and it was just Hurry and the crowd, the guys ripped into an insanely fun encore of the explicit ’90s wonder “Laid” by James. Unexpected and quirky as hell, it could have ended the set on a high note (like, really, really high. I’m talkin’ some falsetto action here) but the crowd couldn’t get enough, prompting the band to go into encore number two.

“We’re in unrehearsed territory now,” Scottoline teased before ending the afternoon’s performance with “Situational Comedy.” For something unscripted, it perfectly wrapped up the event — and what a way to start the month.

Don’t miss Hurry when they take the stage with Wildhoney, Literature and Free Cake for Every Creature at PhilaMOCA on July 16th. Check out tickets and more info over on the XPN Concert Calendar.

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Setlist
Nothing To Say
Sinking Feeling
Shake It Off
When I’m With You
Oozing Positivity
Oh Whitney
The Concept (Teenage Fanclub cover)
Fascinated

Encore #1:
Laid (James cover)

Encore #2:
Situational Comedy