St. Paul and the Broken Bones packed the house at The Fillmore Philly

St. Paul and the Broken Bones | photo by Senia Lopez for WXPN | senialopez.photography

St. Paul and the Broken Bones played a sold-out show at The Fillmore last Saturday on tour in support of their latest release, Young Sick Camellia. In addition to the band’s retro rock and flashy attire, seeing the venue at full capacity made for a memorable evening.

Los Angeles-based band Valley Queen, opened the show by thanking the large crowd for coming out, especially on a night that Californians would considered intensely cold. Natalie Carol (vocals/guitar), Neil Wogensen (bass/vocals), Shawn Morones (guitar/vocals), and Mike DeLuccia (drums) released their full-length debut album Supergiant this past year.  “The song Supergiant is about how we’re all made up of the same stuff as stars, and I liked the idea of tying the whole album together with that metaphor,” says Carol. “It takes all the drama you hear on the record—the aggressive, chaotic moments, and the more beautiful or quieter moments—and puts it all into a more galactic perspective.” Rolling Stone described their sound as “dream-country yodel in scrappy, sprawling guitar poetry” and I think that sums up what I heard pretty perfectly.

The stage lighting changed and set the mood for the main event. The eight-piece soul band from Birmingham, Alabama slowly started to take the stage, building up until Paul Janeway appeared. Covered in head to toe sparkles, the powerhouse vocalist demanded attention and promised an entertaining show. St. Paul and the Broken Bones have the found that perfect blend of soul, southern rock, and funk that makes a crowd want to move. “Convex” and “Apollo” were definitely two of the heavy hitters for those who wanted to dance the night away. One of my personal favorite moments was the extended jam added to the song “Gotitbad,” something you can only hear when seeing them live, which I suggest you do.

Check out a gallery of photos from the show, along with the setlist below.

Setlist:
LivWithOutU
Flow With It (You Got Me Feeling Like)
All I Ever Wonder
Like a Mighty River
Grass Is Greener
Mr. Invisible
Convex
NASA
GotItBad
Apollo
Bruised Fruit

Encore:
Sanctify
Call Me
Broken Bones & Pocket Change