Meg Myers at the Fillmore

WRITTEN BY TYLER CARMODY

Anyone who knows me personally knows that I am a huge fan of all things punk and hardcore. That kind of music and those kinds of shows are where I find myself most comfortable.

However, last night, I had to abandon my punk persona. I threw on my tight H&M jeans, put my hair in a man-bun, and headed down to Philadelphia’s newest venue, The Fillmore, in Fishtown to see Meg Myers grace the city with her indie presence.

Due to time constraints, I had to miss the opening act, and sadly miss AWOLNATION, the headlining act. However, the real treat was Meg Myers. Myers’ musical tale is a simple and typical one: small town girl who has a gift pursues music, comes to play in Philadelphia, and I fall in love. Simple.

Her set was an electrifying one that gave me chills. Literal chills. A voice reminiscent of Lacey Sturm from Flyleaf or Sherri Dupree-Bemis from Eisley, Myers’ raspy, soulful voice illuminated the Fillmore. Along with her three other bandmates with their EDM and grunge influenced playing styles, Myers had the whole venue dancing.

The first two songs of the set were rather soft, which came as no surprise to me. At an indie show, that’s what one would expect. However, the third song was a Nirvana-influenced jam that was loud and powerful.

This theme would go on throughout the set, including hits like “Lemon Eyes,” “Desire,” and “Sorry.” These songs encapsulate the band’s sound, and took everyone by surprise.

While Myers’ voice is raspy like a lounge singer gargling Listerine, her band sounds more like the soundtrack from a video game. It’s hard to explain, but if you listen to them you’ll see what I mean.

The last song of the set included themes from the entire show. Starting out very soft and ending in a Twenty One Pilots-styled heavy ending, Myers’ voice went from a beautiful sound to her literally screaming into the microphone for a minute. Yes, she screamed for a minute straight. It was glorious.

Not being at a punk or hardcore show is always weird for me. I don’t know what to do with myself. It’s like telling a person from South Philadelphia that they can’t talk with their hands. It’s very hard. However, Meg Myers made that discomfort go away, and I just fell in love with her sound. I would definitely see her band next time they come to the city. Seriously, look them up on Spotify or buy her entire discography or something. You won’t regret it.