A majority of my favorite local artists play constantly around the city of Philadelphia. Just about any night of the week I can expect to find at least one or two great Philly bands playing somewhere between Old City, Fishtown and West Philly. One of those few exceptions is retro pop rockers The Bye Byes, so it’s always a treat to see their name on a bill.
Front man Pete Shauger’s pop sensibilities shine through as the foursome plays simple rock ‘n roll riffs on songs such as ‘Leftover Lois”, “I Am The Office” and “Holly Has Hobbies”. The simplicity of the harder sound is kept interesting and innovative with pop flourishes from the keyboard melodies of Joel Rose. The set was mostly tight and crisp with some reverb resounding throughout “Holly Has Hobbies”. I loved the handclaps building up against a surf rock riff on “I Know It’s Hard” that just explodes into a spot on pop song.
The current popularity of retro indie pop can only help The Bye Byes break out of the Philadelphia scene and join the ranks of the She & Hims of the indie rock world. The commercial potential of The Bye Byes is almost overwhelming. My only suggestion would be to play up the kitsch of their sound with matching suits for performances.
In an odd line-up, Arizona, a Pennsylvania prog rock four piece, took that stage next. They played a very experimental set full of classic rock influences with lots of smooth, drugged out riffs and just excellent songwriting. Many of the songs were almost manic in their changing of dynamics that took each person in The M Room on an intense musical journey, even though technical difficulties prevented the band’s planned light show.
The Bye Byes: myspace | @ the khyber | interview with
Arizona: website | myspace
