Nestled between a sustainable coffeehouse and a non-alcoholic bottle shop, Warsaw is a lasting vestige of the Greenpoint neighborhood’s Polish roots, serving the community as a meeting center, pierogi shop, and concert venue. The night of March 20th, its concert purpose was on full display: fans of Philadelphia-based Sweet Pill spilled out onto the sidewalk, bringing bursts of screeching guitar and pounding bass onto the quiet streets with every push through the doors and offering late-night passers-by a sneak peek of what’s inside.
In the venue, fans are packed to the limit, making navigating the crowd a feat. But when Sweet Pill are on stage, the fervor makes sense. Emotive, cathartic lyrics performed by an energetic group: the concert is not just a performance for fans, but an escape.
The band’s sophomore album and tour’s namesake, There’s Still A Glow, was released to critical acclaim only a week prior. But standing in the crowd, one can only imagine that acclaim pales in comparison to a crowd of fans who have, in that short timeframe, memorized every word.
Energy Levels
Crowds often take on a life of their own at rock shows, and this was no different. But this crowd’s life was a notably light one. It was constantly moving, churning from circle pits to mosh pits, popping up crowd surfers and sending them stage-side with surprising consistency. Although the crowd was largely working-age millennials burning off the energy of another draining work week, it wasn’t angry. There was a sense of understanding amongst fans: we have our struggles and burdens outside, but here we get to let it all go.
Standout Performances
No Control: The group comes out the gate swinging, with Still There’s a Glow track “No Control.” The band’s signature powerful, clean drumming is at center stage, and frontwoman Zayna Youssef’s soaring vocals add a grander, airier quality to the grounded percussion. If anyone thought the band might ease them into the set with a slower start: they were sorely mistaken. From the first notes, flashing neon green strobes and the frenetic energy of the band members whipping about filled the stage, getting fans up and going in a flash.
Glow: “Glow” is another Still There’s a Glow track, a slower tempo but still rousing. It showcases what the band does best: sharp production and clean, defined melodies. Youssef’s bright tone shines, balancing between the power needed for the chorus and the softer rasp of the verses. But it’s not alone. The harmonies from guitarist Sean McCall are more audible live than on the album, and it adds a depth that can only be felt live. Fans are clearly reacting to this new energy. Several take the opportunity to surf across the top of the crowd, arms wide and reaching, eyes closed, bathed in the (very fitting) green glow of the band’s still / there’s / a / glow neon lights.
Starchild: The song starts off with a wistful guitar melody, but doesn’t give the audience much of a reprieve before hairpin-turning into a booming, rhythmic bass-heavy beat. They know what’s coming though, if the cheers at the start of “Starchild” are any indication. When Youssef starts a side-to-side shuffle to the beat, they join in without missing one themselves. It’s fun, quirky, and lighthearted. It’s fun to see a band that doesn’t take themselves exceedingly seriously, and brings these little moments of community joy to their fans. It doesn’t mean it’s not still a rock show, though, and the crowd turns two-stepping into moshing as the song reaches its cathartic peak.
High Notes
At one point, Youssef takes a break from wildly whirling around the stage to lead the audience in a “Sweet Pill stretch.” She leads fans, pausing the frenetic energy of the crowd, in standing still and raising their arms, leaning from left to right to loosen up the tension our aging thirty-something bodies can’t hang on to as well anymore. She encourages everyone to drop to the ground in a crouch to give their knees a rest. A murmur of laughter rises from the crowd, but not of ridicule, but of genuine happiness. It’s kinda fun, doing something like this as a group. It’s silly, but we all get to be silly together. Like the band, I’m also quickly approaching my thirties, and the last decade of broken legs and back injuries have left me quite thankful for the pause myself.
A stretch break may not seem like punk rock, but it feels like it. It is, even. There’s a deliberate, radical decision to choose kindness for one’s self and their body, to take a moment to turn the heat under the crowd to a simmer, so the metaphorical pot doesn’t boil over. If the emo of yesteryear was self-destructive and self-loathing, Sweet Pill are ushering in a new era of self-care.
For Fans Of
Community.
I’ve said this before, but the emo-slash-pop-punk crowd I spent my teens in was not a welcoming one. Very much so a boys club, the crowds I was in felt aggressive, like I had to prove my worth and earn my spot by tolerating whatever punches they threw. I could be there in the sense they wouldn’t kick me out, but not in the sense that I was welcome.
I didn’t feel that at this show. There’s a much higher bar of communal respect, from the crowd to the lines for merch, bathrooms, or pierogies that snake across the venue. Somehow, no one is in the way. A fan knocks over a trash can, and four others converge to help clean it up. A Wall of Death opens up, but people who don’t want to participate are given a moment to edge out of the way. From my perch up in the balconies, crowd surfers aren’t dropped. A group of fans stand with their arms wrapped around one another. And from the middle, one lucky fan is even brought on stage to sing alongside the band, arm in arm with Youssef. While there’s a lot to be angry about lately, that anger isn’t taken out on each other.
The term “safe space” gets a lot of flack these days, but the room felt like the definition of one. Not in the sense that everyone was coddled, but in the sense that no one had to be looking over their shoulder, waiting to be shown they weren’t welcome.
Verdict
Sweet Pill have seen stratospheric success in the emo rock world since their debut, and they continue to carve out their own kind and deliberate niche in the industry, one that feels very much so needed. Their live shows are an example of that: a place of empathy, catharsis, and even fun to offer some lightness to fans.
Shortly after the New York show, the group announced they would unfortunately need to take a break from touring, cancelling the remaining U.S. tour dates and upcoming Europe shows. But fans are eagerly awaiting their return, leaving messages of love and support on their social media in the meantime. Be sure to follow Sweet Pill on Instagram and YouTube for updates, and to make sure you catch them when the tour kicks off again.
Looking for more recaps? Check out our review of FKA Twigs in NYC.
