The Head and the Heart engaged audience members with their rich harmonies, melodious guitar, and on-stage chemistry at the Fillmore in Philadelphia on September 22. The indie folk band, which hails from Seattle, performed at the Fillmore as part of their fall headlining tour for the album Signs of Light.
The band’s third and most pop-oriented album, Signs of Light was released in September 2016 and has been increasing the group’s fan base ever since. After sharing their music with audiences spanning the United States, Canada, Mexico, and several European countries, The Head and the Heart are now wrapping up their tour.
THATH concert in Philly, September 22, 2017
I had the pleasure of standing among the crowd at the Fillmore for the second year in a row. The set list for this year’s Philadelphia show was essentially identical to that a year earlier—a well-thought-out mix of new and old fan favorites. Despite a year of touring with the same songs, the band members performed with the same vivacity and captivity that they had at the start of their tour, their rhythmic melodies traced by devoted audience members.
The Shelters, a rock band formed in 2015, opened up the show this time around, lighting up the space in preparation for the main act. Some personal favorites from The Shelters were the songs “Rebel Heart” and “Never Look Behind Ya.”
A few highlights of the Head and the Heart’s performance were vocalist Jon Russell’s sped-up rendition of the song “Let’s Be Still,” vocalist and violinist Charity Rose Thielen’s emotive performance of “Library Magic,” a song that she wrote about the band’s experiences on the road, and the constant expressions of pure joy on the face of drummer Tyler Williams.
One missing part of the show was the absence of former band-member Josiah Johnson, who sings many of the group’s songs, including “Rivers and Roads,” the band’s greatest hit, and who I once witnessed crowd surfing at a concert in Boston. As Josiah is taking time to deal with his health, artist Matt Gervais, who is married to band-member Charity, took the stage for the entirety of the tour and truly stepped up to the plate.
If you are interested in finding out what the Head and The Heart is all about, check out the following link to videos from their New York City concert in 2016:
http://teamcoco.com/music/head-and-heart?page=2
Additionally, songs from their three albums can be found at the links below:
Signs of Light full album
Let’s Be Still full album
The Head and the Heart full album
AND if you get the chance to attend a Head and the Heart concert before the final United States portion of their tour is complete on October 29, their magical live performance will not disappoint.
The remaining Signs of Light concert dates can be viewed on the The Head and the Heart’s website. After they finish up in the United States, the band will continue on to Maya, Mexico.
Written by Sarah Dembling ’19
