.indie pop prom philly

All dressed up and ready for prom

My Friday night kicked off with Indie Pop Prom at the First Unitarian Church. The proceeds go towards breast cancer. You get to dress up which makes it even more fun! Since my prom was eons ago and I donated my dress, I went with a gold number I wore to my first Sleater-Kinney concert. The bands performing at this gig were Swanning, Mercury Girls, Sports, Sad13, and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. I went with my friend and it was early birthday weekend celebrations for her. We had a great time and I can't wait until the next one.

First band up was Swanning. I saw them open for Japanese Breakfast at Everybody Hits. Their members are in other bands such as Radiator Hospital and Fleabite. The lead singer talked about members of her family being affected by cancer, breast cancer. It triggered memories of my Grandmother who I lost at the young age of 9 to a brain tumor. So, some of her songs really hit me on a personal level.

Next up was Mercury Girls. This is the third time I've seen them perform and they get better and better every time. Like Swanning, they also opened for Japanese Breakfast. During that time the band invested in new technological devices adding extra ambiance to their songs which elevated them on a whole other level. This was my favorite picture of the night and it was cool seeing the band liked my picture on Instagram. Sure I'll see them around again.

Sports has almost a cult-like following. Many in the audience chanted their name between songs. I was very impressed with their lead singer. She covered a Josie and the Pussycat song during the set. I think they opened for another band I saw last year, just can't pinpoint who it was. Another band I'm sure I'll see around again. Kind of kicking myself not purchasing their album but positive the opportunity will arise again.

Sad13 is the cutest and my friend just adores her. Her outfits are the cutest too. We had SO MUCH FUN during her set clapping along which amused her. I got shy and did not sing along in fear of botching the lyrics and her looking my way. During her last song "Hype" we just jumped up and down during the chorus. I gave my friend her set list. She played: <2, Fixina, Get a Yes, Just a Friend, Line Up, Devil in U, The Sting, and Hype. Definitely seeing her again soon. More pics of her below.

I've never heard of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. They were very energetic and rocked. The lead singer's tux was just on point. They played about ten songs with a bonus encore. It was so awesome that Jess Weiss from Fear of Men accompanied them, singing along to most of the songs and one solo. I love her to pieces. Like Sadie, she also rocked a floral crown. 

Overall the concert was a wonderful event. The basement was decked out in pink balloons and they had a photo-op with golden blown up balloons that spelled out "Prom." I would definitely go again next year. Heck of a lot better than my actual high school prom.