It’s been a while since I had the pleasure of catching a show at Milkboy in Center City Philadelphia. NYC-based, Riot Grrrl-influenced punk band Sorry Mom are touring with Froggy and had local support from Philly’s Sloptart, a band name I thoroughly enjoy!
They kicked off the tour in DC the previous night for a seven-show schedule through the Northeast showcasing their week-old debut album, Babyface. Philly was night two. The band was fresh and as enthusiastic to be there as the crowd. They also enjoyed the honor of being that week’s face of Spotify’s “All New Punk” channel! While they are still in the early stages of their career, I was met with numerous already dedicated fans at Milkboy as the room slowly filled before the opening act.
Sloptart started off the show with a set of a dozen songs from the punk trio. The band was fun and upbeat without adopting an overly pop punk sound. They just came to rock!
Though part of the tour, Froggy, the suburban Philly punkers from Doylestown’s School Of Rock, are certainly familiar faces to the local crowd. Among their set was “7-Eleven Nachos,” which gained official backing from the convenience store chain after the band jokingly reached out with no serious expectation of a response. You never know unless you take a shot! They kept the mood light, continuing the fun, sometimes silly mood most punk shows in the area enjoy.
Their official bio describes Sorry Mom as “a femme punk band from New York City.” It goes on to emphasize, “Their music chronicles queer experiences and suburban despair through a nostalgic punk sound.” Although accurate and driving home the essence of what inspires their music, to simply refer to their sound as “punk” is almost a disservice. They’ve crafted a much more fluid and dynamic sound ranging from harder pop-oriented punk to singer/songwriter elements and healthy doses of pensive early ’90s alt-rock elements. Even this just scratches the surface of the proudly DIY band that has maintained their artistic expression. At the same time, their performance remained energetic and fun, with plenty of light-hearted banter directed toward the audience.
It was revealed that each night of the tour adopted a new wardrobe theme. Their kickoff show in DC featured the band dressed as old women. In Philly, a Halloween theme was adopted. While Froggy dressed as fairies and caped monsters, the members of Sorry Mom added special effects facial wounds and a touch of ragged zombie attire. Clearly, the bands are determined to make the most of their fun experiences while on the road!
After the show, I had the pleasure of mingling with the various band members that had performed. They were all so welcoming and happy to be playing that night while looking forward to the remainder of the tour. This was very much an East Coast punk show, and the authenticity and excitement of all three bands were very refreshing.
Sorry Mom
Froggy
Sloptart
