Paramore made the audience forget their “Hard Times” in Philadelphia on June 24.
The band visited the Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing during the fifth stop of the “After Laughter” summer tour, along with opening acts Soccer Mommy and Foster the People. Aside from a brief delay for thunderstorms, the bands provided a night full of pop-rock and alternative-style music.
Soccer Mommy warmed up the crowd and provided them with a laid-back, indie-rock set list. The Nashville-based band sang songs from their album “Clean.”
After the rain delay, Foster the People took the stage to sing a variety of songs from their latest album, “Sacred Hearts Club,” as well as songs from older albums – including “Houdini,” “Lotus Eater,” “Pay the Man,” “Pumped Up Kicks” and “Sit Next to Me.”
Paramore kicked off their setlist with “Grudges,” followed by songs from the “After Laughter” album, which was created after one member left the band and another returned.
The album talks about the band’s struggles to put the past behind them and renew the friendships and music they once enjoyed.
“After Laughter” also touches on heartbreak and fake happiness, all while making audiences want to dance through the sadness with its upbeat music.
Paramore pumped up the crowd with older music such as “Still Into You,” “Crushcrushcrush,” “Playing God,” “That’s What You Get” and “Ignorance.” The band even slowed things down and sang a song they rarely play live, “Misguided Ghosts.” The setlist perfectly wrapped up the history and talents of the band through the years. The music succeeded in bringing the crowd down memory lane while also exciting them for the newer version of Paramore.
Lead singer Hayley Williams also covered Canadian rapper Drake’s song “Passionfruit.” She also briefly covered Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” at the end of Paramore’s song “Rose Colored Boy.” The cover fit in with the 80s-inspired music that Paramore features on “After Laughter.”
The band also followed the tradition of pulling a fan up on stage to sing the last chorus of “Misery Business,” a band classic. They ended with another popular song “Ain’t it Fun,” but performed three encore songs. This included a song by HalfNoise, another band that drummer Zac Farro belongs to.
Paramore left the audience at Festival Pier on a high note with “Hard Times,” reminding them to stay strong throughout those times that “make you wanna cry.” For a band that has been through so much, they give their all in each performance.
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