Uranium Club, Mesh, NRG
Spruce Street Harbor Park
301 s Christopher Columbus Blvd.
Philadelphia
May 30, 2026
Philly thoroughly turned out to see Uranium Club perform this weekend for the first official show in 4333’s Summer Concert Series at Spruce Street Harbor Park that didn’t get rained out. 4333’s collaboration with UFest and Tilted Zine was one of those shows that felt like basically everyone I had ever met was in attendance, making a beautiful evening turned sorta chilly night like this a little bit overwhelming. The amount of hugs I gave out to various people from different corners of my life was an embarrassment of riches, truly.
NRG opened this gateway-to-the-summer gig; their snappy rhythms from drummer Aaron Muchanic and bassist Sam Gasparre set off one of the night’s main sonic trends: tight rhythms driven by closed hi-hat or floor tom 16th notes and driving bass that held down a consistent repetitive force allowing for all types of melodic freakery. In this case, it came through matched melodies from guitar and synth with deadpan vocals hovering over top. Love it.
A New Career | NRG - Discontinuous Innovation Inc. - Bandcamp
Mesh delivered a similar rhythmic tightness that I wrote somewhat in depth about here. After dealing with a seemingly cosmic difficulty with the bass signal, the band hit a stride as the sun began to set over the city horizon. The stage mix had every instrument perfectly distributed, showing just how intricate Mesh’s melodies are, delivered through that crucial jangle that rockers worldwide just can’t quit. There is a strong Devo influence in all three bands on this gig, but the melodic twist that Mesh puts on it will always set them apart. Shoutout to fellow Philly Midbrow staffer Ben Gallman for getting a video from their set to me after I failed to.
Uranium Club pulled off the fascinating dynamic of having two lead guitarists. They didn't ever seem to clash, often playing in harmony, but they absolutely did whatever the fuck they wanted at almost all times, relying heavily on the constantly tight pocket that the rhythm players live in. Though it was my first time seeing this band, it was clear they’ve played together long enough to achieve a certain inimitable tightness, not just in the rhythms themselves, but in their cooperation as an ensemble. Sounding like a mix of Devo, The Minutemen, Gang of Four, and bits of Talking Heads, Uranium Club ruled the night with a number of great musical moments. Perfectly orchestrated rests, personably awkward banter, toe-tapping riffs and danceable rhythms all made for a lovely performance that even won over two children no older than five who stood near me during the set; I couldn’t help but watch them for quite a few songs. I wish I had a video of that.
