Bat Fangs

100% Vaccinated Event — Proof of Covid-19 Vaccination Required To Enter

Born of a shared love of hair metal, partying, and the reckless spirit of rock and roll, Washington D.C./ Carborro, NC duo Bat Fangs brings a fiery combination of shredderistic guitars and heavily harmonized hooks. Guitarist/vocalist Betsy Wright (Ex Hex) and drummer Laura King (Mac McCaughan, Speed Stick) united after playing a show together in their respective projects, with the goal of pushing Wright’s pop focused songwriting in a bolder, brasher direction. Taking up the primary songwriting role and shifting to guitar, Wright steps outside of the typical Ex Hex sound with Bat Fangs’ rowdy rock.

Their sophomore LP, Queen of My World is a reeling, rocking mass of guitar and vocals that serves as both a reclamation and a reevaluation of a sound that was once a breeding ground for a particularly egregious brand of cock rock dude-bro. Paying tribute to the glam rock and metal sounds of their youth while offering a modernized alternative to an era of music that deified toxic masculinity as a core value, Wright and King represent a new model of Rock Stardom that’s less about the Stars and more about the Rock.

On “Talk Tough”, the first song written for this LP, Wright sings of music carrying her into a near supernatural state, describing herself as being “in the cosmic sea”, and inviting others “crawl out the window on to a higher plain”. This otherworldliness permeates throughout the record, applying magical perspectives to real lived experiences.

Queen of My World looks into life’s little moments and sees the mystical within the ordinary. Though many of the songs are autobiographical, at its core the record is a lens into other worlds, gazing into timelines that could have been and childhood memories so distant they may as well be past lives.

One such reminiscion takes place on the title track, which reflects on a wild adolescence of drugs and destruction, with an aggressive guitar attack to match. Underneath the high octane teenage antics is a genuine tribute to the unique friendships that can only form in the pseudo-invincibility of youth.

As the record examines deeper into these alternate dimensions, it becomes increasingly psychedelic. The culmination of this is closing track “Into the Weave”, an instrumental jam that builds over a repeated tom groove into a full throttle barrage of guitar and drums. As it trails off, one last vocal harmony shines through, a sign that we’ve exited the mythical realm Queen of My World occupies, and moved on to the next.

All Away Lou is the new band from Lou Hanman; a 40 something, queer, English woman living in Philadelphia, PA, still playing punk rock three decades in because it's fun and she needs it!

The force behind UK punk rock faves Caves & Flamingo50, Lou moved to the US 6 years ago. Toured/ recorded drums, bass, guitar for the likes of RVIVR, Mikey Erg, Thin Lips, Katie Ellen, Queen of Jeans, Worriers .

Only two members of Philadelphia trio Thin Lips are related by blood. Nevertheless, when three people stick together for over a decade through endless tours, countless band incarnations, and hundreds of recording sessions, they may as well be considered family. At the very least, they will be seen together on major holidays; but instead of hiding presents under a tree, they’ll probably be playing a basement show in Duluth. This is the case for Chrissy Tashjian, Kyle Pulley, and Mikey Tashjian, known collectively as Thin Lips.

Spend some time with the Tashjian siblings individually and you will quickly notice their admiration for one another. They’re a long way from covering Korn songs in their parents’ basement after school, and now the pair in their early thirties can’t stop talking about how proud they are of the adults they’ve become--Chrissy ever the admirer of Mikey’s sympathetic heart and boundless goodwill, Mikey continually praising his sister for her relentless support of the queer community, as heard on the opening track of ‘Chosen Family.’

Enter Kyle Pulley, Thin Lips’ in-house recording engineer and lifelong Tashjian tourmate. Pulley grew close to the Tashjians during an extended stint at Big Mama’s Warehouse in North Philadelphia, a music collective that functioned as the original location of his burgeoning recording studio, The Headroom, and as a home base for Kyle, Chrissy, and Mikey’s first band. It was here that the trio learned to live together, cook together, and write together.

Naturally, the next step was touring. Eventually, as Chrissy, Kyle, and Mikey’s laps across America became more frequent, they realized that their once modestly-sized chosen family was growing across state lines. The love and tolerance they had learned in the warehouse was not insular; in fact, the trio began discovering like-minded communities of queer artists and musicians tucked into every corner of the country.

Fast forward to 2017, and Chrissy and Kyle are demoing songs for Thin Lips’ second LP ‘Chosen Family’ on a laptop, chopping up pre-recorded drum samples and arranging guitar parts. Whereas the songs on Thin Lips’ first album ‘Riff Hard’ were raucous, punk-driven affairs, this new batch of songs sees Chrissy focusing on purposeful, sharp guitar hooks; stripping away the gutsy solos and leaving more room for Kyle and Mikey to add thoughtful details to their expertly calculated rhythms. Chrissy and Kyle’s extended pre-production also led to the addition of some tasteful keyboard and synth lines throughout the record, most notably on the enormous chorus of “Smoking Is For Quitters.”

The recording process for ‘Chosen Family’ included assistance from longtime Tashjian co-conspirators Frances Quinlan and Joe Reinhart. The addition of Quinlan in the studio saw Chrissy, Mikey, and Kyle adding some unique flourishes to their rock-solid arrangements, like layered slide guitars on “Gaslight Anthem” and casually operatic background vocals on “So Stoned.” Reinhart, who mixed the album, helped the band create their most dynamic record yet by shaving off the rougher edges of their past releases and facilitating a clear, detailed sound.

Thin Lips show their age on ‘Chosen Family,’ perhaps most on “A Song For Those Who Miss You All The Time.” You can hear their decade of experience in the playful precision of Mikey and Kyle’s rhythms, in the clever push and pull of Chrissy’s singular guitar lead against the vocal melody, but also in Chrissy’s weariness as she reflects on the death of her younger brother Billy: “You were free of everything that holds us in our place.” There is a special power in the ability to name and identify life’s daily barriers, and to believe in the possibility of freedom from those barriers. Chrissy and Thin Lips have that power, and they use it to keep moving. They write songs, they make records, they go on tour, and they keep moving. And on ‘Chosen Family,’ they sound free.

For all shows in the months of October, November, and December, R5 Productions will require all guests to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Proof of vaccination may be given in the form of a paper copy or digital image of a guest’s vaccines card or other documentation showing you are at least two weeks past your final dose.

Unfortunately, negative test results alone will not be accepted at this time. Over the past two weeks we have had to turn away dozens of fans, because their test results have been delayed or other various issues with Philadelphia's testing infrastructure. This policy may eventually change if testing improves in the city. 

On the evening of the show, when not eating or drinking, we kindly ask all guests to wear a face mask for their own protection, as well as that of our staff, and the artists performing. Almost all of the artists playing have made this request themselves and it is one we fully support.  

Any questions or concerns? [email protected]

Event Venue

PhilaMOCA, 531 North 12th St., Philadelphia, United States