Screaming Females

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

Formed in New Brunswick, NJ in 2005, Screaming Females is Marissa Paternoster (guitar, vox), Mike Abbate (bass), and Jarrett Dougherty (drums). Over six albums and more than a decade of music making, the band has remained deeply individual and steadfastly DIY. They have also grown into one of the most dynamic and devastating touring bands going today.

Out February 23rd, All At Once is the trio's most expansive and imaginative works to date--a double LP that swings between surreal miniatures and solo-heavy sprawl. Concision takes a backseat to experimentation, with arrangements meant to evoke the energy and spontaneity of their live shows. It's music built across a timeline that's longer than our internet-enhanced moment typically tolerates and a testament to the band's dedication and perseverance.

Thirteen years ago, Caufield and Lira began making music in a small town in Arkansas. Over the subsequent decade, having relocated to Boston in 2012, the duo became serial band-starters on the East Coast underground. Their many DIY projects and releases established their thrifty and disciplined songwriting practice, known by few.

Sweeping Promises, their latest project, was born in a disused and reverberant concrete laboratory in Cambridge, MA. Tracked with a self-devised “single-mic technique” and mixed in mono, the band completed their debut “Hunger for a Way Out” just in time to enter quarantine. With only a single basement show under their belt, the band received an unexpectedly wide reception, firstly in online punk circles, and eventually stretching beyond. The band owes their circulation to the expert coordination of Sam Richardson, label head of Virginia’s Feel It Records. Sam describes the release: “Angular guitars and sharp synth notes float atop a raw rhythm section, while Lira Mondal’s effervescent vocals truly define Sweeping Promises’ sound. There’s something simple yet otherworldly about these tracks – you have the DIY prowess of Kleenex/LiLiPUT and Girls at Our Best!, a brooding new wave-y minimal synth sound woven in, and an undeniable pop-leaning appeal captured in vibrant monaural glory.”

Sweeping Promises is currently HQ’d in Austin, TX after fleeing Boston in Covid time. They are currently preparing for tour (in a better world) and stockpiling recordings made in Caufield’s parents’ bathroom.

Philly's most haunted and deranged freaks! Fast, sloppy at times, a little Eddy Current vibe in there, saxophone, whatever you want.

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 & Nearby Stays

First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, United States