Bastille, The 1975 and More Light The Candles of Radio 104.5’s Birthday Show

Despite the unfortunate weather forecast, thousands of music fans turned out for an amazing day of music at the BB&T Pavillion in Camden, NJ to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Radio 104.5. The Philadelphia alternative rock radio station has celebrated their continued existence each year with a massive show with lineups that rival other music festivals in the area. In recent years, the show has become a two-night affair, which spans two different weekends in the summer. The May 13 show featured an eclectic lineup that only got better throughout the day.

The show opened up with PHNTMS who won the station’s local opener contest. Led by lead singer, Alyssa Gambino, PHNTMS surprised everyone who showed up early and successfully warmed up the crowd, setting the high energy tone for the rest of the day.

Next up was English singer-songwriter, Rory Charles Graham, better known as Rag’n’Bone Man. The singer is having an amazing year with breakout single, “Human” on heavy rotation worldwide. He was also recently featured on the new Gorillaz album, coincidentally named Humanz. Rag’n’Bone Man played tracks off his new album, Human including “Skin,” “Innocent Man,” and the charting single, “Human.”

Shortly after Rag’n’Bone Man’s powerful performance, Fitz and the Tantrums took the stage to take the energy to a completely different level. Singers Michael “Fitz” Fitzpatrick and Noelle Scaggs brought their high-energy mix of pop and soul with full force to deliver an unforgettable performance. The band performed a few tracks off their new self-titled album, including singles “Handclap, “Run It,” “Roll Up,” and “Burn It Down.” They also played classic songs from their catalog including “Out of My League,” “MoneyGrabber,” and “The Walker.” Fitz and the Tantrums’ powerful and energetic performance set the standard for the rest of the night.

After Fitz and the Tantrum explosive set came the band that every tween girl was waiting for all day. The 1975 came out to the screaming crowd to a stage that was set up exactly like their normal arena shows. Singer Matthew Healy and the rest of the band drowned in purple lighting that has become synonymous with their tour and coincides with theme of the bands latest album, I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it.

Nine of the bands twelve song set list were tracks from that album including “UGH!,” “Change of Heart,” and “Love Me.” Healy completely took over the stage, dancing, and stripping off layers of clothes while serenading the audience. They closed out the show with chart-topping single, “Chocolate” from their self-titled debut album and “The Sound,” the biggest track from their latest album. The 1975 could have easily headlined this year’s Birthday Show, that’s how incredible they are as a live act.

Following The 1975, Empire of the Sun followed with one of the most elaborate stage setups I have ever seen. This wasn’t just a band playing music in front of an audience; this was a full-on production featuring multiple costume changes, video cutscenes, and astonishing visuals. The Australian electronic music duo played tracks from all three of their albums including breakout single “Walking On A Dream,” “DNA,” and “Alive.” They also played new tracks “Friends,” “Two Vines,” and “High and Low” from their latest album Two Vines. Frontman Luke Steele finished the set by destroying his guitar, an amp, and keyboard stand before leaving the stage. It was epic!

Bastille followed Empire of the Sun explosive set with an intimate performance filled with hits and new songs from their sophomore album, Wild World. Lead vocalist Dan Smith had the crowd singing throughout the night to songs like “Bad Blood,” “Wild World,” and “Flaws.” They also performed a cover of “Of the Night,” which is a mash-up of two 90s tracks, “The Rhythm of the Night” by Italian act Corona and “Rhythm Is a Dancer” by German group Snap! They closed out their set with megahit, “Pompeii” with the entire crowd singing along.

Kings of Leon closed out an amazing night of music with an impressive set that featured tracks from their entire career. They opened with “Waste a Moment,” the first song of their new album, Walls. The Followill boys played hits like “Radioactive,” “Notion,” “Pyro,” and “Supersoaker.” The closed out the night with “Sex on Fire” and ended the first night of Radio 104.5’s 10th Birthday Celebration on a high note.

Setlist