The Pistola Press

The Chicago band Maps & Atlases played to a sold-out crowd at Kung-Fu Necktie on Saturday night. It was a cool summer night in Fishtown. The venue was packed inside which made for a warm crowd. They took the stage around 9:30 and played an hour set. Their intricate guitar and drum work was carried out with precision. Dave Davison’s voice complimented the instrumentation perfectly as the band played most song off their recent release Perch Patchwork. .

They were much tighter this time around, in comparison to when they opened for Frightened Rabbits in April. Since then, their new record was released in June and they have been on the road ever since. It seemed like they were more comfortable and confident on stage. Davison was very friendly with the crowd and explained to them how everytime they come to Philly, they always stay longer than intended.

One song that stood out was “The Charm”. The song started off as a soft ballad of guitar and keys and ended with a complete onslaught of snare-driven drums. Everyone in the band, except for Davison, played their own seperate drum quite intensely and the finished very suddenly and precisely. They all have a tight chemistry with eachtoher. The band recently filmed a version of the song with a middle school drumline for YoursTruly. Check that out HERE.

After the show, the band treated their fans who were willing to stick around to an acoustic set on the sidewalk next to Kung Fu Necktie. People stood quietly around the band as they played the short set. It was definitely the highlight of the night for those who stuck around. The performance was more personal and down to Earth in that setting. It would be nice if more bands would do what they did on Saturday night. Photos from both sets below.

Black & White photos by Michael James Murray

Maps & Atlases