The War on Drugs play Minglewood Hall this Saturday night, so prepare for the second coming of dad rock packaged as something cooler. The band has also been described as “beer commercial rock” and the heir to the throne held by blue-jean rockers like Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen. If your favorite era of American rock-n-roll involves either one of the aforementioned artists, then The War On Drugs is probably already on your radar. The band broke away from the pack on last year’s Lost in the Dream, an album that mostly sees front man and chief songwriter Adam Granduciel dealing with depression, anxiety, and lost love. Granduciel’s definitely not the first sad guy to ever pick up a guitar, but that didn’t stop multiple critics from calling The War on Drugs things like “band of the year” and Lost in the Dream one of the best albums to come out this decade. 2014 definitely belonged to The War on Drugs, and after touring almost non-stop, the band is picking up right where they left off.
The War on Drugs
Joining The War on Drugs on a short stint of tour dates is fellow Philadelphians Hop Along. The indie-folk/pop-punk band has been around for more than a decade, but recently signed to Omaha, Nebraska-label Saddle Creek. Saddle Creek has introduced the world to bands like Cursive, Bright Eyes and Azure Ray, but Hop Along are more on the pop punk side of the roster (along with Pujol) rather than the “I hate myself and I want to die” side. Painted Shut, the first Hop Along album with their new label, will be released on May 5th while the band is on tour. The show is all ages.