Recap: Mischief Brew at Fizz Bar

Mischief Brew at Fizz Bar on Sunday

Philadelphia folk punk stalwarts Mischief Brew stopped by Fizz Bar on Sunday night. They are on tour supporting their new album This Is Not For Children, released last month on Alternative Tentacles. The album continues down the path the band set out on with The Stone Operation four years ago, favoring full-band electric rompers over stripped-down acoustic sing-a-longs. This Is Not For Children ranks among my favorite albums of the year so far. True to form, Mischief Brew played just two songs off the new album, spreading their setlist across their career.

The same was true when I saw Mischief Brew soon after The Stone Operation came out. They played a song or two off that album and drew from the old stuff for the rest of the set. This is the third time I've seen the band and each time they have surprised me by playing songs I did not expect to hear. The big difference this time around was the length of the set. When I saw them at the DIY space The Juicer (hands down the hottest show I've ever attended) and at Township a couple years later, they played for about 20 minutes each time. Sunday at Fizz Bar, they likely played for double that amount of time. From the new album, they played the title track and the jaunty "Danger Falling Pianos." They opened with "Drinking Song From The Home Stretch," the smashed-can serenade near the end of The Stone Operation. They also played "On The Sly" from that album, an ode to DIY shows. The biggest surprises were "Children Play With Matches" and "Ten Thousand Fleas." They also played "Nomads Revolt" and Roll Me Through the Gates of Hell" from Smash The Windows.

After the band finished their last song, lead singer Erik Petersen came out into the crowd with his acoustic guitar unplugged. He led the crowd through a sing-a-long of "Coffee, God, and Cigarettes." It was the perfect capper to the night. If you haven't heard the new album yet, stream it right here: