On Friday night at Philadelphia’s Union Transfer, the Cincinnati-born legends delivered a performance that felt less like a 40th-anniversary victory lap and more like a high-stakes exorcism. Forty years into their journey, Greg Dulli and the Afghan Whigs aren't just surviving, they’re thriving.
Dulli, the eternal crown prince of dark-alley soul, remains a formidable focal point. From the moment the band tore into the bruising opener "Parked Outside," it was clear that the grit hasn't faded. Clad in his signature black and Cadillac guitar strap, Dulli commanded the stage with the swagger of a noir anti-hero, his voice shifting effortlessly from a predatory growl to that wounded falsetto that has defined alternative R&B-rock for decades.
The setlist was a curated journey through the band's obsession with desire and regret. Early highlights like "I'm Her Slave" recalled the raw tension of the Sub Pop years, while the mid-90s swagger of "Gentlemen" and "What Jail Is Like" sent the capacity crowd into a frenzy of nostalgia. But the Whigs have never been a mere legacy act. Newer cuts like "Demon in Profile" and the blistering "I Am Fire" felt just as vital, proving that the band’s late-career resurgence is one of the most consistent runs in modern rock.
As the night peaked with a searing "Son of the South", interpolating a ghostly snippet of "Roadhouse Blues" and the widescreen cinematic ache of "Into the Floor," the message was clear: the Afghan Whigs are still the best band in the world for when the sun goes down and the trouble starts.
Set List:
1. Parked Outside
2. I'm Her Slave
3. Light as a Feather
4. What Jail Is Like
5. 66
6. House of I
7. Oriole
8. Going to Town
9. Matamoros
10. Gentlemen
11. Algiers
12. Catch a Colt
13. Somethin' Hot
14. Please, Baby, Please
15. Demon in Profile
16. I Am Fire
17. My Enemy
18. Son of the South
19. Duvateen
20. Summer's Kiss
21. Into the Floor
Tour Stops:
May 4: Town Ballroom - Buffalo, NY
May 5: House Of Blues - Cleveland, OH
May 6: Bogart's - Cincinnati, OH
May 8: Turner Hall Ballroom - Milwaukee, WI
May 9: Metro Chicago - Chicago, IL
IG: @theafghanwhigs
Website: www.theafghanwhigs.com
Review and Photography by:Craig Eidell