It was hot outside and even hotter in the subterranean Underground Arts venue on April 25, as indie rocker Orla Gartland brought her Everyone Needs a Hero tour to Philadelphia.
Opener FIGHTMASTER set a sultry mood as the room filled up. FIGHTMASTER, the musical project of actor E.R. Fightmaster, played a high-energy set full of pulsing rhythm and guitar riffs. Set highlights included “Emmett,” an emotional track about family connections, and “Bad Man,” an incredibly danceable single off their 2023 EP Violence.
Gartland exploded onto the stage to Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding out for a Hero,” accompanied by Scarlet Halton and Sara Leigh Shaw. She launched immediately into “SOUND OF LETTING GO,” followed by “Kiss Ur Face Forever,” setting the tone for the night: dynamic, spirited, and so much fun.
Gartland’s energy onstage was nonstop and palpable, as she danced around with various guitars. At one point, she brought two fans onstage to sing with her; at another, she swapped places with drummer Shaw, executing a rowdy and impressive drum performance. Throughout the night Gartland engaged with the crowd, drawing out laughs and cheers.
Gartland played standout tracks from her most recent record, 2024’s Everybody Needs a Hero, including “Backseat Driver” and “Little Chaos.” Several fan favorites from Gartland’s 2021 debut record Woman on the Internet also made an appearance; “Codependency” and “You’re Not Special, Babe” had the energy in the room skyrocketing. The audience sang along to every word of songs both new and old, at times matching Gartland’s own volume.
Halfway through the night, Gartland declared that we were entering the “party section” of the set. I questioned how much more of a party was possible, but Gartland did in fact level up, with a cover of Chappell Roan’s “Red Wine Supernova” that had the crowd screaming along.
Climbing the stairs back to street level, drenched in sweat and unable to stop smiling, I left fully convinced that Orla Gartland is a bona fide rockstar.
