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LIVE REVIEW: Sunflower Bean at Johnny Brenda’s in Philadelphia on May 16th, 2025, by Jonathan Lane

It’s impossible to know all the great active rock and pop bands out there – even those that have been producing great music for years – like Sunflower Bean.  I recently had the opportunity to “discover” this band at Philadelphia landmark Johnny Brenda’s.  They are on tour, celebrating the release of their latest album, Mortal…

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It’s impossible to know all the great active rock and pop bands out there – even those that have been producing great music for years – like Sunflower Bean.  I recently had the opportunity to “discover” this band at Philadelphia landmark Johnny Brenda’s.  They are on tour, celebrating the release of their latest album, Mortal Primetime.

Sunflower Bean are:

  • Julia Cumming – bass & lead vocals
  • Nick Kivlen – guitar & backing vocals
  • Olive Faber – drums

Written by Jonathan Lane

Tour poster for Sunflower Bean's 2025 tour, featuring a central image of a performer surrounded by floral designs, with the title 'MORTAL PRIMETIME' and tour dates listed.

Sunflower Bean is at times edgy, at times dreamy. The music is not simple, but it’s eminently accessible. You can count on solid, creative drumming, lovely and at times heart-rending vocals, and trippy, skilled guitar work.

This is one of those bands capable of filling the room with a thick, interwoven, hypnotic groove that belies the fact that they’re just three musicians. Notably, this average-sized set displays a rich and satisfying diversity of sounds.

This set draws on three of the band’s four albums (2018-2025) and 2024 EP – with an emphasis on tracks from Mortal Primetime. A few highlights for me include:

Lucky Number – a heavy as heck groove in this psych rock tune. Julia serves up the lyrics with toe-curling, rock star wailing. 

In contrast, Nothing Romantic – this song’s ethereal sound belies the bittersweet theme. Nick takes a nice economical solo.

You’d never guess
I’d be drowning all my sorrows

In the divey hallows of my fantasy

Cause I used to think

My suffering made me immortal

Heartbreak was a portal to my honesty

There’s nothing romantic in being alone

I don’t wanna be the last lonely soul

Sitting at the bar drinking alone

Waiting for God to take me home

When the Devil said heaven is closed

Waiting for you

But you’ll never show

There’s nothing romantic in being alone

There’s nothing romantic in being alone

Take Out Your Insides is a shoegaze-y ballad with a sweet, extended guitar solo closes the song. For those left hungry for more guitar solos, the next offering, Who Put You Up to This? satisfies.   Over a funky, bluesy beat, raw emotions punch through Julia’s vocals.  Nick comes through again, with an extended solo worthy of an arena performance.

With Please Rewind, Nick takes the vocal lead, while Julia provides lovely harmonies.

Last on the set list is Sunshine, featuring a faster tempo and the lead/backup vocals reversed. Early on, Nick teases with a skillful, but brief solo, and then delivers the payoff with a tasty, extended solo as the song concludes.

Sunflower Bean are touring through June 21 – don’t wait as long as I did to discover them!

Sunflower Bean – Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia – 5/16/2025

Set List

  1. Champagne Taste
  2. Lucky Number
  3. Teach Me to Be Bad
  4. Nothing Romantic
  5. Look What You’ve Done to Me
  6. Take Out Your Insides
  7. Who Put You Up to This?
  8. Twentytwo
  9. I Knew Love
  10. Please Rewind
  11. Sunshine

Follow Sunflower Bean:

Website | Instagram | Twitter | TikTok | Facebook 

http://www.luckynumbermusic.com

Photography by Jonathan Lane

https://www.photographer-jonathan-lane.com/home

A live performance scene featuring three musicians on stage: a guitarist, a drummer, and a bassist, with a vibrant crowd in front. The lighting is dramatic with blue hues, and the atmosphere reflects an energetic concert vibe.
A female musician performing on stage, singing into a microphone while playing a bass guitar. The background features dramatic lighting with purple hues, creating a vibrant concert atmosphere.
Sunflower Bean performing live on stage at Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, with colorful stage lights illuminating the band members and audience.
Sunflower Bean performing live on stage at Johnny Brenda's in Philadelphia, with the bass player leading on vocals and the audience engaged, illuminated by purple stage lights.
Close-up of a musician playing an electric guitar on stage under vibrant blue and purple lighting.
A musician performing passionately on stage while holding a microphone, illuminated by dramatic lighting.
Drummer performing on stage with a focused expression, surrounded by a drum set with cymbals and colorful lighting.
A live performance by the band Sunflower Bean, featuring three musicians on stage: one guitarist playing an electric guitar, a drummer behind a red drum kit, and a female bassist wearing platform shoes. The stage is lit with colorful spotlights and decorated with shimmering lights in the background.
A musician playing an electric guitar on stage, with dramatic lighting and a drummer in the background.
A female bassist performing passionately on stage with a microphone, wearing a black dress, amidst a backdrop of warm lights.
Drummer performing on stage with focused expression, surrounded by colorful stage lights and a dark backdrop.
Musician performing on stage with a bass guitar and microphone, illuminated by colorful stage lights.
A musician playing an electric guitar on stage, showcasing a passionate performance with colorful lighting in the background.
A musician playing an electric guitar on stage, with vibrant lighting in the background, capturing the energy of a live performance.
A drummer performing on stage with intense focus, surrounded by colorful lighting and a vibrant atmosphere.
A musician passionately performing on stage while playing the bass guitar, with hair flowing and a crowd of fans in the background, highlighting the energetic atmosphere of a live concert.
Live performance of Sunflower Bean at Johnny Brenda's in Philadelphia, featuring band members Julia Cumming on bass and vocals, Nick Kivlen on guitar, and Olive Faber on drums, with colorful stage lighting.
A live performance by the band Sunflower Bean, featuring members playing instruments on stage under vibrant purple lighting, with an engaged audience in front.
Drummer performing on stage with an orange drum set, focused and engaged, in a music venue.
Drummer performing on stage, displaying energetic expression while playing a drum set during a live music performance.
A musician passionately performing on stage with a microphone in one hand and a bass guitar in the other, illuminated by blue lighting.
A female bassist performing on stage with a microphone, illuminated by colorful stage lights.
A drummer performing on stage, wearing glasses and a black outfit, focused on playing. The drum kit is highlighted with a shiny red finish, and the background features dim lighting.
Sunflower Bean performing live on stage, featuring a guitarist, drummer, and bassist, with vibrant purple lighting illuminating the scene.
A musician playing bass guitar on stage during a live performance, with dramatic lighting highlighting her focused expression.
A musician performing on stage with curly hair, playing an electric guitar and singing into a microphone, with dramatic lighting creating a vibrant atmosphere.
Musician playing electric guitar on stage with a microphone in front and dark backdrop.
A musician passionately performs on stage, holding a bass guitar and singing into a microphone, with a drummer visible in the background, creating a captivating atmosphere.

Laveda

Dream Pop band Laveda are Ali Genevich and Jake Brooks, both on vocals and guitar. On stage for this tour are Joseph Taurone on drums and Daniel Carr on bass, who have also supported the band in the recording studio.

Laveda are a perfect opener and romances the crowd with tracks from their 2020 and 2023 albums, along with a few newer tunes. Highlights for me included:

  •  Surprise begins with an upbeat instrumental introduction, leading to tender vocals and then, a soaring chorus & buildup to a rocking crescendo.
  • A Place You Grew Up In is a dreamy shoegaze tune that also takes it up a notch halfway through – this time, with jangly, riffs and edgy vocals reminiscent of 1960’s San Francisco psychedelic rock.
A singer from the band Sunflower Bean passionately performing on stage with a microphone in hand.
A female vocalist passionately singing into a microphone on stage with dynamic lighting, showcasing an emotional performance.
A female singer passionately performing on stage, holding a microphone with both hands, while illuminated by dramatic blue lighting.
A vocalist passionately performing on stage, holding a microphone, with backlighting creating a dramatic effect.
A musician playing an electric bass guitar on stage, wearing a striped shirt with long hair, immersed in the performance.
Close-up of a singer performing on stage, holding a microphone, with dramatic lighting highlighting their features.
A female singer passionately performing on stage with a microphone, while a male guitarist plays in the background.
A female singer performing on stage, wearing a black outfit, with partially blue-tinted hair, holding a microphone and singing passionately, set against a backdrop of dramatic blue lighting.
A female singer passionately performing on stage, holding a microphone, and singing with closed eyes under dramatic blue lighting.
A male musician with long hair playing a white bass guitar on stage, wearing a light-colored striped shirt and a colorful strap.
Live performance by Sunflower Bean featuring three band members: a female guitarist and singer in a black outfit, a male guitarist in a white t-shirt, and a male drummer in a white tee, with colorful stage lighting.
A female musician passionately singing into a microphone while playing an electric guitar, with a male guitarist in the background. The stage is illuminated with warm lighting.
A rock band performing on stage with colorful lighting, featuring a lead vocalist, guitarist, bassist, and drummer, while the audience engages in front.
Two musicians performing on stage, one with long curly hair playing guitar and the other playing an electric guitar, illuminated by colorful stage lights.
A live performance of the band Sunflower Bean on stage at Johnny Brenda's in Philadelphia, showcasing the musicians playing instruments with a captivated audience in front.
A musician playing an electric guitar on stage under colorful lights, wearing a striped shirt and focused on their performance.
Sunflower Bean performing on stage, featuring band members playing guitar, bass, and drums with colorful lighting.
Sunflower Bean performing live on stage, surrounded by colorful lighting and an engaged audience.
A live performance by the band Sunflower Bean at Johnny Brenda's in Philadelphia, with band members playing guitars and drums under colorful stage lights.
A live performance by the band Sunflower Bean, featuring the lead vocalist with a red guitar, surrounded by band members on stage at Johnny Brenda's in Philadelphia.
A vibrant live performance featuring two guitarists. One musician with long hair passionately plays an electric guitar, while the other, wearing a bright shirt, energetically strums their guitar in front of a backdrop of colorful stage lights.
Guitarist performing on stage with long curly hair, wearing a striped shirt, and playing an electric guitar under colorful stage lights.
A live performance of the rock band Sunflower Bean, featuring two members playing electric guitars on stage with colorful lights in the background.
A drummer performing on stage, wearing a cap and a colorful shirt, focused on playing the drums under purple lighting.
A musician playing an electric bass guitar on stage, illuminated by blue stage lights.
Musician performing on stage with a guitar, under colorful lighting, smiling while singing into a microphone.

Remaining Tour Dates:

5/28 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl #

5/30 – Denton, TX @ Rubber Gloves #

5/31 – Austin, TX @ The Ballroom #

6/01 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Upstairs #

6/04 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar #

6/05 – San Diego, CA @ The Casbah #

6/06 – Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room #

6/07 – San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel #

6/9 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios #

6/10 – Seattle, WA @ Madame Lou’s #

6/12 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court

6/13 – Fort Collins, CO @ The Coast #

6/14 – Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive

6/17 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St. Entry #

6/19 – Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village #

6/20 – Detroit, MI @ Third Man Records 

6/21 – Toronto, ON @ The Garrison

^ with Cage The Elephant

* with Laveda

# with Gift 

One response to “LIVE REVIEW: Sunflower Bean at Johnny Brenda’s in Philadelphia on May 16th, 2025, by Jonathan Lane”

  1. Don Avatar
    Don

    Nice work Jonathan. Cool write up too.

    Reply

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