[ATTENDED: October 15, 2026] The Dillinger Escape Plan
When this show was announced as part of Philly Music Week, I grabbed a ticket immediately. I had seen The Dillinger Escape Plan ten years ago when the opened for Mastodon and it was one of the most memorable shows I’ve seen–even if I was very far away and it was so loud I had to leave my spot to buy earplugs.
They have only played Philly twice since that show. Once a couple months later at Union Transfer and once two years ago at FMH again. shouted out Philly venues they played when they were first starting out, especially Stalag 13 (which I’ve never heard of but was a legendary DIY punk location 1996-1999 apparently).
Speaking of Philly Music Fest, a festival that is nominally about Philly music, The Dillinger Escape Plan are (proudly one might say) from New Jersey. But that’s okay and lead singer Dimitri Minakakis shouted all of the people in Philly who have seen them at so many clubs along the way (he listed a whole bunch).
They opened with the noisy sounds of *#.. and then splashed right into the incoherent screams of Destro’s Secret. And the place exploded. I didn’t realize (and coudln’t really tell since I don’t know the album very well) but they played three songs in a row from Calculating Infinity (just not from the start of the album). For all of the speed and chaos, DEP is tight as anything. They way they shifted from chaos to quiet in The Running Board was really impressive.
I didn’t realize that this show was going to be basically a Calculating Infinity tour. They played the entire album as well as the EP they released before the album, Under the Running Board.
The midsection with wild drumming and wild guitar of The Mullet Burden was incredible to hear live. And then it was back to the album sequence with Clip the Apex, including the static and samples, and Calculating Infinity, a song that slowed things down for a couple of minutes and gave S a rest. But wow, so much noise and chaos in about 15 minutes.
Minakakis took a break from time to time to address the crowd, thanking everyone for coming and for being with them all this time.
And it certainly didn’t stop there. They jumped to the opening of the album, Sugar Coated Sour, and then back to Under the Running Board for Sandbox Magician.
It was so much fun watching Ben Weinman climb up to the center and chop the air with his guitar as he played the heavy chords. But aside from that it was really hard to see anything on stage. Between the flashing lights, the mostly dark lighting and the really tall dudes, I never actually saw Billy Rymer on drums and only really saw James Love (guitar) and Liam Wilson (bass) when they wandered near the front of the stage.
I had no idea how long they were going to play for, either. They didn’t go on until about 10:15, and I assumed we’d be there for 90 minutes or so. And the place was so crowded it was hard to get a phone signal (the place is underground after all). I finally managed to secure a signal and check setlist just as Minakakis said that this song was for the old people in the back. I recognized it (I thought) and as he was singing it I realized it was Just One Fix by Ministry (although only about 90 seconds of it).
After another dip into the EP (which meant they played the whole thing), they played the final two songs off of Infinity, the moody, sample-filled (Crime Never Pays) and ultimately jazzy Weekend Sex Change segued, or more like, exploded into Variations on a Cocktail Dress.
They had a little fun with the set by playing Monticello from their debut EP and then they returned to the Calculating album with Jim Fear. They had one more surprise cover in store, a wicked cover of Aphex Twin’s Come to Daddy. The video of this song is one of the creepiest things ever although I hadn’t through about the music in a long time. It was impressive that Rymer could play this super fast electronic beat and of course Minakakis can scream as well as anyone.
They ended with 43% Burnt which I’m guessing is their most beloved song? When I was walking out I heard two guys saying they had to save it for last, of course.
When the main part of the song was over, they called audience members up on the stage and moments later there were about 50 people on stage with them while the band kept playing the main riff. Then I watched as Weinmann climbed into the rafters above the stage (I never would have guessed it would support him). He hung by his knees from something or other and played the chords upside down.
One of the reasons I wanted to go to this show was because Weinmann opened a coffee shop near my house (Alkemy) and while I’ve never seen him there, I thought it would be really fun to see him live in case he was ever in the shop. I never would have guessed he was still such a wild man.
So the show was only about 45 minutes but it was so intense!
It’s interesting that I’ve seen DEP twice in ten years and each show was so totally different–even a different singer. And both were totally memorable.
As for the opening bands, I just wasn’t in the mood for a whole night of this so I’m really glad I went to the Lauren Ash show earlier in the evening.
Pyrrhon is a technical death metal quartet based in Brooklyn, New York. The singer is a shrieker and the music is sharp and pinpoint.
Caged is a sludgy, death metal band from Philly. There’s growling vocals, screamed hardcore-like vocals and other heavy components.
| 2026 (Underground Arts) | 2016 (opened for Mastodon) |
| *#.. ∞ | Prancer ⊗ |
| Destro’s Secret ∞ | Milk Lizard ψ |
| The Running Board ∞ | Black Bubblegum ψ |
| The Mullet Burden ⇓ | Panasonic Youth ϖ |
| Clip the Apex… Accept Instruction ∞ | Hero of the Soviet Union ⊗ |
| Calculating Infinity ∞ | Nothing’s Funny ⊗ |
| Sugar Coated Sour ∞ | One of Us Is the Killer ⊗ |
| Sandbox Magician ⇓ | Crossburner ⊗ |
| 4th Grade Dropout ∞ | Room Full of Eyes Ø |
|
Just One Fix (Ministry cover)
|
When I Lost My Bet ⊗ |
| Abe the Cop ⇓ | |
| Weekend Sex Change ∞ | |
| Variations on a Cocktail Dress ∞ | |
| Monticello ≅ | |
| Jim Fear ∞ | |
|
Come to Daddy (Aphex Twin cover)
|
|
| 43% Burnt ∞ |
⊗ One of Us is the Killer (2013)
Ø Option Paralysis (2010)
ψ Ire Works (2007)
ϖ Miss Machine (2004)
∞ Calculating Infinity (1999)
⇓ Under the Running Board EP (1998)
≅ The Dillinger Escape Plan EP (1997)
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