Family Dinner’s music is made to make people move — whether it’s a soft head bop along to the beat, or a wave of the arms from side to side; a hard kick or thrash of your entire body to the rock music pulsating through your ear drums.
Full of flavor, Family Dinner served up a grand meal in Philadelphia on Feb. 27, packing the intimate Ortliebs with great music and vibes to last a lifetime.
Hailing from Long Beach, New York, Family Dinner is a five-piece rock band consisting of frontwoman Natalie O’Keefe, guitarists Michael O’Keefe and Nick Amalfitano, bassist Sam Weiss, and drummer Shawna Grabowski. Their debut EP in 2021, You’re So Cool, introduced the world to their “big rock shit” (something they love to identify themselves as).
Family Dinner’s sound is full of fast and heavy instrumentals mixed with powerful and controlled vocals that almost hypnotize you with their flow. Following the release of their EP, the band ventured on multiple different tours, opening for Grouplove, Bayside and The Lemonheads while simultaneously working on their debut album God Looks Out For Fools released in 2024. The 12-song LP is a diverse mix of sounds sure to get you moving and yelling along. Tracks like “M.P.D.G.” “Revenge Dress” and “Morning Haze” leave no room for silence, filling listeners’ ears with pure instrumentation and raw lyricism matched with hypnotizing vocals. They are currently hard at work making their next album.
In February, Family Dinner traveled around the East Coast, eventually hitting Philadelphia where Crave was able to catch the band for some preshow portraits and an amazing show.
To quote their song “Horny Beach Trash,” Family Dinner walked onto the stage with one mission only: “lets get fucking weird.”
They played with excitement after the stellar performances from their openers: Philadelphia’s own Gazee who brought an indie-rock vibe and breathtaking vocals, and Brooklyn’s Tired Radio whose raw emotion and authenticity warmed the crowd up.
Family Dinner moved together in style while still maintaining their own unique way of expressing themselves. Natalie has an instinctual ability to interact with the crowd with ease; she isn’t afraid to hop off the stage and use her body as a part of the performance. Anyone who’s lucky to catch a Family Dinner show will see her throwing herself on the ground, high kicking and using a megaphone during their set — all ways she gets the crowd to keep their eyes on her.
Nick and Michael did not hold any restraint, letting each strum and riff take over their body. Shawna made each hit of the drum look effortless and cool (with the sunglasses on her face). Sam showed how hard each riff hits with his intense facial expressions, making the audience feel each sound of the bass booming from the speakers deep inside their soul.
The crowd warmed up very quickly, taking little time to begin moving around and starting a mosh pit where everyone could feel the music and express themselves how they saw fit. All tracks from the night were hailed from their debut album, God Looks Out For Fools. Many people in the crowd sang along, and if they didn’t know them before, they walked out of the room humming the songs they just heard.
When you’re at a Family Dinner show, it’s clear to see the pure enjoyment of the music being played by every member of the band. From their interaction with the audience to their authentic sound, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
So, the next time Family Dinner is served near you, make sure to grab a seat.
Keep up with Family Dinner:
Website / Spotify / Apple Music / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / X / TikTok
Setlist:
Stubborn Hearts Club
Parasite
Shace
Dark Waves
Revenge Dress
M.P.D.G
Helianthus
Horny Beach Trash
Morning Waves
