THE WOMBATS
The Wombats, The Fillmore, Philadelphia, PA 11/10/2025
The Wombats are always a can’t miss show for me, so I knew their night at The Fillmore would be something special. With their new album Oh, The Ocean freshly released, I expected a perfect blend of new tracks and classic hits, and that’s exactly what we got.
They kicked things off with “Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want to Come,” a witty and self-aware opener that set a playful tone for the night. But once they launched into “Moving to New York,” the signature Wombats energy truly exploded. Bassist Tord Øverland Knudsen bounded across the stage, jumping and dancing nonstop, feeding off the crowd’s excitement.
Early in the set, the band’s mascot, a giant Wombat, sprinted onto the stage holding a cutout of the Philly Phanatic. The crowd erupted as the mascot bowed to the city’s beloved green icon. After the song, drummer Dan Haggis mentioned he had actually run with the Phanatic at the Franklin Institute earlier that day. When frontman Matthew Murphy asked the mascot’s name, the crowd proudly roared back, “PHANATIC!”
Before playing “Pink Lemonade,” the band joked that the audience was in for several lemon references during a Wombats show, and they were about to hear half of them. The drummer Dan Haggis also shared a funny story about spotting an older couple at an Italian restaurant earlier that evening, letting them know he’d also be at the show.
Later, Murphy took a solo turn, sharing an anecdote about falling asleep with his wife at Barney’s Beanery in L.A., getting kicked out, and realizing they were “a lethal combo.” He then performed “Lethal Combo” acoustically, creating one of the night’s more intimate moments.
When they hit “Lemon to a Knife Fight,” Murphy announced it was time for the rest of the night’s lemon quota, a perfect segue into one of their biggest sing-alongs. They closed the main set with “Turn,” one of my all-time favorite songs, and it was impossible not to belt out every word.
For the encore, they returned with the anthemic “Greek Tragedy,” followed by the euphoric “Let’s Dance to Joy Division.” Both Wombat mascots joined the band on stage, turning the Fillmore into a joyous dance party.
Another incredible Philadelphia show from The Wombats.
Shot and Written by Jonah van Bemmelen
