Back From the Dead and Better Than Ever: The Cab Brings Fans Back in Time at Philadelphia's TLA

Rebecca McDevitt
3 days ago
4 min read

More than a decade after stepping away, The Cab returned to Philadelphia with a night full of unforgettable songs, surprising covers, and a crowd that never forgot a single lyric.

Article & Photos Contributed by Rebecca McDevitt

Live band on a dim stage under purple and blue lights, with a cheering crowd raising hands in front. — The Cab performing at the TLA in Philadelphia, PA | Photography by Rebecca McDevitt (IG: @rebeccajeanlimitedphotography)

Since forming in Las Vegas in 2004, The Cab built a loyal following in the pop rock scene, blending infectious hooks with heartfelt lyrics across albums like Whisper War and Symphony Soldier. Fronted by vocalist Alex DeLeon and joined by guitarist and keyboardist Alex Marshall, bassist Joey Thunder, drummer Dave Briggs, and guitarist Chantry Johnson, the band stepped away from touring for several years before the Back From the Dead Tour brought them back to stages across the country -- and back to the fans who never stopped listening.

A Time Capsule in the Heart of Philly

Some concerts leave you talking about the setlist. Others leave you talking about how they made you feel. The Cab's stop at Philadelphia's Theatre of Living Arts was the latter.

Philadelphia native CARR opened the evening, blending indie pop with infectious energy and earning a warm reception from her hometown crowd.

Singer in black T-shirt and white tutu sings into a microphone on a purple-lit stage, with cables and a moody concert glow. — CARR opening for The Cab on their Back From The Dead Tour at the TLA in Philadelphia, PA | Photography by Rebecca McDevitt (IG: @rebeccajeanlimitedphotography)

Following her, Paradise Fears took the stage in a set that felt especially fitting for the night. Like The Cab, the South Dakota pop rock band spent years away before returning to fans who never stopped supporting them -- and those fans made that clear. A section of the crowd to stage left was absolutely unhinged for them, screaming every word from the first note, and that energy radiated through the rest of the floor and into the balcony. Some audiences don't just remember a band. They've been waiting.

By the time the lights dimmed for The Cab, the room was ready. For some it was a long awaited reunion. For others, a first introduction. Either way, what followed made a believer out of everyone.

Symphony Soldier Still Hits Home

From the moment The Cab took the stage, it was clear this wasn't just another reunion show. Fans packed the TLA from wall to wall, singing nearly every lyric back before Alex DeLeon even had the chance to finish them himself, turning every chorus into a conversation between band and crowd.

Black-and-white concert scene: tattooed singer in cap points with a microphone toward cheering crowd on a lit stage — The Cab performing on the Back From The Dead Tour at the TLA in Philadelphia, PA | Photography by Rebecca McDevitt (IG: @rebeccajeanlimitedphotography)

And then there was DeLeon's voice. Live, it is something else entirely -- the kind of vocals that make you stop whatever you're doing and just listen. "Intoxicated" and "Temporary Bliss" were among the night's biggest highlights, with DeLeon's range on full display and a room full of people feeling every single note.

Black-and-white concert scene: singer in a white T-shirt belts into a mic under bright lights, with drummer behind on a smoky stage. — Alex DeLeon of the Cab performing on the Back From The Dead Tour stop in Philadelphia, PA | Photography by Rebecca McDevitt (IG: @rebeccajeanlimitedphotography)

Songs like "Bounce," "La La," and "Bad" kept the energy moving, while newer releases blended seamlessly into the set, proving The Cab's story is still being written. By the midpoint of the show, guitarist Chantry Johnson had already joked he was "sweating Cheese Whiz up in here" and the crowd, soaked and fully unbothered, couldn't have agreed more.

Singer-guitarist performing on a brightly lit stage, leaning into a mic with a white electric guitar and intense mood — Chantry Johnson of the Cab performing on the Back From The Dead tour stop in Philadelphia, PA | Photography by Rebecca McDevitt (IG: @rebeccajeanlimitedphotography)

The Cab's Back, Alright

Nobody in the room was expecting it. Midway through the set, The Cab launched into a medley that sent the TLA into a completely different kind of chaos -- Backstreet Boys' "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)," Britney Spears' "Oops!... I Did It Again," and NSYNC's "It's Gonna Be Me," back to back.

Drummer on a lit stage plays a Ludwig drum kit, with cymbals and the words THE CAB on the bass drum. — Dave Briggs of The Cab performing on the Back From The Dead Tour stop in Philadelphia, PA | Photos by Rebecca McDevitt (IG: @rebeccajeanlimitedphotography)

The crowd absolutely lost it.

Blue-haired guitarist onstage, mid-jump with bass, tattoos visible, bathed in orange spotlights and haze. — Joey Thunder of The Cab performing on the Back From The Dead Tour stop in Philadelphia, PA | Photography by Rebecca McDevitt (IG: @rebeccajeanlimitedphotography)

It was silly, self aware, and exactly the kind of moment that separates a great show from a memorable one. And with a band on a tour called Back From the Dead, hearing "Backstreet's Back" hit a little different. The Cab's back, alright.

Black-and-white close-up of a male singer in a cap singing into a microphone on a dimly lit stage. — Alex Marshall of The Cab performing on The Back From The Dead Tour in Philadelphia, PA | Photography by Rebecca McDevitt (IG: @rebeccajeanlimitedphotography)

One Last Shot

Before "Living Louder," Alex DeLeon took a moment to remind everyone in the room that June is his favorite month because it's Pride Month -- that people should always feel free to be themselves and love whoever they love. Paradise Fears frontman Sam Miller then joined the band onstage, turning the song into one of the night's fullest circle moments.

Three musicians perform on a blue-lit concert stage, with a guitarist at left and two singers at center and right, crowd silhouettes below. — Alex DeLeon of the Cab performing with Sam Miller of Paradise Fears at the Back From The Dead Tour stop in Philadelphia, PA | Photography by Rebecca McDevitt (IG: @rebeccajeanlimitedphotography)

But the emotional peak came in the encore. DeLeon stripped things back for an acoustic performance woven into "One of THOSE Nights," pulling from Justin Bieber's "YUKON" in a moment nobody saw coming. With nothing to hide behind, his vocals did all the talking -- and they more than held up. Goosebumps, wall to wall.

"Angel With a Shotgun" closed the night the only way it could, with every voice in the room joining together one last time.