Philly’s indie-rock powerhouse four-piece, The Districts, performed to a packed crowd last night at Union Transfer to celebrate their final stop on their Great American Painting tour.

Supported by fellow acts, Francis of Delirium, and Vanillaroma, the evening served as an energetic, fun, yet bittersweet close to their six-week run of shows across the coast.

The crowd began to slowly straggle in, as the members of Vanillaroma took the stage to kick off the evening. In stark contrast to their self-deprecating description of their group as, “a music band that plays semi-mediocre rock and roll,” the members of Vanillaroma were anything but. Quirky, fuzz-filled tracks like “Leave Me Be” and “Check Your Optimism,” quickly had the growing crowd dancing and nodding along, and at one point, the band even gave some quick kudos to their family members and brought them on stage for a last-song dance.

Following Vanillaroma was the Luxemburg-based trio, Francis of Delirium, consisting of vocalist/lead guitarist, Jana Bahrich, drummer/producer Chris Hewett, and the most recent addition to the band, bassist, Jeff Hennico. Bahrich greeted the crowd with warm enthusiasm, as she set up to play, and filled in the time between songs with funny quips about her experience with food in Philly and how it was okay if no one in the crowd knew where Luxemburg actually was. The trio captivated the crowd’s eyes and ears with stunning renditions of their singles like “Let it All Go,” jump-worthy “Quit F—ing Around,” and the solemn, “I think I’m Losing,” which featured The Districts‘ lead vocalist, Rob Grote.

The venue room amplified with excited cheers once The Districts‘ crew stepped on board. Grote is quick to grab the microphone and thank the crowd for coming out that evening, and the band begins playing their opening song. There wasn’t a minute that the crowd wasn’t jumping or singing the words along to favorites such as “No Blood,” and “Do It Over.” The same whimsical vibes were portrayed heavily throughout the Great American Painting tour and translated perfectly into their final live performance in their hometown.

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Popular Manipulations

Reviewed by: Lauren Rosier

It’s been two years since the release of The Districts’ sophomore record,  A Flourish And A Spoil, their third overall, second on a label (Fat Possum). Flourish was a breakthrough record for the quartet, one that earned the Philadelphia-based band recognition from many music outlets, and exposed them to a larger, mass audience.

On Popular Manipulations, the four-piece takes a different approach by focusing more on the production and arrangements, leading to a bigger, fuller sound. The writing and recording process for Popular Manipulations began with vague ideas, but once the concrete ideas began flowing, they were able to write and record fairly quickly.

In late February, the four-piece previewed the follow-up to 2015’s  A Flourish And A Spoil  by releasing the lead single, “Ordinary Day”. This track showcases a different side of the band and takes them from a breakthrough band to a heavy influencer amongst the indie rock scene.

The Districts strategically open Popular Manipulations in a huge way with the track, “If Before I Wake”. The song makes a huge statement in regards to how the four-piece has changed gears on this record. The track’s droning guitars, rhythm section, and lead vocalist Rob Grote’s searing vocals showcase the band’s move to a heavier, more distinct sound.

Lyrical themes of intimacy, sex, possessiveness, and dependency are explored on the track “Violet” – and it is shown how they can be used in a manipulative way. The track is buzzing reverb and chugging drums while Grote ruminates “what doesn’t last will get remembered/what doesn’t last is good to miss/and what doesn’t last/gets stuck in your throat.”

The indie rock outfit takes elements from tracks like “If Before I Wake” and incorporate those elements into the latest preview from the record with the song “Salt”. A soaring delivery of reverb-soaked guitars, shimmering synths, and pounding drums, “Salt” is another piece of the band’s blossoming career, one that makes a huge statement into the band’s creative growth.

The new, fuller sound from the quartet continues on songs “Capable”, where thunderous drums and infectious guitars take precedence, and Grote’s sings about love and relationships (“since the separation/my love has been amused/can we spend the night together/I’ll pick up the papers we need to sign/and bring them with some wine”), and coping with the heartache that sometimes accompany them.

From the charging electric guitars, intense drums, and Grote’s raw vocals, The Districts deliver a solid, intensely beautiful, and cohesive record with a thunderous intensity and originality. Popular Manipulations is the first chapter in the band’s next installment of their career.

Rating: Iconic

photo credit Caitlin McCann

By Lauren Rosier

The Philadelphia-based indie rock quartet, The Districts, are scheduled to release their third full-length record, Popular Manipulations, on August 10th, and it is going to be one of the biggest records in indie rock this summer.

The band’s sophomore effort, A Flourish And A Spoil, ushered the four-piece into the spotlight of prominent music influencers and outlets, which catapulted them into the indie rock scene.

Things have changed a bit for Robby Grote and The Districts since the release of A Flourish And A Spoil 2015. The record made the band a huge name in the Philadelphia music scene and throughout the rest of the world.

“We put that record out two years ago and then spent a ton of time touring. We toured for pretty much nine months. Then we did like the occasional shorter thing here and there over the last year, but for the most part we’ve spent a lot of time just working on music, writing stuff,” Grote explained in a phone interview. “Now we’re just going to turn back up touring again. Making this record [Popular Manipulations] was the second record we were putting out with a label, third in general.”

This second record with Fat Possum gives the quartet a different opportunity. “We kind of have a little bit of a different perspective since we’ve done a lot of touring and stuff like that before,” Grote noted. After forming the band in 2009 in the quaint town of Lititz, Pennsylvania, the band relocated to Philadelphia four years ago. “Circumstantially, I feel like our lives are pretty similar, but we’re doing a lot more of it,” he explained. “The time between touring, we’re doing a lot of recording and writing, and working on new stuff and pushing ourselves.”

photo credit Pooneh Ghana

With the success of Flourish, once they were ready to get back into the studio, they had to switch gears. “We were all definitely tired, burnt out a little bit, just from being on the road that much,” he began. “We were looking for something in the new stuff that we definitely wanted to satisfy ourselves in a different way.” They had spent so much time playing the songs on Flourish live, that a lot of times they were thinking about they wanted their music to sound, and how they could improve.

In the beginning of the writing and recording process, Grote explained that they definitely “knew from the start” what they wanted to do differently and what they wanted to focus on. “We talked about using restraint differently, trying to accomplish certain parts of things, doing the ‘less is more’ type of thing, while still having loud parts, but relying not solely on volume and intensity [for the music] and lyrically, kind of like a similar thing; slightly different and a little less directly personal.”

If you take a listen to both records, there is a difference in how the details were approached. Popular Manipulations has a bigger, fuller sound than Flourish and that shows in tracks like “If Before I Wake” and “Ordinary Day.” The bigger sound of Popular Manipulations probably has a lot to do with the band’s attention to detail in its production and the arrangements.

The goal was always to “make better songs”, Grote explained. He explained more that they really wanted to “focus on the arrangements to try and make them interesting. I don’t know if we thought of in terms of making it big, but we just thought about a lot of the details on the arrangement.”

After recording Flourish with producer John Congleton, the original plan was to do the entire second record with him, but with scheduling issues, it didn’t work out. “John’s a great producer,” Grote stated. “We were recording demos with our friend, Keith [of Pine Barons], in Philly, and really liked how they sounded, so we ended up self-producing the record,” Grote explained. “Not for any issues with John, just kind of like we were really happy with how that was going, and we had fun doing it. And John mixed the whole thing.”

For Grote and bandmates, Popular Manipulations was a pretty fun record to make. “The biggest challenge or challenges usually are trying to make sure we make everything sound how we want it to and what it’s supposed to be with a new song,” he admitted.

The Districts’ third full-length is due out on 08/11 on Fat Possum and will be performing at Union Transfer in celebration of Popular Manipulations. Tickets are available now.

On the third and final day of the XPoNential Music Festival presented by Subaru, things wrapped up without any outspoken artists, power outages or freak rainstorms. There was however, an eclectic lineup that ranged from country to afro-pop and everything in between. Whether it was the hard rocking local boys in The Districts or the living legend Mavis Staples, Sunday was the perfect way to wrap up another wonderful festival weekend put on by WXPN.

When we arrived, we rushed over to the River Stage just in time to catch The Districts getting ready to perform. After taking a few pictures side stage with program director Bruce Warren, they made their way onstage to rip an afternoon set that showed that they are more than comfortable on stages that large.

Two of the day’s best performances were found at the Marine Stage. After driving all the way from North Dakota just to be rained out the day before, David Wax Museum were not going to leave empty handed. They managed to get squeezed into a busy lineup and made their stay more than welcomed. Following them up and closing out the stage for the weekend were another Philly act, Low Cut Connie. Their energetic and intense mix of piano driven rock made for not only one of the top acts of day, but of the entire weekend.

In between the two was a woman needed no introduction, Mavis Staples, gracing the River Stage. Song after soulful song, her incredible voice filled the park grounds. With a ferry horn blowing midway through her set, she invited everyone to take a ride on it back to Philadelphia with her afterwards.

Rounding out the night on the River Stage and at Wiggins Park was Femi Kuti and his band the Positive Force. With a band that included a three-piece horn section, a number of dancers and one very adorable daughter, Kuti had the crowd dancing away as the sun began to set. We unfortunately had to leave early to catch the beginning of all of the action at BB&T Pavilion, but every song we couldn’t catch along the way.

The finish out the festival, WXPN backed a back-to-back-to-back trio of acts like no other. The beginning of the end started with the recently formed supergroup of Neko Case, k.d. Lang and Laura Veirs, aptly named case/lang/veirs. The group debuted earlier this year at WXPN’s NomCom event so it was only fitting that they come back around again.

To wrap up their co-headlining tour, Old Crow Medicine Show and Brandi Carlile decided to make the XPoNential Festival the culminating end. Song after song, including a couple assisted by Carlile, Old Crow Medicine Show had almost the entire lawn section dancing along in what could best be described as the country version of a mosh pit. When it came to her own performance, Carlile won the crowd over early with a cover of “Born To Run”. Her high energy set echoed throughout the amphitheater with roars and cheers after every tune.

Despite incredibly high temperatures and a few curveballs thrown at them, WXPN proved time and time again throughout the weekend just exactly why they are one of the leaders in our local scene. The XPoNential Festival brought in crowds of all kinds for a weekend long celebration of great music, just like they have year after year. With another one in the books, here’s looking ahead to next year!

At the end of this weekend downstairs at World Cafe Live Beyond the Bars, a young and local non profit group, has assembled a benefit show that boasts an eclectic lineup comprised entirely of Philly talent. The organization uses music as a means to give incarcerated youth a new way to convey their thoughts and feelings and a new path to venture on. On Sunday, the Districts, Frances Quinlan (of Hop Along), Ben Arnold and more will take to the stage to help raise awareness for their cause.

Since last year Beyond The Bars has been tapping into Philadelphia’s thriving local music scene to provide lessons to incarcerated youth at the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center. “We are giving them the space to exercise these talents and cultivate them,” Brian Thomas, Director of Strategic Planning at Beyond The Bars, explains via email.

“We all have been playing music since we were very young, and we know firsthand how valuable it can be to have that outlet.” Thomas continues on about the effects music can have on a child’s life and development. For some though, a musical outlet can seem distant and even unobtainable. This is where Thomas’ organization steps in.

Through picking up and learning to play instruments, sometimes for the very first time, Beyond The Bars strives to give the kids a different avenue to grow, both musically as well as personally. “In this case, playing music and learning instruments helps them gain a strong sense of identity and healthy way to express themselves.”

The idea to reach out to these kids and teens came about as founder Matt Kerr met former PICC warden Karen Bryant while working in the city as a teacher. “He started an after-school music program for the students at his school, and one of the first participants was Karen’s daughter,” Thomas recalls. “Karen loved the idea and thought that the juveniles in PICC would benefit from a similar program, so she helped Matt navigate the prison system and set him up with the space for the program.”

For some that come in Beyond the Bars, they already have some kind of background in music or performing. For others, the entire experience is a brand new feeling for them. From first walking into a room with guitars, amps, a keyboard and drum kit to finding which instrument feels right to them all the way through learning and eventually mastering full songs, a new sense of knowing who they are comes about in the kids. “As they start to see themselves as musicians, they start to really own that identity and want to learn as much as possible.”

Looking ahead to the future, Kerr, Thomas and the rest of the team behind Beyond the Bars has set lofty goals for themselves. From expanding the lessons to additional facilities and establishing an external, post-prison extension to building after school and summer programs, the proceeds from the benefit show at World Cafe Live will go help the organization take these next steps.

If the Districts, Frances Quinlan and Ben Arnold were not already a stacked billed, then Queen of Jeans, The Bul Bey and Milton should provide for enough. Doors open at 4PM, everything kicks off at 5PM and tickets are still available. Don’t miss out on an great night (and late afternoon) of music for an incredible cause!

The wet weather this week didn’t dampen the spirits of Philly concertgoers, as big crowds turned out for acts like Courtney Barnett, Benjamin Booker, and Shakey Graves, but now it’s time for the sun to clear the way for a fresh batch of weekend shows. First, though, a shout out to Instagram user @ally2137 for using #phillyconcerts at the Little Dragon show last week! Follow her lead with your concert pics and posts this weekend.

Friday, October 24

The Asteroids Galaxy Tour @ Underground Arts

Get your dose of European-flavored pop with the Danish band built around vocalist Mette Lindberg and songwriter/producer Lars Iversen. After initially gaining recognition when featured in a 2008 Apple commercial, The Asteroids Galaxy Tour recently released their third album, Bring Us Together, on Hot Bus Records. Leisure Cruise opens.

Sylvan Esso @ Union Transfer

When the electropop duo of singer Amelia Meath and producer Nick Sanborn was last at Union Transfer in June, they were opening for Tune-Yards and winning me over with their smooth, seductive sound. Hit single “Coffee” is only the tip of their fantastic debut album, and they will get the room moving Friday night. Psychic Twin opens.

Saturday, October 25

Temples / The Districts @ Union Transfer (early show)

After conquering the big SBC stage at XPNFest this summer, The Districts are living the dream, in town Saturday with Fat Possum labelmates Temples. I haven’t seen them since guitarist Mark Larson left the band, but I’m sure their brand of blues-rock is still in fine form. The English gents in Temples bring a more psychedelic sound, and have received a warm welcome in Philly before.

Ages and Ages @ MilkBoy Philly

The whole gang will be there as this Portland rock collective crams onto the stage at Center City’s MilkBoy Saturday night. Featuring raw, uplifting arrangements, Ages and Ages will get your spirit stirring. Also on the bill is the slightly more subtle Horse Thief and local artist Former Belle.

I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect in attending a show at First Unitarian Church. Its outside appearance seemed pretty ordinary in a religious architecture sense—there was black fencing around the perimeter, the building was made of stone, and had many entrances with high pillars, but the distant sound of rock music could be heard coming from a stairway on the side of the church. All the excitement was for Thursday night’s basement line-up, consisting of Fly Golden Eagle, Pine Barons, Clear Plastic Masks, and The Districts who all shared the stage for an intimate evening of pure good music.

With a merch table set up on one end and a smalls stage on the other, a crowd trickled into the basement of First Unitarian to hear Nashville based alternative rock band Fly Golden Eagle. They quickly got the crowd grooving to songs off their 2011 album, Swagger including crowd favorite, “Devil’s Eye”. Even though the band has toured with everyone from Dr. Dog to Arctic Monkeys, their music is still pretty underground. Nonetheless they were eager to share their music as lead singer Ben Trimble asked, “have you ever had someone leave you for money?” before segueing into “Need Some Money”.

After a short intermission, Pine Barons hit the stage. Originally from South Jersey, the experimental folk band was excited to play in Philadelphia and with good reason. They have just recently released their self-titled debut album, Pine Baron, and have another show scheduled in Philadelphia as well as Brooklyn in the next couple of days. The 3-part harmonies between lead singer Keith Abrams, guitarist Brad Pulley and keyboardist, Collin Smith was something truly magical to hear. They played some older material, “Carnival”, “Don’t Believe What They Told You”, and “Since I’ve Been Away”, as well as a new song that they’ve been working on.

Next up was Clear Plastic Masks who were the rock n’ rollers of the night. Lead singer Andrew Katz told the crowd, “We’re gonna get a little weird for ya tonight,” as he tuned up his guitar for a bluesy solo. The group had originally formed in New York City before settling down in Nashville where they released an EP  called CPM in 2013 and are also set to release a full length album, Being There on May 27th. Their sound is a mix of classic rock n’ roll, punk, and soul and Katz mostly sung love songs  like “Baby Come On” and “Working Girl”.

The Districts rounded up the night in a set that got the entirety of First Unitarian’s floor jumping up and down. Originally  from Lititz, PA, The Districts are barely out of high school, but that has no effect on the raw talent the band possesses. The full length album, Telephone, was released February 4th and the band has been touring in the UK and also with White Denim and Dr. Dog.

Lead singer Rob Grote has such genuine emotion toward any song he sings and his soulful lyrics make him such a marvel to see live. Guitarist Mark Larson, bassist Connor Jacobus and drummer Braden Lawrence all feed off this energy to create this rock music that has very indie roots.

“Rocking Chair” set the tone for the set followed by “Lyla” where Grote’s vocals were met by a slew of audience members belting out the simple lyrics “La-da-da.” Grote then said, “We haven’t played this one in a while,” and begun “Silver Couplets”. With each song came a new burst of energy from the band as Grote and  Jacobus danced around the stage. Two of their bigger hits, “Long Distance” and “Funeral Beds”, were saved for last and crowd participation was at an all time high. Halfway through “Funeral Beds” the audience started doing a call and response with Grote as he smiled in satisfaction.

Not even the desert-like temperatures that the basement ended up being could overshadow the feeling of love in the venue last night.

Self-Titled

Reviewed by: Sebastian Mackay

This EP is a statement. It’s a statement that what ever comes next from The Districts is going to be fantastic. There are no two ways about it. The EP offers up a balanced vintage and folk feel that may even draw from Americana country and it’s brought together in five emotive, thoughtful, and at times, heartfelt tracks.

We’re given simple but effective songwriting that carries every aspect of every song up until the closing seconds of “Stay Open.” And one of the powers of this EP is that each tracks brings its own life and feeling. “Funeral Beds” soars after meandering along with a burst of out passion and then settles again into the meandering and musing feeling that it’s been comfortable in since the beginning.

“Long Distance” is thoughtful and introspective. By now, The Districts sound has settled in over you and it’s abundantly clear that they know what they want and how to create it. This track is a testament to a band that has worked to their strengths and it’s paid off.

Opening track “Rocking Chair” isn’t one to be overlooked. It’s a foot tapper, leg jerker of a track and is a solid rock track with a great sense of imagery and gives an interesting change of pace to the rest of EP while keeping firmly in line with the band’s sound.

Rating: Bad-Ass

Walking into the PhilaMOCA is like walking into an intimate house party. You can greet friends you’ve known, or friends you will soon know, and toss your winter coat on a couch against the wall. Dragon Kings, The Districts, Triathalon and Zula put on a show December 12th that felt like a house party at an experimental, zany friend’s bachelor pad. Leftover art from the Mr. T exhibit lined the walls, and projections flashed behind the performers.

The Districts open the show, displaying their youthful, friendly energy and steady rhythms. They are a young, super group of local talent circulating through the Philadelphia area. Despite their youth in years, they play with an age in their music. It is soul-filled and resounding in emotion. Robbie, the lead singer, blows into his harmonica and belts out some raw feeling. On the track “Funeral Beds,” listeners are swept up with lyrics like, “These great fields are stretching, taking me oh so far..” and really are taken somewhere else. Anyone listening to them can sense The Districts’ joyfulness at playing live, and they are definitely a band to catch while they’re still in the local district.

Zula played second, with the electronic, synthed-out sounds in tune to Thundarr the Barbarian animations projected in the background. Planets exploded, stars shot through galaxies, and martians invaded U.F.O.s behind the band. The images were the perfect addition to Zula’s surreal, space-rock sound. “Talk to your doctor,t-t-t-talk to your doctor” were some key lyrics, as blood gushed out of a phantom-lion creature projection, and the whole song-image cycle was completely synced up. Zula is a band not to miss for the fast-paced and experimentally planetary performance.

Triathalon was next to take the stage. Hailing from Savannah, Georgia they mentioned the cold weather in Philadelphia, and promised to warm everyone up. Warm up the room they did, with their surf-mellow music. Like a modern Beach Boys with a psychedelic-rock twist, they are a fun band to watch. Their song “Swells” was a track that got the crowd moving around, and they definitely brought some warmth and waves to the stage and the chilly Philadelphia evening.

Drgn Kings played last, and expressed their excitement at touring south with Triathlon. Scenes from Miami Connection flashed in the background, in tune with the band’s rocking, lively jams. Miami Connection is a film from the 80s depicting a martial arts rock band that goes up against a band of motorcycle ninjas who have tightened their grip on Florida’s narcotics trade (which is based on the history of Drgn Kings, obviously). Again, there couldn’t have been more perfect background images, as Dragon Sounds, the aforementioned martial arts rock band,  played in background, while Drgn Kings played on stage. With their hit, “Holy Ghost,” the crowd was up and dancing, and with lyics like, “Hey, is my voice too loud?” there was a definite connection between the on-stage presence and the crowed. Drgn Kings have heartfelt songs, and one track about going to concerts when you’re 15 years old was was very relatable. With a tambourinist and catchy lyrics and hooks, Drgn King is band that makes it nearly impossible not to like! From The Districts to this band, two solid bookends of music, this past Thursday was an action-packed lineup at the PhilaMOCA. 

Friday came in calm with an afternoon start, good beer and cool breeze over the river to Wiggins Park.  Saturday started at noon, with not too much heat, and brought record setting number to Wiggins Park.  Sunday, brought the ruckus.

(Kat Edmonson, credit Adam McGrath)

The overall experience of Xponential festival was something this first timer was not accustomed to.  It seemed as if all age groups were enjoying various types of music.  On Friday alone there were children, teens, 20-somethings and people who often use their AARP card all feeling the vibes.  Whether it be from the more “chill” sounds of Michael Kiwanuka, who did a fantastic Jimi Hendrix cover, to the high energy (and most likely my favorite act of the fest) Red Baraat with their multiple percussionist and horn sections that had my 23-year-old ass shaking with same age group that usually tells me to turn my music down!  Credit where credit is due, there was not a bad band on the entire fest, not to mention Friday.  Aaron Brown, Kat Edmonson, and of course Philly’s own rising stars The Districts manned down the Marina Stage at Wiggins Park while Alo Brasil did the same at the River Stage.  The cultivation of the first day was an enormous crowd for Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros playing to a sea of people.

Saturday brought the crowd back at noon to see The Stray Birds on the Marina Stage and The Fleeting Ends shortly after on the River Stage.  Also playing at Wiggins Park was the much anticipated Matt Pond, who did not disappoint.  After braving the awkwardly placed beer tents that were facing each other in the middle of the main walk, I got the chance to see Dr. John, who really surprised me.  Years of blues and soul were packed in this brilliantly funky old man who was packed with energy and playing the keys.  His band was phenomenal to say the least, taking turns for tasteful solos.  One of my personal favorites was Trampled By Turtles, who put a wild mix of up-tempo blue grass and folk together, that even won me over admittedly not being a huge fan of either genre.

(Trampled by Turtles, credit Adam McGrath)

Maybe one of the coolest stories I saw from the weekend was meeting a young singer-songwriter who brought his guitar to get signed by the John Butler Trio.  As I was taking in the breeze between bands we drummed up some conversation about the signatures and you could tell it was one of those moments that drew out some inspiration.  He began playing his original stuff and I have to admit it was quite the show.  It seems that JBT are just as amazing on stage as they are off, with their fans.

(Hey Marseilles, credit Adam McGrath)

Admittedly I was a bit unimpressed by Dr. Dog, when I traveled over to the Susquehanna Bank Center for the much anticipated The Lumineers headlining spot.  Huge suprises were on The Key Stage however, to the left of the main stage playing Hey Marseilles and Polica, who both absolutely blew me away!  The Lumineers had the crowd on the fingertips the whole time and delivered just what was expected.  Quite the story for a band coming from playing a side stage at Xponential Festival only a year ago.

Sunday had acts like DRGN KING early, rewarding the fans that showed up by playing a high energy set full of stage antics and excitement.  The Kopecky Family Band played next over at the Marina Stage. They played an upbeat set with powerful harmonies and crowd participation.  They even played an encore set at the Riverside stage.  That stage was graced next by Jose James and his groovy tunes.  With fantastic drum and bass prowess the crowd went on the journey with the band and even played an “Ain’t No Sunshine” cover. Also gracing the Marina stage was Phosphorescent and Justin Townes Earle, unfortunately cutting Justin’s set short due to the rain.

(credit Adam McGrath)

Eventually the rain led to many people slipping and sliding down the lawn, and unfortunately cut our night short.  Overall, this weekend was one to be remembered by musicianship, fun, and people of all different ages coming together to enjoy good music.  I can see why Xponential Festival has so many dedicated fest-goers, and they have certainly won this writer over for next year!