There’s something special about Philadelphia’s music venues. They’re not just places to see local and touring bands – they’re a vital part of the city’s musical fabric. Philly music venues have a unique character that comes from their historic buildings, intimate settings, and passionate audiences. As passionate supporters of all things local music, our staff at ThatMag will be shining the spotlight on some local venues that have become staples of Philadelphia’s thriving music community.

Karen Lauria Saillant is the owner of the Fire, one of Philadelphia’s most revered music venues. The Fire has been a local fixture for over two decades, and it has played host to some of the city’s most talented musicians. Saillant is a passionate advocate for local music and has worked tirelessly to ensure that the Fire remains a vital part of the Philadelphia music scene. We had the chance to sit down with Saillant this past week inside her venue to discuss the Fire‘s rich history, its impact on the community, and what the future holds for this revered Philly venue staple.

ThatMag: Let’s start from the beginning – back in the ’80s before The Fire was known for what it is today, it was actually The Philadelphia Bar and Grille. What inspired you to transform it into a music venue?

Karen Lauria Saillant: My husband and I originally bought a tavern in Northern Liberties and named it The Philadelphia Bar and Grille in 1988. We did this so that he could leave truck driving and have more time to be able to attend his son’s athletic games, which was wonderful!

As for what led up to transforming it into a music venue: In 1999, my husband went into a vegetative coma trying to stop a man from attacking me and my son in front of our home in Center City. We took care of him in our home for 16 months and then he died. During that time I had to start running the Philadelphia Bar and Grille. I had cooked at the bar here and there, but I was pursuing my career as an opera singer and director, and vocal coach.

We had an adjacent room, the size of the bar, which had been our pool room. And I, with great trepidation, took out one of the pool tables and put in a tiny little stage and started bringing my singing students, who were not opera singers, there to perform. And that’s how the music venue began.

TM: The Fire has not only built a reputation as a staple of Philadelphia’s local music community but is the only female-owned venue in the city. What were some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced throughout the past 20 years as a woman in the music industry?

KLS: There have definitely been quite a few challenges and without getting into too much detail, a lot of them have been direct challenges to me as a female venue owner. I’ve had past venue partners and booking agents who’ve definitely taken advantage of my naivete and collaborative nature especially when it came to booking artists. By 2018, the situation had become so dire that I had to sell my home of 50 years in order to save The Fire. It should go without saying, but never be afraid to stand up for yourself!!!!

TM: In addition to owning The Fire, you’re also the founder of the International Opera Theater of Philadelphia, which has been putting on incredible performances in the city since 2003. What projects are you currently working on there?

KLS: Right now we’re working on what we’re calling the FLOW project, (spelled like FLOW) and we’re going to also bring that project to The Fire as well. The main goal of this project is to encourage artists and others to utilize music in FLOW as a way to take a stand against all of the violence and horrible things happening across this country right now. 

The concept of FLOW can be best explained like this: if we were all in FLOW, then we’d all be in a right-brain dominant state of mind, which is a higher consciousness that enables us to be more compassionate and understanding, and caring. If more people were ‘in FLOW’, so to speak, essentially we’d have more harmony.

We have artists from 56 countries involved, so it’ll be the most diverse opera in history. And for that reason, it’s probably the most complicated opera. We’re still putting it together. Stay tuned!

TM: How do you feel about the current state of Philadelphia’s music scene? What changes, if any, would you like to see implemented?

KLS: I have been involved with the Philadelphia music scene since I was four years old. And I was very active in the Renaissance in the Philadelphia music scene on South Street in the 70s. And the way it feels to me now, like what is it, 50 years later, is that Philadelphia [is], I believe, finally coming together as a community in the music industry. We have an organization called PIVOT, initiated by Carrie Park at World Cafe Live, and with the participation of every Philadelphia venue and we are working to support one another and help one another. So competition is not at the heart of our interactions, but rather love and caring. And I think that’s so exciting!

TM: What is your vision for The Fire and the International Opera Theater five years from now?

KLS: I hope that we can help inspire musicians to raise their consciousness. And in doing so, be able to raise the consciousness of our city. We desperately need music right now, but just not just any music, music that is inspirational, in-FLOW, and able to cultivate a culture in our city that supports harmony and balance and love and compassion for one another. And I hope that The Fire and the International Opera Theater can emulate those ideals and help share them with the world.

The project is also going to involve a custom invention called ‘The Adagio Flow Machine.’ It’s something a totally unique invention that gives the artist an opportunity to see in a concrete way where their music goes out of FLOW, and therefore make the adjustments necessary in the composition and execution of the music that will enable it to be in FLOW. James Wilson, a graduate of Temple University’s advanced composition program, the inventor of the machine (who has had the machine’s effectiveness confirmed by Joseph Kamiya, the father of neurofeedback, in a definitive study at Nova University, Fla.) said that music actually has four elements. We know it has rhythm,  it has harmony and it has melody, but it also should have FLOW. And this doesn’t just apply to classical music, all genres of music have this potential. So God has given us music and I hope that The Fire and the International Opera Theater will represent the highest values that music can offer humanity.”

Learn More About The Fire and International Opera Theater

Dante, The Opera | Philly-in-FLOW Project

Connect with The Fire

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Connect with the International Opera Theater

Website | Facebook | Twitter

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photo credit: Sophia Varoumas

Carina Round gives you full-body chills with her compelling performance, alongside living rock legend Maynard James Keenan at Philadelphia’s The Met.

By Sophia Varoumas

“Phil’s Friends” receive the satirical and theatrical probing performance they anticipated. Maynard James Keenan (vocals) and Carina Round (vocals/guitar/percussion/keys), of Puscifer, performed in divine masculine/feminine post-punk harmony at The Met.

Alongside bandmates, Mat Mitchell (guitar), Gunner Olsen (drums), and Josh Moreau (bass/synths) on this year’s, Existential Reckoning tour, like the hierophant compliment the Empress, Carina Round, and Maynard James Keenan, showcase their voices in the Opera house, achingly beautiful and synthesized with a dusting of retro electronica.

The alternative rap trio, Moodie Black, opens the evening with a dark stage, bright white screen, and the band scattered across the stage, an industrial backdrop eerily hanging behind them, reminiscent of an old Nine Inch Nails video. Moodie Black features the lead singer, Kristen Martinez (she/her), guitarist Sean Lindahl (he/him), and drummer Bentley Monet (he/him).

Moodie Black rage on stage as Martinez’s silhouette haunts, as she towers, and paces in front of the band’s backdrop. She has an enormous voice that demands attention. The band calls it noise rap. It sounds super thrashy and industrial combined with the super-fast spoken word. You may find yourself rocking your head to their set.

Suddenly, the energy shifts dramatically when the TV screens on each side of the stage light up with static, and Maynard James Keenan (MJK), a.k.a. agent Dick Merkin, pops up on the screens with a message about “spam.” He reminds the crowd that, “ignorant entitled outrage,”  adds just enough spice to the cynical mix of processed meat, so if you pull out your phone, it will land you in Puscifer’s meat grinders, and dispose of you. The crowd roars at the announcement and then the band walks across that stage.

You see and feel this synergy on stage when Keenan and Round, the alto and soprano dance around each other in an alienesque fashion opening with the tracks, “Bread and Circus,” “Postulous,” and then the crowd-pleasing, “Fake Affront,” giving the audience Max Headroom meets Reservoir Dogs feels with their rude boy, all-black suits, white button-down shirts, and black tie attire.

Dozens of fans dress up like MJK’s personas and some, like MJK, don’t break character. Appearances by personas, Agent Dick Merkin, the agent in training on the Pusciforce, is the audience’s host for the evening probe. ‘Agents’ appear on stage scanning the audience for potential new subjects. It was quirky and entertaining adding an extra element to the night’s show.

Prior to the band’s quick seven-minute intermission and wardrobe change, the six-piece performed the songs “Humbling River,” “Apocalypticical,” “Remedy,” and “Singularity.”

Billy D, MJK’s other Puscifer persona emerges, a glass of alcohol in hand, prepared to raise a glass and run from the aliens on stage trying to probe him.

Puscifer continues in their ever so subtle way to say, “shut the fuck up” with a world in its current state of affairs, masking some rage with video “spam” entertaining the crowd to add a sense of sarcastic comic relief, but still showcasing how social media is evil, and how they may feel about society’s current events that are unfolding.

The most monumental and compelling moment of the evening was by Carina Round in her performance of “Flippant.”

Round singularly dances standing still and waving her arms pointing up, then circling her belly and up again. Suddenly she circles her belly again, points up, then points back down at her other hand circling back at her belly, and silently screams, MINE! Before the stage goes black, they end the night with, “Bedlamite” and tell Puscifer fans that they can break out their phones to take some pictures if they choose.

Want to relive the show? Philly’s Setlist below:

Bread and Circus
Postulous
Fake Affront
Underwhelming
Grey Area
Theorem
Vaginamine
Upgrade
Apocalypticical
Remedy
Personal Prometheus
Singularity
Humbling River
(Intermission)
Bullet Train
Man Overboard
Flippant
Bedlamite

Connect with Puscifier

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | Spotify | Apple Music

photo credit: Angel Park

Written by Angel Park

Governors Ball, one of NYC’s most anticipated summer festivals, took place this year at Citi Field in Queens, NY. This year’s lineup featured some of the biggest names in both indie and rap music, drawing attendees from across the city and beyond, to experience performances from acts such as J.Cole, Playboi Carti, Halsey, and many others. ThatMag was on the grounds for Day Two and Three of this unforgettable event! Here’s what you missed!

Self-described as a music festival ‘built by New Yorkers, for New Yorkers,’ Governors Ball Fest‘s love for its home city was celebrated in its intricate decor located throughout the grounds. However, the most notable featured the bold Lady Liberty standing proudly next to multicolored letters spelling out the name of the event.

Retail and food vendors also lined the grounds in rows, the most notable of which included Bacardi, Dunkin Donuts, Levis, and Coca-Cola. Other vendors, such as Bud Light and GoPuff, also had their own dedicated lounges, various refreshments, and interactive activities to keep the crowd nourished and entertained in between sets. Personally, I couldn’t get enough of the delectable ice cream from the Milk & Cream Cereal Bar’s booth!

photo credit: Angel Park

In terms of stage layouts, festival organizers did a great job spacing everything out and reducing as much set overlap as possible. Artists were divided among the GoPuff, Barcadi, and Verizon stages, with each just a short walk away,

Artists were divided among the GoPuff, Bacardi, and Verizon stages, with each just a short walk away and with plenty of room to grab another slice of pizza or a Governors Ball craft brew on your way.

Governors Ball featured various artists’ sets for indie and rap music heads of all varieties. Throughout Day Two, I was able to see Valley, BENEE, and De’Wayne.

Valley‘s set was an impressive, live, showcase of hazy-filled soft rock vibes. The band played through a set of fan favorites and new material, making for a memorable show. Frontman Rob Laska’s emotive vocals soared over the instruments, giving the songs an added layer of depth and feeling.

Seeing BENEE perform was an incredible experience. This New Zealand-based pop artist was as gleeful on stage as she was sarcastic, and her humor added a great touch to what the audience later found out was actually her first U.S festival performance.

photo credit: Angel Park

De’Wayne‘s intimate set at Bud Light’s Seltzer sessions was an awesome show from start to finish. The Houston, TX-based artist had the crowd dancing and chanting along throughout his entire set and closed out with a unique rendition of The Stooges’ “I Wanna Be Your Dog.”

Finally, to cap off the evening.

Again, at noon the next day, Governors Ball opened its gates once again to attendees to finish the festival out strong. The early afternoon featured indie acts Soccer Mommy and 100Gecs, with other notable indie acts following such as Philadelphia-based songwriter Japanese Breakfast, and England’s four-piece band, Glass Animals.

As tired as I was by that point in the day, the crowd’s enthusiasm was contagious and the artist’s energy levels never faltered once. The audience even reached their peak rowdiness levels when headliners Playboi Carti and J. Cole took the stage. Fans from the front row all the way to the VIP bar could be seen dancing and singing along to the lyrics.

With an unbeatable lineup, delicious food vendors, and a unique atmosphere that could only come from New York, Governors Ball 2022 perfectly captured the hearts of indie and rap music fans across the city. We’ll be counting down the days until 2023!

Connect with Governors Ball

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

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photo credit: Eyeflair

Written by Jaz Bowens

FYF Scales (F-Y-F) aka Christopher Green Jr. is an independent rapper hailing from East Baltimore, Maryland. He recently released his third album, Cruzing, in March 2021. Observing his continuous growth and consistency, That Mag wanted to take an opportunity to have a sit down with an up-and-coming rapper pathing his own lane into the music industry.

Always a rambunctious kid, he became enamored with rap after being introduced by his uncle, Tobias Scales. It was well known that even as a young child, FYF Scales was musically inclined.  At about 11 or 12, he began hanging around freestylers in his neighborhood. He would remember the lyrics and claim them as his own when he would return to school. With the success of that and writing his own rhymes to throw in the mix he realized rap was something he could peruse himself.

FYF began to explore his options as a rapper at Patapsco High School. What was once rapping and freestyling amongst friends had the opportunity to reach broader audiences and paid shows, “I was introduced by my brother (Omar Green) to a person named Stacks who was already doing shows and things like that,” Scales explained.

At no more than 15 or 16 years old, and going by the name of C4 at the time, FYF Scales decided to give a group with stacks, who they named Heavy Hitta Squad, a go. During performances the reaction from the crowd was undeniable. The reaction he received during gigs reassured him of his talents and motivated him to achieve greater heights with his music.

photo credit: Eyeflair

Unfortunately, Scale’s time with his newfound rap group was short-lived, “….finding out that he (Stacks) was getting paid (by club promotors/owners) and we weren’t, is what ended the group. He would get a cut of ticket sales and all we would get was a party,” Scales chuckled.

Sadly, it’s a common story many new artists within groups can tell. Thankfully, only a year was spent with Heavy Hitta Squad and his departure only lead to further personal growth and development.

Whether he was riding solo or working alongside other rappers, he never put his pen down.

With a fresh solo start, at the age of 17, he started True Hand Production. “Everything I write is true,” he said about the inspiration behind his production company. With the help of social media, technical savviness, and friends he was back writing and producing his own pieces. “Mookie (Kevin Saunders) was actually the first piece. He would download the software, I could record on…Right in his basement and his mother didn’t mind and she supported me.” Sadly, after Mookie’s mother passed they lost touch but FYF is sure Mookie is still a supporter.

In 2016, he dropped his first solo mixtape. Creation. Part one in a 3-part series. “3 series mixtapes include; Creation (2016), Plus Life (2018), and Scales (2020).” In between each mixtape he wrote and recorded an album.

“There are the mixtapes and then the albums, the tapes are like the warm-up plus its free music. So while I’m working on the album you still have music to listen to.” Albums Dirty politics (2017) and Split Personality (2019) are the two albums written and produced by FYF Scales prior to the release of his latest album, Cruzing. When asked what body of work best represents FYF Scales as a whole, he quickly pointed out his first mixtape Creation, which provides a good introductory to who FYF Scales is so that when you listen to Cruzing, you’ll be nothing short of a fan.

Cruzing is a trippy, nostalgic ride through FYF’s past and present internal world spilled on paper accompanied by smooth beats perfect for a ride. It reminds you of Summertime.

His motivation is his family; his wife and three children, who are his biggest fans. Also, the love of music itself is what keeps FYF Scales going.

“Music is everything to me. I don’t look at it as a job, career, or even a hobby. Music moves me. Everything I interact with is music,” FYF says.

FYF isn’t just a musical artist, he wants his experience in the music industry, especially as an independent artist, to help others in their journey as well. He’s currently in school for Audio Production with only one year left from Full Sails University. His goal is to on his own studio.

Being a rapper himself with the production and engineering skills he’s acquired hands-on and formally, he believes he has the ear and the know-how to help another artist take their craft to another level. He remembers looking for assistance when he was getting started and remembers how frustrating it was to be met with closed doors and dead ends. Now that he is in the position to guide those less experienced than him, he is always open to helping those just getting started in the industry.

All under True Hand Production, he plans on continuing to write, produce, and perform once venues are open. “If you’re a free thinker, aren’t hung up on the norm, and simply because you want to, you should check out my music.” FYF Scales welcomes constructive criticism and thought-provoking conversations about his music and music in general.

You can hear the organic passion throughout his whole discography. For more information about FYF Scales and his music please reach him on his social sites and remember to check out his latest album titled Cruzing released today on all your streaming platforms below.

Connect with FYF Scales

Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud | Pandora | Apple Music | YouTube | Spotify

I’m beyond excited to introduce this intelligent, exhuberant artist that isn’t afraid to live life her way and proudly. She’s unapologetically herself and she wants everyone to be able to express themselves, too.

Introducing… Madeline The Person!

Madeline invites you to come to Personville, her gorgeous rainbow-decorated art emporium where all humans and feelings are welcome and open to express themselves. The Houston, Texas, native has spent a large portion of the last year creating her following on TikTok via her soulful covers of artists from Frank Ocean and Lizzo to Brandi Carlile and Joni Mitchell.

Her deeply personal single, “As A Child,” is out today via Warner Records. Watch the video above. Listen below.

She explains: “The difference in the way that I express my personality versus my music, I think that has to do with my belief in the fact that all emotions are equally important. With my music, I’m trying to normalize the sad and hard and really gross stuff and make it more acceptable and less scary, because to me, as a person, I am all of those things combined. I’m super sad and also really happy and joyful and grateful. I have a lot of emotions and I don’t like to boil it down to just a few. I like to show lots of facets at a time and sometimes, that creates a juxtaposition that I think makes it kind of cool.”

Music and learning piano and guitar were always important to her, but it was loss of her of father a few years ago that really pushed her to write without holding back, and to feel every emotion. Throughout her journey of unimaginable grief, Madeline continued to flourish as a songwriter, never afraid to share her story in her music, no matter what.

Following the release of “As A Child,” Madeline will guide us through her human experience via a series of musical chapters (or EP’s) set to release throughout 2021, the first of which will arrive next month.

Connect with Madeline The Person

Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | TikTok

Matt Santry is a pop, rock singer songwriter hailing from Philadelphia and was formerly a social worker. He often played music for autistic children, combining his love for social work with his love for music, the life long process of creating. On an inspirational side note, one autistic client who was mostly nonverbal could actually sing Santry’s full songs. They were that uplifting. While both jobs meant something to Santry, he began to earn more money playing gigs at night than through social work, so he made the transition to being a full time musician. Santry has always been drawn to music, believing in the power behind music and his personal experience is a testament to this.

Photo by Bree Michael Warner

Interestingly enough, Santry did not start out as a vocalist. As a youngster in a band, he became the vocalist when the band realized the lack of talent in their vocalist and the incredible talent in Santry. Having been at this for a while, his sound has certainly changed over the years.

“I’ve definitely developed more of my own sound, especially with having a band that plays on my records as well as with me live. I had more of a rock thing going on in my earlier stages. Now it’s more of about space than about loud guitars,” he says.

Furthermore, if you listen to his music you’ll hear various influences, but none of which Santry will reveal. Instead, he turns the question on us and asks us what we hear. What we hear is a soulful singer with a slight twang reminiscent of country. The music is very melody intensive akin to pop. The backbone is Santry’s voice and the piano or guitar. The addition of the band allows for a bigger sound with more energy and improv.

Photo by M. Scott Whitson

Current members aside from Santry include Tom Walling on drums, Kjell Benner on bass, and Avery Coffee on guitar. At times, different musicians come in to play an auxiliary role such as keyboards/guitars/harmonies, etc. Two musicians that occasionally appear and play are Brian Fitzgerald and Brian Aglira.

In 2010, the group released the album Tin Ace City which is a play on words for tenacity. The album was well received, but Santry insists he’s improved much since then. To hear more recent work visit www.mattsantry.com or listen to “Taking My Turn”, the video posted below of Santry in a room with his guitar jamming and filmed in one take!

Over the next few months,  Santry will record two new songs, launch a Kickstarter program, and promote his tour in April. He’s striving to release an EP by the end of 2015 and book another tour. Santry will also be performing at That Mag‘s music series on 3/26 at Tin Angel in Philadelphia.

When you look at your young child, you wonder who they really are and what they will become.  You question what positive traits they inherited and whether they will avoid your life’s pitfalls while probably succumbing to their own.  You encourage and work to protect.  You share in the ups and downs.  You wonder what will be.

Philadelphia is a parent – always has been; dating back to the founding of our nation.  We boast founding fathers, founding mothers, and it should not be forgotten that there were founding youths along the way who were stronger and more mature than their years would typically require.

Today, Philadelphia has a musical son in Ben Kessler. He is mature, talented, casual yet serious, comfortable in his own skin, and taking-on the music industry one day at a time – which is probably the only way to do it.

photo by Howard Pitkow

I first experienced Kessler’s talent at World Café Live in Philadelphia a few weeks ago when he opened for UK’s Lewis Watson.  The songs were well-composed, guitar-playing strong, and the vocals refined with a youthful quality.  He helped fill the venue to capacity that night and endeared himself to Watson’s fans in a way that led to the opportunity to headline at WCL, which will occur on January 11, 2015.  This time, Kessler will be accompanied by a full band – recreating the material that can be found on his debut EP, So It Goes.

When I ask Kessler about his amazing 2014 he states, “it seemed kind of slow but, in hindsight, it was actually pretty fast.  After a while, you don’t even realize how fast things are moving.”  In reality, Kessler performed at least sixty times in 2014 with much of that activity happening toward the later part of the year as momentum was built.  His current schedule for 2015 does not necessarily reflect that level of activity, but shares that there is a method. “I’m trying to plan performances out strategically so that it all makes sense from a business perspective.  I don’t want to be over-exposed,” he says.

As for new material and future releases, Kessler says, “The EP is still relatively new and I don’t want to take way from the material that was meant to introduce me to the scene.  Something could come later this year or early next year depending on how things go.” He already has plenty of new material, but wants to allow each release to have its time to project and reach his audience as it is and is still becoming.

You also need to keep in mind that Kessler has yet to graduate from high school and enroll in college, which he intends to do.  “I love Philly, it’s my home and has been sort of an incubator for me, musically, but I will probably go somewhere else for college.  But it will have a music scene of its own,” Kessler assures.

Tickets are still available to see Kessler with his full band on Sunday night at World Cafe Life. As his hometown, we need to support him, wish him well, welcome him back when that time comes, and continue to be a positive source of inspiration as he progresses through the mine-field of the industry.

As the third annual Liberty Music Fest came to an end on Sunday, it’s probably safe to say that music fans and artists alike walked away with something meaningful that came from this superlative and inspirational event.

Not only did spectators come to support the well known venue, Finnigan’s Wake, that has been more than a friendly face to the Philadelphia original music scene, but they also came to enjoy the insanely good talent that was performing. Both veterans and newcomers alike came together to show their support and devotion to creativity and life that is music.

The Festival actually kicked off last Wednesday and opening night was hosted by Gashouse Radio (online radio station that focuses solely on original music). They featured bands HypoDive out of New York and Survay Says! from New Jersey. Both put on a stellar performance and really kept up with the audience. It was clear that to these bands, it wasn’t just about putting on a good show but also just having a bad ass time and keeping things fun, for themselves and the audience.

Friday night when you walked into Finnigan’s, third night of the Fest, there wasn’t a stitch of the building that wasn’t filled with music. The lineups were set in 50 minute intervals so each band had enough time to put on their best. Notably, there was a man walking in the crowd dressed in 18th century military attire that definitely had raised some eyebrows but in good, “hmm..wonder what’s going to happen with that?” kind of way.

Kid Felix put on a hell of a show with their wild animation and liveliness on stage. Everyone watching was completely engulfed with the entire performance; hands up, feet moving and eyes on the stage. At one point lead singer, Jake Falana, took out his cell and started snapping shots of the audience (who were happy to oblige). There was a lot of jumping and moving around that seemed to be quite contagious. He even came down into the crowd and was dancing around with everyone. To wrap it all up, Falana hopped back up on stage and jumped clear over, or better said, onto the drummer which was not anticipated, but ended the set in good fun.

Upstairs on the second floor was Liz de Lise, who has a fantastic following in Philadelphia. This group was composed of two talented young women. One who plays the cello and the other, acoustic guitar. They opened up their set with the song “Strangers” and during the entire performance, the audience quietly sat and admired the light airy voice that was echoing the room. A sweet gesture that should be noted was when Jake Falana came up and adjusted the mic for the cellist since her hands were full. It was a positive reflection that upholds the community that is truly in the original music scene.

On the 4th floor the entire night was considered to be “Hip Hop Hall” and was booming with all the different root sounds of R&B, hip hop, soul and funky goodness. Good Girl was one group featured that consisted of four, multi-talented girls whose performance was harmonious and tightly choreographed. It was a very refreshing and exciting performance.

Toward the end of the night, the mystery man who looked like he just came home from the Revolutionary War was solved. He was in the band East of the West and each member was dressed alike. They have a very diversified, rhythmic sound that has hints of reggae/rock. This is extremely unique to the Philly scene.

So, to be said, the five days of awesome that just occurred at The Liberty Music Fest were more than just the elements of an extraordinary event. All the wonderful music, networking opportunities and memories that were made are sure to carry on to next year’s festival and those in the scene will be anticipating what is to sure to come.

This past Thursday was the first of many shows at Hard Rock Philly put on by yours truly, That Mag. With a diverse lineup, food and drinks galore, and surprise appearances by some big names, it was not a show to miss.

Seventeen year old suburban-Philly local, Ashley Leone, got the show started with a soulful set. She started off with some original songs, backed by her band the Love, Love, Love’s. The R&B infused pop songs got the crowd interested, and she then got them involved by playing some covers, first Lady GaGa and then Kid Cudi.

Next, South Jersey’s No Risk pumped everyone up. “If we suck, the Eagles are playing on the TV by the bar!” they started off by saying, followed by loud, heavy, fun music. There was no need to watch the Eagles, because No Risk was captivating, especially with the playing of a new song that they worked out well on stage.

Rich Quick was up next, and the crowd had grown and moved up closer with anticipation. Stress the White Boy and Chuck Treece took the stage first, ready to DJ and drum for the set. Rich Quick took the stage with a whirlwind of energy and excitement. He played his full EP Sad Songz, with guest appearances from ASK?, Milton, and local Philadelphia legend Reef the Lost Cauze. After his set, Rich Quick was called back onstage for an encore, leaving the crowd wanting even more. He stuck around after the show, talking to fans and taking photos.

This month’s Third Thursday event with ThatMag was epic, and there is much more where that came from, so keep your eyes peeled and your ears to the ground!

The Dear Hunter

Migrant

Reviewed by Joseph Tingle

The Dear Hunter’s fifth major work, Migrant, is either the most or least ambitious album the band have ever created. While most contemporary acts establish their sound and fan bases before “risking it all” on ill-timed and half-baked concept records (“going prog”), frontman Casey Crescenzo and his band have done the opposite. After building a reputation as being a concept-record mastermind and releasing four highly-realized conceptual works under The Dear Hunter name, Crescenze has taken the path of the original 70’s proggers: he’s gone back to basics.

Well, kind of. Comparisons aside, you’d be hard-pressed to find another recent album that sounds like Migrant. Although the record is mostly filled with shorter songs that do not share any particular thematic or conceptual space, the songs and arrangements themselves are still rich and unique. The end result is a fine and diverse record of standalone tracks that mostly work, but sometimes display growing pains from Crescenzo’s transformation from concept album maestro to songwriter.

Though prog-rock decorum is abandoned for an indigenous, indie-rock approach, the album still maintains some of the trimmings of the more bloated of the two genres. While the meandering themes and top-heavy compositions that have marred previous The Dear Hunter works are fully exchanged for concise song craft on Migrant, the record still suffers from some of the usual concept-rock melodrama. Lyrics are personal and commendably honest, but border self-garnishing and lack subtlety. On one song, “Whisper”, Crescenzo bellows the lines “we’ve all made our greatest mistakes on the greatest intentions” with vindicating ascent and theatrics, as if delivering a moment of catharsis to a Broadway audience.

Ultimately, the verdict is still out on whether Crescenzo is better as a songwriter or musical director. Not that one is necessarily better than the other, but this reviewer is personally unsure as to whether Crescenzo possesses the poetic lyricism to be more of a Bruce Springsteen or Bob Dylan than a prime Andrew Lloyd Weber.  But, at any rate, The Dear Hunter have the drive and endurance to create excellent, stylistically liberated music, and any serious listener would be doing themselves a great injustice by ignoring Crescenzo and his band.