By Hannah Zaic

As fans, judges, and musicians, anxiously await the start of the show in the Hard Rock Cafe’s dimly lit dining room, the mood is excited, perhaps even optimistic. Patrons, expecting just dinner with a side of rock & roll relic, are pleasantly surprised by a bonus concert by some of Philly’s best country and folk artists.

Tonight’s leg of the city-wide battle of  PHL LIVE Center Stage will be judged by three of the most influential figures in the Philadelphia music scene: That Mag publisher, Brian Cronin; Executive Director of the Philadelphia Folksong Society, Justin Nordell; and WXTU Music Director and Radio Personality, Mark Razz.

Before shifting their full attention on the PHL LIVE country and folk finalists, the judges could be found socializing at the marble slab bar, catching up with fans, friends, and other individuals, sipping drinks, and trading war stories from the grueling music industry. The finalists performing this night were Man About a Horse, Ami Yares, Alex Mery & the Townsmen, Jessica Graae and Black Horse Motel.

You can log onto iRadioPhilly to see the highlights and to listen to the performances.

Our master of ceremonies is the illustrious Jennifer Logue of Rock On Philly. Logue is the first talent to take the stage before our finalists join her one-by-one for a discreet and organized mic check.  

It was a great night to be in Center City and regardless of the competitive nature of the event, everyone in the room was eager to show why our arts community is unlike any other in the world. Simply put, fans, judges, and musicians came for a friendly competition, but also stuck around to cheer each other on.

This display of mutual respect between artists, to and from the fans, is right in line with what PHL LIVE’s creator, Philadelphia Councilman-at-Large, David Oh, first imagined for the contest. During its second run, the multi-venue, genre-crossing event series is bigger and better than ever and shows no sign of slowing down.  

That Mag was lucky enough to sit down and talk with the councilman between acts. Otherwise, for most of the evening, he could be found at one of the tables near the stage, enjoying great music, as well as a few jokes told by our finalists and MC.

You wouldn’t think that a Republican Councilman would be inspired to create a music events series as successful as PHL LIVE. However, after attending a film festival, Councilman Oh was inspired and wondered if his music series should be structured similarly to the film festival.

Unlike most inaugural music festivals, adding a competitive spin would attract a fair amount of local, independent artists who are actually paid for their work. Since 2011, Councilman Oh has been bringing his notoriety (and cash) to local artists, while also serving as our city’s first Asian-American elected official! How cool is that?!

The culmination of 2017’s contest is going to be the PHL LIVE Awards Show held at the Trocadero, tonight, December 15th. For those of you looking to get involved next year, there are ten genres you could compete in for the grand prizes, which are as follows:

ANNOUNCING PHL LIVE CENTER STAGE

Coor’s Light Presents PHL LIVE Center Stage: 2017 Prizes

Grand Prizes for each of the 10 music category winners and the People’s Choice winner:

1. $1,000.00 for each of th 11 winners (total of $11,000.00 in prize money)
2. City Council Citation awarded to each of the 11 winners at the Awards Show in December at the Trocadero Theater
3. Resolution presented to the group of 11 winners in City Council

(You can find more information about PHL LIVE’s 2017 finalists, terms, conditions and prizes at www.phllive.org.)

Since the finalists are beating out so many other acts to play for a judge’s panel of industry heavyweights, the concerts held around the city at stellar venues like Milkboy #1 & #2, The World Cafe Live and The Hard Rock Cafe are guaranteed to be Philly local talent at its best. Better get out there and see them play before they aren’t so local anymore!

Here is to another epic year with PHL LIVE and to many, many more to come. Onwards, to the Trocadero!

“Punk is musical freedom,” Kurt Cobain once said. “It’s saying, doing and playing what you want. In Webster’s terms, ‘nirvana’ means freedom from pain, suffering and the external world, and that’s pretty close to my definition of Punk Rock.”

On Feburary 18^th at the Tin Angel, Rock On Philly is hosting the 2^nd Annual Kurt Cobain Tribute: Unplugged, after the success of last year’s edition, featuring Philly’s best songwriting talent. Fun and intimate event celebrating Cobain’s legacy, the 2^nd Annual Kurt Cobain Tribute will take place nearly 22 years after his death, and just a couple of days before he would have been 49.

“Kurt Cobain broke down barriers, musically and socially, by shirking conventionalism in order to convey his artistic vision and his experience of the world,” says Samantha Sweeney of Rock On Philly.

You are invited to come experience Cobain’s music, as seen through the artistic lens of four of our most promising local artists. Among them is Andorra, alternative band playing ’90s rock and admittedly being “not-so-clean shaven”. Check out their music on their bandcamp and get excited for their take on Cobain’s work.

Coming along is Katie Barbato, an up-and-coming singer songwriter also part of the band Dirty Holiday. Something is telling us her angelic voice and sweet folk rock will make her performance memorable. The tribute is also a wonderful opportunity to discover Philly’s latest band, Sansom. These five seasoned musicians will give out an original and honest take on Nirvana’s classics.  Last but not least, John Miller will join the tribute. Featured artist on Reverbnation and Flyers fan, Miller will be one act to remember with his Indie Rock, R&B and Soul touches.

Loud, fun, abrasive, raw, beautiful, wrathful, painful, powerful- so many words to describe Cobain, and just as many to describe our wonderful local artists, willing to honor one of the greatest musicians in music history. Stop by the Tin Angel to get a glimpse of each artist’s take on showcasing Cobain’s legacy. Whether a fan of Kurt Cobain and Nirvana or not, you’re invited to Come As You Are and enjoy a night of good music and musical freedom.

What: 2^nd Annual Kurt Cobain Tribute: Unplugged

Where: Tin Angel, 20 S 2^nd St, Philadelphia, PA 19106

When: Febuary 18^th at 8:00pm

How much: $10 in advance, $12 at the door

Tickets are available at http://www.ticketfly.com/event/1070799-kurt-cobain-tribute-unplugged-philadelphia/

Here’s a little something for you to chew on for upcoming events in February; Rock On Philly will be hosting it’s very first Bubblegum’s Eve event at MilkBoy in honor of National Bubblegum Day. Although, the show takes place on the eve of the celebrated day, the event promises to be sweet and pretty poppin’! The celebration will feature local artists of different genres as well as giveaways from vendors such as Velodyne Acoustics and Glee Gum.

Founder of the music blog, Jennifer Logue, will be hosting the event and backed by The Human Drum Machine. Logue created the blog to spread the word of the eclectic and diverse talent in the Philadelphia music scene, as well as bands from all over the globe that come here to perform. Other musicians putting contributing to the show are On The Cooling Board, Victoria Watts and Nicky P.

On the Cooling Board features musician Ryan Browning, originally from Roanoke, Virginia. Browning grew up listening to and being inspired by an array of music such as punk, folk, grunge and outlaw. The band’s sound blends the dirt and heart of pre-war blues with the raw electric energy of early indie rock. Their first full length album is near completion.

Watts is originally from California, but has rooted herself in our little hometown. Music came rather innately to her and started pursuing it at a very young age. “Music is something that I breathe. Nothing can ever change that…All we need is to keep creating, keep loving, and keep persevering,” Watts says.

Nicky P is a Philly based singer/songwriter who came out with his first EP, Good Thoughts, this past December. He’s opened for bands such as Dispatch and Pete Francis.

Along with all the music and fun, the night of the event will also feature a specialty cocktail to match all the tastefulness going on (for now, it is TBA and remains a mystery). Other specialty drinks will be included- and of course, there will be gum.

Pre-sale tickets are available for $8 a pop, while it will increase to $10 at the door. They can be purchased online here.

Slot 55 is a relatively new three piece band out of Philadelphia who lets their instruments, in dept lyrics, and robust aura speak for itself. The intrinsic guitar playing, the pulsating bass beats, and rhythmic melodies is just what American rock needs and Slot 55 is bringing it back. Rich Beaumont on bass, Phil Gorlaski on guitar, and Andrew Toy on drums make up Slot 55- a band with experienced musicians getting off on the right foot and celebrating their upcoming debut album My Reflection, which will be released in early May.

That Music Magazine had the chance to check them out during their Rock on Philly: Band and Bites performance in December, right before their mini hiatus to focus on recording My Reflection. Their singles “Free”, “My Reflection” and “Call to Arms” are a good display of Slot 55’s artistic abilities. 

In an early morning interview, Rich Beaumont and Phil Gorlaski were more than happy to let us into their world. Beaumont took us back to 2012 when they first got together. “I was in a band for about 10 years prior and felt like it was time to move on to something different,” he says. “I knew Phil from prior things so I got with him, a songwriter and guitar player, got a drummer in my old band room, and started to play some songs Phil had.We just clicked and put out 15 songs that night.”

When all things align, there is nothing standing in the way of natural chemistry and a shared love of music. “Within a month of us getting together we had a single out and released “Free”,” Beaumont says. There is something to said about a band who is able to get in the studio and get work done. That’s a talent in itself. They have been continuously working on the album since their inception and are putting on the finishing touches.

It wouldn’t have been such a smooth transition from the paper to recording without some song writing by Phil Gorlaski. “It’s alot of staying up late sometimes,” Gorlaski says. “Sometimes songs come to me really quick while others take a little time.”

In addition to their songs, a new studio helped Slott 55 get the flexibility they needed and allowed them to take creative control over the whole process of the album from start to finish. “After using other people’s studio we noticed there were some limitations,” Beaumont says. “After we decided to build our own studio everything went smoothly from there on. We all pitched in and we are happy with the results.”

With complete control of the production of their music along with great songs to record, nothing but satisfaction, enjoyment, and pride is heard in every song. That ease and relaxation translates into their performances as well. All members of Slot 55 are looking forward to making music for people who appreciate good musicians, pure passion, and authenticity in their music.

Though they took a break after their Rock on Philly performance in December to focus on recording, after the release of My Reflection in early May they will be putting on shows and hitting the road soon after. A lot of preparation and practice goes into both performing and recording so they wanted to give each its own individual attention.

Slot 55 is a great rock band with a song to match every mood and every occasion. My Reflection is an homage to how far they have come and where they plan to go. The release date isnt set yet but be on the look out for it in May and check in periodically for new developments in the album by seeing more from them on Facebook and Reverbnation.

The Bands & Bites Grand Finale Showcase went down at the Hard Rock Cafe Tuesday to a packed house. Surprisingly, the light drizzle, the fact that it was on a Tuesday, and rush hour didn’t stop people from piling in.

photo credit Jaz Bowens

I arrived as soon as the first performer, Paul Saint John, got on stage. There were no seats available. Fortunately, a stranger invited me to sit with him. Paul Saint John sounded great. It was just him, his guitar and the crowd. As people continued to come in, order food, and settle down, his strong and soulful voice raised above the noise. He was able to grab the crowd’s attention as his simple set allowed his talent to shine through. Check out his song “All the Kings Horses”.

The second performer was Ashley Leone. I heard about her in passing but I have never heard her music before. The host informed the crowd that she is a local girl who graduated from Germantown Academy High School, has opened for a lot of big name artist, and has performed all over the country. Leone was able to fit her whole band on stage but once she got started I wasn’t able to hear anything she said. I wasn’t sure if her mic was too low, her band was too loud, or if something was completely off with the sound quality or system. I decided to listen to her music when I got home because her performance didn’t seem to live up to all the rave I had been hearing about her.

Victoria Watts, a San Francisco native who moved to the city a few years back was next to perform. She had a lot of supporters with her and she definitely had the rocker look.  Her band sounded great, but just like Leone’s performance, I couldn’t hear her voice. I got closer to the stage but that didn’t help either.

(Slot 55, photo credit Jaz Bowens)

The fourth band to perform was Slot 55. As soon as they started playing I was hooked. They sounded great! I heard everything and it was obvious they had been playing their instruments and performing for years. This band owned the stage in my opinion. They played “Free” and two other songs. Download “My Reflection”and “Free” for free via their social media networks. I can’t describe their sound. It’s good ol’ all American rock- great lyrics, great instrument playing, and all around great performance.

The last band onstage was Hopscotch Jefferson, the winner of the finale. The definitely won over the crowd with their energetic vibe and upbeat sound. They had a lot of supporters at the show.

(Hopscotch Jefferson, photo credit Jaz Bowens)