Written and Photographed by Liv Foltiny

Getting to The Fillmore slightly after 8 pm, I was well aware of the reality that I missed at least one of the bands scheduled to perform this past Friday night, and, honestly, with how I was feeling, I was only concerned about making it for the band I was assigned to cover—The Gaslight Anthem. Knowing nothing about the band other than what I learned from a very brief online search (e.g., that it formed in NJ and seemed to fall within the genres of music I listen to), I didn’t know what to expect and, to an extent, was going in blind.

As I made my way toward the stage, I was greeted by a huge crowd; the place was packed from the barricade in the front to the bar in the back. Joyce Manor, the second band of the night (following Pinkshift), was up on the stage, playing the final few songs of their set. From their short, energetic movements across the stage to their brief, appreciative conversation with the crowd about their love for Philadelphia, the band members drew everyone’s attention and had those familiar with their music singing synchronously. Even though the band wasn’t headlining that night, it was evident that Joyce Manor was capable of giving an engaging, successful performance.

Following Joyce Manor’s exit around 8:30 pm, concertgoers were left to their own devices for a bit since The Gaslight Anthem was not set to take the stage until 9 pm. It was during this intermission that I recognized a familiar face in the crowd — Sara from 93.3 WMMR (@radio_sara). After introducing me to her husband, Jake, Sara and I spoke for a bit, catching up and briefly talking about the show. I learned that she has been seeing The Gaslight Anthem for the past twelve years, and, upon hearing that I had never seen them before, she informed me that they put on a great live show and that, considering they’re from NJ, their performance at The Fillmore was “the closest to a home show we could get.

As 9 p.m. drew closer, I made my way over to the photo pit entrance, and, within minutes, the other photographers and I were given the go-ahead to approach the stage. The crowd excitedly burst into cheers while the members of The Gaslight Anthem took their places and began their set.

For around an hour and a half, The Fillmore was alive as attendees (many of whom appeared to be fans of the band) were immersed in the rhythms and lyrics emanating from the stage. People enthusiastically danced, sang along, and threw their hands up into the air while The Gaslight Anthem played a variety of songs, consisting predominantly of originals (such as “We Came To Dance” and “Positive Charge”) and, at the very end, with help from Joyce Manor and Pinkshift, a cover of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”.

Throughout their set, the members of The Gaslight Anthem intently focused on their performance. Brian Fallon (lead vocalist), alternating between soft and rugged vocals, belted out lyrics and played his guitar while Alex Rosamilia (lead guitarist), captivated by the venue’s lively atmosphere, regularly bobbed his head as he walked around on stage and, intermittently, leaned over his guitar. Concurrently, Alex Levine (bassist) and Benny Horowitz (drummer), from their fervent playing to their quick and frequent movements, exhibited the most energy out of everyone in the group. Notwithstanding these positive aspects of their set, it felt like something vital was missing.

Now, I didn’t expect Brian to climb and jump off of things like Remington Leith (Palaye Royale), playfully tease the crowd and dance on his toes like Tyler Glenn (Neon Trees), or rapidly spin with the mic stand on his shoulders like Yungblud; however, I guess I assumed, or hoped, that he would have exuded a little more presence on stage, namely when it came to interacting with the audience. Except for two very succinct conversations in which he spoke to the crowd directly, Brian didn’t seem overly invested in establishing an emotional connection with the mass of people standing before him. Then again, it wasn’t something he truly needed to be concerned with since a majority of the attendees there were happily engrossed from the second the band set foot on stage. Their roaring cheer

s and eagerness to participate in the moment undoubtedly evinced the strong, pre-existing connection the band already had with a majority of the crowd before the show even started. For newcomers such as myself, though, it could have been nice to learn more about Brian and the band on a personal level through additional, direct interaction with the audience.

Overall, it’s safe to say that The Gaslight Anthem’s show at The Fillmore undeniably had a positive impact on most — if not all — of the fans in attendance. From everyone dancing and singing on the floor to those doing likewise on the second level of the building, there was no refuting the joyous energy that permeated the venue throughout the entire night. The Gaslight Anthem made sure fans walked out of The Fillmore with memories and a “Positive Charge” to start the impending weekend.

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Ace Frehley in Ardmore?  That’s what exactly what I thought when I first heard that original KISS guitarist was headlining a show in support of his latest album, Origins Vol. 1.  Even Ace himself commented that same thought when he thought he was playing Philly and recognized that he wasn’t. Space Ace played The Ardmore Music Hall this past Sunday and left us all wanting more.

The night started out with lines going down Lancaster Ave, then once inside, lines forming at the bar.  Some people paid for priority seating, while others had general admission. I remember thinking, who wants to sit down at a rock concert because you know you won’t be sitting long.  The look around the room was your typical atmosphere from young ambitious fans to the young at heart fans that grew up along with the spaceman.

The stage lights go on and here comes Jacky Bam Bam (WMMR radio jock) introducing one of Philadelphia’s break-through bands, Mach 22.  Jacky is definitely the right man for this job and his knowledge of music is outwardly obvious.  He knows everything from legendary rockers to the local unsung heroes just making their name.  The house gets quiet as the band enters the stage; the pause was intense just before (Lamont) Caldwell breaks into song.

Photo by R. Reinhardt

Now I have seen this band emerge throughout the years and to witness their growth spurt before my eyes was just amazing.  This wasn’t their first big opener as they previously were local support for Gene Simmons (KISS),  Brett Michaels (Poison), Bon Jovi and last year’s Gun N’ Roses reunion.  So opening for someone of Ace’s stature is obviously the perfect choice for these guys.  And there was no short of a performance at all, they gave it their all and the crowd was definitely not disappointed.  Folks throughout the audience seemed to have been more than impressed.  Side note, I can’t wait to see where these boys go from here, only up I would imagine.

The only downside about the show was the LONG wait between Mach 22 and when Frehley finally came out.  Hitting the stage in order was Richie Scarlet (Frehley’s Comets, Mountain), Chris Wyse (The Cult, Ozzy), Scot Coogan and of course, Frehley.  Opening the show with a KISS classic, “Parasite” went off without a hitch.  The roar of the audience as he continued to play “Toys” and “Rip it Out” from his previous solo records which were such a crowd pleaser for sure.

Photo by R. Reinhardt

As the night continued on they performed songs from Origins, his solo hits, “New York Groove” and “Rock Soldiers” as well as other KISS classics “Love Gun”, “Shock Me” and ending with “Cold Gin”.  Just when you think the night was over, they return to the stage with encores of “Detroit Rock City” and “Deuce“ which literally made the crowd instantly go insane.  To say that the show was good is an understatement, these classic rockers showed us all where their place is in the world.

Time and time again I like a band that sounds great until I see their live shows then I just fade in the back with disappointment.  It’s a shame that a lot of the musicians today do not know how to entertain their audiences.  It’s more than the music we come to watch a show, it’s the performance.  We want excitement as we sing along to their songs that we connect with.  We want a band to get us up and that is exactly what Ace Frehley and band did to us. They made us feel the music and not just fade into the back.

Photo by R. Reinhardt

Frehley will be joining Gene Simmons in St. Paul, MN tomorrow for a show benefiting victims of Hurricane Harvey then joining Alice Cooper’s tour in Australia and New Zealand.  If you ever get a chance to see the band, I strongly urge you to go as you never know when he will join KISS again for another tour.  Maybe I am just hoping, or am I?

Show review by Brian Cronin

Rating: BAD ASS

Photo by R. Reinhardt

Photo by R. Reinhardt

Photo by R. Reinhardt

By Brittany Rotondo

Design by: Marcus Darpino

Bong Hits For Jesus, the local band that has shared stages with the likes of Cypress Hill, Sublime and many others, are surely on their way to the yellow (or green, in this case) brick road. The title of the band is based on Joseph Frederick’s Supreme Court Case defending the freedom of speech and self-expression, after Frederick was arrested for holding a sign that read “Bong Hits 4 Jesus” during the 2002 Olympic Torch Relay. How rebelliously reassuring!

BH4J are a rock/funk/reggae group of cannabis connoisseurs that know how to make your “Tuesday’s feel like Friday’s” and your “Friday’s feel like New Year’s Eve”. Riding high, quite literally, off of their latest EP, “Low Rent Hustlers”, released last September, the guys have hit the road running. After touring through Southern California and traveling back to the East Coast to play festivals like Jam @ the Dam, the Irie Vibes and Hemp Heals, they’ve summoned the kind of stoner-swag that breathes a life of its own. And now, to keep the ball rolling, they’ve been aptly appointed as 93.3 WMMR’s Local Artist of the Month.

The four piece (lead by front man, Stephen Rose, and backed by CJ Bracale, Matt Boyle and Shawn Betz) hosts the infamous Jam Session every second Tuesday at The Legendary Dobbs, coincidentally where they will be showcasing for WMMR this Saturday, April 20th. The event has been dubbed as “The Philadelphia 4/20 Fest”, and there’s no better band to grace the stage on “National Pot Smoking Day” than Bong Hits For Jesus.

But, there’s more to BH4J than just lighting up the love. As Stephen Rose puts it, “We aim to celebrate our human connection through joyful self expression and basking in all the good energy”. Be sure to catch these cats on Saturday alongside veteran bands like Zymotic Flow, Baby Diaz and The Jackson Rider, amongst others.

Let me get a bong hit!

The MMRBQ is May 18th. Mark your calendars, tickets go on sale at noon today. One ticket and a full day to see six bands, not bad for only $50 (plus those fees, of course). The first four bands will be general admission, but the last two is assigned seating. Don’t worry, you still only need that one ticket.

This is a yearly tradition at the Susquehanna Bank Center and unlike some bands who roll into town on a Thursday night, this show is on a Saturday. You have no excuse- no work on Sunday and you still have Friday night to prep and relax before the big show. Check out the line-up:

Buckcherry– it’s their second time playing the MMRBQ and their new album, Confessions, is out on February 19th.

Kid Felix– come support this local band. They’re at Milkboy tonight if you’re one of the few who haven’t heard them before.

Cheap Trick– the band just announced new tour dates. They’ll be performing the Rock on The Range three-day festival in Ohio, along with some of the other 2013 MMRBQ bands. But no reason to go all the way up there when you can see them in your own back yard.

Device– the highly anticipated band from Disturbed’s David Draiman. Device is set to debut their new first single on February 19th with a full album release on April 9th.

After those four bands play, the assigned seating kicks in. Be there early, because headlining this year’s show are Soundgarden and Alice In Chains. Soundgarden’s latest album, King Animal, was released in November. Alice in Chains recently finished recording a new album. With no set release date, it will be out sometime in 2013.

Remember, tickets go on sale TODAY. Check out the WMMR website for info on how to pick them up.

Big announcement from WMMR just last night, Silvertide is back. They are playing a show on March 9th at the TLA sponsored by WMMR. They will be joined onstage by two, top-level, local acts John & Brittany and Kid Felix.

Silvertide’s full, original line-up will be onstage together in Philadelphia for the first time in long while. All members will be back in the area by early February. They are planning to play their entire Show and Tell album. The pieces are in place for something bigger than just the upcoming show. Soon afterward they will start writing new material and head back into the studio to reunite with producer David Ivory.

Over the past few years the members of the band have pursued different paths, but admitted that their greatest and most memorable musical moments were together in Silvertide.

John & Brittany are fresh off of Jaxon’s WMMR Mistletoe Jam on December 26th at the World Café Live. The band used this gig as an appropriate record release party for their new, full-length album Start Sinning, available at JohnBrittanyStore.com. This ten song album features tracks like “Dirty Little Magazine” and “Paper Planes.”

Kid Felix is continuing to build on momentum that has been growing rapidly this past year. They headlined the First Annual Liberty Music Fest at The Legendary Dobbs last August and released their new EP Young Luck. The band blew the doors off the TLA in October and just rung in the New Year as a part of Jaxon’s WMMR New Year’s Eve Bash at the Electric Factory (with local favorites Octane and Bong Hits for Jesus.)

Tickets for this show are on sale now. You can get them through several online locations such as TicketMaster, Live Nation, and the TLA.

The night was kicked off by local Philly scene veteran John Faye and one of his projects, John & Brittany. Their sound is built on complementary guitars, oozing with hooks, on top of a tight drum and bass section. The lyrics are catchy and clever. They tore through their set like only Jon’s vocals can. Vocals sharp like a knife, but rough like a dull serrated edge all at once. Their tones have blended well over the past year plus, with a new EP on the horizon.

Musically the night was closed out by Jackson Rider and their country/rhythm & roots/rock sound. An infectious, pleasing sound that causes onlookers to dance and groove regardless of their musical preferences. Seeing the band multiple times over the past few years, their growth has been measurable. Formed from the remnants of Whiskey Train, they have tightened their craft and widened their audience.

In between the opener and the closer was Soraia, for whom the evening was made. They hit the stage with their well-practiced pro act, much to the aplomb of the 150 plus people at Dobbs. These people were there to support one of the better stories of our beloved, local original music scene. Locally born and nationally weathered, Soraia has worked their ass off for the better part of a decade. Fronted by “alpha front-woman” ZouZou Mansour, Soraia demands attention from their viewing audience. With throwback tunes and throaty vocals, one is reminded of the some of the finer points of rock ‘n roll when listening to Soraia.

The main goal of the night was successfully accomplished. Soraia has opened for Bon Jovi in the past, but Jon has never had the opportunity to see their full live set. Through their work with producer Obie O’Brien, Zou and the band have come in contact with Jon Bon Jovi. It’s to the point where Jon has collaborated with them on their upcoming album. The issue was Jon had yet to fully see a live performance in a natural original music setting.

This showcase event first started to come together when Zou reached out to Jim Thorpe and Vince Volz from DVT Events and asked if she could do the showcase. Zou, Jim, and Vince have all gotten to know each other over the years. Jim has been working with Zou since he booked her at the Chestnut Room in 2005. Vince started working with her when he was booking at Doc Watson’s Pub. Both have had great experiences working with Zou and Soraia. Vince had this to say, “I don’t know if I’ve worked with someone as well rounded. She has it in every facet of the word. Talent. Stage presence. Voice. But she’s also very real, down to earth.” The tables have turned from Zou getting in-touch with Jim and Vince for shows, to them reaching out to her when they have a great line-up they want Soraia to be a part of. It has even gone a step further where Zou calls them to talk up other local bands. A further testament to Zou’s down-to-earth and genuine spirit happened amidst all the post-showcase buzz. She heard that Robyn Welsh of the PSPCA was putting together a Rock ‘n Roll for The Animals night and gladly offered to be part of the line-up. Soraia is joining up with local bands Mach 22, The Better Half, and more, to support this great cause on August 2nd at Dobbs.

Jim and Vince both have a great local, and even national, reputation for working with bands and treating them well. If their names sound familiar it’s because they have been major advocates and supporters of the local scene for years. DVT Events is a hybrid of their respective solo production/booking companies Double V Bookings and Jim Thorpe Productions.

Jim Thorpe, has been booking original music acts since the early 90’s. He has been an independent promoter for local clubs The Middle Eastern, The Khyber, JC Dobbs, The Grape St Pub, to name a few. Jim has been a director of the Dewey Beach Music Conference (DBMC) for the past eleven years. He currently sits on the board for the Philadelphia Grammy Chapter. He is also a co-founder, along with Vince, of the upcoming Liberty Music Fest running at Dobbs August 16-19.

Vince Volz has parlayed his former booking duties as a member of local band Phoenix Rise into his own company, Double V Bookings. The company was founded in 2005. He started booking at Doc Watson’s Pub in 2007. He was able to bring WMMR’s Local Shots to Doc Watson’s in January 2009. This worked out to be a very successful stretch for the Local Shot Series. Weekly shows every Tuesday regularly drew 70-100 people. It was a great way for four or five local bands to get in front of Jaxon, of WMMR, once a week. Bands worked these gigs, trying to make an impression. This has yet to be recaptured at Local Shots new home. It’s hard to blame the venue. Bands more recently had assumed these spots as free promotion instead of an opportunity to hustle and impress. Local Shots has evolved into a mini monthly showcase, where one band receives the station’s attention for a month. Still this new incarnation of Local Shots along with WMMR, willingly came along with Vince when Dobbs was relaunched in January 2011.

The execution of a showcase is not something new to DVT Events. In the past, Jim has showcased local bands Halestorm and Silvertide. Both showcases were very successful in their goals, getting local bands in front of record labels and industry people, and getting these bands signed. This again is the case with Soraia. Immediately after the showcase they were greeted offstage by Jon Bon Jovi, who was able to remain as inconspicuous as possible thanks to the staff at Dobbs. This overflowed to the second floor where a private area was set-up for the band and all interested parties. Bon Jovi’s faithful fans got hold of the Ustream video the next day, and Soraia was blowing up in the ‘twitterverse’. The industry rumblings are that a label supported album and tour will be forthcoming for Soraia sometime this Fall. It looks like this night will pay dividends in the future for Soraia, DVT Events, and The Legendary Dobbs.

by John Dempsey