The Reverberation Appreciation Society is proud to announce a brand new album series titled ‘Live at LEVITATION.’ The album series was recorded throughout the history of the popular event and captures “key moments in psychedelic rock history, and live music in Austin.” The artists that are showcased in this series have been chosen from over a decade of recordings.

The first LP in the series features Japanese psych-rock outfit, Kikagaku Moyo. This record features one of the band’s very first U.S. shows in 2014 on the A-side, and on the B-side, is their return in 2019 on a sold-out, U.S. tour.

“Playing Austin Psych Fest / Levitation was always a goal from our earliest days of the band – to join the psychedelic community for a weekend of music and present our live performance. This show in 2014 was a landmark for us. To return years later in 2019 and find the same welcome, the dream was still very much alive and well.” –Kikagaku Moyo

Kikagaku Moyo hasn’t been around that long, only since 2012, and since then has come a long way. Kikagaku Moyo is a group of five, tight-knit friends who became close over their passion to “play freely and explore psychedelic music.” The quartet’s “progressive, folk-inspired” sound sets them apart from other bands in this genre, and because of this, they were able to help revive Japan’s psych-rock scene.

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Levitation Website

photo by Dailey Toliver

Capturing love in song is one of the more elemental things about the continuum of music through the ages. It can be divine or personal but all forms of the love song offer something relatable. It helps the songwriter connect to their audience through the ups and downs and plateaus that are so becoming of all romantic partnerships. For Austin transplant Molly Burch, her debut is a window into the past few years of heartbreak and rekindling.

Taking elements of vintage pop and soul, the album in question, Please Be Mine also marks Burch’s first opportunity to take her wistful love songs on tour, supporting Tim Darcy and Sallie Ford on two separate legs in March and April respectively. Before making her debut tonight at Boot and Saddle (and visiting our city again on April 13th at Johnny Brenda’s), I had the chance to speak to Burch about her debut, what inspired it, as well as how her own songwriting has offered closure and renewal.

“When I wrote the album and recorded it I wasn’t signed yet,” she says on eventually getting signed to her label Captured Tracks. “But I started writing it in 2013 when I moved to Austin. I had just moved from North Carolina and moved by myself on a whim. That’s when I started writing the album and then we recorded about a year ago. We just sent [Captured Tracks] a cold demo submission and they signed me and wanted to put out the record basically as is.

“I had just sent it to friends and anyone who I felt who would give me good advice on the album,” Burch continues. “I had planned on sending it to labels and I didn’t know too much about that process.”

Thanks to her friend Jared, a member of the Austin-based psych-rock quartet the Zoltars, that process was simplified, giving her the advice to send the demo out to Captured Tracks. “They got back to me in a day,” she says. “It was very early on and I didn’t really send it to too many places. It was very fast.”

With two separate tours booked so far in 2017, things are on track to move even faster. Owing to that pace is Burch’s own tenacity and resilience. “I’ve always been a singer, songwriting came later,” she explains. “So for this whole record, I mean…I’m always learning and growing and of course everyone is, but there wasn’t much experimenting probably since I moved here. I write for my voice.”

That voice gifts her debut with an undeniable authenticity. She writes and sings from experience, developing the vocals that feel both natural and nuanced. “When I was younger my voice sort of leaned towards more pop music,” she says, recalling how she found her voice in the most literal sense. “I listened to a lot of Christina Aguilera and I grew up with American Idol. I feel I was too much like that. Then when I was in college I was studying jazz and it was almost like too much in that spectrum so I feel like I’ve sort of fused the two in a way where I feel like it has both of those elements. A jazz sound but with a pop mentality.”

This mentality trickles down into the doo-wop textures of Please Be Mine, some of the improvisational nature of which is utilized in her track “Please Forgive Me.” “It was one of the first songs I wrote for the album,” she says. “I think it was the second song. I wrote it on a ukulele, it was a very simple progression. I definitely wanted it to have a sort-of doo-wop vibe. That’s one’s about having such a young love and finding somebody else but then realizing you made a mistake and wanting that person back.”

Love and want are central to Burch’s recent songwriting. Healing heartbreak through her own music has inlaid a sweet if maudlin vibe that digs deep into relatable aspects of any long-term relationship. “The act of singing has always been a very therapeutic thing for me,” she explains, on writing to heal. “It just always makes me feel better. Specifically referring to the album, I went through a breakup right before I moved here. It was my first real time writing songs basically. I was dealing with breaking up and I wrote a lot of the songs like the title track when I moved here. That felt very cathartic.”

But the singer rejects the identity of her debut as a “breakup album.” After all such labels are reductive. “Since moving here, the guy I broke up with, we got back together,” she says referencing her bandmate Dailey Toliver. “A lot of the songs are inspired by reuniting with him. I feel like that in itself is very therapeutic for both of us in a way and learning how to work together.”

I, of course, couldn’t help but admit the inherent awkwardness that might arise from being partly the subject of an album while at the same time playing together on tour. “There’s never awkwardness,” she admits with a laugh. “He’s extremely supportive. We didn’t play with each other when we lived in Asheville. I feel like that was something we had to work up to.”

Molly Burch will open for Tim Darcy at the Boot and Saddle tonight, in addition to opening for Sallie Ford at Johnny Brenda’s on April 13th. Check out the video for her single “Downhearted” below.

They’ll only be in the city at Boot & Saddle for one night on September 10th, but in that time frame The Young will perform and promote this week’s release, Chrome Cactus.

Frontman Hans Zimmerman says he is always thinking of new content to produce, and had the name for the current album almost immediately after the band came out with their previous album, Dub Egg.  “That popped into my head and I really attached to it from the beginning, and I thought, ‘This will be the next record.'”

Compared to the bands last album, Chrome Cactus takes of a different time win “heavier” issues like dealing with death and loss. Zimmerman says Dub Egg had such issues buried in the lyrics, but is more “poppy and positive”, while Chrome Cactus is “more direct” lyrically.

The Young also recently replaced their bass guitarists, but the change wasn’t too drastic as he was already a friend of the band.  Zimmerman says Lucas Wedow actually went on tour with The Young in 2010 and filled in for a few shows that their bassist at the time could not attend.

“Bass player aside, the core band has been playing together since 2007,” Zimmerman says.

They started playing as a “shitty punk band” in their hometown Austin, Texas under the name Women in Prison, and over the years have evolved into The Young.

“We love Philly and we’re excited to [come] back and have a good time,” Zimmerman says.

Photo courtesy of Slumberland Records

Indie-pop homeboys, Literature, released their second LP today, entitled Chorus.  The band sat own with That Mag to shed some light on Philly’s music community, their creative process, roots in punk and pure-hearted dedication to the DIY culture.

Transplants of the lauded Austin, TX music scene, Literature made their way up to Philadelphia shortly after the band formed in 2011. “Austin is a great place for music,” says crooner and guitarist, Nathaniel Cardaci, “but at times you can really feel like you’re on an island.”

Given Philly’s proximity to other major East Coast cultural hubs — such as New York, DC and Boston — Cardaci added that, aside from a much-needed change in scenery, the move was an easy choice. And it’s proven ultimately rewarding.

Arriving in Philly, the founding members of Literature — Cardaci, guitarist Kevin Attics, and bassist Seth Whaland — met drummer Chris Schakerman and started playing all over the city. Interspersed with national tours, they’d play basements in West Philly, venues in Fishtown and nearly everywhere in between.

“It definitely feels like a community has coalesced in the past few years. A family of bands and artists…are calling Philly home, engaging in a musical dialogue. As a minted indie-pop kid, you can be routinely inspired,” says Attics.

Since the upward migration, Literature has signed to the highly regaled Oakland, California indie-pop label, Slumberland Records. Surrounded by such influential acts as The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Crystal Stilts, Frankie Rose and the Outs, and Joanna Gruesome, Literature has solidified themselves as an undeniable ‘band to watch’. And with the release of Chorus, they’ve truly staked their claim.

Jangling, burning and infectious, the record drives all the way through to the bone with the raw intensity of a neo-punk album, while it retains the lush bounce and colorful accessibility of an indie-pop effort.

“With Chorus, we wanted to leave our comfort zone and really make an ‘East Coast’ record,” says Attics. “Gary [Olson, producer of Chorus] immediately picked up on it and we worked with him from October to March, finessing our sound and experimenting…expanding our musical palette.”

And that they did. A slight departure from 2012’s Arab Spring, the new album stays true to Literature’s controlled-frenetic aesthetic, but boasts a more mature direction accompanied by a crisper sound (musically and audibly), and some welcomed breathing space within songs. The result is cathartic, and the comparison is inevitable — just try listening to tunes like “New Jacket”, “The English Softhearts” and “Court/Date” without thinking of mid-80s Manchester bands, namely The Smiths. Just try.

But also try listening without being completely taken. Part of what makes Chorus such an inescapable record is the sense of community and genuine sense of truth that pervades through each and every song, through the record as a whole. It’s obvious they’re making this music because it’s part of them. And it needs to come out. Because it’s begging to be made, not for the sake of being part of the indie chic.

Cardaci sums it up quite nicely in a sentiment that will sound familiar to any honest musician: “We write what we write based solely on what moves us, and what we emotionally connect with and — a lot of the time — just what comes out.”

From the album art and liner notes to the recording process, musical approach and promotion, the new record is steeped in collaboration. Attics calls it the essence of DIY. He says, “[it’s] a community of people all working together to create something and distribute it. Removing any individual who helped out along the way would result in a different record or no record at all and we are so grateful to everyone who worked so hard on this with us.”

That mentality has been with Literature since the very beginning since Whaland and Cardaci operated a house venue in Austin, and ran their own respective imprint labels. Cardaci says it’s been a great help as the band has continued to grow: “Whether we were trading/setting up shows or putting out records — we learned a lot of what it takes to get a song from something you’re playing in your bedroom to something that someone is putting on their turntable.”

Chorus successfully retains that homegrown sincerity and uses it wisely, without sacrificing Literature’s characteristic edge. Led by a sharp, effortless, guitar-driven groove (that somehow never becomes monotonous), it’s impossible to mention the album without mentioning it’s punk influence.

After all, the two go hand-in-hand: the creation of punk back in the day is synonymous with the creation of DIY music making. You know the history, the old drug-infused, fuzz-addled tropes. It’s an institution. Creating art in your bedroom or your garage, then playing it live with the bare necessities (a cracked amp and half-taught band) for anyone who’d lend an ear. Or, usually, no one at all. And doing it fast, in explosive bursts of blistering power chords and unkempt Doc Marten stomps.

Of course, the genre has morphed since those early days and snaked its way into pop, rock, indie and far beyond, but the distinct punk foundation, impulse and mentality remains ever-present. “We have always liked the raw energy and true-to-life presentation of ‘punk’ music. It also just so happens to be the way we like to play,” says Cardaci.

It’s visceral, naked and gritty, but most of all, punk is pure. And on Chorus, Literature has harnessed that ferocity with a deft, pure-pop hand.

Mutual Benefit played South Philly’s Boot & Saddle on Thursday night as part of the last leg of a tour for their first full-length album. Boot & Saddle’s concert space provided a suitably intimate setting for the band’s folk-influenced sound. Their debut album, Love’s Crushing Diamond, dropped in early October, receiving universally positive reviews and earning the band considerable attention. The 150-person venue space was packed Thursday night as recent converts mingled with apparently long-time fans to take in the warm and enveloping sounds. Founded in Austin as the brainchild of singer/songwriter Jordan Lee, Mutual Benefit has been garnering a solid following since releasing a first EP, Figure in Black in 2009. Since then, with a fluid lineup centered around Lee, the project has produced four EPs and a split single with Brooklyn pop act Holy Spirits before Lee began working on Love’s Crushing Diamond.

The show opened with local rock act The Interest Group. Headed up by vocalist Marissa Lesnick and lead guitarist Yohsuke Araki, The Interest Group was able to grasp and retain the full attention of the audience. The currents of garage rock, post-rock, folk, and pop running through their high-energy performance set the tone for the rest of the night, with soulful vocals and effects-heavy guitar solos making a lasting impression on an erstwhile indifferent crowd.

Directly preceding Mutual Benefit was Lewis and Clarke, venerable Pennsylvania musician and songwriter Lou Rogai’s longtime project. Rogai delivered his deeply personal lyrics in a voice that may evoke thoughts of Tom Waits or The National’s Matt Berninger. Though deftly engaging the entire crowd, Rogai’s gaze seemed fixed for most of the performance as though he were singing to the person for whom he wrote each song. It was like looking at the Mona Lisa; he was looking at everyone, but it felt like his accusing eyes and often devastating lyrics were aimed straight at you.

While the close quarters facilitated a fluid transfusion of energy between crowd and performers, the small space – and lack of a backstage – also created some logistical difficulties setting up and breaking down the stage for each performance. From the beginning, the show was running slightly behind schedule. Lewis and Clarke’s set was cut short by one song and the audience could hear the sound man reminding each act of approaching time limits. Each band had a full load of instruments and effects equipment, and had to wade through the crowd to move guitars, keyboards, synths, and an upright bass back and forth between the stage and the side wall against which they were stored. Several times, Lewis and Clarke frontman Lou Rogai announced that he and his band were playing the entire set at triple speed. Having subsequently listened to the studio versions, I still can’t tell if he was joking.

Between songs, Mutual Benefit’s frontman Jordan Lee exhibited some signature shy-boy charm, further winning over the already riveted audience. He gave props to Lewis and Clarke immediately upon taking the stage. “It sucks when there’s a band and they kinda sound like you, but they’re doing it better,” joked Lee in a disarmingly gentle voice. “And then you have to get up and follow them.”

An inebriated gentleman toward the back of the crowd shouted several requests and a good amount of encouragement at Mutual Benefit. Lee joked that it’d been a while since they’d had a heckler, but expressed gratitude that they usually received “positive” heckling.

Jordan Lee mentioned sharing several dates and locations with dance-pop band Darkside on the tour. Fans in other locations had apparently forgone seeing Mutual Benefit in favor of Darkside, and Lee even mentioned times when Darkside played the floor above them in the same venue. “Darkside’s dance music so you could hear the bass and people’s feet above you.” Citing these reasons, band members pointed out that bassist Marc Merza was wearing a Darkside t-shirt. The same drunk fan shouted out that Darkside was in fact giving away tickets and Lee appeared to take solace in that prospect, laughing that at least everyone there cared enough to pay. “Fuck Darkside,” he joked, eliciting laughter from an audience caught off guard by the sound of the “eff word” in Jordan Lee’s delicate voice.

In addition to the folk aesthetic common to all, the three acts seemed to complement one another’s vaguely psychedelic vibes. Each performance featured at least one crescendo, all with a distinct eerie quality reminiscent of more lo-fi and guitar-oriented psych rock acts like Kurt Vile or The War on Drugs.

The highlight of the night was when Mutual Benefit played “Strong Swimmer”, the leading single off of Love’s Crushing Diamond.

Plus, there was a dude in a blonde wig dressed as Steven Tyler circa 1976 doing the exact same swaying motion the whole show through. That was entertainment enough even without the music.

You can bet that when a band lists their hometown as Austin, Texas that two things will happen: at least one band member will show up wearing cowboy boots and the music will be not only be good, it will be a fun, memorable experience.

Loves It began three years ago in Austin, Texas. The brainchild of songwriters Jenny Parrott and Vaughn Walters, the two met “at a club that a lot of Austin musicians cut their teeth at called The Hole In The Wall.”

Parrott recalls meeting Walters after a show her former band, Shotgun Party, played- “we started writing songs and touring Europe for two months during which I was also learning to play the fiddle. I’ve been interested in learning how to play since college, but I finally got stubborn and passionate about it and started practicing.”

Since their inception, Loves It has played over 400 shows, including a memorable concert in Santa Rosa, California at the Arlene Francis Center for Spirit, Art and Politics, “It had a great sound system,” says Parrott, “we played with a band called Manzanita Falls. It’s nice to go back to the west coast and see so many familiar faces.”

In Huntsville, Alabama they played a show called Concerts on the Dock, a free outdoor concert in which hundreds of people showed up to see Loves It perform on a loading dock at a historic textile mill. I ask Parrott how the audience reacts when they play new venues and she jokes, “most people are humbly offended and they leave.”

I’ve personally attended several Shotgun Party concerts, most of these were house concerts, and I’m looking forward to my first Loves It concert this December at DC musician Maureen Andary’s home. Andary introduced me to Parrott several years ago and says of her, “Jenny Parrott brings true joie de vivre, humor and light to every song she performs. Her collaboration with partner Vaughn Walters to form Loves It is a true delight!”

Parrott says that house parties “are good places to play because people listen.” She adds, “if anyone in the Philly area would like to host a Loves It house concert, please let us know!”

Parrott has loved singing since she was young. “My dad took me to a musical when I was four or five and I said I wanna do that! I listened to a lot of Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson and Sheryl Crow. I’d play their tapes over and over, just kicking a soccer ball and singing Mariah Carey.”

The band’s name was Parrott’s idea, inspired by many nights of watching Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie’s show The Simple Life. “It’s a fun, positive thing to say. I always made up words and phrases when I was a kid and love is the most powerful thing, so there you are.”

Loves It released their sophomore album All We Are on October 29th, followed the next day with an album release show at The White Horse in Austin, Texas (‘the only east side honky tonk featuring live music seven days a week’). Speaking about the record, Parrott says, “it all came together at once. We didn’t have much money to make it, but we had enough to record the bass and drums, plus Vaughn knows how to do home recording. We had two days and our engineer said you can do this! We’ve never had that much access to time in a studio before but the Kickstarter campaign we started really helped to grant us that access.”

Loves It next filmed a music video for their single “Wild”, a fun romp with dancing, bicycles, roller skates and pet dog Boxie (“she’s like…..whatever”, says Parrott.) Filming took place in Walter’s hometown of Macomber and Thomas, West Virginia, featuring local friends, as well as his sister dancing up a storm. They were also able to use some monster trucks in the video that belonged to Walter’s neighbors who build and race them. “I was so jump up and down excited about it,” says Parrott, “we got a director and it’s happening on Sunday, now go!”

I ask Parrott what Loves It is looking forward to in the coming year and she answers, “well, good music and fun shows. We have 150 dates booked for next year and we also want to go back to Turkey. We’ve been invited to record at a studio in Mongolia and we’d like to perform in Japan and the U.K. So far, we’ve played in 48 states, missing only Alaska and Hawaii.”

Loves It is having a grand ‘ol time living life on the road and making people happy one song at a time, and that, as Paris Hilton would say, is hot.

All We Are

Reviewed by: Jane Roser

I was pretty darn excited to review Loves It’s sophomore album, being a huge fan of singer/guitarist/fiddler Jenny Parrott’s former band Shotgun Party, and I am pleased to say that I’ll We Are will, in the immortal words of Phil Robertson, make you “happy, happy, happy”.

Founded in Austin, Texas in 2010, Loves It is comprised of songwriters Vaughn Walters and Jenny Parrott who switch between guitars, fiddle and banjo to create a hell-raising, foot-stomping kitchen party good time and then take it down a few notches with some glorious, melancholy ballads.

The first and last songs on this album, both sung a cappella, act almost as bookends to the stories in between. While “Katydid” is an adorable song about courtship and yes, insects, “Appalachian Ballad” is a heartbreaking story of a couple who spend their entire lives together, separated only, in the end, by death. When I first looked at the liner notes to see who wrote the latter, I expected it to be an old-time traditional song, but was pleasantly surprised to discover that it was written by Walters and Parrott.

“Wild” is the album’s first single and is a fun, care-free jaunt that really showcases Parrott’s unique style of singing. “Choose” is a beautiful, heartfelt song that I played on repeat because there was just something about it’s simplicity and sincerity that reminded me of Patsy Cline. “Scab” is a fiddle-driven tune filled with fiery passion that I absolutely loved and can’t wait to hear live (hint, hint).

Loves It managed to accomplish the one thing that rarely happens to me: keep a sung stuck in my head for days. The last time that happened it was “The Cup Song” from Pitch Perfect. Now it’s “Katydid”: “He said Katydid, she said Katydid not. It might sound like they’re quarrelin’, but I know they’re not. Six weeks til frost, the old timers say. I know they’re courtnin’ the Katydid way.” And by the way, that song was written by Walters’ grandad who used to sing it around the house all the time. Just when you had begun to think that they don’t write them like they used to, Loves It comes along and proves that they sure as heck do.

Rating: Bad-Ass

North Star, a corner bar in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia cannot be judged from its outside appearance. The little corner bar is actually quite large on the inside; large enough to fit three unique bands with very different sounds on Friday Nov. 18. Goodbye Toby, Liz & the Lost Boys, and Wild Child put on a good show for everyone.

Everyone had a chance to eat and get some drinks before heading into the stage section for the sounds of Goodbye Toby. At one of their favorite venues to perform, childhood friends Jason Oller & Alex Markovitz sounded great together on North Star’s stage which provided good lighting and sound quality. The audience could tell that they were friends who just enjoyed playing music and wanted to share it with us. Their song “LA” quickly became one of my favorites and it’s available on their new album. Make sure to check them out online for details about upcoming shows and new releases including their new EP, In The Morrow .

The next band on stage was an experience. Liz & the Lost Boys, a Philadelphia folk rock band, had many mesmerized with Liz Ciavolino’s  harp playing. Everyone couldn’t help but turn around and pay attention. As someone who had never seen a band led with a harp, I was intrigued. Ciavolino’s singing sounded like a blend of spoken word with jazz or blues rhythms. I don’t think their sound can be described. All I know is that their music is quite soothing and pleasant. I’m listening to their song escape, online, as I am becoming even more fascinated. Check out some more of their music of their current album, Liz & The Lost Boys.

Wild Child, all the way from Austin, Texas was next on stage. The folk band lead by vocalist and song writers Kelsey Wilson and Alexander Beggins, are making a name for themselves in their hometown and nationally as many of their Philly fans came out to support them on their first night playing in our city. Soulful is the word I would use to describe Wilson’s voice. It sounded seamless paired with Carey McGraw on the drums, cellist Sadie Wolfe,  Evan Magers on the keyboard, and multi-talented Matthew Mares. Wilson grooved with closed eyes and a sway as she melted into the music. The array of instruments from the great base and harmony from the cello to Wilson on the violin and everything in between made the venue feel larger than life as the sounds engulfed the room and bounced off the brick walls of the stage.

They just finished playing in New York the previous day before coming to Philadelphia. They joked about how Philly is better and how they were glad to have the opportunity to play for us. Of course, the crowd cheered as almost everyone agreed and they continued on to play. People continued to head even closer to the stage, beginning to dance along and bob their heads. Even more came out from the dining room to watch as a noticeable wave of people piled into see the show.

Their first album, Pillow Talk, has been doing great as it continues to climb the charts. They just finished their second album, The Runaround, which was released earlier this month. Their single “Rillo Talk” is amazing! So soulful. For new listeners, I recommend listening to some tracks off their first album, singles from The Runaround, and getting to know the band by checking out their website. And of course, order their new album.

I had the chance to speak to Wilson after their set to congratulate her on a good show and to ask her a few questions about what inspires her music and how their city brings out inspiration as well. “We know a lot of bands in Austin and that makes us work harder and keeps us on our toes. Our inspiration is everywhere,” she said. Their music is personal and they draw from their experiences to write and perform with enthusiasm. No doubt, this shows the audience how much love they put into every song.

Wilson has a lot of future plans for Wild Child. “We want to continue to tour and we plan on going to Canada, too. But we definitely want to reach more fans by going to larger venues and more places nationally and possible internationally as well,” she said. Wild Child has a lot in store for them as I see them continuing to have great success.

The crowd loved all the bands. Many people left knowing about a new band they never heard before. Goodbye Toby and Liz & The Lost Boys have my attention and I will continue to check out their new songs and releases. For more information about each band make sure to like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

What happens when XPN introduces Philadelphia to an extremely talented band and then welcomes them to the city to perform at Milkboy?  A sold out show.

On February 2, Kopecky Family Band played to an eager audience of “so many people, yet so little places to put them,” as lead singer Gabe Simon exclaimed upon stepping out onto stage.  The crowd was energetic and excited when Kopecky Family Band finally hit the stage, successfully warmed up by opening acts The Fleeting Ends and The Eastern Sea.

Unfortunately, Kelsey Kopecky had lost her voice before the sold out show due to a case of laryngitis – leaving most of the vocals to fellow lead singer, Gabe.  Around me, I could hear devoted fans shouting above the music to their friends, “you need to buy the album and listen to it, Kelsey is amazing!  Such a shame you can’t hear her sing tonight!”  Indeed, it was a shame.  However, what could have been a disaster was still a success with Gabe covering most of the vocals.  And on the bright side, those of us who love to sing along to our favorite songs now had a reason to, as Gabe encouraged the crowd to help sing Kelsey’s muted lines.

Kopecky Family Band originates from Nashville, Tennessee.  As their website explains, the band members are “connected not by blood or by heritage, but by circumstance”.  Their family dynamic is obvious when you watch their chemistry onstage.  Their versatility in instrumental skills was impressive, such as when lead singer Gabe swapped his guitar for a trombone and Kelsey switched up her keyboard with a bass.  Their energy on stage transferred to the audience, and the crowd was dancing and singing along.

Before Kopecky Family Band hit the stage, local Philadelphia band The Fleeting Ends began the night, playing music off of their recently released album Our Eyes Are Peeled.  Their music is upbeat and catchy, and quickly had those who had never previous listened to them tapping their feet and dancing along.

Next up was Austin, Texas band The Eastern Sea.  Their music was beautiful, and lead singer Matt Hines took my breath away with the first note he sang.  Apparently I wasn’t the only one affected, as the crowd instantly settled down, listening intently and in awe.

Although the night did not showcase Kopecky Family Band’s finest performance, the way they had pulled through and worked together brought forth a greater appreciation for the band.  Despite it all, the crowd was enthusiastic and everyone enjoyed the performance.