This summer, Philadelphia’s premier public radio station, WXPN, challenged local musicians to write a song in 24 hours. While Khalil Amaru was named the grand prize winner, earning himself a spot on stage at this year’s XPoNential Music Festival, three other artists were named finalists out of the several hundred submissions.

Those artists are Yuneer Gainz, Mackenzie Johnson, and Best Bear, all of whom performed short but sweet sets Thursday night at World Cafe Live for WXPN’s Homegrown Live! show.

The free gig took place in WCL’s upstairs venue, The Lounge, and for a Thursday night show, the crowd was sizeable.

The fun kicked off with Yuneer Gainz, who was joined on stage by guitarist Sam Mandell and Andrew Miller on Keys. Offstage was Tyrell “Ace” Clark, working beats and vocal effect detail.

First was a heavy-hitting track featuring thumping bass and deep peels of a church bell. Yuneer Gainz showed off his skills both in rapping and singing in his first song. The chorus was overlaid with backing vocals, but Gainz’s shined when it was just him on the mic.

Best Bear

That became even more evident throughout his set, which featured his 24-hour song, “Grown Man Tears.” The track’s production is minimal, with just guitar and keys, no drums. He told the audience he recorded the song in just one take, a truly impressive feat.

Gainz later in the set performed his latest release, “Flight,” a song he dedicated to a late friend. This song was a more traditional hip-hop track in which Gainz showed off his ability to spit lyrics quickly.

He went on to play an unreleased track titled “Back Home in Bethlehem,” a song he wrote about visiting his brother in rural Pennsylvania. When Mandell began to play the song’s chords, Gainz was surprised at the key, noting it was different from what was laid down on the record. But Gainz found the key and nailed the vocal performance, and Mandell laid down a slick solo, continuing the motif of peppering crafty guitar licks, riffs, and solos throughout the set.

The last song was another new track and featured a lyric about the galaxy, which was fitting as Mandell and Miller’s guitar and keys were drenched in dreamy effects, complementing the lyrical content.

And it should be mentioned that Gainz told me after his set that Thursday was his first time performing live.

Up next was Johnson.

From the jump, her vocal control was on full display, and I immediately thought she could easily fit on a bill with acts like Phoebe Bridgers, Muna, or Taylor Swift.

Johnson was alone on stage with her guitar. She told the crowd her first open mic experience was at World Cafe Live, which made her set feel serendipitous.

Johnson’s song “The Sisterhood” highlighted her penchant for all things “witchy.” Leading with an eerily finger-picked minor chord riff, the song included word suggestions offered to her by fans, and Johnson put them to good use, evoking supernatural and dark vibes. We were all welcomed into her coven.

Then came a cover, featuring Blue Barnett of Best Bear. They gave the crowd a beautiful rendition of “Dreams” by The Cranberries. The two best friends delivered wildly good vocal harmonies on the classic 90s hit.

Johnson moved on to “Straight to Hell,” which she said will be her next single to release. She taught the audience a singalong section of the track’s chorus, and during the song, the audience participation aspect didn’t quite hit as hard as she surely would have liked. However, the song’s lyrics are relatable to many people: being with someone who just isn’t right for you but still pursuing that relationship. “Straight to Hell” made me think of Taylor Swift a bit, as the pop superstar often waxes poetic about her love life, and the song’s structure felt comforting like a good T-Swift song.

She closed out with “Sunburn,” her contest-winning song. While the song was written in summer, it was about the end of summer. More appropriately, it was about losing summer. “Sunburn” is a breakup song. Johnson performed the song live for the first time Thursday, and given its 24-hour turnaround, she showed true artistry in the composition and performance.

Best Bear finished the show.

The four-piece indie rockers started their set with “Apathy.” The song starts slow, with only Barnett on guitar and vocals. It builds up and includes some tasteful lead guitar work from Gwen McFadden.

Drummer Charles D’Ardenne and McFadden joined Barnett vocally on a few tracks, providing backup singing to make the band sound even more rounded out.

Best Bear’s contest-winning track was “Fireworks,” and it was recorded solo by Barnett. But Thursday, the band played a fully expanded version. The song reminded me of another band; maybe it was Soccer Mommy’s “Circle the Drain?” Either way, it was a great song that had a catchy riff and had the crowd’s heads bobbing along with the brainworm-y vocal lines.

Johnson then joined the band for a song Best Bear dropped that very day, “The Fall.” The song is reminiscent of unavoidable 90s alt-rock that many of us millennials grew up with.

Best Bear then came in with the track “Eleventh Grade.” Barnett’s lyrics tell the story about their coming out and serve as an anthem for anyone in the LGBTQIA+ community. The band seemed to put their hearts in this particular song, given its message of “do whatever’s going to make you happy.” And McFadden again delivered lead guitar work that shined, but not so bright to outdo the rest of the band.

They went on to play “When,” the title track from their 2022 album. I hadn’t looked around the venue in a bit, and I was disappointed to see many people left by this point. I get it was a school night and a free show, but Best Bear was killing it on stage.

I couldn’t tell you what the closing song was, but it was more rock than indie. The band kicked it into overdrive to bring an end to the night that celebrated local artists so well. It was fast and had a driving force thanks to bassists Storm Paul and D’Ardenne holding down the rhythm section.

Yuneer Gainz

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Mackenzie Johnson

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Best Bear

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Written by Angel Park

Milkboy Philadelphia is a live music venue, bar, and restaurant located amongst the hustle and bustle on Chestnut Street in Center City. The venue was opened in 2011 by co-owners Tommy Joyner and Jamie Lokoff and has since been the host to some locally and nationally recognized musicians.

Tommy has been involved in the music industry for over 20 years wearing many hats, including roles as a music producer, sound engineer, and even as a singer/guitarist in Pep Rally, his band. We had the chance to chat with him about the origins of Milkboy, its role in the Philadelphia music community, and precisely what Pep Rally’s latest single, “Turn the Radio Up” really means.

For Joyner, the concept of Milkboy began when he was barely a teenager, inspired by his early love of recording music. 

“The idea for Milkboy started as a recording studio,” He explains. “I’ve been interested in recording since I was 14 and started experimenting with track recorders around the same age. A few years later, I started recording my band and made tapes for us. And then other bands asked me to make tapes for them. I and some of the guys in my band ran it as a recording studio for years before we got into the venue side of things.”

Milkboy had a recording studio in Ardmore where various acts would come through the doors to record. The concept of utilizing its space as more than just a recording studio reared its head in 2006 after some talks with his business partner and co-founder, Jamie Lokoff.  

“In 2006, Jamie and I decided to open up a little coffee shop associated with Milkboy Recording (down the street), so we could start getting into the venue side of the business,” Joyner recalls. “We also learned we wanted to provide a stage for bands, widen our footprint in Philadelphia’s music scene, learn more about it, and meet more people. With what we do with recording, it was all about the studio and giving us better access to more musicians.”

Milkboy Studios added Milkboy Coffee until 2011 when Joyner and Lokoff decided to move it to Philly and convert it to a two-floor bar area with stage space, and it’s been that way ever since.

When it comes to getting talent through Milkboy’s doors, Joyner is no stranger to the process.

“We have relationships with different agents and bands locally and across the country,” Joyner explains. “We’ll have an agent reach out to us and say, ‘hey, we think you should book this band because they’re gonna be big in six months, etc.’ And from there, we decide if we can book the band within two months before the album comes out or after it comes out. We work out a deal that’s best for both parties.” 

But the real key to booking great shows -according to Joyner, it’s about your network. 

“When it comes to finding new talent, It’s all about relationships, loving music, liking people and the different music pathways out there,” Joyner says.

 “Philadelphia music is a broad category,” Joyner quips, “There’s not just one genre dominating the city. For example, Philadelphia has a large gospel scene, hip-hop, R&B, and urban scene. But it also has this niche folk and indie rock scene, which you hear a lot of on, on stations like WXPN, which has been very influential in cultivating all of that.”

 In addition to the variety of music available in Philadelphia, Joyner also credits the community for being incredibly welcoming. 

“I think that we’re in many ways, we’re blessed because there’s a lot of quality artists in Philly,” Joyner explains, “And we don’t judge each other in Philadelphia by the color of our skin or the church that we worship or any of that stuff, we really judge each other by the contents of our record collection. Generally, there’s something for every genre fan here, and people find their groups in Philadelphia.” 

When he’s not busy booking shows to running Milkboy’s recording studio, Joyner writes music along with his bandmates in the group Pep Rally. 

“Pep Rally was a musical project that was a long time coming and has been with me for ages,” He states, “I’ve worked with so many other people on their records and never got around to finishing my own stuff.” 

As far as the inspiration behind the name itself? It’s all about feeling.

Tommy explains, “The name Pep Rally is really more a way to describe a feeling. What we’re trying to do with the band is have it feel like a fun time, which is good to listen to. Pep Rally’s music is really about fun and happiness and love.” 

On the subject of the band’s single “Turn the Radio Up,” Tommy said, “The song’s inspiration is from an idea about what would happen if everything was possible. Like what would life be like if you could do anything? It’s about the feeling of freedom. What if you could just grab the wheel and live life till you’re gone without all these kinds of day-to-day worries and concerns that we all have and without worrying about other people and what they think of you? I think you’d turn the radio up and drive around the world.”

 In addition to the studio and Chestnut Street’s venue, there is Milkboy South Street, where they host Open Mic every Monday night. During the summer, you can also go to The Oval XP on the parkway and check out the Milkboy Beer Garden.  

As for what’s next for Milkboy and Pep Rally? “We’re building out our show calendar for the upcoming fall and winter for Milkboy, so there’s a ton going on with that. And There’s more Pep Rally music coming out for sure! We released a second single, “South Street,” and are releasing a Remix for “Turn the Radio Up” by Klubjumpers in a couple of weeks, following our full-length album. We’re hoping to have it all completed by October.”

Milkboy Philadephia

Pep Rally on Spotify

Milkboy the Studio

Milkboy South Street

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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.

Since opening its doors in 2004, Philadelphia’s World Cafe Live has become a staple in Philadelphia’s music scene 2004. The intimate venue is known for its incredible acoustics and diverse lineup of shows with an emphasis on supporting the city’s local artists and musicians.

Tori Powers is the Director of Communications at World Cafe Live and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of communication for the organization, including press relations, marketing, and social media. In her role, she works to ensure that World Cafe Live remains at the forefront of the music world. Our staff at ThatMag had the chance to sit down with Mrs. Powers at the venue to learn more about the Cafe’s history, its impact on Philadelphia’s local music community, and what the future holds for this acclaimed venue.

The initial vision for World Cafe Live, according to Powers, can be credited back to the venue’s founder and president, Hal Real, who first opened the venue back in the early 2000s after years of careful planning and development.

“The space was opened to sort of a combined multi-use building between WXPN the radio station and World Cafe Live. But we share the building and we do a lot of stuff together,” Powers explained. 

The ultimate goal of World Cafe Live, according to Powers, was to curate a space that was open to everyone and able to showcase different kinds of music that may not have been coming to Philly at the time. 

Tori stated, “The vision back then was sort of just to create a space that was like a space for the community really where we could have concerts, events, food, and drink and sort of having like an elevated concert experience that you might not get at other venues.”

This approach, along with their commitment to being an independent venue, was part of what helped contribute to their success in the Philadelphia Music Community.

“We’re an independent venue. and this just allows us to do things a little bit differently than some venues that might be corporately owned. We can curate our programming and try stuff out. We have artists at all stages of their careers, so there’s no limit to what we can do here. And another big piece kind of sets us apart from many of the other venues and has contributed to our staying power here is that we’re also a nonprofit.”

Before the pandemic, World Cafe live finalized a merger with their nonprofit partner in residence titled “Live Connections,” which opened more doors for the venue to contribute back to the community through music education programs.

“At that time, our education series was born outta the recession and when a lot of funding for music action was cut from schools.” Powers said, “So the idea there was to supplement the music and arts education that was lacking in Philly public schools and give kids opportunities that they might not be getting in school for creativity and self-expression and learning about music and arts. We’re able to bring them into a professional venue setting, get them out of the schools, bring them here and give them new experiences and let them come and experience a concert venue that they may never have been to before.”

Adding to this education series for this summer is World Cafe Live’s specially curated pilot series called the “Puerta Aierta Summer Music Series,” which is focused on Latin Music, Culture, and Arts.

“It’s a cool program that utilizes the full 360 of the venue. We have concerts at night for people with food and music and dancing, and then we also have the education component. So it’s nice to be able to offer both of those and reach other communities in Philly and showcase music that isn’t always as highlighted.”

In addition to Puerta Aierta, World Cafe Live is expected to have a stacked summer calendar filled with various shows.

Learn more about World Cafe Live’s Puerta Abierta Summer Music Series

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photo credit: TJ McGlinchey | Brad Hinton

By: Rev. TJ McGlinchey, MFA, MAE

On Tuesday night, April 19, World Cafe Live in Philadelphia featured the next monthly installment of the host, Brad Hinton‘s Philly Sings Philly concert series on their smaller stage in The Lounge. You may recognize Hinton as the author of the WXPN Folk Show’s theme song, “Who’s Gonna Love Me When I’m Gone?”

The emcee for the evening was the host of the Folk Show, Ian Zolitor. That evening, on the bill, was me, Tin Bird Choir, Vilebred, Andrea Nardello, and John Faye. Unfortunately, Tin Bird Choir had to drop off the bill at the last minute, so Brad Hinton filled in as the opener. My band and I played the second slot; after which Andrea Nardello and her crew did their thing. John Faye and Joey DiTullio rocked a version of Lou Rawls’ “Expressway to Your Heart” mashed up with the 76ers and 6-ABC Action News themes.

photo credit: TJ McGlinchey | Vilebred

Vilebred closed the show with some fan-favorite covers including Ween’s “Push the Little Daisies.” By the end of the night, the room had reached peak volume and sing-along-ness and good vibes were shared by all. See below for setlists and photos videos. All proceeds from the show were donated to Musicians On Call. Additional photos and videos here.

photo credit: TJ McGlinchey | McGlinchey, Samuels, and Schwarz

It was a beautiful weekend for music and good vibrations at the Wiggins Park Marina for this year’s XPoNential Music Fest presented by University of Pennsylvania radio station 88.5 WXPN on September 17, 18, and 19, 2021.

Two stages were set to host dozens of bands over the weekend, the River Stage and the Marina Stage. The River Stage catered to larger acts, bands more prone to dancing, situated at the bottom of a large natural amphitheater. Nestled right next to the Marina, just over a small hill, was the Marina Stage. This special stage was reserved especially for singer/songwriters and Nashville acts on their first leg of a tour since 2019.

Saturday, September 18, 2021

On Saturday, September 18th, the second day of the festival, the first act we caught was Philly locals, Stella Ruze, on the River Stage. Established in 2014 by Brendan Johnson and Katie O’Donnell, the band has recently expanded to include two drummers, a trumpet player, a saxophonist, a keyboardist, and 3 and 4 part vocal harmonies. Stella Ruze’s sound is reminiscent of Paul Simon and the crowd responded well to them being that they were the first act of the afternoon. I saw a few familiar faces up on stage with Stella Ruze including Rob Tait on percussion and Gabe Preston on trumpet. Their set was fun and danceable and fans stuck around to talk to the band afterward.

photo credit: Liv Foltiny

Over on the Marina Stage, we caught a group called Great Time. Their sound is along the lines of what I would call Neo/New Wave. The lead singer played synths in front of what was essentially a funk trio who also had synths attached to their instruments. In a neon jumpsuit, the lead singer could have managed on her own. The trio could have played a mean funk set on their own, as well. But, as a band, the combination is artfully executed. The sound was synth-heavy but ultimately danceable. They employed two laptops, one on the drums and one with the lead singer. She also played saxophone and flute throughout the set. 

After the band, Great Time, we headed back to the River Stage for Paul Beaubrun and his band from Haiti. At first blush, there was a strong flavor of Fela Kuti. This young quartet slickly transitioned between rock and roll, reggae, blues, Caribbean, cumbia, salsa, and more.

Beaubrun rocked the lead guitar effortlessly. They led a vocal jam heavily laden with percussion that ended in a sing-a-long and passionately screamed directions to ‘Go Low!’, ‘Jump!’, and ‘Scream!’. The highlight of their set was a very cool, very reggae version of “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers.

Nashville singer/songwriter, Michaela Anne, and her quintet crooned to audiences from the Marina Stage. This was her second show back prior to the pandemic. She employed spacey intros and synth strings to begin a few of her songs. Strong three-part harmonies and an authentic pop-country sound were eerily reminiscent of Stevie-Nicks-era Fleetwood Mac.

Her songs were heartfelt and employed clever turns of phrases in her lyrics. I especially enjoyed this lyric: “I’m not the fire, I’m just the smoke…”

I caught up with Philadelphian bassist, Charlie Muench, (an old classmate of mine from West Chester University’s bass studio where we both studied under Peter Paulsen), and he told us that the rest of the band came up from Nashville while he joined them for shows in PA, NJ, and NYC. This group is going places, I’m a fan.

The funky Cimafunk delivers an unforgettable set at the  XPoNential Music Festival on Saturday. (photo credit: Liv Foltiny)

The 29-year-old Cuban vocalist known as Cimafunk was warmed up and ready to rock when we returned to the River Stage. This band is all business, and their business is funk. Two female singers who also doubled on trombone and saxophone, respectively, backed up a lead singer who resembled a young, Cuban James Brown. The rhythm section included a drum kit, congas, hand percussion, bass, and electric guitar. At moments, they reminded me of an Afro-Cuban Fishbone, or funkadelic or both, combined with the Fania All-Stars.

The lead singer had all the moves and charisma of a master like Héctor Lavoe or James Brown. I must also mention that the backup singer playing hand percussion was integral to the band’s sound. The claves and the güiro were the stars of the show in this group full of soon-to-be- superstars. I must also mention heavy usage of the Stravinsky orchestra-hit sample featured in most hip-hop songs produced between 1981 through 1993.

On the Marina Stage, Adia Victoria, from South Carolina, emphatically informed the crowd that she “Drove up to play the blues for you.” Her voice was instantly breathy and bluesy, but her mic technique was lacking and it made for an uneven vocal performance. However, her band was tight and she and they got extra points for wearing matching black and red western-themed outfits with boots and hats and all. If you walked away from the stage a bit, you could hear the Tedeschi Trucks Band warming up in the BB&T Pavilion.

South Carolina blues artist Adia Victoria performs on the Marina Stage. (photo credit: Liv Foltiny)

Strand of Oaks, a straight-up rock and roll outfit, was next on the River Stage. The band was tight. Three-part harmonies, electric guitars, a three-piece Ludwig drum kit, and absolutely spot-on stage presence made their performance spectacular. The lead guitar solos were amazing. Towards the end of their set, they were stretching out into Pink Floyd territory.

Next up, on the Marina Stage, the crowd was starting to boil over in anticipation of the arrival and performance of one Christone “Kingfish” Ingram.

Suddenly, though he was not yet on stage, Kingfish‘s guitar began to scream. He appears from off-stage just ripping up a solo over that groove. From there the temperature only went up. Of course, there were ups and downs, highs and lows, throughout the set. But Kingfish absolutely held the audience in the palm of his hand throughout. He got out into the middle and then just rocked for five minutes or so before heading back down the

Legendary guitarist and blues artist, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram and bring the blues to Philly. (photo credit: Liv Foltiny)

hill to get back on stage. The crowd was absolutely foaming at the mouth at this point. He ended the set by starting a very loud and fast solo over the tune, “Hey Joe,” and then dropped his guitar down onto the stage with a huge band and giant static and feedback while he walked off and hopped onto a golf cart. Absolutely legend.

Capping off the afternoon on the River Stage was the singer/songwriter, Ani DiFranco. Her trio consisted of a drummer/percussionist, a keyboardist/bassist, and herself on vocals, plus an array of really cool, old guitars for various tunings. She joked with the crowd initially, saying “I like this set-up. You all have the light in your eyes this time. Now you can see how it feels…” She launched into a set of mostly new songs mixed with classics. She is the master of the use of dissonance in her songs and from song to song in her sets. She can hit a chord that will make your shoulders tighten and then resolve it in such a way as to make you actually relax a bit. She’ll go from a taught, confessional song and then follow it with a tune that makes you smile again. She’s a master performer and another who always has the crowd right there in her palm.

Vocalist Greg Ormont gets weird at XPoNential Music Fest on Saturday, September 18. (photo credit: Liv Foltiny)

Later at the BB&T Pavilion, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong and the Tedeschi Trucks Band rocked out for four solid hours. Pigeons Playing Ping Pong were lively, danceable, and generally provided a fun atmosphere for the crowd to dance their butts off on the lawn. Their setlist included just five incredibly stretched-out songs including: “Penguins,” “Somethin’ For Ya,” “Fun In Funk,” “Horizon,” and “Lightning.” 

The Tedeschi Trucks Band, conversely, while rocking out completely, was less lively on stage. With a setlist that included covers of The Wood Brothers’ “Smoke Ring Halo,” as well as “Don’t Keep Me Wonderin,'” by the Allman Brothers Band, and “Bell-Bottom Blues” by Derek and the Dominoes. Tedeschi Trucks kept up its reputation for being the next generation of enlightened southern rock.

Sunday, September 19, 2021

The next day it was even more sunny and bright than the day before and the crowd was just as excited. I had been surviving on lemonade and chicken empanadas for most of the weekend. Between sets, you could hear the brass band, Snacktime, up at the top of the hill playing cleverly arranged pop tunes, including Stevie Wonder’s “I Wish” and “Waterfalls” by TLC. Unfortunately, one of the headliners, Dawes, had to cancel their set due to positive COVID-19 tests. Cimafunk was added to the bill and Shovels and Rope was moved up to close out the festival. 

Sunday’s festivities began on the Marina Stage with songwriter/vocalist, Anna Shoemaker, joined by an accompanist on acoustic guitar. Her tunes were a bit emo, a bit folk-punk. She and her accompanist were sharing beers throughout the set. She seemed both nervous and relaxed and having fun at the same time. She spoke with the audience like they were her family sitting out in the crowd. Off-hand comments and asides punctuated a set of introspective, existential songs with titles like “It’s Depression” and “Laugh Until I Die.” Her voice reminds me of another amazing Philly vocalist named Ali Wadsworth.

Chris Day delivers some serious guitar. (photo credit: Liv Foltiny)

Over on the River Stage, things were heating up. The sun was beating down on an ever-increasingly expectant crowd of rabid Tommy Conwell fans. This classic rock group referenced their own songs as they introduced them. For their third song, Tommy announced, “This is the first song off our first album.” For their fourth song, “We did this on Letterman back in 1989!”… and so on. He was adamant that “the eighties are coming back!’ many times throughout the set. I’ll give it to him, Tommy Conwell still rocks out. His band is awesome. 

Singer/songwriter, Sierra Ferrel, sweetly sang songs of struggle and love and everything else in-between from her perch on the Marina Stage. Here we had another group of Nashville professionals pretending to be a live band, but really doing exactly what they did in the studio. However, Ferrel‘s look (complete with denim jumper, nose ring, and facial tattoo), was just the beginning of my interest in this songstress. Before going on stage, while I was chatting with the sound technician and local musician, Jim Tauscher (IATSE, Local 8), I saw her rocking a leather fringe mask over her regular mask. This lady is cool as hell. But what really had me swooning was her amazing voice. Her songs are fun and her band was tight. She also had a fiddler and a bassist. They were short one other member due to a positive COVID-19 test. 

Nashville-based singer/songwriter, Devon Gillfillian, will knock your socks off, then help you put them back on, and tie your shoes for you. He came dressed to the nines in psychedelic businesswear ready to croon to the crowd awaiting him in front of the River Stage. He did just that. His first tune was sexy and slow and had stops that lasted just a bit too long, but also just long enough. This man is a soul singer who loves chatting with his audience. He has two cats, named Felicia and Barry White. His band had killer backing vocals, especially during a rousing version of Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On?” with the addition of the members of Snacktime bolstering the horn section. He was seen chatting up fans and posing for pictures throughout the festival after his set.

Devin Gillfillian rocks out on the guitar at WXPN’s XPoNential Music Fest. (photo credit: Liv Foltiny)

Back over at the Marina Stage, singer/songwriter, Jade Bird, was warming up. She played solo, just her and an acoustic guitar. She informed the crowd that thought they’d notice her English accent, even though she had recently moved to Texas. She had a backing vocalist to flesh out vocal harmonies over sweet and personal songs. This Brit has got a firm hold on an Americana sound and style. It was nice to hear someone from across the pond as opposed to the many Nashvillian folks we’d had through the weekend. 

Next up on the River Stage was Cimafunk for a second set, but not before Snacktime could get up and play a quick version of P-Funk’s “Do That Stuff.” Cimafunk came out guns-blazing for their second set of sexy, Spanish-speaking funk. That famous Stravinsky orchestra-hit sample came out early in the set and stuck around. They also made heavier use of 80s synth sounds. Cimafunk is everything you want in a party band. Funk, Latin, Caribbean, hip-hop, rock, reggae, everything! Who wouldn’t want another set from Cimafunk?

Nicole Atkins smiles at fans after performing live. (photo credit: Liv Foltiny)

Nicole Atkins is a rare bird. She’s a Nashville pro who’s ready to rock out. Her set was at once tight and loose like a good Rolling Stones concert. I spotted Philly locals Meaghan Kyle, Ryan Williams, and Imani Roach supplying backing vocals at stage-left. Her band was a rock and roll quintet with her as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist. Their blend of pop-rock and bluesy rock and roll hit the spot after a set of super-dancey funk. Her voice soared above the crowd at the Marina Stage, as she switched from a Fender Jazzmaster (a model I own, coincidentally) to a Fender Acoustasonic Jazzmaster. I particularly liked a tune called “Garbage of Eden.” They closed with an epic righteous cover of Led Zeppelin’s “What Is And What Should Never Be,” proving that she and her group is on top of their game right now.

Shovels and Rope, a duo featuring Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst from South Carolina, set up on the River Stage to close the festival. They resemble the White Stripes with Trent on guitar and Hearst on drums. But each had more to offer than what you could see immediately. They both employed synths attached to the guitar or the keyboard the Hearst played with her right hand while keeping a beat with her right on the snare and her foot the bass drum. Eventually, they settled in and Hearst riffed on the band’s name: “Shovels and Rope:” it’s all you need to dig a hole for yourself and to get back out again.” They had released an album years ago with that title and decided to keep it for the band’s name later on when they started touring. They wowed the crowd, as well as me and Liv. I’m a fan. Get yourself some Shovels and Rope.

With that, the weekend of sun and music had ended. Crowds filtered out to their cars and trains and Ubers to go back across the bridge to Philly or back out into the wilds of New Jersey. Tito’s Vodka packed up their merch tent. Police stood around trying to look useful. Performers and audience members, alike, wiped the sweat from their brow, packed up their cooler and lawn chair, and went home to face another week.

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Suzanne Santo

Ruby Red

Reviewed by: Brenda Hillegas

Here in the great city of Philadelphia, World Cafe Live and WXPN collaborate to bring us a weekly “Free at Noon” show. The free, hour-long live sets feature musicians who are usually in town for a headlining show. Last year, I caught Suzanne Santo along with Butch Walker and although I had loved Walker for many years, I left that show with an admiration (and a bit of a girl crush) on Santo.

On Santo’s debut solo album, Ruby Red, she collaborates with Walker on a track titled “Better Than That”. This song shows off what Suzanne Santo is made of – raw, honest vocals and a heavy dose of perfect Americana. It’s a shame “Better Than That” nearly closes out Ruby Red, as it’s a good enough lead track.

With that being said though, the first track, “Handshake”, draws in the listener with an eerie-pop intro and a raspy old record player sound. This anti-love song (or is it just an honest, actual love song?) proves what anyone who may have seen Santo perform before already has known. She’s the real deal.

Other stand out tracks include the soul-spilling “Best Out of Me”, the kick-ass “Love Fucked Up”, and “The Wrong Man” which is something that we can all relate to…right?!

After more than a decade-long career, Santo (who is also half of the duo Honeyhoney), gives us her all in a stand alone album. Her stellar songwriting across eleven songs creates unforgettable ballads, rock and roll, and incredibly pure, beautiful music overall.

Rating: Bad-Ass

For Day 2 and Day 3 of NonCOMM, I was only able to attend the Free at Noon shows. I sent our writer Matt to attend Day 3 though, and you can check out his recap next.

If you aren’t familiar with Free at Noon, it’s a wonderful music program from WXPN and recorded at World Cafe Live in front of an audience. The shows take place almost every Friday. During NonCOMM, there is always a special Thursday set as well. For most Free at Noon shows, a band that is in town for a full gig will come by World Cafe Live and do a short, one-hour set. These are, of course, free and open to the general public, but you must sign up in advance to attend.

For NonCOMM 2017, the Free at Noon shows included Nancy & Beth and the Pixies on Thursday, and Ala.Ni and Paul Shaffer & The World’s Most Dangerous Band.

Nancy & Beth is Megan Mullally and Stephanie Hunt. Together, with their band, they perform a very entertaining variety show. From synchronized numbers, a bit of comedy, some seriously beautiful gospel, and tambourines, this is a wonderful duo to see live. Megan’s husband, Nick Offerman, even showed up to steal the show a bit. Nancy & Beth will be back to headline Philly Pride on June 18th.

The Pixies! Yeah, they broke up nearly 25 years ago, but giving it another go back in 2004 was a great decision. It was incredible to catch them live. Their set started with “All the Saints” from last September’s release, Head Carrier. You still have time to see them yourself, they’ll be at the Electric Factory TOMORROW (5/23) night!

On Friday, the London-based Ala.Ni won over the crowd. She’s beautiful and charming, in voice and as a person. Her jazzy, sweet music was the perfect way to ease everyone into Day 3 of NonCOMM. Her album, You & I, will be out on June 9th. Hopefully she’ll do a US (preferably east coast) tour soon because I wish she could have played longer. Please come back to Philly soon!

Lastly, Paul Shaffer and the World’s Most Dangerous Band took the stage. Their set was filled with fun and funk, a cover of “Hollywood Swinging” by Kool and the Gang, and guitarist/vocalist Felicia Collins (with Philly roots and family still in the area) lead the band with some Michael Jackson songs. I’d love to see a full show from this group! For 33 years, they were the house band for David Letterman. Now they’re back after a hiatus with the release of Paul Shaffer & The World’s Most Dangerous Band via Siren Records. Guest vocalists on the album include Jenny Lewis, Bill Murray, and Shaggy among others.

NonCOMM, produced by WXPN-FM, was founded by WXPN’s Music Director Dan Reed. The quick background of the event is that Dan Reed wanted to create a meeting of the minds to discuss the unique concerns of public radio stations. Since 2000, Dan and WXPN have been able to bring together non-comm radio stations, hosts, artists, and music industry professionals, in partnership with The Top 22, for three-days filled with music and networking. For attendees, it’s a chance to meet up with colleagues from across the US. It’s also a great place to see many well-known bands do short sets in a very intimate setting. I could spend all day listing some of the amazing artists I’ve seen over the years, but I won’t. So, instead, I’ll just focus on what I was able to capture during this year’s event.

Dan Reed and Bruce Warren kicked things off and celebrated the 25th Anniversary of NPR’s World Cafe by introducing the audience to the new host, Talia Schlanger. After a few words from each of them, guests filled up their drinks and got ready for the first set.

Performances at NonCOMM move quickly, with each act performing about 30 minutes. Guests rotate from the upstairs and downstairs stages. Day one of NonCOMM 2017 started with the National Reserve upstairs. They have the southern rock vibe everyone has been loving lately, yet they are from Brooklyn. They’ll be back in our area next month.

Georgia’s Brent Cobb was up next, and the first act for the downstairs stage this year. Cobb is from Georgia and you may know him because he penned tracks for Luke Bryan (“Tailgate Blues”), Kenny Chesney (“Don’t It”), Miranda Lambert (“Oh Shit”), and Little Big Town (“Pavement Ends”). He’ll be back in Pennsylvania later this summer, opening for Chris Stapleton at Hershey Stadium. You can also catch his television debut on June 9th, as he performs on Conan.

Philly’s own The Districts were up next. I missed them, as I started to run into people I haven’t seen in a while. Time for catching up! They’re a great local band, so look out for their upcoming appearances in our city. The band is in France tonight, followed by Berlin and Amsterdam! Most of the summer will see them touring the US, with a hometown stop on August 11th at Union Transfer.

Ani DiFranco was next for me, and I truly have no words. Many of my friends are huge Ani fans, so it was an absolute pleasure to catch her live finally. I stumbled upon her record label in Buffalo last summer (drove by, saw a sign for an arts and crafts fair in the lower level of the church where her Righteous Babe label is located, and immediately pulled over). She’s powerful, classic, and I am really looking forward to her upcoming 19th (!!!) studio album, Binary (out on June 9th).

I ran upstairs to catch a bit of Bash & Pop- a group formed in the early ’90s by Tommy Stinson following the breakup of the Replacements. I wish I could have seen more, but by then it was getting hard to move around upstairs and I desperately needed a snack. I did meet some of the band’s crew earlier in the evening and I appreciate (thanks Steve and Ian!) them letting me join in on their conversation. They’re in Florida tonight, and I hope to see them next time they play Philly so I can enjoy a proper show.

My evening ended with a performance by Blondie. Again, what can I even say? It’s Blondie! Their latest album, Pollinator, was just released and the band is just as great as they have always been. Debbie Harry came on stage with a strong message to us and the planet, along with a bee headband. If Debbie Harry can’t save us, who will? The band opened with “One Way or Another” and played fan favorites like “Call Me” and “Heart of Glass”. Off the new album, we heard “Fun” and a few others. Blondie will return on August 2nd with Garbage, at the Mann Center.

I can’t hang like I used to, and so I headed home before Bad Religion’s Greg Graffin took the stage upstairs. The final performance of the night was from Chicano Batman, a band I did really want to see (they’ll be back on July 29th for the XPoNential Music Festival). You can read our recent interview with them here. Ah the days where I would hang until 1am, sleep for a few hours, and head to work the next morning.

One of the really great things about NonCOMM is that a website called VuHaus streams everything live. Take a look at their NonCOMM 2017 clips, and upcoming shows that you can watch live from your couch. This is also the perfect way to catch next year’s sets if you can’t make it down to the World Cafe Live.

There are limited tickets available to the public and WXPN members, so if you love mingling with industry folks and enjoy seeing some of the best big acts (and fantastic up-and-coming ones as well), I highly suggest you keep an eye on the event page for next year. The best way to stay in the know about NonCOMM and other WXPN-produced events is to become a member, so click here and begin supporting your local radio station.

Check out my Free at Noon piece next, and then see what Matt covered for Day 3 of this year’s NonCOMM.

LiveConnections Big Hurrah, taking place October 6^th at The World Cafe, will recognize veteran radio host and WXPN mainstay, Helen Leicht, with the Connector Award, commemorating her 40-year career built around supporting Philadelphia’s local music community.

Leicht is one of the Philadelphia music community’s true mavericks.  She is credited with helping create numerous WXPN institutions including Free at Noon, Artist to Watch, Leicht Lunch, XPoNential Music Festival, and music blog The Key.  More than anything else, her career has been dedicated toward championing local musicians: “When they get recognition—and they get support—they can support causes they’re passionate about, they can support local artists they’re passionate about, and they can pay it forward.”

With her soothing, raspy voice, Leicht was born to be a radio broadcaster.  The quick phone chat I had with her recently almost felt like I was having a conversation on her show.  What I wanted to know more than anything else: how she got her start.

Leicht’s career stems back to 1976—where she got her start on WIOQ Album Oriented Radio (AOR), introducing Philadelphia to the likes to Tom Petty, The Cars, The Pretenders, Talking Heads, and Elvis Costello.  That same year she began hosting her nationally syndicated program Sunday Breakfast with The Beatles.

But in 1990 Leicht changed trajectory when she joined WXPN.  She was encouraged by then programming director Mike Morrison to play whatever she wanted—something that wasn’t common in the radio world at the time.  She immediately chose to dedicate her air time to local artists—placing ads in the newspaper encouraging artists to mail in their demo tapes.  Over the years she’s introduced audiences to the likes of Amos Lee, Jim Boggia, Ben Arnold, John Flynn, Good Old War, Mutlu, Lauren Hart, Andrew Lipke, Melody Gardot, Matt Duke, Sharon Little Kuf Knotz.

In 2003 Leicht, along with Bruce Warren, she began presenting their Artist to Watch. This has been an invaluable vehicle for launching the careers of many local musicians. In 2005 she started the concert series Free At Noon which has featured David Gray, Adele, Hall & Oates, Damien Rice, The Smithereens, Citizen Cope, Arlo Guthrie, Richard Thompson, Buddy Guy, Sean Lennon, Rosanne Cash, and Calexico. And in the spirit of paying it forward, Leicht helped establish WXPN’s Musicians on Call Program, which has provided over 80,000 patients from surrounding area hospitals with performances by local musicians since 2004.

As an aspiring writer and freelance music journalist, my life perpetually revolves around discovering new music, and XPN’s eclectic range of programming is one of the more robust resources for getting truly engrossed in Philadelphia’s music scene.  Often times, you don’t even realize you’re listening to local artists because it meshes so well with the other material. That’s what is so great about listening WXPN: they play the most exciting music from artists performing right in your back yard.  To put it simply in the words of Helen: “These are artists you’re going to hear about.”

If you’re a frequent listener to WXPN you’ve no doubt heard it a hundred times: WXPN is a member-supported radio station.  Their eclectic array of programming is made possible by enthusiastic listeners, that take the extra step to give back to the community—Philadelphia’s music community is one of the most vibrant in the country, and it all starts with supporting the artists from the bottom up.

To say the least, Helen Leicht’s merits make her an ideal recipient of the connector Award, and her passion and contributions will continue to reverberate throughout the community for years to come.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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