Philly Local Busker Background: Dante Bucci

The WXPN Philly Local Busker’s series kicks off tomorrow at noon at The Porch at 30th Street Station, and over the coming weeks, we’ll be letting you know more about the artists who will spend their lunch hour entertaining you in the open air – or in the cavernous station halls, should there be inclement weather.

The first artist Helen Leicht has lined up is Dante Bucci, who played a mesmerizing set at last summer’s Philadelphia Folk Festival demonstrating his mastery of the Hang. Also known as the Handpan, this is a percussive / musical instrument that falls somewhere between a steel drum and a djembe, and looks somewhat like the UFO from Disney’s Flight of the Navigator. Bucci coaxes a variety of stunning rhythms and melodies out of his Hangs that fuse funk, instrumental world music and traditional pop / rock.

In addition to his gig at The Porch, Bucci will appear at The Tin Angel on May 1 for an early show opening for Maia Sharp. Tickets and information can be found here. Below, stream Bucci’s 2008 EP Reminiscence, and catch him in person tomorrow from noon to 1 p.m. at The Porch, 30th and Market Streets in Philadelphia.