It takes more than music to make a scene. It requires an entire legion of intimidatingly beautiful people with badass tattoos and impeccable fashion sense. Here, find a who's who of everyone else that keeps Philly music on the map—from promoters and producers to bouncers and bartenders—as well as stories on local venues, trends, and hot-button issues.
Photo by Mike Lynch www.mikelynchphoto.com
Photo by Mike Lynch www.mikelynchphoto.com
Photo by Mike Lynch www.mikelynchphoto.com
Photo by Mike Lynch www.mikelynchphoto.com
Photo by Mike Lynch www.mikelynchphoto.com
Photo by Mike Lynch www.mikelynchphoto.com
Photo by Mike Lynch www.mikelynchphoto.com
Photo by Mike Lynch www.mikelynchphoto.com
Photo by Mike Lynch www.mikelynchphoto.com
Photo by Mike Lynch www.mikelynchphoto.com
Photo by Mike Lynch www.mikelynchphoto.com
Photo by Mike Lynch www.mikelynchphoto.com
Photo by Mike Lynch www.mikelynchphoto.com
The Mississippi Blues Project has been supported by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.
Raymond Daniel Manczarek, Jr., known to most as Ray Manzarek, co-founder and keyboardist of The Doors from 1965 to 1973, has passed away. He was 74 and died from bile duct cancer in a clinic in Rosenheim, Germany. On May 1, 1970, The Doors played The Spectrum on a bill with The Staple Singer and Blues Image. The recording, Live In Philadelphia ’70, was released as part of the Bright Midnight Archives live music series. Below, listen to a few songs from the show, from a band in their prime. The don’t call is classic rock for nothing.
Photos by Abi Reimold | AbiReimold.22slides.com
It was a full house at Union Transfer on Saturday night as Philadelphia welcomed home Kurt Vile & The Violators for the last show of their U.S. tour. With strong openers and a career-spanning set list from the hometown hero, the night was jam-packed with stellar performances and a lot of love.
There’s an image of a couch and a heart on Vile’s now infamous Fishtown mural that reprises the line “There’s a place in my heart for all of my friends” from Wakin On A Pretty Daze’s “Goldtones” and that seemed to be the sentiment the Lansdowne native was going for during his set. An intangible sense of community could be felt between the crowd and the frontman, despite minimal verbal interaction. It was the clear the audience was well-versed in Kurt’s discography as they welcomed each eclectic twist and turn of the set list with claps and cheers. As Vile stood on the stage dressed in all white, surrounded by a hazy fog with a scaled-down version of the mural behind him and Technicolor lights bouncing around, the effect was similar to that of flying through the clouds during a sunset when the light cuts through just right – transcendent, magical and rare. Continue reading
Philly metal band Surgeon will release their new album tonight at Johnny Brenda’s Kung Fu Necktie (the show was moved due to a water main break). Chemical Reign has been a long time coming for the local four-piece: we first got a sample of the new songs back in 2011 when the band stopped by for a Key Studio Session, a few years after their 2008 debut Angry Guest was released. Tickets and information for tonight’s 21+ show with Swarm of Arrows, Ominous Black and Skeleton Hands can be found here. Below, watch a live video of Surgeon performing “Greed.”
On their way to SXSW in March, Philly’s Thee, Idea Men stopped by WRVU in Nashville, TN with tourmates Katie Frank & The Pheromones, Dan Orlando and WC Lindsay. The group of local musicians performed a cover of Amy Winehouse’s “Valerie” live on the Vanderbilt University radio station, with Orlando on keys and Lindsay behind the camera. Check out the footage below and see Thee, Idea Men live at MilkBoy on June 13th. Dan Orlando will be at Kennett Flash on June 1st. Tickets and information for both shows can be found here.
Folk singer/songwriter Heyward Howkins plays Ortlieb’s Lounge tonight. Howkins released a single in December 2012, entitled “Praline Country“, as well as his debut full length The Hale & Hearty in June 2012. Go here to watch a video of Hawkins playing his song “Flimsy Stock”. Tickets and information for the 21+ show with Break It Up, Dreambook and Taggart can be found here. Below, enjoy the music video for “Sugar Sand Stitched Lip” off of Howkins’ album The Hale & Hearty.
Photo by Bo Hakala
The rapper/spoken word artist Dessa (of midwest collective Doomtree) will be performing at Sellersville Theater tonight with Philly hip-hop artist Kuf Knotz. Dessa is celebrating her newest album Parts of Speech, released on Doomtree Records. For more information on Dessa, check out a piece from The Key here. Alongside Dessa will be Philly native hip-hop artist Kuf Knotz, who blends elements of blues, rock, and other genres with his hip-hip. Tickets and information for the all ages show can be found here. Below, watch Dessa perform “The Man I Knew” for MN Original.
