Sunday morning marked Keith Brand’s final Sleepy Hollow show on XPN; listen back to the full broadcast [link] and check out the song he chose to close out his 27-year run [link]
In a special Folkadelphia Session, we meet Nadia Sirota and Valgeir Sigurdsson and a mix of reinterpretations and original material [link]
Download a 44-track mixtape from 100 Years of Solid Dudes featuring samples of Elvis Costello, Bowie and more [link]
Get a glimpse inside The Breeders‘ Sunday night show at The Trocadero with a photo recap and set list [link]
If you missed Philadelphia Folk Festival in August (or if you were there and and are looking to relive the experience) you’ll want to direct your browser to iRadioPhilly.com right now. The local Internet radio site just started rebroadcasting their stream of the festival’s Main Stage performances, and will do so all weekend – including sets by Little Feat, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Trombone Shorty, John Hiatt, Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams and more. iRadioPhilly’s interviews with musicians, organizers and fans will also be included. The broadcast will stream today until 9:30 p.m., Saturday from 2:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Sunday from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. For a full schedule, including interview segments, go here.
Blues artist Cedric Burnside performed at the Philadelphia Folk Festival on Sunday, August 19th with his latest group, the Cedric Burnside Project, for the first edition of WXPN’s Mississippi Blues Project concert series. Below, watch a video of Burnside and guitarist Trenton Ayers perform “Po Black Mattie” and visit the Mississippi Blues Project website here for a review and photo recap of the show.
Two musicians who rarely play east of the Mississippi brought down the house (or the tent, rather) at the 51st annual Philadelphia Folk Festival as the Mississippi Blues Project kicked off its year-long concert series. The show kicked off with fierce beats, loud riffs and juke-joint energy from the Cedric Burnside Project. Here’s how XPN Blues Show host Johnny Meister described it in his review:
Burnside’s awe-inspiring skills on the drums, and the artistry and athleticism of his playing no doubt left vivid memories in the minds of the many people crowding up to the stage, dancing, hollering, clapping hands, and perhaps wondering, as I was at times, how this was humanly possible.
Also on the bill was the soulful theatrics of 80-year-old Big George Brock and his ensemble. Says Meister:
Brock is almost blind at this point, and has some hearing loss and problems with his hands, but none of that prevented him from singing the blues the way only an authentic blues singer can, and playing his harmonica with aplomb. Brock was regally attired in robes, with a cape and crown, and his band was top-notch.
You can read Johnny Meister’s entire review of the concert here, and check out a photo recap here. The Mississippi Blues Project, which is supported by a grant from the Pew Center for Arts and Heritage, continues on Monday, October 22 with performances by Jimmy “Duck” Holmes and Terry “Harmonica” Bean at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia.
Pop / rock four-piece Harper Blynn might be based in New York City, but their roots lie in Philadelphia, and they made a return to the region this weekend for an appearance on Helen Leicht’s showcase at the Philadelphia Folk Festival. While they were there, the band made a video diary of their day, from arriving to performing and goofing around afterward. Check it out below.
Saturday was a huge day at the 51st Annual Philadelphia Folk Festival, kicking off with a WXPN Philly Local Showcase, continuing through a Steve Earle / Lucinda Williams collaboration and peaking with a rousing set by Little Feat. Check out a photo recap in the gallery above.
