Sep 09 2010: Pawnshop Roses – World Cafe Live (Philadelphia, PA)
Sep 09 2010: JD Malone – The Cedar Hollow Inn (Malvern, PA)
Sep 10 2010: Sleet Walker – The Institute Bar (Philadelphia, PA)
Sep 10 2010: Ben Arnold – World Cafe Live | XPN Free at Noon (Philadelphia, PA)
Sep 10 2010: Papertrees – Johnny Brenda’s (Philadelphia, PA)
Sep 10 2010: Overlook – The Note (West Chester, PA)
Sep 10 2010: Pawnshop Roses – Da Vinci’s (Collegeville, PA)
Sep 10 2010: JD Malone – Craft Ale House (Limerick, PA)
Sep 11 2010: Tim Butler – The Grape Room (Philadelphia, PA)
Sep 11 2010: Adrien Reju – Burlap & Bean (Newtown Square, PA)
Sep 11 2010: Ben Arnold – Reeves Park (Phoenixville, PA)
Sep 11 2010: IKE, Pawnshop Roses – The Note (West Chester, PA)
Sep 11 2010: Drink Up Buttercup – Big Heads Town & Country (Hatboro, PA)
Sep 11 2010: Peasant – State St & Main St Stage (Doylestown, PA)
Sep 11 2010: JD Malone – America Bar & Grill (Chester Springs, PA)
In celebration of Mason Porter’s scheduled performance at the Philadelphia Folk Festival they are releasing a limited edition (only 50 copies available) album, ‘Story of the Rifle’. The new album was recorded live in studio and is a mix of traditional folk and cover songs. You can catch Mason Porter’s performance Saturday August 21st at 1:15pm on the WXPN stage. While you’re at the festival you can pick up a copy of ‘Story of the Rifle’ at the merchandise tent starting Friday (while supplies last).
I was very excited to download “Creole Belle”, and “Wayfaring Stranger” from ‘Story of the Rifle’ available on the Mason Porter website (www.masonporter.com). Listening to these tracks reminds me how much I enjoy that Mason Porter sound – it’s wonderful!
[LISTEN] Mason Porter – “Creole Belle”
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Also, be on the lookout for some of our other favorite Philly artists that will be gracing a Philadelphia Folk Festival (Aug 20, Aug 21, and Aug 22 at Old Pool Farm near Schwenksville, PA) stage this weekend: The Spinning Leaves, Marc Silver & The Stonethrowers, Johnny Miles, Ben Arnold, and Cheers Elephant.
I usually stay away from show-going on Sunday nights so I can be well rested for the looming possibility of a manic Monday. But when I heard Hezekiah Jones and Sisters 3 were playing The Fire (Philadelphia, PA) my live music addiction kicked in and my need for rest was a passing thought.
Sisters 3 performed a very lovely set Sunday night opening with an acapella tune that showcased the flawless harmonies and how well Cassandra, Annachristie, and Beatrice voices accompany each other. So, take those harmonies, add: keys, acoustic guitar, percussive instruments, excellent songwriting – and you can understand why I stood in awe as I watched Sisters 3 create musical magic on stage that made my ears smile.
I think I might have seen Drunken Barn Dance before but I’m not sure. Oh well, that’s neither here nor there because I’m positive I saw Drunken Barn Dance Sunday night and they were AWESOME! They are a band with 3 guitars, bass, and drums that have a killer live energy that goes well with their folk rock style. It’s refreshing to see a band not afraid to be alive and animated on stage and kudos to the lead singer/guitarist for that catchy kick/hop step. Well, Drunken Barn dance is from Michigan so I’m not sure when I’ll see them again but I hope it’s not too long.
The special surprise guest of the night was… Naughty Nurses, a 4 member band (vocals, acoustic guitar, and banjo) from Philly. They performed a lyrically fun, musically interesting, unamplified set giving them a minimalist, indie vibe and I enjoyed it.
The penultimate set belonged to Hezekiah Joneswho was joined by 5 other members of the Jones family. I’ve seen countless Hezekiah Jones sets and they are often my most memorable musical experiences (this night included) because the music is unmistakably good. Those seemingly endless jams weaved into the songs were unreal. It’s so exciting to see great musicians having fun jamming out on stage. I’m so lucky that I get to see Hezekiah Jones, one of my most favorite artists, play live as often as I do.
In honor of Jerry Garcia’s birthday Chris Kasper, Drew Egmont, Kiley Ryan, Philip D’Agostino, Ross Bellenoit, and Jonah played a set of Grateful Dead tunes to end the show.
I loved the somewhat loose sets and the “we’re all among friends” atmosphere that was in The Fire that night. MAN, it just doesn’t get better than that.
It was great to see Eastern Conference Champions in Philly again. ECC opened their set with “Bloody Bells” Thursday night at Johnny Brenda’s. The video above is live footage taken at the show. Needless to say, ECC delivered a marvelous performance. If I get the time I might upload some more video.
Busses was the opening band that filled the room with interesting ambient soundscapes and experimental music. I can’t recall if I’ve seen that band before but they were good.
Eastern Conference Champions back in Philly – I’m so excited!
Eastern Conference Champions (ECC) is an indie-rock trio with a unique style that is unreal. Members include: Joshua Ostrander (vocals, guitar), Greg Lyons (drums), and newest member, Melissa Dougherty (bass). Ostrander’s voice is distinctive with an absolutely beautiful tone that sings truly heartfelt lyrics. On any given day you might find me rockin’ out to an iTunes playlist of nothing but ECC’s music covering The Southampton Collection (EP), Ameritown, and Santa Fe (EP). By the way, their upcoming album, Speak-ahh, might see a Fall 2010 release – get excited!
My first memory of Eastern Conference Champions was seeing them open for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (BRMC) at the Theatre of Living Arts (TLA) in Philadelphia, PA back on February 19, 2006. I was there to see BRMC but ECC’s opening set was incredible. I immediately purchased The Southampton Collection (EP) after their set. Since that wonderful night in 2006 I’ve been a fan of Eastern Conference Champions. I’d seen them a few times in the past with the last time being their “Ameritown” CD Release Party at The Khyber on July 20, 2007.
Eastern Conference Champions relocated to the Los Angeles, CA so they don’t get to play the Philly area as frequently. Well, I was SO EXCITED to find out that ECC will be back in the Philly area next week. When it comes to amazing music and incredible live shows ECC is a must-see band and come highly recommended by me. This is your chance to see them live so please don’t pass up the opportunity.
EASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS: East Coast Dates
Jul 20 2010 – Piano’s (New York, NY)
Jul 22 2010 – Johnny Brenda’s (Philadelphia, PA)
Jul 23 2010 – Big Heads Town & Country (Hatboro, PA)
[LISTEN] A favorite of mine, “Bloody Bells” from their most recent release Santa Fe (EP)
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This year WXPN’s annual summer music festival, 2010 XPoNential Music Festival presented by Subaru, takes place Friday, July 16th to Sunday, July 18th at Wiggins Park on the Camden Waterfront. The XPoNential festival is in its 17th year and its 6th year being held at Wiggins Park. The festival will feature artists: Alejandro Escovedo, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, Nicole Atkins, The Felice Brothers, The Walkmen, Dawes, Dr. Dog, and Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros along with Philly artists and One Fan at a Time favorites: Ben Arnold, Dutch (featuring Liz Fullerton), Birdie Busch, The Great Unknown – and many more. Plus enjoy family friendly music and exhibits available in the Kids Corner Garden.
Gates open at 5 p.m. on Friday, July 16;and noon on Saturday and Sunday, July 17 and 18. The Kids Corner Area will be open from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
I had so much fun last year at the 2009 XPoNential Music Festival that I will definitely return this year. Wiggins Park on the Camden Waterfront in the summertime is a very beautiful place and a very short commute from Philadelphia, PA. I loved going back and forth between the Camden County River Stage and the Jersey.com Marina Stage trying to see all the acts. Best of all WXPN really does a great job of selecting a diverse group of established and new artists that really represent the eclectic and unique genres/styles that you can hear on the radio station on any given day.
Track List: 1. Bouffant Bang
2. Philly Night
3. You Don’t Know
4. Your Old Ways
5. Tonight
6. Baby Baby
7. Hold You
8. Work It Out
9. Barrow Bar Blues
‘Tonight’ is a fantastic concept album created by Jim Thomas (Philadelphia based singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer) under the name Berry Jones which honors two of Thomas’ musical idols, Berry Gordy and Quincy Jones. With that in mind, it should be no surprise that this album is heavily rooted in the Motown sound with pop elements reminiscent of the late, great Michael Jackson all spanning several decades from the late ‘50s until present day. To say the least, Tonight is a very impressive throwback dance album.
From the moment the beat of “Bouffant Bang” hits you until the album wraps you’ll be grooving along while you listen to this album. “Philly Night” has an energy and feel to it that would make one believe it once was a great Philly summer anthem or maybe it’s destined to become one. Although “Your Old Ways” ultimately carries similarities to the other songs on the album there is something different about that track that I love. It could be the fact that I’m a sucker for semi-slow sad songs with an underlying message of hope. The album ends with “Barrow Bar Blues” a track with a tasteful display of anger and attitude.
Even though Tonight is a fun album and could possibly awaken the dancer in all of us it’s executed in such a serious and professional way that really makes this album work. I’ve listened to this album several times and it simply gets better and better with each listen. The Berry Jones website states, “we play dance music” – oh, yes they do!
Berry Jones ‘Tonight’ was created by Jim Thomas (piano, synthesizer, and Rhodes) with the help of: Nero Catalano (guitar), Jordan Block (bass), Gretchen Lohse (violin and viola), Ryan Williams (vocals), Naeemah Maddox (vocals), Alexander Cummings (saxophone), Shabree Johnson (trumpet), Stephen Williams (trombone), C.J. Gallo (bass), and Skip Diggerson (drums).
Here’s the opening track, “Bouffant Bang” from Berry Jones – ‘Tonight’:
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Tuesday nights have been fairly lackluster since The Philly Folk Parade residency at The Fire (Philadelphia, PA) wrapped up at the end of May. Well, Tuesday nights are fun again now that Ben Arnold has a residency at The Grape Room (Philadelphia, PA). I missed the first night of Arnold’s residency on June 8th with Huffamoose (a reunion show) but I was there for the second night of the residency this past Tuesday, June 15th. On that bill was, of course, Ben Arnold with Citizens Band Radio, and Chris Grunwald. Chris Grunwald preformed a good solo set of music and I really liked what I heard. Ben Arnold (and band: Zach Djanikian, Adam Flicker, Matt Muir, and Eric S.) played the penultimate set which I really enjoyed. Now, I don’t have much history with Arnold’s music and I would consider myself a somewhat new fan but based on that performance, a representation of the new material on Simplify (upcoming release), I’m excited to hear the new album. Wow, Ben Arnold is such a great singer/songwriter and hearing him with a band is a fantastic musical experience. Citizens Band Radio finished out the night with some powerful Americana, country rock tunes that I enjoyed a lot more than I had anticipated. Overall, it was an excellent night thanks to Ben Arnold, Blinkin Lincoln Productions, The Grape Room and all the other artists that played. Yep, there’s a good chance I’ll be there several more Tuesday nights during this residency.
Here’s how Ben Arnold’s residency at The Grape Room looks thus far: 6/08 – Ben Arnold w/ Huffamoose (reunion) 6/15 – Ben Arnold w/ Citizens Band Radio, and Chris Grunwald
6/22 – Ben Arnold w/ Late Night Drifters, and Reed Kendall
6/29 – Ben Arnold w/ Zach Djanikian Band, and Andrew Lipke
7/06 – Ben Arnold w/ Josh Komorowski Band, and Ben Carroll
7/13 – Ben Arnold w/ Julius Curcio Band, and Frank Brown
7/20 – Ben Arnold w/ Cowmuddy, and Lee Morgan
Inspired by the great work of websites like Take Away Shows and Black Cab Sessions we decided to create our own video series to showcase Philly area artists. We want this series to be a real, spontaneous, unedited look into an artist’s music. We are not pros nor working with professional equipment but we still hope to make this a fun and interesting video series.
Want to participate in a One Fan Session?
Please email us at info@onefanatatime.com and put “One Fan Session” as the subject.
All Philly area artists (and any touring artists coming to Philly) are welcome!
It was suggested to me that I check out Liz Fullerton’s music. I’m always thankful for anyone who takes the time to suggest to me or others the music that they enjoy. After all, sharing music suggestions with others is a big part of how we discover new music. Anyway, being the music lover (some might call it an addiction) that I am I had to give Liz Fullerton a listen.
I visited Fullerton’s Myspace page (www.myspace.com/lizfullerton) so I could listen to her music. Oh my, what I heard was incredible! There is something so special about her voice, timeless and soulful, that makes her songs sound absolutely beautiful. Man, I thought I had a good knowledge of Philly artists but somehow Liz Fullerton went unnoticed to me until now. Oh, you better believe from now on I’ll keep an ear out for more Liz Fullerton music.
Also, it looks as though Fullerton has a new album coming out next week – Tuesday, June 8, 2010. The album is being released under the name Dutch – the collaboration Liz Fullerton has with Stoupe of Jedi Mind Tricks. Having heard some of Fullerton’s music I’m excited to hear the new Dutch album, A Bright Cold Day.
If you want to learn a little more about Dutch please watch this video.
If you want to see Liz Fullerton live…
Upcoming Shows:
Jun 08 2010 KungFu Necktie (Philadelphia, PA)
Jun 09 2010 Piano’s (New York, NY)
Jun 12 2010 Iris and Shibley Fest (Fleetwood, PA)
Liz Fullerton will be releasing her first solo album later this year, produced by Jeff Hiatt. Hiatt has produced many albums by some of Philly’s favorite artists: Chris Kasper, Cowmuddy, and Johnny Miles – to name a few. Oh my, GET EXCITED!
Feel free to contact us about artists we should cover but know that our main interest is Philadelphia, PA area artists or artists touring the Philadelphia, PA area. So, please keep that in mind when contacting us about artist coverage. Thank you.
All images and music belong to their rightful owners and are for promotional purposes only. If you like what you hear, please support the artists. We do! If you own the rights to any of the music or images featured on this site and would like a file removed, contact us and we will delete it immediately. Email: info[at]onefanatatime.com
