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Philadelphia, PA — Collective Soul brought their tour to the Theater Of The Living Arts (TLA) in Center City Philly. For those who have not been, South Street is a world unto its own. Make sure you visit in this lifetime and if you can see a concert it’s an extra bonus.

There are not that many bands that I want to see, yet have not seen. Collective Soul was one of those bands. I am not sure why it never worked out. After I fell in love with “Shine”, they were a band I longed to see on stage. Then, the years past, and I figured it was too late. Even if they came around, they would probably be past their prime?

As destiny would have it, I saw they were playing at a local venue. The beauty of it was they were playing at a small theater. Maybe their decline in popularity would work to my benefit? Wait! Not so fast. I refresh the webpage on my web browser, and it says the show is sold out. What? So, I call the box office. Yes. They tell me the show is sold out. Dag-nab-it! I can not accept this situation and drive down to see with my own two eyes. Indeed, it is sold out. There are a couple guys from 93.3 WMMR there doing a promo. Why not ask them if they can get me a ticket? No dice. How about a scalper? No tickets to be found. While I am standing by the line to get in, a fellow comes over and asks if it is the line for Collective Soul. After verifying that it was, I ask if he might have an extra ticket. YeeHa! He does… but, at what price? Ahhhh… he tells me a reasonable price. He had been stuck with an extra ticket by a friend who backed out. Perfect!

I explained that I was a writer and had wanted to review the show. He was an avid fan and told me how good of a show they put on. I explained how sometimes I interview bands, sometimes I review bands, and sometimes I do not write anything. He said, “because there is nothing to write.” Exactly. Nevertheless, he peeked my interest in how the show would rate. The adrenaline was pumped, now. First, I thought I was going home in disappointment. Next, I was thrilled at getting a pass through the door. Plus, I met a father and son that were just as excited to see the show.

It was with much pleasure that the “warm-up” band turned me on with an instant music fix. Black Stone Cherry rocked the house. Black Stone Cherry rocked my world. (See the
Black Stone Cherry Review and Photo Gallery)

Luckily, the next band, Safety Suit, was not that hot. If they were, I do not know how Collective Soul could have followed them.

When Collective Soul took the stage, the crowd was primed and pumped. It seemed fitting that they started off with “Welcome All Again”. They played a couple more new songs in the middle of the set. Before “You”, Ed Roland related that it was the first song they ever wrote as a band. There was quite a bit of interaction and audience participation throughout the show. Introducing “Gel”, Ed shared that he and his brother/guitarist Dean were the sons of a preacher. “Gel” is about what they grew up with on Sunday mornings:

Color me any color.
Speak to me in tongues and share.
Tell me how you’d love to hate me.
Tell me how you’d love to care.
Well I just want to shake us up.

Let’s mingle
And make it well.
Come together now.
Yeah let’s gel.

All in all, the lights, the sound, the audience, the songs and the band added up to a spectacular performance. On the way out the door, the fellow who had sold me the ticket caught up to me and said, “Write something good.” I replied, “Oh, yeah. I will.” For this was one show worth writing about. Make sure they are not always one of those bands you wished you had seen!

THE BAND
Ed Roland – vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards
Dean Roland – rhythm guitar, vocals
Will Turpin – bass guitar, vocals
Joel Kosche – lead guitar
Cheney Brannon – drums, percussion

THE SETLIST
Welcome All Again
Heavy
Listen
Tremble
Why Part 2
Needs
Dig
You
December
Shine
Hollywood
World I Know
Anymore Friends
Gel
Better Now

ENCORE
Staring Down
River Flows
Run

Collective Soul Concert Photo Gallery

Philadelphia, PA — The Collective Soul tour came to the Theater Of The Living Arts (TLA) in Philly. They brought with them two other bands, Safety Suit and Black Stone Cherry. Safety Suit did nothing for me; however, Black Stone Cherry rocked my world.

Not having heard of Black Stone Cherry before, they were a surprise attack of sound and movement. Black Stone Cherry has a heavy southern rock band sound coming from Edmonton, Kentucky. The band members are:
Chris Robertson — lead vocals, guitar
Ben Wells — guitar, backing vocals
John Lawhon — bass guitar, backing vocals
John Fred Young (son of The Kentucky Headhunters’ rhythm guitarist Richard Young) — drums, backing vocals

Their music is clean and hard. The band’s energy is through the roof with jumping and head banging. They are one of those bands you have to see live as their is no way to capture their sensual stimuli. The set included “Please Come In”, “Soul Creek”, “Lonely Train”, “We Are the Kings”.

Black Stone Cherry Photo Gallery

Old Pool Farm, Schwenksville, PA — The Philadelphia Folk Festival is an interesting experience. You never know what you will see… or hear. This works both ways — from the audience looking toward the stage or from the stage looking at the audience. It probably has the largest ratio of musicians that are in the audience than any other concert venue.

Thus, my surprise to see Get The Led Out scheduled for the special Thursday evening “Exclusive Camp Concert” that is put on for the overnight campers. What the heck was a band that bills themselves as the American Led Zeppelin doing at the Folk Fest? The must have been intimidating for the band:
1) They play songs that people know, so they have to play flawlessly.
2) They are to perform heavy rock music to a folk crowd.
3) Many in the audience are talented musicians.
4) They followed two talented folk bands, Jill Sobule and Deer Tick.

You would think that they would go over like a lead balloon? No. Le contraire. As soon as they started playing, people began flocking to the stage. Before long, there was standing room only. The crowd joined in and sang every song. Looking at the people standing next to you would cause you to pause. A mother dancing next to her daughter. People of all ages having the time of their life. In fact, it’s the only Folk Fest performance that I can remember hurting my ears.

As the show progressed, it felt like the audience and performers were feeding off each other. The crowd’s energy feeding the band, and in return the band’s energy feeding the audience. Only at the Folk Fest could such a miracle take place.

Get The Led Out Concert Photo Gallery

Stir Fry Photo Gallery

The Stir Fry Music Revival will take place August 28 and 29 at Snipes Farm in Morrisville, PA. (890 West Bridge Street)

The line up of bands includes:
Brothers Past
Frog Holler
Turbine
Splintered Sunlight
The Hustle
Si Senorita
The Coyotes
Psychedelphia
Old Blotter
Manatawny Creek Ramblers
Steal The Breeze
Dr. Fish & Friends
Tin Bird Choir
Newtown Creek
Dirty White Boys
Pete Kranz & the Wide-Eyed Mother Brothers
Members Of Sage
American Babies featuring Scott Metzger, Kevin Kendrick, Jim Hamilton, Joe Russo and Tom Hamilton
Strange Sun
Dirk Quinn Band
The Godinez Brothers
Jay D Clark

For more information visit: stirfryproductions.com

EVEN MORE SURPRISES FROM THE PHILADELPHIA FOLK FESTIVAL

The Decemberists and The Derek Trucks Band added as headlining acts performing August 14-16, 2009 at Old Pool Farm!

Special Thursday night “Campers’ Exclusive” concert added
featuring Jill Sobule, Deer Tick and Get The Led Out!

PHILADELPHIA – Organizers of the PHILADELPHIA FOLK FESTIVAL are putting the finishing touches on an impressive lineup for their 48th annual event with the addition of The Decemberists, The Derek Trucks Band, Jill Sobule, Heartless Bastards, and other noteworthy acts.

The British folk revival sound evident on The Hazards of Love, the recently-released 5th album by the Portland-based The Decemberists, will be highlighted with their Saturday afternoon (August 15) Main Stage performance. Guitar sensation Derek Trucks with his band, touring in support of their most recent album, Already Free, will bring their blend of jazz, rock, blues, Latin, East Indian and other world music to headline the big Sunday night (August 16) concert.

Festival organizers have added a special treat for early-arriving weekend campers with a Thursday night (August 13) “Campers’ Exclusive” concert on the site’s Camp Stage. Jill Sobule, whose songs are at once deeply personal and socially conscious, seriously funny and derisively tragic, is the featured artist. She first gained prominence with her 1995 song “I Kissed a Girl.” Also performing for this more intimate showcase is the quirky country/folk flavored Deer Tick, on the road with their just-released 2nd album, Born on Flag Day. Both acts will be featured at this event for David Dye’s “World Café” syndicated NPR radio show, heard locally on WXPN-FM. Get The Led Out will close this special Thursday night concert by performing acoustic versions of Led Zeppelin songs.

Other exciting recent additions include Heartless Bastards, the irresistible Buskin & Batteu, Eastern European folk music purveyors the West Philadelphia Orchestra, the foot-stomping Celtic exuberance of Burning Bridget Cleary, and the more traditional Celtic ruminations of Shannon Lambert-Ryan & RUNA. They join an outstanding and diverse lineup that already includes Tom Rush, Iron and Wine, and the Del McCoury Band.

“We wanted to shake things up even more this year,” asserts Festival Chairperson Pat Gourley referring to the FOLK FESTIVAL’s emphasis in recent years to reach out beyond the traditional folk music audience. “By featuring The Decemberists, The Derek Trucks Band and more of the contemporary, cutting-edge acts, we’re boldly going after the younger audience needed to sustain the PHILADELPHIA FOLK FESTIVAL over the next 20 to 30 years.” Philadelphia Folksong Society Executive Director Levi Landis concurs, adding, “This 48th annual event will help break new ground and further the Folksong Society’s legacy among the vanguard of folk music innovators. We’ve responded with a roster of performers that appeals not only to dyed-in-the-wool folk music enthusiasts, but also to the next generation audience.”

The PHILADELPHIA FOLK FESTIVAL will be held August 14-16 at the Old Pool Farm near Schwenksville, PA and tickets can be purchased online at www.folkfest.org. Daily event tickets with early bird pricing (through July 19) start at $44.00 – attend all three days and camp for just $145.00 in tent camping or $170.00 in vehicle camping! The perfect family event, concert admission for children under 12 is FREE and “youth rates” (ages 12 to 16) are only half the adult gate price.

For complete information about the PHILADELPHIA FOLK FESTIVAL and tickets, visit the website at www.folkfest.org or call the festival office at 800-556-FOLK.

PHILADELPHIA FOLK FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES STELLAR LINE-UP FOR 48TH ANNUAL EDITION

Sonny Landreth, Del McCoury Band, Iron and Wine, Tom Rush, Rebirth Brass Band, Justin Townes Earle, Tony Trischka, Langhorne Slim,
Enter The Haggis, Ellis Paul, Sara Hickman, Alela Diane
Among Featured Acts Performing August 14-16, 2009 at Old Pool Farm

TICKETS ON SALE NOW WITH EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT!!

PHILADELPHIA – At a press conference held this afternoon, the organizers of the PHILADELPHIA FOLK FESTIVAL unveiled the impressive line-up for their momentous 48th edition unfolding
August 14-16 at the Old Pool Farm near Schwenksville, PA. After a very successful showing last year, Point Entertainment’s Rich Kardon and Jesse Lundy have been brought back to provide artistic direction. “We are excited to again work with the Philadelphia Folksong Society and the Philadelphia Folk Festival to build on the foundation that was crafted last year,” said Kardon. The resulting roster reads like a Who’s Who in the music buzz today, offering a collection of both superstars and rising stars who will join together for this three-day extravaganza of traditional and contemporary music, dance, crafts, camping, and children’s activities.

Among the top attractions at the 48th annual PHILADELPHIA FOLK FESTIVAL are Sonny Landreth, Del McCoury Band, Iron and Wine, Tom Rush, Rebirth Brass Band, Justin Townes Earle,
Tony Trischka, Langhorne Slim, Alela Diane, Joe Pug, Works Progress Administration,
Ellis Paul, Sara Hickman, The Low Anthem, Women in Docs, The Folk Brothers, Erik Mongrain,
Frog Holler, Caravan of Thieves, Enter The Haggis, and Marissa Nadler.

Local musicians that have been garnering tremendous praise will also be featured throughout the weekend including Adrien Reju, Boris Garcia, Chris Kasper, Zach Djanikian, Wissahickon Chicken Shack, and Slo-Mo featuring Mic Wrecka.

As if this amazing line-up weren’t enough, Jesse Lundy hinted that there were more surprises yet to come. “We have a couple more world-class acts; I mean major headliners, that we can’t announce just yet, so stay tuned!” teased Lundy.

Returning for his 48th consecutive year as host is WXPN-FM DJ Gene Shay who has been called the Godfather of Philadelphia Folk Music. Shay has delighted Folk Festival audiences for years with his silly jokes and warm, friendly style. He’s been the same golden voice on the radio, playing folk artists every Sunday night, for most of our lives. He also helped put together the very first PHILADELPHIA FOLK FESTIVAL in 1962 and has been the emcee every year since.

The campground at the PHILADELPHIA FOLK FESTIVAL is considered the Ultimate Folk Festival Experience. Settle into the “40-acre living room” where jamming and camaraderie is shared; where friendships and memories are made that will last a lifetime. Exclusive to All-Festival Camping Ticket holders, there will again be the Thursday Night Concert on the Camp Stage where legendary World Cafe® host David Dye will welcome some unique musical guests, as yet to be announced.

The PHILADELPHIA FOLK FESTIVAL is a perfect family event, too. You will find an unrivaled selection of attractions for the kids, especially in Dulcimer Grove, the shady area between the Crafts Stage and the Camp Stage, where puppeteers, jugglers, storytellers, hands-on crafts and of course, kid-oriented musicians make it a haven for folk fans 12 and under. Older kids, 12 to 16, will again be eligible for the special “youth ticket”, allowing them into the grounds for half the regular gate price, when accompanied by an adult.

Tickets for the PHILADELPHIA FOLK FESTIVAL are now on sale and can be purchased online at www.folkfest.org. Daily event tickets with Early Bird pricing start at $44.00. Attend all three days and camp for just $145.00 in tent camping and $170.00 in vehicle camping!

For complete information about the PHILADELPHIA FOLK FESTIVAL and tickets, visit the website at www.folkfest.org or call the PHILADELPHIA FOLK FESTIVAL office at 800-556-FOLK.

Philadelphia, PA — Jason Marz played an upbeat and energy filled show to a sold-out crowd at Festival Pier in Penn’s Landing. It turned out to be a beautiful evening with the sun setting behind the stage. At any given moment, you could look to the audience and see everyone dancing and swaying to the music.

Setlist
The Sunshine Song
Traveler
Make It Mine
Coyotes
Anything You Want
Curbside
Man Gave Names To Animals
Live High
Reggaedy / The Remedy
The Dynamo Of Volition
Beautiful Mess
I’m Yours

Encore Part I
Audible Band
Lucky with Alysse Fisher
Audible Duo / Geek In The Pink

Encore Part II
Cop Chase
Fall Through Glass with Bushwalla
Butterfly

The crowd seemed pleased with the song selection knowing all the lyrics and singing with great volume. “The Remedy” was a highlight of the show as it was transformed into a reggae dancefest (retitled Reggaedy); however, the best part was the first encore. Since it was a general admission show, the massive crowd was pushed up against the stage. After the last song of the set, Jason and three other members of his band came out to the sound mixing tent and set-up facing the rear of the audience. There they played three real groove based songs — percussion, a bass box, bass and Jason on guitar. The vocals and backing vocals were wonderful and clear. For the song “Lucky”, they brought out Alysse Fisher to sing the duet. “Geek In The Pink” left Jason alone on stage with Noel “Toca” Rivera on percussion.

You could not ask for anything more pleasing than to be able to fill your senses with this intimate climax.

Jason Mraz Photo Gallery

G. Love Photo Gallery

Philadelphia, PA — G. Love, on tour with Jason Mraz, played to his hometown crowd at Penn’s Landing’s Festival Pier. A severe thunderstorm delayed the start of his show but clear skies soon gave way to a beautiful evening.

During the storm, the crowd was advised to go into the enclosed area for their own safety. All of a sudden, Bushwalla got up on a chair and started playing. Bushwalla is a good friend of Jason Mraz. For quite some time, they were roommates. Besides MC’ing the show, Bushwalla is an accomplished singer and songwriter. It was nice to see his enthusiasm and spunk up-close and in-your-face. By the end of his impromptu set, the whole crowd was singing along to “Ghetto Blaster”.

After the storm passed, the crowd went back outside. It was not long before G. Love to the stage. G. Love (Garrett Dutton III) has a contemporary Bob Dylan sort-of presence on stage wearing a harmonica on a wire rack and playing the guitar while he sings. Originally from Society Hill in Philly, the local crowd sang along knowing every word to every song. Not only were they great songs to sing to, but the audience couldn’t help but to dance and move about.

The jam-packed jam set included: “Can’t Go Back To Jersey”, “Crumble”, “Peace, Love and Happiness”, “Hot Cookin’”, “Booty Call”, “Baby’s Got Sauce”, “Cold Beverage” and “I-76″.

“I-76″ was a real crowd pleaser and featured Katman on vocals.

But if you gotta get down real quick
The only way to go is I-76

Unless of course you wanna take the scenic view
Then East or West River Drive is right for you
But if you ain’t got time to lose
Put the pedal to the metal for the that voyage cruise
So get on down to I-76
Because in 1996 there ain’t no
Tricks in the mix

Get along 76ers
Charles Barkley dissed Larry Bird
Get along 76ers
Dr. J! Moses Malone
Get along 76ers
Jerry Stackhouse and Iverson

After the show, G. Love held a meet-and-greet for autographs. There I met Katman who indulged me with an autograph. Now a teacher for special needs children, Katman still continues to perform with The Burned Out Allstars. Back in the day, he co-wrote and performed I-76. These days he is pursuing a post-grad degree at Temple.

Philadelphia, PA — K’naan made a surprise appearance on the Festival Pier stage at Penn’s Landing. The Jason Mraz tour was suppose to open with G Love and Special Sauce at 7:00. But, at 6:30, K’naan and his band took the stage.

K’naan was born in Mogadishu, Somalia and spent grew up in Wardhiigleey “The River of Blood” during the Somali Civil War. His aunt, Magool, is a famous Somalian singer. His grandfather, Haji Mohamed, was a poet. Youssou N’Dour saw K’naan give a speech in front of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and was so moved by the spoken word piece that he asked K’naan to appear on his 2001 album Building Bridges. His touring led him to collaborate with Bob Marley’s youngest son Damian Marley.

The name, K’naan, means “traveler” in the Somali language. He brought his traveling stage show to Philly delighting the unsuspecting crowd.

K’naan’s musical style is hard to put your finger on. It blends reggae and hip-hop with other worldbeat styles, which was perfect for the audience to dance along with on a summer day. K’naan says that he makes “urgent music with a message”, That is how his set started… with a “freedom song”. Next, he went into a song from Troubadour (his latest album) called “Take A Minute”.

How did Mandela get the will to surpass the everyday,
When injustice had him caged and trapped in every way,
How did Gandhi ever withstand the hunger strikes and all,
Didn’t do it to gain power or money if I recall,
It’s to give; I guess I’ll pass it on,

After performing another dancable tune, the band finished with their anthem “Wavin’ Flag”.

So many wars, settling scores,
Bringing us promises, leaving us poor,
I heard them say, love is the way,
Love is the answer, that’s what they say,
But look how they treat us, Make us believers,
We fight their battles, then they deceive us,
Try to control us, they couldn’t hold us,
Cause we just move forward like Buffalo Soldiers.

As soon as they finished, the skies opened up, rain poured and lightening filled the sky — a fitting end to an electrifying concert.

Photo Gallery

Philadelphia, PA (Upper Darby, Pennsylvania) — Dream Theater put together and is headlining the Progressive Nation Tour featuring three other progressive rock bands — Scale The Summit, Bigelf and Zappa Plays Zappa. The Tower Theatre offered a perfect venue for both sound quality and atmosphere.

Dream Theater took the stage behind a giant black curtain. As the curtain dropped, a striking light show and stage setup was reveled. It is hard to say how many pieces were in Mike Portnoy’s drum set but more than could be counted. Just the 3 bass drums were hard enough to comprehend.

They started with two songs from the most recent album Black Clouds and Silver Linings. A Nightmare To Remember opened the show followed by Rite Of Passage.
Perhaps the biggest crowd pleaser was Prophets Of War from their last album Systematic Chaos with the entire audience singing along and throwing their fist into the air.

With the amazing abilities of all the players, it was difficult to not get hypnotized into watching any one of their performances. John Myung plays the bass as though he were a lead guitar virtuoso. John Petrucci guitar work is considered by many to be the best in the world. Watching Mike Portnoy, you are not sure whether he is man or machine… until you see him spit. Not only does James Labrie offer soaring vocals, he also brings plenty of heart and soul to the stage. Jordan Rudess is both fun and interesting to watch. As a performer, he is a joy to behold. As a musician, he offers complex playing and obscure synthesizers. Because he is such a keyboard wizard, he is portrayed in a wizard costume on the animation that plays on a screen beside him.

Not only does Dream Theater present great eye candy with their light show, they also have two on-stage screens. One is next to Jordan, and the other is a large screen that hangs above the band. Sometimes the large screen is used to show live shots of the musicians playing, but more often than not, it is used to show the story line of the song. On Prophets Of War, animation of an ant colony carrying bullets relayed the message. Whether it was a wheelchair or drops of rain, the video portion would complement the live performance. It is really one of those shows that you have to see (and hear) to believe.

Setlist
A Nightmare To Remember
Rite Of Passage
Hollow Years
Erotomania
Voices
Prophets Of War
Count Of Tuscany

Encore
Metropolis Part 1: The Miracle And The Sleeper

Dream Theater Photo Gallery

Scale The Summit Photo Gallery
Bigelf Photo Gallery
Zappa Plays Zappa Photo Gallery