[DID NOT ATTEND: October 10-15, 2022] Philly Music Fest 2022
Every year since 2019 I have participated in Philly Music Fest in some way. But this year I wound up giving the whole thing a miss.
Philly Music Fest is a non-profit endeavor focused exclusively on local bands, with all proceeds donated to local music education charities. Philly Music Fest features both established and up and coming artists, showcasing the diversity of the Philadelphia music scene.
It wasn’t because of a bad lineup or anything, it was that I had tickets to other shows every night. I wound up not going to all of those shows anyway, but basically I was already booked for the whole Fest.
This year’s line up was even bigger than last year’s
October 10, 2022 at Ardmore Music Hall
- Marielle Kraft is a poignant indie pop singer-songwriter
- Electric Candlelight is a heavy psychedelic band that I was supposed to see open for Fuzz
- Mt. Joy is a band I’ve heard on the radio a bunch who I don’t particularly like, so not so great in the headliner here.
October 11, 2022 at Ardmore Music Hall
- Stereo League is apparently impossible to describe using concrete words as I can’t figure out what their music sounds like from the blurbs I’ve read.
- Salika is an R&B singer
- Mt. Joy of the two nights I wouldn’t have picked this one anyhow.
October 12, 2022 at World Cafe Live
- Perpetual Motion is described as dynamic acoustic jazz who play blues, rock, jazz, and world music
- Kayleigh Goldsworthy is a folk singer who I saw open for Frank Turner. She was great.
- Ron Gallo is not Vincent Gallo, which is what I think every time I see his name. Ron is an indie guy who I’ve never heard but who must be pretty popular or interesting if he keeps popping up.
- Lady HD is a kind of psychedelic pop band whose name reminds me too much of that Lady A fracas that bubbled up a few years ago.
- Low Cut Connie is one of the bigger bands at the festival. I’d never want to see them, but I like some of their songs.
October 13, 2022 at Johnny Brenda’s
- This was the night I would have gone to
- The Ire is a four-piece goth-tinged post-punk band. I like their overall sound.
- Ghosh is a band I’ve wanted to see: they’re pissed off, informed, and ready to party.
- Screaming Females are terrific and even better live. I thought this would sell out in a second.
October 14, 2022 at REC Philly
- This was a free show. A night of hip hop and beat curated by Working on Dying who I’ve never heard of of
October 14, 2022 at The Dolphin
- The Dolphin is a new-ish venue that I’ve yet to check out.
- Max Swan is saxophonist, vocalist, and producer influenced y likes of Stevie Wonder, James Blake.
- Echo Kid is two guys from RFA. This is a hazier, no-holds-barred, psychedelic reimagining of the way they’d approach their songwriting process with a languorous sense of ease, effortless genre-blending, and an amalgam of intentional recorded conversation
- Shamir is an artist I’d like to see live. They keep popping up as an opening act and then something happens and I don’t see them. Here’s another miss.
October 15, 2022 at Underground Arts
- This would have been my pick for show of the Fest, if I hadn’t already been overbooked.
- Justmadnice is blues-dipped psychedelic jazz.
- Riverby are a fun indie rock band with a loose sound (and a cover of “Walk Through the Fire” from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
- Empath is a band I was supposed to see open for Fucked Up but the couldn’t make the rescheduled date. They are kind of noisy and poppy and punky and are probably very fun live.
- Mannequin Pussy is one of my favorite new(ish) bands. They are amazing live and are always worth seeing.
The 2023 Fest is bound to be great too.
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The last show that I’m aware of that went on before the pandemic shut everything down was this Sudan Archives show at Johnny Brenda’s. A friend of mine went to this show (she had gotten tickets early) and said that so few people had actually shown up to this sold out show that they were letting people buy tickets at the door.
I love The Afghan Whigs’ album Gentlemen. I should love more by them, but I like them just fine (never been in the cult of Dulli). I’ve never really been interested in seeing them live. But a Free at Noon is a great way to get a thirty or so minute show without committing to an evening out.
