Zuli, Shy Boyz, Wildflower and S.M. Wolf @ The Pharmacy.
Text by Donte Kirby. Images by Briana Spause.
Zuli, Shy Boyz (above), Wildflower and S.M. Wolf put on a killer show last Wednesday at the Pharmacy, the venue/ coffee shop tucked away in the side-streets of South Philly.
Wildflower opened the night with a set that was pure, raw energy. From the first garage rock chord, the guitarist’s orange curly fro was banging harder than any bobble head I’ve ever seen. The set was full of theatrics, from teeth strumming to spinning on top of a bass.
S.M. Wolf traveled all the way from Indianapolis to grace the Pharmacy stage. The four piece gave those at the Pharmacy’s intimate setting a taste of their full length album coming this October in their highly polished set.
From the get-go, S.M. Wolf garnered respect and interest from the mostly fellow musicians in the crowd. Lead singer and guitarist Adam Gross face was red and his neck veins ever-present as he belted out songs like “The Meadow” from their cassette Canine Country Club.
The psychedelic four piece Zuli hit the stage and displayed the joys of their record Supernatural Voodoo despite having to combat some feedback issues. Feedback in one way, shape or form reared its ugly head in every band’s set but not one let it get in their way.
Zuli made a particular note to the crowd that “we’re going to power through,” and the feedback didn’t cause a hiccup in the harmonies of “Keep it Together” or stifle the cool vibes of the title track “Super Natural Voodoo.”
Closing the night was Shy Boyz, a motley crew of snazzy dressers that could be one show away from a cult following. To say it was an experience wouldn’t really do it justice. There was a literal love TKO, a dead lover’s ballad that included a zombie ghost grind fest, and I was given a lap dance by a man in a diaper. All that was backed by the sexiest sax in town and vocals that Ron Burgundy would sell his soul to have a tenth of.
By the end of the show I was personally drained and I didn’t even do the workouts guided by Jim “You don’t have to go to the gym” Daily, the band’s personal trainer.
Again, the show was an experience to say the least.
We were able to catch up with the guys from Zuli for a few Q’s and a few A’s…
Can you tell us a little bit about the album Supernatural Voodoo?
Ryan Camenzuli: I had just graduated college and I really wanted to do music, so it was an outlet that reflected the things you aspire to in life and everything that every 20-something goes through with kind of my own perspective on that.
What do you want listeners to get out of your music?
RC: If they connect to a lyric that’s awesome. If they just enjoy the melodies or enjoy the vibes that’s awesome. Most art is like you put it out there from a way that you see it and a way that you would feel towards it. As long as it’s positive, it doesn’t really matter to me.
Do you guys have a tour date you’re most excited for?
RC: I’m excited for everything but our home show will be at Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn. I’ve seen a lot of my favorite bands there. It’s going to be fun and it’s going to be a free show too.
Can you tell us a little bit more about Baby’s All Right and the Brooklyn music scene?
RC: We’re a little bit outside of the Brooklyn music scene because we’re from Long Island but we’re in there all the time. Brooklyn music scene is interesting. Obviously there’s a lot of awesome Brooklyn bands. I also think all these bands are very close and intimate, there’s definitely like a scene to it. Sometimes whether playing with this band or some others in the past, you definitely get a like “Okay, all the Brooklyn bands kinda sound like this right now. Alright, all the Brooklyn bands sound a little bit like this right now.” So I kind of feel like there’s like a bubble to it sometimes. Some bands that are from New York but not in Brooklyn sometimes have a little bit of a different flavor that they can bring because they’re not so zoned in, if that makes sense.
Joe Villafane: At the same time I would say Zuli’s music isn’t your typical Long Island sounding band. I feel like in New York, especially between Brooklyn and Long Island, you can kind of tell that “Oh that’s a Long Island, that’s a Brooklyn band.” This music is a lot more vintage and pyshcdelic sounding than what you hear off the Island usually. I can say that objectively because I didn’t write it and I just get to play in the live band.
Do you have any advice for any up and coming musicians?
RC: We don’t have any label backing us, no booking agent right now, but just not being “Oh I’m going to wait for so-and-so to do it for me.” Or like “Oh I would put my music out but I want this person to be in contact with me before I do it.” Just do it.
JV: I would just say go with your gut. Don’t let other people tell you what you should or should not be doing. If it doesn’t feel right, there’s probably a reason it doesn’t feel right. And if it feels really good, there’s probably a reason for that too. Don’t play music with people you don’t love genuinely. Don’t let anybody bring you down at all. Just create the music you want to make, not what someone else wants you to make.
Kyle Conlon: I would say just keep going. For me, I’ve been playing for almost ten years now and it’s just kind of like you’ll find the right people. That’s like the hardest part honestly and I found the right people. I’m happy where I’m at and that’s the main goal.
Greg Coffey: Do it now, don’t wait until tomorrow.
Anything you feel like people should know?
RC: We have an awesome van that has N64 points built into the walls of the van. That’s probably the coolest part of our tour, not the Baby’s All Right show, not any of the parties or people.
JV: We have a few off days up at Zuli’s lake house. We’re going to go paddle boarding and discover a 5,000 year old mask that if you touch it you can live forever. That I’m looking forward to.
GC: That’ll be an adventure.
JV: N64 and that (5,000 year old mask) borderline sums it up.
JUMP: The Philly Music Project 
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