Norwegian Arms, Clique, Mannequin Pussy and More @ Walla Fest at PhilaMOCA.
Text and images by Tim Mulhern.
Walla Fest made its Philadelphia debut earlier this month at PhilaMOCA with an eclectic mix of music, art and films.
After spending a few years based in Norristown at The Center Theater, Walla Fest moved to the city and settled down at the mausoleum-turned-art space that has been taking on an increasing number of shows, fests and other events to fill the void left by the closing of Golden Tea House.
Although PhilaMOCA is considerably smaller than the multi-floor Center Theater, Walla Fest made full use of the space available. Art covered the walls and hung from the ceiling, vendors lined the perimeter of the floor selling goods ranging from cassette tapes and earrings, to glassware and bucket hats, and short films were shown on the projector screen behind the stage set for bands.
Littler opened the weekend with a set of straightforward, riff-heavy punk, which contrasted with Shannen Moser’s acoustic set that followed. Moser’s subtle instrumental arrangements allowed her powerful voice to shine. Moser announced that she is the first artist to be featured on Philadelphia clothing company Thread Society’s video series Thread Sessions. A live session with Moser is up on Thread Society’s website along with a limited edition t-shirt with proceeds benefiting Girls Rock Philly.
Based out of Baltimore, Mothpuppy plays both solo and full band shows. At Walla Fest, guitarist Ryan Vieira joined guitarist and singer Morgan Murphy. The duo shared their hushed, acoustic songs filled with Murphy’s personal lyrics and Vieira’s supporting melodies. Rapper Rhetoric Wallace’s set began on a serious note after he announced that his partner, Uncle Crimson, would not perform with him after being forced to deal with personal mental health issues. The rapper took a few minutes stressed the importance of mental health advocacy to the audience. All things considered, Wallace performed a tight set with the help of PhilaMOCA’s in-house sound person queuing up the instrumentals.
A break between shows allowed attendees to appreciate the art on display and catch a short film or two. Screenings included Super Stupid!!! by Madeline Babuka, Transient Pictures’ Am I Next? and He Miss Road by Charles Cadkin and Rob Hunt.
The Districts frontman Rob Grote was a late addition to the lineup after Brandon Can’t Dance dropped unexpectedly. But Grote is no stranger to the Walla Fest stage. On stage, Grote recalled when he and his band mates played the Norristown edition of the fest in 2012. Much has changed since then, but one couldn’t guess by the way Grote performed on Saturday night. Armed with a guitar and a foot-operated synth, Grote performed highlights from The Districts’ most recent effort, A Flourish and a Spoil, as well as new, unreleased tracks. The energy and passion found in The Districts’ full band performances was not lost in Grote’s stripped down set.
Clique followed, playing a tight, noticeably louder set that featured most of their self-titled in addition to unreleased tracks. NAH and Mannequin Pussy closed out Saturday night with two high-energy sets. Armed with a drum set, synthesizers, samplers and a handful of effects pedals, NAH brought his one-man band to the floor of PhilaMOCA, setting up in the middle of the crowd earnest to experience his brand of harsh and abrasive industrial rap. Mannequin Pussy closed out Saturday’s performances with a set that prompted the first and only mosh pit of the weekend.
Sunday’s performances opened with a set from Kississippi. Guitarist Colin Kupson spent the majority of the band’s set with their back to the audience, letting their guitar playing speak for itself, while singer and bassist Zoe Reynolds anchored the band’s sound alongside drummer Alex Stolte. Rapper Buddy Leezle entertained the crowd with a performance that included a short set of Twin Peaks-themed raps – an appropriate move in a venue with a mural dedicated to David Lynch’s Eraserhead painted on an exterior wall. The Retinas and Frontyards closed out Sunday’s early show. Guitarist and singer Tom McHugh’s snarled vocals laid the foundation for the band’s reverb-heavy set. Frontyards combined surf rock-inspired lead guitar melodies with jazzy instrumentals to create an impressively tight sound to round out Sunday’s early show.
Cory McConnell’s excellent documentary on Philly transplants Girlpool, Things are O.K was featured during Sunday’s screenings alongside Eliot Bech’s Holmes Disposer, A Vicious Heart by Sophia Bennett and We’re Gonna Be Lords by Robert Lopuski.
Walla Fest paid tribute to its Norristown roots with a set from Rich Flow, a veteran of the fest. Hailing from Sea Cliff, New York, Turnip King blended shoegaze and psychedelic for a jam-heavy set. Three-piece Hello Shark took a considerably more mellow approach to their set. Guitarist and vocalist Lincoln Halloran half-spoke, half-sang his intimate, vulnerable lyrics with sparse instrumental accompaniment. Norwegian Arms (top image) wrapped the weekend with an upbeat and high energy set that drew inspiration from folk-rock and Afro-pop.
Walla Fest made its home in Philadelphia and after a successful debut, it doesn’t look like it’s leaving any time soon.
JUMP: The Philly Music Project 
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