Text by Kevin Sullivan. Images by Luong Huynh.
If you weren’t fortunate enough to get into last night’s sold out Hunx and His Punx show at PhilaMOCA, I’m sorry, but you missed a great time. Between two giant banners of oversized middle fingers and upside down crosses, bands filled the venue with catchy, dance-y garage rock and good vibes. Read more…
This is Hardcore Day 3 with Intern Bree.
Text by Bree Wood. Images by Kate Bodnar.
It’s hard to believe today is the last day of This is Hardcore 2013. So much music has been packed into the last couple of days. Philadelphia’s own Beware was one of the bands to kick of the afternoon. They opened up with a Let Down introduction which was cool for me because I grew up in the Doylestown hardcore scene. Teenage flashbacks… all good times.
Boston area bands like World War 4, Defeater and Rival Mob all put on a great set… but my favorite was definitely Rival Mob (see our interview with them a few posts back as part of our pre-show coverage). Frontman Brendan Radigan is always so much fun to watch. He is constantly moving and gives off so much energy it is infectious to the crowd.
This is Hardcore 2013 with Intern Bree: Day 2.
Text by Bree Wood. Images by Kate Bodnar.
If you’re as exhausted as I am, you were at This is Hardcore 2013 tonight and you had a kick-ass time. Friday night is the traditional kick-off to the Fest, and there was no better way to start than with Rock Bottom‘s set. Even though it was only 5PM on a Friday, it was a packed house even with the rain. Rock Bottom’s momentum transcended into the next couple of sets and only got more intense when Incendiary took the stage. It just gets even wilder from there.
Prefuse 73 and Spaceship Aloha @ Morgan’s Pier.
Text is by Veronica Kirin. Images by Luong Huynh.
On the banks of the Delaware River, against the backdrop of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, Morgan’s Pier was once more alight with sound and spotlights on Wednesday night.
Spaceship Aloha (right) opened with his chill sounds and rhythmic beats. Just back from a tour in Japan, Christopher Powell, the drummer for Man Man, compelled the crowd to sway and rock. A good deal of his beats were hand-crafted on the spot using an electronic drum pad.
Our second and final act was Prefuse 73 (aka. Guillermo Scott Herren, top image). He was still jet-lagged from a show in Moscow. Had I not spoken with him before the show, I never would have known.
He rolled into his set with a heavy hand, inducing the crowd to dance while juggling their beer. Most of his show felt like a journey through space and time. Nearing the end of his set, he began to break out some of the vocals he is known for from previous albums, adding the ethereal to the ride.
This is Hardcore 2013 with Intern Bree: Day 1.
It may have been a regular Thursday night for some, but for hardcore kids near and far, tonight was the kick off for This is Hardcore 2013, the biggest, most anticipated, annual hardcore fest in the country which runs from August 8th-11th at the Electric Factory.
The night started with the band Truth, and from their it was smooth sailing with bands like Striking Distance, Cold World, Black Train Jack and Kill Your Idols (if you missed this, I’m sorry, sincerely!!!) but the most anticipated set was the topper of the evening – Kid Dynamite‘s last Philly show. It is sad to see them leave but great that they went out raging. They played pretty much every song, and the crowd sang everything with them verbatim. Andy West even came in for some guest vocals. It was really something special to see. As we were leaving, you could overhear everyone saying how excited they were to have just seen that set (if you check out our Instagram @jumpphilly we have some videos for you there…. there’s some pretty fantastic stage dives too).
If you haven’t gotten tickets yet for the weekend don’t worry! You can still buy some at the box office. This is Hardcore has plenty of food trucks, such as Rival Bros. and if you got a sweet tooth Little Baby’s Ice Cream is there as well. There was even rumor of a pulled pork french fry po’ boy… there’s also a bag check, a bar, places to sit yourself down… what else do you need? Honestly, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be here. Don’t miss out on great bands like Judge, Gwar, Negative Approach, and much, much more. Come on down the Electric Factory and get your stage dive on!
Keep an eye out for me and my trusty sidekick Kate as we rally up some candids and impromptu interviews throughout the rest of the weekend. Keep your eye to the Blog! See you there!
-Intern Bree
This Is Hardcore Fest Preview: Judge.
This is Hardcore 2013 is the biggest, most anticipated, annual hardcore fest in the country which runs from August 8th-11th at the Electric Factory. Gracing the stage this year will be Gwar, Kid Dynamite, Modern Life is War and Paint it Black, to name a few.
This week, our Bree Wood caught up with Mike “Judge” Ferraro, frontman for the New York based straight edge band Judge, currently on Revelation Records. Formed in 1987, Judge’s music has greatly influenced the hardcore scene which makes their first-ever appearance at this year’s TIH one for the books. You can catch them Saturday, August 10th. Photo provided by Judge.
Eleven Things You Need To Do This Week!
It’s a busy week, capped off by the always tremendous This is Hardcore Fest, brought to you by Philly’s own Joe Hardcore (above, in his role as medieval ass-kicker). We’ve put your game plan together right here with a wide-variety of shows – many of which are free (or wicked cheap), almost all of which feature Philly talent.
Mayer Hawthorne, King Britt and Jay O @ The Hard Rock Cafe.
Text and Images by Jumah Chaguan.
Sometimes a moment is more than a moment. It’s not until much later that one realizes the value of what occured before one’s eyes.
On Saturday, that moment came in the form of an amazing DJ lineup at the Hard Rock Cafe.
The venue brought together two powerhouses of the DJ scene, King Britt and Mayer Hawthorne. Although many know Hawthorne for his neo-soul crooning, he started his music career scratching vinyl. Read more…
Cayetana @ Miner Street Recordings.
Text and images by Jessica Flynn.
Cayetana spent the day at Miner Street Recordings in the studio with Matt Schimelfenig. They recorded their song “Hot Dad Calendar” for an upcoming music video, which is expected to be out “hopefully” mid-September and should be loads of fun.
Skylar Grey finished her 2013 summer tour this past weekend in San Francisco.
More importantly, the 27-year-old Wisconsin native kicked it off right here in Philadelphia earlier this month.
In its first week of release, Skylar Grey’s second studio album, Don’t Look Down, debuted at #8 on the Billboard 200.
“First day of tour, the day after the album releases as number 3 on iTunes,” she exclaimed through sips of beer during her show at World Café Live on July 10th. “I’ve been drinking all night!”
Our Morgan James spoke with the refreshingly candid and fashionably grunge artist (picture a satisfying cross between rocker Avril Lavigne and model Cara Delevingne) about her album, her experience as a songwriter (you may have jammed to some of her hits – Dirty Money’s “Coming Home” as well as Rihanna and Eminem’s Love “The Way You Lie”) and the relatable journey of self-discovery we all ultimately embark. Images by Morgan James.
Your album debuted the day before your Philadelphia show and charted number 3 on iTunes. As a native Philadelphian, I’m honored you shared this special moment with us.
Thank you! I LOVE Philly. Every time I come here people treat me really well. I always look forward to coming.
JUMP: The Philly Music Project 
