Queen of Jeans @ Kung Fu Necktie with Louie Louie and The Mysteries.
Text and images by Rick Kauffman.
A week after the JUMP-curated party at The Foundry, which featured opener Queen of Jeans wowing the packed house ahead of the headlining Vacationer, the ladies and gentleman played to another sold-out gig at Kung Fu Necktie.
In support of the band’s new release, the Queen of Jeans EP, released on January 22, 2016, the lady-led trio of Miriam Devora, Matheson Glass and Nina Scotto, with drummer Patrick Wall, played host to a time-warp of sorts Saturday night.
The Mysteries, a Philly-based rock-and-roll group with a hauntingly groovy brand of 70s-era psych, opened the night with a seductive and commandeering performance by frontman Rodney Jacobs. With his flair for blues guitar the band’s timeless sound draws comparisons from The Doors — even Jacobs’ eye shadow may harken back to Jim Morrison’s signature rock star sex appeal — but some of the deeper grooves hit harder on the acid rock spectrum. The organ often takes audible control in the band’s eight-track release, with the guitar and bass adding texture while the lyrically adept Rogers croons and howls.
Their self-titled debut was released last October.
The ladies of Louie Louie, a poppy garage rock quartet from Philly, harkened back on various tracks to the surf rock of Southern California in the early sixties — heavily reverbed guitar solos, gang vocals and smooth harmonies. There’s always something powerful about the all-female gang vocal, and Louie Louie certainly captured an imposing punk aesthetic. All dressed in shiny jumpsuits — the kind that someone from the dawn of the nuclear age would assume aliens would wear — propagated to the audience, “We are your friends.”
Completing the trifecta of vibrations came Queen of Jeans, whose parents were among the attendees screaming and begging for more. Spooky, dreamy and mysterious, the endless reverb on their vocals was haunting and beautiful, and when the group harmonizes with the “woo’s” one can’t help but swoon. Finishing with “Dance (Get Off Your Ass)” provoked the mother of lead singer Miriam Devora (not her real name) to scream “get off your ass and sing another song!” and that they did.
The Mysteries are playing another gig at KFN tonight. Louie Louie plays next at Ortlieb’s on February 16. And Queen of Jeans will be at Johnny Brenda’s on the 19th of February.
Bobb Bruno from Best Coast: “California Nights Isn’t Like Anything We’ve Done Before.”
Coming off the release of California Nights, their third studio album, California duo Best Coast will be going on a month-long tour, dubbed “Summer Is Forever II,” with Wavves and Cherry Glazer. Bethany Cosentino and Bobb Bruno will bring the tour to the Electric Factory on February 17.
Our Emily Scott spoke with Bruno about the band and their latest record.
In Bethany’s mission statement, she talks a lot about different things but the overarching theme seems to be becoming more aware of where you’re from, all the good and bad, and becoming more aware of yourself. Is her message something that also resonated with you or was there something else?
My thing in the band is just trying to help Bethany realize her vision for the album and adding my vibe and conveying the way we think it should go. Bethany was pretty young when we first started. When we started out, we didn’t plan to be a successful band. So she has grown a lot, from traveling a lot and making big decisions – like what career path the band will take us. With each record, I feel like we have grown a little more.
This is your first record with Harvest Records and your second time working with Wally Gagel. This record definitely has a larger sound. Going into this record, was the idea for this kind of punchier sound?
In the past, when we were going to do a record, we had a specific sphere of influences. The first one was The Beatles and The Ramones. The second was the Eagles and Fleetwood Mac. With this one, we decided that each song is going to have whatever vibe we wanted to have. A lot of that was having more guitars, layered sounds. The Only Place is a more laid back record. For this one, we wanted to have more rock songs.
Bethany has been quoted saying that you guys took more risks on this album? What would you say some of these are?
When we started playing live, we were a three piece, Now, there are five of us on stage. At least for me, I would always think about how could we play something live with so few people and I didn’t think about it this time. If we wanted something in the song, we didn’t worry about it. We figured out how we would dictate it live after the fact. We were not afraid to have more songs that are different.
What were some of your inspirations for writing parts for this record?
For my guitar stuff, basically I would drive to the studio every day and listen to Coheed & Cambria or some weird, math rock stuff. Nothing like on the record. I really like the first couple of Jane’s Addiction records. So, for my solos, those were influences for me. In anything Best Coast, my main guitar influences will always be Lindsey Buckingham from Fleetwood Mac, Billy Zoom and Tony Gilkyson from the band X.
California Nights was definitely the biggest track on the album. What was the inspiration for the solo you have on it?
That was definitely one of the Jane’s Addiction influences. That one, more than any other on the record, came together the easiest. When Bethany demoed the song, it was just her guitar and her voice. Right away, I sat down on the drum kit I have at home. I think the first take I did, I got all of the drum parts in, did the bassline, some keyboard overdub and then the main guitar stuff. So, before we even went into the studio, I had it figured out. The original solo was definitely more Dave Navarro.
You guys are touring with Wavves. Have you all been good friends over the years, both sharing your love for California? Was the plan for your winter tour to be with them?
We did another co-headlining tour with Wavves a few years ago called Summer Is Forever, so this is a continuation of that. We wanted to do a co-headlining tour for this upcoming one and Wavves just seemed like the best fit. There is a crossover in our fan bases and it is just made a good bill. Also, having Cherry Glazer on the tour is really fun.
Ratatat @ The Electric Factory with Hot Sugar.
Text by Kyle Bagenstose. Images by Teresa McCullough.
About 45 minutes into Ratatat‘s rescheduled set at the Electric Factory Sunday night, I became Napoleon Dynamite. I was undoubtedly the dork of the packed crowd: showing up with blue jeans tucked into thick snow boots and badly in need of a shower after a weekend of shoveling, surrounded by a raucous crowd of intoxicated teens and 20-somethings, the air thick with weed.
But despite my best efforts to stand along the wall and simply observe, there was my right snowboot, uncontrollably tapping faster and faster as the electronic/dance/rock/jam/whatever duo from New York City ripped through a seventeen-song set. By the end, Ratatat’s Mike Stroud and Evan Mast had transformed me from a tired wallflower to a giddy, head bopping fool, just like the rest of the thousands of others who had made the excellent decision to squeeze one last bit of enjoyment out of a snow-covered blizzard of a weekend.
And what a treat it was. Ratatat played the same room in 2011 after releasing their fourth studio album, LP4. While that was entertaining, their showmanship and production has grown by leaps and bounds as they now tour after the release of their first album in five years, 2015’s Magnifique. I thought it was cool enough when a pair of intense, white laser beams shot forth from the stage as the duo took the stage playing “Pricks of Brightness,” (notice the connection) but as the show progressed, an array of stunning visuals had cell phones out and trained on the effects.
There was the clouds-like effect of smoke being caught in the air by a wide, ceiling-like laser on the ode-to-relaxation that is “Drift” (again, notice the connection), crazy kaleidoscope bird heads on “Grape Juice City” (complete with bird chirping on the electronic track), and mesmerizing, multi-colored, strobing laser beams firing everywhere on “Nightclub Amnesia.”
And, oh yeah, these guys know how to make music. Eschewing any vocals in favor of their signature sound of “reverse guitars,” Stroud and Mast let their instruments do the emoting. Throughout the set, Mast primarily mans the bass and Stroud the six-string, as they layer those sounds onto recorded percussion, brass, strings, keys, bells, and everything else they fit into their music. But, they also switch into playing those live: floor toms, keyboards, and even pedal steel on “Supreme,” which actually inspired many of the crowd’s couples to begin slow dancing.
This is the wonder of Ratatat: each of their songs transport the listener to a new place. One minute you’re throwing up the Devil’s Horns as Stroud shreds through the climax of “Mirando,” the next you’re grooving through outerspace with Mast’s bassline on “Nostrand,” the next you’re disco dancing to the electronic sounds of “Shempi.”
Now with brilliant visuals to match the beautiful layering of the music, Ratatat’s 75-minute set was a whirlwind of dance, rock, and all around wonderment that provided the perfect punctuation to Philly’s snow-laden weekend.
Prior to Ratatat’s set, the crowd was warmed up by Hot Sugar, the stage name of New York’s Nick Koenig. One could see why, as Koenig is similarly styled as the headliners, working mainly from a MacBook and effects board but working in live instrumentation from a six-string and bass. While the set inspired the front portion of the crowd to movement at times, Koenig’s cave-like sounds and trippy background visuals were more subdued than Ratatat’s rousing presentation.
Vacationer @ The Foundry with Weekender and Queen of Jeans.
Thanks to all those who came out to The Foundry last Thursday night for the JUMP-curated Red Bull Sound Select featuring Vacationer, Weekender and Queen of Jeans. It was a great night of groovy music and cool vibes, all tied together by DJ Raymo Ventura.
Be sure to download Weekender’s new album, which dropped earlier this month.
And get the debut EP from Queen of Jeans here. Their official launch party is Saturday at Kung Fu Necktie (they go on around 9:30, so be sure to show up early).
You can next find the Vacationer guys performing on a cruise from Miami to Cozumel, Mexico in March. The trip sounds pretty amazing: also performing will be Paramore, CHVRCHES, New Found Glory, mewithoutyou and more.
The next JUMP-curated Red Bull Sound Select party will be on April 21 with OCD: Moosh & Twist. Stay tuned for details!
Chris Burrell: “Philly DJs Definitely Know How to Work a Room and Deliver the Vibes.”
It was another big year for electronic music in Philly.
We caught up with WKDU‘s Chris Burrell, who assembled this all-Philly mixtape with so many amazing sounds that dropped in 2015. Check out our interview with him below, where he details the rich history of the Philly DJ scene and talks about who is making moves now.
What was your favorite music from Philly this year?
If I had to pick only one Philly music thing that stood above and beyond this past year, it would be the Rare MP3s crew. What Noah, Ryan and the whole crew are doing over there is truly unique and amazing. In 2015, they racked up thousands of Soundcloud plays, got multiple premieres on Zane Lowe’s Beats Music show, worked with some of the biggest artists in the world and honed in on a really distinct sound and aesthetic that’s tasteful and diverse, venturing from club to rap to moody electronic music. That doesn’t even include what members of their crew are doing outside of Rare MP3s, with people like Heaven In Stereo and Sam Greens getting production credits on Fool’s Gold, Ryan mastering records for the likes of Baauer and RJD2 and so on. I expect even bigger things from those guys in 2016.
That being said, my taste in music generally tends to center on house and techno, and 2015 was a pretty massive year for Philly producers in that space. One of my favorite records from 2015, period, was from Maxine & Cleo, a Kansas City transplant named Cameron, who I’d never heard of before. His new Mad Blanc EP got released on the highly regarded Chicago label Argot and is four tracks of ultra vibey house music, each one bringing a little something different to the table. I’ve been getting promos from Argot for a little while, and when this one came through and I saw it said, ‘from Philly-based producer Maxine & Cleo,’ I was like “What!? Who is this?” That’s the thing with Philly though – so much of this amazing talent flies super under the radar and can go unnoticed here while making major waves elsewhere.
What DJs are making the most interesting beats/sounds? Who is throwing the best parties? Anybody ready to breakout?
One of the most unique and amazing sonic styles I’ve heard in quite some time is from Moor Mother Goddess. I had never heard of her, saw a feature on her in The FADER and was blown away. She’s got this raw, experimental, gritty and soulful sound that immediately grabs your ear. With each track she’s truly saying something, not afraid to shy away from the power of art to affect change.
Chris ‘Coolout’ Davis is killing the soulful house meets hip hop stuff right now and I know he’s sitting on a bunch of heat that’s waiting to see the light of day. He did a remix of Ralfi Pagan for the legendary Latin label Fania that is amazing, and whenever I play it people always ask me what it is. I know he’s sitting on a bunch of unreleased heat and he’s kind of prolific, so I would expect a big year from him.
The Universal Cave guys are also dominating, releasing groovy 7” records that are frequently top sellers in online stores such as Juno, earning the attention of major tastemakers such as Soul Clap. Whatever they put out is gold and ends up with thousands of plays on Soundcloud.
In terms of parties, the clubs are doing an amazing job of being opportunistic and booking artists that play New York and DC but might not have previously made a stop in Philly. Also, the afterhours scene and alternative venues are really thriving and do a great job providing a safe space for people to enjoy themselves outside the context of traditional venues.
How was 2015 different from past years? Haven’t we had a pretty deep bench on the DJ side for a long time now?
I think a lot of the DJs in Philly have been killing it for quite some time, but this past year saw a lot of them really start to break out of their shell and get onto bigger labels that are getting their music into the hands of some of the true tastemakers in the world. A few familiar faces to the Philly scene took on new monikers and had very successful years with the new projects.
A perfect example of that would be Michael Fichman, who goes by DJ Apt One, and has started working under the moniker Michael The Lion for his disco sounding stuff. He put out an amazing 12” on Brooklyn label Razor N Tape which got played all over BBC Radio 1, with one of his tracks getting featured in Glasgow mega-DJ Jackmaster’s 2015 Mastermix. Another example would be Billy Werner, who’s put out a ton of different music, but under his M/R project, put out a record on one of the most well regarded techno labels in the world, New York’s L.I.E.S.
When you hear a DJ spin, is there a way you can identify the Philly in them?
This is kind of a difficult one to answer because sonically ‘the Philly sound’ is so diverse – it’s not just disco or house, it’s club, rap, ambient, experimental, everything really. However, Philly can be somewhat of a notoriously difficult crowd to get going, so that definitely helps DJs cut their teeth. Philly DJs definitely know how to work a room and deliver the vibes.
Do you think the rest of the world recognizes the talent that comes out of Philly?
Philly gets a ton of love around the world, more than even here in Philly. I was at a record store in Mexico City recently and when I told the owner I was from Philly he got really excited and started telling me about how he loves listening to Cosmo Baker’s DJ sets and how they can’t keep Ovum records in stock because people buy them so fast. I found that interesting because I feel like a lot of folks in Philly don’t even realize that Ovum is a world-renowned label right here in our backyard quietly dominating the charts and clubs in Europe. Ovum has been operating on a high level for quite some time, but 2015 was a huge year for them. They re-issued the classic track “Pop Culture” from Philly guy DJ Dozia with a killer remix package, and one of the remixes (which appears in the mix) reached #1 on Traxsource while earning accolades like best new music from BBC Don Pete Tong.
I think that also goes for some of the lesser-known artists that come from Philly too. City Fitness and Kieran Loftus recently toured Europe, and when they told people they were from Philly, they got really excited immediately and were like “Oh, DJ Delish!” referencing the vogue producer.
Philly is definitely known as a DJ capital and it really always has been a tastemaking place for music – from American Bandstand in the 50s, to some of the massively influential radio jocks in the 60s and 70s, to the disco era and the classic “Philly sound,” to the legendary recording studios like Sigma Sound, to techno, to club and so on. I think we should be really proud of the rich history of DJs and musicians we have here.
At WKDU, we really try to provide an outlet and platform for local artists to get the exposure and press they deserve so that music fans in our area know how much amazing stuff is going on. It’s an essential part of the culture and radio support combined with smart clubs and great record stores are starting to lay down the foundation for artists in Philly to get the support that they really need and deserve.
Words by Vince Bellino. Images by Erin Marhefka.
G-Eazy packed The Fillmore last Wednesday for the first of two sold out nights on his When It’s Dark Out tour, bringing along the A-list lineup of A$AP Ferg, Marc E. Bassy, Nef the Pharaoh and Marty Grimes.
The night kicked off with blaring air horns as Marty Grimes made his entrance, performing a brief set, hyping up the crowd for the sets following as well as the following night’s performance. The fans were into it, wildly jumping up and down when Grimes called for a mosh pit during bass drops.
Nef the Pharaoh was on the stage just minutes after Grimes was off, donning a teddy bear costume from Ted for the duration of his set, keeping the crowd screaming its collective head off throughout his set. The crowd’s enthusiasm peaked with Nef’s two chants: “Fuck you, thunderfuck!” and “Nef the Pharaoh!” to the rhythm of the classic Flyers chant.
The smoothest voice of the night came from Marc E. Bassy, who crooned and rapped his way through a crowd pleasing collection of songs from mixtapes and his latest effort, his East Hollywood EP. Behind him, a video screen flashed trippy, Keith Haring-esque imagery that morphed and changed with the music. When he teased Ferg and Eazy, the crowd went wild, screaming louder than the music.
January 19 was not an easy night for A$AP Ferg — it was a year and a day after the death of his old friend and founding member of the now well-known A$AP Mob, A$AP Yams. In the midst of an energetic set, Ferg took a moment to pause and remember his friend. No one in the Mob would be as far as they are now if it hadn’t been for Yams, he said.
The screen enhanced Ferg’s set, flashing the words “Trap Lord,” the name of his popular album, behind him, as he brought out guests like Marty Baller, who appears on Ferg’s song “Big Timers.” As the beat for his popular hit “Shabba” kicked in, the crowd went wild, giving Ferg its loud approval.
Excitement was in the air of the packed room as G-Eazy’s crew tore down the screen and erected a new backdrop, an interactive strip mall that had Eazy’s drummer and DJ set up on top of a club advertising “Girls, Girls, Girls” and a motel.
Fans roared as the Oakland rapper burst out of the door in the backdrop, launching into a lengthy set in promotion of his new album When It’s Dark Out. Eazy performed most of the songs off the album, including “Some Kind of Drug,” during which he brought Bassy back out to recreate his feature on the track.
Recounting his early performances in Philadelphia at venues like The Barbary and TLA and a slot on Warped Tour 2012. Eazy had no shortage of Philadelphia love, thanking the crowd for making it like a home across the country. Eazy brought Grimes back out to perform with him, reminding the crowd he’d been with Grimes since he was a teenager and wouldn’t ever take their support for granted.
Closing out his long set was his hit “Me, Myself and I,” the crowd loudly singing along. He left through the same door he entered, but came back out a moment later to perform an encore. Making sure his fans knew he was almost out of time, he asked if he could perform more songs. The answer? A resounding yes.
At the end of the encore, the crowd was calm for the first time since Grimes’ first bass drop. The party, hosted by G-Eazy and friends, was over — at least until night two.
Joe Montone: “We Try to Celebrate the Localness of Everything.”
As part of our partnership with Philly Beer Scene magazine, we’re documenting Philly’s relationships between music and beer. For the most recent issue of Philly Beer Scene, G.W. Miller III spoke with Joe Montone, former frontman of Heat Thunder, about building the music scene in his hometown of Doylestown.
It started as a way to make the summer fun, a break from the norm. In June, Joe Montone, the special events coordinator at Maxwell’s on Main in Doylestown, created the Double Take Thursday series, where local musical acts perform whole sides of famous albums in a competition that could win them some cash.
“It’s about discovering new artists,” Montone says. “while celebrating classic music.”
Badd Kitti defeated Glim Dropper that first night, with both bands performing half of Prince’s classic Purple Rain. Badd Kitti went on to the final round where they faced Moonbreaker, with both bands performing from Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors.
“We’re not a cover band, so it was a lot of work to learn the music and add our style,” says Dallas Hosey, Moonbreaker’s bass player. “But it was a blast.”
Other nights have featured bands performing Weezer and No Doubt.
“It adds a fun element to it,” Montone says, “rather than just a battle of the bands.”
Winners of the ongoing monthly event are selected by audience applause as measured by a smartphone app.
The series at MOMs – as Maxwell’s on Main is called, is just the most recent thing that Montone, a Doylestown native and longtime musician, has done to boost the local music scene.
The Archbishop Wood graduate, now 26, began booking jazz shows at the Bucks County Coffee Co. shop when he was 19 years old and working at the cafe.
When nearby Siren Records was evicted from their Main Street location in 2008 because of back rent owed, Montone helped organize a benefit concert for the music shop and part-time venue that had become a focal point for a generation of young music fans. Local legends Into It. Over It, The Feverfew and Peasant performed.
He continued booking shows at the coffee shop but Montone also launched A Very Communal Commotion, a monthly live concert series in unusual locations – a cigar shop, a clothing boutique, a small community garden, etc. – all on the same night.
“What I really like is when we can transform an already unique space into something else and bring new life to it,” he says.
The shows eventually migrated to Siren Records when they reopened in their State Street location. Montone continues to book shows there as well.
Along the way, Montone formed his own band, Heat Thunder (above), and performed around the region for about three years. He moved to South Philly for a little while but he quickly returned to the town that he advocates for so strongly.
“We’re trying to make MOMs a gathering place for the whole music experience – musicians and music lovers,” Montone says.
The restaurant specializes in craft beers, with locally-produced brews from Free Will Brewing, Yards, Neshaminy Creek and Philadelphia Brewing Company regularly on tap. Almanac, Uinta, Half Acre and Avery Brewing beers are often available as well.
There’s a thriving music scene centered in Doylestown, Montone says, one that transforms the charming, all-American village into a lively borough.
“Once the sun goes down,” he says, “it’s not the same small town anymore.”
Joseph Conyers & The Curtis Institute of Music: Connecting Education and the Performing Arts.
Text by Jennifer Granato. Images by xST/Shawn Theodore.
Joseph Conyers has come a long way, from a 5-year-old living in Savannah, Georgia and plucking away on piano to the assistant principal bassist in the Philadelphia Orchestra.
“My mother wanted all her kids to grow up playing classical music,” he explains. “She’s an amateur singer herself. That was my introduction to the symphonic world.”
Conyers picked up the bass at 11 and when time for college came around, the Curtis Institute of Music was on his application list.
“I never even heard of Curtis until the summer of my junior year,” Conyers notes. He applied and was accepted on his first try. Luckily there were two openings in the notoriously small bass program.
The Curtis Institute of Music, located on Rittenhouse Square at 18th and Locust streets, was founded in 1924 and has since become one of the most prestigious music conservatories in the entire world – in part, because of their selective admissions.
“This year, Curtis has 173 students enrolled from 20 different countries,” says Jennifer Kallend, Curtis’ senior director of public relations and patron engagement. “Enrollment is limited to the number of musicians needed for a symphony orchestra, opera department and select programs in piano, guitar, composition, conducting, organ and harpsichord.”
Curtis has a shockingly low acceptance rate. At 4 percent, as tracked by U.S. News and World Report, it’s one of the lowest acceptance rates of any institute of higher education in the country. That puts current enrollment numbers around 155 students enrolled at Curtis with approximately 105 in the orchestra. Since 1928, tuition has been free for every student.
“Since Curtis is so competitive to get into, and because it is so small, the talent level is really uniform,” says Daniel Matsukawa, principal bassoonist of the Philadelphia Orchestra. “Everyone there is quite excellent already but it’s never snobby. There’s a sense of good pride.”
Matsukawa, a resident of Mount Airy and a graduate of Curtis, now works as a professor at the school, teaching bassoon and woodwinds chamber music. As a student, he attended The Juilliard School for two years while waiting for an opening in Curtis’ bassoon program.
“Juilliard to me was really competitive and not in a good way,” Matsukawa explains. “It really felt like people were just out for themselves. At Curtis, it felt like, ‘Welcome, you’re part of the family now.’”
“Curtis is an incubator for the most protected and nurturing growth of the most talented musicians the school can find,” Conyers adds. “To my understanding, the Curtis orchestra didn’t even perform for the public until the 1980s.”
Today, the level of world-class talent in the heart of downtown, nestled among the city’s trendiest eateries and boutiques, is right under people’s noses, unbeknownst to some but not to all. The institute can seem like a world-renowned secret, at least to people here in the city.
“It doesn’t need to be but for some reason, it’s a well-kept secret and a treasure we have right here,” says Matsukawa.
“It’s probably less so now because Curtis has tried to become more global but I still think that most Philadelphians are not aware of this gem on Rittenhouse Square,” says Yumi Kendall, assistant principal cellist of the Philadelphia Orchestra. “Which, in a way, is so Philly-style, un-self-consciously awesome.”
Kendall herself is a Curtis alumna.
“It’s absolutely unique in the world,” she continues, “and while the world dilutes itself with globalization, I feel that Curtis, and institutions like it, are ever more relevant and necessary.”
The education that students receive at Curtis also set it apart from other conservatories.
“What makes Curtis unique is literally about discovering the human element of being a musician,” Conyers says. “It’s about the stories we can tell through music, how you can pull at the heartstrings.”
Conyers, now 34 and living in Center City, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in double bass performance in 2004. In addition to his career with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Conyers also teaches a studio of private students and at various workshops throughout the year. He is an intense man to talk to, each word more passionate and excited than the one before. He credits his development as an educator to the focus Curtis places on artistry.
“Looking for the message of music is something I teach with almost a responsibility of having to pass this information along to my students,” he says, noting with a laugh that if students aren’t even able to play the notes, they are free to study elsewhere. “That’s a bit of a jest but also in seriousness. I want my students to get the best out of their journeys as a musician and discover what they can contribute to the world through their music.”
Helping students discover their potential as musicians is something important to Conyers, who devotes much of his time to public outreach. He is the director of Project 440, a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching young people about the importance of social entrepreneurship and community service through their music.
Project 440 works to develop what Conyers refers to as the “21st century artist-teacher,” or someone who is a very skilled artist but also uses their gift to empower and inspire others.
“The worlds between performing artists and educators have been historically separate,” says Conyers. “We want to start to combine these worlds.”
Last summer, Conyers debuted as the new music director and conductor for the All Philadelphia High School Orchestra, an organization that draws high school musicians from all around the city and rehearses throughout the year to perform an annual concert in the Kimmel Center’s Verizon Hall.
Project 440 is working especially close with the All Philadelphia High School Orchestra, also known as All City, to help them with college and career preparedness.
“Right now, I believe the counselor-to-student ratio in Philadelphia is around 1-to-560 students, which is pretty abysmal,” Conyers notes. “We’re hoping the students in All City will get the skills and resources they need to make college and career choices.”
Curtis is also playing a role alongside Project 440 in furthering the development of the All City program. Curtis hosts All City students once a year for a program called The Curtis Retreat, where the students spend the day at Curtis working through music alongside Curtis students and faculty. Conyers hopes these partnerships will continue and grow in the future.
“One of my goals through these partnerships is that we can all work together and make it so that every child in Philadelphia has access to music education,” he says excitedly. “It sounds crazy, but why not try?”
Mike Pays Heat Record Release Show @ Mantua Yacht Club with ROMP, Manatree, Water Polo and Twin Pines.
Text and images by Sydney Schaefer.
In honor of the debut of their very first, highly anticipated LP entitled, Tape 1 Play, beloved Philadelphia indie punk band Mike Pays Heat effortlessly packed the basement of the Mantua Yacht Club for their record release show on Friday.
Twin Pines kicked off the show and got the crowd bouncing around and singing along early on in the night. Water Polo, another local band, ended their set with the same energy they started with. ROMP came from New Brunswick, NJ and Manatree came all the way from Richmond, Virginia to play the show.
Every band had the crowd jumping and screaming to their songs throughout the entire night, especially Mike Pays Heat. The Drexel crowd pleasers played songs off their new LP as well as some older songs from their earlier days.
JUMP: The Philly Music Project 