Franky Bradley’s: Eclectic Entertainment & Food.
Text by Dan Halma. Images by Charles Shan Cerrone.
As the early afternoon sunlight pouring through its windows casts a subdued hue over the hardwood floors and litany of exotic art lining the walls, assistant general manager Dave Morreale surveys the second floor lounge area of Franky Bradley’s.
“There’s always going to be something for everyone,” he says while resting against one of the dozens of square, chest-level wooden tables that form a semi-circle around the venue’s corner stage. “That’s one of the main philosophies here.”
Located at 1320 Chancellor St. in the heart of the Gayborhood, Franky Bradley’s has embodied this philosophy by hosting an eclectic and constantly evolving calendar of events featuring local and national talent in a wide range of genres.
“If you’re looking for live performances, like cool burlesque shows or a drag show or comedy show, you’re going to see that,” explains Morreale. “If you’re looking for solid DJs, we have that too. And then there’s the whole live music venue as well.”
A quick look at the event calendar for Franky Bradley’s will confirm this. Whether it’s the monthly “HUGS” party hosted by resident DJ/booking agent Ed Cristof, a set from Broadzilla DJs, the Little Big Things Crew throwing their “Little Big Things” party or a First Friday performance from the venue’s very own drag troupe, “Franky’s Foxes,” visitors to Franky Bradley’s will always find themselves in the midst of something new and exciting.
Further expanding on the concept of diversity, Franky Bradley’s will venture into the world of film screenings in October, hosting the exclusive Philadelphia premier of “Stretch and Bobbito” – a documentary surrounding legendary New York DJs/on-air personalities Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Garcia, whose late night radio program was responsible for turning the world on to artists including Nas, Biggie Smalls, Wu-Tang and Jay-Z – with an after-party that sees the two DJs joined by Rich Medina.
As Franky Bradley’s continues to expand its event roster to include national artists, Morreale points out that the venue hasn’t lost touch with its hometown talent.
“Philly has so many talented musicians and so many talented DJs and performers,” he says while adjusting the bracelets around his left wrist. “I think it’s important that we stay in touch with that. It’s always nice to see bigger national acts – and that’s something that we’ll look forward to having as well – but always having support for the local heartbeat is what’s important.”
Part of Franky Bradley’s success has been because of this support for local artists, and is an important value carried over from owner Mark Bee’s other musical hotspot, Silk City. When he needed help with curating the decor of Franky Bradley’s, Bee enlisted the help of local artist/impresario and close friend Scott Johnston. Johnston’s artistic touch gives the interior of the two story brick and stone building the visual flourish that sets it apart. Diners in the first floor restaurant can savor their meal underneath a Tiffany lamp or while sitting next to a portrait of Pam Grier made from one and two dollar bills while party-goers on the second floor can dance beneath sconces, a painting of knights jousting or one of Johnson’s original pieces – a portrait of local cabaret and drag star Martha Graham Cracker based on a photo of Martha taken by photographer Jeff Fusco at Silk City.
Johnston was also responsible for adding more than 500 Swarovski crystals to the enormous painting of a leopard woman, which was previously a signature art piece of Sisters nightclub (the business that previously occupied the building), and lining the bathroom walls with funny and provocative clippings from old magazine ads.
For one of the venue’s first shows, Bee was quick to book one of his favorite local acts – The Martha Graham Cracker Cabaret, who were also the first act to completely sell out a show at Franky Bradley’s.
“We’ve known Mark Bee for a long time,” says Cabaret co-founder and keyboardist Victor Fiorillo. “[He has] traveled to New York to see us many times, he had us at Silk City, and so he knew he wanted us as the big opener.”
Fiorillo notes that this appreciation is part of the appeal for performing at Franky Bradley’s, with the Cabaret’s third return performance leading off the venue’s October calendar.
“We only play at venues that value the artists and pay them accordingly, and where the staff is excited for us to be there and treats us right,” he explains, but draws attention to the other reason that keeps the quintet coming back. “That room has a lot of character. We’ll choose a 200-person room like that any day over a 1,000-person box with no personality. And it doesn’t hurt that there is a painting of Martha prominently displayed in the room.”
The “something for everyone” philosophy carries over into the kitchen, influencing the menu curated by head chef David Kane, of Bar Ferdinand and Silk City fame.
“It’s American food,” says general manager Joe “Joppy” Ferrone. “It’s big. It’s hearty. But we want what people want, so we didn’t want to get pretentious with things. We wanted it to be down to earth but have a different kind of ‘higher’ quality.”
The menu, in part, pays homage to the first business to occupy the space and provide the venue with it’s namesake – Frankie Bradley’s, a steakhouse owned and operated by Frank Bloch, a retired prizefighter who named his restaurant after his stage name of “Frankie Bradley.” Bloch’s restaurant was a fixture of the city from the early 1930s up through the mid 1980s and was well-known as a celebrity hangout.
“When Mark re-did [the restaurant], he was looking for a modern take on it: a cross between a ’70s feel and what Frankie’s was doing in the ’50s, and bring it into the ‘now,’” Ferrone explains. “Some of the menu items harken back to what Frankie Bradley’s had on the menu, like latkes. But we do a potato and celery root latke with an apple butter underneath and it has a smoked salmon that we do on top of that with dill and crème fraiche.”
“At the same time, amazing chicken wings with a bourbon barbecue sauce, potato skins topped with house-smoked brisket and sharp Cabot cheddar and horseradish crème over them,” he adds. “A lot of it is bar-driven food but it’s made to be both accessible yet really unique and intriguing, and something that you don’t find at an ordinary corner bar or venue.”
In addition to a sizable array of dinner choices, Franky Bradley’s has started serving a weekend brunch that features an equally eclectic menu. Menu highlights include baked crepes with formage blanc and fresh fruit, smoked chicken hash with sweet potatoes, peppers, apples, poached eggs and cider jus, and a classic Belgian waffle topped with vanilla icing, cinnamon butter, candied pecans and maple syrup.
Having only been open since January, Morreale notes that Franky Bradley’s is still in its “infancy stages” but that it’s been exciting to see it continue to grow over time. With an ever-expanding calendar of events and a constantly evolving food and drink menu, he’s confident that the venue will continue to provide the city with events and eats to suit every taste.
“There are a lot of good things to come in the house of Franky Bradley’s,” he adds, grinning widely.
No Mo But Still Humble.
Text and top image by G. W. Miller III. Studio images by Chris Fascenelli. Concert images by Tyler Horst and Tim O’Donnell.
It’s late in the evening on a sweaty night in East Kensington. The trio behind Mo Lowda & The Humble are at The Headroom Studio wrapping up the recording of their upcoming album.
“Are we getting a lot of room?” singer Jordan Caiola asks from inside the sound room as bandmate Shane Woods sets up the mixing board in the adjacent room. “It sounds like we’re getting a lot of room.”
Bass player Nate Matulis sits on the couch, scrolling on his smartphone. At his feet, on the coffee table, are bottles of Svedka vodka, Jefferson’s bourbon and Jose Cuervo, plus a bunch of empty coffee mugs that clearly were not used for coffee.
Finally, Caiola begins to sing:
Sick of living where the sun don’t shine, sick of walking on the same old line.
The voice is mature – a bit gravelly and slightly cracking at times, with almost a Southern accent. His words trail off at the end of sentences and he sounds bitter, as though life has let him down.
I can’t live like a runaway.
He’s thin, wearing a white T-shirt, black jeans and a pair of well-worn, brown Sperry dock shoes with no socks. His appearance and that voice seem incongruous, a well-adjusted young man belting out pain.
Mo Lowda & The Humble have not seen a lot of pain as a band, however. The guys got together when they were in high school. They performed regularly when they went to college and wound up having their first album – a 45-minute blast of good old fashioned rock ‘n’ roll – recorded and produced for free.
“After the first album, we thought, “Now it’s going to happen,’” Caiola recalls.
They hit local and national milestones and drew comparisons – repeatedly – to Kings of Leon but then things eased back a little. They finished up college and moved back home. Caiola now works in the parks and recreation department in Lower Makefield Township, mowing lawns and doing other odd jobs in Bucks County.
As they prepare to drop their sophomore release, they are making tweaks to the band and their sound.
After nearly five years as Mo Lowda & The Humble, a random name chosen when the guys were in high school, they will now simply be known as The Humble.
“Same great taste,” Woods says. “Same great look.”
Their new music is more accessible, with fewer long jams that made otherwise radio-friendly songs a little too drawn out.
“The new stuff is absolutely still rock,” Caiola says emphatically. “It’s just different.”
Caiola, who is the primary songwriter, began performing when he was in 5th grade, when he was selected for the school chorus.
“I was one of 20 kids who could carry a tune,” he says modestly.
He soon learned a few chords on the guitar and began singing over them. Woods was learning the drums at the time and they began messing around together. When they were both attending Pennsbury High School in Fairless Hills, they added Matulis and they had a band.
They practiced for 30 minutes just prior to their very first show.
“It was ridiculous,” Caiola says, noting that Matulis had to read the music during the performance.
But it worked. Even as a teenager, Caiola had that soulful voice. Matulis and Woods added strong rhythm and tight hooks.
They packaged a demo in 2012 when Caiola and Woods were at Temple University and they began playing the basement party scene.
“At one point,” Caiola says, “we were trying to play Philly every week.”
They performed at the weekly open mic night hosted by Mic Stew at Maxi’s, a bar on the Temple campus.
“We were like the house band,” Woods says. “One time, a guy came up to us and said, ‘Yo man, can you just stay up there and I’ll rap over it?’”
They decided to spread things out to get a larger draw.
Their hook-heavy, progressive pop started gaining a following and they got the attention of Bell Tower Records, Temple’s music label. Their debut full-length, Curse The Weather, was recorded at school and released in the fall of 2013.
The band was featured in a 2014 Huffington Post article with a headline that read, “Someone Needs to Give Mo Lowda & The Humble a Record Deal Immediately.” It was a classic click-bait title but the reporting was real and the enthusiasm earnest.
That, along with their music being added to Spotify, helped gain them a national fan base. In January, the guys played a packed room in Northampton, Massachusetts, which prompted Matulis to ask the crowd, “Who are you here to see?”
And the crowd screamed, “You guys!”
Last June, they did 300 pre-sale tickets for a headlining show at the Black Box, the smaller room at Underground Arts. A few friends asked them for comps but the room was nearly sold out. So all three members of the band stood in line on Callowhill Street and wound up buying a few of the remaining tickets.
“We didn’t buy all the tickets,” Matulis remembers. “We didn’t want to be assholes to the other people in line.”
Where they used to have three-minute songs with four-minute outros, they ‘ve cut tracks in half, creating more tangible tunes. The ideas presented in the lyrics remain deep – connections to Caiola’s childhood, a life-changing car crash, fictional tales steeped in reality – but the new focus is on creating catchy tunes.
“Lyrics are not the deciding factor,” Caiola says. “The melody is what grabs me. The melody is going to draw more attention to the words, anyway.”
The three bandmates sit by the mixing board at Headroom talking about the meaning of their music.
“I try not to write a love story every time,” Caiola says.
“They are emotive,” Woods says of the lyrics. “Sometimes there are songs I don’t really understand.”
“Lyrics take on a new meaning over time,” Matulis adds.
“We’re kind of emotional dudes,” Caiola continues.
“We don’t have any conversations without explaining things,” Matulis says, almost completing Caiola’s sentence.
The new album is set to drop in early 2016 and the bandmates are optimistic. It will be their first as simply The Humble, which they realize is a branding problem. But the name is fitting for the three longtime friends who come from solid, middle class backgrounds.
“The main goal right now is to get on support for a major tour,” Caiola says, noting that it must be the right tour. “We’re not just going to take anything.”
Even their aspirations are humble.
All of the guys have recently moved back home to lower Bucks County, though Woods works at Headroom. They stay overnight at the studio frequently, like tonight, and crash on friends’ couches in the city often.
“Once we can get by on the music, we’ll be here,” Caiola says.
Red Bull Sound Select Presents Vacationer @ The Foundry with Weekender and Queen of Jeans!
We’re just a little excited to announce this show that we curated: Vacationer will headline at The Foundry with Weekender and Queen of Jeans. It’s an all-Philly night of dreamy, summer-sounding tunes.
And the show is only $3 if you register here.
If you don’t register, it’s $10 at the door. Register now though, as this show will sell out quickly. Our past Red Bull Sound Select shows have been super fun parties … and we’re inviting all those artists back to hang out. You won’t want to miss this show.
We’ll be announcing a lot of giveaways, specials and other stuff connected to the show over the next few weeks, so stay tuned!
WIN FREE TICKETS: Dark Star Orchestra @ Electric Factory on Wednesday and Thursday!
Jam band legends Dark Star Orchestra will hold a two-day New Year celebration at the Electric Factory, on Wednesday and Thursday, and we’re giving away a pair of tickets.
Like us on facebook and email us at FreeJumpStuff@gmail.com to enter to win a pair of tickets that will gain you entry to both nights (give us your name and put “DSO” in the subject line).
If you want to play it safe and get your own tickets, find details for the show here.
Download Three New Voss Tracks For Free!
The Academy Is … @ The Trocadero with PARTYBABY.
The Academy Is …
Text and images by McCall Cox.
The Academy Is… played a 10 year anniversary show at the Trocadero Theater on Saturday with supporting act PARTYBABY.
PARTYBABY opened the night with their alternative punk-rock sound. The band is originally from California, a four-piece act comprised of Jamie Schefman on vocals and guitar, Noah Gersh on guitar, Chelsea Davis on drums and Austin Taylor Tirado on bass.
“For those of you who think it’s weird up here, it’s about to get a lot weirder,” said Schefman.
Schefman interacted continuously with the audience throughout PARTYBABY’s set, joking about the passion of Philadelphians for the perfect place to get cheesesteaks and mentioning how much The Academy Is… meant to him growing up. Schefman even leapt down from the stage a couple of times to run through the audience.
“Make sure you have fun tonight,” said Gersh after mentioning how much PARTYBABY has enjoyed touring with The Academy Is….
PARTYBABY played songs such as “Everything’s All Right” and “Your Old Man.” Following their set, PARTYBABY frontman Jamie Schefman mentioned his gratitude for the Philadelphia audience.
“The crowd was so lovely and warm for a band that they’ve probably never heard before,” he said. “I think we met some people that hopefully we’ll be friends with for a really long time.”
The Academy Is… was welcomed to the Trocadero stage by an excited audience. The pop-rock group, which originally formed in 2003, had formally announced the band’s departure in 2011. However, the act reunited for a brief tour during December to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of their first full-length album, Almost Here.
The band includes William Beckett on vocals, Adam Siska on bass, Mike Carden on guitar and Andy Mrotek, known as “The Butcher,” on drums. The Academy Is… also brought in Ian Crawford for the tour to assist on guitar.
The band commemorated the anniversary of their debut album by performing it in its entirety, opening their set with the first song from the ten-track record, “Attention.”
After a couple of songs, Beckett took a moment to introduce the band and acknowledge how excited the band was to be back in Philadelphia after so many years.
“Ten years … That’s insane!”Beckett said, thanking the audience. “We’ve been coming here forever. Ever since we started as a band, we’ve been coming out east and that was our goal. Like, if we could make it to the east coast, it’s going to be all right. And we did. And ten years later, you guys are here tonight.”
He continued, “This next song is about getting the fuck out and following your dreams and not giving a shit what people think about you. It’s called ‘Black Mamba.’”
Beckett continued to engage the fans, discussing things such as the band’s history and their Chicago roots, mentioning the similarity in weather between the Midwest and Philadelphia. The singer told the audience that the band had packed for the chill of winter but were surprised by the weekend’s warm weather.
“I want you to take care of each other but I also want you to go fucking crazy for this one,” Beckett saidof the final track “Almost Here.” “This is probably the last time you’ll hear this song, so leave it all here tonight. I’m talking to you balcony people, too.”
The vocalist then jumped down from the stage to stand at the barrier and sing with the audience before the band concluded their set and left the stage.
The Academy Is… reappeared onstage to the demands of fans and performed a five song encore, including “LAX To O’Hare” and “About A Girl.”
“We’re not done yet! Put those hands back together. That’s good,” Beckett instructed as the band began the encore with “Bulls In Brooklyn.”
“We’re not just going to play one more song,” the frontman said to a cheering audience. “We’re going to play a few more. Is that okay? We’re not done yet. Fuck no! I need everybody in here to choose one hand and put it in the air. And keep them up there, because we’ve got a big mess on our hands!”
The Academy Is… then performed the single “We’ve Got A Big Mess On Our Hands” from their second album, Santi.
“Well, it’s getting to that time where we have to leave,” Beckett said to the protestations and boos from a sad audience. “This is gonna be it for us. This is going to be our last song of the night. Trust me, we don’t want to leave. We don’t. Thank you so much for helping us celebrate 10 years of Almost Here tonight. We were talking about what song we should end the set with, right? Don’t yell them out.”
As the band began their final track, Beckett said, “I’ve got the perfect one—trust me. We thought this through. And we feel like this next song is the perfect song to end the evening with. So thank you guys so much. Take care of each other out there.”
They finished the night with “After The Last Midtown Show.”
Beckett stood on the barrier and held onto the hands of fans for support. Following the song, the band members all waved goodbye to a cheering audience as the singer climbed back onstage. Beckett then shook the hands of the security guards at the front of the stage and left the audience with a smile and a wave.
After the show, Mrotek told us the band is just focusing on this tour right now.
“We don’t have an official answer,” he said. “We’ve just been talking. There’s a lot to kind of take in with this tour alone. I don’t think it’s a negative thing about not wanting to write more songs but there’s a lot that’s really happening within the anniversary. It’s kind of hard to think about writing something else when it’s almost like we’re reaping or harvesting Almost Here in a way. It’s wild. So with that said, we haven’t had much time to talk about other possibilities.”
Mrotek said that, despite the time the band spent apart, the tour has been an enjoyable experience and a way to relive the past.
“The shows are great. They’re second nature,” he said. “All that came right back. It’s a little different from like five years ago. We’re having a really good time. It’s kind of hard to articulate. Because there is no agenda or no album to push whatsoever, there is this sort of… great little area where we’re just kind of here to have fun, which blows my mind that I’d ever be allowed to do that at 32.
Siska similarly agreed that The Academy Is… is just taking this time to enjoy the tour and celebrate the success and history of Almost Here.
Beckett mentioned, after the show, the reason why Philadelphia made its way onto the brief American reunion tour.
“After tonight, it’s no surprise that we always made Philadelphia a priority on our touring schedule,” he said. “Ever since the beginning, Philly’s been one of those crowds where, if everyone is there for the same reason and everyone is there and committed to the same thing, it’s the best experience that you can have at a live event. But, if everyone isn’t and if the Philly people don’t buy it, they’ll definitely let you know that too. Which is why I loved playing this show. Everyone was there for the same reason. Everyone was there for the right reason. And everyone let it all go. It wasn’t about being cool or selfies or Instagram. It was about celebrating this 10 year anniversary.”
Beckett also reflected on how the time apart may have benefitted the band.
“I feel like we’re better than we ever were, and a lot of that is us individually getting better at our craft,” he added. “But at the end of the night, it’s not about perfection. It’s about the community of it. It’s about the communal involvement and the overall environment. It was just perfect tonight, and I don’t say that about every show. It means a lot to us and to see that kind of reaction tonight. It’s been really good on tour but this was the best.”
Happy Hannukkah From The Guys in ILL DOOTS.
To celebrate Hannukkah, the guys from the Philly hip-hop collective ILL DOOTS released a brand new track every day during the holiday. The songs are compiled on their new albums, the Rick Dan Dropoff, which you can download here for free.
Learn more about the crew in our story that ran in the winter issue last year.
Happy Hannukkah From The Guys in ILL DOOTS (Day 5).
To celebrate Hannukkah, the guys from the Philly hip-hop collective ILL DOOTS are releasing a brand new track every day during the holiday.
“The Sword” is the fifth track of eight, all of which feature the varied talents of the collective’s producers and MCs.
Learn more about the crew in our story that ran in the winter issue last year.
City and Colour @ The Tower Theatre with Bahamas.
Text and images by Danielle Parsons.
Ontario native Dallas Green – better known as City and Colour – made a stop at the Tower Theatre on Tuesday.
Before Green graced the stage, Toronto outfit Bahamas opened the show with a short, yet sweet set.
Green then played a majority of the set with a full band, which included songs like “Sleeping Sickness” and “Hello, I’m in Delaware“ before ending with “As Much as I Ever Could.”
Green came out to do a special acoustic encore that ended with the full band performing of “Hope For Now.”
Ground Up: Staying on Mission.
Ground Up is at one of their favorite local haunts, Fishtown’s Loco Pez. But alas, it seems as if it’s everyone’s favorite taco spot this day. The two-thirds of Ground Up present – MC Al Azar and DJ/producer Bij Lincs, head across the street to the outdoor patio of another favorite of theirs, Cedar Point Bar and Kitchen. The remaining member, MC Malakai McDowell, couldn’t make it to the eatery. So, between mouthfuls of chicken and waffles, the rest of the group discuss with our Morgan James what’s changed and what’s remained the same since they last appeared in this magazine and their latest album, Seventeen Eleven. Portraits by Morgan Smith/Phobymo.
The last time JUMP featured Ground Up, it was the year 2012. Is this the same Ground Up as then?
Azar: Yes and no. We’ve all grown as people and musicians. Our music has evolved. We have evolved. I think our outlooks on the world have become more mature. Our perspectives have changed on certain things and I think our music reflects that. But with that being said, I think at heart we’re all the same good-willed happy people we got into this game as. We’re just a little older, a little wiser, a little hungrier.
You are prolific artists to say the least. How many musical projects has it been?
Azar: This would make it lucky number 13 in the fall with Seventeen Eleven. Crazy.
Bij: We’ve been working very hard to get to this moment where we can confidently not call it a mixtape. I think we’ve been working on something that I think people are definitely going to notice the difference between our previous releases.
Azar: Also, we released 12 of our last projects within a five to six year span. We’re putting the brakes on the amount of music released and focusing on what gets released and the quality of the music.
What’s the significance of the title of your upcoming release, Seventeen Eleven?
Azar: 1711 is the house where we first started making music together. It’s in North Philadelphia [on] Montgomery Avenue, right off of Temple’s campus. It’s not necessarily where we all met, but it’s where Ground Up basically came to fruition. We all became best friends and brothers under that roof. Having all of that creativity and drive under one roof was so inspirational. As an artist to feed off of all of our friends’ excitement… it was just a magical time.
After listening to your recent single, “Right Now,” the production is distinctly different than your previous work.
Bij: Production wise, Seventeen Eleven is very different. There’s a new dynamic people are going to hear out of my production. I want people to see where I’m at right now. I want them to see where we’re at and how we’re working together differently. There are also a couple songs where I’m singing on the chorus and doing backing vocals. I think that’s going to be something new people haven’t heard from me yet. Usually my voice is in the music. It’s not really in the lyrics.
How do you manage to keep the creative juices flowing? Stay inspired?
Azar: We take a lot of pride in the fact that my neighbor is my merchandiser. My roommate’s my producer. My best friends are my managers and they live down the street. That all helps.
Bij: 1711 was a very good business formula for us. Even though we don’t live there anymore, we still do everything the same as we did at 1711. We still all live together. We still have the beat studio, the recording studio, all of those elements. A lot of friends coming in and out all day. Nothing’s changed in that regard. It’s all about everyone working together to help and support each other.
How important is the visual aspect of your art?
Azar: I can’t underestimate how important it is. Particularly in 2015, it may be more important to our fans than our actual music to be quite frank. That hurts as a lyricist to say that. We’re in such an image-driven world right now where shock value and shock videos can make you famous overnight because of it. You can’t ignore the power of the visual aspects of this game we’re playing. We try very hard not to ignore or neglect it. It’s why we’ve made countless videos that haven’t seen the light of day because we take so much pride in our visual aesthetic. We’ve taken losses on money because it doesn’t meet the standard we’ve set for ourselves. The whole package is what is going to get us to the promise land.
Bij: At the same time, sometimes you can’t think about it too much, the visual stuff. You just have to be yourself, almost, and really embrace who you are to make something interesting that people will want to also be as well. I feel like we do that very well.
How does Ground Up stay grounded?
Azar: It’s not always easy. But it’s not hard when you’re surrounded by your best friends every day. Every day we wake up we work on music. If we’re not working on music…
Bij – We’re watching “Naked and Afraid.”
Azar: (laughs) Yeah that’s true. We stay grounded by being with good people. I call my mom every day. Or try to. And we work very hard. We’re not often distracted by things that aren’t the mission.
JUMP: The Philly Music Project 