Welcome to The Fillmore?
After years of planning and millions of dollars spent on construction, The Fillmore opened its Fishtown doors in October with a concert featuring Philadelphia’s own Hall & Oates.
Our Chris Malo spoke to people connected to and possibly affected by the complex with a 2,500-person main room and a 450-person space called The Foundry.
“The Fillmore was a fantastic experience and a great addition to Philadelphia entertainment scene.” – Daryl Hall
“It’s cool. Philadelphia is our spot considering it’s where we’re all from. We’re excited to be the first ones to do an official show in there… It’s cool to be a part of something new for Philadelphia.” – Pat Troxell from Creepoid (the first band to play The Foundry)
“While it’s exciting to witness such burgeoning growth in the Fishtown neighborhood, this is just another step in the cultural cycle that every major city is a part of.
Believe it or not, when I first moved here, most of the punks and artists lived in Old City. That was where First Friday originated. The area flourished artistically, which attracted more corporate businesses and investors. All of the artists moved from Old City to the warehouses of Northern Liberties and the same cycle occurred. You can witness the same thing happening in Fishtown.
My ‘inner punk rock kid’ hates it when corporations enter an artistic area but having an opinion about The Fillmore is a moot point. These changes are an inevitability. If not The Fillmore, then it would have been another type of venue.
On the plus side, it gives the area a large capacity music venue. I mean, shit. It could have been Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill.” – John Redden (owner of The Barbary, across the street)
“The Fillmore and the other national chains coming to our small, unique and cool area destroys a vibrant and growing mixed-use residential community that is filled with wonderful small venues like Johnny Brenda’s and Kung Fu Necktie. I would encourage lovers of the Philly music scene to take your business elsewhere and join us in opposing this poorly sited megaplex.” – Jethro Heiko (neighbor)
“It’s great to have a new room in the city. I have some friends at the Live Nation office in Philly and I’m happy for them. I was only there for a few hours on opening night but it seemed pretty cool. They have a slightly different approach than we do with our venues but I’m sure this will be a wonderful addition to Philly.” – Sean Agnew (R5 Productions)
“This had to go through zoning and the community had to vote on it. The community voted overwhelmingly to allow this to happen. There are concerns because it is right across the street from where residents live on Allen Street and Richmond Street but there were also concerns when Sugarhouse [Casino] came in because residents are there.
This seems to be setting up as an entertainment district area going down Frankford Avenue. I know our Economic Development Department is really happy about that. I think it’s all good.” – Sandy Salzman (executive director of New Kensington Community Development Corporation)
“I am excited to have a new live music venue in the city. I continue to work with The Fillmore to be a good community partner to the near neighbors and create a positive atmosphere for the patrons and the residents alike.” – Mark Squilla (First District City Councilman)
“It’s an honor to have the keys to such an amazing venue. The economical impact to the neighborhood that The Fillmore is able to accomplish is something we are very proud of. Having one of the most flexible venues in the music business will ensure that the city has a new ‘Entertainment Complex.’
The Fillmore is the only venue in the city to find a great selection of food, while seeing your favorite artist and having the opportunity to hang out before the show in the Ajax Hall.” – Jason Bray (Live Nation Philadelphia market general manager)
“I was there when there was no roof on the building and we were talking with Live Nation from the get-go, which is nice to be in on the ground level of the whole plan. They wanted it to be the best amongst their venues and in Philly.
The Fillmore in Philly is not only the debut of the Fillmore itself but also a new system from us. That is the main left-right array system. It’s very powerful and clear, with a nice emphasis on clarity on the mid and high frequencies with a big, full, punchy low end. It is a (sound) system that will work for any style of music and covers the main music hall very well with distributed speaker systems throughout the venue.” – Josh Sadd (vice president and chief engineer for Clair Brothers)
Kenny Gamble: “There Is A Master Plan.”
Kenny Gamble grew up in South Philadelphia, singing on street corners. He aspired to be a performer but quickly went from the stage to behind the scenes. He and his musical partner Leon Huff went on to produce some of the most well-known music in the world.
Today, Kenny Gamble oversees Universal Companies, which aims to revitalize neighborhoods through education and entrepreneurship.
Our G.W. Miller III listened in as Mont Brown, a rapper from Southwest Philly – with dreams of bigger things, interviewed the music legend.
Mont: If Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and other leaders were alive, what do you think their outlooks would be on the world today?
Kenny: First of all, they both were working with each other. They both wanted the same for our people. There has been a lot of progress. I think both would be shocked by the Internet and social media. They would be more interested in who is going to make the sacrifice. It takes a sacrifice to do what they did, so much so that they gave their own lives to be able to speak the truth.
Mont: Do you think we’re lacking those voices today?
Kenny: Maybe but I think they’re coming. The youth are going to bring those kinds of leaders. You have a lot of good-intentioned people. But people like Minister (Louis) Farrakhan are sacrificing their lives to wake up the people, to wake up humanity about injustices. So much of the problems of the world are about greed and oppression. The only way you get rid of that is by the people uniting.
We’re lucky to be here in America. We have the opportunities to vote people in and vote them out. We have the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Those three documents are what Dr. King stood on. They are what gave Malcolm X the opportunity to have the freedom of speech. In some countries, you would not have that.
I would not be the person I am today without Malcolm X or Martin Luther King. Even more than Malcolm X, I would not be the person I am today without the person who taught Malcolm X, and that’s the honorable Elijah Muhammad, who brought a different view for African American people. That view was to do for yourself, accept your own people and have your own.
Mont: Why do you think we have not had a powerful leader since those leaders?
Kenny: Those kinds of personalities, they don’t come every day. Malcolm X was in a special time. Maybe you’re going to be the next leader, Mont.
Mont: Whatever God sends my way, I’m going to do it.
Kenny: That’s right.
Mont: Why do you think the younger generation does not step up?
Kenny: The spirit guides everybody. I look back when I met my partner (Leon) Huff. I didn’t know him. We just ran into each other and in doing so, we forged a relationship that has lasted 50 some years. We’ve been able to be creative together, work together. We’re two different kinds of people but we found harmony, writing songs and all.
Wherever the spirit takes you. That’s what I go by. People just need to be able to step up to the plate to hear that spirit, to consume that spirit. A lot of people are too scared of it because it takes sacrifice. It might even cost you your life, standing up for what you think is right.
Mont: That’s going to happen anyway. You’re going to pass away eventually.
Kenny: Yeah, but not everybody sees it that way.
Mont: The world is 4 or 6 billion years old, or something like that. If you live to be 90 years old, so what? What did you do with your life? Why not be legendary for your family?
Kenny: First thing you got to do is find out, “Why was I born? What am I doing here in this world?” Life is short. We’re just traveling through.
Mont: It’s borrowed time.
Kenny: That’s all it is. You got to look at it as, “I know I did not create myself. The world is too big. The whole thing is too big. There is a master plan.” Can one get in harmony with that master plan so that you say you are walking with nature, walking in the sprit of things.
There is a job description for everything that’s been created. Think about worms. People look at worms and say, “That’s nothing but a worm.” You rarely see them. But without them, there wouldn’t be crops. They’re such a significant thing to human life.
Why did the creator make us? What role do we play? We are created in order to be the keepers of the Earth. That’s our job.
Did we do something to help the next generation? If we don’t do it, it’s not going to get done.
Mont: What if there wasn’t a Martin Luther King, or Malcolm?
Kenny: Then there would have been other people. There is always somebody who may not be getting the spotlight. All these people have good teams around them. There’s always going to be somebody else.
Mont: Who is Kenny Gamble?
Kenny: I’m a guy who was born and raised in South Philly. I’ve seen the best and the worst. I always wanted to be involved in music. We used to sing on the corners.
Mont: What year was that?
Kenny: I was born in 1943. So, when I was 10 or 11. I was on the corners. And then there was a group called Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers. That’s who everybody wanted to be like.
Mont: That’s what made you want to start?
Kenny: Oh yeah. That was just my music side. Along with that, I had my mother and my two brothers. My mother took us to church all the time. We were Jehovah’s Witnesses. I learned a lot about the Bible. We used to go door-to-door, in cold weather, early in the morning, waking people up by knocking on their doors.
Me and another brother, Brother Wilson. He was one of the elders. I used to work with him. I always had a lot of questions. Things used to trouble me. A lot of things had no answers. People said, “You got to have faith.” That wasn’t good enough for me. I wanted to know about certain things. There should be an answer for everything, I think.
So, who is Kenny Gamble? He’s a guy who has been trying to make it, trying to do good things and I’ve always been a praying person, all my life. When I came into contact with Islam, I really enjoyed what it had to say. It answered most of those questions I had- reading the Koran, talking to people.
Mont: Frankie Lymon was your musical hero?
Kenny: He was like the Michael Jackson of my day. I used to go to the PAL. There was a little store across the street from the PAL (Police Athletic League) and they had a record machine. That’s where I would be pretty much all of the time. I’d play The Dells, Frankie Lymon, everybody. My dream was to be in show business in some way. I didn’t know how.
Mont: Were there people on every corner doing the same thing?
Kenny: Everywhere. And I had a good relationship with everybody.
Mont: Did you think you were the best?
Kenny: I was just a normal guy, trying to make it in school. I didn’t know nothing about the music industry. There was nobody to teach us about the music industry. I started writing songs with Tommy Bell. We started as soon as I got out of high school. We used to perform at all the little nightclubs.
You don’t know where you’re going to end up. You just got to keep on trying.
I got a job at Jefferson (the hospital) in their research department. I was there for 7.5 years.
Mont: While juggling music?
Kenny: Mostly on the weekends. I needed that job. I had to help my mother out. We would perform on the weekends and all the people from Jefferson would come out and encourage us.
We had a great show. We had Tommy Bell who later wrote songs and produced for The Delfonics. We had a guy named Roland Chambers, who was the lead guitar player on all our music. We had his brother and we had Huff. We sang in harmony.
Mont: What was the group?
Kenny: We were The Romeos. We had all the girls. That was the main thing back then. We were trying to make it.
Mont: When did the break come?
Kenny: There was a group called Don and Juan and they had a hit record, “What’s Your Name?” A lot of duos came out around that time. Me and Tommy Bell found a guy, Jerry Ross from Heritage Records, who wanted to record us. We were Kenny and Tommy. It didn’t do too much but it got airplay here in Philly.
Tommy Bell, he worked in a fish shop. When it came to playing on the weekends, he couldn’t do it because he had to cut those fish up. I started going to Heritage Records myself.
Mont: That’s when you got your solo deal?
Kenny: That’s when I got the solo deal with Columbia Records. Each time, I was getting a little closer. Jerry Ross showed me how to write songs. I was learning so much.
Jerry got a job in New York. He had to give up his office and he asked me, “Do you want this office?” The rent was only $60 per month. I met Huff on the elevator coming into the building one day. Me and Huff used to talk all the time. We had the same goals. We wanted to be producers. We wanted to find out about publishing. So we started to work together. There was a group called Candy & The Kisses, part of Jerry Ross’ label. Jerry and I wrote a song for Candy & The Kisses called “The 81.” It was a dance. Huff had a writing partner and they also wrote a song for Candy & The Kisses. That led us to work together in the studio, the first time we ever worked together. I went to Huff’s house in Camden and we began to write. That was the best experience that I’ve ever had in music. It was so easy. I was doing what I did best and he was doing what he did best. I’m a lyricist. He plays the keyboards. We must have wrote six or seven songs that day.
Mont: What are your memories of working with The Jackson 5?
Kenny: I had known them for a long time. They used to come through the Uptown Theater when they were small, maybe when Michael was 10 years old. Because they grew up as Jehovah’s Witnesses, we had a bond. They used to come over to my house. This was in, like, 1967. I got to know their mother, their father, everybody.
Mont: How was that?
Kenny: They were just like everybody else. They were a nice family. We always said, “Maybe one day, we’ll work together.” Then Joe called me one day and said they were leaving Motown and they wanted to work with me and Huff. I wish we would have had more time with them. We did two albums with them. But they were kids and they were growing up. Jermaine had left them and they were going through a depression.
They were signed to Epic Records and they wanted them to be a pop group. We were doing message songs.
The O’Jays were signed to us. When you owned everything, we had control over everything. We could take our time with everything the way we couldn’t with The Jackson 5.
Mont: Even then, could you see Michael was special?
Kenny: Oh yeah, absolutely. I used to tell him that he should record himself because he had different ideas. He used to call me every night at 2 in the morning. He was in California. I said, “Man, I need to get some sleep.” But he wanted answers, just my view on things, sometimes spiritual things.
I remember when we were recording, he wanted to try certain things – doubling his voice, tripling it, speeding the tape up – stuff I had never even thought about.
I tried to get Tommy Bell to record him. He was too busy. So Michael got up with Quincy Jones.
Mont: Do you ever talk to Tommy about that?
Kenny: Every time I see him.
I think Michael would have been a different person had he stayed with us. He would have been away from all the Hollywood stuff. I used to tell him about everything we’re doing here (at Universal) with the schools and housing and all.
Mont: A lot of artists don’t understand how to have control over their own career.
Kenny: Most careers don’t last that long. You should know every detail of your business because it’s all about business, the economics of it. You got to love what you’re doing but you also need to understand it because it’s a living, after all. Control your own publishing, masters, your own image. Controlling all these things is important because they become assets to you. You’re building up assets, things that have worth.
Mont: Is it still an ill feeling hearing your stuff, like on samples.
Kenny: I love it. I seen Jay-Z one time. He used a few of our songs. I said, “What made you use our songs?” He said, “I just love them.” I just said, “Thank you.” It keeps us current. Kanye West has done a lot with our music. He said, “Yo man, give me a better deal.” Just keep the music going, you know?
These are the guys who are in the spotlight right now. But that’s going to change. I like what they’re doing because they are branching out to different things.
Mont: That’s why you are my hero. You’re just a kid from South Philly. Not only did you get a record deal and do well in music but you’ve got properties and schools. What has kept you grounded?
Kenny: I think my spiritual side, understanding what is the purpose of my life. I’m not amazed by all that stuff because this is where I am. I’m still on 15th Street. What I enjoy is working with the schools and the redevelopment, creating a model for what we can do.
We have one goal and that is to see the African American community be independent and sustain itself so it does not have to run to all these people and ask them for anything. Education is the way out. Want a loaf of bread, start a bakery. Take care of your own economy so you can be a part of the human family.
Celeste DiNucci: “Philly Has Just About the Most Impressive Performing Arts Scene of Any City That I’ve Lived In.”
Text by Eric Fitzsimmons. Images by Jared Gruenwald.
She made a name for herself on the stage of “Jeopardy!” but back home in Philadelphia, Celeste DiNucci has focused her efforts to helping others put their art on the stage.
DiNucci achieved a measure of fame in 2006, when she appeared on “Jeopardy!” and went on a five-game winning streak. But her reputation as quiz show ace was cemented the following year. She returned for the Tournament of Champions and won, walking out with $250,000 in cash winnings. Plus a copy of the “Jeopardy!” DVD Home Game.
Red Hook Coffee and Tea on Fabric Row is almost too cozy for conversation. There are only two proper tables and a few other seats around, so you are bound to overhear every conversation.
And DiNucci is not the quiet type. She makes herself heard above the din, in particular her laugh. DiNucci puts her body into her speaking – it is little surprise when her lemonade takes a tumble, the lid, thankfully, holding strong.
“I think Philly has just about the most impressive performing arts scene of any city that I’ve lived in and I’ve lived in a lot of cities,” DiNucci says. “I think that the kind of theater and performance art that gets done here is just amazing. I really wanted to be involved in that scene.”
Much of her game show winnings went to her own pursuits, notably getting a Ph.D. in English and performance theater but she also found a cause in supporting local performance arts.
She first got involved in producing after seeing actor, sound designer and writer James Sugg’s “The Sea,” a rock and roll opera about large bodies of water and the men whom they fascinate, which debuted at the Fringe Festival in 2006.
“She is one of those supporters who seems to be at every piece and she has a laugh that is unmissable,” says Sugg. “You know she is at the show without even seeing her.”
In 2007, DiNucci saw the show at Old Swede’s Church and approached him about buying the CD, except there had been no recording made. It is not unusual for someone to approach Sugg after a theater performance and suggest he make a recording of the music. People offer the suggestion for free but not the $10,000 to make that recording.
“But in this case, she did,” says Sugg. “She had won the mad cash on ‘Jeopardy!’ and she believed in the piece and said, ‘I want to help you do this.’”
DiNucci tried to broaden her scope in 2010 when she founded the Philadelphia Performing Arts Kitchen as a way of bringing funding and resources to projects that fell outside existing financial structures. The Kitchen supported a production of “Vainglorious” in 2012 but shortly thereafter, DiNucci was diagnosed with breast cancer. That pulled her away from the Performing Arts Kitchen and her involvement with the theater scene.
She finished treatment last year just in time for the “Jeopardy!” Battle of the Decades event and now, with a rogue streak of white cutting down the front of her black hair, the future is uncertain.
“I’m kind of in another one of those, ‘What am I going to do next?’ things,” she muses.
Reviving the Philadelphia Performing Arts Kitchen has occurred to her, because what she does know – and has known all along – is that she loves and wants to support the arts in Philly in her work. Though, she really enjoys making music and would love to have the chance to sing more jazz.
“I just need to find a piano to drape myself across,” she says.
Marley McNamara: “Tending Bar is a Job. Music is My Career.”
As part of our partnership with Philly Beer Scene magazine, we’re documenting Philly’s relationships between music and beer. For a recent issue of Philly Beer Scene, G.W. Miller III caught up with Marley McNamara, the manager of The Districts and other Philly bands who also serves drinks at World Cafe Live … and was recently hired to help run shows at Johnny Brenda’s.
Marley McNamara never wanted to manage bands or artists. She didn’t know what she wanted to do. She just knew she loved music.
“I’ve always been a huge music fan ever since I was a kid,” McNamara says.
While growing up, she tried to learn to play piano and the bass guitar but it didn’t stick. She was more interested in the artists. She caught The White Stripes at The Trocadero in 1999 and everything began to fall into place.
“I was just so blown away by Jack White,” she remembers. “I knew I wanted to be a part of music.”
She went to Rider University to study journalism but she eventually switched to a public relations major.
After graduation, she returned to her hometown and began tending bar, first at Thomas’ Restaurant & Bar in Manayunk and then at World Café Live.
McNamara attended a music festival at The Fire in Northern Liberties and she befriended Ron Gallo, then the frontman of the band Toy Soldiers. Through Gallo, McNamara eventually became friends with members of other bands, like Levee Drivers and The Lawsuits. She soon found herself deep in this blues-based, Americana scene that was burgeoning in the city.
A few years later, she was talking to Gallo and some of the members of Levee Drivers and she said, “I don’t really know what a manager does but if I was to manage any bands, it would be one of you two.”
Levee Drivers became her first client.
Three weeks later, The Districts filled-in for a last minute set at World Café Live. The teenagers from Lititz – most of the guys were only 16 then – blew away the crowd.
McNamara approached them after their set and said, “Come to the green room. I want to talk to you.”
“We were definitely a little intimidated,” says Robby Grote, the lead singer of The Districts. “We thought we played too loud.”
Instead, McNamara asked, “Do you guys want to do this when you grow up?”
She soon started managing the band. She got them in the studio, they made a video that went viral and just as the bandmates moved to Philadelphia to attend Temple University, they signed a label deal with Fat Possum Records. They dropped out of college and have been on fire ever since. The Districts opened for The Rolling Stones in Quebec this summer, performing before 100,000 people. Keith Richards selected the band himself.
McNamara handles budgeting, promotion and publicity, as well as deals with their various agents and label reps. It’s a 24/7 job.
“I eat, sleep and breath those kids,” McNamara says. “I’m like the CEO of their business.”
“It’s nice to know we have someone we can always trust,” says Grote.
She continues to manage Levee Drivers, as well as Pine Barons, Peter Matthew Bauer and Ali Wadsworth.
“Marley is a very intelligent, and very genuine individual,” says Colin Smith from Pine Barons. “She’s extremely passionate for what she does. When you leave a conversation with her, you have all the groups she’s involved with drilled into your head.”
McNamara was recently hired to help runs shows at Johnny Brenda’s. And she still tends bar at World Café. Every once in a while, she has to take phone calls or respond to texts while she’s pouring drinks.
“I have my priorities in check,” she says. “Tending bar is a job. Music is my career.”
NOTHING @ Underground Arts with Thin Lips, Sad Actor and Spank Rock.
Images by Rachel Del Sordo and Rick Kauffman.
Thanks to everyone who came out Thursday for our Red Bull Sound Select show with Nothing, Thin Lips and Sad Actor. It was an absolute blast, with Spank Rock holding down the DJ table all night.
Thin Lips are featured in the latest issue of JUMP, check out the digital version here. The issue is just now hitting the streets, so follow us on facebook to see where we make drops.
Our next big $3 show will be in January. Details will be announced soon.
Oh, and check out the party pics from our previous Sound Select shows featuring Plastic Little, Spank Rock, RJD2, Pissed Jeans and Anthony Green.
Mayday Parade @ The Electric Factory with Real Friends, This Wild Life and As It Is.
Text and images by McCall Cox.
“You guys could be at home watching Netflix but you guys are here,” said Mayday Parade frontman Derek Sanders when expressing his gratitude to the fans.
Mayday Parade performed at the Electric Factory last Thursday with Real Friends, This Wild Life and As It Is. The four bands are performing across America this fall as part of the AP Tour. The tour kicked off on October 14 in Boston, making the Philadelphia show the second concert of the tour schedule.
As It Is was the first act to take the stage, eliciting screams from many of the band’s female friends. The energetic quintet thanked fans for being so welcoming and supportive, given the band’s UK roots. Between their set, the band engaged the crowd as frontman Patty Walters excited the crowd for the following acts. As It Is performed six songs, including “Can’t Save Myself” and concluded their set with their big hit “Dial Tones.”
This Wild Life took to the stage next. The duo, comprised of singer and guitarist Kevin Jordan and backup vocalist and guitarist Anthony Del Grosso, slowed things down for their set, performing only with acoustic guitars. Jordan provided the back stories that inspired some songs, such as how “No More Bad Days” was written about his mother who had undergone chemotherapy and how “Puppy Love” was inspired by the unconditional love of Jordan’s dog who he had to give up due to the rigors of This Wild Life’s touring schedule. The band also performed a cover of “Sleepwalking,” a Bring Me The Horizon original, and the single “Concrete” from This Wild Life’s 2014 album Clouded.
Real Friends followed next in the line-up of the evening. The Illinois natives produced a wall of sound in true pop-punk fashion.
Shortly after taking the stage, singer Dan Lambton addressed the crowd, saying, “If you ever feel inadequate, like you’re going nowhere… Real Friends understands.”
He then told the audience to put their phones away.
“The Internet has had enough Real Friends,” he said.
Lambton went on to express his love for Philadelphia after another few songs, calling it a beautiful city and saying he would love to move here someday.
“I fucking love you, Philly,” Lambton added.
He also encouraged shy fans to join in with the music and crowdsurf and orchestrated a circle mosh pit in the audience. Before launching into their single “I’ve Given Up On You,” Lambton took a moment to address the crowd about the nearing holiday season and to provide comfort to those who have either lost someone or an important relationship in their lives.
“I just want you to know, if you’re missing someone and it just feels like a piece of you is missing and you’re not complete, that there are other things to fill that,” he said, “and you can be strong enough and get past it.”
Amongst other hits, Real Friends performed “Late Nights In My Car,” “I Don’t Love You Anymore,” “Loose Ends” and “Sixteen.”
As the lights dimmed to announce the arrival of the final act of the night and the anticipation grew, the crowd began to chant “Mayday” until Mayday Parade finally walked onto the stage to cheers from the audience. The band opened their set with a single from their new album. The song “One Of Them Will Destroy The Other” features Dan Lambton. Mayday Parade then launched into “Jamie All Over,” a single from their first full-length album and a crowd favorite. After another couple songs, frontman Derek Sanders took a moment to mention the band’s new album Black Lines, which was released on October 9.
Sanders also mentioned that the band is currently celebrating their 10th anniversary. And after ten years of making albums and touring, Mayday Parade knew not only how to feed off the energy of the crowd but also how to interact with the fans. Besides wishing a fan a happy birthday, Sanders devoted a lot of time to speak to the crowd, telling one story about a shirt he used to own that had an image of Batman and Robin kissing. The Mayday Parade singer went on to say how much he loved that shirt but had stopped wearing it due to the looks the image would elicit.
“I really fucking loved that shirt,” Sanders said after mentioning that he had recently found the shirt again and would start wearing it, despite what others thought. “The moral is be yourself, do what you want.”
Sanders performed three acoustic songs, including new Black Lines track “Letting Go.” Mayday Parade balanced promoting new tracks and playing old hits, performing songs such as “Black Cat,” “Ghosts,” “Terrible Things,” and “Oh Well, Oh Well.” Sanders also played two songs on the piano, starting with “Stay” and leading into “Miserable At Best.”
As virtually every person in the Electric Factory belted along to “Miserable At Best,” Sanders instructed the crowd to continue singing as he took his leave from the stage. Shortly after the song had concluded, the audience cheered for an encore. Mayday Parade obliged with two old songs “Just Say You’re Not Into It” and finished with “Jersey.”
Following the show, when asked if he had anything he wished to say about the new album, Mayday Parade drummer Jake Bundrick just encouraged fans to listen to it, stating his favorite track from Black Lines to be “Let’s Be Honest.”
When singer Derek Sanders was asked about what it is like to have devoted fans stay with the band for the decade that Mayday Parade has been together, Sanders said that it is very humbling both to know that many fans have grown up with the band and also to be able to recognize faces at shows in different cities.
“We wanted to do something different,” Sanders said of the new album. “We felt like it was time to branch out a little bit and it feels good. We’re happy. It’s the music we love to make.”
He continued to say that currently his favorite track off the new album is “Until You’re Big Enough.”
Come to our big party on Thursday at Underground Arts featuring NOTHING.
Tickets are only $3 thanks to Red Bull. The show is a part of their Sound Select series, which is intended to discover and promote local artists.
The JUMP crew put this show together and we selected Thin Lips and Sad Actor to open. Spank Rock will be the house DJ, starting at 8 pm.
To get the $3 tickets, please RSVP here (but you’ll pay at the door).
Thin Lips: Finding the Right Riffage.
Text by Beth Ann Downey. Images by Michael Bucher.
Think of Thin Lips as a punk rock modern family.
Band break-ups, forged musical friendships, forgiveness and new beginnings have all been a part of this four-person unit, and frontwoman Chrissy Tashjian is the obvious matriarch. She’s the nurturing, creative core of the project, unabashedly requesting that someone roll up the sleeves of her T-shirt when she emerges from the shower after band practice in preparation for a show this evening at Everybody Hits, near Northern Liberties. On the walk over from their practice space in Big Mama’s Warehouse, she can also be seen wiping the schmutz away from her younger brother and fellow bandmate’s eye.
Thin Lips formed from the ashes of Dangerous Ponies, which called it quits after six years in 2013, the note on their Facebook page announcing the split stating, “Chrissy I’m sure will start a new project soon.”
“What happens after I get out of every band is like, ‘I’m done,’” Chrissy reminisces. “I get all heartbroken, and I’m like, ‘I’m not doing this any more, this is dumb.’ Then I make it three weeks, I go to five shows and I’m like, ‘I hate this, I miss playing guitar so hard.’”
In true matriarch fashion, Chrissy kept her musical allies from that band by her side in Thin Lips, with DP bassist Kyle Pulley and drummer Mikey Tashjian (her younger brother) joining her to fill out the original line-up.
“In [Dangerous Ponies], Chrissy and I argued with everybody but each other,” says Pulley, who is also well known as one half of the creative duo behind The Headroom studio. “We’re just on the same page from an aesthetic point of view, and what we want out of music and how we want to approach music. We spend a lot of time honing and making quality over quantity – just focusing our efforts on a few songs and polishing them.”
These focused efforts resulted in Divorce Year, the band’s debut EP that was released this past May to much acclaim. A sibling dispute led Mikey Tashjian (who also drums in The Superweaks, formerly known as The Weaks, with ex-Dangerous Ponies bandmates Chris Baglivo and Evan Bernard) to leave the band before the album was recorded. Chrissy pulled in Pat Brier, drummer for Three Man Cannon and Queen Jesus, with whom she’d had success jamming.
Commentary on Divorce Year strongly noted the palpable tenseness and sadness embedded in the album’s music and lyrics.
“Right after Dangerous Ponies split up, my partner of six years and I split up,” Chrissy says. “Then two weeks later, my youngest brother died. Then I got mugged. Then [due to a work-related accident] I had to wear an eye patch for a week. Just all of these shitty, shitty things happened. So Divorce Year is a processing of a lot of that, and my next record is an extension of the processing of a lot of that.”
Laying it all out for the listener proved opportune for Thin Lips as friends in bands like Cayetana and Hop Along came banging down their door to take them out on tour this summer after the Divorce Year release. But before the band agreed to the Hop Along Painted Shut record release tour, they brought on Chris Diehm (Quit, 1994, Year of Glad) as a second guitarist. The addition added another element to the “riffage,” as Chrissy puts it, and squelched the feelings that were making her unhappy with performing at the time – mainly about whether or not she wanted to continue to be the frontwoman or just play guitar.
“We brought in somebody else to try and sing but it felt weird,” she says. “It was like karaoke or something, and trying to teach somebody to emote your own lyrics is super weird. I was like, ‘We have to figure this out because this is really import to me. This is my music. This is something me, Kyle and Mikey have been working on for a long time.”
Chrissy says Diehm learned all of the band’s songs in two days and that the dynamic clicked automatically. Not only did he help fill out the band’s live sound but Chrissy says the writing process for the next record is going much faster. This is because she’s historically written songs alone and tracked everything herself – from drums to bass to vocals – then sent it out to the band for input. Now, she just sends it out with her playing guitar.
“I think that really helps because it doesn’t lock itself into an idea,” she says. “Then the four of us kind of process it together. It’s just processing so much faster.”
Pulley says Diehm has also become the “tie-breaker” on many decisions that these three longtime bandmates would otherwise be feuding about.
“I feel like when there is a point of contention, I can just quietly sit there and be like, ‘Hey, why don’t we try all those things and then use the one that sounds the best?’” Diehm says with a laugh. “But yeah, I feel like it’s a different role than I’ve ever played in a band before because I’m usually the primary songwriter.”
The members of Thin Lips look forward to what’s ahead. Chrissy says the band has signed to Lame-O Records and the label will put out Divorce Year on 7-inch in February, as well as their full-length at a to-be-determined date. APA Entertainment just signed the band, which will alleviate some of the stress of booking their own tours and all of the other time-consuming tasks a DIY band becomes responsible for.
“Kyle is a record engineer. He works crazy, 13 hour days,” Chrissy says. “I’m a carpenter. I work insane hours. Chris gets as many waiting shifts in as he can. Mikey is a mover. We’re all on a hustle just so that we can write records and tour. That’s every musician’s kind of struggle.”
But for now, the daily struggle is an afterthought as the band turns their attention back to tonight’s performance. They’re not upset – maybe even a little relieved that there are several other shows going on tonight that make for a more intimate atmosphere.
“It’s Friday night in Philly,” Diehm says matter-of-factly.
“Philly is killing it,” Chrissy adds.
Armin Van Buuren @ Festival Pier.
Text and images by Chip Frenette.
Armin van Buuren performed last Thursday at Festival Pier and before the show, he gave up a few minutes of his time to discuss his new album. He flew in from Amsterdam and literally pulled up in a taxi cab outside his Old City hotel just before the interview. Yet, he was still gracious enough to give up his time.
Behind the facade of the superstar DJ is actually a very easy going, down-to-earth guy, definitely not what one would expect out of someone ranked by Forbes as one of the highest paid DJs in the world.
Van Buuren was recently named the “Best International Trance DJ” in this year’s DJ Awards – his 11th overall win at the awards.
“Did that make a lot of news?” he questioned modestly. “I don’t even know.”
Van Buuren was, however, very eager to talk about his new album that will be released at the end of October. Embrace will be Van Buuren’s sixth studio album. Three tracks were just recently made available for the public with the pre-order of the new album.
Embrace is a very experimental album, Van Buuren said. The cover features an old, rusty Camaro loaded down with all sorts of analog instruments. There are drums, a Spanish guitar, trombone and saxophone, amongst other instruments. Every instrument on the cover can be heard on the album.
“I hope other people will be inspired by it and try different things as well,” Van Buuren said.
There are many instruments used in the album that are not typical to EDM or trance. He was especially enthusiastic about his collaboration with jazz artist Eric Vloeimans.
“Working with a jazz trumpet player like Eric Vloeimans is something I’ve never heard of before,” he said. “I don’t make music to be trance or non-trance. I just make it to be interesting.”
Trance is one of the pioneer sounds of EDM and Van Buuren is a trance purist. Despite all the new sounds that are coming out in the world of EDM he will always be a trance DJ. He loves the melodies in the music and how it has a very positive and uplifting emotion to it. He is not at all tempted to completely push into another genre of electronic music for the sake of appealing to an even larger audience. There are no dubstep albums or Melbourne bounce tracks on the horizon for Van Buuren.
“As proud as I am of all of my albums and tracks,” he admitted,“I just cannot repeat myself all of the time. My job, first and foremost, is to understand what moves people. So, if there is a new sound or a new track or a new album that everybody is raving about, then I have to check it out because I feel that it is my job.”
That seems to be exactly what he is doing with Embrace.
“Don’t be a prisoner of your own style, hence the title Embrace,” he said. “I want to embrace the possibilities of new sounds, new encounters, new friends. Life is short and you have to open up to all the possibilities.”
Later that evening at Festival Pier, Van Buuren played to his crowd of ever-evolving ravers. The fans showed up with LED hula hoops, glow sticks and a myriad of other toys and lights that they whizzed around to the beat of Van Buuren’s sound. Van Buuren didn’t say much but he did push out a lot of bass. The music was accompanied by a large light, video and laser show that added to the overall experience.
Kygo opened the show, ending his set with his EDM hit “Firestone.” The YouTube video of the track has more than 108 million views.
Van Buuren performed the next night in Las Vegas and then Mexico City on Saturday. He has returned to the Netherlands but he’ll be back in the U.S. for Halloween weekend, with shows in New York, Illinois and Montreal.
A$AP Rocky, Lindsey Stirling, Hanson and Shawn Mendes @ The Forbes Under 30 Summit at Festival Pier.
Text by Holli Stephens. Images by Brianna Spause.
The Forbes Under 30 Summit returned to Philadelphia for its second year on Tuesday, with pristine conditions for an outdoor concert.
Festival Pier was filled with an audience of all ages for a music festival that would bring this year’s three-day summit to a close. Attendees all had one goal in common – to end extreme global poverty by 2030. Forbes and Global Citizen have had a partnership since 2013 and created “The Global Poverty Project” to bring big name artists under 30 years of age together under one roof.
Tween girls screamed as the stage grew dim and Shawn Mendes sauntered to the front. A flood light illuminated him and his guitar as he started off the night with “Something Big.” The 17-year old Canadian singer-songwriter remained extremely calm amongst the midst of “I love you Shawn” crowd outbursts and even jokingly applauded “the deep men voices” that sang along as he played through another song, “Life of the Party.”
“You guys having a good time in Philadelphia tonight?” he asked.
Hanson was all smiles as they took up their designated instruments and played through a cover of Sly and the Family Stone’s “I Want to Take You Higher.” With more than two decades of experience playing together, the brothers were able to seamlessly transition from song to song. In a live venue, “This Time Around” turned into funky rendition of solo guitar and piano riffs alike. To end, Hanson covered Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)” as the crowd began to simultaneously sway to the beat.
Murmurs grew into chants of “Lindsey Stirling!” as the stage grew dim once more and the petite violinist ascended the stage. Dressed in a purple ruffle skirt paired with glittery tights, she gave off a fairy-like appearance as she twirled and bounded across the stage. Even so, the accuracy and consistency in her sound remained firm.
“We’ve been touring for a month and a half. This is my high,” Stirling said as “Crystallize,” the song that boosted her popularity began. The video for the song has been viewed more than 130 million times on YouTube.
The dubstep inspired drops and quick arpeggios made it a spectacle to see performed live. Stirling made herself vulnerable to her audience as she talked about our own selves being the biggest obstacle to overcome when trying to succeed in life. A very electronic inspired rendition of various “Phantom of the Opera” songs ended Stirling’s set, including “Angel of Music” and “Think of Me.”
Headliner, A$AP Rocky’s set was marred and shortened by technical difficulties and the notorious Philadelphia 11:00 sound ordinance. When the rapper finally seemed confident with sound quality, he bounded out with A$AP Mob’s “Hella Hoes.” Clad in a cream-colored pea coat and his notorious intricate braids, Rocky was able to keep the crowd’s enthusiasm up despite a voice that sounded raspy and faded. Rocky tried to go through his biggest hits like “Goldie,” “Wild for the Night” and “Shabba” before leaving the stage.
This did not sit well with the crowd. He then asked them what they wanted to hear and in an abstruse medley of screams the rapper ended the night off with “L$D.”
JUMP: The Philly Music Project 