Starting Monday at Ardmore Music Hall and running for seven days at various independent venues, Philadelphia Music Fest features a variety of styles of music, from rock to hip-hop, folk to funk.
But what unites this event is its locality. “Our genre is Philadelphia,” said Greg Seltzer, founder of the nonprofit fest.
That doesn’t mean all the artists performing at the fest, which last year donated $100,000 to local music education organizations, are based in Philadelphia. But all 22 bands, bringing the total number of bands who have performed at the fest since its inaugural edition in 2017 to 150, have deep ties to the region.
A perfect example of how Devon Gilfillian will headline Underground Arts on October 26th, with three worthy acts lined up with Mondo Cozmo, The Tisburys, and Emily Drinker. is.
The psychedelic soul singer grew up in Morton, Delaware County, and later made a name for himself in Nashville, where he graduated from West Chester University and moved there in 2013 to spend a year in residential rehab in an AmeriCorps program.
But lately, he’s been strengthening his ties to Philadelphia. He is featured on the Eagles’ third holiday album, “A Philly Special Christmas Party,” which will be released on November 29th, and is featured on Sam Cooke’s “Having a Party,” along with Jordan. He is co-starring with Mailata. And he has a new song, “Mending,” co-written with John Oates.
Gilfillian said that when he got the call from Philadelphia Special producer Charlie Hall, “I was like, ‘Oh my god, this isn’t real.'” Music City songsmiths call it “writing.” This is a promise to compose a song together. In this case, it’s for the follow-up to his 2023 album Love You Anyly.
A serious student of soul music, Gilfillian covered Marvin Gaye’s album What’s Going On in its entirety in 2020.
He was impressed with Mailata when he paired it with Eagle at Elm Street Studios in Conshohocken this spring. “I love Sam Cooke. When you bring up the old cats like Otis Redding, Bobby Womack, Marvin Gaye, you should definitely bring it up. Dig deeper and spin it in an original way. It’s better to be able to add that. And that’s what Jordan did.”
The collaboration with Oates happened “suddenly.” “That was also a pinch moment for me. ‘Is this really happening?’ He messaged me on Instagram and said, ‘I’m getting a Curtis Mayfield vibe from my record.’ he said. We started writing songs and the first one we wrote was ‘Mending,”’ Gilfillian said.
This supple ballad has already been released and will appear on Oates’ next album.
“It feels like coming home,” Gilfillian said, playing for PMF, where his older brother, singer Ryan Gilfillian, earned the opening slot last year. He plans to bring his brothers on stage to celebrate, and maybe even his friends from the horn-happy band Snack Time.
“I wasn’t ready as an artist when I lived in Philadelphia. I had to move to Nashville to learn how to write songs and learn the music industry. So I came back home and… It’s really great to be a part of the local Philadelphia music scene. It breaks my heart and makes me miss Philadelphia. It also makes me feel like Philadelphia will always be there for me. ”
Ticket information and the complete Philadelphia Music Fest schedule can be found at phillymusicfest.com. In addition to Gilfillian, here are nine acts you won’t want to miss at PMF.
Slaughter Beach, dog
Slaughter Beach Dog started out as a folk-rock side project for Modern Baseball co-leader Jake Ewald a decade ago, but has been his primary outlet since 2017. . The band will be headlining PMF’s opening night in support of their fascinating and enigmatic 2023 album ‘Crying’. Laugh, wave, and smile. Power pop practitioner Hurley stands in the middle of the bill, which also includes Santa Chiara. October 21st at Ardmore Music Hall.
santa chiara
Santa Chiara is Chiara Danzieri, who grew up in Turin, Italy and moved to Philadelphia with her husband, Ron Gallo, after stopping in Nashville when she was 25. “Import,” an album that draws on punkish and experimental pop influences, features a classically trained cellist singing the story of immigration in 2023. October 21st at Ardmore Music Hall.
waxahatchee
It’s been a good year for Alabama-born songwriter Katie Crutchfield. He currently lives in Kansas City, but spent much of the 2010s living in West Philadelphia. Her stunning Tigers Blood is her most confident album to date, as well as her most country-leaning, and is sure to become a staple on year-end best-of lists. The opener is @ , a Philly-Baltimore duo that’s hard to Google. Oct. 22 at Ardmore Musical Hall.
sheer mug
It’s been nearly a decade since Philadelphia four-piece Sheer Mag took the world by storm with a series of EPs (I, II, III) that harnessed the power of 1970s hard rock and punk in fresh, shattering ways. I did. The Tina Halladay-fronted band’s first album in five years, Playing Favorite, was released earlier this year on Jack White’s Third Man label. Outsect opens. October 23rd at Johnny Brenda’s home.
amos lee
The most talked about PMF show may be the one Waxahatchee squeezes out of AMH after two nights at the Fillmore in September. However, Amos Lee’s role in World Cafe Live is also seriously lacking. The Philadelphia singer-songwriter performed at the Mann Center with the Philadelphia Orchestra in 2023. And you probably don’t know more about Philadelphia than the name of the record label where Lee released “Lucinda.” Williams will pay tribute to Honeysuckle Switches in 2023 and Transmissions: Hoagie Mouse this year. October 24th at World Cafe Live Music Hall.
executive noir
Life’s Still Perfect…, the debut album by Philadelphia band Cadre Noir, may not actually be perfect, but it draws from the hip-hop, rock, jazz, and R&B of the Native Tongues era. This is a highly accomplished debut work filled with a mesmerizing groove. . The content is dream-like and mesmerizing. The band kicks off with a five-act structure with Lee at the top, and also features Anna Shoemaker, Cosmic Guilt and Rob Grote’s project Super Infinity from the District. October 24th at the World Cafe Live lounge.
cat bite
Philadelphia ska band Catbite are traveling warriors. Their PMF show follows tour dates in Germany this month and precedes shows in the western United States in November. The energetic attack of Brittany Luna, Tom Hildebrand, Ben Parry and Chris Pires echoes the sounds of late 1970s British bands such as the Selectors, the Specials and the English Beat, which had its own Catbite growl. Inspired by the band. October 25th at Milk Boy.
Leaf the Lost Cause
What is “The Sound of Philadelphia”? Among other things, the song is a 2005 song by West Philadelphia rapper Leaf the Lost Cause, which notes that Leaf was “in the blood” despite the Eagles’ references to Donovan McNabb and Terrell Owens. It still resonates today, as it rhymes with “City of Brotherly Love” and “The Dream of Youth”. It was cut short and swept under the rug. ” The rapper, who is also a brand ambassador for Shibe Vintage Sports, released his sixth album, The Triumphant, earlier this year. October 25th at Milk Boy.
Marshall Allen
The final night of the fest was scheduled to feature percussionist and poet Angelo Outlaw and Lansdowne-bred guitarist Steve Gunn’s Glass Band. But Gunn canceled and was replaced by 100-year-old miracle worker Marshall Allen. He is the leader of the Sun Ra Arkestra and will perform with the Ghost Horizons composition. Allen appeared as a guest on Low Cut Connie in 2022, but this will be the first time the centenarian will debut as a PMF headliner. October 27th at Solar Mythology.
