XPoNential Music Festival: Friday
Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. My City Paper is not affiliated with Philadelphia City Paper. Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The last edition was published on October 8, 2015.
Featuring: The Hold Steady, James Cotton, Lucius, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Houndmouth, Viv and the Revival and more.
The first day of the three-day XPoNential Music Festival has a lot of heavy lifting to do. The 2014 version came through with some stirring performances and surprises. Highlights include:
* With the sun directly to their backs, the otherworldly harmonies of Lucius blew away the crowd at the river stage. With matching blonde locks and outfits, Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig played percussion and keys and brought the summer to life with songs like “Turn It Around” and “Go Home.”
* The alt-country edges of Houndmouth electrified the marina stage with their 7:30 set. The Southern Indiana four-piece bounded across the stage with a charm and raw power that won them some new fans.
* Rodrigo y Gabriela, as the culminating act of Friday, put on a guitar workshop second to none. As Gabriela Quintero slid her hands across her guitar with grace and pizzazz while Rodrigo Sanchez brought grit and power as he crouched and stood proud. With the darkness of a brilliant Friday evening enveloping them and the crowd, they were a perfect concluding act to day one.
* Two surprises emerged for me personally. The Hold Steady have never excited me much, but Craig Finn and company sounded extra punchy and deserving of a second look. And as someone who lacks blues knowledge, I was totally blown away by James Cotton. With a tray of harmonicas next to him, the 79-year-old Cotton and his stunning band were worth the price of Friday’s admission.
Also by Chris Sikich:
