XPoNential Music Festival: Saturday
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.
Jenny Lewis, Ryan Adams, Commonwealth Choir, Marah, Strand of Oaks, Ingrid Michaelson and more.
XPoNential Music Festival’s Saturday line-up was diverse and engaging all the way from the relatively unknown Our Griffins to superstar Ryan Adams. Some highlights included:
* Despite catching only one of their songs, the haunting guitars of Our Griffins have stayed with me since last weekend.
* The raucous energy of Commonwealth Choir was a great early afternoon wake-up call.
* Clad in leather and exuding country cool, Alynda Lee Segarra led Hurray for the Riff Raff in a refreshing blend of guitar, stand-up bass, banjo, fiddle and more in their unique take on folk.
* The 10-year-old fiddle wunderkind Gus Tritsch joining in the now Americana flavored Marah. (He could also play a pretty mean cigar box guitar as well.)
* Unsurprisingly for me and everyone else who had seen them live, Strand of Oaks put on the best set not only of the day, but the whole weekend. Their 2014 release Heal is a powerful listen on the stereo (and one of the year’s finest records) but the songs are even better live. The brainchild of Timothy Showalter, whose long hair and sleeveless shirts implies more metal than the band’s expansive rock sound, the album’s lead track “Goshen ‘97” performance still gives me the chills a week later.
* Ingrid Michaelson belted out one crowd-pleaser after another.
* The joy of zydeco was summoned via accordion and washboard by C.J. Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band.
* And at the Susquehanna Bank Center nightcap, Dawes with their layered rock goodness and Jenny Lewis with her evocative voice and Krispy Kreme hat were good warm-ups for Ryan Adams. Sporting an Anthrax shirt and with matted hair covering his face, Adams arched his back and strummed his guitar with might and panache for what seemed like an eternity on “Fix It,” giving every photographer the chance to immortalize a stance that the crowd would relish for the rest of the night.
Also by Chris Sikich:
