Fall Guide: What’s coming up in roots music
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.
PhillyBloco, Dom Flemons, Ruthie Foster and more.
Ceili Group Festival
On Thursday, singers will perform the old songs and pay tribute to the memory of Frank Malley, a mighty singer and the longtime chair of this annual celebration of Irish music and dance. Friday evening the dancers convene. All day Saturday there is live music, from local kids in the Next Generation program to the Converse Trio, whose alums have gone back to the old country to show in the All-Ireland Trio competition in Sligo. Sean Keane and his band and Full Set close out the fest.
- Sept. 11-13, Commodore Barry Club, 6815 Emlen St., philadelphiaceiligroup.org.
Ruthie Foster
Foster’s one of those force-of-nature souls, the kind you keep expecting everybody to be talking about, yet somehow evades wider ac-claim. Will the new Promise of a Brand New Day (Blue Corn Music) — produced by Meshell Ndege-ocello — finally get the job done?
- Sept. 16, World Café Live, 3025 Walnut St., worldcafelive.com.
No Good Sister
SXSW was sufficiently impressed by these three Philly close-harmony girls, but echoes of the Andrew Sisters? Not hardly.
- Sept. 27, Connie’s Ric Rac, 1132 S. Ninth St., conniesricrac.com.
SambaDá
Samba purists might not adore this West Coast band, but liberals who like a Brazilian sound with vallenata/merengue/East L.A. rock highlights will dig it.
- Sept. 28, World Café Live, worldcafelive.com.
Dom Flemons
Flemons is a master of the old acoustic styles, recalling the rural places where country, blues and tin pan alley bubbled into a popular stew.
- Oct. 7, Tin Angel, 20 S. Second St., tinangel.com.
Dan Montgomery
With yet another new collection of originals, Sin, Repent, Repeat, Dan Montgomery returns to the scene of his original sins: Fergie’s. He brings with him his Memphis crew: Robert and Candace Mache and James Cunningham, plus old Philly pal Mike Vogelmann.
- Oct. 10, Fergie’s, 1214 Sansom St., fergies.com.
PhillyBloco
It is always a throbbing, roaring, drum-fueled costume party when PB plays, particularly when it’s a Halloween bash. Dress accordingly.
- Nov. 1, Underground Arts, 1200 Callowhill St., undergroundarts.org.
Los Lobos
Traditional tunes have always had a place in the Lobos rock shows, but this tour is different, as they’ll reprise their La Pistola y el Corazón recording which showcased their astonishing mastery of traditional styles from Mexico. This will be the ultimate Day of the Dead celebration in Philly.
- Nov. 2, Merriam Theater, 250 S. Broad St., kimmelcenter.org.
