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Will the real Low Anthem please stand up?!

Today marks the 5th annual 2nd Street Festival in Philadelphia's Northern Liberties neighborhood.  Headlining in the last slot on the Piazza stage is Rhode Island's the Low Anthem!  Incredible Philly area acts, New Sweden, the Bailey Hounds, Kuf Knotz, Brad Hinton, and DJ Slowpoke (Birdie Busch) are sure to bring solid performances, but it's the Low Anthem that are bringing the intrigue.

Wild success and international acclaim surrounded their first two albums, What the Crow Brings and Oh My God, Charlie Darwin.  They followed up with Smart Flesh, but despite stellar tracks 'Apothecary Blues', "Boeing 737', and 'Hey, All You Hippies', and live show staple 'Ghost Woman Blues' it just didn't seem to have the edge like the previous offerings.  Even still their careers were in an upward projectory.  Larger audiences were becoming aware, as they had a track on the Hunger Games Soundtrack and a fantastic collaboration with The Chieftains amongst Voice of Ages.  The world could be their oyster.

Now, they emerge from a year-ish hiatus.  They were quite busy during this time; the gang restored the Columbus Theater in Providence, RI.  An album has been in the works, but without the previous label and management team that helped them before.  Great curiosity surrounds the new album due to these changes, but even more so due to the fluctuating line-up. 

They had previously dealt with the loss of Mat Davidson to Spirit Family Reunion with no creativity loss by gaining Mike Irwin.   But now, Jocie Adams and Mike Irwin have both departed and the newest addition to the Low Anthem camp is a fantastical flying moth installment art/stage prop. 

Which Low Anthem will show today for the 2nd Street Festival in Philadelphia?  The folk darlings, and Newport Folk Festival mainstays, a band in for the long haul, who can handle line-up changes in stride, or creative eccentrics following a moth?

Tune in today @7:15pm at the Piazza at Schmidt's to find out!



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