Sofar Sounds Philadelphia - May 2014 with Pine Barons, Kuf Knotz and Joe Miller, City of The Sun, Micah, and BFA band

Poster by Jennifer Prough

All Photos by Lindsey Borgman

It’s been a long time since I've gone to see bands at a college, let alone step foot into a fraternity house. Nearly two decades of shows since I've been enrolled in college, I never really imagined I would ever find myself back at one for some musical entertainment. For the May Sofar Sounds: Philadelphia show, there we were at the most improbable of locations, a Jefferson Univ. Med School fraternity in Center City attending a show. Sofar Sounds: Philadelphia curated a fabulous five band in the nicest fraternity house I've ever stepped foot into. (Disclosure, I never really did go to many true fraternities in my college days, and this was a hardly a frat house with all the studying going on.)

For the Sofar Sounds show we discovered the bands as they took their turn at the stage. The first to make an appearance was BFA the band from NYC.

BFA the Band

The evening started off with BFA the Band (Bachelors of Fine Arts). It was tenuous at best for the band that somehow squeezed themselves onto the bill before a show across town later that night. Things started off with a being told about a dozen times to turn things down, before the emcee, Davis Howley, allowed them to play. As they stood ready to play completely plugged in, clearly they didn't understand what a Sofar Sounds show was all about, being mostly to entirely un-plugged in front of the most appreciative of music fans. Meanwhile outside, things weren't going much better as their makeshift transit bus/tour van was waiting to be serviced by AAA.

When the five piece band of young dudes got started they were still too loud for the intimate house setting. The lite-alt-pop band had a Killers/The Fleeting Ends influence and by their fourth and final track they were getting their groove. Hopefully by the time they made it to The Fire, later that same night in the Fishtown section of Philly, they would find their van working and their musical grove.

Micah

Up next was someone who definitely got the Sofar Sounds acoustic memo. Micah was an immediate relief. Laid back and unplugged, the solo artist from New York started off with some crowd participation, inviting some help for the end of his choruses on "For Someone Else". Minus the squeaking front door, the room was perfectly quiet and Micah took advantage singing songs from his new EP Just A Little Heartbreak.  He played "Wayside", a long distance relationship song to the attentive ears showing off great emotion and soul. The singer/songwriter had no problem keeping the attention of the crowd. His songs have a certain likeable simplicity, like Jack Johnson, but his voice and style bring so much more. Slightly pop-country/top-40 with the lyric on songs like "Just A Little Heartbreak," he continued to impress the crowd. Last of Micah’s set was the upbeat "Down With It", his sexy little "baby making jam". No clear single stood out, but the last one was attention getting, if not risqué, leaving the crowd completely floored with his unexpected show-stopping vocal powers on the last verse.


Micah - Down With It | Sofar Philadelphia (#799)

Micah- May 16th, 2014
                  song title                         album
1. For Someone Else               Just A Little Heartbreak
2. Wayside                               Just A Little Heartbreak
3. Just A Little Heartbreak      Just A Little Heartbreak
4. Down With It                       Just A Little Heartbreak


City Of The Sun

Nothing you could have read up on, or listened to prior could have ever prepared you for City of The Sun. Really this is the purpose of Sofar Sounds across the world. Forget what expectations you might have of a band, or even what you might expect to hear at a house show. In a different environment bands can be unleashed very unexpectedly.   Put them in a great environment of very attentive, very appreciative fans and it's hard to say what awesomeness might emerge. City of the Sun is this concept personified. If you check their mini bio on Facebook, "City of The Sun is John Pita, Avi Snow and Zach Para. Two guitars, a box, some bells, and a sound that is far greater than the sum of those parts." you only begin to understand what you in for. I had been listening to some tracks on Soundcloud this spring, but nothing prepared for what happened in person.

The NYC trio was set for four completely instrumental songs. Zach Para played his hard-wood drum-box with two taped fingers on each hand, adding the stomping, ankle shakers, and foot tambourine while John Pita and Avi Snow combined on the acoustic guitars. There was super fast picking with a fabulous strum style. As each song went into the next they kept getting better and more intense. Some in the crowd picked up on The XX cover of "Intro", while the rest didn't really care whose songs they were playing. It was fierce and amazing. Crescendos upon crescendos, foot stomping, and surprisingly no broken strings. Triumph upon triumph, it seemed endless and a little insane. It was so impressive to the crowd that despite only being the 2nd band on the lineup, they overwhelmingly demanded a well-earned encore.

City of the Sun May 16th, 2014
                  song title                         album
1. Paco
2. Explosions                          Live At the Factory
3. Intro                                    (Cover by The XX)
4. Summerchild
** ENCORE **
5. Everything                             Live At the Factory

Kuf Knotz and Joe Miller

Billed originally as just rapper Kuf Knotz, you'd expect to hear some of the premier beats coming out of Philadelphia/NYC. But when it was time for Kuf to perform, to the front of the room came Ken Pendergast on upright bassist, Margel Overton on keys, and Joe Miller on acoustic guitar; not exactly what you’d expect for a hip hop performance. If you've followed Kuf Knotz, you may have realized he's not really into following the normal expectations and this set was no different for some acoustic hip hop.  One thing that did follow expectations was Kuf's knack for thought provoking lyric. The conscious rapper, is easy to hear and easy to understand. Prose like "my pen hit the paper and the truth it leaks" came across loud and clear. The fun part is the verses are captured so well amongst his sonic counterparts. "Souvenir", which was written over email before a show Kuf & Joe were placed on together, was a great mix between Joe's acoustic country, Kuf's rap, all while over Ken's bass lines and Margel's smooth keys. The fan participation - chanting "let's take what we can get", was also a fun addition.

Fans may have been familiar with the third song "Clock Tickin' from Boombox Logic. If you knew the original version that originally featured Chris Kasper on the vocal hook or didn't know the song at all, either way you'd likely be blown away by the combination with Joe Miller. Where Chris was his normal soft spoken, chill self, the collaboration by Joe Miller gave importance to every word, and every breath on this live rendition of the older Kuf song. Although it's been around for nearly four years since Boombox Logic was released, if you didn’t know about its origins you'd have a hard time believing Joe didn't co-write the song with him.


Kuf Knotz & Joe Miller - Souvenir | Sofar Philadelphia (#799)

Kuf Knotz & Joe Miller- May 16th, 2014
                  song title                         album
1. Runnin                                         unreleased
2. Souvenir                                      unreleased
3. Clock Tickin’                               Boombox Logic
4. Dude, Where’s My Whiskey        unreleased


Pine Barons

New Jersey four-piece, Pine Barons had either the incredible misfortune or fantastic fortune of wrapping up this incredible night of music.   Although they frequent the Philly music scene, I hadn't had the chance to give them a listen yet.  I knew they were the favorite tour partner for the skyrocketing Philly residents, the Districts, but not much else.   As they prepared for their first song "Chamber Choir", I quickly learned they've done a Daytrotter Session, play banjo, are into loops, and have more instruments going on at once than some orchestras.   In some cases, the addition of these things does not make a band cool.  In fact for some people, having a banjo post-Mumford or doing any loops drops your band down a peg or two, but for these Jersey devils it didn't matter what combination they presented the results were solid and worthy of the final slot.  "Chamber Choir", was all of those things.  Colin Smith started off the beat sitting behind the kit and shaker while Keith Abrams created some loops.  The next layer was Keith on harmonic, Brad Pulley making a little melody on the xylophone, while Shane Hower played a groovy riff on bass.  With the base laid out, it's time for vocals, banjo, accordion, and more!

The band played a five song set, swapping instruments and keeping things fresh.  The fellas were chaotic but calm at the same time.  They had an uncanny knack of making the chaos look natural.  They sonically tried nearly everything with the unapologetic courage of an elementary school kid, even singing into the bottom of a bongo on "Smile America."   A little punk, a lot rock, they're the exact creativity that's missing for alternative radio today. 




Pine Barons - Chamber Choir | Sofar Philadelphia (#799)

Pine Barons- May 16th, 2014
                  song title                                        album
1. Chamber Choir                                     Pine Barons
2. Melon Tree                                            unreleased
3. Smile America                                      Pine Barons
4. Since I’ve Been Away                          Pine Barons
5. Don’t Believe What They Told You      Pine Barons