Root Down in the Shadow

As a editor of Root Down In The Shadow, I make all the decisions about deadlines and features and such.  I also get stuck sometime and fail to put a piece out.  Maybe it wasn't the right time, maybe a "dealine" is missed.  Whatever the case is sometimes things just don't happen.  But, the musicians didn't fail to play the show, the contributors don't fail to show up.  There's always a good time to post a review, even if it is eight months later.  So, I present another piece "FROM THE NOTEBOOK." Divers, now know as Arc Divers play tomorrow for what stands to be an amazing show with Israel Nash at the Malvern Summer Stage.  So, there's no better time than now to share Wayne's free flowing piece.  Arc Divers - Photo by Wayne Gallagher Presented in it's original form: Divers. Johnny Brenda's. Friday night in Fishtown Philadelphia. I arrive early, too early. The sun is still out, the street bounces with people on thei...

Sofar Sounds: Philadelphia, where has the year gone?  Already the June show has come and gone and already the July and August shows are being planned.  Too much time has passed without a recap; so with no further ado: Best of Sounds: Philadelphia 2015 ... so far... (plus Dec 2014). December 2014: Brian Dale Allen Strouse (of the Lawsuits) / Dominic Angelella (of DRGN King) /  The Naked Sun / The Kalob Griffin Band Photo by Julie McGurk Poster by Jennifer Prough Photo by Lindsey Borgman The December '14 Sofar Sounds: Philadelphia show was one of the best on record.  Ugly Sweaters, food donations for Philabundance, and an all local-lineup at this super cool Fishtown  former candy shop turned apartment.  For this holiday show, each band was asked to be prepared with a holiday song each. Just as each Sofar show is typically extra special with stripped down instrumentation and personnel, the holiday song choices for the event ...

Gallo, Bellenoit, D'Agostino @ Fergie's Pub A few years back, I went to Fergie's Pub for a late night music hang.  It was still early into my indoctrination of the Philly music scene and really didn't know just how amazing those nights would/could actually be.  I just knew a friend or two were likely to play and my child and wife were already asleep.  Ron Gallo would be playing that night, and the lanky front-man was flanked by a guitarist who just walked in, a dude on bass, and the host of the night was at the drums.  There's no way it was going to be any good; Gallo and two random dudes?  It couldn't be good, right?  It was a Wednesday night, late as hell, and a bunch of jokers at the upstairs "dive" portion of a great Irish bar were about to rock out without a set list.  What could actually be good about this? What I didn't know was this host Jonas guy, was Jonas Oesterle (of Purples and other projects), the bassist was Phil D'Agosti...