Root Down in the Shadow

The buzz has been all about Sonja Sofya and her new album The Patterns We Know .  Tonight Sonja Sofya and band take to the stage at Boot & Saddle in South Philly along with a great line-up featuring Arc Divers and the dove and the wolf. Right off the top we have some great reasons to expect great things from this album, such as produced by Ross Bellenoit at Turtle Studios and excellent musicianship by guitarist/producer Ross Bellenoit, bassist Jonathan Colman , and drummers Matt Scarano and Jonas Oesterle . But we at Root Down In The Shadow wanted to dig further and see what Sonja had to say about the album. Here's 3 questions we had for the songstress Sonja Sofya: RDITS: What was the impetus to make a full length record and why did you pick the people you worked with? At a certain point, playing and writing as much as I was, it felt like the logical next step, but I waited for a while, trying to find the "perfect" time to go into the stud...

Holly Miranda at Boot & Saddle - Photo by Lindsey Borgman Every national tour has its share of disasters, whether it's tour van break down, or equipment theft.  The tour featuring Holly Miranda with Ambrosia Parsley + Chris Maxwell seemed to get it all out of the way, before Miranda ever made the stage at Philadelphia's Boot & Saddle .  Looking past Ambrosia Parsley's wardrobe malfunction (went missing off a MegaBus) and the paltry crowd (I'm looking at you Philly music fans), Holly Miranda and band had everything rocking in the right direction. Ambrosia Parsley + Chris Maxwell To start the night the Chris Maxwell warmed up the crowd, only to be joined by partner Ambrosia Parsley (formerly of Shivaree & Kill Bill 2 Soundtrack fame) for her first show in quite a while.  With her soft and affected voice and his skillful guitar playing, they warmed up the crowd despite some terribly sad songs. “This is the most honest thing I’ve ever m...

Philly electro-dream-pop band Cheerleader has been bouncing around the world the last few months.  They played Philly's Kung Fu Necktie in March, were off to Austin for SXSW, back to Philly again to play MilkBoy in April, and off across the pond to the U.K. playing shows with the likes of The Hold Steady and Alvvays.   Like a teenager, the five-piece band comes and goes so frequently, you never really know when you'll see them next at home in Philadelphia.  With all the cool stuff going on for Cheerleader, it's a must see event. Last Saturday night at Boot & Saddle was their highest profile local show yet, playing a bill with a hodgepodge of area bands Dream Safari and Langor .  Dream Safari was an easy match on the bill with some electro pop sounds.  Langor, while not quite a sonic fit, is like Cheerleader in that you have to see them in person to truly appreciate. In the headlining slot, could Cheerleader stand up to the studio cuts...

Hoots & Hellmouth are back at their rightful place, the stages of Philadelphia, as they have begun a residency throughout May on Wednesday nights in at Philadelphia’s Boot & Saddle .   The event marks a first for both band and venue, as this is the group’s first-ever hometown residency and the club’s first since local concert promotions agency, R5 Productions , reopened the South Philadelphia landmark's doors in September 2013.   Now that the first ever residency week at Boot & Saddle is in the books, it's a great time to check out Hoots & Hellmouth as they go through new material in front of fans and friends alike in anticipation of their upcoming recording sessions this summer. The band—led by founding members Sean Hoots and Robert Berliner —will be debuting new material each Wednesday night in May.  One such song, "Move Me" was first presented with the Root Down In The Shadow series Cover Club earlier this year and will be amongst...

New venue Boot and Saddle has been doing a solid job of attracting some hot new acts such as Those Darlins and Cibo Matto to town.  The venue is set up for long-term success with a good menu and separate areas for the bar and shows.  If they keep bringing stacked local line-ups such as last Thursday, it will quickly be a new favorite for many.  Toy Soldiers front man Ron Gallo had the headline slot for the night and brought friends Lucy Stone and Jay Purdy to fill out his bill.  Fresh off of a release of his solo work Live At Kettle Pot Tracks, Ron Gallo was backed by local boys Satellite Hearts and Levee Drivers multi-instrumentalist Kyle Perella on lap steel. Jay Purdy started off the night with a captivating solo set, allowing his playful melodies and unexpected lyrics to display a very unique brand of songwriting.  Normally front-man of The Extraordinaires , Jay seemed at ease on his own while switching back and forth between whimsical tunes o...