Root Down in the Shadow

In recent years if Philly music fans hadn't seen Ron Gallo a half-dozen or so times by mid-year, they must have tried to avoid him.  But as the calendar turned to 2016, Ron Gallo packed up his talents and left for Nashville.  This summer tour, including a stop at Philly's JOHNNY BRENDA'S, is the first chance for many to catch Ron Gallo in quite a while.  Let's see what Ron has been up to, as he chatted with Root Down In The Shadow. Once upon a time you were everywhere in Philly, but then after 1 (or 2) farewell show(s) you were gone to Nashville at the end of 2015 Part of moving to Nashville and leaving Philly behind, was not being stuck in the same old stuff, doing shows with the same crew, taking a step forward. Going to Nashville however meant playing shows with old friends like Jordan Hull and Joe Fletcher . Do you have fears of getting into the same ruts? i always have a natural fear of growing stagnant. even while in philly i could never sit still. t...

Last Friday at Johnny Brenda's it was The Freeman Tour , bringing Aaron Freeman 's new band Freeman back to Philadelphia with Providence, RI buzz-band Arc Iris.  The sold-out crowd was completely amped, with local hero Aaron Freeman a.k.a. Gene Ween making his return to the hip Fishtown neighborhood venue.  With his new self titled album dropping just over a month ago, the excitement of his return was electric.  Many fans arrived dejected to find out the show was sold out, but the hardcore fans were ready with tickets in hand, ready for the show. Loading @arcirismusic #amazeballs #FreemanTour #JocieAdams #SoldOut View on Instagram After what seemed to be a long delay to get upstairs, Arc Iris went on stage on time to start the show.  It has been a great year for Arc Iris, releasing their eponymous debut album earlier this year, getting major buzz on the SXSW circuit and major coverage all year round.   The Freeman tour would be an exc...

*At Johnny Brenda's opening for Lost In The Trees* On a dreary Tuesday night in Philadelphia one of the best things you can do is go see some live music.  The amazing benefit of being in a city with such a huge population and an amazing depth of musical talent, is that you can easily find a "local" artist opening at most shows.  The promoter to band connection works extremely well in matching up Philly area bands with artists that are coming through town, a situation that would not happen in a majority of the cities across the country.  On this particular Tuesday, Our Griffins came down from the Lehigh Valley to support the tour of Lost In The Trees and  All Tiny Creatures.    On the day Lost In The Trees released their new album Past Life , they were also treated to some amazing Philly talent with Our Griffins starting off the night at Johnny Brenda's . Our Griffins played just six songs, but did a great job to impress the crowd.   New so...

NEW LIVE INITIATIVE CONTINUES IN NORTH AMERICA The Communion Tour continues in the United States for its second month.  Molded from the successful '20 “Austin to Boston Tour” (featuring Ben Howard, Nathaniel Rateliff, The Staves and Bear’s Den ) Communion started a tour bringing different artists to nine cities each month: New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Bloomington, Louisville, Nashville, Minneapolis, Madison and Rock Island. The second series, in November, will feature Tennis , Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats, Savoire Adore , On An On and additional support from local artists.  Looking back at October..... The Communion Philadelphia session, at the nearly sold-out Johnny Brenda's was quite an event.  Thinking in terms of founders Ben Lovett (of Mumford & Sons) and Kevin Jones (Bear's Den ) as the brains behind the Communion tour, and seeing Willy Mason , Birdie Busch and Roadkill Ghost Choir on the bill, I expected somewhat of a...

New Album In The Works!! Brian Dale Allen Strouse and the Lawsuits were up to their usual shenanigans making music like rabbits fornicate, all the time.  After two EP's in 2012 with the summer party Hot Love and the chill Numbers it was time to take the expected leap into the Philadelphia upper echelon.  To get there, the Lawsuits worked with Bill Moriarty at Waking Studios ( Dr. Dog , Joshua James , Don McCloskey ) and had mastering by Howie Weinberg ( Nirvana , Garbage , Beastie Boys , etc.). Brian Dale Allen Strouse, a producer himeself, was happy to let go of the reins.  "Bill Moriarty didn't try to sell us on his equipment or his records.  He really cared as a friend throughout the process." Eleven new tracks made the complete journey from Brian Dale Allen Strouse's head to the final mixing station.  Some expected tracks, such as 'Ebony Rose' or 'French Roast', which had been in set lists for almost a year now did not make th...