Root Down in the Shadow

Arc Iris returns to Philly this Wednesday, at Boot & Saddle with friends Superhuman Happiness and Birdie Busch.   To catch you up to speed, here's a little review of Moon Saloon to get you excited about the show.   If a well crafted album is meant to be a journey and an exploration, Arc Iris' Moon Saloon manages to accomplish both for its musicians and listeners. Opening with a simple four-tap count-off from a gently gated hi-hat, "Kaleidoscope" kicks Moon Saloon off with Ray Belli (drums) and Zach Tenorio-Miller (keys) digging into a syncopated boom bap groove as Robin Ryczek (cello) surges in with her own sonic undertow. With a single, shimmering guitar chord, Jocie Adams is introduced as the narrator. Her lyrical foundation is paved with questions and reflections. As the track pushes forward, the original lines are spliced with slight variations and embellishments as a larger form takes shape. The track grows exponentially as single-line ...

It's Folk Festival Time for everyone in the Philadelphia area.  Have you checked out the newly updated Philadelphia Folk Festival website?   The site is so easy you can personalize your own schedule for the festival.    Other fests say you can do it, but they still end up being super cumbersome. You can sort this by stage or date, or just select a bunch of favorites from any page and have them show up as highlights to the schedule with the "Show My Schedule" button. But even if you a super easy site isn't for you, here's Root Down In The Shadow 's "Five to See Live" at the 55th Philadelphia Folk Festival presented by Philadelphia Folksong Society.  Hurricane Hoss  Friday 3:30 Martin  Guitar Main Stage:   Hurricane Hoss is everything country & folk music needs. None of this bro, country-pop with bimbos in the videos. Hoss brings back swagger and sass and has the chops to back it up. The backing band this year is a veritable ...

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...

For a special Turkey Saturday edition of the Root Down In The Shadow HQ House Concert series, our pal Will Houlihan , better known by his moniker Haunt The House returns to Philly for a solo show. He's joined by tour mate Zach Schmidt and local favorite David Janes . To get you excited for the show, let's check out some videos that our friends and frequent collaborators Kettle Pot Tracks did this summer.  The first was an unexpected surprise as he recorded a video during the house show this July when the full band played at the RDITS HQ. Haunt the House, "Vampyre" live from RDitS House Show 7/13/15   Haunt the House, "Vampyre" live from RDitS House Show 7/13/15 from Michael Batchelor on Vimeo . While we shared that video this summer, the next video is brand new.  Kettle Pot Tracks were a gracious host to us & Haunt The House and recorded a beautiful On The Hill Session with the band. Haunt the House — Mosquito Coast Haunt the ...

Swelltone Music's Shana Hartzell interviews Pine Barons Any year where you get main stage your city's NPR station's festival and a split Daytrotter vinyl with The Districts , it's a great year.   The Pine Barons are clearly ascending the indie ranks, but they still have time to chat with their blogger friends.   After their set at WXPN's XPoNential Festival presented by Subaru, the Pine Barons sat down with the Root Down In The Shadow crew and our friend Shana Hartzel of Swelltone Music to discuss the highlights of the show, their thoughts on WXPN, playing live, the new album, and more!   Check out our XPoNential Festival preview , featuring Pine Barons..    Check out the interview below: Pine Barons at XPoNential Festival : Photo by Dan McGurk Pine Barons are back this fall as part of the TJ Kong Halloween Murder Show VI.   Get Tickets now for Pine Barons, TJ Kong, Satellite Hearts and mor...

Israel Nash at the Malvern Summer Stage : Photo by Dan McGurk Israel Nash @ Non-Comm : Photo by Dan McGurk It's been a busy year for Israel Nash and band.  In support of the timeless Rain Plains album they came to Philadelpia for a WXPN Free At Noon, The 15th Annual NON-COMMvention, Malvern Summer Stage, and XPoNential Festival.  While each of these could have been essentially short promotional sets, that didn't stop the band from giving everything they had each time. After being wowed at Non-Comm and Malvern Summer Stage, we knew we wanted to catch up with Israel Nash to see what the connection is between band and WXPN, the radio support behind these shows.   Check out our XPoNential Festival preview , featuring Israel Nash..    Click the interview below to see Israel's thoughts on WXPN, XPoNential Festival, and what brings them back for more! : To hear their whole XPoNential Festival set... check out the player WXPN's The Key ...

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...

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Photo by Lindsey Borgman Fresh off of a stunning Sofar Sounds: Philadelphia performance Anthony D'Amato joins Arc Iris at the Tin Angel , this Thursday.  Before the show, here are five things Philly music fans need to know about Anthony D'Amato. 1. Anthony hails from Blairstown, NJ and has spent lots of time in the NJ & Philly area.  His first show in Philly was actually at the Tin Angel, featuring Francis Dunnery and David Sancious with Birdie Busch opening." 2.  D'Amato was featured on a World Cafe Next from WXPN in 2011 with David Dye . Anthony D'Amato: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert 3. The second show Anthony ever played as a solo artist was at the Tin Angel opening for Jesse Malin. Anthony D'Amato - Good and Ready [Official Video] 4.  Anthony's favorite show in Philadelpahia was Bright Eyes at the Academy of Music touring for I'm Wide Awake It's Morning 5.  His favorite "now" Philly band is Strand of Oak...

Next Thursday, Arc Iris is featured on a co-bill with Anthony D’Amato at the Philadelphia intimate venue The Tin Angel . Having caught Arc Iris now five-or-so times in Philly, each time they conceptually get more expansive and bolder, I couldn't wait until Thursday to find out what Arc Iris had in store for the Tin Angel guests. With all of the wonderful buzz circulating around Arc Iris seemingly focusing on the bands matriarch Jocie Adams , I felt it was time to get some perspective from the other half of its creative mind Zachary Tenorio-Miller .  Zachary and I chatted about meeting Jocie, the birth of Arc Iris, and what is coming next! Zachary Miller-Tenorio or Storm Trooper? Root Down In The Shadow :  When did you first start making music with Jocie Adams? Zachary Tenorio-Miller : It all started when I first met Jocie.  We had like a million mutual friends back when I had been playing with members of Elvis Perkins in Dearland in an off-shoot band Diamo...

This Friday, Mat Burke will be gracing the Kung Fu Necktie stage for the Still Bleeding EP release show.  Joined by some of the most exciting rockers in Philly: The Rivals, Penrose , and August John Lutz II of Levee Drivers ; it stands to be a wild night of music.   Mat Burke - Photo by Elizabeth Thorpe If the album title is any indication, Philadelphia's Mat Burke will be ready to bleed for us.  With his new EP Still Bleeding he's visiting a theme he's been capturing for some time.  According to Mat, "everyone bleeds not only in a physical sense but a singer bleeds every time he steps on stage, a teacher bleeds every time she talks to a class, an artist bleeds with every stroke of a brush."  Burke normally plays solo so this makes total sense that he's "still bleeding," sharing his stories as he takes the full brunt of talkative crowds without support of band mates. Theme aside, on his new EP his music is taken to new heights. ...

"The stages are set for this year’s  Hot August Music Festival (formerly Hot August Blues & Roots Festival ) scheduled for Saturday, August 16, 2014 at the picturesque Oregon Ridge Park. The family-friendly event will include three stages of live music and performance artists; an array of local artisans and crafters; food and beverage vendors; plus activities for the kids. Now in its 22nd year, the Hot August Music Festival continues to benefit Common Ground On the Hill, a non- profit organization committed to the unifying power of music, as well as the Baltimore Blues Society, a 501(c)3  corporation dedicated to preserving blues music in our region." To get ready for the fest, Root Down In The Shadow sat down with Event Founder and Producer Brad Selko to find out how it all started. Root Down In The Shadow : How did Hot August Music Festival get its start?  Brad Selko: While I was doing a benefit in downtown Baltimore it was suggested that I do a p...

This Friday, stands to be the final house show at 3701 Spring Garden.  The home of many kick-ass house shows in the past few years, has really been on the map with 3 Sofar Sounds: Philadelphia shows, 2 Root Down In The Shadow & Swift Guitar Lessons Presents, 3 Cover Club sessions and numerous Live At The Rivals House shows! Rumor has it that after recording some tracks for upcoming albums of The Rivals and Song Dogs , Nomad Recording Studio headed by Rob Swift , is packing up and moving to a new location.  To celebrate this final show at the studio space, we've got a Live At The Rivals House Line-up that looks to be a spectacular. The lineup features songstress Chelsea Mitchell of Dirty Dollhouse, followed by Jake Lewis & The Clergy, who are coming in from Lancaster; and the Bernhardt Family Band.   Come out and show your appreciation for the Rivals House and all the wonderful show's they've hosted for us!!!  #BYOB #NoDouches #NiceMix #S...

In just a few days, THIS SATURDAY, a line-up of epic proportions is ready to be unleashed AT THE RIVALS HOUSE . Last month, we started off the joint series at the Rivals House with rockers Up The Chain and Satellite Hearts .  This month were turning down the volume and doubling the lineup.  Four acts will take to the mic with Sean Hoots, Emily Ana Zeitlyn (Divers), Ladybird, and The Rivals all ready to wow audiences.  Ranging from Folk-tonk to Bluegrass to cutting edge rock, these four local outfits are some of the best Philly has to offer. The event is limited, so be sure to RSVP.    While the event is NOT FREE, please be prepared to pay according to how awesome you think the night is going ($10-20).  To get an idea of what incredible fantasitic-ness you'll be a part of, here are a few videos to get you ready. Sean Hoots from his recent Cover Club session Emily Ana Zeitlyn of Divers at Johnny Brenda's The Rivals from their recent Cover...

Across the globe, music festivals are getting larger and larger with dozens of bands gracing multiple stages.  One festival, XPoNential Festival , bucks this trend and still has only two stages at a time with a major effort taken to prevent overlapping live music.  A favorite for many, this festival comes together each year with such great bands and such few issues.  If you're wondering what their secrets are, now's your time to find out.  Root Down In The Shadow recently had the opportunity to connect with Paul Severin - Events Producer for WXPN to get all of our questions answered, finding out what goes into planning XPoNential Festival [FOR LINEUP & TICKETS - Click over to XPN.ORG ] What is it about an artist that catches your attention or makes them a good fit for the festival? Just like what we decide to play on WXPN, first and foremost we simply think about what our listeners will connect with the most musically as simple as that may sound. W...