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

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

It's a big weekend for August John Lutz II.   Saturday marks the release of 'O Foolish Heart his debut solo release.  Before grabbing your tickets for the show at Bourbon and Branch, check out the insight August gives us to five questions we had about his new material. 1. Q:​ It’s been 7 years since the first Levee Drivers EP and fans have been clamoring for a full-length album - only to be teased with a few songs here and there. Now, just a month or so before the full-length is ​officially​ recorded, you’re releasing a 5-track solo effort. Why now? A: ​It basically came down to timing and finding the right songs to complement each other. Everything fell comfortably into place with this project. I’m also in the middle of recording a follow-up to ​O’ My Foolish Heart​, and on top of that the Levee Drivers full- length should be out sometime next year. People definitely won’t have to wait long between releases! August John Lutz II - Photo By Bob Swee

Philadelphia Folk Festival is an enigma. It's actually far away from Philadelphia at Old Poole's Farm in remote Schwenksville, PA. Once you arrive and park, and either walk or shuttle in you pass a sea of cars and a tent city. There are stages off in the woods, there's a whole other world off in the distance in this magical tent city. What is going on? For this blogger who has experienced only about 8 or so sets total at the fest in the last few years, it is a nut that must be cracked. What exactly goes on at this fest? All the local musicians seem to be buzzing about it every summer year. It was suggested that the only way to get to understand the fest is to ask those who experience it every year. And by every year, we don't mean in the last few years since an adult moved to town. We mean, from people who in some cases, have been going ALL of their life. With the help of Philadelphia Folksong Society , Root Down In The Shadow invited some "life

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

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

"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 picni

The first Thursday of every month is the always intriguing Communion show at Underground Arts .  The line-ups feature from 5 to 7 bands, some on the Communion Label , some local, all exciting.  In early April a 5 band line-up was featured including three Philadelphia bands, The Lawsuits , Gretchen Lohse , and Banned Books .  National touring acts, Johnny Stimson and Sturgill Simpson flushed out the lineup, with Johnny Stimson bringing his soul over beats, while Sturgill brought his weathered twang. Video mastermind Bob Sweeney and Root Down In The Shadow regular contributor, Michael Southerton got together to make a few videos.  Bob shot some Super 8, while Mike was sure to get all the right instruments at all the right times. Check out some videos by Bob Sweeney featuring Gretchen Lohse, Johnny Stimson (coming soon) , and The Lawsuits: Gretchen Lohse "Spider at the Gate" (Communion PA) Gretchen Lohse "Spider at the Gate" (Communion PA) from B

Caleb Hawley is playing Milkboy: Philadelphia April 2nd 2014.  After years of relentless touring, open mics, and learning the business good & bad, Caleb Hawley has found his groove.  With a full band in tow, Caleb returns to his roots, ready to share his love of R&B. To get you ready for the show, here's some Q&A with Caleb Hawley and a few tastes of what to expect! Your career seems to be coming back around to your early influences (Ray Charles, Stevie etc).   How have the singer/songwriter circuits prepared you to come back to the full sound? Definitely have been coming back around to some of the influences that made me fall in love with music in the first place.  Maybe it's just a phase of the cycle, but I've been back in it for a few years now. I started off solo & stripped down because I was eager to tour and it seemed to logistically make the most sense.  I think the most important thing that I got from playing the singer/songwriter cir

Wednesday March 12th, The Bernhardt Family Band will be on at World Cafe Live with The Keys , The Dawn Drapes and August John Lutz II (of Levee Drivers ).  To get you ready for the show, we move up #CoverClub a day early, as we release an original track by The Bernhardt Family Band.   Outside of a few rough videos on the net, there is limited info about the band Kate Bernhardt & Jerry Bernhardt have formed.  So, to prevent from any further missing-out on this band, here is an interview with Kate and their original song "Moonlight" recorded at Nomad Recording Studios for Cover Club. The Bernhardt Family Band "Moonlight" Some folks will be surprised to find you listed on the liner notes for Ali Wadsworth's album, any other surprise credits to know about? We did some harmonies for Ron Gallo ’s solo project last fall, so that’s in the works. Jerry recorded on Mike McMonagle ’s album a few months ago and did a keyboard session with Chris Kasper ,