Live From Philadelphia

Geno Thackara reports on the month's best live shows from the City of Brotherly Love.

Bruce Hornsby and yMusic at the Merriam Theater

by Geno Thackara
March 14, 2020

Bruce Hornsby and yMusic The Merriam Theater jny: Philadelphia, PAMarch 4, 2020 “It's, what, our fourth show? We should have it together by now," Bruce Hornsby laughed during one between-song lull while a couple of his cohorts quickly tuned up. The joke was that he'd forgotten the planned order of songs to be played, though that's certainly understandable for someone normally used to winging it without a set list at all. To listen to the ...

Go: Organic Orchestra and Brooklyn Raga Massive at Painted Bride Art Center

by Geno Thackara
October 17, 2019

Go: Organic Orchestra and Brooklyn Raga MassivePainted Bride Art Centerjny: Philadelphia, PAOctober 6, 2019 While Philadelphia's Painted Bride Art Center has been presenting jazz, improvised and/or experimental music for half a century, it's still entirely possible this was the most sweepingly wide, boundary-defying cross-cultural performance the venue has ever seen. The sizable and amorphous Go: Organic Orchestra collective already serves up a fascinating kind of severe culture shock on its own, as demonstrated in several ...

Mostly Other People Do the Killing, Sirius Juju and Unspeakable Garbage at Jerry's on Front

by Geno Thackara
February 21, 2019

Mostly Other People Do the Killing/Sirius Juju/Unspeakable GarbageJerry's on Frontjny: Philadelphia, PAFebruary 16, 2019 Twenty blocks and a world away from the clubs and bars of Philadelphia's city center, the experimental art space of Jerry's on Front is a room one would hardly imagine for music at all. It's a nondescript one-car-garage-sized space squeezed into a row of shuttered storefronts, looking more suitable for a woodworking space or fly-by-night pawn shop. Dimness makes the bare ...

Aaron Goldberg Trio at @exuberance

by Geno Thackara
November 28, 2018

Aaron Goldberg Trio @exuberance jny: Philadelphia, PA November 23, 2018 It was a rollicking evening set full of jaunty rhythms and good humor. Aaron Goldberg clearly relished the rich sound of the Steinway and the feel of the room. A packed crowd had come out to unwind at the end of Black Friday--probably the fullest audience this two-year-old concert series has had to date--and the affair felt like the friendliest informal holiday ...

Nik Bärtsch's Ronin at World Cafe Live

by Geno Thackara
May 11, 2018

Nik Bärtsch's Ronin World Cafe Live jny: Philadelphia, PA May 8, 2018 Of the oddest sights Philadelphia's art scene might offer on any given Tuesday night, a stern-faced figure in samurai hatama whacking a piano with a mallet should probably be in the top five. (Unless there's something like the Fringe Festival going on, in which case, maybe the top twenty.) To the unfamiliar, the music of Nik Bärtsch's Ronin may seem similarly odd and ...

Katie Thiroux Trio at South Jazz Parlor

by Geno Thackara
February 28, 2018

Katie Thiroux Trio South Jazz Parlor jny: Philadelphia, PA February 24, 2018 In time-honored Philly tradition, South is the kind of venue that recognizes jazz as a vital staple rather than just another aspect of business. Nestled on a corner in Center City's bustling north side (go figure), the place features a classy restaurant/bar that would make a fine dinner spot on its own, right alongside a sectioned-off parlor devoted to performances and regular jams. ...

Orion Tango at Kung Fu Necktie

by Geno Thackara
June 9, 2017

Orion TangoKung Fu Necktiejny: Philadelphia, PAJune 6, 2017 It's unclear what formal apparel has to do with the martial arts, or what either one has to do with live music for that matter, but nevermind. Adventurous musical acts are always welcome at Kung Fu Necktie as much as open-eared listeners are. The wood-paneled corner bar in northeast Philadelphia's Fishtown neighborhood is a cozy space with an inviting local-hangout atmosphere and plenty of character. On this ...