Even if it's just for one night, it's quite nice to get out of the city. And it's even nicer when you have a friend who is willing to drive to Philly during rush hour. Katie and I sat in excruciating traffic on the way down, while we chain-smoked and listened to tunes. She played me the new Brand New. I played her the new Shins. We both danced to Panic! At The Disco and discussed future projects. Too bad by the time we made it to Philly we had missed half of The Undisputed Heavyweights' set. Wes didn't take my text messages seriously for Casey to stall until we got there. I was bummed because I really wanted Katie to get the full experience, but we'll make sure we get to Joe's Pub bright and early.
I wish my camera actually worked because not only would I have fabulous shots of all the bands, but I could show you how beautiful World Cafe Live in Philly is. I felt like I had walked into an old dinner theater. Seth compared it to a larger Joe's Pub, and I must say the acoustics and ambiance are definitely worthy of a rival. There was a great crowd, super energy, and all for a worthy cause.
Some may say I'm crazy for driving to different cities to see bands I've seen more times than should be shared. I call it my civic duty.
Anyways.
After The Heavyweights was a young kid named Jon Check who could easily be head of the John Mayer class of rock. This isn't an insult, as I do happen to think Mr. Mayer is quite talented (when he's not sucking face with Jessica Simpson). Jon Check has a certain ease to him in performance, and a hell of a voice. Teamed up with a band and an impressive female vocalist, he incorporated jazz and rock into a solid set. His debut album can be purchased here.
The man of the hour, and the one who put together the entire night, Mr. Seth Kallen took the stage next, backed by his ever growing band The Reaction. Now with two lead guitarists, Katie and I were both worried that a fight might break out between to two over parts. No dice, they played a tight set, without any blood. Miss Melody Gardot joined Seth on stage for "My Sweet Darling" which is always a treat, and they ended with "No Ace" that was pure rock and soul. I think the entire crowd was left quite impressed.
Katie and I had now been drinking consistently since we arrived and the vodka tonics were catching up to us. We bummed around backstage with The Heavyweights before they caught their train back to the city, and Katie and I were off to...well, another bar. We met up with my older brother outside the city and became ridiculously ecstatic upon realizing their vodka/tonics were only $3! Now that is what I'm talking about. I'm pretty sure I exclaimed numerous times that evening my newfound love for Philadelphia, and I stand by that even the next day. Not only for it's cheap drinks -- all in all, it sure showed me a good time.
Like I said, it's always nice to get out of the city.
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