December 15, 2016
Thom Carroll/PhillyVoice
Old Crow Medicine Show performing this past summer at the BB&T Pavilion.
An alumni of bands like Auctioneer and Nightlands, Jesse Hale Moore went out on his own in late 2015, endearing himself to fans with a quick dose of dramatic songwriting. Just over a year after releasing a spare two-track EP on Soundcloud, Moore is currently finalizing his first full-length album, which is slated for next spring. For now, the sole pair of tracks the Philly local has to his name offer a hint at what’s next: a careful mix of smooth rock-inflected R&B and an undeniably powerful voice.
Doors 8 p.m. / Show 9 p.m. | With Norwegian Arms and Vexxed | $12 | 21 and over
The Philly singer Julian King quietly introduced himself early in 2016 with an EP called “Sing For You.” King’s voice is nimble and patters out in clever phrasings, and he slips into a falsetto with ease. The best moments on his seven-track debut offer up refined stretches of accessible but slinky R&B and mounds of potential as a songwriter.
Doors 7 p.m. / Show 8 p.m. | $15 | 21 and over
Muddy Magnolias is the result of a smart bit of matchmaking. Shortly after moving from Brooklyn to Nashville, the singer Jessy Wilson, a former backup vocalist for John Legend, met Kallie North. As a duo, Wilson and North have been plugging away for almost three years, a slow grind that built up to a debut album called “Broken People” released in October. The record is anchored in rock and country but seasoned with a layer of gritty soul throughout, the kind of music that sounds entirely natural and warmly down home.
Show 12:00 p.m. | free | all ages
Last year, John and Kevin Shields formed a Philly band and shipped it down to Charleston, South Carolina. The unrelated duo that share a last name built a quick sense of momentum in 2015, churning their side-gig pet project into a bona fide main stage act with the release of a full-length record called “Buddha the Beast.” The Shields’ music takes the form of slickly produced soul hip-hop, in which a cast of instrumentalists walk in step with equal parts rock and funk.
Show 8:30 p.m. | With Johnny Popcorn and Keely Sibilia | $10 | 21 and over
West Philly’s own Matthew Law celebrates the third anniversary of his reliable monthly dancefloor magnet to close out the year. The final 2016 edition of the Friends & Fam getdown finds A$AP Ferg’s tour DJ TJ Mizell sharing the turntable duties alongside Law and The Bul Bey on the mic. Like some of the best dance parties around, Friends & Fam feels like a hidden gem with wide open doors, an inclusive good time if you’re in-the-know.
Doors 9 p.m. | With TJ Mizell and The Bul Bey | $5-10 | 21 and over
If you’re interested in Philadelphia punk, it’s easy to get lost in the upswell of the city’s modern era. But a band like Ruin proves things go back much further than Philly’s current indie darling status. This weekend the Glenn Wallis-helmed punk quartet celebrates the 30th anniversary of their sophomore album, “Fiat Lux,” which came out two years after their 1984 debut “He-Ho.” Wallis is now a professor of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Indian Religions at the University of Georgia – a not entirely unexpected second act given Ruin’s origin story. A few years ago, grappling with the philosophical underpinnings of one of Philly’s most vital early-wave punk bands, Wallis offered: “‘Punk’ is just a term for music reduced to its core: energy, power, passion, heat.”
Doors 7 pm. / Show 8 p.m. | $30 | 21 and over
The New York-based rock quintet Caveman have charted a measured path since their start in 2010. They’re now three albums deep—their eponymous middle album remains their best work—and have always trafficked in mellow, familiar-sounding indie rock. Their latest, “Otero War,” ladles more of the same out for fans.
Doors 8 p.m. / Show 9 p.m. | With Bel Heir | $12-14 | 21 and over
