Gregory Alan Isakov, Live @ Union Transfer

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Bluegrass, concert video, Gregory Alan Isakov, live music, live philly concerts, R5 Productions, Telluride Troubador winner, Union Transfer, Westword Best Singer Songwriter

Gregory Alan Isakov and his band came through the Union Transfer in Philly on November 3rd delivering a lovely and arresting performance.  Playing through songs new and old, Gregory delivered them with great presence and conviction.  His work reminds us of a unique blend of John Prine, Leonard Cohen and Jeff Buckley (among others) but none of it can be singularly attributed to one sound relation.  It is unto it’s own like any great musician.

Gregory Alan Isakov was born in Johannesburg,  South Africa and raised in Philadelphia.  Isakov later moved to Boulder, Colorado where he currently resides.  His musical style is that of a folk singer and he has award winning lyric honors to his credit.  In addition to sharing the stage with many notable acts and on his own, he has also had his songs featured in film and television productions, including his track “If I Go, I’m Goin'”, which was used in the fourth season of television show Californication.  Hearing him live, even in a loud venue such as Union Transfer, was an honor.  Take the time to review Gregory Alan Isakov’s work and get out and support him at shows.  You can find some video we took from the evening below:

Head on over to LPC on YouTube for a few more videos from Gregory Alan Isakov,’s performance. 

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Sunny Ali & The Kid, Live @ Johnny Brenda’s

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concert video, indie music, johnny brendas, live music, live philly concerts, Local Philly Band, rockaphilly event, Sunny Ali & The Kid, Sunny Ali and the Kid, Sunny Ali and the Kid Band

We finally got to witness the Lo-Fi/Country-Punk/Rock & Roll duo known as Sunny Ali and The Kid October 28th at JB’s as part of rockaphilly‘s amazing 3 band lineup.  You may not be familiar with these guys but it’s your loss if not.  You may be wondering what country punk is and what it sounds like.  For those curious, we have videos and links to the band’s material on bandcamp following the article.

Sunny Ali and The Kid have perfected their sound and look with twangy rock guitar, steady drum kit and quint essential county getup including cowboy hats.  These guys are fun to listen to.  Blending country guitar twang with punk-rock vocals and lo-fi craftsmanship, SA&TK are carving out a new direction in sound.  Reminiscent of early county-rock crossover acts, Sunny Ali delivers his slightly punk vocals while staying true to a country artist’s stage presence.  Even though the band boasts no country influences, there is still that country feel but in the most non-traditional way possible.  We love those who think outside the box.  SA&TK does just that.

Hailing from South Philly, the band spends considerable time at gigs in NY and outside the states.  Perhaps this nomad-ism is what has caused us not to have caught them before; but more importantly, it has helped shape their sound and stage  sensibilities.  Both of these are characteristics we loved.  SA&TK are one of the best acts in Philly and should you listen to country music, you will never hear it the same after hearing these guys.

 

If these videos aren’t enough, head on over to the LPC YouTube channel to check out some more videos of SA&TK from the night.

Rocky Votolato, Live @ Johnny Brenda’s

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acoustic music, Alt Country, Barsuk, concert video, indie music, johnny brendas, live music, live philly concerts, Rocky Votolato

Rocky Votolato is a folk/alt-country/indie artist out of Seattle, Washington. He appears on stage solo and with a backing band and is great to hear in either scenario. On this occasion, he performed both ways and we have been told that this is common. His song lyrics are great story telling and through such amazing writing and performance has been able to attract musicians from bands such as Red Stars Theory, Sharks Keep Moving, The Blood Brothers, Death Cab for Cutie, Pedro the Lion and Rosie Thomas to guest on his studio albums. Beginning in 1999, Votolato has released 11 LPs, EPs and 7″ records.

Rocky Votolato’s performance at JB’s on September 19th was an engaging affair and his skills as a musician and writer came through in each song’s delivery. Check out some video from his performance including one video in wich he describes events on their current tour – more to come on that story in a later post about Matt Pond PA.

Find more Rocky Votolato video over at the LPC YouTube page