Sunny Day Music

Peelander-Z return to Philadelphia on Friday night when they play The Fire in Northern Liberties.  Well known for their amazing live shows that guarantee audience participation, Peelander have appeared at some of the country’s best known music festivals (Bonnaroo, FunFunFun Fest, Warped Tour, CMJ and SXSW among others) and have toured with some amazing bands (Buckethead, Electric Six, Against Me! and Guitar Wolf, among others).  Their new album, Space Vacation, features members of The Riverboat Gamblers, The Octopus Project and Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears.

This is no April Fool’s Day prank, the largest music festival in the history of the state of Delaware is set to take place the weekend of July 20-22 this summer.  Jack White, who last hit the state in 2007 at The Grand Opera House (the same week he headlined Madison Square Garden) will headline night 1 in support of his forthcoming solo debut, Blunderbuss.  The Killers, long overdue for a follow up to 2008′s Day & Age, take the Saturday night headline slot.  And perhaps the biggest indie band on the planet today, The Black Keys, fresh off their sold out Wachovia Center show, close out the festival Sunday night.

Other notable performers include The Flaming Lips, Death Cab For Cutie and Cake.  And there are several familiar names to regular concert goers of The North Star Bar as J. Roddy Walston & The Business, John Legend, Young The Giant, Chiddy Bang, Grouplove, Heartless Bastards, Mariachi El Bronx, Matt Costa and Ra Ra Riot all also perform. (Of course The White Stripes also played The North Star back in 2001, but I guess that doesn’t count)

The concert will be staged the same weekend as WXPN’s XPoNetial Festival, so expect some hard decisions for some area concert goers.  XPN got a leg up with the announcement of the huge Wilco, Avett Brothers, Dr. Dog show Saturday July 21st at the Susquehanna Bank Center, but I wouldn’t be surprised if a large amount of tickets for that show ended up on Stubhub and similar sites later this week.  I would expect the rest of the XPN fests lineup to really go after the core XPN audience and I wouldn’t be surprised if we get a couple big surprises out of them this year as well, as its going to be tough to compete with such a great festival less than two hours away.

We are already seeing the impact this festival is going to have on the state of Delaware with coverage from The Washington Post, Paste Magazine and the Huffington Post.  While I expect a large amount of the crowd to come from close by states (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland), a large amount of fans will come right from their backyards in Dover, Wilmington, Newark, Rehoboth and the entire state of Delaware.  I have strong hopes that area venues, promoters, fans and media will realize that independent music can work in Delaware and the smaller bands on the festival deserve the same coverage and support when they come to town not as second fiddle to Jack White or The Flaming Lips, but when headlining smaller venues like Mojo Main, Dogfish Head or Arden Gild Hall.  I only see this as a positive for the state…and I for one can’t wait for the repercussions.

Firefly Music Festival Links
Official Website
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Link to Ryan Cormier’s article from Delaware Online, who broke the story early this morning – Delaware Online’s Pulp Culture

The Mike Dillon Band hits the North Star on Tuesday March 13th.  Mike is well known for his work with Garage A Trois (Marco Benevento, Stanton Moore and Skerik), The Dead Kenny G’s (also with Skerik), Les Claypool (of Primus), Ani Difranco and his own projects Critters Buggin and Mike Dillon’s Go-Go Jungle.  Known to play percussion of all sorts, from full drums to tablas to vibraphone, Dillon is always moving from one to another within the set often within a singular tune.  His current solo band project that hits the North Star on Tuesday features members of New Orleans’ Funk Outfit, Yojimbo Funk! The band is going to be playing a near two hour set of some past favorites and loads of new music too.  Lots of funky jammy stuff that will keep everyone moving.

Support comes from Philadelphia’s Lizard From Mars Trio (featuring members of Swift Technique) and The Half of It, another Philly act that is hell bent on bringing its mix of jazz fusion, funk and soul on open ears.  Great weather this week, come on out and enjoy a great night of tunes…Jam On!

RSVP to the Facebook Event HERE

Purchase Advance Tickets HERE

RSVP to the Facebook Event HERE

Buy Advance Tickets HERE

Canadian trio, Elliot BROOD, will be gracing The North Star Bar stage on Saturday, March 17th 2012 with The Pack AD and The Timid Roosevelts.

Elliot BROOD has been rising out of Toronto since late 2002, spreading their knack for storytelling guided by acoustic guitars and banjos at hand. Vocalist Mark Sasso, guitarist Casey Laforet, and drummer Stephen Pitkin, have been touring extensively through Canada, the US, and Europe. They have been on tour with Wilco, Blue Rodeo, Corb Lund and the Sadies, playing festivals around the world. Their new album, Days Into Years, their third full-length, carries learning experiences from these very travels and has a heavy historical meaning behind each song on the record. While driving through France and Belgium on tour, they could not help but notice the vast amount of historical war locations that they had been coming upon. Pulling over and pondering the magnitude of such events, they noticed many Canadian names of young men who put their lives on the line during that time. This struck a chord with the gentlemen, being that this was not just a read of a textbook experience, and at that moment they decided to dedicate an album to these men. Enter the haunting truths of Days Into Years. Unfolding like cinematic daydreams, these songs will pull you into a world that no longer exists. Elliot BROOD brings these stories and their old time thump to The North Star Bar with the organic sonic foundation as they were meant to be heard.

The Pack AD launch out from Vancouver, BC, packing a real punch. Drummer Maya Miller and guitarist/vocalist Becky Black take no prisoners as they press their punk infected garage rock to crowds across North America and Europe. Putting out their fourth album on Mint Records in September of 2011, Unpersons, this duo went to Jim Diamond (The Dirtbombs, The Paul Collins Beat, The White Stripes) to gather the direction that they intended to go forth. The live show that these two bring to the table is more than the ordinary. Exuding a true showmanship, The Pack AD drenches each audience member with their snarling swagger. Their shows start out on top and go beyond as these hard hitting Canadians get more amped up with every song that they play. The album, Unpersons, brings this live aspect out, as it is both gritty and intoxicating, burying the listener with incendiary beats and devastating guitar riffs. The two ladies of Pack AD are putting the raw attitude back into the music and are putting on quite a clinic at every performance.

The Timid Roosevelts opening the evening is an indie pop trio out of Bordentown, NJ. This group, who is made up of Jaime Parker, Bobbie Parker, Ricky Lorenzo, pull together a sound that incorporates beautiful hooks and catchy lyrics with a bit of a dance feel. The band brings has a Throwing Muses meets My Bloody Valentine vibe and a singer that calls the likes of Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley.

RSVP to the Facebook Event for this show HERE

Buy Tickets for this show HERE

Dangermuffin hit the North Star on Saturday March 10th with the Cris Jacobs Band (featuring Cris Jacobs formerly of The Bridge) and Up The Chain.

Post-roots trio Dangermuffin brings a new edge to American roots music.  Based in South Carolina, the band takes on a more acoustic style in a more electric way.  The band has been seeing an upswell of attention since their 2010 release Moonscapes hit the streets.  SiriusXM radio has been a huge supporter regularly spinning the band on their Jam On and Outlaw Country stations.  The album has also received high praise from Relix, Billboard Magazine, Guitar World and the Homegrown Music Network, among other publications.  They have been a large part of the Jam Festival circuit in the past couple of years as well with featured slots on Mountain Jam, moe.down, All Good, Taos, SummerCamp.

RSVP to the Facebook Event HERE

Purchase Advance Tickets HERE

Ambassadors is performing at The North Star Bar on Thursday March 1st as part of their Spring 2012 US Tour; debuting their LP entitled, ‘Litost‘, which was just released this January. This soul-infected indie rock group based out of Brooklyn, NY, carries a dynamic blend of R&B/soul, Beach Boys chamber-pop, dark electronica, and heavy, hip-hop infused beats; all brought together by a strong pop-sensibility and a flair for dramatics. Sam Harris’ athletic voice is reminiscent of both Police-era Sting and of Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, bringing an unparalleled soulfulness and intensity to the music. His brother Casey’s keyboard eclectic sound-scapes and guitarist Noah Feldshuh’s boldy minimalist playing both provide a solid foundation. All of which is supported by tribal drums and expansive three-part harmonies, their sound is as ambitious as it is anthemic.

This debut album is the product of genuine emotion stemming from a specific life experience during the production. Due to a medical condition that had plagued Casey since childhood, he needed to have a kidney transplant. His mother volunteered and gave him her kidney. During this time, Sam, as part of his own healing process regarding his loved ones, started writing the songs for Ambassadors’ soon to be debut record, ‘Litost’. Adam and Noah would join him in the process to work on their sound, as well, to find that big sound they felt would connect with their listeners. The result is a record filled with both darkness and hope, pulling together groove based songs (“Unconsolable”) and songs with a true anthem-esque atmosphere (“Bodybag”). Ambassadors will be bringing this album to life live as they swing from New York City down the East Coast, stopping at The North Star, before finishing up their musical endeavor in St. Louis, Missouri, including a much anticipated stop at SXSW. Their North Star date is headlined by The Music Business, and supported by both The Day Life and Dot Square.

RSVP to the Facebook Event Here

Buy Advance Tickets Here

Chicago Rock and Roll Duo Local H, best known for their 1996 hit Bound for the Floor, will play Mojo Main in Newark, Delaware on Wednesday April 18th. Local H have six full length albums with a seventh due later this year. The band is well known for their high energy shows and rabid fan base. This will be their first ever show in Delaware.

Tickets are $12 for the 18-Plus show, and go on-sale this Friday, February 3rd at 10 a.m.

Check out their most famous video here…

…And how about their 2012 merch?!

RSVP to the Facebook Event Here

Buy Advance Tickets Here

All month Fantasy Square Garden and their lead singer/songwriter David Cope (aka Davey Cope) have been holding court on Tuesday nights at The Fire.  If you have never seen Fantasy Square Garden before, please do yourself the favor and stop in.  They are a hidden treasure in the city that consistently play to large audiences with little or no press recognition.  Experience them now before they move well beyond the small club scene.

Check out Fantasy Square Garden from the 10! Show

More info can be found at the Facebook Event Here