Last Wednesday was my first trip to Ortlieb’s, a cozy bar nestled in the Northern Liberties neighborhood of Philadelphia. The bar opens up into a back room equipped with a stage perfect for hosting intimate performances, and the lineup of this particular show was intriguing. The night consisted of a solo acoustic set from Jeannette Lynne (of Community Center), followed by Philly’s own Sonnder, and ended with the folky, jazz-influenced Community Center from Baltimore.
Jeanette Lynne took the stage with nothing but an acoustic guitar and a setlist scribbled onto a pocket-sized notepad. Lynne’s voice is impressive, and her lyrics are honest with a charming simplicity. The content of her songs ranges from emotional to playful. Her comical side came through while she sang about burying herself in credit card debt for booze and a guitar. The audience clapped along as she performed a fabulous, stripped down rendition of Vance Joy’s popular track “Riptide.” On the sentimental original, “Saint Anothony,” Lynne toys with the idea with winning the lottery but concludes she’d “settle for a car that runs and a love that won’t fade away.”
Sonnder’s set boasted the group’s vast musical range, kicking off with a gloomy, heavy hitting rock track entitled, “Silhouettes.” Frontman Ryan Weidman displayed an impressive vocal range on the opening track as well. His voice transitioned from soft to a raucous, angry scream thick with emotion, built up by a break stripped down to simply bass (Steve Young) and drums (Mike Liska) for a couple of measures. Next up was the slightly more upbeat “The Chase” from the band’s Thief EP featuring a polished solo from keyboardist Kat Stein. Also mixed into the set were catchy pop-rock tunes such as “Words to Say” and their latest single, “I Need,” on which Keely Sibilia took the stage to harmonize with Weidman. “Not Far Enough” was a highlight that allowed Liska to show off his command of the drums with a dramatic conclusion. Throughout Sonnder’s time on stage, Weidman utilized a variety of pedals at his feet, adding a new tone and feel to each song while complimenting Stein’s synth. I suggest you keep your eyes on these guys as they definitely have a bright future ahead. I, for one, am looking forward to getting my hands on their full-length release scheduled for March next year. A new single will drop each remaining month of 2015, and you can catch a live session on WXPN’s The Key in the near future.
I must confess that, having been invited to the show by Sonnder, I had only listened to a handful of tracks by Community Center that day. What I heard on their self-titled record definitely captured my interest, but the recordings hardly did justice to what the band delivers on stage. They describe themselves as “a vat of sound melting together Rock, Jazz, Funk, Folk and old Southern Hymns.” And they are exactly that. Brian Loeper’s voice is soft at times, and at others, possesses a rough quality reminiscent of Tom Waits, which pairs quite nicely with the soulful pipes on co-vocalist Amanda Rife. The other band members offer a range of instruments to contribute to the band’s eclectic sound, including the keyboard, violin, clarinet, accordion, and saxophone. Basically, there is something for any music fan to fall in love with. The stand-out track for me was definitely “Romantics.” It’s a beautifully groovy tune that finds Loeper and Rife lamenting back and forth about love and feeling lost. They sang with such a captivating intensity that I wouldn’t have minded at all if they played it a second time. The entire group seemed so content and connected on stage that I’m quite certain they’d convey the same energy whether performing for a handful of people or a sold out stadium.
Community Center is currently touring the U.S., and you can see if they’re coming to your town HERE. Be sure to wear your dancing shoes!
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All photos by Ali Brant Photography
