Upon first listen, the Brooklyn experimental pop/folk band Grizzly Bear grabs and doesn't let go. Here is real, accessible emotion and more than enough astounding talent to convey it. The group's spare acoustic melodies over plaintive piano figures and dusty strings with pop elements carry immense power.
If there's any chance of James Brown's reincarnation, Black Joe Lewis would be a prime candidate. This twenty-something soul singer hails from Texas with his new band The Honeybears - comprised of blues-rockers with names like Sleepy, Sugarfoot, Rooster, Big Show, Wild Bill, and Slyder McKnight the Night Train. With a tight horn section, blazing guitar licks, and Lewis' raw vocals, the group and its frontman are quickly taking over the Austin garage rock scene and moving onto the rest of the country.
The World Cafe with host David Dye serves up an eclectic mix of music from blues, rock, and world, to folk, and alternative country with live performances and interviews with celebrated and emerging artists. This acclaimed program, distributed nationally to over 185 stations across the country through NPR Music, is produced by WXPN in Philadelphia.
David Dye is a longtime Philadelphia radio personality whose music enthusiasm has captivated listeners of World Cafe since 1991.
World Cafe and Dye have received numerous awards including: two NFCB Gold Reel Awards, Album Network's "Best Triple A Air Talent," four Philadelphia Magazine's "Best of Philly Awards," the Philadelphia Chapter of NARA "Hero Award" and numerous radio industry trade magazine citations.
Do you have a list of past WXPN Music Festival Lineups?
View Past Festival Lineups (PDF), a complete listing of all artists who have played The Festival going back to 1994 (excluding Kids Corner artists).
What time do the gates open?
Gates open at 5pm on Thursday, 4pm on Friday, and noon on Saturday and Sunday.
What are my transportation options?
You can view a complete listing of transportation options here.
Please note: There are other events happening on the Camden Waterfront the weekend of the festival. We strongly urge you to take public transportation whenever possible!
If you must drive, leave early to avoid the crowds, and to get early bird parking prices.
Do you have bus service available from Central PA?
Yes, WXPN has made arrangements with Krapf's Charter for bus service from Central PA to the festival on Saturday and Sunday. You can find all the information here. Deadline for purchasing bus tickets is Monday, June 30, 2008.
I'm not from the Philadelphia area and will need to make lodging arrangements. Do you have information on area hotels?
For your convenience we have compiled a list of area hotels here. The Wyndham in Mt. Laurel is offering festival goers a special rate during the festival weekend. Find out more here.
Allowed/Prohibited items
Bags and coolers may be subject to search. We ask that you please leave the audio
and video recording devices at home, as they are prohibited. In consideration
of others, smoking is prohibited on the Festival grounds.
Here's a list of what you may, and may not bring into the Festival:
You may bring in the following items:
Blankets
Low-back chairs permitted in designated areas
Rain umbrellas
Personal/non-professional
cameras
Strollers
Non-alcoholic beverages in plastic containers
Coolers (subject to inspection)
Cell phones are allowed, but as a courtesy to artists
and other patrons, we ask that you please turn your phones off during
performances
The following items are prohibited:
Glass containers of any kind
Beach umbrellas and tents
High-back chairs
Professional cameras with telescopic lenses
Alcoholic beverages from outside the festival (Beer will
be available for purchase at the festival. New Jersey state law requires that you must be at least 21, and you must present valid and acceptable ID to purchase alcoholic beverages.)
Audio and video recording devices
Pets, except service dogs
Smoking on the Festival grounds
Illegal drugs
Weapons of any sort (firearms, knives, explosives, etc.)
Projectiles of any sort
Laser pointers
Can I bring my own food and water?
Yes, you
may bring your own food and water. However, please leave metal knives and
utensils at home. There will also be a variety of food and beverage vendors
at the festival as well.
Is re-entry to the festival possible?
Yes, you may reenter the festival after obtaining a wristband for that day.
Wristbands will be available within the festival grounds each day. Holders
of 4-Day Festival Passes must get a new wristband each day for re-entry.
Will there be a special XPN member area at the festival?
Yes, there will be an XPN Members Only area where complimentary non-alcoholic beverages will be
available, as well as several meet-and-greets with performing artists.
Is there an ATM located nearby?
Yes, there is a Commerce Bank ATM at 501 Mickle Blvd.
Is the Festival area handicap accessible?
Yes. Wiggins Park is handicapped
accessible. There are handicapped port-a-potties and there will be a designated
area for wheelchairs.
What about security? Is the festival safe for a family?
Security is always a priority at every event. As they do with every festival at Wiggins
Park, Camden County officials provide a full staff of trained security and
traffic officials, and visitor service representatives are stationed along
the Waterfront. Both the Red Cross and EMS are present throughout the festival
to attend to any medical needs. And police and fire officials are also present,
and are an integral part of the overall safety and security procedures.
How can I get tickets to the festival?
Early bird ticket sales ended June 30, but you can purchase "print-at-home" tickets online, or buy tickets at the gate.
What's the 4-Day Festival Pass?
It's by far the best value we ever offered. With
the 4-Day Festival Pass, a single ticket gets you access to every day of
the festival (including Thursday night) for one low price. You must
present the ticket each day you attend (there are four stubs on each pass).
You'll also need to obtain a new reentry wristband each day you attend.
Will I need separate tickets to get into the Camden Children's Garden?
Your tickets for Saturday and Sunday include access to the Camden Children's Garden where Kids Corner is taking over for the weekend! All you'll need is to show your festival reentry wristband to be admitted to the Camden Children's Garden.
When is the Kids Corner in the Camden Children's Garden and what activities are available?
Kids Corner takes over the Camden Children's Garden at noon on Saturday and Sunday (July 12 & 13). View the complete list of Kids Corner activities
Can I get a refund or exchange my tickets? What if it rains?
There are no refunds or exchanges for any tickets. The festival is an
all-weather event and no refunds will be issued in the case of inclement
weather.
Are there assigned seats?
There are no assigned seats. All tickets are general admission. You may
bring low-back chairs or blankets, but no high-back chairs.
Get all the Festival Details and Sign Up for XPN E-News
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E-News and get automatic festival updates.
The Irish pop rock band Bell X1, originally known as Juniper, have experienced a multitude of changes on the path to the successful spot they currently hold. Though they were lead by popular vocalist Damien Rice, Rice ended up leaving Jupiter and was replaced by drummer Paul Noonan. Soon after the group changed their name and became Bell X1. Of their three studio-recorded albums, Flock, released February of 2008, has proven to be the most successful. The album reached #1 in Ireland and gained a huge following throughout the U.K.
Emerging from the collaborative efforts of Baltimore school friends David "Avey Tare" Portner, Noah "Panda Bear" Lennox, Josh "Deakin" Dibb and Brian "Geologist" Weitz, Animal Collective is rooted in experimental music. Pinpointing the Collective's style in terms of genre is a difficult task; with a track record of nine studio albums, they've spread themselves across a eclectic board of psych, folk, rock, noise, and more.
Working as waitress at the start of 2008, soul-pop singer Sharon Little was suddenly the opening act for big-name stars Robert Plant, Alison Krauss, and T-Bone Burnett in their national Raising Sand tour. Though she could be called an overnight sensation, Little has been honing her distinctive, bluesy style for years.
Intricate, melodic, and vivid: the sound of North Carolina's Annuals is the epitome of sunny indie-pop. Their thoughtful harmonies, anthemic orchestration and percussion, and bright electronica has earned them rave reviews since their indie-label debut in 2006, the critic's darling Be He Me.
The Format is a band that won't let adversity get to them. The two times the band got dropped by their record label, they threw parties. In fact, their sophomore effort, Dog Problems, sounds carefree and happy. {readmorelink}Read More...{/readmorelink}