It seems Michael Franti was destined for a life of music. Though he planned to pursue a college basketball career, fate had other plans, leading him to an apartment just above his college radio station in 1986. There he fell in love with music, and for the last 20 years he's poured his passion into his work. In 1994, he joined session musicians who he was recording with in Philadelphia to form Spearhead, a funk-inspired rock, reggae, and soul outfit which has released five studio albums of socially and politically-charged songs since its inception. The now established lineup features Carl Young (bass), Dave Shul (guitar), Manas Itiene (drums) and Raliegh J. Neal, II (keyboards). Their upcoming album, All Rebel Rockers, will be released in September.
Set List:
Little Bit A Riddim /
Hello Bonjour /
Time To Go Home /
Rude Boys
Sweet Little Lies (AC) /
Everybody On A Move /
All I Want Is You /
Is Love Enuf (AC)
I Got Love For Ya /
Hey World /
Ikina /
Yell Fire
Say Hey
A singer-songwriter who takes his inspiration from the soul and folk artists
of the '70s such as John Prine, Neil Young, James Taylor, Bill Withers, Amos Lee
first gained wide recognition when he toured with Norah Jones in 2004. Sometime
after giving up his job as an elementary-school teacher to pursue a career as
a musician, Lee released his eponymous debut album; on his sophomore release
(2006's Supply and Demand), he tackles the issues of money, success
and power. The album retains his mixture of folk, soul and jazz, and also asserts
his versatility with slow, simple, dark melodies. Amos Lee's forthcoming album, Last Days at the Lodge will be available in stores and online June 24, 2008, on Blue Note. Last Days at the Lodge is Lee's third record, following his first two critically acclaimed and tremendously successful records: Supply and Demand and his self-titled debut from 2005. The new record is produced by Don Was, and features Lee on guitars, Doyle Bramhall, Jr. (Eric Clapton) on guitar, Spooner Oldham (Neil Young, Aretha Franklin) on keys, Pino Palladino (The Who, D'Angelo) on bass, and James Gadson (Bill Withers) on drums, along with many others.
Set List:
Listen /
Truth /
Won't Let Me Go /
Baby I Want You
Loose/Tight /
Sweet Pea /
Colors /
Bottom of Barrel
Jails and Bombs /
Street Corner /
Arms /
Shout Out Loud
Fat Bottom Girls /
A Change is Gonna Come
Referring to themselves as what the Grateful Dead circa 1971 might have sounded like if they had been playing bluegrass rather than electric instruments, Railroad Earth burst into the music world in 2001. After only a month of playing together and only five recorded songs, they landed a spot at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, where their performance immediately earned them a deal with celebrated folk label Sugar Hill Records. With their third LP, 2004's The Good Life, the band joined SCI Fidelity Records to create an album that earned rave reviews from across the country and cemented them as a force in the bluegrass and folk world.
Set List:
Railroad Earth / Been Down This Road / Dandelion Wine / The Forecast
Right in Tune / Bird in a House / Hard Living
After finding a guitar in her attic at age 13, New Jersey native and XPN
Artist To Watch Nicole Atkins taught herself how to play. With the influence
of her father, she sat in on sessions with local musician friends and was exposed
to artists like Jimmy Reed. She played for three years while attending art school
in North Carolina before making her way to New York City's anti-folk scene.
With the help of a major entertainment attorney, she signed a record contract.
Her debut album is a like a mural of her hometown (where she still has her own
mural business), telling the history of her family and friends, sometimes sounding
country, at times a little psychedelic, and even vaudevillian.
Set List:
Party's Over /
Carousel /
Maybe Tonight / The Way It Is / Cool Enough
Kill the Headlights / I Wait 4 U /
War Torn /
Teen Creep
Love Surreal
The son of folk legends Linda and Richard Thompson, Teddy Thompson has been honing his musical craft since the early 1990s when he first toured as a singer and guitarist in his father's band. He released his self-titled solo debut in 2000 to much critical acclaim, and now eight years later has released his fourth and most ambitious LP, A Piece of What You Need. The album marks a more mature artist, though still playful, with his characteristic blend of catchy, pensive, and emotionally insightful songs retaining their sometimes black sense of humor. Thompson's formidable talent as a singer, songwriter and guitarist has earned him an international reputation, and A Piece proves he's earned it.
Set List:
In My Arms /
The Things I Do /
What's This?!! /
I Wish It Was Over
Where to Go from Here /
Jonathan's Book /
Don't Know What I Was Thinking
Can't Sing Straight /
One of these Days /
In My Arms (Reprise)
With their beginnings in weekly jams at a Wilmington cafe, the vocal trio of Jen Schonwald, Kathleen Weber, and Nancy Josephson — known collectively as Angel Band — has evolved into a group that's not to be missed. Their sound is diverse, roaming from old time "mountain" music to contemporary rock and roll-influenced original work, but their impressively tight harmonies and the musicianship behind them create a performance both cohesive and powerful.
Set List:
Hey Papa Legba /
I'll Sing This Song For You / Place Of Grace /
Hold Me Angel
King of Nothing / Unlikely Place for Happiness /
Drown In The Fountain Of Good
I'm Coming Home To You / Fly Away Home / Ruth Rampant
Angel In The Morning / Jump Back in The Ditch
The quirky and witty Spinto Band was born after the discovery of lyrics on the inside of Cracker Jack boxes written by one member's grandfather, guitarist Roy Spinto. The chemistry was immediate and the six-man group has been creating work reminiscent of Pavement and the Flaming Lips for the past eight years. With seven self-released albums under their belt, the Spinto Band has performed with acts like Of Montreal, The Trachtenberg Family Slideshow Players and Dr. Dog. The band is currently working on an upcoming album scheduled for a May release on Bar/None Records.
Set List:
Summer Grof /
Brown Boxes /
Later On /
Needlepoint
Mountains /
The Cat's Pajamas /
They All Laughed
Oh Mandy /
Direct To Helmet
