A couple weekends ago, I hopped the train out to Ardmore to see the 12 finalists for the 2009 Philly Songwriting Contest. 6 of those finalists won and their prize is a gig to perform in three high-quality local musical festivals: 1) Kimmel Center Summer Solstice *this* coming Saturday, June 20th at 6PM 2) Bethlehem's Musikfest (8/6/2009) 3) The Philadelphia Folk Festival (8/14-8/16/2009).
I don't know what my scene in Philly or any city is - I tried going to the Belle & Sebastian show but just felt unhip, watching the hip people roll in on their bikes and oh-so efficiently lock them up (it takes me 5 min) and/or assess that a particular pole is not lockable. What I do know is I love watching people pursue their passions - and Philly Songwriters is where local musicians can grow.
I've been going to the final show for several years now. And I'm always impressed by the talent, even though I come into each year's show with higher expectations. The talent is not only good, the musical acts cross all functional boundaries, from folk to rock to jazz and back.
I strongly feel the Philadelphia Songwriters are one of the hidden gems of the Philly area. If you love music, I can't recommend one of their shows enough (repetition: 6/20 Summer Solstice at 6pm). It's like buying organic, support your local musicians.
2009 Philly Songwriter Contest Finalists
Top row (L-R)
- Dante Bucci
- Adam Swink
- Dawn Iulg (I bought her CD, my #1 favorite from the show)
- Ross Bellenoit
- Andrea Carlson
- Kelly Ruth
Bottom row (L-R)
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