This was
almost certainly the hottest XPNFest I have ever attended (in terms of
temperature, not music). Philly was right in the middle of the heat wave
gripping the East Coast, with temps in the mid to upper 90s and high humidity.
Consequently I abandoned my usual location near the River Stage sound board
area on Saturday and Sunday in favor of more shady territory near the Marina
Stage. Although I was close to the stage, off to the left side, I couldn’t see
above the standees who wandered up for most of the sets, but the increased
comfort level was well worth it. I’d have to say that the festival wasn’t as
strong musically as in most past years – I still choose to pass on the BB&T
lawn “experience” – but there were still some definite highlights. (As usual,
WXPN did a nice job of summarizing all of the sets across the three-day
festival.) Due to the Democratic National Convention starting Monday, I had to
get a room at the Staybridge Suites in Mt. Laurel (not too far from my usual
location), but since Sunday night wasn’t available I had to drive back in
weekend traffic after leaving the festival Sunday (an experience I hope not to
repeat). Traffic to and from the festival itself wasn’t bad, although the
parking garage directly across from Wiggins Park was no longer available (at least
not at the usual discount). There was plenty of space in several other lots for
$10, although they were three blocks or so north of the festival, closer to the
Ben Franklin Bridge.
TRANSCENDENT
The Record Company (Saturday afternoon, Marina Stage) – My decision to camp out by the
Marina Stage Saturday was actually driven less by the heat and more by the
desire to have a prime vantage point for the Record Company, which was the band
I most wanted to see during this year’s festival. The blues-rock power trio
certainly didn’t disappoint, putting together a set that was one of the best
I’ve seen in my 12+ years of XPNFest attendance. The obvious high points were
“Rita Mae Young” and “Off The Ground”, but there really wasn’t a weak spot in
the entire performance. From what I could see, everyone was standing on the
entire hill in front of the stage, with more fans crowding around the back.
They made it a point to give plenty of credit to WXPN, and in particular to program
director Bruce Warren, to whom they sent an unsolicited demo tape in 2012.
VERY GOOD
Shawn Colvin & Steve Earle (Friday evening, River Stage) – Since these were two of the
biggest names at Wiggins Park this year, I was surprised that I was able to get
a prime standing-room spot in front of the
stage less than 15 minutes before their set began; I assume this is because the
gates to BB&T had already opened and Tommy Stinson had started over there
20 minutes earlier. The two did reward the fans who hung around, with some
well-chosen covers (“Wake Up Little Susie” to start, “Ruby Tuesday” and
“Tobacco Road” later), as well as “You’re Right, I’m Wrong” (the single from
their recent album together), and some tracks from each’s solo work. I was
somewhat amused that most of the between-songs patter came from Earle, since
Shawn has always been extremely chatty when I’ve seen her before.
Mavis Staples (Sunday afternoon, River Stage) – Mavis Staples was added to the lineup
only a few weeks before the festival, bolstering an otherwise unremarkable
Sunday afternoon. Appropriately enough, the standing area in front of the stage
was packed, and she didn’t fail to deliver, with a huge voice that showed few
if any signs of her 77 years. The high points were a wonderful cover of Talking
Heads’ “Slippery People” near the beginning of her set, and the closing
audience singalong for the Staple Singers’ classic “I’ll Take You There”.
Preservation Hall Jazz Band (Saturday afternoon, River Stage) – OK, so they only got to get
through one complete song before the lightning and deluge hit. (They did
squeeze in another set later at BB&T, which I didn’t attend.) Although
there wasn’t much of a chance of rain in the forecast, I thought I was
well-prepared, with both an umbrella and a poncho in my bag. Unfortunately, the
bag and my beach towel were by the Marina Stage, nowhere near where I was
standing. I honestly don’t think I have ever been wetter with clothes on in my
entire life. I squeezed into the nearby parking garage with hundreds of other
people, waited until it stopped raining, and then headed three blocks north to
my car – halfway back, it started to rain again. At least the hotel had a
laundry room and a hair dryer.
ALSO WORTH
MENTIONING
Opening
River Stage acts Friday and Saturday (Billy Hector and Ben Arnold, respectively),
David Wax Museum (Marina Stage Sunday, after their Saturday set was canceled by
the storm)
AND THEN
THERE WAS FATHER JOHN MISTY
Probably the
most-talked-about “set” in XPNFest history. WXPN thoughtfully provided both a
summary and a second post with some additional social media reaction.
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