by Jaz Bowens
The first installment of Communion Club Nights rolled into Philadelphia on the second level of Johnny Brenda’s, the perfect venue for such an event, this past Thursday to a small but growing crowd throughout the night.
As a novice to Johnny Brenda’s charming mystique, I was excited about the experience. For people who have never been to Johnny Brenda’s, the stage is small and a few feet off the ground which makes the bands relatively close to fans and created a more intimate experience.
On the second level there is a bar not too far from the stage and another bar on the balcony level. No matter where you decide to stand, the band on stage is in perfect view of the action. Birdie Busch was the first band on stage followed by the smooth sounds of Willie Mason.
For the first concert of a monthly series, the crowd was very receptive and anticipated each band’s set. The drinks were cheap and the crowd became a little less easy to navigate as the fashionably late began to arrive.
Roadkill Ghost Choir got the crowd singing along and bopping their heads to their alluring sounds. I got the chance to speak to the band’s vocalist Andrew Shepard about how he would describe their sound and what he liked about his welcome. “We are a spacy folk rock sound,” he says with a chuckle. “We are a bunch of dudes having fun and the crowd was very welcoming.”
After Roadkill’s set, concert goers still kept coming in as people maneuvered through crowds for another cheap yet strong drink at the closet bar before Philadelphia’s own Prowler hit the stage. Prowler was very good and the fans cheered them on as they got the crowed reeved up.
After a small snack on the first floor of Johnny Brenda’s I ran upstairs in time for Rubblebucket’s set. The crowd went wild. Every corner was packed as the lead singer and sax player, Kalmia Traver, got the crowd’s attention with amazing energy.
There was a moment while everyone was dancing to the sounds of Rubblebucket that I stopped and looked around at the success that Communion Club Nights was having. The place was packed, people were dancing, and everyone was having a great time.
Yacht Club DJs closed the show with their electrifying DJ set with hip-hop under tones. They mixed the music perfectly, leaving audiences with sore sweaty feet from dancing all night.
All in all, I enjoyed every band that played. Each sound was different which gave people who were unfamiliar to some of them a chance to become new fans. The crowd was friendly and the venue and food was great. I definitely enjoyed my time and plan on going back to another Communion Club Night.
