by Donte Kirby

Vacationer, Drone Ranger, Bear’s Den, Pearl and the Beard, Worshyper, and The Ghost in You all brought their A game and once again showed Communion’s power to bring great bands together at Underground Arts

Local band Drone Ranger kicked off Communion night. On stage the lead singer Bill Fries introduced their first song. “This songs about wearing other people’s skin and skinning em. Ehhhhh,” then they went into their song. Despite the intro the song sounded pretty upbeat. They played a new song, “The Flasher”,possibly off their new upcoming record that will be released in the summer. Their set had a punk thrasher feel with more upbeat rhythms.

Local solo artist hailing from Glenside, The Ghost in You, went on next in the more intimate back room of Underground Arts. The lights were dim, there was just a man, his voice and his guitar. It was the perfect atmosphere for Billy Polard’s melancholy tunes. The Ghost in You started his set with “Seahorses” off his self-titled album. From the first string plucked the crowd was his until he ended his set with “The Shape” from sophomore album Wet Wood.

Next up was local experimental R&B group Worshyper. Their sound best described as what would happen if electronic trance and R&B had a baby- a sexy and flirtatious baby. During the song “Hold You Close” off their album Keeps the trio’s personality really came through, especially the lead singer of the song whose voice was full of emotion and energetic movement, really pulling you into the song.

Next up was Brooklyn’s Pearl and the Beard. They packed the back room of Underground Arts front to back. Usually a three piece, Sam McCormally played his first show with the band on the keyboard and rhythm guitar. The quartet composed of a cello, guitars, drums and a keyboard to create a big sound full of emotion that you can’t help but move to. They played songs both old and new, “Again Animal” was the start of the set and “”Landmines” was the end, both songs off soon to be released new album Beasts. The album is called Beasts because “it was a challenge to make. Which is good because we like challenges,” said Emily Hope Price.

Next to grace the front stage was the Bear’s Den. A blend of country and folk, the trio had the crowd’s attention all through the set. A feat made easy with voices that were hard to ignore, the kind that held your hand and took you through a little snippet of their lives with each song. Bear’s Den ended their set with a cover of Drake’s “Hold On, We’re Going Home” that would make the harshest Drake critic a fan of the song or at the very least a fan of Bear’s Den.

Last but certainly not least was the headliner Vacationer. The Philly based four piece treated those who stayed to the end to a groovy set that kept the crowd dancing until the end of the night. They concluded another great Communion show at Underground Arts.