That Mag’s First Live Sessions

by Jaz Bowens

That Music Mag along with Radio 104.5 presented the first installment of Live Sessions at Voltage Lounge on Wednesday Dec, 11. The weekly live performances happening every Wednesday night from 8pm-12am and brings out some of the best local, up and coming musical talent the Tri-state area has to offer.

Voltage Lounge, located at 7th and Callowhill, is a relatively new venue to the city.  The hookah lounge, bar, restaurant and concert venue has a nice sized stage with adequate seating on the main floor and in the balcony area. It suits the Live Session performances nicely.

The three bands that had the honor of being the first line-up to perform at the Live Sessions showcase were Dr. Beardface & the Spaceman, The Warhawks, and Black Stars. I hadn’t  heard of Dr. Beardface & the Spaceman before, but I unknowingly struck up a conversation with the band’s lead vocalist, Kerrie Trube, before their set.  As she put on the finishing touches of her makeup we talked about rushing and sometimes having to use a bathroom at any given location for a quick makeup touch up regardless of the cleanliness.

I hadn’t noticed she was the head of DBSM (as I like to refer to Dr. Beardface & the Spaceman) until she stepped on stage and let her powerhouse voice rip. They were the first on stage and got the night started right. The South Philly band consists of Trube, Matt Boyle, Shawn Betz, Ron DiSilvestro, and Vincent Corvino. Though they’ve only been together since June,  they own the stage like they have been together for years. I’m sure they gained new fans as they played because bobbing heads were all that could be seen over the crowd. Some of the member are also a part of the band Bong Hits For Jesus. DBSM current single “Shrink Rap”  has been getting a lot of attention and their EP is on the way. Like them on Facebook and look out for new music from them in 2014.

The New Jersey natives, The Warhawks, were the next on stage and brought the house down. Their fans showed them love as they came out in droves to support them. By the time they stepped on stage everyone was settled in and ready to see more. They were new to me and had many people scratching their heads wondering if they had been living under a rock because it was obvious many people have heard of them and came out to see their performance. Their album Times and Tides was released in 2012 and they continue to gain fans and notoriety. Check out their music on Reverbnation and download some of their music for free!

Last but not least was the headliner, Black Stars. This band is no stranger to That Mag and the city of Philadelphia. They have played almost every venue this city has to offer. After all the bands played, Black Stars kept the crowd on their feet and got them closer to the stage (sometimes the audience needs encouragement). They played song off of their self-titled album which was released in March. Black Stars really has the ability to get lost in their music which makes for a mesmerizing performance. The dwindling audience didn’t stop their show and they kept playing with the same enthusiasm they started their set with. Get to know more about Black Stars from That Mag’s interview with them or like them on Facebook…the place to go for all things Black Stars.