by Jaz Bowens
That Mag’s Third Thursdays at the Hard Rock Cafe are a blast- filled with great bands, drinks and people, but this past Thursday was a little different. Although the unpredictable rain may have kept some people in, it didn’t stop dedicated music lovers from stopping through to check out three great bands, two of which are local and making a name for themselves, picking up new fans along the way.
City Rain (photo credit Jaz Bowens)
City Rain, a Philadelphia based band were the first on stage. The two man band headed by Ben Runyan, the vocalist, and Scott Cumpstone on guitar had the lovely task of getting people off their feet and ready for a great show. Runyan’s electric vocals paired with the upbeat bass and melody made people’s ears perk up, especially if they heard their music before. Their new single, “The Optimist”, sounded great live. Someone in the crowd was heard saying City Rain will be the first thing he will Google when he gets home.
The crowd was a mixture of people in every age range mingling and listening to the bands. Some were slow to move to the floor for a better look or didn’t want to be the first few on the floor, but like most smaller venue shows, people always come around and get comfortable. This is what happened right in time for the second band, Basic Vacation. The band’s members are all from the Tri-State area and just recently signed with Capital Records. Their sound is refreshing and they perform together so effortlessly. Their new single, “I Believe”, had people bobbing their heads and conversing about who those guys are.
They had a lot of friends and family out to support them, I even had the opportunity to meet the aunt of lead vocalist Chris Greatti. Drummer Mike Montalbano liked the energy from the crowd. “ The crowd was great! We had a lot of friends, family and fans come out to support us,” he said. “We definitely plan on coming back to Philly. The band has a lot of things planned for the future and we plan on reaching larger audiences and plan to create a even larger fan base.” Basic Vacation is working on a album now.
Basic Vacation (photo credit Jaz Bowens)
It was time for another drink as people socialized and talked about the show so far. City Rain and Basic Vacation most definitely made some new fans that night. I had the chance to speak with Alpine’s guitarist, Christian O’Brien, before their set. I asked how he felt about being in Philadelphia and what is going through his mind before they perform. “The whole experience is just mind blowing! Selling tickets at an event on the other side of the world is indescribable,” he said. “It’s nice seeing fans come out and I want everyone to have a great time.” That Mag’s full interview with Alpine can be found here.
Alpine, the headliners, came out to a crowd anticipating their show. The ladies, Lou James and Phoebe Baker, looked ready to rock with their eclectic style and undeniable stage presence. The crowd was soaking in their music as they slowly crept to the front of the stage to either sing along or looking in admiration at the Aussie band that is taking America by storm.
There was pleasantly surprised faces in the crowd as first time listeners were glad they stuck around. There were whispers in the crowd about how amazing they sounded. Alpine looked like they have been playing together for years. The show ended with a round of applause for Alpine’s great performance. After the show I talked to Baker and James while waiting in line behind adoring fans congratulating them on their amazing performance, buying t-shirts, their new album, or a combination of all three.
Alpine (photo credit Jaz Bowens)
The men of the band left right after the show for a long road trip all the way to Chicago for the next city on their tour. The girls stuck around to talk to fans, one of them being me. They both candidly talked about life on the road and how much work goes into performing night after night all the while staying on their a game.
James takes the periodic home sickness and slight troubles on the road with a grain of salt because she knows Alpine is very fortunate to have the opportunity to do what they love. “We love what we do. It’s intense sometimes but we do it for the fans,” she said. “But we always have fun where ever we go. We loved the crowd’s energy and we love Philly.”
She sees big things happening for Alpine. “We are coming into our own and we are going to keep touring and evolving.”
