by Meaghan Paulosky
On July 22nd, South Philly was swarmed by an energetic troop of middle-aged men with great taste in music and a willingness, yet inability, to dance to it. In other words, the Shilohs and the Fresh & Onlys stopped to share their respective new albums to a grateful, male-dominant, crowd at Boot & Saddle.
The Shilohs (photo by Meaghan Paulosky)
The Shilohs opened the night fresh from Boston, though their performance didn’t show it. They explained that after some severe traffic and a rushed sound check, exhaustion was near. But, by all appearances and sounds, Ben Frey on drums, Daniel Colussi on bass/vocals, and Johnny Payne and Mike Komaszczuk each on guitar/vocals, soldiered on to deliver a delightfully indie-powered, folk-infused set. Playing songs from their first album all the way through to May 2014’s self-titled The Shilohs, the group of four skillfully introduced themselves to a room of new Philly fans.
The Fresh & Onlys then took the stage to a room that had multiplied in both enthusiasm and Y chromosome. Whether or not a testament to the band’s 13th Floor Elevators and Grateful Dead influences, the guy to girl ratio ran to a jarring 8:1 – and what a shame for the ladies who missed out.
The Fresh & Onlys (photo by Meaghan Paulosky)
They started with more established hits like “Summer of Love” before entering into an all-out marathon of their June 2014 release, House of Spirits. Frontman Tim Cohen announced they’d play the entire album and he was joined by Shayde Sartin on bass, Wymond Miles on guitar, and Kyle Gibson on drums to follow through on this bold, pause-free promise. A hypnotically psychedelic/indie haze fell over the crowd, which responded with all the charmingly awkward dancing graying hippies can muster. For 10 continuous songs, the Fresh & Onlys powered the room, only disappointing when the night eventually had to come to an end.
This was not either band’s first time in the area, and it hopefully won’t be the last. As each proclaimed a love of Philly, we can eagerly await the future return of the Shilohs and the Fresh & Onlys. Until then, check out the The Shilohs and House of Spirits for a dance party of your own.
