The earliest seeds of Worldtown Soundsystem were sown nearly fifteen years ago, when DJ Ben Arsenal threw an epic DJ party with his Worldtown DJs project and met drummer and producer, Gary Dann, at The Boom Room, Dann’s studio and multimedia performance space. In their earliest collaborations, Dann’s drumming brought an unmistakably human element to Arsenal’s organically warm and soulful beats, and over time, the project grew into a full band, complete with a cadre of expert players wielding live instruments and beautiful voices. Since then, they’ve recorded and toured in a variety of configurations and essentially have grown together, both personally and professionally, like a family.

At Johnny Brenda’s, Pierre Paloma kicked the night off with a DJ set, where he blended electronic beats and live hand percussion to present house music and West African rhythms. He remained on the stage to accompany local artist Seraiah Nicole, whose style and set were both traditional and modern, singing both originals and covers with a voice both powerful and tender. As she left the stage, Paloma was joined by Dann, Arsenal, and a murderer’s row of love and talent who brought festival stage-sized energy to the 250-person capacity venue to offer a show as explosive as it was intimate.

Jules Starr (bass and vocals) employed impressive technique throughout the night, including moments of Stanley Jordan-esque right hand fretboard tapping that brought a percussive layer to the low end. Dan Keller (saxophone) interwove intricate melodic and harmonic horn lines, at times engaging in a call-and-response with Zeek Burse, whose scat at times replicated the sound of an alto sax with astonishing accuracy. (Maybe it was the sparkly yellow genie pants…?) Zeek’s brother, Stephan Burse, brought his larger than life, multi-octave voice to the room and left it all on stage, while Anessa LaRae’s commanding voice and magnetic stage presence left the audience no choice but to dance and dance hard. And Fawziyyah Heart’s mesmerizing voice, performance, and essence embodied soul and sensuality. (‘Nuff said.) 

As the band worked through their set, it became clear that there is something primal and eternal about their music, perhaps as reflected in the titles of some of the songs they performed: “One Night” (from their eponymous 2015 EP), “Water” (from their 2023 EP, House of Love), and “Divine Awaken.” The singers left the stage for a time, leaving the instrumentalists to engage in a semi-structured jam with Arsenal conducting. Philly rapper and producer Kow, a member of the extended Worldtown family, joined the group for a few numbers as the singers returned to the stage, while Dann kept the crowd dancing, mixing funk and disco beats beneath his cohorts’ genre-defying music. Then Nicole returned to the stage, and the assembled group brought the house down with their recent collaborative single, “Good Things Take Time.”

The energy and camaraderie of Worldtown Soundsystem were infectious, creating a sense of unity and celebration that extended throughout the crowd. Their ability to seamlessly blend diverse musical influences, while staying true to their Philly roots, serves as a testament to their artistry and their deep connection with their hometown. As they continue to explore new sonic territories and push creative boundaries, Worldtown Soundsystem remains a vital force in the Philly music scene and beyond. 

Photos by Alisa Shargorodsky @earth_algorithm

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Before the headliners took the stage, the NYC-based Clare Maloney & The Great Adventure delivered a short set of classic rock-inspired tunes. Maloney’s huge voice was the outfit’s calling card, as she vocally soared while the band slammed behind her on songs like “Making My Way Up.” Ripping guitar solos and vocal wailing kicked off the night with palpable energy as fans filed in.   

The Polyrhythmics, Ben Bloom, Guitars, Grant Schroff, Drums, Nathan Spicer, Keys, Jason Gray, Bass, Scott Morning, Trumpet, Elijah Clark, Trombone, Art Brown, Sax and Flute, crowded onto the venue’s small stage and kicked off the night with their musical foot in a funky space covering James Brown’s “After You Done It” with mellow ease as their groove slowly leaked out onto the dance floor. Their original “Yeti, Set, Go” was propelled by a bass line reminiscent of Archie Bell & The Drells, with snaking horns adding fun accents throughout. 

“Cracked Pepper” was more of a shimmering slow groove that showed off some big guitar stylings, while “Dub Poster” brought in brass hits and an ominous reggae vibe. The group jumped into the deep end of the electro-based funk via layers of synths on “Digital Cowboy,” highlighted by Spicer’s keyboard work. The smooth-rolling first set ended with “Marshmallow Man,” which called to mind Menahan Street Band’s polished funk stylings.

After a very short break, Polyrhythmics was back at it with more instrumental outings as the energetic “Give a Crippled Crab a Crutch” used a circular guitar riff and popping brass lines to excellently bring everyone back into the fold, restarting the dance party and acting as a show highlight. The energy stayed revved up for a motoring run through “Roller,” which showcased Bloom’s six-string and pedal work, while “Chelada” used more snaking electro riffs and head-bobbing trumpet hits, all swirling around fuzzy electro keys. 

During the second set, the band also dropped in elongated jams around both The Clash’s “Rock the Casbah” and Tears For Fears “Everybody Wants To Rule The World”, delivering their laidback grooving style to cheers from the crowd. Polyrhythmics “Twice Baked” had hip-hop undertones flowing throughout the jam before the band wrapped up with the pumping “Clydesdal,e” hitting and quitting it as the band delivered their instrumental funky goods to the appreciative Manhattan fans.  

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Sidestepping whether McCartney’s tune is as bad as “they” say – if this piece were a conference call, I’d suggest we take that conversation offline – the more proximate origin story of the pair’s turn as troubadors-cum-Santa’s little helpers begins around 2006 with One More Drifter in the Snow, Mann’s album of holiday covers and two excellent originals: “Calling on Mary,” by Mann and longtime collaborator, Paul Bryan, and “Christmastime,” by Mann’s husband, Michael Penn. (You may not know the legendary musician with the familiar last name and face, but I assure you he’s no myth.) Soon after, Mann began an annual-ish tradition of touring around the holidays in a revue with artists whose performances fall somewhere in the middle of the music/acting/comedy Venn Diagram. (Past participants have included Jonathan Coulton, Fred Armisen, John C. Reilly, and Will Ferrell.)

Fast forward to the early 2010s, when Leo and Mann began to write, record, and perform together as “The Both.” (Their original moniker, “#both,” didn’t seem to last, despite their desire to call themselves something that begins with a hash tag. Look, it was a long time ago, and hash tags were just becoming a thing – perhaps another story for another day.) They released an LP and two original Christmas tunes over three years before commencing The Aimee Mann and Ted Leo Christmas Show around 2015. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Which brings us back to Collingswood. Mann donned a short sparkly dress and fishnets, in keeping with her sartorial approach since she began touring in hot pants around a decade ago, Leo wore all black – turtleneck, pants, and shoes – perhaps drawing inspiration from Steve Jobs…or Dieter. After the McCartney tune, they next led their core band, including Mann’s longtime sideman, multi-instrumentalist Jamie Edwards, through a cover of Slade’s “Merry Xmaƨ Everybody,” before bringing out their first guest, Philly’s own actor, podcaster, and all-around comedic polymath, Paul F. Tompkins. 

In a completely “on brand” move, Tompkins laughed about the thing that everybody had noticed but nobody dared say, let alone mock: that Ted’s amp had begun to amplify a broadcast from somewhere in radio land. (Electric guitarists, we’ve all been there, amirite?) The performers riffed with one another before Tompkins and Mann sang a bit of “O Tannenbaum,” prompting Leo to wax philosophical about the role of the evergreen in pagan culture. So began the gag theme of the night that would resurface throughout the show, beginning with Leo’s leading the group through his own version of “Favorite Things,” listing the pagan totems he’d like to see this Christmas. (The rest of the show touched on goats, G.O.A.T.s, ritual sacrifice, and backstage sex parties.) Tompkins exited stage right to see if he could find a henge for Ted, returning periodically throughout the night – sometimes as himself, sometimes as Krampus, sometimes as an evergreen – to report on the backstage pagan shenanigans. 

The night continued in this fashion: originals, covers, shtick, guest performers, costume changes, rinse, repeat. The other guest performers included comedian and writer Josh Gondelman, whose set covered the holiday basics – 95-year-olds, mistletoe, being Jewish around Christmas (I can relate), and of course, paganism – and the idiosyncratically charming Nellie McKay, longtime veteran of the Aimee Mann Christmas Show who performed in a variety of styles and attires, running the gamut from western European cabaret to Sinatra (on ukulele!) to Alvin and the Chipmunks. (Shout out to Gondelman for his spot-on impression of Simon Seville, the thinking man’s Chipmunk.) 

The night’s many highlights included the duo’s holiday originals like “Nothing Left To Do (Let’s Make This Christmas Blue),” along with other re-workings of classic tunes, including “This is Gary,” a tongue-in-cheek yet somehow weirdly relatable re-working of Til Tuesday’s “Voices Carry,” except about mistaking your new stepfather for Santa Claus. (Who among us hasn’t been there?) Mann shared that the erstwhile group will perform for the first time in almost 35 years at the May 2025 Cruel World festival.) And the group’s cover of “Stay,” by Lisa Loeb, an AM&TLCS alum, where they only sang backing vocals. (It was amazing!) The straight-ahead covers and the stories that accompanied them did not disappoint. They performed Ed Ames’ “The Ballad of the Christmas Donkey,” which Leo said would make dad weep every time he heard it, naturally prompting the Leo children to compete each year to see who could get their dad crying first. The group also played straight-ahead originals like Mann’s “Sugarcoated” and “Save Me” Leo’s “Bottled in Cork,” and the Both’s “Milwaukee.”

While it’s never a bad time to see Aimee Mann, Ted Leo, or any member of their ragtag holiday coterie, there’s something magical about seeing them together around the holidays.

Photo by Matt Hoffman @tonapdivine

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Gloucester City, NJ’s finest, The Warhawks, are now one of those “overnight sensations,” but their origin story begins over a decade earlier. Bilodeau shares songwriting and lead vocal duties with his brother, John Bilodeau (guitar, vocals), and their cousin, Matt “Mo” Orlando (guitar, vocals), with childhood friend Tom Lipski (bass, vocals) rounding out the quartet. (Lipski was unable to attend the show, so the band’s friend, Zach Tyler, of the local band Dead Flowers, filled in admirably) This shared history, built on close relationships, is part of what makes the Warhawks special, though it doesn’t hurt that they write compelling rock music with honest lyrics delivered in perfect harmony. Their earnest sing/shout-alongs, replete with “whoa-oh-ohs” and harmonic guitar leads, evoke many of their influences, from Arctic Monkeys to The Hold Steady, Japandroids to The Strokes, and Weezer. 

Throughout 2024, the Warhawks released their latest album, The Wellness Check, in three groups of three songs via Philadelphia’s Blue Collar Records. This is their first collaboration with producer Aaron Sprinkle, and it’s going well: two of their songs, “Domino” and “Parade,” have hit #1 on iTunes, and they’ve received attention both in the US, both locally (WXPN) and nationally (SPIN Magazine), and internationally, including Billboard Argentina and upcoming coverage in the UK. The media attention is both well-earned and well-deserved. 

The band gave the hometown audience all they could have wanted from a live show. Their high-energy set included songs written by each of the family members, giving everybody an opportunity to shine. Playing his Jazzmaster through a well-loved VOX amp, John took the band through “Secondhand Promised Land” and “Parade,” with Mo playing his tobacco burst Les Paul through a Mesa/Boogie as he led the crowd through the anthemic “Domino.” In a true rock ‘n roll moment, Mo’s Les Paul shattered as he played it. (Fortunately, he had a backup Les Paul on hand.) 

What you see is what you get with The Warhawks, who offer a rare display of genuineness in a world where originality is in short supply, and the line between fact and fiction is getting blurrier by the day. The Warhawks promise to fill in what’s missing in modern rock music, as they’ll continue to prove when they release their Sprinkle-produced follow-up in 2025. 

Photos by Cecilia Orlando

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Case in point is her 2024 album HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, which features some of her strongest, most radio-friendly tracks to date and is the reason for her current tour. It also raises the question of whether an act with such a massive online persona can match it in her performance. Does this level of celebrity, influence, and marketing power render the typical standards for a great concert moot when simply basking in her presence is enough to make most fans giddy? This was a lingering question after Eilish’s current tour – one of the most in-demand and top-dollar tickets of the fall – made its way through Portland, Oregon on Sunday, December 8th, for a very sold-out show at the Moda Center. 

As the moody blue light – no doubt to capture the Instagram-ready aesthetic of HIT ME HARD AND SOFT album cover and tour merch – faded in and out, and the fog machine belched out puffy clouds, a palpable anticipation filled the air of the basketball arena. Finally, the house music dropped and an army of phones rose up to record Eilish performing in a glowing cube to the house music-driven pulse of “CHIHRO.” What ensued for the next ninety-ish minutes was a performance that was as much about showcasing the dynamic talent of this 22-year-old superstar as it was about putting her connection with her fans in the spotlight.

Dressed in her signature garb of oversized t-shirt, basketball shorts, and the kind of socks many of us remember stuffing with cleats before soccer practice, Eilish was the epitome of weirdo cool for a generation entrenched in nostalgia and fashion mash-ups. “LUNCH” was a sharp, bass-driven ode to sexual exploration that saw Eilish running across the stage as she belted out the song’s upbeat pop flow. While the performance had its share of bangers, it also leaned into the ballads that connected on a more emotional level. Following a version of “Therefore I Am” that included hip-hop-like verses and blasts of pyrotechnic flames, Eilish took a break to admire her fans and bask in their excited collective roar that easily surpassed the volume of the speakers. In response, she serenaded them with “WILDFLOWER,” a folksy work of R&B-laced pop that showcased her vocal power. 

With her bandmates performing in sunken portions of the stage, Eilish was front and center throughout the performance, creating what felt like a communal experience with her fans. It was impressive to see one artist maintain such a magnetic hold over a crowd this large, like when she asked for complete silence to live loop her vocals on the dreamy and vulnerable tune “when the party’s over.” Yet, somewhere between “THE DINER” and “ilomilo,” it was hard not to wonder if Eilish might ever engage in the kind of theatrics we sometimes expect from an artist who is dominating the upper stratosphere of pop and commanding these kinds of ticket prices.

For the most part, she ran back and forth around the stage, laid down, and minimally interacted with her backing band. It was easy to admire Eilish’s front and center approach during mega-hits like the bouncy carnival wonk of “bad guy” and her singing “THE GREATEST” from a dangling platform – one of the show’s best moments both for the vocals on display and the production – but it was hard not to find the overall performance a bit underwhelming at times no matter how many lasers and pyrotechnics were fired off. This was especially true during the acoustic section of the show that included “Your Power,” the whispery “SKINNY,” and “TV,” songs that would have commanded the attention of a coffee shop but felt hollow and a bit snoozy in the cavernous arena.

Luckily, the performance finally seemed to gain momentum when Eilish ramped up the energy again on the eerie goth-pop of “bury a friend” and a version of “Oxtocin” that exploded into full-on rave vibes when she was sprung out of a platform to perform her verses on the recent Charli XCX collaboration “guess.” The level and excitement and glee from the audience was carried through to the end of the show, with Eilish’s breakout song “Ocean Eyes” being a highlight as well as the set-closing “BIRDS OF A FEATHER,” perhaps her most straightforward and palatable work of pop to date.        

Any performer who can singularly command such a large audience is impressive, and at this point, it’s clear to anyone not living under a rock that Eilish can take her career in any direction. Her performance in Portland proved this, of course, but also left much to be desired in terms of the sheer excitement many of us expect from the biggest concerts. For most legendary artists, a dynamic stage performance is ultimately what matters for longevity. While those in attendance may have felt that it fulfilled their worshipful adoration of the artist, anyone taking a broader view of the concert experience as a whole could see that the most exciting part will be where Eilish finds herself as she continues to evolve and meet the challenges of an artist growing into adulthood. Hopefully, this means building a more dynamic live show that adequately showcases the full breadth of Eilish’s creativity. 

Edit this setlist | More Billie Eilish setlists

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2024 has been a busy year for the band. Craig Finn, Tad Kubler, Galen Polivka, Bobby Drake, Franz Nicolay, and Steve Selvidge have toured from Australia to Canada, and that has paid off. The group is in incredibly tight form, playing with added power and zest. Before they arrived, however, the Austin-based Good Looks started the night with their guitar-driven indie rock.  

Tyler Jordan (rhythm guitar/lead vocals), Jake Ames (lead guitar), Robert Cherry, (bass guitar), and Phillip Dunne, (drums), were genuinely excited to be opening the show, as Jordan mentioned multiple times. “It It’s Gone” built upon itself with layers of revved-up rock, while “Almost Automatic” had big drums and shimmering psychedelic guitar lines. The short set ended with the upbeat strums and ripping rock guitar of “Vision Boards” as the crowd filled in.

Coming out to the strains of “Lido Shuffle,” The Hold Steady wasted no time, dropping into “Constructive Summer,” with Drake’s drums reaching punk rock levels as the energy erupted. “Barfruit Blues used chugging guitar lines, “Sideways Skull” had gorgeous backup harmonies and hand claps, while “Chips Ahoy!” went over the top. The opening run of these four songs provided a major statement that the band was in top-notch form on this night. 

The Horn Steady arrived to augment the rock with soulful lines on the excellent “Spices,” while their brass groove swayed winningly throughout “Banging Camp.” Kluber’s gorgeous solo on “Lord, I’m Discouraged” was a standout moment, as was the crashing power and sing-along charm of “Stuck Between Stations.” 

The band mixed longtime favorites, like the show’s theme, “Massive Nights,” and a fantastic, pogoing version of “Your Little Hoodrat Friend,” with rarer songs. The band broke out their live debut of “40 Bucks,” preceded by a birthday gag and featuring pretty piano work from Nicolay, while the slow, dripping “Criminal Fingers” started the encore via touching guitar lines from Selvidge.  

The main set wrapped up with the dramatic rendering of “Slapped Actress,” as Finn mellowed things out with poetic lines. The encore concluded with the crowd chanting energy (which never dissipated all night) of “Killer Parties.” 

This is the ninth year the band has hosted its Massive Nights year-end celebration, and with the success of shows like Friday Night, The Hold Steady does not seem to be slowing down anytime soon. 

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The first of two benefit shows for Malin was held on Sunday Night, December 1st, at the Beacon Theater on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, which helped Malin during his continuing recovery, would receive the proceeds. The sold-out Sunday crowd came in from the frigid night air to fill up the classic theater as Michael Imperioli and Mary Louise Parker acted as MCs for the evening. 

Opening the benefit was Alejandro Escovedo, who began with a soft piano ballad, “Sensitive Boys,” which, like every guest’s song on the night, was dedicated to Malin and his unbreakable spirit. Parker mentioned it was nice to be in a room where everyone agreed on something before introducing Rickie Lee Jones with Don Dilego on supporting acoustic guitar. They sang a request from Jesse, her sad yet excellent song “Cycles.” 

After the moving opening two songs, the curtain dropped, and the house lights went on without a word. After a confusing few minutes when late arrivals could easily find their seats, Imperioli came out and introduced the man himself for a full set from Malin and his band. 

The curtain went up to a huge roar as Malin, seated center stage, began an hour and a half set of tunes from throughout his career. He told stories both humorous and heartfelt as he weaved tales of NYC and his life into his music and vice versa. The traveling tune “I Would Do It For You” began the set. The positive love and handclaps from the crowd propelled “Before You Go,” while the chugging acoustic riffs pushed “Oh Sheena.” 

“Route 13” used echoey guitars and organs as Malin issued the first of many heartfelt thank yous to all the friends and families in the crowd. He told stories of sneaking into the Beacon in the past to see bands like The Pogues, with Joe Strummer fronting them, before covering “If I Should Fall From The Grace of God” complete with horns. Malin recalled his childhood in Manhattan, his ties to the punk and hardcore scenes, and channeling that into his new song “Argentina,” which talks of his recent trials.    

Steven Van Zandt came out to a big cheer helping out on guitar for “Turn Up The Mains” but the complete deafening ovation of the night came next as Malin, under his own power, stood up, preparing to sing “She Don’t Love Me Now” as the crowd exploded. 

Malin thanked his doctors, nurses, physical therapists and friends who were all involved in his recovery, cracked jokes about practicing backflips to be like HR from the Bad Brains someday, while both sitting and standing for the remainder of the set which included the ominously grooving “The Way We Used To Roll” and the solo acoustic “Aftermath”. 

A theatrically rising cover of The Rolling Stones’ “Sway” was dynamic, as was the glam-tinged, set-closing “Meet Me At The End of The World,” which wrapped up with the second biggest cheer of the night as Malin walked off the stage using a walker to a thunderous ovation.   

More guests arrived quickly to play a song from the recently released triple benefit/tribute album Silver Patron Saints: The Songs of Jesse Malin or requests from Jesse himself. J Mascis was up first with “Brooklyn,” deploying a ripping guitar solo while Danny Clinch sang and added harmonica to “Almost Grown”. The energy ramped up for both Jakob Dylan covering “Don’t Let Them Take You Down” and Butch Walker’s energetic rendition of “In The Modern World”. While shows like this always have minor technical issues, things ran very smoothly, but hopefully, the lights are fixed for the second show as these guests were singing in the dark with the spotlight still fixed on Malin’s (now empty) chair in the center stage. 

Adam Duritz took the stage, along with his bandmate guitarist David Immerglück  (who helped out the backing band all night), and humorously said that Jesse stole his song from the tribute album. So Malin requested he play “A Long December,” which was well received before Elvis Costello and Lucinda Williams dueted on a pretty cover of “Wild Horses.” 

Malin walked back onstage and led a full band rave-up of The Ramones’ “Do You Remember Rock and Roll Radio?” which was a gas, combining surf rock horns, revved-up guitars, and crashing drums. The softer “Greener Pastures” followed as Malin dueted with Diane Gentile before the full band excitement of both “You Know It’s Dark When Atheists Start to Pray” and the event closing cover of The Clash‘s “Rudie Can’t Fail” with Costello, Williams and more joining for the finale. 

A night of positive vibes for a good cause brought out old punks, aging rockers, doctors, nurses and just friends of one of the most important members to ever grace the New York City rock scene. Everyone has a Jesse Malin story if you have been involved in music in NYC over the last forty years, and giving back to the man himself, who is fighting so hard to make this night (and hopefully many more) happen, is a true joy. 

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Before Pond came to blow the roof off this old high school auditorium that now serves as one of Portland’s best venues, New Zealand’s Fazerdaze – the project of Amelia Rahayu Murray – played a brief set that mainly dwelled on songs from the freshly released album Soft Power. Playing as a duo, the set was mellow and, at times, infectious in Murray’s hypnotic vocals and bedroom-meets-psych-pop sounds. The duo succeeded in a few moments with their dreamy combination of guitars and synths but ultimately leaned on the snoozy side. 

Earlier this year, Pond released Stung!, their tenth studio album and first since 2021. The band would mix a handful of tunes from that release with the rest of their varied and versatile catalog throughout a set that stretched over an hour. Kicking off with the moody and sensual opening of “Daisy,” it was clear that frontman Nick Allbrook was in fine form as he pranced across the stage in his energetic, Mick Jagger-like fashion. He even busted out a flute to close out “(I’m) Stung” with a lovely little solo before steering the band into “Neon River,” which alternated between quiet, ponderous moments and bombastic craziness before descending into a brilliantly proggy guitar breakdown. “America’s Cup,” with its New Wave-laced synth-pop danceability, and “Sweep Me Off My Feet,” with Joseph Ryan busting out big fuzzy guitar riffs, were both highlights of the set before they were topped by the David Bowie-esque disco funk of “So Lo.” 

Any fan paying attention would’ve noticed that Pond’s drummer for the first portion of their set was not James ‘Gin’ Ireland, but rather guitar tech Matt Handley. Allbrook addressed it when he announced to the crowd vaguely that Ireland was gone, and it was fucked up that they would have to replace their drummer again. In the meantime, they relieved Handle,y and Jay Watson handled much of the drumming for the remainder of the set. Luckily, the absence of Ireland hardly dampened their onstage power and charisma as they pushed through the 70s-style heavy rocker “Black Lung,” the bouncy “Human Touch,” and the sludgy Black Sabbath nod “Aloneaflameaflower.” “This is your opportunity to shake your ass,” remarked Allbrook to the audience before launching into the catchy electro-funk of “Paint Me Silver,” only to follow it up by crowd surfing during the jammy, guitar-heavy combo of “Giant Tortoise” and “Torn Asunder.”

You could maybe take issue with any headliner that leaves the stage after a mere hour, but it’s safe to say Pond packed in enough wild rock and roll energy into their performance to more than satiate their fans in Portland. When they returned to the stage for their three-song encore, they provided one last reminder of just how versatile and varied their influences are. From the frenetical and delightfully unhinged rock and roll swagger of “Fantastic Explosion of Time” to the country-esque “Medicine Hat,” and finally a version of “Don’t Look at the Sun or You’ll Go Blind” that brought to mind LCD Soundsystem with its simple beat, Pond did Australia proud in helping to keep its rock and roll crown in Portland. 

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Mid-set highlights included Sturgill and the band adding to the roller coaster ride an emotionally charged “Turtles on the Way Down” and a glorious tribute to Prince with the band’s take on “Purple Rain”. The band tore the roof off the hall with a fierce rendition of the Doors’ “L.A. Woman”. After “L.A. Woman”, Sturgill and the band took a deep dive into the Johnny Blue Skies repertoire with “Scooter Blues”, “Jupiter’s Faerie”, “If the Sun Never Rises Again” and “Mint Tea”, much to the audience’s delight as it was due time to showcase Simpson’s new music.

Sturgill wrapped up the marathon of a show with a few set staples, “All Around You”, “Fastest Horse in Town” and “Brace for Impact” before delivering a fantastic cover of Procol Harum’s classic, “A Whiter Shade of Pale”. If it weren’t for the 11:30 curfew, Simpson and Company probably would have kept playing well into the wee hours of Monday morning. For over three and a half hours, they treated the crowd to a non-stop musical journey, performing over thirty songs from his entire catalog. The setlist included tracks from Passage Du Desir, Metamodern Sounds in Country Music, A Sailor’s Guide to Earth, and more. In addition, the band delivered a handful of covers, from artists like Prince, Little Feat and Neil Diamond, which they made entirely their own.

Simpson’s performance was nothing short of extraordinary. His powerful and expressive voice soared through the venue, effortlessly transitioning from delicate whispers to thunderous roars. He commanded the stage with a raw intensity and a magnetic presence. The band, a tight-knit group of seasoned musicians, provided the perfect backdrop, their intricate interplay and improvisational flourishes elevating the music to new heights.

Sturgill Simpson’s Why Not? Tour was a masterclass in live performance. It was a celebration of music, a testament to the power of human connection, and a reminder of why Simpson should be recognized as one of the most talented artists of his generation. Beyond the music, the atmosphere at the concert was electric. A dedicated and passionate fanbase united by their love for Simpson’s music created an unforgettable experience. The energy in the venue was infectious, with the crowd singing along to every word, swaying to the music, and losing themselves in the moment. The final show of the US leg was a fitting end to a remarkable tour that will rev its engines once again in 2025.

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