March 07, 2026 – The sold out First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia was packed as Syd Taylor walked onto the stage with the swagger and confidence of a superstar. I had the unique opportunity to cover an artist that is sure to rise to star status. Photography & Review by Steve Cerf @stevecerf Syd Taylor, […]

March 4th, 2026 – The quiet stretch of Lancaster Avenue outside Ardmore Music Hall looked less like the Main Line and more like the parking lot of a traveling carnival. Tie dye in the cold night air. Old tour hoodies resurrected from closets. The soft murmur of fans swapping predictions about bust outs before the […]

February 19, 2026 – When Larry Fleet released his 2019 debut album Workin’ Hard, the title felt less like a clever turn of phrase and more like a mission statement. Long before he broke into country music, the Tennessee native was pouring concrete and putting in long days of manual labor, and that blue-collar backbone still defines […]

February 18, 2026 – Under the cathedral ceiling of The Met Philadelphia, the ghosts behaved themselves for once. They took seats in the balcony, folded their hands, and waited for Jason Isbell to start telling the truth. The air outside carried that late winter bite, the kind that sharpens your senses and makes a warm […]

February 10, 2026 – As I sat on my sofa on Super Bowl Sunday, chips and dips and other tasty treats spread across my living room table, I waited for the most important part of the night — not the players, not the matchup — the performer. Photography & Review by Steve Cerf @stevecerf Just […]

[ by Rick Pettine ] December 6, 2025 – Bethlehem, PA — In a mutually defensive game, the Villanova Wildcats eventually pushed past the previously unbeaten Lehigh Mountain Hawks, 14-7, to advance to the FCS championship playoff quarterfinals against Tarleton State in Texas. Following a scoreless first half by both teams, Lehigh drove the field in a […]

[ by Rick Pettine ] November 29, 2025 – Villanova, PA — An Ivy League dream season turned into a nightmare for the Harvard Crimson when Villanova crushed them in round-1 of the FCS Championship Playoffs, 52-7. Harvard earned their first post-season appearance in 105 years – yep, since 1920 – after wining their 3rd straight Ivy […]

[ by Rick Pettine ] October 25, 2025 – Villanova, PA — Villanova extended their winning streak to 5 after topping the Albany Great Danes, 29-16 in front of their homecoming crowd. Pat McQuaide threw for 203 total yards, including two touchdowns to wide receiver Luke Colella. Jack Barnum made field goals of 41, 23 and 44 […]

[ by Rick Pettine ] October 18, 2025 – Villanova, PA — In a one-sided match, the FCS 15th ranked Villanova Wildcats dominated the Hampton Pirates at home 56-14. Nova’s QB Pat McQuaide passed for 166 yards and 5 TDs each to a different receiver. By the end of the first half, the rout was on with […]

[ by Rick Pettine ] September 27, 2025 – Villanova, PA — The Villanova Wildcats pulled out a win on Family Weekend against the William & Mary Tribe, 31-24. The Wildcats struck first when David Avid (24) dove for the score after the offense drove 92 yards to set up the TD. But the Tribe scored 2 […]

[ by Rick Pettine ] September 20, 2025 – Chester, PA — The Union held onto a one goal lead to edge past their Eastern Conference opponent New England Revolution at Subaru Park. The first half was scoreless as both teams had their chances. However in the 70th minute in the second half, Bruno Damiani found the […]

[Edited Transcript: Abbreviated for length and clarity] Interview + Article By: Erin Hunter (@erinehunter) April 15th, 2025 – Cory Marks is a top-charting Country Rock artist from North Bay, Ontario, in Canada. From the day he was encouraged to perform open-mike at a bar, he was destined to sing, and he has become the first […]

[Edited Transcript: Abbreviated for length and clarity] Interview by Erin Hunter + Photos by Steve Cerf January 25h, 2025 – Sierra Spirit is an indigenous artist from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Born Sierra Spirit Kihega, storytelling was always a significant part of her culture, and her debut EP is a reflection of this innate part of indigenous […]

[ Interview by Jen Strogatz ] [ Photos by Jen Strogatz ] Independent Philly: Where does the name ‘Jungle Giants’ come from? Who thought of it? Andrew Dooris: When we were first starting up the band, we all came up with a few names; I think The Jungle Giants was Sam’s. We handn’t formally decided […]

[Interview by David J. Miller] The Cold War Kids are in the midst of a tour that brings them to the City of Brotherly Love on Friday, January 31st, 2020 at The Fillmore. Back in November, lead singer Nathan Willett spoke with us about the new album, their live show, the challenges of adapting to […]

Ahead of their upcoming Step to the Local Motion Tour and their show at the TLA in Philadelphia on February 15th, Pepper’s drummer Yesod Williams took some time to speak with IndependentPhilly.com about their new album, Local Motion, the band’s history, his favorite thing about Philly, how much pot the 3 members of Pepper can all smoke […]

Independent Philly recently had the opportunity to speak with Nashville-based singer-songwriter, Ron Pope. If you haven’t heard of Ron Pope, you might recognize his music from features on shows like like NBC’s “The Voice,” CW’s “Vampire Diaries,” “90210,” and multiple seasons of FOX’s “So You Think You Can Dance,” which sent two of his albums into […]

December 31, 2025 – Snacktime’s third annual New Year’s Eve run at Brooklyn Bowl filled early, coats vanished into the void, and by the time the lights dropped, everyone already looked committed to staying up late and feeling it in the morning. Photos + Article by @a.j.kinney The crowd skewed older, and it showed in […]

August 9, 2025 – As the lights dimmed, the Akron, Ohio duo of Dan Auerbach (lead vocals, guitar) and Patrick Carney (drums) kicked off the night with the gritty trifecta “Thickfreakness / The Breaks / I’ll Be Your Man,” setting the tone for what would be a raw and electric performance. The curtain lifted as […]

August 01, 2025 – Let’s get one thing out of the way: yes, World Cafe Live is still standing, and still under fire. After a bitter clash earlier this summer between venue ownership and a tight-knit crew of dedicated staffers many of whom were suddenly let go after raising concerns over a variety of issues; […]

The Duffy String Band, a renowned participant in Philadelphia’s annual Mummer’s Parade, has long been celebrated for its vibrant and entertaining performances that captivate audiences and exemplify the rich tradition of Mummers in the city. The Mummers Parade, held annually on New Year’s Day, is a cherished Philadelphia tradition dating back to the 19th century, […]

March 07, 2026 – The sold out First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia was packed as Syd Taylor walked onto the stage with the swagger and confidence of a superstar. I had the unique opportunity to cover an artist that is sure to rise to star status. Photography & Review by Steve Cerf @stevecerf Syd Taylor, […]

March 4th, 2026 – The quiet stretch of Lancaster Avenue outside Ardmore Music Hall looked less like the Main Line and more like the parking lot of a traveling carnival. Tie dye in the cold night air. Old tour hoodies resurrected from closets. The soft murmur of fans swapping predictions about bust outs before the […]

February 19, 2026 – When Larry Fleet released his 2019 debut album Workin’ Hard, the title felt less like a clever turn of phrase and more like a mission statement. Long before he broke into country music, the Tennessee native was pouring concrete and putting in long days of manual labor, and that blue-collar backbone still defines […]

February 6, 2026 – the chandeliers inside the Grand Opera House glowed against the winter’s dark backdrop as Billy Gibbons stepped into the light with a guitar slung low and that unmistakable silhouette carved in amber. The room felt intimate, almost conspiratorial, like 19th century architecture bracing for a blast of Texas dust. Photos + […]

January 24, 2026 – I showed up to Brooklyn Bowl Philly with zero mythology in my pocket. Atmosphere was a name I’d absorbed through cultural osmosis. Sage Francis and R.A. the Rugged Man lived in that vague “you should know this” corner of hip-hop history as I was reminded by several friends in the hours […]