4-1-07: Here, now are the songs and artists joining Oh Philadelphia. After much discussion and soul searching we are all joining forces to produce this compilation. That's right, 14 songs all having to do with Philadelphia, with over half of these acts kicking off the CD Release Party/ Fest at PhilaFunk Live on May 5 starting at 5:00, and performing live for all of Philly Wed, May 16 @ Love Park starting at noon! AND We're playing @ Love Park Friday 4-20 Noon! These will be our kickoff CD Release concerts and celebration, with more to follow!! Thankyou all from the bottom of my heart, ~Larry KidGrinRecords@hotmail.com
Oh Philadelphia acts Performing @ LOVE PARK 5-16-07 Yet2B, Julia Vaughters, Quintero, This Dog Can Dance, Pamela Knight, Dan Collins!
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About Producer Larry Saklad and the Oh Philadelphia Song Search
During the outdoor CD release party for his YET2B album in Love Park in October, Larry Saklad received recognition long deserved. Approached by the park's live event organizers and party performers alike, he was urged both to assemble additional concerts in the Arch Street park, and, to consider creating a compilation CD of each evening's music.
"I took the idea a few steps further," says Saklad, "And I decided to record the entire, damned city."
The Song Search is the latest dovetailing of a career in Philly indie rock that Saklad insists, "Will not be fulfilled until my song-searchers and I find the quintessential Philly song."
Saklad's history in the Philadelphia music scene goes back to 1968 in jam bands playing the Doors, Who, Beatles, Stones, Neil Young, Clapton, Moody Blues and Iron Butterfly.
"We're looking for originality," said Saklad, who added that Song Search is not looking for covers.
The years, 1977 thru '80, featured Saklad's keyboarding and guitar work as a full-time member of Alan Mann & The Free Arts Band. The group was dubbed "The hardest working band on South St."
"To this day, I still feel Alan was the best songwriter, both here and beyond," said Saklad, who has added that he is enlisting Mann's aesthetic as a standard to which the "Song Searchers" (the project's participants), should aspire.
Mann's Christmas on the Block was an MTV early-eighties staple. Mann's loyal fan base has filled World Cafe Live each year for the Annual Alan Mann Tribute, at which Saklad always performs.
Saklad joined David Rowan & Exisdance in 1988, recording at Studio 4 the band's debut, Time Will Tell. Saklad also clocked music-circuit hours with Robert Hazard and Essra Mohawk. In 1996, he re-recorded Christmas on the Block, which received continuous airplay by Cyndy Drue on WMMR 93.3 FM.
"The Oh Philadelphia Song Search is going to show what this city can crank out," said Saklad, " which is the very type of thing that defines a music scene."
The Song Search will be helped along by the music collective, Acoustic Philly, whose executive director, Mike DelVecchia has agreed to participate in marketing and production duties. DelVecchia said, "Larry and his Song-Searchers represent the major tenet of Acoustic Philly, which is to get behind the music of our local songwriters to show how one city can define what a music scene is supposed to be."
PS - I am hoping the whole Phila songwriting community comes out with our amazing creativity, a perfect gem celibrating our fine town. Larry Saklad - more about me here: Yet2B City Paper pg11 Dec 7 >>>Producer/Alan Mann associate Larry Saklad wants you, that is if you've got a snappy song that has something to do with Philly. Mail him here (KidGrin Records@hotmail.com), check him there (myspace), see him [January 3 at Fergies Pub], and figure out if you can place a Philly anthem on his CD to be released Feb. 27 at a Connie's RicRac party near you. (a_amorosi@citypaper.net)
Influences
Is there anything in one's life that doesn't?
truthfully...
Sounds Like
Philadelphia funky, soulfully, R & Bluesy, rocky, rolly, punky, folky, gospely, jazzy, hippy hoppy - PHILLY
If any of you are part of/ interested in the Philly Scene in the 1980's, Here's my favorite site, courtesies of— Reesa (and The Rooters), "Thanks for helping to build this ever-growing '80s Philly music scrapbook."
To update, the Oh Phila project never got the kind of support I had hoped and so we decided not to release the compilation, as much as I put every effort into that end result. I know the idea is sound and still would love to keep up all efforts along these lines, and would welcome all submissions of songs to do with Philly for adding to the linked songs here, and a possible future CD!
If you think this might be something you're interested in helping with, I also welcome your input. I know my Oh Phila song is passionate and even more pertinent now with the references to gun violence. It will appear on my next cd, MasterPeace in 2008.
Be sure to checkout some of the newest songs for my next Cd, MasterPeace @ myspace.com/lsaklad
Described as both urgent and accessible, Yet2B's Larry Saklad merges elements of timeless acoustic rock, painting landscapes of heartfelt observations and questions, with brit-pop sensibility and smoky folk-blues, as uniquely fresh as it is uncannily familiar. One moment- brash, angular and edgy, the next- surveying ancient ruins in subdued melancholy, he infuses all our dreams of a better life with hope and faith in possibility...
engaging.
Hi Fellow Artists, Backround and more on this project::
I had just written a new song called Oh Philadelphia, realized it would be a great idea to put together a CD Compilation with more songs submitted from as many Philly artists as time allows, which have Phila as the subject, or interwoven in a story, or something which is obviously about Phila. I am trying to find as many "friends" at this point to hopefully get the word out to that many more artists, because the more that are involved mean a better recording and a chance for a real cross section of the best local songs w/ this subject. I am keeping the genres open and varied in semifinal 20, at which point every artist who submitted will vote for the best (most votes).
There will be no entry fee.
But the IDEA is sound in helping generate attention to the Phila Musician/songwriter community, and thereby benefit everyone involved. :-) ~Lar
Call your friends and meet us at The Fire (4th & Girard) on Thursday July 17! We're bringing Sci-Fi up from NC (we played their CD Release Party!) and it's gonna be a HUGE bash!!
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Unicity Performing Arts Festival has just signed The FIXX, Sandra Bernhard and John Waters! Tickets go on sale on June 7th at 10 AM and will be available from www. unicityfestival. com .
no problem, just another philly band trying to do our part. We are in the process of recording our first ep but be sure to give a listen to what we have currently on our myspace.
Love Park photo ©2007 Andrew Merlino (
