Dougie Poole & Tonstartssbandht
Dougie PooleA country songwriter from Brooklyn’s indie underground, Dougie Poole blurs the lines between genre and generation on his third solo album, The Rainbow Wheel of Death. Rooted in sharp songwriting, Poole’s golden baritone, and the organic sounds of a live-in-the-studio band, it’s a classic-sounding record for the modern world, stocked with songs that make room for everything from old-school synthesizers to contemporary storytelling.The Rainbow Wheel of Death’s title nods to the colorful pinwheel that appears onscreen whenever a computer’s application stalls. For Poole — who found himself working as a freelance computer programmer once the pandemic brought his touring schedule to a temporary halt in 2020 — it’s also a reference to the holding pattern that’s left much of society feeling stuck, unable to move ahead in an uncertain world. That feeling was pervasive when he began writing these nine songs, finishing the first handful of tracks in his New York City bedroom and wrapping up the songwriting process in the recording studio itself, this time surrounded by a band of collaborators and instrumentalists.Once hailed as the “patron saint of millennial malaise” for his sardonic wit and topical, tongue-in-cheek songwriting, Poole broadens his reach here. He fine-tunes his genre-bending approach to country music, too, with The Rainbow Wheel of Death reaching far beyond the genre’s boundaries for new sounds and unexpected textures. “High School Gym” builds a bridge between 2020s lo-fi textures and 1980s pop vibes, while “Must Be In Here Somewhere” — whose narrator sits at a lap top, searching through “every server burning in North Carolina” for a digital souvenir of a long-lost relationship — mixes modern concerns with classic country instrumentation. If records like 2017’s Wideass Highway and 2020’s breakthrough release The Freelancer’s Blues told stories about uninspired Millennials languishing in dead-end jobs and no-good relationships, then The Rainbow Wheel of Death focuses on more universal issues like mortality, love, and the passing of the time.With The Rainbow Wheel of Death, Dougie Poole breathes new life into country music, retaining the acclaimed elements of his previous work — drum machines, acoustic guitars, synthesizers, and his deep-set voice — while pushing toward something warm, organic, and prismatic.TonstartssbandhtAndy and Edwin Mathis White are the duo known as Tonstartssbandht. They began in August of 2007 in their hometown of Orlando, Florida. Soon after, Andy and Edwin moved to their new respective homes in Montreal and New York City. In these two cities Tonstartssbandht continued under the restraint of solo writing, recording, and e-mailed collaboration. This method of songwriting and exchange was carried through on their three self-released 2009 albums, An When, Dick Nights, and Maihama. After bringing the split psyche sets on the road, the focus eventually shifted toward a streamlined live instrumentation involving their voices and analog ware. As Tonstartssbandht continued touring, the recording never stopped. Full set live cassettes followed with Nantes, Hanoi, and Christchurch. After moving back to Orlando in early 2016, their home studio album Sorcerer was finally completed and released via Mexican Summer the following year. The duo spent the pandemic writing new material after a touring hiatus and are issuing a new LP in the fall of 2021 alongside a full North American Tour.Supported By: Bobby Lee & the Hubba Hubbas
Laura Hickli
Laura HickliLaura Hickli (Mohkfnstsis/Calgary) is an internationally touring baroque pop songstress known for her dreamy, tightly-arranged soundscapes, exquisite vocals, evocative lyrics and her emotionally powerful performances. A classically trained pianist and member in several award-winning musical projects including Carla J. Easton and 36?, Hickli’ s latest material has struck a spellbinding balance of spectral intimacy and bombast explosivity.Described as ‘indomitable,’ Laura Hickli will shatter any expectations of the way a piano should be played, a voice should be lifted, or a life should be lived.The Goodbye PartyThe Goodbye Party is the solo moniker of songwriter/instrumentalist Michael Cantor. He writes pop songs, refracted through atmospheric soundscapes and cassette tape noise. Rose LeeEmerging electronic artist Rose Lee has been playing music since she can remember. Hailing from Kensington, Philadelphia and the daughter of a jazz musician and a visual artist, Rose came up fully immersed in Philadelphia’s rich Jazz and arts culture. This has been a driving force in her creativity, which not only transcends music, but continues to break down walls merely by existing outside genre norms.All shows at Dolphin Tavern are 21+
Hotel Fiction
Hotel Fiction:Hotel Fiction is an Athens, Georgia-based band comprised of Jade Long and JessicaThompson. Both women have been playing music for over ten years and began writing,performing, and playing together in January 2019. In August of that year, Hotel Fiction releasedtheir debut single “Astronaut Kids” which received a warm welcome from the indie scene, andwent on to amass over 2 million global streams.Hotel Fiction’s sound has often been described as genre-fluid, with indie, pop and rockinfluences. With Jade’s dynamic vocals and piano, and Jessica’s complementary lead guitar andharmonies, the two create a sound that invites listeners to settle in and stay a while. For HotelFiction, the no vacancy sign is never illuminated, everyone is accommodated here.During quarantine, the two finished recording their debut album Soft Focus which was releasedin the fall of 2021. The project was met with praise from Atwood Magazine, Early Rising, A1234,and We Are the Guard, and was placed on Spotify editorial lists Fresh Finds and Fresh FindsRock, where it spent eight weeks straight.Most recently, Hotel Fiction has supported Beach Fossils, Adam Melchor, flipturn and TheBrooke and The Bluff. The band released their new EP Enjoy Your Stay on October 28, 2022.Supported By:Air DeviAll shows at Dolphin Tavern are 21+
Solid Bronze
Solid Bronze – Groove-based, psychedelicly-tinged, jazz-informed, hazy funk. Hot off the heels of their sophomore album, Mt. Fuji, the six-piece live lineup brings it all to the stage from deep rhythm section grooves to meditative airiness. The Third Arrangement – In a blend of jazz, funk, rock, and even pop, the sounds range from warm and imaginative to jarring shuffles, which can be heard on their 2019 release Scarecrows up to their newest single “The Look”. Moustapha Noumbissi -Moustapha grew up a participant of many musical traditions, including West African drumming, American pop, and choral music. His latest recordings with producer Lee Clarke favor indie rock and psychedelic soul.
Jennifer Vanilla
Jennifer Vanilla w/ Cheeky and Trans Zimmer Described by fans as “Madonna meets Hey Arnold meets Michael Alig meets Grace Jones meets infinity,” Jennifer Vanilla is the persona-driven fantasy vessel LARPed into reality by performance artist Kye Grant (once a longtime member of NYC indie outfit Ava Luna). Known for their dynamic interactive performances, Jennifer is an ecstatic hypist brought to life inside the temporary collective formed during their live shows. Their new album Castle in the Sky—”an addictive morphine drip of synths and art pop” (Nylon) inspired by the likes of Deee-lite and Will Powers— is out on Sinderlyn Records with remixes by musclecars, Jerry Paper, and Love Injection. This performance will be a special live set with collaborator Brian Abelson on the decks. All events at Dolphin Tavern are 21+
Super City
Super City: Melodic and guitar driven, Super City is known for their hooky pop sound that blends heavy rock elements and danceability, all with band choreography that results in killer live performances. This Baltimore band expertly crafts guitar and synth earworms that thrive on the creative tension between bombastic rock and roll and stylized movements. Their structures and melodies leave no room for a dull track. At times soothing and inviting, at times posturing and timeless, Dan Ryan and Greg Wellham vocally guide this pop band into a new, heavy, and beguiling territory that is both memorable and brash with their new full-length LP ‘In The Midnight Room,’ available everywhere on October 20th via SofaBurn Records. Quiet Hollers: Shape-shifting Kentucky indie outfit Quiet Hollers’ music connects with listeners around depression, anxiety, grief, and addiction, nodding to a wide range of influences across the spectra of alt. country, indie rock, punk, and in what they have coined “post americana.” Formed by its songwriter Shadwick Wilde in the early 2010’s, the group has announced work on their fifth LP, Loud Mountains, a painfully self-aware retrospective on a decade of fighting through mental illness and the music industry.All events at Dolphin Tavern are 21+
Ronnie Stone
Ronnie Stone:Ronnie Stone seems to have traveled from both the past and future simultaneously, bringingwith him a unique style of contemporary synth-pop that seamlessly blends nostalgia with thebleeding-edge of modern dance music. The NYC-based producer and multi-instrumentalistwrites and records all of his music, utilizing a massive arsenal of 80’s synthesizers to cook updance-pop gold for the freaks and the loners.His latest album, Ride Again (Feeltrip Records), is the culmination of a decade spent dwellingin the shadows at nightclubs and warehouse parties. Inspired by the solace and epiphanieshe found on the dance floor, he blends New Wave with the groovy and persistentinfectiousness of Techno and House.Ryder Houston:Ryder Houston is a Philadelphia-based filmmaker and musician born and bred just outside of Dallas, Texas. As much as his evocative sound dotes on alternative pop acts Depeche Mode, Garbage, and even Madonna at her most controversial, it also seems to suggest something greater operating on the periphery: a dark, omnipresent melodrama not unlike the crooning music of David Lynch composer Angelo Badalamenti or the baroque sensibilities of Lana Del Rey. Nevertheless, Houston’s spidery vocals continue to weave clichés of lust and rock ‘n’ roll menace anew, adhering himself to a certain groovy allusion to sleazy, opium-den electronica. Plainly stated, it is within this blasphemous little slipstream that Ryder Houston’s unique brand of sonic nostalgia exists.DJ Set by KorineAll events at Dolphin Tavern are 21+
KulfiGirls
KulfiGirls – KulfiGirls are a Philadelphia-based rock band fronted by lead vocalist Abi Natesh who uses the South Indian Saraswati veena to present a novel “carnatic rock” sound, inspired by diverse genres of pop and rock. Their upcoming single “Field of Fireflies” combines classic psychedelic-rock elements with an experimental ensemble of instruments. Larlene – Philly BFF trio, Larlene, curates a dream pop stoner metal float tank for your heart. They hit with a post-punk, fuzz rock wall of sound with cutting harmonies and clearly hurt feelings. Larlene will take you from nasty garage jams to ethereal heartbreak. The Angies – The Angies are a four piece punk rock / noise band from Philadelphia who pair high-intensity performances with experimental sounds. Frontwoman Tara Gilligan combines the abrasive energy of Stooges-era Iggy Pop with the raw, introspective lyricism of Courtney Love and Hole to deliver a truly unforgettable and confrontational live experience. All events at Dolphin Tavern are 21+
Moonshine
Depending on whom you ask, the esoteric effects of lunar cycles can be wide-ranging: good fortune, human fertility, ocean tides, werewolf prevalence and loss of sanity among them. For the like-minded musicians, DJs, dancers and visual artists who make up the Moonshine collective, the planetary satellite above all inspires their eponymous monthly event, driven by an inclusive ethos and a shared love for experimentations in dance culture.Since its founding in 2014, Moonshine has carved out an enviable niche in Montréal’s nightlife milieu by celebrating a wide range of fledgling local talents, championing Afro-futuristic, bass-heavy, electro-funk sounds, and bringing together communities that wouldn’t necessarily cross paths otherwise. As the name indicates, the lunar-based Moonshine recipe has the collective throw an all-night, sensory-soaked party on the Saturday after every full moon in ever-shifting, unpredictable locations across the city, always strictly disclosed via text messages. With fresh cuts supplied by resident DJs Pierre Kwenders, San Farafina, and AKantu, visual installations by Boycott, and a slew of live musicians and performers that have included Kaytranada, Dâm-Funk, Le1f, Venus X, Uproot Andy, Bambii and Branko, the parties have become a staple of the after-hours scene, in Canada and abroad, with appearances in NYC, LA, Paris, Brussels, Milan, Lisboa, London, Barcelona and Santiago just to name a few.“The essence of Moonshine came out of parties we used to throw in our kitchens,” recalls Kwenders. “We felt like we couldn’t go out and find what we had cooked up in that kitchen. It’s one of the reasons we started Moonshine: to share that with more people who felt just like us, and who didn’t have access to such sounds or vibes.” Still going strong four years on, Moonshine has also begun making use of the aesthetic, network and structure it established with the parties to promote affiliated artists, expanding its vision from ephemeral moonlit soirées to an expanding catalog of genre-busting music, art and apparel.Doors 9:30pmAll events at Dolphin Tavern are 21+
Sweet Juice Fundraiser
Mister Right: THE bruno mars of Philadelphia! Mister Right has only been doing drag for a year and a half but is taking this city by storm! He’s got the moves/looks/ and the voice. You can never go wrong with Mister Right. Popcorn Daddy: Popcorn Daddy is a pop-folk duo created by Melina Harris and Shona Carr. With an immense appreciation for harmony, these two artists mix earnest, vulnerable songwriting with tongue in cheek social commentary to develop musical performances that are both deep and whimsical. Through their engaging and catchy tunes, Popcorn Daddy aims to share the chemistry and passion of their friendship – or their ‘poppity-pop’ as they like to call it – with audiences everywhere The Lunar Year: The Lunar Year is a rock and roll band from Philadelphia and Katie Hackett is the psychedelic rock and roll poet of The Lunar Year. Hackett was first drawn to songwriting and poetry as an escape from her fundamentalist childhood. After leaving religion in 2016, she entered into a period of reclusiveness, releasing her first two albums in the indie folk/post rock genres (Herodias, 2017) (katie bird, 2020). The project was reborn in 2022 in its current form: an art rock band exploring queerness, environmentalism and the surreal. The band went on 3 full length tours in 2023 in support of their new single Don’t Kiss Strangers. Sarah Knittel Sarah Knittel is a theater artist, festival co-founder, event producer, and clown. She helped found Free Fringe Philly festival, which creates accessibility to Fringe work in Philadelphia by eliminating costs and ticket prices while supporting the artists. Free Fringe Philly won a coveted arts spot on the Best Of 2021 list from Philly Magazine. Sarah on a stage has been described as “totally engaging” and “the work of a pro, fearlessly engaging the audience from start to finish, until we are all practically co-stars, or at least co-conspirators.” (Broad St Review) Hailed “Philly Actors Who Are Better Than You (at acting)…” (Phindie) The creator of Ben Franklin Sex Party and NIGHTMARE FUEL, a brutal clown show, which won the “Spirit of the Fringe” award in 2019 at Cincinnati Fringe. It was also one of the recipients of 1812’s Jilline Ringle Fund. It garnered four stars in Edinburgh Fringe and was lauded as “a quintessential niche fringe experience” by the Wee Review. She produces a multitude of events throughout Philadelphia including a monthly variety show called HELLRIDE, Mischief Night, and Hellride Freak Mic (the only alt mic in Philly). doll.redacted Although DJ doll.redacted has only been on the scene for a year and a half, he has quickly become one of the go-to house selectors in the Philly underground scene. While he considers disco his first love, his speciality is combining his love for house, techno & pop to create powerful & playful dancefloor moments. When doll.redacted is in control of the dancefloor, you can expect heavy 90s house vocals, cheeky pop edits, disco classics, lush techno and more. He runs a monthly party, Diva Worship, at Dolphin Tavern first Thursdays of the month, which focuses on Femme-Forward dance music. Sug Daniels Sug Daniels is a Delaware born, Philadelphia based, singer-songwriter story-teller, and producer who is using the tools around her to capture the emotions of an era. Daniels’ work is as colorful, vulnerable, and charismatic as her personality. She thoughtfully combines elements of folk, R&B, and soul alternatives to create personal and tender music interlaced with messages of truth and positive change.