Mouth House Sessions: A Series of Visual Music Experiences

Event Details

Event Date

Event Date: Friday, June 25, 2021

Event Time

Event Time: 7:00 PM

Event Description

Read about it on the Key!

Enjoy the Mouth House Sessions virtual concert, filmed at Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens and organized by the enigmatic Tubey Frank! This film is only available to view for a limited amount of time, so experience it while you can!

This spring an on-site sound team of only three created an entire recording studio inside the grounds of the Philadelphia Magic Gardens with their own personal recording equipment (and a little help from neighbors BridgeSet Sound). During this time they recorded an approximately 2 hour record with ten musicians in just three days. While knowing and respecting each other, many of the musicians had never played together until meeting in person to record. Every day the studio was torn down at the end and rebuilt again at the beginning of the next recording session.

The resulting musical performance, filmed by Bob Sweeney, features lively performances by Taylor Kelly, justmadnice, Erik Kramer, Tubey Frank, The Lunar Year, and Kuf Knotz & Christine Elise, along with a roster of Philadelphia’s finest talent. It is free to view, but donations are highly encouraged. 75% of donations will go towards the artists, sound team, producer who spent hundreds of hours to put this concert together, and 25% will go towards preserving Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens’ unique space.

On how this concert came about, Tubey Frank explains, “When we started this video series as a pandemic alternative we decided traditional studios/venues might not be an option that we wanted to pursue. I decided to build our studio/venue with people I know and trust and we were able to create a space in a way that worked for everybody. For this recording we really experimented to see exactly how much we could bite off, and were delighted to discover that we could pull off a 2-hour music film. Every artist in this outfit is profoundly talented, beautiful, and inspiring. The project was challenging, unusual, stressful, yet one of the most fulfilling in my life.” Musician Christine Elise adds, “It was a soul warming experience to play within the walls of the Magic Garden. The art hugged our arms as all the musicians vibrantly shared their talents to collectively become one with the mosaic art.”

Please donate here!

Meet the Perfomers:
About
Taylor Kelly (@taylorkellymusic)

Taylor Kelly has a voice that blends both the smoothness and rhythmic nature of jazz, soul and funk. Her tasteful songwriting tells tales of truth in hopes to inspire many to love, live and let go. Also a trumpet player, she strives for an instrumental-vocal approach, a rhythmic phrasing and an improvisation that is reminiscent of many of her trumpet playing influences (Chet Baker, Roy Hargrove and Art Farmer to name a few). Taylor has shared the stage with Moonchild, Becca Stevens, Bahamadia and Georgia Anne Muldrow. She released her fourth studio album, Up Up and Away in August 2019 followed by 3 singles in the dumpster fire of a year that was 2020: “The Fire”, “Ready” and “I Am”. She plans to release an EP this year.

About justmadnice (@justmadnice)

justmadnice is a multidisciplinary artist based in Philly. Self-defined cosmic creature, music is their connection to spirit. An outpouring of love, pleasure, and pain, they sing themselves free. They sing themselves alive.

About Erik Kramer (@remarkire)

Erik Kramer wears many hats.  He is a multi-instrumentalist, producer, songwriter and DIY venue host residing in Philadelphia, PA.  He currently leads an ensemble performing his original compositions and can also be seen backing up many of the area’s finest songwriters and composers. Erik has two self-produced records out on vinyl and runs a full-service recording studio in Germantown.  He can also be seen around the country (pre and post pandemic) as the touring bassist for Uprooted (formerly Rusted Root).

About Tubey Frank

“Cool, Confident, Classic.”  -John Vettese, WXPN The Key

Described as “bedroom pop” “expansive folk” and “psychedelic garage rock”, South Street’s multi-instrumentalist Tubey Frank writes eerie ballads, rambunctious rockers and sobering meditations, covering a broad spectrum of modern “American” music. Tubey Frank and backing band The Quiet Fire (including Rosemeat members Erik Kramer, Adam Shumski, Melina Harris, accordionist Salis Dembling, jazz trumpet artist Paul Giess and more) slate their record for release by the end of 2021. Audiences who enjoy emotive, lyrical songs of future American folklore – listen anywhere music is streamed, listen to Bandcamp exclusive album “Quarantine Sketches”, or look out for the upcoming record by Tubey Frank & The Quiet Fire.

About The Lunar Year

The Lunar Year is an indie band from Philadelphia, PA. The group is led by front person Katie Hackett. Their album Herodias was released June 2017. The record includes single Porcelain which gained them a cult following, television placement and international features. “The frontwoman of the folk/rock band The Lunar Year has the kind of vocal chops that push the music into ponderous places, letting it soar and crack at just the right moments. The lyrics, too, seem to well up from somewhere deep. The new album is Herodias and it’s worth your time.” -Philadelphia Magazine

About Kuf Knotz & Christine Elise

MC/ Poet/ Songwriter Kuf Knotz and classically trained Harpist / Guitarist / Pianist / Vocalist Christine Elise have combined forces to create a new album. The unlikely pair connected and built the project with a similar vision, wanting to create positive, forward thinking music driven by a strong message. Both individuals are intrinsically motivated to foster community growth through musical expression.

Kuf Knotz and Christine Elise offer motivational creative arts workshops and performances at various settings such as hospitals, schools and community centers. Their mission is to use the power of music, personal experience and empathetic relation to help individuals grow to meet their fullest potential.

Other Artists Featured:
Adam Shumski
Jen Buono
Alyssa Almeida

Photography shot by Jeffrey Bergeland and Kuf Knotz
Poster Design by Jason Piperberg
Sound Crew: Anna Gentile

Thank you to our Sponsors & Supporters: