Shemekia Copeland | Photo by Liz Waldie for WXPN | lizwaldie.com

Free at Noon Flashback: Shemekia Copeland storms through a packed World Cafe Live

October 02, 2015

05:10 PM

Shemekia Copeland | Photo by Liz Waldie | lizwaldie.com

Forget Hurricane Joaquin, it was Hurricane Shemekia that rolled through World Café Live for WXPN’s Free at Noon. Ever the performer, Shemekia Copeland brought gale force energy to the packed house Friday, playing both songs from her new album and some old favorites.

The Brooklyn-born blues singer is no newcomer to the Philly music scene. This marks her second trip to World Café Live for Free at Noon in recent years; she has also been a featured artist at both The Philadelphia Folk Festival and the XPoNential Music Festival.

As World Café Live began to fill up on Friday afternoon it was clear many knew the kind of show they were about see. Fans packed to the front and eagerly awaited the arrival of the charismatic and personable rock and roller. Copeland began the show with the title song off her new record, Outskirts of Love and from there she was off, only stopping between songs to share tales from her years of touring.

To play the blues right you need first and foremost a vocalist who can carry the weight of the songs which are often full of heartache and longing, but just as much you need a backing band up to the task, and Copeland’s was surely that. Guitarists Arthur Neilson and Willie Scandlyn filled the gaps between Copeland’s powerful verses with the kind of rocking solos needed to keep fans on their toes, while Kevin Jenkins (bass) and Robin Gould (drums) kept everything on track.

Shemekia and company will be back in town on November 19 when she stops by Keswick Theatre in Glenside; tickets and more information on the show can be found at the XPN Concert Calendar. Listen back to the Free at Noon below and check out a gallery and the setlist below.

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