XPN Fest Recap: Greg Sover Band keeps the crowd swaying on the Marina Stage

Greg Sover Band | photo by Ashley Gellman for WXPN | agellmanphotos.com

For the second set of #XPNFest, Greg Sover Band kept the energy high on the Marina Stage, their short but sweet set the perfect soundtrack for the breeze beginning to pick up over the Camden Waterfront.

Kicking off with the soulful “Preacher” from his Songs of A Renegade, the Philly favorite songwriter and his band made mention of their local roots, gesturing across the river to the hazy skyline: “It’s right over there!”

Sover, a recent Free at Noon guest, released his new album Jubilee earlier this year, and filled his set with a lively selection of songs from that album — but not before dedicating his song “Moment” to XPN’s Helen Leicht. Keeping the banter to a minimum to fit in as many tunes as possible, Sover did give a shoutout to those listening over the airwaves before launching into a spirited rendition of the new album’s single, “Emotional.”

For the bluesy “Hand on My Heart,” Sover swapped out his electric guitar for an acoustic that had been lurking somewhere onstage — according to the songwriter, “We like to keep it hidden.” As the set came to a close, the band found time to dedicate yet another song to Helen, breaking out a cover of Bill Withers’ 1971 classic “Ain’t No Sunshine” — they’ve covered it on record before, but the energy it brought to the quickly mounting excitement of XPNFest Day 1 was unparalleled. Check out photos from the set below.

Setlist
Preacher
Moment
Emotional
Hand on my Heart
Ain’t No Sunshine