Mo Lowda and The Humble celebrates album release day with a Free at Noon concert

Philly rockers Mo Lowda and the Humble have been a fixture on the Philly rock scene for a decade, and made inroads nationally in that time as well, doing the festival rounds and cementing their tour-dog rep. But they always bring it back to their hometown for special occasions, like a release day Free at Noon Concert for their new self-titled new album.

At the show today, we got to hear the range of Mo Lowda’s sound; the way “Finally / Bet The House” swelled from an atmospheric opening into a chugging CSNY-style acoustic jam, and then picked up the pace further on the rocker “Restive.” On one of the new album’s new cuts, “Beachtown,” we heard lead guitarist Kirby Sybert deliver an arcing riff that danced up and down the scale, while frontperson Jordan Caiola sang about running around a shore town, questioning your life. “All Good Fun” rides a cool experimental groove a la Death Cab’s “I Will Possess Your Heart,” with effects sparkling and crescendos blooming.

Ahead of the set-closing “Pearls” from 2020’s Ready Coat, Caiola reminisced about growing up as an XPN listener, specifically a Kids Corner listener. “That’s why I started playing music,” he says. “Because I heard Trout Fishing In America’s ‘Proper Cup Of Coffee’ and was like ‘I want to do that.'” Caiola says his late father was an XPN member and huge fan, and dedicated the set to him; “he would have been stoked for this; he is stoked for this.”

Listen to the performance in full. Mo Lowda and the Humble plays two sold-out shows at Johnny Brenda’s on March 23rd and 24th.