Nik Greeley and the Operators brings Funky Friday energy to the XPNFest River Stage

On his official website, Nik Greeley’s bio hypes his status as “arguably the best frontman & performer in Philadelphia.” It’s a bold statement, but in the arena of crowd-rousing funk, soul and old-school rock and roll, to the bold go the spoils. Joined by his seven-piece band (which included an incredible three-piece horn section), Nik Greeley made a compelling argument in favor of that statement, kicking off River Stage at the 2023 XPoNential Music Festival with a high-energy set of spirited, genre-hopping jams.

There’s a moment during the first night of every XPoNential Festival when the audience, who have bottled their excitement all week in simmering anticipation, are fully prepared to let loose. I can think of few better performers to have on stage when this finally reaches a boiling point than Nik Greeley & The Operators. It took no time at all for rug-cutters of every age to get their feet moving as the band launched into their set, which offered hardly a moment’s respite for those determined to show off all the moves they’ve learned since last year’s festival. If their Free at Noon performance this summer was the appetizer, Friday night’s show was an absolute buffet.

For Greeley, this was a bit of a dream come true. A longtime listener to XPN, Greeley shared stories of listening to Funky Friday and paid tribute to Charles Bradley’s performance on the very same stage back in 2017. All the love was reciprocated by an audience thrilled to kick off the night’s River Stage lineup with flair and style, which Greeley provided in spades.