Scenes from the Make The World Better weekend

In 2013, Connor Barwin staged his first Make The World Better benefit concert with Kurt Vile and The Districts, raising money to rehab Ralph Brooks Park in Philadelphia. In the twelve years since, the former Eagles linebacker and music fan has staged additional six concerts aimed at upgrading the city’s parks and rec centers — and now, the organization can add one weekend festival to their resume.

Posted up at FDR Park in South Philadelphia from July 25th to July 27th, MTWB hosted punchy indie rock performances from Lucy Dacus, Hop Along, and Jay Som on Friday, a 10K and dance party with Philly rooted DJ celeb Diplo on Saturday, and a vibrant electronic pop show with Remi Wolf, Magdalena Bay, and Annie DiRusso on Sunday.

The weekend wasn’t without it setbacks — a brief downpour on Friday and additional threatening weather on the forecast necessitated a site evacuation, and fans were not permitted back inside for almost an hour after the rain passed; the askew food-vendor-to-audience ratio created long lines snaking around the north end of the grounds — but once the music got going, the vibes were immaculate.

Barwin took the stage each night to give newbies a primer on MTWB and what they do; using the proceeds from impeccibly-curated concerts to upgrade city recreation facilities in Point Breeze (Ralph Brooks Park), West Passyunk (Smith Playground), Kensington (Waterloo Playground), and Grays Ferry (the recently-completed Vare Recreation Center project, a $2.1 million effort that Barwin called their biggest achievement to date). Having access to free, high-quality public spaces makes communities thrive, Barwin said, and it’s the central part of his organization’s mission.

Barwin also spoke of the significance of the site location; the MTWB Weekend was the first music event held at FDR Park since Lollapalooza ’94, which starred Smashing Pumpkins, Beastie Boys, The Breeders, and A Tribe Called Quest. Barwin told the crowd on Friday and Sunday that one of his event partners, Franklin Music Hall general manager Toni Bourgeois of Bowery Philly, went to that Lollapalooza with her family as a 12-year-old girl, and has dreamed of bringing music back to FDR Park as long as she’s worked in Philly’s concert industry. By the time Remi Wolf’s set ramped up to an explosive close on Sunday and fans made their way back out the South Broad Street sidewalks with the music of Mister Softee trucks twinkling in the distance, that dream was a reality and then some. If FDR is the new home for Barwin’s MTWB concerts going forward, the future is looking bright.

Check out more photos from the weekend below, care of photographer Emma Zoe Polyak.