Day Three of the Philly Music Fest featured an all-star trio of local indie pop/rock acts – Soup Dreams, 22° Halo, and Greg Mendez – each gracing the renowned stage on the second floor of Johnny Brenda’s. The show took place on the crisp Wednesday night of Oct. 15, with fans packing the tight stairwell and bar area before music began at 8 p.m.

The four-piece group Soup Dreams provided the loudest, most rocking set of the night as the opener, treating the audience to a handful of tracks off their debut album Hellbender, which was released in September via Pleasure Tapes / Candlepin Records. Their songwriting had hints of Pinegrove or Wednesday influence, while their ramshackle rock sound could be compared to Philly counterpart Florry, minus a bit of country.

After a short, informative message from the organization Musicopia, 22° Halo began their set with the title track of their acclaimed, bittersweet album Lily of the Valley. Backed by a trio of twinkling guitars – and the occasional drone of the E-Bow – lead singer Will Kennedy’s soft vocals helped define the large group’s earnest, kindhearted stage presence. This appearance for Philly Music Fest marked their second set at JB’s this year; they opened for fellow locals 2nd Grade and Friendship back in July.

Headlining the night was the mythical singer-songwriter Greg Mendez, making his return to Philly after a sizable tour with Hurray for the Riff Raff earlier this year, as well as a short UK tour in August. In contrast to the full-band performances prior to his, Mendez opted for an ultra-stripped, intimate solo set, accompanied only by an acoustic guitar and a Casio keyboard.

Balcony viewers could spot a packed setlist page lying in front of the singer, as he rattled off many cuts from his 2023 self-titled album as well as his four newest songs off the First Time / Alone EP from last October. Mendez played “Bike” and “Sweet 16” off 2020’s Cherry Hell, and even took a fan request for “Morgan” near the end of the set – a song that has never received a studio release.

If you weren’t able to catch this joyful night of Philly music, there are plenty more shows coming up for this year’s festival. Underground Arts will host three nights of music this week, with shows from XPoNential 2025 artist Black Buttafly, Matt Quinn of Mt. Joy, power pop group Golden Apples, and seasoned emo band The Wonder Years. Click here to see who else is coming up, and where they will be!