Night One — Pavement and Ratboys

It was a perfect summer night at the Dell Music Center as two of the finest alt-rock outfits on the road today converged to kick off the two-day fundraiser concert benefitting former Eagles player Connor Barwin’s music-centric charity, Make The World Better Foundation.

Chicago’s Ratboys are no strangers to WXPN, having played NON-COMM 2024, and they recently stopped by for a World Cafe studio session. The group charmed the audience with a tight set of tunes largely culled from this year’s Singin’ to an Empty Chair and the occasional empty promise to deliver an appearance from LeBron James.

To introduce the night’s feature attraction, Barwin took to the stage with Sunday Malkmus, daughter of Pavement frontman Stephen Malkmus, to lead the crowd in the iconic “E-A-G-L-E-S” cheer. She plans to attend Drexel this fall.

Pavement careened delightfully—as only they can—through a 23-song set that covered all the necessary bases of the band’s discography, plus a well-formed cover of Pink Floyd’s “Lucifer Sam” thrown in for good measure. Highlights included a dancing fan on stage during “We Dance” and a memorable false start to their all-timer “Cut Your Hair” due to a setlist malfunction.

As the night came to a close with “Here” from their debut LP Slanted and Enchanted, a glow radiated across the venue as folks seemed to all be hitting the same realization at the same time: how very rare it is to see a band come so far in 30-plus years and still remain exactly who they’ve always been. Well, that’s Pavement for you.

— WXPN

Night Two — Kurt Vile, Twisted Teens, They Are Gutting A Body Of Water

The mutual love between Kurt Vile and Philadelphia has never been clearer. Philadelphia’s been good to me is Vile’s latest album, released this May, and on Saturday, he returned the favor, playing a triumphant hometown set at The Dell supporting the foundation.

Thirteen years ago, Vile played the very first MTWB benefit concert at Union Transfer. Before his set began this Saturday, former Eagles linebacker and MTWB founder Connor Barwin reminded the crowd that the concert series might never have existed without Vile’s willingness to support the foundation all those years ago. Since then, the event has grown into an annual music weekend, raising money to revitalize parks, playgrounds, and rec centers throughout the city. Saturday’s show felt like a full circle moment both for the foundation and for Vile, who returned to play one of his biggest Philly headline shows.

Before Vile took the stage, Twisted Teens warmed up the crowd with an energetic blend of country, punk, and garage rock that proved to be an ideal bridge between the hazy textures of They Are Gutting A Body Of Water and Vile’s laid-back charm. Philadelphia shoegaze favorites TAGABOW followed, with a characteristically immersive set, their walls of distorted guitars echoing throughout the amphitheater. For a band I’m used to seeing play in sweaty basements and intimate shows, they didn’t lose any of their sound in front of a bigger, more sprawling setting.

The Dell was a new venue for me, and one I’m already eager to return to. Nestled within Fairmount Park, the amphitheater strikes a rare balance between intimacy and scale. Even from farther back, the stage was visible, while the venue’s open-air setting gave the evening a relaxed, communal feel that suited both the event and Vile’s easygoing songwriting. It felt like the perfect setting for an—to quote Vile— “old time, lo-fi, DIY, rock ‘n’ roll night!”

The weather played its part in making this a memorable weekend as well. Anyone who attended last year’s MTWB weekend at FDR Park likely remembers scrambling for shelter as severe storms forced evacuations. This year, however, the skies remained clear, and a cool summer breeze gave the night an even more relaxed atmosphere.

By the time that Vile and the Violators took the stage, it had gotten dark, and the stage was illuminated in reds and blues. Combined with Vile’s signature locks, his face was somewhat obscured on the big screens, but the lighting did add to the hazy, mellow vibe that his music evokes. About half of his set consisted of tracks from Philadelphia’s been good to me, with “Chance to Bleed” getting the crowd dancing midway through his set. Recorded almost entirely in Vile’s Philadelphia basement studio, the album is steeped in the city that shaped him. It contains several references to neighborhoods, landmarks, and odes to the city. Hearing them on his hometown stop felt like a big celebration of the city.

Other songs included “99 BPM,” “Blackberry Song,” and “Mount Airy Hill (Way Gone),” spanning almost two decades of his discography. The newer songs never felt out of place, blending in with longtime favorites. Vile’s guitar skills were on full display as well, showing exactly why he was named one of Rolling Stone’s 250 greatest guitarists of all time.

In a year defined by an album celebrating Philadelphia, there couldn’t have been a better setting for Vile’s hometown show than a benefit concert dedicated to reinvesting in the city’s parks and rec centers. Vile’s tour continues throughout the year, bringing a little bit of Philly to the world.

— Emma Zoe Polyak

With contributions from George Murphy and Bob Sweeney

Dawes: “When My Time Comes” (XPoNential Music Festival – 2019)