iradiophilly | Culture - Boot and Saddle is "Back in the Saddle Again" | Review: Vulcans, Mason Porter, Ladybird 12/7/13

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Boot and Saddle is "Back in the Saddle Again" | Review: Vulcans, Mason Porter, Ladybird 12/7/13

by: JoeS - Springfield, PA
started: 12/23/13 8:00 pm | updated: 12/25/13 1:11 pm

The Boot and Saddle has risen from the dead as a bar, restaurant and music venue. The Boot and Saddle has a long and interesting history on South Broad and has seen the ups and downs of the urban life cycle. It was our only country and western bar for years. It hosted mostly local talent and was a watering hole for the Navy when the Yard was a large active Naval Base. The bar was owned by Pete DelBorrello, a respected business owner of the bar and other establishments in this neighborhood. With the closing, it sat vacant for 15 plus years before being reopened as a bar, restaurant, and concert venue.

A friend and I ventured to the Boot and Saddle on Saturday Dec. 7th to check out the venue and see a band we have been following, Vulcans. I always loved the large sign on the building and understand it will be restored. If you like old neon signs you'll love this piece of Philly lure. The new owners, I believe, kept the stuff that made the place unique: tin ceilings and walls, cowboy murals, interesting wood floors, concert venue, and a friendly atmosphere. A friendly bar tender, waitress and bar manager met us and gave us top notch service for our drinks and food. The menu is eclectic with an unusual combination of entries, appetizers and side dishes that all seem to work. We both had turkey burgers with sweet potato fries, very good. R5 Production and The Bowery Presents will drive the entertainment side of the business and with that talent and experience we can expect to see a steady stream of top notch live music.

The opening act was a group of three women named Ladybird. I did not get their names and have been unsuccessful in locating them with my wanting internet search skills. That is a shame for I thought they were really very good. If you saw them you would not expect that a bluegrass driven strong country sound would be their genre. They looked pop but performed a silky brand of americana. I want to make a special note about the lead singer whose voice had legs, powerful with a range from top to bottom. She was accompanied by a slide guitar player and a multi-talented performer who sang and played many instruments including a mean fiddle. This night two of the songs they performed that I really enjoyed were â€œTraveling Songâ€ and â€œLadybird.â€ All of their 6/7 songs were more than worth $12.00 ticket if no other acts performed. They did the job they were hired to do, warm us up and they did.

Next up was Mason Porter out of West Chester, Pa. I noted the name of three of the four band mates, sorry to the drummer, she drove the pace and pulse of the performance. Their music is a very strong country/americana style with very tight three part harmony. Tom Cello is on bass and vocals; Joe D'Amico is on mandolin, guitar and vocals; and Paul Wilkins is on guitar and vocals. The stand up bass and the mandolin were the main ingredients of this nicely crafted bit of down home, foot tapping and dancing second course of this three part meal of americana. They have an album available on Amazon. On this night they performed 10 or so songs. Their â€œHangman, â€œ â€œLooking For A Home,â€ and â€œComing Homeâ€ are, I believe, off their album ' Mason Porter.' The audience in the concert venue numbered well over 100 and got into the music especially into â€œNow I Know For Sure.â€ The acoustics in the hall are really the best and this group took advantage with a very tight performance. They are a down home group of folks who inspired the audience to stomp, dance and just move to the fast paced high intensity nature of their tunes.

I have been following the Vulcans since they won the Phila. Songwriter Series competition. I went to see them at The Granite Run Mall and at World Cafe Philly. Over the last year or so, I have watch them hone their skills as performers. They were very good from the beginning, however, the production value has improved immensely. Their superlative three part harmony has more depth while also adding new twists that showcase the range and quality of their voices. The arrangements on the songs allow all of the talent they have to be demonstrated without stepping on each other. This is something artists are hard pressed to learn and accept. I have noticed a local following of loyal fans that I've seen at a couple of their concerts. My friend and I are, with the exception of their relatives, surely on the more senior side of the fan base. Sometimes age brings wisdom, the Vulcans are in my old head opinion a group that deserve attention and success.

On top of changes in the production value, the Vulcans have freshen up their performance by starting with â€œSomeone I Use to Know.â€ This is and will be their signature song for the long haul. It has it all including a catchy tune and lyrics, a memorable hook along with a contagious pace. Nick, Aron and John are releasing a new album and did a few from it including â€Just Like Meâ€ and â€œThe Forest Is Burning,â€ These are up tempo songs that bode well for the success following their first effort â€œShadows.â€ The mixture of banjo, guitar, mandolin,and harmonica create an interesting stew of sound and textures that remind me of the early acoustic days of America.

This is a standing room venue so getting folks up dancing, stomping and the like is natural. The Vulcans had us going with â€œReady Get Running, â€œ and got the fire burning with â€œAuburn Girl.â€

Something that has not changed is how they end the concert. They get all the acts up on stage and encourage the crowd to break into an enthusiastic rendition of â€œThis Land Is Your Land.â€ What a way to end a concert! I hope they do not change it because it gives everyone a sense of joy that only a great song can elicit.

The Boot and Saddle hits the mark on everything that is important to me: a really friendly staff, unusual but good food, an eclectic beer selection, just the best acoustics, good acts, and low prices all wrapped together. I even found a free parking space within 50 ft of the door. I'll keep my eye on upcoming concerts and if in the area stop in for a bite.