Beginning next month, WXPN is bringing its Philly Anthems collection to the stage with two free concerts, celebrating a project that brought together established and emerging local artists to write original songs around the themes of freedom and independence.
The shows take place Nov. 11 and Dec. 10 at WXPN’s studios in University City at 3025 Walnut St.
The Philly Anthems project, supported by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, resulted in 13 original tracks from artists, including Christian McBride, Eliza Hardy Jones, The Hooters’ Eric Bazilian, Lady Alma and a new generation of Philadelphia and Philadelphia-adjacent musicians, like Devon Gilfillian, who is from Morton.
The Nov. 11 concert features Bazilian, Hardy Jones, Moustapha Noumbissi, The Flying Vees — winners of WXPN’s 24 Hour Song Challenge — The Bul Bey, and Second Star.
Doors open at 7 p.m., with music starting at 7:30 p.m. Free tickets are available by RSVP at xpn.org/philly-anthems.
The Dec. 10 lineup includes Gilfillian, Lady Alma, Sug Daniels, Grace Gardner, Black Buttafly and JR Everhart.
That show also starts at 7:30 p.m., with doors at 7 p.m. RSVP information will be posted at a later date, also at xpn.org.
All 13 songs from Philly Anthems are now available, with tracks ranging from Gilfillian’s hopeful “Ways to Go” and McBride’s “Pick a Card” to Lady Alma’s dancefloor-ready “Liberty,” Hardy Jones’ take on “America the Beautiful,” and Bazilian’s reflective “Better Times.”
WXPN initially commissioned 12 songs before adding “American Dream,” a bonus track from Second Star, the duo of Alexis Cunningham and Bazilian.
“Being a part of the Philly Anthems project was incredible because it made me think of what makes me love Philadelphia, and this country, but also where I want to see growth,” Gilfillian said in a statement.
“Philly is a city full of hard-working folks that don’t take crap from anybody. Being from outside of Philly, I know how hard artists work to get up on stage, or to get their art recognized. People are tough, but once you’ve earned your trust, the community is so loyal and tight.
“I’m honored to get to work beside artists like Eliza Hardy Jones, Black Buttafly, and the legend Eric Bazilian on this project,” he continued. “I’m so proud to be included, and proud to be from Delco. I can’t wait to come home and sing and celebrate these songs live with you.”
WXPN General Manager Roger LaMay said the project grew out of the station’s efforts to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States while celebrating the musicians who give Philadelphia its distinctive sound.
“We are excited to share the results with our Philly Anthems concerts,” he said in a statement. “It’s inspirational to see so many Philadelphia artists come together to create something new, each bringing their own perspective to the ideas of freedom and independence our country was founded on. We’re looking forward to celebrating the artists who make this a special music city.”
Philly Anthems is the fourth and final part of WXPN’s Soundtrack to America’s 250th initiative, alongside The Philly 250, World Cafe’s Sense of Place: Philadelphia, and Sound of History. The project will get one more physical release on Record Store Day 2027, when all 13 songs are set to appear on vinyl.
Vinyl of the Week
Keep an eye on this spot as each week, we’ll be looking at new or soon-to-be-released vinyl from avariety of artists. It might be a repressing of a landmark recording, special edition, or new collection from alegendary act. This week, it’s the final studio release from one of America’s greatest rock bands.
Van Halen: “A Different Kind of Truth” (COURTESY OF INTERSCOPE RECORDS)
Van Halen: “A Different Kind of Truth”
During the second half of their career, Van Halen was the epitome of missed opportunities. Case in point is their final studio effort, “A Different Kind of Truth,” which first came out in 2012. It’s just been reissued on both vinyl and compact disc for the first time in well over a decade.
As the band’s first studio album with original frontman David Lee Roth in almost 30 years, anticipation was high for “A Different Kind of Truth,” especially in the wake of a successful reunion tour with the singer that began in 2007.
Unfortunately, there were three major elements that hampered its overall success when the record dropped.
First, while Roth was back in the band, bassist Michael Anthony had been replaced by Eddie Van Halen’s teenage son Wolfgang.
That didn’t sit well with longtime fans, and while Anthony’s bass playing might be easily replicated, his patented backing vocals could not.
Then there was the decision to release “Tattoo” as the lead single. It’s not that it’s a bad song, it’s that there are so many others on the 13-track collection that would’ve had so much more of an impact.
Finally, the fact that the bulk of the songs had their roots in early demos Van Halen worked on back in the mid ’70s through the early ’80s somehow became viewed as a negative.
The narrative spun by the press and casual fans was that there was nothing new and the music was just re-recordings of old material. Not only was that completely false, but the band did zero media interviews to combat it or even to hype up the record.
It’s a shame, too, because “A Different Kind of Truth” stands up there with the best material Van Halen has ever done with Roth at the helm.
His wordsmithing was in peak form. It’s almost like he’d been building up a cache of lyrics for the three-decade lead-up to the album.
“I know you never thought about it but ask yourself later/When you turn on your stereo, does it return the favor?” goes one stanza in “The Trouble with Never.”
Perhaps most importantly, the music is next level, led as always by the six-string histrionics of the late Eddie Van Halen. Already enshrined in the greatest guitar players in history hall of fame, he had nothing left to prove but played like he did.
Every single song sees him doing something jaw-dropping, from the Drop C tuning of “Honeybabysweetiedoll,” to the frenzied brilliance of “China Town,” to the chugging riff of “Outta Space,” there’s never a dull moment.
Upon its release, the LP hit No. 2 on the charts, held out of the top spot by Adele’s monster “21” album, which had just cleaned up at the Grammys the week prior.
To most, it’s a footnote to the complicated legacy of Van Halen, but hopefully it gets a proper reexamination with fresh ears.
“A Different Kind of Truth” is available now on CD and as a two-LP set pressed on 180-gram black vinyl. A special ultra-clear 180-gram vinyl version is also available the same day exclusively at select brick-and-mortar retail stores.
To contact music columnist Michael Christopher, send an email to rockmusicmenu@gmail.com. Also, check out his website at thechroniclesofmc.com.