Last week, WXPN’s annual Non-COMMvention in Philadelphia brought together music industry members, artists and music fans for three days dedicated to cultivating and celebrating public radio and live music. This genre-melding event held at World Café Live in Philly has been taking place since 2001 and has hosted performances from the likes of Willie Nelson and Phoenix to My Morning Jacket and Dr. John. Non-COMM also hosts workshops and invites speakers from within the public radio community.

The highlights of this unique event each year for music fans are the music showcases. This year’s iteration had performances from over 30 artists from across the spectrum of the music industry. From emerging artists like Leon Bridges to music legends like Brian Wilson, Non-COMM 2015 had something for everyone to enjoy; narrowing it down to the ten best performances was a harrowing task.

10. Son Little

Philadelphia’s own Aaron Livingston, now known as Son Little, led things off on Thursday with a tight set of tracks off his debut EP, Things I Forgot. Fragments of Livingston’s past projects are littered throughout his work as Son Little. The framework of the songs is similar to the electronic soul-rock that Livingston created with Icebird, his collaboration with DJ RJD2. The growling blues vocals are similar to those that Livingston added to The Roots’ 2011 album Undun.

The two songs that closed out the set were the highlights. His newest single, “O Mother” is a beautiful soul track that was written as he was overcome with emotions regarding racial injustice and the events of the past year.

The slow-burning classic soul song was followed by a rollicking version of “The River,” a song that fights to maintain a steady momentum throughout. The song remains on the precipice of losing steam but never quite does. It gives you the feeling of riding on a heavy steam train barreling straight up a mountain. The hometown crowd responded at the set’s finish. Philadelphia is a on a bit of hot streak churning out rock stars and it looks like they have another one in Son Little.
 
Set List: Loser, Cross My Heart, All Wet, Alice, Your Love, Mother, The River

9. Calexico

Tucson Americana act Calexico brought their Tex-Mex Indie rock to Non-COMM on Friday in the most difficult schedule placement of the week. The band played a sold out show at Noon on a Friday, opening for legendary Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson. The band stripped down a bit for this set and didn’t have their full roster of normal members, but you wouldn’t know it by the quality of the show.


 
The band worked smoothly through their set list mostly acoustically, offering a different style to fans of the band that are used to the bigger band sound.  They played a set heavy on songs from their most recent work Edge of the Sun, adding a cover of Love’s “Alone Again Or” and a smart cover of Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart.” The highlight of the show was “Cumbia de Donde” off the new album. Getting a crowd of older fans waiting on Brian Wilson dancing is not an easy task, but Calexico was able to do it with the latin-rock jam. They closed out with “Falling From the Sky” and proved that they were up to the task of opening for the legend.

Set List: Bullets and Rocks, Splitter, When the Angels Play, Tapping On the Line, Alone Again Or (Love cover), Not Even Stevie Nicks…, Love Will Tear Us Apart (Joy Division Cover), Cumbia de Donde, Falling From the Sky

8. Ryley Walker

When Ryley Walker sat down on his stool at the small PRX stage early on Wednesday, he looked like just another coffee house singer-songwriter.  Please do not let that fool you, as Walker is clearly a cut above.

Walker’s acoustic tunes, with the complement of an electric guitarist, were folk-blues at its finest. Walker played his guitar expertly, but his voice is what stood out especially. His voice is unassuming yet confident. It’s gritty yet refined. It’s Ryan Adams with a hint of Howlin’ Wolf. The blues influence surprised me, as it is not as prevalent on record.

Ryley Walker performed great folk music. He’s making folk music in how the term was originally used. Not necessarily folk music in the sense that he’s playing a homemade dobro dressed as someone who just returned from the Battle of Bull Run, but in that he’s telling stories, not only with his lyrics but with the emotion in his voice. That emotion told the audience things that his lyrics could not.

His short set (the norm at Non-COMM), consisted of “Funny Thing She Said” and “Summer Dress” from his new record Primrose Green, the former being explored and taken to new heights from the recorded version. From there, Walker moved into a cover of Van Morrison’s “Fair Play,” a great choice for showcasing his voice’s malleability. Walker ended his set with the title track off the new album. As Walker and his accompaniment worked their way through the skillful intro and into his lead single, it was clear that the handful of Walker fans in attendance had swelled to a much larger number by the conclusion of the set.

Set List: Funny Thing She Said, Summer Dress, Fair Play (Van Morrison), Primrose Green

7. Blues Traveler

Blues Traveler took the stage on Thursday to one of the biggest crowds of the weekend. John Popper and company drove through tunes off their newest album, Blow Up The Moon, as well as a few old favorites. Popper was as great as always, powering through various harmonica solos and leading the band of veterans.

The energy really picked up when Blues Traveler went back to the well and performed their biggest hits from their run of success in the 90s, including “Run Around.” Popper remains at the top of his game with his patented harmonica playing. Even in the new songs, its implementation doesn’t seem forced- but well thought out and executed as well as possible. When Popper realized he had some time to fill, he added another fan favorite in “But Anyway” before finishing with “Hook.” The band may not be putting out the caliber of music that fans got accustomed to in the past, but they know how to perform and there is also room for that on a lineup.
 

Set List: Castaway, Hurricane, Run Around, Top of the World, But Anyway, Hook

6. Houndmouth

It is almost impossible to walk away from a Houndmouth show without being in a great mood. The Indiana band showcased their newest release, Little Neon Limelight, to a packed house, closing out the stage on Wednesday night.

Houndmouth is a fun live band that takes full advantage of the talents of all the band members. They harmonize efficiently and play off of each other very well. After opening the set with “Black Gold,” the band ripped through their next four songs, each with a different member taking the role of lead vocal. “Honey Slider” is a slowed down pop/soul tune sung by drummer Shane Cody. The other three members offer backup vocals on the song, but keyboardist Katie Toupin really provides the boost that brings the song to the next level. Even in a secondary role, she gives Houndmouth their original sound.

The band’s lead single “Sedona” was up next with lead vocals by guitarist Matt Myers. “Sedona” is an incredibly catchy, danceable song that was displayed by a sea of bodies bouncing in the crowd as the loudest sing-a-long of the show ensued. The band kept the energy going with “15 Years” as bassist Zak Appleby channeled his best Little Richard impression with this rollicking old school rock and roll tune.

Next Toupin showed that she can shine in a lead role as well with “Gasoline,” a beautiful ballad that highlights Toupin’s simple, but elegant vocal range and also illustrates the skillful harmonies that the band is capable of and were on display throughout the show. The band ended with “My Cousin Greg,” again passing around lead vocal duties. The chorus of the song echoes: “If you want to live the good life, you better stay away from the limelight.” If that is at all true, Houndmouth better be careful, because they are on the fast track towards the limelight.

Set List: Black Gold, Honey Slider, Sedona, 15 Years, Gasoline, Say It, My Cousin Greg
 
5. J.J. Grey & Mofro

At an event like Non-COMM that is oozing with potential and raw talent, sometimes you need a break to see a band with experience and veteran musicianship- that is exactly what J.J. Grey and Mofro bring to the table. J.J. Grey’s infectious energy and showmanship make all of his shows just simply, fun. It seems as if Grey’s smile never leaves his face and he has the time of his life every time he is on stage. That positive energy can’t help but rub off on the audience.

J.J. Grey and Mofro brought the energy and excitement that their fans have come to know as they played a set list highlighting their most recent album, Ol’ Glory. The band eased into the first couple songs “Hold On Tight” and “Every Minute” before really kicking into gear for the last few numbers.

Grey told a story about his kids that led to his writing of the next song they performed, “Everything Is A Song”- tugging on the heartstrings of the crowd. From there, Grey took off his boots and led into “Ol’ Glory” for the finale. The title track is a rip-roaring soul tune that is sure to be a mainstay on their set lists moving forward. The song features crowd sing-alongs, horn solos, some skillful keyboard work and left Blues Traveler is the precarious position of trying to follow it up.

The set up of Non-COMM leads to short sets from everyone, but J.J. Grey and Mofro felt especially as if they were just getting started and definitely left the crowd wanting more. Luckily for them, the band had a tour stop the following night just down the road.

Set List: Hold on Tight, Every Minute, Light a Candle, Everything’s a Song, Ol’ Glory
 

4. Fly Golden Eagle

Fly Golden Eagle has been flying under the radar (no pun intended) for the past few years, but that isn’t going to happen for too much longer. The band has reached a new level as live performers and everyone is urged to give them a shot at the next music festival or show in your city. Their version of psychedelic garage rock is a great listen on record, most notably their recent release, Quartz, but it’s their live show that has developed into a whole different animal.

Front man Ben Trimble has a unique way of capturing the audience with his distinctive sound that was ripped right out of the 70s rock and roll manual. Trimble demands attention on stage. On “Stepping Stone” you have no choice but to give it to him, as there are spoken word elements that he would stretch out as far as possible, delaying the next guitar riff until the crowd was tantalized. The crowd’s thirst for more was quenched later with “Tangible Intangible,” the lead single off the recent album.

WXPN has been big proponents of Fly Golden Eagle the past couple years, and Philly has become a second home of sorts for the band. Recently, the band came through the city on tour opening for J. Roddy Walston & the Business and had an in-store performance at a local record store in the city. This time around, the band wasn’t on tour at all, and still agreed to drive overnight from Nashville for the gig, before turning around and heading right back.  They will be back on the road in mid-July before returning back to Philly to take part in WXPN’s eXPoNential Music Festival where they are sure to turn even more heads.
 

3. Brian Wilson

Brian Wilson played to a sold out NPR stage at World Café Live on Friday at Non-COMM. The Beach Boys founder played some tracks from his new album No Pier Pressure and some old hits to a packed, star struck crowd. Every movement Wilson made was met with cheers and camera snaps and the legendary artist soaked it all in.
 
Wilson started the show with “Heroes and Villains” before getting into Beach Boys ballad “In My Room” with the help of an uber-talented collection of backup musicians. Obviously getting older, Wilson needed the help of a teleprompter for many of the lyrics and a lot of support from his band, but he still is a performer at heart, joking with the crowd and leading them to clap at various times.

He sped the pace up a bit going into “I Get Around” before performing what he said was his favorite song from his new album, Sail Away. From there, it was a hit parade from the pop icon. “This is the best song I ever wrote,” he mused before diving into “God Only Knows.” Someone in the crowd yelled back: “It may be the best song anyone’s ever wrote,” to crowd approval. Wilson sounded his best singing the hit, as it remains mostly in his current vocal range.

“I know what you came here for- some good vibrations!” he quipped next. “God Only Knows” and “Good Vibrations” is about as good of a one-two punch as you can get in a live show in music history and witnessing it in an 650-person venue made it that much more special. Wilson finished working through his set with “Surfin’ USA,” “Fun Fun Fun” and “Love and Mercy,” which is the title of the movie about his life that will be released later this year.

In an event that celebrates emerging artists and what is fresh and new, it was a treat to also have someone who has climbed the mountain that these new performers will only summit in their wildest dreams. Wilson may be slowing down, but he remains one of the great songwriters in the history of modern music.

Set List: Heroes and Villains, In My Room, She Knows Me Too Well, I Get Around, Runaway Dancer, Sail Away, God Only Knows, Good Vibrations, Surfin’ USA, Fun, Fun, Fun, Love and Mercy

2. Dr. Dog
Philly rock titans Dr. Dog closed out Non-COMM on Wednesday, headlining the NPR stage at World Café Live. The vast majority of bands playing Non-COMM do so with the goal of promoting their most recent release. Dr. Dog also released an album this year, but it was their first live album, Live at the Flamingo Hotel. Therefore, the band was able to provide the crowd with a career-spanning set.

The band ripped through an extended set that included Dr. Dog staples, but also changed up some things for the hometown crowd- most of whom have seen the band pass through these parts numerous times. The crowd was in tune with the band from the very start, leading to bassist and co-lead singer Toby Leaman asking “Is anyone here not from Philly?”

Dr. Dog tore through the second half of the set with fan favorites, including their cover of Architecture in Helsinki’s “Heart It Races” followed by “That Old Black Hole” from Be The Void. Traditional closer “Lonesome” followed, this time as the penultimate track, before new closer “Heavy Light.” The band added an extended jam to the end of the song that was displayed on the aforementioned live album, but was even more impressive in person. They departed the stage to a deafening roar from the sold out crowd, before returning for a two-song encore of “Turning the Century” and “Nellie,” the latter off their 2013 effort B-Room. The crowd of veteran Dr. Dog fans were left satisfied, as the band was as sharp as ever. Dr. Dog fans in Philly are voracious about their love for the band, and, after you see them live, it’s easy to see why.

Set List: How Long Must I Wait, Broken Heart, The Truth, These Days, Be The Void. Heart It Races, Old Black Hole, Lonesome, Heavy Light; (Encore) Turning the Century, Nellie

1. Saun and Starr

The set of the weekend came from an unlikely source. Saun and Starr, veteran backup singers for Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, put on an electric performance at the PRX stage on Thursday night. Saundra Williams and Starr Duncan Lowe have been singing together since the mid-80s and their chemistry is obvious from the first note.

With The Dap Kings supporting them, Saun and Starr ripped through standards and originals that kept the crowd dancing for the entire set. Their classic soul sound is infectious and you can’t help but smile while watching them perform.

The duo first met in New York in the mid-80s before singing in a wedding band that was fronted by none other than Sharon Jones. Later in life, Saun and Starr joined Jones on stage as her backup singers on tour with The Dap Kings. Over three decades after their initial meeting, the duo has their first LP due out this Tuesday. This amazing story wasn’t the reason that they took ownership of Non-COMM.

Saun and Starr took the crowd to church with their pure talent and unrelenting energy. It’s clear they have been performing together for so long as their voices meld into each other’s so very naturally. They bantered on stage and had some choreographed dance moves that made it clear that they were having the times of their lives. The crowd broke into a dance party that was not seen anywhere else the rest of the week. As they perform, you feel yourself rooting for them, as they may possibly be the most likable performers on Earth. They perform with the enthusiasm of women with a lifetime of experience behind them who are finally getting their shot and it is one that is well deserved.

[Words by Adam Furtado, Photos by Katherine Dey]