April 14-20, 2005

music

Thrilladelphia

by Andrew Parks

Local rock/pop

"You really have to push people to see the great local bands we have here," says Jeff Anderson, founder of local music benefactors Figurehead Productions. "It's very frustrating when you work so hard and make so many sacrifices to play great shows and no one really cares. I want to make something out of what Philadelphia has to offer."

To do that, Anderson sparked Thrilladelphia last year, a wildly ambitious festival that far exceeded all expectations and actually brought the city's competitive and catty scene of talented musicians together for a minute. Version 2.0 is spread over five nights, six venues, more than 25 acts, and an after-party climax, the location of which will be announced all secretive and ravelike at Thrilladelphia shows.

Opening night is Saturday at The Manhattan Room (15 W. Girard, 21+, $7, 9 p.m.). Four emerging local acts will showcase new material at the show. The Teeth and National Eye both signed to the New Orleans label National Parking recently and will bring the twitchy experimental pop and celestial rock, respectively. The Spinto Band presents its Bar/None debut Nice and Nicely Done in June and will be previewing such sparkling Pavement Jr. songs as the animated, disco-flecked "Crack the Whip" and "Oh Mandy," quite possibly the best single to ever feature falsetto vocals and a mandolin lead. Other recommended Thrilladelphia performances include the bloody shoegazer valentines of Dragon City, cardigan-sweaters-optional indie rock of This Radiant Boy, sunshine pop of Palomar, West Philly chamber rockers Make A Rising (pictured), drunken thrash of the Jukebox Zeros, and gender-bending, Bowie cabaret of Helen Back and the Str8 Razors.

"I hope to one day work with all of the bands playing the fest; be it making records or helping them out in any way that I can," says Anderson, who also uses Figurehead's studio for sound production, film editing and original compositions. "I love this town for everything it has given me and I'd love to give something back."

Sat., April 16 through Sat., April 23, $20 for all-access pass, full schedule at www.figureheadproductions.com.