Opening Act

Acoustic Philly blazes a trail for its ambitious up-and-comers.

by Bob Finkelstein

Unknown bands and solo acts struggling to break into the live music scene in Philadelphia often find that the road to some of the city's best-known small stages can be a discouraging one. E-mails and phone calls to club managers and booking agents often go unreturned. Sending out promotional CDs sometimes feels like tossing them down a wishing well.

TWO FOR THE SHOW: Word of mouth and a series of open mic nights have helped Mike DelVecchia (left) and Josh Larson develop talent and an audience for Acoustic Philly. (CLICK IMAGE FOR LARGER VERSION)

The two musicians behind the Acoustic Philly collective know what that's like, and they're trying to make things a little easier for the up-and-comer.

Over the past year, Mike DelVecchia, 39, and Josh Larson, 30, have relied on chance, word of mouth and a series of open mic nights at city bars to recruit a talent and audience base that they have, in turn, leveraged to convince some booking agents to open the doors — ever so slightly — to some of the city's more popular small, live venues.

"I gave them a shot and they did very well" at putting a lineup together and getting a crowd to show up, says Rick Dobrowolski, co-owner of Tritone, who has saved the third Thursday of every month for the group since November. "I like to encourage people who have that much energy."

Dobrowolski's club is just one of several that have given the pair a stage for some of the more than 140 musicians in their cooperative. Those include The Khyber, which hosts a show on the second Sunday of every month; Fergie's Pub, which hosts first Sunday gigs; and less regular bookings at venues like the North Star Bar and Grape Street, among others.

These showcases feature four to six artists culled from a network of open mic nights at venues throughout the city, including The Dive in Bella Vista, The Raven Lounge in Center City and Lickety Split on South Street.

Acoustic Philly also produces a biannual festival, the next of which is slated for this Saturday at The Rotunda in University City. The event will feature about 20 bands, and will be headlined by Unlikely Cowboy.

Membership criteria is loose, although many of its bands and solo artists lean toward folk music and feature acoustic guitars. And, as can be expected from an organization that harvests the majority of its talent from open mic nights, the skills of its members span a broad range.

"[The talent] is spotty," says Gene Shay, host of The Folk Show on WXPN, who has twice featured live performances of Acoustic Philly musicians on his show to promote their Rotunda festivals.

Still, Shay, who helped found the Philadelphia Folk Festival and has been fostering emerging folk artists for decades, says he considers some Acoustic Philly members on the cusp of becoming emerging artists, and praises the group's efforts. "They are basically helping each other out," he says. "It's terrific for that level of musician."

DelVecchia, a freelance editor, and Larson, who recently got a master's in laboratory animal science from Drexel University, met by chance while playing at an open mic night about a year and a half ago. They quickly bonded over their shared frustration at trying to break into the city's live music scene.

As luck would have it, the pair had the opportunity to take over their own open mic night at The Dive in February 2006. "We were continually impressed by people who came through," Larson recalls. "We thought if we had some way to group these performers together and make it easier for them to get shows, a lot of them could make a pretty decent name for themselves."

The effort started out small, with a Web site (www.acousticphilly.com) featuring photos and bios and links to band Web sites going live last April. As numerous musicians showed interest in joining, the pair realized it may be possible to use their numbers to help book shows.

They approached about 10 bars over the summer, yielding only modest success: a showcase at Azure restaurant/bar in Northern Liberties. Continued efforts yielded more tryouts at other venues that were eventually won over by the musicians and the group's ability to turn out an audience.

"In the past, we've set up at a club and given a trial for a month or two ... it's always worked out," DelVecchia says. "We bring in a pretty good door."

The system has proved a boon to some fledgling careers. Word of mouth from its Acoustic Philly shows this summer has helped The Ron & Eric Show, a humorous acoustic rock band, play independently of the collective on a weekly basis. Those shows have come at places ranging from the North Star and Grape Street in Philadelphia to bars as far south as Wilmington, Del.

"Things wouldn't have happened as quickly for us without this organization and support," says Ron Bauman, a 30-year-old salesman who sings and plays guitar.

Another band known as The Ladykillers was asked to return for a repeat performance at the North Star Bar after it played at an Acoustic Philly showcase there in August. "We would never have even gotten a foot in the door" if it hadn't been for that show, says frontman Tom Rader, a 22-year old Temple University student.

One of the city's main booking agencies, Heyday Entertainment, also taps the group's performers to plug holes in lineups, in addition to partnering with the group to put on shows at The Khyber and North Star Bar. "If I need an opener, I'll ask [Acoustic Philly to] put something on," says Joe Lekkas, head booker of The Khyber and North Star.

Even the artists who have yet to make that kind of jump say working toward a common goal with others can be rewarding. They feel more comfortable playing with stylistically similar acts and can benefit from audiences more in tune with acoustic performers.

"With Acoustic Philly there's a little more camaraderie," says Brandon Kwiatek, whose band Real West was tapped to appear on Gene Shay's program promoting the Rotunda festival. "People who come to see their friends will hang out."

For now, DelVecchia and Larson say they are content with the number of regularly scheduled shows Acoustic Philly produces, and would only add recurring shows to the lineup on a Friday or Saturday night.

Otherwise, they will continue trying to provide members with enough exposure so they can book shows without their assistance — which is just fine with them.

"If a club comes to me and they say, 'Can we take some of your performers?' and I don't have to manage them anymore, I say, 'Absolutely,'" DelVecchia says. "This is what this is all about."

(b_finkelstein@citypaper.net)

Acoustic Philly Festival No. 2, Sat., Feb. 24, 7 p.m.-1:30 a.m., $5, The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut St., www.acousticphilly.com.