Subaru presents the 2016 WXPN XPoNential Music Festival in Wiggins Park and at BB&T Pavillion in Camden, NJ - Friday July 22nd - 24th
-Festival Preview: Pick 10-
Click for Lineup Schedule
Ryan Adams – Edgy American rocker and former member of alternative country band Whiskeytown, with whom he recorded three studio albums. Adams heads off to Newport Folk Festival following the XPN Festival by Subaru in Camden and continues on his tour in NYC, DC, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Missoula, Salt Lake City and finishes up at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, CO. Ryan and The Shining hit the BBT&T stage just after 10pm on Friday.
Kurt Vile – From just outside the Philly area, banjo player to true American rocker, Kurt Vile with his backing band The Violators, including Jesse Trbovich, Rob Laasko and Kyle Spence, will perform on the BB&T stage in Camden on Friday at 9pm. Claiming influences like Neil Young, Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen, the solo guitarist and rocker's latest album debuted in 2015, ‘B’lieve I’m goin down…’ Vile hits the Panorama Festival in NYC on 7/24 then off to Norfolk, Indianapolis, Chicago, Montreal, Tuscon, Los Angeles, San Diego and many more stops on his tour then ends up finishes off the year in Japan for 2 days in October.
Alabama Shakes – We had the chance to see Alabama Shakes last year at the Mann Center where they blew the crowd away with nitty gritty, soulful and passionate rock grooves. Shakes took home 3 Grammys last year for Best Rock Performance for 'Don't Wanna Fight', Best Rock Song for 'Don't Wanna Fight' and a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album for 'Sound & Color' with the vocal force of Brittany Howard as lead singer/guitarist for the group from Athens, Alabama as the front-woman for the band. The group has been recognized with such merits as Billboard’s 25 best albums of 25, Consequence of Sound’s Top 50 of 2015, Rolling Stone’s top 50 best albums of 2015 and ranked at number 7 from the New York Times’ best albums of 2015. They have a recently produced album ‘Sound & Color’ recorded at Nashville’s Sound Emporium Studio in digital, CD and LP format here on iTunes: http://smarturl.it/shakes-scitunes
Check out the video below for 'Sound & Color' that won the NAACP Image Award recipient for Outstanding Music Video
Kurt Vile – From just outside the Philly area, banjo player to true American rocker, Kurt Vile with his backing band The Violators, including Jesse Trbovich, Rob Laasko and Kyle Spence, will perform on the BB&T stage in Camden on Friday at 9pm. Claiming influences like Neil Young, Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen, the solo guitarist and rocker's latest album debuted in 2015, ‘B’lieve I’m goin down…’ Vile hits the Panorama Festival in NYC on 7/24 then off to Norfolk, Indianapolis, Chicago, Montreal, Tuscon, Los Angeles, San Diego and many more stops on his tour then ends up finishes off the year in Japan for 2 days in October.
Alabama Shakes – We had the chance to see Alabama Shakes last year at the Mann Center where they blew the crowd away with nitty gritty, soulful and passionate rock grooves. Shakes took home 3 Grammys last year for Best Rock Performance for 'Don't Wanna Fight', Best Rock Song for 'Don't Wanna Fight' and a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album for 'Sound & Color' with the vocal force of Brittany Howard as lead singer/guitarist for the group from Athens, Alabama as the front-woman for the band. The group has been recognized with such merits as Billboard’s 25 best albums of 25, Consequence of Sound’s Top 50 of 2015, Rolling Stone’s top 50 best albums of 2015 and ranked at number 7 from the New York Times’ best albums of 2015. They have a recently produced album ‘Sound & Color’ recorded at Nashville’s Sound Emporium Studio in digital, CD and LP format here on iTunes: http://smarturl.it/shakes-scitunes
Check out the video below for 'Sound & Color' that won the NAACP Image Award recipient for Outstanding Music Video
The Record Company – Los Angeles based trio of Chris Vos, Alex Stiff and Marc Cazoria on the Concord Music Group label have a recent studio release out called ‘Give it Back To You’ bring bluesy riffs mixed with a punky attitude, distorted bass licks and slide guitar, the album touts a #1 hit on the US Billboard Adult Alternative Songs Chart with ‘Off the Ground’, also used last year by Miller Light in a commercial. Their cover of the O’Jays’ ‘Love Train’ was featured in a 2012 Coors Light commercial followed by the use of ‘Baby I’m Broken’ in CBS’s hit series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation in seasons 14 and 15. The 3-man group has opened for acts like B.B. King, Social Distortion, Buddy Guy, and XPNfest performers Grace Potter and Gary Clark Jr. Check out their catchy hit “Off The Ground” here:
Mavis Staples – Recently added to the festival bill, rhythm and blues singer Mavis Staples will appear on Sunday at the River stage. Her gritty, raspy voice has been sampled and used by chart-topping hip-hop artists like Ice Cube, Ludacris and Salt n Peppa and even an album in 1984 produced by Prince, a self-titled LP. Staples released ‘Livin on a High Note’ earlier in February of this year with songs written by Nick Cave, Justin Vernon, Neko Case and more giving her the ammo and challenge . Mavis is currently on a US tour and makes stops after the XPNfest in Idaho, Washington, California, Colorado, Wisconsin, Texas, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio and Canada.
Here is a clip of Mavis at the White House in 2013 doing “I’ll take You There”
Here is a clip of Mavis at the White House in 2013 doing “I’ll take You There”
Low Cut Connie – Formed by front-man and pianist Adam Weiner 2010, Rock troupe Low Cut Connie from Philadelphia will bring their high-energy act to the Wiggins Park Marina Stage just before 5pm on Sunday. L.A. Weekly recently said "Their ferocious live show...is unmatched in all of rock right now” with 3 albums under their belt (Get Out The Lotion, Call Me Sylvia and Hi Honey) Rolling Stone described their sound as "what indie rock might sound like were it invented in Alabama in the late Fifties." LCC is currently working on a release for 2017. The band's name refers to a waitress who often wore low-cut tops at a restaurant near where Weiner grew up.
Brandi Carlile - Country and Folk-rock singer and songwriter from Washington, Brandi dropped out of high school to pursue a career and music, teaching herself piano and guitar. Carlile’s first commercial success came with her 2007 single ‘The Story’ which was used by General Motors in some TV commercials. Her 2016 album, and her 6th release, ‘The Firewatcher’s Daughter’ gained her further recognition and her first Grammy award nomination. “I’ve gone through all sorts of vocal phases, from pop to blues to R&B, but no matter what I do I just can’t get the country and western out of my voice.” After XPNfest Brandi heads out to continue a west coast leg of her tour visiting cities like San Francisco, Park City Utah, Phoenix, Tuscon, San Diego, Los Angeles, Seattle then brings the tour back east for various dates in FL, NC , CT and NY.
Brandi Carlile - Country and Folk-rock singer and songwriter from Washington, Brandi dropped out of high school to pursue a career and music, teaching herself piano and guitar. Carlile’s first commercial success came with her 2007 single ‘The Story’ which was used by General Motors in some TV commercials. Her 2016 album, and her 6th release, ‘The Firewatcher’s Daughter’ gained her further recognition and her first Grammy award nomination. “I’ve gone through all sorts of vocal phases, from pop to blues to R&B, but no matter what I do I just can’t get the country and western out of my voice.” After XPNfest Brandi heads out to continue a west coast leg of her tour visiting cities like San Francisco, Park City Utah, Phoenix, Tuscon, San Diego, Los Angeles, Seattle then brings the tour back east for various dates in FL, NC , CT and NY.
Old Crow Medicine Show – Grammy winners Old Crow Medicine Show will play the BB&T Pavillion stage Sunday evening in the 8pm slot in Camden. Originally hired to entertain crowds between sets at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville in the late 90s, the group of folk minstrels now have earned the RIAA’s Platinum certification for selling over 1,000,000 records. The band has toured and played at venues & festivals like Bonnaroo, Cambridge Folk Festival, Coachella, New Orleans Jazz Fest, Red Rocks Amphitheater, Newport Folk Festival, Summer stage in NYC and have toured with acts like Mumford & Sons, The Lumineers, Willine Nelson, The Avett brothers and more. Their most recent 3 albums (2012, 2013, and 2014) were produced by Tedd Hutt with ATO Records, home to Alabama Shakes, Brandi Carlile and Rodrigo & Gabriella.
Preservation Hall Jazz Band – New Orleans Jazz style at its finest, Preservation Hall Jazz has been a staple in the in the French Quarter and throughout the country performing at various venues and festivals hailing from the Preservation Hall on Peter St. The band is comprised of a revolving cast and tours more than 150 days a year crossing over into many musical communities carrying the cultural and musical traditions passed down through the music through a universal and unique experience to the New Orleans sound. PHJB’s ‘That’s It!’ can be found here on iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/thats-it!/id645693379
Case, Lang, Veirs – Several years back K.D. Lang sent an email to avant-rocker Neko Case and indie folk artist Laura Veirs simply stating “I think we should make a record together.” The three women have contrasting backgrounds and were barely more than acquaintances have hit the road together as a trio making stops in Brooklyn, D.C., Atlanta, New Orleans, Dallas, Nashville, Chicago and the ending leg of their tour will park up in Canada for four days. An Americana vibe with strong vocals and tales of living under U.S. skies. Have a listen to their self-titled album here on Spotify: https://play.spotify.com/album/0U5U4AU94YjYY2QoOpmwfN or listen to it here:
Preservation Hall Jazz Band – New Orleans Jazz style at its finest, Preservation Hall Jazz has been a staple in the in the French Quarter and throughout the country performing at various venues and festivals hailing from the Preservation Hall on Peter St. The band is comprised of a revolving cast and tours more than 150 days a year crossing over into many musical communities carrying the cultural and musical traditions passed down through the music through a universal and unique experience to the New Orleans sound. PHJB’s ‘That’s It!’ can be found here on iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/thats-it!/id645693379
Case, Lang, Veirs – Several years back K.D. Lang sent an email to avant-rocker Neko Case and indie folk artist Laura Veirs simply stating “I think we should make a record together.” The three women have contrasting backgrounds and were barely more than acquaintances have hit the road together as a trio making stops in Brooklyn, D.C., Atlanta, New Orleans, Dallas, Nashville, Chicago and the ending leg of their tour will park up in Canada for four days. An Americana vibe with strong vocals and tales of living under U.S. skies. Have a listen to their self-titled album here on Spotify: https://play.spotify.com/album/0U5U4AU94YjYY2QoOpmwfN or listen to it here:
Our photos from XPN Fest 2015 sponsored by Subaru
The Word with Duane Betts at XPN Fest 2015 sponsored by Subaru
