“We Got the Beat”

If you’re in the mood for some music, whether it be rock, jazz, classical, or the Mummers, Philadelphia has plenty to offer. Until I checked the schedule, I didn’t realize that this was going to be the last passion blog post for the year. While I’ve had fun writing these, I’m not going to lie and say that I will miss them either. So, for my final passion blog post, I’m going to look at events and places around the city where you can go to listen to some wonderful music.

The weather is getting warmer, and we are inching closer to summer, so why not spend some time outside at the Mann Center for Performing Arts. Located in Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, it is a non-profit organization and one of the largest outdoor amphitheaters in the nation. The Mann can seat approximately 14,000 people: around 4,000 under the TD Pavilion and the other 10,000 on the open lawn space. The current Center was built in 1976 on the west side of the park, but the original place was established in 1930 on the east side and called Robin Hood Dell (now the Dell Music Center). Additionally, the Mann (old and new) has been home to the Philadelphia Orchestra during the summers since its opening in the ’30s.

Speaking of the Philadelphia Orchestra, they play indoors at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts on South Broad Street (aka the Avenue of the Arts). On the Avenue of the Arts, you can see a variety of performances at different theaters, such as the Academy of Music, the Walnut Street Theatre, and FringeArts (home to contemporary performances and new, experimental concerts). The Philadelphia Orchestra and its music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin are world renown. In 2022, they won the GRAMMY award for “Best Orchestral Performance” for their recording of Florence Price’s First and Third Symphonies. At the 2023 GRAMMYs, the Orchestra was involved in two awards for “Best Contemporary Composition” and “Best Classical Instrumental Solo”, while Nézet-Séguin was also part of two other winning awards for “Best Opera Recording” and “Best Classical Solo Vocal Album”.

This June, the annual Roots Picnic will take place at the Mann. It’s a two-day festival filled with hip-hop and R&B music and hosted by the band, The Roots, whose hometown is Philly. The famous rapper Diddy is performing alongside The Roots. Some other performers include Ms. Lauryn Hill, Lil Uzi Vert, and Black Thought’s Live Mixtape with Busta Rhymes and Eve. There will also be a live podcast stage, and performances by up-and-coming artists.

While outdoor concerts in the summer are nice, they can be hot, and if you’re like me and don’t enjoy the heat, perhaps the chilly weather for the Mummers Parade would be better. Every year on New Year’s Day, nearly 15,000 people march in elaborate costumes through the city. The Mummers Parade is considered the country’s oldest continuous folk parade. It was officially recognized by Philadelphia in 1901, but the Mummers tradition in the U.S. has been around since the 1600s. There are four main Mummers divisions: the Comics, the Fanices, the String Bands, and the Fancy Brigades. Each group participates in a friendly competition against the others and showcase their acting skills, musicianship, choreography, and colorful props and costumes.

Based on all of this information, I would think that anyone could find music they enjoy in Philadelphia. I’ve loved learning more about my home city, and I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about it too. Just a few more weeks left and then our first year of college will be in the books! We got this!

Resources:

• https://www.visitphilly.com/music-theater-dance-in-philadelphia/
• https://www.visitphilly.com/things-to-do/attractions/mann-center-for-the-performing-arts/
• https://www.visitphilly.com/things-to-do/events/the-roots-picnic/
• https://www.philorch.org/content/the-philadelphia-orchestra-and-yannick-nezet-seguin-win-first-ever-grammy-award/
• https://www.philorch.org/history
• https://manncenter.org/history
• https://www.wrti.org/arts-desk/2023-02-05/classical-artists-with-philadelphia-ties-prevail-at-the-65th-grammys
• https://www.discoverphl.com/blog/guide-to-philadelphias-mummers-parade/
• https://www.visitphilly.com/things-to-do/events/the-mummers-parade/#the-experience