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Make Music Philly offers free concerts across the city
Alaina Johns
On Sunday, June 21, there’s no excuse for anyone in Philly to miss a little live music — or even make some. The third annual Make Music Philly event is offering over 100 free concerts and “music-making opportunities” citywide.
The nonprofit Make Music Alliance is partnering with WXPN to coordinate the event here, and Philly is joining 22 other US cities holding their own Make Music day on the 21st, but it’s an international event called Fête de la Musique, with similar celebrations in 700 cities in 120 countries, all on the same day. According to the Alliance, this “musical free-for-all celebrates music in all its forms, encouraging people to band together and play in free public concerts.”
Check out an interactive map of all Philly performances here, with listed genres ranging from Celtic to punk, kids’ tunes, pop, soul, hip-hop, experimental, and many more. Highlights include a roundup of 20 acoustic and “Americana/rock bands” coming to multiple stages indoors and out at Gloria Dei Church (916 S. Swanson Street), an eclectic mix promising to “expand your horizons” at the Random Tea Room from 4-7pm (713 N. 4th Street), and R&B and soul all afternoon at the Philly Uptown Theater (2226 N. Broad Street). There’s even an app available through the website to help you find the concerts you want.
In addition, this year, the event touts three “Mass Appeal” events, which invite all kinds of music-makers to come out together and make some noise. The Philly Drum Project will be at the Porch at 30th Street Station from 12 to 1pm with some top local drummers. Percussion enthusiasts of all ages and experience levels are welcome. Mass Appeal Harmonicas follows at the Porch from 1 to 2pm, “a free and participatory introduction to harmonica,” hosted by John Colgan-Davis of the Dukes of Destiny. (There’ll be a free harmonica for the first 100 people to arrive.) Finally, head to Uke Night at BridgeSet Sound (710 South Street) from 7 to 8:30pm: a big play-along for ukulele-strummers of all abilities.
At right: a 2013 Make Music Philly player. Photo by Rich McKie for WXPN.
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