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The Lawsuits/Former Belle/Foxtrot and the Get Down atThe Foundry

Story and Photos by Dan Drago

My cab driver couldn’t find The Fillmore, Philadelphia’s newest and shiniest music venue. The problem was, neither could I. Both of us were staring at our phones, trying to figure out which unmarked alleyway led to a club owned by a Fortune 500 corporation (#61 at last estimate, I believe). After a couple of circles around (meter running, of course), he let me off at a random corner and I managed to find the place on foot. Crossing under the I­95 overpass, amidst deserted parking lots and shuttered warehouses, I finally found it. People go on and on about how Fishtown is fully gentrified, and might as well be Center City these days. These people have never navigated through the semi­-abandoned, poorly lit urban jungle that eventually leads you to The Fillmore’s entrance.

Once I got into The Foundry (the more intimate, club­-like room upstairs), I was fortunate enough to catch the night’s opener. Foxtrot and the Get Down blazed through a tight set of blues rock, with the practiced air of a band that’s definitely gotten in some serious stage time this year.  

Frontman Colin Budny is the center point to the band’s steady­as­she­goes riffage, and the vocal harmonies from keyboardist Erica Ruiz add that soul that so often goes missing from younger roots­rock bands.  

In front of a blazing red curtain, Former Belle took the stage. Bruno Catrambone, with his long hair hanging in his face, spoke to the crowd like they were all old friends. The crowd enthusiastically responded.

Bruno plays guitar in the Philly indie­pop band Cruisr, and while his Former Belle material is very different than the four­on­the­floor anthems of his other day job, he has an intensity on stage that can garner the same reaction as a 3­ minute floor filler. Former Belle’s new EP, Foreign Bed (Randm Records), is a stripped down, Oberst­style folk record on the surface.

Bruno is known to play the material solo often, and his hushed singing­style causes you to lean in so as to not miss a word. But when he hit the stage with the other three members of the band (Josh Miller, Kyle Sheva and Tim Bostwick), he turned the songs into rockers, believe it or not.

He’s at home as much on a Fender as he is on an acoustic guitar, and the band’s dynamic presence on stage had the crowd on their feet, pressed up to the rail, even singing along. And the record’s only been out a month.

The Lawsuits followed their tour mates with a set building on the energy of the night. Since making a name for themselves in 2012, The Lawsuits continue to put on a live show that will make you a devoted fan if you’re not already. They continue to glam up the country­folk­rock style that we’ve been living through for the past decade. Maybe it’s Brian Dale Allen Strouse’s country­boy looks and demeanor matched with Vanessa Winter’s powerful voice. Maybe it’s the drumming tornado that is Josh Friedman, anchored by bassist Brendan Cunningham, all the while guitarist Joe Bisirri doling out powerful riffs and ethereal atmosphere. It’s probably all those things, and more. I’ve been seeing The Lawsuits for a few years now, and while I can never pin them down (and have long stopped trying), I’m always engaged with what they’re doing. Equal parts Opry and Roxy, they sneak in under the guise of traditional alt­folk­country, but end up giving you something layered and sophisticated as well.

Their new album, Moon Son, will be out on Randm Records on May 13th (you can preview a track at thelawsuitsband.com), and if the live performances of the new tunes are any indication, this one’s gonna be something.

I’ve been avoiding the Fillmore/Foundry complex since it opened. Another big­box venue is not at all my idea of a good time, and I bristle whenever I hear of corporate entertainment groups getting into the small venue racket. However, if they keep the upstairs jumping with talent like this show, I could be seen to soften up my hater­esque stance a bit. The place is pristine, the sound is excellent, and if you can find the entrance, you’re in for a good night.