Lion Versus and Cuddle Magic

Lion Versus began in Savannah Georgia in 2006 a combination of faith, hope, and the grotesque, the “freak folk” ensemble has since grown to seven members branching out from its southern roots across the Mason-Dixon to the city of Philadelphia. The sound of Lion Versus is inspired by the macabre saunter of Jazz Funerals in combination with the feet stomping, shouts of Gospel, and much like the two Lion Versus has brought together it’s own parade of sounds…fanned faces, creaking porches and guitars, swaying harmonicas, and chirping mandolins harmonizing with the low steady rumble of the city in transit. Lion Versus now Jeremy Samsoe, Chris Samsoe, Bill Smyth, Hilary White, Kevin Snyder, Jonathan Chin, and Alison Leedy can still be heard lingering through the iron monuments and poorly lit brick streets in The City of Brotherly Love.

Cuddle Magic is a large ensemble from Brooklyn and Philadelphia that performs lush, whimsical songs with wide-ranging instrumentation including strings, percussion, vibraphone, trumpet, clarinet, keyboards, guitars, and many voices. Their unique stage set-up includes some small lamps and a 3-foot plastic penguin set amidst the players and their many instruments. The ensemble, which sometimes swells to 9 or more, plays deftly crafted arrangements of their complex and varied set of original music. They are as friendly and inclusive as their name might suggest — after forming as a quintet just over 4 years ago, they have gradually come to incorporate more and more of their musical friends into the band, constructing intricate soundscapes that include elements of folk music, avant-garde classical music, world music, and urban music.

Admission is FREE