The Official End of Summer

Ending summer by skipping Phish at Hampton and spending that time with Nels Cline, Molly Tuttle, Frankie & the Witch Fingers, Daniel Donato's Cosmic Country and more

Summer is over. Autumn is now here. Where has the time gone? There’s so much fucked up stuff happening now that I can’t even wrap my head around it. It’s often hard to do but I feel like we need to be like Arthur from Alien Earth, one of my favorite series of 2025, and just say it “We’re all gonna be okay”. We might not be okay, but its good to think that we are gonna be okay.

I’ve spent an enormous amount of time in 2025 attending concerts and having new live experiences with friends new and old. Its my coping mechanism to see live music when I get thinking “maybe we won’t be ok”. It’s simple, when I’m at a live show, I feel OK and sometimes downright happy.

I have some friends who wondered why I didn’t spend the end of summer for 3 nights of Phish in Hampton, VA. It was on my bucket list to see Phish play Hampton. Seems like the perfect thing to do. So many classic Phish shows I adore are from Hampton. Also, I’m getting so close to 100 (I’m at 89) so every Phish show on the East Coast in proximity should be priority. So why didn’t I go? There’s a few reasons.

1. Cost - Phish tickets are getting more expensive for a single show. I’m already dreading NYE MSG run. However, the cost of Hampton also has to factor in travel, lodging, food, and of course merch - all of which I could not afford now. I’d rather put those eggs int the MSG basket.

2. The Chase is Over (for now) - Speaking of MSG, I feel like I got what I always wanted from Phish in the last 2 NYEs. I got the Gamehendge set I always wanted in 2023 and “Icculus” in the encore of 2024. I’m not saying Phish can’t do better then those sets - I know they can. I feel like the chase is gone (for now). There’s songs I still am looking to hear (“Brother” being the one I want to hear most) but I feel like I got everything I wanted. I’ve gone through this with Phish before and came back and I’m sure MSG in December will recharge that feeling.

3. Backup Plan - Similar to missing out on the Sphere run last year in Vegas, I already had a economically viable back up option that would keep me just as interested and satisfied. Again, my hopes are I get it next time at the Sphere (if it happens - same as Hampton).

Enough about missing Phish (there’s always livestreams to watch), lets talk about what I did see in the final week of summer:

Nels Cline, Phillip Greenlief, Scott Amendola Trio 9/16/2025 Solar Myth

I did not have this show on my list before the Saturday before when Renn messaged our Substack Concert Chat with the announcement of Nels Cline taking over for Trevor Dunn with Phillip Greenlief and Scott Amendola. I didn’t know who either of the three musicians were but I knew they had to have chops if they were playing with Nels. Trevor Dunn, who plays bass and has played with Mr. Bungle and Fantomas (both Mike Patton bands), had to miss the show due to a family emergency. I hope that everything is ok with his family matter.

This surprise show for me would be the fourth time seeing Nels Cline perform this year after:

• Nels Cline: Consentrik Quartet 4/12/2025 at Solar Myth

• Eric Slick’s Unlimited Edition 7/23/2025 at Brooklyn Bowl NY

• Wilco 8/5/2025 at The Met Philly

I’m not sure how much rehearsal Nels had with Phillip and Scott but he was just typical Nels throughout the 75 minute set. I’m sure there was a little practice since they were going to be playing with a bass player and were now switching to a trio with a guitarist.

There were a few moments of Nels-like chaos in the set as well as Nels playing with sticks in his strings. Most of the heavier pieces formed with Nels and Scott on drums and Scott joining in on saxophone, clarinet, and sax reed?

I’m still learning my way around the current jazz scene unfolding at Solar Myth - but loving it. It’s not the same acts as Boot & Saddle but it at least brings me back to a place I spent so much time between 2013-2020. Also, with no lyrics in most of the jazz shows (and no setlist), it allows me to just really focus on the instruments and musical output of the bands.

I’d like to check out Phillip and Scott with Trevor Dunn in the future to see the difference in their sets. As for Nels, I know I’ll see him again this year at some point - maybe this weekend at the house concert I’m attending. It not, he’s playing with Medeski Metzger & Martin again post Phish and I think this time I’ll make it to the show.

Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country 9/18-19/2025 Ardmore Music Hall

I remember when I heard from Jesse Lundy that Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country (DDCC) would be playing three - 3! - shows at Ardmore Music Hall after the Non-Comm set in May, I was super excited. I had already caught DDCC earlier in the year in Washington D.C., as well as the aforementioned intimate Non-Comm set at World Cafe Live upstairs, and had tickets for both the DDCC shows with Railroad Earth and Yonder Mountain String Band in King of Prussia in July and the Xponential Music Festival in September putting Daniel Donato in the top of my artist seen in 2025 (he also played in two different bands at Unlimited Devotion at Ardmore Music Hall back in May too).

I had tickets with Roob (yup - DDCC got Roob hooked with their Non-Comm set and he wanted to see a full set) and we sat up in the Premier Balcony at Ardmore Music Hall - first time for us both, at least paying. It’s not a bad deal and provides a great view and sound.

This was the 10th DDCC show for me since 2023. I was hooked when I first saw Daniel play with Trouble No More but over the last few years I’ve seen so much growth in not only Daniel’s playing but also the band with Sugarleg, Mustang and Bronco all meshing so well and continuing to refine their Cosmic Country sound.

The sets have all been continuing to evolve as well. I wouldn't be seeing the same band this many times in a single calendar year if they weren’t switching it up from night to night. The fans of DDCC have developed a nice database called DanielBase where you can get some quick stats from shows and I used that I share highlights from the first night of the three night run at Ardmore Music Hall.

• 19 songs were played over 2 sets with an encore for almost 3 hours (2 hours and 55 minutes)

• 6 of the 19 songs I heard live for the first time: “Translation” (a highlight in the first set for me), “The Gold Rush” (included a full band beatbox break - kinda like a vocal jam), “Lay Low Lucy”, “Guilty Jubilee”, “Foggy Mountain Top” and “Walkin’ the Dog”

• “Darling Cory” had a killer intro and was another set 1 highlight with “Translation”.

• “See Through” went deep - real deep and was the second set highlight. Not sure the final time on the song but it had to be close to 20 minutes. I feel the last time I saw it at Ardmore back in 2024 they also jammed this song out. I’ll have to wait for the nugs release to see the official timing.

• After the DDCC shows this past week, I will have heard all of the songs released on 2025’s Horizons except for “Yonder” and “Prairie Spin”. Neither song has a high play count (16 and 27 respectively) but “Yonder” was on the printed setlist I got for this show but was skipped in favor of a set closing “Down Bedford”. No complaints here - I’lll get it one day. “Down Bedford” is a great set closer always.

I didn’t initially have Night 2 of DDCC at Ardmore Music Hall on my schedule but once Turnstile sold out the Skyline Stage at the Mann and resale prices were too high, I went back the DDCC well at Ardmore Music Hall for Night 2 and DDCC show #11 and it was well worth it.

I spent the entire show on the GA floor back in front of the lower level seating. I was there for The Disco Biscuits a month earlier and dug the sound and view of the band much better there then up on the rail.

Using DanielBase again, I’ll share some facts and highlights from Night 2 at Ardmore Music Hall with DDCC:

• 16 songs were played over 2 sets with an encore for 3 hours

• 3 of the 16 songs I heard live for the first time: “Gotta Get Southbound” (its crazy I never got this song live until this show - it was also highlight in the first set for me with some nice bass lines by Mustang), “Passing Storm” and “Lonesome Whistle”

• I wore my “I’m a Star Wars” t-shirt to the show with Ralph Wiggum dressed as Princess Leia hoping for a “Cantina Band” - we got a tease of it by Daniel during “Forgotten Days”. For those few seconds I thought it was gonna happen and then later in the encore during “Big Iron”, I thought they’d reprise it but no dice.

• The second I heard the first parts of “Chore”, I knew we were in for a treat. I’ve gotten it 7 times out of the 11 (and after Xponential 12) DDCC shows. Each time I’ve gotten it live its goes into a nice jam that gets to around the 20 minute mark each time. I think it was a tad under for this show but still killer.

I knew that I was not able to make DDCC for Night 3 at Ardmore Music Hall - and by the looks of the setlist (“Dance in the Desert Reprise” over and over), it was quite the show. Instead of attending the DDCC show I had a long busy day starting at 1pm at the Xponential Music Festival > Frankie & the Witch Fingers > UnoMovie Midnight Madness.

Xponential Music Festival (Day 2) 9/20/2025

The Xponential Music Festival opened on Friday night 9/19/2025 but I was at DDCC at Ardmore Music Hall Night 2. War was the only band I really wanted to see on Night 1, so I knew Day 2 would be my first day at the festival regardless of whether I went to DDCC (or if I scored a ticket to Turnstile).

I got to Wiggins Park in the middle of Maxwell Stern & the Good Light Band. Most of the early bands at the festival are local acts and Maxwell Stern and his band put on a great early set. I had not seen Maxwell perform his own material but I did see him perform previously with Toby Rief of The Sidekicks in Orbits when they opened for The Restorations in 2023. It was a good set to open the festival for me but most of the time I spent getting my blanket down and organizing my stuff. I did grab the setlist from Maxwell when the set was over so I’m gonna make sure I go back and listen to the songs from the set.

Owen Stewart, another local Philly act, and his large band featuring the sax player from Tommy Conwell’s band from the Ardmore Rock & Ride Festival as well as 11 other band members. I didn’t know much about him before the set but it was an enjoyable set on a beautiful afternoon with the Philly skyline in the background.

I had finally caught Tune-yards at NonComm earlier this year. She is such a treat to watch perform live, creating the loops and singing songs with so much energy. I stuck around for almost all of the set which include a new song and of course “Water Fountain”.

I had thought I had seen Soccer Mommy previously but I must have missed any Free at Noon or NonComm performances. I stayed for most of her chill set before refilling my water bottle and walking back to get a spot for Richard Thompson. I had to take the obligatory shot of the stage from the top of the hill.

Richard Thompson is a living legend and WXPN fan favorite. He played a solo set on the Marina Stage and it was way crowded down in front. It wasn’t my first time seeing him but it was the first time seeing him in over 10 years (Solid Sound 2015 was the last time). I couldn’t stay the whole set because I wanted to get a good spot up front for Molly Tuttle who was the main act I was at the festival to see for the first time.

The main artist I wanted to see on Day 2 of the Xponential Music Festival was Molly Tuttle. I had been wanting to see her for some time and I was gonna make sure I got an entire set in before heading to Frankie & the Witch Fingers.

Molly immediately came out and demonstrated her chops on the guitar on “Everything Burns” and “The Highway Knows” the first two tracks from her latest release So Long Little Miss Sunshine.

Molly Tuttle and her band played a few covers during the set including “She’s a Rainbow” by The Rolling Stones and “I Love It” by Icona Pop. It took me a few seconds to realize what song she was playing and it was definitely a surprise.

The remainder of the set featured a few songs from her albums recorded with Golden Highway including “Over the Line”, “Dooley’s Farm” and “Crooked Tree” from 2021s Crooked Tree as well as “Alice in the Bluegrass” and “Where Did the Wild Things Go?” from 2023s City of Gold.

A few others from So Long Little Miss Sunshine were sprinkled throughout the set. In the middle of “Old Wig (New Me)”, Molly took off her wig and finished the remainder of the set without it.

One of the things I enjoy about the Xponential Music Festival are the Band Meet & Greets and I typically try to meet one of the artist. This year I took some time away from Tune-Yards set to meet Molly Tuttle. She was super nice in person and signed the latest album and complimented me on my Billy Strings Halloween shirt saying “Love the shirt, heard it was great!” (Narrator: It was great and I think I’m going back for whatever Billy does for Halloween this year).

After Molly Tuttle’s set, I grabbed the setlist and went back over to the Marina Stage to catch a few songs from Kathleen Edwards while packing up and heading over to Philly and the First Unitarian Church Basement for the triple bill headlined by Frankie & the Witch Fingers. I had caught Kathleen Edwards earlier this year open for Craig Finn and play with his People of Substance band at the Bowery Ballroom.

Frankie & the Witch Fingers / Population II / Wax Jaw 9/20/2025 First Unitarian Church Basement

It had been since 2018 since I had been to a show at the First Unitarian Church Basement (Glorietta 10/16/2018). The scaffolding on each side of the stage was more stripped down than I last remembered it. I was able to get in the merch line and get what I wanted and take it back to my car and still get right up front by the right speakers.

The first band was from Philly called Wax Jaw. They played a powerful energetic opening set that got everyone moving. Mosh pit was heavy at times but never bled over to where I was standing. They have an album coming out in October called It Takes Guts! and they played a few songs off it including “Looking Back” and “Lace Up”. They’ll be back playing the Ukie Club for the album release and I’m thinking of heading there if I’m free.

The second band from Montreal, a three piece called Population II will be opening all of the shows on the Frankie & the Witch Fingers tour. They were more proggy and psychedelic than expected but super talented. The last time they played Philly only 4 people showed up (they were all in attendance for this show too). I’ll remember them next time I see them come around. I grabbed the setlist in front of me but the guy next to me whined that I grabbed the last setlist so I gave it to him.

I don’t remember when I first heard of Frankie & the Witch Fingers but I’m glad I found them. I got their Live at KEXP for Record Store Day this year and was instantly hooked.

They opened their set with 4 out of 5 songs off their 2025 release Trash Classic: “T.V. Baby”, “Dead Silence”, “Egg Laid Brain” and “Conducting Experiments” - all straight bangers. I knew “Brain Telephone” from Live at KEXP and it was one of my early favorites in the set.

“Total Reset” and “Fucksake” were the only other songs off Trash Classic played in the set (I was really hoping for “Economy”). Of the songs I didn’t recognize in the set, my favorite new/old song I heard live was “Reaper” off 2020s Monsters Eating People Eating Monsters… - it reminds me of something Ty Segall would write.

“Alright everybody hands in the air! This is a stick up”

“Cops & Robbers” was fun as I expected it would be but the set went into overdrive when they went into “Empire”. This was the song of the night for me. The intro to the song came on hard. It gave me King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard vibes.

“Futurephobic” followed “Empire” and it was another one I loved off the Live from KEXP album and it did not disappoint live in person. After the song finished, lead singer/guitarist Dylan Sizemore gave his guitar to synths player Jon Modaff and took his place at the front of the stage with just a mic in his hand for “Bonehead”. Eventually, he dove into the crowd and came back to finish the song and and incredibly loud and fulfilling set. It was exactly what I wanted to see and hear and I can’t wait to see them at their next stop in Philly.

After I got the setlist from bassist Nikki Pickle Smith, I made my way back to the lot and drove to the Landmark Ritz for my friends Clay’s 50th which was also a movie he had made with many of his friends based on a discussion on what movie was better (thats the TL;DR).

I got a bit of a breakdown on the history on the drive back from King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard with The National Symphony Orchestra at Merriweather Post Pavilion. It was a long movie (and the 10th overall in the series) to watch at the end of a long day of music but I made it through it and enjoyed it even if I didn’t understand some of the inside jokes. I definitely appreciated the soundtrack. I didn’t get home to close to 3am and I was wondering if making it to the Xponential Music Festival was in the cards for me the next day.

Xponential Music Festival (Day 3) 9/21/2025

Xponential Music Festival served up another Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country set and I did everything I could to get to it (after a longggggg night out) like Jordan Davis did on the game winning FG block agains the Rams

I started the afternoon watching the Eagles-Rams game wondering what time would I make it over to Xponential Music Festival to catch DDCC. I was in a similar scenario last year watching Eagles-Saints. Both games started and ended in similar fashions. Because of the way they both started, I was at the Xponential Music Festival way earlier then expected. As I was there, the Eagles came back to win the Rams game (in super dramatic fashion - JD blocking a FG and returning it for a TD) and I was able to see the bands I wanted to see (DDCC, Greensky Bluegrass) - WIN-WIN.

After filling up my water bottle, I made my way through the River Stage during The Spin Doctors set and got a spot up front for DDCC. I could hear everything they played at the Marina Stage from the River Stage including “Two Princes”, “Pocket Full of Kryptonite”, “Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong” and a cover of Prince’s “Purple Rain”.

The band was setting up for soundcheck when I got there and I yelled to them that I was looking for them to build on that “Cantina Band” tease they played at Ardmore Music Hall during “Forgotten Days”. Daniel laughed and immediately went over to Sugarleg as to say “haha he noticed” (I’m not sure what was said but thats what the LOOK made me think - when I re-watched this on the nugs stream I noticed right after he played the rift he looked at Sugarleg and smiled). I said you gotta play it even if just for 45 seconds - I left watching the Eagles game for it! Daniel told me he got me and I got my hopes up high.

They sound checked “Working Man Blues” before Daniel played a few snippets of the “Sweet Child "O’ Mine” main riff to the delight of the crowd waiting. The band was introduced by Raina Douris of WXPN as Daniel Donato which led Daniel to say “and Cosmic Country” before launching into “Dance in the Desert”. The band had reprised the song continuously during the Night 3 show at Ardmore Music Hall and seemed to have fun putting it in the top spot of the set as to say “yeah we know”.

After “Dance in the Desert”, the band went into “Faded Lovin’” which I had never gotten live and was the last song I needed to hear live to complete hearing the entire Reflector album live.

“Sunshine in the Rain” is one of my favorite Daniel originals to hear live and I’m so happy to see it make the latest album Horizons. The final three songs of the 50 minute set were also off Horizons with “Blame the Train” and my most heard DDCC songs live “Broadside Ballad > Hangman’s Reel”. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to hear it every show. The version on the Marina Stage was the perfect ending but no “Cantina Band” tease or jam. “Big River” was left on the setlist and not played and MAYBE they would have played it had they gotten the chance to play it.

After the set, I wished Will “Mustang” McGee “Happy Birthday” and said “you guys still owe me a “Cantina Band” to which he replied “Come to the Halloween show”. The show is in Wisconsin which doesn’t seem possible for me BUT I’ll get my “Cantina Band” if I have to see 100 DDCC shows!

I grabbed a bite to eat before heading over to the River Stage to catch Greensky Bluegrass. They were scheduled to perform and headline last year but had to cancel due to illness. I’ve had quite the year exposing myself to bluegrass music and even though I had seen Greensky Bluegrass before it was good to see them again after all the bluegrass music I’ve consumed since first seeing them at the Peach Music Festival in 2019. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to stay for the entire set since I had to grab Josh from the bus depot in Philly but I was glad to hear “Past My Prime”. I saw they played “Atlantic City” after I left. It may be the most heard Bruce Springsteen cover I’ve heard live.

I didn’t get to see Craig Finn or Courtney Barnett although they are both artists I’ve seen plenty especially Craig Finn this year alone. From everything I saw posted about their sets, they were great - and Kurt Vile even joined Courtney.

Overall, in the final week leading to the Autumn Equinox on 9/22, I saw alot of great music - most of it performed by Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country.

• 6 concerts, 14 performances by 12 unique bands ( DDCC 3x) - 8 bands I saw for the first time

• Got 7 setlists over the 6 concerts putting my overall total at 366 setlists collected.

I didn’t get “Cantina Band” during any of the DDCC sets attended but I have something to chase now.