Meshing a traditional country-blues feel, anchored on an accessible storytelling foundation, there’s a spectrum of gut-wrenching, emotional outpouring and simultaneous threads of tenderness in the music of the Levee Drivers. Those familiarly worn, vital vocals of August John Lutz II roar in a rabble-rousing fashion, as each spirited song is on the verge of tearing the listener to piece. Surrounded by an incendiary, dusk-light, dusty-road stomp, the band is hardwired to a heart-aching but optimistic duality, stinging with sincerity, as evidenced by their latest album Motel City Honey. Tonight, as part of the Big Damn Holiday Brawl at Ortlieb’s, they’ll be joined by the soul-grasping, country rock of Ali Wadsworth, the melodic, energy-infused garage rock of Scantron, and silky-serenading, retrofitted country-folk of Dirty Dollhouse. Get rowdy this holiday weekend! – Michael Colavita
More places to wet your whistle at this Christmas weekend…
Ortlieb’s Lounge (847 N. 3rd St.) FRI Levee Drivers, Ali Wadsworth, Scantron, Dirty Dollhouse, SAT Thunderbird, Gibbous Moon
Boot & Saddle (1131 S. Broad St.) FRI Southwork, Circadian Rhythms, Miss Cantaloupe
Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) FRI Frost Giant, Corpse Hoarder, Wolves Attack /It’s a King Thing, Joy Riding, The Classic Brown/DJSC/Trieves: Jesse Tyler, Sean Hearn, SAT Slingshot Dakota/Solomonic Sound System
PhilaMOCA (531 N. 12th St.) FRI Voltheque, Cheap Dinosaurs
Underground Arts (1200 Callowhill St.) SAT Mars Parker, Harvey Cash, KilConfirmed, Juso O, Sodacanman, Corey Lee, Re.ye
World Café Live (3025 Walnut St.) FRI (Upstairs) Annabelle Kempf, The Soundcheck, The Disapproved, Julia Kenyon, The Brandywine Fiddlers/(Downstairs) Steal Your Peach, The Whiskeyhickon Boys, SAT GTS Presents: 3rd Annual Rockmare Before Christmas
MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut St.) FRI Tweed, Agent Zero
Bourbon & Branch (705 N. 2nd St.) FRI Behind The Grandstand, La Capitaña/Reed Streets, SAT Kingfisher, Tucker Hill Band, Sitting In Cars
Silk City (435 Spring Garden St.) FRI Ed Christof, SAT DJ Deejay
Fergie’s (1214 Sansom St.) SAT Jersey Corn Pickers, SUN Rusty Cadillac
Connie’s Ric Rac (1132 S. 9th St.) FRI The Plibmen. Mr. Unloved, KMX Band
Frankie Bradley’s (1320 Chancellor St.) FRI DJ Chris Urban, SAT Brian Toll
Voltage Lounge (421 N. 7th St.) FRI FV
The Grape Room (105 Grape St.) FRI Something Divine, Slow Voice, Judah Kim & The Assassination, Kevin Cox Band, SAT Apple Juice Jones
Ardmore Music Hall (23 E. Lancaster Ave.) FRI Kings & Comrades, SAT Electron, Eat Your Beats