The Rotunda hosts a daylong hardcore/punk affair this Saturday; Break Free Fest hopes to shine a light on those that have been marginalized within the scene. Among the plethora of artists from near and far, the undeterred raw emotive eruption of Soul Glo holds nothing back, capturing an intensity soaked in sincerity. After recently releasing their new EP Modern Mutants, Complex bombards the airwaves with the combination of Spanish-English that steadily rips at its core. Exposing the walls of injustice, the quick-hitting onslaught of S-21 tears at the foundation, while the murky, rumbling, noise-etching, pressure-building punk of Solarized and genre-melding, noise-filtered, dance-driven, sonic-concoctions of DJ Haram set off a day of excellence. – Michael Colavita
Weekend Warrior, May 26 – 28
Other places to do your thang this Memorial Day Weekend…
Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N. Frankford Ave.) SAT Nightlands, The Dove & The Wolf, SUN Valley Exit, Pulgas
Boot & Saddle (1131 S. Broad St.) FRI Fire In The Radio (Record Release), Digger, Crossed Keys, SAT OOLALA (Record Release), Minka, Carol Cleveland Sings
Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) FRI Dreadlords/DJSC/Jesse Tyler, Sean Hearn, SAT Dull Knives, Human Shield/Fame Lust, SUN T.O.M.B., Bride
PhilaMOCA (531 N. 12th St.) FRI Jason Killinger, I Think Like Midnight, The Improbables, SAT Blind Prism, SUN Lady Parts, Lizdelise, Carroll
Underground Arts (1200 Callowhill St.) FRI DJ Kirsh
Bourbon & Branch (705 N. 2nd St.) FRI Jared Feinman
The Trocadero (1003 Arch St.) SAT Mus Matos, SUN Final Showcase
The Foundry (1000 Frankford Ave.) FRI Swizzymack, Dirty South Joe, Gianni Lee, Heaven In Stereo
Festival Pier (601 N. Christopher Columbus Ave.) SAT Hoagiefest: Hall & Oates, Vivian Green, G. Love & Special Sauce, Marah, Son Little
World Café Live (3025 Walnut St.) FRI (Upstairs) Soulidified/(Downstairs) Philly Bloco, Trinadelphia, SAT (Downstairs) Sharon Jones Tribute: PJ Brown & Her Resistance, York Street Hustle, Miss Martha Graham Cracker
The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.) FRI Sleepy Limbs, Mohican, Flamethrower, SUN Settled Arrows, Fetish Eyez
MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut St.) FRI Mars Parker, Aleana, Andrew Meoray, Cain Kerner
Ortlieb’s Lounge (847 N. 3rd St) FRI Revolution, I Love You, War Twins, Revolution, I Love You, SAT Outside Eyes, The Morelings/Suburban Living (DJ Set), SUN The Vernes, Tigers + Thieves, Water Temple
Silk City (435 Spring Garden St.) FRI Francisco Collazo, SAT DJ Deejay, SUN Astro 8000, DJ Sylo
Fergie’s (1214 Sansom St.) SUN Rusty Cadillac
Connie’s Ric Rac (1132 S. 9th St.) FRI Gibbous Moon, The Mojo Machine, Roxy Rollz, Disoriental, SUN The SlotCars
Voltage Lounge (421 N. 7th St.) FRI Korean Sean, Tre Prada, Coop Poppy, RanShaw, Mack Sota, Dee Haze
The Barbary (951 Frankford Ave.) FRI Andorra (EP Release), Somethin Divine, Backroom Dreamers, SAT Mel Alston, Dizzy Valdez, Troi Lauren / Thief, Steal Me A Peach, Faringwell, For Ages, More Than Sound, SUN DJ Ricochet
Morgan’s Pier (221 N. Columbus Blvd.) FRI DJ Beat Street, SAT DJ Kevin Kong, SUN DJ Lean Wit It
The Grape Room (105 Grape St.) FRI Max Seidman, Bohemian Mule, SAT Post War Dream (EP Release), American Dinosaur, Saver
Ardmore Music Hall (23 E. Lancaster Ave.) SAT Splintered Sunlight, The Quixote Project
Everybody Hits (529 W. Girard Ave.) FRI Cave People, Cabbage, Dot Pony
The Pharmacy (1300 S. 18th St.) FRI Eagle Daddy, Family Volleyball, Crooked Spine, SAT Molly Rhythm, Blushed
The Rotunda (4014 Walnut St. SAT Break Free Fest: SAT S-21 Complex, Soul Glo, Solarized, DJ Haram
First Unitarian Church (2125 Chestnut St.) FRI NAH, Kilamanzego, Weather
Sound Hole (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more information.) SAT Nina Ryser