Tank-tops were traded for T-shirts as the Philadelphia Folk Festival community turned out for Talisk at the Ardmore Music Hall last week.
The trio of award-winning musicians, led by concertina player Mohsen Amini, accompanied by fiddle player Benedict Morris and the band’s newest member, guitarist Charlie Galloway, had both floors of the immaculate venue dancing, clapping, cheering, and stomping during the Scottish band’s appearance Sunday, March 3.
Nestled just 30 minutes outside of Philadelphia, near Haverford College, the Lower Merion High School, and Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant, 23 East Lancaster Avenue is easy to drive past, which is fitting given the intimate nature of the interior setting.
The venue has a long history as a musical barn. It was known as the Sly Fox in the 1970s, 23 East Cabaret from 1980-1994, and Brownies 23 East from 1995-2012. It was established as the Ardmore Music Hall in 2013.
Co-owner Chris Perella, along with the owners of Ripplewood Whiskey and Craft next door, which also happens to be the best pre-game spot on the strip, Peter Martin and Biff Gottehrer, began plans for renovating the venue in 2019. After living-streaming concerts through the Covid-19 pandemic, the newly renovated venue reopened in the summer of 2021.
Like Talisk, the Ardmore packs a lot into a small package. Bars on both floors and wait service for the food menu, unparalleled viewing experience from all angles, modern lighting and sound, friendly and welcoming staff combined with expert bookings and dedicated fanbases to create some of the best concerts I’ve experienced.
The little touches do it for me, like the Splintered Sunlight banners hanging from the rafters marking the Grateful Dead tribute band’s sold-out shows Gabrielle who has been checking coats and delivering smiles to people who walk through the lobby.
English folk band Trials of Cato captivated the audience who was there to rock but showed how Philly crowds can also be careful listeners. Comprised of singer and mandolin player Polly Bolton, Robin Jones on bouzouki, and guitarist Tomos Williams, the band won over quite a few new fans who were in town thanks to hearing Talisk first at the Philadelphia Folk Festival. The bouzouki looks a hell of a lot like a lute after a few beers and is only a cousin from Greece with a lower pitch than a mandolin.
After forming in Beirut, Lebanon, their debut, “Hide and Hair,” won Best Album in the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2019. The trio followed up with “Gog Magog” in 2021.
One of the highlights of my night was the band’s performance of “Tom Paine’s Bones” from “Hide and Hair,” which had the crowd quickly learning the lyrics to sing along.
Talisk’s combination of folk, Celtic traditional music, and electronic dance is a recipe of movement, led by Amimi’s fast fingers and headbanging. Between sideways smiles from his bandmates, the Glasglow lad who could be mistaken for a punk rocker with his signature black jeans and leather jacket, when he leaps onto his chair to get the crowd to set the beat with their hands and feet, there’s no telling how high Amini’s spirits can go during a Talisk show.
The contagious energy rippled through the Ardmore Music Hall, throughout both floors, and spilled out into the lobby as the band’s administrators, both new and longstanding, waited in line to greet the musicians before they traveled back home.
Both bands are touring in the United Kingdom, giving fans who see the Phillies play in London this summer another opportunity to see them in another venue.
Amini has joined the Scottish Celtic folk quintet Ímar for another tour of the United Kingdom and North America.
Talisk can be seen again on May 3 at Hi-Fi in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Trials of Cato will perform throughout Great Britain and Ireland, with a stop on Aug. 16 at Milwaukee Irish Fest.
