The 5th Annual Steve’s South Street PorchFest! (2023)
After attending the previous two years of Steve’s South Street PorchFest, I was excited when Steve contacted me with the details of the 5th Annual PorchFest a few months back. This intimate day festival is something that I look forward to now in the springtime and consider it a sort of ‘kick-off’ to the Spring season. Although previously the event was held in April, this year the festival took place on May 13th, the day before Mother’s Day. We also got lucky with some great weather – not too hot and no rain at all.
This year’s lineup includes Chill Affinity, Hunter Callahan, The Headliner Band ATL, Nikki & the Phantom Callers, Totally My Hat, Joel Kosche, 2 Broke Kings, Female Fiction, Sunglasses at Night, Melody Kiser, Sara McAteer, Daniel Toole, Elliot Phillips (solo), Cosomic Hippie, Ronnie Holloway, Andrew Spann, Anthony Paccholi, and stand-up comedy by Ron Lavender. Solo acoustic artists would perform on the right side of the porch while the left side of the porch would be the spot for the bands. To fit all these artists in just one day, solo artists would perform while the bands were setting up their gear. When the music started at noon, there was music (or comedy) continuously all day until 10 pm.
Kicking off the day was none other than one of Atlanta’s hardest-working singers-songwriter, Daniel Toole. Daniel Toole is one of my favorite performers every year at PorchFest and always has the crowd mesmerized with his smooth, harmonious acoustic set. It is always good to see Daniel perform or just in general. Showing support to a generally, good person who works hard at being the best musician is what it is all about.
Head over to Daniel Toole’s website and give him a listen. You can also keep track of where Daniel is playing by following this link to his official website’s tour dates!
Next up to play was Sara McAteer assisted by her husband playing the cajon. This would be Sara’s first time playing PorchFest and I bet you they both will be back. Sara’s warm and soulful performance was a brilliant addition to this year’s PorchFest lineup.
Solo artist Anthony Paccholi was a newcomer to the lineup at this year’s PorchFest and we are all so glad that Anthony came to perform for us! Despite having about 15 minutes to perform, Anthony squeezed in a very memorable performance that left everyone who showed up early glad that they did.
Sunglasses at Night (80’s pop synth cover band) was a real treat as they went through a familiar yet much-needed performance. You could see many people singing along and dancing away their cares to their set. Four out of the six songs on their setlist were personal favorites of mine from some of my most cherished 80s artists: Peter Gabriel, INXS, Tears for Fears, and Talking Heads.
Check out Sunglasses at Night’s setlist below:
· “Sledgehammer” (Peter Gabriel cover)
· “Don’t You Forget About Me.” (Simple Minds cover)
· “Need You Tonight” (INXS cover)
· “Overkill” (Men at Work cover)
· “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” (Tears for Fears cover)
· “Wild Wild Life” (Talking Heads cover)
With Chris Odom (lead guitar/singer - Chill Affinity) aiding, Ronnie Holloway was next on the solo artist stage performing as Animated Soul. I knew this was going to be a great set when they performed Aaliyah’s hit, “Are You That Somebody”. According to Chris, this was the first time they had performed in years, and had limited (if any) practice leading up to this soulful and unforgettable performance.
Check out Animated Soul’s setlist from PorchFest below:
· “Are You That Somebody” (Aaliyah cover)
· “Kill Bill” (SZA cover)
· “It Must Have Been Love” (Roxette cover)
· “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” (Tears for Fear cover)
· “Flowers” (Miley Cyrus cover)
· “Master Blaster” (Stevie Wonder cover)
· “Didntcha Know” (Erykah Badu cover)
· “La Isle Bonita” (Madonna cover)
· “Kissed by a Rose” (Seal cover)
Female Fiction, who played at last year’s PorchFest, is fronted by Elliot Portillo (vocals/rhythm guitar), Evan Castillo (lead guitar), Kyle Carvern (bass), and Logan Welch (drums). I dig Female Fiction’s energetic surf/garage rock sound. Whether listening to or watching Female Fiction live, their music is very addicting and will leave you wanting more. Head over to Female Fiction’s Official SoundCloud page today and check them out!
Check out Female Fiction’s setlist below:
· “YSJLIG (you should just let it go)”
· “Dirty Sheets” (The Orwells cover)
· “You’re Not Really There”
· “Coffin”
· “Little Things”
· “Creature”
· “Perfect Stranger”
2 Broke Kings, who are Ross Childress and Stephen Wines, performed at the 3rd Annual PorchFest (2021) and were excited to come back to play. Ross, who is a founding member of the award-winning band Collective Soul (1992-2001), and Stephen have been quite busy over the last few years constantly performing shows all over.
Melody Kiser has performed some very memorable performances since her debut at PorchFest. Just last year, Melody performed with her band, Hey Dreamer, to fans old and new. Just like Daniel Toole, I have seen Melody either solo or with Hey Dreamer since I started attending PorchFest. So, Melody is always someone I look forward to watching perform live. Whether playing acoustic or electric, Melody’s ability to shred the guitar is next level.
You can check out Hey Dreamer’s music by following this link to their Official Spotify page today!
Ron Lavender (Charleston, S.C. native) is an old friend of Steve Quick (the organizer of this event) and was asked to come to take part in this year’s event. Acting as a Master of Ceremonies (M.C.) with Steve, Ron would come to perform some quick funny routines as some of the solo artists or bands were setting up. It will be an honor to continue to see Ron come out and help with PorchFest.
Joel Kosche Band featuring Joel Kosche (former Collective Soul lead guitarist/backing vocalist 2001-2014) was the next band to perform. The band also featured brothers James Brown (bass/backing vocals), Josh Brown (drums/backing vocals), and Joey Brown (guitar/backing vocals). And it was nice having a mixture of solo artists and bands but when Joel Kosche Band came on stage, I am pretty sure that this band was on a mission to rock the crowd like they were the final act of the day. Wow. From start to finish, the entire band showed some major intensity as they played their dynamic rock’n’roll set.
Here is the rocking setlist from the Joel Kosche Band’s performance at PorchFest:
· “You Wouldn’t Last a Day”
· “By the Sword”
· “We’re Not the Same”
· “Sunrise”
· “Are You Happy Now?”
Head over to Joel Kosche’s Official Bandcamp page today and show some support!
Totally My Hat, which was the same band as the Joel Kosche Band but with a different lead singer, Gafar Bello. Gafar might look familiar to you as you read on because he is the keyboard playing for Hunter Callahan. Plus, Tate Venerable took the mic for a Dredg cover in their set. Totally My Hat was formed just for this festival and when I heard them do a cover of Queens of the Stone Age “The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret”, I knew that they were on to something. I hope that they all keep jamming together and come back to play next year.
Check out Totally My Hat’s setlist from PorchFest below:
· “Weeds” (Life of Agony cover)
· “The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret” (Queens of the Stone Age cover)
· “Perfume of Decay” (Tigercub cover)
· “Catch Without Arms” featuring Tate Venable on vocals (Dredg cover)
· “Superfreak/Pretender” Mash-up (Rick James/Foo Fighters cover)
Elliot Phillips, who played drums with Flint River Fellowship, is another PorchFest native. But this year would be his first time performing as a solo artist. Elliot gave a very passionate and honest performance as he sang his heart out on that porch with some incredible original material. I truly hope Elliot continues this solo musical journey and appears at next year’s event.
The Headliner Band (Atlanta) always brings the party when they come to perform at Steve’s PorchFest! From the first time seeing The Headliner Band perform at the 3rd Porchfest, I was hooked on these musicians and started following them on their social media channels (Instagram/Facebook). So, what are you waiting for? Head over to The Headliner Band’s Official YouTube channel today and watch some live performances today!
Solo artist Cosomic Hippie was next on the lineup to perform on the solo stage. Following The Headliner Band could seem daunting to some, but that did not phase Cosomic Hippie one bit. Cosomic Hippie came with the confidence of a seasoned pro and performed a very, intimate set that moved the crowd. I know I thoroughly enjoyed the set and hope to see Cosomic Hippie perform sometime in the future.
Follow this link to Cosomic Hippie’s Official Bandcamp page today and show some support!
Nikki & the Phantom Callers (folk/Americana) is a new band for me this year at PorchFest, although I have seen their name circulating the Atlanta music scene. Their vibrant and spirited performance would be a marvelous first impression on this Concerthopper. So much, so that I picked up their latest LP, Everybody’s Going to Hell (But You and Me), and an older EP, What the Daughter Does, the Mother Did.
You can head over to Nikki & the Phantom Callers Official SoundCloud page and check them out for yourself! If you like what you hear, head over to Nikki & the Phantom Callers Official Bandcamp page and grab yourself a copy of both Everybody’s Going to Hell (But You and Me) and What the Daughter Does, the Mother Did.
Andrew Spann, another first timer performing at PorchFest, was next to perform on the solo artist stage. I thoroughly enjoyed his solo set and hope Andrew can come back in future years to PorchFest. One thing I found out in my research, Andrew (guitars/vocals) alongside Chris Kingsbury (bass) and Jonathan Balsamo (drums) are in a band called Low Before the Breeze. Check out Low Before the Breeze’s live performance recorded live at Mom Said It’s Fine in Underground Atlanta from May 2023.
Hunter Callahan is another beloved PorchFest veteran and well-known as a hard-working musician that travels around playing as much as possible. Hunter’s guitar expertise is also something to note. Since my first PorchFest, Hunter has masterfully performed the previous two years and with each performance, Hunter gets better and better. Coupled with an amazing back up band, Hunter Callahan has cemented his PorchFest legacy, and we all cannot wait to see what next year’s set sounds like.
Follow this link to listen firsthand to Hunter Callahan today!
Chill Affinity is another fan favorite and another veteran of PorchFest would close out this year’s event with the help of a talented horn ensemble. In the past, they have performed as a three-piece band. For this year’s PorchFest, Chris added the horns in honor of closing out the day. Saving the best for last, Chill Affinity pulled out some great songs such as Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song”, The Beatles “Eleanor Rigby”, and my personal favorite “Tank!” which is best known from the anime series Cowboy Bebop.
Check out Chill Affinity’s jam-packed setlist below:
· “Eleanor Rigby” (The Beatles cover)
· “Pina Colada” (Chuck Mangione cover)
· “Sponge” (Brecker Brothers cover)
· “Angel” (Jimi Hendrix arrangement by Chris Odom)
· “Floating on Glass” (Stacey Hough cover)
· “Ladies Night” (Kool & the Gang cover)
· “Tank!” (An arrangement of Yoko Kanno’s theme from Cowboy Bebop)
· “Immigrant Song” (Led Zeppelin cover)
You can also read my previous coverage of the 3rd Annual PorchFest (2021) and the 4th Annual Porchfest (2022) on Concerthopper.com.
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