Philly Gumbo Brings Four Decades of Groove to a Welcome-to-Fall Show at The Fallser Club
Philly Gumbo kicks off fall with a Welcome-to-Fall dance party at The Fallser Club on September 18, bringing four decades of New Orleans-rooted groove to one of Philadelphia’s most intimate venues.
Philly Gumbo kicks off the fall season with a Welcome-to-Fall dance party at The Fallser Club on Friday, September 18, bringing more than four decades of New Orleans-rooted groove to one of Philadelphia’s most intimate stages. Showtime is 8 p.m., with tickets $20 in advance and $22 at the door.
Philly Gumbo’s Four Decades on the Philadelphia Music Scene
The band formed in late 1980, developing a following at Germantown’s Takers Café before landing a residency at the South Street venue Bacchanal that ran nearly a decade. That run helped pioneer New Orleans-style music in Philadelphia, drawing guest sit-ins from Todd Rundgren and David Lindley along the way.
Philly Gumbo has since opened for Dr. John, Buddy Guy & Jr. Wells, Rick Danko and Levon Helm of The Band, the Ohio Players, and the Mighty Diamonds, while individual members have shared stages with Little Milton, Wilson Pickett, Bo Diddley, and Big Youth.
Founding member Randall Grass credits the band’s staying power to two things: the music itself and who’s singing it. “An ability to play an authentic and unique mix of New Orleans R&B, funk, reggae, blues and soul, and the presence of great singers,” Grass said, pointing to a lineage that’s included Brenda Smith, Walt Taylor, Jeannie Brooks, and Richard Johnson.
The Sound and Lineup Behind Philly Gumbo
Drummer Tim Hayes, bassist Bert Harris, guitarist Pete Eshelman, and Grass on keyboards have anchored the band since its earliest days, with saxophonist Richard Orr sitting in as far back as the 1980s. Current lead vocalist India Rex fronts a sound that blends New Orleans R&B, blues, funk, reggae, soul, and the occasional Afrobeat detour — music built as much for a dance floor as a listening room.
The band released its debut single, “Holy War b/w Mardi Gras,” in 1984, followed decades later by the full-length “Come And Get It” in 2011. Along the way, Philly Gumbo has become a regular at the Kimmel Center, City Winery, World Café Live, and festivals including Musikfest and WRTI’s Groovin’ in the Park.
Between the horns, the groove, and a room small enough to feel every note, this is the kind of show where the dance floor fills up before the first song even ends — a fitting way to kick off fall in one of Philadelphia’s best-kept music venues. Tickets for Philly Gumbo’s Welcome-to-Fall show are available at Humanitix or through thefallserclub.org.
Philadelphia born and bred, Allan Lane is the Publisher and Editor in Chief of digital magazines. He launched his first publication, SportBikes Inc Magazine in 2010, followed by dosage MAGAZINE in 2019. Recently, Allan launched his third online publication, Club For Man. As a journalist, Allan covers fashion, lifestyle, culture, art, and motorcycles.
