Blacktronika: The Black Lily
Silk City
435 Spring Garden St.
Philadelphia
June 28, 2026
For a brief moment in time, a small club tucked away in a back alley in Old City felt like the center of the musical universe. The now-defunct Five Spot tragically burned down in 2007, but it is still spoken of with the sort of longing and reverence reserved for Philly’s most iconic clubs. Without question, the most significant party at The Five Spot was The Black Lily, a weekly, women-led open mic night where every Tuesday you could witness present and future music legends for the modest price of a $5 entry fee. During the Lily’s five-year run, a who’s who of R&B acts like Jill Scott, The Jazzyfatnastees, Kindred the Family Soul and Jazmine Sullivan would regularly bring the house down. While those Tuesday nights would quickly become the stuff of legend, the Lily’s influence extended far beyond The Five Spot’s doors. The event — and the tight-knit scene of musicians that surrounded it — ultimately played a major part in the development of the neo-soul sound that injected new life into R&B and hip-hop in the aughts.
For the penultimate evening of programming for King Britt’s Blacktronika festival, The Black Lily was resurrected for one night of good music and soul-stirring nostalgia. Since the Lily’s home is long gone, it was only right that this tribute be hosted at Silk City, another legendary Philly nightclub that always felt like a spiritual “sister” to The Five Spot. Last night’s brief but violent downpour of rain didn't seem to stop anyone as an enthusiastic crowd packed Silk City’s lounge. Folks hugged, smiling and caught up while vibing out to the music. This night included a special treat as King Britt held it down on the decks spinning soulful 2000s gems like Goapele’s “Closer” and Musiq Soulchild’s “Just Friends (Sunny).”
Once again addressing the crowd and giving some important context to the event, Britt took to the stage and reminded us that The Black Lily was “One of the most important parties ever in Philadelphia. We're just paying homage.” From there, Jazzyfatnastees singer Tracee Moore took over, accompanied by a house band featuring many of the same players from Wednesday's Dexter Wansel tribute, with Philly punk pioneer Chuck Treece on drums. As a key player in the scene that shaped The Black Lily and Neo-Soul at large, Moore was a natural fit as host and performer. Running through a number of Jazzyfatnastee’s tunes like “Hear Me,” “All Up In My Face,” “Something In The Way” and “The Wound,” Moore had the crowd singing along to these classics with all our hearts. A one-night night tribute could never fully recapture the richness and momentum of an entire movement, but last night did remind us of that brief moment in time when a lowkey open mic night launched Philly soul back into the world’s ears.
