Bo Malcolm, Terra Cotta, Blue Ranger [duo], Michael Martin Doherty
Abyssinia
229 S 45th St.
Philadelphia
June 26, 2026
Do any of you fine folks read the Perfectly Imperfect newsletter? I was heartened to see an Abyssinia shoutout in their recent a taste of taste piece featuring recommendations from Philly’s own @ (one of our best local bands and slingers of a great new lead single, "Autosmile," the title track of a forthcoming LP – dig it); one half of the duo, Victoria Rose, said: “The food is extremely good and you can order it to any room of the restaurant until midnight. I’ve seen so many transcendent shows here and regularly run into friends and acquaintances. I pray it doesn’t close for a long, long time.” Truer words ne’er spoken! One thing I’ll say at the top of my piece today is: the continued success or even existence of spaces like this, which really do host abundant, frequently transcendent events, kind of miraculously, capital B capital D Big Deal Style, does depend on support and care and sustained interest, and to that point, don’t steal gear from the live room, people! I was on my way to the venue when I got asked by one of the performers if I’d mind bringing a few extra microphones; I found out on arrival that something like eight mics have gone missing or been outright stolen from the space in the recent past. This place has given the community – both the West Philly community, and the broader music and arts community, playing host to artists from thousands of miles away regularly – more than can be measured or returned in kind, so let’s at least do better about this, or find ways to pour back into the space to keep it going for a long, long time.
Now: the show! Bo Malcolm was our farthest-afield trav’ler, coming all the way from Burlington, Vermont, touring to mark the recent release of an album called Life of Passion, produced and recorded with the twin brothers Evan and Josh Marré, who backed Malcolm before later performing a duo set as Blue Ranger (that’s Josh’s songs; peep Russel the Leaf for Evan’s). Malcolm sings with a gentle, clear-ringing twang that rings out like a burnished bell, with robust folk-rock songs that vacillate between rollicking and hopped-up or down-tempo and humid in groove. “Sixteen” was a highlight, with expert fiddle backing from Jens Hybertson – he played a deliciously behind-the-beat, rhythmically-free fiddle break at the song’s close – and the Marré bros on lovely Motown-y '60s-pop doo-wop harmonies. They continually played like a downright-advanced backyard band, homey and homespun but captivating and full of surprises.
Not to relegate Terra Cotta and Michael Martin Doherty’s beautiful sets – can I keep calling everyone’s music advanced please? it feels good and true – to the sideline, but I want to especially highlight the wonder of seeing Blue Ranger at Abyssinia in this particular duo arrangement, for particular reasons: they were debuting new and unreleased (yet-to-be-recorded, I believe) songs, which were mesmerizing and stunning marvels of strummed, flowing open guitar chords – in various tunings, from standard to open G to open D to EADGBD to whatever I missed – and melodic, majestic bass playing, the two brothers unsurprisingly, unforgettably psychic in their playing and real-time knowing where the other was headed, their singing more unfettered, uncrowded and harmonious than I’ve ever heard from them before. There was definitely a Grateful Dead-like quality to the hazy, crooked songs, but still light and airy, Josh’s diaphanous chords beneath spectral, shimmering melodies, conjuring a sweet and sunny midday dreaminess; people near me were in eyes-wide thrall. My new buddy Nick was in tears, admitting, “I drink four beers and I fucking cry,” but it truly was the music, too: I was hooked as soon as they began a set-opening, prologue-like new song, that repeated like a mantra after each verse, “that’s why I’m so happy,” Josh with his voice like faded gold still bright, Evan’s floating high above like the shine on a balloon, both tethered and free.
