The Groove Merchants + Emily Drinker + Tubey Frank + Stella Ruze

The Groove Merchants are here to throw down and breakout. Fueled with howling vocals from frontman Tye Vallone, driven by Luke Ferracone’s guitar work, insured through soulful organ, focused horn sounds, and a hustling backbeat from bassist John Evin Groome and Peter Snyder on drums, the band twists in elements of blues, funk and soul resulting in a revival of authentic performance.  Since 2012, The Groove Merchants have been pushing that sound forward.  Founded out of the practice rooms and Main Street basements of Kutztown University in Pennsylvania, the band discovered their chemistry almost instantly.  

During this time, the band cut its teeth on the road throughout the Mid-Atlantic. Highlights include an appearance at the iHeartRadio Summer Block Party - sharing the stage with Vance Joy, Portugal. The Man, and Judah and The Lion down on Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing - as well as opening for world-renowned bluesman John Nemeth at the historic Mauch Chunk Opera House in Jim Thorpe, PA, and Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds at the popular SteelStacks arts and music venue in Bethlehem, PA.

Through the pandemic, the band was fortunate enough to release its first ever live EP, “Live at Morgan Creek.” Recorded live at Morgan Creek Farms in Quakertown, PA, and produced by organist Mark Brown of bi-coastal jazz/funk outift Hambone Relay, the project reimagines some of the best songs from “The Throne” as well as a cover of Bob Dylan’s classic, “I Shall Be Released.” Featuring Brown on organ, a powerful horn section and backup vocalists, the record has garnered critical acclaim in publications such as Philadelphia Weekly and The Key and has received airplay on WXPN as the band continues to spread its roots in the greater Philadelphia area.

The group now boasts driving a 9-piece lineup ideal for larger stages featuring Vallone, Ferracone, Groome, and Snyder, as well as Mike Talento on Tenor Sax, Clayton Reilly on Trumpet, John Bickel on Organ, and Brie Parry & Rebecca Connelly on backing vocals. Embodying the fullest Groove Merchants sound to date, the band has performed sets at the historic Sellersville Theater in Sellersville, PA, 118 North on Philadelphia’s Main Line, The Grape Room in Manayunk, PA, the Midnight Mountain Music Show in Blakeslee, PA, hosted by country group Mason Porter, and maintains a strong presence in the Lehigh Valley festival scene at events like the Blues, Brews, & BBQ Festival in Allentown, and 7 years running at the nation’s largest, free music festival: Musikfest in Bethlehem, PA.  

Celebrate what happens when The Groove Merchants control the room.  With each performance, the band strives to create an energy that lies inside intimate clubs and transcends past large stages. Once The Groove Merchants show up, expect relentless, soulful energy and a belief in connecting beyond music.

Emily Drinker is an award-winning singer-songwriter from Conshohocken, PA. She blends folk, pop, and rock with her high-energy band and signature live-looped harmonies.  Emily has been featured by NPR Music, Philadelphia's WXPN, and played at many regional festivals including Musikfest and the Main Stage at the Philadelphia Folk Festival. In 2022 Emily released a new album and opened for rock icon Pat Benatar, baroque pop singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright, songwriting legend JD Souther (Linda Ronstadt, Eagles, James Taylor), and bass virtuoso Bakithi Kumalo (Paul Simon’s Graceland). In 2023 Emily is focusing on touring (in South America and Europe!) and releasing new music.

Often described as “bedroom pop” “expansive folk” and “psychedelic garage rock”, the music of songwriting project Tubey Frank has been compared to Spoon, Bob Dylan, Nick Hakim, Radiohead, Elliott Smith, Wilco and The Strokes. Joshua Kirwin and company command the audience. Wracked with simple wit, charm, thought provoking musical choices, the project presents a fresh experience with every live performance, and a tongue skewering his cheek

Stella Ruze is an award-winning folk rock band from Philadelphia, PA. They blend four-part vocal harmonies with infectious rhythms and horn arrangements to create a new, genre-bending sound. The band has performed at WXPN’s XPoNential Festival, Philly Music Fest, and the Philadelphia Folk Festival. They have been featured on WXPN and Radio 104.5, and won the Folk category of the 2019 PHL LIVE Center Stage Awards. Now, with an EP, LP, and full-length album to their name, Stella Ruze is producing new material for 2023.