Everything old is new again? No Name Pops aims to acquire ‘Philly Pops’ name.

No Name Pops may be getting a decidedly less generic name.

The self-organized group of musicians playing under the No Name Pops banner is negotiating with the family of late pianist and conductor Peter Nero to acquire the Philly Pops name. The group, which sprang up after concerts were suspended more than a year ago by the Philly Pops’ corporate parent, Encore Series Inc., made the announcement Saturday at a Kimmel Center concert honoring Nero.

No Name Pops executive director Matt Koveal told The Inquirer that the group revealed the prospective name change before it was a done deal because “the Nero family is here today, a tribute to Peter Nero, and Peter Nero is a large reason why pops music has been so successful in Philadelphia.”

The name Peter Nero and the Philly Pops was a “household name in Philadelphia,” said Jedd Nero, Peter Nero’s son, “and the name means a lot for Philadelphia as it did to him, and we would love to see that carry on, for this to be his memory.”

Nero’s son declined to discuss details of the deal, but said talks were ongoing “and hopefully that will come to fruition in the not-too-distant future.”

The Nero family owns “ultimate rights” to the name and, prior to 2024, had assigned rights to Encore Series, according to a No Name Pops statement released Saturday. Peter Nero died in July 2023. He led the group from its founding in 1979 until 2013.

The current status of Encore Series was unclear. The group, which has been enmeshed in a lawsuit after being evicted by its landlord, the Philadelphia Orchestra and Kimmel Center Inc., indicated a change in legal representation in recent court filings. It appears to have no functioning website. Karen Corbin, who has been president and CEO, on Saturday declined to comment.

Koveal said for his group, taking on the Philly Pops name “wasn’t the easiest decision.” When the Philly Pops was evicted from the Kimmel in early 2023 and stopped performing, it left listeners in the lurch. Many patrons had already bought tickets to future performances, and the Pops delivered neither the scheduled concerts nor refunds.

But opinions about taking on the Philly Pops name were sought from various No Name Pops constituents, and a consensus emerged, said Koveal.

“The board wanted the name, but what pushed it over the top were the musicians and their desire for the name. Anecdotally, speaking to patrons, we had a lot of people saying ‘we wish you could have this name back.’ We decided to listen to the community at large and work on an agreement with the Nero family.”

Assuming the Philly Pops name runs the risk of confusing the listening public, Koveal acknowledged. But, he said:

“I guess we’re already at a point where there is confusion, and we are looking at a longer view. And we think this is the name we want to keep for a long time coming.”