How to watch Non-Comm, WXPN's indie music showcase
The (mostly) public radio conference will feature over two dozen bands playing at the World Cafe Live.
Spring in University City means it's time for the Non-Comm convention, the annual WXPN-FM (88.5) gathering of mostly non-commercial, frequently National Pubic Radio-affiliated stations who come together at the World Cafe Live to watch a couple of dozen cool bands in three days of music showcases.
It's sold out, but that doesn't mean you can't see it.
Its tantalizing talent roster is formidable as ever, including songwriting standouts such as Courtney Barnett, Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, Natalie Prass, Mitski, Brandi Carlile and Jeff Rosenstock and worthy bands such as Parquet Courts, Hop Along, Titus Andronicus, Belly, Low Cut Connie, and Gang of Youths. The Thursday night show climaxes with Angelique Kidjo, the tireless performer from Benin in West Africa who will be showing off her new full-length reimagining of the Talking Heads 1980 album Remain in Light.
Non-Comm, which used to continue into the weekend, is now a mid-week event that kicks off on Tuesday night with a staggered schedule of showcases (there's no overlap) both up and downstairs at the WCL. Along with inside-baseball meetings with the public radio programming muckety mucks during the day, there will be three Free at Noon concerts running Wednesday though the closing event mid-day on Friday.
Non-Comm has always been a tough ticket. Passes to the sold out event mainly go to conventioneers, and those that are left over are quickly scooped up by XPN members. The good news is that the entirety of Non-Comm will be broadcast live on the University of Pennsylvania radio station. And if you're in front of a computer, tablet or your phone, you can watch on VuHaus, the NPR video streaming service, which will also be showing the entire itinerary.
(Also, for those who are shut out but desire to see some of the Non-Comm acts in the flesh, a number of them are playing other gigs around town this week. Barnett, Low Cut Connie and Hop Along have shows at Union Transfer, Carlile is at the Merriam Theater on Friday, and Mt. Joy plays the Foundry on Saturday.)
Here's the schedule, from start to finish:
TUESDAY
7 p.m.: Craig Stickland
7:30: Sunny War
8: Parquet Courts
8:30: – Mitski
9: – Nilüfer Yanya
9:30: Phoebe Bridgers
10:05: Lucy Dacus
10:35: Rayland Baxter
11:10: Gang of Youths
Wednesday
Free At Noon
12 p.m.: Titus Andronicus
12:30: Courtney Barnett
Wednesday night
7 p.m.: Ricky Hell & The Voidboys
7:30: Jacob Banks
8: White Denim
8: Mt. Joy
9: Starcrawler
9:30: Natalie Prass
10:05: Jeff Rosenstock
10:35: Low Cut Connie
Thursday
Free At Noon
12 p.m.: Jade Bird
12:30: Brandi Carlile
Thursday night
7 p.m. William Prince
7:30: The Wood Brothers
8: King Tuff
8:30: The Record Company
9: Hop Along
9:30: Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats
10:05: Sweet Spirit
10:35: Angelique Kidjo
Friday
Free At Noon
12 p.m.: Belly
12:30: Editors