Peace Fortress Album Release with Bethlehem the Vocussionist and SMC Quintet

Doors at 7pm, show at 7:30pm. Tickets are $20 online and $25 at the door.

Peace Fortress

Peace Fortress is the latest project by Philadelphia bassist/producer/engineer Brendan McGeehan. While Brendan has had the honor to perform with lots of amazing artists over the years, these days he can be found working on his studio tan and crafting albums with musicians near and far. Peace Fortress is the expression of joy and wonder that Brendan finds in the studio, taking the form of music that dips into soul, surf, rock, funk, and jazz.

His second album, Magic Number, will be performed live exactly once on May 29th at The Fallser Club in Philadelphia. Magic Number features an embarrassment of illustrious artists, including Ursula Rucker (The Roots), Yesseh Furaha-Ali (Jonas Brothers), Minas, Rob Hyman (The Hooters), and many more, along with the core band of Adrian Harpham on drums (Raphael Saadiq, Leo Nocentelli), Freddie Berman on percussion (Amos Lee), Logan Roth on keyboards (Lauryn Hill, Trap Rabbit), Will Brown on guitar (XIXIX), and strings from the SMC Quintet.

Brendan has released two of the nine songs today, available below. Both are tributes and musical thank-you notes in their own way.

Spotify
Apple Music

Pre-orders for the vinyl (and shirts!) are available on Bandcamp.

Brendan would like to thank all of the amazing musicians who shared their immense gifts on this album. I’m truly amazed every time someone says “yes” to this!

Waverly Alston, Nathanael Barlow, Fred Berman, Will Brown, Courtney Coleman, David Cope, Brent Edmondson, Chi Park Edmondson, Yesseh Furaha-Ali, Orlando Haddad, Patricia Haddad, Laura Hall, Adrian Harpham, Steve Heitlinger, Lydia Hilliard, Rob Hyman, Ajibola Rivers, Bethlehem Roberson, Logan Roth, Ursula Rucker, Rachel Segal, Vince Tampio, David Uosikkinen, Morgan Walbridge, Jonathan Whitney, Brandon Young

Bethlehem the Vocussionist

Bethlehem Roberson is an exceptionally talented singer/songwriter/vocussionist from the Germantown section of Philadelphia. Raised in an actively church-going family, she watched her father and uncles’ gospel group, “The Traveling Disciples” Gospel Quartet, becoming steeped in the traditions of gospel music.

In 2000, she came back to her Hebrew culture and merged her highly emotive gospel background with the formally studied traditions of Judaism. Inspired more by male vocalists than female artists, Bethlehem draws influences from singers like Sam Cooke, David Ruffin, Marvin Gaye, and D’Angelo. For her, men tend to use their voices expressively in ways that intrigue her.

As an artist she created Vocussionism simply by not being able to play any musical instrument, and so she relied on her bodily ability to authentically create the music and rhythms she was hearing in her head. As a writer, her studies of the Torah and other sacred Hebrew texts teach her that words have sacred power and must be used wisely and carefully. This has significantly influenced her approach to expressing the common human story.

SMC Quintet

The SMC String Quintet is a Philadelphia-based ensemble of formidable orchestral musicians, arrangers, and creative artists redefining what a string quintet can be. Founded and curated by bassist Brent Edmondson, SMC is driven by his split musical world—spanning orchestral double bass and the electric upright sound forged on stage with The Rock Orchestra—alongside a collective of players equally at home in the concert hall and on amplified stages.

Known for rhythmically charged performances and musically surprising arrangements, SMC toggles seamlessly between classical complexity and heart-wrenching beauty. SMC supplied the signature string sound behind both Peace Fortress releases and have become sought-after collaborators for genre-blurring artists in Philadelphia, bringing a distinctive voice to record projects and live performances alike.

SMC demands to be seen and heard.

10% off Taqueria Cresta with your Fallser Club ticket!!

By Car or By Train

The East Falls Train Station is a short walk from the Fallser Club. Parking in East Falls is no problem! There is ample free on-street parking near the East Falls train station driveway at 3610 Midvale Ave and a paid municipal lot three blocks away at 4100 Ridge Ave. Midvale Ave and Ridge Ave are both well-lit!

Contact the host of Peace Fortress Magic Number Album Release