THE SUN FLIGHTS AND A FISTFUL OF SUGAR AT FERGIE’S PUB

The faintly-lit and intimate Fergie’s Pub in downtown Philadelphia was the scene of a double act that featured two of the city’s up-and-coming folk and acoustic groups. Philly’s The Sun Flights and A Fistful of Sugar took turns on the stage in front of an attentive audience last Saturday, May 18th. Displaying two very different approaches to traditional American music, the bands aptly availed themselves of the cozy and embracing upstairs of the Samson Street venue.

Female folk duo The Sun Flights opened the night amid a quiet but gripping sense of anticipation from a considerable group of fans that chattered lightly as the band readied to begin its set. Employing a deep and hard-hitting sound belied by the soft nature of the arrangements, Philadelphia’s Natalie Butts and Claire Duncombe had little problem ensnaring the diverse crowd at hand. This was, in part, achieved by the duo’s mastery over the numbers, which were strengthened by gliding choruses shuffled by Duncombe’s piercing voice.

Stripped down and self-reflective, The Sun Flights achieved a satisfying balance in character that came off as didactic due to their open, lyrical delivery. The close companionship that appeared on stage transcended the musical realm into very personal territory. The audience became acquainted with the duo’s close working relationship, taking note of the non-verbal cues that Butts delivered to her companion to indicate a change of key or rhythm.

Hints of flamenco and rhythmic shuffles in Butts’ guitar diversified their sound and served to heighten the level of interaction between the group and the crowd. A warm and talented act, The Sun Flights proved to be the ideal act to prepare the audience for the country-bluegrass stylings of A Fistful of Sugar.

A local septet sporting a combination of two acoustic guitars, an electric bass, electric fiddle, and three female vocalists with deep diaphragms, AFOS ably maintained the homey atmosphere that filled the evening.

With tangy and organic arrangements, the group proved capable of providing a foot-tapping, blues-infused style of country that rang with an appropriate tone of longing. The incorporation of three-part harmonies helped deepen the sound, thus adding a welcomed element of dexterity.

Although at times, suffocated by the number of people on the stage, the fiddle nonetheless provided a melancholic touch as it meshed with various guitar parts that painted a pleasant mood.

Well harmonically-textured, A Fistful of Sugar put a wrap on the evening in a very poetic, light-hearted fashion. Soulful and commanding, the group’s peculiar use of elements from the American musical repertoire demonstrated that, even in a large metropolis, the sounds of the countryside can still be well adapted.