An evening with Tony Lucca, Matt Duke & Sarah Miles
When three interviews in a row go well and are then followed by a great night of music, there isn’t much to complain about. Kicking off three nights in a row at World Cafe Live, I headed over to chat with Sarah Miles, Matt Duke, and Tony Lucca on a chilly November night. Once we got to the venue, we started out chatting with Sarah (interview here) about her music, getting signed, and this tour. All three artists had just traveled from Boston the day before and were glad to finally be in Philadelphia.
Sarah started out the show commanding the stage as the only female of the show. Her sweet voice and relatable lyrics captured the growing audience. After playing a few songs on her own, Matt Duke, who would later come out for his own set, joined her onstage a few times throughout the set. She played a good 30 minutes and the crowd enjoyed each and every second.
Prior to the show, I had also chatted with Matt Duke (interview here) who has recorded almost all of his album at myschool, Drexel University. Not only is Matt a talented singer, he also knows how to play the guitar. Since it was a local show, he got to play to the support of many friends and family which created for some funny jokes and banter between him and the crowd. The 30 minute set flew by and left everyone, including myself, wanting more. Matt brought out Tony for the last song to continue the trend of singing songs with other artists on the tour.
One of the greatest things about the night was the rather short 15 minute changeovers between artists. At 9.30, Tony Lucca (interview here) took to the stage. Kicking the night off with “How You Like Me Now,” Tony proved why he deserved the recognition he has received. Playing a variety of songs that he covered on The Voice and ones he has
released previously, the set spanned an hour and a half. Prior to playing “Close Enough,” he mentioned that it was written during the last election cycle and found it fitting for the night. He urged everyone to get out and vote the following day, but didn’t share political views. The set continued on with a blend of slower and faster songs; and midway through, Tony took some time to talk about the Music Is Love Exchange (M.I.L.E.) and the different community outreach projects that he has done on the road for this tour. Following this, Tony brought out Matt Duke to sing “Yesterday,” noting that although he has had many great moments, singing the song with Adam Levine was probably one of the biggest career highlights. Although Adam couldn’t be there to sing it with Tony this time, Matt did a great job filling in. Rounding out the set were songs like “Bed Intruder,” “Pretty Things,” which he was again joined by Matt for. After a few more songs, the set was over for the time being. , Tony returned to the stage with one big song left to sing for the encore, leaving it all out for the crowd with a high energy version of “99 Problems.”
The show was a great way to start the week; and following the set, all the artists were around to say hi, take photos, and sign CD’s. It’s a tour to catch if you can or even just see each artist when they come through individually. Click the links below for photos and interviews with each artist!
