To Write Love On Her Arms Presents Heavy & Light
I often ask artists about causes they are involved with or what they do to give back. So when To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA) put together a tour filled not of fundraising, but simply of songs, conversation, and hope, I had to
see just what they had created. TWLOHA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing help for anyone in a challenging situation. Be it an eating disorder, thoughts of suicide, self-harm, or just small scale depression, TWLOHA provides resources and stories of hope and help. The Heavy & Light tour was created as an evening where music lovers and their friends could come out to a safe environment to be inspired.
On a beautiful Tuesday night in Philadelphia, Anis Mojgani stood on the balcony at the back of the TLA to begin the night with an artfully connected string of words. Having never really seen poetry performed live, it was incredible to see how quickly he drew the audience in and captivated the room. He introduced The Lone Bellow, a group of three talented musicians who had just joined the tour and took to the stage to play a 5 song set showcasing some of their music. Though you may or may
not have heard of the band yet, I suggest checking them out because their album has become one of my favorites over the past few days.
Following The Lone Bellow, TWLOHA’s founder Jamie Tworkowski took to the stage with a mic in hand to talk a bit about the evening and the organization. He then introduced Now, Now who played another 5 songs. Their onstagejokes and smiles kept the overall feeling in the room light and happy. It was after their performance that Aaron, one of the TWLOHA counselors, came out to speak a bit about the “heavy” serious side of things. Letting the crowd know that there was a list of local resources inside the pamphlet they received when coming into the show, he also talked a bit about what he does and why you should never be afraid to ask for help.
Next up, it was time for Will Anderson from Parachute. It was his first night as part of the tour and he decided it was
the perfect opportunity to try out a few new Parachute songs that the band had just recorded for their upcoming album. Leaving the crowd wanting more, he played 5 songs before Anis came back out on stage to leave the crowd with a few more words of hope. Following his poems, it was Anthony Raneri of Bayside’s turn to take the stage. Like the other artists, he played about 5 songs and shared his love for everyone else that had taken and would be taking the stage.
Finally, Jamie returned to the stage to share a few more words and bring out Jon Foreman whom you may know as the lead singer of Switchfoot. After he took to the stage, Jon played a few solo songs and then stepped away from the microphone to talk for a minute about how he loves the TLA because it’s one of the few venues you don’t need a microphone for. He then asked if it was ok if he covered a Switchfoot song and proceeded to play “Dare You To Move” with no speakers — just him, the guitar, and the whole crowd singing along. He then brought out the rest of Fiction Family, his other project, and they sang a great 5 or 6 song set to round out the remainder of the night.
Following the show, most of the performers and even Jamie could be found mingling with fans scattered around the venue and by the merch tables. All in all, it was an uplifting evening filled with some great music. Though the tour is just about over this year, keep an eye on the artists and other events that TWLOHA puts on.
