Tweed Hits It at Art Underground

By Patrick O’Shea
PHILADELPHIA, Penn., October 2, 2016 — Up and coming jamtronica band Tweed hit the stage on Saturday to celebrate their first studio release, “The Chunky Life.” Accompanied by Agent Zero and Wobblesauce as their opening acts, Tweed brought an energetic high-octane dance party to Underground Arts.

The crowd dances as Tweed takes the stage on Saturday, October 1, 2016, with Jon Tomczak, left, Dan McDonald, middle, and A.J. Dibiase, right. The band played until Underground Arts closed after 2:00 a.m. Photo: Patrick O’Shea

Hailing from Newark, Delaware, Tweed is made up of Joe Vela on drums, A.J. Dibiase on guitar, Jon Tomczak on keys, and Dan McDonald on Bass. The quintet of best friends took on three national tours this year, playing well over a hundred shows around the U.S.

In between tours Tweed managed to take time and record their first EP, consisting of five songs.

“It took us a year to record five songs, but I think it was worth the tender love and care that we put into them,” said drummer Joe Vela.

“I’m very impressed with the quality and how it came out,” guitarist A.J. Dibiase added. “We’re expecting this to be our biggest Philly show yet!”

As Tweed’s base of operations, Philadelphia is no stranger to the band’s psychedelic sounds. A crowd of nearly 300 people were packed into the brick basement of Underground Arts, primed for Tweed’s performance as Wobblesauce reached the tail end of their set.

The crowd went wild as Tweed took to the stage and began to work through an intricate two-hour set. The band fit each song on the EP into their set, all with fresh improvised jams while also touching on some fan favorites that didn’t make the cut, like “Chunky Finster.”

Keyboard player Jon Tomczak, left, enjoys a beer as he watches bassist Dan McDonald soundcheck his bass synthesizer in preparation for the album release party Saturday, October 1, 2016. They arrived four hours early to make sure everything was working and set properly. Photo: Patrick O’Shea

Tweed invited special guest Ian McGuire of C.I.A. on stage near the end of their set. Absolutely dominating the synthesizer, Mcguire added a surprise kick to Tweed’s jam, catapulting them into new territory.

A longtime friend of the band, Zach Davis, 24, was cheering loudly once Tweed’s set had concluded.

“I’ve been able to experience the smallest taste of Tweed’s journey the past few years and needless to say, it’s been delightful,” he said. “Not only is the music amazing but their songs and stage presence seem to have a charm that entices the audience.”

After the show ended, members of the band spent time with their fans, with many people spilling out onto the streets as Underground Arts was forced to close.

“I can’t wait to see what they do next,” Zach said as he made his way to his car.