Syd, Ravyn Lenae and St. Beauty Keep it Weird and Wonderful at '3 Days in Philly'

Philly, you're a weird fucking city.

Five years and running, I've observed your eccentricities at the top of summer. Usually one of the first weekends that holds up to seasonal expectations. You're a ball of blunt smoke, shea butter and high-grade SPF. But to see you shaking off a red-eyed summer is something else entirely.

Tucked into a bustling cut of Chinatown, there was no better perch suited for the task of taking in the transformation than The Trocadero, a rustic and well-kept venue housed in a historic building as central to Philly's evolution and widely-unherladed legacy in the arts as it is to an actual map of the city. High-ceilings that have overlooked everything from jam band cults to Beanie Sigel and squad's infamous Katt Williams beatdown. It's a place that lends itself quite well to these seemingly-distant factions. Three tiers of seating with pillars on its ground-floor, a weathered coliseum, weird as the city it calls home.

Last night, however, those tall chambers resonated of a wildly different frequency, spilling over with the power, poise and beauty of a glowing congregation.

The function: a star-powered series finale to Red Bull Sound Select's 3 Days in Philly, co-presented by the @Okayplayer crew.

The bill: an assembly of badass women that are changing the face of music with genre-defying acts of post-r&b and rock & roll heroism.

The Warm-Up

Following a few opening rotations from the city's own Gun$ Garcia, the evening commenced with a jolt of St. Beauty's southern-cooked melodies. The ATLien-esque duo, with all the rockstar pedigree, swung with force, lighting up the stage with lush trap-infused grooves like the Insecure-endorsed, "Caught, " born of a regional recipe of refined, high-style funk fodder. They'd tip a hat with an immersive cover of André 3000's "Prototype" before exiting the stage. They'd join the crowd from the wings to look on for the upcoming performances.

You are enough — St. Beauty's Isis Valentino

The house-heavy follow-through

Next up: Ravyn Lenae, an electrified, house-humming songbird from Chicago's Southside. Wielding a wild batch of experimental beats, Lenae pulled a hopeful beauty out of otherwise dissonant soundscapes, championing her city and the deep lineage of electronic pioneers it holds dear to its continually renewing roster of groundbreaking creatives. After all, the iconic "Mystery of Love" pulse lives on in The Life of Pablo. Lenae burned up the stage with her genre-blurring brilliance and a magnetic confidence, leaving nothing but smoke in her path.

Trust your artistry — Gun$ Garcia

The ice-cold closer

Capping the program after hearing her name chanted throughout the evening, Syd emerged through heavy smoke to the roar of her legion and kept them in full-float until curtains closed. She'd dip in and out of a catalog that's expanded three or four-fold in the last few years thanks to a recently-prolific streak; both as The Internet's leading lilt and as a solo standout, crafting anthems for late-night strip club crusaders. With two 2017 projects to pull from and a grip of beloved features in the years prior, Syd sculpted a set for every tier of fan, even offering a bid of regional gratitude with a tender cover of Jill Scott's "He Loves Me."

It's important to note, that "City of Brotherly Love" is only Philly's de facto nickname ("philos," as in "love," "adelphos," as in "brother.") And by the evening's conclusion, Syd stank-facing through the swaggering Fin cut "All About Me" as her closer, a redefinition was in order. Stepping stage-right as she exited the clouded stage, she thanked the crowd filled with diehards and devoted for their continued support as she learned to love herself a little more each day.

She took the mic stand with her.

Peep some of the highlights in a gallery below and stay tuned to @Okayplayer for more exclusive events.

https://open.spotify.com/user/redbullsoundselect/playlist/6QyFPOPAEESKGPpw2TeNt8