Last night I watched a fun set from local emo band Harmony Woods in the most relaxing spot in Philadelphia. It was the first show of the free XPN Welcomes Waterfront Sessions summer concert series at Spruce Street Harbor Park. The event, and the park, are a highly-recommended night out in the city.

Harmony Woods is a four-piece band that is based out of Abington, PA. They released their debut album, Nothing Special, in May of 2017. The outfit mostly played from that record, but also debuted a new song last night.

The group stuck closely to their lo-fi style. The only major changes in tone occurred during the end of the set. Singer Sofia Verbilla sang a Mitski cover by herself. She and the rest of Harmony Woods then dropped a surprising version of Miley Cyrus’ “Party In The U.S.A.”

A DJ set by XPN’s John Vettese proceeded Harmony Woods. Both the band and Vettese set a great tone for Spruce Street Harbor Park. They promoted the friendly atmosphere at the location, which was well-attended by families and a diverse age-range of people.

Spruce Street Harbor Park Is Great

The entire evening felt like a rock ‘n roll oasis. Spruce Street Harbor Park is located on Penn’s Landing, but the layout of the park obscures the fact that it is near the chaos of I-95. You can emotionally hide away in the park’s cool lighting system, hammocks, and array of food vendors.

Spruce Street Harbor Park is easy to drive to. You can park at the lot closest to the Moshulu restaurant. A short walk along the riverfront near the Olympia and Becuna museums will take you right to the park.

In addition to the Waterfront Sessions, Spruce Street Harbor Park is also hosting Jazz In The Park each month. The combination of the park and music offer an amazing opportunity for a cool retreat during the summer.

After spending time at the West Philly Porchfest last weekend, the show at Spruce Street Harbor Park was another reminder of how rich the local music community is.

www.flatcircleblog.com is a Philadelphia pop-culture blog that covers television, music, podcasts, and movies. Follow along on Twitter and Facebook or subscribe by e-mail to catch all posts.