The Triangle

Issue date: 3/12/10 Section: Arts & Entertainment

Media Credit: Tara Giancaspro Dan Schwarts of Good Old War rocks out at the annual MAD Dragon MADKo Concerts show at the Mandell theater which also features Matt Duke, The Swimmers, Andrew Lipe, and Justin David.

On March 6, MAD Dragon Records and MADKo Concerts held their annual concert at the Mandell Theater. The concert showcases the talent of the record label's roster and gives Drexel students a chance to get a free show. This year, however, the headliners were not part of the MAD Dragon family, but local Philadelphia indie trio, Good Old War. They were accompanied alongside the likes of Matt Duke, The Swimmers, Andrew Lipke, and Justin David.

The concert opened with the solo act of Justin David. David, a senior Drexel University student, got the opportunity to open for the show after winning a contest at Late Night Series. The singer had a style reminiscent of OAR or Jack Johnson.

Andrew Lipke took the stage next. I've had the opportunity to see Lipke before, and he never fails to deliver. This particular show, the singer/songwriter played a stripped down performance, choosing to shed the band to deliver a more intimate and acoustic driven set list. About halfway through the set, he brought out Krista Nielsen, the cellist and backup vocalist from his band. The duo got to play some songs from the Lipke catalogue, which really resonated with the audience.

The next performers in the show were none other than the Swimmers. After two acoustic sets, the full on electric performance shook things up. The band has an interesting fusion of sounds, which always makes them great to watch. The feature elements consisted of genres like indie rock and 80's synth-pop. This wide variety of sounds keeps each song drastically different from their last. The Swimmers recently released their latest album, "People are Soft," on MAD Dragon records. The group played a well-balanced set list of songs from this as well as their 2008 release, "Fighting Trees." The Swimmers have been gaining a reputation with this latest album, and it's interesting to see where they head next.

Matt Duke followed the acoustic trend of the night by playing an unplugged and intimate set. Coming out and joking with the audience, Matt Duke and his set had a real loose vibe, similar to hanging out with the friend that plays guitar and sings for you. Usually that friend is pretty terrible, whereas Matt Duke put on a fantastic performance. His vocals are always engaging, and he knows just the right way to sing the songs in the most emotionally wrenching way possible. Songs like "Rabbit" and "Sex and Reruns" are simple, but beautifully effective. Duke also took the chance to play new songs, which will be featured on his next full-length album. If they are any indication of where the new material is going, color me excited.

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