Philly's Next Star Takes The Stage

Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending a live listening party for R&B Artist Ryan Gilfilian. The Philly native performed his entire EP, Evergreen, for a full crowd at City Winery. Ryan is a true performer, connecting with the audience throughout the event. Even as technical difficulties turned all of the house lights on in the venue, he still emceed and sang his way right into the hearts of the audience.

  When asked to describe Ryan’s sound, his fans simply said “raw.” The authenticity of Ryan's music is evident. As an example, he explained that his song “Mary Mary” is about a real person, albeit “Mary is not her real name.” Without a doubt, we hear the pain and hurt in the lyrics. The addition of a live band, led by EP producer Nickyboy Leonardo truly added to the vibe of the entire night.

The concert's opening act was JONIL, another Philly native that has stylings similar to John Legend. Jon set the tone for the night and warmed up the audience for Ryan and the band. Both sets got right to the point and left the crowd, and me, wanting more.

I had a chance to speak with the “Crime” artist following the concert to see how he was feeling and the first thing he stated was “blessed.” Ryan is an amazing soul with an amazing voice. There are big things ahead for him and his entire team.