The Funkiest Friday: A Recap of the first day of the 2025 XPoNential Music Festival Presented By Subaru
Every Friday, Philadelphians are treated to a groovy playlist on their drives home. From 4 to 7 pm, it’s officially Funky Friday, featuring a mix of new and old soul, blues, jazz, and funk music. Since the XPoNential Music Festival Presented by Subaru kicked off on a Friday, they put together a perfect lineup for the evening, headlined by the legendary WAR.
On a personal note, This was my first time at the festival in 10 years, which featured shows at the large Pavilion next door. Now, it’s two stages outdoors at Wiggins Park, with a vibe similar to Newport Folk Festival, down to the dash to reserve a spot with a blanket or chairs. The smaller Marina stage overlooks a marina and the Battleship New Jersey. The larger, River Stage is right on the Delaware river with amazing views of the city of Philadelphia and each evening’s sunset. The festival itself is really conveniently located within Camden, NJ. Camden’s a city with a reputation, but it’s changed a lot since my last trip to the festival, and the waterfront area really is one of the nicest spots in the entire state of New Jersey. It’s also so easy to get to – by ferry, by PATCO, by the River Line, and plenty of parking options. It’s a place to check out even without XPoNential Music Festival in full swing.
Fawziyya Heart
The first artist of the weekend was the powerful Fawziyya Heart from Philadelphia. Her voice demands attention from the first moment anyone hears it. Her backing band provided a killer groove that set the bar incredibly high for the rest of the festival. To begin her set, Heart asked the audience to shut their eyes, and take a moment. A perfect reset to escape from the outside world and enter the welcoming confines of Wiggins Park. Heart also pulled out two great covers from her arsenal, a laid-back rendition of “Sugaree” by the Grateful Dead, and an impressive version of “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley.
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Black Buttafly
Introduced by The XPN Morning show hosts Kristen Kurtis and Bob Bumbera, Black Buttafly kicked off the River Stage for the festival in a big way. A large band with some incredible musicians surrounded Kayla Childs, who was practically hidden behind a huge electric piano. Her position on stage didn’t lend much for movement, but everyone, from her bandmates, to those watching from the hill were grooving from the moment she took the stage, and she even took a moment to make sure everyone was standing up.
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Southern Avenue
Hailing from Memphis, Tennessee, Southern Avenue channel the musical energy of that legendary city in a big, big way. A huge highlight of the set was their fantastic track “Upside”, an infectious groove with tons of positive energy. That energy took over the onlookers at the Marina stage, who danced and grooved along. The rest of the set kept that up, and the band matched it, with some incredible guitar work from Ori Naftaly, the husband of singer Tierinii Jackson. The whole band is a family affair, with Ava and Tikyra Jackson also in the band.
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Preservation Hall Jazz Band
Speaking of famous music cities on the banks of the Mississippi, perhaps there is no city more famous than New Orleans. The city is proud if its Jazz heritage, and Preservation Hall Jazz Band are dedicated to continuing the tradition of the city’s sound for future generations to experience. Their set at the River Stage was a party fitting for Bourbon Street. And while the band’s identity is entwined with New Orleans, bassist and sousaphone player Ben Jaffe made sure to let us know of his Philly roots. Incredible musicianship throughout, their set was a huge highlight of the first night of the fest.
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SNACKTIME
Philly powerhouse SNACKTIME closed the Marina stage on day 1 with an explosive, and unpredictable set. SNACKTIME defy classification, with roots in soul and funk, they go into all different territories. So, yeah, no better song to kick things off than “I Don’t Give A Damn”. Their covers also echoed this sentiment, with “Fly Like and Eagle” by Steve Miller Band and “Fly Away” by Lenny Kravitz. It was simply impossible to find a face without a huge smile as they just grooved so hard.
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WAR
What the hell can you say about the legendary WAR? Their set was incredible from start to finish, with some really amazing musicians surrounding Lonnie Jordan on stage. Jordan seemed to be having a great time on stage, joking with the audience, the band, and even himself. In a world where there’s so much division, it was nice hearing “Why Can’t We Be Friends”, as Jordan himself called for peace on Earth. To close the first day of the festival, Jordan called out SNACKTIME and Preservation Hall to the stage, and they all played “Low Rider”, complete with everyone on stage getting an introduction. Yeah, it took a while, but it was fun and everyone had a moment in the spotlight.
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