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Philadelphia’s music scene took center stage this weekend, with festivals celebrating independent artists from Philadelphia and around the world.

Making Time ∞ saw thousands ‘transcend’ at Fort Mifflin

More than 120 DJs and live acts took over the historic Revolutionary War fort on the Delaware River for this year’s Making Time ∞ festival.

Making Time parties have been happening since 2000, ultimately culminating in the annual festival that has emerged as an end-of-summer staple in Philadelphia. This year’s headliners included alternative music icon Kim Gordon, Philly-based shoegazers They Are Gutting a Body of Water and electronic acts Bicep and Daphni.

The festival tends to focus on electronic acts, but TAGABOW broke through the dense soundscapes with their own sound. After their set, vocalist and guitarist Douglas Dulgarian told WHYY News how excited he was to play a big event in his hometown.

“I didn’t expect anybody that really listens to us to be here,” Dulgarian said. “Although, I think there’s a lot of crossover with electronic music and what we do. I think they kind of live in the same world.”

The band also played “in the round,” where the four members set up in a circle in the crowd itself. Dugarian said this creates a more “communal” experience during the live shows.

“Philly, it’s my favorite place in the whole world,” Dulgarian said. “Every time we tour, I come back and I’m like, ‘This is where I belong.’”

He said the festival also showcases the independent spirit of the city’s music scene, noting that it isn’t too “corporatized,” which allows an event like Making Time ∞ to take place.

“I just picked up a guitar and started to play it,” Dulgarian said. “And I think this is the kind of city that embraces that sentiment … Anybody can start a band, and it’s cool because this is a place where you don’t have to be on some big label for it to work out.”

The festival featured extensive projections throughout the festival grounds created by the Klip Collective. Making Time’s next event takes place Oct. 31 at Franklin Music Hall for a Halloween event featuring Boy Harsher and Model/Actriz.

In its 33rd year, XPoNential Music Festival brings thousands across the river to Camden

At the same time as Making Time ∞, XPNFest showcased independent musicians from Philadelphia and around the world on the Camden Waterfront in New Jersey.

Thousands of attendees set up lawn chairs and picnic blankets across Wiggins Park to watch the nearly two dozen acts.

At the River and Marina stages, the focus was on singer-songwriters and rock acts, including Dawes, Portugal. The Man and Little Feat.

Rob Baidokas spoke to WHYY News while waiting to see one of his favorite bands, St. Paul and The Broken Bones. A self-described WXPN supporter for more than a decade, Baidokas said the community cultivated by the station keeps him coming back to the festival each year.

In addition, it also serves as a way to get into up-and-coming artists who get a boost from playing in front of so many people.

“Seeing some artists when they’re just starting out and then a few years later, they end up becoming big, touring around the country and the world,” Baidokas said. “They always come back and show their support for us.”

One artist that came to mind was Mt. Joy, a Philly-based indie band that’s set to play down the street at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion on Friday.

“I’ve seen them at Union Transfer, at Ardmore, at The Mann,” Baidokas said. “It really is insane to see how the community has helped them grow.”

The two festivals competed against a stacked weekend of concerts in the Philadelphia metro area, most notably Ed Sheeran’s headlining show at Lincoln Financial Field. Controversy ensued when Grammy award-winning rapper Macklemore was dropped as an opening act after venue owners objected to his pro-Palestine comments on stage.

Protesters demonstrated outside of the venue ahead of his show, saying they were disappointed that Sheeran “did not take a stand.” Meanwhile, some fans who attended defended Sheeran, arguing that “a concert is not the place for politics.”

Other shows over the weekend included Philly’s own Boyz II Men at The Mann Center with the Philly Pops, country artist Jason Aldean at the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion and the Montco Jazz Fest, which featured Josh Lawrence, Chelsea Reed and the V. Shayne Frederick Trio.