XPoNential Music Festival returns to Camden Sept. 18–20. Here’s who’s performing

From Philly and the Pa. suburbs to South Jersey and Delaware, what would you like WHYY News to cover? Let us know!

The XPoNential Music Festival returns to the Camden Waterfront in New Jersey Sept. 18–20, with multiple national, international and local artists set to perform.

For its 33rd iteration, XPNFest continues its long-running tradition of giving up-and-coming artists a platform while connecting music lovers of all ages with prominent artists from both the present and the past.

Wiggins Park on the waterfront will see many musical styles represented over the weekend. Headliners include the rock bands Dawes on Friday and Portugal. The Man on Saturday, with Little Feat wrapping up the festival Sunday.

Three-day passes for WXPN members are $225 before fees and $300 for the general public. One-day passes go for $85 to $95 for members and $98 to $108 for nonmembers. Kids passes for children aged 2 to 12 are $15 each day, regardless of membership. Tickets are only available through the festival’s website.

Local artists to connect with thousands of music fans

Across the River and Marina stages, thousands of attendees are expected to pull out their blankets and lawn chairs for a weekend of music.

Out of the nearly two dozen artists that will be performing is singer-songwriter Grace Gardner, who was “overcome with excitement” when getting the offer to perform.

After moving from Texas to Philadelphia more than three years ago, Gardner said it’s nice to feel a sense of “belonging to a community,” something they say has come through in the music they’ve released since arriving in Philly.

“There’s so much magic to Philadelphia and I really strongly believe that Philadelphia is a music city,” Gardner said. “Just to be acknowledged as part of that is a huge honor.”

Before Philly, Gardner bounced around a few cities, including Austin and New Orleans. They expressed the disillusionment one can feel when dealing with the corporate dregs of the industry, and how Philly’s independent scene helped break them free.

“They wanted to hear what you were about,” Gardner said of the Philly music scene. “And that was just something I hadn’t experienced in a really long time. It really got me back to a place where I was comfortably and freely creating.”

And despite hailing from the Dallas area, Gardner’s veins might have been bleeding Kelly green longer than they had thought.

“I don’t like Jerry Jones,” Gardner said. “I’m anti-Cowboys, always have been. That’s why I belong here.”

Gardner will perform Saturday alongside a five-piece band featuring a setlist of mostly new music that will be featured on their yet-to-be-announced debut studio album.

Coming from the Philly burbs is Mackenzie Johnson, whose performance at XPNFest on Saturday will be her first-ever festival show.

Songwriting has been a part of her life since she began playing guitar at 16. From making YouTube videos as a kid to being a finalist for WXPN’s 24 Hour Song Challenge, Johnson said it’s safe to say her festival slot is “a big deal for me.”

“I’ve been a gigging musician for many many years, so I’ve played probably hundreds of gigs over the course of my career,” Johnson said. “But this definitely sort of takes the cake when it comes to how big of a stage I’m stepping onto.”

With multiple singles released over the past few years, Johnson has been focusing on crafting her sound whilst simultaneously building an online following, having garnered more than 230,000 followers on TikTok. She said while social media does “shape the creative process to an extent,” she makes sure to not let it affect things too much, as that could “be detrimental.”

“I really feel like if you try to make something to make it go viral, it’s just disrupting the creative flow,” Johnson said. “Of course, we want our music to catch on and to catch people’s ears, so I just try to balance that out by just making the music that wants to be made, wants to come out of me, and honoring it the best that I can.”

A big influence towards her songwriting and work ethic comes from the late Glen Hansard, who she was able to connect after being a fan of his work, both solo and with The Swell Season over the years.

“He was always a touchstone for me when it came to keeping it grounded and remembering what this is about what I’m here for as an artist,” Johnson said. “We have these tools that are amazing and I’m really grateful for them, but just always remembering that it’s about the message that we’re carrying forward. It’s not about chasing the next trend.”

During the same weekend, Making Time ∞ (Forever) will welcome thousands of people to Fort Mifflin for an eclectic mix of more than 120 DJs and live acts. Performers include alternative music icon Kim Gordon, Philly-based shoegazers They Are Gutting a Body of Water and electronic acts Bicep and Daphni.