New double deck bus tour will hit some high notes in Philly

This summer an enterprising double-decker tour bus company is offering a bit more than extra altitude. On-board concerts, featuring indie talent, will roll through Old City every Sunday.

The city has always been known for its historic sites, but now it’s also becoming a focal point for all kinds of indie music. That’s why tour guide Sebastian Petsu decided to combine the two. With the arts organization Bowerbird as co-producer, he has launched the Double Decker Music Series.

“I warm up the crowd with a little bit of history,” Petsu said. “We’ll drive around for about a half hour. And then we do a set change from tour guiding mode to concert stage mode, and we continue driving. So the venue kind of changes as we’re driving through the city.”

The concert will add to the fun of visitors both on and off the bus, he said.

“People driving by or walking by will get the sense that something’s happening on board this bus,” he said. “There’s something fun happening. But I don’t want to be like one of those people that drives around with their windows down with their stereo blasting, you know, shakes the inside of your house. It’s not like that.”

Percussionist and beatmaker Christopher Sean Powell plays with the groups Man Man and Adventure Drum. For his solo Double Decker bus show on Sunday, he thinks the setting will inspire the improvisation that’s a hallmark of his music.

“This is a brand new thing for a lot of people to experience, this type of show,” he said. “It’s location-based, in a way. It’s a moving location, which is very exciting. So yeah, it’s brand new, and I like the idea of improvising, building something new on the spot.

The other group on Sunday’s bill is the experimental folk duo the Sunflights.