Johnny Showcase
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2014
Music
Press
David Sweeny didn’t really come into his own as an artist until he decided to become someone else.
Clad in a hot pink suit, giant metal owl medallion and rocking his signature sunglasses—it’s the shades that complete the transformation—Sweeny looks and acts every inch the star.
Mexican kids from the neighborhood stop and stare as he struts around 9th Street in South Philly, posing for photograph after photograph, a born ham. As flashes pop, he comes alive in the light: twirling a flower in his teeth, leaping up onto his toes, vamping with all the subtlety of a Vegas showgirl having a Black Swan moment.
Inspired, he pulls out a guitar, plops down onto the stoop and strums a tune.
“We got to be sensual, but not sexual, because I’m ma-a-a-rried,” he croons into the evening air, entertaining the kids drinking beer outside across the street in front of Teri’s bar.
Read more: http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/news-and-opinion/cover-story/Lounge-Singer-Lady-Lover-Raconteur-Poet-Introducing-Johnny-Showcase.html#ixzz39xkrFrUe - Philadelphia Weekly
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
Johnny Showcase is an electrifying experience that blissfully toes the line between performance art and a psychedelic soul revival. Their blistering live show has gained them a massive following and propelled Johnny to something that of a funky Philly folk hero legend, restoring a sense of showmanship and playfulness that has been cast aside by modern "indie" music. In short, Johnny Showcase is one of best party bands you've ever seen.
The brain-child of theater artist/ musician David Sweeny, Johnny Showcase is a sweaty, charismatic showman from Rhode Island who is equal parts Andy Kaufman and Prince. Surrounding him is a rag tag group of performers, including a spiritual adviser named Rumi Kitchen (Michael Baker of The Spinning Leaves), two vacuous vocalists collectively named The Truth, and knife sharp backing band the Mystic Ticket.
Johnny Showcase has shared the stage with everyone from New York glam dynamos Mother Feather to Martha Graham Cracker, the hairiest drag queen you've ever seen. In 2009, they staged a sold out run of a fantastical, unauthorized Prince inspired odyssey Purr, Pull, Reign as part of the 2009 Philadelphia Live Arts/ Fringe Festival. 2011 saw the release of their debut album Love is the Message, co-produced with Henry Hirsch (Lenny Kravitz, Mick Jagger), followed up in 2012 with the self-produced EP Mystic Ticket I: The Pump Fake.
This summer are currently recording their second full length LP, tentatively titled The Octopus!!, as well as opening for George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic at Ardmore Music Hall on August 20.
Band Members
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