Am0ra, a Philadelphia-area band with ties to Lansdale, will headline a free show on Saturday, Aug. 5 at
Panico’s Neighborhood Grill and Sports Tavern in Lansdale.
The reunion celebrates the fifth anniversary of the group’s first full album,
Martyr: A Recital of Self-Destruction. The post-hardcore band will perform the entire album, appearing alongside Lansdale-area punk-pop/emo bands
Westmain and
Vanish Cap.
The show marks the first time in a long time Panico’s has hosted performances, says the tavern ‘s manager Lauren Fisher. The band, which frequented the tavern during the creation of the album and celebrated its release there, "wanted to do an anniversary gig, and we haven’t had live music in years, so we just thought this would be fun,” said Fisher.
Am0ra was formed in 2014, with vocalist Billy Zee, rhythm guitarist Tristan Wikler, drummer Bryan Rodriguez, bassist Nick Magidson and lead guitarist Chris Swanson.
Billy Andrey, lead guitarist of Lansdale’s Westmain, says the show came together largely by chance.
"A close friend was bartending at Panico’s at the time, and we both came to each other at the same time to discuss the possibility of my band performing there. He put me in contact with Lauren and we met up to discuss details and possibilities,” said Andrey, "This show was also my way of working with (Am0ra’s) vocalist, and doing what I can to help celebrate one of their biggest accomplishments.”
Andrey notes that with the loss of The Underground, Lansdale’s former performance venue, the borough’s music scene has been on the decline. "This is just my personal start in trying to help renew a struggling scene in Lansdale. I’ve lived in the borough my entire life and have grown up going to shows all over town,” he says. "Lansdale has produced some incredibly influential bands, from the hardcore scene all the way to the pop punk scene. We still have amazing bands coming out of here every day, and my hope is to be able to bring them home and give them a place to grow again in the future.”
Panico’s is located at 530 N. Cannon Ave. Doors will open at 8 p.m. and performances will start at 8:30.
