Newton Faulkner proved a charming, self-deprecating opener for Ani DiFranco, The Hold Steady, and Dr. John in concert at the NON-COMMvention in Philadelphia on May 30. The English singer-songwriter played a song he wrote with his brother that got the audience laughing, but refused to perform any covers, opting instead to play one of his songs in the style of another band (Kings of Leon).
Faulkner specializes in folk-tinged pop music. On his debut album, Hand Built by Robots, the 22-year-old covers bands as varied as Rusted Root and Massive Attack, using his trademark percussive style on acoustic guitar.
Dr. John, Ani DiFranco, The Hold Steady, and Newton Faulkner performed at the NON-COMMvention in Philadelphia. NON-COMM is an annual convention of non-commercial radio programmers and music directors, as well as other music-industry professionals.
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