What do jazz legends Billie Holiday, John Coltrane, and Dizzy Gillespie have in common with pioneering fusion bassist Jaco Pastorius, Hall of Fame rock duo Hall and Oates, and visionary artist and producer Todd Rundgren, let alone punk rockers The Dead Milkmen and glam metal legends Cinderella? Among other things, they’d all have been eligible to perform at the Philly Music Fest this year from October 21-27 across the Greater Philadelphia area.
The festival has a fantastic lineup. Amos Lee will headline one night of the festival, as will Slaughter Beach, Dog, who played an earlier set during the first Philly Music Fest as they made a name for themselves. The same is true of 2024 headliner Waxahatchee, whose leader, Katie Crutchfield, played a solo acoustic set at the second annual fest in 2018. Tickets are available here.
“Our Genre is Philly,” says Greg Seltzer, who founded the nonprofit festival with his wife Jennifer in 2017. As they prepare for the eighth annual event, the Seltzers remain dedicated to their mission: to host a unique, hyper-local music festival that benefits the Philly community without large corporate and governmental oversight and involvement. In their efforts to date, they’ve featured bands that have gone on to international renown and also have generated hundreds of thousands of dollars for music education nonprofits. “We raise around $100,000 each year for music nonprofits,” says Seltzer, “and we think the broader economic impact could be as much as five times that each year.” They also support other local industry professionals by providing educational panels and networking opportunities.
Overall, the Seltzers want to support the Philly music community. And they do it their way.
Not Your Typical Concert Promoters
Seltzer is a corporate triple threat, holding a CPA, law degree, and MBA. He began his career in audit with a Big Four accountancy, Ernst & Young, migrating to legal practice in corporate mergers & acquisitions at a large Philadelphia firm, Ballard Spahr, where he now leads the Emerging Companies and Venture Capital practice group. Jenn is a CPA and works as a family office accountant. They’re both lifelong music fans, and Greg has a long history of supporting members of the artistic community, often as a “behind-the-scenes” advisor to a broad swath of national clients.
In addition to large corporate M&A transactions, Seltzer assists clients in the entertainment industry, focusing on music and sports. His music-related clients include local independent venues Ardmore Music Hall and World Cafe Live, independent concert promoter Rising Sun Presents, VIP music hospitality company 100x Hospitality and its CEO Dan Berkowitz, and personal counsel to Jay Sweet, executive producer of the Newport Folk Festival, Newport Jazz Festival, and several other projects.
On the sports side, Seltzer has represented Jason Kelce for several years, most recently advising Jason in connection with the hit documentary film, KELCE, and then negotiating on behalf of Jason and Travis Kelce in the historic podcast deal with Wondery to distribute their New Heights podcast. Seltzer also represents Jordan Mailata and works closely with Connor Barwin, a Philly music scene ambassador, assisting Mailata, Kelce, and Barwin with the legal aspects of the Philly Special Christmas Album. “Greg has been extremely generous with his advice and support of the Christmas Albums,” says Barwin. “We’re able to access his high-level expertise, especially in connection with the upcoming album to be released in November, all in the spirit of giving.”
Likewise, Seltzer represents James Beard Award-winning chef Mike Solomonov, himself a music fan who curated a menu of donuts for Phish’s epic “Baker’s Dozen” run at Madison Square Garden, as well as noted music fan and “Top Chef” Nick Elmi. If that’s not enough, Seltzer has written and published two books about the intersection of history and music in 1965 and 1968.
Birth of a New Kind of Festival
As Seltzer was finishing his second book in 2017, he wanted to take on a project to benefit his local musical community, and he and Jenn decided to lean into what they think makes the Philly scene so special. “We wanted to honor Philly’s musical legacy by raising awareness of our amazing and diverse artists,” says Seltzer, “and we realized that the city’s musical infrastructure provides a great platform to host a festival.”
The Seltzers decided to schedule a one-day event and to manage every aspect themselves, from booking bands and securing a venue to marketing and fundraising. They connected directly with various artists, independently owned and operated venues, sponsors, the WXPN community, and a small but mighty group of music professionals. “We realized that by putting this on ourselves, we could generate greater profits to donate to charity and pay our artists very well.”
The first Philly Music Fest took place at World Cafe Live, and Seltzer describes it as a moderate success, showing him how to grow the festival. What began as a one-day, half-sold event at one venue has blossomed into a week-long, city-wide musical bonanza, with sold-out shows across multiple independent venues showcasing a diverse range of genres, from rock and hip hop to punk, jazz, bluegrass, folk, and Americana. “The impact and growth of Philly Music Fest has been remarkable,” says Barwin, “and the fact that it’s a nonprofit – just a lot of respect…and we love going to the shows.”
Strand of Oaks headlined the first Philly Music Fest, which has hosted many well-known acts like Kurt Vile (2023), Mt. Joy and Mannequin Pussy (2022), Alex G and Low Cut Connie (2021), and Japanese Breakfast (2020). And Seltzer has a long list of acts he’d love to include in future lineups. “Philly has no shortage of amazing artists,” he says.
Investing in the Future
By donating their proceeds to music education programs for children, the Seltzers are doing what they can to seed the future Philly music scene, educating up-and-coming musicians who could find themselves playing a Philly Music Fest in the future. During the first week of the COVID pandemic in 2020, Philly Music Fest distributed over 330 microgrants (along with capital provided by WXPN) to musicians and venue workers as the live concert industry struggled to stay afloat. Subsequently, PMF has continued to utilize microgrants in situations where artists suffer stolen gear, health issues, or severe economic distress.
In addition to providing a platform for artists to shine and fans to enjoy, the Seltzers also want to support the broader Philly musical industry. Philly Music Fest and WXPN co-sponsor Inside Hustle, where emerging artists and aspiring music professionals can meet and network as they learn from experienced members of the industry. Inside Hustle is open to the public and has grown to a twice-annual event; they also host a Spring edition, and each event has more than 400 attendees. From managers to marketers, producers to podcasters, there’s something for everyone at Inside Hustle, scheduled for October 26. (RSVP here.)
More than just a music festival, Philly Music Fest is an investment in the city’s cultural fabric. By providing a platform for local artists, supporting the next generation of musicians, and fostering a thriving music ecosystem, the festival is helping to make Philadelphia an even better place to live, work, and experience the power of music.
