JAKE XERXES FUSSELL
Jake Xerxes Fussell, Ardmore Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA 4/9/2026
On Thursday April 9th, a collection of contemporary folk artists brought a night of storytelling and connection to the Ardmore Music Hall. The evening began with an opening set from Jana Horn, who released a self-titled album earlier this year.
Following Horn came beloved contemporary folk artist Sam Amidon, who’s album Salt River gained a lot of attention in 2025. Amidon played a collaborative set, with both the audience and his shared bill headliner. Switching instruments throughout the set, Amidon showed his true skill set as a musician playing on acoustic guitar, banjo, and fiddle. On several tracks, he called upon the audience to lend vocals in crowd singalongs, such as “Friends and Neighbors.” He regaled stories of talking to Lou Reed, or rather, Lou Reed saying one thing to him, quoting (in jest): “He said to me one thing: Wait a minute. Do you hear that? Is that a ukulele?”, before proceeding to play a Reed tune “Big Sky,” which appears on Salt River. Hailing originally from Vermont, Amidon also referenced some of his folk roots inspirations, such as the Scared Harp, but also kept the energy lighthearted, as he told the crowd to look out for his “one note guitar solo.” Closing out his set, Sam was joined by Jake Xerxes Fussell as supporting guitar for several Amidon songs, before Fussell took to the stage to play collections from his catalogue.
Headlining the night was Paradise of Bachelors and Fat Possum artist Jake Xerxes Fussell. Seated in the center of the stage, with nothing more than his telecaster and acoustic, Fussell leaned into the intimate, attentive crowd at Ardmore Music Hall, which paired beautifully with his soulful crooning vocals and humbly disguised skills on guitar. Playing from across his discography, Fussell has a way of showing his inspiration and respect for traditional folk, referencing Georgia Sea Isle Singers during the show, embodying the storytelling and soul of folk music. In November 2026, Fussell released an instrumental collaborative album and soundtrack, entitled Rebuilding, with James Elkington. However, the night was filled with tunes from 2019’s Out of Sight (“River St. John’s”, “Jubilee”), 2017’s What in the Natural World (“Jump for Joy”, "Have You Ever Seen Peaches Growing on a Sweet Potato Vine?”), and a throwback 2015 tune “Raggy Levy.” Jake also played songs from his albums from 2022 and 2024, Going Green Again and When I’m Called, respectively. Joining him to close out the night, Amidon returned to the stage with fiddle in hand, to provide accompaniment and give the audience a real treat seeing two great artists, both known mostly for their independent work, jam on each other’s work in such a natural fashion.
Shot and Written by Jesse Buggey.
