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The Districts On World Cafe

Lead singer/guitarist Rob Grote of The Districts, performing at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia.
Emma Silverstone
/
WXPN
Lead singer/guitarist Rob Grote of The Districts, performing at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia's The Districts is the kind of band you just have to see live — and I'm so happy to share some of the band's explosive energy with you, from a live performance at the World Cafe.

Of course, that's not to say The Districts' recorded music isn't impressive — it is. And the band has been at it for some time: its debut release, Telephone, came out in 2012, when the members were still in high school.

The band's latest record, called Popular Manipulations, is sophisticated and ambitious. The members produced part of the record themselves — with the help of their pal Keith Abrams of Philly band Pine Barons — and also worked with producer John Congleton, a Grammy Award winner who has produced artists like St. Vincent, Manchester Orchestra and Angel Olsen. Congleton also produced The Districts' 2015 breakout album, A Flourish and a Spoil. That one landed The Districts on a bunch of Best Of 2015 lists, and even helped get the band a very memorable gig opening for the The Rolling Stones. We'll hear that story in my chat with lead singer Rob Grote and guitarist Pat Cassidy in the player above.

But first – here's The Districts kicking it live in front of a packed Philly crowd on stage at the World Cafe. Watch The Districts perform "Ordinary Day" below.

Copyright 2017 XPN

Talia Schlanger hosts World Cafe, which is distributed by NPR and produced by WXPN, the public radio service of the University of Pennsylvania. She got her start in broadcasting at the CBC, Canada's national public broadcaster. She hosted CBC Radio 2 Weekend Mornings on radio and was the on-camera host for two seasons of the television series CBC Music: Backstage, as well as several prime-time music TV specials for CBC, including the Quietest Concert Ever: On Fundy's Ocean Floor. Schlanger also guest hosted various flagship shows on CBC Radio One, including As It Happens, Day 6 and Because News. Schlanger also won a Canadian Screen Award as a producer for CBC Music Presents: The Beetle Roadtrip Sessions, a cross-country rock 'n' roll road trip.