I wanted to send a big thank you to the band for playing at our wedding and to you for making it happen. We’ve been asking our friends what they liked best about the wedding, and I’m not kidding when I say that “the band” has been the most common thing. The band nailed it from start to finish. The ceremony vibe was perfect, the cocktail hour was perfect, and then the hora was somehow even better.
Gabe & Sarah
“WPO’s Balkan dance parties at the now-shuttered Tritone were legendary. Your wedding/bar mitzvah/birthday blowout will be, too, if you book their traditional brass klezmer band, a Jewish folk group that plays everything from Busta Rhymes to Neutral Milk Hotel.”
Philadelphia Magazine
(Selected WPO as Best Wedding Band of 2012)
From the Tiny Desk Contest: The Biggest Dance Party: West Philadelphia Orchestra
“Though not quite the size of the biggest band ever to grace the Tiny Desk (the 23-strong marching band Mucca Pazza), the 14-member West Philadelphia Orchestra filled up every corner of the antique emporium where they filmed their video with their huge, effusive sound. “Zla S’dba” is a joyful Balkan dance number that gets everyone in the room swaying. Bulgarian language skills not required; the song’s irresistibly celebratory spirit needs no translation.
Bob Boilen, NPR Music
“Labeling the group as just a Balkan-influenced band is a gross misrepresentation. Their catalog has layers of influences that synthesize gospel, techno, funk, jazz, hip-hop and even dub. Since their humble beginnings at Tritone, the Orchestra has moved their monthly parties to Underground Arts [now every Tuesday at Franky Bradley’s]. Though the venue has changed, their ability to connect the Western populace to Eastern musical arrangements has not wavered...Despite a sizable portion of the crowd likely not understanding the various languages of the southeastern Europe region, there always seems to be a supernatural synergy between them and the band.”
“This one million-member Balkan folk music monster is the only band in Philadelphia that can make you dance till you drop using solely acoustic instruments. A horn section, percussion section, tuba, sax, traditional vocals – this is by far one of the most energetic acts in the city. Check them out.
Get Lucid
WPO is the type of orchestra that could charm all ages – teenagers and upwardly mobile professionals and Baby Boomers and senior citizens. This wide appeal happens, despite any cultural deficits on the part of the listeners, because WPO is just so darn cool. Their music is fluid. It is nomadic, for it roams all the way to the West. WPO counts jazz, ska, reggae, and even a little punk rock among its influences. While its roots rest in history, somehow WPO feels refreshing. WPO plays music we’ve heard somewhere, probably a wedding, but in a new way. Most of the members play several instruments, so they switch it up. They are versatile. They are intriguing.