Touring in support of his latest effort, Let's Just Be, singer/songwriter Joseph Arthur played to an enthusiastic flock of fans at Philly's Theatre of the Living Arts on a chilly Tuesday evening (April 17). Donning his signature shades and hobo-chic attire, the always-versatile Midwestern native launched into a virtual rock'n'roll seminar, touching on many styles and moods with solid backup from his band, the Lonely Astronauts.
Shifting between his many guises -- one second he's a '70s proto punker, the next he's a moody '90s troubadour -- Arthur charged through 11 select cuts from each of his six studio efforts, and a stunning six-song encore. From the lush acoustic beauty "Too Much to Hide" to the confessional tearjerker "A Smile That Explodes," Arthur's honest disposition seemed far sturdier than it has been in years.
Once he and the Lonely Astronauts took their final bows, many twenty-something loyalists left the cozy confines of the upstairs bar to mingle with the "rabble." And as is the custom at Arthur's shows, many fans also stuck around to purchase freshly burned discs of the show they had just witnessed. BRETT HARRISON / PHOTOS BY MICHELLE LAWLOR
>> Listen to Joseph Arthur on Napster
We asked: If Joseph Arthur and James Blunt were to engage in hand to hand combat, who would win and why?
Name: Jess Eisenhart
Age: 25
Hometown: East Berlin, PA
Occupation: Lab Technician
"Joseph Arthur. Because he has a darker side."
Name: Matt Kaffer
Age: 23
Hometown: Gettysburg, PA
Occupation: Works at Gettysburg College
"Joseph Arthur. He looks a lot bigger."
Name: Matt Bender
Age: 21
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
Occupation: Works at a photo lab
"Because I can't name a single song he's done"
Name: Nicole Robinson
Age: 17
Hometown: West Grove, PA
Occupation: Student
"Joseph Arthur. He would have Chuck Norris on his side."
Name: George W. Anthony IV
Age: 21
Hometown: East Fallowfield, PA
Occupation: Musician/artist
"Joseph Arthur. His lyrics would shatter his opponent's sense of reality."
Name: Desirae Baker
Age: 19
Hometown: Downingtown, PA
Occupation: Waitress
"Joseph Arthur. He's more talented and would beat him down with his guitar."
Name: Andrew Nunes
Age: 20
Hometown: West Grove, PA
Occupation: Student
"Joseph Arthur would probably win. James Blunt is a pussy."
Name: Sarah Katzianer
Age: 19
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
Occupation: Student
"Joseph Arthur, because he is an amazing, super-human being."
Name: Kevin Ivey
Age: 20
Hometown: Landenberg, PA
Occupation: Student
"Joseph Arthur. He's got those sunglasses and I gotta think he knows kung fu."
Name: Abby
Age: 19
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
Occupation: Student
"Joseph Arthur, 'cause he's like seven feet tall and James Blunt isn't."
Joseph Arthur, lonely astronaut or spaceman?
Guitarist Jennifer Turner
Redemption's Son and his band, the Lonely Astronauts
