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The Philly area was packed with concerts this weekend, which allowed some fans to find their groove by the water, while others chased transcendence at an old military base.

Making Time ∞ sees thousands take part in ‘Dave P.’s transcendental plan’

Fort Mifflin hosted thousands of attendees for this year’s Making Time ∞ festival, where more than 120 performing artists packed the air with pulsing sound waves as airplanes from the nearby Philadelphia International Airport took off overhead.

The festival was founded a half decade ago by Philly native Dave Pianka, also known as Dave P. It featured numerous eclectic acts such as electronic icon Four Tet, Panda Bear of the band Animal Collective and jazz legend Marshall Allen.

Pianka said this year’s festival was the “complete vision” of what he wanted to create, made even more special by it taking place in the middle of a busy concert calendar in the city.

“Philadelphia is at a point now where all these things can coexist together,” he said. “Maybe 10 years ago or even five years ago, that wouldn’t have been possible, but I think Philadelphia is just so rich with culture right now.”

Fezzi Reshi attended the second day of the festival and wore his favorite tiger suit to commemorate the occasion.

“Philly has every type of scene in the music scene,” he said. “If you like dubstep, if you like techno, if you like house, anything you can find, you can find a specific scene anywhere.”

Beyond connecting with some of their favorite artists, attendees got to partake in what Reshi called “Dave P.’s transcendental plan” — something he says he is a “full believer” in.

“It’s about [the] evolution of yourself and how we can all get together and emotionally connect everybody, similar people in the same playing field,” Reshi said.

Pianka said the plan isn’t just about “people having these beautiful musical experiences,” it can come in different forms depending on the person.

“It’s specific to each person, it’s specific to the individual,” Pianka said. “Transcendence can mean one thing to one person and another thing to another … I want to give them these spiritual experiences where they lose themselves in the music, in the space, in the lighting and in the community.”

Rock group YHWH Nailgun was one of several performing acts born out of the Philadelphia music scene after the group formed while living in the city in 2020.

“It’s like shaking hands with a billion people at a time,” vocalist Zack Borzone said about the packed crowd.

On the Camden Waterfront, XPNFest brought thousands closer to their favorite artists and some festivalgoers even closer together

Across the Delaware River, the XPoNential Music Festival Presented By Subaru returned for another year with sets from iconic indie artists of the present and some legends of the past.

Notable artists filling out the setlists this year included War, Courtney Barnett and Craig Finn of The Hold Steady.

Julie and Chris Dinsmore were among the thousands of music lovers in attendance along the Camden Waterfront. The couple first attended the XPNFest in 2018, when they were dating; now, they’re married with a child whom they hope will someday become a festivalgoer.

Chris said the thing that made him keep coming back every year, besides the music, is the wide range of people the festival attracts.

“Older, younger, people with kids,” he said. “It’s a good crowd. Nobody’s trying to put on an image. Everyone’s just comfortable in their own skin.”

For Julie, she said seeing Chris in that setting is what made her realize they were meant to be.

“You get to see people for who they are, and it makes you see things in a different light,” she said. “You’re like, ‘Oh, if this is how you act around little kids, old women, you’re respecting everyone, like this is someone I could fall in love with.’”

The couple spent the weekend checking out some of their favorite artists while reminiscing on past lineups from their seven years of making the festival trip together. They talked about the experience of catching the next big band before they blow up — sometimes just a few feet away.

“The Lumineers used to come here before they got big and now they’re huge,” Chris said. “It’s cool to see a band before they really pop off and get famous.”

A big to-do item for Julie this year was to see Soccer Mommy.

“I’ve seen her a few times and she feels so big for this type of venue,” she said. “It’s crazy to see her this close or even Tune-Yards. I was like, ‘I can touch her,’ like that’s wild.”

Other notable shows this weekend included Turnstile performing at The Mann Center alongside Mannequin Pussy, Speed and Jane Remover, Kali Uchis at the Xfinity Mobile Arena and the Montco Jazz Fest.