Chelsea Berry Bringing Folk to the Philly Suburbs

If you can appreciate some alternative folk music with positive messaging behind it, Chelsea Berry’s your girl. The spirit she put into her Steel City show on May 15th filled the venue with an energy that I can only describe as “sinking into the arms of an old friend.”

As someone who grew up in Phoenixville, I can attest to the well-earned status of Steel City Coffeehouse & Brewery as Bridge Street’s most rocking cafe. They are everything you could want in a third space. From their incredible menu, to their welcoming environment, to their variety of weekly events, Steel City is one of my favorite places to connect with the community. When I’m home from college, I’ll often order a tea on the weekends before I head to the library to study, or sit down for a quick lunch during a day out on the town. So when I saw the upcoming show for Chelsea Berry on Friday, I grabbed my ticket and grabbed a friend to join me.

We pulled up to Steel City at 6:27—around 30 minutes before the show began. The walk to the cafe was a gorgeous 65 degrees. Everyone was out on Bridge Street, taking advantage of the good weather and great vibes downtown. In typical Phoenixville fashion, live music was flowing out of every corner. With a little rock coming from The Boardroom, a bit of country at The Great American Pub, it felt like the show had already started before we hit the venue. 

As we entered the historic red-brick building with the stunning glass mosaic on the front, my friend and I were immediately greeted by one of Steel City’s co-owners and the host of the night’s show, Liesel Tarquini-Zumpetta. She gave us a warm welcome and helped us find a seat. A good portion of attendees had arrived early for dinner before the show, so my friend and I found a table in the back. Of course, it would be criminal to attend a Steel City event without also ordering a drink. I got a London Fog (my favorite), and my friend got a caramel macchiato. We also grabbed an eclair and an elephant's ear to share. If you ever find yourself in the area looking for a sweet treat, their eclairs are insanely good. Even Liesel agrees! She complimented us on our choice of pastries when we saw her again.

Chelsea Berry and her opener that night, Annachristie “AC” Sapphire, were both out in the crowd before the show, mingling with guests and thanking everyone for coming. In a fashion that reflects the kindness of her song lyrics, I watched Berry hug just about everyone she interacted with. You would think this was a big family reunion with the way she spoke to each member of the audience like they were her lifelong pals. At one point, I observed from my seat in the back as she crouched down at the table of an elderly couple, listening intently to everything they said. 

A little after 7:00, Liesel took the stage to welcome the audience and performers. She thanked everyone for supporting a small business and small artists, and of course, gave a shoutout to the staff on shift that night. Atypical to a normal concert, there were a few ground rules to be laid out for everyone before starting the show. No talking, no phones. As Liesel explained, “We are one of the last listening rooms in the Philly region.” Designed for audiences to fully take in the performance at the best quality, listening rooms are a beautiful and unique experience for any music lover. I hadn’t known this about Steel City, and I’m always happy to find new things to be proud of in my hometown!

I think I’ve made it clear by now just how great the environment of the venue was. It felt cozy and intimate, like a special experience that was just for the people in the room. So once the mic was handed off, the raw vulnerability of AC Sapphire’s opening set instantly pulled us all in and then blew us away. She began with “35mm Camera,” an emotional piece about some of the best friendships you experience in your lifetime and the heartbreaks they can bring. The folk-rock vibes of the music were perfectly complemented by her angelic singing. It’s smooth and heartfelt, with honeyed notes so sweet you get stuck in them. Sapphire’s ability to switch from the most passionate belts to singing an airy and sorrowful cry held me captivated the whole way through her set.

As the applause died down between the first two songs Sapphire raised a glass for a group cheers with the crowd. The rest of her set continued to be just as beautifully personal as the start. Another standout moment for me was when Sapphire invited her boyfriend up on the stage to perform “Weed Money” with her. The gentle strumming of her guitar melting with the couple’s tender harmonizing had me emotional. There was no part of her set that I did not adore wholeheartedly. After the show, I got a copy of her compilation CD, December 23rd, which Sapphire happily signed for me with the kindest personalized message. If sentimental alternative folk-rock is your thing, I highly recommend you give AC Sapphire a listen.

Between sets, my friend and I got up to get some dinner. Another reason I love Steel City so much is its diverse menu. As a vegetarian, I appreciate having more options to choose from than a salad. I had a cheesy veggie flatbread, and my friend got a chicken bacon one. Berry had begun her set by the time our food came out, but the staff was quick and mindful about bringing it to our table without disrupting the quiet of the listening room.

Chelsea Berry has the kind of voice you could get lost in for hours. Maybe I’m just a sucker for good vocals, but her singing was the first thing I noticed when she started. It’s husky in a uniquely feminine way. She trails off at the end of a note with an airy vibrato that carries until it's so soft you didn’t realize it stopped. When she played one of her most popular and oldest songs, “Walk With Me,” the quiet verses had me lulled in like I was being sung a motherly lullaby. But then the power behind her belting and the intensity of her guitar would wake me right back up. Those belts contain such a charming rasp in them, one that shows off Berry’s decades of experience performing. Her music speaks for itself; one listen to her live will instantly prove to any audience just how skilled Berry is at what she does.

She shared many sentimental anecdotes with us throughout her set. She spoke of her childhood growing up in Alaska and her life in Maine today. She reminisced about times with old friends and lost loved ones. One song that hit everyone in the room quite emotionally was dedicated to a recently passed friend of hers, Ken Parker of Archtop Guitars. For Parker, Berry played a cover of the song “WWJB?” By Jordan Smart. The lyrics don’t hold back.

“Who Would Jesus Bomb? / Tell me who would Jesus bomb / Would it be kids in Palestine / Or how ‘bout Vietnam? / Would Jesus bomb the atheists / The Muslims or the Jews? / I want you to ask yourself / Well what would Jesus do?”

Charged with emotion and religion, Berry’s rendition of this piece was, hands down, one of the most beautiful things I heard that night. She played it slow, giving time for each beat to sink into our hearts. This tribute to her friend was truly moving. 

Towards the end of the night, Berry took a moment to give Liesel and all of the Steel City team a huge thanks. Berry shared that the first time she came to perform at the venue, it was as an opener for a different artist. Now she has been asked back to perform her own shows at Steel City for over 10 years. “It is places like this that let artists like me do what we do,” Berry said. “Don’t ever think that we don’t appreciate you.” Then, Berry invited her opener to join her on the stage for a duet. Together they sang a gorgeous rendition of “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen. The natural spirituality of the folk music genre was shining through in this moment as the whole room sang along. The two artists were absolutely phenomenal together.

After the last song was done, Berry gave us all one final treat before departing. She connected her phone to the venue’s speakers and played a snippet of a song off her upcoming album. “I wrote this song years ago and never knew what to do with it… this moment right now feels like the perfect moment to use it,” Berry commented. The song contained vocalizations from every member of her immediate family, harmonizing in the background as Berry sang with a fervor. After the clip was done, she even gave us a little more of the song a cappella. Her love for this new album was abundantly clear. She noted how excited she is to step out of her comfort zone with this new music, trying different combinations of instruments and musical techniques she hasn’t used on any previous records.

I asked my friend what she thought after the show. She really appreciated the messaging behind Berry’s music, as did I. “To me, Chelsea’s music feels like the light at the end of a tunnel. She sings about simple joys and unity among all, painting a picture of what our future could look like,” my friend shared with me. In a modern world that can seem so full of nothing but hate, we need beacons of hope like Chelsea Berry to remind us why we keep fighting.