Five Philadelphia-area bands will take the stage at Ardmore Music Hall on Saturday, August 1, for Mitch-a-Palooza, a benefit concert raising money for youth music education and independent music media.
The show doubles as a 45th birthday celebration for Mitch Beer, a bassist, producer and owner of Retro City Studios Room B who has spent years embedded in the Philadelphia music scene. Beer's credits include producing and playing bass on Lil Uzi Vert's platinum-certified album Pink Tape and touring with Grammy-winning Digable Planets and The Bacon Brothers. He also sits on the board of Music Media Collective, one of the two nonprofits the concert benefits.
Performing Saturday are The Commission, Stereo League, Brian LaPann Trio, Bo Rains and The Sharpness, according to Main Line Media News.
Proceeds go to two organizations. Philly Music Fest, a nonprofit founded in 2017 by Greg and Jenn Seltzer, hosts shows exclusively at independently owned venues and donated $100,000 each year in 2022, 2023, and 2024 to youth music education programs in Philadelphia. Beneficiaries include Rock to the Future, Settlement Music School, and Play On Philly.
"After paying the bands and the venues, PMF will again donate $100,000 to music education programs for kids," Philly Music Fest founder Greg Seltzer said in a November 2025 interview with Ballard Spahr, describing the festival's annual giving model.
The second beneficiary, Music Media Collective, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit registered in Philadelphia that funds storytelling, artist discovery, and cultural preservation platforms as independent music outlets disappear. Its projects include the "Asses in Seats" live music podcast and Cratedigr, a forthcoming fan-powered review platform for live music.
Ardmore Music Hall sits at 23 East Lancaster Avenue in Ardmore, about 100 feet from the SEPTA Ardmore regional rail station. The venue has operated as a rock club for more than 40 years.
Doors open at 6:15 p.m. Saturday. The show starts at 7 p.m. The event is 21 and older. Tickets are available online through Tixr or fee-free at the Ardmore Music Hall box office, which is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from noon to 5 p.m. and during concerts.
Coming up
- Saturday, August 1: Mitch-a-Palooza benefit concert, Ardmore Music Hall, 7 p.m. Ages 21+.
- Fall 2026: Philly Music Fest's 10th anniversary festival at independently owned Philadelphia venues. Specific dates have not been announced.
