Support music education for Philly youth with a donation to our Music Futures Campaign today – now every contribution up to $15,000 will be matched dollar for dollar!

Join our Email List

Boulevards

Buy Tickets
Friday, October 18, 2024
Doors: 6pm | Show: 8:30pm
$20 advance | $22 day of show

VENUE INFO – PLEASE READ!

  • This is a ticketed event. Everyone must have a ticket for entry.

  • You must make a table reservation in addition to your ticket purchase to guarantee seating. Without a reservation, seating will be first-come, first-served if available. There is standing room by the bar area.

  • The Lounge is a full-service restaurant – our full food & drink menu is available when doors open.

  • If you require accessible seating, please contact us at boxoffice@worldcafelive.com or 215-222-1400 prior to the show so we can best accommodate your needs.

  • Join the WCL Fan Club for priority entry, food & merch discounts, exclusive offers, and more. Mega & Ultimate Fan levels include 24-hour presale access and no ticket fees.

  • World Cafe Live is a nonprofit independent venue where artistry meets social impact. Every purchase helps support our music education & community programs.

  • See FAQ for more information.

In February 2022, Boulevards, the project led by musician Jamil Rashad, released its fourth studio album, Electric Cowboy: Born in Carolina Mud. That album culminated years of slow building and provided the Raleigh, N.C. native the breakthrough he deserved. After an 18 month rigorous run, he wasnʼt ready to take a deserved break.

Upon Electric Cowboyʼs release, Rashadʼs creative ideas continued to flow. He reached out to friends and collaborators, like writer Gentle Nature and J.J. Whitefield of German funk group The Poets of Rhythm and began to mold his new ideas into full-fledged songs. After the campaign for Electric Cowboy wound down, Rashad returned to his home state of North Carolina and got to work on his fifth studio album.

As the song ideas flowed, Rashad explored the importance of self-reflection and personal experiences, in particular themes of love and vulnerability. Drawing from that prism and channeling the joy of his recent engagement, the artist had plenty of positive momentum heading into the recording sessions.

With an assist from Whitefield, Rashad captured the raw, crunchy sounds heʼd been hoping to incorporate into his recordings. The album also features the handy work of Mike Buckley (Daptones, Budos Band, Jalen Nʼgonda), who composed the horn parts, Blake Rhein (Durand Jones & The Indications), and Kendra Morris (Colemine Records). This is the album that finally captures the energy of Rashadʼs high octane live show onto wax. Black Pumas virtuoso Adrian Quesada and Will Grantham mixed Carolina Funk: Barn Burner on Tobacco Road, giving Rashad the exact sound he sought to capture.

Rashad points to “What We Live For” as one of his favorite songs from the 10-song collection. In the past, heʼs hidden his personal lyrics underneath the power of his groove-laden instrumentals. Not here. He admits that hearing the finished version gave him chills and he teared up a bit. At its heart, itʼs what Carolina Funk is about: celebrating love. As tender as “What We Live For” is, Rashad didnʼt want to get too hung up on sentimentality. The songʼs rhythm and melody is club-ready with its funk-soul.

Like any great artist, Rashad writes in a fashion that is true to himself, yet has the ability for his rapidly expanding fan base to relate to. With Carolina Funk: Barn Burner on Tobacco Road, Rashad shows that he canʼt stop and wonʼt stop channeling his creativity into funk-powered hits.

Buy Tickets