When the lineup for this year’s Philly Music Fest was announced in the spring, there was one gaping hole in the schedule.
Plenty of worthy acts are among those initially announced, from Philly emo standouts the Wonder Years, to a solo set by Matt Quinn of Mt. Joy, to the Fest’s first ever metal night headlined by Deadguy.
But there was a TBA on the marquee for the PMF’s first two nights at Ardmore Music Hall on Oct. 13-14. No headliner or opening acts were announced, who’d begin the 2025 edition of the nonprofit “Philly is our genre” independent fest, which raises money for local music education organizations.
Greg Seltzer, the PMF founder who is also a Ballard Spahr attorney, said in May that the headliner would be a Philly artist of long standing that he had been trying to book since the fest’s inception in 2017. “Turns out,” he said, “the ninth year is the charm.
» READ MORE: Entertainment Music Philly Music Fest is back with a first-time metal night and a customary mystery guest
Now it can be revealed: this year’s mystery headliner is Dr. Dog.
The identity of the Scott McMicken- and Toby Leaman-led band couldn’t be announced until the band hit the stage for its biggest ever Philly show, opening for the Lumineers at Citizens Bank Park on Friday night.
Dr. Dog announced in 2022 that it was giving up full scale touring, but has continued to do a handful of gigs each year. In 2024, they released a self-titled album, and played a sold out show at the Mann Center in Fairmount Park.
This year, the five-piece band, that also includes Frank McElroy, Zach Miller, and Eric Slick, made an annual stop at Red Rocks in Colorado, and played a date at Forest Hills Stadium in New York in June. The quintet also has two shows scheduled at the Austin City Limits festival in October.
» READ MORE: Dr. Dog swore off touring in 2021, but is making an exception for a date at the Mann
The PMF dates — for which there will be no opening act — will be significantly more intimate than those other concerts, reflecting the band’s growth in popularity despite playing live less.
Red Rocks holds 9,500, and Citizens Bank Park over 40,000. Ardmore Music Hall can fit 600.