Johnny Showcase and the Lefty Lucy Cabaret

Johnny Showcase is an electrifying experience. A 10-piece absurdist soul outfit based in Philadelphia, it is an innovative, joyful tour-de-force that blissfully toes the line between performance art and a psychedelic soul revival. Carrying the torch of funk-rock pioneers like Funkadelic and Frank Zappa, they have gained a massive following and propelled Johnny to something that of a funky Philly folk hero legend. The brain-child of theater artist/ musician David Sweeny, Johnny Showcase is a sweaty, charismatic showman from Rhode Island who is equal parts Andy Kaufman and Prince. Surrounding him is a rag tag group of performers, including a spiritual adviser named Rumi Kitchen (Michael Baker of The Spinning Leaves), two vacuous vocalists collectively named The Truth (Adrienne Mackey and Liz Filios), and knife sharp backing band the Mystic Ticket. In 2009, they staged a sold out run of a fantastical, unauthorized Prince inspired odyssey Purr, Pull, Reign as part of the 2009 Philadelphia Live Arts/ Fringe Festival. 2011 saw the release of their debut album Love is the Message, co-produced with Henry Hirsch (Lenny Kravitz, Mick Jagger), followed up in 2012 with the self-produced EP Mystic Ticket I: The Pump Fake. The Lefty Lucy Cabaret has performed at World Cafe Live, Connie's Ric Rac, The Trocadero,The Latvian Society, The Tin Angel, The Academy of Vocal Arts, Johnny Brenda’s, The Painted Bride, Fergie’s Pub, LaMama Experimental Theatre Collective, Upright Citizens Brigade, Fontana's Bar and Rockwood Music Hall and Joe's Pub at the Public in NYC.