The gallery opening for “Do It Yourself,” an exhibition of photographic work by Cristian Latorre (Haverford ‘27), took place on March 27 in the VCAM and featured live performances by Philadelphia-based bands Precious Little Life and Armbite, sponsored by Federal United Concert Series, or FUCS, and the Hurford Center.
When I first entered the VCAM early that evening, the gallery space filled with students chatting, analyzing, and occasionally pointing out themselves and their friends in the photographs, while band members and friends sat at a table in the lounge, eating Mexican food from the VCAM kitchen.
The photos, awash with the saturated colors of concert lighting and personalities on full display, showcase both musicians and concertgoers that make up Philly’s DIY scene, as well as the spaces that house the music and community that the scene provides— homes for some and hopping concert venues for many. One photo shows a magnet-covered refrigerator in a room crowded with young people. Two feature a hand-drawn skeleton meant to warn concertgoers of hazards (“Watch ur head!”) and many highlight the alternative and often playful styles of those in the scene, from pin-covered jackets to a rabbit mask. But most apparent are the moments of emotion unleashed when music connects people. As Latorre explains in his artist statement, “I once listened to emo music to reflect the loneliness I felt. These days, I listen to it in a crowded room with people I call friends.”
Eventually, the space transformed from gallery to concert venue when Armbite took the (makeshift) stage. Playing with one less than their usual trio, Harrison Lennertz (Haverford ’24) singing and picking on guitar, and Marin Duff (Bryn Mawr ’26) on vocals and playing the maracas to keep the beat in lieu of their drummer, Matt Guardiola. Their set certainly did not feel incomplete, however, with the guitar-and-maraca combination lending a folkish edge to songs that usually sound more heavily rock and the harmonizing vocals often subdued and sometimes intense. They ended their set with a cover of pennydog’s “Wait it’s Bradley Cooper”.
Armbite was founded in 2021, when Lennertz and Duff met as members of the FUCS e-board. While they hail from Los Angeles and Atlanta, respectively, both expressed that Philly’s scene offers a truly special community. Their debut album dawg rock vol. 1, released in October 2025, includes bonus tracks if downloaded for free.
Precious Little Life performed an acoustic set as well– not something they do often. Putting a genre label on PLL is difficult, even to the band themselves, with their melodies including guitar, cello, and keyboard paired with emotion-packed vocals. Some suggestions from members included “art emo”, and “post 2010s alt core”, and an “emo orchestra”. They noted before playing quite a few older songs that these would be their last time playing them as they usher in new music, their latest double single being “Kirby Cola // Joppa Fallston” in 2025.
Three of Precious Little Life’s members met in college at Temple University, but their lineup, which currently boasts eight members, has continued to grow since 2017 when Ivy Nenkov, the (usually) lead singer and songwriter, began making music as a solo project. Their latest addition, a cellist, was found through an open call on Instagram.
When asked about the Philly DIY scene, the band’s members replied that it’s both smaller than you think, with many bands having overlapping membership, and big in that there are always new pockets of the scene to discover. They commented that compared to the New York City DIY scene, it’s much easier to break in. Venues often “hear out” new bands that want a chance to play because they have a built-in audience (or “walk-up crowd”) of regular concertgoers who will show up to their favorite venues even if they don’t know the bands playing, giving musicians who don’t yet have a loyal following a chance to be on stage.
Both bands said that their live performances impact their artistry. Members of Precious Little Life said that they sometimes make an improvisational move that ends up sticking with them for future iterations of a song, and even make up lyrics on the spot. They also said that, as a “band of friends,” practicing together helps them take risks musically that they wouldn’t on their own, sensing and feeding off the energy of their fellow musicians.
Armbite similarly said that while Lennertz writes a song’s “frame” first, it evolves through performing. They have debated how much to polish their music for the studio, as they believe that “music is meant to be experienced live.” Duff said that they had once gotten in a rut with listening to music, where nothing seemed exciting. “Do I even like music anymore?” they wondered. But then they went to another live show. It turns out that nothing in your earbuds can compare to the sound and energy of the DIY experience– an experience certainly had in the VCAM that night, and one captured in the exhibit, which is on display in the VCAM until May 1, 2026.
