Adam Brodsky

Folk-rocker Adam Brodsky built a reputation around his sharply twisted, acid-tongued and playfully irreverent wit, earning comparisons to Lach as Philadelphia’s counterpart to the singer/songwriter who shaped New York’s anti-folk movement throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Brodsky works in the same abrasive style, merging folk and rock with caustic lyrics and a defiant, punk-derived stance. While Bob Dylan stands as the dominant musical and vocal influence on the singer/songwriter and acoustic guitarist, Brodsky’s words draw far more from punk’s comedic wing. That distinction shows in the gleefully barbed originals he delivered at local gigs, numbers such as “Ballad of a Skank Ho” and “Jesus Owes Me $50,” titles one would never expect from Dylan. Raised in the Philadelphia suburb of Warminster, Brodsky cultivated a modest audience performing throughout the Philly circuit during the 1990s. His first full-length release, Dork, appeared on Permanent in 1998.