Benjamin Le
Guitar & other fretted instruments
contact@facultyfrets.com
I'm a college professor and musician, and have played in several bands in the Philadelphia area in the past few years. I sometimes have spare gear for sale.
Bands, Gigs, & Recordings
Solo
- Spring 2020: #LiveFromHome series while housebound
South Wayne Porchfest 2021
- I'm the mandolin player in this video (along with Sam L and Brian W on fiddle and a bunch of other musicians we met for the first time that day)
Your Reckless Mind (2019-2021)
w/ Suzanne Schmid & Sam Leibowitz
- 2021
- Peoples' Voice Cafe (New York, NY; November 20)
- South Wayne Porchfest (Wayne, PA; September 11)
- Featured band at McMichael Park Open Mic (East Falls, Philadelphia, PA; August 29)
- 2020
- Philly Musical Achievers - Livestream (Philadelphia, PA; September 19)
- Peoples' Voice Cafe - Livestream (New York, NY; September 12)
- Secret Monkey Quarantine Half Hour Show (July 26)
w/ Sam L & Jamie W
- May-September 2020: If We Were Vampires
- Production notes:
- All recording done separately/asynchronously
- 1) BL: Acoustic guitar then vocals into Garageband with an Apogee Mic+
- 2) JW: Vocals into Garageband with Zoom H6 and Shure SM57
- 3) SL: Fiddle into Garageband with a Focusrite interface and condenser mic
- 4) BL: Mandola into Garageband with RME Babyface Pro and two Shure SM81 microphones; Bass VI through Blackstar U30 (as a DI) into the Babyface
- Production notes:
w/ Gus S
- Recordings (2020-21)
- Me & Magdelena (BL: mandolin, acoustic guitar, vocals; GS: guitar, bass, vocals, tambourine)
- You've Got To Hide Your Love Away (BL: acoustic guitar, vocals; GS: acoustic guitar, bass, vocals, and everything else)
- Listen To Her Heart (BL: octave mandolin, vocals; GS: guitars, vocals)
- Souveniers (BL: acoustic guitars, vocals; GS: electric guitar, vocals)
- Little Wing (BL: acoustic & electric guitars, Bass VI, vocals; GS: electric guitar, organ)
- If She Knew What She Wants (BL: acoustic guitars, vocals; GS: 12-string guitar, vocals)
- I Don't Want to Talk About It (BL: mandola, slide guitar, vocals; GS: acoustic guitar, bass, vocals, percussion, chimes)
- Through My Sails (BL: acoustic guitar, mandolin, vocals; GS: vocals)
TSP (2017-current)
- 2022
- South Wayne Porchfest (Wayne, PA; September 10)
- 2019
- South Wayne Porchfest (Wayne, PA; September 14)
- Event / Private party (Haverford, PA; August 31)
- 2018
- South Wayne Porchfest (Wayne, PA; September 15)
- 2017
- House concert / Private party (Haverford, PA; December 31)
- South Wayne Porchfest (Wayne, PA; September 9)
- Harrisville Old Home Days (Harrisville, NH; July 8)
How to Trick a Bear (2015-2019)
- 2018
- South Wayne Porchfest (Wayne, PA; September 15)
- Haverford Township Historical Society Heritage Festival (Havertown, PA; June 3)
- Wilmington Wintergrass Bluegrass Festival Showcase Stage (Wilmington, DE; March 24)
- Colonial Theatre, opening for bluegrass legends Hot Rize (Phoenixville, PA; February 15) [video] [audio]
- 2017
- La Cabra Brewing (Berwyn, PA, November 4)
- South Wayne Porchfest (Wayne, PA; September 9) [video]
- La Cabra Brewing (Berwyn, PA, July 15)
- West Philly Porchfest (Philadelphia, PA; June 3) [interview] [video from Huffington Post] [photo]
- Haverford College Haverfest (Haverford, PA; April 29) [photos]
- Fabio & Danny's Station Café (Wayne, PA; April 7) [photo]
- 2016
- House concert / Private party (Malvern, PA; November 26)
- 2015 (a precursor to How to Trick a Bear unofficially called The Last Chance Jam Band)
- Event / Private party (West Chester, PA; September 19)
- Event / Private party (Malvern, PA; May 30)
Cat Elwell & Saucony Grass (2016)
- 2016
- Appalacian Fiddle & Bluegras Association (AFBA) Shindig (Wind Gap, PA; November 13)
- Event / Private party (Harleysville, PA; October 8)
- AFBA Festival (Wind Gap, PA; August 4)
- Kutztown Folk Festival (Kutztown, PA; July 3, 4, 8, 9)
- Event / Private party (Quakertown, PA; June 18)
- Northeast Pennsylvania (NEPA) Bluegrass Festival (Tunkhannock, PA; June 4-5)
- Event / Private party (Mertztown, PA; May 1)
- AFBA Shindig (Wind Gap, PA; March 13)
The Keepers (2012-2014)
- 2014
- Fabio & Danny's Station Café (Wayne, PA; April 14)
- Corinthian Yacht Club (Philadelphia, PA; March 7)
- Fabio & Danny's Station Café (Wayne, PA; January 17)
- 2013
- Fabio & Danny's Station Café (Wayne, PA; November 29)
- 2012
- Wayne Art Center (Wayne, PA; October 13)
- Fabio & Danny's Station Café (Wayne, PA; May 4)