Upper Darby, PA – It was a scene reminiscent of a classic black and white photograph from an era that seems to have faded away. The Greek coffee house was a place to be with fellow Greeks; to smoke, drink, sing and dance.
On Saturday night, the Pontian Leskhi on Market street, became that place once again; a traditional Greek coffee house. Music took center stage on this nostalgic evening. “Atlantis of Philadelphia” one of the areas Greek bands, put on a rare performance.
Singer, Yiannis Parios took requests from the crowd that sat just a few feet in front of him, while bandleader, Harry Karapalides led the group from song to song. Stretched out along the wall of the Pontian Leskhi, the rest of the band could be seen close up by it’s guests as they got into the night. On occasion, Parios even shared the mic with the fans who approached and threw money on the band.
Komboloi, mezes, scruffy beards and grinning faces were all part of the back drop as they danced through the night to Laika and Rebetika music. When the lights came on and the smoke cleared, Atlantis of Philadelphia announced, “we’ll be back”.
Next month, during the holiday season, Atlantis of Philadelphia, will put on another special performance at the Pontian Leskhi. Bring your singing voices, cigarettes and be ready to dance.
We’ll be sure to keep you posted.