Connor Barwin is a huge fan of live music, particularly in the indie rock spectrum. When he was a defensive end and outside linebacker for the Houston Texans, he spent much of his free time at Fitzgerald’s, the since-demolished Houston independent music venue that hosted the likes of Soundgarden and Sonic Youth and, in its earlier days, James Brown and Tina Turner.
“It was really at Fitzgerald’s that I absolutely fell in love with live music,” he recalls. “So in 2013, when I signed with the Eagles, I just had to know what was Philadelphia’s version of Fitzgerald’s.”
That led him to Union Transfer, the independent music venue opened two years earlier by storied concert promoter and impresario Sean Agnew. Barwin attended as many shows as he possibly could. Shortly after joining the Eagles, he also founded the non-profit Make the World Better Foundation (MTWB), whose mission is to work with Philadelphia communities to improve their parks, playgrounds, and rec centers.
Barwin needed to come up with a fundraiser and friendraiser of some kind, but he wasn’t really a gala guy. So he approached Agnew and pitched him the idea of an indie rock concert that would raise money and awareness for the cause, and, thus, the Make the World Better Concert was born. The first three were staged at Union Transfer and boasted lineups that included Kurt Vile, Waxahatchee, Amos Lee and Hopalong.
“Connor and Sean are such perfect partners,” says Make the World Better executive director Jesse Rendell, son of Ed. “They bring so much energy and creativity to this.”
Barwin left the Eagles in 2016 but kept the Make the World Better flame alive. Through the concerts and other efforts, MTWB has been able to put more than $25 million into community gathering spaces around the city, such as Smith Playground in South Philly, Ralph Brooks Playground in Point Breeze, Vare Recreation Center in Grays Ferry, and Waterloo Playground in West Kensington.
Barwin is now the head of football development and strategy for the Eagles and a Fishtown resident, and in late July, Barwin and Agnew are once again teaming up to bring the 10th (they had to skip some years due to Covid) Make the World Better concert to the city-owned Dell Music Center in Fairmount Park, with Mount Airy’s Kurt Vile returning to co-headline the two-day fest with West Coast indie rockers Pavement. (The Citizen is a media sponsor of this year’s event.)
“I’ve wanted to play the Dell for a long, long time,” says Vile, whose new album Philadelphia’s Been Good to Me is due out on May 29th. “It’s going to be really fun and exciting. We’re just gonna go for it!”
Though he spends most of his time these days in his new home of Los Angeles and in Japan, which he frequents, Agnew still runs Union Transfer from afar and worked with Barwin to create the lineup for the July shows. “And I’m definitely coming back to Philly for this,” he promises. “Kurt Vile and Pavement, plus other great bands? Can’t miss this.”
Barwin will, of course, be in attendance as well, but I also wanted to know how much he gets out to other concerts these days. He laughed.
“I go when I can, but we now have two young kids,” Barwin admits. “Plus, I’ve got this thing called a real job with the Eagles. It is demanding. So, no, I’m not a fixture at shows like I once was. But this one is really special to me.”
The lineup
Friday, July 24, 7:30pm: Pavement and Ratboys
Pavement
Any credible conversation about bands that majorly influenced the indie scene of the 90s simply must include this California quintet, known for its lo-fi approach and fondness for heavily distorted guitars. The band has maintained a fierce cult following through two breakups, and they’ve been on their second reunion since 2022. Look to their September 2025 album Hecklers Choice: Big Gums and Heavy Lifters for a taste of what they sound like these days.
Ratboys
Kids love to come up with nicknames for other kids, regardless of whether they are apt or polite. Ratboys lead singer Julia Steiner of Chicago was deemed “Ratboy” during her freshman year of high school, though she has absolutely no idea why. When it came time to write and record music that was in her head, she transformed that nickname into the name of her band. Her songs always have strong melodies, and she tends to lean into, well, goofiness both in terms of some of the vocal choices she makes and also her stage presence. It makes perfect sense that she’s said Jack Black is her musical hero.
Saturday, July 25 at 7pm: Kurt Vile & the Violators, They Are Gutting a Body of Water, and Twisted Teens
Kurt Vile & the Violators
In the middle of a huge United States and European tour that launches at the iconic Stone Pony in Asbury Park, the Mount Airy father of two and his band pop back home for this one night. Launching the tour at the Stone Pony makes total sense, because Vile might be the world’s biggest fan of Bruce Springsteen, who got his start at that venue, an influence that clearly turns up in Vile’s music, as do the sounds of Neil Young and Tom Petty, but with a healthy dose of lo-fi psychedelia.
They Are Gutting a Body of Water
Singer and guitarist Douglas Dulgarian moved from North Jersey to Philadelphia in 2016 and started this shoegaze band one year later. The name of the band actually comes from a misheard lyric in a song by the West Coast psychedelic folk singer who goes by the moniker Grouper. They’re known to do things like perform from the audience instead of the stage, perform with their backs to the audience, and, you know, doing a show at a Sonic Drive-In in Jersey. Expect moshing.
Twisted Teens
What you would get if you mixed punk with country tang and threw in lots of high-pitched vocals and screaming pedal steel guitar for good measure. This unique duo from New Orleans bring lots of energy to their live performances.
July 24- 25 2400 Strawberry Mansion Drive. Two-day passes cost $74. Single-day passes also available.
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