Contrary to reports, disco is not dead. It's alive in Philly, as the Sixers have repurposed the funky 1975 track "Here Come the Sixers" that commands fans to clap their hands and stomp their feet as a victory anthem in recent years. Fans love it. Players vibe to it. Counting down from 10 and up from one while walking out of the Wells Fargo Center with a win in hand is a quintessential Philly sports experience.
Two Sixers fans on Twitter have taken that adoration for "Here Come the Sixers" to the next level. Erica Isabelles (@ericaisabelles) and Sadie Smith (@SixersSaddie) used their respective musical talents to give a unique spin on that Sixers anthem in a video that has now gone viral:
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With Erica on violin and Sadie on piano, the duo have helped breathe life into the online fan base to go along with the Sixers' hot 6-1 start. They've inspired imitators as well, including Philly-born band Mt. Joy:
"I was sitting at my piano one day and thought about how cool it would be to combine my love for the Sixers and the piano into one thing that other people could enjoy listening to," Sadie, a South Jersey high school student, said.
Sadie's rendition motivated Erica, a violinist, to hop in on the fun.
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"Towards the end of December I saw a video on Twitter of Sadie playing it on the piano. I’ve always loved that song, so the moment I saw her video I fell in love with the classical rendition and felt inspired myself!" Erica said. She is the one who came up with the idea of mashing together her and Sadie's performances.
"As a musician and as a lifelong Sixers fan, I just couldn’t help wanting to join in on the fun, and I really just thought it might sound cool if I recorded myself playing the violin over it."
The response has been overwhelming, as Sadie and Erica have garnered props even from Sixers general manager Daryl Morey:
It's the tightly knit online community that has helped this song grow from something played in the arena after wins to a Sixers Twitter jam session.
"It’s incredible to be part of the Philly Sports community because the fans are creative, talented, fun, and certainly aren’t afraid to make some noise," Erica said.
"I think we really need that during these strange times, and especially because we can’t be there in person to cheer on our team."