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So what happened here?

June 10, 2022 by Paul Debraski

For nearly fourteen years I was able to keep up this daily blog of books and music.

About a year ago I got a promotion and that changed everything.  I no longer had the time to post everything I wanted to.  Heck, I didn’t even seem to have the time to read all the short stories I wanted to.  Amusingly (or not), just before this new position, I had gotten a print subscription to the New Yorker.  This now means that I (like many others) have a two-foot stack of New Yorker magazines that I haven’t even looked at yet.

For a few weeks I was limiting myself to only the concerts that I went to because that was a little easier to write about.  Although back in the good old days, I used to include photo and links, and I pretty much have neither now. And I’m several shows behind as well.

So I’m still reading books and I think I may try to post some thoughts about them from time to time.  I’d also like to think I have time to write about my concerts, but even those are proving to be challenging.

So let’s consider the blog on hiatus more or less, with occasional posts about things I’ve read or listened to.

The good thing is that I like the new position and wouldn’t change it for the world. I guess I never realized how much down time my old position gave me!

Posted in Paul Debraski | 3 Comments »

Labrador (Ardmore Music Hall, Ardmore, PA, October 1, 2026) [TED LEO & THE PHARMACISTS]

October 2, 2026 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: October 1, 2026] Labrador

I hadn’t heard of Labrador before this show.  Turns out they are a solid Philly rock band.  Their blurb on bandcamp says Maximum Alt Country which I assumed was a joke as they don’t sound country at all.  But even in the review of their new album, it says “The latest LP from Philadelphia rock quartet Labrador turns up the heat on the alt-country and mod influences forged on their previous records.”  I can certainly hear the mod influences, but I don’t hear any alt country at all.

Especially live, where they rock pretty hard and singer and guitarist Pat King has a powerful rocking voice.  And Steve Kurtz’ drums were simple but punctuated the songs nicely.

And what I really liked, in addition to his pleas for the Phillies to win, was his passionate belief in justice.  As the rest of that blurb says

Labrador are a barn-burning bar band bringing influences from the storied, intersecting legacies of anti-war punk, blues, folk, and soul music into the 21st century. Labrador’s weathered, vintage sound isn’t indicative of a desire to return to some idealized fantasy version of the past, but to learn from the history that created destructive forces dominating the present—worker exploitation, corporate greed, rampant xenophobia, genocide in Palestine.

Their songs are simple.  The three chords of Kill Kill Kill were instantly catchy and the progression to the chorus was obvious but satisfying.  The mix was a little off in the beginning with Kris Hayes’ guitar being a little too loud.  But his solos were really tasty.  We couldn’t reallu hear bassist Will Hochgertel at all–maybe that’s why the set sounded less full that Ted Leo’s.

Later the chords to We Drew Straws was similarly three chords.  But again, catchy and fun.  And then the chorus takes a pointed turn

Shout these words out loud
War crimes for genocide
Cease fire now

A slower song like Slow Down King (where King played acoustic guitar) was really simple but effective

If I’m hollow by the sunrise at least I’ll know I’ve tried
I’m going to keep on fighting I’m gonna fight for what I know is right
I got some people I love in my life who could use me on their side.

They sang a song that was popularized by Joan Baez, No Man is and Island but was actually an old soul song–Labrador certainly reference soul roots, but i didn’t really hear it in this set. Continue Reading »

Posted in Ardmore Music Hall, Ardmore, PA, Labrador, Ted Leo + Pharmacists | Leave a Comment »

Weezer (XFinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia PA, September 29, 2026)

October 1, 2026 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: September 29, 2026] Weezer

This is my fourth time seeing Weezer.  I’m not a huge Weezer fan and I know they’ve released some real stinker songs, but when they hit it right, they absolutely nail it.  And their shows are a lot of fun.

This is the first time I’ve seen them headline in a pretty long time.  I remembered their 2018 show was a great spectacle showing the band progress through the years.  But they went all out for this show and it was a blast!

The show began with a video of a kid drawing pictures like those in the poster to the right.  Some bullies mocked Nicholas for drawing his weird Ws and Nicholas said that Weezer were playing at his house tonight.  The kids don’t believe him.  Nicholas wishes really hard and the weird symbols he’s drawing start to glow and Rivers received the message about a show that night.  He grabs the band and they head to Nicholas’ house.

The stage had been setup to look like a back yard.  There was a house (!) as well as telephone poles (with sneakers on the wires) artificial turf and a picket fence.  On the screen, the guys approach a fence and then walked through the fence on stage. A simple detail, but really fun.  The screen converted to a backyard scene with a swimming pool and trees and everything.  It looked really convincing (despite being obviously fake).

The story was played out though the whole night (even if the guys in the band are TERRIBLE actors–so bad!  Rivers’ “let keep this party going” and things were pretty sus but who cares).

They started playing a brand new song (I don’t now the album all that well, but everyone on the floor sure did).  In addition to showing the band on the stage, the cameramen in the front row went back an forth to the folks in the front row, and most of them were singing along.

And then came what was mostly a greatest hits selection of songs, but with quite a few deep cuts as well.  Continue Reading »

Posted in Philadelphia, PA, Silversun Pickups, The Shins, Weezer, XFinity Mobile Arena | Leave a Comment »

Loudon Wainwright III / Wesley Stace (Sellersville Theatre, Sellersville, PA, October 1, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

October 1, 2026 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 1, 2026] Loudon Wainwright III / Wesley Stace

Loudon Wainwright III has been playing pretty and also pretty funny music for decades.  I discovered him about twenty years ago and quickly became a fan of his work.

His newer material deals more with old age than his earlier stuff but it’s still enjoyable.  I’m sure he would play songs from throughout his career.  Recent setlists show he plays stuff from all over his catalog.

He plays Sellersville every year or so and I never seem to be able to catch him.  This poster on the right is for a different show, but it’s the same billing with Wesley Stace.

Tonight’s show was up against Ted Leo who I really wanted to see with my wife.

Wesley Stace once recorded under the pseudonym John Wesley Harding and released some 20 albums.  These albums bear a resemblance to Elvis Costello because he shared some of the members of The Attractions and also because his singing voice has the same arch tone and timbre as Costello’s.  I saw him open for Steven Page back in 2018 and loved his set so much I bought a novel of his as well.

This is a great double bill and I’m bummed I couldn’t make it.

UPDATE: I received an email today that Loudon Wainwright had to reschedule this show.  But Wesley Stace was still performing.

$15 POP UP SHOW TONIGHT WITH WESLEY STACE!

What else do you have going on? Come on out!

There is a great new show this evening! Singer songwriter Wesley Stace (aka famously as John Wesley Harding) will perform a full concert. Wesley Stace has performed at Sellersville Theater before and is loved by the staff. Tickets are available now for $15 and the show is general admission. Come by, bring friends, and enjoy a night out!

I would have loved to support him.  But, hey, he announced a free at noon for next week so…

Posted in Loudon Wainwright III, Sellersville Theater, Sellersville, PA, Wesley Stace | Leave a Comment »

The Shins (XFinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia PA, September 29, 2026) [WEEZER]

September 30, 2026 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: September 29, 2026] The Shins

I have been a fan of The Shins since their debut album came out and I have never seen them live.  I put them very high on my list of bands that I wanted to see.  But I assumed I just never would.  (They played Franklin Music Hall in 2022 and The Fillmore in 2017).  And yet, here they were opening for Weezer.

I don’t know what James Mercer (the only real Shin at this point) has been up to for this last decade (their last album came out in 2017), but whatever it is, he’s been keeping his voice in amazing condition.

They opened with Simple Song and I immediately remembered how much I love The Shins.  And as soon as he hit the first high notes of the song–and hit them confidently and easily, I knew this set was going to be fantastic.  They made some use of the video screens.  The camera zoomed in on the musicians from time to time and behind them, for each song there was a different band name logo, which was really fun.

Up next was Australia (I realized I have no idea what the names of these songs are) but as soon as the “la la las” came along, the whole song flooded back.  And Mercer seemed like he was having a really good time up there.  He commented about how he had never been on an arena tour before and how much fun he was having. Continue Reading »

Posted in Philadelphia, PA, Silversun Pickups, The Shins, Weezer, XFinity Mobile Arena | Leave a Comment »

Silversun Pickups (XFinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia PA, September 29, 2026) [WEEZER]

September 29, 2026 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: September 29, 2026] Silversun Pickups

I had been wanting to see Silversun Pickups for a pretty long time and finally managed to see them (after missing easily a half dozen shows in our area over the course of a year or so) in 2024.  And they were great.  I really wanted to see them again, but once again, their headlining show fell during a vacation.

So, at last here they were again, this time opening for Weezer.

Initially, my wife said she didn’t want to go to this show, but upon hearing that The Shins were opening, she changed her mind.  I wound up getting cool seats in the club section (which includes a personal food and drink and bathroom area) and we fought the traffic (why would you AC/DC playing at the football field next door at the EXACT SAME TIME as this show?

We arrives in time, found our cool seats and even ordered food (which we never do) because we hadn’t had time for a pre meal dinner.  Hint: go for the kid’s meal, it’s a decent sized portion for half the price).

We were on the left side of the stage.  Almost parallel to the stage but not quite and really rather close.  Great seats.  And even if you couldn’t see the screens behind them straight on, they were done really well and were easily viewed from where we were.

The Silversun Pickups came out and Nikki Monninger’s bass rumbled the opening notes of Well Thought Out Twinkles. The sounded great.  The venue’s sound quality isn’t perfect or anything, but they sounded really good–that bass was so clean.  It’s always fun to watch drummer Chris Guanlao, going crazy pack there–hair flying, sticks smashing things.  He shows you how fun being a drummer can be. Continue Reading »

Posted in Philadelphia, PA, Silversun Pickups, The Shins, Weezer, XFinity Mobile Arena | Leave a Comment »

Fastball / Spacehog / Stargazer Lily (Ardmore Music Hall, Ardmore, PA, September 29, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

September 29, 2026 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: June 24, 2026] Ally the Piper / Aurelia Anne Cohen

When this show was first announced it was a co-headlining tour of Fastball and Spacehog, two bands who have one album that I really like.

The announcement of this show (especially Spacehog) was really nostalgia-fueling for me.  And I did consider getting tickets as In the Meantime is one of my favorite songs from the era.  I’ve also really liked The Way from Fastball.  But when I went back and listened to those records, I realized that those were the only two songs I really remembered.  So, I decided against the show.

I looked at Ardmore Music Hall’s page the other day and saw the ad on the right and thought, are Fastball playing two shows in the same venue?

No.  Earlier this month, Spacehog wrote

Unfortunately, due to a medical emergency, Spacehog must cancel our scheduled 2026 tour dates. Fastball will be continuing with the dates where they were co-headlining, so please check local listings…tickets will remain valid for those shows. Refunds for other shows are available at the point of purchase. We are deeply disappointed and apologize for the inconvenience. We all sincerely thank you for your understanding and support! Spacehog will be back on the road as soon as we can….stay tuned.  Unfortunately, due to a medical emergency, Spacehog must cancel our scheduled 2026 tour dates.

In their place is Stargazer Lily, who I’ve not heard of.  They were a Philly band who put out a few albums at the end of the 90s and broke up in 2005 (after playing World Cafe Live–although that’s not why).  Now they’ve reunited to put out some new music.  Their music is described as a combination if pop and indie acoustic.

Their first song Discotheque is pretty funny and fairly catchy.  Good for them for making the comeback.

Although I’d have been bummed to get tickets for this primarily for Spacehog and then not to see them.

Posted in Ardmore Music Hall, Ardmore, PA, Fastball, Spacehog, Stargazer Lily | Leave a Comment »

Phoebe Bridgers / Alex G (Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA, September 28, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

September 28, 2026 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 28, 2026] Phoebe Bridgers / Alex G

I saw Phoebe Bridgers at Asbury Lanes back in 2018.  It was intimate and very cool.  A few years later, my daughter became a massive Boygenius fan.  I have seen Lucy Dacus like 6 times and Julien Baker 3 times.  But in that time Phoebe hadn’t toured again except with Boygenius.

When this tour was announced, I knew I wasn’t going to go because I didn’t want to go from Asbury Lanes to the Xfinity Center (even if the show was bigger and presumably exponentially better).  But I also knew that my daughter really wanted to see her (we saw boygenius together, but at a festival, not a more personal show).  And, she was going to be away a college when the show was going to happen.

So I managed to get tickets for her and she had a great time.  And I’m super happy for her.

I’ve seen Alex G twice, sort of.  I saw him ten years ago open for Built to Spill (he may have still been (Sandy) Alex G at the time.  Then my daughter and I saw him at the same festival, but he was on a video screen, so that sort of counts.  My daughter really liked him, but I’ve been kinda meh about him for a while, so this opener wasn’t that exciting for me.   She said he was okay.

 

 

Posted in Alex G, Philadelphia, PA, Phoebe Bridgers, XFinity Mobile Arena | Leave a Comment »

El Ten Eleven / Tall Tall Trees (Milkboy, Philadelphia, PA, September 27, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

September 27, 2026 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 27, 2026] El Ten Eleven / Tall Tall Trees

El Ten Eleven are a great duo who play complex instrumentals with just an incredible drummer Tim Fogarty and an amazing multi instrumentalist Kristian Dunn who plays doubleneck guitar/bass and tons of pedals.

I got turned onto them in 2022 and have wanted to see them ever since.  But something keeps getting in the way.  One time they were even opening for Peter Hook!  This is the second time that they’ve played Milkboy that I’m aware of.  I couldn’t make that one and I really wanted to make this show too.

But I had been to a bunch of shows recently and I had to give up one of them for the sanity of my family.  It was easy to sacrifice a Sunday night show, because Sunday’s are hard to get motivated to go out at night.  But I’m still bummed that I missed them.

It was a surprise to see that Tall Tall Trees was opening.  Tall Tall Trees is the banjo player is Kishi Bashi’s band.  He’s a fantastic player, using his banjo as a percussive as well as a stringed instrument.  I like his albums (although not quite as much as I want to).  But he is fantastic live.  Engaging, improvisational, exceptional.  This would have been a really fun night.

Posted in El Ten Eleven, Milkboy, Philadelphia, PA, Tall Tall Trees | Leave a Comment »

Stinking Lizaveta / Northern Liberties / Alright Junior / Gibbous Moon (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, September 26, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

September 26, 2026 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 26, 2026] Stinking Lizaveta / Northern Liberties / Alright Junior / Gibbous Moon

For reasons I don’t entirely remember, I’ve added Stinking Lizaveta to the list of bands that I’d like to see.  I had no idea they’ve been a band since 1994!  And that Steve Albini produced their debut album!

I think what inspired me to check them out is that they are an instrumental band who play complex music.  And this is the third or fourth time that I am not seeing them.  I really would like to, and this seemed like a fun opportunity, but once again, the timing just didn’t work out.

I really need to make a point of seeing them the next time they play in the area.

I love that there’s a band called Northern Liberties, which is a section of Philadelphia that has a great weird name which I don’t entirely understand.  I assumed they were a new band (since they are opening) but they have been around since at least 2001.  The band consists of brothers Justin and Marc Duerr on vocals and drums and Kevin Riley on bass and occasional vocals.  They play a noisy punk–the bass has a really cool effect on it for most of the albums.  They have a cool DIY attitude and sound pretty unique (since there’s no guitar).  They sound like late 80’s/early 90s punk, which is pretty cool.

Alright Junior is Jace Miller and Steph Brettman.  And while it’s not fair to compare them to The White Stripes, there is certainly a kinship, with some intense fast guitar and vocals from Miller and solid drumming from Brettman.  They have also been around the Philly scene for a while (since at least 2014) although I hadn’t heard of them.  They don’t seem to release much music, but this show was an EP release show for them.  And here’s an apt blurb quote: “Red-blooded alt-rock is alive and well, and Philadelphia’s Alright Junior is a prime example of that….for fans of the genre, it’s pure, uninhibited ear-candy.” – Chad Snyder, WXPN

Gibbous Moon have a great name and an old school metal sound and have also been around for a while (since 2016).

This Philadelphia three-piece has been making heads dizzy with their brand of heavy psychedelic rock mayhem since 2016. Takeyour protein pills and put your helmets on – we’re goin’ for a ride!

Fuzzy, metal guitars, big riffs and lots of echo.  Even some cowbell.   Was this recorded in a basement in the 1970s?  Who knows.  Great stuff.

I wish I’d been able to make this show, that’s four great Philly bands.

Posted in Alright Junior, Gibbous Moon, Johnny Brenda's, Northern Liberties, Philadelphia, PA, Stinking Lizaveta | Leave a Comment »

The Beths (Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ, September 25, 2026)

September 26, 2026 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: August 1, 20262] The Beths

I’ve been lucky enough to see The Beths five times in just under five years.  They always put on a great show.  Indeed, my wife and I saw a fantastic show at Union Transfer just before I had surgery in December.

So it was kind of crazy to see them again so soon, but they said it would be their last show in the U.S. for a while and, more importantly, it would be an all request show.

I didn’t really have any requests, although I would have liked to hear I’m Not Getting Excited, so I guess I did have a request.  But i was happy to let those with real opinions submit their requests instead.  I assumed it was done online, but instead, The Beths had a really fun series of ways to get to the requests.

As we walked in there was a box and a pile of bottle caps.  We were to vote for the opening song–either Knees Deep or No Joy.  I happen to love No Joy (it’s the song with the flute cannons), but Knees Dee won (it looked like by a landslide).  There was also a pile of papers where people were encouraged to write their requests and either make an airplane or a crumpled up ball.

After that first song they quickly had someone pick the encore–they chose whoever looks the most excited to be here and a guy in the back jumped super high and he was picked.  Guitarist Jonathan Pearce stressed the flow of a show and how carefully curated an encore should be and when the guy shouted out Lying in the Sun, Jonathan had to think about it before saying he could make that work.

Then it was “paper dart” time.  That’s what bassist Benjamin Sinclair called them, which was amazing.  Drummer Tristan Deck called them paper airplanes, so I wonder what the discrepancy is.

Each member of the band picked a missile (after putting on safety goggles).  And when the names were announced, a woman with a rubber pineapple on her head came out and wrote the setlist in a blackboard at the back of the stage.  It was funny and adorable, just like everything The Beths do.

The first request was a deeper cut from Expert in a Dying Field, but the other three were popular songs (two of which I’ve seen at every one of their shows) and I thought that that was awesome.  Because while I love to hear a deep cut, I didn’t want it to be all deep cuts that I didn’t know.  The person who requested Jump Rope Gazers had a missile shaped like a fish and when Benjamin opened it, he read that the person who was requesting the song was having it played at their wedding. Continue Reading »

Posted in Chelsea Jade, Sayreville, NJ, Starland Ballroom, The Beths | Leave a Comment »

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