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!
[DID NOT ATTEND: October 12, 2026] Show Me the Body / Lip Critic / Combust
Despite my enjoyment of noisy. abrasive bands, I am turned off by certain band names. Show Me the Body is one I don’t care for–I just assume with a band name like that your songs are all about murder. But I don’t know anything about their music.
Turns out they are a post hardcore band whose music includes a banjo. They play a kind of murky, punk-industrial vibe, mixes brimming with thorny and clangorous textures. And the banjo is often distorted and wild. And with lyrics like “Radical love compels me to fight” they clearly aren’t singing about committing murder anyhow. It’s kind of interesting although I didn’t love it.
I was mostly interested in this show for Lip Critic. I saw Lip Critic last year and the blew me away. I’d never want to listen to their records, but live, they were incredible. Noisy and chaotic with two drummers and a guy who plays keys/samples/something. And a singer who commands the room. I definitely want to see them again, but not as the middle band between two others I didn’t know.
Combust is a pretty much straight up old school hardcore band (nice not to see the “post” before hardcore). I’m glad to know there are still new hardcore bands coming up.
[DID NOT ATTEND: October 2, 2026] Balthvs / Free Whenever
This We saw Balthvs open for My Morning Jacket two nights in a row and they were dynamite both nights. I was super excited when they announced this show only to find out that I had tickets to two other shows on the same night. I might have even chosen this one over one of the others but Ardmore is a hassle to get to and I really wanted to go to the third show anyhow.
surf-rock fusion trio from Bogotá, Colombia, which blends dub with Middle Eastern melodies layered over cumbia. Balthvs, which consists of Balthazar Aguirre on guitar, Johanna Mercuriana on bass, and Santiago Lizcano on drums, has an inviting musical presence and a deftly blurring range of influences that makes them shine a bit differently than another, more prominent power trio blazing up genre amalgams for what used to be just the blazed, but have now taken on multiple identities of chill.
They were really great live.
I hadn’t heard of Free Whenever who are a Brooklyn-based psychedelic groove band (bassist Trevor LaVecchia, guitarist Neil Gulieria and drummer Brendan Steuart). I’ve listened to a few songs and they really hit a sweet spot for me. Their bio says
Free Whenever’s unique blend of vintage psychedlia, dub reggae, eastern modality, and African rhythmic tradition leaveslisteners fully immersed in a synesthetic sound experience. Their self-proclaimed “psychedelic groove music” identity is built on intertwining, conversational bass and guitar melodies over a backbone of Afro-Latin percussion and punchy, hip hop-inspired drums. Live, Free Whenever runs rawer and more psychedelic than the records: the songs are launch points, and the improvisation builds rather than repeats.
This sounds like a really great show and I am bummed to have missed it, for sure. But they’re both young bands and will, I assume, be back again.
Sugar hasn’t toured in some 30 years. For some reason I thought I had seen them back the first time, but I’d actually seen Bob Mould doing a solo tour (with a band) and they played Sugar songs.
I’ve seen Bob several times, both by himself and with a band, but I was really excited to see Sugar and, while it wasn’t THAT different from when he plays a solo show (with a band) it was all Sugar and there were several songs sung by David Barbe, the legend from Athens. And Malcolm Travis (I had no idea his history) was on drums.
There was a MASSIVE banner that read SUGAR behind them and, aside from lighting changes, there wasn’t much more spectacle. Because this (as with most things Bob does) was all about the music.
After an opening tape of The Beatles’ She Said She Said (which I joked was played at the loudest volume I’ve ever heard The Beatles played) the band came out. Malcolm sat at the drums, David grabbed his bass and Bob headed to the guitar. For the whole show, nobody changed instruments, they just played 23 songs in 90 minutes and left us exhausted and elated.
Bob was his usual antsy self, stomping around the stage like a boxer warming up. He was dripping sweat by the end of the first song. They opened with the first three songs from Copper Blue. I have seen Bob and I’ve seen him play a few Sugar songs in recent years, but as soon as David sang the backing vocals on The Act We Act, it was a real Sugar show.
I deliberately didn’t listen to any of the albums before the show for fear that I’d be upset if they didn’t play the song I wanted to hear and I was pretty thrilled by how much all of this music that I’d listened to so much came back to me.
Hearing the opening bass line of A Good Idea (a very Pixies like song) was wonderful and watching Bob play that rising guitar note was just as cool . We all sang along to “that’s a good idea, she said she said.” There was an older woman in front of my wife. She was short with long gray hair and for the first couple of songs, she was completely consumed by the music–raising her arm (something I particularly hate) and dancing and moving and backing into my wife–she took up way too much space. She settled down after the opening salvo of songs, but it was fascinating. We were annoyed by her, but also appreciative of how into it she was.
I loved hearing Changes, and probably would have happily had them play the entire album straight through (but they had to save a few songs for the end). They sprinkled songs from File Under: Easy Listening throughout the set. So up next came the David Barbe sung Company Man. I didn’t recognize it at first–David’s mic seemed a little quiet and/or he was singing a little too quietly. His backing vocals (which were usually higher) sounded great. But he was a little muffled on lead. I hadn’t thought of Company Man in a long time and it was cool to hear it–Bob’s screams at the end gave it even more punch. Continue Reading »
I could have seen J. Robbins open for Bob Mould last year. But I wound up not going to that show. I have one Jawbox album but I didn’t really remember all that much about it. So I wasn’t that excited for this solo show. In the past he has played with backing musicians, but for this show it was just him and his acoustic guitar.
And it was fantastic.
He was great right from the start. He asked who was there the night before (“Me too!”). He played a slightly different set for us than for night 1 saying that having the two nights together meant that he could play songs he didn’t usually get to play.
He started playing and the sound of his guitar was great–loud but clear. And his voice was also clear–powerful and unflinching. And the words were wonderful. Not just the topic, but the way with words. I loved the lyric Shield from me the words I struggle to find.
He played one Jawbox song (I didn’t know it but the crowd went nuts for it).
The first five songs were in an interesting open tuning. Interesting enough that a nerdy guy behind me asked what tuning he was using (it was a very quiet room for him). He demurred and just said an unusual one.
He switched tuning for the next few songs. The first was a Burning Airlines song. That’s a band I’d never heard of and (obviously) didn’t know he was in. After one more song he introduced a song saying it was his favorite song in the world by a weirdo Baltimore band that he loved called Lungfish. I’d never heard of them either.
The final two songs were just as good as the rest. I see he typically opens with Anodyne. And after Abandoned Mansion, he thanked us and left.
A solid 30 minutes of great acoustic guitar playing. He was compelling and his voice sounded fantastic. I’m now going back to see what else I’ve missed by him.
(Unknown)
(“nothing behind. Shield from me the words I struggle to find”)
Exquisite Corpse ♣
Winter Sun §
Soldier On ⊗
Static (Jawbox song)
Outside the Aviary (Burning Airlines song)
Old Soul ♣
Love Is Love (Lungfish cover)
Anodyne ⊗
Abandoned Mansions ⊗
♣ Basilisk (2024)
⊗ Un-becoming (2019)
§ single (2019)
[DID NOT ATTEND: October 12, 2026] Sylvan Esso / Gladie
I saw Sylvan Esso three years ago. They’d never been a huge favorite of mine, but I liked a lot of their music and thought they’d be interesting to see live. And they were!
Amelia Meath, literally the only person to watch on stage, is electric. Her musical partner Nick Sanborn creates all of the music on a variety of electronic devices. He stands up in the corner of the stage, occasionally looking up, but mostly very busy making sounds including manipulating and echoing Amelia’s voice as she sings.
I listened to a bit of the new album and it didn’t grab me as much (even though I love the imagery of the album). So I didn’t plan on going.
And then, I won a pair of tickets from an online contest (!). But I had four other shows I was hoping to go to this week and I just couldn’t imagine squeezing another show in (then whey did I enter the contest? Because I’m an idiot and I figure I never win anyhow). But I told the contest runner I couldn’t go and to offer them to someone else.
I saw Gladie open for Otoboke Beaver back in 2023. Since then Gladie has been getting a good buzz about them, which is cool because they were really good. Their new album is great and I really want to see them again. I hope they go on a headlining tour soon.
[DID NOT ATTEND: October 12, 2026] Sugar / J. Robbins
Sugar hasn’t toured in some 30 years. For some reason I thought I had seen them back the first time, but I’d actually see Bob Mould doing a solo tour (with a band) and they played Sugar songs.
Sugar is Bob’s poppiest band and every song is a delight. I was so excited when they announced a reunion tour. The first few dates were NYC only and I considered going. But it seemed likely they’d add more dates and here they were with two nights at Union Transfer. I deliberately got night two, so I didn’t go to this first night.
But I’m super psyched for tomorrow.
I have one album from Jawbox, their last. J. Robbins was the singer and main dude behind the band. I’m not sure what got me to buy it (that was back in 1996 after all). I may have been the Tori Amos cover. They were a post-hardcore band before that was a thing. I probably would like it now if I listened to it. Maybe I’ll give it a listen before the show (but I see he’s not playing any songs from it so…)
[CANCELLED: October 11, 2026] Voivod / BAT / Rhododendron
I was pretty excited for this show. I love Voivod and have only seen them once. The chance to see them at Underground Arts was just amazing.
But last week they announced
Dear Fans,
It is with heavy hearts that we must cancel the US tour dates with BAT due to family health emergency in the Voivod clan.
We would like to say postponed and give you a new time period but Voivod can’t commit to any dates right now.
Tickets will be refunded at point of sale, we ask fans to wait a few days until the ticketing systems have been alerted.
Thank you for your understanding and support.
So that sucks. More for them than for me and I hope all is okay.
BAT are a heavy band from Virginia that I’d seen on posters but didn’t know much about. Well,
The brainchild ofMUNICPAL WASTE guitarist, Ryan Waste, BAT’s origins actually go back to 2008 when Waste and former D.R.I. drummer, and Texas native, Felix Griffin, hatched the idea of working together. “We’d see each other when I’d pass through Texas,” saysWaste, “and we talked about doing a project where I played all the instruments—guitar, bass, and vocals— and he would drum. We both love Discharge and Celtic Frost and we wanted to do something real straightforward, no frills.” “As big of a heavy metal fan as I am, I think the dirtier side of it fits better with my vocals,” he says. “But we try to push the boundaries in BAT between heavy metal, punk and rock ‘n’ roll to where you can’t quite put your finger on it. Dynamically it all coagulates together with our dirty sound. I call it primitive heavy speed. It’s just the nastiest mix of all of the above.”
And that’s pretty accurate. They play fast and heavy, in an old school way. And the vocals are old-school growly where you can hear the words clearly but the singer is snarling at you. It reminds me a lot of Venom or Celtic Frost.
Rhododendron were formed in 2019 in Portland, Oregon while the band’s members were still in high school, Rhododendron’s Ezra Chong (guitar, vocals), Gage Walker (bass), and Noah Mortola (drums) set out to push their musical limits without regard for genre boundaries or audience expectation. In the past 7 years the trio has developed a sound rooted in technical precision and repetition. Drawing from the angular experimentation of underground rock in the 1980s and 1990s alongside elements of jazz, ambient, and progressive music, their compositions are deliberate with intensity. Riffs fracture and reform, rhythms lock into patterns only to break apart, and extended passages build pressure before shifting direction.
Last year Ida and Tsunami played together. I was more familiar with Tsunami than Ida, although I did know Ida.
Ida was based in NYC and Tsunami in DC. Tsunami’s own Simple Machines record label released Ida’s first three albums (1994’s Tales of Brave Ida, 1996’s I Know About You, and 1997’s Ten Small Paces) and the two acts regularly found themselves touring and collaborating together throughout the decade.
I had mild regret about not going to that show, and even more mild regret about not going to this one. I initially had tickets to see Voivod, but that was cancelled. Up next was Isiliel but I knew that wasn’t going to happen. There was even the possibility of seeing rhododendron play in West Philly. So this show was fourth on my list. It was never going to happen.
But maybe if listen more to Ida now, when they come back around I’ll out them higher up.
Reading this blurb about Ava Mirzadegan made me think I wouldn’t like her–that it would be too spare, too silent.
Accompanied most often by spacious silence and a finger-picked nylon string guitar, Ava Mirzadegan writes quiet songs about longing, letting go, and befriending night skies.
But listening to her album, it’s really lovely. Her voice is gorgeous and her playing is gentle but resonant. You could probably hear a pin drop when she played.
[DID NOT ATTEND: October 11, 2026] Rhododendron / Massa Nera / Gre/ay / Sodaseas
Rhododendron were supposed to open for Voivod tonight, but that tour was cancelled because of someone getting sick. And they found a new place to play the same night! So that’s awesome for them.
I’ve never heard of Cousin Danny’s Lounge, but it sounds like a real punk haven. The show was put on by the folks at Yarga, whose ethos is two fold:
1. Booking high energy live shows that encourage altered states of consciousness and true communication.
2. Promoting art and music that push the boundaries of commonly accepted modes of thought and creation. In these small endeavors we seek to break with systemic alienation and complacency.
Rhododendron surely fit the bill
Formed in 2019 in Portland, Oregon while the band’s members were still in high school, Rhododendron’s Ezra Chong (guitar, vocals), Gage Walker (bass), and Noah Mortola (drums) set out to push their musical limits without regard for genre boundaries or audience expectation. In the past 7 years the trio has developed a sound rooted in technical precision and repetition. Drawing from the angular experimentation of underground rock in the 1980s and 1990s alongside elements of jazz, ambient, and progressive music, their compositions are deliberate with intensity. Riffs fracture and reform, rhythms lock into patterns only to break apart, and extended passages build pressure before shifting direction.
They sound pretty great too.
Massa Nera also fits the Yarga bill. They are from Linden, NJ and they are an experimental screamo band (less emo and more scream, though)
the rise of end-times fascism, the annihilation of collective, shared meaning, and the looming threat of climate catastrophe. It is within this landscape that Massa Nera release their urgent, genre-defying 3rd LP, “The Emptiness of All Things.”
Having been given a commission by the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music to create a work that addresses the climate crisis, Massa Nera embraced experimentation, confrontation, and musical malfeasance in an attempt to capture the hellish inanity that defines our reality. Where once their songs bounced, they now alternately lumber and convulse. Their former impulse towards dance has mutated into a desire for destruction.
Lyrically, Massa Nera has shunned autobiography in favor of something more character-driven, more literary, more speculative. They offer a snapshot of capitalistic delusion and existential paralysis, rooted in the anxieties and fractured psychologies of the here and now. In short, “The Emptiness of All Things” is a lyrical call to arms, delivered not as a rallying cry but as an obituary. It is a mirror held up to the abyss, reflected back at the listener without pity or mawkish sentiment.
Despite this, the band has not abandoned melody. The predominant mood of ugliness is counterbalanced by passages of beauty, longing, and even undisguised gentleness. This gentleness, however, is not in service of an unearned, misplaced optimism. It is offered in the spirit of reflection, allowing listener and band alike to take a breath as they stare into the void.
There is beauty but it is mostly harsh.
Gre/ay are a noise band from Philly. You can see a cideo of them at the Ukie CLub below. But note the comment from the person who posted it (Santo Donia): “(Gre/ay is so loud. Like uncontrollably loud, I LOVE IT. Like, I thought my earplugs broke, loud. All I gotta say is: Gre/ay is loud.)”
I saw Sodaseas open for Zeta last year and they were fantastic. I would love to see them again. I don’t think they quite fit this bill, since they are far more melodic. But their ethos is certainly the same and they do throw in some noisy sections for sure. You can see a clip of them at the bottom.
As for Cousin Danny’s Lounge, I can’t find out that much about it. I’m guessing it’s a West Philly bar that hosts punk shows. Probably very small with a heraty slam dance component.
[DID NOT ATTEND: October 11, 2026] Isiliel / Eternal Hoshi
I saw Isiliel twice in a few months back in 2023/2024. It was weird and fun.
So, who is Isiliel? She is Himari Tsukishiro who is the main singer in the Japanese band Necronomidol. As her site puts it
Isiliel is a solo dance/vocal project by Himari Tsukishiro (NECRONOMIDOL).
Mixing genres as diverse as folk, blackgaze and city pop via a worldwide team of veteran songwriters such as King Dude and NARASAKI of COALTAR OF THE DEEPERS, through Isiliel Himari will express hitherto unexplored depths of pathos and beauty on stage.
She basically sang to her music that was played over the speakers. As I said, it was fun but weird.
I would have liked to go to this, but initially, I had a ticket to Voivod, so I kind of forgot about it. When Voivod was cancelled, I thought about going and considering asking my wife to come along. She might have enjoyed it, but it was a crazy couple of days and it seemed better to stay home.
Eternal HOSHI is a J-Rock and Anisong Cover Band based in NJ. I didn’t really understand what that meant.
Then I looked into it some more and found out that they play Anime and Video Game (maybe) theme songs. And from my watching of anime, those songs are fast and challenging. I imagine they were a lot of fun to see. And I’d love to see them sometime.
2024
2023
Lilith *
Koumyou Kishi ⊄ 光明生死
Koumyou Kishi ⊄ 光明生死
Geshoku Senka ⊄ 月蝕戦歌
Geshoku Senka ⊄ 月蝕戦歌
Jodo Dokushou ⊄ 浄土独唱
Jodo Dokushou ⊄ 浄土独唱
Seian Kengen ⊄ 聖暗顕現
Seian Kengen ⊄ 聖暗顕現
Keisei Densetsu ⊄ 景星伝説
Keisei Densetsu ⊄ 景星伝説
Kikoku Enbu ⊄ 鬼哭演舞
Seiha Sougyou ⊄ 制覇早暁
Lilith *
Qliphoth §
Enen Futou ⊄ 奄奄不撓
Sange Ittai ⊄ 散華一体
Sange Ittai ⊄ 散華一体
Genesis ⊄
Genesis ⊄
pinky promise
Seizon Senryaku $ 生存戦略
§ single (2024)
* single (2023) ⊄ Moonglow Genesis (2023)
$ single (2022)
Here’s what she played in 2026 (bold are new to me)
SE
Lilith
MC Black Moon 散華一体 (Sange Ittai)
Genesis
MC 聖暗顕現 (Seian Kengen) Umbral Exorcism Serpent’s Aubade
MC Moonbow Legion Blutschwer 浄土独唱 (Jodo Dokusho)
MC Liebestod
