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!
[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
Daði Freyr has played Philadelphia 3 times and I’ve seen them all. My wife and I enjoyed him enough last time, that I knew I’d have to grab tickets for this tour as well.
Once again, I felt a little bad for not knowing all of the words to his songs because EVERYBODY else seemed to know every word. But that’s ok, because we were there for the undeniable Eurodance that Daði creates
The previous two times, he had other musicians with him (Ylva Øyen on drums and keys and Pétur Karl on guitars and synth), but this time it was just him. He had two banks of keys. Behind him was a guitar and a bass. Mostly he triggered the songs on his keyboards and he sang along. He played solos on the keys and manipulated the sounds from time to time.
The tech was much more sophisticated this time. There were four panels in the back which were connected by horizontal lights.
The theme of this show was Planet Daði. A planet that exists where everyone is Daði. Then a spaceship landed and out came a Daði. And soon they were interbreeding (hilarious pictures of hands with eyes flying around or looking like giraffes). The screens were filled with videos for each song–mostly Daði in the same white robe that he wore on stage–see it is a cult!–singing along or playing instruments.
And then he came out on stage in that white robe and started singing Somebody Else Now, not even a new song! The crowd was. in the lyrics of P.E.R.F.E.C.T., “Fabulous, Wonderful, Super nice, Magical, Excellent, Fantastic, Such a snack.” They sang and danced and responded to everything Daði did. Continue Reading »
[DID NOT ATTEND: October 9, 2026] Queen of Jeans / Bren
Queen of Jeans is a Philly band who I’ve seen on a lot of marquees. I feel like for a while, back before the pandemic, they were opening for a lot of shows that I didn’t go to. I see now that they haven’t done much since 2019, but they came back with a new album last year.
I was always kind of dismissive of their name (not sure why) and for some reason I thought they were scrappy and punky. But I couldn’t have been more wrong. Described as indie sweethearts, after listening to the album, I find that this bio is spot on
their sound has always been soft around the edges but explores feelings that are anything but. As their sound has developed, they’ve refined a signature built around dreamy guitars, adventurous instrumentation, crushing lyricism, and one of the most underrated voices in modern indie rock: vocalist/guitarist Miri Devora. With guitarist Mattie Glass and bassist Andrew Nitz, Queen of Jeans are effortlessly timeless but still of-the-times, and continue to be one of indie’s most consistently compelling bands.
This blurb is right, Miri’s voice is gorgeous!
This was an album release show for their new album hard/SWEET which is delightful.
Bren is a Philadelphia-based artist who weaves together elements of punk, indie-folk, alternative, and post-grunge into a musical tapestry that is all her own. Through her sonically cathartic songs, she shares authentic stories of human experience that resonate at a deep emotional level with her audiences. Her powerful yet nuanced vocal performance takes listeners on a journey from the transcendent and tender to the fierce and feral. And the music behind her is equally dynamic, ranging from massive “wall of sound” guitars and blasting beats to haunting, ethereal acoustic parts and subtle percussion.
Bren permanently relocated to Philadelphia and recorded her 2023 debut EP “Too Late for Flowers.” Bren lives and breathes the Philly indie scene, performing at numerous venues and sharing bills with both local and national artists. All of these experiences are being poured into her new music, and will culminate in her next record out in 2027.
Bren rocks harder that Queen of Jeans, but shared a similar sonic vein. This would have been a really fun show and I’d happily see both bands when they play again.
[DID NOT ATTEND: October 9, 2026] DJ Shadow: 30 years of Endtroducing / Prince Paul
30 years ago I bought Endtroducing and was blown away. It never would have occurred to me to go see DJ Shadow (or any DJ) live. But after reading some hugely complementary reviews of DJ Shadow’s live show, I was really interested in going. The Entroducing album is fantastic and as I understand it, DJ Shadow’s show is an amazing visual feast.
But I was feeling pretty beat today. I had originally thought I might go to a Free at Noon AND this show, but I wound up not going to either. The thought of trying to deal with Franklin Music Hall on a Friday night was just too much for me to deal with,.
And that’s fine. Some shows are more worthy of hitting.
I don’t really know what Prince Paul did. I guess he DJ’d as well. His set list is a series of hip hop classics. Did he just play them? Did he rap over them? No idea.
Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing ta F’ Wit (Wu‐Tang Clan cover)
Eye Know (De La Soul cover)
The Choice Is Yours (Black Sheep cover)
The Light (Common cover)
From 93 Til Infinity (Souls of Mischief cover)
Da Rockwilder (Method Man & Redman cover)
Can I Kick It? (A Tribe Called Quest cover)
Electric Relaxation (A Tribe Called Quest cover)
Add this to the number of Free at Noon shows I haven’t gone to but grabbed a ticket for. (I don’t feel bad since it didn’t sell out). Wesley Stace was supposed to open for Loudon Wainwright last week but Loudon cancelled the show for some reason so Wesley did an entire show himself.
Who is he? 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.
But today I just wasn’t feeling the effort of driving into Philly. And, to be honest I listened to some of his new album and found it a lot more adult contemporary than his older stuff. It didn’t seem worth it. I’ll listen online when it gets posted though and see if I made a mistake.
BRÍET is an Icelandic singer. Her earlier singles were sung in Icelandic, but her newest album has songs in English. When I listened to her English language album, the songs were folk, borderline country. She told us that she made that album in Nashville, so that makes sense.
Indeed, the first song she sang, Until Then, was just her with an acoustic guitar. And wow, her voice was beautiful. Unlike the couple behind us. These two horrible individuals spoke at normal volume during the song about how great a singer she was. What he actual fuck? They were very complimentary which was nice, but holy shit, they didn’t even try to whisper. It was like the most pretentious bullshit spoken at pretentious volume. When he loudly said “she’s like a mermaid” I nudged my wife and said that we needed to move. So we did.
But not before Cowboy Killer. BRÍET won over the audience before this song by saying that she was in Nashville and walked into a bar where these older guys said (she did a good southern accent) “hey pretty lady.” Then she said he had a huge cowboy hat and then put her hands at her waist and said and the largest … …. she couldn’t think of the word so people helpfully shouted “belt buckle” and she said “no, penis.” Instantly won over everyone. (it was really a belt buckle).
[DID NOT ATTEND: October 8, 2026] KRS-One / Kuf Knotz & Christine Elise / Dell-P / J the Audiophile
I really enjoyed KRS-One’s debut album. But I didn’t really listen to anything else after that. I didn’t even know hw was still in the game (he has been putting out albums regularly ever since). So that’s 30 years of not listening to someone. So I really wasn’t going to go to this show. Although I see from a recent show that he did 5 songs from that debut album.
Kuf Knotz is a Philly rapper who blends hiphop poetry with deep grooves of soul and beats sun kissed with the spirit of Lo-Fi & 90’s era vibes , Kuf’s inimitable style focuses on unsubtle spirituality, that, like his music, focus on unity, positivity and creativity.
He has been touring was with harpist Christine Elise.
The rest of the lineup also opened for Ghostface Killah when he played Underground Arts.
Dell-P is a Philly rapper who has nice old school flow–aggressive and clear–with catchy choruses.
J the audiophile is a hip hop, soul, electronic dance music, disco, and funk DJ, music producer, and all around vinyl enthusiast living large in the City. He is dedicated to the preservation of vinyl culture in Philadelphia. He has some albums out. I think they’re all instrumental with spoken samples. I guess for a live show he would be spinning, but I don’t know if it would be his own stuff or just DJing. But I love the retro vibe he’s playing.
I probably would have enjoyed this whole night, but he had tickets to another show.
