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Archive for September, 2021

The Zappa Band (PNC Bank Center, Holmdel, NJ, September 4, 2021) [KING CRIMSON] [rescheduled from June 22, 2020, State Theatre]

Posted in Adrian Belew, Holmdel, NJ, King Crimson, PNC Bank Center, The Zappa Band on September 4, 2021| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: September 4, 2021] The Zappa Band

When this tour was announced, I was pretty pleased to see that The Zappa Band was opening for King Crimson.  I’ve been a fan of Frank Zappa’s music for years, but I never saw him while he was a live and I’ve never seen any of the various posthumuous offerings that have come around.

I’ve often thought about going to see Dweezil play his dad’s music but I haven’t (looking at the setlist, there’s quite a lot of good stuff there).

But this was an “official” Zappa project, and better yet they were going to be playing where I was planning to be.  Although this lineup isn’t exactly chock full of great Zappa names, everyone in the group has a connection of some merit.

The Zappa Band’s lineup features Zappa alumni Ray White (lead vocals, guitar), Mike Keneally (guitar, keys, vocals), Scott Thunes (bassist) and Robert Martin (keyboards, sax, vocals), and ZPZ alums Jamie Kime (guitar) and ZAPPA archivist Joe “Vaultmeister” Travers (drums, vocals).

I recognized Ray White’s voice immediately (he’s been on 20 plus records).  The other voices were actually quite close approximations to the original.  But really the most amazing thing was hearing  these really complicated and fast pieces done live (and perfectly).

I was pretty delighted to hear “Zomby Woof” a nonsensical song that I’ve always liked.  And I would have been thoroughly disappointed if they hadn’t played “Peaches en Regalia.”  It was somewhere during this song t hat I realized that none of the people on stage was Dweezil Zappa.  I was fairly certain this was his band, but it clearly was not.

I have listened to most of Zappa’s albums many times, (but he has about 1,000 releases).  So I was surprised when I didn’t recognize some songs.  I was even more surprised to find that “I Ain’t Got No Heart” was on Freak Out, and album I particularly like. (more…)

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The Residents (The Foundry, Philadelphia, PA, September 3, 2021) [postponed again, again]

Posted in Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, The Foundry, The Residents on September 3, 2021| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: September 3, 2021] The Residents [rescheduled from May 1, 2020 and May 14, 2021; moved to March 31, 2023]

index

I didn’t hear about this cancellation, but it appears that The Residents basically decided to stay in nd around California rather than making any big touring plans.  And it looks like they are laying low for 2022 as well, with concerts in San Francisco and Glendale only.

So, the official confirmed date for Philly is now March, 31, 2023, which seems like a lifetime away.  Glad to know that they’re still planning to come around.

~~~~~~~~~

It seemed like a May date would be safe, but now things are getting pushed back to the middle of the summer and the Fall.  This new date might happen.

The Residents are one of the most famous obscure bands in the world.  Many people have never heard of them.  Many people who have heard of them know that they wear giant eyeballs on their heads, but don’t know much about their music.  And some of us who own a couple of Residents records have no idea what their full output is like.

They’ve been around since the mid 1970s and have released some sixty albums covering all styles and genres, with the focus on avant garde sounds.  They are also hugely influential to all kinds of musicians.

When they play live, each band member wears a costume (usually the giant eyeball, but not always) and aside from the main composer for the band who died two years ago, no one really knows who is in the band.

I’ve heard their live shows were amazing spectacles, so I thought it might be fun to see them.I didn’t even realize they were still touring, so I was quiet surprised to see them coming to Philly in 2020.  I’ve heard their live shows were amazing spectacles, so I thought it might be fun to see them.  Because they’ve been around forever, I kind of assume they can play a larger venue, but again, no one has heard of them, so it makes sense that they were playing The Foundry.  But how big of a spectacle can you have at t The Foundry?

I suspected that cancelling their show might be the end of the tour for them (If the recently deceased member of the band was nearly 80, how old are the rest of them?  Who knows, they could all be in their 20s).  I’m glad to see the show is postponed, as I might just have to see what they are all about live.

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Terry Pratchett–The Light Fantastic (1986) [Discworld #2] [Rincewind #2]

Posted in Anachronisms, Death, Discworld, End of the World, Funny (ha ha), Magic, Rincewind, Terry Pratchett, The Luggage, Trolls, Twoflower, Wizards, Wizards, Ysabell on September 3, 2021| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK: hiatus

[READ: Summer 2021] The Light Fantastic

After finishing the cliffhanger ending Colour of Magic, I quickly started book two.

Unlike the previous book, this one feels like a full novel–one story about the coming end of the Discworld.

Rincewind and Twoflower (with the luggage) have just fallen of off of the Disc.  The one wonderfully convenient thing about writing about wizards and magic and such is that you can have pretty much anything happen.

We learned early in book one that Rincewind had read a spell from the Octavo–the most powerful book of magic (so powerful that it was locked up and it had been assumed that no one would ever open it)–nice job Rincewind.  The spell then became lodged in Rincewind’s mind.  It has tried on occasion to get out (bit thankfully it never has).  It has also prevented Rincewind from learning any other spells–but that’s his problem. (more…)

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Terry Pratchett–The Colour of Magic (1983) [Discworld #1] [Rincewind #1]

Posted in Death, Death, Discworld, Fantasy, Funny (ha ha), Short Story, Terry Pratchett on September 2, 2021| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK: hiatus

[READ: Summer 2021] The Colour of Magic

Back in the mid 1990s I was working at a bookstore in Boston (Wordsworth, R.I.P.).  They had a great imported books section (from England) and I bought the first four Discworld books in mini editions.  They were adorable and preposterous, with a font size of about 4pt. They were about four inches square.

Imagine reading a book that small.  I would be physically incapable of reading it now.

But I read all four books.

At least I thought I did.  Because when I decided to reread the Discworld series, I distinctly remembered that Rincewind was a bad wizard and that he wore a hat with the word “Wizzard” on it.  He traveled with Twoflower and Twflower had magical luggage.

But when I read this book, he never wore a hat that said “Wizzard” and literally nothing in the story was familiar to me.  So maybe I never read these books?  Granted it was over 25 years ago but still

So it was like reading them for the first time.

This first book is rally four interconnected stories.  But there’s enough repetition of basic information at the start of each story that you know that these were intended to be read separately.

Discworld itself is very well established already, though.

“The Color of Magic”

We start in the city of Ankh-Morpork which is presently on fire.  We meet Rincewind who is instantly revealed as a terrible wizard and a cowardly person (as many wizards prove to be). He has lodged in his brain one of the eight mega powerful spells from the Octavo and as a result can fit no other spells into his head.  No one know what will happen is he says the Spell, but it probably wont be good.

He is with (and sort of protecting) Twoflower, the world’s first tourist.  Twoflower is an insurance clerk from the Agatean Empire.  Hhe tries to sell “in-sewer-ants” to a tavern owner who is used to getting his inn burnt down in brawls.  And yes, Twoflower has luggage made of sapient pearwood.  It will follow its owner anywhere (on little legs that everyone finds very disturbing).  The Luggage is aggressive and always looks angry (as angry as a keyhole can look). It also tends to eat anyone who tries to break in. (more…)

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Alanis Morissette / Garbage / Cat Power (PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ, September 1, 2021) [rescheduled] [CANCELLED]

Posted in Alanis Morissette, Cancelled, Coronavirus, Garbage, Holmdel, NJ, Liz Phair, PNC Bank Center, Postponed, Quarantine, Tori Amos on September 1, 2021| Leave a Comment »

[CANCELLED: September 1, 2021] Alanis Morissette / Garbage / Liz Phair Cat Power [rescheduled from July 1, 2020]

UPDATE: This show was actually cancelled because of the outrageous storm that was the remnants of Hurricane Ida.  Fortunately, they cancelled it long before anyone would have been heading there (I assume), because this rain storm was one of the worst I can remember–insane flooding and even tornados.

It will not be rescheduled because of previous commitments, so that stinks.

~~~

This show had been postponed once and since then, Liz Phair has been replaced by Cat Power, which seems like a VERY different dynamic to me.

I have two shows coming up this weekend, and it seemed like real folly to go out to a show on a Wednesday night as well.   But as I said, I did want to see Garbage again.  But now with the promise of serious rain and probably thunderstorms, it just seems silly to go out at all.

This was a show I wasn’t sure about.

I have seen Alanis Morissette a few times live way back in the 90s when she toured with Tori Amos.  I was there for Tori and I don’t really remember much about Alanis (which is sad, I know).

On this tour, I was more interested in seeing Garbage again (they put on a heck of a show) and for checking out Liz Phair who I once liked and now kinda don’t but who I’m curious about what she’s like live.

This was definitely a show I was going to get lawn seats and try to upgrade.

Concerts are now being postponed earlier.

On May 9, Alanis sent out this message

“Hi everyone.  My North American tour scheduled to begin in a few weeks is being rescheduled to Summer 2021 out of an abundance of caution. Please hold on to your tickets as they will be honored for the new dates which we hope to announce very soon.

So much going on inside and outside take care of yourselves and each other.  Thank you for understanding.  Can’t wait to see you when it is safe for us all to gather.  Hand on all hearts til then.”

Garbage wrote this message:

So the @Alanis tour that @garbage and @lizphairofficial were supposed to be tagging along on this summer got postponed yesterday. We are totally gutted and apologise for any heartache caused. We assure you that we have every intention of fulfilling our obligations to Alanis and to any garbage fans who bought tickets in support of us. We appreciate you so. Please head on over to the @Alanis socials in the days ahead for further info. Please note this is not our tour so we have no answers whatsoever about what happens next.
Looking forward to the days when we all get to hangout and play for you.

No official word from Liz Phair that I have seen.

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