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Archive for April, 2022

Fuzz / Electric Candlelight (Underground Arts, Philaelphia, PA, April 11, 2022) [rescheduled date–rescheduled again] [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Cave In, Cleric, Electric Candlelight, Full show video, Fuzz, Philadelphia, PA, Ty Segall, Underground Arts on April 11, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 11, 2022] Fuzz / Electric Candlelight

This week was supposed to be an intense week of concerts for me.  I don’t really like when they all line up in one week. but what can you do?

Then we decided to go on vacation (it was Spring Break), so I blew off all of these shows.

This second show was with Fuzz.  Fuzz is one of Ty Segall’s bands.  He plays drums in this one and, as their name suggests, they play fuzzy psychedelic music.  I thought  this would be a fun show even though I didn’t know the band all that well.

Besides, I had tickets to Ty Segall later in the summer as well.

Electric Candlelight is a Philly-based band who sound right up my alley.  Here’s a brief write up:

Electric Candlelight — the newly minted four-piece is led by singer Owen Stewart from Ruby The Hatchet and guitarist Justin Pittney, formerly of Residuels and Moon Women. The heavy psychedelic band is rounded out by Max Jonas from Tough Shits on bass, Joshua Aaron from The Lawsuits band on drums, and Ali Awan on guitar. The group made its debut this week with a single called “Another Year Gone By,” a six-minute-long thrasher with ample guitar melodies and the drive of Stewart’s raspy, Credence-esque vocals that offer an element of Ruby The Hatchet’s psychedelic hard rock.

Sounds like it would have been a trippy, fun show.

But D.C. was a wonderful trip, so no regrets.

And Markit Aneight has a video of the whole show from Fuzz

And from Electric Candlelight too!

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Mono / Bing & Ruth (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, April 10, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Bing & Ruth, Mono, Philadelphia, PA, Underground Arts on April 10, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: December 12, 2021] Mono / Bing & Ruth

This week was supposed to be an intense week of concerts for me.  I don’t really like when they all line up in one week. but what can you do?

Then we decided to go on vacation (it was Spring Break), so I blew off all of these shows.

I am really looking forward to seeing Mono again.  I saw them once and their epic post rock blew me away.

Bing & Ruth I hadn’t heard of, but they are a NY-based band and sound similar: “minimalist ensemble music with a certain filmic sensitivity.”

Would have been a lovely show I’m sure.

But D.C. was a wonderful trip, so no regrets.

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Otoboke Beaver (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, April 9, 2022) [postponed to October 2, 2022]

Posted in Johnny Brenda's, Otoboke Beaver, Philadelphia, PA on April 9, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: April 9, 2022] Otoboke Beaver [postponed to October 2, 2022]

I’m not sure if this was a COVID-related postponement, but it came at a good time for me, because we had booked a vacation for the following day and it would have been hard to justify going out to see a band the night before a long drive.

I am very excited about seeing Otoboke Beaver.

 

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Mogwai (Theatre of Living Arts [TLA], Philadelphia, PA, April 6, 2022)

Posted in Mogwai, Nina Nastasia, Philadelphia, PA, Theatre of Living Arts, Ye Gods on April 8, 2022| 1 Comment »

[ATTENDED: April 6, 2022] Mogwai

Back in 1997, my friend Lar was living in Ireland and we would send each other CDs of songs we liked.  He even sent me a couple of UK (etc) only Mogwai singles.

I’m fairly certain he had seen them around this time.  Or at the very least he was aware of their live shows being raucous and loud with endless versions of songs like “Like Herod” where the feedback roared on for twenty minutes.

Well, here it is 25 years later and I still hadn’t seen them live, but they were still going strong.  Actually, I have a ticket stub for them in 2001, but I have no recollection of the show.  I was also supposed to see them in 2017, but a freak snowstorm kept me home.  It was probably the right decision, but I hadn’t forgotten it in five years.  [Either way according to setlist, at neither of those shows did they play “Like Herod”].

And the band did actually wait the 55 minutes to start at 10PM.  Good heavens.  It was so long that the guy next to me passed out (this is the fourth show that I’ve been to where someone has passed out).  He was fine and they walked over to the door to get him so air.

I was right up front (2nd from the fence) and had a perfect view of center stage.  Which was only a shame that Stuart Braithwaite, the defacto leader of the band set up shop on the side of the stage.  Between me and he was a very tall man with a lot of hair.   Bummer. (more…)

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Nina Nastasia (Theatre of Living Arts [TLA], Philadelphia, PA, April 6, 2022) [MOGWAI]

Posted in Mogwai, Nina Nastasia, Philadelphia, PA, Theatre of Living Arts, Ye Gods on April 7, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: April 6, 2022] Nina Nastasia

I had not heard of Nina Nastasia before this show.  And, placed between Ye Gods and Mogwai, I never expected her to be a pleasant, if rather dark, folk singer.

She released her first album in 2000 and put out records pretty consistently for ten years.  Then she stopped and now has a new album due out in July.

Her bandcamp site is quite confessional (more…)

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Ye Gods (Theatre of Living Arts [TLA], Philadelphia, PA, April 6, 2022) [MOGWAI]

Posted in Mogwai, Nina Nastasia, Philadelphia, PA, Theatre of Living Arts, Ye Gods on April 6, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: April 6, 2022] Ye Gods

Ye Gods has an amusing name.

It is the project of Antoni Maiovvi, apparently.

Also apparently, Antoni Maiovvi has released music under about a dozen names like: Ye Gods / Jason Priest / Pleasure Model
Half of: Homoagent / Acid Vatican.

According to his bandcamp page,

A project born in Bristol in 2006 and developed in the bohemian dystopia of Berlin from 2009. Antoni Maiovvi walks the line between retro-synth and horror soundtracks for both real and imagined films.

This was his first stop on the Mogwai tour.  When he came out, he had a table with a whole bunch of electronic gear on it.  From where I Was standing I could see his laptop, and although it’s was 100% clear, I was pretty sure I could see the progress bar streaming across the screen.  And indeed, when it reached the end of the last block, the music ended.  So that’s pretty interesting

Essentially, he created a 30 minute block of music and put it in his laptop.  Then he had all kinds of buttons and knobs and he modified the songs throughout–mostly adding wild effects and pitchshifting.

He also sang (and screamed) into his mic.

It was catchy and dancey and he seemed really really into it.

I wonder if it would have been more enjoyable from further back?  If the sound was better back there. Or maybe seeing how the sausage was made was a little weird?  Either way, it was fine and it was fun to see him as he made the sounds, but I felt like with a name like Ye Gods, it might have been a bit more fun.

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Snail Mail / Joy Again (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, April 5, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Joy Again, Philadelphia, PA, Snail Mail, Union Transfer on April 5, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 5, 2022] Snail Mail / Joy Again

I wanted to see Snail Mail back in 2018 and couldn’t make the show.  I really liked her debut album.

I hadn’t enjoyed songs from her new one a much, so even though I bought a ticket as soon as this show was announced, I decided not to go.

I didn’t realize at the time that my daughter had a Joy Again song on her playlist.  “Looking out for You” is a bouncy song with lots of banjo, although it doesn’t sound folky at all.  I wonder if she would have enjoyed going to this show with me.

 

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DakhaBrakha (SOPAC, South Orange, NJ, April 2, 2022)

Posted in DakhaBrakha, SOPAC, South Orange, NJ, Ukraine on April 3, 2022| 1 Comment »

[ATTENDED: April 2, 2022] DakhaBrakha

After the last few nights, I was in need of a break, but there was no way I was passing up a chance to see DakhaBrakha.

I heard about this Ukranian band from Tiny Desk Concerts, of course.  I fell in love with them immediately.  Their music was weird and wonderful with amazing harmonies and interesting instruments.  And their outfits were incredible.  Giant hats and beautiful dresses on the women–who totally kicked ass while they played, too.

I was thrilled when I saw they were coming to SOPAC–local, small and seated.  I snatched up tickets way back in November,

And then Russia invaded Ukraine.  And who even knew if they’d be alive, much less able to play in the States.  Evidently they left the country about a week before the show–so they had been there (their home base is in Kyiv) during the bombing.  It’s unreal.

So now, this show went from being a fun celebration of Ukraine to a pointed attempt to show support to a country that needed it.  Suddenly, the night was more significant.

Which, fortunately, didn’t change the music.  True, the visuals that the band showed were often far more somber and dark than they probably would have been otherwise, but you can’t change the music.  And it was wonderful. (more…)

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Holy Fuck (Kung Fu Necktie, Philadelphia, PA, April 3, 2022) [POSTPONED]

Posted in Boot & Saddle, Cancelled, Coronavirus, Holy Fuck, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, Quarantine on April 3, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: April 3, 2022] Holy Fuck (rescheduled from June 10, 2020 and February 16, 2021; moved to August 13, 2022]

The resurgence of COVID meant Holy Fuck postponed their tour one more time.  I was bummed about this one because I didn’t have too many shows around this time.  But the new date is in a crowded field of shows

~~~~~~~

Not only did Holy Fuck cancel this tour, Boot & Saddle closed its doors.   Mega cancelled.

~~~

After seeing that this show was postponed, it gave me an opportunity to explore their music. I was now looking forward to seeing them in the new year.  Well, I guess February is still too soon to plan anything, so this tour has also been cancelled.

Holy Fuck have a great name that pretty much guarantees they won’t get much in the way of airplay or advertising.

Of course their music isn’t super commercial either–although it can be quite catchy (and has been used in a bunch of soundtracks).  They play an electronic dance music but in a decidedly old-school fashion.  They don’t use laptops at all, employing all manner of old school equipment. (more…)

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Car Seat Headrest (Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, April 1, 2022)

Posted in Bartees Strange, Car Seat Headrest, Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, Toy Bastard on April 2, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: April 1, 2022] Car Seat Headrest

I saw Car Seat Headrest four years ago at Union Transfer and it was one of the least pleasant shows I’d been to.  The music was great, but the crowd was uniformly terrible–especially near me.  

I wasn’t sure if I’d want to see them again, but then my son got really turned on to them (I had nothing to do with it) and he really wanted to see them live.  I couldn’t pass that up, and I assumed the crowd would be a little different in this much bigger venue.

And, yes, the crowd was much better–although it felt really crowded in there!

The crazy thing is that the doors opens at 7:30.  We arrived at 7:25 to an enormous line.  And we didn’t get in the venue until after 8.  I asked my son if he wanted to get up front or get merch.  He chose merch–I think getting close will win out next time.  I would have loved to have been closer for sure.

The fascinating thing about Car Seat Headrest now is that lead singer and main Headrest Will Toledo wears a modified gasmask for the entire set.  It’s pretty neat as it has a microphone in it and the eyes light up to display emotions (cute eyes, angry eyes, heart and swirly lines).  The good thing is that Toledo sounds fine through this odd system. (more…)

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