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Archive for June, 2022

Frank Turner / Kayleigh Goldsworthy (Crossroads, Garwood, NJ, June 20, 2022 [late show]) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Crossroads, Frank Turner, Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls, Garwood, NJ, Kayleigh Goldsworthy, Philadelphia, PA on June 20, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: June 20, 2022] Frank Turner / Kayleigh Goldsworthy

On September 15, Frank Turner announced that he would be playing Underground Arts on October 3.  At 2PM!

This year, after announcing his show in Philadelphia, he announced that the next night he would be playing Crossroads the following night–a solo show–AFTER playing a show in Queens earlier in the day.  Frank is a lunatic.

I wanted to see him, but the show started at 11 PM.  Which, let’s face it, is too late, even for me.  Plus, he was solo, and I want to see the band this time.

His opening act was announced as a special guest.  The guest turned out to be Philly singer-songwriter Kayleigh Goldsworthy.

I saw her open for Frank at that 2PM show and really enjoyed her.

Kayleigh commanded the afternoon crowd right off the bat. She sang slow ballads that were full of angst.  Her voice was really strong and she had the amazing confidence to have long (relatively) stretches of her song where very little happened.  And we were rapt by her.  Her voice sounded very familiar to me–like someone who I can’t place.

There are some videos available of the show 9which sounds like the audience was full of drunken men, perhaps no surprise there).

 

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Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls / Avail / The Bronx / Pet Needs (Fillmore Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, June 19, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Avail, Frank Turner, Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls, Pet Needs, Philadelphia, PA, The Bronx, The Fillmore Philadelphia on June 19, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: June 19, 2022] Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls / Avail / The Bronx / Pet Needs

I had been wanting to see him for a long time because I’d heard his live shows were amazing.  I saw him last year in a solo (more or less) performance.  And it was great.  So next, I wanted to see him with his band because I’ve heard the band version is even wilder with a more punk aesthetic and I do love a fun punk show.

I grabbed a ticket to this immediately, not realizing that it was Father’s Day.  It’s not a very Fatherly way to spend the day by being away from your family for hours.  So I didn’t go.  I probably wouldn’t  have gone to all the bands (four is so many!), but still, it’s nice to be home with the family.

Avail is a melodic hardcore band that has been around since 1987.  There would be a LOT of slam dancing for this set.

The Bronx is a punk band from (amusingly) Los Angeles.  They’ve been around since 2022, but I’d never heard of them (clearly I’m not up on my punk bands).  Slam dancing here as well, although their newer stuff is less punk and a bit more metal.  Interestingly, the band also released several mariachi albums under the name Mariachi El Bronx.  I wonder if they play any of that in these shows.  Probably not.

Pet Needs is a punk band from England formed by brothers Johnny and George Marriott. Their debut album: ‘Fractured Party Music‘, was mixed and mastered by Frank Turner.  They have a good punk sound but they mix it up with slower parts in their songs, too.

 

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tUnE-yArDs / Anjimile (Union Transfer, Philadelphia PA, June 18, 2022)

Posted in Anjimile, Philadelphia, PA, tUnE-yArDs, Union Transfer on June 18, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: June 18, 2022] tUnE-yArDs / Anjimile

I saw tUnE-yArDs in 2018 and enjoyed the show. There’s questions about her appropriation of African culture into her music which makes me think, rather than enjoy, her music.

So I wasn’t likely to go to this show even if it hadn’t been right up against Kraftwerk, which there was no way I was missing.

Anjimile Chithambo is a folk singer from Boston, Massachusetts.  Her music is pretty, but I don’t care for her singing style at all, which is kind of slow and deliberate and, to me, a little tedious.

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Kraftwerk 3-D (The Met Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, June 18, 2022)

Posted in Kraftwerk, Philadelphia, PA, The Met Philadelphia on June 18, 2022| 1 Comment »

[ATTENDED: June 18, 2022] Kraftwerk 3-D [rescheduled after July 30, 2020 cancellation]

Kraftwerk are one of the most influential bands of all time–and most people don’t know them.  They created electronic music and have been sampled hundreds of times.

I never even considered that I would see them live.  And then they announced this 3-D tour celebrating their 50th anniversary!

My understanding of their live shows was that the four members would stand on stage in front of these tint platforms and play their electronic music and that was pretty much it.  So the 3-D component sounded like an interesting addition.

Normally I wouldn’t want to see a band that wasn’t full of original members. Kraftwerk really only has one–Ralf Hütter is the only guy still in the band from the beginning.  Of the other three, Fritz Hilpert has been on board since 1987, Henning Schmitz since 1991 and Falk Grieffenhagen since 2012.  Florian Schneider another co-founder just died in 2020, but he had left the band twelve years ago.  So while they aren’t original guys, the four have been together long enough to count as Kraftwerk for sure.

I was bummed when the whole tour was cancelled for COVID.  But here it was, two years later (52nd anniversary) rescheduled and ready to go–no doubt unchanged in any way. (more…)

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Strand of Oaks / The Still Tide (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, June 17, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Philadelphia, PA, Strand of Oaks, The Still Tide, Union Transfer on June 17, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: June 17, 2022] Strand of Oaks / The Still Tide

I have seen Strand of Oaks a number of times–although mostly as a solo venture.

I kind of forget that he plays with a full band (and they rock).  This would have been a fun show to see, but it was scheduled for the same night as Belle and Sebastian which we’d already gotten tickets for.  Plus, the night turned out to be the same as my daughter’s graduation.  So, this one was never going to happen.  I hope that he comes back to Philly again soon.

The Still Tide are from Brooklyn but are now based in Colorado.

I’ve listened to a couple of songs and they remind me of Lone Justice–rock with a countryish kind of feel.  They actually seem like a good fit for Strand of Oaks.

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Belle and Sebastian / Los Bitchos (Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, June 17, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Belle and Sebastian, Franklin Music Hall, Los Bitchos, Philadelphia, PA on June 17, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: June 17, 2022] Belle and Sebastian / Los Bitchos

This was a terrible week for concerts for my wife and I.

After missing out on Sigur Ros because of an awards ceremony at my daughter’s school, this evening was scheduled for her graduation as well.

Obviously, those events are very important and there was no question which we would go to.  It’s just maddening that these dates were announced so late that we had already gotten tickets to both events long before the conflict came up.

Oh well.

I’m sure we’ll be seeing Belle & Sebastian again.

Los Bitchos is a four piece from London.  The band consists of Serra Petale (guitar), Agustina Ruiz (keytar), Josefine Jonsson (bass), and Nic Crawshaw (drums; percussion).  They predominantly play instrumental music in the style of cumbia from the 70s and 80s.

And they are a lot of fun.  Sounds like a great opening act.

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They Might Be Giants: 30th Anniversary Flood Show (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, June 16, 2022)–[rescheduled date rescheduled again and again this time CAR ACCIDENT!]

Posted in Coronavirus, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, They Might Be Giants, Union Transfer on June 16, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: June 16, 2022] They Might Be Giants [rescheduled from March 13, 2020, September 8, 2020, April 15, 2021 and March 22, 2022 moved to January 12, 2023]

COVID is over, right?  Let’s rock, right?  What could go wrong?

Never, ever, tempt fate:

Hello –
We have some unfortunate news to share, John F from TMBG was in a serious car accident after their show last evening. The upcoming Philly show (and next two months of their tour) is now *postponed* to some time later in 2022.
Unreal, right?  Things were finally looking up for our intrepid warriors.  And then this.
Greetings from the hospital. I am writing to you with my glasses a crumpled memory, while under a thick cloud of pain medication. In spite of that, I wanted to write to all of you to explain what exactly happened to me.

Last night in a car service on the way my to my apartment after the magnificent Bowery Ballroom show, I was in a rather dramatic car accident. Crossing into an intersection, our car was t-boned by a vehicle going at a very fast speed. The force of the impact actually flipped our car over to its side. While the driver and I oriented ourselves to our new sideways, broken glass and airbag-filled reality, we sensed the ominous smell of motor oil and smoke. Remarkably, just a moment later it seemed, a dozen NYC firemen arrived and set their minds on finding a way to liberate us. To them and the fantastically efficient EMS who whisked us to a trauma center, I will be forever grateful.

While sitting in the CT scan machine, I was working out how much more time I would need to get to DC for the next show in my diminished state. When I explained my plan to the doctor, he explained I had broken seven ribs (a majority of the ribs on my right side) and some of them in multiple places, and I wasn’t going to be anywhere but in a bed for the foreseeable future.

While the pain in my side has only gotten worse since, it is my heart that is really breaking over these events. The entire band and crew have been working so hard to create a new show worthy of your interest and your endurance over these miserable COVID years. Last night was such a victory, and with unplayed new songs in the works and rearrangements of older material with the horn section, it was all feeling like a new beginning. But today I am in the hospital. I would understand anyone thinking we are just a band born under a bad sign and giving up hope, but I also know someday we will rock again —and for me, that day couldn’t come soon enough.

Until then I will be watching reruns of Sex in the City until I am strong enough to reach the remote. Wish me luck. I’m going to need it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fifth time’s the charm?

After what seemed like a wholly sensible rescheduled date of March 22, 2022, the virus reared its head again, and TMBG decided to push things back one more time.  This time they broke their tour into small chunks to avoid having to cancel a huge tour in the future.

Hello everyone. We have rescheduled all of our Spring 2022 shows. The new batch of shows begin in June and run all the way to May 2023 (proving that 2020 is the first year to last for three!).

And the venue has added

Hello! Thank you for purchasing tickets to see They Might Be Giants. We know that this has been a journey and after two+ years their long awaited tour will finally happen! The Philly show scheduled for March 10 has been moved to June 16 2022.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This show was originally scheduled for March 2020 and it now being rescheduled to March 2022.  It’s hard to believe that it will be two years.

So, with no opening date in sight, this is where we ask you for a big favor. Without a doubt our biggest expense has been refunding tickets for shows with new safe dates in 2021/2022.  The They Might Be Giants show has been officially moved to March 10 2022! With a date this far out, it ensures there will be no issues with TMBG touring and most important – we are near guaranteed to have a safe and normal show (finally!)

This was one of the first shows that was postponed because of the coronavirus.  The new date was scheduled very quickly and, as it turns out, too soon.

Now, like most shows, it is being pushed back about a year from its original date.  Boy I hope it holds out.

I am still very much looking forward to it.  Don’t give up on us yet, Johns!

March was going to be a very busy concert month for me.  This was to be the first of four shows in five nights.  This show was going to be for me and S.–a night of They Might Be Giants performing Flood!

It turned out to be the first of dozens of shows cancelled or postponed by the coronavirus.

Obviously, my main concern is for everyone’s safety, including the bands!

My selfish concern though is that once the shows are rescheduled that all of these shows will be scheduled on the same day!

Let’s hope the rescheduled dates also do some social distancing.

tmbg

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Superchunk (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, June 11, 2022)

Posted in Philadelphia, PA, Superchunk, Torres, Union Transfer on June 12, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: June 11, 2022] Superchunk [moved from March 2, 2022]

I saw Superchunk four years ago.  It was my first time seeing a band that I have liked for decades.  They have put out a ton of music and I don’t know all of it, but I still enjoyed their set a lot.

Enough to see them again when they put out a new album this past year.

Last time, they played a ton of stuff from the then new album (8 new songs).  This time, for whatever reason, they played only five songs from the new album and the rest of the set was chock full of songs from throughout their career.

Indeed, they played 21 songs with only 7 duplicates (and I think we’d have been upset if they didn’t play those seven).

The band was, like last time the (nearly) original members: Mac McCaughan of course on vocals and guitar, Jim Wilbur on guitar (he joined after their first album) and Jon Wurster on drums (he joined after the third album)–they’re bonafides!  The only one missing was bassist Laura Ballance.  She plays on the albums but because of her hyperacusis, she no longer tours.  So, on bass we had Jason Narducy who has played with anybody who is anybody. (more…)

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Diane Coffee / Foyer Red (PhilaMOCA, Philadelphia, PA, June 12, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Diane Coffee, Foyer Red, Kim Possible, Philadelphia, PA, PhilaMOCA on June 12, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 20, 2022] Diane Coffee / Foyer Red

I’ve been intrigued by Diane Coffee for about six years.

Diane Coffee is the brainchild of Shaun Fleming.  He used to be the drummer in Foxygen, which tips off somewhat to his aesthetic.

Fleming also does voice acting between 2002 and 2006, he played the twin brothers Jim and Tim Possible on Kim Possible.

He has released four albums all in various styles.  (As Bust puts it for his 2022 album)

Once again Fleming shifts musical gears from his previous album, Internet Arms’ soulful Synth Pop sound to a jangly Folk Rock, Dream Pop vibe with a touch of Glam Rock.

I think the touch of Glam Rock is consistent, as his live show is supposed to be amazing.

This review from Westworld makes his show sound incredible.

The band wore matching suits with bolo ties, while Fleming presented himself in a well-fitted women’s suit. First off, Fleming’s stage presence is astonishing. At one time he was a Disney voice actor, and that ability transfers to his very animated live sets.  He captures all of his emotion in body movements and facial gestures. Watching Fleming perform, you can tell that he has conducted thorough research and perfected some of the most iconic bandleader movements, resulting in a mash-up of Dr. Frank-N-Furter and James Brown, exerting high levels of energy, trying to escape the imprisonment of this little man’s body.

I almost got to see him at XPNFest in2016, but we arrived just as he had finished.

This is the third time I’ve missed one of his shows (one had a good excuse, this night I just didn’t feel like going out).  But the next time Diane Coffee comes t otown, I need to read this live review above to remind myself how much I want to see him live.

Foyer Red has crazy sounds, weirdo words and multiple singers.  And somehow despite all the weirdness (their 2021 album is called Zigzag Wombat), the songs are catchy

Post-Trash says

Foyer Red is a Brooklyn five-piece that makes sweetly sung, charmingly zany art rock. In 2022 they hit the ground running with several great singles — “Pollen City,” “Pickles,” and “Flipper.” In December, the band celebrated signing to Carpark Records by releasing the delightfully spontaneous single, “Etc.”

That first line is enough to make me want to see them.

I’ve listened to a few songs by them now and I really like them a lot.  And now more than ever I wish I’d gone to this show.

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Garcia Peoples / The Tisburys (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, June 12, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Garcia Peoples, Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA, The Tisburys on June 12, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 30, 2021] Garcia Peoples / The Tisburys

I ‘ve seen Garcia Peoples a bunch of times.  I like to think of them as my local jam band. I’ve seen them enough that I’ve actually missed them a few times and not been too upset about it because I am pretty sure I’ll be able to catch them again.

This show was the same night as a show by Diane Coffee who I had really wanted to see, so I didn’t even bother looking into tickets.

The Tisburys sounds like a band from Canada to me.  But they are actually from Philly.

Their sound is actually pretty much exactly what I’d expect from a band called The Tisburys.  Jangly power pop with a retro edge and a vaguely country vibe.  Think Jayhawks, I guess.

They’d probably frt pretty well with Garcia Peoples, who I’m sure put on an amazing show.

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