[ATTENDED: October 13, 2022] Alex Nicol [rescheduled from May 7, 2020]
I was pretty excited when The House of Love announced a 30th anniversary tour of the States in 2020. It would be their first time playing here in 30 years. Then COVID, obviously.
Opening for them was Alex Nicol. Impressively, when these dates were rescheduled, Alex Nicol was still the opening guy. The show was originally set for White Eagle Hall in NJ. Rescheduled shows were moved around (no more NJ) but I would happily go to Underground Arts to see them.
A few weeks from now Travis is playing Union Transfer. Opening for them is Ben Ottewell (of Gomez). Every poster listed him as “Of Gomez.” For some reason I got my anniversary tours mixed up and thought that “Of Gomez” was for this show. So I went into Nicol’s set expecting him to sound like Gomez. He doesn’t.
Alex Nicol is a musician from Montreal. His bandmates all had wonderfully French sounding names Simon Trottier (guitar), Emmanuel Ethier (bass), and Bucky Wheaton (drums) [aside from Bucky, obviously]. (more…)
[DID NOTATTEND: October 13, 2022] Me First and the Gimme Gimmes / The Black Tones / Surfbort
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes was a band I knew nothing about but didn’t like, based on their name. Then I learned that they are a cover band doing punk covers of classic rock songs and I thought their name was actually pretty perfect and now I want to see them live too.
This tour seemed really fun. Although, they were ALSO playing in NJ two nights rom now and the show included Anti-Flag. Both of these shows were during a mad week of concerts and not only did I have tickets to a show this night already, but there had been a possibility of a show every night this week (which didn’t happen).
I hope they tour again, although I understand its a rare treat.
The Black Tones is a band that I hadn’t heard of. According to one blurb they infuse the spirit of punk rock in their modernized version of blues rock, in a really cool and subversive way. And all of that, of course, wouldn’t matter if they weren’t a killer live band.
Surfbort are a legendary underground band who I wished I’d seen the last time they came around. I mean:
Channeling inspiration from the 80’s punk scene to produce rousing, explosive music, their feedback strafed, guitar-shredding music says no to a digital age full of intolerance; they radiate love and friendship. All are welcome in the SURFBORT FREAK FAMILY!
Sounds like a great night. And it’s yet another show at Brooklyn Bowl that I missed.
[DID NOT ATTEND: October 6, 2022] The Contortionist / Rivers of Nihil
I saw The Contortionist open for Animals as Leaders back in 2019.
I enjoyed them quite a lot and definitely wanted to see them again. I didn’t know much about them then and I pretty much forgot about them soon after the show.
But when I saw this tour and saw that they were playing two albums, Language & Exoplanet, in their entirety, I imagined it would be a pretty fun show–and the fans would be insane.
However, this show was scheduled for the same night as Cate Le Bon who I’d been wanting to see for a long time. So, Cate won out.
Rivers of Nihil is an American technical death metal band from Reading, Pennsylvania. I probably would have loved technical death metal if I’d heard it in college or high school, but I really just can’t get into it now. Although I do tend to enjoy this kind of thing live more than on record for the sheer spectacle.
[DID NOT ATTEND: October 11, 2022] Sudan Archives / Lulu Be
The last show that I’m aware of that went on before the pandemic shut everything down was this Sudan Archives show at Johnny Brenda’s. A friend of mine went to this show (she had gotten tickets early) and said that so few people had actually shown up to this sold out show that they were letting people buy tickets at the door.
Two and a half years later, I finally got my chance to see Sudan Archives. But I wound up having tickets to shows every single night this week and I knew I wouldn’t be able to do it all. So something had to give.
Sudan Archives’ shows have become pretty crazy in the last couple years as I understand it–much more aggressive and in your face. It sounded like a fun time. But sometimes, when I’m on the fence, I listen to a band’s opening act to judge the vibe of the night.
Lulu Be is a Chicago rapper and I wasn’t really feeling it. And World Cafe Live is kind of a pain in the ass venue. So this show was blown off.
Now if it had been Cartel Madras again, I wouldn’t have missed it.
[CANCELLED: October 10, 2022] Avalanches / Klangstof [rescheduled from February 19, 2022]
Avalanches debut album, the sample abundant Since I Left You, a fun, left-field rocker that was full of so many samples it was impossible to keep track of them.
It took them something like 16 years to make a second album and I didn’t listen to it. Or the one they made more recently. That’s probably not the best attitude for going into a show. Especially since, as with a lot of electronic based music I wasn’t sure if I necessarily wanted to see them live, but this seemed like a rare and fun opportunity to experience their sampling and beats in a big setting.
Reviews for the tour were pretty positive and then on October 1:
“Unfortunately due to serious illness, we have had to make the heartbreaking decision to cancel our remaining US and Canadian shows to return home,” their post reads. “Thank you to everyone who has made this tour so joyous, and apologies to everyone who had tickets for the remaining shows. All ticket holders will be contacted directly with refund details. Thank you.”
Originally, the Avalanches’ 2022 tour was scheduled to take place in February and March of this year before being postponed due to “due to ongoing personal health issues.”
So that was a bummer. There were only eight dates remaining in the United States and Canada.
Klangstof is a Dutch indie rock band composed of Koen van de Wardt, Wannes Salome and Erik Buschmann. They are surprisingly more mellow than I would have guessed. They feel like the kind of band that sits quietly in a room and hopes you come over to listen. And when you do you’ll be impressed. I assume this might translate to a live setting as well.
[DID NOT ATTEND: October 10, 2022] L7 / Downtown Boys
I really liked the Riot Grrl movement and the bands associated with it. L7 weren’t really part of Riot Grrl although I’m sure some of their success was because they were women when Riot Grrl took off.
I enjoyed L7’s music although it didn’t quite gibe with the other music I liked at the time. “Pretend We’re Dead” was quite a hit/ And I rather liked “Andres,” but when this thirtieth anniversary show was announced I couldn’t remember much else from them.
I was initially intrigued by this reunion tour, but realized I didn’t care enough to see them.
Downtown Boys have been around for about ten years and yet I didn’t know them.
They create fiery punk rock with a sharp political edge. Their lyrics challenge white hegemony, entitled bro culture, and more while the music offers a distinctive mix of buzzsaw guitars and saxophone.
I don’t like saxophone, so that kind of turns me off. But they have the same energy as L7, and I think this is a great paring of bands.
[DID NOT ATTEND: October 10-15, 2022] Philly Music Fest 2022
Every year since 2019 I have participated in Philly Music Fest in some way. But this year I wound up giving the whole thing a miss.
Philly Music Fest is a non-profit endeavor focused exclusively on local bands, with all proceeds donated to local music education charities. Philly Music Fest features both established and up and coming artists, showcasing the diversity of the Philadelphia music scene.
It wasn’t because of a bad lineup or anything, it was that I had tickets to other shows every night. I wound up not going to all of those shows anyway, but basically I was already booked for the whole Fest.
This year’s line up was even bigger than last year’s
October 10, 2022 at Ardmore Music Hall
Marielle Kraft is a poignant indie pop singer-songwriter
Electric Candlelight is a heavy psychedelic band that I was supposed to see open for Fuzz
Mt. Joy is a band I’ve heard on the radio a bunch who I don’t particularly like, so not so great in the headliner here.
October 11, 2022 at Ardmore Music Hall
Stereo League is apparently impossible to describe using concrete words as I can’t figure out what their music sounds like from the blurbs I’ve read.
Salika is an R&B singer
Mt. Joy of the two nights I wouldn’t have picked this one anyhow.
October 12, 2022 at World Cafe Live
Perpetual Motion is described as dynamic acoustic jazz who play blues, rock, jazz, and world music
Kayleigh Goldsworthy is a folk singer who I saw open for Frank Turner. She was great.
Ron Gallo is not Vincent Gallo, which is what I think every time I see his name. Ron is an indie guy who I’ve never heard but who must be pretty popular or interesting if he keeps popping up.
Lady HD is a kind of psychedelic pop band whose name reminds me too much of that Lady A fracas that bubbled up a few years ago.
Low Cut Connie is one of the bigger bands at the festival. I’d never want to see them, but I like some of their songs.
October 13, 2022 at Johnny Brenda’s
This was the night I would have gone to
The Ire is a four-piece goth-tinged post-punk band. I like their overall sound.
Ghosh is a band I’ve wanted to see: they’re pissed off, informed, and ready to party.
Screaming Females are terrific and even better live. I thought this would sell out in a second.
October 14, 2022 at REC Philly
This was a free show. A night of hip hop and beat curated by Working on Dying who I’ve never heard of of
October 14, 2022 at The Dolphin
The Dolphin is a new-ish venue that I’ve yet to check out.
Max Swan is saxophonist, vocalist, and producer influenced y likes of Stevie Wonder, James Blake.
Echo Kid is two guys from RFA. This is a hazier, no-holds-barred, psychedelic reimagining of the way they’d approach their songwriting process with a languorous sense of ease, effortless genre-blending, and an amalgam of intentional recorded conversation
Shamir is an artist I’d like to see live. They keep popping up as an opening act and then something happens and I don’t see them. Here’s another miss.
October 15, 2022 at Underground Arts
This would have been my pick for show of the Fest, if I hadn’t already been overbooked.
Justmadnice is blues-dipped psychedelic jazz.
Riverby are a fun indie rock band with a loose sound (and a cover of “Walk Through the Fire” from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Empath is a band I was supposed to see open for Fucked Up but the couldn’t make the rescheduled date. They are kind of noisy and poppy and punky and are probably very fun live.
Mannequin Pussy is one of my favorite new(ish) bands. They are amazing live and are always worth seeing.
I saw Stereolab for the first time back in 2019 (after they had been away from Philly for 11 years). I was a fan since the early 90s but had never seen them.
I really enjoyed the previous show–it was everything I wanted. When they announced a new 2022 tour I wasn’t sure if I needed to go. But I figured, why not?
Like last time, the Groop’s was set up in a half circle with Tim Gane on guitar to my far left and Lætitia Sadier singing, playing keys and guitars on my far right. In the middle from left to right was drummer Andy Ramsay, keyboardist Joe Watson (with a giant Fender Rhodes), and bassist Xavier Muñoz Guimera.
As I mentioned for Fievel is Glaque, the crowd was really annoying. I’m not sure what half of these people were doing here. Do drunken college girls in 2022 like Stereolab? Are they all over TikTok? (No, apparently).
Of course, I felt like a poser myself because I didn’t know most of the songs. Stereolab has put out a ton of records and even more compilations of one-off singles. And, like last time they played three songs from one of these compilations (which I haven’t listened to in forever).
Last time, they played the bulk of their songs from their albums that came out in the 1990s, with a few from the 2000s sprinkled in. This time it was a lot more “recent” stuff. I was sure they’d throw in a few songs I knew, but it wasn’t until “The Free Design” that I recognized a song. They playe da few thigs from Dots and Loops, and usually a hugely long song would have me really excited, but I didn’t recognize “Refractions in the Plastic Pulse” which runs 17 minutes on the record (I feel like I should have been super excited for this song but I really wasn’t).
And then the set jumped between rare stuff and “newer” songs. I just wasn’t feeling it.
Perhaps it was me, or the crowd around me rubbing me the wrong way. Whatever the case, I just didn’t enjoy this set as much as I thought I would. The band sounded great. Although I did notice that I wasn’t as blown away by the bass like I was last time (song choices or mixing levels, I guess,, because I’m sure Gimera was great. I also felt like Tim Gane wasn’t quite as much of a maniac as he was last time–I feel like I was less awed by his playing than I was last time.
Lætitia Sadier sounded great. In fact everyone sounded good, but I just wasn’t feeling it. Or maybe I just like Union Transfer better than Franklin Music Hall (I do).
Sadier told us they were playing a special encore for us. A song they hadn’t played since 2001. I was pretty excited, except when they started it, I didn’t know it. Well, actually I did know it because it came from Cobra and Phases Group Play Voltage in the Milky Night, which I know I’ve listened to. But apparently not all that much.
The second encore was French Disko, one of only two songs that they played last time. Normally I love when a band plays a wholly different setlist for a show, but this one went so far into the obscure that I was really excited to hear the two dupes. “French Disko” is super fun song and I did really enjoy that one.
They ended with a song that they released with Nurse with Wound which I didn’t know. That segued into another obscure song. And the night was over.
I’ve enjoyed Stereolab as background listening and as foreground listening. Generally speaking anything they play is cool with me. But I think a lot of factors made this show really less than enjoyable.
I’m sure there are many fans who would look at this setlist and tell me how jealous they were. But I was getting a little nervous because this was two shows in a row that I had been really looking forward to from which I came away feeling meh.
Although here’s a video from Markit Aneight of the whole show. So maybe if I watch it again I’ll enjoy it more
Deradoorian was supposed to open this tour with Stereolab. I hadn’t heard of them, although I have just learned that they are the creation of Angel Deradoorian who was part of Dirty Projectors. She had to drop off the tour for (unstated) personal reasons.
Her loss is a boon for Fievel is Glaque.
Fievel is Glaque is the duo of American keyboardist Zach Phillips and Belgian singer Ma Clément. For the show they were a five piece–with guitar, drums and saxophone/flute.
They played a weird jazzy alt rock. The songs were mostly just over a minute long. And Clément sang in a French-inflected English that was really quite lovely. They were practically like the anti-Stereolab. Like if Stereolab had a younger, brattier cousin.
The audience around me was awful. Five college girls who were talking loudly, dancing wildly, trying to pick up guys and talking to the band. I really should have moved. But I was pretty close. Poor decision on my part as they annoyed me the whole night.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed this strange band with the strange name. Zach told Post Trash:
Our first saxophonist, Eléonore Kenis, spoke the name in all sincerity in the volleyball court of Parc de Forest in 2018. We badly wanted to change it. Fievel is the mouse of cartoon fame (though neither of us have seen those movies) and “glauque” (rhymes with “oak”) is a French word notable for describing both a pale, bluish green and meaning creepy/sleazy/sordid/sinister. My own post-hoc rationalized interpretation goes something like this: gentrification functionally targets run-down, destitute, “glauque” areas; Fievel is an off-brand, “social realist” Mickey Mouse; accordingly, the name means something like “gentrify Mickey Mouse.” We deeply wish we had a different name but are committed to making this one retrospectively cool.
By the end of their set, I was really digging their weird music. A little too much saxophone for me, but their guitarist was really good (as the drunken college girls kept shouting at him). Although when I listened to their studio recordings I didn’t enjoy them quite as much–sounding even more like Stereolab minus the krautrock and adding lite jazz.
Great opening band though. Worth arriving early for.
And here’s a video of the whole show that my new favorite YouTube person Markit Aneight
Cate Le Bon has been on the top of my “bands to see list” for a few years now. I have tried to see her a bunch of times to no avail. In 2019, I sold Phish tickets so that I could see her at Boot & Saddle, but i was too burnt out to go. Then in 2020, she was supposed to play with Kurt Vile, but that got cancelled twice. She was scheduled to play Philly for a benefit show, but I didn’t want to see her in that kind of setting. So, although I guess it has not been that long that I’ve wanted to see her, but prior to 2019, the last time she’d played Philly was 2017, and I feel like I found out about her right around that time.
Whatever the case, I’d heard her shows were amazing and was really looking forward to it.
I went into the show not knowing her music all that well. I knew a few albums and had listened to Pompeii (the new album which I knew she was touring), but I expected to be blown away by the performance.
And I wasn’t.
The whole show was fine. The band (Euan Hinshelwood on sax, keyboards and guitar; Toko Yasuda on bass; Dylan Hadley on drums; and Alex Morrison on keyboards and guitar) were all very good. There was a little too much sax for my liking, although I did enjoy the way Hinshelwood distorted the sound so it sounded like a guitar at times. Toko Yasuda on bass was the highlight for me. Her bass sounded great–ever fluid, deep and rumbly and just a nice low comforting presence amid all the rest of the higher notes.
I enjoyed the stage set up with Cate on a slightly raised platform off to the side (although I had adjusted myself to perfectly see the center microphone and there was a larger guy now blocking my view of Cate). She mostly played a day-glo orange guitar shape as a sort of pentagon.
I think what it comes down to is that I think that Cate is pretty weird. And I expected this concert to be weird in a wonderful way. And really, it was just fine. The lighting was muted colors. Her voice is soft and chill. It was all very laid back and mellow. And that is simply not what I thought we’d be getting.
Obviously, this is my fault for having the entirely wrong expectations. Not to mention her newest album Pompeii is pretty different from her weirder earlier stuff–the stuff that I was more familiar with.
Sometimes, you need to see an artist right when you first wanted to.
I was pretty excited when The House of Love announced a 30th anniversary tour of the States in 2020. It would be their first time playing here in 30 years. Then COVID, obviously.
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