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Archive for March, 2023

Cosmic Guilt / Garcia Peoples (Brooklyn Bowl, Philadelphia, PA, March 31, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Brooklyn Bowl, Cosmic Guilt, Low Cut Connie, Philadelphia, PA on March 31, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: March 31, 2023] Cosmic Guilt / Garcia Peoples

This missed show continues my streak of not going to Brooklyn Bowl.  I has nothing to do with the venue. It’s right next to venues that I have been next to many times.  Something always seems to come up with shows here.

Although what came up with this show is that I don’t really like the headliner.

The show came to my attention because Garcia Peoples were playing.  Shockingly for me, Garcia Peoples were opening for Cosmic Guilt.

Although with a very minimal amount of digging I have now learned that Cosmic Guilt were formed by the former lead guitar player for Low Cut Connie and are based in Fishtown.  So yes, this is a hometown show with a popular home town dude.

I happen to not really like Low Cut Connie, so it’s probably not surprising that I feel the same about Cosmic Guilt.  I find some of what they do to be good, but overall, it’s not quite right for me, despite their billing as “a ten-piece, psych-tinged, heavily fringed folk outfit.”

I love Garcia Peoples, but I wouldn’t see them open for a band I don’t really like especially since they tour all the time and I can see them headline.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Kiwi Jr. / 2nd Grade / Kate Davis (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, March 31, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in 2nd Grade, Johnny Brenda's, Kate Davis, Kiwi Jr., Philadelphia, PA on March 31, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: March 31, 2023] Kiwi Jr. / 2nd Grade / Kate Davis

I was supposed to see Kiwi Jr. open for Nap Eyes back in 2022, but the show was cancelled.

When I briefly listened to them then, I mused

Kiwi Jr. is a fun Canadian band, recently described as “clever, easy-going jangle pop” that I’d really like to see live. So I hope this lineup stays the same when Nap Eyes comes back to Philly again.  Some day.

I thought they were a little more punk pop, but i can see how they would fit pretty well with Nap Eyes, even though they are more upbeat.

I was supposed to see a band called Grade 2 open for Anti-Flag but that show was cancelled.  Turns out Grade 2 is not the same as 2nd Grade.  Grade 2 are a classic punk band from the UK.  2nd Grade are an indie band from Philly.

They are a gentle boppy indie pop band.  Super catchy and poppy with delightful harmonies and a childlike quality (as befits their name).  Most of the songs are around two minutes.

I just heard about Kate Davis on All Songs Considered a few weeks ago.  They say

Kate Davis was trained as a jazz musician but after moving to New York and being influenced by bands such as Dirty Projectors and Grizzly Bear, she found her own sound.

Her song was slow and broody.  I didn’t love it, but she probably comes across well live.

 

 

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The Residents (The Foundry, Philadelphia, PA, March 31, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Philadelphia, PA, The Foundry, The Residents, Triple Trouble on March 31, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 3, 2021] The Residents [rescheduled from May 1, 2020, May 14, 2021; and September 3, 2021]

 

After four tries and almost three years The Residents finally came to Philly.

And somehow I missed the announcement entirely.  Whoops.

I actually had several options for shows on this night, so The Residents problem were never going to be on my list, but it’s always nice to know that they’re out there, Holding up the Underground.

Plus, I was lucky enough to see them for a Free at Noon earlier that day.  So I got to experience some (25 minutes) of a Residents show.  And that was probably enough.  Not that I didn’t enjoy it, but I don’t need to see more after my experience.  (I thought it would be a little more insane, to be honest).

Opening for the band was a screening of their film Triple Trouble. (more…)

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The Residents: Free at Noon (World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA, March 31, 2023)

Posted in Free at Noon, Philadelphia, PA, The Residents, World Cafe Live on March 31, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: March 31, 2023] The Residents 

I’ve been an admirer of The Residents forever.  I’m not a fan exactly–I have some of their records.  I also have some of the CD-ROMS because they were one of the first entities to really make good use of CD-ROM technology.

Their music is bizarre.  Sometimes wonderfully so.  Sometimes not.  I’ve thought about going to see them for years now.  They played Philly in 2018, but i was going to see Built to Spill that evening, so there was no thought of The Residents.

Then in 2020, they announced a new show.  And that and all subsequent attempts were put on hold.

Then my friend Garry sent me a notification that The Residents were going to do a Free at Noon. What?!  I took half a vacation day and drove to Philly to see this remarkable opportunity.

Since their promo material still shows the giant eyeballs that they wore when they came out, I assumed we’d see at least one.  But instead, each member of the band had on a gaiter over their head which perfectly matched their eyeball-filled suits. Anonymity is key! (more…)

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Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul / Rentboy (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, March 29, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Bolis Pupul, Charlotte Adigéry, Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul, Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA, Rentboy on March 29, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: March 29, 2023] Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul / Rentboy

Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul put out an album (with a very cool cover) in 2022 that was on most Year End lists.  Musically it is described as effortlessly propulsive electro pop, but lyrically it is sharp and targeted.

Cultural appropriation and racism. Social media vanity. Post-colonialism and political correctness. These are not talking points that you’d ordinarily hear on the dancefloor but Charlotte Adigéry and Bolis Pupul are ripping up the rulebook with their debut album Topical Dancer. The Ghent-based duo, who broke out with their 2019 Zandoli EP on Soulwax’s record label DEEWEE, are rare storytellers in electronic music: they take the temperature of the time and funnel them into their playful synth concoctions – never didactic and always with a knowing wink.

Their new studio record – which cements them as a duo under both their names for the first time and is co-written and co-produced by Soulwax – is both a triumph of kaleidoscopic electro-pop and “a snapshot of how we think about pop culture in the 2020s.” It captures Charlotte and Bolis’s essence as musical collaborators and the conversations they’ve had over the past two years on tour, as well as their perspectives as Belgians with an immigrant background, Charlotte with Guadeloupean and French-Martinique ancestry and Bolis being of Chinese descent.

It’s not really my type of thing, but I thought it would be really interesting to experience.  If i had less going on this week, I would have tried harder to get to the show.

Rentboy is a Philadelphia based disco collective whose last album, Memory Forever, is a meditation on body memory and queer musical history

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Cheekface (The Ukie Club, Philadelphia, PA, March 26, 2023)

Posted in Cheekface, Philadelphia, PA, Sad Park, The Ukie Club, Ukrainian American Citizens' Association on March 27, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: March 26, 2023] Cheekface

I first heard of Cheekface about a month ago.  I’m not even sure what made me check them out, but as soon as I did, I knew I had to see them live.

Cheekface is America’s local band.  They are a trio comprised of Amanda Tannen on bass guitar, Greg Katz on vocals and guitar
and Mark Echo Edwards on drums.

Musically, they fill a niche that is often overlooked : witty lyrics delivered in a talk-sing way, choruses that are impossible not to sing along to, and razor sharp instrumentals with the bass taking more of a lead role than the guitar on a lot of songs (thanks Get Alternative).

Indeed, the rhythm section is outstanding, with Tannen generating a fantastic bass sound as she plays the interesting melodies and Edwards using all parts of his kit to create interesting sounds.  The songs also have lots of parts–so they jump from quieter to louder, slower to faster and back again.

But all eyes are on Greg Katz (who reminded me of Will Ferrell at his most charming).  He does, indeed deliver his lyrics (which are great) in a kind of speak/sing manner.  But it’s a bit more than a poetry recital to music, because Katz emotes a lot as he delivers lines like “Pledge Drive”‘s (more…)

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Sad Park (The Ukie Club, Philadelphia, PA, March 26, 2023) [CHEEKFACE]

Posted in Cheekface, Philadelphia, PA, Sad Park, The Ukie Club, Ukrainian American Citizens' Association on March 26, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: March 26, 2023] Sad Park

This was my first show at the Ukrainian American Citizens’ Association (The Ukie).

The show is in the basement bar–it felt like an improved First Unitarian Church (at least I enjoyed the space a lot more than the Church).  There’s free parking nearby.  Sadly there was no Ukrainian merch for sale–although there was plenty of Ukrainian beer!

I was a little sad to find out that Sad Park went on at 8:45 and not 8, as I got there just in time for 8.  I had done a lot of shifting of things all day so my legs were pretty beat.  Fortunately, I found a pole (not a Pole) that I could lean against.

And soon enough, the four guys from Sad Park came out on stage.

Vocalist/guitarist Graham Steele was front and center, bassist Sam Morton was in front of me and drummer Grant Bubar was in the back.  Second guitarist Aidan Memory (possibly not a full member of the band?) was the only one with a brighter light shining on him, which accentuated the bleach in his hair.

Memory was the most fun guy to watch as he jumped around and thrashed his guitar and was generally having a great time.  His guitar playing was pretty great too.

I was also really impressed with Morton’s basslines.  He wasn’t content to ape the guitar or just play the low end–there were plenty of runs that moved up the neck.

Bubar was loud and thrashing–but also handled the time changes with ease.

Steele was great fun to watch.  He emoted as he sang his lyrics of despair (sometimes) and comedy (sometimes).  He also had a great scream/growl that he busted out from time to time.

Their songs were really catchy with a fantastic energy.  But they also knew how to play quietly–usually in aid of setting up for the heavier stuff to come.  There was one moment when a guy up front lit an actual lighter (!) for a quiet moment.

There was another guy in the middle of the crowd who knew the words to every song I hope they saw him).

I thought they were great and I’m passing their name around for a (newish) band for young emo punks to enjoy.

 

2023
I Should ≠
Feel Like Shit ♦
unknown (“Such a good time, such a bad time, such a short time” “Don’t’ wanna leave you without saying thanks”)
Tragically Young ⊗
Nothing Ever
Awake ≠
No Name §
OMW ◊
unknown  (“After it’s all over” ” waiting, watching” “leaning on each other I know we’ll be okay”)
Alone ⊗
In My Head ⊗
End. ⊗

◊ OMW single (2022)
≠ It’s All Over (2021)
⊗ Sleep (2018)
♦ Feel Like Shit single (2018)
§ Sad Park (2016)

 

 

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Rural Alberta Advantage / Georgia Harmer (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, March 25, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Georgia Harmer, Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA, Sarah Harmer, The Rural Alberta Advantage on March 25, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: March 25, 2023] Rural Alberta Advantage / Georgia Harmer

I had tickets to see Ibeyi, but when The Rural Alberta Advantage announced their show the same night, I decided I’d go to that show instead.

I wasn’t sure what our plans were for Saturday night so I didn’t get tickets ahead of time (what’s the point of buying two tickets you don’t use?).  But when I went to get tickets before the show, it was sold out!

I never would have guessed that a relatively obscure Canadian band would sell out, but they did.  Good for them/Bad for me.  I hope this means they will come back again soon.

Georgia Harmer is the niece of the outstanding Sarah Harmer.

She sings in a similar style as Sarah–their voices even have a similar timbre.  Her songs are pleasant and enjoyable–she’d be a great opening act.

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Ibeyi / Ojerime (World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA, March 25, 2023) [RESCHEDULED] [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Ibeyi, Ojerime, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer, World Cafe Live on March 25, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: March 25, 2023] Ibeyi / Ojerime [rescheduled from October 4, 2022]

I first heard of Ibeyi quite some time ago. They are sisters Lisa-Kaindé and Naomi Diaz.  They were born in Cuba but moved to France as small kids.  Both of their parents are musicians, and the sisters have a great musical connection.

I had heard that their live show was amazing and I put them high on my list of bands to see.  They were supposed to play Union Transfer back in October and I was really looking forward to seeing them there.

The show was moved to World Cafe Live which wasn’t a super big deal, although I fins getting to World Cafe Live to be far more of a pain than getting to Union Transfer.  Then I listened to the newest album and it was okay.  I still think “Deathless” is a staggeringly wonderful song, and I sure it’s genius live, but I had kind of lost interest in Ibeyi in the last few months.  And when The Rural Alberta Advantage announced a show for the same night, they ultimately won out.

Sometimes if you are not sure how a band is going to be live, you might be able to get a sense based on their opening act.  Not a foolproof plan, but it can certainly be an indicator.  I hadn’t heard of Ojerime, but when I looked her up, I saw she was described as a “nostalgic R&B queen, [whose] debut mixtape ‘B4 I Breakdown’ tracks a difficult journey through depression and self-discovery.”

That had all the elements of someone I did not want to see.  Like, at all.  So, that helped to solidify my decision not to go.

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King Tuff / Tchotchke (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, March 22, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Johnny Brenda's, King Tuff, Philadelphia, PA, Sleater-Kinney, Tchotchke on March 23, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: March 23, 2023] King Tuff / Tchotchke

King Tuff is Kyle Thomas.  Thomas was a member of Ty Segall’s band for a time (and Segall plays on his albums).

I really enjoyed his Black Moon Spell album, but when I saw this show was anounced, I listened to his newer album and didn’t think all that much of it.  At this point I’m kind of looking for excuses not to go to shows–there’s so many I want to go to that I’m happy to pass on iffy shows like this.  So that was a good enough reason not to go.

Tchotchke is a band from New York comprised of Anastasia Sanchez, Eva Chambers and Emily Tooraen.  They used to be called Pinky Pinky which I think is a much more apt name for the style of music they play–it’s a kind of an updated doo-wop, pop sheen aesthetic.

Really not my thing, although I heard that if you went to their merch booth after the show they handed out a tchotchke to each person.

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