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Archive for May, 2023

Shame / Been Stellar (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, May 13, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Been Stellar, Philadelphia, PA, Shame, Union Transfer on May 13, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 13, 2023] Shame / Been Stellar

I hadn’t heard of Shame before this show, although apparently they are quite legendary for their live shows.  When this show was announced there was much hype.  And for a change, I didn’t buy into it.

So I didn’t get tickets, but I have heard some great things about the show.

Indeed, according to Brooklyn Vegan, their show the day before at Irving Plaza

frontman Charlie Steen in typical give-it-all performance mode, much of it spent in — and on top of — the audience. For final song “Gold Hole,” Steen climbed atop the crowd, up to the second floor balcony rail, and plunged again into the teeming mass who carried him back to the stage.

I don’t see any reviews of this Union Transfer show, but I imagine it was similarly wild.

They seem suitably energetic and fun without being unpleasantly noisy and crazy.

Been Stellar (name inspired by Ben Stiller) is a New York band that (according to Fader) plays “timeless alt-rock sound–a mix of anthemic choruses and nonchalant guitars that combine to create something both deeply considered and effortlessly cool.”  I’ve listened to a couple of songs and I really like them.

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Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls / The Interrupters / Bedouin Soundclash (Stone Pony Summer Stage, Asbury Park, NJ, May 13, 2023 / Fillmore Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, May 14, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Bedouin Soundclash, Frank Turner, Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls, Philadelphia, PA, The Fillmore Philadelphia, The Interrupters on May 13, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 13 & 14, 2023] Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls / The Interrupters / Bedouin Soundclash

I am reposting exactly what I wrote last year:

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 Mother’s Day.  It’s not a very Fatherly nice way to spend Mother’s Day by being away from your family for hours.  So I didn’t go.

COME ON FRANK.  Last year on father’s Day.  This year on Mother’s Day?  WTF.

I prefer the Fillmore to the Summer Stage, but by the time I realized that my tickets were for Mother’s Day, we had already made plans for the Saturday so I couldn’t grab tickets in Asbury Park anyway.

The Interrupters opened for the Hella-Mega tour.  We caught their ska set and it was fun as anything. I definitely want to se them again, so this bill was killer for me.

Bedouin Soundclash is from Canada.  Their music is like a combination of reggae and rock with ska elements.  Although everything I listened to on Spotify was far more mellow than I would have expected for this tour.

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Voivod / Imperial Triumphant (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, May 11, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Imperial Triumphant, Philadelphia, PA, Underground Arts, Voivod on May 11, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 11, 2023] Voivod / Imperial Triumphant

I saw Voivod play back in 2019.

I’ve been a fan of Voivod for decades.  But I never saw them live when I was most into them (late 80’s).  Then after Denis “Piggy” D’Amour’s death in 2005 I assumed I never would.  But amazingly they found a guy who plays guitar very much like Piggy did–a bizarre hybrid of prog, metal, dissonance and eerie harmony.  That man is Daniel “Chewy” Mongrain.  Chewy is able to play Piggy’s parts.  And his new parts are very much in the style of old Voivod, but are certainly his own.

I was pretty excited to go to this show.  I wanted to see them again (although Underground Arts seemed rather small for them).  But for one reason or another I never got a ticket.  And the show cam and went and I missed it.

I was actually more interested in seeing the opening act, Imperial Triumphant, an American experimental metal band formed in 2005 in New York City.  I’m intrigued, especially, because they wear these wild costumes on stage.  Their sound is abrasive and weird.

I do hope to see them at some time.

And Voivod again too.

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Hozier “Pop Up Show” (World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA, May 9, 2023)

Posted in Hozier, Julia Pratt, Philadelphia, PA, World Cafe Live on May 10, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: May 9, 2023] Hozier

Hozier announced a headline tour this year (first tour in several years) and I knew I had to get tickets.  My son is a big fan and the rest of us like him quite a lot.  We saw him at Newport Folk Festival a few years ago (although my son chose to skip that day) and he was amazing live.

The tickets went on sale mid March and I got 100% shut out from the Mann Center.  I probably could have gotten lawn seats, but that would have been decidedly uncool.  And by the time I decided whether or not to get lawn seats, they were all gone too (sold out the 14,000 capacity venue, no bad).

And then in mid April he announced he’d be playing some “pop up” shows.  Including one at World Cafe Live.

I never thought I’d get tickets, but somehow I managed to get two.  So my son and I went to Philly to see him.  And, without even talking about the show I can attest that it was 100% better than seeing him at the Mann Center and 1000% better than seeing him from the lawn at the Mann Center.

We arrived early in hopes of getting pretty close to the stage (WCL is quite small with great sightlines.  I didn’t think we’d get up front–and my son was fine with that–but I didn’t want to be too close to the noisy bar either).  We passed by the venue at 6:30 and saw a relatively small line.  But we had plans for Federal Donuts and fried chicken.  Only to discover after the three or four block walk that this location closed at 3 (two blocks from 2 colleges and you close at 3PM?).  That threw off all the plans, so we wound up going to an amazing Halal food truck.  I couldn’t walk and eat, so I stuffed my gyro into my pocket and we headed into the venue (thank goodness they didn’t search for food).

We got down there and my son was delighted with how tiny the place was.  I didn’t want to stand right where people come in so we squeezed  to the other side.  Which was pretty good, although there were a couple of tall people who I knew would block our view from time to time.  So he sneaked around to the side.  I thought it might be a little far to the side (and in fairness, I couldn’t see all of the band), but the sightline for Hozier himself were perfect.  And that’s what we were there for.

Hozier and his large band (nine people in total) came out to much applause. (more…)

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Belle and Sebastian (White Eagle Hall, Jersey City, NJ, May 9, 2023) [CANCELLED]

Posted in Belle and Sebastian, Cancelled, Jersey City, NJ, White Eagle Hall on May 9, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[CANCELLED: May 9, 2023] Belle and Sebastian 

Last year we had to miss the Belle and Sebastian show because of my daughter’s graduation.

I didn’t expect them to announce another tour so quickly (or to release another album so quickly).

But the chance to see them in a relatively small space like White Eagle Hall was pretty exciting.

Then on January 24, we got this message

Unfortunately Belle and Sebastian’s show at White Eagle Hall has been canceled. Tickets will be refunded as soon as possible, please see below for a statement from the band: (more…)

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Julia Pratt (World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA, May 9, 2023) [HOZIER]

Posted in Hozier, Julia Pratt, Philadelphia, PA, World Cafe Live on May 9, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: May 9, 2023] Julia Pratt

I was so excited to get tickets to this Hozier pop up show.  I actually assumed there would not be an opening act.  Although with the show slated to start at  7:30, surely they must have someone first.

And indeed, a few days ago they announced it would be Julia Pratt, a young Philly musician who will also be playing Philly Music Fest this year.

Julia has a powerful voice and seems like the nicest person in the world.  She was really sweet on stage and was genuinely delighted when people made heart signs back to her.

Her songs were simple (she told us which ones had been released or not) but catchy.

However, she did the thing that I hate the most in singers.  She turned one syllable words into seventeen syllable words by hitting every note on the entire scale.  It sets me on edge when singers do this and she did it constantly.  To me it sounds like compensating for a weak voice or someone who can’t hit a note.  But her voice was really nice when she sang normally.

But the crowd seemed to really enjoy the acrobatics so she kept doing it.  And she seemed really nice so I hope she gets lots of success.

But for me, it was an unpleasant 30 minutes, but also because there were drunken women next to me who almost got in a fight when one tried to sneak past the other.  Good grief.

 

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Yves Tumor (Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, May 5, 2023)

Posted in Franklin Music Hall, Frost Children, Philadelphia, PA, Pretty Sick, Yves Tumor on May 7, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: May 5, 2023] Yves Tumor

Yves Tumor had been on my list of artists I wanted to see live.  So when they announced a show at Franklin Music Hall, I grabbed a ticket pretty quickly.  I didn’t think it would sell out.  In fact I thought that Franklin Music Hall would be too big a venue for them.  I mean, had anyone even heard about them?

When I arrived (much earlier than I expected, thank you light traffic), there was hardly anyone in the parking areas that are usually packed.  And the entrance was pretty swift.  But when I got to the floor, it was surprisingly crowded.  Not jam packed or anything, but I couldn’t get anywhere near the stage.

I also realized that this crowd was YOUNG.  I’m usually one of the older people at a show, but this time the gap felt pretty large.  That doesn’t bother me, because usually, the young hyperactive folks rush to the front and I hang out in the middle.  But in this crowd everyone was jumping and bouncing and carrying on.

I’m still not sure how people have heard about Yves Tumor.  My kids hadn’t and they have fingers on various pulses.  I know them from NPR Music, which I think of as a slightly older crowd.  But by the time Yves came on, the crowd was pretty packed in and ready to party.

I had heard that Yves Tumor’s show were must-see.  Their earlier releases were challenging with samples and loops and unexpected diversions.  The songs were spare with Tumor’s voice being one of the things that really held them together.

But on the newest record (and I’m guessing the previous EP), there’s a more glam rock feel to the album. Tumor’s vocals remain the same (which is good) but there are melodies and riffs galore.

Yves Tumor is a star.  They own the stage with everyone following their every movement and step.  Their microphone has some kind of cool attachment  to it (I couldn’t see it from where I was, but it was like a wolf’s head facing them.  They prowled the stage in leggings and short shorts.  They wore a leather jacket and a shirt that simply said FUCK.  Their hair was two-toned.  They were beautiful.

The stage had industrial metal crates with lights permeating from the center.  The lights and feel changed according to the mood and it was quite effective.  The band was few in number but huge in sound.  Gina Ramirez on bass and harmonious backup vocals; Yves Rothman on guitar, keyboard, and samples; Rhys Hastings on drums and lead guitarist Chris Greatti.

Greatti was a star himself, shredding like crazy and being very present as Yves walked around the stage–filling in front and center if Yves walked away and being there when Yves needed to hug someone. (more…)

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David Wax Museum / The Squawk Brothers (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, May 7, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in David Wax Museum, Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA, The Squawk Brothers on May 7, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 7, 2023] David Wax Museum / The Squawk Brothers

My family saw David Wax Museum in a wonderfully intimate setting in 2018.  Since then we’ve become supporters of the band, as they built a new studio on their property.  And we’ve pledged to help them get records released.

David Wax Museum plays American Folk, Indie Rock and Roots Rock with Mexican inspiration based in Charlottesville.

David Wax and his wife Suz Slezak are about the nicest people I’ve ever met.

But this show (I think their first in Philly since 2016) fell at an awkward time.  So we didn’t feel compelled to try to get to it.

But we continue to give them moral support.

The Squawk Brothers describe themselves as “The preeminent Country band in all of the Northeast… of Philadelphia” which makes me like them.  They do indeed sound like a country band–but without all that Southern twang that I hate.  I can’t really find much more about them online.

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Pretty Sick (Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, May 5, 2023) [YVES TUMOR]

Posted in Franklin Music Hall, Frost Children, Philadelphia, PA, Pretty Sick, Yves Tumor on May 6, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: May 5, 2023] Pretty Sick

Yves Tumor had been on my list of artists I wanted to see live.  So when they announced a show at Franklin Music Hall, I grabbed a ticket pretty quickly.  I didn’t think it would sell out.  In fact I thought that Franklin Music Hall would be too big a venue for them.  I mean, had anyone even heard about them?

Of the two opening bands, I was looking forward more to seeing Pretty Sick, whose recordings are pretty great.  Their blending of noise with hooks is really terrific.  They allude to all of the best moments of 90s alt-rock.  Grungy guitars, squalling feedback sounds and lead singer Sabrina Fuentes recalls Courtney Love’s best vocal moments.

On their latest album she seems to leave it all on the floor with her intensity.

They came out and I expected a wall of noise and feedback.  But wow, was their sound tepid.  I have to blame the venue, because I think it got better as the set went on, but when they started out, the guitars sounded like they were coming from a teeny amplifier.  Fuentes’ voice sounded out of tune with what I was hearing and the whole thing felt so small after Frost Children.

The rest of the crowd seemed to really enjoy them, so maybe I was just wrong about it.  But I was so disappointed by the set–it felt really puny for some reason.

I’ve since listened to their records and they sounded even better, so maybe I need to see them again in a diffeent setting.

At the end of the show, the guitar player crumbled up a set list and threw it into the crowd right to the guy in front of me (his girlfriend was a big fan, so that was good for them).

There’s no setlist available for the show, but recent shows indicate these songs were played

  1. Angel Landing ∇ 
  2. Black Tar Ü
  3. Devil in Me ⇓
  4. Allen Street ⇓
  5. Superstar ⇓
  6. Human Condition Ü
  7. PCP Ü
  8. Dumb ⇓

Ü Makes Me Sick Makes Me Smile (2022)
⇓ Come Down (2021)
∇  Deep Divine (2020)

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David Cross / Sean Patton (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, May 5, 2023)

Posted in Arrested Development, Comedy Album, David Cross, Funny (ha ha), Mr Show, Philadelphia, PA, Sean Patton, Union Transfer on May 5, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 5, 2023] David Cross / Sean Patton

My wife and I saw David Cross back in 2016.  He was hilarious.

He’s consistently one of my favorite comedians.  I have enjoyed David Cross since the old days of Mr. Show, and the as Tobias on Arrested Development and even in Alvin and the, well, actually I’m just happy for him that he got a lot of money for it.

It was really puzzling that this show was at Union Transfer (as opposed to a seated venue).  I assume that they put in seats-who wants to stand up for a stand up?

This show was scheduled for the same night as Yves Tumor who I had very much wanted to see.  So David didn’t get my ticket purchase.  But the show sold out so he doesn’t care.

Sean Patton opened.  He’s a comedian I’d never heard of.  He had a special on Peacock, with a theme about people being broken.  People are like glow sticks–you gotta break them before they can shine.  He sounds dark but optimistic.

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