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Archive for July, 2023

Skating Polly (Kung Fu Necktie, Philadelphia, PA, July 7, 2023)

Posted in Bugsy, Jacklen Ro, Kung Fu Necktie, Philadelphia, PA, Skating Polly on July 9, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: July 7, 2023] Skating Polly

I saw Skating Polly six years ago when they opened for X.  Unfortunately, I arrived really late and caught only a couple songs from them.

I’d been intrigued by them for a while–two sisters, both teenagers (technically Kelli was NINE when they formed), started a band as a duo and played some kick ass punk.  Six years ago primary singer Kelli was only 19, older sister Peyton was 24 and their brother Kurtis (no age given) was playing drums with them.

So here it was several years later and Kelli can legally be in Kung Fu Necktie.

They put on a fierce show with Kelli doing impressive high kicks in her platform shoes.

The lighting in KFT was weirdly over-red, so Peyton and Kurtis had a red glow the whole night while the one spotlight was on Kelli.

We also found out that they had a strict curfew of… 9:30!  Apparently there was some kind of event at 10, so they had to be off stage in plenty of time. (more…)

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The Head and the Heart / The Revivalists (The Stone Pony Summer Stage, Asbury Park, NJ, July 9, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Asbury Park, NJ, The Head and the Heart, The Revivalists, The Stone Pony, The Stone Pony Summer Stage on July 9, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: July 7, 2023] The Head and the Heart / The Revivalists

My wife and I saw The Head and the Heart at the Met Philly in 2019.  Here’s what I wrote:

I had quite possibly the worst concert experience of my life at this show.  And I want to reiterate it had nothing to do with the band.  There may have been a song or two in the middle that I wasn’t too excited about, but overall, they sounded great, played some really fun songs and seemed to be really enjoying themselves.

I wouldn’t mind seeing them again to make up for this show, but I probably won’t.   I also feel like I never want to go to the Met Philly again.  I feel like it attracts the wrong crowd–rich people who are looking for a night out rather than fans of music.

Re-reading the review I spent 2/3 of it complaining about the people around me. They were loud talkers and drinkers, completely louder than the band at times.

I would like to see The Head and the Heart again, I think.  Although it turns out they released a new album last year and I didn’t even know it.  So, I guess I won’t miss them that much,

I just checked and this show is sold out, so I guess they won’t miss me either.  And it really sounds like an event I don’t want to be at.

The Revivalists are a band that get some airplay on WXPN.  I do like one of their songs but overall their vibe is a little too retroey for me.  They are probably a very good fit with The Head and the Heart, although I feel like they veer in a direction I don’t enjoy as much.

 

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Bugsy (Kung Fu Necktie, Philadelphia, PA, July 7, 2023) [SKATING POLLY]

Posted in Bugsy, Jacklen Ro, Kung Fu Necktie, Philadelphia, PA, Skating Polly on July 8, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: July 7, 2022] Bugsy

Bugsy are from Minneapolis.

They were much louder than Jacklen Ro (and louder than their recordings would suggest).  They may have been egged on by the fact that Jacklen Ro came right up to the front of the stage to dance wildly for their set.

I enjoyed the guitar and vocal interplay although I found the singer to be a little hard to hear clearly.  It may have been where I was standing, although I find that she’s a little quiet on record as well.

I was quite fond of their bassist though.  She played some really cool fills and runs and her bass had a great almost New Order sound to it. And the final song, “hard to breathe” had a great opening bass line (and guitar harmonics).

I was kind of distracted during their set though because of Jacklen Ro dancing right in front of me and because half way through the set I noticed that Kelli from Skating Polly was in the audience watching, too.  (more…)

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The Smile / Robert Stillman (Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, July 8, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, Robert Stillman, The Smile on July 8, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: July 8, 2023] The Smile / Robert Stillman

Much like with the Trey Anastasio Band and Phish (the only way to get close to Trey is to see him solo), The Smile seemed like the only way to see Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood from Radiohead up close. Their drummer is Tom Skinner from Sons of Kemet.

So when they announced a show in Philly I was all set  to grab a ticket.

Then I listened to the record and… I didn’t think much of it.  Granted , I didn’t give a lot of time to the record, but what I heard was just too jazzy for my liking.  So I was just as happy to not go see them.

I see that it has sold out, so good for them.

Robert Stillman is a composer and multi-instrumentalist from the northeast United States, currently based in Margate, UK. His music juxtaposes the archaic with the futuristic, incorporating influences of Jazz, Minimalism, American Folk music, and experimental electronic music to create a sound described by the Guardian Observer as “lending an avant-garde shimmer to pre-modern American sounds.”

One review of his set says he was

Perched behind a Yamaha DX7 and some DJ gear, Stillman blended down tempo jazz sax with minimalist electronic beats to warm-up the growing crowd

This sounds like a show I would have enjoyed intellectually, but not in practice.

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Jacklen Ro (Kung Fu Necktie, Philadelphia, PA, July 7, 2023) [SKATING POLLY]

Posted in Bugsy, Jacklen Ro, Kung Fu Necktie, Philadelphia, PA, Skating Polly on July 7, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: July 7, 2022] Jacklen Ro

I had not heard of Jacklen Ro before this show.  I wound up being a couple minutes late to thieir set and missed a song or two.

But I really enjoyed them.  A lot.

The band is a four-piece: Jackie Giroux (vocals/guitar), Caelen Perkins (guitar/vocals), Lauren Hickey (bass) and Caden Bartlett (drums).  They’re from L.A. and they write folky indie rock.  They’re punk enough to be on a bill with Skating Polly although their vibe is far more indie than punk.

Especially since Jackie Giroux plays acoustic guitar and Giroux and Caelen Perkins sing with delightful harmonies.  But what I especially liked about them is that their harmonies are lovely but they are not polished.  The songs are fun and emotional.  Not raw, because that implies a harshness.  Just stick with unpolished–a warm and inviting sound.

They were also warm and inviting with Giroux being full of smiles and compliments (and wearing no shoes).

“Self Control” is the new single.  It is spare but fun with a big friendly chorus.  The song is fun on record but live, the low end really gives the song more energy. (more…)

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Trey Anastasio Band (The Stone Pony Summer Stage, Asbury Park, NJ, July 7, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Asbury Park, NJ, The Stone Pony, The Stone Pony Summer Stage, Trey Anastasio, Trey Anastasio Band on July 7, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: July 7, 2023] Trey Anastasio Band

I’ve seen the Trey Anastasio Band twice and each time was a fun event.

Try plays originals and Phish songs and his band is always top notch.

It’s also one of the few ways to see Trey up close, since I can never get close at a Phish show.

Trey had announced these few shows in July, but I didn’t really want to go to the Stone Pont Summerstage to se see his band.  Although I do love watching Cyro Baptiste on percussion.

I reconsidered going a couple of weeks ago, but it had sold out.  So good for Trey.  And besides, I have Skating Polly to see.

 

 

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The Dirty Nil / Daniel Romano’s Outfit / Froggy (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, July 7, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Daniel Romano's Outfit, Froggy, Philadelphia, PA, The Dirty Nil, Underground Arts on July 7, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: July 7, 2023] The Dirty Nil / Daniel Romano’s Outfit /Froggy

Two years ago The Dirty Nil opened for The Menzingers in a show I couldn’t make.  But I’ve been intrigued by them ever since.

I wanted to go to this show, but it turned out that Skating Polly, a band I’ve wanted to see ever since I caught the last song of their set when they opened for X was playing the same night.

Stupid double booked nights.  This whole night sounds pretty great and it turned out to be a tough choice.

All of the blurbs for the bands come from their write ups on the Underground Arts page

For the strapping lads comprising Toronto rock trio The Dirty Nil, Big Bear was so much more than a convenience store parking lot they gazed upon from their second-floor bathroom window – the trash-strewn asphalt stage where seemingly every element of the human experience played out like a never-ending theatrical production.

The house was all at once a shared residence, creative commons, and god-forsaken pirate ship, its revolving cast of crewmates armed with instruments, alcohol, and overdriven amplifiers. Indeed, they lived, laughed, and loved there even though no kitschy wall sign from a suburban mom’s Etsy shop told them to.

“Bye Bye Big Bear” is a loving musical tribute to that unforgettable time and place, and The Dirty Nil’s first new offering since their impactful 2021 album Fuck Art. On its back, the boys returned to the road to electrify increasingly packed venues and festival stages with their fiery brand of punk-tinged rock n roll.

(more…)

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Jodi Taylor–A Symphony of Echoes [The Chronicles of St Mary’s, #2] (2013) [audiobook 2014]

Posted in Adventure, Audiobooks, Death, Dinosaurs, Fears, Feminism, Fire, Funny (ha ha), History, Huh?, Jodi Taylor, Morality, Murder, Mystery, Supernatural, Thieves, Threats, Time Travel, Violence, Zara Ramm on July 2, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[LISTENED TO: January 2023] A Symphony of Echoes

This is the second book in a something-teen long series.

I sometimes wonder if I enjoy a series more for the narrator of the audio books than the quality of the books themselves.

I didn’t think that at the time of reading this, because I was swept up in the comedy and adventure and (yes, I’m saying it, time travel).  However, while looking for a cover image, I read a scathing review of this book and felt that I did agree with many of the criticisms.  I guess I just didn’t care.  And I wonder if that’s because Zara Ramm gave great voice to the lead character Max and also did an amazing job with all of the different characters (male and female from all over the place).

Book 2 continues the time travelling saga of the historians of St. Mary’s.  Like the other stories there are several seemingly random adventures that the crew must go on.  The first, in this case, is with a soon-to-be-retiring historian named Kalinda Black.  She wishes to go to Jack the Ripper times and suss out what actually happened.

Things go horribly wrong when Jack the Ripper (in some form or another) hops a ride with them back to St. Mary’s.  It’s confusion and chaos trying to fight a near invisible enemy.  And that’s before anyone realizes that Captain Farrell is missing.

It is, of course, the dastardly duo of Izzie Barclay and Clive Ronan, set in a future St. Mary’s.  In a sign of things  to come, Max realizes that they cannot kill Ronan because of time paradoxes (I am not about to go into details of that) and that Izzie is much harder to kill than it seems when Max shoots her and dumps her in an elevator.

Because the future St. Mary’s has been decimated by Barclay and Ronan, Max stays on as interim head. (more…)

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Jodi Taylor–Just One Damned Thing After Another [The Chronicles of St Mary’s, #1] (2013) [audiobook 2014]

Posted in Adventure, Audiobooks, Death, Dinosaurs, Fears, Feminism, Fire, Funny (ha ha), History, Huh?, Jodi Taylor, Morality, Murder, Mystery, Supernatural, Thieves, Threats, Time Travel, Violence, Zara Ramm on July 1, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[LISTENED TO: July 2022] Just One Damned Thing After Another

This is the first book in a something-teen long series.

I sometimes wonder if I enjoy a series more for the narrator of the audio books than the quality of the books themselves.

I didn’t think that at the time of reading this, because i was swept up in the comedy and adventure and (yes, I’m saying it, time travel).  However, while looking for a cover image, I read a scathing review of this book and felt that I did agree with many of the criticisms.  I guess I just didn’t care.  And I wonder if that’s because Zara Ramm gave great voice to the lead character Max and also did an amazing job with all of the different characters (male and female from all over the place).

As we meet Madeline Maxwell (Max), she is in a bad way.  She has few prospects and fewer coins in her pocket.  She’s pretty desperate until she gets a surprise visit from a former teacher who tells her about a job with poor pay and worse conditions.

This leads to a job as a historian at St. Mary’s Institute of Historical Research.  The cool thing about St. Mary’s is that historians travel to the past to “confirm” details of things that happened.  Essentially University researchers get to experience historical events first hand, including all of the dangers involved.  The Institute is a part of University of Thirsk. (more…)

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