Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for June, 2024

Pixies / Modest Mouse / Cat Power (TD Pavillion @ The Mann Center, Philadelphia, PA, June 12, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Cat Power, Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Modest Mouse, Philadelphia, PA, Pixies on June 12, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: June 12, 2024] Pixies / Modest Mouse / Cat Power

This is the same tour that was going on last summer.  I was vaguely interested in it, but knew I wouldn’t go.   Here’s the same thing I wrote last summer.

I saw Pixies for the first time in 28 years at The Stone Pony Summer Stage and it was glorious.  I’ve since seen them two more times and I don’t feel the need to ever see them again.  Even though each show has been very good, and there is some mixing up of songs, I feel like I’ve seen everything they’re going to show me.

I would see Modest Mouse every time they came around.  The shows are totally different and each one feels like a new version of the band.

I have never really liked Cat Power (blasphemy!).  She just doesn’t do anything for me.

With this line up, the nays overrode the yeas.

 

Read Full Post »

TAGABOW / Hotline TNT / Fib / Menu (Ukie Club, Philadelphia, PA, June 8, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Fib, Hotline TNT, Johnny Brenda's, Menu, Philadelphia, PA, Tagabow on June 8, 2024|

[DID NOT ATTEND: June 8, 2024] TAGABOW / Hotline TNT / Fib / Menu

This was my third missed show at the Ukie Club in a month.  Each one is a show I really wanted to go to.  Although as it turns out, this one was probably the least most interesting one of the three.  I was mostly interested in seeing Hotline TNT who I’ve really been enjoying over the last few months.

TAGABOW I hadn’t heard of until the Slide Away Festival in Aptil–their set was really good (having seen the video).

The other two bands I hadn’t heard of at all.  They are new(ish) indie bands from Philly.

The night’s tickets went to Palestinian Relief, so I didn’t mind getting a ticket since the money went to a good cause.

On the night of I just decided I didn’t really want to go to a full night of bands, even if I would have liked it.  And, watching the videos below, I think I would have.

TAGABOW (They Are Gutting a Body of Water) is a Philly-based shoegaze band that I’ve never heard of.  They seem to be on the noisier side of shoegaze–heavier guitars, more wild distortion, extra noises.   Wikipedia says that genres besides shoegaze that have influenced the band include drum and bass, breakcore, jungle, and reggaeton, which could certainly explain some of the noisier components.

Hotline TNT plays what I can only describe as classic shoegaze, which is definitely having a moment again.  Unlike a lot of their contemporaries, they don’t really mess with the classic shoegaze vibe all that much–not adding elements at all.  Their music warms my heart and I’d love to see them live.

Fib Philadelphia rock band. Logan, charlie, gage, and Damien.  They play noisy, somewhat abrasive rock, with vocals!

I didn’t know Menu at all(they are rather hard to search for online as well).  I enjoyed their set (from the video below) which is the kind of lurching, somewhat off-kilter indie rock that makes me happy.  The first four songs are instrumental, but the fifth does have a few screamed words.

Rampaging post punk from Philadelphia, PA.  Fast guitars like shooting laser blasters. Tracked at home.  This most memorable Rock Band burns bright, quickly leaving you to wonder where it’s gone. We love T.V., just like we’re supposed to

And here’s videos of all four sets from Wallace, Watches!

TAGABOW full set from Wallace, Watches!

0:00 – Intro 0:32 – lude 1 2:24 – 63 skies 6:50 – lude 2 9:40 – texas instruments 11:40 – lude 3 13:49 – eightball 16:35 – lude 4 18:33 – violence I 22:15 – a wasp appears 24:15 – lude 5 27:00 – behind the waterfall 32:20 – closing

Hotline TNT full set from Wallace, Watches!
0:00 – Intro 1:00 – Protocol 7:30 – Son In Law 10:33 – I Thought You’d Change 13:40 – Candle (Unreleased) 18:00 – Stampede 22:10 – “Philadelphia…” 22:40 – Trinity 28:05 – Are You Faded? 33:00 – History Channel 38:10 – Had 2 Try
Fib full set from Wallace, Watches!
0:00 – Outro 3:53 – Taking the Piss 5:49 – Bedside 7:30 – Dotted Line 10:07 – Jam 11:26 – We’re Only in it For the Money 15:36 – Heavy Lifting 19:01 – Real Heat 22:50 – Unknown 1
Menu full set from Wallace, Watches!
0:00 – Intro 0:55 – Song 1 3:35 – Song 2 6:12 – Song 3 9:42 – Song 4 11:04 – Song 5 12:22 – Song 6 15:01 – Peter 17:40 – Sorcery

Read Full Post »

An Intimate Evening With… The Antlers + Okkervil River (Ardmore Music Hall, Ardmore, PA, June 7, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Ardmore Music Hall, Ardmore, PA, Okkervil River, The Antlers on June 7, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: June 7, 2024] An Intimate Evening With… The Antlers + Okkervil River

I have been interested in seeing Okkervil River, but not aggressively so.  Will Sheff plays in the area a bunch, both as a solo artist and as Okkervil, but I’ve never been fully motivated to go.

The Antlers have been around for awhile and their 2009 album received some buzz.  But when I discovered that main composer Peter Silberman described ‘Hospice’ as the story of an emotionally abusive relationship, told through the analogy of a hospice worker and a terminally-ill patient, I stayed far away from that depressing saga.   Ever since I’ve just assumed their music is sad and depressing and I’m not willing to investigate further.

So this show was a no-go for me. (more…)

Read Full Post »

Say She She / Carly Moffa (Concerts Under the Stars series Upper Merion Township Building Park, King of Prussia, PA, June 7, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Concerts Under the Stars series, Kendra Morris, King of Prussia PA, Philadelphia, PA, Say She She, Upper Merion Township Building Park on June 7, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: June 7, 2024] Say She She / Kendra Morris

My wife has been really enjoying Say She She as of late.  I was a little surprised that they hadn’t done a show in Philly in a little while and then it was announced that they were playing the Summer Concert Series in Camden County. I had been to this location once two years ago and really liked it.

We didn’t make that show (rain).  But two days later they were playing at another outdoor event.  This one was not free and we decided that King of Prussia was a little too far away.  So we missed this one as well.

Kendra Morris is a New York based songwriter.  She compares nicely to the soulful side of Say She She.

Read Full Post »

The Antlers + Okkervil River [FREE AT NOON] (Ardmore Music Hall, Ardmore, PA, June 7, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Ardmore Music Hall, Ardmore, PA, Okkervil River, The Antlers on June 7, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: June 7, 2024] The Antlers + Okkervil River [FREE AT NOON]

Since Okkervil River and The Antlers were playing at Ardmore Music Hall that night, the Free at Noon was recorded there as well.  They don’t do this often, but have done a few at Ardmore Music Hall.

I have been interested in seeing Okkervil River, but not aggressively so.  They play in the area a lot, but I’ve never been fully motivated to go see them.

The Antlers have been around for awhile and their 2009 album received some buzz.  But when I discovered that main composer Peter Silberman described ‘Hospice’ as the story of an emotionally abusive relationship, told through the analogy of a hospice worker and a terminally-ill patient, I stayed far away from that depressing saga.   Ever since I’ve just assumed their music is sad and depressing and I’m not willing to investigate further.  The review from WXPN says (more…)

Read Full Post »

Say She She / Carly Moffa (McLaughlin Norcross Memorial Dell, Haddon Heights, NJ, June 5, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Carly Moffa, Collingswood NJ, Haddon Heights, NJ, McLaughlin Norcross Memorial Dell, Philadelphia, PA, Say She She, Scottish Rite Auditorium, Summer Concert Series on June 5, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: June 5, 2024] Say She She / Carly Moffa

My wife has been really enjoying Say She She as of late.  I was a little surprised that they hadn’t done a show in Philly in a little while and then it was announced that they were playing the Summer Concert Series in Camden County. I had been to this location once two years ago and really liked it.

I thought we would both enjoy going to this delightful outdoor setting to enjoy some gorgeous harmonies.  We even both took off work the day after (for unrelated reasons).  But then it decided to rain.  A lot.  We weren’t sure of the show was going on (there are no tickets, so no way to let anyone know what was going on).  We decided not to risk it, so we stayed home.

I found out later that the show had been moved to the Scottish Rite Auditorium in Collingswood. I don’t know anything about that venue and probably wouldn’t have wanted to go there, so I don’t feel bad that we stayed home. (more…)

Read Full Post »

Sir Chloe (Asbury Lanes, Asbury Park, NJ, June 2, 2024)

Posted in Deux Visages, Philadelphia, PA, Sir Chloe, The Foundry on June 3, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: June 2, 2024] Sir Chloe 

My daughter was excite to see Sir Chloe.  We saw them back in April.  I wasn’t sure if we’d be able to go for various reasons, so I snagged a ticket to this leg of the tour just in case.

She actually didn’t love the April show as much as I did, and I wasn’t sure if she’d want to go, but she did.  And we’re both glad we went.

Because she was on crutches, and I had my cane, they put is in a handicapped spot which was next to the sound board and roped off from everyone else, but still plenty close to the action.

Last time, there were people talking a lot through the set.  This happened tonight as well–a group of guys mostly standing at the back (in front of our area) and just ignoring everything.  Fortunately, since they were in front of us, we couldn’t really hear them, they were just annoying.

I felt like Sir Chloe were more into this show than the Philly show.  Or maybe it was just easier to focus on this show (the Foundry show had a lot of distractions).  I swore that they played more songs for us than in Philly, but that was not true.  The one nice feature of  the show though was it was Asbury Park’s Pride Day, and the band made a special point of talking about it and how they were honored to be playing that evening.

So the setlist was the same, but perhaps it’s because I knew the show , that I enjoyed it more?

Like last time, when she came out, she had an oddly disaffected appearance.  She seemed quite aloof, but i am certain this time it was part of the act, because between songs she was very friendly.

I really enjoyed her new album quite a lot.  The songs are a bit more dramatic and push the envelope from the first album a little bit.  Songs like “Salivate” and “Hooves” are weird and intense, with loud guitars.

The earlier songs, though are also pretty cool.  “July” is a little more delicate on the edges, but with a nice fuzzy sound and Sir Chloe’s poppy vocal style.  “Animal” is a pretty dark song (her delivery is great) and it plays with the loud/soft vibe really well.

I realize that Sir Chloe is more or less a TikTok creation and so her audience is pretty young, but I think she could easily bust out of that pigeonhole.  In fact the audience was pretty varied.

The end of the set was when she played the big crowd pleasers.  I really really liked “Sedona.”  Her delivery is deadpan, but really catchy.  She followed that with “Michelle” the massive hit that was the only song I knew.  The crowd went nuts and the song was really fun (Michelle, you are a monster from hell).

Turs out that even though that is her big hit–the one that made her famous, I don’t like it nearly as much as her other songs.

I was surprised that that wasn’t the final song, but I guess it was more fun to end on the far more dancey “Feel Again.”

“Easy on You” was a fast tempo rocker from her first album.  Then she busted out an unreleased song (in the old days, I feel like the encore was meant for real crowd pleasers, but it seems like more and more it’s now the place to throw in one more brand new song).  It’s got a catchy, bratty “aha aha” that really sticks with you.

Then she ended with “Too Close.”  Which is her third biggest hit (according to Spotify) and the crowd was suitably excited to hear it.  Everyone enjoyed singing “I think it’s time for you to go.”

My daughter knew two people at the show (one she knew was there, the other was a surprise) so that was fun too.

And, like last time, the show was fairly short (75 minutes) which meant we got home fairly early, too!  I don’t know if I/we will see her again any time soon, but I’m very curious what the next record will be like.

 

Asbury Lanes, June 2024 The Foundry, April 2024
Should I Õ Should I Õ
Salivate Õ Salivate Õ
Center Õ Center Õ
Know Better Õ Know Better Õ
Mercy ∇ Mercy ∇
July ¶ July ¶
Untie You ¶ Untie You ¶
Animal ¶ Animal ¶
Company ∇ Company ∇
Hooves Õ Hooves Õ
Seventeen π Seventeen π
Obsession Õ Obsession Õ
Over Again π Over Again π
I Am the Dog Õ I Am the Dog Õ
Sedona ¶ Sedona ¶
Michelle ¶ Michelle ¶
Feel Again Õ Feel Again Õ
encore encore
Easy on You ¶ Easy on You ¶
Forgiving [new] Forgiving [new]
Too Close ¶ Too Close ¶

π Single (2024)
Õ I am the Dog (2023)
∇ Single (2022)
¶ Party Favors (2020)

 

Read Full Post »

Broke Body / Grace Vonderkuhn / Spirit Weak / Whose Hands Are These? (PhilaMOCA, Philadelphia, PA, June 1, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Broke Body, Grace Vonderkuhn, Philadelphia, PA, PhilaMOCA, Spirit Weak, Whose Hands Are These? on June 1, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: June 1, 2024] Broke Body / Grace Vonderkuhn / Spirit Weak / Whose Hands Are These?

I continue to try to see see Grace Vonderkuhn.  I’ve seen them once, and they do play around here a lot, but it just never seems to work out for me.  Ideally I’d like to see them headline (which they never seem to do).  Although this show seemed very promising, it fell at an awkward time for me (Saturday nights are hard for me to want to go out on after being home all day).  But the lineup was interesting.

Broke Body is from Philly.

A slow-burning force on the Philly rock scene, Broke Body is gearing up to release its next batch of new music.  The Paranoid Particles EP last September made for a solid project-length introduction to Broke Body via a punchy set of five post-punk infused atmospheric rockers. But the stage is where the band has truly shone in the time since, and this power trio — singer-guitarist Jackie McLaughlin, bassist Davey Jones, drummer Nolee Morris — has shaped its sound into something as bracing as it is body-moving.

I really love the bass work on their songs–playing some lead parts over the guitar chords.  And the drummer is tight and up for sharp tempo changes.  The vocals/guitars are also quite good.

Grace Vonderkuhn is simply great and as I say I can’t wait to see them again

Spirit Weak is from Philly.  And their bio is really spot on

If Drug Church, Weezer, and Pup walked into a bar, Spirit Weak would be the punchline! Spirit Weak is a South Philadelphiapunk adjacent band — spearheaded by Mazz Cardone. It was March of 2023 that a full band formed around Spirit Weak, with Chris Bryson on drums, Mike Brein on second guitar, a rotation of friends filling in on bass — and they played their first show on May

I definitely see the PUP influence, although they are not quite as fast, and their vocals have a slightly harsher edge.

Whose Hands are These? are from Lancaster and play driving rock.  Their publicity is a oddly pretentious, but the music rocks.

Now that i’ve written this I probably should have gone.  It seems like a really fun night.

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts