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Archive for May, 2025

Momma (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, May 30, 2025)

Posted in Momma, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer, Wishy on May 31, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: May 30, 2025] Momma

Just over a year ago, I saw Momma open for Girl in Red.  I had been wanting to see them for a while and an opening set is a fine way to see them.  But I was really excited when they announced this headline tour and that they were playing Union Transfer.

I was off to t he side a bit–near Allegra Weingarten but with a great view of Etta Friedman.  Last time it wasn’t entirely clear if the band was just the tow of them (as photos showed) or all four, but the two guys are still with them so I’m guessing they are part of the band now–Aron Kobayashi Ritch on bass and Preston Fulks on drums.

The set was largely songs from their new album, which was to be expected.  Although I was really surprised that they played I Want You (Fever) (which I think is a huge hit) second!  The crowd went nuts for it of course.

In fact I feel like they stacked the front of the show with the songs I wanted to hear because they followed Fever with Medicine and Ohio All the Time. (more…)

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Wishy (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, May 30, 2025) [MOMMA]

Posted in Momma, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer, Wishy on May 30, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: March 22, 2025] Wishy

I Was happy that Wishy opened for Momma.  I knew one or two songs by them and really liked them.

The band came out–a five piece, with the two singer/guitarists Kevin Krauter and Nina Pitchkites.  They harmonize perfectly with each other–both vocally and on guitar.  There’s something very appealing about the two singers going Ah ah ah in harmony on Planet Popstar.  There’s a few different parts in this song so I actually wasn’t sure if they were playing different songs or one long one (it’s only 4 minutes, but is pretty complicated)

Wishy released an EP this year and they played half of it.  That left five songs from last year’s Triple Seven, which is the album t hat I first heard them from.  The (very simple ) guitar riff in Persuasion is wonderful–and when the harmony guitar came in–fantastic.

Love on the Outside is mostly Kevin on guitar, but after a verse, the band kicks in and the harmonies are terrific.  The rest of the band is guitarist Dimitri Morris , bassist Mitch Collins, and drummer Conner Host.  It almost seems like overkill to have three guitarists in the band, but all three do different things to make the sound enormous. (more…)

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The Dead Milkmen (White Eagle Hall, Jersey City, NJ, May 10, 2025)

Posted in Jersey City, NJ, The Dead Milkmen, White Eagle Hall on May 11, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: May 10, 2025] The Dead Milkmen 

It took me 35 years to see The Dead Milkmen live.  And now I’ve seen them twice in about a year.  The last show was so much fun; I was really excited when they announced more shows at Underground Arts.  But those days were booked for me.  Bummer.  But then they announced this show at White Eagle Hall (where they have played a few times recently).

I arrived late (because parking there sucks).  I almost gave up and went home, but I found a reasonable parking spot. And the usher brought me to the ADA section which was pretty cool because I had been really far back.  But the ADA section was in the balcony and I was able to get really close to the stage.  Rodney Anonymous is such a wild and inclusive front man that he gets everyone involved in every song.  And even though he never looked up at the balcony, I felt like a participant.

Last time I was on the far side and could barely see bassist Dan Stevens or drummer Dean Clean.  This time I was on Joe Jack Talcum’s side and could see the whole stage easily.  I was also able to watch Jack’s guitar playing which is surprisingly complex.

One of the fun parts of sitting where I was that I could see all of the people slam dancing–and really making their pit large (to the dismay of other around them).  And for once I was really glad that I was upstairs away from the action.

The setlist wasn’t radically different from the previous show, but the order was very different and there were a few songs thrown in that they hadn’t played last time (I was pretty thrilled to hear The Thing That Only Eats Hippies). (more…)

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Miss Teen America (White Eagle Hall, Jersey City, NJ, May 10, 2025) [THE DEAD MILKMEN]

Posted in Jersey City, NJ, Miss Teen America, The Dead Milkmen, White Eagle Hall on May 10, 2025| 2 Comments »

[ATTENDED: May 10, 2025] Miss Teen America

Parking around White Eagle Hall is a nightmare.  Despite arriving 25 minutes early for the show, I missed the first half of Miss Teen America.

But I did catch about half of their set and I enjoyed it quite a lot.

As I was watching I thought they had a really My Chemical Romance vibe.  But their earlier stuff.  It was very funny to me when, on my way back to the car, a young woman was talking with her friends and she said “That opening band was like what it must have been like to see My Chemical Romance when they first came out.  The singer even looked like Gerard Way.”

The band had a great look.  Their (new) bassist was awesome in fishnets and super high boots.  And their lead guitarist had a look that I couldn’t see all that well (the stage was pretty dark) but which was cool from afar.

They played four or five song while I was there including a song that they played together for the first time that night.  They describe themselves as traditional goth with “punk rock energy and a pop sensibility” and that’s pretty accurate.  I feel that the goth part is more from their look than their sound, but they definitely fall into the punkier side of goth. (more…)

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