I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: October 1, 2025] TWRP

My son and I saw TWRP open for Magic Sword back in 2023 and we loved them.  We saw them again when they headlined.  And they’re the reason I went to Ninja Sex Party (they opened the show and were NSP’s backing band).

And here they were playing Underground Arts!  They were originally supposed to play World Cafe Live but because of a shakeup at the venue, TWRP and several other bands abandoned WCL for other venues.  I love Underground Arts but I think WCL would have suited my purposes better (much better sight lines).

I arrived later than I intended and the place was packed.  So instead of being on the barrier, I was back a ways behind a whole bunch of tall people.  After the first two songs I moved back and off to the side.  Not the best view but better than what I had and I could see most of the band just fine.

The previous times that I’ve seen them, they were on pretty big stages, so it was interesting to see them crammed into the small UA stage.  But they did fine with it and I was pleased that Phobos the guitarist was always near the front of the stage so he wasn’t hidden by the big pole.

All of the fun aspects of TWRP were in place.  Dr Sung on his hoverboard, Dr Sung bragging about his awesomeness and the rest of the band keeping him in check.

This tour’s theme was a weekend camping trip.  There were leaves and things around the stage and the whole conceit that they were camping was on full display.

They opened with a new song (and a new chant: party party party party).  I haven’t listened to much of the new album.  They played 4 songs from it but they did not get rid of crowd faves like Bright Blue Sky (so much fun to sing along to) and of course Atomic Karate (even in this small area he was able to do his high kicks (baby) and use the nunchaku.

The segues into each song are always fun, like when he talks about all of the potential in the room as a warm up to Human Potential.

Grobb, the creepy faced baby-creature who is projected on a screen was there, although not as vocal as in the past.  But he did introduce Forest Ranger Randy who told them all about the many Critters around here (the hilariously named Critters [Swim Shady] were for sale on a sticker sheet).  He also mentioned Beeffoot the monster in the woods.

Earlier in the set Commander Meouch threw out some hot dogs into the audience (which I guess people ate?–a guy in front of me got out his phone and was scrambling all over the floor looking for the piece that came our way). Dr Sung was appalled that he people of Philadelphia would eat dog!  By the end of the set, Dr Sung was so hungry that he decided to lick a mushroom instead, which led to a hilarious encounter with Beeffoot (who vapes a lot).

TWRP is definitely more enjoyable live than on record, with Content 4U rocking pretty hard live.  And it’s really neat seeing (and hearing) just how talented Commander Meouch is on bass and Phobos is on guitar.  Havve Hogan on drums was out of my view for most of the night but it’s always fun to check in on him back there.

When they did No Service, they brought out Sarah from LAPD which added even more enthusiasm to the set.

As the set came to a close, the were having so uch fun, they decided to play ten songs at once.  The medley was a lot of fun, but I don’t think there were ten songs in it.

Earlier in the show, Dr Sung brought out a water bottle full of yellow liquid.  He said that he is in such perfect physical shape that he simply drinks the water and pees it out into a bottle and drinks it again.  He finished his bottle and asked the front row to fill it up again for him (thankfully/sadly no one did).  So at the end, he found a bottle with red liquid in it (who filled this?  you need to go to a doctor!).  and when he drank some of the other yellow liquid he then flung it at the audience who ducked as if it was really urine!  Then he handed the water bottle to a little kid in the front row (who was thrilled!)

The audience was a wild mix of people including a guy in a full size fox costume, another guy with a small TV on his head (yes) and several people up front with crocheted traffic cones on their heads (like Dr Sung).

For the encore break, Dr Sung said he was just going to take a nap and didn’t want anyone to make any noise or ask for anything. So obviously the encore clapping was super loud.  Phobos came out and told us scary story (Subway had no Philly cheese steaks) and finally the Dr woke up and since they band couldn’t really sleep they’d just play a few more songs.

They played two encore songs that they had encored on previous shows, but never together like that, so that was fun, and when it was all over they played the Hampsterdance on a tape and the band and everyone in the crowd danced like crazy.

What a fun time.

As I left a few people were waiting by the tour bus.  I wonder if the band comes out to the bus in costume–how would anyone know what the look like for real?

 

2025 (Underground Arts)	2025 (Ninja Sex Party)	2024 (Union Transfer)	2023 (Magic Sword)
Unbounded and Free (Party Party Party) ϖ	Digital Nightmare ♣	Digital Nightmare ♣	Birth of Grobb ©
Bright Blue Sky ♥	Content 4 U ♣	Content 4 U ♣	VHS *
My Big Day Off ϖ	Bright Blue Sky ♥	Bright Blue Sky ♥	Bright Blue Sky ♥
Atomic Karate £	Typhoon Turnpike ⇔  / Hidden Potential ⇔	Typhoon Turnpike ⇔  / Hidden Potential ⇔ (Listed on setlist as “Typhoon Potential”)	Polygon ♥
Typhoon Turnpike ⇔  / Hidden Potential ⇔	Atomic Karate £	Atomic Karate £	Only the Best ∏
Content 4 U ♣	Synthesizer Her ⊗	Dream Vacation ♣ / Ladybug ♣	Typhoon Turnpike ⇔ / Hidden Potential ⇔
Phantom Racer⊗	Polygon ♥	VHS *	Atomic Karate £
Critters ϖ	VHS *	Only the Best ∏	Superior Moves ♥
A Human’s Touch♣	Phantom Racer ⊗	Superior Moves ♥ / Body Image £	Summer Everyday *
No Service (with Los Angeles Power Disco) ϖ	A Human’s Touch ♣	Polygon ♥ / Japanquest ½ / Ladyworld £ / Life Party ⊗ / Interstellar Strut ∇ / Strike a Pose ⊗/ The No Pants Dance ∇	Have You Heard? ©
Food Bar / Life Party / Pale Blue Dot / Our 4fathers / Pets / R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Her / Rock n Roll Best Friends		Firewall ♣	Starlight Brigade ⊗
The Longest Weekend ϖ		encore	encore
encore		Starlight Brigade ⊗	Terraform ♥ (with Magic Sword)
Starlight Brigade ⊗		Synthesizer Her ⊗	All Night Forever ⇔
All Night Forever ⇔
The Hampsterdance Song (Hampton the Hampster song) [TAPE]

ϖ The Longest Weekend (2025)
♣ Digital Nightmare (2024)
* Friends of  the Blues (2023)
© unreleased/live intro (2023)
♥ New & Improved (2021)
∏ Over the Top (2020)
⇔ Return to Wherever (2019)
⊗ Together Through Time (2018)
£ Ladyworld (2017)
½ 2nite EP (2015)
∇ The Device EP (2012)