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Archive for November, 2025

Post Animal / The Slaps (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, Novmber 8, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA, Post Animal, The Slaps on November 8, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 12, 2025] Post Animal / The Slaps

I saw Post Animal open for Temples back in 2023 and they blew me away:

They came out on stage–all five of them–and proceeded to blow me away with a fusion of what I heard as Rush meets King Gizzard.  The Rush component came in some of their extended, prog-like songs that ended in chord patterns that were very much Rush adjacent.  The King Gizzard part came from some of the frenetic guitar soloing.  And what was really really fun about them was that every song was really different.

I was really excited to see them again and thought Johnny Brenda’s would be a perfect venue for them.  The show had sold out.  I listened to their latest album and it was pretty mellow and straightforward.  I was surprised and lost interest in going to the show.

Since I had a show the night before and the night after, so I blew off the show.  Although looking at the setlist, I gather they did play a lot of their earlier weird stuff too.

The Slaps play a quiet soft folk sound with some quirky elements.  It did suggest that Post Animal would be more mellow. Although perhaps they are louder live, as this review from DC says “a three-piece from Chicago, who cross that great divide between long jazz-inspired passages and straight ahead rock.”

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Grandson / Ho99o9 (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, November 8, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Bob Vylan, grandson, Ho99o9, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer on November 8, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: November 8, 2025] Grandson / Ho99o9

Two years ago, my son and I saw grandson and he was great.  It was a stellar show.  So when he announced a new tour this year I grabbed us both a ticket.

We didn’t go when he came back two years ago and  was surprised that my son didn’t want to go this year. I guess he doesn’t listen to grandson anymore.  I thought his new album was really good.

Initially Bob Vylan was supposed to open, but they wer embroiled in a controversy that prevented them from coming to the U.S.

Bob Vylan is under investigation in the U.K. and banned from performing in the U.S., after its singer led anti-Israeli military chants during a BBC live broadcast of the Glastonbury arts festival.

That seems pretty mild to prevent someone from coming to the U.S., but we live in crazy times.  I’m just listening to them now and they’re really good.  I’m sure the publicity is great (that’s how I know them) but I hope they can get out from under the thumb of the man.

Ho99o9 is an punk rap duo founded in 2012 in Newark, New Jersey by theOGM and Yeti Bones. They relocated to Los Angeles in 2014.   They are very intense–sometimes too much for me.  Although I gather their live show is insane.  One review said

Tonight’s show was the definition of insanity, bodies flying all around the room, mosh pits opening up anywhere there was available space; Ho99o9 have been able to secure some of the most dedicated and passionate fans in the scene, no matter where they play no doubt there will be fans there to listen!

They might overwhelm grandson who is very cool, but much more low key.

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The Mars Volta (Fillmore Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, November 5, 2025)

Posted in Feliz y Dada, Kianí Medina, Philadelphia, PA, The Fillmore Philadelphia, The Mars Volta on November 7, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: November 5, 2025] The Mars Volta

My son and I saw The Mars Volta open for Deftones in an arena and the sound was terrible.  They played an unreleased album so it was really hard to know what was going on in a cavernous place where all subtlety was lost.

So when they announced a headlining tour I grabbed tickets for my son and I.  And what a treat to get there early and be right up front for the show.

Visually there wasn’t a lot going on–the band is largely dressed in black and white and there was only a black curtain behind them.  The lights tended toward the dark and the blue so you couldn’t see super clearly.  But this was really all about the music.

This show was for them to play their new album, Lucro sucio straight through, just like they did opening for the Deftones.  That set was 40 minutes (like the album) but this show was about twice as long with lots of trippy jamming sections.

The set opens quietly with Fin wherein Cedric Bixler-Zavala sings to a synth opening–his voice soaring to great heights–as it did all night, his voice is incredible. (more…)

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Bleary Eyed (Warehouse on Watts, Philadelphia, PA, November 7, 2025) [ROCKET]

Posted in Bleary Eyed, Cashier, Philadelphia, PA, Rocket, Warehouse on Watts on November 7, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: November 7, 2025] Bleary Eyed

I was supposed to see Bleary Eyed with Hello Mary back in 2024.   But family things came up and I couldn’t go.  I don’t always try to see bands that I missed for one reason or another. And I certainly don’t with opening bands.  But it is fun to see a band that I was supposed to and check them off an imaginary list.

Bleary Eyed is from Philadelphia so I’m surprised I have seen them on more bills, but I consider myself lucky that there are so many good Philly bands that can get tossed onto a bill sometimes as the first or second opener.

Bleary Eyed is the brainchild of Nathaniel Salfi who sings and plays guitar.  He started the project in 2015 and has had a mostly revolving lineup.  Margot Whipps joined the band on vocals and guitar a couple of years ago (she’s also credited with bass).

Bleary Eyed turned out to be a classic-sounding shoegaze band with chorusing guitars and washes of sound.  There were also some keyboard flourishes and two singers.    Nathaniel has a somewhat deeper voice that flows perfectly with the sound.

I enjoyed the way they mixed up the sound with some really good loud/quiet shifts in Wreck.  There was also some good My Bloody Valentinesque soloing at the opening of 2 True.  And a great opening riff on Upset which was sung by Margot.  I felt like her vocals were not loud enough, although it may have been that I was on the other side and everyone on my side was loud. (more…)

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I’m With Her / Ye Vagabonds (McCarter Theatre, Princeton, NJ, November 7, 2025)

Posted in Aoife O'Donovan, I'm With Her, McCarter Theatre, Princeton, NJ, Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz, Ye Vagabonds on November 7, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: November 7, 2025] I’m With Her

We saw I’m with Her in 2019 at McCarter.  Billy Strings opened for them and look where he is now!

I’m with Her is something of a folk and bluegrass supergroup made up of Aoife O’Donovan, Sarah Jarosz and Sara Watkins.  But on to the music.  The women sing in absolutely gorgeous harmony.  Individually, their voices are wonderful, but as they add one and then a second harmony…swoon.  They also switch instruments constantly–fiddle, mandolin, ukulele, guitar, banjo.

But I wasn’t really feeling this show.  And I’m glad I didn’t get tickets because Rocket announced a show tonight and I enjoyed that show immensely.

Ye Vagabonds are a folk duo from Ireland. They are the Carlow-based brothers Diarmuid and Brían Mac Gloinn. They have been described as “being at the fore of a new wave of Irish folk.”  The song I heard had full instrumentation and their voices are lovely together.  They had a vibe of early Darlingside, which I liked quite a lot.

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Kianí Medina (Fillmore Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, November 5, 2025) [THE MARS VOLTA]

Posted in Feliz y Dada, Kianí Medina, Philadelphia, PA, The Fillmore Philadelphia, The Mars Volta on November 6, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: November 5, 2025] Kianí Medina

After Feliz y Dada, I wasn’t really sure what to expect next.  The change was pretty dramatic.

Out came two normal-looking people.  They stood in the same place as Feliz y Dada but could not have been more different.

Kianî Medina is from Puerto Rico and she sang soaring vocal lines over a pre-programmed backing track and live guitars from her brother Jerry.  The songs were kind of dancey but the live guitar added so much texture and, at times, rocking out.

She sang in Spanish and has a gorgeous voice.  I liked how the songs were mostly synthy (sometimes synth sounds triggered by the guitar) and dancey and then the guitar sound would come in an play some ripping solos.

Kianî had some smooth dance moves especially when Jerry soloed.  And on one of her middle songs (I don’t have a setlist or know any song titles), things slowed down for a lovely sounding ballad.

It was followed by a staccato dance song with some cool guitar–Jerry’s guitar playing sounds like Omar’s on this one.  (more…)

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Feliz y Dada (Fillmore Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, November 5, 2025) [THE MARS VOLTA]

Posted in Feliz y Dada, Kianí Medina, Philadelphia, PA, The Fillmore Philadelphia, The Mars Volta on November 5, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: November 5, 2025] Feliz y Dada

My son and I saw The Mars Volta open for Deftones in an arena and the sound was terrible.  They played an unreleased album so it was really hard to know what was going on in a cavernous place where all subtlety was lost.  But my son was intrigued and I told him we could see them again.

So when they announced a headlining tour I grabbed tickets for my son and I.  And what a treat to get there early and be right up front for the show.

The opening band was Feliz y Dada, whom I had no heard of.  When I looked  them up it was unclear if they were a real band, a novelty band or possibly even members of The Mars Volta.  Many speculated that the lead singer was Teri Gender Bender.  I never found out, but I didn’t care because their set was bizarre and wonderful.

The stage was curtained off to give them a small area up front.  A massive stack of (fake) speakers was behind them and they were given a black curtain to hide the rest of the stage.

Feliz y Dada is a trio.  All three members wear masks with a kind of horn on top and four eyes.  They also wear robes and dance around slowly–waving their bodies back and forth–a perfect encapsulation of “alien life.”

There is literally nothing like them.  The guy on the left had a large pyramid that he kept tapping as if he was playing bass notes or something (it clearly didn’t make any sound, but it did light up). I assume the guy on the right was playing all of the sounds–although it’s also possible he simply started the song and then pretended to play things like the guy on the left.

The singer was singing live but her voice was so distorted and auto-tuned as to be unrecognizable and completely un-understandable.  But she danced around slowly and approached everyone in the front in a slow and methodical way–waving and seeming to suss out what the vibe was.  She also sang into a telephone at one point for what I think was Well Hello.

They sang four short songs and that was that. (more…)

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Romesh Ranganathan: Hustle (NJPAC–Victoria Theater, Newark, NJ, November 4, 2025)

Posted in Newark, NJ, NJPAC-Victoria Theater, Romesh Ranganathan, Set in New Jersey!, Taskmaster on November 4, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: November 4, 2025] Romesh Ranganathan

I have made a list of all of comedians from Taskmaster who I would like to see live.  It’s not everyone of course (some of them don’t do stand up and some I don’t think I would enjoy).  I never really imagined that I would see everyone on the list as many British comedians do not tour the U.S.

I was pretty excited when Romesh Ranganathan announced a show near us.  Romesh is HUGE in England–he’s got TV shows and radio shows and everything else.  But in the US, he filled the 500 seat theater (I wonder how weird it is for massive comedians to play smaller venues like this).

The biggest surprise was when we walked in there was a DJ spinning tunes on stage.  His name is Martin 2 Smooth and he played a whole bunch of classic hip hop, which Romesh loves.

Then Romesh came out and started his act.  I enjoyed that when a person walked in late, he quipped “I just flew in from London and I was on time.” (This was the first night of his US tour).

He was very angry on Taskmaster and I assumed he would be angry in standup.  But he wasn’t.  Well, he was angry, but that wasn’t his whole thing.  He was very funny, making jokes about his family (his oldest son who is now bigger than him and who he believes looks like a terrorist with his hoodie up all the time). (more…)

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Lola Young (The Met Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, November 4, 2025) [CANCELLED]

Posted in Cancelled, Lola Young, Philadelphia, PA, The Met Philadelphia on November 4, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[CANCELLED: November 8, 2025] Lola Young

Lola Young’s Messy has ben one of my favorite songs this year.  I listened to some more of her record and didn’t like it nearly as much as Messy.  I wasn’t sure if I was going to get a ticket for this show.  But Lola was supposed to play at All Things Go.  However, she collapsed on stage in New York.

On September 27, Lola Young collapsed while performing during All Things Go Music Festival at New York’s Forest Hills Stadium. Now, the British pop singer-songwriter has announced she’s taking a break to prioritize her health. “I’m going away for a while,” she wrote in a statement on social media. “It pains me to say I have to cancel everything for the foreseeable future.”

“Thank you for all the love and support,” Young continued. “I’m so sorry to let anyone down who has bought a ticket to see me, it hurts me more than you know. Obviously you will be entitled to a full refund. I really hope you’ll give me a second chance once I’ve had some time to work on myself and come back stronger. Love you all, Lola x.”

I feel bad for Lola but I think when she comes back she’ll be even better.

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Of Monsters and Men / Árný Margrét (The Met Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, November 4, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Árný Margrét, Iceland, Of Monsters and Men, Philadelphia, PA, The Met Philadelphia on November 4, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: November 4, 2025] Of Monsters and Men / Árný Margrét

We saw Of Monsters and Men her back in 2019.  I was really impressed with the show–the performance and the overall spectacle was great.  This was their first time back since that show, but we had tickets to see Romesh Ranganathan tonight.

It also turns out that OMAM released a new album that I hadn’t heard–and they played the whole thing that night.  So, no big deal missing them. I have fond memories of the last show.

Árný Margrét is an Icelandic folk singer with a lovely voice.  She plays quiet acoustic guitar and has a delightfully Icelandic-sounding voice.  It makes it seem like the night would have been more mellow than I would have guessed.  But of course I could be wrong about that.  She opened for John Grant in April.  It’s funny to think I could have seen her twice in a year if I went to both of these shows.

For ease of searching, I include: Arny Margret

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