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Archive for September, 2026

The Shins (XFinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia PA, September 29, 2026) [WEEZER]

Posted in Philadelphia, PA, Silversun Pickups, The Shins, Weezer, XFinity Mobile Arena on September 30, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: September 29, 2026] The Shins

I have been a fan of The Shins since their debut album came out and I have never seen them live.  I put them very high on my list of bands that I wanted to see.  But I assumed I just never would.  (They played Franklin Music Hall in 2022 and The Fillmore in 2017).  And yet, here they were opening for Weezer.

I don’t know what James Mercer (the only real Shin at this point) has been up to for this last decade (their last album came out in 2017), but whatever it is, he’s been keeping his voice in amazing condition.

They opened with Simple Song and I immediately remembered how much I love The Shins.  And as soon as he hit the first high notes of the song–and hit them confidently and easily, I knew this set was going to be fantastic.  They made some use of the video screens.  The camera zoomed in on the musicians from time to time and behind them, for each song there was a different band name logo, which was really fun.

Up next was Australia (I realized I have no idea what the names of these songs are) but as soon as the “la la las” came along, the whole song flooded back.  And Mercer seemed like he was having a really good time up there.  He commented about how he had never been on an arena tour before and how much fun he was having. (more…)

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Silversun Pickups (XFinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia PA, September 29, 2026) [WEEZER]

Posted in Philadelphia, PA, Silversun Pickups, The Shins, Weezer, XFinity Mobile Arena on September 29, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: September 29, 2026] Silversun Pickups

I had been wanting to see Silversun Pickups for a pretty long time and finally managed to see them (after missing easily a half dozen shows in our area over the course of a year or so) in 2024.  And they were great.  I really wanted to see them again, but once again, their headlining show fell during a vacation.

So, at last here they were again, this time opening for Weezer.

Initially, my wife said she didn’t want to go to this show, but upon hearing that The Shins were opening, she changed her mind.  I wound up getting cool seats in the club section (which includes a personal food and drink and bathroom area) and we fought the traffic (why would you AC/DC playing at the football field next door at the EXACT SAME TIME as this show?

We arrives in time, found our cool seats and even ordered food (which we never do) because we hadn’t had time for a pre meal dinner.  Hint: go for the kid’s meal, it’s a decent sized portion for half the price).

We were on the left side of the stage.  Almost parallel to the stage but not quite and really rather close.  Great seats.  And even if you couldn’t see the screens behind them straight on, they were done really well and were easily viewed from where we were.

The Silversun Pickups came out and Nikki Monninger’s bass rumbled the opening notes of Well Thought Out Twinkles. The sounded great.  The venue’s sound quality isn’t perfect or anything, but they sounded really good–that bass was so clean.  It’s always fun to watch drummer Chris Guanlao, going crazy pack there–hair flying, sticks smashing things.  He shows you how fun being a drummer can be. (more…)

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Fastball / Spacehog / Stargazer Lily (Ardmore Music Hall, Ardmore, PA, September 29, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Ardmore Music Hall, Ardmore, PA, Fastball, Spacehog, Stargazer Lily on September 29, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: June 24, 2026] Ally the Piper / Aurelia Anne Cohen

When this show was first announced it was a co-headlining tour of Fastball and Spacehog, two bands who have one album that I really like.

The announcement of this show (especially Spacehog) was really nostalgia-fueling for me.  And I did consider getting tickets as In the Meantime is one of my favorite songs from the era.  I’ve also really liked The Way from Fastball.  But when I went back and listened to those records, I realized that those were the only two songs I really remembered.  So, I decided against the show.

I looked at Ardmore Music Hall’s page the other day and saw the ad on the right and thought, are Fastball playing two shows in the same venue?

No.  Earlier this month, Spacehog wrote

Unfortunately, due to a medical emergency, Spacehog must cancel our scheduled 2026 tour dates. Fastball will be continuing with the dates where they were co-headlining, so please check local listings…tickets will remain valid for those shows. Refunds for other shows are available at the point of purchase. We are deeply disappointed and apologize for the inconvenience. We all sincerely thank you for your understanding and support! Spacehog will be back on the road as soon as we can….stay tuned.  Unfortunately, due to a medical emergency, Spacehog must cancel our scheduled 2026 tour dates.

In their place is Stargazer Lily, who I’ve not heard of.  They were a Philly band who put out a few albums at the end of the 90s and broke up in 2005 (after playing World Cafe Live–although that’s not why).  Now they’ve reunited to put out some new music.  Their music is described as a combination if pop and indie acoustic.

Their first song Discotheque is pretty funny and fairly catchy.  Good for them for making the comeback.

Although I’d have been bummed to get tickets for this primarily for Spacehog and then not to see them.

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Phoebe Bridgers / Alex G (Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA, September 28, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Alex G, Philadelphia, PA, Phoebe Bridgers, XFinity Mobile Arena on September 28, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 28, 2026] Phoebe Bridgers / Alex G

I saw Phoebe Bridgers at Asbury Lanes back in 2018.  It was intimate and very cool.  A few years later, my daughter became a massive Boygenius fan.  I have seen Lucy Dacus like 6 times and Julien Baker 3 times.  But in that time Phoebe hadn’t toured again except with Boygenius.

When this tour was announced, I knew I wasn’t going to go because I didn’t want to go from Asbury Lanes to the Xfinity Center (even if the show was bigger and presumably exponentially better).  But I also knew that my daughter really wanted to see her (we saw boygenius together, but at a festival, not a more personal show).  And, she was going to be away a college when the show was going to happen.

So I managed to get tickets for her and she had a great time.  And I’m super happy for her.

I’ve seen Alex G twice, sort of.  I saw him ten years ago open for Built to Spill (he may have still been (Sandy) Alex G at the time.  Then my daughter and I saw him at the same festival, but he was on a video screen, so that sort of counts.  My daughter really liked him, but I’ve been kinda meh about him for a while, so this opener wasn’t that exciting for me.   She said he was okay.

 

 

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El Ten Eleven / Tall Tall Trees (Milkboy, Philadelphia, PA, September 27, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in El Ten Eleven, Milkboy, Philadelphia, PA, Tall Tall Trees on September 27, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 27, 2026] El Ten Eleven / Tall Tall Trees

El Ten Eleven are a great duo who play complex instrumentals with just an incredible drummer Tim Fogarty and an amazing multi instrumentalist Kristian Dunn who plays doubleneck guitar/bass and tons of pedals.

I got turned onto them in 2022 and have wanted to see them ever since.  But something keeps getting in the way.  One time they were even opening for Peter Hook!  This is the second time that they’ve played Milkboy that I’m aware of.  I couldn’t make that one and I really wanted to make this show too.

But I had been to a bunch of shows recently and I had to give up one of them for the sanity of my family.  It was easy to sacrifice a Sunday night show, because Sunday’s are hard to get motivated to go out at night.  But I’m still bummed that I missed them.

It was a surprise to see that Tall Tall Trees was opening.  Tall Tall Trees is the banjo player is Kishi Bashi’s band.  He’s a fantastic player, using his banjo as a percussive as well as a stringed instrument.  I like his albums (although not quite as much as I want to).  But he is fantastic live.  Engaging, improvisational, exceptional.  This would have been a really fun night.

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Stinking Lizaveta / Northern Liberties / Alright Junior / Gibbous Moon (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, September 26, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Alright Junior, Gibbous Moon, Johnny Brenda's, Northern Liberties, Philadelphia, PA, Stinking Lizaveta on September 26, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 26, 2026] Stinking Lizaveta / Northern Liberties / Alright Junior / Gibbous Moon

For reasons I don’t entirely remember, I’ve added Stinking Lizaveta to the list of bands that I’d like to see.  I had no idea they’ve been a band since 1994!  And that Steve Albini produced their debut album!

I think what inspired me to check them out is that they are an instrumental band who play complex music.  And this is the third or fourth time that I am not seeing them.  I really would like to, and this seemed like a fun opportunity, but once again, the timing just didn’t work out.

I really need to make a point of seeing them the next time they play in the area.

I love that there’s a band called Northern Liberties, which is a section of Philadelphia that has a great weird name which I don’t entirely understand.  I assumed they were a new band (since they are opening) but they have been around since at least 2001.  The band consists of brothers Justin and Marc Duerr on vocals and drums and Kevin Riley on bass and occasional vocals.  They play a noisy punk–the bass has a really cool effect on it for most of the albums.  They have a cool DIY attitude and sound pretty unique (since there’s no guitar).  They sound like late 80’s/early 90s punk, which is pretty cool.

Alright Junior is Jace Miller and Steph Brettman.  And while it’s not fair to compare them to The White Stripes, there is certainly a kinship, with some intense fast guitar and vocals from Miller and solid drumming from Brettman.  They have also been around the Philly scene for a while (since at least 2014) although I hadn’t heard of them.  They don’t seem to release much music, but this show was an EP release show for them.  And here’s an apt blurb quote: “Red-blooded alt-rock is alive and well, and Philadelphia’s Alright Junior is a prime example of that….for fans of the genre, it’s pure, uninhibited ear-candy.” – Chad Snyder, WXPN

Gibbous Moon have a great name and an old school metal sound and have also been around for a while (since 2016).

This Philadelphia three-piece has been making heads dizzy with their brand of heavy psychedelic rock mayhem since 2016. Takeyour protein pills and put your helmets on – we’re goin’ for a ride!

Fuzzy, metal guitars, big riffs and lots of echo.  Even some cowbell.   Was this recorded in a basement in the 1970s?  Who knows.  Great stuff.

I wish I’d been able to make this show, that’s four great Philly bands.

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The Beths (Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ, September 25, 2026)

Posted in Chelsea Jade, Sayreville, NJ, Starland Ballroom, The Beths on September 26, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: August 1, 20262] The Beths

I’ve been lucky enough to see The Beths five times in just under five years.  They always put on a great show.  Indeed, my wife and I saw a fantastic show at Union Transfer just before I had surgery in December.

So it was kind of crazy to see them again so soon, but they said it would be their last show in the U.S. for a while and, more importantly, it would be an all request show.

I didn’t really have any requests, although I would have liked to hear I’m Not Getting Excited, so I guess I did have a request.  But i was happy to let those with real opinions submit their requests instead.  I assumed it was done online, but instead, The Beths had a really fun series of ways to get to the requests.

As we walked in there was a box and a pile of bottle caps.  We were to vote for the opening song–either Knees Deep or No Joy.  I happen to love No Joy (it’s the song with the flute cannons), but Knees Dee won (it looked like by a landslide).  There was also a pile of papers where people were encouraged to write their requests and either make an airplane or a crumpled up ball.

After that first song they quickly had someone pick the encore–they chose whoever looks the most excited to be here and a guy in the back jumped super high and he was picked.  Guitarist Jonathan Pearce stressed the flow of a show and how carefully curated an encore should be and when the guy shouted out Lying in the Sun, Jonathan had to think about it before saying he could make that work.

Then it was “paper dart” time.  That’s what bassist Benjamin Sinclair called them, which was amazing.  Drummer Tristan Deck called them paper airplanes, so I wonder what the discrepancy is.

Each member of the band picked a missile (after putting on safety goggles).  And when the names were announced, a woman with a rubber pineapple on her head came out and wrote the setlist in a blackboard at the back of the stage.  It was funny and adorable, just like everything The Beths do.

The first request was a deeper cut from Expert in a Dying Field, but the other three were popular songs (two of which I’ve seen at every one of their shows) and I thought that that was awesome.  Because while I love to hear a deep cut, I didn’t want it to be all deep cuts that I didn’t know.  The person who requested Jump Rope Gazers had a missile shaped like a fish and when Benjamin opened it, he read that the person who was requesting the song was having it played at their wedding. (more…)

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Mt. Joy / Snacktime (Freedom Mortgage Pavilion, Camden, NJ, September 25, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Camden, NJ, Freedom Mortgage Pavilion, Mt. Joy, Snacktime on September 25, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 25, 2026] Mt. Joy / Snacktime

Mt. Joy is based in L.A. but they have roots on Philly and therefore Philly loves them.  I’ve enjoyed some songs they’ve put out, but they released my favorite song of last year “Coyote.”  Indeed, it’s their latest album that I like most–although nothing else sounds like Coyote.  So it’s a shame (for me) that this tour is mostly for their debut.

But that’s neither here nor there as I wasn’t going to go to Freedom Mortgage Pavilion to see them (yuck, that venue sucks).  Not to mention, we were going to see The Beths tonight anyhow.

But two days ago I received an email from Live Nation saying

I’m reaching out because we just had some last-minute inventory open up for Mt. Joy this Friday, September 25th at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion, and I wanted to give you the first look.

We are offering individual tickets in our suites for $107. This is a rare opportunity to experience the show from a luxury space without committing to a full buy-out.

Your ticket includes:
• VIP Club Access
• Box Seating
• In-seat wait service

I mean, DAMN, for $107 that’s amazing!  If they had thrown in some kind of easy parking, holy crap.  I would have certainly taken them up on this if we weren’t going to The Beths.  Although it looks like they aren’t playing Coyote and that would have pissed me off.

SNACKTIME is Philadelphia’s seven-piece band blazing a path cut from their soul, funk, punk, jazz, hip-hop, and R&B influences. Created during the height of the pandemic, the group began performing free shows that combined their love of music, food, and togetherness in Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square. They quickly amassed huge crowds and became a symbol of positivity and lockdown release, while showcasing the richness of their city’s musical history and community.

I don’t really like their studio releases, but I saw them open for Portugal.The Man and wow they were a ton of fun live.

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Muna / Hemlocke Springs (Skyline Stage at The Mann Center, Philadelphia, PA, September 25, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Hemlocke Springs, Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Muna, Philadelphia, PA, Skyline Stage at The Mann on September 25, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 25, 2026] Muna / Hemlocke Springs

Muna was the first band signed to Phoebe Bridgers label and they quickly amassed a huge following.  We saw them (on a video screen) at All Things Go.

I knew Silk Chiffon which was a highly touted song.  I kind of liked it.  There was something about it that I didn’t quite like but I couldn’t put my finger on it.  In general, I felt like there was something I wished I liked more about them.  But seeing them “live” was a revelation.  They were so fun and energetic.  I would like to see them live and this would be a fun bill, especially on a warm summer night out (which this was decidedly not–forecast of torrential rain).

But we had tickets to The Beths, so this was a non-starter.

Hemlocke Springs played All Things Go back in 2023, but we missed her.  I wrote then that she is an 80’s inspired alt pop singer who is massively quirky and cool.  I hadn’t heard of her before the show but now wish I’d seen her.

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Darlingside (SOPAC, South Orange, NJ, September 25, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Darlingside, SOPAC, South Orange, NJ on September 25, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 25, 2026] Darlingside / Caitlin Canty

We have seen Darlingside four times and I thought we’d never not see them if they were touring.  Especially if they played SOPAC, which is so close.

We saw them four times in three years and I just realized we haven’t seen them since before COVID.  I’m not sure why we haven’t seen them.

Although tonight we have tickets to see The Beths, so that’s why we’re not going.  But I’m sure they’ll be back and we’ll make an effort.

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