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Archive for the ‘Wesley Stace’ Category

Wesley Stace [FREE AT NOON] (World Stage, Philadelphia PA, October 9, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Free at Noon, Philadelphia, PA, Wesley Stace, World Cafe Live on October 9, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 9, 2026] Wesley Stace

Add this to the number of Free at Noon shows I haven’t gone to but grabbed a ticket for.  (I don’t feel bad since it didn’t sell out).  Wesley Stace was supposed to open for Loudon Wainwright last week but Loudon cancelled the show for some reason so Wesley did an entire show himself.

Who is he?  Wesley Stace once recorded under the pseudonym John Wesley Harding and released some 20 albums.  These albums bear a resemblance to Elvis Costello because he shared some of the members of The Attractions and also because his singing voice has the same arch tone and timbre as Costello’s.  I saw him open for Steven Page back in 2018 and loved his set so much I bought a novel of his as well.

But today I just wasn’t feeling the effort of driving into Philly.  And, to be honest I listened to some of his new album and found it a lot more adult contemporary than his older stuff.  It didn’t seem worth it.  I’ll listen online when it gets posted though and see if I made a mistake.

 

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Loudon Wainwright III / Wesley Stace (Sellersville Theatre, Sellersville, PA, October 1, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Loudon Wainwright III, Sellersville Theater, Sellersville, PA, Wesley Stace on October 1, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 1, 2026] Loudon Wainwright III / Wesley Stace

Loudon Wainwright III has been playing pretty and also pretty funny music for decades.  I discovered him about twenty years ago and quickly became a fan of his work.

His newer material deals more with old age than his earlier stuff but it’s still enjoyable.  I’m sure he would play songs from throughout his career.  Recent setlists show he plays stuff from all over his catalog.

He plays Sellersville every year or so and I never seem to be able to catch him.  This poster on the right is for a different show, but it’s the same billing with Wesley Stace.

Tonight’s show was up against Ted Leo who I really wanted to see with my wife.

Wesley Stace once recorded under the pseudonym John Wesley Harding and released some 20 albums.  These albums bear a resemblance to Elvis Costello because he shared some of the members of The Attractions and also because his singing voice has the same arch tone and timbre as Costello’s.  I saw him open for Steven Page back in 2018 and loved his set so much I bought a novel of his as well.

This is a great double bill and I’m bummed I couldn’t make it.

UPDATE: I received an email today that Loudon Wainwright had to reschedule this show.  But Wesley Stace was still performing.

$15 POP UP SHOW TONIGHT WITH WESLEY STACE!

What else do you have going on? Come on out!

There is a great new show this evening! Singer songwriter Wesley Stace (aka famously as John Wesley Harding) will perform a full concert. Wesley Stace has performed at Sellersville Theater before and is loved by the staff. Tickets are available now for $15 and the show is general admission. Come by, bring friends, and enjoy a night out!

I would have loved to support him.  But, hey, he announced a free at noon for next week so…

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Loudon Wainwright III / Wesley Stace (Bryn Mawr Twilight Series, Bryn Mawr, PA, June 6, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Bryn Mawr PA, Bryn Mawr Twilight Series, Loudon Wainwright III, Wesley Stace on June 6, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: June 6, 2026] Loudon Wainwright III / Wesley Stace

I only found out about this show when looking up information about his October show.  In fact, I guess I’ve never heard anything about the Bryn Mawr Twilight Series.  It might be too far to go to (although it’s not much further way than Ardmore).  I wonder who else has played it over the years?

So, Loudon Wainwright III has been playing pretty and also pretty funny music for decades.  I discovered him about twenty years ago and quickly became a fan of his work.  But I’ve never seen him live.  Here’s another show I missed.

Wesley Stace once recorded under the pseudonym John Wesley Harding and released some 20 albums.  These albums bear a resemblance to Elvis Costello because he shared some of the members of The Attractions and also because his singing voice has the same arch tone and timbre as Costello’s.  I saw him open for Steven Page back in 2018 and loved his set so much I bought a novel of his as well.

And here’s a short review of the show, which makes me especially glad I didn’t go.

The show was outdoors and there was a thunderstorm during the second song by Wesley Stace (the opening act).  After a 90 minute rain delay Loudon started his set and performed some songs with Wesley.  It was a wonderful show. Loudon enjoyed his interactions with the audience.

 

 

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Yes is the Answer and Other Prog Rock Tales–edited by Marc Weingarten & Tyson Cornell (2013)

Posted in A Clockwork Orange, Anachronisms, Andrew Mellen, Asia, Be-Bop Deluxe, Beth Lisick, Caravan, Charles Bock, Death, Drinking, Drugs, Esquire, Essays, Fantasy, Funny (ha ha), Genesis, Guided By Voices, H.R. Giger, History, James Greer, Jeff Gardiner, Jim DeRogatis, Joe Meno, John Albert, King Crimson, Larry Karaszewski, Mara Lethem, Marc Weingarten, Margaret Wappler, Marriage (Happy), Matching Mole, Matthew Specktor, Nathan Larson, Nick Coleman, Paul Myers, Peter Case, Peter Gabriel, Pink Floyd, Rick Moody, Robert Pollard, Rodrigo Fresán, Rush, Seth Greenland, Shudder to Think, Soft Machine, Sonic Youth, Styx, Surreal, Technology, The Incredible String Band, The Nice, Todd Rundgren, Tom Junod, Wesley Stace, William T. Vollmann, Yes on July 12, 2013| Leave a Comment »

yitaSOUNDTRACK: WXPN (88.5 Philadelphia) xpnand wxpn.org online-Prog rock Marathon (2012-??).

Every January, Dan Reed plays a prog rock marathon on WXPN.  This year I was able to enjoy portions of it.  I rather wish the playlist was still available (you can search, but only by artist), because I’d love to rave about the tracks they played (like the live “Supper’s Ready.”)

I was delighted by the great mix of songs they played and (as I learned from reading this book) I was surprised by how many prog artists I didn’t even know.

In 2014 I’ll be listening again and maybe this time I’ll copy the playlist to document what I’ve missed.

[READ: July 7, 2013] Yes is the Answer

This book was sitting on a cart outside of my cube.  I was intrigued by the title (it didn’t have that trippy cover, so I didn’t know what it was).  But “Yes is the Answer” was calling me.  Especially when I looked at the cover and saw that the cover had an excerpt from a William Vollmann story in which the protagonist plays In the Court of the Crimson King (track 5) for Reepah and watches her face as they band went Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!.

Quoting Vollmann (from The Rifles), playing King Crimson?  What could this book be?   Then I saw the subtitle and I knew I had to read it all.

I’m not going to review these essays because that would be like making a radio edit of a side long track, but I’ll mention the band the author focuses on and any other relevant details. (more…)

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