Posted in Allentown PA, Archer Music Hall, Guster, The Mountain Goats on July 29, 2025| Leave a Comment »
[DID NOT ATTEND: July 29, 2025] Guster / The Mountain Goats
When this Guster/The Mountain Goats tour was announced, I definitely wanted to see them in Allentown–a smallish venue that’s easy to get to. But we had tickets to The Swell Season that evening and we didn’t want to give those up.
So we went to the Stone Pony Summer Stage instead (and that was awesome).
I have yet to go to Archer Music Hall, and I hope to before the end of the year.
Posted in Allentown PA, Archer Music Hall, Kishi Bashi, Oshima Brothers, Tall Tall Trees on May 7, 2025| Leave a Comment »
[ATTENDED: May 6, 2025] Oshima Brothers
This was our first time going to Archer Music Hall or it’s smaller companion The Arrow. It’s a great set up with the two venue attached and yet somehow totally independent. Our show was a quiet folkie show and downstairs were The Melvins and Napalm Death and we couldn’t hear any of it.
I had never heard of the Oshima Brothers. Actually, that’s not true, they played Guster’s On the Ocean Festival (which we didn’t go to), but I hadn’t head them at all.
The brothers came out and there was a joke about one of them (Sean) looking like Nick Jonas (he does). So they are Japanese-Italian folk-pop siblings from the coast of Maine. Sean and Jamie play keys, bass, drums, looping, dance moves, and magic.
They had a great stage presence–lots of smiling and crowd interactions. And their musical prowess was impressive–the amount of things they could play with looping.
Their songs were gentle and sweet but kind of forgettable. The kind of songs that work well and are enjoyable live, but when you listen to them later, they’re just sort of okay. (more…)
Posted in Allentown PA, Egner Chapel, Muhlenberg College, Pat Mastelotto, Stick Men, Tim Motzer, Tony Levin on February 24, 2024| Leave a Comment »
[DID NOT ATTEND: February 24, 2024] Stick Men / Tim Motzer
I have been trying to see Stick Men since the pandemic. I wasn’t really aware of them before hand. They played a show in Sellersville a few years ago and I was busy. They play a lot around New York, but don’t seem to venture off the island all that often.
A show in Allentown seemed like an interesting opportunity to check them out. But it coincided with a day that we had already set aside for another event. So, there would be no Stick Men any time soon.
Stick Men is the trio comprised of Tony Levin and Pat Mastellotto from King Crimson and Markus Reuter, one of the foremost players of the Chapman Stick guitar thing. Bernier and Levin both play them during the set (hence the name). I’ve wanted to see them every since I heard about them (A chance to se Tony Levin right up close!). But Stick Men seems to tour quite a lot, and now that King Crimson is more or less dissolved for good, I assume they’ll be touring a bit more. So when Son Lux, a band I’ve tried and failed to see twice before) was scheduled for the same night, I had to see them while I had the chance.
Tim Motzer is an experimental guitarist. Apparently you never know what you’re going to get with him.
This was the same line up as in Sellersville, so I guess they tend to tour together.
An excerpt from Motzer in Sellersville is here. I don’t see Stick Men available anymore.
I Just Read About That... 