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Archive for the ‘Jersey City, NJ’ Category

Karina Rykman (White Eagle Hall, Jersey City, NJ, April 6, 2023) [GUSTER]

Posted in Guster, Jersey City, NJ, Karina Rykman, White Eagle Hall on April 6, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: April 6, 2023] Guster

I’ve seen Karina Rykman play with Marco Benevento three times.  She is an amazing bass player with a great sound, great instincts and great jamming skills.

I was supposed to see her a few times, but the shows were cancelled for one reason or another.

So how awesome was it that she was going to open for Guster?

I didn’t really have a good sense of what her live show would be like.  Her recorded solo stuff is rather synthy and kind of discoey, which I really didn’t expect.  So who knew what we were going to get.

Well, her band, Chris Corsica on drums and Adam November on guitar were outstanding.  The songs had a kind of disco feel (especially from the guitar playing from November) and the occasional very disco bass line that Karina threw in.  But they felt modern as well.

The songs grooved and were groovy, taking the most fun aspects of disco and marrying them to a heaviness and thumping sound that worked really well.

I hadn’t really heard Rykman sing before and her voice is quiet and somewhat angelic.  She must have some kind of processors on her mic because it sounded like there were harmonies a lot of the time. (more…)

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Marco Benevento / Mike Dillon’s Punkadelic ft Nikki Glaspie & Brian Haas (White Eagle Hall, Jersey City, NJ, March 10 & Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, 11, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Jersey City, NJ, Karina Rykman, Marco Benevento, Mike Dillon's Punkadelic, Philadelphia, PA, Underground Arts, White Eagle Hall on March 10, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: March 10 & March 11, 2023] Marco Benevento / Mike Dillon’s Punkadelic ft Nikki Glaspie & Brian Haas

I saw Marco Benevento at Ardmore Music Hall about a year ago.

His shows are so much fun.  He’s a fantastic performer and his band is terrific.

The fact that he was playing two venues within easy driving distance of me seems like a no-brainer in terms of me going to see him.  And yet, I felt that I needed a week without shows since I have a bunch coming up.

Sorry Marco.  I still love you. (more…)

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Lemonheads / Juliana Hatfield / On Being an Angel (White Eagle Hall, Jersey City, NJ, December 16, 2022) (White Eagle Hall, Jersey City, NJ, April 21, 2022) [RESCHEDULED DATE] [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Hennessey, Jersey City, NJ, Juliana Hatfield, Leah Hennessey, Lemonheads, On Being an Angel, White Eagle Hall on December 16, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: December 16, 2022] The Lemonheads / Juliana Hatfield / On Being an Angel [moved from April 21, 2022]

Back in 2018, I saw Evan Dando play a solo set in Jersey City.  It was him with an acoustic guitar and he played over forty songs.

It was a shambolic affair, but fun.  I didn’t really feel compelled to see him again, but I thought it would be fun to see him with a band.  And when he announced this 30th Anniversary of It’s a Shame About Ray, my favorite album of theirs, I grabbed a ticket.

This show had been announced for a pretty long time before any other American dates were added.  I never bothered to get a ticket for it and eventually it sold out.  I’d much rather go to Union Transfer than a sold out White Eagle Hall show.  So, it was an easy decision.

It sounds like he played some extra or different songs at WEH (we didn’t get Mrs. Robinson).   But that’s okay.

Leah Hennessey was supposed to open but she was replaced by Juliana Hatfield and On Being an Angel.

I was a big fan of Juliana Hatfield back in the 90s.  I thought she was the bomb.  She had toured Philly back in 2015 and I considered going because it was the Juliana Hatfield Three playing again (I should have gone!).  She also played in 2019, but I wasn’t quite as sure about that one for some reason.  But here she was opening for The Lemonheads!

A few minutes after On Being an Angel cleared their stuff, Juliana came out.  It was just her and her guitar plugged into a tiny amp.  The volume was perfect  She sounded great.

On Being an Angel are a four-piece from Austin.  Given that they were opening for Lemonheads and Juliana Hatfield, I was expecting a sound that fit in with them.

They were actually a bit heavier and a bit more fuzzy than I would have expected.  And I loved their sound instantly.

And then singer Paige stepped up to the mic and…we couldn’t hear her at all.  Was it Union Transfer’s fault?  That seemed unlikely.  We were very close to the stage and that can certainly impact how you hear a band, but it seemed like the lead guitar (from Nick) was just cranked up super loud and drowned out everything else.

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We Were Promised Jetpacks / Breakup Shoes (White Eagle Hall, Jersey City, NJ, October 30, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Barenaked Ladies, Breakup Shoes, Housemartins, Jersey City, NJ, We Were Promised Jetpacks, White Eagle Hall on October 30, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 30, 2022] We Were Promised Jetpacks / Breakup Shoes

I’ve seen We Were Promised Jetpacks a couple of times and they put on a ripping show.  I had seen them play White Eagle Hall back in 2020 and it was fantastic–the crowd was really responsive.

But recently one of their original members left and they seem to have changed their sound a bit.  I didn’t enjoy it quite as much.  But they tour around here all the time, it seems (especially for a band from Scotland).  I’m curious if their shows will be as intense.  However, this show was right in the middle of a bunch of shows–I had been to shows the four nights previous.  So I had to give up something and this was it.

So, I’m sure WWPJ will be back again.

Breakup Shoes reminds me of The Housemartins/non-funny Barenaked Ladies–soda pop sweet, surf-flavored indie rock but with dark lyrics that you might not pick out.  All of this wrapped in a more 90s sound–buzzy guitars and fuzzy production with guitar solos.

I rather enjoyed the few songs I heard.

 

 

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Spiritualized (White Eagle Hall, Jersey City, NJ, September 23, 2022) [CANCELLED]

Posted in Cancelled, Jersey City, NJ, Spiritualized, White Eagle Hall on September 23, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[CANCELLED: September 23, 2022] Spiritualized (moved to November 6, 2023)

I wasn’t planning on going to this show in Jersey City (I was going to Union Transfer) because this show was on the same night at the Saucerful of Secrets show.

However, it was worth noting that this show was cancelled too

Spiritualized have canceled tonight’s show at Jersey City’s White Eagle Hall. No explanation has been given, but Thursday night’s show at Philadelphia’s Union Transfer was also canceled — less than an hour before it was supposed to start — and the venue sent messages to ticket holders, writing, “We are incredibly sorry but tonight’s Spiritualized show will NOT take place tonight. There is an medical emergency w/ a member of the touring party. We’ll send out more details asap but tonight’s show is 100% not happening. – UT”

We don’t know who that member of the touring party is but we’re hoping everyone is ok.

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Neko Case / Sean Rowe (White Eagle Hall, Jersey City, NJ, September 10, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Jersey City, NJ, Neko Case, The New Pornographers, White Eagle Hall on September 10, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 10, 2022] Neko Case / Sean Rowe

Two opportunities to see Neko Case, and I missed them both.

I had wanted to see Neko Case for a while.  But then a few years ago I got to see her with The New Pornographers, which was like double the fun.

When she announced this new solo tour, I thought it would be cool to see her again (even though she posted a kind of nasty message about people taking pictures at her shows).  I actually blew off a much more interesting show this night: Destroy Boys, Jigsaw Youth, Pinkshift and Softcult assuming I would go to see Neko.

But then there was a Lunar Faire and my daughter asked if I could take her and her friend.  So I went to the Faire instead (it was super fun).

Sean Rowe is an alternative folk singer-songwriter and musician.  An avid naturalist, Rowe often speaks of his fascination with the woods and his connection to the land.

I hadn’t heard of him but he sound like a good fit with Neko.  However, when I listened to his song online, I hated his deep, slow vocal style.

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Vagabon / Maneka (White Eagle Hall, Jersey City, NJ, May 21, 2022) [CANCELLED]

Posted in Cancelled, Jersey City, NJ, Maneka, Speedy Ortiz, Vagabon, White Eagle Hall on May 21, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[CANCELLED: May 21, 2022] Vagabon / Maneka

There is evidence that Vagabon was supposed to play White Eagle Hall on May 21, 2022.  But there is very little of it. There’s no announcements of the show/tour.  There’s np posters or fliers.  And if you look at the website for White Eagle Hall, there a post announcing the show, but not one cancelling it.

I have wanted to see her for a few years now.   I loved her debut album, but i believe her follow up records sound quite different, so maybe I missed my chance back in 2019 when I didn’t see her with Angel Olsen.

Maneka used to be in Speedy Ortiz.

I listened to a track off his new album and it was mellow and almost a little boring.  But then I read that his previous album was wild and crazy and it is.

Turns out Maneka is really hard to pin down and would probably be amazing to see live.

Here’s a little blurb from Pitchfork.

After parting ways with Speedy Ortiz in 2017, Brooklyn-based musician Devin McKnight adopted the moniker Maneka to experiment with genres beyond his indie-rock roots.   …  McKnight came into his own on Devin in 2019, and he cranked his energy up to 11 by blending heavy metal and noise-punk with hip hop and jazz. On Dark Matter, McKnight continues to ask what it means to be Black in the indie scene while expanding his musical range in surprising ways.

McKnight likens America’s racist history to dark matter—an invisible force that binds the country together. “America has this really dark energy. How has it been this fucked up for so long and no one’s done anything about it?” he has said. On Dark Matters, he confronts that energy directly, writing lyrics that attack racism at its roots. On “Winners Circle,” an unusual fusion of trap drums, shoegaze guitars, and a double-time hardcore outro, he plays on the theory that Beethoven might have been a person of color who lightened his skin to pass in his own scene, singing, “Don’t paint a smile in the place where that shame hid/Play that brand new shit/That No. 9 shit.” On “The Glow Up,” he grapples with generations of racism—“And how do you explain this?/The seat in the back is meant for me?/And how do you explain this?/The ones we lost hanging from the trees”—over syrupy electric bass and guitar. And on the psychedelic “Runaway,” over dueling electric and acoustic guitars, he comes brutally to the point: “Stored in the bones/Is the feeling/You don’t belong here.”

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The Front Bottoms / Long Neck / Jordan Jensen (White Eagle Hall, Jersey City, NJ, May 19, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Jersey City, NJ, Jordan Jensen, Jordan Jensen 2, Long Neck, The Front Bottoms, White Eagle Hall on May 19, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 19, 2022] The Front Bottoms / Long Neck / Jordan Jensen

I heard my son listening to The Front Bottoms.  I didn’t realize he liked them when I saw them last year, but when the band announced this series of shows at White Eagle Hall, I knew the shows would be great and I knew he’d like to go.

Especially with this announcement

The Front Bottoms are playing a few intimate shows in their home state of NJ this spring. They’ve announced three nights at Jersey City’s White Eagle Hall on May 18, 19 and 20. “To say that we’re very excited to play Jersey City is an understatement,” drummer Mathew Uychich says. “These shows are going to be very special.” Guitarist / vocalist Brian Sella adds, “I spent the best years of my life in Jersey City! I should’ve never left. It’s an honor to return home once again!”

But it turned out that the night before was my rescheduled Deftones show which he went to.  And he was pretty wiped out from it and didn’t feel like going to another long show.  So we missed out on this one.  Which seems a real shame.

Long Neck is Lily Mastrodimos.

A review of her 2018 album says that she now brings along a full-fledged rock band for the ride. Powerhouse guitar backings compliment her soulful voice in this album where easy listening meets folk-punk.

She sounds great solo, but if she played with a full band it would have been great.

Jordan Jensen is a comedian.  A random review from Spokane says

Jordan Jensen is an old-school comic who lets it all hang out. The emerging New York entertainer doesn’t care who she offends. The amusing humorist is reminiscent of the late Sam Kinison and the late Mitch Hedberg since Jensen delivers the hottest of takes on relationships and pop culture.

I think a comedian is not a bad opening act.  Ideally, have the comedian do stand up while the bands are breaking down and setting up.

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The Lemon Twigs / Tchotchke (White Eagle Hall, Jersey City, NJ, May 15, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Jersey City, NJ, Tchotchke, The Lemon Twigs, White Eagle Hall on May 15, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 15, 2022] The Lemon Twigs / Tchotchke 

I discovered The Lemon Twigs a few years ago and really enjoyed their glam rock sound and I imagined that they would be a ton of fun live.  The band is technically a duo, although I don’t know if they have more people on stage with them.

I really liked The Lemon Twigs’ Do Hollywood album and their follow up EPs showed even more development.  Since then they have put out a few albums, and I have enjoyed them.

I have rather wanted to see them–this new tour, which was playing at TWO locations really close to me seemed to be an easy way to catch them.

This show wound up being scheduled on the same day as a concert I had a ticket for with my wife.  We were going to see Crash Test Dummies, so this show was never really going to come together.  The fact that we blew of the Crash Test Dummies show anyhow, was a smart choice as we didn’t feel like going, but it was a shame to miss so much in one night.

Tchotchke is a band from New York comprised of Anastasia Sanchez, Eva Chambers and Emily Tooraen.  They used to be called Pinky Pinky which I think is a much more apt name for the style of music they play–it’s a kind of an updated doo-wop, pop sheen aesthetic.

Really not my thing, although I heard that if you went to their merch booth after the show they handed out a tchotchke to each person.

 

 

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The Dead Milkmen / MC Lars / Gibbous Moon (White Eagle Hall, Jersey City, NJ, May 14, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Gibbous Moon, Jersey City, NJ, MC Lars, The Dead Milkmen, White Eagle Hall on May 14, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 14, 2022] The Dead Milkmen / MC Lars / Gibbous Moon

I’ve been a fan of The Dead Milkmen’s bratty brand of punk for years–probably since 1988.  I’ve never seen them live.

They sort of, but not really, broke up and then reunited and so on.  I didn’t really think I’ve ever get to see them, but they announced this short run of local shows and I thought, YES!  I will finally get to see them.

Well, my plans changed and it turned out I had other things to do that night (and sure, they were fun, but still, bummer).

I think the Dead Milkmen are playing around from time to time, so I met get to see them yet.

MC Lars is a nerd rapper who I would love to see live.  I’ve had a few opportunities and they all seem to fail.  I especially wanted to see the The Four-Eyed Horsemen tour but i couldn’t make it.

MC Lars plays with a laptop and occasionally a punk rock band to back him up, which he refers to as “post-punk laptop rap”. Samples from bands such as Supergrass, Piebald, Brand New, Fugazi, and Iggy Pop play a key role in MC Lars’s music. Hearts That Hate, whose song “Cry Tonight” is sampled in Lars’ “Signing Emo”, is a fictional group created by the rapper.  MC Lars has also shown an interest in using lyrics and song titles based on English and American literature. “Rapbeth” references William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, while “Mr. Raven” is inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven”. “Ahab” is about the novel Moby Dick and “Hey There Ophelia” on This Gigantic Robot Kills retells the story of Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

Gibbous Moon is a Philly trio that plays heavy psychedelic rock.  (more…)

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