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Black Veil Brides (TD Pavillion @ The Mann Center, Philadelphia, PA, June 28, 2025) [BABYMETAL]

Posted in Babymetal, Black Veil Brides, Bloodywood, Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia, PA on June 29, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: June 28, 2025] Black Veil Brides

I was really bummed that Jinjer was opening half of these shows and that our show was so close to the Jinjer dates.

I had seen Black Veil Brides open for Ice Nine Kills and my first thought when I saw them was:

“these guys have gotta be from L.A.”  Why?  Because the drummer was swinging his head around and spinning and throwing sticks and the guitarists were really flashy, doing solos up front and standing back to back while they soloed together.  None of it was especially crazy, but it just screamed L.A. metal band to me.  And indeed, I found out after that they are from Holly wood.  Turns out the rhythm guitarist is named Jinxx!

I enjoyed their set well enough then and it was fine for this show.  We had moved to the ADA section, which meant comfy chairs, so we sat through their set.  Couldn’t see them all that well, but they didn’t do anything visual, so it was no big deal.  I had mentioned my L.A. comment to my wife and she agreed.

Many people at the show were REALLY into BVB.  The person in front of us in particular was crazy for  them.

Their set was entirely fine.  I was chickling about he lead singer who sounds like a TV presenter when he talks but who started every single song with a guttural scream.  This of course made all of the songs blend together to me.

There was nothing that we didn’t like about their set, but we both agreed afterwards that there was simply nothing memorable about it.  It turned out, though, that we liked the final two songs the most.

Those songs were from 2011 and 2013, so I’m guessing I like their older stuff better.

2025 2022
Toccata and Fugue in D Minor (Johann Sebastian Bach song)
(Intro theme, transitions into “Knives and Pens”)
 The Phantom Tomorrow [tape intro]
Knives and Pens ⊗ Faithless ∇
Bleeders ♦ Coffin ®
Faithless ∇ Crimson Skies ¶
Coffin ® Shadows Die ϖ
Devil ♠ Wake Up √
Perfect Weapon Scarlet Cross ¶
The Legacy § Knives and Pens ⊗
In the End ϖ The Legacy §
Fallen Angels §
In the End ϖ

♦ Bleeders EP (2024)
♠ The Mourning EP (2022)
¶ The Phantom Tomorrow (2021)
√ Vale (2018)
∇ Black Veil Brides (2014)
ϖ Wretched and Divine (2013)
® Rebels EP (2011)
§ Set the World on Fire (2011)
⊗ We Stitch These Wounds (2010)

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Strand of Oaks / Stella Ruze (Concerts Under the Stars series Upper Merion Township Building Park, King of Prussia, PA, June 28, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Concerts Under the Stars series, King of Prussia PA, Philadelphia, PA, Stella Ruze, Strand of Oaks, Upper Merion Township Building Park on June 28, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: June 28, 2025] Strand of Oaks / Stella Ruze

I have seen Strand of Oaks five times.  I always think I’ve seen them more because I had planned to go to all of the Winter Specials that he played in Philly.  But I haven’t gone to that many, although the last one was great.

When he announced this Concert Under the Stars, I immediately penciled it in.  And then about a week later I saw that Babymetal was playing the same night in a venue that would allow us to see them pretty well.  So I grabbed two tickets for Babymetal and knew I’d have to wait to see Strand of Oaks again–maybe this winter?

I assumed that Stella Ruze was a folk singer.  Turns out they are a roots rock band from Philly.  “They blend four-part vocal harmonies and horn arrangements into a new, genre-bending sound.”  I’m not sure how genre-bending their sound actually is.  It’s kind of folky and sounds like it woul dbe great to hear at an open air show.

 

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Bloodywood (TD Pavillion @ The Mann Center, Philadelphia, PA, June 28, 2025) [BABYMETAL]

Posted in Babymetal, Black Veil Brides, Bloodywood, Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia, PA on June 28, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: June 28, 2025] Bloodywood

I hadn’t heard of Bloodywood before this tour, but when I looked them up, I was totally intrigued.

They are a folk metal band from New Delhi, which I found interesting enough.  And their backstory is fascinating.

Prior to forming the band, Karan Katiyar regularly uploaded parody metal covers of popular Bollywood songs on YouTube.  In 2016, Katiyar quit his job as a corporate lawyer and together with Jayant Bhadula formed a two-piece band with the intention of “destroying pop songs”.

Live, the band is a six-piece.  Katiyar plays guitars and flute!  Bhadula sings and growls.  Raoul Kerr officially joined in 2019 and does rap vocals.  The touring band since 2019 includes Vishesh Singh on drums, Roshan Roy on bass and Sarthak Pahwa plays the dhol (an Indian drum that sounds amazing).

The band was loud as anything and they got the crowd going in a second.  They even had the crowd form a circle pit which is very impressive as an opening act and in such a small pit area. (more…)

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Demetri Martin: The Quick Draw Tour (Wellmont Theater, Montclair, NJ, June 20, 2025)

Posted in Demetri Martin, Montclair, NJ, Wellmont Theater on June 20, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: June 20, 2025] Demetri Martin

I realized recently that when I think of comedians that I want to see, nearly all of them are British (or from Australia or New Zealand).  This is the Taskmaster effect.  In fact w saw English comedian Sarah Millican just two days before this.

There really aren’t that many American comedians who I want to see.  But Demetri Martin is one of them.

I love his deadpan style and the fact that he includes drawings (and songs) in his act.

He has played the Wellmont before (we couldn’t go in 2022) so I was happy he came back.

The premise of this show was that he wouldn’t have the drawings prepared ahead of time as he usually does.  Rather, he would draw them and talk about them while he drew (and drew quickly, you see).

There were so many drawings and jokes, it’s impossible to remember most of them because we were laughing so hard.  It’s also foolish to try to describe the drawings because they are quick, funny sketches.

There was one bit of improv that we enjoyed quite a lot.  He made a joke about Taylor Ham and it turned into a Taylor Ham vs Pork Roll argument that he wasn’t prepared for (If you’re going to bring up pork roll, be sure you have material about it!). (more…)

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Sarah Millican: Late Bloomer (The Met Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, June 18, 2025)

Posted in Matt Kirshen, Philadelphia, PA, Sarah Millican, Taskmaster, The Met Philadelphia on June 19, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: June 18, 2025] Sarah Millican

I knew (and loved) Sarah Millican from Taskmaster.  I was so excited when she announced her tour and I was excited for her that it sold out and she had to add a second date!

When show time arrived, she came out on stage and gave us a little warm up.  And then she introduced her opening comedian!   I’ve never seen the headliner come out before the support act, but it was fun and classy.

After Matt Kirshen finished his set, Sarah came out and began her own.  I knew that Sarah Millican told adult jokes, and boy does she ever.  I love how demure she looks and yet how unafraid she is to talk about everything.

She had a whole book cataloging what a Late Bloomer is compared to an Eager Beaver.  Each one funnier than the next.  And on the way out she had free buttons an Eager Beaver and a Late Bloomer one.  (more…)

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Matt Kirshen (The Met Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, June 18, 2025) [SARAH MILLICAN]

Posted in Matt Kirshen, Philadelphia, PA, Sarah Millican, The Met Philadelphia on June 18, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: June 18, 2025] Matt Kirshen

I knew (and loved) Sarah Millican from Taskmaster.  I was so excited when she announced her tour and I was excited for her that it sold out and she had to add a second date!

When show time arrived, she came out on stage and gave us a little warm up.  And then she introduced her opening comedian!   I’ve never seen the headliner come out before the support act, but it was fun and classy.

Her opening act was Matt Kirshen.  Kirshen is a British comedian who has recently become an American citizen.  We all had a good laugh at his terrible timing of becoming an citizen.  He said that he liked being part of something in its final act.

His routine was really funny–it must be quite challenging to be a less well-known comedian.  But he was great and had us laughing quite hard.

He had his own show at Helium the following month and I’m sure it was really good.

I’m writing this three months after the show and can’t remember his jokes, but I know he had us laughing quite a bit.

If I think of any jokes or see any videos, I’ll add them here.  But I would 100% see him again.  He was great.

 

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Lip Critic (Warehouse on Watts, Philadelphia, PA, June 16, 2025)

Posted in Halloween, Hello Mary, Lip Critic, Philadelphia, PA, Warehouse on Watts on June 18, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: June 16, 2025] Lip Critic

I had not heard of Lip Critic and never imagined that they would be headlining this show.  But when they started I realized why they were better suited as the headliners–because they are crazy and would be very hard to follow.

I actually wondered if they were even playing songs or just improvising loudly on stage (they are playing songs and do have records out, so settle down).  It’s not just that it was loud (it was), it’s that it was chaotic in the extreme.

There were two drummers (yay), a guy who made all the sounds but who faced away from the audience the whole time (but did a lot of dancing)  and then the singer/screamer, who was fun and funny and brought a good time to all the chaos. (more…)

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Hello Mary (Warehouse on Watts, Philadelphia, PA, June 16, 2025) [LIP CRITIC]

Posted in Halloween, Hello Mary, Lip Critic, Philadelphia, PA, Warehouse on Watts on June 17, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: June 16, 2025] Hello Mary

Iwas supposed to see Hello Mary about a half dozen times and it kept falling through for one reason or another.

So when they announced this show at Warehouse on Watts, where I had never been before, I grabbed a ticket quickly, having no idea how quickly it would sell out.  I loved that the venue was so small, and I had great access for seeing them for the first time.

They had a newish album out for this tour and I was ready for it.  I was closest to bassist Mikaela Oppenheimer who plays some awesome basslines.  On the far side was singer guitarist Helena Straight (who makes some gorgeous noise/feedback while not playing cool melodies), and and then at the kit was drummer Stella Wave.   Float started with washes of keys (from Mikaela) and guitar while Stella and Helena ooh’d the intro.  By the end, the song was a wall of noise and screamed vocals.  It was a great opening.

They followed it with a classic 90s-sounding rocker Stinge from their debut album–a great guitar riff and intermittent quiet parts.  Even their quieter songs like Courtesy have a good grunge tone. (more…)

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Halloween (Warehouse on Watts, Philadelphia, PA, June 16, 2025) [LIP CRITIC]

Posted in Halloween, Hello Mary, Lip Critic, Philadelphia, PA, Warehouse on Watts on June 16, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: June 16, 2025] Halloween

I first heard about Warehouse on Watts back in 2021, when some kind of Yves Tumor Halloween show was being presented there.  I didn’t understand what was happening that night and really had no idea what to think of this venue.  I’ve only been interested in the venue one other time since then, but I didn’t go to it.  But here at last was someone (Hello Mary) that I really wanted to see and they were playing there.

Imagine my surprise to find out it’s a block away from The Met Philly.  It’s a cool, small club with a short stage and walls that you can lean against if need be.  I really liked it and would happily go back.

So I arrived really early and was able to check out the place a but before Halloween started.  I can’t believe that in 2025 a band can call themselves Halloween and there’s no real conflict.  Has no one ever called their band Halloween before?

Halloween is a Philly based band and they play an interesting mix of sounds.  They are probably based around shoegaze, with fuzzy swirling guitars.  The vocals are quiet ( I often couldn’t hear them, but I could tell there was singing).  Guitarist Sia Dokos (who also sang lead sometimes) played really cool interesting chords and noises and I wished that I was on their side of the stage to really see what was going on). (more…)

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Vampire Weekend (The Met Philadelpia, Philadelphia, PA, May 31, 2025)

Posted in Geese, Philadelphia, PA, The Met Philadelphia, Vampire Weekend on June 1, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: May 31, 2025] Vampire Weekend

Vampire Weekend’s first two albums are perfect.  They are two of my favorite albums and any time I listen to them, it makes me smile.  I had wanted to see them for a while, but I wasn’t sure if they would be as good as the records live.  And then suddenly they were selling out bigger venues than I wanted go.  I had tickets to see them in 2019 but couldn’t make it.  Somehow I missed when they played The Mann in 2024 (I was too buys that weekend anyhow) and finally I was able to snag tickets for one of the two nights at The Met.

I saw after that they played a different set for each night, so it’s a bummer I couldn’t go to both.  But having finally gotten so see them I can yell at my younger self because they were fantastic live.

After Geese left the stage, a giant Vampire Weekend banner dropped in front of the dark curtain.  A whole bunch of folks in dayglo yellow set up the stage area–bringing out a piano and drums as well as a mic stand.

Having never seen them I honestly wasn’t sure if this was the show–just a trio in front of the band’s name.  And I was fine with it because they sounded great.

It was just the original trio singer/guitarist Ezra Koenig, drummer Chris Tomson, and bassist Chris Baio.  They opened with  the quiet Hold Me Now and then segued into a far more rollicking Oxford Comma (And I was in heaven because they’d already played on of my favorites songs).  And then they played Blake’s Got a New Face, which my wife and I had just been singing.  It was great.

It was sometime during the next song Ice Cream Piano that I realized that there were more sounds coming from the stage than these three guys could possible make.  And soon after, the pulled back the VW curtain to reveal a huge band behind them.  The revelation was quite a delightful surprise and it wasn’t until they started the next song, Classical (which I never no the name of) that I realized how great the whole huge band sounded.  There were two drummers, keys, several guitars and lots of backing singers.  During the instrumental section of the song, one of the guys in the dayglo shirt did a very sexy dance in the spotlight.  It was pretty fun.

And how to describe the backdrop?  It looked like they were in an underground tunnel, like a concrete bunker with multiple ins and outs.  It looked really convincing.

Ezra typically played guitar but for a few songs, like Connect, he put down the guitar and walked the stage while singing. (more…)

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