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.
Juliana Hatfield finished and didn’t really need to clear her gear (as we’ll see). And yet for some reason, it took Evan and the other two guys almost 45 minutes to come out on stage.
This wasn’t an auspicious sign. I was actually 40% surprised the show hadn’t been cancelled outright. But it sounds like Evan Dando has gotten his shit (somewhat) together, so maybe this is a new lease on life for him.
Eventually the band came out on stage. Bassist Farley Glavin and drummer Lee Falco came out first. Then Evan came out on stage, grabbed an acoustic guitar and they launched right into “Into Your Arms.” This is one of my favorite songs of the 90s–so sweet and delightful. I had literally no idea that it was a cover until I was reading someone else’s review of this tour (it was written by Australian duo Love Positions (Robyn St. Clare (who wrote the song) and Nic Dalton). It sounded like he hadn’t really warmed up yet and this was his way of easing into the show. He didn’t hit any of the higher notes. But he still wounded quite good. (more…)
I was a big fan of Juliana Hatfield back in the 90s. I thought she was the bomb. And I was really excited to see her play live when she opened for the B-52s at Boston College back in 1993. I actually hated the B-52s (they were so overplayed at my college in 1991 that I never wanted to hear “Love Shack” again in my life) so I left before they came on.
And then, some time around 2000 I lost track of her. I was always happy to hear she was putting out new music, but I didn’t give it much of a listen. However, her 2018 album that is all covers of Olivia Newton John songs is pretty sweet.
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 as she started singing a song I knew immediately.. (more…)
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.
The guy next to me even typed out on his phone (fix the vocal levels) but no one reacted to that.
Then I saw this comment in a 2019 review of them in Austin: “[On Being an Angel] tore apart the crowd’s broken chatter with a roaring wall of sound. Rumbling electric fuzz nearly drowned out Paige Applin’s faint vocals as the slowcore quartet played.” The rest of the band sounded great–a big grungy sound that I was really excited to hear on record, too.
But when I listened to the (first) record, the sound was really different–far more mellow, far less noise. The opener, “Eyes Shut” has a fantastic 90s alt rock sound with a catchy lead guitar riff. But on record, it’s a quiet folk song with no riff at all.
The newer record (on being a tape vol. 2) has a much heavier sound.–much more satisfying. Paige’s vocals are also forward in the mix. (more…)
[DID NOT ATTEND: December 14, 2022] Foals / Inner Wave / Glove
Back in 2008, Foals were a weird indie rock band. Cryptic, with odd instrumental passages. By their third album, Holy Fire, they had ditched all of that for huge bombast. But it was still great, “Inhaler” was my favorite song of the year, getting bigger and bigger until it somehow exploded.
I kind of forgot about them, and then heard that they were releasing a two part epic: Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost.
In 2022, they released their most recent album, Life is Yours, recording now as a trio. I actually hadn’t heard anything from the album.
I had tickets to see the Lemonheads that night. And I really wanted to see them, so Foals would have to wait until next time.
Although now that I check the setlist, I think that Foals show might have been the better bet. Maybe.
Inner Wave was going to open for Chicano Batman when I saw them in 2020, but when the show was rescheduled, there was a new opening band.
Inner Wave is a five-piece ensemble, and three of the bandmates – lead vocalist and guitarist Pablo Sotelo, bassist and vocalist Jean Pierre Narvaez, and guitarist and keyboard player Elijah Trujillo – go all the way back to middle school. Some back-in-the-day homies left the band in 2016, and keyboardist Chris Runners and drummer Luis Portillo joined the group. [They are] an indie rock quintet who seamlessly float between psychedelic and synthwave sounds.
I can see them opening for Chicano Batman with their retro sounds and soft vocals. I don’t exactly see it working with Foals.
Glove opened for A Place to Bury Strangers, a show I did not go to. Glove is a retro synth band, in the vein of Depeche Mode or New Order. They’re from Tampa but look like they are straight out of the 80’s UK music scene.
I don’t quite see them opening for Foals either, unless the new Foals music is a lot more synthy.
[DID NOT ATTEND: December 9 & 10, 2022] Strand of Oaks / Pat Finnerty
Somehow I missed that this show happened and only found out about it tonight in 2023.
It was the same dates, Dec 9 and 10, although on Fri and Sat. Pat Finnerty opened both nights.
I have no idea how I missed it so completely.
There’s some clips on you tube from these shows. Here’s one
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In 2015, Timothy Showalter played his first Strand of Oaks Winter Classic at Boot and Saddle.
Every year since then he has played two to four shows around Christmas time to a small but rabid fan base. Obviously he didn’t pay one in 2020. And now Boot & Saddle is closed
I have been to three of these fun winter events.
When he announced December shows at Johnny Brenda’s, it just didn’t occur to me that these would be Winter Classic shows. I’m not sure why it would have made a difference, but had I realized, I would have gotten a ticket before they sold out. Even S said, you love those, I can’t believe you didn’t go.
When I’m looking for it now I see that it was clearly stated that this was a Winter Classic, but I guess I was looking in the wrong places. (more…)
[DID NOT ATTEND: December 8, 2022] Autumn Defense / Nels Cline Duo / Eucademix
When this show was first announced, I grabbed a ticket immediately.
Two of my favorite members of Wilco are Nels Cline and Glenn Kotche.
So to be able to see them do their work solo was incredible.
Then all of a sudden, when I looked at the show poster it looked like this —>
instead of the one at the bottom of the post.
Where was Glenn?
There was no word or information. A day or so before the show I discovered that Glenn had hurt his arm (or something) and wasn’t going to be there. (more…)
[DID NOT ATTEND: December 4, 2022] Bit Brigade / Standards
I saw Bit Brigade in 2018 and really enjoyed the show. The premise of their live show is terrific.
The band plays the soundtrack to a video game while their resident gamer plays the game. The band is heavy and the sound is amazing.
I can’t believe they were here in May and are back now in December and I didn’t get to go to either show.
For this show they were playing MegaMan II and Ducktails, two games I don’t know at all, so maybe that had some impact on my decision.
Standards opened the set. Once again, I had not heard of the opening band for a Bit Brigade show. But once again, they picked wisely. Broadway World (!!!) has this succinct review of their music
Led by ebullient guitarist Marcos Mena, the pair boast a fruitful combination of musical chops and catchy guitar-driven melodies which has garnished popularity among fans who laud standards for their uniquely danceable brand of complex instrumental rock. For almost five years, their instrumental compositions have captivated audiences all over the world.
I need to reiterate this one part: uniquely danceable brand of complex instrumental rock.
It’s a spot on description. The guitar is kind of showoffy intense and complicated, but never obnoxious and the light touches of synth and almost chiptune, make the songs really delightful and bright–almost like a video game is scrolling past.
[DID NOT ATTEND: May 14, 2022] The Dead Milkmen / MC Lars / Gibbous Moon
I wrote this opening for a concert in May.
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.
They seem to be popping up here and there doing shows in the area. This one at Ardmore Music Hall actually sold out before I could get a ticket (I wasn’t sure if I was free that night). So good for them.
Having watched a few videos, I’m not sure I want to see them in Philly–I feel like the local crowd is a little too drunk and rambunctious for my liking. Although the band probably eats that up.
I’d never heard of Those Troublemakers. They are an old-school Philly punk band that plays short fast songs about silly subjects.
Here’s a review of this very show from That Music Mag with a description of the opening band
To start, Those Troublemakers tore open the sky and thrashed so hard. The band, consisting of Ashley “Butters” Heitzman (Bass and vocals.), Evan Abramson (Guitar and vocals.) and William F. Orender (Drums) set a fast and fun pace for the rest of the night as they opened the show. With songs from their Beach Bod, Runnin High, and Your Problem LPs, if you weren’t a fan before you got to Ardmore, you were when you left.
And here’s what they said about the Milkmen
Whether you were a diehard lifelong fan or simply a casual listener, there was something for everyone to latch onto and make a memory from in their setlist. With Dean’s Dream to start the show, the band rolled along through a menagerie of their hits, one by one. From Bitchin’ Camaro and Welcome to Undertown to Punk Rock Girl, the audience slowly and organically began to be enchanted back to a place of reckless abandon. More and more, the audience would be wound up a bit more, move a bit more intently, and sing a bit louder until, like a powder keg erupting, the dank, humid walls of the Ardmore Music Hall would erupt with the energy of a full-blown mosh pit formed on the floor. People were jumping, screaming lyrics & bodies cackling with glee while being tossed about the room. Now, here in that moment, we were undeniably at a punk rock show. A real granular Philly punk rock show.
The band would go on to cover The Cramps’ “Human Fly,” and Rodney would even grace us with his editorial commentary on Nazi lives. (And how they do not, in fact, matter.) The Milkmen would finish with an encore of a few more notable hits like“Smokin’ Banana Peels,” “Big Time Operator,” and the reprise from the earlier-played “Life is Shit.”
Yea, I should probably go next time.
Here’s a couple of videos of The Dead Milkmen’s recent(ish) shows
I have been a fan of Stars since about 2004. I have wanted to see them for a really long time. I thought I’d be able to see them last year on their Christmas Together Tour. It was at LPR in New York (which is just too much of a pain to get to) and at World Cafe Live. But it happened to be on the same night as our holiday party, so I couldn’t swing it. I never guessed they’d do another one. So this year I made sure to get tickets and schedule our party around this show.
The show came around and it was cold and I didn’t really feel like going out, but oh I wanted to see them. So I drove out to Philly.
Turned out there was a wedding in the Fillmore main floor so parking was free (yes!). I even wound up talking to some nice people around me and we had an enjoyable time waiting for the band. There was a little girl (maybe ten) who was bouncing with excitement over seeing Amy Millan. She couldn’t wait to meet her and get her autograph. I was so curious about this! How did this little girl get excited about this (relatively) obscure band from Montreal that sings about relationships and breakups? (I’ll never know). (more…)
[ATTENDED: December 3, 2022] Lydia Persaud & Christine Bougie
I have been a fan of Stars since about 2004. I have wanted to see them for a really long time. I thought I’d be able to see them last year on their Christmas Together Tour. It was at LPR in New York (which is just too much of a pain to get to) and at World Cafe Live. But it happened to be on the same night as our holiday party, so I couldn’t swing it. I never guessed they’d do another one. So this year I made sure to get tickets and schedule our party around this show.
I didn’t know who would be opening. Technically, the opening act was just Lydia Persaud, but since it was just Lydia and her guitarist Christine Bougie, (and I’d never heard of either before) I’m listing them both here.
Lydia was speaking for herself, but I believe that they both play together in a lot of things. Lydia has been a member of The Soul Motivators, The O’Pears and Dwayne Gretzky and she and Christine are part of the the Queer Songbook Orchestra.
They played a jazzy set of remarkably sad music. (more…)
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.
