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Archive for the ‘Cities’ Category

Vundabar / M.A.G.S. (First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia, PA, March 25, 2022) [POSTPONED]

Posted in First Unitarian Church, M.A.G.S., Philadelphia, PA, Vundabar on March 25, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: June 23, 2022] Vundabar / M.A.G.S. [postponed until June 23, 2022, moved to The Foundry]

I’m not even sure if I knew who Vundabar was in March 2022.  My daughter had put their song on a playlist, and I loved it, but I never registered the band name.

I wouldn’t have gone to this show anyway, since I don’t go to The Church.  But the postponement means I didn’t actually miss it.

Last fall, Vundabar’s 2013 song “Alien Blues” became a viral hit via TikTok. They’ve now re-recorded the song and have brought in Indigo De Souza to sing on it. (Listen below.) They’ve also just rescheduled their tour. “With the rise of Omicron we’re option to move our February and March tour dates to May and June of 2022,” says singer/guitarist Brandon Hagen. “With the recent spikes in cases and general difficulty of safely navigating live events it feels like the best option.”

M.A.G.S. is the solo moniker for Buffalo-bred, Los Angeles-based artist Elliott Douglas. His style seamlessly glides between genres ─ from funky garage to minty alt-pop ─ and hooks you in almost immediately (according to Take This to Heart).

But I tend to agree with this statement.  His songs are bright and cheerful sounding. Catchy and bouncy.  Or as one more review puts it, the album is an “indie rock affair rife with intimate energy and electric overdrive.”

I really enjoyed his stuff and will have to listen to some more.

 

 

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Cavetown / Tessa Violet / Addison Grace (Terminal 5, New York, NY, March 25, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Addison Grace, Cavetown, New York City, Terminal 5, Tessa Violet on March 25, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: March 25, 2022] Cavetown / Tessa Violet / Addison Grace

Cavetown has a song called “Lemon Boy” which my daughter introduced me to.  She listened to it a lot, so when Cavetown announced a tour I grabbed a ticket for us in Philly.

Then a few weeks later Grandson announced a show in Philly for the same night.  I knew that my son really wanted to see Grandson.  So I checked and saw that Cavetown was also playing the in New York the night before.  So I grabbed us tickets for that show.

Later I found out that my daughter was going to a party that night.  So we opted not to go.  I was able to sell the tickets for both nights.  I’m curious what the show was like, but I’m sure he’ll be back.

Tessa Violet Williams, previously known as Meekakitty, is an American singer-songwriter, video blogger, actress, music video director, and former model.  She seems to write minimalist, simple catchy pop songs.  A perfect companion to Cavetown I think.

Addison Grace has a similar vibe and, in an interview it says they were inspired by Cavetown.  So that makes sense.

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Mitski / The Weather Station (Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, March 25, 2022) [POSTPONED]

Posted in Coronavirus, Franklin Music Hall, Mitski, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, The Weather Station on March 25, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: March 25, 2022] Mitski/The Weather Station [moved to July 24, 2022]

I saw Mitski back in 2018.  I enjoyed her theatrical show quite a lot.

In that time, Mitski has taken off with the young people.  Both of my kids love her (as does a large section of the youth).  When this tour was announced, there was no question that I would get four tickets for my two kids and one of their friends.

I figured it wouldn’t be that hard, since she was playing at a pretty huge venue.  But the presale sold out in like 5 seconds.  And the main day sale also sold out in like 5 seconds.  The bots were all over this tour.  It was so obnoxious.

My kids really wanted to see her but there was no way I was spending a ton of money on her, so we were SOL.

Then a few days before the show was to happen, it was postponed because of COVID. (more…)

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Diavolo (State Theatre, New Brunswick, NJ, March 25, 2022) [rescheduled date, rescheduled again and again]

Posted in Acrobats, Coronavirus, Diavolo, New Brunswick, NJ, Postponed, Quarantine, State Theatre on March 25, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: March 25, 2022] Diavolo [rescheduled from April 28, 2020 and April 29, 2021 moved to April 13 2023]

indexAnd now, the resurgence had made a third postponement.

By 2023, I wonder if any of the same people will still be in the troupe?

~~~

One might have thought postponing this show an entire year would have been sufficient.  But now they have postponed again for nearly another entire year.  I think I’ll be very ready to see a Cirque by then.

I love going to see Cirques–all kinds of fun acrobatics and stunts on display.  When my kids were younger, we went to a lot of them.  Then we stopped for a while and I felt it was time to do it again.

Diavolo is in fact a dance company, but they perform amazing acrobatics and physically demanding pieces (as you can see from the reviews like: “Diavolo’s performers are fearless, elegant and strong with a sense of timing by which a Swiss watch could be set, and the way the troupe interacts with the moving sets, makes for a truly spectacular and awe inspiring show.”).

I found out about this show after it was cancelled, but when I saw that it was rescheuled for April of 2021, I was really interested in going to see it with the family.

VOYAGE is Diavolo’s newest adventure, inspired by travels in space and the 50th Anniversary of the first Moon Landing. A young woman dreams of traveling distances only astronauts can, escaping from the ordinary world into a surreal landscape of infinite possibilities. Gravity-defying bodies join her on a large wheel structure that rolls along the stage and on the journey in a universe that is alive with kinetic energy, fantastical whimsy, and surprising transformation.

TRAJECTOIRE is a signature Diavolo work that takes the audience on a visceral and emotional journey through the ebb and flow of the human experience. Watch as performers jump on and off a “Trajectoire” which is a 3,000 pound boat made of wood, aluminum, and steel that continuously rocks back and forth. Watch the performers struggle to find their balance on a voyage of destiny and destination in a daring display that shows the transcendence of the human soul against all odds.

diavolo

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Fu Manchu: 30th Anniversary Tour / Speedealer (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, March 24, 2022) [rescheduled date CANCELLED]

Posted in Alex Lifeson, Cancelled, Coronavirus, Fu Manchu, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, Quarantine, Rush, Speedealer, Underground Arts on March 24, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[CANCELLED: March 24, 2022] Fu Manchu / Speedealer [rescheduled from May 9, 2020 and March 18, 2021]

indexThis show had been rescheduled for March of 2022 after two previous cancellations.  But with the rise of more COVID cases Fu Manchu decided to cancel once more.  It strikes me that they seem quite content to just cancel a show and then work with the venues for a future show, so I’ll assume they’ll be back to Philly eventually.

~~~~~

This concert was never formally cancelled it seems (as of last week you could still get tickets for it).  But Fu Manchu officially cancelled all of their shows on the tour.  No word yet if they’ll be back, but I hope so.

Fu Manchu is one of the great stoner rock bands.  They have been around for thirty years with a similar fuzzy, grungey sound.  I missed them the first time around but because more keenly aware of them when their 2018 album Clone of the Universe featured not only an 18 minute song, but also a guitar solo from Alex Lifeson of Rush.

Their early stuff is really catchy and I wish I had known about them for longer.  They seem like they’d be a really fun live band.

Speedealer was originally called REO Speedealer, which I love.  They were told to cease and desist from REO Speedwagon (imagine that).  They play a kind of aggressive garage metal.  They have a punk edge and the lead singer has a growly punk voice that is clear enough amid the roughage.

I feel like they don’t quite pair with Fu Manchu (they seem a bit too aggressive) and would pair better with Monster Magnet.

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Jean Hanff Korelitz–Admission (2009)

Posted in Abortion, Adoption, Babies, Books about writers, College, Jean Hanff Korelitz, Parenting, Pregnancy, Princeton, NJ on March 23, 2022| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK: hiatus

[READ: March 20, 2022] Admission

I had vaguely heard of this book when it came out.  My understanding of it was that a woman who worked in the Princeton Admissions office tried to get her kid into the school.

That is not what the story is about exactly.  I feel like I’ve conflated this story with the real-life admission scandal that happened in 2019 (because I didn’t really care about it and don’t really know any details thee either).

Rather, what we get is a story of a woman who works at Princeton University’s Admissions and who has a pretty hard time of things in her personal life.

When the book opens we see her on a road trip.  She is canvassing the New England area to drop in at schools who are likely to have Princeton applicants.  We see some of these visits and get a pretty good idea of how her job works–get the kids excited to go there, but don’t raise their hopes too much since acceptance levels are so low.

One of the schools she goes to is a new school–a kind of alternative program.  This year is the first year that someone will be graduating from the school.  She stops in and the school is very different from what she is used to.  The kids aren’t grist for the college mill.  Indeed one of them argues with her about the very point of going to college.

And then there’s the boy, Jeremiah. He is a school nightmare–clearly a genius, and yet nearly failed out of every class he was in because he’d rather read books than do class.  And yet, once he got to this new school, he was able to focus a bit.  He took AP tests without having taken any AP classes and aced them all.  He was a diamond in a very rough package.  And the narrator, Portia, believes that Princeton would be a great environment for him. (more…)

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They Might Be Giants: 30th Anniversary Flood Show (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, March 22, 2022)–[rescheduled date rescheduled again]

Posted in Coronavirus, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, They Might Be Giants, Union Transfer on March 22, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: March 22, 2022] They Might Be Giants [rescheduled from March 13, 2020, September 8, 2020, April 15, 2021 and March 22, 2022 moved to June 16, 2022]

index

Fifth time’s the charm?

After what seemed like a wholly sensible rescheduled date of March 22, 2022, the virus reared its head again, and TMBG decided to push things back one more time.  This time they broke their tour into small chunks to avoid having to cancel a huge tour in the future.

Hello everyone. We have rescheduled all of our Spring 2022 shows. The new batch of shows begin in June and run all the way to May 2023 (proving that 2020 is the first year to last for three!).

And the venue has added

Hello! Thank you for purchasing tickets to see They Might Be Giants. We know that this has been a journey and after two+ years their long awaited tour will finally happen! The Philly show scheduled for March 10 has been moved to June 16 2022.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This show was originally scheduled for March 2020 and it now being rescheduled to March 2022.  It’s hard to believe that it will be two years.

So, with no opening date in sight, this is where we ask you for a big favor. Without a doubt our biggest expense has been refunding tickets for shows with new safe dates in 2021/2022.  The They Might Be Giants show has been officially moved to March 10 2022! With a date this far out, it ensures there will be no issues with TMBG touring and most important – we are near guaranteed to have a safe and normal show (finally!)

This was one of the first shows that was postponed because of the coronavirus.  The new date was scheduled very quickly and, as it turns out, too soon.

Now, like most shows, it is being pushed back about a year from its original date.  Boy I hope it holds out.

I am still very much looking forward to it.  Don’t give up on us yet, Johns!

March was going to be a very busy concert month for me.  This was to be the first of four shows in five nights.  This show was going to be for me and S.–a night of They Might Be Giants performing Flood!

It turned out to be the first of dozens of shows cancelled or postponed by the coronavirus.

Obviously, my main concern is for everyone’s safety, including the bands!

My selfish concern though is that once the shows are rescheduled that all of these shows will be scheduled on the same day!

Let’s hope the rescheduled dates also do some social distancing.

tmbg

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Kim Gordon / Bill Nace (White Eagle Hall, Jersey City, NJ, March 19, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Bill Nace, Jersey City, NJ, Kim Gordon, White Eagle Hall on March 19, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: March 19, 2022] Kim Gordon / Bill Nace

I had tickets to see Kim Gordon when she announced her tour in 2020.  It took awhile for her to reschedule the tour, and I wondered if she’s even bother.

I’ve seen Thurstone Moore live.  He played with Steve Shelley.  A long time ago I saw Lee Ranaldo, although I’d love to see him again.  But I’d never seen Sonic Youth, so I thought I could complete the set by seeing Kim live.

I had recently finished Kim Gordon’s memoir.  So when she announced a show at White Eagle Hall, I was about to grab tickets instantly.  And then I didn’t.  I guess it’s because there was always a chance we’d go see Khruangbin.

Then we were invited to a party and I was glad I didn’t get tickets to any of the four shows that I considered going to today.

The setlist for this show is pretty interesting.  A lot of songs from her solo album and not much else.  And apparently it was only an hour.  Still reviews were quite positive.  Well maybe some other time.

Bill Nace was in Body/Head with Kim.  He’s an experimental guitarist, so who knows what his set would have been like.

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Touché Amoré / Vein.fm / Militarie Gun / Closer (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, March 19, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Closer, Militarie Gun, Philadelphia, PA, Touché Amoré, Union Transfer, Vein.fm on March 19, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 19, 2022] Touché Amoré / Vein.fm / Militarie Gun / Closer

I didn’t know what Touché Amoré sounded like.  In fact, I thought they were a dance band.  When this show was announced, I discovered that they were not a dance band at all.  But in fact, rocked pretty hard.

I was definitely interested in the show, but decided not to get tickets right away.  Then several other interesting shows were announced for the same day, so I never bothered.  But I still think they’d be interesting to see some day.

I’d never heard of vein.fm (formerly Vein).  Apparently, they are a hardcore/screamo act

I’d also never heard of Militaire Gun, who are apparently a post-hardcore supergroup (made up of bands I’ve never heard of) that draws major inspiration from the melodic post-hardcore of the ’90s as well as more alternative-leaning acts.

And Closer is a screamo act from New York City.

Four bands is a long night, but I imagine it would have been a good show.

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Khruangbin / Nubya Garcia (The Met Philadelphia, PA, March 19, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Khruangbin, Nubya Garcia, Philadelphia, PA, The Met Philadelphia on March 19, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: March 19, 2022] Khruangbin / Nubya Garcia

I’m intrigued by Khruangbin.  I wanted them to sound a little different than they originally did.  And then they made some EPs with Leon Bridges and they did sound different–more trippy, but more catchy as well.

I thought they’d be fun to see live.

S. likes the EPs even more than I did, but she didn’t really want to see them.  So I refrained from buying tickets.  Then the Kim Gordon show was announced, and I was sue I’d go see that one.  But I didn’t get tickets to any of the shows today.

Go figure.

I know Nubya Garcia from a Tiny Desk Concert.  She’s a jazzy saxophonist who would probably go well with Khruangbin, although I don’t know that I’d want to see her on her own.

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