Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Cities’ Category

Snail Mail / Joy Again (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, April 5, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Joy Again, Philadelphia, PA, Snail Mail, Union Transfer on April 5, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 5, 2022] Snail Mail / Joy Again

I wanted to see Snail Mail back in 2018 and couldn’t make the show.  I really liked her debut album.

I hadn’t enjoyed songs from her new one a much, so even though I bought a ticket as soon as this show was announced, I decided not to go.

I didn’t realize at the time that my daughter had a Joy Again song on her playlist.  “Looking out for You” is a bouncy song with lots of banjo, although it doesn’t sound folky at all.  I wonder if she would have enjoyed going to this show with me.

 

Read Full Post »

Parquet Courts / Sun Ra Arkestra (Fillmore Philadelphia, PA, April 5, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Parquet Courts, Philadelphia, PA, Sun Ra Arkestra, The Fillmore Philadelphia on April 5, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 5, 2022] Parquet Courts / Sun Ra Arkestra

I saw Parquet Courts twice before the pandemic. Then their shows were cancelled through the pandemic.  This was the first post-pandemic show that they announced and I was interested in seeing them, but I had tickets to Snail Mail that I had bought a while ago and I didn’t want to miss her again (which I wound up doing anyhow).

Had I known this would be their last tour before they went on indefinite hiatus I would have pushed harder to see them.

I saw Sun Ra Arkestra in 2019 and they blew my mind (as they are supposed to do).  The jazz was far out, the costumes were cosmic and the energy was palpable.  I wasn’t sure I needed to see them again, but I would have been fun.

Read Full Post »

DakhaBrakha (SOPAC, South Orange, NJ, April 2, 2022)

Posted in DakhaBrakha, SOPAC, South Orange, NJ, Ukraine on April 3, 2022| 1 Comment »

[ATTENDED: April 2, 2022] DakhaBrakha

After the last few nights, I was in need of a break, but there was no way I was passing up a chance to see DakhaBrakha.

I heard about this Ukranian band from Tiny Desk Concerts, of course.  I fell in love with them immediately.  Their music was weird and wonderful with amazing harmonies and interesting instruments.  And their outfits were incredible.  Giant hats and beautiful dresses on the women–who totally kicked ass while they played, too.

I was thrilled when I saw they were coming to SOPAC–local, small and seated.  I snatched up tickets way back in November,

And then Russia invaded Ukraine.  And who even knew if they’d be alive, much less able to play in the States.  Evidently they left the country about a week before the show–so they had been there (their home base is in Kyiv) during the bombing.  It’s unreal.

So now, this show went from being a fun celebration of Ukraine to a pointed attempt to show support to a country that needed it.  Suddenly, the night was more significant.

Which, fortunately, didn’t change the music.  True, the visuals that the band showed were often far more somber and dark than they probably would have been otherwise, but you can’t change the music.  And it was wonderful. (more…)

Read Full Post »

Holy Fuck (Kung Fu Necktie, Philadelphia, PA, April 3, 2022) [POSTPONED]

Posted in Boot & Saddle, Cancelled, Coronavirus, Holy Fuck, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, Quarantine on April 3, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: April 3, 2022] Holy Fuck (rescheduled from June 10, 2020 and February 16, 2021; moved to August 13, 2022]

The resurgence of COVID meant Holy Fuck postponed their tour one more time.  I was bummed about this one because I didn’t have too many shows around this time.  But the new date is in a crowded field of shows

~~~~~~~

 

Not only did Holy Fuck cancel this tour, Boot & Saddle closed its doors.   Mega cancelled.

~~~

After seeing that this show was postponed, it gave me an opportunity to explore their music. I was now looking forward to seeing them in the new year.  Well, I guess February is still too soon to plan anything, so this tour has also been cancelled.

Holy Fuck have a great name that pretty much guarantees they won’t get much in the way of airplay or advertising.

Of course their music isn’t super commercial either–although it can be quite catchy (and has been used in a bunch of soundtracks).  They play an electronic dance music but in a decidedly old-school fashion.  They don’t use laptops at all, employing all manner of old school equipment. (more…)

Read Full Post »

Ted Leo / The Afterglows (World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA, April 3, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Philadelphia, PA, Ted Leo, The Afterglows, World Cafe Live on April 3, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 3, 2022] Ted Leo / The Afterglows

I saw Ted Leo with his band back in 2019.  Here he was again as a solo performer.  I was interested in going but I had a show the previous two nights and didn’t feel like going out again.

I would happily see him again [UPDATE: and I will, a few times].

I am curious what this show would have been like upstairs in the lounge–pretty chill, I guess.

The Afterglows area  Philly band comprised of Radiator Hospital’s Sam Cook-Parrott and The Goodbye Party’s Michael Cantor.  NPR Music says Their music conveys a long sigh — that self-aware moment just after the daydream’s ended and reality sets back in. As a vocal duo, they are The Afterglows.  They play soft sweet music with a snarky side.  Cook-Parrott, in his charmingly nasal croon, sings of romantic desire with vivid, yet familiar imagery. But in a sly twist that often accompanies their songwriting, Cantor joins the chorus in an Everly Brothers-style harmony to declare, “I’m burnin’ for your love / You’re drownin’ in my sea of hate.” You can almost hear their grin as the sea swells with Rhodes piano, hand claps and a reverb-heavy guitar solo, undercutting that misty-eyed sweetness with a slight sneer.

Not quite my thing, I guess.

UPDATE: Interestingly I would see them in 2026 when they opened for Remember Sports.  And I rather liked them: Their songs were simple but their harmonies were really great.  They had a kind of slow, dreamy quality–retro in a pleasant way.

Read Full Post »

Car Seat Headrest (Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, April 1, 2022)

Posted in Bartees Strange, Car Seat Headrest, Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, Toy Bastard on April 2, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: April 1, 2022] Car Seat Headrest

I saw Car Seat Headrest four years ago at Union Transfer and it was one of the least pleasant shows I’d been to.  The music was great, but the crowd was uniformly terrible–especially near me.  

I wasn’t sure if I’d want to see them again, but then my son got really turned on to them (I had nothing to do with it) and he really wanted to see them live.  I couldn’t pass that up, and I assumed the crowd would be a little different in this much bigger venue.

And, yes, the crowd was much better–although it felt really crowded in there!

The crazy thing is that the doors opens at 7:30.  We arrived at 7:25 to an enormous line.  And we didn’t get in the venue until after 8.  I asked my son if he wanted to get up front or get merch.  He chose merch–I think getting close will win out next time.  I would have loved to have been closer for sure.

The fascinating thing about Car Seat Headrest now is that lead singer and main Headrest Will Toledo wears a modified gasmask for the entire set.  It’s pretty neat as it has a microphone in it and the eyes light up to display emotions (cute eyes, angry eyes, heart and swirly lines).  The good thing is that Toledo sounds fine through this odd system. (more…)

Read Full Post »

Joywave: The Cleanse Tour / Joe P (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, April 2, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Joe P, Joywave, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer on April 2, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 2, 2022] Joywave / Joe P

I’ve been vaguely interested in Joywave for a little while (mostly during the pandemic).  All of their shows had been rescheduled and then when they finally played Union Transfer, I couldn’t go.  I’m not sure how much I want to see them, although I get the impression that their live shows are fun.  But I had tickets to dee DakhaBrakha tonight, so I wasn’t going.

Indietronica group Joywave will make their return to the road on February 26th in support of their new album, Cleanse, out February 11th. The Cleanse Tour marks the band’s first headline tour in over two years, after postponing then canceling their Possession tour in 2020.

Frontman, Daniel Armbruster, shared that the songs on Cleanse emerged from moments of reflection during the shutdown and how it allowed them to slow down and create music without the usual time constraints and distractions.  Known for their dynamic performances, Joywave looks forward to reconnecting with fans and performing music from Cleanse as well as from their vast catalogue.

Joe P says that he lives “in asbury park, new jersey (america) where i write/record/produce all of my music in a basement. most of my recordings usually end up having some sort of noise in the background of them due to either the water heater turning on, someone upstairs showering or the buzzing of a fly crashing into a lightbulb while i am recording vocals, but i welcome the nature of it all.”

He was in a band and then became a viral solo artist singing quirky indie rock.  He’s quite catchy.   I’m surprised I haven’t heard of him (he is not Joe Pug, who I have heard of).

 

Read Full Post »

Poppy / Mz Neon (Theatre of Living Arts [TLA], Philadelphia, PA, April 2, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Mz Neon, Philadelphia, PA, Poppy, Theatre of Living Arts on April 2, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 2, 2022] Poppy / Mz Neon

Poppy was supposed to open for Deftones and Gojira back in 2020, but as the shows were rescheduled, Poppy went on a tour of her own.  I had wanted to see her open, because, as I said then:

Poppy is an absolute mystery.  She’s an internet creation whose every song is is a different genre.  Her latest album was really really heavy but with that fake internet sheen on it (in a Babymetal kind of way but less sincere, if that’s possible).  I’ve been intrigued by her since I first heard about her, but I wouldn’t want to see her show if she was headlining.  This seemed like a great way to experience her weirdness.  I hope that she is still on the bill next year and that she is still into metal, otherwise it could be kind of awkward.

So IW as intrigued, but I was much more interested in seeing DakhaBrakha, so I didn’t have to think to much about going to this show.

[UPDATE: since this show I have seen her 3 tomes, and each show is a fantastic spectacle of wildness.  While I wouldn’t have missed DakhaBrakha for this show, I’m curious what this earlier incarnation of her metal persona (insincere or not) was like.  When her music wasn’t quite as heavy as it is now.

Mz Neon is a transgender woman. She uses her performances to express her sexuality and defy misconceptions of the gender binary spectrum.  She was born in Boston, Massachusetts and is of Dominican and French-Canadian descent. As a teenager, Neon performed in an alternative rock and new wave band called Herself.  She’s, as suggested, blunt and funny.  The music is okay, because it’s more about the lyrics, I think.

Read Full Post »

Bedouine / Hannah Cohen (World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA, April 2, 2022)

Posted in Bedouine, Hannah Cohen, Philadelphia, PA, World Cafe Live on April 2, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 2, 2022] Bedouine / Hannah Cohen

I saw Bedouine last year open for Waxahatchee and I was transfixed by her.  I wrote:

She was born Azniv Korkezian but chose the artist name Bedouine from the Arabic-speaking Bedouin people, who wander the Middle Eastern desert as nomads.  Azniv herself was born in Aleppo, Syria to Armenian parents; she grew up on an American compound in Saudi Arabia. Her family moved to the U.S [when she was] age 10.

Azniv came out on stage with her guitar and a glass of water and an electric candle on a stool.  She began singing and for 30 minutes we were enveloped in a feeling of warmth and good tidings.  Despite fact that she plays a very quiet guitar and her voice never rises above a quiet deepness, and despite the fact that the headliners were noisier bands, she commanded the room.

I would have loved to see her headline, but I had a ticket to see DakhaBrakha that night and I didn’t want to miss them.

Hannah Cohen is a singer and model.  She has a few albums out and has a high, pretty voice.  She has sung backing vocals on albums buy nearly everyone from Glen Hansard, Sufjan Stevens, Martha Wainwright and even Hanson.  Her own songs are soft and delicate with dreamy indie-rock guitar riffs and light synth bells that chime.   She makes a good companion for Bedouine.  This would have been a dreamy night.

Read Full Post »

Milk Carton Kids / Michaela Anne (Ardmore Music Hall, Ardmore, PA, April 2, 2022 & SOPAC, South Orange, NJ, April 9. 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Ardmore Music Hall, Ardmore, PA, Michaela Anne, SOPAC, South Orange, NJ, The Milk Carton Kids on April 2, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 2 & April 9. 2022] Milk Carton Kids / Michaela Anne

I know The Milk Carton Kids from a Tiny Desk Concert.  They are an indie folk duo consisting of singer-guitarists Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan.  About heir Tiny Desk Concert I wrote

Joey Ryan sings lead and plays rhythm acoustic guitar.  Kenneth Pattengale plays lead guitar and sings beautiful harmonies.  It’s his guitar work that is so disarming because he plays leads throughout the songs, so rather than having the two guitars doing the same thing, his guitar is all over the place–playing beautiful trills and lines while Ryan is singing.

I concluded

I don’t love their slower songs. Although as far as slow songs go, their setup is great–the harmonies, the interesting guitar.  But I really like the two of them.  They are great performers and excellent storytellers.

So I was sort of vaguely interested in seeing them, but it wasn’t a must-see.  Plus I had tickets to DakhaBrakha the first night, which WAS a must see.  The second night I had a ticket to see Otoboke Beaver–sadly that show was cancelled.  But I didn’t bother looking into the SOPAC show.

Michaela Anne is a classic country, pop, indie rock, and honky-tonk singer.  How she fell into this trap after being born in Brooklyn I cannot imagine.

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »