Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Cities’ Category

Swans / Anna Von Hausswolff (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, June 25, 2020) [POSTPONED]

Posted in Anna von Hausswolff, Coronavirus, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, Quarantine, Swans, Underground Arts on June 25, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: June 25, 2020] Swans / Anna Von Hausswolff [moved to February 18, 2021]

indexI have liked Swans since I discovered them as a DJ on my college radio station (Children of God was and is like nothing I’ve ever heard). I loved their bombast.

But I have always been a little nervous about seeing them live (they seemed scary and intimidating).

The last time they toured was supposed to be their final tour ever (I think). I considered going but it never happened.

Then they announced they were playing Underground Arts–small and easy to get to, I assume that they will literally blow the roof off the joint.  My friend Phil is the drummer with them (and has been for a decade or more) so it would be fun to see him play.

I was looking forward to this one and was surprised it was cancelled so early (early April for a June show) especially since they weren’t starting their American leg until June 5.  But I guess it was easier to cancel the whole tour (Europe starting April 25) and start over again next year.

Anna von Hauswoff is a fascinating performer, playing a kind of gothic pop.  She works a lot with a pipe organ (for real).  I’m sure there would be no pipe organ in his tour (duh), so maybe it wold be samples?  I’ve been intrigued about her for a few years and I am looking forward to seeing her open when the tour comes back to town.

Read Full Post »

King Crimson / The Zappa Band (State Theatre, New Brunswick, NJ, June 22, 2020) [POSTPONED]

Posted in Coronavirus, Frank Zappa, King Crimson, New Brunswick, NJ, Postponed, Quarantine, State Theatre, The Zappa Band on June 22, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: June 22, 2020] King Crimson / The Zappa Band [moved to  2021]

indexI have seen King Crimson four times and have been blown away by each show.  Even hearing many of the same songs doesn’t dampen my enjoyment since the songs are so amazing to see live.

Given the fickleness of Robert Fripp, it’s always possible that the band will break up at any moment.  Given that, I will see them every time they come close, and the fact that they were coming to new Brunswick (super close!) was like a personal invitation.

Normally there is no opening act.   I don’t know if the addition of an opening act meant less King Crimson time.  But the opening act was The Zappa Band.

I’ve been a big fan of Zappa’s work for years, although I never saw him live.  I’ve considered going to the various posthumous shows, but they all seem kind of cheesy.  The Dweezil show is supposed to be okay, but I feel like I;d have to have a real lull in shows to go out to see him.

However, having them open for a show that I was already going to was the best of all worlds.  Especially given the current lineup:

The Zappa Band’s lineup features Zappa alumni Ray White (lead vocals, guitar), Mike Keneally (guitar, keys, vocals), Scott Thunes (bassist) and Robert Martin (keyboards, sax, vocals).  I mean, that’s practically the Zappa band without Zappa right there.  It seems like Dweezil is not even part of this show, which is interesting.

I didn’t know if the end of June would be a safe time to see a show, and clearly neither did KC or State Theatre, as this show was postponed in early April.

King Crimson, originally scheduled for June 22, has been postponed. We have been closely following the developing news on COVID-19 and the current response recommendations from our Federal, State, and Local officials. The health and well-being of our guests, artists, and staff are our top priority. Ticket holders will be contacted as soon as we have a new date. Current tickets will be valid for the rescheduled date, once announced, and if you are unable to make the new date, we will discuss alternate arrangements. Due to the high volume of changed or cancelled performances, we ask that you please wait for State Theatre to contact you in regard to your tickets.

I hope when the show is rescheduled, that The Zappa Band opens.  That sounds like a blast.

 

Read Full Post »

The Fratellis (TLA, Philadelphia, PA, June 20, 2020) [POSTPONED]

Posted in Coronavirus, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, Quarantine, The Fratellis, Theatre of Living Arts on June 20, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: June 20, 2020] The Fratellis [moved to January 21, 2021]

index

I really liked The Fratellis debut album Costello Music.  There was nothing super original about it, it was just bratty guitar rock from a UK band.  They are actually Scottish, which makes them slightly more interesting, right?

Their songs were fast and rocking and often had something interesting in them–unexpected speed up or lyrical twists.

I had more or less forgotten about them. I just read that they “broke up” for a short while and then reunited and have released two albums since then.  I hadn’t heard any of those two.

I might have considered going to see them and now that the show has been moved to January, maybe I’d be free to check them out.

 

Read Full Post »

The Struts / The Glorious Sons / JJ Wilde (The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ, June 19) [POSTPONED]

Posted in Asbury Park, NJ, Coronavirus, Foo Fighters, JJ Wilde, Postponed, Primus, Quarantine, Summer Camp, The Glorious Sons, The Stone Pony, The Struts on June 19, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[CANCELLED: June 19, 2020] The Struts / The Glorious Sons / JJ Wilde

indexThe Struts are a young British band who opened for Foo Fighters when we saw them.  But we arrived literally just as the Foos were going onstage. We didn’t see any of The Struts.  Although they did come out and join the Foos later in the set.

Reviews have been pretty great about The Struts, and I’d like to see them.  Although it’s unlikely I would have gone to a Summer Stage show for them, (especially since I was supposed to see Primus tonight)  if they come back around and play somewhere smaller I’d consider going.

The Glorious Sons are a Canadian band who seems to play anthemic “modern rock.”  I’ll bet they are really fun in a big arena.  I’m not sure how well it would translate on a smaller stage, but if the crowd was into it they’d be fun.

JJ Wilde is a Canadian singer songwriter who plays quiet balladish songs with big choruses.  Her voice is pretty powerful, although I feel like her mood is wrong for this tour. (Nevertheless, she has toured with The Glorious Songs before).

 

Read Full Post »

Primus: A Tribute to Kings / Wolfmother / The Sword (The Met Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, June 19, 2020) [POSTPONED]

Posted in Coronavirus, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, Primus, Quarantine, Rush, The Met Philadelphia, Wolfmother on June 19, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: June 19, 2020] Primus / Wolfmother / The Sword [moved to July 10, 2021]

indexI’ve been a fan of Primus since their first album.  And yet I never saw them live once they started to make it big.  I’m not keen on the frat boy fanbase they inexplicably developed, but what can you do.

I’ve wanted to see them for a long time and I’ve had a few shows snatched out of my hands.

I did get to see them recently, although it was for a new EP, so they didn’t play a lot of the old stuff like I’d wanted to hear.

Of course, when they announced this tour: A Tribute to Kings, in which they’d be playing all of Rush’s A Farewell to Kings (possibly my favorite Rush album, depending on the day), I knew I’d have to go.  Since that album is relatively short, I assumed they be playing some good old Primus songs too.

Wolfmother is a band I didn’t know.  I listened to a couple of songs and they sound like a pretty classic late 80s metal band with a loud, high-pitched vocalist.  I would have loved this band back then, and while I wouldn’t go out of my way to see them, it would be fun to relive a band like this live.  The band is from Australia and has an utterly fascinating history of in-fighting and replacements (Wikipedia has a page devoted just to Wolfmother band members).

The Sword is another retro-metal band, sounding an awful lot like Black Sabbath and other classic old school metal groups.  Once again, I would have loved them back in the day, and would no doubt enjoy rocking out to them live.

I hope that the rescheduled date is not too far off, but I’ve waited forever to see them, so I can wait a little longer.  It would be fine if the opening bands stayed with them, but if not, that’s okay too.

Read Full Post »

We Were Promised Jetpacks (Boot & Saddle, Philadelphia, PA, June 17, 2020) [CANCELLED]

Posted in Boot & Saddle, Cancelled, Coronavirus, Philadelphia, PA, Quarantine, We Were Promised Jetpacks on June 17, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[CANCELLED: June 17, 2020] We Were Promised Jetpacks

indexI had just seen We Were Promised Jetpacks back in February. The show was fantastic.

I never expected them to announce another show at Boot & Saddle (where I first saw them back in 2018).  Although at the end of our show (which was the last night of the tour), Adam said how much fun they’ve been having playing this year.

So I thought, hell yeah, I ‘ll see them again, if they’re sticking around.

This cancellation is one of the sadder ones.  Not because I was dying to see them, but because of the details of their cancellation:

Hello there,
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I hope everyone is doing ok and finding ways to bring some normalcy into their lives in these very strange times. I’m sure you don’t need to hear it from an ageing Scottish indie-rock band but wash your hands, stay inside, don’t be a dick, and lets stop the spread of this virus so we can all go back to hanging out with each other in real life as soon as possible.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Unfortunately we have no option but to cancel our May – June North American tour. We were so looking forward to getting back out there and playing shows. I’m in no way exaggerating when I say that the tour we did in February was some of the most life affirming shit we’ve ever done with the band. I loved every second of it and I am so grateful to be able to do this with my pals.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
At the moment we can’t plan to reschedule the tour as our Visas expire in July and our priority this year is to finish writing and recording our fifth album. It’s been strange being unable to meet up and write in our rehearsal space, but we are trying to embrace technology and work on projects and send them back and forth over the internet. It’s a new way of writing for us and we’ve been enjoying it. It has definitely lifted our spirits and given us renewed focus.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
A couple months back we had put together an EP of unreleased songs and early demos of songs that are on The More I Sleep The Less I Dream. The EP is called ‘out of interest‘ and there will be a limited amount of vinyl available to pre-order ‪from May 6th‬ with release date of ‪June 19th.‬ Today, you can hear the first single entitled ‘when getting lost.’ (Link in bio.)
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
That’s just about all our news. I’m so sorry we have to cancel but there’s not really any other option, I hope you understand and we will hit the road hard to make it up to everyone when we can. Thank you so much if you did buy a ticket. You will be able to get a refund at your point of purchase.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Thanks for reading and please take care of yourself and others!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Adam, Sean and Darren

 

Obviously, they’ll be back, but it’s a shame they couldn’t get in a few more shows.

Read Full Post »

Bright Eyes / Lucy Dacus (Steelstacks, Bethlehem, PA, June 16, 2020) [POSTPONED]

Posted in Bethlehem, PA, Better Oblivion Community Center, Bright Eyes, Conor Oberst, Coronavirus, Lucy Dacus, Postponed, Quarantine, Steelstacks, The Replacements on June 16, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: June 16, 2020] Bright Eyes / Lucy Dacus [moved to July 29, 2021]

indexI’ve never been much of a fan of Conor Oberst.  Although after seeing him in Better Oblivion Community Center, I gained a new respect for him and foudn I actually liked him.

I don’t know a lot about Bright Eyes (except that the songs sound strangely like The Replacements to me).  I wasn’t planning on going to this show (even though Steelstacks is a cool venue).

However, I kept getting notifications that Lucy Dacus was playing at Steelstacks.  I have seen Lucy a couple of times and would be more than happy to see her again.  When I got the notification, I assumed it meant she would be playing inside in one of the smaller venues (which would be outstanding).  I didn’t realize it was because she was opening for Bright Eyes.

This show was in fact postponed until next July–over a year away.  I have no idea what my calendar will be like then, but I think maybe by next July, I could be ready for Conor and Lucy again.

Read Full Post »

Car Seat Headrest / Twin Peaks (Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, June 13, 2020) [POSTPONED]

Posted in Car Seat Headrest, Coronavirus, Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, Quarantine, Twin Peaks on June 13, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: June 13, 2020] Car Seat Headrest / Twin Peaks [moved to April 17, 2021]

indexI saw Car Seat Headrest two years ago. It was simultaneously a fantastic and a horrible show.  The band was great–better than I imagined they would be.

But the crowd was terrible.  Pushing, shoving, some guy crashing into me even though I was no where near the pit.  Just the worst crowd experience I can recall.

I didn’t plan on going to see Car Seat Headrest again.

However, I have been quite interested in seeing Twin Peaks.  I don’t know a ton about them, but the few songs I’ve heard I’ve liked a lot.

Read Full Post »

Holy Fuck (Boot & Saddle, Philadelphia, PA, June 10, 2020) [postponed]

Posted in Boot & Saddle, Coronavirus, Holy Fuck, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, Quarantine on June 10, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: June 10, 2020] Holy Fuck [moved to February 16, 2021]

indexHoly 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.

Their newest album Deleter has delved into more of a 90s dance style with lyrics and everything.

I’ve considered seeing them a few times over the years, but i never really liked their releases enough to really want to go.  But I have recently heard that their live show is much more exciting than their records, so maybe I’ll make a point to see them next year.

download (68)

 

Read Full Post »

EOB (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, June 8, 2020) [POSTPONED]

Posted in Coronavirus, EOB, Kiss, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, Quarantine, Radiohead, Thom Yorke, Union Transfer on June 8, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: June 8, 2020] EOB [moved to June 11, 2021]

indexI used to be the kind of fan who would listen to anything that a band member released (blame Kiss for that four solo albums stunt back in the 70s).

But not every solo project is worthwhile.  And some of these solo shows are even more heavily attended than the main band.

So I didn’t really need to see Thom Yorke on his solo outings.  But the new EOB album sounds really good (from what I’ve heard of it).  I’d be curious to see what the third best known member of Radiohead was like live.  I’m not certain I was going to go to this, but it was certainly intriguing.

I do hope the tour gets rescheduled.

UPDATE: This is the first show that has been rescheduled to a new date on which I already have tickets to a rescheduled show.  Now, do I want to see EOB or King’s X?

 

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »