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Archive for the ‘Philadelphia, PA’ Category

Orcutt Shelley Miller (Solar Myth, Philadelphia PA, March 23, 2026)

Posted in Orcutt Shelley Miller, Philadelphia, PA, Solar Myth, What is New on March 24, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: March 23, 2026] Orcutt Shelley Miller

When I saw Thurston Moore about a decade ago, Steve Shelley was drumming for him.  I thought it would be fun to see each of the Sonic Youth members since I never got to see the band.  Then I saw Kim Gordon a few years ago.  And while I saw Lee Ranaldo decades ago, that doesn’t feel like it counts for various reasons.  But heck, an opportunity to see Steve Shelley again is not to be missed.

I didn’t know who Bill Orcutt was (and shame on me, I guess–he is best known for being in the band Harry Pussy).  I thought I didn’t know who Ethan Miller was, but then I realized I had seen him with Heron Oblivion about 8 years ago and I loved that set and I loved watching him.  But yes, the main draw of this trio for me was Steve Shelley.  Then I listened to their album and I loved it.

Bill Orcutt plays a loose, but great-sounding guitar.  It was fascinating to see that he has literally one pedal in front of him.  A small box which he stepped on from time to time.  I couldn’t really tell what the difference was after he stepped on it (maybe more distortion?), but overall the sound was great.  He played some wild solos–some seemingly on the verge of just nonsensical noise and yet he never let the sound get away from him.  But he also held back when there was a chance for Miller to play some soloing stuff.

Ethan Miller plays a small violin-shaped bass (a Höfner 500/1 Violin Bass) and the sound he gets from it is fantastic.  Unlike Orcutt, he has a bunch if gear.  He’s got some pedals that he messed around with and, in a moment of technological genius, I saw him turn on his phone and hold up a photo of his amp so he could set the dials to the exact specifications.  Miller is the only person who spoke (it must be 9 o’clock) and he seemed to having a really good time.

But not as good a time as Steve Shelley.  He smiles through the whole set, just seemingly thrilled to be playing drums.  It was such a treat to watch him.  And while his kit is pretty sparse, he really conveys a lot.

It was cool to watch Bill check in with Steve with a nod or glance that it was time to change tempo or end the songs. (more…)

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What is Now (Solar Myth, Philadelphia PA, March 23, 2026) [ORCUTT SHELLEY MILLER]

Posted in Orcutt Shelley Miller, Philadelphia, PA, Solar Myth, What is New on March 23, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: March 23, 2026] What is Now 

I was excited to see Orcutt/Shelley/Miller and was made even happier when Chris Forsyth was listed as the opening act.  I’ve seen Chris in various forms five times and I love that he is creative and virtuosic but also experimental and noisy.  This show was with another group that he has recently gotten together with.  They are called What is Now and it’s a trio with double bassist John Moran (Bark Culture, Daniel Villareal Trio) and drummer Joey Sullivan (Florry, Bark Culture).

Solar Myth is a small venue and I’ve seen some loid shows here.  But this trio proved to be pretty quiet.  The played two pieces which I think were entirely improvised.

The first was about 20 minutes.  I enjoyed watching Chris wrangle his guitar–occasionally making pretty sounds, but largely making interesting experimental noises.

Joey Sullivan was fun to watch because he had a whole selection of gear on the piano next to him.  These included metal pieces that he put on his drums, a kind of spring that he hit and which rattled, and various other things that he put on the drum heads.

I was a little bummed that John Moran faced the other two guys because I was standing sort of in front of him and I never got to see him doing anything–except from the side.  So I could see his bow going back and forth (at one point he made a really noisy scraping “solo” that seemed to introduce a new part of the song.

After about 20 minutes the song wrapped up.  Chris said they would do one more–a quickie.  He asked Bo the sound guy how much time they had and Bo said “enough.”

So they started up a new song.  It was much the same but very different.  I really enjoyed the way the double bass seemed to be the component that held everything together while the guitar and drums seemed to roam around.

Is this jazz?  Maybe.  It’s noisy, occasionally gorgeous and mostly really interesting to watch.

And it’s always fun to chat with Chris after the show–he’s such a nice guy.

 

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Zeta (Ukie Club, Philadelphia, PA, March 20, 2026)

Posted in Philadelphia, PA, Sodaseas, The Ukie Club, Zeta on March 21, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: March 20, 2026] Zeta

I’ve been a big fan of Zeta since I encountered them about 3 years ago.  I’ve now seen them 4 times and they never disappoint.  This was a tour for their tenth year of touring the US (when they left Venezuela).  I spoke to drummer Chino (who is their merch guy too) and said I was impressed that they were doing this for ten years and he said, they’d been touring the US for ten years but they’ve been a band since 2003 (which by my calculation, means he started the band when he was 13).

My son came with me to their previous headline show and really liked them.  This time I didn’t get him a ticket because we were going to Hanabie the next night.  But his plans changed and he wanted to come with me to this show, which was awesome.

By the time Zeta went on, the crowd had filled in somewhat (but, oof, what a large venue to have about 50 people show up).  Despite the small crowd, the band put on a killer show.

But the first surprise was that they were playing as a trio.  After a song, Bassist Antonio Pereira told us that Dani (their exciting guitarist/keyboardist) was staying in Venezuela because of the new T**** immigration policies.  Fuck, man, that guy ruins everything.  So, that meant the band had to redesign their songs for the stage without their most versatile member. (more…)

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Sodaseas (Ukie Club, Philadelphia, PA, March 20, 2026) [ZETA]

Posted in Philadelphia, PA, Sodaseas, The Ukie Club, Zeta on March 20, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: March 20, 2026] Sodaseas

Sodaseas is from Philadelphia.  I can’t decide if their name has some meaning beyond the apparent seas full of soda image that comes up.  It speaks to the kind of melting pot and scene that Philly has that the band’s members come from Mexico, Venezuela, Chicago, Texas, California, South Carolina, and Baltimore.  And it should come as no surprise that they sing in Spanish and in English.

They are a six-piece band with all kinds of fun instrumentation.  Alex Ramirez sang (and screamed) lead vocals and played acoustic guitars. Next was Scarlet Brigham who played viola and sang backup on a song or two.  On the far side was Paul Awdisho on bass.  In the back was Vasco Madrid on drums.  In front of us was Brent Mackesey on electric guitar (mostly lead) and in the middle was Sasha Perlman on percussion.  The percussion was primarily a djembe (or something like it) but also included an array of electronic sound effects and samples.

I note this in particular because the electronics were WAY TOO LOUD.  This seemed like the kind of thing that could have been fixed. In fact, the electronics were coming from an amp on the stage and I could have easily walked up and turned it down a bit.  Sadly, sound was a bit of an issue for them the whole set.  The acoustic guitar was possibly not plugged in at first and I was a little bummed that I couldn’t hear Alex’s voice clearly except during the quietest moments.  I’m a little surprised because I’ve been to the Ukie Club a few times and never noticed a sound issue before. (more…)

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Patton Oswalt (Helium Comedy Club, Philadelphia, PA, March 19 & 20, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Helium Comedy Club, Patton Oswalt, Philadelphia, PA on March 20, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: March 19 & 20, 2026] Patton Oswalt

I didn’t realize how much I like Patton Oswalt until recently.  He’s sort of always been there and I’ve always enjoyed him, but since I started following him on Instagram, I realized how funny his stand up is.

When they announced these two shows I was surprised that he was playing at The Helium Club which seems really small for someone of his stature.  Of course I don’t know how comedy touring works at all, so maybe this is the size venue he normally plays.  Well, anyway he sold out both nights, so it clearly works for him.

I wanted to go but I already had tickets to an event on the 19th and when I saw there was a show on the 20th, it was already sold out.

I hope he comes back around, but in the meantime, I have Instagram.

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Sweet Pill / Heart to Gold / Spaced (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, March 19, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Heart to Gold, Philadelphia, PA, Spaced, Sweet Pill, Union Transfer on March 19, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: March 19, 2026] Sweet Pill / Heart to Gold / Spaced

I missed Sweet Pill when they surprise opened for Pool Kids at the Ukie Club and since then I’ve been trying to catch them. I missed them two years ago when they played Union Transfer (that show is up on YouTube–see below).  Then they opened for Zeta at the Ukie club–a show I really wanted to go to but couldn’t make.

So this was an album release show for their new record and I was pretty psyched to go.  And then my son came home from college and I had a bunch of other commitments to take care of so I couldn’t make it either.

The funny thing is that my friend’s daughter whom I ran into at a Pool Kids show a few months ago loves Sweet Pill and she was at the show–it would have been crazy to run into her again.

Sweet Pill actually reminds me a lot of Pool Kids–similar impressive guitar work (finger tapping!) and great strong female vocals.  I really want to see them before they get too huge.

It turns out that Sweet Pill cancelled the rest of the tour a few days later for personal reasons.  I hope everything’s okay with them.  And I also hope that when they reschedule the tour, they throw in an other Philly show so I can see them.

Heart to Gold is from Minnesota and they play a similar kind of upbeat sounding punk with big guitars.  I guess they’re calling it high energy emo punk.  Whatever it’s called, I dig it

Spaced is a hardcore band from Buffalo.  They are certainly heavier than the other two bands and probably got the crowd really revved up.  Short songs, loud vocals.  Fun stuff.

I’m definitely bummed to have missed this show.

 

 

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The Hives / The Chats (Fillmore Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, March 16, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Philadelphia, PA, The Chats, The Fillmore Philadelphia, The Hives on March 16, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: March 16, 2026] The Hives / The Chats

When The Hives released their second album, I, like so many people, fell in love with the punchy songs and cool black and white look.

They have been touring from time to time.  I could have seen them last year but I was already booked that night.  I was more interested in seeing them this year because it seemed to be more of a greatest hits kind of tour rather than for an album.

But I went out last night and my son was home for spring break, so I didn’t want to be out too much.  Luckily I hadn’t bought a ticket for this so no biggie.

The Chats are from Australia.  They play what they call “shed rock”  They play old-school dumb punk rock about beer, smokes and fast cars.  The singer also retains his Australian accent which is fun.  They seem like a perfect opening act for The Hives.

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An Evening with Mike Gordon (Union Transfer, Philadelphia PA, March 15, 2026)

Posted in Mike Gordon, Philadelphia, PA, Phish, Union Transfer on March 15, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: November 28, 2016] Mike Gordon

When Mike Gordon announced a short March tour and one of the stops was Union Transfer, I immediately grabbed a ticket.  I have very warm memories of the last time I saw him.  I assumed it was like six years ago so I was really surprised to discover it was actually TEN.  I was also surprised to see that he had played UT in 2018 and I wondered why I didn’t go (I had tickets to Nada Surf that night).  But it has been 8 years since Mike has been here.

The 2016 lineup was guitarist Scott Murawski, percussionist Craig Myers, drummer John Kimock and keyboardist Robert Walter.

This years lineup was similar but different: guitarist Bob Wagner, guitarist Xavier Lynn, drummer John Kimock and keyboardist Robert Walter.

Like last time, Mike and friends played for almost 3 hours (a brief intermission in the middle).  And like last time, Mike didn’t do a lot of soloing–he’s not a show offy bassist, although he does play some great stuff–he always has a great groove and I enjoy when he messes with his pedal effects to create a variety of sounds.

There was a line to get in, but it moved quickly and when I got in the merch line was really short.  My wife had bought me a poster tube since I like posters so much and I actually brought it with me this time.  But while I stood there (and I could see into the hall) nothing was happening.  Then I saw that the card reader wasn’t working and these two guys were trying to fix it.  With a few minutes before the showtime, I quit the line and went in.  I had a great spot right in front of Mike.  Although the people around me were pretty odd.

One guy had a stuffed doll with him and he kept holding it up trying to take a picture of it with the band (which I get but holy cow he did it like 30 times).  After he moved away, the spot was constantly being filled by other people who really had no regard for personal space (which might just be a Phish thing). (more…)

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Rainbow Kitten Surprise / Common People (Wellmont Theater, Montclair, NJ, March 13, 2026//The Met Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, March 14, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Common People, Montclair, NJ, Philadelphia, PA, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, The Met Philadelphia, Wellmont Theater on March 13, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: March 13 & 14, 2026] Rainbow Kitten Surprise / Common People

With a name like Rainbow Kitten Surprise,  I thought this band would be a lot weirder.  I liked some of the songs I’d heard back in 2023 but they cancelled that tour.  Fever Pitch was a cool song with interesting components–lots of fun things going on in under 3 minutes.

The rest of their songs are similarly unexpected, and yet they aren’t quite as compelling.  I have heard  that their live show is unforgettable, but I had a lot going on and my son had just come home from school, so I blew off this show.

Common People are a newly formed band (2025) and they have a oxymoronically named classic indie sound.  They have five songs on Tidal and I like all of them.  Catchy, garagey, a good sound.  Fuzzy guitar solos, I’ll keep an eye on them because I’m definitely interested.

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Mia Asano / Billy Wilkins / Malphas (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, March 6, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Billy Wilkins, Malphas, Mia Asano, Philadelphia, PA on March 8, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: March 8, 2026] Mia Asano / Billy Wilkins / Malphas

In what is either serendipity or calculated planning, I heard about Mia Asano about three weeks before she announced this tour.  I was pretty sure I wanted to go because she looked like such a fun entertainer.  She plays a “flying V” electric violin that is more or less attached to her shoulder so she can move around while the violin stays put.

She plays mor or less heavy metal and her violin is super fast soloing.  But the more I thought about it the less I actually wanted to go.  It seemed more like a novelty than anything else.  And while I love novelty, I didn’t need to go to this one.  I think I’d rather see her as an opening act.

Billy Wilkins in from New Jersey.  He sings like a metal singer but his music feels much lighter than that.  I sort of like it but mostly don’t.  Although I suspect he’s enjoyable live.

I saw Malphas open for Arkona a few weeks ago.  I enjoyed their set but I came away thinking they were a bit amateurish, which is just an odd thing to think about a band (I blame Dingbatz more than the band I think).  Their music was pretty good and I would have enjoyed seeing them again in their home city.

 

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