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Archive for the ‘Philadelphia, PA’ Category

Stardew Valley: Symphony of Seasons (Marian Anderson Hall at the Kimmel Center, Philadelphia, PA, October 2, 2025)

Posted in Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Marian Anderson Hall, Philadelphia, PA, Stardew Valley, Verizon Hall on October 2, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: October 2, 2025] Stardew Valley: Symphony of Seasons

My wife is a big fan of Stardew Valley.  Last November, when this show was announced, I grabbed tickets pretty quickly and basically assumed the day would never come.

Back in 2017 my son and I went to this very venue (then called Verizon Hall) to see The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses.  We were really close to the stage which I don’t think was all that exciting for him.  or for me, really. So this time, my wife and I sat in  the balcony–straight back.

It was a great location as they played videos on the screen and we could see both the videos and the orchestra perfectly.  So what was this?

Curated by ConcernedApe, Symphony of Seasons features a 35-piece orchestra performing the most memorable music from the game, and a screen above the stage playing gameplay footage plus original content created exclusively for this tour.

Concert-goers can look forward to hearing the game’s most cherished songs as they watch their farm grow throughout the seasons and explore some of the valley’s most memorable locations, from Pelican Town to the Skull Cavern, Ginger Island to Calico Desert, the Submarine to the Wizard’s Tower and much more.

I have never played the game and have only caught glimpses and audio snippets around the house so while I knew the game I didn’t know any of the music.

The whole show was wonderful.  There was an opening video by ConcernedApe who told us that he made all of the music on his computer and how cool it was that there were actual people playing it now.

The video clips were largely from the game, but there were several videos of beautifully drawn scenes–the likes of which are not on the game.  My wife said it was amazing to see 3-D looking version of the  8 bit game.  It was also funny to hear people gasp when these scenes were projected or to laugh at the funny scenes in the game.  [There were four people behind us who felt compelled to talk and make each other laugh through the show, but whatever].  There was some cosplay and interesting merch. (more…)

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TWRP (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, October 1, 2025)

Posted in LAPD, Los Angeles Power Disco, Philadelphia, PA, TWRP, Underground Arts on October 2, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: October 1, 2025] TWRP


My son and I saw TWRP open for Magic Sword back in 2023 and we loved them.  We saw them again when they headlined.  And they’re the reason I went to Ninja Sex Party (they opened the show and were NSP’s backing band).

And here they were playing Underground Arts!  They were originally supposed to play World Cafe Live but because of a shakeup at the venue, TWRP and several other bands abandoned WCL for other venues.  I love Underground Arts but I think WCL would have suited my purposes better (much better sight lines).

I arrived later than I intended and the place was packed.  So instead of being on the barrier, I was back a ways behind a whole bunch of tall people.  After the first two songs I moved back and off to the side.  Not the best view but better than what I had and I could see most of the band just fine.

The previous times that I’ve seen them, they were on pretty big stages, so it was interesting to see them crammed into the small UA stage.  But they did fine with it and I was pleased that Phobos the guitarist was always near the front of the stage so he wasn’t hidden by the big pole.

All of the fun aspects of TWRP were in place.  Dr Sung on his hoverboard, Dr Sung bragging about his awesomeness and the rest of the band keeping him in check.

This tour’s theme was a weekend camping trip.  There were leaves and things around the stage and the whole conceit that they were camping was on full display.

They opened with a new song (and a new chant: party party party party).  I haven’t listened to much of the new album.  They played 4 songs from it but they did not get rid of crowd faves like Bright Blue Sky (so much fun to sing along to) and of course Atomic Karate (even in this small area he was able to do his high kicks (baby) and use the nunchaku.

The segues into each song are always fun, like when he talks about all of the potential in the room as a warm up to Human Potential. (more…)

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Chance the Rapper / Adamn Killa / DJ Oreo (Fillmore Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, October 1, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Adamn Killa, Chance the Rapper, DJ Oreo, Philadelphia, PA, The Fillmore Philadelphia on October 1, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 1, 2025] Chance the Rapper / Adamn Killa / DJ Oreo

I don’t like a lot of young rappers, but I do like Chance the Rapper.  He’s more musical than a lot of rappers who tend to do mumble rap.  I didn’t really plan to go to this concert, but it’s nice to know he’s back, doing his thing.

I hadn’t heard of either opening act.

A review from Shifter Magazine says this about them

Chance’s best friend and DJ, DJ Oreo who performed an energetic opening set to get the crowd ready for the show, however, what really got the crowd turnt up was surprise guest and viral Tik Tok sensation Adamn Killa and his crew of miscreants. Another Chicago native who has found massive online fame for his crazy antics, viral dances, and pitchy rap songs that really know how to get people going. The crowd erupted as he took over the venue and made it his own personal playground.

 

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LAPD [Los Angeles Power Disco] (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, October 1, 2025) [TWRP]

Posted in LAPD, Los Angeles Power Disco, Philadelphia, PA, TWRP, Underground Arts on October 1, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: October 1, 2025] LAPD 

I was super excited for this show.  I wanted to get there early and get right up front for TWRP.  But I guess everyone else did too.  So I didn’t get a close spot at all.  I was annoyed by the people in front of me since they cut in at the least second and blocked about six shorter people.

The only consolation is that they were playing Weird Al as house music–which is a little weird since TWRP are funny, but aren’t comedy music.  But whatever, we all enjoyed it.

I’d never heard of Los Angeles Power Disco before this show.  The name was pretty funny (especially abbreviated LAPD).

The band came out on the tint stage and the trio crowded right up front.  There was a guitarist and a keyboard/bass/guitar player, and there was singer/guitarist Sarah Rayne.

Rayne had been in the band Cobra Man which played what they called Los Angeles Power Disco.  Then Cobra Man broke up very acrimoniously and Sarah took the name LAPD.

There was no drummer and honestly I don’t even know if the two guys on stage are part of LAPD or are touring musicians (LAPD has five songs out on Bandcamp, all released in 2025).

Sarah was dressed in a sequined unitard and was super interactive with the crowd.  I didn’t love the spot where I was (or the three tall people who jumped in front of us at the last second), so I couldn’t fully see what she was doing, but I know at one point she climbed on the barrier (holding hands with someone up front) and proceeded to high five and have people sing along to “Your. Time. To. Burn.” (more…)

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Lambrini Girls / Edging (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, September 26, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Edging, Lambrini Girls, Philadelphia, PA, Underground Arts on September 26, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 26, 2025] Lambrini Girls / Edging

As seems to happen a lot, I heard about Lambrini Girls and how their shows were amazing.  And then I saw that they were playing Underground Arts.

Their bio says “Imagine your nan is in the boot of your car with a croissant in her mouth and hears bikini kill for the first time. That could be you. It will never be us as we are not bikini kill and we are not your nan. We are Lambrini Girls. Bon appetite xoxox.”  The band currently consists of Phoebe Lunny and Selin Macieira-Boşgelmez (bass).  Lunny has a kind of shouting/speaking style (not all that unusual) and her accent remains very strong (also not very unusual among British bands).

Their name comes from Lambrini, a brand pear-based alcohol “aimed at the undiscriminating female drinker.”  And they have a song called Cuntology 1010, which is pretty funny while also being very pointed.   They seem like they would be a ton of fun live.

But my daughter an I had left for All Things Go earlier in the day, so I couldn’t go to this one.  I hope they come back next year.

I hadn’t heard of Edging, who describe themselves as “landscaper punks from Chicago” because their three founding members connected through landscaping jobs.  They play noisy punk and singer Faith Callaway has a great raw singing style.  But what makes them stand out is that their punk is accompanied by a saxophone (like X-Ray Spex).  Or, as I saw: “70s-style punk splattered with technicolor saxophone.” They seem like they’re a lot of fun.

This would have been a great show.

 

 

 

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Pool Kids / Truth Club / Pony (Ukie Club, Philadelphia, PA, September 25, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Philadelphia, PA, Pony, Pool Kids, The Ukie Club, Truth Club on September 25, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 25, 2025] Pool Kids / Truth Club / Pony

I saw this very show two days earlier in Asbury Park.  It was terrific.  All three bands were great.

I love Pool Kids, one of my favorite new bands.  I saw Truth Club open for Indigo de Souza last year and I saw Pony open for Fucked Up in 2022.  Both opening bands were great then and they were great two nights ago.  I’ve even seen Pool Kids at the Ukie Club in 2023.

So, this would have been another great opportunity to see them.

But since I’d seen then just a couple of days ago, I didn’t need to see them all again.  Although my friends’ daughter drove all the way from Scranton to Asbury Park to see them and was planning on driving all the way to Philly to see them tonight.

 

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Stereolab / Memorials (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, September 24, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Memorials, Philadelphia, PA, Stereolab, Union Transfer on September 24, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 24, 2025] Stereolab

I saw Stereolab at Union Transfer in 2019.  I really enjoyed the show–they sounded great and they were really entertaining.  I saw them again at Franklin Music Hall in 2022 and I didn’t really enjoy it.  I couldn’t put my finger on why it was less fun.  Bigger venue, with a less serious crowd?  I don’t know.  But I was a little bored by the set.  So when this show was announced, despite it being at the better venue, I opted not to get a ticket.

I see now that they played 9 songs from their latest album, so I’m glad I didn’t go.

Memorials (Verity Susman and Matthew Simms, previously of Electrelane/WIRE) are an experimental pop band from the UK with a psychedelic sound that is both melodic and unconventional. They sound an awful lot like Stereolab–which is no bad thing.  Maybe a bit more fun?  This is a pretty ideal double bill.  Verity even sounds like Lætitia Sadier.

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Jamali Maddix (Helium Comedy Club, Philadelphia, PA, September 24, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Helium Comedy Club, Jamali Maddix, Philadelphia, PA, Taskmaster on September 24, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 24, 2025] Jamali Maddix

I  decided I would like to see my favorite Taskmaster contestants if they came to the United States.  We saw Sarah Millican in June.  I had Jamali Maddix on my list of Taskmaster comedians I’d like to see, but I didn’t find out about this show until just before it happened.

I didn’t know anything about comedy clubs at the time.  And I didn’t know where this one was.  So I passed.  But it seems like many Taskmaster comedians come to the U.S., so I’ll just have to hope he comes back.

I also didn’t realize his whole tour was only four dates and Philly was one of the lucky cities.

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PUP (Fillmore Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, September 17, 2025)

Posted in Alanis Morissette, Ekko Astral, Jeff Rosenstock, Philadelphia, PA, PUP, The Fillmore Philadelphia on September 21, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: September 17, 2025] PUP

My son and I have seen Pup twice and have enjoyed both shows immensely.  I assume I’ll want to see them whenever they come around because they are so much fun.

This was the first time we were fairly close to the stage (we were one person from the barricade at the beginning of the night, although by the end we had been pushed around a bit.  And indeed, my son jumped in the pity later in the night.

This was a busy bill–3 bands, with Jeff Rosenstock playing an hour.  I was really impressed with the efficiency of the night (are you listening Wet Leg?).  15 minutes between Jeff Rosenstock leaving the stage and Pup taking over.

I realized that I hadn’t listened all that much to their new album, which was not a great plan going into a tour for the new album.  All Pup songs are catchy and fun, so it doesn’t really matter if you don’t know them–except that when you know them you can sing/scream at the top of your voice.

But it wasn’t all new songs at all.  They opened with a new song (the opening song of the album). (more…)

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Tom Odell / Jade Bird (Theatre of Living Arts (TLA), Philadelphia, PA, Septmber 21, 2025) [CANCELLED]

Posted in Jade Bird, Philadelphia, PA, Theatre of Living Arts, Tom Odell on September 21, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 21, 2025] Tom Odell / Jade Bird

I had never heard of Tom Odell. The only reason this show was on my radar is because Jade Bird was opening.  How could Jade Bird, who gets massive airplay and love in Philly be opening for someone I’ve never heard of?

Of course, I heard  the name Tom Odell and though of Tom Bodett who is not the same in any way, but it still made me laugh.

Evidently he is very highly regarded and has been around since 2012. Just off my radar I guess.  But his whole tour was ultimately cancelled:

“Due to an unforeseen change in my schedule and the associated logistics, sadly we need to reschedule the upcoming May dates in the US. This has also affected some of the September US shows.

I assume this is why Jade Bird scheduled some headline shows in the area, since her tour was cancelled.

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