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Archive for the ‘Philadelphia, PA’ Category

Deftones / Gojira / Poppy (The Met Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, August 22, 2020) [POSTPONED]

Posted in Coronavirus, Deftones, Gojira, Philadelphia, PA, Poppy, Postponed, Quarantine, The Met Philadelphia on August 22, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: August 22, 2020] Deftones / Gojira / Poppy [moved to August 27, 2021]

index

I saw Deftones at a lousy location (Sands Bethlehem hall), but it was one of my favorite shows that year.  The crowd was pushy and shovey, but Chino came within five feet of me and the energy was amazing.

Plus at the end of the show, when a roadie threw out a drumstick, I actually got it.

I knew I’d want to see them at least one more time, but wow was I surprised to see that they were going to play The Met in Philly, which I think of as a more “delicate” hall.  I’d be slightly afraid for the seats at a Deftones show.

The opening acts were really intriguing as well.

Gojira area French heavy metal band whose 2012 album I loved.  Heavy and very technical I’d imagine they put on a great show.

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 here 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.

I really thought that this show at the end of August might go on but on May 19, they sent this note.

Due to the current regulations, and uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, we must reschedule our North American summer tour dates with special guests, Gojira and Poppy. We’re currently rescheduling the dates for 2021, and you’ll be the first to know once they are confirmed. All tickets will be honored or refunded upon our next announcement regarding the tour.

I’m glad they are promising to come back  And by then, their new album (due in September) will be familiar to all of us.

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David Gray–White Ladder: The 20th Anniversary Tour (The Mann Center for Performing Arts, Philadelphia, PA, August 20, 2020) [POSTPONED]

Posted in Coronavirus, David Gray, Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, Quarantine on August 20, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: August 20, 2020] David Gray [moved to August 19, 2021]

indexDavid Gray is pretty uncool–definitely “old person” music.  However, White Ladder is a pretty solid album.  When he announced this show, I asked S. is she might want to go.  We both had the same reaction.  Maybe… if it’s convenient.  Well, the Mann Center is anything but convenient, so there’s no way we were going.

I really shouldn’t even post it here, but since I’m including anything I even considered going to, here it is.

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Sheer Mag / Young Guv (Boot & Saddle, Philadelphia, PA, August 20, 2020) [rescheduled date–CANCELLED]

Posted in Boot & Saddle, Cancelled, Coronavirus, Fucked Up, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, Quarantine, Sheer Mag, Young Guv on August 20, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED CANCELLED: August 20, 2020] Sheer Mag / Young Guv [rescheduled from May 15]

indexUPDATE: I’m not technically sure what the difference is between a postponed and a cancelled show in this time of COVID.  This show was changed from postponed to cancelled on October 19.  I assume that Sheer Mag will be back at Boot & Saddle one day, maybe it’s just a technicality for their books.

Who would have guessed back in may that a show postponed to August would get postponed again?  Well, the CDC I suppose.

Since Sheer Mag is a Philly band, they will be back.  But I was looking forward to seeing Young Guv.  Hope he gets to come along next time.

I saw Sheer Mag a couple of years ago and found their set to be fun and energetic.  I haven’t gotten any of their music because they refuse to put anything out as a CD.

Their sound is so strangely old school rock that it’s hard for me to believe they are a new band made up of young musicians.

I didn’t think I’d need to see them again, but it’s always fun to see bands at Boot & Saddle, especially with a home town crowd.  They have rescheduled for two dates in the fall and fortunately my ticket will be applied to the night I am free.

Young Guv is Ben Cook, the guitarist for Fucked Up.  I had no idea what kind of music Young Guv made, but what I imagined turned out to be nothing like what it actually is.

Young Guv’s music is poppy and light in an indie rock sorta way. It’s really catchy, too.  I’m looking forward to seeing him again.

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The Decemberists: 20 Years Before the Mast: 20th Anniversary Tour (The Met Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, August 18, 2020) [POSTPONED]

Posted in Coronavirus, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, Quarantine, The Decemberists, The Met Philadelphia on August 18, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: August 18, 2020] The Decemberists: 20 Years Before the Mast [moved to August 17, 2021]

indexI’ve been a fan of The Decemberists for years and I am surprised by how few times I’ve seen them.  We were supposed to see them two years ago and then Colin Meloy’s voice went out just in time for our show, so that was cancelled.

I was surprised that this tour didn’t include a stop in Red Bank, but a show at the Met in Philly is almost as good.

I was really really hoping that this show wouldn’t be postponed–it seemed like a milestone date somehow.  Plus, I had AMAZING seats.  Fortunately, the show was postponed to exactly a year minus a day away (as many shows tend to be) and my amazing seats are still good.

Here’s their official word on the postponement from May 27:

Adored Mailing List Recipients,

As you might remember from previous emails, there was some discussion over whether or not 2020 was *in fact* the 20th Anniversary of The Decemberists. Did the band start out in 2000? Or was 2001 our proper debut? There are recollections of Decemberists shows happening in 2000 in some form, and yet our first website and logo proclaimed us “Est. 2001” — for reasons lost to time. Well, we’re happy to report that that controversy is settled once and for all, and it only took a global pandemic to do so.

And so: Twenty Years Before the Mast, The Decemberists’ 20th Anniversary Tour will be coming to your town in the summer of 2021, not this summer.

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Waxahatchee / Fenne Lily (Asbury Lanes, Asbury Park, NJ, August 14, 2020) [POSTPONED]

Posted in Asbury Lanes, Asbury Park, NJ, Coronavirus, Fenne Lily, Jeff Tweedy, Lucy Dacus, OHMME, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, Quarantine, Union Transfer, Waxahatchee on August 14, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: August 14, 2020] Waxahatchee / Fenne Lily [moved to April 6, 2021]

indexWaxahatchee was supposed to play Union Transfer back in April.  That show was rescheduled to October.  But in the interim, she scheduled this date at Asbury Lanes.

Union Transfer holds about 1,000 people.  Asbury Lanes holds about 100.  What a different experience that would be.  Even if you went to both shows.

The one real difference though is the opening act.  OHMME is in Union Transfer, Fenne Lily is here.  I loved OHMME when I saw them and want to see them again.

I saw Fenne Lily open for Lucy Dacus and I really enjoyed her.  In fact, I would enjoy seeing her again as well.  So, her as an opening band isn’t a bad thing by any means, It’s just not as good as OHMME.

I’ve seen Waxahatchee twice–once with a full band and once solo.  I like her, although I wasn’t sure I wanted to see her again.  She has a new album out and I’ve heard it’s much more mellow than her last couple, so that doesn’t really appeal to me.

I’m curious if this show will be rescheduled.  It would be fun to see her in a small space (with social distancing).

wxa

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Bit Brigade (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, August 9, 2020) [rescheduled date–POSTPONED]

Posted in Bit Brigade, Coronavirus, Johnny Brenda's, Legend of Zelda, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, Quarantine on August 9, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: August 9, 2020] Bit Brigade [rescheduled from March 29]

indexBit Brigade was one of the first shows to get postponed due to the pandemic.  They were also one of the first bands that I saw post about how the band was their livelihood and how they were going to lose a lot of money from a postponed tour.

I sure hope they managed to make some money on the side and I’m very sorry for them that the show was postponed again.  Bit Brigade has played Johnny Brenda’s before and I’m sure they will be back again.

I saw Bit Brigade play Johnny Brenda’s back in 2018.  The premise behind a Bit Brigade show is that the band plays the soundtrack to a video game while their resident gamer plays the game.  The band is heavy and the sound is amazing.

Last time I saw them, they were playing The Legend of Zelda and it was phenomenal (The music is really good).  They came around last year playing a different game but I couldn’t go.

They were playing Zelda again this time around and although it might be more fun seeing a different game, each show is different depending on how well their gamer plays.

I really want to bring my son to this show, but Johnny Brenda’s doesn’t allow anyone underage to come to the show.

I don’t think that an opening act had been announced at this time.

 

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Porridge Radio (Boot & Saddle, Philadelphia, PA, August 7, 2020) [POSTPONED]

Posted in Boot & Saddle, Coronavirus, Philadelphia, PA, Porridge Radio, Postponed, Quarantine on August 7, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: August 7, 2020] Porridge Radio

indexI heard about Porridge Radio from NPR.  They are exactly the kind of weirdo post-punk British band that I love and would never hear anywhere on the radio.

Singer Dana Margolin is more of a talker than a singer.  Her accent is thick and her intensity is palpable.  The band mixes melody and noise in an unexpected way.  And of course there’s “the growing legend of their intense live shows.”

This show promised to be about twenty people (which technically would have been okay for a legal small gathering) and it would have been fantastic.

I hope they can make it back.

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Flora Cash / Beau Young Prince (The Foundry, Philadelphia, PA, July 30, 2020) [POSTPONED]

Posted in Beau Young Prince, Flora Cash, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, The Foundry on July 30, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: July 30, 2020] Flora Cash / Beau Young Prince

indexI was looking at upcoming shows and was shocked to see that Flora Cash was headlining The Fillmore.  (It makes a ton more sense that they were headlining The Foundry).

I saw them open for Aurora two years ago.  I’d never heard of them and then a few months after the show, one of the radio stations around here started playing their single “You’re Somebody Else,” which is a cool song.

I wouldn’t have gone to this (there were two other shows I would have gone to first), but it is neat to have seen someone long before they were big enough to do a small headline tour.

I’d never heard of Beau Young Prince.  He’s a young rapper and the first comment on the first song I listened to said, “No drugs, no money, no mumble…love it!” which pretty well sums it up.  He uses autotune and raps pretty well.  I’m pleased at the diversity of this line up.

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Built to Spill (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, July 30, 2020/White Eagle Hall, Jersey City, NJ, July 31, 2020) [POSTPONED]

Posted in Cancelled, Coronavirus, Jersey City, NJ, Kraftwerk, Marshall Poole, Newport Folk Festival, Philadelphia, PA, Prism Bitch, Quarantine, The National, Union Transfer, White Eagle Hall on July 30, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: July 30/July 31, 2020] Built to Spill [White Eagle Hall show moved to July 30, 2021]

indexI’ve seen Built to Spill a bunch of times. The last time I promised myself I wouldn’t get too close to the stage, but I did.  The problem with being so close is the way Doug Martsch has his guitar set up.  His amp is right next to him and it is so loud.  From where I was you could barely hear anything else.  Of course I’m there to watch Doug play, so it’s not too bad.  But I promised myself I would stand back to fully appreciate his band.

On this newly announced tour, his whole band was going to be different.  In fact, I have seen at least three different lineups for the band over the years.  This tour was going to feature drummer Teresa Esguerra of Prism Bitch (who opened for Built To Spill last time) and bassist Melanie Radford of Marshall Poole.  I knew it would be a very different show.

Unfortunately, I had tickets to Kraftwerk on July 30 and tickets for The national on July 31 (not to mention we were supposed to leave for the Newport Folk Festival on the night of the 31st as well).  So I sure hope he keeps this line up when he;s ready to play again.  And I will stand back and take it all in.

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Kraftwerk 3-D (The Met Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, July 30, 2020) [CANCELLED]

Posted in Cancelled, Coronavirus, Kraftwerk, Philadelphia, PA, Quarantine, The Met Philadelphia on July 30, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[CANCELLED: July 30, 2020] Kraftwerk 3-D

indexKraftwerk are one of the most influential bands of all time–and most people don’t know them.

I know a lot of their songs, although I’m sure at a Kraftwerk concert I probably wouldn’t know half of the songs.

And yet, when they announced a North American tour to celebrate their 50th anniversary in which they will bring their beloved 3D visuals, music, and performance art on the road to play a career-spanning set this summer, I grabbed tickets immediately.

Normally I wouldn’t want to see a band that wasn’t full of original members. Kraftwerk really only has one–Ralf Hütter is the only guy still in the band from the beginning/  of the other three, Fritz Hilpert has been on board since 1987, Henning Schmitz since 1991 and Falk Grieffenhagen since 2012.  Florian Schneider another co-founder just died this year but he had left the band twelve years ago.

Nevertheless, Kraftwerk is decidedly not about the musicians, they are about the music.  And the spectacle.  And a 3-D show is pure spectacle.

I was really holding out hope that this show would not be cancelled.  I hope they decide to try again next year, (Hütter is only 73, after all) because a 51st anniversary is just as good!

 

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