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Archive for the ‘Philadelphia, PA’ Category

Torres / Sarah Jaffe (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, November 14, 2020) [rescheduled date–POSTPONED]

Posted in Coronavirus, Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, Quarantine, Sarah Jaffe, Torres on November 14, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: November 14, 2020] Torres / Sarah Jaffe [rescheduled from May 19; moved to October 18, 2021]

indexTorres is a wonderful musician who I feel has really gotten the brunt of the industry and now the coronavirus.  She really counts on shows and it’s a real shame that her shows keep getting postponed.

I have seen Torres in a small, intimate show (which was amazing) and then in a slightly larger venue (which was excellent in a different way).

I didn’t think I ‘d need to see her again, but I follow her on Instagram and was really interested in seeing her new show (especially in a different venue).  I haven’t heard all of the new album, but I did like the first single.

Sarah Jaffe is a singer from Texas.  She seems to play a lot of different styles, from folkie (“Clementine”) to more pop rocking (“Glorified High”). I enjoyed the few tracks I listened to and imagine she’d be a fun live performer.

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Boot & Saddle R.I.P. (2020)

Posted in Boot & Saddle, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer on November 10, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[CLOSED: November 11, 2020] Boot & Saddle

COVID-19 has officially closed one of my favorite clubs of all time.  I hoped beyond all reason that all of my favorite clubs could weather this storm.  And hope in the back of my mind that they are able to resurrect it somehow if this Pfizer vaccine comes to fruition.

The official word:

After seven years and 1,500+ shows, we are now forced to close Boot & Saddle.

With Covid-19 cases back on the rise in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and around the country, the thought of having 200 people standing shoulder-to-shoulder in our small indoor bar early next year has faded. After eight months without a show, and without a clear reopening date in sight, we no longer have the luxury of paying the bills and expenses for two closed venues. And so, we have made the difficult decision to close Boot & Saddle for good. We hope that this decision will assure that our sister venue, Union Transfer, can survive well into 2021.

We sincerely appreciate all the support over the years. From everyone who saw a show, had a drink, or played on our stage. We are proud of having provided a stage on which local Philadelphia artists can develop and grow alongside national and international touring acts.

It has been a fun and enjoyable experience from start to finish: transforming an old country & western bar, which was shuttered for eighteen years, into a bustling, live music venue with its iconic neon sign lighting up Broad Street. Boot & Saddle was where the likes of Lizzo and Sam Smith made their Philadelphia debuts. It is also where legendary icons like Thurston Moore and Psychic TV performed for intimate crowds. Where gigantic local bands like The War on Drugs, Circa Survive, and The Menzingers played unforgettable, secret shows. We like to think that over the last few years we helped contribute to the best music scene in the United States.

None of this would have been possible without all the hard work of our entire staff, past and present, especially Gina, Andy, and both Jeffs, who did an incredible job in making South Philadelphia’s first music venue in 30+ years into an incredible success.

In memoriam, we will be creating an R.I.P. Boot & Saddle Benefit T-shirt, if you feel inclined to support the venue one last time. Portions of the proceeds will go towards continuing to pay our full time staff’s health care during the pandemic, as well as keeping the lights on at Union Transfer (for which we very much intend to not have to make an R.I.P. Union Transfer Benefit T-shirt). Check our social media channels in the coming days for that!

We would like to take this final opportunity to remind everyone that local independent venues in our city and across the country are in grave danger. Live Music Venues were the first businesses to close and they will be the last to re-open. As other restaurants, bars and stadiums begin to re-open, our doors remain shut. We cannot sell you a contactless takeout or curbside delivery concert. Without some form of assistance, our local music scene right here in Philly, along with countless others across the country, may collapse. We will keep our socials active, so that we can from time to time pass along news and actions that you can take, to help ensure that the remaining venues in Philly stay open.

For the next week, we will keep the neon lights on at Broad Street to remind everyone of what was. Grab a pic while you can and tag us.

Thank you for the memories, and we hope to see you at Union Transfer.

– xo B&S

Here’s the shows I’ve seen there [with many more planned for 2020/2021, sigh]

11/7/2016 Dilly Dally
11/7/2016 Marge
11/7/2016 Palm
12/4/2016 Jason Anderson
12/4/2016 Strand of Oaks Winter Classic II
5/10/2017 Family Crest
5/10/2017 Oh Bree
9/28/2017 Torres
9/28/2017 Aphra
3/8/2018  Jessica Lea Mayfield
3/8/2018 Mal Blum and the Blums
3/12/2018 Active Bird Community
3/12/2018 We Were Promised Jetpacks
5/9/2018 Sloan
7/26/2018 Japandroids
7/26/2018 Mannequin Pussy
12/7/2018 Strand of Oaks Winter Classic IV
12/7/2018 Carl Broemel
12/7/2018 Joe Pug
2/1/2019 claud
2/1/2019 SOAK.
4/15/2019 Big Heet
4/15/2019 Gurr
4/15/2019 Priests
5/10/2019 Kevin Devine
5/10/2019 John K. Samson
5/10/2019 Shannon Moser
6/5/2019 Ages and Ages
11/18/2019 Blushing
11/18/2019 Lovelorn
11/18/2019 Ringo Deathstarr
12/12/2019 Strand of Oaks Winter Classic V
12/12/2019  Mike “Slo-Mo” Brenner
2/7/2020 Garcia Peoples
2/7/2020 Suffacox Mach 2
2/21/2020 Sloan: Navy Blues tour

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Diet Cig / Sad13 / Thin Lips (First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia, PA, November 4, 2020) [rescheduled date–POSTPONED]

Posted in Coronavirus, Diet Cig, First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia, PA, Philly Music Fest, Postponed, Quarantine, Sad13, Speedy Ortiz, Thin Lips, Union Transfer on November 4, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: November 4, 2020] Diet Cig / Sad13 / Thin Lips [rescheduled from May 14 Union Transfer]

indexI was really bummed when this show was postponed.  I was even more bummed when it was moved to the Church. I really liked the venue when we first arrived, but by the end, I was hot and sweaty and crowded and worn out.

Then back in September, the venue sent out this message

We that brief note of optimism, now for the bad news: The rescheduled show w/ Diet Cig has now been officially “canceled”. When we rescheduled this show a few months back, we thought we would be in a much different place than where we are currently.

Exactly NOT what I wanted to experience in a club.  So this postponed makes sense to me.  Maybe next time they’ll move them back to a bigger venue.

I have wanted to see Diet Cig ever since I saw them on a Tiny Desk Concert–they are a bundle of energy and the duo play super catchy pop punk.  I wanted to see them before they lost their energy.

I missed them the first time they came around and last time around they played at the First Unitarian Church, a venue I dislike.  So when they announced this show at Union Transfer I was so excited.  This cancellation was a major bummer for me.

Especially since now that they rescheduled it is apparently being moved to the Church again (does this mean sales are really poor?)

Sad13 is the solo moniker of Sadie Dupuis the singer of Speedy Ortiz.  They were wonderful live (and I was right in front of Sadie to watch her terrific guitar work).  I don’t really know much about the Sad13 songs but I assume they will be great if she is behind them.

I saw Thin Lips at the Philly Music Fest and they were absolutely fantastic.  I loved them and was looking forward to seeing them again.  They play catchy pop punk with pointed lyrics.  Outstanding.

So, I sure hope all three can come around for the postponed date (and I hope it sells better and has to get moved out of the Church into a bigger venue).

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Einstürzende Neubauten: The Year of the Rat Tour (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, October 31, 2020) [CANCELLED]

Posted in 2manydjs, Cancelled, Coronavirus, Einstürzende Neubauten, Philadelphia, PA, Quarantine, Union Transfer on October 31, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[CANCELLED: October 31, 2020] Einstürzende Neubauten

indexEinstürzende Neubauten are infamous–they have been making noise (their name means collapsing new buildings) for forty years.

It never even occurred to me that you might be able to see them live.  Apparently,

The last time the Berlin-based band attempted a tour across the Atlantic was back in 2010.

Unfortunately, Blixa Bargeld and Co experienced heavy losses when their ten date 30th-anniversary tour of the US was held up by bureaucratic red tape.

Neubauten had two cancel the tour just two days before the first gig at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles, at the time stating:

“While the US Department of Homeland Security did issue approvals for the band’s visas, it was not done in time to secure the appointments at the overseas embassies and consulates that represent the necessary final step in the process.”

Their earliest music was largely noise and mechanical sounds. They have morphed over the years (Blixa Bargeld played with Nick Cave for many years).

What began in 1980 in the Berlin Wall City in impetuous noise constructions went through countless metamorphoses and can still be called the avant-garde today. To avoid the impressive work outstripping the band, Blixa Bargeld, NU Unruh, Alexander Hacke, Jochen Arbeit and Rudolf Moser always set new artistic goals.

I wonder who was going to open for them.

I would really enjoy seeing them live. However, I would never be going to a show on Halloween night–I have kids after all.

It’s a shame that this whole tour was cancelled–I would imagine they would never try coming back to the States. But if they do, I will certainly try to get there.

eineilish

 

 

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Half Waif / Ian Chang (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, October 24, 2020) [rescheduled date–CANCELLED]

Posted in Cancelled, Coronavirus, Half Waif, Ian Chang, Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA, Pinegrove, Postponed, Quarantine, Son Lux on October 24, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[CANCELLED: October 24, 2020] Half Waif / Ian Chang [rescheduled from May 13]

indexIt sure seemed like five months of lockdown would be enough time to beat this thing.  The experts said it wasn’t long enough for live music.  And they were right.

I looked up this concert recently and there was no mention of it on the venue website. I wrote to Nandi Rose (thanks Instagram) and this is what she wrote back

yes I had a tour planned for this fall but with touring off the table for the foreseeable future, all shows are on hold 😦 We are still waiting to see when will be the right time to reschedule and perform safely. Thanks for your patience, can’t wait to come back to Philly.

(more…)

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King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard / Leah Senior (Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, October 22, 2020) [rescheduled date–POSTPONED]

Posted in Australia, Coronavirus, Franklin Music Hall, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, Quarantine on October 22, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: October 22, 2020] King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard / Leah Senior [rescheduled from May 22; moved to October 23, 2021]

indexI was bummed when KGATLW had to postpone a show in May. I mean, come on, Coronavirus, would certainly be over by May, right?  Well, now it’s October and things are still crazy.  I really hope they can do this again next year.

Of course, knowing them, they’ll have three more albums out by then.

I have become a huge fan of King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard (are there any other kinds of fans of them?) since I first heard about them a few years ago.

I’m sad that I missed them on the tour just before the first time I saw them (at a smaller venue when newbies like me hadn’t heard of them yet), but I have seen them twice since.

In both cases, the band overcame somewhat unpleasant (to me) situations (obnoxious capacity crowds and unreasonable heat) to change my mind from swearing I’d never bother seeing them again (before the show), to hoping they’d come back really soon (after the show).

I’m not at all surprised that this show was postponed and they have already rescheduled the new date.  So we’re all good.  I just hope the damned air-conditioner works next time.

The last time I saw KGATLW, the two opening bands were kind of doom/psychedelic–perfect matches for KGATLW’s more recent sound.  This year’s opener is a singer named Leah Senior.

Leah Senior did the narration on KGATLW’s Murder of the Universe album.  But her music is a completely other thing.  She sings gentle folk songs with delicate guitar playing and her beautiful soft voice.

I can;t imagine how well she would go over with a rowdy KGATLW crowd and I also wonder if that means that KGATLW would play their more mellow stuff?  Nah.

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Peter Bjorn and John / Methyl Ethyl (solo) (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, October 10, 2020) [rescheduled date–CANCELLED]

Posted in Cancelled, Coronavirus, Johnny Brenda's, Laura Marling, Methyl Ethyl, Peter Bjorn and John, Philadelphia, PA, Quarantine on October 10, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[CANCELLED: October 10, 2020] Peter Bjorn and John / Methyl Ethyl [rescheduled from April 7]

indexWhen this show was postponed back in April, October seemed so long ago.  But it also seemed like a reasonable amount of time before we could see live music again.  Bigger bands postponed until 2021, but surely a small club would be ready by October.

Sigh.

I really got into Peter Bjorn & John a few years ago.  Then they fell by the wayside for me.  When I saw they were playing at Johnny Brenda’s I thought it promised to be a good show.  I have since heard that PB&J put on an amazing live show, so I was even more excited about it.

Methy Ethyl is a band from Australian who I don’t know anything more about them except that the solo show was going to be done by Jake Webb, the creative force behind the band.

On July 28, the band officially cancelled the tour

Dear PBJ-people and supporters!
It is with utter disappointment and sadness that we are forced to announce that the North American tour-dates supporting #endlessdream have been cancelled, due to COVID-19 and the uncertainty surrounding the virus.

The #endlessdreamtour has so far been but a dream and continues to be so for the time being. We hope, of course, to return as soon as it is safe to play shows again. In the meantime, refunds should start to process soon. If you have any questions, please contact your point of purchase.

We firmly believe “Endless Dream” is one of our strongest albums yet, and also ideally suited to the stage, so we can’t wait to get out there and bring those new songs to life. If you want to support the band until we can, purchase the beautiful vinyl-album or other merch-items.

All our best and talk soon!!
Peter Bjorn and John

 

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Soulwax (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, October 8, 2020) [rescheduled date–CANCELLED]

Posted in 2manydjs, Cancelled, Coronavirus, Philadelphia, PA, Quarantine, Soulwax, Union Transfer on October 8, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[CANCELLED: October 8, 2020] Soulwax [rescheduled from February 29]

indexAfter having this concert postponed for technical reasons back in February, I was quite interested in seeing it in seeing the rescheduled production.  So I’m pretty bummed that the whole tour has been cancelled.

I hope they decide to try again when it’s safe.

I haven’t thought about the Belgian band Soulwax in about 15 years.  I bought their 1998 album Much Against Everyone’s Advice and then really enjoyed brothers David and Stephen Dewaele’s side project 2ManyDJs (whose release As Heard on Radio Soulwax Pt. 2) was an amazing mash-up album).

I really had no idea they were still making muisic (and apparently putting on incredible shows).

BrooklynVegan said

If you’re never seen Soulwax live, David and Stephen Dewaele treat a live band show like a DJ set, with songs flowing into one another, and builds and drops. (Their 2006 show at long-gone Brooklyn club Studio B was one of the best shows I saw that decade.) You can get a feel for what to expect on their 2017 album, From Deewee which is a seamless one-hour set they recorded live in their Deewee studio in one take.

I wasn’t sure if I was going to go to this show, but then the show was inexplicably postponed.

As Brooklyn vegan put it

Dammit! Soulwax were to have started their first U.S. tour in forever beginning in February but they’ve just announced that it’s been postponed. It’s not visa issues, for once, but production design for the group’s new stage set:

We are always committed to delivering the best show we can and have designed a brand new set up which sadly just won’t be ready in time for March. We are working on new dates – please look out for an announcement very soon.⁣

We would like to thank everyone who bought tickets for these shows and look forward to seeing everyone later this year.

 

soulwax

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City and Colour / Katie Pruitt (Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, October 7, 2020) [rescheduled date–CANCELLED]

Posted in Alexisonfire, City and Colour, Coronavirus, Franklin Music Hall, Katie Pruitt, LGBTQ, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, Quarantine on October 7, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[CANCELLED: October 7, 2020] City and Colour / Katie Pruitt [rescheduled from May 16]

indexIt really seemed like October would be ample time for things to settle down and for concerts to start again.  It’s really disappointing to see that it’s not yet.  At least as of June, Green had cancelled his entire fall tour.

I’m also fascinated by the posters below.  This rescheduled date was not part of his original fall tour.  Katie Pruitt is not with him for any other shows–although he did initially reschedule the shows with her.

City and Colour is Dallas Green, the clean singer from Canadian band Alexisonfire.  I liked them a lot (especially his parts).  I’ve also enjoyed some of his solo stuff, which tends to be more folkie.

I’ve often thought it would be interesting to see him live.  He seems like a decent guy and I imagine is shows would be enjoyable.  But I have to say that i am shocked that he could headline Franklin Music Hall.  It just seems way too big for him.  Do more people in the States know who he is than I realize?

Anyhow, I had tickets for Tenacious D on this night, so I wasn’t going anyhow.

I’d guess he’d be more of a Boot & Saddle-sized performer.  So, good for him.  I wouldn’t want to see him in such a large place, but maybe someday he’ll come somewhere smaller.

Katie Pruitt is a folk/country singer from Nashville.  She has a wonderful song called “Loving Her’ that she released for National Pride Day (with a great video).  She veers a little too much into the country twang for my tastes, but if she can get country music to embrace the LGBTQ community, then, I’m all for her.

city color

city-and-colour

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Tenacious D / Wynchester: The Purple Nurple Tour…Twisting Hard To The Left! (The Met Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, October 7, 2020) [CANCELLED]

Posted in Cancelled, Coronavirus, Philadelphia, PA, Quarantine, Tenacious D, The Met Philadelphia, Wynchester on October 7, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[CANCELLED: October 7, 2020] Tenacious D / Wynchester

indexS and I saw Tenacious D and Wynchester together a couple of years ago and it was great.

Tenacious D sound amazing and are funny as hell.

Wynchester is some of the guys from The D with a different singer.  They are countryish but still rock out.

The crowd was mixed for me.  Tall and frankly obnoxious, but fun when they needed to be.  I thought it would be fun to see them again, so i was pretty happy to hear about this tour.  And to see that they were in a better venue–The Met Philly will be great for a band with a big visual component.

On July 8 The D posted:

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This concert was paired with 46 for 46.  What’s that?

With the Democratic campaign to unseat *** already well underway, a pair of music industry veterans-turned-activists are announcing a new initiative entitled 46 for 46, described as a “strategically planned series of 46 unique concerts in 46 different cities in the states that matter most during the lead up to the 2020 election.” The goal: to help launch the Democratic presidential nominee into the White House using the inspirational power of music.

This was supposed to be a big time anti-**ump concert.  One hopes that when the D come back around it will be a moot point and **ump will just be in jail.

ten d

 

 

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