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Archive for the ‘Philadelphia, PA’ Category

Deafheaven / Gatekeeper / Trauma Ray (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, May 12, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Deafheaven, Gatecreeper, Philadelphia, PA, Trauma Ray, Union Transfer on May 12, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 12,2025] Deafheaven / Gatekeeper / Trauma Ray

This was the most embarrassing reason I’ve ever had for missing a show.  I thought it was the 13th, but it was actually the 12th.  I just wrote down the wrong date in my calendar.  WTF!

I had missed Deafheaven last year when they came around (scheduling conflict) so I was all about going to this one.  I only found out because I couldn’t get a ticket for my son online so I wrote the venue and they said sales were closed because the show was the previous night.  Holy crap.

Gatecreeper are an old-school death metal band from Arizona who formed in 2013.  They are loud and growly.  I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed them for the entire set.  But I would have enjoyed the first opener.

Trauma Ray opened for Panchiko last year and after listening to them I really wanted to see them

Among the current wave of shoegaze revivalists, Fort Worth’s trauma ray rank as high as any at capturing its complexity, intensity, and expressive devastation.   One of trauma ray’s greatest gifts is their ability to make doomy, sledgehammer heaviness sound like an ear-worm, without production tricks or gimmicks: “Riff, verse, chorus, three guitar parts – that’s all you need.

Once again, Deafheaven picks two diverse opening bands that each match their sound in their own way.

 

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Joseph / Tune-Yards [FREE AT NOON] (World Cafe Live, Philadelphia Pa, May 8, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Joseph, Philadelphia, PA, tUnE-yArDs, World Cafe Live on May 8, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 8, 2025] Joseph / Tune-Yards [FREE AT NOON]

I had a ticket to this Free at Noon and drove into Philly to see it.

I have seen both Joseph and Tune-Yards and enjoyed them both, although I was more interested in seeing Tune-Yards.  I’ve never seen a Free at Noon with two bands before and wasn’t really sure how this would work–but this was part of NON-COMM so who knew how things worked at that.

Joseph was a trio, but Alison had recently left (amicably) and so Joseph was now a duo.  Tune-Yards was also a duo Merrill Garbus and multi-instrumentalist Nate Brenner.  They played all new songs except for one older track.

In total, Tune-Yards played six songs and Joseph played five.

But I didn’t see any of it.  Traffic was insane and I didn’t get anywhere near the venue until quarter after and since it was NON-COMM, there was no parking to be had.  So, I blew the whole thing off and grabbed some Federal Donuts for lunch instead.

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Tune-yards / JayWood (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, May 7, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in JayWood, Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA, tUnE-yArDs on May 7, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 7, 2025] Tune-Yards /JayWood

I saw Tune-Yards in 2018 and liked them well enough.  I hadn’t really considered seeing them for a while, but I was enjoying the new songs I’d heard from them.  But this show sold out in a minute.  I mean it’s not that surprising.  Last time I saw them at Union Transfer, and this one was at Johnny Brenda’s.

When this sold out, I tried to see Tune-Yards for their Free at Noon the day after, but the traffic was so bad I missed them.

And then later in the summer, when they played the XPoNential Festival,we arrived too late to see them–so I ‘m really just not meant to see them again, I guess.

JayWood is the stage name of Jeremy Haywood-Smith, a Canadian musician from Winnipeg, Manitoba whose music blends soul, funk, hip hop, indie rock and psychedelic rock influences.

I mean, on paper this guy is perfect for me, but I didn’t really like the sound all that much.  It felt too much like bedroom R&B to me.  Oh well.

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Oshima Brothers (The Arrow, Allentown, PA, May 6, 2025) [KISHI BASHI]

Posted in Brooklyn Bowl, Kishi Bashi, Philadelphia, PA, Sweet Loretta, Tall Tall Trees on May 6, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: May 6, 2025] Oshima Brothers

This was our first time going to Archer Music Hall or it’s smaller companion The Arrow.  It’s a great set up with the two venue attached and yet somehow totally independent.  Our show was a quiet folkie show and downstairs were The Melvins and Napalm Death and we couldn’t hear any of it.

I had never heard of the Oshima Brothers.  Actually, that’s not true, they played Guster’s On the Ocean Festival (which we didn’t go to), but I hadn’t head them at all.

The brothers came out and there was a joke about one of them (Sean) looking like Nick Jonas (he does).  So they are Japanese-Italian folk-pop siblings from the coast of Maine.  Sean and Jamie play keys, bass, drums, looping, dance moves, and magic.

They had a great stage presence–lots of smiling and crowd interactions.  And their musical prowess was impressive–the amount of things they could play with looping.

Their songs were gentle and sweet but kind of forgettable.  The kind of songs that work well and are enjoyable live, but when you listen to them later, they’re just sort of okay. (more…)

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Gigi Perez / Nikole (Theatre of Living Arts (TLA), Philadelphia, PA, May 5, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Gigi Perez, Nikole, Philadelphia, PA, Theatre of Living Arts on May 5, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 5, 2025] Gigi Perez / Nikole

My daughter and I saw Gigi Perez open for Girl in Red and I was really interested in seeing her as a headliner.  But this show was up against DEVO and I wasn’t going to pass one DEVO.

Since this show I’ve seen her two more times (in short sets, but still) so I don’t mind having missed this one.

Nikole is one of many artists who drive me crazy by going by their first name.  If you have an unusual name sure.  But hey, Nikole, even with a k is not unusual enough.  This person is very hard to search for.

If I have the right person she grew up in Florida and her mom is Venezuelan, and her dad is Lebanese.  She speaks Spanish but sings in English.  I’ve listened to a couple of songs.  She has a great voice and her songs are catchy with some cool guitar work on top.  But seriously, she needs a new stage name.

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Florist / Allegra Krieger (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, May 5, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Allegra Krieger, Florist, Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA on May 5, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 5, 2025] Florist / Allegra Krieger

I knew of Florist from an NPR Tiny Desk Concert.  It makes me smile that this was a show I could have gone to on the same night that I could have gone to Arch Enemy at TLA and Napalm Death at Union Transfer.  Because Florist is one of the quietest bands around.

Emily Sprague has a very gentle voice–almost a whipser (but not mumbling or anything).  And her guitar playing is really pretty.

There’s no way I would have gone to this show, but it’s fun to list it here.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Allegra Krieger is also a quiet musician.  She comes across as a little louder and darker than Florist.  But I’d guess this was a no earplugs needed kind of show.

Actually, after listening to Allegra, I like her more than Florist.

 

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Napalm Death / The Melvins / Weedeater / Dark Sky Burial / Titan to Tachyons (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, May 5, 2025/ Archer Music Hall, Allentown, PA, May 6, 2025)) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Allentown PA, Archer Music Hall, Dark Sky Burial, Napalm Death, Philadelphia, PA, The Melvins, Titan to Tachyons, Union Transfer, Weedeater on May 5, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 5 & 6, 2025] Napalm Death / The Melvins / Weedeater / Dark Sky Burial / Titan to Tachyons

I saw Napalm Death in 2022 and enjoyed the hell out of them.  They were fast and furious and lead singer Barney Greenway was awesome.

I saw The Melvins in 2023 when they toured with Boris.  I didn’t think I would like them for some reason, but they were fantastic live.

Even though I don’t really want to do a full night of metal anymore, this would have been a cool show to go to.  However, the first night was right after I’d been out two nights already that week and the second night was the night we had tickets to see Kishi Bashi. Coincidentally, the second night was in the same venue!  This show was downstairs in the huge room and our show was upstairs in the tiny venue.

For the first night, Weedeater and Dark Sky Burial opened.

I like the stoner metal sound of Weedeater but I don’t like the singer’s voice.  He sounds like a demon in a movie.  Weedeater have an instrumental song Wizard Fight that is pretty great though. They are a sludge/doom metal band from Wilmington, North Carolina, formed in 1998!

Dark Sky Burial have a heavy sound that’s very atmospheric–like a scary noir movie.  They really surprised me by including a saxophone on the wonderfully named Decay is the Matric of Fertility.  And Beware Your Subconscious Destroyer has dance beats! I didn’t realize that this is a side project of Napalm Death bassist Shane Embury.  This is his outlet for experimental music and retro horror/sci fi Movie vibes.

This might have bee a really fun show actually.

Titan to Tachyons is also unknown to me.  Turns out they are an experimental jazz-metal group led by New Zealand composer and guitarist Sally Gates, backed by the powerhouse rhythm section of Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle), Matt Hollenberg (Cleric), and Kenny Grohowski (Imperial Triumphant). The quartet instrumentally depicts the realms of Surrealism and science-fiction through eclectic and improvisational passages, juxtaposed by fluid grooves and metallic flurries.

That sounds amazing, frankly.  Well, here’s a bunch of new bands to check out.

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The BellRays (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, May 3, 2025) [THE DAMNED]

Posted in Philadelphia, PA, The BellRays, The Damned, Union Transfer on May 5, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: May 3, 2025] The Damned

I saw the Damned at Coney Isalnd High with my friend Garry on Feb 6 1998

The BellRays are a band from California that describes itself as an original punk, rock and soul band.  I had never heard of them and assumed they were a young band.  But they have been together since 1990.  I guess if I hadn’t heard of them in 35 years, they weren’t really on my radar.

So they came out and demanded quite a lot from the audience.  Again, I thought they were a new band, so this surprised (and annoyed) me.  Knowing that they’ve been doing this for so long, I get where the on stage banter and attitude comes from.

They rocked pretty well, but it really wasn’t my thing.  Actually, that’s not true.  If they had opened for someone else–someone soulful and almost bluesy, I would have enjoyed them more. But there’s really nothing punk about them (except their attitude, I guess).

The songs were basic, good rockers, but lyrically, they were pretty meh.

Having said that, singer Lisa Kekaula has a fantastic voice–soulful and powerful–and she and guitarist Robert Vennum, the founders of the band) have great chemistry.  I was thinking that a comparison of her voice to Tina Turner’s was lazy; however, in their blurb they say they have been described as ‘Tina Turner fronting AC/DC.”  I wouldn’t go as heavy as AC/DC for the band, but the description works.  Actually, they sound a lot more like an L.A. metal band circa late 80’s.  Although their cover of Ball of Confusion was pretty great.

If I was in the right mood for them I probably would have loved them, but I found them just okay.

The Damned toured around here in 2023 and I couldn’t go.  But Fucked Up opened for them and I sure as hell would have enjoyed THAT double bill.

  1. On Top £
  2. I Fall Down ♠
  3. Hard Drive ♠
  4. Wolf’s Sun ♠
  5. Changing Colors ‰
  6. Living a Lie £
  7. Down On My Knees ♠
  8. One More Night ♠
  9. Voodoo Train €
  10. Black Lightning £
  11. Startime €

♠ Heavy Steady Go
£ Black Lightning
€ Red White and Black
‰ Let It Blast

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Arch Enemy / Fit for an Autopsy / BAEST / Thrown Into Exile (Theatre of Living Arts (TLA), Philadelphia, PA, May 5, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Arch Enemy, Baest, Fit for an Autopsy, Philadelphia, PA, Theatre of Living Arts, Thrown into Exile on May 5, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 5, 2025] Arch Enemy / Fit for an Autopsy / BAEST / Thrown Into Exile

I saw Arch Enemy open for Behemoth back in 2022.  I didn’t really know them before hand, but I enjoyed their set quite a lot.  And I took a photo of singer Alissa White-Gluz that is one of my favorite concert photos ever.

I don’t think I really had any interest in the show, especially since I didn’t know any of the other three bands.  But the fact that they were playing at TLA held my interest for a little while at least.

Fit for an Autopsy is a band I’ve been aware of for a while, but I had never listened to them.  I hate to say they are another band with a growly singer, but they are.   The good thing is that you can actually understand what he says (it’s pretty dark, duh).  And they do have some really catchy parts in their songs.  They’d probably be enjoyable live.

I had not heard of Baest who is a Danish death metal band formed in 2015.  I like that their name was initially spelled Bæst, the Danish word for “beast” or “brute.”  That makes me happier than thinking  they just wanted to spell Beast weirdly.

They have a pretty classic European metal guitar sound with a really deep growly vocalist.  They’re more punishing than Fit for an Autopsy by my reckoning.

Thrown into Exile is a band from L.A.  They’ve been around forever, although I’d never heard of them.  The singer has a kind of barking style that I don’t really like.

This would have been an exhausting night of metal.

 

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Arcade Fire (The Met Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, May 5, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Arcade Fire, Philadelphia, PA, The Met Philadelphia on May 5, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 5, 2025] Arcade Fire

Back in the day I was a big fan of Arcade Fire.  I though their first few albums were great.  Then I kind of gave up on them.  A student who worked for me was obsessed with them and was a little much, but he did make me rethink why I was blowing them off.

Nevertheless, I hadn’t listened to them in quite some time.

I knew the last times they toured they played large venues.  But this was meant to be a small sort of pre-tour tour.  They announced the shows about two weeks before the dates.  There were only a few shows and Philly was one of them.  I thought, why not?  It’s a chance to see them in a small place.

But wow, crazy expensive seats.  And I had a show the day before and the day after, so I said no thanks.

Turns out they played  the entire new album and then a good selection of hits as well.

I had wanted to see them back in the day, alas.  I don’t think I’ll be checking them out in the future either.

 

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