Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Philadelphia, PA’ Category

The New Pornographers / Gustaf (Concerts Under the Stars series Upper Merion Township Building Park, King of Prussia, PA, August 7, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Ardmore Music Hall, Ardmore, PA, Concerts Under the Stars series, Gustaf, King of Prussia PA, Philadelphia, PA, The New Pornographers, Upper Merion Township Building Park on August 7, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: August 7, 2024] The New Pornographers / Gustaf

I saw New Pornographers’ back in 2019 (I didn’t realize it was quite so long ago).  I enjoyed the show quite a lot.  And almost wondered if I didn’t need to see them again since they played pretty much everything I wanted to see.  And yet, they were really good and I enjoyed the show a lot–I suspect they are always worth seeing.

This was yet another show at the Concert Under the Stars in King of Prussia, which I think would be pretty fun to go to, but KoP is pretty far.  And this night was out of the question as my daughter was showing at the 4H Fair. Plus, we could have seen them in Jersey City the night before (which we didn’t).

The weather was terrible so they moved the show to Ardmore Music Hall.  And the 4H Fair was cancelled.  In theory we could have gone to this one.  But then my daughter was called in to do her show even though the Fair was closed to outsiders.  So we went there instead.

I was actually really excited to see Gustaf who I saw open for Idles almost three years ago.  I’ve wanted to see them again because they were outstanding.  But again, sometimes things prevent you from doing what you want to do.

 

Read Full Post »

Speedy Ortiz (Milkboy, Philadelphia, PA, July 30, 2024)

Posted in Grocer, Milkboy, Philadelphia, PA, Queen Rat, Speedy Ortiz on August 1, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: July 30, 2024] Speedy Ortiz

I saw Speedy Ortiz back in 2018 and then… they sort of disappeared.  When they returned back in 2023, I saw  them twice, for a Free at Noon before the release of their new album and then a month later when they played the new album in full.

Speedy Ortiz was supposed to play Milkboy on New Year’s Eve, but the show was cancelled because of COVID in the band.

So this show was the rescheduled show from New Year’s (New Year’s in July).  And then in June, Sadie Dupuis posted this

 i had a bike accident monday after a car cut me off and, considering philly drivers and roads, i’m way lucky i’m alive and it didn’t go worse. 🚴😵‍💫  my elbow is, as they say formally in the medical-industrial complex, “totally effed,” but i’m scheduled for surgery monday and i’m being led to believe i’m in the best orthopedic hands out there. it’s going to be a long and annoying road to recovery but i love guitar more than anything and i’m famously stubborn so i’ll get there, don’t worry

They had to cancel shows with Mary Timony, but Sadie said she’d do anything to get this Milkboy show done, even if that meant not playing guitar and teaching all of her parts to Dylan Baldi of Cloud Nothings.

Sadie said it was like doing karaoke.  And when she realized that she’d be a “stand up” singer, she asked for a tambourine to keep her hands busy.  Then she learned that people who play tambourine off their thigh tend to protect themselves from serious bruising. (more…)

Read Full Post »

Grocer (Milkboy, Philadelphia, PA, July 30, 2024) [SPEEDY ORTIZ]

Posted in Grocer, Milkboy, Philadelphia, PA, Queen Rat, Speedy Ortiz on July 31, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: July 30, 2024] Grocer

This was the third time I could have seen Grocer.   The first time I didn’t go to the show and the second time was when Speedy Ortiz was supposed to play this show in July.

I thought I knew Grocer from NPR music but I didn’t (I think i got them mixed up with Florist who sound NOTHING like them).  Grocer is a trio from Philly: Cody Nelson – Drums/Vocals, Danielle Lovier – Bass/Vocals and Nicholas Rahn – Guitar/Vocals.  Each member sings and each singer’s musical style is a little different making for a wide ranging musical set all held together by this great band having a lot of fun.

The first song “Mating Call” opened with quiet guitars, quiet vocals from Cody Nelson and bird calls.  By the end of the song, the band was furiously singing “It powers on, but the signal’s gone.”

Up next was “Arts & Lit” sung by Nicholas Rahn.  It had an interesting riff, a jumpy melody and fun backing vocals.  I really enjoyed the sounds and effects that he used.  He had some kind of foot pedal that he slid back and forth which manipulated the sound and made his guitar soar into space. (more…)

Read Full Post »

Queen Rat (Milkboy, Philadelphia, PA, July 30, 2024) [SPEEDY ORTIZ]

Posted in Grocer, Milkboy, Philadelphia, PA, Queen Rat, Speedy Ortiz on July 30, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: July 30, 2024] Queen Rat

I was worried that I’d be a little late for this show but I parked (illegally it turns out) and managed to get into Milkboy pretty easily.

Queen Rat came on just as I leaned I could sit on the comfy stool to the left side of the stage (I assume a bouncer sits there during heavier shows?).   But it was perfect for my presently handicapped state.

Their bio says

Queen Rat is a rock trio born in Ohio, growing up in Philly. Drawing from rock heroes ranging from Hole to the Raincoats to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the band pairs pensive, observant lyricism with a versatile grunge-rock style. Following the release of their debut album, Until It’s Not, in 2022, they relocated to Philadelphia and released their latest single, Cut Me A Garden, in 2023. Talk to Queen Rat about books, jumping, or birds.

I found them to be much less aggressive than any of the bands listed above, playing an almost lo-fi vibe.

There were fuzzy guitars, for sure, but the pacing was slow and thoughtful with a few moments that rocked out–especially when drummer Kate Bertrand really kicked it in.

I particularly enjoyed the way Tile Floor ended with a lengthy outro of more or less the same lyrics repeated: (more…)

Read Full Post »

Previous Industries ft. Open Mike Eagle + Video Dave + STILL RIFT / Cavalier (Milkboy, Philadelphia, PA, July 27, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Cavalier, Milkboy, Open Mike Eagle, Philadelphia, PA, Previous Industries, Still Rift, Video Dave on July 27, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: July 27,  2024] Previous Industries ft. Open Mike Eagle + Video Dave + STILL RIFT / Cavalier

I saw Open Mike Eagle at the end of last year and really enjoyed his set.  Previous Industries is a low key supergroup, I guess.  (Although, it’s arguable that many people don’t know them individually).

Open Mike Eagle, Video Dave and STILL RIFT have worked together in various ways over the years and here they are together–rapping with each other on the songs.

The songs are kind of slow–emphasizing the lyrics rather than the melodies.  The songs are also thoughtful and not lyrically interesting.  One of the songs, for instance, references The Giving Tree (even mentioning Shel Silverstein).

And  a fun lyrics from Open Mike

Got it made, got it made, like I was hot for the teacher
It’s a sound blaster car with the Altec Lansing speaker
I like David Lee Roth and not the other guy
It’s ’95 South, so I can learn to do the butterfly
It’s Triple F.A.T. Goose stocked even in the summer time
My sweatshirt counting sheep with both words underlined
Yeah, and Mrs. Fields to the cookie stop
As quick as Mr. Owl licked the center of a Tootsie Pop

This is exactly the kind of rap event I would really enjoy.  I couldn’t go mostly because it was a Saturday and our schedule was pretty busy that week.  (more…)

Read Full Post »

Control Top / Carnivorous Bells / Eraser (Foto Club, Philadelphia, PA, July 26, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Carnivorous Bells, Control Top, Eraser, Foto Club, Philadelphia, PA on July 26, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: July 26, 2024] Control Top / Carnivorous Bells / Eraser

I saw Control Top back in 2019 and 2021 and really loved them.

They’ve been kind of dormant for a while so when they announced this show I was really excited to see them.  I’ve never been to Foto Club and I’m still not even sure what kind of place it is–it’s very hard to find anything about it online.

I thought my son would really enjoy the show–Control Top is a fun aggressive and somewhat interactive live band–singer/ bassist Ali Carter tends to jump in the crowd during the final song.  But he had to work that night so I knew we couldn’t get to the whole show.  But I considered that if his shift ended early enough and he was interested, we could leave and catch just Control Top (since I didn’t know the other bands anyway).  But I had my notifications off and I missed his text that he was interested in going, so I assumed he wasn’t interested so I more or less settled in for the night.

I’ve felt bad ever since because he seemed really excited to go when he got home.  On a practical level, I don’t know what time they actually went on and I’m sure  their set was fairly short, so it may not have been worth it to go anyway.  Sour grapes, I guess.

Carnivorous Bells according to R5 Productions have quietly become one of Philly’s most savage live acts.  They’re punky with a growly kind of singer. Not really my kind of show so I didn’t mind missing them.

Eraser is a Philly band who are about to release their first EP.  I’m intrigued by them, having only heard one song.  I imagine they would be fun and I’d like to see them some day.

 

 

 

Read Full Post »

Beck with the Philadelphia Orchestra / Molly Lewis (The Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia, PA, July 25, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Beck, Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Molly Lewis, Philadelphia, PA on July 25, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: July 25, 2024] Beck with the Philadelphia Orchestra / Molly Lewis

My wife and I have seen Beck three times now and his shows are always fun.

I more or less felt like I’d always see him when he came around.  And typically, an orchestral show promises an interesting performance.

But given Beck’s past history with making orchestral music, I wondered if this show would be really mellow and not all that much fun.  I mean, sure, Beck would make it fun, but, well, it just didn’t seem worth the drive to the Mann.

Looking at the setlist, I see that he played six songs from Morning Phase and five from Sea Change.  Just not my type of show, really.  But here’s some excerpts from the WXPN review:

Last night at The Mann Center, Beck took the stage with the 80-piece Philadelphia Orchestra and his Sea Change album band. This allowed him to perform songs that he usually does not get a chance to perform: cuts from Sea Change, Morning Phase and Mutations, as well as sneaking in his big hits such as “Devil’s Haircut” and “Loser,” which got the intently listening crowd to their feet. It was a truly incredible sound. He referred to playing with the orchestra as “$100,000 karaoke.”

With lots of wit and funny commentary, Beck also talked a lot about his influences such as Serge Gainsbourg and Francoise Hardy, whom he dedicated a song to. He played songs that he “selfishly wanted to sing with an orchestra, now that they were on stage” with him, such as “It’s Raining Today” by Scott Walker. He also mentioned that his very first concert was Brazilian musician Antônio Carlos Jobim.

After the 90-minute set with the Philadelphia Orchestra, they left the stage, leaving just Beck and his band on stage. Beck walked and climbed around the seats on stage having the spotlight follow him as he performed the encore, and left everyone wanting the show to go on longer.

(more…)

Read Full Post »

Tinariwen (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, July 24, 2024)

Posted in Basic, Chris Forsyth, Philadelphia, PA, Tinariwen, Underground Arts on July 25, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: July 24, 2024] Tinariwen

Tinariwen is a pretty legendary band.  They play a guitar driven “desert blues” in which the guitar is played pretty much non-stop.   It’s unique and original to American ears but is apparently part of a Mali musical sound that combines traditional Tuareg and African music with Western rock.

I’ve been trying to see them for a number of years and things never seemed to pan out, until this year.

The night was a challenge as parking was limited and I wound up coming in later than I intended.  It was also much more crowded (so early) than I anticipated.  So I had  to stand off to the side.

About half way through the show, I had to get out of the crowd and Underground Arts was super nice in that someone got me a chair (I’m using a cane at the moment).  I actually felt obliged to stay in the chair which meant I was in kind of a crappy location visually for most of the show.   But it was so crowded that I wasn’t going to see much anyhow, so I’m grateful for the seat. (more…)

Read Full Post »

Basic (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, July 24, 2024) [TINARIWEN]

Posted in Basic, Chris Forsyth, Philadelphia, PA, Tinariwen, Underground Arts on July 24, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: July 24, 2024] Basic

Philadelphia’s own BASIC, Chris Forsyth on guitar, Nick Millevoi on baritone guitar and drum machine, and Patrick Avery on percussion and electronics.  I saw them open for Tortoise back in 2023 and really enjoyed their rocking, possibly improvised set.

The venue was super packed.  I started in the center but couldn’t see anything so I moved to the Nick Millevoi’s side, but was still blocked by a pole.  Eventually I sidled up and managed to see all three of them.

Last time, I felt Christ Forsyth’s guitar was a little quiet, but this time the sound was great.

Like last time, Avery had a tiny bass drum that he hit with a mallet.  On it was a kind of woodblock, which he hit with a plastic mallet.  That’s all he had.  Millevoi often started a drum machine as he started playing so technically Avery didn’t have a lot to do, but seeing and hearing him add bass drum was a nice touch.  Avery also played with some electronics on a table near him–I think he was doing a lot more than I realized (since I couldn’t see him very well, it’s hard to know).

They played for about 40 minutes and it was a great rocking set.  Nick and Chris both played great solos from time to time and Mikel held it all together.

I do hope to see them one more time, hopefully from the front where I can really see what’s going on.

And what was fun was that Chris and his family (I assume) stood next to me at the end of Tinariwen, and then he was super friendly after the show where we chatted about the upcoming Basic album.

Read Full Post »

Kathleen Edwards / Ken Yates (Concerts Under the Stars series Upper Merion Township Building Park, King of Prussia, PA, July 24, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Concerts Under the Stars series, Kathleen Edwards, Ken Yates, King of Prussia PA, Philadelphia, PA, Upper Merion Township Building Park on July 24, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: July 24, 2024] Kathleen Edwards / Ken Yates [rescheduled from June 19]

I once thought that I would never get to see Kathleen Edwards.  And then she resurfaced from her coffee shop and I saw her three times in a year.

I would have liked to see her at this show (I saw her at an outdoor show two years ago) but King of Prussia is really far.  And then the whole tour was postponed because she and her band ran into Visa issues (for the first time ever).

She managed to rescheduled the dates (I guess there’s a good reason to do short two week tours, they are much easier to reschedule).  (more…)

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »