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Archive for the ‘Philadelphia, PA’ Category

Lucy Dacus (The Met Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, April 16, 2025)

Posted in Boygenius, Jasmine.4.T, Katie Gavin, Lucy Dacus, Philadelphia, PA, The Met Philadelphia on April 16, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: April 16, 2025] Lucy Dacus 

I have seen Lucy Dacus quite a few (six) times and she always puts on a mesmerizing show. The first time I saw her was at Johnny Brenda’s (capacity 250), the most recent was at Union Transfer (capacity 1200).  And now here she was starting off her first tour after boygenius in her former home town of Philadelphia by playing The Met (capacity 3800).

And, wow, did she step it up for this bigger venue.  She had a gigantic backdrop designed to look like a museum wall.  There were picture frames and columns and it looked amazing.  And even this was presented theatrically as for the openers and for Lucy’s first song, the whole extravaganza was covered in a dropcloth.  The band even walked through the dropcloth opening at the center of the backdrop.  When it dramatically dropped away, the crowd went nuts.

And as she sang, one (or more) of the frames would display a picture that had something to do with the song she was playing.

Because this was the Forever is a Feeling tour, she played mostly songs from that new album (she played the whole album, but not in order).  The album opens with Calliope Prelude and so did the show.  It’s a short instrumental which is primarily strings and it worked very nicely as “walk on” music.

And then she launched right into Hot & Heavy, a song that opens quietly but builds really nicely to get the whole band involved.  I was surprised that she hadn’t opened with a song from the new album, but she followed that up with five songs in a row from it.  The band includes Sarah Goldstone (keys vocals), Dominic Angelella (bass), Alan Good Parker Guitars), Phoenix Rousiamanis (violin), and Ricardo Lagomasino (drums).

First was Ankles, the big single from the album–I’m always surprised when bands play their new single so early, but it worked to keep the energy up.  This also happened to be the first Lucy album I hadn’t listened to much before the show.  So I didn’t know these new songs all that well.  But Lucy is engrossing as a performer.  And it’s fun to hear a sing for the first time in a live setting.  Like hearing the words to Modigliani–while she projected a Modigliani painting on the screen. (more…)

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Katie Gavin (The Met Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, April 16, 2025) [LUCY DACUS]

Posted in Jasmine.4.T, Katie Gavin, Lucy Dacus, Philadelphia, PA, The Met Philadelphia on April 16, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: April 16, 2025] Katie Gavin 

I Katie Gavin is the singer for Muna.  I didn’t really like the Muna album that much when it came out, but I was really impressed by their live show when I saw them at All Things Go a few years ago.

I felt kind of the same about the Katie Gavin album.  It was okay, but it didn’t excite me all that much.

In fact, I really wanted to see Jasmine.4.T because their song Elephant is one of my favorites this year.  Sadly, I didn’t realize the show started at 7:15 (I assumed 8) and when we rolled up at 7:45, Jasmine.4.T had already ended.

When Katie came out, she was met by thunderous applause, and as soon as she started performing, I was once again blown away by her stage presence.  She joked that people might not know who she is (the applause belied that).

I didn’t love Katie’s album as it leans a little too alt-country for me.  But as with anyone whose albums lean alt-country but who also rock out, in a live setting, the rocking comes to the fore.  And her four-piece band was outstanding, Both bassist Nana Adjoa and guitarist Eric Radloff provided backing vocals.  Adjoa even took a verse or two of some songs (she has a wonderful voice). (more…)

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Mercury Rev / Ryley Walker (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, April 16, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Johnny Brenda's, Mercury Rev, Philadelphia, PA, Ryley Walker on April 16, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 16, 2025] Mercury Rev / Ryley Walker

I enjoyed Mercury Rev’s 1990s albums.  But the 2000s records lost me.  I was surprised that they were playing Johnny Brenda’s since Deserters Songs was a relatively big album.  But they really haven’t done anything much since then.

I wouldn’t mind seeing them live but this one wasn’t very appealing to me.

I’ve seen Ryley Walker a few times.  I’ve seen him play weird psychedelic instrumental jamming and I’ve seen him play rocking songs as well.  I’m not sure which way he went with this show–probably more traditional songs I’d assume.

I wasn’t all that interested in this show, but I was taking my daughter to see Lucy Dacus tonight anyhow, so it didn’t make much difference.

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Tomato Flower / Zero Point Energy / Flock Econo (Silk City, Philadelphia, PA, April 15, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Flock Econo, Philadelphia, PA, Silk City, Tomato Flower, Zero Point Energy on April 15, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 15, 2025] Tomato Flower / Zero Point Energy / Flock Econo

I saw Tomato Flower open for Melt-Banana.  I didn’t know who they were but I loved them from the start.  Their songs were jagged and indie, weird and delightful.  They reminded me of Palm (one of my favorite weirdo bands) for the unexpected shifts in tempo and direction.  They had two singers Jamison Murphy and Austyn Wohlers (who is also a novelist) to make it all the more unexpected.

I absolutely wanted to see them again.  I couldn’t believe there were actually five shows I wanted to go to tonight.  But this one topped the list, especially since Silk City is small and has decent sight lines.

But my wife was still recovering from her surgery and I was planning on taking my daughter to a show the following night so I stayed home and missed them all.  I hope Tomato Flower comes back.

But, damn.  What bad timing.  I do hope they come back again in a couple of years.

Zero Point Energy is a Brooklyn-based duo consisting of Genesis Edenfield and Ben Jackson with a sound described as earthy electronic dance.  That’s a bio phrase but it works. They seem weirdly divergent from Tomato Flower, but there’s nothing wrong with that.  I don’t know what they’d do live, but I did like the songs I listened to.

Flock Econo is from Philadelphia.  Matt Loretti is Flock Econo and he says “Flock Econo emerges from an alternate timeline scored by Musica Popular Brasileira and ‘80s sophisti-pop. Sprung from his hermetically sealed chamber, a fool croons over bubbling syncopation and harmonies which meander, serpentine, before finding their way home.”   The songs I listened to were lo-fi and again don’t really seem like they’d play with Tomato Flower.  But who knows.

Either way, I’d love to see Tomato Flower again.

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Ani DiFranco: Unprecedented Shit! / Wryn (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, April 15, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Ani DiFranco, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer, Wryn on April 15, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 15, 2025] Ani DiFranco / Wryn

Back in the day I loved Ani DiFranco.  I loved her independent spirit and that she released her own albums on her own label.  I loved her acoustic albums, I loved her more rocking albums. I saw her a few times and she was incredible live.  And then at some point she changed her sound.  She added horns and started to sound a bit more like Prince.  These aren’t necessarily bad things but I didn’t like the new stuff at all and so I completely lost touch with her.

I didn’t even realize she was still putting out records. Her most recent was Unprecedented Sh!t  and here she was touring it.  I had no plans to go but I am pleased she sold out Union Transfer.

Wryn plays acoustic guitar music that rocks once in a while.  They have a good voice and a good sense of melody.  The album is out on Righteous Babe, and there’s an early Ani feel. I might have to dive in a bit more.

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Remember Sports / Anna McClellan (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, April 15, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Anna McClellan, Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA, Remember Sports on April 15, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 15, 2025] Remember Sports / Anna McClellan

Remember Sports are a Philly band that I’ve been vaguely interested in for a while.  They play indie punk and lead singer Carmen Perry has a distinctive almost unpleasant voice that I find really compelling.

But since I didn’t know them that well and there were four other shows I could have gone to tonight, this one didn’t have much of a chance.

Anna McClellan is an indie musician based out of Nebraska.  Her music (and vocals) seem really raw.  She seems to be also pushing the boundaries of unpleasantness, but might fall on the other side of it for me.

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Gruff Rhys (solo) / Chris Forsyth (solo) (World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA, April 11, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Chris Forsyth, Gruff Rhys, Philadelphia, PA, Super Furry Animals, Wales, World Cafe Live on April 11, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 11, 2025] Gruff Rhys / Chris Forsyth

This was a dream show for me.  I love Gruff Rhys (and can’t believe it was all the way back in 2018 that I saw him) and then to find out the Chris Forsyth was opening?  Oh dream night.  And it was in the upstairs part of World Cafe Live (because hardly anyone knows Gruff).  It would have been intimate and amazing.

But my wife was still recovering from her surgery and I didn’t feel comfortable leaving her.

Markitaneight recorded the hold night so I got to watch what I missed.  Chris played electric guitar.  He played about 25 minutes.  No set list was recorded, but he played some instrumentals and some songs with words.

I didn’t realize that Gruff was going to start the night with a 15 minute moving screening!  Which he then followed with music on his acoustic guitar.  The rest of the show was him talking about his American Interior project with slides and a soft spoken narrative.  The video has a hard time recording his spoken voice which is a bummer (but he’s fine singing).

He played songs from the album (but not in order).  And Chris Forsyth played a tasteful solo over Lost Tribes.  It looks like it was a weird, fun night.

CHRIS FORSYTH set:
Tomorrow Might as Well Be Today
You’re Gonna Need Somebody
Boston Street Lullaby [slow, serious instrumental (he had to sit for it)]
long instrumental [looped himself and played a solo over it]

GRUFF RHYS set:
American Interior ∀
Iolo ∀
Bad Friend ≅
Shark Ridden Waters ∞
Pang! ∏
Walk Into The Wilderness ∀
Lost Tribes ∀
If We Were Words (We Would Rhyme) ∞
Liberty (Is Where We’ll Be) ∀
The Last Conquistador ∀
The Swamp ∀

* set two*
Allweddellau Allweddol ∀
100 Unread Messages ∀
Y Gwenan Gorn ∀

 

∞ Hotel Shampoo
∏ Pang!
≅ Sadness Sets Me Free
∀ American Interior

 

 

 

Markitaneight recorded the night. Here’s Chris Forsyth:

Here’s Set 1 of Gruff’s night

And what he’s calling Set 2

Super Furry Animals was one of my favorite bands of the 1990s.  Their music was great and I loved that they were Welsh.  It’s unfathomable that some of their singles weren’t huge here.  Even their all-Welsh album Mwng is catchy as anything.

Since the mid 2000s they’ve been in a different musical space (and on hiatus).  Lead singer Gruff (pronounced Griff) Rhys has released several solo albums and just recently released the album Babelsberg.

I hadn’t heard any of Babelsberg, but that didn’t stop me from wanting to see Gruff live for the first time.  (I saw SFA back in the 90s, but this would be very different).

Gruff was supposed to come to Johnny Brenda’s a few years ago (he explained), but Visa issues caused him to miss the Philly date.  That show was supposed to be solo, but for this show he had a four piece band: bassist Stephen “Sweet Baboo” Black and Osian Gwynedd on piano (who I could never see because he was behind Gruff, but whom I talked to after the show).  And he had Kliph Scurlock from the Flaming Lips on drums (!).  Kliph was selling the merch (while the other guys were talking Welsh backstage) and I chatted with him for a bit.  He has moved to Wales! (more…)

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Ty Segall / Mikel Cronin (Ukie Club, Philadelphia, PA, April 15, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Mikal Cronin, Philadelphia, PA, The Ukie Club, Ty Segall on April 11, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 15, 2025] Ty Segall / Mikal Cronin

I have tried to see Ty Segall many times and something always comes up. I’d like to see him with his band, but I’ve even tried to see him solo.  I think his solo acoustic stuff is fun, but he’s so much more wild with the band (and amplification).

There were actually FIVE shows I wanted to go to tonight.  Ty Segall’s was second on my list because I would have much rather seen Tomato Flower.

It’s possible that I’ve given up trying to see Ty Segall after failing once again.

Mikal Cronin plays with Ty Segall pretty often.  I really enjoyed his album MKII.  Like Ty, I’d rather see him all fuzzed out on amplifiers.  But I’m sure his solo stuff is fun too.

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Chase Petra / Small Crush / Sorry Mom (The Foundry, Philadelphia, PA, April 11, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Chase Petra, Philadelphia, PA, Small Crush, Sorry Mom, The Foundry on April 11, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 11, 2025] Chase Petra / Small Crush / Sorry Mom

I saw Chase Petra open for Pool Kids and they were great.

Lead singer Hunter Allen’s vocals are fantastic.  Loud and powerful with some great subtleties–she puts a lot of emotion into her delivery. Guitarist Genevieve Quiquivix played some great riffs and even put some cool finger tappings between lines of  the verses–awesome.

I would have greatly enjoyed seeing them again, but I still wasn’t leaving the house after my wife’s surgery.

Small Crush is from L.A.  They write short poppy punky songs that are a ton of fun.  More poppy than punky, but with a great DIY vibe.  Their bio says the band

began in Logan Hammon’s bedroom when she was 13 years old, writing songs on her dad’s old guitar and recording covers on garageband. In her sophomore year of high school, she found some friends in jazz band class to help fulfill her dream of playing her songs in a full band. Together the band began developing their indie rock sound by getting inspired by 90s alternative and early 2000s indie.

Sorry Mom is a queer punk band from New York City.  Their bio is pretty great.  It says that they

like to hang out and play music and shoot hoops. they’ve shared the court with the likes of ajj and two members of the front bottoms. 

and continues

We’re Juno and Taryn. Juno sings and plays guitar and writes all our songs. Taryn drums and makes websites on Wix. Juno does stick and poke tattoos and loves to cook. Taryn has lots of plants and likes to draw pictures that have frogs in them. If you’ve ever seen a business-y tweet from our band account, that was Taryn.If you’ve ever seen a nonsense, borderline psychotic tweet from the band account, that was Juno. It’s very nice to meet you! 

Their songs are fast and sloppy and fun as anything.  No doubt very fun live.

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half•alive / The Walters / Mehro (Fillmore Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, April 9, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in half•alive, mehro, Philadelphia, PA, The Walters, Theatre of Living Arts on April 9, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 9, 2025] half•alive / The Walters / Mehro

I first heard of half•alive on a Tiny Desk Concert.

I’ve been interested in seeing the band because their stage show is legendary–they have two guys who basically dance–they choreograph dances for the songs.

I missed them in 2023 when they played TLA.  My friend Lindsy is a huge fan and was very excited to go to the show. She got there early and even met the band.  But The Fillmore was too big of a venue for me to “check out” this band, so I didn’t go.  I know that half alive is pretty dancey in an alt kind of way and I’m sure I’d like them live, but I didn’t feel like going.

The Walters played on a half•alive song so I see the connection.  They’re a bit more low-key than half•alive, though.  They remind me of AJR (but the less wacky parts).  Catchy though.

mehro pronounced “marrow,”

the name mehro encapsulates their goal of seeping into the literal DNA of listeners. “The concept was born from bone marrow: It’s essential for us to live, but we never see it,” recalls mehro.

Woah.

mehro’s rich, multi-layered music has an airy, dreamlike sound that lures the listener in before giving way to the bleak emotions bubbling just below the surface.

I listened to a song and enjoyed the mix of lo-fi bedroom pop and full band screaming choruses.  They defied my expectation for sure.

For ease of searching I include half alive.

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