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Archive for the ‘Philadelphia, PA’ Category

An evening with Sloan (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, June 28, 2023)

Posted in Canadian Music, Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA, Sloan on June 28, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: June 28, 2023] Sloan

This is my fifth time seeing Sloan (and S’s third time).  And while I know that they have a new record out (and they played every song from it), I am so impressed by the number of new songs they played at this show.

Every time I’ve seen Sloan, they’ve done “An Evening with” which I love.  I do enjoy an opening act most of the time, but it’s so great getting two sets–two and a half hours–of music from the band you really like.

I’m always a little bummed that Sloan aren’t bigger here–they play such huge places in Canada.  But here they wind up in 250 person capacity venues.  Of course, everyone there is a huge fan, so that’s gotta feel pretty good.  Plus, I don’t want to see them in an arena.

Their new album Steady is really good and they started off the show with three new songs, one from each vocalist.  I love that they started out with a song from Patrick–his songs are so catchy.  They followed it with a Jay song–so distinctive.  And ended the trilogy with a Chris song–poppy and catchy with great harmonies from Patrick.

They jumped back to Twice Removed with a classic song I can’t believe I haven’t heard them play before, “I Can Feel It.”

Jay doesn’t have as many songs as the other guys so we tend to hear a few of the same songs from him when he sings.  But Between the Bridges is my favorite album of theirs so I’m always happy to hear a song from it.

After the new “Human Nature” with a killer melody, Andrew, the drummer, came out from behind the kit.  This is always fun, because Jay switches to bass and Chris switches to drums while Andrew sings and plays guitar. (more…)

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Feeble Little Horse / Full Body 2 (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, June 27, 2023) [CANCELLED]

Posted in Feeble Little Horse, Full Body, Full Body 2, Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA on June 27, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[CANCELLED: June 27, 2023] Feeble Little Horse / Full Body 2

I heard about Feeble Little Horse from All Songs Considered.  They had an interesting sound and I was intrigued when I heard they were playing Johnny Brenda’s.  It turned out that this show was the same night my son was flying out to Denver.  So I just figured I wouldn’t be going out that night anyhow.

I didn’t buy tickets, so I didn’t hear that their whole tour had been cancelled.  Just a few days before they were supposed to tour (on the 23rd), they announced:

Feeble Little Horse have canceled their upcoming tour of North America, which was set to begin in Washington, D.C., on June 25. “[W]e were so excited and this tour meant the world to us,” the band wrote in a statement, “we have been blown away by all the recent support we have received but for now we have to take a step back and reassess our little world for our continued health.” Read the rest of the message below.

The Pittsburgh-based band issued its second album, Girl With Fish, in mid-June after announcing it with the summer tour in February. Feeble Little Horse reissued their debut, Hayday, last year. Feeble Little Horse have not yet indicated whether the 12-date tour will be rescheduled.

I don’t know what’s up with their health, but I did have to laugh that a 12 date tour seemed too much for them.  Their post actually sounded like they were breaking up, so we’ll see.

Full Body 2 is (according to WKNC)

an explorative band from Rochester, N.Y. [who] have found their niche tapping into a bold blend of digital rock, shoegaze, and curated electronic chaos. Composed of Cassidy Rose Hammond, Dylan Vaisey, and Jack Chaffer, this trio created Full Body 2 in 2020 as a one-off project from their former indie-rock band Full Body. Full Body 2 provides us with music that encourages creativity. It is motivating and refreshing. They are defined by their unique use of sound collage and abstract vocal work. Full Body 2 is positive, energetic, and undeniably loud. Upon the release of “Demo 01” in 2020, their explosive, curated sound took root and the band quickly shifted gears from Full Body into Full Body 2– the once ephemeral project taking ownership of its permanence.

I hadn’t heard of either band, but I really like the shoegaze feel (one of the rare recent bands who are shoegaze without being really heavy).  It’s a wall of ethereal electronic sound and is really good.

 

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Weezer / Future Islands / Joyce Manor (Mann Center, Philadelphia PA, June 27, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Future Islands, Joyce Manor, Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia, PA, Weezer on June 27, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: June 27, 2023] Weezer /Future Islands / Joyce Manor

Weezer has turned into the Barenaked Ladies for me.

What does that mean?

Well, I have seen Barenaked Ladies a bunch of times (starting back in the days before Steven Page left). In the last decade or so, they have been doing a Last Tour of Summer every summer, where they have two opening bands and they play most of their hits.   Every year the shows are fairly similar with a few new songs thrown in the mix.  But I have since decided I would go based on the opening bands.  If they pick one (or two) bands I really want  to see, then I’ll go.  If they pick bands I actively don’t like, I won’t go.  This year, they picked two bands I didn’t like (I would have happily seen Semisonic, but they were only on the west coast).

Now it appears that Weezer will also be doing an annual summer tour.  I’ve only seen Weezer three times, but they’ve all been fairly recently, so I find myself in the same boat.  I’d be happy to see Weezer again, but only if the opening bands are ones I want to see.

And look at the support bands!  Modest Mouse!  Spoon!  Momma!  even White Reaper. (more…)

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Mondo Cozmo (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, June 24, 2023)

Posted in Illinois, Mondo Cozmo, Philadelphia, PA, Underground Arts on June 27, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: June 24, 2023] Mondo Cozmo

We had enjoyed Illinois, but as my wife said, when Mondo Cozmo started playing it was like, “ah yes, this is a professional band.”  And I know what she meant, somehow Mondo Cozmo stepped up the quality of the performance.  Everything felt a little bigger, a little more polished.

So we had known some Mondo Cozmo songs from hearing them on WXPN.  As of a few days ago I could say I didn’t really remember the songs I knew, although when I played the albums on Spotify they came flooding back.   Suffice it to say we didn’t know most of the songs.

But as soon as Joshua Keith Ostrander started playing (acoustic guitar for the first song) and singing “Meant for Livin'” it was clear why they were the headliners (even if Illinois helped him out when he was first starting).  And by the chorus, we knew that we had picked a perfect show to see.

The band sounded great, Josh’s voice was fantastic and the songs were all catchy as hell.  Even if you didn’t feel comfortable singing along yet, you could easily clap along.

“Meant for Livin'” has a kind of Dylanesque feel of folk rap and and a big ripping chorus.  And I could see from the way that she was smiling  that my wife was happy she came along.

“Black Cadillac” was even bigger, with a fun bass line and another sing along chorus and  fun ending “Give me some sugar.” (more…)

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Illinois (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, June 24, 2023) [MONDO COZMO]

Posted in Illinois, Mondo Cozmo, Philadelphia, PA, Underground Arts on June 26, 2023| 1 Comment »

[ATTENDED: June 24, 2023] Illinois

I was looking forward to seeing this show, but I felt bad that I was going out two nights in a row so I asked my wife if she wanted to come along.  I never ask her along to show I know she’ll hate, and I know sometimes she’s iffy about going out at all, but she said yes, and that made it all the more fun.

The opening band was Illinois who I had never heard of, but whom the crowd absolutely had. The crowd sang along to almost every song and I’m guessing that if I knew the music a little better I would have had as much fun as everyone else.

As it was, it felt like a fantastic cover band playing covers that I’d never heard before.

Turns out Illinois is from Bucks County, PA, so they’re locals.  And the locals were really into seeing them.

The songs had a stomping kinda country feel and I was never exactly sure what vibe the band was going for. (more…)

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Spotlights (Ortlieb’s, Philadelphia, PA, June 23, 2023)

Posted in Heatmap, LaMacchia, Ortlieb's, Philadelphia, PA, Spotlights on June 25, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: June 24, 2023] Spotlights

I saw Spotlights open for Deftones back in 2016.  I hadn’t heard of them before, but their live show left a lasting impression on me.  I had been trying to see them again since then, but it never worked out for one reason or another.

Finally, they were playing at Ortlieb’s, a bar I’d never been to. So it was cool to check out this venue and see  this band.

The openers started late for one reason or another and so Spotlights didn’t go on until after 10.  They were supposed to end at 11 (a dance party in the main part of the bar was scheduled for 11).  They said they were going to be quick, which I guess meant minimal banter because it didn’t see to shorten their set at all.

The one thing I had remembered from their show was how big and loud this trio sounded.  Originally, Spotlights was a duo–husband and wife Mario and Sarah Quintero–but they seemed to have taken drummer Chris Enriquez into their family and he is a beast.  Enriquez is a perfect compliment to their wall of sound.

And indeed, when Sarah plugged in her bass, the sound was so big my arm hairs vibrated. They played four songs from their new album.  One of which (“Algorithmic” I think) got a huge response from the crowd.

Speaking of the crowd, Ortlieb’s holds about 75 people.  So it was a close, tiny room.  A guy next to me even put his vinyl purchases on the stage (which was about six inches high).  Of course, mid-set, Mario asked him to move them so he (Mario) could stand there and interact with the crowd.  Mario eventually came onto the floor and gave that guy a hug.  (more…)

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The Cure / The Twilight Sad (Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA, June 24, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Evanescence, Muse, One OK Rock, Philadelphia, PA, Wells Fargo Center on June 24, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: June 24, 2023] The Cure / The Twilight Sad

I saw The Cure in 1989 and it was a great show.  For one reason or another I never saw them again live over the next thirty years.  Mostly because I didn’t love them as much as I did in 1989.

For some reason this tour was massively hyped.  (Probably because I see they haven’t played Philly since 2008 and hadn’t played NYC since 2016 and before that 2011, so I guess a Cure tour is an Event).

So I managed to get a pre-sale code, but I had so much trouble with the code and with logging in that by the time I finally got to the ticket page, the only thing left was nosebleeds and that wouldn’t have been very satisfying for me.

I also probably could have looked into one of the Madison Square Garden shows, but realistically I’m not going to MSG for another show again.

Now, it happens that every single review of these shows has been an unparalleled rave.  The setlists have been incredible and I feel like I’ve missed out on a massive cultural event (not as big as Taylor Swift, mind you, but, about the same level but for adults).   So that’s kind of a bummer.  Not the biggest bummer, because Wells Fargo Center kind of sucks as a venue.  But kind of sucky nonetheless.  I also can’t believe that they have been playing for nearly three hours every show.

Since I wasn’t going to this show I wound up getting tickets to see Mondo Cozmo at Underground Arts, which was 1,000 times easier to get to, significantly cheaper and lasted 80 minutes.  Mu show started at 9 and was over before The Cure’s show that technically started at 7:30.

Word has it that Robert Smith has promised he’d be back. so if it’s not too too long before the next tour, I may try to get to it.

I feel a little bad for The Twilight Sad who have opened every show and I haven’t heard a single thing about them from any review.   However, they have been getting a 45 minute show each night, so that’s some very good exposure.

They are a Scottish band with a distinctive keyboard/gothy 80s sound and the singer’s very heavy Scottish accent in his delivery.  Robert Smith loves this band as does Mogwai.  I’m going to have to given them a proper listen as my cursory listen thought they sounded just okay.

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Heatmap (Ortlieb’s, Philadelphia, PA, June 23, 2023) [SPOTLIGHTS]

Posted in Heatmap, LaMacchia, Ortlieb's, Philadelphia, PA, Spotlights on June 24, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: June 24, 2023] Heatmap

Heatmap is from Philly and should not be confused with Heatmaps.  They weren’t originally on this bill and I’m not sure when they got added.  But wow, what a great find.

The band is a trio and they have two EPs out.

I stood right in front of their bassist who played a 1974 Gibson (I only know this because someone asked him and I overheard the answer).  It had such a great sound and it worked perfectly with the way he plays.  The bass is almost a lead instrument.  Not like Primus (they sound absolutely nothing like Primus), but sort of like Primus in that the bass plays the main riff/melody line and the guitar mostly throws sounds and textures over the top of them.

Couple that with their drummer’s complex and amazing drum patterns (now two songs have the same beat and pretty much none of them are just bass/snare) and Heatmap proved to be the most exciting band to watch.

On record, the bass prominence is less notable–it’s still there, but the guitars are more prevalent.  But live, sometimes the singer/guitarist wasn’t playing anything as the bass played the cool post-punk lines and the drums thumped away with lots of floor toms. (more…)

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LaMacchia (Ortlieb’s, Philadelphia, PA, June 23 2023) [SPOTLIGHTS]

Posted in Casablanca, Heatmap, LaMacchia, Ortlieb's, Philadelphia, PA, Shipping News, Spotlights on June 23, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: June 24, 2023] LaMacchia

LaMacchia is John LaMacchia.  John LaMacchia is the guitarist for Candiria, a metal band I don’t know who plays a kind of mathcore/prog something or other.

LaMacchia is his first solo album, and it’s a very different feel.  He and Sabrina Ellie are the main singers and the album has a much more mellow vibe.

For this show, he had a band and I really enjoyed their set a lot.  There was no female vocalist, but there were outstanding harmonies from his bassist (who had an excellent sound and was really fluid in the basslines) and his guitarist/keyboardist who seemed to be doing all kinds of things over there.

Their drummer was a guest drummer for the night and he was really good, too.

Overall, I was really impressed with how the band could maintain an overall heavy sound but still have excellent (at times) three part harmony.  There was also some diversity in sound up on stage too, with a couple of the songs being almost atmospheric.

“Disconnect” even had a sample from Casablanca (who samples Casablanca?). (more…)

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Idles (Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, June 20, 2023)

Posted in Franklin Music Hall, Idles, Mannequin Pussy, Philadelphia, PA on June 21, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: June 20, 2023] Idles

I didn’t known that Idles was going to play near me at all this year.  Turns out that Idles will be doing lots of Festivals this summer in the States, and they decided to throw in two headline shows in the middle.  And Philly was one of them.

I’ve seen them twice before–each time the venue getting larger (good for them).

This was at Franklin Music Hall and I don’t think it sold out, but it was close.  The crowd was crazy (although, I feel not quite as crazy as at previous shows).  The band has a newish album out which I haven’t listened to as much–it changes their formula somewhat.

But they still opened with “Colossus.”  A loud, slow, rumbling repeating bass note from Adam Devonshire shook the whole place.  And then Joe Talbot came out and started singing the slow, quiet introduction.  The lights flashed from red to white as the song built and when it hit the loud part–boom!

The Re:SET concerts have seen them playing roughly an hour, so I wasn’t sure how long they would play for us.  They did a solid hour and forty-five minutes, playing songs from all of their albums, and leaving out at least one classic.  I was genuinely surprised they didn’t play “I’m Scum” since they are still selling the T-shirt

Jon Beavis is a maniac on the drums–how did these drum head survive the pummeling?  Again, I could barely see him back there, but he was easily felt.

After the first song Joe left the stage for a minute and Mark Bowen said hiya Philly.  When Joe came back out he said, “is that your crowd talking dress you’re wearing?”  He said that Bowen has never addressed an audience before.  He amended that to, “and been understood.” (more…)

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