Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Philadelphia, PA’ Category

This is the Kit / Gruff Rhys (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, October 13, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Gruff Rhys, Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA, This is the Kit on October 13, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 13, 2023] This is the Kit / Gruff Rhys

This is the Kit is a band I know from NPR Music.  I haven’t thought of them in a while.  I recall liking their music but that there was something unusual about it.

I enjoyed this blurb about them from bandcamp:

This Is The Kit is the musical project of Kate Stables and whoever joins her. You thought you didn’t like the banjo but you were wrong pal. Listen as Kate rips forward with her hypnotic twang pattern and a voice of rare, unaffected beauty.

Kate has a very British delivery.  Reading my review of their Tiny Desk Concert, I really liked them more than I remembered.

I do rather wish I was going to this show, but with a show tomorrow night I needed to cut back something.

The reason I was interested in this show in the first place was because Gruff Rhys from Super Furry Animals was opening.  I saw him headline here a few years ago and I would have loved to see him again.

Well, maybe someday I’ll see both of them again.

Read Full Post »

Devandra Banhart / Miho Hatori (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, October 12, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Cibo Matto, Devandra Banhart, Miho Hatori, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer on October 12, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 12, 2023] Devandra Banhart / Miho Hatori

About ten years ago I was really into Devandra Banhart.  I enjoyed his weirdo folkie vibe and thought that he was a good deal of fun.

And then I seemed to lose track of him altogether.  I haven’t listened to him in ages.  I see that he’s cut his hair but he still looks like a wild, fun hippy.

His new album was produced by Cate Le Bon, whose sensibilities are wonderfully oddball.  The new album is pretty streamlined with lots of synth  I think it’s too mellow for me.

Miho Hatori was in Cibo Matto and worked with Gorillaz.  She has released some solo albums and I really like the bits I’ve heard from her new one.   Dead Grandma Blog says

Miho Hatori herself says that the album is inspired by the two different genres of anime- Isekai (basically meaning ‘other world’) and Slice of Life. The record eases you in relatively painlessly, with the understated, downtempo opener ‘Tokyo Story‘, which while being quite comforting also has a vague creepiness to it… Hatori characteristically plays and experiments with rhythm throughout the rest of the album (without ever losing pop sensibility), and ultimately manages to create a tight 29 minute package that feels meatier than albums twice it’s length.

Interestingly, I suppose, Back in December, Miho’s Cibo Matto partner Yuka Honda (under the name Eucademix) did a solo avant garde show–she uses a laptop to create interesting sounds–some pleasant, some not so much.

I’d really like to see Miho Hatori.

Read Full Post »

Tigers Jaw / Yowler / Gladie (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA October 12, 2023) Philly Music Fest Day 4 [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Gladie, Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA, Tigers Jaw, Yowler on October 12, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 12, 2023] Tigers Jaw / Yowler / Gladie

There’s a lot of great shows at Philly Music Fest this year.  Here’s the third of four nights that I would have loved to have gone to.  But I have a lot of shows that I’m going to and I can only get to Philly so often.

Plus, I’ve seen Tigers Jaw twice and both shows were great.  I really like their catchy emo pop punk, but I’m not sure I need to see them again.  But man if I was a die hard fan, here’s three days in a row of really close concerts I could go to.

And yet…  Here’s what they say about these two shows (they love playing Crossroads)

Mystery Setlists? We’re pulling out all the stops for Garwood this weekend. We’ll be playing two very distinctive sets for people who might want to come to both shows.
One of the shows setlists will concentrate on two worlds + spin, and the other will be charmer + I won’t care heavy. (Not full album plays, just most of both records, plus both sets will have some self titled oldies and newer Ep songs.)
We’re not saying which night is which combo. 🤔
So many songs. Maybe a fun cover.

Yowler, is Maryn Jones, a Philly based musician and the guitarist and lead vocalist of the band All Dogs and formerly a member of the band Saintseneca.  For Yowler her songs are kind of spare and sad, but there’s some pretty heavy elements thrown in which kind of blow you away after being lulled into mellowness.

I saw Gladie open for Otoboke Beaver late last year and really enjoyed their set a lot.  I would happily see them again, although this is the second time since that show that I’ve had to miss them.  They were supposed to open for Charly Bliss, but cancelled at the last minute.  They also played a Free at Noon recently but I didn’t go to that one.  I’m sure that with each show they just get better so when I finally get to see them again, they’ll be fantastic.

 

Read Full Post »

CHAI (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, October 11, 2023)

Posted in CHAI, Font, Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA on October 12, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: October 11, 2023] CHAI

I saw CHAI about a year and a half ago and it was one of the more memorable shows I’ve been to.  The four members of the band are funny, silly, coordinated (sartorially) and play sweet pop music.

Here’s a brief history of the band

Chai was formed in 2012 in Nagoya, by twin sisters Mana and Kana.  Mana, Kana, and Yuna were in the same class at high school.  Yuna introduced the other band members to Japanese music that did not easily fit into the traditional definition of “J-Pop”, such as the band Cero or Kimyō Reitaro. After the members went to university, Mana became friends with Yuuki (originally from Gifu Prefecture, who had moved to Nagoya), and asked the four friends to form a band.  The band’s name comes from Russian tea (known as chai). Kana drank the tea with jam with her Russian literature professor at a Russian restaurant, which she thought was cute.

They have just released their fourth album, Chai. (more…)

Read Full Post »

Font (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, October 11, 2023) [CHAI]

Posted in CHAI, Font, Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA on October 11, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: October 11, 2023] Font

Before this show I looked up Font on bandcamp and they had …  one song.

And it was great.

But who are they?

Font is an Austin-based band made up of Thom Waddill, Jack Owens, Anthony Lawrence, Roman Parnell, and Logan Wagner. Font began playing shows regularly in the beginning of 2022.

The Austin Chronicle has described their music as “relentless post-punk with New Wave keyboards and arty, personality-driven singing.”

I don’t know what “personality-driven singing” means, but the rest is pretty accurate.  They make noisy, unexpected songs with catchy parts and decided uncatchy parts.  The songs tend to have something–a piano note, a guitar riff–that recurs enough to call it a hook.

The bass wanders all over the place–in a great New Wave sorta way.  And, as it turns out the percussionist is a major component of the band.  From where I was I couldn’t really see the drummer (there was so much STUFF on stage), but I could clearly see the percussionist who had cowbells, blocks, cymbals (which he moved around to make different sound) and some bongos.  He must have been exhausted. (more…)

Read Full Post »

Rainbow Kitten Surprise / Indigo de Souza (The Met Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, October 10, 2023) [CANCELLED]

Posted in Indigo De Souza, Philadelphia, PA, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, The Met Philadelphia on October 10, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[CANCELLED: October 10, 2023] Rainbow Kitten Surprise / Indigo de Souza

I really liked the couple of Rainbow Kitten Surpirse songs I’ve heard.  I actually thought they might be even weirder than they were with a name like that.  I’m not sure if I wanted to see them live or not, but I kept this on my radar. Especially since Indigo de Souza was announced as the opener.

I have been trying to see Indigo de Souza for what seems like years.   My first attempt was in Jan 2022.  But there were several cancelled shows (including one opening slot that I couldn’t make).  And then finally, her major headlining show in the area and I was unavailable that night.

So, that might have made me want to go to this show.  But that’s irrelevant because on May 23rd, they cancelled the entire Fall tour.

The band announced Tuesday night in a Twitter thread that the tour will be canceled due to a medical crisis, saying they will “turn off the lights for now.”

“We do not make this decision lightly, and we know that it will result in a lot of disappointment and concern, but we are a family, and we know that the most important thing we can do right now is to help get everyone healthy,” the thread said.

While the band did not put a timeline on its return, they did say they will make their comeback when their friend and fellow bandmate is in good health. The band said it hopes to return in full glory and pick up where it left off.

No word on how anyone is, but at the time, they stated

“One of our members is in a medical crisis. To make sure they have the time to get the proper treatment, we have decided to take down the entire year of shows.”

Hope the person is okay.

Read Full Post »

Aunty Donna: The Magical Dead Cat Tour (Perelman Theater, Kimmel Cultural Campus, Philadelphia, PA, October 7, 2023)

Posted in Aunty Donna, Australia, Broden Kelly, Funny (ha ha), Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Mark Bonanno, Perelman Theater, Philadelphia, PA, Religion, Zachary Ruane on October 7, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: October 7, 2023] Aunty Donna

I don’t recall what made me check out Aunty Donna one night.  But the opening skit of the first episode had me cracking up.  I’ve been a fan ever since.

The only “problem” with them is that their jokes are so vulgar, so over the top rude, that it’s hard to share them.  Especially with the kids.  I mean, even their merch–which includes a hat that says Morning Brown is hard to explain without going a bit red in the face.

So what was this show going to entail?

Well, the promo told us this

Dear Human Beings,

Hello, I am a Magical Dead Cat, the titular Magical Dead Cat from the very title of this very show. I write to you today because I have discovered the most wondrous sketch show on the popular streaming service Netflix – Aunty Donna’s Big Ol’ House of Fun. I was so impressed with said show that I issued Aunty Donna this challenge: entertain me with a 2 hour live show, one that features all new sketches, but also a few fan favourites. It MUST include a short interval, and based on availability / budget, possibly an opening act. If Aunty Donna succeeds in pleasing me with a rip-roarin’ show, I have promised to surprise them with a special, web slinging, mystery guest!
Come, sweet humans, and see if Broden, Zach and Mark are up for the task!

With loving grace,
The Magical Dead Cat.

The show also came with a warning that there would be occasional coarse kanguage.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  It was filled front to back with nothing BUT coarse language.

They opened the show by having an announcer introduce each of the three comedians.  And as each one’s name was announced they came to the front of the stage and did a high-stepping dance.  But the announcer continued to re-introduce Broden and Mark, as Zach’s face fell and the other two grew exhausted from all of their dancing. (more…)

Read Full Post »

Gladie: Free at Noon (World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA, October 6, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Free at Noon, Gladie, Philadelphia, PA, World Cafe Live on October 6, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 6, 2023] Gladie

I saw Gladie open for Otoboke Beaver late last year and really enjoyed their set a lot.  I would happily see them again, although a Free at Noon didn’t really seem like a worthwhile trip.

Here’s the blurb from the show and what I missed

After a successful tour with Jeff Rosenstock, today’s Free at Noon performer Gladie made a pit stop at the World Cafe Live stage to dazzle fans with their indie rock magic. Performing songs from their last album Don’t Know What You’re in Until You’re Out, along with a few favorites from other projects, the band truly came to impress.

The stage was decked out in the best gear, necessary for a classic Indie Rock experience. Guitarists Pat Conaboy and Matt Schimelfenig had full pedal boards, and used them frequently throughout the show, conjuring waves of distortion, their eyes were glued to the floor in true shoegaze fashion. The band started with their song “Mud,” immediately exploding into the room with a beautiful wall of sound that demanded the attention of everyone — a common theme that remained through the entirety of the show.

Lead vocalist Augusta Koch sang with intense power. She was able to strongly project (and even scream during some songs) her voice over the volume of the band, and listeners could also eel the emotion within her voice, whether the track had a somber energy or an exasperated energy. Koch’s lyrics were very impactful, influencing the tone of her vocals, as we heard during “20/20” where she and Schimelfenig harmonized to sing “I am angry, I am lonely, but I’m optimistic too.” Later, Schimelfenig took over vocals for “Fixer,” a song where he sings lead with a bit of a country twang from the band’s 2022 album Don’t Know What You’re In Until You’re Out.

Drummer Miles Ziskind was astounding to watch. The movement of his hands was difficult to track throughout the show due to his fills being so quick and precise. At stage left, bassist Liz Parsons accompanied the music with interesting lines throughout the set, especially on “Hit the Ground Running,” which was a bit groovier than the rest, allowing her to show off her skills. As the set came to a peak, “When You Leave The Sun” from Gladie’s 2020 album Safe Sins was the most commanding part of the set. It was faster, heavier, and built up a breathtaking ending with the band members blaring their instruments, hitting the crowd once again with that wall of sound.

That’s a lot of blurb for this fairly short set.  Here’s the setlist and you can listen to it here

  • Mud ⇔
  • 20/20 §
  • Hit The Ground Running ⇔
  • When You Leave The Sun §
  • Fixer ⇔
  • Nothing ⇔
  • Chaos Reigns [new single]
  • Born Yesterday ⇔

When I saw them they played:

  1. When You Leave The Sun §
  2. thank you card ¥
  3. Mud ⇔
  4. Twenty Twenty §
  5. …Heaven, Someday ⇔
  6. Hit the Ground Running ⇔
  7. Nothing ⇔
  8. Born Yesterday ⇔
⇔ Don’t Know What You’re in Until You’re Out (2022)
§ Safe Sins (2020)
¥ thank you card EP (2020)

Read Full Post »

Everything Everything / Pierre Kwenders (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, October 5, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Everything Everything, Philadelphia, PA, Pierre Kwenders, Underground Arts on October 5, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: October 5, 2023] Everything Everything / Pierre Kwenders

I recently heard of Everything Everything in glowing terms and when I saw that they were playing locally I made a note of it.  They are an

English art rock band from Manchester that formed in late 2007. Noted for their eclectic sound and complex, sociopolitical lyrics.

Their music is interesting and they remind me of a few bands that I like, but I wasn’t blown away enough to want to check them out.

Pierre Kwenders is the stage name of José Louis Modabi, a Congolese-Canadian musician. His 2014 album Le Dernier empereur bantou was a shortlisted nominee for the Juno Award for World Music Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2015, and a longlisted nominee for the 2015 Polaris Music Prize.

he has a good vibe and nice flow, but I’m not sad to not see him.

Read Full Post »

Margaret Glaspy (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, September 29, 2023)

Posted in Margaret Glaspy, Philadelphia, PA, Tasha, Underground Arts on September 30, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: September 29, 2023] Tasha

I had been wanting to see Margaret Glaspy for a pretty long time.  She last played Philadelphia in 2016, about two months before I heard her album.  She was supposed to headline a tour back in 2020, but that show was postponed, so it’s not all her fault that it took me so long to see her.

And now, I’ve seen her three times in a year and a half.

Tonight I had tickets to see Explosions in the Sky, a band I loved seeing live and who I’ve wanted to see again (and again).  But when Margaret Glaspy announced her show for tonight, after careful consideration, I decided to see Margaret. The first time I had seen her was as an opener.  The second time was for a short free at noon.  So I had never seen her as a headliner, and that won out.

She was terrific. (more…)

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »