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Archive for the ‘South Orange, NJ’ Category

Darlingside / Caitlin Canty (SOPAC, South Orange, NJ, November 9, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Caitlin Canty, Darlingside, SOPAC, South Orange, NJ on November 9, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: November 9, 2022] Darlingside / Caitlin Canty

We have seen Darlingside four times and I thought we’d never not see them if they were touring.  Especially if they played SOPAC, which is so close.

There was a change coming in Darlingside

Dave here, with some band tour news:

Starting this fall (October), I will be taking a break from live touring for a bit. This was a very difficult decision, but one that was made unanimously and with love by all four of us, after many long conversations about what is feasible and sustainable for each of us as individuals, and for the band as a whole—ie, what will ultimately serve the longevity of Darlingside.

Touring has always been the hardest part of the job for me, and while some aspects have gotten easier with time, being away from my family has only gotten harder. I love playing shows, and there is so much about touring that I’m going to miss, but for the time being I know this is the right move, most of all because it will free the rest of the guys to take many more opportunities we would have otherwise had to turn down—which hopefully means lots more shows for you to attend moving forward!

I’ll be stepping away from all live performances—including local ones—so that the other guys can focus on crafting a consistent new live experience, with special guests and new musical elements we’ve always wanted to try. I’m deeply appreciative of that work they’re doing and so excited to see what they put together. In the meantime, my other roles in the band aren’t changing; I will still be writing, arranging, singing, playing, recording, and designing, as well as constantly losing track of personal items (my favorite tour hobby)—but it will all be from home, for now.

Dave Senft

What?  No Dave?  Actually, I think he might have been playing our show, but I’m not sure.

At any rate, my wife was working late on this evening so we decided not to even get tickets–it just wasn’t going to happen.

Caitlin Canty is an American singer/songwriter whose music carves a line through folk, blues, and country ballads.  Raised in small-town Vermont, the daughter of a school teacher and a house painter, Canty earned her degree in biology in the Berkshires and subsequently moved to New York City.Her voice was called “casually devastating” by the San Francisco Chronicle and NPR Music describes her songs as having a “haunting urgency.”

I’ve since listened to her sing a few songs with Darlingside and her voice melds very nicely with theirs.  Her solo stuff is quiet lovely as well.

 

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Kathleen Edwards (SOPAC, South Orange, NJ, September 22, 2022)

Posted in AC/DC, Emmylou Harris, Kathleen Edwards, Matt Sucich, Neil Young, SOPAC, South Orange, NJ on September 23, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: August 24, 2022] Kathleen Edwards

Back in 2019 Kathleen Edwards came out of “retirement” after spending five years running a coffee house in Stittsville, Ottawa called Quitters.  She has since sold Quitters and it is now something else.

She announced a few shows in 2019 and then a small tour in 2021.  I hoofed it into New York City to see what I imagined would be my only time seeing her.  (She was also opening for Jason Isbell, but I didn’t want to see her as an opener nor did I want to see Jason Isbell).

But then she announced a full tour in 2022!  A few years ago I thought I’d never see her live and here we are and I’ve now seen her three times in under a year.

What was also pretty interesting was that this band line up was almost entirely different from the last time (which had been different from the first time).

The first time it was a five piece with two guitars (and a keyboard), bass and drums.  The second time it was drums, bass, pedal steel guitar and violin/keyboard.  So no lead guitar (all leads were on the pedal steel).  For this third show there was no bass or drums.  So, we had the same two “new” members from the show just a month earlier: Aaron Goldstein on pedal steel and Kinley Dowling who played keys and violin.  And we were once again joined by Colin Cripps (her ex-husband).  He played with her back in the old days and also when I saw her in NYC, but not a month earlier). (more…)

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Matt Sucich (SOPAC, South Orange, NJ, September 22, 2022) [KATHLEEN EDWARDS]

Posted in Kathleen Edwards, Matt Sucich, SOPAC, South Orange, NJ on September 22, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: September 22, 2022] Matt Sucich

I thought that Matt Sucich was going to open for Kathleen Edwards in Haddon Heights.  But he joined her tour right after that show.  And so we saw him for this SOPAC show.

Despite how easy it is to get to SOAPC, the parking area was nuts, so we walked in in the middle of his first or second song.

We also had the terrible realization that the seats (which were moveable and placed in specifically for this show were REALLY close to us.  It made for a remarkably uncomfortable set in the otherwise normally really comfy SOPAC.

Sucich has a really pleasant folksinger style with a soothing deep-ish voice and a simple playing and lyrical style.

Midway through the set as I was enjoying him quite a bit he said one of the few things that will turn me against a singer.  he said that his new album had backing vocals by Adam Duritz and that he had just been on tour with Counting Crows.  There may be no band that I hate across the board as much as Counting Crows (mostly because of Duritz’ voice).  So this was not good news to me.  Although since Duritz didn’t appear, it wasn’t the disaster it could have been.

At some point he had made a joke about himself and the audience applauded and it became a regular thing that he would say this same thing about himself and we would all applaud.  It made for a warm and fun set.  Later on when he sang with Kathleen, he really won me over and all memory of Duritz was forgotten.

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DakhaBrakha (SOPAC, South Orange, NJ, April 2, 2022)

Posted in DakhaBrakha, SOPAC, South Orange, NJ, Ukraine on April 3, 2022| 1 Comment »

[ATTENDED: April 2, 2022] DakhaBrakha

After the last few nights, I was in need of a break, but there was no way I was passing up a chance to see DakhaBrakha.

I heard about this Ukranian band from Tiny Desk Concerts, of course.  I fell in love with them immediately.  Their music was weird and wonderful with amazing harmonies and interesting instruments.  And their outfits were incredible.  Giant hats and beautiful dresses on the women–who totally kicked ass while they played, too.

I was thrilled when I saw they were coming to SOPAC–local, small and seated.  I snatched up tickets way back in November,

And then Russia invaded Ukraine.  And who even knew if they’d be alive, much less able to play in the States.  Evidently they left the country about a week before the show–so they had been there (their home base is in Kyiv) during the bombing.  It’s unreal.

So now, this show went from being a fun celebration of Ukraine to a pointed attempt to show support to a country that needed it.  Suddenly, the night was more significant.

Which, fortunately, didn’t change the music.  True, the visuals that the band showed were often far more somber and dark than they probably would have been otherwise, but you can’t change the music.  And it was wonderful. (more…)

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KT Tunstall / New Reveille (SOPAC, South Orange, NJ, December 10, 2021) [rescheduled date POSTPONED again and again]

Posted in Ardmore, PA, John Lennon, KT Tunstall, New Reveille, Postponed, Sellersville, PA, SOPAC, South Orange, NJ, WXPN 88.5 FM--Philadelphia, PA on December 10, 2021| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: December 10, 2021] KT Tunstall / New Reveille [rescheduled from March 27, 2020 and February 12, 2021]

I enjoyed watching the saga of KT Tunstall’s shows getting scheduled and postponed and reschedule and postponed again.  Not because I want her (or anyone to be unhappy), but because it was a good bellweather as to what was going on.  Unlike most artists, KT was really game to get out there.

Plus she had three shows in my area and it seemed like I saw her name all the time.

Well, things finally opened up and she was playing her shows.  Of the three, I was most likely to go to this one since it was closest.  And then a short time before the show, it was postponed as well.  But her other shows weren’t

But this time it wasn’t because of COVID or other health related issues, it was actually a boon for her (although not for SOPAC).

She was invited to sing at the 41st Annual John Lennon Tribute Concert at Symphony Space in New York City.  A good reason to postpone a show.

I see that in the new year, KT is on the West Coast, so I’m not sure when she’ll be back for SOPAC, but I’m sure her local fans will be waiting.

New Reveille is an Americana/bluegrass band from North Carolina.  They’ve got banjo, fiddle and a ton of attitude.  While they are definitely in the country vein, I think the bluegrass and the rockingness (they cover The Killers live) makes them a potentially fun live band.  For the three shows in the area, she has three different opening acts.  This one might be the most fun.

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The Exile Follies: Kristin Hersh, Grant Lee Phillips, John Doe (SOPAC, South Orange, NJ, February 8, 2020)

Posted in Gilmore Girls, Grant Lee Buffao, Grant Lee Phillips, Harry Dean Stanton, John Doe, Kristin Hersh, Led Zeppelin, SOPAC, South Orange, NJ, The Knitters, Throwing Muses, X on February 8, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: February 8, 2020] The Exile Follies

There are some musicians who I’ve often thought I’d like to see but who I wouldn’t really want to travel too far too see.  This trio of artists are each musicians that I loved back in the 90s but whom I’ve lost touch with since then.

I used to love Throwing Muses and I have her first two solo albums.  I often thought about going to her live, but I wasn’t sure if it was worth it if I didn’t know her new stuff.

Same with Grant Lee Phillips.  His song “Mockingbird” is one of my favorite songs of all time, but I don’t love all of his material, so I wouldn’t want to have gone for a whole show, I didn’t think.

And John Doe.  X is one of favorite bands from back in the day and seeing them live was amazing.  But I was never sure if I’d want to see just him because I don’t know much of his solo work.

So this tour with all three of them (and in a nearby venue) was perfect.

Kristin came out first.  She sat on a stool center stage and played her acoustic guitar. (more…)

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Bob Mould (SOPAC, South Orange, NJ, January 25, 2020)

Posted in Bob Mould, Hüsker Dü, Rasputina, SOPAC, South Orange, NJ, Sugar on January 25, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: January 25, 2020] Bob Mould

2020-01-25 21.13.34_previewI saw Bob Mould perform in 1996 at Avalon in Boston.  I don’t remember that much about the show.  He had a three piece band I believe (and Rasputina opened).  It was mix of Hüsker Dü, Sugar and solo songs (according to setlist.fm–see below).  Interestingly, there is a scathing review of his 1998 show in Chicago here.

So here it was 24 years later and Mould was touring again (he has toured a lot in the meantime, make no mistake) and I thought it would be fun to see him again.

This time it was just him and an electric guitar.  Once again he played Hüsker Dü, Sugar and solo songs.  Although now he had a lot more solo stuff to choose from.

What was fascinating about this show was that since it was just him, he was able to really rock through a whole bunch of songs at a pretty good speed–with minimal accompaniment or soloing.

And it was really quite loud–especially in this normally fairly quiet venue.  It was particularly amusing since I was in front of him so that that every time he moved to the left or the right, the amp (which was behind him) was so much louder–he was literally blocking a ton of the sound with his body.

Mould was in good form, telling some jokes and genuinely seeming to have a very good time. (more…)

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Will Johnson (SOPAC, South Orange, NJ, January 25, 2020) [BOB MOULD]

Posted in Centro-Matic, Marie/Lepanto, Molina & Johnson, SOPAC, South Orange, NJ, South San Gabriel, Will Johnson on January 25, 2020| Leave a Comment »

2020-01-25 20.04.54_preview[ATTENDED: January 25, 2020] Will Johnson

I didn’t know who Will Johnson was before this show although I see that he played drums and toured with Monsters of Folk–we have the CD but never saw them.

Wikipedia tells me that Will Johnson is “called ‘one of the most prolific artists in American indie rock.'”  He is the singer of the bands Centro-matic and South San Gabriel as well as Molina & Johnson and Marie/Lepanto.  I have heard of none of these bands.

Johnson came out on stage with an acoustic guitar, told a story or so and then started playing. (more…)

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Darlingside–SOPAC (South Orange, NJ, September 27, 2019)

Posted in Darlingside, Neil Young, Smashing Pumpkins, SOPAC, South Orange, NJ on September 27, 2019| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: September 27, 2019] Darlingside

This is now the fourth time we’ve seen Darlingside and our second time seeing them at SOPAC.  SOPAC is a great intimate seated venue with excellent sound (and a very strong air conditioner apparently, holy cow was it cold in there).

The last time we saw them there, there was an opening band.  But this time there was no opener.  Rather, Darlingside would play two forty-five minute sets with an intermission between.

We also brought S.’s mom as a treat, believing that she would love their harmonies.  And she sure did.  I think we know what to get her for Christmas.

Our seats were great–second row, although I joked with S. that we were too far to the left (instead of dead center).

So this was their second time in the same venue.  Some things were the same.  I don’t remember exactly, but I feel like at the last show they were lit by these same very cool old-fashioned bulbs (which you can see in a picture below) as well as the stage lights.  I enjoyed that they were somewhat connected to the music–growing brighter as things got more intense. (more…)

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Andy Borowitz–SOPAC (South Orange, NJ, March 3, 2018)

Posted in #ITMFA, #MANEA, #RESIST, Andy Borowitz, donald tRUMP, New Yorker, Political Humor, SOPAC, South Orange, NJ on March 3, 2018| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: March 3, 2018] Andy Borowitz

When we saw Darlingside at SOPAC, the director announced that New Yorker columnist Andy Borowitz would be performing in March.  It was just before Sarah’s mom’s birthday so that seemed like a fun present for her (and us).

I obviously know Borowitz from the Borowitz Report, but I didn’t know anything else about him.  We wondered if he voice would sound weird (it didn’t), we wondered if he would be awkward on stage (he wasn’t) and of course we wondered if he would be funny (he was).

He began the night with some general introductory material about himself and his life.  He made some good anti-Trump jokes and then explained that even though he was preaching to the choir, if he could encourage the choir to get other people to vote in the upcoming election then he had done his job.

He also had merch for sale, and 100% of Andy Borowitz’s profits from merchandise sales benefit The International Rescue Committee to aid refugees around the world.  The merch was simple and straightforward.  Shirts and hats in blue that stated: MAKE AMERICA NOT EMBARRASSING AGAIN. (more…)

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