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Archive for the ‘Film & TV’ Category

Jenny Tian: Ripe (Punch Line, Philadelphia, PA, October 18, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Comedians, Jenny Tian, Philadelphia, PA, Punch Line, Taskmaster, Taskmaster Australia on October 18, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 18, 2026] Jenny Tian

Last year Jenny Tian came to Union Transfer and I would have liked to see her but things didn’t work out.  I didn’t expect an Australian comedian to come back just a year later.  But here she was.

I was intrigued to go to Punch Line, where I’ve never been, although it being in the Fillmore area means that parking would be iffy.

But I already had tickets to see Acid Mothers Temple so I had to miss her again.  Come back again, Jenny, ok?

I have made a list of all of comedians from Taskmaster who I would like to see live.  It’s not everyone of course (some of them don’t do stand up and some I don’t think I would enjoy).  And then we started watching Taskmaster Australia and Taskmaster New Zealand, and I’ve added a dozen or so more to that list.

 

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Lauren Ash (Kung Fu Necktie, Philadelphia, PA, October 15, 2026)

Posted in Blink 182, Eraser, Green Day, Kung Fu Necktie, Lit, Philadelphia, PA, Remember Sports, Super Fun Night, The Afterglows, Weezer on October 16, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: October 15, 2026] Lauren Ash

I have enjoyed Lauren Ash as an actress for a pretty long time–since I first saw her on Super Fun Night, and then of course on Superstore.  I had no idea she had put music out.  Indeed, I found out that Lauren Ash put out a record when I saw this show listed at Kung Fu Necktie.  So I had to look her up.  And she has an album out.  And I really liked it–90’s era pop punk, funny lyrics and catchy as anything.

I thought it would be interesting to see her, but I had a ticket to see The Dillinger Escape Plan that evening–quite a different sound.

The more I looked into the DEP show, the less I was interested in seeing the first two bands (no offense to them, I just didn’t think I could handle a full on heavy night), so I decided to do something wacky.  The Lauren Ash show started at 7.  What if I went to the Lauren Ash show at Kung Fu Necktie, and when she was done, I could drive to Underground Arts and see just DEP.  I had tried a similar plan a few times before with varying results.  But I assumed that Lauren’s show would be fairly short and that all would work out.

Here’s some deets on Lauren’s music career

She exploded onto the music scene in 2023 with her pop punk single “Now I Know” (which debuted at #1 on the Canadian iTunes rock chart and #5 on Billboard’s Alternative Download Chart). Her debut album “Call Me When You Get This” released in September 2025 featuring her single “Whiplash” which was nominated for a “Hollywood Independent Music Award” for best rock/pop song. She performed her single “Sad This Christmas” on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” and spoke about her music on “Jimmy Kimmel Live”.

I read some reviews of her UK shows and they were all positive, so I was in.

After The Droogettes set, her stage was set up wit a TV and a telephone.  When 9PM came around, the phone rang.  After several rings, Lauren’s voice said, can someone answer that please?  A woman answered it and Lauren thanked her and then asked if that person would start the TV.  Which she did.  And what played was a series of well wishes and teases from just about everyone from The Superstore cast as well as other folks (Cobie Smulders).  It was really funny and set a great tone for how the show might go.

Lauren’s band (a guitarist and drummer) came out on stage and then Lauren ran out to the stage.  She was psyched to be there and psyched to be playing music.  She brought an incredible energy.

The biggest surprise for me both on record and live is how high her voice is.  She has a pretty deep authoritative voice on her shows, but she was up an octave for these songs.  Of course I had to wonder if her higher voice had anything to do with her weight loss–I wouldn’t think so, but what do I know.

She started with Dumpster Fire and was clearly having a blast–jumping around stage and emoting the lyrics.  I enjoyed it a lot that she was snarky in her delivery when necessary–it added a lot to the presentation.  I know the album pretty well, so I was surprised when she played some songs I didn’t know.  Like The One Who Got Away (a 2024 single) and Now I Know (a 2023 single).

Lauren played guitar for a couple of songs and talked about how excited she was to be in a band. (more…)

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The Droogettes (Kung Fu Necktie, Philadelphia, PA, October 15, 2026) [LAUREN ASH]

Posted in Kung Fu Necktie, Lauren Ash, Philadelphia, PA, Superstore, The Droogettes on October 15, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: October 15, 2026] The Droogettes

I found out that Lauren Ash put out a record when I saw this show listed at Kung Fu Necktie.  I had no idea she put out any music.  So I had to look her up.  And she has an album out.  And I really liked it–90’s era pop punk, funny lyrics and catchy as anything.

I had not heard of the opening band, The Droogettes who have clearly named themselves after A Clockwork Orange (their logo confirms).  Imagine my surprise to read that

Philadelphia’s The Droogettes have been making noise since 2013. Equal parts street punk grit and pop hook glory, their “Sugar Oi!” sound sits somewhere between Cock Sparrer’s working-class anthems and Blondie’s downtown cool – melodic, hook-driven, and built for singing along. After a six-year hiatus, the all-female five-piece is back, louder and sharper than ever.

The band came out on stage and clearly had a large fan base in the audience.  They are a five piece and while I didn’t really love their recorded sound, live, they were fantastic.  They played short punk songs–three chords, lots of backing vocal chanting and very little nonsense.  As Creepoid Records says: they inject the Punk and Oi! movement with an all-female alternative to a scene that is mostly male dominated.

They were great!  (New) lead singer Ami Friend (who is the singer for Lips of Kohl) has taken over vocals and she is great–intense, funny and full of energy.  I actually prefer her vocals to the original (sorry).

They played fun, fast punky songs.  Some had solos, but most didn’t and most had fun chanted choruses or just Hey Hey/ Oh Oh parts that were a lot of fun to sing along. (more…)

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Sincere Engineer (House of Independents, Asbury Park, NJ, September 4, 2026)

Posted in Asbury Park, NJ, House of Independents, Sincere Engineer, Smug LLC, Star Trek, Stay Inside, The Simpsons, Wil Wheaton on September 6, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: September 4, 2026] Sincere Engineer

I’m not sure how I first heard of Sincere Engineer, but as soon as I heard them, I loved them.  I love their bouncy pop punk sound, I love the snarky lyrics and I love  Deanna Belos’ voice!  Raspy and angry which still being completely clear and easy to understand.  It’s perfect.  Especially with catchy, kiss off lyrics like

And I should’ve said ………something
But I really said …………nothing
And I should’ve said ……………..something
Before I twist my tongue
And clench my teeth
And let you get away
With saying that to me

They opened with that song and I was super psyched from the get go.

Before that song their entrance music was the theme from Star Trek the Next Generation, which was hilarious and wonderful.

After the new song, they jumped back to Cheap Grills for two songs: Anemia and California King–a simple, catchy bouncy song that is pretty irresistible.

Back to new songs with Settle Up With Your Downfall, a slower more serious song, but the follow up The Perfect Crime was super catchy, only beaten in catchiness by Fireplace, one of the catchiest, snarkiest songs in recent memory.  And everyone sang along, including the eleven year old who was celebrating her birthday at the show.  This girl was cute, standing up front wearing a birthday hat.  She’d probably talked to Deanna before, but Deanna made a big deal out of her and dedicated the next song Corn Dog Sonnet to her.

It was fast and fun, just like Cooler.  And even though my understanding is that this is Deanna’s band, the guys behind her are fantastic Adam Beck on drums, Kyle Geib on guitar, and Nick Arvanitis on bass keep the show smooth and clearly enjoying playing. (more…)

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Circle Jerks | Repo Man screening (Keswick Theatre, Glenside, PA, August 14, 2026)

Posted in Black Flag, Circle Jerks, Glenside, PA, Keswick Theatre, Repo Man on August 14, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: August 14, 2026] Ciʀcle JƎʀᴋs

Circle Jerks are a legendary punk band.  They’ve been around since 1979 with various lineup changes and hiatuses. They more or less finished in 2011, but then started playing again in 2019 and have come to Philly every two years since then.  I thought about seeing them at the TLA in April playing with Gorilla Biscuits.  But we were out of town.

So when this event came up, I was really intrigued.  The band are in the movie Repo Man–playing a lounge version of themselves.  And the current bassist Zander Schloss was a main character in the movie.  And here they were–playing some songs, doing a Q&A about the movie and then showing the movie.  I’ve seen the movie a few times but haven’t watched it in a long time.  So I asked my brother-in-law if he wanted to go and he said YES, but then couldn’t make it.  So I asked my son and he said sure.

I don’t think he knew any Circle Jerks music, but he had heard of them.  And he had never seen the movie.

I waited till the day before the show to buy a ticket because I wanted to be in an area where there weren’t many people. I wound up getting the back row and it was pretty perfect for Keswick–you’re up ice and high and can see over the heads below you.  And the venue is small enough that the back row is only 34 rows back.

The band’s gear was set up and then someone came out singing the Feelin’ 7Up song.  I had totally forgotten that that’s how Zander Schloss’ character in the movie is introduced.  So he is singing the song and a guy in a tuxedo tells him to stop singing, man. Why so tense, guy?

Then the band launched into the song Repo Man and the man in the tux sang the song.   The man was Repo Man director Alex Cox.  He sang the song and left the stage.

Then Keith Morris came out on stage and the band launched into a barrage of songs totaling about 5 minutes. And I liked that security allowed anyone who wanted to to rush the stage (it’s not like any of us old people were going to cause too much trouble).  Although one person did climb in stage and dance around (and then slowly climbed back down off the stage). (more…)

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Finn Wolfhard / Sleeper’s Bell (Union Transfer, Philadelphia PA, July 24, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Finn Wolfhard, Philadelphia, PA, Sleeper's Bell, Stranger Things, Union Transfer on July 24, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: July 26, 2026] Finn Wolfhard / Sleeper’s Bell

Just how many of the cast from Stranger Things are also musicians?  Well, just about all of them, it seems.

And so here comes Finn Wolfhard.  He played The Foundry a couple of years back and here he’s at Union Transfer.  I have no idea how well the show sold, and I didn’t have any intention of going, but I’m fascinated by the whole thing.

I checked out his solo stuff and its kind of fun–I imagine he’s a great frontman.  But I didn’t care enough to look into it any further.   But in fairness, his sound is good–a Pavement-adjacent sonic palette with hints of other genres poking in.  And his songs are really short.

Okay, so this review from Get Alternative says

The show was nearly sold out and super packed, a line around the block snaked down the street, to get inside the venue.  Finn Wolfhard, a Canadian actor/musician … is 23. He released his second solo album on July 10th.  He had a full band backing him up and their scrappy indie rock was fun and energetic. The lighting was excellent, mostly blue with bits of yellow shining through, and candelabras spread throughout the stage as a backdrop. This was a memorable show and an exciting night of music.

The review also mentions Sleeper’s Bell, who I didn’t know.

Opening up the show was Sleeper’s Bell, a band from Chicago who are in their mid twenties. They play indie folk and are fronted by vocalist Blaine Teppema and guitarist Evan Green, and played with a drummer and bassist as well for this tour. They seemed grateful for the opportunity to open for Finn and played a few songs from their latest album ‘Clover’ from 2025, as well as a smattering of new and unreleased songs. They had a quieter vibe to them and Blaine’s pretty voice shone through the instrumentation. A highlight of the set was the song ‘Corner’ a single from 2024. They finished up the set by playing ‘Hey Blue’ the final track from Clover.

They are definitely too quiet for me.

(more…)

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Ilana Glazer (Wellmont Theater, Montclair, NJ, June 4, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Broad City, Ilana Glazer, Montclair, NJ, Wellmont Theater on June 4, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: June 4, 2026] Ilana Glazer

I loved Broad City.  But I haven’t really been that interested in seeing Ilana Glazer live.  Not sure why.  But these show announcements haven’t excited me that much.

And yet, she’s really funny.  So after missing the show at Helium in April, I thought about seeing this show at the Wellmont.  The Wellmont is not my favorite venue, although we’ve seen some comedians there and it’s not bad if you’re seated on the floor.

But then this show turned out to be on the same night as an Awards Night at my daughter’s school.  So, obviously that takes priority.

I’ll have to watch a bit of one of her specials to see if I like her stand up.

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Dethklok (Wind Creek Event Center, Bethlehem, PA, May 14, 2026)

Posted in Amon Amarth, Bethlehem, PA, Castle Rat, Dethklok, Metalocalypse, Wind Creek Event Center on May 16, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: May 14, 2026] Dethklok

So I was aware of the show Metalocalypse, but didn’t know much about it.  When Dethklok toured last time, I read about how interesting it was to have a cartoon band like Gorillaz (but heavy metal) play live.

I didn’t know much about their music.  I listened to a few songs and was cool with them.  I expected a funny kind of show with the band playing behind or beneath animated versions of themselves.

But instead, what we got was the band in darkness (literally, you couldn’t see their faces at all) and clips from the show on the screen behind them.  So it was kind of the worst of both worlds.  It wasn’t new animation of the band playing these songs, it was just random clips–or maybe clips from the show when they played these songs?  But there were lots of repeated clips, so that wasn’t as much fun.

It also meant that those of us who didn’t know the show really had no idea what was going on.  My son, who didn’t know anything about the show thought they were villains and not the world’s most favorite band

The set opened with a video–Is Dethklok Back?  And it was pretty funny.  So I assumed the whole show would be funny in some way.  But it wasn’t.  It was serious death metal–fast, heavy and completely ununderstandable.  The songs were short and there were definitely songs that people liked more than others, but it was more or less a blur of noise. (more…)

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Ilana Glazer (Helium Comedy Club, Philadelphia, PA, April 21, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Broad City, Helium Comedy Club, Ilana Glazer, Philadelphia, PA on April 21, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 21, 2026] Ilana Glazer

I loved Broad City.  But I haven’t really been that interested in seeing Ilana Glazer live.  Not sure why.  But these show announcements haven’t excited me that much.  This show happened to be between two nights when I was already going out, so I didn’t really consider it.

Although now that I have been to Helium, and I see how small it is, I think it would be really fun to see someone like Ilana there.    Especially since she did at the much larger Miller Theatre last year.

By the time I realized that we should probably go to this, it was sold out (no surprise there).

She’s playing in New Jersey in a few months though so, maybe we’ll go there instead.

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King Tuff / Morgan Nagler (Kung Fu Necktie, Philadelphia, PA, April 18, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in King Tuff, Morgan Nagler, Philadelphia, PA, Punky Brewster, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air on April 18, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: March 23, 2023] King Tuff / Morgan Nagler

King Tuff is Kyle Thomas.  Thomas was a member of Ty Segall’s band for a time (and Segall plays on his albums).

I really enjoyed his Black Moon Spell album, but I haven’t listened to him all that much since.  When this show was announced I put it on my radar, but knew that I was pretty busy this week.  When my weekend opened up because a scout trip came up, I seriously thought about getting a last-minute ticket t this show.  But it was already sold out.  So that’s okay.

Morgan Nagler is a singer from Los Angeles.  She plays slowish fuzzy indie rock.  Her voice is pleasant and cool.  She is also the singer for Whispertown.  In a fun backstory that seems to be popping up from time to time, Nagler worked as a child actor, appearing on Punky Brewster and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.  But she’s got the musical bona-fides (she wrote a song for Rilo Kiley and did a single with Kim Deal).

I think this would have been a really fun show.

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