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Archive for the ‘Dum Dum Girls’ Category

We Were Promised Jetpacks / Frankie Rose (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, April 14, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Dum Dum Girls, Frankie Rose, Philadelphia, PA, Underground Arts, Vivian Girls, We Were Promised Jetpacks on April 14, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: November 14, 2021] We Were Promised Jetpacks (postponed from November 14, 2021).

I’ve seen We Were Promised Jetpacks a couple of times and they put on a ripping show.

But recently one of their original members left and they seem to have changed their sound a bit.  I didn’t enjoy it quite as much.  But I still had a ticket to this show and figured they’d still be great live.

But when Gustaf announced a show the same night, I knew I’d be going to that one instead.  I saw Gusaf open for Idles and imagined that their headline show would be amazing.  So I chose Gustaf.

Frankie Rose is evidently a legendary musician who has played with everyone like Vivian Girls and Dum Dum Girls.  She sounds like she’d put on a good show.  Although her poppier sound suggests that WWPJ were leaning a bit more pop on this album.

 

 

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Kristin Kontrol (Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ, July 27, 2016) [GARBAGE]

Posted in Dale Bozzio, Dum Dum Girls, Garbage, Kate Bush, Kristin Kontrol, Sayreville, NJ, Set in New Jersey!, Starland Ballroom on July 27, 2016| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: July 27, 2016] Kristin Kontrol

2016-07-27 20.08.28 I didn’t know who Kristin Kontrol was before this show.  I had to look her up and I saw that she used to sing for the Dum Dum Girls (she was Dee Dee Dum Dum).  I never really cared for them (I don’t like old time “girl group” music, so I didn’t need to hear it updated).  For some reason I assumed she would be loud and brash (which I realize is not what the Dum Dum Girls sound like anyhow).  Rather, her new outfit Kristin Kontrol embraces her love of 80s synth pop.

When she came out I didn’t realize she had been performing for a few years already (they formed in 2008), so while I knew she wasn’t a new artist, I was delighted with how much stage presence she had.  She even had “moves” down (arm gestures that went along with the songs) and she was really poised.

She told us that her first concert was Garbage way back in 1995 and it was that show that made her want to be a musician.  So she was delighted to be opening for them.

The band consisted of a drummer (who used a soft mallets on his cymbals, which I liked, as well as a mixture of electronic and analog drums), a guitarist who seemed to be playing lot of weird electronic sounds with is instrument (he was on the far side so I couldn’t really see him) and a bassist/keyboardist who was right in front of me.  Despite the guitar/bass line up, the overall sound was very synthy (even when no one was playing a synth).  (more…)

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Belle and Sebastian (Radio City Music Hall, New York, June 10, 2015)

Posted in Belle and Sebastian, Dum Dum Girls, Grateful Dead, Guys and Dolls, New York City, Paul Simon, Radio City Music Hall, Simon and Garfunkel on June 12, 2015| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: June 10, 2015] Belle and Sebastian

2015-06-10 23.11.13After the major hassle of getting into the city we at least had plenty of time for Belle and Sebastian (which meant plenty of time to take pictures of the awesome art deco structures and sculptures and paintings in Radio City Music Hall).  It’s an amazing theater.

We bought the tickets in April.  Then about two weeks ago we weren’t sure if we could go.  Then we realized we could.  And then three days ago, we had a miscommunication with our babysitter and thought we again couldn’t go.  So we tried to sell them to friends.  But thankfully no one took us up on it because our plans went as planned and we made it.

I had seen Belle and Sebastian back in 2002 with my friend Ailish.  Although my memories of the show aren’t the greatest because the crowd was so overwhelming (B&S were an “it band” at the time).  This was much more civilized.  And high tech!

Back in 2002, B&S were kind of mellow folksingers.  Some of their breakthrough If You’re Feeling Sisnister was bouncy and jaunty (and some was actually quite rocking), but the vibe was shushed and personal.  Well, thirteen years later, they are a huge band with horns and strings and dancers and a cool video screen and a ton of charm.  Just the fact that lead singer Stuart Murdoch ran around high-fiving everyone in the front row, and then later ran through the aisles singing is testament to how much more extroverted the band has become.

And Stuart and lead guitarist Stevie Jackson had a lot of amusing banter going on up there.  There was a lengthy one about walking around Broadway

Stevie: “I was walking down Broadway earlier today, singing to myself…”
Stuart: “Oh, and what were you singing Stevie?”
Stevie: “It was Guys and Dolls.”
Stuart: “Oh, which part?”
Stevie belted out (very nicely) a line from the musical Stevie said he was a rocker who liked musicals.  and then Stuart said he was singing “Feelin’ Groovy.”  That’s when we learned that the trumpeter has played with Paul. (more…)

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