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Archive for the ‘Grails’ Category

Grails (PhilaMOCA, Philadelphia, PA, June 30, 2024)

Posted in Grails, Philadelphia, PA, PhilaMOCA, Soma on July 1, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: June 30, 2024] Grails

My friend Eleanor told me about this show and I immediately grabbed a ticket.

Grails opened with a mellow almost spooky instrumental with Jesse Bates playing synth and flute.  Alex Hall did something with his phone in front of his guitar’s pickups.  I wonder what app he was using.

Then the whole band kicked in drummer Emil Amos (who was incredible but who I couldn’t see very well because of the keyboard in front of me) played a delicate rhythm.  I stood almost in front of Ilyas Ahmed who played guitar in so many different styles, he was marvelous to watch.

And there was a keyboard player in the back who I literally never saw but who was playing low end and waves of sounds.

As the song progresses, Bates played slide guitar–a pretty melody  over the waves of music.  And the song builds and builds.

Through the course of the night, there were excellent bass lines, some wild drums, and more flute.

The whole night set was terrific.  The moods and emotions that they conveyed through these instrumentals were terrific.  What was interesting/amusing was the videos the venue showed behind the band. I don’t know if the band had any say in the video but I enjoyed screen shots like “Rivers turn to blood” and what looked like someone having a psychedelic trip.  At one point during a quiet moment I saw Amos look up at the screen and chuckle.

The set ended with Origin-ing–a fast bassline with some terrific starts and stops as the band was totally in sync.

It was a great show and I’m so glad I got to see them live.

  1. Word Made Flesh ♦
  2. Sisters of Bilitis ∇
  3. Immediate Mate ♠
  4. New Prague Ψ
  5. Burden of Hope ß
  6. Belgian Wake-Up Drill ≡
  7. Lord I Hate Your Day ß
  8. Evening Song ∇
  9. Sad & Illegal ∇
  10. Origin-ing ∞
∇ Anches En Maat
ß The Burden of Hope
≡ Black Tar Prophecies, Volume II
∞ Burning Off Impurities
Ψ Chalice Hymnal
♠ Doomsdayer’s Holiday
♦ Redlight

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Soma (PhilaMOCA, Philadelphia, PA, June 30, 2024) [GRAILS]

Posted in Grails, Philadelphia, PA, PhilaMOCA, Soma on June 30, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: June 30, 2024] Grails

I saw Soma play at a church in Asbury Park.  The night was an evening of cool video projections and transcendent music.

I really enjoyed their set which was based around sacred music inspired by Krishna.  At the church I really couldn’t see them because lights were low so the projections on the walls would show up better.

At this show the whole band was visible and I enjoyed seeing the vast array if instruments they played–including two double-barrelled flutes and a shell (I’ve never seen anyone blow into a shell to make a sound before).

The music has a trance-like element with repetitive phrases, chanting and simple percussive beats.  At this show a woman sat cross legged on the floor as soon as they started.  And a guy on the side occasionally burst out in joyous affirmation–which I thought was weird, but which the bands seemed to find normal.

There are two main vocalists and virtually every song is a call and response in which the rest of the band (and crowd) sing along.  I enjoyed watching everyone playing their instruments up close and seeing the random assortment of instruments that they were playing as well–so much percussion. (more…)

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