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Archive for the ‘Grocer’ Category

Speedy Ortiz (Milkboy, Philadelphia, PA, July 30, 2024)

Posted in Grocer, Milkboy, Philadelphia, PA, Queen Rat, Speedy Ortiz on August 1, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: July 30, 2024] Speedy Ortiz

I saw Speedy Ortiz back in 2018 and then… they sort of disappeared.  When they returned back in 2023, I saw  them twice, for a Free at Noon before the release of their new album and then a month later when they played the new album in full.

Speedy Ortiz was supposed to play Milkboy on New Year’s Eve, but the show was cancelled because of COVID in the band.

So this show was the rescheduled show from New Year’s (New Year’s in July).  And then in June, Sadie Dupuis posted this

 i had a bike accident monday after a car cut me off and, considering philly drivers and roads, i’m way lucky i’m alive and it didn’t go worse. 🚴😵‍💫  my elbow is, as they say formally in the medical-industrial complex, “totally effed,” but i’m scheduled for surgery monday and i’m being led to believe i’m in the best orthopedic hands out there. it’s going to be a long and annoying road to recovery but i love guitar more than anything and i’m famously stubborn so i’ll get there, don’t worry

They had to cancel shows with Mary Timony, but Sadie said she’d do anything to get this Milkboy show done, even if that meant not playing guitar and teaching all of her parts to Dylan Baldi of Cloud Nothings.

Sadie said it was like doing karaoke.  And when she realized that she’d be a “stand up” singer, she asked for a tambourine to keep her hands busy.  Then she learned that people who play tambourine off their thigh tend to protect themselves from serious bruising. (more…)

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Grocer (Milkboy, Philadelphia, PA, July 30, 2024) [SPEEDY ORTIZ]

Posted in Grocer, Milkboy, Philadelphia, PA, Queen Rat, Speedy Ortiz on July 31, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: July 30, 2024] Grocer

This was the third time I could have seen Grocer.   The first time I didn’t go to the show and the second time was when Speedy Ortiz was supposed to play this show in July.

I thought I knew Grocer from NPR music but I didn’t (I think i got them mixed up with Florist who sound NOTHING like them).  Grocer is a trio from Philly: Cody Nelson – Drums/Vocals, Danielle Lovier – Bass/Vocals and Nicholas Rahn – Guitar/Vocals.  Each member sings and each singer’s musical style is a little different making for a wide ranging musical set all held together by this great band having a lot of fun.

The first song “Mating Call” opened with quiet guitars, quiet vocals from Cody Nelson and bird calls.  By the end of the song, the band was furiously singing “It powers on, but the signal’s gone.”

Up next was “Arts & Lit” sung by Nicholas Rahn.  It had an interesting riff, a jumpy melody and fun backing vocals.  I really enjoyed the sounds and effects that he used.  He had some kind of foot pedal that he slid back and forth which manipulated the sound and made his guitar soar into space. (more…)

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Queen Rat (Milkboy, Philadelphia, PA, July 30, 2024) [SPEEDY ORTIZ]

Posted in Grocer, Milkboy, Philadelphia, PA, Queen Rat, Speedy Ortiz on July 30, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: July 30, 2024] Queen Rat

I was worried that I’d be a little late for this show but I parked (illegally it turns out) and managed to get into Milkboy pretty easily.

Queen Rat came on just as I leaned I could sit on the comfy stool to the left side of the stage (I assume a bouncer sits there during heavier shows?).   But it was perfect for my presently handicapped state.

Their bio says

Queen Rat is a rock trio born in Ohio, growing up in Philly. Drawing from rock heroes ranging from Hole to the Raincoats to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the band pairs pensive, observant lyricism with a versatile grunge-rock style. Following the release of their debut album, Until It’s Not, in 2022, they relocated to Philadelphia and released their latest single, Cut Me A Garden, in 2023. Talk to Queen Rat about books, jumping, or birds.

I found them to be much less aggressive than any of the bands listed above, playing an almost lo-fi vibe.

There were fuzzy guitars, for sure, but the pacing was slow and thoughtful with a few moments that rocked out–especially when drummer Kate Bertrand really kicked it in.

I particularly enjoyed the way Tile Floor ended with a lengthy outro of more or less the same lyrics repeated: (more…)

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Speedy Ortiz / Foyer Red / Grocer (Milkboy, Philadelphia, PA, December 31, 2023) [CANCELLED]

Posted in Cancelled, Coronavirus, Foyer Red, Grocer, Milkboy, Philadelphia, PA, Quarantine, Speedy Ortiz on December 31, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[CANCELLED: December 31, 2023] Speedy Ortiz / Foyer Red / Grocer [CANCELLED]

indexI saw Speedy Ortiz back in September and the show was fantastic.  I already had tickets to see Phish on New Year’s Eve, so it was unlikely that I’d be going to this show.

A few days before  the show, the band announced that they had to cancel because someone in the band had COVID (it’s a few days later and the message is gone, so I can’t quote it here).

So that sucks for them and for everyone who was planning on spending New Year’s Eve there, including the other two bands.

I could have seen both bands back in 2022 at different shows.  Here’s what I wrote then:

Foyer Red has crazy sounds, weirdo words and multiple singers.  And somehow despite all the weirdness (their 2021 album is called Zigzag Wombat), the songs are catchy

Post-Trash says

Foyer Red is a Brooklyn five-piece that makes sweetly sung, charmingly zany art rock. In 2022 they hit the ground running with several great singles — “Pollen City,” “Pickles,” and “Flipper.” In December, the band celebrated signing to Carpark Records by releasing the delightfully spontaneous single, “Etc.”

That first line is enough to make me want to see them. (more…)

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Finom / mmeadows / Grocer (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia PA, September 29, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Finom, Grocer, Johnny Brenda's, mmeadows, Philadelphia, PA on September 29, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 29, 2022] Finom / Mmeadows / Grocer

In August 2022 Sima Cunningham and Macie Stewart announced that they had changed their name from OHMME to Finom, for legal reasons (I wonder what those were).

I don’t care for the new name. I didn’t really love the first name either.

But I saw them open for Jeff Tweedy a few years ago and they were incredible.  Their new album (as Finom) came out a little while ago and I never really got into it–maybe I didn’t give it a chance.  But for whatever reason I wasn;t as interested in this show as I thought I’d be, given how much I loved their set last time.

This is actually the second show that I didn’t go to in which mmeadows was supposed to open.  Their music is pretty interesting.  Rough Trade publishing describes them this way:

Longtime collaborators Kristin Slipp and Cole Kamen-Green come together for the first time as a duo in mmeadows. The band’s distinct sound is informed by their deep musical backgrounds: Kristin is a current member of indie royalty Dirty Projectors, while Cole has worked directly with Beyoncé on two albums, ‘Beyoncé’ and ‘Four.’ Drawing from their disparate influences, mmeadows sees two people connect in what Paste Magazine calls a sonically “singular” way.

Vocal-focused pop songwriting is the heartbeat of mmeadows, who liberally use found sounds and esoteric vintage instruments in their productions and performances. The band released their first EP, Who Do You Think You Are?, in April 2020.

Perhaps a but too poppy for me, but I’ll bet they’re fun live.

I thought I knew Grocer from a Tiny Desk Concert, but I was wrong.  Grocer is a Philly based band that I keep seeing around–so they must be opening for a lot of bands.  Their bandcamp says

Grocer is a band from Philadelphia. Lead by three distinct vocalists, they pendulate between moments of brash atonality, saccharine pop sensibility, and rhythmic acrobatics.

Their compositions are both meticulous and volatile, while their live performances are lauded for explosive chemistry with cheeky curiosity. On their most recent full length, Numbers Game, the band rearranged the puzzle pieces of 90s-influenced rock and dissonant pop into something utterly their own.

I love their chaotic sound as it works with their melodies.  And this blurb makes me realize I need to see them live

Grocer is a multi-vocal guitar band from South Philly that demands context and attention: listen to just one song or wander away mid-set to smoke a cigarette, and you’ll completely miss what they’re about. Featuring three distinct vocalists/lyricists, Grocer is a band that grooves, but never quite settles; a group that loves a good melody, yet remains moments away from chaos. Recently described as “if The Pixies wrote a musical”, their on-stage chemistry is undeniable whether ripping through an Audiotree session or playing in their home city of Philadelphia.

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