Posted in Franklin Music Hall, James, Johnny Marr, Philadelphia, PA on October 11, 2024| Leave a Comment »
[DID NOT ATTEND: October 11, 2024] Johnny Marr / James
I saw Johnny Marr six years ago. I can’t believe it has been six years. I more or less didn’t bother getting tickets for this because I thought I had seen him much more recently than that.
Plus, when I saw him, it was at the TLA and this show was at Franklin Music Hall. So good for him for upgrading so much!
But I had two other shows that I was considering that night: The Bevis Frond and The Lemon Twigs. (more…)
Posted in Asbury Park, NJ, Johnny Marr, Modest Mouse, The Cribs, The Stone Pony, The Stone Pony Summer Stage on May 28, 2022| Leave a Comment »
[DID NOT ATTEND: May 28, 2022] Modest Mouse / The Cribs
I really enjoy seeing Modest Mouse live. I’ve seen them a number of times and will happily see them again.
However, I didn’t really want to see them at the Stone Pont Summer Stage, which I have a kind of love hate relationship with.
They tour all the time and I was able to see them again later in December, so it’s okay that this show was missed.
The Cribs are an old (I had no idea) British rock band (formed in 2001). They are made up of twins Gary and Ryan Jarman and their younger brother Ross Jarman. Johnny Marr (who was also part of Modest Mouse for a while) played with them from 2008 to 2011.
They were a hugely popular British indie rock (emphasis on the rock) band whom I’d never heard of. Apparently they hit some trouble just before COVID, and here’ a fun little blurb from the NME.
The Jarman brothers were left staring defeat in the face following ‘24-7 Rock Star Shit’ due to a self-described “legal morass”. After unexpectedly parting ways with their management, a morale-sapping period in the wilderness followed; they couldn’t release music or tour (the gig-hardened band still haven’t played live since September 2018). “Towards the end of last year, we honestly could not even begin to imagine coming back and were seriously questioning our future as a band,” The Cribs revealed in a message to their fans back in August. “It felt almost like a distant dream or something.”
Step forward Dave Grohl. While supporting Foo Fighters in Manchester in the summer of 2018, the deflated Cribs received a pep talk from the gregarious frontman, who offered them a route out of their quagmire. “‘Forget about all that business stuff, come out to LA and make a record at our studio’ – Dave made that offer to us,” a relieved Ryan Jarman recalled.
It was precisely the kind of escape that the Jarman brothers so desperately needed: after reuniting at their parents’ house during Christmas 2018 to thrash out some new song ideas, the trio headed to the Foos’ Studio 606 the following April to record what would become ‘Night Network’, The Cribs’ best album in 11 years.
Back to ‘Goodbye’, then. The record’s very un-Cribsian surf-pop opener, complete with ‘Pet Sounds’-influenced harmonies, permits the band to first and foremost reflect on the bullshit (“Goodbye when you chose the sons of privilege,” one withering line goes) before consigning those tumultuous times to the past.
Point made, drummer Ross Jarman signals the resumption of normal service as his tumbling fill sparks lead single ‘Running Into You’ into life. “If I could only write her favourite song / Still be in her head when I am gone,” bassist Gary Jarman wistfully sings as his twin brother Ryan crafts a sprawling and very Cribsian riff from the barrage of fuzzy guitar he lays down throughout. There’s even an “ah-oh-oh-oh” cry thrown in at the end, almost like a tip of the hat to ‘The New Fellas’ era. Isn’t it good to have The Cribs back?
I’m going to have to give these guys a listen.
Posted in Belle Game, Johnny Marr, Philadelphia, PA, Theatre of Living Arts on October 22, 2018| Leave a Comment »
[ATTENDED: October 22, 2018] Belle Game
I hadn’t heard of Belle Game before this show. The blurb on the ticket site described them as “crush pop” which was new to me.
Since they were opening for Johnny Marr I thought I had a feeling for what they wound sound like.
I arrived at the club moments before they went on (nice timing), but far enough back that I couldn’t see anyone very well (wish I’d gotten there ten minutes earlier). The music started and it was this ethereal soft sound–lots of synths and even the guitar was dreamy and almost unrecognizable. And then singer Andrea Lo started singing.
Lo has an amazing voice. Very powerful–she can hit the rafters easily. She also sings with a lot of force (that hand waving to the beat that pop singers do). Basically, she was like a TV singer. And it absolutely did not work with the music. (more…)
Posted in An Unkindness, Blondie, Bob Dylan, Count Basie Theatre, Deap Vally, Garbage, Jefferson Starship, Johnny Marr, Red Bank, NJ, Set in New Jersey!, TV on the Radio on July 28, 2017| Leave a Comment »
[ATTENDED: July 28, 2017] Blondie
When I saw that Blondie and Garbage were touring together (“The Rage and Rapture Tour”) I casually asked Sarah if she wanted to go. It’s possible that Sarah was a bigger Blondie fan that I realized.
I’ve never been a huge fan of Blondie (I didn’t even realize that she grew up n the same town as I did!). But I love The Best of Blondie and “Atomic” is one of my favorite songs from the era. I believe that I even stood behind her at a Ramones concert in 1989, but alas I will never know for sure. Retroactively I’ve realized just how important she was/is and I was pretty excited to see her live.
I knew that Shirley Manson loved Blondie but I didn’t realize he admiration was reciprocated. I just read that Debbie Harry and Blondie asked Manson to deliver their induction speech upon entering the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame a little over a decade ago. (more…)
I Just Read About That... 