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Archive for the ‘Kevin Devine’ Category

Kevin Devine (Revilla Grooves and Gear, Milltown, NJ, August 8, 2026)

Posted in Kevin Devine, Milltown NJ, Revilla Grooves and Gear on August 8, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: August 8, 2026] Kevin Devine

I’ve been a fan of Kevin Devine and the Goddamn Band for several years now.  Last December, I went o see him one week after a hip replacement because it was at a brewery fifteen minutes from my house.  Tonight’s show was at a record store in Milltown, NJ.  I had seen Ted Leo there last year and they have a great setup for in-store artists.  And this time, there were seats!

Kevin is a delightful, funny performer.  He jokes with the audience and at his own expense.  He has a great powerful voice, although most of his songs, when solo, are rather soft.

He played an acoustic guitar for the whole set which had several songs from his soon to be released album (next year sometime).

He opened with a song he played last time a new song that may or may not be on the new album.   Then he played one that is definitely on it (they just finished mixing it).  Then, as he said, he’d play some songs from throughout the years and then take Q&A and requests.

It’s not surprising that the set was similar to the solo show at Flounder eight months ago, but he had a few news songs and he took requests which meant a lot of new (to me) stuff.

He basically opened with the same few songs as last time (although we missed the very first few songs, so it was like hearing them for the first time.)

After the newer songs he went really deep for Go Haunt Someone Else (2006) and Yr Damned Ol’ Dad (2005).  After playing a song from Brother’s Blood, he talked about Bad Books and then ran through a quick version of Andy Hull is Garbage.  This is now the second or third time I’ve heard this and it makes me laugh every time.  So Kevin and Andy work together in Bad Books (Andy is in Manchester Orchestra as well) and it’s hard to follow the order, but Kevin says he wrote the “garbage” song but Kevin says that Andy says he wrote it about Kevin first.  So, I gather they each play their own version in their live sets from time to time. (more…)

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David Dondero (Flounder Brewing Co., Hillsborough, NJ, January 16, 2026) [CHRIS GETHARD]

Posted in Chris Gethard, David Dondero, Flounder Brewing Co, Hillsborough NJ, Kevin Devine on January 16, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: January 16, 2026] David Dondero

It’s interesting to me that my last show of 2025 was at the same venue as the first show of 2026–a venue I hadn’t been to before that previous show.  It helps that it’s 15 minutes from my house.

I have known about Chris Gethard for a little while.  I missed him the last time he came around here, but I soon as this show was announced I grabbed a ticket.  I saw that David Dondero was going to open for him.  I thought I didn’t know who he was, but it turns out I had seen a Tiny Desk of his back in 2014.  The folks at NPR Music love(d) him, but I was okay on him

his music is good but not especially memorable, but it’s his lyrics that Dondero is known for.  His songs are thoughtful and interesting and look at a variety of subjects.

Chris Gethard introduced him and said that he had known about David for decades and was a huge fan.  He was in Florida and David was playing a show and said he was moving back to New Jersey.  He and Chris connected and this tour was born.  (more…)

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Champagne Jam 2025 (Brooklyn Bowl, The Foundry, Fillmore Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, December 19-20, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Aaron West & The Roaring Twenties, Alex Orange Drink, Annie DiRusso, Balance and Composure, Brother Bird, Chmpagne Jam, Family Dinner, Funambulist, Kevin Devine, Kevin Devine & The Goddamn Band, Leisure Hour, Palomino, Philadelphia, PA, Public Works, The Fillmore Philadelphia, The Front Bottoms, The Lunar Calendar, This is Lorelei on December 19, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: December 19-20, 2022] Champagne Jam 2025

Every year for quite some time, The Front Bottoms have been doing a Champagne Jam at the close of the calendar year.

I got tickets in 2022 but we didn’t go.  This year I didn’t plan on going although my daughter surprised me by saying she wanted to go to one of the days.  Then I explained what all was involved–that it wasn’t just a headliner and opener and she agreed that she didn’t want to deal with all that.

So who was there this year?  It was much smaller than the 2022 edition, which seemed to have several venues involved.  This one was just the Fillmore and the Foundry. (more…)

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Kevin Devine (Flounder Brewing Co., Hillsborough, NJ, December 17, 2025)

Posted in Flounder Brewing Co, Hillsborough NJ, Kevin Devine on December 17, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: December 17, 2025] Kevin Devine

I’ve been a fan of Kevin Devine and the Goddamn Band for several years now.  I first saw him opening a show and I really enjoyed his brief set.  I’ve since seen him solo and with the Goddamn band.  So when they announced that he would be playing a show at a Brewery fifteen minutes from my house, I grabbed tickets immediately.

And then my scheduled surgery was moved up from January to December 10.  I assumed there was no way I could go.  And yet, a week later I felt great and figured I could surely sit for 90 minutes.  I reached out to Flounder and secured two seats and by midday I felt well enough to go.

Sadly, I am an idiot and never confirmed the start time.   I thought it started at 8, but it actually started at 7:30 and it sounds like Kevin mingled and chatted with everyone.  So we arrived around 7:45, embarrassingly after he had started.  And we clearly missed ten or fifteen minutes.  However, Kevin played 20 songs while we were there and finished a little after nine, so even if we missed a few songs, we still had a great night of music.  [Turns out we only missed one full song, some of the second song and a 5 minute intro, phew]. (more…)

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Balance and Composure / Kevin Devine and the Goddamn Band / Milly (Fillmore Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, October 5, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Balance and Composure, Kevin Devine, Kevin Devine & The Goddamn Band, Kevin Devine and the Goddman Band, Milly, Philadelphia, PA, The Fillmore Philadelphia on October 5, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 5, 2024] Balance and Composure / Kevin Devine and the Godamn Band / Milly

The strange thing (to me) about this show is that I knew and liked both of the opening acts but had never even heard of the headliners.

In fact, the reason I wanted to go to this show was for Kevin Devine & the Goddamn Band.  I’ve seen Kevin three times and I love his songs and his whole vibe but it’s been five years since I’ve seen him (really bad luck of local shows being canceled or scheduled on a bad night for me).  And I really wanted to see him with the Goddamn Band because the Goddamn Band is awesome.

But they only played for 45 minutes, so I’m not terribly upset that I missed them.

I saw Milly open for Swervedriver 5 years ago.  I enjoyed them and am delighted to see that since 2019, they’ve released a bunch of stuff.

And then there’s Balance and Composure (from Doylestown, PA).  I didn’t know them but apparently everyone else was super psyched that they released a new record in 2024 (it had been 8 years since the last one).

I’ve listened to a few clips of songs and liked them. But I don’t think I would have enjoyed the show with a huge amount of big fans.

 

 

My son and I have seen Starset twice.  Each show has been pretty fantastic.

When this tour was announced, I was excited that a show was going to be at the Starland Ballroom (a venue I don’t love, but which he does).

But then it turned out to be the night before he was leaving for Europe.  There was n way we were staying out all night the night before his flight.

So, we gave this tour a miss.

Rock on Purpose has a big review of the show.

I didn’t know any of the other bands.  The above reviewer is a big fan of Red, who he says plays a “combination of cinematic, uplifting, and hardcore rock music.”

They are a Christian band, which seems an odd fit for Starset’s cryptic stances, but whatever, their songs are pretty good with interesting orchestral arrangements over the heavy guitars.

Divide the Fall are from Minnesota.  Spill, their local magazine says

their modern hard rock sound and catchy choruses with the occasional heavy breakdown.

And a review of their recent EP describes melodic harmonies and stunning, clean vocals.

Oni were a progressive heavy metal band from Canada with growling vocals and crazy technical profiiency, at least in 2016.  In 2022, they released a new album about which Drowned in Sound says

If you were anticipating another round of technical bludgeoning akin to the Ironshore era then you may be disappointed as ONI have taken an entirely different direction this time round.

Sounds like the heaviest bands went on first, although some of their new songs are pretty mellow too.  Interestimg.

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Kevin Devine / The New Amsterdams / Brother Bird (First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia, PA, May 19, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Brother Bird, First Unitarian Church, Kevin Devine, Philadelphia, PA, The Get Up Kids, The New Amsterdams on May 19, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 19, 2023] Kevin Devine / The New Amsterdams featuring Matt Pryor / Brother Bird

I’ve been a fan of Kevin Devine for a few years.  I feel like I’ve seen him a bunch because he so often plays around here.  And yet I have only seen him three time (twice solo and once with his Goddamn Band).  I would love to see him again especially with his band.

This show was intriguing–he was playing his album Make the Clocks Move (recently re-released) plus more.  The posters made it unclear whether he would be playing with the New Amsterdams or not.

From what I can gather, Kevin was solo, with an occasional guest.

But this show was the First Unitarian Church, a venue that I will not go to again.  So I missed out on this night.  This night was also my son’s prom night so I didn’t make any other plans.

I had never heard of The New Amsterdams.  They are a project of Matt Pryor, the lead singer of The Get Up Kids.  This is his more folkie/mellow side.  But as soon as he started singing, I recognized his voice right away.

The New Amsterdams were Matt Pryor and (according to Country Standard Time) “a few backing musicians.”  He/they were playing the album Worse for the Wear (plus more).

Opening for them was Brother Bird (Caroline Swon, who was a The Voice Season 4 contender).  She played solo acoustic.  She has a very pleasant voice, although the above review says “the songs ended up being a bit too similar … more variety would have suited Brother Bird.”

The review also noted that Brother Bird was a utility player throughout the night, showing up during the sets of both Devine and The New Amsterdams.

Here’s a Kevin Devine song from Country Standard Time filmed at Brighton Music Hall with a hilarious introduction about Boise Bob, Elliot Smith, Kurt Cobain and COVID.

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Kevin Devine / The New Amsterdams / Brother Bird (Crossroads, Garwood, NJ, May 18, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Brother Bird, First Unitarian Church, Kevin Devine, Philadelphia, PA, The New Amsterdams on May 18, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 18, 2023] Kevin Devine / The New Amsterdams featuring Matt Pryor / Brother Bird

I’ve been a fan of Kevin Devine for a few years.  I feel like I’ve seen him a bunch because he so often plays around here.  And yet I have only seen him three time (twice solo and once with his Goddamn Band).  I would love to see him again especially with his band.

This show was intriguing–he was playing his album Make the Clocks Move (recently re-released) plus more.  The posters made it unclear whether he would be playing with the New Amsterdams or not.

From what I can gather, Kevin was solo, with an occasional guest.

But once again, Kevin Devine has scheduled a local show on the same night as three other shows I wanted to see.  This happened in April of last year as well–three other shows that I had wanted to go to. Tonight’s were The New Pornographers, Richard Thompson and Acid Mothers Temple (who won out).  This show was in Garwood, a local(ish) town that I hope to see more shows at. I’m bummed I couldn’t make this one as it sounds like a great night.

I had never heard of The New Amsterdams.  They are a project of Matt Pryor, the lead singer of The Get Up Kids.  This is his more folkie/mellow side.  But as soon as he started singing, I recognized his voice right away.

The New Amsterdams were Matt Pryor and (according to Country Standard Time) “a few backing musicians.”  He/they were playing the album Worse for the Wear (plus more).

Opening for them was Brother Bird (Caroline Swon, who was a The Voice Season 4 contender).  She played solo acoustic.  She has a very pleasant voice, although the above review says “the songs ended up being a bit too similar … more variety would have suited Brother Bird.”

The review also noted that Brother Bird was a utility player throughout the night, showing up during the sets of both Devine and The New Amsterdams.

Here’s The New Amsterdams (clip from Country Standard Time) filmed at Brighton Music Hall.

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Champagne Jam 2022 (Brooklyn Bowl, The Foundry, Fillmore Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, December 16-17, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Another Michael, Chmpagne Jam, Flycatcher, Joyce Manor, Kevin Devine, Lunar Vacation, Philadelphia, PA, Riverby, Shannen Moser, Slothrust, Soul Glo, Sweet Pill, The Fillmore Philadelphia, The Front Bottoms, Titus Andronicus on December 17, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: December 17-18, 2022] Champagne Jam 2022

Every year for quite some time, The Front Bottoms have been doing a Champagne Jam at the close of the calendar year.  Brooklyn Vegan talked about in 2019:

The Front Bottoms‘ annual holiday concert Champagne Jam has taken place in NYC and NJ in the past, and this year it moves to Philadelphia. It happens December 21 (the Saturday before Christmas) at The Fillmore Philly Complex.

2022 saw them return to Philly, which has three venues all more or less connected.  I don’t know how the set times are structured–if there’s any way to see everyone (probably not).  But then again, I dind;t want to see everyone.

I bought my son and I tickets to the Saturday December 17 show figuring it was one last opportunity to see The Front Bottoms (since we kept missing them for one reason or another).  Then we wound up scheduling our own holiday jam for the same night.

So we weren’t going to go to the Friday night show anyhow, but here’s the full lineup:

Friday, December 16, 2022 in the Lobby

  • DJ Spicy Brown

Friday, December 16 2022 at The Foundry 

  • Flycatcher are from New Brunswick, NJ  According to The Deli
    • Flycatcher are a four-piece rock combo hailing from New Brunswick, New Jersey, three of whom have immaculately sculpted facial hair (well ok one of them has a bushy beard but still it’s neatly trimmed and shaped). On the musical side of things Flycatcher carry on in the fine tradition of immaculately sculpted extremely catchy power-pop-that-rocks made in the Tristate Area with oft-witty lyrics and a distinctly que será, será attitude as established by such legendary acts as Fountains of Wayne, The Feelies, The Smithereens, and the ripe-for-revival Cucumbers.
    • They sound like they are worth checking out–the one song I’ve listened to is pretty slackery.
  • Sweet Pill is an emo band from New Jersey. The band consists of vocalist Zayna Youssef, guitarist Jayce Williams, guitarist Sean McCall, bassist Ryan Cullen, and drummer Chris Kearney.  The video I watched for High Hopes was super catchy (and set in a bowling alley).
  • Another Michael is a band who have opened for a bunch of shows I haven’t gone to.  They play a kind of mellow indie rock with lead Michael’s vocals veering into R&B styles.  Not quite my thing.  But that’s only one dud in a bill I didn’t even think about going to.
  • Slothrust are from Boston.  In a review from The Revue (in Canada) from 2021, they talk about an evolving band:
    • In the 8 years we’ve been covering Slothrust, we’ve seen the band change a lot musically. They’ve shifted from the early days of jazz-infused grunge, which eventually grew into much bigger and less easy to classify sounds. Each record feels like a rebirth, from Everyone Else having a fine polish on that distinctive Slothrust sound but expanding on it at the same time. The Pact felt like an even more diverse records, with the band diving more into electronic sounds and even diving into poppier sounds. It set up any future releases nicely to dive even more into the trio’s widening approach. Their latest record, Parallel Timeline, heralds yet another rebirth of the band.  “Cranium” kicks off the record and immediately sets the tone. This is a slower Slothrust, as the chugging basslines and heavy drums are nowhere to be found. All the things that make Leah Wellbaum stand out as an artist, however, are on full display. Her voice, her surreal lyrics, and, at about halfway through the song, her guitar work. “Once More For The Ocean” hits a bit harder, kicking of with a ripping guitar solo, but it stays a bit in that pop realm with a bunch of sections that just beg to be sung along with.

Sounds like a really good night and some bands I should be on the look out for.

Friday, December 16, 2022 at Fillmore Philadelphia

  • Lunar Vacation I saw Lunar Vacation open for The Beths and they were great.  I’d happily see them again.
  • Emperor X is from Louisville, Kentucky (and presumably not the Emperor X from Berlin).  He plays a kind of low-fi pop that I see is described as a “bummer jam” which is absolutely not my thing.
  • Joyce Manor is a punk band from California who I always think are someone else.  Their latest album 40 oz to Fresno was described by The New York Times (!!!) as “relentlessly tuneful 17-minute collection of all-killer, no-filler power-pop.”  I rather like their clean punk sound.
  • The Front Bottoms are the stars of the night and the main attraction.  They were, no doubt fantastic, and I love that they give a lot of other New Jersey bands a platform.

Saturday, December 17, 2022 at Brooklyn Bowl

  • Shannen Moser I’ve seen Shannen Moser twice.  Her intense folk songs are quite good
  • Shane Henderson was the singer of Valencia and now does mostly production.
  • Tom May has “lived the dream” of being a full time, working, self-supporting folk musician.  Tom is also the founder and host of the nationally-syndicated live radio program, River City Folk.
  • Kevin Devine is someone I love and I was really looking forward to seeing his set–and hoping that it didn’t conflict with any of the other headliners.

Saturday, December 17, 2022 at The Foundry

  • Riverby are from Philly.  They are a fun indie rock band with a loose sound (and a cover of “Walk Through the Fire” from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
  • Hotline TNT is the shoegaze/indie rock project of singer-songwriter Will Anderson (a.k.a. Flip Sandy). The project began after Anderson moved from Vancouver to Minneapolis. Now based in New York, Anderson still handles the songwriting himself and has played live shows with several different lineups.
  • Kid Sister is a rapper who has appeared with Sault.

Saturday, December 17, 2022 at Fillmore Philadelphia

  • Prince Daddy & The Hyena is an American rock band from Albany, New York, formed in 2014 described as indie rock with punk and “slacker” influences
  • Soul Glo is a band I really want to see. They are an extreme punk band and will probably scare the heck out of me.  It would have been safest to see them amid all of these other bands
  • Titus Andronicus is a band I should probably love, but I just can’t get into them.
  • The Front Bottoms headlining a second night.

This seems like a really fun festival.

Jordan Norris nicely posted a video of The Front Bottoms from both shows

Friday night:

Saturday night

Also

Also, The Flycatcher review had these two videos (because of a song called sodas in the freezer)

And a Shasta commercial

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Kevin Devine / Anika Pyle (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, July 13, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Anika Pyle, First Unitarian Church, Johnny Brenda's, Kevin Devine, Philadelphia, PA on July 13, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: July 13, 2022] Kevin Devine / Anika Pyle

The embarrassment of riches continued on July 13.  Initially the Bikini Kill show was rescheduled for this date–but it was postponed again.

I’ve been a fan of Kevin Devine for a few years.  I feel like I’ve seen him a bunch because he so often plays around here.  And yet I have only seen him three time (twice solo and once with his Goddamn Band).  I would love to see him again and would absolutely gone to see this show except that Foxing, a band I saw once who were amazing live were playing the same night.

I actually had tickets for this show but decided kind of last minute to see Foxing instead–it hadn’t sold out so I got a ticket at the box office.

I feel like it is far more likely that I’ll see Kevin Devine again soon.

Anika Pyle has written her own bio on he site:

Many know me as the front person in the short-lived but well-loved Chumped or the feminine exploration power pop project katie ellen. In February of 2021, I released my first solo record – Wild River  – a mix of song and spoken word poetry paying homage to my late father who died suddenly in 2019. The record explores failure, shame resilience, intergenerational trauma, and how to find hope after grief.

I hadn’t heard of her.  The few clips I’ve heard make it seem like her music is slow and moody.  Not my favorite mix.

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Kevin Devine / Kayleigh Goldsworthy / Kississippi (First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia, PA, April 29, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in First Unitarian Church, Kayleigh Goldsworthy, Kevin Devine, Kississippi, Philadelphia, PA on April 29, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 29, 2022] Kevin Devine / Kayleigh Goldsworthy / Kississippi

The embarrassment of riches continued on April 29th as there were four more shows I was interested in going to.  And what’s so fun about Philadelphia is that among the eight shows in two nights none were in the same venue.

I’ve been a fan of Kevin Devine for a few years.  I feel like I’ve seen him a bunch because he so often plays around here.  And yet I have only seen him three time (twice solo and once with his Goddamn Band).  I would love to see him again and would absolutely gone to see this show except that it was at the First Unitarian Church, avenue I won’t go to again.  So, this one was really a no-go.

I saw Kayleigh Goldsworthy open for Frank Turner and really liked her.  I didn’t realize she was part of Kevin Devine’s circle of players until recently.  I’d have happily seen her again.

Kississippi is a Philly band who I saw open for someone else.  They write super catchy songs and I would happily see them again as well.  Some other time I’m sure.

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