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Archive for the ‘Knoll’ Category

Agriculture (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, January 24, 2026)

Posted in Agriculture, Knoll, Nina Ryser, Philadelphia, PA, Underground Arts on January 26, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: January 24, 2026] Agriculture

I saw Agriculture open for Boris just two months ago.  I enjoyed their set so much that I knew I’d see them again and two months was not too short of a time to wait.

Agriculture calls their music ecstatic black metal and that description, while slightly vague, is really spot on.  There is screaming and growling, speed and heaviness but also a lot of brightness and beauty.

They put out a new album last year and most of their Boris set was from that album.  The headline set added two more songs form that record and a few more older tracks.

First out was guitarist Richard Chowenhill who started playing one note really really fast.  I was standing right in front of him and I was really blown away by how fast he was picking the string.   The rest of the band came out and started Flea, which features bassist Leah Levinson reciting lyrics while guitarist Dan Meyer who still has a big beard screamed gutturally.  The fact the the song shifts gears midway through to a pleasant, uplifting voice while Leah sings gently only make the screams that she does shortly all the more crazy.

I loved watching drummer Kern Haug.  He has exceptional sideburns and he plays so fast and yet with such precision.  I’m surprised for the second time that he wore a button down shirt,  But I was less surprised to see him trying to stretch out his back mid set because holy cow what a workout.

But it was really amazing being in front of Chowenhill as he played these amazing solos. Whether he shredded furiously or was doing fascinating finger tapping while sliding up and down the neck, the speed and accuracy were mind blowing.

It was pretty bizarre about half way through the show a guy pushed his way up front and started “singing” along to Leah’s screamed vocals. He clearly knew the words and he did try to sound screamy but it was almost like have a translator next to me.  I let him get in front so he’s stop shouting in my ear. (more…)

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Nina Ryser (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, January 24, 2026) [AGRICULTURE]

Posted in Agriculture, Knoll, Nina Ryser, Philadelphia, PA, Underground Arts on January 25, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: January 24, 2026] Nina Ryser

Nina Ryser is a member of Palberta (I love that name) whom I saw live a while back.  I saw Nina solo back in 2022.  She was opening for Tropical Fuck Storm.  And tonight she was opening for Agriculture.  That’s two really heavy bands who chose her to open.  She is something of a Philly DIY institution, but she plays offbeat synth songs that are not at all like the headliners.

Most of the songs were built around a beat and a simple chord pattern.  There was a droney component to it and Nina’s vocals were kind of deadpan.  With her was Luke Knapp, on bass and other synthy sounds.

There were some good bass lines and fun synth sounds.  Nina tends to re-state her lyrics a bunch and the songs quickly become familiar (I’m not even sure if there are verses and choruses). (more…)

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Knoll (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, January 24, 2026) [AGRICULTURE]

Posted in Agriculture, Knoll, Nina Ryser, Philadelphia, PA, Underground Arts on January 25, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: January 24, 2026] Knoll

I hadn’t heard of Knoll until my physical therapist said he knew them.  He said they put on an incredible show.  And since I already knew that Agriculture was incredible, I was doubly psyched.

So Knoll set up their gear.  They had an old-looking end table (I would guess like 100 years old, with all kinds of filigree–but probably not worth anything) and interesting gear on it. The table also had a little light on it.  And then I realized that there were four floor lamps around the stage.

And these lights were the only things that lit the stage!  And, most interesting of all, each band member had a step on plug (like we use for our Christmas lights) and turned their individual light on and off throughout the show.

All five members of the band were dressed in all black–button down shirts and black pants.  And the lead singer, James Eubanks, has his head shaved, (possibly his eyebrows), his fingernails shaped into points.  He looks like Nosferatu.

Before the show, he busied himself by making sure all of the lamps were plugged in.  And as soon as they were ready.

BOOM.

I was in front of guitarist Cameron Giarraputo.  He was like a machine with the speed and technical expertise he brought to these incredibly fast songs.  It was a wall of noise.  And then Eubanks stepped up front and an unholy demon jumped out of his mouth.

He growled, he shrieked, he made sounds that I didn’t think a human could make and… apparently… there were words associated with these sounds. (more…)

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