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Archive for the ‘oso oso’ Category

The Menzingers / Oso Oso / Sincere Engineer (Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, May 13, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Franklin Music Hall, oso oso, Philadelphia, PA, Sincere Engineer, The Menzingers on May 12, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 13, 2022] The Menzingers / oso oso / Sincere Engineer

I have seen The Menzingers twice.  The first time I missed most of their set.  The second time I was in a terrible location and the sound was dismal.  I told myself that I really wanted to see one good set with them.

They play Philly all the time, but I think I might just be over seeing them.  I feel like I’ve been shut out of seeing them enough (and I’ve got a bad taste in my mouth from the crowd last time), that maybe I don’t need to see this mythical third show anymore

Especially if Oso Oso is the support band.

I saw them open for The Front Bottoms and said

I’m not sure if I was annoyed by the crowd (SO CROWDED) or what but I found oso oso to be one the most meh band I’ve seen on a long time.  I really felt nothing for them. …

Their music was fine–occasionally catchy but not really memorable and I found that I really didn’t like the lead singer’s voice.  It wasn’t bad or awful, it just didn’t seem to fit the music and I found myself enjoying their instrumental sections a ton more.

Someone near me said that they thought he was so stoned he couldn’t sing right.  He did seem like he was a little off, including his weird between song banter and chants.  But maybe he’s just a weird guy.

I haven’t heard of Sincere Engineer, but listening to her now I’m blown away.  I love her/their stuff.  The band is from Chicago and the blurb says

Deanna Belos has been a fixture in the Chicago punk scene since she was in Junior High, attending shows, singing along, and raising hell in general. But she was more than just a face in the crowd, Deanna was a radiant friend to all, and at some point she picked up a guitar and made a different contribution to the Chicago underground scene: her own music under the name Sincere Engineer. Over the last couple years we’ve encouraged her to keep writing songs and she surprised us all by assembling a great band and recording an impressive album. Her debut, “Rhombithian”, was produced by Matt Jordan (You Blew It!, Dowsing, etc.) and pairs the sounds of Chicago punk and the youthful Midwest “emo revival” movement. No one is more excited about music than Sincere Engineer, and Deanna plans to play a lot of shows and bring her infectious energy to the rest of the planet in support of “Rhombithian”.

She plays grungey emo pop punk stuff.  With a heavy grungey guitar.  But what sets Sincere Engineer apart is Deanna’s voice–a snarl that doesn’t detract from her natural melody.  It’s the perfect voice for these songs.  Plus she has a song called “Corn Dog Sonnet No.7”

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The Front Bottoms (Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ, October 24, 2021)

Posted in oso oso, Sayreville, NJ, Starland Ballroom, Sydney Sprague, The Front Bottoms on October 28, 2021| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: October 24, 2021] The Front Bottoms

Even though I tend to dislike Starland Ballroom, when I saw that The Front Bottoms were playing on Philly and then ending their tour at Starland, I knw I had to pick Starland.  End of the tour at a hometown show?  The choice was obvious.  And it was right.

Because in Philly, they played 23 songs but in NJ they played 31, including their entire first album front to back.

I first heard The Front Bottoms in 2013 and somehow never got around to seeing them live.  They’ve had a few shows (what they call Champagne Jams) the last few years.  I didn’t really want to see them in that kind of Festival attitude.  I did get tickets for the 2019 show but wound up not going.

So here was my redemption.

The band was a lot of fun and the crowd was so into it.  Yes they were pushy and shovy but it was all for the good of the show (at least until I saw a girl flee the room with a bloody nose).  There was a mosh pit, there was crowd surfing and more crowd surfing.  It was insane!

 

Most of their songs are fast and fun and lend to a lot of singing along (which we all did).  And even though these songs are kind of pop punk, they’re not short two minute ditties.  So I really didn’t know how long the show would be.

Previous sets ended after 19 songs (plus encores), so I was a little surprised when they ended the set (with the perfect set ender, “Au Revoir (Adios)” at only 16 songs.  But I figured they were going to give us a long encore. (more…)

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oso oso (Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ, October 24, 2021) [THE FRONT BOTTOMS]

Posted in oso oso, Sayreville, NJ, Starland Ballroom, Sydney Sprague, The Front Bottoms on October 27, 2021| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: October 24, 2021] oso oso

I had not heard of oso oso but I had heard good things about them.

They came out fairly quickly after Syndey Sprague’s set.

Starland Ballroom always puts down a projector screen while the bands are setting up.  As oso oso was about to take the stage, it looked like the lead singer was doing a hand stand or a keg stand or was funneling a beer.  I couldn’t quite tell, but his feet were in the air.

I’m not sure if I was annoyed by the crowd (SO CROWDED) or what but I found oso oso to be one the most meh band I’ve seen on a long time.  I really felt nothing for them. (more…)

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Sydney Sprague (Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ, October 24, 2021) [THE FRONT BOTTOMS]

Posted in Blink 182, oso oso, Sayreville, NJ, Starland Ballroom, Sydney Sprague, The Front Bottoms on October 26, 2021| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: October 24, 2021] Sydney Sprague

I have come to really hate the Starland Ballroom.  I can’t believe how long it takes them to get people inside.  One shouldn’t arrive fifteen minutes before show time and miss the opening band’s first two songs.

And that’s what happened with Sydney Sprague.  The people behind me were particularly looking forward to her too, particularly the song she opened her set with.  So I felt bad for them.

I hadn’t heard of Sprague, but she was getting some good press and I was looking forward to her set.

After missing the first two songs, I pushed my way in to an intensely crowded Starland Ballroom.  It was hard to find a good spot, but by the time I settled, Sprague was steadily rocking along.  Her songs were really good–rocking and catchy.

In fact I think her live set was more rocking and intense than her album. (more…)

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