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Dayglow–All Things Go Music Festival [Day 1] (Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD, September 30, 2023)

Posted in Alex G, All Things Go, Alvvays, Arlo Parks, Boygenius, Carly Rae Jepsen, Columbia, MD, Dayglow, Ella Jane, Ethel Cain, Flecther, Free Range, Hemlocke Springs, Jensen McRae, Juliana Madrid, Lana Del Ray, Last Dinosaurs, Leith Ross, Lizzie McAlpine, Maggie Rogers, Meet Me @ The Altar, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Mt. Joy, Muna, No Vacation, Peach Pit, Raye, Samia, Sudan Archives, Suki Waterhouse, Tegan and Sara, Tommy Lefroy, Vacations, Vundabar on September 30, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: September 30, 2023] Dayglow

Sometime in April, my daughter asked if we could go to the All Things Go Festival.  I had never heard of this Festival and assumed the answer was no.  But then I saw that it was at the Merriweather Post Pavilion which is exactly three hours away from us.  So when tickets went on sale, I managed to get two pre-sale tickets for Sunday.  And then when they went on proper sale, I managed to score two more for Saturday.

Sunday was  the far more important day for music.  I mean, the whole reason she wanted to go was to see boygenius (and Lana Del Rey).  But this was a great day of music to be sure.

I didn’t know Dayglow and, in fact, I didn’t really see them at this event either.   We were near the Chrysalis Stage and were queuing for food and bathrooms while Dayglow was on.  The women’s bathroom lines were insane, so i feel like I heard most of Dayglow’s set while I sat on a bench and waited.

Dayglow is primarily indie-pop.  Cathy and infectious and pretty perfect on a warm summer day.  It would be hard not to smile while they were playing. (more…)

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Suki Waterhouse–All Things Go Music Festival [Day 1] (Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD, September 30, 2023)

Posted in Alex G, All Things Go, Alvvays, Arlo Parks, Boygenius, Carly Rae Jepsen, Columbia, MD, Daisy Jones and the Six, Dayglow, Detective Pikachu, Ella Jane, Ethel Cain, Flecther, Free Range, Hemlocke Springs, Jensen McRae, Juliana Madrid, Lana Del Ray, Last Dinosaurs, Leith Ross, Lizzie McAlpine, Maggie Rogers, Meet Me @ The Altar, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Mt. Joy, Muna, No Vacation, Peach Pit, Raye, Samia, Sudan Archives, Suki Waterhouse, Tegan and Sara, Tommy Lefroy, Vacations, Vundabar on September 30, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: September 30, 2023] Suki Waterhouse

Sometime in April, my daughter asked if we could go to the All Things Go Festival.  I had never heard of this Festival and assumed the answer was no.  But then I saw that it was at the Merriweather Post Pavilion which is exactly three hours away from us.  So when tickets went on sale, I managed to get two pre-sale tickets for Sunday.  And then when they went on proper sale, I managed to score two more for Saturday.

Sunday was  the far more important day for music.  I mean, the whole reason she wanted to go was to see boygenius (and Lana Del Rey).  But this was a great day of music to be sure.

I had vaguely heard of Suki Waterhouse.  It wasn’t until she started playing that I looked her up and realized that she was an actress as well.  I had seen her in Detective Pikachu, but had no recollection of her.  My daughter loved the show of Daisy Jones and the Six, which is probably why she was interested in seeing Suki play. (more…)

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Sudan Archives–All Things Go Music Festival [Day 1] (Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD, September 30, 2023)

Posted in Alex G, All Things Go, Alvvays, Arlo Parks, Boygenius, Carly Rae Jepsen, Columbia, MD, Dayglow, Ella Jane, Ethel Cain, Flecther, Free Range, Hemlocke Springs, Jensen McRae, Juliana Madrid, Lana Del Ray, Last Dinosaurs, Leith Ross, Lizzie McAlpine, Maggie Rogers, Meet Me @ The Altar, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Mt. Joy, Muna, No Vacation, Peach Pit, Raye, Samia, Sudan Archives, Suki Waterhouse, Tegan and Sara, Tommy Lefroy, Vacations, Vundabar on September 30, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: September 30, 2023] Sudan Archives

Sometime in April, my daughter asked if we could go to the All Things Go Festival.  I had never heard of this Festival and assumed the answer was no.  But then I saw that it was at the Merriweather Post Pavilion which is exactly three hours away from us.  So when tickets went on sale, I managed to get two pre-sale tickets for Sunday.  And then when they went on proper sale, I managed to score two more for Saturday.

Sunday was  the far more important day for music.  I mean, the whole reason she wanted to go was to see boygenius (and Lana Del Rey).  But this was a great day of music to be sure.

I first heard about Sudan Archives a few years ago.  Her song “Confessions” is so catchy–with its excellent melody and her cool use of strings.  I loved that she could make catchy alt-pop using a violin as the main instrument.

Earlier this year I had a ticket to see her, but I didn’t really feel like going.  Her music changed a lot between the first and second album.

(more…)

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All Things Go Music Festival [Day 1] (Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD, September 30, 2023)

Posted in Alex G, All Things Go, Alvvays, Arlo Parks, Boygenius, Carly Rae Jepsen, Columbia, MD, Dayglow, Ella Jane, Ethel Cain, Flecther, Free Range, Hemlocke Springs, Jensen McRae, Juliana Madrid, Lana Del Ray, Last Dinosaurs, Leith Ross, Lizzie McAlpine, Maggie Rogers, Meet Me @ The Altar, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Mt. Joy, Muna, No Vacation, Peach Pit, Raye, Samia, Sudan Archives, Suki Waterhouse, Tegan and Sara, Tommy Lefroy, Vacations, Vundabar on September 30, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: September 30, 2023] All Things Go [Day 1]

Sometime in April, my daughter asked if we could go to the All Things Go Festival.  I had never heard of this Festival and assumed the answer was no.  But then I saw that it was at the Merriweather Post Pavilion which is exactly three hours away from us.  So when tickets went on sale, I managed to get two pre-sale tickets for Sunday.  And then when they went on proper sale, I managed to score two more for Saturday.

If I had managed to get tickets to see boygenius at the Mann Center, we would have blown off this day, but that didn’t happen, so we hunkered down for our first Festival day (and her first Festival).

I was excited for the Festival too, as there were a bunch of bands that I wanted to see.  But this was a Festival for her, so I told her, that I wanted to arrive in time to see Sudan Archives and then the rest of the day was up to her.  I wanted to see Maggie Rogers and a few other bands during the day, but I’d go where she wanted.

I’ll write a separate post for each band we saw.

The Festival was set up very nicely with the Chrysalis Stage within easy walking distance from the main stage (and from the food and merch).  And there was free parking.

We arrived and, even though we had VIP entrance passes, we waited on line, not quite realizing how it worked.  Well, they sent us back to get our wristbands which allowed us quick entrance (very useful on Sunday).  These wrist bands also go us a swag bag full of weird goodies.

The rest was a Festival.  The food was overpriced, the bathrooms were inadequate, the water lines were really long.  At least it was September and not July.  The first day worked out great weather-wise as it was overcast and a little cooler.

I felt a little bad because we didn’t stop for lunch on the way down (tight schedule), so I made my daughter wait in line for food so I could see Sudan Archives.  I told her, that it was the last time that I’d make her do anything like this, and she was cool with it.

I enjoyed Sudan Archives in the sun, she sat in the shade and enjoyed the video screens. (more…)

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Slowdive / Drab Majesty (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, September 29, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Drab Majesty, Philadelphia, PA, Slowdive, Union Transfer on September 29, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 29, 2023] Slowdive / Drab Majesty

Slowdive is one of the classic shoegaze bands.  I didn’t really get into them back in the 90s as they were a little too slow for my liking (I mean, it’s in their name after all).  But I have since revisited my opinion.

Then, twenty years after they broke up, they reunited and made some more music.

I missed their show back in 2017 and would have been interested to see them this time (especially since their new album is really good).  But this show sold out before I even knew about it.  I’m not sure how I missed the announcement but there it is.

Alas.

Drab Majesty is opening for them.  I thought they might have been a band from the 90s as well, as their name sounded strangely familiar. But they actually formed in 2011

Drab Majesty is an American musical project founded by Andrew Clinco the drummer for the band Marriages.  Clinco adopted the androgynous character of Deb Demure for the project. Keyboardist and vocalist Mona D (Alex Nicolaou) joined the band in 2016. Drab Majesty combine androgynous aesthetics and commanding vocals with futuristic and occult lyrics, a style Demure refers to as, “tragic wave”. To create his imposing stage presence, Demure employed costumes, makeup and props to accompany his lush, ’80s-influenced soundscapes.

They sound perfectly retro (ala early Depeche Mode or Erasure).  It’s pretty tasty.  This would have been a good show.

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Explosions in the Sky / Draag Me (Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, September 29, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in DIIV, Draag Me, Explosions in the Sky, Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, The Spirit of the Beehive on September 29, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 29, 2023] Explosions in the Sky / Draag Me

Explosions in the Sky twice.  After that second show, I promised myself that I would see them any time they toured.   It has been a few years and they announced their new tour was called The End.  It was wildly speculated that they were breaking up after it (and why wouldn’t people speculate about that).  So I made sure to buy a ticket immediately.

But after months of speculation, it was revealed that The End is just the name of their new album.  It doesn’t make the tour any less exciting, but it leaves a but of a bad taste.

This is the largest venue that I would have seen them play at–and I wasn’t all that excited about that either.

Well, when Margaret Glaspy announced  that she was playing a show at Underground Arts on the same night, at first I was bummed to miss her.  Then I decided that I had seen Margaret twice, but both were short shows and that I’d really like to see her headline.

So, yes, I’m giving EITS a pass.  It’s kind of a shame that bands aren’t postponing shows anymore (bite your tongue).

EITS said that they’d be having local bands open for them throughout this tour.  According to Pitchfork:

Draag Me started as the solo project of Zack Schwartz, one of the driving forces behind Philadelphia psych band Spirit of the Beehive. His first record under the Draag Me moniker, i am gambling with my life, was a collection of warm, hazy electro-pop with an undercurrent of anxiety.  With idle time during the pandemic, Schwartz started emailing scraps of songs to his Beehive bandmate Corey Wichlin, including some taken from Beehive’s ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH sessions. The two passed files back and forth, arranging and mangling them until full compositions emerged, ones more metallic and jittery than their predecessors.

The music is weird an unsettling–chopped up and stripped down.  It’s the kind of music that would be really hard to play live if it wasn’t all prerecorded in some way.  I’m curious how well they will be received–although a Philly show with a Philly band should probably be okay.  Interestingly, they are also opening for DIIV in Jersey City on Nov 1.  I don’t know DIIV at all, but I wonder how well they work with these two different bands.

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Tasha (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, September 29, 2023) [MARGARET GLASPY]

Posted in Margaret Glaspy, Philadelphia, PA, Tasha, Underground Arts on September 29, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: September 29, 2023] Tasha

Tasha is a Chicago based singer songwriter.  I hadn’t really heard her, but she opened for Nilufur Yanya on a night that I, coincidentally, went to see Spoon’s rescheduled show (for whom Margaret Glaspy opened(!)).

About her then I wrote: She has a lovely voice and sings a blend of folk and torch song.

And that was still true a year and a half later.  Although it was a bit more folk than torch.

On stage was Tasha and Emma (no last names given).  Emma played lead and backing guitar lines while Tasha sang and played guitar.

Tasha had a strong presence despite the low turnout so early.  She even made a comment about being from Chicago and no one reacted–“Not a single whoo?”  She later joked that she was going to say that Chicago was the Philly of the midwest but she was afraid to.

Tasha’s voice is really resonant and lovely.  Her songs were slow and thoughtful and combining that with her voice, I felt like some of her songs sounded like 60s British folk songs–an unusual touchstone for a young person from Chicago.

Some songs rocked a little harder and Emma played some cool feedbacking effects on a song or two.  On another song, she played keys which fleshed out the song pretty nicely.

I really enjoyed her set a lot, and by the time she was finishing up, the crowd had built some more and she received some loud applause.  Someone even asked me what her name was (she had forgotten to say it again later in the set).

  1. Dream Still ™
  2. Lake Superior ™
  3. Bed Song 1 ™
  4. History ™
  5. new song
  6. Michigan
  7. Would You Mind Pulling Me Close? §
  8. Year From Now ™

™ Tell Me What You Miss the Most (2021)
§ single (2021)

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Hozier / Madison Cunningham (The Mann Center, Philadelphia, PA, September 29, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Hozier, Madison Cunningham, Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia, PA on September 29, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 29, 2023] Hozier / Madison Cunningham

Back in March, Hozier announced a new tour for his new album.  My son is a huge fan and I was sure I could get tickets.  But I was shut out almost instantly.

Luckily, we scored tickets to the World Cafe Live smaller pre-tour show.  Which was awesome.

So I didn’t even bother trying to get tickets on any kind of resale site, especially since he’s not here at the moment.

But man, that’s two nights in a row at the Mann that I failed to get to tickets for popular shows. (boygenius tomorrow.

Madison Cunnigham is a young singer with a song “Hospital” that I absolutely love.  I don’t know much else about her, but I’ll bet she is a great opening act for this show.

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Ratboys (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, September 26, 2023)

Posted in Free Range, Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA, Ratboys on September 27, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: September 26, 2023] Ratboys

I’m not sure when I first heard about Ratboys.  I think it was the release of their (terrific) album Printer’s Devil.  They were scheduled to play Johnny Brenda’s three times and each one was postponed during the pandemic.  I seem to have missed when the show was actually rescheduled though. Oops.

At any rate, two years later and they are back.  And they have a new album, The Window.  And it is really great too.  Which is good because they played every song from it (although not in album order).

Ratboys have been together since 2010, formed by singer/guitarist Julia Steiner and guitar wizard David Sagan.  I really enjoyed watching Sagan play with the pedals on the floor–for the encore, he even brought out some kind of remote controlled feedbacky gadget which was cool.

I was in a strange location for me at the show.  I was literally standing right under bassist Sean Neumann, so I couldn’t really see his face much, but I enjoyed watching his basswork and his backing vocals were stellar. (more…)

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Free Range (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, September 26, 2023) [RATBOYS]

Posted in Free Range, Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA, Ratboys on September 26, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: September 26, 2023] Free Range

When the lineup for the All Things Goes Festival was announced, the first band to play on Saturday was Free Range.  My daughter and i are going to the Festival and we both agreed that we had not heard of Free Range.

Imagine my surprise to find out that Free Range was opening for Ratboys at Johnny Brenda’s.

Free Range is Chicago musician Sofia Jensen (who is originally from Scandinavia).  Free Range put out an album (Practice) in February.  I listened to maybe a song on it and was kind of meh about it.

But live, they were excellent.

The songs had a pretty consistent feel to them–they would start slow and would often build to a loud middle section (usually instrumental) and then kind of fade back into the quieter verses.   It wasn’t a quiet-loud-quiet verse chorus thing because the loud parts were more of like a jamming session in the middle of these (otherwise rather short) songs.

Sofia’s voice sounded familiar–maybe a kind of Phoebe Bridgers vibe–a kind of strong whispery style, and her songs had a strong Pinegrove feel to me (turns out that Nick Levin from Pinegrove plays pedal steel on on two of the tracks).  I guess the songs are indie rock with a whiff of country about them. (more…)

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