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Terry Pratchett–Hogfather (1996) [Discworld #20] [Death #4]

Posted in Alfred, Auditors of Reality, Banjo Lilywhite, Bilious, Binky, Buddy Holly, Catseye, Chickenwire, Christmas, Death, Death of Rats, Discworld, Funny (ha ha), Hex, Jonathan Teatime, Magic, Medium Dave Lilywhite, Music, Mustrum Ridcully, Peachy, Ponder Stibbons, Quoth (the raven), Santa Claus, Susan Sto-Helit, Terry Pratchett, The Bursar, The Chair of Indefinite Studies, The Dean, The Lecturer in Recent Runes, The Librarian, The Senior Wrangler, Unfinished series, Wizards on February 3, 2022| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK: hiatus

[READ: February 2022] Hogfather

I don’t know that I’d call many Discworld books “exciting.”  They’re funny, thoughtful, clever, interesting and so much more.  But usually not  “exciting. ” But there’s something about Hogfather that makes it an incredibly exciting read.

It starts with the Auditors.  We haven’t seen them in a while.  The last time we saw them, they basically fired Death because he was getting too involved with humanity.  The Auditors are gray spectral beings who exist to make the sure the world is running correctly.   If any of them acts even remotely like an individual, he is instantly zapped and replaced with a new even more neutral Auditor.

And what makes the world not run smoothly?  Humanity.  Really, the Auditors hate humanity.  And they think they have finally figured out a way to make things run more smoothly.  They decide to get rid of the Hogfather.

The Hogfather is more or less Santa Claus, but with a Discworld twist.  Yes, he grants children’s wishes on Hogswatchnight (December 32–which takes its name from the Scottish celebration for the last day of the calendar year–Hogmanay) and brings them presents, but his sleigh is pulled by four wild boars, Gouger, Rooter, Tusker and Snouter.  We don’t see much of the actual Hogfather because once Death learns that Hogfather is… incapacitated, Death decides to take over his duties for the night.  Why?  Because if Hogfather doesn’t exist then the Sun will not rise.  This is nonsense, of course. Isn’t it? (more…)

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Mother Mother (Theatre of Living Arts [TLA], Philadelphia, PA, February 1, 2022)

Posted in DYLYN, Mother Mother, Philadelphia, PA, The Fillmore Philadelphia, The Foundry, Theatre of Living Arts on February 2, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: February 1, 2022] Mother Mother

I I had never heard of Mother Mother before a few months ago.  They have been around for over fifteen years, but recently a few songs from their 2008 album blew up on TikTok.  Because I have teenagers, I found out about them second hand.

And I fell in love with the frenetic guitar and lyrics of “Hayloft,” which led me to explore more of their music.

Way back on April 29 of last year, I bought four tickets to this show for me, my kids and a friend.  It seemed like it would never get here.  Then it seemed like it might get cancelled or postponed, but it did go on, although not exactly as planned.

When I bought the tickets, the band was playing The Foundry.  The Foundry is an amazing intimate venue that hold 450 people.  I was super excited that they were there because whenever I’ve seen a band there, I’ve practically gotten to high five them.  So I was a little bummed when in December it was announced that they’d moved the show to TLA.  TLA is bigger (and I usually have a hard time getting there, but it was great tonight).  Of course, this is great for the band, as TLA holds 1,000 people.  And it sold out, so they doubled their attendance.

It also turned out that Mother Mother puts on a BIG show.  Big lights, big sound.  They used the whole stage.  And The Foundry’s stage is like the size of a dining room table, so the show would have been nowhere near as amazing. So good for everyone. (more…)

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DYLYN (Theatre of Living Arts [TLA], Philadelphia, PA, February 1, 2022) [MOTHER MOTHER]

Posted in DYLYN, Mother Mother, Nirvana, Philadelphia, PA, Theatre of Living Arts on February 1, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: February 1, 2022] DYLYN

I hadn’t heard of DYLYN before a few days ago.  I was trying to figure out who was the band’s opening act and it said DYLYN>  So I looked her up and I really liked the two (!) songs that were available on bandcamp.

DYLYN is a singer from Vancouver (originally Toronto).  She had a powerful voice and plays a kind of power punk/metal hybrid sound.

Although interestingly, she was once a pop singer under the name Guinevere and she had a couple of top ten hits.  Here real name is Gwendolyn Lewis, and it’s impossible to guess how old she is.  I would have thought 18 from the show, but she had these hits a few years ago, so who knows.

DYLYN is also very pretty–which a few meatheads in the crowd were all too keen to point out nonstop throughout the show.  One jackass shouted “I love you Dylyn so much that when he walked away, a woman next to me muttered, :there goes the guy who loves Dylyn.”  The other drunken guy was so loud–and kept laughing about how loud he was being “I’m so loud!”  Wow, what a dick (but what do you expect from a guy wearing a Hawaiian shirt with the pattern consisting of Playboy magazine covers.  Where does one even get such a shirt?

But Dylyn apparently only heard the good parts from the crowd an, it’s fair to say the crowd was really into her set.  She and her band (Ulysses on guitar, Parker on bass and sorry drummer I’ve forgotten your name) put on a ripping show full of bangers and ballads.  And on more than one occasion, Dylyn really belted out a song showcasing what a spectacular voice she has.

I was rather surprised that this fairly unknown musician was given a 45 minute opening set, but I saw today that Dylyn has written with Ryan from Mother Mother.  So they clearly have a bond.

She opened with the ripping Hellbound.

“Boy”

She ended the set with a solid cove of Nirvana’s “Lithium.”

It’s great that she got so much exposure during this tour.  I hope her album is huge.

SETLIST [her album isn’t out yet so bracketed songs are lyrics that I recorded]

  1. Hellbound
  2. [take me back to the original sin]
  3. Hurt
  4. [come over with my best friend.  I don’t wanna go, you can’t make me go]
  5. [little sister you’re not alone]
  6. [life is just a neverending song]
  7. [can you fee/ scream it, this is how I want it]
  8. [boy/song about her father]
  9. [take me to your darkness/wanna feel the pieces]
  10. [I want the best for you and if I tell the truth/I let you down]
  11. Lithium (Nirvana cover)
  12. Liberate Me

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Indigo De Souza / Horse Jumper Of Love / Friendship (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, January 30, 2022) [rescheduled]

Posted in Cancelled, Friendship, Horse Jumper of Love, Indigo De Souza, Lucy Dacus, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer on January 30, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: January 30, 2022] Indigo De Souza / Horse Jumper Of Love / Friendship [moved to May 2, 2022]

indexIndigo De Souza is a new (to me) musician who I heard about on NPR music.  Her song “Kill Me” is outstanding.  A great dynamic of sounds, very funny lyrics and memorable hooks.  I loved it immediately.  She announced a tour soon after I’d heard it and I grabbed a ticket to see her headline tour (!).

She’s ben making music since she was like 9 with a few EPs and a previous album.  I imagine she’ll be a fun and wild performer.

On January 13, Union Transfer announced:

Indigo has decided it’s best for all involved to move their tour to a few weeks later in the year. The Philly show will now take place at Union Transfer on May 2nd

That’s not too far off.

I hadn’t heard of either of the opening acts (such is the case when the headliner is fairy new herself).  (more…)

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Best Coast / Rosie Tucker (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, January 29, 2022 and Asbury Lanes, Asbury Park, NJ, January 27, 2022) [CANCELLED]

Posted in Asbury Lanes, Asbury Park, NJ, Best Coast, Cancelled, Mannequin Pussy, Philadelphia, PA, Rosie Tucker, Union Transfer on January 29, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[CANCELLED: March 20, 2020] Best Coast / Rosie Tucker [CANCELLED]

indexI had tickets to see Best Coast at Union Transfer in March 2020.  I like them although I was more interested in seeing their opening act Mannequin Pussy.

They were one of the first bands to cancel their tour outright back in May 2020 rather than rescheduling dates.

They announced a new tour for 2022 back in June.  I’d have rather seen them in Asbury Lanes, but that show was on the same night as our War on Drugs show.  So I considered going to the Union Transfer show.  It was supposed to be a busy week of shows, so I wasn’t sure I’d want to go or not.

But on January 6, the band announced they were cancelling the tour

Best Coast is canceling its upcoming tour in support of its “Always Tomorrow” album due to COVID concerns.

The tour was set to kick off on Jan. 11 at the Catalyst Club in Santa Cruz, California. The SoCal indie-pop group — consisting of singer-songwriter-guitarist Bethany Cosentino and multi-instrumentalist Bobb Bruno —was scheduled to hit August Hall in San Francisco as well as such cities as Chicago, Toronto, Seattle and Los Angeles.

“We are devastated to announce that our upcoming Finally Tomorrow tour is unfortunately canceled,” the band posted on Twitter. “It was an incredibly difficult decision to make, but one that we ultimately felt was right.

“The last two years have been so difficult for us as a band (and the entire world) — and we appreciate your support through it all.”

“Our last show was in Chicago (on March 11, 2020). It was about two weeks into a monthlong tour.  We had obviously been hearing a lot about COVID. But I think when you are on tour you exist in such a bubble of just what’s going on in the tour landscape. We were all kind of like, ‘OK, like I guess we’ll see what will happen with this.’ I fully didn’t think that the world was truly about to shut down. I did not see that coming whatsoever.”

“At this time, we are not rescheduling any of these dates, as the rollercoaster of the reschedule-announcement-cancelation cycle we’ve been stuck in is incredibly exhausting (for you too I’m sure!) and we just need a moment to decompress. We love you SO much and we hope to safely see you soon. Hang in there. love, bethany and bobb”

(more…)

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The Black Angels / L.A. Witch (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, January 28, 2022) [POSTPONED]

Posted in Coronavirus, L.A. Witch, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, The Black Angels, Union Transfer on January 28, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: January 28, 2022] The Black Angels / L.A. Witch [moved to October 18, 2022]

index

I really got into The Black Angels with their 2013 album Indigo Meadow.   I’ve recently been enjoying their Live at Levitation vinyl.

They’re just one of a bunch of younger bands who are exploring psychedelic music in a heavier vein than the original psychedelic bands.  And I like it a lot.  Plus they are supposed to put on a trippy show.

I mean, their post says

HERE is an incredible show. It will shock and amaze you.

And a poster would never lie. (more…)

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An Evening with The War on Drugs (The Met Philadelphia, PA, January 27, 2022)

Posted in Philadelphia, PA, The Met Philadelphia, The War on Drugs on January 27, 2022| 1 Comment »

[ATTENDED: August 5, 2021] The War on Drugs

A couple of years ago our friend Cindy invited us to see The War on Drugs with her and we said no.  We didn’t really know them that well.

Cut to 2022 and they were the first live show we’d gotten to see this year.

Not a lot has changed about my appreciation of the band.  They’ve always been a band that I kind of liked–good background stuff.  Then I heard their Live Drugs album and realized that they are a great live band.

So they announced two shows in Philly and I asked if S. wanted to go.  She had been listening to them a lot this past year and so I grabbed us tickets.

I like the Met but this is the second show in a row where we were in the back orchestra section.  Now that I’ve been placed there a few times, I have finally got it in my head that when you buy tickets there, ORCH 5678 seats SUCK.  The Met is a fairly small place, so even the further away seat isn’t bad, but there’s giant poles and the entire loge hanging above you.  None of it really blocks your view, but it feels like watching a widescreen movie on a letterbox TV.  (more…)

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Genesis Owusu / Pachyman (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, January 26, 2022) [POSTPONED]

Posted in Genesis Owusu, Pachyman, Philadelphia, PA, Underground Arts on January 26, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: January 26, 2022] Genesis Owusu / Pachyman [moved to March 31, 2022]

Genesis Owusu plays music that my wife and I at first thought was kind of weird and funny and eventually decided was just super fun.

And he’s bringing his first US tour to Philly

Ghanaian-Australian artist Genesis Owusu released his debut album, Smiling With No Teeth, back in March, followed by a surprise new EP, Missing Molars, in July. He’ll be hitting the road in January of 2022 for his first US tour, beginning in Los Angeles and hitting San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Chicago, NYC, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Nashville, Austin, and more. See all dates below.

I wasn’t really interested in seeing him at first, but the more we enjoyed his songs, the more seeing him live sounded like a really fun idea.

But, as with many other artists, this initial date was postponed.  It was only moved back two months, but it still had to happen.

Pachyman is Pachy García, a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, and musician. Since 2019, Pachyman has released five albums of predominantly dub reggae.  I’m not a huge fan of dub reggae, but I enjoyed his songs quite a lot. The vibe is chill with that great bass line.  Maybe I like dub more than I realized.

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Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets (The Kimmel Center Philadelphia, PA, January 25, 2021) [postponed]

Posted in Coronavirus, David Gilmour, Guy Pratt, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Nick Mason, Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets, Philadelphia, PA, Pink Floyd, Postponed, Richard Wright, Spandau Ballet on January 25, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: January 25, 2021] Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets [moved to September 23, 2022]

indexI saw the Saucerful of Secrets show back in 2019 and loved it.  I had okay seats, so I wanted to get closer if they ever did another one (which I never imaged they would).

And yet here they were…  timing their show right during the COVID resurgence.

This was supposed to be a very busy week of shows.  All but one has been postponed.  However, it’s a cold and blustery January night and The Kimmel Center is a hassle to get to at the best of times, so I can certainly wait until the Spring when I won’t mind a multi-block walk.

 

 

 

 

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Fucked Up / Empath (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, January 23, 2021) [POSTPONED]

Posted in Coronavirus, Empath, Fucked Up, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, Quarantine, Underground Arts on January 23, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: January 23, 2021] Fucked Up / Empath [moved to July 17, 2022]

indexI’ve known Fucked Up for a few years and thought that they’d be a wild band to see.  They last played in Philly in 2018, and they’ve only gotten better since then.

Shows had been getting postponed, but this one was pretty hushed until only a few days ago when it was officially postponed.

I’m okay with it getting moved to July–I much prefer going out to shows in the warm weather than the frigid cold of January anyway.

Empath are a Philly band that play a kind of noise punk.  Rolling Stone says “They sound like four people who sat in a room flexing their own freaky styles until — before they realized their interests might be wholly incompatible — the chaos created its own logic.”  They sound pretty great. (more…)

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