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Archive for the ‘The Lemon Twigs’ Category

Car Seat Headrest: The Scholars Tour (Skyline Stage at The Mann Center, September 12, 2025)

Posted in Car Seat Headrest, Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia, PA, Skyline Stage at The Mann, The Lemon Twigs on September 14, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: September 12, 2025] Car Seat Headrest

My son and I saw Car Seat Headrest three years ago (I can’t believe it was that long ago).  The show was terrific–singer Will Toledo was in a gasmask the whole night and the whole production was wild and intense.

Since that time, Will has suffered from long COVID.  Whether or not this impacted the delay in the new album (when he was other so crazily productive) it’s unclear.

But his new album was a big deal.  It was a concept album (the booklet apparently adds much depth to the album) and songs were over ten minutes long (Planet Desperation runs to almost 20!).  Before the show, I had checked and it turned out that this tour was going to be almost entirely the Scholars album.  And that proved to be the case.

The band came out, the crowd went nuts.  Before starting Will set some ground rules–be nice to each other; if someone does something you  don’t like and they ask you to stop, do it somewhere else, etc).  Incidentally before the show started there was a lengthy promo for hydrating.  A male voice who said he was with Car Seat Headrest, then went on to say he was Bradley Cooper, Tyler the Creator and Charlie XCX–all giving fact and stats about hydration.  It was pretty entertaining.

And then the lights (and the fog, oh so much fog) obscured the stage as they broke into CCF.  The band sounded amazing,  And, unlike last time, my son and I managed to get reasonably close to the stage, so that was fun (even if photos and videos were pretty much useless with the lighting).

Will spoke in between songs sometimes, introducing Deveraux which segued into Lady Gay Approximately.  There are some hugely catchy moments on this album, but there are also jamming moments–which sounds great but are hard to dance to, so the crowd was reasonably subdued during the non-singing parts. (more…)

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The Lemon Twigs (Skyline Stage at The Mann Center, September 12, 2025) [CAR SEAT HEADREST]

Posted in Car Seat Headrest, Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia, PA, Skyline Stage at The Mann, The Lemon Twigs on September 13, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: September 12, 2025] The Lemon Twigs

I really liked the first album from The Lemon Twigs.  Their second album was weird by fun, and then the pandemic came and I lost touch with their new music.  But I really wanted to see them live because I had heard they were great.

When they played around the last few times, for one reason or another I didn’t go and as it turned out, I didn’t love their two newest albums as much as I liked the older ones.  So I had kind of given up on seeing them.  But I was really excited when they were listed as the opening band for Car Sear Headrest.  This would be a great opportunity to check them out.

And holy cow were they good.  Their newer albums have a kind of soft rock vibe that I really didn’t like.  But live, they totally rocked.  They leapt in the air, they soloed, they shouted–it was a total blast.

They didn’t play anything from Go Hollywood (sigh), but that’s okay because even though I didn’t really know any of the songs, they were catchy and fun.  Brian played a big old fashioned looking guitar and Michael played an old school Rickenbacker.  The two of them sang lead and harmonies, alternating (see the setlist for who sang what–on some songs).

But it was when bassist Danny Ayala (also on a classic Rickenbacker) and drummer Reza Matin sang along with them that the harmonies were out of this world. (more…)

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The Lemon Twigs / Milk ‘n’ Cookies (Underground Arts, Philadelphia PA, October 11, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Milk 'n' Cookies, Philadelphia, PA, The Lemon Twigs, Underground Arts on October 11, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 11, 2024] The Lemon Twigs / Milk ‘n’ Cookies

I discovered The Lemon Twigs a few years ago and really enjoyed their glam rock sound and I imagined that they would be a ton of fun live.  The band is technically a duo, although they have more people on stage with them.

I keep managing to not see them though.  Tonight I had tickets to see Bevis Frond, but their tour was cancelled because of visa issues. So I should have gone to see The Lemon Twigs, but October had so many shows in it that some had to give.  I rather wish that I hadn’t skipped this one though as I have just learned a bit about the opening band Milk ‘n’ Cookies.

Milk ‘n’ Cookies formed in the early 1970s in Long Island, New York.  They played power pop but never made it.  The core line-up of the band was made up of Ian North, Justin Strauss, Sal Maida and Mike Ruiz and, in their time, they played classic NYC venues like CBGB’s and Max’s Kansas City. They shared bills with everyone from Talking Heads to The Ramones and have amassed a cult following, influencing the likes of Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth) and Debbie Harry (Blondie).

It would have been interesting to see them live.

So, maybe the next time the Twigs come around (if their next album kicks ass) I’ll go see them.

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The Lemon Twigs / The Smashing Times (White Eagle Hall, Jersey City, NJ, May 4, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Jersey City, NJ, The Lemon Twigs, The Smashing Times, White Eagle Hall on May 4, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 4, 2024] The Lemon Twigs / The Smashing Times 

I discovered The Lemon Twigs a few years ago and really enjoyed their glam rock sound and I imagined that they would be a ton of fun live.  The band is technically a duo, although they have more people on stage with them.

I really liked The Lemon Twigs’ Do Hollywood album and their follow up EPs showed even more development.  Since then they have put out a few albums, and I have enjoyed them.

Their last two albums have drifted from that sound into a more Beach Boys-vibe.  They sound great but they’re not quite my thing.

It turns out that one of my son’s friends is a huge fan of the band, and he has insisted that I need to see them live.

This seemed like a good opportunity, although it was a little odd that they were only playing this venue.  Turns out this was like a pre-tour show, and they are doing more dates in the fall.

I would have liked to go, but we were having friends over, so I didn’t even bother getting tickets.

The Smashing Times are from Baltimore.  Here’s a fantastic blurb

This really is a fusion of psychedelic, twee and freakbeat that will make your heart skip and your head smile. The guitars shimmer, strum and jangle whilst the vocals float effortlessly on top of the efficient rhythm section. Every song is a bundle of energy with hooks that come both instantly and after multiple plays. Of course there are those, that this sound will be too ‘out there’ for. For such sorts there are an absolute plethora of The Byrds YouTube videos to feast your eyes upon.

And they give off a vibe of 60’s psychedelics folk but if there were indie labels that weren’t perfectly polished back then.  I quite like them and hope to see them live someday.

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The Lemon Twigs / Joanna Sternberg (Asbury Lanes, Asbury Park, NJ, October 14, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Asbury Lanes, Asbury Park, NJ, Philadelphia, PA, The Lemon Twigs on October 14, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 14, 2023] The Lemon Twigs / Joanna Sternberg

The Lemon Twigs played just last year at two locations and I missed them entirely.  I didn’t even know about this show because I don’t do shows at the Church anymore.

But it turns out that my son has made a friend at school who loves The Lemon Twigs and was at this show.  So I thought I ‘d throw it here.

I really liked The Lemon Twigs’ Do Hollywood album and their follow up EPs showed even more development.  Since then they have put out a few albums, and I have enjoyed them.

Their new album is very retro with a serious 60’s vibe.  At first I liked it but I soon found it a little too derivative so I wasn’t that interested in going.  But after my son’s friend said how much he liked the show I did actually want to go.

But it turns out that this is the same night as the one Philly Music Fest show that I was going to.  Why do things always happen on the same day?  I mean, look how many shows I wanted to go to this weekend.

Joanna Sternberg played at World Cafe Live a while back and here’s what I said

Joanna Sternberg is a kind of anti-folk singer.  They have a high almost child-like voice.  And they sings pointed lyrics.  I have since listened to one of their songs from Non-COMM and quite liked it.  I wouldn’t buy their music, but I would enjoy seeing them as an opening act.

And here they are as an opening act. Shame I missed it, but I’m not going to the Church.

 

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The Lemon Twigs / Tchotchke (White Eagle Hall, Jersey City, NJ, May 15, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Jersey City, NJ, Tchotchke, The Lemon Twigs, White Eagle Hall on May 15, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 15, 2022] The Lemon Twigs / Tchotchke 

I discovered The Lemon Twigs a few years ago and really enjoyed their glam rock sound and I imagined that they would be a ton of fun live.  The band is technically a duo, although I don’t know if they have more people on stage with them.

I really liked The Lemon Twigs’ Do Hollywood album and their follow up EPs showed even more development.  Since then they have put out a few albums, and I have enjoyed them.

I have rather wanted to see them–this new tour, which was playing at TWO locations really close to me seemed to be an easy way to catch them.

This show wound up being scheduled on the same day as a concert I had a ticket for with my wife.  We were going to see Crash Test Dummies, so this show was never really going to come together.  The fact that we blew of the Crash Test Dummies show anyhow, was a smart choice as we didn’t feel like going, but it was a shame to miss so much in one night.

Tchotchke is a band from New York comprised of Anastasia Sanchez, Eva Chambers and Emily Tooraen.  They used to be called Pinky Pinky which I think is a much more apt name for the style of music they play–it’s a kind of an updated doo-wop, pop sheen aesthetic.

Really not my thing, although I heard that if you went to their merch booth after the show they handed out a tchotchke to each person.

 

 

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The Lemon Twigs / Tchotchke (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, May 13, 2022) [rescheduled] [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Philadelphia, PA, Tchotchke, The Lemon Twigs, Underground Arts on May 13, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 13, 2022] The Lemon Twigs / Tchotchke [rescheduled from May 16, 2020]

I discovered The Lemon Twigs a few years ago and really enjoyed their glam rock sound and I imagined that they would be a ton of fun live.  The band is technically a duo, although I don’t know if they have more people on stage with them.

I really liked The Lemon Twigs’ Do Hollywood album and their follow up EPs showed even more development.  Since then they have put out a few albums, and I have enjoyed them.

I have rather wanted to see them–this new tour, which was playing at TWO locations really close to me seemed to be an easy way to catch them.

We had a school day scheduled for this day and it ran much longer than I imagined, so even though I had tickets, there was no way to get to the show.

Tchotchke is a band from New York comprised of Anastasia Sanchez, Eva Chambers and Emily Tooraen.  They used to be called Pinky Pinky which I think is a much more apt name for the style of music they play–it’s a kind of an updated doo-wop, pop sheen aesthetic.

Really not my thing, although I heard that if you went to their merch booth after the show they handed out a tchotchke to each person.

 

 

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The Lemon Twigs (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, May 16, 2020) [POSTPONED]

Posted in Cancelled, Coronavirus, Philadelphia, PA, Quarantine, The Lemon Twigs, Underground Arts on May 16, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: May 16, 2020] The Lemon Twigs [moved to May 13, 2022]

indexI feel like this show was announced about five days before it was cancelled.  I hadn’t heard about it and I was certainly interested in seeing them.

I really liked The Lemon Twigs’ Do Hollywood album and their follow up EPs showed even more development.

They are about to release a new album (although that was also delayed because of the Coronavirus).

Their glam rock sound is really great and I imagine that they would be a ton of fun live.  I hoe the new album is good and that they come back around soon.

 

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Etgar Keret–“September All Year Long” illustrated by Danica Novgorodoff (The Believer Vol. 14, No. 2: October/November 2017)

Posted in Danica Novgorodoff, Etgar Keret, Graphic Novel, McSweeney's, Short Story, The Believer, The Lemon Twigs, Tiny Desk Concert, Weather on January 24, 2018| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK: THE LEMON TWIGS-Tiny Desk Concert #694 (January 17, 2018).

I first heard The Lemon Twigs on All Songs Considered and found their albums to be quite a lot of retro pop fun.

So it’s no surprise they wound up  at a Tiny Desk Concert, although this one is in support of an EP which I haven’t heard yet.

Bob Boilen notes: It’s as if brothers Brian (20) and Michael (18) D’Addario fell from the sky, victims of a transporter beam gone awry in 1971, and landed here at my desk with guitars in hand.  It was almost eerie seeing two young adults at my desk who look an awful lot like I and many of my friends did back around 1970. It’s uncanny, almost as if Brian and Michael have been somehow shielded from the 21st century

I really loved the production excess on The Lemon Twigs’ album, so I was a bit taken back at this stripped down version (no drums!).

At this Tiny Desk Concert, the layers of sound found in The Lemon Twigs’ recordings are stripped away, which makes the lyrics more noticeable, words that at times feel destined for a Broadway stage.  It’s fair to say that the strength of The Lemon Twigs is in the songwriting and the way they layer their recordings with their multi-instrumental talents. I love what they do, not as nostalgia but for its explorations of melody, harmony and lyrics that are memorable. Even stripped down, they are a whole lot of fun.

After the surprise of the stripped down sound wore off, I really started to like these songs for what they are.  Amusingly all three songs were written by Brian, which Michael is somewhat snarky about.

“Beautiful” is a delicate ballad with Brian singing and playing acoustic guitar.  The addition of simple electric guitar licks and backing harmony vocals really elevates the song.  Despite the pretty melody, the lyrics are rather dark

He concludes that it all is a dream
Can’t accept that sometimes a life is just destined for pain
I can’t do anything
I am nothing
Our lives are meaningless
Swim in the sunshine

But there’s a surprise twist at the end: I am nothing / I’m no one / It is wonderful

“Why Didn’t You Say That” is far more upbeat with bouncing piano.  It sound s bit fuller with the piano chords and a full electric guitar (chords and a solo).  The addition of some minor chords adds a dramatic twist to this mostly happy sounding song.  I enjoyed him sliding his pick up the strings at the end for an extra bit of noise.

Because their album is called Do Hollywood, I had it in my head that they were from California.  But hearing Michael talk, they are clearly from Long Island.  Especially when he jokes that they’re doing another one of Brian’s songs.  Brian says, “you’re the spokesperson.”  Michael says, “You’re so quiet.  Is something wrong?”  Brain brightly responds, “everything’s right!”  After some silence, Michael says, “No, I’m fine” to much chuckling.

“Light and Love” ends the set back on the acoustic guitar with some nice falsetto vocals.  The ending is a bit sloppy, but in a charming way.

Evidently when they play live, they do have a full band.  I’d be interested in seeing them live, but not as a stripped down project–I like their production too much.

[READ: October 5, 2017] “September All Year Long”

I have enjoyed many stories from Etgar Keret.  This is the first one I’ve seen illustrated.

And to have it illustrated by Novgorodoff  is pretty great too.   She uses her watercolor and pen style to create a feeling of lightness within heaviness.

The story talks about NW: nice weather, the status symbol for wealthy families.  As the ads say:

If you lived in Arctic Greenland and the snow and grayness were driving you crazy, swipe your credit card and they’ll set you up with ‘a perfect autumn day in Cannes’ on your balcony every day of the year

Novgorodoff illustrates this with a man drinking an umbrella drink on his balcony–a ray of sunshine beaming down on him while a blustery cold wind is blowing in the gray night sky. (more…)

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