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Archive for the ‘Quarantine’ Category

Deafheaven / Inter Arma / Greet Death (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, April 4, 2020) [POSTPONED]

Posted in Coronavirus, Deafheaven, Greet Death, Inter Arma, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, Quarantine, Union Transfer on April 4, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: April 4, 2020] Deafheaven / Inter Arma / Greet Death

indexI liked Deafheaven’s Sunbather album for its fascianting mix of death metal and shoegaze. I haven’t heard anything from their two new albums, although I have heard very good things about them.

I wasn’t sure if I’d want to go to this show as it might be too intense.  But I had it on my radar.

However, I already had tickets to see Parquet Courts this evening, so it was unlikely I was going to this show.

I had read some really positive reviews about Inter Arma which had me interested in seeing them live.  I mean, if you write “proggy organic doom fields while expanding further the on the psych-folk strain” that sounds pretty awesome, but when I listened to whatever their latest record was, I didn’t really like it.  It just seemed extreme with no subtlety.

Greet Death I assume is named after the Mogwai song, which is promising.  This glowing review of their new album New Hell certainly makes me want to check them out

Greet Death’s shoegazey slowcore resembles a number of pleasing touchstones — Red House Painters, Nothing, Hum, Pedro The Lion, Dinosaur Jr., Thunder Dreamer; a few of Sam Boyhtari’s vocal runs even remind me of Dan Bejar — yet in practice they are entirely their own thing, and that thing is extremely good. These nine songs are mostly mammoth waves of sonic sludge, thick with musical texture and brimming with an energy that belies the measured pace. At its best, as one the nine-minute epic “You’re Gonna Hate What You’ve Done,” their music feels like being crushed by an avalanche while simultaneously soaring across the skyline.

Maybe this would have been the better show that night?

deafh

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Parquet Courts / Public Practice (White Eagle Hall, Jersey City, NJ, April 4, 2020) [POSTPONED]

Posted in Coronavirus, Jersey City, NJ, Parquet Courts, Postponed, Public Practice, Quarantine, Summer Camp, White Eagle Hall on April 4, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: April 4, 2020] Parquet Courts / Public Practice [moved to July 13, with a show at another venue on July 8]

indexI’ve seen Parquet Courts twice and enjoyed both shows more than I thought I would.  I wasn’t sure if I’d need to see them again, but when I saw that they were playing White Eagle Hall in Jersey City–a great venue that is pretty close to me, I immediately grabbed tickets.  It then sold out.  And then I found out that our Scout Troop had an even planned that night so I couldn’t go anyway.

So this postponement worked out pretty well.  Except that the rescheduled show is right during out Troop’s Summer Camp.  The Scouts don’t want me to see this band!

Public Practice has been described as post-punk with an overtly danceable element.  Sounds like a perfect pairing for Parquet Courts.

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Dance Gavin Dance / Animals as Leaders / Issues / Veil of Maya / Royal Coda (Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, April 3, 2020) [POSTPONED]

Posted in Animals as Leaders, Coronavirus, Dance Gavin Dance, Franklin Music Hall, Issues, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, Quarantine, Royal Coda, Veil of Moya on April 3, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: April 3, 2020] Dance Gavin Dance / Animals as Leaders / Issues / Veil of Maya / Royal Coda [moved to August 26 & 27]

indexI saw Animals as Leaders at TLA last May and I was amazed at the show (including the opening bands), but the crowd was really rowdy and I wound up far back behind a lot of tall guys.  I wanted to see them again, so when I saw that they were playing at Franklin Music Hall, I was surprised that they had moved up to such a big venue.

I had no idea that Dance Gavin Dance was the headliner, not Animals as Leaders.  In fact, when I later saw a poster for the rescheduled show(s) I thought Dance Gavin Dance was the (admittedly strange) name of the Animals as Leaders tour.

I don’t think I would have gone knowing that Animals as Leaders were one of (the four!) opening acts, but who knows.

So Dance Gavin Dance has been around since 2005 and I’ve never heard of them?  Apparently there are eight guys who have already left the band over the years.  People are quite divided about them.  Maybe I’ll give a record a listen.

Issues is another band I’ve never heard of although they have been around for eight years. They are described as combining metalcore, nu metal, pop and contemporary R&B.  Woah.  I don’t love the whole clean/unclean vocal thing–small doses are fine, so this might not be the band for me.

Veil of Maya have been around for six years (clearly I don’t follow this genre at all).  They are another metalcore band and I think this show might have been exhausting if I stayed for the whole thing.

Royal Coda shares (past and current) members with Dance Gavin Dance and is described as post-hardcore, progressive and math.

dgd

 

 

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Pussy Riot / Deli Girls (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, April 2, 2020) [POSTPONED/CANCELLED]

Posted in Cancelled, Coronavirus, Deli Girls, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, Pussy Riot, Quarantine, Union Transfer on April 2, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: CANCELLED: April 2, 2020] Pussy Riot / Deli Girls

indexPussy Riot are legendary for getting arrested for singing feminist punk in Russia.

Pussy Riot’s membership is a revolving door of anonymous women, so who knows who was going to appear on stage.  And, yes, I don’t really know all that much about their music.  I just figured it was going to be a fun show.  I hope they can come back around.

I’ve never heard of Deli Girls but a review from Fader makes them sound pretty exciting

At shows, the crowd gathers around Danny Orlowski as they strut and thrash around the room, displaying their rage and vulnerability with an ugly, commanding sincerity. Tommi Kelly, meanwhile, crouches in the background over drum machines and sequencers, turning vocal samples, barking dogs, and a grab-bag of other percussive noises into a feedback-scorched blend of industrial, hardcore, and pop. It feels both brand new and ecstatically familiar, as if the ’98 Family Values Tour just crash-landed in the basement of your local punk house.

Yeah, I’d see that.  Hope they get paired up when the tour comes back.

UPDATE: On May 19, the band announced the cancellation of their tour

So sad to announce that the 2020 Pussy Riot North American tour will be canceled.  With so much uncertainty right now, it would be impossible to perform while also ensuring the health and safety of you beautiful people.  That is my number one priority.  I wanted more than anythingggg to bring everyone together to rage and rally.  But I am hopeful we will do so again.

WE WILL BE BACK IN 2021!!

riot

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Soccer Mommy / Tomberlin (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, March 31, 2020) [POSTPONED]

Posted in Coronavirus, Philadelphia, PA, Phoebe Bridgers, Postponed, Quarantine, Soccer Mommy, Tomberlin, Union Transfer on March 31, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: March 31, 2020] Soccer Mommy / Tomberlin

indexI was supposed to see Soccer Mommy open for Phoebe Bridgers a few years back.  I felt sick on the way down to the show so I wound up coming home instead.

I loved the name that Sophie Allison had chosen for her project.  Soccer Mommy had released a bunch of songs on bandcamp between 2015-2017. She put out her first “real” album just before I was supposed to see her.  She has since released Color Theory, which is getting rave reviews.  I am genuinely surprised she was able to headline Union Transfer, though.

NPR loves Soccer Mommy.  They also love Tomberlin, who is Sarah Beth Tomberlin.  I saw her Tiny Desk Concert, and thought she was okay.  I gather that her Tiny Desk Concert doesn’t really show what her live show would be like.

I was torn between this show and Vagabon on the same night. I suspect that I’d have picked Johnny Brenda’s over Union Transfer, but it’s also possible I would have just stayed home.  This was the eighteenth show I was interested in seeing in March.  Wow, what a jam-packed month.

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Vagabon / Angelica Garcia (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, March 31, 2020) [POSTPONED]

Posted in Angelica Garcia, Coronavirus, Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA, Phoebe Bridgers, Postponed, Quarantine, Soccer Mommy, Vagabon on March 31, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: March 31, 2020] Vagabon / Angelica Garcia

indexI really enjoyed Vagabon’s debut album.  It had a great indie rock quality, but the fact that Lætitia Tamko is originally from Cameroon gives her music a unique quality that makes it stand out.  I haven’t heard much of the new album, but I have heard she puts on an excellent show.

I saw Angelica Garcia open for Phoebe Bridgers and was really impressed.  She showcased an impressively diverse style of music. She sang in folk style, she later used a looping pedal.  She sang in Spanish and English and her voice was huge.

This was just one option for this Tuesday night and I was genuinely torn between this show and the Soccer Mommy show across town.

I hadn’t gotten a ticket for either of these shows and it’s possible I wasn’t going to go to either.

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Bit Brigade (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, March 29, 2020) [POSTPONED]

Posted in Bit Brigade, Coronavirus, Johnny Brenda's, Legend of Zelda, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, Quarantine on March 29, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: March 29, 2020] Bit Brigade [moved to August 9]

indexI saw Bit Brigade play Johnny Brenda’s back in 2018.  The premise behind a Bit Brigade show is that the band plays the soundtrack to a video game while their resident gamer plays the game.  The band is heavy and the sound is amazing.

Last time I saw them, they were playing The Legend of Zelda and it was phenomenal (The music is really good).  They came around last year playing a different game but I couldn’t go.

They were playing Zelda again this time around and although it might be more fun seeing a different game, each show is different depending on how well their gamer plays.

I really want to bring my son to this show, but Johnny Brenda’s doesn’t allow anyone underage to come to the show.

I don’t think that an opening act had been announced at this time.

I’m not sure I was going to go to this since there were so many other shows this week, but it’s nice to know that it has been rescheduled to August 9.

 

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Chris Ware–Self-Isolating: A Pandemic Special” (New Yorker, March 30, 2020)

Posted in Chris Ware, Comic Strips, Coronavirus, Joy Division, New Yorker, Pandemic, Quarantine on March 29, 2020| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK: JOY DIVISION-“Isolation” (1980).

This is the second song on Joy Division’s second and final album Closer.

It opens with a sharp drumbeat and Peter Hook’s recognizable bass sound.  Hook’s bass was often a lead instrument an the riffs in this song are propulsive.

A very synthetic synthesizer melody runs counter to the bass.  A descending synth line is the only thing that marks the chorus of the song.

Then Ian Curtis’ voice echoes from out of a well.

This song is about internal isolation and so it doesn’t really fit in with the quarantine theme, although this line does kind of fit

Surrendered to self preservation,
From others who care for themselves.

Midway through the drums turn to real drums–suddenly coming to life as the synths go a little wild with distortion.

With about ten seconds left the song kind of fades out with echoing sounds.  Apparently this cool ending came as the result of Martin Hannett’s efforts to rescue the original master tape from a botched edit by a junior sound engineer.

For a song that lasts less that 3 minutes, it conveys an awful lot about solitude.

[READ: March 29, 2020] Self-Isolating

I love Chris Ware.  I love his style and I love his tone.  Sure, sometimes he is too dark for me, but there’s always a sly humor that makes me smile no matter how dark the content.

Most of his pieces are long, so it was fun to see a one-page comic that I could post below (copyright The New Yorker and/or Chris Ware, but come on, this kind of fun should be shared with everyone).

So what’s the deal??  Well, a cartoonist who spends all of his time in a tiny room drawing pictures sure knows about self-isolating.  One might actually say this is his moment to shine.

Sometimes hardships bring out the best art.

(more…)

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Control Top / Pinkwash / Drill (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, March 28, 2020) [POSTPONED]

Posted in Control Top, Drill, Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA, Pinkwash, Postponed, Quarantine, Ted Leo on March 28, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: March 28, 2020] Control Top/Pinkwash/Drill

indexI saw Control Top open for Ted Leo back in August.

They were incredible, especially considering they are a noise punk band and were opening for a much more sedate headliner.

I have never been so happy to have been there in time for an opener that I’d never heard of before.

I was so excited to see them headlining a show in their hometown.

I had not heard of Pinkwash, but when I looked them up I was immediately intrigued.  Pinkwashing is the LGBT variation of whitewashing stories.  They are a duo based in Philly and they play loud fast punk with powerful lyrics.  I hope I get to see them someday.

Drill is another band from Philly.  They have an EP out called This is Not a Drill. It has six songs in about ten minutes.  Although they are not hardcore speed punk, they are noisy.  I’ll bet they are really fun live.

control

 

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Palehound / Adult Mom / Corey Flood (Boot & Saddle, Philadelphia, PA, March 28, 2020) [CANCELLED]

Posted in Adult Mom, Boot & Saddle, Control Top, Corey Flood, Coronavirus, Palehound, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, Quarantine on March 28, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: March 28, 2020] Palehound/Adult Mom/Corey Flood

indexSince Boot & Saddle is closed for good, it’s safe to say this show is cancelled.

I have seen Palehound twice (and Adult Mom once).

Palehound singer/guitarist Ellen Kempner is a fantastic guitarist and a really compelling frontwoman.  So when I saw that she was playing Boot & Saddle, I definitely wanted to see her once more.

Adult Mom is the creation of Stephanie Knipe.  I was really impressed by the Adult Mom band, especially drummer Liv Battell. I don’t know if it would have been the same band or a solo show, but I’m sure it would have been a great set.

Corey Flood is a band I haven’t heard of. They describe themselves as “west philly basement goth” which has a certain appeal.

Later on it was announced that Control Top was playing the same night across town.  I was genuinely torn about which show to go to, since I already had a ticket to this one.  But I was actually leaning towards Control Top since I’d only seen them once.

There are so many good or promising Philly bands right now, it’s an embarrassment of riches to be able to get to them so easily.

I guess a silver lining is that these shows are no longer in conflict and if they get rescheduled I may be able to go to both.

palehound

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