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Archive for the ‘Free at Noon’ Category

Kiwi Jr. [FREE AT NOON] (World Stage, Philadelphia PA, August 21, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Free at Noon, Kiwi Jr., Philadelphia, PA, World Cafe Live on August 21, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: August 21, 2026] Kiwi Jr. [FREE AT NOON]

I was supposed to see Kiwi Jr. open for Nap Eyes back in 2022, but the show was cancelled.  Back then I thought:

Kiwi Jr. is a fun Canadian band, recently described as “clever, easy-going jangle pop” that I’d really like to see live.

For some reason I thought I thought they were a more punk pop, but they’re really not.  And I think when I listened to them this time I was a little disappointed they weren’t more punky.  But really they’re cool–synthy and more than a little fun.

I grabbed a ticket for this Free at Noon because I knew I couldn’t make their show that night at Johnny Brenda’s.  But sometimes just thinking about a Free at Noon is exhausting.  I woke up tired and just didn’t have the wherewithal to go to work and then do the show.  Which is a bummer because the show sounded great (as you can hear below).  (more…)

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Deer Tick [FREE AT NOON] (World Stage, Philadelphia PA, June 12, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

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[DID NOT ATTEND: June 12, 2026] Deer Tick [FREE AT NOON]

There are three Deer bands on my radar.  And I can never remember which one is which because I don’t really listen to them all that much.

There’s Deerhunter, the creation of Bradford Cox who played artpop and psych pop.  I liked them a bit but never got really into them.

There’s Deerhoof, a wacky band from San Francisco featuring drummer Greg Saunier, bassist and singer Satomi Matsuzaki, and guitarists John Dieterich and Ed Rodriguez.  Matsuzaki has a high pitched and very distinctive style of singing I would like to see them live.

And then there’s Deer Tick.  They’ve been around since 2004 and are the most conventional of the three.   They fall into the Americana side of alt folk rock.  I listened to a song to see if I wanted to go and realized I didn’t.

So, basically I really only need to pay attention to Deerhoof going forward.

I grabbed a ticket to this show because I Wasn;t sure which Deer band this was, but when I realized it was this one, the one who played “indie folk, country tunes, and a punk cover” I knew I didn;’t need to head on down to Philly for it.

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The Belair Lip Bombs [FREE AT NOON] (World Cafe Live, Philadelphia Pa, April 10, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Free at Noon, Philadelphia, PA, The Belair Lip Bombs, World Cafe Live on April 10, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 10, 2026] The Belair Lip Bombs [FREE AT NOON]

I really liked Hey You from The Belair Lip Bombs.  I was pretty excited to get a ticket to see them tomorrow night at PhilaMOCA.  Especially since it sold out pretty quickly.  Then they announced a Free at Noon for the day before the show (they were playing a show in NYC tonight, so they drove back and forth with all of their gear.

I grabbed a ticket because I thought that maybe I’d skip the PhilaMOCA show and go to see Sunn0))) on Saturday instead.  But I was busy that morning and didn’t feel like hauling ass all the way down to Philly especially since I had a ticket to their show.

So I blew this one off.  Interestingly, they played 9 songs at the Free at Noon and 11 songs at the PhilaMOCA show.  Huh.

You can hear their set here.

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Iron & Wine: Free at Noon (World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA, February 13, 2026)

Posted in Free at Noon, Iron & Wine, Iron and Wine, Philadelphia, PA, World Cafe Live, WXPN 88.5 FM--Philadelphia, PA on February 13, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: February 13, 2026] Iron & Wine

I have wanted to see Iron & Wine for a pretty long time.  But they’ve always been on my “casually” want to see them list.  I knew I liked them (him) whenever I heard them, and I’ve known that Sam Beam has an amazing voice, but I didn’t really know many songs by them.

So it seemed like going to a full on show might be too much?

When this Free at Noon was announced, it seemed like the perfect way to see him.  A 30 minute show in the middle of the day–not a major time commitment, and I could see if I really like him.

And I did!

It was just Sam and his guitar.  He played a few songs from his new album and then a few older songs too.  He chatted a lot, praised us for being so quiet and talked about how much he liked to play Philly.

At one point someone shouted What’s your name, which I thought was pretty odd.  Then I saw the person and saw that he had special needs.  Sam must have seen that too because he asked What’s Your Name.  And then Sam made a joke that people ask if he’s related to Jim Beam.  It was delightful how nice and friendly Sam was to everyone.  He seems like a genuinely nice guy.

One of his new songs has the line “fuck the man” which he sang (on the radio!–I actually wondered if he forgot he was on the radio).  Later on when he played All in Good Time it has the words shit in it, and he stopped himself from singing the word and then said, well, I already said fuck, so he sang shit. (more…)

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The Mountain Goats: Free at Noon (World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA, October 3, 2025)

Posted in Free at Noon, Philadelphia, PA, The Mountain Goats, World Cafe Live, WXPN 88.5 FM--Philadelphia, PA on October 3, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: October 3, 2025] The Mountain Goats

I have wanted to see The Mountain Goats for years–pretty much ever since my friend Andrew introduced me to them (with burnt CD copies of albums).  I finally got to see them this summer while playing with Guster and that was great.  I had no idea that the band had so much fun up there and I really enjoyed their set (as I figured I would).

So when they announced this Free at Noon, I jumped at the ticket.  Sure I had just seen them two months ago, but they were great and I wanted more!

I walked in and the usher suggested I sit in the ADA section.  I didn’t want to, as I like being closer, but the crowd was big and rather tall, so I grabbed a seat and happened to be right next to the very Andrew who introduced me to them.  It makes sense that he would be there (he said the same about me) and it was a fun surprise.

The band came out and started with one of my favorite Mountain Goats songs, The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton.  I cannot believe that the song is 25 years old!

I actually wondered how many different songs I’d hear compared to the summer’s set.  Well, it was mostly the same, but of the nine songs they played, there were three that they didn’t play this summer.

But, it was also really fun to know the other songs.  I had really enjoyed Bones Don’t Rust last time and I really really liked Broken to Begin With–a terrific song from the new album.

I really like seeing John Darnielle pogo during the instrumentals and bounce from one musician to the next smiling at the music they are playing–sometimes seeming maybe surprised by a move or another.

He explained that the new album is about a sinking ship (which he is on). Rocks in My Pockets is about it as is Great Pirates.  (more…)

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Goose: Free at Noon (World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA, August 15, 2025)

Posted in Free at Noon, Goose, Philadelphia, PA, World Cafe Live, WXPN 88.5 FM--Philadelphia, PA on August 15, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: August 15, 2025] Goose

It seems like Goose and Geese both came out last year.  But in fact Goose has been around since 2014 and Geese since 2016–so it’s taken both of them about ten years to get serious attention.

It’s also funny that the bands have such similar names since they are so very different.  We saw Geese open for Vampire Weekend and they were kind of jammy but were decidedly weird.

Goose on the other hand is a pretty conventional jam band.  Four members (guitar (Rick Mitarotonda), bass (Trevor Weeks), keys (Peter Anspach–since 2017), drums (Cotter Ellis-since 2024)

I haven’t been going to very many Free at Noons lately.  It is such a hassle especially for a 30 minute show.  On the other hand it’s an opportunity to see a band (sometimes a really big band) in a small, intimate setting.  Goose, for instance, has sold out Madison Square Garden and is about to play the Mann Center.  I wasn’t even sure if I really wanted to see them, and yet this seemed like the perfect opportunity.

Especially since my office was closed for air conditioning work. (more…)

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Gigi Perez [FREE AT NOON] (World Cafe Live, Philadelphia Pa, May 2, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Free at Noon, Gigi Perez, Philadelphia, PA, tUnE-yArDs, World Cafe Live on May 2, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 2, 2025] Gigi Perez [FREE AT NOON]

My daughter and I saw Gigi Perez when she opened for Girl in Red.  She was great and I was interested in seeing her again.

She announced a show at the TLA, but I had a ticket for DEVO who I was not going to pass up.  Then they said she’d be doing a Free at Noon, so I grabbed a ticket for it.  But the day of, my wife stayed home from work, so I stayed home too.  We listened online and I found that she was solo and I didn’t like her as much solo.  So I was glad I didn’t go.

Since then, I have seen her open for Hozier and play a set at All Things Go, so I have certainly gotten mu fill of Gigi.  And since I like her band stuff better, I don’t mind having missed  the Free at Noon.

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Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory: Free at Noon (World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA, February 7, 2025)

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[DID NOT ATTEND: February 7, 2025] Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory

I saw Sharon Van Etten live back in 2019.  I really enjoyed her set more than I thought I would.  And yet since then I haven’t really been that interested in her music as much.

She’s had a few songs (like this year’s Afterlife) that I’ve really liked, but when she announced a show at Union Transfer in April I was pretty meh about it.

Then it was announced that she and her new band were doing a Free at Noon, and I though that that was the best way to check her out.  And I’m so glad I went because her band (and the whole set) was fantastic.

I’m not sure how long these musicians have been playing with her, but word is that she solidified them as a band with this album and they record the album as a band rather than as a SVE project with backing musicians.  The Attachment Theory is Teeny Lieberson on keys, Shanna Polley on guitar, Jorge Balbi on drums, and bassist Devra Hoff.   When I saw her last time I didn’t know any of her band except for singer Heather Woods Broderick whose voice is amazing.  But Teeny Lieberson’s backing vocals suited Sharon’s perfectly, creating that hauntingly beautiful sound that Sharon does so well.

I was right in front of Devra, whose bass work was great (there was a some cool stuff on a fretless as well as a fretted bass).  The bass was a little loud in the mix for me since I was right in front of the speaker, but the opening bassline of Trouble was fantastic and I loved watching Devra play it. (more…)

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Frank Turner: Free at Noon (World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA, May 24, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Frank Turner, Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls, Free at Noon, Philadelphia, PA, World Cafe Live, WXPN 88.5 FM--Philadelphia, PA on May 24, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 24, 2024] Frank Turner

I have seen Frank Turner once and the show was stellar and super fun.  He tours all the time, but I have yet to see him again.  Mostly I want to see him with his full band.

This Free at Noon was announced as a solo show, so I decided not to go.

But I was really happy to listen on the radio.  Turner was great and the audience was really into it.

I don’t regret not going to the show because I had the day off and enjoyed staying home.  But it sounded like a great time and I’m looking forward even more to seeing him in late June

Here’s a review from The Key

  1. Do One
  2. Girl From the Record Shop
  3. I Still Believe ∉
  4. Letters
  5. Show People
  6. International Hide and Seek Champions
  7. Undefeated
  8. Recovery ‰
∉ England Keep My Bones (2011)

 

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Guster: Free at Noon (World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA, May 17, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Free at Noon, Guster, Philadelphia, PA, World Cafe Live, WXPN 88.5 FM--Philadelphia, PA on May 17, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 17, 2024] Guster

My wife told me that she heard Guster was doing Free at Noon and we frantically tried to figure out if she could get the day off so  we could go.

As soon as I logged into the page, I saw that it was sold out!  I was so bummed.

I can’t believe that the last time I saw Guster: Free at Noon was five years ago!  I would have guessed it was two years at most.

The setlist was mostly new songs (the new album was released today).

There’s a video of the set online and, as usual, the show looks great.

  • Keep Going
  • Stay With Me Jesus
  • Witness Tree
  • Hang On
  • Keep It Together
  • Black Balloon
  • Satellite
  • This Could All Be Yours

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