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Archive for the ‘Franklin Music Hall’ Category

Sylvan Esso / Gladie (Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, October 12, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Franklin Music Hall, Gladie, Philadelphia, PA, Sylvan Esso on October 12, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 12, 2026] Sylvan Esso / Gladie

I saw Sylvan Esso three years ago.  They’d never been a huge favorite of mine, but I liked a lot of their music and thought they’d be interesting to see live.  And they were!

Amelia Meath, literally the only person to watch on stage, is electric.  Her musical partner Nick Sanborn creates all of the music on a variety of electronic devices.  He stands up in the corner of the stage, occasionally looking up, but mostly very busy making sounds including manipulating and echoing Amelia’s voice as she sings.

I listened to a bit of the new album and it didn’t grab me as much (even though I love the imagery of the album).  So I didn’t plan on going.

And then, I won a pair of tickets from an online contest (!).  But I had four other shows I was hoping to go to  this week and I just couldn’t imagine squeezing another show in (then whey did I enter the contest?  Because I’m an idiot and I figure I never win anyhow).  But I told the contest runner I couldn’t go and to offer them to someone else.

I saw Gladie open for Otoboke Beaver back in 2023.  Since then Gladie has been getting a good buzz about them, which is cool because they were really good.  Their new album is great and I really want to see them again.  I hope they go on a headlining tour soon.

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DJ Shadow: 30 years of Endtroducing / Prince Paul (Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, October 9, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in DJ Shadow, Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, Prince Paul, The Electric Factory on October 9, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 9, 2026] DJ Shadow: 30 years of Endtroducing / Prince Paul

30 years ago I bought Endtroducing and was blown away. It never would have occurred to me to go see DJ Shadow (or any DJ) live.  But after reading some hugely complementary reviews of DJ Shadow’s live show, I was really interested in going.  The Entroducing album is fantastic and as I understand it, DJ Shadow’s show is an amazing visual feast.

But I was feeling pretty beat today.  I had originally thought I might go to a Free at Noon AND this show, but I wound up not going to either.  The thought of trying to deal with Franklin Music Hall on a Friday night was just too much for me to deal with,.

And that’s fine.  Some shows are more worthy of hitting.

I don’t really know what Prince Paul did.  I guess he DJ’d as well.  His set list is a series of hip hop classics.  Did he just play them?  Did he rap over them?  No idea.

Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing ta F’ Wit (Wu‐Tang Clan cover)
Eye Know (De La Soul cover)
The Choice Is Yours (Black Sheep cover)
The Light (Common cover)
From 93 Til Infinity (Souls of Mischief cover)
Da Rockwilder (Method Man & Redman cover)
Can I Kick It? (A Tribe Called Quest cover)
Electric Relaxation (A Tribe Called Quest cover)

 

 

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Mastodon / Alcest / Deafheaven (Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, September 22, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Alcest, Deafheaven, Franklin Music Hall, Mastodon, Philadelphia, PA, The Electric Factory on September 22, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 22, 2026] Mastodon / Alcest / Deafheaven 

I saw Mastodon at this very venue (when it was called The Electric Factory) ten years ago.  I’ve seen Mastodon a total of three times and after the last show I felt like I didn’t need to see them again.  Nothing against them, but I felt like I had seen enough and was satisfied.  Then all kinds of trouble happened within the band and I felt it was just safest to stay away.

But this bill was stacked!  And I really wanted to go for the opening acts.  It turned out to be scheduled during a week when I had a lot else going on, so I ultimately couldn’t go anyhow.  But I would have really enjoyed seeing the openers again.

I saw Alcest last year and they were great.  They play a kind of heavy metal shoegaze.  Waves and waves of guitars with vocals that are sung in French, but are quiet enough in the mix (from where I was) that they might as well be simply ahh’s.  Corson’s backing vocals were, I think, just ooh and ahhs.  Occasionally, Niege’s vocals would get dark and kind of growly, but more of a low scream rather than a growl–certainly the most palatable scream I’ve encountered.  I would love to see them again.

I’ve seen Deafheaven twice but I’ve wanted to see them more.  There have been a couple of recent shows that I simply haven’t been able to get to.  Well, I’m sure they’ll be back again. And who wants to see them open, when they could clearly headline.

 

 

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Liz Phair / Sleater-Kinney / Frankie Cosmos (Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, September 20, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Frankie Cosmos, Franklin Music Hall, Liz Phair, Philadelphia, PA, Sleater-Kinney on September 20, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 20, 2026] Liz Phair / Sleater-Kinney / Frankie Cosmos

I have seen Sleater-Kinney five times.  The last time my wife came along and she loved it.  I would have liked to go to this show as well, but I wasn;t excited about it being at Franklin Music Hall and more importantly, I had tickets to see Eihwar and wasn’t going to give that up.  Plus it turns out that S-K were technically the second headliner so they went on first and only played for an hour.

Three years ago when Liz Phair was last at Franklin Music Hall, I was rather bitchy about her.  I guess it was 30 years ago that I really got into Liz Phair.  I loved Exile in Guyville.  And the two follow-ups.  Three years ago I followed this with

Then she went away for a while and came back as a sell out.  Which she has admitted.  I used to care about things like that, and I never listened to her again, frankly.  I’m somewhat curious about hearing the Guyville songs live.  But I haven’t listened to the record in years either, so it’s like a rock that’s not worth digging up.  Plus it would be weird seeing her in a relatively large space like Franklin Music Hall.

But seeing what she played–mostly stuff from Guyville, I think I would have really enjoyed the show–sorry to be so snarky three years ago, Liz.

In some respects, I’m surprised that Liz is headlining, because S-K probably have a bigger audience, but Liz is probably more generally popular.

Frankie Cosmos plays twee pop songs.  I had heard of the band but didn’t know this:

Greta Simone Kline, also known by the stage name Frankie Cosmos, is known for her independent releases, inspired by Frank O’Hara’s poetry, DIY ethics of K Records and the early 2000s New York City’s anti-folk scene.  She is the daughter of actors Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates. Her former stage name “Frankie Cosmos” is now the name of her band.

So I guess rather than twee pop songs, I’m hearing the spare sound of K recordings, because it did feel like it would fit with the whole Seattle vibe.

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Bikini Kill (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, September 18, 2026)

Posted in Bikini Kill, Feminism, Franklin Music Hall, Kilynn Lunsford, Philadelphia, PA, Riot Grrrl on September 19, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: September 18, 2026] Bikini Kill 

I saw Bikini Kill three years ago with my daughter.  She has worn the shirt many times and gotten nothing but great reactions from it.

I bought tickets when they came around last time so my wife and daughter could go, but we wound up not going (and reselling the tickets was easy enough).  This year I grabbed a ticket for myself and my wife.  I was very bummed when Cheekface announced a show the same night, but my wife was really looking forward to seeing Bikini Kill.

After the opener went for 45 minutes, I wasn’t sure how long it would take for Bikini Kill to come on.  Setlist suggested ten after but as ten after rolled up, the crew went on stage to tune stuff.  Come on!

They started a few minutes later and the crowd went nuts mostly for Kathleen Hanna of course.  Kathleen Hanna is a great front woman–talking to us about the songs, being supportive of women and young people in general. She joked at one point that she’s starting a new fashion trend–if your dress is too tight to zip up, leave it down and when someone tells you it’s down, say I like it that way.

Like last time three of the original Bikini Kill members were touring, Tobi Vail on drums (and vocals) Kathi Wilcox on bass (and drums) and Kathleen Hanna singing (and bass).  Original member Billy Karren was not part of the reunion and was replaced by Sara Landeau who has an impressive musical background.

The setlist was very similar to last time.  The first three songs were the same–a blur of fast music and Kathleen’s largely inaudible singing. I’m listening to the records and she is pretty clear about the words.  But live there’s a lot more screaming–which works pretty well (especially if you already know the songs). (more…)

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Kilynn Lunsford (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, September 18, 2026) [BIKINI KILL]

Posted in Bikini Kill, Feminism, Franklin Music Hall, Kilynn Lunsford, Philadelphia, PA, Riot Grrrl on September 18, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: September 18, 2026] Kilynn Lunsford

When we saw Bikini Kill a few years ago, it wasn’t until soon before the show that the announced the opener.  It was a little earlier for this show, but it didn’t help since I had never heard of Kilynn Lunsford.

Midway through the Bikini Kill set Tobi Vail said that she loved Kilynn Lunsford’s work and was not surprised to see that she had been part of several bands that Tobi has loved over the years.  Indeed, New York Music Month says  she is an artist and musician based in New Jersey. She’s been playing in experimental noise punk projects for over 20 years and has released records on Kill Rock Stars, Ecstatic Peace, Siltbreeze, ever/never, and Feel It. Her visual art has been exhibited internationally.

I can’t find any specifics of who she has played with, but it seems that everything they played tonight came from her solo albums.  I guess.

She had three musicians with her (guitar, drums, bass) all dressed in white (like a cult, my wife said).  Kilynn was dressed in a white bodysuit type thing with tiny shorts and a sweater as well as a big bow in her hair.  She stomped around the stage and was hard to take your eyes off of her.  Someone instantly shouted “I love you outfit” although other people were rather horrified by what she was wearing.

When the first song started, the bass sounded amazing–deep and rumbling with a weird effect on it.  I loved it from the start.  The drums were simple four four beats and the guitarist also played keys.   And then Kilynn started singing.  She had a high screechy voice and a few effects pedals nearby.  So her voice had a constant echo which made the words inaudible (which is not so good considering she describes herself as a poet).  She also manipulated her voice in bizarre ways with the sound pad she had–basically making everything she said a bunch of nonsense. (more…)

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Dying Fetus / Sanguisugabogg / Crowbar / Left to Suffer / Deterioration (Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, September 17, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Crowbar, Deterioration, Dying Fetus, Franklin Music Hall, Left to Suffer, Philadelphia, PA, Sanguisugabogg on September 17, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 17, 2026] Dying Fetus / Sanguisugabogg / Crowbar / Left to Suffer / Deterioration

There was no way I was going to this show.  But I like Sanguisugabogg–not their music, just their social media account.  So I like to know they’re still doing their thing.

Dying Fetus has been around since 1991.  They are from Maryland. Their singer sounds like he’s singing from under the earth.

Sanguisugabogg is from Ohio.  Their singer is a but more understandable, although as their bio says: disgusting gorym but ultimately tongue in cheek lyrics.

Crowbar dates back to 1990!  I can’t believe I’ve never heard of them.  They are from New Orleans and are mire sludgy than death metal.  They have a cool vibe, although I don’t care for te singer that much.

Left to Suffer formed in 2019 in Georgia.  They are heavy and screamy, and describe themselves as “nu-deathcore.”

Deterioration is the brainchild of two brothers from Minnesota.  Formed in 2003, they play relentless of grind with no slow parts or breakdowns. Blast beatings so pure, all tom drums were thrown to the wayside as to not get in the way.  Luckily they were the shortest opener.  They sound exhausting.

So, totally not my scene.  The whole night sounds exhausting.

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American Football / Ian Sweet (Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, July 10, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in American Football, Franklin Music Hall, Ian Sweet, Philadelphia, PA on July 10, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: July 10, 2026] American Football / Ian Sweet

There’s so much about American Football that I should like (except their name, which instantly made me not like them).  But the description of their music and even their posters–I love the way they mess with their name on the posters) should really make me a fan.

Back in 2019, American Football did a Tiny Desk Concert for their then new album LP3.  They have just released LP4 and all signs suggest that this is a band I would like.  I mean, I see that “their self-titled debut album became one of the most acclaimed emo and math rock records of its era.”  Emo and math rock, yes please.

Back in 2019, I had written,

I really enjoy the music of the songs…. but I find the song a little dull.  Maybe I’d just prefer this song as an instrumental.

And that’s how I felt about this new album too.  I find it a little dull and I don’t like the singer’s voice.  So I didn’t get a ticket (Plus I wouldn’t want to see them at FMH anyhow).

I hadn’t heard of Ian Sweet, and I see that Ian Sweet is the stage name of Jilian Medford a musician from Los Angeles.  I am mistaken, back in 2023, Ian Sweet opened for Protomartyr, at a show I didn’t go to.  I wrote then that Ian Sweet’s music is predominantly synth and dancey–bright and shiny, something never attributed to Protomartyr.

Their latest release is still upbeat and poppy–perky even.  But it rocks a bit more and, to my mind, is even more fun.

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Black Country, New Road / Horsegirl (Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, June 23, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Black Country New Roads, Franklin Music Hall, horsegiirL, Horsegirl, Philadelphia, PA on June 23, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: June 23, 2026] Black Country, New Road / Horsegirl 

I was vaguely intrigued when Black Country, New Road first came out (NPR music loved them).  And then in 2022, lead vocalist and guitarist Isaac Wood announced his sudden departure from the band four days before the release of Ants From Up There which resulted in the cancelling of the band’s planned first US tour.

I didn’t like the sound of the band with the new singer quite as much so I didn’t go see them when they returned.  I am really surprised they were playing Franklin Music Hall–how did they get so huge?  I’ve listened to their newest album and liked it even less.  So yea, I wasn’t going to this show.

Horsegirl has a super catchy song called Switch Over that I like quite a lot.  They remind me of a few 90s alt rock bands,  there’ssome Stereolab and an Elephant 6 bands vibe, there’s even a Nico feel in the vocals.  Their newer records is a slower and a bit different from their previous record (which they say is their High school record).  I tend to prfer the less mature stuff, so I actually prefer the previous album.  But this one is good too.

They are not to be confused with horsegiirL, a German DJ who wears a horse head mask.

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Echo & The Bunnymen: More Songs To Learn and Sing / Drew Nugent and the Midnight Society (Fillmore Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, June 9, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND] [RESCHEDULED FROM JUNE 7]

Posted in Drew Nugent and the Midnight Society, Echo & the Bunnymen, Echo and the Bunnymen, Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA on June 9, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 19, 2024] Echo & The Bunnymen [postponed from June 7, 2026]

I’m not a huge fan of Echo & The Bunnymen, but I have (and love) their greatest hits album Songs to Lean and Sing.  So it would seem that this tour was made especially for me.

They had done the Songs to Learn and Sing tour two years ago and I couldn’t make it.  This tour was billed as More Songs to Learn and Sing.  It was originally scheduled for the same night as the Geordie Greep show that I couldn’t miss (but somehow, I did).

And then, the night before the show, they had to postpone:

Echo & the Bunnymen were forced to postpone their June 7 concert at the Fillmore Philadelphia after vehicle carrying singer Ian McCulloch was involved in a “road traffic incident,” the band announced on their social media platforms.

“As a result, Ian required medical treatment,” the band’s post reads. “Thankfully, the injuries sustained are not believed to be serious; however, as you can appreciate, he has been left understandably shaken by the incident. As a precautionary measure, Ian is undergoing further medical assessment, including scans and X-rays.”

He was fine and they went to Brooklyn the following night.

And in the most rapid rescheduled date I’ve ever seen, they were able to head back to Philly on the 9th.

I had read a recent review that said the show “felt like watching a drunk guy do Echo and the Bunny Men karaoke with a good band.”  And that wasn’t the only review like that.  When it was a good show, people were pleasantly surprised.  So I’m quite glad I didn’t get a ticket.

I believe that the previous time there was no opening act.  This time Drew Nugent and the Midnight Society opened.  And I’m fascinated by this bio (more…)

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