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Archive for the ‘Franklin Music Hall’ Category

Altin Gün (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, September 24, 2026)

Posted in Altin Gün, Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA on September 25, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: September 24, 2026] Altin Gün 

I first heard of Altin Gün (which means Golden Day) in 2022 when they played Underground Arts.   Back then I quoted

Altin Gün’s relentless grooves are truly immersive, anti-elitist, inclusive. It’s truly music for the dancefloor – all dancefloors. Altin Gün are the perfect 21st Century psych band, hinting at a deep record collection while still belonging to a living tradition and having a unique and distinctive voice  [from Forestpunk].

They returned in 2023, this time playing Union Transfer.  I wanted to go, but we had a family obligation that night so I couldn’t check them out.  But in the past year I’d gotten an album and really liked it.

So, this year the show was announced and I grabbed a ticket, super excited to see them live.  Their music is psychedelic with a dirty blend of funk rhythms, wah-wah guitars and analogue organs.  They often play psychedelic covers of Turkish folk music.  Singer Erdinç Ecevit Yıldız is Turkish while the other four members are Dutch.

I walked in and it was really quite empty. I was able to walk up to the barrier with no problem.  And it was a great spot to be because the mixing was perfect.  Aside from the two women who would not shut up behind me.

They came out with a simple set up–guitar, bass and two percussionists.  The man on the left had a full on percussion set up–conga, bongos, wood blocks, cowbells, tambourines and a couple of foot pedals, which I couldn’t figure out what they played.  Daniel Smienk was on the standard drum kit and he was fantastic–a simple kit but complex rhythms.

Jasper Verhulst played bass.  He was on the far side, behind the singer’s keyboards, so I didn’t see him too much,but his bass was essnetial, especially when the other two guys were soloing.  I was right in front of guitarist Thijs Elzinga and he was fantastic.  He switched back and forth between rhythm and lead guitar effortlessly.  His solos were fantastic and he shared the soloing spotlight easily.   Then up front was Erdinç Ecevit Yıldız.  He played keys (some great keyboard solos) and also played the bağlama (or saz)–four-stringed, long-necked (lute family) instrument.  He played some incredible solos on this thing!

I’d listened to the album I have and quickly listened to the new album which I didn’t like quite as much as its a bit quieter.  But I needn’t have worried about that because they came out and played the grooviest psychedelic sounds.  On Gönül Dağ The bass was loud and low, the guitars were great and the percussion kept things interesting.  It had a mid-period Pink Floyd sound.  The percussion came out in force for Sevda Olmasaydı. (more…)

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Alex Maas (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, September 24, 2026) [ALTIN GÜN]

Posted in Altin Gün, Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, The Black Angels on September 24, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: September 24, 2026] Alex Maas

Alex Maas is the singer for The Black Angels. I didn’t realize that when this show was first announced.  I saw The Black Angels back in May and as curious to see how different Alex’ solo stuff would be.  And the answer is: very different.

He still sounds the same (he has a very distinctive voice), but for this set it was just him and an unnamed drummer.  In fact, I’m not sure he even introduced himself–his mic had a huge echo on it the whole time, so who knows what he ever said).

He played mellotron for a couple of songs and he played (very quiet) electric guitar for a couple of songs.  For the final song he played a small middle eastern sounding instrument.  It was small and stringed, but I’m pretty sure he pressed keys to change the notes.

The songs were all short with lots of echo.  The melodies were nice (and simple) and the drums were mostly snare and bass, but he also had some tiny roto toms which made really sharp sounds.  (more…)

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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.

(more…)

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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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