[DID NOT ATTEND: April 21, 2023] M83 / Jeremiah Chiu
Back in 2005 I bought an M83 album, Before the Dawn Heals Us. I also got the 2008 album Saturdays = Youth. Then I kind of forgot about them. Ironically, it was their next album, Hurry Up We’re Dreaming, that produce the massive hit “Midnight City,” a song I have known for years since it is on the radio a lot but which I had no idea was M83.
When it was announced that M83 had a new tour coming–the first in a while–I decided to grab a ticket. I’d heard good things about their live show. But when I listened to the new album, Fantasy, I thought it was kind of bland. And I didn’t really relish the thought of standing there for ninety minutes of chillout music.
When I listened to the opening act Jeremiah Chiu, his music was certainly interesting (the nineteen minute improvisational Leaving Grass Mountain–a duet with electronics and viola–was trippy), but it really didn’t change my mind about wanting to see them.
Then it turned out that Acid Dad was going to be playing across town at PhilaMoCAand I really wanted to see them again.
It also turned out that Chris Forsyth and Purling Hiss were playing at Johnny Brenda’s
And that Andy Shauf was playing at Union Transfer.
An embarrassment of riches, so I opted not to go. I also found out this show sold out and tried to sell my ticket, but I was a little too late for it.
[DID NOT ATTEND: April 14, 2023] Caroline Polachek / George Clanton
Caroline Polacheck is a name that I keep hearing in the context of someone that I should be listening to. It kind of blows my mind when someone I don’t know (but who is in a genre that I like) plays a venue the size of Franklin Music Hall.
Polachek co-founded the band Chairlift who I guess I don’t actually know, but who I’ve at least heard of.
But this review of Polacheck puts her squarely in my wheelhouse of musical taste
At its highest register, her voice is diaphanous and otherworldly, somewhere between the call of a siren and the religious arias of an 11th-century abbess. When combined with Polachek’s futuristic synth stylings, the result is like something from a science-fiction novel. Polachek is lithe and willowy, with a surreal, selkie beauty that matches her ethereal voice. Her visual work deals heavily in the fantastical, where her elven features fit right in — it’s almost hard to imagine what she would look like in everyday clothes (or, rather, it’s easy to imagine that she simply wears leather, buckles and 18th-century corsetry to the grocery store). She frequently co-directs her music videos, which take inspiration from Greek mythology, obscure surrealism and historical fantasy.
Although I don’t really like her music all that much. I don’t dislike it, it just doesn’t quite do it for me. (more…)
[ATTENDED: April 7, 2023] Bikini Kill [rescheduled from November 22, 2020, October 2, 2021 and July 13, 2022]
I bought a ticket for this show on November 10, 2019. That’s 1,244 days.
And it finally happened!
It felt like a pretty long time before the band came out. My daughter was a little nervous about the place being sold out and the crowd definitely pressed in on us, but she was a trooper and we enjoyed talking to some of the other people around us.
And then the band came out.
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.
They came out and launched right into song after song.
Kathleen Hanna is a great front woman–talking to us about the songs, saying how great it was to see so many young people whose parents were into th eband and talking about how different it was back in the 90s when people would heckle and throw things at them.
They played a bunch of songs and the crowd was singing along with them all the way.
After about six songs, Tobi Vail came down from behind the kit and sang a couple of songs. Kathi played drums and Kathleen went to the bass.
Then Kathleen retruned to the fore for a few more songs. She talked about “No Backrub” as being about self-care and she was delighted to see punks slamdancing to a song about self-care.
It’s been a pretty long time since I listened to these records very carefully so I didn’t know the songs all that well. But I enjoyed the energy and singing along to the songs and parts of songs that I knew. I love “Reject All American.” And it was soon after that they played a whole bunch from Pussy Whipped, the album I know best.
As the set drew to a close, she said they were going to a play a song that she wrote because her sister used to say it to all he guys who harrassed her on her way to school. Everybody shout along now: “suck my left one!”
After a short encore break, Kathleen apologized for not introducing the band and shouted “We are Bikini Kill and we want Revolution Girl Style Now!” before playing “Double Dare Ya!”
And then came the moment everyone was waiting for. They started “Rebel Girl” and the play exploded. It was great fun. And at about 80 minutes it still felt pretty exhausting from all the dancing.
[ATTENDED: April 7, 2023] Brontez Purnell [rescheduled from November 22, 2020, October 2, 2021 and July 13, 2022]
I bought a ticket for this show on November 10, 2019. That’s 1,244 days.
And it finally happened!
In the 4 years since I bought these tickets, my daughter became a fan of the band and I was able to score a ticket for her that wasn’t marked up all that much. So we both got to enjoy the show.
There were a couple of different opening acts planned for this show. I would have loved to see Alice Bag. But for this date we had Brontez Purnell.
I had no idea who this was and even had kind of a hard time imagining what they would do. Especially since his Wikipedia page states:
Brontez Purnell is an American writer, musician, dancer, and director based out of Oakland, California. He is the author of several books, including Since I Laid My Burden Down, and the zine Fag School; frontman for the punk band The Younger Lovers; and founder of the Brontez Purnell Dance Company.
I didn’t know if Brontez would speak, dance or sing.
So it turned out Brontez fronted a three piece garage punk band. And they were very much okay. (more…)
[DID NOT ATTEND: December 14, 2022] Foals / Inner Wave / Glove
Back in 2008, Foals were a weird indie rock band. Cryptic, with odd instrumental passages. By their third album, Holy Fire, they had ditched all of that for huge bombast. But it was still great, “Inhaler” was my favorite song of the year, getting bigger and bigger until it somehow exploded.
I kind of forgot about them, and then heard that they were releasing a two part epic: Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost.
In 2022, they released their most recent album, Life is Yours, recording now as a trio. I actually hadn’t heard anything from the album.
I had tickets to see the Lemonheads that night. And I really wanted to see them, so Foals would have to wait until next time.
Although now that I check the setlist, I think that Foals show might have been the better bet. Maybe.
Inner Wave was going to open for Chicano Batman when I saw them in 2020, but when the show was rescheduled, there was a new opening band.
Inner Wave is a five-piece ensemble, and three of the bandmates – lead vocalist and guitarist Pablo Sotelo, bassist and vocalist Jean Pierre Narvaez, and guitarist and keyboard player Elijah Trujillo – go all the way back to middle school. Some back-in-the-day homies left the band in 2016, and keyboardist Chris Runners and drummer Luis Portillo joined the group. [They are] an indie rock quintet who seamlessly float between psychedelic and synthwave sounds.
I can see them opening for Chicano Batman with their retro sounds and soft vocals. I don’t exactly see it working with Foals.
Glove opened for A Place to Bury Strangers, a show I did not go to. Glove is a retro synth band, in the vein of Depeche Mode or New Order. They’re from Tampa but look like they are straight out of the 80’s UK music scene.
I don’t quite see them opening for Foals either, unless the new Foals music is a lot more synthy.
[DID NOT ATTEND: November 25, 2022] The Menzingers / Touché Amoré / Screaming Females
I have seen The Menzingers twice. The first time I missed most of their set. The second time I was in a terrible location and the sound was dismal. I told myself that I really wanted to see one good set with them.
I had tickets to this show and then the Guster show came up. So clearly we pick Guster over this. But when we decided not to go to Guster, I didn’t feel like going to this either.
I think I’m done with them.
I love the name Touché Amoré, although I don’t know much about the band. This Pitchfork review of their album Lament, gives a fascinating look into the lead singer’s headspace. Sounds like a pit was inevtiable.
Screaming Females is another band that I really liked for a pretty long time but I’m a little over at the moment. Maybe I’ll come back to them again.
[DID NOT ATTEND: November 12, 2022] Alvvays / Slow Pulp
Back in 2017, my wife and I saw Alvvays for the second time (first headline show). And I wrote
But holy cow were we surprised that they sold out! (And good for them).
I had no idea that people even knew that much about them. But the sold out crowd were huge fans as people were singing along left and right.
And yet here they were again playing Franklin Music Hall, the largest small venue in Philly. So evidently they have a huge fan base.
I hadn’t listened much to the new album, but I figured they were bond to put on a good show.
The problem was that we already had tickets to see Darlingside at a super intimate venue. It was hard to give up those tickets!
But then we wound up going on vacation and weren’t able to go to anything that evening at all.
Slow Pulp is a funny name. Especially if (like to me) it sounds like your band is just a slower version of the band Pulp, which they are not. Rather, they are kind of a slow version of Alvvays. They are slow and introspective. Seems like a good (if maybe dull?) fit.
[ATTENDED: August 30, 2019] King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard [rescheduled from May 22 and then October 22, 2020 and again on October 23, 2021]
After the previous King Gizzard show in this very venue, I was all set to wait in line for this one. People arrive very early for the merch. But when I got there (close to 8), there was no line to get in. That’s because the merch line was (once again) insanely long. It went almost to the stage. In fact, it was unclear who was on line and who was just milling about. Well, even though I would have liked a poster, I certainly didn’t need to wait in that line (or spend $50).
The show started very late. While waiting last time, I felt a sense of existential “what’s the point” last time, and I kind of felt this this time. It’s crowded, it’s hot, we’re just standing here.
And then they came out and all was forgotten. They launched into Oddlife. By the way, the band has released six albums since the last time they played here, so who knew what was coming. This song featured the “Flying Microtonal Banana” guitar, so there was bound to be a couple more microtonal music.
Up next was “Billabong Valley” on which Ambrose sang (and played guitar).
At some point, all the yahoos who were hanging back started pushing in trying to get into the center for the inevitable pit. I was really blown away last time at how mobile the KGATLW crowd was. Slamming, pogoing, bouncing, just full body contact everywhere. We were all pushed way away from our original position.
After the looming fun of “K.G.L.W.” Stu switched guitars to his new inverted flying V. Although they had played songs from Infect the Rat’s Nest last time, this time they played two different songs from it, and they inserted the thrashing “Predator X” from Omnium Gatherum which fit perfectly.
Then things slowed down immensely for the mellow acoustic vibe of “Her and I,” the final song on I’m in Your Mind Fuzz.
So far, “Billabong Valley” was the only song they’d played for me before.
Then they began “Crumbling Castle” and the fans went nuts. It’s one of my favorite songs, but I didn’t know it was everyone’s favorite song (who knows with KGATLW–they have 22 albums out). “Castle” and “Her and I” take about 20 minutes alone, and this show was turning from a headbanging ball into a jam fest. Especially when it segued into “The Fourth Colour” also from Polygondwanaland/
Then Ambrose said it was time to dance as they played King Gizzard’s rap song “The Grim Reaper.” There was much dancing and waving. And then they segued into “Ice V” the only song from the three albums that they released in October. It’s probably my favorite track on Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava.
Then they called Leah Senior out and she began reciting some of Altered Beast with Leah doing the narration. In 2018, they had played us Alter Me I and Altered Beast I. This time it was Alter Me III and Altered Beast IV It was like the ended the story four years later.
They ended with “Evil Death Roll” a rollicking good time from Nonagon Infinity. They jammed this out for a pretty long time, throwing in teases from other songs.
Comparing this show to previous shows, the number of songs in significantly lower. But they really jammed out some songs in the middle, giving this a more psychedelic feel than previous shows. This in no way stopped the crowd from pushing and shoving and surfing. Indeed ,some guy was just pushing me, for no reason that I could see–quite hard too–until I asked him to switch places with me. Which he did.
Despite how much I love them, I decided that I don’t think I’ll be seeing them again. The crowd is just not my crowd. Unless they play somewhere else (but there’s really nowhere bigger than Franklin Music Hall) and they keep selling that venue out pretty easily.
Markit Aneight had a much better view than me and filmed the whole show
Franklin Music Hall October 22, 2022
Franklin Music Hall August 30, 2019
Union Transfer June 18, 2018
Oddlife ∑
Planet B ℜ
Digital Black ⊗
Billabong Valley ⇔
Perihelion ℜ
Vomit Coffin ⊗
K.G.L.W. £
The Great Chain of Being Ω
The Lord of Lightning ⊗
Mars for the Rich ℜ
Stressin’ ℘
Cellophane β
Predator X Ø
I’m in Your Mind β
Alter Me I ⊗
Organ Farmer ℜ
I’m Not in Your Mind β
Altered Beast I ⊗
Her and I (Slow Jam 2) [Iron Lung tease] β
Cellophane β
Evil Death Roll ∝
Crumbling CastleΔ
I’m in Your Mind Fuzz β
Billabong Valley ⇔
The Fourth ColourΔ
The Balrog ⊗
Nuclear Fusion ⇔
The Grim Reaper Ø
Acarine €
Rattlesnake ⇔
Ice V ¥
Murder of the Universe ⊗
All Is Known Ω
Alter Me III (with Leah Senior) ⊗
The Bird Song €
Crumbling Castle Δ
Altered Beast IV (with Leah Senior) ⊗
Let Me Mend the Past ∼
The Fourth Colour Δ
Evil Death Roll ∝
(Altered Beast & Hypertension teases;
contained elements of Invisible Face)
[ATTENDED: October 22, 2022] Leah Senior [rescheduled from May 22 and then October 22, 2020 and again on October 23, 2021]
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard created a record label (Flightless) and they released Leah Senior’s latest album.
I had listened to Leah Senior when it was first announced that she was going to open for them on the tour. I think her new album wasn’t out yet, because I found what I heard to be fine, decent folk music.
Or as NME says:
Her first two albums, 2015’s ‘Summer’s On The Ground’ and 2017’s ‘Pretty Faces’, are sparsely arranged folk records – usually just Senior and her guitar, maybe a bit of piano – with songs she says were often born from anguish. But on ‘The Passing Scene’, Senior moves away from the sounds of early Joni Mitchell to something echoing the late-’60s, jazzy, jam-band sound of Karen Dalton’s ‘In My Own Time’. Senior says she approached recording with a sense of playfulness for the first time.
Because live, these songs were delightful! Fun and bouncey with a fantastic band and, the killer ingredient: backing vocals by her sister, Andi. Together the two of them sang beautiful harmonies.
I expected to like her set, but I was enchanted by it. By her voice, by the way her band fleshed out these songs and by the overall vibe she generated. She played guitar for the first few songs and then switched to piano/keyboards for the rest.
I was less enchanted by the loud dude near me who felt compelled to talk a lot about which King Gizzard albums he had and how much he hated baseball and how mean the Aussies were during the lockdown. Fortunately, the person he was talking to moved away from him and he was left talking to no one and we all enjoyed the last few Leah Senior songs ever the more.
I couldn’t see her all that well–a wall of KGATLW fans were in my way, but her voice soared over any obstacles.
I saw Stereolab for the first time back in 2019 (after they had been away from Philly for 11 years). I was a fan since the early 90s but had never seen them.
I really enjoyed the previous show–it was everything I wanted. When they announced a new 2022 tour I wasn’t sure if I needed to go. But I figured, why not?
Like last time, the Groop’s was set up in a half circle with Tim Gane on guitar to my far left and Lætitia Sadier singing, playing keys and guitars on my far right. In the middle from left to right was drummer Andy Ramsay, keyboardist Joe Watson (with a giant Fender Rhodes), and bassist Xavier Muñoz Guimera.
As I mentioned for Fievel is Glaque, the crowd was really annoying. I’m not sure what half of these people were doing here. Do drunken college girls in 2022 like Stereolab? Are they all over TikTok? (No, apparently).
Of course, I felt like a poser myself because I didn’t know most of the songs. Stereolab has put out a ton of records and even more compilations of one-off singles. And, like last time they played three songs from one of these compilations (which I haven’t listened to in forever).
Last time, they played the bulk of their songs from their albums that came out in the 1990s, with a few from the 2000s sprinkled in. This time it was a lot more “recent” stuff. I was sure they’d throw in a few songs I knew, but it wasn’t until “The Free Design” that I recognized a song. They playe da few thigs from Dots and Loops, and usually a hugely long song would have me really excited, but I didn’t recognize “Refractions in the Plastic Pulse” which runs 17 minutes on the record (I feel like I should have been super excited for this song but I really wasn’t).
And then the set jumped between rare stuff and “newer” songs. I just wasn’t feeling it.
Perhaps it was me, or the crowd around me rubbing me the wrong way. Whatever the case, I just didn’t enjoy this set as much as I thought I would. The band sounded great. Although I did notice that I wasn’t as blown away by the bass like I was last time (song choices or mixing levels, I guess,, because I’m sure Gimera was great. I also felt like Tim Gane wasn’t quite as much of a maniac as he was last time–I feel like I was less awed by his playing than I was last time.
Lætitia Sadier sounded great. In fact everyone sounded good, but I just wasn’t feeling it. Or maybe I just like Union Transfer better than Franklin Music Hall (I do).
Sadier told us they were playing a special encore for us. A song they hadn’t played since 2001. I was pretty excited, except when they started it, I didn’t know it. Well, actually I did know it because it came from Cobra and Phases Group Play Voltage in the Milky Night, which I know I’ve listened to. But apparently not all that much.
The second encore was French Disko, one of only two songs that they played last time. Normally I love when a band plays a wholly different setlist for a show, but this one went so far into the obscure that I was really excited to hear the two dupes. “French Disko” is super fun song and I did really enjoy that one.
They ended with a song that they released with Nurse with Wound which I didn’t know. That segued into another obscure song. And the night was over.
I’ve enjoyed Stereolab as background listening and as foreground listening. Generally speaking anything they play is cool with me. But I think a lot of factors made this show really less than enjoyable.
I’m sure there are many fans who would look at this setlist and tell me how jealous they were. But I was getting a little nervous because this was two shows in a row that I had been really looking forward to from which I came away feeling meh.
Although here’s a video from Markit Aneight of the whole show. So maybe if I watch it again I’ll enjoy it more
Back in 2005 I bought an M83 album, Before the Dawn Heals Us. I also got the 2008 album Saturdays = Youth. Then I kind of forgot about them. Ironically, it was their next album, Hurry Up We’re Dreaming, that produce the massive hit “Midnight City,” a song I have known for years since it is on the radio a lot but which I had no idea was M83.
I Just Read About That... 