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Archive for the ‘Johnny Brenda’s’ Category

Chris Forsyth / Purling Hiss / Garcia Peoples (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia PA, April 21, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Chris Forsyth, Garcia Peoples, Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA, Purling Hiss on April 21, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 21, 2023] Chris Forsyth / Purling Hiss / Garcia Peoples

I had planned to attend fewer shows this year.  It turns out there haven’t been that many days that were overbooked with shows.  This was  the first one that was totally overbooked.

I had tickets to M83 and also to Acid Dad and it was a hard decision which one to go to.

So this show didn’t really stand a chance.

I love Chris Forsyth, and would love to see him again.  However, I have seen him fairly recently and at Johnny Brenda’s.  The show would be reliably great, but as I said, already booked.

I saw Purling Hiss back in 2017 about which I said

I knew that the bulk of the band’s catalog was basically Mike Polizze making music for himself.  It was pretty noisy and abstract with lots of jam moments.  They are now a band–I’m not sure who the other two guys in the band were (based on the latest album, I’m assuming Ben Hart on drums and Dan Provenzano on bass)–and they have gotten more musical since then.  But thy are still noisy.  So I expected a lot of squalling feedback and pummeling sounds.  I was quite pleased with how melodic the band’s songs were (no idea what songs they played, but I assume most of it came from their newest album).

I’d definitely see them again.

Garcia Peoples are joining this tour in Brooklyn.  If they had been in Philly, this would have been a much more difficult choice.

UPDATE: Turns out they DID play as well.

And here’s video proof from the always reliable Markit aneight

Here’s video of Purling Hiss

And here’s Chris Forsyth

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The Sadies / Carson McHone (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, April 18, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Carson McHone, Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA, The Sadies on April 18, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 18, 2023] The Sadies / Carson McHone

I could clearly spend most of my time at Johnny Brenda’s, but somehow, I seem to blow off these show more than any others.

I’ve been aware of The Sadies for a pretty long time, although I’ve never really listened to them much.  I kind of assumed they were a country band.  Wikipedia describes them as a a Canadian rock and roll / country and western band.

They are quite beloved by other musicians (in and out of Canada) and just about everyone has sung guest vocals with them (their first three songs on Spotify feature Neko Case, Kurt Vile and Gord Downie).  Just as I was becoming more familiar with them, their singer Dallas Good died suddenly.  I assumed that that was the end for the band, but they have continued.

My brother-in-law saw them recently and said they were great.  I would have liked to see them, but I had tickets to the Final Skinny Puppy show.  So I wasn’t going to miss that.

Carson McHone is a singer-songwriter from Austin. In describing her music, Nashville Scene Magazine says “she’s a young country singer who expresses herself through the form while avoiding the formalism that etiolates the work of many country purists.”

I wouldn’t have specified her as country as much as these review do.  She doesn’t have a twang, but I can see the connection to country.  I like her anyway,

This would have been a good bill.

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Black Belt Eagle Scout / Claire Glass & Adobo (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, April 17, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Adobo, Black Belt Eagle Scout, Claire Glass, Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA on April 17, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 17, 2023] Black Belt Eagle Scout / Claire Glass & Adobo

When I first heard about Black Belt Eagle Scout back in 2018, I was really inrigued:

Katherine Paul grew up on a small Indian reservation in the Pacific Northwest. The singer, who performs as Black Belt Eagle Scout, identifies as a “radical indigenous queer feminist” and is influenced by Native American tradition as well as indie rock.

But when I listened to her song, I found it kind of bland.  Her voice is soft and pretty, but the indie rock component was pretty minimal and was, as I say, kind of bland.

It’s now five years later and the new Black Belt Eagle Scout album, The Land, The Water the Sky, ups everything that I found missing that first time around.

I rather wanted to go to this show and a friend of mine says it was really good.  But I have a birthday party to attend to coming up and I’m out tomorrow night so it was important to stay home.

Claire Glass Claire Glass is the solo project of Claire Puckett (of Hikes and Mother Falcon). This iteration highlights intricate classical guitar compositions overlaid with delicate vocals, with lyrical content prodding the deeper meanings of everyday wonders. Her newest release, “Dust”, explores themes of spiritual seeking after religion, alluding to Phillip Pullman’s ‘His Dark Materials’ trilogy. It blends classical guitar with airy synths to create an ethereal, otherworldly feel.

Adobo Adobo is the solo project of Filipinx naturalist Nay Mapalo (of Hikes); Adobo is a foray into patient, emotive songs that pull inspiration from pop composition and the intricacies of classical guitar technique.

The listing said Claire Glass and Adobo were performing together, but photos made that seem incorrect.

 

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Kiwi Jr. / 2nd Grade / Kate Davis (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, March 31, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in 2nd Grade, Johnny Brenda's, Kate Davis, Kiwi Jr., Philadelphia, PA on March 31, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: March 31, 2023] Kiwi Jr. / 2nd Grade / Kate Davis

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

When I briefly listened to them then, I mused

Kiwi Jr. is a fun Canadian band, recently described as “clever, easy-going jangle pop” that I’d really like to see live. So I hope this lineup stays the same when Nap Eyes comes back to Philly again.  Some day.

I thought they were a little more punk pop, but i can see how they would fit pretty well with Nap Eyes, even though they are more upbeat.

I was supposed to see a band called Grade 2 open for Anti-Flag but that show was cancelled.  Turns out Grade 2 is not the same as 2nd Grade.  Grade 2 are a classic punk band from the UK.  2nd Grade are an indie band from Philly.

They are a gentle boppy indie pop band.  Super catchy and poppy with delightful harmonies and a childlike quality (as befits their name).  Most of the songs are around two minutes.

I just heard about Kate Davis on All Songs Considered a few weeks ago.  They say

Kate Davis was trained as a jazz musician but after moving to New York and being influenced by bands such as Dirty Projectors and Grizzly Bear, she found her own sound.

Her song was slow and broody.  I didn’t love it, but she probably comes across well live.

 

 

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Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul / Rentboy (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, March 29, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Bolis Pupul, Charlotte Adigéry, Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul, Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA, Rentboy on March 29, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: March 29, 2023] Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul / Rentboy

Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul put out an album (with a very cool cover) in 2022 that was on most Year End lists.  Musically it is described as effortlessly propulsive electro pop, but lyrically it is sharp and targeted.

Cultural appropriation and racism. Social media vanity. Post-colonialism and political correctness. These are not talking points that you’d ordinarily hear on the dancefloor but Charlotte Adigéry and Bolis Pupul are ripping up the rulebook with their debut album Topical Dancer. The Ghent-based duo, who broke out with their 2019 Zandoli EP on Soulwax’s record label DEEWEE, are rare storytellers in electronic music: they take the temperature of the time and funnel them into their playful synth concoctions – never didactic and always with a knowing wink.

Their new studio record – which cements them as a duo under both their names for the first time and is co-written and co-produced by Soulwax – is both a triumph of kaleidoscopic electro-pop and “a snapshot of how we think about pop culture in the 2020s.” It captures Charlotte and Bolis’s essence as musical collaborators and the conversations they’ve had over the past two years on tour, as well as their perspectives as Belgians with an immigrant background, Charlotte with Guadeloupean and French-Martinique ancestry and Bolis being of Chinese descent.

It’s not really my type of thing, but I thought it would be really interesting to experience.  If i had less going on this week, I would have tried harder to get to the show.

Rentboy is a Philadelphia based disco collective whose last album, Memory Forever, is a meditation on body memory and queer musical history

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Rural Alberta Advantage / Georgia Harmer (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, March 25, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Georgia Harmer, Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA, Sarah Harmer, The Rural Alberta Advantage on March 25, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: March 25, 2023] Rural Alberta Advantage / Georgia Harmer

I had tickets to see Ibeyi, but when The Rural Alberta Advantage announced their show the same night, I decided I’d go to that show instead.

I wasn’t sure what our plans were for Saturday night so I didn’t get tickets ahead of time (what’s the point of buying two tickets you don’t use?).  But when I went to get tickets before the show, it was sold out!

I never would have guessed that a relatively obscure Canadian band would sell out, but they did.  Good for them/Bad for me.  I hope this means they will come back again soon.

Georgia Harmer is the niece of the outstanding Sarah Harmer.

She sings in a similar style as Sarah–their voices even have a similar timbre.  Her songs are pleasant and enjoyable–she’d be a great opening act.

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King Tuff / Tchotchke (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, March 22, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Johnny Brenda's, King Tuff, Philadelphia, PA, Sleater-Kinney, Tchotchke on March 23, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: March 23, 2023] King Tuff / Tchotchke

King Tuff is Kyle Thomas.  Thomas was a member of Ty Segall’s band for a time (and Segall plays on his albums).

I really enjoyed his Black Moon Spell album, but when I saw this show was anounced, I listened to his newer album and didn’t think all that much of it.  At this point I’m kind of looking for excuses not to go to shows–there’s so many I want to go to that I’m happy to pass on iffy shows like this.  So that was a good enough reason not to go.

Tchotchke is a band from New York comprised of Anastasia Sanchez, Eva Chambers and Emily Tooraen.  They used to be called Pinky Pinky which I think is a much more apt name for the style of music they play–it’s a kind of an updated doo-wop, pop sheen aesthetic.

Really not my thing, although I heard that if you went to their merch booth after the show they handed out a tchotchke to each person.

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Messthetics / James Brandon Lewis Trio (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, March 19, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Fugazi, James Brandon Lewis Trio, Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA, The Messthetics on March 19, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: March 19, 2023] The Messthetics / James Brandon Lewis Trio

I really like The Messthetics (including the name).  The band has at its core drummer Brendan Canty and bassist Joe Lally who were both in Fugazi.  Along with guitarist Anthony Pirog, they make cool and interesting instrumental rock.  They have been pretty high on my list of bands to see.

However, the timing of this show was kind of rough.

Plus, the opening band or co-band or maybe even headliner (it was unclear), was James Brandon Lewis Trio.  JBL is a saxophonist.  he is typically joined by Lally and Canty (I assume he was on this show as well, but who knows).

I just didn’t think I wanted to hear roughly an hour of jazz, even if it was really good (which I’m sure it was).

So I stayed home instead, and had a great night in with the fam.

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Quasi (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, March 17, 2023)

Posted in Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA, Quasi, Sleater-Kinney on March 19, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: March 17, 2023] Quasi

I explored Quasi’s music back in the late 1990s mostly because I loved Janet Weiss’ drum work with Sleater-Kinney.  I had no idea who Sam Coomes was (he was her husband at some point but is no longer), but he was clearly the main songwriting force behind the band (Janet is credited with some song, but Sam wrote the majority).

I lost track of them during the 2000s (they release sporadically and Sam does a ton of other work with other people–for instance he has played keyboards on every Built to Spill album since Keep It Like a Secret].  They have put out about five albums that I hadn’t heard of, including their most recent Breaking the Ball of History.

Janet Weiss got into a car accident about four years ago and broke her leg and collar bone.  It seemed like she’d never play again.  But she fought through the grief and man, she was amazing to watch.

I went to this show in part because I like their older songs and in part to give Janet Weiss some support.  She clearly didn’t need the support from me as everyone was there to cheer her on.  Apparently they used to sell “Janet Fucking Weiss” shirts, but don’t any longer.

And so they came out on stage, Janet and Sam setting up their own gear.  Since it’s just the two of them, they face each other.  Sam plays keyboards (which is the most limiting way of describing his performance) and Janet pounds the hell out of the kit. (more…)

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Bat Fangs (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, March 17, 2023) [QUASI]

Posted in Bat Fangs, Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA, Quasi on March 18, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: March 17, 2023] Bat Fangs

I hadn’t heard of Bat Fangs when this show was announced.  But when I looked them up I was really excited to hear them. I really love duos, especially bands that can really rock even with a two person set up.

I wound up missing the very beginning of this set (parking around Johnny Brenda’s can really suck).  But I caught most of it.

Rather than being a duo, however “(Betsy Wright (Ex Hex) shreds ‘n’ howls over Laura King’s (Flesh Wounds / Speed Stick) deep-thunder drums),” there was  third person on stage playing bass.  I have recently found out that bassist was Chrissy Tashjian (lead vocalist and guitars for the amazing Philly band Thin Lips).

I was a little bummed that they weren’t a duo, but Chrissy’s bass playing was awesome and their backing vocals were pretty incredible.  Indeed, each musician was great.  Betsy Wright played some fantastic guitar solos–shredding like nobody’s business.  And Laura King not only beat the hell out of the drums, but (for some of the songs) the patterns were complex and really interesting.

However, I really didn’t enjoy the songs. (more…)

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