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Archive for the ‘Venues’ Category

Iron Maiden / Megadeth / Anthrax (Sports Illustrated Stadium, Newark, NJ, September 5, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Anthrax, Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Newark, NJ, Set in New Jersey!, Sports Illustrated Stadium on September 5, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 5, 2026] Iron Maiden / Megadeth / Anthrax

I loved these three bands back in the 1980s.  Not on the above order (Anthrax was always near the top), but the only one of the three I’d seen was Iron Maiden.

When this tour was announced I didn’t really think about going–I haven’t been enjoying heavy metal shows as much as I used to and I haven’t listened to anything new from Iron Maiden in about 30 years.  But then I saw that this show was going to be an old-school tour with songs from their first decade of music.  Of course, I am so unfamiliar with Maiden’s post 1990s output that when it said from Iron Maiden to Fear of the Dark, I didn’t realize Fear of the Dark was even one of their albums(!).

Tickets were expensive, and I think the pit area sold out pretty fast.  If I was going to this show I didn’t want to be far away.  Then my friend Jae said that he was going and I was pretty surprised.  Then they added a second night and even though it would have been fun to go with Jae (he actually wound up being late and missed Anthrax entirely) so I grabbed a pit ticket for Sunday.

 

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Smug LLC (House of Independents, Asbury Park, NJ, September 4, 2026) [SINCERE ENGINEER]

Posted in Asbury Park, NJ, House of Independents, Sincere Engineer, Smug LLC, Stay Inside on September 4, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: September 4, 2026] Smug LLC

I’m not sure what drew my attention to Sincere Engineer, but as soon as I heard them, I was hooked.  I was also really excited that they were playing soon after I’d heard of them.

I hadn’t heard of their first opener, Smug, LLC, who are (is) from Toronto.  I looked up the band and learned that it is actually a guy–Drew Thomas.  I hadn’t heard of him either, but evidently he had been a round for a second or two.  He fronted bands like Single Mothers and The Drew Thomson Foundation and has earned two Juno Award nominations.

I had no idea he was anything other than just a dude who made fun, funny music.   His songs are very dancey with lots of bass and other sound effects.

When his set started, he clicked on a laptop which started the music and a movie projector.  The video screen showed clips of movies and TV shows and clips of Drew walking around and each song had the lyrics on the screen, which was pretty smart. (more…)

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Nelward / Grocer / Gloorp (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, September 3, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Gloorp, Grocer, Johnny Brenda's, nelward, Philadelphia, PA on September 3, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 3, 2026] Nelward / Grocer / Gloorp 

I saw Nelward open for TWRP a while back.  I hadn’t heard of him, but holy cow a few people in the audience sure did.  So Nick “nelward” Elward is an electronic composer based in Atlanta. His music takes cues from video game soundtracks, jazz fusion, old school hip hop, and classic pop.  His songs are (mostly) short and (mostly) silly.   He came out snazzily dressed and began singing DVD (30 seconds long, although longer live, with the entirety of the lyrics: Have you seen the DVD of me? (repeated).

I found his stuff to be amusing, but just ok.  And yet wow, he had some die-hard fans.

I was interested in this how pretty much only for Grocer.  I thought I’d get to see them open for Blvck Hippie a few weeks ago, but that fell through.  Tonight’s show was the day after we’d returned from a long trip and I knew I wouldn’t have the energy for it.  But Grocer does play a lot, so I hope to see them again soon.  They are a trio from Philly: Cody Nelson – Drums/Vocals, Danielle Lovier – Bass/Vocals and Nicholas Rahn – Guitar/Vocals.  Each member sings and each singer’s musical style is a little different making for a wide ranging musical set all held together by this great band having a lot of fun.  I don’t think I stopped smiling once during there set.  I definitely want to see them again.

I instinctively want to like a band called Gloorp.  Not knowing anything about them, with this line up it’s hard to tell if they are just goofy like nelward or weird but seriously like Grocer.

So Gloorp is from Philly and is the creation of Garrett Burke (with Danny Murillo, and Gabe DeSanto).  Pitchfork sums him up:

Burke is a high school marching band kid with a drumming resume that includes stints with Mothers and of Montreal.  His albums are half-organic/half-electronic MIDI meld of slamming polyrhythms and gonzo sound effects. There’s hardly even any melodies or samples taking up space—just one skull-rattling fill after another, a daisy-chained string of mulching beats that’s casual, light, and fun as hell.   Songs have  bouncing bass throbs, a wispy vocal sample weaving its way between the beats like it’s gasping for air.   Or a phased-out spoken-word passage from that’s similarly abstracted, used more like extra grease to keep Burke’s water slide nice and slippy. His drums speak for themselves.  It’s all very low-key, in that special way an album best heard blasting through beat-up car speakers should be.

So he’s not really like either band.  I imagine this is more fun to see live than to listen through good speakers.

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Arlo Parks / Baird (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, August 31, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Arlo Parks, Baird, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer on August 31, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: August 31, 2026] Arlo Parks / Baird

Back in 2024, I blew off seeing Arlo Parks because I wasn’t feeling that well. I noted that I had failed to see her several times now and that maybe I should just give up.  But every time that Arlo releases a new song, I just love it.  So this time, I promised myself that I would go to see her.

And then we had to bring my daughter to college and there was literally no way to make it back in time.  Obviously the trip to college was so much more important and quite a lot of fun), but sometimes timing sucks.

I was able t sell my ticket, so that’s cool.  Maybe, indeed, I won’t be able to see her live after all

I think this means I’m not going to be seeing Arlo live.

I hadn’t heard of Baird but he evidently her producer and co-creator.  He has assisted with much of her music.  His own music is kind of lo-fi dancey.  I was unimpressed by the opening of Dogpile, but I like the way it built into something else while retaining the same elements throughout.

Last time, I chose not to go because Arlo played for only an hour.  This time it was 90 minutes.  I did get to see her (sort of) at all things go.  But maybe in a couple years I’ll finally geta proper show.  We’ll see.

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King’s X / Lady White Rat (Sellersville Theater, Sellersville, PA, August 29, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in King's X, Lady White Rat, Sellersville Theater, Sellersville, PA on August 29, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: August 29, 2026] Kings X / Lady White Rat

I’ve seen King’s X five times.  I’ve enjoyed all of their shows although I started to find them a little samey.  I haven’t been all that interested the last few times they swung by.  But this time–it has been four years after all–I was.  I was going to reach out to my friend who lives near Sellersville to see if he wanted to go.  But I didn’t because we were going to be driving my daughter to college.  And then he contacted me to see if I wanted to go!  I was bummed to say no.

When I first looked at the setlist I was afraid it was exactly the same as the last few times (it always seems to start the same).  But they changed things up quite a bit in the back end of the set which makes me really hope they come back again soon.  I don’t know if dUg can still hit the notes, but it would be fun to see them once more.

Lady White Rat is a crushing hard rock power trio based out of the Lehigh Valley PA region. With captivating song writing, melodic harmonies, and a dynamic range of sounds varying from metal to jazz, Lady White Rat’s music offers a sense of familiarity while incorporating a fresh unique sound uncommon in the scene. With emphasis on the live experience, Lady White Rat performs high energy chaotic live shows with the ability to command a crowd and make your head bang for the entirety of their set.

I listened to a song (from the show) and they were good.  Heavy with good harmonies. (more…)

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Citizen / Hotline TNT / Anxious / Rocket (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, August 29, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Anxious, Citizen, Hotline TNT, Philadelphia, PA, Rocket, Union Transfer on August 29, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: August 29, 2026] Citizen / Hotline TNT / Anxious / Rocket

What’s a person to do when there’s a four-band bill and you like 2 of the bands but neither is headlining?

I’m always intrigued when I’ve never heard of a band who is headlining a tour.  Particularly if there are other bands on the bill that I know and like.  So how have I never heard of Citizen?  They’ve been around since 2009 and have come through Philly several times. Their 2023 album Calling the Dogs is considered essential listening.  Their bio says

With the ability to excel in both quiet ballads and distorted rock anthems, Citizen (which recently expanded to a full quintet with the addition of former touring members drummer Ben Russin and guitarist Mason Mercer) has an incredible knack for channeling raw emotion and energy into singalong songs.

A brief listen confirms the singalong part for sure.  I like them, they’re quite fun, although they’re not especially memorable. This probably would have been a worthwhile night to check out, although we were leaving for Minnesota the following day so that was unlikely.

Hotline TNT plays what I can only describe as classic shoegaze, which is definitely having a moment again.  Unlike a lot of their contemporaries, they don’t really mess with the classic shoegaze vibe all that much–not adding elements at all.  Their music warms my heart and I’d love to see them live.  This is the seventh time I’ve missed them since 2022.

Anxious are an emo band from Connecticut,  They play some lighter stuff, but seem to have a heavier punk edge as well.  They have old school punk singing from time to time–sometimes in background behind some much gentler singing.  But it’s mostly poppy punk stuff.   Pretty fun/

I Saw Rocket open for Ride and then saw them ona headline tour at Warehouse on Watts.  They are great.  I’m surprised they were so low on this bill.  This Rocket (there are several bands named Rocket) is from LA and holy cow, they scratched just about every musical itch I had.  Soft female vocals, shoegaze to heavy crunchy guitars.  It was all there.  I loved every second of their set.

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Swervedriver (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, August 27, 2026)

Posted in Philadelphia, PA, Slow Fiction, Swervedriver, Underground Arts on August 28, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: August 27, 2026] Swervedriver

I saw Swervedriver back in 2019 and I was really excited to finally see them.  I was especially excited that they played the one song I wanted to hear (the rest was great, too).

So here it was seven years later (insane) and they were playing their debut in full.  This album was in such heavy rotation when it came out.  I loved their propulsive shoegaze as well as Adam Franklin’s voice.

Swervedriver has had a lot of members over the years, but the two guitarists (Franklin and rhythm guitarist Jimmy Hartridge) have been there the whole time.  Last time I recognized the bassist (their third) and it was still him–Mick Quinn from Supergrass! (he’s been with them since 2016).  Like last time, the drummer (their fourth) was Mikey Jones–he’s been with them since 2011 and man was he good–pounding the hell out of the kit–I never realized how many fills Swervedriver songs have.

The theme from Twin Peaks began and by the time it wrapped up, the guys came out on stage.  I haven’t listened to Raise in a while, but as soon as the opening notes of Sci-Flyer came out, the whole record came flooding back.  And it sounded great.  I loved watching Franklin easily play the recognizable riffs.  Obviously they played the album in order, so Pile Up was next and it was cool watching them generate the album sounds live–the way the guitars almost seem to fade away during the verses.

Son of Mustang Ford is the song I really wanted to hear last time and they played it next.  I was super psyched to hear it again.  Frankly, they could have played it for five more minutes and I would have been happy.

Things slowed down for Deep Seat, and I appreciated the quiet guitar and prominent bass–I should have watched Quinn more but I was so focused on the guitars. (more…)

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Swervedriver / Slow Fiction / The Still Out (White Eagle Hall, Jersey City, NJ, August 28, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Jersey City, NJ, The Still Out, White Eagle Hall on August 28, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: August 28, 2026] Swervedriver / Slow Fiction / The Still Out

There was a time a few years ago when the choice between going to White Eagle Hall or Underground Arts would have fallen squarely on White Eagle Hall.  It’s a gorgeous venue with great sight lines and a bouncy floor.  Not to mention a state of the art sound system.  But the last few times I’ve been there I’ve been dissatisfied.  Primarily with the parking.  But it feel busier and more crowded with less enjoyable people.  SO naturally I picked Underground Arts (which has rapidly become one of my favorite venues).

I was supposed to see Slow Fiction (who are from Chicago) when they were opened for Vundabar.  But I missed the show and therefor missed Slow Fiction.  Which is a shame because seeing them last night was amazing.  It would have been cool to see them at a bigger venue just a few weeks earlier.

I had never heard of The Still Out and, apparently with good reason.  Their bio is pretty interesting

The Still Out was formed by producers Josh Stoddard and Arjun “Arj” Agerwala in the mid 2000s in New York City. They were signed to indie label Hi-Speed Soul (Nada Surf, Afghan Whigs, Swervedriver, The Black Heart Procession) and released their album, Crystallized, which included guests Adam Franklin (Swervedriver), Jody Porter (Fountains of Wayne) and Claude Coleman, Jr (Ween). Veteran rock critic Jack Rabid ranked Crystallized #13 on his top 50 reissues of 2018, declaring of the Still Out, “Who are you and why are you so good?!”

Their songs range from anthems to lullabies, interspersing dreamy, wandering imagery with layered guitars, hypnotic bass vamps, and tight, dynamic drumming to create a wall of sound that is both melody and mayhem.

After playing shows to promote the album and opening for Swervedriver … they took a long hiatus. Josh became a sought-after video director, sound bath performer, and prolific creator while Arj focused on his career as a producer, engineer, and songwriter.  In 2021, they reunited to cover Fountains of Wayne’s “Sick Day” as part of a tribute to friend and supporter Adam Schlesinger, who died from covid. Josh himself died tragically not long after. Arj has now revived the band with the help of several talented musicians and with Josh’s harmonies and sounds helmed by Suneel Agerwala. They are continuing the Still Out to honor his beloved friend and bandmate.

So I guess I feel bad for not wanting to see them.  But I’ll give Crystallized a listen.

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Slow Fiction (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, August 27, 2026) [SWERVEDRIVER]

Posted in Philadelphia, PA, Slow Fiction, Swervedriver, Underground Arts on August 27, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: August 27, 2026] Slow Fiction

Slow Fiction opened for Vundabar a few months ago but I missed the show.  When I read about them, I was really excited that they were opening for Swervedriver (especially since they mentioned that Swervedriver was an influence).

When I arrived there was a lot of room near the stage but people were standing in that spread out way that prevents one from getting next to the stage.  Which is fine, unless the people you choose to stand behind are very mobile and phone abusers.  I thouht I had a really good spot, but once the band came out, I realized that I couldn’t see as well as I wanted (which is crazy when you are second from the stage).  But whatever.

The band came out and I was in front of Ryan Duffin on bass and one of the guitar players (Joseph Skimmons or Paul Knepple).  The other guitarist was on the far side of the stage.  Singer Julia Vassallo was up front and Akiva Henig was in drums in the back.

I love Underground Arts, but sometimes when a band is mixed a certain way, it’s really easy to miss something.  So for this show I was right in front of one of the guitars which was really loud (it did get turned down later) so I hardly ever heard the other guitar.  And the vocals were kind of muted for the first half.  It was fine when the guitars were quieter, but that didn’t happen all that often.

They opened with Dollhouse–a bouncy bassline, great washes of guitars and Vassallo’s delicate (too delicate in the early mix vocals).  It was like being in the 90s!  When it was over, someone shouted “shoegaze is back, baby!”

It was much easier to hear Vassallo when the guitars were playing a quieter section, but I never really got a good vibe on the lyrics.

I loved the drums (a simple snare pattern that reminded me of old school alt rock) on What the Night Told Me.

By the end of the set, the balances were better and I could hear everything pretty equally (except for that far guitar).  Interestingly, when they played the penultimate song, Heavy Metal, a much quieter song of picked guitar notes, the far guitarist sat down.  I’m not sure what he was doing, he seemed to have muted his guitar strings and may have been playing something.   Or he was just sitting there, chilling out.

I really enjoyed their set a lot and would definitely like to see them again, with headlining, or opening (again) at Union Transfer.

 

  1. Dollhouse ∏
  2. Junior Year ∏
  3. Satellite ∏
  4. What the Night Told Me ∏
  5. bottle episode ∏
  6. ninetynine ∏
  7. Suitcase Ψ
  8. Brother §
  9. Heavy Metal ∏
  10. Turning Down Flowers ∏

Ψ new (2026)
∏ Dollhouse (2026)
§ single (2024)

 

 

 

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Pinkshift / Kulfi Girls / Hit Like a Girl (Ukie Club, Philadelphia, PA, August 27, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Hit Like a Girl, KulfiGirls, Philadelphia, PA, Pinkshift, The Ukie Club on August 27, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: August 27, 2026] Pinkshift / Kulfi Girls / Hit Like a Girl

I’m pretty sure I didn’t hear about this show until it was too late to go.  Because this is a killer lineup.  I’m a little off Pinkshift because I’ve seen them a bunch (the last show wasn’t quite as fun as the earlier ones for whatever reason).

If I had known it was a 5 year tour for their Saccharine EP, I definitely would have tried to go.  But I had had tickets for Swervedriver that night and I was really excited to see them since it was the 30th anniversary of the Rise album.  You can’t go to every show.

The real reason I wanted to go to this show is to see Kulfi Girls.  I recently ried to see them and wound up leaving before they went on because I felt crappy.  This is the fourth time I haven’t been able to see them for one reason or another.  I know that they;r e ayoung enough band that I’ll get to see them again, but come on!

Hit Like a Girl is from Philly. They are a project created by Nicolle Maroulis and meshing sonic influence like midwest emo, hardcore, synth pop, and alternative.  Their new album’s first song sounds like country and the second song is screamed synth punk.  Crazy.  I’ll bet they were fun.

 

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