Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Venues’ Category

David Wax Museum / The Squawk Brothers (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, May 7, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in David Wax Museum, Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA, The Squawk Brothers on May 7, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 7, 2023] David Wax Museum / The Squawk Brothers

My family saw David Wax Museum in a wonderfully intimate setting in 2018.  Since then we’ve become supporters of the band, as they built a new studio on their property.  And we’ve pledged to help them get records released.

David Wax Museum plays American Folk, Indie Rock and Roots Rock with Mexican inspiration based in Charlottesville.

David Wax and his wife Suz Slezak are about the nicest people I’ve ever met.

But this show (I think their first in Philly since 2016) fell at an awkward time.  So we didn’t feel compelled to try to get to it.

But we continue to give them moral support.

The Squawk Brothers describe themselves as “The preeminent Country band in all of the Northeast… of Philadelphia” which makes me like them.  They do indeed sound like a country band–but without all that Southern twang that I hate.  I can’t really find much more about them online.

Read Full Post »

Pretty Sick (Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, May 5, 2023) [YVES TUMOR]

Posted in Franklin Music Hall, Frost Children, Philadelphia, PA, Pretty Sick, Yves Tumor on May 6, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: May 5, 2023] Pretty Sick

Yves Tumor had been on my list of artists I wanted to see live.  So when they announced a show at Franklin Music Hall, I grabbed a ticket pretty quickly.  I didn’t think it would sell out.  In fact I thought that Franklin Music Hall would be too big a venue for them.  I mean, had anyone even heard about them?

Of the two opening bands, I was looking forward more to seeing Pretty Sick, whose recordings are pretty great.  Their blending of noise with hooks is really terrific.  They allude to all of the best moments of 90s alt-rock.  Grungy guitars, squalling feedback sounds and lead singer Sabrina Fuentes recalls Courtney Love’s best vocal moments.

On their latest album she seems to leave it all on the floor with her intensity.

They came out and I expected a wall of noise and feedback.  But wow, was their sound tepid.  I have to blame the venue, because I think it got better as the set went on, but when they started out, the guitars sounded like they were coming from a teeny amplifier.  Fuentes’ voice sounded out of tune with what I was hearing and the whole thing felt so small after Frost Children.

The rest of the crowd seemed to really enjoy them, so maybe I was just wrong about it.  But I was so disappointed by the set–it felt really puny for some reason.

I’ve since listened to their records and they sounded even better, so maybe I need to see them again in a diffeent setting.

At the end of the show, the guitar player crumbled up a set list and threw it into the crowd right to the guy in front of me (his girlfriend was a big fan, so that was good for them).

There’s no setlist available for the show, but recent shows indicate these songs were played

  1. Angel Landing ∇ 
  2. Black Tar Ü
  3. Devil in Me ⇓
  4. Allen Street ⇓
  5. Superstar ⇓
  6. Human Condition Ü
  7. PCP Ü
  8. Dumb ⇓

Ü Makes Me Sick Makes Me Smile (2022)
⇓ Come Down (2021)
∇  Deep Divine (2020)

Read Full Post »

David Cross / Sean Patton (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, May 5, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Arrested Development, Comedy Album, David Cross, Funny (ha ha), Mr Show, Philadelphia, PA, Sean Patton, Union Transfer on May 5, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 5, 2023] David Cross / Sean Patton

My wife and I saw David Cross back in 2016.  He was hilarious.

He’s consistently one of my favorite comedians.  I have enjoyed David Cross since the old days of Mr. Show, and the as Tobias on Arrested Development and even in Alvin and the, well, actually I’m just happy for him that he got a lot of money for it.

It was really puzzling that this show was at Union Transfer (as opposed to a seated venue).  I assume that they put in seats-who wants to stand up for a stand up?

This show was scheduled for the same night as Yves Tumor who I had very much wanted to see.  So David didn’t get my ticket purchase.  But the show sold out so he doesn’t care.

Sean Patton opened.  He’s a comedian I’d never heard of.  He had a special on Peacock, with a theme about people being broken.  People are like glow sticks–you gotta break them before they can shine.  He sounds dark but optimistic.

Read Full Post »

The Walkmen (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, May 4, 2023)

Posted in Liily, Philadelphia, PA, The Walkmen, Union Transfer on May 5, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: May 4, 2023] The Walkmen

When I got a ticket to this show, I was swept up in the excitement of this reunion tour.  I didn’t really know The Walkmen, but I knew of them.  I mostly knew Hamilton Leithauser from his solo work.  But I was also very familiar with their hit “The Rat.”

They announced two shows at Union Transfer and then added a third one because the first two sold so quickly. So I was caught up and bought a ticket.  Although I’m quite certain this last night did not sell out.

As the day approached, I wasn’t even entirely sure I was going to go to this show because I was going out tomorrow night as well.

But I decided to head out and not feel like I missed anything.

I got there much earlier than I intended so I was right up front, which was cool.

After a time, the band came out and wow were they different from the wild chaos of Liily.

So the band was the classic lineup: drummer Matt Barrick, guitarist Paul Maroon, and multi-instrumentalist Walter Martin [all former members of Jonathan Fire*Eater–I had no idea] and bassist/organist Peter Matthew Bauer and singer Hamilton Leithauser [who playd in The Recoys]. (more…)

Read Full Post »

Frost Children (Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, May 5, 2023) [YVES TUMOR]

Posted in Franklin Music Hall, Frost Children, Philadelphia, PA, Pretty Sick, Yves Tumor on May 5, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: May 5, 2023] Frost Children

Yves Tumor had been on my list of artists I wanted to see live.  So when they announced a show at Franklin Music Hall, I grabbed a ticket pretty quickly.  I didn’t think it would sell out.  In fact I thought that Franklin Music Hall would be too big a venue for them.  I mean, had anyone even heard about them?

I hadn’t heard of either opening band.  But when I looked up Frost Children, I was intrigued.  Frost Children are siblings Angel and Lulu Prost from St. Louis, now living in New York City.

I listened to their album on Spotify and liked it enough.  Hyperpop with sound effects and glitches and interesting pitch-shifted vocals.  There’s was lots of cursing and aggression, but it was all really catchy.  Going back through their catalog, it’s clear that in the last three years since their debut, they have gotten much more inventive with their creations.  There’s not a lot of depth to the lyrics, but who cares when a chorus like

Like oh my god
what the fuck
who are you?

is so damned catchy and singalong able. (more…)

Read Full Post »

Ministry / Gary Numan / Front Line Assembly (Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, May 4, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Franklin Music Hall, Front Line Assembly, Ministry, Philadelphia, PA, Wax Trax! on May 4, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 4, 2023] Ministry / Gary Numan / Front Line Assembly [rescheduled from July 18, 2020, April 17, 2021; moved to March 9, 2022]

Ministry had several tour dates scheduled and cancelled in the last few years.  Most were pandemic cancellations, but some seemed out of the blue.

I had once really like Ministry, but I haven’t listened to much by them in ages.  So I think I’m pretty much done with the idea of seeing them live.  Seeing Skinny Puppy took care of my industrial needs and I suspect the Ministry crowd is more aggressive.

Gary Numan is a pioneer in the genre. And boy do I dislike him.  Actually, that’s not fair.  I hate the song “Cars” so freakin much that I’ll never get past it to explore him further. So, even if I had wantedto go to this show, Gary Numan might have kept me away.

Front Line Assembly was supposed to open for Ministry on the original 2020 tours.  They were eventually replaced.  FLA was one of the few bands on the industrial label Waxtrax that I never really got into.  I liked many bands on the label, but really never had much exposure to FLA (in the days before you could listen to things online).

 

Read Full Post »

Liily (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, May 4, 2023) [THE WALKMEN]

Posted in Liily, Limp Bizkit, Magic Sword, Philadelphia, PA, The Intelligence, The Walkmen, TWRP, Union Transfer on May 4, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: May 4, 2023] Liily

I wasn’t even entirely sure I was going to go to this show.  I only really knew one song by The Walkmen.  But I decided that I wouldn’t stay home.  I’d go check out this reunion show.

The opening band was Liily who I had not heard of before.  They came out–a four-piece from L.A.–and Charlie Anastasis the bassist (who had an awesome mop of curly hair), played a chord that rung out and feedbacked for about 90 seconds.  All the while the singer Dylan Nash stood at the front of the stage kind of confrontationally.

Then the band kicked into “Wash.”  It had a stomping bass and squealing guitars from Sam De La Torre.  But it was drummer Maxx Morando who soon claimed all my attention. (more…)

Read Full Post »

The Walkmen / Lilly (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, May 2 & 3, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Liily, Philadelphia, PA, The Walkmen, Union Transfer on May 2, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 2-3 2023] The Walkmen / Lilly

When the Walkmen announced this ten year reunion tour I must have missed it entirely, because by the time I heard of it, these first two shows were sold out and they had announced a third.

When I got a ticket to this show, I was swept up in the excitement of this reunion tour.  I didn’t really know The Walkmen, but I knew of them.  I mostly knew Hamilton Leithauser from his solo work.  But I was also very familiar with their hit “The Rat.”

The third night proved to be plenty of fun and I really enjoyed the opening band Lilly.

From what I can see, it looks like The Walkmen played an extra song on the second night.  But I think we got the best Lilly set.

Read Full Post »

Spiritbox / After the Burial / Intervals (Theatre of Living Arts [TLA], Philadelphia, PA, May 2, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in After the Burial, Intervals, Philadelphia, PA, Spiritbox, Theatre of Living Arts on May 2, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 2, 2023] Spiritbox / After the Burial / Intervals

Spiritbox opened for Ghost on their last tour. I was really impressed by them, mostly because singer Courtney LaPlante has a beautiful delicate voice and then can, on a dime, scream with the best of them.  I don’t necessarily like screamed/growled lyrics, but I love a singer with great range.

They have a broad range of sounds in the band too, with industrial and electronic elements quite prominent.

When we saw them, some fans had travelled a pretty long distance to see just them.

I’d have enjoyed this show but it was sold out even before I heard about it.

After the Burial are a progressive metal band, with a lot of emphasis on the metal.  They have a very growly vocalist, which kind of ruins the impressive intricacies in their music.

Intervals is an instrumental progressive metal band. I prefer my progressive metal to be instrumental because I don’t really like the direction metal vocalists have gone.  Intervals might be a little too perfect, though, being really precise instead of having a good feel.  But I’ve only listened to two songs by them.

Read Full Post »

Placebo (Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, April 29, 2023)

Posted in Franklin Music Hall, Kate Bush, Philadelphia, PA, Placebo, Poppy Jean Crawford, Tears for Fears on April 30, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: April 29, 2023] Placebo

When Placebo announced their first American tour in ten years, I immediately grabbed a ticket.  I was vaguely surprised that my wife wanted to go–she loves a couple of their songs, but doesn’t know much else by them.

I had forgotten that originally, they had announced the tour in the fall of 2022 (with no Philly date, the closests show was Brooklyn, boo).  But they had to postpone for logistical reasons.

She did, however, guess exactly right what the show would be like–loud rocking guitars, cool lights and a fun time.  I, a big fan for decades, was completely wrong about the show.  I didn’t think it would rock that hard–knowing that they have moody songs as well.

Before the show, I checked setlist, not to see what they were playing but to see album distribution.  I found that they were playing 11 songs from their new album (!) out of 22 songs in total.

I was a little bummed about this, not because I don’t like the new album, but because I’ve never seen them before and I wanted to hear a greatest hits show.  I mean it’s been ten years.  [Turns out the band hated doing their retrospective tour ten years ago and almost broke up because of so clearly they weren’t doing that again].

But they came out (with a very strict policy of no cameras) in a wall of lights.  Brain Molko and Stefan Olsdal stood up at the front.  Brian switched guitars nearly every song and Stefan switched between bass and guitar with stark frequency. (more…)

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »