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Archive for the ‘Venues’ Category

La Femme / Cumgirl8 (The Foundry, Philadelphia, PA, June 4, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Cumgirl8, La Femme, Philadelphia, PA, The Foundry on June 4, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: June 4, 2022] La Femme / Cumgirl8

I heard about La Femme through the Levitation Sessions releases.  I have enjoyed just about everything that Levitation has released in this series–most of it trippy psychedelia.

La Femme is a different beast though.  While still trippy, the are more of a disco-based, Kraftwerk-inspired form of Parisian punk psych pop.  They could be trashy psych as played by techno acts, or prickly electro as louche sophisti-noir.  Whatever the case, I though they’d be fun to see live.

I found out about this show pretty late in the game and it happened to be on the same night as the Crawlers show that my daughter really wanted to go see.  So I hope La Femme comes back around sooner rather than later.

Cumgirl8 sounds like the name of a band that is trying too hard.  But they are getting some good review for their music.

Like this from V Magazine.

Founded on the idea of taking back control and fighting against toxicity, cumgirl8 is true adventurist-punk group. The group has received praise from the likes of Stereogum and Fader, and their latest song, “dumb bitch,” has already garnered over 15,000 listens on Spotify.

They remind me of a British 70s punk band ala The Slits (I thought they were British–they are not).  The music is weird, with a pulsing bass that follows the main vocal line and jagged, echoing guitars.

Here’s an interesting factoid about the band: singer and bass player Lida Fox and guitarist Veronika Vilim are both models, as in big baller runway Marc Jacobs type shit, with drummer/synth tweaker/producer Chase Noelle having played in BOYTOY and others.

I wonder how much durability they’ll have.

 

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Natural Information Society (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, June 3, 2022) [KURT VILE AND THE VIOLATORS]

Posted in Full show video, Kurt Vile, Kurt Vile and the Violators, Natural Information Society, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer on June 3, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: June 3, 2022] Natural Information Society

Since the last time I saw Kurt Vile (2018), S. has become a huge fan of Kurt and his music.

So when he announced a tour that would be culminating at Union Transfer, obviously we were going to go.  I’m a fan of the opener Chastity Belt, but I was bummed that they weren’t opening our leg of the tour.  So that left two possibilities for us: Sun Ra Arkestra or Natural Information Society.

I had seen Sun Ra Arkestra and enjoyed their wild free jazz craziness.  I knew S. wouldn’t like them.  But it turned out that the question was moot because I was taking my daughter to another show on the Sun Ra night anyhow.  So Natural Information Society it was.

I had never heard of them and had no idea what they were like. (more…)

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Aurora (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, June 2, 2022)

Posted in Aurora, Norway, Philadelphia, PA, Sub Urban, T., Union Transfer on June 3, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: June 2, 2022] Aurora

I love Aurora.  She puts on a great show and is just chock full of positive energy.  We saw her two years ago and I was excited to see her again.

After a break, Aurora came out.

Last time, she had giant jellyfish hanging from the ceiling.  This time she had a curtain in the back of the stage a giant circle behind her.  It acted as a backdrop and a light source.

Her new album, The Gods We Can Touch had just come out and she played a number of songs from it.  Even though many of her songs are dancey, she had an acoustic guitar for “everything Matters” (along with electronic keys and drums).  

Her song “Blood in the Wine” is a wonderfully passionate song with a fantastic hook that I can’t get out of my head.

Of course, Aurora has her dedicated fans.  Several of them brought her gifts.  Someone even gave her a teapot.  (How would she bring that home in her suitcase?)

It’s easy to think of Aurora and her fan base (“Warriors”) as a bit too much, as she is practically a living embodiment of a Norwegian fairy.  But she is so sincere, that her passion as she talks between songs (in her near-perfect English, faltering just enough to make it all the more effective) is palpable.  And if you aren’t moved by a song like “Warrior” (which everyone sings along to) then you are too hardened by life.

Aurora seems like her music would be ethereal and aloof, but a song like “A Temporary High” has a pounding drum beat. (more…)

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Sub Urban (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, June 2, 2022) [AURORA]

Posted in Aurora, Benee, Billie Eilish, Philadelphia, PA, Sub Urban, T., Union Transfer on June 2, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: June 2, 2022] Sub Urban

I love Aurora.  She puts on a great show and is just chock full of positive energy.  We saw her two years ago and I was excited to see her again.

I had no idea who Sub Urban was, but I enjoyed the name (it’s kinda clever and he’s from Ridgewood, NJ, right near where I grew up and also where the band Real Estate is from!).  Turns out that Sub Urban actually had a viral hit called “Cradles.”  

In fact, before the show started when I was waiting for my daughter to come out of the bathroom I saw a little girl with her dad and I said something about how great Aurora was and the girl reply “I’m not here for her, I’m here for Sub Urban.”  Huh.  

He also had a new single called “UH-OH” which featured New Zealand Singer Benee (who sounds so much like Billie Eilish it’s insane).  And, indeed, Aurora guests on one of his songs as well (“Paramour” which he did not play). (more…)

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NNAMDÏ / Ghösh / Lizdelise (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, May 31, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in GHÖSH, Johnny Brenda's, Lizdelise , NNAMDÏ, Nnamdi Ogbonnaya, Philadelphia, PA on May 31, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 27, 2022] NNAMDÏ / Ghösh / Lizdelise 

I saw Nnamdi Ogbonnaya open for Wilco and Sleater-Kinney.

I really enjoyed his set which went in all kinds of interesting directions.  As this blurb puts it he

makes dreamy, fractured, and frisky music that rarely sits still. He pulls from indie rock, hip-hop, and jazz on songs that mine his experience as a self-described “Black, Jewish, first-generation Nigerian-American.” He was terrific last year at the Mann Center opening for Wilco and Sleater-Kinney, though he couldn’t play guitar because he had broken his wrist skateboarding.

That’s the show I saw, too.

I’m not sure why I didn’t go to this show.  I’d say just taking it easy at the end of May.

Ghösh seems like an unlikely fit for this bill.  I very much want to see them, but sandwiched between two mellow artists this seems a little off.  XPN explains them

Ghösh combines the darkest elements of aforementioned 90’s rave — pummeling beats and washy, distorted samples ala Atari Teenage Riot or Front 242– with the lyrical intensity of a 2009 LiveJournal entry co-written by Angela Davis and your little sister: they’re pissed off, informed, and ready to party.

It’s a weird mix on the surface, but with songs like “Dear Daddy” intoning how bad all cops are (“even my dad,” Symphony shouts) over a dizzying jungle beat, to a cover of Limp Bizkit’s “Break Stuff” where buzzsaw riffs that tear through the an avalanche of Miami bass empowered 808 kicks where they scream-rap “my suggestion is to keep your distance / right now I’m dangerous”, it’s clear the genreless entropy is not just intentional, but beautiful.

The band has honed their sound in the usual spots: basements, dive bars, the batting cages, defying the usual punk orthodoxy with ever slurred, tripped out vocal sample, every re-appropriation of 90’s hip hop and nu-metal, every radical, queer, noisy explosion. And it’s true, Philly gravitates to bands that push, explore and distort a myriad of experiences and influences, the eclectic shit, as much as we love three chord punk, staid indie rock, and meathead hardcore.

Lizdelise was described by NPR as

Liz de Lise is a singer, songwriter and guitarist who writes alternative folk songs with jazz influences. She creates lush soundscapes with acoustic and electric guitar, vocals and a loop pedal. She completed her one-video-a-month-for-a-year project in 2015.

For ease of searching I include Nnamdi, Ghosh.

Here’s a video of Ghosh

GHOSH  PhilaMOC

 

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Modest Mouse / The Cribs (The Stone Pony Summer Stage, Asbury Park, NJ, May 28, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Asbury Park, NJ, Johnny Marr, Modest Mouse, The Cribs, The Stone Pony, The Stone Pony Summer Stage on May 28, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 28, 2022] Modest Mouse / The Cribs

I really enjoy seeing Modest Mouse live.  I’ve seen them a number of times and will happily see them again.

However, I didn’t really want to see them at the Stone Pont Summer Stage, which I have a kind of love hate relationship with.

They tour all the time and I was able to see them again later in December, so it’s okay that this show was missed.

The Cribs are an old (I had no idea) British rock band (formed in 2001).  They are made up of twins Gary and Ryan Jarman and their younger brother Ross Jarman.   Johnny Marr (who was also part of Modest Mouse for a while) played with them from 2008 to 2011.

They were a hugely popular British indie rock (emphasis on the rock) band whom I’d never heard of.  Apparently they hit some trouble just before COVID, and here’ a fun little blurb from the NME.

The Jarman brothers were left staring defeat in the face following ‘24-7 Rock Star Shit’ due to a self-described “legal morass”. After unexpectedly parting ways with their management, a morale-sapping period in the wilderness followed; they couldn’t release music or tour (the gig-hardened band still haven’t played live since September 2018). “Towards the end of last year, we honestly could not even begin to imagine coming back and were seriously questioning our future as a band,” The Cribs revealed in a message to their fans back in August. “It felt almost like a distant dream or something.”

Step forward Dave Grohl. While supporting Foo Fighters in Manchester in the summer of 2018, the deflated Cribs received a pep talk from the gregarious frontman, who offered them a route out of their quagmire. “‘Forget about all that business stuff, come out to LA and make a record at our studio’ – Dave made that offer to us,” a relieved Ryan Jarman recalled.

It was precisely the kind of escape that the Jarman brothers so desperately needed: after reuniting at their parents’ house during Christmas 2018 to thrash out some new song ideas, the trio headed to the Foos’ Studio 606 the following April to record what would become ‘Night Network’, The Cribs’ best album in 11 years.

Back to ‘Goodbye’, then. The record’s very un-Cribsian surf-pop opener, complete with ‘Pet Sounds’-influenced harmonies, permits the band to first and foremost reflect on the bullshit (“Goodbye when you chose the sons of privilege,” one withering line goes) before consigning those tumultuous times to the past.

Point made, drummer Ross Jarman  signals the resumption of normal service as his tumbling fill sparks lead single ‘Running Into You’ into life. “If I could only write her favourite song / Still be in her head when I am gone,” bassist Gary Jarman wistfully sings as his twin brother Ryan crafts a sprawling and very Cribsian riff from the barrage of fuzzy guitar he lays down throughout. There’s even an “ah-oh-oh-oh” cry thrown in at the end, almost like a tip of the hat to ‘The New Fellas’ era. Isn’t it good to have The Cribs back?

I’m going to have to give these guys a listen.

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Bit Brigade / Super Guitar Bros. (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, May 27, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Bit Brigade, Johnny Brenda's, Legend of Zelda, Philadelphia, PA, Super Guitar Bros. on May 27, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 27, 2022] Bit Brigade / Super Guitar Bros.

I saw Bit Brigade in 2018 and really enjoyed the show.  The premise of their live show is terrific

The band plays the soundtrack to a video game while their resident gamer plays the game.  The band is heavy and the sound is amazing.

Last time I saw them, they were playing The Legend of Zelda and it was phenomenal (The music is really good).  They came around last year playing a different game but I couldn’t go.

This time they were playing Zelda and Castlevania.  I’m sure it would have been a lot of fun.  But I just didn’t feel like going out.  They’ll be back, I’m sure.

Opening for this show was Super Guitar Bros.  They are two guys from Detroit who play acoustic guitar versions of video game theme music.  As their blurb says: “Gentle Video Game Guitar Covers For Relaxation.”

Sounds like a perfect pair.  And I’m absolutely ready to see them again.

 

 

 

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Afghan Whigs: Free at Noon (World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA, May 27, 2022) [CANCELLED]

Posted in Cancelled, Coronavirus, Philadelphia, PA, The Afghan Whigs, World Cafe Live on May 27, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[CANCELLED: May 27, 2022] Afghan Whigs : Free at Noon

indexI love The Afghan Whigs’ album Gentlemen.  I should love more by them, but I like them just fine (never been in the cult of Dulli).  I’ve never really been interested in seeing them live.  But a Free at Noon is a great way to get a thirty or so minute show without committing to an evening out.

I grabbe a ticket for this show, but on the Wednesday before the show, a member of the band tested positive for COVID and they cancelled the appearance.

They had a show planned that night for New York (he last of the tour), so there was no point in them sticking around.

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Blue Man Group (State Theatre, New Brunswick, NJ, May 25, 2022)

Posted in Arrested Development, Blue Man Group, New Brunswick, NJ, State Theatre on May 25, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: May 25, 2022] Blue Man Group

Blue Man Group began in 1987. In 1997 I was working in New York City in Greenwich Village and every day I thought I would love to check out this crazy looking show.

I never did.

Over the years, Blue Man Group became a phenomenon, a punchline and much more.  I had no idea that in 2017 it was purchased by Cirque de Soliel.  It even became a plot line on Arrested Development.

And all that time I still thought that I’d like to experience the show.

So when State Theatre announced that Blue Man Group was touring, I purchased tickets for the four of us, figuring we would all enjoy it.  I gather that in the 35 years the show has changed, but some things are still the same.  They’re still all in Blue.  There are still marshmallows.  There’s still music and there’s still a kind of sensory overload.

The set was wild with lights flashing and scaffolding and walls on either side that were designed for climbing.  The set is lit up long before the Blue Men come out and you can really study everything that’s up there.  We were pretty far back so we couldn’t see it very closely.  But there were screens with Pong on it and other things that seemed futuristic and retro at the same time.

I knew that the Blue Man Group played music–they have even done a Tiny Desk.  And that they make a lot of their own instruments (mostly weird things out of PVC).  I didn’t realize there would be a (really loud, rocking) backing band [apparently Corky Gainsford on guitar Chris Reiss on the strings and drummer Chris Schultz].

Audience participation is a fun thing with the Blue Man Group.  There are parts that are clearly scripted–bits in which they come out an interact with the audience.  But there are also ways in which the audience’s reactions result in the Blue Men reacting in turn–as if they are aliens unsure about what to make of the audience in general.

And I think that’s what makes the whole thing so magical.  The three guys really do keep in character the whole time–and that character is truly alien.  Truly like beings from another world doing their thing, trying to communicate with humans in some way.  It is strangely affecting and strangely moving. (more…)

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Nine Inch Nails / 100 gecs / (The Met Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, May 24 & 25, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in 100 gecs, Nine Inch Nails, Philadelphia, PA, Skinny Puppy, The Met Philadelphia on May 24, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 24 & 25, 2022] Nine Inch Nails / 100 gecs 

I saw Nine Inch Nails open for Skinny Puppy on Halloween in 1988 at Irving Plaza in New York City.  My memory is hazy, but I recall Trent Reznor playing all of his music on a giant reel to reel player and no one else on stage.  No idea if that’s correct.  I recall not thinking much of him/them.  “Head Like a Hole” wouldn’t come out for another year and a half.

Obviously, things went pretty well for him.

I don’t really think I would have gone to this show even if it hadn’t sold out.  I have nothing against the new version of NIN, I’m just not all that interested.  Plus its fun to have my memory.

100 gecs are a crazy band who apparently put on a wild show (and sell out pretty quickly).

My son played us “Stupid Horse” a while ago and I thought it was crazy–funny, catchy, irritating–a perfectly weird pop song.  When they announced a tour, I asked him if he wanted to go and he laughed and said no.

I looked up a concert review to see what their show was like and people said they played their entire catalog, which was like 30 minutes.  And that was it.  (Turns out they played for 50 minutes at their headline show in Philly).

There were some interesting openers on this tour.  More power to Trent:

Yves Tumor, Boy Harsher and a little band called Ministry.

I just found out that someone ha a recording of that 1988 show

 

And here’s a poster for the 1988 show

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