[POSTPONED: December 22, 2020] KT Tunstall / Dina Hall [rescheduled from May 5th and June 28th]
It seemed like the third time would be the charm for this show at Sellersville. Especially pushing it all the way back to December.
Well, KT Tunstall is going to play this venue some day. And maybe by then I’ll be ready to see her.
Interestingly, she is playing two other venues locally and each one has a different opening act, so perhaps your choice of venue wil depend on who is opening.
I had forgotten about KT Tunstall. I had her first record and then didn’t realize that she had had a couple of other (big) hits since “Suddenly I See.”
I wasn’t going to go to this, but her name has been popping up all over the place. And the more I see her listed, the more I’ve thought about going. This was definitely a maybe since so many other shows are cancelled anyhow. She’s also touring with Hall and Oates this summer and she seems to be doing a lot of local shows as a headliner. All of this repetition has me thinking I might go see her. But mostly I’m intrigued by how much her name is going to show up in these posts soon.
Dina Hall is a folksinger from Bethlehem–originally from Sayreville NJ. When she’s with her full band she rocks out a bit more. I’m not sure if this was a solo or a band show.
SOUNDTRACK: SHAWN COLVIN-Happy Holidays from Shawn Colvin and McCarter Theatre Center! (December 19, 2020).
On December 19th, I received an email from McCarter Theatre:
Shawn Colvin, a dear friend of McCarter, gave us a special present to share with all of you!
I have enjoyed Shawn Colvin’s music over the years, but somehow was never quite aware that she played McCarter (apparently many times). At the end of this session, she says that she is arranging something special with the Artistic Director of McCarter for 2021.
I think I’ll certainly have to check that out.
For this special concert, Shawn plays two Christmas songs from her home.
It amuses me that she says she wants to give us a little holiday cheer and then she plays “In the Bleak Midwinter.” Good grief.
her version is lovely and her voice sounds very good.
The second (of two) songs is “Little Road to Bethlehem.” I don’t know this song but it’s similar in tone and it suits Colvin perfectly.
This isn’t exactly the holiday pick-me-up it might have been, but Colvin sounds great and it is nice to hear her.
[READ: December 22, 2020] “The Ones We Carry With Us”
This year, S. ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar. This is my fifth time reading the Calendar. I didn’t know about the first one until it was long out of print (sigh), but each year since has been very enjoyable. Here’s what they say this year
You know the drill by now. The 2020 Short Story Advent Calendar is a deluxe box set of individually bound short stories from some of the best writers in North America.
This year’s slipcase is a thing of beauty, too, with electric-yellow lining and spot-glossed lettering. It also comes wrapped in two rubber bands to keep those booklets snug in their beds.
As always, each story is a surprise, so you won’t know what you’re getting until you crack the seal every morning starting December 1. Once you’ve read that day’s story, check back here to read an exclusive interview with the author.
It’s December 22. Sara O’Leary, author of The Ghost in the House, puts a bowl of candy on her front step with a sign that says “Help yourself.” [Click the link to the H&O extras for the story].
This is the second story in this collection which I have read previously (that’s a good ratio 2 out of 22). Here’s a link to the original post. This is a slightly edited version of my original post:
This story starts with a fascinating sentence: ” A few years ago, I accidentally midwifed a death.”
This could literally mean many things, although figuratively it makes sense for what she actually means.
The narrator then goes on to tell us about three women whose lives have impacted her.
[POSTPONED: December 18, 2020] Andy Shauf / Faye Webster [rescheduled from May 15, 2020]
Postponing shows until December seemed like a safe bet. My calendar was pretty free and I was hoping to see shows by now. I’m not sure if I’d rather have gone to Philly or Asbury Park, though. Well, next year will held me decide, I’m sure.
Andy Shauf is a Canadian singer songwriter. He sings quiet, introspective songs. He was playing at Union Transfer at the beginning of Mat and then in New Jersey in the middle of May.
I was introduced to his music from a Tiny Desk Concert in which he never really moves. He has very long hair which also never moves. His songs are really very pretty and well constructed.
It’s his voice that I find utterly fascinating. He enunciates in such an unusual way. The way he emphasizes certain vowels defies his Saskatchewan upbringing. He sings not unlike Margaret Glaspy and other newer sings who stress their vowels in an unusual to me way.
I really enjoyed his Tiny Desk and I enjoyed reading about the album The Party which sounds like the worst party ever.
Since then he has cut all of his hair and looks totally different–I wasn’t even sure it was the same guy.
Faye Webster is a singer from Georgia who actually has a similar singing style to Andy, which is fascinating. She sings low key torchy ballads and would be a perfect opening act for him. I’m going to have to listen to a bit more from her.
He’s the kind of musician that I would think about going to but probably wouldn’t, and then I’d wish I had. Well, now I have two more chances.
His initial itinerary fascinated me:
Boston, Brooklyn, Philly, D.C., North Carolina, Atlanta, New Orleans, Alabama, Indiana, Pittsburgh, New Jersey, upstate New York.
The rescheduled shows keep the same basic set up except that now Philly is the day before NJ–I wonder what changed that plan.
[POSTPONED: December 17, 2020] Andy Shauf / Faye Webster [rescheduled from May 1; moved to September 12, 2021]
Postponing shows until December seemed like a safe bet. My calendar was pretty free and I was hoping to see shows by now. I’m not sure if I’d rather have gone to Philly or Asbury Park, though. Well, next year will held me decide, I’m sure.
Andy Shauf is a Canadian singer songwriter. He sings quiet, introspective songs. He was playing at Union Transfer at the beginning of Mat and then in New Jersey in the middle of May.
I was introduced to his music from a Tiny Desk Concert in which he never really moves. He has very long hair which also never moves. His songs are really very pretty and well constructed.
It’s his voice that I find utterly fascinating. He enunciates in such an unusual way. The way he emphasizes certain vowels defies his Saskatchewan upbringing. He sings not unlike Margaret Glaspy and other newer sings who stress their vowels in an unusual to me way.
I really enjoyed his Tiny Desk and I enjoyed reading about the album The Party which sounds like the worst party ever.
Since then he has cut all of his hair and looks totally different–I wasn’t even sure it was the same guy.
Faye Webster is a singer from Georgia who actually has a similar singing style to Andy, which is fascinating. She sings low key torchy ballads and would be a perfect opening act for him. I’m going to have to listen to a bit more from her.
He’s the kind of musician that I would think about going to but probably wouldn’t, and then I’d wish I had. Well, now I have two more chances.
His initial itinerary fascinated me:
Boston, Brooklyn, Philly, D.C., North Carolina, Atlanta, New Orleans, Alabama, Indiana, Pittsburgh, New Jersey, upstate New York.
The rescheduled shows keep the same basic set up except that now Philly is the day before NJ–I wonder what changed that plan.
[CANCELLED: December 10, 2020] Billy Strings / Molly Tuttle [rescheduled from April 10]
I initially didn’t want to see Billy Strings in The Fillmore because the venue was too impersonal for his kind of music. But by December, I was ready to see anyone anywhere.
It’s a shame this had to be cancelled as well. I guess I should have watched his streaming tour when I had the chance.
I saw Billy strings open for I’m With Her in a small theater (seated). He was amazing. Not only was his guitar playing phenomenal (as his name suggests), but his banter and his attitude and everything about him just made me want to watch him all night.
When he announced a headlining tour I thought I’d really like to see him again. But this show is at the Fillmore–it’s just too big and impersonal a room to really enjoy what Billy can do, in my opinion.
I hope he can come back around and play some more intimate venues.
Molly Tuttle is an amazing bluegrass guitar player. Molly is noted for her flatpicking, clawhammer, and crosspicking guitar prowess. (She is also amazing at the banjo too). In 2017, Tuttle was the first woman to win the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Guitar Player of the Year award. In 2018 she won the award again, along with being named the Americana Music Association’s Instrumentalist of the Year. She played with Billy at Newport Folk Festival, but we only saw about five minutes of their set.
A night of Billy and Molly would blow your musical mind. Maybe the venue is immaterial.
Once this tour was postponed, Billy announced a streaming tour.
July 16 – Brooklyn Bowl (Streamed live via FANS)
July 17 – Brooklyn Bowl (Streamed live via FANS)
July 18 – Station Inn (Streamed live via Station Inn TV)
July 19 – Station Inn (Streamed live via Station Inn TV)
July 22 – City Winery (Streamed live via Nugs TV)
July 23 – City Winery (Streamed live via Nugs TV)
July 24 – Exit/In (Streamed live via TourGigs)
July 25 – Exit/In (Streamed live via TourGigs)
July 26 – 3rd & Lindsley (Streamed live via Nugs TV)
[POSTPONED: December 4, 2020] Loudon Wainwright III [rescheduled from May 29]
It really seemed like pushing shows back over six months would be enough. Especially for a small place like Sellersville. But how do you socially distance in a small club? If you can only fit 200 people and you have to remove over 1/2, is it even worth it?
Some day they’ll figure this out and when they do I’ll be looking forward to it.
I really got into Loudon Wainwright III about ten years ago because he was on Freaks and Geeks and so was his music. I enjoyed a lot of his then new stuff and even started going back through his older material. He is a funny, snarky guy who writes really catchy songs.
I’ve seen his name at a lot of venues in the last few years, but the timing has never worked out.
Sellersville is a little too far away for me to go to, but it did seem like a good opportunity to see him in a close, quiet setting.
This is going to get postponed, so I assume it will be rescheduled, but I do hope he adds a show even closer to me.
Squarepusher is an electronic musician (Tom Jenkinson) who has been making weird glitchy electronic noise beats since the mid 90s.
I have an LP and an EP. I really haven’t listened to him in a very long time. In fact, I didn’t even know he was still doing stuff. But his new stuff seems to be just as weird and glitchy and cool as his earlier stuff.
He hasn’t toured the States in five years and hasn’t been to Philly in eight years.
His North American tour was originally in April and was basically Boston and New York on the East Coast. He rescheduled his shows and added Philly to the tour. I asked my friend who introduced me to them so long ago if he would consider going. He said he was never that big a fan and that the man is full of himself. Not a ringing endorsement.
Since I’ve never been to a show like this–noise and glitchy “dance” music, I would be interested to see what it’s like. It might also have been a fun first show to return to, although it was officially cancelled.
[POSTPONED: November 22, 2020] Bikini Kill / Alice Bag [rescheduled from May 13; moved to October 2, 2021]
Boy, a band reunites and plans a national tour and then everything blows up on them. I thought surely this show would go on as planned–a bigger venue, possible social distancing. But how do you enforce social distancing at a rock show? I sure hope we can go to live music again.
When Bikini Kill did their short reunion tour a couple years ago, tickets sold out in like ten seconds. When they announced this follow up tour I grabbed a ticket immediately. As far as I can tell it still hadn’t sold out when it was postponed (which is a surprise, I think).
Bikini Kill are foundation for the Riot Grrl movement although I was not a huge fan of them per se. I have their records appreciate them for what they did, but they weren’t my favorite,
Nevertheless, this opportunity to see them live sounded like a great time.
Alice Bag has been cropping up in my periphery for quite some time although I realized I didn’t know much about her. Alicia Armendariz was a co-founder and singer of the 70s punk band The Bags. After they broke up, she was in about a half dozen other bands, although none of them released more than some singles. She finally put out a solo album in 2016.
Her album(s) since have gotten strong reviews and it would be excellent to see this feminist icon in action.
[POSTPONED: November 14, 2020] Torres / Sarah Jaffe [rescheduled from May 19; moved to October 18, 2021]
Torres is a wonderful musician who I feel has really gotten the brunt of the industry and now the coronavirus. She really counts on shows and it’s a real shame that her shows keep getting postponed.
I have seen Torres in a small, intimate show (which was amazing) and then in a slightly larger venue (which was excellent in a different way).
I didn’t think I ‘d need to see her again, but I follow her on Instagram and was really interested in seeing her new show (especially in a different venue). I haven’t heard all of the new album, but I did like the first single.
Sarah Jaffe is a singer from Texas. She seems to play a lot of different styles, from folkie (“Clementine”) to more pop rocking (“Glorified High”). I enjoyed the few tracks I listened to and imagine she’d be a fun live performer.
COVID-19 has officially closed one of my favorite clubs of all time. I hoped beyond all reason that all of my favorite clubs could weather this storm. And hope in the back of my mind that they are able to resurrect it somehow if this Pfizer vaccine comes to fruition.
The official word:
After seven years and 1,500+ shows, we are now forced to close Boot & Saddle.
With Covid-19 cases back on the rise in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and around the country, the thought of having 200 people standing shoulder-to-shoulder in our small indoor bar early next year has faded. After eight months without a show, and without a clear reopening date in sight, we no longer have the luxury of paying the bills and expenses for two closed venues. And so, we have made the difficult decision to close Boot & Saddle for good. We hope that this decision will assure that our sister venue, Union Transfer, can survive well into 2021.
We sincerely appreciate all the support over the years. From everyone who saw a show, had a drink, or played on our stage. We are proud of having provided a stage on which local Philadelphia artists can develop and grow alongside national and international touring acts.
It has been a fun and enjoyable experience from start to finish: transforming an old country & western bar, which was shuttered for eighteen years, into a bustling, live music venue with its iconic neon sign lighting up Broad Street. Boot & Saddle was where the likes of Lizzo and Sam Smith made their Philadelphia debuts. It is also where legendary icons like Thurston Moore and Psychic TV performed for intimate crowds. Where gigantic local bands like The War on Drugs, Circa Survive, and The Menzingers played unforgettable, secret shows. We like to think that over the last few years we helped contribute to the best music scene in the United States.
None of this would have been possible without all the hard work of our entire staff, past and present, especially Gina, Andy, and both Jeffs, who did an incredible job in making South Philadelphia’s first music venue in 30+ years into an incredible success.
In memoriam, we will be creating an R.I.P. Boot & Saddle Benefit T-shirt, if you feel inclined to support the venue one last time. Portions of the proceeds will go towards continuing to pay our full time staff’s health care during the pandemic, as well as keeping the lights on at Union Transfer (for which we very much intend to nothave to make an R.I.P. Union Transfer Benefit T-shirt). Check our social media channels in the coming days for that!
We would like to take this final opportunity to remind everyone that local independent venues in our city and across the country are in grave danger. Live Music Venues were the first businesses to close and they will be the last to re-open. As other restaurants, bars and stadiums begin to re-open, our doors remain shut. We cannot sell you a contactless takeout or curbside delivery concert. Without some form of assistance, our local music scene right here in Philly, along with countless others across the country, may collapse. We will keep our socials active, so that we can from time to time pass along news and actions that you can take, to help ensure that the remaining venues in Philly stay open.
For the next week, we will keep the neon lights on at Broad Street to remind everyone of what was. Grab a pic while you can and tag us.
Thank you for the memories, and we hope to see you at Union Transfer.
– xo B&S
Here’s the shows I’ve seen there [with many more planned for 2020/2021, sigh]
11/7/2016 Dilly Dally
11/7/2016 Marge 11/7/2016 Palm
12/4/2016 Jason Anderson 12/4/2016 Strand of Oaks Winter Classic II 5/10/2017 Family Crest
5/10/2017 Oh Bree 9/28/2017 Torres
9/28/2017 Aphra 3/8/2018 Jessica Lea Mayfield
3/8/2018 Mal Blum and the Blums
3/12/2018 Active Bird Community 3/12/2018 We Were Promised Jetpacks 5/9/2018 Sloan 7/26/2018 Japandroids
7/26/2018 Mannequin Pussy 12/7/2018 Strand of Oaks Winter Classic IV
12/7/2018 Carl Broemel
12/7/2018 Joe Pug
2/1/2019 claud 2/1/2019 SOAK.
4/15/2019 Big Heet
4/15/2019 Gurr 4/15/2019 Priests 5/10/2019 Kevin Devine 5/10/2019 John K. Samson
5/10/2019 Shannon Moser 6/5/2019 Ages and Ages
11/18/2019 Blushing
11/18/2019 Lovelorn 11/18/2019 Ringo Deathstarr 12/12/2019 Strand of Oaks Winter Classic V
12/12/2019 Mike “Slo-Mo” Brenner 2/7/2020 Garcia Peoples
2/7/2020 Suffacox Mach 2 2/21/2020 Sloan: Navy Blues tour
I Just Read About That... 