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Archive for the ‘Venues’ Category

OhBree (Boot and Saddle, Philadelphia, PA, May 10, 2016) [THE FAMILY CREST]

Posted in "Weird Al" Yankovic, Boot & Saddle, OhBree, Philadelphia, PA, The Family Crest on May 10, 2017| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: May 10, 2016] OhBree

I was really excited to see The Family Crest and to see that they were playing at Boot & Saddle (how would they fit a 8 piece band up there, I wondered).  I hadn’t heard of OhBree before this show, so I looked them up and discovered they are a Philly band also with 8 people (!) who play a wonderfully weird blend of punk with horns (but not ska) and super catchy rocking melodies.  All supporting some pretty peculiar (and often amusing) lyrics.

The band is made up of Andrew Scott – Songwriting/Keys/Guitar/Bass/Vocals ;  Adam Laub – Drums/Synthesizer/Vocals ; Bob Iacono – Trumpet ; Tyler Mack – Guitar/Bass/Trombone ; Kyle Press – Bari/Tenor Saxophone ; Vince Tampio – Mellophone/Trumpet/Slide Trumpet ; Lucas Kozinski – Guitar ; Connor Przybyszewski – Trombone

And they all crammed into that tiny Boot & Saddle stage which they had never played at before (a surprise given their Philly roots). (more…)

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Lez Zeppelin (Sellersville Theater, Sellersville, PA, May 5, 2017)

Posted in Led Zeppelin, Lez Zeppelin, Sellersville Theater, Sellersville, PA on May 5, 2017| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: May 5, 2017] Lez Zeppelin

I don’t go to concerts by cover bands.  Even though I know a successful cover band is going to sound pretty much spot on to the original, I’d rather see the original.  And, if the original is no more, well, such is life.

But when I heard about Lez Zeppelin–from a lady cutting my hair no less–it sounded like a really interesting premise for a cover band.  I had wanted to see them since I heard about them (almost 2 years ago).  They played a couple of shows that I either couldn’t go to or that were too expensive (for a cover band, seriously).  And then I saw this one announced at the Sellersville Theater.  It seemed like a great place to see them.

And it was, except that, as I’ve learned previously, seated venues tend to be a bit quiet and proper.  This is great during the songs, but the bands get a little self-conscious between songs–especially if they’re used to playing in bars.  One nice thing was that they took out all of the seats in the front of the venue to allow for a standing room area.  I didn’t go up there, and while I would have liked to have been closer for a few things, I think it was the right choice, since our seats were great.

I haven’t listened to Led Zeppelin intentionally for years.  I was a huge fan growing up, have all their albums, listened to them all the time and then …done.  I didn’t need to hear them anymore.  I’ve heard them in places, of course, but I haven’t put on a disc of theirs in I don’t know how long.

And that was a great idea, because Lez Zeppelin sounded fantastic, put on a great show and reminded me of what is so great about Led Zeppelin in the first place. (more…)

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Pinegrove (First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia, PA, April 28, 2017)

Posted in Birdwing, First Unitarian Church, Hovvdy, Ocelots, Philadelphia, PA, Pinegrove, Poutine, Shoo Fry on April 28, 2017| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: April 28, 2017] Pinegrove

I first heard Pinegrove on NPR and then I saw their Tiny Desk Concert.  I really liked them and when they announced that sales of their online music would send all proceeds to Planned Parenthood, I knew I had to buy their tunes.  I was also swayed by the fact that they are from Montclair, NJ, a town not to far from where I grew up.

They have been getting fairly popular as of late which I think is wonderful.  And I hope that they continue to thrive and get bigger and bigger.  So that when they are opening for someone at Madison Square Garden, I can say I saw them in a church basement with 600 other people (tickets sold out pretty quickly and I saw people were offering their first-born children for a ticket).

I have never been to a concert where the audience knew and loudly sang every word to nearly every song.  By my reckoning, everyone knew every word to every song on Cardinal, their full length debut.  There are 8 songs on it and the band played 7 of them–not in order–during their 16 song set.  In fact when they opened the show with “Old Friends” the first song on the disc, the room erupted singing along to every word.  And since it was such a small place–with particularly low ceilings–it was the loudest singalong I’ve ever heard.  Check out these clips from “Cadmium.”  It was very cool. (more…)

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Hovvdy (First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia, PA, April 28, 2017) [PINEGROVE]

Posted in Birdwing, First Unitarian Church, Hovvdy, Lomelda, Philadelphia, PA, Pinegrove on April 28, 2017| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: April 28, 2017] Hovvdy

I thought that I had heard of Hovvdy (that’s 2 v’s but pronounced “Howdy”), but it’s possible I was thinking of other bands with 2 Vs in their name.  But when I looked up information about this concert, I saw that a lot of people were excited to see them (and that their latest album had been reviewed (positively) by Pitchfork.

We waited in the stifling heart for them to go on–and really should have sacrificed our spot to get water (only $1/bottle a the door!).  Unlike a more “polished” show, where you know that bands will take forever in between sets, this seemed like it would be a pretty quick turn around–the band even came out right away to set up.

Although when all was said and done it was nearly 30 minutes by the time Hovvdy went on.  And boy, did I wish we had taken advantage of the First Unitarian Church’s very generous reentry policy.  Because man, was it hot.  Like unpleasantly hot.

So we stood and sweated and waited for Hovvdy (we didn’t want to give up our semi-decent spot–although truth be told, it was hard to see from just about anywhere).

When the band started I was surprised by how great it sounded.  Birdwing sounded fine, but they must not have been hooked up to the PA, because when Hovvdy’s drummer hit a drum, it was like going from mono to Dolby.

Charlie Martin and Will Taylor are the main force behind Hovvdy (not sure who is who).  They record as a duo.  Each guy sang and played guitar.  From what I can tell Hannah Read (from Lomelda) was on bass.  [Lomelda opened for the show instead of Birdwing in NYC].  And I can’t find the drummer’s name (although all reviews of the band mention that Martin and Taylor were both drummers before they started playing songs on guitar, so I’ll mention it too).

Hovvdy played a kind of noisy lo-fi rock (I see they call it pillowcore).  Both singers’ voices and musical styles were fairly different which kept the music constantly shifting. The rhythm section kept the groove nicely while the two guys (split far apart on the stage) did their thing–sometimes singing backing vocal for the other one.

I found pretty much all of their songs to be catchy–catchy enough to grab their CD on the way out (which is a bit lower key than their live show).  The CD, Taster, had apparently just been released that day (it was download-only previously).

I have no idea what their setlist was as I can;’t find it anywhere, although evidently many of the songs were from Taster.

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Birdwing (First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia, PA, April 28, 2017) [PINEGROVE]

Posted in Birdwing, First Unitarian Church, Hovvdy, Philadelphia, PA, Pinegrove on April 28, 2017| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: April 28, 2017] Birdwing

Birdwing opened the show for Hovvdy and Pinegrove.  I wasn’t familiar with their music, but I had listened to a few songs on bandcamp and I was interested to see them live.

This concert was being held at the First Unitarian Church in Philly, which I’d never been to.  I had heard a lot about this venue and the really legendary bands that have played there (usually a few years before becoming legendary).  I was under the impression that the venue’s capacity was like 100 people, but that is clearly not true.  One source suggests that it is closer to 600. So I was surprised by just how large the basement proved to be.

But the one thing that I had heard for sure was that it was hot.  And holy cow was it ever hot.

We went on a mild April evening (temp low 70s) and we arrived a few minutes before Birdwing went on.  By the time they started we were both wet from sweat.  There is virtually no air circulation (the ceiling fans may have been spinning only because of people fanning themselves). (more…)

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The Decemberists (Fillmore Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, April 14, 2017)

Posted in Chris Funk, Colin Meloy, Jenny Conlee, John Moen, Kelly Hogan, Nate Query, Philadelphia, PA, The Academy of Music, The Decemberists, The Fillmore Philadelphia on April 14, 2017| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: April 14, 2017] The Decemberists

Two years ago Sarah and I went to The Decemberists concert at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia. It was spectacular.  A great venue, a dignified crowd and a great set deign.  The only complaint we had at all was that we couldn’t stand up and dance (well, we could, but we try to be considerate of those around us).

We knew we’d want to see them again, so when they announced another show in Philly–this time at the Fillmore, we were super psyched.  We love the venue, the sound is great and best of all, you can dance.

I was telling Sarah that I have become spoiled by smaller venues like Union Transfer, which holds about 1,000 fewer people than the Fillmore, because I can get up really close.  Well, this show was sold out big time (we were packed in a little too tightly for my liking).  I wanted to try to get there as early as possible, but a few things led us to getting there about ten minutes later than I had hoped.  And as such we were just a little too far out for my liking–the tall people seemed to have a wall set up about five rows of people ahead of us and we just couldn’t break through it.

So that meant a lot of leaning side to side depending on who you wanted to watch and, of course, terrible pictures.  But wow did they sound great.  This tour was a little less elaborate than the previous one. There was no real “set,” just lights.  And that’s fine because the focus was on the music! (more…)

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Julien Baker (Fillmore Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, April 14, 2017) [THE DECEMBERISTS]

Posted in Julien Baker, Philadelphia, PA, The Decemberists, The Fillmore Philadelphia on April 14, 2017| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: April 14, 2017] Julien Baker

I first heard Julien Baker from All Songs Considered.  Her song “Sprained Ankle” is simply beautiful.  She plays a very delicate guitar and on that song you can barely hear her voice–everything is very gentle.

I was intrigued when I saw that she was opening for The Decemberists, but I wasn’t entirely sure how much I’d like a whole set of such mellow music.  But Bob Boilen has said on many occasions that you need to see her live.

And that proved to be true.

Her set started quietly with a new song, “Funeral Pyre” and then the incredibly pretty harmonics (looped) of “Funeral Pyre.”   But she wasn’t all about delicate folksiness.  Because on a few of these songs she belted out powerful notes–signing loud and hard and letting those notes linger for a long time.  Her voice was absolutely amazing.  And for just a “girl with a guitar,” she won the audience over pretty easily. (more…)

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Tanya Tagaq in concert with Nanook of the North (Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center, Philadelphia PA, April 13, 2017)

Posted in Canadian Content, Canadian Music, First Nations, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Nanook of the North, Philadelphia, PA, Robert J. Flaherty, Tanya Tagaq, Verizon Hall on April 13, 2017| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: April 13, 2017] Tanya Tagaq performs Nanook of the North

No use burying the lead: I just witnessed something singular.  Something unique and unforgettable.  Tanya Tagaq is a magical performer and I consider myself lucky to have seen her (even if I wasn’t always looking at her). And to have heard her incredible band live.

Tagaq is an Upik performer who incorporates throat singing into her music.  And when she performs, her entire body is possessed by the music. She becomes animalistic, both low and growling as well as high and soaring.

Nanook of the North is considered the first documentary film.  Filmed in 1920 by Robert J. Flaherty, it depicts Nanook, a “happy Eskimo,” and his family as they go about their lives.   For many people it was their first and only exposure to Native culture.  This film has been praised for its documentary techniques, but ridiculed for its patronizing attitude and for fudging reality.

I learned last night that part of the reason some of it was fudged was because his original film was destroyed in a fire and he returned to get more footage–often recreating what happened the first time.  [Some Wikipedia details shed some light on his good intentions and controversies–see bottom of the post for a few details].

I first watched Nanook of the North about 20 years ago in a college film class.  It was fine–less boring than I imagined, with some interesting moments, but not exactly gripping after 80 years of filmmaking.  But with Tagaq’s new soundtrack, the film took on an amazing and powerful component which added intensity, drama and tension to this film. (more…)

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Shaolin Warriors: The Legend Continues (State Theatre, New Brunswick, NJ, April 5, 2017)

Posted in Acrobats, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Jackie Chan, New Brunswick, NJ, Set in New Jersey!, Shaolin Warriors, State Theatre on April 5, 2017| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: April 5, 2017] Shaolin Warriors

When I first saw this listing in the State Theatre calendar, I knew I had to get tickets for the four of us.   I didn’t really know what to expect, but I knew that it would be different from the acrobats, and yet have that same inspiration behind it.  I sort of imagined simple displays of strength, focus and cool Shaolin spirituality.

I did not expect that there would be a “story.”  And indeed there was one.  We follow two children as they make their way into the Shaolin temple and grow and develop into Shaolin adults.

The only compliant I have is that the program notes state this: “Shaolin Warriors, highly acclaimed as “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” live on stage, is definitely a must-see for family audiences and martial arts lovers alike.”  By invoking Crouching Tiger, it suddenly set my expectations way too high. That film is mind-blowing, a visually stunning production.  And this production is nothing like that.  Rather, they could have described it as a Jackie Chan film come to life, and that would be more accurate (and still impressive). (more…)

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Golden Dragon Acrobats (RVCC Arts, Branchburg NJ, April 2, 2017)

Posted in Acrobats, Branchburg, NJ, C., Golden Dragon Acrobats, RVCC Arts, Set in New Jersey!, T. on April 2, 2017| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: April 2, 2017] Golden Dragon Acrobats

Just over four years ago we saw the Golden Dragon Acrobats perform Cirque Ziva.  The founders of Golden Dragon Acrobats created Cirque Ziva as a special touring production in 2011. This show was quiet similar to that performance, (I wasn’t sure if, since it wasn’t called Cirque Ziva, it would be very different) but there were some minor changes that were pretty exciting.

More exciting was that since the kids were much younger four years ago, they didn’t exactly remember things that well, so they were pretty thrilled by everything.

I had mentioned that Cique Ziva had flash in costumes and sets.  For this show the costumes were certainly here, although the sets were pretty simple.

As you can see from the “setlists” below, the acts were pretty similar and in pretty much the same order.  The show opened with the thousand hands.

Since the acts were basically the same, I’m going to copy much of what I wrote then and see if I have any updates: (more…)

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