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Archive for the ‘Venues’ Category

Sunflower Bean (The Stone Pony Summer Stage, Asbury Park, NJ, September 23, 2017) [PIXIES]

Posted in Asbury Park, NJ, Pixies, Sunflower Bean, The Stone Pony, The Stone Pony Summer Stage on September 23, 2017| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: September 23, 2017] Sunflower Bean

As with most new bands, I first heard about Sunflower Bean on All Songs Considered.  I loved the psychedelic yet punky sound of the song “2013.”  And the entirely of their full length album Human Ceremony is really good–catchy songs with a great vibe.

I was really excited to hear that they were opening for the Pixies show–although I didn’t exactly see how their music would jibe with Pixies songs.

Well, I needn’t have worried.  Sunflower Bean rocks a lot harder live than on the record.  And their set included a number of new, heavier songs that complemented the night well.

Confusingly, this show stated that the Gates opened at 5:30, but they would not say anywhere what time Sunflower Bean went on.  I was sure they wouldn’t start at 5:30.  I assumed they’d start at 6:30, and yet that was still really early for a Saturday night show to end.  Because the day was really busy (Tabby had a piano recital earlier!), I managed to get to Asbury Park at 6:40 and drove around a bit to find a free parking spot.

The timing was perfect because Sunflower Bean went on at 7 and that gave me time to buy an outrageously over priced pretzel ($6) which tasted terrible. (more…)

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X: 40th Anniversary Tour (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, September 22, 2017)

Posted in Billy Zoom, D.J. Bonebreak, Exene Cervenka, Philadelphia, PA, Ray Manzarek, Skating Polly, The Doors, Underground Arts, X on September 22, 2017| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: September 22, 2017] X

The very first CD I ever bought was by X (More Fun in the New World).  My college friend Anita was a big fan (I’d never heard of them).  When I got my first CD player, rather than buying music I already had on vinyl (why would anyone do that?), I bought this band that I really liked.  That was in 1987.

So, while X was celebrating their 40th Anniversary, for me it was a 30 year anniversary.

Either way, I was really excited that all four original members were playing: John Doe, Exene Cervenka, Billy Zoom, and D.J. Bonebreak.

My friend Kelli told me about this show and I was instantly intrigued about going.  And boy am I glad I did.  The band sounded great.  The crowd was really into it and I got to hear a bunch of songs that I really love.

(more…)

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Skating Polly (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, September 22, 2017) [X]

Posted in Exene Cervenka, Philadelphia, PA, Skating Polly, Underground Arts, X on September 22, 2017| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: September 22, 2017] Skating Polly

Skating Polly are now a trio (until recently a duo) with a great origin story.

The band was founded by multi-instrumentalist step-siblings Kelli Mayo and Peyton Bighorse who were just 9 and 14 years old when the band formed.  The band’s first setup consisted of Peyton on drums and Kelli playing a basitar (Kelli’s father made her a basitar after she complained that a traditional six-string guitar hurt her fingers.)  Shortly before their debut album Taking Over the World was released on Nice People Records in November 2010, Kelli and Peyton met Exene Cervenka after a show in Oklahoma City. Exene was surprised by the girls’ extensive knowledge of punk and began corresponding with the girls and discussing them in numerous interviews.  In 2017 the girls’ brother Kurtis Mayo joined the band.

So that’s all pretty interesting but how did they sound?

Well, after being cocky about not having any trouble getting to shows on time, I hit yet another snag on my way to Philly–a big section of 95 which is always under construction was particularly bad in one spot.  I think I missed one or two songs.

But the rest were really good.  Rocking and punky with great lead vocals from both singers and some really cool harmonies as well.   (more…)

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Public Service Broadcasting (The Foundry, Philadelphia, PA, September 12, 2017)

Posted in Alexei Leonov, Camera Obscura, Philadelphia, PA, Public Service Broadcasting, The Fillmore Philadelphia, The Foundry, Tiny Desk Concert, Tracyanne Campbell on September 12, 2017| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: September 12, 2017] Public Service Broadcasting

I first saw Public Service Broadcasting on their amazing Tiny Desk Concert.  I was blown away that J. Willgoose, Esq. and Wrigglesworth could make such complex and satisfying music with just the two of them (all the while projecting visuals behind them that matched the songs perfectly.

I instantly put them near the top of the list of bands that I wanted to see live.  But I also put them very high on my list of bands that I’d be unlikely to see live since I assumed they played primarily in the UK (whether they have recently played festivals).  Plus, how likely were they to come to the US to tour their most recent album which is all about coal mining in Wales (seriously–and it’s fantastic).

Well, when I saw that they were playing The Foundry, I bought a ticket immediately.  I figured that the show would either be unattended or sold out.  Well, sadly for the band, it was barely attended, but luckily for me, that meant I got to hang out right in front of the stage (and even meet the guys afterwards).

But even if there were only 100 or so people, the band didn’t act like the crowd was puny (because everyone there was really into it).  They played an amazing show and I’m thrilled to have seen it.

In the way of bands who don’t have roadies, all three guys were there to tune up their gear for about ten minutes before they ultimately left the stage and then came back on fresh and new.  It gave them time to put up the test pattern above.

I parked myself right in front of J. Willgoose, which was awesome seeing everything he did.  I joked with my friend Marcus (who has seen the band 6 times in the States and was going to Brooklyn the following night to watch them again) that I didn’t know where to stand.  J. Willgoose overheard and said it didn’t matter because they didn’t do anything interesting.  This was utterly false, as it was great watching everything that J. Willgoose did with guitars, keys, foot pedals, and so much more.  He even played percussion.  I only wish I had been a little to the left because I was actually so close, his keyboard was blocking some of the rest of the stage (the horrors). (more…)

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Fire Is Motion (The Foundry, Philadelphia, PA, September 12, 2017) [PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING]

Posted in Fire is Motion, Philadelphia, PA, Pinegrove, Public Service Broadcasting, The Fillmore Philadelphia, The Foundry on September 12, 2017| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: September 12, 2017] Fire is Motion

A few days before the Public Service Broadcasting show, I saw that a local NJ band (based in Union), Fire is Motion, was set to open for them.  I went to their bandcamp site and really liked what I heard.  I wrote to the band to see if they were going to be bringing any merch to the show, and Adrian wrote back that they were and to thank me for listening.

I was looking forward to seeing them, but when I arrived at like 8:05, they had already started–who knows how many songs I missed.  Such punctuality in rock!

But the remaining four or five songs were really good–bigger and more complex than their recorded sound. And the band sounded really tight. (more…)

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Dead Cross (Union Transfer, Philadelphia PA, September 10, 2017)

Posted in Bauhaus, Dave Lombardo, Dead Cross, Dead Kennedys, Faith No More, Head Wound City, Justin Pearson, Mike Crain, Mike Patton, Mr. Bungle, Philadelphia, PA, Retox, Slayer, The Locust, Union Transfer on September 10, 2017| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: September 10, 2017] Dead Cross

I had heard that Mike Patton (Faith No More, Mr. Bungle and a million other projects) and Dave Lombardo (Slayer and other things) had formed a band and were touring.  I have wanted to see Slayer forever but never have.  I almost saw them last year but it sold out.  So, I kind of lost interest in seeing them.

And of course, Mike Patton is legendary and I’ve liked so much of what he’s done, but I’ve never seen him either.

I was curious what the album would be like and wasn’t entirely surprised to hear that it was basically a hardcore/speed metal album (10 songs in like 25 minutes).  Despite the two of them, I wasn’t really sure if I wanted to go to a show like that (I don’t really relish getting in a full-sized mosh pit).  But the more I thought about it (and after reading about the opening band) I decided it would be worth going to.

I checked out their setlists online and saw that they basically played the whole album and a couple extra songs.  Which, by my calculation, would be about 40 minutes. (more…)

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Secret Chiefs 3 (Union Transfer, Philadelphia PA, September 10, 2017) [DEAD CROSS]

Posted in Dead Cross, Electromagnetic Azoth, Faith No More, FORMS, Holy Vehm, Ishraqiyun, Mr. Bungle, NT Fan, Philadelphia, PA, Secret Chiefs 3, Traditionalists, Trey Spruance, Union Transfer, UR on September 10, 2017| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: September 10, 2017] Secret Chiefs 3

When I considered going to see Dead Cross, I wanted to know who was opening.  It was a band I’d never heard of: Secret Chiefs 3.  Turns out that the band was created by Trey Spruance, one of the founders of Mr. Bungle (and played with Faith No More).  And the description of the band sounded wonderfully unusual.  I listened to some stuff online, and that made me decide to check this show out.

Their music is a little hard to describe because there’s so much behind it, so I’m quoting from two sources here:

Jonathan Zwickel in 2004:

Spruance, Secret Chiefs 3’s chief composer and a former guitarist for Mr. Bungle, is a visionary madman capable of instilling both fear and respect in his listeners. Secret Chiefs 3 have existed in various incarnations over the course of the past eight years, and have served as the funnel for Spruance’s remarkably far-flung studies of the hermetic mysteries and musical traditions of unknown and underappreciated subgenres. Album titles like Grand Constitution and Bylaws and Book M hint at the music’s vaguely metaphysical bent. [The music is] an alchemical fusion of Morricone-esque cinematic grandeur, midnight surf guitar, traditional Middle Eastern rhythms and time signatures, demonic death metal, and electronic deviance that yields a work of undeniable force.

Whether or not Spruance and his Secret Chiefs 3 are the intermediaries between heaven and earth is, um, hard to say, but with Book of Horizons it seems they’re certainly communing with a power beyond the merely human. Virtuosity, paired with a fearless love of divergent styles and the humor and talent to skillfully, unmercifully mash them up, pushes [the music] into rarified heights.

And this fascinating bit of information from Wikipedia:

In 2007, it was announced Secret Chiefs 3 has always been a general name for seven different bands, each representing a different aspect of Spruance’s musical and philosophical interests. The seven bands are Electromagnetic Azoth, UR, Ishraqiyun, Traditionalists, Holy Vehm, FORMS, and NT Fan. Spruance has stated that the sound collages of Electromagnetic Azoth serve as the center of Secret Chiefs 3.

Right.

(more…)

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Sheer Mag [album release party] (Union Transfer, Philadelphia PA, August 26, 2017)

Posted in Dark Thoughts, Haram, Philadelphia, PA, Purling Hiss, Sheer Mag, Union Transfer, WPRB 103.3 Princeton, NJ on August 26, 2017| 1 Comment »

[ATTENDED: August 26, 2017] Sheer Mag

A few months ago I had tickets to see Sheer Mag at the Unitarian Church.  I bought the tickets to see the band Marge who was opening–I had only seen one song of theirs in an earlier show and wanted to see more. Well, I wound up not going to that show.  Since then I’ve come to appreciate Sheer Mag a lot more.

So when I saw they were having a record release party at Union Transfer, I thought it was time to fix my missed opportunity.

My college aged self would have loved that I had gone to 3 album release parties in one season.  And my current self thinks it’s pretty cool, too.  But honestly there’s not much going on at these “parties.”  For this one, Sheer Mag didn’t even have CDs of the new record (vinyl only).  But I did get a cool poster, so that’s okay.

So while the “party” part of the night was a bit of a let down, the show certainly wasn’t.

Sheer Mag are unsigned (which I didn’t realize) but have huge buzz around them. They self released their new album (technically a debut since their previous release combined their three EPs).  They play a terrific swagger-filled hard rock (comparisons to many riff rock bands of the 70s abound).  And they are fronted by bad-ass singer Tina Halladay whose gritty voice sounds quite a bit like some of high-pitched male singers of the era. (more…)

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Purling Hiss (Union Transfer, Philadelphia PA, August 26, 2017) [SHEER MAG]

Posted in All Songs Considered, Dark Thoughts, Haram, Philadelphia, PA, Purling Hiss, Sheer Mag, Union Transfer, WPRB 103.3 Princeton, NJ on August 26, 2017| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: August 26, 2017] Purling Hiss

I know Purling Hiss from NPR’s All Songs Considered.  Last year they played the band’s “3000 AD” which I instantly fell in love with.  There was a cool shoegaze feel to it with a bunch of noisy elements that I really enjoyed.

I knew that the bulk of the band’s catalog was basically Mike Polizze making music for himself.  It was pretty noisy and abstract with lots of jam moments.  They are now a band–I’m not sure who the other two guys in the band were (based on the latest album, I’m assuming Ben Hart on drums and Dan Provenzano on bass)–and they have gotten more musical since then.  But thy are still noisy.  So I expected a lot of squalling feedback and pummeling sounds.

I was quite pleased with how melodic the band’s songs were (no idea what songs they played, but I assume most of it came from their newest album).  (more…)

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Haram (Union Transfer, Philadelphia PA, August 26, 2017) [SHEER MAG]

Posted in Dark Thoughts, Haram, Philadelphia, PA, Purling Hiss, Sheer Mag, Union Transfer, WPRB 103.3 Princeton, NJ on August 26, 2017| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: August 26, 2017] Haram

Haram (which mean “forbidden”) was the most buzzed about band at this show (even more so than Sheer Mag, if Sheer Mag is to believed).  Dark Thoughts and Sheer Mag said they were the most important band in punk right now. I have to assume it’s because they sing in Arabic, but their music is pretty great too.

I had listened to their bandcamp page.  They have a demo and a new EP out (a total of about 18 minutes of recorded music), so I knew what I was in for.  But I wasn’t expecting the amount of intensity that the singer brought to the show (although subsequent pictures of other shows tells me I should have).

I don’t know what songs they played, exactly, although I assume all of them.  The only song I can place is “Blood.”

Nader sings entirely in Arabic (including a number of really guttural vocalizations which could have been words or not).  And in between songs he spoke to us in Arabic.  Not an English word to be heard throughout their set.

It was pretty wild. (more…)

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