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Archive for the ‘Venues’ Category

Meet Me @ the Altar (Skyline Stage at The Mann Center, July 3, 2024) [CAVETOWN]

Posted in Cavetown, Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Meet Me @ The Altar, Mother Mother, Philadelphia, PA, Skyline Stage at The Mann on July 3, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: July 3, 2024] Meet Me @ the Altar

When this show was announced back in January, it was a killer triple bill.  Mother Mother, who we love to see live, Cavetown, who I’ve wanted to see live and Destroy Boys, a band that both my kids like and who my son and I hhave seen once and wanted to see again.

Then, in May it was announced that Destroy Boys would no longer be opening

In a joint statement, Mother Mother and Cavetown shared, “Destroy Boys will no longer be able to join our summer tour due to a medical issue. We’ll be sad to miss them and wish them a speedy recovery.
We are really excited to welcome Meet Me @ The Altar to the tour in place! Can’t wait to see you all soon.”

It turned out that this bummed my son out and kind of soured him on the show a bit.  I have seen MM@TA twice and knew what to expect.  I actually thought they’d be a lot of fun since their opening set is usually a condensed form of bangers an covers.

Well, we arrived a little later than I wanted to and then parking was pretty tough. I was frankly shocked by how many people were there so early (on a Wednesday).  People looked like they’d been camping out forever by  the time we strolled in.

We could hear them from the parking lot, so we could hear most of their set, but by the time we got into the venue and found our places, we were easily more than half way through their set. (more…)

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Grails (PhilaMOCA, Philadelphia, PA, June 30, 2024)

Posted in Philadelphia, PA, PhilaMOCA, Soma, Grails on July 1, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: June 30, 2024] Grails

My friend Eleanor told me about this show and I immediately grabbed a ticket.

Grails opened with a mellow almost spooky instrumental with Jesse Bates playing synth and flute.  Alex Hall did something with his phone in front of his guitar’s pickups.  I wonder what app he was using.

Then the whole band kicked in drummer Emil Amos (who was incredible but who I couldn’t see very well because of the keyboard in front of me) played a delicate rhythm.  I stood almost in front of Ilyas Ahmed who played guitar in so many different styles, he was marvelous to watch.

And there was a keyboard player in the back who I literally never saw but who was playing low end and waves of sounds.

As the song progresses, Bates played slide guitar–a pretty melody  over the waves of music.  And the song builds and builds.

Through the course of the night, there were excellent bass lines, some wild drums, and more flute.

The whole night set was terrific.  The moods and emotions that they conveyed through these instrumentals were terrific.  What was interesting/amusing was the videos the venue showed behind the band. I don’t know if the band had any say in the video but I enjoyed screen shots like “Rivers turn to blood” and what looked like someone having a psychedelic trip.  At one point during a quiet moment I saw Amos look up at the screen and chuckle.

The set ended with Origin-ing–a fast bassline with some terrific starts and stops as the band was totally in sync.

It was a great show and I’m so glad I got to see them live.

  1. Word Made Flesh ♦
  2. Sisters of Bilitis ∇
  3. Immediate Mate ♠
  4. New Prague Ψ
  5. Burden of Hope ß
  6. Belgian Wake-Up Drill ≡
  7. Lord I Hate Your Day ß
  8. Evening Song ∇
  9. Sad & Illegal ∇
  10. Origin-ing ∞
∇ Anches En Maat
ß The Burden of Hope
≡ Black Tar Prophecies, Volume II
∞ Burning Off Impurities
Ψ Chalice Hymnal
♠ Doomsdayer’s Holiday
♦ Redlight

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Soma (PhilaMOCA, Philadelphia, PA, June 30, 2024) [GRAILS]

Posted in Philadelphia, PA, PhilaMOCA, Soma, Grails on June 30, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: June 30, 2024] Grails

I saw Soma play at a church in Asbury Park.  The night was an evening of cool video projections and transcendent music.

I really enjoyed their set which was based around sacred music inspired by Krishna.  At the church I really couldn’t see them because lights were low so the projections on the walls would show up better.

At this show the whole band was visible and I enjoyed seeing the vast array if instruments they played–including two double-barrelled flutes and a shell (I’ve never seen anyone blow into a shell to make a sound before).

The music has a trance-like element with repetitive phrases, chanting and simple percussive beats.  At this show a woman sat cross legged on the floor as soon as they started.  And a guy on the side occasionally burst out in joyous affirmation–which I thought was weird, but which the bands seemed to find normal.

There are two main vocalists and virtually every song is a call and response in which the rest of the band (and crowd) sing along.  I enjoyed watching everyone playing their instruments up close and seeing the random assortment of instruments that they were playing as well–so much percussion. (more…)

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Silversun Pickups / Hello Mary (The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ, June 28, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Asbury Park, NJ, Hello Mary, Silversun Pickups, The Stone Pony on June 28, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: June 28, 2024] Silversun Pickups / Hello Mary

I have had ample opportunity to see Silversun Pickups, a band that I like, but have never really gotten into.  When they came around last year, there were two or three shows I could have gone to.  And now they were back, playing The Stone Pony.

The thing that made this year’s show even more appealing was that Hello Mary, a band I’ve been quite interested in, was opening.

But there were two problems.

I don’t really like The Stone Pony at all.  And I would prefer not to go to shows there unless it’s the only option.  True, it was the only option, but my displeasure with the Stone Pony outweighed my desire to see either band.

Plus it was a Friday night.  I don’t like going out on Friday nights on  the best of weeks, but Asbury Park on a Friday night.  Ick.

When I finally caved and said maybe I should go, it was sold out, so I made the right choice. (more…)

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Mdou Moctar / J.R.C.G. (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, June 28, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in J.R.C.G., Mdou Moctar, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer on June 28, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: June 28, 2024] Mdou Moctar / J.R.C.G.

I saw Mdou Moctar at Ardmore Music Hall and it was pretty fantastic.  I wasn’t sure if I needed to see him again at a bigger venue, but this show was on my radar.

I didn’t buy a ticket because I assumed it wouldn’t sell out.  It was also squeezed right in between a few other shows I was going to and I am trying to limit the amount of shows I see in a week (honestly).  I was also assuming  that since I’d seen him fairly recently I wasn’t sure if I needed to see him again so soon.  Although it turns out he just announced an intimate semi-acoustic show in early July that I’m going to go to.

There are four Tuareg musicians who I’m interested in seeing.
Bombino, Imarhan, Mdou Moctar and Tinariwen.

I have seen Mdou Moctar.  I’ll be seeing Tinarwen in a few weeks.  We’ll see if the other two come my way. (more…)

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Quasi (World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA, June 27, 2024) [QUASI]

Posted in Marnie Stern, Philadelphia, PA, Quasi, World Cafe Live, WXPN 88.5 FM--Philadelphia, PA on June 28, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: June 27, 2024] Quasi

I was a middling fan of Quasi back in the 90s.  I liked some of their stuff but never really  thought al that much about them.  After Janet “left” Sleater-Kinney and got into a car accident, I was much more interested in supporting her, so I got back into Quasi and was pretty excited to see they were touring last year.

When they played Johnny Brenda’s last year it was just Sam Coomes (on keys–wow, somehow only on keys) and Janet Weiss (killing it on drums).  I really enjoyed the show a lot and was so glad to have seen them.

When they announced a new tour, of the album Featuring “Birds” (the first album I (and apparently everyone else) loved from them.  I knew I’d like to see them again.  I wasn’t keen on going to World Cafe Live because it’s kind of awkward to get to for me.  But this was my second time there in a month and the paring was awesome once again.

And, the best part is that when I got downstairs, Sam and Janet were right there selling their own merch!  I got to chat with both of them and they signed my vinyl.  It was very cool.

When they came on stage, I noticed that there were a lot of guitars up there–there were none last time.  There was also someone else walking around the stage.  This turned out to be Joanna Bolme, on bass and occasional guitar or keyboard.  Bolme played regularly with Quasi for well over a decade, and was around for Birds, as an executive producer.  She didn’t say anything (although she did help o untangle some cords for Sam).  But she really held the show together, especially when Sam switched to guitar–the low end would have been notably absent without her on those song. (more…)

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Dakhabrakha / Native Harrow (Concerts Under the Stars series Upper Merion Township Building Park, King of Prussia, PA, June 28, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Concerts Under the Stars series, DakhaBrakha, King of Prussia PA, Native Harrow, Philadelphia, PA, Upper Merion Township Building Park on June 28, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: June 28, 2024] Dakhabrakha / Native Harrow

I saw DakhaBrakha about two years ago.  I had wanted to see them for a while, but the timing was right after Russia invaded Ukraine.  I can’t believe the war is still going on.

Their music is like nothing else I’ve heard and their visually are just as compelling.  Traditional music but with contemporary elements.  It’s mesmerizing.

I have wanted to see them again and they seem to be playing around the area from time to time, but nothing ever works out.  Once again, King of Prussia is just a little too far, especially if I’d just gone out the night before.

I am still genuinely surprised they haven’t played McCarter in Princeton. It seems like a perfect combination.

(more…)

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Baroness / Filth is Eternal / Portrayal of Guilt (Sherman Theater, Stroudsburg, PA, June 27, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Baroness, Filth is Eternal, Portrayal of Guilt, Sherman Theater, Stroudsburg, PA on June 27, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: June 27, 2024] Baroness / Filth is Eternal / Portrayal of Guilt

I’ve seen Baroness in two settings–an acoustic in-store and in a tony, crowded club.  I’d like to see them in a bigger space.  I’d also like to check out he Sherman Theater, which is just about on the edge of how far I’m willing to go for a show.

But this show conflicted with the Quasi tour, and Quasi won out.  Mostly because of the opening bands (and, yes, I like Quasi more).

I see that Ruby the Hatchet was opening for some of the shows and I would like to see them as well, but instead we had two bands I hadn’t hear d of and who, honestly, sound like they’d be too heavy to tour with Baroness.

Filth is Eternal I assumed was a heavy sludgy band, but I was 100% wrong. (more…)

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Marnie Stern (World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA, June 27, 2024) [QUASI]

Posted in Marnie Stern, Philadelphia, PA, Quasi, World Cafe Live, WXPN 88.5 FM--Philadelphia, PA on June 27, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: June 27, 2024] Marnie Stern

I knew of Marnie Stern mostly from Late Night with Seth Meyers.  I had heard of her before the show as a notable guitar player (she was on Kill Rock Stars, so she was clearly iconoclastic).  So I was surprised that she was going to be on the show as, essentially a rhythm guitar player.  She was fine on the show, but she never really got to shine in any way (but I assume it was a reliable, steady gig).

When she put a new album out last year, I assumed it would be full of guitar wizardry, but I was surprised at just how weird it was.

But here’s a review of the album from treblezine which sums up her career briefly but nicely

Stern is a straight-up shredder whose playing style errs closer to the joyous fireworks of someone like Eddie Van Halen than she does any knotty, noisy experimentalists. That she happened to run in underground circles is by-the-by—there was always a great pop song buried within the chaos of her music. This is more visible than ever on The Comeback Kid. With her fifth and (you guessed it) comeback album, Stern has continued to chip away some of the raw spikiness of her early releases in service of a dozen stellar math pop tracks that might be (:whispers:) her strongest body of work yet.

I really enjoyed being right in front of Marnie, watching her tap away on her complex melodies with such ease. She also smiled and laughed through the whole set as she sang her complicated, sometimes perplexing, always exhilarating songs.

The rest of her band (whose names I didn’t catch) were also great.  Her drummer was incredible (I think it’s Jeremy Gara from Arcade Fire).  He smashed the hell out of the drums and really excelled at the crazy time signatures of the songs. (more…)

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Sarah McLachlan: Fumbling Towards Ecstasy 30th Anniversary Tour / Feist (TD Pavilion @ The Mann Center, Philadelphia, PA, June 26, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Feist, Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia, PA, Sarah McLachlan on June 24, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: June 24, 2024] Sarah McLachlan / Feist

I was a big fan of Sarah McLachlan’s music in the 1990s.  I went to a Lilith Fair and loved her for bringing female artists together on a tour and really breaking barriers.

This album is an especially wonderful album from start to finish.

But I also knew I would never go to this show–it was just way out of my wheelhouse these days.   And I don’t love the Mann Center for shows like this.  But it turns out that one of my college friends was there and it would have been fun to see her. (more…)

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