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Archive for the ‘Silk City’ Category

Trupa Trupa / The No Good Crowd (Silk City, Philadelphia, PA, February 28, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Philadelphia, PA, Silk City, The No Good Crowd, Trupa Trupa on February 28, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: February 28, 2025] Trupa Trupa / The No Good Crowd

I Trupa Trupa is a band from Gdansk Poland.  Their music is moody and cool and I’ve heard they are great live.  They came to Philly in 2022 but by the time I heard about the show, I had tickets to TWO others shows that night (one had been rescheduled to this date).  Now, almost three years later, they have announced their second show in Philadelphia.  And it’s the same night that my wife and I have  tickets to see Father John Misty.

Here’s how the band describe themselves on bandcamp

Trupa Trupa is a post-punk band from Gdańsk, Poland, known for their unique blend of brooding leftfield rock and psychedelic influences. They combine dark, introspective melodies with rich, experimental sounds to create their own distinctive space in the world of alternative guitar music.

They definitely have a dark 80s vibe, which I think would get more people into them.

No offense to Father John, but I would 100% rather see Trupa Trupa.  But we already have the tickets and I’m sure Father John will be enjoyable.

But, damn.  What bad timing.  I do hope they come back again in a couple of years.

I don’t know The No Good Crowd, but their bandcamp pages says

Formed in 2023, guitarists Jamie Olson and Jim McGuinn have history going back to Philly’s beloved indie rockers Cordalene(2000-2005), with Jamie forming the rootsier Midnight Singers not long after, where he was joined by drummer Neil Simpkins. Later Jamie formed the even more rootsy Atlantic Coast Ramblers with bassist Brendan Skwire, and putting us all together, we become The No Good Crowd.

I just listened to them and, wow I do not care for them.  So I guess that’s something.

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Basic Printer / Under the Rug (Silk City, Philadelphia, PA, October 4, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Basic Printer, Philadelphia, PA, Silk City, Under the Rug on October 4, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 4, 2024] Basic Printer / Under the Rug

I discovered Basic Printer through some unusual means–I assume an ad on Instagram where I could download a free copy of an album.

Basic Printer is based in Nashville and makes experimental synthpop.

I like Basic Printer’s music, although I think I enjoy the creator of the music and their Instagram account a little bit more.  They’re very engaging and funny.

I’d be curious to see them live, and I’m sure meet them in person (they seem like they’d be happy to meet the fans).

I don’t know Under the Rug, who describe themselves as an odd alt outfit: almost-too-dark humor, big irreverence, lush, humongous recordings. Austin, TX.  That self-description makes me like them immediately.

I’m not sure who was the headline band.

Since I had gone to a show the night before and was going to another one in two nights, I decided to stay home on this one.

 

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MC Lars / Schaffer The Darklord / Shubzilla + Bill Beats / MC Snax (Silk City, Philadelphia, PA, May 19, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in MC Lars, MC Snax, Milkboy, Philadelphia, PA, Schaffer The Darklord, Shubzilla + Bill Beats, Silk City on May 19, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 19, 2024] MC Lars / Schaffer The Darklord / Shubzilla + Bill Beats / MC Snax

This is now the fourth time that I have not gotten to see MC Lars.  I was really looking forward to this show and then my plans changed and I couldn’t make it (I guess Sunday nights are tough).

I really want to see MC Lars.  I am on the fence about Schaffer, who is a bit more crass, but is undoubtedly very funny live.  I hadn’t heard of the other two performers but their blurbs below make them seem pretty delightful.

The good news is that MC Lars tends to come around every year.  So I can only hope that next year the stars align for me.

MC Lars
For over twenty years, MC Lars has built a fanbase across the US, the UK and the rest of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. In addition to touring, he has performed at Carnegie Hall, South by Southwest, San Diego Comic-Con, Slam Dunk, Truck Festival and as part of the VANS Warped Tour. He has performed on stage with numerous artists, including Bowling for Soup, MC Frontalot, Wheatus, Say Anything, Gym Class Heroes, Simple Plan, T-Pain, Snoop Dogg, Nas, and Koo Koo Kanga Roo. His work includes collabs with a wide range of musicians – among them, “Weird Al” Yankovic, KRS-One, Sage Francis, Watsky, Mega Ran, Jaret Reddick of Bowling for Soup, Wheatus, the Matches, Kool Keith, Spose, MC Frontalot, YT Cracker, Schäffer the Dark Lord, Beefy and K.Flay. He has been featured on CNN, NPR, and MTV and has been profiled in Rolling Stone, SPIN, and Alternative Press. (more…)

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VIAL / Sunday Cruise (Silk City, Philadelphia, PA, April 20, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Philadelphia, PA, Silk City, Sunday Cruise, VIAL on April 20, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 2o, 2024] VIAL / Sunday Cruise

I received a free ticket to this show through the Do215 free ticket promotion.  But I was planning to go see METZ, so I didn’t think I’d be going to this, even though I like Vial a lot.

VIAL is a Minneapolis-based indie punk trio of best friends: Drummer Katie Fischer (she/they), bassist Taylor Kraemer (she/they), and guitarist KT Branscom (they/them). The trio joined forces via Tinder in mid-2019 and has been blazing a path for themselves since, curating a unique multi-genre amalgamation. Indie rock meets punk influence in soaring melodic hooks ready to sink teeth into all listeners alike, from lifelong punk rockers to budding indie darlings.

I heard about them when they signed to Get Better Records (who release great music) and I would have happily seen them.

They remind me a little of THICK, but with a bit more metal edge.  But the same spirit of feminist independence is strong with them.

Sunday Cruise has a great website with the following band info:

Zoe – 19 Pronouns: She/They Instrument: Guitar and vocals Started Sunday Cruise at 15yrs old in 2017.
Levi – 17 Pronouns: He/Him Instrument: Drums Joined the band as a fill in drummer in 2018 and has been with them since.
Cam – 19 Pronouns: He/They Instrument: Lead Guitar In 2019, Cam received a text from Levi asking if he wanted to join a band.
Cassidy – 19 Pronouns: She/Her Instrument: Bass Joined in 2019 after meeting Zoe at a show.

They play punk songs that are not quite as heavy, but are still abrasive.  Their age brings in a lot of great angsty lyrics too.  This would have been a terrific show and I love seeing all of these women rocking out.

 

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Wax Jaw: EP Release Show (Silk City, Philadelphia, PA, October 21, 2023)

Posted in Grace Vonderkuhn, Philadelphia, PA, Silk City, The Cowpokes, Wax Jaw on October 23, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: October 21, 2023] Wax Jaw 

Wax Jaw has only been around for a little over a year.  In that time, they have released a couple of singles and amassed a huge local following.

Wax Jaw was born out of the summer-time daydreams and blossoming friendship of Greg Blanc (bass) and Sean Vannata (guitar) in June 2022. They immediately shared a vision of writing lively, upbeat tunes that would make even the most reserved audience member come alive during their shows. Keeping this priority in mind, a five-person lineup was curated one member at a time until the band reached its final form in January 2023. Since then, Wax Jaw has wasted no time sinking their teeth into the bleeding hearts of Philly audiophiles through their animated stage presence, vintage visuals, and high-energy performances. They recently played back-to-back sold out shows at Silk City and PhilaMOCA – most notably sharing a stage with nationally acclaimed acts Wine Lips and Acid Dad. With a six-song EP set to release in September, Wax Jaw is the innovative, all-gas-no-breaks band to watch!

I could have seen them open for Acid Dad a little while ago, but decided to stay home that night. (more…)

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Grace Vonderkuhn (Silk City, Philadelphia, PA, October 21, 2023) [Wax Jaw EP release show]

Posted in Grace Vonderkuhn, Philadelphia, PA, Silk City, The Cowpokes, Wax Jaw on October 22, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: October 21, 2023] Grace Vonderkuhn 

Grace Vonderkuhn has been on my list of bands to see for a while now, although I don’t exactly remember how I first heard about this band from Deleware.

Grace Vonderkuhn is a 3-piece rock band from Wilmington, Delaware. Uniting in 2016, the outfit consists of Grace Koon, songwriter, singer, and guitarist, Brian Bartling—bassist, and Dave McGrory, who plays the drums and sings. They combine shoegaze, post-punk, and psych influences with sharp pop sensibilities. The band toured throughout the US, showcased at SXSW, recorded an Audiotree live session, and were featured on NPR following the release of their first full-length album, Reveries (2018 Egghunt Records). Grace Vonderkuhn went on to release their sophomore album, Pleasure Pain, on Philly-based record label Sheer Luck Records in 2021. They have shared the stage with countless bands including Camp Cope, Shame, Ought, Titus Andronicus, Lower Dens, No Age, and The Districts. The band is currently working on their third full-length album and playing shows.

I had heard good things about them, but I guess I didn’t actually listen to them that much before the show because they blew me away.

Grace Koon is a killer guitar player. She’s not showoffy at all, but she can play great solos, weird chords and a pretty diverse array of sounds. She also sings in a couple of different styles from gentle to deep and menacing.  Brian Barling on bass doesn’t just keep up with Grace, he often plays counterpoint to her melodies.  And Dave McGrory on drums is the secret weapon. He plays different patterns and rhythm and his backing vocals are great–he often sings high over Grace’s low, grittier vocals. (more…)

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The Cowpokes (Silk City, Philadelphia, PA, October 21, 2023) [Wax Jaw EP release show]

Posted in Grace Vonderkuhn, Philadelphia, PA, Silk City, The Cowpokes, Wax Jaw on October 21, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: October 21, 2023] The Cowpokes

So much was going on tis evening that I didn’t know what I’d get to see.

A long time ago I had purchased a ticket to see Genesis Owusu on this evening.  Then this Wax Jaw show was announced.  I’ve been really wanting to see wax Jaw live, so I decided maybe I’d go to that show instead.  Then I found out that the Wax Jaw show would be over by like 9:30 (because of a late night DJ show at Silk City). Then mu daughter decided to have a birthday party that night.  Fortunately she didn’t need me to be there.

So I left after picking up the food and figured that I’d probably miss The Cowpokes.

Cowpokes are a country rock band from Philadelphia. Comprised of Jia Binder, Cami Bachman, Dylan Michael, and Winnie Malcarney, they are among the enlightened few to understand that the Byrds are better than the Beatles.

I wasn’t sure I’d mind missing them as the whole country angle doesn’t appeal to me.  But a country PUNK band turned out to be a lot of fun.  I arrived in the beginning of their set but missed a song or two.

They were stomping and pogoing.  There was a kind of country twang in the vocals, but it was like a Philly country twang which I rather liked.

I don’t know who was who, but I enjoyed that the guitarist who I presume is male was wearing a house dress.  I loved that the guitar who presented female also played  flute solo and then later played lap steel!  And the bass player/singer had a great voice.   I also loved that the drummer had some really fast fills and rolls and even knocked one of his cymbals off its stand at some point (someone in the crowd jumped up on stage and replaced it).

I don’t know what they played (they have only one song out on bandcamp), but it was rocking and good fun.  I’m glad I caught them.

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Open Mike Eagle / Serengeti / Video Dave (Silk City, Philadelphia, PA, December 2, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Open Mike Eagle, Philadelphia, PA, Serengeti, Silk City, Video Dave on December 2, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: December 2, 2022] Open Mike Eagle / Serengeti / Video Dave

This was the first show I saw advertised at Silk City.  I was intrigued (I’m always intrigued by a new venue).

Open Mike Eagle is probably my favorite rapper at the moment.  His lyrics are clever and thoughtful with bite and I really enjoy the music he puts with the lyrics.

I was in a bit of a concert burnout by this time of year though.  December is not my favorite time of year to go to shows, so I never got tickets or anything.

This was Open Mike’s first tour in Philly since the pandemic, so I probably should have gone.  But I do hope he comes back (in the fall, maybe).

I have not heard of Serengeti and his bio says something like: a rapper from Illinois who has released many albums since the 2000s. His latest song is called “a okey test,” featuring sicker man, and is streaming now.

But this article from The Guardian makes him sound amazing: [some highlights here but the whole article is fascinating] (more…)

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I Fight Dragons / MC Lars / Schaffer The Darklord (Silk City, Philadelphia, PA, November 17, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in I Fight Dragons, MC Lars, Milkboy, Philadelphia, PA, Schaffer The Darklord, Silk City on November 17, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: November 17, 2022] I Fight Dragons / MC Lars / Schaffer The Darklord

This show was moved from Milkboy to Silk City pretty close to showtime.  I’ve never been to Silk City, so I don’t know much about it.  Bu I assume it’s pretty small.

I have wanted to see MC Lars for a couple of years now and the shows keep conflicting with something else.

This show had two of the Four-Eyed Horsemen show that I wanted to go to back in 2021.

But I hadn’t heard of I Fight Dragons.  They are an American chiptune-based rock band from Chicago. Their music is a combination of rock with chiptune, featuring electronic sounds made using Nintendo Game Boys and Nintendo Entertainment Systems.

A review from Greeblehaus says

If you have never seen I Fight Dragons live, their sound is chiptune-based, which I think (in some ways) sells them short as musicians, because that sounds like they rely on video games to make their music. Every single one of the guys is incredibly talented musically, and just like any good performer, these self-proclaimed geeks use those clips to make their songs – and performances – more interesting.

I rather wish I had gone, although I think I’d like to see MC Lars as a headliner.  But I Fight Dragons sound pretty cool. (more…)

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