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Archive for the ‘The Foundry’ Category

Babe Rainbow / Sam and Louise Sullivan / Sam Blasucci (The Foundry, Philadelphia, PA, July 30, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Babe Rainbow, Mapache, Philadelphia, PA, Sam and Louise Sullivan, Sam Blasucci, The Foundry on July 30, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: July 30, 2026] Babe Rainbow / Sam and Louise Sullivan / Sam Blasucci

I know of The Babe Rainbow because Levitation Records (who put out all kinds of cool psychedelic music) released a Levitation Sessions album and I like to check out any band that plays a session with them.  They played The Foundry three years ago and I wrote:

Babe Rainbow is from Australia.  They do play psychedelic music but it lands squarely on the delicate 60’s folk side of psychedelia.  Meaning it’s fun to have on, but I don’t need to see them live.  I felt the same way, although listening to more of their stuff, they might be more fun live than I realized.

Sam and Louise Sullivan are a family band. They grew up  playing traditional Irish and Old-time music as their parents moved them back  and forth across the country between Brooklyn, NY, and Portland, OR, usually  driving alongside a Ryder truck. Though they never stopped playing music,  Sam and Louise studied literature and visual arts. Louise started her own  ceramics business and Sam became a high school literature teacher to pay the  bills. Later, Louise joined Sam in Philadelphia and ended up working at the same Quaker prep school as an elementary classroom teacher. Louise is the visionary and the talent, holding  Sam accountable, making sure he doesn’t get too corny.  Interestingly, they have such a clean, earnest sound that it seems like it should be really corny and yet it isn’t.  Louise’s voice is wonderful and at least in this recording, I love the sound of their instruments.

Sam Blasucci is an American singer-songwriter based in California.  He’s one of the two members of Mapache, who I also do not know.  It sounds like his music is well suited to Babe Rainbow, with reviewers talking about his “easy Beach Boys-sounding pop”  and songs with “light percussion, a Caribbean feel, and a smooth groove”  as well as “R&B-inspired pop”  as well as “electro pop.”  Sounds like a very pleasant night.  Maybe next time I’ll rethink seeing them.

 

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Daisy Grenade / Vienna Vienna (The Foundry, Philadelphia, PA, June 18, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Daisy Grenade, Philadelphia, PA, The Foundry, Vienna Vienna on June 18, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: June 18, 2026] Daisy Grenade / Vienna Vienna

Daisy Grenade opened for Pierce the Veil but we missed them. I wanted to see them because I like what they call bubblegrunge.

Daisy Grenade is an alt-pop duo led by Dani Nigro and Keaton Whittakker hailing from their hometown of NYC. Their songs hit like chaotic diary entries equal parts heartbreak, rage, delusion and rebellion. They’re giving bubblegrunge a bloody nose, wrapping raw vulnerability in distortion and glitter.

I listened to their newer stuff and liked it a bit less-it’s more poppy than their earlier stuff.  Tonight was my daughter’s graduation, though so I didn’t mind missing this show.

Vienna Vienna deems his cathartic take on alternative music “glimmer rock.”  His music reflects his journey with queerness and self-acceptance, creating a space of shared catharsis at his shows. The music blends pop-punk, queer pop, and soft-rock ballads, celebrating strangeness and authenticity.

I’ve listened to a couple of his songs and I really like them–he’s fun and catchy.  They’ve got a great voice and a great sense of melody.  I hope they opene for someone else that I see in the future.

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Meet Me @ the Altar / Flourescents (The Foundry, Philadelphia, PA, June 9, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Fluorescents, Meet Me @ The Altar, Philadelphia, PA, The Foundry on June 9, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: June 9, 2026] Meet Me @ the Altar / Flourescents

Five years ago I wanted to go to see Meet Me @ the Altar at The Foundry.  But The Beths had a show the same night so I didn’t go.

Since then I have seen Meet Me @ the Altar three times–once at a festival, once as a headliner and once as an opener.  I don’t really need to see them again even though they are a fun band live.   But five years later and they’re back at the Foundry.  They’ve had some troubles over the last few years I see.  Since I saw them last, one of their team (Téa Campbell–guitar and bass) has left, which surprises me as they seemed pretty tight.  They now have touring members playing guitar and bass.

Fluorescents bio says they are a hard-hitting Pop-Punk band based in the City of Chicago. Taking influence from early 2000s pop-punk & 2010s easycore, Fluorescents strives to fuel the next wave of pop-punk music and keep the torch burning strong for generations to come. What sets Fluorescents apart from the pack is the combination of three vocalists each bringing their own unique flavor into the mix. Combine that with wall-rattling drums, epic leads, chugging rhythms & BIG production, you get what Fluorescents calls “Post-Pop-Punk”

But holy cow, I checked out their album and they sound like an autotuned pop punk band.  Not as fun as I would have guessed.  And in fact, I think I hate them.

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The Heavy Heavy / Laney Jones and the Spirits (The Foundry, Philadelphia, PA, December 11, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Laney Jones and the Spirits, Philadelphia, PA, The Foundry, The Heavy Heavy on December 11, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: December 11, 2025] The Heavy Heavy / Laney Jones and the Spirits

When I first heard The Heavy Heavy, I was annoyed because they are not heavy at all.  They are very light and breezy–a real California sound.  However, I’ve heard a few songs and I really like Go Down River.

The Heavy Heavy are a duo from Brighton, based in London with the Guardian saying they have that “lick of madness that makes early Fleetwood Mac and peak Stones so thrilling.”

I’m not sure I’d say thrilling, but they are enjoyable.  I’m not sure if I wanted to see them live, but I wound up having surgery the day before this show, so that wasn’t going to happen, regardless.

Laney Jones and the Spirits are the project of Laney Jones, who is from Maryland.  I listened to three songs, one was a banjo infused folk song with a major twang, the second song was a slackery garage rock song with noisy guitars, the third was a mellow song with her singing in her slackery way.  So I guess she’s mostly a garage rock band.

Either way I wasn’t able to go to the show.

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Jay Som / Sea Lemon (The Foundry, Philadelphia, PA, December 9, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

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[DID NOT ATTEND: December 9, 2025] Jay Som / Sea Lemon

Jay Som is the creation of Melina Duterte.  I saw Jay Som at The Foundry in 2019.  ANd after that show she kind of disappeared from music.  She cancelled her European tour and for the last little while she has been playing with boygenius.  I really enjoyed her show and I absolutely loved her song with Palehound (the band Bachelor) called Get in the Car.  The Bachelor tour (which I had a ticket to) was also cancelled.

I would have liked to see what Jay Som is up to, but I had a ticket to see Chokecherry, a band I really wanted to see again.

Sea Lemon is the Seattle-based dreampop solo project of musician Natalie Lew.  I like dream pop but I don’t like when it’s too slow. Sea Lemon hits a nice balance of dreaminess but with a beat.  This suggests that Jay Som’s new music is mellower.  But that may not be true.

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Sir Chloe / Suzy Clue (Brooklyn Bowl, Philadelphia, PA, December 7, 2025) [POSTPONED]

Posted in Philadelphia, PA, Sir Chloe, Suzy Clue, The Foundry on December 7, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: December 7, 2025] Sir Chloe / Suzy Clue [moved to April 22, 2026]

I’ve seen Sir Chloe twice because my daughter really liked her.  But I think I cam away from both shows enjoying them more than she did.  When she announced another show in Philly, I grabbed tickets.

This show was postponed because of a common medical problem

After two trips to the emergency room I discovered I had appendicitis and had to get surgery. I need to postpone the first week of shows to recover.

As of right now, shows in Albany, Boston, Philadelphia, and NYC will be rescheduled and an announcement will be made with the new dates as soon as possible.

The show has been rescheduled to April and we have that night free.  So I assume we’ll be going then.

I had not heard of Suzy Clue, but the rest of the world seems to have.  According to OfficeMagazine:

Suzy Clue is the internet’s newest “hot emo girl.” Her music is angsty but not overly precious, breathing fresh life into traditional shoegaze sound palettes. As a self-taught musician, Suzy is reminding the music industry what it’s like to start from scratch. She’s gone from not knowing what a bassline is to writing and producing a song that thrashes and shatters your heart over and over again.

I wouldn’t call this shoegaze at all, but that name seems to have been taken to mean just about anything these days.  She has a whispery voice and songs that alternate between quiet and heavy–almost nu-metal heavy.  As of June she had only released 3 singles.  I guess that’s what buzz is all about.  I don’t know if she’ll be opening in April.

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Honey Revenge / Vana / Daisy Grenade / Nightlife (The Foundry, Philadelphia, PA, June 18, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Daisy Grenade, Honey Revenge, Nightlife, Philadelphia, PA, The Foundry, Vana on June 18, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: June 18, 2025] Honey Revenge / Vana / Daisy Grenade / Nightlife

I saw Honey Revenge open for Meet Me @ The Altar and I really liked their set.  Honey Revenge is evidently a two-piece: Devin Papadol (vocals) and Donovan Lloyd (guitar), (although live there were two others).  They play an electro pop that is really fun and Papadol is a great front woman.

But this was the same night that I had a ticket to see Hello Mary, who I had really wanted to see, so I blew off this show.

I listened to a Vana song and thought they were a dancey synth band and then about fifteen seconds in the song went total death metal with screaming vocals.  Wow.  There’s a total Poppy vibe–growly vocals interspersed with sweet synth pop verses.  Her bio states

Vana is an independent female alt metal artist from Aotearoa [New Zealand]. She doubles as a musician and content creator and prioritises spending her time sharing her creativity with the world.  Vana’s music is dark and alluring. She strives to make music that represents her pride as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as encouraging women to embrace their sensuality. Her songs encapsulate the feeling of viewing life through rose-tinted glasses, especially the consequences of doing so.

Daisy Grenade opened for Pierce the Veil but we missed them. I wanted to see them because I like what they call bubblegrunge.  Although I think I like Vana more (because I’m obsessed with New Zealand).

Daisy Grenade is an alt-pop duo led by Dani Nigro and Keaton Whittakker hailing from their hometown of NYC. Their songs hit like chaotic diary entries equal parts heartbreak, rage, delusion and rebellion. They’re giving bubblegrunge a bloody nose, wrapping raw vulnerability in distortion and glitter.

Nightlife is a Baltimore-based “soul-punk” band formed by Hansel Romero (vocals/production), Julian Lofton (bass/guitars), and Isaiah Walker (drums/percussion).  They are known for blending energetic, melodic punk with soulful vocals, featuring popular tracks like “new low,” “fallback,” and “strangeluv”.

I haven’t heard of blending soul and punk.  I’m all for genre melding, although this feels more like soul with loud guitars.

 

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Cheekface / Pacing (The Foundry, Philadelphia, PA, April 24, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Cheekface, Pacing, Philadelphia, PA, The Foundry on April 24, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 24, 2025] Cheekface / Pacing

I saw Cheekface two years ago and loved them.  I really wanted to see them again.  Last year they played The Church, which I don’t go to.  So when they announced this show at The Foundry I was psyched.  But I already had tickets to see Magic Sword tonight.  What’s a guy to do?

Well, having gone out a few times and having my wife at home still recovering, a guy stays home and doesn’t see either band.

I had not heard of Pacing but when I looked them up I found them delightful and hilarious.  Their bio says

Pacing is the songwriting and recording project of Katie McTigue (she/her). Various Small Flames wrote that she “follows inthe playful, tongue-in-cheek tradition of the likes of Kimya Dawson, yet always nudges the ideas further to be more than mere twee humour or sardonic fun.” Fans and new listeners alike often remark that her anxious, confessional lyrics are “a little too relatable.”

The music is kind of twee but I do love twee.  This would have been a really fun show.

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Chase Petra / Small Crush / Sorry Mom (The Foundry, Philadelphia, PA, April 11, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Chase Petra, Philadelphia, PA, Small Crush, Sorry Mom, The Foundry on April 11, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 11, 2025] Chase Petra / Small Crush / Sorry Mom

I saw Chase Petra open for Pool Kids and they were great.

Lead singer Hunter Allen’s vocals are fantastic.  Loud and powerful with some great subtleties–she puts a lot of emotion into her delivery. Guitarist Genevieve Quiquivix played some great riffs and even put some cool finger tappings between lines of  the verses–awesome.

I would have greatly enjoyed seeing them again, but I still wasn’t leaving the house after my wife’s surgery.

Small Crush is from L.A.  They write short poppy punky songs that are a ton of fun.  More poppy than punky, but with a great DIY vibe.  Their bio says the band

began in Logan Hammon’s bedroom when she was 13 years old, writing songs on her dad’s old guitar and recording covers on garageband. In her sophomore year of high school, she found some friends in jazz band class to help fulfill her dream of playing her songs in a full band. Together the band began developing their indie rock sound by getting inspired by 90s alternative and early 2000s indie.

Sorry Mom is a queer punk band from New York City.  Their bio is pretty great.  It says that they

like to hang out and play music and shoot hoops. they’ve shared the court with the likes of ajj and two members of the front bottoms. 

and continues

We’re Juno and Taryn. Juno sings and plays guitar and writes all our songs. Taryn drums and makes websites on Wix. Juno does stick and poke tattoos and loves to cook. Taryn has lots of plants and likes to draw pictures that have frogs in them. If you’ve ever seen a business-y tweet from our band account, that was Taryn.If you’ve ever seen a nonsense, borderline psychotic tweet from the band account, that was Juno. It’s very nice to meet you! 

Their songs are fast and sloppy and fun as anything.  No doubt very fun live.

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Transviolet / Annabel Lee / Mixie (The Foundry, Philadelphia, PA, April 9, 2025) [CANCELLED]

Posted in Annabel Lee, Mixie, Philadelphia, PA, The Foundry, Transviolet on April 9, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[CANCELLED: April 9, 2025] Transviolet / Annabel Lee / Mixie

I had missed Transviolet when they opened for Mother Mother.  But I started following them on Instagram and I found them really interesting.  They announced a headlining tour and were going to play The Foundry, which was pretty ideal (although lead singer Sarah McTaggart is really energetic and I wonder how she would have coped with such a small stage).

The show was cancelled inexplicably at the last minute.  I posted a question as to why on their Instagram and Sarah wrote back: it rhymes with smive smation

A last minute change allowed Sarah to play a solo show at Ortlieb’s which is pretty awesome.  I didn’t know about it though.  But as Sarah wrote:

love you philly, sorry we couldn’t play our show as intended, but glad we got to share this special moment together ❤️‍🩹 special thanks to @ortliebsphilly for coming through and being so kind to let us set up a lil merch pop up for the diehards/fans who flew in to see us

Annabel Lee was one of the openers.  I didn’t know them, but their bandcamp bio says

Annabel Lee is a Los Angeles rock and roll artist known for her unhinged stage persona and “high octane” (Earmilk) vocals. Getting her start performing at hardcore shows around New England, Annabel brings that kind of unbridled energy to her shows, where everyone is on the cusp of losing their shit while also bringing senstitivity and tenderness with her heavy, imagistic lyricism. 

Mixie is an LA based artist who pushes the boundaries of pop.  Her music is pretty poppy but she throws in some interesting twists as well.  She seems like she’d be fun live as well.

Shame this show was cancelled.

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