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DYLYN (Theatre of Living Arts [TLA], Philadelphia, PA, February 1, 2022) [MOTHER MOTHER]

Posted in DYLYN, Mother Mother, Nirvana, Philadelphia, PA, Theatre of Living Arts on February 1, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: February 1, 2022] DYLYN

I hadn’t heard of DYLYN before a few days ago.  I was trying to figure out who was the band’s opening act and it said DYLYN>  So I looked her up and I really liked the two (!) songs that were available on bandcamp.

DYLYN is a singer from Vancouver (originally Toronto).  She had a powerful voice and plays a kind of power punk/metal hybrid sound.

Although interestingly, she was once a pop singer under the name Guinevere and she had a couple of top ten hits.  Here real name is Gwendolyn Lewis, and it’s impossible to guess how old she is.  I would have thought 18 from the show, but she had these hits a few years ago, so who knows.

DYLYN is also very pretty–which a few meatheads in the crowd were all too keen to point out nonstop throughout the show.  One jackass shouted “I love you Dylyn so much that when he walked away, a woman next to me muttered, :there goes the guy who loves Dylyn.”  The other drunken guy was so loud–and kept laughing about how loud he was being “I’m so loud!”  Wow, what a dick (but what do you expect from a guy wearing a Hawaiian shirt with the pattern consisting of Playboy magazine covers.  Where does one even get such a shirt?

But Dylyn apparently only heard the good parts from the crowd an, it’s fair to say the crowd was really into her set.  She and her band (Ulysses on guitar, Parker on bass and sorry drummer I’ve forgotten your name) put on a ripping show full of bangers and ballads.  And on more than one occasion, Dylyn really belted out a song showcasing what a spectacular voice she has.

I was rather surprised that this fairly unknown musician was given a 45 minute opening set, but I saw today that Dylyn has written with Ryan from Mother Mother.  So they clearly have a bond.

She opened with the ripping Hellbound.

“Boy”

She ended the set with a solid cove of Nirvana’s “Lithium.”

It’s great that she got so much exposure during this tour.  I hope her album is huge.

SETLIST [her album isn’t out yet so bracketed songs are lyrics that I recorded]

  1. Hellbound
  2. [take me back to the original sin]
  3. Hurt
  4. [come over with my best friend.  I don’t wanna go, you can’t make me go]
  5. [little sister you’re not alone]
  6. [life is just a neverending song]
  7. [can you fee/ scream it, this is how I want it]
  8. [boy/song about her father]
  9. [take me to your darkness/wanna feel the pieces]
  10. [I want the best for you and if I tell the truth/I let you down]
  11. Lithium (Nirvana cover)
  12. Liberate Me

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Jinjer (Theatre of Living Arts [TLA], Philadelphia, PA, November 24, 2021)

Posted in JInjer, Philadelphia, PA, Theatre of Living Arts, Ukraine on November 27, 2021| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: November 24, 2021] Jinjer

I first heard JInjer when I saw a video for their song “Pisces.”  The song starts out slow and melodic with Tatiana Shmaylyuk singing in a quiet, lovely voice.  At the one minute mark, the songs shifts to a heavy off-kilter riff and Shmaylyuk unleashes a guttural growl that you absolutely assume is from someone off screen–but it’s not.  [Check out hilarious vocal coach reaction videos].

So I wanted to see Jinjer to experience Shmayluk’s voice in person.  But I was absolutely blown away by the rest of the band.

Jinjer is from Ukraine and I don’t know how often they come to the U.S., but there were some really die hard fans there.  The band’s lineup has changed quite a lot over the years, but since 2016, the lineup has reamined Roman Ibramkhalilov on guitar, Eugene Abdukhanov on bass and Vladislav Ulasevich on drums.

Their sound is quite heavy, but with lots of moments of quieter, pretty melodies.  Indeed, they play really complicated rhythms and time changes, with terrific riffs and bass lines.  The drummer also adds a lot of percussive sounds to the songs making them a band where it’s hard to know who to watch. (more…)

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All Hail the Yeti (Theatre of Living Arts [TLA], Philadelphia, PA, November 24, 2021) [JINJER]

Posted in All Hail the Yeti, JInjer, Philadelphia, PA, Theatre of Living Arts on November 26, 2021| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: November 24, 2021] All Hail the Yeti / Suicide Silence

I arrived a little early for this show (for a change–TLA usually has me running late looking for parking).  And it took forever the first band to go on.  I was sure something was going on.

Then it was announced that Suicide Silence tested positive for COVID and would not be on stage that night.  I actually assumed that I’d be going home early, but no, I guess the headliner is scheduled to go on at 9:30 or whatever and that’s what they’re going to do.  Which makes sense.

So All Hail the Yeti came out with their cool stage gear and I assume played a longer set than they might normally.  Yes, it looks like they played three more songs at our show.

There are four members in the band: Connor Garritty – lead vocals;  Nicholas Diltz – bass, backing vocals; Ryan “Junior” Kittlitz – drums and  Dave Vanderlinde – guitars.  And behind each member (more or less) was a giant banner with a rune on it.  Each rune looked more or less like the initials of the band.  Which was pretty neat.

Each band member had some kind of Viking paint on.  I was in front of guitarist Vanderlinde and the top of his forehead was painted white with a rune painted on top.  Lead singer Garrity had his long hair in a pony tail and had on a kind of modified corpse paint to make his eyes really stand out.  He sand in a kind of guttural style but was clearly audible.  Bassist Diltz had long bleached blond hair an a full beard and sang in a really lovely high voice–an excellent contrast and I actually preferred his vocals.

All of this is leading up to the surprising realization that they are from California and not Scandinavia.

They had some good diversity in their sounds, with some heavy grooves and then some simply heavy sounds.  But they also had some fantastic harmonizing like on “After the Great Fire.”

The one song that annoyed me though was “Witch is Dead.”  It started out kind of fun with them singing the “ding dong the witch is dead” children’s song but in their heavy style.  I thought it was pretty fun, until he had to rhyme it with “the fucking bitch is dead,” and I felt there was a little too much misogyny going on in that line–he seemed to relish it too much.

But if I overlook that I otherwise really enjoyed their set.  Their sound was great and their look, while elaborate wasn’t too far over the top to be comical.

  1. Suicide Woods ¥
  2. Headless Valley ⊗
  3. Slow Season ≠
  4. The Art of Mourning ¥
  5. Bury Your Memory ⊗
  6. Witch Is Dead §
  7. Before the Flames §
  8. Funeral Heart ⊗
  9. After the Great Fire ¥
  10. Mr. Murder §
¥ All Hail the Yeti (2012)
§ Screams from the Black Wilderness (2016)
≠ Highway Crosses (2018)
⊗ Within the Hollow Earth EP (2021)

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Starset (Theatre of Living Arts (TLA), Philadelphia, PA, November 17, 2021)

Posted in All Good Things, Another Day Dawns, Metallica, Philadelphia, PA, Starset, The Word Alive, Theatre of Living Arts on November 19, 2021| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: November 17, 2021] Starset

My son got me into Starset and I enjoy going to see them live with him.  Last time at the TLA we were kind of far back but this time we got pretty close.  I actually wondered if we were too close since it’s fun to take in the whole spectacle of their show.  But it’s hard to pass up the opportunity to get close to the stage.

Starset was formed in 2013 by Dustin Bates, who is also the band’s lead singer and songwriter.  Bates has a Masters’ degree in electrical engineering.  He has done research for the US Air Force and taught at the International Space University (whatever that is).

Using that educational background as a jumping off point, Bates has created this complex backstory.  The story goes that Starset was formed as part of a public outreach initiative by The Starset Society. The Society had obtained a Message from a mysterious signal sent from space and wanted to alert the public to it.

And so every show is a “Demonstration” and there’s all kinds of codes and buzzwords that the band uses, which makes it indeed like a secret society. (more…)

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The Word Alive (Theatre of Living Arts (TLA), Philadelphia, PA, November 17, 2021) [STARSET]

Posted in All Good Things, Another Day Dawns, Philadelphia, PA, Starset, The Word Alive, Theatre of Living Arts on November 18, 2021| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: November 17, 2021] The Word Alive

The Word Alive was up next and  I found them to be a puzzling band.

Their name sounds like they’re a Christian band.  But I don’t think they are.

Their sound was ll over the place during this show.  Which is not a bad thing, although it felt more confused than intentional.

Their third song “Misery” (a new song) was a singalong and lead singer Tyler Smith got everyone doing a hand wave back and forth.

But their earlier song “Trapped” which I guess was a bit of a hit single back in the day featured some really dirty screamed vocals from both Smith and one of the guitarists.

And in this song Smith yelled at us for not giving enough back.

It was kind of all over the place.

The band has had many lineup change over the years and apparently half the band left just before this tour.

I won’t say I didn’t like them, because I did, but it didn’t really do a lot for me.

  1. monomania ≠
  2. SEARCHING FOR GLORY ≠
  3. Misery
  4. No Way Out ≠
  5. Red Clouds ⊕
  6. BURNING YOUR WORLD DOWN ≠
  7. Trapped ♦
  8. Wonderland
  9. Why Am I Like This? ⊕

♦ Dark Matter (2016)
≠ monomania (2017)
⊕ Violent Noise (2021)

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All Good Things (Theatre of Living Arts (TLA), Philadelphia, PA, November 17, 2021) [STARSET]

Posted in All Good Things, Another Day Dawns, Philadelphia, PA, Starset, The Word Alive, Theatre of Living Arts on November 17, 2021| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: November 17, 2021] All Good Things

This would be my son’s second show in just over a week.  We drove to TLA and had plenty of time to grab cheesesteaks (something I never do when I’m by myself).  Or so I thought.

The info said the show started at 7:30.  We walked in at 7:30 only to be told we missed the first band Another Day Dawns.  Their set must have been really short.

We got into the club and got up nice and close to the stage, just in time for All Good Things to take the stage.

I hadn’t heard of them, but as soon as they took the stage they played the kind of huge metal anthems that are designed for big group sing alongs.

So I looked them up and discovered

All Good Things were happy supplying dramatic soundtracks for video games and TV shows… until a growing army of fans tracked them down.  The band have built something of an online fanbase supplying music to video games and soundtracks, from WWE Smackdown to Prison Break and Bones. Cut to next scene, and two of the band’s songs have each generated more than two million Spotify listens.

So that makes total sense.  Songs filled with big hooks and lots of woah oh ohs.

Dan Murphy (vocals, guitar), Andrew Bojanic (guitar, vocals), Liz Hooper (bass, keyboard, vocals), Miles Franco (guitar, bass, vocals) and Randy Cooke (drums) played a terrific and enjoyable set.

The one big surprise for me was when they busted out a Destiny’s Child cover.  I don’t know Destiny’s Child at all, so I don’t know if this was a popular song. I do enjoy a left field cover and this was way out in left field.  The anthemic quality fit in pretty well with the rest of their songs, which shows just how poppy metal is at its core.

After the show I found that I didn’t really like the music as much–it felt a little too perfect, too anthemic, too made for movies.  But live, it was a cathartic and fun experience to shout along to these rockers.

  1. Kingdom ⊕
  2. Machines ≠
  3. Hold On ⊕
  4. Push Me Down ⊕
  5. The Comeback ⊕
  6. Survivor (Destiny’s Child cover)
  7. For the Glory ≠

≠ Machines (2017)
⊕ A Hope in Hell (2021)

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Andrew W.K. (TLA, Philadelphia, PA, September 24, 2021) [POSTPONED]

Posted in Andrew WK, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, Theatre of Living Arts on September 23, 2021| Leave a Comment »

[POSTOPNED: September 24, 2021] Andrew W.K. [moved to September 23, 2022]

I saw Andrew W.K. three years ago and loved his show.  The positivity and energy were really remarkable.  And it was a ton of fun as well.

I wasn’t sure if I’d want to see him again, but when I saw he was playing TLA, I definitely considered it.  Then it turned out to be a very busy week for me, so I resignedly accepted that I would not go to his show (his new album is supposed to be very good).

Then, out of the blue, Andrew cancelled his entire 2021 tour and deleted his entire social media presence.  No one knows why.  Is it because he just got engaged (to Kat Dennings) and they appear to be expecting a baby?  Is it because Andrew W.K. is full of weird social media ideas?  Is it because…well who knows.

The point is that the show has been moved to next September, and I think I’m going to be going.  I need to see him play that pizza guitar again.

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The HU (Theatre of Living Arts (TLA), Philadelphia, PA, September 14, 2021)

Posted in Metallica, Mongolia, Philadelphia, PA, The HU, Theatre of Living Arts on September 15, 2021| 1 Comment »

[ATTENDED: September 14, 2021] The HU

The HU are from Mongolia. I saw them in this same venue two years ago.  They haven’t released much in those intervening years, but I enjoyed the first show so much I wanted to see them again (plus, I was pretty delighted that they were back touring the States). on the left side in front of Temuulen Naranbaatar a.k.a. “Temka” who plays the tovshuur (a two or three string lute-like instrument).

But I knew I wanted to be on the other side for this show.  And so I set out to stand in front of Enkhasaikhan Batjargal a.k.a. “Enkush” who played lead morin khuur.  This was pretty exciting as I really got to watch him play the solos.

The two guys in the middle are the main singers.  Galbadrakh Tsendbaatar a.k.a. “Gala” is credited with “lead throat singing,” which I love.  His voice was incredible.  He also played the morin khuur with a gorgeously carved horse head at the top.  This instrument is two-stringed and you play it with a bow.

And Nyamjantsan Galsanjamts a.k.a. “Jaya” who was sort of the lead singer, although Gala sang lead as often.  Jaya’s main instrument was, fascinatingly, the jaw harp which played a significant role in several songs.  He also played the tsuur (a Mongolian flute).

There are technically four guys in the band, but for the tour they had four extra guys supporting them.  The touring guys mostly hung at the back, although occasionally the guitarist Jambaldorj Ayush a.k.a “Jamba” would come up front.   In the back on the left was Batkhuu Batbayar on bass.  Then there were the two drummers.  Sitting at the full kit was Odbayar Gantumur a.k.a “Odko.”  The final player, and one I could see occasionally was Unumunkh Maralkhuu a.k.a “Ono.”  Ono played two large drums.  Mostly they were an accompaniment to the main drum, but occasionally they were the only percussion.  Those drums resonated loudly. (more…)

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The Haunt (Theatre of Living Arts (TLA), Philadelphia, PA, September 14, 2021)

Posted in Mongolia, Philadelphia, PA, The Haunt, The HU, Theatre of Living Arts on September 14, 2021| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: September 14, 2021] The Haunt

I was pretty delighted to see that Mongolia’s The HU were coming back to Philly.  I really enjoyed their set last time and figured they’d be just as fun this time.

This year’s opening band was The Haunt, who I’d never heard of (and it’s VERY hard to find them online because there’s all kinds of Haunt-named bands).

And here’s a fascinating bit of history

The Haunt, formerly known as AnastasiaMax are from South Florida. The band consists of siblings, Anastasia Grace Haunt (lead vocals), and Maxamillion Haunt (vocals, guitar and production), alongside Nat Smallish on bass guitar (formally Beach Day), and Nick Lewert on drums (formally Ethan Bortnick).

I can’t guarantee that those last two were the rhythm section.  he mentioned their names, but all I remember is that the drummer was nicknamed “waffles.”

I arrived in the middle of the first song (I hate the parking around TLA) and managed to get past the clustered people after a song or two.  But right from the start I was impressed with the sound of the song “Constant.” (more…)

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Avatar (Theatre of Living Arts (TLA), Philadelphia, PA, September 5, 2021)

Posted in Avatar, Magic Sword, Philadelphia, PA, Theatre of Living Arts on September 7, 2021| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: September 5, 2021] Avatar

When Avatar announced they were playing TLA I knew I wanted to see them again.  When they opened for Babymetal, I was blown away by what a show they put on–for an opening act.  I imagined that when they headlined, it would be even more amazing.

It wasn’t more amazing (I was actually more impressed by their lights last time) but it was certainly a lot of fun–an even more fun since the audience was there to see them.

Their gear was set up and then a small drumkit was brought to the front of the stage (which was pretty unusual).  Then the five of them walked out and stood in a tight v formation.  After a lengthy pause with all five of them staring at us, drummer John Alfredsson began hitting out a loud snare beat.  Then the guitars started playing and singer Johannes Eckerström–dressed like a ringmaster, his face covered in white paint with (scary) clown makeup on–began singing the fantastic growling anthem “Colossus.”  The band played the entire sing in that tight V shape and from my vantage point when both guitarists played the same solo it was like a multi-armed beast on stage.

They followed that up with “Let it Burn” and then the stage went black.  The crew removed the tiny drum set and the band left the stage briefly while Alfredsson climbed up on top of his full sized kit.  When the band came back out they utilized the full stage and when they started “Silence in the Age if Apes” (the actual first song on the new album) the full synchronized headbanging extravaganza was under way.

Both guitarists take some time to show off, although never for too long.  In fact, when they started soloing, it was usually over by the time I had the camera ready.  Jonas “Kungen” Jarlsby and Tim Öhrström (“he’s single, ladies”) both took turns at the front of the stage.  Although it was Jarlsby who stood up front to play the slow pretty intro of “Bloody Angel.” (more…)

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