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Archive for the ‘Underground Arts’ Category

Pallbearer (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, April 20, 2026)

Posted in Knoll, Lástima, Pallbearer, Philadelphia, PA, Type O Negative, Underground Arts on April 22, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: April 20, 2026] Pallbearer

I saw I had heard of Pallbearer but didn’t really know all that much about them.  I assumed they were a really heavy growling type of band.  So when Knoll announced that they were opening for them, I checked them out, enjoyed them and bought a ticket to the show.

It turns out that they are a doom metal band and the album that they were touring, Foundations of Burden, is a classic of the genre.

I had enjoyed the first two bands but when Knoll was done, a whole bunch of guys rushed to the stage.  One of them was actually a guy I’ve seen at a couple of shows recently (MMJ and Band of Horses–he even looks a bit like Jim James).  He is a massive headbanger (headbanging to Band of Horses!).  So he was finally in his element and he knew this album really well. There were a bunch of guys together who knew each other and they were all headbangers and fist pumpers.  And  while it was all harmless, I didn’t enjoy the vibe.

And when the band started I realized the real problem for me.  I was standing right in front of Brett Campbell’s guitar amps.  And it was LOUD!  So when he stepped up to the microphone and I literally couldn’t hear him I wasn’t too happy.  Later on, bassist Joseph D. Rowland sang another part and I couldn’t hear him either.

By the third song, when Devin Holt played a solo and I could hear it until Campbell started playing his guitar, I knew I had to move.

So the album has 6 songs which meant I was already half way through.  But I just wasn’t really enjoying myself.  So I left the front and headed toward the back.  And things were much better back there.  The sound was phenomenal–balanced perfectly and still loud as anything.  Mark Lierly was on drums with a fairly small kit net to the wall of amps–but he was certainly loud enough. (more…)

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Knoll (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, April 20, 2026) [PALLBEARER]

Posted in Knoll, Lástima, Pallbearer, Philadelphia, PA, Underground Arts on April 21, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: April 20, 2026] Knoll

I saw Knoll open for Agriculture three months ago.  Then I saw that they were returning in three months to open for Pallbearer.  And they are the reason I went to this show (and why I listened to Pallbearer for the first time).

Knoll’s show in January was just mind blowing–intense and wild and loud and a little scary.  And I really wanted to see them again.  Last time I was in front of guitarist Cameron Giarraputo, so this time I wanted to experience it from the other side of the stage in front of Ryan Cook guitarist and trumpet (!) player.

What did I write three months ago?

I have seen a lot of extreme bands, but there’s nothing to prepare you for this.

And the show was largely the same.  Possibly the same songs, but it’s kind of hard to tell.  So I’ll quote from myself a bunch.

Knoll set up their gear.  They had an old-looking end table (I would guess like 100 years old, with all kinds of filigree–but probably not worth anything) and interesting gear on it.  The table also had a little light on it and there were four floor lamps around the stage.

This time I watched as singer Jamie Eubanks asked them to cut all of the lights.

These lights were the only things that lit the stage!  And, most interesting of all, each band member had a step on plug which turned their individual light on and off throughout the show.

All five members of the band were dressed in all black–button down shirts and black pants.  And the lead singer, James Eubanks, has his head shaved, (possibly his eyebrows), his fingernails shaped into points.  He looks like Nosferatu.

Last time I noted that Giarraputo was like a machine with the speed and technical expertise he brought to these incredibly fast songs.  The same was true of Cook–his wrsits moved so fast!

Drummer Jack Anderson must be exhausted by the end of the show playing so fast.

(more…)

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Lástima (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, April 20, 2026) [PALLBEARER]

Posted in Knoll, Lástima, Pallbearer, Philadelphia, PA, Underground Arts on April 20, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: April 20, 2026] Lástima

I hadn’t heard of Lástima.  They are a Philly band who plays blackgaze which may be a term they made up, or maybe not.  But it makes sense.

They play fast, heavy, dark music with mostly growled vocals.  Back in the day we called these cookie monster vocals.  But cookie monster vocals are for fast singers and I think singers of this style of music sing more like real monsters–slow and deep and creepy AF.

What set this band apart was the inclusion of Thuy Nguyen on violin! (!).  From where I was you couldn’t always hear the violin (again, I need to stand further back from the stage) but when the rest of the band quieted down, the violin was a wonderfully mournful component.

I was in front of Eric Mauro on guitars and Hazel Whitman on bass.  I could kind of see Sam Hyla on drums, but really the most entertaining person was singer/guitarist Richie DeVon.

DeVon sang.  Sometimes in a normal voice (during the quiet section) but usually with a growl or a scream.   There were a few songs (or openings of songs) which had quiet piano parts.  DeVon played them and was usually accompanied by Nguyen on violin.  Toward the end he got down on his knees and screamed his head off while messing about with his effects pedals.  It was quite cathartic.  (more…)

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Dirty Three (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, April 2, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Dirty Three, Philadelphia, PA, Underground Arts on April 2, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 2, 2026] Dirty 3

I have a list of bands that I want to see.  The list is pretty long, but I do have them ranked roughly by how much I want to see them.  I also have a category of bands that I assume will never tour again but that I want to see if they ever do.  And Dirty Three was on top of that list.  I couldn’t believe when they announced that they were playing Underground Arts.  I bought my ticket instantly and couldn’t wait to see them.

And then about a week before this show, my daughter told me that she wanted to go to Minnesota for a college visit.  And it had to be the first days of April.

I was obviously bummed but was really happy that the trip was fun and helped her decide on a school.

I assume that Dirty Three will never come back to the States (their previous visit was in 2003).   Huh, I didn’t realize that they had put out a new album in 2024 (first since 2012), so maybe if they make another album before ten years pass, they may come back again).

The show sounds like it was wild (of course) and they played for two and a half hours!  I wonder if anyone filmed it.

 

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Baroness (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, March 6, 2026)

Posted in Baroness, Blood Vulture, Commitment, John Baizley, Philadelphia, PA, Underground Arts on March 8, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: March 6, 2026] Baroness

I have seen Baroness twice before this show.  The first was an acoustic record release show at a Record Store.  The second was at a sold out Kung Fu Necktie in which I couldn’t see anything because of where I was.  So I felt I hadn’t really seen them.

I really wanted to see their Red and Blue tour (where they played both of those albums), but it sold out before I got a ticket.  So this was my chance.  It turned out that they were playing the following night at Starland Ballroom, but they were OPENING for Acid Bath, who I’d never heard of. Crazy.

But here they were headlining.  It feels like the band is really John Baizley (they only person who has been with the band from the start) and new(ish) lead guitarist and amazing shredder Gina Gleeson.  I had thought that the bassist and drummer were kind of new to the band, but Nick Jost has been bassist and Sebastian Thomson has been drummer since 2013–so, they’re long time fixtures for sure. (more…)

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Commitment (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, March 6, 2026) [BARONESS]

Posted in Baroness, Blood Vulture, Commitment, John Baizley, Philadelphia, PA, Underground Arts on March 7, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: March 6, 2026] Commitment

I listened to Commitment just before the show and was blown away by the band’s old school hardcore punk sound.  And that the singer was a woman (not all that common in hardcore).  The woman is Tati Salazar who can scream with an unparalleled fury.   I noticed that the guitarist from Soul Glo was standing in the back of the stage, and that made even more sense when I found out that the drummer is Soul Glo vocalist Pierce Jordan.  And he is a beast on the drums!  Holy cow he is fast and loud.

Guitarist Jake Smith (of Eye Flys, who I do not know) was on the far side of the stage and bassist Zach Bailey, was in front of me.  Bailey was fascinating to watch because his bass work was excellent, but he did not fit the part–he looked a little like Peter Parker in the early Spiderman movies.  He also wore a black latex glove on his left hand–how did it not get ripped on the strings that he was sliding all over?  The last time I saw someone wearing those gloves on stage was also at UA when Damien from Fucked Up said that he had cut his hand and the glove was for protection.  If Bailey cut his hand, it didn’t impact his playing at all.

The band came out and exploded all over the stage.  It was no-frills hardcore punk with almost no song reaching the two-minute mark (except for one longer song).  Now, I couldn’t understand a lot of what Tati was singing, but her energy and intensity made it pretty clear what the songs were generally about. (more…)

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Aterciopelados / Laura Lizcano (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, March 7, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Aterciopelados, Laura Lizcano, Philadelphia, PA, Underground Arts on March 7, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: March 7, 2026] Aterciopelados / Laura Lizcano

Back in the 90s I was a fan of Aterciopelados.  They never really made it onto my radar in the 2000s but I was really pleased to see that they were still together and touring.  I would have liked to go to this show but we had tickets to see DakhaBrakha already and I really wanted to see them.  Their sound has changed over the years but they retain Colombian styles as they shoft from more rocking sounds to their more recent poppy sounds.

Laura Lizcano is a Colombian singer who lives in New York now.   She combines Latin American musical traditions and indie alternative music. Her songs shine in both English and Spanish with deeply personal and confessional storytelling enhanced by a telenovela-like drama.  She has a lovely voice 

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Blood Vulture (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, March 6, 2026) [BARONESS]

Posted in Baroness, Blood Vulture, Commitment, John Baizley, Philadelphia, PA, Underground Arts on March 6, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: March 6, 2026] Blood Vulture

I had not heard of Blood Vulture before this show was announced.  I listened to their record and was kind of surprised at just how much they sounded like Alice in Chains.  Singer Jordan Olds sounded quite a lot like Layne Staley, almost shockingly so.  It’s possible that it was a combination of his voice and the backing vocalist(s) who really made this comparison, but it was unavoidable.  They are a bit heavier and groovier on record.  And live, the Alice in Chains delivery is pretty much gone.  But the energy remained.

I didn’t know anything about Blood Vulture or Jordan Olds who is also known as Gwarsenio Hall from his popular YouTube series, ‘Two Minutes to Late Night.”  During the Baroness set, John Baizley said that they had been on Jordan’s show a number of times.

I was initially turned off by Jordan because he did that thing where opening bands demand that people dance (and circle pit) to their music.  I’m not convinced that anyone can insist on a pit–they should form organically.  Anyhow, I didn’t love his attitude, but I quickly learned that he’s pretty funny and whatever these songs are about, he told us that each song was “about sucking blood!”

Their drummer was fantastic, and indeed, everyone in the band was great.  I loved the sound of the bass.  The lead guitarist played some great solos and they keyboardist sang great backing vocals too.  Although the recording was all done by Jordan, so there was no introduction of the band members. (more…)

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Dan Deacon (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, February 6, 2026)

Posted in Dan Deacon, Moon Bounce, Philadelphia, PA, Underground Arts on February 7, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: February 6, 2026] Dan Deacon 

I saw Dan Deacon three years ago and it was one of the most fun and uplifting shows I’d ever been to.  I knew I’d see him again and I planned to drag my wife along with me.  I knew that she wouldn’t really like the music, but I thought she’d really enjoy the experience.

After the last show I wrote

I would absolutely see him again, even if I need to wait another six years.

So it was almost 4 but it did take a while.

On the way to the show I told her that all of the things that I usually get mad at during a show don’t apply here.  People can talk, they can push, then can block my view.  It really doesn’t matter.  And, wherever we start it won’t be the same place when we’re done.

She seemed thankful for this primer and knew that this was going to be a very different show.

I had genuinely hoped that Dan would come out right after Moon Bounce was done (who starts a show at 9PM these days?).  Especially since Moon Bounce’s set was 30 minutes.  But he waited until 10.  Unlike last time, he had a live drummer, which was totally unexpected but a lot of fun.

He also took advantage of the venue’s video screen.  I thought he might project trippy images, but he explained that he had been meaning to make something but he didn’t.  So instead, he played a Phish show from Saratoga Springs.  It was so funny to see the guys from Phis playing behind him.  But he was thankful to them for putting out entire shows (2 hours) for free on line with no ads.

And then he started his music.  And it was loud.  I had intended to bring earplugs like always, but with the parking problem (and trying to find a reasonable spot) I forgot.  Dan’s music is repetitive and dancey.  He also sings and usually modulates his voice so that it’s insanely high pitched.  Which is bizarre but somehow even more fun. (more…)

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Moon Bounce (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, February 6, 2026) [DAN DEACON]

Posted in Dan Deacon, Moon Bounce, Philadelphia, PA, Underground Arts on February 6, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: February 6, 2026] Moon Bounce

Moon Bounce is an electronic musician.  He said he was originally from Philly then he moved to L.A. (don’t ever do it)and now he’s back in Philly.  He said he got his start because Dan Deacon turned him on to electronic music.

His set was thirty minutes and I enjoyed watching him.

He had all of his music on his laptop and he used various gear to pitch shift and modify the songs.  It was fun watching someone manipulate sounds in real time.  It was also fun seeing how well he knew his music (which duh, I know, but he would wave his hands in the air to the beats that were coming or angle his face when things slowed down).

His songs were catchy and he did sing (which I wasn’t expecting after the first few minutes of instrumentals).

It’s hard to really describe electronic music if you don’t know it that well.  There were beats and sounds.  He chose some cool sounds to go with the beats. At one point he looped an a capella sample from a rap album (which I can’t remember the name of).  The loop was one word repeated pretty quickly.  Then he slowed it down to match the beat of the next song.  “This is called a transition, it’s got to match 89 BPM, ok here we go.” (more…)

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