Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Union Transfer’ Category

OSEES / Bronze (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, September 26, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Bronze, Osees, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer on September 26, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 26, 2022] Osees / Bronze

I saw Osees exactly one year ago today.  I summarized by saying

The show was intense, exhausting and a ton of fun. I am so glad I went.

When they announced this year’s show I wasn’t quite in the mood for seeing them again (the exhausting part being the most vivid memory of the show).  But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t see them again maybe next year.

Bronze is a sychedelic synth-goth outfit whose album Absolute Compliance is to be released by Osees main guy John Dwyer’s Castle’s Face records.  Their earlier record was a bit more angular and choppy while the new song “People Watching People” is slower and synthier.

Read Full Post »

Spiritualized (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, September 22, 2022) [CANCELLED]

Posted in Cancelled, Philadelphia, PA, Spiritualized, Union Transfer on September 22, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[CANCELLED: September, 22, 2022] Spiritualized

I wasn’t entirely sure that I wanted to see Spiritualized live.  I really like their album Ladies and gentlemen We Are Floating in Space.  But I wasn’t sure how well they would translate live.  But I read some rave reviews of their live show, so I grabbed a ticket.

But it turned out that on that night Kathleen Edwards was playing at SOPAC.  I had seen her recently, but I had purchased two SOPAC tickets for my wife and I to see her, so Kathleen won out.

Interestingly, at 12:30 this afternoon, Union Transfer sent is this message

Hello! Thank you for purchasing a ticket to see Spiritualized this evening. We want to send this quick heads up, the band will go on right at 8pm and will finish just before 10pm. No opener this evening. One long set.

An hour before showtime, however, the show was cancelled because of a “medical emergency.”  They also cancelled the final two shows of the tour (in New Jersey and New York).

So I made the right choice–I would have been really mad to find out that while I Was driving to Philly, the show was cancelled and I therefore missed both shows.

Read Full Post »

Enter Shikari / Trash Boat / Aviva (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, September 18, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in AViVA, Enter: Shikari, Philadelphia, PA, Trash Boat, Union Transfer on September 18, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 18, 2022] Enter: Shikari / Trash Boat / Aviva

We’re almost entering into an area of bands that I considering seeing based on very little.

Sometimes, when a venue promotes a band pretty heavily it’s easy to get caught up in the hype.  There’s also a lot of bands that have been around for fifteen or twenty years that I completely missed when they had their popular surge.

Enter: Shikari (I think that I just like the colon in their name) has been around since 1999 and originally were kind of a screamo band that was really heavy but had lots of synth and electronic elements too.  It’s the kind of think I want to like but I tend to not, really.

It’s probably the kind of show I would go to where everyone is a diehard fan and I’d enjoy the songs but not know any of the songs.

I also didn’t realize they were British.

Trash Boat is from the same town as Enter: Shikari (St. Albans).  They are a heavy punk band with pop elements (although the vocals are more metal).  I wouldn’t have enjoyed this band as much–although I may have once.

AViVA is an Australian singer (and more–for a hilariously over the top hagiography, check out her fan wiki page).  Although this blurb is interesting:

Aviva Anastasia Payne, also known professonally as AViVA is Australian singer, songwriter, High School Teacher, and writer.

Her songs seem a little too poppy for this show, but she does include some heavier elements.  She’s probably be pretty interesting live.

Read Full Post »

Broken Social Scene / Jasmyn (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, October 12, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Andy Shauf, Marina Allen, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer on September 12, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 12, 2022] Broken Social Scene / Jasmyn

I can fall for hype when it comes to concerts.  I’m not going to see someone I don’t actually like or anything like that, but if there’s lots of excitement about a reunion or something, I can get swept up in it.

I really liked Broken Social Scene when they came out.  You Forget It in People was on steady rotation twenty years ago.  But I didn’t really listen to them at all in the last fifteen or so years.

This 20th anniversary tour was much hyped and I grabbed a ticket remembering how much I liked the album.  Although when I went back and listened to the album again I didn’t remember it all that well.

This show was in the middle of a busy week of shows and I felt like I could sacrifice this one to spare me having to go out every night of the week.

Reviews of the show and tour were quite good though and I wonder if I made the right call.   In an otherwise rave review, WXPN points out a few flaws at the show

An eight-member edition of their coterie faced mildly chaotic setbacks throughout their Union Transfer set, from Drew switching up songs on the fly as his voice grew more and more raw over two-plus hours, to a sound tech who kept rushing onstage to fidget with drum mics and synth inputs up to the last song of the main set. Though nothing ever reached the point of full collapse, the threat hovered; at one point there was an inexplicable loud BANG! from offstage and once it was clear nobody was injured, the show moved on.

But this makes me think I should have gone

But the moments that were great, were so great. Opening the show with People‘s opening run of songs was a thrill, from the barreling urgency of “KC Accidental” to the handclap-happy crowd participation of “Stars and Sons,” to Amy Millan of the band Stars rushing onstage in a whirlwind to sing “Almost Crimes,” play flute on “Looks Just Like The Sun” and generally contribute to the festivities for the rest of the night. It was the first show of tour where she was able to link up with the band, and she knocked it out of the park.

I love Amy Millan, and that would have been a cool surprise.

I was going to say I didn’t know who Jasmyn was, but the review says she was the singer in Weaves, a band I loved, and who were amazing live.  Her new sound is a bit more synth poppy, but I’ll bet she’s still dynamite live.

Read Full Post »

Built to Spill (Musikfest Cafe, Bethlehem, PA, September 4, 2022)

Posted in Bethlehem, PA, Blood Lemon, Built to Spill, Cate Le Bon, Daniel Johnston, Musikfest, Prism Bitch, Union Transfer on September 6, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: September 4, 2022] Built to Spill

I know that a Built to Spill show is going to be great.  But sometimes the crowd makes it hard to enjoy.  I was fairly sure this show would be poorly attended, and yet there were a lot of (drunk) people who knew Built to Spill very well.  Are they more popular than I realize?

I had seen them just four months earlier, but the opportunity to see them again at the reasonably close SteelStacks in Bethlehem meant that I was going to see them again.  I enjoyed his new lineup.  This is the third, possibly fourth lineup I’ve seen play with Doug.  Melanie Radford is now on bass (she also plays in Blood Lemon) and Teresa Esguerra on drums.

I love that Esguerra was on the side of the stage facing the other two (that’s how his band was set up with the previous trio as well).  This allowed for Esguerra  and Radford to communicate with each other while Doug was jamming.  And they had outstanding chemistry.

I hadn’t really gotten to see Radford much during Blood Lemon, but she totally let loose with Built to Spill.  Her bass playing was great and her sound was outstanding.  She also seemed to create some of the second-guitar melodies (instead of the bass lines) to make the songs sound even fuller. And then she would jump back with her hair flying a smile on her face.

I had seen Esguerra with Prism Bitch, but she was even more impressive tackling songs that I knew.  She was fast and powerful and seemed to be the engine pushing the songs forward not just keeping pace with them. (more…)

Read Full Post »

Neko Case / Sean Rowe (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, September 6, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Neko Case, Philadelphia, PA, The New Pornographers, Union Transfer on September 6, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 6, 2022] Neko Case / Sean Rowe

I had wanted to see Neko Case for a while.  But then a few years ago I got to see her with The New Pornographers, which was like double the fun.

When she announced this new solo tour, I thought it would be cool to see her again (even though she posted a kind of nasty message about people taking pictures at her shows).  However, this show wound up being the same night as the Arlo Parks show.  I had wanted to see Arlo Parks at the Foundry, but I thought the show was sold out (I understand tickets were available at the door).  So I opted to go to Arlo instead.

Sean Rowe is an alternative folk singer-songwriter and musician.  An avid naturalist, Rowe often speaks of his fascination with the woods and his connection to the land.

I hadn’t heard of him but he sound like a good fit with Neko.  However, when I listened to his song online, I hated his deep, slow vocal style.

 

Read Full Post »

Boris / Nothing (Union Transfer, Philadelphia PA, September 1, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Boris, Nothing, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer on September 1, 2022| 5 Comments »

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 1, 2022] Boris / Nothing

I came to the Boris part way too late.  They’ve been melting faces for over 25 years and I really only found them about five years ago.  They were on the verge of breaking up, in fact, when they were inspired to make some new music and to keep touring.

I so wanted to get to this show (which would have been my third). But, it was scheduled for the same night as a Kurtis Conner show that my daughter wanted to go to.

I have to assume that Boris will be back at least one more time (since there’s a new album in the works already).

Nothing is a shoegaze band from Philadelphia.

I was a little surprised that Boris would have a shoegaze band open for them since in the past, they’ve had some pretty heavy rockers open up.  But I listened and Nothing is quite heavy.

I’m a little puzzled when shoegaze became associated with heavy metal.  I know there are many metal bands who successfully use shoegaze elements, but I would never have had a blanket association with metal given its origins.   My Bloody Valentine is certainly loud, but not really heavy.

Either way, this would have been a great show.

 

Read Full Post »

Los Campesinos! / Proper. (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, August 27, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Los Campesinos!, Philadelphia, PA, Proper., Union Transfer on August 27, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: August 27, 2022] Los Campesinos! / Proper

I have been a fan of Los Campesinos! (who are actually Welsh) since their debut album.

But I have never seen them live.

I was really surprised to see that they were playing Philly, but I see that they have come to Philly in 2017 and 2018.  So I hope they will come in 2023 or 2024 (even if they haven’t put out a record since 2017).

I had never heard of Proper. But they sound amazing.

“Our bio says, ‘Just three n**gas making prog rock, don’t overthink it.’ It’s been changing with our sound,” frontman Erik Garlington laughs. Originally named the Great White, Proper. are a collective accustomed to change. And as the trio – completed by Natasha Johnson and Elijah Watson – have continued to pave their way in the alternative scene, they’ve become even more forthright. After being told they “talk white… like, real proper”, the band switched up their name and ran with it. Now, in their latest polemic American epic, Proper. ditch their off-hand humour and embark on unravelling the emotional weight behind everyday Black American identity.

Having played emo, pop-punk, hardcore and everything in-between, Proper. are continuing to carve their own sonic stamp. [like on] their recent, Bartees Strange-produced record, The Great American Novel.

I couldn’t believe that the Ben Folds show was rescheduled to this night.  (And it wasn’t all that great because the audience was terrible).

So, now I want to see both bands tour again soon.

 

Read Full Post »

Peter Hook & the Light / El Ten Eleven (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, August 26, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in El Ten Eleven, Joy Division, New Order, Peter Hook & The Light, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer on August 26, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: August 26, 2022] Peter Hook & the Light / El Ten Eleven

This was a show I hated to miss.  Since I had blown off Pet Shop Boys & New Order earlier in the year, I figured at least I’d get to see Peter Hook do the songs (although this tour was largely Joy Division).

Plus I really wanted to see El Ten Eleven, a duo who plays amazingly complex songs using all kinds of pedals and other gadgets.  In videos they are impressive to watch.  I have really wanted to see them live.

This double bill was amazing.  And I had gotten tickets for my wife and I as soon as they went on sale.

Then The Decemberists announced a show on the day before this.  And Ben Folds rescheduled his show to the date after this.  And my wife would rather see those two (both seated, thank you very much).  And she wouldn’t do three nights out in a row.  She probably wouldn’t have liked El Ten Eleven anyhow.

I’m not sure if Peter Hook will tour again, but I really want to see El Ten Eleven.

Read Full Post »

Camp Cope / Petal (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, July 23, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Camp Cope, Petal, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer on July 23, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 21, 2023] Camp Cope / Petal

UPDATE: Camp Cope broke up in Feb. 2023, so I’ll never see them.

Camp Cope is an Australian punk band whose music is described as ‘rough, minimal rock [with] a punk edge’, and whose lyrics ‘articulate human entanglements with a lack of sentimentality that belies how much [McDonald] cares.’

So, basically, they’re a really earnest punk band.  They have a huge following although I haven’t fully gotten into them yet.  I’d heard their live show were great so I was looking forward to seeing them.

However, this show was on the same night as Beach House which all four of us were going to see, so there was no way this was happening.

I’ve seen Petal twice.  Here’s what I said last time:

Petal is the creation of Kiley Lotz from Scranton, PA.  She has released a few albums and an EP (all on bandcamp).  Her recorded output has a somewhat heavier alternapop sound–there’s some great bass on her records.

I really enjoyed her solo set–her voice was beautiful and her songcraft was really great.  But having listened to her records, i imagined she’d be even more fun with a band.

And she certainly was.  She rocked harder for sure and I really liked the drummer’s backing vocals.

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »