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Archive for the ‘Union Transfer’ Category

Indigo De Souza / Horse Jumper Of Love / Friendship (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, January 30, 2022) [rescheduled]

Posted in Cancelled, Friendship, Horse Jumper of Love, Indigo De Souza, Lucy Dacus, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer on January 30, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: January 30, 2022] Indigo De Souza / Horse Jumper Of Love / Friendship [moved to May 2, 2022]

indexIndigo De Souza is a new (to me) musician who I heard about on NPR music.  Her song “Kill Me” is outstanding.  A great dynamic of sounds, very funny lyrics and memorable hooks.  I loved it immediately.  She announced a tour soon after I’d heard it and I grabbed a ticket to see her headline tour (!).

She’s ben making music since she was like 9 with a few EPs and a previous album.  I imagine she’ll be a fun and wild performer.

On January 13, Union Transfer announced:

Indigo has decided it’s best for all involved to move their tour to a few weeks later in the year. The Philly show will now take place at Union Transfer on May 2nd

That’s not too far off.

I hadn’t heard of either of the opening acts (such is the case when the headliner is fairy new herself).  (more…)

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Best Coast / Rosie Tucker (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, January 29, 2022 and Asbury Lanes, Asbury Park, NJ, January 27, 2022) [CANCELLED]

Posted in Asbury Lanes, Asbury Park, NJ, Best Coast, Cancelled, Mannequin Pussy, Philadelphia, PA, Rosie Tucker, Union Transfer on January 29, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[CANCELLED: March 20, 2020] Best Coast / Rosie Tucker [CANCELLED]

indexI had tickets to see Best Coast at Union Transfer in March 2020.  I like them although I was more interested in seeing their opening act Mannequin Pussy.

They were one of the first bands to cancel their tour outright back in May 2020 rather than rescheduling dates.

They announced a new tour for 2022 back in June.  I’d have rather seen them in Asbury Lanes, but that show was on the same night as our War on Drugs show.  So I considered going to the Union Transfer show.  It was supposed to be a busy week of shows, so I wasn’t sure I’d want to go or not.

But on January 6, the band announced they were cancelling the tour

Best Coast is canceling its upcoming tour in support of its “Always Tomorrow” album due to COVID concerns.

The tour was set to kick off on Jan. 11 at the Catalyst Club in Santa Cruz, California. The SoCal indie-pop group — consisting of singer-songwriter-guitarist Bethany Cosentino and multi-instrumentalist Bobb Bruno —was scheduled to hit August Hall in San Francisco as well as such cities as Chicago, Toronto, Seattle and Los Angeles.

“We are devastated to announce that our upcoming Finally Tomorrow tour is unfortunately canceled,” the band posted on Twitter. “It was an incredibly difficult decision to make, but one that we ultimately felt was right.

“The last two years have been so difficult for us as a band (and the entire world) — and we appreciate your support through it all.”

“Our last show was in Chicago (on March 11, 2020). It was about two weeks into a monthlong tour.  We had obviously been hearing a lot about COVID. But I think when you are on tour you exist in such a bubble of just what’s going on in the tour landscape. We were all kind of like, ‘OK, like I guess we’ll see what will happen with this.’ I fully didn’t think that the world was truly about to shut down. I did not see that coming whatsoever.”

“At this time, we are not rescheduling any of these dates, as the rollercoaster of the reschedule-announcement-cancelation cycle we’ve been stuck in is incredibly exhausting (for you too I’m sure!) and we just need a moment to decompress. We love you SO much and we hope to safely see you soon. Hang in there. love, bethany and bobb”

(more…)

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The Black Angels / L.A. Witch (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, January 28, 2022) [POSTPONED]

Posted in Coronavirus, L.A. Witch, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, The Black Angels, Union Transfer on January 28, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: January 28, 2022] The Black Angels / L.A. Witch [moved to October 18, 2022]

index

I really got into The Black Angels with their 2013 album Indigo Meadow.   I’ve recently been enjoying their Live at Levitation vinyl.

They’re just one of a bunch of younger bands who are exploring psychedelic music in a heavier vein than the original psychedelic bands.  And I like it a lot.  Plus they are supposed to put on a trippy show.

I mean, their post says

HERE is an incredible show. It will shock and amaze you.

And a poster would never lie. (more…)

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Chicano Batman (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, December 15, 2021) [rescheduled date, rescheduled again]

Posted in Chicano Batman, Los Retros, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer on December 16, 2021| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: December 15, 2021] Chicano Batman [rescheduled from May 3, 2020 and June 16, 2021]

I’ve enjoyed a bunch of Chicano Batman songs over the last few years.  When I saw the Tiny Desk concert, they seemed so cool, that I really wanted to see them live.

This show was postponed twice.  I waited until a couple of weeks before the show to get tickets, and I had no idea it would be my last show before COVID struck again.

The band started in a delightful way.  The (new) keyboardist came out first followed by their (absolutely insane) drummer Gabriel Villa.  The keyboardist started hitting a cowbell and Villa laid down a funky beat while bassist Eduardo Arenas and guitarist Carlos Arévalo came out to rapturous applause.  Moments later, singer Bardo Martinez came on stage in an Adidas tracksuit.

The band used to dress in full matching suits, so this was a bit of a surprise.  I was also surprised at how mellow and low key Martinez was.  I would almost say he wasn’t into the show, but he definitely was.  I guess he’s just a low-key kind of guy.

I had moved away from the center of the stage because a bunch of people wouldn’t leave their masks on.  I wound up in front of Arévalo who was a lot of fun to watch (his solo during “Color My Life” was awesome).  But to me, Chicano Batman is all about the bass lines.  Arenas lays down great lines and his sound was fantastic. (more…)

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Los Retros (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, December 15, 2021) [rescheduled date, rescheduled again] [CHICANO BATMAN]

Posted in Chicano Batman, Crumb, Inner Wave, Le Butcherettes, Los Retros, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer on December 15, 2021| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: December 15, 2021] Los Retros / Le Butcherettes / Inner Wave / Crumb [rescheduled from May 3, 2020 and June 16, 2021]

This band had several different opening acts planned over the many different shows.  I knew Le Butcherettes, but not Inner Wave or Crumb.  When I walked in, I wasn’t even sure who was opening, although I did note that the signs announced Los Retros.

Los Retros is Mauri Tapia, from Oxnard CA.  For this show, he had a bassist and a drummer (my little brother) with him.

Tapia started on guitar and I could hear right away why they were called Los Retros.  They played a retro sound–shimmery guitars and a soft rocking sound.  The three of them were very tight with the bassist keeping a nice low end while Tapia plays some really wicked solos.  The songs varied between upbeat and slower–but the vibe was the same.

I was amazed to see that all of the people around me were singing along.

After three or so songs on guitar Tapia switched to keyboards and the rest of the set took on a very different feel–more of a smooth, soft rock vibe.  One that I didn’t like as much (I really didn’t like his keyboard sound).

But that’s because the retro in the name doesn’t apply to me.

Al Dia News notes:

The name ‘Los Retros’ pays homage to the Chilean pop group, Los Ángeles Negros — “the black angels” in English — which originally formed in 1968. …  Los Retros had a quick rise to stardom after the release of his single “Someone To Spend Time With.”

I didn’t enjoye the second half as much, but the first half of the set was great–Tapia’s guitar chops are right on.

~~~

Le Butcherettes I also know from a Tiny Desk Concert.  Teri Gender Bender is a great punk front woman. She channels different vocal styles and can rock with the best of them.  She is also unafraid to stare at the audience.  I imagine she’d be an intense experience.

Inner Wave is a five-piece ensemble, and three of the bandmates – lead vocalist and guitarist Pablo Sotelo, bassist and vocalist Jean Pierre Narvaez, and guitarist and keyboard player Elijah Trujillo – go all the way back to middle school. Some back-in-the-day homies left the band in 2016, and keyboardist Chris Runners and drummer Luis Portillo joined the group. But their departure from the original line up hasn’t thrown off the band’s energy in the slightest, as evident in their most recent full-length release, last summer’s Underwater Pipe Dreams. The 18-track LP is the best testament to Inner Wave as they are now: an indie rock quintet who seamlessly float between psychedelic and synthwave sounds, poised for a breakthrough.

Indie Current described Crumb‘s sound on ‘Locket’ as psychedelic slacker-rock.[11] Paste Magazine called their sound a meld of “60s psych, loose jazz, and freeform indie rock into a soothing pop amalgamation.” Others describe them as psychedelic jazzy Lofi dream pop.

 

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100 gecs / Tony Velour (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, November 7 & 8, 2021) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in 100 gecs, Philadelphia, PA, Tony Velour, Union Transfer on December 7, 2021| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: December 7 & 8, 2021] 100 gecs / Tony Velour

My son played us “Stupid Horse” a while ago and I thought it was crazy–funny, catchy, irritating–a perfectly weird pop song.  When they announced a tour, I asked him if he wanted to go and he laughed and said no.

I looked up a concert review to see what their show was like and people said they played their entire catalog, which was like 30 minutes.  And that was it.

Crazy.

I wasn’t going to go either, but the idea of the show makes me smile.  (Turns out they played for 50 minutes at this show).

Tony Velour is a rapper I’ve never heard of.  Apparently he has partnered with the gecs for something or other.

 

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Dinosaur Jr. (Union Transfer, Philadelphia PA, November 18, 2021)

Posted in Dinosaur Jr., J. Mascis, Lou Barlow, Philadelphia, PA, Ryley Walker, The Cure, Union Transfer, Vagabon on November 21, 2021| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: November 18, 2021] Dinosaur Jr.

Back in March when concerts were just starting to happen again, Dinosaur Jr were first out of the gate to announce a fall tour. I grabbed a ticket and it sold out almost instantly (yes, we were desperate for live music!).

I was excited more about the show than the fact that it was Dinosaur Jr.  The last time I saw them ( I can’t believe it was five years ago) the show was so good, I felt like didn’t really need to see them again.

Except for one thing.  The two shows I’d seen with them I was too close to the stage.  The guys’ amps are so loud that you can barely hear the vocals (bassist Lou Barlow even yelled at the people up front who complained–“stand father back, it’s physics!”).  So I wanted to stand further back to get the full Dino experience.

After being right up on the stage for Riley, I walked to the back and took up a spot in the middle of the room (I couldn’t voluntarily go all the way to the back).

And it was a much more enjoyable experience–except for the people around me.  There were a couple of really tall guys who just wouldn’t budge an inch. There were also a lot of loud people, including a guy who kept shouting “Just Like Heaven” (as if Dinosaur Jr is a band who takes requests). (more…)

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Ryley Walker (Union Transfer, Philadelphia PA, November 18, 2021) [DINOSAUR JR.]

Posted in Dinosaur Jr., Philadelphia, PA, Ryley Walker, Union Transfer on November 20, 2021| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: November 26, 2016] Dinosaur Jr.

I’ve seen Ryley Walker twice before this (and one time when he played lead guitar for Nap Eyes).  Every time I’ve seen him, it’s been a totally different experience.

The first time, back in 2018 (when Walker had long hair and a beard), he was on stage with Bill MacKay.  They jammed a bunch of songs and Walker was really funny.

Most of the songs were instrumental, but one, “Telluride Speed” was a fairly conventional song and super catchy.

I saw him again at the end of 2019 as part of a post Phish concert in NYC.   He looked totally different, with short hair, no beard and a winter hat.

He had a four piece, with Ryan Jewell on drums.  It was mostly lengthy guitar solos and lots of improv.  Walker has some wild noisy guitar skills and I was right up there watching him.

For this show, it was again a four piece.  Ryan Jewell was on drums again (he’s the main reason I wanted to go) and Bill McKay was on co-lead guitar.  I’m not sure who was on bass. (more…)

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Beach Bunny (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, November 11, 2021)

Posted in Beach Bunny, First Unitarian Church, Katy Perry, Miloe, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer on November 14, 2021| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: November 11, 2021] Beach Bunny [rescheduled from March 28, 2020 at First Unitarian Church and then May 24, 2020 at Union Transfer]

When my kids were little I was always driving around to some activity or another.  Well, how psyched was I to be able to drive one kids to a concert last night and another kids to a concert tonight?  And both were for bands I like, too!

I didn’t realize the full history of this show for Beach Bunny.  When the tour was first scheduled, they were supposed to play at the First Unitarian Church.  At some point, the venue was switched to Union Transfer, which is a pretty huge jump.  Then it was postponed for a year and a half and by that time she had built up such a big fanbase that the show sold out.

I’m not sure when my daughter had gotten into Beach Bunny, but I knew of them from some buzz on NPR.  I’m not sure I Would have gone to this show on my own, but I was pretty psyched to go once we got tickets.

Beach Bunny was a project for Lili Trifilio which eventually expanded to include Jon Alvarado on drums, Matt Henkels on guitar and Anthony Vaccaro on bass.

I told my daughter that we should be able to get up pretty close to the stage.  Wrong!  This sold out show was not going to hold back.  I told my daughter that the crowd would probably be a lot of short girls (which I have found to be true at certain younger bands).  Wrong!  There were people of varying (and large) heights crowding around to see this band which was getting pretty hyped of late.

The set was pretty spare with two video game cabinets on either side of the stage.  But Beach Bunny did not skimp on lights.  Each song had a different feel to it, with a song in the middle of the set featuring simply a spinning disco ball.

Lili was a great front woman, she was sweet and engaging.  It must be a weird feeling being that young and having a big room hanging on your every word and knowing all of them.  She wasn’t especially animated–that job seemed to belong to bassist Vaccaro whose big haor and frame provided for a lot of movement on the far side of the stage.

She played songs from all through her career (which was much longer than I was aware of).  Although I think the biggest responses came from the album songs and the new EP, Blame Game.

Even though I’ve been to Union Transfer a lot, I let her choose where we would stand–I’d already been wrong about two assumptions.  I tried to encourage her to push into open spots, but she was too shy.  Rather, she chose a spot near the side of the stage which ha a pretty good view and also allowed us to not participate in the one big crowd participation moment.

There’s the original poster for this tour back in 2020).

She went all the way back to her first release, Animalism for “Six Weeks.” They lowered the lights and Lili asked everyone to squat down and hold it.  She played the quiet intro to “Six Weeks” and when the vocals kicked in everyone jumped to their feet.

Her songs were so catchy and fun and yet lyrically they had a message of empowerment for the young girls.

I was kind of surprised that my daughter wasn’t dancing and going nuts with the other girls (who were probably a little older than her), but I could tell she was having a great time from the way she kept inching closer and closer as the show went on.  And the way she insisted on getting pictures taken in the venue and in front of the stage.  It was pretty sweet.

As was the fact that she wanted to buy a vinyl single (I’ve started her on a vinyl path already, gods help me).

They encore featured a fun version of Katy Perry’s “Hot n Cold” which everyone more than happily sang along to.  The final song was a rocking “Painkiller.”  And then it was over.  But we got home early enough that she could easily make it to school the next day wearing her Beach Bunny sweatshirt.

  1. Prom Queen ♣
  2. Love Sick ⇔
  3. Cuffing Season Ø
  4. Oxygen
  5. Promises Ø
  6. Good Girls (Don’t Get Used) ⇔
  7. April Ø
  8. Rearview Ø
  9. Entropy [new]
  10. 6 Weeks ∀
  11. Dream Boy Ø
  12. Nice Guys ⇔
  13. Colorblind Ø
  14. February ©
  15. Sports ♣
  16. Blame Game ⇔
  17. Boys ©
  18. Cloud 9 Ø
    encore
  19. Hot n Cold (Katy Perry cover)
  20. Painkiller ♣

⇔ Blame Game EP (2021)
Ø Honeymoon (2020)
♣ Prom Queen EP (2018)
© Crybaby (2017)
∀ ANIMALISM EP (2015)

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Miloe (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, November 11, 2021) [BEACH BUNNY]

Posted in Beach Bunny, Miloe, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer on November 13, 2021| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: November 11, 2021] Miloe

When my kids were little I was always driving around to some activity or another.  Well, how psyched was I to be able to drive one kids to a concert last night and another kids to a concert tonight?  And both were for bands I like, too!

I didn’t know Miloe, and they were a little hard to get details about because the band is so young.  Miloe is the brainchild of 20 year old Congolese immigrant Bobby Kabeya.

He put out an EP called Greenhouse during the pandemic and has had a few other songs percolating for a while.

Bobby was a great frontman.  He told us that these shows were the first time he’s played in clubs–his previous touring experience was house parties. Obviously this was his first time away from Minneapolis, too.

Miloe’s record is full of laid back, breezy indie pop with pretty guitar melodies and delicate vocals delicately delivered over songs “influenced by Congolese rumba, reggae and African folk sounds.”

Bobby was quick to smile and marvel at where he was.  But he was also quick to totally rock out.

Most of the songs had a soft shimmering guitar sound.  Interlocking guitar lines from the two guitars fleshed out the sound.  But a song like “Yellow” started out quietly, like a sweet summer song complete with some “la las” and then it just crashed away into a satisfying noisy conclusion, with both guitarists going nuts.

The one thing that made me laugh was that Bobby’s bassist was easily a foot taller than him, so when they stood next to each other it was quite dramatic.

I found out this fun tidbit.  He wrote his song “Winona” about Winona Ryder.  But, and here’s the fun twist, he discovered her through Stranger Things, not one of her Gen X projects.   The song is about how a friend of his looks like her.

I didn’t catch all of the songs he played, but I know he played “Winona,” “Yellow” and “Motorola.”

I really enjoyed his set.

 

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