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Archive for the ‘Union Transfer’ Category

La Luz (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, December 4, 2025) [PORTUGAL. THE MAN]

Posted in La Luz, Philadelphia, PA, Portugal The Man, Union Transfer on December 4, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: January 28, 2026] La Luz

I grabbed tickets to the Portugal. The Man show and was really excited that La Luz was opening for them.

I know La Luz from a live Levitation recording that I really dig.  I don’t know a lot more about the band aside from the basic bio.  They are from Seattle and are known for their “surf noir” style, with layered vocal harmonies.  The blurb says their “energetic live shows often include Soul Train-inspired dance contests and crowd surfing.”

As and opening band it’s unlikely that you’ll elicit that kind of response, but the crowd did really enjoy them.

I had an ADA seat so I wasn’t worried about trying to get too close to the stage.  And since I had a few minutes I checked out the booths that PTM had in the lobby. There were some great causes including their own book publishing label.  I saw some excellent bandanas for sale with the money going to good causes, so I bought two.  But the guy selling them to me was so slow!  It felt like he needed to tell me the origin of each one and where the money was going to and, I don’t know, the serial number.  And while he was doing this La Luz started.  So I missed the beginning and some of I Wanna Be Alone.  I could hear through the doors, but boy was I annoyed.

So La Luz has been around since 2012.  They were founded by Shana Cleveland who sings and plays guitar.  She is a great front woman, clearly having a great deal of fun.  She does play a kind of surf guitar, but that is mostly due to the vibrato.  Some songs are clearly not surfy at all, like Poppies.  But the guitar has that classic vibrato sound.

Anyhow, I got to my seat as that first song was ending and they moved right on to Call Me in the Day, a slower statelier song with lots of keys from Maryam Qudus.  For even though there is kind of a punky edge to the band, they are all about harmonies and cool sounds.  Plus, during the keyboard solo, Shana and bass Lee Johnson did a spinning dance routine. (more…)

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Cletus Strap (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, December 3, 2025) [EARL SWEATSHIRT]

Posted in Cletus Strap, Earl Sweatshirt, Liv.E, Niontay, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer, ZeLooperz on December 3, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: December 3, 2025] Cletus Strap

After seeing Tyler the Creator earlier this year, I thought my daughter might also enjoy seeing Earl Sweatshirt, his former partner in Odd Future.

What was fascinating was that Tyler’s show was MASSIVE.  He sold out Wells Fargo Center.  He had two stages, lots of lights, and a whole routine.  Earl’s show was at Union Transfer and didn’t even have a backdrop.  There was no light show, just the venue’s lights.  And all of that is totally fine, it was just such a contrast.

It was also interesting that there were FIVE artists on the bill and I hadn’t heard of any but Earl.

There was a table in the middle of  the stage.  There was a DJ (possibly unnamed).  He had a laptop or two.

Up first was Cletus Strap. (more…)

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Sanguisugabogg / Despised Icon / Defeated Sanuty / Corpse Pile (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, November 29, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Corpse Pile, Defeated Sanity, Despised Icon, Emma Harner, Leith Ross, Philadelphia, PA, Sanguisugabogg, Union Transfer on November 29, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: November 29, 2025] Sanguisugabogg / Despised Icon / Defeated Sanity / Corpse Pile

There’s a few reasons why I like Sanguisugabogg and none have to do with their music.  Most of it is their social media presenceand thatthey have some kind of sense of humor. I also love that their name is crazy and their logo is impossible to read because their name is so weird.  They play death metal.  Lots of death metal.

Despised Icon is a Montreal based deathcore band.  So lots of growing and lots of really fast drums.  The drums in MVP sound impossible fast to me (and also don’t sound very heavy).

Defeated Sanity is a German technical death metal band.  They throw n some fascinating prog rock elements and then blow it all away with really fast parts and really deep growling vocals.

Corpse Pile is from Houston.  They are heavy, slow, and heavy.  The singer sings in the slowest growling manner I think I’ve ever heard.

I like a little death metal now and again.  This evening would have destroyed me.  Possibly just seeing a whole show by Sanguisugabogg would have destroyed me.

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Ghost Funk Orchestra (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, November 19, 2025) [PSYCHEDELIC PORN CRUMPETS]

Posted in Ghost Funk Orchestra, Philadelphia, PA, Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, Union Transfer on November 19, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: November 19, 2025] Ghost Funk Orchestra

I was really excited to see the Psychedelic Porn Crumpets again.  I had no idea who might be the support act (last time it was Acid Dad which was awesome).  I didn’t know who Ghost Funk Orchestra was and wasn’t really sure what to expect, but the name is fairly apt.

They are an orchestra–at least on stage there were some nine people up there.  Although Ghost Funk Orchestra is the brainchild of composer/multi-instrumentalist Seth Applebaum and it started as a one man band.

But for our show on the right side of the stage were a trumpeter, a baritone sax player (Stephen Chen, the only person whose name I got because he was very very popular–he also plays with San Fermin) and a trombonist.  Their bass player stood with them as well.

I was delighted with how no one in the band looked like anyone else–Chen dressed in a button down shirt and the bass player wearing what looked like a cowboy outfit with large silver buttons (stars?) down the outside of his pants.  The trombonist had long hair an a beard while most everyone else had short hair.  It felt like a motley crew thrown together to make great music. (more…)

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Geese / Dove Ellis (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, November 13, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Dove Ellis, Geese, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer on November 13, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: November 13, 2025] Geese / Dove Ellis

My wife and I saw Geese open for Vampire Weekend back in May.  It was about a month before they really blew up.  They had a couple of singles that I’d heard and I loved Cowboy Nudes.  Soon after this show they released Getting Killed and became the most popular band in America.

I probably should have gone to this show because I’m sure the next time they play Philly it will be at a much bigger venue.  I’m not as 100% about them as everyone else is.  I like them more and more as I hear more and more.  But I am genuinely puzzled at why they are so popular.  I mean, they are really weird.  Musically they are fantastic though.  And live they were really great.  Yea, I probably should have gone to this one.

Dove Ellis has started to get a bunch of airplay on WXPN but I didn’t know anything about them.  He’s an Irish folk singer named Thomas O’Donoghue.  I can hear a vague connection to Geese in Dove Ellis’ sound (not that I think they influenced him or anything).  He’s got an alt folk sound and is catchy but a little weird.  I’m curious to see how much more popular he gets.

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Wednesday / Daffo (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, November 10, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Daffo, Leith Ross, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer, Wednesday on November 10, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: November 10, 2025] Wednesday / Daffo

Wednesday were supposed to open for Beach Bunny at The Fillmore in 2023.  They bailed on the show and I was a little bummed because I had heard good things about them.  They played Union Trasnfer last year and I didn’t go.  I really like the fuzzy guitars and largely grunge sound, but there’s a kind of alt-country vibe that underpins their sound that I just can’t get past.  They have a lap steel guitar (which I either love or hate depending on how it’s used) and are often described as merging shoegaze and country.  The more I hear the less grungy they sound so I decided against this one.

My daughter and I saw Daffo open for Sr Chloe last year.  Since then she opened for Blondshell at Union Transfer in June and now she’s back again.  I’m glad she’s getting to open in bigger venues.

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Grandson / Ho99o9 (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, November 8, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Bob Vylan, grandson, Ho99o9, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer on November 8, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: November 8, 2025] Grandson / Ho99o9

Two years ago, my son and I saw grandson and he was great.  It was a stellar show.  So when he announced a new tour this year I grabbed us both a ticket.

We didn’t go when he came back two years ago and  was surprised that my son didn’t want to go this year. I guess he doesn’t listen to grandson anymore.  I thought his new album was really good.

Initially Bob Vylan was supposed to open, but they wer embroiled in a controversy that prevented them from coming to the U.S.

Bob Vylan is under investigation in the U.K. and banned from performing in the U.S., after its singer led anti-Israeli military chants during a BBC live broadcast of the Glastonbury arts festival.

That seems pretty mild to prevent someone from coming to the U.S., but we live in crazy times.  I’m just listening to them now and they’re really good.  I’m sure the publicity is great (that’s how I know them) but I hope they can get out from under the thumb of the man.

Ho99o9 is an punk rap duo founded in 2012 in Newark, New Jersey by theOGM and Yeti Bones. They relocated to Los Angeles in 2014.   They are very intense–sometimes too much for me.  Although I gather their live show is insane.  One review said

Tonight’s show was the definition of insanity, bodies flying all around the room, mosh pits opening up anywhere there was available space; Ho99o9 have been able to secure some of the most dedicated and passionate fans in the scene, no matter where they play no doubt there will be fans there to listen!

They might overwhelm grandson who is very cool, but much more low key.

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Boris: Do You Remember Pink Days? Tour (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, November 2, 2025)

Posted in Boris, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer on November 3, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: November 2, 2025] Boris

It’s fascinating to think that Boris almost called it quits a few years ago.  Since then they have shown a seriously revitalized interest in touring and revisiting their older albums.

This tour was the 20th anniversary of their classic Pink.  But the tour was titled Do You Remember Pink Days? because they threw in some other songs from the same year (they were quite prolific in 2005).

They also didn’t play the album front to back which was an interesting choice except that there are several different versions of the album so there is no real definitive track listing or anything else.  (You’d have to be crazy to try to be a Boris completist).

They had some fun merch and I debated buying one of Wata’s cute frog stuffed animals, but I didn’t.  And I still kind of regret it.

After the glory of Agriculture faded away, the stage was set–Atsuo’s gong brought close to the front (it was just the trio again for this tour).  I was right in front of Takeshi and his doubleneck bass/guitar and I was pretty far from Wata who seemed to be shrouded in fog for most of the show.  I tend to be on Takeshi’s side more often than not because I think the fanboys really like to be near Wata.  But as it turns out, Takeshi sings a lot of this album, so it was a good place to see all the action. (more…)

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Leith Ross / Emma Harner (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, November 3, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Emma Harner, Leith Ross, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer on November 3, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: November 3, 2025] Leith Ross / Emma Harner

My daughter and I saw Leith Ross at All Things Go two years ago.  I hadn’t heard of her so I had to look up information about them.  Leith Ross is based in Winnipeg and identifies as non-binary, transgender, and queer, and uses they/them pronouns.  They recorded their debut EP, Motherwell (2020), while studying at Humber College, and subsequently found success on TikTok, most prominently with the song “We’ll Never Have Sex” in August 2021.

I know that TikTok fame is real, but i was surprised to see them playing Union Transfer which seems like a pretty large venue for a folkie artist.  But again, what do I know.

Leith’s voice reminds me of Juliana Hatfield’s–kind of childish and sweet but with a bite underneath.  Leith’s more popular songs seem to be slow and while I liked them, I wouldn’t go to a headline show of theirs.

Emma Harner is based in Boston.   She has a gorgeous guitar sound (reminds me of Laura Marling).  She sings beautifully too.  A delightful folk artist.  I’d like to listen to he at an outdoor festival.

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Agriculture (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, November 2, 2025) [BORIS]

Posted in Agriculture, Boris, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer on November 2, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: November 2, 2025] Agriculture

I had never heard of Agriculture, but I knew that Boris’ opening bands could be pretty intense.  And that was the case here.  They call their music ecstatic black metal and that description, while slightly vague, is really spot on.  There is screaming and growling, speed and heaviness but also a lot of brightness and beauty.

They came out with an absolute blast of noise–screaming  guitars slamming drums and after a minute, guttural growls.  It was intense and a bit overwhelming.

And then imagine when two minutes in, the song shifted to a simply strummed and quietly sung section (that still had super fast drumming).  The quiet music remained but the growling guttural vocals continued.  And then back to the melodic part again.

I was standing in front of singer Dan Meyer who had a big beard and did a full body stomp each time the song was about to kick in. (more…)

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