Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Wellmont Theater’ Category

Poppy (Wellmont Theater, Montclair, NJ, September 4, 2025)

Posted in Montclair, NJ, MSPaint, Poppy, UnityTX, Wellmont Theater on September 7, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: September 4, 2025] Poppy

Five months ago I saw Poppy play at the Fillmore.  I didn’t realize it was only five months ago, but it makes sense that this is still the same tour.  On the way to the show it started raining and as I drove around Montclair looking for a handicapped spot, I was sure I’d be really late.  Then one showed up in front of the library.  But right after I got out of the car the skies opened up and I got soaked.   Good grief.

Last time I wrote

I didn’t know how crowded it would be (somewhat), nor how enthusiastic the crowd would be (very).

And it was the same tonight.  The show definitely wasn’t sold out, but the crowd was really intense–two young girls sat in front of me and apologized saying they were going to stand a lot–which they did.

Seated?  Yes.  I had GA pit tickets, but they kindly shuffled me to the ADA seated section which was great for the first two bands, but behind too many tall people for Poppy so I wound up standing as well.

Before the show started, a giant keyhole appeared on the screen above the stage and an eye (Poppy’s I assume) looked out at us.

And then the masked band came out on stage, followed by Poppy who was wearing a white outfit with longish pants that looked like old fashioned knickers.

The setup was different from last time.  Last time Poppy was off to the side somewhat, but this time she was right up front, stalking the stage and being pretty cool.

But the songs were more or less the same.  Like last time she opened with “have you had enough?” which I once again thought sounds a ton like Garbage, even the heavy part sounds like Garbage, but with a more metal than alt sound.  Although there is a lot of absolute screaming at the end which is uniquely Poppy.

I love the insanity of BLOODMONEY with her singing “beg for forgiveness from Jesus the Christ” over and over while the band played all manner of weird sounds.   For V.A.N. (violence against nature) the opening was quiet with Poppy’s gentlest vocals (including a whispered line), until the band bashed out the chords.  Poppy sang really fast lyrics with ease.  I have just learned that this song was written by Bad Omens with the intention of Poppy singing it. (more…)

Read Full Post »

UnityTX (Wellmont Theater, Montclair, NJ, September 4, 2025) [POPPY]

Posted in Montclair, NJ, MSPaint, Poppy, UnityTX, Wellmont Theater on September 6, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: September 4, 2025] UnityTX

I was under the impression that MSPaint was the only opening band for this show (and I thought I might get home by like 11).  Then this afternoon I found out that UnityTX was also opening.  I’d never heard of them.  I listened to a bit of a song and heard that they were very heavy and rather screamy.  So I was ready with earplugs in.

And then they came out on stage and proceeded to rip the roof off the place.  Even though I didn’t know them, their sound was so much more alive than MSPaint’s.  Was it because there was a guitarist instead of a synth?  Or maybe it was because lead singer Jay Webster had stage presence galore.

He got people to do a circle pit, he got the audience to sing along and to even have a right side/left side “battle.”

We were on the side of bassist Kendrick Nicholson whose low end was amazing.  Kendrick also added some intense backing vocals.   I couldn’t really see guitarist Ricky Cova until he bounced around the stage, but his sharp and heavy guitar sound was fantastic.

I’ll be a little prudish and say there were too many f words in the songs–but It was more just overuse that made the lyrics seem less powerful.

But like Rage Against the Machine, they repeated parts a lot, which made it easy to sing along to. (more…)

Read Full Post »

MSPaint (Wellmont Theater, Montclair, NJ, September 4, 2025) [POPPY]

Posted in Montclair, NJ, MSPaint, Poppy, UnityTX, Wellmont Theater on September 5, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: September 4, 2025] MSPaint

I was under the impression that MSPaint was the only opening band for this show (UnityTX was added later).  I listened to them and was mildly intrigued.

When I arrived at the Wellmont, the parking sucked and it was raining really hard.  By the time I got into the building, I think MSPaint was just about to start.  When I entered the foyer, the nice lady there told me to stand by the side and she’d get someone to help me to the ADA section (I didn’t know they had one).  But it was pretty chaotic an took awhile for them to get me to my seat.  By the time I was seated MSPaint was about half way done.

So MSPaint is a kind of metal/punk band that has NO GUITAR PLAYER (gasp!).  They have bass (Randy Riley) drums (Quinn Mackey) and electronics (Nick Panella) with vocals by Deedee.

Deedee’s delivery was kind of like Rage Against the Machine–the same tone and same sloganeering.  It kind of worked but something felt a little flat in the execution.  Riley was going pretty nuts on the bass and I rather liked the electronics that Panella was laying down, but it just didn’t do anything for me.  It was loud but didn’t feel “full” like the two instruments weren’t blending.  And, I felt like the vocals were maybe too loud, superceding the music.

I heard about three full songs but nothing really stuck with me.

All of which is kind of a shame because the album is pretty solid and feels fuller.  Maybe I was just suffering from weather sadness to appreciate their set.

Read Full Post »

Silversun Pickups / Girl Tones (Wellmont Theater, Montclair, NJ, August 23, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Girl Tones, Montclair, NJ, Silversun Pickups, Wellmont Theater on August 23, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: August 23, 2025] Silversun Pickups

I saw Silversun PIckups at this venue last year.  Even though they are from the West Coast, they sure seem to play NY/NJ/PA a lot.  Which is great!

I really enjoyed their show last year, and was excited to see them again.  Then we wound up scheduling our vacation and this show was right in the middle of it.  I was able to sell my ticket (at a big loss, but it’s better than nothing).

Setlist tells me they played the exact same set (with a couple fewer songs!) with one cover that was different.  I wouldn’t have minded the same setlist, but it certainly lets me know I didn’t miss anything too major.  But I’d certainly see them again.

Girl Tones is a duo of sisters Kenzie and Laila Shultz.  Both classically trained musicians, Kenzie “transitioned from cello to guitar and Laila from piano to drums in an effort to electrify sentient beings from this galaxy to the next.”  They “explore every corner of rock ‘n’ roll, flawlessly mastering everything from punk to indie while still maintaining their signature fiery impact.”

The first part of their EP is simple (guitar and drums) delicate pop with the vocals being high and airy.  But the second half of the EP rocks pretty riffing hard and almost sounds like a different band.

I’m curious to see what they’re like live.

Read Full Post »

Demetri Martin: The Quick Draw Tour (Wellmont Theater, Montclair, NJ, June 20, 2025)

Posted in Demetri Martin, Montclair, NJ, Wellmont Theater on June 20, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: June 20, 2025] Demetri Martin

I realized recently that when I think of comedians that I want to see, nearly all of them are British (or from Australia or New Zealand).  This is the Taskmaster effect.  In fact w saw English comedian Sarah Millican just two days before this.

There really aren’t that many American comedians who I want to see.  But Demetri Martin is one of them.

I love his deadpan style and the fact that he includes drawings (and songs) in his act.

He has played the Wellmont before (we couldn’t go in 2022) so I was happy he came back.

The premise of this show was that he wouldn’t have the drawings prepared ahead of time as he usually does.  Rather, he would draw them and talk about them while he drew (and drew quickly, you see).

There were so many drawings and jokes, it’s impossible to remember most of them because we were laughing so hard.  It’s also foolish to try to describe the drawings because they are quick, funny sketches.

There was one bit of improv that we enjoyed quite a lot.  He made a joke about Taylor Ham and it turned into a Taylor Ham vs Pork Roll argument that he wasn’t prepared for (If you’re going to bring up pork roll, be sure you have material about it!). (more…)

Read Full Post »

Ninja Sex Party (Wellmont Theater, Montclair, NJ, March 28 2025)

Posted in Montclair, NJ, Ninja Sex Party, TWRP, Wellmont Theater on March 29, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: March 28, 2025] Ninja Sex Party

I found out about Ninja Sex Party when I saw TWRP and Trey Magnifique opened for them.  Trey was hilarious and I had to look him up.  I discovered that Trey is indeed Brian Wecht, who is Ninja Brian of NSP.  Brian is also a published theoretical physicist–his career change is fascinating and quite successful.  Brian played all the music until TWRP joined them in 2015.  But the focus of the band is singer Danny Sexbang [Dan Avidan], he of the glorious long hair and flowing cape.

Lyrically most of their songs are about sex and are NSFW, but some are just funny.  I had heard they put on a great show and that must have been true since the place was packed.

I enjoyed every minute of their set.  Dan is hilarious and Ninja Brian is an amazing sidekick.  They opened with Get Ready to Get Ready started the show and it is hilarious.  Every time I listen, it makes me laugh

So get ready To be ready To get ready
‘Cause we’re almost about to rock
We’re gonna melt your face
With time and space, at an appropriate pace.

For those who about to about to rock. (Rock!)
Please hang tight while I find my socks. (Socks!)
Gonna crack your skull like an aftershock
Just gotta call my broker, sell some stocks.

Cool Patrol is a pretty amusing song about the Cool Patrol teaching kids how to deal with bullies (with a very amusing dance).  Welcome to My Parents’ House is a hilarious seduction attempt, while trying not to wake up Danny’s parents. (more…)

Read Full Post »

TWRP (Wellmont Theater, Montclair, NJ, March 28 2025) [NINJA SEX PARTY]

Posted in Montclair, NJ, Ninja Sex Party, TWRP, Wellmont Theater on March 28, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: March 28, 2025] TWRP

I’ve seen TWRP twice and pretty much promised myself I’d see them whenever they came around.  I’m only bummed I hadn’t heard of them earlier.  They were the reason I went to this show, although I did know that Ninja Sex Party were friends with the band.  So much so that TWRP was the backing band (in costume!) for Ninja Sex Party.

I was really oping to get close for this show, but I underestimated how popular Ninja Sex Party was.  It was packed!  Luckily I found a slightly elevated space and settled in for some fun.

TWRP shows are an adventure, with a story line running through the show.  There’s lots of asides and banter.  However, when they are the opening band, they are streamlined (well, more streamlined) with some banter but no overarching storyline.

But otherwise everything was the same.  Dr Sung came out on his hoverboard.  Commander Meouch was on bass.  Lord Phobos kicked butt on guitar and Havve Hogan was on drums.  Although with the huge lighting setup of NSP, it was hard to see him back there. (more…)

Read Full Post »

José Gonzáles (Wellmont Theater, Montclair, NJ, March 25, 2025)

Posted in José González, Montclair, NJ, Wellmont Theater on March 25, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: March 25, 2025] José Gonzáles

I was pretty obsessed with José Gonzáles’ debut album Veneer.  The melodies were gorgeous and his singing voice was so calming.  His song Heartbeats was so darn good.  It was surprising to discover it was a cover (by The Knife, a Swedish band that no one I know had heard of).

I hadn’t really thought about seeing him, although the last time he came arounds my friends saw him and said he was amazing.  (He has played Philly in 2007, 2008, 2015, 2016 and 2021).  So when he announced this tour (which wasn’t even going to Philly), but was going to Montclair!   And was seated!!  I grabbed tickets for my wife and I.

I was also delighted that there was no opening act.  Normally I love an opening act, but this was going to be a mellow show and I didn’t fancy an extra 30 minutes of someone else being mellow too.

The stage was set up with a platform (which was great–it meant we could see him completely) and this cool-looking object on stage.  It was metallic and silver and looked like  cash register or some other kind of old-fashioned odd musical instrument.  And then a roadie came in and sat on it.  Turns out that with the lighting and perspective, this simple wooden (not metallic) chair looked like a fascinating object (the stranger next to me agreed). (more…)

Read Full Post »

Girl in Red (Wellmont Theater, Montclair, NJ, December 1, 2024)

Posted in Gigi Perez, Girl in Red, Montclair, NJ, Wellmont Theater on December 2, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: December 1, 2024] Girl in Red / Momma

My daughter and I saw Girl in Red in April of this year.  I was really surprised that she announced a new show in Montclair and when I asked her if she wanted to go, my daughter said yes!  Even though it was a Sunday school night.

I wondered how much of this show would be the same as last time.   And the answer is, a lot and yet not that much.  The set was the same except smaller.  But the video screen was bigger and made the videos easier to see.   But there was no vertical section like last time (which is fine as it was neat but didn’t add a ton to the show.  Oh and there was no giant swivel light/projector,  But honestly she doesn’t need that because she is a dynamo and everyone is there to see her.

Like last time, Marie was way overdressed in a sweater and button up shirt.  But she was committed to the outfit, she said.  And she proceeded to jump around and dance all over the stage for 90 minutes.

Like last time, she opened with the dancing title track of her new album.

She dove right into one of her faves, “girls” which had the crowd going nuts.  She followed it with “New Love” a song which she said she hadn’t yet performed this tour because she’s had bronchitis.  (more…)

Read Full Post »

Gigi Perez (Wellmont Theater, Montclair, NJ, December 1, 2024) [GIRL IN RED]

Posted in Gigi Perez, Girl in Red, Montclair, NJ, Wellmont Theater on December 1, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: December 1, 2024] Gigi Perez

My daughter and I saw Girl in Red in April of this year.  I was really surprised that she announced a new show in Montclair and when I asked her if she wanted to go, my daughter said yes!  Even though it was a Sunday school night.

We arrived in Montclair early enough to have some dinner ahead of time.  And HOLY COW.  The line to get into the venue stretched for several blocks!  I have been to several shows at this venue and have never seen anything like it.  Clearly every young woman in the tri-state area (as Girl in Red later said–a room full of lesbians) was at this show and wanted to get right up front.  Doors opened at 7 and we arrived about 7:10, so many of the people must have been waiting (in the freezing cold) for hours.  So we had our Tacoria and when we got back to the venue at 7:50, the line was till quite long.

But it moved quick and we entered the venue as Gigi was starting.  But we grabbed some merch since the line was short (good choice as it was huge on the way out).  This was my daughter’s idea and she was chock full of good ideas tonight.  As we entered the concert area, I headed down to the pit, but she stopped us at the bar/mezzanine area.  I always ignore it because it’s usually packed and noisy.  But it was fairly empty–everyone was squeezing in down below.  And we managed to be right behind people at the mezzanine railing.  We had a great view and weren’t crowded in the sweaty pit.  Fantastic!

So we missed a song or two from Gigi, but we caught most of her set.  And I was really impressed.  Her voice is amazing–really powerful and with quite a range.  On stage it was just her on guitar and a drummer (who may have been her brother?).   He triggered loops that added bass and backing vocals to her guitar and she sounded huge.  In fact, I have since listened to her album and found it a bit flat in comparison to how great she sounded live.

I’m not sure what she played. But she has one EP (which is actually longer than the most recent Girl in Red album but over 5 minutes) and a bunch of singles, including the massive hit “Sailor Song” which she ended with.

The crowd was with her right from the start and she gushed about being on the tour (she was born in Hackensack, which is just up the road, but she grew up in Florida, so it probably wasn’t much of a homecoming).

Overall I was really impressed and felt she was a perfect opener for Girl in Red.  It was even more fun when she came back on stage later to sing a couple of songs with Girl in Red.

 

  1. Please Be Rude
  2. Fable
  3. bad idea!
  4. Normalcy
  5. When She Smiles
  6. Chemistry
  7. Sailor Song

 

Read Full Post »

Older Posts »