October 6, 2023 by Paul Debraski
[DID NOT ATTEND: October 6, 2023] Gladie
I saw Gladie open for Otoboke Beaver late last year and really enjoyed their set a lot. I would happily see them again, although a Free at Noon didn’t really seem like a worthwhile trip.
Here’s the blurb from the show and what I missed
After a successful tour with Jeff Rosenstock, today’s Free at Noon performer Gladie made a pit stop at the World Cafe Live stage to dazzle fans with their indie rock magic. Performing songs from their last album Don’t Know What You’re in Until You’re Out, along with a few favorites from other projects, the band truly came to impress.
The stage was decked out in the best gear, necessary for a classic Indie Rock experience. Guitarists Pat Conaboy and Matt Schimelfenig had full pedal boards, and used them frequently throughout the show, conjuring waves of distortion, their eyes were glued to the floor in true shoegaze fashion. The band started with their song “Mud,” immediately exploding into the room with a beautiful wall of sound that demanded the attention of everyone — a common theme that remained through the entirety of the show.
Lead vocalist Augusta Koch sang with intense power. She was able to strongly project (and even scream during some songs) her voice over the volume of the band, and listeners could also eel the emotion within her voice, whether the track had a somber energy or an exasperated energy. Koch’s lyrics were very impactful, influencing the tone of her vocals, as we heard during “20/20” where she and Schimelfenig harmonized to sing “I am angry, I am lonely, but I’m optimistic too.” Later, Schimelfenig took over vocals for “Fixer,” a song where he sings lead with a bit of a country twang from the band’s 2022 album Don’t Know What You’re In Until You’re Out.
Drummer Miles Ziskind was astounding to watch. The movement of his hands was difficult to track throughout the show due to his fills being so quick and precise. At stage left, bassist Liz Parsons accompanied the music with interesting lines throughout the set, especially on “Hit the Ground Running,” which was a bit groovier than the rest, allowing her to show off her skills. As the set came to a peak, “When You Leave The Sun” from Gladie’s 2020 album Safe Sins was the most commanding part of the set. It was faster, heavier, and built up a breathtaking ending with the band members blaring their instruments, hitting the crowd once again with that wall of sound.
That’s a lot of blurb for this fairly short set. Here’s the setlist and you can listen to it here
- Mud ⇔
- 20/20 §
- Hit The Ground Running ⇔
- When You Leave The Sun §
- Fixer ⇔
- Nothing ⇔
- Chaos Reigns [new single]
- Born Yesterday ⇔
When I saw them they played:
- When You Leave The Sun §
- thank you card ¥
- Mud ⇔
- Twenty Twenty §
- …Heaven, Someday ⇔
- Hit the Ground Running ⇔
- Nothing ⇔
- Born Yesterday ⇔
⇔ Don’t Know What You’re in Until You’re Out (2022)
§ Safe Sins (2020)
¥ thank you card EP (2020)
Posted in Free at Noon, Gladie, Philadelphia, PA, World Cafe Live | Leave a Comment »
October 5, 2023 by Paul Debraski
[ATTENDED: October 5, 2023] Everything Everything / Pierre Kwenders
I recently heard of Everything Everything in glowing terms and when I saw that they were playing locally I made a note of it. They are an
English art rock band from Manchester that formed in late 2007. Noted for their eclectic sound and complex, sociopolitical lyrics.
Their music is interesting and they remind me of a few bands that I like, but I wasn’t blown away enough to want to check them out.
Pierre Kwenders is the stage name of José Louis Modabi, a Congolese-Canadian musician. His 2014 album Le Dernier empereur bantou was a shortlisted nominee for the Juno Award for World Music Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2015, and a longlisted nominee for the 2015 Polaris Music Prize.
he has a good vibe and nice flow, but I’m not sad to not see him.
Posted in Everything Everything, Philadelphia, PA, Pierre Kwenders, Underground Arts | Leave a Comment »
October 1, 2023 by Paul Debraski
[ATTENDED: October 1, 2023] Lana Del Rey
Sometime in April, my daughter asked if we could go to the All Things Go Festival. I had never heard of this Festival and assumed the answer was no. But then I saw that it was at the Merriweather Post Pavilion which is exactly three hours away from us. So when tickets went on sale, I managed to get two pre-sale tickets for Sunday. And then when they went on proper sale, I managed to score two more for Saturday.
Sunday was the far more important day for music. I mean, the whole reason she wanted to go was to see boygenius (and Lana Del Rey). But this was a great day of music to be sure.
While Muna was playing on the other stage, the Lana Del Rey crew assembled the stage for the final act. I didn’t understand why boygenius was late in starting. But they finished at 8, when they were supposed to. The Lana set was fully in place before Muna finished.
Of all of the performers at this festival, Lana was the person I was least interested in seeing. My take on Lana is that she plays a random melody on the piano (or guitar) and then looks out the window and literally describes what’s in front of her in a bored monotone. I never would have guessed that she actually had a beautiful voice, because all I ever hear from her is bored monotone. Continue Reading »
Posted in Alex G, All Things Go, Alvvays, Arlo Parks, Boygenius, Carly Rae Jepsen, Columbia, MD, Dayglow, Ella Jane, Ethel Cain, Flecther, Free Range, Hemlocke Springs, Jensen McRae, Juliana Madrid, Lana Del Ray, Last Dinosaurs, Leith Ross, Lizzie McAlpine, Maggie Rogers, Meet Me @ The Altar, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Mt. Joy, Muna, No Vacation, Peach Pit, Raye, Samia, Sudan Archives, Suki Waterhouse, Tegan and Sara, Tommy Lefroy, Vacations, Vundabar | Leave a Comment »
October 1, 2023 by Paul Debraski
[ATTENDED: October 1, 2023] Muna
Sometime in April, my daughter asked if we could go to the All Things Go Festival. I had never heard of this Festival and assumed the answer was no. But then I saw that it was at the Merriweather Post Pavilion which is exactly three hours away from us. So when tickets went on sale, I managed to get two pre-sale tickets for Sunday. And then when they went on proper sale, I managed to score two more for Saturday.
Sunday was the far more important day for music. I mean, the whole reason she wanted to go was to see boygenius (and Lana Del Rey). But this was a great day of music to be sure.
I didn’t really know Muna all that well before this show. I knew that they were signed to Phoebe Bridgers’ label and that she joined them on stage a lot. I also knew Silk Chiffon which was a highly touted song. I kind of liked it. There was something about it that I didn’t quite like but I couldn’t put my finger on it.
It probably would have been fun to see them in person, as their set was really fun and lively. But realistically since they went on literally right after Boygenius on a stage that was a short walk away, there was no way we would have gotten anything like a good space to be. Continue Reading »
Posted in Alex G, All Things Go, Alvvays, Arlo Parks, Boygenius, Carly Rae Jepsen, Columbia, MD, Dayglow, Ella Jane, Ethel Cain, Flecther, Free Range, Hemlocke Springs, Jensen McRae, Juliana Madrid, Lana Del Ray, Last Dinosaurs, Leith Ross, Lizzie McAlpine, Maggie Rogers, Meet Me @ The Altar, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Mt. Joy, Muna, No Vacation, Peach Pit, Raye, Samia, Sudan Archives, Suki Waterhouse, Tegan and Sara, Tommy Lefroy, Vacations, Vundabar | Leave a Comment »
October 1, 2023 by Paul Debraski
[ATTENDED: October 1, 2023] boygenius
Sometime in April, my daughter asked if we could go to the All Things Go Festival. I had never heard of this Festival and assumed the answer was no. But then I saw that it was at the Merriweather Post Pavilion which is exactly three hours away from us. So when tickets went on sale, I managed to get two pre-sale tickets for Sunday. And then when they went on proper sale, I managed to score two more for Saturday.
Sunday was the far more important day for music. I mean, the whoel reason she wanted to go was to see boygenius (and Lana Del Rey). But this was a great day of music to be sure.
Despite our plans to get to the pavilion early for boygenius, by the time we got there, every close seat was full. We didn’t want to sit in the sun (it was HOT) so we wound up sitting much further back than I would have liked.
I have to say that I was shocked that Lana del Rey was headlining and not boygenius, because it sure seemed to me that boygenius was the biggest band on the planet at the time. But Lana does have a much longer track record (and a lot of fans).
Boygenius was late coming on stage. I genuinely don’t know why. I mean, Arlo Parks had been off the stage for half an hour and the Boygenius gear was already on stage (the festival was, otherwise, very efficient). So they went on 15 minutes late. And what was insulting about it was that earlier in the week we were told that beabadoobie couldn’t make it so boygenius would get an extra 15 minutes. We were prepared for a full on 90 minute show, but we lost those 15 minutes anyway.
They played The Boys Are Back in Town over the speakers and then we saw the geniuses backstage singing “Without You Without Them” as they do.
And then they came bounding out on stage. Continue Reading »
Posted in Alex G, All Things Go, Alvvays, Arlo Parks, Boygenius, Carly Rae Jepsen, Columbia, MD, Dayglow, Ella Jane, Ethel Cain, Flecther, Free Range, Hemlocke Springs, Jensen McRae, Juliana Madrid, Lana Del Ray, Last Dinosaurs, Leith Ross, Lizzie McAlpine, Maggie Rogers, Meet Me @ The Altar, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Mt. Joy, Muna, No Vacation, Peach Pit, Raye, Samia, Sudan Archives, Suki Waterhouse, Tegan and Sara, Tommy Lefroy, Vacations, Vundabar | Leave a Comment »
October 1, 2023 by Paul Debraski
[ATTENDED: October 1, 2023] Alex G.
Sometime in April, my daughter asked if we could go to the All Things Go Festival. I had never heard of this Festival and assumed the answer was no. But then I saw that it was at the Merriweather Post Pavilion which is exactly three hours away from us. So when tickets went on sale, I managed to get two pre-sale tickets for Sunday. And then when they went on proper sale, I managed to score two more for Saturday.
Sunday was the far more important day for music. I mean, the whole reason she wanted to go was to see boygenius (and Lana Del Rey). But this was a great day of music to be sure.
I had seen Alex G. once before. He opened for Built to Spill.
At first I was a little unimpressed. The songs are pretty simple and short–lo-fi recordings, which I do enjoy, but were not what I was expecting. But by the middle, he had won me over. The last five or six songs in particular were really good. I enjoyed the unexpected screaming part of “Icehead” which did a great job playing with quiet and loud.
Recently, he released a new album and a song that sounds so much like “Runaway Train” that I can’t stand it and I have generally had a less favorable view of him.
But my daughter has started to really like him. So I felt bad that we couldn’t see him. Although we did get to see him on the video screens. But like with Alvvays he was more or less drowned out by everything around him. So, you could see him fine (it was very sunny), but very few people were paying attention to him.
He played a few songs that my daughter wanted to hear, so that was cool. But I was struck by how weird his songs were–noisy and kind of ugly-sounding. It’s the kind of set I would normally enjoy, but it felt so strangely out of place at this festival. It also made me wonder if many people enjoyed his set.
Alex G.
- S.D.O.S ♥
- Runner ♥
- Hope ∏
- No Bitterness ♥
- Ain’t It Easy ♥
- Mission ♥
- Bug ß
- Brick ψ
- Horse ψ
- Blessing ♥
- Immunity ♥
- Sarah ♦
- Mary ♦
- Gretel ∏
- After Ur Gone §
- Miracles ♥
- Forgive ♥
♥ God Save the Animals (2022)
∏ House of Sugar (2019)
ψ Rocket (2017)
ß Beach Music (2015)
§ DSU (2014)
♦ TRICK (2012)
Posted in Alex G, All Things Go, Alvvays, Arlo Parks, Boygenius, Carly Rae Jepsen, Columbia, MD, Dayglow, Ella Jane, Ethel Cain, Flecther, Free Range, Hemlocke Springs, Jensen McRae, Juliana Madrid, Lana Del Ray, Last Dinosaurs, Leith Ross, Lizzie McAlpine, Maggie Rogers, Meet Me @ The Altar, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Mt. Joy, Muna, No Vacation, Peach Pit, Raye, Samia, Sudan Archives, Suki Waterhouse, Tegan and Sara, Tommy Lefroy, Vacations, Vundabar | Leave a Comment »
October 1, 2023 by Paul Debraski
[ATTENDED: October 1, 2023] All Things Go [Day 2]
Sometime in April, my daughter asked if we could go to the All Things Go Festival. I had never heard of this Festival and assumed the answer was no. But then I saw that it was at the Merriweather Post Pavilion which is exactly three hours away from us. So when tickets went on sale, I managed to get two pre-sale tickets for Sunday. And then when they went on proper sale, I managed to score two more for Saturday.
Sunday was the far more important day for music. I mean, the whole reason she wanted to go was to see boygenius (and Lana Del Rey). But this was a great day of music to be sure.
I have wanted to see Arlo Parks for a while. Last September I could have gone to see her, but I didn’t feel like going to Franklin Music Hall that night.
I had already purchased tickets to see her in the Spring at Union Transfer. So I didn’t feel the need to see her. But she was right in the middle of Ethel Cain and boygenius so we weren’t going anywhere.
I also assumed that Arlo Parks would have a bigger fan base than Ethel Cain (who I had never heard of). Mostly this was because Arlo came after Ethel, but also, as I say, I’d never heard of Ethel. But I was completely wrong about that. People didn’t leave for Arlo, but the applause for Arlo was quite subdued compared to what Ethel got.
One of the reasons I didn’t want to see Arlo at Franklin Music Hall was because I feel like her music is very personal and not suited to a big stage. And That turned out to be true more or less. Arlo tends to hunch over and kind of squat as she sings and while it’s not a matter of lack of projection, she’s not very outward facing.
Her voice sounded great and the songs were excellent, but as a performer it was too understated for a big stadium like this. Interestingly, later on, when she sang a song with Muna, she was far more ebullient and fun.
I’m curious to see her now where she’s headlining to see if things are any different. And, of course, I would actually like to see her, rather than seeing her on a big screen.
ARLO PARKS
- Bruiseless ∑
- Weightless ∑
- Blades ∑
- Caroline ¥
- Eugene ¥
- Dog Rose ∑
- Hurt ¥
- Too Good ¥
- Sophie ♦
- Devotion ∑
- Softly §
∑ My Soft Machine (2023)
§ Single (2022)
¥ Collapsed in Sunbeams (2021)
♦ Sophie EP (2019)
Posted in Alex G, All Things Go, Alvvays, Arlo Parks, Boygenius, Carly Rae Jepsen, Columbia, MD, Dayglow, Ella Jane, Ethel Cain, Flecther, Free Range, Hemlocke Springs, Jensen McRae, Juliana Madrid, Lana Del Ray, Last Dinosaurs, Leith Ross, Lizzie McAlpine, Maggie Rogers, Meet Me @ The Altar, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Mt. Joy, Muna, No Vacation, Peach Pit, Raye, Samia, Sudan Archives, Suki Waterhouse, Tegan and Sara, Tommy Lefroy, Vacations, Vundabar | Leave a Comment »
October 1, 2023 by Paul Debraski
[ATTENDED: October 1, 2023] Alvvays
Sometime in April, my daughter asked if we could go to the All Things Go Festival. I had never heard of this Festival and assumed the answer was no. But then I saw that it was at the Merriweather Post Pavilion which is exactly three hours away from us. So when tickets went on sale, I managed to get two pre-sale tickets for Sunday. And then when they went on proper sale, I managed to score two more for Saturday.
Sunday was the far more important day for music. I mean, the whole reason she wanted to go was to see boygenius (and Lana Del Rey). But this was a great day of music to be sure.
I love Alvvays and have seen them twice. I would have loved to see them again, but I knew that, given we wanted to be in the proper place to get great boygenius seats, we’d sacrifice seeing them. It was very cool that their show was (mostly) broadcast on the screens in the auditorium and was mostly audible.
It was interesting to see them playing in the bright summer sun (they all had to wear sunglasses) and were clearly very hot, while we were comfy in the shade of the amphitheater.
But really, it was hard to appreciate their set with people walking around and talking and with them being mostly a background show.
Bit of a bummer, but good background music. I was happy to clearly hear a few of my favorite songs.
ALVVAYS
- Pharmacist ß
- After the Earthquake ß
- In Undertow ⊗
- Many Mirrors ß
- Very Online Guy ß
- Adult Diversion ∧
- Belinda Says ß
- Archie, Marry Me ∧
- Easy on Your Own? ß
ß Blue Rev (2022)
⊗ Antisocialities (2017)
∧ Alvvays (2014)
Posted in Alex G, All Things Go, Alvvays, Arlo Parks, Boygenius, Carly Rae Jepsen, Columbia, MD, Dayglow, Ella Jane, Ethel Cain, Flecther, Free Range, Hemlocke Springs, Jensen McRae, Juliana Madrid, Lana Del Ray, Last Dinosaurs, Leith Ross, Lizzie McAlpine, Maggie Rogers, Meet Me @ The Altar, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Mt. Joy, Muna, No Vacation, Peach Pit, Raye, Samia, Sudan Archives, Suki Waterhouse, Tegan and Sara, Tommy Lefroy, Vacations, Vundabar | Leave a Comment »
October 1, 2023 by Paul Debraski
[ATTENDED: October 1, 2023] Ethel Cain
Sometime in April, my daughter asked if we could go to the All Things Go Festival. I had never heard of this Festival and assumed the answer was no. But then I saw that it was at the Merriweather Post Pavilion which is exactly three hours away from us. So when tickets went on sale, I managed to get two pre-sale tickets for Sunday. And then when they went on proper sale, I managed to score two more for Saturday.
Sunday was the far more important day for music. I mean, the whole reason she wanted to go was to see boygenius (and Lana Del Rey). But this was a great day of music to be sure.
I had not heard of Ethel Cain, but my daughter said they were very popular.
Cain is a fascinating individual.
In mid-2017, Cain began experimenting with writing, recording, and producing her own ethereal style, inspired by Christian music and Gregorian chants.
We had initially planned on arriving during Cain’s set to get really good seats for boygenius. Turns out that Cain has a MASSIVE fanbase and the crowd was 100% there for her.
A reviewer from Nippertown said of Cain
Ethel Cain is truly a showstopper in regard to her performance. Between her rich vocals, fantastic storytelling, incomparable stage presence, and fan interaction, Cain is an artist that everyone should get to experience live at least once in their lives.
I would agree with this but with a caveat. Seeing her from as far back as we did, a lot of that personal touch was lost. However, the video screens showed her interacting with fans in the front rows–holding hands, singing directly to fans. It was surprisingly intimate.
I felt like a lot of the music was lost in the big festival setting–her music is kind of slow and ponderous. I found some of it rather dull, honestly. But the fans in front of me hung on every word. So I suppose if I had heard the songs before I may have enjoyed them more.
But I think in an intimate venue, her music would overwhelm in the best of ways. I guess a small show is a recommendation going forward.
ETHEL CAIN
- A House in Nebraska ℜ
- American Teenager ℜ
- Family Tree ℜ
- Hard Times ℜ
- Thoroughfare ℜ
- Sun Bleached Flies ℜ
- Crush ⊗
Posted in Alex G, All Things Go, Alvvays, Arlo Parks, Boygenius, Carly Rae Jepsen, Columbia, MD, Dayglow, Ella Jane, Ethel Cain, Flecther, Free Range, Hemlocke Springs, Jensen McRae, Juliana Madrid, Lana Del Ray, Last Dinosaurs, Leith Ross, Lizzie McAlpine, Maggie Rogers, Meet Me @ The Altar, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Mt. Joy, Muna, No Vacation, Peach Pit, Raye, Samia, Sudan Archives, Suki Waterhouse, Tegan and Sara, Tommy Lefroy, Vacations, Vundabar | Leave a Comment »
October 1, 2023 by Paul Debraski
[ATTENDED: October 1, 2023] Leith Ross
Sometime in April, my daughter asked if we could go to the All Things Go Festival. I had never heard of this Festival and assumed the answer was no. But then I saw that it was at the Merriweather Post Pavilion which is exactly three hours away from us. So when tickets went on sale, I managed to get two pre-sale tickets for Sunday. And then when they went on proper sale, I managed to score two more for Saturday.
Sunday was the far more important day for music. I mean, the whole reason she wanted to go was to see boygenius (and Lana Del Rey). But this was a great day of music to be sure.
I hadn’t heard of Leith Ross before this set. I listened to a song or two and liked them. So who is this singer? Continue Reading »
Posted in Alex G, All Things Go, Alvvays, Arlo Parks, Boygenius, Carly Rae Jepsen, Columbia, MD, Dayglow, Ella Jane, Ethel Cain, Flecther, Free Range, Hemlocke Springs, Jensen McRae, Juliana Madrid, Lana Del Ray, Last Dinosaurs, Leith Ross, Lizzie McAlpine, Maggie Rogers, Meet Me @ The Altar, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Mt. Joy, Muna, No Vacation, Peach Pit, Raye, Samia, Sudan Archives, Suki Waterhouse, Tegan and Sara, Tommy Lefroy, Vacations, Vundabar | Leave a Comment »
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