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Genesis Owusu / Godly the Ruler (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, October 21, 2023)

October 24, 2023 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: October 21, 2023] Genesis Owusu / Godly the Ruler

My wife and I joke about how we don’t really like Genesis Owusu but he is so damned catchy that it’s inevitable  to become a fan.  When his show was announced I grabbed a ticket and then forgot about it because it was months away.

I realize that he’s Australian and may not come to the States that often, but when the Wax Jaw show was announced, I was sure that I could get to the Genesis show after the Wax Jaw set.

Wax Jaw was finishing at 9:30 and most Underground Arts shows start at 9.  So, I’d miss Godly the Ruler and be there in enough time to catch the Genesis set.

But for reasons I cannot imagine, Godly went on at 8:30! Continue Reading »

Posted in Genesis Owusu, Godly the Ruler, Philadelphia, PA, Underground Arts | Leave a Comment »

An Evening with Les Claypool’s Flying Frog Brigade (Wellmont Theater, Montclair, NJ, October 24, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

October 24, 2023 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 24, 2023] Les Claypool’s Flying Frog Brigade

This is yet another show that I bought a ticket for in Philly only to find out later that there was a show in Montclair.  Montclair is certainly easier for me to get to, although honestly I don’t live The Wellmont–I don’t know what it is, but I seem to have an iffy time when I go there.  Especially for a metal show.

I don’t think this is going to be a metal show, but I wonder who will show up.

By the same token, the last time I saw Primus, the meathead crowd was really high.  I hope they don’t come to my show since it doesn’t say Primus.

I’ll find out tomorrow.

Posted in Colonel Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade, Les Claypool, Montclair, NJ, Primus, Wellmont Theater | Leave a Comment »

Thurston Moore reading Sonic Life (White Eagle Hall, Jersey City, NJ, October 24, 2023) [CANCELLED]

October 24, 2023 by Paul Debraski

[CANCELLED: October 24, 2023] Thurston Moore reading Sonic Life

This summer, Thurston Moore announced that he would be touring to read his new book Sonic Life:

Thurston Moore has a new memoir on the way, Sonic Life, which he describes as telling “the story of my childhood and teenage years as I fell in love with music (for the most part unbridled rock ’n’ roll) and how it drove me to New York City, where I would co-found Sonic Youth.”

A couple of weeks ago, he cancelled the tour.  I wasn’t planning on going, but it still sucks that he feel so crappy.

To all my dear Sonic friends and family,
It utterly bereaves me to pass on the news that I have been advised by my medical team here in the UK to cancel my upcoming USA book tour. For years I have been dealing with a longstanding health condition, though it has never seriously stopped me from touring and recording. Regardless it’s always been an underlying issue and as I reach my mid-60s this year it has become rather, and consistently, debilitating. After a recent consultation, my doctors have strongly advised against me flying anywhere under any circumstance until they get it all sorted out.

Continue Reading »

Posted in Cancelled, Jersey City, NJ, Thurston Moore, White Eagle Hall | Leave a Comment »

Wax Jaw: EP Release Show (Silk City, Philadelphia, PA, October 21, 2023)

October 23, 2023 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: October 21, 2023] Wax Jaw 

Wax Jaw has only been around for a little over a year.  In that time, they have released a couple of singles and amassed a huge local following.

Wax Jaw was born out of the summer-time daydreams and blossoming friendship of Greg Blanc (bass) and Sean Vannata (guitar) in June 2022. They immediately shared a vision of writing lively, upbeat tunes that would make even the most reserved audience member come alive during their shows. Keeping this priority in mind, a five-person lineup was curated one member at a time until the band reached its final form in January 2023. Since then, Wax Jaw has wasted no time sinking their teeth into the bleeding hearts of Philly audiophiles through their animated stage presence, vintage visuals, and high-energy performances. They recently played back-to-back sold out shows at Silk City and PhilaMOCA – most notably sharing a stage with nationally acclaimed acts Wine Lips and Acid Dad. With a six-song EP set to release in September, Wax Jaw is the innovative, all-gas-no-breaks band to watch!

I could have seen them open for Acid Dad a little while ago, but decided to stay home that night. Continue Reading »

Posted in Grace Vonderkuhn, Philadelphia, PA, Silk City, The Cowpokes, Wax Jaw | Leave a Comment »

Be Your Own Pet / Birthday Girl (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, October 22, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

October 22, 2023 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 22, 2023] Be Your Own Pet / Birthday Girl

I remember when Be Your Own Pet came out in 2006–they were endorsed and supported by members of Sonic Youth.

They played bratty teenage punk and were a ton of fun.  And then they broke up.

They have recently reunited (wikipedia says)

Following a fourteen year hiatus, they reunited in 2021 after being specifically requested by  Jack White to open up on a few dates of his Supply Chain Issues Tour.

Their own blurb says

On the heels of playing to packed rooms and enthusiastic audiences at SXSW, Nashville’s Be Your Own Pet have dropped a new single, “Hand Grenade,” via Third Man Records. The song marks their first new music since the release of their seminal Get Awkward album (XL Recordings) in 2008 and was written and recorded by the three founding members Jemina Pearl Abegg (vocals), Jonas Stein (Guitar), Nathan Vasquez (bass), and longtime drummer John Eatherly. Picking up right where they left off and clocking in at just over 3 minutes, “Hand Grenade” is an exuberant return and leaves no question they are the same band that Pitchfork called “vibrantly charismatic” and Rolling Stone labeled “charmingly raw.”

I had not heard of Birthday Girl which is surprising only because of the band’s lineage.  A Pessimist is Never Disappointed notes:

I think some folks are, rightly, going to check out Birthday Girl because Mabel Canty’s father is Brendan Canty (Rites of Spring, Fugazi, The Messthetics, etc.), or because Isabella MacKaye’s dad is Alec MacKaye (The Faith, Ignition, The Warmers, Hammered Hulls, etc.). But people are going to stay with this band because the music those two make with drummer Tess Kontarinis is sharply realized and emotive. What’s here on the band’s self-titled debut isn’t so much the sound of a new generation of harDCore, as it is that of the heyday of college rock. Less Beefeater and more Bettie Serveert is what I’m saying.

Sounds great.

Unfortunately, I am trying not to go to as many shows in quick succession.  And since I was out last night, I decided to give this one a miss.  I’d like to check out Birthday Girl some time though.

Posted in Be Your Own Pet, Birthday Girl, Philadelphia, PA, Underground Arts | Leave a Comment »

Grace Vonderkuhn (Silk City, Philadelphia, PA, October 21, 2023) [Wax Jaw EP release show]

October 22, 2023 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: October 21, 2023] Grace Vonderkuhn 

Grace Vonderkuhn has been on my list of bands to see for a while now, although I don’t exactly remember how I first heard about this band from Deleware.

Grace Vonderkuhn is a 3-piece rock band from Wilmington, Delaware. Uniting in 2016, the outfit consists of Grace Koon, songwriter, singer, and guitarist, Brian Bartling—bassist, and Dave McGrory, who plays the drums and sings. They combine shoegaze, post-punk, and psych influences with sharp pop sensibilities. The band toured throughout the US, showcased at SXSW, recorded an Audiotree live session, and were featured on NPR following the release of their first full-length album, Reveries (2018 Egghunt Records). Grace Vonderkuhn went on to release their sophomore album, Pleasure Pain, on Philly-based record label Sheer Luck Records in 2021. They have shared the stage with countless bands including Camp Cope, Shame, Ought, Titus Andronicus, Lower Dens, No Age, and The Districts. The band is currently working on their third full-length album and playing shows.

I had heard good things about them, but I guess I didn’t actually listen to them that much before the show because they blew me away.

Grace Koon is a killer guitar player. She’s not showoffy at all, but she can play great solos, weird chords and a pretty diverse array of sounds. She also sings in a couple of different styles from gentle to deep and menacing.  Brian Barling on bass doesn’t just keep up with Grace, he often plays counterpoint to her melodies.  And Dave McGrory on drums is the secret weapon. He plays different patterns and rhythm and his backing vocals are great–he often sings high over Grace’s low, grittier vocals. Continue Reading »

Posted in Grace Vonderkuhn, Philadelphia, PA, Silk City, The Cowpokes, Wax Jaw | Leave a Comment »

The Cowpokes (Silk City, Philadelphia, PA, October 21, 2023) [Wax Jaw EP release show]

October 21, 2023 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: October 21, 2023] The Cowpokes

So much was going on tis evening that I didn’t know what I’d get to see.

A long time ago I had purchased a ticket to see Genesis Owusu on this evening.  Then this Wax Jaw show was announced.  I’ve been really wanting to see wax Jaw live, so I decided maybe I’d go to that show instead.  Then I found out that the Wax Jaw show would be over by like 9:30 (because of a late night DJ show at Silk City). Then mu daughter decided to have a birthday party that night.  Fortunately she didn’t need me to be there.

So I left after picking up the food and figured that I’d probably miss The Cowpokes.

Cowpokes are a country rock band from Philadelphia. Comprised of Jia Binder, Cami Bachman, Dylan Michael, and Winnie Malcarney, they are among the enlightened few to understand that the Byrds are better than the Beatles.

I wasn’t sure I’d mind missing them as the whole country angle doesn’t appeal to me.  But a country PUNK band turned out to be a lot of fun.  I arrived in the beginning of their set but missed a song or two.

They were stomping and pogoing.  There was a kind of country twang in the vocals, but it was like a Philly country twang which I rather liked.

I don’t know who was who, but I enjoyed that the guitarist who I presume is male was wearing a house dress.  I loved that the guitar who presented female also played  flute solo and then later played lap steel!  And the bass player/singer had a great voice.   I also loved that the drummer had some really fast fills and rolls and even knocked one of his cymbals off its stand at some point (someone in the crowd jumped up on stage and replaced it).

I don’t know what they played (they have only one song out on bandcamp), but it was rocking and good fun.  I’m glad I caught them.

Posted in Grace Vonderkuhn, Philadelphia, PA, Silk City, The Cowpokes, Wax Jaw | Leave a Comment »

Palehound / Empath (The Foundry, Philadelphia, PA, October 20, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

October 20, 2023 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 20, 2023] Palehound / Empath

I saw Palehound twice within a few months back in 2018.

Palehound singer/guitarist Ellen Kempner is a fantastic guitarist and a really compelling frontwoman.  I’m not entirely sure what she’s been up to since then (two albums apparently).

As far as I can see they haven’t played Philly since then.  I was pretty excited to see them, but her date landed right on my daughter’s birthday.  So, yeah, that isn’t happening.

No questions asked.

Empath are a Philly band that play a kind of noise punk.  Rolling Stone says “They sound like four people who sat in a room flexing their own freaky styles until — before they realized their interests might be wholly incompatible — the chaos created its own logic.”  They sound pretty great.

I could have seen Empath 4 times, but each time something happened.  The most recent time, they were supposed to open for Fucked Up but cancelled (and I got to see Pony, so that was okay).

I do hope to see them one of these days.

 

Continue Reading »

Posted in Empath, Palehound, Philadelphia, PA, The Foundry | Leave a Comment »

Bahamas / Fortunate Ones (Asbury Lanes, Asbury Park, NJ, October 19, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

October 19, 2023 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 19, 2023] Bahamas / Fortunate Ones

This is the second concert (which I did not attend) that has been at Union Transfer and then Asbury Lanes (if there’s ever someone I love, I could see them twice!).

I’ve been surprised that the bands are playing these two venues as I tend to think of Asbury Lanes as being very very small.  But I see that the capacity of Asbury Lanes is 700 and the capacity of Union Transfer is 1200.  I would have guessed Asbury Lanes to be about 300, but then I’ve never seen anyone there when it was sold out.

About five years ago I watched a video of Bahamas at Massey Hall and I liked it.

Bahamas is Afie Jurvanen a Canadian folk act. I haven’t followed them much but considered that I might want to see them. But when I listened to their newer songs, I didn’t like them.

It’s very much soft rock with, and I feel that this works for the name Bahamas, a kind of summery vacationy islandy feel.  It’s the kind of thing that I would enjoy hearing while I was walking around in a vacation chalet, but not someone I’d want to see live.

Fortunate Ones is a Canadian indie folk duo from St. John’s, Newfoundland, consisting of Andrew James O’Brien and Catherine Allan.

It’s nice that Bahamas invited another Canadian band along with him.  But I didn’t like either of their voices (which surprises me).

Needless to say I’m not going to this show.

Posted in Asbury Lanes, Asbury Park, NJ, Bahamas, Canadian Music, Fortunate Ones | Leave a Comment »

Bahamas / Fortunate Ones (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, October 18, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

October 18, 2023 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 18, 2023] Bahamas / Fortunate Ones

About five years ago I watched a video of Bahamas at Massey Hall and I liked it.

Bahamas is Afie Jurvanen a Canadian folk act. I haven’t followed them much but considered that I might want to see them. But when I listened to their newer songs, I didn’t like them.

It’s very much soft rock with, and I feel that this works for the name Bahamas, a kind of summery vacationy islandy feel.  It’s the kind of thing that I would enjoy hearing while I was walking around in a vacation chalet, but not someone I’d want to see live.

Fortunate Ones is a Canadian indie folk duo from St. John’s, Newfoundland, consisting of Andrew James O’Brien and Catherine Allan.

It’s nice that Bahamas invited another Canadian band along with him.  But I didn’t like either of their voices (which surprises me).

Needless to say I’m not going to this show.

Posted in Bahamas, Canadian Music, Fortunate Ones, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer | Leave a Comment »

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