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First Aid Kit (Fillmore Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, July 15, 2023)

July 16, 2023 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: July 15, 2023] First Aid Kit 

My wife and I saw First Aid Kit twice in seven months.  First at Union Transfer and then, when they came back through Philly, at the much larger Fillmore.

Both shows were great and we were happy to see them twice so soon apart.

Especially since it took five years for them to come back to town!

The seven month separation between shows led me to observe:

In a nutshell, it felt like a very different show even though it was more or less the same show.

But five years is a long time.  They put out a new album (and reissued it with extra songs the other day).  So this promised to be a very different show.

Although the set up was similar, the backing band was different this time.  Last time: Steve Moore on keys and trombone, Scott Simpson on drums and Melvin Duffy on pedal steel.  This time: Freja “Freja the Dragon” Drakenberg on keyboards, Gabriel Runemark on drums and Johannes Runemark (a.k.a. Kasino) on guitar and mandolin.

Klara and Johanna came out a few moments later looking fabulous–they have really embraced their look with Klara in a hot pink pantsuit and Johanna in a short flowy one piece that was mesmerizing in its pattern.

The new album is great and it is doing well and they opened with two songs from it.

I knew they’d be playing a lot of new stuff, but they did a great job interweaving it since after the  two new tracks, including the first single “Angel,” they played previous big hit “It’s a Shame.”  There was no pedal steel guitar on this tour, although Johannes could play those pedal steel lines on his guitar quite easily.

And there was some delightful banter with the crowd  (Hello Philleeeeeee!). Continue Reading »

Posted in First Aid Kit, Fleetwood Mac, Philadelphia, PA, The Fillmore Philadelphia, The Weather Station, Willie Nelson | Leave a Comment »

The Weather Station (Fillmore Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, July 15, 2023) [FIRST AID KIT]

July 15, 2023 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: July 15, 2023] The Weather Station 

I saw The Weather Station open for Mitski last year.  Well, I saw a couple of songs from their set because we were on the merch line for most of their set.

After that set, I wrote

I’ve heard a few of their songs on record and thought they were okay–jazzy and a little slow.  But live their songs really came to life with an energy and vibrancy that I didn’t hear on record.

They ended the set with “The Robber” the one song I knew pretty well and it was great live.  I’m glad they ended with that one.

Well, the weather was crazy and the traffic was nuts so we walked in a few minutes before The Weather Station went on.  And of course, I was on the merch line for half of their set once again. Continue Reading »

Posted in First Aid Kit, Philadelphia, PA, The Fillmore Philadelphia, The Weather Station | Leave a Comment »

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds / Garbage / Metric (The Mann Center, Philadelphia, PA, July 14, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

July 14, 2023 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: July 14, 2023] Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds / Garbage / Metric

I was more than a little out of sorts that Noel Gallagher’s band had top billing on this tour.  I just now realized that it was a co-headlining tour.  Which is better, but still.

I was surprised (but not really) when Garbage opened for Blondie when we aw them a few years ago.  [I GET that one, Blondie is an icon after all].  But Noel Gallagher?  The dude from Oasis?  I didn’t realize that his band of birds had four albums out.  But I also see that half of the set is Oasis songs.

The co-headlining scam is a pretty good one for bands.  Play for an hour instead of 90 minutes and charge more because its two bands instead of one.  But whatever.

Had I known this was a co-headlining bill I might have looked into getting tickets (although really, the Mann center is such a pain, that I probably wouldn’t).  We also wound up coming home from vacation on this day so that pretty much nixed any evening plans anyhow.

I did like Oasis when they came out (although I was always more Blur than Oasis).  But I find that when he’s not taking liberally from The Beatles, Noel’s songs are kind of bland.

Now Garbage, I love.  They were one of my favorite bands of the 90s.  I’ve seen them four times and would happily see them more if they would just do another headline tour instead of always pairing with people i like less than them.

I saw Metric last year and they were wonderful.  I would of course be happy to see them again, although seeing them in a shortened set like this wouldn’t be ideal (they played nine songs–but nine is better than none).

If this had been at an easier to get to venue, I would probably have tried to go.  And, like a kindred spirit who has the same tastes as me said, I’d have gone for Metric and Garbage and maybe left after to Noel songs.

 

Posted in Garbage, Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Metric, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Oasis, Philadelphia, PA | Leave a Comment »

Kami Garcia; Gabriel Picolo–Teen Titans: Beast Boy (2020)

July 13, 2023 by Paul Debraski

SOUNDTRACK: hiatus

[READ: May 20, 2023] Teen Titans: Beast Boy

Kami Garcia has written (and Gabriel Picolo has illustrated) a trilogy of books about Raven and Beast Boy from the Teen Titans.

I only know about Teen Titans from teen Titans Go! which I think is hilarious and (which I realized years after watching it) has nothing really at all to do with the actual Teen Titans who are serious (and kind of dull in a DC comics way).

But these stories are interesting and seem to be breaking out of the darkness that DC is under with these lighter (but not nearly as light as Teen Titans Go!) origin stories.

As with all comic book characters, origin stories are canon.  Until they need to be modified for the new series. I don’t know what the actual origin stories of either of these characters are, but I enjoyed these quite a bit.

This story begins in Georgia where teenaged Garfield Logan (Beast Boy) has a bucket list that mostly includes gaining weight and muscle.  As he leaves the house, his parents ask him if he has taken his Aminotrianidol, to which he says yes, just like every day.  This is a supplement that they say he absolutely must take every day.

Garfield and his friend Stella drive to the county fair to watch their friend Daniel ‘The Tank” Tanaka win a hot dog eating contest.  Stella is an online gamer with thousands of followers.  Garfield is bummed because he doesn’t have a thing that he’s good at. Continue Reading »

Posted in Beast Boy, Death, Drugs, Gabriel Picolo, Graphic Novel, Kami Garcia, Raven, Supernatural, Teen Titans | Leave a Comment »

The Head and the Heart / The Revivalists (Skyline Stage at The Mann Center, July 12, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

July 12, 2023 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: July 12, 2023] The Head and the Heart / The Revivalists

I’m actually surprised that this show was at the Skyline stage instead of the main building at The Mann.  That kind of made me want to go a little bit more (but very little as The Mann is a pain in the ass to get to).

Turns out, though, that we were away on the night of the show, so, it did’t matter anyway.

My wife and I saw The Head and the Heart at the Met Philly in 2019.  Here’s what I wrote:

I had quite possibly the worst concert experience of my life at this show.  And I want to reiterate it had nothing to do with the band.  There may have been a song or two in the middle that I wasn’t too excited about, but overall, they sounded great, played some really fun songs and seemed to be really enjoying themselves.

I wouldn’t mind seeing them again to make up for this show, but I probably won’t.   I also feel like I never want to go to the Met Philly again.  I feel like it attracts the wrong crowd–rich people who are looking for a night out rather than fans of music.

Re-reading the review I spent 2/3 of it complaining about the people around me. They were loud talkers and drinkers, completely louder than the band at times.

I would like to see The Head and the Heart again, I think.  Although it turns out they released a new album last year and I didn’t even know it.  So, I guess I won’t miss them that much,

I just checked and this show is sold out, so I guess they won’t miss me either.  And it really sounds like an event I don’t want to be at.

The Revivalists are a band that get some airplay on WXPN.  I do like one of their songs but overall their vibe is a little too retroey for me.  They are probably a very good fit with The Head and the Heart, although I feel like they veer in a direction I don’t enjoy as much.

 

Posted in Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia, PA, Skyline Stage at The Mann, The Head and the Heart, The Revivalists | Leave a Comment »

Kami Garcia; Gabriel Picolo–Teen Titans: Raven (2021)

July 11, 2023 by Paul Debraski

SOUNDTRACK: hiatus

[READ: May 20, 2023] Teen Titans: Raven

Kami Garcia has written (and Gabriel Picolo has illustrated) a trilogy of books about Raven and Beast Boy from the Teen Titans.

I only know about Teen Titans from teen Titans Go! which I think is hilarious and (which I realized years after watching it) has nothing really at all to do with the actual Teen Titans who are serious (and kind of dull in a DC comics way).

But these stories are interesting and seem to be breaking out of the darkness that DC is under with these lighter (but not nearly as light as Teen Titans Go!) origin stories.

As with all comic book characters, origin stories are canon.  Until they need to be modified for the new series. I don’t know what the actual origin stories of either of these characters are, but I enjoyed these quite a bit.

This story begins in Atlanta where teenage Rachel (Raven)’s foster mother is planning to adopt her.  But there is a car accident and Raven’s mother is killed. Continue Reading »

Posted in Amnesia, Beast Boy, Death, Gabriel Picolo, Graphic Novel, Kami Garcia, Raven, Set at School, Supernatural, Teen Titans | Leave a Comment »

Kate Williams–The Babysitters Coven: For Better or Cursed [Book 2] (2020)

July 10, 2023 by Paul Debraski

SOUNDTRACK: hiatus

[READ: July 2023] The Babysitters Coven Book 2

I enjoyed the first book in this series quite a bit.  Then I forgot all about it.  I happened to see book 2 in the library and decided to check it out.

My daughter actually said she wanted to read it too, but I told her it was book 2, so she may go get book 1.

Book 2 picks up pretty quickly where book 1 left off with our two Babysitters/Demon slayers in the middle of the action.

Our heroine is Esme Pearl.  In book one, Esme Pearl is a babysitter.  She and her best (and only) friend Janis started a Babysitter’s Club back in junior high. There were of course four of them in the club and each girl paralleled one of the girls in the original series.  The Sitters were successful, until Cassandra Heaven showed up.  Cassandra is eccentric, to be sure.  But by the end of the book, Esme and Cassandra realize they have a connection—Cassandra’s father (a supernatural being) is the reason why Esme’s mother is more or less comatose.  It turns out that Esme’s mother was also a Sitter and was cursed—we believe by Cassandra’s father. Continue Reading »

Posted in Babysitters, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dogs, Funny (ha ha), Magic, Monsters, Series, Set at School, Supernatural, Unfinished series, YA Books | Leave a Comment »

Skating Polly (Kung Fu Necktie, Philadelphia, PA, July 7, 2023)

July 9, 2023 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: July 7, 2023] Skating Polly

I saw Skating Polly six years ago when they opened for X.  Unfortunately, I arrived really late and caught only a couple songs from them.

I’d been intrigued by them for a while–two sisters, both teenagers (technically Kelli was NINE when they formed), started a band as a duo and played some kick ass punk.  Six years ago primary singer Kelli was only 19, older sister Peyton was 24 and their brother Kurtis (no age given) was playing drums with them.

So here it was several years later and Kelli can legally be in Kung Fu Necktie.

They put on a fierce show with Kelli doing impressive high kicks in her platform shoes.

The lighting in KFT was weirdly over-red, so Peyton and Kurtis had a red glow the whole night while the one spotlight was on Kelli.

We also found out that they had a strict curfew of… 9:30!  Apparently there was some kind of event at 10, so they had to be off stage in plenty of time. Continue Reading »

Posted in Bugsy, Jacklen Ro, Kung Fu Necktie, Philadelphia, PA, Skating Polly | Leave a Comment »

The Head and the Heart / The Revivalists (The Stone Pony Summer Stage, Asbury Park, NJ, July 9, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

July 9, 2023 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: July 7, 2023] The Head and the Heart / The Revivalists

My wife and I saw The Head and the Heart at the Met Philly in 2019.  Here’s what I wrote:

I had quite possibly the worst concert experience of my life at this show.  And I want to reiterate it had nothing to do with the band.  There may have been a song or two in the middle that I wasn’t too excited about, but overall, they sounded great, played some really fun songs and seemed to be really enjoying themselves.

I wouldn’t mind seeing them again to make up for this show, but I probably won’t.   I also feel like I never want to go to the Met Philly again.  I feel like it attracts the wrong crowd–rich people who are looking for a night out rather than fans of music.

Re-reading the review I spent 2/3 of it complaining about the people around me. They were loud talkers and drinkers, completely louder than the band at times.

I would like to see The Head and the Heart again, I think.  Although it turns out they released a new album last year and I didn’t even know it.  So, I guess I won’t miss them that much,

I just checked and this show is sold out, so I guess they won’t miss me either.  And it really sounds like an event I don’t want to be at.

The Revivalists are a band that get some airplay on WXPN.  I do like one of their songs but overall their vibe is a little too retroey for me.  They are probably a very good fit with The Head and the Heart, although I feel like they veer in a direction I don’t enjoy as much.

 

Posted in Asbury Park, NJ, The Head and the Heart, The Revivalists, The Stone Pony, The Stone Pony Summer Stage | Leave a Comment »

Bugsy (Kung Fu Necktie, Philadelphia, PA, July 7, 2023) [SKATING POLLY]

July 8, 2023 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: July 7, 2022] Bugsy

Bugsy are from Minneapolis.

They were much louder than Jacklen Ro (and louder than their recordings would suggest).  They may have been egged on by the fact that Jacklen Ro came right up to the front of the stage to dance wildly for their set.

I enjoyed the guitar and vocal interplay although I found the singer to be a little hard to hear clearly.  It may have been where I was standing, although I find that she’s a little quiet on record as well.

I was quite fond of their bassist though.  She played some really cool fills and runs and her bass had a great almost New Order sound to it. And the final song, “hard to breathe” had a great opening bass line (and guitar harmonics).

I was kind of distracted during their set though because of Jacklen Ro dancing right in front of me and because half way through the set I noticed that Kelli from Skating Polly was in the audience watching, too.  Continue Reading »

Posted in Bugsy, Jacklen Ro, Kung Fu Necktie, Philadelphia, PA, Skating Polly | Leave a Comment »

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