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Cate Le Bon (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, October 6, 2022)

October 7, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: October 6, 2022] Cate Le Bon

Cate Le Bon has been on the top of my “bands to see list” for a few years now.  I have tried to see her a bunch of times to no avail.  In 2019, I sold Phish tickets so that I could see her at Boot & Saddle, but i was too burnt out to go.  Then in 2020, she was supposed to play with Kurt Vile, but that got cancelled twice.  She was scheduled to play Philly for a benefit show, but I didn’t want to see her in that kind of setting.  So, although I guess it has not been that long that I’ve wanted to see her, but prior to 2019, the last time she’d played Philly was 2017, and I feel like I found out about her right around that time. 

Whatever the case, I’d heard her shows were amazing and was really looking forward to it.

I went into the show not knowing her music all that well.  I knew a few albums and had listened to Pompeii (the new album which I knew she was touring), but I expected to be blown away by the performance.

And I wasn’t.

The whole show was fine.  The band (Euan Hinshelwood on sax, keyboards and guitar; Toko Yasuda on bass; Dylan Hadley on drums; and Alex Morrison on keyboards and guitar) were all very good.  There was a little too much sax for my liking, although I did enjoy the way Hinshelwood distorted the sound so it sounded like a guitar at times.  Toko Yasuda on bass was the highlight for me.  Her bass sounded great–ever fluid, deep and rumbly and just a nice low comforting presence amid all the rest of the higher notes.

I enjoyed the stage set up with Cate on a slightly raised platform off to the side (although I had adjusted myself to perfectly see the center microphone and there was a larger guy now blocking my view of Cate).  She mostly played a day-glo orange guitar shape as a sort of pentagon.

I think what it comes down to is that I think that Cate is pretty weird.  And I expected this concert to be weird in a wonderful way.  And really, it was just fine.  The lighting was muted colors.  Her voice is soft and chill.  It was all very laid back and mellow.  And that is simply not what I thought we’d be getting.

Obviously, this is my fault for having the entirely wrong expectations.  Not to mention her newest album Pompeii is pretty different from her weirder earlier stuff–the stuff that I was more familiar with.

Sometimes, you need to see an artist right when you first wanted to.

SETLIST

  1. Miami √
  2. French Boys
  3. Pompeii
  4. Daylight Matters √
  5. Moderation
  6. Running Away
  7. Typical Love *
  8. Mother’s Mother’s Magazines √
  9. Magnificent Gestures √
  10. Rock Pool ®
  11. Sad Nudes √
  12. Mug Museum ϖ
  13. The Light √
  14. Home to You √
  15. Remembering Me
    encore
  16. Harbour 
  17. Dirt on the Bed
* single (2022)
¶ Pompeii (2022)
√ Reward (2019)
® Rock Pool EP (2017)

ϖ Mug Museum (2013)

Posted in Cate Le Bon, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer | Leave a Comment »

Momma / waveform* (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia PA, October 7, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

October 7, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 7, 2022] Momma / waveform*

Momma has been getting a fair amount of buzz lately.  They are a duo (from L.A.) who have a really nice 90s grunge vibe.

The band  is Etta Friedman and Allegra Weingarten, as well as drummer Zach Capitti Fenton.  They put out their third (!) album this year.

I really like their sound, although I had tickets to Stereolab long before this show was announced.  Turns out I didn’t really enjoy the Stereolab show as much as I thought it would–I probably should have gone to this one.

waveform* is another duo (this time from Connecticut).  Jarett Denner and Dan Poppa make “downcast guitar pop.”  That’s not quite my thing but maybe a live show would be better than the description sounds.

I hope they come back around soon.

Posted in Johnny Brenda's, Momma, Philadelphia, PA, waveform* | Leave a Comment »

Turnstile / JPEGMAFIA / Snail Mail (Stone Pony Summer Stage, Asbury Park, NJ, October 6, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

October 6, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 6, 2022] Turnstile / Citizen / Ceremony / Ekulu / Truth Cult

I was planning to see Turnstile back in May, although the overall bill–5 heavy bands–seemed a little too much.

This new show, just a few months later since they are always touring, had a much more interesting bill.

But, once again, this show was the same night as Cate Le Bon, who tours less frequently than Turnstile, so Cate won out.

JPEGMAFIA is a rapper and producer who I know more from his remixes than his actual music.  He draws from noise and punk and, frankly, sounds like someone I would really like and like someone I would really have liked to see live.

I have been wanting to see Snail Mail for quite a while.  Indeed, I was supposed to see her back in April, but I decided to stay home.  So I’m missing out on her once again.

This bill, though–a quiet folkie indie rocker, a noise rapper and a punk band was pretty interesting.

Posted in Asbury Park, NJ, JPEGMAFIA, Snail Mail, The Stone Pony Summer Stage, Turnstile | Leave a Comment »

A. Savage (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, October 6, 2022) [CATE LE BON]

October 6, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: October 6, 2022] A. Savage

A. Savage is the main voice behind Parquet Courts.  His deadpan deep voiced delivery is pretty recognizable.

As a solo artist, he plays slightly quirky folk songs.

I knew this show wasn’t going to sell out, so I didn’t buy tickets ahead of time.  I actually had tickets to see Turnstile this even in Asbury Park, but I didn’t feel like that kind of show.  So I blew that off and came to see Cate.

Traffic was a little heavy and I wound up arriving midway through A. Savage’s first or second song.

I had listened to his solo album earlier in the week and I knew pretty much what to expect.  And that’s what I got.  Enjoyable enough folkie kinds of songs.

He is a funny performer with good banter.  After the first song I saw he said something like By the way this is it–just me and the guitar–nothing else is going on.

I really like Parquet Courts for how weird they are.  But this show was not weird at all (except for some of his lyrics).  He is a great guitar player.  Nothing fancy, no solos that I recall, but very solid rhythm with the ability to make the songs feel really full even though it was just him.

I happened to not love his slow delivery, though, so the set was just okay for me.

  1. Unknown new song
  2. Buffalo Calf Road *
  3. Pulcinella (Parquet Courts cover)
  4. Wild, Wild, Wild Horses * 
  5. Winter in the South *
  6. Elvis in the Army
  7. Unknown (new song)
  8. Phantom Limbo *
  9. Minor Strummer
  10. Ladies from Houston *

* Thawing Dawn 

Posted in A. Savage, Cate Le Bon, Parquet Courts, Union Transfer | Leave a Comment »

Ibeyi / Madison McFerrin (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, October 4, 2022) [POSTPONED]

October 4, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[POSTPONED: October 4, 2022] Ibeyi / Madison McFerrin [moved to March 25, 2023 at World Cafe Live]

I first heard of Ibeyi quite some time ago. They are sisters Lisa-Kaindé and Naomi Diaz.  They were born in Cuba but moved to France as small kids.  Both of their parents are musicians, and the sisters have a great musical connection.

I had heard that their live show was amazing and I put them high on my list of bands to see.   I was pretty excited to see that they’d be playing Union Transfer.

Then on September 7, I got this email:

Ibeyi have moved their US tour, including their Philadelphia date to Spring 2023. A note from the band can be read below.

“To our fans in North America, we’re sorry to announce that due to logistical complications, we have to move our originally scheduled North America September/October dates to the spring of 2023. For those who have been following Ibeyi from the beginning, you know how touring and performing is special to us, we can’t wait to come and play our songs for you, but it’s only a matter of time.

Please note the new date and venue for our show – original tickets will be honored, please contact your point of purchase for more information.”The Philadelphia show will now be taking place at a new venue, World Cafe Live on March 25, 2023.

The opening act, Madison McFerrin is Bobby McFerrin’s daughter.

She sings in a kind of classic soulful way.  Her voice is rather timeless.  I’m not sure how much I would have enjoyed seeing her live, but I’ll probably never know.

Posted in Ibeyi, Madison McFerrin, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer, World Cafe Live | Leave a Comment »

Otoboke Beaver (おとぼけビ～バ～) (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, October 2, 2022)

October 2, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: October 2, 2022] Otoboke Beaver [rescheduled from from April 9, 2022]

I wanted to get to this show early because it was sold out and I knew it would be crazy.   But between one thing and another I wound up arriving at 8:25.  Only to find out that the opening band (opening bands at Johnny Brenda’s tend to go on a little later than advertised) was DONE.  Apparently Soft Torture, a Philly hardcore band, did a super-fast set (their debut EP has nine songs in about 13 minutes).  Listening to it, they sound really tight with a great vocalist.  Shame I missed them.

But I was there for Otoboke Beaver.  And so was the rest of the riotous crowd.

About their new album, SUPER CHAMPON (ス​ー​パ​ー​チ​ャ​ン​ポ​ン) the band says:

CHAMPON is a Japanese noun meaning a mixture or jumble of things of different type.

Our new album is a mixture of songs from love to food, life and JASRAC. Our music is genreless and has various elements. We hope that it will be our masterpiece of chaos music!

Otoboke Beaver are a four-piece from Japan.  There’s Accorinrin on vocals, Yoyoyoshie on lead guitar (and crowd surfing), Hiro-chan on bass and Kahokiss on drums.  The band plays primarily hardcore, but with a comical and fairly wild edge.  But even that is an extremely limited view of their set.  The songs shift without warning, from frenetic punk to … well, anything else.  It’s amazing how tight the band is that they can keep up with these twists and turns.

Accorinrin is up front.  She stomped around the stage, sometimes pointing finger pistols at the audience, enagaging really well with everyone.   Stage right was Yoyoyoshie who is as ferocious on guitar as her howls of “Otoboke Beaver!” between songs.  On the left was Hiro-Chan standing bare-footed (the band has pleaded that people not put any drinks or throw anything on the stage to protect her feet).  She seems remarkably chill given the frenzy around her, and her growls are awesome.  Kahokiss on drums somehow sounds fantastic while all of this is going on.  How on earth can she keep all of this straight?  It’s really amazing. Continue Reading »

Posted in おとぼけビ～バ～, Johnny Brenda's, Otoboke Beaver, Philadelphia, PA, Soft Torture | Leave a Comment »

Tinariwen / Garcia Peoples (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, October 1, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

October 1, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 1, 2022] Tinariwen / Garcia Peoples

Tinariwen is a pretty legendary band.  They play a guitar driven “desert blues” in which the guitar is played pretty much non-stop.   It’s unique and original to American ears but is apparently part of a Mali musical sound that combines traditional Tuareg and African music with Western rock.

Like last time, their show happened to be booked at a time when I had a lot of other things going on.

I would very much like to see them so I hope they come back again before too long.

Having Garcia Peoples open was a stroke of genius booking and honestly only made me want to go to this show even more.  It happened to be on the same night that I had a ticket to see Indigo de Souza.  Which wound up getting cancelled anyhow.  But then I had another show the next night.

I hope they both come back together–what a great double bill.

Posted in Garcia Peoples, Philadelphia, PA, Tinariwen, Underground Arts | Leave a Comment »

Indigo De Souza / Horse Jumper Of Love / Friendship (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, October 1, 2022) [rescheduled again, again]

October 1, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[POSTPONED: October 1, 2022] Indigo De Souza / Horse Jumper Of Love / Friendship [rescheduled from January 30, and May 2, 2022 moved to May 23, 2023]

Third time was not the charm.  Indigo de Souza has postponed this show twice before because of COVID–valid enough reasons.  But it was pretty strange that she has chosen to postpone this time for very different reasons:

We just received word that Indigo De Souza will begin working on their new record in the coming weeks. So the previously re-scheduled show for October 1st will now take place at our venue on May 23, 2023.

That’s a little weird.  At least they sent this message on August 12, so there was plenty of time to be made aware of the change.

So, the fourth time will be almost a year later from the second time.

~~~~~

Indigo De Souza had to postpone her previous show here because of general COVID anxiety.  Now, just a few days before this show was supposed to happen, she had to postponed because of an actual COVID outbreak:

Thank you for purchasing tickets to see Indigo De Souza at Union Transfer on May 2. Unfortunately, due to a postive Covid test in the touring party, this show has been postponed to a date to be determined in the future.

From the band: “Unfortunately, our bass player and Horse Jumper of Love’s drummer have tested positive for covid so we have decided to postpone Monday’s show in Philadelphia ,PA :/ Please hold on to your tickets as we will be announcing new dates asap. We are sad to miss this show. It’s a sensitive time to be playing music. Thank you for bearing with us as we learn how to navigate it all. Sending love in all directions.“

Perhaps third time’s the charm

~~~~~~~

Indigo De Souza is a new (to me) musician who I heard about on NPR music.  Her song “Kill Me” is outstanding.  A great dynamic of sounds, very funny lyrics and memorable hooks.  I loved it immediately.  She announced a tour soon after I’d heard it and I grabbed a ticket to see her headline tour (!).

She’s ben making music since she was like 9 with a few EPs and a previous album.  I imagine she’ll be a fun and wild performer.

On January 13, Union Transfer announced:

Indigo has decided it’s best for all involved to move their tour to a few weeks later in the year. The Philly show will now take place at Union Transfer on May 2nd

That’s not too far off.

I hadn’t heard of either of the opening acts (such is the case when the headliner is fairy new herself).  Continue Reading »

Posted in Friendship, Horse Jumper of Love, Indigo De Souza, Lucy Dacus, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, Union Transfer | Leave a Comment »

Stella Donnelly / Maria BC (World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA, September 30, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

September 30, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 30, 2022] Stella Donnelly / Maria BC

I know of Stella Donnelly from NPR Music–both All Songs Considered and her Tiny Desk Concert.  She is an Australian singer with delightfully pointed lyrics and a wicked charm.

I was quite keen on her for a while, but y the time this show was posted I had kind of forgotten what it was I liked so much about her.   If I didn’t have two other shows to go to in the next few days, I probably would have gone, but as it was, I had to save up my nights out.

Maria BC is an Ohio-born classically trained singer who sings over ethereal guitars and organs.  Her music is quiet (deliberately so).  And I think in a live setting she would be transportive.  However, I didn’t listen very carefully to her bandcamp release so it sounded just okay to me.

Posted in Maria BC, Philadelphia, PA, Stella Donnelly, World Cafe Live | Leave a Comment »

Death Cab for Cutie (The Met Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, September 29, 2022)

September 30, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: September 29, 2022] Death Cab for Cutie

This was our third time seeing Death Cab for Cutie.  They put on a remarkably good show every time.  I was telling S. I feel al little bad for saying that I don’t feel like there’s anything extraordinary about them–nothing that blows me away.  However, I like just about everything they do.  They fall into a perfect, sweet spot for me.  I love Ben Gibbard’s voice.  They write excellent melodies.  And, as it turns out, their live shows are fantastic.

The whole evening was marked by weirdness though.  As we arrive, while waiting at the corner, we saw a car hit a guy on a bike.  They were both moving very slowly–the car was turning the corner and the bike was slowing to the parking area right after the corner, and I guess technically, the bike drove right into the car. The rider was uninjured, the car was unscratched.  It was clear that everyone just wanted to move on with their lives and so off they both went.  All before the light turned green for us.

Then, in the venue, we avoided the tall dudes (so many really tall dudes!) and wound up standing by this foursome.  After a minute it became very clear that the one guy was really, really drunk.  And I predicted he was going to down sooner rather than later.  The two women in their group wound up supporting this guy physically for the entire show.   Rubbing his back, patting his shoulders.  And sure enough within two songs he was on the ground.  Although he got up before security could get him and them out of there.  Instead, they wound up with the (in my opinion) worst show imaginable for these two women who were trying to support this idiot instead of sitting him down or just going home.

Ah well.  The good news was that he never caused enough crisis for the band to stop and they were blissfully unaware of that minor drama. Continue Reading »

Posted in Death Cab For Cutie, Philadelphia, PA, The Met Philadelphia | Leave a Comment »

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