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Phish: Summer Tour 2022 (The Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia, PA, July 19, 2022) [night 1 of 2]

July 19, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: July 19, 2022] Phish

This was my twelfth Phish show (thus making it the most I have seen any band).  I usually don’t mind going t o see bands by myself but Phish shows are the weird outlier because I never get good seats (it’s always lawn) and because everyone seems to be with a bunch of people and I don’t want to gate crash.  Phish fans are pretty friendly but can also be a bit much, so it’s risky to tie yourself to a group for an evening.

The Mann is a pain in the ass to get to for me, but their new policy of free parking s a godsend.  I arrived in plenty of time to get a poster (outset the venue) and to get it back to my car and then to get a spot mid lawn as the guys came out an started an acapella “wawawawawah” which was a little odd until Trey started singing “Ground control to Major Tom.”  Yes, an acapella “Space Oddity.”  It was insane and wonderful.  I love that Trey did the guitar soo with his mouth and while I’m usually cranky when people sing over the band (especially the a capella songs, it was hard not to sing along to this classic sing along song).

The guys moved to their instruments and Paige played the opening narration to “Martian Monster” with the repeated samples of “Your trip is short.”  I’ve only heard this once before and it’s a fun groove.  After a brief pause, Mike started the bass vocal intro to “Halley’s Comet.”  I’ve also only seen this live once before.  It’s an old song that I know well and that’s a crowd favorite.  The regular parts of the song were a little clunky but the jamming was really smooth.  It mellowed out nicely and stretched out to over 17 minutes of trippy chill out.

As the song ended Trey played a riff that sounded familiar, but I think it was wrong…  “Stash” played on the wrong fret, perhaps.  [As the reviewer for “Live for Live Music put it: “Trey had a touch of cheesesteak fingers for chunks of the composed section of “Stash”, briefly bringing the energy down for the initial drop into the jam.”]  But it was almost like a segue into the song proper.  And man was I psyched because this was my first ever live Stash, a song that I love–the guitar line is just so lovely (boy is it a shame he flubbed it so badly later in song).  But it was still fun to clap and sing along to.  Paige was also throwing in cow sounds throughout the show which was fun. Continue Reading »

Posted in Kasvot Växt, Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia, PA, Phish | Leave a Comment »

Fucked Up (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, July 17, 2022) [rescheduled]

July 17, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: July 17, 2022] Fucked Up [moved from January 23, 2021]

I’ve been intrigued by Canadian band Fucked Up since I first heard of them. Obviously they had no intention of getting mainstream success with a name like that.  And yet, their music has turned heads.

Which is also a bit of a puzzle because, while it can be very, very catchy, lead singer Pink Eyes screams like the lyrics are comic from the pit of his soul (although you can actually understand most of what he says, which is a neat trick).

Pink Eyes is Damian Abraham who had led the band since 2001.

Fascinatingly, the band won the Polaris Prize in 2009 (for an album with mostly guest vocalists).  They followed up that album with david Comes to Life in 2011–a rock opera set in 1970s and 1980s England. The story involves unreliable narrators and meta-narrative plot devices.

And so it was that in 2021, they were going to do a ten year anniversary and pay the album front to back.  It was postponed, but, undaunted, they pressed on in 2022.

I had never seen Fucked Up before, but had a pretty good idea what to expect.  And yet they exceeded any expectation.

The band came out on stage while a projection of the band with their logo was on the screen behind them.  They played the opening song (an instrumental) and then Damian came out in sweatpants, and a black vinyl glove (he later revealed that he had cut his hand and this was protecting his from getting blood everywhere).  He proceeded to do his screaming thing. Continue Reading »

Posted in Fucked Up, Philadelphia, PA, Robin Hatch, The Rural Alberta Advantage, Underground Arts | Leave a Comment »

Pony (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, July 17, 2022) [FUCKED UP] [rescheduled]

July 17, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: July 17, 2022] Pony [moved from January 23, 2021]

I had not heard of Pony before this show.  I was interested in hearing the original opening band, Empath, who 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.

But Pony are a pop punk band from Toronto and they were fantastic.

Pony is fronted by Sam Bielanski who plays guitar and sings.  She is also a voice actress and voiced Jazz in My Little Pony: Tell Your Tale (hence the band name).

For a couple of songs at the end Sam didn’t play guitar she just sang and dominated the stage, stomping around in Doc Martins and a plaid skirt. Continue Reading »

Posted in Empath, Fucked Up, My Little Pony, Philadelphia, PA, Pony, Underground Arts | Leave a Comment »

Home is Where (World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA, July 13, 2022) [FOXING]

July 14, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: July 13, 2022] Home is Where

I saw Foxing three years ago without knowing much about them.  Their live show blew me away.  So when it was announced that they were playing Philly again, I had a choice. Go to the Bikini Kill show that I’ve had tickets to for years or go to the Kevin Devine show which I had gotten tickets for just in case it sold out, or blow off them both and go to Foxing.

Well, Bikini Kill was postponed (again) and Kevin Devine was a solo show (which is good, but I’ve seen him solo twice already), so I decided to go to Foxing without having a ticket.  Traffic was light, I got free parking (well, technically it cost 68 cents) and bought a ticket in cash with no handling fees!

I went downstairs and was kind of surprised at how young the audience was.  I was also surprised by how well people seem to know the opening band Home is Where who hail from Florida.

The band is a four piece: josiah gardella – drums ; trace george – guitar ; brandon macdonald – tantrum, harmonica, singing saw ; connor “fat slaps” o’brien – bass. Continue Reading »

Posted in Foxing, Greet Death, Home is Where, Philadelphia, PA, World Cafe Live | Leave a Comment »

Greet Death (World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA, July 13, 2022) [FOXING]

July 14, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: July 13, 2022] Greet Death

After the wildness of Home is Where, I wasn’t really sure what to expect from Greet Death.  I assumed they had gotten their name from Explosions In the Sky who have a song called that.  Which meant that they would probably be instrumental post-rock.

But they aren’t.

They are a four-piece from Detroit with two lead singers.   When I saw them I was in front of Samuel Boyhtari who has a more pleasant singing style.  On the other side of the stage was Logan Gaval who is more of the mouthpiece of the band, I’m guessing. Continue Reading »

Posted in Foxing, Greet Death, Home is Where, Philadelphia, PA, World Cafe Live | Leave a Comment »

Foxing (World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA, July 13, 2022)

July 13, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: July 13, 2022] Foxing

I saw Foxing three years ago without knowing much about them.  Their live show blew me away.  So when it was announced that they were playing Philly again, I had a choice. Go tothe Bikini Kill show that I’ve had tickets to for years or go to the Kevin Devine show which I had gotten tickets for just in case it sold out, or blow off them both and go to Foxing.

Well, Bikini Kill was postponed (again) and Kevin Devine was a solo show (which is good, but I’ve seen him solo twice already), so I decided to go to Foxing without having a ticket.  Traffic was light, I got free parking (well, technically it cost 68 cents) and bought a ticket in cash with no handling fees!

The two opening acts were really good and I settled in for Foxing.  They had just announced a new live album that you could get online or you could get (autographed) at the shows.  I bought the LP before the show (only 20 were sold each night) and was stuck holding it the whole time (next time bring a bag).

The lights went down and a recorded song played while fireworks were projected on the screen behind the stage.  Then the band came out.  For some reason I thought there were more of them, but there were only five.  And they were loud enough that they could have been ten.

Foxing released a new album last year and this was the tour for it, so there were lots of “new” songs.  But the fans knew them all (I mean the record has been out almost a year).

Singer Conor Murphy is a dynamic frontman.  He moves around, he jumps, he screams, he engages with the audience.  It’s like every note he sings is personally connected to him.  He has a delicate falsetto (not unlike TV on the Radio) but he can scream, like really roar, with the best of them.

And the way the band jumps from quiet to HUGE is really impressive. Continue Reading »

Posted in Foxing, Home is Where, Philadelphia, PA, TV on the Radio, World Cafe Live | Leave a Comment »

Kevin Devine / Anika Pyle (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, July 13, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

July 13, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: July 13, 2022] Kevin Devine / Anika Pyle

The embarrassment of riches continued on July 13.  Initially the Bikini Kill show was rescheduled for this date–but it was postponed again.

I’ve been a fan of Kevin Devine for a few years.  I feel like I’ve seen him a bunch because he so often plays around here.  And yet I have only seen him three time (twice solo and once with his Goddamn Band).  I would love to see him again and would absolutely gone to see this show except that Foxing, a band I saw once who were amazing live were playing the same night.

I actually had tickets for this show but decided kind of last minute to see Foxing instead–it hadn’t sold out so I got a ticket at the box office.

I feel like it is far more likely that I’ll see Kevin Devine again soon.

Anika Pyle has written her own bio on he site:

Many know me as the front person in the short-lived but well-loved Chumped or the feminine exploration power pop project katie ellen. In February of 2021, I released my first solo record – Wild River  – a mix of song and spoken word poetry paying homage to my late father who died suddenly in 2019. The record explores failure, shame resilience, intergenerational trauma, and how to find hope after grief.

I hadn’t heard of her.  The few clips I’ve heard make it seem like her music is slow and moody.  Not my favorite mix.

Posted in Anika Pyle, First Unitarian Church, Johnny Brenda's, Kevin Devine, Philadelphia, PA | Leave a Comment »

Bikini Kill / Brontez Purnell (Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, July 13, 2022) [rescheduled, rescheduled again and again]

July 13, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[POSTPONED: July 13, 2022] Bikini Kill / Brontez Purnell [rescheduled from November 22, 2020 and October 2, 2021; moved to April 7, 2023]

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About a week before this show was supposed to happen we got another update that the show was postponed yet again.

I like to note that I bought ticket to this show on November 10, 2019.

The reunited riot grrrl stars were originally set to play a host of North American shows across June and July this year, but had to postpone them due to a positive COVID case in their touring party.

Original support act Alice Bag is long gone replaced by Brontez Purnell who is still slotted to support next year.

Brontez Purnell is an American writer, musician, dancer, and director based out of Oakland, California. He is the author of several books, including Since I Laid My Burden Down, and the zine Fag School; frontman for the punk band The Younger Lovers; and founder of the Brontez Purnell Dance Company.

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Continue Reading »

Posted in Alice Bag, Bikini Kill, Coronavirus, Feminism, Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, Quarantine, Riot Grrrl, The Bags | Leave a Comment »

Barenaked Ladies / Toad the Wet Sprocket / Gin Blossoms (The Met Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, July 12, 2022) [rescheduled date] [DID NOT ATTEND]

July 12, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: July 12, 2022] Barenaked Ladies / Toad the Wet Sprocket / Gin Blossoms [rescheduled from July 14, 2020 and July 13, 2021]

I haven’t seen Barenaked Ladies in a while.  They always put on a good show, although i feel like I’ve enjoyed the last few a little bit less than the previous ones.

I always consider going to their Last Summer on Earth tours, but i typically dislike the other bands that are playing with them–usually 90s bands that I assumed were broken up. Which doesn’t really speak all that well of BNL (unless it speaks well of them trying to boost old bands).

I never liked Gin Blossoms.

I liked Toad the Wet Sprocket for their name (which comes from Monty Python) but couldn’t tell you a single song they sang.

So, it was very unlikley that I was going to this one.  And I didn’t.

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As recent as mid-May this concert was still listed as happening in 2021, but when you clicked to buy tickets, the ticket pages said 2022.

I know that the whole “Last Summer on Earth” thing is a joke, but it’s getting a little creepy now.

I was kind of hoping they’d switch opening bands by now but, instead of this show, I think I’ll be seeing them at the Festival of Ballooning on July 24th instead.

~~~~

I have seen Barenaked Ladies almost more than any other band.  I’ve seen them from way back in the early days to a few times in the last few years.  They are reliably solid live (if not a bit predictable with their setlists).

We didn’t see them for last year’s “Last Summer on Earth” tour.  They have been using that name for the last several years, it may be time to think of a new name, especially given the current state of the world.  I wasn’t planning on going to this show mostly because I don’t really like the opening acts.  And, honestly, unless the show was something special and different, it would entirely depend on the opening acts whether I went or not. Maybe they’ll mix them up for next year.

Toad the Wet Sprocket got their name from a Monty Python skit which immediately made me like them.  I think I ha a cassette of their first album, maybe.  I haven’t really thought of them in years and remember them being kind of inoffensive.  Oh, wait, they had a pretty big hit with “All I Want,” a sweet slightly alt folk rock song.  I’ll bet there would be lots of lighters up for that song.

I really hated Gin Blossoms back in the 90s.  They were so overplayed and hardly qualified as alternative or college rock, but they were lumped in that category.  They had a number of songs that I probably know all the words to even though I never listened to them on purpose.

With a lineup change I’d consider seeing them next summer, especially if they changed the name of the tour.

Posted in Barenaked Ladies, Coronavirus, Gin Blossoms, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, Quarantine, The Met Philadelphia, Toad the Wet Sprocket | Leave a Comment »

Lucy Dacus: Free at Noon (World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA, July 8, 2022)

July 8, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: July 8, 2022] Lucy Dacus: Free at Noon [postponed from March 4, 2022]

I have seen Lucy Dacus quite a few times and she always puts on a mesmerizing show.

After her March Free at Noon was postponed, I decided to definitely grab a ticket for this July Free at Noon (somehow I’m more interested in doing a weekday concert in the summer than in March).

The last time I saw Lucy she said she was living in Philly, so I assume that this show was fairly easy for her to cooridnate.  She was also upright (after her herniated disc injury) so this must have been an easy show to perform, too.

She stood up on stage in a white dress as blue lights filled the stage.  Her band surrounding her, she began with the lovely, quiet “Triple Dog Dare.”  The lights slowly brightened as the rest of her band came into view (I love watching her guitarist Jacob Blizard play)

They moved into the bouncier “First Time” (“You can’t feel it for the first time, a second time”) as the lights changed color and grew brighter.  There were notably more keys in this set, I thought–from synth player Sarah Goldstone who also added lovely harmonies. Continue Reading »

Posted in Lucy Dacus, Philadelphia, PA, World Cafe Live | Leave a Comment »

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