Feeds:
Posts
Comments

The Mars Volta (The Met Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, September 27, 2022)

September 28, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: September 27, 2022] The Mars Volta

Back in 2000, I loved At the Drive In.  I was bummed when they broke up.  However, they split into two bands: Sparta (the more streamlined guys) and The Mars Volta (the wacky prog rockers).  I was pretty psyched to hear TMV and their debut album De‐Loused in the Comatorium was amazingly weird and cool.  I also really liked the follow up Frances the Mute, but kind of lost track of them after that.

They broke up at some point and that was that.  Guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López went on to do a million projects (like playing with Teri Gender Bender) and singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala has appeared all over the place in bands and as a guest.  i didn’t really give them much thought until they announced a new song and tour.  So I pulled out De-Loused and remembered how much I liked them.

This tour was apparently designed just for me, since most of the songs were from De-Loused and Frances, with one song from the other albums and two from the new one.

The light show was pretty great.  They had squares of light bulbs that illuminated shapes and showed various LED colors.  Not to mention super bright strobes and lots of searching beams of colors.

More impressively, Omar Rodríguez-López’s guitar was even better than I had remembered.  He did a few segments were he just soloed for two or three minutes that never felt showoffy.  And, actually, even more impressive than that was Cedric Bixler-Zavala’s voice.  He can still hit those incredible high notes.

They opened with a song that has a lengthy moody opening.  Omar played soundscapes and solos and then Cedric started singing the slow trippy opening.   And after about ten minutes of that and me thinking…huh, is this the kind of stuff they are gonna play, they shifted gears and launched into the ferocious 7 minute “Roulette Dares” from De-Loused.  This song has more shifts and turns than you can count.  As well as the super catchy “Exoskeletal junction at the railroad delayed” impenetrable lyric.

They jumped to later in the album for “Eriatarka” a slower (at first) song that jumps and pounds with frenetic energy. Continue Reading »

Posted in Bosnian Rainbows, Le Butcherettes, Philadelphia, PA, Teri Gender Bender, The Mars Volta, The Met Philadelphia | Leave a Comment »

Teri Gender Bender (The Met Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, September 27, 2022) [THE MARS VOLTA]

September 27, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: September 27, 2022] Teri Gender Bender

Teri Gender Bender is the lead singer for the band Le Butcherettes who I know from an amazing Tiny Desk Concert nearly a decade ago.

I was supposed to see Le Butcherettes a few times.  They were supposed to open for Chicano Batman, but had to change as each show was rescheduled.

So I was pretty excited to see Teri Gender Bender who has put out a lot of music in addition to Le Butcherettes.  I wondered exactly how she got involved with The Mars Volta for this tour, then I found out that she was in a band with Volta guitarist Omar Rodriguez-López, called Bosnian Rainbows.   Indeed, he was also in Le Butcherettes.

As the set wore on and she introduced the band, it turned out that he was on stage with her during her set as well!  (In a pink suite with his hair in a wild pompadour).

Her band was set up in a kind of old school trio–bass and guitar behind little podiums with shiny fabric on them and a drummer behind her.  She introduced the other two musicians, but I didn’t catch their names.

The band came out and started jamming and after a minute or two Teri Gender Bender came out on stage.  She is a true performer, standing in fascinating poses, screaming intently her passionate lyrics and stalking around the stage.

The music was kind of dancey but with flairs of anarchy.  But it was all in support of Teri.  She was focused and intense as she got on the floor, contorting he body while she sang.

Between songs, she addressed the audience in Spanish (she was born in Denver, but her family moved to Mexico when her father died).

Her energy was unmatched and I wnjoyed the show.  Although I would have enjoyed it more if I knew the songs better.

  1. córtate el pelo ∏
  2. KENDALL Ø
  3. action ⊗
  4. talking about you ∞
  5. ya no soy
  6. MJ Ø
  7. THE GET UP ⇑

Ø olivia, she wanted me to leave her alone (2022)
∏ madre would not allow it though (2022)
∞ you were truly the one that made us laugh (2022)
⊗ leaving her to be was just not an option (2022)
¶ pestering became a virtue (2022)
⇑ The Get Up (2022)

Posted in Bosnian Rainbows, Le Butcherettes, Philadelphia, PA, Teri Gender Bender, The Mars Volta, The Met Philadelphia | Leave a Comment »

OSEES / Bronze (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, September 26, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

September 26, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 26, 2022] Osees / Bronze

I saw Osees exactly one year ago today.  I summarized by saying

The show was intense, exhausting and a ton of fun. I am so glad I went.

When they announced this year’s show I wasn’t quite in the mood for seeing them again (the exhausting part being the most vivid memory of the show).  But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t see them again maybe next year.

Bronze is a sychedelic synth-goth outfit whose album Absolute Compliance is to be released by Osees main guy John Dwyer’s Castle’s Face records.  Their earlier record was a bit more angular and choppy while the new song “People Watching People” is slower and synthier.

Posted in Bronze, Osees, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer | Leave a Comment »

Batushka / Witching / Hideous Divinity / Hate (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, September 26, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

September 26, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 26, 2022] Batushka / Witching / Hideous Divinity / Hate

I had heard of Batushka [БАТЮШКА] because there was an article about how there were two bands with the same name.  And, it was a case of the band breaking up and the guy who left taking the name–but the main band keeping it as well.  So both bands sounded vaguely the same as well, I guess.

Krzysztof Drabikowski formedthe band.  But a falling out between Drabikowski and vocalist Bartłomiej Krysiuk in 2018 led to Krysiuk starting his own version of Batushka, which released its own recordings and performs separately from the original band. Drabikowski protested the move and does not consider Krysiuk’s band legitimate.

Here’s some of the quotes from the controversy

Drabikowski stated that “There were attempts to take my creation Batushka away from me” and “the upcoming album Панихида (“Requiem”) will not feature his voice”

Krysiuk then “hired musicians to produce an album that he planned to release as the new Batushka record, behind [his] back”.

On 27 May 2019, Drabikowski’s Batushka released a new full-length album called Панихида (“Panihida”) (“Requiem”) and was very well received by both critics and fans alike.

On 12 July 2019, Krysiuk’s Batushka released a full-length album called Hospodi (“God Almighty”), the album received mixed reviews from critics[20][21] and was panned by some of the band’s fans, with most of the criticism aimed at their “illegitimacy” to use the name Batushka.

In the wake of the public falling out and ensuing drama between Drabikowski and Krysiuk several parody bands using variations of the “Batushka” name emerged online as a widespread meme, each also claiming to be the “true Batushka”, the most notable being “Batyushka” an anonymous project claiming to be from Russia and being actual Orthodox priests and adhering to the Orthodox dogma.  Their music is completely instrumental and have independently released over a dozen albums on Bandcamp which were met with indifference and annoyance, as well as mockery from fans of the real band, several people also pointed out how the music uses a drum machine.

Controversy aside, they sounded interesting a Polish black metal band formed by Krzysztof Drabikowski.  Their music and lyrics, which are written exclusively in Church Slavonic language, are inspired by the Eastern Orthodox Church.  The band members wear habits and Eastern Orthodox schemas during live performances to conceal their identities.

I’m not even sure which band this was.  I think it was Krysiuk’s version (known as Fakeuska, apparently) as Drabikowski hasn’t done much.   But if they’re wearing robes and hoods, who is to know?

After seeing behemoth back in April, I wasn’t sure if wanted to see another black metal show.  This one seemed especially daunting given that it was in the tiny Underground Arts.

So I opted not to go.  Maybe if they come back another time.

Polish band Hate opened.  I’m not too keen on a band that is simply called Hate.  They are a blackened death metal band.  They wear corpse paint and have had many lineup changes over the years.  Their singer growls, but I have to admit that the lyrics are actually audible, which is quite a plus.

Witching opened our show.  They are a metal band from Philly.  Their track Lividity opens with acoustic guitars and witching female singing and after two minutes the vocals get decidedly demonic and scary as the music gets heavier and pummeling.   It also looks like most of the band is women, which is pretty cool for the genre: Jacqui, Nate, Tatiana, Samantha and Hazel.

Hideous Divinity are from Italy.  I’m guessing they couldn’t make the first two shows of the tour and they started in Georgia.  They, like the others are heavy and growly.

I actually thought this show was four bands, which would have been just too much growling and heaviness.  Even three bands seemed like a lot.  Although now that I know more about Witching, they might have been a nice change for the show.   Nevertheless, despite the visuals, I’m not sure I was ever really planning to go to this show.

Posted in Batushka, Deerhoof, БАТЮШКА, Hate, Hello Mary, Hideous Divinity, Philadelphia, PA, Scarlet, Underground Arts, Witching | Leave a Comment »

Frantic City 2022 (Orange Loop Amphitheater, Atlantic City, NJ, September 24, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

September 24, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 24, 2022] Frantic City 2022

When I saw this show listed, I knew that it would be a fun opportunity for my son and I to go to a Festival. Only one day, kinda far but not too far, and headlined by his favorite band Car Seat Headrest.

The whole lineup was pretty exciting, in fact,

  • Car Seat Headrest
  • Yo La Tengo
  • Snail Mail
  • Titus Andronicus
  • Superchunk
  • Rocket from the Crypt
  • Protomartyr
  • Murder City Devils
  • Shannon and the Clams
  • The Raveonettes
  • Samiam
  • Control Top

And Fred Armisen will serve as host, so you can expect his specific brand of musical comedy to move the acts along.

I wasn’t sure what time we were going to arrive.  I wanted to see Control Top, who it looked like would go on first, then I was kind of okay with not seeing some of the other bands.

I feel like I should know Samiam, but I don’t exactly.  I feel like I don’t like The Raveonettes.  I didn’t really want to see Shannon and the Clams.  I don’t know Murder City Devils.  I have seen Protomartyr, and would have been happy to see them again.  I liked the first Rocket from the Crypt album, but haven’t thought of them in years.  I have seen Superchunk twice in the last few years and don’t need to see them again, although they are great.  I have not see Titus Andronicus who I don’t love, but who I understand are amazing live.

I do want to see Snail Mail (who I was supposed to see in April, but didn’t).  I have liked Yo La Tengo for years and have never seen them.  And then there was Car Seat Headrest, whom we had both seen in April.

Then on September 17, Car Seat Headrest pulled out of the Festival because of Will Toledo’s health.

I probably should have turned in the tickets right then, but I didn’t want the Festival to crumble from people returning their tickets–I do hope it comes back next year.

But that really put the kibosh on my son’s desire to see the festival.

On the day of, he said he really didn’t want to go and honestly that was fine by me.

 

 

Posted in Atlantic City, NJ, Car Seat Headrest, Control Top, Frantic City, Fred Armisen, Protomartyr, Snail Mail, Superchunk, Titus Andronicus, Yo La Tengo | Leave a Comment »

Demetri Martin: I Feel Funny (Wellmont Theater, Montclair, NJ, September 24, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

September 24, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 24, 2022] Demetri Martin

Demetri Martin is one of my favorite comedians.

I would love to see him live.  But this show was scheduled for the same day as the Frantic City Festival that we had tickets for.

I hope he’ll come back around some day.

 

Posted in Demetri Martin, Montclair, NJ, Wellmont Theater | Leave a Comment »

Porridge Radio / Sean Henry (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, September 24, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

September 24, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 24, 2022] Porridge Radio [moved from August 7, 2020 Boot & Saddle]

I heard about Porridge Radio from NPR back in 2020.  They are exactly the kind of weirdo post-punk British band that I love and would never hear anywhere on the radio.

Singer Dana Margolin is more of a talker than a singer.  Her accent is thick and her intensity is palpable.  The band mixes melody and noise in an unexpected way.  And of course there’s “the growing legend of their intense live shows.”

The 2020 show was cancelled and then Boot & Saddle closed.  I’m not sure if this even counts as a rescheduled show or not.  But they did, in fact come back to Philly.

Unfortunately, I thought we were going to Frantic City (which we wound up not doing).  I probably could have gone to this show after having bailed on Frantic City, but that seemed like too much chaos for one day.

Sean Henry is from Connecticut.  Henry began his career making music under the name Boy Crush.

His stuff under the name Sean Henry is pleasant and a little twee.  Although his live recording (from Audiotree) rocks a bit harder.  He’d be a good opener for just about anyone, I suspect.

I hope Porridge Radio comes back for their next album.

Posted in Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA, Porridge Radio, Sean Henry | Leave a Comment »

Girlpool / Cecile Believe (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, September 23, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

September 23, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 23, 2022] Girlpool / Cecile Believe

I first heard Girlpool back in 2015.  I loved the way the two members of the band sang, but not in harmony–it was more like in unison.  It gave them almost a childlike quality that somehow made their songs really impactful.

I had wanted to see them live since then.  When they came around in 2017, I had a ticket and then a last minute plan meant I couldn’t go.  They came back in 2019, but it was during our summer vacation.

Finally, they came back around in 2023, but it was the same night as several other shows, including one I wasn’t going to pass up.

Interestingly, over the past seven years a lot has happened to the band.  Avery Tucker transitioned and Harmony Tividad started exploring new facets of herself.  So they looked very different from when they first started out.

Their musical style changed a lot as well.  They no longer sounded anything like they did on the debut.  Primarily because Avery’s voice was no so much deeper.   I didn’t enjoy their music that much anymore.  So I wasn’t that upset about missing them.

Then on August 25, Girlpool announced that they will breakup at the end of the year, and that their remaining tour dates would serve as a farewell tour.  So I guess I’ll never see them live.

Cecile Believe (formerly known as Mozart’s Sister) is a solo project by Montreal-based Canadian musician Caila Thompson-Hannant.

Resident Advisor describers her music:

Cecile Believe’s vocal and emotional range, with its exhilarating twinkles of vulnerability, made an immediate impression on me when I first heard her performing “Ponyboy” and “Faceshopping”  .. Her new mixtape, Plucking A Cherry From The Void, a collection of restless and reflective lockdown-fermented electro-pop bangers, has those same attributes in ample supply.

Although I listened to a few songs and wasn’t that impressed.  It was all fine.

Posted in Cecile Believe, Girlpool, Philadelphia, PA, Underground Arts | Leave a Comment »

Yola / Peter One (Brooklyn Bowl, Philadelphia, PA, September 23, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

September 23, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 23, 2022] Yola / Peter One [rescheduled from February 15]

I has seen Yola on TV and her live presence (and her voice) were incredible. I don’t know a ton of her songs, but the ones I knew I liked a lot.

I thought it would be fun to see her live.  Her February show was postponed to September.

And was rescheduled for the same date as my Saucerful of Secrets show.  Which I was not going to miss.

So I have yet to see Yola.  Or Brooklyn Bowl.

Jac Ross was supposed to open, but I didn’t like him.  I was happy that he was replaced by Peter One whose story is really interesting.

Singer-songwriter Peter One left his home in Côte D’Ivoire in 1995 amid rising political unrest in the West African country that eventually boiled over into two civil wars in the 2000s. His life in the United States began in New York and then Delaware, before landing in Nashville, where he now lives. Along the way, he found community with fellow displaced Ivorians, including a friend who inspired a song from Peter One’s first new release in more than 30 years.

Peter One plays a kind of country-folk but with a West African twist that makes it sound fresh.

 

Posted in Brooklyn Bowl, Jac Ross, Peter One, Philadelphia, PA, The Fillmore Philadelphia, Yola | Leave a Comment »

Kathleen Edwards (SOPAC, South Orange, NJ, September 22, 2022)

September 23, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: August 24, 2022] Kathleen Edwards

Back in 2019 Kathleen Edwards came out of “retirement” after spending five years running a coffee house in Stittsville, Ottawa called Quitters.  She has since sold Quitters and it is now something else.

She announced a few shows in 2019 and then a small tour in 2021.  I hoofed it into New York City to see what I imagined would be my only time seeing her.  (She was also opening for Jason Isbell, but I didn’t want to see her as an opener nor did I want to see Jason Isbell).

But then she announced a full tour in 2022!  A few years ago I thought I’d never see her live and here we are and I’ve now seen her three times in under a year.

What was also pretty interesting was that this band line up was almost entirely different from the last time (which had been different from the first time).

The first time it was a five piece with two guitars (and a keyboard), bass and drums.  The second time it was drums, bass, pedal steel guitar and violin/keyboard.  So no lead guitar (all leads were on the pedal steel).  For this third show there was no bass or drums.  So, we had the same two “new” members from the show just a month earlier: Aaron Goldstein on pedal steel and Kinley Dowling who played keys and violin.  And we were once again joined by Colin Cripps (her ex-husband).  He played with her back in the old days and also when I saw her in NYC, but not a month earlier). Continue Reading »

Posted in AC/DC, Emmylou Harris, Kathleen Edwards, Matt Sucich, Neil Young, SOPAC, South Orange, NJ | Leave a Comment »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »