February 2, 2022 by Paul Debraski
[ATTENDED: February 1, 2022] Mother Mother
I I had never heard of Mother Mother before a few months ago. They have been around for over fifteen years, but recently a few songs from their 2008 album blew up on TikTok. Because I have teenagers, I found out about them second hand.
And I fell in love with the frenetic guitar and lyrics of “Hayloft,” which led me to explore more of their music.
Way back on April 29 of last year, I bought four tickets to this show for me, my kids and a friend. It seemed like it would never get here. Then it seemed like it might get cancelled or postponed, but it did go on, although not exactly as planned.
When I bought the tickets, the band was playing The Foundry. The Foundry is an amazing intimate venue that hold 450 people. I was super excited that they were there because whenever I’ve seen a band there, I’ve practically gotten to high five them. So I was a little bummed when in December it was announced that they’d moved the show to TLA. TLA is bigger (and I usually have a hard time getting there, but it was great tonight). Of course, this is great for the band, as TLA holds 1,000 people. And it sold out, so they doubled their attendance.
It also turned out that Mother Mother puts on a BIG show. Big lights, big sound. They used the whole stage. And The Foundry’s stage is like the size of a dining room table, so the show would have been nowhere near as amazing. So good for everyone. Continue Reading »
Posted in DYLYN, Mother Mother, Philadelphia, PA, The Fillmore Philadelphia, The Foundry, Theatre of Living Arts | Leave a Comment »
February 1, 2022 by Paul Debraski
[ATTENDED: February 1, 2022] DYLYN
I hadn’t heard of DYLYN before a few days ago. I was trying to figure out who was the band’s opening act and it said DYLYN> So I looked her up and I really liked the two (!) songs that were available on bandcamp.
DYLYN is a singer from Vancouver (originally Toronto). She had a powerful voice and plays a kind of power punk/metal hybrid sound.
Although interestingly, she was once a pop singer under the name Guinevere and she had a couple of top ten hits. Here real name is Gwendolyn Lewis, and it’s impossible to guess how old she is. I would have thought 18 from the show, but she had these hits a few years ago, so who knows.
DYLYN is also very pretty–which a few meatheads in the crowd were all too keen to point out nonstop throughout the show. One jackass shouted “I love you Dylyn so much that when he walked away, a woman next to me muttered, :there goes the guy who loves Dylyn.” The other drunken guy was so loud–and kept laughing about how loud he was being “I’m so loud!” Wow, what a dick (but what do you expect from a guy wearing a Hawaiian shirt with the pattern consisting of Playboy magazine covers. Where does one even get such a shirt?
But Dylyn apparently only heard the good parts from the crowd an, it’s fair to say the crowd was really into her set. She and her band (Ulysses on guitar, Parker on bass and sorry drummer I’ve forgotten your name) put on a ripping show full of bangers and ballads. And on more than one occasion, Dylyn really belted out a song showcasing what a spectacular voice she has.
I was rather surprised that this fairly unknown musician was given a 45 minute opening set, but I saw today that Dylyn has written with Ryan from Mother Mother. So they clearly have a bond.
She opened with the ripping Hellbound.
“Boy”
She ended the set with a solid cove of Nirvana’s “Lithium.”
It’s great that she got so much exposure during this tour. I hope her album is huge.
SETLIST [her album isn’t out yet so bracketed songs are lyrics that I recorded]
- Hellbound
- [take me back to the original sin]
- Hurt
- [come over with my best friend. I don’t wanna go, you can’t make me go]
- [little sister you’re not alone]
- [life is just a neverending song]
- [can you fee/ scream it, this is how I want it]
- [boy/song about her father]
- [take me to your darkness/wanna feel the pieces]
- [I want the best for you and if I tell the truth/I let you down]
- Lithium (Nirvana cover)
- Liberate Me
Posted in DYLYN, Mother Mother, Nirvana, Philadelphia, PA, Theatre of Living Arts | Leave a Comment »
January 31, 2022 by Paul Debraski
SOUNDTRACK: hiatus
[READ: January 2022] Feet of Clay
The Watch is back. This story doesn’t exactly introduce Golems to the city of Ankh-Morpork. They’ve always been there. But this is the first time they have become a big deal.
Also a big deal? Sam Vimes. Now that Vimes has become a Lord, it’s about time he gets a crest. So he goes to the local keeper of the Register of Proper People: Dragon King of Arms, to see about his old family crest.
Except, as Dragon King of Arms is quick to point out, his ancestor was a regicide and they tend to frown on that sort of thing. So it turns out that one of Vimes ancestor’s
But while Vimes is denied a crest, he is informed that his co-worker, Nobby Nobbs is actually from a learned and proper family (but Nobby is barely human!), still, there is fanciness in his blood. He is descended from the Earl of Ankh.
Nobby is not too happy about being upper crust and spends much of the book bemoaning that he can be upper class and have no money. When Society calls on him to come visit, he is woefully out of place and the whole dinner party is a hilarious feast for the reader. Continue Reading »
Posted in Anachronisms, Angua von Überwald, Carrot Ironfoundersson, Cheery Littlebottom, Death, Detritus, Discworld, Dorfl, Dwarfs, Fred Colon, Funny (ha ha), Golems, Guns, Lady Sybil Ramkin, Lord Vetinari, Magic, Nobby Nobbs, Samuel Vimes, Terry Pratchett, The Librarian, The Watch, Vampires, Violence, Werewolves, Wizards | Leave a Comment »
January 30, 2022 by Paul Debraski
[POSTPONED: January 30, 2022] Indigo De Souza / Horse Jumper Of Love / Friendship [moved to May 2, 2022]
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 Cancelled, Friendship, Horse Jumper of Love, Indigo De Souza, Lucy Dacus, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer | Leave a Comment »
January 29, 2022 by Paul Debraski
[CANCELLED: March 20, 2020] Best Coast / Rosie Tucker [CANCELLED]
I had tickets to see Best Coast at Union Transfer in March 2020. I like them although I was more interested in seeing their opening act Mannequin Pussy.
They were one of the first bands to cancel their tour outright back in May 2020 rather than rescheduling dates.
They announced a new tour for 2022 back in June. I’d have rather seen them in Asbury Lanes, but that show was on the same night as our War on Drugs show. So I considered going to the Union Transfer show. It was supposed to be a busy week of shows, so I wasn’t sure I’d want to go or not.
But on January 6, the band announced they were cancelling the tour
Best Coast is canceling its upcoming tour in support of its “Always Tomorrow” album due to COVID concerns.
The tour was set to kick off on Jan. 11 at the Catalyst Club in Santa Cruz, California. The SoCal indie-pop group — consisting of singer-songwriter-guitarist Bethany Cosentino and multi-instrumentalist Bobb Bruno —was scheduled to hit August Hall in San Francisco as well as such cities as Chicago, Toronto, Seattle and Los Angeles.
“We are devastated to announce that our upcoming Finally Tomorrow tour is unfortunately canceled,” the band posted on Twitter. “It was an incredibly difficult decision to make, but one that we ultimately felt was right.
“The last two years have been so difficult for us as a band (and the entire world) — and we appreciate your support through it all.”
“Our last show was in Chicago (on March 11, 2020). It was about two weeks into a monthlong tour. We had obviously been hearing a lot about COVID. But I think when you are on tour you exist in such a bubble of just what’s going on in the tour landscape. We were all kind of like, ‘OK, like I guess we’ll see what will happen with this.’ I fully didn’t think that the world was truly about to shut down. I did not see that coming whatsoever.”
“At this time, we are not rescheduling any of these dates, as the rollercoaster of the reschedule-announcement-cancelation cycle we’ve been stuck in is incredibly exhausting (for you too I’m sure!) and we just need a moment to decompress. We love you SO much and we hope to safely see you soon. Hang in there. love, bethany and bobb”
Continue Reading »
Posted in Asbury Lanes, Asbury Park, NJ, Best Coast, Cancelled, Mannequin Pussy, Philadelphia, PA, Rosie Tucker, Union Transfer | Leave a Comment »
January 28, 2022 by Paul Debraski
[POSTPONED: March 12, 2022] The Black Angels / L.A. Witch [moved to…]
I really got into The Black Angels with their 2013 album Indigo Meadow. I’ve recently been enjoying their Live at Levitation vinyl.
They’re just one of a bunch of younger bands who are exploring psychedelic music in a heavier vein than the original psychedelic bands. And I like it a lot. Plus they are supposed to put on a trippy show.
I mean, their post says
HERE is an incredible show. It will shock and amaze you.
And a poster would never lie. Continue Reading »
Posted in Coronavirus, L.A. Witch, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, The Black Angels, Union Transfer | Leave a Comment »
January 27, 2022 by Paul Debraski
[ATTENDED: August 5, 2021] The War on Drugs
A couple of years ago our friend Cindy invited us to see The War on Drugs with her and we said no. We didn’t really know them that well.
Cut to 2022 and they were the first live show we’d gotten to see this year.
Not a lot has changed about my appreciation of the band. They’ve always been a band that I kind of liked–good background stuff. Then I heard their Live Drugs album and realized that they are a great live band.
So they announced two shows in Philly and I asked if S. wanted to go. She had been listening to them a lot this past year and so I grabbed us tickets.
I like the Met but this is the second show in a row where we were in the back orchestra section. Now that I’ve been placed there a few times, I have finally got it in my head that when you buy tickets there, ORCH 5678 seats SUCK. The Met is a fairly small place, so even the further away seat isn’t bad, but there’s giant poles and the entire loge hanging above you. None of it really blocks your view, but it feels like watching a widescreen movie on a letterbox TV. Continue Reading »
Posted in Philadelphia, PA, The Met Philadelphia, The War on Drugs | 1 Comment »
January 26, 2022 by Paul Debraski
SOUNDTRACK: hiatus
[READ: January 26, 2022] Fixer
I saw this book at work and was attracted by the cover (obviously San Francisco) and that it was about a tech startup company (sort of).
The book is set up with each chapter being about one of the five main characters.
Meghan is a single woman whose life has been one of upheaval. As we meet her, she has just gotten laid off (with about one third of the firm) of a tech company that has had to resize itself. She’s not even sure why she works in marketing–she has no real sense of self and would love to be an artist. But she doesn’t dare risk things for that. She has also just had a very good date with Diego Garcia.
Diego (Digs) is techie guy with great ideas. He has been working in the tech field for many years and has brought some of his good college friends to work with his at Del Oro, a startup tech firm with one of the hottest apps out right now.
Kari (he is Norwegian) is Diego’s college friend. They have been close as anything for many years. Kari (and his father especially) have very high expectations for Kari. Kari is the more business minded side of Diego–he knows about money and how to get it. He is passionate about very few things. One is success. The other is Kari.
Kira (the similar names are cute, rather than cloying, I think) is his girlfriend of many years. She is possibly more driven than he is. She is very successful and expects the best from everyone. She has known Kari and Diego since college. She likes Diego but gets a little tired of him. When Diego starts dating Meghan, she finds her unbearably boring.
The last of their college friends is Ravi. Ravi is gay, but he has not (and could never) come out to his strict Indian parents (who are back in India). They would love for him to come home, but he has made a life for himself here. He is actually just about to get married to a woman. She is his best friend (they’ve known each other forever) and she is a lesbian. She also needs help with her visa to stay in the country. It solves everything. Even their serious significant others are on board. Ravi is very close to Kari as well. His boyfriend is serious and they imagine settling down someday is gay marriage is ever legalized. Continue Reading »
Posted in Arranged Marriage, Coffee, Food, LGBTQ, Marriage (Happy), Marriage Trouble, Romance, Sally Vedros, San Francisco, CA, Sex, Sexism, Technology, The Future, Violence | Leave a Comment »
January 25, 2022 by Paul Debraski
[POSTPONED: January 25, 2021] Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets [moved to September 23, 2022]
I saw the Saucerful of Secrets show back in 2019 and loved it. I had okay seats, so I wanted to get closer if they ever did another one (which I never imaged they would).
And yet here they were… timing their show right during the COVID resurgence.
This was supposed to be a very busy week of shows. All but one has been postponed. However, it’s a cold and blustery January night and The Kimmel Center is a hassle to get to at the best of times, so I can certainly wait until the Spring when I won’t mind a multi-block walk.
Posted in Coronavirus, David Gilmour, Guy Pratt, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Nick Mason, Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets, Philadelphia, PA, Pink Floyd, Postponed, Richard Wright, Spandau Ballet | Leave a Comment »
January 24, 2022 by Paul Debraski
SOUNDTRACK: hiatus
[READ: January 26, 2021] The Big Score
This book came in at work and the blurbs raved all over it. Since it was barely 100 pages I figured I’d give it a read. I didn’t realize that this was number three in a series about Saloninus. I’m not sure if it matters.
I had forgotten that I had read one of Parker’s books already Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City (The Siege #1) which I enjoyed rather a lot.
The story starts with the death of Saloninus. And the subsequent realization that he fakes his death.
The story continues with Saloninus talking about himself and we quickly learn that Saloninus is the most naturally gifted, smartest, wittiest, and just generally wonderful person in the world. Well, not wonderful, surely, as he is also a petty thief and general troublemaker who has been kicked out of more cities than we’ve ever heard of.
He gave a speech at his own funeral in which his sang his own praises as the author of such classics as Analects, Ideal Republic, and Beyond Good and Evil. And as the creator of the telescope, synthetic blue dye, indoor sanitation and a potentially viable flying machine. Continue Reading »
Posted in Fantasy, Fraud, Funny (ha ha), Funny (strange), History, K.J. Parker, Thieves, Tom Holt, Unreliable narrator | Leave a Comment »
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I I had never heard of Mother Mother before a few months ago. They have been around for over fifteen years, but recently a few songs from their 2008 album blew up on TikTok. Because I have teenagers, I found out about them second hand.
I Just Read About That... 