Feeds:
Posts
Comments

The Spirit of the Beehive (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, March 5, 2025) [THE SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE]

March 7, 2025 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: March 5, 2025] The Spirit of the Beehive [rescheduled from November 9, 2024]

I saw The Spirit of the Beehive seven years ago and they were outstanding live.  Here it was all this time later and I was able to see them again.

I enjoyed them–they were weird and fun to watch.  I wasn’t sure I ever needed to see the again, but I figured I’d see what they’d been up to for the last 7 years.

Their set was wild and chaotic.  Again, I was right at the barrier, so I’m sure I missed a lot.  Like last time, I couldn’t tell if the songs were really short or much longer.  The first song I thought might have been three different ones.  It was made even mor confusing because the musicians would switch instruments in the middle.  Their third guitarist Phil Warner, switched from electric to acoustic and back again in one song.

I also really enjoyed watching drummer Sean Hallock keep time to all of the different changes and styles of music (often in one song).

Zack Schwartz was on the far side from me and I felt like I heard his vocals the least, although his guitar was clear.  Bassist (mostly) Rivka Ravede has a fantastic bass sound–I loved when you could hear it over the rest of the music. She also sings on nearly every song, which is great–it adds so much dimension to the songs to have two (or three) lead vocalists in one song.

I was right in front of Corey Wichlin who sang a lot of lead parts in very different vocal styles–it was often hard to know who was singing.  He also played guitars and keys and the occasional triangle. Continue Reading »

Posted in Kassie Krut, Palm, Philadelphia, PA, Polo Perks <3<3<3, The Spirit of the Beehive, Union Transfer | Leave a Comment »

Kassie Krut (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, March 5, 2025) [THE SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE]

March 6, 2025 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: March 5, 2025] Kassie Krut [rescheduled from November 9, 2024]

I saw The Spirit of the Beehive seven years ago and they were outstanding live.  Here it was all this time later and I was able to see them again.  The opening band was Kassie Krut who I’d never heard of. I looked them up and found out that Kassie Krut was formed from Palm!

The band was formed by Kasra Kurt, guitarist, who wanted to explore more electronic music and Eve Alpert (both of who are phenomenal guitarists but who play no guitars on the album).  They were joined by Matt Anderegg on drums.

Their EP is loud and dancey and fun, but very noisy.  And live they were noisy, noisy and more noisy.  As with Polo Perks, this may have been because I was so close to the stage.  But I believe that all of the sounds were coming from the overhead speakers (there were no guitar amps to have sound coming from the stage).  Whatever the case I absolutely could not hear Eve singing (except the quieter bits of Reckless) and I couldn’t hear Kasra at all when he took to the mic.

Matt was on my right playing an electronic drum kit,  It was fun to watch because the bass pedal was literally a pedal hitting a small pad, slightly larger than the pedal itself, but it was cavernously loud.  The rest of the pads that he played generated all kinds of percussive sounds. Continue Reading »

Posted in Kassie Krut, Palm, Philadelphia, PA, Polo Perks <3<3<3, The Spirit of the Beehive, Union Transfer | Leave a Comment »

Polo Perks <3<3<3 (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, March 5, 2025) [THE SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE]

March 5, 2025 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: March 5, 2025] Polo Perks ❤ ❤ ❤ [rescheduled from November 9, 2024]

I saw The Spirit of the Beehive seven years ago and they were outstanding live.  Here it was all this time later and I was able to see them again.

Originally, the opening band was Kassie Krut, but sometime more recently they added Polo Perks ❤ ❤ ❤ to the roster.

I’d never heard of him and didn’t know if the ❤ was part of his name (it is) or if it’s supposed to be three asses or what (I still don’t).  Apparently, he is a NYC drill pioneer.

His DJ came out first, set up a folding table, laid down a laptop and a mic and started a beat.  Then Polo Perks came out on stage.  His DJ tried to get everyone really hyped up.  I was at the barrier and couldn’t see who was behind me.  But the guy next to me knew a lot of the words. Continue Reading »

Posted in Kassie Krut, Palm, Philadelphia, PA, Polo Perks <3<3<3, The Spirit of the Beehive, Union Transfer | Leave a Comment »

Nish Kumar in “Nish, Don’t Kill My Vibe” (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, March 2, 2025)

March 3, 2025 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: March 2, 2025] Nish Kumar

I know Nish Kumar from Taskmaster, where he was hilarious.  I have since grown to love him from his appearances on various podcasts, including his own Pod Save the UK.

When he announced that he was touring the US and playing Philly, I grabbed my wife and I tickets immediately.

And holy crap was he funny.  He ranted for 90 minutes and we never stopped laughing the whole time.

Most of his material is political (and there’s so much to choose from in 2025), but there were also personal observations (his poor therapist gets mentioned A LOT), and even a joke or two about his fridge and his mom.

In his current tour, he is upfront with how his therapist warned him against discussing traumatic unprocessed memories on stage, saying that re-telling unprocessed memories can re-traumatise you.

What’s his comedy like?  It’s fast, angry and very funny.  Think Lewis Black but less deranged sounding.  He’s also got a wonderful outsiders perspective on the US that can make you see thinks a little differently, although as he points out, his radical left wing base probably sees things this way already.  But, as a Brown person, he brings a whole new perspective on, well everything.

Like how Indians should be pleased that they are getting represented in politics, even though these people are the worst representatives of their culture who routinely abuse and put down their own people. Continue Reading »

Posted in Amy Annette, Nish Kumar, Philadelphia, PA, Taskmaster, Underground Arts | Leave a Comment »

Amy Annette (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, March 2, 2025) [NISH KUMAR]

March 2, 2025 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: March 2, 2025] Amy Annette

I didn’t know if Nish Kumar would have an opening act.  Since the show was starting at 9PM (!) on a Sunday night, I hoped he didn’t.

But then I remembered that comedy opening acts aren’t the same as concert opening acts.  They don’t stay on for all that long and there isn’t a 30 minute gap between performers.

So when Amy Annette was announced, I was ready to be entertained.  I found out after her set, once Nish came on, that Amy is his girlfriend of 13 years.  This made me happy for two reasons.  The first was that her set was only about 20 minutes, and it seemed crazy to travel all the way from the UK just to do 20 minutes.  And also, her material is so very different from Nish’s I wondered how he might pick someone to warm up that was doing completely unpolitical material.

So, the fact that they are dating was great!  They get to travel together and we all got some exposure to a comedian that we (or I, at least) didn’t know but now want to see again.

Amy’s humor is so very different from Nish’s.

She began with a really funny bit about bread. Yes, bread!  She had some good audience interactions to find out others’ bread choices.  And one of the respondents was a man named Paulie who would come back later. Continue Reading »

Posted in Amy Annette, Nish Kumar, Philadelphia, PA, Taskmaster, Underground Arts | Leave a Comment »

The Bevis Frond / Oneida (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, March 1, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

March 1, 2025 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: March 1, 2025] The Bevis Frond [moved from October 11, 2024]

I feel like I’ve always been aware of The Bevis Frond, but I don’t think I’d ever heard them.

When they announced their first US tour in 25 years I grabbed a ticket without even being sure if I really liked them,  So I listened to them a bunch and, yes, I do like them.

I felt lucky to be able to go to one of these shows as there were only 8 shows on the tour.

And then in late August it was announced

The Bevis Frond’s first US Tour in over two decades has now been re-scheduled for 2025. Fans can expect a selection from the Frond’s colossal catalogue as well as new music from their recent Fire releases, for what promises to be an historic live show.

When the new tour was announced, I was pretty excited to have one of my first shows scheduled for 2025.  And I was looking forward to this show for months.

And then, my family had plans during the day of March 1.  And the day was very good and we enjoyed ourselves quite a lot.  And we dithered about what time t o head home.  And the thing that bummed me out the most is that we dithered long enough that by the time we got home, we were just late enough that I wouldn’t have been able to make the show.  If we had stayed out later to have made it undoable entirely that would have been fine. But to make it so that I basically was just unable to go was a real bummer especially since I doubt he’ll be back for another tour.

Oneida is described as an experimental band from Brooklyn.  But the few songs I listened to weren’t that experimental.   They strike me more as a garage rock/psychedelic lumbering entity.  Joyful Noise, their record label says

Oneida has long straddled gray-area boundaries between the NYC punk/psych/rock world and the art/experimental world, playing at gritty rock clubs and elevated cultural institutions, including the Guggenheim, MoMA PS1, ICA London, MassMOCA and the Knoxville Museum of Art. The band has been known for extended live improvisational performances,

I’m guessing they would have been pretty fun.

Posted in Johnny Brenda's, Oneida, Philadelphia, PA, The Bevis Frond | Leave a Comment »

Father John Misty (Fillmore Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, February 28, 2025)

March 1, 2025 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: February 28, 2025] Father John Misty

Back in 2016, while touring his second album, Father John Misty played XPNFest.  I had been planning on going that day but for some reason couldn’t make it.  He wasn’t the only person I wanted to see, but I was interested in seeing him for sure.  And that’s the year that he had what I guess was a breakdown on stage.  As one person on reddit said

People came to see FJM and he gave them a 20 minute set without even playing a single song of his because what…it’s part of his “character”?

So I’ve been kind of against him since (I held the grudge a lot longer than WXPN did since they play his music all the time–and I know it’s stupid to hold a grudge since I wasn’t even there, but whatever).  The grudge finally ended this year with his great new album.  We enjoyed the new songs so much that we decided to see him at the Fillmore

Sadly, we arrived quite late.  Actually it wasn’t even that late–quite long before Destroyer went on.  But it was packed and we were very far back. I had no idea he would be that popular (or that the show would sell out).  The one fun thing is that I ran into an old school friend Susie and it was great seeing her and catching up with her.

After Destroyer, the crowd adjusted and damnit I was behind a tall dude for a bunch of the set.

I really liked his first two albums.  I grew a little tired of him for a while, but still enjoyed the singles that came later. Continue Reading »

Posted in Destroyer, Father John Misty, Philadelphia, PA, The Fillmore Philadelphia | 1 Comment »

Trupa Trupa / The No Good Crowd (Silk City, Philadelphia, PA, February 28, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

February 28, 2025 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: February 28, 2025] Trupa Trupa / The No Good Crowd

I Trupa Trupa is a band from Gdansk Poland.  Their music is moody and cool and I’ve heard they are great live.  They came to Philly in 2022 but by the time I heard about the show, I had tickets to TWO others shows that night (one had been rescheduled to this date).  Now, almost three years later, they have announced their second show in Philadelphia.  And it’s the same night that my wife and I have  tickets to see Father John Misty.

Here’s how the band describe themselves on bandcamp

Trupa Trupa is a post-punk band from Gdańsk, Poland, known for their unique blend of brooding leftfield rock and psychedelic influences. They combine dark, introspective melodies with rich, experimental sounds to create their own distinctive space in the world of alternative guitar music.

They definitely have a dark 80s vibe, which I think would get more people into them.

No offense to Father John, but I would 100% rather see Trupa Trupa.  But we already have the tickets and I’m sure Father John will be enjoyable.

But, damn.  What bad timing.  I do hope they come back again in a couple of years.

I don’t know The No Good Crowd, but their bandcamp pages says

Formed in 2023, guitarists Jamie Olson and Jim McGuinn have history going back to Philly’s beloved indie rockers Cordalene(2000-2005), with Jamie forming the rootsier Midnight Singers not long after, where he was joined by drummer Neil Simpkins. Later Jamie formed the even more rootsy Atlantic Coast Ramblers with bassist Brendan Skwire, and putting us all together, we become The No Good Crowd.

I just listened to them and, wow I do not care for them.  So I guess that’s something.

Posted in Philadelphia, PA, Silk City, The No Good Crowd, Trupa Trupa | Leave a Comment »

Destroyer (Fillmore Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, February 28, 2025) [FATHER JOHN MISTY]

February 28, 2025 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: February 28, 2025] Destroyer

I bought tickets for this show long before I knew who the opener was.  I was pleased that Destroyer was opening.  Destroyer was the last show I saw before the pandemic shut everything down.

Dan Bejar, who is Destroyer, is an unusual guy.  He’s got the vibe of a lunge singer, but he sings rather unusual lyrics (and has a rather unique voice).  None of which leads to a band named Destroyer of course.

Last time I saw them there were six members on stage.  This time there were only two in addition to Dan.  There was a drummer (who also played keys while drumming!) and a guitarist.  And of course, Dan was up front singing in his unusual manner–Dan’s microphone stand is set up so that the microphone was at his waist.  Basically he held onto the stand almost like a cane when he sang, and sang more or less to the floor.  And when there were instrumental sections, he would squat down so all eyes were on the other two.

He’s an unusual guy for sure.  I don’t know if he won anyone over–the Fillmore is a much bigger venue than he usually plays in Philly.  He’s also unabashedly himself, so he doesn’t really seem to care if everyone likes him, because a lot of people do.

The arrangements were stripped down to be sure, but I really enjoyed them this way.

He’s playing a headline tour in October, and I may just have to go.

 

2025 2020
The Music Lovers ♥ Crimson Tide ¿
Tinseltown Swimming in Blood ⊄ Kinda Dark ¿
It’s Gonna Take an Airplane ♥ The Raven ¿
Painter in Your Pocket ♦ Cover From the Sun ⊄
Times Square ∇ Kaputt ⊗
Cue Synthesizer ¿ Times Square ∇
It Just Doesn’t Happen ¿ Bangkok ∇
Stay Lost ⊄ It Just Doesn’t Happen ¿
Chinatown ⊗ Cue Synthesizer ¿
Poor in Love ⊗ University Hill ¿
Tinseltown Swimming in Blood ⊄
Chinatown ⊗
European Oils ♦
foolssong ¿
Bay of Pigs (detail) ⊗
encore
Poor in Love ⊗
Looters’ Follies ♦

 

¿ = Have We Met (2020)
⊄ = Ken (2017)
∇ = Poison Season (2015)
⊗ = Kaputt (2011)
♦ = Destroyer’s Rubies (2006)
♥ = Your Blues (2004)

 

Posted in Destroyer, Father John Misty, Philadelphia, PA, The Fillmore Philadelphia | Leave a Comment »

Günter Grass–The Living Statue: a Legend (2022) [translated 2024]

February 25, 2025 by Paul Debraski

SOUNDTRACK: .

[READ: February 22, 2025] The Living Statue

This book came as part of my New Directions subscription.  It’s a “newly discovered” story written by Günter Grass in 2003.  It’s very short.  57 pages with big margins.

This story sees Grass (or a fictional substitute) travelling around to give book talks.  On a trip before the Berlin Wall fell, he and his wife went to Naumberg.  They visited a chapel which featured “life-size” statues.  But everyone on the trip is disappointed at how small they actually are.  One of the statues is of Uta of Naumberg [click for  the Wikipedia explanation of who she was].

The repeated phrase in the book is “you can do anything on paper.”  And so, he invites the 12 statues to lunch. It’s a jolly time with these ancient statues not really grasping modern behavior (they all hate the potatoes).  He was quite taken with Uta.  She ordered a Coke and then said she had to go.

He ran into her again after the Wall fell,  She was being a living statue outside of Cologne Cathedral.  She was very convincing, standing still and doing nothing.  He approached her and got very close whereupon he whispered to her that she should take a break and get a Coke with him.  She did not break character at all. But her manager/boyfriend came up and told him to get lost.

He saw her again some time later and wanted to approach, but the manager/boyfriend was staring. Continue Reading »

Posted in Fantasy, Günther Grass, Michael Hofmann, Novella, Romance, Statues, Translation, Translators | Leave a Comment »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »