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Godspeed You! Black Emperor / Myriam Gendron (White Eagle Hall, Jersey City, NJ, April 22, 2022 and Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, April 23, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

April 22, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 22 & 23, 2022] Godspeed You! Black Emperor

Back in 2000, I saw Godspeed You Black Emperor at Maxwell’s in Hoboken.  My friend Lar was in from Ireland and he went to the show with me, which was pretty awesome.

I waited 18 years to see them again, but the last time I saw them, the show was marred by the crowd.  Or perhaps I was just always in the wrong place.  I couldn’t see well from where I was so I moved–something I never do.  I tried a few spots and none felt right and a couple were near some genuinely unpleasant people to be standing near.  So I never enjoyed myself, even though the music was good.

So I thought I’d try a redo.  I was excited to see them in Jersey City, but then the Fontaines D.C. sow came up.  I figured I’d go see them the next night, but we wound up having a big birthday party that day and it seemed rather crass to go out later that night.  So, I missed them. And that’s ok.

Myriam Gendron is a Quebec musician I hadn’t heard of, but this review makes me want to check out her records.  This is for her latest album:

Delving deep into traditional music from Quebec, France, and the United States, she rewired segments of songs to emphasize evocative lyrics and tossed out others that she found abhorrent. Singing in French and English … these historic songs become universal, while her tender voice maintains the soft power to raise the hairs on the back of your neck.

Woah.

Posted in Godspeed You Black Emperor, Jersey City, NJ, Myriam Gendron, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer, White Eagle Hall | Leave a Comment »

Just Mustard (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, April 22, 2022) [FONTAINES D.C.]

April 22, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: April 22, 2022] Just Mustard

Just Mustard are a five piece band from Dundalk, Ireland.  They make a fantastic noisy mess of shoegaze combined with a wall of noise and singer Katie’s droney but at times piercing vocals.

The blew away Underground Arts when they opened for Fontaines D.C.

They have a new album coming out soon and they played a bunch of songs from it.  Lead singer Katie Ball was wearing a cheerleader-type outfit with her name in letters across he front.  This was about the only whimsical thing in their entire set.

The band exuded seriousness and they were exceptional musicians.  Drummer Shane Maguire played some amazing and unexpected fills and when he hit the snare hard (which wasn’t always) it cracked to attention.  I was in front of guitarist David Noonan who played a lot of rhythmic sounds (not so much rhythm guitar as rhythmic sounds–his playing was very percussive.

Continue Reading »

Posted in Fontaines D.C., Just Mustard, Philadelphia, PA, Underground Arts | Leave a Comment »

The Lemonheads / Leah Hennessey (White Eagle Hall, Jersey City, NJ, April 21, 2022) [POSTPONED]

April 21, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 21, 2022] The Lemonheads / Leah Hennessey [postponed to December 16, 2022]

I saw Evan Dando play a bunch of Lemonheads songs solo at a tiny venue in Jersey City.  He seemed kind of wasted, but he sounded great and I had a wonderful time.

I was genuinely interested in checking out this show since I missed him in Philly a few months earlier, but the show was postponed.  Whether because of COVID or he mercurial whims of Dando, I’m not sure.  Maybe I’ll see him this winter.

Especially since they’re playing It’s a Shame About Ray–I know this poster is for the UK, but so far the NJ show is a one off.

Leah Hennessey is a musician/actress/playwright/lead singer.  She fronts the band Hennessey a retro synth band created by NY artists.  Not sure what she’d sound like as a solo artist.

Posted in Hennessey, Jersey City, NJ, Leah Hennessey, Lemonheads, Soft Kill, White Eagle Hall | Leave a Comment »

Lorde / Remi Wolf (The Met Philadelphia, PA, April 20, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

April 20, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 20, 2022] Lorde / Remi Wolf

I have enjoyed most of Lorde’s output even if she is quite poppy.  In fact, I love the song “Solar Power.”  I find her rather intriguing and was curious about seeing her live.

This sow sold out (or nearly sold out) very quickly, so I didn’t bother even trying to get tickets.  It sounds like there was some kind of controversy at recent shows about her shushing people while she was singing.  Which is kind of cheesy, although, having been to shows where someone with an amazing voice is drowned out by a fan who cannot sing, I understand the sentiment.

Remi Wolf is a singer songwriter whom I do not know.  The fact that she appeared on American Idol in 2014 makes me not like her.  That’s unfair, but whatever.

Posted in Lorde, Philadelphia, PA, Remi Wolf, The Met Philadelphia | Leave a Comment »

Phish (Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY, April 20 & 21, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

April 20, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 20 & 21, 2022] Phish [rescheduled from December 29, 30, 31 2021 and January 1, 2022]

I wasn’t exactly happy that Phish cancelled their New Year’s run at MSG.  Well, actually I was because I didn’t feel safe going out.

The rescheduled dates (around 4/20, ha ha) were doable except that it’s a birthday week in our house.

MSG is a pain in the ass to get to, so I wasn’t looking forward to the travel.  Then Phish announced more summer shows–in Philly and Atlantic City.  Suddenly I had tickets to seven Phish shows in four months.  That was too much even by my standards, so I sold these two on Cash or Trade and someone else got to enjoy the shows.

Posted in Madison Square Garden, New York City, Phish, Postponed | Leave a Comment »

Motionless in White [Trinity of Terror Tour] (Fillmore Philly, Philadelphia, PA, April 16, 2022)

April 19, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: April 16, 2022] Motionless in White

As soon as I heard that Motionless in White was from Scranton (and they called Philly home), I understood why they were the headliners.  Apparently they always sell out in Philly as well.

After Ice Nine Kills, there was a major shift in the audience.  Whether they were leaving or just getting drinks, it allowed me to get very close to the stage.  So when Motionless in White came out I really got to experience them pretty well.

I was a little puzzled by lead singer Chris Motionless who may have had white face paint on.  He was also wearing what looked like an army flak jacket (with no shirt underneath–ouch.

I also think there was no bassist for the band (I see that it was announced in Buffalo that he was expecting a new baby, so that’s sweet).  I’m not sue how they compensated or maybe they didn’t bother.  Continue Reading »

Posted in Black Veil Brides, Ice Nine Kills, Lilith Czar, Motionless in White, Philadelphia, PA, The Fillmore Philadelphia | Leave a Comment »

Fruit Bats / Johanna Samuels (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, April 19, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

April 19, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 19, 2022] Fruit Bats / Johanna Samuels

Fruit Bats released a song at the beginning of the year and S. really liked it.  Then they announced a concert right around her birthday, so I spontaneously grabbed us tickets.

We joked how we never listened to any other songs by them and wouldn’t know anything at the show.

As the show grew closer, things were kind of crazy and we ultimately decided not to go.  So we’ll never know if we like more than that one song.

I hadn’t heard of Johanna Samuels but I see she is described as “A student of classic songwriting with a certain nod to the current in-vogue Blood On The Tracks-era Dylan” which sounds pretty good.

Posted in Fruit Bats, Johanna Samuels, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer | Leave a Comment »

Ice Nine Kills [Trinity of Terror Tour] (Fillmore Philly, Philadelphia, PA, April 16, 2022)

April 18, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: April 16, 2022] Ice Nine Kills

Ice Nine Kills put on a wonderfully theatrical show.  There’s costume changes, props and murder victims.  Their songs are often very catchy and they are frequently about horror movies (hence the murder victims).

After seeing them back in 2019, I knew I’d want to see them again.  I’ve tried to see them with my son a few times, but he winds up getting invited by a friend and they go together (last time they scored VIP which I don’t even bother trying to do).  So I was pretty excited to go to this show.

And I was consequently a little bummed that their set was only going to  be about 50 minutes.  Continue Reading »

Posted in Black Veil Brides, Ice Nine Kills, Lilith Czar, Motionless in White, Philadelphia, PA, The Fillmore Philadelphia | Leave a Comment »

Black Veil Brides [Trinity of Terror Tour] (Fillmore Philly, Philadelphia, PA, April 16, 2022)

April 17, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: April 16, 2022] Black Veil Brides

When I grabbed tickets for this tour, I wound up getting them via a Black Veil Brides Presale, because I never got the INK presale to work.

I had never heard of the Black Veil Brides, but that didn’t matter, because I could still get the tickets, right?  Even my son and his friend were a little surprised the three bands were together because they said that BVB and Motionless in White peaked like ten years ago.

I also had no idea that this was a triple headline bill.  I mean, yes I can see it was advertised as such, but since I hadn’t heard of the other two bands I assumed that the other bands were listed, but it was an INK show.

Then the day before, when I went to check what time INK went on, I saw that the three bands were rotating who went first and that we would not know who was playing first until we got there.  Woah, no wonder it was so packed so early. Continue Reading »

Posted in Black Veil Brides, Ice Nine Kills, Lilith Czar, Motionless in White, Philadelphia, PA, The Fillmore Philadelphia | Leave a Comment »

Wilco [we are touring to break your heart]–(United Palace, New York, NY, April 17, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

April 17, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 17, 2022] Wilco

When Wilco announced that they were going to play Yankee Hotel Foxtrot straight through–in Chicago and New York City–I knew I had to try to get a ticket.

Amazingly, I scored one–a fantastic seat–on Sunday April 17.  Which was, I later found out, Easter Sunday.  Easter is not a huge holiday for us, but it is a family gathering, and I didn’t feel right going out on the Sunday.  Especially to a place that i knew nothing about, location and parking-wise.  I tried to sell the ticket but wasn’t able to.  So I ate it along with my Easter ham.

A couple of days before hand, there was some grousing that the band (known for their long shows) only played the whole album an a few encores.  They played fourteen songs on the first night.  By my night (night three). they had bumped it up to 19 songs.  But it seems like maybe the band were annoyed that people wanted more…

I have a little regret for not going–it will certainly never be played like this again.  But it was not that big a deal to miss out.  Especially since I had been in a massive cancelling on shows streak. Continue Reading »

Posted in New York City, United Palace, Wilco | Leave a Comment »

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