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Car Seat Headrest (Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, April 1, 2022)

April 2, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: April 1, 2022] Car Seat Headrest

I saw Car Seat Headrest four years ago at Union Transfer and it was one of the least pleasant shows I’d been to.  The music was great, but the crowd was uniformly terrible–especially near me.  

I wasn’t sure if I’d want to see them again, but then my son got really turned on to them (I had nothing to do with it) and he really wanted to see them live.  I couldn’t pass that up, and I assumed the crowd would be a little different in this much bigger venue.

And, yes, the crowd was much better–although it felt really crowded in there!

The crazy thing is that the doors opens at 7:30.  We arrived at 7:25 to an enormous line.  And we didn’t get in the venue until after 8.  I asked my son if he wanted to get up front or get merch.  He chose merch–I think getting close will win out next time.  I would have loved to have been closer for sure.

The fascinating thing about Car Seat Headrest now is that lead singer and main Headrest Will Toledo wears a modified gasmask for the entire set.  It’s pretty neat as it has a microphone in it and the eyes light up to display emotions (cute eyes, angry eyes, heart and swirly lines).  The good thing is that Toledo sounds fine through this odd system. Continue Reading »

Posted in Bartees Strange, Car Seat Headrest, Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, Toy Bastard | Leave a Comment »

Joywave: The Cleanse Tour / Joe P (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, April 2, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

April 2, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 2, 2022] Joywave / Joe P

I’ve been vaguely interested in Joywave for a little while (mostly during the pandemic).  All of their shows had been rescheduled and then when they finally played Union Transfer, I couldn’t go.  I’m not sure how much I want to see them, although I get the impression that their live shows are fun.  But I had tickets to dee DakhaBrakha tonight, so I wasn’t going.

Indietronica group Joywave will make their return to the road on February 26th in support of their new album, Cleanse, out February 11th. The Cleanse Tour marks the band’s first headline tour in over two years, after postponing then canceling their Possession tour in 2020.

Frontman, Daniel Armbruster, shared that the songs on Cleanse emerged from moments of reflection during the shutdown and how it allowed them to slow down and create music without the usual time constraints and distractions.  Known for their dynamic performances, Joywave looks forward to reconnecting with fans and performing music from Cleanse as well as from their vast catalogue.

Joe P says that he lives “in asbury park, new jersey (america) where i write/record/produce all of my music in a basement. most of my recordings usually end up having some sort of noise in the background of them due to either the water heater turning on, someone upstairs showering or the buzzing of a fly crashing into a lightbulb while i am recording vocals, but i welcome the nature of it all.”

He was in a band and then became a viral solo artist singing quirky indie rock.  He’s quite catchy.   I’m surprised I haven’t heard of him (he is not Joe Pug, who I have heard of).

 

Posted in Joe P, Joywave, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer | Leave a Comment »

Poppy / Mz Neon (Theatre of Living Arts [TLA], Philadelphia, PA, April 2, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

April 2, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 2, 2022] Poppy / Mz Neon

Poppy was supposed to open for Deftones and Gojira back in 2020, but as the shows were rescheduled, Poppy went on a tour of her own.  I had wanted to see her open, because, as I said then:

Poppy is an absolute mystery.  She’s an internet creation whose every song is is a different genre.  Her latest album was really really heavy but with that fake internet sheen on it (in a Babymetal kind of way but less sincere, if that’s possible).  I’ve been intrigued by her since I first heard about her, but I wouldn’t want to see her show if she was headlining.  This seemed like a great way to experience her weirdness.  I hope that she is still on the bill next year and that she is still into metal, otherwise it could be kind of awkward.

So IW as intrigued, but I was much more interested in seeing DakhaBrakha, so I didn’t have to think to much about going to this show.

[UPDATE: since this show I have seen her 3 tomes, and each show is a fantastic spectacle of wildness.  While I wouldn’t have missed DakhaBrakha for this show, I’m curious what this earlier incarnation of her metal persona (insincere or not) was like.  When her music wasn’t quite as heavy as it is now.

Mz Neon is a transgender woman. She uses her performances to express her sexuality and defy misconceptions of the gender binary spectrum.  She was born in Boston, Massachusetts and is of Dominican and French-Canadian descent. As a teenager, Neon performed in an alternative rock and new wave band called Herself.  She’s, as suggested, blunt and funny.  The music is okay, because it’s more about the lyrics, I think.

Posted in Mz Neon, Philadelphia, PA, Poppy, Theatre of Living Arts | Leave a Comment »

Bedouine / Hannah Cohen (World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA, April 2, 2022)

April 2, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 2, 2022] Bedouine / Hannah Cohen

I saw Bedouine last year open for Waxahatchee and I was transfixed by her.  I wrote:

She was born Azniv Korkezian but chose the artist name Bedouine from the Arabic-speaking Bedouin people, who wander the Middle Eastern desert as nomads.  Azniv herself was born in Aleppo, Syria to Armenian parents; she grew up on an American compound in Saudi Arabia. Her family moved to the U.S [when she was] age 10.

Azniv came out on stage with her guitar and a glass of water and an electric candle on a stool.  She began singing and for 30 minutes we were enveloped in a feeling of warmth and good tidings.  Despite fact that she plays a very quiet guitar and her voice never rises above a quiet deepness, and despite the fact that the headliners were noisier bands, she commanded the room.

I would have loved to see her headline, but I had a ticket to see DakhaBrakha that night and I didn’t want to miss them.

Hannah Cohen is a singer and model.  She has a few albums out and has a high, pretty voice.  She has sung backing vocals on albums buy nearly everyone from Glen Hansard, Sufjan Stevens, Martha Wainwright and even Hanson.  Her own songs are soft and delicate with dreamy indie-rock guitar riffs and light synth bells that chime.   She makes a good companion for Bedouine.  This would have been a dreamy night.

Posted in Bedouine, Hannah Cohen, Philadelphia, PA, World Cafe Live | Leave a Comment »

Milk Carton Kids / Michaela Anne (Ardmore Music Hall, Ardmore, PA, April 2, 2022 & SOPAC, South Orange, NJ, April 9. 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

April 2, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 2 & April 9. 2022] Milk Carton Kids / Michaela Anne

I know The Milk Carton Kids from a Tiny Desk Concert.  They are an indie folk duo consisting of singer-guitarists Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan.  About heir Tiny Desk Concert I wrote

Joey Ryan sings lead and plays rhythm acoustic guitar.  Kenneth Pattengale plays lead guitar and sings beautiful harmonies.  It’s his guitar work that is so disarming because he plays leads throughout the songs, so rather than having the two guitars doing the same thing, his guitar is all over the place–playing beautiful trills and lines while Ryan is singing.

I concluded

I don’t love their slower songs. Although as far as slow songs go, their setup is great–the harmonies, the interesting guitar.  But I really like the two of them.  They are great performers and excellent storytellers.

So I was sort of vaguely interested in seeing them, but it wasn’t a must-see.  Plus I had tickets to DakhaBrakha the first night, which WAS a must see.  The second night I had a ticket to see Otoboke Beaver–sadly that show was cancelled.  But I didn’t bother looking into the SOPAC show.

Michaela Anne is a classic country, pop, indie rock, and honky-tonk singer.  How she fell into this trap after being born in Brooklyn I cannot imagine.

Posted in Ardmore Music Hall, Ardmore, PA, Michaela Anne, SOPAC, South Orange, NJ, The Milk Carton Kids | Leave a Comment »

Bartees Strange (Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, April 1, 2022)

April 1, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: April 1, 2022] Bartees Strange

I saw Bartees Strange open for Lucy Dacus back in October.   I was delighted by how well he was received by the Car Seat Headrest crowd.

His set was very similar to that last one.  He exchanged out a couple of songs for newer ones, but the general vibe was the same.

He came out by himself, wearing a bright year rain slicker and started with a quiet opening of “Far.”  After a couple of minutes, the rest of the band came out and rocked out the rest of the song.

I’m not sure if he had the same band playing with him–I assume so.  He got the crowd moving with one of his faster songs, “Mustang.”  And, like last time, he followed it with the rap of “Kelly Rowland” with the memorable refrain: “Broke ass nigga but I got Versace dreams.”

Mixing it up some more, he followed that with the bouncing “Weights.”  He looked up at the audience and chuckled, “Oh, my mom’s here.”

Then he introduced the new song “Hold the Line.”  He wrote the song for George Floyd’s daughter, and it was quite a powerful moment.

He followed that with a cover of Lemonworld by The National.  I thought last time that it was kind of mellow but the chorus rocked pretty hard.

He introduced the “jazz standard” called “Boomer” and ripped the song through the venue with everyone dancing and singing along.

He ended the set with another new song, his new single “Heavy Hearts.”  It’s a bit more mellow, and I probably would have ended with Boomer, but the set was really solid regardless.

Bartees is a great performer and I’m glad to see him getting some attention.  His merch was also really cool.

2022 2021
Far £ Far £
Mustang £ Mustang £
Kelly Rowland £ Kelly Rowland £
Weights £ Weights £
Hold the Line € 17 ∞
Lemonworld (The National cover) Flagey God £
Boomer £ Lemonworld (The National cover)
Heavy Heart € Stone Meadows £
Boomer £

∞ Horror (2025)
€ Farm to Table (2022)
£ Live Forever (2020)

Posted in Bartees Strange, Car Seat Headrest, Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, The National | Leave a Comment »

Andy Shauf / Helena Deland (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, March 31, 2022) [rescheduled date, rescheduled again and again] [DID NOT ATTEND]

March 31, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[POSTPONED: March 31, 2022] Andy Shauf / Helena Deland [rescheduled from May 1 2020, December 17, 2020 and September 12, 2021]

This show was postponed several times but when it finally rolled around I had two other shows earlier in the week, one of which was in New York City which turned out to be an absurdly late evening.  So I had to take a pass on Andy.  Who I’m not 100% sure I really want to see anyway.

Faye Webster was supposed to open for this show, but she has been replaced by Helena Deland.

Deland is a Canadian singer-songwriter with several EPs out. Her inspirations are Jessica Pratt, Joni Mitchell, and Sea Oleena.   Her music is quiet and gentle and her voice is high and soft.  Its quite lovely and was a good pairing.  I preferred her song “Someone New” which is a little more upbeat.

~~~~~~

This show appeared and then disappeared.  In May, Andy’s own website it was still an active date until you clicked on it and the ticket sales said March 2022.

Maybe in 2022 Andy will come back around.  He was supposed to play a show in NJ as well, but there was none listed in May.  We’ll see.

Postponing shows until December seemed like a safe bet.  My calendar was pretty free and I was hoping to see shows by now.  I’m not sure if I’d rather have gone to Philly or Asbury Park, though.  Well, next year will held me decide, I’m sure.

~~~~~

Andy Shauf is a Canadian singer songwriter.  He sings quiet, introspective songs.  He was playing at Union Transfer at the beginning of May and then in New Jersey in the middle of May.

I was introduced to his music from a Tiny Desk Concert in which he never really moves.  He has very long hair which also never moves.  His songs are really very pretty and well constructed.

It’s his voice that I find utterly fascinating.  He enunciates in such an unusual way.  The way he emphasizes certain vowels defies his Saskatchewan upbringing.  He sings not unlike Margaret Glaspy and other newer singers who stress their vowels in an unusual to me way.

I really enjoyed his Tiny Desk and I enjoyed reading about the album The Party which sounds like the worst party ever.

Since then he has cut all of his hair and looks totally different–I wasn’t even sure it was the same guy.

Faye Webster is a singer from Georgia who actually has a similar singing style to Andy, which is fascinating.  She sings low key torchy ballads and would be a perfect opening act for him.  I’m going to have to listen to a bit more from her.

He’s the kind of musician that I would think about going to but probably wouldn’t, and then I’d wish I had.  Well, now I have two more chances.

His initial itinerary fascinated me:

Boston, Brooklyn, Philly, D.C., North Carolina, Atlanta, New Orleans, Alabama, Indiana, Pittsburgh, New Jersey, upstate New York.

The rescheduled shows keep the same basic set up except that now Philly is the day before NJ–I wonder what changed that plan.

shuaf

Posted in Andy Shauf, Asbury Park, NJ, Faye Webster, Helena Deland, House of Independents, Margaret Glaspy, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, Union Transfer | Leave a Comment »

Sparks (The Town Hall, New York, NY, March 29, 2022)

March 30, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: March 29, 2022] Sparks

Sparks is, without question, a weird band.  I got into them back in 1997 when they released an album of re-recorded versions of their best songs and called it Plagiarism.  Since then they have released eight albums.  Before  that the had release sixteen albums dating all the way back to 1971.  And yet despite the occasional hit, they remained largely unknown in the States.  They are from the States even though many people assume they are from Europe.  Sparks are Russel Mael (vocals) and Ron Mael (everything else).

And they remained at a certain level of obscurity until 2021 when a documentary called The Sparks Brothers was released (and did very well) and when they created a musical movie called Annette which won the Cannes Soundtrack award.

The time seemed ripe to do a (limited) tour of the States.  Sparks last played toured American back in 2013, they played at Le Poisson Rouge in 2017, but that was just two shows in New York and two in California–not much of a tour.  Normally I hate going into New York and will only do it for special occasions. Continue Reading »

Posted in Annette, New York City, The Sparks Brothers, The Town Hall | Leave a Comment »

LCD Soundsystem (Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, March 28, 2022)

March 29, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: March 28, 2022] LCD Soundystem

Usually I like to give a separate post for an opening act.  But the opening act for this show was a DJ named Dave P. who does a show called Making Time.  Or Making Time is a show and he is one of the DJs.  Or something.  I didn’t quite get it.

So Dave P. spun music before LCD Soundsystem came on.  It was kind of funny because they always play music before a band comes on.  So instead of a playlist, it was an actual person spinning songs.  But he wasn’t on stage–he was up above in the balcony.  And he never spoke.  So it almost didn’t make a difference.  The tunes were pretty good though (but waaay too loud–much louder than the band was).

The biggest gripe I had was that he played until 9:30  (I had arrived at  around 7:30).  So I basically stood there for two hours.  Why didn’t LCD Soundsystem come on at 9 or something?  The show could have ended at a more reasonable time as well.

So the band came out at 9:30.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this show.   I like a bunch of LCD songs, but they’re all kind of monotonous dance songs.  So what was a live show going to be like. Continue Reading »

Posted in DJ Dave P.--Making Time, Franklin Music Hall, LCD Soundsystem, Philadelphia, PA | Leave a Comment »

grandson (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, March 26, 2022)

March 28, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: March 26, 2022] grandson

My son got me into grandson a couple of years ago.  I really like his debut album, death of an optimist.  I promised that if grandson toured, I’d grab tickets.  I bought the tickets for this show a while ago and had no idea that in the interim, grandson had become (in relative terms) really popular.

He wrote the theme song to Suicide Squad which had apparently upped his profile and, he was also opened for Imagine Dragons which is pretty massive exposure.  So good for him.

It also meant that this show was much more crowded than I thought it would be.  We arrived pretty earlier, but the merch line was crazy long.  By the time we got into the show it was pretty crowded, but I know Union Transfer, and I know where there’s a good spot to get you closer to the action. Continue Reading »

Posted in grandson, Imagine Dragons, Oxymorrons, Philadelphia, PA, Royal & the Serpent, Suicide Squad, Union Transfer | Leave a Comment »

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