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King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard / Geese (The Dell Music Center, Philadelphia PA, August 27, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

August 27, 2024 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: August 27, 2024] King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard / Geese

I’ve seen King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard three times.  Each time the show has gotten more and more crowded and chaotic (which is great for them but not so much for me).  The last time I saw them, I was pretty far back in the crowd and even that far back there was a lot of mini-pit situations going on.  I basically decided I wasn’t going to see them again, but I’d still love their music.

Then they announced this show at The Dell Music Center, which I’d never been to.  It’s an outdoor venue near the Mann Center.  It has seats (or bench seats at least) and promised that I’d get to see them without having to fight to stand up the whole time.  So I was pretty excited for this one. Continue Reading »

Posted in Dell Music Center, Geese, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Philadelphia, PA | Leave a Comment »

Big ‡ Brave / Spiritual Poison / Bruise Bath (Milkboy, Philadelphia, PA, August 23, 2024)

August 23, 2024 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: August 23, 2024] Big ‡ Brave / Spiritual Poison / Bruise Bath

I saw Big ‡ Brave open for Sunn O))) back in 2017.  

They play slow and loud.  And their songs are very bass-heavy even though there is no bass!  Two guitars making very low rumbles.  The band is a trio–2 guitars and a fairly sparse drum kit.  Robin Wattie on guitars and vocals, guitarist Mathieu Bernard Ball and drummer Louis-Alexandre Beauregard.

I really enjoyed the way some of the songs were maybe two chords, sometimes possibly even one chord, just repetitive and lulling (but really noisy) until it began to morph into something else.

I would have loved to see them again.  I cannot even comprehend how loud they would have been in that tiny venue (and how loud it would have been downstairs!)  But it was the night before we were going on vacation, so I wasn’t going to go out. Continue Reading »

Posted in Big ‡ Brave, Bruise Bath, Milkboy, Philadelphia, PA, Spiritual Poison | Leave a Comment »

Pollyanna / Latewaves / Froggy (Baronet Rooftop at the Asbury Hotel, Asbury Park, NJ, August 23, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

August 23, 2024 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: August 23, 2024] Pollyanna / Latewaves / Froggy

I was supposed to see Pollyanna open for Jhariah back in January.  They had to bail because they were touring with someone else.  I was also suppose to see them at the Ukie Club, but it didn’t happen.

So I was excited to see them at this show which was listed as being at Asbury Lanes ut actually took place on the Baronet Rooftop at the Asbury Hotel.  I have no idea if that’s a thing that happens much.  I don’t know if it ‘s a bigger, better venue or just a change of venue.

I was looking forward to experiencing this whole night.  And then we booked our vacation for that week.  So, no Pollyanna yet again.

Latewaves is a rock band from Asbury Park, NJ that is trying their best.  They do rock although in a more poppy than punky way.  They seem like they’d be fun live.

Froggy is a Philadelphia based queer punk band. The members are all quite young.  Actually that was true when I first posted about them two years ago.  I don’t know how old they are now, but I’m glad they’re still going.

Musically they are pretty tight and their musical sense is all over the place with punk noise (love it!).  Their first single 7-11 Nachos has an early Black Flag (TV Party) vibe.  But I’m not a fan of the singer’s voice.

 

Posted in Asbury Lanes, Asbury Park, NJ, Baronet Rooftop at the Asbury Hotel, Froggy, Latewaves, Pollyanna | Leave a Comment »

Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls / Bridge City Sinners / Bedouin Soundclash (Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ, August 23, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

August 23, 2024 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: August 23, 2024] Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls / Bridge City Sinners / Bedouin Soundclash

I continue to not see Frank Turner and his band.  I was all set to go see him back in June and then my son had car trouble and I couldn’t go.  In previous years, his Philly shows were on Mother’s Day and then on Father’s Day.

This show was added at the end of the tour but… we were on vacation.

So, yet again, I miss Frank Turner and his band.  Luckily, he never stops touring, so I’m sure they’ll be back again, on some other inconvenient holiday, no doubt.

Bridge City Sinners is a kind of like if Squirrel Nut Zippers were more punk.

This is not your Grandparents’ folk music. The Bridge City Sinners take folk songs in the direction of a punk rocker. A rowdy folksy mosaic of banjo, violin, guitar, mandolin, upright bass, & ukulele. The Sinners started their journey as a rotating cast of friends in 2016 who just wanted to play music on the streets “busk” in Portland, Oregon.

I almost like them, but in fact I decided I don’t.

Bedouin Soundclash is a Canadian band based in Toronto and consisting of vocalist and guitarist Jay Malinowski, bass player Eon Sinclair, and various session musicians. Their sound has been described as a combination of reggae and ska.

I listened to a track and they sound like they are a fast reggae which I prefer to slow reggae.  They seem like a perfect band to open for Frank.  Would have been a good show.

I haven’t decided if I’m giving up on seeing him and the Sleeping Souls, the universe certainly doesn’t want me to see him

Posted in Bedouin Soundclash, Bridge City Sinners, Frank Turner, Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls, Sayreville, NJ, Starland Ballroom | Leave a Comment »

Steven Page & Tom Hampton (McLaughlin Norcross Memorial Dell, Haddon Heights, NJ, August 14, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

August 14, 2024 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: August 14, 2024] Steven Page & Tom Hampton

The summer concert series is a delight.  I really enjoyed going to see Kathleen Edwards there a few years ago.  It’s free and it’s a beautiful venue–especially if it’s a nice night.

I love seeing Steven Page and would have really enjoyed going to this show.  But my brother in law was in town and he was heading to the airport that day, so it really messed with our schedule.

I have not heard of Tom Hampton and what I discovered is

Multi-instrumentalist and singer/songwriter Tom Hampton enjoyed a long career as a sideman to a bevy of notable artists before landing an extended road stint with Marshall Tucker Band and ultimately landing with Poco, where he stayed until the passing of founder Rusty Young in 2021. Refocused on writing and releasing his own material, there’ll be lots of new music coming in 2024.

Odd choice, I suppose.  I wonder how many people have heard of him.

 

Posted in Haddon Heights, NJ, McLaughlin Norcross Memorial Dell, Philadelphia, PA, Steven Page, Summer Concert Series, Tom Hampton | Leave a Comment »

César Aira–Artforum (2014) [translated 2020]

August 8, 2024 by Paul Debraski

SOUNDTRACK: .

[READ: August 6, 2024] Artforum

I’d been a pretty avid reader of César Aira.  Of course it is impossible to read everything he’s written.  Not only because most of his books haven’t been translated into English but because his bio blurb states “he has published at least one hundred books.”

So, yea.  I assumed that my library would have all of the ones I hadn’t read yet (about 5) but i was surprised they only had this one.

So this book is a collection of stories/essays/musings/thoughts mostly centered around the magazine Artforum.  They were written between 1983 and 2013.  They are gathered in a (very) vague narrative style.  But they all deal with his obsession with this magazine.

Aira is a weird writer.  His books are short.  They seem to be stream of consciousness–as if he starts writing, lets his thoughts go where they will and then just stops.  These short pieces are more focused, but not all of them are focused.  He’s a fun read to be sure. Continue Reading »

Posted in Art, Artforum, Artists, César Aira, Collecting, Katherine Silver, Magazines, Regrets, Short Story, Translation, Translators | Leave a Comment »

The New Pornographers / Gustaf (Concerts Under the Stars series Upper Merion Township Building Park, King of Prussia, PA, August 7, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

August 7, 2024 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: August 7, 2024] The New Pornographers / Gustaf

I saw New Pornographers’ back in 2019 (I didn’t realize it was quite so long ago).  I enjoyed the show quite a lot.  And almost wondered if I didn’t need to see them again since they played pretty much everything I wanted to see.  And yet, they were really good and I enjoyed the show a lot–I suspect they are always worth seeing.

This was yet another show at the Concert Under the Stars in King of Prussia, which I think would be pretty fun to go to, but KoP is pretty far.  And this night was out of the question as my daughter was showing at the 4H Fair. Plus, we could have seen them in Jersey City the night before (which we didn’t).

The weather was terrible so they moved the show to Ardmore Music Hall.  And the 4H Fair was cancelled.  In theory we could have gone to this one.  But then my daughter was called in to do her show even though the Fair was closed to outsiders.  So we went there instead.

I was actually really excited to see Gustaf who I saw open for Idles almost three years ago.  I’ve wanted to see them again because they were outstanding.  But again, sometimes things prevent you from doing what you want to do.

 

Posted in Ardmore Music Hall, Ardmore, PA, Concerts Under the Stars series, Gustaf, King of Prussia PA, Philadelphia, PA, The New Pornographers, Upper Merion Township Building Park | Leave a Comment »

Stick Men (Ardmore Music Hall, Ardmore, PA, August 2, 2024)

August 6, 2024 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: August 2, 2024] Stick Men 

I have been trying to see Stick Men since just before the pandemic.  They play around here relatively frequently but the timing or location (not to mention the pandemic) has prevented me from seeing them.

But, luckily, they came back to Ardmore and I was able to get up close to the stage to see Tony Levin (the main reason I wanted to go) play the Chapman Stick up close.  I have seen him play with King Crimson but have never been THIS close.

I didn’t know much about Markus Reuter, who also plays a kind of Stick–his own U8 Touch guitar.  But wow, he was amazing.  And he made playing these crazy complicated song so easy.

And I can’t forget Pat Mastoletto, who I’ve seen several times playing drums with King Crimson.  He’s amazing to watch, but I laughed to myself at what an amazing show this was if he was the least interesting thing on stage. Continue Reading »

Posted in Ardmore Music Hall, Ardmore, PA, Pat Mastelotto, Stick Men, Tim Motzer, Tony Levin | Leave a Comment »

The New Pornographers / Gustaf (White Eagle Hall, Jersey City, NJ, August 6, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

August 6, 2024 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: August 6, 2024] The New Pornographers / Gustaf

I saw New Pornographers’ back in 2019 (I didn’t realize it was quite so long ago).  I enjoyed the show quite a lot.  And almost wondered if I didn’t need to see them again since they played pretty much everything I wanted to see.  And yet, they were really good and I enjoyed the show a lot–I suspect they are always worth seeing.

That show featured Neko Case on vocals–she wasn’t going to be with them on this tour.  That didn’t actually impact my decision at all about this one because, The New Pornographers are excellent without her as well.

This show happened to be on a night that my daughter was going to be doing stuff at the 4H Fair.  I wanted my wife to come with me, and that was proving to be challenging with out timing.  I hadn’t gotten a ticket but i assumed it wouldn’t sell out.

Then the night of the show it was raining like crazy.  Her event was moved forward and I realized that every time I got to White Eagle Hall, I have to park outrageously far away.  And I realized that I didn’t want to be wet or standing in a venue where everyone was wet.  So we stayed home.

I was actually really excited to see Gustaf who I saw open for Idles almost three years ago.  I’ve wanted to see them again because they were outstanding.  But again, sometimes things prevent you from doing what you want to do.

Posted in Gustaf, Jersey City, NJ, Neko Case, The New Pornographers, White Eagle Hall | Leave a Comment »

Tim Motzer (Ardmore Music Hall, Ardmore, PA, August 2, 2024) [STICK MEN]

August 5, 2024 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: August 2, 2024] Tim Motzer 

Tim Motzer is a Philly-based guitarist.  For his live show, he plays acoustic guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar, and electric guitar.  He loops his melodies and creates percussion by tapping on the hollow bodied acoustic (and gets a lot of different sounds from it).

He played four pieces in about 45 minutes.

The first on the acoustic guitar.  It was fun to watch him build and then deconstruct the melodies and work within the drum beat that he created.

When he switched to 12 string guitar the sound was more varied.  Afterward he said that he had a new array of pedals and some of the sounds were surprising to him as well

For the electric guitar he played a heavier song with a notable riff.  For this and t he other 6 string piece, he used the e-bow a lot to generate cool sounds.

It was genuinely unclear to me if he was improvising the whole time or if he was playing some of his original pieces.  It doesn’t matter, of course, because the music was cool either way, but I would give the songs a mention if I could tell which songs they were.

For the final piece, he played the 12 string guitar again and briefly used a violin bow (only briefly) to generate new sounds.

It was a pretty mesmerizing session.  The set was marred a little for me by the guy next to me who would whoo!  every once in awhile (like “Whooo 12 string!”) and the guy in the other side of me who kept getting out his phone and then reciting into it before taking a photo (I guess posting to Facebook) “He just took out the violin bow”)

But those annoyances were not very frequent so it wasn’t too bad.

And, overall, it was cool to see Motzer in person after having streamed his set from Sellersville last year.

Posted in Ardmore Music Hall, Ardmore, PA, Pat Mastelotto, Stick Men, Tim Motzer, Tony Levin | Leave a Comment »

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