Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Karina Rykman (The Foundry, Philadelphia, PA, December 13, 2024)

December 14, 2024 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: December 13, 2024] Karina Rykman 

Last year, my wife and I saw Karina Rykman twice.  First as an opening act and then for our final show of 2023, as a headliner.

The show was great–loud and dancing and fun and everything you’d want in a jamband adjacent musician who totally kicks ass.

When she announced another Philly show this year (my second to last show of the year, but my wife’s final show of the year once again), I snatched up tickets immediately.

Karina is such a joy to see live.  Her band rocks and her choice of songs (both her own and covers) are designed for maximum fun (and chops).  And of course, she has a perpetual smile on her face–no one enjoys playing music as much as she does. Continue Reading »

Posted in Karina Rykman, Kiss, LCD Soundsystem, Marco Benevento, OutKast, Philadelphia, PA, Talking Heads, The Foundry, Wet Leg | Leave a Comment »

Pat Finnerty (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, December 14, 2024) [STRAND OF OAKS]

December 14, 2024 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: December 14, 2024] Pat Finnerty

Pat Finnerty opened for Strand of Oaks for the last three Winter Classics. And these three are the ones that I missed.

And now that I’ve seen him I’m even more bummed that I missed those three shows.  Because he was funny and he and his band were super talented.

Pat told us that he and his band (which was all of Strand of Oaks and his cousin Mike) were there to warm up Strand of Oaks and that this show was going to be all covers.

The house music was ZZ Top’s Legs and he said that they had to play the whole song if they had started it.  He won me over immediately by saying imagine going to your bandmates and saying hey, I’ve got a new song, it’s called Legs.  Band: What’s it about?

He then asked the keyboard player to learn the keyboard part so they could play Legs at the end of the set.

He also told us that he had cash and would give cash to anyone who earned it.  Last time, he saw some woman really dancing when he played a blues riff, she got $4.  At our show, a guy received $2. Continue Reading »

Posted in Pat Finnerty, Philadelphia, PA, Strand of Oaks, Union Transfer | Leave a Comment »

Adam O’Fallon Price–“The Lottery” [The 2024 Short Story Advent Calendar #14] (2024)

December 14, 2024 by Paul Debraski

SOUNDTRACK:

[READ: December 14, 2024] “The Lottery”

This year my wife ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my seventh time reading the Calendar–it’s a holiday tradition!  Here’s what H&O says about the calendar this year.

Ten years of stories! Yikes, where does the time go?
When the first Short Story Advent Calendar launched, in 2015, we frankly had no clue we’d still be sitting here today, continuing to offer up batches of tasty stories fresh from the oven. To celebrate this milestone, we’ve packed the 10th SSAC with a mix of new and familiar names—ideal company for those chilly winter nights ahead.

The author of this story was Adam O’Fallon Price.  Each day has an online component with the author with a brief interview.

It’s December 14. Adam O’Fallon Price, author of The Hotel Neversink, answered the skill-testing question with time to spare.

This was a story that when from big highs to dark lows pretty quickly.  As the story opens a recently married couple (Paul and Laura) has just won the lottery.  And we quickly learn how different the two are by what they decide to do with the winning ticket–not the money, the ticket. Continue Reading »

Posted in Adam O'Fallon Price, Canadian Content, Christmas, Hingston & Olsen, Lottery, Marriage Trouble, Short Story, The Short Story Advent Calendar | Leave a Comment »

Kathleen Edwards (Roy’s Hall, Blairstown, NJ, December 12, 2024)

December 13, 2024 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: December 12, 2024] Kathleen Edwards

Back in 2019 I assumed that the concert in NYC was the only chance I’d get to see Kathleen Edwards.  And now this is my fourth show.

Each time has had a different lineup, so even though the setlists are similar, the shows are very different.

The first time it was a five piece with two guitars (and a keyboard), bass and drums.  The second time it was drums, bass, pedal steel guitar and violin/keyboard.  So no lead guitar (all leads were on the pedal steel).  For this third show there was no bass or drums.  So, we had the same two “new” members from the show just a month earlier: Aaron Goldstein on pedal steel and Kinley Dowling who played keys and violin.  And we were once again joined by Colin Cripps (her ex-husband).  He played with her back in the old days and also when I saw her in NYC, but not a month earlier.

Tonight’s show was a trio with Gord Tough on guitar and Thom Hammerton on keys.   It was also my first time at Roy’s Hall and the sound was fantastic (even Kathleen acknowledged how good it was).

There was no bass guitar but the low end was really deep from the keys, which was great.  And even though I’ve been really loving drummers lately, this show didn’t need one.

Kathleen has released some covers lately (it seems like a covers album is coming out but she mentioned a new release in the new year instead).  So she played John Prine’s Hello in There (a song she said made her cry when she heard it in her coffee shop) and Tom Petty’s Crawling Back to You.

Otherwise, she played most of the same songs, but the ordering was different.  Indeed, Simple Math which opened the last two shows I saw wasn’t included.

I was thrilled that she played Chameleon/Comedian a song from Voyageur, my favorite album of hers, as I hadn’t seen her play it before.  Indeed, this show had the most songs I hadn’t seen her play since the first time. Continue Reading »

Posted in Blairstown NJ, John Prine, Kathleen Edwards, Matt Sucich, Roy's Hall, Tom Petty | Leave a Comment »

Muscle Tough (The Foundry, Philadelphia, PA, December 13, 2024) [KARINA RYKMAN]

December 13, 2024 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: December 13, 2024] Muscle Tough

I had never heard of Muscle Tough and I admit I was a little concerned about a band with this name.  I mean, were they jock rock?

When we arrived, they had their name and two cutouts of muscular arms flanking the stage (pretty funny).

And it turns out I should have trusted Karina, because Muscle Tough were amazing.  They play rocking jamming instrumentals that are proggy and jazzy and show off the incredible chops of all three musicians, Ross Bellenoit (guitar), Jonathan Colman (bass) and Joe Baldacci (drums).

They have a pretty fascinating backstory.  Bellenoit was in a couple of different bands, but he wanted to start a band just for jamming and goofing around.  And Muscle Tough has been around longer and has had more success than any of his other more “Serious” projects.

Bellenoit is a phenomenal guitarist–he plays tasteful solos but also shreds like a fiend.  He also had a massive arrive of effects so he can create just about any sound.  Colman is an amazing bassist, playing really fast riffs and imrovs with ease. Continue Reading »

Posted in Karina Rykman, Kylie Minogue, Philadelphia, PA, The Foundry | Leave a Comment »

Marjorie Bowen–“The Crown Derby Plate” [The 2024 Short Story Advent Calendar #13] (1931)

December 13, 2024 by Paul Debraski

SOUNDTRACK:

[READ: December 13, 2024] “The Crown Derby Plate”

This year my wife ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my seventh time reading the Calendar–it’s a holiday tradition!  Here’s what H&O says about the calendar this year.

Ten years of stories! Yikes, where does the time go?
When the first Short Story Advent Calendar launched, in 2015, we frankly had no clue we’d still be sitting here today, continuing to offer up batches of tasty stories fresh from the oven. To celebrate this milestone, we’ve packed the 10th SSAC with a mix of new and familiar names—ideal company for those chilly winter nights ahead.

The author of this story was Marjorie Bowen.  Each day has an online component with the author with a brief interview.  Although today doesn’t have an interview just this blurb:

It’s December 13. Marjorie Bowen, a prolific British author who wrote more than 150 historical romances, popular history, and supernatural and horror stories, died in 1952 and did not respond to requests for comment.

I was recently saying that it’s interesting how ghost stories seem to be a part of Christmas tradition (more so in England it seems) that has gone by the wayside (A Christmas Carol notwithstanding). Continue Reading »

Posted in Canadian Content, Charles Dickens, Christmas, Ghosts, Hingston & Olsen, Marjorie Bowen, Short Story, The Short Story Advent Calendar | Leave a Comment »

Wax Jaw / The Thing / Friend (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, December 12, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

December 12, 2024 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: December 12, 2024] Wax Jaw / The Thing / Friend

Wax Jaw continues to play really close to me but always on nights that I’m already busy.

This show sounded like a ton of fun, but it was the same night that I was going to see Kathleen Edwards.  So, no dice yet again.

I see that Wax Jaw sets are still under an hour.  And  there’s nothing wrong with that, but it will effect ones decision where to go that night.

Friend is a raucous punk band from Philly.  In the video below for one of the songs they seem to be wearing goblin head masks.  They are all over the place with their sound, but its mostly loud and fast.  (They played a punk version of Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time–see below) Continue Reading »

Posted in Friend, Philadelphia, PA, The Thing, Underground Arts, Wax Jaw | Leave a Comment »

Matt Sucich (Roy’s Hall, Blairstown, NJ, December 12, 2024) [KATHLEEN EDWARDS]

December 12, 2024 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: December 12, 2024] Matt Sucich

Matt Sucich opened for Kathleen Edwards in 2022.  I found him to be enjoyable if not a little forgettable.  The thing I remembered most about his set was that he said his name a lot.  He did that for this set as well (he said his name is like an earworm, if he says it enough it will get stuck in your head).

He has a soft, smooth folksinger voice (in the Simon & Garfunkel vein) but his songs are a bit more Dylanesque in their storytelling style.  So you know what you’re getting with him.  He’s affable and his songs are enjoyable.

He made more of an impression on me when Kathleen raved about him and when he sang with her during her set.

I did make a note of the songs he played (unlike last time) so here’s the setlist.

Montauk ∑
Walking Song ©/∑
Make Peace ©
Real Time ¥
Give Love ¥/∑
Upper West Side ¥
Crazy Time to Be Alive ∑

∑ Talking to Walls [live] (2024)
¥ Holy Smokes (2023)
© Don’t Be So Hard on Yourself (2021)

Posted in Blairstown NJ, Kathleen Edwards, Matt Sucich, Roy's Hall | Leave a Comment »

Christopher Boucher–“Shopping Cart” [The 2024 Short Story Advent Calendar #12] (2024)

December 12, 2024 by Paul Debraski

SOUNDTRACK:

[READ: December 12, 2024] “Shopping Cart”

This year my wife ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my seventh time reading the Calendar–it’s a holiday tradition!  Here’s what H&O says about the calendar this year.

Ten years of stories! Yikes, where does the time go?
When the first Short Story Advent Calendar launched, in 2015, we frankly had no clue we’d still be sitting here today, continuing to offer up batches of tasty stories fresh from the oven. To celebrate this milestone, we’ve packed the 10th SSAC with a mix of new and familiar names—ideal company for those chilly winter nights ahead.

The author of this story was Christopher Boucher.  Each day has an online component with the author with a brief interview.  It opens with this:

It’s December 12. Christopher Boucher, author of Big Giant Floating Head, would also have used a basket in a pinch.

I enjoy a story that is absurd and is willing to see it through. Continue Reading »

Posted in Canadian Content, Christmas, Christopher Boucher, Hingston & Olsen, Short Story, The Short Story Advent Calendar | Leave a Comment »

Elizabeth Gonzales James–“Children of a Careless God” [The 2024 Short Story Advent Calendar #11] (2020)

December 11, 2024 by Paul Debraski

SOUNDTRACK:

[READ: December 11, 2024] “Children of a Careless God”

This year my wife ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my seventh time reading the Calendar–it’s a holiday tradition!  Here’s what H&O says about the calendar this year.

Ten years of stories! Yikes, where does the time go?
When the first Short Story Advent Calendar launched, in 2015, we frankly had no clue we’d still be sitting here today, continuing to offer up batches of tasty stories fresh from the oven. To celebrate this milestone, we’ve packed the 10th SSAC with a mix of new and familiar names—ideal company for those chilly winter nights ahead.

The author of this story was Elizabeth Gonzales James.  Each day has an online component with the author with a brief interview.  And this one opens:

It’s December 11. Elizabeth Gonzales James, author of Mona at Sea, could have sworn there were more fish in that aquarium a minute ago.

This was a disturbing story. Continue Reading »

Posted in Canadian Content, Cats, Christmas, Death, Hingston & Olsen, Mark Binelli, Short Story, The Short Story Advent Calendar, Yuck! | Leave a Comment »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »