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Califone (Fillmore Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, August 19, 2026) [MODEST MOUSE]

August 19, 2026 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: August 19, 2026] Califone

Modest Mouse has very diverse bands opening for them.  Sometimes they’re so odd that I don’t care if I see them.  Other times, its a band I’ve heard of.  Like tonight. I’d heard of Califone–they’ve been around for years.  But I had no idea what they sounded like (or really anything about them).  

Califone is basically the project of Tim Rutili who was a founder of the band Red Red Meat (I also don’t know anything about them either).

For this show, he had a guitarist and bassist and two drummers (one was more percussion).  It’s possible they shared a member of two with Modest Mouse, but I can’t be sure.  Turns out Tim Rutili was part of Isaac Brock’s Ugly Casanova project.

The first two songs were slow and kind of country like.  Tim was seated and on an acoustic guitar.  The first song was a Red Red Meat cover and was quite short.  Before introducing the second song, someone on the crowd shouted Freebird and Tim was so disgusted he said, Did you just shout Freebird, god, anyone who shouts that just shows they are a dick.  They show that they are a cunt–this is Philadelphia I can say that).  Wow, I was so happy to hear it said out loud (Freebird is not funny anymore) and I’m so curious what happened to that guy from his friends.  I also thought it was a massively bold move for an opening band.  But Tim has been doing this since the 90s so he’s heard it all. Continue Reading »

Posted in Califone, Modest Mouse, Philadelphia, PA, The Met Philadelphia | Leave a Comment »

Yard Act (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, August 15, 2026)

August 16, 2026 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: August 15, 2026] Yard Act

I saw Yard Act at Underground Arts back in 2023.  Guitarist Sam Shipstone was quite the wild man while Ryan Needham’s bass had a great sound and was often the only thing holding the melody down while Shipstone went nuts.  He also provided backing vocals.

And the best part of the show was that singer James Smith doesn’t casually recite his lyrics.  He is a non-stop machine of gestures and quips, singing and screaming lyrics.  Whispering and delaying satisfaction.  He has the entire audience in his hands and he is not afraid to make then do what he wants.  It was amazing to watch.

The tour is rounded out with drummer Jay Russell and touring keyboard/sax player Christopher Duffin.

My wife loved the show–after the craziness of The Armed, I feared that Yard Act would seem tame, but they really showed up.  But she loved the loudness and the intensity.  Indeed listening to some of the songs later she said they were much more fun live (Fiction in particular).  And she absolutely loved Payday (and who wouldn’t)–take the money, take the money, take the money and run).

They opened with New Beginnings, a song we’d heard a number of times on WXPN (and have heard a lot more since then).  It is pretty different from their other songs, but didn’t change the tone of the show at all.

It’s interesting how they play a very different setlist every night.  They didn’t play Payday the following night, although the did play We Make Hits, which I was sure they would play for us, but they didn’t.

When I saw them at Union Transfer last year, they had two backing singer/dancers with them and they made the show a lot of fun.  They added a lot to the visuals, for sure (including a lot of fun percussion and dancing).  I was a little bummed that they had scaled back for this show, but they know how to put on a show regardless of the number of people on stage.

When I first saw them, they ended with the seven minute “The Trench Coat Museum.”  Last time, during the long guitar solo in the middle, James sat on the drum riser with his head in his hands as if he were miserable.  It was funny to see, especially when it was his turn to sing again and he jumped up happily, grabbed a little sampling device and started having a ball throwing out all of the samples from the song and manipulating them on the fly.  There was no sitting for this version, but the sampling device was right there and he played with it making all kinds of fun sounds.  It was terrific.

Sometimes, live, it’s not clear what the lyrics are, even when he’s speaking them.  But sometimes there a lot going on so you may miss these lyrics from Dead Horse

I wasn’t the one lied to and I’m not scared of peopleWho don’t look like me, unlike you
…
And we’re supposed to let it slideBecause the press have normalizedThe idea that racism is something we should humor

An Illusion is a quieter song which slowed things down before the big stomping fun of Redeemer.  It’s a nasty sounding song with a great chorus: Redeemer, you had your fun, now you’re clutching to your rosary like a nun.  I didn’t realize the next song was called Cherophobe Rock, which I assume is a sly dig at Smashing Pumpkins’ Cherub Rock.  Although I don’t know the conntection the song is catchy and bouncy as anything.

 

 

 

“Dark Days” is primarily a bass line and drums with Shipstone making all kinds of noise on his guitar until it builds to a “chorus” changing “Dark Days” (and live the chorus is HUGE, as is the

So much so, that when he introduced “100% Endurance,” he observed how fast the show as going.  “100%” starts out quietly and then build to a big ending.

They raged into the final two songs–the stupidly catchy chorus of The Overload and the moody “Land of the Blind.”  As they paused before the final song, people shouted out the songs they wanted to hear.  James said that they might considered playing those songs if we would graciously allow them to play the songs they wanted to play first.

The final song was the seven minute “The Trench Coat Museum.”  There is a long guitar solo in the middle, during which James sat on the drum riser with his head in his hands as if he were miserable.  It was funny to see, especially when it was his turn to sing again and he jumped up happily, grabbed a little sampling device and started having a ball throwing out all of the samples from the song and manipulating them on the fly.  I only wish they were a little clearer.

When they came out for the encore, he asked what do you want to hear and immediately someone shouted “Peanuts.” He recited the spoken word part first in a “Tom Waits” voice and then like a vampire–there was very much laughter during this section.  Someone shouted out another song title, but they decided to play “Fixer Upper” and everyone was okay with that.

It was a really fun set.  Everyone was into it, the band gave it their all, and we were back on the road by 10:30.  And we’d both happily see them again.

 

2026 Underground Arts 2024 Union Transfer 2023 Underground Arts
New Beginnings ‰ Dead Horse ♠ Dead Horse ♠
Dream Job ⊗ Payday ♠ Dark Days Δ
Fiction ‰ Fizzy Fish ⊗ Petroleum ⊗
Payday ♠ Land of the Blind ♠ Payday ♠
When the Laughter Stops ⊗ Petroleum ⊗ Dream Job ⊗
The Trench Coat Museum ø Down By the Stream ⊗ Pour Another ♠
Dead Horse ♠ Dream Job ⊗ 100% Endurance ♠
An Illusion ⊗ We Make Hits ⊗ Witness (Can I Get A?) ♠
Redeemer ‰ Dark Days Δ The Overload ♠
Cherophobe Rock ‰ A Vineyard for the North ⊗ Land of the Blind ♠
Dark Days Δ When the Laughter Stops ⊗ The Trench Coat Museum ø
A Vineyard for the North ⊗ The Overload ♠ encore
Talky Talky People ‰ 100% Endurance ♠ Peanuts Δ
You’re Gonna Need a Little Music ‰ The Trench Coat Museum ø Fixer Upper Δ
100% Endurance ♠ encore
The Overload ♠ Witness (Can I Get A?) ♠
encore
Peanuts Δ [tour debut]
Fixer Upper Δ

‰ You’re Gonna Need a Little Music (2026)
⊗ Where’s My Utopia (2024)
ø single (2023)
♠ The Overload (2022)
Δ Dark Days EP (2021)

Here’s what they played at Free at Noon (bold songs they didn’t play at night)

  1. Tall Tales ‰
  2. Talky Talky People ‰
  3. Dead Horse ♠
  4. Petroleum ⊗
  5. New Beginnings ‰
  6. Fixer Upper Δ
  7. Pour Another ♠
  8. You’re Gonna Need a Little Music ‰

Posted in ⋈, Philadelphia, PA, The Armed, Underground Arts, Yard Act | Leave a Comment »

Wax Jaw / Teenage Halloween / Have a Good Season (Wonder Bar, Asbury Park, NJ, August 16, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

August 16, 2026 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: August 16, 2026] Wax Jaw / Teenage Halloween / Have a Good Season

I honestly can’t keep track of the number of times I haven’t seen Wax Jaw.  For a time they were the new band that I “discovered” and wanted to support really badly.  And I kept missing them.  I have finally seen them twice.

This show was the night before my son was leaving for his study abroad.  So, no matter how much I like Wonderbar and Wax Jaw, there was just no way.

At least Wax Jaw is playing Philly Music Fest in October and I SHOULD be able to make that one.

This show was announced fairly recently but I already had tickets to see Guster AND there was a second show I really wanted to see this night, Porridge Radio.  So this show was never going to happen for me.

I saw Teenage Halloween open for THICK a while back and thought they were great.   The Asbury Park band plays short blasts of catchy emo songs–lots of punk feelings (their bio says)

At the heart of vocalist and guitarist Luk Henderiks’ lyrics is an urgent longing for community. Despite their often strikingly personal vulnerability, these songs reach out to the wider world, striving to hold themselves and those around them accountable for their actions and to make space for those that need to be heard.

and occasionally fantastic guitar solos (Eli Frank is a total shredder, but doesn’t overuse that skill).  Luk seemed to sing more of the songs, but Tricia Marshall (bass) sang about four or five of the seventeen (!) they played.  I would absolutely see them again.

Have a Good Season is a trio from Eatontown, NJ.  They are a gentle alt rock band (with rocking moments) that incorporates intricate guitar parts and catchy vocal melodies.  They are the kind of band that I would love hearing one or two songs in a mix, but who I might not listen to an entire album.  But I dig their overall vibe.

This would have been a delightful show.

Posted in Asbury Park, NJ, Have a Good Season, Teenage Halloween, Wax Jaw, Wonder Bar | Leave a Comment »

The Armed ⋈ (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, August 15, 2026) [YARD ACT]

August 15, 2026 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: August 15, 2026] The Armed

I grabbed a ticket to this show for my wife and I as soon as it was announced.   I’ve seen them twice and the last time was so much fun, I was sure my wife would get a kick out of it.   I had never heard of The Armed (whose name is often simplified to ⋈) before the show and when I listened briefly, they sounded like a hardcore band, which was confusing as an opener for Yard Act, who are not hardcore.

We arrived early and got a decent spot.  The lights went down, The Armed came out and the stage exploded.  The entire place was just an explosion of noise and chaos and I was delighted to see the huge smile on my wife’s face.

I had no idea who The Armed were, nor that they had a massive fan base.  The story of the Armed is almost as interesting as their music, although, really, no, the music is far more interesting.  But still:

Although no official members of the group are known for absolute certain, the collective has been represented in the media by advertising creative and director Tony Wolski – formerly known as Adam Vallely.  The Armed allegedly has a central core of members, while simultaneously featuring a rotating line-up of collaborators. The people behind The Armed have gone to considerable lengths to misdirect, deceive, and otherwise toy with their audience when it comes to who is actually a member of the band. To achieve this, the band has largely avoided printing names of its members, had actors pretend to be members of the band and toured in secret, often performing at open mic nights under fake names.

There was a woman singing/screaming in a very high pitched voice not unlike Melt-Banana.  There were two other singers in the band, a guy who screamed as well and a guy who sang in a really nice voice.   I’m not sure how many people were on stage (seven maybe?)  They absolutely filled the stage and never stopped moving.  The guitarist in front of us was a whirlwind of action and near the end of teh set he climbed on a huge speaker cabinet and jumped off.

The male singer frequently put the mic into the crowd for the guys up front (die hard fans) to scream along.  The female singer jumped into the crowd and sang from the floor.

I loved the way Fortune’s Daughter was a wall of noise and then had a neat low-key catchy chorus sung by the third vocalist– and the end had all of the singers (and screamers going at it together).

Grace Obscure was a noisy chaotic song with a big “woah oh” and lots of screaming from the female singer.  And An Iteration started with furious hardcore drumming and then segued into a really catchy rumbling bassline and dual vocals. It was followed by FKA World from their previous album, which was (relatively) mellow–the use of explosive hardcore drumming with slow vocals is really interesting.

Local Millionaires starts softly and then turns into a screamfest.  All Futures continues the explosive sound The set ended with Big Shell a song that concludes with a series of one-two crashes from the whole band as feedback distortion and screams glide over everything.

It was exhausting and exhilarating and amazing.  I’m bummed I didn’t know about them before and I sure hope they mysteriously pop up again.

  1. Night City Aliens ©
  2. Fortune’s Daughter ♥
  3. Grace Obscure ♣
  4. AN ITERATION ∅
  5. FKA World ⊗
  6. Local Millionaire ♣
  7. ALL FUTURES ∅
  8. BIG SHELL ∅

♣ THE FUTURE IS HERE AND EVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE DESTROYED (2025)
⊗ Perfect Saviors (2023)
∅ ULTRAPOP (2021)
© Cyberpunk 2077 soundtrack (2020)  [submitted under the name Homeschool Dropouts]
♥ Only Love (2018)

Here’s an amusing stories about this band from Wikipedia

The Armed released Only Love, with Ben Koller providing drums.  Koller has said the request was short notice, and that the recording would take place right in the middle of tracking drums for a new Converge album, which seemed “[like it would be] pretty stressful.” However, Koller heard that Rob Trujillo would be playing bass on the album, which was “the selling point” to him. In fact, Trujillo was never involved in any capacity with the album. Koller was also told by fellow Converge bandmate and Only Love‘s producer Kurt Ballou that the demos he was sent for this album were Converge songs, spurring him to learn them. Koller went on to say “…essentially, I was conned into playing on this album. I was so taken aback by these weird tactics that I just went with it.”

 

Posted in ⋈, Philadelphia, PA, The Armed, Underground Arts, Yard Act | Leave a Comment »

Circle Jerks | Repo Man screening (Keswick Theatre, Glenside, PA, August 14, 2026)

August 14, 2026 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: August 14, 2026] Ciʀcle JƎʀᴋs

Circle Jerks are a legendary punk band.  They’ve been around since 1979 with various lineup changes and hiatuses. They more or less finished in 2011, but then started playing again in 2019 and have come to Philly every two years since then.  I thought about seeing them at the TLA in April playing with Gorilla Biscuits.  But we were out of town.

So when this event came up, I was really intrigued.  The band are in the movie Repo Man–playing a lounge version of themselves.  And the current bassist Zander Schloss was a main character in the movie.  And here they were–playing some songs, doing a Q&A about the movie and then showing the movie.  I’ve seen the movie a few times but haven’t watched it in a long time.  So I asked my brother-in-law if he wanted to go and he said YES, but then couldn’t make it.  So I asked my son and he said sure.

I don’t think he knew any Circle Jerks music, but he had heard of them.  And he had never seen the movie.

I waited till the day before the show to buy a ticket because I wanted to be in an area where there weren’t many people. I wound up getting the back row and it was pretty perfect for Keswick–you’re up ice and high and can see over the heads below you.  And the venue is small enough that the back row is only 34 rows back.

The band’s gear was set up and then someone came out singing the Feelin’ 7Up song.  I had totally forgotten that that’s how Zander Schloss’ character in the movie is introduced.  So he is singing the song and a guy in a tuxedo tells him to stop singing, man. Why so tense, guy?

Then the band launched into the song Repo Man and the man in the tux sang the song.   The man was Repo Man director Alex Cox.  He sang the song and left the stage.

Then Keith Morris came out on stage and the band launched into a barrage of songs totaling about 5 minutes. And I liked that security allowed anyone who wanted to to rush the stage (it’s not like any of us old people were going to cause too much trouble).  Although one person did climb in stage and dance around (and then slowly climbed back down off the stage). Continue Reading »

Posted in Black Flag, Circle Jerks, Glenside, PA, Keswick Theatre, Repo Man | Leave a Comment »

Eagles of Death Metal / Mountain Head (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, August 14, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

August 14, 2026 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: August 14, 2026] Eagles of Death Metal / Mountain Head

I got a kick out of Eagles of Death Metal when they came out.  Death By Sexy is a fun album and I enjoy the tongue in cheek nature of the music.  I thought about going to the show since they are apparently a great live band.

But I Just really don’t like them enough to justify going and I was a little worried about what kind of audience these guys would attract.  I left the night open, in case I decided to grab a last minute ticket.  But then the Circle Jerks announced a show for that night and that was the kibosh on EODM.

Who the hell are Mountain Head?  Well, their bio says

The enigmatic and reclusive Hannah Brothers stumbled upon a mysterious mountain in the heart of the Canadian wilderness, and what they found at the summit changed their lives forever. A shaman performed a ceremony that unlocked new depths of creativity and inspiration in the brothers, leading them to channel the spirits of Johnny Cash, Flavor Flav, and Billy Gibbons. Dressed in black denim and adorned with solid gold grills and long beards, Mountain Head emerged with a sound that blended psych-rock, alt-rock, and elements of electro-pop and jangle pop into a unique and potent sonic concoction.

The description is okay–they’re a little slower than you might expect, but there’s some psych elements, but mostly they play dumb rock like EODM.   A perfect pairing.

Posted in Eagles of Death Metal, Mountain Head, Philadelphia, PA, Underground Arts | Leave a Comment »

The Lemon Twigs / Brute Force (Asbury Lanes, Asbury Park, NJ, August 13, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

August 13, 2026 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: August 13, 2026] The Lemon Twigs / Brute Force

I really liked The Lemon Twigs’ Do Hollywood album and their follow up EPs showed even more development.  Since then they have put out a few albums, and I have enjoyed them.  Their sound has changed over the years and they are very settled in a kind of 60s pop vibe.  They are excellent at it, but it’s not quite what I loved from them.  I finally got to see them open for Car Seat Headrest and they were great.  I definitely wanted to go to this show and up until the last minute I was considering going.  But since I was going out the following two nights and my son was leaving for Europe in a few days, I figured I’d stay home.

I think my wife would really like them, so maybe next time they come around I’ll drag her along.

I can’t believe that I have never heard of Brute Force–look at this bio:

Stephen Friedland (born September 29, 1940), known as Brute Force, is a singer and songwriter who attended Asbury Park High School,. He wrote and performed with The Tokens in the 1960s and wrote songs for Peggy March, Del Shannon, The Chiffons and The Cyrkle, and others.  Brute Force may be best known for a song that barely saw a release. Written by Friedland and produced by The Tokens, “The King of Fuh” is a story about a monarch in the land of Fuh referred repeatedly to as the “Fuh King”. John Lennon admired the record; so did George Harrison, who acquired the track and overdubbed eleven strings of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, arranged by John Barham. It soon became obvious that neither EMI nor Capitol Records would distribute the single, so Apple Records pressed and distributed 1,000 copies (catalog number Apple 08) in 1969. After the initial Apple pressing (and no radio play), Friedland teamed up with Jeff Cheen and issued the tune on his own Brute Force Records label (b/w “Tapeworm Of Love”, which later received airplay on the Dr. Demento radio show).

He played that song and many other funny songs.

Now I rather wish I had gone.

 

Posted in Asbury Lanes, Asbury Park, NJ, Brute Force, The Lemon Twigs | Leave a Comment »

Dogstar / The Backfires (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, August 12, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

August 12, 2026 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: August 12, 2026] Dogstar / The Backfires

Three years ago, Dogstar played Underground Arts and I toyed with the idea of going  to this show, probably for the same reason that a lot of other people did.

To see Keanu Reeves!

I can’t decide if I like Keanu ironically or not, but it’s still pretty wild to think that a celebrity of his star power could have been just a few feet from me.

I genuinely had no idea what Dogstar sounded like.   So here’s the blurb from Underground Arts

Here in 2023, Dogstar epitomizes the quintessential Southern California storytelling rock band they’ve always been in their hearts, making deeply resonant music that literally comes from Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees – the name of their new album which arrives October 6, 2023 via their own label Dillon Street Records (distributed through ADA). Comprised of guitarist/vocalist Bret Domrose, drummer Robert Mailhouse, and bassist Keanu Reeves, Dogstar was born in 1991 as a band of friends who came together in a garage in Southern California and simply dreamed of playing music together and making a little noise. Now, all these years later, Domrose, Mailhouse, and Reeves took some time at the tail end of a historic lockdown to create this collection of songs that fully encompasses who they are as artists today. The happily reunited rock trio’s official return came in May 2023 – more than 20 years since their last performance together – with their first public performance at the BottleRock Napa Valley music festival with a set that sparked fan and critical praise alike, including the live debut of their lead single “Everything Turns Around,” which was officially released July 19.

So this isn’t Keanu’s band, per se.  He “only” plays bass.  Domrose sings and plays guitar, although they all get writing credit for the songs.  But wow, it was sold out and no doubt super packed with people looking to meet Keanu.

When they came back to Philly, this time they were playing a much bigger venue.   I don’t think it sold out, but good for them.

And in this video of them record shopping in Philly–their influences are perfect!

Again, I like their music–like 90s indie rock–although I don’t like their singer all that much.

The Backfires are a London/NYC band.  They play solid old-school indie rock.  Their previous album was really good.

I could easily have gotten into both of these bands in the 90s if they had gotten radio airplay.

Posted in Dogstar, Philadelphia, PA, The Backfires, Underground Arts | Leave a Comment »

AJR / Ryley Tate / David Wimbish and the Collection (Live at Wind Creek Steel Stage at PNC Plaza, Bethlehem, PA, August 9, 2026)

August 9, 2026 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: August 9, 2026] AJR / Ryley Tate / David Wimbish and the Collection

Three years ago I saw AJR at this very festival.  I vaguely knew them and thought they would be a really fun show (it was).  But it was also massively popular.  The show it self was fun, but not in any way that I imagined.  I was assuming there’d be a huge production–lots of videos or costumes or something goofy.  But it was exactly the opposite.  Extremely minimalist.  Adam was on bass on my right.  Jack was singing in the middle and Ryan was on my left with his keys and samples.  Behind them was a drummer Chris and a trumpeter Arnetta.  And that was it.  The real action was Jack scampering around the stage and dancing and jumping and being generally wild and fun.

But once was enough.  And I realized I hadn’t heard them in quite some time–not on the radio and no word of a new album (they put a new album out in 2023, but I guess not in time for this show?)  So I didn’t even consider getting a ticket.

And now that  I’ve seen who their opening acts were, I’m even more glad. Continue Reading »

Posted in AJR, Bethlehem, PA, David Wimbsih and the Collection, Musikfest, Ryle Tate | Leave a Comment »

Kevin Devine (Revilla Grooves and Gear, Milltown, NJ, August 8, 2026)

August 8, 2026 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: August 8, 2026] Kevin Devine

I’ve been a fan of Kevin Devine and the Goddamn Band for several years now.  Last December, I went o see him one week after a hip replacement because it was at a brewery fifteen minutes from my house.  Tonight’s show was at a record store in Milltown, NJ.  I had seen Ted Leo there last year and they have a great setup for in-store artists.  And this time, there were seats!

Kevin is a delightful, funny performer.  He jokes with the audience and at his own expense.  He has a great powerful voice, although most of his songs, when solo, are rather soft.

He played an acoustic guitar for the whole set which had several songs from his soon to be released album (next year sometime).

He opened with a song he played last time a new song that may or may not be on the new album.   Then he played one that is definitely on it (they just finished mixing it).  Then, as he said, he’d play some songs from throughout the years and then take Q&A and requests.

It’s not surprising that the set was similar to the solo show at Flounder eight months ago, but he had a few news songs and he took requests which meant a lot of new (to me) stuff.

He basically opened with the same few songs as last time (although we missed the very first few songs, so it was like hearing them for the first time.)

After the newer songs he went really deep for Go Haunt Someone Else (2006) and Yr Damned Ol’ Dad (2005).  After playing a song from Brother’s Blood, he talked about Bad Books and then ran through a quick version of Andy Hull is Garbage.  This is now the second or third time I’ve heard this and it makes me laugh every time.  So Kevin and Andy work together in Bad Books (Andy is in Manchester Orchestra as well) and it’s hard to follow the order, but Kevin says he wrote the “garbage” song but Kevin says that Andy says he wrote it about Kevin first.  So, I gather they each play their own version in their live sets from time to time. Continue Reading »

Posted in Kevin Devine, Milltown NJ, Revilla Grooves and Gear | Leave a Comment »

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