.looooong overdue

With all the madness going on in our country right now I decided to resurrect this blog and bring it back as a form of sanity for myself and maybe others? I think I let it go because it got so overwhelming with all the concerts I attended in 2016! When I thought about documenting every single concert I attended last year the thought of it became so heavy I just was at a lull. My goal is to just update this once a week every Sunday. I mean I'm on the computer every Sunday for my job anyway. What's 5-10 minutes to update? But anyway how have you been? What have you been up to music-wise? What have I been up to music-wise? To do a quick update on 2016....

**I purchased 230 albums. Yes 230. I am more than aware this is someone's starter collection or not even. No all of them were not full price. No please don't make me list all of them! Pretty much the large majority of my collection is the "Best of 2016" albums listed on NPR. I like to think I have good taste. ;)

**Ladyhawke was the last concert I posted about on here. Jaysus! After her I saw:  Black Mountain, Stone Roses, Fear of Men, Girlpool, Laura Gibson, Duran Duran, Ryan Adams, Garbage (2x), White Lung, The Danger O's, Belly, PJ Harvey, The Julie Ruin (3x!), Tiffany (80s singer, yaass), Julien Baker, Angel Olsen, Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins, Chvrches, P.S. Eliot, Lush, All Dogs, Tacocat (2x), Japanese Breakfast, Margaret Glaspy, Sloan, Adia Victoria, Phantogram, Sad13, The B-52s, The Naked and Famous, Mitski/Fear of Men/Weaves, Stevie Nicks/Chrissie Hynde, Kristin Hersh, Rasputina.

**If I did a total I came really close to 80 concerts in 2016. The amount I did not go to is sad. I think it totals 20 concerts I did not attend due to illness, anxiety, and just depression from the election. Picking my favorite concert of 2016 is hard because they are all special in their own way and I truly enjoyed all of them. Seeing The Julie Ruin three times and Garbage twice was unreal.

What are some goals for 2017?

1) Hold back on albums and quit Vinyl Me Please when my year subscription is up. With everything going on now I'd rather donate to charities or organizations in need instead of going on huge splurges. VMP I'll explain why I'm cancelling in another post.

2) Attend less concerts. Yes you heard correct. I think last year I was in this mentality where "Yeah! I'm going to go to as many possible!" But you know what? I think in the end I was truly burnt out. When it became a "chore" I knew I needed to back off. This year I only bought tickets for shows I really really wanted to attend and the others will be last minute calls (depending on if they will sell out immediately or not). I also learned to not attend a concert if I am only going to see the opener. Wait until they headline instead. Sometimes it's not worth it.

3) Collect more cassette tapes! I'm going to use my Amazon points and purchase a boombox (yes I'm a grandma). I've accumulated some really great cassettes last year I'd love to play them on a smaller device besides my huge Crosley. Plus in a fit of excitement I purchased two blank cassette tapes where I want to make a mix of songs from 2017. The kids at FYE probably looked at me like "What the fuck are these?" Oh old school 90s me is living the dream and reverting back to my middle school / high school years where I'd constantly make mixes! 

4) Subscribe to Bust Magazine! Many of the bands I like have been featured in Bust or been reviewed in Bust. Plus we need feminism at a time like this. 

5) Make a protest mix! I'm currently assembling a pretty kick ass protest / angry mix to hand out at protests or to mail to friends to get us through these shitty times. It will contain the likes of Sleater-Kinney, Bjork, Le Tigre, etc. It will be badass.

What are your music goals of 2017?

.ladyhawke

This was my first Ladyhawke concert. Back in the days of Myspace I think I first discovered her music. I didn't fully immerse myself until May when P showed me the video for "Love Song." Of course being a child of the 80s I completely loved the video and the song. I was completely sold. Ladyhawke also has a really interesting background and went through a lot during her childhood and 20s. Her lyrics are brutally honest, especially her songs off of Anxiety which explore this dark period in her life. But hooray! She made the trek all the way from New Zealand to visit us briefly this evening and tour a bit of the USA. Everyone there was excited to hear her new jams.

Boot and Saddle is one of my favorite venues. The sound is excellent and the room is tiny but intimate. Opening for Ladyhawke was Psychic Twin. If I could describe their sound it's ethereal new-wave. They are a cross between Florence and the Machine, Fear of Men, Cocteau Twins, with 80s beats. After a small handful of songs, their last song was performed with flashing white lights in a darkened room. I had to laugh because many people captured this song on their Instagram looking through the tags. After their performance I purchased two of their 7" albums since they don't have a full LP out yet. Both of them were sweethearts and thanked me for my purchase. I said I was so impressed that they were really great and to come back again.

Ladyhawke rocked it. The first thing you noticed on the stage was a neon sign resting on the floor that said "Ladyhawke Wild Things" with a neon lit palm tree. She kicked into a good number of songs and the crowd was loving it. Some songs she took out her tambourine others her yellow fender. At the end of the show she announced she would sign merch. Perfect. P held my place in one line while I went to purchase some things in the other. I bought her new album which is pastel yellow vinyl. Then I bought the tee shirt "Wild Things" that she actually sports on the vinyl's cover. They only had size L left but I did not care. Worse case scenario is sporting it like a dress with leggings underneath. Or, I could shrink it. Anyway here's her set list...

WILD THINGS
THE RIVER
GOLDEN GIRLS
ANOTHER RUNAWAY
MANIPULATING WOMAN
PROFESSIONAL SUICIDE
MAGIC
BACK OF THE VAN
LOVE DON'T LIVE HERE
BLUE EYES
DUSK TIL DAWN
SWEET FASCINATION
LET IT ROLL
A LOVE SONG
PARIS IS BURNING
MY DELIRIUM 

As we neared our little meet and greet, Ladyhawke graciously got in pictures with fans. She told me and P she'd stand in the middle of us. Ladyhawke signed our set lists. She also wrote messages on our albums. She asked me if I would like her to write out a message to me and asked my name. It was just a "d'awww" moment. P knicked the Ladyhawke poster in one of the bathroom stalls (dying because I saw it there first and figured she would take it) and had her sign it. Definitely check out her music videos too. "Delirium" has a Thelma and Louise vibe and is done partly in animated watercolors. 

.quasi!

Sam Coomes and Janet Weiss killed it at Johnny Brenda's this past Friday. I first heard of Quasi back in my college days as a friend put "Our Happiness is Guaranteed" on a mix tape. Ironically that was the second song they kicked into. Sam is masterful on the keyboards and let's face it, Janet is the best drummer ever. I shot a few videos of her working her magic and of Sam too. Towards the end of their setlist Sam used his legs, head, all body parts that he was willing to slam against the keys. Everyone had a great time. In between songs the two discussed NBA picks (foreign language for me) and how cute we were as an audience, like little puppies. Janet didn't know any dog jokes but any time Sam was about to crack a joke she was quick to do a "bah-dum-bum" on the drums. It was sweet.

Before the show P was at the bar solo and said she was the only person in the same room as Janet and to hurry over. When I arrived there were a small handful of people. P started conversation because I was really nervous. She talked about how she saw Wild Flag at Johnny Brenda's and how she saw two of the five S-K shows in New York. I talked to Janet about PJ Harvey's new album and asked if Corin was a fan since I knew Carrie and here were. I asked Janet if she was going to her LA show and Janet was like "Well I don't live there" and I was like "Yeah I know. Sadly she only is playing two shows in the US" and Janet's face was like "Oh really?!" Then this girl was near us and I cut off our conversation because more people arrived and asked for pictures or wanted to chat. So, Janet was nice enough to get in a picture with both of us and other fans. My S-K friend wore her "Janet Fucking Weiss" shirt and Janet recognized her and chatted with her for a bit. I would've loved to attend the Rough Trade show but I had a wedding. Still, the vibe was great and I'm happy I got to witness the most awesome drummer less than 3 feet in front of me on stage. High fives all around.

.chastity belt

God bless these bands from the Pacific NW or West Coast coming to the East Coast to tour. First Tacocat, then Peach Kelli Pop, now Chastity Belt. I feel like this is a new wave of riotgrrrl bands even though we are in a different decade and that's probably not what they are going for. Still. All female bands rule in my book.

Time to Go Home is their most recent album which I dig. I really liked what I heard and how the band switched it up with different members singing a few songs even though Julia sang most of the songs. The funniest thing was their banter between songs. Some guy yelled out "I love your Jag" (referring to her guitar) and the band sarcastically said "We love talking about gear. All kinds of gear." Most of their set was more recent songs. Julia said their new album would come out in 2017. Gretchen commented on the wall graffiti in the bathroom and said more people need to add tally marks to "Number of people chillin." She also commented on bulletin boards she noticed on her ride here that were pretty deep. The most annoying thing were the bros. I mean this guy near me was so annoying. After every fucking song he had to do an annoying "Yeeeee-aaaahhhh" I mean, they get it. I don't know what is worse, that or the guys moshing to Peach Kelli Pop's "Princess Castle 1987." 

After the show the band was preoccupied with friends so I didn't have a chance to say "Hi." Bro grabbed the set list and two others grabbed the remaining ones as well. Since my friend missed the show I picked her and myself up tee shirts with a caricature of the band posing in front of the Space Needle. Can't wait to sport it! 

.beverly

This show wins for all-around phenomenal openers. Mercury Girls (also opening for Fear of Men when I see them) and Flowers were really great bands. If I had more money on me I would've purchased their albums as well. Beverly I would describe as California pop-rock even though the band is from NY. They have almost the same music vibe as Bleached. I discovered this band through Vinyl Me Please and purchased their latest album which is blue swirly wax (almost resembling pool water on the front cover). There wasn't a large crowd which was a shame but people not in attendance really missed out on a fun show. The band offered to donate part of the proceeds from their merch towards the Orlando victims. That got a large round of applause. My friend bought a tee shirt, I bought their first album. I've been spinning that a lot too. The coolest thing was everyone chanting for "One more song!" after the last song in the set. They came back out and covered Teenage Fanclub's "The Concept." YES!

.hinds

I'm kind of bummed about this particular show because of timing. See, Le Butcherettes were opening for At the Drive-In at 7:30 ten minutes away from this venue (not even). This show didn't start until 8:30 with Hinds not coming out until almost 10:00. StubHub was constantly fluxuating on ticket prices for ATDI. In the end I just decided not to go and here it would've totally worked out! Plus I still would've been able to catch a little of ATDI's performance. Oh well. I think I was nervous about not getting a front spot.

Going to Hinds was going in cold for me. I know NOTHING about the band except they are a garage band from Madrid who are adorable according to my friend and to go see them :) When they came out on stage I thought "Oh my goodness they are babies and look no older than 21!" So, Hinds babies. In all honesty they are not too shabby for younger musicians and they had so much fun on stage! My picture above accurately depicts their stage presence since they are all smiles the entire time. During their encore some people went up on stage and then everyone else joined in as well. Hinds didn't mind which was cool.

The band doesn't have a website. They told us if we wanted merch, now was the time! Totally sold out of tees, they had totes (I need another tote like a hole in the head), and albums. I went for the album and I've been spinning it non-stop. Like Aesop Rock they were also playing on Colbert the following evening. Love when bands you like get recognition!

.aesop rock

This is the third time I've seen Aesop Rock at Union Transfer. As always he puts on a killer show with Rob Sonic. He always has the best openers. I LOVED that Homeboy Sandman was back again. Since there was no barrier this time around we got quite wet in the front. Aes joked Homeboy Sandman drips buckets and joked about that later in his set. 

Skelethon was pretty good but Aesop's new album Impossible Kid really takes the cake. They opened with "Mystery Fish" which is the first track and one of my favorites along with "Rings" and "Dorks." The stage was in plastic animal decor and a faux flame. I felt like the dynamic duo were at it for at least two hours with rhymes and getting the crowd involved. They performed mostly newer songs with a few oldies (None Shall Pass, Catacomb Kids) and some Hail Mary Mallon jams. The first time I saw them they did "Dokken Rules" but I haven't heard it since.

Someone threw their black Phillies cap on the stage and Aes picked it up and wore it. Also he joked that they were playing on Colbert and how nervous he was going to be. If he could bring us all or had a crowd like us he would be more relaxed. I missed that performance but laughed when I saw on Aesop's Instagram a picture with him feet up in the desk.

What I really enjoyed about the show was how polite the guys were to me. Going to an Aesop Rock concert there aren't as many female fans in the mix or rather guys bringing their girlfriends. Some let me get in front of them in the merch line, asked what I was reading while waiting between sets, and gave me advice when I was debating what shirt to purchase. What made me the most nervous was my chance to meet Aes / Ian after the show. There was a line that formed before him as he graciously posed with fans for pictures and male fans turned into total fangirls which was adorable. When it was my turn I introduced myself, told him this was my third time seeing him and Rob, and asked a question. It was basically "What arcade were you guys in when you shot the video for Homemade Mummy?" I could've probably googled the answer to that ahead of time but I needed something cool to start conversation. Ian told me it's called Musee Mecanique located in San Francisco and how they have all these different games and weird shit. I just stood kind of dumbfounded like "Woah this is happening!" Here I thought they were in Brooklyn. Question answered. He was nice enough to take a picture with me which I will not post because I look gross and sweaty.  This made my night along with two pins (Kirby the one eyed cat and Impossible Kid's bat helmet) I purchased at the merch stand.

I did not see Rob Sonic after my Aes encounter nor did I want to repeat my awkward hug like I did the year before of giving a half-assed hug because I was shy and practically bolting out of the door because I am shy. So I left with Homeboy Sandman to my right with a line of folks, smiling with him for pictures. Even though I can only rap 50% of None Shall Pass despite hearing it 100+ times and for the life of me cannot keep up with any of his rhymes, I come back each time amazed and wanting more. 

.grimes

It pains me to say I have waited SO LONG for this opportunity to see Grimes in concert. I became a fan back in November or December. I own just about every album. When she cancelled her Philly show due to injury it sucked. The only hopes of seeing her live were in NY opening for Florence and the Machine (I really did not want to see her in a big venue) or taking a chance with StubHub at the 9:30 Club in DC. When she announced her Philly date I was so elated! However it was in my least favorite venue, The Electric Factory but still. My friend Cole got our tickets and a group of us girls went. Before the show started three of us bought matching tee shirts. We will flaunt those babies soon. Hana was just stellar. Her voice was killer and cut through the room when she hit the high ones. She joined Grimes on stage a lot during her set. Let me just tell you this was the most fun I've had at a concert this year. The four of us were just dancing the night away. It was one big Grimes dance party. We knew just about all of the lyrics. There was a guy up top at the balcony just killing it hardcore with all of his moves. The girls behind us noticed him as well and we tried to get his attention. I think he saw us. He needs to go to all of the concerts with us. Her back-up dancers were wonderful. They used everything from dagger-like weapons, ribbon dancers, and gloves that had laser beams shooting out of the fingers. Incredible. Grimes wore what many fans referred to as MC Hammer pants, a sparkly fanny pack, and hot pink glow-in-the-dark barrettes. My pictures didn't turn out too hot and the top shot was the only good one. The videos were hard to take because everyone around me kept jumping so keeping a steady hand was not easy.

SETLIST:
REALITI
FLESH WITHOUT BLOOD
VENUS FLY
ARTANGELS
GO
BE A BODY
GENESIS
BUTTERFLY
SCREAM
AVE MARIA
OBLIVION
WORLD PRINCESS PART II
KILL VS. MAIM

Grimes is so cute though! I know she has stage fright / anxiety but handled it like a pro. She told us she was just going to do the encore right then and there because if she went off of the stage she wouldn't want to return on the stage. The crowd just roared in cheers for at least over a minute after she said this. Apparently everyone screamed too loud the sound reverberated in her ears and was burning her hearing! Next time I see her I'll try and get closer spots to the front. She's amazing and everyone needs to go see her. I described her to Cole's friends as an anime character come to life and they agreed.  

.bloc party

This was my second time seeing Bloc Party in concert. I believe the first time was in 2007 or 2008. The band just released A Weekend in the City. I guess my fandom goes back to their first album Silent Alarm with killer tracks like "This Modern Love" and "Banquet." Being an avid concert-goer the friend who accompanied me was not. We had spots dead center of the stage. When things started to get a tad rowdy (just fans jumping about) she immediately wanted to move further back. Since it was a sold-out show we had to stand on the stairs of the balcony. Thankfully I at least got to see the first set of songs up front.
 

It was great to see the new line-up of band members, especially Louise. I love when women play drums. Opening for Bloc Party was Oscar. He was really super and something different. His voice is very sexy and all of us enjoyed his jacket of cartoon characters. I felt he had better merchandise compared to the other bands. I'm a bit mad at myself for not buying his album on the way out. Ms Mr were okay in my opinion. I wasn't blown away with their songs but I loved their energy. Especially the synth / keyboard player. He had all of the moves. Then Bloc Party came out. The most annoying thing of the night was the girl on my left hand side. Her and her girlfriend moved up front last minute (seatbelters ugh) and just went ape-shit crazy almost the entire show. Every video I took you can hear her annoying voice belting out the lyrics. Her hair whipped me in the eyes at least 3 times that evening while she was headbanging. She kept shouting "Oh my fucking god!!! Are you serious?!" *sigh* I was glad to be next to her instead of my friend K who would've been really annoyed. At least her energy wasn't rampant the entire show.

SETLIST:
ONLY HE CAN HEAL ME
HUNTING FOR WITCHES
POSITIVE TENSION
MERCURY
VIRTUE
SONG FOR CLAY
BANQUET
DIFFERENT DRUGS
SO REAL
OCTOPUS
SO HE BEGINS TO LIE
THE LOVE WITHIN

ENCORE:
EVIL JAKE
FLUX
HELICOPTER
RATCHET

The highlight of the night for me was hearing "Mercury" because that is my current favorite Bloc Party song of the moment. The way Kele loops his voice and the repetitious chorus is just infectious. No "Modern Love" but it's okay. I heard it the first time I saw them. It was a great show nonetheless and K's first time at The Fillmore (she loved the venue)!

.explosions in the sky

This was my first time seeing Explosions in the Sky. I had no idea they hailed from Austin, Texas. My brother informed me (newbie Texan) they played many times in that area as he saw them at one of the festivals. One of my favorite Sleater-Kinney fans was celebrating her birthday this evening and what a way to celebrate than spending it at a concert. It was really amazing! The sounds coming out of their instruments sounded like something incapable to be produced by humans as her friend Mike claimed. Most people would kind of shun the idea of no singing and all instrumental but it was worth every penny. They were connecting with the audience clearly solely through sound and it was a beautiful thing. The thing I did not like were all of the side conversations going on during the show. I think my friend said something like "People need to shut up and stop talking!" They heard her and I believed it worked. Oddly enough my cousins were at this show all the way towards the back! I didn't notice until they uploaded photos on their Instagram the following day. They also said the same thing, it was the most amazing show ever and how blown away they were. The girl not too far from where we were standing nabbed the set list. Holding it out so we could take a  picture of it, she claimed she was still shaking from their performance. I own their new album and will definitely look into their previous albums. So, Explosions in the Sky, you have a new fan. :)

 

.chelsea wolfe

If you are into dark, gothic, ethereal sounds then Chelsea Wolfe is the artist for you. My friend loves Courtney Love who is a CW fan. I never heard of her but wanted to check her out. Underground Arts was packed with tons of CW fans. Chelsea was sick the night before and cancelled her show. I kept noticing in between songs she took shots of tea or something towards the back of the stage to clear her throat. Still, she sounded great. Being good and saving money I did not purchase any of her albums but I know I will in the future. P and I both managed to get her guitar picks! We were eyeing them up the moment her mic was brought out. They have her name in silver letters, almost a celtic looking cross on the back and her signature in initials. As soon as she dropped one towards the front of the stage P did not hesitate and grabbed it. After the show I got the last one off of her mic. With only 14 songs played it seemed like she was up there for a good portion of time performing each song. Here is her set list.....

DEMONS
CARRION FLOWERS
DRAGGED OUT
AFTER THE FALL
MER
TRACKS (TALL BODIES)
MOSES
FERAL LOVE
HOUSE OF METAL
SIMPLE DEATH
COLOR OF BLOOD
IRON MOON
SURVIVE

ENCORE:
HALFSLEEPER 



For some reason I'm not too thrilled with my pictures of her or rather how they came out. Since it was so dark my Iphone did not do her any justice. 

.peach kelli pop

Let's just start off by saying Peach Kelli Pop are the cutest band ever. Their outfits were adorable and I loved they were all wearing their Peach Kelli Pop (almost a nod to the Pink Ladies) jackets outside before the show. Unlike last time with Tacocat, the bands all went within their time frame so no one's set was shortened due to ridiculous time constraints. The openers were Pouty (they gave us free pins), Mannequin Pussy, and Pony Time. My favorite was Pony Time who hail from Seattle. When Peach Kelli Pop went on, they informed us about their light they bought from the Sky Mall. It flashed all of these amazing colors as they played their set. Now P and I both commented how alarming it was that so many guys were at this show. She didn't notice (I'm shocked because I could feel the vibrations on the ground) they were moshing to a lot of the songs behind us. Really? I mean Princess Castle 1987 is a song to mosh to? Seriously?! We noticed one of the members of PKP sported a Screaming Females shirt and that was pretty rad. P and I both got set lists after the show. We stood in the merch line and chatted with Allie about what a great line-up it was. Their merch was super cute. I'm kind of bummed I did not walk away with a shirt, there were so many amazing cat ones. I ended up purchasing their latest LP, the Halloween Mask 7" (it's cherry red vinyl!) and a holographic pin with the Sailor Moon wand (they covered the song during their set). Allie threw in another pin for me for free which was sweet. I gave it to P. Here is the set list. I'd love to catch them again!

GIRLS OF SUMMER
TRUE BLUE
HALLOWEEN MASK
PRINCESS CASTLE 1987
RED LEATHER
EENIE
SOCIETY OF ENOCH
HUNDRED DOLLAR BILL
DREAMPHONE
HEART EYES
SAILOR MOON
DOO WAH DIDDY
RAMONES

ENCORE:
PAVED TO ? LOVER (hard to make out what she wrote)

.day wave

I was torn between seeing Day Wave and Parquet Courts since their shows were on the same night. I'm glad to have made this choice. Day Wave are a band I discovered through Vinyl Me Please. Jackson Phillips infuses beachy, shoe-gazey California sounds into upbeat little songs. It's a relaxing album to listen to on a Sunday afternoon or drive to the shore. Their opener was Joy Again who apparently live a few blocks from the venue. Their enthusiastic friend Bill was in the audience talking up the band the entire time. Bill actually came on stage and held up his pals shredding guitar in mid-air or ferociously bopping along to the beat. Everyone loved Bill. He was more entertaining than the band to be honest. 

Day Wave came out and were very appreciative of the crowd and the turn-out. We egged them on for an additional song at the end and they were kind enough to follow through. As they exited the stage many people from the audience shook their hands and offered them drinks. The videos I took came out really incredible, especially the sound. The band ended up liking my video on Instagram. This was also my first time at Boot and Saddle. It's a very tiny venue but a really cool atmosphere. I can't wait to see Ladyhawke there in late June.

.priests

In 2014 I saw Priests open for The Dismemberment Plan at the Bowery Ballroom. While some of the audience was quite intimidated with their "in your face" demeanor, I really enjoyed their set. When I leave concerts and bands make me "think" about their performance days later, well that just speaks volumes for me. I tend to investigate further. Katie is a dynamic front woman with her raw voice and command of the stage. In November of 2015 I missed my chance to see them at The Church. When I heard they were opening for Ought, I was on it. 

Katie told us she lost her voice and was slowly regaining it back. Still they sounded amazing. After the show I briefly talked to Taylor and rehashed what I said above about discovering them in 2014. It made me SO HAPPY to finally have their LP in my hands. Actually I nabbed the last copy of their debut ep. The merch lady literally had to peel off the tape holding it down on the table. It was the last last one. Ha! I did not get a set list but they played my favorites "And Breeding" and "Doctor." Their new songs sounded amazing as their band continues to progress. On Instagram I follow Katie and was over the moon her birthday is the day after mine. Taurus women! She actually liked one of my pictures I took of the band. It was a very cool moment for me.

Ought was okay. Like I said I was only there for Priests. Ought had a lot of fervent followers, mostly bros. The most aggravating thing of the night was this 20-something drunk girl who kept swinging her arms haphazardly all over the place to the point of hitting me in the head a few times. She pushed her way in front of me with her man in tow as her seat belt. The drummer of Ought just gave me this look and I rolled my eyes. We were thinking the same thing. Towards the middle of Ought's set the lead singer actually called out drunk girl! He claimed her hand movements were distracting and how she needed to back up. Touche! However, this did not stop her. She also enjoyed punching / rough housing with her man and at one point missed and ended up almost decking me in the leg. Seriously control your out-of-control girlfriend! Watching her was like watching a 5 year-old on a sugar rush. I'm saving this for a separate post of things that aggravate me at shows, more on this later. Overall Priests rock and my mission is to get as many people into their music as I can. Recently I made mixes for 7 friends so don't be surprised if I pop one of their songs on your track listing ;) 

.sheer mag

The girls pulling a James Brown cloak moment on Marissa

I love Sheer Mag and I jumped on the chance to see them a second time. P and I were happy to complete our collection of Sheer Mag eps before the show. She bought I and I got I and II. Sheer Mag also had these amazing pins of their band name in gold. We bought those too. Securing a spot up front, we noticed Allison Crutchfield in the audience as Marissa Paternoster and her other band, Bad Canoes started to set up. It was hilarious. Apparently Marissa knew someone in the audience that graduated with a BA in Communications so the background on the screen was a graduation ceremony and she gave a shout out to him. Then she had a cat mask which was an inside joke of someone's cat named "Lenny Big Squish." She performed just about the entire show in the cat mask and came out into the audience. It was highly entertaining and I was cracking up the whole time. Bad Canoes was awesome. They sang songs about periods, the beach, and the mall. Dark Thoughts came out afterwards. It's funny because since I've been going to lots of shows and events I am constantly seeing members of Dark Thoughts at different venues and bars. One guy got out of hand during their set and slammed into me, sending me almost two feet backwards. I stood my ground and shook it off. We were mad because we had to move away from our front spots since he was causing such chaos. All of a sudden the band stopped their song, called him out, saying he was not the main focus of the show and that everyone should be able to enjoy their set. He eventually stood over towards the side. I thought that was really cool of the band. When DT's set was over, I think the guy apologized as the band packed up. 
 
Sheer Mag was fantastic as always. It didn't get too out of hand in terms of the crowd and everyone had a great time. My new favorite song of theirs is "Fan the Flame." Not only is Tina an amazing front-woman with total command, seeing the guys all play guitar together is a lot of fun. Recently they just made an appearance on Seth Meyers, so way to go Sheer Mag! I'm sure I will catch them many more times in Philly. 

.cate le bon

Cate Le Bon is wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! I am a new fan and have become obsessed with her songs. I would describe her music as quirky, weird, and easily sing-able (word?) A few weekends ago I held off purchasing Crab Day because the record store wanted an astronomical $30 for the lp! Instead I got it at the merch table for $20. Honestly I should've bought her earlier albums but my funds were tight that week. In terms of the show, the opening band weren't really my thing and I was anxiously awaiting for Cate. She wore a golden brown shirt, high waist pants (dig her choppy, frayed haircut) with a really cool necklace. With the lighting and the color of her attire she seemed to glow the entire show. Her guitar playing skills were really stellar. I tell you what she is even better live if you can believe it! Some of the songs she put an interesting spin on. Her banter was hysterical in between songs. She managed to break not one but two guitar strings on two different guitars! During the second break she told us all to "turn around" while she fixed the problem. We all laughed. Towards the end she resorted to a third and final guitar. It was amusing. The set was written on a paper plate which my friend P grabbed at the end of the show. I jokingly titled it on Instagram "Plate le Song(s)" which my dorky self thought was witty. Here you go. Definitely check her out. She was immensely enjoyable. I was glad to hear "Wonderful" "Wrong Day" "Are You With Me Now" and "What's Not Mine."  

.santigold

Donmonique

It was a cold, rainy night to kick off the beginning of May. However, that didn't dampen my spirits for Santigold! The opening act was Donmonique from NY who had some pretty fresh beats. The girls in the back were feeling the energy of the crowd. One guy to my left was really into it and Donmonique handed him her blunt! It was hilarious! He kept chanting "Yasss!" the entire night so I'll just refer to him as the "Yasss Qween" guy throughout this post.  He also kept calling Santigold, Santilegend which she found very amusing "I like my new nickname!" Dead.

This photo made it on TLA's instagram page!

To back track a bit, I got into Santigold a few summers ago. When Orange is the New Black came out, they created a playlist on Spotify called "Piper's Playlist." I must say there were some really great songs selected. One of them was Santigold's "This Isn't Our Parade." Hooked. Plus I know I've heard some of their earlier songs before. My friend recently introduced me to the duet with her and Karen O on the song "Go." From the looks of the new album I knew it would be an interesting show nonetheless.

 

At first, Santigold's two back-up dancers came out with bags of Cheetos, sitting propped up on inflatable chairs. Then Santigold came out in a blazer and ripped into "You'll Find a Way." The props used throughout were great! Everything from selfie-sticks, shopping carts, and circular rotation wheels when you stand on it, it spins you around slowly like you're on display. The outfit changes all went with the theme of 99cents. Before she kicked into "Creator" she pointed at all of us in the front, claimed we looked like fun and to come up on the stage. My friend was sick so I felt awkward going up alone! If she was there we would've been rocking out front and center. Of course "Yasss Qween" guy was front and center. It totally made his night to be singing along to all the lyrics and next to Santigold. No one on stage took obnoxious pictures with their phones, they all danced the entire time. She had bubbles on stage towards the end of her set. "Yasss Qween" guy's voice was so hoarse by the end of the night he could barely talk. I hope I see him at more future shows. My friend claims he is my spirit animal. Overall it was a very unique show and to see it all in such a small venue! I know she played in bigger venues but I don't feel you'd get the same effect. The girls next to me got the set list and I was happy because they've been fans longer than I have and it was their first time as well seeing her...

YOU'LL FIND A WAY
L.E.S. ARTISTES
BIG BOSS
BANSHEE
LIGHTS OUT
SAY AHA
UNSTOPPABLE
FREAK LIKE ME
RENDEZVOUS GIRL
WHO BE LOVIN' ME
CHASING SHADOWS
DISPARATE YOUTH
CREATOR
GO 
ALL I GOT
WHO I THOUGHT YOU WERE
BROOKLYN
SHOVE IT
CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF MYSELF

ENCORE:
HOLD THE LINE
BIG MOUTH

.frankie cosmos

Frankie Cosmos is on tour kicking off the release of her brilliant new album "Next Thing." Yowler (Maryn Jones), and Eskimeux joined her at the First Unitarian Chruch the last weekend in April. Boy, what a show! Yowler came out first and I was amazed at her adept guitar playing skills. She played a really beautiful song (I call it "Sunset in August" because I don't know the actual title) with Felix and Gabby helping her sing. It was one of my favorite parts of the show. Eskimeaux was really fantastic and I enjoyed all of the songs. It was so fun to watch Felix bang away on those drums. His one drum is composed of patchwork quilted pieces. That's pretty rad.

When Greta came out it was a sing-along practically. She had the entire audience in the palm of her hand. I loved her purple guitar. Towards the end of the show she pulled a Carrie Brownstein and sang on the floor, back flat. Guess she was pooped from all the touring! When the show was over, my friends and I made our way to the merch table. Yowler only had tee shirts left. We were super bummed because we wanted a cassette tape of her's! I ended up buying "Next Thing" on vinyl. My friends bought a tee shirt from each band. Little did I know Eskimeaux actually had a 7" that was a type of flexi-disc you can mail like a postcard! I'm also kind of bummed I did not pick up a red Eskimeaux tee. Oh well another time. I do not have the set list and have failed trying to find one online. If I do I'll edit and post it. Frankie is doing some NY shows this summer and I would love the chance to see her again. She's so fun.

.julien baker

I bought my tickets for this concert towards the very end of January. It ended up being a sold out show. The thing that made me nervous was the timing of it all (especially on a week day); hauling ass from work to the train station, heading into Penn Station and connecting to the A and finally the J to the Bowery! What a crazy adventure that was! Arriving at the venue maybe an hour before the doors opened was a smart move. About 20th in line I did nab a spot towards the left side of the stage. I must say this show was an excellent line-up of bands / artists. Petal and Phoebe Bridgers, fan of both now. Before Julien Baker came out there was a massive pedal board placed in front of her mic. I mean it was quadruple the size of what I've normally seen. To navigate through all of that?@! Of course the waterworks happened listening to her play the first song. She ended with "Something" before her encore but the song that really knocked it out of the park was "Vessels." There was something so beautiful about how she plucked away at those chords, something in my heart reverberated to feeling joy and beauty intertwined. Her first encore "Good News" had Sharon Van Etten join her on stage. Julien also covered an Elliot Smith song.

After the show I hung out for a little bit. At the merch table all of her vinyl sold out for the past 2 weeks so a CD had to suffice. I ended up going back to the merch table to pick up another copy. Bob Boilen's book talk was a few days later and I was hoping to meet Carrie Brownstein. Wouldn't it be awesome to give her a copy of Julien's cd? I know she would LOVE her music. A few minutes later Julien came out. She was very tiny in person but seemed grander on stage. I wanted to see if she wouldn't mind signing my cd. I politely waited for her to finish conversations and hugs with friends / fans. My turn came and she graciously accepted. I told her to come to Philly and she said she was there earlier in the year. To this I replied "Damn it! I missed it!" and she told me she'd be back. "I played at Boot and Saddle. I LOOOOOVE Philly! Philly is awesome!" That made my night. On the subway home I watched my video footage as tears almost streamed down my eyes. People probably thought a) I was going through an existential crisis or b) had a very bad day. Actually it's c) "Nooooo....I'm just listening to Julien Baker's music punch me in the heart right now." Here's her set list....

BLACKTOP
SPRAINED ANKLE
VESSELS
EVERYBODY DOES
REJOICE
BALLAD OF BIG NOTHING
FUNERAL PYRE
BRITTLE BONED
SOMETHING

ENCORE:
GOOD NEWS
GO HOME

.peter murphy

Okay so I know very little about Peter Murphy. I know he was in Bauhaus since my friend taped me "She's in Parties" during my college years. I love the movie Box of Moonlight since Peter Murphy's "Cut You Up" is played during a really great scene. /end knowledge of Peter Murphy. Basically I attended the concert because my friend Nicole has ferocious love for PM and her friend couldn't make it. 

The one thing we were excited about was it being seated. After 6 nights of seeing shows back-to-back, I had a break on Sunday and Monday. Tuesday was this show, therefore I was over-the-moon to sit down. When we went into the room there were no seats. All of a sudden towards the side of the stage a metal barricade was put up but not completely enclosed. There was a small entry way we could squeeze through. The seats were not tagged "VIP" and there was no one guarding the entry. We took it upon ourselves to just sit and it was enjoyable! Neither of us were questioned or kicked out from the area. It was nice to catch Peter Murphy seated and a fantastic side-view from the stage. There were at least 3 times he came over to us (picture below captures this in blue) but we did not get to shake his hand. The best thing about this show (aside from Peter covering Bowie and Iggy) was seeing Nicole actually cry tears! She was completely immersed and in-the-moment. I was really happy for her <3
 
Sadly other people nabbed the set list and poor Nicole was left with the encore portion of the set list. She claimed "This doesn't mean shit to me but whatever! I'll take it!" We also found out from her set list he did not play all of the songs from the encore and did not come out for a third encore. Nicole was like "That fucker! I'm going to talk to him about this." But of course she said it with love. Here's what he played....

CASCADE
THE SECRET
INDIGO EYES
SISTER MIDNIGHT
ALL NIGHT LONG
MARLENE DIETRICH'S FAVOURITE POEM
LUST FOR LIFE
A STRANGE KIND OF LOVE
THE ROSE
KING VOLCANO
KINGDOM'S COMING
SILENT HEDGES
NEVER FALL OUT
GASLIT

ENCORE:
THE BEWLAY BROTHERS
ALL WE EVER WANTED WAS EVERYTHING
THE THREE SHADOWS PT 1
HOLLOW HILLS