Tag Archive for show

Violent Society, Blanks 77, Combat Crisis (Live In Trenton 4/20/13)

/ April 23, 2013 / No comments

This past Saturday, I headed to my old home state of NJ to catch a bunch of damn good street punk bands that do not play anywhere near often enough.  The show was at Joe’s Mill Hill Saloon, which was this small little dive with a stage in it’s intimate basement, making it feel like any other house show (but with better bathrooms).

Everything about the show reeked of Philly: almost all the bands (minus Blanks 77) and the crowd came out from Philly to party.  I unfortunately missed most of the openers due to traffic, but I got there at the end of Dopestroke’s set, which definitely had people dancing throughout.

Combat Crisis


The first band I was able to catch in it’s entirety was Combat Crisis, the Philly street punk band who’ve made quite a name for themselves.  Combat Crisis had people singing along and sporadic pits throughout their energetic and fun set.  Female fronted punk rock, definitely check them out if you get a chance.

Blanks 77

NJ’s finest party pogo punks, it’s rare for them to play a show these days, so I try to make sure to catch Blanks 77 whenever they come around.  It seemed like the majority of people there were for Blanks 77, and fairly so… these guys (and gal) have been inspiring pogo pits and sing-alongs since 1990.  Us in the crowd were in a frenzy from the opening note, and didn’t really let up for the majority of the show.

Apparently the band is working on some new material as well, which would be pretty damn sweet since their last full length came out in 1998.

Highlights:
I Don’t Wanna Be
Up The System
I Wanna Be A Punk
We Are The Punks
Radio Hits
Void (I think they played this one)
Losing My Brain
Party Train

I missed The Heels because I had to go grab some food (and from the sound of it, I regret missing them), but made it back in perfect time for the other reason I came to the show… Violent Society.

Violent Society:

Violent Society is another band that plays incredibly infrequently these days, and they always put on a damn good show as well.  Some of the crowd thinned after Blanks 77 and The Heels, but there was still a sizeable amount fixed in the basement to see the Philly street punk legends.

Singalongs abound, Violent Society played a bunch from all of their releases… including closing with one of my personal favorites “You’re Gonna Fall”.  Definitely a good time, it made me realize I don’t go to nearly enough street punk shows anymore.

Setlist:
Philly Shreds
I Wanna Know
It’s Only Your Life
Can’t Stop You
Sick Sick Sick
Fashion Song
Behind The Bullshit
Rise Of Punk
Call Me
Coming Back For You
Totally Fucked
We Don’t Believe
Consumed
Violated
The Problem
Alone
Time Of Distraught
Piss On You
Culture Magnet
In Crowd
Why Do You Deny
Mr Suit
Sarges Last Stand
You’re Gonna Fall

MP3:
Violent Society – I Wanna Know
Blanks 77 – Radio Hits

More Punk Rock:
The Unseen – Lower Class Crucifixion
The Virus – Nowhere to Hide
Minor Disturbance – Bullet For You

Buy:
Blanks 77
Violent Society

Category: live, music, punk, show, street punk, Uncategorized / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Paint It Black, Joyce Manor, Loma Prieta, Congenital Death, Bad Side Live In Philly (3/31/13)

/ April 3, 2013 / No comments

It’s the fucking Paint It Black record release show!  I’ve been stoked on this show ever since they announced it, and the fact that Philly local hardcore dudes Bad Side and female fronted hardcore band Congenital Death were on the bill were a huuuuge plus.  I headed to the sold out First Unitarian Church, and while hurting a bit (sprained my ankle, didn’t help my cause at World Inferno) I planned on completely losing my shit regardless.

Bad Side:

It didn’t take long for me to completely lose my shit, as Bad Side were the first ones up.  I’ve been listening to their demo ever since they released it back in October, and like Dan Yemin said during PIB’s set: “If you showed up late, you fucked up.”

It was my first time seeing them, and they completely tore shit up with their fast as fuck hardcore.  A few of us easily got a pit going, and stage dives were plentiful.  You need to check them out, period.

Congenital Death:

Another Philly local band, these gal and guys often play with Bad Side, so the same set of us who went off during Bad Side continued the antics up through their set.  Congenital Death play brutal powerviolence hardcore, and are often compared to Punch or Death Rats.  They’ve really seemed to find their sound since the last time I caught them at The Barbary, and I definitely need to check their recorded stuff out.

I wound up missing the majority of Loma Prieta’s set, but I was able to catch most of Joyce Manor.

Joyce Manor:

I know that Joyce Manor is all the rage these days, but admittedly I never got a chance to check them out. They definitely had a lot of energy, and fans were constantly stage diving through out the set.  They played that style of pop-punk that is really big (at least here in Philly) similar to Spraynard or Iron Chic, but personally I’m not really a fan of that noodling guitar punk.  They did put on an energetic set though that even I was able to appreciate.

Paint It Black:

Paint It Black playing two Philly shows in the span of a few months?  Be still my heart.  Throughout the interwebs (or the information super highway as I like to call it), Paint It Black have essentially streamed their entire new Invisible EP through various blogs, and I’ve been seriously listening to it nonstop any time I’m near a computer.  So needless to say, I was fucking stoked to hear these new songs live.

Paint It Black took the stage, and immediately busted out into “Greeting Fellow Insomniacs”, the opening track off of Invisible. The band continued their onslaught of aggressive yet melodic hardcore playing songs from their entire discography, keeping the pauses brief.  We in the crowd were constantly barraging Dan with a bunch of pile-ons,  constant dives, and had a pit going through out their entire set (would you expect anything less from their hometown)?

The band thanked us for coming out to the show even though it’s Easter Sunday, and gave us some background on the new EP.

Incredibly tight setlist, they played everything off of Invisible and a lot of my (and crowd) favorites.

Setlist:
Greetings Fellow Insomniacs
Past Tense, Future Perfect
CVA
Exit Wounds
Props For Ventriloquists
Atticus Fitch
Four Deadly Venoms
D.F.W
Salem
Invisible
Election Day
Head First
Pink Slip
Cannibal
Womb Envy
Memorial Day
Little Fists
The Ledge
Surrender
We Will Not

Mp3:
Bad Side – Demo
Paint It Black – Four Simple Steps to Total Life Satisfaction

You Don’t Know This Song, But I Caught You Trying To Sing Along:
Bad Side – Demo Review
Paint it Black – CVA
The Steal – Bright Grey
Lighten Up – Absolutely Not

Buy:
Paint It Black
Bad Side

Category: hardcore, live, music, punk, show, Uncategorized / Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

World Inferno Friendship Society (Live In Philly 3/30/13))

/ March 31, 2013 / One comment


Last night, I headed to Philly’s own Union Transfer to see cabaret punks The World Inferno Friendship Society.  I missed most of the opening bands, but got there in time to party World Inferno style (slamdancing/waltzing/general rowdiness).  The venue itself was probably at half capacity or so, which made for plenty of dancing room, a nice welcome for once at an Inferno show.

Unlike other punk shows, when you see World Inferno, it’s always just a giant party.  The band took the stage, and is tradition, immediately broke into their call to arms “Tattoos Fade”.  We immediately responded with confetti, streamers, pits abound and stage dives.  Jack and company continued their antics, telling us a few stories about the road (“Boy it’s good to be back in the northeast, where we’re popular.  If you ever want to see us in an intimate environment, come see us in say… Florida.  No one shows up.”), and giving us a little history behind the song “The Brother Of The Mayor Of Bridgewater” (which is about one of the members of R.A.M.B.O).

They played a solid set spanning most of their discography, and played a lot off their latest EP (which I haven’t had a chance to check out but plan to soon).  Fun show, sore as fuck and I still have Paint It Black tonight.

Setlist (From what I remember and not in order):
Tattoos Fade
Politics Of Passing Out
Everybody Come To Rick’s
Thumb Cinema
Addicted To Bad Ideas
A Night In The Woods
I Wouldn’t Want To Live In A World Without Grudges
One For The Witches
Brother Of The Mayor Of Bridgewater
Second Chance Saloon (I think)
Go Faster Think Better
Velocity Of Love
Your Younger Man
Paul Robeson
Pickles And Gin
I Am Sick Of People Being Sick Of My Shit
The Disarming Smile
The Apple Was Eve
Only Anarchists Are Pretty
Zen And The Art Of Breaking Everything In This Room

MP3:
World Inferno Friendship Society – Ladies and Gentlemen Of The Road

All The World Is A Stage (Dive):
World Inferno Friendship Society – The Anarchy And The Ecstasy
World Inferno Friendship Society – Addicted to Bad Ideas
World Inferno Friendship Society – Just The Best Party
World Inferno Friendship Society – Red Eyed Soul
World Inferno Friendship Society – East Coast Super Sound Punk of Today

Buy:
World Inferno

Category: cabaret punk, music, punk / Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

The Queers, Teenage Bottlerocket Live In Philly (2/28/13)

/ March 1, 2013 / No comments

I’ve been waiting for this day for months.  Teenage Bottlerocket and The Queers followed by Philly’s premiere 70s punk/rock and roll party guitar army?  Count me the FUCK in.

I headed out to a sold out Barbary and thanks to lovely Philly traffic missed the majority of the openers Masked Intruders set, but from the little bit I heard, I definitely need to check these masked dudes out.  Solid pop-punk.

Teenage Bottlerocket

I’ve said it many times before on this site and I’ll say it again, Wyoming punks Teenage Bottlerocket are my favorite as far as modern pop-punk goes, and was actually my first post ever on this site back in 2007.  I was lucky enough to catch them at The Barbary last August and the fact they came back so soon was just an added bonus.

The band took the stage to a chainsaw wielding masked man with a TBR sign saying “Freak Out”, and blasted straight into the song.  The crowd sung along every word, and they barely let up their Ramones influenced punk rock.  Playing songs from most of their albums with a heavy focus on their latest Freak Out, the band experienced some on stage difficulties when a guitar cut out, but in true punk rock fashion decided “fuck it” and powered through the set (which didn’t deter us fans at all, who kept shouting along every word and getting a small pit going).

They took the time to give a shoutout/lovingly mock their Wyoming punk scene, saying that DC has enough documentaries, and it’s time to have one on the two bands that play in Wyoming.  One thing I have to say about TBR is that they look like they are legitimately having a blast on stage every time I see them, and not just running through the motions.  That alone is is one of the key components to a good show.

Setlist (From what I remember, pretty complete, not in order)

Freak Out
Headbanger
Cruising For Chicks
Necrocomicon
Maverick
Punk House Of Horror
Mutilate Me
Who Killed Sensei
Skate Or Die
Bigger Than Kiss
Fatso Goes Nutzoid
Stupid Games
Crashing
Bloodbath At Burger King
Bottlerocket
In The Basement
Welcome To The Nuthouse
New Song
Lillington High

The Queers:

The Queers have been around since before a lot of you were even born, and have become one of the most well-known names in pop-punk.  Irreverent, crude, and catchy as all fuck, The Queers definitely tore down The Barbary.

One thing I liked about The Queers was the vast age difference in their fans.  You had some 40 year old dudes there who’ve been listening to them since the 80s and plenty of young-ins who got into their later works.

There was a pretty dedicated pit throughout their set, and while I don’t know all of their albums (believe me, they have a lot), the crowd was singing along, dancing, and crowd surfing throughout their set.

I never got a chance to see them before, so it was good to finally see these New Hampshire punks.

Highlights:
No Tits
Born To Do Dishes
Hi Mom, It’s Me
This Place Sucks
Punk Rock Girls
White Minority (Black Flag Cover)
Teenage Bonehead (I think)
Outta My Skull (I think)
Sheena Is A Punk Rocker (Ramones Cover)

MP3:
The Queers – Little Rich Working Class Oi Boi
Teenage Bottlerocket – Be Stag

I Gotta Strangle That Girl:
The Queers – Beyond The Valley…
Teenage Bottlerocket – Freak Out!
Teenage Bottletrocket – They Came From The Shadows
Teenage Bottlerocket – Another Way

Buy:
The Queers

Teenage Bottlerocket

Category: live, music, pop punk, punk, show / Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Texas Is The Reason Live In Philadelphia (2/16/13)

/ February 18, 2013 / No comments

Texas Is The Reason twice in less than 6 months… am I lucky, or what?  Saturday night I got a chance to see Texas Is The Reason again with some friends, only this time I stayed pretty close to home heading out to Philly’s own Union Transfer.  I missed Title Fight (confession time: I’m not a huge Title Fight fan although I heard their new album is killer… maybe I’ll give them another listen) but made it with plenty of time to see Texas Is The Reason.

Preparing for a night of melancholy post hardcore, TITR took the stage to a sold out crowd and told us about how they were dedicating the set to a kid who was terminally ill and had tickets to the show but sadly passed away hours beforehand (and if you know him, my thoughts go out to you).  They said that his parents informed them that the last song he listened to before he died was “Do You Know Who You Are” and so they opened with the instrumental track.

From there on, the band proceeded to play through most of their incredibly short discography with the majority of us oldsters shouting along every word.  While the show never got that rowdy, we definitely lost our shit to songs like “If It’s Here When We Get Back It’s Ours” and “Back And To The Left” (obviously).

The band played tightly, and threw in a new songs (well… they wrote it years ago).  I’m not sure if this is the last time I will ever see Texas Is The Reason, but I feel lucky enough to just be able to catch them twice now.  Anything other reunion shows are just bonuses at this point.

Setlist (From what I remember and not in order at all):
Do You Know Who You Are?
The Magic Bullet Theory
Johnny On The Spot
If It’s Here When We Get Back, It’s Ours
Nickel Wound
Something To Forget
There’s No Way I Can Talk Myself Out Of This One
Dressing Cold
Blue Boy
The Day’s Refrain
Back And To The Left

Encore:
A Jack With One Eye

MP3:
Texas Is The Reason – If It’s Here When We Get Back, It’s Ours

This Is Only Fun For Me:
Texas Is The Reason – Self Titled EP
Lifetime – Hello Bastards

Buy:
Revelation Records

Donovan was rarely injured, then suddenly he was. That’s an incredibly frustrating feeling.

Category: emo, live, music, post hardcore, show, Uncategorized / Tags: , , , , , ,

Ghostlimb, Plague Dogs, Heavy Medical Live In Philly (1/6/13)

/ January 7, 2013 / No comments

Last night, I headed to Philly’s First Unitarian Church to catch melodic/grind/hardcore dudes Ghostlimb.  Originally, Reign Supreme was supposed to headline but they had to cancel due to a family emergency.  Instead R5 Productions said there would be a secret headliner, who turned out to be John Baizley of Baroness.  Honestly, none of it mattered to me (about Reign Supreme, new headliners, etc) as I was there for one reason only, and that was to see LA’s Ghostlimb shred shit up.

There were only about 30-40 people at the show, so the bands all played on the floor as opposed to the stage (last time I saw that happen at the church was at Armalite years ago).

Heavy Medical

Unfortunately I missed openers Xanax, but made it in time for Philly’s own Heavy Medical.  Heavy Medical consisted of a bassist and a drummer, and played very sludgy punk.  The band blasted through a relatively quick set with the final song adding another guest drummer (from Xanax).

Plague Dogs


I never heard of these Philly dudes before, but they completely tore shit up.  Playing aggressive crusty dbeat similar to Disfear, Plague Dogs played a damn enjoyable set, and definitely won over a new fan last night.  I’m a sucker for some solid dbeat.

Ghostlimb


At this point, it became apparent that the majority of people at the show were there for John Baizley, but I was beyond stoked to see Ghostlimb on what I think was their first Philly show.  As soon as they took the stage floor, I made my way to the very front, and I noticed they won over a few people in the crowd who were rocking the fuck out as well.

For those who don’t know, Ghostlimb is the brainchild of Justin Smith (Graf Orlock, Dangers), and where Graf Orlock is almost like a novelty band (humorous lyrics regarding movies), Ghostlimb tackles social issues often through the lens of history (which is appropriate, with him being a history teacher and all).

Ghostlimb ripped through a damn good set, with a few people singing (shouting?) along (ok… just me and one other dude) and mostly played songs off their latest Confluence, which made my top 10 of 2012.

Once the band was finishing up, I shouted one more song, to which other people joined in.  They said they weren’t the last band and couldn’t, however John Baizley was right up front digging them, and told them to definitely do one more.

I grabbed their setlist, I think it’s written in a lot of their working titles or ways the band knows them as opposed to their actual titles, but here it is as written:

Sacco
Confluence
B.L Metal
Sleep
Sludge
Dog
Two
Deth
Seven
DC
STD 2
STD 1

If anyone knows which songs things are referencing, feel free to tell us in the comments!  (I think I remember them playing Margins, and maaaaaybe Ocean Floor, but I could be making that up).

MP3:
Ghostlimb – Bridge Above The Water

“I’ll have the same unending ache of dissent and disgust”:
Ghostlimb – Bearing and Distance
Dangers – Self Titled EP
Dangers – Anger
Dangers – Demo
Ceremony – Violence Violence
Dangers – Messy, Isn’t It?
Graf Orlock – Destination: Time Today
Graf Orlock – Destination Time Tomorrow

Buy:
Vitriol Records

Category: grindcore, hardcore, live, music, punk, show / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Bouncing Souls, The Casualties, Grey Area Home For The Holidays (Live In Asbury Park 12/28/12)

/ December 30, 2012 / No comments


Ah yes, The Bouncing Souls Home For The Holidays… their (and mine) yearly holiday tradition since 2007 where the Souls play 4 nights in Asbury Park with something special going on each night.  I went on Friday at the Stone Pony, because Grey Area was playing and I fucking love those guys.

Team Vibes:

Team Vibes kicked things off for the festive night, and while I don’t know anything about them, it seemed like a decent amount of people were digging their set.  They played slower, Gaslight Anthem-esque music that I’m actually not too crazy about… but I can see them gaining a decent following by people who are into that.

Grey Area:

Fuck yeah.  Even though I was a little bit sick and still really fucking sore from the Paint It Black house show I went to the night before, I was beyond stoked to see these guys.  Although it was only about 5 people (including myself) two stepping and dancing through out their set, a decent amount of people were shouting along every word.

Ernie and crew took the stage and joked around with the crowd about the H20 show they were at last night, cover songs, and generally keeping it light as Grey Area is known to do.  It was a bit strange seeing them with a barrier up since last show I saw them was at Philly’s intimate Fire, but it was still a damn good time with their Lifetime/Kid Dynamite type of melodic hardcore.

Highlights:
Insomnia
Reminder
Right Now
Before Me
No Guarentees (I think)

BONUS: At the end of the show, I overheard some guy talking about how he never heard of Grey Area before, but how they were easily his favorite band of the night.  Fuck yeah.

The Casualties:

I know it’s not “cool” to like The Casualties after the age of 17 (shit, some say 13) but fuck it, and if you’re one of those holier than thou types, fuck you too… The Casualties are always a fun time.  I didn’t anticipate dancing to the gritty street punk sounds of these NY dudes, but once they played “Get Off My Back” I found myself thrashing around in the a circle pit.

It’s funny how much the pit itself was almost like a history of The Casualties legacy: during the newer songs, you saw some younger kids doing their thing and then the old fucks like myself would come out during their Die Hards and For The Punx songs. Current status of the punx?  Upped.

Highlights:
Get Off My Back
Ugly Bastards
Punk Rock Love
Made In NYC
Riot
Police Brutality (I think)
Tomorrow Belongs To Us

The Bouncing Souls:

The Bouncing Souls?  Those fucking NJ moochers.  Regardless of how I feel about their latest albums, The Bouncing Souls will always and forever be my favorite band. They got me through a lot of shit in life over the past decade and them some years I’ve been listening to them, and regardless of the fact I’ve seen them close to 30-40 times, I always get excited to see them again… especially in NJ.

The band took the stage (surprisingly not to Born To Run, as is holiday tradition) and instantly opened with Manthem… Ahh shit.  This was the song I completely annihilated my arm (2 steel plates and 20 screws) to at their show last year, and I’d be fucking lying if I said I don’t get a little panicky every time it comes on.  Except this time around, I was way to stoked and just lost my shit in the pit which I didn’t leave for the entirety of the show.

The Souls setlist was created by Mike Dirnt of Green Day fame, and he had them play songs off of most of their albums, with a pretty strong emphasis on How I Spent My Summer Vacation.  We were rowdy throughout the entire set (I realize now I didn’t watch them at all as I was in the pit the ENTIRE time).  At one point, the band brought up The Loved Ones who played their song Jane which was pretty sweet.  Great Souls show, no serious injuries (a little black eye ain’t no thang), and I think I’m finally convinced of getting a Bouncing Souls tattoo that I’ve been contemplating for the last 10 years.

Set (From what I remember and not in order):
Manthem
Say Anything
Sing Along Forever (I think)
Toilet Song
East Coast Fuck You
Hopeless Romantic
True Believers
Gone
Quick Check Girl
Ballad Of Johnny X
Sarah Saturday
Lean On Sheena
Better Things
I Like Your Mom
The Guest

MP3:
Bouncing Souls – Low Life
Grey Area – Lucky
The Casualties – Get Off My Back

More:
Bouncing Souls “Worst” Album
Bouncing Souls – The Good The Bad And The Argyle
Bouncing Souls Split Series


Category: live, music, punk, show, Uncategorized / Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Paint It Black Secret Holiday House Show (Live In Philly 12/27/12)

/ December 28, 2012 / No comments

When I saw that Paint It Black was playing a rare show in DC and then NJ this winter but left Philly off the list, I had a hunch that they had something up their sleeves for their hometown.  So when I saw that they announced that they were going to play a secret house show in Philly yesterday, you can imagine how stoked I was.

I headed to West Philly’s Golden Tea House pretty damn early, and the kitchen was already starting to get packed with people.  We love our Paint It Black here in Philly.

Bad Energy:

First up were locals Bad Energy.  These guys (and gal) played a solid set with their blast beat hardcore.  It was a bit hard to hear the vocals (something that was true for the entire show actually), but it’s a house show, so really, who gives a fuck?  A few in the crowd lost their shit, and I’d definitely catch them again.

Attitude Era:

Best band name ever?  Probably.  Attitude Era took the floor next with the singer immediately jumping into the crowd starting a bit of a frenzy.  Think hardcore in the veins of Punch or Coke Bust.  Very short set that was quick and brutal as fuck, just the way hardcore was meant to be played.

Restorations:

Restorations have been making a name for themselves as of late, and these guys were sort of the black sheep of the show with their indie influenced, super melodic punk rock (they were sort of the calm before the Paint It Black storm).  It’s not really my favorite style of punk, but there were plenty of people in the crowd singing along to every word and rocking out.

Paint It Black:

Philly’s own hometown heroes.  There aren’t many bands that reach the success that Paint It Black has, and still play $5 house shows for us.  Last time I saw Paint It Black at a house, it was easily one of the best shows I’ve been to so I was beyond stoked.

The floor was packed, and the second they hit their first note we burst into a frenzy of bumrushing, pile ons, and crowd surfing.  Dan Yemin was throwing himself into the crowd (I’m sure to partially protect the equipment from us maniacs).

At one point, the band wanted to record all of us shouting “GO” so they can put it on their next record they plan on recording this winter “we know it’s cheesy but I really want to do it anyway”.

A damn good show, probably the best surprise holiday gift I’ve gotten this year.

Setlist:
Four Deadly Venoms
The Ledge
Exit Wounds
Atticus Finch
Past Tense, Future Perfect
Pink Slip
Cannibal
C.V.A
White Kids Dying Of Hunger
Election Day
Salem
Womb Envy
This Song Is Short Because It’s Not Political (I think)…
Worms
Memorial Day
We Will Not
The Pharmacist

MP3:
Paint It Black – Memorial Day

Hit The Ground Running, Won’t Slow Down:
Paint It Black – Amnesia
Kid Dynamite, And The Art Of Moshing Everywhere
Lifetime – Hello Bastards

Buy:
Paint It Black

Category: hardcore, live, music, punk, show / Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Bomb The Music Industry, Hop Along, Franz Nicolay (Live In Brooklyn) 12/19/12

/ December 21, 2012 / No comments

This past Wed I got an IM from my good friend up in Brooklyn:

Her: Hey are you still in NY?

Me: No, I’m back in Philly why?

Her: Oh, Bomb The Music Industry is playing with Franz Nicolay.

Me: Oh, well then I obviously should be in NY then.

I instantly bought a ticket on Megabus, and after enduring some traffic on the NJ Turnpike, headed out to Brooklyn’s Public Assembly.  On the way since Bomb The Music Industry (like Wu-Tang) is for the children and the show was a toy drive, we made a pit stop to pick up a Spongebob Squarepants musical instrument set (and I’m not going to lie, it was tempting to keep).  The show was running a bit late, and for the first time in what feels like forever, I was waiting in line for a show.

Franz Nicolay:

I haven’t seen Franz since 2010 at the Kung Fu Necktie in Philadelphia, and I was excited to see him again.  Franz joked and claimed that no one was there to see him, but the crowd was incredibly lively clapping along to all of his songs.  It wasn’t just his usual solo act though, this time around he brought along someone else who helped switch off instruments with him (we heard the accordion, banjo, and guitar) and provided female vocals on most of the songs.

A decent amount of the songs were off his latest album Do The Struggle which I have yet had a chance to check out, but he was able to sneak in a few older ones, including my favorites Jeff Penalty and The Ballad Of Hollis Wadsworth Mason, Jr (my request for Dead Sailors was denied… awww…)

Hop Along:



I never heard of Hop Along before, but they came highly recommended from some friends and apparently they are from my city of Philly.  The band played punk influenced indie rock, with female vox. Hop Along played some catchy tunes, with the singer’s voice fluctuating from a Laura Stevenson crisp to a Joan Jett like raspy growl.  It was pretty awesome actually.

I couldn’t tell you what songs the band played, but it was an enjoyable set that will probably have me checking out some of their recorded work.

Bomb The Music Industry:

It’s been a whole two weeks since I’ve seen BTMI play what I thought would be the last time I’d get to see them (I’m still skeptical about this breakup) and I gotta say, I think this hometown Brooklyn show blew Philly’s out of the water.

The crowd was dancing harder, the band playing faster and heavier, and all around a rowdier time.  Microphones and equipment were broken, which reminded me a bit of when I used to see Arrogant Sons of Bitches waaaay back in the day (yup, officially an old person now).

The band played songs spanning from all their albums, and we were treated with multiple renditions of Amazing Grace (in ode to somebody in the crowd who lost their glasses).  Stage dives and pits abound, Jeff and company jumped into the crowd themselves a few times.  Easily one of the best Bomb shows I’ve ever been to, and I’ve seen them a bunch.  Oh and they closed with Blow Your Brains Out, which I lost my shit to…

Setlist (From what I remember and not in order…)

Pizza Claus Is Coming To Town
Campaign For a Better Next Weekend
The First Time I Met Sanawon
Fresh Attitude, Young Body
Vocal Coach
Everybody That You Love
25!
Bike Test 1 2 3
Stand There Until You’re Sober
Big Plans Of Sleeping In
Hurricane Waves
Side Projects Are Never Successful
I Don’t Love You Anymore

Encore:
Blow Your Brains On Live TV

MP3:
Bomb the Music Industry – The First Time I Met Sanawon

You All Used To Be Just Like Me, You Fuckers Used To Be Just Like Me:
Bomb The Music Industry – Vacation
Scenester 101: How to Be a 3rd Wave Ska Dork
Bomb The Music Industry – Adults!!! Smart!!! Shithammered!!! And Excited By Nothing
Bomb the Music Industry – Scrambles
Arrogant Sons Of Bitches – Discography

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Category: live, music, punk, show, ska / Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Bomb The Music Industry, Laura Stevenson and The Cans Live In Philly (12/2/12)

/ December 3, 2012 / No comments

It’s been a little while since I’ve been to a show.  I didn’t go at all in the month of November and I’m pretty sure the last one I went to was Texas Is The Reason up in NYC.  So needless to say, I was pretty excited to catch Bomb The Music Industry once again in the First Unitarian Church.

Laura Stevenson And The Cans:

I was running late and missed most of the openers, but made it in time to catch Laura Stevenson and The Cans full set.  I’ve heard the name before and didn’t really know anything about them, but just from the name alone I figured they were a folky indie band (Arrah and The Ferns, Florence and The Machines, etc…).  Turns out I was spot on.

I’m not really a big fan of the genre as a whole, and I probably wouldn’t throw it on my stereo in my spare time, but I have to give credit where credit is due.  Laura Stevenson and The Cans played an enjoyable set with catchy tunes, and I have to say… she straight up has a beautiful voice.

Fun fact: Laura Stevenson actually used to be the keyboardist for BTMI, and also does the vocals on “All Ages Show”.

Bomb The Music Industry:

I’ve been a fan of Bomb The Music Industry ever since the demise of Arrogant Sons of Bitches, and have seen them a countless amount of times over the years.  They are easily one of the most DIY bands out there, and you know that whole “pay what you want for the album” that’s so popular today?  Yeah, Jeff from BTMI spearheaded that.

Supposedly this was the last Philly Bomb The Music Industry show (although I have my serious doubts about that) and so I wasn’t sure what to expect.  Turns out it was a typical fun BTMI show with all of the false starts, banter onstage and all the other antics .

The band opened up with a surprisingly slower number (“Wednesday Night Drinkball” if I remember correctly), but quickly picked it up with “First Time I Met Sanawon” which had the smallish crowd dancing, stage diving, and singing along for the rest of the set.

BTMI played through a decently long set playing songs from all of their releases, with the majority coming from their latest Vacation.  I know they claim it’ll be their last tour, but I think Jeff will definitely be back in Philly with BTMI, whether it’s the full band or just his iPod.

Setlist From What I Remember (Not In Order)
Wednesday Night Drinkball
The First Time I Met Sanawon
Everybody That You Love
Vocal Coach
New Song
All Ages Shows
Pizza Clause Is Coming To Town (I think)
Even Winning Feels Bad
I Don’t Love You Anymore
Saddr, Weirdr
The Shit That You Hate
Hurricane Waves
Felt Just Like Vacation
25!
Congratulations John, On Joining Every Time I Die
It Shits!!!
Syke! Life Is Awesome!
Future 86

MP3:
Bomb the Music Industry – The First Time I Met Sanawon

“Go To Work, Pay Your Bills, Eat A Dick”
Bomb The Music Industry – Vacation
Scenester 101: How to Be a 3rd Wave Ska Dork
Bomb The Music Industry – Adults!!! Smart!!! Shithammered!!! And Excited By Nothing
Bomb the Music Industry – Scrambles
Arrogant Sons Of Bitches – Discography

Buy:
Quote Unquote

Category: live, music, punk, show, ska / Tags: , , , , , , , ,
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