Ron Gallo’s performance at the First Unitarian Church was unearthly. The crowd was buzzing as he prepared, as though everyone knew exactly what they were about to feel. Ron himself was stoic when he stepped onto the stage. In fact, he didn’t smile until about a third of the way through his set, in contrast […]
On Friday, October 19th, English indie-rock band The Wombats condensed their extensive catalog of music into a jam-packed hour and a half set at The Fillmore in Philadelphia. Following an explosive opening set by Barns Courtney, lead vocalist and guitarist Murph (Matthew Murphy), drummer Dan Haggis, and bassist Tord Knudsen jumped into “Cheetah Tongue,” off […]
On Thursday night, Wavves and Beach Fossils rocked Union Transfer. By the time I got there, the crowd was already large and buzzing. The band, fronted by Nathan Williams, played a mix of high energy and slower songs from their repertoire of surf rock. They genuinely seemed to have a great time performing and were […]
It felt very full circle to be back at the Fillmore for the Brockhampton show. A little over a year ago, I entered that same complex to cover my first show for WQHS at the Foundry. The performance then? Also Brockhampton. I think it’s a fairly good metaphor for the year they’ve had—moving from the Foundry […]
If anybody else were to do what Courtney Barnett does at her shows, there’s no way it would work nearly as well. Playing primarily from her new album Tell Me How You Really Feel, and adding in her own spins on songs, including drawn out solos and rephrasing lyrics, Courtney mesmerized the crowd at the […]
Sometimes, you can look over at a friend and they give you a face that says, “Wow, this song is really good!” Overcoats had that look on their faces their entire set. Opening for Mitski on her Be The Cowboy Tour, the duo performed a set of stripped-down, minimalist pop songs. Backed by a drummer […]
Gorillaz, more than ever, are an entity. At Wells Fargo Center, the collaborative and elusive nature of the virtual band became more apparent than I had realized, especially as a recent convert to the Church of 2D, Russell, Noodle, and Ace (formerly Murdoc). Damon Albarn, for all intents and purposes the core of the band, […]
If I were a member of a certain secret organization infiltrating the worlds’ government, I would consider hiring illuminati hotties as a house band. First, they came dressed for the job: bandleader Sarah Tudzin sported a white jumpsuit straight out of an OK GO music video, the back displaying the red pyramid also featured on […]
Opening the night for the Growlers’ stop in Union Transfer this September was Surfbort, a punk foursome led by female screamer Dani Miller. Immediately amping up the crowd’s energy, their short set sent fans into a sweaty moshpit. Overflowing with anti-establishment attitudes and a shredding guitar power, Surfbort primed the stage with an aggressive excitement […]
Last Thursday, Blood Orange, the stage name of Dev Hynes, entranced the audience at The Fillmore. Playing a mix of songs from his new release, Negro Swan, and hits from his older albums, Blood Orange created an aura of otherworldliness. Despite the variety in his music, the show felt cohesive: the atmosphere was simultaneously ethereal and […]
