Photo by Shervin Lainez
An immensely gifted singer, songwriter Adrien Reju has almost reached her goal on PledgeMusic that will help her fund the release of her new album. If you want to learn more about Reju’s campaign go here. Please do so soon because there are only 3 days left (probably more like 2 days at this point). And remember part of the money raised will go to Art Start.
Please check out Birdie Busch’s campaign too.
Hezekiah Jones at World Cafe Live (7/13/12)
If you wanted to see a great show you should have been at World Cafe Live (downstairs) this past Friday.
Griz (Chris Grunwald and band) was the opening act. Grunwald and fellow bandmates filled the venue with infectious reggae-esque/pop/folk style music. The set included material from The Secret In The Garden – Griz’s current release. For most of the audience, Griz’s set provided the perfect warm-up to a night full of dancing.
Cheers Elephant continued with the dance vibe. Wow, that band had so much energy that their performance was somewhat unreal. Cheers Elephant has some good songwriting and I definitely need to check out some of their releases. At this point, I only know Cheers Elephant for their live sound (which I love) but I need to invest some time on their recorded material to become a true fan.
The honor of closing the show went to Hezekiah Jones (Raphael Cutrufello and the Jones Family). I really enjoyed this performance because I got to hear Hezekiah Jones live with piano and a horn section. Yes, it was an incredible performance. It was nice that Griz (Chris Grunwald) joined Hezekiah Jones on “Put On Your Light” and a couple other songs. Also, the drum section of Cheers Elephant helped out with some very intense drumming on a tune as well. The set ended then the crowed demanded an encore and a small group of Jones performed a short encore. Sorry, I didn’t take any notes during the show and memories fade so I have forgotten some of those intricate details but I do remember walking away from that show smiling and whistling as I walked down Walnut Street.
WONDERFUL.
Upcoming Shows:
Hezekiah Jones
Jul 26: World Cafe Live at The Queen (Wilmington, DE)
Aug 1: Upfront & Company (Marquette, MI)
Cheers Elephant
Jul 26: McGann’s (Boston, MA)
Jul 27 – Jul 29: Caravan (Belgrade Lakes, ME)
Griz
Aug 03: Brandywine Polo Club (Toughkenamon, PA)
Aug 18: Philadelphia Folk Festival (Schwenksville, PA)
When I heard that Foxhound was going to play at Milkboy Coffee (Ardmore, PA) I knew I had to be there. And when I found out Toy Soldiers, Up The Chain, and Reverend TJ McGlinchey were on the bill too – my Saturday night plans were decided.
Foxhound is the collaborative duo of Chris Kasper and Kiley Ryan who create and play music that is of the folk, country, and Americana end of the musical spectrum. Oh my, Kasper and Ryan sound so good as a duo. I’ve always been a fan of Chris Kasper’s music because he is such a phenomenal singer-songwriter. I’m so glad that in Foxhound we finally get to see Kiley Ryan take the spotlight and she shines so brilliantly in it. Ryan has a wonderfully precious voice that your ears will adore and she is quite the songwriter too. I’m so excited to see where Foxhound goes from here because Saturday’s performance was great.
Next on the bill was Toy Soldiers – another one of my favorites. If I had to pick my two favorite things about Toy Soldiers they would be: great music and unreal energy. Which are two things we definitely got to experience on Saturday so I was pleased.
The show went on with a set by Up The Chain and closed with a set by Reverend TJ McGlinchey band. Now, I know I’ve seen both of these artists in the past and I’ve heard their music but I’m not sure if I was listening. Well, I know for a fact that I was listening to their music on Saturday night and I really liked what I heard. So, Up The Chain and Reverend TJ McGlinchey, I’m letting you know now — I’m all ears.
Sometimes I wonder how I could be so lucky to have seen so many great shows. Wow!
2012 Pastorius Park Summer Concerts
Wednesdays – 7:30pm
FREE | ALL AGES
Pastorius Park
Lincoln Dr, and Abington Ave., Philadelphia, PA
Chestnut Hill
Lineup:
June 13 – Sharon Katz & The Peace Train
June 20 – Toy Soldiers
June 27 – Hezekiah Jones
July 11 – The Venissa Santi Quartet
July 18 – Runa
July 25 – Hot Club of Philadelphia
August 1 – The Dukes of Destiny
Presented by: Chestnut Hill Community Association (CHCA)
Recently I was made aware of my lack of representation of the Philly band, Toy Soldiers, on this blog. Well, the truth is that I’ve been a fan of Toy Soldiers since I first heard “When I Tripped Into You” a while ago. That is such an attention grabbing song that makes you realize – man, this band is really something special. Unfortunately I guess I haven’t been a good fan about keeping up with their music. Sorry, guys, I didn’t mean any disrespect. Anyway, I think we could all benefit by listening to more Toy Soldiers.
By the way, if you’re a live music junkie like me you might want to check out this show:
Toy Soldiers
World Cafe Live
Philadelphia, PA
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Doors 7pm | Show 8pm | Downstairs Live
Tickets
Saturday night was the second night of the Second Annual Sundrop Music & Arts Fest at The Fire. The only artists I was interested in seeing were Illinois and Former Belle. Even still, I wanted to check out all the bands on the bill.
DRGN KING was the first act I saw so I must have missed Killer Whale feat. Ang Bocca set. I haven’t seen that band before, have you? DRGN KING is a three member all out rock band. Those guys have a lot of energy and did a nice cover of Harvey Danger’s “Flagpole Sitta”.
This time it was a solo performance by Former Belle. Wow, the music was super sad but I still admire the artistry. Oh my, I was totally getting a Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes) vibe from Bruno Joseph’s voice and musical style – NICE!
City Rain – that band/duo is exploding with pure energy and has absolute fun creating their techo/electronic/rock sound on stage. I didn’t need to dance around like most of the crowd was I had so much fun just witnessing it all. By the way, I’ve never heard The Killers “Read My Mind” covered like that – those City Rain guys are quite creative.
Juston Stens & The Get Real Gang is a new band to me but I really, really, really enjoyed their set Saturday night. Sometimes it’s hard to win me over based on first impressions but I definitely wouldn’t mind seeing Juston Stens & The Get Real Gang again. And yet another great cover for the night was Juston Stens & The Get Real Gang covering “Let Me Roll It” by Paul McCartney.
Illinois had the task (at that time of morning it not really an honor – hehe) of playing the final set of the night. Once Illinois got their momentum going they were unstoppable. I LOVE ILLINOIS — their music is too good. I liked hearing “Nosebleed” featuring Mighty FlipSide Esq. Awesome!
Honestly, it was such a great night of music that I wish all shows were this good.
Another Friday night and I really needed some live music in my life. So, I decided to check out the show at Dawson Street Pub. Considering the fact that Pawnshop Roses, Pete Donnelly, and Zach Djanikian were on the bill I had no doubt that I was in for a good show. Zach Djanikian opened the show solo then was joined by a band. I really like Djanikian’s music and it’s always nice to see a live set but where is the recorded material? Really!?! Pete Donnelly and band were next and I must say that I enjoy Donnelly’s music more and more with each performance. Yes, “Can’t Talk At All” (YouTube) is a very catchy tune and I like it. Which reminds me, maybe I should review Donnelly’s newest album ‘When You Come Home’ sometime in the near future. Pawnshop Roses played last and they provided the perfect rock-n-roll ending to an already great show. Oh my, Paul Keen is a very entertaining frontman and I love it. Kevin Bentley had some sweet guitar solos. And Justin, Mike, and Zil are quite talented musicians too. All in all, it was a great show and if not for my music addiction you would never catch this wallflower out at so many shows.
Music — too much is not enough.
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Our Griffins Conversations (November 2011) Track List: 1. Conversations 2. Elenore 3. Nothing’s Going Wrong 4. He Knows The Stories 5. I’m On Top Of It |
Conversations is the debut EP by Our Griffins, the musical project of singer-songwriter DJ Brown. Oh my, it’s such a wonderful, cherished listening experience.
Conversations is an excellent EP comprised of quality music. And after listening to this EP countless times this is what I took away from it. DJ Brown is a great songwriter, very impressive, and I look forward to hearing a lot more from him. Also, Brown’s voice is mesmerizingly-good, amazing, and haunting in a beautiful and brilliant way. I truly enjoy all the songs on Conversations but “Elenore” (video) and “I’m On Top Of It” are my favorites. Oh well, maybe I’m a sucker for ballad-esque, honest, sentimental sounding songs. Really, I’m just addicted to good music and Conversations is good music.
So, if you’re searching for some good music then I highly recommend Conversations by Our Griffins.
[LISTEN] “I’m On Top Of It” from Conversations by Our Griffins
Upcoming Show: Carsie Blanton with Our Griffins — Friday, May 25, 2012 at 8:00pm at Steel City Coffee House (Phoenixville, PA) | Tickets: $12 advance/$15 day of show | More info here.
Our Griffins: Facebook | Bandcamp | Vimeo
Friday night Chris Kasper performed at World Cafe Live (downstairs) opening for ALO (Animal Liberation Orchestra). Kasper is currently on tour with ALO. His touring band consists of Daniel Bower (drums, vocals) and Will Wright (bass, vocals). But for Friday night’s show, the hometown show, there were a few special guest musicians added. Chris Kasper was also joined by Andrew Keenan (pedal steel, guitar), Jaron Olevsky (keys, accordion), and Kiley Ryan (vocals). I’ve seen plenty of Chris Kasper performances and Friday night’s set was my favorite to date. It had everything: a setlist with songs spanning the entire Flying Boy Trilogy, killer musicianship, an overwhelming beautiful vibe, and some incredible musical moments. Kasper and band even did a nice tribute to Adam Yauch (MCA) by performing the Beastie Boys’ “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)” that had a phenomenal folk rock feel. It’s performances like this that keep me coming back show after show.
To be honest, the only thing I know about ALO is their song “Barbeque” that I first heard on WXPN several years ago. Now don’t get me wrong, I really liked that song but I never took the time to get to know any more music by ALO. So, I entered Friday’s show with an open mind and open ears. WELL, now I must confess that ALO really knows how to jam. Oh my, it was such a fun vibe during their set. After playing for about an hour ALO took a 15 minute break and would return for their second set. Sadly, I had not prepared myself for that much fun and I was far too tired to stay but I did witness one fine set by ALO. By the way, ALO, you might want to tone-down your stage backdrop because it’s so amazingly radiant that it’s mesmerizing.
ALO: Website | Facebook| Twitter
Chris Kasper: Website | Facebook | Twitter
More ALO with Chris Kasper tour dates can be found here.
More photos: here.
This past Saturday night I got to see The Doublewides (an extremely fun band) at Milkboy Philly as part of The Roddies cd release show. I always have a good time when I see The Doublewides live. Come on, what other band has such creative songwriting that would incorporate laptops & hot sauce, jetpacks, or a Philly anthem that gives props to Manayunk, Roxborough, East Falls, and Mount Airy. Plus, their momentary synchronized choreography is a real treat. But what I find most impressive about The Doublewides’ music is their musicianship which creates those face-melting jams.
Also, on the bill was The Roddies who were celebrating their cd release. Saturday night everyone got a free copy of The Roddies’ new album, Great Horned Owls, with admission. I enjoyed their performance and I’ll have to give their new album a listen.
Yes, I finally got to see Railroad Fever live! Before Saturday night I only knew Railroad Fever from their album, Things You Lost. I liked that album so much that I took the time to review it and you can read that review here. Anyway, I’m glad that Railroad Fever’s performance only made me even more of a fan of their music. Aww, I got to hear “Saint Dorothy’s Shame” – that’s my jam!
I didn’t make it to Milkboy Philly in time to catch Dan Collins or Katie Barbato’s sets for reasons out of my control – trying to find decent parking in the city.
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