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Reviews

Live Review: John Francis Band, Octopus Jones, Ross Bellenoit, James Klueh at Dawson Street Pub (1/3)

January 5, 2012 – 12:32 am

DawsonSt

Dawson Street Pub holds some great musical memories for me so I’m always up for hanging out there.  Plus, this particular Tuesday night’s music was a bill including John Francis Band and Ross Bellenoit, both of whose music I’m familiar with.  As for, Octopus Jones and James Klueh, it never hurts to check out new music.

I’ll blame it on the cold winter weather for why I was running late and missed all but the last song of James Klueh’s set.  Klueh was playing a solo set but it’s not wise or fair to comment on a performance based on one song that was distorted by the cacophonic tone in the pub at that moment.  So, maybe I’ll catch a full set by Klueh at some point.

For years I’ve only knew Ross Bellenoit as an integral musician in several of my favorite bands from the Philly area.  Then I became aware of Bellenoit as a singer-songwriter.  So, whether it’s integral musician Bellenoit or singer-songwriter Bellenoit, Ross is very skilled.  And it’s always a treat to hear Bellenoit play a solo acoustic set.  Hey, Ross, I definitely appreciate hearing the new material – thank you!

Octopus Jones is a five member band from South Carolina with a very diverse sound.  I don’t know how to begin to describe their sound other than to say that it’s good music.  At the beginning of Octopus Jones set I had no idea what to expect but by the end of their set they had just made at least one more fan from their performance.  Octopus Jones is a very energetic band that made a great first impression.  By the way, Octopus Jones’ cover of Tear For Fears’ “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” was fantastic.  NICE!

John Francis Band (John Francis, Ross Bellenoit, Freddie Berman, and Phil D’Agostino) had the final set of the night.  Prior to last night I had not seen John Francis live before but I’m very familiar with his album ‘Better Angels’ because it’s one of my favorites.  Anyway, no surprise that John Francis Band played an incredible set last night at Dawson Street Pub.  It was nice to hear Francis’ folk, country, Americana blend of music live – it made my ears smile.  Plus, the stories that accompany some of Francis’ songs are so entertaining and added a great vibe to the performance.  Even though it was getting late and I was getting tired I knew that I couldn’t leave before John Francis’ set was over or else I would regret it.  And I’m so glad that I stayed until the end because I heard a lovely cover of John Prine’s “Angel From Montgomery” – I love that song.

Tuesday nights can be fairly dull so I must thank: Russ, The Blinkin Lincoln, Dawson Street Pub, John Francis Band, Octopus Jones, Ross Bellenoit, and James Klueh for a great night of music.

 

Upcoming Shows:
John Francis
1/08/2012 – Sellersville Theatre (Sellersville, PA) Opening for Buffy Sainte-Marie
1/14/2012 – Pete’s Candy Store (New York, NY)

Ross Bellenoit
1/10/2012 – The Fire (Philadelphia, PA)
1/21/2012 – World Cafe Live [upstairs] (Philadelphia, PA)

Octopus Jones
1/05/201 – Martin’s Downtown (Roanoke, VA)
1/07/2012 – L.A.B. (Asheville, NC)

James Klueh
>>>>> TBA >>>>>

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Reviews

Live Review: Cheers Elephant, Illinois, Hollis Brown at Johnny Brenda’s (12/29/2011)

December 31, 2011 – 12:29 am

Illinois 12292011

In my younger years I used to get to shows too early and had to wait around for the opening band which was a good thing because I picked up some favorite bands in the process.  Well, of late, I’ve been rather late to shows and end up missing most of the opening act.  I apologize, as a music enthusiast I should know how to schedule my time better.  That being said, I did miss all but the last 30 seconds of Hollis Brown’s set.  I’ve never seen that band before so I would have at least liked to have seen their set.  Hopefully, we’ll cross musical paths sometime in the future.

I did of course make it to Johnny Brenda’s (Philadelphia, PA) in time to see Illinois.  After all, Illinois is one of my favorite bands and for good reason – their live shows are always incredible.  I’ve seen Illinois countless times since 2005 and I don’t recall every seeing a bad performance by them.  So, if Illinois is playing a show in the area then I always try my best to make sure I’m there.  I admire and respect the effort and passion that Illinois put into their music which makes their music sound so good.  By the way, great news, Illinois is going to release a new album soon so keep an ear out for that.

Cheers Elephant was the headlining band for this show.  Although I haven’t seen Cheers Elephant in ages it was nice to see that they had not lost an ounce of their on stage dancing, energy, and antics.  Man, that is one hyper band and that’s exciting when it comes to live performances.  So, it was great to see Cheers Elephant again and their performance made it quite apparent that I really need to see this band more often.

Illinois at Johnny Brenda
Illinois at Johnny Brenda
Illinois at Johnny Brenda
Illinois at Johnny Brenda
Illinois at Johnny Brenda
Illinois at Johnny Brenda
Illinois at Johnny Brenda

See the entire photo set here.

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Reviews

Live Review: WXPN Welcomes Chris Kasper CD Release Show at World Cafe Live (11/4)

November 6, 2011 – 8:41 pm

Chris Kasper - Nov 4, 2011

Chris Kasper played to a sold out crowd at World Cafe Live (Philadelphia, PA) for ‘The First Hundred Years Are The Hardest’ CD Release Show and it was incredible.  The live version of these songs sounded so unbelievably good that I could not imagine anyone walking away from that show Friday night disappointed.  On stage along with Chris Kasper (vocals, guitar) was Andy Keenan (guitar, banjo), Phil D’Agostino (bass), Kevin Killen (drums), and Jaron Olevsky (keys).  Kiley Ryan and Adrien Reju also joined in on backing vocals for a few songs.  I definitely have some great memories from this amazing show.

Earlier in the evening there was a set by Adrien Reju.  Reju had the honor of opening the show and she played a lovely set accompanied by Jaron Olevsky on keys.  Reju played several new songs and I hope that there is a new album in the works.  To put it plain and simple – Adrien Reju is a great songwriter with a wonderful voice.  It was nice to see Olevsky on keys again (he’s a part of Reju’s band from time to time) because his playing is impressive.  Adrien Reju’s set was followed by a set by Vandaveer.  I apologize for not really paying much attention to Vandaveer’s music.  At that point in the show my mind was too occupied with thoughts of “when is Chris Kasper going to play?”

Chris Kasper - Nov 4, 2011

Upcoming Shows:
11/12/11 – Chris Kasper at Rockwood Music Hall (NYC)
11/19/11 – Vandaveer at Rams Head Tavern (Annapolis, MD)
11/19/11 – Vandaveer at The Red Place (Washington, DC)

 

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Reviews

Live Review: Philly Sings Philly – Tuesday Residency at The Fire (11/1)

November 2, 2011 – 3:43 pm

Philly Sings Philly 2011

In its second year, Philly Sings Philly returns to The Fire every Tuesday night in November.  Philly Sings Philly is about contemporary Philly artists covering songs by other Philly artist.  So, it’s not solely a bunch of Philly musicians covering songs written by the artists in that same bunch of Philly musicians – those artists involved actually get quite creative.  As long as it is Philly music then you might hear it covered on any given Tuesday night at The Fire during Philly Sings Philly.  It’s that “anything is possible” vibe that makes Philly Sings Philly so much fun and an event that you owe yourself to experience.

Last night was the opening night of Philly Sings Philly and it was great.  Ron Gallo opened the show and Ryan Tennis & The Clubhouse Band closed the show – with Sean Hoots, The Spinning Leaves, Suzie Brown, A Fistful of Sugar, Kiley Ryan and more playing as well.  Some of the highlights from last night include: The Spinning Leaves covering Chubby Checker’s “Limbo Rock” with a limbo contest, Brad Hinton Band with a very rocked out version of “Albert Hash” by Hezekiah Jones, A Fistful of Sugar’s take on Boyz II Men was very entertaining, and Kiley Ryan’s cover of Chris Kasper’s (The Lowlands) “To The Other Side” was beautiful.  All of that is only a very small portion of last’s night’s great show.

Thank you to Brad Hinton for organizing the Philly Sings Philly residency.

Hopefully I’ll see you next Tuesday (and every Tuesday in November) at The Fire for another night of Philly Sings Philly.

 

I did not capture any video or photos from last night but please check out Lisa Schaffer Photography and MAK for possible material.

 

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Reviews

Live Review: Hezekiah Jones, Small Houses, Chris Bathgate at Studio 34 (10/22)

October 23, 2011 – 11:22 pm

Studio34 -- West Philly

Studio 34 is a lovely space located at 4522 Baltimore Avenue in West Philly. It is a place for yoga, healing, and arts.  Since 2008 Studio 34 has been “fostering wellness and community through healing and creative arts”.  And if you’re lucky you’ll be able to attend a live musical performance by some great artists like I did last night.

If I wasn’t running so late I might have caught all of Chris Bathgate’s set instead of one and a half songs but even in that short amount of time I truly enjoyed what I heard. Chris Bathgate (MI) is a singer-songwriter who performs solo but uses a looping technique to add layers and depth to his music.  While some artists use looping and it ultimately distracts from their music Bathgate uses looping impressively.  It was such a beautiful moment to be able to really listen to Chris Bathgate’s music in that space.

After a short break Small Houses (MI) took to the stage.  Small Houses is Jeremy Quentin (vocals, guitar) with a guy playing drums and another guy singing harmonies.  Small Houses produces acoustic, folk music with a minimal approach.  Hearing Quentin voice with those harmonies was a wonderful listening experience.  Great set!

Then it was Hezekiah Jones’ turn.  The Jones in attendance this time were Raphael Cutrufello (Hezekiah Jones: vocals, guitar), Kiley Ryan (Kiwi Jones: violin, vocals), Phil D’Agostino (Pepe Jones: bass), Brad Hinton (Pocono Jones: guitar, vocals), and Kevin Killen (Psycho Jawn Jones: drums) — filling the room with a unique folkesque style.  It’s no secret that I’m a real fan of Hezekiah Jones music because it is so good.  Last night’s performance was fantastic.  Hezekiah Jones sounded great.  I think that was the first time I heard “Borrowed Heart” live – thanks to Nina for the request.  “Borrowed Heart” is a song that allows Kiley Ryan’s voice to shine – yes, she can sing.  Of course the set was filled with all the favorites and it felt so perfect to be sitting in Studio 34 hearing all the phenomenal music.  And thanks to an overheated amp we got an extra special treat – Hezekiah Jones unplugged.  It was amazing to hear Hezekiah Jones music unplugged and it’s moments like those that will stay with me forever.

I am a Live Music Enthusiast – indeed.

 

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Reviews

Live Review: Illinois at MilkBoy Philly (10/14)

October 15, 2011 – 8:35 pm

Illinois 10142011

MilkBoy Philly is a new coffeehouse/music venue/bar located at the corner of Chestnut St and 11th St in Philadelphia, PA.  As far as a music venues go (after all, that’s all I care about) it works.  MilkBoy Philly has a nice, lengthy space on the 2nd floor where music artists play live.  Depending on where you stand, as with all venues, and the type of music being played you can hear some decent sound in that venue.  And that’s what is important to me as a music enthusiast.

The show was set to start at 9PM but I didn’t get to MilkBoy Philly until 9:30PM so I missed part of A Victim Of Good Times’ set.  Most of their music contained screamed vocals drowned out by intense music (created by guitar, bass, and drums) – a style of music that I didn’t particularly like but the crowd there seemed to enjoy it.  Carousel, a five member rock band, played next.  As I think about their set, nothing really stood out (good or bad) but I did enjoy their music.

Illinois was the third and final band of the night performing with four members this time.  Illinois is a phenomenal band from Bucks County, PA and seeing that band live is always the highlight of my day – I LOVE ILLINOIS!  Illinois recorded music is an excellent listening experience but seeing them live is something else.  They always seem to give it their all with every performance of their unique alternative rock style (it’s really hard to classify Illinois’ unique style).  So, their set covered some tunes off of Lemonade Stand, with some songs from their forthcoming album (Self Titled Debut Album – it’s a joke), and some of their older material, before ending with “If You Love Something”.  Then there was a crowd demanded encore.  The absolute last song of their set was Arch playing “Missing Piece” solo on keys – or at least he attempted to play the song.  Needless to say, Illinois is a must-see band.

Thank you to Y-Not Radio for hosting this show.  Also, thank you to Illinois, Carousel, and A Victim Of Good Times for the music.

Upcoming Shows:
Oct 24, 2011: Illinois at Penn State w/ G. Love
Nov 04, 2011: Illinois at Kung Fu Necktie

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Reviews

Live Review: Chris Kasper, Jaymay at Tin Angel (9/25)

September 27, 2011 – 10:54 pm

Chris Kasper -- Tin Angel 09/25/11

I follow the music and if that meant I’d end up at the Tin Angel two nights in a row then so be it.

Jaymay -- Tin Angel 09/25/11

Jaymay is singer-songwriter from New York City.  Prior to this show I had no clue who Jaymay was nor did I ever hear her music before.  But within a few moments after she began playing I knew that I should be paying attention.  Jaymay happens to be a great singer-songwriter and even though the majority of her songs are only about two minutes long they are still so complete and just work.  Equipped with a lovely voice, acoustic guitar, and impressive songwriting skills Jaymay made a great first impression.  I’ll have to keep an ear out for more of her music – and so should you.

Chris Kasper -- Tin Angel 09/25/11

Chris Kasper had the second set of this co-bill.  For this show Kasper (vocals, acoustic guitar) was joined by Philip D’Agostino (upright bass) and Kevin Killen (drums).  It was great to hear some of Kasper’s new material and the CD release show is coming up November 4th at World Cafe Live: WXPN welcomes Chris Kasper CD Release Show – BE THERE.  Needless to say, it was another fantastic set by Chris Kasper.  I think “The Stoop” sounded extra special with Kevin Killen drumming on a glass.  It was funny to see Kasper have a planned encore only to follow it by a real, “earned” encore.  I’ve seen countless Chris Kasper shows and they are always so awe-inspiring because Kasper is a brilliant singer-songwriter that creates amazing music.  Yes, I am a proud Chris Kasper fan through and through.

Oh, how I love my live music adventures.

Upcoming Shows:

Chris Kasper
09/30/11 – Burlap and Bean (Newtown Square, PA) *w/ Small Ponds
11/04/11 – World Cafe Live (Philadelphia, PA) *CD Release Show!!!

Jaymay
10/08/11 – The Bowery Electric (New York, NY) *w/ Lou-is & My Cousin, The Emperor

 

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Reviews

Live Review: Andrew Lipke and the Azrael String Quartet: CD Release Show at Tin Angel (9/24)

September 25, 2011 – 11:21 pm

Andrew Lipke 09242011

The Tin Angel is a great music venue that takes pride in its listening room style.  That’s all good and well, but it’s the patrons that form the audience that make a good listening room a great listening room.  And last night the Tin Angel was an amazing listening room – the crowd was absolutely silent at all the important moments.  It was phenomenal to see Andrew Lipke and the Azrael String Quartet play in a venue with an audience that had absolute respect for live music.

For those who don’t know, Andrew Lipke is an extremely gifted singer-songwriter, musician, producer, and composer.  Tonight’s performance was to celebrate the release of Lipke’s new album, The Plague. Lipke began the show solo singing and playing an acoustic guitar.  The first song of the night was a wonderful cover of Mary Bichner’s (Box Five) “Aqua Toffana”. Then Lipke played “Head Down Vagabond” a nice sounding brand-new, unreleased song.  Lipke joked about how he’ll play non-CD songs for CD release shows.  Lipke was joined by Krista Umile on cello for several songs.  Sure, the cello is one of my favorite string instruments and hearing Umile play it is a breathtaking listening experience.  After Lipke and Umile played a few songs together there was a brief intermission.

Andrew Lipke and the Azrael String Quartet 09242011

Then the show continued with Andrew Lipke and the Azrael String Quartet.  The Azrael String Quartet consisted of Krista Umile (cello), two violinists and a violist. At some point, Lipke switched to keys for a few songs.  The set ended with “It’s Over” which happens to be the last song on The Plague – very fitting.  The encore was everyone singing happy birthday to Dana the violinist.  Then Andrew Lipke and the Azrael String Quartet played a cover song – the title and artist have escaped me at this moment.

All in all, it was an excellent night of music and I was so happy to hear Andrew Lipke’s music live again – he’s one of my favorite artists.  I got a chance to listen to The Plague and it is great.  I’ll have to review that album sometime in the near future.  Oh my, it feels so good to be surrounded by amazing music.

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Live Review: Adrien Reju, Pete Donnelly at Tin Angel (9/4/11)

September 6, 2011 – 1:55 am

Adrien Reju 09042011

Well, I don’t know how to play any instruments, I can’t sing, and other than my ability to whistle (it might get me in a band someday) I have no musical talent but my ears always know when they hear music they like.  So, I spent part of my Labor Day weekend taking in the wonderful music of Adrien Reju and Pete Donnelly at the Tin Angel.

Pete Donnelly 09042011

Pete Donnelly (with the help of Freddie Berman on drums and Adam Winokur on bass) played a great set and I loved what I heard.  I’m not familiar with Donnelly’s music but I have been listening to some of his music on SoundCloud and it’s good.  Donnelly was joined by Bandi Barksdale on vocals for a couple songs and that was a nice addition to the sound.  Yes, I’ll be keeping an ear out for any future shows from Pete Donnelly because I think I just discovered a new favorite artist.  YES!

Then Adrien Reju (and band – sorry the only person I recognized was Jaron Olevsky on keys) played an incredible set.  Adrien Reju is a very gifted songwriter and she can really sing.  I LOVE HER VOICE!  Please pardon the outburst but I can act like a real crazed music fan in type (but never in person) because I really am that much of a fan.  Anyway, Reju played a set of new material with an encore of crowd favorites – “Heartless” and “A Million Hearts”.  Oh yeah, Olevsky added hauntingly beautiful keys on Reju’s cover of The Korgis “Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime”.  It was a live moment that I won’t soon forget.

 

Music, too much is not enough.

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Reviews

Live Review: Pawnshop Roses, Mach 22 at Dawson Street Pub (9/2/11)

September 6, 2011 – 1:03 am
Pawnshop Roses 09022011

Photo Credit: Russ - Blinkin Lincoln

I’ve seen Pawnshop Roses live plenty of times in the past and I still get excited when I get a chance to see that band perform live. Why? It’s simple, I really like their music. So, I was there for their show this past Friday night at Dawson Street Pub. I was hanging out at the back of the room and having the best of time. Now, I never like to make a spectacle of myself so you wouldn’t see me dancing in public but I think my singing (at such a low volume that it looks like lip synching), toe tapping and head bopping showed I was really enjoying the music. Pawnshop Roses played two sets and in those sets were a nice set list of old and new material. The show ended with “Second Hand Love” – one of my favorites. That was definitely a great time!

Mach 22 had the opening set and being as those that’s a band I didn’t know of I liked what I heard. The members of Mach 22 are talented and they crafted some solid walls of sound. I’d say sitting there listening to Mach 22 was time well spent.

Man, another great show and it’s no wonder why I have a live music addiction.

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