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So what happened here?

June 10, 2022 by Paul Debraski

For nearly fourteen years I was able to keep up this daily blog of books and music.

About a year ago I got a promotion and that changed everything.  I no longer had the time to post everything I wanted to.  Heck, I didn’t even seem to have the time to read all the short stories I wanted to.  Amusingly (or not), just before this new position, I had gotten a print subscription to the New Yorker.  This now means that I (like many others) have a two-foot stack of New Yorker magazines that I haven’t even looked at yet.

For a few weeks I was limiting myself to only the concerts that I went to because that was a little easier to write about.  Although back in the good old days, I used to include photo and links, and I pretty much have neither now. And I’m several shows behind as well.

So I’m still reading books and I think I may try to post some thoughts about them from time to time.  I’d also like to think I have time to write about my concerts, but even those are proving to be challenging.

So let’s consider the blog on hiatus more or less, with occasional posts about things I’ve read or listened to.

The good thing is that I like the new position and wouldn’t change it for the world. I guess I never realized how much down time my old position gave me!

Posted in Paul Debraski | 3 Comments »

Beat (Prudential Hall at NJPAC, Newark NJ, November 9, 2026)

November 9, 2026 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: November 9, 2026] Beat

I have seen King Crimson five times, all in the most recent iteration of the band.  I never saw the earlier incarnations when Adrian Belew was the singer/guitarist.

Two years ago, when it was announced that Adrian was gathering troops together to play 80’s era King Crimson, I was intrigued.  The tour had the blessing of Robert Fripp AND it featured Tony Levin on bass.  So that was pretty much all it took.  I really enjoyed that set, so when they announced a follow up tour, I was excited to see them again.  I was really delighted by Steve Vai’s playing last time and was looking forward to seeing him again.

This time, instead of Tool’s Danny Carey, on drums was Terry Bozzio, which meant that there were THREE Frank Zappa alums on stage. [Belew: 1977 through 1979; Bozzio: April 1975 – February 1978; Vai: 1980-1983]

This era of King Crimson is not my favorite.  Although Discipline was the first KC album I’d ever bought, I never really got into the other two (a few songs from each, but never the whole things).  I also saw that these setlists were going to be somewhat different, so that was cool too.

Last time I was in the middle of the floor seats with a good view of everyone. This time I was in the front row of the balcony–not a good a close up view, but a great overall view.

Like last time, I wished I could see Steve Vai better–his area was darker than the others.  And I could barely see Terry Bozzio because his drum set was ENORMOUS–comically so.  And I’m pretty sure he didn’t play all of the items in the rack.

This was one of the hardest shows to focus on because everyone was doing something amazing.   Indeed, I love Tony Levin and yet I probably watched him least.  Steve Vai is flashy, sure but he also generates some really great sounds and it’s fun to watch what he’s doing.  And yet, with Steve Vai on board, it’s easy to forget that Adrian Belew is a master guitar player himself.  Vai did most of the soloing, but Belew did a huge amount as well.

This time they opened with Dinosaur, a track that’s not on any of the three 1980s albums.  It’s from 1995’s THRAK.  I was really excited to hear it and didn’t realize it wasn’t from those albums–they were branching out!.  From there, the set was somewhat similar to last time, with the next few songs being from Beat.  The wild Neurotica, the wild dual guitar fun of Neal and Jack and Me and Tony playing the Stick on Sartori in Tangier.  It’s so cool seeing him playing “guitar” lines AND bass lines, while the other two are doing their own soloing things.

I don’t really know the instrumentals all that well on these albums and I wondered if (especially) Steve is just free to do what he wants (as long as it’s in the style of the song) or if he’s sticking with Fripp’s original work.  Some of the jamming sessions make the songs seem longer than the originals, so I assume he’s doing his own thing.

After playing the lovely Three of a Perfect Pair, they returned to THRAK with the pretty Walking on Air. Continue Reading »

Posted in Adrian Belew, Beat, Count Basie Theatre, Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre, Red Bank, NJ, Set in New Jersey!, Steve Vai, Terry Bozzio, Tony Levin | Leave a Comment »

Deerhoof / Eraser / Nympho (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, November 8, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

November 8, 2026 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: November 8, 2026] Deerhoof / Eraser / Nympho

Deerhoof is one of the weirder indie bands out there.  Their songs have no real sense of standard structure or melody.  They jump from notion to notion, seemingly on a whim.

I haven’t listened to them a lot, although I always like to know they’re still making weird music.  They’re the kind of band that would be really interesting to see live.  In fact, when I found out that my friend Jae was not only going to the show but highly highly recommended them, I was about to grab a last minute ticket when I realized that we’d be flying home from Sweden that day and there was literally no way I would have been able to cope with anything like a show that night.

I saw Eraser open for Remember Sports a little while ago.  They were weird but good.  But I didn’t feel like I needed to see them again.  Their music has been described as motorik, electro-damaged meltdowns punctuated with shrill blasts of synth and tangled guitar, and flat-affect vocal commands.  Pretty accurate.

Nympho is yet another weird band from Philly.  Philly produces some of the best wacko-but-brilliant bands around.  Here’s what their label says of them

Nympho is a five-piece cherry-scented poppers punk band from Philly. Equal parts bratty and brilliant, they’re the sonic equivalent of making out behind a 7-Eleven while the world burns.  Stuck between a good time and a really good time, Nympho delivers high-energy, whip-smart punk that’s as seductive as it is unhinged. Think: trash TV raised them, and now they’re raising hell on all fours, talking shit, and sounding like “normal music, just sped up.”  Their debut Honk If You’re Horny (6 songs in 9 minutes) is loud, lusty, and unapologetically horny.   Featuring members of Empath and Perfect Pussy, Nympho is a gloriously messy cocktail of DIY pedigree and glittery chaos.

Posted in Deerhoof, Eraser, Nympho, Philadelphia, PA, Underground Arts | Leave a Comment »

Geese / Gwenifer Raymond / Cold Court (Fillmore Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, November 7 & 8, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

November 7, 2026 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: November 7 & 8, 2026] Geese / Gwenifer Raymond / Cold Court

My wife and I saw Geese open for Vampire Weekend back in May of 2025.  It was about a month before they really blew up.  They had a couple of singles that I’d heard and I loved Cowboy Nudes.  Soon after that show they released Getting Killed and became the most popular band in America.

I missed when they played Union Transfer and wrote that I probably should have gone to that show because I’m sure the next time they play Philly it will be at a much bigger venue.  So not a HUGE venue but two night at the Fillmore is pretty impressive.  Especially two nights that sold out before I even heard about the show.

Gwenifer Raymond is a Welsh guitarist.   She recently did a Tiny Desk and it is a marvel.  She plays acoustic guitar, with a fingerpicking style that includes dramatic and fast chord playing as well.

As the Tiny Desk says,

There’s an understated charm about the Welsh guitarist’s limited banter behind the Desk, but little prepares you for what howls from her instrument. Raymond’s fingerstyle guitar drones with a haunted quality, but her flurry of bends, slides and chord clusters rip open the firmament. Steeped in pre-war blues, but picking up on the acoustic innovations of John Fahey and Jack Rose, Raymond started releasing records a little less than a decade ago. But it’s on Last Night I Heard the Dog Star Bark, one of NPR Music’s best albums of 2025, where the Cardiff-born and now Brighton-based guitarist forged an unmistakably distinct sound: a controlled recklessness that conjures spells with six strings. Exhilarating, but also terrifying. After the dizzying shred of “Jack Parsons Blues” and the scenic storytelling of “Bliws Afon Tâf,” Raymond comes up for air, suddenly aware of the audience in awe. It’s just her back there, after all, with an acoustic guitar — we’re lost in the trance, too. And then, as if on cue, she takes us to hell.

She’s an intense marvel and a perfect odd but intense choice to open for Geese.  Maybe she’ll play at McCarter next year.

I saw Cold Court open for Black Midi and they blew me away.  I can’t find much about them, but back then I wrote

How best to describe them?  I’ve never seen a band with a viola player inspire a mosh pit before.  The mosh pit was pretty much non-stop.  Not bad for an opening band.

I was not terribly upset that I couldn’t get tickets to this show, but once these opening acts were announced, I am now pretty bummed to have missed it.

Posted in Cold Court, Geese, Gwenifer Raymond, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer | Leave a Comment »

Queen of Jeans: Free at Noon (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia PA, November 6, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

November 6, 2026 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: November 6, 2026] Queen of Jeans

This week’s Free at Noon was announced as Michael Hampton, but when I was at the Richard Thompson Free at Noon last week, Mike V. said that this week’s Free at Noon would be Queen of Jeans.

I was always kind of dismissive of their name (not sure why) and for some reason I thought they were scrappy and punky.  But I couldn’t have been more wrong.  Described as indie sweethearts, after listening to the album, I find that this bio is spot on

their sound has always been soft around the edges but explores feelings that are anything but. As their sound has developed, they’ve refined a signature built around dreamy guitars, adventurous instrumentation, crushing lyricism, and one of the most underrated voices in modern indie rock: vocalist/guitarist Miri Devora. With guitarist Mattie Glass and bassist Andrew Nitz, Queen of Jeans are effortlessly timeless but still of-the-times, and continue to be one of indie’s most consistently compelling bands.

This blurb is right, Miri’s voice is gorgeous!

I was just bemoaning how I had missed them last month and really wanted to see them.  I’m not sure I would have gone to a Free at Noon (such a pain) for them, but the question was moot since we would be out of the country anyhow.  But i do hope this gives them a bit more exposure,

Posted in Free at Noon, Philadelphia, PA, Queen of Jeans, WXPN 88.5 FM--Philadelphia, PA, XPN Fest | Leave a Comment »

Fruit Bats / Sarah Klang (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, November 5, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

November 5, 2026 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: November 5, 2026] Fruit Bats / Sarah Klang

Back in 2022, Fruit Bats released a song at the beginning of the year and my wife really liked it.  They announced a concert right around her birthday, so I spontaneously grabbed us tickets.  We joked how we never listened to any other songs by them and wouldn’t know anything at the show.  As the show grew closer, things were kind of crazy and we ultimately decided not to go.  So we’ll never know if we like more than that one song.

They came back again a year later but we hadn’t learned anything more about them, so we didn’t go.  Now, they are sort of a joke to us, which isn’t fair as we would probably like their other songs too.  In fact, when this show was announced, I made a mental note to listen to more to see if we wanted to go see them.  But then we scheduled a trip to Sweden so it was moot.

Sarah Klang is a Swedish singer and songwriter whose full name is Sarah Linnea Nova Klang. Coincidence that we were in Sweden when she was here.  She describes her own music as pop with influences of Americana music and country, which I don’t especially like.  But her voice is quite lovely.

Posted in Fruit Bats, Philadelphia, PA, Sarah Klang, Union Transfer | Leave a Comment »

Ak’Chamel / Ecology: HomeStones (The Rotunda, Philadelphia, PA November 2, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

November 2, 2026 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: November 2, 2026] Ak’Chamel / Ecology: HomeStones

I saw a clip of Ak’Chamel on KEXP and thought, wow, these guys are wacky.  I wonder if they ever play Philadelphia?  And, lo and behold, the next day they announced this tour, with a show at The Rotunda, which I had never heard of.

So here’s The Rotunda

The Rotunda, located at 4014 Walnut Street in Philadelphia, PA, is a community-gathering place that is fueled by the belief that art is a catalyst for social change and that the arts can lead to the formation of meaningful partnerships between the University of Pennsylvania and surrounding neighborhoods. Over 300 events are offered every year, including live music, film, spoken word, theater, art, dance, education, youth programs, arts incubation, and various experimental genres. As an alcohol-free, smoke-free venue, The Rotunda provides a critical social alternative for all ages. At its core, The Rotunda is a shared space fostering learning, enrichment, and community support while empowering the public to present, produce, and promote their work.

But what about Ak’chamel?  Well

Ak’chamel has built a solid reputation as a compelling stage project. Wearing nightmarish costumes and engaging in hallucinatory “rituals”, their singular sound comprising desert-scorched psychedelia, post-apocalyptic shamanism, and lo-fi ritual-folk is as unique as the physical theater of their live performances.

They have drums and guitars but also middle eastern wind instruments and.  They’d be interesting to see live, but we’re going to be away so I don’t need to decide if I want to experience this.

Ecology: HomeStones make noise.  There’s no nicer way to put it.  One song called Fanfare is 12 minute drone with washes of engine noise? scraping string?    Their first song on Tidal is Once I Step Behind the Curtain, I Never Come Out the Same.  The song begins with 30 seconds of sped up vocals chanting the title.  The rest is really fast hardcore drumming with some kind of failing electrical components creating the main sound.  There come what could be voices or just another squealing machine.  Who knows.  This might be the noisiest, most unpleasant thing I’ve ever heard, and that’s saying a lot!

This is hard to listen to and probably doubly so live.  Although evidently the visual component is important to the music, so check then out on youtube.

Just to clarify things, their blurb on Instagram says: “harphing is a noble fire unlit by deldon”

Another blurb says “Ecology: Homestones is a cartoon-industrial noise project following the dramatization of past and future events concerning the mutilation of eight carrot farmers, all coincidentally named Robert. The organization behind this fantasy, The FPPC, is on a mission to provide you with the information you need for a fast and enjoyable recovery.”

Posted in Ak'chamel, Ecology: HomeStones, Philadelphia, PA, The Rotunda | Leave a Comment »

Cradle of Filth: Majestic in Death II (Archer Music Hall, Allentown, PA, October 24, 2026)

October 26, 2026 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: October 24, 2026] Cradle of Filth

I’ve known of Cradle of Filth for decades (they have been around since 1991).  I always assumed they were a hard to listen to growly band not unlike Napalm Death (who I have seen and loved).  I just never really thought about seeing them.  Then I read a review that notes that

The band’s style evolved from black metal to a cleaner and more “produced” amalgam of gothic metal, symphonic metal and other genres. Their lyrics and imagery are influenced by Gothic literature, poetry, mythology and horror films.

So I listened to a few songs and I found out that lead Filth man Dani Filth is in corpse paint and it’s all theatrical and crazy and I’m so in.  I picked this Allentown show instead of Starland Ballroom for a couple of reasons.  The date.  The opportunity to check out Archer Music Hall and because a metal show at Starland would be insane.

So Archer Music Hall is pretty nice.  Relatively easy to get to and I got $5 parking directly across the street.

When Blackbraid ended, they brought out a microphone stand which was a statue of a person in agony.   There was a much longer wait than expected (technical issues with the keys I believe) and then the band came out.  There have been dozens of people in the band since the 90s, but the current lineup has been around for a bit.  Dani Filth – lead vocals (1991–), Martin “Marthus” Škaroupka – drums (2006–), Daniel Firth – bass (2012–),  Donny Burbage – guitars (2022–), Joff Bailey – guitars (2026–present).  I’m not sure which of the guitarists was the new guy.  One had a full beard and some corpse paint.  The other had half shaved/half really long hair and pretty good spooky makeup.  He also had an amazing angry face and was actually kind of scary from the barrier.

Although Dani Filth wasn’t.  I hate to say it, but I must.  Dani Filth is really short and he had on an excessive amount of leather with huge spokes. It was certainly comical more than scary.  But it worked with the over the top nature of the band.  Nevertheless, he is a great frontman–funny when speaking, intense when singing and constantly hitting interesting shrieking notes.

So the show was not as extreme death metal as I feared but it also wasn’t as gothic metal as I expected.  They were definitely heavy but with lots of synths and operatic female vocals peppering some of the songs.  And I really enjoyed it. Continue Reading »

Posted in Allentown PA, Archer Music Hall, Black Satellite, Blackbraid, Cradle of Filth, Moonspell | Leave a Comment »

Blackbraid (Archer Music Hall, Allentown, PA, October 24, 2026) [CRADLE OF FILTH]

October 25, 2026 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: October 24, 2026] Blackbraid

Initially, the Mexican band Moonspell was supposed to be the second band on the bill but they weren’t able to secure a visa–boy our government sucks.  So Blackbraid was chosen to take over.  I’d never heard of them, but I quickly learned that Blackbraid is the solo black metal project of a Native American (no visa issues there, ye bastards).

So I listened to Blackbraid and it reminded me of Bathory [R.I.P.]–the Swedish solo extreme metal guy who I’d assumed stopped making music forty years ago (he hadn’t, in fact he made all kinds of different music throughout his a career until his death in 2004).  Bathory’s first few albums were basically the fastest drumming you could get, screamed impenetrable vocals and moderately cacthy guitar progressions.  And it sounded like it was recorded on a $5 cassette player.  Well, Blackbraid embraces much of that sound except it is really well recorded and sounds 1000 times better.  But it has the same kind of relentlessness.  I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect from them, but they did not disappoint.

In front of me was one of the guitar players who had corpse paint and some kind of bones around his neck.  The rest of the band wasn’t really painted up that much, but main singer (and main guy) Jon Krieger (also known as Sgah’gahsowáh, a Mohawk name meaning “the witch hawk”).

They started off with an explosion–really fast drumming and a black metal riff that reminded me of the style of Bathory.  And then Kreiger started….singing.  The songs have lyrics but live, it was like one explosive growl after another.  I genuinely couldn’t tell if he was singing anything or just making guttural sounds.  He never spoke to us, although he did occasionally gesture for more applause.

The band was incredibly tight–the drummer was a machine of fast drumming and I loved watching the guitarist in front of me.  After a few minutes of intensity, things slowed down and it seemed like Kreiger was singing, but it was still so animalistic that it was hard to tell.  He had an intensity that was unstoppable. Continue Reading »

Posted in Allentown PA, Archer Music Hall, Black Satellite, Blackbraid, Cradle of Filth, Moonspell | Leave a Comment »

Black Satellite (Archer Music Hall, Allentown, PA, October 24, 2026) [CRADLE OF FILTH]

October 24, 2026 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: October 24, 2026] Black Satellite

Black Satellite is from New York City.  The two constants in the band are singer Larissa Vale and guitarist Kyle Hawken.  Their debut album is kind of slick (but heavy) metal.  Their later album is a lot heavier and angrier.  [They had previously supported Starset and now are supporting Cradle of Filth].

They came out and were pretty high tech looking.  The drums lad lights in them and the lights changed color with the stage lights.  The rest of the band was pretty intense looking.  One guitarist had on whiteface and skull lines.  The other two had various corpse painting and Larissa herself had a very cool look with her head half shaved and a black line under her eyes.  They also wore a lot of leather–they looked cool for sure.

Larissa doesn’t growl/sing she snarl sings and her voice is pretty deep.  I enjoyed that she used the old blocky microphone that you palm to sing in.  Between that and her lengthy coat, she definitely had a “leader” look about her.

Their songs were heavy and dark but with some seriously catchy elements.  And now that I know some of the lyrics, I can hear that she was singing them and not just making sounds (like on Broken).

A few songs into the set the guitarist on the far side of the stage (I don’t know who was who) who had long long long hair, reached into a pouch on hos belt and threw something to someone in the audience.  They caught it, he smiled and nodded. He did this several times throughout the set.  At the end of the set, he came over to our side and threw a few things which I later found out were–Twizzlers.  It was so cute for such a heavy and intense sounding band.

There was some serious headbanging and even a song called Kill for You

I will kill for you
I will hurt for you
For you, I would do anything (anything)
I will kill for you
Take a bullet for you
I’ll keep you safe from everything
I will kill for you

I enjoyed their whole set quite a lot, and I’m really fascinated by the makeup on their guitarist.

They didn’t play anything from their debut (which makes sense) although they did play one song that came out before their new album and then they surprised me by ending with a Depeche Mode cover.  And not something heavy like Personal Jesus.  They went with Never Let Me Down Again.   They made it really heavy and it sounded good.

It felt weird singing along to a Depeche Mode song at a metal show, but I did!  They even did goofy synchronized guitar waving.  So despite the darkness and heaviness, they clearly were having fun, too.  Which I appreciate.

I really enjoyed their set.

  1. Dead Eye ∇
  2. Broken ∇
  3. Far Away ∇
  4. Here It Ends ∇
  5. Void ∇
  6. Kill For You ∇
  7. Doom or Die ∇
  8. Downfall §
  9. Never Let Me Down Again (Depeche Mode cover)

∇ Aftermath (2025)
§ single (2025)

Posted in Allentown PA, Archer Music Hall, Black Satellite, Blackbraid, Cradle of Filth | Leave a Comment »

The Damned / Flaming Groovies / The Courettes (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, October 24, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

October 24, 2026 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 24, 2026] The Damned / Flaming Groovies / The Courettes

I saw the Damned at Coney Island High with my friend Garry on Feb 6, 1998.  I don’t really remember all that much about it.  I wasn’t a huge fan at the time, but I do think it’s cool I got to see them.  I hadn’t really considered seeing them again, but I decided to see them last year and they were great!  The tour was a kind of complete retrospective (including some of the new songs too).

And, it featured three of the four original members: singer Dave Vanian, guitarist Captain Sensible and drummer Rat Scabies.  [There’s no point in trying to talk about when who was or wasn’t in the band as it was a revolving door for a while].  But Paul Gray on bass has been with them since 1980 and Monty Oxymoron has played keyboards with them since 1996 so he’s not exactly a newbie.

When they announced this new tour I definitely wanted to go again, but I already had tickets to see Friko and then I wound up getting tickets to see Cradle of Filth, so there was no way this was going to happen.  Apparently, this is their last tour, so I guess I’ll never see them again.  But I’m glad I saw them last year.

When I saw that the opening band was The Flaming Groovies, I did a double take.  I recognized the name, but couldn’t really place them.  That’s because they formed in 1965 (years before I was born).  Their debut has been described as proto-punk with one critic suggesting that the Ramones probably wore out copies of the album.  I suppose that’s true, kind of, but they are really more of a blues band.  And then, they also wrote Shake Some Action–the Cracker version is better because of the way the Groovies’ album was recorded (as if under a thick blanket).  They’re not as punk as that reviewer made it seem, but there’s some cool garage flair.  I wonder how they sound (checks calendar) 61 years after their debut!.

The Courettes are from Denmark and are the duo of Flavia Couri (from Brazil) and Martin Couri (a native Dane) [they are married, it’s not a Ramones type name].  They play old school rock n roll/girl group/garage stuff.  Their recordings sound like they are from the 60s, which is a little annoying.

Posted in Flamin' Groovies, Philadelphia, PA, The Courettes, The Damned, Union Transfer | Leave a Comment »

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