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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 »

Mike D / Angelnumber 8 (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, October 19, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

October 19, 2026 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 19, 2026] Mike D / Angelnumber 8

When Mike D announced this album and tour I assumed it would sell out in a second.  But I don’t think it sold out at all.

I had listened to one song from the album and didn’t think that much of it, so I didn’t bother getting a ticket.  I’ve never seen the Beastie Boys, and decided I didn’t want to go this way.

But I may have been a bit harsh.   A review from MidBrow Philly says

the most glaring absence from Thank You — the intricate vocal interplay that defined the Beastie Boys — is evident. Despite this, the record’s fun, kitchen sink approach of arrangement and production takes your mind off of what’s not there. Ultimately, Thank You is a busy, fearless record that doesn’t contend with the legacy of Diamond’s old band as much as it adds to his own.

Diamond’s vocals throughout the set were processed through an unrelenting wall of distortion and delay, giving the songs a rough but otherworldly texture.

According to the setlist, he did a couple of Beastie Boys (Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun) songs and the set was about an hour.

Angelnumber 8 opened the show. There’s very little about him online. He has a few songs on Tidal and yet there’s an article about him that dates back to 2021–which talks about how it is to find out about him online.  Tidal shows a new EP this year with 5 songs each about 2 minutes long. The songs are kind of chill raps.  hard to imagine what he’s like live.

And here’s the Mike D show from UT thanks to Jim Powers.

 

Posted in Angelnumber 8, Mike D., Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer | Leave a Comment »

Beck / Ioanna Gika (The Met Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, October 18, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

October 18, 2026 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 18, 2026] Beck / Ioanna Gika

Beck always puts on a good show.  Some of my favorite concert moments of the last few years involved Beck. But this tour was for his new, mopey album and that didn’t sound like a fun tour to check out.  I looked at tickets and it was EXPENSIVE as well.

So I didn’t even bother trying to get tickets.  Ironically, my brothers-in-law went to see him in Red Rocks.  They said it was good, but when I looked at the setlist, it didn’t sound very fun.

But I’m not the intended audience when he writes “This isn’t a hits show…this is the Ride Lonesome Tour so we are playing the new album and we are leaning heavily into Sea Change and Morning Phase.”  Nothing wrong with those albums, just not what I want to see live.

Who the heck is Ioanna Gika?

Gika played in io echo which toured throughout the United States and had support slots for Nine Inch Nails, Haim, New Order, and Jon Hopkins amongst others. Gika also wrote the score for Harmony Korine’s film ‘Rebel’, collaborated with Game of Thrones composer Ramin Djawadi for Universal’s Dracula, created the score for a Louis Vuitton fall runway collection, and wrote a song that was shortlisted by the academy for Snow White and The Huntsman. Ioanna Gika completed her first solo tour opening for Deafheaven and Diiv in October, and her first solo record Thalassa is coming out April 5th on Sargent House.

To best understand Ioanna Gika and the world that she has created, it is best to shatter all that you know to be reality and toss on a druid robe as you embark on a personal journey of monastic sorcery. There is something witchy and transformative about her music which has been easily captivating to new audiences. The music bares something traditional while bridging into soft techno undertones that has created such a strong narrative for those who balance the moods of raving and meditating.

I’ve listened to a few of her songs and I am transfixed.  One sounds like a quiet electronic ballad that suddenly turns into a Portishead song.  I hope she does a headlining tour in the area soon.

Posted in Beck, Ioanna Gika, Philadelphia, PA, The Met Philadelphia | Leave a Comment »

Jenny Tian: Ripe (Punch Line, Philadelphia, PA, October 18, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

October 18, 2026 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 18, 2026] Jenny Tian

Last year Jenny Tian came to Union Transfer and I would have liked to see her but things didn’t work out.  I didn’t expect an Australian comedian to come back just a year later.  But here she was.

I was intrigued to go to Punch Line, where I’ve never been, although it being in the Fillmore area means that parking would be iffy.

But I already had tickets to see Acid Mothers Temple so I had to miss her again.  Come back again, Jenny, ok?

I have made a list of all of comedians from Taskmaster who I would like to see live.  It’s not everyone of course (some of them don’t do stand up and some I don’t think I would enjoy).  And then we started watching Taskmaster Australia and Taskmaster New Zealand, and I’ve added a dozen or so more to that list.

 

Posted in Comedians, Jenny Tian, Philadelphia, PA, Punch Line, Taskmaster, Taskmaster Australia | Leave a Comment »

Feeble Little Horse / Snuggle (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, October 18, 2026) [POSTPONED]

October 18, 2026 by Paul Debraski

[POSTPONED: October 18, 2026] Feeble Little Horse / Snuggle [moved to February 5, 2027]

Three years ago I was vaguely interested in seeing Feeble Little Horse and then they cancelled their entire tour for health reasons.

I was intrigued about seeing them this year but it was on a super busy weekend for me.  And then I found out that this tour was postponed, again for health reasons.  But I guess these health reasons were more manageable, because they rescheduled it for February of next year.

I heard about Feeble Little Horse from All Songs Considered.  They had an interesting sound and I was intrigued when I heard they were playing Johnny Brenda’s.  It turned out that this show was the same night my son was flying out to Denver.  So I just figured I wouldn’t be going out that night anyhow.

I didn’t buy tickets, so I didn’t hear that their whole tour had been cancelled.  Just a few days before they were supposed to tour (on the 23rd), they announced:

Indie rockers feeble little horse were set to start the North American leg of their tour in support of bitknot in early October, but the outing has now been postponed until January.  As per a post on the band’s socials, guitarist Sebastian Kinsler broke his elbow after falling off his bike, and needs the next month to recover before their European leg begins in November.

I will try to see them in February.

Snuggle is a more or less shoegazey band from Copenhagen Denmark (cool).  They are the softer side of shoegaze, creating sweetly melodic dream pop (with darker lyrics).  Andrea Thuesen Johansen and Vilhelm Tiburtz Strange typically veil their distress with the prettiest ’90s alt-rock.

I’m actually more interested in seeing Snuggle and I see that they are coming in February, so that’s cool!

Posted in Feeble Little Horse, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, Snuggle | Leave a Comment »

Plini / Night Verses / Portraits (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, October 17, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

October 17, 2026 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 17, 2026] Plini / Night Verses / Portraits

I saw Plini open for Animals as Leaders a couple of years ago,  It was a night of technical guitar brilliance and impressive guitar showoffery.

Plini is Plini Roessler-Holgate, an Australian guitarist who has been recognized by all of the famous guitar gods [for instance: Steve Vai described him as “the future of exceptional guitar playing.”]  It was an amazing display of skill and speed.   Instrumental guitar songs full of incredible fingerwork.  The impressive thing was how smooth and easily he played his blistering solos–as if his fingers were longer than anybody else’s.

I completely didn’t register this show when it was announced and only realized that this was that guy a few days ago.  There was no way I was going to the show as I had a lot of other things going on, but I’m a little bummed I missed it.  Just a little.

I hadn’t heard of Night Verses (I don’t really follow the amazing-guitarists line of music anymore], but apparently they are one of those bands.  And their story is kind of interesting too

In 2017, the post-rock outfit Night Verses collectively decided it was time for a radical change. After five years and two critically acclaimed full-length albums, singer Douglas Robinson was going to leave the fold and the remaining members would forge ahead as a three-piece instrumental unit.

Having listened to them before and after, they made the right choice–they are so much better as an instrumental outfit.

Portraits are “a progressive instrumental (for the most part) band featuring guitarists Joshua De La Victoria & Joseph Anidjar.”  More technical mastery.  Rather less interesting than some, but still impressive.

Posted in Night Verses, Philadelphia, PA, Plini, Portraits, Union Transfer | Leave a Comment »

Cradle of Filth / Black Satellite / Blackbraid / Worm (Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ, October 17, 2016) [DID NOT ATTEND]

October 17, 2026 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 17, 2026] Cradle of Filth / Black Satellite / Blackbraid / Worm

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 in.

But I decided to see them in Allentown next week instead of at Starland.

I didn’t know Worm, but apparently I should have if this review from Metal Hammer is to be believed.

the band’s frontman/founder Phantom Slaughter and guitarist Wroth Septentrion [are] one of heavy music’s wackiest new bands. Mr Slaughter, whose real name remains a mystery to us, founded Worm as a solo project in 2012, after being inspired by the documentary Until The Light Takes Us and its depiction of Norwegian black metal. He channeled all of the infamous scene’s excess and kitsch (minus the church burnings and murder) into his own music, putting on corpse paint and writing screeching, frost-bitten songs that often soared past the 10-minute mark.  Necropalace, their fourth album, is the purest distillation of Worm’s ludicrousness. The 12-minute title track and its music video tell you everything you need to know, opening with devastating chords and lead guitars, then breaking into a sprint of whirlwind drums and quasi-symphonic keyboards. The visuals look like a snuff-film-slash-giallo-horror dug up in the Scandinavian wilderness, with Phantom wearing gauntlets and wielding a sword for no reason. But, the most maximalist bit doesn’t come until eight minutes in, when Wroth nails a solo so over-the-top that it would leave Yngwie Malmsteen bug-eyed. It’s batshit brilliance, turning black metal up to 11 before tearing the knob off.

Initially I didn’t care that they won’t be at my show in Allentown, but now I’m really bummed. Continue Reading »

Posted in Black Satellite, Blackbraid, Cradle of Filth, Moonspell, Sayreville, NJ, Starland Ballroom, Worm | Leave a Comment »

Isiliel / Eternal HOSHI with Arrow and Liza (Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ, October 17, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

October 17, 2026 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 11, 2026] Isiliel / Eternal Hoshi with Arrow and Liza

I had wanted to go to this show since I missed the PhilaMOCA one.  And when I realized it was at 1:30 PM I was sure it would be a really fun thing to do on a Saturday afternoon. And I gather that Eternal HOSHI played her music so she wasn’t singing to a backing track, which would have made this more fun.

But wow, I was wrecked after four nights in a row and we had a lot of stuff to do around the house so it just wouldn’t have worked out.  The show was only 90 minutes but with the drive, we were looking at about 4 hours total, and that was just too much time on a gorgeous Saturday.

So, sadly, I’ll have to wait until the next time Isiliel comes back.

I saw Isiliel twice in a few months back in 2023/2024.  It was weird and fun.

So, who is Isiliel?  She is Himari Tsukishiro who is the main singer in the Japanese band Necronomidol.  As her site puts it

Isiliel is a solo dance/vocal project by Himari Tsukishiro (NECRONOMIDOL).
Mixing genres as diverse as folk, blackgaze and city pop via a worldwide team of veteran songwriters such as King Dude and NARASAKI of COALTAR OF THE DEEPERS, through Isiliel Himari will express hitherto unexplored depths of pathos and beauty on stage.

She basically sang to her music that was played over the speakers.  As I said, it was fun but weird. Continue Reading »

Posted in Clifton NJ, Dingbatz, Eternal HOSHI, Isiliel, Necronomidol | Leave a Comment »

Pinhead Gunpowder / Night Shop / Hammered Hulls (First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia, PA, October 16, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

October 16, 2026 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 16, 2026] Pinhead Gunpowder / Night Shop / Hammered Hulls

There’s not much that could get me to go back to the First Unitarian Church.  There’s nothing wrong with the venue per se, and they have AMAZING bands playing there.  But my one experience was marred by so many logistical nightmares that I don’t even consider it when bands play there (it’s a me thing).

But when this show was announced,  I did consider it, and then it sold out in a second.  Why?  Because Pinhead Gunpowder has Billie Joe Armstrong on the band.  And when would you ever be able to see Billie Joe up close like that?  I don’t even know what they sound like.

“Pinhead Gunpowder started writing songs in 1990 and made our first 7-inch the following spring. Nearly every year since, we’ve met up to play. Some years we recorded-five albums and eleven EPs-and some years we played shows. But since 2010, we’ve been playing just for ourselves, something bands forget to do. A new record and tour was only a matter of time, but between the members’ other bands projects, and families, that was hard to find. When we finally did, we were all surprised. We think it’s our best yet-our catchiest, most collaborative, and most poignant.”
– Aaron Cometbus

The rest of the band is full of members who have been in other bands as well (although I only recognized one).  They play simple, catchy poppunk songs, as you might expect.

I hadn’t heard of the other two bands

Night Shop is from Los Angeles.

Led by Justin Sullivan, Night Shop delivers captivating music that combines elements of folk and indie rock. With heartfelt lyrics and soulful melodies, Night Shop creates a unique sound that resonates with listeners, drawing inspiration from various genres and artists such as Dougie Poole, Holiday Ghosts, and Bonny Doon [I haven’t hear do of any of them].

The songs I listened to were simple and catchy.

Hammered Hulls  is a kind of supergroup who have only one album out.

The band sees Alec McKaye (younger brother of Ian) playing with experimental/jazz guitarist Mark Cisneros and Mary Timony, yes that Mary Timony, on bass.  The album also features Chris Wilson, who I just saw with Ted Leo, on drums.  I’m not sure if he’ll eb with them as I think he’s touring with Ted.  But maybe that tour is over.  There’s a kind of Fugazi vibe to the album.  Kind of 80s punk but with some experimental things going on too.  They might be the most interesting band on the bill, actually.

Posted in First Unitarian Church, Hammered Hulls, Night Shop, Philadelphia, PA, Pinhead Gunpowder | Leave a Comment »

Lauren Ash (Kung Fu Necktie, Philadelphia, PA, October 15, 2026)

October 16, 2026 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: October 15, 2026] Lauren Ash

I have enjoyed Lauren Ash as an actress for a pretty long time–since I first saw her on Super Fun Night, and then of course on Superstore.  I had no idea she had put music out.  Indeed, I found out that Lauren Ash put out a record when I saw this show listed at Kung Fu Necktie.  So I had to look her up.  And she has an album out.  And I really liked it–90’s era pop punk, funny lyrics and catchy as anything.

I thought it would be interesting to see her, but I had a ticket to see The Dillinger Escape Plan that evening–quite a different sound.

The more I looked into the DEP show, the less I was interested in seeing the first two bands (no offense to them, I just didn’t think I could handle a full on heavy night), so I decided to do something wacky.  The Lauren Ash show started at 7.  What if I went to the Lauren Ash show at Kung Fu Necktie, and when she was done, I could drive to Underground Arts and see just DEP.  I had tried a similar plan a few times before with varying results.  But I assumed that Lauren’s show would be fairly short and that all would work out.

Here’s some deets on Lauren’s music career

She exploded onto the music scene in 2023 with her pop punk single “Now I Know” (which debuted at #1 on the Canadian iTunes rock chart and #5 on Billboard’s Alternative Download Chart). Her debut album “Call Me When You Get This” released in September 2025 featuring her single “Whiplash” which was nominated for a “Hollywood Independent Music Award” for best rock/pop song. She performed her single “Sad This Christmas” on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” and spoke about her music on “Jimmy Kimmel Live”.

I read some reviews of her UK shows and they were all positive, so I was in.

After The Droogettes set, her stage was set up wit a TV and a telephone.  When 9PM came around, the phone rang.  After several rings, Lauren’s voice said, can someone answer that please?  A woman answered it and Lauren thanked her and then asked if that person would start the TV.  Which she did.  And what played was a series of well wishes and teases from just about everyone from The Superstore cast as well as other folks (Cobie Smulders).  It was really funny and set a great tone for how the show might go.

Lauren’s band (a guitarist and drummer) came out on stage and then Lauren ran out to the stage.  She was psyched to be there and psyched to be playing music.  She brought an incredible energy.

The biggest surprise for me both on record and live is how high her voice is.  She has a pretty deep authoritative voice on her shows, but she was up an octave for these songs.  Of course I had to wonder if her higher voice had anything to do with her weight loss–I wouldn’t think so, but what do I know.

She started with Dumpster Fire and was clearly having a blast–jumping around stage and emoting the lyrics.  I enjoyed it a lot that she was snarky in her delivery when necessary–it added a lot to the presentation.  I know the album pretty well, so I was surprised when she played some songs I didn’t know.  Like The One Who Got Away (a 2024 single) and Now I Know (a 2023 single).

Lauren played guitar for a couple of songs and talked about how excited she was to be in a band. Continue Reading »

Posted in Blink 182, Eraser, Green Day, Kung Fu Necktie, Lit, Philadelphia, PA, Remember Sports, Super Fun Night, The Afterglows, Weezer | Leave a Comment »

RJD2 / Solar Circuit / Angelo Outlaw Trio (Milkboy, Philadelphia, PA, October 15, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND] [Philly Music Fest]

October 15, 2026 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 15, 2026] RJD2 / Solar Circuit / Angelo Outlaw Trio

RJD2is a music creator from Ohio.  I love his first album so much that I really had a hard time deciding whether or not to go to this show or Dillinger Escape Plan (so very different).  I lost track of RJD2 over the years and had no idea he was even still making music (he’s making a LOT).  He plays a lot with sounds and vibes from the 70s (especially TV theme songs).  I like most of the songle songs tha I hear from him, but i did wonder if he’d play anything off of Deadringer.  If I hadn’t had other things to see that night (and if I’d ever heard of the openers) I would have tried harder to go.  Especially after reading this review of an RJD2 show in July

RJD2- came out.  Right off the bat, I knew something was different just by the gear set up he was using.  I’m not going to pretend to know what all he was using up there, but it was definitely not your standard two turntables and a microphone setup.  He had two sampler pads in addition to the turntable setup and who knows what else, and he played all those things with all the passion and precision of a master musician.  It was extraordinary.  Honestly, I’ve never seen anything like it.  I really don’t even know what else to say.  I don’t know enough about the genre to make comparisons.  I don’t know the HOW of it all, what sort of musical sorcery he conjured to make it happen.  All I know, is I really, REALLY enjoyed it.  And I’m open minded enough to admit, I’ve been wrong to cast such a wide net of derision over an entire genre.

Solar Circuit is a Jamtronic Trance Fusion band, with improvisational roots to take the crowd down a unique and experimental path with each live set. “Even with influences like The Disco Biscuits, STS9, Lotus, and Phish, Solar Circuit maintains a unique style and sound in their live performances and in their recent studio work while mixing in the dance/trance element…”  They definitely have an electronic vibe to their sound that sets them apart.  I dig it, although I’d prefer if the songs were all instrumental.

Angelo Outlaw is a mallet percussionist, recording artist, composer, and instructor from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His elegantly funky sound weds contemporary groove jazz and progressive R&B to glitch-hop beats and downtempo atmospherics.and I’m quite certain the opening notes to Free My Mind are used on WXPN for one of their promos.  His music is retro and super cool, I really like it a lot.  Had I known this was what would be playing tonight I would have seriously considered going.

This sounds like a really grooving night–very very different than the night I chose to have.

Posted in Angelo Outlaw Trio, Milkboy, Philadelphia, PA, RJD2, Solar Circuit | Leave a Comment »

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