The Walrus is a Philadelphia-based music blog written by Michael. You may send me stuff through the send a tip page or email me. All mp3s should be sent as links. NO ATTACHMENTS, PLEASE. If I like your music, chances are I will write about it.
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“Nooo requests!” shouted Colin Newman in his snotty, yet charming British accent halfway through the band’s blistering set at Johnny Brenda’s in Philadelphia.
I thought to myself, “Wait, no requests? Boo! Ok, how about just playing my all-time favorite Wire song “The 15th?” Sure, up to that point, the set was a well-paced mix of old and new material (including songs from Pink Flag!), but I needed to hear THIS song.
This past Friday I headed to see current buzz band Chairlift at Reward, the new shop spot in Old City Philadelphia. I’ll admit I had my doubts about how they would perform live (I’m always skeptical these days), but thankfully those doubts were shattered in a matter of minutes, once the band began their set.
Last Friday I had the pleasure of catching Brooklyn’s Takka Takka play their mix of highly nuanced and textual indie-pop at Philly’s MRoom. Indeed, the band sounded great (especially vocals, which were thankfully set high in the mix). After the show, I sat down with lead vocalist Gabe and guitarist Drew, had some beers, and attempted to find out what this band, with an unusual name, is all about.
Ah, the day had finally come. The day when these ears would FINALLY bare witness to a once unlikely live performance by 80s/90s shoegaze pioneers My Bloody Valentine. (read part 1 of this story here and part 2 here) Yes, the seminal Irish band would be appearing in front of me at The Roseland Ballroom in NYC, in the flesh, to continue their recent reclamation as “the loudest band on earth.”
On Fourth of July eve I ventured out to the M Room in Fishtown to witness the man, the myth, the bunny who goes by the name Nobunny. His name is obviously a reference to Rene Magritte’s iconic 1929 “This is Not a Pipe.” Obviously!
Oh and how surreal the performance was. What this dude lacked in clothing he made up for in balls (metaphorically speaking of course). The music was a fun mix of garage rock and punk, but was ultimately secondary to the freak show that accompanied it.
On Saturday, Robin and I attended the Popped! Fest in West Philly. The oh-so-dreammmyyy indie bill included Dan Deacon, Gogol Bordello, Crystal Castles and others (we only caught a song or two from The Ting Tings and weren’t interested in seeing Vampire Weekend or Mates of State). The weather was absolutely perfect for an outdoor fest and the crowd was definitely with it. Check out some reviews and photos from the event:
In the falltide, fellow Walruser Michael gave some love to three Aussie prog-rockers otherwise known as Midnight Juggernauts. Sweet find! Thanks to this hawt tip, I grabbed an opportunity to shoot the shit with the Juggernauts before a sweaty-as-hell dance-fest at Johnny Brenda’s on Wednesday night!
I must say, going through with the interview was a good decision. Midnight Juggernauts are more than their slightly pigeon-holed, yet duly-earned “Justice-approved” moniker. Plus, they rocked the Art in the Age threads I brought for them! Follow along as I head into the proverbial unknown with these intergalactic chaps…
On Tuesday night, Robin and I headed over to Johnny Brenda’s in Philadelphia’s Fishtown section to catch Sweden’s newest pop chanteuse, Lykke Li. Yep, we were psyched! It was a beautiful night and we sat outside eating chicken tacos and hummus, as we awaited her arrival. Soon enough, Lykke and her crew, including the super-talented El Perro Del Mar, arrived out front in a giant dark blue bus. When Lykke got settled in and made her way outside for some air, we quickly introduced ourselves and invited her to our table for a quick chat before soundcheck.
The temperature in Philly was falling rapidly, but not inside the First Unitarian Church on Wednesday night. I arrived just in time to catch headliners MENOMENA of Portland, OR.
This was my first time going to a show at The First Unitarian Church in well over a year and a half. Why, you ask? Well, as I get older, the old church basement, bursting at the seams with non-deodorized high schoolers, has stopped being the setting for my ideal evening.
However, I’m glad I made the return to its sweaty depths. Aside from a few girls who refused to make space for my one hundred pound self to take two damn photographs for this write-up (dicks!), the excitement (read: screaming and flailing) emanating from groups of really hyped fans put me in good spirits.
Barefoot Rock n’ Sole
Beyond the atmosphere, I’d point to MENOMENA’s characteristic musically “involved” performance. I’m talking about how fun it was to watch three guys messing with guitars, keyboard, alto sax, MIDI synth, and a glockenspiel. At some point during “Muscle n’ Flo”, I couldn’t resist the temptation any longer and joined the insane dancefest in the front. A girl I had never met before in my life hugged me with gusto while screaming, “MENOMENA! MENOMENA! MENOMENA!” Maybe I haven’t grown out of shows at the church after all.
And as a really awesome addition, check out this video of the show, courtesy of Mike from Eattapes.
