breathe, keep breathing
• So, I never wrote about the Horse Feathers show on Thursday May 10th.
It was good, but I was definitely tired from work and crawling Philly traffic, and neither my friend nor I were thrilled about the late start time - 9 p.m. for the first of three artists.
After a meal at the downstairs pub at uber-hipster Johnny Brenda's with its old wood tables inlaid with slowly flashing colored lights, we went upstairs to the main venue and got a spot along the railing of the tiny balcony overlooking the stage.
Matt Bauer opened. While I liked the music he has up at his website (very mellow, sparse, early Iron & Wine-sounding stuff), it was a little too repetitive and energy-sapping live.
Mount Moriah followed. Solid, female-led alt-country/indie folk. The lead singer, a tiny pixie of a thing, has a voice that reminds me a bit of Mary Lou Lord's, but stronger. The drummer looked a lot like Ray LaMontagne.
Horse Feathers have changed their lineup (still led by Justin Ringle, of course) since I last saw them, and I feel like they perhaps don't click as well as the previous incarnation. Maybe they're still finding their footing. Also, it's strange to see them with a full-time drummer. It takes them from near-chamber folk to a more straight-up rock sound, which I suppose is neither good nor bad as the chamber aspect remains undeniable.
The setlist stayed mostly within the most recent two albums, but also included "Curs In The Weeds," if I recall correctly. There was "Belly Of June," "The Drought," and the title track from Thistled Spring, plus "Summer For Capricorns," "So Long," and "Fit Against The Country" from their new album Cynic's New Year. No cover of Nirvana's "Drain You," alas.
• Then there was Mark Lanegan on Saturday, which I've already written about. Still heart-eyed about that.
• This past Tuesday, it was Glen Phillips at the Tin Angel.
This was the rescheduled show from when he'd had laryngitis back in March.
I don't think I'll be doing three shows in six days again any time soon, but I'm glad I got to see Glen solo again. It's been... many, many years (don't make me get out the abacus).
Before the show, desertgoddess and I met up for sandwiches at the more affordable bar/shop next to Serrano's (the street level restaurant above which the Tin Angel is located).
Then, to kill time before the show, we wandered around the deliriously-packed Book Trader. I came away with Stephen Fry's Paperweight for $4 and three classical records (each for under $2): Vivaldi's Solo Concerti Op. 11, Schubert's 8th Symphony b/w Tchaikovsky's Romeo & Juliet, and Granados' Goyescas (romantic piano piece inspired by Goya's paintings and sketches). I was also tempted by a Caedmon recording of All's Well That Ends Well (a have a small collection of their Shakespeare that I started over a decade ago), but forgot about it in my record lust and the utter disorganization of the vinyl room.
At the Tin Angel, we opted for the chairs against the wall, right next to the stage, which meant we were pretty much at dick level (as one of S.'s friends put it) for the whole show. Awkward seats were awkward. But interesting. *g*
The opener, Jonathan Kingham, had a very soulful, very pleasant but - I have to admit - unremarkable voice. He reminded me a bit of Jason Manns in that sense. Just lacking that extra, undefinable something. But he was very charming and funny (much like Manns), including the audience in his songs in a teasing but warm way. He covered Bobby Brown's "Every Little Step" (hilariously) and brought Glen out for a song at the end.
Glen continues to defy the laws of aging. Also, his slight similarity to Jensen Ackles (and I do say slight - Glen is much skinnier and shorter) becomes more prominent when viewing his profile. I did quite enjoy watching the muscles on his left arm move as he played guitar, having no real view of guitar-playing otherwise.
His voice sounded lovely, in top form. And he seemed to be in an excellent mood. Not unusual at all, he seemed even more comfortable and chatty once he called Jonathan up on stage to join him (which he did for the remainder of the main set). Of course, Jonathan's never going to be a match for Todd (one of Glen's comrades in Toad the Wet Sprocket, for those who don't know), but his harmonies rounded out the songs nicely.
There was talk of how he planned to visit the Mütter Museum the next day and said he'd definitely be checking out their gift shop for a present for his wife, as she's apparently a medical science geek (she is still a midwife, isn't she?). I believe he also mentioned Eastern State Penitentiary. *stamp of approval all around* :)
I don't know the exact setlist, but songs included:
Train Wreck
Whatever I Fear
Always Have My Love [WPA song]
Solar Flare
Duck and Cover
My Own Town
Rise Up [WPA]
I Want A New Drug [Huey Lewis and the News cover, with a bit of Queen's Of The Stone Age's "Feel Good Hit Of The Summer" thrown in at the end]
All I Want
Windmills
Everything But You
Easier
The encore was played solo, consisting entirely of covers... the first of which was exquisite and my favorite moment of the night (and perfect, since I've been in a Radiohead mood lately):
Exit Music (For A Film) [seriously, haunting and gorgeous]
Brothers On A Hotel Bed [Death Cab For Cutie]
Political Science [Randy Newman]
Sir Duke [Stevie Wonder]
Glen didn't speak of Toad or whether or not things are progressing with the supposed album that's been in the works since last year. Hopefully it hasn't been abandoned.
• Bookwise, I'm currently engrossed in The Hunger Games trilogy. (Late to the party, per usual.)
At the moment, I'm a little over a third of the way through the second book. Unlike the first book, I had to get Catching Fire and Mockingjay on hardcover because that's all B&N had and I was too impatient and thus unwilling to wait and order the cheaper paperback versions (the Book Trader didn't have any... or if they did, the copies were well buried). Only, just to be sure, I asked a woman at B&N's information desk, and she gave me the most snobbish, exasperated huff of a response. Maybe she'd been asked about paperback editions multiple times that day. But you know what? That is no reason to treat your customers like they're wasting your time. Shall I point to the sign hanging over your head, lady? THAT is your job. And my question was simple and asked politely.
Also, no fucking reason to be snobbish. (At least I wasn't asking about 50 Shades of Gray.) She was like an indie bookstore character out of Portlandia, but without being remotely funny.
Anyway, the movie seems to still be in some local theaters. Hoping I can catch it now that I've read the book. It will be interesting to see how they depict it onscreen, considering we get the story from Katniss's isolated POV in the book.
• Season finale of Supernatural tonight. I cannot wrap my head around that fact. Where did this season go? Where will it go?
And will I be able to stay awake? (Soooo sleepy. *has turned into a grandma*)
It was good, but I was definitely tired from work and crawling Philly traffic, and neither my friend nor I were thrilled about the late start time - 9 p.m. for the first of three artists.
After a meal at the downstairs pub at uber-hipster Johnny Brenda's with its old wood tables inlaid with slowly flashing colored lights, we went upstairs to the main venue and got a spot along the railing of the tiny balcony overlooking the stage.
Matt Bauer opened. While I liked the music he has up at his website (very mellow, sparse, early Iron & Wine-sounding stuff), it was a little too repetitive and energy-sapping live.
Mount Moriah followed. Solid, female-led alt-country/indie folk. The lead singer, a tiny pixie of a thing, has a voice that reminds me a bit of Mary Lou Lord's, but stronger. The drummer looked a lot like Ray LaMontagne.
Horse Feathers have changed their lineup (still led by Justin Ringle, of course) since I last saw them, and I feel like they perhaps don't click as well as the previous incarnation. Maybe they're still finding their footing. Also, it's strange to see them with a full-time drummer. It takes them from near-chamber folk to a more straight-up rock sound, which I suppose is neither good nor bad as the chamber aspect remains undeniable.
The setlist stayed mostly within the most recent two albums, but also included "Curs In The Weeds," if I recall correctly. There was "Belly Of June," "The Drought," and the title track from Thistled Spring, plus "Summer For Capricorns," "So Long," and "Fit Against The Country" from their new album Cynic's New Year. No cover of Nirvana's "Drain You," alas.
• Then there was Mark Lanegan on Saturday, which I've already written about. Still heart-eyed about that.
• This past Tuesday, it was Glen Phillips at the Tin Angel.
This was the rescheduled show from when he'd had laryngitis back in March.
I don't think I'll be doing three shows in six days again any time soon, but I'm glad I got to see Glen solo again. It's been... many, many years (don't make me get out the abacus).
Before the show, desertgoddess and I met up for sandwiches at the more affordable bar/shop next to Serrano's (the street level restaurant above which the Tin Angel is located).
Then, to kill time before the show, we wandered around the deliriously-packed Book Trader. I came away with Stephen Fry's Paperweight for $4 and three classical records (each for under $2): Vivaldi's Solo Concerti Op. 11, Schubert's 8th Symphony b/w Tchaikovsky's Romeo & Juliet, and Granados' Goyescas (romantic piano piece inspired by Goya's paintings and sketches). I was also tempted by a Caedmon recording of All's Well That Ends Well (a have a small collection of their Shakespeare that I started over a decade ago), but forgot about it in my record lust and the utter disorganization of the vinyl room.
At the Tin Angel, we opted for the chairs against the wall, right next to the stage, which meant we were pretty much at dick level (as one of S.'s friends put it) for the whole show. Awkward seats were awkward. But interesting. *g*
The opener, Jonathan Kingham, had a very soulful, very pleasant but - I have to admit - unremarkable voice. He reminded me a bit of Jason Manns in that sense. Just lacking that extra, undefinable something. But he was very charming and funny (much like Manns), including the audience in his songs in a teasing but warm way. He covered Bobby Brown's "Every Little Step" (hilariously) and brought Glen out for a song at the end.
Glen continues to defy the laws of aging. Also, his slight similarity to Jensen Ackles (and I do say slight - Glen is much skinnier and shorter) becomes more prominent when viewing his profile. I did quite enjoy watching the muscles on his left arm move as he played guitar, having no real view of guitar-playing otherwise.
His voice sounded lovely, in top form. And he seemed to be in an excellent mood. Not unusual at all, he seemed even more comfortable and chatty once he called Jonathan up on stage to join him (which he did for the remainder of the main set). Of course, Jonathan's never going to be a match for Todd (one of Glen's comrades in Toad the Wet Sprocket, for those who don't know), but his harmonies rounded out the songs nicely.
There was talk of how he planned to visit the Mütter Museum the next day and said he'd definitely be checking out their gift shop for a present for his wife, as she's apparently a medical science geek (she is still a midwife, isn't she?). I believe he also mentioned Eastern State Penitentiary. *stamp of approval all around* :)
I don't know the exact setlist, but songs included:
Train Wreck
Whatever I Fear
Always Have My Love [WPA song]
Solar Flare
Duck and Cover
My Own Town
Rise Up [WPA]
I Want A New Drug [Huey Lewis and the News cover, with a bit of Queen's Of The Stone Age's "Feel Good Hit Of The Summer" thrown in at the end]
All I Want
Windmills
Everything But You
Easier
The encore was played solo, consisting entirely of covers... the first of which was exquisite and my favorite moment of the night (and perfect, since I've been in a Radiohead mood lately):
Exit Music (For A Film) [seriously, haunting and gorgeous]
Brothers On A Hotel Bed [Death Cab For Cutie]
Political Science [Randy Newman]
Sir Duke [Stevie Wonder]
Glen didn't speak of Toad or whether or not things are progressing with the supposed album that's been in the works since last year. Hopefully it hasn't been abandoned.
• Bookwise, I'm currently engrossed in The Hunger Games trilogy. (Late to the party, per usual.)
At the moment, I'm a little over a third of the way through the second book. Unlike the first book, I had to get Catching Fire and Mockingjay on hardcover because that's all B&N had and I was too impatient and thus unwilling to wait and order the cheaper paperback versions (the Book Trader didn't have any... or if they did, the copies were well buried). Only, just to be sure, I asked a woman at B&N's information desk, and she gave me the most snobbish, exasperated huff of a response. Maybe she'd been asked about paperback editions multiple times that day. But you know what? That is no reason to treat your customers like they're wasting your time. Shall I point to the sign hanging over your head, lady? THAT is your job. And my question was simple and asked politely.
Also, no fucking reason to be snobbish. (At least I wasn't asking about 50 Shades of Gray.) She was like an indie bookstore character out of Portlandia, but without being remotely funny.
Anyway, the movie seems to still be in some local theaters. Hoping I can catch it now that I've read the book. It will be interesting to see how they depict it onscreen, considering we get the story from Katniss's isolated POV in the book.
• Season finale of Supernatural tonight. I cannot wrap my head around that fact. Where did this season go? Where will it go?
And will I be able to stay awake? (Soooo sleepy. *has turned into a grandma*)