Favorite Concerts of 2023 (#10-#6)

10. The Movielife with Piebald at the Underground Arts August 6th

The Movielife played the entire 40 Hour Train Back To Penn record and had me singing the entire show. Piebald was equally as good that night and just added to an excellent night of music.

9. Gouge Away at the Ukie Club August 4th

This was the best reaction Gouge Away ever received in Philly and I absolutely enjoyed every minute of this set. One of those ones that I wish I could relive.

8. Drain/Drug Church/Magnitude /GEL/Restraining Order at the Brass Mug in Tampa, FL June 14th

WHAT A BILL OF BANDS!! I saw this show while on vacation in Tampa Florida and it was indeed the hottest show I ever attended. All the bands killed it and that place was an absolute warzone.

7. The Postal Service and Death Cab For Cutie with Warpaint at the Mann Center September 21st

An absolutely perfect set by both bands involved here! The Postal Service just sounded incredible and the atmosphere was one that easily was the best of the year! Death Cabn For Cutie played Transatlanticism front to back which is one of my favorite records.

6. High Vis/End It at the First Unitarian Church April 15th

High Vis are a very hyped band but the hype was absolutely warranted. I ended up having a blast watching them for the first time and can't wait to see where they go next! End It was equally as cool despite their singer sounding sometimes like a cartoon character!

i had soo much fun at the alex g show ive never been to a show in a huge venue amphitheater esque place before it was really fun and i liked the seated aspect tbh :) driving to philly was a fkn nightmare there was soo much traffic in virginia n maryland and then in philly too so we were a little late to tanukichan's set. i was sooo looking forward to hearing hunned bandz so im rly sad they didnt let her play her last song (cuz the fire alarm went off after like 8 seconds and they just ended her set 😭plus her whole performance was so short she only played 5 songs.. ig makes sense for a long show w coheadliners plus her but shes underrateddd) i was so disappointed ngll but she sounded really good and i got to hear some songs off gizmo that i really luv :) alvvays was good too but tbh i dont listen to them that much and im not a hugest fan of their sound sometimes (sorru if im debased) but it was still a good performance. i liked the sound quality in the venue bc it was so loud when i went to get merch u can still hear the music nd everything.. i got my bf a Gizmo t shirt its super cute and i like how it looks on him it has the gizmo dog on it i said it was bf coded.. nd im also gonna wear it.. and i got a Gizmo cd and we talked to tanukichan's drummer for a bit he was nice :) and then i Did not get the white Alex g angel tank top that i wanted sososo bad bc they only had XL left so i got the black t shirt instead whateva.. its still cute.. then it took loke 40 min to get drinks bc the ljnes were so long and i got this rlyy yummy drink and all the beers and seltzers were 15$? and everyone was buying them? lol but we said fuck it nd got drinks cuz its fun to drink at shows and drinking to alex g was soooo fun i got so tipsy off my drink and mine was yummy so actually worth it, my bf got a nasty pale ale lmao but i was vibingg sm to alexs set i loved it sm every song was great and its just so much fun going to a show for an artist u love and know every song etcetc and i was hving a lot of fun dancing and singing and kissing my bf and holding onto him when i felt the alcohol more and recording videos (ive been listenjng and watching my concert videos sinceee i recorded a lot even tho i thought i wouldnt but its always worth it to me to get clips of songs i love bc i always go back and listen) etc. my favs probably were bug, sportstar, immunity, rejoyce ;) also molly was there and she was amazing!! and then after the show we walked around for a bit and then briefly talked to alex gs brother lmfaooo and then went to our airbnb which was not hard to find or a pain so that was nice bc i was sososoo tired and it was a cute little room and we ordered pizza and watched adventure time episode then passed out and then had morning sex then went 20 min to NJ to a dispensary and bought 💨 and drove 7 hours back which was brutal and i have to go to work tmrw but its ok i had a lot of fun 👍even tho i spent soo much on gas and parking etcetc but worth it.. i never go on tripsss.. tho i wish i had longer for trips cuz we didnt do any sightseeing or anything bc then wed get back home rly latee </3 but its ok. i rly liked philly tho ^-^

this isnt even really abt mcr but man i feel like so many people at the shows just have no energy. people kept staring at me weird because i was jumping along to the music near barricade like man wtf am i gonna do NOT go apeshit its fucking mcr

wait okay real. not at the barricade in philly but my other 2 shows there were people around me like pissed that i was screaming and dancing LOL. this is a fucking rock concert bro. stop recording whole songs and dance

Hello Bux,

Next bingo numbers for your concert ask.

15. who is an artist you haven’t seen that you’d love to?

25. which concert did you feel the most exhausted after?

26 (edited). do you often get concert hangovers or post concert depression? how do you deal with it?

(stay strong, fashion week may have started, but it will also end.)

Who is an artist you haven’t seen that you’d love to?

Seaway! The best Canadian pop punk band nobody’s heard of.

Which concert did you feel the most exhausted after?

Definitely Alabama 3! A week earlier I had been hospitalized with food poisoning, but it was potentially my only chance to see one of my favorite bands perform one of my favorite records in full, so I was undeterred. I flew a red-eye into Heathrow after work that Friday, queued for the gig, saw the gig, went out partying with a bunch of Brits who took a clueless Yank under their wing and ensured I got back to my hotel safely, crashed the night, and flew back to JFK Sunday morning. I have never been so exhausted in my life. But it was worth it!

Do you often get concert hangovers or post concert depression? how do you deal with it?

Totally. Nothing brings me more joy than following the Whigs around on a tour circuit, so I’m always a little bummed out afterward. Last year I did Milwaukee/Orlando/Chicago/NOLA/DC/Philly/Brooklyn, and Chicago and New Orleans are two of my favorite cities in the world to be. It was the first AW tour after COVID paralyzed the industry, so to have that part of my life back was a spiritual homecoming.

The best cure for the post-gig blues is to see another gig :) I try to hit up a small hometown show when I get back from a Tourcation to ease the comedown.

A while back I began covering the history of Jay Z and Nas' beef. I finish everything I say I will, even if it's a little late. So I present the continuation of their feud as well as the conclusion. Feel free to catch up on part one.

Nas - Stillmatic Freestyle (H to The Omo) - So Jay and the Roc had been firing shots for a while and Nas had not directly responded to any of them. Simply stating that he would not bow down. So one day he goes on the radio and he kicks a freestyle over an Eric B and Rakim remix. It's the normal Nas freestyle then he says "N.Y. City, grab a hold and ride with me." He then proceeds to drop bomb after bomb on Roc-a-fella artist including

Rip the Freeway, shoot through Memphis with money bags. Stop in Philly, order cheese steaks and eat Beans fast and bring it back up top, remove the fake king of New York. You show off, I count dough off when you sample my voice, I rule you, before, you used to rap like the Fu-Schnickens, Nas designed your Blueprint, who you kidding? Is he H to the izz-O, M to the izz-O? For shizzle you phony, the rapping version of Sisqo

Summer Jam - Nas wants to hang Jay Z mannequin on stage during his set at Summer Jame. Nas is told that would not allow this at all or any other actions that can be considered as adding fire to his beef with Jay Z and Roc-A-Fella. Nas then pulls out of the concert and is replaced with Jay Z. Jay Z kills Prodigy on Screen by releasing the photos of Prodigy performing ballet routines, who portrayed himself as a gangster from the poorest of ghettos. Nas boycotts Hot 97 for several years providing competitors with exclusive interviews and tracks first. Afterwards he begins to care less for the beef feeling as if there are certain people who are determined to make him out to be a loser. That is until Takeover dropped.

Jay Z - Takeover - Takeover was primarily a Mobb Deep diss. Mainly because Prodigy didn't know how to shut up. Havoc just happened to catch shots for standing next to him. In fact, Nas had also dissed prodigy in a few bars on It Was Written while featuring Havoc on the album because Prodigy couldn't stop bothering people. Anyway it's all good for Nas until that 3rd verse hits. with "I know you miss it Nas (FAME)" then you just had to sit and listen. One of the coldest lines in the track was:

Yeah I sampled your voice, you was using it wrong, you made it a hot line, I made it a hot song, and you ain't get a coin, nigga, you was getting fucked then I know who I paid, God - Serchlite publishing.

This was the line that really go under Nas' skin because it just wasn't true but people rode with it. MC Search who owned Searchlite (Named Zomba at the time) waited until 2014 to explain what happened. Jay Z did pay $2000 for the sample and 50 percent of the royalties. However he only paid for clearance because Searchlight only distributed Nas material and did not own any of his masters. Also the name of the company wasn't Searchlight until 2012. Nas Deal with Searchlight actually included the clause that he receive 50 percent of any money they make from his publishing so in the end, Jay really did pay Nas $1000 for that sample. He just didn't know it.

Anyway Nas feelt that Jay had gotten everything off his chest despite saying things like:

You said you've been in this 10, I've been in it 5, smarten up, Nas, 4 albums in 10 years, nigga? I could divide, that's one every...let's say 2, 2 of them shits was due, 1 was "nah," the other was Illmatic, that's a one-hot-album-every-10-year average

Nas - Ether - There was no plan to respond to Takeover. Nas was done with the beef until Jungle informed him that the streets were saying that his career was over if he didn't respond. So Nas rolled out of bed and recorded Ether. Nas really did start a lot of the things that would haunt Jay Z forever. The big lips camel thing, that was Nas. Nas also killed the Roc by claiming all their artists were irrelevant, just Jay's sidekicks and look what happened to them. Kanye is like the one outlier. The first two verses were gentle warning shots that Jay should turn the track off. Here are some excerpts from that last verse:

Y'all niggas deal with emotions like bitches, what's sad is I love you, ‘cause you're my brother, you traded your soul for riches, my child, I've watched you grow up to be famous, and now I smile like a proud dad, watching his only son that made it

Jay did in fact open up for Jaz on a tour that he was sharing with Large Professor's group Mainsource, that featured Nas as a lead member. In a sense, Jay was opening for Nas' opener.

You seem to be only concerned with dissin' women, were you abused as a child? Scared to smile? They called you ugly? Well, life is harsh; hug me! Don't reject me!

Jay admitted all of this on 'Song Cry'

You a fan, a phony, a fake, a pussy, a Stan

Jay Z has literally mentioned Nas, had a Nas sample or a Nas feature on every album except Watch The Throne

I still whip your ass; you 36 in a karate class? You Tae-Bo ho, tryna work it out, you tryna get brolic?

Jay Z was known to take martial arts classes at the time, he however stopped after this line.

Jay Z - Supa Ugly - If you ever heard the Angie Martinez interview with Jay the first time he heard Ether you would know he was upset by it. Not mad, just upset and on the verge of tears. He responded with one of the nastiest diss tracks ever. Supa Ugly came right after the passing of Nas mother so it didn't actually hit Nas because he was so emotionally numb at the time. It did hit him when Jay Z's mother forced him to call and apologize. The first verse has Jay claiming Nas ran away from a fight because Jay had Beanie Sigel and Memphis Bleek with him, but neither has backed up the story. The second claims Nas had his chain stolen and JT The Bigga Figa bought it back for him, but again nobody backed Jay on this. That third verse, well that shit is all true. Here are some bars from Supa Ugly, it may not be the greatest diss of all time, but it was the most disrespectful:

Me and the boy A.I. got more in common than just balling and rhyming, Get it? More in Carmen, I came in your Bentley backseat, skeeted in your Jeep, left condoms on your baby seat.

That's the part that had Jay Z's mother force him to apologize. Yes it's true, he did sleep with the mother of Nas' first child Carmen Bryan, and so did Allen Iverson. In fact a lot of people did, she wrote a book about it. The thing is, the book was flattering to Jay either. During interviews she claimed that most of the time they spent together wasn't having sex in Nas' vehicles. It was him asking increasingly personal questions about Nas. She claimed that it was almost as if Jay wanted to be Nas best friend.

Jay goes on to make reference to the fact that Nas already knew about the affair but was trying to keep quiet so as not to ruin his street cred. This was the last diss in beef that most people look at and it just wasn't the last one. It did however bring a lot of things to the front that caused Jay and Nas to spill their hearts on tracks about how they really felt.

Jay Z - Blueprint 2 - This is Jay's last dissin the feud. He actually promised to diss Nas every year until Nas quit rapping. The instrumental is probably one of my favorite's of all time, but lyrically, Jay just comes off bitter at Nas, Rosie Parez, Prodigy and a lot of other people. The track equates to "Why y'all don't love me like y'all love him." It sounds petty and that's probably why Jay didn't go through with his promise to diss Nas every year, after hearing Nas' response with "Last Real Nigga Alive." Jay sounds bitter, but he does bring up some good points. Rosie Perez wrote an article for XXL applauding Nas for his lyrics praising women of color and shaming Jay Z for his overuse of the words "bitch and hoe," which Nas also uses, just to a much lesser extent, especially at the time. Jay states:

I'm sorry Miss Rosie Perez, I call a spade a spade, it just is what it is, but you can't give cred to anything dude says, same dude to give you ice and you owe him some head, shorty, it's time to wake up the dead, you sound a little naive in them articles that I read

He's got a point. Nas will do songs like "The American Way" where he defends black women and turn around and drop songs like "The Makings of a Perfect Bitch" on the same album. Jay also brings up a good point when bringing up charities. This is the first and last time Jay ever mentioned his giving to charity on a song. Jay states:

Can't y'all see that he's fake, the rap version of T.D. Jakes, prophesizing on your CDs and tapes. Won't break you a crumb of the little bit that he makes and this is with whom you want to place your faith. I put dollars on mine, ask Columbine, when the Twin Towers dropped, I was the first in line, donating proceeds off every ticket sold, when I was out on the road, that's how you judge Hov, no? Ain't I supposed to be absorbed in myself? Every time there's a tragedy, I'm the first one to help, they call me this misogynist, but they don't call me the dude to take his dollars to give gifts at the projects. These dudes is all politics, depositing checks, they put in they pocket, all you get in return is a lot of lip and y'all buy the shit, caught up in the hype

Jay is right, he does donate a ton of money to charity, then and now. Nas donates to charity as well, but not on the same levels. However, to be fair to Nas he has always been about creating economic equality through building businesses from the ground up. While Jay has purchased business and made a lot of money from them, the number Nas has invested in is ridiculous. Nas actually owns Queensbridge Venture Partners where he invests in different small businesses.  As of 2015 Nas managed to get in on the ground floor in over 40 businesses including; Bevel, Dropbox, Lyft, Lookout and many more.

Jay has good points but the reason people thought he sounded bitter was his flustered and angry tone as well as bars like:

You opened the door god, I'm at you annually

Cause the nigga wear a kufi, it don't mean that he bright, cause you don't understand him, it don't mean that he nice, it just means you don't understand all the bullshit that he write

Since I will not lose, they try to help him cheat

I will not lose, for even in defeat, there's a valuable lesson learned, so it evens up for me

I'm a legend, you should take a picture with me

You should be happy to be in my presence

This was probably my favorite diss track from Jay. If he had started the beef saying this stuff it wouldn't have been as debated about who won. Instead he waited until his feelings were hurt to actually say these things.

Nas - Last Real Nigga Alove - So this is Nas putting the all of his beef to rest. Not because he gives up but because he's tired of it. For some perspective it comes from his album God's Son. Nas' mother had just passed and he had actually retired from music at this point. However before his mother passed she asked that he never stop making music. The result was God's Son featuring a different Nas more focused on trying to enjoy life than past problems.

The first verse features Nas explaining how he met BIG and Diddy as well as what led to their beef. In this case it was because Nas was too passive. He let other people drag him into a beef he wanted nothing to do with and this one actually hurt because he considered him and BIG to be friends. He opens the verse with:

Y'all don't know about my Biggie wars, who you thought "Kick In The Door" was for? But that's my heart, y'all still tripping off the Jigga shit

If you listen to "Kick in The Door" that first verse is about Nas and uses the same Leprechaun bars that Jay Z would recycle on "Takeover." Nas never even responded to the track before "Last Real Nigga Alive" because he was too upset about it.

The second verse touches on a lot of issues. The big one here is Nas admitting Carmen cheated on him with more than Jay Z and it was Nas' own fault because he didn't pay her any attention. He's also not mad about it anymore which is a big jump from his song "The Cross" earlier in the album. Then he talks about Jay. Nas was spending time with his mother when "Takeover" dropped and he understands why Jay did it. Nas believes Jay did it because Jay wanted to be the top rapper in New York and for that to happen, Nas had to be taken out. But Nas goes on to say, he doesn't care about chasing that crown, because as he stated in verse 1 king of New York brought him nothing but problems and lost friends. The big kick here is how Nas ends it:

I was Scarface, Jay was Manolo, it hurt me when I had to kill him and his whole squad for dolo

If you've ever seen the movie Scarface, Manolo is the best friend of Tony the title character. Tony kills Manolo after he sleeps with Tony's sister. Despite Tony always thinking Manolo was soft killing him actually did hurt Tony. In this case, Nas had been friends with Jay. Large Professor backed this up. Large Professor also stated that there where three other versions of "Ether" that Nas scrapped because they went too far with lines like "It should have been you who died in that plane crash instead of Aaliyah." So yeah, Nas was hurt and he was done with the beef because.

The End

So that's the history of Jay and Nas. The next thing that happened was Jay became president of Def Jam and immediately signed Nas to one of the biggest contracts in the label's history. They followed it up by closing out Jay Z's "I Declare War" concert together after Jay had brought a bunch of rappers together to end their beefs. Then they did a bunch of songs together and hang out now. It's weird seeing Jay and Beyonce at Nas birthday party or Nas at the openin

Declan McKenna – Union Transfer – Philadelphia, PA – June 2, 2023

Declan McKenna, 24-year-old English singer-songwriter, made his “Big Return” to the US this spring and summer. The “Big Return Tour” made a stop at Philly’s Union Transfer. This tour is his first in the US since before the pandemic, making his show not only super in demand but sold out!

The crowd of 1,200 waited patiently for Declan to make his entrance while enjoying the company of the opener, The Oracle Sisters. Performing a similar style to McKenna’s music, the crowd loved them! Hyping up the crowd with so many guitar solos and even a flute solo! They got the crowd re-energized & ready for McKenna.

McKenna made his way onto the stage and kicked the night off with “Beautiful Faces,” a hit off his latest album, Zeros. Right off the bat, everyone was jumping and going absolutely crazy for Declan. He played two more songs off of Zeros before playing “Paracetamol” off his debut album What Do You Think About the Car? Hearing the reactions of the crowd the whole night, I think it’s safe to say his debut album was full of songs that the crowd couldn’t get enough of.

After some slower and more mellow songs, McKenna said “Who’s ready to dance?” before playing the intro to “Why Do You Feel So Down?” Concertgoers were seen jumping and dancing with their friends and loved ones while screaming the lyrics. The night was a beautiful and tasteful mix of his two albums and the single “My House.”

The moment so many people were waiting for, “Brazil,” Declan’s biggest hit and widely known now for being viral on Tik Tok. The crowd was the loudest it had been all night; phones were out and recording while others danced and screamed the lyrics along with the singer. It was the end of the show, or so the audience thought.

McKenna came back out with two more songs and didn’t leave the crowd hungry for more. With a cover of George Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass” the crowd was in awe of Declan’s vocals and just enjoying his presence. Before leaving, he ended with “British Bombs,” another one of his most known singles. He put his guitar down, picking up the tambourine, jumping and running around the stage while singing the anti-war and politically charged song. The crowd was back to the hype it had for “Brazil” and wasn’t ready for the night to end. Before exiting, Declan thanked the crowd relentlessly and walked off stage.

Leaving the venue, concert goers were heard speaking to their friends about how in awe they were of the show and praising McKenna’s long-awaited performance after waiting so many years for his return to Philly.

Maria Gilles

Copyright ©2023 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: June 4, 2023.

I'm going to the 100 gecs Machine Girl concert and checked your blog to see if you're also going lel. 😎👍 What are your favourite Machine Girl songs, and what can I expect (I never go to concerts)

OH IM GOING TO THE PHILLY SHOW YEAH

my favorite machine girl songs um well i cant pick a favorite, thats like picking a favorite child.

oh machine girl as a concert is wild um expect it to get HOT in there w all the people, expect pushing and moshing (walk away if not interested in joining), also crowd surfing from the lead singer and possibly anyone who can get on stage LOL. also wear ear plugs bc Loud. yeah thumbs up. hope you have fun!!! heres my favorite concert recording rn i think the vibe is so fun

4 and 13 for the music asks!

4. Top shows you have seen

AFI @ Philly 10/11/13 - I waited 9 hours in line to get a barricade spot for this show, and it was SO FUCKING WORTH IT. fantastic setlist including my AOD fave Ever and a Day, they played Brownie Bottom Sundae out of nowhere, and I got to experience Totalimmortal & God Called in Sick Today for the first time. the girl next to me getting the setlist when she wasn't even a fan of the band is still my mortal enemy tho.

AFI @ Sayreville, NJ 6/18/17 - This setlist was SO, SO goddamn incredible. My first time getting Strength Through Wounding as an opener was divine. I thought privately to myself that morning "man, I wish I could see Malleus Maleficarum live. If they played that one, I'd probably die on the spot," AND WOULDN'T YOU KNOW THEY PLAYED MALLEUS MALEFICARUM FOR THE FIRST TIME IN TEN YEARS THAT NIGHT????? when Adam started hitting the cymbals and I realized it was happening I started scrambling for my phone, but when that first chord riff rung out I just started SOBBING, desperately handing my phone off to my partner at the time to record it bc my hands were shaking. literally a religious experience for me, I screamed my heart out and I'll never forget that moment.

AFI & Green Day 08/14/10 @ Holmdel, NJ - I was 16 and my two favorite bands were touring together, who could ask for more? well apparently I could, because this was the second time I saw them on this tour (first one was only about 10 days prior in Camden), but at this show Davey Havok came out and sang Who Wrote Holden Caulfield? (one of my favorite old GD songs), and I got to touch Billie Joe's sweaty shoulder as he ran by our section lmao.

other cool concerts I've been to were The Crüxshadows in 2018 (Rogue, the lead singer, took me by the hand and led me to the stage to join the big Marilyn, My Bitterness finale on stage with a few dozen others, and I shared the gayest moment with their beautiful violinist Johanna), MCR in NJ in 2011 (the pit nearly killed me while the openers were going so I had to move to the sidestage area, but I still had a blast), and Blaqk Audio in 2019 (the only time I've gotten to see them thus far but it was MAGICAL).

13. Artists you would like to sit and have a chat with?

I mean, everyone knows I'd legit die if I got to sit down with Davey Havok & Jade Puget, right??? I wouldn't even know what to say to them, what questions I'd have that weren't just basic interview questions or just gushing over how much their music has shaped my life. But who wouldn't kill for that opportunity if it was given to them, you know???

Some other answers would be The Crüxshadows, Depeche Mode, Ludo, and Ghost.

Okay, now that I’ve had some time to digest this week and finally form thoughts and words on my experience, feelings and opinions, let’s dive in.

First let me start with this, I am 32 years old. I have been a @taylorswift fan since i was in high school. I can tell you exactly where i was the first time i heard Tim McGraw, gym class, during a badminton tournament, but that’s besides the point.

I am the youngest of three kids, and while we never financially struggled, we didn’t have extra funds for things like concerts, and i never asked because i didn’t want to be disappointed.

Up until this year, i have never been financially able to go to a TS tour. Because living in south central PA, it’s not just concert tickets; it’s gas to get to Philadelphia, tolls on the turnpike, a hotel room, food and everything else that comes with traveling out of town. So one concert easily turns into $1,500.

This year, i was finally in a position to afford a weekend concert, and, shockingly, was chosen for presale. To say that i was excited, is an understatement. However at 10am on Tuesday, my excitement quickly turned to distain. I sat in the queue for over 4 hours. Was kicked out multiple times, couldn’t find any of the Philadelphia shows, and when the shows finally did load, couldn’t get passed the first quarter of the queue line, was ready to give up. And when i finally did get in, I discovered nothing was left. See, i needed 3 tickets. One for me, and two for my best friends and fellow swifties.

None of us were able to get tickets. The experience literally sent me through the stages of grief. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. What was the most upsetting to me, was seeing over 6,000 for the Philly shows tickets being resold on stub hub, some for over $10,000.

The cancellation of general sale was like a sucker punch to the stomach. The math didn’t add up. How were 2.5 million tickets already sold? And how many presale codes were sent? (Spoiler alert, 1.5 million codes were sent). And how did ticket master not change their predictions based on the fact that Taylor had just broken every album release, streaming, and billboard chart record?

Now, let me be clear. I don’t hold anything against Taylor. This was 100% a Ticketmaster issue. Presale codes should have been required in or order to enter the queue, and presale should have happened in waves to ensure the site could handle the waves of fans/scalpers trying to buy tickets.

Taylor’s response to the ordeal broke my heart. You could tell she was pissed at Ticketmaster, upset for the fans that weren’t able to get tickets, and humbled by the 2.5 million tickets. But artists shouldn’t have to make a statement in regards to another companies responsibilities. The pressure and frustrations/anger she was receiving from her fan base was uncalled for, and felt very 2016.

Ticketmasters response was an absolute joke. They blamed the mass amount of Taylor’s fans, bragged about records, and made excuses for the way things were handled. As someone who works in sales/customer service, i don’t care what happened, i care about the measures that are being taken to fix the system that failed, and how Ticketmaster plans to ensure that this won’t happen again. None of that was mentioned in their statement.

So now, where does that leave us? still, ticketless, but i trust Taylor, i believe that she truly cares about her fans and i honestly think that she was the one that cancelled general sale because she didn’t want general sale to happen without the appropriate changes being made to the system. Am i right? Who knows. But that thought brings me a little bit of hope.

So now, we wait. And hopefully when ticket sales do resume, I’ll be able to secure 3.

Love,

Laura - A Swiftie.

Hi s! Congrats again on 1.7k! May I please have a ship? Tbh idk how to consolidate a description of myself. I’m apologizing now. This is as consolidated as I can be. I’m a sun june born Gemini and moon and rising scorpio so I’m all the crazy and chaos.

I’m 5’4” ish. Dark brown curly hair but I have bleached highlights so I’m fake blonde withy natural roots. Green eyes. Eyebrow game strong ish. Pretty light skin despite living in Arizona lol. Very expressive face. I hated my hair growing up but I learned to love it and properly take care of it. Reasons I’m a sucker for curls.

Also a fruit cocktail according to my grandma since I’m mixed with a whole lotta stuff. Reasons I relate to turning red more than expected. Also why I screamed when Raya was announced since Southeast Asia doesn’t get a whole lotta representation. A giant family on all sides I know of. Also family in 13 states. They’re crazy but I love them. I’m the self proclaimed black and rainbow sheep.

My style isn’t very consistent tbh. Like one day I could be in my pop punk/emo clothes but the next in super bright and colorful east coast prep vibes clothes. But then I have a variety of clothes to disneybound in. And Disney and other pop culture shirts and such. I wear pretty much whatever I want. My sweatshirt collection hit 50 finally. I think. I live in my Birkenstock’s during the summer and my various boots in the winter. Also for games. I collect loungefly and similar fandom purses. Mostly tangled and Disney.

Hobbies besides hockey: arts and crafts (so many mainly - watercolor, stamping and embossing, printmaking (making stamps and stencils and such), drawing, cricut machine, card making, etc), bullet journal (art/junk/mindfulness journal and planner), music (will elaborate), Disney (tangled and turning red), crime and medial and first responder shows (greys, station 19, castle, the 9-1-1s), horror, coffee and tea, self care, writing (duh), milkshakes, and traveling.

Main hockey teams: flames, kraken, Canucks, devils, avs, canes. But I love various players on teams throughout the league. The sh*t list: Pittsburgh, Edmonton, TB, Boston, chi town.

My music tastes gives me whiplash. Disney, pop punk, show tunes (selective but six is queen), metalcore, pop, emo and other similar genres, bimbocore, alt, indie, more subgenres than even I can remember. I have a record player and my vinyls are only albums I’m willing to listen all the way through. I love(d) going to concerts. I’m a flower princess. Glitter, sequins, flower crown. Top artists: set it off, grayscale, ice nine kills, Taylor swift, scene queen, as it is, with confidence, the summer set, and softcult.

24 almost 25. Seattle native, uni outside Philly, currently a desert queen in AZ. Energetic ball of chaos. Unhinged. Vibes of: Mabel pines, rapunzel, like half of the castle cast, dug form up, april and Amelia and Meredith with a dash of Arizona from greys, mei and Abby and Miriam from turning red. Sarcastic and slightly dark and definitely self deprecating sense of humor. Chronic migraines with anxiety, adhd, and insomnia thrown in. I put my heart and soul into everything I love and do.

Thank you again and I am very sorry for how long this is but anything shorter won’t capture my true self. You can ask ally lol. You are absolutely amazing for reading all of this and for hosting this event. 😘 stay fabulous

hihi m, i love you so much always 💗

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ─── ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

i ship you with matthew tkachuk !

i read that you love curls hair part and my mind immediately went to him once i saw you like the flames ! the style you have goes so well with matthew. this guy has no solid outfit plan, he’ll be dressed up so sophisticated one day and literally look like he just rolled out of bed the next day but i can see you both having complimentary outfits ! i can see him living in sweatshirts so that makes the two of you as well ! when it comes to hobbies; he would love that you know the rules of hockey and would love for you to come root for him during each game he plays !also i know he would be so supportive and sweet over any art make ! omg i can also see him crafting with you and both of you having like little competitions on whose work is better (obviously yours duh) but it will legit become his favourite past time hobby as well, just creating all of these art works (you’re so freaking creative it’s insane) he would also love that you don’t like oilers since the battle of alberta and all so that’s also a plus side ;) definitely lots of concerts together, i can see him belting to disney music with you ! when it comes to ur migraines i just know he’s super caring and will try his best to comfort you and get you anything you need ! overall, the cutest couple in my eyes <3

My Favorite Concerts of 2023 (#20-#15)

I think it is fairly obvious how much I love going to live shows. I got to see a bunch this year but I am going to break it down to twenty. I will start off from 20 and make my way down to 15 for now.

20. Thrice with Holy Fawn @ The Fillmore Philadelphia May 30th, 2023

Thrice has always been an extremely hit or miss live band. There has been times where I saw them where I thought they were just OK however on this particular tour with them playing all of "The Artist In The Ambulance" the band sounded the best I ever heard them dating back to 2003. Dustin's vocals were incredible and the sound was heavy. I was in absolute bliss watching them crush this record front to back. The only reason why this wasn't higher was unfortunately the crowd was super lame. I felt like they weren't really going off for the band and were pretty much standing there lifeless. That being said, I left that show thinking "damn, Thrice surprised the hell out of me".

19. Bully at the First Unitarian Church September 23rd 2023

Bully put out one of my favorite records of this year so I was excited to see them for the first time. This was an extremely gritty performance as their singer Alicia was battling sickness but still gutted it out for a tremendous performance. The tour after this show was postponed due to her being sick but I look back at this one and admire her for carrying on the show when others would have folded. I would 110% love to see them again.

18. Paint It Black with Pegboy at the First Unitarian Church November 4th 2023

Philly's own punk and hardcore legends Paint It Black playing a hometown show at a sold out Church. Pegboy was quite a pleasant surprise considering how long in the tooth they are as a band. I snicerely enjoyed them. When Paint It Black came on the entire room went completely off with bodies flying everywhere. It was an excellent way to spend a Saturday night in November.

17. Jenny Lewis at the Met Philadelphia July 20th 2023

You better believe I wouldn't miss a chance to see Jenny Lewis live. I absolutely love her as she is one of my favorite songwriters. She just played an absolutely flawless, lively, and overall satisfying set. Did I mentioned she did a couple Rilo Kiley songs too? Great show that cracks the top 20 here at number 17!

16. Weezer at the Mann Center June 27th 2023

I did not think the weather was going to cooperate for this show to even happen. Joyce Manor and Future Islands got washed out as the communication was awful by the Mann Center on will this concert be played at all. The answer was yes and luckily the rain let up as I arrived to the Mann Center right as Weezer was going on. Weezer knew the assignment and that was to play a steady diet from Blue and Pinkerton. It was everything I wanted and more so!!!! Long live Weezer!

15. Amyl and The Sniffers at the Union Transfer November 3rd 2023

This band rules and if you haven't checked them out you need to make sure to do so if you're into punk rock. The crowd was good for this one and a lot of people I felt were seeing them for the first time so it was nice to see the reaction they got this time around. I got nothing but love for Amy and the guys from Australia. I wish them the best of luck opening for the Foo Fighters this upcoming summer!!!

Best jazmine sullivan songs

#BEST JAZMINE SULLIVAN SONGS CRACK#

Blige wears on the cover of “My Life” she’s sitting in the sunlight pouring through a living-room window, and she glances offscreen to her left when she mentions her boyfriend of several years, Dave Watson, a musician and producer with whom she recorded the heartbroken “Lost One,” about a woman taking the blame for blowing up a relationship. Sullivan says the album is “about understanding that we all have a story, and that story is important, and it’s OK for you to tell it exactly the way it is.” The Philly native who grew up singing in church has on a cream-colored sweater and a matching leather newsboy cap like the one Mary J. “And there’s so many layers to her singing - the tone and the execution, yes, but also the pain.” “Jazmine’s music is so honest, so obviously from a real place,” H.E.R. H.E.R., who recently joined Sullivan for an NPR Tiny Desk Concert that drew more than a million views in its first three days on YouTube, says “Heaux Tales” argues that “there is no mold of what a woman should be, which is something that’s not preached on enough.” (Lennox also delivers the album’s most memorable testimonial, describing the effect of sex so good it “spoke life into me - invigoration, blessings, soul.”) in “ Girl Like Me,” a guitar-driven number in which Sullivan sings about creating a Tinder profile after being dumped, and Ari Lennox in “ On It,” a delightfully frank slow jam demanding physical satisfaction. Two more of Sullivan’s inheritors turn up for duets on “Heaux Tales”: H.E.R. The album also arrives in the midst of what feels like a Jazmine Sullivan moment: Late last year, Megan Thee Stallion prominently sampled Sullivan’s decade-old “Holding You Down (Goin’ in Circles)” for a track on her hit debut, while younger R&B stars such as Summer Walker and Ella Mai have broken out with music that shows the clear if quiet influence of her atmospheric sound and her piercing lyricism. Sullivan’s long-anticipated follow-up to 2015’s “Reality Show,” which earned three Grammy nominations, “Heaux Tales” is only the fourth LP since 2008 from an artist famous for taking her time even as streaming has greatly accelerated the music industry’s pace. But when people respond to my writing, to the emotion in my music, that means way more to me.” “If the run is super-duper-amazing, I’ll recognize that. “To be honest, when I do runs, it’s by accident - it’s a natural habit because I’ve been doing it for so long.” Sometimes, she says, she wonders if she oversings. “It’s not that big of a deal,” she replies in a video call from her home near Philadelphia. Eventually, Sullivan herself chimed in, posting a how-to video on Instagram that despite her good-faith effort only made the run sound more difficult.įour months later, Sullivan, 33, laughs when asked how gratified she is by all the admiration for her signature vocal acrobatics. Results ran the gamut from oh-that’s-cute to you- almost-had-it, but nobody could quite master the churchy riff. The viral undertaking had participants doing their best to nail an intricate vocal run from Sullivan’s 2017 single “ Insecure” in which the soul singer with a gospel background glides down the scale with seemingly effortless precision.

#BEST JAZMINE SULLIVAN SONGS CRACK#

In mid-September as COVID-19’s shutdown of live music hit the six-month mark - and as the wait for a new album by Jazmine Sullivan approached six years - hungry R&B fans took to social media for a crack at the #insecurechallenge.

It was Autumn 2003, fresh off a summer string of concerts to rival any other I was capping my successful campaign by seeing King fucking Diamond. Living in central NJ I had been accustomed to travling for shows, from NYC down to Philly there were easily a couple dozen venues that were staples on the mid-sized metal circuit but for whatever reason this particular concert was taking place at Crocodile Rock in Allentown PA. Not a venue I have visited before and certainly an unorthodox locale for band of this stature. The openers were Single Bullet Theory and Nocturne, I was unfamiliar with both and a quick MP3.com search (remember that!?) revealed that neither were up my alley but atleast Nocturne, fresh off their Paradise Wasted LP, was fronted by a hot goth chick so there was that.

After parking at the venue I walked around to the front doors and got in line to get into the club. A few minutes had passed when it became obvious I was in the wrong line, the front entry was for 21+ patrons only who then received a wristband, there was a side entrance for 18-20 (over 18 show) and where you received a large "X" stamp on your hand upon entry. Being six months shy of 21 I made my way through the side entrance and into the venue. As is my usual routine I meandered through the sea of monochromatic dudes to the merch table. Before I could even assess my options I am accosted by a hulking man who looks vaguely familiar to me. "Whoa it's the Curmudgeon dude!" he spit shouts in my face and goes in for a quasi huge for which I am ill prepared. Yes, I recognize him now, he was a regular at the record store I worked at, Curmudgeon Music. After pretending to feign interest in his tales of misfortune he gets to the point and asks if he can borry money to buy a shirt. As is my nature, I help him out and bought him his XXL King Diamond Puppet Master tour shirt. What really sucked about this is that I had budgeted for myself to buy a single shirt only, so now guess who isn't getting a shirt. He promised he'd stop in the store next weekend and pay me back...I wasn't holding my breath.

I used my small bladder as an excuse to leave him for a moment and make my way over to the bar to get a soft drink. Sidling up to me was a raven haired vixen, with scarlet lips, black rimmed emerald eyes, a narrow face and a long neck leading down to her voluptuous breasts absoultely popping out of her skin tight pleather cat-suit. But most notable to me was that she had an "X" stamp on her right hand, yet I watched as the bartender discreetly added a spirit into her coke. "You're going to have to tell me your secret" I said, eyes drifting down to her drink and back up again, trying not to linger too longer on her chest along the way. As it would happen, the bartender was her friend's older brother and he was hooking her up and now by endearing myself to her I was going to reap the fruits of her connection. Drink in hand, I asked her name "Erin, but I already know yours, it's Brandon". I never told her my name, in fact I'd barely said two sentences to her at this point, so it should be no suprise that I stared blankly back at her. Sensing my bewilderment she then elaborated, "I'm an intuitive witch and I know many things about you". This did very little to abate my display of awe and wonder. She asked me to put my drink down and face her squarely. In kind she turned towards me and grabbed my hands, brought her face closer to mine and looked straight into my eyes, almost looking through me. I could see myself in the abyss of her pupils, dumbly standing there, trying not to glance down. After what felt like an eternity she broke the stalemate "You were an only child growing up, but now have a sibling who is much younger". Ok well that's just fucking weird, how could she possibly know that!?! I didn't have to respond, my face gave away that she was correct, pleased with her self she gave me a coy smile, leaned in and whispered "I'll see you later" into my ear...her hot breath sending shivers down my spine. Before I could even process a second of what happened Nocturne hit the stage and my witch had vanished.

I didn't move from that spot for the duration of Nocturne's set. I had originally hoped to get near the rail early on so I'd have a spot secured for the headliner but the events that just transpired had both shaken me and aroused me. All I could do was stand in that spot and replay our interaction. Once Nocturne's set concluded I snapped myself out of it, and worked my way to the stage for Single Bullet Theory. I had no interest in them prior and their live performance did little to change my mind, I spent most of it scanning the room for Erin...but she was nowhere to be found.

Now the main event, part of the King's stage setup for the Puppet Master tour was putting up an iron gate across the front of the stage. I was right up at the gate, grasping it's latticed frame and shaking it in anticipation. My encounter with a mysterious woman earlier in the evening was the furthest thing from my mind. I won't waste the words here to review the concert but at this point in my life the King's performance set the bar for the best I had seen in person. Now in the encore, King wrapping up the night with No Presents for Christmas. I was shredding the last remaining sinews of my vocal cords during the opening lines "...Santa needs a helping ha--" uhh whoa, I froze, paralyzed by the sensations I was experiencing. In a single swift motion a hand slid down the front of my pants and firmly grabbed my cock as warm moist lips latched onto my neck. I turned to face the origin of my pleasure and it was no other than Erin. Her hand still down my pants, rubbing her thumb in a circular pattern over the head, I nearly fainted from the sudden divergence of bloodflow from my brain to my shaft. She thrust her tongue in my mouth, and slowly began to pull me backwards while not breaking a connection with either of my heads. As we drifted off the side of the stage towards the rear exit she broke free to ask me if I could give her a lift home. After a move like that, how could I say no!?

The last song hadn't yet finished but we snuck out into the dimly lit parking lot in downtown Allentown. We got into my Pontiac Grand Prix, Darkane's Rusted Angel blasting on the stereo, Erin turns to me and says "Hop on 78 West". Now, for a little geography, I lived off of route 78 but an hour EAST of Allentown, and she wants me to head further west. With the opportunity I believed lied ahead of me I didn't care where she wanted me to go, but point of fact once you head into the heart of Pennsylvania you're in some very remote country and I was wholly unfamiliar with the area. I began driving west, as she started regaling me with tales of prescience. I still couldn't get over what she had said to me earlier, neat parlor trick indeed, but surely she had some inside intel on me!? I had to test her abilities further...I asked her to tell me my birthday and she didn't even hestitate, instantly regurgitating the date I exited the womb. She went on to elaborate further, giving me some insight about my personality, nothing quantifiable, just vague descriptions of my idiosyncracies which could easily be guessed but admittedly they were all spot on. At this point we had been driving for a half hour or more and as enthralled as I was with her abilities I was getting a little anxious about the unkown destination. No matter how I asked, or how often I asked, any attempt to ascertain where I was headed was met with "keep going, I'll tell you where to go".

Now roughly an hour west of Allentown I was starting to see through the haze, her spell weakening, and my concerns over where the fuck we were going after midnight in the middle of Pennsyltucky (ifyky) began to outweigh any thoughts of what we might do once we get there. Almost on cue, "get off here", I took the exit ramp onto a a two lane lonely wooded road. No more than a couple of miles down this road "pull over up ahead". On my right the shoulder widened, and off of it there were the wilted remains of this seasons corn crop. "Take the dirt road until you reach the river". Sure enough there a path revealed itself through the corn maze, barely wide enough for an automobile, and not at all designed for one. The trail was dark and bumpy enough to not be advisable for small children and pregnant women. With the radio now off, the two of us sat silently, making our way through the cornfield under the light of the moon for what felt like an eternity. Eventually though the high beams reflected the shimmering surface of water up ahead and I could make out two trailers in the dark. One, on the right of the vehicle, had a light on inside. I kept the engine running as she opened the door "aren't you coming inside?", for a split second I hesitated and this is where a person with better clairvoyance for these kinds of things would've thrown the car in reverse and gotten out of dodge...but not me, "of course!" I replied, and shut off the car.

She came around to my side of the vehicle, grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the dark trailer. Fumbling with her keys for a moment, she gets the door open and pushes me through the first. I'm scanning the nearly pitch black trailer to make out my surroundings as I hear the latch behind me. I turn around to face the door and Erin holds her hand out for me to stop. My eyes adjusting to the minimal light I can make her out well enough to watch her seductively unzip her outfit, her naked body before me, an offering of carnal pleasure in the mooonlight. A slight pause while I drink her in and we both lunge simultaneously to voraciously devour the other person. She is tearing at my clothes like a feral cat while I explore every inch of her flesh with my hands and mouth. Once I am naked she pulls my head from her chest and asks me "are you okay if I tie you up?". It seemed like I had a choice in the matter but we both knew I was going to be okay with anything, in her lair her sorcery had grown stronger and my free will was gone. She backed me up to a wall opposite her bed, on this wall there were retraints on flexible cords. She strapped my wrists and ankles in, leaving me just enough play in the cords that I could almost bring my arms close enough together that my finger tips could graze the binds on the opposite hand. Once she was satisfied I was secured she put on a robe, gave me a furtive glance "don't go anywhere" and walked out of the trailer.

Ok now what did I get myself into, I'm naked and bound in a trailer at the edge of a cornfield in the middle of bumblefuck pennsylvania. Nobody on the planet knows I am here and I know next to nothing about my enchantress, who has suddenly left me. Not more than a minute later I hear the trailer door opening and before my vision catches up I can hear that the footsteps are not Erins. A tall slender man, also wearing a robe walks in ahead of her. Again the door latches. This is a most unexpected development and my arousal has waned as my fear instincts are kicking in. The bed was a murphy style bed, narrow, more akin to a daybed, and was opposite the wall I was bound to. She tells him to sit there while she lit a couple of candles and then reached under the bed to pull out a long black case. She lays the case on the ground a few feet in front of me and pops the latches open. Lifting the lid towards me I still cannot see inside the case. She looks up at me and asks "do you like swords?" though her tone made it readily apparent this was rhetorical. I feebly nodded while she reached down into the case and effortlessly raises the longblade into the air, like Arthur removing the sword from the stone. Candlelight bouncing around the room off its blade she began to trace lines up and down my body with the tip of the sword. I was tensing up and she could sense it. "Relax, I may spill some blood, but I'll leave you in tact". I wasn't sure I could trust her, but I had no choice. She continued running the blade along my skin, the point was exceedingly sharp and in certain spots she would apply just the right amount of pressure to give me a small cut, barely drawing blood but bleeding me just the same. I was so focused on maintinaing my composure during this medieval surgery that it was some time before I realized the man on the bed was now masturbating and fixated on my stare. I tried not to make eye contact with him but his gaze was magnetic. All the while Erin continued cutting my chest, my arms and my thighs. Satisfied she had incised enough of my tissue the sword returned to the stone and she began to kiss my wounds, welling up my blood on her tongue and then kissing me, feeding me my sanguine discharge. I couldn't help but glance at the man stroking his cock more aggressively now, piercing me with his eyes.

As she slid the sword case back under the bed she pulled out a small flog. This time there were no questions to be asked, I was hers to do with as she pleased. Taking advantage of the slack in the restraints she spun me around to face the wall. Before I could even ready myself I felt a sharp lash to the back. The sting radiating out to my extremities, and again, this time on my ass. There was no buildup, no playful alterations in velocity, this was simply an exercise in pain...and a great deal of it. I could feel the man on the bed had come closer to me, stroking himself with every lash. Determined not to show weakness I remained silent, taking my punishment with a steeled stoicism. My back was red, raw, raised and aching, like the roof of your mouth after burning it with hot cheese. I felt a hand on my shoulder, it was not Erins.

"Go ahead, you may cum David" by the time I processed that his name wasn't Jethro or Eli I felt his the sticky hot emission on my ass. Rubbing his swollen head against my skin to milk out every last drop. "Are you satisfied...now leave us alone" I stood there, facing a wall, every inch of my backside throbbing, his cum slowly oozing down my buttock. I could hear his robe flap as he prepared to leave, the latch opened and the door closed again. A warm tongue began lapping up my thigh and around the curveture of my ass. She spins me around again, gives me a closed mouth smile, pulls my head close and deposits his semen into my mouth.

While this completely took me by surprise I knew she wanted me to swallow his load, so without so much as a whimper I opened my throat and let the man's ejaculate seep down my esophagus. "Good boy" Well, at least one of us was pleased. I was relieved I was no longer facing the wall, and that the man was gone. Erin again went back to kissing the wounds she had previously inflicted with the sword. Being in more of a relaxed state I was able to enjoy this and I was once again aroused. Clearly this was her intent, and as I became engorged she worked her way from my thighs to my cock. Softly kissing my shaft from base to tip, flicking the head with her tongue each time. At this point all the anxiety of the night was pent up just waiting for release and she knew it. Looking up at me she coaxed my swollen member deeper into her mouth and back out, and again, and again, maintaining a steady rhythm but increasing the pace every so slightly each time until my body, severely depleted at this point, had no will to hold back. She drained me, physically and emotionally, but I knew what was going to come next. Again she grabbed the back of my head and pulled me towards her, her tongue breaching my lips, but to my surprise there was no surprise for me this time. Just passionate kissing as she released my bonds.

I stumbled over to the bed and climbed up onto it without saying a word. Erin climbed on top of me and began kiss my chest, playfully nibbling at my nipples while I ran my fingers through her hair. "I need you to leave now". I was surprised but also relieved. I put my clothes back on as I went to leave she got between me and the door, very sternly looked me in the eyes "You will come back here every Saturday night at 11pm. If you fail to do so I will ruin your life". One final kiss and I was gone.

I never saw her again, I never returned. I drove straight to a friend's house to show him my back and chest. Many many months later I received a letter in the mail addressed to me but the return address, from Pennsylvania, just said "King Diamond Concert". My heart stopped, what was in this envelope!? Fearing the worst I opened it up to find a letter and some cash...it was from the record store dude paying me back for the tee shirt PHEW.

Preview: 2022 Nice, a Fest

Nice, a Fest is a brand new music festival happening in Davis Square (Somerville, MA) at both Crystal Ballroom and The Rockwell, with loads of bands from Thurs. July 28 to Sun. July 31, 2022. I’ll be covering the festival with some dispatches, but here is what’s on my radar:

festival poster

Thurs. July 28:

Kicking things off at Crystal Ballroom are Boston rockers The Infinity Ring and there’s some other cool Boston rockers tonight as well.

Fri. July 29:

At Rockwell, there’s Talk Chalk (they sound like they could be on the Valley Girl soundtrack) and Squich (reminds me of WFNX in the 90s)! At Crystal Ballroom are Boston rockers House of Harm (Slicing Up Eyeballs will love this band) and Lowell indie rock artist Colleen Green (no relation, but she is worth checking out after listening to her music online) and Boston rockers Future Teens. Then at Somerville Theatre there is a midnight screening of one of my all-time favorites Wayne’s World, which turned 30 this year!

On both Fri. and Sat., in Davis Square’s Statue Park, there will be a Vendor Market, where several of the festival sponsors (and others) will have stands, including my favorite place in Watertown, Wanna Hear It Records.

Sat. July 30:

This is the one day of the festival where the fun begins early afternoon. At Rockwell is multi-hyphenate Addie, Boston’s Mallcops (they get credit for their name) and NYC’s Raavi. At the Crystal Ballroom is Boston pop-rockers Shallow Pools, Portland, Maine’s Weakened Friends (I remember them opening for Letters to Cleo a few years ago and just last year they played at Wanna Hear It Records for an in-store), and best of all, the festival headliners, one of my favorites Speedy Ortiz, who were formed in Northampton, MA and are now in Philadelphia. 

My #5 Best Concert of 2019 was Speedy Ortiz when they did an Indie617 show at McGann’s Pub. Such a great show and afterwards the band signed my vinyl copy of their album Twerp Verse, which I named an Honorable Mention for Best Album fo the 2010s. Last year I got to review the reissue of their album The Death of Speedy Ortiz & Cop Kicker…Forever.

Then at Somerville Theatre is a midnight screening of Wayne’s World 2, which turns 29 this year.

Sun. July 31:

The festival ends on Sunday at Rockwell with an After Party featuring Philly trio Doll Spirit Vessel (who got a rave review in Spin recently) and festival closers Middleboro rockers Black Beach.

For tickets and info go to: https://www.niceafest.com/

Green’s Party will be covering the festival with periodic dispatches throughout the fest!

A Recollection of Spring Break through Music

Location: The Government Center, Northside, Pittsburgh and South Oakland, Pittsburgh.

Date: March 2022

Why Does It Matter: The Government Center is one of Pittsburgh’s best rising venues, while South Oakland house shows are a critical part of this ecosystem.

I returned to Pittsburgh minorly disheveled on Friday, March 9th, 2022. For the first time this school year, it seemed as if things were picking up at college: the week leading up to break had been a series of chance encounters, concerts, exhaustion and excitement. But good things need momentum, which is why returning home seemed like a mistake to me at first. I had to, even if Pittsburgh doesn’t entirely feel like home anymore. On Saturday, I was picked up by my friend Atticus as we headed towards a show at The Government Center. I had corralled several of my friends into coming, so we grabbed Joaquin, then went downtown and picked up Nano and their friend El. The two of them finished their cigarettes and climbed into Atticus’ Subaru. He was kindly playing the role of designated driver for this evening.

I wanted to see the opening band, The Zells, who’s recent single “Truther Uncle” suggested a new maturity for the band. Between jangling licks and fuzzed out background vocals, The Zells appeared to be creating music in the vein of Disq or maybe a less agile version of Deeper. It has some of the wiriness of post-punk but it also takes from the early 2000s garage rock that nearly every 20something guitar-guy loves. Each of the band members took turns on vocals, sharing whiny lyrics and silly licks in tandem. Songs like “Bryan Ray Trout, 1999” displayed a sense of comfortable juvenility––sample lyric: “I want to talk to her but I’m too fucked up/Jawbreaker is the good stuff.” Hey, there’s nothing inherently wrong with arrested development.

Most of my friends thought The Zells were shrug-worthy. Nano called them “mid,” while Atticus said it wasn’t his thing. But the following two bands were a little more in line with what those two enjoy. Big Baby, a power trio of local legend, pushed their way through an intense set. My buddy Joaquin started the mosh pit, which felt a bit silly because most of the crowd was holding PBRs or standing next to The Government Center’s record store area. After Big Baby’s set, I stepped outside and talked to Connor, who runs the local record label Crafted Sounds. He told me that Big Baby was looking to make a minor comeback around town. I could see why. Their set was probably the tightest and hardest-hitting of the evening.

By the time Zorn got on stage for their headlining set, Nano put down their beer and got into the mosh pit. As a Philly-based quartet, Zorn became known for their exhaustive and extensive stage antics as a thrash-metal group, but I still didn’t quite know what to expect. When the lead vocalist was wheeled on stage in a coffin, I realized that Zorn wasn't playing around. For the next 30 minutes, it was easy to be enthralled by the sheer harshness of a bunch of sweaty, ugly dudes playing metal music. At one point, the vocalist grabbed my leg while flagellating around on the ground in the mosh pit. 

Leading up to Spring Break, I talked a big game about coming home and going to shows. I wanted to connect with the parts of Pittsburgh music that I missed out on while in high school, but I only ended up seeing one other show. The next Saturday, I went to my friend Madeline’s dorm at University of Pittsburgh, and we went to a house show nearby. It was a line-up of three bands: Quiet Hours, Pachyderm, and another group I don’t remember. The name isn’t particularly important anyway, as each group was doing the sort of jam-band revival thing that you can find at every college. There’s nothing more quintessential to house shows at a university than a bunch of white guys playing funk with a single saxophone player in their band. With that being said, each group was genuinely talented and having fun. Unfortunately, I felt like an outsider. I don’t go to the University of Pittsburgh, I didn’t know many folks there, and I was exhausted and ready to return to New York. I ended spring break in the middle of a mosh pit, while still on the outside looking in.

Image credit: 

Photo 1: Gig poster from The Zells’ instagram page: @the_zells 

Photo 2: Photo of Nano from my phone

I, over the years, have heard people say things like, oh, Taylor just writes songs about boys and breakups so […] I would like to correct that statement because although I have occasionally written songs that were inspired by boys or breakups, that’s not all I write songs about.