Concert Review: Tweedy @ The Merriam Theater

From The Key

It was not long ago that I would find myself spending countless weekends behind my drum set, my father on his guitar, simply jamming it out. There was no forethought, no production, no mission statement, but instead the simple joy of spontaneous creation. Similar in this father-son low key rock philosophy is Tweedy – Jeff, Wilco’s beloved introvert frontman, and his 18 year-old son Spencer. Their double album, Sukierae, drops on September 23 and is currently available for first listen on NPR. It’s the product of candid father-son fragmented composition, and charges 2 sides of music with mellow introspection. It is named for Jeff’s wife, Sue “Sukie” Miller, who battled cancer during the the album’s recording. For obvious reasons, Tweedy’s music hits very close to home, and seeing it live made it feel that much closer.

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Concert Review: The Black Keys @ Wells Fargo Center

From The Key

The Black Keys were born in a basement and have since evolved into one of the 21st century’s defining sounds. Their aesthetic, a unique tone developed with the help of none other than Danger Mouse, is unparalleled. And while you may know them by one of their countless hits from their 3 consecutive top-five albums over the past 5 years, their catalogue is extensive and the quality of songwriting hasn’t dared falter since the group’s inception in 2001. Frontman Dan Auerbach’s voice couldn’t be more soulful, his guitar playing more skilled, and we might as well go ahead and call Patrick Carney the epitome of hard-hitting indie-rock drums. All of this is to say that you’d expect a damn good show from this celebrated rock duo, and that’s just what Philly got.

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Concert Review: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers @ Wells Fargo Center

From The Key

If you told me that a dude who’s about to turn 64 was capable of drawing 20,000 Philadelphians out to the Wells Fargo center (that’s right, the place that unabashedly charges about $8.00 for a slice of Lorenzo’s pizza that would normally run you $3.00, but I’m not bitter) on a Monday night during an Eagles game no less, I’d crack a smile and say, “good one”. But that joke is a reality and that dude is Tom Petty, a man who is undoubtedly the world’s most offhand rockstar. But Petty wasn’t alone in his blithe glory; his quintessential almost all-American (drummer Steve Ferrone hails from Brighton, England) backing band, The Heartbreakers, was not just equally old, but equally killin’.

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Concert Review: Lorde @ The Mann Center

From The Key

It’s been a year since Lorde’s “Royals” topped the musical richter scale, and her streak of teenage stardom has shown no signs of slowing anytime soon. Her show at The Mann Center last night kicked off a second US tour in support of her subsequent Pure Heroine LP, which still has some fans reeling. My first foray into the kingdom of Ella Yelich-O’Connor was thanks to her staggeringly intoxicating performance at The Tower Theater last March, of which I wrote:

It’s easy to doubt that Lorde’s success will continue, especially given the almost absurdly widespread popularity of “Royals”, but her show at The Tower convinced me otherwise. To begin with, she’s an excellent songwriter, and her lyrics address some difficult issues. Her voice, even regardless of her age, is one of the richest, most unique instruments out there. Lastly, Lorde puts on a remarkable show, even if her dancing is a little, well, different. Lorde is one of those rare instances of a truly complete artist, and I doubt this is the last we’ll be hearing of her.

True to my (not-so-bold) prediction, I again found myself amidst a sea of the queen’s subjects drowning in anticipation of what would turn out to be a stellar performance.

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Concert Review: Yes @ The Tower Theater

From The Key

Epic (adj): heroic or grand in scale or character. It is perhaps one of the most over- and misused words in the English language. Yeah, that grilled cheese may have been tasty, but it wasn’t quite as monumental as Odysseus. But I’ll tell you what was epic: English prog-rock legends Yes’ concert at the Tower Theater. It would have been easy to doubt a group whose 46 years together do not by any means belie them, not to mention that founding singer and frontman Jon Anderson left the group in 2008. I don’t think Yes cared about these things. When you’re the band that played the most attended festival-style show in United States history here in Philly (the “Spirit Of Summer ’76” show at JFK Stadium on June 12, 1976 for 130,000 fans), a few grey hairs (or more precisely, a full head of white ones, but who’s counting?) aren’t going to get in the way of putting on a show of, that’s right, epic proportions.

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Concert Review: Cheers Elephant @ Union Transfer

From Phawker

I have seen Cheers Elephant do their thing on stage twice now, and I can say for sure that these Philly natives bring more fun and light to a roomful of people than any other band I’ve seen in my 17 years on Earth. Their relocation to L.A. was nothing short of a tragedy to their Philly fan base. It was with a heavy heart that I wrote the following about their “Farewell For Now, Philadelphia” show back in November of 2013:

Between [frontman Derek] Kryzwicki bouncing around and doing the running-man and drummer Robert Kingsly, who had gotten engaged in the green room just before the show, putting on his best Dave Grohl, I don’t think there’s a group that performs with more cheerfully quirky flare than this one. Cheers Elephant, Philly is going to miss you.

True to my word, I sorely missed the band’s presence during the eight months between then and their Philadelphia homecoming at Union Transfer last night. Perhaps I even resented the move. But that’s neither here nor there.

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Concert Photos: M.I.A. @ The Tower Theater

You can check out a review of the show here.

Concert Review: José James @ World Café Live

From The Key

José James could best be described as a musical presence, rather than simply an artist. He’s done everything from latin to hip hop, from jazz to soul, and he’s done it extremely well. His voice is nothing short of classic, and his band is one of the tightest in the business. So what happens when the first show of his 2014 tour features music from his forthcoming album, While You Were Sleeping, a bona fide rock project?

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