Jeremy Zucker @ The Fillmore - Philadelphia
November 4th 2023: Jeremy Zucker, Sam MacPherson @ The Fillmore- Philadelphia, PA
Jeremy Zucker - Photos Courtesy of Carolyn Lederach
Jeremy Zucker brought his “is nothing sacred?” tour to Philadelphia on November 4th, in support of his latest EP. Like most of the crowd, myself included, it was the first time catching Jeremy post-pandemic after love is not dying began to make its rounds. The tour shows the new era of Jeremy as he looks to define his moody pop sound with the latest tracks like “OK”. Completing the atmospheric feel was a carefully curated light and projection show surrounding a homey patch of grass. The set included the latest EP tracks, including deeper tracks such as “talk is overrated” and songs from the ever-popular release, Brent.
Opening the show was our favorite local songwriter, Sam MacPherson, kicking things off with a solo set.
Setlist
i need you (in my life)
OK
all the kids are depressed
better off
lakehouse
somebody loves you
julia
internet crush
comethru
scared (solo on piano)
brooklyn boy (on piano)
not ur friend
desire
cindy
oh, mexico
i-70
Cry with you
you were good to me
this is how you fall in love
talk is overrated
end
(encore)
always, i'll care
supercuts
Sam MacPherson
Del Water Gap @ Metro - Chicago
October 31st, 2023: Del Water Gap, Kristiane @ Metro - Chicago, IL
Del Water Gap - Photos Courtesy of: Emily Nava
On Tuesday, October 31st, 2023, Del Water Gap brought his I Miss You Already Tour to a sold-out Metro Chicago with opening act Kristiane. This tour follows the recent release of Del Water Gap's second album I Miss You Already + I Haven't Left Yet. Del Water Gap is the solo project of New York City-based songwriter S. Holden Jaffe.
Kristiane opened the show with a set full of soft folky pop songs and won over the crowd with a Lana Del Rey cover, followed by an unreleased song about getting older.
With an apron and chef hat on, as well as a pizza box in hand, Del Water Gap took the stage and drew the crowd in with energetic rock/pop songs and a presence to match. The audience sang along all night to songs like "All We Ever Do Is Talk" from the new album, as well as ones like "Sorry I Am" from self-titled and old favorites like "High Tops," from his first EP.
Although the night was bursting with energy and entertainment, Del Water Gap made space for more vulnerable moments. Towards the end of the set, DWG touched on his connection with fans over time and shared an anecdote about growing up with them. Throughout the night, DWG engaged with fans while on stage and even got into the crowd during his song "Perfume."
Del Water Gap's concert may have been sold out in Chicago and many other cities, but some tickets still remain at https://delwatergap.net/Tour
Kristiane
The Hives @ Brooklyn Steel - Brooklyn
October 30th, 2023: The Hives, Olivia Jean @ Brooklyn Steel - Brooklyn, NY
The Hives - Photos Courtesy of: Edwina Hay
The Hives blessed fans with another dozen new songs on The Death of Randy Fitzimmons back on August 11th and kicked off their tour with a sold-out show at Brooklyn Steel in Brooklyn, NY the eve before Halloween (Monday, October 30, 2023). Who is Randy Fitzsimmons? He may or may not exist, but has been credited as discovering and managing The Hives as well as being an unofficial sixth member of the band. With their first new record in over a decade, Fitzsimmons is now dead…or perhaps he is still alive?
The long-running garage rock band recently announced on social media that there would be prizes awarded for costumes for their Brooklyn show plus Washington, D.C. on Halloween. Naturally, there were people dressed up like The Hives, including one person up front who referenced frontman Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist accidentally hitting himself in the face with a microphone during their performance at a festival.
Another garage rock act, Olivia Jean, and her band were selected to open the tour. The four members took the stage promptly at 8 PM and played a solid and fun set for 40 minutes. Olivia Jean and her band seemed truly excited to be on tour with The Hives and engaging with their fans at the tour opening show.
The Hives came on stage about 9:15 PM after Frédéric Chopin’s “Marche Funèbre” played over the speakers and frontman Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist jokingly and accurately declaring, “It is good to have us back!” before the group kicked off their set with the first track of Randy Fitzsimmons, “Bogus Operandi,” and subsequently launching into “Main Offender,” “Walk Idiot Walk,” and “Rigor Mortis Radio.” Almqvist announced that the new album made him feel like a proud parent before the band performed the fifth song from the aforementioned record, “Stick Up.”
All evening, Pelle’s banter was witty and sharp: “I looked at the setlist and you people love this song. You’ve loved it for 20 years!” before he introduced guitarist (and his brother) Nicholas Arson to begin “Hate To Say I Told You So,” from their 2000 sophomore album Veni, Vidi Vicious. “Yeah, we’ve been practicing!” he later noted when expressing how good they sounded. When he announced the last song of their set, people loudly expressed their disappointment and he immediately quipped, “Do we have a customer complaint?” The Hives selected “Countdown to Shutdown,” another single from the new album, as the final song of their set before they left the stage, only to return to us a few moments later. We received a two-song encore of “Come On!” (from 2012’s Lex Hives) and “Tick Tick Boom,” (from The Black and White Album). Before the Swedish gents sent us off into the night, we heard Carly Simon’s “Nobody Does It Better” over the house speakers as the band took a bow to a cheering audience.
I caught my first performance from the Swedish quintet back in 2001 and saw them a few months ago in May at a smaller venue. I can always count on The Hives to deliver an energetic and fun performance and I’m so grateful I got to see them twice in a year after a long hiatus. They’re scheduled to return to NYC again in 2024 to open for Foo Fighters at CitiField and I’m very glad I got to see them in a medium-sized venue before they bring The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons to the home of The New York Mets.
Olivia Jean
The Paper Kites @ World Cafe Live - Philadelphia
November 3rd 2023: The Paper Kites @ World Cafe Live - Philadelphia, PA
Christina Lacy of The Paper Kites - Photos Courtesy of Carolyn Lederach
Australia’s The Paper Kites continued their roadhouse band tour through the states, stopping at Philadelphia’s World Cafe Live on November 3rd. This was my second time catching the band, but my first time as a full 8-piece. I have to say the set was flawless and amazing. The band split their set a bit, playing the first half as a more chill, stripped-back, and sit-down set. All accumulated into the set's second half, which was plugged in and rock.
The Paper Kites’ latest album, At The Roadhouse, has easily become one of my favorite albums of this year, and quite possibly my new favorite Paper Kites album. There’s something utterly soothing and captivating about this album and a rare one you can sit and listen to the whole way through without wanting to skip any tracks. Seeing it live, and with the full roadhouse band, it was truly something amazing. Lead vocalist Sam Bentley touched on the making of At The Roadhouse, which was also something unique. The band curated their own bar to play the tracks from this latest album and it was open to anyone to stop by and listen whenever they were playing. Those songs were perfected over time and turned into this latest album which we can now all cherish forever.
The Japanese House @ Union Transfer - Philadelphia
November 1st 2023: The Japanese House, Quinnie @ Union Transfer - Philadelphia, PA
Amber Bain of The Japanese House - Photos Courtesy of Carolyn Lederach
Amber Bain, otherwise known as The Japanese House, kicked off her first US tour in almost four years at Philadelphia’s Union Transfer. Amber and the band played to a packed house of very eager fans who have been anxiously awaiting Japanese House's return to the stage. This latest tour is in support of The Japanese House's latest album (and one of my personal favorites of this year) In The End It Always Does, Bain’s first album since 2019.
The set was everything we wanted, including the latest tracks off the newest album, and all the bops we’ve come to love from Bain over the years. Included in the flawless set was a touching dedication of “One for sorrow, two for Joni Jones”, for her dog who was sitting back in the greenroom during the set.
Setlist
Sad to Breathe
Touching Yourself
Something Has to Change
Morning Pages
Follow My Girl
Saw You in a Dream
Boyhood
You Seemed So Happy
Baby goes again
Over There
Friends
Worms
Chewing Cotton Wool
Maybe You're the Reason
Dionne
Encore:
One for sorrow, two for Joni Jones
Sunshine Baby
Quinnie
G Flip @ El Rey Theatre - Los Angeles
November 3rd, 2023: G Flip, Miki Ratsula @ El Rey Theatre - Los Angeles, CA
G Flip - Photos Courtesy of: Natalie Ryan
G Flip closed out their first US headline DRUMMER tour with a bang at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles on November 3rd. The show was added after selling out the original last date of the tour on October 27th. Miki Ratsula opened with an upbeat and emotional performance.
G grew up playing drums and was a session drummer before they became the multi-hyphenate performer they are today. In G Flip’s music, it’s clear that the drums are important and the focus on them during the live show is one of the many things that makes it feel so special. Even more so, the drums are all of the band members' first instruments. During Rough, G's three-piece band joins them playing the drums, making a powerful sound and visual.
They played 8 songs from this year's album DRUMMER, for which they have received several ARIA nominations, including album of the year and best live act. Lauren Sanderson also joined G Flip for GAY 4 ME, their single together, which the crowd went wild for. During the song, G added some of Pony by Ginuwine, a delightful surprise.
G Flip will continue the DRUMMER tour in London starting January 24th.
Miki Ratsula
Reneé Rapp @ The Fillmore - Philadelphia
October 24th 2023: Renee Rapp, Alexander 23, Towa Bird @ The Fillmore - Philadelphia, PA
Reneé Rapp - Photos Courtesy of Carolyn Lederach
Reneé Rapp continued her debut tour through Philadelphia’s The Fillmore on October 24th, performing to a sold-out crowd. In support of her incredible debut album Snow Angel, it was also fitting to have a co-writer and producer of the album, Alexander 23 opening the show (along with the equally incredible Towa Bird). Rapp ran through the entirety of her album (broken up by season), giving a positively flawless and fun show. For this being her first tour, you really couldn’t tell. She came out commanding the stage and really forming a great rapport with her fans.
The special touch to this show for me was also having Alexander 23 open the show. On top of having his own catalog of bops, he’s also contributed to a lot of other great albums over the last few years (like Olivia Rodrigo, mxmtoon, Tate McRae to name a few)
Setlist
Talk Too Much
Poison Poison
Willow
Bruises
Colorado
Pretty Girls
23
Tummy Hurts (with Towa Bird)
I Hate Boston
So What Now
Tattoos
Too Well
Gemini Moon
The Wedding Song
I Wish (with Alexander 23)
In the Kitchen
Encore:
Snow Angel
Alexander23
Towa Bird
Chappell Roan @ Revolution Live - Fort Lauderdale
October 26th, 2023: Chappell Roan @ Revolution Live - Fort Lauderdale, FL
Chappell Roan - Photos Courtesy of: Junette Reyes
The Midwest Princess herself, Chappell Roan, found herself deep in Florida surrounded by an ecstatic and loving crowd at Revolution Live, Fort Lauderdale on Thursday, Oct. 26.
With Halloween just around the corner, the audience was dressed to the nines in red and black styles inspired by the city’s tour theme of “My Kink is Karma.”
The night began with a celebration of LGBTQ+ culture as two local drag queens, Suzie Toot, and Kat Wilderness, energized the crowd – a tradition Roan has kept up to highlight artists in each tour stop. Both stunning performers brought the packed house down and established an ongoing theme of acceptance as Wilderness, a trans woman, proudly held up a trans flag toward the end of her act. The duo also crowned one lucky audience member – the wearer of a golden wristband assigned earlier in the night – Miss Fort Lauderdale.
The time finally arrived for Roan and her three-piece band to take the stage, kicking off a set supporting her 2023 debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. Highlights included the performance of her August single HOT TO GO!, during which the crowd excitedly mirrored the fun YMCA-reminiscent choreography back to Roan.
Roan will be opening on select dates of Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS tour next year, so make sure to catch the soulful songstress as her star continues to rise.
