Vacationer
Ticket Giveaway: Vacationer & Sego at Union Transfer This Friday
Vacationer is back with a new album, Mindset. Mastermind Kenny Vasoli calculated that he has spent over 8% of his life working on its completion, and if you and a companion would like to experience his mindset live this Friday, July 13 at Union Transfer with Sego, we'd be glad to make that happen. To enter for a chance to win a pair of tix, just send an email to thedelimagazinephiladelphia@gmail.com with the subject line "Ready for My Summer Vacay". Please also include your cell number in the body of the message (in case of an emergency). Good luck!
Weekend Warrior, December 30 - January 1
A new year represents aesthetically a clean slate, the chance to turn the page and let the past whether, recent or not, behind. Of course, the past may also hold cherished memories that one wishes to carry into the future. Either way, Saturday night serves as an opportunity to celebrate, for some, the year that was and for others the year that one hopes 2017 will be.
Now, my first instinct when I enter any environment is to look and listen; if there’s music, that’s typically a solid forecaster of good fortune. With that criteria, here are a few places one should consider spending the last hours of a trying 2016.
The high-octane ragged barrelhouse blues of TJ Kong and the Atomic Bomb will be headlining Boot & Saddle, paired with the earnest Americana of Levee Drivers, and the playfully bizarre, eclectic Mercury Radio Theater. If funky R&B and soul are your aspirations, Underground Arts is the destination. The brass beacon of Balkan beats, known as West Philadelphia Orchestra, and the retrograde soul-funk engine of Johnny Showcase once again come together for sweaty, good time. And channeling the silky authoritative dance-inducing vibes of Byrne & Bowie, MINKA enters the fray, which also starts with the funky instrumental slices of Muscle Tough.
The spellbinding folk-psych of Kurt Vile brings his mellow/mercury-spiking spectrum to The Fillmore, where he’ll be joined by psych-folk outfit Woods and Nathan Bowles. Ortlieb’s will host the mobile-layered, grooving, melodic sojourn of Mo Lowda & The Humble, as well as the atmosphere-altering, future-traversing experimentation of Air is Human, and a DJ set from Suburban Living, who will be pulling double duty that evening performing at Franklin Hall with Vacationer and CRUISR. BTW: Speaking of DJ sets, Lushlife will also be occupying the decks at Johnny Brenda’s.
Wherever you’re headed, embrace the joy and stay safe. - Michael Colavita
Other places to spend this last weekend of 2016…
Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N. Frankford Ave.) FRI Grubby Little Hands, Tutlie, SAT Kevin Manning/Lushlife (DJ Set)
Boot & Saddle (1131 S. Broad St.) FRI Oh, Are They? (Record Release), Belgrade, Honeytiger, SAT TJ Kong And The Atomic Bomb, Mercury Radio Theater, Levee Drivers
Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) FRI Riverside Odds/Momma Hankton, Rexedog, Erik Kramer, SAT Eaten Alive/Fame Lust
Underground Arts (1200 Callowhill St.) SAT West Philadelphia Orchestra, Johnny Showcase, Minka, Muscle Tough
Union Transfer (1026 Spring Garden St,) SAT Making Time
TLA (334 South St.) SAT Cabinet
The Fillmore Philadelphia (1100 Canal St.) FRI Louis Futon, SAT Kurt Vile
World Café Live (3025 Walnut St.) FRI (Upstairs) Philadelphia Jug Band, The Theologicals, SAT (Upstairs) Phil Nicolo’s Eve of Destruction, Darla / (Downstairs) Marc Silver
The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.) FRI The Loud Company, Commonwealth Choir, The Last Brontosaurus
MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut St.) FRI Kingsound, GhettoSongBird
Frankford Hall (1210 Frankford Ave.) SAT Vacationer, CRUISR, Suburban Living
Ortlieb’s Lounge (847 N. 3rd St.) SAT Mo Lowda and the Humble, Air is Human, Suburban Living (DJ Set)
Silk City (435 Spring Garden St.) FRI Rich Medina, SAT DJ Deejay
Fergie’s (1214 Sansom St.) SAT Brown Sugar
Connie’s Ric Rac (1132 S. 9th St.) FRI Laura Cheadle Family Blues Band
The Grape Room (105 Grape St.) FRI Solar Circuit, Naps Past Noon, Max Seidman Band, Los Festingos, SAT Matt Duke, Andrea Nardello, Quixote Project
Bourbon & Branch (705 N. 2nd St.) FRI Chalk & the Beige Americans, Shy Boyz, Dirty Soap Blues Band
Ardmore Music Hall (23 E. Lancaster Ave.) FRI Nik Greeley & The Operators, SAT Start Making Sense, Band From Mars
Weekend Warrior, December 26 - 28
It only happens once a year. Philly pop-punk favorites The Starting Line (featuring Kenny Vasoli of Vacationer) is back for their holiday reunion show. Crushing punk hearts across America, the band originally broke up in 2008. However, to appease a still active fan base, they started an annual Christmas reunion show tradition in 2009. This concert is the only chance for at least aother year to hear them live, which guarantees a special show. Relatively new to the Philly music community, Beach Slang, who had a pretty rad year themselves, will be kicking the night off. In 2014, they released not one but two EPs: the summer release, Who Would Ever Want Something So Broken?, and fall follow-up, Cheap Thrills on A Dead Street. While they may have come together from various outfits including Weston, NONA, and Ex Friends, their new project is all their own, with crashing drums that are meant to be played loud and totally meme-able lyrics (check out their Tumblr). Scream at the top of your lungs tonight at The Troc with your best friends! The Troc, 1003 Arch St., 7:30pm, Sold Out, All Ages - Emily Dicicco
Other places to escape the chill this weekend…
The Trocadero (1003 Arch St.) SUN (Balcony) Founders, Final Showcase
Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N. Frankford Ave.) SUN MewithoutYou, Pattern is Movement
The Boot & Saddle (1131 S. Broad St.) FRI Rolling Stones Tribute: Jesse Lundy Band: Mach 4, North Lawrence Midnight Singers, Brown Sugar, SAT Creepoid, Amanda X
Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) FRI F1lthy, SAT Chalk & The Beige Americans, Something Like A Monument/Blaze Atoms, SUN Fourth Line, Reward/The Great Vibration, Friendly Lounge
PhilaMOCA (531 N. 12th St.) SAT 1994!, Secret Cutter, Cassilis, The Beds, Mike Bell & The Movies, Shelf Life
Underground Arts (1200 Callowhill St.) FRI The Feast of Krampus: Wizard Eye, Skeleton Hands, The Company Corvette, Chimpgrinder, SUN Ten Ton Hammer
Electric Factory (421 N. 7th St.) SAT Lotus, The Beating, SUN Lotus, KiloWatts
Bourbon and Branch (705 N. 2nd St.) SUN Beano, Alisa Joe & Gyrl Problems
World Café Live (3025 Walnut St.) FRI (Downstairs) John Faye & Those Meddling Kids,Tess Emma & The Monthlies, The Great Socio, WaveRadio, Minshara, Joe Jordan’s Experiment/(Upstairs) D& M, SAT (Upstairs) Melissa Clampffer , Dana K Fiero, Emily Mineo, SUN (Downstairs) WCL 7TH Annual Winter Beer Festival: Whiskeyhickon Boys/(Upstairs) Bloody Catholics
The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.) FRI McRad, Dubsmith, I Yahn I Arkestra, SAT Devil in the Radio: A Tribute to the Music of Shane Gooding: Stephen Quaranta, Morgan Pinkstone, SUN Skysleeper
MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut St.) FRI The Once Was, The Racket Boys RFA, SAT Crucial
Ortlieb’s Lounge (847 N. 3rd St.) SUN Come as You Are with DJ Brandon Setta (of Nothing), Marge, Clementine
North Star Bar (2639 Poplar St.) FRI Under This Fire, Cardigan Terrace, The Flashing Thoughts, Mike Bailer, Sat Grand Strangers, No Outlet, The Good Mess
Tin Angel (20 S. 2nd St) SUN Boy Wonder
Fergie’s (1214 Sansom St.) SAT Jonathan Monument, SUN Rusty Cadillac
The Legendary Dobbs (304 South St.) SAT (2pm) Ashton John, Brian Harmer/Next to None, Dead:Stop, A.D.D./Elizabeth Rose, Cris & Lou (of the Valkyrians), Liz De Lise
Connie’s Ric Rac (1132 S. 9th St) FRI Cheerbleeders, Beer Me, 66 Stitches SAT A Fistful of Sugar, Cheap Dinosaurs, The Bird Choir, Sweet Briarrose, Cask & Co., The Late Saints, Burning Bridget Cleary, Beaucoup Blue, Jason Ager, Brian Fitzy, E.J. Simpson, Mel Alston, The Wayside Shakeup, Andrew Napoli, Vilebred, The TJ McGlinchey Band, Griz
Voltage Lounge (421 N. 7th St.) SUN Spoken Life
The Grape Room (105 Grape St) FRI No Outlet, Pocket Dial, Mic Stew, Dustin Poole, SAT Jesse Gimbel, Natalie Chapkis
Ardmore Music Hall FRI Beru Revue SAT Splintered Sunlight
First Unitarian Church (2125 Chestnut St.) SUN (Side Chapel) Cassavetes
Lava Space (4134 Lancaster Ave.) SAT Free Cake For Every Creature, Cyberbully Mom Club, Tombo Crush, Shannen Moser, Cullan Bonilla
Yarga’s Basement (Please contact one of the acts ore venue for more information) SAT Kat Kat Phest Day 1: Mumblr, Left & Right
Lavender Town (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more information) Kat Kat Phest Day 2: Secret Plot, Shannen Moser, Robins
New Video: Audiotree Live Session - Vacationer
As snow and sleet threatens to hem you in, let this Audiotree Live session with Vacationer transport you to a warmer place of sand and surf. The session includes a solid sampling of the band’s latest album Relief via Downtown Records“ as well as some insight behind the making of the “Go Anywhere” music video. The setlist consists of “Shining,” “In The Grass,” “Stay,” “Paradise Waiting,” “The Wild Life,” and “Glimpse.”
Vacationer Album Release Show at JB's June 25
Vacationer’s aptly titled sophomore LP Relief, the follow-up to 2012’s Gone, hits one’s ears like a wave crashing against the shoreline. Now available via Downtown Records, the album is a crisp, refreshing expression of tension-easing positive vibes. These island-influenced tracks will easily slip into many summer rotations with their peacefully lifting vocals laid over precision-style percussive grooves, utilizing a blend of keys and guitar to accentuate a twinkling air of optimism. Shed some one those mid-week stressors and usher in the summer with tonight’s release show at Johnny Brenda’s, which will also feature Rochester, New York electro-dance outfit Joywave. Johnny Brenda’s 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 9pm, $12, 21+ - Michael Colavita