Philadelphia Music – That Music Magazine

Snail Mail to bring ‘Valentine’ Tour to Philly’s Union Transfer tonight April 5th and tomorrow April 6th

Lauren Rosier — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 13:00:23 +0000

Written by Angel Park

Singer/songwriter, Lindsey Jordan, (better known as Snail Mail)’s debut album, Lush, was one of my top favorites of 2018. So, needless to say, I had high expectations for her latest follow-up release, Valentine. I am happy to say that it did NOT disappoint. The album is packed with catchy melodies and heartfelt lyrics that will stay with you long after the end of the song, with singles like “Ben Franklin” and “Glory” being the best standouts of the new release. If you are a fan of indie rock or just appreciate well-crafted music, then Valentine should be on your playlist rotation.

In support of Valentine, Snail Mail is embarking on a North American tour spanning major cities across both coasts, with a stop at Philadelphia’s Union Transfer for two nights: tonight, April 5th, and, tomorrow night, April 6th – if you’ll be around the city of brotherly love those two days and are looking for an evening filled with fun, heartfelt indie rock music, then Snail Mail’s shows are a must-see!

Tickets for her Union Transfer show are still available here.

Coheed and Cambria celebrate 20 years at Pappy & Harriet’s in Pioneertown, California last Thursday

Lauren Rosier — Thu, 24 Feb 2022 20:30:42 +0000

photo credit: Julie Ann Shaw

Written by Julie Ann Shaw

Coheed and Cambria came to Southern California to celebrate 20 years of gifting this world with genre-defying music based on the comics created by lead singer, Claudio Sanchez.

However, they did not come to Los Angeles, San Diego, or any other major city that has built a reputation for filling our souls with music. Coheed and Cambria decided they would play a sold-out show at Pappy & Harriet’s, a restaurant and music venue with an indoor and an outdoor stage, several outdoor bars and food stand for hot dogs and hamburgers, which sits on the edge of a very small town in the middle of the desert outside Palm Springs.

photo credit: Julie Ann Shaw

Pioneertown is exactly what it sounds like, originally built in 1946, as not just a set for western movies and television shows, but as an actual functional town where the cast and crew could live and play while filming. Today, in addition to remaining a functioning western livable filming set, it is a tourist attraction with almost daily western shows in the middle of Main Street. The fact that Coheed and Cambria decided to play in a venue like this made the show extraordinary and just plain fun.

To start the evening, the opening band was the Philadelphia-based band, Sheer Mag, with Tina Halladay (vocals), Hart Seely (bass), Matt Palmer (rhythm guitar/keyboard), Giacomo Zatti (drums), and Kyle Seely (lead guitar). Halladay owned the stage like no one I had ever seen before. The second she started singing all attention was on her and it was impossible to pull yourself away from the stage as she is a remarkable combination of Janis Joplin, Stevie Nicks, Madonna, and Cyndi Lauper.

The lights went down and Coheed and Cambria, Claudio Sanchez (lead vocals, guitar), Zach Cooper (bass), Travis Stever (guitar), and Josh Eppard (drums), took the stage.

photo credit: Julie Ann Shaw

After happily standing in the freezing desert for hours, with absolutely zero cell service, and only the alcohol and hot dogs to keep us warm, we were more than ready for them, and the massive amount of hair that was about to fly around on stage. They opened with In Keeping Secrets Of Silent Earth: 3, which was quickly followed by You Got Spirit, Kid.

They continued to excite the audience with an expansive set that included a taste of their upcoming album, Vaxis-Act II: A Window Of The Waking Mind, a continuation of their Amory Wars storyline, with the song “Shoulders.” Next came a three-song throwback to their first album, The Second Stage Turbine Blade, with “Junesong Provision,” “Devil in Jersey City,” and “Everything Evil.”

photo credit: Julie Ann Shaw

The set was periodically interjected with stories of when they were first starting out 20 years ago, and no one understood what they were trying to do. However, now, they are overcome with gratitude to have such a loyal and wonderful following who embrace their eccentric artistic adventures, stories, and characters, and are willing to drive to the middle of nowhere for a chance to become a part of the fantasy world that they have created.

As the night went on, each song was greeted with more excitement than the last, playing fan favorites like “A Favor House Atlantic” and “The Suffering.” The smog on stage intensified as the lights and lasers glowed through, creating the illusion of being inside one of their pieces of sci-fi artwork.

Then came the finale. If you could only make it for two songs, these were the songs to show up for. The first encore was “The Liars Club,” another insanely mind-blowing taste from their upcoming tenth studio album, Vaxis-Act II. Last, but not least, came the song. The song introduced Coheed and Cambria to millions of people, myself included. The song that made me fall in love with them and jump at the chance to drive three hours each way just to see them, “Welcome Home.”

Connect with Coheed and Cambria

Connect with Sheer Mag

Philadelphia’s Roots Picnic lineup announced for June 4-5 at the Mann Center in Fairmount Park

Lauren Rosier — Tue, 15 Feb 2022 19:38:21 +0000

Written by Lauren Rosier

Philadelphia fans! After two years of taking time off because of the pandemic, the annual Roots Picnic returns this year on June 4-5, 2022, at The Mann Center in Fairmount Park.

Headlined by no other than this past weekend’s Super Bowl performer, Mary J. Blige, will perform alongside The Roots themselves. Other artists performing include Kamasi Washington, Jazmine Sullivan, Summer Walker, Wizkid, Tierra Whack, Freddie Gibbs, DJ Jazzy Jeff with Rakim, and Robert Glasper Bilal.

DJ J Period is scheduled to make a “live mixtape” that will feature Black Thought, Rick Ross, and Benny the Butcher. A jam session will be hosted by the producer, Soulquarians, and will feature Keyshia Cole, SWV, and Musiq Soulchild.

Tickets for the event go on sale on Friday, February 18 at 10:00 a.m. ET. Get tickets here.

Great White and Slaughter bring back nostalgia, many reminiscing

Lauren Rosier — Thu, 18 Nov 2021 19:45:14 +0000

photo credit: Eric Sperrazza

Written by Eric Sperrazza

It was the summer of 1991 and while on, what felt like, an eternal car ride for a family vacation in New Hampshire, I discovered the band, Slaughter.

While in the backseat with my sister and cousin for hours, I was armed with nothing more than a mere Sony Walkman and a new cassette of the Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey Motion Picture Soundtrack. I was a big enough superfan of the Bill & Ted franchise that literally anything could have been on that album and I would’ve given it a shot so long as Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves were presenting it. But, that LP had some memorable tracks by Megadeth, Faith No More, and KISS.

For me, the breakout was the very first song on the first side of the cassette, “Shout It Out,” by Slaughter. A fun party tune with slick riffs, it felt like the polar opposite of their prior year’s hit single, a “Couples-Only Skate” classic by the name of “Fly to the Angels.” From that point forward, I was on the hunt for more Slaughter in my music collection.

Fast forward to the present. Spam emails are omnipresent in a half dozen different devices of mine with ads for shows and Groupons just begging to be opened. I almost never bite the forbidden but on one particular day an ad caught my eye – “Slaughter and Great White at Rivers Casino!” So, I opened it only to be thrust backward in time, singing the Great White hit, “Once Bitten, Twice Shy” in my head. Maybe it was the mixtape-making, hair band-loving kid inside of me, but I was intrigued with the prospect of seeing if these bands could still move me and a live audience.

The night of the show, I got to Rivers Casino early in order to give myself time for any Covid precautions and procedures. Sure enough, there was a mask mandate but Security was kind enough to have extras at the ready for folks ill-prepared. I brought my teenage son along with me to weigh his take on the music and, with a powerful stroke of serendipity, the two of us were able to set up and settle in, right in front of the stage (An experience that the Junior High School version of me would have died for!).

Slaughter was first to perform and Mark Slaughter wasted no time showcasing that his famous high octave voice still had gas in the proverbial tank. The band ripped into two hits from the Stick It To Ya album, “Mad About You” and “Spend My Life.”

But, if there were still non-believers in the house, the band began to cover Led Zeppelin’s legendary “Immigrant Song.” In that, Mark Slaughter hit every note, beat for beat, and the room was left aghast. In between tremendous amounts of fan interaction, with adults and children alike, the band performed their seminal ballad, “Fly to the Angels.” The show closed with a fitting tribute to Van Halen, as the curtain fell with their take on “Ain’t Talkin’ Bout Love.”

With Mark‘s feats of vocal strength, the fan service, and the infinite amount of picks tossed to the crowd, Slaughter was a tough act to follow; but, Great White was up for the challenge!

The longtime lead guitarist, Mark Kendall, revealed himself from behind the curtain and began a slow build-up solo that was like climbing the incline of a rollercoaster ride. At the precipice and without notice, the new frontman, Mitch Malloy, exploded on stage with the look of Robert Plant and the energy of David Lee Roth. Most importantly, the singing chops of a young and powerful hard rock singer. The band tore right into “Can’t Shake It” and “Lady Red Light.” I’m fairly confident Malloy did not stop moving for a second as he commanded every square inch of that stage to envelope everyone in attendance and welcome them to the party.

Great White continued on with hits like “Save Your Love” and “Rock Me,” but the climax of the night was the band performing “Once Bitten, Twice Shy” as the finale. On the micro, it was the same type of crowd pop you can expect when Kiss encores with “Rock And Roll All Nite.”

Band member, Michael Larkie, (Of whom I interviewed in anticipation of the show) even spent a few moments talking with my son and me.

I can safely say that there were no seat-fillers in the audience that night. Everyone in attendance was a true fan and helped in lighting up the room with an energy that both bands gave back to the crowd in spades. It was also so nice to audibly be taken back to a simpler time in my life when batteries for my Sony Walkman were my biggest concern. It renewed a little hope to rewind time back to my childhood, if but for one night.

Moreover, the biggest takeaway of the night was seeing my son catching guitar picks and singing along to newly learned choruses while throwing his horns to the sky. I may have not ever been front row as a teen riding a wave of electricity through two different hard-hitting sets, but I gotta live it through him as he expanded his already eclectic pallet.

This was truly an experience worth the price of admission. They say that you can never go home but on a rainy Friday night in October, I was back to my childhood bedroom, headphones full blast.

Until next time, Be Excellent To Each Other.

Connect with Slaughter

Website | Facebook | Mark’s Instagram | Mark’s Twitter | YouTube

Connect with Great White

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

Jawny returns to the Foundry with Spill Tab – a Photo Gallery

Lauren Rosier — Sat, 13 Nov 2021 22:00:09 +0000

All photos by Liv Foltiny

Connect with Jawny

Connect with Spill Tab

Keyboardist/producer Michael Larkie brings Great White to Philadelphia’s Rivers Casino tomorrow night

Lauren Rosier — Thu, 28 Oct 2021 22:30:57 +0000

photo credit: Neil Zlozower

Written by Eric Sperrazza

Growing up in the ’80s & ’90s, you would have been hard-pressed to turn on MTV and not see a video of some high-haired band, straight off the Sunset Strip. Amidst the LA onslaught of Whisky A Go Go alumni were Great White!

Since 1977, the band had been shredding licks and belting out their own brand of blues/metal. Ten years later, they truly landed with the seminal platinum album, Once Bitten. That would kick off Billboard Top 100 singles like “Once Bitten, Twice Shy” and one of my personal favorites, “The Angel Song.”

Today, Great White is still performing. Longtime band keyboardist and producer, Michael Larkie, spoke with me and explained what being on the road these days is like.

“We figured out a really cool way of doing it. We go out on a Thursday and perform Friday, Saturday and Sunday. That way, we are home for Monday and have a few days off,” Larkie revealed.

In fact, Great White is performing on October 29th, alongside Slaughter, at the Rivers Casino in Philadelphia, making for a big show of classic hair band-era rock. The band will feature a new lead vocalist, Mitch Malloy, to take on the classic Great White tunes.

When talking about the differences between Malloy and the original frontman, Jack Russell, Larkie was quoted as saying, “Mitch is a great frontman. Very agile and very active on stage. He engages the crowd, very very well! Mitch is different from Jack only in the fact that his solo stuff is more Journey & Bryan Adams, so this is new to him; being in a band that plays the kind of music we do. But he does it well!”

Playing Philadelphia is definitely not new to Larkie and Great White. Larkie went on to spin tales of playing the Spectrum and having fans charge down the ramp to the tour buses, putting him and his bandmates in a Beatles-esque panic, forever solidifying why Philly is a must-stop when Great White goes on tour!

And what of new music with Mitch and the band? With all of this chemistry and the joy of being back and playing Great White hits to rock-starved fans, Larkie was asked about the prospect of laying down a new album.

“We are looking at the 1st quarter of the new year to flush out some ideas but I will tell you this! It will sound like every bit of a Great White record,” Larkie explained.

It is not just the time-honored and battle-tested fans that Larkie and Great White hope to see this Friday. The band issues an open invite to anyone that wants to escape and enjoy music that makes you feel good.

“I guarantee you when we hit the apex of our set, and the crowd is singing along with us to ‘Once Bitten, Twice Shy,’ it’s a PARTY! Come; come be Rockstars with us!” said Larkie to new and hopeful fans looking for a good time on a Friday night in Philadelphia.

Come be rockstars with us; probably the most truthful tagline of any great rock show. The curtain goes up at 8 pm at Rivers Casino, which is located at 1001 North Delaware Avenue in Philadelphia. Tickets are still available here.

I know I, for one, will be taking Larkie up on his offer. With my torn jeans on and flannel tied properly around my waist, consider me an honorary rockstar as I belt out “The Angel Song” from the crowd.

Connect with Great White

Philly alt-prog/post-hardcore rock band, Circa Survive, release new EP, ‘A Dream About Love’, out today

Lauren Rosier — Fri, 22 Oct 2021 19:30:40 +0000

‘A Dream About Love’ Album Artwork

Written by Lauren Rosier

The Philadelphia alt-prog/post-hardcore rock band, Circa Survive, release a brand new EP, ‘A Dream About Love,’ out today via Rise Records. Additionally, alongside the EP, the band shared a visualizer for the track, “Sleep Well,” which features some really incredible time-lapse footage of the EP being created by the longtime collaborator, artist Esao Andrews.

Circa Survive has been a staple in the Philadelphia music scene for years now. With six full-length LPs and three EPs under their belt, they enter their 17th year together as a band and look to embark on a rescheduled tour (originally scheduled for 2020) to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their groundbreaking 2010 LP, Blue Sky Noise.

“We instantly went into scramble mode to figure out how to survive, no pun intended,” says guitarist and backing vocalist Colin Frangicetto. He flew home to Oregon at the start of the pandemic and has been mostly separated from his bandmates, Anthony Green (vocals), Brendan Eckstrom (lead guitar), Nick Beard (bass, backing vocals), and Steve Clifford (drums, percussion), throughout the majority of the pandemic.

I had been an original member of their first fan club, Creature Club, but since then the band has shifted to creating and sharing original content on Patreon. The band has been through a lot as, over the past three years or so, Green, still near Philadephia, has been struggling with his own personal survival. While he was tracking songs, he relapsed on heroin and overdosed. He entered rehab and after coming out, he began Narcotics Anonymous meetings daily.

In a press release, Green says, “When I was forced to be home, I didn’t get out of bed for months,” he says.

While the pandemic has caused some frustration, I feel it has also allowed us to reevaluate our lives, and determine what’s the most important to us.

The EP and single, produced by Will Yip (Turnstile, Quicksand, Turnover), are both sonic differences from their previous music, as the group continues to push their boundaries and grow beyond expectations.

Earlier this month, the five-piece unveiled the EP’s first single titled “Imposter Syndrome.” ‘A Dream About Love’ is the group’s first new project since 2017’s The Amulet, which debuted on the Billboard 200.

Circa Survive is set to perform at Chain Fest in Irvine, CA tomorrow, October, 23, following a 2022 North American headline tour. The tour begins January 7 and takes the band from West to East, with two SOLD OUT hometown shows in Philadelphia at Union Transfer.

Circa Survive – Blue Sky Noise Tour

Oct 23, 2021, Irvine, CA @ Chain Fest
Jan 07, 2022, Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
Jan 08, 2022, Rochester, NY @ Anthology
Jan 09, 2022, Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
Jan 11, 2022, Grand Rapids, MI @ Intersection
Jan 12, 2022, Indianapolis, IN @ Deluxe
Jan 14, 2022, St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
Jan 15, 2022, Chicago, IL @ Concord Music Hall
Jan 16, 2022, Minneapolis, MN @ The Lyric @ Skyway
Jan 18, 2022, Denver, CO @ Ogden
Jan 19, 2022, Salt Lake City, TA @ Depot
Jan 21, 2022, Boise, ID @ The Knitting Factory
Jan 22, 2022, Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
Jan 23, 2022, Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
Jan 25, 2022, San Francisco, CA @ The Regency
Jan 26, 2022, Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst – SOLD OUT
Jan 28, 2022, San Diego, CA @ Observatory North Park
Jan 29, 2022, Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl
Jan 30, 2022, Tempe, AZ @ Marquee
Feb 01, 2022, Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
Feb 02, 2022, San Antonio, TX @ Vibes Event Center
Feb 03, 2022, Houston, TX @ House of Blues
Feb 05, 2022, Pensacola, FL @ Vinyl Music Hall
Feb 06, 2022, Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution
Feb 08, 2022 St Petersburg, FL @ Jannus
Feb 09, 2022, Orlando, FL @ House of Blues
Feb 11, 2022 Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
Feb 12, 2022, Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore
Feb 13, 2022, Richmond, VA @ The National
Feb 15, 2022, Nashville, TN @ Cannery Ballroom
Feb 16, 2022, Louisville, KY @ Mercury Ballroom
Feb 18, 2022, Cincinnati, OH @ Bogarts
Feb 19, 2022, Detroit, MI @ The Majestic
Feb 20, 2022, Toronto, ON @ Opera House
Feb 22, 2022, Montreal, QC @ Fairmont Theatre
Feb 23, 2022, Albany, NY @ Upstate Concert Hall
Feb 25, 2022, Boston, MA @ House of Blues
Feb 26, 2022, Hartford, CT @ The Webster
Feb 27, 2022, Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel – SOLD OUT
Mar 01, 2022 Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
Mar 02, 2022, Baltimore, MD @ Rams Head Live
Mar 04, 2022, Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer – SOLD OUT
Mar 05, 2022, Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer – SOLD OUT

Connect with Circa Survive

Philly post-punk band, Full Bush, announce new EP ‘Movie Night’

Lauren Rosier — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 17:00:31 +0000

Movie Night EP to be released Dec. 3 on Brutal Panda

Written by Lauren Rosier

The Philadelphia post-punk quartet, Full Bush, is releasing a new EP Movie Night, due out on December 3rd via Brutal Panda Records.

Of the track, the band said: “‘Movie Night’ is about what it feels like when people project their insecurities onto you instead of addressing their own shit.”

The EP was mixed, mastered, and produced by David Downham (Beach Slang, Low Do) at Gradwell House Recording in Haddon Heights, NJ.

From Full Bush:

“The EP is about change. Whether within ourselves or outside, the past few years have seen a major shift for us individually and as a band. We acknowledge the pain that was caused by our trauma responses, gaslighting assholes, or turbulent relationships. Sitting in and confronting the discomfort of necessary internal shifts and letting go of what doesn’t lift us up, support us, love us in all the beautiful, fucking flawed ways we are as humans. Movie Night is the endcap of self dialogue when you realize you have control and you aren’t dealing with bullshit anymore, you’re stomping on it.”

The four-piece have also collaborated with three artists [Marian Bailey, Theresa Baxter, Eva Martinez-Bond] on a special series of limited edition merch designs, which are currently available on their Bandcamp page. 100% of the proceeds will go towards Morris Home, Loveland Foundation, and The Innocence Project.

Full Bush commented more on this collaboration:

“During the height of the pandemic last year, we decided that whatever we do next, we wanted to do something to help our community in a tangible way. We’ve always been tied to organizing/mutual aid as individuals but last year pushed us to want do something bigger, as a band. So we had three amazing artists design shirts that 100% of the sales will be split among three organizations doing amazing work. Quarantine times might be over but we can only get through together by educating ourselves about each other, empathy, continuously challenging our patriarchal systems, and mobilization through mutual aid.”

Movie Night Tracklisting

01. Spooky
02. Sweet & Low
03. Movie Night
04. Wild Heart
05. One Second

Pre-order the EP here.

Connect with Full Bush

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Bandcamp

One Night Only – The Struts’ Extravagant Return To Philadelphia

Lauren Rosier — Wed, 22 Sep 2021 22:40:21 +0000

photo credit: Liv Foltiny

Written by Nick Hopton

On a cool, late summer evening at the Skyline Stage at the Mann Center, one rock and roll’s hottest spectacles, The Struts, finally returned to one of the many cities they can consider home. This homecoming, however, was different.

As the world has been anything but normal the past two years, this show had the feel of old times. The times when going to a concert surrounded by thousands of people was normal. Laughter and happiness could be heard, and the excitement in the air could be felt. It had been such a long time since this had been felt, nearly two years of shutdowns, delays, and postponements, not knowing when we would all be able to be together again to experience the magic of a live show. Together. But on this night, we all were able to forget about the strange days. We were able to live in that moment that we’ve been missing for so long. We were able to just… let go.

For one night only… the strange days indeed felt over.

Opening the show in absolute groovy fury was none other than Philadelphia’s own Nick Perri & The Underground Thieves. This is becoming a regular (and welcomed) occurrence, as it seems like every time The Struts play Philly, these guys are there to warm the crowd up. It’s a perfect appetizer for the main course.

Blending psychedelic desert rock with a soundscape built for arenas, Perri & The Underground Thieves roll through some of their biggest hits while also incorporating a few surprises as well. After the band lights up the stage with electric tracks such as “Feeling Good,” and “Let You Know,” they bust out the full body of their work with a mesmerizing guitar jam in “5.0.1,” immediately leading into the Neil Young classic, “My My, Hey Hey,” which ascends into the rock and roll heavens with a fiery guitar solo unleashed by Perri.

The band ends their night with a new track, “I Want To Be Free,” destined to hit the airwaves in the near future with its infectious and memorable atmosphere. So much more is on the way from this incredible band, and it’s wonderful to watch it unfold as they evolve. Keep your eyes and ears open. The Thieves are coming.

As the sky grows darker and the lights hit harder, the crowd begins to build eager anticipation for what’s to come. A glam-rock spectacle for the ages. The blending of the old and the new. The 21st Century Dandies.

Ladies and Gentlemen… The Struts.

Wasting no time throwing the crowd into a frenzy, the boys from across the pond blast right into “Primadonna Like Me,” a bombastic tune designed to get the blood pumping and the juices flowing.

Decked out head to toe in black and pink leather, the band sends you back to a time when glitter and gold were all you needed to let loose. Luke Spiller, frontman extraordinaire and future rock and roll legend, is a modern-day Freddie Mercury. This comparison is constantly used for him… but it’s for a good purpose. Not only is the resemblance uncanny, but the magic that he creates on stage and the connection with the crowd are matched only by Freddie. It’s truly wondrous to watch it unfold and see the control he has over the audience. Always in the palm of his hands, he demands their full attention and excitement, and goddammit, does he ever get it.

They immediately segue into their full catalog of hits without so much as a breather for the crowd for a number of tunes. “Body Talks” lets the rock and roll rip with blistering guitar work from Adam Slack, followed by the full-blown dancefest that is “Kiss This.” It is very hard to find a rock band that is better on stage than their recordings, as sometimes it’s hard to capture the magic that is created in the studio. But this band blows their album work out of the water. They are a live band, meant to be seen and experienced on stage. Proper showmen. The real deal.

As someone who was skeptical of their latest album and the production that went into it, the songs of this endeavor sound leaps and bounds better than they do on the record. “I Hate How Much I Want You” has the heart that was so much desired, yet lost, on the album version. “Am I Talking To The Champagne” is a sexy, Santana-esque journey that is only taken higher live with the supreme guitar work of Slack.

“Wild Child,” originally recorded with Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine, is a new rebel anthem not only for the band, but rock music in general. The electricity that the stage pulls from the crowd during these songs makes you wish that the latest album, “Strange Days,” was recorded as a live album rather than one in the typical studio setting. Hearing these songs, in this setting, creates an entirely new profile for the tracks, along with a whole new appreciation for what they created.

“Low Key In Love,” though not on the album, is a new single that the band recorded with Paris Jackson, daughter of King Of Pop, Michael Jackson. Again, the live version just creates such an intimate setting and vibe that cannot be matched on record.

The biggest song of the evening, though, was clearly the title track from that last album, “Strange Days.” Spiller begins the song in the encore, just he and his piano, gradually building the emotion through the lyrics that reflect the position we have all been in over the past two years. More than halfway through, the rest of the lads join him in what can only be described as, well, an absolute epic of a climax. They take this song to new heights that make you feel like you’re listening to an entirely new piece of art, to the point where it was putting tears in people’s eyes. That’s not easy to do. Yet, they make it look so easy, and they do it so well.

We end the night with their first hit, “Could Have Been Me,” an ode to enjoying the here and now, which is exactly what we were all there doing, enjoying being in the moment. As we have all learned over the past two years, those moments are fleeting. At the end of the day, they are all we have.

Sing-a-longs, dancing, glitter, strutting. It’s a raucous masterclass on how to be a proper rock band. It’s a welcome few hours of normalcy. It’s what we want and needs at this time. A little reminder that things can, and will, return to the glory days.

Connect with The Struts

Philly indie rock band, Mo Lowda & the Humble, drop new single, “Snowbird,” to all DSP’s out now

Lauren Rosier — Fri, 10 Sep 2021 15:30:50 +0000

Written by Lauren Rosier

The Philadelphia-based, indie rock band, Mo Lowda and the Humble, share their incredible new single, “Snowbird,” out today.

“Snowbird” is an excellent indie rock that features an infectious, looping electric guitar riff while touching upon subjects of seasonal depression and having the support needed to pull through it.

“‘Snowbird’ was a fun one to work on,” frontman Jordan Caiola says. “Those driving acoustics that serves as the drive/backbone of the tune were one of the last things we added, oddly enough. The origin of the song was a simple voice memo from a few years back that really just had bass, drums, and that electric guitar riff, looping. Once we revisited it, the verses were written and that riff/hook finally had its place in the chorus. Lyrically, the song deals with themes of seasonal depression and having someone by your side to help you through it.”

The trio is currently on their 2021 Ready Coat Tour. The remaining dates are listed below.

2021 Ready Coat Tour

09-10-21: The Radio Room, Greenville, SC
09-11-21: The Lincoln, Raleigh, NC
09-12-21: Bristol Rhythm & Roots, Bristol, TN
09-15-21: The High Watt, Nashville, TN
09-16-21: The Grey Eagle, Asheville, NC
09-17-21: Venue on Main, Columbia, SC
09-18-21: Windjammer Beach Stage, Isle of Palms, SC
09-22-21: Aisle 5, Atlanta, GA
09-23-21: Georgia Theatre, Athens, GA
09-24-21: Lenny Boy Brewing, Charlotte, NC
09-25-21: The Broadberry, Richmond, VA
10-01-21: The Sultan Room, Brooklyn, NY
10-02-21: Thunderbird Cafe & Music Hall, Pittsburgh, PA
10-03-21: Natalie’s Music Hall & Kitchen, Columbus, OH
10-05-21: The Southgate House Revival, Newport, KY
10-07-21: Zanzibar, Louisville, KY
10-08-21: Subterranean, Chicago, IL
10-09-21: Appleton Beer Factory Night 1, Appleton, WI
10-10-21: Appleton Beer Factory Night 2, Appleton, WI
10-12-21: The Bur Oak, Madison, WI
10-13-21: Reverb Lounge, Omaha, NE
10-14-21: The Moxi, Greeley, CO
10-15-21: The Bluebird, Denver, CO
10-22-21: Three Links Deep Ellum, Dallas, TX
10-23-21: Antones, Dallas, TX
10-26-21: Red Dragon Listening Room, Baton Rouge, LA
10-27-21: Gasa Gasa, New Orleans, LA
11-18-21: Pearl Street Warehouse, Washington, D.C.
11-19-21: Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA

Take a listen to “Snowbird” below!

Connect with Mo Lowda and The Humble