Written and Photographed by Sophia Varoumas

Grammy Award-winning Maynard James Keenan has one of the essential rock voices of our time. He pairs his golden vocal cords with Carina Round, whose angelic voice could be on a loop in the heavens to make the angels happy. Puscifer unites again for the second half of the Existential Reckoning, tour, 2.0. This time, with way more songs and even more antics. Sound Waves at The Hard Rock in Atlantic City hosted the band’s full-throttle performance making for one of the best and most unforgettable shows of 2022. 

Going to the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino is an experience within itself. The path leading to the concert hall is paved with rock history memorabilia. You’ll see musical artifacts that stun, but the true stunner was Puscifer’s concert. 

To call it a concert sounds like an understatement. They have stage performers acting out scenes throughout the show. Some of the character’s storylines began four albums ago with the redneck anarchist shenanigans of Billy D (played by MJK) as he’s been hanging around aliens, who have been feeding him alcohol in attempts to probe him.

The light show is mesmerizing and could be a show within itself. The band has been touring all year, with a break in the summertime for Round’s tour with Tears for Fears. As soon as that ended, Puscifer, ready for round two, hopped in their flying saucer to hover over the East coast, hungry for more.

That’s only some of what they have in store for all of their fans this year. For those who don’t make it out to the show, Puscifer has offered a double-feature pay-per-view concert and intimate studio sessions for you to purchase on puscifertv.com. If venturing out this time around is not in the cards, the affordable double feature, at $35, is a must-see for all the die-hard fans and new listeners to their music. This band provides exclusive content that Puscifer’s music videos have provided alongside this project’s work. It’s an entirely awesome experience.

There is something truly special that you feel when you put on a record that MJK puts his vocals on. When releasing his first record with Tool in 1990, the Gods of thunder clapped to hear such greatness. Every one of his releases topped the charts in several countries in addition to ours. He received Grammy awards for best metal performance and hard rock performance. The musical genius exists in his band Puscifer as well. 

I’ve never been to a Maynard show where the sound was not pristine. Expect to feel like you are listening to a studio album right in front of your face. The band puts on one hell of a show from beginning to end. Puscifer has an entire production, which feels like the complete package. With an 18-song setlist, wardrobe changes, and storylines to go alongside the characters Billy D, and Agent Dick Merkin, Puscifer puts on a gotta-go to performance that should not be missed.

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Written and Photographed by Senior Writer, Sophia Varoumas

L7 are four “human beings” who can simply rock the socks off any guy or gal. L7 has always been one of the hardest rock bands of the 90s, with the filthiest distortion, raspiest vocals, and songwriting that will pull the last breath out of ‘ya because you need to sing it, headbanging the entire way. 

They sing about topics that emote an aggressive feeling after reciting their words. Their anarchist-type attitudes and crass style resinated and shaped so many minds of Generation X females and males alike, wanting to create their own path by their standards. A message that strongly resonates with youths today. 

Donita Sparks, Suzi Gardner, Jennifer Finch, and Demetra “Dee” Plakas make up the family unit; the band of big sisters to the iconic Nirvana, who stampeded and branded us with a knowledge that rockin’ out has no gender. They resided in an era of competitiveness among rockers when L7 became popular, maintaining respect among their peers for their work’s sheer talent and quality that screams for itself. 

The Union Transfer hosted the 6th tour date of the band’s 30th Anniversary of a very important album in their catalog. With songs like “Mr. Integrity,” “Shove,” and “Monster,” Bricks Are Heavy, fans continue to get a taste of what L7 has been serving. Philly gave L7 some love right back, being the band’s first show on this tour that provided them with a nice pit, confessed Donita on October 10.

Sparks reminisced about The Trocadero and how Philly holds a special place in her heart. She asked, “is it still open?” And then expressed, “It’s always a big loss when places like that close down,” she said, “They are meaningful and make those experiences special.”

Despite the reputation, the record deserves, their punk/grunge roots are underrated and understated by L7s efforts and are owed way more credit than they’ve been given. Perhaps a day for them in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for their efforts in heavy metal. Self-stamping the album Goldby their punk rock standards. L7 played their album as punk rock royalty does; they were perfectly imperfect in Philly because they were “human fucking beings.” Many of us back then would relish in the moments to gather around, jump in the car and sing our hearts out to L7. Each track on Bricks Are Heavy, including the title track, is what every guitar legend dreams of creating. Their most notable track is “Shit List,” famously found on the Natural Born Killers Soundtrack. That single-handled song made it easier to deal with assholes, raising the question, should a list like this exist?

If you emerged in music in the early nineties, you understood the importance of how cool L7 is. They were androgynous before that was a thing, but more so as they fought against sexism for rocking hard and having vaginas as if the two were shockingly impossible to live in symmetry. Being unapologetic about their style and unique personalities, these four have always been among the most punk rock.

Spark commands respect in the room. So when a fan girl requests in the crowd to play “Hungry For Stink” during the show, the uneasily swayed Donita simply states, “We’re not a jukebox,” and continues to play the set. That was so punk rock. 

The band emphasizes voting since it is the 100th Anniversary of women voting in the United States and asks the crowd, “What’s up with all the fascism?” They even end the night with Sparks yelling out, “Vote!” It echoes within the walls of the Union Transfer. 

Though L7s power set flew by, clearly, L7 message of unity through voting weighed heavily on their minds. Being among the pioneers to rally for change on reproductive issues, a fundraising tour that began in 1992 called Rock for Choice. Many bands played over the years to protect reproductive rights because of L7’s intent to raise awareness that carried on years after they started it. They ended the evening with a cover of David Bowie‘s “Suffragette City,” marking it their anthem for a new era. 

Having an opportunity to listen to L7 perform Bricks Are Heavy in its entirety on tour 30 years after it was produced is yet another gotta-go to show on a music lover’s bucket list. They are touring throughout October 2022 in select cities and are absolutely amazing! It’s a rare opportunity to see these musical legends perform songs as epic and original as they are. Not listening to Bricks Are Heavy would be a disservice to yourself.

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Written by Sophia Varoumas

When Gigi Rowe’s debut album created some buzz around That Mag’s virtual offices last week, senior writer Sophia Varoumas went on assignment to follow the artist to her NYC show, finding out exactly what was said when Jay Z complimented her (twice!) and gain insight into the Gigi Rowe evolution of a glamorous runaway.

For Gigi Rowe, born Laura Warshauer, this central New Jersey native has decorated a colorful path in music for herself, with lots of fascinating industry stories about her musical experiences that make up and embody her journey as a solo artist. With some help from her personified stage name, Gigi Rowe, this fearless singer with a captivating stage presence ultimately beams with a beacon of positivity. Her songwriting and catchy lyrics will be repeated in your mind all day.

Gigi Rowe’s debut album, Laura dropped on Sept 30th. (see review here) She described making the album alongside producer PJ Biancoas as “majestic and beautiful. The idea that I got to have this sort of uninterrupted time with my favorite producer on this gorgeous farmland in Jersey was a dream,” says Rowe. The pair, already looking toward their next body of work, called Glamorous Runaway. 

Listen to That Mag’s exclusive clip of Gigi Rowe reciting Glamorous Runaway from Sophia’s interview. 

Rowe’s earlier work sounded super poppy, pop-star-esque. Very, “hello Barbie, let’s go party.” Still, she finds herself on a new learning curve with a new producer she adores. With a solid debut album, Laura, she speaks to an audience with sultry, sexy story-telling vibes that lend back to her musical songwriting roots growing up in Fair Haven, NJ, almost 20 years ago.

Her career has been on this steady trajectory as of late. With her pale blue eyes on the horizon, this singer-songwriter has been pleasantly clustering her work everywhere, with a crossover from DefJam/Island to becoming a completely independent artist. She’s still winning over industry executives as she did when she was a kid, who now has been adding her tracks onto Netflix and Prime TV shows. The latest is a new single titled “Sexy Beautiful,” which premiered on the new FOX TV show The Cleaning Lady, aired on Oct 3rd, and is now streaming on Hulu. The single has been released on all DSP, Spotify, Apple Music, and Pandora.

She reveals even though she too has been afraid to go after her dreams, “even when things can seem impossible, if you keep going when times are tough, no matter how many times you get knocked down or dropped from the deal; or how long the dry spells get, good things will happen.”

Rowe has found many successes with many projects in her career thus far worth mentioning. She is an author and illustrator of a children’s book, Wishes. Rowe is now doing a kid’s podcast show called Posy Flynn Sings!, creating, producing, and composing the music for the show. She’s even the voice of the title character. She’s also had multiple songs of hers on the Just Dance video game series that include, “Got That,” “Run the Night” and “New Reality.” 

With pop-anthem love songs making their rotations onto shows like Emmy award-winning, Euphoria, Gigi is gaining more and more recognition. On her debut album, she sings some slowed-down hungover tempos like Lana Del Ray with a voice reminiscent of Mazzy Star; fresh yet familiar pop vibes that lean on the cusp of a lot of the new country sounds. Sort of like a female Bruce Springsteen with tracks like Velvet and Lips. 

“I feel like in a lot of ways we are all trying to honor the inner child, for me, the 5-year-old that I’m picturing now, that was brave enough to sing my first solo in front of 500 people,” said Rowe. She sang, “I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,” and recalled getting into her mom’s red Chanel lipstick, which she still wears. She remembers the “little black velvet dress with white collar and a red rose, who was barely tall enough to reach the mic, but I was able to deliver a performance, even at that age, and I think that instinctively, even then, felt the power of music.” Noticing she could move the room and a natural spark, a young Laura was drawn to performing.

Determined to place herself into a position with some of the greats, and look like Gwen Stefani and Jennifer Lopez while doing it, Gigi Rowe promises she’s got a “timeless/ageless” beauty mantra, So Iconic like recent track, a collaborative effort with Tik Tok star, Claybaby.

Her world is much like a music box with a sweet little marionette inside. Once the music box is opened, so much is revealed. It’s hypnotic as you stare, listen and watch. Gigi Rowe does the same thing. Her songs and friends are like treasures in a metaphorical music box. “You have to find the unicorns in life,” Rowe says, “that’s how you create the magic.” She feels lucky to have such special and magical people on her team, who, on the creative and business side, care with meticulous detail to make things happen with synergies from a creative and business standpoint. “The stars have to align, and there is an element of magic where one and one must equal three. It’s something so much bigger than all of us; it comes all together with the cosmos and the universe and makes my Gigi Rowe world a fun place.” 

Laura age 5, photo courtesy of Gigi Rowe

Laura age 5, photo courtesy of Gigi Rowe

The Early Years

When she picked up a guitar, Gigi was inspired by 90s female powerhouses like Alanis Morrissette and Joan Osborne. Still, before Gigi Rowe was born, Laura came first. As a baby, Laura sang in her crib. Rowe always loved singing. She explained that when she was a baby would get up in the middle of the night, sing songs at the top of her lungs, and just wake the whole house up. 

By age 12, her father gifted her the first guitar for Valentine’s Day. Thinking it would be great if she could accompany herself. “He gave me a card of a guitar teacher in Redbank, New Jersey, and then surprised me with an electric guitar [that was] waiting for me on my bed.” She said it was a black Yamaha guitar with a white pickguard. “I thought it was so sweet. My Dad is the sweetest person on the planet, but that particular memory stayed with me and inspired me to start playing guitar.” 

Once she learned her first chords, she quickly started writing her own songs, which felt like her own language. “I felt like it gave me this identity that I loved. I felt like I had my own kind of secret way to talk about anything I wanted, and whether people understood it or not, having a voice for those inner thoughts or stories, was very empowering. It became my universal language.” 

Her parents have always really been supportive too. “My dad is a doctor, and my mom is a teacher, and we all come from very different worlds, but despite that, I think they’ve always wanted nothing more than for me to live the life of my dreams.” 

The Open Mic Days and the start of recording studios 

“I would love to go everywhere with my guitar. Then I would book studio time, at fourteen, at the Jersey Shore. All I wanted to do is create a recording right away. I wanted to perform for people. I wanted to make records. I imagined that my songs would sound like they were supposed to, just like on the radio. “That’s when I learned what a producer does, what an engineer does, and what collaborations can look like.” 

She recalls the summer before high school when she started doing open mics in New Jersey, going in and out of NYC. There was a coffee shop in Redbank called, No Ordinary Joe’s, where she would play out in the early days. There was a place in NYC called Club Ivis, that no longer exists, where Gigi would go to Backstage Magazine and find open mics to just show up at. At Club Ivis, she showed up and played a song and got offered her first show. This was her first big break with success.

“I’ve always been drawn to entertainment. I loved and grew up on musical theatre and dabbled in acting, which I still have a love for. I loved how empowering it all was. I would walk into a room, and say, “Hi, I’m gonna play you this song, and I’m going to change your life right now.“ By throwing herself into the business, she knew she’d be learning and figuring it out along the way. “I’m a big believer in just showing up. Most of life is just showing up. You never know unless you do,” Rowe says. 

“I think that I’ve had a lifetime of that. I had an opportunity to sing for someone in Turkey so I bought a plane ticket and sang for someone when I landed in Istanbul. I found myself hot air ballooning in Cappadocia; jumped at the chance to get into the room to sing a song for someone by getting to create chance meetings. I am very much that person to be like, I am there!” Whatever it takes, I will be there.”

Rowe found herself at Sony Music Studios in NYC in a writer’s room by this time. “That was the first time I was discovering what it was like to hear what my voice sounded like over other instrumentation, over keyboards and string pads; adding beats and then dabbling in production. That was really eye-opening for me, but it was sort of a bygone era.” 

Bitter End and Bleaker Street 

“It was a big studio; there were a lot of rap and hip hop sessions happening. The studio operated twenty-four hours a day. Suddenly, I could be immersed in this world, sleeping at the studio recording until I couldn’t stay awake any longer, curling up on the couch, in and out of these different sessions, Rowe explains. 

With access to that building and through people she collaborated with, Rowe began new experiences making records. Within the building walls, she met Bitter End club owner Kenny Gorka. Those were the times when she stayed up all hours of the day and night and befriended the club owner, who is no longer living. “He would get me home to Jersey in the middle of the night just so I could stay and hang out and listen to music,” Rowe remembers. “Those experiences really shaped me early on, and then, it was in that moment and that energy when I ended up with my first record deal signed by LA Reed to Island/DefJam Records.” 

It was a very different time in the industry however, Rowe explains. “I was recording and doing shows and rehearsing. I was running around and getting the chance to perform for industry executives in their offices, and that was such a moment in time.” “I’ve always been drawn to inspiration and curiosity and I’m very open to be creative but at times, that can lead you down paths that you shouldn’t be on. I took some of the good with the bad and understood that I had to give myself a learning curve and keep going,” Rowe explains. 

Jay-Z back story: 

“I was signed to Island/DefJam at the end of 2006 and Jay Z was an executive in the company. There was a showcase that I was asked by our studios in NYC to perform for some of the key executives. LA Reed, Jay Z and just a handful of others were in this small room with a small stage. I played three songs and apparently, in the back of the room, LA Reed turns to Jay Z and says, that’s the Grammys right there.” Right before that performance, Reed says to Rowe, lemme introduce you to Jay Z.” 

“The first thing he said was, “I like your getup.” I was wearing this very cool outfit that belonged to my grandmother and it was very 1970s Janis Joplin. It was a one-piece jumpsuit and the sleeves flowed out, and the pant legs flared; it had every color of the rainbow you can imagine with gold sequined trim. “I like your getup, Jay Z says, and “that was the first line that I got from Jay Z. I thought to myself, okay that’s iconic.” Then performed later that night. About a year later, in Los Angeles at a Grammy after-party, “I saw him again. I’m thinking, this guy’s not gonna have any idea who I am. Jay Z just looked me straight in the eye and was like, “you are fantastically talented. I think at that point I levitated a little.” 

New York with Gigi

There is something magical about driving into New York, and seeing the NYC skyline at night, lit up as far as the eye can see. City streets with passers-by and yellow cabs honking while merging into the heart of Chinatown. There are all these barricades and scaffolding on every block. Graffiti on the sides of the buildings with classic New York graffiti-style bubble letters, all the way up the high rises. 

And right in the middle of it all, the Rockwood Music Hall hosted Gigi Rowe’s performance to kick off the release of her debut album, Laura. We chatted about what it’s been like recently: 

Rowe says, “It’s kind of taken me back to the moments that I [remember feeling] when I first started with music, [and] I got my first record deal. That’s such a rare and beautiful thing. When you’ve had a lot of experiences in the industry, you can recapture some of that essence and the magic, but when you don’t really know what you’re stepping into, and you haven’t really gotten to experience the industry side of music, you’re just following your heart, and you’re just following inspiration. I’m having a lot of those moments right now, and I really want to just stay in the space that I’m in.” 

So many of Gigi Rowe’s days lately have been filled with so much of what she loves to do. She’s headed to the studio with her producer and collaborator on Laura after this album release. “We’re already working on a new body of work. I’m in rehearsals, I’m in and out of Brooklyn, and I’m staying at the Jersey shore right now. I have been having so many experiences that they are filled with so many interesting characters being, centered around creating, playing music, and performing music. I’ve actually been thinking to myself, this is kind of the dream, just to have more days filled with moments like this.” 

Rockwood Music Hall 

Rowe performed for an intimate crowd at the NYC club, accompanied by guitarist and pianist Ben Hoffman. Her performance was a stripped-down, unplugged version for the midweek show. Before getting onto the stage, sitting at the bar with a tall glass of water, Gigi wrote down her setlist on a napkin. She performed six songs from the album and then played one song that she describes, “that is just a special kind of punk rock song” that she had previously released that she played in the early nightclubs era, called “When the Time Comes.” Then closed the evening with two new tracks entitled “Glamorous Runaway” and “Ghost in the Rear View.” With a baby grand piano on stage, At Rockwood, both Hoffman on piano and Rowe picking up the guitar gave a compelling performance with lots of interesting banter between songs.

Live photographs courtesy of Sophia Varoumas @ Rockwood music Hall September 30, 2022

Why a glamorous runaway?

“That spirit of restlessness, where I always feel like I’m simultaneously running toward something and away from something at the same time. And I think it’s all very spontaneous. I love to think of myself as a glamorous runaway.” Gigi Rowe pictures herself in that moment with a platinum Bob, oversized sunglasses, and this epic trench coat with shoulder pads and cinched at the waist. It’s inspired by a road trip from Los Angeles to the Las Vegas strip. Driving through the desert, stopping for gas in the middle of nowhere, intense motels, and it’s all a little dangerous. Being able to pull people into that world as a sort of backdrop for this glamorous runaway she’s created is a glamorized version of herself and her experiences. 

It’s a Wrap

Gigi Rowe has this forthright confidence and positivity about herself, her world and her surroundings, even herself that it feels like a breath of fresh air. To see another human being embody carefreeness in a time of such hardships is inspiring. Truly. Once you’ve spent a substantial amount of time speaking with, studying, and watching her perform.

She doesn’t just ask you to come to her world; you become submerged, captivated by her lyrics, voice, and stage presence. Being in that presence is intoxicating because dreams feel possible around her. She makes music her business mindset all the time. She has a solid team with the plug for a hook-up to TV shows, video games, etc., making her money, and that’s a business-savvy female right there, connected to the music circuit. 

She’s living a lifetime of music, and having an opportunity to spend some time chatting, watching her perform, and listening to her perspective on life, has me wrapped in a whole cosmic vibe. 

I see her as the inner child of every little girl who has a determined dream and won’t stop until she’s set in her due position on an international platform reaching the ears and hearts of the masses. 

She’s the next Mazzy Star. Her lyrics have the sultriness of a woman embodied in Velvet on; her new album borderlines the new-folk country hybrid, emotional and heartfelt anthems with messages of strength, love, and hope. She’s ultimately relatable to all of us with determination and grit.

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By Sophia Varoumas

Preparations have begun for the 7th Annual PHL Live! talent show. Sponsored this year by Dunkin’, musical talent from across the city of brotherly and sisterly love, are encouraged to take a chance and showcase their talent in one of 10 musical categories. PHL Live! is looking for musicians to showcase their original music, for a chance to take their musical career to the next level, and it all starts at home in Philly. 

This year, for the first time there will be a People’s Choice category. The other categories include: Country/Folk, DJ,/EDM, Hip Hop, Jazz, Pop, Rock, World, and R&B. There is also a Gospel and Classical category where you do not have to perform original music. 

Registration closes this week on September 30, and it’s free to register. All you have to do is upload a 3-5 minute performance of you and your original work to Phllive.org That means, bands, solo artists, DJs, all of you! There are 11 chances to win a thousand bucks and recording studio time to bring your music to a bigger audience. 

Among the talent judges this year, is our very own That Mag publisher, Brian Cronin, who looks forward to, “seeing all the new talent of music this great city has to offer!” As well as, Philadelphia Councilman-At-Large, David Oh, who does fundraising and hosts PHL Live! “Only 300 applicants have uploaded their videos thus far, so [Philadelphians] really have a great chance to actually go home with a grand prize.” With so much untapped talent, PHL Live! is a platform to help musical citizens get bigger opportunities to accomplish their dreams. 

When Councilman David Oh ran for office, one of the platforms he ran on was the economy. Through the economic development side Councilman Oh was able to create a platform where the Creative Arts economy can thrive while proving talent if given the chance to be discovered.  Thereafter maintaining a career and life in Philadelphia. 

Councilman Oh researched lifting Philadelphia’s music platform. What inspires him year to year is the city of Philadelphia. “My job is related to the city of Philadelphia, not New York, not LA, so as a councilman, my mission is to our city and make the city of Philadelphia a place where [we] can become who [we] want to be.” He explains “You can do it through education, through a job, through a great neighborhood, but for people to want to be somebody, [some feel they have] to leave and we want to make Philadelphia a place where it’s citizen’s stay and maintain success.”

Click here to register

The UK’s very own, Modern English spent the night playing After the Snow, in its entirety, the band’s second studio album, initially released in May of 1982, on Wednesday, September 7 at Ardmore Music Hall, with special guests, Bootblacks.

Modern English commemorates its 40th anniversary of I Melt With You this year. The album not only leads them into mainstream exposure but permanence in pop culture, unlike their post-punk counterparts. 

Modern English is Robbie Grey on vocals, Gary McDowell on guitar, Stephan Walker on keyboards, Mick Conroy on bass, and Roy Martin on drums. 

Leave it to the mainstream to take a dark love song about a nuclear holocaust, and turn it into an anthem of love and hope. Isn’t that beautiful? How the interpretation of the masses can ultimately alter the artist’s creative idea. The band’s interpretation of taking this dark idea of two people making love and melting together during an apocalypse and creating a catchy pop song is artistry. This single became an entire brand, with its worldwide timelessness and universally relatable lyrics, making it quite possibly one of the most well-known songs of our lifetime, by being infiltrated into commercials, movies, etc. Not many songs reach that type of audience. That’s a mainstream wave any band may (secretly) wish they could ride for 40 years. That’s the beauty of art in motion, an evolution from an artist’s pencil to the masses. 

Modern English’s performance not only included the songs “Carry Me Down,” “Dawn Chorus,” and “Life in the Gladhouse” they also included songs from their 2016 release “Take Me to the Trees,” “Moonbeam,” and “Hands Across the Sea.” After playing “Face of Wood,” Grey mentioned that he hoped the crowd enjoyed the exclusive performance because that was the 3rd time in 20 years that the band had performed the track. They closed the first night of their tour in America with “Tables Turning” before ending the evening with “After the Snow.”

Grey’s voice is as young and beautiful as ever. To that, ding dong, darling! So, seeing the American leg of their 2022 tour with Bootblacks is imperative to your musical bucket list. Getting chances to hear albums in their entirety is a rarity. These gentlemen are giving you a chance to do it in an intimate setting, with lots of cheap merch! It’s an 80s music lover’s gotta-go show. Especially with their opening act, Bootblacks. This post-punk band from Brooklyn, NY, will give you all the David Gahan of Depeche Mode and Ian Curtis of Joy Division goth, industrial, and electronica vibes you didn’t know you needed in your playlists.

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photo credit: Sophia Varoumas

Carina Round gives you full-body chills with her compelling performance, alongside living rock legend Maynard James Keenan at Philadelphia’s The Met.

By Sophia Varoumas

“Phil’s Friends” receive the satirical and theatrical probing performance they anticipated. Maynard James Keenan (vocals) and Carina Round (vocals/guitar/percussion/keys), of Puscifer, performed in divine masculine/feminine post-punk harmony at The Met.

Alongside bandmates, Mat Mitchell (guitar), Gunner Olsen (drums), and Josh Moreau (bass/synths) on this year’s, Existential Reckoning tour, like the hierophant compliment the Empress, Carina Round, and Maynard James Keenan, showcase their voices in the Opera house, achingly beautiful and synthesized with a dusting of retro electronica.

The alternative rap trio, Moodie Black, opens the evening with a dark stage, bright white screen, and the band scattered across the stage, an industrial backdrop eerily hanging behind them, reminiscent of an old Nine Inch Nails video. Moodie Black features the lead singer, Kristen Martinez (she/her), guitarist Sean Lindahl (he/him), and drummer Bentley Monet (he/him).

Moodie Black rage on stage as Martinez’s silhouette haunts, as she towers, and paces in front of the band’s backdrop. She has an enormous voice that demands attention. The band calls it noise rap. It sounds super thrashy and industrial combined with the super-fast spoken word. You may find yourself rocking your head to their set.

Suddenly, the energy shifts dramatically when the TV screens on each side of the stage light up with static, and Maynard James Keenan (MJK), a.k.a. agent Dick Merkin, pops up on the screens with a message about “spam.” He reminds the crowd that, “ignorant entitled outrage,”  adds just enough spice to the cynical mix of processed meat, so if you pull out your phone, it will land you in Puscifer’s meat grinders, and dispose of you. The crowd roars at the announcement and then the band walks across that stage.

You see and feel this synergy on stage when Keenan and Round, the alto and soprano dance around each other in an alienesque fashion opening with the tracks, “Bread and Circus,” “Postulous,” and then the crowd-pleasing, “Fake Affront,” giving the audience Max Headroom meets Reservoir Dogs feels with their rude boy, all-black suits, white button-down shirts, and black tie attire.

Dozens of fans dress up like MJK’s personas and some, like MJK, don’t break character. Appearances by personas, Agent Dick Merkin, the agent in training on the Pusciforce, is the audience’s host for the evening probe. ‘Agents’ appear on stage scanning the audience for potential new subjects. It was quirky and entertaining adding an extra element to the night’s show.

Prior to the band’s quick seven-minute intermission and wardrobe change, the six-piece performed the songs “Humbling River,” “Apocalypticical,” “Remedy,” and “Singularity.”

Billy D, MJK’s other Puscifer persona emerges, a glass of alcohol in hand, prepared to raise a glass and run from the aliens on stage trying to probe him.

Puscifer continues in their ever so subtle way to say, “shut the fuck up” with a world in its current state of affairs, masking some rage with video “spam” entertaining the crowd to add a sense of sarcastic comic relief, but still showcasing how social media is evil, and how they may feel about society’s current events that are unfolding.

The most monumental and compelling moment of the evening was by Carina Round in her performance of “Flippant.”

Round singularly dances standing still and waving her arms pointing up, then circling her belly and up again. Suddenly she circles her belly again, points up, then points back down at her other hand circling back at her belly, and silently screams, MINE! Before the stage goes black, they end the night with, “Bedlamite” and tell Puscifer fans that they can break out their phones to take some pictures if they choose.

Want to relive the show? Philly’s Setlist below:

Bread and Circus
Postulous
Fake Affront
Underwhelming
Grey Area
Theorem
Vaginamine
Upgrade
Apocalypticical
Remedy
Personal Prometheus
Singularity
Humbling River
(Intermission)
Bullet Train
Man Overboard
Flippant
Bedlamite

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photo credit: Liv Foltiny

Written by Sophia Varoumas

The punk rock veterans, the Offspring, popped into Asbury Park’s, The Stone Pony, on May 12th to celebrate the band’s ‘Let The Bad Times Roll’ tour.

The ‘Let The Bad Times Roll’ tour and their latest studio album, Let the Bad Times Roll, were included in the festivities, celebrating some of their biggest tracks.

They played a solid 75-minute set, opening with, “Want You Bad,” a fast-paced power ballad to get the crowd excited. They included all the songs you expect to hear from their catalog like, “Gotta Get Away,” “Pretty Fly,” “Self Esteem,” and “Bad Habit.”

They played three-quarters of “Bad Habit,” and just stopped. It was definitely the concert’s cliffhanger moment. Will they finish the song? Being the avid, concertgoer that I am, I demanded they finish the song, just like the rest of the crowd. They did. Of course, they did. It ruled, and the mosh pits and crowd surfers sang along with their “timbering voices” that Kevin John “Noodles” Wasserman pointed out and enjoyed.

Halfway through the set, Bryan “Dexter” Holland switched over to the piano to sing the track, “Gone Away,” paying homage to all the people we have lost since the pandemic. He spoke about the grieving process, how we each grieve differently but most importantly, “remember you are not alone.” Holland promised. They closed the night with, “You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid,” from their 8th studio album, Rise and Fall.

It’s always great to see a band charge a reasonable price. Especially, in the 90s, when the band debuted, “selling out” and being a “poser” was a big deal. You did not want to do that if you were in a band. Fans were pleased that the tickets are about $50 with merch ranging from $10-$75. “That’s super reasonable for shows today, and it says a lot,” says William M. from Cherry Hill, NJ.

Connect with The Offspring

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Connect with Radkey

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Photo Gallery of The Offspring and Radkey

Photos By: Sophia Varoumas

Radio 104.5 and the Liacouras Center hosted the Miller Lite Mystery Show over the Thanksgiving weekend. Kicking off the season of giving, and showing their gratitude by giving Philadelphia a free concert with a twist.

The big mystery is that concert-goers don’t know who is playing the show until they actually hit the stage. With Miller Lite sponsoring the event, serving lots of cheer, with their beer bottles “dressed up” in festive ugly sweaters, music lovers got the opportunity to escape the leftovers and malls for a bit and enjoy some free music. The radio station listeners and Miller Lite fans were teased with a list of bands that could perform which included bands like The Killers, Weezer, Blink 182, Bastille, and other artists to pull in the crowd. At 9 PM, the wait was over, and the mystery was revealed when Icelandic band, Of Monsters and Men, graced the stage to perform a nearly packed venue on November 30th.

The headliners themselves asked our very own Philadelphia local band, Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties to open up for them on Saturday to which Dan Campbell, their frontman, talked about during their thirty-minute set. “Are you sure? We are like the saddest band ever!” Thanking 104.5 and Miller Lite often, they were honored that Of Monsters of Men asked them and grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the special evening. The band’s song, “Routine Maintenance” recently became a part of the 104.5 playlist which they were proud to play.

Of Monsters and Men performed a pitch-perfect one hour set, full of their indie-pop hits from all three of their studio albums. Opening with “Alligator” lead singer, Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir was golden, literally. From head to toe in a gold sequin jumpsuit, playing a gold sparkle guitar and shaking her shag haircut, the band didn’t disappoint the huge crowd and the iHeart radio fans.

Most Americans get to enjoy a holiday break from their busy lives to be with their family and friends and be mindful of what they are thankful for this year. Though the break can be just as hectic, with Black Friday shopping, travel, and dinner planning, iHeart radio came up with this clever concept a couple of years ago, as a big ” Thank You” for listening and helping them continue to be the #1 American Audio company. The holidays are full of surprises and the Miller Lite Mystery Show was certainly a fun way to start the season off right.

A story about some of the most legendary punks of the Philadelphia punk scene.

By Sophia Varoumas

Sometimes when a band breaks up, its forever. Typically, a musician’s life revolves around music. Some continue and pursue new musical ventures. Sometimes it’s getting into another band, while others may shift their career path completely and follow new dreams. After a while, however, a passionate musician’s mind revisits the past and they look back thinking about the “what ifs”. Some people will tell you, revisiting your past isn’t a good thing. They’ll say it’s better to move on and to leave the past behind where they left it. Those same people say that some things just happen for a reason. For The Ghouls, thinking about the past that they buried for eleven years arose from the dead to haunt their thoughts. The more those memories came to light, the more blood pumped back into the machine that is their band. It became more powerful than any of them could have imagined.

When drummer, Eric (End)Kohlhofer, lead vocalist, Bob Price, guitarist, Johnny Apathy and bassist, Zach Volta began talking about the music they made, it breathed life back into the shows, the tours and the wild memories they shared. It resurrected an urge to get back together. For the four of them, revisiting the past, was the gut feeling they could have had.

When The Ghouls took the voyage of their early memories, it was their youth that inspired most of the adventures they had, into the present day. The things that they experienced became the footprint of who they all became. For this band, it truly has always been about punk music. More specifically, classifying themselves as horror punk, they had to be original. Especially coming from Philly, because scenesters wouldn’t think twice to tell them. They dreaded “being a watered-down version of The Misfits,” said Bob, who was the only band at the time, that called themselves horror punk so being original was super important.

You don’t just wake up one morning and become a punk rocker, however. Something or someone unique triggers those individuals to become attracted to the lifestyle and the punk mantras that punks live by.

Zach Volta decided he wanted to play the trumpet in elementary school because it was the loudest. He became good at it, earning a spot as the first chair in the school orchestra. When he got into high school, his trumpet teacher suggested that the students come out to play open mic nights at the area coffee shops as openers in Abington, PA. Zach’s dad would take him so he and his classmates would perform. This led him to open up for Peter Paul and Mary at age 14. One particular night at open mic night changed Zach’s take on music for life. He remembers “this one night there was a group of 20 punks who played. They brought a drum kit in, cleared the coffee shop’s little stage and started playing a punk show,” says Zach. He knew then, he wanted to be in a punk band. This sprung an interest in playing the bass. “I found other guys who wanted to jam, and soon after I was invited to go to my friends Battle of the Bands.” He remembers being 16 years old at this point, and he and his friends got pretty drunk, so “It didn’t go as well as they had anticipated.” Zach recalls and says laughingly, “The singer was doing backflips. Johnny was even on stage and he was only in front of the band. He wasn’t even performing. (Zach’s friend) Dan was on stage rockin’ out. Mics were getting knocked over, chords were getting all tangled up and the vibe that we were bringing was NOT welcome at the school [auditorium.] We played three songs and the curtains got dropped on us, but we STILL kept playing.”

Eric began playing drums at the age of nine. “My grandfather is a jazz drummer. I’ve only met him a couple of times in my life but he’s definitely where I get my love for music, Eric says. He started playing drums in the school band when he was 8 years old. Soon after, Eric remembers, he “got a cheap drum kit and quickly outgrew it.” At age 11, he got his “first real drum kit and used that kit for years. He practiced every day. When Eric was in the 7th grade he recalls really getting into punk music. “When I got into high school, I met some friends and we started a punk band.” He continues, “One of the members from that [high school] band, named Bill, actually played guitar on The Ghouls tour, and I’m still in a band with him to this day.” Eric said

For Johnny Apathy, the unimaginable places music would take him at an early age inspired his musical life. At the age of 10, Johnny became a member of the Philadelphia Boys Choir. Johnny recalls, “going on 13 tours with [the choir] and we went to other countries including, Russia, Cuba, and Germany to sing.” Then as a teen, he began questioning everything his parents taught him. He was opinionated and did what he wanted when he wanted. Zach vividly remembers, “Johnny was the epitome of a bad kid. Drinking, smoking cigarettes, smoking weed and questioning authority.” So at the age of 14, Johnny’s parent’s decided to trick him and enroll him in Boarding school. Johnny said, “Yeah they said we were going to Disney World but instead dropped me off at Wellspring Academy in South Boston, Virginia.” He remained there for a year and a half. “I would have been there longer, but never went back after a home visit, because there was a huge scandal of extortion, neglect, and abuse to its students by the director who took his own life [to avoid penalty,]” said Johnny. He made it work, learned how to get around the system and work for the school as security. “It was called, gatehouse shift, doing window and dorm checks on students.” By doing this, he was able to get to the only working radio to listen to music and smoke cigarettes. “I convinced my parents to bring down my guitar” Johnny explains and when the school allowed it, he got to play. “They’d lock up all the instruments and give us designated times to play, but that definitely got me through it,” Johnny remembers.

Bob liked to sing and write music. “When I was a sophomore in high school my school had a battle of the bands. Being a huge fan of music, I really wanted to be a part of it. Up until my freshman year of high school, my CD collection consisted of everything Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Anthrax, Slayer, and Metallica. Those metal influences led him to The Misfits Collection II. “It was the first punk record I fell in love with and remains one of my favorites to this day,” says Bob.

Then Bob met Turbo, the Ghouls’ first bass player. “We started to put ads in local music stores and message boards online for a drummer and a guitar player. Eventually, we had a semi-stable enough cast of characters to learn some covers and write a few original songs,” recalls Bob.

According to Bob, The Ghouls recorded their first four-song demo in the spring of 2000. At that time, the line-up consisted of Turbo on bass, Nick Vena on drums, and Josh Baum played guitar. (There was a guitarist named Pat A.D. who predated Josh). We played our first live show that summer at a VFW hall in Southern New Jersey. They didn’t have a drummer at that time, but the promoter for the show offered to put us on at the last minute and fill in on drums. He knew a few of our songs and knew the covers we knew how to play. That promoter turned out to be Brian Venom, who became The Ghouls’ permanent drummer for a sizeable amount of time.

In 2001 Josh had left the band and was replaced by Tommy Grim. In 2002, Turbo had left the band to and was replaced by Steve Skilton. According to Bob, by the time they recorded their first album, “We Are the Dead”, the line-up was Steve on bass, Nick Light on guitar, and Brian Venom on drums. Nick left the band some time in 2004 and J.E.B joined on guitar. Steve left the band in the spring of 2004 and Johnny Apathy joined after I met him a show at the Upper Darby ALH. J.E.B. moved to bass and Johnny took over the guitar. In late 2004, Brian Venom left the band and T.K., a friend of Jeb’s joined the on drums. This line-up: Johnny – guitar, J.E.B. on bass, and T.K. on drums. At that point, The Ghouls started to become pretty tight and serious. “We started doing east and west coast tours and traveled out of state as much as we could,” recalls Bob.

In 2005 J.E.B and T.K. left the band and were replaced by Zach Volta on bass and Matt Ricide on drums. This is the lineup that starts touring throughout the US seriously. “At this point, the band was our main job (we, of course, all had side jobs to keep us paying rent),” said Bob.
For a short period during this time we brought on a second guitar player, Dave Assault. “Dave had some real issues he needed to get sorted out and was sent home in the middle of a US tour,” said Bob. Shortly before a two-week east coast tour with Monster Squad and Action, Matt Ricide left the band. Greg, the drummer from Action, filled in on that tour, and while they were on the road, Bob called Eric, who at the time was the drummer for a local band called The War’s End, and he asked him if he wanted the job. He accepted, and the final line-up became Bob Price, Johnny Apathy, Zach Volta, and Eric End. Eric recalls, “I left on my first tour with The Ghouls the day after my high school graduation.” The Ghouls spent a lot of time on the road. They toured 7 months out of the year and most of the band wasn’t even out of high school yet. Zach remembers, “I would have to fill out these packets my high school would give me to finish and send back so that I could graduate high school.”
That lineup remained the same until Bob left the band in 2008. That’s when The Ghouls broke up. Johnny remembers Bob walking in before practice one day and said he was done. “That day sucked,” said Eric. Zach remembers being angry because “[he] just wasn’t ready to stop playing music.” Zach said to the guys, “let’s write a song, right here right now.” After Bob [left the room] Eric remembers, “we went into the basement and started writing a song. The remaining members of the band, wrote, “No Regrets” that day and “that was the beginning of our band Hate and War,” said Eric. “I mean, [Bob] did it in the most respectful way he could, and his reasons were right,” Eric said. At that point in time, Bob wanted to start a family, and according to Bob, it didn’t make sense to continue singing in the band. For Eric, when The Ghouls broke up and Hate and War started, “I just felt scattered and I was young and just ended up having some really difficult times and had an awful relationship.”

All people change though. Some for worse, but mostly for better. Each individual goes on a path of self-discovery. Growing older and gaining perspective helped each of them get to the place they are today. They were young kids when they got together, and toured the country, with a memorable big following in places like Portland, OR, Corona, CA, and Philadelphia, PA. Sometimes it takes a long time for all of those things to make sense. For The Ghouls, it took nine years. Zach, Eric, and Johnny never stopped playing in bands and performing, while Bob left music altogether, the day he broke up with The Ghouls and didn’t return to music until the band’s reunion. Eric’s perspective was to “keep moving forward and to always trust your gut.” Johnny began talking to the other guys in 2017 about the band getting back together, according to Eric. “[About] 6 months ago, Bob asked me if I’d be willing to [get back together] and I said yes, said Eric, and it’s been awesome.

Whether you’re a fan who discovers their music on the web, an avid record collector who discovers one of their vinyl’s at a record store, or a musician, music’s impact brings people together. Anyone that hails from the city of brotherly love (and their neighboring cities) will tell you that Philly has a harsh reputation. In the punk scene, those jagged rough crowds, strong personalities, and unsolicited opinions are abundant. When you work hard at making good music and take no shit, you’ll gain loyal fans for life. Punks across the country are made up of fearless, strong-willed personalities who are loyal to the bands they love. The Ghouls are undoubtedly one of those bands.

A reminder of that powerful bond was validated when The Ghouls reunited for their long-awaited sold-out Halloween reunion show on October 26th at Connie’s Ric Rac in South Philadelphia. Connie’s had to turn away people trying to get in the night of. Their performance was killer, the energy in the room was infectious and the reunion was a huge success. Not only did it restore the faith of the band that anybody even cared about them, but that it validated their gut feeling to unite once more. The Ghouls plan to make another record and are scheduling some upcoming shows in the near future.

For more information, you can go to the band’s Facebook Page until their own site is relaunched.

Main Photo by Sophia Varoumas

Live Photos by Dan Long

Older Photos by Bob Price

By Sophia Varoumas

Photo by Gregg Nixon

Ever go to a show stag?

A full on show, for hours, spending it with yourself-actually people watching, semi-socializing and anticipating the conversation you will have with the band you know you’re about to meet?

Waiting and watching-drinking, and then waiting some more.

It can be a hellish time if the event sucks-the bands blow and the crowd is uncomfortably awkward. To my surprise the spirit and momentum of the crowd became infectious at the CD release party for TJ Kong and The Atomic Bomb at Fishtown’s Johnny Brenda’s. This new Philly folk rock band either has a lot of loyal friends, or has well hidden drug-induced subliminal messages in their music to have such an effect on people’s minds to attract them to attend their live show in such numbers.

TJ Kong should really thank that well-brewed beer-induced hippie girl frolicking around with her pink scarf and short shorts (We all know who she was if you were in attendance May 5). She was the happiest girl in Philadelphia and everyone wanted to feel like she did. I swear, if every band paid a small group of girls to sing along to all of their tunes and dance their drunken little hearts out front and center at shows – wow… the music scene will get so much more entertaining in this town!

The festivities were eclectic to say the least. Throughout the night Needles Jones, a recognized cross-dressing MC in the Philadelphia club scene who raps about his elicit drug use, sexual exploits and angst that has lasted way past his middle age paraded around entertaining the crowd all night, or at least was an entertaining distraction to stare at. Grandchildren, Skeleton Breath and The Chimeras also played. Skeleton Breath, the opener was a completely instrumental band with the lead-a violin. With eerie sounds and creepy riffs, and the one super tall dude with the mad scientist hair sawing at his violin violently made for an excellent opener. Skeleton Breath was the highlight of the opening bands and should definitely get checked out.

Kong played a full one-hour set and came on second to last, which was perfect for TJ Kong to still party after they performed. Come to think of it, even though the band admits getting the final CDs printed minutes before getting to their CD release party, the night seemed like it went pretty smoothly (minus the fact that I spent the whole night playing cat and mouse- hunting the band down to do our OV interview).

TJ Kong and The Atomic Bomb have a pretty simple story: The lead singer, Dan Bruskewicz wanted to be in a band. He asked a fellow co-worker in the restaurant industry if he wanted to get involved with a little music project he was working on. Drummer Dan Martino had been in a punk band called War Time, for about four years prior, and was typically entertained by the crappy music people would pass along to him to critique. Dan thought what (singer) Dan was producing was pretty good and decided the project would be worthwhile.

They were a two-piece band for almost a year before posting a listing on Craigslist to find the missing link – Joshua Willis (whom, according to the band’s Facebook page is already leaving the band for unknown reasons).

Once the band formed they were on a simple music composition plan. Singer Dan would write the lyrics and then drummer Dan and Joshua would lay the music down to it. TJ Kong and the Atomic Bomb write some pretty damn good songs and after a couple listens to their material, it’s very easy to appreciate. When throwing ideas around to name the band, the winning pick was derived from a reference to the movie Dr. Strangelove.

On a side note, when I met up with the band Josh had already managed to get punched in the face. He stumbled drunk out of the bar and the interview. But hey, somebody’s gotta be that guy.

The guys definitely had a successful night as it pertained to the CD release party and the doorman Dylan even said it was the busiest he’d ever seen the place the night of a show-unless of course he was just making small talk. Which I later confirmed he was.