photo credit: Eric Sperrazza

Written by Eric Sperrazza

The Motor City Five may very well be one of the most important bands in rock and roll history. They have been an influencer to everyone from Led Zeppelin to The Ramones, The Cult, and even Rage Against The Machine. Although teased as a nominee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame a whopping six times, to no avail, real music historians know that a proverbial tip of the hat from a small handful of glorified museum curators is not necessary. The sheer impact the MC5 had and still has, on our world, is proof enough that they will echo into eternity.

Out of Lincoln Park, Michigan in 1963, the MC5 emerged with vocalist Rob Tyner, guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred “Sonic” Smith, bassist Michael Davis, and drummer Dennis Thompson. Immediately, the band adhered to a counter-culture movement with political undertones and anti-establishment lyrics challenging the system and even supporting the Black Panther Party; all at the forefront of their “back-to-basics” garage rock sound. The band also played mentor to a new up-and-coming Detroit band, The Stooges. But the 1969 album Kick Out the Jams, recorded live in October of 1968, at Detroit’s Grande Ballroom, thrust the MC5 into the history books.

With one opening line, “It’s time to…KICK OUT THE JAMS, MOTHERFUCKERS!” The band gave record stores and radio stations all the fuel they needed to legitimately blackball the band. But, what fans saw was this raw, politically relevant, and foul-mouthed record being censored by “The Man” and thus made it even more desirable of a find!

By 1972, the MC5 had broken up and gone their separate ways. But had sent The Stooges to assail to continue on blazing trails and inspired a group of rag-tag misfits from Queens, New York – The Ramones. With that, the punk movement began to take its roots. Today, Iggy Pop, Marky Ramone, and many others genuflect at the feet of the MC5 as the forefathers of punk rock; a genre still romancing music fans and exacting rebel music onto the world, to this very day.

Recently, Kramer announced that in 2022 he was hitting the road under a project called We Are All The MC5 with a new album firmly on the horizon. Joining b on the road is singer Brad Brooks, guitarist Stevie Salas, bassist Vicki Randle, and drummer Winston Watson.

The project recently stopped at Underground Arts in Philadelphia last month and I had to go and be in the presence of musical greatness to see if that paradigm-breaking guttural sound still fuels those to raise a fist in the air and brave a path unknown.

It was my first time at the Underground Arts and just let me say that there is no better venue to witness counter-culture music take place! Underground Arts is a basement venue decorated with murals that light up with backlights, as you meander through the dark layer of the land. The space still has a punk rock, speakeasy vibe that gives you the impression you are in an exclusive club of music fans.

The show opened with a set from Philadelphia’s all-female rock band, Vixen77. The five-piece offered a lot to unpack. First, I can safely say that these five ladies had more talent in their pinkies than most bands on the road today. With shades of The Runaways, The Slits, L7, and more, their performance was a venerable thrash-fest with the electricity turned up to 11. Every single member of Vixen77 owned that stage like a goddamn lioness claiming her territory and the crowd was there for every second of it. For a moment in time, I thought I was at CBGB in The Bowery, one last time, having my face melted off by the sheer power of a band. Expect to see more of them in the future and you can absolutely expect to see more of them from me.

Next up were Kramer and the MC5. The set kicked off with “Ramblin’ Rose” and vocalist Brad Brooks left nothing to question. He emanated rock royalty, both owning and humbling himself to the gravitas of the vibe of the MC5, simultaneously.

For a stunning 90 minutes, Kramer tore apart his guitar through hits like “Come Together,” “Call Me Animal,” and, “Kick Out the Jams.”  As Brooks went corner to corner on the stage and even dove into the crowd, Kramer played on with the fervor of an elated young musician getting his first showcase. At 74 years of age, he outworked musicians young enough to be his grandchildren, ever the essence of rock.

The show encored and closed with “The American Ruse” and “Sister Anne,” putting a period at the end of a sweltering night below the Philadelphia streets, where the tenets of society were still challenged through the majesty of three chords and the truth.

Before the MC5 left the stage, Kramer walked up to me and handed me his guitar pick. On the way home, I thought of a million different ways to frame and immortalize this special piece of rock history that I had been blessed with. But, as I opened the door of my home, my oldest daughter was there waiting for me.  My oldest embraced all of my punk music and shared in the spirit of going against the grain with me. My child has been at Blondie shows, and Vans Warped Tours and has been with me while interviewing the next generation of punk rock artists.  At that moment, I realized that my revolution is over. I am a middle-aged working stiff. My midlife crisis and Peter Pan complex may differ but the truth is I am the establishment, now. I am the “grown-up” in the room.  It’s her generation’s turn to challenge the norms and pushback at antiquated ways of thinking.  And so I opened her hand and I put Wayne Kramer’s pick in the center of it and then sent her to bed.

That is the spirit of punk rock. That is the legacy of the MC5. Go forth and break paradigms. That was the message I brought home from the Underground Arts. That is something that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will never get and, quite frankly, I hope those squares never do. This installment is dedicated to Ariana. Never lose the “riot” in you, Grrrl. That is how you change the world.

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Motor City 5 Photo Gallery

photo credit: Angel Park

Written by Angel Park

Melbourne, Australia-based band, Amyl and The Sniffers, recently had a successful sell-out show at Underground Arts and played an exciting setlist full of their latest songs. They were joined by fellow bands C.O.F.F.I.N and Upchuck.

The audience was treated to a powerful performance by C.O.F.F.I.N, a five-piece punk/rock/metal band, from Norway. The group’s sound can best be described as angry yet catchy, with heavy beats mixed into fast-paced songs that had the crowd moshing and headbanging along through their whole set.

Following C.O.F.F.I.N was Upchuck. Based in Atlanta, this high-energy punk group is one of the most exciting up-and-coming bands in its music scene. Their songs have been described as “in your face with rebel yell vocals, fast-paced drums, and heavy guitar riffs all over a catchy bassline.” Upchuck‘s performance was filled with heavy bass riffs and growly vocals that had the whole crowd moving front and center in the circle pit and crowd diving off the stage.

Finally, the crowd went wild when Amyl and the Sniffers took the stage. They were rowdy, intense, and well deserved of the show’s sold-out status. There wasn’t a fan not screaming along as the group powered their way through favorites such as “Guided by Angels” and “Gnacked on Anger.”

The Sniffers are currently on tour, so be sure to check out their website for dates and locations. If you can’t catch them live, be sure to pick up a copy of Comfort to Me – it’s worth a listen.

Connect with Amyl and the Sniffers

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Amyl and the Sniffers Photo Gallery

Have you ever been to a show that blew your mind? Not for the fact that it was your favorite band, but because each and every musician that played was simply incredible. It’s a rarity finding that, especially these days. Luckily the music gods blessed me with this last week.

Tucked away on 1200 Callowhill Street is Underground Arts, one of Philadelphia’s hidden gems, as far as venues go. Personally, it’s one of my favorite venues due to the fact that it has such an intimate and cozy setting. If you haven’t been there, let me paint you a picture. Imagine a huge unfinished basement with two rooms both equipped with a bar and one has a stage. The other has booths and chairs with a projector (to watch the show). Originally. I was slightly timid on the idea of standing so close to another human being, seeing as it’s wild times out here with COVID and all, but I decided to take a chance. When else would I be able to see Thursday and Cursive at such an intimate setting along with The Appleseed Cast and Nate Bergman? Answer. Never again.

This tour is special because Thursday originally had to postpone the first leg of the tour because of COVID. Instead of starting at the beginning of January, they kicked off the tour on January 19th in Detroit. However, the lineup that was originally set had been changed because of everyone’s new best friend, COVID. Jeremy Enigk, the vocalist of Sunny Day Real Estate, was replaced by Nate Bergman, who is a soul/progressive rock/Americana singer from Washington, D.C.

This was the first sold-out show that I have attended since all of this COVID mess. Anyway, I didn’t know what to expect. The doors opened and everyone started to file in one after another as if staying six feet apart from one another was a thing of the past. Nobody that night gave a shit about masks or how far away one was from another because that night, it was all about the music. It was very evident that was the case as soon as Bergman took the stage.

This isn’t the first time I experienced Bergman perform and each time is better than the last. Bergman is from D.C. and is currently pursuing his solo career as a singer/songwriter that he launched in 2020. Bergman holds a presence that you cannot turn away from (even if you try), he commands your attention with his soulful singing and natural ability to be on stage with just one note. His set was short but nonetheless still amazing and ended with a song called into my arms, which sent goosebumps all over my body.

As I went to pick my jaw up off the floor from how amazing his vocal range was, I noticed how everyone else was mesmerized by his musical stylings. Bergman breaks the glass ceiling with his god-given talent. It doesn’t matter if you’re a metal fan or a country fan, if you’re a fan of music you will be a fan of his. There is no doubt in my mind that Bergman has found where he belongs, which is right on stage with a mic and guitar, belting out ballads and saving lives one song at a time.

Earlier this summer, he was on tour previously with Craig Owens from Chiodos and Geoff Rickly from Thursday. You can catch him on the rest of the tour with Thursday this winter. Keep your ears open for amazing things to be coming out of this guy this spring. I was able to get a quick word with him and he said that this was “the best Philly show I have ever played.”

Following up such a wonderful opener was The Appleseed Cast, which to my shock only Chris Crisci, their founding frontman was able to perform because the rest of the band was out due to COVID, but that didn’t stop him. Crisci took the stage and showed everyone what it was all about (being a musician that is). Crisci stood alone with his guitar, a keyboard, and synthesizer on stage and proceeded to play an entire set that normally requires a full band. You could tell that he’s been doing this for a few shows now because he started to make fun of himself and the situation at hand but still managed to hold it together and rock. If you have ever seen any acoustic sets imagine that, but with the guitar being electric and the rest of the band is programmed into a tiny little box. This said box is connected to the keyboard and synthesizer, which allowed Crisci to play as if everyone was still behind him. It was one of the most brilliant things I have ever seen done on stage.

Later on, during the set, Tim Kasher from Cursive and Bergman joined him to close out and had a jam session for about 5 minutes. Everyone was intently paying attention or jumping up and down and throwing their head back, with Tim Kasher playing drums, Crisci playing guitar, and Bergman on guitar. It was one of those moments at a show where you take a snapshot because things like that seldom happen. It was extremely special to witness.

Next up was the infamous, Cursive. An old favorite that never ceases to amaze me and everyone else for that matter, one of the first waves of emo some may say. They kicked off their set with the start of the track, “A Gentleman Caller” and kept the energy up and went into “Martyr” as every single person in that sold-out show was singing and moshing to them. A five-piece band that came together in 1997 has still continued to bring the same love and fan base l after all of these years. Cursive had a solid set and closed out the night with “Hips” and the rest of “A Gentleman Caller.”

Saving the best for last, Thursday finally graced us with their presence, closing out this phenomenal night of music with the workforce. Geoff Rickly from Thursday was extremely interactive with everyone talking about how much he loves Philly and the energy of the crowd, which in all fairness is the truth. Some may call this one of their “hometown” shows seeing as Philly is right over the bridge. Each song was better than the next. They played all of the fan favorites including “Understanding In A Car Crash,” which is my personal favorite. They closed the show out with “War All The Time” and came back on for an encore.

The crowd was singing along to every word like it was their last breath. The entire night from start to finish was impeccable. It truly reminded me of a show that I would go to when I was younger and I mean that in a good way. A show that involved a basement somewhere and the only thing that mattered was the music and everything else was just white noise.

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‘Chill’ was the word on Thursday night in Philadelphia at Underground Arts. The Oakland-based dream-pop duo, Brijean, delivered an excellent set filled with songs from their latest album, Feelings. Take a look at some of the great black & white shots that our photographer, Alexandre Da Veiga, was able to get at the show!

written by Teyquil Skelton

On Tuesday, I had the opportunity to spend time backstage with New Jersey native, Janet May, as she lounged in her comfy sweatsuit, with her acoustic guitar in arm’s reach.

Each artist has their own routine to get ready for a show. Janet May said that she’s thrilled to be in Philly because it’s where she grew up seeing music. Underground Arts is an honor to play in, said May, as it gives her a break from playing in less traditional spaces as she has done in the past. These clubs and bars that she plays in now were very much the same venues she attended when coming to see her favorite bands as a fan. The tour she’s on currently just begun, May explains and it is the second night of an 18-day tour that she’s happy and proud of to have family and friends attend.

As the conversation continued, I inquired about the role she plays with activism and how her two passions merge, as a musician and as an activist. I was eager to hear her response as to how both passions service each other to give support to women and minorities.

May opened up and we learned that we had very similar performance training in college. She stated, “that as an artist, it is our job to escape the confines of social norms and expectations and take something of this world that’s quite ugly and make it pure and beautiful again.” 

That’s why the rights of women and minorities need to be addressed and handled with care. The destruction of those two alone is massive and needs immediate attention. We must find ways to acknowledge these issues and work together to change all that is problematic concerning these matters.

In other words, May uses both skills and tools to convey a message about a much bigger situation. One way she uses her skills to get a message across is through funding projects that are much needed, such as a safe shelter for LGBTQ+ (a non-profit organization based in New York and Mexico). They help migrants who may be seen as asylum seekers. These are, however, migrants who have walked for many miles hoping to enter the states. From all the way of Point South to Honduras and Guatemala to make it into Tijuana, Mexico where the safe shelter is held. 

May stated that although this is an ongoing crisis, she was lucky to have met another activist named Vivian Farmery who understood the situation taking place in Tijuana. They decided to work together to develop ideas to make everyone’s tragic encounters easier.

Though it wasn’t much when they found the shelter,  over time it became livable and quite homely for the refugees. While Vivian’s team was in New York doing the administrative work, Farmery was installing doors and the boiler. 

Music and activism can work alongside one another. I feel it possesses the power to make people take heed about the dangers we face on a daily basis. Being a voice for the voiceless is empowering and if we all can do things that are just as helpful and engaging, we can make the world a better place. We can change the landscape and the stigma by letting go of everything we don’t need and start collecting the positives and sharing those with others who may benefit from the energy and optimism that we have built for ourselves first.

Photo by Ziggy Merritt

Quiet Slang has come to an end — for now at least. James Alex, the voice and unflappable persona behind Beach Slang, indicated as much Saturday night as he came to the stage, cumberbund and all. With work on the latest Beach Slang album set to begin nearly the moment he left the stage that night, the chorus of strings that replaced the brash feedback on his proper Beach Slang releases is set to retire.

First, it would be fair to take some time to describe the set dressing. Decked with fae floral displays, it felt very much like the antithesis of the grimy, yet pop-forward songs that Alex has been writing for years now. Then again, those same songs have always been culled from a vulnerable and emotional space so to say it’s the antithesis is perhaps a bit too on the nose.

Photo by Ziggy Merritt

Coming out on stage with a mismatched tuxedo and a plastic cup of what appeared to be sangria or some other sort of boozy delight, there was every indication that this would be a historic welcome home for the Philly native, as well as the tour manager, backup vocalist, and keyboardist Charlie Lowe, who was the sole accompaniment onstage. What came after his entrance was a nearly hour and a half long set that, in fully candid honesty, I was not able to stay through until the finish without being an irresponsible pet owner.

Covers made up the entirety of the performance. Quiet Slang alchemized tracks like “Dirty Cigarettes” and “Spin the Dial” into blissful chamber pop, while the seemingly endless yet enthralling encore saw Alex picking up the guitar for the first time that night to belt out not just several Replacements cover but anything from The Smiths to the Cure.

Photo by Ziggy Merritt

The crowd ate up everything that James gave them that night. Between gentle back-and-forth heckling, Alex fed off the energy, spitting booze into the air and gulping down plastic cups of the stuff hands-free. It had all the spirit of any single Beach Slang set, perhaps more so with the renewed sense of vigor that Alex seemed to carry with him throughout the entirely improvised and crowd-driven encore set.

photo credit: Charlie Lowe

by Ziggy Merritt

I have single-handedly altered the course of history. That’s what my insecure ego wants me to write and something I’ll return to later in this feature. Here’s a long-winded explanation: In my time with THAT MAG I’ve been able to interview some of my hometown heroes in the indie music scene.

Recently I had the chance to talk once again with James Alex, otherwise known as the public face and persona behind indie punk outfit Beach Slang and its acoustic offshoot, Quiet Slang before their tour stop at Underground Arts on July 14. We had previously chatted way back in 2015, not long before the release of his debut LP, The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us.

Three years, two albums, and a smattering of EPs later, Alex continues to make music that resonates with embittered teenagers, social outcasts, and consummate loners. He doles out extra helpings of angst with music that deserves nothing less than to be played loud and fast. But even with a now international audience attuned to his brand of distorted noise pop, Alex continues to make music with his friends in mind. “Music for us,” he writes.

On Alex’s latest tour, the loud and fast adjectives have been ejected. With his side project, Quiet Slang, the thrash and hazy feedback and distortion are sliced away. The emotional heft is channeled instead through the lens of stripped-down chamber pop, inspired by one part Stephin Merritt of Magnetic Fields fame and one part NPR.

“Stephin Merritt offered the spark and Tiny Desk offered the allowance,” wrote Alex on the inspiration behind the Quiet Slang project. In 2015, he made a solo, acoustic appearance on NPR’s popular Tiny Desk Concert series. Watching that same performance now, you have a grounded sense of what can be expected from his first proper Quiet Slang album, Everything Matters But No One is Listening.

“Inspiration and permission are fear-wreckers,” Alex continued. “After I had them, I lunged forward. I mean, I wasn’t nearly sure I could pull it off, but that wasn’t a concern. I’m a big chaser of unfamiliar things. It’s important to dream bigger, you know?”

He added, “Being allowed to fail is a gift. And I have that in spades. Look, none of this is particularly overthought. I just want to make records that feel honest to what I want to make, regardless of whether they‘re sensible or unpredictable or even accepted. I’m just not built with fake-it wiring. It has to rattle me. It has to scratch at me. When that feeling comes, I make songs and offer them to my friends. Whatever happens after that is whatever happens.”

Whether you attach punk or chamber beforehand, those same offerings bleed the blood of pop through and through. For Alex, this is intentional and perhaps the only rational way to make a record.

“The only thing I know how to write are pop songs,” Alex wrote, responding to how he has come to define pop and more specifically the self-described “chamber pop for outsiders” descriptor he labeled his Quiet Slang debut.

“They’re buried in distortion and knee-jerking, but they’re unapologetically pop. As a kid, I was clubbed with way too many Beatles and Beach Boys records for it not to stick. So, that part of the description is the easy part. The chamber part, that’s the lavish bits. This is trickier,” He explains, then continues, “For me, rock & roll is guitars, drums, and swagger — plug in, turn up and go, no rules and devil-may-care. Searing the more well-dressed instruments into the thing takes real nerve. It takes cellos with guts, pianos with brass knuckles. It’s like lining the gutter with flowers. And I dig that. The ‘for outsiders’ bit is for me and all my friends who’ve only ever felt worthless and forgotten. We aren’t. We never were. And these songs are for us.”

Following this, I wanted to take it back to the song (“Filthy Luck”) that originally made me more fan than a purely objective reviewer. Adapted from the brash and breathtaking original, it still packs the same dynamic punch now with the accompaniment of lush strings acting as the Greek chorus for Alex’s unfiltered delivery.

“It was the first song I wrote for Beach Slang so I knew I wanted to have it on the quiet record,” wrote Alex. “Reworking it started as a joke. For no interesting reason, maybe self-entertaining, I sat at the piano and banged those first three chords in this exaggerated Beethoven kind of way. I stopped right after and was like, ‘F*#k, that actually sounds pretty alright.’ Accidental composing or something, you know?” He explained. “After that, I knew a rewrite could work. I plucked out the keeper guitar parts I’d written for the loud versions, cut them on piano and cello, and then built the fuller arrangements on top of those with Keith (piano) and Dan (cello). I read this thing about the recording of ‘Astral Weeks’ and wanted to chase that idea — maybe not as purely improvisational as those sessions, but at least a half-thought-out and half-in-the-moment approach. And that helped crack the whole idea of this open.”

As with the seminal Van Morrison album that Alex references here, his LP-length debut as Quiet Slang required more thought and feeling for what may be reductive to boil down to a covers album. After all, with No One is Listening, Alex is covering himself not someone else. There’s so much more at stake to get right not even accounting for keeping the integrity of the original tracks alive and well. With much of his attention focused on the all-too-ambiguous goal of “getting it right” this made me naturally curious for what the future held for both Quiet Slang and Beach Slang.

“I hope to have the chance to make more Quiet Slang recordings. Like, really hope,” wrote Alex when questioned about the future of both projects. “I‘ve been so messed up on, ‘Will anyone even care about this?’ that I haven’t really looked too far forward,” He admits.

“But then this tour happens and starts to show me that maybe some people care a whole lot. It’s humbling and melting. I mean, this whole process pushed me along as a writer, forced me to think in really left-field ways. I needed that. And, yes, the idea is to definitely include original, non-Beach Slang songs. Rewrites were the right first step, but I think I’m ready to test my luck a bit more. Right now, the plan is to get home from the Quiet Slang tour and pretty much go right into pre-production for the new Beach Slang record. I have it all home-demoed and am chomping to start making it. Once I sack that thing properly, I’m guessing I’ll be itching for cellos again.”

Alex appears to remain optimistic that the future of his loud and quiet sides will continue to be productive. It’s encouraging news for those wondering when, or if, Alex would resume work on new Beach Slang material. It’s also a boon for people, such as myself, that appreciate the output from both projects.

Very near the start of this feature I mentioned a little something about how I changed the course of human history. Now, while I’m not vain enough to believe that I actually changed the course of history for a well-known indie band, I at least like to entertain the fantasy. It began by asking whether or not two halves, Beach Slang and Quiet Slang, would ever merge into a single, unified project.

“It’s interesting you mention this,” wrote Alex. “Charlie and I were talking about this same idea the other night in Minneapolis — a split 7″ of Slangs. I think there’s something to it. Even more so now that someone outside of my head thought to think it.”

When I first read this, I had this purely smug, self-satisfied reaction that perhaps I had acted as a catalyst for some future creative endeavor. That remains to be determined.

Returning the focus to James, I was curious enough to follow up on the threads of our previous interview some three years ago. Back then we discussed some of his graphic design work for the cover art on his albums and his interest in vintage photography, some shared via Beach Slang’s own Tumblr page. Had his own design aesthetic continued to, in some way, influence the direction of the band?

“In this tiny, weirdo bubble called Beach Slang, music and design are all-the-way stuck with each other,” Alex wrote in reply. “They were born into that way and are both stronger because of the other’s influence. It’s difficult, I suppose, to clearly define how the relationship works, but maybe it’s as simple as when you see something that rattles you, that makes your heart notice, you feel compelled to make something in return, like writing a love letter and really meaning it. Influence and inspiration don’t deserve to go unrequited.”

Like the interlinked nature of music and design, Alex has never strayed far from his roots here in Philadelphia. The War on Drugs, Japanese Breakfast, and even his own band have all garnered more than a fair share of exposure along with a bevy of others in just three short years. Those three years have been tumultuous, chaotic, even downright fucking frightening, but our own burgeoning and evolving music scene have scarcely wavered in its fervor and intensity. James has a way of putting that all into perspective.

“I think the thing I dig the most is the blue-collar-ness of it,” wrote Alex. “It’s a wrecking ground. It isn’t pretty or perfect and doesn’t want to be. It has dirt under its nails and bruises on its cheeks. It means it — every bit of it. And that’s all rock & roll has ever asked of us. If it’s changed, I haven’t noticed. But I look down a whole lot.”

Watch the latest music video for Beach Slang‘s “Dirty Cigarettes” below and follow the links to find more out about Beach Slang / Quiet Slang.

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Bandcamp

It has been a long time since the Lawrence, Kansas five piece act The Anniversary played in Philadelphia. Midway through their set Friday night at Underground Arts, singer Josh Berwanger recounted it must have been close to 15 years. Joining the ranks of other seminal emo/punk bands to reunite, The Anniversary gave their fans a night to remember as they ran through the hits from their two emo classics. Opening for the night were Extra Classic and Laura Stevenson.

Extra Classic

As the first band of the night took the stage, fans were greeted with a familiar face. Fronting San Francisco based act Extra Classic was Adrianne deLanda (formerly Verhoeven), who also shares vocal as well as keyboard duties in The Anniversary. While not diving completely into the genre, the reggae influences were hard to miss. Each had their own parts that were done so in tasteful ways. Extra Classic’s sound came as a bit of a surprise, but it was a welcomed one that opened the show up perfectly.

Rounding out support for the night was singer-songwriter Laura Stevenson. Backed by her four piece band, the Long Island native blazed through a set comprised mostly of her two most recent albums, Wheel and Cocksure. Her guitar driven, hook filled songs brought the growing crowd close up to the stage. Songs like “Torch Song” and “Diet of Worms” gave a healthy offering from Cocksure, but the likes of “Renee” and “Runner” showed her reached a little further back into her catalog. Stevenson and co. ended their night with one of her most infectious and well written songs to date, “Jellyfish”.

Laura Stevenson

From the beginning of their set with “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter” until the very end, the crowd was singing along to every word so loudly that The Anniversary could have played the night without mics. Each of the band members came out with smiles on their faces to a roar from the room full of fans. All throughout the night, they made it well known how appreciative they were for coming back after all these years.

The Anniversary

During their heyday in the early ’00s, The Anniversary released two well received albums, Your Majesty and Designing a Nervous Breakdown. Both were put on display Friday night. Song selections from the two albums were split almost exactly even, with a handful of b-sides mixed in. Crowd favorites like “Emma Discovery” and “Peace, Pain & Regret” filled the night until ending on “Perfectly”.

After a brief break, The Anniversary came back out to perform a few more songs including “Sweet Marie” and “Hart Crane” until ending on the phenomenal “The D in Detroit”. A night filled with singalongs and nostalgia left fans craving for more as the house lights came on. Plans following the tour have yet to be announced, but for the time being, The Anniversary should be riding high on their comeback. Time will only tell if this ends up being the last time we catch the emo/indie vets.

I usually hurry to shows at Underground Arts to get a good spot. Because of the fact that I’m pretty short and if I don’t get there soon enough, I’m almost always behind the tallest person in the room. But for Drive-By Trucker’s co-frontman, Mike Cooley’s solo show this past Thursday, I was surprised by the rows of seats set up around the stage. I didn’t realize tonight was going to be so intimate and low key, but I really wasn’t complaining. I took a seat in the back row looking down the aisle at the chair lit up by the four blue lights above the stage and waited with the others to welcome Cooley on stage.

At 9:15, the lights lowered for the crowd to get seated and ready. Minutes later, Cooley walked onto the stage. Sitting center stage, he picked up his guitar and got right into his music, opening up with “Self Destructive Zones”. Many people got drinks as he played to add to the mellow mood, while others sat and watched, some documenting the night with their phones. He continued to play the songs he wrote like “Checkout Time In Vegas”, “Marry Me”, and “Women Without Whiskey”.

“Any of ya’ll in New York City last night? Didn’t we have a good time?” Cooley asked once finished. A handful of people responded with a proud “Yeah!” and clapped being excited about seeing the singer two nights in a row. While tuning his guitar, a fan from the crowd yelled, “Thank you for coming through Philly!” And the rest of the crowd cheered. He playfully responded “Thank you, Philly…yeah I’ll be back next week with the circus!”

Towards the end of the night, Cooley randomly said “Speaking of love…” before beginning the song “Love Like This”.  Once he was finished, he happily stood up and waved thanks to the crowd as the gave him a standing ovation. While exiting, his fans called his name to bring him back for an encore performance that would top off the night. Many fans ended up being disappointed once the house lights were turned back on, causing a few people to leave and other’s questioning why Cooley wouldn’t come back on stage.

Happily, Cooley surprised many of those left in the crowd by coming back to play a fan favorite “Zip City”. He then ended the night for real this time with a cover of Eddie Hilton’s “Everybody Needs Love”. Those who stayed gave him another standing ovation before finishing the drinks they had and heading home.

Wednesday evening marked Peter Murphy’s stop at Underground Arts for his current “Stripped” tour. The live set promised a number of Murphy’s hits from both his Bauhaus heyday and his equally impressive solo career, rendered with minimal percussion and a more keenly acoustic touch.

Peter Murphy All photos by Ziggy Merritt

With high expectations, I had only the tiniest shred of apprehension for the ‘stripped’ tag. From experience, I know this can go one of two ways, with some unplugged performances robbing songs of their fire. Fortunately, this was not the case here. While the audience was vocally disappointed by the lack of an encore at the end of the night’s proceedings, in my mind, the hour-and-a-half of enthusiasm that Peter brought to the intimate setting more than made up for any lingering sentiments of unmet expectations.

It was certainly entertaining whenever a request was called out from the audience, only to be met by an absent-minded though humorous “fuck off” from the man himself. From his brawny catalog, he naturally belted out enchanting versions of staples such as “Indigo Eyes” and “A Strange Kind of Love”. A noted exception was “Cuts You Up.” Though in the midst of middle age, the voice that originally recorded these hits has resisted any signs of wear. Even his more vocally demanding cuts such as the same “Indigo Eyes”, the cover of Iggy Pop’s “Sister Midnight”, and the brief yet satisfying break into “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” all felt alive with the raw power of Peter’s expressive bass.

Throughout the hour and a half there were few times where I was not transfixed by the inimitable gesturing that fit the performer’s collective songwriting mythology so well. Hands crowned his head for the unexpected rendition of “King Volcano” from the 1983 album Burning from the Inside, while on tracks like “Silent Hedges” his eyes would gaze through the basement ceiling as if nothing was there. Viewing him live for the first time, it’s hard to imagine anyone more comfortable and at ease on stage, whether sitting down or touching the heads of the few pressing against the platform.

As the curtain closed on the performance, I immediately paged through some of the highlights, which, while numerous, presented themselves in the touted “stripped” aspect that defined the tour. “Marlene Dietrich’s Favourite Poem” and “All We Ever Wanted Was Everything” naturally lent themselves to the acoustic proceedings, yet some of the more emotive in Peter’s cross-catalog felt just as fresh. “Hollow Hills” ended up taking the crown as the night’s most haunting number, capturing the essence of what Murphy embodies as one of alternative rock’s most versatile and eccentric personalities.

Despite everything that would build this up to be the ideal live experience, issues in the sound beyond the band’s control more than occasionally crept up, noticeably stinging the ears whenever it did so. But I wasn’t expecting or asking for total perfection; that would be a particularly naive error on my part. Instead, what the night amounted to was nothing less than the best Mr. Moonlight had to offer.