Our weekly concert picks: October 15–October 21
What we’re seeing live this week!
What we're seeing live this week!
Friday, October 17: Steve Gunn
Steve Gunn is a Brooklyn guitarist, who crafts the sort of easy-going Sunday afternoon anthems that surprise you with their depth. Born in Lansdowne and bred in the Philly folk scene, Gunn cut his teeth playing with Jack Rose and Meg Baird, among others, gaining acclaim for his impressive finger-picking and precision. He also logged time in Kurt Vile's backing band, The Violators, and recorded two acclaimed psych rock EPs with drummer John Truscinski. So it's no surprise that his new record, Way Out Weather, is the type of transcendent rock explosion that makes you feel like you're swirling through space and time, images of dandelion fields and amber waves of grain, and you know, America, all lazing by your eyes. (Even Pitchfork, who sometimes delve into overly technical or obscure descriptions of things, can't help but paint Weather as "liv[ing] in hollowed out holes of America's past… disused gas station[s] off an Oklahoma highway [and] … booming out of a roadhouse on the Mississippi Delta.") He'll celebrate its release this Friday at PhilaMOCA; show up early for ethereal duo Mary Lattimore & Jeff Zeigler and heavy rock band Spacin.'
8:00 at PhilaMOCA, 531 N. 12th St., $10. Tickets available here.
Saturday, October 18: Black Milk
Curtis Cross — aka Black Milk — hails from Detroit, a city that rivals Philly in terms of its rich musical legacy and crop of artists finding inspiration in its grit. Cross grew up in the '90s on the sounds of A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul and spent his youth huddled in his basement making beats, earning production credits with Detroit crew Slum Village (featuring this emcee you might have heard of called J Dilla) while still a teenager. He later went on to produce dozens of records — from artists as diverse as Danny Brown and Bilal — as well as his own solo LPs, which saw him emerge as a confident and creative force. Combining hard-hitting lyrics with bits of funk, soul, R&B, and electronica, Cross's ability to continually leave you guessing made him a critical and popular favorite among indie crowds. He's now touring behind 2014's forthcoming If There's a Hell Below, which he'll preview this weekend at Johnny Brenda's. Come vibe out, and have your mind blown before everyone else.
9:15 at Johnny Brenda's, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., $15. Tickets available here.
Saturday, October 18 and Sunday, October 19: Phantogram
I first fell in love with NYC duo Phantogram in 2011, with the release of their now seminal EP Nightlife, which introduced thousands to singer Sarah Barthel's smoky, airy vocals and Josh Carter's creative, capricious beats — which together painted nightlife as something ephemeral, magical, and undeniably sexy. That autumn it was released, I remember it soundtracked everything — morning walks to work and late-late nights after parties—those effortless, dreamy beats lending any situation a sort of perfect gravitas. Fast-forward three years and Phantogram are still crafting dreamy, powerful music—but have since risen to the ranks of indie-rock kings, commanding top billing at music festivals, and selling out venues; their 2014 record Voices even debuted at Number 11 on the Billboard charts. Luckily for all, the pair hasn't lost its passion, and this weekend stops by Union Transfer for two transfixing performances. It is very possible the next time they play Philly they'll be selling out stadiums — so we suggest hopping aboard now, when ticket (and beer) prices are still reasonable.
6:30 Saturday and 8:00 Sunday at Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden St., $25. Saturday night is sold out; Sunday tickets are available here.
Monday, October 20: Courtney Barnett
Of all the acts touring Philadelphia this month, I'm probably most excited for Courtney Barnett, Australian crooner and composer, whose smart, witty pop songs manage to be both exactly on point and charmingly lackadaisical — much like the journey she dreams up in "History Eraser." A 26-year-old Melbourne native, who formed her own DIY label in 2012 and self-released her first EP just after, Barnett comes off as both brilliantly talented and super laidback, like she'd be cool binge-watching Netflix (if only her TV was working) or writing intense, wordy diatribes, complete with Ezra Pound references. And ultimately, that's what makes her special. She's like the best version of all of us: articulate, funny, and well-mannered, even if she's also drunken, stoned, and trying to figure things out. Vocally, she channels Dylan — If he was a 20-something with a bike and a crush — and musically, she's both raucous and grungy on "History Eraser" and twangy and sincere on "Out of the Woodwork." She plays Union Transfer this Monday; if it's anything like her last show, it's bound to be awesome.
8:00 at Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden St., $20. Tickets available here.