Second Season Arts: Rock/Pop
Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. My City Paper is not affiliated with Philadelphia City Paper. Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The last edition was published on October 8, 2015.
Highlights from the foreseeable future.
Vaselines/Amanda X
This could be the start of a beautiful May-December romance. Old heads, meet the high-octane Amanda X, easily one of the brightest dots on the Philly rock map. Noobs, get schooled by the Vaselines, Scottish indie pop titans who inspired Nirvana, Belle & Sebastian and a thousand folk/lo-fi home-recorders. Jan. 15, Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 Frankford Ave., johnnybrendas.com.
Marilyn Manson
The gangly white terror returns to scare the PTA. Early glimpses of the new The Pale Emperor (Loma Vista/Concord) reveal the same old spooky beats, phlegmy vocals and other vague Reznorisms currently too undignified for Reznor himself. Good clean fun. Jan. 23, Electric Factory, 421 N. Seventh St., electricfactory.info.
Slapshot
The Boston forefathers of the beloved “hockey-punk” subgenre return to play heavy metal that sounds like hardcore because of all the shouting. Actually, it’s hard to say how many of Slapshot’s starting lineup will be onstage for this tour, but that’ll only matter to the sticklers. Good thing there are no sticklers in hardcore. Jan. 24, Voltage Lounge, 421 N. Seventh St., r5productions.com.
Armalite
This is like spotting Bigfoot, in a hockey jersey, playing a guitar — a rare show by this Philly pop-punk supergroup including members of Atom & his Package, Lifetime, Paint It Black, Kill the Man Who Questions and Affirmative Action Jackson. Feb. 1, Golden Tea House.
Kool Keith
The veteran hip-hop weirdo also known as Dr. Octagon — and Dr. Dooom, Black Elvis, Dr. Ultra, Crazy Lou, Poppa Large — plays a small club under his “real” name. Feb. 19, Kung Fu Necktie, 1250 N. Front St., kungfunecktie.com.
Swearin’
The hard-touring, once-and-who-knows Philadelphians stop by to remind us what we once had/still have. Feb. 20, PhilaMOCA, 531 N. 12th St., philamoca.org.
Helmet
While celebrating the 20th anniversary of his second most beloved record — 1994’s still-killer “alt-metal” classic Betty — Page Hamilton and the rest of the band he currently calls Helmet also have a new record full of heavy-as-hell riffs. Feb. 20, World Café Live, 3025 Walnut St., worldcafelive.com.
Screaming Females
Philly loves them and they love Philly, so it makes sense that Marissa Paternoster and the rest of the Jersey trio chose the Church basement to host the record release show for the forthcoming Rose Mountain (Don Giovanni). Feb. 27, First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St., r5productions.com.
G. Love & Special Sauce
After 22 years of hustling, Philly’s most vocal cold-beverage devotee is still making bluesy rhymes and slurring words. March 13-14, TLA, 334 South St., thetla.com.
The Decemberists
Once pigeonholed by their Dickensian/dramaturgical leanings, this Portland, Ore., band has, in recent years, explored rockier sonic vistas and new literary reference points (David Foster Wallace comes to mind). Their next record, What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World (Capitol), comes out Jan. 20. April 7, Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St., kimmelcenter.org.
Hurray for the Riff Raff
If you missed this New Orleans rock/Americana band last time around, you need to catch them on the victory tour. Small Town Heroes was somehow one of the most beloved and most underrated records of 2014. April 22, World Café Live. worldcafelive.com.
Ministry
Al Jourgensen’s thrashing, stomping, screeching band has seen its share of triumphs and tragedies over the past 30 years, but if he is serious about this being the last go-round, then the most inventive industrial act of all time will go out pushing a record called From Beer to Eternity. Seems wrong, somehow, but damn he loves his dumb puns. His next project is called Dubweiser. Not kidding. May 13, TLA, thetla.com.
More from the Second Season Arts Guide:
Saxophonist Darryl Yokley composes a jazz symphony inspired by the PMA’s new African-American art exhibition. | Soundtrack of a sarcophagus: Relâche plays music for mummies. | Plus our experts highlight the upcoming season in: Classical/Opera | Roots | Jazz | Visual Art | Dance | Theater
