W♥M

09/30/2022

Rocktober: October 29 to October 31

09/29/2022

Steam Deck: First Impressions

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I’ve put down my $5 to preorder my Steam Deck. I decided to get the $400 entry model. I think that is a fantastic price, considering that I looked at similar handheld PCs, such as the Aya Neo and OneXPlayer, and they are usually $1,000 or more …

Elden Ring

Yes, I’m finally playing Elden Ring, the game that literally everybody was playing in February 2022. The game went on sale on disc, so picked it up. I popped in the disc, expecting to play the game. Guess what? …

Cyberpunk

For some odd reason, Best Buy, allowed me to pick up my pre-order for Cyberpunk 2077 video game for the PC. The game is not officially out until December 10, 2020, on a variety of platforms: Windows …

I’m so excited to finally get my hands on the Steam Deck

Downloading queue

As soon as I opened the case, I immediately booted it up and started downloading Elden Ring. On my slow hotspot connection, it was going to take 11 hours to download 50GB. In the meantime, I did download some smaller games to test out the unit, particularly older games like Galaga or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge. Those ran as I would expect: amazingly well. What I’m more interested in is if the Deck can handle modern graphically-intense games like Elden Ring and Cyberpunk (which does not run well on the PS4).

What I’ve experienced so far, it’s a really good system. As you may or may not know, the SteamOS is actually running in Linux. What that means is that anything that can run on the Linux desktop mode, you can run it on the Steam Deck. So there are a lot of enthusiasts that have created various software to modify how Steam function and look.

I did briefly explore Desktop mode by changing some themes and downloading Firefox. It’s not a great experience on Desktop mode because the Steam Deck wasn’t designed to run in desktop. For example, after downloading Firefox, I couldn’t get the touchscreen keyboard to load up, and it was generally slow and not as responsive.

For most people, I suggest just sticking to the SteamOS. That’s what I’m going to do from now on (although it’s good to know that I can muck around with Linux if I get bored in the future).

The Steam Deck screen looks great. Games looks great on it. The audio is very loud and very good for its size. Controllers is good too. I like the D-Pad, I like the buttons. Some people complained that the Deck has a very loud fan. Maybe it’s just their device, but mine didn’t make that much noise. The Deck does get hot, and you can feel the heat leaving the vents on top and on the back.

The AMD Zen 2 CPU, combined with 16GB DDR5 and custom GPU, it’s very fast. Much faster than the Switch and better than the PS4. All this power needs a super fast charger, which Valve included out of the box: a 45-Watt charger.

The ability to use any hardware or software that is supported on Linux, you can truly use the Steam Deck as a desktop/laptop.

There are some minor complaints I have about the Steam Deck. I’m just nit-picking, they’re not really complaints, but more like what I hope can be improved in the next generation Steam Deck. I think the device is very big. Holding it, looking at it, I don’t really think it’s meant to be a pocketable handheld gaming device. It’s almost double the weight and size of the Nintendo Switch, and certainly much, much larger than the portable Switch Lite or the PlayStation Vita.

My Steam Games

I own over 300 games on Steam, but only about 80 of them are Deck Verified… which means they will run on the Deck without any issues. Some games will run on Steam Deck, but it’s not optimized for it. For example, some text might be too small to read on a small screen. So the problem is that developers needs to update their games to run on Steam Deck - and on older titles, that might not be possible.

I wish there was a cover over the MicroSD card reader. I accidentally ejected the card a few times, which I’m very worried about damaging my expensive 1TB SD card. It’s a valid concern. On my camera and one any phones that accepts MicroSD cards, there is a cover that keeps the card safe in its place.

I absolutely hate the two mousepads/touchpads on the Deck. I hated it on the Steam Controller, I absolutely hated it on the Deck. If they got rid of it to make the Deck smaller, I will co-sign that.

I also wish there was another USB-C on the bottom of the device. Right now, there is one USB-C port on top, so all the Docks designed for the Steam Deck looks … ugly. On the Switch, the USB-C is on the bottom, so you just “dock” it in the stand and voila, it’s charging and in its stand. Since the Steam Deck has the USB-C on top, it’s not as elegant. You have to bring up the chord and manually locate the USB-C and plug it in. Not great.

I wanted to buy a third-party Steam Deck Dock, but I’m waiting for the official Docking Station to be release. Valve is having some supply issues so they haven’t announced or released the Dock yet.

Yours,

- Weekend Gamer

vu (vu@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Posted at 10:00 PM in Cyberpunk, Game On, PS4, Sony, Steam, Technology, Video Game, Weekend Gamer, Xbox | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Cult at Uptown Theater, Kansas City MO (2022-09-27) review

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The Cult

As expected, The Cult played their Electric album in its entirety… The great energy between the two original two original band members, singer Ian Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy is great

THE CULT SETLIST

Rise
Sun King
Automatic Blues
Sweet Soul Sister
Edie (Ciao Baby)
Lil' Devil
Wild Flower
Aphrodisiac Jacket
Peace Dog
A Cut Inside
Fire Woman
Revolution
Rain
She Sells Sanctuary

Encore:

Love Removal Machine

THE CULT TOUR DATES

Sept 29 NEW ORLEANS, LA FILLMORE

Sept 30 HOUSTON, TX 713 MUSIC HALL

Oct 2 AUSTIN, TX STUBB’S WALLER CREEK AMPITHEAATRE

Oct 9 LOS ANGELES, CA GREEK THEATRE

Oct 27 COSTA MUJERES THE SANDS Mexico

Nov 11 SNOQUALMIE WA SNOQUALMIE CASINO

Nov 13 RIDGEFIELD, WA ILANI EVENT CENTER

Nov 16 MONTEREY, CA GOLDEN STATE THEATRE

Nov 17 SAN FRANCISCO, CA THE WARFIELD

Nov 19 SANTA BARBARA, CA ARLINGTON THEATRE

Nov 20 CHANDLER, AZ GILA RIVER HOTELS & CASINOS-WILD HORSE PASS

No “Mercy”, but four decades of classic songs, and even an on-stage birthday--

Legendary band The Cult has returned to the road, in support of upcoming new album Under the Midnight Sun (out Oct 7 via Round Hill/Frontline) and celebrated with their arsenal of multiple radio hits, a preview of the new record, and even a belated birthday for drummer John Tempesta.

===

The evening began in near-darkness, and San Francisco’s King Woman taking to the stage for a generous set just short of an hour. In the most minimal dim blue lighting, the five-piece led by the haunting vocalist Kris Esfandiari, worked their way through songs from their latest (last year’s Celestial Blues, beginning with its title track) and their previous full-length, 2017’s Creating an Image of Suffering.

The band didn’t say much between songs, preferring to let the sheer impact of their doom-metal sound bowl over the mostly older crowd, many of whom seem surprised, or just shrugging and heading to the bar. Definitely an acquired taste or maybe for setting a bleaker, somber mood, the band does have its merits, but needs to be paired with more similar acts.

===

No such confusion regarding any message from The Cult, as the fans knew exactly what to expect for their eighty-minute headlining set, many wearing tour shirts from previous tours and holding beverages high, as each recognizable song started up.

Beginning dreamily with 2001’s “Rise”, its Middle Eastern-inspired intro was quickly morphed into the familiar riffs of guitarist Billy Duffy to propel the song, and while Duffy may not be windmill guitaring with every number anymore, his overall playing has only sharpened over the years, and is undoubtedly the sonic engine that sends this musical beast headlong down the road.

Singer Ian Astbury still has his trademark long black hair (braided) and instantly recognizable growl, often catching a tambourine mid-air from a side stage roadie to help keep the beat of the song.

In addition to mainstays Astbury and Duffy, the touring lineup remains rock solid- Damon Fox adds a fuller sound with his keyboards, longtime Robert Plant bassist (and his son-in-law) provides an understated assurance on the low-end, and drummer John Tempesta, a sixteen-year band veteran, more than ably propels the rhythm.

Rock radio classics were peppered throughout, from a helping of “Sun King” and Doors-esque keyboard solo on “Sweet Soul Sister”, to “Edie (Ciao Baby) to the shaking “Lil Devil” from 1987’s Electric, recently moved up in the setlist from an encore song to a high-energy banger, anchoring everything near the mid-way point (with Astbury even working KC into the song lyrics).

Astbury didn’t say much to begin with, other than the occasional “Thank you kindly” but seemed to loosen and open up as the set progressed. We caught the band on opening night of this tour, in St. Paul, MN this July, and it seemed there was very little rust to shake off even then, the mark of being longtime professionals in this industry.

As mentioned, the new album releases very soon and audiences have been treated to hearing its lead single, “Give Me Mercy” live since the first shows of the current tour, but they’ve switched it up of late, instead showcasing second single, “A Cut Inside” with Astbury more than happy to declare in song, that they are “outsiders forever, the ghost of our lives”.

From there, the set found that elusive sixth gear, barreling downhill with nothing but unforgettable songs that have been key in defining them as an enduring band. By then, Astbury had loosened up, calling out friends in the audience, stripping his in-ear monitors off to finish the set old school, and questioning why everyone has decided to cut their hair short.

By the time the band got to the main set closer of 1985's “She Sells Sanctuary”, everyone in the building (still sober enough to) was singing along, with that “sparkle in your eyes" still "keeps me alive”, and after almost forty years of that signature song taking over the airwaves.

The single-song encore of 1987’s “Love Removal Machine” may not be their biggest hit, but the song was the ideal tempo, embellished with Duffy’s seemingly simple, but eminently effective guitar riffs, to send the crowd out a true musical high, even working in an overdue Tempesta mini drum solo to end things.

As the band took their bows and waved, Astbury introduced the band as the crew brought out a large birthday cake for drummer Tempesta- he, not sure if it was actually to eat or if a food fight might break out, initially held his sticks up to protect his face, before realizing everything was genuine.

Duffy even took to the mic, to reminisce that they had played this same venue years ago, when underage patrons were relegated to only the balcony, and those who could drink, were assigned lower-level round tables. “We’ve gotten older...and so have you… and it’s great!” he emoted.

Though the new album might be titled Under the Midnight Sun (actually inspired by Astbury watching footage of the band playing a 1986 outdoor festival in Finland), it’s anything but the twilight of The Cult, with years of more music, to come.

KING WOMAN SETLIST

Celestial Blues

Utopia

Manna

Golgotha

Burn

Boghz

Paradise Lost

Psychic Wound

Entwined Coil

Morning Star

I Wanna Be Adored

KING WOMAN TOUR DATES

Sep 28 Memphis, TN Growlers

Sep 29 New Orleans, LA Fillmore

Sep 30 Houston, TX 713 Music Hall

Oct 2 Austin, TX Stubb’s Waller Creek Amph

Oct 9 Los Angeles, CA The Greek Theatre

Oct 22 Brooklyn, NY 3 Dollar Bill

(Click on any image to enlarge and see in full)

THE CULT

IAN ASTBURY

THE CULT

BILLY DUFFY

KING WOMAN

john c (johnc@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Posted at 01:42 PM in John, Kansas City, King Woman, Review, The Cult | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tags: Billy Duffy, concert review, Fire Woman, Ian Astbury, Kansas City, King Woman, She Sells Sanctuary, The Cult, Tour 2022, Under the Midnight Sun

Asian invasion: Pinoy Joy! Filipino heritage musicians taking over music

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Beabadoobee

The Truman. $20-$25 aka Beatrice Laus, this Filipino/British breakout bedroom-pop artist put out a new EP, Our Extended ....

Read more Asian Invasion

In a mini-musical revolution of sorts, artists of Filipino heritage are enjoying their best year to date, dominating this year’s GRAMMY Awards (as the LA Times had noted in a detailed article here) and are amongst the best-known and popular performers of today.

Dozens of artists of Filipino heritage include Apl.de.ap of Black-Eyed Peas, H.E.R., Kirk Hammett of Metallica, Bruno Mars, Neal McCoy, Olivia Rodrigo, and Toro y Moi (among many many more).

Here are a few others we put in the spotlight:

BEABADOOBEE

https://www.beabadoobee.com

After five previous EPs and a successful debut full-length, aka Beatrice Kristi Laus released her sophomore effort, Beatopia this July, to even greater acclaim. The UK artist was born in Iloilo City, Philippines before moving to London as a small child.

We caught her live this summer as part of the final :( Rock the Garden concert and she starts a mostly sold-out UK/IE Tour Oct 4 in Dublin, before returning to the States for a few shows, including Minneapolis in November. Don’t worry KC fans, Bea plays there in early April 2023 (shhh)!

(Arrive early on those UK/IE dates to catch NYC [London-based] four-piece Pretty Sick, grunge leaning alt-rockers whose debut full-length, Makes Me Sick Makes Me Smile is out 30 Sept on Dirty Hit, and they'll be in the US headlining club shows in Oct/Nov.)

2022 Tour Dates:

OCT 4 Olympia Theatre Dublin, Ireland
OCT 5 Ulster Hall Belfast, UK
OCT 7 O2 Academy Bristol, UK
OCT 8 UEA Norwich, UK
OCT 10 Rock City Nottingham, UK
OCT 11 NX Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
OCT 13 Manchester Academy 2 Manchester, UK
OCT 14 Foundry Sheffield, UK
OCT 15 Barrowland Ballroom Glasgow, Scotland
OCT 17 CHALK Brighton, England
OCT 18 Engine Rooms Southampton, UK
OCT 19 o2 Academy Brixton London, UK
OCT 25 9:30 Club Washington, D.C.
OCT 26 9:30 Club Washington, D.C.
OCT 28 Brooklyn Steel Brooklyn, NY
OCT 29 Union Transfer Philadelphia, PA
OCT 31 Variety Playhouse Atlanta, GA
NOV 1 Underbelly Jacksonville, FL
NOV 2 Jannus Live St.Petersburg, FL
NOV 3 The Beacham Orlando, FL
NOV 5 Republic NOLA New Orleans, LA

NOV 6 White Oak Music Hall Houston, TX
NOV 7 Granada Theater Dallas, TX
NOV 8 Emo's Austin Austin, TX
NOV 10 Sunshine Theater Albuquerque, NM
NOV 11 The Van Buren Phoenix, AZ
NOV 12 The Novo Los Angeles, CA
NOV 14 The Observatory Santa Ana, CA
NOV 15 The Regency Ballroom San Francisco, CA
NOV 16 The Regency Ballroom San Francisco, CA
NOV 21 The Moore Theatre Seattle, WA
NOV 22 Commodore Ballroom Vancouver, BC
NOV 23 Roseland Theater Portland, OR
NOV 25 The Depot Salt Lake City, UT
NOV 26 Summit Music Hall Denver, CO
NOV 28 First Avenue Minneapolis, MN
NOV 29 Riviera Theatre Chicago, IL
DEC 1 HISTORY Toronto, ON
DEC 2 Club Soda Montreal, QC
DEC 3 Empire Live Albany, NY
DEC 4 Roadrunner Boston, MA

FANNY

https://fannyrocks.com

Early 70’s legends, Fanny was the first all-female rock band signed to a major record label with a multi-album deal, recording five albums, but never truly breaking through.

The four-piece band was co-founded in the Bay Area by June and Jean Millington, sisters born in the Philippines to a Filipino woman and an American naval officer.

Film Society KC in partnership with Midwest Music Foundation and the Filipino Association of Greater Kansas City on Oct. 5 hosts a live performance at recordBar from Fanny+ featuring June Millington, Brie Howard-Darling, Patti Quatro, and Mia Huggins

Additionally, a Kansas City screening of the documentary Fanny: The Right to Rock will be shown at Screenland Armour on Oct. 4^th with bandmember Q+A following.

More info/tickets:

Fanny+: Live in Concert Tickets, Wed, Oct 5, 2022 at 7:00 PM | Eventbrite

EZ MIL

https://ezmil.com

aka Ezekiel Miller was born and raised in Olongapo City, Philippines and is a rising Filipino American rapper/singer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer and is the first Filipino artist to sign a contract with Virgin Music Hollywood | UMG.

Second studio album DU4LI7Y (Duality), was released to wide acclaim, but he was forced to recently cancel his Panalo Homecoming concert in Olongapo City, due to promotor issues.

Latest singles are “Will You” and “27 Bodies” and he was a featured performer at the Filipino-centric London music festival, 1MX this past July.

grentperez

grentperez (komi.io)

The indie DIY soul singer-songwriter grew up as the youngest of three kids in a Filipino family based in Sydney and at 12 years old, posted his first video to his YouTube channel and has been releasing his own music ever since.

His new project, the genre-blurring compilation, Trail Mix Tape (out Sept 30 via Fast Friends) includes recently released single "Ego” and he has shared the bill with K-pop artist Eric Nam, mxmtoon, and more.

Tour Dates

SEP 30 *Adelaide, Australia
OCT 01 *North Fremantle, Australia
OCT 04 supporting mxmtoon Melbourne, Australia
OCT 05 *Sydney, Australia
OCT 06 supporting mxmtoon Sydney, Australia
OCT 08 *Auckland, New Zealand
OCT 09 supporting mxmtoon Newstead, Australia
NOV 01 *Berlin, Germany
NOV 04 *Paris, France
NOV 05 *Amsterdam, Netherlands
NOV 06 *London, United Kingdom
NOV 07 *London, United Kingdom
NOV 14 *Los Angeles, CA
NOV 15 *Los Angeles, CA
NOV 16 *San Francisco, CA
NOV 17 *San Francisco, CA
NOV 19 *Toronto, ON
NOV 21 *New York City, NY
NOV 22 *New York City, NY
Dec 31 - Jan 01 nye in the park Chippendale, Australia

* = i'm cool, i promise World Tour dates

John C (johnc@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Posted at 01:07 AM in Asia, Asian Invasion, Beabadoobee, Documentary, Films, John, Kansas City, Philippines, Pretty Sick | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tags: 3Olympia, Beabadoobee, concert preview, Dublin, EZ MIL, Fanny, Fanny band, Fanny The Right to Rock, Filipino, film screening, grentperez, Kansas City, Philippines

Rocktober: October 27 to October 28

10/27 Pinkshift with Jigsaw Youth and Yasmin Nur at 7th St Entry

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Pinkshift

Tuesday Pup with Cloud Nothings, Pinkshift at Fillmore Toronto punk heroes Pup (stylized as PUP) is returning to town on their “Pup Returns: Thank F***** God” tour. The band will play the Fillmore in Minneapolis on April 5th …

09/28/2022

R.I.P. Coolio

COOLIO - It Takes A Thief album

(Read more Musicians who died in 2022)

Hip hop rapper Coolio has died at age of 59 in Los Angeles, his manager Jarez Posey has confirmed, with no immediate cause of death released.

He was found unresponsive in a friend's bathroom, but no drugs or related paraphernalia were reported found on the scene (note that he had also been a longtime asthma sufferer), so an autopsy and toxicology report will determine his cause of death.

AKA Artis Leon Ivey Jr, Coolio was best known for the GRAMMY-winning 1995 #1 single "Gangsta’s Paradise", which came from the soundtrack of the Michelle Pfeiffer film Dangerous Minds, sampling Stevie Wonder’s 1976 song "Pastime Paradise".

Born just south of Pittsburgh, Coolio moved to Compton, CA, going to community college and also working as a volunteer firefighter and as airport security, before pursuing hip-hop full-time.

His debut 1994 album, It Takes a Thief (Tommy Boy Records) featured the hit single "Fantastic Voyage", which went to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100.

He was nominated for six total GRAMMYS and also won three MTV VMAs in a career that spanned thirty-five years, eight studio albums, and numerous film and TV appearances.

John (johnc@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Posted at 09:48 PM in Hip Hop, John, Musicians Who Died, Rap, RIP | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tags: Coolio, Dangerous Minds, Fantastic Voyage, Gangsta's Paradise, It Takes a Thief, Musicians Who Died, R.I.P., Rap Hip Hop

Weekend Gamer Update (September 2022)

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Steam

Cyberpunk

I received my Steam Deck today. I haven’t played any games on it, as each games takes a million years to download on my cellular hotspot. But so far, so good, everything is working as expected.

First impression: the Steam Deck is massive! I had no idea, I mean I knew it was bigger than the Nintendo Switch, but it’s way bigger than I thought. It’s definitely not a pocketable device. Still, it’s more portable than, say a heavy gaming laptop. I’ll have more to say about the Steam Deck once I actually start playing games on it.

Prior to receiving my Steam Deck, I’ve been buying various accessories for it. I got a decal, a screen protector, and a very expensive 1TB SD card… and I think eventually I will upgrade the 2230 NVMe SSD chip (even though Valve does not recommend it because the SSD might draw too much power and brick the device).

The sticker decal sucked, it arrived folded, and the printing looks blurry. Plus it ripped when I was putting it on. I don’t think I will be buying anymore decals for the Steam Deck unless it’s official or at least licensed.

The other prepping thing I’ve done is buy some more Steam games (even though I own many of them on GOG or Xbox). So yeah, I bought Cyberpunk again. Yeah, I re-bought Elden Ring again on Steam.

Logitech G Cloud

Speaking of Steam Deck, Logitech announced their Logitech G Cloud, a $350 handheld device that can stream your Xbox Cloud Gaming, Steam Link, and NVIDIA GeForce Now games. The pricing doesn’t make any sense to me. You can buy a non-portable Xbox Series S or the original Nintendo Switch for less.

And speaking of Cyberpunk, you may recall that I bought the game in Dec 2020 and I noted that there will likely be bugs in the game. What I didn’t anticipate was the massive backlash against the game as it did not run properly on “last gen” consoles. I bought it for the PC, so it ran as expected. I personally didn’t have any complaints about Cyberpunk, but I understand why fans were so angry.

Fast-forward to today, with the recent update / upgrade to Cyberpunk for Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, the fans did a 180 turn and all negatives were forgiven. With over 1 million players playing the game every night since the update it’s good to see the game doing so well, two years after it originally released.

As I previously mentioned, I did re-buy the game on Steam so I can test it out on my Steam Deck… so I’ll be joining one of the many players returning to the game.

Yours,

- Weekend Gamer

vu (vu@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Posted at 07:03 PM in Cyberpunk, GOG, Nintendo, Nintendo Switch, Nvidia, Steam, Weekend Gamer, Xbox | Permalink | Comments (0)

Bear's Den at Knuckleheads, Kansas City MO (2022-09-25) review

Bears Den 2022-09-25 KCMO Knuckleheads poster

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Bear's Den

U.K. band Bear's Den has sold out their entire US tour, they’ll be stopping by the Triple Rock Social Club next Saturday. We previously caught the band in 2014 and noted that....

BEAR'S DEN SETLIST

Blue Hours
Red Earth & Pouring Rain
Frightened Whispers
Fuel On The Fire
All That You Are
Isaac
Sophie (off-mic, unplugged)
New Ways
Shadows
Stitch in Time
Magdalene
Crow
The Love We Stole
Please Don't Hide Yourself Away
Spiders
Auld Wives
Above the Clouds of Pompeii

Gabriel (off-mic, unplugged in crowd)
Agape

BEAR'S DEN TOUR DATES

Sep 27 Denver, CO Bluebird Theater
Sep 28 Salt Lake City, UT Commonwealth Room
Sep 30 Seattle, WA Neptune Theatre
Oct 1 Vancouver, BC Vogue Theatre
Oct 3 Portland, OR Revolution Hall
Oct 5 Felton, CA Felton Music Hall
Oct 6 San Francisco, CA August Hall
Oct 8 West Hollywood, CA Troubadour

From Blue Hours to brighter days---

London folk rock band Bear’s Den has finally returned to these shores after some pandemic-related delays, on their Blue Hours Tour, and played a satisfying set at Knuckleheads Garage, hidden within the railway district, in Kansas City, MO.

The evening opened with a brief but well-received set from Izzy Heltai, a Massachusetts-based mid-twenties singer-songwriter, in support of new five-song EP, Day Plan, the follow-up to his 2020 full-length, Father. Heltai’s music has a gentle veneer with some West Coast laid-back influences, but like the headliner, his lyrics can often dig deeper.

Whether coming to terms with his own identity or documenting a pandemic era romance on “Beauty Queen”, the lyrics seem relatable and are delivered with a pleasant artistry. Though accompanied by his full band, the songs were even more poignant when he performed solo, such as he did to finish his half-hour set.

===

When the UK folk invasion burst out onto the airwaves just over a decade ago, we became fans of many of the acts, including Bear’s Den and their related Communion Music- a London/Brooklyn artist-based organization that includes a record label, promotions, music publishing and more, and has included a roster featuring Tamino, Sam Fender, Dan Croll, Michael Kiwanuka, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Ben Howard, James Bay, George Ezra, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats, Daughter, and Highly Suspect, all of whom are WHM favorites.

Communion even put on monthly residencies in a few music-centric major cities, and we looked forward to catching each installment live. Fast forward to an endemic 2022 and Bear’s Den has emerged like the rest of us- shaken, re-evaluating, and moved, but also hopeful and those feelings and more are a core part of Blue Hours, their fifth full-length released in May, that often serves as a mirrored reflection of those pandemic days we’re slowly coming out from. “Blue Hours felt like a name for my own depression”, singer Andrew Davie has said about composing the new record, mostly during lockdown.

And while their ninety-minute set featured several of the new songs, the mood was much more cathartic and joyful, despite any lyrical moments of despair. Their music still shimmers with a polish and lacks the purposeful arena bombast of a Mumford and Sons, maybe making their adherence to their traditional folk roots, ever more authentic.

After beginning with the new album’s title track, the title track of 2016’s Red Earth & Pouring Rain soared, with a gentle but impactful riff, similar to the best War on Drugs songs. We’ve caught them a few times live previous, including in 2014 and again in 2016, and can happily report their mostly mid-tempo folk sound, has been even more perfected.

The band is still officially just a duo (Davie, and sort-of Nick Offerman look-a-like Kevin Jones) but the four-piece band plays seamlessly together like they’ve been a unit for decades. Davie admitted to not only being very happy to be playing live again, but extra-excited to be headlining a place with this unique name and complemented the staff and food.

There was a delicate ache to the new “All That You Are” with Davie lamenting in verse, “I hope you find someone who loves you for all that you are” then adding, “I hope I find someone who loves me for all that I am” in a moment of self-redemption, ending the song vocally off-mic to a hushed audience.

As a band, they’ve always tried to provide an intimacy live and also bridge any gap between performer and audience, and a mid-set highlight was watching all four performers at the stage front, performing 2013’s “Sophie” completely acoustic and off-mic as the crowd listened in rapt attention.

“Stitch in Time” is the band’s brand-new single, with Davie looking back in hindsight, impossibly trying to change an outcome that’s already occurred. Davie ended “Magdalene” singing off-mic as well, giving an additional impact to the closing verse, and “Please Don't Hide Yourself Away” is a very recent collaboration with Jade Bird (of whom we’re a fan and have caught her live previous) for the Apple+ streaming series, Trying.

Momentum increased at the main set would end, with Davie singing, “When you’re really in the moment of something, there’s a sort of heightened sense of urgency” on 2016’s “Auld Wives” and the crowd clapped along to the elegant pain of loss of 2013’s Above the Clouds of Pompeii”.

The encore began with the band and their instruments walking in the darkness, towards the center of the venue- tougher here than in similar halls, as that section was filled with numerous placed tables and chairs, but they found a way, playing 2016’s “Gabriel” in near-dark, with the crowd surrounding them in a small circle, cell cameras held high.

Making their way back to the stage and plugging back in, 2013’s “Agape” would end the evening, a complicated song that teeters between grief and glory, hope and hopelessness, but its jangly banjo and steady beat would help end things with a flourish.

Coming out of the pandemic has meant that everyone has had to process difficult things and reflect on what was lost, and the value of things in everyday life. Bear’s Den and their Blue Hours album mirrors that, and a shared experience of those feelings and more, is the kind of group catharsis, that’s exactly needed at the moment.

(Click on any image to enlarge and see in full)

BEAR'S DEN

IZZY HELTAI

john c (johnc@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Posted at 11:57 AM in Bear's Den, John, Kansas City, Review | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tags: Bear's Den, Bears Den, Blue Hours, Communion Records, concert review, Izzy Heltai, Kansas City, Knuckleheads, Knuckleheads Saloon

Rocktober: October 25 to October 26

09/27/2022

Australians on Tour

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Meg Mac

On her last stop on the US tour with Clean Bandit was Melbourne's Meg Mac, complete with a full touring band. She's only met the session band since SXSW 2015 (about three weeks ago), but they were seasoned professional and ....

Meg Mac
megmac.com

Australian pop-chanteuse Meg Mac’s new album Matter of Time is #1 on the ARIA National Album Chart. This is Mac’s first ever #1 album, her two previous albums, 2017’s Low Blows and 2019’s Hope both peaked at #2 and #9, respectively. Her 2014 self-titled debut EP is ARIA certified platinum.

“Thank you to everyone who has gotten behind me and supported this album, it truly means the world. I couldn’t be happier to hear the #1 news today” says Meg of her incredible chart success today.

Meg Mac (05 Apr 2015)

We caught Meg Mac on her first US tour, in Apr 2015, and wrote, “As we have previously suspected, this was the young singer's first American tour, and her first time in Minneapolis. Mac's soulful pop and sometime bluesy songs went over well with the Clean Bandit's audience, and you can see why she won Triple J's Unearth Artist of 2014 and earned Rolling Stone Australia's "Best New Talent" award.”

2023 Tour dates:

Apr 08 - San Fran - Wellington
Apr 12 - Hollywood - Auckland
Apr 14 - Anita’s Theatre - Wollongong
Apr 15 - Enmore Theatre - Sydney
Apr 19 – Altar - Hobart
Apr 27 – Melbourne Recital Centre - Melbourne
Apr 28 - Wool Exchange - Geelong
May 04 - Astor Theatre – Perth
May 11 – Solbar - Sunshine Coast

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The Avalanches

Were you ever a fan of that song, Frontier Psychiatrist, by The Avalanches? If so, you'll probably feel quite comfortable with the sounds of this London-based duo, Public Service Broadcasting. …

The Avalanches
theavalanches.com

Australian sample pioneers The Avalanches (Robbie Chater and Tony Di Blasi) is making a rare appearance at the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis this Friday, September 30th.

When the band go on tour, they play live using samplers, analogue keyboards, bass guitar, drum kit, and theremin. They also include four turntables, a percussion stand, and a battery of MIDI-controlled special effects. For this new tour, they promise an all-new electronic stage setup.

The Avalanches’ latest album We Will Always Love You is out now.

Tour Dates

9/28 Englewood, CO Gothic Theatre
9/30 Minneapolis, MN Varsity Theater
10/1 Chicago, IL Metro – two shows
10/2 Detroit, MI Majestic Theatre
10/4 Toronto, ON Phoenix Concert Theatre
10/5 Montréal, QC Théâtre Corona
10/7 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
10/8 New York, NY Terminal 5
10/9 Boston, MA House of Blues Boston
10/10 Philadelphia, PA Theatre of Living Arts

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Ocean Alley

Australia’s beloved psychedelic-surf-rockers Ocean Alley announced a brief eight date US tour, one of those dates happened to be the 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis, for June 22. ...

Ocean Alley
oceanalley.com.au

Australia’s beloved psychedelic surf rock outfit Ocean Alley announced their “Part 2” US tour for their forthcoming album Low Altitude Living. Minneapolis was part of “Part 1” earlier in June 2022.

As frontman Baden Donegal explains the album title, “Low altitude, being by the beach is where we all have the most peace. So naming the album Low Altitude Living made a lot of sense. The title of the album doesn’t necessarily represent any one song in particular, or tie them all together. But it does tie our band to the music. I feel like it’s more of a title that describes why we sound like Ocean Alley.”

Tour Dates

10/1: Seattle, WA - Tractor Tavern
10/2: Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
10/3: Arcata, CA - Arcata Theatre Lounge
10/6: Berkeley, CA - Cornerstone
10/7: Ventura, CA - Ventura Music Hall
10/9: San Luis Obispo, CA - SLO Brew Rock
10/10: San Diego, CA - Music Box
10/11: Anaheim, CA - The Parish
10/13: Los Angeles, CA - The Regent Theatre
10/14: Santa Cruz, CA - The Catalyst Atrium
10/15: San Francisco, CA - The Independent
10/17: Salt Lake City, UT - Soundwell
10/18: Englewood, CO - Gothic Theatre
10/20: Dallas, TX - Cambridge Room
10/21: Houston, TX - Bronze Peacock
10/22: San Antonio, TX - Paper Tiger
10/23: Austin, TX - Parish

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Boy & Bear

Boy & Bear is a band from Sydney, Australia. It started in 2009 as a solo project for singer/songwriter Dave Hosking, but eventually expanded into a full functioning band. . …

Boy & Bear
boyandbear.com

Originally, Australian indie royalty Boy & Bear was supposed to play the 7th Street Entry on October 1st, but the show was canceled… There is no rescheduled date at this time.

Boy & Bear is celebrating their 10-year anniversary of their ARIA double platinum album, Moonfire.

Tour dates:

12 October - Band on the Wall, Manchester
13 October - Thekla, Bristol
15 October - Hackney Church, London
17 October - LantarenVenster, Rotterdam
18 October - Melkweg Old Hall, Amsterdam
19 October - Grunspan, Hamburg
21 October - Nalen, Stockholm
23 October - Copenhagen, Denmark
26 October - Heimathafen, Berlin
28 October - Strom, Munich
29 October - Luxor, Cologne
12 Nov - A Day On the Green Bimbadgen, NSW
13 Nov - A Day On the Green Wodonga, VIC
9 Dec - Forth Pub 150 Festival, Forth, TAS
10 Dec - Hobart Uni Bar, Hobart, TAS

If your band is coming to the Minneapolis/St Paul area, please email details to vu@weheartmusic.com with a good lead time. Thank you.

vu (vu@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Posted at 04:58 PM in Australia, Avalanches, Boy & Bear, Meg Mac, Ocean Alley | Permalink | Comments (0)

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