Show Review: Holy Ghost!, Jessica 6, Midnight Magic

I finally managed to make it to Union Transfer this weekend. I've been on the mailing list for R5 Productions' new venue since well before it opened, but I've been so busy I haven't had an opportunity to catch any of the great shows they've been putting on there. I am so glad I finally did! The space is gorgeous in every detail, from stained glass windows to the sleek industrial grates serving as railings between balconies, bars, and the main floor. I look forward to many more nights spent in a club so simultaneously intimate and spacious.

Desire Promo Mix by EliEscobar

The show I made it out for was excellent as well. Mountain Dew's Green Label Sound curated what was essentially a tour to bring the NYC underground dance scene to the rest of the country, and did an excellent job of it. I primarily went to see Eli Escobar spin before and between sets, and he did not disappoint. Dance and disco, flawlessly mixed with CDJs, no laptop, provided the perfect warmup for each and every artist, keeping the crowd moving. Midnight Magic was first to perform, and frontwoman Tiffany Roth took it upon herself to pack the dancefloor, instructing the crowd to stop staring and start dancing at every opportunity afforded by interludes in which her powerful vocals and enthusiastic dancing took a backseat to the excellent horn section.

Held together by a common bassist and keyboardist, Midnight Magic and Jessica 6 are both partially made up of members of Hercules & Love Affair, in the latter case fronted by transwoman H&LA vocalist Nomi Ruiz. Musically, the vibes began to skew darker and more sexual when they took the stage, with dirtier, more electro-oriented leads and no horn section. After a significantly longer set from Eli Escobar, Holy Ghost! finally took the stage. As the pop project from the members of defunct DFA hip-hop project Automato, Holy Ghost! has been putting out phenomenal remixes for artists like MGMT, Phoenix, and LCD Soundsystem, as well as excellent original dance tunes. Their live show was more fully fleshed out than the others, complete with an enormous lighting console and analog synth equipment presiding over the center of the stage. By this point, the crowd was euphoric and the dance party was in full swing, having mostly emptied the back bar area onto the floor with the underage kids. I went home satisfied, having danced my Friday night away to excellent music in a beautiful new venue.

John Glenn Remixes

John Glenn (aka John Kunkel, frontman of The New Division) has been doing some great remix work that fits nicely with his band's material more generally. The late-night "intelligent dance music" vibes I praised on The Rookie EP here get applied to hits by other electronic bands, specifically Phoenix and Toro y Moi. Enjoy! Catch the latter back in Philly at 1st Unitarian on April 12th courtesty of R5.

Show Review: Lydia, Black Gold, and All the Day Holiday

Last Tuesday (the day, not the band) two friends and I headed down to Philly to see Lydia at the Barbary. My ex had actually told me I should check them out a few months ago when they were opening for Copeland and Lovedrug, and I got on the list with Universal Motown, so it was free.

Openers All the Day Holiday were a young band with a very Britpop sound-vocals reminiscent of early Coldplay crossed with Keane, along with instrumentation that sounded like Coldplay minus the keys, plus a more driving rhythm section. They put on a good show, overcoming a few technical difficulties (including a broken kickdrum pedal). They're from Ohio, and evidently friends with a musician/photographer/producer friend of mine that I saw at the show and should be doing a Homeboy Music entry on soon.

The next band, Black Gold, reminded me for all the world of those bands that play in the prom scene in 80s high school movies. Reggae-influenced guitars occasionally breaking into DFA-style dance riffs were the order of the day, fronted by a keyboardist with vocals that sounded like disco had a child with 80s glam rock. The occasional ballad/slow dance jam didn't detract from the generally upbeat feel, though much of the audience didn't seem to get into it due to the differences between them and the other bands playing.

Lydia was obviously the band most of the crowd was there to see, judging by the screaming of teenage girls when they took the stage and the epic sing-a-longs on nearly every song. Frontman Leighton Antelman, with his less angsty Chris Carraba vocals and champagne glass grip on the microphone, glided around the stage, frequently jumping up on the monitors to extend his mic into the crowd to hear their "beautiful singing". The music, the show, and the intimacy with the fans (made clear by the band playing songs called out by the audience throughout) constantly reminded me of the days when 'emo' was not about black hair and wrist-cutting, but sensitive boys and the girls who love them, harking back to old Dashboard, Brand New, Death Cab, and Sunny Day Real Estate. Lydia is hardly a band stuck in the past, though, with instrumentation that evoked mewithoutYou and artsy post-rock outfits. They put on a good show, despite Leighton's admitted sickness and the use of a few backing tracks (probably to cover up that sickness). Here's the frontman and lead guitarist doing an interview with Kiwibox:

The Barbary, as a venue, is interesting. What basically amounts to a dive bar in North Philly, it has become a hipster haven, playing host to epic parties and R5 Productions' shows. Due to its nature as a bar/club first, venue second, all-ages shows start early (6:30 for this one) and end by 9:30 so the bar can open at 10. The party that particular night is a good example of the usual goings-on there... Fight Club is a monthly event where DJs put their names in a hat, and when their name is called they have to do a beer bong of PBR and a shot of whiskey, then play a 20-30 minute set. Crazy stuff. On the venue front, it's great for small, intimate shows (like weeknight indie rock shows with small but loyal fanbases) and stuff like that, as long as you can be out by 9:30.