Guest curator Yoni Kroll of WKDU previews this month’s Tuesday Tune-Outs series (begins tonight at PhilaMOCA)
It’s the first Tuesday in May and that means there’s a brand new line-up of eclectic Tuesday Tune-Outs to prepare for. PhilaMOCA asked WKDU’s Yoni Kroll to curate the weekly showcase this month, and The Key has his preview of four especially original events.
From Yoni:
Booking a music and movie night is a bit different than just finding a band to play a show. You have to consider what the band sounds like, sure, but you also have to figure out if they have good taste in movies. Because when it comes down to it, nobody wants to have to sit through Dirty Dancing 2 just because Erik from Mischief Brew thinks it’s a lost classic. Note to Erik: don’t you dare.
Putting this together I drew on both my knowledge as local music director at WKDU Philadelphia 91.7 FM and the fact that I go to way too many shows and I hate being bored. Two bands and one movie is a very specific lineup and you need to tread carefully to make sure everything and everyone is on equal footing. To that end, I chose bands and musicians that would be fun as well as interesting, especially together. I hope you agree.
I bring you May’s Tuesday Tune-Out series:
May 6
SGNLS and Dangerbird Jr.
SGNLS rose out of the ashes of Lesser Known Neutrinos, a West Philadelphia band of yesteryear that had more in common musically and politically with experimental punk groups like Crass and The Ex than anything else. What SGNLS has managed to do in the scant few years they’ve been around is harness the raw, creative energy that was always present in their previous bands and transform it into something new and exciting. The lineup, with Tony on keyboards, Paul on guitar, Kellzo on drums, and new addition Alexi (from Stinking Lizaveta) playing bass, is a talented and extremely creative juggernaut. That’s exhibited in both the music and the shows the band plays: SGNLS can open up for a thrash metal band or headline a political punk show or perform in front of a couple hundred exuberant skaters, as they did at Philly Punx Picnic a couple years ago. It works because it’s good, because it’s different, and because ultimately it’s very fun. Their new album will be out on FDH in a few months.
You like Neil Young? You like distortion? How do the words ‘heavy’ and ‘slow’ grab you? If you said yes to any of this, you’ll love Dangerbird. First show in a while! Members of Hulk Smash, Serpent Throne, Faking, and a ton of other bands going back forever.
May 13
Erik Petersen of Mischief Brew doing a special covers set + Teenage Bigfoot
Erik Petersen has been playing as Mischief Brew for more than a decade at this point. What started as a folk project has turned into something far rowdier, merging Petersen’s punk background with his strong songwriting and even stronger storytelling talents. Fast forward to the present day and the band has four albums and thousands of tour dates under their belt with so many more plans in the works.
Plans like… Erik playing a special all-covers set at PhilaMOCA on May 13th! If you’ve seen Mischief Brew play, you’ve almost certainly seen them do a cover or two. Recently it’s been Rudimentari Peni but in the past it’s included Jawbreaker, Doom, The Pogues, Chumbawamba, and even an ABBA track that Erik would play solo sometimes. He claimed it came about due to hanging out with the disco-loving punks in Minneapolis but who really needs an excuse to listen to ABBA?!
Joining Erik that Tuesday will be new Philly punk band Teenage Bigfoot, who got their start at the First Time’s the Charm event at PhilaMOCA back in November. They play fun, irreverent, and very catchy pop punk. Their songs cover all the relevant bases: doing drugs, falling in love, and loitering. They’re basically like The Queers or Screeching Weasel but made up of people you actually want to hang out with after the show.
May 20
Nick Millevoi and Heller Wahn Guitar/Synth Duo
On May 20th we’re stepping away from rock music for the night and welcoming the as yet unnamed Nick Millevoi and Heller Wahn guitar and synth duo. Though come to think of it, that’s not the worst name. It certainly makes up for the lack of creativity by being very clear about what it is: Nick Millevoi is a jazz and experimental electric guitar player best known for the bands Many Arms, Haitian Rail, and Deveykus. Heller Wahn is a synth nerd who runs a record label and plays solo and in a number of collaborative projects across a variety of genres and styles.
The way the night will work is that they will each play short solo sets and then sit down together for a longer composition. During that a silent film will be projected behind them. When they’re done, stick around for a second movie of their choosing. We’ll give some hints as to what that will be as the date gets closer.
May 27
Hot Guts and Erode & Disappear
The final May Tuesday Tune-Out is darker, gothier, dancier, and filled with more two piece bands than any other date during the month. Put on your leather jacket and come out to PhilaMOCA for what will certainly be a banger of a night with Hot Guts and Erode & Disappear.
Hot Guts is the brainchild of Wes Russell and Shari Vari. The band is a shining example of the musical diversity of Philadelphia: if you just listened to them, you might have a hard time imagining where they fit in. After all, the city doesn’t have much of a dancy, post-punk goth scene, unfortunately. Still, the band keeps on getting shows, both because they’re really, really good and because there’s no end of fun, weird bands for then to play with. One night that might be noise freaks Drums Like Machine Guns, the next with death rockers Haldol, and the one after that with Erode & Disappear.
Consisting of two-thirds of longtime West Philly “ghost punk” band Northern Liberties, Erode & Disappear are a noisy, stripped down bass and drums duo. The music is both catchy and clever, testament to the fact that Kevin Riley and Justin Duerr have been playing together in different iterations for over 20 years. Lyrically the band continues to follow the themes present in all of Justin’s art, with songs about the occult, nature, and that grimy city living we all know way too well.