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Wilco @ Grand Opera House 8/10/08

Wilco with Jennifer O'Connor - Grand Opera House (Wilmington, DE) - Sunday, August 10, 2008

11 August 2008

For the second and final encore, it was a return to the older, more straight-ahead rockers.

Melvins with Big Business and Porn - The Paradise (Boston, MA) - Saturday August 9, 2008

11 August 2008

King Buzzo and Dale Crover = rockness personified.

Rogue Wave @ Johnny Brenda's 8/8/08

Rogue Wave with Neil Halstead - Johnny Brenda's (Philadelphia, PA) - Friday, August 8, 2008

10 August 2008

ROGUE WAVE came out for an encore and proceeded to play THE SMITHS classic “What Difference Does It Make”.

Guest Review: Maps and Atlases and mewithoutYou live / Listen to Big Takeover on Breakthruradio.com! / Don't Forget the New Issue!

7 August 2008

The loss of long-time member and impressive guitarist Christopher Kleinberg has not slowed mewithoutYou down at all. In attempts to end the show on time, they simply pulled their shirts over their faces while the crowd screamed for one more song. They finished with the highly energetic “January 1979” and ended with a new one called “God, God, God.” / Just a reminder, too, if you haven’t listened in yet, my radio show for BreakthruRadio.com successfully launched, and again, here’s a good chance to hear a good bit of what I/we have been writing about in our issues these last 28 years.

The Effigies @ Maxwells 7/26/08

The Effigies with EDP - Maxwells (Hoboken, NJ) - Saturday, July 26, 2008

6 August 2008

I don’t want to have to wait another 20 years to see them again!

Boris @ Pitchfork Music Festival 7/20/08

Pitchfork Music Festival (Day 3) - Union Park (Chicago, IL) - Sunday, July 20, 2008

30 July 2008

KING KHAN AND THE SHRINES were just pure, animalistic, rocking garage punk fun!

Jay Reatard @ Pitchfork Music Festival 7/19/08

Pitchfork Music Festival (Day 2) - Union Park (Chicago, IL) - Saturday, July 19, 2008

22 July 2008

It started raining during JAY REATARD’s set, but it didn’t matter. In fact, it might have even made it that much more intense.

Pitchfork Music Festival (Day 1) - Union Park (Chicago, IL) - Friday, July 18, 2008

22 July 2008

Despite being absent for “Bring the Noise”, FLAVOR FLAV emerged right before they were set to perform “Don’t Believe the Hype”.

Boris with Torche - The Middle East (Cambridge, MA) - Friday, July 11, 2008

22 July 2008

Boris and Torche leave a pile of rubble and tattered eardrums.

Elliot Levin Trio - Bowery Poetry Club (NYC) – Tuesday, July 15, 2008

16 July 2008

Levin, a grizzled veteran by now, has come to a distinctive style that, while certainly inspired by his predecessors’ work, is never obviously derivative of anyone in particular. Nor does it stand in one place; Levin is just as likely to play a melodic phrase as to unleash flying flurries of evolving patterns arpeggiated and/or scalar or soar into the altissimo register of his tenor in ecstatic exultation.

Jay Reatard @ Johnny Brenda's 7/14/08

Jay Reatard with Dark Horse and the Carousels and The Tough Shits - Johnny Brenda's (Philadelphia, PA) - Monday, July 14, 2008

15 July 2008

I never got to see BAD BRAINS or D.O.A. in their prime, but this must be similar.

The Feelies @ Batter Park 7-4-08

Sonic Youth with The Feelies - Battery Park (New York) - Friday, July 4, 2008

15 July 2008

Playing all of Daydream Nation last year must have really sunk in as SONIC YOUTH played nearly a third of that amazing record.

Devo @ Festival Pier 6/28/08

Devo with The School of Rock All-Stars and The Hold Steady - Festival Pier (Philadelphia, PA) - Saturday, June 28, 2008

6 July 2008

After DEVO got the ubiquitous “Whip It” out of the way early on, then we really got the good stuff.

Versus @ First Unitarian Church 6/27/08

Mission of Burma with Versus - First Unitarian Church (Philadelphia, PA) - Friday, June 27, 2008

3 July 2008

VERSUS was a reminder that the marriage of distortion and noise with super sweet melodies and quiet/loud dynamics will never go out of style.

Rob Dickinson

Rob Dickinson @ World Cafe Live (Philadelphia, PA) - Wednesday, June 25, 2008

26 June 2008

A ROB DICKINSON show wouldn’t be complete with at least a few dips into the Catherine Wheel catalog.

R.E.M. @ Mann Center for the Performing Arts 6/18/08

R.E.M. with Modest Mouse and The National - Mann Center for the Performing Arts (Philadelphia, PA) - Wednesday, June 18, 2008 -

23 June 2008

Thankfully R.E.M. were able to translate the energy of their new album Accelerate onto the stage.

Mission of Burma with AKACOD - The Paradise (Boston, MA) - Friday, June 13, 2008

22 June 2008

Mission of Burma relive the past, re-ignite the present, and give us hope for the future.

Roger Miller of Mission of Burma @ Bowery Ballroom 6/14/08

Mission of Burma - Bowery Ballroom (New York) - Saturday, June 14, 2008

16 June 2008

Overall this night was a smashing success. My only regret is not being able to see their show the next night!

Swervedriver with Longwave and Terra Diablo - The Paradise (Boston, MA) - Tuesday, June 10, 2008

15 June 2008

The Pixies may have written about a planet of sound, but Swervedriver lived there.

Mudhoney with The Cynics - The Middle East (Cambridge, MA) - Friday, June 6, 2008

9 June 2008

Sub Pop’s greatest band still breathes fire

X with The Detroit Cobras - The Paradise (Boston) - Tuesday, May 20, 2008

1 June 2008

This is LA, not Boston – X shows us how the West Coast does it.

The Cure with 65daysofstatic - Agganis Arena (Boston, MA) - Monday, May 12, 2008

22 May 2008

Robert Smith and The Cure give us a Boston marathon.

British Sea Power @ Johnny Brenda's 5-9-08

British Sea Power - World Cafe Live (Philadelphia, PA) - May 9, 2008

21 May 2008

Focusing entirely on their excellent new album, songs like “No Lucifer” sounded as if the band had found some setting for post-punk circa 1982.

Marshall Allen and Weasel Walter - The Art Alliance (Philadelphia, PA) - May 6, 2008

18 May 2008

Each performance ranged from quiet, reflective and almost meditative to short, fast bursts of dissonant noise.

Urge Overkill - Middle East (Cambridge, MA) - Wednesday, April 30, 2008

14 May 2008

Nash and King, together again. Break out your martini glass and velour jacket, and join the fun.

Jandek @ German Society of Philadelphia 4-12-08

Jandek - The German Society of Philadelphia (Philadelphia, PA) - April 12, 2008

8 May 2008

Accompanied by musicians on bassoon, harp and clarinet, it felt more like a classical recital than a stereotypical rock concert.

American Music Club - Harpers Ferry (Boston, MA) - Tuesday, April 22, 2008

27 April 2008

Eitzel and Vudi weave tales of beautiful sadness.

Hot Chip @ Starlight Ballroom 4/10/08

Hot Chip with Free Blood - Starlight Ballroom (Philadelphia, PA) - April 10, 2008

23 April 2008

Simply put, everything about this show was perfect. HOT CHIP put on the best show I’ve seen all year.

Joe Jackson @ Town Hall 4-16-08

Joe Jackson with Mutlu - Keswick Theatre (Glenside, PA) - April 4, 2008

17 April 2008

In summary, this show pleased both the diehards and the casual fans alike.

Beach House @ The Barbary 4/3/08

Beach House with Papercuts - The Barbary (Philadelphia, PA) - Thursday, April 3, 2008

10 April 2008

BEACH HOUSE’s live show doesn’t sound much different from the records and they played a nice, slow set.

Boredoms with Black Pus and Soft Circles - Starlight Ballroom (Philadelphia, PA) - Wednesday, April 2, 2008

3 April 2008

If BOREDOMS ever come near you, don’t hesitate to see them. There’s no one else on earth even remotely like them.

The Boredoms with Northampton Wools - The Paradise (Boston, MA) - Saturday, March 29, 2008

2 April 2008

Boredoms drum Boston straight into self-actualization

Caribou @ Bowery Ballroom 3/28/08

Caribou with Fuck Buttons - Johnny Brenda's (Philadelphia, PA) - Saturday, March 29, 2008

31 March 2008

The two-drummer setup reminded me of THE FALL circa 1982-1983 or BUTTHOLE SURFERS in their prime.

The Raveonettes @ Paradise Boston, MA

The Raveonettes - World Cafe Live (Philadelphia, PA) - Friday, March 28, 2008

29 March 2008

I thought that this show was, in the words of MISSION OF BURMA, good not great.

Bob Mould @ Trocadero 3/14/08

Bob Mould Band with Halou - Trocadero (Philadelphia, PA) - March 14, 2008

22 March 2008

It still feels great seeing BOB MOULD doing what he does best, even if the novelty has worn off a little now and it’s feels familiar.

Bob Mould with Halou - The Paradise (Boston, MA) - Wednesday, March 12, 2008

16 March 2008

Mould’s new material sits comfortably beside Sugar and Hüsker Dü classics in the live setting.

Phantom Orchard with The Baird Sisters - Bartram's Garden (Philadelphia, PA) - March 6, 2008

14 March 2008

Knowing to expect the unexpected, we definitely got our money’s worth in that department from PHANTOM ORCHARD.

Dean and Britta @ Johnny Brenda's 2/29/08

Dean and Britta with Keren Ann - Johnny Brenda's (Philadelphia, PA) - February 28, 2008

9 March 2008

The only drawback was that the set was short, but their energy and enthusiasm made up for it.

No Age @ Queen of Sheba II 2/10/08

No Age - Queen of Sheba II (Philadelphia, PA) - Sunday, February 10, 2008

14 February 2008

All in all, I think NO AGE sounds better live than they do on record.

Vampire Weekend @ First Unitarian Church 2/7/08

Vampire Weekend with Sam Rosen - First Unitarian Church (Philadelphia, PA) - February 9, 2008

11 February 2008

After seeing them, I’m glad I went, though I can’t say there were too many surprises.

Cat Power with Appaloosa - The Orpheum Theater (Boston, MA) - Thursday, February 7, 2008

10 February 2008

Cat Power keeps on soul patrol, waves goodbye to the past.

Bob Mould in London 1/27/08

Bob Mould- World Cafe Live (Philadelphia, PA) - Friday, February 1, 2008

4 February 2008

BOB MOULD just completely shredded, reminding me of the very first time I ever saw him play live.

Kimya Dawson @ Ethical Society of Philadelphia 1/19/08

Kimya Dawson with Angelo Spencer - Ethical Society (Philadelphia, PA) - Saturday, January 19, 2008

30 January 2008

Even with all of her recent success, she is still determined to do things on her own merits, even if that means playing in out of the way venues.

Neil Young with Pegi Young - The Orpheum (Boston) - Monday, December 3, 2007

20 December 2007

Neil Young still has something to say

The Go! Team with Matt and Kim - The Paradise (Boston) - Thursday, October 25, 2007

22 November 2007

The Go! Team bury the fun-meter needle into the red