Serengeti, Live @ Union Transfer

Tags

Anticon, Chicago, concert video, Dennehy, kDZ, Kenny Dennis, live music, live philly concerts, R5 Productions, Serengeti, Spotify link, Union Transfer

This one goes out to my girl Jules. 

If you know David Cohn (stage name Serengeti), you know what I am talking about.  This enigmatic story spinner is a genius by some estimations.  We talked to him.  We definitely support the crazy genius definition.  Serengeti is an artist who certainly cares about his fans and produces copious amounts of amazing output.  Think I am kidding?

Albums

1. Dirty Flamingo (F5 Records, 2002)
2. Noodle Arms Whimsy (The Frozen Food Section, 2005)
3. Gasoline Rainbows (Oarfin, 2006)
4. Thunder Valley (Audio 8 Recordings, 2006)
5. Race Trading (Audio 8 Recordings, 2006)
6. Noticeably Negro (Audio 8 Recordings, 2006)
7. Dennehy (Bonafyde Recordings, 2006)
8. Don’t Give Up (Audio 8 Recordings, 2007) (with Polyphonic)
9. The Boredom of Me (Audio 8 Recordings, 2008) (with Renee-Louise Carafice & Tony Trimm, as Yoome)
10. Friday Night (Breakfast Records, 2008) (with Hi-Fidel, as Friday Night)
11. Terradactyl (Anticon, 2009) (with Polyphonic)
12. Conversations with Kenny / Legacy of Lee (Golden Floyd Records, 2009)
13. There’s a Situation on the Homefront (Breakfast Records, 2010) (with Hi-Fidel & DJ Koufie, as Tha Grimm Teachaz)
14. Saturday Night (Breakfast Records, 2010) (with Hi-Fidel, as Friday Night)
15. Family & Friends (Anticon, 2011)
16. Shtaad (Blank Records, 2011) (with Sicker Man, as Shtaad)
17. C.A.R. (Anticon, 2012)
18. Saal (Graveface Records, 2012) (with Sicker Man, as Shtaad

EPs

1. Bells and a Floating World (Anticon, 2010) (with Polyphonic)
2. There’s a Situation on the Homefront EP (Chopped Herring Records, 2011) (with Hi-Fidel & DJ Koufie, as Tha Grimm Teachaz)
3. Davis (Leaving Records, 2011) (with Matthew David, as Davis)
4. Beak & Claw (Anticon, 2012) (with Son Lux & Sufjan Stevens, as S / S / S)
5. Kenny Dennis EP (Anticon, 2012)
6. C.A.B. (Anticon, TBA)

24 releases since 2002.  On many of these Serengeti spits his verses through alter-egos channeling their thoughts and delivering at a pace to match the character.  These alter-egos have themes which are thoroughly explored in his music. This could be explained in depth – there is plenty of depth to it – but encourage you to explore on your own if interested.

++ Serengeti on Spotify ++

On the 14th of September 2012, Serengeti delivered tracks from C.A.R., Family & Friends, and Dennehy among other albums. Active out of Chicago since 1993, he showed why he has been able to stay around for so long while never substituting quality for gimmicks.  While most of the crowd were uneducated on the talent before them, we knew what it was about and think most everyone that left knowing also.  Check out some of our video below:

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zQQFUoK5YA]

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euGAVs9xxWQ]

Why?, Live @ Union Transfer

Tags

Anticon, cLOUDDEAD live, concert video, Doseone, Etc., live music, live philly concerts, Mumps, R5 Productions, Union Transfer, Why?, Yoni Wolf

The indie/alternative hip-hop set dispatched one of it’s trophy constituents on a world tour that stopped in Philly on September 14th, 2012.  The group in question was Why?.  Since 1997, Jonathan “Yoni” Wolf has displayed a talent that bends genres to which he is tied.  Traditional hip-hop stylings are put on hold while folk and indie rock textures are substituted in.  This amalgam makes Why? an ideal component of the Anticon record label.

The Philly show was a showcase for Why?’s new album Mumps, Etc. Drawing heavily from this album, Why? illustrated through lyrics the imagery which defines and has defined their tracks.  Touching on some classics and performing with Doseone on a classic cLOUDDEAD track, Why?’s Yoni delivered the performance we all hoped for in a larger venue than he had played in Philly last.  Union Transfer proved to be a great stage for the California based artist as the videos below will surely attest.  Enjoy:

 

Mayer Hawthorne, Live @ Union Transfer

Tags

concert video, indie music, live music, live philly concerts, Los Angeles, Mayer Hawthorne, Mayer Hawthorne & the County, Mayer Hawthorne and the County, Mayer Hawthorne live, R5 Productions, Spotify link, Stones Throw, Union Transfer

Once Upon a time, Mayer Hawthorne was the DJ for the hip-hop group, Athletic Mic League and was known as DJ Haircut.  Evolving from this professional start, Andrew Mayer Cohen has honed his chops into the current neo-soul format.  Seen, heard and signed by Peanut Butter Wolf of the Stones Throw imprint in 2008, Mayer Hawthorne has developed a full live band format for tours and a few recorded pieces called The County.  Together they delivered a crowd moving multi-dimensional performance.

++ Mayer Hawthorne on Spotify ++

Mayer Hawthorne and The County’s April 18th set at Union Transfer in Philadelphia was indicative of their typically intimate design.  Crooning from a lush retro-stage setup replete with leather study chair, 50’s-esque lounge decor and illuminated MH and heart logos affixed against the stage back, Mayer Hawthorne brought the crowd into his performance.  The County did the same.  The Mayer Hawthorne compliments consisted of bassist, guitarist, electric pianist and drummer.  All dressed to the nines, The County provided a great soundtrack to the vocal and guitar prowess of Hawthorne.

Highlights of the evening were an audience member using an iPad at the stage front and being called out for it (we caught that on video below), crowd photo opps provided by the band, hearing most every song in the MH catalog, and Hawthorne’s red shoes.

We videoed a few songs at the begning of the set and have those for you below.  Enjoy:

Doomtree, Live @ Union Transfer

Tags

cecil otter, concert video, dessa, Doomtree, laserbeak, live music, live philly concerts, Mike Mictlan, Minnesota, P.O.S., Paper Tiger, pos, R5 Productions, Sims, Union Transfer

Doomtree is an amazing hip hop collective out of sunny Minneapolis, Minnesota.  For those of you who don’t know, Minnesota is chocked full of talented musicians and indie labels.  The Doomtree collective is comprised of numerous adroit Emcees, DJs and Producers:  P.O.S (Stefon Alexander), Sims (Andrew Sims), Dessa (Maggie Wander), Mike Mictlan (Mike Marquez), Cecil Otter (Kyle Smith), Paper Tiger (John Samels), and Lazerbeak (Aaron Mader) comprise the current roster.

I could write a book about these guys.  They are that good.  Instead of doing that, I simply present to you a few videos from their February performance at the Union Transfer in Philly and let you judge for yourselves:

F. Stokes, Live @ Union Transfer

Tags

Chicago, concert video, F. Stokes, F. Stokes artist, live music, live philly concerts, R5 Productions, Union Transfer

F. Stokes of Chicago, IL is a Hip-Hop, Spoken Word, and Blues performer whose live performance dwarfs his recorded material we have heard to date.  No disrespect to the material of his which is currently available digitally and physically; it is a testament to F dot’s ability to work a crowd and deliver a believable performance.

Coming on strong at the Union Transfer stage, F dot caught his groove as far as we were concerned about two songs in.  At this point, the show had gotten personal and a hooper named Halo was brought on stage as a set accouterments dazzling the audience with the vibrant light and motion of her hula hoop.  F dot rolled through songs creating little vignettes with each.  First sitting on the edge of the stage when no bar stool could be delivered to him and addressing those in the pit while they we sitting down (a request had been made for us to do so, and the audience naturally obliged).  Going between rhymes and spoken word with a DJ filling in the blanks, F dot joined those of us in the pit and proceeded to deliver all but his last songs from this location.   He worked the crowd like a true pro having us circle around him and having audience members complete song verses while addressing others specifically.  It was an amazing experience to be sure.  First of a kind at the Union Transfer for LPC.

At the end of the evening, we really felt we knew this guy – F. Stokes – a man who wears his heart on his sleeve and is not afraid to be different and be judged for it.  A man who appreciates his audience and has no intentions of putting himself on a pedestal around them.  F. Stokes is a real person, a real performer, and a real musician.  Check out some video from the evening below:

Lushlife, Live @ Union Transfer (2/2012)

Tags

bands to watch, concert video, live music, live philly concerts, Local Philly Band, lushlife, lushlife artist, R5 Productions, Union Transfer, western vinyl

Lushlife brought his up-beat and increasingly honed performance to the Union Transfer stage on February 15th.  With SXSW coming up, an invite to play the Pitchfork party, and a new full-length LP on Western Vinyl set to come out this year on the heels of the mixtape, No More Golden Days, the man is busy.  With all this going on, and so much more, we appreciate Lush’s dedication to performance perpetually on exhibit and the passion behind it.  Lushlife continues to amaze us with his multi-faceted skill set and devotion to his craft.  Never shy about engaging his fans, Lush is poised to capture an even wider audience and do his home city of Philadelphia proud.  Check out the new Lushlife single, Big Sur, below and some of our video from the evening after the iframe.

 

Girls, Live @ Union Transfer

Tags

bands to watch, Christopher Owens, concert video, Girls, Girls Band, live music, live philly concerts, R5 Productions, San Francisco band, Union Transfer

Girls played a stunning set at UT in Philly on January 13th, 2012.

Girls are an Indie Rock band out of San Francisco California.  The band has a core of two: Christopher Owens, who writes & sings, and Chet “JR” White, who plays bass & produces.  Owens came to CA by way of TX and was formerly a member of Holy Shit with Ariel Pink.  Having released their second LP at the end of 2011, and with an EP already under their belts, Girls has built up a sick collection of tracks and they appear to be hitting their stride if never before.  The band has received critical acclaim from the tradition music critics on the back of musical influences such as Queen + Guns ‘N Roses.  But make no mistake, their sound is very different from these.  Trying to describe it is pointless.

Girls

On this evening Girls brought a full production to the stage replete with drummer, keyboardist, backing guitarist,  and 3 lovely soul singers.  The microphone stands and other stage props were adored with flowers bouquets which would be tossed into the crowd following the last song of their encore.  Christopher wore jeans reminiscent of 80’s lady Jordache styling and his top was a beautiful black velvet number with a high mid-drift and over-sized neck-hole.  Belting out tracks and shredding his guitars, there was no doubt who the star here was.  This set in particular left us feeling musically high and we wanted to hear every song the band was willing to give.  Watching the vides from the evening transports us back to that amazing time, each and every time.  Check them out below and definitely get out and see these guys when you can:

King Krule, Live @ Union Transfer

Tags

bands to watch, King Krule, live music, live philly concerts, R5 Productions, Union Transfer, United Kingdom, Zoo Kid

Those in attendance at Union Transfer in Philadelphia on January 12th 2012 got a sneak peak into what will become an increasingly popular name later in the year – King Krule.  Starting out in 2010 as Zoo Kid, King Krule changed his stage name/band name in the middle of 2011 already having had several scene-popular tracks under his belt. Continually building the repertoire, Archy Marshall aka King Krule, has a muddled-melodic and slick vocal sound that glides above bluesy-rock eclectic guitar.  To miss this would have been a tragedy.

Putting on a tight show with backing band, King Krule embedded a sound in our brains that will remain there indefinitely.  The 17 year old took the stage like a veteran and we can only but imagine what it’s like to be across the pond, playing big venues, in a project of your own creation at that age.  Stunning show.  Talent like that should support a long career and we truly hope King Krule doesn’t fall through the cracks.  We are betting he won’t.  Check him out:

Bleeding Rainbow, Live @ Union Transfer

Tags

bands to watch, Bleeding Rainbow, Bleeding Rainbow band, concert video, HoZac, indie music, live music, live philly concerts, Local Philly Band, R5 Productions, Reading Rainbow, Reading Rainbow band, Union Transfer

Edit:  Article has been updated to reflect change in band name.  

Bleeding Rainbow is the Philly band formally known as Reading Rainbow from Fishtown.  The three piece has been making quite a name for themselves with their own brand of indie/punk/beach/garage/psychedelic music – a complex one with loud drums and killer guitar solos like Best Coast with more pronounced electric guitars and one girl & two dudes.

For their first Union Transfer performance on November 17th the band opened up for Los Campesinos! and delivered a solid performance in spite of questionable sound maintenance (also noted by The Swollen Fox in their piece).  We would love to see these guys in a smaller venue to really feed off the vibe, and since they are local we know this will be possible!

With multiple 7″ers out of solid singles adorned with magical artwork in addition to two Long Plays, there is plenty of music of theirs to jam to.

If you wanted to hear about a few local bands to get behind, this is definitely one.  Check out some video from their performance below and be sure to catch them at Johnny Brenda’s November 25th!:

Los Campesinos!, Live @ Union Transfer

Tags

Cardiff, concert video, live music, live philly concerts, Los Campesinos!, Los Campesinos! band, R5 Productions, Union Transfer, Wichita Records

Los Campesinos! from Cardiff, UK rocked the Union Transfer in Philly on November 18th playing to a huge crowd of fans.  An exuberant live performance was displayed performing tracks new and old.  Consisting of Ellen Campesinos!, Gareth Campesinos!, Neil Campesinos!, Tom Campesinos!, Kim Campesinos!, Rob ‘Sparky Deathcap’ Campesinos!, and Jason Campesinos! on this night they also had a guest trumpeter.  Gareth talked to the crowd a fair amount making jokes about the mosh pit and how participants never get laid after the show and about their tour assistant whom he likened to a butler in the nicest verbiage possible.  Besides crowd talk, Gareth delivered the tracks with flair and gusto complementing the diverse sound (definitely not to be classified as twee) coming from the multitude of musicians that comprise the band.  The audience paid it forward singing and clapping along with songs and made a rudimentary go at crowd surfing.  If you like Los Campesinos!, this really was an excellent show.

Los Campesinos! Live @ UT

The band formed back in 2006 in Cardiff, Wales while at University.  Within a few months of forming, they were already touring as the opener for Broken Social Scene.  Since then, the band has released 3 LPs and 2 EPs.  While the word campesino in Spanish translates to “peasant” or “country person,” Los Campesinos! have certainly shed their peasant skin with hugely popular tracks featured in ads and other mass media.

We captured a lot of video from the night so as not to miss anything.  Inevitably, we did miss some but want to leave you with the 9 videos we took.  Enjoy: