Chvrches – Franklin Music Hall – Philadelphia, PA – October 19, 2018 – Photo by Aviva Gordon © 2018 Chvrches – Franklin Music Hall – Philadelphia, PA – October 19, 2018 On October 19th, 2018 synth pop rattled the freshly-named Franklin Hall (formerly Electric Factory, and briefly North Seventh) during the sold out Chvrches show. People of all ages and backgrounds slowly but surely gathered together with beaming smiles. When the lights and electro music started blaring, the ro

Phil Collins – Barclays Center – Brooklyn, NY – October 14, 2018 – Photo by Mark Doyle © 2018 Phil Collins – Barclays Center – Brooklyn, NY – October 14, 2018 After a fairly long layoff, Phil Collins proved you can’t hurry retirement. After re-emerging a couple of years ago during the opening night of the US Open in Queens NY and releasing a series of his classic albums complete with side-by-side before and after photos, Mr. Collins decided to take a leap of faith and hit the

Troye Sivan – Tower Theater – Upper Darby, PA – October 6, 2018 – Photo by Maria Gilles © 2018 Troye Sivan & Kim Petras – Tower Theater – Upper Darby, PA – October 6, 2018 This past weekend, Australian singer Troye Sivan brought his “Bloom Tour” to the Tower Theater in Upper Darby. The show didn’t sell out, but the audience was super loud and excited to see Troye and his opening acts, Leland and Kim Petras. Leland opened the show as concert goers were entering the building af

The National – The Mann Center for the Performing Arts – Philadelphia, PA – September 27, 2018 – Photo by Chris Sikich © 2018 The National, Cat Power & Phoebe Bridgers – The Mann Center for the Performing Arts – Philadelphia, PA – September 27, 2018 The National brought their “Sleep Well Beast” tour back to Philadelphia for the third time on September 27 at The Mann. Fall could be felt in the cool night air as the art rockers brought their dazzling lights and mazes of emotion

Music Tastes Good Festival – Marina Green Park – Long Beach, CA – September 30, 2018 – Photo by Stephanie Martinez-Arndt © 2018 James Blake, Janelle Monáe, Lizzo, Parquet Courts, Hollie Cook, Ladama, Ezra Furman, Ethio Cali & B.A.G. (Blimes X Gab) – Music Tastes Good Festival – Marina Green Park – Long Beach, CA – September 30, 2018 Day Two of the Music Tastes Good Festival 2018 was packed with artists of all different genres from R&B and hip hop to jazz and indie rock. In be

Arthur Buck – World Café Live – Philadelphia, PA – September 18, 2018 – Photo by Chris Sikich © 2018 Arthur Buck – World Café Live – Philadelphia, PA – September 18, 2018 The recent Arthur Buck show at World Café Live was exciting on many levels. The Philadelphia live premiere of REM veteran Peter Buck’s newest band, with the wonderful artistry of Joseph Arthur. Buck’s Minus 5 co-hort Scott McCaughey back on the road after a stroke sidelined him last year. And the small stage

Childish Gambino – Wells Fargo Center – Philadelphia, PA – September 18, 2018 – Photo by Isa Barnett © 2018 Childish Gambino – Wells Fargo Center – Philadelphia, PA – September 18, 2018 On September 18th, the audience of one of Childish Gambino’s final shows were struck with a chill. The light beams that implemented simple nature of Gambino’s performance were marvelous. He began his show stating, “You’re not at a concert. This is motherfucking church.” This message stayed tru

5 Seconds of Summer – York Fair – York, PA – September 13, 2018 – Photo by Kaiti Fleeger © 2018 5 Seconds of Summer – York Fair – York, PA – September 13, 2018 There’s something magical in those first few seconds after the lights dim, signaling the band’s arrival on stage. Your ears ring and fill with static as the crowd erupts with elated screams. The set opens with “Babylon,” before Luke, Calum, Ashton, and Michael have even taken their rightful spots on stage. The crowd, p

In Real Life – Theatre of the Living Arts – Philadelphia, PA – September 13, 2018 – Photo by Hannah Rose Pittel © 2018 In Real Life – Theatre of the Living Arts – Philadelphia, PA – September 13, 2018 In Real Life (also known as IRL) are an American boy band that had their start on the hit TV show Boy Band . Composed of Brady Tutton, Chance Perez, Drew Ramos, Sergio Calderon, and Michael Conor, the final five vocalists are natural performers and recently brought their talents

Smokey Robinson – Mann Center for the Performing Arts – Philadelphia, PA – August 25, 2018 – Photo by Chris Sikich © 2018 Smokey Robinson – Mann Center for the Performing Arts – Philadelphia, PA – August 25, 2018 Smokey Robinson brought the comfort of Motown classics to The Mann in late August. With a smooth voice and a charismatic demeanor to excite a crowd young and old, it was quite a spectacle to witness. Immortal works like “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me” and “My Girl”

George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic – The Ardmore Music Hall – Ardmore, PA – August 1, 2018 – Photo by Chris Sikich © 2018 George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic & Remember Jones – The Ardmore Music Hall – Ardmore, PA – August 1, 2018 August began with a monster musical experience: George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic. Playing on what Clinton says is his last tour, it was a joyous, raucous and funktastic live set that rocked Ardmore Music Hall to its core. Clinton

Radiohead – Wells Fargo Center – Philadelphia, PA – July 31, 2018 – Photo by Chris Sikich © 2018 Radiohead & Junun – Wells Fargo Center – Philadelphia, PA – July 31, 2018 Opening with barely any light illuminating Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood and the rest of the world dominating rock force known as Radiohead, “Daydreaming” unspooled before a ravenous crowd. From 2017’s masterful A Moon Shaped Pool , Philadelphia started a journey of awe-inspiring live music. On the first of a

Speedy Ortiz – PhilaMOCA – Philadelphia, PA – July 18, 2018 – Photo by Chris Sikich © 2018 Speedy Ortiz, Two Inch Astronaut & Old Maybe – PhilaMOCA – Philadelphia, PA – July 18, 2018 Speedy Ortiz are masters at turning out earworm rhythms etched out by crunchy guitars. Last Wednesday the Sadie Dupuis-led quartet set PhilaMOCA on fire. They blasted out works from their 2018 LP Twerp Verse as well as fan-selected cuts from the past. Opening with the first three tracks from T

Imagine Dragons – 104.5 Birthday Celebration (Day 2) – BB&T Pavilion – Camden, NJ – June 30, 2018 – Photo by Chris Sikich © 2018 104.5 Birthday Celebration (Day 2) – BB&T Pavilion – Camden, NJ – June 30, 2018 This past Saturday was the second of two Radio 104.5 11th Birthday Celebration concerts at BB&T Pavilion. Featuring 11 artists, the rock and roll of the day overcame the scorching temperatures. The following are my favorite moments of the day. *Imagine Dragons blasted th

Pylon Reenactment Society – Randy Now’s Man Cave – Bordentown, NJ – June 28, 2018 – Photo by Chris Sikich © 2018 Pylon Reenactment Society – Randy Now’s Man Cave – Bordentown, NJ – June 28, 2018 There is music that when heard in any context can be transformative. It flows through the body and soul with a fluidity and electricity that transcends all other feelings. Pylon is a band that has triggered these sensations in me and many others. The Athens, Georgia band is more obscu

Matthew Sweet – World Café Live – Philadelphia, PA – June 21, 2018 – Photo by Chris Sikich © 2018 Matthew Sweet & The Parsnip Revolt – World Café Live – Philadelphia, PA – June 21, 2018 Seminal indie rocker Matthew Sweet put on a solid show at World Café Live on June 21. Playing behind his 2018 release Tomorrow’s Daughter , he brought out the hits and new works. Classic works like “Girlfriend” and “Sick of Myself” played well next to new material like “I Belong to You.” His

30 Seconds to Mars – 104.5 Birthday Celebration (Day 1) – BB&T Pavilion – Camden, NJ – June 17, 2018 – Photo by Chris Sikich © 2018 104.5 Birthday Celebration (Day 1) – BB&T Pavilion – Camden, NJ – June 17, 2018 This past Sunday was the first of two Radio 104.5 11th Birthday Celebration concerts at BB&T Pavilion. Featuring 11 artists, it was a wide-ranging look at indie rock circa 2018. The following are my favorite moments of the day. *Headliner Thirty Seconds to Mars brough

Hayley Kiyoko – TLA – Philadelphia, PA – June 14, 2018 – Photo by Tyler Michael DiValerio © 2018 Hayley Kiyoko – TLA – Philadelphia, PA – June 14, 2018 After an hour of anxiously awaiting her arrival, Hayley Kiyoko didn’t disappoint when she walked on stage, rocking her black polo crop top, blue velvet jumpsuit, and yellow Nike air sneakers. She immediately set the tone by running on stage, screaming and welcoming her fans, which she tended to do a lot throughout the concert.

U2 – Wells Fargo Center – Philadelphia, PA – June 13, 2018 – Photo by Chris Sikich © 2018 U2 – Wells Fargo Center – Philadelphia, PA –...

Skating Polly – Kung Fu Necktie – Philadelphia, PA – June 9, 2018 – Photo by Chris Sikich © 2018 Skating Polly, Potty Mouth & Control Top – Kung Fu Necktie – Philadelphia, PA – June 9, 2018 A super triple bill took Kung Fu Necktie by storm on Saturday. Led by the youthful rock energies of Skating Polly with a raucous Potty Mouth and Philly’s own punkers Control Top, it was a beautiful June night of rip-roaring sounds. With their newest album The Make It All Show out on wax,