popwreckoning

Punk Rock Payroll artists The Extraordinaires (pictured) and Dangerous Ponies will share the stage with vaudeville-inspired Brooklyn band The Lisps on Wednesday, March 3 at Johnny Brenda’s.

The Extraordinaires, Dangerous Ponies, The Lisps
Johnny Brenda’s
1201 N. Frankford Ave., Phila PA
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
doors @ 8PM | 21+ | $10
Advance tickets for the show are on sale now.

You can also catch The Extraordinaires at this year’s SXSW in Austin, TX.

The Extraordinaires: website | myspace | Battle of the Vans EP review | @ johnny brenda’s | @ kung fu necktie
Dangerous Ponies: blog | myspace
Punk Rock Payroll: website | myspace

Fall in Philly is a beautiful thing—especially when the soundtrack to the season is one that includes M. Ward, Mike Mogis, Jim James, Conor Oberst AND Bob Dylan. The city has seen itself nearly taken over by both contemporary and classic folk musicians this November—first with Dylan’s performance at the Liacouras Center and then Monsters of Folk festival at the Academy of Music (on the same night, no less.)

To wrap up this folk-themed month, Popwreckoning’s Jess McGinley and her roommate (yours truly) braved the rain-slicked streets of Fishtown Thursday night to see recent MP3 Minute feature and local folk hero Langhorne Slim perform a sold out show at Johnny Brenda’s.

And when I say local, I do mean local: a mere 24 miles up I-95 North lies the little town of Langhorne—a Philadelphia suburb Sean Scolnick (better known as Langhorne Slim) and I both call home [Ed note: proof below]. Slim sums it up perfectly in his song “Hello Sunshine”–“There’s a place I know in Pennsylvania / If you never want to go, well darling I can’t blame ya.” Poignant lyrics, when you consider we’re best known for a Sesame Street inspired water park and the planet’s largest auto dealership.

Langhorne the musician, though, offers much more than our hometown. Perched precariously on a packed balcony above the stage, I watched Slim and company perform in support of their new album Be Set Free.

Sort of like Tom Waits without five decades worth of cigarette smoke, Slim successfully crooned and yelped along with his band for a full two hours. For me it mostly felt like a drunk sing-along with some townies at the Langhorne Hotel bar (better known as the black and white building in the beginning of the music video for “Restless”).

Although his backwoods brand of blues/folk seemed like inauthentic posturing at times, (C’mon man-you’re from Bucks County) there were genuinely beautiful, touching moments throughout the set (“Restless,” “Worries”) and songs that left me teetering back and forth on my bar stool. It was nearly as good as the Dylan concert—if only he’d broken out the harmonica.

Langhorne Slim: website | myspace | @ acl 2008 | interview with

Words: Jennifer Robnett
Photos: Jessica McGinley

Contemporary Philadelphia folk hero Langhorne Slim has recently released his new album Be Set Free and has hit the road to bring his new music to the masses. Below you can check out his first single “I Love You But Goodbye.” It opens with an airy piano melody by keyboardist David Moore before Langhorne begins his melancholy tale of love lost, singing, “Why did you come if you can’t stay forever?” He continues his defeated words against a dynamic soundscape before ending the song a hopeful note, “I wanna thank you honey, / For all that you’ve given. / I wanna thank you for being my friend.”

Langhorne Slim – “I Love You But Goodbye”

CD Release Tour Dates:
Nov 17 – Rock N Roll Hotel / Washington DC
Nov 19 – Johnny Brenda’s / Philadelphia
Nov 20 – Chameleon Club / Lancaster, PA
Nov 21 – Le Poisson Rouge / New York City
Nov 22 – Culture Center Theater / Charleston, WV

Langhorne Slim: website | myspace | @ acl 2008 | interview with

Photos: Doug Seymour

Johnny Brenda’s in the Fishtown section of Philadelphia has gained a legendary reputation for hosting great live music and on October 22nd, 2009 the second floor of the venue delivered all that and more. Drug Rug, a lo-fi indie folk band from Cambridge, Massachusetts opened the show. Upon entering the stage, they were greeted with a respectful applause but it seemed obvious most people were not familiar with this band. During their set, the musicians showcased their talents by trading off instruments and proceeding to play some spectacular indie rock tunes. By the end of their set, they had won over the audience and proved to be worthy openers for the incredible performance that was to follow.

Portugal. The Man headlined the show in front of a sold out crowd of eager twentysomethings. While most shows these days seem to consist of more waiting than watching, Portugal. The Man were up on stage and playing without much delay, keeping the audience fresh and lively and ready for another intensely satisfying set. Front man, John Baldwin Gourley, entertained the sea of onlookers with his enthusiasm and relentless energy for almost an hour. They played a variety of songs in their set since their music has shifted over the years from progressive pop/rock to the epitome of an indie rock band. While they seemed to be widely categorized in this genre, they are far from your average band. These guys played with a laid back attitude but an intense vibe. Most of the songs played were in support of the latest record, The Satanic Satanist. However, the primary hits from previous albums were also covered like the crowd favorite “Church Mouth.” At one point Portugal. The Man covered David Bowie’s “Moonage Daydream” followed by a well-greeted MGMT song.

The flashing lights and smoke on stage were a perfect blend to the band’s somewhat abstract and experimental sound. A constantly changing light show highlighted the bands enjoyable movements on stage while racking up points for the hip venue. Johnny Brenda’s was a perfect match for this lively band and equally fun crowd. In addition to the music, Gourley deserves some serious recognition for the mustache and long mane he was sporting. I’m betting this native Alaskan definitely had that style going long before it was hip.

After the set had finished, encore chants began and as sure as the day follows the night Portugal. The Man was back on stage for two more songs. It was an awesome night with some awesome tunes, and those of you that missed out on the sold out show, well, you better buy your tickets in advance next time this quartet comes around.

Set List:
And I
People Say
AKA M80 The Wolf
The Sun
Work All Day
Church Mouth
Do You
Everyone is Golden
Moonage Daydream- MGMT
Mornings
New Orleans
The Woods
My Mind

Portugal. The Man: website | myspace | Censored Colors review | @ bonnaroo 2009

Words: Steve Bistline and Victoria May
Photos: Victoria May

Choo Choo La Rouge, partly based in Philadelphia, is releasing their new record, Black Clouds, on August 18th and will be playing at Johnny Brenda’s the same night as a record release party along with Amy Ray of Indigo Girls fame. On Black Clouds, Choo Choo La Rouge has a good laugh at some of the unfortunate things happening in the world (economic woes, love being a commodity, sex as advertising, etc) and set it to ten catchy numbers.

We’ve got “It’s Gonna Happen Fast” for you, a fun and poppy little tune that is conducive to playing on repeat — as I have been all day. The song is a lighthearted look at life: “There’s no great message. / People say all kind of things. / You might even hear the wrong words. / It’s gonna happen fast / and I can’t teach you how to weed it out. / I’m just a song and dance man.” It’s just a fun little song to perk you up on a Monday.

Choo Choo La Rouge – “It’s Gonna Happen Fast”

Don’t miss Choo Choo La Rouge’s release party at Johnny Brenda’s on August 18th!

Choo Choo La Rouge: website | myspace