This past Saturday, legendary experimental rockers Swans returned to Union Transfer for the first time since 2016. They played one of their famously deafening two-and-a-half hour sets, opening with an hour-long rendition of ‘The Beggar,’ the title track of their 2023 LP. The extremely talented musicians put on an incredible show ..read more

“I always think of the intense smell of the alley behind The Trocadero.  I often think of that when I think of the worst smell I’ve ever smelled,” says Dustin Kensrue, laughing, discussing the many times he was at the legendary Chinatown venue fronting post-hardcore legends Thrice.  However, he admits the shows were always great, in addition to those at another legendary venue just a bit down the street: “We love playing the Electric Factory.  I know it’s called something else now, but it will always be that for us.” Dustin and I are chatting over the phone and discussing [for t ..read more

New York folk rock group Driftwood are currently touring behind their sixth full-length, December Last Call (which dropped last month), while also celebrating their 15-year anniversary as a band, and they’ll be headlining our very own MilkBoy on Friday, May 3rd.  “The rock club vibe, we did that for a long time, so there’s something really comfortable there.  Summer’s coming up, so we’ve got some festivals, but it’ll also be nice to be in a good old-fashioned rock room,” they tell me of the opportunity to headline Center City’s last legit rock barroom during a recent phone chat.  ..read more

“I made this record with the intent of sort of riling people up more.  In the past, whenever I would play my new music for friends, they’d be like, ‘Oh, that’s nice,” or something like that, and for this one I was like, ‘Fuck that!  I wanna incite something in people!’” says Eric Slick of his new album, New Age Rage, which drops this Friday, April 26th.  The album’s release date also marks the third day of his upcoming solo headlining tour, which kicks off tomorrow at The Middle East in Cambridge and will have Slick returning to his hometown this Saturday, April 27th, when he pl ..read more

Earlier this month, emo legends Dashboard Confessional announced a fall tour, which includes a September 15th stop at The Met.  However, the artist on the bill that we’re most excited about is Nashville-based (She’s originally from Wellsboro.) pop-punk powerhouse Taylor Acorn, who will be opening the entire tour.  We would highly recommend familiarizing yourself with her between now and then…  And there’s no better way to do that than coming to see her this Sunday, April 21st, at The Foundry…  Taylor Acorn is currently in the middle of her sold-out, headlining Good Enough T ..read more

This Friday, 4/19, South Street – Philadelphia’s historic hot spot for goths, punks, rockers, weirdos and alternative kids of every variety – will fittingly be hosting the Gothic Summer Tour at Theatre of Living Arts.  Headlining the evening is Australian progressive pop sister duo The Veronicas, whose [sixth full-length] Gothic Summer dropped last month.  But we’re equally excited for alt-rocker Jesse Jo Stark, who’s opening the tour.  Jesse Jo Stark – the daughter of the founders and owners of Chrome Hearts (She’s designed custom items for the brand for Post Malone, Orville Pe ..read more

This Thursday, April 18th, Vermont alt-rock group Sir Chloe will be headlining The Foundry at The Fillmore.  However, we’re just as excited to see Daffo, who is opening Sir Chloe’s current tour and for whom Thursday will be a homecoming show.  Daffo is the project of singer/songwriter Gabi Gamberg, who grew up outside of Philadelphia, before venturing out to Idyllwild Arts Academy in California to get a formal education in songwriting, and then relocating to New York City to attend the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music and establish themselves as a staple of NYC’s DIY scene. Al ..read more

“Every show’s just been amazing…  It’s really fun to connect in a physical manner for the first time after not being able to do that for so long.  We’re never gonna take that for granted again,” says Alex Bleeker, bassist and co-founder of New Jersey indie rockers Real Estate, who have been on their Infinite Jangle Tour since the first of March, following the release of their sixth LP, Daniel, which dropped February 23rd on Domino.  The night prior the band played an extra special album release show at Union Pool featuring a crowd made up entirely of guests with first, middle, o ..read more

Friday night The Foundry at The Fillmore was filled with a number of people who were likely getting ready to partake in the Wrestlemania festivities of the weekend, in addition to a plethora of other [mostly] girls and gays decked out in vinyl, fishnets, and harnesses, who probably weren’t going to Wrestlemania, but would have looked right at home there…  The capacity crowd was gathered for alt-pop vixen Charlotte Sands, who easily could have been the star of Warped Tour or any burgeoning pop star competition show in the mid-aughts.  Sands has made several stops in the City of Brothe ..read more

New York avant-rock legends Swans – who first emerged from the ashes of no wave in the early ‘80s — have made four appearances at Union Transfer since reuniting in 2010 (Their very first gig back after over a decade was at our very own Trocadero Theatre.)  However, the last time we saw the Michael Gira-led experimental rock outfit at the Eraserhood ballroom was all the way back in 2016.  But they will be returning this Friday, April 13th, on the second date of their upcoming US tour, which kicks off the night before in DC and includes already-sold-out dates in Nashville, Los Angeles ..read more