philly

A pair of tickets to the November 1st Kittens Ablaze show at The Fire (4/Girard) are up for grabs courtesy of the people at The MuseBox. After checking out a few videos on YouTube, it seems like Kittens Ablaze is a solid live show complete with the more than occasional cello smashing. Yes, there's a cello in the band and it just might get smashed all over the stage at The Fire. Download the lead track "Gloom Doom Buttercup" here off of their new album. Take a listen to a good chunk of their new album The Monstrous Vanguard on their MySpace.

The Brooklyn sextet has already played at SXSW, NXNE and CMJ this year. Lemme know if you want to check them out on Sunday. Leave a comment below or email me and a winner will be notified via email (so leave a valid email address when you contact me).

I got a chance to head to the North Star Bar and check out Jupiter One courtesy of the people at The MuseBox. I've been trying to get to see some of their clients play in Philly for the past year, but it hasn't been working out schedule wise until now and I'll be heading to more shows very soon. But enough about that, this is about J1 MySpace. It was Game 4 of the 2009 MLB NLDS and the Phillies were playing on LCDs and projection boxes throughout the area. But a nice crowd still showed up to hear this Brooklyn-based Rock / New Wave / Alternative group tear it up. They're currently on tour with Regina Spektor (Kate went to college with her and I missed her by a year), but on break until meeting back up with Spektor on the west coast.

I'm not the biggest fan of pop, but I can dig this group's sound mixed with indie rock flair. They have an energy to them which, live, is infectious. Their sound has enough oomph to make it onto some major commercial interests including the Madden football franchise, FIFA 08 soccer game, NHL 08 hockey game and a Mazda commercial in the last few years.

Most of the group plays more than one instrument with lead singer K Ishibashi on guitar and keyboard throughout with a smattering of fiddle and lead guitarist Zac Colwell, pictured above, on backup vocals, flute and keyboard during this set.

There were some lower energy moments mixed in. I snagged this moody frame during a lull.

Bassist Pat Dougherty kept it cool the whole night until they rolled into a Prince cover and drummer Dave Heilman came over and gave him the business.

The crowd from the bar made their way closer to the stage throughout the set.

By the final songs of the set, there were lots of people dancing to cuts off the new album Sunshowers.

K let out a nice big DLR kick.

Check out their videos on YouTube to get a feel of the energy they bring to the stage. Head on over to iTunes and Amazon to buy some music. Head over to last.fm to make them a part of your daily routine.

I had a great time at the show which ended just as Jimmy Rollins cracked a hit into deep right-center field. I caught the pitch as I walked out of the music room. The North Star Bar crowd went wild. I biked back to Center City warm with good music and happy the Phils pulled it out. A few days later and now they're headed to their second straight World Series.

I'm headed to another group represented by MuseBox on Sunday, November 1st at The Fire (4/Girard). It's Kittens Ablaze, a folk indie rock band out of Brooklyn. I'll have some tickets to give away so let me know if you want to go. Leave a comment on this post (or a following post on the giveaway).

More photos from this show up in this flickr set.

What does fun sound like? It sounds like a 30-piece punk marching band from the city of meat, Chicago. They call themselves Mucca Pazza and they bring the funk.

My friend Jill – the photog/professor extraordinaire – told me about the show an dI was hooked. I've never heard of such a band and I had to go see them.

Off we went on a cold and rainy September night to Johnny Brenda's. We caught the last song or two of the opening band as members of Mucca Pazza started to flow into the bar. One by one they'd trickle in wearing full high school/college band outfits.

In fact, my friend Andi swears that the outfit above is the exact one she wore in Central PA.

The music is, as one could guess, loud. They storm all over the stage, into the crowd and at this location, up into the balcony, throughout the show. Two raucous, hi-energy cheerleaders pom-pommed their way through the melee with ease even picking up a companion out of the crowd to dance with along the way.

They oom-paa-paa through waltzes, thunder though marching beats and romp through klezmer.

The program is theatrical bringing you though highs and lows with a little time here and there for you to catch your breath – but not much. Take a click through some You Tube videos of them on tour through the years for a glimpse of the energy they bring to the street and stage.

More Mucca Pazza photos on flickr.