== originally made available in June 2020 and used to raise $1000 for Black Lives Matter Philadelphia. Thank you to everyone who donated. ==
“We’ve arrived at the volume plateau of the day” Three Lobed‘s Cory Rayborn said as he introduced the Philly “supergroup” Watery Love, taking the stage at the annual Three Lobed / WXDU Day Show at King’s during Hopscotch Music Festival. Rayborn wasn’t lying–the band came out of the gate with the loud-as-fuck blast of “Ned’s Dreamcatcher” and didn’t let up from there. As we were streaming the show live on Duke University radio station WXDU, the team handling that end of the business had to work overtime to “bleep” vocalist Richie Charles’ (of Richie Records) dirty words back to PG-13. Indeed, this was dirty, cuss-spitting, fire-breathing, bad-ass scuzz rock and it was not to be stopped, by outdoor sunshine or otherwise. But while any group of yahoos can stand up and make noise, what sets Watery Love, and this particular performance, apart is that these guys hang together so well, playing well and turning all of that energy into something deceptively cohesive.
This was a perfect wake-up call on a day with a very wide palette of artists, and regulars Charles and Max Milgram (guitar) had arrived equipped with extra firepower in the form of Purling Hiss‘ Mike Polizze and Ben Leaphart, together with harplist/multi-instrumentalist Mary Lattimore (possibly the day’s MVP, or at least, the person who played with the most different bands) on bass, drums and keys, respectively. Watery Love has been a band since 2008, but their performances, especially outside of Philly, have been sporadic, and their recorded output is equally limited. Seeing them is a treat, and the energy they expect is equal to the moments they inhabit. There were many very, very fine performances on this day, but this might be the only one that had even the people in the back howling with glee like teenagers. Whatever it is these guys have, make sure you try to catch some of it.
I recorded this set with King’s engineer Brad Womack’s house mix, plus an additional soundboard channel, and Schoeps MK4V microphones onstage. The sound quality is excellent. Enjoy!
recorded by Jonas Blank for NYC Taper
Thanks to Jonas & Cory for making this available
supported by 22 fans who also own “Mary's Dreamcatcher (Live at Three Lobed / WXDU Hopscotch Day Show 2016)”
Long-form trance-y rhythmic jams, with a fun shambling edge, sounding like a cross between music from Africa's Sahel region crossed with a Tom Waits instrumental... Jascha Narveson
The UK upstarts' debut veers from sunny, psychedelic folk to bristling post-punk with reckless abandon without ever missing a beat. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 18, 2024
Winter McQuinn mixes soft rock and psychedelic folk for a sound reminiscent of classic pop purveyors like Cut Worms and the Lemon Twigs. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 16, 2024