Former Clockcleaner and Puerto Rico Flowers frontman, John Sharkey III, came up with the concept for his latest album, Pure Reality, when he was working the graveyard shift as nightwatchman at a university in Canberra, Australia while his wife was giving birth to their daughter. When faced with the “pure reality” that Australia was a temporary move, they headed back to Philadelphia, and realized the significant differences bewteen down under and Kensington. Upon settling in, he linked up with former Puerto Rico Flowers bandmates Andrew Mackie Nelson and Mike Sneeringer (who have also collaborated with the likes of Ceremony, Paint It Black, The Loved Ones, Strand of Oaks, and Purling Hiss) to form Dark Blue and work on their debut album, which was recorded by Jeff Ziegler and will be available via Jade Tree starting October 7. Dark Blue will be having an early celebration for its arrival this evening at Boot & Saddle, where they’ll be joined by Melbourne, Australia’s Dick Diver. Rounding out the lineup will be the dark and enchanting synth-driven musings of Shari Vari’s Void Vision, whose upcoming full-length Sub Rosa will be coming out mid-fall. Boot & Saddle, 1131 S. Broad St., 8pm, $10, 21+ – Bill McThrill
