THE SHOWDOWN: The good kind of funk

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THE SHOWDOWN: The good kind of funk

POSTED: Monday, December 27, 2010, 6:00 PM

Filed Under: Music The Showdown

(If I were you, I'd call ahead to make sure these shows haven't been postponed due to the snow!) Monday: Now in their second decade of party-starting, Richmond's Strike Anywhere holds a special place in the modern punk universe. More than just a group to bounce off the walls to, Strike Anywhere's biting and socially-conscious lyrics have lately taken a turn to the more personal, but their strong musical convictions remain. If you're into taping shows, then good news: the band encourages the recording and sharing of their concerts amongst fans. So bring some tapes and make some friends. w/ Daytrader & One Win Choice, 6:30 p.m., $10 - $12, The Barbary, 951 N. Frankford Ave., 215-634-7400. Tuesday: Conceived as the solo outlet for local whiz Stephen Quaranta, Paper Masques has blossomed into an open arrangement of friends and collaborators. Though Paper Masques has been roped into the studio before (on 2009's thrilling Tell the Ghosts it's Suppertime), the shifting nature of its lineup contributes an ever-dynamic quality. Quaranta will be taking his muse back into the studio early next year to create a followup, so now would be the time to see all the sketches in action. w/ Homesick Elephant & Attic Dancers, 9 p.m., $10, Johnny Brenda's, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 215-739-9684. Wednesday: This trifecta of Philadelphia favorites culminates with Andrew Lipke, one of the busiest guys in the city. Andrew has recently been splitting his touring time between Get The Led Out and the band he leads, The Prospects. The latter group is the one you'll see tonight, performing music from Andrew's two albums (and maybe, just maybe, some new material). If you have yet to witness Lipke's captivating performance and tremendous artistic capabilities in person, now would be the time to amend that. w/ Hezekiah Jones & Chris Kasper, 8 p.m., $9.50 - $29.50, Sellersville Theater, 24 West Temple Ave., 215-257-5808. Thursday: A recurring trend in music worldwide is a return to the dusty bins of soul, R&B and funk records. Combining those influences with the energy of garage-rock, Vital Stats bring the soul back home. A little rough around the edges, Vital Stats play their music like you'd imagine it was played before the label execs got their grubby hands all over it. Instead, the band lets their own grit give the songs a raw, heartfelt passion. w/ Otis Heat, Macadocius & Chris Arena, 8 p.m., $8, M Room, 15 W Girard Ave., 215-739-5577. Friday: There are plenty of ways to ring in the New Year. In the event that you don't already have plans (a perfectly respectable predicament, by the way), might I suggest catching an always joyous set from Dangerous Ponies? The septet is a bundle of fun. They recently released their debut full-length on Punk Rock Payroll, and are on a mission to bring a smile to the face of everyone they meet. That mission will be accomplished plenty times over as their performance welcomes in 2011 with carnivalesque fervor. w/ Bandname & Banned Books, 9 p.m., $5, Kung Fu Necktie, 1250 N. Front St., 215-291-4919. Saturday: Geez, last night was a doozy, wasn't it? Don't really feel like rolling out of bed until 1? 2? Not a problem. The free festivities at the Kimmel Center are happening all day long. The day of family-friendly fun is capped off with an hour-long performance from The Hot Club Of Philadelphia, our own salute to the '30s gypsy jazz of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli. Their lively acoustic music is enough to rouse you out of any self-imposed stupor, and will start your year off on the right toe-tapping foot. 3:30 p.m., free, Kimmel Center, 260 S. Broad St., 215-893-1999. Sunday: What better way to get the most out of your holiday weekend than by attending Boy Wonder's massive "Recovery Day" jam? Less a concert than a showcase of old friends and new, this year's bill boasts a healthy mix of rock, hip-hop, and singer-songwriter acts from around the country (with plenty of local bands, of course). There's enough fun packed into this lineup to snap you out of any lingering 2010 funk and replace it with brand new, 2011 funk. The good kind of funk, that is. w/ Wyldlyfe, Flux Capacitor, Samantha Gongol, Granville Automatic, Box Five, Rebecca Way & Mike Mitchell, 5 p.m., $13, World Cafe Live, 30th St. & Walnut St., 215-222-1400.

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Featuring everything from event roundups to concert reviews and sex talk, City Paper's Critical Mass is a space for off-the-wall coverage of Philly's A&E scene.

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