Archive: January, 2011

TAKE IT TO CHURCH: The Episcopal sanctuary with unorthodox art

POSTED: Wednesday, January 26, 2011, 6:05 PM

Filed Under: Critical Mass

Flickr

Nestled on the corner of 18th and Diamond streets in North Philadelphia is the Church of the Advocate. And while it's outside appearance may be seemingly straight forward, the interior, adorned with highly controversial art, is anything but. The Reverend Paul Washington commissioned these murals to display, document, and blend significant Biblical stories and themes with infamous events and eras in American history — such as slavery and the Civil Rights movement. Like many of us know, most churches maintain the same

form of artwork in its chapels, usually a few stained glass images portraying important religious figures. But the Church of the Advocate, which was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1996, steered clear of convention, and now proudly displays a collection of shocking and unapologetic murals covering a majority of the walls of the building. The highly explicit paintings, created in a span of three years by artists Walter Edmonds and Richard Watson in the mid-1970s, use vivid color and imagery to send the message of injustice and torment across, and create one of the most unique church-going experience you can imagine. Regardless of your denomination, the church's murals bring a very interesting perspective into religion and history, and are definitely worth checking out.

Posted by Emad Khalil @ 6:05 PM Permalink | Post a comment

PREVIEW: Ministry of Secret Jokes returns to Fergie's Pub tonight

POSTED: Wednesday, January 26, 2011, 5:00 PM

Filed Under: Comedy | Critical Mass | Events Stand-up

UPDATE: Due to the snowlocaust, this show's cancelled, according to Ministry of Secret Jokes' Web site. The Ministry of Secret Jokes is back tonight, upstairs at Fergie's Pub (1214 Sansom St.). This esoteric gathering of young Philly comedic minds abounds with positive post-hipster energy and serves up comedy with a hearty side of weirdness and dancing bears. Telling jokes will be Chip Chantry, Luke Cunningham, Carolyn Busa, and Mayo. A free show from 8-10 p.m., come prepared to be entertained by comedians in suits, backyard wrestling, sketch comedy by the side-cleaving Feeko Brothers, and of course the legendary Omniana battle. What's Omniana? It's a structured verbal debate over which of two fictional characters would win in a fight to the death. Sounds important, right? It is! Perhaps most important is the celebrity status upgrade of host Doogie Horner. In addition to his book, Everything Explained Through Flowcharts (Quirk Press), he spent the past summer tearing through NBC's "America's Got Talent," making it to the top 48. Don't let his successful run on an uber-mainstream reality show fool you, though. Doogie's comedy is not filled with typical middle-America, Two and a Half Men-esque premises. He clearly belongs in some literary-minded sideshow, fueled on absurd word play. Says Doogie about the experience, "Performing on the show made a profound impact on my personal outlook. I was able to appeal to a mainstream audience while maintaining my comedy's integrity, and I didn't know I was capable of that."

Posted by Ryan Carey @ 5:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

CURATOR: Geekin' out about science and manic cops

POSTED: Wednesday, January 26, 2011, 3:00 PM

â¤ You all know how I feel about Glenn Beck. In my last post — in lieu of his "Philly sucks" comment — I compared him to a dickish Terminator robot sent to irk me. Well, dear reader, there have been developments. As seen above, via Phawker, John DeBellas of WMGK decided to test Beck's latest inappropriate theory that it's likely you'll get mugged if you walk around Independence Hall between 6 and 7 p.m. Before the clock struck six, he halfway stuffed wads of bills it into every pocket he had, making them visible to any potential deviants. And if that wasn't enough, DeBellas left a pricey-looking camera on the street — and there were no takers. Along the way, he asked tourists if they felt safe, and they all responded with a unanimous "yes."This was all a pretty admirable move by DeBellas, but even if Beck notices he'll surely chalk it up to a liberal media hoax organized by communists sent by Satan. â¤ Hopefully Beck doesn't read The Curator because I'm about to do something else that would probably make him angry: get excited about science. The Philadelphia Science Festival doesn't happen till April, but Geekadelphia is right there to tell us about some of the newly announced events for ... kids, I guess. There are, however, a few eye catchers on the list that adults could find fun, like an astronomy night in a series of locations around the city and a Science Day at Citizen's Bank Park where there will be all sorts of family friendly activities exploring the scientific side of baseball. â¤ Julius Harris, a Philly born actor who died in 2004, is getting some love from Philebrity. Upon further IMDB research of Harris' career, it seems Harris was actually in over 70 movies and probably countless more T.V. shows, including the Bond flick Live and Let Die, where he played the freaky villain Tee Hee. Philebrity put out a call of support ... by asking people to request his movies from Netflix. Now, I can't say I'll be queuing his entire catalog, but Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence seems like a winner. After some research (again, IMDB) it seems Harris doesn't have a huge role, playing a character called Houngan, who's involved in the resurrection of the aforementioned maniac cop, who may be a zombie. I'm not saying it'll be great, but this might be the first and last time you ever get to support local talent by witnessing early '90s occult law enforcement.

Posted by Sean Kearney @ 3:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

DANCE REVIEW: Brian Sanders' Junk @ Arts Bank, 1/22/11

POSTED: Tuesday, January 25, 2011, 6:00 PM

Photos | Mat Tomezsko

There was a risk in seeing Brian Sanders' Junk, an anniversary show celebrating 18 and three-quarters years of dance, which whisked together a little something from each of his 18 completed works: It could have been a slapped-together, greatest-hits performance, which lacked the subtle rhythm that the experimental choreographer has become known for.

But somehow, Sanders averted the NOW trap completely, his selections being alternately bold ("Threshold 2008") and whimsical ("Swingshot 1998"), serious ("Cubes 2010") and hysterical ("Maestro 2000"). Of course, Sanders' work is always more funny than anything else — my belly hurt long after "Prospero's Pitch 1994," which shows a Greek god suddenly transform into a white cap-wearing, passable-as-a-Fishtowner, nude baseball player, who dances ever so sensually. The metaphor is clear: Our athletes, and the way we revere them, is homoerotic. If someone else was doing it, that message might seem obvious. But Sanders' sense of humor makes it permeable and impactful. This comic relief has the same effect on the concept of experimental dance: It wipes away any preconceived notions the audience has about the genre. But, perhaps most amazingly, Sanders' quiet, movement-driven humor is so right it makes me understand something I never thought possible: why silent film could be funny.

Posted by Holly Otterbein @ 6:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH: The out-of-towners' perspective

POSTED: Tuesday, January 25, 2011, 5:00 PM

Filed Under: Critical Mass | Shopping Fashion

Neighborhood Watch looks for Philly's most fashionable. This week: Kala stopped into Green Street Consignment (700 South St., 215.733.9261) to chat with three visitors from Atlanta — Leili Kasraie, Claire Rigsby and "Peanut" Jones — about their personal style and take on Philadelphia fashion.

Refered to by her cohorts as "the most fashionable friend," Kasraie (22, above) says she's a fan of consignment shopping and constructing her own clothes. She knit the chunky blue-green scarf she was sporting and also customized her H&M gloves by cutting the fingers off. She stresses the importance of solid outerwear, and got the heavy, military-style olive jacket she had been wearing outside from Zappos. "In the cold, it's really worth getting a good coat," she says.

Rigsby (22, above) and Jones say that in Philly they've noticed that long puffy jackets and lots of layers are de rigueur. All three girls value layers themselves, and say that long knee socks and boots over jeans are staples of their winter wardrobes. "I like to sort of break up my layers with a bright stripe of a different color," Rigsby says. "I'll have black boots and black leggings, but I'll let grey socks peek out, too." She pointed out that Kasraie did the same with her red socks and white cuffs. Underneath her coat, she wore a plain white cotton shirt with a gray sweater.

Jones (23, above), who purchased a camel-colored fur vest at Greene Street, also favors pops of color, as is evidenced by her bright yellow scarf and orange knit cap. With these cozy accessories, and by layering leggings under her jeans, she knows how to keep both warm and trendy when the temperatures drop. Though some of their clothing and accessories were from Atlanta boutiques, all three say they mostly shop at clothing chains like H&M, Urban Outfitters and Burlington Coat Factory. All in all, the three Georgians agree that Philly shopping treated them well, and that the whole "Who are you wearing?" paparazzi moment made them feel a bit like visiting celebrities. That's what I'm here for ...

LarryHoover

Posted 2011-01-30 20:22:22

Why these girls so stretchy in the second pictures?

Posted by Kala Jamison @ 5:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

OSCAR NOMS: Would CP critics agree?

POSTED: Tuesday, January 25, 2011, 4:00 PM

Filed Under: Movies

Nominees for the 83rd annual Academy Awards — aka the Oscars — were announced this morning. No big surprises, but in case you haven't seen all 10 Best Pictures, check out what our esteemed critics had to say about them. According to their findings, Black Swan and The Social Network rank highest, though competition is steep.

BLACK SWAN >> [ A- ] Although it's set in the world of ballet, Darren Aronofsky's movie hits a pitch that would normally be called operatic. Natalie Portman is provisionally cast in her first lead, but she needs to prove she can dance both white and black swan in Swan Lake. Portman nails the glacial perfection of the first, but it takes bad girl Mila Kunis to get her in touch with her dark side. As Portman's transformation progresses, Aronofsky makes over her body, as well; she decomposes and renews in a manner worthy of a Cronenberg heroine. The trouble is, Portman's role too closely matches her own limitations as an actor. —Sam Adams THE FIGHTER >> [ B+ ] David O. Russell may not seem the most obvious choice to helm another underdog boxing story. But while the true story of "Irish" Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) has all the makings of a Rocky-style "triumph of the human spirit," Russell finds plenty of fodder for his more caustic imaginings in Ward's family. The most monumental obstacles Ward confronts come out of being born into a large Massachusetts clan seemingly intent on undercutting any chance of success in the name of a delusional family honor. Russell at times succumbs to a penchant for cheap caricature, indicative of the film's uneven tone, never deciding between black comedy or hardscrabble drama. —Shaun Brady INCEPTION >> [ B+ ] Christopher Nolan's Inception plunges us down three layers (or more) deep, into the realm of dreams and waking delusions; knowing whose mind — or minds — we're in at a given moment is the tricky part. Dom Cobb (Leonard DiCaprio) infiltrates minds for a living. He uses dreams as a gateway, conducting industrial espionage in the target's subconscious. ... Nolan handles the mechanics of his Russian-doll worlds expertly, and with far more clarity than the jumbled set-tos of The Dark Knight. But it's not clear after a single viewing whether Nolan has taken his own advice and put a single, simple idea at the center of his elaborate labyrinth. A candidate surfaces late in the game, but it feels like an afterthought, and very nearly a cheat. —S.A. THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT >> [ B+ ] If The Kids Are All Right has a fatal flaw, it's that Nic and Jules' marriage is almost too ordinary. Dramatists have been wrestling for centuries with the difficulty of turning the stuff of everyday life into something people will pause their everyday lives to watch. Lisa Cholodenko is so concerned with communicating that Nic and Jules are a married couple like any other — and that their offspring, per the title, will be no more nor less screwed up by their parents' shortcomings — that she doesn't really explain why we've landed on their house and not the next one over. There's truth in her depiction, but not much insight. —S.A. THE KING'S SPEECH >> [ B+ ] As the soon-to-be George VI, Colin Firth is a reluctant royal with a stutter that acts up around his domineering father. It grows bad enough for him to seek help from an offbeat Australian, Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush); Speech boils down to a series of confrontations between patient and therapist. Rush's flamboyance is tempered by Firth's muted sorrow, and his character's gradual opening gives Firth a chance to push past the boundaries of his own interiority. —S.A. 127 HOURS >> [ B+ ] Devout outdoorsman/loner Aron Ralston (James Franco) finds the sticky end of solitude when he's trapped at the bottom of a ravine, his right arm pinned by a boulder. Like a steroidal Into the Wild, the movie follows Aron to the logical end of his lone-wolf lifestyle, leaving him with nothing but his wits and the contents of his backpack. It may take a while to recover from the movie's stomach-turning climax, but that's only because Danny Boyle succeeds so thoroughly in getting under your skin. —S.A. THE SOCIAL NETWORK >> [ A- ] The Social Network watches the growth of Facebook from the inside, but ends up being less about one specific phenomenon than the minor tremors that ripple outward into world-altering quakes. Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) envisions Facebook as replicating "the entire social experience of college" online, and The Social Network posits that the Digital Age has become Revenge of the Nerds, writ large. Zuckerberg's chief nemeses are the Winkelvoss twins (Armie Hammer), tall, athletic, blond "gentlemen of Harvard" with flagpole postures — jocks caught short by the limits of their privilege. The reach of the allegedly egalitarian Internet has simply upended the social order, as easily as ignoring a friend request. —S.B. TOY STORY 3 >> [ B+ ] Essentially extending the loss-of-childhood montage from its predecessor to feature length, Toy Story 3 finds Woody the cowboy (voiced by Tom Hanks), galactic superhero Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) and the rest of the gang abandoned by their once-faithful Andy, who is counting down the few days left before he goes to college. Although Andy means to put them in the attic, preserving the possibility of a fleeting return to childhood, the toys fear being left by the curb, so they dispatch themselves to the nearest day-care center. Here, it's the childish things that put themselves away. —S.A. TRUE GRIT >> [ B+ ] The Coen brothers' True Grit is uncharacteristically restrained, its images softened by the haze of frontier dust. Casting Jeff Bridges as Rooster Cogburn gives the character a slovenly air; when Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) first makes contact with him, it's through the wall of a privy. "The jakes is occupied" is his only response to her offer of cash for the corpse of her father's killer. Vengeance in True Grit is a dirty business — not an eye for an eye, but something more visceral, and inevitably less just. The Coens wrestle with moral issues, but they've rarely done so as nakedly as in True Grit, and it turns out that transparency doesn't suit them. There's beauty to True Grit, but not enough depth. —S.A. WINTER'S BONE >> [ B+ ] "We're all related, ain't we?" asks 17-year-old Ree (Jennifer Lawrence), who, no matter where she goes in her small though far-flung Ozarks community, finds a relative — by blood or by impulse. They cook meth, drink beer and grow old long before their time, while she dreams of enlisting in the military to support her family. When her dad is arrested and then goes missing, she's also in danger of losing their ramshackle house and 300 acres. Debra Granik's movie — winner of the Sundance Grand Jury Prize — makes for a complicated viewing experience, taut and rambling, bleak and hopeful. Even as she solves one mystery, Ree is left with a raft of unanswerable questions. —Cindy Fuchs Check out the full list of nominations, provided by oscars.org, after the jump.

Actor in a Leading Role

Javier Bardem in "Biutiful"
Jeff Bridges in "True Grit"
Jesse Eisenberg in "The Social Network"
Colin Firth in "The King's Speech"
James Franco in "127 Hours"

Actor in a Supporting Role

Christian Bale in "The Fighter"
John Hawkes in "Winter's Bone"
Jeremy Renner in "The Town"
Mark Ruffalo in "The Kids Are All Right"
Geoffrey Rush in "The King's Speech"

Actress in a Leading Role

Annette Bening in "The Kids Are All Right"
Nicole Kidman in "Rabbit Hole"
Jennifer Lawrence in "Winter's Bone"
Natalie Portman in "Black Swan"
Michelle Williams in "Blue Valentine"

Actress in a Supporting Role

Amy Adams in "The Fighter"
Helena Bonham Carter in "The King's Speech"
Melissa Leo in "The Fighter"
Hailee Steinfeld in "True Grit"
Jacki Weaver in "Animal Kingdom"

Animated Feature Film

"How to Train Your Dragon" Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois
"The Illusionist" Sylvain Chomet
"Toy Story 3" Lee Unkrich

Art Direction

"Alice in Wonderland" Production Design: Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Karen O'Hara
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1" Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan
"Inception" Production Design: Guy Hendrix Dyas; Set Decoration: Larry Dias and Doug Mowat
"The King's Speech" Production Design: Eve Stewart; Set Decoration: Judy Farr
"True Grit" Production Design: Jess Gonchor; Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh

Cinematography

"Black Swan" Matthew Libatique
"Inception" Wally Pfister
"The King's Speech" Danny Cohen
"The Social Network" Jeff Cronenweth
"True Grit" Roger Deakins

Costume Design

"Alice in Wonderland" Colleen Atwood
"I Am Love" Antonella Cannarozzi
"The King's Speech" Jenny Beavan
"The Tempest" Sandy Powell
"True Grit" Mary Zophres

Directing

"Black Swan" Darren Aronofsky
"The Fighter" David O. Russell
"The King's Speech" Tom Hooper
"The Social Network" David Fincher
"True Grit" Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

Documentary (Feature)

"Exit through the Gift Shop" Banksy and Jaimie D'Cruz
"Gasland" Josh Fox and Trish Adlesic
"Inside Job" Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
"Restrepo" Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger
"Waste Land" Lucy Walker and Angus Aynsley

Documentary (Short Subject)

"Killing in the Name" Nominees to be determined
"Poster Girl" Nominees to be determined
"Strangers No More" Karen Goodman and Kirk Simon
"Sun Come Up" Jennifer Redfearn and Tim Metzger
"The Warriors of Qiugang" Ruby Yang and Thomas Lennon

Film Editing

"Black Swan" Andrew Weisblum
"The Fighter" Pamela Martin
"The King's Speech" Tariq Anwar
"127 Hours" Jon Harris
"The Social Network" Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter

Foreign Language Film

"Biutiful" Mexico
"Dogtooth" Greece
"In a Better World" Denmark
"Incendies" Canada
"Outside the Law (Hors-la-loi)" Algeria

Makeup

"Barney's Version" Adrien Morot
"The Way Back" Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng
"The Wolfman" Rick Baker and Dave Elsey

Music (Original Score)

"How to Train Your Dragon" John Powell
"Inception" Hans Zimmer
"The King's Speech" Alexandre Desplat
"127 Hours" A.R. Rahman
"The Social Network" Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

Music (Original Song)

"Coming Home" from "Country Strong" Music and Lyric by Tom Douglas, Troy Verges and Hillary Lindsey
"I See the Light" from "Tangled" Music by Alan Menken Lyric by Glenn Slater
"If I Rise" from "127 Hours" Music by A.R. Rahman Lyric by Dido and Rollo Armstrong
"We Belong Together" from "Toy Story 3" Music and Lyric by Randy Newman

Best Picture

"Black Swan" Mike Medavoy, Brian Oliver and Scott Franklin, Producers
"The Fighter" David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman and Mark Wahlberg, Producers
"Inception" Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan, Producers
"The Kids Are All Right" Gary Gilbert, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte and Celine Rattray, Producers
"The King's Speech" Iain Canning, Emile Sherman and Gareth Unwin, Producers
"127 Hours" Christian Colson, Danny Boyle and John Smithson, Producers
"The Social Network" Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca and Ceán Chaffin, Producers
"Toy Story 3" Darla K. Anderson, Producer
"True Grit" Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Producers
"Winter's Bone" Anne Rosellini and Alix Madigan-Yorkin, Producers

Short Film (Animated)

"Day & Night" Teddy Newton
"The Gruffalo" Jakob Schuh and Max Lang
"Let's Pollute" Geefwee Boedoe
"The Lost Thing" Shaun Tan and Andrew Ruhemann
"Madagascar, carnet de voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary)" Bastien Dubois

Short Film (Live Action)

"The Confession" Tanel Toom
"The Crush" Michael Creagh
"God of Love" Luke Matheny
"Na Wewe" Ivan Goldschmidt
"Wish 143" Ian Barnes and Samantha Waite

Sound Editing

"Inception" Richard King
"Toy Story 3" Tom Myers and Michael Silvers
"Tron: Legacy" Gwendolyn Yates Whittle and Addison Teague
"True Grit" Skip Lievsay and Craig Berkey
"Unstoppable" Mark P. Stoeckinger

Sound Mixing

"Inception" Lora Hirschberg, Gary A. Rizzo and Ed Novick
"The King's Speech" Paul Hamblin, Martin Jensen and John Midgley
"Salt" Jeffrey J. Haboush, Greg P. Russell, Scott Millan and William Sarokin
"The Social Network" Ren Klyce, David Parker, Michael Semanick and Mark Weingarten
"True Grit" Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff and Peter F. Kurland

Visual Effects

"Alice in Wonderland" Ken Ralston, David Schaub, Carey Villegas and Sean Phillips
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1" Tim Burke, John Richardson, Christian Manz and Nicolas Aithadi
"Hereafter" Michael Owens, Bryan Grill, Stephan Trojanski and Joe Farrell
"Inception" Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley and Peter Bebb
"Iron Man 2" Janek Sirrs, Ben Snow, Ged Wright and Daniel Sudick

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

"127 Hours" Screenplay by Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy
"The Social Network" Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin
"Toy Story 3" Screenplay by Michael Arndt; Story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich
"True Grit" Written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
"Winter's Bone" Adapted for the screen by Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini

Writing (Original Screenplay)

"Another Year" Written by Mike Leigh
"The Fighter" Screenplay by Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson; Story by Keith Dorrington & Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson
"Inception" Written by Christopher Nolan
"The Kids Are All Right" Written by Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg
"The King's Speech" Screenplay by David Seidler

Posted by Carolyn Huckabay @ 4:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

BOOKISH: Political thrillers and Irish storytellers

POSTED: Tuesday, January 25, 2011, 3:00 PM

Filed Under: Critical Mass Books

Each Monday, Critical Mass puts together an itinerary of book-centric events that'll keep you "lit" all week long.

Tuesday: Brad Meltzer churns out stories at the same fast-paced rate as the twisting plots in his ever-growing archive of political thrillers. In fact, his newest novel The Inner Circle chooses our National Archives as the setting for hardcore history hunting and explorations into long lost presidential secrets. Conspiracies, codes, ancient artifacts â Meltzer will do what he does best in his bestsellers The Book of Fate and The Zero Game. He should be right at home amidst Philly's colonial streets when he stops by the Free Library tonight. Jan. 25, 2011, 7:30 p.m., free, Free Library of Philadelphia, 1901 Vine St. Wednesday: When we pick up a book these days, most of us are trying to flee from the never-ending conversation on the economy. But, if you're feeling up for hearing another perspective on our country's jobless condition, stop by the Penn Bookstore to take in Robert S. Graham's book, Job Killers: The American Dream in Reverse, in which he puts the blame on the unions. Jan. 26, free, UPenn Bookstore, 601 Walnut St. Thursday: Irish novelist Colm Tóibín's new novel, The Empty Family, for many critics, has landed him a spot among short story greats like James Joyce and Flannery O'Connor. Like his previous works including The Master and Brooklyn, Tóibín's new collection deftly explore those age-old themes of loss and love, and how they more often that not come into conflict with the homeland. Tóibín will be at the Free Library to share it all. Jan. 27, 2011 at 7:30 p.m., free, Free Library of Philadelphia, 1901 Vine St. Friday: Switch up your bookish experience and join wacky slam poet Simon Beaubien at FUZE's Open Mic & Poetry Slam. Beaubien apparently has more than just smooth rhymes under her belt: she has competed at the national level in slam poetry and pinball. Jan., 28, 7:30 p.m, $3-5, InFusion Coffee and Tea Gallery, 7133 Germantown Avenue, Mt. Airy. Saturday: Get a taste of two old time American greats: Wharton Esherick and Walt Whitman. Wharton Esherick's hand-lettered and illuminated facsimile edition of Whitman's poem "Song of the Broad Axe" will be released at the University of Pennsylvania's Van Pelt Library. What's more, there will be a reading of the poem by a Whitman look-a-like. Jan. 29, 2 â 4 p.m., free, UPenn Van Pelt Library, 3420 Walnut St. Sunday: Learn about civil rights hero Ernie Goodman â a defense attorney from Detroit who was instrumental in the sit down strikes of the 1930s as well as the anti-war demonstrations and ghetto rebellions of the 1960s-1970s. Authors David Elsila, Steve Babson, and David Riddle will read from their new book, Color of the Law. Jan. 30, 4 P.M., free, Big Blue Marble Books, 551 Carpenter Lane.

Posted by Will Stone @ 3:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

MAN CAVE: Too much TV and foosball

POSTED: Monday, January 24, 2011, 8:00 PM

Filed Under: TV | Man Cave

Man Cave is a testosterone-filled Monday feature that highlights the weekend haps of an everyday, pop culture-loving Philly dude. But is this really what most guys are up to all weekend long? Feel free to enlighten us with your adventures in the comments section.

This weekend was just another example of getting my money's worth out of the small, classroom-sized man cave that my wife agreed to two years ago. I put life-hours on my projector screen lamp and my Logitech surround sound. Lets recap this weekend's WiFi wonderland. Friday: Rounded up some college buddies to plan a bachelor party. We enjoyed an episode of the charming britcom The I.T. Crowd. It's like The Office from an entirely tech (read: nerd) point of view. Before we finished cross-the-pond-LOL's, we payed tribute to the legendary Might Boosh semi-spinoff, Snuff Box. If you think you've explored the dark void of psychedelic comedy to its lowest reaches, you haven't seen anything until you've seen Snuff Box. Only six episodes long, it was too nuanced, textured, irreverent and weird even for the Brits. After that we enjoyed youtube favs like Muppet Bohemian Rhapsody, as well as Kermit the Frog's cover of NIN's "Hurt" via Johnny Cash. Hilarious, creepy, and somewhat NSFW. Blasted some MP3's on the stereo, like the now defunct Lehigh Valley surf-prog power-trio Wavetaster (featuring Dave Johnsen of Project Object). Switched over to vinyl to accompany some trash-talk over the foosball table: Tribe Called Quest, Prince, and Them Crooked Vultures. If that's not the quintessential foosball soundtrack, then I'm never playing foosball ever again. Finished the night falling asleep (er, passing out) to Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Bastards. Saturday: Continued the Quentin movie marathon with Kill Bill I and II on TNT. That pretty much ate up the entire day. At night we had a dinner party with some actual adults. We spun a crowd favorite, Ferris Beuler's Day Off, on DVD, and then enjoyed desert with Batman Dark Knight on TNT. Does it get better than Heath Ledger explaining how he got those scars? R.I.P. Heath, you went out joining Daniel Plainview and Hanibal Lector at the top of the list of most stirring characters ever. Sunday: Watched the NFL conference champion and stuffed a record 15 people into my hallowed hall, with local Philly Yards Brewing on sixtel keg. Good to know the working theater capacity of the Man Cave, although next weekend will probably be more solitude oriented.

Posted by Ryan Carey @ 8:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

THE SHOWDOWN: Soak in the storm

POSTED: Monday, January 24, 2011, 6:00 PM

Filed Under: Music The Showdown

Monday: Two of the more prominent rockers of the '90s, it seems only fitting that Evan Dando and Juliana Hatfield would be touring together. It also makes sense given that Hatfield was once a member of Dando's ever-shifting band of Lemonheads. Though The Lemonheads haven't released any original material since 2006, Hatfield has remained active, releasing Peace & Love just last year. The two are bound to share from their wealth of stories and extensive musical catalogues. w/ Lady Lamb The Beekeeper, 8 p.m., $28 - $38. World Cafe Live, 30th St. & Walnut St., 215-222-1400. Tuesday: Every so often, the North Star hosts an evening dedicated to up-and-coming acts. Starving The Tsunami claim to hail from South Philly, but they're more likely from a far-off planet where it's always 1974. With wails emanating from guitar and vocal cords, the group is currently recording a full-length of their intense, sonically expansive sounds. You can be sure that a lot of the new songs will be previewed here, giving you plenty of time to soak in the storm. w/ Patrick Sullivan and The Knives, The Last Royals & Holcomb Family Band, 8 p.m., $7, North Star Bar, 2639 Poplar St. 215-787-0488. Wednesday: The rough and rowdy Lissie became a quick favorite once her debut, Catching A Tiger, came out last summer. Her powerful vocal performance and blues-rock melodies won the hearts of many, and an unfortunate tour-halting illness last autumn broke those hearts. Thankfully, Lissie has made good on her word to return, finally giving her Philly friends the show they've been waiting months to see. And if you had tickets to the October show, they'll be perfectly good to get into this one. w/ Dylan Leblanc, 8 p.m., $15, First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St., 215-563-3980. Thursday: Primarily the outlet for the gloomy musings of one Mike Sniper, Blank Dogs expand to a trio when they make their concert outings. Jumping from lo-fi label to lo-fi label, Sniper's Blank Dogs have become mainstays of the recent dark wave of bedroom popsters. Having collaborated with members of the Vivian Girls and Crystal Stilts, Sniper's latest effort is in the wrapping-up stage, due out on Captured Tracks sometime this year. w/ The Soft Moon & Far-Out Fangtooth, 8 p.m., $10, M Room, 15 W Girard Ave., 215-739-5577. Friday: A New York musical institution, the Loser's Lounge is making its first trip to Philly with another one of their celebrated tribute nights. Having already (literally) covered everyone from Harry Nilsson to Devo, the Losers will this time be saluting the heppest cats of them all: The Rat Pack. The songs of Sammy, Frank and Dean will be recreated by some of NYC's finest singer-songwriters. The cast frequently rotates, but the songs (and the quality) remain the same. 8 p.m., $24, World Cafe Live, 30th St. & Walnut St., 215-222-1400. Saturday: Burning Bridget Cleary quite appropriately take their name from a crossroads in Irish history. Cleary was the last woman in Ireland to be burned under accusations of witchcraft. Her killers were soon tried as more modern laws came into society. Fronted by dueling fiddlers Rose Baldino and Genevieve Gillespie, BBC give new life to some traditional favorites and pen thoroughly-informed originals. Past and present indeed. 8 p.m., $16, PSALM Salon, 5841 Overbrook Ave., 215-477-7578. Sunday: Someday, archeologists will inspect the ruins of long-buried Philadelphia and stumble across the music of Da Comrade!. Their futuristic minds will subsequently be blown. w/ Dolfish, Skeletonbreath & Cloud Becomes Your Hand, 8 p.m., $5 - $10, Danger Danger Gallery, 5013 Baltimore Ave.

Posted by Eric Schuman @ 6:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

THEATER REVIEW: "Coming: A Rock Musical" @ Prince Theater

POSTED: Monday, January 24, 2011, 5:00 PM

Filed Under: Critical Mass | LGBTQ Theater

In Queer Bait this week Josh Middleton told you about Traverse Arts' newest production, Coming: A Rock Musical of Biblical Proportions. Here's our reporter Bianca Brown's review: Coming: A Rock Musical of Biblical Proportions, opened this weekend in Prince Music Theater's small Black Box theater. It stars the heir of Sodom, glam rock Antichrist Damian Salt — played by script and music writer Erik Ransom. Josh Crenshaw, an innocent young singer who's dying to break out of Bethlehem, PA, wants to spread a message of joy and peace. The two clash when Josh rises to fame on American Icon, only to discover he's the second coming of Jesus. Coming turns Revelations on its head and gives the finger to Christianity while covering social issues like homophobia and the violation of the media (as embodied by the irresistible new anchor, Pestilencia). Oh yeah, it's fucking hilarious, and pretty damn clever. The giant glittery cock, strobe light sword fight and hot dudes dancing (very well I might add) in devilish booty shorts are enough of a draw. Damian Salt's inner turmoil and romance with his antithesis, Josh Crenshaw, are gripping, funny, and tragic. Coming examines the practicality (or lack thereof) of a Judgment Day like one described in the Bible, and you have to ask yourself if you really want to be one of the fortunate few sucked up to heaven. The supporting cast does a great job playing multiple roles, typical for a low-budget production. And from Josh's boozehound mother to the tripped-out open mic hostess, nobody was left behind. The only things this production needs is a multimillion dollar budget and Broadway cast. Oh, and to shorten the title to just Coming, of course.

Posted by Bianca Brown @ 5:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

Q&A with SHARI SOLANIS: "The goal isn't pornography"
SEXY TIME Q&A: I've never had an orgasm during sex with a man — and I'm 30!
NOW SEE THIS: Transit cop arrests marijuana activist for alleged disorderly conduct.
What we're trying to do this weekend
CONCERT REVIEW: Primus (3D & quadraphonic sound) @ The Tower 10/17
Q&A with Tony Goldwyn: "Life is gray, and relationships are, too"
ICEPACK ILLUSTRATED: Indian fare rules, Dunder Mifflin lives on, Tom Jones is a god
ICEPACK ILLUSTRATED: The Archbishop meets the Geator, the Mayor goes suit shopping, Le Bec Fin fin.
Q&A with Goon’s Seann William Scott
Bradley Cooper promises he's not an asshole

About this blog

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.

Follow Critical Mass editors Patrick Rapa and Emily Guendelsberger on Twitter:

@mission2denmark | @emilygee

Search this blog:

Topics:

Blog archives:

May
April
March

February
January

Past Archives: