Archive: November, 2010

THE SHOWDOWN: An old-timey barbaric operation

POSTED: Monday, November 1, 2010, 6:00 PM

Filed Under: Music The Showdown

Monday: If you're gonna put the word "legendary" in your band's name, your music had damn well better earn that epithet. Together since 1980, The Legendary Pink Dots have certainly proven themselves to be just that. Their always ambitious blend of psychedelic and experimental music has kept them off the charts but has assured them a spot in the hearts of fans and fellow musicians. LPD have a new album this year, which brings their total recorded output count up to around one jillion records. They'll have plenty to choose from when it comes to assaulting your ears. w/ David E. Williams, 8 p.m., $20, M Room, 15 W Girard Ave., 215-739-5577. Tuesday: If you've followed Andrew Lipke's career, you know that the fella with the flowing locks and soaring voice is much more than a singer-songwriter. While that tag may fit by strict definition, Lipke has become a local mainstay for anthemic, baroque and sprawling compositions that push all of his instruments (vocals included) to their limits. Seeing him perform alongside some of the city's brightest rising stars is not uncommon, either, as Lipke has also helped organize events to showcase what his friends have to offer. w/ Wissahickon Chicken Shack, Dawn Iulg, David James, Jessica McDowell, Scott Silipigni & Susan Rosetti, 8 p.m., $7, The Fire, 412 W. Girard Ave., 267-671-9298. Wednesday: Take the throaty country-rock of Delta Spirit and mix in some Stones mysticism and you've got the latest direction that Deer Tick has taken. Primarily the outlet of the freakishly talented John McCauley, Deer Tick recently released a collection of outtakes, The Black Dirt Sessions. The album strips away some of the band's bulkier arrangements, leaving McCauley's whiskey-shredded voice on its own to deliver his heart-wrenching songs. Overly dramatic? Possibly, but consider the last time a song moved your soul. Yeah, your soul. w/ Mark "BBQ" Sultan, 8 p.m., $14 - $15, First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St., 215-563-3980. Thursday: Wolf Parade is one of those bands whose reputation precedes it. It's not because they're the biggest band in the world or have sold thousands of records; it's because they know what their fans want to hear. Their third album, Expo 86, came out earlier this year, and it's a solid blend of tunes from the Canadian favorites. Co-leaders Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner's varying styles and influences are not as apparent on the new set, making for an album that sounds like it's all from the same band. Wolf Parade's expansive songs and oddball arrangements are most impressive live, where the tunes can billow and breathe. w/ Ogre You Asshole, 7:30 p.m., $20 - $22, Trocadero, 10th St. & Arch St., 215-922-6888. Friday: Plenty of holidays have plenty of songs, but thanks to Arlo Guthrie, Thanksgiving only needs one. The folk luminary is of course more than just Mr. "Alice's Restaurant," but his iconic tale of civil disobedience and Polaroid pictures remains one of his crowning achievements. Guthrie, a member of one of folk's most prominent musical dynasties, always gets his family members in on his shows, either by featuring them in his band or bringing them on to sing. It's just like a Thanksgiving dinner, except for those heated arguments you have with distant cousins over the practicality of a job in the media. 8 p.m., $29.50 - $46.50, Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave., 215-572-7650. Saturday: Masked weirdos Clinic make a long-awaited return to Philadelphia, with a new batch of creepy and creaky tunes to unsettle you by. Bubblegum, the group's sixth album, is lighter on the mayhem and heavier on the atmospheres, but it's a typically great effort. The sinister Brits might be a little late for Halloween, but their reverb-heavy, eerily distorted sounds are sure to give you any heebie-jeebies your sexy police officer costume skimped on. Also, Clinic may or may not be actual doctors, so if you're not feeling well enough to go to the show, they can probably hook you up with an old-timey barbaric operation. w/ The Fresh And Onlys & Nothing, 9 p.m., $13 - $14, Johnny Brenda's, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 215-739-9684. Sunday: In the not-too-distant past, a band from beyond our solar system inhabited Earth. Now, ten years after their last album's release, Man Or Astro-Man? have returned to orbit, bringing with them the raucous surf sounds of the outer limits. The Alabama combo put on some of the most campy, bizarre performances of their day, and released albums that were catchy, rocking, challenging and all-around awesome. While nothing yet indicates any new recordings being in the works, we Earthlings can only hope that the future of Man Or Astro-Man? is a bright one. w/ Dexter Romweber Duo & Nightmare Waterfall, 7:30 p.m., $15, First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St., 215-563-3980.

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

ARTS: One more push for Knight Arts

POSTED: Monday, November 1, 2010, 5:33 PM

Filed Under: Arts

bumpernuts.com

Someone's making bank off of truck nutz

We've been prodding you all month to sit down and type up the quick, 150-word application for Knight Arts' citywide contest to pour $9 million into the the best project ideas from local creatives. They've been pretty open about their anything-goes acceptance policy, so there's no reason you shouldn't give this a try. You don't have much time to ponder, though. The deadline is tonight at midnight. Once again, here are the rules directly from their site:

1. The idea must be about the arts. 2. The project must take place in or benefit Philadelphia. 3. The grant recipients must find funds to match Knight's commitment.

So come on, hop to it, get that keyboard crackin'. Here's an idea to get your juices flowing: Instead of truck nutz, you could make bike ballz. And every pair that gets sold will benefit some initiative to create more bike lanes around the city. It's good for Philly, it's funny, and I'm sure you could find someone to match the Knight Arts funds. Who wouldn't love a floppy pair of bike balls?

Posted by Josh Middleton @ 5:33 PM Permalink | Post a comment

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ICE CUBE: In Memoriam: Joe Tartaglia
CONCERT REVIEW & PHOTOS: James Blake @ TLA 5/11
What we're trying to do this weekend
SEXY TIME Q&A: I've never had an orgasm during sex with a man — and I'm 30!
Coming soon to Philly: Two cockamamie movie promotion schemes
Q&A with Tony Goldwyn: "Life is gray, and relationships are, too"
CONCERT REVIEW: Primus (3D & quadraphonic sound) @ The Tower 10/17
ICEPACK ILLUSTRATED: The Archbishop meets the Geator, the Mayor goes suit shopping, Le Bec Fin fin.

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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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