Archive: February, 2011

MAN CAVE: Top five moments from Super Bowl XLV

POSTED: Monday, February 7, 2011, 4:00 PM

Filed Under: Critical Mass | Man Cave

stadiumsofprofootball.com

5. Christina Aguilera Star Spangled Banner Flub: Her statement about the glitch: "I can only hope that everyone could feel my love for this country and the true spirit of its anthem came through." Hard not to feel the spirit when you're going out of your way to belt seven notes per octave but not bothering to rehearse the lines on the limo-ride in. Next year Celine Dion will come off just as patriotic when she accidentally wails "Oh, Ca-na-da..."

Fox

4. Eminem Finally Goes Commercial: Eminem succumbed to super-ad cash from both Chrystler and PepsiCo (via Brisk Iced Tea). The Chrystler spot was an old-fashioned car-commercial mini-drama about the heart and soul of our motor city, Detroit, featuring Mathers' famous Lose Yourself. The Brisk spot was a claymation goof about his policy on commercials. (Eminem's pitching iced tea? What's Next, Ice T pitching M&M's? Zing!) 3. Slash Materializes as the Fifth Black Eyed Pea: Rising dramatically out of a fog-machined trap-door like a weird consumer-culture phoenix, Slash interrupted a black-eyed-medley with his most famous guitar riff (Sweet Child Of Mine) while the Tron-clad Fergie rode his melt and rocked the vocals. After a short guitar solo, they all rocked out to Dick Dale's Miserloo (think Pulp Fiction theme-song) and promptly "got it started in there."

Fox

2. Roethlisburger's Impcomplete Pass Ends Steelers Season: This is my first year as a Big Ben hater — between not being keen on sexual assault, and almost equally unkeen on omnipresent playoff teams winning the Super Bowl every three years like clockwork — I felt no small portion of mirth as his final pass of the season hit the dirt and the Packers won. 1. Audi Luxury Prison Escape: In the era of white-collar crime, Audi told us to escape old-school luxury cars with a comedy sketch about a five-star prison breakout. Don't be suprised if "Hit 'em with the Kenny G!" becomes a 2011 catchphrase.

Posted by Ryan Carey @ 4:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

SHORE TRASH: Ronnie takes a trip to the ER

POSTED: Friday, February 4, 2011, 9:00 PM

mtv.com

Oh ... gross

Any worries that there would be little to tune in for now that the roommates have signed a tentative peace treaty the week before diminished after the first segment of Jersey Shore last night. The episode, in a nutshell, opened with Snooki drunkenly passing out in the pen where JWOWW's dogs call home, Ronnie throwing up in a shopping bag with a nauseas Sammi by his side, and Mike trying to get into a situation with the girl he brought home about four feet away. The next day didn't bode so well for Ronnie.

mtv.com

"Why is Ronnie bleeding out of his ass?" Sammi questioned. They went to the doctor to find out, and after Ronnie was felt up with a man with a rubber glove, Sammi's question wasn't really answered. I guess, from drinking too much? At impulse, I felt the same fear I experienced after Snooki got arrested and said she would no longer be drinking, when Ronnie said he was going to calm down on the alcohol. I paused and collected myself, and remembered that half the fun is watching them fall off the wagon. Later that night, the roommates went out, and Snooki met a guy whose name I can't recall, and it's safe to say neither did she. Forgetting her Irish gentleman caller from last week, Snooki liked this new guy so much that she decided to practically eat his face on the dance floor. Deciding he was worthy of a trip to the guest room in the house, she brought him home, but unfortunately had to abort the situation because of her period. Lucky for Deena, she didn't have the same problem. Deena, who proves herself fond of the occasional alliteration (Dean, better known as the Ronnie look-a-like, anyone?) goes after Dario, Ronnie's friend from home. Deena brought Dario back to the house and claimed she only planned on snuggling. "It's not Halloween," she argued. "I don't hand out candy for free." Halloween evidently rolled around later that night as Deena, dressed as a Hot Mess, showered Dario with Snickers and gummy bears. The next morning, Dario left, leaving Deena with only the memory and the scent of Axe and hair gel left on her sheets. As her tryst came to a close, Snooki's whirlwind romance began. She spent the day with her new gorilla, so enamored in him that she didn't even bother to change out of the leopard dress she wore the night before. They spent the afternoon together worthy of a Nora Roberts novel, complete with Snooki tricking her new beau into swinging on the stripper pole that collapsed under his weight (point for Snooki). When the two ventured outside, they mauled each other in public and Snooki made some startling discoveries. The first was innocent enough, as she realized that her new guido had a tongue ring. How had she missed that the night before? The second was the deal breaker. He was sorta, kinda, engaged. Or at least was. The relationship nearly lasted as long as Snooki's hangover, as she ditched him.

mtv.com

I was waiting all episode for it, but I knew the catalyst to another looming Ronnie and Sammi fight was approaching when Ronnie asked Sammi to clean out the fridge. Nothing good ever comes of the boys asking the girls to lift an acrylic fingernail in the kitchen. Of course, she didn't do it, although she had a good excuse. She went on a girl outing to the local sex shop so that JWOWW could dress up as a leather wearing dominatrix and Snooki could dress up as Babe Ruth. "I look like a hot drunk baseball player right now and I'm loving it," she said of her red and white uniform, complete with knee highs and obligatory cap that read 'HUSTLER.' She didn't so much look like an intoxicated baseball player, mostly just herself in a uniform, considering she was probably still drunk from the night before. When the boys came home with supplements for dinner, they were outraged to be welcomed by a dirty kitchen, although you know they had to have been expecting it. Ronnie took on the task he had asked of Sammi, being sure to bitch the entire time, "What don't I do for Sam besides wipe her ass and breathe for her?" He reamed on her when she and the girls returned home, resulting in one of the most awkward dinner of penne alla vodka I'd ever seen. Tension continued to mount between the two as the roommates carried on. Mike slept in the next morning as JWOWW and Snooki headed to work at the T-shirt shop two hours late. "I just don't like work because I don't like working," she reasoned. Can't argue with that. When they returned home, the episode continued as most do, with the obligatory Ronnie and Sammi fight. As the yelling and groaning of Ronnie and sound of kittens dying that is Sammi's unpleasant voice reverberates through the house, the group collectively rolls their eyes. Vinny, who has either been fed one-liners into an ear piece lately or has just been that clever, assesses, "Hell has to be just like this."

mtv.com

Undeterred, the boys announced T-Shirt time, and hit the club with Deena. Pauly was met with his stalker, Danielle, from season one, who followed him on the boardwalk, even gifting him with a homemade 'I Heart Jewish Girls" t-shirt. Complete with the star of David, which, she had boasted, she made herself. Making peace with the girl that had thrown a drink in his face just days prior, Pauly invited her back to the house, where the guys mercilessly teased and taunted her until she left. While World War III continued to play out upstairs, as Sammi forced Ronnie to talk to her as he was trying to sleep. He groaned into his pillow, told her that they were done, and tried to get back into his REM cycle. Still, she continued to poke the steroid induced bear with a stick, and pleaded that he look her in the face if he was going to break up with her, which he did about four times, resulting in Sammi once again asking for closure and crying. I am not a supporter of any type of domestic violence, but I was so rooting for Ronnie to Snooki-punch Sammi in the face. And I'm pretty sure no one else would have blamed him if he had. HIGH Snooki's educated assessment of the Atlantic Ocean: "I hate the ocean, it's all whale sperm. That's why the water is salty." LOW The Situation attempting to lift up the front of a girl's skirt, as she danced on the platform above him, only to have his hand slapped away. Grimey.

Posted by Diana Palmieri @ 9:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

SHORE TRASH: Ronnie takes a trip to the ER

POSTED: Friday, February 4, 2011, 8:00 PM

Filed Under: Critical Mass Shore Trash

mtv.com

Barf ...

If you were worried there'd be no reason to tune in to Jersey Shore now that the roommates have signed a tentative peace treaty, those fears should've been diminished after the first segment last night. The episode, in a nutshell, opened with Snooki drunkenly passing out in JWOWW's dog pen, Ronnie throwing up in a shopping bag with a nauseated Sammi by his side, and Mike trying to get into a situation with the girl he brought home. The next day didn't bode so well for Ronnie ... "Why is Ronnie bleeding out of his ass?" Sammi questioned. They went to the doctor to find out, and after Ronnie was felt up by a man with a rubber glove, Sammi's question wasn't really answered. Maybe it was from drinking too much? At impulse, I felt the same panic I experienced when Snooki professed sobriety, when Ronnie said he was going to calm down on the alcohol. I paused and collected myself, and remembered that half the fun is watching them fall off the wagon.

mtv.com

Later that night, the roommates went out. Snooki met a guy whose name I can't recall, and it's safe to say neither did she. Forgetting her Irish gentleman caller from last week, Snooki liked this new guy so much that she decided to practically eat his face on the dance floor. Deciding he was worthy of a trip to the guest room in the house, she brought him home, but unfortunately had to abort the situation because of her period. Lucky for Deena, she didn't have the same problem. She, who proves herself fond of the occasional alliteration (Dean, better known as the Ronnie look-a-like, anyone?) goes after Dario, Ronnie's friend from home. Deena brought Dario back to the house and claimed she only planned on snuggling. "It's not Halloween," she argued. "I don't hand out candy for free." Halloween evidently rolled around later that night as Deena, dressed as a Hot Mess, showered Dario with Snickers and gummy bears. The next morning, Dario left, leaving Deena with only the memory and the scent of Axe and hair gel left on her sheets. As her tryst came to a close, Snooki's whirlwind romance began. She spent the day with her new gorilla, so enamored by him that she didn't even bother changing out of the leopard dress she wore the night before. They spent an afternoon together worthy of a Nora Roberts novel, complete with Snooki tricking her new beau into swinging on the stripper pole that collapsed under his weight (point for Snooki). When the two ventured outside, they mauled each other in public, at which point Snooki made some startling discoveries. The first was innocent enough — she realized her new guido had a tongue ring. How had she missed that the night before? The second was the deal breaker. He was sorta, kinda, engaged. Or at least was enganged. The relationship nearly lasted as long as Snooki's hangover.

mtv.com

I was waiting all episode for it, but I knew the catalyst to another looming Ronnie and Sammi fight was approaching when Ronnie asked Sammi to clean out the fridge. Nothing good ever comes of the boys asking the girls to lift an acrylic fingernail in the kitchen. Of course, she didn't do it, although she had a good excuse. She went on a girl outing to the local sex shop so that JWOWW could dress up as a leather wearing dominatrix and Snooki could dress up as Babe Ruth. "I look like a hot drunk baseball player right now and I'm loving it," she said of her red and white uniform, complete with knee highs and obligatory cap that read 'HUSTLER.' She didn't so much look like an intoxicated baseball player, mostly just herself in a uniform, considering she was probably still drunk from the night before. When the boys came home with supplements for dinner, they were outraged to be welcomed by a dirty kitchen, although you know they were expecting it. Ronnie started to clean, but he was bitching the whole time. "What don't I do for Sam besides wipe her ass and breathe for her?" He reamed on her when she and the girls returned home, resulting in one of the most awkward dinners of penne alla vodka I'd ever seen. Tension continued to mount between the two as the roommates carried on. Mike slept in the next morning as JWOWW and Snooki headed to work at the T-shirt shop two hours late. "I just don't like work because I don't like working," she reasoned. Can't argue with that. When they returned home, the episode continued as most do, with a Ronnie and Sammi fight. Vinny, who has either been fed one-liners into an ear piece lately or has just been that clever, assesses, "Hell has to be just like this."

mtv.com

Undeterred, the boys announced T-Shirt time, and hit the club with Deena. Pauly ran into his stalker Danielle from season one. She followed him on the boardwalk, even gifting him with a homemade 'I Heart Jewish Girls" t-shirt — complete with the star of David that she crafted herself. Making peace with the girl that had thrown a drink in his face just days prior, Pauly invited her back to the house, where the guys mercilessly teased and taunted her until she left. Meanwhile, upstairs Sammi forced Ronnie to talk to her even though he was trying to sleep. He groaned into his pillow, told her that they were done, and tried to get back into his REM cycle. Still, she continued to poke the steroid induced bear with a stick, and pleaded that he look her in the face if he was going to break up with her, which he did about four times, resulting in Sammi once again asking for closure and crying. I am not a supporter of any type of domestic violence, but I was so rooting for Ronnie to Snooki-punch Sammi in the face. And I'm pretty sure no one else would have blamed him if he had. HIGH: Snooki's educated assessment of the Atlantic Ocean: "I hate the ocean, it's all whale sperm. That's why the water is salty." LOW: The Situation attempting to lift up the front of a girl's skirt, as she danced on the platform above him, only to have his hand slapped away. Grimey.

Posted by Diana Palmieri @ 8:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

LOL WITH IT: Q&A with Todd Barry

POSTED: Friday, February 4, 2011, 7:00 PM

Filed Under: Comedy | Critical Mass | LOL With It Stand-up

Every Friday, Ryan Carey takes a look at who and what's giving Philly the giggles. This week he talks to comedian Todd Barry, performing tonight at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. at Connie's Ric Rac (1132 S. Ninth St.).

Critical Mass: Thanks for taking time in between filming to speak with me today. Can I ask what you're working on? Todd Barry: Today I was filming an episode of Louie, here in New York.

CM: It seems like you've been doing more acting as of late. Where does that stand on your attention-grid? TB: I really don't pursue acting as a priority. I got in some pretty high-profile films like The Wrestler and Road Trip, but I tend more often to play myself on TV shows. I'd probably consider doing a long shoot if it was a good script. CM: What does your Philly resume look like? TB: I've played World Café Live, Helium, The Khyber, The Troc, and I've performed twice at First Unitarian Church opening for bands. Once with Yo la Tengo and once with Mates of State. CM: You're known for doing those unusual band shows, how did that get started? TB: I have musician friends, and I'll help them out. When people hear about you doing that, they're more likely to ask you. It's not really the ideal situation for comedy, but I like to help people out. CM: I saw you handle a heckler pretty hilariously a couple of years ago. I was surprised, because you had seemed like more the joke-writer than a funny-off-the-cuff type. Do you do a lot of crowd work? TB: Yea, I like to do crowd work. Usually I get a little bored with my material, so you try to get something goin' with the crowd just for the challenge of it. Sometimes, if I have a shorter set, and the crowd's rowdy, it'll be like, "I guess I'm not telling any jokes tonight" and I'll abandon my act all-together to have fun with the crowd. CM: How many Twitter followers do you have? TB: I have over 85 thousand. It's definitely beyond being a fad ... but then again, look at Myspace. It's a great way to promote, but I think the key to getting so many followers is — some people only use it to promote shows, and people get tired of it. But if you put funny content on there, and it gets enough re-tweets, it starts to catch on. I don't test jokes out on Twitter, and when I think of something I have to wonder whether I should save it for my act or put it on Twitter. Some comics use their tweets in their act, and it's not like a large percentage of the audience would be like, "Hey wait a minute..." But I generally tweet those one-liners that don't really lend themselves to fleshing out in joke form. CM: Who are your favorite tweeters? TB: Well, I know I'm forgetting some but John Daly, Rob Delaney, Patton Oswalt, Boobs Radly, I'm definitely leaving people out. Tonight's shows at Connie's Ric Rac (1132 South 9th St.) are at 8pm (sold out) and 11:pm (tickets still available). Visit Todd online at www.toddbarry.com, and on twitter at http://twitter.com/toddbarry/

Posted by Ryan Carey @ 7:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

DJ NIGHTS BLOGGED: KRS-One vs. Biggie vs. Nas

POSTED: Friday, February 4, 2011, 5:00 PM

Filed Under: Music | DJ Nights Blogged DJs

WHO: Argo, Lexx, Brownske, Roland WHAT: The StopNotPlayin boys have been presenting this Golden Era-themed party for a few months now, and are about to jump off at a new venue this weekend and every following First Friday. Each night features three legendary artists and/or groups and the DJs play tunes from those artists, the music they've sampled and tracks the artists are sampled in. The OG's on deck have plenty of taste and style, so you can chill out, you can dance, you can get smashed or, hell, do all three and have no remorse. WHEN & WHERE: Fri., Feb. 4, 10 p.m., free, Tavern 222, 222 South St., tavern222.com. WHY?: Cuz ya wanna know who's gonna win!

Posted by Gair Marking @ 5:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

ART REVIEW: Tableaux: 2006-2010

POSTED: Friday, February 4, 2011, 4:00 PM

Filed Under: Arts | Critical Mass | Events | Arts Events | Philly Artists Visual Art

SusanFenton.com

Crescent Vase, Box and Mug III

Philadelphia artist Susan Fenton's current exhibit is perfectly suited to its winter setting at Swarthmore College, where the buildings' imposing gray stone, flecked with silver, overlooks a snowy hillside. The lack of color outdoors is reflected in the inkjet and gelatin silver prints of Tableaux: 2006-2010, a simply-presented, two room exhibit at the college's List Gallery. The works are largely black, white, and grey, with one room housing Fenton's brilliant White series and another the dark Nocturne pieces. The works are, for the most part, strikingly geometrical, displaying familiar objects—balls, boxes, vases—arranged on what appear to be shelves and columns. White's inkjet prints live up to their name: they're nearly monochrome, and their simplicity and stillness evokes an eerie calm. Fenton was influenced by the 20th-century Italian artist Giorgio Morandi, she explained in a lecture last week, noting his influence in the works' prominent horizontal lines. Across the room are four works from Fenton's Ballinglen series. These pieces are visually similar to those in the White series, but instead of digital printouts, they're painted gelatin silver prints. The objects pictured here are items the artist found in Ballycastle, Ireland; many are simply litter, rocks, and driftwood washed ashore. While the arrangement of the objects in the White series seems almost mathematical, Ballinglen combines the items into unified shapes. The mostly pale White and Ballinglen stand in sharp contrast to the pieces in the next room, those making up the exhibit's most memorable series, Nocturne. These selenium-toned gelatin silver prints are overwhelmingly black still-lifes. Where White's images feel very stable—the objects are firmly placed on surfaces—Nocturne's works are precarious. They show, for example, eggs barely balanced on table corners and vases perched at the top edges of Greek columns. Fenton used exposures of several hours when taking some of the pictures, whose light comes from the full moon. The long exposures result in a sense of movement, emphasized by the way the prints are arranged. Groups of images hanging next to each other show the same set of objects in changing light; you can, in effect, see the passage of time. I don't remember much science from school, but Nocturne reminded me that when we look at an object, what we see is reflected light. That was most clear in the images titled Crescent Vase, Box, and Mug: as the moon shifts, the vase becomes nothing more than a shining sliver. Through Feb. 27, List Gallery, Swarthmore College, 500 College Ave., Swarthmore.

Posted by Matt Cantor @ 4:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

POETIC LICENSE: Horoscopes, Feb. 4-10

POSTED: Friday, February 4, 2011, 2:00 PM

Filed Under: Poetic License

Devoted poet/avid concert-goer/nerd-grrrl extraordinaire Jane Cassady's weekly horoscopes run in this space every Friday morning. Aquarius (Jan. 21-Feb. 19): Sam Teitel says: "I just gotta get back on the horse/ even if I know the horse has rabies/ and hates me personally," but I disagree. Sometimes the best thing to do is to stay dismounted. Pisces (Feb. 20-March 20): On last week's Parks and Recreation, Leslie Knope pulled off a brilliant speech on behalf of her Harvest Festival, in spite of the fact that she was totally zonked out on flu medication. There's no reason to be quite so heroic, but just know you're capable of it. Aries (March 21-April 18): Since '90s nostalgia is all the rage, watch or rewatch episodes of The State. If you're an X-er like me, you'll remember such catchphrases as "Two hundred. And forty dollars. Worth of pudding." and "I love you, toothbrush! Let's run around and do things set to popular music!" Taurus (April 19-May 18): "We're gonna have a good day/and all my homies gonna ride today/and all these mommies look fly today and all we wanna do is get by today/hey, we're gonna have a good day/and ain't nobody gotta cry today/cause ain't nobody gonna die today/save that drama for another day" is a really good run-on sentence by Nappy Roots. Gemini (May 19-June 21): Learn some new Scrabble words, even if it's just by typing made-up combinations of letters into the dictionary. Or just work on memorizing your two letter words. As we saw on The Office: â"K. A. Ka? What does ka mean?" "It means you're playing someone who is going to destroy you." Cancer (June 22-July 23): "She told me she'd love me like fireworks/ and that's the way I like it, "says Ben Lee. Explode with devotion, leaving streaks across the sky and ashes in the air. You remind me of summer. Leo (July 24-Aug. 23): My wife's phone does not flip shut. Consequently, she butt-dials me at least twice a day, sometimes interrupting math class with her Katy Perry "I Kissed a Girl" ringtone. I check every message, even if I am pretty sure it's just her pants again. Virgo (Aug. 24-Sept. 23): On the most swoondrogynous Portlandia sketch yet, the overuse of a safe word drives a wedge into a couple's intimacy. The stars think there's a lesson in there somewhere, and feel compelled to tell you their safe word is "marshmallow." Libra (Sept. 24-Oct. 21): Still haven't taken down the Christmas lights? That's OK, there's still plenty to celebrate: Olivia Munn has a sitcom that's kind of OK! The Mountain Goats are on tour soon! The word "swoondrogynous" was recently invented! (See: Virgo.) Scorpio (Oct. 22-Nov. 22): Like Iron Chef José Garces, you really know your way around a passion fruit, and you know you're more likely to win if you serve the judges mojitos. Congrats on your decisive victory. Sagittarius (Nov. 23-Dec. 22): A pal of mine just told me that Maya Angelou once told Oprah Winfrey that if "someone tells you who they are, believe them." Strip away the sunny advertisement of their turns of phrase. Pull back the fuchsia sequined backdrop. If you still love them, go ahead. Capricorn (Dec. 23-Jan. 20): Don't worry if you press "like" too many times — soon enough the technology will be obsolete and you'll be able to pulse your compliments directly into you loved ones' neurotransmitters. Maybe you're just ahead of your time.

Posted by Jane Cassady @ 2:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

NOW SEE THIS: CFEVA presents their 2011 fellows

POSTED: Thursday, February 3, 2011, 7:00 PM

Filed Under: Critical Mass Visual Art

Blindspots, Arden Bendler Browning

Philly's Center for Emerging Visual Artists (CFEVA) gets over 300 applicants for its very selective fellowship. Just nine were chosen. An exhibit featuring their work opened last night, and is going to be on display at Moore College's Widener Foundation Memorial Gallery (20th St. and Benjamin Franklin Pkwy) until March 9th.

Lewis Colburn

Arden Bendler Browning, Philadelphia -- Making large, mural-sized paintings on tyvek, her works are a direct response to her experience of the urban environment—overlapping, noisy, and fluctuating. Lewis Colburn, Philadelphia -- His installation works deal with the manipulation of history and recreating scenes from the past in order to explore them in contemporary life. Don Edler, Brooklyn -- Having a strong interest in the structure of the universe, as well as the cosmos and physics, his sculptures examine these phenomena in hopes of understanding them.

Mami Kato

Mami Kato, Philadelphia -- A sculpture artist originally from Japan. Her sculptures combine influences from memories of rice fields in Japan and quantum cosmology. Daniel Kornrumpf, Yardley, PA -- He has experience in painting and furniture design, but currently expresses himself through embroideries. His works are influenced by social networking - how we view ourselves personally, as well as, how we are all similar and connected. Maggie Mills, North Wales, PA -- Fascinated by the often blurred lines between the natural and industrial, her paintings depict contemporary ruin: decomposition of nature and industry, technology's effect on time and space, and the individual in current society.

Kimberly Witham

Alison Stigora, West Chester -- Explores creation and the creative process through visceral materials, site-specific fabrications, and drawing. Stigora uses branches, which have been blackened, to create physical lines in 3D works and as charcoal in her drawings. Jennifer Williams, NY -- Living in a constant state of flux, we are unable to observe every space we walk through. This installation artist highlights what we often overlook so that, in the future, we are more aware of our environments. Kimberly Witham, High Bridge, NJ -- Her contemporary home-magazine-style photographs look at suburban comfort and the tension of humans and nature contrasted with the aftermath of our consumption.

Posted by Ryan Carey @ 7:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

ICEPACK ILLUSTRATED: Cocktail wishes and porn star dreams

POSTED: Thursday, February 3, 2011, 6:00 PM

Filed Under: Critical Mass | Icepack Illustrated

Photo | Scott Weiner

Nutter & Rendell at the JCC Maccabi Games

â¤ Even newer news than the news we already have on R5: We see this show announced at the Live Nation website - Tower Theater: (2/5 @ 10 a.m.) Live Nation and R5 Productions Present Fleet Foxes â May 21, 9 p.m. â and we ask, huh? Is Sean Agnew going to pair with everyone? He does shows with AEG and will probably pair with Bowery Presents when Spaghetti Warehouse II: The Scungilli Concert Hall opens on Spring Garden. Does this show signal a new détente between R5 and Live Nation? "I don't think it will lead to more shows. It may? This was a very unusual circumstance," Agnew wrote me. "The band who has always been extremely nice to us (R5) and invited us to co-promote the show. Live Nation Philadelphia graciously agreed to their request to bring us on board. It's really rare for a band (or their agent) to reach out like they did and I was quite flattered. Hopefully the show will do well and we can use the money from that one to help out a smaller band or two who would normally not be able to play the church." Aw...

Photo | Scott Weiner

â¤ Two shots at happy hour: The sweet looking new Kokopelli Tequila Bar and Restaurant kicks its big agave bar thing on Feb 3, at the usual happy witching hours. The Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co. goes for something a little more educational, Italian and Nick Lowe-themed with the Roman bitter Amari and the "Cruel To Be Kind" menu featuring cultured cocktails such as Paper Plane (credited to Sam Ross of New York's Milk & Honey) and Hanky Panky (brainchild of Ada Coleman @ The American Bar at London's The Hotel Savoy) And what the hell is Local 44's Baby Momma Happy Hour. If I had kids I'd be drinking all hours. Heyo... â¤ My very favorite spooked out gallery/bookstore Germ (yes, the one from the hearts and minds of David E. Williams and the late Jennifer Bates that closed Jan. 31) will open its doors one last time. "And we mean it man," notes Williams, when talking about its First Friday, February 4 event. Williams also notes that Germ's famed UFO Discussion Group, hosted by Chris Augustin of www.aliensthetruth.com, will still meet on the second Thursday of every month in a new spot, Essene Market and Cafe, starting Feb. 10. First round of Martian baked tofu is on me. â¤ Philly's answer to what happened if Bill Withers slept with Lucinda Williams â Amos Lee â just released his fourth CD Mission Bell, and it debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart. S'aight that... â¤ The Tiberino Family â Raph, Ellen T, Gabriele, Ellen P and Papa Joesph â get out of Poweltown Village for their Kindred Spirits show at Sande Webster Gallery this First Friday with a reception on Feb. 11. A must... â¤ While word hit from the Sundance Film Festival, that Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles, directed by Willow Grove's Jon Foy, won the U.S. Documentary Competition Directing Award, two things hit me. This was the flick that we wrote about exclusively and, more importantly, is about Amorosi's favorite subject: Northern Liberties/Erode & Disappear frontman/pigeon enthusiast/Toynbee tile obsessive Justin Duerr. Can't wait for a local screening. â¤ We loved Fred Knittel when he was doing his rustic rootsy Folkadelphia show on KDU, dig it now that it's Folkadelphia on Y-ROCK on XPN and will probably adore that Sunday showcase he'll get going at Johnny Brenda's starting Feb. 6 with the Spinning Leaves & Hezekiah Jones then Feb. 20 with Lewis & Clarke and winding up with Feb. 27's Meg Baird & Arborea gig.

Photo | Scott Weiner

WHOWHATWHERE: Almost forgot that aspiring Philly.com columnist Ed Rendell joined Mayor Nutter to welcome the JCC Maccabi Games - a weeklong international sporting event for Jewish athletes' aged 13 to 16, held each year in North America and in Philly this summer â to town last week. â¤ OK. We know Paul Simon and Renee Fleming were the highlights (along with my split tux and pince nez) of the weekend's 154^th Academy Ball. But what the h-e-l-l was Academy president Joanna McNeil Lewis doing with R.E.M. bassist Mike Mills? Does he have Collapse Into Now to promote? Meanwhile Rhymin Simon was spotted heading into Morimoto days before his big shoe. â¤ Speaking of doing stuff before you got to be somewhere in Philly, porn star/candidate Mary Carey is here for Wing Bowl. But no sooner than we hear she hit Sampan (like Robert Plant, he of porn star hair, did last week) for a bite on Tuesday night, we see that Hughe Dillion got nice shots of her hitting 10Arts with Top Chef (not that top, but we love her) Jennifer Carrol, then Rouge. Surely Carey will hit fellow porny guy Ron Jeremy's post-Wing-Bowl bash at Delilah's on Feb. 4. Surely. Bet I can guess a future porn star. â¤ That might be what new Jersey Shore cast member Deena Nicole Cortese has to do once the Shore dries up if she doesn't save money and quit that drinking like she did at McFaddens. â¤ Ryan Howard was spied at Del Frisco's with his Philadelphia Eagles cheerleader gal pal Krystle Campbell. No porn there. â¤ And please no porn: Weird Al Yankovic hit Barnes & Noble to sign, meet then greet for When I Grow Up...

Posted by A.D. Amorosi @ 6:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

ADVENTURES OF AN OPEN-MIKER: Lickety Split

POSTED: Thursday, February 3, 2011, 5:00 PM

Zoe Bachman

As the first open-mic blogger I know of, I'm officially declaring "open-mic" a verb. This week, I open-miked at Lickety Split, a long and narrow upstairs bar with the smell of pizza dough wafting up from downstairs and a good indie-pop mix on the stereo. The gregarious host was Kelvin Cochrane of the Absolute Zeros (get it? Kelvin, absolute zero? It's science). With about 20 people in the bar, it felt full, with a remarkably friendly ambiance. I sat at the back, not expecting to socialize much—but as Kelvin made the rounds around the room, his enthusiasm was contagious, and there was much chatter. Sign-ups were mostly in the hour before showtime, though as latecomers arrived throughout the night, they grabbed later slots, running up to about 1 a.m. The show began promptly at 9—impressive for an open mic, in my experience. As our host reminded us, musicians make a habit of tardiness (I'm no exception: I straggled in after missing my train from the suburbs). But no matter: from my vantage point at the back, things sounded good. The sound system was excellent: crisp and powerful without being painfully loud. Performances were mostly acoustic music, with a bit of spoken word and a bit of electronica. Each performer was allotted three songs in 15-minute appearances, while a featured performer got a half-hour slot in the middle of the night. Kelvin kept the atmosphere light and the show moving with hearty welcomes for each act, perched on a small stage at the front of the bar. We listened to a gentleman who introduced himself only as Nathan and offered a sad tune called "Girl on the Radio." An original song built on bright and punchy chords, it rose to a rollicking climax: "the airwaves are full of longing." High-school student Bob LoRusso, a newcomer, lent a sweet, light voice to several originals reminiscent of a cross between Jack Johnson and Jason Mraz. A standout song, "Children," lamented a wired world that keeps kids from "be[ing] kids." The featured act, called South, gave their debut performance at the bar. A three-piece with driving bass, South incorporated Billy Corgan-esque vocals over slow, rich bluesy grooves. By the end of the night, as I dashed off to make my train home, the mood was exceptionally jovial. Fellow open-mikers: this is one to try. The nitty gritty for performers: Tuesdays, 9 p.m., Lickety Split, 401 South St. 215-413-3434. Free entry, three songs each. Drink specials: $5 for a Yuengling plus a shot of Jameson's, $5 margaritas.

Posted by Matt Cantor @ 5:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

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Behind the scenes of local film A Man Full of Trouble
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ICEPACK ILLUSTRATED: Hilary Jay on the move, Rit-Fit’s switcheroo, and a Theater Exile surprise.
CITY PAPER WRITING CONTEST 2013: Send stories! Send poetry!
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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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