Archive: April, 2010

CONCERT PHOTOS: Titus Andronicus @ The Barbary 4/15/2010

POSTED: Friday, April 16, 2010, 7:00 PM

Filed Under: Music concert photos

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Also, here's a clip of Cassie Ramone (Vivian Girls/The Babies) singing Weezer's "The Sweater Song" with Titus. (h/t YouTube user ZacMagnum):

Posted by Patrick Rapa @ 7:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

INTERVIEW with GILBERTO GONZÁLEZ: "I have to do something people will remember"

POSTED: Friday, April 16, 2010, 6:30 PM

Filed Under: Arts | Interview Books

threeringsbook.com

Taller PuertorriqueÃ±o gave Gil González his first sustained opportunity to bring art back to his community: He developed Cinco Graphics, which taught design skills to kids in the cultural center's North Kensington neighborhood. (You may recall González's table out in the street in front of Taller during their 26th annual Feria del Barrio last September, custom screening T-shirts in a glorious swirl of color.) During the five years he spent on the education program, he'd bring in speakers from design businesses to give the kids a sense of possibility. Some went directly into the design business from his program, González notes with pride, while others went on to study at his alma mater, University of the Arts. While running the educational program, Gonzalez mounted his first solo exhibition in the gallery there. Its theme reflects what his art explores now: the Puerto Rican experience in Philadelphia, comparing and contrasting how it has changed over the years, and exposing its minutiae ('60s plastic slip covers!) to provoke a sense of nostalgia in the community. For the last 15 years or so, González has handled design duties for the Community College of Philadelphia to keep himself and his three kids fed, but he has never stopped documenting the community. "Back in high school I started to keep notes and sketches. Even today I keep a small notebook or a camera in my bag." These jottings and images have been refined into a trio of self-published books, The Three Rings, the second of which has just been released. The books combine González's images, paintings and photos, along with fiction based on his life in the barrio. A life-threatening heart condition made González consider what he wanted to leave behind. A book on Latino Philadelphia inspired him to tell the rest of the story. "It wasn't my life as a Puerto Rican. I try to create some that people can identify with, not the story of politicians and powerful," he says. "My paintings are something that people can identify with, so I want the stories to do the same." In the first book he goes into detail about night clubs. "Today people wear Timberlands and a shirt. People used to dress up for the clubs, wear suits!" Remember that? Gonzalez will celebrate the launch of the second book in the series with a reading on Saturday. He hopes people will come out and talk about the stories with him and other audience members. "I feel like I have to impact somehow, do something that people will remember — make 'em smile, make 'em discuss, bring out the good in them." Those wondering how to publish their own work will be especially interested in attending. After researching what the experience of selling his book to a publisher would be like, he opted to go the indie route. "I wanted to control every aspect of the book, from the stories to how it looked. I wanted to include images with the stories. I didn't want editors telling me that things had to be done a certain way." He's been successful thus far — the first book sold enough to pay for the second. Why separate them like this? "The books are about relationships. I've been married three times. That's why three books."

Gilberto González will read from The Three Rings Sat., April 17, 3 p.m., free, Taller PuertorriqueÃ±o, 2721 N. Fifth St., 215-426-3311, threeringsbook.com, tallerpr.org.

Hans-Ulrich Allemann

Posted 2010-04-17 07:08:10

Congratulations Giberto! I very much enjoyed reading your interview. I would also love to read your books. Where can I find them? For some reason, the link to the website didn't work.

Keep up the good work. You're an inspiration to the community!

With best wishes,
your old professor ;â)

The Occult

Posted 2010-05-07 17:14:33

Good interview dude, where are your books published?

Liza

Posted 2010-05-13 08:40:01

You are a wonderful writer and an artist...Many Blessings

gilbie

Posted 2010-05-13 09:02:18

Thank you Hans you were and still are an inspiration to me. Thank you for everything you have done for me.

gilbie

Posted 2010-05-13 09:04:48

thank you

you can pick it up at Barns and Noble if they don't have it they can order it for you or you can go online

here is the link
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Three-Rings/Gilberto-Gonzalez/e/9781436387644

Mary Armstrong did amazing job with the interview

thanks again
gilberto gonzalez

gilbie

Posted 2010-05-13 13:07:27

wow, thank you so much Liza

Holly Thomas

Posted 2010-05-18 21:56:57

How inspiring! You are an amazing artist and I love the way your art relates to us "ordinary" people. It makes it more magical when you can relate to it. ~Holly

Posted 2010-05-18 22:19:34

awwww

thank you very much Ms. Holly

i appreciate your support and kind words

:-)
g

Posted by mary armstrong @ 6:30 PM Permalink | Post a comment

DANCE REVIEW: Bad Boys of Dance @ the Annenberg Center, 4/15

POSTED: Friday, April 16, 2010, 5:45 PM

Filed Under: Arts Dance

annenbergcenter.org

BAD BOYS (AND A GIRL) >> Rasta Thomas' Bad Boys of Dance not only wows the audience with mind- and body-bending dance routines, but also charms them with a charismatic cast of six male dancers. Each has a long list of credentials, ranging from television appearances to Broadway performances, and, more importantly, incredible passion and infectious enthusiasm. Throughout the evening, every dancer was given at least one solo to highlight personality and individual talents — tap, break-dancing, six-pack abs. While the appeal of athletic and passionate men for this young, heterosexual female is fairly obvious, the performance still held ample draw for the evening's predominantly older crowd. When encouraged by the dancers, the audience would clap along to the routines and laugh at the cheeky humor. As their goofy moniker promises, the performance was a decidedly macho event, but it never went overboard. That is, except during sequences featuring the lone female dancer, Adrienne Canterna-Thomas. The apparently jointless Canterna-Thomas held her own athletically but failed to make a connection with the audience. Even worse, and through no fault of her own, she often became simply a prop in brutish sequences of male machismo. The rest of the performance's humor relied on the effortless appeal of the male dancers, making these more overt comedic attempts unnecessary. Canterna-Thomas did have a chance to shine opposite her real-life husband, Rasta Thomas, in the first act. Dubbed "Beautiful Days," the act told the story of a tumultuous relationship and featured more literal choreography. The couple's chemistry and the dancers' emotive abilities made the act fly by. The second act, called "Rock You," was a collage of '80s pop music and various dance styles. Endowed with endless stamina, the dancers performed fluid mixtures of ballet, hip-hop and jaw-dropping gymnastics. The evening closed with a well-deserved standing ovation, encouraging the dancers to perform two encores. They ended with a tongue-in-cheek strip tease to "I'm Too Sexy," which, let's be honest, is what we were waiting for all night.

Posted by Emily Currier @ 5:45 PM Permalink | Post a comment

ON THE FRINGE: Only 139 days to go ...

POSTED: Friday, April 16, 2010, 5:00 PM

Filed Under: Arts On the Fringe

Photo | Neal Santos

Guess who's back?

The 14th annual Live Arts/Philly Fringe fests are totally sneaking up on us, even though it's only April. In an attempt not to get completely overwhelmed by what's coming this fall (we've heard that 200-plus Fringe acts have officially signed up, which, if I'm not mistaken, is more than ever), we're going to start breaking things down for you now. The fests' complete schedule will be announced in May, which is also when tickets go on sale, but the Live Arts Web site has a nice little preview of 13 big shows that are already on board. Be sure to visit the site to see the whole list; but in the meantime, here are a few we know you won't want to miss, if these artists' previous Live Arts contributions are any indication. BRIAN SANDERS >> It was a happy coincidence that the person we chose for our Fringe cover last September (pictured, above) also happened to be at the helm of my very favorite Live Arts performance of 2009. Brian Sanders is brilliant, plain and simple. We don't know much about his new work, Sanctuary, save that it's site-specific (I'd like to see him trump last year's Gershman Y swimming-pool setup) and that it will "push dance to the limit with wild illusion and intense movement," but honestly, we don't care. Bring it, whatever "it" is. (Click here to read about 2009's Urban Scuba.) PIG IRON THEATRE CO. >> Last year it was Welcome to Yuba City; before that, Sweet By-and-By; circa-2007 old-heads may even remember Isabella. Essentially, Pig Iron doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon, which is fine with us. The company's new production, Cankerblossom, is an upside-down fairytale of sorts, and we're looking forward to seeing what James Sugg, Geoff Sobelle, Sarah Sanford and the gang have up their collective sleeve. (Click here to read about 2009's Welcome to Yuba City.) NICHOLE CANUSO DANCE CO. >> When Wandering Alice debuted in Old City's Christ Church Neighborhood House two years ago, I was totally smitten. Everyone else was, too. What delicate magic Canuso produced by blending Alice and Wonderland and Murakami's The Wind Up Bird Chronicles with her own quirky sense of storytelling. This year she'll present Takes with Pig Iron's Dito van Reigersberg. It will sell out, so stalking the Live Arts site in May is imperative. (Click here to read about 2008's Wandering Alice.) RELATED >> ON THE FRINGE: Only 182 days to go ...

Posted by Carolyn Huckabay @ 5:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

MOVIE REVIEW: Takedowns and Falls

POSTED: Friday, April 16, 2010, 4:15 PM

Filed Under: Movies Movie Review

Todd Hickey and Kirk Ledger's documentary Takedowns and Falls chronicles the ups and downs of Harrisburg's Central Dauphin High School wrestling team during its 2006-2007 season. Takedowns abounds in sports-film cliches — a coach with health issues, kids facing personal misfortunes, tons of inspirational speeches — but Hickey's characterizations are so affecting that it doesn't matter. The cast is full of characters that drive any good doc. There's Doug Sweigard, a fifth-year senior and former wrestling phenom who burns with the manic, self-destructive energy of James Dean. There's Tony Dallago, who went from 112 to 152 pounds between his freshman and sophomore years, jumping an unheard-of seven weight classes. There's Marshall and Walter Peppelman, freshman and junior brothers — and the team's heart and soul — who treat their teammates like family. And then there's coach Jeff Sweigard, battling lymphoma and looking to avenge his own high school record at Central Dauphin, when he wrestled with a broken foot at the state championships and only placed second. Takedowns works best when Temple film grads Hickey and Ledger (who are former Sweigard acolytes) gives his characters space to breathe and just be themselves. The film's first half is over-edited, with too many quick cuts and short scenes, but things slow down as the season progresses, and by the time the team makes it to state, I was hooked. The wresting, often filmed in slow-motion, is at once savage and graceful. On the big screen for two hours, a bunch of high schoolers becomes wrestling gods. And then it's over. And their parents tell them to do their homework. In the end, it's this amazing incongruity that makes the film so compelling.

"Takedowns and Falls," Sat., April 17, 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Sun., April 18, 5 p.m., $7-$9, The Franklin Institute's Franklin Theater, 222 N. 20th St., 215-448-1200, takedownsandfalls.com.

Posted by Sam Kaplan @ 4:15 PM Permalink | Post a comment

IDOL HANDS: American Idol, A Tale of Two Shitties

POSTED: Thursday, April 15, 2010, 10:37 PM

Filed Under: TV Idol Hands

We like American Idol. Too much. american-idol-logo

Molly Eichel: Say buh bye to Andrew Garcia and Katie Stevens. Not a shocker for either considering they were both at the shallow end of the talent pool. While I gotta give big ups to Katie for improving in the last couple of weeks, the real tragedy here is Andrew who, as Simon pointed out during one of those Welcome to the Dollhouse-level of awkward performances, that he wasn't that talented to begin with and just happened to have a bitchin' version of "Straight Up" ready to go for the judges come Hollywood. Tommy Button: Andrew has been clinging to his Idolship by a thread for weeks now, so I have to imagine him getting the boot would almost come as a relief. I'm more upset about Aaron Kelly not going home. I actually think he's getting worse but his remaining presence is just a second reminder to all registered voters in Dade County, FL: Old people vote. And it's also a reminder of why 14-year-old girls can't vote. Katie Stevens is the one who gets the short end of the stick, though. Of all the weeks she's been on the show, this was the one she sucked least. ME: But, alas, Katie was never going to make it to the top three. She just didn't have Aaron's pedarest appeal. Sayonara, High School. My heart hurt when Big Mike was in the bottom three. He is almost destined to get the boot, unless he Jean Claude Van Dammes next week's theme, which he probably won't. TB: On a side note: Idol producers need to tone down the laser light show extravaganza during guest performances. I get it. You need something to cover up how shitty people are but believe it or not, I'd rather listen to Adam Lambert for 3 minutes than have my retinas burned out.

Jessie Bikel

Posted 2010-04-15 17:47:01

Uninspiring all around, but ME manages to take this one for gratuitous of JCVD.

Ruby

Posted 2010-04-15 17:58:48

I wish JCVD would mentor those little fuckers.

Posted by Molly Eichel @ 10:37 PM Permalink | Post a comment

NOW SEE THIS: Kool Keith's "Dick Towel"

POSTED: Thursday, April 15, 2010, 8:20 PM

Filed Under: Now See This | TV

So Kool Keith made a music video for It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's Dick Towel. (It's NSFW, clearly.) And Kool Keith becomes the official hero of Critical Mass. Also: A belated congratulations to Mac and Sweet Dee on their impending dumpster baby.

Posted by Molly Eichel @ 8:20 PM Permalink | Post a comment

GET LIT: Win copies of books represented at the Free Library Festival

POSTED: Thursday, April 15, 2010, 7:44 PM

The Free Library Festival kicks off Saturday, and in anticipation we've got a handful of books to give away: Harlan Coben's Caught, Chang-Rae Lee's The Surrendered and Heidi W. Durrow's The Girl Who Fell from the Sky. (One's a coming-of-age tale, one's a thriller about a suburban sexual predator, and the other's a sweeping story of war and love, but we're not saying which is which.)

Each of these authors will speak during the weekendlong festival (which is free and open to the public); Mandy Bee clues us in to what to expect, in this week's Agenda section:

Authors from a variety of styles and genres will visit for readings (Yann Martel; Sapphire), book signings and lectures, like a talk by The Liars Club — a group of Philly writers including L.A. Banks, Jonathan Maberry, Ed Pettit and Dennis Tayofa, who will discuss writing and the creative process. Poetry is also on tap: Sonia Sanchez reads from her latest, Morning Haiku, and Edward Hirsch presents new works from The Living Fire. Don't forget the kiddies: Newbery award-winning illustrator Matt Phelan hosting storytelling time from his new book The Storm in the Barn.

Here's how to play:

Write a comment about which Free Library Festival author you're most excited to see, and why.

That's it! (Here's a schedule in case you need to do some research.) We'll randomly select three winners, pulled-out-of-a-hat style, and e-mail them to figure out who gets what book. Deadline is FRIDAY, APRIL 16, at 9 a.m., so get commentin'! [UPDATE, 9:40 a.m., Friday] Congratulations to CritMass readers LKav, Liza and Jon, whose names got plucked from our hat this morning. They'll each win a copy of one book, plus a bonus gift thrown in for good measure. Thanks to everyone who played; keep watch on CritMass for more giveaways every week.

Jackie

Posted 2010-04-15 15:47:50

I'm looking forward to seeing Harlan Coben as I am an avid mystery/suspense reader.  His new book "Caught" has caught my attention.  The subject matter sounds intersting and mysterious.

liza

Posted 2010-04-15 16:12:48

Paul Davies!
Writers like Davies are so intriguing in their crossing of science and religion! His most recent book is a little off this topic, but I love hearing knowledgeable people like him talk about the mysteries of the universe!

Berth

Posted 2010-04-15 17:00:43

I'm really excited to see Sonia Sanchez!  I attended a presentation several months ago at the free library and it was wonderful!  She provided so much more than poetry and is very inspiriting.

paul goldston

Posted 2010-04-15 20:06:09

I HAVE MET  LA BANKS  FIRST  AT  FRANKLIN INSTITUT THEN LATER AT ROBINS BOOKSTORE ON 13TH AND SANSOM ST , THEN AGAIN AT  BARNES AND NOBLE  ON 18TH AND  WALNUT  ST  . SHE  A GOOD  IMAGINATION AND  YOU SEMED LIKE YOU ARE THERE TO WITNESS THIS EVIL DEMON TO TAKEOVER , BUT  THE HEROINE PREVAILS AND WINS ,

paul goldston

Posted 2010-04-15 20:07:21

I JUST CAN'T WAIT FOR A NEW ISSUE  OF HER NEXT  BOOK

Jon

Posted 2010-04-15 21:35:06

Gotta be the Liars, because they're always fun to read and fun to watch.

LKav

Posted 2010-04-15 22:53:22

Chelsea Handler! I want to see if she has Chuy tucked away somewhere warm and moist!

Posted by Carolyn Huckabay @ 7:44 PM Permalink | Post a comment

ALBUM REVIEW: Nicole Reynolds

POSTED: Thursday, April 15, 2010, 6:45 PM

Filed Under: Music | Album Review | Philly Bands Show

Nicole Reynolds A Fine Set of Fools (self-released) Given: her extensive East Coast roots (Pittsburgh, DC, Philadelphia) and touring travels (Belgium, Germany, The Tin Angel on Saturday), folksinger Nicole Reynolds knows a thing or two about self-discovery. At times reminiscent of Mirah and Kimya Dawson, she chronicles romance, heartbreak and bittersweet family dynamics in intensely personal music. Currently: Reynolds sidesteps specific life events and more broadly studies living, making the boldest moments on A Fine Set of Fools her identity songs. "Crazy as You" is a rollicking directory of "I am..." couplets ("Drunk as the old sea / a rebel in Chelsea."). "Only Atoms" playfully ponders our elemental makeup, "The Tree Believes" discovers understanding in tragedy ("Mama died on Monday / and I don't know my father at all."). She also gets topical: a Guthrie-esque rust belt labor anthem ("Joseph Brown") and a mountaintop removal memorial ("I Went To The Mountain"), both effective. This isn't always the case — on "Earthworms" a righteous point (liberated sexuality) is made awkwardly ("Hermaphrodite sex is amazing."). Perhaps: it's played for laughs. But Reynolds is best when she puts her ponderous nature first. Nicole Reynolds plays Sat., April 17, 7:30 p.m., $10, with Athens Boys Choir, Tin Angel, 20 S. Second St., 215-928-0978, tinangel.com.

Posted by john vettese @ 6:45 PM Permalink | Post a comment

PRINTED MATTER: Arts + Entertainment, April 15

POSTED: Thursday, April 15, 2010, 6:00 PM

Filed Under: Printed Matter

Here's what you'll miss if you don't pick up a City Paper this week:

Photo | Brian Niesz

Wussy

FEATURES!

CP dance critic Deni Kasrel helps Philadanco celebrate its 40th anniversary season. Even after all these years, the company's mission statement remains the same: to bring Philadelphians "joyous dance," plain and simple.
Michael Pelusi profiles Wussy, an Ohio band that blends "guitar-jangle, noise-pop, weird Americana and bar-band brawl." They'll play The Fire tonight at 9.

COLUMNS!

Full Exposure delves into the Academy of Natural Sciences' spring exhibit, "Looking at Animals." Henry Horenstein's work, says columnist John Vettese, is an apt juxtaposition with the academy's accompanying specimens.
Peter Burwasser gives FrÃ©dÃ©ric Chopin a shout for this month's Suite Spot. Apparently the pianist wasn't a fan Schumann or Liszt or even Beethoven.
Drew Lazor takes a break from food coverage to rave on Kick-Ass, about a nerdy kid — a "misguided moron," as Drew calls him — who decides to become a superhero despite his lack of superheroic abilities.

REVIEWS!

David Anthony Fox is thrilled with Theatre Exile's Shining City, which focuses on the psychotherapy sessions between equally troubled patient and therapist.
Sam Adams' Flick Pick focuses on The Exploding Girl, starring Elia Kazan's granddaughter, Zoe, whose performance "seems utterly flawless."
Mark Cofta says Lantern Theater Co.'s production of Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part I "never falters," though he's skeptical about Peter Pryor's fat suit.
Janet Anderson reviews Jeanne Ruddy Dance Co.'s 10-year-anniversary "Decade of Dance" retrospective at the Wilma.
Movie Shorts on The Joneses and The Warlords

AND THEN THERE'S ...

Kaleidoscope quick hits on Joe Boruchow, You're a Horrible Person, But I Like You, Record Store Day and Mates of State
Music Picks on The Feelies, Fol Chen, Titus Andronicus and more
Arts Picks on BalletX, Rooms: A Rock Romance, Sick and more
In the Agenda, watch for a graffiti celebration, Icepack, plenty of Picks and Josh Middleton's LGBTQ column, Queer Bait.

PREVIOUSLY >> PRINTED MATTER: Arts + Entertainment, April 8

Posted by Carolyn Huckabay @ 6:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

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What we're trying to do this weekend
Behind the scenes of local film A Man Full of Trouble
CONCERT REVIEW: The Postal Service @ The Mann 6/17
ICEPACK ILLUSTRATED: Sunny, Tony and the return of Do No Harm
NOW SEE THIS: Salinger film trailer
ICEPACK ILLUSTRATED: Indian fare rules, Dunder Mifflin lives on, Tom Jones is a god
REVIEW: Archer Live! @ the TLA 1/11
CITY PAPER WRITING CONTEST 2013: Send stories! Send poetry!
CONCERT PHOTOS: The National/Dirty Projectors @ The Mann Center 6/7
ICEPACK ILLUSTRATED: Pink. Diner en Blanc 2. Breaking Glass and Milkboy at the movies. And so on.

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

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