Archive: June, 2010

MUSIC MADNESS: Win tickets to go see Peggy Sue -- We have our winner!

POSTED: Friday, June 4, 2010, 9:09 PM

Filed Under: Music

Pretty, pretty Peggy Sue hits Johnny Brenda's on Wednesday and we want you to go see this London threesome. All you have to do is answer the following trivia question by e-mailing molly [dot] eichel [at] citypaper [dot] net.

What was the original name of Buddy Holly's hit "Peggy Sue"?

Congrats Kristina, who answered "Cindy Lou"

Peggy Sue., Wed., June 9, 9 p.m., w/She Keeps Bees & Peasant, Johnny Brenda's, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 215-739-9684.

Posted by Molly Eichel @ 9:09 PM Permalink | Post a comment

FIRST FRIDAY FOCUS: Woo Woo Party at Arcadia Boutique

POSTED: Friday, June 4, 2010, 6:20 PM

photos | arcadiaboutique.com

There's never enough room in First Friday Focus to shout out every cool thing that's shout-worthy. Fortunately the Internet is without bounds.

Tonight at NoLibs' Arcadia Boutique, the ladies behind the register (that'd be Ali McCloud, Lis Kalogris and crew) are hopping out for a "Pin-Ups, Lashes, Lips" soiree featuring Bettie Page-inspired artwork, cocktails and snacks from 12th Street Catering and a live DJ, plus reps from Touch of Blush, who'll doll you up like Gaga with two-week Woo Woo lash extensions. (I'm so tempted.) The exhibit, "Good Vibrations" by Mallory Lawson, with recent works by Dennis Coyle, is Arcadia's last art show of the season. Head over to the shop at 819 N. Second St. from 6 to 9 p.m. tonight; additional info at arcadiaboutique.com. Check out more images after the jump!

Posted by Carolyn Huckabay @ 6:20 PM Permalink | Post a comment

CRITICAL MASS WEEKEND OMNIBUS: Get Back to Your Roots Weekend

POSTED: Friday, June 4, 2010, 5:33 PM

Filed Under: Weekend Omnibus

theroots

Friday: You might think the comedy talk show crass and the host's obsession with sex alarming, but you know you've stayed up at least once to watch the cast of E!'s Chelsea Lately unabashedly bash everybody and everything. While Ms. Handler herself will not be attending tonight's comedy show, The Comedians of Chelsea Lately will offer their own blunt and coarse commentary on celebrity gossip and current events. Saturday: Today's events celebrate all things local — mainly music and beer. So down a glass of water and get ready to sample many as you can. Events, that is. As part of Philly Beer Week, local breweries are sharing their best at Beers on Broad Street. Even better, proceeds benefit Historic Kennett Square. You might want to check out Vampire Weekend and John Legend at The Roots Picnic. But if that isn't motivation enough, Questlove says it's a show you don't want to miss. Whether samba dancing or punk rock is your thing, the Clark Park Best Fest's variety of all-local entertainers guarantee performances that different age groups can enjoy. Sunday: Head over to the Bike Race Block Party on Midvale Avenue at Kelly Drive to watch the Philadelphia International Cycling Classic. You might break a sweat watching international pro-cyclists compete in the 26th annual bike race, but be glad you get to watch. 57.6 miles in Sunday's anticipated 85-degree weather might be a little more strenuous than enjoying the Philadelphia Canoe Club beer garden and dancing to live music. Then chill out with Swim Pony's Survive!, a theater-space-aliens hybrid (kinda like Splice? Maybe?) about what happens when intelligent (English speaking) life responds to NASA's call.

Posted by Katy Bergen @ 5:33 PM Permalink | Post a comment

GIVEAWAY: Win tickets to go see Swim Pony Performing Arts' Survive!

POSTED: Friday, June 4, 2010, 4:05 PM

Photo | Adrienne Mackey

In conjunction with the opening of Swim Pony Performing Arts' new show at the Wolf Building, Survive!, we're giving away a pair of tix. But first, here's what Emily Currier had to say about the premiÃ¨re in this week's City Paper:

"The show is the universe's message to humanity," explains Adrienne Mackey, director of brand-new theater company Swim Pony Performing Arts and its inaugural show. The sprawling, 20,000-square-foot basement of Chinatown's Wolf Building will morph into the expanding universe, allowing audience members to venture boldly through the set and various otherworldly narratives. Part-performance, part-installation, Survive! explores different dimensions of the universe through the guises of quirky characters such as Kinetic Girl and Gentle Scientist. "The journey of the show," says Mackey, "is really about the audience understanding themselves in relation to all that space."

To win a pair of tickets to any show (except Friday or Saturday evenings) through June 20, answer me this:

Swim Pony was formed by a group of artists who performed what show during 2009's Philly Fringe?

E-mail your answers to carolyn.huckabay@citypaper.net for a chance to win. First reader with the right answer will be contacted for further details on ticket pickup.

Survive! runs through June 20, $11-$20, Underground Arts at the Wolf Building, 340 N. 12th St., 847-309-1266, swimpony.org.

[UPDATE: 11:45 a.m.]: Congratulations to CritMass reader Joseph, who correctly answered that Purr, Pull, Reign: A Litigious Fantasy in D was the show in question. Thanks to everyone who played!

Posted by Carolyn Huckabay @ 4:05 PM Permalink | Post a comment

The Pixies <3 Philly, rock Doolittle tour at the Tower

POSTED: Friday, June 4, 2010, 12:07 AM

Filed Under: Music

To paraphrase Gandhi/Ice T, don't hate the cash grabber, hate the cash grab. What's up with The Pixies crushin' on us? Frank, Kim and the rest of the gang chose our town (well, Upper Darby, but we can count the Tower as Philly, right?) to not only kick-off their second jaunt around the U.S., but also make it the only scheduled Northeast date of this leg (sure, they did Boston-NYC-D.C. last time but that was, like, a super long time ago). For this tour, The Pixies are playing their seminal album in its Doolittle entirety, along with the record's B-sides. They'll hit up the Tower Theater (69th & Ludlow streets) on September 7. With Pavement hitting the Mann Center a scant 10 days later, you can almost hear the sound of Gen X-ers creaming themselves. Aw, old people, you're adorable. h/t Pitchfork

julia.

Posted 2010-06-03 22:23:50

I want to go to there. Please.

Posted by Molly Eichel @ 12:07 AM Permalink | Post a comment

PRINTED MATTER: Arts + Entertainment, June 3

POSTED: Thursday, June 3, 2010, 10:56 PM

Filed Under: Printed Matter

Sam Adams talks the Man with No Name in this week's Discworld.

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

Patrick Rapa pulls a displaced Matt Pond from isolation to discuss his new album, The Dark Leaves.
Sam Adams discusses the importance of aesthetic experience in preparation for some upcoming DVD releases — most notably, the upcoming Blu-ray release of the entire Stan Brakhage catalog — and touches on the Man With No Name Trilogy and more.
In her First Friday Focus, Carolyn Huckabay previews a (potentially) tampon-filled exhibit at Rodger Lapelle Galleries, an artist selected show at Projects Gallery, the live rendition of a Seurat masterpiece right outside the Arden Theatre Co., and the inaugural exhibit of the new Artspace Liberti.

COLUMNS!

Justin Bauer considers a few, effective, yet implausible, plots in this month's Shelflife, tackling Stieg Larsson's The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, Justin Cronin's The Passage and Julie Orringer's historical novel, The Invisible Bridge.
M.J. Fine may think the Stone Temple Pilots' new album is "nothing special," but she just can't help but reminisce about the old days.

REVIEWS!

Molly Eichel gives Get Him To The Greek a B- in Flick Pick for becoming ineptly emotional on occasion, but applauds a hilarious Diddy performance (and a great dick joke, too).
Mark Cofta calls Václav Havel's allusion-abundant play, Leaving, an "instant classic."
Although David Anthony Fox is clearly a fan of both August Wilson and his plays, the Philadelphia Theatre Co.'s production of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is somewhat disengaging. Who's to blame? The acting and directing, Fox says.

Movie shorts on Living in Emergency, The Misfortunates and Splice. AND THEN THERE'S ...

Kaleidoscope quick hits on Stars, Cocorosie's recent release (hey! Wanna win tickets to see their show on Wednesday? There's still time!), singer-songwriter Joseph Arthur and the film Small Town Saturday Night.
Music Picks on Dutch, the Roots Picnic and more.
Arts Picks on Survive! and Love Jerry.
In this week's Agenda, A.D. Amorosi says "This week = everything Roots," the artists bring the art outside for the Art In The Open Festival and more.

Posted by Matthew Cahn @ 10:56 PM Permalink | Post a comment

ICE CUBE: A.D.'s just walkin' around, thinkin' about things.

POSTED: Thursday, June 3, 2010, 9:15 PM

Filed Under: Ice Cubes | Music Philly Bands

twitter.com/questlove

?uesto got Flyered Up before the Picnic

How do you get over? You know, I didn't even get that the Flyers had won last night until two things happened. As I was walking down the street after a big-n-blistering Futureheads show at the First Unitarian Church, a jabbering klatch of orange-n-black clad women were doing the scream — thaaaaaaaaaaaaaat scream, the one where the polyps at that the back of the throat must bleed in order to be effectively effusive and gleeful. Then, there was the fact that my show-pocketed cell phone was filled with text messages about Ahmir '?uestlove" Thompson being at the Flyers game. He's a versatile guy — my guess is that, along with drumming, he's raised a goalie stick in his day. And he likes to picnic — as you fans of the Roots Picnic at Festival Pier this Saturday no doubt remember from the top of today's Icepack. But what I did miss about his busy weekend — and Pop art posters adorning every phone pole on my block remind me of — is that Thompson will spin several shifts of June 6's Sundae jam at Octo as well as its Silk City After Party. Dag. The hardest working man in show biz? Maybe he's the hardest working man in hockey and very possibly a goalie to boot.

Posted by A.D. Amorosi @ 9:15 PM Permalink | Post a comment

MUSIC MADNESS: Win tickets to see CocoRosie

POSTED: Thursday, June 3, 2010, 8:30 PM

Filed Under: Critical Mass

We know you like folk freaky and your sisters totally weird, so that's why we got two pairs of tickets to go see CocoRosie Wed., June 9 at the Troc. Coco (aka Bianca) and Rosie (aka Sierra) are in town supporting their recently released Grey Oceans (Sub Pop). MJ Fine wrote about the ladies in this week's Kaleidoscope:

For all the spectral synth and operatics on Grey Oceans, CocoRosie's fourth full-length and their first for Sub Pop, they're still at their unsettling best in the spots that angels and machines can't reach: Sierra Casady at the piano, her sister Bianca practically cracking in voice and verse and, on "Undertaker," their mother showing them how it's done. CocoRosie plays the Troc on Wednesday (June 9, thetroc.com).

Wanna go see it all live? The first two people who answer the following trivia question will get a pair of tickets to the show. Just e-mail molly [dot] eichel [at] citypaper [dot] net.

Where did CocoRosie record their first album?

CocoRosie, Wed., June 9, 8 p.m., $17-$19, w/Diane Cluck, The Trocadero, 1003 Arch St., 215-922-6888.

Posted by Molly Eichel @ 8:30 PM Permalink | Post a comment

COVETED: Grasping at straws

POSTED: Thursday, June 3, 2010, 7:45 PM

Collectors of pretty things, take note: Every week, we're rounding up a what's-what of what we [heart], culled from the scores of design blogs, artist sites and Etsy treasuries we stalk on the regular. There's a great line in Justin Bauer's lit column this week: After Memorial Day weekend, outlandish plotting and high page counts, like white shoes or straw hats, magically become appropriate. Hey, he's right — it's straw hat season! Breezy, stylish and shade-producing is a summer fashion trifecta if we ever saw one. Here are a handful of our favorites — it's a preppy party and you're invited.

Golden Straw Summer Fedora Sun Hat, The Millinery Shop, $120
BDG Striped Band Straw Fedora, Urban Outfitters, $28
Parisisal Straw Sun Hat, TRAMPMillinery, $110

Retro Sparrow Fascinator, Janine Basil, $28
Panama Hat, ASOS, $25.36
Straw Trilby Hat, J.Crew, $40

PREVIOUSLY >> COVETED: An ax to grind, a tie that binds

Posted by Carolyn Huckabay @ 7:45 PM Permalink | Post a comment

BIG UPS: Pew Center for Arts and Heritage announce grants

POSTED: Thursday, June 3, 2010, 7:00 PM

Filed Under: Big Ups | Movies Philly Artists

Courtesy of UArts

The Quay Brothers

The Pew Center for Arts and Heritage gave away over $1.1 million in grant money this year to fund new exhbitbits for you to get all hot-and-nerdy about. Grantees include International House for a sweet underground film fest, Vox Populi for an exhibit examining African American interpretation and the Slought Foundation for a recreation of an '89 John Cage lecture/performance. Out over everything, I'm most jazzed about the grant to the Mutter Museum, which received $250,000 for a production by local legends the Quay Brothers, who will make an animated film utilizing the museum's collection. These are few artists whose aesthetics are more in-line with the Mutter than Stephen and Timothy. Maybe Pew was inspired by Shaun Brady's cover story on the bros? RELATED >> Quay Week

Posted by Molly Eichel @ 7:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

« PREVIOUS | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11

Q&A with SHARI SOLANIS: "The goal isn't pornography"
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!
Q&A with Tony Goldwyn: "Life is gray, and relationships are, too"
ICE CUBE: In Memoriam: Joe Tartaglia
CONCERT REVIEW: Primus (3D & quadraphonic sound) @ The Tower 10/17
NOW SEE THIS: Transit cop arrests marijuana activist for alleged disorderly conduct.
Coming soon to Philly: Two cockamamie movie promotion schemes
ICEPACK ILLUSTRATED: The Archbishop meets the Geator, the Mayor goes suit shopping, Le Bec Fin fin.
NOW SEE THIS: Tim and Eric direct Terry Crews for Old Spice

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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