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Archive: June, 2011
Now in its fourth year, the Roots Picnic is Philly’s biggest annual music event besides the big July 4 gig on the Parkway (which The Roots are also headlining this summer). Here’s the rundown on who’s playing the Festival Pier this Saturday.
The Roots: The kingpins, Philly’s finest, the worldwide leaders in conscious full-band hip-hop. You already know about them.
Wiz Khalifa: This young MC is the most exciting thing to happen in Pittsburgh since Mario Lemieux (Sid the Kid can go suck it). It’s just classic blingy, clubby feel-good hop-hop. Wiz is bringing the weed. Watch this.
Nas (backed by The Roots): ?uestlove and co. like to double as the backup band at this thing (previously, we’ve seen them jam with Wu Tang and Public Enemy). Their set with Nas should be tight.
Esperanza Spalding (backed by The Roots): Assisted by the flagship, this young soulful jazzy singer/upright bassist will provide both the chillest and the most passionate moments of this long, long day. I think you should watch this.
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros: You’ve heard their poppiest stuff in commercial, but these guys can get pretty grimy and jittery, perfect for a sweat soak with thousands of strangers. Look at these fucking hipsters.
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti: Los Angeles freak-folk, with an artsy-gothy bent.
Man Man: Yeah, they’re Philly’s most dedicated mustaches, but listen: They put on a spectacular live show. Just engaging, stomping, swinging rock ’n’ roll like nobody else (anymore? ever?).
The Dismemberment Plan: DC rockers always put on a high energy show. Watch this.
Mac Miller: Bad acting and chill beats brought to you by Nike, Hennesy and American Spirit.
Yelawolf: What if Adrian Brody spent a week with Allen Iverson’s tattoo artists and then joined Fallout Boy? Now what if he could rap, old school? Here’s what you’ll get.
And the rest:
T. Mills, Little Dragon, Nicos Gun, Donn T, Black Thought & DJ J. Period, Hank & Cupcakes, OCD/Reda, Railbird and Young Vipers.
ROOTS PICNIC 2011, Sat., June 4, noon, $79.75 (includes all the bullshit fees), Festival Pier, Penn’s Landing, Columbus Blvd. and Spring Garden St. Tix here. Keep hydrated.
View galleryBack in March, after his concert at First Christ Church with John Zorn at the organ, Bowerbird’s Dustin Hurt told me a secret, that the next B-bird series would be dedicated to Morton Feldman, adventurous experimental composer. That time is now. Hurt’s otherworldly American Sublime series runs June 4-12, features the crème of the avant-garde in Joan LaBarbara, the Either/Or ensemble and Marilyn Nonken, with the highlight being a rare performance of Feldman’s six-hour String Quartet No. 2, which concludes the fest at the Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral on June 12. Tix.
Speaking of otherworldly, King Britt just sent me this message: “The light at the end of the tunnel is not an illusion… the tunnel is” and this “Firefly” music that he produced, engineered, composed and mixed. Download it. Spooky.
The Keswick Theatre hosts a fundraiser on June 5 for the Philadelphia Folksong Society as the starter event for this August’s 50th Philadelphia Folk Festival. Who’s playing? Only the godfather of flat-picking guitar Doc Watson with David Holt and Tony Trischka.
Hey neighbors with money. South Street’s Jamaican Jerk Hut is allowed to have live music outdoors again after a long battle in the courts that stated that the Hut’s lovely lolling reggae grooves bucked up against your precious vows of near-silence. Ha. You can stuff all your lawyer fees right up your ass. I’ll be there every Friday and Saturday starting at 6 p.m. banging pots. Sue me.
Unknown Mortal Orchestra, smack in the middle of a tour with Bonaroo-bound Portugal. The Man., stops in Philly to headline at M Room in Fishtown. Previously NME's Radar Band of the Week, UMO is fronted by Ruban Nielson of The Mint Chicks.
They recently made a Philly splash opening for Smith Westerns (also 'Roo-bound) at Johnny Brenda's. The local blog In The Wake of Poseidon neatly encapsulates their psychedelic show and EP as "...a catchy yet freaky throwback to lo-fi '70s groove-rock and garage rock all in one."
Also performing are local jazzy proggers Agent Moosehead. City Paper darlings, they're hopefully already part of your local music lexicon. If not, check them out. Agent Moosehead is what would happen if Frank Zappa was consistently, thoroughly listenable.
Sun., June 5, 8 p.m., $5, M Room, 15 W. Girard St., 215-739-5577, mroomphilly.com.
Wash West hair salon American Mortals — featured in our recent Spring Style Guide — is celebrating 10 years in the snipping biz by throwing a Summer Fair that not only honors their milestone, but serves as an official unveiling for their new product line and expanded salon space. “It’s about ending the chapter and starting a new one,” says co-owner Kimberly Bond. “[To] the community, our clients, our friends, I’d say it’s a big thank you.”
The daylong bash features an 8-foot prize wheel with rewards ranging from flat irons and free haircuts to prints by local painter/printmaker Thom Lassner. Also, expect live music from The New Impressionists and grub from Little Babies Ice Cream and Cookies Confidential, just to name a few. But, Bond says, the highlight of the day lies in an amateur cake bake-off, judged by Morimoto pastry chef Thomas “Tommy” McCarthy. Following the bake off will be a cakewalk, where everyone has a chance to walk it out for one of the fabulous treats. And when you're finished, you can have stylist Tenille Grider put one of those cute feathers in your hair. It's all the rage, ladies!
Sat., June 4, 1-6 p.m., free, American Mortals, 729 Walnut St, 215-574-1234, americanmortals.com.
First person to email pat@citypaper.net with the subject "I WANT SCRIPT TICKETS" gets a pair of orchestra box seats for Friday night's show at the Mann. I'll update this when the tix are gone.
UPDATE: We have a winner! Congrats to Lindsay!
In 2009, after the death of fellow classmates Ian Alexander and John Williamson, Drexel frat Alpha Chi Rho threw a memorial concert that would not only raise campus spirits, but funds for a special scholarship named in the two students' honor. The event became such a success — raising nearly $20,000 for the Alexander-Williamson Endowment, to date — that they've carried on the tradition every year since.
This year's show, taking place at World Café Live, will feature performances by local bands like Wild Rompit, 9th Life, Woodland Ave and GrindCity.
Fri., June 3, 8 p.m., $10, World Café Live, 3025 Walnut St., 215-222-1400, worldcafelive.com.
Here in Philadelphia we're surrounded by a number of chances to attend great sporting events — one of which is happening this weekend in Manayunk. The International Cycling Championship, the largest pro cycling tournament in America, is a monument to the sport that has featured winners such as Lance Armstrong and Davis Phinney.
The 156-mile pro-race is especially notable because it features the infamous Manayunk wall with a 17-percent-grade incline. And if that isn't obstacle enough, there's this unrelenting summer heat we've been having. But despite these area-specific issues, the race has become one of the most beloved by cyclists all over the world.
For those not pedaling to victory, race day is filled with more than just darting cyclists. Lining the streets are family fun zones, plenty of grub and entertainment such as BMX stunts. Grab a VIP ticket to get a closer look.
Sun., June 5, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., free, $95 for VIP ticket, Benjamin Franklin Parkway to Manayunk Wall, procyclingtour.com.
Every Wednesday, Ryan Carey tackles a different topic relating to the contemporary pop culture scene.
This past April, L.A. pop-rock band Foster the People played Philly's Kung Fu Necktie — a venue that accommodates no more than 120 people. Later this month, they will play (and sell out) the TLA, which holds a grand. By the end of August, don't be surprised if they headline the Linc.
Malcolm Gladwell's 2000 book, The Tipping Point, coined its eponymous term describing the long sought-after 'critical mass' of momentum for a product, style or idea. Not too long ago, your product needed the help of "salesmen," "mavens" and "connectors" to go viral. Eleven years later, YouTube is six years old (that's it!?) and getting 3 billion visits per day and the word "viral" means way more than it did in 2000. Gladwell's tipping recipes seem to have been outdated by a short decade of modern history.
There are two ways you can look at music. You can view it as a collection of songs or a collection of artists. Those who look at music as a collection of songs are the more common group (Group A). They are the casual music fan. These folks enjoy a well-adjusted relationship with a good beat or catchy melody. But the type of person who looks at music as a collection of artists (Group B) has elevated the importance of music beyond "something to be enjoyed" and sees it as a lifestyle and a reflection on oneself. In fact, the most extreme (read: craziest) of Group B folks actually go a step further: They see music as a collection of albums by artists. These self-medicating brow-furrowers often end up as music journalists.
Since 1993, B. Someday Productions has had a single mission – to bring quality, community theater to the Philadelphia area. It wasn’t until 2005, however, that they found their true home in the Walking Fish Theatre (2509 Frankford Ave.). Since then, the good people at B. Someday and Walking Fish have become a a genuine community staple — bringing quality productions, acting classes and charity outreach to Fishtown.
What truly makes B. Someday different from other small theater companies in the Philadelphia area is this connection to their community. As Stan Heleva, the man in charge of Walking Fish told me, it’s “all about the community because we’re out here in Fishtown, where it’s not like being in [the] Center City ... theater district." B. Someday and their theater home have committed themselves to “bringing artists and community together using theater, literature and myth."
Another thing that makes Walking Fish so accessible to Fishtowners is their mission to keep ticket prices down and offer affordable classes for children and adults. They even distribute fresh fruits and vegetables every Thursday with their Community Supported Agriculture program. But, above all, it's the quality productions happening year round at Walking Fish that provide the greatest service to the surrounding community.
Starting tonight through June 19, the B. Someday production of "Funny Dangerous" will feature two one act plays by renowned playwrights Mark Borkowski and Walt Vail. Borkowski’s Within the Skins of Saints tells the story of a down-on-his-luck drifter who attempts to talk a woman out of committing suicide. Vail’s The Neighbors is a black comedy about a young couple with marital problems and the neighbors that observe them through the blinds. The Walking Fish Theatre will also be hosting the comedy group High Dramma as they perform their annual “Best Of” show, as well as a variety of other great performances. For a complete listing of their scheduled events visit their website at bsomeday.org.
Each week, Emily Apisa puts together a rundown of book-centric events that’ll keep you “lit” all week long.
[ Wednesday ]
➤ Clef Poetry
Hearing the inflection of the poet as he/she reads his/her own poems gives new dimension to the art form. At this event, poets Taalam Acey, Wings Of Worth and Etyms Smyte Nine Enin will breath life into their words to help you feel and think in new ways. Live music by Suzanne Burgess and coffee and chocolates will round out the night of readings. Wed., June 1, 7-10 p.m., $7-$10, The Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz and Performing Arts, 738 S. Broad St., 215-893-9912.
[ Thursday ]
- Activism
- Arts
- Arts Events
- Books
- Dance
- First Person Fest
- Last Chance
- Museum
- On the Fringe
- Philly Artists
- The Curator
- Theater
- Visual Art
- Arts News
- Artist Profile
- Arts Preview
- Street Art
- Been There, Done That
- Big Ups
- Comedy
- LOL With It
- Stand-up
- Critical Mass
- DVD
- Events
- Friday Fill-in
- Ice Cubes
- In Memoriam
- Interview
- Just Do It
- Just Opened
- Kaleidoscopic
- LGBTQ
- Art Phag
- Mailbag
- Movies
- Film Fest
- Movie Review
- On set
- Scenester
- screening
- trailer!
- Music
- 10 Track Mind
- Album
- Album Review
- Concert Review
- DJs
- Local Support
- Now Hear This
- One Track Mind
- Philly Bands
- Show
- Somebody Else Was There
- Song
- The Showdown
- concert photos
- jazz
- DJ Nights Blogged
- Night Watch
- Now See This
- Poetic License
- Printed Matter
- Radio
- Shopping
- Coveted
- Fashion
- What We Heart
- TV
- 24
- Idol Hands
- Mad Men
- ProjRun
- True Blood
- Useless Lost Recaps
- Couch Potato
- Shore Trash
- Turned ONN
- TopMod
- Video Games
- Free Online Game
- PSP
- PlayStation 2
- The 1-Upper
- Wii
- Web Junk
- CAGE MATCH
- Free Online Toy
- Weekend Omnibus
- Win
