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Archive: September, 2011
With but a fleeting few musical heroes left, any opportunity to meet and speak with one is a must. When Glen Campbell announced that he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, that his new album, Ghost on the Canvas, would be his last and that his recent tour would put a cap on his long career, I began to consider 
the possibilities of meeting him. And not only because he played on 1960s recordings with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, the Beach Boys, and Elvis Presley as a session giant or starred in the original True Grit and his one-time network TV show The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour.
Campbell — who sold out Irvine Auditorium last week guided by his solidly string voice, finger-licking good guitar picking and a smart intuitive band made up mostly of his kids — has crafted some of the finest songs in history — from Allen Toussaint’s “Southern Nights” and Chris Gantry’s “Dreams Of The Everyday Housewife” to John Hartford’s “Gentle on My Mind” and, one of my five favorite songs of all time, Jimmy Webb’s “Wichita Lineman.”
I had the chance to interview him when he was holed up at the Embassy Suites at the Philadelphia Airport prior to leaving for the Irvine Auditorium. The story will be in Blurt magazine in October but I wanted to share the snaps photographer Scott Weiner took of us. I’ve interviewed a lot of people face to face, but rarely was I so engaged and enchanted.
Photos: Scott Weiner
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Reporter Meg Augustin takes you inside some of Philly's most fab dwellings to showcase our city's unique grasp on design and architecture.
When you walk into Erin and Greg Bury’s (pictured right) Fishtown home, there's no denying where their interests lie. The couple is a member of the swing and rockabilly band Delco Nightingale — a passion that has flowed 
seamlessly into their design aesthetic. Erin, a flame-haired doll in '50s couture can just as easily kick back a few beers during one of their shows — a personality trait that's obvious in her choice of décor. “I’m not that picky, “ Erin comments, “Target, ReStore, vintage finds — as long as I like it and it works with our style — its fine by me.” Each room is filled with memorabilia from bygone eras collected at flea markets or gifted from friends and family members.
Longtime fans of mid-century pieces, Erin and Greg have held on to the things that remind them of the age of swing and saddle oxfords. Erin’s father, a reporter, traveled quite frequently during her childhood, bringing back many of the knick-knacks and toys that fill her home today. Several glasses and an odd apple-bank toy from New York were passed down and now fit into the cheery kitchen. The Burys also have an ever-growing collection of mid-century furniture they've each collected along the way. Erin keeps an eye out for boldly printed vintage fabric for curtains and the two frequent ReStore and similar thrift shops to see what fun, kitschy items they can add to their walls.
Found, given, made or bought, every piece in the Bury abode tells a story. The home feels lived-in and welcoming, casual and fun — making it an ideal spot for kicking back or throwing a shindig for friends . “I love having people over,” Erin says. “I want people to feel comfortable here.”
If you'd like to see your home featured in an upcoming The Great Indoors post, email Meg at megan.augustin@citypaper.net.
Photos: Neal Santos
Craig Finn and co. really thrive in the festival setting. This one probably stand up as my favorite Hold Steady song.
Also playing Popped: Rakim, The Shins, Pretty Lights, Pains of Being Pure of Hearts, Girl Talk, Black Thought and more. Fri. and Sat., Sept. 23 and 24, Single-day tickets $59.50, both days $110, FDR Park, near Broad and Pattison, poppedphiladelphia.com.
A new 30-yard mural on Cecil B. Moore and 15th Street has blurred the line between graffiti and art. With its abstract buildings, breathe-taking skyline and dedication to a recently deceased student, the mural stays loyal to Philadelphians all over.
Tyler Teran, Eric Mozes and Donnell Powell, who make up Color My Sidewalk (CMS), spent 12 days transforming the once white wall into a vivid depiction of Philly living. “We thought, what’s the first thing people think of when they think of Philadelphia?" asks Mozes about the groups largest mural to date. "The skyline!”
However it was the Pop Art-like buildings leading up to the familiar skyline that became the main focus. “I’m not from Philadelphia, but I was intrigued by the aesthetics of the row houses,” comments Powell. “With all the colors, [the buildings] are an art piece in itself.” These additions brought together the neighborhoods, showing what we all see when sitting on our roofs. Other landmarks include the Ben Franklin Bridge and the Comcast Center.
While most of the mural represents Philly, a specific spot is dedicated to remember Temple graduate Roswell Friend, a track-and-field athlete who passed away last August. Although CMS didn’t know him, his recognition is a way to illustrate that a community lives on even after loss.
Be sure to check out CMS’s other murals in the area. This humble group of artists is working to collaborate with others and spread art and color around the city.
Photos: Mara Model
City Paper music critic Brian Wilensky gives you the rundown on a week of live music.
Monday: Still have Fuel’s Top 40 radio hits stuck in your head and you’re ready to pull your hair out because of it? Yeah, these guys are still kicking, a little bit. Keep pulling. 8 p.m., $20, Dobbs, 304 South St., 215-501-7288.
Tuesday: Fool’s Gold songs come in two flavors these days: English and Hebrew. Lead Singer, Luke Top, chose his native tongue, Hebrew, on earlier cuts before switching over to English. It’s simple, uplifting and it sort of feels like the rest of the day is going to be a little bit brighter after hearing it. 7:30 p.m., $12, w/ AM & Shawn Lee, Kung Fu Necktie, 1250 N. Front St., 215-291-4919.
Wednesday: The Kyuss lineup has changed plenty of times throughout their long run. What hasn’t changed are the words “stoner rock” or “desert rock” posted anywhere you see their name, which for this tour is Kyuss Lives!. Start practicing your power stance. 7 p.m., $27.50, w/ The Sword & Monstro, Trocadero, 1003 Arch St., 215-922-6888.
Man Cave is a testosterone-laden Monday feature that highlights the weekend haps of a pop culture-loving Philly dude.
Tonight, if you're a subscriber to the DIY Network, House Crashers has teamed up with MLB to find the 
ultimate Phillies Fan, a title won by 38-year-old Center City realtor Johnny McDonald (pictured). In the episode, former Phillies pitcher Mitch Williams crashes Johnny's house to help him build the ultimate Phillies man cave. I asked Johnny — a Phillies fan from birth — what it was like working with Williams:
"Super cool! he is smart, funny and surprisingly talented in the construction trades. We hung out pretty much the entire time, he was literally swinging a hammer with me, both for demolition and to build. He and I took down a huge brick wall, with help from the Philly Phanatic, then we built these sweet planters in the garden. Maybe the best part about Mitch was that he brought over some of his wild-thing southpaw salsa. His recipe is insane!"
Johnny and Mitch also built a special keg elevator to keep the basement well stocked, as well as stadium seating in the backyard for those bigger BBQ gatherings. This is a pretty exciting Philly man-cave moment. The episode airs tonight at 8 p.m. on the DIY Network.
Photo: Johnathan Storm
Somewhere between a seductive choreographed dance and an intuitively improvisational movement piece, Play operates with the Western civilized sway behind Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s technique and dancer Shantala Shivalingappa’s classical Indian (Kuchipudi) form. Subtly screened elements (chess playing, hand waving) appear behind them as they tease, battle giant puppets, and act sexily (not crudely) through what could be the inspiration of Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut. Mostly, they react aptly to the grit and slide of the live Euro-World sound-scapes and to each other whether through Marx Bros-like mirror imitation and wildly vivid new steps slithering out of thin air.
Choreography typically involves coupling movement with music, but Xavier Le Roy’s More Mouvements für Lachenmann was far more often about subtraction than addition. Lachenmann’s music is spare and concentrated, reducing each instrument to its essential sonic properties: the scrape of strings, the resonant knock of wood. Le Roy’s three pieces, co-presented by Bowerbird, experiment with stripping even those elements way to focus on gesture and intention. During cellist Andreas Lindenbaum’s solo performance of “Pression,” the lights fade out, leaving only sound; the entire last third of the string quartet “Gran Torso” is performed with instruments laid aside, leaving the audience to imagine the sound that each waved arm or scratched knee implies. It also leaves a great deal of uncomfortable silence for frustrated festgoers to vent their indignation — fascinating in itself.
For those old enough to have lived in the hippie-dippie era of the ’70s, One City Under A Groove may conjure a flashback. It’s an homage to the times when girls just want to have fun. The Pink Hair Affair ladies expand their ranks for this performance, bringing in a bunch more besties, and when they duel with Star Wars light sabers, stretch out in yogic moves, do the hustle, or spoof disco days, they’re all clearly enjoying themselves. The show is thoughtfully staged, but it ain’t fancy pants arty stuff (though they do wear nifty pants and other groovy duds).
Last performance is tonight, Sept 17, 8 p.m., MacGuffin Theatre & Film Company at the Adrienne, 2030 Sansom St. MORE INFO HERE.
The Radio Show is special. Choreographer Kyle Abraham takes his cast and the audiences and saturates them with wonderful music (Gladys Knight and The Pips, Dionne Warwick and more). Abraham dances, and he’s a sinuous and seductive mover. He calls what he does: Abraham.In.Motion, and boy is he ever in motion! Music ranges from hip-hop to classical. Eight excellent dancers perform as well. Great music, great moves, and marvelous lighting. It’s easily apparent why the show won a Bessie in NYC.
Last performance is tonight, Sept 17, 8 p.m., Zellerbach Theatre, 3680 Walnut St. MORE INFO HERE.
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