Critical Mass 1.0

PHOTOS: 4th of July on the Parkway

POSTED: Friday, July 6, 2012, 4:10 PM

Filed Under: Events Photos

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Philadelphians came out in droves for the annual party on the parkway yesterday. The celebration was the culmination of ten days of Welcome America concerts and events. There was sweat, there was music, there was fun, and there was more sweat. We took some photos.

Posted by Madeline Bates @ 4:10 PM Permalink | Post a comment

LAST NIGHT: I went to an ECHL game for some reason. It was fun.

POSTED: Thursday, February 23, 2012, 12:00 PM

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Observations from last night’s home game between the Trenton Titans and the Reading Royals of the East Coast Hockey League.

1. There were a few recognizable surnames on Trenton: Corey Syvret is the brother of former Flyer Danny Syvret (Offensive Dynamo). Mitch Versteeg is the brother of former Flyers underachiever Kris Versteeg. Also, longtime Flyers tough guy Todd Fedoruk is a coach there. (At press time, I could not confirm notable connections for players named Ryan, LaBelle or Hayes.)

2. This guy Yannick Tifu of the Royals has moves, and people know it. The Trenton version of the “Sign Man” had a sign made to specifically for the occasion, with Tifu in a tutu. Sigh, man.

3. There couldn’t have been more than 500 people in that arena that could probably hold 5,000+. (The Trentonian today says the “announced crowd” was “2,112.” I did not hear that announcement; maybe it got lost in the echo off all those empty seats.) This meant the players could be interacted with directly. After Tifu scored, he gave a look over to the sign guy like “how you like me now?” Sign guy did not like him then, either.

4. The play was occasionally sloppy, but mostly good solid hockey. Just some blind passes, players out of position, more guys looking down at the puck than up at the net they’re shooting at. There were also some slick moves, once in awhile and fine goaltending.

5. Hardly any penalties and no fights. I’d always heard that the further you go into the minors, the more gladiatorial everything gets. (The ECHL is an "AA" league, one level below the AHL.) Nope. There was plenty of hard checking, but the gloves stayed on.

6. The Royals won 6-3, thanks largely to the agile play of goalie Karel St. Laurent (and the shoddy, momentum killing Titans D). Boo. I guess. But: Good game, good game, good game.

Posted by Patrick Rapa @ 12:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

LAST CHANCE: Martine Fougeron & Rita Bernstein @ Gallery 339

POSTED: Wednesday, January 26, 2011, 7:00 PM

Filed Under: Arts | Critical Mass | Visual Art Photos

Martine Fougeron

Disco Bus Folly, Adrien and Zoe

Gallery 339 (339 South 21st St) has two exhibits closing this Sat., Jan. 29 that I think you should see: Martine Fougeron's "After Prom" (from the TÃªte-Ã -TÃªte Project) captures moment-to-moment life of her sons hanging out with their friends after prom. A dilemma I found is that these photographs — ritically acclaimed on NPR and The New Yorker for their portrayal of genuine moments — were taken by these guys' mom, which would seem to create a sort of social Heisenberg uncertainty (i.e. I know my partying would be less genuine if my mother was around taking photos). Still, that doesn't take away from the fact that these photos are filled with the life and movement, as well as doldrums and lethargy of the archetypal post-prom adolescent weekend.

Martine Fougeron

Adrien's Carpet

The other exhibit is Rita Bernstein's "Ghosts of Summer," a series of silver emulsions on Japanese gampi, a type of rice-paper. Adequately named, these depictions of children in summertime is thoroughly haunting, and amazingly textured (think ambient vinyl clicks on an old phonograph, except, you know, visual).

Rita Bernstein

Sliding Pond

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

REVIEW: Homesick Elephant @ Johnny Brenda's, December 28

POSTED: Wednesday, December 29, 2010, 8:29 PM

Filed Under: Music | Concert Review | Philly Bands | Show | concert photos Last Night

Photo | John Vettese

Spin me a record, something with soul

Kevin Kelly and Sara FitzSimmons sang quite a bit about romantic mishaps, distance and heartbreak at Johnny Brenda's last night. But the biggest tragedy would be if folks walked away thinking they were just another She & Him-aping duo from L.A. It's understandable - cute girl with a pretty voice wears a sundress; guy next to her sports a fedora and suit vest, and strums an acoustic guitar; the two harmonize. And yeah, they're from L.A. Now. But they've been working that folksy soul charm for years, going back to Homesick Elephant's formidable days in Philly, doing open mics at The Fire circa 2007, as their other band Cheese on Bread wound down.

Photo | John Vettese

The JB's set was a sort of homecoming; the duo made the requisite jokes about how they hail from "Los Angeledelphia" and "we're not feeling so homesick right now." But their get-simple performance was what impressed the most. With just two microphones and a guitar, they struck the right blend of K Records and Sun Records, coming off sentimental, but sincere; comical, but convincing. Kelly proved nimble on the fretboard, fingerpicking most songs in studied folk patterns, while FitzSimmons's voice is a veritable instrument on its own, one that cooed with warmth and comfort but also required her to back away from the mic on the louder moments to keep the mix even. (Common practice for singers, yeah, but she does it remarkably well.) They sent out their song "Get On the Boat" to a friend in the audience who was stranded in Philly because of a flight cancellation, and played a winning cover of The Magnetic Fields' "All My Little Words." Their own words were clever puzzles of self conscious wit and timid introspection: "I'm quiet as a mouse, 'cept I don't even speak / and my car is makin' sounds, and the oil always leaks." If pressed to compare, I'd say it reminded me of Regina Spektor's first two albums, quirky and heartfelt, before she went all pop star. But it most certainly did not remind me of those other stars, Zooey and Matt, the doey-eye actress and the raspy hack. Homesick Elephant is more honest than they could ever hope to be.

Posted by john vettese @ 8:29 PM Permalink | Post a comment

PARTY: Shmitten Kitten's sexy holiday bash

POSTED: Thursday, December 16, 2010, 7:00 PM

Filed Under: Just Do It Party

schmittenkitten.com

Somebody wants a snowjob ...

Now that you've dutifully attended your work Christmas party â this is under the assumption that you have a job â it's time to kick back, slug a few $4 snowjobs and get into the spirit with a crowd that's a bit more, er, intriguing than your coworkers. The bonus is that no matter how piss drunk you get, come Monday you won't have to deal with office gossip or the awkwardness that goes along with an accidental make-out sesh with the company's accountant. Hosted by the Shmitten Kitten's lovely founder Anna Goldfarb, the party serves as a gathering of sweet blog readers under a serious amount of mistletoe. This isn't just an excuse for fans of the blog to hook up at the hand of Goldfarb (though that is allowed), it's her way to meet the readers, the people who enjoy her witty musings on dating. Because the people who already read the blog should be pretty awesome, right? Drink specials will abound, including the aforementioned Shmitten Kitten specialty, a snowjob. Don't ask what it is, just ask for two and make yourself a new friend.

Fri., Dec. 17, 10 p.m., Tattooed Mom's, 530 South St., 215-238-9880, shmittenkitten.com.

Posted by Julia West @ 7:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

PHILLY PHOTO DAY: Are you taking pictures yet?

POSTED: Thursday, October 28, 2010, 2:00 PM

Filed Under: Events | Kaleidoscopic Photos

deadspin.com

Please snap something like this

The Photo Arts Center's first every Philly Photo Day, which we told you about in this week's Kaleidoscope, began this morning at midnight. Now it's 9 a.m. and you only have fifteen more hours to pull that camera out of your bag to snap a photo of anything under the Philadelphia sun. It can be a street sign, a funny looking cloud, or heck, it could even be you acting like a jackass in front of City Hall — just make sure it's taken within the city limits. When it's all said and done, your photo will be displayed with all the others at the Crane Arts Center on Nov. 11. So let's band together, start snapping and make this thing huge. Check the complete list of guidelines after the jump. It's only fun if you play by the rules: 1. Photographs must be taken today between midnight and 11:59 p.m. Not a second before; not a second after. 2. You're only allowed to submit one image. 3. The photos must be taken within the city limits, though outsiders can participate if they can adhere to this rule. 4. You can use any type of camera, but the image must be submitted digitally. 5. Size and format qualifications: The image must be submitted as a JPEG or TIFF at 3200 pixels x 2400 pixels (10.5" x 8" at 300 ppi). Smaller files will be re-sized to fit the recommended dimensions. 6. You have until 8 p.m. on Sun., Oct. 31 to submit them. 7. Upload your digital files at philaphotoarts.org. They won't accept any email submissions.

Posted by Josh Middleton @ 2:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

NOW LOOK AT THIS: Light Drift by J. Meejin Yoon

POSTED: Tuesday, October 19, 2010, 3:00 PM

Filed Under: Arts Mural High Ground

On Friday, the Mural Arts Program plugged in Light Drift, a dazzlingly strange installation by artist J. Meejin Yoon along the Schuylkill near Market. This was a limited time deal; just three nights and it was gone. That's a shame because Light Drift woulda worked as a permanent or long-term fixture on the river, all these strange lighted pods floating on the dark water, occasionally shifting from minty green to pepperminty blue in unpredictable patterns. The lights swooned and bobbed, but stayed in formation. It brought to mind aliens and Mentos. Similar, seat-shaped pods were set up along the bank, and these shifted color with each new butt they encountered, which in turn influenced the color shifts on the river pods, via radio signals. So cool and strange.

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

miss lilacs

Posted 2010-10-19 14:49:25

i wish they kept these up! this is beautiful. maybe they will bring them back? :)

Josh Middleton

Posted 2010-10-21 14:52:21

I thought they should have kept them out, too. Maybe another year!

Posted by Patrick Rapa @ 3:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

OPENING TONIGHT IN NYC: Michael M. Koehler's "Along Bayou Road"

POSTED: Wednesday, October 6, 2010, 8:58 PM

Filed Under: Arts Photos

That name, Michael Koehler, should be familiar to City Paper readers. Over the years, Mike's shots have shown up in our pages more times than our search engine can properly guess. (See Ridin' Dirty, Up from Underground, and so on.) His finest hour so far might've been Fade to Black, a June 3, 2010 cover story photo essay on the oil spill in the the Gulf. Now some of those pics and a bunch more will go on display at Gallery Bar in NYC. If you find yourself nearby, definitely check it out. Along Bayou Road runs Oct. 6-26; Opening reception with the artist Oct. 6, 7-9 p.m.; Artist talk Oct. 13, 7 p.m.; Gallery Bar NYC, 120 Orchard St., gallerybarnyc.com, michaelmkoehler.com.

Posted by Patrick Rapa @ 8:58 PM Permalink | Post a comment

Is the irony of a Betty Draper Barbie too much to handle?

POSTED: Friday, March 12, 2010, 1:40 PM

Filed Under: Critical Mass | TV | Mad Men Watch

variety.com

I would say that this is a What We Heart, if these Mad Men Barbies weren't super creepy. The special collection dolls based on everybody's favorite morally lax ad men (and their ladies) retails for $74.95 and will be sold at high-end retail stores and amctv.com and barbiecollector.com.

Do you think the come with little Barbie cigarettes too? What about tumblers of whiskey for mini-Roger Sterling (inner left) and mini-Don Draper (inner right)? I love how they gave Joan (left) a set of hips just like her portrayer, most-beautiful-woman-in-the-world Christina Hendricks.

Hey, did you know that Box Brown, who is showing his work at Brave New World this month, did one of the most apt portraits of Hendricks I've ever seen?

boxbrown.com

That portrait may be even more realistic than the Barbie.

Felicia D'Ambrosio

Posted 2010-03-12 11:21:54

I wish I was still ten and getting a collector's edition Barbie for each birthday and Xmas.  These are fly.

Posted by Molly Eichel @ 1:40 PM Permalink | Post a comment

KALEIDOSCOPIC: Scout Niblett, "Your Beat Kicks Back Like Death"

POSTED: Thursday, March 11, 2010, 8:15 PM

Filed Under: Kaleidoscopic | Music | Show Watch

I wrote a little thing in today's paper on Scout Niblett's new album, The Calcination of Scout Niblett, but I forgot to mention: She's playing JB's tonight. Her shows always rock in a weird, weird way.

Scout Niblett plays tonight, Thu., March 13, 9 p.m., $10, with Gildon Works and Walker Lundee, Johnny Brenda's, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 215-739-9684, johnnybrendas.com.

Posted by Patrick Rapa @ 8:15 PM Permalink | Post a comment

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | NEXT »

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!
Coming soon to Philly: Two cockamamie movie promotion schemes
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.
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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