Just Do It

JUST DO IT: Gallery 339's "Days With My Father" reception and book signing

POSTED: Wednesday, September 29, 2010, 5:53 PM

Filed Under: Just Do It

gallery339.com

dad napping, by Phillip Toledano

Just got word that Gallery 339's hosting a mid-show reception tomorrow, Sept. 30, from 6-8 p.m., for Phillip Toledano's sweet, sad exhibit "Days With My Father," a series of photos that capture what it's like to care for an elderly dad. The artist will be in attendance to sign copies of the exhibit's accompanying book and answer questions like, how adorable is that sheep mask? OK, and probably some more serious ones, too. John Vettese previewed the show in last week's paper:

"I want to think seriously about what I can accomplish with what's left of my life." Scrawled in uneven handwriting on a lined notebook page, these words might set a dismal tone for Phillip Toledano's photographic journal of caring for his 96-year-old father. Then again, they're from an image titled ambition; maybe Toledano's father, Edward — a painter and onetime actor — isn't sulking in self-pity with those words. Maybe he's serious. It's easy to overlook, depending on your level of comfort with the aged and ailing, but there is a lot of joy and warmth to be found in "Days With My Father." In the beautifully backlit sometimes things are funny, Edward sits in an easy chair with a sly smirk, two shortbread cookies perched on his sweater like nipples. In dad napping (pictured), he reclines wearing a wool sleep mask, decorated to look like the lamb it came from, with stitched eyelids and a pink bow. And beyond the play tomfoolery (and, yes, tear-jerking difficulties) of life at home, we do see hints of the ambition suggested by that first image: an assortment of paintings Edward made from the 1970s and '90s.

Reception Thu., Sept. 30, 6-8 p.m., free, exhibit runs through Nov. 6, Gallery 339, 339 S. 21st St., 215-731-1530, gallery339.com.

Posted by Carolyn Huckabay @ 5:53 PM Permalink | Post a comment

JUST DO IT: Rapping with the Mid-Atlantic Vintage League

POSTED: Monday, September 27, 2010, 7:07 PM

Filed Under: Critical Mass | Just Do It

Photo | Mid-Atlantic Vintage League

You better steal that base

I'll admit it, I'm not a sports person. Sometimes I need an extra second to remember if the Phillies play hockey or basketball, but there is a sporty event coming up this week that may interest even the poorest of sports fans, especially if you have a knack for history. Captains and players of the Mid-Atlantic Vintage League are leading a discussion in Roxborough about the history of base ball (that's how it was spelled then), and how the game has changed since some of the first local leagues began to crop up in the 1860s. The great thing about them, however, is that they don't just teach about 19th century baseball techniques; they actually play. Decked out in authentic, period baseball uniforms, these guys have been hitting the fields since last August. The 14 teams that make up the Mid-Atlantic league boast being able to play the game like it was originally played. For instance, speed and curveballs will garner you a 25 cent fine, participants play without gloves and there is no dirt field — the game is played on an open plot of grass. They'll be leading their chat in full vintage regalia, so stop by and give these fellas a look and a listen. I hear they're also looking for extra players, but if playing isn't your thing, maybe you could suggest forming a vintage cheerleading squad. I'm sure they'll appreciate all the rah-rahs they can get when the 2010 Championship Tournament begins in Pennsville, N.J. on Sun., Oct. 3. Wed., Sept. 29, 8:15 p.m., free, Coyle's Cafe, 6080 Ridge Ave., 215-487-9914.

Posted by Josh Middleton @ 7:07 PM Permalink | Post a comment

JUST DO IT: Get A Haircut For Charity

POSTED: Wednesday, September 22, 2010, 10:37 PM

Filed Under: Critical Mass | Just Do It Fashion

Photo | fastcompany.com

You could clean the Gulf with that

Looking for a new fall do? Well, we know how you can get snipped at one of Philly's sexiest salons without paying a dime. Yea, you heard right. This weekend Salon Vanity is holding their annual Locks of Love Day. Guests can swing by to get a free cut if they opt to donate their fallen tresses to Locks of Love, a non-profit that provides hair pieces to financially disadvantaged kids suffering from disease-induced hair loss. Four stylists will be on duty pampering each customer like they would any other paying client. Besides a cut, they'll provide washes, blow outs and even style your new coiffure. Any gratuity you decide to leave will also be donated to Locks of Love. Salon Manager Amy Lamberson says the client typically needs to sacrifice at least ten inches to make a relevant donation, so come ready for drastic change. She says walk-ins are welcome but appointments are highly suggested. The books are apparently filling up fast, which means you may be passing more short-haired girls on the street soon. A new fall trend? We hope so. Sun., Sept. 26, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., free, Salon Vanity, 1701 Walnut St., 4th Floor, 215-925-2211, vanityphilly.com.

kwpang

Posted 2010-09-22 21:31:11

I don't mind getting a hair cut for charity, but 10 inches is a bit too long isn't it?

Josh

Posted 2010-09-22 22:37:09

I agree, kwpang, but that's what they told me. I have a feeling they'd accept any amount of hair they can get. Give it a try!

EvaL

Posted 2010-09-23 09:30:43

It's a great charity!!! Can't wait !! 
I do believe 10 inches is min. to make a hairpiece
Read below  
http://www.locksoflove.org

Josh Middleton

Posted 2010-09-23 15:07:42

Good info, EvaL. Thanks!

Posted by Josh Middleton @ 10:37 PM Permalink | Post a comment

JUST DO IT: Bario-Neal Grand Opening

POSTED: Friday, September 17, 2010, 8:25 PM

Filed Under: Just Do It

Photo | Bario-Neal

Jewelry in recycled glass bottle packaging

Have you noticed the transformation that's taking place on the corner of Sixth and Bainbridge in Bella Vista? It's kind of hard to miss. The loud, orange and blue storefront that once housed the Skateboard Shop is no more. Taking its place is Bario-Neal, a toned-down, chic purveyor of jewelry made locally from 100% reclaimed precious metals. Passersby can take their first chance to peek inside tomorrow when owners and designers Anna Bario and Page Neal throw their grand opening hoopla. Bario says the festivities will feature beer, wine and an assortment of snacks; and their collection of bling will be available for purchase. All of their pieces are created through a low-impact, environmentally-friendly process using reclaimed metals and ethically-sourced stones. The casual pieces (bracelets, necklaces, trinkets) range from $15 to $220, while their upscale goods (engagement rings, wedding bands) can cost anywhere from $150 to $10K. This is their very first retail location, so pop in to congratulate them on their pretty new space and welcome them to the neighborhood. Oh, and while you're at it, can you pick us up something shiny and gorgeous? Sat., Sept. 18th, 5 p.m., free, Bario-Neal, 700 S. 16th St., 215.454.2164, bario-neal.com

Posted by Josh Middleton @ 8:25 PM Permalink | Post a comment

JUST DO IT: The Jungle screening, Sept. 24, with original cast members in attendance

POSTED: Thursday, September 16, 2010, 9:00 PM

Filed Under: Just Do It

Photo | Temple University Libraries

We just got word that The Jungle, a short film about gang members in 1960s North Philly (which Shaun Brady told us all about last week), is not only being screened next weekend at Scribe, but the young men who appeared in the film will be on hand for a post-screening Q&A. Here's what Shaun had to say about the film:

When the Library of Congress announced the list of films that would be preserved as part of its 2009 National Film Registry, alongside such landmark titles as Michael Jackson's Thriller, Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West and Sidney Lumet's Dog Day Afternoon sat a little-known 1967 short titled The Jungle. Created by a group of African-American gang members in North Philly under the supervision of Temple social worker Harold Haskins, the gritty, remarkable 22-minute film circulated on the educational market for years.

Visit Scribe on Sept. 24 to watch the film and chat with Haskins and the men who made the film happen. Fri., Sept. 24, 7 p.m., $5, Scribe Video Center, 4212 Chestnut St., Third Floor, scribe.org.

Posted by Carolyn Huckabay @ 9:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

JUST DO IT: Enter First Person Arts' StorySlam theme contest

POSTED: Friday, August 13, 2010, 4:00 PM

Filed Under: Just Do It

You know that story you tell every time you get drunk — the one about the monkey poop? We assume the reason you've never gotten on stage — sober or not so much — to share your tale with the world is that First Person Arts' StorySlam themes never quite jived with your punchline (although we could make the argument that "Show and Tell" would have worked). Well, here's your chance, teller of gross and/or obscurely themed stories: We just got word that the folks at First Person Arts are putting Philadelphians' creativity to the test: Click on over to firstpersonarts.org and enter their StorySlam theme contest (running through Aug. 27), wherein you can enter up to five potential Slam themes (past themes have included "A Date to Remember," "Criminal Intent" and "I Think We're Alone"). If your theme idea is selected, you'll win a pair of tickets to that night's Slam. Animal House, anyone?

Julia Hays

Posted 2010-08-13 11:49:30

Did it! I can't wait to see what gets chosen.

Posted by Carolyn Huckabay @ 4:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

JUST DO IT: Jerry Garcia's B-day party

POSTED: Friday, July 30, 2010, 10:17 PM

Filed Under: Just Do It | Music

Jerry Garcia's 68^th birthday is this Sunday, and North Star Bar is celebrating the late musician with a performance by country-tinged rock band Jemimah Puddleluck, a group fronted by Mark Karan, who used to play with The Other Ones, a band comprised of former Grateful Dead members, with Karan filling in the role of Garcia. While the band's performance is a perfect way for Dead Heads to celebrate Garcia's birthday, Andrew Miller from the North Star says the band's touring schedule was more a serendipitous little surprise for Philly, rather than a pre-planned birthday party. "The stars happened to align and they were available," Miller says. The concert will also feature a performance by local jam band Psychadelphia. "It's more of a show ... that happens to be on Jerry Garcia's birthday, just to get people in the spirit of the Dead," Miller says. "You can call it a party if you want, you can call it a rock show."
Sun., Aug. 1, 8 p.m. $15-18, North Star, 2639 Poplar St., 215-787-0488.

Posted by Marielle Mondon @ 10:17 PM Permalink | Post a comment

JUST DO IT: "Ancient Rome & America" tonight at the National Constitution Center

POSTED: Thursday, July 29, 2010, 4:16 PM

Filed Under: Just Do It

The National Constitution Center's multimillion-dollar "Ancient Rome & America" exhibit has been on display for months, so why are we nagging you to go see it on a random Thursday evening? The reasons are twofold:

The exhibit closes on August 1, which means your history-buff heart has but three days to catch the NCC's collection of 300 Italian and American artifacts; and
It's "$5 after 5 p.m." night — if you head Independence Mall way after work today, you'll save $15 on admission, which is a pretty sweet deal.

If you're still not sold on the idea, read what Shaun Brady had to say about "AR&A" in a February edition of the City Paper and prepare yourself to get seriously schooled:

Having just overthrown a king, America's founding fathers were understandably averse to monarchies, shunning the trappings of royalty while laying the groundwork for the new nation. Empire, on the other hand. ... It seems the cultural and political innovations of the ancient Romans had long since eclipsed its more tyrannical tendencies in the thinking of those colonial revolutionaries. Accusations of American imperialism get raised like alarm bells at the outset of every modern war, but the idea — and its uneasy relation to the country's self-professed values — is as old as the Constitution itself. The National Constitution Center's exhibition explores the links between the two societies, with artifacts including toga-clad busts of Washington, Jefferson and Franklin that echo classical examples and clash awkwardly with those leaders' populist mythologies.

"Ancient Rome & America," through Aug. 1, $5-$20, National Constitution Center, 525 Arch St., 215-409-6700, constitutioncenter.org.

Posted by Carolyn Huckabay @ 4:16 PM Permalink | Post a comment

JUST DO IT: POP Music Festival on Saturday

POSTED: Friday, July 16, 2010, 3:00 PM

Filed Under: Just Do It | Music | Philly Bands Show

The Weeds

Green thumbs will be plucking guitar strings at Liberty Lands this weekend. The Philadelphia Orchard Project is hosting a concert on Saturday in an effort to promote fresh veggies, gardening and the pursuit of green spaces. The concert which will showcase local artists like The Weeds and the West Philly Orchestra doubles as a fundraiser to germinate some George Washington's to support the community's go green initiative. Go green junkies can learn about the POP's volunteer opportunities as well as how to go about producing fresh fruits and vegetables for city dwellers. Right now they're cultivating awareness, the tomatoes come later. Sat., July 17, 2:30-8:30 p.m., free, with The Mean, Betty Iron Thumbs, The Weeds, Elder Brother and West Philadelphia Orchestra, Liberty Lands Park, Northern Liberties, phillyorchards.org.

Kim

Posted 2010-07-16 14:35:16

Just a quick clarification. The event, while open to the public, is not exactly free.

There is a suggested minimum donation of $5 for kids and designated drivers, and for those parking in the Philadelphia Brewing Company beer we're requesting a minimum $15 donation.

Thanks and hope to see you there!

kim

Posted 2010-07-16 19:05:39

Ahem... I meant, those "partaking" in beer... not parking in it!

Posted by Jen Rini @ 3:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

JUST DO IT: Steven Raichlen talks grillin'/illin' at the Free Library tonight

POSTED: Thursday, July 15, 2010, 4:11 PM

Filed Under: Just Do It

Even the most diehard grill fanatics among us, those who swear that everything from filet mignon to Froot Loops taste better with cross-hatched sear marks and a generous shroud of smoke, usually keep one or two fire-breathing devices in the backyard. But BBQ guru Steven Raichlen, who calls himself "live-fire cooking's foremost authority, ambassador, and author," earned my undying envy several years back during an interview on NPR. Asked how many grills he used at home, Raichlen actually had to pause, glance out his window, and count before coming back with seven. And that's not counting his basement, which reportedly is crammed with some 60 grills collected during his travels, the latest of which are recounted in his new cookbook, Planet Barbecue! Compiling more than 300 dishes from 60 countries on six continents — guess we'll have to wait till the next book for that blackened Antarctic penguin recipe — the book offers tips on exoticizing your next cook-out with Vietnamese spit-roasted duck or even a Croatian cheesesteak. And for those feeling a bit of grill envy, feel free to up your count with a trip to the toolshed — there's even a how-to for cooking lamb chops on a shovel over an open campfire, straight from the Australian Outback. Steven Raichlen talks tonight at 7:30 p.m., free, Free Library, Central Branch, 1901 Vine St., 215-567-4341, freelibrary.org. To read a Q&A with Raichlen, head on over to City Paper's Food section. RELATED >> The Pitmaster: Barbecue king Steven Raichlen preaches from the gospel of global grilling

Posted by shaun brady @ 4:11 PM Permalink | Post a comment

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PHILLY LOVE NOTES: An ode to Spruce Street
Q&A with SHARI SOLANIS: "The goal isn't pornography"
ICE CUBE: In Memoriam: Joe Tartaglia
CONCERT REVIEW & PHOTOS: James Blake @ TLA 5/11
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"
CONCERT REVIEW: Primus (3D & quadraphonic sound) @ The Tower 10/17
ICEPACK ILLUSTRATED: The Archbishop meets the Geator, the Mayor goes suit shopping, Le Bec Fin fin.

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.

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