Music
Don't know what to do tonight? Don't worry, we've got you covered.
Combine all of the ICA's events in honor of the late, great jazz artist Sun Ra the exhibit featuring drawings, album covers and rare tracks by and about him, John Szwed's July 8 lecture and tonight's performance by his band, and you've practically got an ever-changing shrine in West Philly to the guy.
Not that there's anything wrong with that. He was one of the weirdest, most creative Philadelphians to originally come from Saturn, ever.
Wed., July 1, 7 p.m., $5-$10, Institute for Contemporary Arts, 118 S. 36th St., 215-898-7108, icaphila.org.
Don't know what to do tonight? Don't worry, we've got you covered.
Well, first of all, we have to admit that we're not too excited about most of the acts playing tonight and unless 311 or Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars are your bag, you won't be either. (And maybe they are. I can't blame you too much for wanting to listen to reggae during the summertime.) Also, it being that strange week before July 4 where Philly essentially says "fuck it" and heads to the Jersey Shore, there isn't much else besides music, fireworks and fests going on. That being said, we stumbled onto Caravan of Theives and find their bluegrass-inspired, Decemberists thing rather charming. It should be a good night for fiddle music.
Tue., June 30, 8 p.m., free, World Café Live, 3025 Walnut St., 215-222-1400, worldcafelive.com.
Don't know what to do tonight? Don't worry, we've got you covered.
Wow. I'm girl crushin' big on Tiny Vipers. She's got a beautiful, Southern blues-y alto that reminds me of Cat Power's best days. She also just got signed to Sub Pop Records, and has a badass haircut to boot. Get to this seated show at the Church's chapel, where only 50 people will be seated immediately.
Tue., June 23, 8 p.m., $10, First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St., 866-468-7619, r5productions.com.
Don't know what to do tonight? Don't worry, we've got you covered.
It's a choice between two musical acts tonight, which, frankly, on a Monday, you should be grateful for. There's Ida Maria aka senior editor Pat Rapa's crush, which he wrote about on Critical Mass a very solid option. She's got a hell of an enthralling voice, but the show is at the North Star, which is kind of a dungeon. (This bar is right around my house, though, so that may be why I always expect more out of it.) There's also The Mural and The Mint, a sort of poor man's The Decemberists, playing at the Piazza at Schmidt's. And that's practically the opposite of a dungeon. Plus, it's free.
Mon., June 15, 7 p.m., free, the Piazza at Schmidt's, Second Street and Germantown avenues, atthepiazza.com.
Don't know what to do tonight? Don't worry, we've got you covered.
I'm not quite sure why this band is often compared to The White Stripes they're much less conventional, what with the organs and the abstract lyrics and the low-budget music videos. More than anything, they seem inspired by folk like The Pixies and MC5. All you need to know, though, is that it's garage rock done right.
Wed., June 10, 8 p.m., $15, Kung Fu Necktie, 1248 N. Front St., 215-291-4919, kungfunecktie.com.
![]() |
| Gophila |
Because this weekend, they're gonna be.
As part of some crazy promotion/out of the goodness of their ink-crazed hearts, Sailor Jerry (116-118 S. 13th St., 215-531-6380?) is holding two free events this Friday and Sunday: a show by the A.K.A.s before they leave for the Vans Warped Tour, and a free-of-charge tattoo day at Philadelphia Eddie's Tattoo (904 Arch St., 215-440-9997).
I don't have any tattoos, and the reason being is that every time I look back on who I was a year ago, I think, "What a fool I definitely wouldn't trust that person to get a tattoo I'd like for the rest of my life." But this free business is pretty tempting. Are any of you tattoo virgins going to do the deed this weekend?
UPDATE: There is a catch the tattoo has to be of the band's logo. That's kinda lame but still, it's free, so kinda cool. More info the band's MySpace.
A.K.A.s show Fri., June 12, 7 p.m., free, 116-118 S. 13th St., 215-531-6380, sailorjerry.com; Tattoo Day Sun., June 14, noon-8 p.m., Philadelphia Eddie's Tattoo, 904 Arch St., 215-440-9997, philadelphiaeddiestattoo.com.
Don't know what to do tonight? Don't worry, we've got you covered.
![]() |
A lesser known fact about Grant Hart, the drummer and songwriter for Hüsker Dü: He created nearly all of the band's visual artwork, including the bit above. Long estranged from the occasionally dysfunctional hardcore group, Hart has dabbled in both other bands and solo work since, and is currently exploring the latter.
His music appeals the fans of Hüsker Dü's lighter, more pop-driven pieces, and he's rather multitalented: In addition to creating art and music, he writes and reads poetry. Though he usually compartmentalizes the three talents, perhaps we can convince him to be interdisciplinary tonight if we tell him he's better than Greg Norton?
Tue., June 2, 8 p.m., $10, Johnny Brenda's, Frankford & Girard aves., 215-739-9684, johnnybrendas.com.
Don't know what to do tonight? Don't worry, we've got you covered.
![]() |
| Nothing Golden Stays |
The folks over at WXPN are billing this event as our very own SXSW. I don't know about that however, it does seem to have a fairly cool line-up, which includes The Avett Brothers, Rhett Miller and the ever-dreamy Pete Yorn (whose loveliness is pictured above). The event kicked off today, and will be continuing through Saturday. Also, there will be workshops on marketing, fundraising and basically keeping radio's ass alive, and Sean Hoots from Hoots & Hellmouth spoke this morning about the relationship between artists and radio check out more from that on the Web site.
Thu.-Sat., May 28-30, various times (this evening's acts start at 9:45 p.m.), $75-$100, World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St., 215-222-1400, xpn.org/music-artist/noncomm-2009.
Don't know what to do tonight? Don't worry, we've got you covered.
![]() |
| Brothers Four |
Did you know the word "hootenanny" was basically an early-2oth century term for "whatchamacallit?" Yep. From there it changed into slang for "party," and then at some point become synonymous with a bunch of people playing old-timey music on acoustic guitars. Every month, Walking Fish hosts a version of latter. Feel free to bring your own banjos, fiddles and gee-tars to join in on the bluegrass tunes, or just watch and listen.
Wed., May 27, 7-10 p.m., free, Walking Fish Theatre, 2509 Frankford Ave., 215-427-WALK, walkingfishtheatre.com.
- ActiVman
- adventures
- Arts
- Ask A Man-About-Town
- Award Tour
- Awards
- Bad Idea Factory
- Beer
- Below the Curve
- Bikes
- Booze
- Brian Hickey
- BRT
- Budget
- Budget Fuss
- Business
- Casinos
- City Council
- City Hall
- CouncilMANIC
- CP Abroad
- CP in the Community
- Criminal Justice System
- Day Tripper
- Death and Taxes
- Delaware River
- Design
- DROP
- Drugs
- Dubious Distinction
- Elections
- End of Days
- Environment
- Fashion
- Film Fest
- Financial Meltdown
- FrackTrack
- Free Library
- Gambling
- Gay Stuff
- Get Lit
- Greenstorming
- guns
- Hall Monitor
- Health
- Health Care
- Hello, Kitty
- Holidays
- Ice Cubes
- Iggles
- Immigration
- In Memoriam
- Labor
- Lawsuits
- Letters
- LGBTQ
- Maps
- Marcellus Shale
- Media
- MMA
- Mummers
- Music
- MUST READ
- Mysterious Mysteries
- Nation
- News
- Non Sequitur
- Opinion
- PA politics 2010
- Parking Wars
- Parks and Recreation
- People Send Us This Stuff
- Philadelphia Police
- Philadelphia Union
- Philaphemera
- Philly From Scratch
- philly madness
- Photos
- Poverty
- PPA
- President Obama
- Print Edition
- Prisons
- Protest
- Readers Write
- Real Estate
- Rock Bottom
- Schools
- Science
- Screwing Philly
- SEPTA
- snow
- So Lush
- Soccer
- Sporting Life
- Sports Complex
- State Politicians
- State Politics
- Street Art
- Strike
- Stuff We Like
- Taxes
- Taxi Drivers
- Tech Fetish
- television
- The Budget Crisis
- The City Paper
- The CLOG
- The Human Condition
- The Mayor
- The Phightin Phils
- The World
- Things that make you go hm
- Tinfoil Hats Off
- Under the Table
- Under the Tables
- Urban Development
- Urban Planning
- urban wildlife
- Video Poker
- We Call Shenanigans
- Weather
- Web Junk
- Weekend Omnibus
- White House
- What We've Found
- Women's Issues
- Flyered Up!
- How 'Bout That Weather?
- it's always sunny in philadelphia
- Stu!
- Shopping
- get out
- 10-track mind
- ArtsFlash
- Bloggity
- Bruce Being Bruce
- Colleges
- Comedy
- Gigantic Surprises
- Hello Canary
- Hello Puppy
- errata
- get lost
- Inside The Fishbowl
- Library Closings
- Local Support
- Movies
- Murder
- Night Moves
- Recycling
- radio
- Scientology
- Sex
- Sixers
- Skeeze Police
- State Politicians Screwing Philly
- That's a cool stencil!
- Theater
- Things We See
- This Week
- This Week in Oates
- University City
- WIN
- What we don't heart
- trailer!
- what we heart
- Feeling Guilty
- Askadelphia.
- Broke in Philly
- Contest
- Dance
- Dear Paper Doll
- Do A Good Thing
- Education
- Film Fest Schism
- G20-20 Vision
- Goodbye
- Gossip
- Great American Heroes
- PATCO
- Pearl Jam Week
- Puppy
- Stars of the Photostream
- sustainability
- Lower Merion Webcam-Gate
- The Cycle
- Equality Forum
- Bureaucrat of the Week
- Animals
- ElectionEar
- Photostream







