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Archive: April, 2009
Don't know what to do tonight? Don't worry , we've got you covered.
If, for some crazy reason, you don't like giant bonfires, Swedish hot dogs (that's right, not meatballs, folks) and good times, and therefore won't be attending the Valborgsmässoafton Celebration tonight, there's always the Tom Waits Tribute Night. Which is pretty good, too. Andrew Lipke, Paper Masques, Cheap Dinosaurs, Grimace Federation and about 20 other folks will be singing from Waits' oeuvre, and attempting to replicate a voice that one critic described as "soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months and then taken outside and run over with a car." Yep. Oh yeah, and then swallowed by the smoke monster and spat back out.
Thu., April 30, 9 p.m., $7, Fire, 412 W. Girard Ave., 267-671-9298, iourecords.com.
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| Mundie Art |
Other than some Bastille Days here and a few Meet-the-Prisoner events there, the Eastern State Penitentiary is like that aunt of yours you see her on one holiday (in ESP's case, Halloween; in your aunt's case, Christmas, Passover or another somesuch thing), and then she's gone for the rest of the year. Which is a real damn shame. Cause, when I saw Philly-area composers perform at ESP this Friday as part of the Chamber Music Now! series, it ruled.
The acoustics were great. The exhibits that decorated the space including one that featured cat sculptures and another that held tiny installations revealing lesser-known facts about ESP were a nice touch, and entertaining to look at during the intermission. Surrounded by cement and brick, it was freezing (on Friday, when it was bloody hot outside), meaning that AC costs would be nil during the summer. And, best of all, it was creepy as hell. As I was listening to a super-high pitched soprano sing about going mad in solitary confinement (many of the works were inspired by past ESP residents), I sat next to a completely dark cell, which meant I had an adrenaline-filled panic attack every five seconds. So, I'm asking you ESP: Can you hold more performances here? Like book Bjork or Portishead maybe? I feel they'd fit the space well. Or hold a dance party? Don't let those Making Time kids come, though. God knows what terrible things they'll do in the empty cells.
Oh yeah, and FYI: There are two more CMN! events taking place at ESP on May 1 & 3, at 8 p.m.
Don't know what to do tonight? Don't worry, we've got you covered.
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| gophila.com |
In this week's Agenda section, Lauren F. Friedman covered the hell out of the Equality Forum she picked its best events, which include a discussion with San Fran mayor Gavin Newsom and the big ass rally supporting GLBT rights on May 3, just for you. But that's hardly all EF has to offer. Today marks its beginning, which includes a V.I.P. party at City Hall. If you can't sneak your way into that, there's also an all-are-welcome panel on transgender civil rights issues, with Joelle Ruby Ryan (the lady who founded the group Transcendence) moderating, or the Richard Amsel exhibit. Even if you don't recognize the former artist by name, you'll know Amsel's work immediately he's responsible for that sexy Raiders of the Lost Ark illustration.
Richard Amsel Retrospective: Through May 14, free, Rosenwald-Wolf Gallery, University of the Arts, 333 S. Broad St., 215-732-3378, equalityforum.com; National Transgender Panel: Mon., April 27, 8-9:15 p.m., free, Prince Music Theater, 1412 Chestnut St., 215-732-3378, equalityforum.com.
We're clearly a little bike-happy over here at CP. But when it's this nice outside, and our muscle mass is shrinking by the second, can you blame us? The video above is a trailer for I Love My Bicycle: The Story of FBM Bikes, which was made by local filmmaker Joe Stakun. (Full disclosure: Both of us being Temple students, I've been to a few of the same parties as Stakun. It's a small world over there on Broad.) The film is nominated for best documentary at the Bare Bones Festival in Oklahoma, where it aired last week. Yo, Joe we're proud of you and all, but don't go and get talented and then leave Philly for good, mmkay? We still have PFF here, after all.
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| The Round Word |
| She'd be proud, me thinks. |
On Tuesday, I lamented that no one in this fair city had signed up for Jane's Walk, a national event that takes place on May 2 and 3. Inspired by Jane Jacobs, the urban know-it-all and author of The Death and Life of Great American Cities, it seeks to encourage community bonding and pride by having locals give tours of the places they live, work or play in. As the Web site for the event explains, "Jacobs believed strongly that local residents understood best how their neighborhood works, and what is needed to strengthen and improve them."
But then, this morning, I got an encouraging e-mail from the Preservation Alliance:
The Preservation Alliance will launch its new architectural walking tours with a FREE guided walking tour of the LITTLEST STREETS EAST OF BROAD as a participant in Janes Walk commemorating the birthday of the great urban thinker Jane Jacobs.
To which I have to say, take that, Moscow Pride! We feel safe walking on our streets, too! The event will take place on May 2 at 2 p.m., and attendees can meet at the center of Kahn Park, on 11th & Pine streets. A walk down the little, oft-overlooked streets east of Broad sounds perfect for that 80 degree weather we'll be having on Saturday, peeps.
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| Haute Trash |
| Uh, that "trash" is nicer than what I wore to my friend's wedding. |
Don't know what to do tonight? Don't worry, we've got you covered.
I know we're overloading you with fashion show and Earth Day events these days and combinations of the two, for that matter but here I come with another, cause it's cute: The Moore College of Art & Design kids are putting on a fashion show with clothing and accessories made entirely from recycled and/or reused items. Even cooler, it was all done for a class (that they got three credits for!) Jack Thompson, professor of fine arts 3D and basics, had them make up stuff with electrical tape, soy packets, shower curtains, used candy wrappers, phone wire and old CDs. I totally give the girl at a left, who fashioned her dress out of old newspapers, plastic and other leftovers, an "A."
Thu., April 23, 6:30 p.m., Moore College of Art & Design, 20th St. & the Parkway, 215-965-4065, moore.edu.
Don't know what to do tonight? Don't worry, we've got you covered.
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| howartandmusiccanchangetheworld |
| David & Jean, the happy duo/artists/ musicians. |
Talk about an optimistic statement David Lester and Jean Smith think that art and music can change the world as we know it. Part of the lit pop group Mecca Normal, they've been traveling the country to convince people of their starry-eyed beliefs. Through PowerPoint, speech and performance, they'll discuss how their art has created social change, what it means to be D.I.Y. performers and the nitty gritty of collaboration. Here's a sample of what they'll be discussing:
"In our early years I spoke from the stage," Jean says. "Between fairly literal songs about feminism, poverty and housing issues, to encourage women to start bands with other women, as opposed to being audience members. The social movement known as Riot Grrrl began and its founding members cited Mecca Normal as an inspiration to its inception. We connected with audiences who were encouraged to, in this case, focus on feminist concerns using music and culture. This direct linearity of events inspired us to address the idea that it is not possible to change the world. We did change the world."
Call 'em naive if you want, but in this climate I call it refreshing.
Wed., April 22, 8 p.m., $8, NEXUS/Foundation for Today's Art, 1400 N. American St., 215-684-1946, nexusphiladelphia.org.
Don't know what to do tonight? Don't worry, we've got you covered.
Sandra Faber, the recipient of the 2009 Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science, is taking a survey. She's examining more than 65,000 galaxies looking at them, measuring the heavy elements in them, determining how old they are all to find out if they've got the right stuff to make life. Her and a bunch of other brainiacs, including Michael Fall, Jeremiah Ostriker, Scott Tremaine and David Weinberg, will ask the big questions that Faber's work is pondering tonight Are we alone? Do we have galactical homies out there? And if we don't, how is it possible that in that big mess of a universe we're the only frickin ones?
Tue., April 21, 7-9 p.m., free, Franklin Institute, 20th St. & the Parkway, 215-448-1329, fi.edu.
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| The Round Word |
| Sweet glasses, Jane. |
I've heard people time and time again say that Philly has an inferiority complex to which I've either disagreed, or said that we're simply modest compared to the megalomaniac city two hours north. But maybe there's something to it not a single soul has signed up for Jane's Walk, a national event (May 2 & 3) that's inspired by the urban matron saint, Ms. Jacobs. The idea behind it is this:
Jane's Walk raises urban literacy by combining the simple act of walking with personal observations, urban history, planning, design and civic engagement ... All Janes Walk tours are given and taken for free. These walks are led by anyone who has an interest in the neighborhoods where they live, work or hang out. They are not always about architecture and heritage, and offer a more personal take on the local culture, the social history and the planning issues faced by the residents. Jacobs believed strongly that local residents understood best how their neighborhood works, and what is needed to strengthen and improve them.
Sounds like something right up Philly's alley, no? And, though anyone can sign up, no one has. (If you're wondering why I haven't, it's simply a fear of public speaking that's holding me back. If anyone wants to provide the Valium, I'll provide the tour.) Seriously, people Moscow, Idaho is signed up. WTF is Moscow, Idaho and why does someone care about it more than we do Philly?
Don't know what to do tonight? Don't worry, we've got you covered.
Most of you have been to Bob & Barbra's Drunken Spelling Bee before, but to paraphrase John Stewart in Half Baked have you ever been to the Drunken Spelling Bee high? 'Nuff said. (And, yes, that was the third 4/20 reference made on The Clog today.) It's also worth noting that the $5 cover charge gets you a free PBR. And that they're also playing Grandma's Boy and Pineapple Express tonight at the Troc.
Mon., April 20, 9:30 p.m., $5, Bob & Barbara's, 1509 South St., 215-545-4511, drunkspelling.com.
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