If anybody but Nice People Theatre Company told me that they were doing a show that would be, at least in part, about rock climbing, I'd be a little skeptical. But because I've never had a bad experience with Nice People, I was willing to go with the flow, sit on the floor, and watch an activity that never especially interested me.
The film industry is clearly running scared of Halloween and Major League Baseball. Don't waste your time at the movies—nothing good to see there anyway. Trick-or-Treating, costume parties, and Phillies games rule this weekend.
Sitting here thinking of what to write for this preview, there are a million things to say and all are completely inadequate words to use. To say Stevie Wonder has been a personal influence is one thing, but to know that he has influenced the greatest modern musicians of our time is so far-reaching and amazing that it almost defies superlatives. This Phillyist danced her first dance with her husband to Stevie's "You and I" and with her father to "Isn't She Lovely." Stevie Wonder has been a part of people's lives since the early 1960s and continues to perform with the same enthusiasm and infectious optimism since then. His new DVD, Live At Last showcases perfectly the versatility, both vocally and instrumentally, of this musical genius. You can catch Stevie performing his Wonder Autumn's Night tour when it stops for two days at The Borgata this Friday and Saturday.
Really, so your plan was to spend your night off in between World Series games at home, resting your liver and your wallet? Well think again, because there is a tour rolling into Philly on Friday that takes crazy to a whole new level. Tell your checking account that everything will be okay, but trust us: Saul Williams is definitely worth going into overdraft for.
This Friday, October 30th, Phillyist is psyched to announce that Mike Doughty (MySpace) is coming back to Philly. Celebrating the release of his third solo album, Sad Man, Happy Man, (it dropped October 6th on ATO Records), Doughty is bringing his simple and addictive pop to the Sellersville Theater. What can you expect from the former Soul Coughing leading man?
Tuesday night, Pearl Jam brought their Backspacer Tour to the Spectrum, the band's only stop on the East Coast. We were initially a little surprised when we heard that Social Distortion would be opening, but by the time they performed a brazen cover of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire," we figured out why the pairing made sense (we have to admit that a few of us only knew Social Distortion from the Reality Bites soundtrack). The band came through an underground scene that infused a harder sound into the new wave of '80s punk, a movement that encouraged grunge and other alt-rock forms. We wouldn't be surprised if, at one point in time, Pearl Jam had opened for them.
You have to really love Shakespeare to be familiar with Love's Labour's Lost. Although it's one of the Bard's earlier comedies, it's not performed often... probably because it doesn't really end. A man ahead of his time, Billy Shakes ended the play in true cliffhanger fashion, setting things up for a sequel. A sequel that was, legend tells us, allegedly written and performed, but whose script does not survive. (Probably for the best—sequels are never as good anyway. Right, Mannequin: On the Move?)
There is too much going on this weekend and it refused to be contained in one article. This week Phillyist is giving you twice the excitement with a double vision version of I Have A Baby And Ten Dollars.... While this article deals with events, concerts, plays, and such, take a look at this strictly trick-or-treating list we posted earlier today to ensure you get the biggest candy bang for your buck.
This November, come check out the Philadelphia Orchestra as it features guest musicians and conductors performing a great variety of pieces. The month begins with Mozart's Overture to The Magic Flute and Dvořák's Cello concerto, featuring the brilliant Alisa Weilerstein who some are calling the next Yo-Yo Ma. The evening is capped off with the 20th-century, two-movement Nielsen Symphony No.5. You can also find Tchaikovsky Symphony No.4, Mahler Symphony No.7 and the first Family Concert Series of the season. This month's family concert features Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra and the ever-enjoyable Tubby the Tuba by Kleinsinger. A chamber music concert, Bruckner, and a little more Mozart round out the month.
Hang on, baseball fans. This week, the city's spotlight belongs on the Spectrum, where it will shine for four nights on the men of Pearl Jam and the fans who kept the venue in business for over 55 years.
This post won't be the first to bemoan the acoustical nightmare that The Electric Factory can be. In fact, I hadn't returned there since seeing Tool over a decade ago mainly because mosh pits and tinny sound are no longer my thing. But the promise of an Andrew Bird show got me back to the Factory's sticky concrete floors and tinnitus producing sound. Fortunately, Bird survived the bee stings he endured during last week's interview with Phillyist, and as always, he didn't disappoint.
Alright, Philly. You've got two days to prepare yourself for the World Series, so make sure you get some relaxation in now, because the tension is going to get ramped up as of Wednesday.
How do you like your pin-ups? Beautifully deranged? Covered in blood? Deadly hot and just in time for Halloween? Damned if Charlie's Rippers aren't all of the above.
Philadelphia's own superstar artist, 28-year-old Ryan Trecartin, has won the first iteration of the new Jack Wolgin International Competition in the Fine Arts, at $150,000 the largest juried prize in the world to go to an individual visual artist.
During last month's Live Arts and Fringe Festivals, I saw performances in two bars, an empty pharmacy, an empty swimming pool, and a communal catering kitchen—needless to say, I love site-specific theatre in interesting, "found" spaces. And so it was hard not to be excited for Cabinet of Wonders, the latest production by Gas and Electric Arts, currently playing in the basement of the Wolf Building at 12th and Callowhill. The makeshift theatre space is largely occupied by a vast estate sale, which opens to ticketholders one hour before the show's start time.
Tonight, we're headed to the Franklin Theater at the Franklin Institute for night one of the FirstGlance Film Fest, another indie showcase sponsored by OctoberFestPhilly. We're especially looking forward to Dark Room Theater, written and directed by Temple grad Ben Pollack.
Andrew Bird (MySpace) may very well be one of the most interesting musicians around right now. His self-proclaimed description as a "Chicago-based multi-instrumentalist, lyricist and whistler" does not do justice to the layered, richly subtle musical spectacles he offers audiences night after night. He could add that bees love him, as a swarm decided to descend upon our interview. Bird lands in Philly again this weekend, and if you haven't seen him live, it is time to end that gap in your concert-viewing repertoire. Check out the show details below the interview.
Most of us probably have that memory of the school field trip to see The Nutcracker. Our teachers sent notes home a few weeks in advance, asking our parents to make sure we dressed up. Then, the day of, we all got on the bus (single-file, of course!) and headed downtown, into the theatre, where one of two things likely happened: either we were bored or we were in awe.
Films: The Loss of a Tear Drop Diamond; A Town Called Panic
Alright, there's no Phillies game tonight, so tonight is a good opportunity to un-glue yourself from the television and see what's going on in Philly before tomorrow's Game 5.
The first time I heard these words, I was in a nightclub in North London. My first reaction was, "Europeans really do listen to some weird shit...and I dig it." At the time, I had no clue that what I was hearing wasn't really European at all, but decidedly American, as these were the opening lines of "Danger! High Voltage" by Detroit rockers Electric Six (MySpace). That was the beginning of a four-month long borderline obsession with the disco-funk-pop-rock outfit responsible for such catchy, politically incorrect numbers as "Gay Bar" and "Infected Girls."
When I was thirteen, my friends and I went to a haunted maze at the mall. I was so annoyed by the end, with the predictable gimmicks and cheap thrills, that when Freddy Kreuger jumped out at me a few feet from the exit I may or may not have punched him in the face. (The statute of limitations on assault has passed by now, right?) That wasn't the only time time I'd found myself decidedly unimpressed, or even annoyed, by a haunted maze, so I'll admit that I was a bit skeptical about Brat Productions' Haunted Poe, a sort of theatrical house of horrors, all centered on the life and work of a little-known writer by the name of Edgar Allan Poe.
Happy Friday, Philadelphia! Still not sure how you want to get your weekend started? Here are our ideas:
"That very night, in Max's room, a forest grew and grew and grew, until his ceiling hung with vines and walls became the world all around."
Last week the unthinkable happened. Couples Retreat won the box office race taking in 35.3 million dollars. People, don't you realize what you have done? You've only encouraged the studios to make more bad romantic comedies. You've proven they can still make money off of less than mediocre offerings if they release them on a date where there's no competition. Yuck.
Hello all you film loving freaks. (Just kidding on the "freaks" there, we love films too.) Pull out your pencil and planner because The 18 1/2 Philadelphia Film Fest starts today.
Phillyist will be interviewing Andrew Bird before his show at the Electric Factory on October 25. What should we ask him? Let us know in the comments and maybe you'll see your question answered next week!
Studio 34, home of a recently featured Mom and Baby yoga mention, is starting a fantastic new class for kids (ages 18 months to 4 years) and they want you to try it out for free. Today, October 15th, check out the kids' ZoomDance series at 10:30 a.m. What is ZoomDance? I didn't know, either, but Studio 34 was kind enough to explain it to me. A high-energy class of dance, music, story-telling, and imagination which promotes literacy and creative expression. In other words, it's kinda a perfect class. Each week the group will read a different book and then act it out, inventing characters, exploring the space, and showing off—everything kids love to do. A seven week course, the whole session will run you $70, however if you sign up before the 15th, they'll knock off ten. Pre-register and get all your questions answered here or, feel free to give Studio 34 a call at 610-937-2032.
We have a confession. Let's just get it out there, because the truth will set us free, right. We're not 16-year-old angsty girls, and yet we still find Paramore (MySpace) inexplicably compelling and listenable. There, we said it. We feel much better now.
That's right, everyone. George Takei, who so famously, importantly, and awesomely played Mr. Sulu will be speaking at Drexel, for free, tonight. Drop everything and go. Seriously. If you need reasons on why you should go, we think that's silly, but here they are anyway:
When you speak to singer/musician Trevor Hall on the phone, you get the impression that he is, in the words of Eddie Izzard, "relaxed and groovy." When you listen to his self-titled album, that vibe comes through, but so does a very chill energy that reaches out and relaxes you while you're tapping your foot along to the music.
You have to be willing to struggle. It sounds kind of dorky but if you really wanna do it—and you have to really want to do it—then you have to make that conscious decision to put everything you have into it. You have to make a promise to yourself and have an incredible amount of perseverance. You also can't be too good for anything. Learn to talk to your audience and sing because if there's any talent there, people will notice. Be in the right place at the right time, and that comes with being in as many places as you can be. The more you place, the more venues and just random places you play, the better your chances are for success.
The new Jack Wolgin International Competition in the Fine Arts, at $150,000, is the largest juried prize in the world to go to an individual visual artist.
I love dogs. I love Hamlet. I love novels. I love Oprah. And I love writing. Put them all together and we should have my most favoritest book out there in The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, 2008's most sold (lots of write-ups are saying most "successful," but we readers know that most sales doesn't necessarily mean most success) debut novel. However, I also love editing, and David Wroblewski's editor completely let him down by allowing the novel to swell well beyond the number of pages it needed to be. This is not me being afraid of long books—give me a meaty Rushdie novel any day—but this book needed some trimming, I would say at least 100 pages' worth. But honestly, Wroblewski's debut novel is better than my non-existent one, and I honor him for giving the Hamlet story a go. The good news is that when he speaks at the Free Library, the clock will edit him, though I have no evidence that he himself in the flesh would run on longer than he should. Let's hope he brings his American style of magic realism and willingness to experiment to the Library. If he does, it will be a reading worth seeing.
We all know about First Friday, what with the galleries and the box wine, and then the drink specials and then the Sugar Moms to escape the gathering storm from New Jersey. Now there is something new to check out—Second Saturday.
If you don't know singer/songwriter Erin McCarley's music, you should. Like, right now. You can start by listening to her full album on MySpace, and then coming to see her this Sunday, October 11, at World Cafe Live. Tickets are $13, which is a helluva bargain. (Her album, Love, Save the Empty, is only her first. Give her a year or two to really catch on, and tickets prices are going to skyrocket.)
On stage Princeton looks every bit as young as they are. Of the four, Jesse Kivel (guitar/vocals) seemed to be settling nicely to an almost prerequisite indie style with a classic pair of clear plastic eye glasses and throwback plaid. Lucky for him, the combination played as easy and natural geek/cool, as opposed to douchey hipster. Sans pretense Princeton played straight-up versions of "Sylvie," "Clyde and Martina," and "I Left My Love in Nagaski." Late in their set Mat Santos of Ra Ra Riot joined the guys on stage to play bass on "Show Some Love, When Your Man Gets Home." The extra instrument nicely rounded out the sound on one of my favorite Princeton songs. The band closed out the set with a fierce yet quirky rendition of "Shout it Out" providing a sneek peek at the type of relaxed, playful showmanship that should eventually permeate Princeton live shows.
This is a lousy week for movie releases. The only new flick hitting Philly theatres this weekend is Couples Retreat, which looks like the kind of crap "comedy" that horrible girlfriends drag their whipped boys to because they liked Vince Vaughn in Wedding Crashers and think the big doofy dude is kind of hot (Confession: in person he actually is kind of hot. And mighty tall).
Beth Ditto is busy. In addition to helming a band and starting a clothing line, the zaftig lead singer of Gossip (MySpace) recently (and bravely) dropped trou for the cover of UK-based LOVE magazine, giving pride and delight to fierce fat girls everywhere. In addition, she and the band have just kicked off a US tour in support of their latest album, Music for Men, cut with the aid of infamous producer Rick Rubin.
When we posted the preview for The Philadelphia Orchestra's opening night concert, it was pretty clear that we were quite excited. Last Friday night we were treated to one of the best Orchestra performances we've seen in a long time. Maybe it was the debut of maestro Charles Dutoit, maybe it was the prescence of Alec Baldwin or maybe it was all the free champagne, but there was something different, something very special about that night.
This is going to sound a little stupid, but there was a hell of a lot more running involved in the Great Urban Race than I originally thought there would be. Having done one urban adventure race prior to the GUR, I definitely had certain expectations. Those expecations included puzzle clues, crazy stunts, and of course, covering a pretty decent amount of ground in and around Philadelphia. They did not necessarily include essentially sprinting from Market Street to the Art Museum, booking it all the way down Fairmount to the subway, short break on the subway before running from City Hall to Reading Terminal Market, up and over to 8th and Race, back down to 3rd and Market, then all the way back up 3rd Street to Buckhead Saloon to the finish line.
Often simplistically tarred with the "bad girl" brush, musician Pink brought her touring show home to Philadelphia this past weekend. And with that visit came a special request to the University of the Arts and the Creative and Performing Arts High School (CAPA)—she wanted to talk to their students.
We've lamented—frequently—the craptastic acoustics at the Electric Factory. The warehouse venue has made even some of our favorite acts, who we know are great live performers—The Honorary Title being the most notable example—pretty much unlistenable. Could someone, anyone, conquer the cavernous, metallic echo chamber that is the Factory?
Bad theatre enrages me. I don't get angry for myself; I imagine the rest of the audience, or at least a portion of it, people who don't usually go to the theatre, people who came on a whim, or a first date, who are now thinking, "Plays. What's the point?" I imagine these people heading home to their televisions, Playstations and email, never again returning to the theatre, and I want to scream at the play's director and producers: "Well done. Well done: you've just hastened the apocalypse."
In elementary school, I chose Princess Diana's wedding for my fifth grade slide show topic. To see the glass carriage and the twenty-foot train, Americans had to wake up at 4 AM and tune in to any major network. As a young girl, I was obsessed with the story of her wedding, so I dutifully cut out magazine photos, made slides, and wrote the script for my slide show. The slides were all muddied and the show was pretty much a disaster, but I still love the memory of poring over photos, choosing the perfect ones to share with my audience. Almost two decades later, I heard the news of her car accident while at my then boyfriend, now husband's house. We fell asleep only to be awoken a few hours later to have my future father-in-law tell us the sad news that Diana had died.
It's not every day you find a songwriter who's willing to open up a vein and help her audience find a groove. Fortunately, Doylestown-born Pink (a.k.a. Alecia Moore) is among that small group, and she brings the party by getting everyone up and dancing to gritty, catchy beats while challenging the heart with her raw, honest lyrics.
The Global Creative Economy Convergence Summit.
Phillyist's quick-picks for a rock your socks off start to the weekend.
In The Invention of Lying, we're forced to imagine a world where not only is there no lying, there's not even a filter that tells you "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all," and there's certainly no sugar-coating. You see an ugly baby, you can't just smile to hide your horror: nothing stops you from telling the parent their baby's ugly. Your boss leaves for the day, and you bid him/her goodbye with a blunt, "I'll be searching for jobs on Craigslist." Nursing homes are called things like "A Sad Place for Hopeless Old People." Wedding vows promise love and fidelity "for as long as you want to."
These days, it seems like most bands lack staying power. We can't think of many bands topping the charts right now that will still be around in thirty-five years—but hey, not many of them have the panache and showmanship of KISS. Currently on tour with Buckcherry, the Detroit shock rockers will be releasing Sonic Boom, their first album in eleven years, in Walmarts and Sams Clubs across the country next week. But because pyrotechnics and light shows and really scary makeup don't translate well to CD, if you want to get the full effect of KISS's music, you need to see them live. And the band will be awarding one lucky Phillyist reader with a pair of tickets to catch the Philly stop of the "Kiss Alive 35" Tour, October 12 at the Wachovia Center.
In October, many local theatre companies try to put on a Halloween-related production. Brat Productions' Haunted Poe is the one we're most excited for this season.
With a name like Princeton (Myspace), I formulated a vision of a young band from my great homeland of East Coast, New Jersey (Philadelphia Metro Area, naturally), breaking out onto the indie rock scene. And so I was slightly disappointed to find out that my completely baseless guess as to the band's name origin couldn't have possibly been more wrong. Sure enough, twin brothers Jesse and Matt Kivel named their band after the place where they spent most of their childhood. Unfortunately, that place isn't crawling with ivy and preppy college students (or fortunately maybe, depending on your opinion). These boys mean Princeton Street, Santa Monica. As in California. West Coast, Pacific Ocean, sand, sun, surf—all that nonsense. But I'm not going to hold that against them as their first full-length album is pretty damn cool.
If you'd like a quick-view of the pertinent info about all of this week's events, follow the jump for those details!
Hey Man, Can't We All Just Get Along?
Phillyist Framed Returns!
Playlist Rewind: AFI at the Factory
Yo, Philly in the News
Whole Hog Is All Heart
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