Results tagged “duckboats”

Remember when we told you about Shut the Duck Up? Here's more about the founder.

Phillyist has always regarded the Ducks with a combination of annoyance (do they have to give everyone those damned whistles?) and fascination (it's a bus that goes in the water!), but mostly the former. But even at our most annoyed, we're not nearly as angry as Walt Sherman, creator of the new (and sometimes Proofreading Philly-worthy) Shut the Duck Up!, who writes on this new blog:

In this town, when the locals are dissatisfied, they speak out; just ask Santa Claus. So you've undoubtedly heard about Philadelphians' disdain for the amphib-hideous duck boats that began operating in and nearby Old City in 2003.

We're no scrooges, and we appreciate visitors parting with a few dollars in our fair city. There's nothing wrong with a little tacky family fun! But that!

So, this photo is for all the Philadelphians with whom the duckriders have interacted. Allow yourselves to fantasize for a minute: the USS New Jersey vs. the Duck Boat, head to head in the Delaware River. It would be worth bringing the battleship out of retirement.



(Phillyist note: our relief that their website didn't say "interquact with the locals" is easily surpassed by self-loathing for conceiving multiple duck puns while creating this entry.)

No doubt about it, Philly's got a lot to offer: a thriving theatre scene (don't forget, Fringe is just around the corner), fabulous museums, loads of live music and more historical hoopla than you can shake a stick at. However, there are some hotspot trends in places far, far away that look cool too, and Phillyist is wondering why local entreupenuers aren't jumping all over them. Dammit! We want them too!
• Private room karaoke: It's like having a karaoke bar cater just to you and your friends (think Lost in Translation). We'd heard whispers that there was a place that did this in Chinatown, but that it is no longer. If that's the case, the city needs to give this method of musical debauchery a second chance. We gave this a try in Japan, and spent five hours singing ourselves hoarse. Somehow it's simply easier to make a musical ass out of yourselves among a small group of close friends rather than a bar full of strangers. AND you don't end up waiting as long for a microphone.
• Live band karaoke: Caught this on a recent episode of Queer Eye, and if anything can help assuage our frustrated rock star fantasies more effectively than the many hours we spend playing Guitar Hero this is it.