FRIDAY:
>>> For too long, douchebags, cubicle jockeys, People From The Suburbs and the carpetbagging charlatans who cater to them have been allowed to run roughshod over Old City. The price we have had to pay, as citizens, has been almost too much to bear: Whole swaths of the neighborhood are more or less unavailable to us for days at a time each week. Someone in your family invariably asks you if you’ve ever been to 32 or Mint, because their friend’s daughter likes to go there. And let’s not even get started on how you don’t even have to be hot to work at The Continental anymore. Shameful. But for one shining weekend, when they all go to Wildwood or Avalon, Philebrity is taking back the Old City night. After work, meet us at 222 Gallery, where Swedish synthpop’s present-day answer to Yaz, Karin Ström, will be making her Philly debut from 6-9pm. They’re gonna open up the big garage door, and it’s going to be sidewalkarrific. I’m taking my skateboard. Immediately thereafter, meet us at National Mechanics, The Only Safe Place In Old City®, where DJs Bushy and RnG will get their Stone Roses-loving but also not-afraid-of-real-deal-dance-music night, Resurrection, will go down. (We’ve linked to this before, but hoo-boy, this slideshow. Believe.) We will smoke cigarettes on the steps like we did in 1989, before this horrible nightmare began. We will fete Swedes and Kenzos alike. We will celebrate the onset of Summer 08, and we will plot, with a glint in our eyes, how we could, if we wanted to, take back This Night forever. Both of these events are free. We are all free. More info here.
>>> But in any case: Surely, you want to get outside. Everyone does, And for those of you afraid of Mojito, split the diff and go to this special edition of Madonna Michael Prince out on the Moshulu. Stare at the stars, drink up, and then meet us at Mechanics for last call. Lord, it’s lovey dovey.
>>> Third pick is that there is no third pick, except for maybe The Turnaround Versus Immediate at Barbary, but c’mon. Get off The Loop. For one night, at least. Help us help you.

SATURDAY:
>>> Last time we saw The Flaming Lips at Festival Pier, we cried. Literally cried. And these were tears of joy, of the uplifting experiential emotions that come with pure, raw, weird beauty. This show could not change once in three years of touring, and we doubt it has, but still be absolutely shocking and next level in terms of over-the-top show-ness. The Lips headline Jam On The River. Get more lineup info here.
>>> Jonesing for more Weird + Sublime? We don’t practice santaria, but you just know Tickley Feather does. At Space 1026 with Colin from USAisamonster.
>>> Bleached Black at Medusa: Get weirder still in the Italo sweatbox.

SUNDAY:
>>> This just in: Paper Street is having some kind of all-day rager on the roof of Vango with DJ’s Brendan Bring’em & Joey Blanco (White Tees, etc) with free entry. Opens at 3pm. Leave when you’ve emptied your wallet and your new best friend is one of the AMAZING trannies we spied last time we were there. Not kidding. Total NYC quality trannies at Vango. You read it here first, and we didn’t even need to say “Fierce!” to get your attention.
>>> Do you know about Dark Star Orchestra? They’re that Grateful Dead cover band that not only covers the songs, they cover the whole shows once played by the Dead. Go to this. It wraps up Jam On The River at the Electric Factory and contains 0% electro, which brings us to Our Summer Pledge: Together, this summer, we will stamp out electro and break the youth of this city from its dumb American Apparel coma and get the kids back to music where people are actually talking to one another. We love disco, we love reggae, we love rock, we love rap. No pop no style. I’m strictly roots.
>>> Speaking of, Manny + Jason are also spinning records at Skinner’s (see flyer). This Old City Takeover is no joke. See you there.

MONDAY:
>>> By now, you should have fulfilled all of your Mem-Day obligato: The family, the friends, the shows/DJ nights. Now’s the payoff: The BBQ, the sleepy laying around, the knowing that from now until September, you’re gonna have your priorities in order and if it involves a beach or a grill, well, it goes to the top of the list. It just does. This summer, let’s get slack like it’s ‘92. Once again, here’s Phoodie’s BBQ tips, and from the bottom of our hearts: BRING IT ON, SUMMER!

Want more? Check out our nightlife listings or our art listings.

This entry was posted on Friday, May 23rd, 2008 at 10:49 am.