This Weekend: Zombie Prom
FRIDAY:
>>> Be careful if you peep that Wreckless Eric clip at right. It just may lead you down a YouTube and DVD wormhole of deeply English, rain-and-cigarettes masterworks such as The Young Ones, Withnail & I, and the next thing you know, it’s Sunday night and you’re still watching Father Ted and old episodes of Eastenders. Not that I’d complain, this sort of thing really is my bag, baby. But then you’d miss Wreckless Eric and Amy Rigby and Joe Jack Talcum at the North Star and then where would you be? Oh, right, at home with 30 years of brilliant English blown-out melancholy culture.
>>> It’s a pricey ticket, and one that may get some raised eyebrows from your friends, but trust me on this one: Willie Nelson is one of the greatest American artists you will ever have the pleasure of hearing perform live. Saw him a few years ago at the Camden Riversharks Stadium with Bob Dylan, and I swear to you, IT WAS GREAT. Willie is at the Tower Theater tonight, and man, just be a freak about it and separate from the herd and GO. You will find good people and mellow, mellow times.
>>> OK, back to music made in the last 25 years: Check out the tracks on the Hermit Thrushes‘ Myspace page and decide that this is just the kind of homegrown indie noise that West Philadelphia was built to accommodate. They’re at Danger Danger Gallery with Gang, Hot Lava and Reading Rainbow.
SATURDAY:
>>> Two things that are making the rain feel weird: The Lehigh Avenue Arts Festival, with Brother JT, The Photon Band, Gildon Works — if it rains, bands go inside the Green Rock Tavern and the fest gets moved to October 4th. In the case of Campus Philly’s College Day out on the Ben Franklin Parkway, it’s RAIN OR SHINE, so stop crying, you freshman babies. Be sure to check out our boys Robes with Victor Victor Band and Patty Crash on the Y-Rock/Philebrity/two.one.five- sponsored side stage.
>>> BILL MAHER!!! At the Tower. Yes.
>>> Megawords Storefront closing party with Andy Pry, Bushy, and more. Hard to believe September is almost over! 6pm, free.
>>> And just when you were starting to think, “Shit, where’s all the DJ nights this weekend?,” finally one of note: Say happy three years old to Bleached Black at Medusa. Go to this because the rest of the weekend, as you might have noticed, is oddly dead. But I’m into it.
>>>… BECAUSE it all reminds me of back in the 1990s, when Philly was NOTHING! Nothing, I tell you! You can read all about that wonderful period in Christine Weiser‘s Broad Street, which is a ladies-type bildungsroman about the golden age of sludge rock in Philly. There’s a party for the book at Tritone with The Tights, Kitten Disaster, Thee Minks and Normal. Fear not: Someone at this party still listens to their Dandelion tapes.
SUNDAY:
>>> It could not possibly be more appropriate on a Sunday in Philly: Zombie Prom at the Trocadero.
>>> And, just to round it out all nice, The Get Back: Motown And Classics at Bubble House. Get out there, people! Or, get in there. Whichever.
Want more? Check out our nightlife listings and our art listings.
September 27th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
Actually, what was awesome about Christine’s band Mae Pang (the real life Broad Street) was that they flew in the face of sludge rock and sexless indie rock. They were following in the footsteps of The Friggs or people like The Original Sins. There will be no Dandelion at this party.