Clinic + The Fresh and Onlys

Clinic has a great image. They look ominous, dangerous, completely unpredictable and at some point in their career, they were. Their first album Internal Wrangler was released in 2000 to critical acclaim:


"One of England's most promising and distinctive indie bands" - all music


"Passionate, visceral, and immensely moving, Internal Wrangler is a landmark achievement not only for Clinic, but for all of rock music." - pitchfork media


"Clinic is my favorite band." - Thom Yorke (radiohead)


They also had legendary live shows that went beyond just surgeon costumes. 


Their follow-up album Walking With Thee was ok, but didn't have the same energy and completely unexpected  freak-out shifts from electronic grooves to garage noise that their debut album showcased so well. Clinic have continued their shift away from rocking and embrace of slow, melodic 60's pop through four albums to bring us the sleepiest of all their work, the recently released Bubblegum. Just as the albums slow down, understandably so does the pace of their live show. I get it, you're excited about your new album, but I do think there's a time and place for everything. To hear down-tempo similarly melodic songs for over an hour can be very very very boring no matter what mask the band is wearing.


The best thing about the show was the opener, The Fresh & Onlys, which is saying a lot because their sound mix completely killed what is usually a good combo of brooding vocals and clean simple garage rock. The live mix put the lead singer at odds with the rest of the band in a way that left you wondering if it was purposefully supposed to sound like Ian Curtis trying out for The Kingsman. Despite what you think of these two bands, it was really not a good combo.


I just happened to have done my homework and listened to a few of the Onlys records before the show, so I knew what the songs were supposed to sound like. The rest of the audience was not so lucky. I think the band could sense that they were losing the crowd and no amount of rock star posing was going to keep them interested. During their set, about 1/2 of the gathered mass of 15 people left to get beers, hang out at the photo booth, or maybe look at expensive Clinic merch. 


All in all: Clinic was stale and getting worse as the years go by. Fresh and Onlys need a new soundman.

31 Days of Eating: Day 4

(yeah that's apparently chicken stock)

WORK THAT BODY: DIY CHICKEN STOCK

So now that you have devoured some, maybe most, of your Thomas Keller Simple Roast Chicken you had better have saved all then little bones (yes you can take them from people's plates... grow up!) because you are going to need them for your epic house-cozying super cold-defender... chicken noodle soup.

This recipe is so simple that I think I am just going write it out for you:

1. Take all the bones (and what's clinging to them) from a whole chicken or turkey and submerge them in just enough water to cover. Boil.
2. Let boil for about 30 min skimming off any foamy stuff
3. Put in one of each, roughly chopped: carrot, celery, medium onion
4. Also add  a combination bunch of fresh parsley, sage, thyme, and bay leaf all tied together with cooking string.
5. Let this simmer at low-med heat for AT LEAST 3 hours. The more it cooks, the more flavor you are going to get. I left mine in for about 6 hours and it was great! It rose the temp in my house about 5 degrees and smelled amazing.
6. Let cool and strain being sure to get out all the bones.

AAAnd boom. You got yourself some great stock. Throw in the rest of those carrots, onions, and celeries, another bay leaf, some salt and pepper, cooked egg noodles, and the rest of your salvaged chicken meat. Heat that all up and sit back and enjoy a large bowl of home <3.

Reasons to love Charles Groden: Midnight Run (1988)

30 Days of Eating: Day 3

Chicken Curry with Sweet Potatoes

I've never been a big fan of sweet potatoes. I always wondered why one would stray from the perfection that is the regular potato (that's how I would have described it back then). Because my mother loves us, we were pretty much required to be home for dinner at least every weeknight. This was not a very difficult task since everything she made was amazingly delicious. Even then as she and my sister would dig into these weird orange double agent potatoes... secret orange imposers waiting under familiar skin to prey on my savory-lovin taste buds... I would wonder what they saw in those things.

This was the first dish that changed that.

 ** ALTERATIONS **

1. I do not use chicken thighs for this as I am not a huge fan of darker meat. I get it, it gives the overall dish more flavor... great. I just think that using boneless skinless chicken breasts is cleaner, quicker, and more tasty. I cut them into cubes and coat them in the curry.
2. Lemongrass can be a bitch to work with and if not chopped properly it leaves this little splintery things in your food. No one likes that. Be sure to peal a few of the harder layers and use the softer inside portion.
3. I tend to omit the sugar and use regular coconut milk. I don't like things too sweet and the flavor is never a problem.
4. If you can't find lemongrass or Asian basil or fish sauce... please still make this dish. 

30 Days of Eating: Day 2

The Devil's Den: Happy Hour, Mussels, and Girl Talk

It's no secret, I'm cheap and I like fancy beer. It's actually a curse. I'm not content with a Bud or a PBR or Lion's Head... I need a porter or an IPA. I'm a beer snob. I'm sorry. I too wish it wasn't that way. As such, I'm always on the look-out for a good happy hour deal. Did I mention that I'm lazy too? Yeah. Luckily I had the foresight to rent a house in an area high in bars and low in crime. Unfortunately it's also high in children and low on music venues... but I digress.

The Devil's Den meets all my needs: It's in walking distance to my house, has fancy beers on tap, has a decent happy hour (1/2 off drafts from 5pm -7pm), and it's menu features items that are not all deep-fried. I met with my frequent foodie date, Lori for a proper ladies' early evening out: mussels, beer, and girl talk.

We started with a German beer flight for $4.50. Some of the beers were tapped and had to be replaced with others... which I'm told is typical for the "cheap bastards" at the Den, but overall the beers were pretty good and the bartender had no trouble explaining the substitutions. We decided to share their mussel plate because, well frankly it's huge and fucking crazy delicious. They have various styles to chose from, but I am a fan of the Diavolo... cuz you know, I like it spicy. You get a very large bowl of mussels, some grilled bread.... oh and as if that's not enough, you get a side of fries with that. Yes please, thank you. All this... for $12? It's a steal. My only complaint is that they give you skinny little regular fries that soak up little to none of the wonderful mussel juices. They should offer larger fries, like potato wedges or something... come on!

31 Days of Eating: Day One

THOMAS KELLER'S ROASTED CHICKEN FOR DUMMIES 

(click above for the recipe)

When it comes to cooking, Thomas Keller knows what he is doing. When I looked at his recipe for roasted chicken I thought it was too simple to be true. Just salt and pepper? Here I am stuffing my bird with every spice and vegetable I have at hand and this bitch isn't even using garlic?? We'll just see about that. One bite of his simple chicken and I was more than happy to eat my words.

**ATTENTION**

There are some key points that can not be replaced or ignored in this recipe:

#1 - Get a good little hormone-free locally-raised chicken. I'm fortunate enough to live in an urban area where we have many weekly farmer's markets. Yes, it's going to be more expensive than ACME, but you only need a 2-3 lb bird so get over it.

#2 - Rinse AND pat dry the bird. I skip this step too often and always end-up w a dried out bird. Please don't be a rushed lazy asshole like I am. ALSO be sure to use large sea salt or kosher salt when salting the bird and do what the man suggests and sprinkle the salt over the carcass so that large pieces stick to the skin. He's a chef.

#3 - Use a roasting or saute pan to cook the bird. I had no idea how much of a difference this could make. Don't ask me to explain the physics of it all, just know that using a pan kicks using a baking dish's ass. Please do be sure to check if your pan is oven-safe. We're aiming for a plastic-free bird here.

#4 - The hardest rule to follow: DON' FUCK WITH THE BIRD. Jesus just leave it alone. Make some side-dishes, set the table, smoke, watch the "Colbert Report"... whatever just keep the oven door closed for one full hour. Have some goddamn self control.

November... the month of eating

My roommate recently lamented the passing of October.  She said, "I just wanted it to be Christmas already so that we can start on holiday crafts." Wait just one minute! Yes, Thanksgiving has the unfortunate luck of being the middle holiday child, stuck between the year's two greatest holidays. November, however, it has it's own very special charm. There are crafts to be done (ahem hand turkeys), you spend time with your family (fortunately mine is incredible), and you eat (and eat and eat and eat).

I was once told that all I want to DO is eat, that my entire social structure revolves around cooking or going out to dinner and without it I would not know what to do with myself. To him I say: So fucking what? First of all, we have to do eat to survive. It's a universally common activity. Secondly, because I came from such an awesome family, I learned early that sitting down with someone and having a meal is the perfect way to keep-up with the lives of those you care about. You take your time, you have a glass of wine, you open up and you listen.

So in honor of November I will be focusing this on food... glorious food.

Halloween Highlights + Fail

Halloween Win:

1. Bates Motel Haunted Hayride, House, and Corn Maze - incredibly scary and incredibly good. We went on a warm Tuesday night, which I am sure made the lines bearable. I wanted to get through the house asap as people were jumping out at me (and touching me) at every turn. The maze started with an extremely disorienting trip through some sort of black spandex tube... that was certainly scary enough for me. The rest of the walk was leisurely and impressive in it's detail. The hayride was defiantly the highlight  with animatronic fire-breathing monsters, wonderfully designed horror scenes, and creepers grabbing you along the way.

2. TV Casualty @ Johnny Brenda's - I appreciate a cover band that truly embraces the artists they are mocking... or paying homage to depending on your point of view.  It's that purity, mostly provided by front-man and sexy Danzig extraordinaire Ted Leo, that makes Misfit's cover band TV Casualty so much better than just sitting at home and singing with your friends. This is their second Halloween show and I hope they keep-up the tradition.

3. Make-Your-Own-Mask Halloween Party - Maybe it's the pothead in me, but I LOVE holiday crafts. I also love a good theme party, so I am incredibly into the idea of having a party where a homemade mask is required for entry. The masks ranged from last-minute-and-it-shows to this-took-days-of-planning... but they all made for great conversation pieces and facebook tagging opportunities.

4. 31 Days of Horror - Ok... I didn't make it up to 31 on my blog countdown... it was a busy month for me jeez! BUT I did manage to watch maybe too many horror movies in the month of October ( I've been having nightmares about my neighbor being a serial killer). Of the new movies I watched, I would have to say "Two Sisters" and "Burnt Offerings" stood out as should-have-known-earlier gems. Though I Mystery Science Theatered "A Tale of Two Sisters" because of it's predictable storyline and cheap horror, I was impressed by the cinematography and the set/costume design. All in all, it would be a great one to play on mute at  your next Halloween party. "Burnt Offerings" was just amazing. Karen Black is actually possessed (not just looking that way for no reason). Oliver Reed is sexy, scary, and impossibly tan. Bette Davis is a wonderful example of what a great actress looks like in the hands of a mediocre director and Burgess Meredith has a part. One note: Please watch this movie in it's entirety.. the ending is definitely the payoff.

5. Dissection Lecture: Photographs of a Rite of Passage in American Medicine 1880 - 1930 @ The College of Physicians of Philadelphia aka Mutter Museum - Apparently, it's common practice for medical students to pose with the cadavers they use for study. Even before donating bodies was a common practice, students used the then-new technology of photography to immortalize their time with their first recently deceased study buddy. Some pictures were shocking, some were funny, but all were thought provoking. The lecture dealt with the interesting American legacy of self-portraits with the dead. Did I mention it was free and there was a huge buffet afterwards? I stole a 20oz Coke...Win!

Halloween Fail:

1. Andrew WK and Dos XX Most Interesting Free Party/Booze Shitshow @ World Cafe Live - Clue #1 that you should skip a party: it's at World Cafe Live Clue #2: It's free and it's on Halloween weekend Clue #3 There is a line around the block (no matter how fast it's moving)

2. Midnight Rocky Horror - Always get a ticket to any Halloween event in the city ahead of time. Remember, LOTS of college girls like to get their freak on around Halloween and apparently get their tips from Glee. Landsdale's Main St Theater is a total let down. It was more like a screening room at a community college.

3. 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - I love them, but they drive me crazy and often time take-up a lot of my prime Halloween time.

A look ahead to next year:

1. Must go to the Mutter Museum for their flashlight tour.
2. Must go to Newtown Theater in Newtown, PA for their midnight Rocky showing on Halloween.
3. Must go to see whatever silent horror film the International House is showing.

Wanna be there...

Flashlight Tour at the Mutter Museum

Since 1858 Philadelphia's Mutter Museum has offered the public a glimpse of the medical grandiose and grotesque. What began as a tool for medical professionals has now become a morbid delight as visitors marvel at the museum's collection of Siamese twins skeletons, antiquated medical instruments, and dead babies floating in jars of formaldehyde.

The place is disturbing by daylight, but this Halloween they are letting visitors in after-hours... then turning off the lights!! If the late admission wasn't sold out and I was not so far behind on my pumpkin carving and Halloween movie watching, I would be there. Maybe next year.

Ticketing Information

Mini Macabre

The Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death began as a collection of dollhouse dioramas painstakingly re-creating grisly unsolved crime scenes. The houses were created by Frances Glessner Lee, an heiress and forensics trailblazer who went on to found Harvard's department of legal medicine. Housed in Baltimore, these pieces have heavily influenced forensic science as we know it and are still used in lectures to this day.

Photographer Corinne May Botz created a photo collection of these houses in her book of the same name. She will be giving a lecture 7 pm tonight at New York's International Center of Photography. 

Can't make the trip? Well that's why we love the internetz! The talk will be presented live online here.

Halloween Jukebox: Death by Gunshot

It's been a while since a woman has been truly shocking, someone who can push the limits of decency and sexuality. I miss Wendy O Williams, but at least we have her bastard child Lady Gaga.

Sometimes I flip through my record collection and think about the lives of the artists I love. They are often very troubled, drug addicted or suicidal. Some wear their depression on their sleeves, others hide it ever so well.

At 14 I was truly affected by Cobain's cowardly decision to end his own life. Unfortunately he has to be chalked up to another rock n roll cliche.

Halloween Jukebox: Death by Hanging

Some lead singers are electric. You absorb every move they make. Some people are raw: unpredictable and unfettered. Their lack of self-consciousness creates an irresistible pull.

Some people are effortlessly beautiful, naturally talented, born into everything. Bored and restless they yearn for something else, an experience beyond mundane reality.

31 Days of Horror: Day Fifteen

An all-star cast and a great ending make this a nostalgic campy thrill.

Review: Black Swan

I am now going to sum-up Darren Aronofsky's new movie in the same trite way that he seems to view his audience: Black Swan is The Wrester... but for girls.

In both films the viewer is tethered to the main character both in story-line and actual shots. There are few long shots that allow the viewer to see the entire scene, keeping the reality subjective and our sympathies as a viewer tightly wrapped around the main character. In the case of the Wrester, it was a pro-wrestler going through all the physical and mental anguish of aging within a sport that requires youth and vigor. This pressure is more deeply felt in the case of the Black Swan, as dancers have a much shorter shelf-life and are often women. Females are notoriously competitive and are often nasty among their own. All women feel pressure to stay youthful, a primal instinct that has been legitimized and commercialized as part of modern society. This pressure is intensified in more image-conscience fields such as dance and modeling.

We never see the motivations of other characters. They mostly act as catalysts. Where the Wrestler attempted to show real-life familial drama as the backdrop for the exploration of the character's psyche, the Black Swan uses hallucinations. I think in the case of the Wrestler, the relationships within the plot were cliche which ultimately gave the whole movie a made-for-tv feel: an abandoned daughter struggling w/ the return of her absentee dad, a stripper with a heart of gold, an aging athlete attempting redemption. 

In the case of  the Black Swan, it's true that the supporting cast is comprised of oft-portrayed characters: the overbearing mother, the seductive teacher, the bitter aging dancer. However they act in addition to and along with the hallucinations of the protagonist, which really utilizes the closeness and limitations of the director's shots and allows for a more intense and frightening story. The film is actually very Polanski-esque borrowing from both Repulsion and Rosemary's Baby. The setting of the film and some of the creepy elements are reminiscent to Argento's Suspiria. 

The people that I know that seem to enjoy The Wrestler are people who like Mickey Rourke. Personally, I couldn't care less about the guy. I do absolutely love Natalie Portman and think she did a wonderful job in dancing a feeling whether it be vulnerable, uptight, or aggressive. Portman is truly able to convey emotions without ever opening  her mouth. I'll admit my general thoughts on these films may have been dictated simply by my interest in the actor playing film's main character, but I think it has more to do with the amount of empathy I feel as a woman to the struggles of Portman's character over Rourke's that is the main issue.

**Slight Spoiler**

The ending of both films is pretty similar, the protagonist finally achieves their deadly and deluded sense of perfection. There are actually so many similarities between the films that they come off as two sides of the same coin, one masculine and one feminine. Both characters are dealing whit the idea of becoming obsolete. There is a need to breakdown years of self-created emotional defenses to truly realize who they are and what they can achieve, yet both have to kill themselves (and publicly to boot) to get to this point. 

As a viewer, it's completely unfulfilling to see a character that you've been forced to empathize with so much do so little with the lesson he/she has learned through the film. As a cinefile, it's frustrating to see basically the same movie twice with little to no real innovation between the two. The ending in the Black Swan seemed just as trite to me as the relationships in the Wrestler, however the end of the Wrestler was much more cathartic and interesting. Unfortunately, neither movie showcased the talent of the director as promised by his earlier films.

Vintage Halloween Photo Countdown

Since 2008 stevechasmar has been uploading one vintage Halloween photo each day for the month of October. The photos are funny, curious, and sometimes very scary. He also seems very interested in opium dens, exotica, and arcades.. clearly an awesome person.

In protection of your soul...

PMRC Angels

Click here.

Great Idea Meejin Yoon

"Light Drift" art installment can be seen dusk till dawn this weekend. Just another excuse to be on the Schuylkill River at night.

The Octopus Project @ KFN

Clearly I like this band. I've seen them a few times now and they never disappoint. I must admit, however, that I am very confused about what transpired at their recent show at Kung Fu Necktie.

 #1 The show was sold-out before the show date which is odd considering that they are a small electro-indie dance band from Austin, TX and every other time I've seen them, the audience was prolly about two people deep.

#2 The show was FULL of college kids. Now I am not talking about West Philly I-<3-Urban-Outfitters-and-fixies kind of college kids, I am talking Temple Northeasty I-like-to-start-fights-with-my-friends kind of college kids. One group of what could best be classified as "bros" came in a neon bachelor bus as their first stop on what I can only imagine was a trip to Delilah's. I also had to prop up several drunken ladies grinding on their friends in desperate pleas for attention. Which they received, mind you, from a guy next to me who danced like what I imagine Matthew McConaughey dances like and another who reminded me of the nervous boys at an 8th grade Rec Center dance complete with hoodie, baggy pants, and diamond studs.

Apparently, the Project is big on campus.

#3 The dance-floor was extremely active and at some times violent. I have GOT to give it to those kids for their enthusiasm. They were downright inspiring. As I watched, I could not keep the smile from my face. The crowd was so into this band, so eager to dance, it made me long for the days when being smug wasn't a show-goers most necessary accessory.

I know I am not the only one that noticed this unexpected surge of crowd appreciation. By the end of the set, their keyboard player was blowing kisses and the lead singer was inviting people to "come say hi" to him as he would be sitting in a booth after the show... just like everyone else that plays at KFN. It was truly magical to witness a small band receive such amazing feedback from a crowd so eager to supply it.

Deerhunter @ the Starlight Ballroom

Despite what this photo may suggest, Deerhuter is totally boring live.

 I should have learned my lesson a year ago and saved my $15 to go toward the insanely-expensive but probably-more-worth-my-time GWAR show @ the Electric Factory. How could a band create such a great collection of songs on "Microcastle" and have a pretty good follow-up with "Halcyon Digest" yet be so completely bad live? As the band strives to recapture the energy of punk DIY culture with their “interactive Xerox art project," encouraging fans to photocopy an old-school collage flyer and paste it up all over their towns, they forget to bring any energy their live performance. 

The drums were muffled and non-existent, sounding like someone forgot to take the blanket out of the kick drum after a suburban practice session. The bass player had plenty of rock star posing with no sign of any talent to back that up. Most importantly the singer phoned-in nearly half the performance and decided to add jamming what is already a psychedelic shoegaze-sound allowing the crowd to fall completely into their heroin coma right there under the flashing disco ball + spinning glow koosh Ballroom lights. 

31 Days of Horror: Day Fourteen

The rape scenes are a lot to take especially when you imagine the star's father behind the camera. That's some scary.

31 Days of Horror: Day Thirteen

Legendary.

31 Days of Horror: Day Twelve

The trailer makes this look so scary... too bad it's not.

31 Days of Horror: Day Eleven

Watch the whole movie FREE on Youtube.

31 Days of Horror: Day Ten

Lost Boys meets Point Break
Cory Haim is a Mess Bonus Scene (spoiler: much more frightening than the Lost Boys 2)

Great Idea Martha Stewart!

As I love Halloween, I love Halloween crafts and no one does it better than the queen of domesticity Martha Stewart. This project looks great, is cheap, and can be done while drinking and watching a horror movie. WIN!

31 Days of Horror: Day Nine

<3 Jeff Goldblum Double Feature <3

Halloween Jukebox: Mind is Playing Tricks on Me - Geto Boys

Halloween Jukebox: Midnight Vignette ~ Evangelicals

31 Days of Horror: Day Eight

Thank you AMC for playing the entire Alien series for me on loop all weekend long. You really know how to make a girl in the ER feel like there may be something living inside her <3

31 Days of Horror: Day Seven

Why is this scary? Your friends may stab you in the back. Your life is no longer private. You can't control information in the digital age even if it's untrue... and...

31 Days of Horror: Day Six

Makes me nostalgic... 

31 Days of Horror: Day Six

Most disgusting movie ever.

31 Days of Horror: Day Five

31 Days of Horror: Day Four

sister bonus movie

31 Days of Horror: Day Three

Halloween Jukebox: Ghosts

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Halloween Jukebox: Baby's on Fire - Brian Eno

Hallie Gerber dancing Brian Eno's "Babys on Fire" shot at MIT Experimental Color Studio 1976. 

Halloween Jukebox: Country Death Song ~ Violent Femmes

Gordon Gano Bonus Vid!

31 Days of Horror: Day Three

Dexter is one of my favorite series. Here's one of my favorite scenes featuring the character that nearly destroyed Dexter (the series - not the character), Miguel Prado played to the HILT by Jimmy Smits.

Halloween Jukebox: Jellybones ~ Unicorns

Halloween Jukebox: Girlfriend in a Coma ~ The Smiths

I wanted to put up the Smiths video of this song because it is truly campy and fits very nicely with my theme of old movies + halloween tracks however Morrissey is a douchebag (yes i know you're shocked) and has disabled the embed option for the youtube video. And yes I am blaming him even though he probably had nothing to do with it. 


It's like I always say: When in doubt, blame Morrissey.

Halloween Jukebox: Spooky ~ Dusty Springfield

Wishlist

"Cultivate your curves - they may be dangerous but they won't be avoided." - Mae West

31 Days of Horror: Youtube Treat Extra ~ Tales from The Crypt "Final Caper"

Short, entertaining, and the ending is fucking hilarious.

31 Days of Horror: Day Two

Made me nostalgic for movies that cared about plots and were not just boob gorefests... it does have boobs though so don't let that deter you.

This movie was so bad that I had to turn it off. It jumped around all over the place and made little to no sense. The worst part about it was that the characters in it were ALL assholes. I would never be friends with them and I am shocked that they are even friends with each other. I would be bored watching this on shrooms. It's sad really because some of the shots are really well done and the scenery is very cool. They even tease me by using "Come to Daddy" in the trailer... which is by far the most frightening song of all time with a fucked up video to match.

31 Days of Horror: Day One

On Netflix instant

Halloween Jukebox ~ I Put a Spell on You

Life After Death ~ This American Life

Halloween Jukebox: Dracula's Wedding ~ Outcast

My heartbeat is a slow one but I'm terrified of you.

31 Days of Horror

I am a sucker for Halloween. I love everything about it. I love pumpkin carving, haunted houses, scary movies, kids in costumes, and of course, the horrorization of all things from commercials to special local events. For years I have tried to set aside October for only the bizarre, weird, frightening, and unexplained and this year will be no exception. All music, photos, and movies shall be Halloween themed... and I plan on sharing (and defending) all of my decisions. Stay tuned for Halloween events, costumes, playlists, and movie reviews. Let the 31 days of Horror begin.

Nice, France

Feelin the Beatles Lately

Summer's Last Gasp

I really like homemade music vids and this one just makes me laugh... old dudes with mustaches and scarves dancing on a roof to LCD Soundsystem for a Youtube vid?? Yes.

Ladies

Dinner with Lori ~ Supper

I'm going to type this now in the hopes that I will learn my lesson: NO MORE RESTAURANT WEEK. Really, it's just not worth the foodie embarrassment and back-of-the-house glares. I have never had a notable dish at any restaurant during Restaurant Week and I have tried some of the city's best. It's amazing to me considering how popular of an event the Week is and how many potential customers these places are hosting that they would care so little about the food they are serving. Maybe restaurants are just like fuck these cheap bitches and don't care about sending out prefabbed, overcooked, boring dishes. I think it's downright offensive. A kitchen should want to turn out their best food all the time without exception. Have some dignity chefs!! Ok ok ok... breathe. So in reality I should really say that I am ONLY going to take advantage of restaurant week in a space that is visually stunning. The only worthwhile experience I've had at one of these sale dinners was XIX and really my enjoyment was not about food, it was all about ambiance. The space is so stunning that eating a cracker in there makes you feel like Grace Kelly.

Supper was no exception to this rule. The food was ok, nothing notable or special. The ambiance was nice but typical... not very interesting. The whole experience could best be described as "meh."

Wanna be there...

Oh to live during the turn of the century... everything was so bright and new. Science must have seemed limitless, even magical. I can only imagine the first viewing of a motion picture or streetlights or the first ride on a ferris wheel. Though the subject matter of early films may seem trivial to us in the 21st century, it was awe-inspiring to people at the time.


As an avid film-goer and lover of all movies (even the silent ones) I am always interested in seeing important cinema on the big screen. The International House of Philadelphia shares my passion and is presenting a series called "Motion Pictures" about the history of cinema. They will be offering monthly screenings of historically significant films starting tonight when they show the films of The Lumiere Brothers, two of the first filmmakers in history. 


For more info and additional screenings, check out their event page.

Wishlist

I moved into my current house 4 months ago and have been thinking about how to decorate ever since. Going from a very small two bedroom apartment to a two story row home has made the task a little overwhelming. That, along with uninterested roommates and 100 degree days have made the whole process come to a stand-still. 

Now that the weather is bearable and I am sufficiently feeling uninspired by my current surroundings, I am diving head first into the process of making my house a home. I've started with my bedroom and if I can get my shit together I will post some before and after pics. I recently painted it grey to pair with the white molding and large windows of the room. I have LOTS more to do before the bedroom is complete.

I love love love wallpaper... what can I say? I'm an old lady at heart. The only problem is that paper can be so incredibly expensive and when you are not a home owner it really makes little sense to invest that much in your rental home. Also the process of removing the paper is particularly difficult and time consuming. That being said, I was searching the internet and found the above wallpaper and decided I really just had to share. It is too incredibly cute! 

Product Info 

Troggs Thursday!!

Thursday Dinner with Lori ~ Dads Stuffing

Dads Stuffing is not a freaky 80's porn it's actually take-out/catering place in deep south Philadelphia that specializes in family portion Italian fare. Though we have been making it a point to go out each Thursday and try a new restaurant, Lori decided to be a "jewish mother" as she calls it and have me over for a homemade dinner that she purchased from a local eatery.

Menu:

Broccoli Rabe - unseasoned but pre-cooked
Chicken Parm - enough for four
Gravy and Meatballs - amazing

I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who lives in the South Philly area. The meatballs and sauce are delicious. Just tell your guests you've been slaving over a hot stove all day long, sit back and accept the accolades.

More info on Dads Stuffing

Midnight Show @ the Ritz

Worth seeing on the big screen... I just hope I can stay awake. Orchestra + Slow-Motion Space Scenes + Midnight Start-time = Falling asleep in your popcorn

Pavement @ the Mann Center

I've had this song in my head for 15 years and last night I finally the chance to hear it live.

Notes on Pavement:

• Stephen Malkmus sounds EXACTLY like he did in the earlies 90s and even more like he does on every Pavement record (yeah that makes sense). It's eerie actually. He ranks up there with Kim Deal and Robert Smith as having one of the most true-to-the-record voices I've ever heard live.
• Pavement fans are old. Yeah I guess I'm no spring chiecken, but I really didn't expect some old drunk jock screaming "THAT WAS A HIT" after every song they played. He did have a point though, they did perform all their most loved songs which I appreciate as a fan: I get it, you've been working these past few years on your new songs, but be real (insert aged rock band here) your fans came to hear a specific set of songs and really that is why they agree to shell out the cash to see you in the first place. You had your day in the sun, get over it, most bands only dream of such things.
• Speaking of old, though they looked the part and sounded tight with a good sound mix and fantastic set list, there was something missing. They jumped and swayed and hooted and howled but there was something lacking in the overall energy and speed at which they played the songs. This became very evident to me in their version of "Here," a song I absolutely love that was kind of... boring live.
• I never noticed how much Malkmus is Thurston Moore's younger, more suburban brother

Notes on the Mann Center:

• September evenings are FREEZING at the Mann Center. That wonderful breeze that makes concerts in July so comfortable makes September nights downright chilly.
• $8 for a Bud $7 for a Hop Devil... nuff said
• Cleanest, loveliest smelling bathrooms of any venue I have ever been. Sometimes catering to the 50+ set has it's perks

Musing

I belong to the last pre-internet generation. My family had a dial-up through my high school years and my computer use in college was limited to term papers and/or aim chats. Sometimes I wonder what it's like to never have known a time when people used pay phones and knew the meaning of the phrase "be kind, rewind." I never thought I would be the remember-when-a-movie-was-only-a-dime type... but as I become more immersed in internet culture (..ahem like blogging...) I actually start forgetting what I did with my time before I filled it with facebook, craigs list, and youtube. 


Don't get me wrong, I lurrrvvvzzzz the internetz, but I think it is useful to go cyber-dormant for a day or week or so... slow down... hide your phone, hide your power cord. Go flip a record, rewind a vhs, or dare to use a disposable drugstore camera.

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