Saturday, September 25, 2010

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."

Thursday, September 23, 2010

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! 

Troggs Thursday!!


Saturday, September 18, 2010

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.



Pa. University Bans Facebook, Twitter For A W

On the list...

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Matthew Dear - You Put a Smell on Me


this track is repetitive, simple, and makes me feel dirty all over... i like that.

Micah P Hinson - Take Off that Dress for Me


this song has been seducing me all day

Coming Soon



Ideal Sunday

Phildelphia Greenfest 
Where: 2nd and South St
When: 11am - 6pm
Why: It's got everything I want in a fest:

  • free
  • local produce
  • composting information
  • eco fashion show 


Since I am at work can someone pick up some eggplants, tomatoes, onions, and garlic... maybe some eggs and cheese or something in season that makes you say 'now THAT is a insert produce name here'

kthnx <3

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Wanna be there...


25th Annual Mushroom Festival ~ Kennet Square, PA 
Sept. 10th - 12th
http://www.mushroomfestival.org/

So yeah, I'm really into mushrooms: cremini, shiitake, portabello, porcini, magic... you name it, I like it. So the  annual Mushroom fest is a perfect place to waste away a sunny September day. You can take a farm tour, watch a cooking demonstration, or just sample delicious mushroom-based cooking while listening to what will probably be a hilariously terrible band. Kids and kids at heart will enjoy carnival rides and shoppers can get their fungi fix with items from local mushroom vendors. The event kicks-off with a parade on Friday night and goes until Sunday evening.


Admission is $2 for guests 12 years and older. Proceeds benefit non-profit community organizations through the Mushroom Festival Grant program.

Explore: Asbury Park



Asbury Park has gone from a favorite vacation spot full of amusements and tourists to a ghetto ghost town overrun with abandon lots boarded houses to slowly regaining the glory of it's early years, transforming itself into a mecca of art, live music, and food. Now in it's 8th year of being "up-and-coming" it has finally found a comfortable niche complete with loft-style apartments, high-end waterfront dining, and dark hip lounges.

Like Passyunk Ave. in Philadelphia, Asbury has been able to use pre-existing store-fronts to revitalize it's downtown area. Independent apparel shops that once specialized in ladies undergarments or children's clothes have become showplaces for local artisans and start-ups for boutique entrepreneurs. Bodega-style take-out restaurants and pizza joints have been replaced with firehouses refashioned as sports bars and test kitchens for little-known chefs. The half-populated town offers a reminder of how the town once was while allowing for a vision on what a once-forgotten and abandoned town can become.

Asbury was there... just waiting for someone with a knowing eye to clear away the cobwebs and see it's true potential. The old house down the block once thought haunted and now turned into a shabby-chic showroom that is the envy of all it's neighbors.

Maybe it's the recession or the popularity of DIY shows that has caused this revitalization. Maybe New Yorkers were running out of affordable areas along the Jersey shore and saw Asbury's post-apocalyptic landscape as a perfect blanc canvas, already primed and ready to be pained. Maybe our country's new found interest in going green, recycling, reusing, revitalizing and staying local. Whatever the reason, it makes my heart flutter to see it in action.

MAP

Sunday, September 5, 2010

musing


Biking on Passyunk: I can hear another biker behind me. I don’t turn around. This person is gaining on me fast but for blocks has been unable to pass me. I don’t want this asshole in front of me for no apparent reason so I start pedaling faster, faster than I typically go and frankly I’m already late for work so I am not one to easily hurry on her bike. I’m going faster and faster and being more aggressive at stop signs and weaving all over the road to avoid the endless number of gorge-like potholes, camouflaged dips, and unnatural warps that plague our Philadelphian streets.

As I struggle for breath and avoid my fifth pedestrian realize that I don’t care if this person passes me in the least and really this fictional competition was fucking-up what should be a leisurely Sunday ride. I let him pass. It got me thinking about motivation and how maybe I need to prove something to someone else in order to make it seem worthwhile and worth striving for. This self-realization disturbed me.

When I thought of it another way though, I realized that I don’t want to spend my life trying to be better than someone else… sweating and palpitating and endangering people on the streets. I like taking my time. I like enjoying my ride. My next thought, naturally, was of death. It must be my belief that there is nothing after death, that once one’s body can no longer function everything just goes black. There is no heaven or hell, just THE END. I am intrigued by the idea that we weigh 28 grams less after death and the origin and reason behind that, but logically that “energy” would not transform in a way that one would be cognizant of. Isn’t that what makes life? I must truly believe this because my philosophy thus-far has been to live an unhurried lifestyle, few early mornings, 15 min bike commute, and less than 40 hour workweek.

I cook. I eat. I enjoy live music. I go to the cinema. I scour the internet for free items. I garden. I knit. I go to museums. I travel. I bike. I dance. I drink. I dress-up. I talk with good people. I see my family. I fuck. I go to sports games. I read papers. I take pictures.

These things are important to me. Not really owning a house or a new car or an endless amount of shoes. It’s true, those things would be nice, but the time I would give-up to get them is very precious to me. 

Saturday, September 4, 2010

cris cleen - painting

Autolux + This Will Destroy You


Preface: I am not a huge Autolux fan. I like some of their songs, enough to agree to see them last fall when a friend needed a show partner. Expecting nothing much, I was completely drawn-in by their commanding female drummer and how wonderfully she played with rhythms. Her overall demeanor was fantastic. The other two members of the three-piece reminded me of everything I dislike about LA in general, their look and actions seemed more style than substance. 


My next show experience with the group far cry from my initial experience. The difference? You may have guessed it ... the drummer. Though she never seems very bright and sunny, she was particularly gloomy when taking the stage. Whatever... nothing new for a band member about to play the stage at Johnny Brendas. From the first hint of shoe-gaze reverb, she seemed agitated. 


Maybe her issue was their mix, which was extremely bass heavy and quite loud. Brenda's usually has really great sound since it's such a small space. It's quite hard to fuck up a band's sound especially if it requires lots of warm echo layers. However, that was just the foundation for the band's issues that night.


The biggest issue seemed to be her mic stand which was just not staying put. She had to continually fix it as she tried to sing and play drums at the same time. This was clearly difficult. She went from glaring at stage hands to just taking the mic and holding it still while playing drums with one hand. Honestly, I felt for the girl. The rest of the band just played on, dipping and swinging their perfect bed-head hair. After a short, loud, winy set and a hurried encore she stormed off the stage. I don't think anyone left happy that night.