Crushing Krisis

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Things To Do In Philly, 9/7/11 Edition

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Dante Bucci, as shot by E!

Are there many things to do in Philly this week? Hell yes. Have you seen the Fringe Guide, or perhaps the City Paper’s capsule reviews of shows?

Well, I’m not here to talk about all of that. Unlike my comic book coverage, when it comes to Philly I only mention shows I’d consider attending myself – and, in the case of this lineup, I’m really going to try to attend them all!

Let’s go!

Thursday, 9/8
Who: Filmstar, featuring your author and the lovely E
Details: 8p, $10, North Star Bar, 2639 Poplar St., Philly
Why? We are fresh off of two killer rehearsals, and our set features a brand new song and a slew of fan favorites. Northstar Bar is one of the biggest local venues in the city, and comes equipped with great beer and food. Also, we’re sharing the bill with Mean, Secret Music, and Kyle Andrews – a Chicago-based artist whose music has been featured on Grey’s Anatomy and national commercial campaigns. Expect us to hit the stage 10pm or later.

Friday, 9/9
Who: Dante Bucci, Victoria Spaeth, and Andrea Nardello
Details: 10p, $10, Tin Angel, 20 S. 2nd St., Philly
Why? This is more of a “why not,” as I am madly in love with all three of these artists. Dante is the most notable hang drummer in the country, luring millions of YouTube viewers with his entrancing melodies. Victoria Spaeth is a fiercely independent songwriter who graduated from playing covers to open mics to fronting her own rock band, unspooling her fantastic and increasingly-muscular urban folk. Andrea Nardello straddles rowdy barroom acoustic-rock and twinkling folk in every set, and is on-the-record as liking the way I shake my ass when I play “Hyperbole” ;)

Gina and a monochromatic Wes in The Gray Area. This is a real photo - no digital trickery involved! Photo by Jason Colflesh.

Friday 9/9 through Sunday 9/11
What: The Gray Area, an original Fringe play produced by Gina!
Details: 8pm F/S & 3pm S/S, $15, The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut, Philly
Why? Ocelot on a Leash presents a second run of their original Fringe production Gray Area, featuring short Twilight Zone inspired plays produced completely in monochrome.

Wednesday 9/7 through Sunday 9/11
What: Checkers, an original one-man Fringe show
Details: various times, $15, The Fleisher Art Memorial Sanctuary, 719 Catharine Street, Philly
Why? A peculiar one-man show that liberates a single moony romantic from his original absurdist play to start in his own farce. See my write-up from last week for the fuller details.

Monday 9/12 through Friday 9/16
What: Water Bears in Space
Details: 7pm, $10, Circle of Hope, Broad & Washington, 1125 South Broad Street, Philly
Why? You know how you sometimes miss a show and then hear such ridiculously over-the-top fantastic things about it that you wish you could be Cher and turn back time? For me, that show was Rails, a collaboratively created show from PuppeTyranny featuring half a cast of humans and half of puppets. The company and concept are back for Water Bears in Space, along with outstanding reviews and the absolutely magnetic local starlet Kate Black-Reagan, who I guarantee you will fall in love with immediately. Don’t miss this – I definitely won’t!

Tuesday, 9/13
What: Notorious F.O.L.K.
Details: 8-11p, FREE, Triumph Brewery, 117 Chestnut , Philly
Why? Enjoy the beers at my favorite Philly micro-brewery while an impressive array of Philly acoustic artists cover Notorious B.I.G. songs, folkstyle. Seriously.

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That’s my lineup for the next week, and if I have to miss more than one I will spend all subsequent nights crying myself to sleep. What are your hot picks for things to do in the City of Brotherly love in the next nine days?

30 for 30 Project, 1987: “Alone” – Heart

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Allow me to explain how Heart’s 80’s power-ballad “Alone” is the best possible illustration of why this project is such a positive endeavor for me.

Heart is the combination of Ann and Nancy Wilson, and their first two LPs – Dreamboat Annie and Little Queen – are solid gold in my book. Yet, in the early 80s the group faltered with two poorly-received albums, and seemed to be headed for a fade out.

Then they released their biggest hit to date – 1985’s self-titled Heart, and followed it up with the strong Bad Animals in 1987.

What changed? A quick look at the liner notes will tell you. The two lesser successes were written entirely by the Wilsons. The two hits include more outside co-writers, and some songs not written by the band.

Case and point: “Alone” is Heart’s biggest hit, and it was written by Tom Kelly & Billy Steinberg – the major songwriting guns responsible for “Like a Virgin,” “True Colors,” “So Emotional,” and “Eternal Flame,” among other hits.


(Watch me cover “Alone” on YouTube. For more info on my 30 for 30 Project, visit my intro post or view the 30for30 tag.)

(Today’s video features special guest-star E, who can be heard elsewhere as the lead singer of Filmstar, because I could not bear to play this song sans its signature harmony. You can see us both play as Filmstar on Thursday night at North Star Bar around 9:45p, or for free on October 15 at Fergies @ 10pm).  [Read more…] about 30 for 30 Project, 1987: “Alone” – Heart

Gina’s Bachelorette Adventure, Pt. 5

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Gina models her Level 1 Veil as Bridal Partier Mikki sprays on her first magical rune.

After months of preparation, the day of Gina’s real life video game bachelorette party adventure had finally arrived!

Actually, it wasn’t the day that arrived, but the day before, which brought with it fellow bridal party member Kelly and her partner Gudrun. They pulled up to my house on a beautiful sunny day to put the finishing touches on Gina’s party.

Kelly brought two suitcases into my house – one with her traveling gear, and one packed with supplies for the party. There were her insane 8-bit pins, special puff-painted hats for the chemistry dance, and more. She had even made a lovely fluffy white veil for Gina to wear at the beginning of the day, when we would lure her into a false sense of complacency that her bridal party would be quite normal and not an insane reality show crossed with The Legend of Zelda.

As Kelly finished unpacking, two curious items emerged from her suitcase. One was a headband with a lightning bolt affixed to it. The other was a yet-to-be-assembled hat bearing two feathered wings.

“I know we talked about making Gina wear silly things,” Kelly confessed, “and I started thinking about all the power-ups Mario collects. I thought we could give her these to replace the veil.”

I nodded, gears spinning inside of my brain.

“Kelly…”

I’m not sure that Kelly knows me well enough to see the crazy emerging in my eyes when I come up with a complicated new idea to make something harder, but I think E spotted it from across the room.

“…you know how Gina has to defeat a “boss encounter” at the end of every stage in the city?”

“Yes.”

“Well, what if when she defeats the challenge she wins a new hat… a new piece of armor… a new piece of SPECIAL BRIDAL ARMOR…”

“Yes!” Kelly exclaimed, making clear the special brand of insanity she shares with both Gina and I, “and she’ll get special powers! The hat with wings will give her flight!”

I wield the exceptionally large Game Master version of the instruction book to explain the final encounter of the first stage of Gina’s Adventure.

“Yes! … Except, how exactly do we make Gina fly?”

“I have no idea.”

“Yeah, me neither. Well, do you at least have enough ridiculous pieces of armor for every stage?”

Kelly inventoried her items. The fluffy veil. The winged hat. The lightning bolt headband. A labcoat, to be bedazzled.

“We’re only short one,” Kelly reported, “plus I want to make her a sort of punk rock veil to wear at the end of the day.”

Both of our gears now spinning, we headed out to take Gudrun on a tour of suburban shopping meccas in order to gather the final elements of the adventure: tulle for a punk veil, a massive roll of paper to construct banners, and one more piece of bridal armor. Oh, and beer.

When we found a purple tulle and tiny black flowers for the punk veil plus a fuzzy rainbow boa at Joanne Fabrics it all clicked in my head. When we returned to the house I left Kelly downstairs to craft and ran up to my office to draft the instruction booklet… [Read more…] about Gina’s Bachelorette Adventure, Pt. 5

#FollowFriday Interview: @brimil, Artist & Connector

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Britt amidst her Philly-themed paintings in 2010. © Steve Boyle

Today my suggested #FollowFriday is a woman who – with no exaggeration – has altered the course of my life.

Her name: Britt Miller, or @brimil.

I could list all of positive ways my life has changed with Britt’s influence and collaboration, but this one quote from her sums up our shared philosophy:

No one beamed down and made me an artist, or “successful,” or well-connected overnight. This wasn’t a gift, it took work. Make moves, do work, tell people.

Why follow Britt? She engages. She’s funny. She’s a painter whose work has appeared on everything from sneakers to television talk shows. She’s an athlete who has powered through a half-Iron Man. She’s a communications professional and a business student about to embark on a year of international travel.

Most importantly, Britt is a Connector. She’s always happy to make a random new acquaintance, because she understands the true value of a robust network lies not in the present, but in the future. Those seemingly meaningless connections have paid off for her and her followers again and again.

Enough from me – let’s hear from Britt, in her own words.

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@krisis: There is a fan-favorite CK post about my perspective on meeting you for the first time. What’s your side of the story?

Britt and I pose in 2009, a few hours post-skydive, as shot by @Mikeyil

@brimil: I met you while I was working at IBX in Philadelphia. I was very passionate about social media and kick-starting the business use of social media to connect with customers. You came to the first social media meeting, and the rest is history :)

@k: Yes, a history of jumping out of planes together and you being my personal digital life coach and partner in all things FAME. Can you explain this “FAME” thing we have? I can never quite articulate it when people ask me.

@b: Ah, FAME is very difficult to express in words. FAME is the act and feeling of constantly achieving your wildest dreams (they start small at first, then grow; FAME is never over), and having friends, family, and eventually strangers support you in your endeavors. It’s being recognized and praised by society over something that you poured your heart into. FAME.

@k: How do you use primarily Twitter?

@b: I use Twitter to promote my art, to stay in touch with and connect with new friends, to follow people/things I’m interested in – accounts that post about art, travel, social media, Philadelphia, etc.

@k: In the past few years your original art has gone from a regular hobby to an actual business. What was the decision point where you said, “this is something I’m serious about”?

@b: The switch from hobby to business certainly came when I made my website, held my first First Friday show, and sold my first piece to a stranger. Those three events happened over a period of time, but after all three happened I think I realized that I had something there, and with a ton of hard work, it’s gradually taken off since then. [Read more…] about #FollowFriday Interview: @brimil, Artist & Connector