All of us here at PhilaMOCA are huge David Lynch fans and are thus honored to be a fixture of the Eraserhood, a neighborhood on the rise that will soon be known as “Callowhill”. So join us as we preserve our corner of Center City in all of its frightening/strange/surreal glory…
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CALL FOR ARTISTS: Mausoleum Art Show of Horrors
On Friday, June 15, PhilaMOCA will host the Mausoleum Art Show of Horrors, a lead-in to the Mausoleum Horror Convention the following day (Saturday, June 16). Full details will be announced soon, but in the meantime we’re looking for some more horror-themed artists, details below…
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COMIC CON PHILADELPHIA 2012 AFTER PARTIES
PhilaMOCA will be hosting two comic book-themed after parties for that big convention that’s held in Chinatown just a few blocks south of us…
On Friday, June 1, the Philadelphia Premiere of Wonder Women!: The Untold Story of American Superheroines (SXSW, ActionFest) followed by Comic Strip!, a comic book/nerd-themed burlesque show produced by Philadelphia’s Miss Rose.
On Saturday, June 2, the Philadelphia Premiere of With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story (Slamdance) with director Will Hess in attendance followed by live performances from Drunk Monk (Baltimore costumed surf rock), an0va (Philly chiptune), and Chipocrite (Philly chiptune).
Refreshments courtesy of Red Bull and Narragansett Beer Co.
Vixens of Virtue, Vixens of Vice the breakout all-female hit web series now direct-to-DVD will be on-site shooting scenes for their upcoming DVD release Vixens of Virtue, Vixens of Vice Season 3: Homecoming during both evenings.
Friday, June 1
Doors at 6:00 pm; $7 movie, $10 burlesque, $15 for both (no advance ticketing)
7:00 pm : WONDER WOMEN!: THE UNTOLD STORY OF AMERICAN SUPERHEROINES : WONDER WOMEN! traces the fascinating evolution and legacy of Wonder Woman. From the birth of the comic book superheroine in the 1940s to the blockbusters of today, WONDER WOMEN! looks at how popular representations of powerful women often reflect society’s anxieties about women’s liberation. WONDER WOMEN! goes behind the scenes with Lynda Carter, Lindsay Wagner, comic writers and artists, and real life superheroines such as Gloria Steinem, Shelby Knox and others who offer an enlightening and entertaining counterpoint to the male dominated superhero genre.
Screening is presented by the Awesome Fest and Cinedelphia.com.
9:00 pm : Comic Strip! burlesque show featuring the talents of Miss Rose, Oscar Wildchilde, Stella Chuu, and Magdalena Fox; hosted by Nelson Lugo.
Saturday, June 2
Doors at 6:00 pm; $7 movie, $7 bands, $10 for both (no advance ticketing)
7:00 pm : WITH GREAT POWER: THE STAN LEE STORY : WITH GREAT POWER explores the vivid life and imagination of Stan Lee, from the early days of his Depression-era upbringing through the Marvel Age of Comics and beyond! The film uncovers original transcripts, illustrations, photographs and stories of Lee’s fascinating journey from his early years at Timely Comics and World War Two, the comic book industry’s censorship battle of the 1950’s led by Dr. Fredric Wertham, the dawn of Marvel Comics and the legendary characters Stan co-created, to his current company POW! Entertainment. The film is told through the words of Stan himself as well as numerous interviews with comic book creators, actors, film producers, family and friends. It paints a portrait of a man whose creativity knows no bounds and whose characters have grown from humble beginnings in the pages of Marvel Comics in the early 1960’s to powerhouse properties in all media, including film television, video games and beyond.
Director Will Hess will be in attendance for a post-screening Q&A.
Screening is presented by the Awesome Fest and Cinedelphia.com.
9:00 pm : Drunk Monk, an0va, Chipocrite
Rolling Roots Revue stop by PhilaMOCA on Thursday, April 19
A music revolution is coming to town on Thursday, April 19, when the ROLLING ROOTS REVUE takes the stage at PhilaMOCA.
A traditional music label based in southeastern Massachusetts has set out to revolutionize the way folk musicians and audiences get together. Every spring a group of Wepecket Island recording artists performs in a revue format, with some individual performances and lots of opportunities for jam sessions, as well.
The all-ages show, which begins at 8 p.m., will feature Don Barry, Dale Robin Goodman, Hilary Hawke, Russ Mello Phil Minissale, ‘Ragtime’ Jack Radcliffe and The Ruckus Brothers Jug Band. At the end of each show the troupe will invite all players and singers in the audience to join in a closing jam session, campfire-style.
“If you have a recognizable musical instrument, we want you to play with us,” said “Ragtime” Jack Radcliffe, Wepecket’s self-styled “President, Packer/Shipper and Dishwasher.”
“And if you have an unrecognizable instrument, we want you to come with us on next year’s tour,” he added.
Based loosely on the Theater Owners Booking Association that booked African-American performers in the 1920s, the tour will strut its stuff on stages in more than a dozen cities throughout the East. “We’re trying to reconnect more directly with our audiences, and in a less structured, more fun way,” said Radcliffe, who also plays ragtime piano with the troupe.
Tickets are $7, available at the door.
Jeff The Brotherhood
Any band that names a song “Bone Jam” probably wants to melt faces. That’s certainly the aim of Jeff The Brotherhood, a pair of hard-partying brothers from Tennessee whose 2009 debut, Heavy Days, could be fairly said to shred. But the brothers bring more than just furious solos to their tight compositions: There’s a strain of power pop that runs through the songs, with vocal harmonies laced throughout arrangements that otherwise rumble and churn. The dichotomy is what propels the band’s songs forward; that it’s just two members making such a racket is even more impressive. Their latest album, We Are the Champions, was released this June.
I Love Mitch Hedberg
Exhibit Honors the Late Mitch Hedberg’s Comic Brilliance
Mitch ado: PhilaMOCA curators Brianna Barton (left) and Gavin Hecker sit atop a Mitch Hedberg mural.
When you think of legendary stand-up comedians, names like Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Jerry Seinfeld, Lenny Bruce and Chris Rock come to mind. But how many of us could recite one of their jokes on the spot?
Best known for his bizarre nonsequiturs, superb one- liners, awkward stage presence, unconventional delivery and (ab)use of recreational drugs, Mitch Hedberg is arguably one of the most original comics the world has ever known. Even without ever quite reaching a mainstream audience, he continues to have a devoted fan base almost seven years after his tragic, untimely death.
As proof, more than a dozen local artists have come together to transform Hedberg’s comedic brilliance into actual works of art.
“I think the thing that makes Mitch a great subject for artwork is that his one-liner jokes are visual in nature,” explains participating artist Adam Fergurson. “You actually can see what he’s talking about in your mind’s eye and that’s really what makes his brand of humor funny and unique.”
The exhibit, simply titled I Love Mitch Hedberg, will be unveiled on Saturday during what is sure to be a rather epic tribute event and comedy showcase. A lineup of comics from around the area have been invited to perform, including Phil Porter, who actually once shared a bill with Hedberg. There will also be a video presentation, unreleased footage of Hedberg from back in the day and a special appearance by his widow, Lynn Shawcroft, who helped organize the exhibit, along with friend Gavin Hecker, owner and manager of the Philadelphia Mausoleum of Contemporary Art.
Though perhaps not surprising, many of the artists note that the comic’s strange and rather varied material allowed them to hone creative juices they wouldn’t normally utilize. “Mitch Hedberg makes you think differently about the world while making you laugh, which is something to celebrate,” says Sophie Strachan, a participating mixed-media artist whose work will also be on display.
For the show, Strachan designed a poster making a subtle reference to one of her favorite Hedberg quips: “On a traffic light, green means go and yellow means yield, but on a banana it’s just the opposite. Green means hold on, yellow means go ahead, and red means where did you get that banana?”
“Before this joke, the connection between a traffic light and a banana would not have occurred to me,” Strachan says. “Sometimes life needs absurdity and Hedberg gave us that.”
Fellow exhibiting artist Dana Osburn opted to probe even deeper into this absurdity with an animation featuring an Oprah Winfrey puppet enacting various lines from Hedberg’s standup.
“Hedberg, for me, represents everything that is so distinctively indistinct about the ’90s and early 2000s,” she says.
On the event’s Facebook page, Shawcroft recently wrote: “I believe Mitch’s legacy is his art—his beautiful words and jokes. I also hope that his legacy is to inspire art.”
In many ways, the exhibit can be considered a tribute to all comedians who, more often than not, go under appreciated as artists and performers, both alive and in death. ■
Opens Sat., Oct. 1, 7pm. Free. Through Fri., Oct. 21. Philadelphia Mausoleum of Contemporary Art, 531 N. 12th St. 267.519.9651. philamoca.org
Da Comrade! kicked our ARRRSES
West Philadelphia’s Da Comrade! Kick some serious shit into gear during the Chernobyl Collective’s Philamythos, multimedia art extravaganza. Live from the Philadelphia Mausoleum of Contemporary Art. This video has been brought to you by the fine folks at Tachyphylaxis. Enjoy, and get a hold of yourself for fuck sake.
Pezzettino wuzzz here
Just a little clip of Brooklyn based, Pezzettino performing live at the Mausoleum in Philly….go see her if you get a chance.
Click here for a review of the show published in the Philly Broadcaster
Ed Masuga with Stick and Stone – June 8th
Netherfriends will be here when Jesus Returns
Netherfriends rediscover America with 50 Songs/50 States.
By John Vettese
MAPS AND LEGENDS: The rules for 50/50 were simple: The songs had to be at least two minutes long and recorded in the same state where they were written.
[ rock/pop/concept ]
Just over a year ago, Shawn Rosenblatt stood in front of a crowd in the basement of Pi Lam in West Philly, and announced his plans for a great nomadic adventure. The Chicago-bred psych-pop futurist wanted to tour the country with his band Netherfriends, writing and recording a song for every state. There was the inevitable heckler shouting something about Sufjan, but Rosenblatt’s response was snappy: “Yeah, except that was a gimmick, and this is real life.” The first 50 Songs/50 States release, the lush and vibey Angry East Coast 7-inch, is out this week, and Netherfriends are, once again, heading out across the U.S., kicking off with a show this Saturday at PhilaMOCA.
City Paper: What inspired 50 Songs/50 States?
Shawn Rosenblatt: I realized I wanted to do more when I was on tour than just tour. Right now it seems like that’s the only thing that’s going to keep me going — having these creative projects.
CP: What were the ground rules?
SR: The songs had to be more than two minutes long. And they had to be recorded in the same state I wrote them. This wasn’t always easy. My first time through Alabama, we played, but didn’t write or record. … We were leaving Mississippi, and had to drive back across the Alabama border to record the song in a gas station parking lot. My band was bummed, because we had to drive out of the way. But I listened back recently, and I’m pretty proud of the song.
CP: Which states proved the most and least fertile?
SR: I didn’t really struggle in any states. It’ll be interesting to see how people respond, since some of the subject matter is kind of silly. Hopefully it will be endearing when people realize I wrote the songs so quickly. That’s how my last album, Barry and Sherry, was; I wrote those songs in seven days.
CP: This first EP is called Angry East Coast. What was so infuriating about your East Coast trek?
SR: People were angry. Especially in New England — people we booked with and stayed with were so passive-aggressive. It was really weird.
CP: What’s on the horizon?
SR: I’m doing a bike tour and releasing the first full-length of songs from the project this summer. I’m also working on other releases — an album based on Harry Nilsson samples called Netherfriends Does Nilsson. Also an album with all girl vocals. I think I’m going to call it Women: Can’t Live Without ‘Em, Can’t Live Without ‘Em. I always wanted to be like Phil Spector, but in a not-so-crazy way.
Netherfriends play Sat., May 21, 8 p.m., $5-$7 (sliding scale donation), with Golden Ages and Hop Along, Philadelphia Mausoleum of Contemporary Art, 531 N. 12th St., 267-519-9651, philamoca.org.