Don’t know what to do tonight? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
— Just a friendly reminder: We told you about the nifty new Live Arts artist-in-residence program and concurrent second-Thursday series last week. Its inaugural event will be tonight at 6:30 p.m. for free at the Festival Studio (919 N. Fifth St., 215-413-9006). Featured performers include the homegrown Thaddeus Phillips, Kathryn Tebordo and Subcircle’s Jorge and Niki Cousineau. Like Carolyn Huckabay said in last week’s post, free admission and free beer? I’m there.
— The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave., 267-671-9298) is holding a Neil Young Tribute Night at 9 p.m. for $7, and though I usually don’t go for that sort of thing, I must say I’m excited to see what The Spinning Leaves does with it. (A dozen other bands will be there, too.) And please, everyone, let’s forget that Transever existed for tonight.
— The Philadelphia Museum of Art is holding the first day of its annual craft show at the Pennsylvania Convention Center (1101 Arch St., 215-684-7930) until 9 p.m. for an entry free of $5-$15. Yeah, yeah, you’re spending money to spend more money … but it’s for a good cause and there’s lots of cool, cool stuff, like Selma Karaca’s clothing (pictured above). Buy us this plz.
Not satisfied? Check out today’s listings for more and more and more events.
We have a long and storied history, the 1″ pin and I. When I was in high school, I carried around this bright yellow messenger bag that I covered in pins. I would scour flea markets, shows and Ebay for the perfect assortment of pins. Too bad I didn’t know about Zen Kitten, aka Philly girl Kat. She is the official creator of the Shmitten Kitten pin series (the pins above … you can buy us some of those too), which is where I got wind of her. I took a gander at her Etsy page and got far too excited: Faster Pussycat Kill Kill! Re-Animator! Joan Crawford! And so many more.
… I wonder where that messenger bag is. I think I’ve got some pins to buy.
Don’t know what to do tonight? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
In which I pretend that y’all aren’t watching the Phillies game …
— Yesterday marked the kickoff of the First Person Festival, that glorious storytelling event that’s been running off at the mouth for eight years now. There’s a vague shitty-economy-yields-greater-creativity theme to the whole fest, with tonight’s Songs for Any Depression event encapsulating it best. Woodie Guthrie’s granddaughter, Sarah Lee Guthrie, along with fellow musicians Johnny Irion and Kim and Reggie Harris, will perform several of Woodie’s songs that helped people get through Depression 1.0. Also, author Morris Dickstein will do a multimedia presentation about documentary culture in the ’30s. It’s going down from 8-10 p.m. at the Painted Bride Art Center (230 Vine St., 215-925-9914) for $20. (SPOILER ALERT: Check back later today, when the new issue goes live, for City Paper’s extensive coverage of the rest of the First Person Fest.)
— All I really want is GIRLS. This sloppy, sexy, hedonistic band belongs somewhere in the ’90s, but I’m glad they’re here with us now. They’re playing Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St., 215-291-4919)at 8 p.m. for $10.
We here at Critical Mass are big fans of the boutique/gallery/booze proprietor Art in the Age (116 N. Third St., 215-922-2600). (Have you been to their First Fridays? Dudes do not skimp on the ROOT cocktails. It’s hard not to like ‘em after a few.) So we’re happy to hear that this Fri., Nov. 6, the store will be celebrating its first birthday, with a party from 6 to 8 p.m. featuring complimentary ROOT drinks, the opening of the “Impermanent Bliss” exhibit (see above for one of the featured works), and many giveaways. Art in the Age’s Laura Price tells Critical Mass that said giveaways include goodies from “our vendors like Billy Kirk, NSF, Popomomo, Gitman Brothers, Lauren Moffatt and free tickets to any R5 show in November.” Word.
Don’t know what to do tonight? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
The last time you saw Night Moves, it was a different time. And a different place. But I promise that here, at Critical Mass, is where I’ll stay — forever. Now onto tonight’s options …
— If you haven’t been to the free Science on Tap series at National Mechanics (22 S. Third St., 215-701-4883), you should go — it’s like a good, toasty conversation with a very intelligent friend. Tonight at 6 p.m., Flashpoint Theatre Co. director Noah Herman, along with several of his actors, will discuss their current show boom. And what does it have to do with science? Sez the press release: “Playwright Peter Sinn Nachtrieb is a former bio major who examines science through the lens of theatre. The darkly funny play imagines the creation story of the next form of life on Earth.”
— Today marks the beginning of J. Karma’s (62 N. Third St., 215-627-9625) annual jewelry exchange, in which you give up your gently used shoes, handbags, scarves and jewelry to The Career Wardrobe, and the boutique gives you $10 off your next purchase of $50 or more or $20 off your next purchase of $100 or more. Like a pawn shop, but cuter. J. Karma’s open until 7 p.m. today, and the exchange lasts until Nov. 30.
When Sue Eggen started Giant Dwarf in 2003, it was just a hobby. She made a cloche hat for herself out of a recycled sweater, felt flower embellishment and buttons. The compliments ensued, and Giant Dwarf was born. “I breathe, eat, sleep and dream of this business 24/7,” says Eggen.
When it was too warm to wear her cloche hats, Eggen fastened one of her trademark embellishments onto a headband, and voilĂ : The rosette hair fascinator was born. Each rosette is made out of eco-friendly, wool-blend felt, which Eggen cuts and stitches into a bouquet pattern. The hair fascinators come in a variety of colors and can also be custom ordered. It’s a crafty way to add color and nature to any outfit — and it’ll never wilt.
Inspired by the need to promote local boutiques and designers during the economic crisis, Michael Anderer, co-owner of Matthew Izzo, founded the first-ever Philadelphia Fashion Week (which we covered in this week’s Agenda section). It’s going down Thu.-Sat., Oct. 8-10 at the 23rd Street Armory (22 S. 23rd St., 215-783-3434), and Critical Mass sent Agenda editor Holly Otterbein and startern Julia West to report on the highfalutin scene.
This is technically out of order, since the locally owned boutique Delicious went last, but we were both so psyched about its clothing that we’re focusing on it first:
Julia West:The headliner of the runway show did not disappoint, with plenty of “oohs” and “ahhs” coming from the crowd that were mostly for the clothes (but a little influenced by the free booze). Delicious showed that it can make one hell of a leather dress, but can also do a decent job of creating women’s and men’s clothing that’s more suited for the everyday. The men’s clothes were supremely tailored with boxy jackets, tight pants and clunky boots. The women’s clothing flip-flopped from sexy cocktail wear to more extreme leather couture. Someone made a right move when they decided to feature this local designer as the opening night’s headliner, even if we did have to suffer through endless DJ sets to see it.
Holly Otterbein: I’m usually a big critic of Gothic styles, but Delicious’ set really did it for me. The designers managed to crossbreed Hot Topic, steampunk, Heath Ledger as the Joker in a nurse’s outfit, and Marilyn Manson on his best day, and wind up with something that even non-Goths can get down with. The most beautiful dress looked like it was splattered with black and white paint, and laced up with a classy corset in the back. Kinda simple, really. Another upside of Delicious’ clothing: It conveys a great sense and love of the female body.
Next up is Brooklyn Royalty:
JW: At first I thought Brooklyn Royalty was playing it safe by using barely any color in its clothing. Then I took a closer look and realized the intricate detail of some of the garments, especially the skirts. I also saw upon second glance that subtle hues were used to liven up the outfits, but only slightly. It was like an appetizer — it was meant to tempt the palette, to make you want more. The few pieces that were textured — white waffle weave pants and a scarf on him, waffle weave skirt with a leather corset on her — were by far the most interesting and daring.
HO: I didn’t dig the white pant/white sneaker combo (always bad), nor the monochromatic green outfits. Brooklyn Royalty got a lotta hype before the show, so I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t dissapointed. But the ruffle dresses were pretty and gentle, and the muted color palette was subtle and smart.
Click the jump to read our thoughts on Love Brigade.
Inspired by the need to promote local boutiques and designers during the economic crisis, Michael Anderer, co-owner of Matthew Izzo, founded the first-ever Philadelphia Fashion Week (which we covered in this week’s Agenda section). It’s going down Thu.-Sat., Oct. 8-10 at the 23rd Street Armory (22 S. 23rd St., 215-783-3434), and Critical Mass sent Agenda editor Holly Otterbein and startern Julia West to report on the highfalutin scene.
Check out this slideshow of Philly Fashion Week’s attendees dressed to the nines, as well as the boutiques that set up shop last night. And yes, that first photo is totally of Ryan Dunn from Jackass.
Inspired by the need to promote local boutiques and designers during the economic crisis, Michael Anderer, co-owner of Matthew Izzo, founded the first-ever Philadelphia Fashion Week (which we covered in this week’s Agenda section). It’s going down Thu.-Sat., Oct. 8-10 at the 23rd Street Armory (22 S. 23rd St., 215-783-3434), and Critical Mass sent Agenda editor Holly Otterbein and startern Julia West to report on the highfalutin scene.
Before we give praise where praise is due, we must say this: All you had in the way of facilities were Port-O-Potties, Philadelphia Fashion Week? Really? You weren’t joking when you said you weren’t trying to be anything like New York Fashion Week. Just playin’ (mostly).
Alright, so now onto the good stuff. We’ll show you a slideshow from each designer, and then give our individual critiques on it. The first designers to take to the stage were from Moore College of Art & Design.
Julia West: Art Institute and Philadelphia University: You have some seriously tough competition ahead of you, my friends. Moore owned it as they kicked off Philly Fashion Week with metallic, B-52s-meet-Earth Girls Are Easy, swimsuit-like outfits. There were also gladiator-inspired leather straps matched with soft white skirts. The dresses were stunning throughout this set, whether wispy in black or painted on in emerald. It was an accurate depiction of what is going on fashion-wise in Philadelphia, especially among the youngsters.
Holly Otterbein: Agreed. This made me proud (despite the fact that I am in no way affiliated with Moore, nor do I even know anyone there. Hm. But I’m from Philly and so are they!) My favorite look was the sexy/dorky librarian outfit, with big ’80s glasses, a poofy Seinfeld shirt (it worked) and a mustard skirt. I also dug the masked girls in swimsuit-like pieces at the beginning. Only problem was, we didn’t know who the individual designers were because there wasn’t an MC announcing them for this group set. Bummer.
Then came Palmieri Jeans:
JW: The jeans are well-fitted and slim all the way through on the ladies, and loose in the leg on the guys, but sit nicely on the hipbones. They have a slight sheen to them, and it looks like the Palmieri signature is colored piping down the outside seam. There were plenty of cute hoodies for girls, and body-hugging, long-sleeve tees for guys. It had a street feel that I would have expected to see at Friday night’s show, but it was a nice break from the abundance of hipster clothing on the runway.
HO: This set came off as a wee bit drab at first, compared to the high-minded art schoolers’ designs. In regards to the overabundance of men’s clothing in this line, Julia whispered to me during the show, “I’m so not interested in male fashion.” Which I can agree with to an extent … I am, however, interested in male models. Ahem. I also couldn’t disagree with the perfect-fitting women’s straight leg jeans, which managed to be high-waisted without looking too retro or Mom-ish.
Click the jump to see what we thought of Kill City and Wrath Arcane.
Every Tuesday, Critical Mass sifts through the art blog world so you don’t have to.
-Roberta Fallon and Libby Rosof’s artblogoffers up a taste of the current letterpress exhibit, “Poems/Posters,” which is up at the Kelly Writers House. It features broadsides that pair text with prints, including visiting artist Megan O’Connell’s Agile Reactions: 33 Bean Games, which is a humorous, cutesy ode to female anatomy.
-After a long summer hiatus, Funnel Pagesis back. They’ve got a new feature, “Ask An Art Question,” where readers can submit a query and have the community add its two cents. But not just any question. Curator Shaun insists that something like, “Is shooting paint out of my butt awesome or what?” won’t make the cut.
-PW Stylehas picked up on the fact that a certain go-to-shop for trashy club wear has gone a bit biblical. Unfortunately, it was Black Box — not the Bible — that said, “you got the body, so why don’t you use it?”
-Lord Whimsy (pictured, right) wrote on his blog that he got a sneak peak of Brat Production’s Haunted Poe, a haunted house-cum-tour that we told you about in this week’s Agenda section. To commemorate the poet’s 200th birthday, the troupe is setting up a warehouse with Poe-inspired spooks and specters. Whimsy wasn’t afraid to dress up for the event, so neither should you.
Staff Blog
NIGHT MOVES: Live Arts’ second-Thursday series, Neil Young Tribute Night, PMA’s Craft Show
