Kung Fu Necktie

Last Friday my friend and I saw Freelance Whales at this old blue collar bar turned venue/hipster haven. The bar itself is decent. Odd trinkets and gadgets pepper the dimly lit walls, while old Kung Fu movies play on an even older television. There was a pool table and pinball machine, so bonus points (no skeeball though Ian).

The venue was shockingly small. Nothing really captured my attention so I don't recall the stage to be anything amazing. But the music was certainly something. We only saw the last 2 of 3 bands, Animal Tropical and the aforementioned Whales of Freelance. Animal Tropical are a nutty band from Miami, FL. They sang in English, screamed in Spanish, and danced in drunk. They were a good live band but musically...eh.

Freelance Whales were next and they did not disappoint. The entire band bobbed and weaved through every song on their debut Weathervanes, often times switching instruments like a game of musical chairs. PUN INTENDED!

After the show both bands were very approachable, possibly because there was nowhere to hide in the tiny bar. Regardless, good first experience of two new bands and one new Kung Fu Necktie.

KFN, check.

Movie Screening

I used to think movie screenings were for the journalistic elite. Siskel, Ebert, the whole shi-bang. But then I discovered they were giving away passes through www.philadelphiaweekly.com, so I didn't feel so special. Then when I realized what movie it was (Extraordinary Measures "starring" Harrison Ford and Brendan Fraser) I felt even less privileged. But it was free and I surely enjoy attending the cinema. Once inside the theater, looking around at my fellow critics, I felt that I was no longer elite, nor just a lucky chap seeing a free flick, but I was being punished for some wrongdoing towards a higher power. I'll let you imagine the audience I'm talking about but I'm sure you've seen a movie with them before. The talking, crying, chewing, getting up in the middle of the movie several times type crowd. Awful.

But I did my civic duty. Completing the online survey once I got home and awarding Extraordinary Measures two out of five stars (any movie that you cry during, even if its because the large woman next to you keeps crushing your forearm with her elbow, deserves more than one).

I will have to be more selective towards my screenings in the future.

Movie screening, check.

Pasteles

As far as I know, this was my first encounter with traditional Puerto Rican cuisine. In Adam-terms I will try to explain what I ate for dinner tonight. Pasteles are a mixture of some type of dough or corn meal with pork, peppers, onions, and plantains. They are wrapped in the plantain leaf and then wrapped tightly with wax paper and bound with string. They are typically eaten during the holidays in Puerto Rico and Chinatown with me.

So a friend had given me one that his family had prepared over the holidays and I finally remembered to bring it home from work and make an easy dinner out of it. The preparations are easy:

1. Find Puerto Rican
2. Ask for pastele
3. Place in boiling water for 45-60 mins.
4. Cut strings and unwrap.
5. Como

To start I would recommend putting hot sauce/tabasco/etc. on it to give it a little bit of a kick because it can get slightly water logged. It was pretty good though. I've always enjoyed the plantain/pork combination in most hispanic cuisine. This one wasn't that different.

Pasteles, check.

LOVE Park

It's one of the most recognizable sights in Philadelphia. It's also the most ironic. In a city where homicide is through the roof (but getting better) and it's citizens do not love, let alone look at one another, the park is nothing more than a vigilante skatepark. Nevertheless I have never taken a picture of the bad boy. Like most residents of cities, I have not seen a lot of the "touristy" sights. Now I can cross this off my list. Here's the proof.


LOVE park, check.

Yakitori Boy

Oh my dear Lord. Where have you been Yakitori Boy? You have lived, sang, and held so many hot asians only a block from my apt. without me ever seeing you. Unfair. But alas I made it out to, as far as I know, the only bar in Chinatown.

In short it was amazing. It was like an old city bar without the douches. A dive bar, without the dirty grime. And a karaoke bar without the terrible singing. Wrapped in dough and fried in an egg roll. Terrific! Beer specials, spacious, sushi bar downstairs, private karaoke rooms, and hot asians. There were hot asians there...fyi.

So my friends and I were hanging out at the bar, drinking our karaoke courage juice, and taking in the sights and sounds. Without warning the manager on duty leaps on top of the bar and begins singing some song in Spanish as the crowd cheers and throws napkins like confetti. It was the best concert I have ever seen! Working the crowd. Shaking the hips. He was quite a showman.

Needless to say, Yakitori Boy blew me away and I recommend it to anyone who isn't afraid to have a good time.

Yakitori Boy, check.

Crash a Wedding

I was standing in the pew, aside my sister this Christmas Eve. Candle in hand, the lighting ceremony was going off without a hitch. No burn victims or fires, and a lack luster rendition of Silent Night. Per usual. Until the minister decides to surprise everyone there with his daughter's wedding ceremony...just tacked on to the end of the Christmas Eve service. Now this is sad for a couple of reasons.

One. It's obvious that the bride and groom desperately wanted a large wedding, in front of family and friends and in their father/father-in-law's church. However they did not have enough family/friends to fill said church so they tricked innocent, apathetic church-goers into their surprise wedding. Very sneaky Mr. and Mrs. R.J. Hickman.

And two. They totally ruined Jesus' annual 24 hours of fame. This whole service was to remind us all of the true meaning of Christmas! Now we are reminded about how sneaky and untrustworthy the Hickman's are.

So in essence I was not invited to this wedding, yet was still there. I suppose it's more of the wedding crashing me, but that sounds odd so I'll stick with the original title.

Crash a Wedding, check.

ALLive.

I had a great idea today. Although it involves cheating on blogspot with tumblr I could care less about hurting feelings. Starting tomorrow, 12/23/2009, allive.tumblr.com will be the simplest way to get you to live music in the Philadelphia area. Bored and you already went to the movies twice this week? ALLive will have every venue and whether or not they have a musician performing that night. Click the link to be sent right to the online ticket office and away you go. Easy. Music. ALLive.

ALLive, check.