David Bunn: Double Monster
Temple Gallery
45 N. Second St.
Thu, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m., free
(215) 925-7379
Like art? Good. Like art that nobody else gets? Even better. Come check out David Bunn's Double Monster, a project based on a decade-long series of works based on obsolete library card catalogs. Yeah, I don't get it either. But I'll still be there with my beret and entourage of pseudo-intellectuals.
Drexel University Annual Art Auction
Mandell Theatre and Living Arts Lounge
33rd and Chestnut streets
Fri, 7 p.m., $5
(215) 895-2451
www.drexel.edu/depts/artsAdm/
Admit it. You are one of those elitist kids who scoff at the Drexel kids who crash MarBar on Thursday nights. Well, you can feel extra cool by running up the price at the Drexel Art Auction, just because you can afford to. Pretty damn good, right? Well at least until you get stuck paying half of your tuition for a painting of the Drexel campus like some kid did last year. But then again, he didn't even go to Penn.
Allegheny Meadows Exhibition and Sale
The Clay Studio
139 N. Second St.
Fri, 12 p.m.- 6 p.m., free
(215) 925-3453
Valentines Day is for pottery. You didn't know it, but what she/he really wanted was a pot. Redeem yourself and take your valentine to this exhibit. Let him/her pick from the work of creative, local artists. Also, the exhibit is free, so you can satisfy your daily, weekly, yearly or lifetime culture requirement.
Art and Community VII: The Americas
Esther M. Klein Art Gallery
University City Science Center
3701 Market Street
Sat, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., free
(215) 387-2262
Just in time for Penn women's week, this is a group exhibition for contemporary women's art production. Directed at the politics of regional difference across the American continents, this is one exhibit that should be accessible even to those who don't often "get" art. Wine tasting will also be available for those of you who should have gone to Cornell.
Hermann Nitsch / Die Aktionen: 1962-2003
Slought Foundation
4017 Walnut Street
Sat, 6:30 p.m., free
(215) 222-9050
So I guess you were wondering when someone as creepy as Dr. Lecter would show up in real life and make a work of art? Well, wonder no more. This week at the Slought Foundation, gore is king. From fake crucifixions to the disemboweling of various animals, Nitsch has taken documentaries to a new level. You should be happy though since he has given all a truly special gift -- a reason to stand back and really go "What the fuck?"
Of Print and Paint
Gallery Siano
309 Arch Street
Mon-Wed, by appointment, Thu- Sat, 11-6 p.m., free
(215) 629-2940
www.gallerysiano.com
Totally confusing and abstracted yet vividly colorful and soothing at the same time. Sounds like we've finally found a way to explain this version of OPP since the song never made any freaking sense.
Paintings on Jewish Themes 1991-2000
Borowsky Gallery
Gershman Y
401 S. Broad St.
Mon-Fri, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
(215) 466-3022
www.gershmany.org
You may be wondering what's so important about Jewish art between 1991-2000. But this is the very era that produced the comic Jewish genius of Ben Stiller and Adam Sandler, so it might as well be classified as a Re-Renaissance. The important question to ask, as you browse the Gallery and sip Manishevitz, is this: why is there no Sistine Synagogue?
Scenes from Cape May and Recent Landscapes
Gallery 50 Inc.
50 E. Commerce St.
Wed-Sat, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
(865) 575-0090
If Andy Warhol could turn a soup can into a masterpiece, then anything's possible. Even making the Jersey Shore into a landscape worth having an entire exhibit about. Sure, you could get in a car and actually go see the Jersey Shore, but that's not your style. You don't actually want to step on pollution, you'd rather stare at it and marvel. To make the night even better, top off this art adventure with an umpteenth viewing of Garden State.
Thomas Chimes: Confronting the Unconscious Eary Works
Locks Gallery
600 Washington Square South
Tue-Sat, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., free
(215) 629-1000
www.locksgallery.com
With a career lasting through five decades, Chimes has proven a master of longevity. Or, maybe he is that stubborn grandpa type, the kind that won't just wont retire to Boca. Nevertheless, he is one of Philadelphia's finest. This exhibit explores his early works, circa 1958-65, which are colorful, abstract, and full of symbolism.
Moonstone Poetry Series
Robin's Bookstore
108 S. 13th St.
Tue, 7 p.m., free
(215) 735-9600
www.robinsbookstore.com
Toby Olson, author of eight novels and mucho poetry, and the winner of grants and awards, will appear at Robin's Bookstore this Tuesday. Lord, if I could only finish that third one I'm working on, I'd be ever so grateful. Speaking of poetry, I really like when they rhyme. I don't think his do, but "we real cool/we skip school" is a line from my new favorite poem. Look it up fool.
Big Picture Mural Arts Workshop
Asian Arts Initiative
1315 Cherry Street, 2nd floor
Wed, 3:30 p.m. - 6 p.m., $25
(215) 557-0455
Sometimes I feel like there is no way to express my Asian-American heritage. It's just so hard to find my voice -- especially since I'm not Asian. Luckily, there's the Asian Arts Initiative. This week stop by and check out their mural workshop to learn the basic skills to create an outdoor mural in Philly.
Christopher Preble discussion
Barnes & Noble
720 Lancaster Ave.
Wed, 7:30 p.m., free
(610) 520-0355
I bet you don't know who Christopher Preble is! That's OK, I had no idea either until I found out he'd be coming to chat. This director of foreign policy studies at the Cato Institute has been published everywhere and then some, and is coming to Philly to talk about his book, John F. Kennedy and the Missile Gap. I know most of you could give two shits about something that happened, like, twenty years ago, but maybe he'll lend some insight into why you've been having that not-so-fresh-feeling down there.
Harlan County, USA
Van Pelt Library
3420 Walnut Street
Thu, 6:30 p.m., free
www.english.upenn.edu/~jallred/filmworks/filmworks.html
Ever wonder whether the objectivity Michael Moore was going for actually exists? Well, some believe this documentary came close. GET-UP (yeah, those angry TAs from the corner of Spruce and 38th last year) is presenting this film probably in an effort to gain undergraduate support for their futile battle. The other benefit of this screening is appeasing your parents when they ask about your last trip to the library.
Literary Honeycombs: Storage and Retrieval of Texts Before Modern Times
Van Pelt Library
Locust Walk between 34th and 36th streets, 6th floor
Thu, 5 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., free
http://slought.org/content/11266/
If the phrase "Me want Honeycomb!" means anything to you other than the best cereal ever made, you experienced an incredibly deprived childhood. Unfortunately for the rest of us, there is no eating in Van Pelt. Rather, there is another version of this amazing snack -- a literary exhibit showcasing some really old books arranged in a style metaphorically akin to beehives.
Jim Knipfel reading
Nexus
137 North 2nd St.
Sat, 7:30 p.m., free
(215) 629-1103
Who is Jim Knipfel? And for that matter, who are we? I know you all want me to go on some outrageous tangent that has absolutely nothing to do with Jimmy, but just to prove my strength, I won't. So fuck you! This former Philly Weekly writer will read from his to-be-released These Children That Come at You with Knives, can we say paranoid? Yes, we can.
Cultural Film and Lecture Series Presents West Beirut
Villanova University
Connelly Center Cinema
800 Lancaster Avenue
Sat, 7 p.m., Sun, 3:30 & 7 p.m., Mon, 7 p.m., $3.50- $5
(610) 519-4750
www.culturalfilms.villanova.edu
I really thought this movie was about beer. I should have known better than to trust those fuckers at Villanova. Still, just because West Beirut is considered cultural and yet is not centered around alcohol, doesn't mean you can't indulge in a Lebanese knock-off of Saturday Night Fever. Think John Travolta only eating Falafel in a Middle Eastern civil war. Shit, did somebody say war?
Akrobatik
Theatre of the Living Arts
334 South Street
Thu, 9 p.m.
(215) 922-1011
Finally someone who stands up for the power of live. While he admits the value of the Internet, Akrobatik reminds his listeners "you ain't an MC just because you could type / on the mic in real life your ass'll get sniped." Having been established in Boston, a similarly budding environment to that of Philadelphia, this artist is a must for underground hip-hop fans.
Benja Styles Spins
32 Degrees
16 S. Second St.
Thu, 9 p.m. - 2 a.m.,
(215) 627-3132
Let's start with the venue. You can get cocktails served in glasses made completely of ice. Now that that is settled; the DJ has been throwing parties since the sixth grade. Philadelphia native Benja Styles hates requests and loves gangster movies. So let Benja take care of the tunes while your hands freeze with the delicious novelty of ice cups.
Cordalene
The Khyber
56 S. Second St.
Thu, 9 p.m., $8
(215) 238-5888
Looking for a little live music? Cordalene could be a good choice if you like the pop rock feel. The band's claim to fame is opening for Weezer at the Tweeter. They also played the Warped Tour, although they were a little out of place. If you usually sport a leather jacket with studs and band patches, or if you have foot long liberty spikes, you might want to find a different show.
Dragon City
The Khyber
56 S. Second St.
Thu, 9 p.m., $8
(215) 238-5888
Looking for something different to do on Thursday night? Head on over to the Khyber to see an emerging rock/pop band -- Dragon City. If rocking out isn't your style, you can head upstairs and get your groove on for no additional charge. DJ Julia Factorial and Art Andrew will be spinning "Freak the Fuck Out."
Despondent Heaven
Doc Watson's Pub
216 S. 11th St.
Thu, 9 p.m.-2 a.m., $5
(215) 922-3427
Tired of the seeing the same people over and over again at Smokes and Mar-Bar? This English pub provides a different, quieter atmosphere with live entertainment. And it offers some new faces -- meaning that the morning after a drunken hook-up, you won't have to worry about seeing your latest fling around campus.
Hank and my Honky Tonk Heroes
North by Northwest
7165 Germantown Ave.
Thu, 9 p.m., $15
(215) 248-1000
Ok, we get it. You like the Garden State Soundtrack. But it might be time for you to branch out a little with your musical tastes. Start by checking out Jason Petty's tribute to the classics of Hank Williams at North by Northwest. Petty is a singer/actor/musician, so that kinda makes him like Zach Braff. Kinda.
James Cotton Band
The Zellerbach Theatre
3680 Walnut Street
Fri, 8 p.m., $22-$44
(215) 898-6701
James Cotton Band plays some good old Blues to get you and your friends in the mood for some sweet sweet lovin'. If you were thinking Blues like the Blue Box Blues ? la Kraft, then you are sadly mistaken. While those commercials featuring adorable children who are sad that their mother doesn't please them right (lawsuit anyone?) were always a personal favorite, they have absolutely nothing to do with James and his Cotton mouth. Or whatever.
Aaron Carter
Keswick Theatre
Easton Road at Keswick Ave.
Fri, 8 p.m., $29 - $36
(215) 572-7650
That's it, music has hit its cultural peak. Aaron Carter is a boy, nay, man who has left a lasting impression on the artistic world. Ever since Suessical, I have always wondered why the world does not give Carter the credit that he deserves. He is a musical genius, a legend in his own time. Go see the magic at work for yourself.
Rock N' Roll
Bjorn Again
Kirby Center
71 Public Square
Fri, 8 p.m., $25-$45
(570) 826-1100
Mamma mia, here I go again -- all the way to the ABBA tribute show. Who can resist the musical glory that is Swedish pop rock. Okay, maybe some people can resist. But come on, "Bjorn Again," is hilarious. Maybe I'm just a sucker for dumb puns. Maybe I don't get out much. Maybe I'm not "down with it." Maybe I don't have "people skills." Leave me alone, damnit.
Yanni
Wachovia Center
3601 S. Broad St.
Sat, 8 p.m., $47.50-$ 87.50
(215) 336-3600
Yanni is sexier than David Hasselhoff and Hugh Hefner combined -- and his music is pretty damn good too. From "One Man's Dream" to "Until the Last Moment" this Greek god has taken genre-less music to its limit. I personally wouldn't miss a minute of his Chinese-Latin-Greek-Italian musical extravaganza and shame on you of you do.
The Big Bang
Kimmel Center Innovation Studio
Broad and Spruce streets
Thu-Fri, 8 p.m., Sat, 2 p.m., $39
(215) 893-1999
www.kimmelcenter.org/events
Do you live for intro astronomy? Does configuring star positions or whatever it is you people do in there make you feel all tingly inside? If you answered yes to either of these questions you are a freak. Thankfully the Big Bang is not about science, but uppity New Yorkers trying to make it big in the production biz. And if you don't like it, all you nerds can recede to the nerdery with your calculators afterward.
Last Rites
Painted Bride Art Center
203 Vine Street
Thu, 7 p.m., $15, Fri - Sat, 8 p.m., $20
(215) 925-9914
Those of you that spent the past week drowning your sorrows in chocolate and alcohol, trying to forget how you didn't have a Valentine -- take some time out of your self-pity and go see this acclaimed play by Letta Neely. This comedic drama will help to put things into perspective. If not, at least you can tell your parents that you experienced some Philadelphian culture, and you can return to the alcohol and chocolate after the show.
