The Washington Project for the Arts is looking for a few good area artists to fill out the ranks of their newly announced summer undertaking, the WPArade. Following in the footsteps of other yearly art parades in Soho, Brooklyn, Chicago and Cleveland (to name but a few), the event promises to be flush with all sorts of street freakiness, including “inflatable art, placards, portable sculpture and street performance.” And they’re currently accepting applications from all to participate.

Funding proposals from current WPA members capable of partnering with a community association of any stripe are due by April 12th. Five individuals will then be chosen for a $1000 grant to realize their vision. Meanwhile, members of the general public are too encouraged to pitch their ideas for parade floats by May 5th, although there is no stipend if selected and both nudity and pyrotechnics are explicitly prohibited. Bummer.

WPA Arts Parade is scheduled for this June 5th beginning at noon. The course will run only block from Half & M Sts. SE before ending up in front of Nationals Park for a post-party at The Bullpen, so one needn’t work about making that body glitter stick for too long. Get an application here.

For more art and music not bound by the length of a city block, follow us on Twitter or read up on the rest of the CultureMob blog.

Camp Bisco is an outdoor music festival held at the beautiful Indian Lookout Country Club, a world-class property located near Albany, NY. Camp Bisco is a 3 day rain-or-shine event with camping. Attendees may arrive beginning at 8am on Thursday morning July 15th. Camp Bisco 9 will feature 3 days and nights of music on 3 stages, including a late afternoon DJ TENT and a late night DANCE TENT featuring top international Dance acts! This event is not to be missed! Join us at Indian Lookout Country club for our 3rd anniversary. You know what they say; 3 times is a CHARM!

Press Release
Atlanta, Georgia (March 3, 2010) – The Disco Biscuits have confirmed the first round of performers slated for Camp Bisco 9, the ninth annual three-day music and arts festival in Mariaville, New York this July 15-17, 2010. The 50+ performer lineup at the multi-stage camping festival includes: The Disco Biscuits – All 3 Nights; LCD Soundsystem; Ween; Thievery Corporation; Girl Talk; Bassnectar; Pretty Lights; Major Lazer; The New Deal; Diplo; Aeroplane; Rusko; Sunrise Silent Disco; The Album Leaf; Brothers Past; Dieselboy; Gift of Gab (of Blackalicious); Future Rock; SOJA; Telepath; Felix Cartal; Two Fresh; Kill the Noise; Eskmo; Orchard Lounge; Rubblebucket Orchestra; Emancipator; Spiritual Rez; Sub Swara; Derek Plaslaiko; Big Gigantic; Earl Greyhound; The Black Seeds; Grimace Federation; C-mon and Kypski; Nobody Beats the Drum; King Britt; Dubskin; Woodhands; Justin Paul; Lee Maytals and DJ Everyday. More artists and festival details will be announced in the coming weeks.

Camp Bisco 9 will once again be held at the picturesque Indian Lookout Country Club in Mariaville, New York. The expanded setup will include: a second stage in the main field, an improved location for the DJ and late night dance tent – complete with a surround sound system, a local artists and performance art stage. Indian Lookout Country Club is located approximately 20 minutes travel time from Albany, New York, and sits on 200 acres of rolling, grass fields. The grounds come equipped with full bathrooms; which include flush toilets and showers, as well as 24/7 bathroom attendants. Festival goers will have access to a full bar on site and a general store, which sells almost every necessity for a comfortable and care free experience.

Early bird tickets are on sale now for a limited time only and begin at $135. Tickets are available online at www.campbisco.net and 1-800-594-TIXX, as well as at all FYE stores in New England and select outlets in New York state. There will be two levels of VIP packages this year. Level One, the VIP Experience, will be made available for $199 in addition to the 3-day festival pass and Level Two is a Platinum Experience, available for $349 in addition to the 3-day festival pass. 50 cents of every ticket sold will be donated to Headcount, a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization devoted to voter registration and participation in democracy.

Camp Bisco 9 is promoted by MCP Presents and hosted by The Disco Biscuits, who’s upcoming release, Planet Anthem, will be out on Diamond Riggs Records March 16th. Visit Camp Bisco for the most up to date information.

What’s New For Camp Bisco 9

* Surround Sound in the late night dance tent
* New Dance Tent location – High and Dry
* 2 Stages in the main concert field for nonstop music during the day
* Sunrise Silent Disco with some of your favorite Camp Bisco acts
* More staff at the front gate for faster and easier entry
* Local artists and performing arts stage
* 2 Levels of Ultimate VIP Experience
* Bill Me Later option for ticket purchases (90 day interest free payment plan)

Featured Musicians

The Disco Biscuits
Thirteen years after playing their first note together in Philadelphia, PA, The Disco Biscuits continue to make mind bending, genre defying music. With their fifth studio album on the way, the band’s first since 2002, the Biscuits once again look to redefine what it means to be a live band living in a studio setting. The product of three years in the hole with Philadelphia hip‐hop duo Don Cheegro and Dirty Harry, along with some close guidance from the UK electronic duo of Simon Posford and Benji Vaughan (Twisted Records UK), will once again satisfy fans of the band in a way they have never heard before – a quality many have come to find synonymous with the band’s releases and performances through the years.

The hosts of Camp Bisco, one of the country’s largest and longest running electronic music festivals, the Biscuits have continued to bring a myriad of talent to the scene in recent years, including: Snoop Dogg, Thievery Corporation, Nas, Damien Marley, James Murphy (DFA Records, LCD Soundsystem), DJ Shadow, MSTRKRFT, The Roots, Infected Mushroom, STS9 (Sound Tribe Sector Nine), Shpongle, Younger Brother, Alex Paterson (The Orb), and many, many more. Camp Bisco, which has found a home at upstate New York’s Indian Lookout Country Club, attracted nearly 10,000 concert‐goers a night for three nights in July 2009.
Disco Biscuits
World Is Spinning

LCD Soundsystem
Founded in 2002 by downtown NYC music scene fixture and DFA label co-owner James Murphy, LCD Soundsystem has risen to international prominence as one of the most critically acclaimed live and recording acts currently in existence. The band released its self-titled debut album in 2005, which featured the underground classics “Losing My Edge” and “Daft Punk Is Playing At My House,” and received two Grammy nominations. Preceded by the 45:33 EP, the second LCD Soundsystem album Sound of Silver was named best album of 2007 by The Guardian, Uncut, the Independent and Les Inrockuptibles among others, and scored another Grammy nomination. The record featured the Uncut song of the year “North American Scum,” “Someone Great,” and “All My Friends”–which Time magazine ranked as #4 in its Best Songs of 2007 and Mojo named track of the year. In 2008, LCD Soundsystem contributed the track “Big Ideas” to the soundtrack of the hit movie 21. The bandhas since released the 45:33: The Remixes EP and a cover of Alan Vega’s “Bye Bye Bayou,” issued to commemorate Record Store Day 2009 and earning LCD its fifth NME single of the week. March 2010 will see the release of James Murphy’s original music for the feature film Greenberg, while finishing touches are currently being put on the third LCD Soundsystem record, due out later this year.
LCD Soundsystem
North American Scum

Girl Talk
Pittsburgh artist Gregg Gillis (aka Girl Talk) has scrupulously created music from samples for over eight years. His fourth album, Feed the Animals, continues his sonic evolution towards his party-infested live show. While his first album, Secret Diary (2002), was full of purposeful glitches and noise, his subsequent albums, Unstoppable (2004) and the groundbreaking Night Ripper (2006), moved closer and closer towards dance-able mixes of varying genres, often including dozens of audio sources in a stream of juxtaposed hooks. With the fourth Girl Talk album on the Illegal Art label, Gillis steps even closer towards a creation that is centered on pop musicality rather than attention-deficit sample splicing.

Girl Talk has been known to underground audiences for several years, but it wasn’t until 2006 that Gillis crossed over and caught the attention of a larger audience. With Rolling Stone, SPIN, Blender, Pitchfork, and even Beck including Night Ripper in their “best albums of 2006” lists, Girl Talk has gone on to be booked by major festivals (Coachella, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Virgin, All Points West, Pitchfork, DEMF, etc.), and solicited for remixes (Beck, Thrill Jockey, Tokyo Police Club, Grizzly Bear, Simian Mobile Disco, Peter Bjorn & John, TeddyBears, and Of Montreal). And with roughly 200 live shows over the last couple of years, Gillis has consistently played larger venues to capacity crowds (every date on his 2007 North American tour with Dan Deacon sold out).

A year after the critically acclaimed Night Ripper release, Gillis quit his job as a biomedical engineer and now focuses on music full time. With his newly acquired lifestyle he can now work on music during the week and fly out to play shows on the weekend. With only a laptop in hand, the Girl Talk live show is more portable than a traditional band and has afforded Gillis the opportunity to travel the world with minimal overhead. A visceral culture of audience involvement has also become key to the live Girl Talk experience. Performances oftentimes feature the stage being mobbed with a sweaty mass of dancers who surround Gillis as he triggers samples and create mixes new and old out of loops from his hard drive. Such performances have quickly become one of the most entertaining and exhilarating live shows many have experienced as Girl Talk has the extraordinary ability to get the crowd ecstatic and keep the thrill going for the entire concert.

The new album, Feed the Animals, collects the material that was developed over the last two years as part of Gillis’ ever-changing live show. With hours of material in hand, it still took months to meticulously edit together the seamless album that combines 300+ samples in 50 minutes. Such fastidious care is what separates Girl Talk from the dime-a-dozen remixes that are posted to the Internet daily. In comparison to the previous release, Gillis has described this new album as expanded, with a larger range of tempos and samples. Yet, at the same time the focus has shifted from technical prowess to the flow and balance of each segment in an effort to successful translate the over-the-top party feel of the Girl Talk live show into album form.

Before Girl Talk suddenly reached critical acclaim, a typical show would attract 15-30 people. During those initial years it was an extreme oddity for someone to show up with a laptop and play elaborately constructed mixes of pop samples. In the last couple of years, though, not only have Gillis’ live shows exploded, but he is also being recognized for his innovations. From Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips nominating him for the Shortlist Music Prize to Representative Mike Doyle speaking about him to Congress (in relation to copyright laws), Gillis has quickly become a public figure. Emerging from his underground Pittsburgh roots, he is now being lauded as the future of electronic music by techno pioneer Richie Hawtin, while celebrities such as Paris Hilton are vying to dance onstage during a Girl Talk show. Gillis modestly takes it all in stride and has stated in interviews that he will eventually go back to a normal job, all the while reveling in the party while it lasts.

While Girl Talk’s music is often categorized alongside mashups, or DJ mixes, it is critical to note how distinct his assemblages are from the traditional mixing of two simultaneous tracks. Gillis’ roots lie more in the rich history of sample-based compostion as demonstrated by artists such as Dickie Goodman, Negativland, John Oswald, Steinski, Public Enemy (The Bomb Squad era), and countless others. Rather than taking mashups to an extreme, Girl Talk is more focused on the art of the sampling and developing new tracks that have their own character, and surpass the original elements. Such transformative work is what helps qualify his output as being protected by the ³fair use² principle of U.S. Copyright Law.
Girl Talk
Feed The Animals \"Play Your Part (Pt. 1)

Ween
Ween was the ultimate cosmic goof of the alternative rock era, a prodigiously talented and deliriously odd duo whose work traveled far beyond the constraints of parody and novelty into the heart of surrealist ecstasy. Despite a mastery for seemingly every mutation of the musical spectrum, the group refused to play it straight; in essence, Ween was bratty deconstructionists, kicking dirt on the pop world around them with demented glee. Along with the occasional frat-boy lapses into misogyny, racism, and homophobia, the band’s razor-sharp satire cut to the inherently silly heart of rock & roll with hilariously acute savagery; fueled by psilocybin mushrooms and an all-consuming craving for hot meals, Ween created their own self-contained universe, a parallel dimension where the only sacred cow was their own demon god, the Boognish.

The duo formed in suburban New Hope, PA, in 1984, when 14-year-olds Mickey Melchiondo and Aaron Freeman adopted their respective fraternal aliases, Dean and Gene Ween, and cut the first of literally thousands of home recordings. At about the same time Freeman — working under the name Synthetic Socks — issued an eponymous 1987 solo cassette on the fledgling TeenBeat label, Ween released their own debut tape, The Crucial Squeegie Lip, on their own Bird O’ Pray imprint. After a pair of 1988 self-releases, titled Axis: Bold as Boognish and The Live Brain Wedgie/WAD LP, Ween signed to the Minneapolis-based independent label Twin/Tone, which in 1990 issued the double album GodWeenSatan: The Oneness, a sprawling, often brilliant release which careened from the headlong hardcore rush of the opening “You F**ked Up” to the helium pop of “Don’t Laugh I Love You” to the Prince-Xeroxed funk of “L.M.L.Y.P.”
Ween
Voodoo Lady

Major Lazer
Major Lazer is a Jamaican commando who lost his arm in the secret Zombie War of 1984. The US military rescued him and repurposed experimental lazers as prosthetic limbs. Since then Major Lazer has been a hired renegade soldier for a rogue government operating in secrecy underneath the watch of M5 and the CIA. His cover is that of a dancehall night club owner from Trinidad and he enlisted the help of long-time allies and uber-producers, Diplo and Switch, to produce his first LP. His true mission is to protect the world from the dark forces of evil that live just under the surface of a civilized society. He fights vampires and various monsters, parties hard, and has a rocket powered skateboard.

As part of a plan to subdue the forces of evil with a batch of futuristic dancehall bangers, the three encamped at Tuff Gong Studios in Jamaica to record the Major Lazer record. The product of this collaboration is Guns Don’t Kill People… Lazers Do, a collection of tracks that draws from the rich dancehall tradition of Jamaica, the futuristic dance-floor-killing aesthetic of Diplo and Switch, and contributions from some of the biggest names in dancehall today. The record runs global pop culture through the filter of Major Lazer’s particular brand of 80’s-inspired digital dancehall, at once an homage to a bygone era and a look to the future of dance music.

Diplo (Philadelphia-based DJ and producer Wesley Pentz), incorporates such disparate influences as Miami Bass and Baile Funk into the high-tech ecclecticism of his productions. Known for his forward-thinking productions for MIA, Bonde Do Role and many others, and for the solo LP of cinematic, sample-based hip hop entitled Florida he recorded for the Ninja Tune imprint. Diplo is also the founder and owner of Mad Decent records, which has put out records by DJ Blaqstarr and Bonde do Role.

Switch (the pseudonym of British producer and DJ Dave Taylor) is the owner of one of the most progressive and respected underground dance music labels around, Dubsided. His work as producer is revered by critics, emulated by his fellow DJs, and sweated hard by dance floors on both sides of the Atlantic. Switch also permanently endeared himself to the bespectacled music cogniscenti with his contribution to Santigold’s critically acclaimed self-titled debut.
Major Lazer
Hold The Line

Bassnectar
What started back in the mid nineties as an experiment fusing youth culture and social action has turned into a multi‐faceted, multi‐faced creature called Bassnectar. It is the brainchild of Lorin Ashton, and it exists as an open‐sourced musical project that is as diverse as it is heavy, as raw as it is meticulous, and as fierce as it is imaginary.

Bassnectar combines sound and force with weight while spanning the spectrum of sonic style, covering every genre imaginable, and smashing it all into a collision of wobbling, perverted basslines, hypnotic hide‐and‐seek adventures, and pretty much anything that strikes his fancy. He calls the end product “omnitempo maximalism,” which basically means no rules, no limitations, and no hesitation in fusing the familiar with the strange or the classic with the cutting edge.

Whether remixing, collaborating, writing, DJing, performing live or working on constant social networking, Bassnectar’s music is the lure and social impact is the very sincere intention. According to Ashton, “we are so blessed, and so deeply fortunate to be alive and awake right now…it’s a basic truth, but it’s very powerful. I think privilege confers responsibility, and Bassnectar is a reflection of that opportunity to give back; the motion of my cells bouncing back at the world.”

Idealistic? Maybe. But with wall‐to‐wall shows night after night in city after city, with endless music being concocted and pumped out of the labs by a growing legion of collaborators and bass‐scientists, and with an ever‐growing fan base of loyal bass‐freaks on the loose, maybe idealism isn’t all that bad…
Bassnectar
Bomb The Blocks

The New Deal
At the vanguard of a new progressive style, the New Deal has become a live touring phenomenon. They have appeared at Bonnaroo, Langerado, Jazz Fest New Orleans, the Coachella Festival, Street Scene in San Diego, Berkfest, Gathering of the Vibes, Camp Bisco, and the Detroit Electronic Music Festival to name just a few. They have headlined over 400 shows in the past 4 years. the New Deal inspires audiences of all kinds, from packed dance clubs across North America, to spellbound receptions during opening tours with Herbie Hancock and Page McConnell from Phish.

the New Deal, a pioneer of the “livetronica” sound and a mainstay in both the Electronic and Jamband scenes for close to eight years, was recently faced with the possibility of having to cancel their 2007 California tour due to Dan Kurtz’s increasingly busy schedule with his new pop project Dragonette.

To counter the nebulous months to come, drummer Darren Shearer and keyboard player Jamie Shields have developed “The JOIN”- a musical unit that will host a revolving door of musicians depending on what area of the world they’re in as well as what show setting they find themselves a part of. The May west coast tour marks the first set of shows for “The JOIN”. The New Deal’s music, rooted in improvisation, is based on creating and developing actual songs and themes in the moment. This new project will allow them to spread their wings and share this creative ethic with other musicians from many disciplines and backgrounds.
The New Deal
Live in Philadelphia

Nobody Beats The Drum
To fully appreciate Nobody Beats The Drum’s fusion of breaks, electro, hip hop and every other form of music that whips a crowd up into a sweaty, writhing heap of body parts, it?s best to see them live.

At a NBTD show the pounding music created by Sjam’s decks and Jori’s keys are enhanced by Rogier’s visuals to create a sensual assault that’s impossible to withstand.
Nobody Beats The Drum
The Drum

Grimace Federation
Whether Grimace Federation show up as a trio, quintet, sextet or a ten piece post-rock orchestra, they consistently rain down a sonic assault on their audience that leaves even your pickiest hipsters nodding their heads with approval (or at least grunting apathetically that they didn’t hate them). Explosive live shows and sophisticated recordings reveal subtle layers of rhythm, telepathic interplay, cinematic texture, inventive chord structures and intriguing samples. Lots of percussion instruments, prominent vibraphones, hypnotic yet modulating melodies and swirling rhythms have earned them repeated references to post-jazz legends Tortoise but with moments of a harder rock edge. Eclectic influences range from the classic (Frank Zappa, Can and Kraftwerk) to the contemporary (Madlib, Tool, and Aphex Twin), to form an entirely new sound.
Grimace Federation

King Britt
Well, bios are funny because they tell the story of the past of who you are in the present. I try to only live in the present and the future (as I said, try). Even though beginning my career in 1990 on the now legendary house label Strictly Rhythm as E- Culture, being Silkworm in the groundbreaking, Grammy winning Digable Planets, starting Ovum Recordings with Josh Wink, producing platinum remixes for Macy Gray, Solange, Donna Lewis and hundreds of others, winning the highest grant in the country as the first dj/producer, The Pew Fellowship or starting my empire, FiveSixMedia, I still try to live in the NOW and not the then.

So of course, now, I am a father, fiance’, musicologist of sorts and media revolutionary. My label and company FiveSixMedia, set the example of an individual who is able to live outside the box and show what freedom truly is.

Doing my own thing on my own time and assisting other to move into that space as well.

The future is bright because I say it is. Stop and smell the flowers.
King Britt
King Britt on Off The Meters

Thievery Corporation
Thievery Corporation will hit the main stage with over 20 musicians!

Recording in their Washington DC based studio, Rob Garza and Eric Hilton, better known as the international production and DJ duo Thievery Corporation, have released their fifth studio album, Radio Retaliation, through their independent music label ESL Music. The 15-track opus features the duo collaborating with a roster of International all-stars to create the strongest statement yet from Thievery Corporation.

“Apart from a few independent bastions, there is no musical or informational freedom on the US airwaves anymore. The traditional public commons have been sold to the highest corporate bidders. Music is suffering and society is suffering too. Radio Retaliation is about an exodus of conscious people who are willing to acknowledge something is wrong with the ‘official version’ in news and culture. Therefore, we need to create our own channels,” explains Hilton.

The tone of the album underscores the freedom of expression that only independent outlets can provide in a society dominated by corporate sponsors and agendas. Garza and Hilton have long positioned themselves as fiercely independent voices within the music industry, successfully building their label over the past decade through continued belief that great music will find its audience – with or without US commercial radio assistance.

“Unfortunately our daily experiences via mediated radio, print and televised programming are primarily the results of hype, propaganda, and calls to consume. From fake wars, fake celebrities, a fake political system – Rob and I checked out of it long ago,” Hilton says. “It’s more important to do something we truly believe in and let people experience it uncensored and real.”
Thievery Corporation
Lebanese Blonde

There are still plenty of artists and musicians to cover, and the whole lineup hasn’t even been announced. To catch the full lineup of announced musicians, get more info on the camp grounds, learn about things like the fests annual Color War, and to pick up tickets; check out Camp Bisco’s Website.

Now in its fourth year, the Free Library Festival is the Library’s annual burst of ideas and inspiration! Well on its way to becoming a Philadelphia tradition, the Festival weekend is packed with free programming for all ages, including talks by bestselling authors, poetry readings, musical performances, tours of the Library’s special collections, and programs and activities just for children. A fun, free way to spend the day, the Free Library Festival connects book lovers from throughout the mid-Atlantic region.

Here’s a look at some featured authors, vendors, dealers on display, and more.

Authors

Chang-rae Lee | The Surrendered
Chang-rae Lee is the author of the acclaimed novel Native Speaker, the New York Times bestseller Aloft and the New York Times Notable Book A Gesture Life. The Surrendered, his new novel, “looks to be Lee’s epic masterpiece,” commented novelist Junot Díaz. Following three characters throughout the Korean War and well into its aftermath, the novel “bursts with drama and human anguish as it documents the ravages and indelible effects of war…not to be missed,” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).
CLEAR Writer’s Salon: Room 108
Saturday, April 17 at 2:00 PM

Harlan Coben | Caught
Mystery writer Harlan Coben has won the Edgar Award, the Shamus Award, and the Anthony Award–he is the first author ever to win all three. His books have debuted at no. 1 on the New York Times Best Sellers list, and his novel Tell No One was adapted into a critically acclaimed French film. The author of more than 37 books, his work includes bestselling novels Long Lost and Hold Tight, as well as the Myron Bolitar mysteries, stories of an ex-basketball star turned sports agent who works part-time as a private investigator. Caught is his latest thriller.
Saturday, April 17, 2010 at 1:00PM
Main Stage: Montgomery Auditorium

Yann Martel | Beatrice and Virgil
Yann Martel is the author of The Life of Pi, winner of the 2002 Man Booker Prize. The story of a young boy—shipwrecked and stranded at sea—with a Bengal tiger and other wild animals, The Life of Pi explores issues of spirituality and practicality through the child’s relationships with the animals aboard his lifeboat. The novel, which earned comparisons to the works of Hemingway, Marquez, and Beckett, became an international bestseller, with millions of copies sold worldwide. In his long-awaited new novel, Beatrice and Virgil, Martel also uses animals to discuss the human condition–in this case, the limitations of language in understanding and describing the horrors of the Holocaust.
Saturday, April 17, 2010 at 4:00PM
Main Stage: Montgomery Auditorium

Antonino D’Ambrosio | A Heartbeat and a Guitar: Johnny Cash and the Making of Bitter Tears
In A Heartbeat and a Guitar, writer/filmmaker Antonino D’Ambrosio tells the story behind Johnny Cash’s little-known 1964 protest album, Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian. Inspired by the Native People’s rights movement, Cash’s controversial lyrics were deemed “unpatriotic,” the Ku Klux Klan threatened stores that carried the album, and radio stations across the country pulled the album from rotation. D’Ambrosio is the writer behind the book and documentary Let Fury Have the Hour: The Punk Politics of Joe Strummer, inspired by The Clash’s cultural activism; he also wrote, directed, and produced the film No Free Lunch starring comedian Lewis Black.

This author event will be accompanied with music performed by Anthony Rizzo, and David Milone and Anthony Roman of Radio 4.
Saturday, April 17, 2010 at 4:00PM
Performance Stage: Shakespeare Park

Tom Moon | 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die: A Listener’s Life List
Tired of listening to the same old music? Check out Tom Moon’s 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die. A music critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer for nearly 20 years, Moon is a two-time recipient of the ASCAP-Deems Taylor Music Journalism Award and has contributed reviews to GQ, Rolling Stone, and National Public Radio’s All Things Considered, among others. In this book, Moon uses his expert knowledge to direct listeners to exceptional recordings in genres ranging from classical to jazz, rock, pop, blues, country, folk, musicals, hip-hop, and more.
Sunday, April 18, 2010 at 12:00PM
CLEAR Writers Salon: Room 108

Jimmy Gownley | Amelia Rules: The Tweenage Guide to Not Being Unpopular
Called a “Peanuts for the 21st century” (Comics Buyer’s Guide), Jimmy Gownley’s Amelia Rules comic book series has been nominated for an impressive eight Eisner Awards and earned the author the 2008 Pennsylvania Library Association’s One Book Award. In the latest addition to the series, The Tweenage Guide to Not Being Unpopular, Amelia adjusts to life in a new town after her parent’s divorce and navigates her school’s social circles as she and her friends attempt to avoid being unpopular. Gownley is also the author of Shades of Gray Comics and Stories and co-founder of Kids Love Comics, an organization dedicated to promoting comic books and graphic novels as tools for literacy.
Saturday, April 17, 2010 at 2:30PM
Sprint Story Hour Room: Children’s Dept

Sapphire | Push
Sapphire is the author of two collections of poetry, American Dreams and Black Wings and Blind Angels, as well as the brutal, poignant novel, Push. In Push—the basis for the 2009 prize-winning film Precious—Precious Jones cannot find a way to make a better life for herself. Physically and emotionally abused by her mother, sexually abused by her father, overweight and illiterate, Precious is saved by an incredibly determined teacher who teaches her to read and shows her the power of telling her own story. The film adaptation won the 2009 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize, as well as the Audience Award, and was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards this year, one of which actress Mo’nique won for her role as Precious’ mother.
Sunday, April 18, 2010 at 12:00PM
Main Stage: Montgomery Auditorium

Antwone Fisher | A Boy Should Know How to Tie a Tie: And Other Lessons for Succeeding in Life
Born in an Ohio prison to a teenage mother, Antwone Fisher was placed in foster care, where he suffered 12 years of abuse at the hands of his second foster family. Emancipated and homeless at age 17, Fisher set a new course for his life by joining the United States Navy and serving for 11 years. He revealed his remarkable survivor’s story in Antwone Fisher—an award-winning film written by Fisher and directed by and starring Oscar Award winner Denzel Washington—and in his New York Times bestselling memoir Finding Fish. Fisher is a recipient of the prestigious Humanitas Prize and a 2003 NAACP Image Award, and was named on Variety magazine’s list of “Fifty People in Hollywood to Watch.” His other works include the poetry collection Who Will Cry for the Little Boy?, the acclaimed short film My Summer Friend, and more than a dozen scripts for Hollywood.
Sunday, April 18, 2010 at 3:00PM
Main Stage: Montgomery Auditorium

Events

Mark/Remarque: A Collaborative Portfolio and Other Work by Philadelphia Printmakers
The word remarque is a historical printmaking term which refers to rarity, testing, concept amplification and boundary extension. Historically a remarque was a small vignette image in the margin of a print which related thematically to the main image. This exhibition features the collaborative portfolio Philadelphia Mark:Remarque, consisting of twenty-eight prints by Philadelphia area artists; one additional print by each artist; and several remarqued prints from the Free Library’s Print & Picture Collection. The exhibition is an independent project of Philagrafika 2010, Philadelphia’s international festival celebrating print in contemporary art.

This exhibition will be on display from March 19 through June 20, 2010, during regular Library hours.
Saturday, April 17, 2010 at 9:00AM
West Gallery: 1st Floor

Tours of Parkway Central
Come tour the many treasures of the Parkway Central Library! The Beaux-Arts building opened its doors in 1927, and when you see the updated technology in the newly renovated Music Department, you’ll see that we have come a long way! The tour includes a stop in the Children’s Department to see beautiful paintings by the famed local artist N.C. Wyeth, and the Library also showcases a full collection of Children’s Book Week posters, dating back to the 1920s. Enjoy a behind-the-scenes sneak peek in our closed book stacks, and end the tour with visit to our green roof project.

Meet in the Main Lobby near the information desk for tours leaving on the hour from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.; tours run both days.
Saturday, April 17, 2010 at 1:00PM
Tours of Parkway Central: Main Lobby
Sunday, April 18, 2010 at 1:00PM
Tours of Parkway Central: Main Lobby

Second Annual First Person Inter-City StorySlam: Philly vs. Washington D.C.
It’s not your mama’s StorySlam when the City of Brotherly Love goes head-to-head against the Beltway at the 2nd annual Inter-City StorySlam! Join master storytellers from Philadelphia’s First Person Arts as they compete against the talented tale-spinners from SpeakeasyDC. They’ll be crafting five-minute true stories on the theme “All About My Mother.” Last year’s Slam against Chicago played to a packed house, and it’s time for round two! Come show your love for Philly’s finest raconteurs.

More details about this event, including names of the storytellers from both cities will be announced soon!
Saturday, April 17, 2010 at 5:00PM
Main Stage: Montgomery Auditorium

Ju-Taun
Ju-Taun (pronounced “zha- tawn”) is an up-and-coming R&B group that hails from Camden, New Jersey. Their smooth style mixes vintage soul music with rhythm and blues—a sound inspired by artists such as Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and Michael Jackson. The group gained national attention when they placed second out of thousands of competitors in the MTV hit series MTV’s Top Pop Group. Ju-Taun has toured widely and performed with dozens of famous musical artists, including Chris Brown, Ashanti, Lyfe Jennings, Jagged Edge, Mary Mary, 112, and Tyrese, among others. Their new album, Love Changes Things, was released in June 2009, with notable tracks including “Go Slow” and “Get@Me.”
Sunday, April 18, 2010 at 1:00PM
Performance Stage: Shakespeare Park

TOON Books Authors and Illustrators
An imprint of comic books designed especially for developing readers, ages four and up, TOON books are written by veteran children’s book authors and renowned cartoonists as well as new talents, and have garnered many awards and extensive praise. Join us for a talk by TOON book authors:

Geoffrey Hayes | Benny and Penny in the Toy Breaker
A bestselling author and illustrator of over 40 books for children, Geoffrey Hayes is the winner of the 2010 Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for his book Benny and Penny in the Big No-No. His original works for early readers include the classic Bear by Himself and the popular series Otto and Uncle Tooth and Patrick Bear. In his latest book, mice siblings Benny and Penny must find a way to play without toys when their cousin Bo, the “toy breaker,” comes for a visit. Mr. Hayes will be appearing with TOON editorial associate Leigh Stein, who will perform his book.

Nadja Spiegelman and Trade Loeffler | Zig and Wikki: Something Ate My Homework
Written by Nadja Spiegelman and illustrated by Trade Loeffler, this comic book follows the cyclopean alien Zig and his best friend—an encyclopedic robot named Wikki— as they hunt for a pet on a strange new world, where all of the animals seem to want to eat them! A graduate of Yale University’s English program and daughter of the graphic novelist Art Spiegelman, this is Nadja Spiegelman’s first book. Trade Loeffler is the author of the webcomic Zip and Li’l Bit, and has worked as a web designer for Scholastic books, where he contributed to sites for Harry Potter and Captain Underpants.
Sunday, April 18, 2010 at 1:30PM
Sprint Story Hour Room: Children’s Dept

Zydeco-a-Go-Go
A swinging, high-energy zydeco band, Zydeco-a-Go-Go’s motto is, “Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!”or “Let The Good Times Roll!” Formed in 1992, Zydeco-a-Go-Go is the Mid-Atlantic’s premier practitioner of Louisiana dance music, combining Cajun two-steps with Creole zydeco and classic New Orleans rhythm & blues to keep people moving all night (or day!) long. And just in case you were wondering—zydeco is a syncopated dance music that pairs an accordion with a frattoir or rubboard. The members of Zydeco-a-Go-Go are experienced musicians who have toured with other famous artists, and their album, Let the Good Times Roll, has been highly praised, with Louisiana radio station KBON adding it to their regular playlist.
Sunday, April 18, 2010 at 4:00PM
Performance Stage: Shakespeare Park

Free Library Festival Street Fair and Literary Marketplace

The Free Library Festival’s Street Fair and Literary Marketplace is the place for adults and children alike to explore what’s new in the literary world by visiting the many bookstores, publishers, cultural organizations, and authors who are on-site to sell books, share their missions, and promote literacy in all its diverse forms.

Exhibitors and Vendors at this event include The Academy of Natural Sciences, Chemical Heritage Foundation, Dorrance Publishing, Laurel Hill and West Laurel Hill Cemeteries, Not For Tourists, Philadelphia Great Books Council, Philadelphia Science Fiction Society, Philadelphia Stories, Walk a Crooked Mile Books, Wooden Shoe Books, and more. For a full listing of vendors and exhibitors click here

For a full listing of authors, events, and more; check out the Free Library Festival’s website.

Whether your full blown Irish, or just enjoy wearing green, eating corn beef & cabbage, and enjoying a pint of Guinness and a shot of Jameson; Philadelphia has a lot of festive occasions going on that will see you having a festive celebration this St. Patrick’s Day. So without further adieu here’s a look here’s a look at all of the parades, music performances, and bar nights that will have you saying Erin Go Bragh. Slainte!

St. Paddy’s Ghost Tour

An Irish twist to Philadelphia’s rich history of ghost stories, haunted houses and eerie cemeteries, with tales of banshees, bogies and hobgoblins! The Ghost Tour meanders from Old City to South Street on a trail of supernatural tales that just might scare the shamrock out of everyone!
Ghost Tours of Philadelphia
March 12-March 13, 2010
Tickets: $15/person; $8 ages 4-12
Ghost Tours of Philadelphia

Erin Express 2010

ERIN EXPRESS is a bar crawl of some of Philadelphia’s finest Irish establishments. It was started by William Pawliczek of Cavanaugh’s and Paul Ryan, Sr. of Smokey Joe’s over 30 years ago.

There is no cost, no tickets, no reservations, no bracelets and no cover charge while busses are running! There are 10 busses that run from 12:00 PM until 5:30 PM on March 13. They run in a continuous loop so there is no starting point and no ending point!

So show up to any participating bar, get a beverage and when you’re ready to move on, go outside and a bus should arrive every 15-20 minutes to take you to the next bar!

Participating restaurants will feature food specials, as well as Irish Music.
Traditional Irish beers like Harp and Guinness will be available.
Erin Express 2010

Running of the Micks

Philadelphia’s 2010 Running of the Micks is a St. Patrick’s-themed Bus Pub Crawl which includes a ‘RUN’ up The Art Museum steps.

This year’s party starts at 10am at Finnigan’s Wake in Northern Liberties. Pickup your wristbands at the registration table from 10am-2pm. Buses will depart from Finnigan’s at 3:00pm SHARP.

If you live in South Jersey or Manayunk, sign up for our buses leaving from The Pour House in Westmont, NJ or from Kildare’s in Manayunk. We have buses designated on the reservation page providing you round-trip transportation specifically from those bars to Finnigan’s and will join the rest of the Micks on the crawl (buses depart at 2pm from those bars and will return at 7pm).

ORANGE Bus Schedule:

10:00am-3pm: Event Registration (required for all participants). Wristband Pickup. Please bring valid ID and PayPal receipt with you.

3:00pm: Buses depart Finnigan’s Wake for Urban Saloon. $3 Beers, $5 Jameson, Bus Competitions, and DJ Dance Party.

4:30pm: Buses depart Urban Saloon and head to the Art Museum for the ‘2010 Running of the Micks’ up the Art Museum Steps!

4:45pm: Immediately following the run up the Art Museum steps, buses depart for the Field House. $3 Beers, $5 Jameson, and Live Music.

6:30pm: Buses depart Field House and head back to 3rd and Spring Garden Streets. Finnigan’s will honor the wristbands until 8pm. Additional venues to be determined.

GREEN Bus Schedule:

10:00am-3pm: Event Registration (required for all participants). Wristband Pick-up. Please bring valid ID and PayPal receipt with you.

3:30pm: Buses depart Finnigan’s Wake for the Field House. $3 Beers, $5 Jameson, Bus Competitions, and Live Music.

5:00pm: Buses depart Field House and head to the Art Museum for the ‘2010 Running of the Micks’ up the Art Museum Steps!

5:15pm: Immediately following the run up the Art Museum steps, buses depart for the Urban Saloon. $3 Beers, $5 Jameson, and DJ Dance Party.

7:00pm: Buses depart Urban Saloon and and head back to 3rd and Spring Garden Streets. Finnigan’s will honor the wristbands until 8pm. Additional venues to be determined.
Tickets
Running of the Micks

The Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade

The Irish in Philadelphia first celebrated St. Patrick’s Day 1771, five years before the Declaration of Independence was signed! The first documented St. Patrick’s Day Celebration Parade in Philadelphia was held in 1771, celebrating over 240 continuous years of celebrations. This parade is the 2nd oldest Parade in the Country, topped only by the New York City Parade which started in 1766. The Philadelphia St Patrick’s Day Parade, which is hosted by the St. Patrick’s Day Observance Association, was incorporated as a non profit organization in 1952.

Each year the St. Patrick’s Day Observance Association hosts the parade on the Sunday prior to St. Patrick’s Day unless March 17th falls on Sunday. When March 17th falls on a Sunday, the parade is held on March 17th, St. Patrick’s Feast Day.

Throughout the years this celebration has honored this religious and cultural celebration. Thousands of marchers and spectators in their green bedecked finery, the bands and floats, the flags and music highlight one of the grandest parades in a city that loves parades.

On Sunday, March 14, 2010, at 9:00 AM, the Commemorative Parade Mass is in Saint Patrick’s Church at 20th and Locust Streets in Center City. Prior to the Mass, at 8:45 AM, the Procession of the Grand Marshal (Seamus Boyle) and the Board Members will be led by the Emerald Society Pipe Band. The National Anthem of Ireland will be sung by Karen Boyce McCollum ,and the National Anthem of The United States will be sung by Frank Gallagher. If you plan to attend the Mass, please arrive prior to 8:40 AM.

The Principal Celebrant of the Mass is Cardinal Justin Rigali with Chaplains Bishop Joseph P McFadden, Fr. Kevin Gallagher and Fr. Chris Walsh as concelebrants. The Responsorial Psalm is being sung by Karen Boyce McCollum.

After Mass, there will be refreshments served at the School Hall and then we leave for the Parade. If any group would like to reserve pews, please notify Leonard Armstrong by March 1, at 215-834-2047.
Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Black 47 at World Cafe Live

Black 47 will celebrate their 20th Anniversary in 2010. Back in the early 90’s Black 47 helped create the modern Irish Festival. They had recently appeared on Leno, Letterman & O’Brien and introduced a whole new generation of Irish-Americans to their roots.

Black 47 has always been more than just a band. When they formed in 1989, one of their missions was to help bring an end to violence in Northern Ireland. Along with the AOH and other organizations, they worked to include Sinn Fein in the political process by keeping Irish issues to the fore of American consciousness. Their songs about James Connolly, Michael Collins, Bobby Sands are now standards and used in hundreds of college and high school courses; while their biggest hit, Funky Céili, has caused hundreds of young ladies to be christened Kaylee and other derivatives.

With their exciting live shows, Black 47 paved the way for bands like Flogging Molly and Dropkick Murphys. They have appeared on all the major TV shows; released ten critically acclaimed CDs and played well over two thousand shows. They have been profiled by every major national magazine and newspaper. But more than anything, Black 47 has come to epitomize the newfound confidence in Irish-America.
Sunday, March 14, 2010 | Doors 5pm | Show 6:30pm | Downstairs Live

Advance Tickets:
Floor/Loge Standing Room: $21 ($17 ticket + $4 processing fee)
Floor/Loge Reserved Seating: $21 ($17 ticket + $4 processing fee)
Mezzanine (Reserved Seating): $31 ($17 + $14 premium service*/processing fee)

Day of Show Tickets:
Floor/Loge Standing Room: $24 ($20 ticket + $4 processing fee)
Floor/Loge Reserved Seating: $24 ($20 ticket + $4 processing fee)
Mezzanine (Reserved Seating): $34 ($20 + $14 premium service / processing fee)
*priority seating and VIP amenities/service
Black 47
Tickets
40 Shades of Blue

The Irish Rovers at Keswick Theatre

With over 40 years of rovin’, they have captured the hearts of fans worldwide. Launch your St. Patty’s Day celebration early with the beloved international ambassadors of Irish music!

Will Millar had been singing in Ireland with his sister since he was 10. After he arrived in Calgary, Canada he met Les Weinstein, who arranged for him to appear on television show, and would later manage the group throughout the group’s career. Will’s younger brother George Millar and his friend Jimmy Ferguson came out from Toronto for a two-week holiday with Will. They had been singing as a weekend hobby with Will’s father and sister, and so Will invited the two young travellers to sing on his TV show. When the holiday was over, George and Jimmy asked if they could stay on, and so Will enrolled George in a local high school and got Jimmy a job.

Will then invited his cousin Joe to join the group. Later, the boys became part of a popular folk club of the time called the Depression, a club that also kick-started the career of Joni Mitchell.

Will had the idea for the Irish Rovers to relocate to California in the USA, which at the time was the focus of many folk singers. On the journey there their car broke down in Northern California, which is when they met some Irish pub owners and an agent who helped them secure a gig at the popular Purple Onion in San Francisco. The group subsequently began performing in folk clubs all over California. Wilcil McDowell joined the band in 1966, around the time the group was signed by Decca Records, when “The Unicorn” became a global success.

The group is best known for their recording of Shel Silverstein’s “The Unicorn” (1967) and Irish ditties “The Orange and the Green” / “Whiskey on a Sunday” (1968). They also hosted several variety TV programs in the 1970s on Canadian television. Although they recorded many albums after that, they weren’t as successful commercially as “The Unicorn” until 1980, when the band had a crossover hit with a cover of Tom Paxton’s “Wasn’t That a Party.” The success of this, which was performed in a country-rock style rather than the band’s familiar folk style, led to the band rebranding itself as The Rovers and changing styles for the remainder of the 1980s, scoring follow-up hits with songs such as “Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy,” “No More Bread and Butter,” and the Christmas hit “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer.” By the 1990s, however, the band was once again known as the Irish Rovers.

Will Millar left the group in 1995; he subsequently recorded solo works and also wrote a book entitled Messing Around in Boats. He later did some acting, including playing postal carrier and boat owner Jimmy McVeigh on the Canadian comedy program The Red Green Show, and Jimmy, the crusty handyman in the 2005 Canadian slasher film Sleepover Nightmare. Millar, a neighbour and good friend of writer-director Boon Collins, was also the production designer of the film, along with his wife, Catherine Millar. The bulk of the film was shot on Millar’s property and in his home.

Founding member Jimmy Ferguson died in 1997. The remaining members of the group, augmented by new musicians, continue to tour as the Irish Rovers.
The Irish Rovers
Tickets
Mick McGuire Sit Down

Movie Monday at The Trocadero featuring Boondock Saints 2: All Saints Day

For the last 8 years the MacManus Brothers have been living with their father on a sheep farm deep in isolated Ireland. One day their uncle tells them that they have been framed for the murder of a Bostonian Catholic priest. The boys must return to Boston to not only clear their names but find the men who framed them.

St. Patrick’s Day Party!
Special : Arrive before 7pm, get a FREE beer & a bag of popcorn
$3 gets you in & goes towards a drink
Boondock Saints 2
The Trocadero

Belles of Dublin

Belles of Dublin interlaces stories of coming of age and illicit love affairs gone wrong with traditional Irish music featuring vocals, flute, and Celtic harp. According to Tim Treanor of DC Theatre Scene, “The stories are carved and scoured with language like a cascade of diamonds. It is not simply MacIntyre’s brogue which identifies the pieces as Irish. They radiate the sort of liquid cynicism which has marked the Irish literary voice from Swift through Frank McCourt. The protagonist tells her story from the point of view of love, and the opportunity for love, long past. This could be depressing, but MacIntyre makes it sound rueful, wistful, and, with surprising frequency, funny. That’s in large part because she excerpts her content from the writing of the fine, if underappreciated, Irish writer Edna O’Brien. I do not know what O’Brien would sound like reading her stories, but if she doesn’t sound like MacIntyre, I bet she wishes she did.”
Red Room at Society Hill Playhouse
Dates:
March 17-March 21, 2010
Times:
Wednesday-Saturday: 8 pm
Sunday: 3 pm
Tickets: $20 – includes 1 free drink
Tickets

St. Patrick’s Day: After-Work Tour and Toast at Laurel Hill Cemetery

Though dead men tell no tales, there are two places that you can learn much about them: the wake-house and Laurel Hill Cemetery. Join the group at the latter, to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, while honoring the heritage and accomplishments of the proudest Irish souls, now gone to their final reward. ‘Tis a festive occasion to be enjoyed by the living, for earth has no sorrows that heaven cannot heal! So, while you await healing, tip your hats, take your drinks, and expand your minds at Laurel Hill! In the spirit of a unified Ireland, the program will be led by Jerry McCormick of Six Counties’ descent, and his counterpart rebel of native birth, Bill Doran. Afterwards, join Laurel Hill in their historic Gatehouse, where the beer will be plenty and the ‘spirits’ will be merry.
Dates:
March 17, 2010
Times:6 pm
Tickets: $25/person
Laurel Hill Cemetery

St. Patty’s Day Beer Dinner at World Cafe Live

Lager lover, ale enthusiast, and brewmaster extraordinaire Scott Morrison hosts a St. Patty’s Day beer dinner at World Cafe Live. Five terrific American-made craft-brewed Irish-style beers, paired with selections from Executive Chef Mike Breslin’s own family recipes stretching back generations and utilizing the techniques taught to him while at study under Master Chefs in Ireland, will make this dinner feel like a night spent in the heart of the Irish countryside. Top the day off with a night cap of Bushmills 16 year old Irish whiskey (be careful – you know what they say: “beer before liquor”…) and traditional Irish music performed by Trolley Stop. Join us St. Patty’s Day for this truly one of a kind dinner experience!

St. Patty’s Day Menu

Starters
Soft Pretzels
paired with Sly Fox Seamus Irish Red Ale

1st Course
Tangy Irish Artisanal Cheese Plate with soda bread and assorted crackers, jams & fruit
paired with Rogue Kells Irish Lager

2nd Course
Smoked Salmon: Irish smoked salmon over chive potato cake, crème fresh and chive oil
paired with Harpoon Celtic Ale

3rd Course
Corned Beef & Cabbage Sliders on potato rolls with honey Dijon cream
paired with Great Lakes Conways Irish Ale

4th Course
Victory Donny Brook Stout Stew fortified with root vegetables & savory bacon
paired with Donnybrook Stout

5th Course
Shamrock Crème Brulee Cake
paired with Bushmills 16 year old Irish Whiskey

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010 | Dinner begins at 7:00pm | Upstairs Live

Tickets: $45.00 each (price includes dinner, beers, tax, gratuity, and live entertainment)
Tickets

But between Irish pubs like Fergie’s, Tir Na Nog, Downey’s, Moriarty’s, and Fado; and a whole lot of events listed on Philly Fun Guide, there are plenty of events worth checking out during St. Patrick’s Day in Philadelphia.

It’s been a rough couple of years for record stores, especially in the DC area — once heavily trafficked retailers like CD Game Exchange and DJ Hut both went the way of the dodo in 2009. Luckily, the international event known as Record Store Day is giving audiophiles good reason to get off the internet and drop their bucks at the handful brick and mortar shops still standing.

Rolling around again on April 17th, 2010, Record Store Day sees most area retailers offering deep discounts on their stock and, for a select participating few, free or limited edition releases from flagship independent labels like Sub Pop, Matador and Vice. (Check back here soon for list of the RSD 2010 goodies that will be up for grabs.)

Even though there’s less than half a dozen proper record stores (Barnes & Noble can suck it) still doing business in the District, they’ve proven that there is power in a union after all. All are within walking distance of one another, so, come April 17th, here’s how to hit all five of DC’s best record stores in one fell swoop starting at 14th & U and terminating in Dupont.

1. Som Records • 1843 14th Street NW

2. Crooked Beat Records • 2318 18th Street NW

3. Smash! Records • 2314 18th Street NW

4. Red Onion Records & Books • 1901 18th Street NW

5. Melody Record Shop • 1623 Connecticut Avenue NW

For more holidays actually worth celebrating, follow us on Twitter or read up on the rest of the CultureMob blog.

After two or so years of hosting the occasional clothing-music-arts event out of a Columbia Heights basement, local “artsy retail collective” Bored of Trade is branching outwards and upwards. On Saturday, March 27th, BoT will be teaming with U St.’s Velvet Lounge for Tooth and Nail — an event they’re calling “a craft fair for noble savages young and old.”

Running from 11 am to 7 pm, Tooth and Nail promises to expand BoT’s strictly vintage M.O. with a wide variety of pickin’s up for grabs including “handmade jewelery, stationary, vinyl, relics and gems, home made electronic instruments and rare music collectibles (buttons tees and tapes).”

Aside from that details a few and between, except to say that admission is FREE and, given the trend established by previous BoT, we wouldn’t be surprised a DJ or three show up to provide a little ambiance. Also, did we mention the $5 mimosas??

This is just latest in a series of similar sales that have seen music venues transformed into ad hoc flea markets during daylight hours — The Black Cat’s Rock N Shop and DC Record Fair being just two recent examples. The lesson? Leases in DC are EXPENSIVE.

To find out more about Bored of Trade’s good works and the upcoming sale, visit BoT’s blog or Facebook page. (PS — BoT is also hosting a shitload of bands, booze and artists on March 13th for three bucks. Head over to ReadysetDC for all the particulars.)

For more insider knowledge gleaned from the glory that is Google Alerts, follow us on Twitter or read up on the rest of the CultureMob blog.

The 3rd Annual Roots Picnic happens on June 5th.

The 1st annual Roots Picnic saw The Roots put an epic lineup together that featured the likes of Santigold, Diplo, Deerhoof, and Gnarls Barkley. Last years 2nd Annual event saw the Philly group perform 2 sets while jamming alongside the likes of The Black Keys, TV on The Radio; and legendary rappers Public Enemy, who performed their entire album “It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back” while backed by Antibalas and The Roots. But if the mega video that Roots Drummer ?uestlove unleashed today is any indication, it looks like the band is ready to top it with their 3rd Annual picnic.

?uestlove announces the lineup

While backstage during the one year anniversary of Jimmy Kimmel Live, the show in which the Roots provide the backing music for, ?uestlove dropped the video which aired some pretty big bombshells! The picnic has been known to mix a variety of genres before; and with big name alternative acts like Vampire Weekend playing the same bill as hip-hop heavyweights like The Clipse, the 2010 lineup will be no exception! Along with those two big name acts; the lineup will feature. The Very Best, Mayer Hawthorne, Das Racist, Tune-Yards, Nneka, Bajah + The Dry Eye Crew, Pattern Is Movement, and The Money Making Jam Boys. ?uestlove will also be working the turntables alongside the Legendary DJ Jazzy Jeff. But the biggest announcement of the lineup is by far the fact that Run DMC will be reuniting and performing classic songs with the Roots. No word yet on who is going to fill the huge shoes of the late Jam Master Jay — not that anybody really could — but when we hear more details we will surely let you know.

Tickets go on sale this Friday, March 5th via Livenation.com at 10am. This June 5th, the legendary Roots will bring themselves and a bunch of their fellow musicians/friends to Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for the third annual Roots Picnic. Between now then there may be even more announcements. But with the lineup above this already looks to be epic!

The Philadelphia Tattoo Arts Convention is always a great time to scope out different artists and pick up some new ink. But it’s also a great time to participate in different contests, take part in tattoo and piercing seminars, and check out some exciting sideshow performances. And the 2010 edition of this popular convention will be no exception to the rule. Here’s a look at some of the events that will be taking place, and some artists who will be on hand.

Seminars

Microdermal Piercing
taught by Steve Truitt and John Durante

This seminar will be taking place Saturday March 27th at the Philadelphia Tattoo Arts Convention. If you pay online it will cost $125. This deal will be available up until ONE WEEK before the scheduled seminar. Otherwise it will cost $150 To purchase online email john durante at durante.john@gmail.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This class will answer a lot of questions you may have about microdermal anchor piercings.
1. What is a microdermal?
2. What should they be called/how should they be described to potential clients?
3. What are they made out of?
4. What designs and sizes are there and which are the best and where do I get them from?
5. Where can you put them?
6. How do they work?
7. How do you put them in?
8. What tools do you use to aid in insertion?
9. How long do they take to heal?
10. How should you take care of them?
11. How do you take them out?
12. What do I do if I’m having a problem with one?

And many more. We will show you how to put them in using videos, photographs, and live demonstrations.We will show you both the punch and taper and needle versions. Everyone will have plenty of time to ask questions before, during, and after the seminar, and we will give you our contact information so you can reach

us later if you have any other questions that come up after the seminar is over.

Steve Truitt is a professional Body Modification Artist. He has been piercing for over 15 years, and is currently member of the Association of Professional Piercers. He is the owner of Ascension Body Modification, a body piercingand tattoo studio located in Albuquerque, NM. He also founded and runs the Ascension Suspension Team. Steve regularly travels around the world doing body modification, suspension performances, and teaching seminars at many of the biggest and best tattoo conventions, such as the Tattooed Kingpin conventions in Baltimore, MD, Philadelphia, PA, and Milwaukee, WI; Mario Barth’s Biggest Tattoo Show on Earth in Las Vegas, NV; and the Rock the Ink conventions as well.

John Durante has been a professional Body Modification Artist for over 15 years. He has worked for many of the leading studios all over the world. He owns Evolve Body Jewelry, and is currently the head body piercer at Laughing Buddha in Seattle, WA.

Virtues Of An Artist
By famous realism artist Nick Malasto
Sunday 12PM March 28th 2010
$150

Thank you for taking your time to look over “Virtues of an Artist” a quick seminar explaining years of information in a heavy hour. I will be going over very serious techniques about understanding what needs to be done for one to be a successful Tattoo Artist. In this seminar there will be so many tricks and tips of the trade revealed that you will feel and see the difference the next day. From marketing issues to understanding your clients skin to understanding compositional skill that makes peoples jaws drop. All this and many more techniques and skills will come to you with my great vocal teaching ability and
one on ones after the seminar is complete…

The seminar also includes a wonderfull rotary machine that is the same one I use every day, as well as an informational book containing many tattoo application secrets using the rotary for many style tattoos from realism to traditional.

Tattoo Contests

Tattoo Contests at this years convention include: Tattoo of the Day, Best Portrait, Most Unusual, Best Sleeve, Best Cover Up, Best Traditional, Best for different sizes, and Best Overall for male and female.

Vendors
Vendors on hand at this years Convention include the following: Sourpuss Clothing, Mithra Tattoo Supply, Evil Brand Clothes, Spaghetti Kiss, Jamie Siever Photography, Corsets by Casta Diva, Dangerous Dolls, Filthy Shank Clothing, and more.

Artists Attending

Here’s just a sample of some of the artists who will be attending this year:

Flying Monkey Tattoo Studio
140E Market St.
Georgetown, DE 19947
302-253-8375
Artists:
Robert Remp

Red Octopus Tattoos
1654 Solomon’s Island Rd
Prince Frederick, MD 20678
410-535-9095
Artist:
Duffy
Dave Lukeson (Fuzion Ink)
www.myspace.com/duffy.redoctopustattoos
www.davelukeson.com

True Image Tattoo
290 Freeport St.
New Kensington, PA 15068
724-339-7144
Artists:
Kevin Croney
TIm (Fuz) Wagle
Russ Corbett
www.trueimagetattoos.com

Fat Cat NYC
31-32 31st street
Long Island, NY 11106
718-267-1326
Artists:
Kevin Q
Dave Cummings
Alex Knox
www.fatcattattoos.com

Tattoo Lou’s
St. James, NY 11780
516-456-9495
Artists:
Andres Hurtado
Irish Jay
www.tattoolous.com

Low Rider
2428 Newport Boulevard
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
(949) 548-4233
Artists:
Fat Gunner
www.lowridertattoostudios.com

Immoral Ink
112 Philadelphia Rd.
Joppa, MD 21087
410-679-1821
Artists:
Ray Baranowski
Will Bonadio
Michael “Evil” Anderson
www.myspace.com/immoralink

Lucky Soul Tattoo
334 E. Main St.
Ansonia, CT 06401
203-732-5825
Artists:
Jim Lopresti
Meghan Lee
Tracey Duff
www.luckysoultattoo.com

Sacred Tattoo NYC
424 Broadway 2nd Fl
Manhattan NYC 10013
917-664-1216
Artists:
LALO
Kevin Wilson
www.sacredtattoo.com
www.lalotattoos.com’

Crimson Anchor and Stained Skin
2628 US Hwy 19
Holiday, FL 34691
727-868-4500
Artist:
Kristel Oreto
Anthony Dubois
www.kristeloreto.com
www.stainedskin.com

Black Metal Tattoo
13500 Pearl Rd
Strongsville, OH 44136
Artist:
Adam Oiler
Dave Maynard
Dylan Young
Chris Dunne
www.myspace.com/blackmetaltattoo

Gemini Tattoo
13629 Philmont Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19116
215-934-7027
Artist:
Masami
Adam Pietras
Mike Flood
www.tattoosbymasami.com
www.adampietras.com

Entertainment

Olde City Sideshow
Your stomach turns as you second guess why you allowed the fast talker at the front door to persuade you into entering the venue. The scent of woodchips under your feet, the ominous yellow flicker of the gas lights burning; surrounded by your friends you find some bravery in a pint of ale. Just then the lights dim and the music begins to play.
Olde City Sideshow
At Baltimore Tattoo Arts Convention

Parting curtains expose a curiously comforting gentleman, with a bellowing voice who walks you through a journey of the odd, the miraculous, and the macabre. Gentlemen hold your pint, and Gentle Ladies hold your men as you are amazed and astounded by feats that will make your jaws drop and your blood run cold.
Whatever your twisted pleasure, Dr.Zanzibar’s Olde City Sideshow is sure to leave you wanting more.

Penguin Boy and Baron
Penguin Boy at Metaltown 2009 Hellzapoppin
The Baron Von Geiger

The Enigma and Serena Rose
The Enigma was raised in Seattle, and began studying music when he was six years old. In 1991, he was a founding member of the Jim Rose Circus, with which he toured until 1998. The Enigma then toured with Katzen, playing music and doing sideshow performances under the moniker “Human Marvels.” He performed at Universal Studios Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights event in fall 2007, performing various tricks with fire, power tools, and blades. The Enigma has appeared in a number of television programs including The X-Files (in an episode entitled “Humbug”) where he played a character called “The Conundrum.” He has also appeared on Penn & Teller: Bullshit!. The Enigma was featured in the 2005 documentary film Freaky Circus Guy[1] alongside sideshow performers Katzen, Danielle D’Meux, William Darke. In 2004, The Enigma appeared with Mike Patton, Jane Wiedlin, Karen Black and Katzen, in Steve Balderson’s film Firecracker. A toy based on the Enigma’s X-Files character “The Conundrum” was sold as part of Palisades Toys’ X-Files PALz action figure line. He currently performs with Serana Rose in their show called Electric Acid Theatre.

Serana Rose’s study of fashion design as well as private lessons in sewing and dyeing have helped her style and sell her fashion collections worldwide for stars of the stage and screen. Her independent study of rock and roll music has led her to become the bassist and stunt coordinator for her current project Electric Acid Theatre. Her abilities as a wardrobe stylist have led to acclaim in the “all about town” runways of greater Des Moines, IA.
Show Devils
The Enigma
Electric Acid Theater

To learn more about the Philadelphia Tattoo Arts Convention, and to get a full list of artists and vendors, check out its Website.

Now in it’s sixth year, the Brewer’s Plate is a fair foods marquee fundraising event highlighting Philadelphia’s premier local restaurant and brewery scene by featuring dozens of the area’s most celebrated restaurants and breweries – all independently owned and located within 150 miles of the city.

Your ticket to The Brewers Plate supports Fair Food, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing local healthy food to the marketplace and promoting a humane sustainable food system for the region.

Breweries at this years Brewers Plate include the following: Triumph Brewing Company, Nodding Head Brewery, Sly Fox Brewhouse and Eatery, Yards Brewing Company, Philadelphia Brewing Company, BOAKS Beer, Allentown Brew Works, Weyerbacher Brewing Company, Victory Brewing Company, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Bluecoat American Dry Gin, Southhampton Brewery, and more.

Restaurants on hand for the Brewers Plate festivities include the following: Southwark, El Camino Real, Bindi, Cantina Dos Segundos, Di Bruno Bros, The Royal Tavern, Varga Bar, Village Whiskey, El Vez, Fork, The Belgian Cafe, The South Philadelphia Tap Room, and more.

There will also be coffee and offerings from Mugshots, Eagle Peak Spring Water; and music from The Hoppin’ John Orchestra.

Pennsylvania Buy Fresh Buy Local

The Pennsylvania Buy Fresh Buy Local® program celebrates regional foods – heirloom tomatoes, farmstead cheeses, varietal wines, pasture-raised lamb, crisp apples – the abundance and diversity of foods available to you locally is truly inspirational!

Our goal is to make it easier for you to find, choose, and appreciate great local foods while supporting the farmers and lands that produce them.

We create food guides, coordinate tasting events, organize farmers’ markets and sponsor farm tours, among other activities!

Wherever you find a Buy Fresh Buy Local® sign or label – in a store, market or restaurant – you’ve found a business with a commitment to feature local foods and support local producers.

Buy Fresh Buy Local® chapters in Pennsylvania are managed by a diverse coalition of partnering organizations and agencies, supported by a growing community of local volunteers.

All of this abundant grassroots energy is coordinated by the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA), on behalf of our national partner, the FoodRoutes Network.

Details still have to be revealed about the events VIP Experience, which should feature even more food and libations to enjoy. There also may still be time for even more restaurants and breweries to sign onto to The Brewers Plate already extensive and impressive lineup. To learn more about the event, its sponsors, and go through a more extensive listing of breweries and restaurants in attendance, check out the events website. And tickets can be purchased here.

The Seattle International Film Festival will be holding its annual
12 Hour Movie Marathon on Sunday, March 21, from 10 am to 10 pm, and that should give you plenty of time to collect donations for two very important reasons.

The first reason to collect donations for SIFF is to fundraise and help support the programs SIFF offers, “including the Seattle International Film Festival, SIFF Cinema, and FutureWave: Expanding Cinema through Education.”

The second reason is that enough donations will pay your way into the movie marathon. You can, of course, buy a general admission ticket for $100, or get a $250 comfort package that includes admission, a pillow, blanket, popcorn and boxed lunch. But if you can get other people to sponsor you and pay your way, well, why wouldn’t you? Check the website for details.

The day starts with breakfast in the Alki Room at the Seattle Center that is provided to all attendees and moves on to the movies. Showing this year are:

The Road Warrior with a (very) young Mel Gibson

“The Marathon will host two acclaimed filmmaking guests with local connections: SIFF co-founder and filmmaker Dan Ireland will be in attendance to present an exclusive viewing of the directors cut of his film, The Whole Wide World, as well as filmmaker Alan Rudolph who will be introducing his Seattle-based film, Trouble in Mind. Both films will be presented in their original 35mm format.”

SIFF will provide coffee and doughnuts and vendors will be available for lunch and dinner. The website offers descriptions of the movies if you’ve forgotten just how great The Road Warrior is, or haven’t seen The Whole Wide World. These are all movies that have played well at the Seattle International Film Festival.