44 Things to Do This Weekend
Best Coast plays with Paramore at the Tower on Friday. (Janell Shirtcliff)
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6
DesignPhiladelphia @ all over town
The citywide DesignPhiladelphia festival is under way in earnest, with workshops and presentations pertaining to all manner of design (lighting, industrial, graphic, textile) and related areas (urban planning, architecture). On Friday, October 6, for instance, you can take a tour of NextFab — checking out their 3D printing and other cool tech. DesignPhiladelphia continues through October 14.
Terri Fridkin @ MUSE Gallery
First Friday reception for printmaker Terri Fridkin’s colorful Convergence exhibition. Runs through October 29.
Spliced Launch Party @ Free Library of Philadelphia
Author Jon McGoran celebrates the release of his new YA novel, Spliced.
Time to Die (Tiempo de Morir) @ Lightbox Film Center
A new restoration of Arturo Ripstein’s 1965 “classic neo-western” with a screenplay written by Gabriel García Márquez and Carlos Fuentes.
Pinback @ The Fillmore
The longstanding San Diego indie/prog(/emo?) rockers come to town for two consecutive nights at Fillmore, Friday and Saturday.
2.5 Minute Ride @ Theatre Horizon
Elaina Di Monaco directs a play by Tony-Winner Lisa Kron about two very different family trips. Through Oct. 29.
Philadelphia Orchestra @ Kimmel Center
The Orch kicks off its season with a program that includes Mozart, Tchaikovsky and the “East Coast premiere of Wayne Oquin’s Resilience for organ.” Features conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin, organist Paul Jacobs and pianist Emanuel Ax. Continues through Sunday.
Gad Elmaleh @ Helium
Gad Elmaleh, whom you may have seen in Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris, is known in some circles as “the Seinfeld of France.” (“What is the deal with escargot?”) He plays Helium through Saturday.
The Secret Cinema Afterschool Special @ Maas Building
Beep. Secret Cinema presents “rare short films made for school projectors and television” about “school life and moral guidance in the ’70s and ’80s.” Beep. Includes Insight: The Party (1971), Junior High School (1977) and Revenge of the Nerd (1983). Beep. Note, that’s “Nerd” singular. Different movie. Beep.
KMFDM @ Underground Arts
This industrial/techno/metal act was spawned in Germany in the ’80s. Their latest record, Hell Yeah, just dropped. Now’s the time on Sprockets when we dance.
Robert Kelly @ Punchline
You might know Robert Kelly from his frequent appearances on Opie and Anthony, or from Louie, where he plays Louie’s brother. Through Saturday.
Emily Carris: Reclaimed @ The Art Dept.
An installation of work by photographer/fiber artist Emily Carris. “Reclaimed is an installation born out of search for self. As a transracially adopted black women raised in modern America my story is incomplete, riddled with gaping holes, a result of malicious neglect and the casualty of power, supremacy, domination and shame.”
Aaron Hertzog is Recording A Stand-Up Comedy Album @ Good Good Comedy Theatre
That’s pretty much the gist of is. Philly comedian Aaron Hertzog, now living in L.A., is coming home to record his first comedy record.
Alvvays @ Union Transfer
Like their peers in Chvrches and their ancestors in Ancient Rome, this Canadian band seems confused about proper usage of the letter v. That’s okay, the band is really good at making dreamy, spacey indie pop. Antisocialites, released last month, is lovely as hell but that does not mean you’re allowed to jump up on stage and try to kiss the bandmembers.
California Honeydrops @ World Café Live
This Oakland party band makes room for washboards and jugs in their blues/roots/R&B sound. Apparently they like to make it sexy, too.
Lena Moffett @ 1fiftyone gallery + art space
Painter Lena Moffett shows off her work. It’s hard to describe — post-industrial? it brings to mind corrosion, rust and transformation — but very captivating. First Friday.
Paramore/Best Coast @ Tower Theatre
This double-bill makes a lot of sense, the two acts representing caterpillars to each other’s butterflies. I… I don’t know what I mean by that, now that I’ve typed it. They’re both good rock bands is what I meant, maybe.
Cameron Esposito & Rhea Butcher @ The Trocadero
Look, I’m not about to go making a Funniest Couples In Comedy list, but if I did, these two would be at the top. They were funny together on the late, lamented Take My Wife (on the late, lamented SeeSo), and they’re funny apart, as the two often do standup tours together. Butcher’s kinda blunt and deadpan. Esposito’s animated and excited. So you’ll laugh for different reasons, which is cool.
Death and Taxidermy @ Chemical Heritage Foundation
A screening of Philly filmmaker Mariel Carr’s short film Death and Taxidermy about local taxidermist Beth Beverly.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7
Fletcher @ World Café Live
We all know Teen Vogue as a hard-hitting journalistic institution, but do they know music? Yes. Here they are telling you to watch pop artist Fletcher’s video for “Wasted Youth.” Smart advice. P.S. People calls Fletcher the “Jennifer Lawrence of Music” which is kind of annoying.
Philadelphia Open Studio Tours @ several locations
The Center for Emerging Visual Artists offers tours of artists’ studios in several neighborhoods October 7, 8, 14 and 15.
Rock Allegiance @ BB&T Pavilion
Marilyn Manson got squashed by a giant stage prop the other day, so he’s off the bill, but the rest of the Rock Allegiance bill is solid: Rob Zombie, Five Finger Death Punch, Mastodon, Halestorm, Steel Panther, Gojira and tons more bands who like to get loud. Summer’s almost over, you know?
Bryant Eugene Vazquez @ Johnny Brenda’s
Adopted Philadelphia Bryant Eugene Vazquez makes dark, moody shoegaze. Sometimes it’s so wild and noisy, it’s hard to find the heart, so here’s something stark and acoustic.
Cold Fronts @ Underground Arts
Yet another Philly rock band you might want to pay attention to.
Cherry @ Boot & Saddle
Philly band Cherry — current home of Russell Edling of Kite Party — celebrates the release of its debut record Dumbness. It’s pretty and jangly.
Paperbacks from Hell with Grady Hendrix @ PhilaMOCA
Grady Hendrix offers a tour into the world of insane horror novels from the ’70s and ’80s. Hendrix is the author of the new book Paperbacks from Hell about the “brief 24-year period [when] bookstores, drugstores, and supermarket spinner racks were awash in books about horny Bigfoots, Nazi leprechauns, killer maggots, and rabbis blasting KGB demons with super-shofars.”
Roxtoberfest @ Roxborough
A neighborhood Oktoberfest featuring food, a polka stage and performances by Ben Arnold & Band, Polkadelphia, Ralph Salerno, Kicking Down Doors, Joe D’Urso & Stone Caravan and Scott Bricklin & Steve Butler.
Collingswood Book Festival @ Collingswood, NJ
Billed as “the largest literary event in the Delaware Valley,” the festival this year includes appearances by authors Liz Moore, Jonathan Allen, Jen Conley , Dennis Tafoya, Lamont Dixon and many more.
Il Boom @ Lightbox Film Center
A screening of Vittorio De Sica’s 1963 dark comedy about a businessman going to great extremes to keep his wife happy. At 9:15 p.m., Lightbox will show Andrzej Zulawski’s 1975 film, L’Important C’est d’Aimer.
Stranger Things Dance Party @ Kung Fu Necktie
This “Upside Down Dance Party” pays tribute to Barb on its fliers and promises and evening of goth, synthwave and techno spun by DJs Shearn and Wassup Gina.
RAC @ Coda
The Portuguese DJ’s most recent record, Ego — featuring guest stars MNDR, Alice MK and Rivers Cuomo — dropped in July.
The Rights To Ricky Sanchez Live featuring TJ McConnell @ Underground Arts
The first-ever live show version of the Sixers podcast hosted by Spike Eskin and Michael Levin, featuring point guard TJ McConnell.
Revolutionary Germantown Festival @ Cliveden
Learn some history and watch a recreation of the Battle of Germantown (which was about parking, I believe) at this big, family-friendly festival.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mR_IeOctPSs
Guns N’ Roses @ Wells Fargo Center
Tickets from December 7, 2002, will not be accepted.
United For Puerto Rico @ Good Good Comedy Theatre
Philly comics — Pedro Salinas, Brandon Vincent Jackson, Cassandra Dee, Nick Kupsey plus host Alejandro Morales — do stand-up to raise money for those affected by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.
Rhett Miller @ Sellersville Theater
The Old 97s frontman plays a solo acoustic show. He recently spoke out about teen suicide.
Chamber Orchestra First Editions with Barney Frank @ Kimmel Center
The Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra will perform a program that includes Gunther Schuller’s 1962 composition “Journey into Jazz,” accompanied by narration from Barney Frank, former member of the U.S. House of Representatives. There are also performances Friday, October 6 at Lang Concert Hall, Swarthmore College and Saturday, October 7, Roberts Hall, Haverford College.
Ron Pope @ The Trocadero
The Georgia artist is finally a hit after toiling in the singer-songwriter/country saltmines for years. I only like the songs where he has a beard.
Repair Fair @ Circle of Hope
Bring broken things — electronics, jewelry, clothing, etc. — and maybe one of Circle of Hope’s resident fixers can get it in shape.
Bartram’s Garden Boat Tour @ Bartram’s Garden
Hope on a boat at 30th Street for an “experiential discussion and tour of the garden, community farm and newly opened Bartram’s Mile”
Barnes Ensemble @ Barnes Museum
Built around the Jack Quartet, the Barnes Ensemble includes players from all over the world who only started playing together last week. This is their debut show.
Hundred Waters @ Underground Arts
This band of “Skrillex protégés” — boy that still sounds weird — released their third record, Communicating, in the middle of last month. Warning, this video has a lot of bugs in it, but the song’s kinda pretty.
Gogol Bordello @ Union Transfer
The Gypsy-punk party band returns to Philly for back-to-back shows. The Saturday show is sold out, but there are still tickets available for Sunday.
Black Lips @ Fillmore Philly
Apparently there was some sort of overhaul at Black Lips HQ and the Georgia quartet is now a quintet, and only two players from 2014’s Underneath the Rainbow appear on Satan’s Graffiti or God’s Art?, released in May. And there’s a sax now, which makes sense; I’ve always imagined this band playing a sideways-timeline version of the Enchantment Under the Sea dance. They like to smear their greasy garage-punk fingers on old-time rock ’n’ roll.
