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Philly Gumbo, who play at LaRose in Germantown Friday night

Jazz and more… Where I’ll be and where you should be…

TUESDAY 5/26/09
Lucky Thompson & the Budesa Brothers’ Blue Tuesday Open Mic & Jam Session
(Leroy’s) Showcase Lounge, 4912 Baltimore Ave.
Veteran drummer Lucky Thompson has played with greats like Nina Simone and Patti LaBelle during his long career and led jam sessions all over the city (including at Natalie’s Lounge, where he was the music director for more than 10 years). Lucky and brothers Rich Budesa on keys and Rob Budesa on guitar are single-handedly keeping Philly’s great organ trio tradition alive. If you haven’t heard them play at the Showcase, a neighborhood bar with a friendly staff and a welcoming vibe, then you’re missing out on an essential part of Philly’s jazz scene.
8 p.m., FREE

WEDNESDAY 5/27/09
Ben Schachter’s re:Trio
TIME, 1315 Sansom St.
Tenor saxophonist Ben Schachter and his talented young bandmates, bassist Leon Boykins and drummer Matt Scarano, are good enough to be playing at the Village Vanguard in New York or in a concert hall in Europe, but instead they play every Wednesday right here in Philly, in TIME’s upstairs lounge.
9 p.m., $5

THURSDAY 5/28/09
Joe Truglio’s Past Life
Chris’ Jazz Cafe, 1421 Sansom St.
Drummer Joe Truglio, a former Philly resident who moved to the New York area last year, returns again to play his original compositions, joined by John Stenger on piano and Mike Taylor on bass.
8 p.m., $10

Drake
Tritone, 1508 South St.
Cello, trumpet, upright bass, drums, and two MCs… Drake’s sound is original and engaging. Check out their monthly Tritone show.
9 p.m., $5

More after the jump!

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The Philadelphia Independent Film Festival (PIFF) is about a month away and in anticipation, they are screening four Philadelphia filmmaker short films at Rembrandt’s on May 27th.

Nightwatch: An Evening of Short Film Selections will feature the following film selections from the 2008 festival:

Glory at Sea: Benh Zeitlin, Best Director
Welcome to Earth: Kusty Vaptsarov, Best Short
Citizen Core: J.J. Roberts, Honarable Mention, Short
Foet: Ian Fischer, Honorable Mention, Horror

Where: Rembrandt’s, 23rd and Aspen Streets
When: May 27, 2009, 8 pm

For more information on PIFF and related events, check out the Official Site.

What happens when 16th century Spain meets modern Philadelphia? Find out when the Broad Street Ministry partners up with director Lear De Bessonetto to present Quixote, a reinterpretation of Cervantes’ Don Quixote. De Bessonetto will involve 30 members of the Broad Street community in this social justice saturated, communal performance.

Doesn’t sound experimental enough for you? Add puppets by Emily Decola and original music by gypsy-punk band The Psalters, and watch as they transform this fantastic piece of classic literature. A community meal, provided by Whole Foods, follows each performance.

Tickets are $15 and available at www.brownpapertickets.com or by calling 1-800-838-3006.

Quixote! @ Broad Street Ministry
May 27th – June 7th, 2009

Broad Street Ministry
315 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
www.broadstreetministry.org

Normally, I’d tell you to pick up some subway tokens, a parking pass, or catch a cab if you were heading to the Bank to catch the Phillies play. But why trouble yourself with fees, taxis, and waiting for public transit when all you need is a bicycle and some friends.

Join the Bike Coalition of Greater Philadelphia on Friday, May 29th to catch the Phillies play the Nationals at Citizen Bank, as they bike ride to the Stadium!

Whether you’ve played in traffic before or just a novice to city riding, there will be two group rides to ensure you make it to the game in one piece.

For beginners, head over to the Schuylkill Banks where our newly appointed Bicycle Ambassadors of Philadelphia will give you safety tips and rules on how to handle the traffic lights, potholes, and honking cars before leading you through South Philly.

If you live off a bicycle like me, meet at City Hall to take the ride down Broad. Don’t worry about parking, there will be complimentary valet bike parking provided by Neighborhood Bike Works. How special!

Tickets for Bike Night are limited so be sure to reserve your $25 ticket by calling 215-Bicycle ext 3 or email jill (at) bicyclecoaltion.org.

Bike to the BallPark Phillies vs Nationals at the Citizens Bank
Fri May 29th – Novices meet at Schuylkill River Trail @ 5:45pm
Experienced Riders meet at City Hall @ 6:15pm
www.bicyclecoaltion.org

Grey Gardens, the deliciously humorous and tragic musical of once wealthy socialites Big Eddie Bouvier-Beale and Little Eddie Beale has captivated audiences throughout the country and is now showing in limited engagement right here in Center City at the Philadelphia Theater Company.

The show, based on the popular mid-70′s documentary detailing the often celebrated and tumultuous lives of Big and Little Eddie Beale – aunt and cousin of Jacqueline Bouvier-Kennedy – follows this eccentric mother/daughter pair from lavish parties and East Hampton vacations to an untimely demise as penniless hermits living among vermin and 50+ stray cats far from the glittering lights of Manhattan.

Fabulous, but true, both Big and Little Eddie were the pinnacle of class, exuded “old-money” opulence – with a talent to entertain – to only end up as paupers in a 27-room dilapidated mansion on East Hampton, Long Island. Little Eddie, the dreamer she was, had hopes of making it as actress, singer, but was held back at times by her mother. It’s so bizarre that it makes for a great musical.

It’s truly amazing to see their slip from socialite status to hermits on stage. It’s like you become not an audience member, but a party patron at one of their many summer gatherings in East Hampton. In a sense it’s absolutely heartbreaking. However, one cannot help, but enjoy the musical numbers performed during the show.

Not until Jackie Kennedy, herself, swoops in to salvage what is left of Grey Gardens, do people see the filth and squalor Big and Little Eddie lived among.

Big Eddie passed away shortly after the documentary aired, and Little Eddie was able to break away from her recluse status and finally entertain the masses with her one woman shows.

Grey Gardens is playing at the Philadelphia Theater Company from May 22 though June 28, 2009. Tickets are on sale now and prices range from $10 to $70. For more information please visit www.philadelphiatheatercompany.org.

Star Trek: The Exhibition landed at The Franklin last weekend and you Star Trek fans (let’s not get into the Trekkies verses Trekkers debate) are going to be delighted by all the exhibit has to offer. You can check out costumes, sets, make-up models and other ephemera from the shows and movies.

I was particularly taken with seeing the tricorders, communicators and pistols at close range. If you need more convincing that a trip through this exhibition is for you (we are coming up on a holiday weekend, after all), check out the slideshow above for a sneak peak at some of the artifacts available for ogling.

Cheesecake and caprese at Prive

From the outside it doesn’t look like much – in fact, it’s almost hard to find Privé, with its understated sign, stuck into the hustle and bustle of Market Street in Old City (its name, meaning “secret” or “private” is certainly fitting). But step through the doors into the chic oasis of this classy restaurant, and it’s clear that you’ve come to the right place. I visited on a warm night and was given the option of sitting outside, but chose a corner booth in their “white room” instead, drawn by the sleek couches, Greco-Roman statue, and the warm orange glow emanating from its doorway.

Privé has an interesting menu, consisting of “mezze,” “large mezze,” and entrées. The mezze are a bit like tapas, and sharing a bunch of them is definitely a great way to sample a whole array of delicious flavors and combinations. One bite, and it was instantly clear to me why the Figs and Prosciutto Salad is a perennial favorite, with its gorgonzola, arugula, and white balsamic dressing topped with a heap of prosciutto sliced so thin you could almost see through it. Another stand-out mezze was the “village style” Watermelon, with its fresh crumbly feta, candied walnuts, and a hearty drizzle of spiced lavender honey that I wanted to lap up before sending the plate away.

It may be hard to resist sampling the whole mezze and entrée menu, but make sure to save room for dessert: this is where Privé’s acclaimed pastry chef Sally Roach takes the stage, and it’s no doubt that she’s an artist – the desserts were so beautiful that it was hard to cut into them; but I’m sure glad I did! “Caprese” usually refers to a tomato, basil, and mozzarella appetizer. On Privé’s dessert menu, though, it means delicate panna cotta infused with a refreshing vanilla flavor, fresh strawberries, and basil oil with a sticky balsamic reduction decorating the plate. I love tomato, basil, and mozzarella, but this is a trade I’d make any day…

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While Philadelphia is riddled with pristinely preserved architectural landmarks and historic tourist attractions, it also contains plenty of once-significant places that have been forgotten over the years. Hidden City Philadelphia, a new arts festival presented by Peregrine Arts, aims to right that wrong by celebrating “hidden” locations — buildings we pass every day but hardly ever notice — through art.

A month-long festival, Hidden City will turn these overlooked buildings into the settings of diverse works of dance, music, sculpture, video, and print. Participating creators — respected artists such as Group Motion Motion Dance Company, Network for New Music, musician Todd Reynolds, and visual designer Laurie Olinder — will create works inspired by these architectural and historic treasures.

The festival, says Thaddeus Squire, Peregrine’s artistic executive director, is all about rediscovering Philadelphia. To that end, you’ll be able to take part in a 100-person dance and music performance at the nation’s oldest continually operating cavalry, hear a sound installation that sounds like a summer rainstorm at the Furness-designed Shiloh Baptist Church, and see a 16-mm film on post-Col War Germany at the German Society of Pennsylvania, among other events

But the most diverse act may be this: the group is also producing a Hidden City Philadelphia card game, in which players develop local neighborhoods and incorporate landmarks. This version of city planning promises to be a lot more fun than sitting in zoning meetings.

Find the entire schedule of events and venues — including an interactive map — at Hidden City’s website.

Hidden City Philadelphia
May 30 through June 28, 2009
www.hiddencityphila.org

Ah, the Foodery. I like to refer to the years I spent living across the street from the Foodery as the “lost years”, because of all the money I lost there, and all the time I lost staring into the bottom of a beer bottle. That being said, the lost years were some of the best of my life!

The Foodery is amazing. Any beer lover will be in sheer bliss, with over 800 domestic and imported varieties (although not all at the same time!) and a sweet, build-your-own-sixpack set-up. My boyfriend Matt likes IPAs – I like ales. At the Foodery, we can get a few of each, plus a Lager or two to boot. The staff are super-knowledgeable about all things beer, and have recommended me many a great brew. And the selection is always changing, which means more and more reasons to return!

I live in Center City, so I usually check out the flagship location, at 10th and Pine, but NoLibs folks can check out the bigger, brighter location at 2nd and Poplar, which also makes killer hoagies AND hosts free beer tastings every Thursday night. That’s right, 800 varieties of beer, killer hoagies, AND free beer tastings. Will your Thursday night ever be the same again?

The Foodery
324 S. 10th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 928-1111

837 N. 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123
(215) 238-6077
www.fooderybeer.com

Inside Local 44

Everybody loves great beer, but when you order a local beer, you support your local craft brews, decrease your carbon imprint, and quench that undying thirst. Local 44 loves beer, and they’re showing their love for our local breweries with a special Locals Only Beer Weekend.

Saturday, Sunday, Monday, May 23-25, 2009 Local 44 is going all-local with 3 days of rare (and delicious) local drafts, with special prices and a changing rotations all weekend long. Want to plan your binge in advance? Check out the full beer list on their official website.

While you’re raising a (local) glass in celebration of summer, you can make a gratuitous toast to Local Happy Hour. All summer long, Local 44 will offer weekly (Monday –Friday) happy hours featuring specials on local beer. I’ll see you there, 5-7PM.

Local 44
4333 Spruce St, Philadelphia, PA 19104
(215) 222-2337
www.local44beerbar.com