An extraordinary first happens tonight when two of West Philly’s premiere orchestras of all-time perform on the same bill for the first time ever. Whether it’s been under the guidance of Sun Ra or Marshall Allen, the Sun Ra Arkestra has brought intergalactic freestyle jazz to an international level for several generations. And the tribal space musicians could easily be an inspiration for the musical community of Eastern European folk jazz masters known as West Philadelphia Orchestra. Although significantly different presentation wise, both communal groups of jazz virtuosos are kings of taking traditional music forms to whole new heights. So seeing both acts play under the same roof for the first time is going to be one truly momentous experience, especially when it’s FREE with suggested donation at the door! And who knows? The cosmos may align and such an extraordinary occasion may lead us to an epic ending jam session! The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut St., 8pm, FREE w/suggested donation, All Ages – Bill McThrill

Yes, we think Twitter can be TMI, but it has it’s moments of hilarity and interesting info. This falls on the side of hilarity and interesting info to some. R5 Productions was going through their files in old hard drives and decided to share with us tweets down Memory Lane that shouldn’t be forgotten. Well, maybe some moments should have been forgotten, but they just won’t go away. And now lives on through the magic of the internet. Above is the M.I.A. flier that inspired this nice escape from whatever you are doing. Here are some of our favorites. It makes sense that some tweet happy guy “DIP LO” popped up. He was scheduled to open for RJD2. However, “The Dipper” got “too drunk” to perform, but “no one cared”. M83 was doing their 1st show ever in the U.S., but missed their flights so a friend had to pick them up. There was an e-mail where they asked “‘The New Promise Ring Band’ if this new band ‘The Arcade Fire’ could open up for them for $150”. Yes, “a Tokyo Police Club show at The Church was mentioned on Gilmore Girls”. Remember when Lady Sovereign had her meltdown at Silk City. Well, you can relive the train wreck again below. And in typical DIY fashion where you truly never know what will happen, there was the time when Explosions in the Sky were in town for their second show in Philly, but no one came to let R5 and the band in so they had to cancel. You can check out the other memories that made this chain here. Stay tuned for more. Enjoy! – The Deli Staff

 

I have a lot of respect for Mose Giganticus a.k.a. Matt Garfield. As you might have learned from his interview for our Where Is My Mind? section here, Garfield is a smart mofo (though some might question his sanity). While he has a Master’s Degree in electrical engineering and could most certainly opt for financial security in these difficult times working in a lab, the fierce performer instead takes odd jobs and remains constantly on the road touring the countryside in his veggie oil fueled bus with his metal degree from Relapse Records and makeshift band teaching the masses how hard the keytar can fuckin’ rock! (No – really.) Local Mose Giganticus shows come few and far between these days so catch him while you can at his old stompin’ grounds the Danger Danger Gallery tonight. Danger Danger Gallery, 5013 Baltimore Ave., 9pm, $5 – $10 donation, All Ages (Photo by Jana Miller) – H.M. Kauffman

It’s a rare occasion when a band’s handle fits perfectly in line with the actual music they produce. Case in point: local five-piece Music for Headphones. Their gloomy version of psych garage-meets-dark wave is a swagger of complex sonic lines and arresting orchestral smears that dart into sated combers of hazy, curtailed breakdowns. In other words: it’s entrancing head music – an intimate expression of resonance best felt while lying on the floor in a dark room choked with incense smoke. Joining them at Tritone tonight are hometown psych-pop outfit Stellarscope, New York’s dance-gaze quartet Soundpool, and Chicago’s post-wave distorters Bliss City East. Tritone, 1508 South Street, 9pm, $7, 21+ – Annamarya Scaccia

 

England Belongs to Twee resident DJs go cinematic with the first ever EBTT Film Night. Taking indie pop and punk rock aesthetics from the dance floor to the big screen, tonight’s double feature further confirms EBTT as “first-tier”. Appealing to cinephiles and twee fiends alike, post-punk Brits Dolly Mixture take center stage in Paul Kelly’s documentary Take Three Girls: The Dolly Mixture Story. One of only two US screenings, Take Three Girls will easily inspire fans to get their hands on the trio’s recent boxset reissue of Everything and More (if they haven’t already). Obscure gritty rock-doc Rough Cut and Ready Dubbed gives a 8mm glance into the world of the UK’s post-punk scene at its peak. Along with footage of gigs by seminal acts like Stiff Little Fingers and interviews with key figures like the late John Peel, viewings of this punk friendly film are rare. Followed by a Q&A with Three Girls’ director Paul Kelly, EBTT’s Film Night is all win. Give the pub a break! Grab your mates, and catch post-punk and oi! on screen. Ibrahim Theater at the International House, 3701 Chestnut Street, 9:30pm, FREE, All Ages – Dianca Potts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

North Lawrence Midnight Singers will be celebrating the release of Last Great Saturday Night, which is available for free here, tonight at Johnny Brenda’s. I know. It would’ve been nice to have the show tomorrow, but if anyone has booked a show before at JB’s, their schedule can be pretty tight for openings so you grab what you can. No worries – I don’t think that they’ll be skimping on the heartfelt energy from performing pieces of their latest work for the audience. They’ll be sharing the bill with a couple of local acts who have their own reason to party down tonight. The Josh Olmstead Band and Joseph Arnold are also celebrating the release of their albums, Purple Mountain Majesty In the Antlers Hotel and Discomedusae this evening. Rounding out the lineup will be Steve and Krista Yutzy-Burkey from The Swimmers. Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 9pm, $10, 21+ – H.M. Kauffman

 

Justin Wolf, mastermind of Lux Perpetua, is originally from Charlottesville, Virginia, and while I’ve honestly never been to Charlottesville, I have a feeling it might account for at least some of the laid-back elegance in his music. His melodic crooning and understated guitar give you the sense of coasting down some isolated suburban road on an autumn morning. Wolf and his band (who give an undoubted punch to the live set) just recently released a new EP cleverly entitled The E.P., which has a big, beautiful analog sound that suits them quite nicely. They’ll be joined at Danger Danger Gallery tonight by lo-fi folkie Andrew Keller (a.k.a. Snow Caps) from Hermit Thrushes, fellow Charlottesville natives and psych-garage extraordinaires Invisible Hand, and acoustic popsters Bronze Float. Danger Danger Gallery, 5013 Baltimore Ave., 8pm, $5 – $10 donations, All Ages – Joe Poteracki

 

It seems like it’s been a while since we’ve heard from Ms. Lillie Ruth Bussey (a.k.a. Bianka Brunson). Hell – I’d have no idea that she’s performing at the Slingluff Gallery tonight if it wasn’t for a random flier hanging in my neighborhood. See folks – a little old-fashion fliering still works, but you didn’t hear that from me. A paperless world makes my life a lot easier. I’m kind of a hoarder. Not that Buried Alive type of shit, but I could definitely benefit from a serious spring cleaning every season. Well, I’m not really sure what Brunson has been up to, but I’m guessing that it’s utterly entertaining and interesting. She is truly a unique artist that should not be missed. It’s also FREE so you have no excuses if you are in the hood. Brunson will be joined by Noncanon and artwork by Mike Maxwell. Slingluff Gallery, 11 W. Girard Ave., 7pm, FREE, All Ages (Photo by Bill Kelly; Video by Derek Moench) – Q.D. Tran

Hot off the presses of a busy October that featured 2 shows during the CMJ Music Marathon and rockin’ peoples ghoulish faces off during TJ Kong’s Rock & Roll Costume Murdershow (which was a marathon in its own right), the Brothers Murphy of Penrose are ready to jumpstart the holiday season early with a set at Danger Danger Gallery tonight. And since they’ve been hard at work mixing a new album, it should be a warm up to their upcoming release show at KFN in December! Also on the lineup is lo-fi psychedelic quartet Arches, whose debut EP is available for free download here and is definitely worth checking out. With songs like “Jellu Beani”, “Billable”, and “Blaster”, West Philly newcomers Caboder are also sure to impress when they kick off the evening. Danger Danger Gallery, 5013 Baltimore Ave., 8pm, $5 – $10 donation, All Ages – Bill McThrill

 

Congrats to legendary Philly music pioneers Gamble & Huff! After today, the 300 Block of South Broad St. will be named Gamble & Huff Walk by the City of Philadelphia. The ceremony took place earlier today in front of the Philadelphia International Records building. There will also be The Sound of Philadelphia Showcase at the historic space tomorrow evening at 8:30pm with headliner up-and-coming funksters Swift Technique. Here are some details from the crew that you might want to know: “Tickets are $15 and can only be purchased at the door prior to the event.  Because space is very limited, please arrive by 7pm if you are attending the show.” – The Deli Staff