More news from the Spinto Band - this week, they're guest editors at Magnet Magazine

Before I go further: I know I mention Spinto Band a lot, but it's not because I'm their biggest fan.  It's because they could easily claim to be from Philadelphia, but they don't. Instead, they're putting Wilmington on the map in indie rock circles.  Who else is being featured in national magazines at the moment, calling themselves a band from Wilmington, Delaware?  So now, when the Arden Club is trying to draw national and regional acts to Gild Hall, ditto The Grand or The Queen, Wilmington may seem like a more attractive place to play.  More good music in Wilmington = more kids coming up with a less mainstream taste in music = more people helping to create a decent scene here.  Okay, it's a stretch, but Rome wasn't built in a day.  The whole idea of this blog is to encourage the development of a true progressive scene in Wilmington, one that's an alternative to the overgrown-fratboy/girl crowd, and that is why I support the Spinto Band. 
As guest editors for Magnet, the band has so far interviewed a graphic artist who helped with their new album cover, written about hacking an old Nintendo game, and introduced us to an Arabic brand of chewing gum.  Expect several new posts a day from the guys, here:

http://www.magnetmagazine.com/category/guest-editor/

Sad news and happy news from two Wilmington-ish bands I mention often.

Dr. Dog, which is based in Philly but has one founding member who lives in Wilmington, and who played DE often before making it big (both as Dr. Dog and their earlier incarnation, Raccoon), made an appeal on Facebook on behalf of a family member:

"Dear friends,
This is Scott writing. I hope the new year is finding you fit and free from sorrow. I wanted to tell you about my nephew Charlie. He is a radiant little guy all of three years old and he has been waiting in the Cleveland clinic for a heart transplant. His condition in the meantime is strong and stable, but as you can imagine the stress of not knowing when a new heart for him will be available is taking a strong toll on him and on my family. There is a very generous organization called COTA that has been gracious enough to help my family organize awareness and support to help us cope with the financial and emotional strain of this time. Any kind words, prayers, or donations you may be able to spare would mean a lot to my family and Charlie too, in this time of need. Thank you for all of your ongoing love and support. If you'd like to help out you can visit COTA for more information. We have also set up a group where we will be posting more regular updates, which you can join here http://cota.donorpages.com/PatientOnlineDonation/COTAforCharlieJM/

With hope and humble sincerity, your friend Scott"

For some reason I was unsuccessful in uploading a picture of Charlie, so you'll have to take my word for it: he's cute as a button.   Or visit the donation link to see the picture: http://cota.donorpages.com/PatientOnlineDonation/COTAforCharlieJM/
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In more light-hearted news, Thomas Hughes, one of the two brothers in The Spinto Band (love them, hate them, or don't know them: they're currently Wilmington's most nationally-known band), made a tour announcement this week.  Hughes is going to be playing a variety of instruments on tour with The Music Tapes, in support of Neutral Milk Hotel, which seems to be the most anticipated indie tour of 2012 (you may recognize their singer, Jeff Mangum, for having played a few free shows in support of the Occupy Wallstreet folks recently).  It really is a huge honor, and I wish Thomas and his band well.

Quasi-relevant side note:
That didn't stop Spinto fan Jayson Letsch from responding with:

"NMH is an overrated crap-fest of unlistenable garbage."  Followed up with:

"And I mean overrated within their own genre. Horrible band, really. Maybe one good song? Maybe? Meh..."

I had a whole paragraph typed up about internet boorishness, but felt too hypocritical posting it because I can be guilty of the same.  So I will leave it at this: everyone is entitled to their opinion, but if you wouldn't say something that blunt and vitriolic to a friend who had just made a similar announcement and was hoping for your support, why would you say it to a band you're Facebook friends with?  

Rainbow Chorale of Delaware is having open call auditions this Monday and the next.

Auditions for this inclusive chorale will take place in North Wilmington on Monday Jan. 9th & Monday Jan. 16th.
More info.

WXPN's blog The Key releases Studio Sessions Volume 3 for free download.

Featured on this compilation are new tracks by area bands mewithoutYou, Black Landlord, White Birds (which used to be Drink Up Buttercup), Blayer Point Du Jour, Andrew Lipke, Ben Smith, Crills Wilson, Ports of Call, Plow United, and more.

Link to download Key Studio Sessions Vol. 3

Synopsis of the three end-of-year music polls I wrote about earlier in the week.

Scroll down a few posts if you want to see my complete, rambling takes on each survey.  For everyone else, here is a brief rundown:

Poll #1 - TriState Indie Music Awards survey
http://www.tristateindie.com/tsi-music-awards-vote/
You don't have to create a log-in or give personal info to take this survey, and you can vote repeatedly: every 12 hours per household IP address (or work place).  This survey has Delaware bands Spinto Band, The Sky Drops, and New Sweden, and regional (but locally popular) bands Hoots & Hellmouth, Revolution, I Love You, and Dr. Dog, among others, up for "best of" awards.  World Cafe Live at the Queen is also up for "best new venue".  This survey lasts until mid-February, and will culminate with a red-carpet awards ceremony at WCL Philly in late February. My recommendation, if you see bands in there you want to support, is to save this one to your "favorites" or book marks and visit it when bored.  http://www.tristateindie.com/tsi-music-awards-vote/

Poll #2 - Y-Not Radio end-of-year music survey
http://ynotradio.net/yearendpoll.php
No log-in required, but fair warning: you are asked for personal info at the end of this 8 section survey.  But this enters you in to win an iPad or a $200 iTunes gift certificate (and frankly, you can fudge the info a little while still giving enough to win), so it's not all bad.  You only vote once in this survey, and voting ends in mid December.  Local/regional bands that you can vote for (amongst mostly national bands) include: Spinto Band, Cliff Hillis, Ike, Hoots & Hellmouth, Dr. Dog, as well as a smattering of Philly and Baltimore bands. Also, you can write-in votes for your favorite bands/albums/songs that don't happen to be included.  http://ynotradio.net/yearendpoll.php

Poll #3 - NPR Music Top 50 Albums of 2011 survey
NPR survey link
This survey asks for no log-in or personal info, and you only vote one time.  No Delaware bands are included, however there is a space provided for you to give a write-in vote for your favorite albums. Among the regional bands included are Wye Oak (Baltimore), The Roots (Philly), The War On Drugs (Philly), Jill Scott (Philly), and River City Extension (Jersey). 
NPR survey link

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Best of luck to all bands involved!

Late addition: listening party for new Black Keys album, tonight at Rainbow Records

Join the employees of Rainbow Records as they spin the new Black Keys album, El Camino, on vinyl.  6pm, Rainbow Records on Main St. (just behind their former store-front), Newark.  There will be pizza and "sweet door prizes", and the album of the evening will be available, on sale, on CD and vinyl (it was just released today). 

Y-Not Radio posts year-end survey.

The link: http://ynotradio.net/yearendpoll.php

The poll starts with a very lengthy list of Y-not approved songs released in 2011.  Voters can check off their top 20.  If you don't see a song you loved, you can write-in your vote. 

Page 2 asks voters to select their top 10 albums of 2011.  Page 3 deals with "best artists", "best new artists", and "best artists featured live on Y-Not".  Page 4 deals with "best video", "most anticipated of 2012", and "best show". Pages 5-7 deal with non-music pop culture questions.  Unfortunately page 8 does ask for personal information.  But it enters you to win a $100 i-Tunes gift card, and there are ways you can get around the personal info requirement.

Mostly national bands are included in these polls, but there are some Philly-region bands included, like Spinto Band, Cliff Hillis, Hoots & Hellmouth, Dr. Dog, The War On Drugs, Ike, Kuf Knotz, Man Man, Kurt Vile, Sun Airway, East Hundred, Turning Violet Violet, Illinois, Black Landlord, and Cheers Elephant.
The above list is not an endorsement of any of these bands.  I just like to comb through these year-end lists and pick out the regional bands I recognize, and pass it along, especially when there are a couple of Delaware bands in the mix.

Voting ends December 21st.

More from NPR music:

Yesterday, NPR Music published their list of top 50 albums of 2011 (which featured no Delawareans but did feature Baltimore/Philly artists Wye Oak and The Roots).  Later that day, they published a survey listing 250 albums released in 2011, and inviting readers to vote for their top 10.  If you don't see your favorite album of 2011, there's a space where you can submit the names of up to 5 not-mentioned albums.

Here is a link to that survey.  You don't have to sign up for anything to vote:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/allsongs/2011/12/05/143032077/vote-for-your-favorite-albums-of-2011?sc=fb&cc=fmp

Besides the regional albums mentioned above, this larger list includes the latest album by The Head and The Heart, who played at the Queen over the summer as part of the XPonential Festival, albums by Philadelphians Jill Scott and The War On Drugs, and New Jersey band River City Extension. 

Voting will be open for the next 10 days or so.

Local bands nominated for Tri State Indie music awards.

Tri State Indie is a Lancaster-based music site that, having outgrown its own name, covers music in DE, NJ, PA, NY, and MD.  They're a little aggressive in their promotional tactics (for instance: if they offer your band the opportunity to post your tour diary on their site, be prepared for them to request that you announce their name, and display their promo banner, from stage during your shows).

But I've met the people behind Tri State Indie, and they seem like nice folks who are genuinely excited about promoting regional music.  This year, they're trying a new course to bring attention both to their site and to Mid-Atlantic bands: an awards contest with accompanying "red carpet" ceremony at World Cafe Live Philly.

Here is a link to all of the award categories, and bands nominated: http://www.tristateindie.com/tsi-music-awards-vote/  You can vote from this page, and voting is only limited to once every 12 hours, per IP address.  If you see a favorite band on the list, bookmark the page and visit it often.  Note that you do not have to sign up for any account or log-in to vote - just visit the page and start clicking.

Notable Delaware bands on the list (all deserving): 

Spinto Band, up for Best Delaware Band
The Sky Drops, up for Best Delaware Band
New Sweden, up for Best Delaware Band

Besides the Delaware bands:

• World Cafe Live at the Queen is up for best new venue, and it's the only non-Pennsylvania venue up for that award.  They're up against some heavy hitters like Union Transfer, so they'll need some help.
• West Chester's Hoots & Hellmouth is up for Best Indie Folk/Americana Band, against Hezekiah Jones and Good Old War. This could be anyone's game; they're all pretty equally regarded.
• Revolution, I Love You, who are often seen on Delaware stages, are up for Indie Electro / Experimental Band of the Year, against the popular Sun Airway and Work Drugs.  They also have a steep road to climb in this contest. 
• Dr. Dog is up for National Live Performer of the year against Grace Potter and My Morning Jacket (who gave Dr. Dog their first break). 
• Philly-based Kurt Vile is up for National Overall Band of the year, which I guess is the 'Best In Show' award here.  He's up against Deer Tick and Dawes in this. 
• There are other bands up for awards that have Wilmington ties, and I'd love to tell you about them, but I have to recuse myself because of my personal connections there. 

I find it a little odd that the categories are so far-reaching (why bother to have national award categories? It's a no brainer that the Philly-based bands will win those).  Also, since voting is done by users and they can vote up to twice a day (or more if they vote from both work and home), the winners will basically boil down to who has the most dedicated group of super fans or family members.  But that's not to say that it's a total fluff contest and that the local bands who were nominated don't have something to be proud about. 
Because the main accomplishment here is not how many votes are ultimately gained, but who nominated these bands in the first place. 

Among the industry people on the nominating committee, which included Salesianum-grad Andrew Miller, are music honchos from WHYY, the operator of Origivation Magazine, Josh Landow from Y-Not Radio (the former Y-Rock's current incarnation), a writer for A.V. Club, Prefix, and Magnet magazines, the station manager from WXPN, and representatives of reputable local blogs and clubs.  So for some of the lesser-known nominated bands to have attracted the attention of these people is no small feat.

Voting is open from now until February 19th, and will be capped off with an awards ceremony and live show at the World Cafe Live Philly on Sunday, February 26th.  The line-up for this show is yet to be announced, but organizers hope to provide a mix of local and national talent, including nominated bands.  For more info about the awards show in February: http://www.tristateindie.com/tsi-music-awards/tri-state-indie-music-awards/

May the best bands (or at least the ones with fans willing to vote multiple times per day, for weeks) win!

NPR releases list of top 50 albums of 2011

There were no Delaware-based bands or musicians on the list (made up of multi-national, multi-genre artists), but regional groups The Roots (Philly) and Wye Oak (Baltimore) were included. 

Full list, with clips and bios from each artist:
http://www.npr.org/series/142852713/50-favorite-albums-of-2011-from-npr-music?sc=fb&cc=fmp

Snap judgement update:

After posting, I checked out the Wye Oak song on the list:  "Alter" is an incredible song. So I listened to more music from this Baltimore duo, and found the rest of their catalogue to be merely good indie rock - good enough that I'd really enjoy it if they happened to be opening a show I was attending, but not mind-blowing enough to purchase a full cd (I've heard a lot of music and grew up with a healthy familiarity with classical music before I ever got into pop music - it's hard to blow my mind).  However, the song featured on the NPR list is well worth a purchase (and if you click the purchase link on the NPR site, part of your money gets donated back to NPR).

(Whoops!  Earlier I included reference to a band that I was under the impression came from Philly.  I was wrong on that score, so amended this post). 

Review of Dr. Dog show at Kung Fu Necktie on Tuesday 11/22/11

What hasn't already been said?  The Swollen Fox blog called it one of the best shows of the year.  Philly.com's music blog Phrequency echoed that, calling it "one of the raddest shows of the year", and noted:

"It was a rare gem to witness a band, who just announced two shows at the Electric Factory in March (which equals nearly 6,000 people over a two night span), play to 100 fans and friends in a small intimate bar."

Yeah, that about sums it up.  Tickets to this sold out in under 5 minutes, and unless you were on Facebook when it was announced, and quick fingered, you missed it.   It was classic Dr. Dog, in terms of impeccable performance that tends to win over even the most curmudgeonly souls.  It was also, surprisingly, classic Dr. Dog in terms of set list.  They opened the set with one very early Dr. Dog song, and one new song, so I assumed we were in for a tour warm-up show where they play only all new stuff or deep, deep cuts, bypassing the favorites of the past 3 albums.   Which would still have made for a good show; but that wasn't the case at all.  Much of the set was from their excellent last album, Shame, Shame, with plenty of favorites mixed in from previous albums, like "Oh No" and "Worst Trip".   The two new songs they played, for the record, were well-crafted, joyous affairs, and I wouldn't be surprised if this next album bumps them up a level or two on the indie rock ladder. 

It deserves mention that Philly's Mitch Fiction & The Shits were surprise, unannounced openers for the show.  Mitch Fiction is made up of one former Dr. Dog member, and several guys (former members of National Eye, Like Moving Insects, and Raccoon) who Toby and Scott have known for many years.  They don't play out often, but were a good fit for the show, musically and from a homecoming perspective.  The Swollen Fox blog admiringly noted that Dr. Dog didn't have to pick a friend band to open, as if they were somehow put-upon to do so.  But, knowing what I know about this band, I think Dr. Dog welcomed the chance to share the stage with old friends, and to not have to fight their management over whether to have a crowd-drawer of an opener who means nothing to them, or friends who might have less ticket-sale cachet.
It is a complicated world at the level of success that Dr. Dog occupies (with entire management teams, publicists, booking agents, and labels to answer to), and something as simple as letting your friends open your show can be way harder for a popular band to finagle than you might imagine.

The set list (borrowed from the Phrequency blog):

Fuck It / new song / Easy Beat / Hang On / Control Yourself / Stranger / Mirror, Mirror / The Ark / I Only Wear Blue / The Way The Lazy Do / Shame Shame / Shadow People / The Beach / Livin’ a Dream / Worst Trip / The Rabbit, The Bat, and the Reindeer / Heart It Races (Architecture In Helsinki cover) / Oh No // Encore: Warrior Man / Fat Dog / Nobody Knows Who You Are / Jackie Wants A Black Eye

The only negatives for me were some pretty obnoxious fans. Such as middle-aged guy wearing the Ron Paul shirt who violently lurched from side to side, forwards, and backwards the whole set, repeatedly elbowing people (and then sometimes affectionately placing his hand on top of strangers' heads - because that makes it all okay?).  Or how about the two pint-sized girls who opportunisticly weaseled their way to the front just at the moment we stepped aside to let the band actually get on stage, thus managing to both butt in front of people who'd been waiting in the same spots for hours, and get in the band's way.   The one who took the cake, though, was another short woman who pretended to be trying to retrieve something dropped on the floor, near the stage, and instead just jumped into the spot newly made by people who stepped aside to let her get her non-existant stuff.   Way to go, you just got yourself closer to the stage by taking advantage of our instinct to be courteous.  You fan, you.   I know it comes with the territory, but the older I get, the less patience I have for that sort of douche-baggery.  Anyway - moving on.

I enjoyed most of the set from just off the stage, but eventually had to make my way to the back of the bar to get some air and to leave the fray to the younger fans.  Maybe these kids haven't seen Dr. Dog many times before - I've seen them about 16 times over the years.  And there was more room at the back for this curmudgeonly soul to dance and sing along to hearts content.

Dr. Dog will be releasing a new 7" on the Black Friday edition of Record Store Day, and have two all-ages dates scheduled at the Electric Factory in March. 

Not from the boxcar-sized KFN, but from the 9:30 Club last January. My photo.

Want to get into next Saturday's inaugural Wilmo Rock Circus for free?

Gable Music Ventures, the organization behind this 10 band showcase at the riverfront on Saturday Nov. 26th, are looking for a few more volunteers to assist with the event.  Volunteers get in for free (though tickets are a friendly $10, anyway).  Here's a link to the basic details for Wilmo Rock Circus (by the way - I'm not a big fan of the "Wilmo" shortening.  I can't put my finger on why, but it just doesn't work for me.  Maybe because it rhymes with "Elmo"):
http://www.wilmorockcircus.com/

If interested, contact gablemusicventures@gmail.com

Weekday Events of Note, 9/26-9/29:

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Monday:

• Open mic night at Mojo Main, 9pm, free.
• Movie Monday at the Trocadero: Bridesmaids. 21+, $3.  Doors at 6:30, show at 8, arrive before 7 and get a free beer and popcorn.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tuesday:

• The Felice Brothers at Union Transfer. All ages, show at 8, $22.
• Trans AM (performering Futureworld) at Johnny Brenda's. 21+, doors at 8, $13.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wednesday:

• Wilmington Farmers' Market, Rodney Square, 10-2pm.
• 4W5 Blues Jam at the Queen, 7pm.  Free.
• UPDATE: Show post-poned. [Post-rock legends Mogwai at Union Transfer.].  Mogwai has, just today, post-poned their tour for a 2nd time this year.  The website for Union Transfer is saying they'll have more info this week. 
• The Album Leaf at Johnny Brenda's. 21+, doors at 8, $14-$16.
• Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks at the TLA. Doors at 7pm, $29.
• Tapes n' Tapes at WCL Philly. Doors at 7, $18-$23.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thursday:

• (No more Cool Springs Farmers' Market - that has ended for the season.  And the Brandywine Village Farmers' Market will now only be happening monthly, with the next one scheduled for October 13th).
• UD Farmers' Market, next to library, 11-2pm.  This is the last one for the season! 
• Wine tasting at the Delaware Center for Horticulture, Trolley Square.  4-7pm. More details.
• Karaoke at Mojo Main, 9pm, free.
• Bonnie Prince Billy at the Queen. 8pm, $15-$25. Ticket link.
• George Thorogood & the Destroyers at the Grand. 8pm, $34-$50. Ticket link.
• Ben Harper at the Electric Factory. 8pm, $40-$43.
• A Grafitti Radio Presents show at Mojo Main, with Tortuga, Troubled Hips and Tail. 21+, 10pm, $5.
• West Philadelphia Orchestra (Balkan dance music done by West Philly freak folk types) at MilkBoy Philly.  21+, doors at 8, $10-$12.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Upcoming: Angel Band at the Kennett Flash on Friday, Jeffrey Gaines at the Queen on Friday, Blood Feathers at JB's on Friday, They Might Be Giants at the TLA on Friday, East Hundred at JB's on Saturday, The Bangles at the TLA on Saturday, Far-Out Fangtooth record release with Creepoid at Kung Fu Necktie on Saturday,

The Trocadero has severed ties with Ticket Master and will sell tickets via Ticket Fly, going forward.

The Trocadero cited Ticket Master's exhorbitant fees in their recent bankruptcy filing, and now have officially split with the ticket giant.  Local blog The Swollen Fox broke the story, here.

Congrats to Deadbeatz, winner of this year's Musikarmaggedon contest.

The final four contestants were: Deadbeatz, Little Invisibles, The Collingwood and Electric Blue Concept.  They performed at the Baby Grand last Saturday night.

Apparently, the majority of tickets were sold to guests who had attended the wedding, which happened earlier that day, of a Deadbeatz member.  Judging was based 50% on audience votes.  Naturally, this has lead to talk of unfairness, but I say: get used to it.  If life is not fair, then this holds doubly true for the music world.  99% of music success is based on who you know and who you can bring out to shows.   True, you still have to have some chops to get anywhere, but the band who uses their own member's wedding to win a contest is the band that has the best chances in the music business.  That is the way of this world. And despite the griping, the other bands would have done the exact same thing if the cards had fallen that way for them.  (Note: I am not making a comment against Deadbeatz - I have no idea if this really affected their win or not, or if they have chops or not.  I have not heard them play.  For all I know they would have won anyway - that is not for me to judge). 

So congrats Deadbeatz, on the win and the nuptials.  And congrats to the other bands on what I hear was a great show, all around.

Two new Philly music venues, mentioned here previously, start hosting shows this week.

MILKBOY PHILLY

Milkboy Philly has its inaugural show tonight, Saturday the 17th, with a performance by Gang, Hank & Cupcakes (who appeared at Mojo Main earlier this year), and Pink Skull.   The show is 21+, doors at 8/show at 9, and tickets are $8. 

Milkboy Philly (an off-shoot of the original Milkboy Coffee venue in Ardmore) is located right in Center City at 11th & Chestnut.  The cafe opened in August, but today is the first time they're putting the concert venue to the test.   The cafe serves local and organic food, and there is a bar.  You can buy tickets online via Ticketleap (through their website), or at the venue.  http://milkboyphilly.com/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

UNION TRANSFER

Union Transfer, a larger venue on 10th & Spring Garden, has their inaugural show this Wednesday with the semi-local Clap Your Hands Say Yeah.  All ages, doors at 8pm, $18-$20.

Tickets for Union Transfer, a warehouse-type venue said to formerly be a farmers' market and a train station, are sold both via TicketFly online (through their website), and at AKA Music on 2nd street in Old City.  It's mostly standing room only, with limited balcony seating.   There's a full bar and snack foods.    The shows they will host will rival both the Trocadero and the TLA.  http://www.utphilly.com/calendar/

Weekday events of note, 9/12-9/15:

Monday:

• Polish Festival - Wilm. riverfront, 5:30-10pm. Free. http://www.polishfestival.net/
• Newark Film Festival. http://www.newarkfilm.com/
• Open mic night at Mojo Main, 9pm, free.
•  Toro Y Moi at the First Unitarian Church.  With Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Coma Cinema. all ages, doors at 8, $15.
• Movie Mondays at the Trocadero - showing of X-Men: First Class.  21+, $3.  Doors at 6:30, show at 8, arrive before 7 and get a free beer and popcorn.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tuesday:

• Polish Festival - Wilm. riverfront, 5:30-10pm. Free. http://www.polishfestival.net/
• Newark Film Festival. http://www.newarkfilm.com/
• Japandroids at Kung Fu Necktie, with Bass Drum of Death.  21+, doors at 8, $12.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wednesday:

• Wilmington Farmers' Market, Rodney Square, 10-2pm.
• Newark Film Festival. http://www.newarkfilm.com/
• Polish festival - Wilm. riverfront, 5:30-10pm.  Free.  http://www.polishfestival.net/
• 4W5 blues jam at the Queen, 7pm, free.
• Fruit Bats, with Vetiver, at the First Unitarian Church.  All ages, doors at 8, $12.
• Sean Hayes, with Birdie Busch (who has appeared here at the Queen), at Johnny Brenda's.  21+, doors at 8, $15.
• The Low Anthem, with William Elliot Whitmore, at World Cafe Live Philly. All ages, doors at 8, $17.
• Turning Violet Violet, with She Came Crashing, at the Trocadero Balcony. 21+, doors at 8, $8.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thursday:

• The Farmer and The Chef.  Benefit for March of Dimes. Chase Center, 5:30-8:30pm, $40-$50.  Local chefs paired up with local farmers, with special guest chef Joseph Poon. http://inwilmingtonde.com/events/event.php?e=1182
• Polish festival. Wilm. riverfront, 5:30-10pm.  Free. http://www.polishfestival.net/
• Newark Film Festival. http://www.newarkfilm.com/
• Cool Spring Farmers' Market, 10th & Van Buren, 4-8pm.
• UD Farmers' Market, next to library, 11-2pm.
• Brandywine Village Farmers' Market, Concord Ave. & Market St., 4-7pm.
• Karaoke at Mojo Main, 9pm, free.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Heads up for next week's shows:  Matt Pond PA will be at JB's on Monday 9/19, Ted Leo & the Pharmacists will be at JB's on Friday 9/23 as well as a matinee show on Sat. 9/24, and Meg Baird (of Espers) will be at JB's on Saturday night, 9/24.  Quite a week for JB's! (Johnny Brenda's).

Another DIY venue in Philly finally becomes popular enough to attract the attention of L&I.

Philly's L&I, or Licensing and Inspections department, is notorious for shutting down indie venues.  It happened to a performance space a friend was running a few years ago out of his machine-shop-turned-apartment, it happened more recently to The Ox (whose ads wouldn't give an address but stated "Ask a cool friend"), and it has happened to countless others.  Yet these bright and doomed flashes of light keep popping up.  At first it really is a secret venue, and only those most "in the know" go (I am most definitely not part of that crowd).   Then word spreads beyond the cliques the space was designed for, and it starts gaining mention on blogs and Facebook.  Sometimes the unlicensed venue gets bold enough to actually advertise.  And before you know it: bam! L&I.  No more shows.  I'm neither for nor against these places.  It's admirable that people keep setting up these unofficial venues, and it's inevitable that they'll get shut down. 

The most recent such case appears to be Book Space, in Fishtown.  They will continue operating as a book store (which is what they're officially sanctioned to do), but will stop hosting indie rock shows. At least "for the time being" - and by the way, they ALL say "for the time being" when they're shut down, and none of them ever manage to follow through on that. 

WXPN's blog has the story:  http://thekey.xpn.org/2011/09/li-cracks-down-on-diy-venue-bookspace/

Free all ages show at Piazza at Schmidt's tonight.

Piazza at Schmidt's is in the Northern Liberties section of east Philly, just a couple of blocks north of Market St., on 2nd.   This show is part of the Philadelphia Weekly concert series.

Nicos Gun, Cheers Elephant, and Hezekiah Jones are playing.  The show starts at 6pm, and is all ages and free.

The Trocadero, a historic Philly music venue often mentioned here, has filed for bankruptcy.

Philly.com has the story: http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/inq-phillydeals/Trocadero-Theatre-in-bankruptcy-court.html

This doesn't necessarily mean it will close.  The Electric Factory, for instance, has been struggling for at least a couple of years, and has been able to ride it out so far.   But let's face it: the news is more than a little depressing, especially in light of the new music venues opening in Philly this year (for instance: Union Transfer, set to open in about 5 weeks with a Clap Your Hands Say Yeah show).   Will the new venues put the already struggling venues out of business?  Will the new venues be able to make it, themselves?  (I'm encouraged on this point by Union Transfer's opening month calendar, which includes St. Vincent, Gillian Welch, Mogwai, The Felice Brothers, and RJD2, with shows by Kurt Vile and The Sea and The Cake in November).

As part of the filing, by the way, Trocadero blames their revenue losses on the high price of doing business with Ticketmaster, and are seeking to end their contract with the dominating ticket giant.  I hope they succeed.