Grid Magazine December 2018 [#115]

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All-weather biking: you can do it!

Marc Lamont Hill’s activist coffee shop

Mother Earth, meet Climate Dad

p. 12

p. 40

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DECEMBER 2018 / ISSUE 115 / GRIDPHILLY.COM

T O W A R D A S U S TA I N A B L E P H I L A D E L P H I A

A LSO I NSID E

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Looking for the perfect present? Our guide to quality gifts made by Philly artisans

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Laser Focused A manager brings hard skills, experience and a drive to serve to his new position Ben Fries, the new 2D and laser manager at NextFab’s South Philly location, can thank his dad for an early introduction to working with his hands.

“I’ve been around tools since I was a kid. My pop is a carpenter. He would take me on site and have me sand spackle calling it ‘fun’ and ‘building character.’”

After graduating from Temple with a degree in Media Studies, he found himself in a fabrication job. “Immediately after college I got a job at Bill Curran Design (BCD) cutting angle iron to length. I tricked some friends into getting hired and taking my place as the cut boy so I could take on a roll that was less mundane. The new roll was fieldwork, primarily fancy staircase installation, and I had a great time being where the rubber meets the road.”

At NextFab, Ben maintains equipment, develops and teaches curriculum, and explores new ways of improving the customer experience.

“The combination of my experience in service, using digital content creation tools in college, and the hands-on work with traditional tools I did after college prepared me for the work I do today. I place service and making tools more accessible and adaptable to members’ needs at the heart of my role at NextFab.” He brings spirited enthusiasm to the role as well as a strong member-focused attitude.

“I’m trying to make the costs associated with equipment and materials more transparent.

People often don’t realize how much raw materials cost. They come into the lab and they’re like, ‘Whoa Nelly – acrylic costs that much?’...Materials are a resource as is your time. Emphasizing to everyone that their time is valuable to me is something I hope to project in my new position.”

More than anything, Ben finds a common work ethic among members that energizes and inspires him.

“NextFab members are focused and driven...They want to make themselves better...They want to build things, and frankly that requires facing challenges and putting in the work.

The people who succeed here know a challenge is a chance to do their best...This type of mentality is something you don’t find everywhere. It’s contagious and has lifted me up when I’ve been down. It’s special.”

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EDI TO R ’S NOTES

by

alex mulcahy

A Hat With A Story publisher Alex Mulcahy managing editor Brendan Menapace photo editor Charles Shan Cerrone associate editors Vince Bellino Timothy Mulcahy art director Michael Wohlberg writers Ben Block Bernard Brown Jennifer Costo Eric Fitzsimmons Constance Garcia-Barrio Emily Kovach Randy LoBasso John Morrison Alex Smith photographers Mike Arrison Kriston Jae Bethel Jennifer Costo Matthew Decker Brianna Spause Rachel Warriner Ben Wong illustrators Kirsten Harper Sean Rynkewicz advertising Santino Blanco santino@gridphilly.com 215.625.9850 ext. 112 distribution Alex Yarde alex.yarde@redflagmedia.com 215.625.9850 ext. 107 published by Red Flag Media 1032 Arch Street, 3rd Floor Philadelphia, PA 19107 215.625.9850

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t was right around this time of year, a little over ten years ago, when I bought what I consider to be my best Christmas present.

Earlier in the year, I had fallen in love with the woman who is now my wife, and I was feeling...expansive. When my future mother-in-law mentioned that she had seen a beautiful hat at the Contemporary Craft Show at the Convention Center, I sensed an opportunity. I bought a ticket to the show, which is held over a weekend, and began wandering around the Convention Center to see if I could find it.

She had described the hat as having an orangish brown color and that it was made from felted wool. It was cleverly designed so that it could be worn at two different angles.

After some looking, I found it. The woman who made it was there at the booth, and when I told her that I wanted to buy it, tears began to stream down her face. It was one of her favorite pieces that she had ever made, she said. When I gave it to my future mother-in-law, she didn’t cry, but she was stunned and clearly moved. The gift had hit the mark.

This is in stark contrast to the vast majority of gifts I’ve given. For a good part of my life, I walked through a mall with a list, piling up purchases, then calculating the cost to make sure no one felt slighted.

Generic, mass-produced stuff was purchased to either augment gifts for people on my list, or to give someone I had for-

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gotten about. To be fair, there were times when I was excited to give a gift that I thought would be appreciated, and was grateful to receive gifts that I wanted, but the shopping process was too often time-consuming and fueled by anxiety.

As I’ve grown older, and the threat of climate change feels more dire, I’ve grown more ambivalent about gift giving. I’ve come to believe the sentiment that E.F. Schumacher expressed in his landmark book “Small Is Beautiful,” and that Paul Glover echoed in his essay we published last month: that greed is at the center of our society, and that we must examine materialism before anything can be changed.

Every year I wonder, is this the year I tell my family that I don’t want any more gifts? And that, further, I won’t be giving them any either. I don’t want to be the Grinch, but I also don’t want to pretend that the status quo is okay.

When I think about that hat, it makes me reconsider the hard line stance. Maybe there is a middle ground. Maybe I should buy one present a year for one member of my family. One that shows real thoughtfulness and care.

And perhaps before I start making rules for everyone else, I could heed some advice Schumacher offered.

“How can we disarm greed and envy? Perhaps by being much less greedy and envious ourselves; perhaps by resisting the temptation of letting our luxuries become needs; and perhaps by even scrutinizing our needs to see if they cannot be simplified and reduced.”

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Every year I wonder, is this the year I tell my family that I don’t want any more gifts?”

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ALEX MULCAHY Editor-in-Chief alex@gridphilly.com

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BI K E TA LK

by

randy lobasso

Cyclin’ in a Winter Wonderland

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inter cycling isn’t as popular, or comfortable, as in other seasons. Snow in the bike lane, ice on your brakes and icicles in your hair—it’s all going to happen if you ride in the winter.

But as an urban adventurer determined to ride all year, I’ve gathered tips to make my winters less terrible, because even at its worst, commuting by bike is always rewarding.

Clothes and Visibility You’re going to need to do more than wear layers. It may look funny to be covered head-to-toe in lycra, but it’s very warm.

Many cyclists I speak to recommend a longsleeve, windproof, waterproof cycling jacket and insulated pants (though the warmth of the jacket is much more important than the pants.) Long, heavy socks and a balaclava that fits under your helmet are also recommended.

“Remember that everybody’s bundled up, drivers may have fogged windows, so keep an extra sharp watch to make sure others actually see you,” says Mike McGettigan, owner of Trophy Bikes in Northern Liberties. “Make sure all your lights are fully charged, or with fresh batteries, as cold weather hurts their efficiency. Run them even in the daytime to help you get seen through dirty auto windows.”

Remember that everybody’s bundled up, drivers may have fogged windows, so keep an extra sharp watch to make sure others actually see you.”

–Mike McGettigan

Extremities If you don’t have the right gloves and the right socks, your fingers and toes will suffer.

Bike courier Amy Cherowitz wears cut mitten-gloves (gloves with the fingers cut out and a convertible mitten-like flap over your fingers), but notes that not all of these gloves have a convertible cover for your thumb—so choose your gloves accordingly.

Cherowitz is also an enthusiast of toe warmers, which are packets of iron, vermiculite, water and other natural ingredients that heat up when exposed to air. “I love the cold. But at some point my feet start to hurt from the cold. Self-activating toe warmers are amazing,” says Cherowitz.

Strategy When the ground is icy and snowy, you don’t always have the ability to stop quickly.

National cycling advocacy organization People For Bikes offers this advice on their website: “Take turns wider on sloppy road conditions, and watch out for places where the weight of cars has packed snow down into irregular ice lumps. Ride on clear pavement when you can, and don’t be afraid to take the lane if the street is too narrow due to snow banks for safe passing.”

Leave early, ride slow and, if possible, avoid the bike lanes. The city’s plows usually push snow from the streets into the bike lane, and riding in those piles of snow and ice is more dangerous than taking the lane and riding in the streets. “Day one of a storm can be beautiful, with few or no cars. But in days 2 to 5, beware of narrowed paths in the snow, and the polished stretches where cars have been sliding up to the stop sign,” adds McGettigan.

I’ll be riding all winter and tweeting about it when there’s something worthy to share. Follow me @RandyLoBasso, and tweet at me for additional tips.

randy lobasso is the communications manager at the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia.

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urban naturalist

The Kingsessing Library’s “play terrain” invites children to play and learn about the natural world around them.

Urban Jungle Book The Free Library adds nature strolls and challenging play by bernard brown terrains to cultivate young learners

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pproximately 16 parents and children gather on a June morning for a stroll to the shore. That might conjure images of a summer day at the beach, but in this case, the closest thing to the crashing of waves is traffic rolling by on 49th Street, and the shore is the lower Schuylkill River in Southwest Philadelphia. This is a Saturday Stroll, a nature walk organized by nonprofit play advocate and design organization Studio Ludo in conjunction with the Free Library of Philadelphia, Interpret Green, Roofmeadow and Bartram’s Garden.

Meghan Talarowski, Studio Ludo’s founder and director, gives a quick introduction to the walk, first showing off the mesh-sided bug enclosures participants can use to take a closer look at any critters they find, and then cards with images and 8

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facts about bugs, reptiles and amphibians they might see on the walk. With that, the group sets off down the sidewalk.

They only make it a few feet before stopping to explore the community garden next to the library. There they discover some brown snakes–small, harmless snakes common in Philadelphia’s green spaces–as well as an assortment of bugs, such as cabbage white butterflies. Nature walks with small children move slowly, but even more so when every discarded piece of trash can hide wonders, and every vacant lot holds more critters (centipedes, isopod-killing spiders, ants). Eventually the group arrives at Bartram’s Garden. With a meadow to one side and the waterfront on the other, they check out a garter snake and conclude the stroll by filling out evaluation forms. “[It] was lovely to be with community

and notice the things in the natural world around us,” says Molly McGlone, who brought her children on the walk.

Studio Ludo led three more Saturday Strolls over the spring and summer, exploring natural history, including rocks and birds, and the final walk featured a neighborhood history scavenger hunt, according to Talarowski.

Soon library patrons at the Kingsessing and Cecil B. Moore branches in North Philly will be able to take their own nature strolls any day of the week. Studio Ludo and the Free Library are developing “adventure packs,” according to Talarowski, “[T]hat children and families can check out of the library, which will encourage people to go out and discover P HOTO G RAP HY BY RACHAE L WARRI NER

Grid_Dec_Home_For_Holidays_4 5x9 75_11 15 18-GM.pdf 1 11/15/2018 11:48:39 AM

the ecology and nature that’s in their neighborhood.” The adventure packs build on the Free Library’s experience with BirdPhilly birding backpacks, which were deployed at three branches (Andorra, Cecil B. Moore, and Widener) and contain a map, field guide, and binoculars. The Saturday Strolls this summer were “a way for us to get feedback from the people about what they’d like to see in those [adventure] packs,” she adds.

The Cecil B. Moore branch will launch its own Saturday Stroll series in the spring of 2019. The Free Library system had installed indoor “Play-and-Learn” spaces at three libraries earlier in the year, and the outdoor play terrains are extending the concept into environmental education, according to Joel Nichols, Data Strategy and Evaluation Administrator for the Free Library. Both library branches sit on divides between watersheds: Cecil B. Moore between the Delaware and the Schuylkill, and Kingsessing between the Schuylkill and Cobbs Creek.

“We thought of these as the front porch C of the library,” says Nichols. “And so we saw this opportunity specifically around high- M lighting watershed education and nature Y education.”

CM The strolls and adventure packs tie into MY “play terrains” built in front of both branches. The terrains consist of large triangular CY structures with steps to climb on the outside CMY and nooks encouraging kids to climb in. On K the sides, printed watershed facts as well as open ended questions such as, “How can you support nature in your neighborhood?” spark conversations. Plantings run up and down the centers.

Extensive community engagement and research contributed to the development of the play terrains, with several hundred people taking part in the meetings, play parties and canvassing at the two libraries, according to Nichols and Talarowski. The research and evaluation will continue as the Free Library studies how children and caregivers interact with the play terrains.

On a wet afternoon in November, a father, Jesse, and his son are playing on the recently completed play terrain in front of the Kingsessing branch.

“My first thought was, ‘Wow, wouldn’t this be cool for my son to climb around on?’” says Jesse, who had read about Perch Creek, which, before it was directed into an underground pipe, ran where the library now stands. “[We are] looking forward to reading the rest of it.”

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black history

The Taste of Freedom Two women—one an escaped slave of George Washington— by constance garcia-barrio are memorialized in Old City

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y the time the Continental Army and its French allies crushed British forces at Yorktown, Virginia, in October 1781, enslaved Black women in Philadelphia had long begged Jesus to make them as free as their white neighbors. In Old City these days, you can “meet” two Black women who likely said such prayers—and had them answered.

Phillis “Add urine from your chamber pot to wash water to help remove stains, ma’am,” Phillis, the Black washerwoman, portrayed by actress Tasha Holmes, at the Betsy Ross House, 239 Arch Street, tells a visitor. “Mix lemon juice with fuller’s earth [a kind of clay] to lighten dark spots on linen,” she says, in another 1700s washing tip.

It’s not known if Betsy Ross (1752-1836), the iconic flag maker and self-employed upholsterer, hired Phillis to do her laundry, but Phillis’ age, occupation, and presence in Old City suggest that possibility. Born into slavery on October 29, 1747, Phillis belonged to John Jones, a Quaker cordwainer or shoemaker. “We dove into Jones’ will in the Philadelphia Register of Wills to learn all we could about Phillis,” says Kimberly Staub, a historian at the Betsy Ross House who helped to develop Phillis’ storyline. “Phillis allows us to include the African American experience in 18th century Philadelphia. Jones’ will stipulates that Phillis be educated and manumitted after his death.” Though Jones died in 1761, Phillis didn’t become free until 1768, a year when most Black Philadelphians remained enslaved. Phillis—it’s not known if she took a surname—was free when she would have worked for Betsy Ross.

Holmes, 30, speaks of “staying in the Phillis box” when she talks with visitors in the museum’s cellar. “We believe that Phil10

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lis had an older brother, Cato, born in 1745, and a younger brother, James, born in 1754, but we’re not completely sure, and we don’t know if she was married, or how she might have gotten along with Betsy Ross. I stick to what’s known,” says Holmes, who stays in character. She shows visitors the kind of buckets Phillis would have used to haul water from a well, washboards for scrubbing clothes, heavy metal irons, and lye soap, possibly made by Benjamin Franklin’s sister in Boston and shipped south.

Though Holmes never strays from “the Phillis box,” she can weave facts suggestively. “We don’t know if Phillis attended the school run by Quaker abolitionist Anthony Benezet (1713-1784). However, I tell visitors that John Jones and Benezet were acquainted, and that the dates fit.”

Holmes, who dons her costume at a different site and then walks to the Betsy Ross House, channels Phillis along the way. “I imagine the horses and carriages and people in colonial dress,” says Holmes, who majored in communications at Thiel College, Greenville, Pennsylvania, and took classes at the Walnut Street Theatre.

Though she’s researched the lives of Blacks in colonial Philadelphia, she grapples with unknowns.

“I ask myself how bold Phillis would be in answering questions. How confident?” says Holmes, who’d like to have movies roles. “I want visitors to understand the drudgery Phillis endured, that she was a Black woman doing bottom-of-the-barrel work, trying

Historical reenactor Tasha Holmes brings the colonial-era freedwoman Phillis alive at the Betsy Ross House.

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to live as best she could.”

Meet Phillis on weekends in the cellar of the Betsy Ross House, 239 Arch Street, through the end of March. For more information call (215) 686-1252 or visit http:// historicphiladelphia.org/betsy-ross-house.

Oney Judge Just blocks away, at 600 Market Street, stands an open-air exhibition, “The President’s House: Freedom and Slavery in the Making of a New Nation,” where Washington and his family lived during his presidency. There, visitors can see Oney—or Ona—Judge (c. 1773-1858), one of nine enslaved Blacks Washington brought from Mt. Vernon, his 500-acre Virginia estate, to

the “big house on Market Street.”

Judge, a “mulatto girl, much freckled …with bushy black hair,” was First Lady Martha Washington’s personal maid. For Judge, Philadelphia—the nation’s capital from 1790-1800, with upwards of 2,000 free Blacks—must have held more excitement than Mt. Vernon with its 300 slaves.

From Philadelphia’s pepper-pot women, who sold a spicy soup of tripe and ox feet, to its Black cobblers, caterers, carpenters, teachers and teamsters, the City of Brotherly Love brimmed with possibilities.

In addition to ripe opportunities for Blacks, Judge caught glimpses of the underside of the highfalutin Washingtons and the monied guests they entertained.

“Card-playing and wine-drinking were the business at [Washington’s] parties,” Judge told journalists writing for abolitionist newspapers in the 1840s.

Judge’s free Black friends might have told her that the Washingtons were flouting Pennsylvania’s 1780 Gradual Abolition Act, which said that slaves who lived in the state for more than six months became legal residents and consequently free. To prevent the loss of their unpaid help, the First Family shuttled slaves across state lines just short of the six-month deadline to circumvent the law. After all, the Washingtons relied on slaves not only to scrub floors but also to cook and serve sumptuous meals to impress their guests. (Blacks also enhanced the President’s image in another way. An entry in one of Washington’s account books shows that he bought 9 teeth from “Negroes” for 122 shillings for his dentures.)

Judge slipped away from Washington’s house on May 21, 1796. Years later, she told a reporter: “Whilst they were packing up to go to Virginia, I was packing to go, I didn’t know where; for I knew that if I went back to Virginia, I should never get my liberty.

I had friends among the colored people of Philadelphia, had my things carried there beforehand, and left Washington’s house while they were eating dinner.” John Bolles, a sympathetic ship’s captain took Judge to Portsmouth, New Hampshire. “I never told his name till after he died . . . lest they punish him …,” Judge reportedly said.

Incensed, the Washingtons offered a reward for apprehending Judge, and twice tried to have her captured quietly. If the matter had become too public, it could have tarnished Washington’s reputation.

Warned in time, Judge eluded would-be kidnappers. She married, had three children, and learned to read. However, widowed early, Judge lived in poverty. Asked if she regretted escaping, she said, “No, I am free, and have...been made a child of God by that means.” Judge died in 1848. Her words, published in abolitionist newspapers, helped fight slavery.

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community space

Refresh Your Mind Politically-minded Germantown coffee shop by john morrison is steeped in Black history

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ocated in the city’s historic Germantown area, Uncle Bobbie’s has all of the warm aesthetic qualities of a quaint coffee shop and bookstore, but a quick look at its shelves reveals a deeper purpose. Among its selections, the shop carries fresh copies of titles like “Malcolm X: Socialism and Black Nationalism,” Aimé Césaire’s “Discourse on Colonialism” and Frantz Fanon’s pioneering critical race study, “The Wretched of the Earth.”

Opened in November of 2017 by Philadelphia-born author, educator and activist Marc Lamont Hill, Uncle Bobbie’s is a coffee shop that is inspired by the Black radical tradition. Named after Hill’s late uncle, the shop has a home-like atmosphere, where people can come to drink, eat, learn and create community.

“So many people come into the shop and comment on how much it feels like ’home,’” says Uncle Bobbie’s event coordinator Isabel 12

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Ballester. “The interior design was purposefully modeled after the aesthetic of [the real] Uncle Bobbie’s house, which is why it feels that way to so many people. Staff definitely play a part in that. Given that cafés are known to be a part of upper-middle-class white culture, it’s critical that our staff reflect the community of people we serve in Germantown.”

Speaking on the impetus behind the shop’s creation, Hill has expressed his desire to create a truly community-oriented space that would serve as a means of support for those who find themselves marginalized by harsh political, social and market conditions. Ballester echoes those motivations.

“At a moment where people are being divided and neighborhoods are being dismantled,” she says, “Uncle Bobbie’s is a community space designed for sharing, building, learning, laughing, debating, eating and building.”

In addition to the wide selection of books and refreshments, it is Uncle Bobbie’s event

calendar that solidifies its place as space for liberation. Past events have included talks with renowned authors, such as African-American scholar Michael Eric Dyson, as well as activist-led workshops on the school-to-prison pipeline, a men’s wellness workshop, weekly movie nights screening films such as “Get Out” and Spike Lee’s “She’s Gotta Have It,” as well as political documentaries like “A Great & Mighty Walk” and “James Baldwin: I Am Not Your Negro.”

It is this alignment of a truly liberatory political programming alongside food and drink that makes Uncle Bobbie’s a qualitatively different space than the typical coffee shops in Center City, Brewerytown and Northern Liberties. Uncle Bobbie’s has maintained its unique identity by being rooted in Philadelphia’s long heritage of Black, working-class political scholarship and activism.

“The personal is political,” Ballester says.

“While there are specific events that are more obviously ’political,’ I’d like to think that all of the events we put on have a political side.

Through author events, symposiums, teachins and workshops, we are able to encourage community members, old and new, to continue on this journey of growth and knowledge.

We love supporting the activist community, and have hosted events that do that, and we’re interested in supporting other communities, too, activist or not.”

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THE 2018 GRID HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE A room-by-room guide to the best gifts you can give by emily kovach • photography by charles shan cerrone

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hile we don ’ t subscribe to mainstream notions of “retail therapy,” we do have some holiday advice: give freely. The gifts of your time, your energy and your funds to causes you believe in all count. To give is, unmistakably, to open yourself up, to allow for an exchange with others, and to take a chance on the joy that’s still pulsing through our city, even on the darkest of days. ¶ If you do give gifts for the holidays, do it with passion. Take the time to shop in neighborhood stores, feeling the texture and weight of things, chatting with the

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shopkeeper or humming along to familiar seasonal songs. Or, if you prefer to stay in and shop online, seek out things that are local, beautiful and handmade, and then share them with the people you love. Support the artists and makers in your community, and give a gift to Philly’s micro-economy. Even if you only have $5 to spend, make it count. ¶ Objects are never a substitute for love or kindness, but they can be tokens of them, a reminder of kinship and closeness.

We all have those gifts in our homes that make us feel good when we see or use them. This year, give that gift.

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KITCHEN Put back that chintzy potholder! There are so many more beautiful, functional, and exciting gifts for the home chef in your life.

2 1. Knives from Pellegrino Cutlery: These professionalgrade knives are forged from bars of steel. The price is steep but the quality of the blades is unparalleled. $300-$1,000; pellegrinocutlery.com 2. Mugs from This Many Boyfriends Club: You can’t go wrong with any of the funky-yet-elegant mugs from this women’s art collective, but we like the high-femme opalescent gemstone ones best. $55-$60; etsy.com/shop/ThisManyBFsClub

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3. Growler Caps from The 50/50 Company: For the friend who never shows up to dinner without a growler of local beer, these reusable growler caps, emblazoned with phrases like “Twist and Shout” and “Love Potion #9” are the perfect gift. $10 for a set of 4; the5050company.com

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4. Sponge Holder from Jarmel by Jarmel: Why let a kitchen sponge collect mold in the bottom of the sink when it could be snug and clean in an adorable sponge holder from this up-and-coming ceramicist? $42; available at Field; jarmelbyjarmel.com 5. Tea towels from Ivy House Design: Artfully naked ladies and bananas on 100 percent cotton towels are the perfect combo of modern and quirky. $18; etsy.com/shop/IvyHouseStudio 6. Wooden cutting board from Padouk: Upgrade your favorite local cheese lover’s setup with a cutting/serving board made from wood, shot through with gorgeous grain patterns. $30-$40; available at VIX Emporium; padoukcrafts.com

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7. Shrubs from Terra Luna Herbals: Shrubs are an ingredient any cocktail or mocktail enthusiast needs in the fridge. Check out these drinking vinegars in flavors like red raspberry and elderflower. $16$24; available at Ritual Shoppe; terralunaherbals.com 8. Wooden bowls from Basement Press: Handmade turned bowls come in a variety of sizes and types of wood; each one would make a handsome addition to a kitchen counter. $30-$40; squareup.com/store/basementpress 9. Session Cocktails: Low-Alcohol Drinks for Any Occasion: Local journalist and food writer Drew Lazor teaches home mixologists how to make grown-up drinks that won’t knock you out after a round or two. $18.99; available at Occasionette 10. Hand-drawn magnet from Woodley White: Celebrate living in the ’Greatest Beer Drinking City in America’ with a cute wooden magnet of a can of Victory Headwaters Pale Ale. $10; squareup.com/store/woodleywhite/ 11. Spice blends from Sundry Mornings: Help a foodie friend out with a trio of fresh blends from Sundry Mornings. Choose from Taco Spice, Chili Spice, Cajun Spice, Morning Spice, JHC Spice (a cocoa-based BBQ rub), and Smoky Spice. $6 for a 2-ounce bag; available at Philly Foodworks; sundrymornings.com

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BATH Encourage self care — more important than ever in these anxiety-added times — with gifts of locally-made goods that encourage relaxation and tranquility

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1. Soaps from Vellum St. Soap Company: Wildly inventive scents (hello, Salted Lime Hibiscus) made from tallow sourced from local farms and butcher shops. $7 each; available at VIX Emporium; vellumstsoapcompany.com

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2. Weekly Face Care Kit from Franklin & Whitman: If its neighborhood-inspired product names don’t immediately win you over (e.g.

Spring Garden Body Serum), their all-natural formulas, charitable giving commitment and recycling program will. The Weekly Face Care Kit combines three products: a scrub, a steam and a mask. $59.95; franklinandwhitman.com 3. Beard oil from The Tin Goat: This Fishtown-based personal-care company makes candles, soap and balm, but its real treasure

is luxurious beard oil, a must-have for fuzzy fellows during winter’s harsh weather. $12-$20; thetingoat.com 4. Modern Macrame plant hangers from The Mountain & The Sea: Threads of waxed cotton are woven into unfussy shapes that hold houseplants like delicate little hammocks.

Suitable for outdoors, too. $22-$29; etsy.com/ shop/TheMountainAndTheSea 5. Bath soaks from Mystic Ginger Apothecary: Herbal and Himalayan rock salt-based concoctions come in pretty corked vials, in thoughtful blends like Hops & Blossoms, made with organic hops. $12; mysticgingerapothecary.com

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BEDROOM The most personal and intimate space in your home deserves calming and thoughtful objects.

1. Crochet Throw Rug from Brave Hand Textiles: Funky, one-of-a-kind crocheted throw rugs, handmade with recycled fabrics like towels and sheets. $75-$100; available at Cuttalossa; etsy.com/shop/BraveHandTextiles

6. Houseplant from Field: There’s no such thing as too many houseplants, right? Add a new succulent, air plant, or houseplant to someone special’s indoor forest. Various prices; instagram.com/shop.field

2. Incense by Palo Santo Wellness Boutique: Leave it to the yogis at this South Philly yoga boutique/wellness sanctuary/ creative space to design some of the finestsmelling incense we’ve ever encountered. $7 for 20 sticks; palosantowellnessboutique.com

7. Silk Cooling Eye Mask from Damiano: This luxurious silk eye mask holds two small purified water packs in each eye-well, which can be refrigerated for the ultimate de-stressing. $38; damianocollection.com

3. Resin Jewelry Dishes from Bing Bong Ceramics: Help declutter tangles of necklaces and earrings from the dresser with these miniature dishes from Bing Bong Ceramics. $8$12 each; bingbong.tictail.com 4. Hoop embroidery from Hoop and Wheel: Floral-themed hoop embroideries bring color and life into a space, and last much longer than a bouquet of wildflowers. $38-$125; etsy.com/ shop/HoopAndWheel 5. Room spray from dilo: Made with fine fragrance oils and nary a phthalate, scents like Burning Cedar and Coconut + Vetiver are a great alternative to candles, especially late at night (wink, wink). $10; available at Vault + Vine; dilohome.com

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LIVING SPACE A little handmade gift can make a living room pop! Resist the urge to grab something off the sale shelf at a multinational home decor store that wants to look indie (you know the one), and go for something truly artisanal instead.

1. Succulent log planters from MasonMade: Constructed from locally-foraged Sycamore and London Plane trees, these planters make a stylish home for cheerful little plant babies. $25-$40; available at Art Star; etsy.com/shop/ MasonMade25

6. Tiny Prints by Kimmy Makes Things: For the cost of a greeting card, you could give a tiny print of an original gouache painting by artist Kimmy Scafuro. Subjects include pop culture figures like Lucille Bluth, Barack Obama, Steve Zissou and, everyone’s new favorite icon, Gritty. $5 each; available at Art Star; etsy.com/shop/kimmymakesthings

2. Ceramic planters from Palmer Planter Company: Palmer Planter Co. crafts an impressive range of ceramic planters in stylish textured terracotta and globally-inspired majolica painted blue and white motifs. $14-$53; palmerplantercompany.com

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7. Rustic Candles from Mithras Candles: Made in East Falls by a light researcher with locally-sourced beeswax, U.S.-farmed soy and essential oils, these candles are “everyday luxury.” $14-$66; mithrascandle.com

3. Glass Vase from Remark Glass: Sleek serving ware, glasses and vases out of recycled glass bottles. The charming little bud vase is a stand out, sure to make your backyard blooms look their best. $35; remarkglass.com 4. 36 Views of Philadelphia postcard book: Philly-based architectural historian and artist Ben Leech sketches 36 local landmarks on postcards. The set is a heartfelt tribute to the beauty of this city. $25; available at Omoi Zakka Shop; archivoltpress.com

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5. Stool from Marigold Woodworks: Minimalist, dignified stools made from walnut and ash in NextFab’s North 4th Street location.

The organic seat shape and perfect 3-legged balance echoes Wharton Esherick at a fraction of the price. $250; marigoldwoodworks.com

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We’ve never seen a kid’s room that looks like the hyper-stylized photos you see on Instagram, but, a thoughtful, well-designed toy, a snuggly new friend or a fun piece of art are always welcome.

1. Handmade Mobile from Baby Jives: Dreamy heirloom-quality handmade mobiles with gender-neutral designs like clouds and hearts, moons and stars, and leaves and moths. $28-$158; babyjives.com 2. Kids shirts from Print Liberation: Bold statements for your born-woke munchkin. $25; etsy.com/shop/printliberation 3. Buddha Bib from Buddha Babe: Bandanashaped bibs made with organic cotton, bamboo fleece and natural dyes, featuring hip patterns like The Notorious B.I.G. and the Philadelphia Eagles. $8.50-$15; buddhababe.us

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4. Learning Toys from Mama May I: Learning toys from natural materials, like hand-painted wood, recycled felt and habotai silk. $6.50-$65; mamamayishop.com 5. Handmade crocheted stuffed animals from Petit Yarns: Cuddly crocheted creatures with simple, adorable shapes. $40-$75; etsy. com/shop/PetitYarns

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CLOSET Show your closest clotheshorse friend or family member what the burgeoning design scene in Philly has to offer with a garment or accessory from a local designer.

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1. Three Herb Earrings on Plantable Card from Nuance Jewelry: Herb-shaped earrings in silver or gold affixed to a card that is infused with seeds. Plant the card in next year’s garden to fully enjoy the gift. $68 for the set; available at Sugar Cube; nuance-jewelry.com 2. Bloom Flower Brooch from Violet and Brooks: Modern baubles in fresh floral shapes. Bonus: Violet and Brooks donates 5 percent of the net profits from every sale to the Covenant House. $28; violetandbrooks.com 3. Hand-dyed tunics and coats from Penrose: One-of-a-kind jackets and tunics carefully constructed out of stunning vintage textiles. The most eyecatching are fashioned from African indigo cloth that is impossibly saturated with intense, vivid hues. $165-395; penrosedesignstudio.com

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4. T-shirt from Philadelphia Printworks: You can wear your heart on your sleeve with these T-shirts, emblazoned with radical messages for civil and women’s rights. The studio works with progressive local and national organizations like CinéSPEAK and Philly Trans March to provide financial and resource-based support. $25; philadelphiaprintworks.com

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5. Gauze Scarves from Voloshin: Designer Amy Voloshin, who founded Printfresh Studio, now has her own line of clothing, Voloshin. We love the polished, cotton gauze scarves in the collection, featuring urbane block-printed patterns and tidy embroidery. $138-$148; voloshin.us

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EV EN TS

december 2018

D ecember 1-2 & 8-9

D ecember 8 & 22

D ecember 25

Greensgrow Holiday Bazaar

Holly Highlights and Winter Greenery Tour

Washington Crossing Reenactment

An experienced arboretum guide will teach visitors about holiday-associated plants at the arboretum, including hollies and broadleaf evergreens. morrisarboretum.org

Re-live one of the most significant moments of the American Revolution. Watch a George Washington reenactor and his soldiers cross the Delaware River, just like they did on Christmas Day in 1776.

Locally made and handmade creations include fine art, crafts, gifts, jewelry, ceramics, woodworking, green gifts, and fresh-cut holiday trees.

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Greensgrow Farms, 2501 E. Cumberland St.

D ecember 8 Chestnut Hill Christmas Holiday House Tour In one of Chestnut Hill’s biggest fundraisers of the year, five of the most historic homes in the neighborhood are decorated and opened for both guided and independent tours. Live music will be provided by a variety of artists inside the homes.

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. COST: $45-50 WHERE: Woodmere Art Museum, 9201 Germantown Ave.

Parade of Lights A holiday parade — but in the water! Boats decked out in lights and other festive dressings float down the Delaware River in the Independence Seaport Museum’s annual Parade of Lights. phillyseaport.org WHEN: 1 to 6:30 p.m. COST: $12-17 WHERE: Independence Seaport Museum, 211 S. Columbus Blvd.

WHEN: 2 p.m. COST: Included with garden admission WHERE: Morris Arboretum, 100 E. Northwestern Ave.

WHEN: 1 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: 1112 River Road, Washington Crossing

D ecember 12 Holiday Lights Ride The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia takes riders on a tour through South Philadelphia neighborhoods to survey holiday light displays. bicyclecoalition.nonprofitsoapbox.com WHEN: 5:30 to 9 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Performance Bicycle, 1300 S. Christopher Columbus Blvd.

D ecember 14 Art of the Gift Students, faculty and local participants at the Allens Lane Art Center present their holiday exhibition featuring handcrafted gifts like tiles, pottery, sculpture and ornaments. allenslane.org WHEN: 7 to 9 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: 601 W. Allens Lane

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washingtoncrossingpark.org

Being ____ at Christmas Designed to recognize those who don’t celebrate Christmas — and to educate those who do. This Christmas-day event features games, film showings, children’s comedy, arts & crafts, and educational materials. nmajh.org WHEN: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: National Museum of American Jewish History, 101 S. Independence Mall East

D ecember 31 New Year’s Eve Fireworks on the Waterfront The biggest fireworks event in the city draws thousands to the Delaware River waterfront each year. Find a good spot to watch and settle in! Take your pick between shows at 6 p.m. and the stroke of midnight. delawareriverwaterfront.org WHEN: 6 p.m. and/or 12 a.m. COST: Free WHERE: Penn’s Landing, 101 S. Christopher Columbus Blvd.

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PARADIGM Gallery + Studio

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THE

TOP 25 O F 2 018

It’s been a remarkable year in music in Philadelphia by jump staff Between a steady stream of bands relocating here, and a rich crop of homegrown talent, Philadelphia is arguably the country’s best city for music. The quality of releases on this list is jaw-dropping, and by no means complete. Suffice it to say, it was a difficult task paring it down to 25. We hope you enjoy, and please let us know what you think!

kinda like It Was Written-era Nas meets Olivia Tremor Control or Ryuichi Sakamoto remixing Kool G. Rap’s Road to the Riches.

5. Kurt Vile Bottle It In (MATADOR) Vile somehow aims high while wandering aimlessly. Coming off a great album with Courtney Barnett and a mega-hit mural-earner Wakin on a Pretty Daze, Vile’s drifting never fails to captivate.

6. Nothing Dance on the Blacktop (RELAPSE) Even a move by lead singer Domenic Palermo to New York couldn’t make Nothing anything but a Philly band. Dance on the Blacktop combines their dark, unyielding shoegaze heaviness with flashes of positivity. You know, like life in Philly sometimes.

7. Dr. Dog Critical Equation (WE BUY GOLD RECORDS)

2. Hop Along Bark Your Head Off, Dog (SADDLE CREEK)

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Tierra Whack Whack World (SELF RELEASED)

Fifteen one-minute songs, and a stunning video for the entire album, serve as an announcement of a major talent. Whack World is infused with humor and is bursting with creativity. A fan of Quentin Tarantino, Tierra Whack shifts gears quickly, and displays a musical versatility comparable to her new friend André 3000. Tierra Whack is going places, but she started here.

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Somehow, even with high expectations following the excellent Painted Shut, indie rock outfit Hop Along manages to surprise. Frances Quinlan and company are at the top of their game.

3. Low Cut Connie Dirty Pictures, Part 2 (CONTENDER RECORDS) Low Cut Connie is one of the most energetic and entertaining live shows in the business, but this record, anchored by the single “Beverly,” reveals a more introspective dimension.

4. The Skull Eclipses The Skull Eclipses (WESTERN VINYL)

A collaboration between Philly-based Lushlife and Texas-based Botany, The Skull Eclipses sounds

Dr. Dog has never been a group to take long breaks. They released the surprise LP Abandoned Mansion just months after 2016’s The Psychedelic Swamp. This year’s Critical Equation sees the psych-rockers just as tight, trippy and immersive as ever.

8. Secret American Warmth & Shelter (SELF RELEASED)

The instrumentation is undeniably retro and hearkens back to pop/rock groups from the mid-1960’s, while the lyricism is contemporary, innocent and familiar. Secret American presents a respite of brightness to the otherwise current dark texture of indie rock.

9. Ivy Sole Overgrown (LES FLEURS RECORDS)

Since moving here to attend Wharton, Ivy Sole has emerged as one of the city’s finest talents. Her sweet, poetic rhymes and ear for catchy melodies make Overgrown one of the most impressive debuts in contemporary rap.

10. Sad Marquise iPhone Pop (SELF RELEASED) iPhone Pop is somehow joyous and melancholy, optimistic and bitter. Completely recorded on a smart phone, iPhone Pop is a shining example of DIY ingenuity and an ode to the complexities of modern love.

11. Outer Heaven Realms of Eternal Decay (RELAPSE)

Equal parts primitive and complex, Outer Heaven sounds familiar yet new, culling influences from death metal classics and streamlining their sound to break new ground.

12. Restorations LP5000 (TINY ENGINES) With a mature take on the changes in life that took place since their release of LP3, LP5000’s earnest rock and roll shows growth while keeping everything the band’s fans have loved over their career.

13. Ceramic Animal The Horse (SELF RELEASED)

A psych-rock element permeates the record, but Ceramic Animal tests the genre with doses of pop and, uniquely, a certain Western cinematic style. The Horse is compact and stunning, but you should see these boys live.

14. Strange Parts Oh God, What A Beautiful Time I Spent in The Wild (SPECIOUS ARTS)

Attia Taylor and Corey Duncan’s debut is full of dense, soaring, heartbreakingly beautiful songs. A breathtaking debut by any measure, Oh God… is a perfect piece of psychedelic dream-pop full of magic and grandeur.

15. Johnny Shortcake It’s the Johnny Shortcake Show!

(SELF RELEASED)

A superbly crafted album that will delight kids from one to 92. This is a funky

and funny record; when will Johnny Shortcake get the TV show he deserves?

16. Horrendous Idol (SEASON OF MIST) Idol is the Philadelphia quartet’s most ambitious work yet, with Horrendous delving further into progressive song structures and intricate musicianship. Each listen yields previously-unheard surprises and the songs are some of Horrendous’ most memorable yet.

their debut LP Dig Yourself.

21. Speedy Ortiz Twerp Verse (CARPARK RECORDS)

Though Massachusetts-bred, Speedy Ortiz is ours now. Sadie Dupuis has a knack for pop-ready hooks that also feel at home atop grungy guitar. The stories on Twerp Verse feel familiar and relatable, and are witty as ever.

17. Dark Lo

22. Steady Hands

Bucket List

Truth in Comedy

(OBH RECORDS)

(LAME-O RECORDS)

A short, brutal concept album, each song touches on something that Lo would like to do before dying, from the big ticket personal dreams like “Win a Grammy” to the overtly political “Break Mumia Out of Jail” complete with dramatic delivery and cartoonishly violent imagery.

18. Free Cake For Every Creature The Bluest Star (DOUBLE DOUBLE WHAMMY)

The Bluest Star is one of those albums that proves you don’t have to be loud to hit hard. The melodies are hushed, and the recording is charmingly lo-fi, but Katie Bennett brings so much power to her third full-length LP.

Truth in Comedy is like a PBR-fueled night that ends in smiles—and maybe a couple new tattoos, too. The full-length debut shows vocalist/guitarist Sean Huber’s songwriting chops, grit-punk prowess and the strength of his surrounding cast.

23. Thin Lips Chosen Family (LAME-O RECORDS)

Chosen Family is an emotional, honest and fun love letter to friends and community. Killer riffs, huge hooks and powerful lyrics. 2016’s Riff Hard did just that, and gave us a a full exposure to Thin Lips as people.

24. Zilla Rocca

19. Palm

Future Former Rapper

Rock Island

(P.O.W. RECORDINGS)

(CARPARK RECORDS)

Rock Island is all over the place. We really mean that as a good thing. For fans of glitchy melodies and shimmery soundscapes, the latest release from Palm is right up your alley.

20. Queen of Jeans Dig Yourself (TOPSHELF RECORDS)

Queen of Jeans blends classic girl-group harmonies, ‘90s folk sounds, and hazy, lo-fi beats to make music they call “crockpot pop.” Take a trip to their soft femme aesthetic dreamland with

Melding gritty, sample-based beats with devastating one-liners about being “30 years old and you never had a breakthrough,” these songs highlight the fear, contempt and confusion that comes with growing old in a young man’s game.

25.

Mewithoutyou [untitled] (RUN FOR COVER RECORDS)

Aaron Weiss’s vocals alternate between being deep in the mix as an instrument themselves and scorching in the forefront, and the instrumentals keep pieces of their post-hardcore beginnings and genre-exploring history.

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johnny shortcake

All Age Show Awash with glitter and armed with positivity, Johnny Shortcake by emily kovach makes kids music for everybody

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ut aside all of your preconceived notions about what a “kid’s band” is and see surrealist cabaret spectacular of Johnny Shortcake.

It features actors wearing intricate handmade costumes, outlandish props, and truly awesome coordinated dance moves. And there are actual Philly rockers destroying it on their instruments. There’s a wizard playing drums, a grandma with anthropomorphic chin whiskers, and a confetti cannon. There’s glitter, high kicks, wink-wink jokes, slapstick comedy, and a disco ball. Then there’s Johnny himself, with iridescent rainbow stretch pants, a blindingly bedazzled vest, a slicked down comb-over, aviator sunglasses, and a Jersey accent. He’s high energy, tapping a strange combination of sweetness and casual sleaze. And the kids love him.

It makes sense that David Sweeny, 38, from South Philly — the man behind the Johnny Shortcake character — is so good at commanding a crowd of hyperactive children. Not only is he a seasoned theater pro, but he’s also the frontman of his adult-facing band, Johnny Showcase, a funk-rock outfit with a similar penchant for the outlandish. Shortcake isn’t very different from Showcase, as an alter ego, Sweeny notes, and his audiences aren’t so different, either.

“Performing for kids is like performing for drunks,” he says. “You just have to be ready for anything.”

He also insists that, though inspired by hanging out with his young nieces, and later his own children (he has twin 4-year-old sons and a 6-month-old daughter), Johnny Shortcake’s songs aren’t necessarily “kid music.”

“I consider it ’everybody music,’” he says.

“I don’t dumb down the music and we don’t dumb down our vocabulary.”

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Moana soundtrack), and instead, they listen to pop like Michael Jackson, Bruno Mars and Beyoncé.

It seems feasible that Sweeny drew on those artists when writing his songs.

Bangers like “Cupcake Tuesday” (a joyful tribute to treat night), “Smellbows” (about noses on elbows, obviously), and “I’m a Dragon, Baby” (a self-love anthem about transforming into a dragon and being proud of it) get kids dancing and giggling.

And while the guitar player, “Bossy Rossy” (Ross Bellenoit of local band Muscle Tough), is shredding an honest-to-god solo, you can see it on parents’ faces – an expression somewhere between bewilderment and glee: Wow, this is really good!

Johnny Shortcake was conceived, and his backing band formed, in 2016. The year before, Sweeny had been composing songs for an original stage production, Last But Not Leashed, that renowned Philly drag cabaret performer Martha Graham Cracker was creating for a residency at the Kimmel Center. Jay Wahl, Producing Artistic Director at the Kimmel, noticed Sweeny’s talent and wanted to explore ideas he might have for his own theater production. Sweeny immediately said he wanted to create a show for kids. He assembled his band and they began a two-week “boot camp” at the Kimmel, meant to encourage them to create with no limits and no expectations.

“My guiding...principle for the artists [in these residencies] is: invade your own privacy,” Wahl says. “It’s a way to get them to start writing about their point of view on the world. David, who spent a lot of time taking care of his twin boys, created a world for his children, and you see that in the work, which is so sweet and honest.”

Creating the world of Johnny Shortcake was, for Sweeny, a productive, liberating experience.

“I had gotten burnt out on working on an album and wanted to do something completely different with no pressure,” he says.

“When I gave myself permission to think this way, we popped off so many ideas. I think you just get different inspiration from different places.”

The residency at the Kimmel started with free-to-the-public performances in 2017 as part of its Grow Up Great series. In January 2018, the theater mounted the first version of The Johnny Shortcake Show, which sold out.

“It was a big hit and people kept asking P HOTO G RAP H BY M IKE ARRI SON

when he was coming back,” Wahl says. So Shortcake returned to the Kimmel in Fall 2018 for eight shows, which wrapped in early November.

The group has taken on a life of its own outside of the Kimmel Center, performing at festivals and birthday parties. Sweeny released an album, It’s the Johnny Shortcake Show, on his own imprint, Infinite Owl Music, earlier in 2018. As for the future of the show, it’s unclear what’s next.

“That’s the theater, it’s cruel,” Sweeny says. “You work so hard to create fleeting

moments that most people won’t see, and then it’s dead.”

Sweeny did hint that there may be some bigger plans in the works that would not only sidestep that sad theater demise, but in fact bring Johnny Shortcake to a larger audience. While he wouldn’t go on record, he said it would be, “everything that I’ve ever tried to work for.”

The creativity in his songs and performance is boundless, and his themes — love, exuberance, curiosity, friendship, everyday magic, and unabashed silliness — are de-

livered with such sincerity, empathy and authenticity.

Shortcake wrapped his Kimmel Center show with a funky little ballad, anchored by a sassy piano, called “Be The Love.”

“You have the power to change the world,” he croons. “You can be the love.”

It’s not an original statement, but it’s one kids need to hear again and again. And it’s all the more powerful sewn into a great song by an unlikely loveable hero, Johnny Shortcake – sparkly, sweaty and strutting across the stage with a huge smile on his face.

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Wants Needs + Must-haves With more than 30 shops, 40 restaurants, and 15 sports and culture venues, we’re giving you 85+ reasons to try on some new looks, sample our tastes from sweet to savory, and experience the arts around Penn this season.

Shop smarter.

Shop Penn. #SHOPPENN @ S H O P S AT P E N N

Leaders Readers + Eaters

Scones Phones + Ice Cream Cones

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steady hands

Divine Comedy Fatherhood, comedy and religion inform Steady Hands’ punk rock by

brendan menapace

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ohn belushi, Chris Farley and Mike Myers were all students of Del Close, who co-authored the improv classic “Truth In Comedy.” Add to the list of people he’s inspired the name of Sean Huber, the guitarist/vocalist/ leader of Steady Hands, a punk rock outfit he formed during his days of drumming in Modern Baseball. Now that MoBo has decided to take a breather, Steady Hands is his main gig.

Of course, Huber isn’t a comedian, at least not by trade. (He’s plenty funny, though, and even name drops Belushi in his music.) Yet the book inspired him at a time his life was changing significantly.

He’s recently gotten married, ventured into home ownership in Brewerytown, and after a decade-plus of touring, he’s settling down.

Serious stuff, right?

Steady Hands’ first “official” release, which borrows the “Truth in Comedy” title, explores the maturity of his newfound life.

“The book is the essential guide for improv comedy, and presents the idea that for something to be truly and deeply funny, it must come from somewhere real,” Huber says. “The truth is always the most powerful. I think this is a really cool mindset for all of life. When I was writing this record, I became obsessed with reading books about comedy and improv during a time where there was not much humor surrounding me. I thought that the contrast was quite beautiful, though.”

On “Better Days,” Huber ruminates on the clarity you find when you settle into a new routine – drinking for fun rather than as a sleep aid, and making a point to go run28

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ning once in a while.

He uses religious imagery as a metaphor for these “snap out of it and get better” moments, through the lens of asking “Saint Lucas,” a spiritual guide based on his religious friend, for a hand.

“I talk a bunch on this record about religion and my religious upbringing,” Huber says. “Saint Lucas is meant to be a representation of that, but a positive one rather than the negative memories and opinions I have.

‘Drop D [and Dance Beats]’ is a song about overindulging and letting it ruin your life, and Saint Lucas is there to help you out, put down the drugs and pick up a PBR.” That path of being in a popular band to becoming more of a singer/songwriter is something he shares with another Philly musician, The Wonder Years’ singer Dan

“Soupy” Campbell.

“I know [Huber] also likes the fact that you can go play music at very big shows with the [bands] that we’re in, or were in, and those can be really fun and exciting,” Campbell, 32, of Fishtown, says. “But there’s this kinetic and exciting energy to playing smaller places, more intimate places that we can play with our side bands. So I think that we both kind of love that dichotomy.”

Huber says his jet-setting and get-in-thevan days are over for the most part. He’d be over the moon to play Johnny Brenda’s every weekend, along with a few dates here and there in his wife’s hometown of London. It sounds like it’s created to be a low-maintenance project. Huber corrects that quickly.

“It’s a dad band.”

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camp candle

Keepers of the Flame

Camp Candle’s ethereal R&B sends good vibrations to all

W

by

alex smith

hen camp candle is on the stage, there’s a sense of something magical and mystical permeating the venue. Vocalist/lyricist Briana “Hetepsa” Mills-Walker, 28, Mt. Airy, and multi-instrumentalist and beat programmer Mark “Nu Ra” Cave, 29, Frankford, both of whom prefer to go by their stage names, are not so much a band as they are a pair of sprites, using their ethereal music to float in and out of their audience members’ dreams.

“This is like a spiritual vehicle for the two of us,” Hetepsa says. “We are growing and changing from this. Especially within this industry, you need to move and change.”

“Before we started Camp Candle, I was working with someone else who wanted to go down [a negative] path and didn’t want to listen to my vision,” Nu Ra says. “Not knocking nobody’s lifestyle, but there’s too much of it. At one point that stuff was over-saturating everything.”

Eschewing the hedonistic lifestyle of the post-chillwave, modern R&B set popularized by acts like The Weeknd, Camp Candle’s work takes a more elegiac approach. Songs like “Fogged Glass,” with its shimmery haze, are often taken at face-value, but the song is a truly sobering meditation on substance abuse.

When Hetepsa compares “taking shots” to a “holy sin,” she really means it.

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“You’re not just listening to a song,” Hetepsa says. “It’s impacting you in some way – brainwave, chakras, whatever you believe in, it’s impacting you, there’s a vibration.”

Their live set is minimal, but powerful – the two of them playing two floor toms in rhythm to Nu Ra’s programmed drums. Each track is wrapped up in fuzzy synth swells, simultaneously evoking contemporaries like Toro Y Moi or FKA Twigs, but also pulling from the ethereal sounds of the mid-80’s 4AD catalog.

Both Nu Ra and Hetepsa wear their This Mortal Coil and Cocteau Twins influences on their sleeves, particularly on the song “Save Me.” It’s R&B, sure, but it’s also, well, not R&B. It’s an anthem, an ode to trauma survivors, a song wrapped in pulsing sirens, plush synthetic sounds and Nu Ra’s signature reverberating staccato drums.

“A lot of the songs that we have might have multiple ideas going on at once, but that’s one of the first times where it was like,

‘This song is definitely about this,’” Hetepsa says. “I feel like when you’re listening to the song, it’s melancholy and healing at the same time.”

It’s this duality, this marriage of disparate sounds and aesthetics that allow Camp Candle to play shows in any imaginable venue.

Tonight they’re at Chrome City, a highly curated queer cyberpunk event held in West Philly. Hetepsa is a punk rock Isis with an angelic voice and a pair of drumsticks and Nu Ra, the Buddha of the synthesizer with a Puck-like stage presence, launch into their set, lifting the crowd with their music.

“We want to help spread the light, not to be the sun, saying, ‘Look at me, I’m here!

You need me to survive!’ but to help light up the world,’” Hetepsa says, ruminating on Camp Candle’s purpose. “You can light a thousand candles with the flame from one – it’s about us inspiring others to do the same thing.”

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low dose

online, and by July they were on stage at Johnny Brenda’s. But Smith says they’d been working on new material throughout that break. Before they debuted publicly there were months of writing, rehearsing and recording demos. They wanted to make sure their live set was solid from the get-go.

“Because we had already been playing music for so long, we didn’t want to come out and play 10 shows or 20 shows to get our bearings,” McGinnis says.

“We wanted to come right out of the gate and be a good live band.”

Steven Poponi, 42, of Audobon, New Jersey, has had a front-row seat to Low Dose’s development. He works at Gradwell House Recording Studio in New Jersey, where Low Dose rehearsed and recorded, and has served as the sound guy for many of their live shows.

“Whenever they are there in When life gets heavy, Low Dose gets loud by eric fitzsimmons the evening I could hear them working on the riffs,” Poponi McGinnis says. “We just felt like it ran its says. “By the time they got to the studio, it ow d o s e g u i ta r i s t Mike course and we wanted to do a new band and was so on point.”

McGinnis and drummer Dan Smith do a band with Itarya.”

The work was therapeutic for the band. make the short walk from the Port They all knew each other through the Along with the break-up of a band, RosenRichmond apartment they share to berg had also just been through the breakGreen Rock Tavern together. The local scene, and the new project started taking shape. Rosenberg’s singing brought up of a marriage, something that she excorner bar resides in that transitional area a vocal range that opened new possibilities. plores through many of their songs. between young Fishtown and the older, less She could lead the charge on high energy “[The album] has a lot to do with that: a hip areas of North Philly. very transitional point of my life and very The band has sprung up from remtracks like “For Sure,” the first single off difficult,” Rosenberg says. nants of the past as well. Until 2016, three their upcoming album, or lull unsuspectmembers of Low Dose, 31-year-old Smith, ing listeners in before bringing the noise She had moved to Port Richmond around 34-year-old McGinnis and 38-year-old basson songs like “Persona.” that time, and McGinnis says the music ist Jon DeHart — who came in from Mag“Musically, we wanted to focus on melwas a refuge from those difficulties. When nolia, New Jersey — were in the hardcore ody more and dynamics – you know, loudthings in life got too heavy, they could focus quiet-loud – which I think we did a good job on rehearsing and songwriting. punk band Fight Amp. Around the same at finding,” McGinnis says.

Now, with songs ready, some shows untime Fight Amp was drawing to a close, Though Fight Amp and Legendary Dider their belt and an album in the works for Itarya Rosenberg’s band, Legendary Divorce, was also breaking up. vorce both ended in 2016, it was only in the early in the new year, Low Dose is ready to “We ended Fight Amp on good terms,” spring of 2018 that Low Dose first appeared take on the world.

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sixteen jackies

Hot Licks & Lipstick Sixteen Jackies addresses toxic masculinity with a wild, subversive stage show

J

by

emily kovach

ody DeMarco is the kind of young rocker who’s been in bands forever.

In 2012, he was in a folky, indie pop band, Teenage Mysticism. And after that, a band called Plums. And after that, a band called Roseanne. It was in Roseanne that something started to shift in his self-perception, and thusly, his performance style.

“I really learned how to let my freak flag fly,” DeMarco, 26, of Fishtown, says. “And I guess you could say my current stage persona is an evolved version of what I was doing in that project.”

As a kid, DeMarco was drawn to campy performers like Alice Cooper, Lou Reed and the B-52’s, but wasn’t ready to lean 34

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into his own personal aesthetic until a few years ago.

“I had a lot of confidence issues to get over before I could really go wild,” he admits.

In 2015, he and friends Ian Staley, 26, on drums; Tim Davis, 27, on bass; and Jeremiah Bull, 28, on lead guitar, formed Sixteen Jackies, a glam rock/goth band based in Fishtown. With DeMarco on rhythm guitar, the group, named after the famous Andy Warhol painting of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, has left plenty of audience members awestruck with their no-holds barred, genre-bending shows. Think: fake blood, glitter, a Jason mask, and horror film-inspired soundscapes punctuating catchy, punky songs written around queer themes.

One of those audience members is Marley McNamara, now Sixteen Jackies’ manager, who also manages other Philly bands that don’t fit squarely within a genre, like The Districts, The Levee Drivers and Pine Barons. She first caught the band’s performance at the 2017 Philly Music Fest.

“Everything I heard about them was spot on and not at all exaggerated,” McNamara remembers. “I was definitely blown away, and they just stood out in a sea of rock bands in the Philly scene right now. [...]

I’m really excited for what’s to come with this band.”

DeMarco, who identifies as a “gay cis man, queer and gender nonconforming but not non-binary,” is careful to say that P HOTO G RAP H BY J ULI A LEI BY

Nothing but

wearing drag during performances is not for shock value or drama. For him, it’s more about addressing toxic masculinity.

And once he started wearing dresses on stage and doing makeup, it set something off in his head.

“I started thinking maybe me riding the train with winged eyeliner and a bunch of glitter on will blow some closeted teenager’s mind or encourage someone else to present in ways that they were too afraid to,” he says. “Some people are so shocked by non-traditional gender presentation, and it’s so important that those walls people built on preconceived notions of masculinity get knocked down.”

As Sixteen Jackies looks to the future, DeMarco says he hopes to get the band on the road to a level where they can make a living from it.

“We’re so close we can feel it in our grasp and we’re just waiting for the right things to fall into the right places,” he says.

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warehouse on watts

Neighborly Love Warehouse on Watts: A Space for Everything by

jennifer costo

W

arehouse on watts is no typical Philadelphia venue. The 10,000 square foot structure, located near the Girard and Watts intersection, is indiscernible from the surrounding brick structures, especially if you miss the black and white sign emblazoned with two interlocking W’s. On the inside, Warehouse on Watts (W0W) remains bare, with the exception of a disco ball installation and several ornate vintage couches. The industrial building is unassuming and unpretentious much like the owner himself, 34-year-old Drexel alum Gavin DiRusso.

The “dive bar of venues,” as DiRusso affectionately calls it, strives to be a respite for artists and an asset to the community.

Murals from local street artists are scattered all over the building. In addition to popular 36

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dance nights like Making Time and Winkdown, the space boasts a diverse lineup of events, including glow-in-the-dark yoga, art shows, jazz nights and a free meditation workshop.

“Essentially [WoW] aims to be an accessible space where people can come and be themselves, not feel judged, listen to good music, and just have a great time,” DiRusso says with pride. “I think on top off that it’s about being able to curate and help out with the creatives, give back to the artist community, and have a space that people can turn to for whatever weird stuff they want to do.”

Micah Forsyth, co-owner and producer of Watts Studio, was one of DiRusso’s first tenants. The available space was in bad shape, but Forsyth and his business partner Max Morgan were immediately drawn to it after meeting DiRusso.

“Gavin’s personality is the reason we are here,” Forsyth explains. “He’s very involved in the space on a personal level. He cares about cultivating a creative community. He doesn’t just want to have faceless corporate event rental space number five. He cares about what happens here and that’s valuable stuff. I think that’s very rare in a business owner.”

After gaining notoriety with late night PEX parties, the space was shut down by the city in 2017. DiRusso experienced an overwhelming outpouring of support. A GoFundMe page was created on behalf of the warehouse, and over $10,000 were raised for drawings and renovations. Within three months, the venue was back up and running. Now, WoW is planning the installation of a new sound system and a live recording infrastructure, but the experience stuck with DiRusso.

“It really motivated me to make this place kind of what it is now because I had the support of people who really enjoyed the space for what it is,” DiRusso says.

That renewed devotion to community extends beyond the creative scene. At a time when developers are rapidly changing neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia, DiRusso is fostering bonds with the surrounding area and planning to take WoW’s community-driven message even further. For example, the WoW team is partnering with long-time friend Scott Silver to create an after-school program, Study Hall Wednesdays, where students are able to network with local business owners and professionals in a co-working setting.

“All of my neighbors have my direct phone number,” Gavin explains as he discusses PokéCon, a recent Pokémon-centered outdoor event. “All of [the neighbors’] kids came over. We didn’t charge them.

They were playing with sidewalk chalk, and I get a text from my neighbor. She’s like, ‘Send my nephew home, would ya? He’s got school tomorrow.’”

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37

ind round

In Living Color InD Round: The Future of the Concert Experience by

jennifer costo

Y

ou’re watching Bob McCafferty from Beru Revue strut across the stage at World Cafe Live. The crowd of about 400 are all bobbing their heads and singing along. You have the best view in the house. It’s electric and it’s mesmerizing.

And then you take off your headset, and you’re suddenly back on your couch. You were never at World Cafe at all, but it sure seemed like you were.

Virtual reality has become increasingly popular, and Ed Kiggins and Todd Gerber are bringing it to the Philly music scene.

Kiggins and Gerber founded their company InD Round about a year and a half ago, and are hoping to create an immersive 38

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concert experience, and they’re getting local artists involved in the project, too. By setting up cameras and recording live shows, InD Round allows viewers to feel like they’re at the concert from the comfort of home.

Kiggins and Gerber say the platform was designed for those who want to see a show but aren’t able to go, or those who want to watch it over and over.

All angles are filmed, so the viewer can watch the stage, but also what’s happening next to them and behind them—just like they’re there.

Eventually, the app will become an all-inclusive concert experience; each performance in the app will have its own page with merch sales and tour dates, a setlist,

and a non-VR video and audio.

Kiggins and Gerber, graphic designers who also worked in video production, found they were good at virtual reality after working on a project for a client. One day, Gerber suggested they film concerts in virtual reality and almost immediately they got excited about it.

“I remember we sat in a dead silence for a few seconds after he said that and then we just said, ‘That’s pretty freaking cool,’ and we went with it,” Kiggins says.

The company is small; Kiggins and Gerber work near Kiggins‘ home in Avondale, Pennsylvania, and they have a crew of six others who work remotely.

Artists also get 30 percent of the profits from sales—something Kiggins said he was inspired to do after reading how little bands make from Spotify streams.

The two got hooked up with McCafferty after Kiggins, a fan of Beru Revue, reached out to him to ask if they’d be interested in working together on the beta version. After a few meetings, they hit it off and recorded the band playing at World Cafe Live.

McCafferty was floored seeing the project come to fruition.

“It was just this crazy thing,” he says of watching himself perform. “You just lose yourself. It’s far out. I’m tickled pink.”

Kiggins and Gerber want to eventually launch a smart TV app, and are already expanding beyond just rock music into other areas of performance art, working with classical music performance halls, poetry/ spoken word venues, lecture halls and comedy clubs. They also want to expand beyond venues in the Philadelphia area.

“It’s about putting a live performance into your hands,” Kiggins says. “It’s about not waiting for the cosmos to align, to see if you have a babysitter or see if you can get off work the next day. This is really an immersive thing. It’s hypnotic.”

“Version 3.0 is getting the... [sense of ] smell,” Gerber adds jokingly. “We haven’t gotten there yet.”

P HOTO G RAP H BY B EN WONG

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39

dispatch

Father Knows Best More dads need to speak up about climate change

by

ben block

W

hen i was as old as my son is now, back in 1986, the warnings of climate change first hit the news.

In the following years, climate science became conclusive. We know the impacts will be severe and widespread.

Yet, even for me—an environmentalist to the core—our climate crisis did not feel truly personal until 16 months ago, when my wife brought our son into the world.

I recognize we do not live in an area prone to hurricanes or forest fires. Still, I worry about the worsening heat waves, the insect-borne diseases spreading to our neighborhoods and the costs to manage the growing number of storms and floods.

My environmental anxieties are compounded by the depth of love for my son.

Rather than let these anxieties consume me, I chose to take action.

I began searching for like-minded caregivers who want to expand the environmental movement. Climate Dads was formed to unite fellow caregivers who are committed to addressing the threats of climate change.

Since its start earlier this year, I learned that millions of Americans have a clear interest in making the transition to a sustainable energy future and in preparing future generations to adapt to climate change.

Yet among those millions of voices, I could not find a single environmental group that specifically represented the perspectives, concerns and organizing power of male caregivers.

That’s when Climate Dads became a calling. In the months that followed, we began building a movement of climate-conscious men—starting with those here in Philadelphia—to sound the alarm on climate change.

Climate Dads serves as an inspiration for more families to transition to a low-carbon future. In the process, we hope to assist men in developing deeper connections with their families through environmental activities, learning and advocacy.

We have a lot of work to do. A 2016 study

by Pew Research Center found 66 percent of men in the U.S. consider climate change to be a problem — nearly 20 percentage points fewer than the surveyed women.

Meanwhile, green jobs are multiplying across the region, with many of those jobs going to men. Nationwide, Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates 93 percent of the green jobs workforce is male.

Clearly, climate change is not only a threat to our families. Solutions to climate change offer opportunities for us to support our families through work that is meaningful, dignified and profitable.

More dads need to speak up about climate change. Unabated, the climate crisis puts our children in harm’s way.

More dads need to advocate for the continued growth of the green job economy. Left to its own devices, the fossil fuel industry will continue to stop progress in its tracks.

More dads need to make clear what we hope and expect for our families. Otherwise, in silence, our power is lost.

If we organize and advocate as parents and caregivers, representing and vocalizing our unique perspectives, the vision for what can be will turn into the realities of a new future, sustaining and safeguarding us all.

ben block is a Philly-based sustainability communications professional and the co-founder of Climate Dads (climatedads.org).

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Waste not, want not A Penn student teams up with local partners for a cleaner city How will a bustling, densely-populated city like Philadelphia become 90% zero waste and litter-free by 2035? Little by little, says Haley Jordan (Master of Environmental Science ’18—expected). As Zero Waste and Litter Coordinator for the City of Philadelphia, Haley works with building operators to help track and reduce waste in municipal endeavors. “I knew I wanted to live in a city and work in urban sustainability, but my focus was very broad when I arrived at Penn,” Haley recalls. “I wanted to delve into different kinds of sustainability work, and this program definitely allows you to explore.”

Graduate internships and courses in a broad range of studies prepared Haley to meet the diverse challenges in waste reduction.

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Less than two years in, their efforts are already adding up as large-scale city events like the Philadelphia Marathon successfully divert 90 percent of their waste into composting, recycling and donations. Residents can help by composting food, limiting their use of single-use items like to-go packaging and plastic bags, and donating goods like furniture and clothing. “Recycling is important, but it’s just one piece in a larger puzzle,” says Haley. “Reducing waste at its source is really where we are trying to focus. All these small actions add up to make a huge impact.”

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To learn more about the strategies employed by Haley’s team to divert waste away from landfills, visit:

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