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contents
ART Khalil Allaik: Manifesting Form Lafayette College Art Galleries Small Works Show AOY Art Center Rembrandt’s Return: A Complement of Prints
Allentown Art Museum 8|
215-862-9558 icondv.com
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PUBLISHER & EDITOR Trina McKenna trina@icondv.com
A conversation with rehearsal director and performer Jordan Brooks, a Dallas, TX native who has toured the globe as the leader of the STOMP gang as Sarge.
EDITORIAL Editor / trina@icondv.com
ADVERTISING Raina Filipiak filipiakr@comcast.net
David Stier: Solo Exhibition Silverman Gallery
PRODUCTION
Observations: Two Views Katharine Krieg and Bradley Hendershot The Snow Goose Gallery Pyrrha Jewelry Heart of the Home New Hope & Frenchtown
Dominic Reposa Adam Cramer CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
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Omari Carter, STOMP, London. Photo: Steve McNicholas. Page 14.
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A THOUSAND WORDS
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The Last Dog Essay (Probably) 10 |
ON THE COVER:
The intersection of art, entertainment, culture, nightlife and mad genius.
Since 1992
EXHIBITIONS 6|
ICON
THE LIST
FILMS Red Rocket Dune House of Gucci Licorice Pizza
CLASSIC FILMS Married to the Mob Long Day’s Journey Into Night Blue Velvet Paris, Texas BOOKS Goliath Mermaid Confidential Never The Great British Baking Show: A Bake for All Seasons The Bright Ages The Starless Crown History of Wild Places
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MUSIC The Oscar Peterson Quartet Christian McBride Neil Young & Crazy Horse King Crimson Blake Shelton Manuel de Falla Hall & Oates WHERE TO FIND ICON Allentown Bethlehem Easton New Hope Lambertville Philadelphia HARPER’S Findings Index
PUZZLE Washington Post Crossword
A. D. Amorosi Robert Beck Jack Byer Peter Croatto Geoff Gehman Mark Keresman George Miller Susan Van Dongen Keith Uhlich PO Box 120 New Hope 18938 215-862-9558 IReproduction in whole or in
part without written permission is strictly prohibited. ICON welcomes letters to the editor, editorial ideas and submissions, but assumes no responsibility for the return of unsolicited material. ICON is not responsible for claims made by advertisers. ©2021 Primetime Publishing Co., Inc.
a thousand words
STORY & PAINTING BY ROBERT BECK
The last dog essay (probably) THE SUN IS JUST coming up on this Fall Sunday morning, giving definition to the trees beyond the porch. The world outside is motionless and quiet. Inside, the coffee pot is grumbling. Jack is next to my chair in the dark room, breathing in labored spurts. Up until not that long ago he was aging in parallel with the rest of us—hard to get up on his arthritic legs, not as much energy—but things have taken a grave turn lately, and
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exhibitions
Cosmic Diversity, 2020, dry point etching, 10” x 5”
Khalil Allaik: Manifesting Form Lafayette College Art Galleries Williams Center, 317 Hamilton St., Easton, PA 610-330-5603 Galleries.lafayette.edu January 6–February 9, 2022 Khalil Allaik: Manifesting Form features works of art that have endured the artist’s multivalent contemplation of formal ideas and how these ideas come to life as drawings, sculptural assemblages, etchings, or carved objects. Allaik takes these forms and plays with them through various materials and media, and gleans from the material the best expression of this shape. At Lafayette College’s Williams Center Gallery, you will see how these forms change as they manifest themselves through various artistic genres, from drawings to prints, to sculptures. Allaik’s creative work and artistic practice place him in a rarified position with one foot solidly planted in the rigors of academic investigation, and the other in conceptual formalist play.
Susan Gilli
Small Works Show AOY Art Center, 949 Mirror Lake Rd., Yardley aoyarts.org December 4–18 Hours: Friday, Saturday, Sunday 12– 5
Reception: Friday, December 3, 6–8PM Our annual Small Works Show is just in time for holiday shopping without worrying that your gifts may not arrive on time. You can choose to give something beautiful, unique, and of lasting value to those you love. Shop in person and online at aoyarts.org to purchase paintings in oil, watercolor, acrylic, photography, and mixed media. All works are 8x8 or 8x10. In our 3D category, choose from jewelry, pysanky and ceramics, etc.
Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606-1669) Self-Portrait with Saskia, 1636, etching. Allentown Art Museum: purchase: Rodale Print Fund, 1966
Rembrandt’s Return: A Complement of Prints
Allentown Art Museum 31 North 5th St., Allentown, PA 610-432-4333 Allentownartmuseum.org Through March 27, 2022 Here’s a fresh angle on the Museum’s Portrait of a Young Woman, painted by Rembrandt in 1632. After appearing in an important Rembrandt exhibition at the National Gallery of Canada, the recently cleaned and conserved painting is cast in an illuminating new context, surrounded by a selection of his etchings. Featured are six prints from AAM’s collection, works from the Martin Art Gallery at Muhlenberg College, the Philip and Muriel Berman Museum of Art, and the Bryn Mawr College Art and Artifact Collection.
Life Beyond, 2017, dry point etching, 20” x 6” Ian Conklin
Elemental Motion, carved wood, variable sizes 6
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Ann Brown, Blue Confetti Bracelet
Rembrandt van Rijn, Three Oriental Figures, 1641, etching. Allentown Art Museum: purchase, SOTA Print Fund, 1968
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exhibitions
Katharine Krieg, “Winter Shadows at Wetzels Mill,” oil on panel, 12 x 16"
Carversville Winter, 15” x 12”
David Stier: Solo Exhibition Silverman Gallery 4920 York Rd., Holicong, PA 215-794-4300 Silvermangallery.com December 4–January 9 Open W-Sat. 11–6 and Sun. 11–4 David Stier’s color palette is often subdued, which leads to peaceful observation that brings you in with his emotional exploration. Subjects range from still life, interiors, human figures and landscapes. Stier makes his own frames from wood locally sourced and crafted in his workshop. The artist will be at the gallery to greet visitors on Sat., Dec. 4, 5–8 and Sun., Dec. 12, 1–4.
Covid Dream Variant 1, 10” x 7” oil on board. 8
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Observations: Two Views Katharine Krieg and Bradley Hendershot The Snow Goose Gallery 470 Main St., Bethlehem, PA 610- 974-9099 thesnowgoosegallery.com Through December 19 Gallery hours: Tues.–Sat., 10–5, Sun. 11–4 Two artists, two mediums, two views of their surroundings. Katharine Krieg and Bradley Hendershot invite you to share their works, both local and distant, of Pennsylvania and Maine. We follow CDC guidelines in the gallery. You can see entire show and purchase artwork online at thesnowgoosegallery.com.
Bradley Hendershot, “Light Tower,” dry brush, 28 1/4 x 21 1/4"
Heart of the Home features Pyrrha 30 W Bridge St. #3, New Hope, PA 33 Race St., #1, Frenchtown, NJ New Hope, 215-862-1880 Frenchtown, 908-628-0347 HeartoftheHome.com Pyrra’s mission is to make meaningful and sustainable jewelry that fosters connection through personal storytelling. They create sustainable jewelry that holds personal significance for those who wear it. People connect with symbols and their meanings, and the individual way they resonate with their personality, ambitions, struggles or source of joy. Their intention with their talismans is to offer inspiration, connection, or simply a bit of comfort. In 2000, the founders discovered a small, dusty box of badly damaged antique wax seals at an estate sale. Those seals inspired their idea to elevate the beauty of imperfection; they became the heart and soul of their work. Made with recycled silver (think old trays and teapots), their process has made them a carbon-neutral certified B Corp, and a member of the Responsible Jewellery Council. Find the perfect talisman today.
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the list
VALLEY
CITY
The Hoover-Mason Trestle is elevated and elevating. The 1,650foot-long, 46-foot-high, steel-and-concrete walkway splits Bethlehem Steel’s titanic, intricate blast furnaces and the railroad that carried raw materials 365/24/7 around the headquarters plant from 1907 to 1995, the year it closed for good. Abundant texts richly tell a robust history of complex processes, immigrant workers, strikes, lethal dangers and monumental monuments (Golden Gate Bridge, Chrysler Building, a battleship a day during World War II). Zigzagging gardens of native flowers, shrubs and trees, planted lushly in geometric beds, create the atmosphere of an urban park, zooming me back to the butterfly bushes that flourished like tumbleweeds when the dead factory sprouted into a Wild East ghost town. The walkway provides stimulating, soothing views of the SteelStacks entertainment center; St. Michael’s Cemetery, the mountainous resting place of steelworkers from around the globe, buried overlooking their row homes, and the Iron Foundry, a glorious ruin with arched window frames both cathedral-esque and picturesque. Extra added bonus: strumming the threaded metal grates with shoes produces the zinging ping of an industrial autoharp. (101 Founders Way, Bethlehem; hoovermason.com)
It’s December. Philly just announced its 500th victim of gun violence. Covid’s worldwide B.1.1.529 variant should drop on the East Coast just in time for Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanza. Stephen Sondheim just died, and the only thing kitschier than the first ABBA album in 40 years is Lady Gaga in the House of Gucci. Now what.
The bakery case at Sweet Memories glows like a jukebox, urging visitors to press their sweet-teeth buttons. Pastry chef Jamie Smith makes a dizzying number of delectable desserts, flavored with raspberry and pumpkin and leavened with butter cream and whipped cream. Her cakes are remarkably light, in the mouth and the wallet. On a recent visit I paid three bucks a slice for a luscious coconut treat and the gradually explosive “Chocolate Nightmare.” Both cakes made my taste buds tango. Sweet Memories is a café and a family affair, run by Jamie with husband Mark and children Allyssa and Heather, who wait tables with friendly efficiency. They serve tasty, nicely twisty soups, salads, quiches and sandwiches—grilled cheese is a specialty--in the former parlor of a 19th-century brick house with a welcoming garden. The cozy space reminded my late mother of tea rooms in her native London, which inspired her to make mean pies and meaner scones. We spent a lot of time here, one time eating lunch and playing bridge in a group we nicknamed Three Queens & a Joker and I nicknamed My Three Moms. (180 Main St., Emmaus; 610-967-0296) Bach at Noon is a fugue of gifts. The Bach Choir of Bethlehem presents the concert series free of charge on second Tuesdays in Central Moravian Church, where the choir launched its celebrated annual festival in 1900. Naturally lit and austerely ornamented, the spacious sanctuary is an ideal setting to absorb Johann Sebastian’s celestial aural architecture, as well as his contemporaries’ greatest hits. Last month’s bill included Cantata 140 (“Wachet Auf …”), which received its American premiere on this very spot. Singers and instrumentalists
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—GEOFF GEHMAN 10
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Stay safe, Philly, while mulling about between the holy holidays (THAT’s RIGHT. Sacred happy holidays) and New Year’s Eve. You can get fucked up drunk and high, but bring a friend to watch your back. The holiday movie thing at a live theater and cinema cineplex used to be an event that families could do in-person to avoid going to their grandmother’s house until later in the day or something lonely people did before hitting up Burger King for Christmas dinner. I’m not making fun of lonely people here, folks. I’m making fun of Burger King. Anyway, Covid and streamers such as Netflix and Hulu pretty much killed that tradition. So what is left to see out at a theater now that Matrix 4 is on HBO Max? Spider-Man: No Way Home hits big screens, exclusively, on December 17, which will only be good if Tobey Macguire and Andrew Garfield make their secret returns as the webbed wonder as rumored. And speaking of Garfield, who made his gorgeously hammy singing debut in Netflix’s Sondheim-inspired biography of the late Jonathan Larson, Tick… Tick… BOOM! Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein’s masterful musical, West Side Story, gets a re-imagining at the hands of Stephen Spielberg and Tony Kushner. Is it good? Sure. Did it need a re-do? Not at all, especially when you consider that Spielberg’s Tony, Maria, the Jets, and the Sharks, still fall in love and fight it out in 1950s New York City. Why not update the setting or make it all LatinX or something different? A wasted opportunity. Save your Sondheim money, get an Amtrack Acela to NYC and go see the brand-new revival of Assassins. You can do the whole stroll through the Miracle on South 13th Street and its world-famous rowhome light display in South Philly. Then again, it will be a miracle if you don’t get shot. Christmas at Macy’s, the old Wanamakers. It’s still pretty great. It is true that the lo-tech Dickens Village with the beat-up animatronic characters doing A Christmas Carol is long in the tooth. That’s the whole point, though. Who doesn’t look a mess in 2021? Reservations are required for in-person participation here, so the spirit of drinking heavily and just dropping by is shot in the ass. As for the evergreen and ever-annual Macy’s Christmas Light Show, I’ll never get over losing the gravitas of the late, great John Facenda as the voice of the light pageant over the still-living Julie Andrews. But the Wanamaker Organ at Macy’s is still celebrating its 110th Anniversary, and the guy who’s been at the
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—A.D. AMOROSI
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KEITH UHLICH
Dune. Photo: Chiabella James / © 2020 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved
film roundup
Red Rocket (Dir. Sean Baker). Starring: Simon Rex, Bree Elrod, Suzanna Son. Here’s a different kind of raging a-hole: Down on his luck fortysomething porn star Mikey (Simon Rex), who returns to his Texas hometown during the summer of 2016 (a certain former president looms large in the background) like nothing less than a human poltergeist. He argues his way into crashing with his estranged wife Lexi (Bree Elrod), then sees a potential reversal of fortune in the comely form of jailbait donut store waitress, Strawberry (Suzanna Son), who he proceeds to groom for eventual sex-flick stardom. It’s easy to imagine a moralistic version of this story, but director Sean Baker (Tangerine; The Florida Project) 12
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goes more gutsily for a non-judgmental tone and a seductively freewheeling momentum. This tale of an unrepentantly terrible person doing horrible things is, perversely, a joy beyond measure. [R] HHHH1/2 Dune (Dir. Denis Villeneuve). Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya. Frank Herbert’s science-fiction epic gets about two-thirds of an adaptation with Denis Villeneuve’s starry, somber blockbuster. Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) is the heir, alongside his father, Duke Leto (Oscar Isaac), and mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), to the desert planet Arrakis, where hallucinogenic spice flows, monstrous sand-
worms burrow, and a messianic revolution is brewing between the elite classes and the native, blue-eyed Fremen. There’s also a floating fat man, Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård), and plenty of IMAX-sized negative space that, while captivating on occasion, doesn’t come close to the staggering imagery in David Lynch’s 1984 film maudit, made from the same material. At least Lynch told the whole story (and had a leavening sense of humor amid all the convoluted palace intrigue). This is mostly dull setup for a sequel
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w
interview
ON THE BEAT WITH
WHEN I LIVED IN London between 1981 and 1982, there was this live busking street band who had just begun making R&B comedy records at that time called Pookiesnackenburger. Along with appearing on television with some regularity, they used to open shows for the pop-ska sensation Madness at the Dominion Theatre in London and nearly knock the headliner off the stage with their antics. One of their biggest bits involved the heavily percussive outfit doing something its co-founder Luke Cresswell called “beating the hell out of each other with sticks and armor made out of bits of metal.” That routine, more than anything, made them famous, won them a UK television series, and put them in mind to produce what would become their beloved “Bins” commercial for Heineken based on a choreographed part of the Pookiesnackenburger stage show. Drum solos on dustbin lids, beating each other with various sticks and metals, pounding on the most but conventionally, unconventional household objects turned percussion instruments—by 1991, Cresswell and his Pookiesnackenburger partner Steve McNicholas had abandoned band life for another still drum-heavy project based on their life as street buskers in STOMP. Within several years of its start throughout England and Europe, STOMP’s octet hit Orpheum Theatre in New York City, won an Obie and a Drama Desk Award for Most Unique Theatre Experience, and by the summer of 1994, began a touring schedule across the United States that rarely slowed until the last several seasons. Considering that STOMP has become a worldwide sensation for what is now 30 years since its start—immortalized on IMAX, a famous, bizarre part of local lore as used by Philly comedian Rob McElhenney and “The Gang Goes to Hell: Part 2” episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia—the literally slamming, live dancing and pounding show-
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A.D. AMOROSI
STOMP
living and loving and banging case is universal. With the additional something of a dramatic arc and a backstory involving eight ensemble members with their own unique personalities revealing each player’s talents, STOMP Is banging and back in action at the Kimmel Cultural Campus’ Merriam Theatre for a long run as part of its Broadway Series, running from Tuesday, December 28 through the New Year, Sunday, January 2, 2022. Rehearsal director and performer Jordan Brooks, a Dallas, TX native who has toured the globe as the leader of the STOMP gang as Upon seeing an advertisement for STOMP auditions…Brooks not only ran to its tryouts but won a spot in the troupe, eventually as the group’s onstage leader, Sarge, never left and has never fallen out of love with the show. “It is as awesome now as the day I started,” he says.
Sarge, was proud to discuss his longtime involvement with the percussive production. While STOMP is famous for using all measures of street musician, actor, dancer, athlete, comedian, and performance artist as part of its touring ensemble troupe, Brooks is one of the show’s very few highly tuned and trained percussionists. Though he started as a kid playing piano, Brooks’ real passion for music kicked off when he witnessed the work of a drumline in his Dallas high school. “As soon as I heard and saw that, I knew that, man, I really wanted to do that someday,” says Brooks, still at home in Texas before the Philadelphia STOMP dates. “I immediately got totally into and thoroughly immersed in percussion. Classical percussion.
Jazz percussion. And, of course, marching percussion.” Going down the rhythm-heavy rabbit hole of drum and bugle corps, Brooks wound up on the touring end of Santa Clara Vanguard and Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps, competing in summer competitions and refining his rudimental drumming skills, all while falling in love with tuned and malleted percussion instrumentation: marimba and vibraphone. “Not a lot of young guys go for that, I know,” says Brooks, who—on the bearded, scruffy outside—looks as if he could sub for Dave Grohl or Taylor Hawkins for the drum stool in the Foo Fighters. While staying on the rock drumming tip, Brooks—who drums, composes, and plays as a hired drumming gun—credits Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith with being the greatest inspiration making the funkiest music. “I watch him sit down behind the kit, and he is in a world of his own while setting the pace for the rest of the band.” All of this high-minded training—as well as a steady diet of listening to and studying up on classical, jazz, contemporary, and world music genres—led him to Boston and the Berklee College of Music and to earn his masters in Percussive Performance at Manhattan’s NYU. “I truly just loved hitting anything and everything,” says Brooks. “Plus, it was at NYU where I fell in love with the performative aspects of percussion, its more theatrical elements, and the concept of musicals. I saw dance recitals at Tisch, where I found myself crying at the emotionality of the performance. I found myself getting all aspects of dancing, playing, writing, and producing music for dance and theater.”
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Jordan Brooks
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WINTER FESTIVITIES I Live Advent Calendar Thru December 23, 5:30 PM. A oneof-a-kind experience where at 5:30 PM each night the doors will open and guests will get a new holiday treat in the form of musical acts and more from local shops. 1810 Goundie House, 501 Main St., Bethlehem.
The Baum School of Art Holiday Gift Gallery Thru Dec. 22. Shop for the holidays and support local artists and The Baum School of Art, in-person or make a virtual shopping appointment. 610-433-0032. 510 W. Linden St., Allentown. Baumschool.org
Bethlehem: Christmas City USA The Christmas City has a rich holiday heritage that dates back to the 18th century, when the Moravians who settled the city christened it “Bethlehem” on Christmas Eve, 1741. Since 1937, the city has officially been known as Christmas City, USA. From guided walking tours of the city’s Historic Moravian District, one of the finest collections of 18th Century Germanic-style architecture in the nation, to the Christkindlmarkt marketplace and Christmas Carriage rides through the city, there are
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dozens of attractions and activities for all ages. It all culminates on Dec. 31, when the community comes together at PEEPSFEST®, featuring fireworks and the dropping of a 400pound lighted PEEPS® Chick to welcome in the New Year.
hem’s downtown National Historic Landmark District in a Christmas carriage ride. Central Moravian Church, 73 W. Church Street, Bethlehem. HistoricBethlehem.org. 800360-8687. Presented by Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites.
Christkindlmarkt at SteelStacks
Bethlehem Christmas Carriage Rides.
Thru Dec. 19. Christkindlmarkt, named one of the top holiday markets in the world by Travel + Leisure and one of the top holiday markets in North America by USA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice competition, featuring dozens of artisans offering thousands of handmade gifts and holiday items. SteelStacks, ArtQuest, 645 E. First St., Bethlehem. 877212-2463 ChristmasCity.org
Bethlehem By Night Bus Tour Dec. 23, Dec. 26, Dec. 31, 5 PM., 6 PM, and 7 PM. Deemed “the best way to see Bethlehem,” this bus tour explores the history and traditions of Bethlehem with guides in period dress. Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites, Visitors Center, 505 Main Street, Bethlehem. HistoricBethlehem.org. 800-360-8687
Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides Dec. 2–19, Dec. 22–23, Dec. 26–31, 3–9 PM. Enjoy the beauty of Bethle-
Downtown Bethlehem. Thru Jan. 2., 3 PM–9 PM. Rides depart from the corner of Church and Main Streets. In front of Central Moravian Church. For more information on rides offered: Bethlehemcarriage.com. 610730-4973
Lehigh University Choral Arts: Christmas Vespers Dec. 5, 4 PM and 8 PM. Lehigh University Choral Arts presents its annual Christmas gift to the community. Packer Memorial Church, 18 University Dr., Bethlehem. Presented by Zoellner Arts Center. Free. LehighUniversity.edu. 610-758-2787 ext. 0.
Christmas City Stroll Walking Tour Dec. 2-19, Dec. 22, 23, & 26, 1 PM, 3 PM, and 6 PM. See The Christmas City on a walking tour of one of America’s National Historic Landmark Districts with certified guides.
S IN LEHIGH VALLEY Visitors’ Center, 505 Main Street, Bethlehem. Presented by Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites. HistoricBethlehem.org. 800-360-8687
Trees of Historic Bethlehem Thurs.–Sun. 11 AM–6 PM. Thru Jan. 9. With more 26 trees across five historic sites, this display is a time-honored tradition. Moravian Museum of Bethlehem, 66 W. Church St., Bethlehem. Single Sisters’ House, 50 W. Church St., Bethlehem. Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts, 427 N. New St., Bethlehem. Luckenbach Mill, 459 Old York Rd., Bethlehem. 1810 Goundie House, 501 Main Street, Bethlehem. HistoricBethlehem.org. 800-360-8687
Christmas Classics Matinees Movies at the Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas White Christmas: December 2, 3, 4 The Shop Around The Corner: December 9, 10, 11 It’s a Wonderful Life: December 16, 17, 18 *Screenings are Thurs., Fri., and Sat. at 12 PM. SteelStacks, ArtsQuest, 645 E. First St., Bethlehem.
Christmas City Follies XXll December 2-19, Thurs.–Sat. 8 PM, Sun. 2 PM. Dec. 18, 2 PM. Celebrate
the holiday season in the Christmas City with Touchstone’s high-spirited, homegrown, vaudevillian variety show. Touchstone Theatre, 321 East 4th St., Bethlehem. Touchstone.org. 610-867-1689
Floral Letter Illustration with Lauren Beck Dec. 8, 6:30–8:30 PM. Step-by-step guidance on visually combining botanical elements inside a single monogram letter. You’ll design your own unique illustration. The completed monogram will make a great holiday gift. Banana Factory Arts Center, 25 West Third Street, Bethlehem. Presented by ArtsQuest. bananafactory.org, (610) 332-1300
Holiday House Tour Bethlehem Historic District Dec. 11, 10 AM–4 PM. Tour ten unique homes, as well as other distinctive sites within the Historic District,- all festively decorated for the holidays. Single Sisters’ House, 50 W. Church Street, Bethlehem. Presented by Bethlehem Historic District Association. HolidayHouseTour.com
Bach Christmas Oratorio, Parts 1, 2 and 3 (Allentown concert) December 11, 8 PM–10 PM. First Presbyterian Church, 3231 W. Tilgh-
man Street, Allentown, PA Bach Christmas Oratorio Parts 1, 2 and 3 (Bethlehem Concert) Dec. 12, 4:00–6:00 PM. First Presbyterian Church, 2344 Center St., Bethlehem. Bach Christmas Oratorio Parts 1, 2 & 3 (Virtual Concert) December 12, 4:00 PM–6:00 PM. The Bach Choir of Bethlehem. Tickets and information, bach.org. 610-866-4382
Westminster Concert Bell Choir Dec. 17, 7:30 PM. In the spirit of the holiday season, bells will be ringing. The Westminster Concert Bell Choir has appeared on Today, performed at Carnegie Hall, and joined Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for an acclaimed tour of A Royal Christmas. Packer Memorial Church, Lehigh University, Bethlehem. Zoellnerartscenter.org
PEEPSFEST Dec. 30 & 31. The annual two-day New Year’s Eve festival celebrating the fun and excitement of the PEEPS Brand. PEEPS Chick Drop, a 4’ 9” tall, 400 lb. lit Peeps chick descends on Dec. 31 to commemorate the beginning of a new year. Presented by Just Born Quality Confections. SteelStacks, SteelStacks, ArtsQuest, 645 East First St., Bethlehem.
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classic films
KEITH UHLICH
ob ey
Married to the Mob
Blue Velvet (1986, David Lynch, United States) Surely viewers thought things couldn’t get much crazier than a BDSM-obsessed Dennis Hopper huffing gas while cursing at and beating up Isabella Rossellini. But David Lynch’s singular, surrealistic look at the horrors underlying picket fence American suburbia peaks in insanity when Dean Stockwell shows up. He plays Ben, a lisping dandy rocking a cigarette holder and shooting Hopper’s psychotic Frank Booth some chillingly funny wide-eyed glares that Stockwell has since admitted he stole from Carol Burnett. He manages to out-lunatic Hopper in this scene, no more so than when he picks up an incandescent worker’s light and lipsyncs Roy Orbison’s “In Dreams” to the captive small audience. “Damn, Ben, you are so fucking suave!” says Booth, and he might as well also be describing the fearless performer playing him. (Streaming on Amazon Prime.)
Married to the Mob (1988, Jonathan Demme, United States) Stockwell’s only Academy Award nomination was for his brilliantly menacing and piteous performance as mob boss Tony "The Tiger" Russo in Jonathan Demme’s breezy gangster comedy. Michelle Pfeiffer plays Angela, a former mob wife trying to start a new life after her husband is, unbeknownst to her, gunned down by Tony. But the Tiger isn’t going to let her off that easy, just as he isn’t going to avoid the deranged jealousy of his own wife Connie (Mercedes Ruehl), who thinks Angela has her lustful sights on Tony when it’s really the other way around. The reason Stockwell makes as much of an impression as he does in this classic carnivalesque farce is because he treats the escalating absurdities with the same seriousness, and quicksilver ability to react to his scene partners, as in his more dramatic work. Married to the Mob opened up a whole new path for him and from here his inimitable career took, you might say, a quantum leap. (Streaming on HBOMax.) 18
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Long Day’s Journey Into Night (1962, Sidney Lumet, United States) In honor of the great Dean Stockwell, who recently passed away at age 85, this month’s classics column is dedicated to several of his finest films, in which he frequently— even in what were typically supporting performances —stole the show. His work as tubercular youngest child Edmund Tyrone in Sidney Lumet’s towering film adaptation of Eugene O’Neill’s autobiographical play is a jewel of his middle period. Against the astonishing theatrics of Ralph Richardson, Katharine Hepburn and Jason Robards, he is the often quiet observer, a necessary balance to the familial bluster. It’s a contrast with the more animated performances of his child-acting youth, in movies like Anchors Aweigh and The Boy with Green Hair. But clearly that youthful busyness (in all senses of the term) laid some necessary groundwork so that he could later explore stillness with equal adeptness. (Streaming on Amazon Prime.)
Paris, Texas (1984, Wim Wenders, West GermanyFrance-United Kingdom) Wim Wenders’s Cannes prize-winner is often thought of as Harry Dean Stanton’s show, a rare vehicle for a supporting-actor stalwart. But Stanton’s character, drifter Travis Henderson, who begins the film in a state of transcendent stupefaction, would be nothing without the grounding force of Stockwell as his brother Walt. Walt hasn’t seen Travis for four years, and he and his wife have adopted Travis’s young son in the interim. It’s this comparatively stable life that stirs something in Travis and sets him on a path to find his lost love, and his son’s mother, Jane (Nastassja Kinski). Consider Stockwell’s subdued work here as a kind of guiding light that brings Travis a little closer to earth and couches this sublime movie in an achingly emotional reality—one that eventually comes to a tearjerking head. (Streaming on HBOMax.) n
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books Goliath by Tochi Onyebuchi Tordotcom Publishing, $26.99 In the 2050s, Earth has begun to empty. Those with the means have left the cities of the US for the comfortable confines of space colonies. Those left behind salvage what they can from the infrastructure. As they eke out an existence, their neighborhoods are being cannibalized brick by brick, their houses sent to the colonies. Their home is now a quaint reminder for the colonists of the world that they wrecked. Goliath weaves disparate narratives—a space-dweller looking to reconnect with his lover; a group of laborers attempting to renew the promises of Earth’s crumbling cities; a journalist attempting to capture the violence of the streets; a marshal trying to solve a kidnapping—into a mosaic about race, class, gentrification, and who is allowed to be the hero of any history. Mermaid Confidential by Tim Dorsey William Morrow, $28.99 Serge A. Storms and his permanently baked sidekick, Coleman, have decided to pump the brakes and live on island time. After years of manic road tripping, the antiheroes drop anchor in the Florida Keys. They settle in a condo complex with friendly neighbors. But the community is at war with investors who are buying up units and leasing them to young vacationers who party at all hours. With their little slice 20
ICON | DECEMBER 2021 | ICONDV.COM
of heaven on the line, Serge takes it upon himself to convince the tourists to move on and quickly becomes a local favorite. Meanwhile, the island chain’s rich smuggling heritage is causing mayhem—a war erupts when a drug lord passes the family business to his son, and the residents are suddenly dodging bullets. Luckily, Florida’s most lovable serial killer is there to help! Never by Ken Follett Viking, $36 “Every catastrophe begins with a problem that doesn’t get fixed.” So says President Pauline Green, in Follett’s nerve-racking drama. A shrinking oasis in the Sahara Desert; a stolen US Army drone; an uninhabited Japanese island; and one country’s secret stash of deadly chemical poisons: all these play roles in a relentlessly escalating crisis. Struggling to prevent the outbreak of world war are a young woman intelligence officer; a spy working undercover with jihadists; a brilliant Chinese spymaster; and Pauline herself, beleaguered by a populist rival for the next election. Never is an extraordinary novel that brims with cautionary wisdom, delivering a heartpounding read that transports readers to the brink of the unimaginable. The Great British Baking Show: A Bake for All Seasons by Great British Baking Show Bakers and Paul Hollywood Mobius, $30 Whether you’re looking to make the best of asparagus in spring, strawberries in summer,
pumpkin in autumn or blood oranges in winter, these recipes from the Bake Off team and the 2021 bakers themselves, offer insight and ins p i r a t i o n throughout the year. From cakes to breads and pies, tarts and pastries, this book shows you how to make the very best of what each season has to offer. The Bright Ages by Matthew Gabriele and David M. Perry Harper, $29.99 The Bright Ages takes us through ten centuries and crisscrosses Europe, the Mediterranean, Asia, and Africa, revisiting familiar people and events with new light: the fall of Rome, Charlemagne, Vikings, the Crusades, and the Black Death, but also to the multi-religious experience of Iberia, the rise of Byzantium, the genius of Hildegard, and the power of queens. We begin under a blanket of golden stars constructed by an empress with Germanic, Roman, Spanish, Byzantine, and Christian bloodlines and end nearly 1,000 years later with the poet Dante writing an epic saga of heaven and hell that endures as a masterpiece of literature today. The Starless Crown by James Rollins Tor Books, $28.99 A gifted student foretells an apocalypse. Her reward is a sentence of death. Fleeing, she is drawn into a team of outcasts: a broken soldier; a prince; an imprisoned thief who finds a gleaming artifact—one that will ignite
a power struggle across the globe. On the run, hunted by enemies, they must learn to trust each other in order to survive in a world evolved in beautiful, and deadly ways, and uncover ancient secrets that hold the key to their salvation. History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw Atria Books, $27 Travis Wren has an unusual talent for locating missing people. Hired by families as a last resort, he requires only a single object to find the person who has vanished. When he takes on the case of Maggie St. James—a wellknown author of dark, macabre children’s books— he’s led to a place many believed to be a legend. Called Pastoral, this reclusive community was founded by likeminded people searching for a simpler way of life. By all accounts, the commune shouldn’t exist anymore and soon after Travis stumbles upon it…he disappears. Just like St. James. Years later, Theo, a member of Pastoral, discovers Travis’s truck beyond the border of the community. No one is allowed in or out, not when there’s a risk of bringing a disease into Pastoral. Unraveling the mystery reveals secrets that Theo, his wife, and her sister keep from each other—ones that prove their perfect, isolated world isn’t as safe as they believed. Hauntingly beautiful, hypnotic, and bewitching, A History of Wild Places is a story about fairy tales, our fear of the dark, and losing yourself within the wilderness of your mind. n
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THE LAST DOG ESSAY
there is a sadness brewing. It’s tough to imagine life without Jack, a Lab-mix peaking near 100 pounds but more like 85 when he was in fighting trim. That’s a lot of dog. It’s like living with a medium-size deer. I’ve had quite a few dogs and cats over the years, and none have had the mix of extraordinary traits, along with blazing smarts and awareness of Jackson Diego Atticus Blue Beck— so deigned by a wine-fed consortium of friends on a November evening in 2009. He went from kill shelter waif to Black Prince in a sweep of fate’s hand, and has brought tremendous joy to Doreen and I ever since. But we are coming to the end of that road. It was clear that Jack was a special dog when he was first brought my studio. He was called Bentley then, a totally unsuitable name for such a genuine spirit. Even at a year old he was calm, polite, and just happy to be with people. And that’s the way it’s been. Waiting for permission for everything. Never getting on the furniture. Barking only when required. And knowing precisely when somebody needed to have a dog come lean against them. The list of things I’ll miss is endless. Those moments walking the farm when we would look at each other, silently deciding what WE would do next. The times when he would move his paw just to have it be in contact with Doreen, or me, or someone he just met. The feel of his large head against mine looking up and seeing him watching me, knowing what I was going to do before I did. And those times outside when he would stop and look out into the woods, listening, smelling, that would remind me that the world around me is larger than I can appreciate. Jack was a quick learner. He was always obedient, but he felt that arbitrary decisions could be negotiated; I want to go this way, he wants to go that way. He wouldn’t fight you, but he’d let you know he had a different opinion. It was all done with the eyes. My job was Protector, not Activities Manager, so he often got what he wanted. It was a partnership bordering on family. There certainly was love in it, too. I’ve written before about his athleticism. His on-the-run, over-theshoulder, ball-catches were legendary. So was how when he would play catch with you, he would throw the ball back. The leaps. The sprints. The playing hide and seek with Doreen in the woods out back. Sometimes you wouldn’t believe what you saw. And then there was Jack the entrepreneur. He would use that elegant nose of his to single out people in the park who had dog treats in their pocket, then go sit in front of them wagging his tail. None of the obnoxious begging and poking that other dogs exhibit. Just polite cuteness. It always worked, often twice. But that was then. It’s clear, listening to him next to me, seeing his body move uneasily with each breath, that we are at the point of decisions. Jack won’t complain. He never did about anything. The vet’s office, the shower, getting his nails clipped—once he knew what was expected he went with the flow. I have never seen another dog hold his paw up when you took the nail clippers out of the drawer. But that’s Jack. I say his name softly and Jack’s fat tail slaps the floor. If something hurts, he will probably push through it without mention. It’s difficult to pinpoint when discomfort outweighs enjoyment of life, and I believe it’s better to act a day early rather than a day late. Jack was a gift to us and sending him off properly is ours to him. The tears well in my eyes as I write about it, and the thought is already breaking a couple of hearts. n Postscript: I keep expecting him to come padding down the hall, his propeller tail twirling behind, aiming for breakfast. Jackson Atticus Diego Blue, February 14, 2009–October 28, 2021. 22
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STOMP
Upon seeing an advertisement for STOMP auditions in 2016, Brooks not only ran to its try-outs but won a spot in the troupe, eventually as the group’s onstage leader, Sarge, never left and has never fallen out of love with the show. “It is as awesome now as the day I started,” he says. As someone who eats, breathes, and sleeps real percussion but also happens to be a studio producer and composer, Brooks is down with all levels of the drum machine and programmable percussion. “My current take is that I am pro all things technology in which to make art,” says Brooks. “Whatever gets the job done in the most inventive manner, you know? There is something to be said for authentic performance, and inventive authentic live performance in particular. Something that is individual and different each time out—something never to be repeated.” Certainly authentic, individual, and live describes what lies behind all things STOMP. In his portrayal of its frontman character Sarge, a precise and determined leader of the STOMP group, Brooks is as much of a dancer as he is a drummer, as he is a guy prone to playing household items such as matchboxes, wooden poles, brooms, garbage cans, Zippo lighters and hubcaps. Though they are no longer any performing part of STOMP, Cresswell and McNicholas still have a hand in the variety of everyday objects cobbled together as uniquely clanging percussion instruments in their shows. Brooks credits the founders with the pace, space, bang, and whoosh of every new step, never the same sight, sound, or rhythm twice. “Every so often, they’ll add new pieces—tractor tire inner tubes, shopping carts or, say, now with suitcases of different sizes where we pass them around to each other, off the cuff, and see what sounds come out of them. As a performer, I get to rediscover the show, and find new props, sounds and make new routines. It’s never dull.” As a fan and practitioner of chamber music, Brooks is enthusiastic about using diverse instrumentation without a conductor to push the group. “You’re leading yourself while keeping the ensemble together,” says the rhythmatist about the ultimate in controlled accidental improvisation. “Like a chamber ensemble, you’re communicating with each other on stage constantly. You’re working together, musically, while developing your character on stage and in relation to the other characters. I don’t come from a dancing background or an acting background, but both of those things are part of what I have to do in STOMP. But I’m not shy. As a drummer, I love being in tune with and moving to the beat. I’m not afraid of how I’m moving onstage. You just do it. You react to the music. Besides, I’m from Texas. You automatically learn to two-step.” Considering that the current touring edition of STOMP, which the Texan leads and rehearses, features tap dancers, improvisational comedians, and percussionists, Brooks insists that their primary means of communication is onstage body language and the collective cacophony they make. “Each STOMP show is instinctual and unique in that it allows us new ways to react to each other and our props on stage. We might have two shows in one day and have two entirely different reactions. Plus, we get new cast members who come and go, the touring companies and the New York group, which always make STOMP a new sensation with a fresh set of diverse personalities and attitudes,” says Brooks. “After being off stage for a while during Covid, it's just great to feel and be around an audience and jamming.” n
music The Oscar Peterson Quartet A Time for Love Live in Helsinki, 1987 Mack Avenue The final gig of a long international tour that began with four concerts in Brazil, this date was the 14th of a European tour that took the quartet all over mainland Europe and Scandinavia. Anyone with any knowledge of jazz knows that the magic of consistent performing only makes the synergy and empathy of an ensemble—both substances this quartet has in mindblowing quantity—better and better. That always dwarfs the fatigue factor, and sometimes results in sheer magic on a different plane. That’s clearly what happened during this spectacular concert. As Kelly Peterson says: “Performing with joy and vivacity, they determined to make every concert better than the previous one. This night in Helsinki is a glorious example of that”—and a stunning addition to the continuing legacy of this beloved master of music. Christian McBride Live at the Village Vanguard Mack Avenue Christian McBride—versatile doible-bassist—describes this sizzling live recording, made at the famed Village Vanguard club, as “noholds-barred swinging” and it’s hard to disagree. His taut, springy playing is set here within his Inside Straight band, with saxophonist Steve Wilson, vibraphonist Warren Wolf, pianist
Peter Martin and Carl Allen on drums. They hit the ground running with the opening “Sweet Bread” and rarely let up, although “Ms Angelou” is Wilson’s persuasively lyrical ballad for the late, celebrated poet and activist. A real show-stopper is “Gang Gang,” book-ended by Wilson’s clarion alto, with vibes and drums swirling intensely. “Uncle James” is a mellower affair, swinging easily to sashaying brushes and brightly cascading keyboard before vibes and soprano sax saunter in to have their say, while McBride himself cuts loose big-time, sparring gleefully with Allen in the closing “Stick & Move.”
tember, 2021. This 2-CD set is completed with four pieces taken from the first concert of the tour’s 2nd leg in Albany. The DC performance highlights a band in ferocious form, with a powerful, energetic set with some arrangements reworked and differing from previous tours. Featuring a restored middle section of “Larks’ Tongues In Aspic Part One” that had not been played since 1973, substantial keyboard arrangements, Tony Levin on upright bass during “Neurotica,” giving the piece extra swing, there’s an emotional set closer, “Starless,” and and immensely powerful “21st Century Schizoid Man” as an encore.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse Barn Reprise Barn’s ten songs encompass all that Neil Young with Crazy Horse are known for: beautiful romantic acoustic ballads; powerhouse electric rockers and insightful rollicking tunes that stick with you. The album was recorded in a remote, restored, 19th century log barn. Niko Bolas was parked adjacent to the barn, in an exquisite analog mobile recording truck, Le Mobile ready to capture and mix the album on the spot.
Blake Shelton Body Language Warner Nashville Body Language has already yielded Platinum-certified No. 1 smash “Happy Anywhere” with Gwen Stefani. The deluxe edition also features brand new single “Come Back As A Country Boy.” The anthem boasts a “muscular lead voice... driving rhythm and gritty melody” (Billboard) as it extolls the virtues of living the country lifestyle, rooted deep within the Oklahoma native.
King Crimson Music Is Our Friend: Live In Washington D.c. & Albany Dgm Named for the tour from which the performances were taken, Music Is Our Friend is an official bootleg featuring King Crimson's final North American appearance in Washington, DC in Sep-
Manuel de Falla Various artists Warner Classics Manuel de Falla is regarded as the greatest Spanish composer of the 20th century. Established in Paris from 1907 to 1914, he met Debussy, Ravel and Dukas and steeped himself in their works. Exploring and
capturing Hispanic musical idioms he invented scores for lavish ballets, colour-saturated orchestras, splashy voices, refined pianos, thus contributed greatly to universal modernism. Setting his main works in their diverse context, this edition invites exploration and discovery. It spans almost a century of recording history, encompassing a host of great instrumentalists, singers, conductors and orchestras, many of them from Spain and France. And among legendary sessions from which he gained fame is Falla himself at the piano, still astonishing today. Hall & Oates Live at The Troubadour BMG Recorded in May 2008, Live at the Troubadour sees Daryl Hall and John Oates return to the legendary Los Angeles venue they first played as a support act in the 70s. Reissued on double CD and released for the first time on triple LP, the set sees the duo delve into their extensive back catalogue, delighting fans with nearly two hours of hits reimagined in a stripped back format, laying bare the beauty of their classic songwriting and mastery of their craft as live performers. The recording includes incredible live performances of “Maneater,” “Out of Touch,” “You Make My Dreams (Come True),” and many more. n ICON | DECEMBER 2021 | ICONDV.COM
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that, it now turns out, will be made (it wasn’t a sure thing), so these many fine actors can be wasted that much more. [PG-13] HH House of Gucci (Dir. Ridley Scott). Starring: Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Jared Leto. The ham isn’t just sliced but the pig slaughtered by most of the performers in Ridley Scott’s true crime retelling of the murder of fashion world scion Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver), ordered killed by his estranged wife Patrizia (Lady Gaga). Imagine the characters from the Super Mario Bros. series trying their hand at Shakespearean tragedy and you’ll have an idea of the over-
Lady Gaga in House of Gucci.
all tone. Jeremy Irons and Jared Leto (as father and son Rodolfo and Paolo Gucci) try to outdo each other in the bad, broad accent de-
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partment, while Gaga and Driver rather dully commit to the Eye-Talian bit, and Al Pacino— playing patriarch Aldo Gucci—gets only a single scene to cut loose in his incomparable Pacino way. Sad that this isn’t in any way the camp classic it should have been. Scott’s patented gloom-and-doom direction unfortunately carries the day. This isn’t Blade Runner, Ridley. Have some fun, man. [R] H1/2 Licorice Pizza (Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson). Starring: Alana Haim, Cooper Hoffman, Bradley Cooper. Writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest is a warm bath of a film, a romantic period piece based in part on his own memories of growing up in the San Fernando Valley. Musician Alana Haim and newcomer Cooper Hoffman (son of the late Philip Seymour) play prospective lovers Alana Kane and Gary Valentine, ten years apart in age, but clearly (to almost everyone except themselves) perfect for each other. The whole movie is a waiting game for the inevitable, though the loose, vignette-heavy structure plays to Anderson’s strengths. Sean Penn and Bradley Cooper cameo as a pair of raging Hollywood a-holes, the latter playing actual Hollywood a-hole, and one-time Barbra Streisand boyfriend, Jon Peters. There’s not a single scene that’s less than enjoyable, though the overall wistful aura is suspect, as if Anderson can’t quite see past the bubble of his own nostalgia. [R] HHH1/2 n
10 THE LIST - CITY
bench, playing the organ since 1989, Peter Richard Conte, will jam out on the sacred and the secular. Jen Childs’ 1812 Productions—America’s only all-comedy all-the-time theater troupe— usually hosts the Saturday Night Live meets Carol Burnett Show meets Last Week Tonight-like This is the Week That Was live, musical news revue this time of year. Covid, however, is still kind-of, sort-of a thing, so 1812’s producing artistic director is holding tight and playing well within the virtual realm with a new comedy cabaret co-starring and cowritten with her fellow thespian and husband, Scott Greer, on the autobiographical Two Outta Three, as well as a retro-fit take on her self-penned staged comedy, The Carols. Check 1812productions.org for dates, times, and ducats. 24
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12 FILM ROUNDUP
ICON | DECEMBER 2021 | ICONDV.COM
A Philadelphia New Year’s Eve tradition as explosive as midnight’s fireworks—and twice as dynamic if you’re dropping MDA and munching down on edibles—is the annual year-end celebration from one-time University of Pennsylvania students Jon Gutwillig, Marc Brownstein, and Aron Magner—with Allen Aucoin, representing the totality of The Disco Biscuits. They always fashioned an inventive brand of electronic music, loosely-knit, jamband rock and prog-jazz into one tight, danceable, improvisational mélange and they just dropped a psychedelic-looking NFT (buy it here https://yh.io/.) that allows you access to bootleg recorded shows in mysterious warehouses as well as VIP tix to NYE gigs and beyond. They’re taking up residency for two days, December 30 and 31, at The Fillmore Philadelphia, The Disco Biscuits’ unofficial clubhouse. Enjoy. n
10 THE LIST - VALLEY
gathered around the altar in a rough triangle, a soft trinity formation. Guest artist John Arnold soloed in Vivaldi’s Guitar Concerto in D Major, massaging the gently prancing, lulling second movement that hooked me when I first heard it plucked by a camp-fire kid in “The Cowboys,” the rare Western where John Wayne dies. Smart summaries and commentaries were supplied by retiring conductor/artistic director Greg Funfgeld, who over 39 years has shepherded the choir into an innovative international powerhouse. One of his favorite fans is James Bridges, a retired Social Security employee who has attended every Bach at Noon performance— 117 gigs in all. (73 W. Church Street by Main Street; bach.org) Museums are for musing; the Frank Lloyd Wright Library at the Allentown Art Museum is for meditating. For five decades I’ve been
tuning out bad vibrations and tuning in healthier wavelengths in a Midwestern Japanese sanctuary lit by rectangular lanterns and rectangular leaded windows with skyline impressions. Wright designed the library as a reception area for a house in Wayzata, Minn.; the windows are unusually clear for a Wright home because the client wanted clear views of Lake Minnetonka. When a buyer couldn’t be found in the early 1970s, the building was bought in pieces by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which turned the living room into a permanent exhibit and sold the library to an Allentown Art Museum patron. The local installation was designed by architect Edgar Tafel, who as an apprentice helped Wright conceive Fallingwater, the cantilevered residence jutting wondrously over a waterfall in Mill Run, Pa. Tafel drafted plans, supervised construction sites, and played Bach on the piano for Wright, the J.S. Bach of architects. (31 N. 5th St., between Linden and Hamilton streets; 610-432-4333; allentownartmuseum.org) n
WHERE TO FIND ICON ALLENTOWN Allentown Art Musuem Baum School of Art Blick Art Civic Theatre Crown Supermarket Da Vinci Center Fegley’s Brew Works Lehigh Valley Chamber Hava Java Jewish Community Center Johnny Bagels Miller Symphony Hall Primo Cafe & Gelato Starbucks Venny’s Pizza Weis Food Market
BETHLEHEM Ahart’s Market Azar Supermarket Banana Factory/ArtsQuest Bethlehem Brew Works Bethlehem Library BOX: Bethlehem House Gallery Cafe the Lodge Compact Disc Center Crown Supermarket Déja Brew Coffeehouse Designer Consigner Donegal Square Godfrey Daniels Hotel Bethlehem Johnny’s Bagels & Deli 1 Johnny’s Bagels & Deli 2 Latin Cruise Lore Salon L.V. Convention Center Mama Nin Rocecheria Menchies Moravian Book Store PBS Channel 39 Redner’s Warehouse Market Saxby’s Shoprite Snow Goose Gallery The Bagel Basket The Café The Cup/Lehigh University The Flying Egg Boutique Diner Valley Farm Market WDIY FM Lehigh Valley Wegman’s Supermarket Weis Market Wise Bean Zoellner Arts Center
CENTER VALLEY DeSales Performing Art Center
EASTON 3rd Street Alliance Buck Hall (performing arts Ctr) Ciao! The Cosmic Cup Easton Public Market Film & Media Studies Bldg. Gallery On Fourth Karl Stirner Arts Building Lafayette Art Gallery @Lehigh U. Lehigh Valley Chamber Playa Bowls Quadrant Book Mart/Café Sette Luna State Theatre The Strand Terra café W Graphics Williams Center for the Arts Williams Visual Arts Building
LAMBERTVILLE Alba Home A Mano Gallery Anton’s at the Swan A Touch of the Past Antiques Bear Apothecary Blue Raccoon BOX: Lambertville Station BOX: 5 & Dime BOX: Guiseppe’s Ristorante Bucks Espresso Del Vue Dry Cleaners Frame Shop Gio Salon Heritage Lighting Inn of the Hawke Lambertville House Niece Lumber People’s Store Rojo’s Roastery Swan Bar Walker’s Wine & Spirits Welsh’s Liquor
NEW HOPE Alpha Dermatology Citizen’s Bank BOX: CVS & McCaffrey’s First National Bank Giant Supermarket Jamie Hollander Gourmet New Hope Cleaners New Hope Star Diner Penn Community Bank Wedgwood Bed & Breakfast
PHILADELPHIA 1830 Rittenouse 2101 Cooperative Inc 220 W. Rittenhouse Adademy House Acme Supermarket Adelphia House Anthony's Coffeeshop Arden Theater Aria Condos Arts Tower Condos Belgravia Condos Benjamin Franklin House Bishop's Collar Bluestone Lane BOX BOX (trolley turnabout) BOX (The Met) BOX (Craftworks BOX (Milcrate Cafe) Brauhaus Brewery Co Cafe Ole Center City One Chestnut Lofts City Fitness City Hall Visitors Lobby City Tap House City View Condos 1820 Rittenhouse Condos 1900 Rittenhouse Square Constitution Building Cosmopolitan Condos Dessert Crazy Earth Cup/Sam's Place Ellelauri Boutique Evil Genius Beer Company FOX29 Studio - Greenroom Franklin Tower Free Library of Philadelphia Fresh Grocer Good Dog Bar & Restaurant Good Karma Café Good Karma Café Good Karma Café Green Aisle Grocert Green Eggs Green Eggs Midtown Green Line Café Green Line Café Hawthorne's Café Hinge Cafe
Historic: The Touraine Condos Historic: Waterfront Condos Historic: Waterfront Condos Historic: Trinity Condos Historic: Logan Condos Honey's Sit and Eat Hopkinson House (mailroom) IGA Supermarket Jefferson Hospital Jefferson Hospital (Main ) Jefferson Hospital (East) JJ'S Food Market Joe’s Coffee ShoP Johnny Brendas Kelly Writer's House Kite & Key La Colombe Torrefaction Last Drop Latimer Deli Left Bank Apartments Lucky Goat Coffee House Mad Rex Restauran Marathon Grill Mariposa Food Co-op Masala Kitchen Kati Rolls Memphis Taproom Metropolitan Bakery Milk & Honey Milk and Honey Café Milkboy Milkcrate Café Mixto Bar & Restaurant Mulberry Market Museum Towers National Liberty Museum National Mechanics Nook Bakery & Coffee Bar North Bowl OCF Coffee House Old Nelson Food Market One Franklin Towne Condos Oregon Market Palm Tree Market Philadelphia Java Co Pier 3 Condos Pier 7 Condos Pizza Brain Plough and the Stars Punk Burger Race Street Cafe Rally Coffee
Reading Terminal Reanimator Coffee Rittenhouse Market River Loft Riverview Apartments Rodriguez Free Library Rotten Ralph’s Saladworks Sassafras Market Saxby’s Coffee Rittenouse Shop Rite Shop Rite (Bridge/Harbison) Shop Rite (shelf) Silk City Sporting Club at Bellevue Standard Tap Starbucks Stateside Steap & Grind Suburban Station Supremo Food Market Suya Suya Sweat Sweat Fitness The Bean Cafe The Carlyle Apartments The Collonade The Dorchester (mail room) The Dorchester (lobby) The Foodery The Foodery The Good Spoon The National at Old City The Phoenix The Sterling The View at Old City The Westbury Apartments The Wireworks Tivoli Condos Tuscany Apartments Tuscany Cafe (Rittenhouse) Walnut Towers Warwick Condos Watermark Waterworks World Cafe Live Yakitori Boy Zama
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harper’s FINDINGS Researchers identified an outbreak of social-mediainduced illness wherein young people appropriated the functional Tourette’s syndrome of a German YouTuber, found that atmospheric lead exposure in childhood made adults in thirty-eight countries more neurotic and less agreeable and conscientious, defined seven major feline personality traits by polling the owners of four thousand cats, and described a new form of uncanniness in faces that are lifelike and identical. Testicular volume was determined to be the prime predictor of successful sperm retrieval in puberty-suppressed transfeminine adolescents, and a four-decade literature review found that incels consistently report feeling as if they have missed important milestones in life. Medical students and practitioners in Dar es Salaam feared that masturbation shrinks the penis, while German men were finding greater enjoyment in masturbation during the pandemic. Pyraclostrobin causes tilapia to engage in water jacking, tummy turning, and cartwheeling, and early jacking among supermale Atlantic salmon is attributable more to the dam than to the sire. Female octopuses throw shells at males who harass them, and octopuses also throw shells, out of frustration, at nothing in particular.
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Cuttlefish remember their most recent meal. Deadwood-eating insects were found to release 3.1 gigatons of carbon annually; LED streetlights were cutting caterpillar populations in half; birds have been evolving larger beaks in response to rising temperatures; and giant anteaters are roaming farther afield in search of cool forests. The higher the social standing of a Eurasian jay, the angrier it gets when its preferred snack is surreptitiously swapped out for an inferior one. Male acorn woodpeckers who share mates with their brothers live longer, and friendly male chimps have more children. Zoologists reported the birth of the first known wild albino chimpanzee, who was killed days later by the group’s alpha male. The dental plaque found on the teeth of Swedish brown bears between 1951 and 1970 revealed a doubling in the genetic antibiotic resistance of bacteria. The aerosols of the Salton Sea trigger unique pulmonary problems in the lungs of mice. An examination of three gorillas at the Detroit Zoo revealed that they preferred artificial noises to natural ones, though one gorilla displayed a strong preference for silence.
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Arachnologists created a daddy shortlegs. A four-legged whale, Phiomicetus anubis, was discovered in the Western Desert. The Croatoan tribe, which may have absorbed Roanoke’s missing colonists in the late sixteenth century, was itself partly composed of earlier Sephardic and Croatian settlers. Three quarters of the world’s medicinal-plant knowledge may exist in no more than one language. The cultural artifact that most closely tracks genetics is grammar. The Great Unconformity may have developed slowly. Fool’s gold sometimes contains gold. An old recording of a talking duck emerged. “You bloody fool,” said the duck. 26
ICON | DECEMBER 2021 | ICONDV.COM
INDEX Percentage change since 2010 in the portion of Americans who identify as exclusively white: −9 Who identify as white in combination with another race: +316 Percentage of Republican-leaning Americans who say the declining share of white people is bad for society: 34 Portion of new U.S. hires who are in occupations that typically require at least a bachelor’s degree: 3/4 Portion of U.S. adults who do not have a bachelor’s degree: 2/3 Of black U.S. adults who do not: 4/5 Percentage of U.S. adults working remotely who would take a pay cut to continue doing so indefinitely: 65 Who would give up social media for a year to do so: 55 Who would give up their right to vote: 34 Chance that a U.S. worker feels their job does not make a meaningful contribution to the world: 1 in 5 Percentage of American office workers who have cried on the job: 45 Portion of U.S. remote workers who admit to regularly streaming video while on the job: 3/10 Percentage of total U.S. TV-watching time accounted for by Netflix: 7 By cable or broadcast television: 62 Percentage change since 2019 in the number of Republicans who say that large corporations benefit the country: −44 In the number of Democrats who say so: +22 In the number of Republicans who say that financial institutions benefit the country: −21 In the number of Democrats who say so: +30 Percentage by which more Americans are “very concerned” about domestic extremist groups than international ones: 30 Factor by which this is more likely to be true of a Democrat than a Republican: 9 Percentage by which more Americans believe Iran has nuclear weapons than believe Israel does: 17 By which more Republicans believe this: 37 Percentage change since 2018 in the number of U.S. adults who say the government should restrict false information online: +23 Portion of time spent on smartphones in the US that can be attributed to “self-control problems”: 3/10 Number of hours per week that children in China are legally allowed to spend playing video games: 3 Percentage change since 1990 in the number of Americans who say they have a best friend: −21 In the number of Americans who say they have ten or more close friends: −61 Portion of Americans who lost touch with at least a few friends in the past year: 1/2 Who lost touch with most of their friends: 1/10 Rank of August 2021 among months with the largest number of active dating-app users ever recorded: 1 Portion of Americans who, on an average day between May and December 2020, did not spend any time on grooming: 1/4 Minimum percentage by which carbon emissions of the average single man exceed those of the average single woman: 16 Factor by which Democrats are more likely than Republicans to have noticed an increase in extreme local weather events: 2 Date on which forest fire smoke was first detected at the North Pole: 8/2/2021 On which rain was first detected at the highest point of Greenland’s ice cap: 8/14/2021 Year in which the first known insect species was driven extinct in the United States by humans: 1941 Rank of New Zealand among countries best suited to survive a global societal collapse: 1 Of the United States: 6 Estimated number of potentially habitable planets from which aliens could detect life on Earth: 29 SOURCES: 1,2 U.S. Census Bureau (Suitland, Md.); 3 Pew Research Center (Washington); 4 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; 5,6 U.S. Census Bureau; 7–9 Breeze (Omaha, Neb.); 10 YouGov (NYC); 11 Robert Half (Menlo Park, Calif.); 12 Solitaired (NYC); 13,14 Nielsen (NYC); 15–18 Pew Research Center; 19,20 AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research (Chicago); 21,22 Shibley Telhami, University of Maryland (College Park); 23 Pew Research Center; 24 New YorkUniversity; 25 Embassy of the People’s Republic of China (Washington); 26–29 American Enterprise Institute (Washington); 30 Apptopia (Boston); 31 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; 32 Annika Carlsson Kanyama, Royal Institute of Technology (Stockholm); 33 YouGov; 34 Santiago Gass , University of Maryland; 35 Ted Scambos, University of Colorado Boulder; 36 Corrie Moreau, Cornell University(Ithaca, N.Y.); 37,38 Aled Jones, Anglia Ruskin University (Cambridge, England); 39 Lisa Kaltenegger, Cornell University.
HEAD START 1 5 9 12 17 19 20 22 23 24 26 27 28 30 31 32 34 36 38 39 40 41
43 45 47 51 52 54 56 57 58 59 61 62
64 65 66 68 70 71 72 75 76 77
ACROSS Hollow, cylindrical item Skin opening ___ and cheese (pasta dish) Welcome benefits Sits alongside Commerce site with bidding snipers Daily essay Stoned Therefore “Beauty” among fruits Like bodybuilders wikipedia.___ One who may take part in speedrunning Opposite of content Relative of an anemone Carry out, as a plan Ye ___ shoppe Divide into parts “My Brilliant Friend” novelist Ferrante Bit of blowgun ammo “Ted Lasso” Emmy winner Goldstein Convenience store that “Mare of Easttown” star Kate Winslet said “almost felt like a mythical place” Olympian Midori Reply to a compliment in Calais To boot Pale in color Secret agent hired by a samurai warrior, maybe Count ___ (Lemony Snicket antagonist) Hot and sweet drink 20 percent of XV Duels, in a way Nicolas Cage film set on a plane “___ about now?” ___ Wolf, butcher toasted in the song “To Life” from “Fiddler on the Roof” Belly Shooting star setting Fire company? Rolls-___ (luxury auto) Auntie, to one’s mom Apt surname for a librarian Drink similar to sparkling water “Caught you!” Sound in a meadow “Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen” actress Lindsay
81 PCB watchdog 82 E-flat major work 84 ___ skating 86 Happy hour selection 87 Military exploration, for short 89 Wedding gown designer Vera 90 Like an equilateral triangle’s angles 91 Martin Luther’s “Ninety-Five Theses,” e.g. 92 “I’ll have another,” at a bar 94 “Body” rapper ___ Thee Stallion 96 When the clock hits zero 97 Psyche’s mythical lover 98 Exhibits gumption 100 Basketball court site, for short 102 Employing 104 “Help yourself” 107 Comedic entertainer Martha 108 Illuminated holiday symbol 111 Illuminated once more 112 Philosophers’ offerings 114 World capital that’s home to Hassan Tower 116 “Play It by Trust” designer Yoko 117 Like baaing creatures 118 Spike in the woods 120 Hubble who received the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1940 122 SI unit of length 123 Smoky atmosphere 124 Move a little, in bed 125 Dream ticket activity? 126 Snow day gliders 127 Uno, ___, tres ... 128 Devices that may have erasable ink 129 Blacken, as a brisket DOWN Thunderbird Lodge’s lake Basic service offered by a ride-hailing company 3 Expert at thrill-seeking jumps? 4 And others: Abbr. 5 Black bird that’s spreading everywhere? 6 Jennifer Paull’s instrument 7 Muzzleloading need 8 Peer group member? 9 Headline about an awesome youngster? 10 Home screen array 11 Portmanteau for a famous woman who has come out of the 1 2
12 13 14 15 16 18 21 25 29 33 35 37 41 42 44 46 48 49 50 53 55 58 60 63
65 67 69 70 71
closet Newborn mountain feline’s bed? Not that many Company product? Jack Sprat’s dietary rule Chicago-___ pizza Conversational link Try to prevent “A Poem for Women in Rage” writer Lorde When the workday, or nightly news, may start Terra cotta material Some spiritual teachers Aloo matar vegetable Let out a loud cry Kyrgyzstan’s continent Not missing a beat Be insufferably sweet Zoom call annoyance Canadian coin bird What justices interpret Hangar craft Songs that don’t conclude suddenly? Icy aces? Investment plan initials “The magic mirror you make to reflect your invisible dreams in visible pictures,” per George Bernard Shaw “Cheap Thrills” singer, 2016 Prefix with centric or logic “___ killin’ me here!” Charges for hiring Scooby-Doo’s buddy? Rascally sort
72 Many a student at the University of Novi Sad 73 Blade with a fuller 74 String not often found on a slipper 75 Condition affecting sebaceous glands 76 Speaker’s aid, for short 78 Development on one’s head, and a hint to this puzzle’s theme 79 First word of a.k.a. 80 Fish-catching items 83 “Oh no!” 84 Like formal dresses 85 What the Israelites crossed, in the Bible 88 Made into a minister 91 Jay who was joined on stage by Kevin Eubanks 93 “It will be long ___ the marshes resume”: Robert Frost 95 Collect 99 Classics scholar Hamilton 101 Expose to oxygen, as wine 103 Goal of 87 Across 104 Where some kings and queens are crowned 105 Word with ground or water 106 Like members of the establishment 109 “You Bring Me Joy” singer Baker 110 Hall of Fame induction, e.g. 113 Ferrari founder Ferrari 115 Similar (to) 119 Unit that’s equal to about 4.9 ml 121 One ordering an MRI Solution to this month’s puzzle on page 29 ICON | DECEMBER 2021 | ICONDV.COM
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