The Weekender: What You’re Doing and Why
Friday
>>>First Meet the Artist event of the year! As we’ve been hammering home to you all week long, the fine folks of Elevator Repair Service are coming to our humble home at 919 North 5th Street. Did you watch the awesome videos we’ve been running all week? You’re coming, right? Did you RSVP to robin@livearts-fringe.org? OK good. See you there! 7:00 pm. Don’t be tardy.
>>>If you’re on the jazz tip, the West Oak Lane Festival kicks off. Especially promising is the Jazz Hang Suite at Relish, which features the absolutely scorching (in the very best way) Jaguar Wright at 6:30 pm, and Kindred the Family Soul at 10:00. Also, if they still serve that two-way banana bread pudding, pick that up—one of the best desserts I’ve had in Philly, no joke.
Saturday
>>>The Summer Solstice Festival at the Kimmel Center has emerged as one of early summer’s most fun events, and is definitely the single Kimmel event that brings together the most diverse crowds in terms of age and race of anything they do. Among other things: 3:00 pm, Philadelphia Zoo on wheels—they bring the animals to you; 6:00 pm, Rennie Harris RHAW; 6:30 pm, Miro Dance Theatre; 9:00 pm, First Person StorySlam; 2:00 am ’til dawn, dancing.
>>> You may know EgoPo from their brilliant 2008 Woyzcek (which is when I fell in love with them) or from their production of Samuel Beckett’s Company at last year’s Philly Fringe, which was a smash. Saturday night is their Bordello Ball at the American Swedish Historical Museum. 5 pm seems a bit early to hit the bordello, but $50 is a relative steal, and you get to hang with one of the best theater companies in the city. And—is that right?—their production during 2010 Philly Fringe should be sick. I’m gonna call them and make sure they’re doing what I think they’re doing, and report back to you, sir.
Sunday
>>>You know what? I’m not sure what’s gonna be awesome on Sunday, except maybe sleeping off the Summer Solstice thing. Want to come over for barbecue?
–Nicholas Gilewicz
Photo by Alex McKnight