The good guys won. Well, almost- let’s not jinx it. The Foxwoods thugs have decided to consider alternate sites. Fingers crossed.
Foxwoods released this statement after today’s meeting with Nutter and Rendell:
Foxwoods Casino Philadelphia has delivered a world-class casino project with significant value to the City and the Commonwealth, and was awarded a license in an open competition by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board at our South Columbus Boulevard site. We have remained open to others’ responsible ideas, suggestions and concerns and have examined many alternatives to improve the value we will bring to the City and the State.
We have shared with City and State officials the obstacles that resiting would entail. Following those discussions we have agreed, in principle, to consider other alternative sites and ways that we can mutually overcome those obstacles. We are committed to continuing those discussions, while preserving our rights to the South Columbus Boulevard site.
I don’t really listen to Urban radio but this chune by newcomer Jazmine Sullivan has been on heavy radio rotation. It caught my ear with it’s distinct Jamaican riddim- one of my favorites: It’s from Cornell Campbell’sQueen of the Minstrels, (NOT to be confused with the The TechniquesQueen Majesty/Minstrel and Queen) a classic Studio One riddim that’s been done over and over throughout the years.
Another favorites on the riddim (besides the original) is Sugar Minott’s magical Come On Home.
Now that BLCB is getting, er, famous, we’ve been getting a bit of email from bands/producers/managers asking us to review their stuff. a lot of it is crap, but some of it ain’t.
Check out SlothBear. They ain’t crap but they’re extremely low-fi slop rock from NY:
How about some new funk/soul? From members of Sharon Jones’ Dap Kings, The Budos Band, the El Michels Affair and Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra it’s the Menahan Street Band on Dunham Records, a subsidiary of Daptone Records. If you can find it pick up their wonderful The World (Is Going Up in Flames) on 7″ vinyl only.
I’m back from my nearly 1,500 mile trip to a buddy’s wedding in Michigan just in time to catch Dr. Dog at the first Rittenhouse Square concert for the year.
My good bud from college,William Quarterman II, (on the left) or BQ2 as he’s better known, finally got married. That’s not the bride with him- it’s Tank, also an old college friend. I wasn’t really in the wedding but was an usher. Got to ride in a limo for the first time in my life- can you believe that?
Good friends, good family, good weather, all around good times.
Got to spend a lot of time on farms with lots of fresh air and… corn. There’s always been a lot of corn fields but with the new govt. incentives there seems to be even more.
After the return trip yesterday I loaded the whole family of four onto the tandem and took off across the Parkway at rush hour, kinda like this guy. I just made it across and heard what I thought was a gunshot. Instead it was my front tire. I let the front brake pad rub the sidewall a little too long and got a blowout. Luckily the bike shop was open.
Some thoughts about Dr. Dog’s show:
I should’ve known they’d be in the XPN studio during the day. I shoulda listened. Wait. Scratch that. Nothing could make me listen to XPN.
They brought out a string AND horn section for part of the show which was cool.
I brought some beer which I’d never tried all the way back from Michigan and as I sat drinking them in the park before the show my son managed to knock BOTH of them over with his ball, so I got a total of two sips of each. Damn kids. The pot smoke permeating the air didn’t mellow them out at all.
I mention twice now I was stuck with kids so I had to watch the show from the side of the stage. The sound was surprisingly good and the kids ended up dancing up on stage through the entire second half of the show.
The crowd was the biggest I’ve seen, and I’ve attended almost every Rittehouse show. There wasn’t a spot left on the grass (not a square to spare) and the standing crowd stretched almost all the way back to the corner of 18th and Walnut. HUGE.
It’s always fun to attend a show for a hometown band because all the band-members’ families show up.
I got to watch little bats circle the sky above the stage while listening to Dr. Dog. on a beautiful night back in Philly. Now I know why I actually get homesick for this place.
I got to meet a clean-shaven Scott McMicken.
This kid asked the entire band to autograph his bill.
Best known for 1986 St. Kevin’s Dance anthemEscalator of Life and for writing Cyndi Lauper’sGirls Just Wanna Have Fun… Robert Hazard dies at 59. My sister got comped an album from the man himself when he played a club in Reading, PA. He was Top 40 by movement, not by formulaic manufacturing. Philly boy done good… now to get that song out of my head.
Pabst Brewing Co. was extremely successful at reviving the PBR brand by making it hip, they’re going to give Schlitz a try.
Schlitz was the top-selling brand for a big part of the 20th century and #2 even until the early 70s. When it died it died quickly. It’s label has been carried on by Strohs, but this is a bit different in that they’ll be reintroducing it’s original formula.
You know what? It’s going to work. It’s even got a myspace page already.
Right now it’s only being test-marketed in some Midwest cities but it should be out East soon.
It’s all over the news this week: Republicans want to start offshore drilling and open up the Alaskan wilderness to the oil companies. Even as big oil set record profits once again, the Democrats continue getting slammed for not supporting it. It was the big topic on yesterday’s Meet the Press.
The Republicans ignore the fact that the tiny trickle this added drilling will bring in will do nothing to lower the price of oil.
The topic that SHOULD really be saturating the news but is all but ignored by the medium is the recent vote in the Senate on renewable energy tax credits. We all know the ONLY way we are going to wean ourselves from oil is to invest in renewable energy. Yet the Republicans are blocking a bill to renew soon-expiring tax credits for such research.
Buried in section B, page 2 in Sunday’s Inquirer:
In a 51-43 vote, the Senate failed to reach 60 votes needed to end GOP blockage of a bill to extend renewable-energy tax credits due to expire at year’s end. The credits would promote fuel extraction from sources such as the sun, wind, earth and crops and promote the manufacture of more energy-efficient homes, buildings and appliances.
A yes vote was to advance the bill (S 3335).
Voting yes: Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D., Del.), Thomas Carper (D., Del.), Bob Casey (D., Pa.), Robert Menendez (D., N.J.), and Frank Lautenberg (D., N.J.).
Voting no: Arlen Specter (R., Pa.).
The Republican’s say they’re against the bill because they oppose any new tax increases, but we all know the real, simple reason:
This picture was taken around 11th and Poplar Streets. It could almost pass for a pasture in the country if it weren’t for the sleeping homeless man and his grocery cart!
I’m stuck in the city over a hot weekend again. Christ- It’s almost like I’m the only one here. On my bike ride to work this week there’s been almost no traffic on the road- it’s almost like a holiday or something. Funny how this town clears out over the summer.
Speaking of shows, Jim Boggia had another writeup in this week’s Phila. Weekly- he’s playing next Wed. Aug. 6 @ WCL. He also appeared on NBC10’s 10! show this morning.
Funny story about Jim:
I haven’t seen him perform since 1982. Yes, 1982. How is that possible? Why, he was just high school-age in 1982 you say.
Correct.
Jim Boggia went to high school with me in the small town of Fenton, Michigan. He formed a band named Black Velvet (the drummer had, you guessed it, black velvet glued to his drum set). Their first gig was a performance at the Fenton Middle School talent show and then in high school they played a bunch of our Friday night dances. He was a few grades ahead of me so I forgot all about him till one day in 2000 when I was flipping through the Weekly and the name and face caught my eye. I emailed the story to my last remaining high school friends and they verified that yes, it was indeed the same Boggia and they are the ones who refreshed my memory about Black Velvet. In fact my old friend Dave Bosak has kept in touch with him on and off over the years.
Jim must be doing well if he collaborated with Big Al Anderson from NRBQ, Wayne Kramer from MC5, Pete Thomas from Elvis Costello’s Attractions, Emitt Rhodes, Jill Sobule, Julianna Hatfield, Bernadette Peters(!), David Poe and Tony Asher who co-wrote much of The Beach Boys‘ Pet Sounds.
I really ought to go see him perform again sometime. Too bad I won’t be in town.
You reckon he’s gotten a bit better after 26 years?
