Non-Domino's Related Heat Wave

This heat wave is a killer, but i love it. I'm writing this from my front porch despite the inescapable humidity. And yes, drops of sweat are cliff-diving from my hairline and seeping through my fingertips but it's worth it to be outside after a day in a recirculated air conditioned office. It's especially hard to mindlessly stare at a computer screen or endless stacks of paper after a weekend like the one I just had.

I have Fridays off this summer. Sue me. I made this schedule with both of my jobs so as to encourage myself to take more weekend excursions, or, at the very least, to feel like my summer was truly a vacation from normal life. So far I like to think I've been making the most of it, but this weekend took the cake.

Thursday night after work I raced home from University City only to return not two hours later to see M.I.A. and Holy Fuck at The Armory. Despite Obama-in-State-College-esque lines to get in, the scene itself was a hoot. For the first time in a long time, Philadelphia really felt ahead of (edit: on pace with) the curve. The crowd of 18-30somethings was draped in Dayglo, capris, stick-figure jeans, hip-for-the-sake-of-hip sneaks, and sigh, Kanye shades. All of these isms and offshoots of the iPod generation melted together under the vast yet sweltering roof of the 33rd Street Armory. It was a ticketmaster-controlled/myspace promoted rave. So...uh...about as much of a rave as my Daft Punk Halloween party...

Holy Fuck opened with their pounding hybrid of lo-fi electro and live drum 'n bass. Have you heard their remix of Radiohead's "Nude" yet? They destroyed the competition like that time Homer entered the design your own Power Plant contest, ousting Martin Prince and infuriating the late Frank Grimes...sending him to an early grave. "I'm peeing on the seat, give me a raise!"

M.I.A. had a stellar show despite a mediocre sound over-saturated with rumbling bass. Her show(wo)manship evoked those classic Madonna tours you always see on VH1 countdowns. But this night wasn't about the music so much as it was the spectacle. Check out this Photo Gallery from Dan Murphy, it's so worth it (3rd one down). And here's great video c/o Philebrity:



Friday night I saw M83 in the First Unitarian Sauna. I'm currently reviewing the show for MAGNET Magazine so I'll post or link the finished product in due time. If so inclined, check out MAGNET's Live Reviews page for a piece I did about The Black Keys a few weeks ago.

I spent the latter half of Sunday (after sleeping off and cleaning up a Saturday night backyard BBQ) at the Manayunk bike races. No words and regrettably no pictures from this one. But here's what the front page of the Inquirer had to say:

"Consider the ritual of Bob Denbow and his friends. A lifelong Manayunker, Denbow, 44, began his race-day celebration around 7 a.m., two hours before the starter's pistol.

"First, we go to a barbecue off the Wall, but then by 9, we're here to watch," Denbow said. At 11 a.m., he was clutching a plastic cup of beer, wearing a sombrero and making plans to attend later parties and listen to bands that would set up on side streets.

"Nobody goes to work the next day," Denbow's friend Brook Robinson said. "We've got to recover."

Denbow said the race "is the best thing ever to happen to Manayunk."

Jesus it's hot. I could use a Rocket Pop.