Mayer Hawthorne @ Union Transfer Next Tuesday.
Mayer Hawthorne is a singer, songwriter and a DJ who has embraced the old-time sounds of Philly Soul (even Hall & Oates).
Like a musical scholar, he has paid attention to the masters but now, it’s his time to say something new. He refuses to be pigeonholed. He likes to break musical rules. Hawthorne mixes unlikely genres and instruments, including reggae, rap, American rock and Turkish sounds to create tunes that surprisingly feel right and everlasting.
His latest album, Where Does This Door Go, takes listeners on a musical tale of his life, filled with trials, missed opportunities and tons of good times.
Hawthorne, who will perform at Union Transfer on September 10th, recently spoke with our Jumah Chaguan.
When Johnny Showcase took the stage on Saturday at Johnny Brenda’s, he announced to everyone that Martha Graham Cracker is on the cover of the new issue of JUMP.
“We’re in the magazine too,” he said, referring to himself and the Lefty Lucy Cabaret. “We’re not on the cover though. But we’re not bitter or anything.”
A little while later, when Miss Martha took the stage, she also commented on her story in the new print issue.
“I have to say,” she said in a moment of humility, “I’m pretty fucking proud.”
The Love Club and SandCastle @ Connie’s Ric Rac.
Text and images by Darragh Friedman.
It was pretty dark and pretty loud too in Connie’s Ric Rac on Friday night. At about 8:30 p.m., a crowd started forming outside the door and almost everyone had a PBR in their hand. People slowly began to move into venue from the street as they waited for the likes of The Love Club, SandCastle, Snoozer and Time Hitler and the Assholes From Space to start playing.
Come Celebrate The Fall Issue Of JUMP Thursday at Ortlieb’s.
The new issue of JUMP officially hits the streets next week, though we’ve already started dropping them around town (follow us on facebook to see where we’ve already dropped them). We’re celebrating by drinking copious amounts of alcohol during happy hour (6 to 8 pm) at Ortlieb’s next Thursday and you are invited to drink with us.
It’s totally free to get in. Drafts will be $3 and there will be $1 tacos. If you say nice things about the magazine, there is a good chance we’ll buy you a drink or four. Maybe five (we’re happy drinkers).
Our pals from Commonwealth Choir (above) will do an acoustic set. Later in the evening (because you know we’ll likely stay all night), Butchers & Bakers, The Homophones and The Fantastic Imagination will perform.
Party details are here.
Here’s a small sampling of what you’ll find in the print issue:
Kurt Vile @ City Hall.
Northern Liberties resident Kurt Vile received the Liberty Bell award yesterday afternoon on what was officially Kurt Vile Day in Philadelphia.
And then Kurt masterfully performed ten songs before a a large crowd that filled the inner courtyard of City Hall.
The show was the final show of the season for the City Hall Presents series. Organizers said it was the largest crowd ever for a City Hall Presents show (the previous high was for a Martha Graham Cracker show last fall).
Mac DeMarco @ Milkboy on Thursday.
Mac DeMarco is playing at Milkboy on Thursday with Ape School and Mock Suns. Our Nikki Volpicelli spoke with Mac (and shot his picture) last time he was in town, performing at Kung Fu Necktie.
I find Mac DeMarco playing pinball in a crowded room with a beer settled on the game’s glass top. He’s focused. I tell him I’m sorry to interrupt but I’m the interviewer that reached out last week about a pre-show conversation. He recognizes that and kind of stumbles over his next move, going back and forth between leaving the game and finishing it, typical ping ponging. I tell him, “Go ahead, please finish the game. I’ll be over there when you’re ready.”
When he’s ready, we head outside and around the Kung Fu Necktie corner, sit on a stoop so we can smoke cigarettes and talk in a quieter environment. He’s smoking Marlborough Reds because they don’t sell Viceroys here.
It’s hard to get him alone. Everyone wants to meet him.
Fall Issue Preview: The Man Behind Martha Graham Cracker.
The Martha Graham Cracker Cabaret may be the most entertaining musical stage experience in Philadelphia, thanks in large part to Dito Van Reigersberg, the brilliant and talented man who dons dresses and wigs (and a lot of makeup) to become Martha.
Text and images by Luong Huynh.
On Saturday at Liberty Lands Park in Northern Liberties, Philly legends The Dead Milkmen headlined the first ever Rally for Rock, a benefit show for Rock to the Future.
Rock to the Future is a nonprofit organization that provides music education to Philadelphia’s underserved youth at no cost to them or their families. They do this through three distinct programs: the MusiCore Afterschool Program, Macquarie Free Music Workshops and Music Summer Camps.
With the recent elimination of the Itinerant Music Teachers program due to a $304 million budget shortfall, 66 Philly public school music teachers have been laid off or reassigned, which has left about 10,000 students without music instruction. Rock to the Future hopes to help fill the gaping hole left by these cuts by bringing their programming and workshops directly into Philly schools.
The Fall Issue of JUMP Hits The Streets Next Week!
Sorry we’ve been pretty quiet online this week. We’ve been hustling to get the next print issue of JUMP prepared.
It is a good one. This is our “Issues” issue, where we look at what everyone is complaining about. For instance, we followed Martha Graham Cracker, the 6-foot, 2-inch tall drag queen during one of her hilarious performances. She’s had a world of controversy this year because of various things and yet, her cabaret show has probably never been more popular.
And we hung out with R5 Productions founder Sean Agnew. Sean went from throwing parties in grungy houses to running Union Transfer, and he gets all the regular sell-out criticism that comes with being successful. We explore Sean’s life over the past two decades to better understand the changes he’s made.
Also in the issue: Commonwealth Choir, Beano, Batcave Studio, Lyrispect, Koji, Billy Barton of The Charley Few, Amanda X, Little Big League, Cayetana, Hip-hop cop Howard Rubin, Gun$ Garcia, DJ Ben Arsenal, Taylor Dunn, Johnny Showcase, Tom Moon, Cookie Rabinowitz, Dockument, Pattern Is Movement, Mary Lattimore, Laser Background, Phenomenal Records, The Philadelphia Cultural Fund, Jakk Frost the chef and Brendan Mulvihill on running DIY shows.
You’ll start seeing issues around the city and region starting late next week.
Daft Punk are robots or something, right? So what’s the difference between Daft Punk and a Daft Punk tribute act? I mean, they’re wearing the helmets, playing their music and there’s a crazy light show, right?
Hey, from where we stand, a party is a party. And we’re giving away free tickets to this one.
On Thursday, One More Time: A Tribute to Daft Punk will perform at The Trocadero.
Like us on facebook and email us at FreeJumpStuff@gmail.com to enter to win a pair of tickets (give us your name and put “Not Daft” in the subject line).
If you want to play it safe and get your own tickets, find details for the show here.
JUMP: The Philly Music Project 