Good Grief!

A movie!

Last week’s BR-549 show at the TLA was pretty much what you’d expect from a concert performed by an aging hillbilly band. Much of their material is formulaic, but that’s not so bad if you like the formula. A fun night out, though I wouldn’t follow them around on tour or even buy any more of their records (and I only bought that last one because it was $2.99 in AKA’s used CD bin).

The best part of the evening by far was The Avett Brothers, who opened. It was the Avett Brothers, not BR-549, who got the show a City Paper mention, and deservedly so. The Avett Brothers lead singer had the bandanna-and-long-hair Willie Nelson (not dead!) look going on, the bass player, dressed in khakis and a white button-down shirt, looked like he was in the wrong band, and the other guy filled the role of required shaggy-looking dude. Together they played some original, energetic twang–the best kind. The band’s website has some mp3s, and you can keep an eye on their tour schedule here.

It’s a good winter for twang here in Philly. On February 12th the Asylum Street Spankers will be at World Cafe Live. The Spankers are hard to describe:

The magnificently indefinable Asylum Street Spankers began in 1994 at a booze and hallucinogen-fueled party at the Dabbs Hotel in Llano, Texas. There Christina Marrs and Guy Forsyth met Wammo. During a night spent singing and playing along the banks of the Llano River they made a pact to keep the all-night-sing-along-anything-goes spirit of that party alive.
[snip]
Since the departure of Forsyth in 1998 the band began venturing out into the wider world. Since then Christina and Wammo have pushed their ever-evolving troupe from simple country-blues revivalism toward smart, challenging music of boundless variety, sophisticated arrangements, stunning showmanship and determined inventiveness.

Not only that, but some of the band members have blogs. And they have a myspace thing (I’m still not sure what a myspace is, exactly). The Asylum Street Spankers are most entertaining, and on this tour they’re rejoined by Guy Forsyth, who is helping to promote the Re-Assembly DVD.

Finally, Fred Eaglesmith is playing the Tin Angel on Friday, February 10th. I’m not an official Fredhead, but this Canadian twang-ish singer/songwriter puts on such a fun show that I’m thinking about braving the dreaded Tin Angel to see him again.

The new Good Grief! mix of the week celebrates all of these happenings:

1. Avett Brothers - Kind of in Love
2. Fred Eaglesmith - I Like Trains
3. BR-549 - Georgia on a Fast Train
4. Avett Brothers - Moving
5. BR-549 - Out of Habit
6. Asylum Street Spankers - Trippin’ Over You
7. Fred Eaglesmith - Steel Guitar

It’s that wonderful time of the year, when the Oscar contenders are released to us little people who don’t live in New York or LA. I recently saw Syrianna, a political action flick about the oil business, and Match Point, Woody Allen’s new drama.

Thumbs-up to both movies, but Match Point is definitely the stronger of the two. The City Paper review was tepid and makes some interesting points about the role of women in Woody Allen movies, but judging the film in that context overlooks the fact that it is an excellent movie. The writing, the acting, the timing, the tension, the opera music—all good. Match Point was 124 engrossing minutes, and isn’t that one reason that people go to the movies?

For all the intensity of Match Point, however, it doesn’t cover any new material. The prominent and/or rising man encumbered with threatening female baggage is a recurring story—think American Tragedy or Allen’s own Crimes and Misdemeanors. Enter Syrianna, which wasn’t as good overall but which raised some nagging questions, like how far would the US go to preserve its oil interests? For me, these kinds of questions are the second big reason for going to the movies: to be confronted with a different view or a challenging issue.

So. Match Point: engrossing, meticulously crafted movie about lust, greed, and luck. Syrianna: intriguing, somewhat scattered movie about the politics of oil, greed, and luck. The first sucks you in, and the latter makes you go hmmmm. Still on my list is Munich, which I’m hoping will do both. Has anyone seen it?

After logging ten years in Philly and the surrounding ‘burbs, I finally dragged my caffeinated self down to Broad Street and the annual New Years Day Mummers Parade, where men wear sequined feathers and open container laws take a holiday break. After walking South from City Hall, cold and without drink, some familiar faces at Broad and Tasker were a welcome sight. Their apartment was like a beautiful oasis stocked with cheese, chili, and beer.

Mummers are a great way to test out a new Christmas camera, and there are more shots on Flickr. Happy 2006!

Earlier this week, I saw Double Down, the 2005 version of 1812 Productions’ annual holiday show, and it was everything that a holiday show should be: a little singing and dancing, some gimmicks, a touch of improv, and lots of laughs. It’s the most fun I’ve had at the theatre in a long time, and even though the seats were cramped and the theatre was cold and the show started late due to a technical difficulty, the house was cozy and packed and everyone left in a great mood.

Double Down stars Tony Braithwaite and the always-fantastic Scott Greer. Together they pay homage to famous comedic duos and try to “discover” the formula that makes these duos successful. Martin & Lewis, Abbott & Costello, the Smothers Brothers, Waldorf and Statler—it’s all in the show, and it’s all hilarious because Braithwaite and Greer are themselves such a wonderful pair. The Smothers Brothers sketch was my favorite, but the Who’s on First bit, as interpreted through the likes of Penn & Teller and Cheech & Chong was a close second. Even the Batman & Robin segment was funny.

Also see Philly.com’s review. The show is on until January 8th.

PS When did Sunwishes close? I damn well expect a pre-theatre Ethiopian wrap before shows at the Adrienne.

Last week was the office Christmas party and another round of holiday videos created by my super-secret coworkers. Terry’s contribution is now online: Searching for Santa is a short film about a scheming holiday party committee and some university scientists who tag Santa for research purposes. It stars Scott McNulty of Blankbaby fame, Janice, Ryan, and Joe, who attempts to deconstruct the mythology of Santa Claus.

Though not mentioned in the credits, the film also stars my stapler.

Watch Searching for Santa.

This website has a semi-strict no-meme policy, but since very metal very politely tagged Good Grief! for the “top five concerts you attended in high school,” I will do my best:

Back in the late eighties/early nineties, Lancaster County wasn’t exactly a mecca of live music, especially for the under-21 crowd. The biggest concert to hit Lititz, PA when I was in high school occurred during the extravaganza celebration for the town’s new community center: the one and only Joan Jett played a free show. However, my mom had signed up to be an “event security guard,” so no way did I go to that.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, where Good Grief! links to the beloved Christmas video Hey Ya, Charlie Brown. See your favorite Peanuts characters perform an Outkast classik.

As part of its annual holiday party, my department screens employee-created, holiday-themed multimedia presentations. I am excited to announce that Super Secret Coworker Dan has posted You Better Watch Out, a classic presentation from years past. This (very) short film features a menacing Santa Claus chasing three friends through the bleak streets of Philadelphia, accompanied by an appropriately ominous soundtrack. You should watch it right now!

Today is the long-awaited Max Raabe show at Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center. As of now, there are still tickets available, which is amazing because why wouldn’t all of Philadelphia want to see this sardonic German cabaret singer and his Palast Orchester?

If you want to know more about Raabe, Jekyll* alerted me to a profile in Tuesday’s New York Times. Registration, etc., but the article is a good read and provides some history of Raabe’s fascination with classical and big band music. Also, who knew that Raabe, in addition to performing 20s and 30s music and covering American pop ditties, also writes his own songs?

Many of his songs comment slyly on current events, just as some of the material he was influenced by did when it was written. In one of his originals, “Cloning Can Be Worthwhile,” Mr. Raabe sings that if a lover leaves him he will “go out on a date/ With your duplicate.”

Unfortunately, tonight’s program doesn’t say anything the cloning number, unless Bei mir bist du schön somehow translates to Cloning Can Be Worthwhile. Here’s hoping that Raabe will do an encore and include some of his originals and cover songs**.

*The final nicknames of my new bosses are Jekyll and Hyde.

**See that? The cover songs links go to secret files!

UPDATE: Wow, what a show. Both Raabe and the Palast Orchester are talented and funny entertainers. Blankbaby Scott wrote a great review of the proceedings, which ended with one of my favorite numbers: You’re the Cream in my Coffee.

UPDATE II: Scott took the random stuff off the end of the Cream in my Coffee file. Sheesh.

You’re The Cream in my Coffee