Illustration by MARK BRYAN BY WILLIAM C. HENRY Okay, quick joke to shake off the chill. Take all five of these names: Donald J. Trump, Mitch McConnell, Jim Jordan, Trey Gowdy, Devin Nunes. What do they all have in common? Answer: In addition to being the five most dangerous people in America, every time the latter four have been observed departing the Oval Office, each was seen holding a hankie to his nose, and you were said to have immediately demanded that Pence find you some Preparation H! Like I said, just a little levity to kick this missive off. […]
BEYOND THE BARS: Q&A W/ Comedian Ali Siddiq
BY SEAN HECK Ali Siddiq is not your traditional stand-up comic. This Houston-bred funny man, writer, actor, and activist spent six years of a fifteen-year sentence for drug trafficking behind bars in the Texas state penitentiary system. For his 2018 Comedy Central special Ali Siddiq: It’s Bigger Than These Bars, Siddiq returned to prison to perform stand-up and interview inmates and prison personnel at Bell County Jail in Belton, Texas. In addition to being a well-received comedian with stand-up appearances at Just For Laughs, The Tom Joyner Foundation Cruise, BET’s One Mic Stand, Bill Bellamy’s Ladies Night Out Tour […]
DEACTIVISM: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Delete My Facebook Account (And I Feel Fine)
BY BILL HANGLEY JR. So Facebook turns fifteen this month. Big deal. I’m turning fifty, and here’s my gift to myself: Beat it, Facebook. As in, get lost, you creepy leeches. Make tracks. Go bark up somebody else’s tree. You’re not “social.” You’re chemical – a meticulously engineered subconscious compulsion. Ever see the opening credits to that Cartoon Network show, “Robot Chicken?” Where the mad scientist forces the helpless bird to watch a hundred blaring TV screens at once? That’s you, Facebook – only us chickens aren’t tied down. We just sit there, staring at your endless scroll, waiting for […]
DAWG DAZE: Q&A W/ Cypress Hill’s Sen Dog
BY SEAN HECK Consistently making waves as a member of the South Gate, California hip hop group Cypress Hill since the early 1990s, Cuban-American rhymesayer Sen Dog has been praised as a founding father of West Coast rap. However, he is far from a one-trick doggy. In addition to making history as a member of the first Latino-American recording group to reach platinum and multi-platinum status, Sen Dog has made his presence known across genres as the lead singer for rap metal outfits Powerflo (who are soon to begin promoting their upcoming album) and SX-10. He has brought memories […]
PORCUPINE: Lifetime
Minneapolis fuzz-popsters Porcupine (featuring Husker Du’s Greg Norton) play Johnny Brenda’s on Friday March 15th with death-rock progenitors The Flesh Eaters (featuring John Doe and DJ Bonebrake from X, Dave Alvin and Bill Bateman from The Blasters, and Steve Berlin from Los Lobos).
NPR 4 THE DEAF: We Hear It Even When U Can’t
FRESH AIR: Filmmaker Yoruba Richen’s documentary, The Green Book: Guide to Freedom, tells the story of the manual that helped African-Americans find safe places to stay, eat, shop and do business on the road. MORE JEZEBEL: Once again, the Oscars have awarded a movie about race told from the perspective of a white protagonist, directed and written by white guys. But you don’t have to settle for Green Book. Tonight the Smithsonian Channel will air a documentary about the actual Green Book, which guided black motorists to safe businesses and lodging all over the country in annual installments from […]
BEING THERE: Anderson .Paak @ The Fillmore
Photo by DYLAN LONG When I found out that Anderson .Paak (pronounced pak) used to go by the name Breezy Lovejoy, I couldn’t help but smile. After seeing his live show at the Fillmore last night alongside a couple thousand fans who crammed themselves as far up front as they could, I learned firsthand that the name suits him all too well. The acclaimed funkster’s stop at the Fillmore was part of his Andy’s Beach Club world tour, aptly named given that his entire discography takes wing on a perpetual summer breeze. Surrounded by his partners in crime, the R&B […]
GEORGE HARRISON: Here Comes The Sun
Performing with Paul Simon on Saturday Night Live circa 1976. George Harrison would have turned 76 today.
WORTH REPEATING: In Bob We Trust
Bob Mould @ Union Transfer 2/15/19 by JOSH PELTA-HELLER ROLLING STONE: Mould’s problem has always been that he’s understood so much and felt so much. That was most evident on the songs he chose from the middle of his career. Tunes like Sugar’s secretly lugubrious “If I Can’t Change Your Mind” (with its downright upbeat chorus) and the ponderous “Hoover Dam” found him making sense of all the conflicts within him. But those, along with two selections from his first solo album, 1989’s Workbook, also show off a sort of tenderness he’s outgrown. Against a backdrop of Roger McGuinn–influenced 12-string, […]
MONKEE BIZNESS: Q&A w/ Peter Tork
BY JONATHAN VALANIA There are two kinds of people in this world: people who love The Monkees and sanctimonious assholes who fancy themselves the arbiters of authenticity. Whatever that is. Never trust anyone who tells you they don’t like the Monkees has always been my motto and it’s served me well. As just about everyone of a certain age knows, from 1967 to 1970 The Monkees were Hollywood’s answer to The Beatles circa Hard Days Night. These fab four pop primates — Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork — were chosen more for their looks and personalities […]
CONTEST: Win Tix To See Gang Of Four & More!
You lucky ducks! We have a pair of Underground Arts weekend passes to see agit-punk legends Gang Of Four on Friday, punky Brit-popsters You Me At Six on Saturday and Aquarium (think Detroit House blasting out of the windows of Tokyo hi-rise) + West Philly’s Maaly Raw on Sunday. To qualify to win, all you have to do is sign up for our mailing list (see right, below the masthead). Trust us, this is something you want to do. In addition to breaking news alerts and Phawker updates, you also get advanced warning about groovy concert ticket giveaways and […]
STUDY: Curbing Cash Bail Has Had No Significant Negative Impact On The Crime Rate In Philadelphia
Artwork via THE NATION BY SEAN HECK One year after the implementation of their cash bail reduction plan for low-level offenses, Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner and Mayor Jim Kenney announced the success of their groundbreaking new policy at a press conference yesterday at City Hall. “We changed our low-level bail policy because it was the right, and fair, thing to do for the poor, for people of color, and everyone in Philadelphia’s criminal justice system. What we had a year ago wasn’t fair, but after a year of use and a supportive third party review, I’m happy that we’ve made […]
SH*T MY UNCLE SAYS: Dear Mr. President # 2
Illustration by MARK BRYANT BY WILLIAM C. HENRY Hi there. Me again. Just checking to make sure you’re all right. I mean, have you gotten help after that wacked out, absurd and really quite asinine little tantrum you let loose with on Friday? Wow, that was a doozy. I was concerned that the EMT folks might not get to you in time. Did you make it to Walter Reed before you went into shock? Are you still hospitalized? Sure hope you get some “experienced” attention. The only reason I say “experienced” is, well, how do I put this delicately? It’s […]