It took an Australian to remind me that yesterday was Col Drake's birthday.

The Foxburg Winery is expanding their operation.

I loathe the Pittsburgh Trib Review, but, give the devil his due, no other paper is reviewing New Castle's Hoyt Institue shows including the current show; Thomas G McNickle; Recent Oil, a collection of Western PA landscapes in oil.

Thye also, sigh, did a nice piece on the resumption of commercial recording of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra by PentaTone.

The City Paper reviews Pittsburgh opera's edition of The Magic Flute:
In short, if blood courses through your veins, Mozart's The Magic Fluteis for you. It's the musical equivalent of a big slice of chocolate cake. So, go ahead, indulge. As a bonus, I believe that one viewing of the work fully licenses you to be a practicing Freemason. Just don't forget the secret handshake.

Chabad-Lubavitch lists seders all over the world.

Venangago-go readers can save $10 off an Adult/Senior Ticket on tickets to any of the remaining Erie Playhouse performances of I Left My Heart,A Salute to the Music of Tony Bennett! this weekend. You must make your reservations Thursday, March 29th between 9:00 am and 4:30 pm to take advantage of this special offer. Call the box office at 814.454.2852 ext. 0 and mention this code: TB329. May not be combined with any other offer.

Erie area professor Mark Steensland is creating a movie of the popular (yet Logan's Run-esque) series of graphic novels Dead at 17 and is looking to cast the leads locally:
Sean Benjamin is performing at Seneca's Brother Bean at 7 pm on Saturday

The Gypsy Dave is playing tomorrow with the Slabtown boys at The Sportsman's Club Ryan Road, Meadville, Pennsylvania 16335. Cost : $5

Heritage Auctions is looking to add a Comics expert with extremely well-honed grading skills. The ability to identify, pursue and close outright purchase and consignment deals in the Comics market is essential to this position. Individual will be expected to sort raw and graded books and create auction lots based on designated lot values. The right candidate should also have strong organizational skills and deep knowledge and contacts within the comics industry. Salary and incentive package commensurate with experience and qualifications. Please e-mail your resume, references and salary history/requirements to Jared Green.

Broken Frontier interviews Trina Robbins, comic writer and, ahem, herstorian:
Anne and I (I call us the Stan Lee and Jack Kirby of girls' comics) are working together on a comic about Beat woman artist Jay DeFeo, for a TPB comic anthology on the Beats.

NPR is streaming tonight's Washington performance of Ted Leo and the Pharmacists starting at approximately 9:40 ET. I'm hoping for a download later.

If you feel strongly about sustainable business, local and organic foods and downtown revitalization? Do I have the job for you.

The Franklin Area Chamber of Commerce and the Franklin Fine Arts Council are seeking entries for the 25th anniversary Applefest poster. The contest is open to juniors and seniors of Franklin and Valley Grove school districts.

Venangoland has been updated with a NYC post

The Post Gazette reviews Pittsburgh Glass Center's Glass Birthday Suit show.

Female singers wanted for Neil Young covers album. American Laundromat Records and Daisy Rock Guitars are co-sponsoring a contest inviting female artists and female-fronted bands to submit a cover version of Neil Young’s Only Love Can Break Your Heart to win a Daisy Rock guitar, consideration for an official Daisy Rock endorsement, and a guaranteed slot on the upcoming American Laundromat Records benefit CD Cinnamon Girl - Women Artists Cover Neil Young.

George Looney, associate professor of English and creative writing at Penn State Erie, received the Penn State Undergraduate Program Chair Leadership Award for his direction of the college's BFA in Creative Writing.

James Joyce's crazy grandson lost his court case to keep Joyce's archives closed.
First CBGBs, now Sin-e.

A quick post during a busy week:

John Bartlett, long time writer for the Erie Times News who always gave the arts a fair shake in his coverage has left the paper after more than 30 years. Bartlett, an Oil City resident, is now the field representative for the Friends of Allegheny Wilderness.

Nice way to kill a scene wanna-be taggers. It's a story that's been going on for at least the 15 years I've been going to shows - someone decides that in order to be truly "punk" they should ruin the venue that has agreed (against all logic) to host them. In this case, it happened to Meadville's Union Room and tips leading to arrest will get you free shows for the rest of the summer:
If our landlords decide that it isn't worth it anymore, then no more shows. That means you can go back to hanging out at Country Fair or begging your mom for a ride to the movies.

How did I miss this auction?

The Pittsburgh CLO will be holding public auditions for the teen chorus of its upcoming production of Disney's High School Musical. Auditions will be held on April 14 at Ross Park Mall and on April 15 at South Hills Village. The show will be performed May 29 - June 17 at the historic Benedum Center as part of the 2007 CLO Summer Season.

My wife and I keep a big list of cool projects that we would like to see in the area. A couple of years ago we created a proposal for one of those projects - a two week long youth theatre workshop that would give area high schoolers a little more polish and professionalism - mornings devoted to acting and stage craft workshops and afternoons with a choice of playwrighting, voice, dance, or combat. We circulated the proposal around and that discussion lead now, to a much -watered down form that was eventually picked up by a local theatre ( I should make it clear that our contribution began and ended with starting the discussion with the proposal). Our next goal? A local Girls Rock and Roll Camp (or use this link.)

Columbiana OH's downtown theatre is being revitalized

The Age discusses what it's like to create an album without a label.

You know what's cool? A vending machine that dispense zines, that's what.

Tonight's edition of Venango Campus' Spring 2007 Independent Film Series is The Beat My Heart Skipped:

Twenty-eight-year-old Tom leads a life that might be termed as criminal. In doing so, he follows in the footsteps of his father, who made his money from dirty, and sometimes brutal, real estate deals. . . he appears to have arrived at a critical juncture in his life when a chance encounter prompts him to take up the piano and become a concert pianist, like his mother. He senses that this might be his final opportunity to take back his life. His piano teacher is a Chinese piano virtuoso who has recently come to live in France. She doesn't speak a lick of French so music becomes the only language they have in common. Before long, Jacques' bid to be a better person means that he begins to yearn for true love. But, when he finally has the chance of winning his best friend's wife, his passion only succeeds in scaring her. And then, one day, his dubious past comes to light...

Film starts at 7:30 in Rhoades Auditorium. Admission is free.

The CMU film series will begin next week - to be frank, the Venango Campus series is better.

Soprano Amanda Pabyan, who was to be the Queen of the Night in the Pittsburgh Opera's production of Mozart's "The Magic Flute," has withdrawn due to complications from an injury.

One of the first uses of this blog was to document the production of the Tempest that I directed. Now, spirits, visions and sorcery come alive in 4-D Art’s presentation of La Tempête, a multi-dimensional adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. The touring show stops at Pittsburgh's Byham Theater, March 30-31, 2007, 8 p.m.


Schadenfreude alert: The Poetry Foundation lost $100 million dollars.

They are rumors about a possible Barnes and Nobles and Borders merger.

Overheard in Franklin's Shop N Save as I pondered the purchase of a day old pineapple:
Woman speaking a guy without teeth as he bought a handful of carnations:
"Did she say she wanted flowers for her birthday?"
Gentleman shrugs his shoulders.
Woman shaking her head, "Well, she told me she wanted a new pair of chaps."

Indeed.

T-shirt I hope to find in my Easter basket: "Well, this really just sucks."

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust will hold a six-week Australia Festival late this year featuring contemporary artists from the continent, many of whom have not performed in the United States. The festival is to run from Oct. 10 through Nov. 17, with a preview June 14-17 during the Three Rivers Arts Festival. Events will include Circus Oz; Puccini's Madama Butterfly (conducted by Pittsburgh Opera Music Director Antony Walker, a native of Australia); a group show at the Wood Street Galleries; a film festival at the Harris Theater; Legs on the Wall; the Candy Butchers; Chunky Move; Back To Back Theatre; and educational events at local universities.

I was remiss yesterday in only mentioning one local bock beer. The Post Gazette covers lots more including Crawford County's "Kick Bock".

Tomorrow night at the Blue Planet Cafe (910 Market St., Meadville, Pennsylvania 16335)
catch three bands for $4. Performers include Secretly Plotting Your Burial, Meadowland Drive, and the RickDan Band

That same night, Policy Overkill plays a free show at the Brother Bean Coffeehouse in Seneca.

Sorkin Will Script Flaming Lips Musical

Why not make yourself a lovely little Elliot Smith mix for the weekend?

Finally, if the rain has you thinking indoor projects this weekend, let me recommend one that my daughter and i found enjoyable - DIRKON – THE PAPER CAMERA

It's Thursday already? How did that happen?

Tonight from 6-8 pm at Clarion's Michelle's Cafe poet John Repp (author of Thirst Like This, Things Work Out, The Old West, The Fertile Crescent, and Gratitude) and musician Diana Chittester will perform.

The Dixie Doodlers play tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. at Drake Well Museum. The band started in Meadville and its members hail from Oil City, Erie, Corry, and Bradford. Admission is free; call (814) 827-2797 for more information.

“2 x 5 – Music of Kander & Ebb” — debuts tomorrow night at 8 p.m. at Franklin's Barrow-Civic Theatre. It's a music revue that includes music from Chicago and Cabaret among others. Adults, $17; seniors and children ages 13-21, $16; children 12 and under, $12; call the box office at 437-3440 or 1-800-537-7769 for ticket reservations.

The Erie Brewing Company just released its 19 proof Golden Fleece Maibock

Hinder (not with a long "i" as you might think) will be the headlining act for Clarion University’s Campusfest next monthSaturday, April 28, at Tippin Gymnasium. Two opening bands will be announced at a later date. Wouldn't it be nice, if at least one of the opening spots was reserved for a local band?

Works are currently being accepted for the Erie Art Museum's 84th Annual Spring Show, a regional juried exhibit, running April 21 through June 24, 2007 in the Erie Art Museum's Main Gallery. All artists residing within 250 miles of Erie are invited to enter works not previously exhibited in the Erie area. A total of $10,000 in awards is offered, including $2,000 in juror's cash awards, the $500 Northwestern Pennsylvania Arts Association Award and at least $7,500 in guaranteed purchases. The cash awards will be divided among the juror's selections of the best work in the show. Purchase selections will be made by the firms and individuals offering purchase awards. Each entrant may submit three works. The entry fee is $5 per entry for members of the Erie Art Museum and $10 for non-members. Work is currently being accepted at the Erie Art Museum Annex, 20 East 5th Street on: Saturday, March 24, Sunday, March 25, Saturday, March 31, and Sunday, April 1.

It's ironic (at least to me) that while I run a hyper-local blog, I get lots of music from national labels and acts to review, but never from local people. That kind of makes me feel inside. Regardless, while the South by Southwest festival ended last week, the region was represented by a ton of bands from Pittsburgh including Black Moth Super Rainbow:

Download "Early 70's Gymnastics" (mp3)
from "Start A People"
by Black Moth Super Rainbow
Graveface Records

• Buy at iTunes Music Store

More On This Album

and Power Pill Fist

Download "Spectacular Hip Shots" (mp3)
from "Extra Life"
by Power Pill Fist
Graveface Records

• Buy at RealNetworks / Rhapsody

More On This Album

I was appalled by the Derrick/News Herald's front page article profiling a guy who lived here ten years ago and now lives in Florida and is releasing an album.
Wow.
Was it too much trouble to line up all the local musicians and artists and spit in their faces on a one by one basis? Was it just easier to undermine the work that Oil City has undertaken by encouraging artists to come here by profiling a hesher who moved away because he was "ready to rock?"

Pittsburgh's Celebration of Glass has begun. Trust me. It's cooler than it sounds.

The Carnegie Museum of Art has restored its Sol LeWitt wall drawings.

Joel Salatin, the guy behind Virginia's Polyface Farm which was profiled in Michael Pollan's book The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals will be at the 4-H center at the Warren County Fairgrounds on Saturday, March 24, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.The cost to attend is $15 for each session; however a discounted registration is available to those interested in attending both sessions.

The Butler Little Theatre is seeking submissions of original adaptations of Charles Dickens' classic "A Christmas Carol". The script selected will receive a full stage, eight performance run as the holiday production in Butler Little Theatre's 2007-2008 season. More info here.

Poets and Writers undertakes a Q & A with Ed Ochester, editor of the Pitt Poetry series:
I remember—and this goes back a number of years—when we published Ted Kooser. It amazed some friends of mine on the East Coast that there was this guy in Nebraska who was writing good poems, and I think a lot of them at the time didn't really believe that people could be living there and doing good work.
Kooser, BTW will be at Pittsburgh's International Poetry Forum on April 11.

Michael Wurster and poet and editor Judith R. Robinson are assembling an anthology of work by area poets and photographers, entitled Along These Rivers. Submit up to four poems on any subject; send two copies of each. Photographers can submit up to four black-and-white prints (as close to 8" x 10" as possible), also on any subject. All applicants must include their contact info and an SASE. The deadline for submitting both poems and photos is June 1, 2007. Address: Quadrant Publishing, LLC, 4712 Bayard St., Pittsburgh, PA 15213. Questions? 412-681-3018.

Rick Sebak's new documentary Underground Pittsburgh premeris tomorrow at 8pm on WQED

You think PA wines have a tough time building respect? Try being an Ohio winery.

You know how a couple of weeks ago, I posted the "Captain America is dead" link? Here's the Cap has already died link. Many, many times

The Tiger Maple String Band plays Edinboro's Copper Coin tonight. It's an over-21 show, so expect green puke. I'm just saying, don't wear suede.

The Phoenix asks, "What happened to all the Irish?"

Along the same lines, let me suggest the very fine book, How The Irish Became White

If you're too cool to enjoy the simple pleasure of a maple syrup laced cup of Taster's Choice at The Northwest Pennsylvania Maple Association which is holding its fourth annual taste and tour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, then maybe you just better go back to East Carson St. Hipster. Feh.

The Warren Library has put The Allegheny Pilot online an 1855 detailed navigational study of the river during the era of early rafting and lumbering online. It's a great project, although since the resolution is a little shaky, I wish they would sell facsimile copies. The Franklin section begins with Map 9.

Best Life magazine says that a Primanti Brothers sandwich is number one on thier list of "The Top 10 Ballpark Foods You Muse Eat Before You Die".

On the other hand, in the same issue, Antoine Fuqua says of his film, "Training Daywas about in-your-face abuse of power—what I dealt with growing up in Pittsburgh."

Not too long ago, I was at a party and ran into my friend, the novelist Ralph Scherder. I hadn't seen him for awhile and when I asked him what he was up to, he gave the statistically least probable answer - hosting an national outdoors TV show. He's always looking for interesting stories - not all of which have to end with the death of an animal, so send him your pitches and tell him Dittman sent you.

Slippery Rock will be the home to a Frontier League baseball team this summer.

NPR has made The Good, The Bad & The Queen (a project featuring Blur frontman Damon Albarn, The Clash bassist Paul Simonon, Afrobeat pioneer and drummer Tony Allen and former Verve guitarist Simon Tong)'s live show from Mar. 14 at Washington, D.C.'s 9:30 Club available for download.

The LA County Museum of Art has begun collecting houses as works of art.

Finally, if you must drink green beer this "holiday", might I suggest a Mothership Wit?

Saturday is amateur night, of course, so I will be avoiding any place that serves alcohol like the plague. Luckily, there's still tons to do.

The Luna Film Festival rolls into Butler tonight.

MANN KE MANJEERÉ Singer Shubha Mudgal vocals portray the journey of a courageous domestic violence survivor. The story of the music video was inspired greatly by the life of a young Muslim women, Shameem Paathan. Born into a well-to-do family and the daughter of 7 sons, Shameem fell in love, and much against the wishes of her family married the man of her choice. That she made the wrong choice soon became apparent. When her son was three and a half years old, Shameem finally decided to fend for herself. She went through a series of businesses and finally she learned how to drive, an unheard of occupation for a women in her society. She now drives her own van in Ahmedabad, ferrying passengers.

PLUM FLOWER Plum Flower takes place in 1948 China. It was a time when female infanticide was a normal occurrence for poor rural communities. Females could not carry on the family name, so they were less desirable when too many were born to one family. Plum Flower is about a mother and father facing a staggering moral choice when they have a fifth daughter.

SLIP OF THE TONGUE Be careful what you ask a stranger at a bus stop; a look at perceptions of beauty, ethnicity, and body image define "ethnic makeup.

BREACHED A Mexican women is nearing delivery and is determined to have her baby on American soil.

CITY PARADISE London is a big city, and for those new to it, it can sometimes seem quite scary. But Tomoko, who arrives from Japan to learn English, accidentally discovers a mysterious, secret city underground, inhabited by friendly little aliens and beautiful blossoms. After she finds it, everything changes.

TOP OF THE CIRCLE Who is at the top of the food chain? This experimental performance piece explores the cycle of life and death--and bacon bits.

DEAR TALULA Filmmaker Lori Benson is a quintessential downtown New Yorker who was diagnosed with breast cancer just 14 months after the birth of her daughter,Talula. With much grace and humor, Benson brings us along as her friends and husband document an emotionally charged year. We thus become part of Benson's inner circle and are privy to her most intimate thoughts, vulnerabilities, and discoveries. The profound experience makes the filmmaker confront her own mortality and ultimately strengthens her connection to her true self.


KYLIE GOLDSTEIN-ALL AMERICAN A documentary about a Chinese adopted, All-American 6 year old.

AGRICULTURAL REPORT A concerned cow discovers the bliss of ignorance.

Films start at 7:30 pm on the campus of Butler County Community College. Tickets are $5 at the door. If that weren't enough, 15% of the proceeds of each festival go to the Breast Cancer Fund. The remaining 85% goes the local women’s organization or college group that hosts the festival.

Also, film-y in Butler the cult film fest continues Friday, March 16th with a showing of The Last Man on Earth. $4 admission at the Butler Penn Theatre in downtown Butler at 8 pm

Sunday March 18 at 2:00 PM Ed and Carol Ditto from New Philadelphia present a lecture performance featuring antique organ grinders and puppets at Franklin's DeBence's Museum. Sadly, no cute, yet disease ridden monkeys or old Italian stereotypes to go with the grinders. So sad.

Stewart O'Nan's novel, Snow Angels, set in Butler, has been made into a movie.

Meadville has cancelled its Summerfest.

The Post Gazette reviews the Frick's "The Prints of Tsukioka Kogyo"

The Hold Steady will be at Pittsburgh's Rex Theatre on Monday.

The Pogues are in the United States for their annual St. Patrick’s tour

It's a huge entertainment weekend coming up; look for the hot list tomorrow.

Arts Champ JoAnn Wheeler is back in the papers. This morning's Derrick details her announcement of a Memorial Day festival in Oil City.

The day will center around four bronze statues that New York State artist Dave Poulin helped children create in a handful of the city’s elementary schools. Children were involved in every step of the statue process — from choosing the water theme of each statue and modeling for the likenesses to helping physically create the pieces.

The same article also lists Oil City's Jolly July 3 artists and the Arts in the Park series:
The Katy Bowser Duo, Franklin’s Silver Cornet Band, a barbershop evening with Fireside Harmony and Rhythm and Flair, Mark DeWalt and Catro, Big Leg Emma and Yankee Zydeco.

Clarion Limestone shakes up local high school theatre, bypassing more mundane choices for Vonnegut's Welcome to the Monkey House at 7:30 p.m. March 15-17 in the high school auditorium.

Grove City Theatre Arts Guild (GCTAG) will hold a general membership meeting on Tuesday, March 27, 2006 at 6:30 p.m. at Legacy Banquet Center, 1946 Mercer Grove City Road. All persons interested in community theater are invited to attend and become part of GCTAG, a nonprofit organization since 2002. If you have any questions, please call (724) 458-4013.

Finally, someone emailed me the other day asking about Hayseed Dixie. Here's their January 11, 2003 live performance at Stella Blue (Ashville NC).

A mixed bag of luck accounts for the pause on posting. My father ended up in the hospital last week, but along with the rough, I got the invitation to be one of the authors at Pittsburgh's big Festival of Mystery and my favorite smarty pants magazine contacted me about writing reviews. I won't jinx that one yet, but will post a link when they start to show up and the checks clear!).

But, enough about me.

The Meadville Tribune is asking for reader's to answer the question, "Will having 32-foot high derricks placed at the four entrances to Titusville become a tourist draw"? I'm having trouble believing the city government is even seriously considering it.

The Pittsbugh Post Gazette profiles Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh's elementary instrumental music program "believed to be the largest band program for Catholic school elementary pupils in the country."

The Bring it! Trade fair is a good way to get your handmade goods, media, and other info out to those drawn to the festival. Be a part of spreading locally made wares and awareness in conjunction with likeminded speakers and events.

Do current US copyright laws favor powerful entertainment corporations? Is a highly restrictive copyright environment protection of creative work or a muzzle? Head to Pittsburgh's You're Not the Boss of Me festival to find out. 2-days of performances, screenings and lectures based around Carnegie Mellon University's College of Fine Arts Building includes artists, critics, lawyers and filmmakers who will discuss copyright,criminality, fair use and transgression in contemporary American culture.

Local crafters and artists also have the chance to participate in Panty-Palooza: Declare the Unmentionable Stiff Competition 2007.
This year, we'd like you to help cultivate the art of political underwear. We're inviting all artists, knitters, sewers, sculptors and other crotchety crafters to create some seriously crafty crotches. Of course,the world isn't made of boxers, briefs, and cone bras alone - all creative expressions of intimate politics and political crafting welcome!

To find out more, or indicate your intent to submit an entry, please send an email with your name, email, address, phone, fax and email. Submit your crafty item, political piece, sculpture or other type of artwork to 933 Liberty Avenue , Pittsburgh , PA 15222 by May 24th, 2007. Entries will be displayed at Panty Palooza: Declare the Unmentionable at the New Hazlett Theatre on June 14th. The winner will be announced the evening of the event which is a fundraiser for Planned Parenthood Western Pennsylvania Action Fund.

The Pittsburgh Post Gazette discusses a problem that Venango County faces as well - not enough marketing of the artists to the average family.

The NY Times takes exception to the New Yorker's portrayal of the Poetry Foundation (which I referenced here a few weeks ago).

Why do Cleveland museums put on blockbuster shows "while their Pittsburgh counterparts seem to be sitting on their hands?"

A new William Carlos Williams poem has been found.

The Wall Street Journal answers the question, "How does a band end up being featured on iTunes"?

PETA2 is offering two scholarships which seem to skew arts-centric.

Don't forget to show up at Franklin's Little Theatre (1223 Liberty St) tonight for a reader's theatre edition of the comedy, Orson's Shadow. $3 at the door which opens at 7:30. There's cussin' in the play, so as you might want to leave the yung'uns at home.

Venangoland has been updated.

The NyTimes profiles theatres that have MySpace presences. Locally, that would include The Erie Playhouse

I couldn't help by notice in the NYTimes Sunday edition , while reading the article about Leroy Nicholas Barnes (the guy who became rich and famous by flooding African American neighborhoods with heroin in the 70s) that a former "associate" of Barnes said:
If he runs a Laundromat in Dubuque or a grocery store in Slippery Rock, that’s one thing,” the associate said. “But the man has a tremendous amount of charisma and intelligence. I don’t think he’s going to be innocuous anywhere.

Now I just have to decide if I should feel proud or offended...

"No one in comics stays dead except Uncle Ben". The NYTimes eulogizes Captain America.

Iggy Pop is the voice of the revolutionary uncle in the film adaptation of the graphic novel, Persepolis. (Which is also one of the book selections this year at Youngstown State's English Festival)

Artists with an ego? Perish the thought! That exploration of ego is the basis for the play Orson's Shadow which TiLT will present this Thursday at the Barrow Civic Little Theatre (1223 Liberty St, Franklin).

"Orson Welles has been described as many things, but "comic spitfire" would not normally be one of them. Until now, that is -- thanks to his role as an egomaniac desperate for a hit in Orson's Shadow. His foil in the immensely enjoyable production is another titan of self-regard, Sir Laurence Olivier. Self-pitying rants, childish tantrums and parallel displays of paranoia don't exactly make them the most sympathetic figures you'll ever encounter on a stage.
But it sure does make them fun.
Orson's Shadow fairly bubbles over with celebrated characters: Plowright, soon to be Olivier's wife, is on hand, as is the peerless London theater critic of the time, Kenneth Tynan. Vivien Leigh -- Olivier's first wife, immortalized on screen as Scarlett O'Hara -- makes an entrance, too, and given the circumstances of her mental disintegration, it's a suitably galvanizing one.
Orson's Shadow is engineered as a kind of chemistry experiment: What interesting control-freak reactions occur when you mix one part visionary wunderkind film director with an equal measure of suave tyrannical English movie star?
The alpha-male pairing, however, proves disastrous. Not only does neither man trust the other (or like the play), but both also are so racked by insecurity and so in need of coddling that the drama takes a back seat to the psychodrama. Welles doesn't have the patience for the symbolism of Rhinoceros, or for Olivier's preening. Shunned by Hollywood, the director is obsessed with finding alternative financial backing -- and vindication -- in a bid to play Falstaff in his long-aborning Chimes at Midnight."

Doors open at 7:30 p.m., show starts at 8 pm. Tickets are $3 at the door. Cash bar. The play contains language that may be inappropriate for those under 16.

On Saturday local jazz/blues/americana band Thimble (Carie Forden, David Perry,Latrobe Barnitz, Billie Schwab, and Jerome Wincek) open for Namoli Brennet. at the Arlington Hotel River Room in Oil City, PA. Doors open at 7:30PM with an open from 8-9PM. $10.00 at the door. Kids under 12 free

The 14th Pittsburgh Jewish Film Festival runs through March. Download the schedule here.

In 1999, the Rainbow Family set their gathering up in nearby Elk County, providing endless fodder for local and regional newspapers. This time, they're in Florida, and intrepid journalists are at it again.

The Gypsy Dave will be playing Saturday, March, 10 2007 at Meadville Music Festival. The festival starts out at the new Creative Crust location (Chestnut St., Meadville, Pennsylvania 16335)with Tom Kennedy from 2:00-2:30 and Gypsy Dave from 2:30 until 3:00 before moving on to the Artist Cup from 3pm to 4pm. The shows are free.

Check out a clip from a recent Gypsy Dave show at Allegheny College:


Threadless is having a spring break $10 sale which means I'll be sporting the Maple Walnut shirt at the 2007 Northwest PA Maple Taste and Tour Weekend

Non local, but still pretty cool...

Head over to wilcoworld.net tonight at 11 pm (eastern). They're hosting a semi-secret world premiere for Wilco's forthcoming album Sky Blue Sky.

45 people showing up for a poetry slam in the middle of a Thursday afternoon. Not too shabby I tells ya!

Tomorrow's Venango Campus free film is L'Enfant. Show starts at 7:30 pm at Rhoades Auditorium and is free of charge. Nice.

A disturbing film about a young Belgian couple and their newborn child, L'Enfant tells a heartbreaking tale that is less about love than about the possibility of moral redemption. Sonia (Deborah Francois) is a sweet teenager who has just given birth to Bruno's (Jeremie Renier) child. Instead of visiting her and seeing their baby in the hospital, Bruno sublets her apartment to "friends" who slam the door in her face when she tries to return home. We do not know what Sonia does for a living, but we know she's diligent enough to maintain a small apartment and keep her pantry stocked with instant soup. Bruno, on the other hand, refuses to take a job. Instead, he leads a gang of thieves who're approximately half his age (and height). Still, Sonia loves him. And Bruno, who may be incapable of love, enjoys the carefree benefits of having a girlfriend who doesn't expect too much. All this changes when Bruno does the unthinkable--he sells their child. Overnight, Sonia changes from a little girl to a bitter woman who no longer excuses Bruno's behavior. In his quest to return the child to Sonia, Bruno attempts to become a better human being. But the viewer is never left with the satisfaction of knowing that he will ever be able to truly redeem himself.

Rolling Stone has anointed Pittsburgh rapper Wiz Khalifia as a breaking artist. Of course, the City Paper knew about this last October:
Pittsburgh is a hatin' city," Khalifa says with a wry smile. "It's hard to be an artist, 'cause you might be from this area, and these other people will fuck with you 'cause you're not from that area. And if you're from East Hills and you go to Hazelwood and try to sell your CD, it's not gonna happen. You're probably gonna get stomped down and shot."

Don't I know it.


Download:
"Pittsburgh Sound" (mp3)

Speaking of Pittsburgh, singer/songwriter Erin McKeown is playing the South Side's Club Cafe 7 and 10:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are a very affordable $14 advance; $16 at the door; 412-323-1919.
download:
"To The Stars" (recorded live at WYEP) (mp3)

The Pittsburgh Post Gazette now has four(!) music blogs; None of which really seem to be that, you know, interesting...

The Erie Zoo is reopened. It's open at 10 am every day until 5 pm.


The Roadhouse Theater production of Glengarry Glen Ross is scheduled for Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm March 2-31. Admission: $12 - $20. (814) 456-5656.

Wayne Brady, the guy who helped to ruin Brit TV's Whose Line Is It Anyway will perform his one-man show on Saturday, March 3 at 8 pm in Allegheny College's Shafer Auditorium. Tickets are $10-$20, but you'll never get your self-respect back

The Erie SeaWolves are having National Anthem tryouts (for singers, not for a new anthem, although not a bad idea, might I suggest This Land is Your Land . Or Crazy Train. I just am so split on this.)Sunday, March 25 at Erie's Millcreek Mall. For more information about the National Anthem tryouts, please contact Carol Trumbo at (814) 456-1300 or via email .

Amazon has dumped $1 million in the book networking site Shelfari. I'll stay with Librarything, thank you very much.

Phil Terman has passed on the registration form for his Chautauqua Writers' Festival which runs June 14-17.

This Friday's cult horror film at Bulter's Penn Theatre is The Brain That Wouldn't Die. Show starts at 8 pm -- $4 admission or $10 for the whole series.

Patchouli alert! GY Productions has announced Firefly Music Festival to held in Cambridge Springs and featuring The Recipe, Big Leg Emma and more in July.
Downloads:
Big Leg Emma's Peanut Farmer. (mp3)
The Recipe Live at The Purple Fiddle on December 31, 2006. (MP3, ogg, flac)

Starting Mon., March 5, the Film Kitchen screening series invites local filmmakers to participate in a unique competition. On that date, tracks by 10 noted local musicians, sound artists and spoken-word performers will be available for download on www.filmkitchenpgh.org as part of Film Kitchen’s “Our Sounds, Your Pictures” Music Video Contest.

HearYa has an extensive MP3 downloadable list of the acts at this year's SXSW

Grovel is a blog dedicated to Graphic Novels.