venangago-go

Is it ironic that yesterday, when the front page of the News Herald trumpeted the tearing up of old sidewalks to provide a smoother surface for bike riding (a terrible idea BTW, bikes belong on the street) I picked up a circa 1900 book about Franklin from the public library which boasted 'Franklin is widely known for having the finest stone sidewalks in the state". Apparently only some things are worth preserving.

Anywho...

The Movies At Cranberry is opening this weekend. No word on their website though...

Among the three students from Franklin High School selected to participate in the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association All-State Music Festival April 18-21 in Hershey is percussionist Theo Dixon who is also a fine young actor. Congrats to all three gentlemen.

Venango Campus screens Free Zone this Saturday as part of their indie film series. The film is in Rohades Auditorium and is free and open to the public:
Two women embark on a road trip after they are brought together by circumstance. Rebecca (Natalie Portman) flees her hotel after a fight with her mother-in-law (Carmen Maura) and hails a taxi driven by Hanna (Hana Lazlo). Rebecca, a young American lady who has been living in Jerusalem for a while, suddenly breaks off her engagement with Julio, her Israeli fiancé. In a state of emotional shock she gets into a taxi and asks the driver to take her anywhere she likes but away from the place where she broke up. Although reluctant, Hanna, the driver lets her accompany her to Jordan's Free Zone where she is to meet "The American", her husband Moshe's Palestinian business partner. Once there, they realize "The American" is not there but a Palestinian woman named Leila offers them, after much bickering with Hanna, to take them to the oasis where "The American" lives...

Pittsburgh's oldest gay bar is closing:
After Pittsburgh gained its gay-rights ordinance in 1989, Honse says, I remember a man saying to us in Philadelphia that if you fight for the right for gay people to go anywhere, they will, and there will be no need for gay bars.

Pittsburgh's City Paper asks, "Why do we insist on topicalising Shakespeare?"

The Baltimore City Paper interviews Miriam DesHarnais a librarian at the Cockeysville branch of the Baltimore County Public Library, the only public library in Maryland, and one of about 10 in the country, to include zines as part of their collections.

The New York Inquirer says, no more literary readings, and I'm starting to agree.

You probably already heard that Kurt Vonnegut died. You can download an MP3 of an excerpt from Slaughterhouse Five,wherein Vonnegut's protagonist Billy Pilgrim encounters a flying saucer and its inhabitants here.

Some more free and legal downloads? Why yes, I do have some for you. Thanks for asking:

Robert Glasper's "One for 'Grew" from his new Blue Note album, In My Element. In My Element is free on iTunes. Glasper's piano work is already well known. On In My Element, he brings in elements of Jazz and Hip Hop as well.

All right, so everyone already knows Elliott Smith and has these two songs, but sometimes it's nice to listen to familiar music. In this case, it's like sitting down with an old friend. An old, addicted, suicidal friend who wants you to cash his check for him. OK, maybe that doesn't sound like fun after all.
Download "Between The Bars" (mp3)
Download "Needle In The Hay" (mp3)

from "Either/Or"
by Elliott Smith
Kill Rock Stars

Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at Kill Rock Stars Store

Did someone say Freak Folk? Oh. No? I could have sworn... Well, anyhow. Former front man for Gris Gris, Greg Ashley's solo work has a heavy Roky Erickson influence and is perfect for cold rainy Western PA cabin fever freakouts.

Download "Fisher King" (mp3)
from "Painted Garden"
by Greg Ashley
Birdman Records