UsedWigs » Philly

UsedWigs Radio 95: Guests Peter Cortner, Bevan McShea and Rachel Bensen

Jeff — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 18:58:49 +0000

Guests: Peter Cortner (Dag Nasty), Bevan McShea (The Phoenix Veil) and comedian Rachel Bensen!

Topics: Female Comedian Problems, Bobbleheads, Hobo Overkill, Comforters, Bad Roommates, Annoying Marathon Runners, Popcorn Cooking Tips, Cheap Trick, Fugazi, City Gardens, Punk Shows, First Punk Bands You Loved, Dinosaur Rock and Bands You’ll Always Go See.

Playlist: “Dag Nasty,” “Under Your Influence” and “All Ages Show” by Dag Nasty. “A Novel Idea” and “Fathers” by The Phoenix Veil.

Play Now: http://www.usedwigs.com/pod/podcast95.mp3

iTunes: Download, Listen and Subscribe

Links:

UsedWigs Radio Podcast 94: Tales of Survival with Nikki Walter and Dan Eastman

Jeff — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 15:24:56 +0000

Guests: Nikki Walter and Dan Eastman

Topics: “Wow, That Was Close!” Stories, Baby-Endangering Chandeliers, Child-Swallowing Moon Bounces, Teen-Tripping Canadian Ice, Knife-Wielding Beggars, Hitting Heads and Seeing Stars, Drinking After-Shave, Cold Springs Junkyards, Throwing Fireworks at Friends, Todd’s Real Last Name and Park-Bench-Crushing Beer Trucks!

Playlist: “Fall In” by Cloud Nothings and “Nothing to Worry About” by Peter Bjorn and John.

Play Now: http://www.usedwigs.com/pod/podcast94.mp3

iTunes: Download, Listen and Subscribe

Website: www.usedwigsradio.com

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5 Things Dave Hill Loves about Philly

Jeff — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 08:08:16 +0000

Originally posted 2/23/11, updated 1/7/12.

Remember when comedian Dave Hill came to Philly last February at Connie’s Ric Rac and the March before that at the World Cafe Live during the UsedWigs Live Show and blew the doors off? And remember how much your sides, belly and palms hurt from laughing and high-fiving your pals during Dave’s killer set? Yeah, that was crazy! Well guess what laugh lovers? Dave is coming back to Philly this Thursday, January 12th, at the Tin Angel because he loves this city so god-damned much. UsedWigs pals, ball-busting Nikki Walter and the always elegant Daniel Eastman, will also be performing. A few tickets are still available, get em now.

I asked Dave what are his five favorites things about Philly. Here are the top 5 of the 73 answers he supplied.

1. That really big mural of Dr. J on that one building:

I have never really followed basketball, but I still totally know who Dr. J is and I think it’s really great that there is a seriously large painting of him on the side of a building right there in your town where pretty much anybody can roll up on him any time they want and just say to themselves or whoever else is with them at the moment “Look — there’s Dr. J, the famous basketball player, a man we still talk about to this day. Talk about scoring points — he was great at it.” I also like that Dr. J is dressed in a cool suit in this mural. It’s like he’s just hanging out or something, instead of dressed up in one of his professional basketball outfits. This makes him seem more approachable to me, even though he is two stories high and if a person were ever really that big they could crush you without even thinking about it.

2. This one store I went to:

A couple years ago, I got dim sum (the popular Chinese brunch-like meal) with my friend Maria (who pretty much just bitched about how much she hated Chinese food the whole time. Whatever.) Afterward, we wandered around town and happened upon this one store that sold all sorts of cool stuff. The guy who ran the store told us there was a whorehouse next door, which made us giggle. Anyway, I can’t remember the name of the store, but it had a stuffed hyena in it. Odds are they are out of business by now as the hyena wasn’t for sale and you can’t exactly have a hyena in your store and not expect everyone to want to buy it a whole lot more than anything else you might be selling. Anyway, I did end up buying something else anyway, specifically a DVD of a French movie called “Don’t Deliver Us From Evil,” which is about a couple French schoolgirls who decided to align themselves with Satan instead of listening to the nuns at their school, who are total bitches. As you can probably imagine, that one pretty much writes itself. The nuns lez out, the two Satany girls kill some guy with a log, and they even set themselves on fire at the end. In short, it pretty much has everything. Run, don’t walk, to see this movie.

3. Terry Gross:

I like that Terry Gross, host of the popular “Fresh Air” public radio program, is living right there in your town. I’ve never met Terry (what I call her), but I love the idea that by coming to Philadelphia it suddenly becomes a possibility that I might run into her, cool glasses and all, in her natural habitat. And if that ever happened, I’d probably just say “Hey, Terry. You want to go get a sandwich or something?” Most people probably would have stopped at saying hello. Not me though — I swing for the fences.

4. A low tolerance for bullshit:

Whenever I step off the train and into the train station in Philadelphia (You know — the one featured in the hit movie “Witness” starring Kelly McGillis in the role of a lifetime and I think she takes her top off at one point) and then out into the streets of Philadelphia, one of the first things I am struck by is how much the people of Philadelphia pretty much have no time for bullshit. I wish I could say the same for the people of Baltimore. Those people are so crazy for bullshit it’s not even funny. Crab cakes at a baseball game? Bullshit. Get over yourselves, Baltimorians. Anyway, that shit and a lot of other shit would never fly in Philly because pretty much everyone there hates bullshit. And I love that they hate bullshit, because I hate bullshit too. When I come to Philadelphia this weekend, I hope to round up a bunch of Philadelphians and just stand around with them while giving the finger to bullshit in all its forms. It’s gonna be pretty great.

5. Non-cheesesteak food options:

A lot of people think cheesesteaks are the only food item available in Philadelphia. This is crazy. I’ve had all sorts of food here and it was delicious. And guess what- none of it was cheesesteaks. In fact, you know what? Fuck cheesesteaks- they are doing fine without me. Another thing is that Questlove lives in Philadelphia. He is a great drummer with great hair, which is great for him and a lot of other people. One time I played a show in Philadelphia with the Walter Schreifels Band at Chuck Treece’s rock club/arts facility place. Questlove was there and I was excited to tell everyone how Questlove was there but then he left. I have other stories. Not about Questlove, but stories in general.

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Come to Our “Fromage at L’etage” with Madame Fromage and Nikki Walter!

Jeff — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:08:37 +0000

Thanks to everyone who filled out comment cards after our past few shows. We really appreciate the feedback and we were not surprised at the top two suggestions. Number one was, as expected, “Please shut up!” and the number two most popular recommendation was, “Feed us delicious free cheese and have someone teach us about it while that vivacious Nikki Walter makes fun of you!”

Done and done and done! Join us this Tuesday at the mighty L’etage as we welcome Madame Fromage!

If you knock on her door, you will find a fridge full of whiffy morsels, from Ardrahan to Winnimere, and piles of cheese books on her coffee table. Madame Fromage loves the beauty of cheese, especially stinkers. She thinks they are as lovely as cherry blossoms, just in a different way. On weekends, she invites friends over for port and Stichelton, and sometimes things get rowdy.

Let’s Do This!!

Tuesday, November 15, 2011 – 8:00pm
L’etage
624 South 6th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147

Admission: FREE!

RSVP: Let us know if you are coming!

Past Shows!

UsedWigs Radio Podcast 89: Guest Jon Solomon

Jeff — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 12:35:49 +0000

Guest: Jon Solomon has been playing and promoting top-notch indie music for years on the mighty WPRB. He can be heard every Wednesday night from 7:00 – 10:00 pm ET. Listen at wprb.com!

Topics: Pumpkin Chucking, Russ “Fireballer” Starke, Fruit Slingshots, Halloween Superstores, Gig Posters, Jon’s 24-Hour Holiday Radio Show, Lenny & Squiggy, Ric Flair, The Misfits, Big Efforts to See a Band, Merch Tables, Owning a Record Label, Long Songs, Bands Reuniting, Digital Downloads, Jam Bands, Top Scary Movies, Drive-Ins, Bad Date Movies, Benjamin Linus and BBC’s Sherlock!

Teaser: “What’s your noodle song, Jon?”

Audio Note: We used a new audio rig and had a little sound problem, you might need to pump up the volume a bit. Sorry!

Playlist: “Drawn Down the Moon” by Edsel, “Under Heavy Manners” by Dissociates

Play Now: http://www.usedwigs.com/pod/podcast89.mp3

iTunes: Download, Listen and Subscribe

Facebook: JOIN our New Facebook Page! It’s so in your face!

Giveaway: Thanks to our friends at Quirk Books for the super cool “Gig Posters Volume 2″ book by Clay Hayes we gave away to a lucky audience member.

Support Back on My Feet

Jeff — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 18:39:14 +0000

Hi, just a little break from the normal nonsense. I’m raising money for Back on My Feet (BoMF) again this year. BoMF is a great nonprofit that…

“… promotes the self-sufficiency of those experiencing homelessness by engaging them in running as a means to build confidence, strength and self-esteem… it enables members to move towards self-sufficiency through educational and job training opportunities.”

Tomorrow, July 16th, I will be participating in 20in24 Challenge and I will see how many 8.4-mile laps I can run around Philly’s Schuylkill River Loop in 24 hours (shooting for 5-6 laps). The race I’m doing is called the Lone Ranger, and yes, I will definitely be wearing a mask and holster… but no horse, that would be cheating.

If you help out with a little donation ($5, $10, anything at all) I promise to high-five the Rocky Statue for you every time I run by it. I’d really appreciate the support and so would Back on My Feet.

Thanks! Jeff

DONATE

Dave Hill and Nikki Walter Join UsedWigs Radio Live at L’etage on June 21st!

Jeff — Tue, 24 May 2011 14:37:17 +0000

Breaking News! Super special guests Dave Hill and Nikki Walter will be joining the fun!

8:30pm – June 21st – L’etage – No Cover!

That’s right kids, we’re back in action at Philly’s most fancy crepe-slinging venue L’etage! Starting on Summer’s birthday (June 21st!), we’ll fire up the microphones and the t-shirt cannon at this handsomely-appointed eatery to record our beloved podcast.

We’ll do it once a month. Each show will have super special guests, some who tell jokes, some who sing songs and others that dance with the devil (I have no idea what that means). So please join us and enjoy us, delicious food, both cheap and expensive beer, and maybe the most comfortable seating (since Fred’s Beanbag Chair Lounge) that your ass has ever had the pleasure to plop itself in!

Oh, by the way, this is a very romantic spot, perfect for making out! So bring your lover or brush your teeth in case you meet a lover during the show. Maybe Ed Lover? Or an Easy Lover, Philip Bailey is the co-owner of this joint (lie!).

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Join Us Tuesday for StorySlam at L’Etage in Philly!

Jeff — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 15:06:23 +0000

See ya Tuesday for crepes, cocktails and some fine performances. From Todd:

Join Team UsedWigs as we welcome DC correspondent, SM Shrake, back to the Philadelphia stage to host a very special Holiday installment of StorySlam. I can’t think of a better way to usher out the old year.

Tuesday, December 28, 8:30 – 10:30 PM
L’Etage
624 South 6th St. Philadelphia, PA

What is StorySlam? That’s easy:

Winner of “Best in Philly,” First Person StorySlams are monthly, real-life-storytelling competitions held at World Cafe Live and L’Etage in Philadelphia. Each month’s theme elicits stories that come from the life experiences of Philly’s storytellers. Who are these local tale spinners? Everyone with a story and a little sense of competition is encouraged to participate – that means YOU!

Enjoy this fun interview with Scott Shrake by Natalie Hope McDonald!

UsedWigs Radio Podcast 83: Todd Ruins Christmas for Children, Quality Moccasins and More Holiday Cheer!

Jeff — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 03:45:10 +0000

Topics: Advent Calendars, Holiday Parties, The Biggest Sammy Hagar Fan in The World, Joe Walsh, Favorite and Least Favorite Christmas Songs, Rather Have a Human Virus or Computer Virus?, Russ’s Moccasins, Anyone Can Play Bass, Shopping with Golems, Robert DeNiro, SNL, The Camera Work of Lawrence Welk and Crepes!

Preview:

“Wasn’t Bing Crosby racist? Yes, his song was originally called ‘White Power Christmas’”
“How many hours would it take me to learn bass?”

Playlist: Summer Camp, Freebass, Slow Club and Duvall

Play Now: http://www.usedwigs.com/pod/podcast83.mp3

iTunes: Download, Listen and Subscribe

Podcast Website: www.usedwigsradio.com

Podcast Video: http://www.ustream.tv

“How Do You Know” Trailer

Jeff — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 15:53:26 +0000

Hey Philly, remember last year when that big old Hollywood movie was filming here and we were mildly excited to stalk see Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Jack Nicholson and that Wilson brothers (Mookie, I believe)? And remember no one really knew what the film was about? Well, sadly, now we know.

It’s about good-looking, bland white people being bland and white. Two guys, one cupcake. Who will she pick? I’m guessing one of them. I don’t think we care. Hopefully Rudd’s reliable humor and Reese’s reliable chin will keep us entertained while we watch and say, “Hey, there’s that swanky place in Philly we never go to” and “Yeah, she is kind of looking more and more like Amy Poehler.”

One thing I know for sure, it won’t be the greatest WitherRudd film ever. Because this exists:

“They’ve got 24 hours to stop a package, prevent a disaster,
and fall in love.”

Spoiler Alert: They did not stop the package and both died before they fell in love. The package contained extra-large, face-eating fire ants.