Author: Rosa Cartagena

A Philly punk soundtrack for a stoner comedy

It’s a good month to be Mannequin Pussy.

Last week, the Philly band played its biggest ever hometown show as the first act at the Foo Fighters’ “Take Cover” tour at Lincoln Financial Field. Dressed in Eagles green, the band commanded attention, with singer Marisa Dabice stripping down to a T-shirt with a meme of Family Guy’s Peter Griffin proclaiming: “I will die for my country Philadelphia.”

Now, the band is also featured prominently in The Wrong Girls, the frequently hilarious new stoner comedy starring Kristen Stewart and Alia Shawkat. It’s written and directed by Stewart’s wife, Dylan Meyer, and the loaded cast includes LaKeith Stanfield, Kate McKinnon, Zack Fox, with Seth Rogen and Kumail Nanjiani voicing a pair of cats.

In The Wrong Girls, the plot turns on a mistaken identity encounter that Stewart’s delivery driver/secret genius character Frankie has at a Mannequin Pussy show.

Just as they did onstage at the Linc, the band makes the most of its screen time, turning in ripping versions of “Patience” and “I Got Heaven,” the title track from the 2024 album that the band, who opened for Florence + the Machine this year and was featured in a NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert, continues to support on the road.

They play European dates this month and will rejoin the Foos in North Dakota and Canada in September.

Besides Mannequin Pussy, The Wrong Girls, which is playing at area theaters, also features a Philly-connected garage-punk soundtrack that reflect Meyer’s excellent taste. The opening credits song is “What You Want” by Philly’s Sheer Mag, the score is by Ty Segall, and songs are heard by Tacocat and Slutever, the 2010s L.A. punk led by Philly natives Nicole Snyder and Rachel Gagliardi.

Mannequin Pussy is playing the First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St., Oct. 28, r5productions.com.

— Dan DeLuca

The largest mobile in the world

When Calder Gardens opened nearly a year ago and the spotlight was on the pioneer of the mobile, Calder fans were unable to see the artist’s largest contribution to the genre. That’s because public access to White Cascade in the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia was closed off for a year during an exhibit renovation in the atrium.

In June, though, the Philadelphia Fed reopened access to the piece, one of Alexander “Sandy” Calder’s last before his death in 1976.

You do wish it were a little more accessible. The piece is hung quite high, so you have to try a few spots to fully appreciate it. Employees looking into the atrium from areas not open to the public probably have the better view.

Still, one overcast morning this week, its lithe, hypnotic presence belied the superlative statistics. White Cascade is not only Calder’s largest piece — it is 100 feet tall, and weighs almost 10 tons — it is often cited as the largest mobile in the world.

And yet, it has a way of disappearing.

“We get folks who stop and look up at it,” said Todd Zartman, the Philadelphia Fed’s economic education manager, “and then other folks, they might work here two or three weeks and they’ll walk right under it and not realize what it is until someone points it out to them.”

What might not be obvious to either kind of viewer is that the mobile isn’t static. It’s hung from a motor that rotates the entire work at a very slow — though adjustable — speed.

“It’s been at this speed for quite a while, as long as I can remember, but I know it has been quicker at times,” said Zartman.

The gradual journey, which takes about 45 minutes per cycle, adds to the arresting effect. White Cascade moves so slowly, you can find yourself standing there for a while trying to prove to yourself that it does move.

If there’s any larger meaning to the piece, it’s up to the individual viewer to find it.

“The economy is constantly moving, it’s also not static, so I often tell people it kind of fits well here,” said Zartman.

“To most people who look at a mobile,” Calder once said, “it’s no more than a series of flat objects that move. To a few, though, it may be poetry.”

The artist might have appreciated the response of one visitor.

“I had a young girl who said it reminds her of the wintertime, of snowflakes coming down,” said Zartman, “and I thought about that, and I was like, ‘That’s kind of relaxing.’”

“White Cascade” can be seen at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, 10 Independence Mall (Sixth St. between Arch and Race), Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is free.

— Peter Dobrin

Lit snakes, foxes, flowers, and butterflies

I played tourist last weekend as my parents were visiting and finally made my way to Franklin Square for the annual Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival. Unlike the weather in recent nights, it was a perfect evening to stroll through the wow-worthy sculptures of steel and silk.

At points, I felt like I was walking around an animatronic zoo as a giant bear scooped up salmon and raccoons played around. (I could skip the ones that talked.) Artisans from Zigong, China, created rows of flowers and families of animals like tigers, horses, and otters that completely take over the park. The central fountain is dotted with lit-up lily pads and dazzling swans while nearby there’s an entire jungle habitat with monkeys, birds, butterflies, an elephant, and a sassy snake whose automated mouth opens like a greeting.

The welcome arch features an array of traditional lanterns with multicolored silk and cool graphics that make for an excellent photo op as does the massive dragon that takes up nearly an entire block.

The shining star of the night for me was the stunning fox from the persimmon tree display meant to express “blessings of happiness, harmony, and success in the year ahead.” It lounged in front of the bright red fruit tree with a Mona Lisa smile, its mostly white fur illuminated by rainbow lights along its body and bushy, multilayered tail.

This diva deserves its own animated movie because its presence was pure magic.

The Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival runs through Aug. 30.

— Rosa Cartagena

A wooder ice perfume for your pulse points

With top notes of Italian lemon, sweet orange, and bergamot, perfumer Alex Rodriguez’s latest fragrance, Wooder Ice, smells exactly like lemon water ice, a favorite Philly sugary-sweet summertime treat.

But the perfume’s black currant middle notes and cedar wood and vanilla base gives it a musky vibe turning the warm weather-inspired scent into one that boasts sultry fall redolence.

And I love it, surprising even myself. I’m not a fan of florals or citrus scents but warm amber and musk notes ground me in reality. A few sprays of RDZ Parfum’s Wooder Ice on my pulse points lit up my summertime glow. Yet, I could see myself cozying up by the fireplace in the wintertime with Wooder Ice wafting in the background.

That’s the point, said Rodriguez, who released RDZ’s 15th perfume Friday.

“This is a lemon vanilla gelato,” Rodriguez said. “I want people to take their summer memories into the cold, winter months.”

Rodriguez, the 40-year-old founder and creative director of RDZ Parfum, was born in Camden and spent his preschool years in Puerto Rico before moving back to live in South Jersey and North Philadelphia. He now lives in Pottstown.

He launched his prestige perfume collection in 2023 to make scents that celebrate his Puerto Rican heritage and Philly-area upbringing. Leyenda 21, his first scent is a salute to Pittsburgh Pirates’ rightfielder Roberto Clemente — one of the first Puerto Ricans to play in the MLB. RDZ’s Art Museum scent, infused with palo santo, is an olfactory nod to the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

But wait a minute. If Wooder Ice is an ode to Philadelphia, shouldn’t the first scent be cherry?

He kind of already did that.

Two years ago, Rodriguez released Philadelphia.

In addition to geranium, rose, and grass notes in honor of Longwood Gardens and Fairmount Park and salty hints for the soft pretzel, Philadelphia had a very cherry vibe.

Rodriguez decided to center lemon as the first in his Wooder Ice grouping because it’s his favorite flavor, reminding him of the days when he would frequent Rita’s Ice on South Jackson Street in Camden. “It was just so refreshing,” he said, adding that he’d like to expand Wooder Ice to center other flavors like cherry, grape, and mango.

“RDZ is about my landscapes, my memories, my culture, and my background,” he said. “Wooder Ice is an extension of that.”

Wooder Ice is $160 for a 100 ml bottle. It is available at Perfumology, 25 N. Third St. and on RDZParfums.com

— Elizabeth Wellington

The return of Isaiah Rashad

The past five years for Tennessee-born rapper Isaiah Rashad haven’t been quite as blissful. In fact, by the emcee’s own account, it’s been pretty awful.

In February 2022, an alleged sex tape involving Rashad was leaked on social media, prompting the introverted artist to address his sexual fluidity in media interviews. His bouts of alcoholism, substance abuse, and family drama only added to the descent, which led to a five-year stretch of inactivity.

That was until Rashad released It’s Been Awful in May. It’s an album unveiling his thoughts at the height of the descension, and the journey he’s undertaken to climb out of it.

His performance on Thursday started on shaky ground. He opened the show to “The New Sublime” and dropped the mic while leaping from one platform to the other. The crowd recited his lyrics as Rashad, smiling from the embarrassment, walked around to find a quick fix.

Right before the final verse, someone from backstage handed him a fresh mic, and he reverted into rap mode without missing a step.

Despite the technical missteps and Rashad’s irritated vocal chords, it was incredible seeing him fight through it all to perform records like “Free Lunch,” “4r Da Squaw,” “Heavenly Father,” and other records that span his decade-long career.

But no track was more symbolic than “The New Sublime,” an especially breezy song that signals his personal ills, and the ones shared among those closest to him. Even with everything he has been through, Rashad calls for prayer and self-reflection to keep his mind at ease. Like the contrast of the song’s lyrics and instrumental, it’s chaos contained.

That level of resilience, even in conditions as awful as this one, is why Rashad is considered a high-caliber artist. And why I walked away from his performance feeling like I not only “found” the real Isaiah Rashad, I understood him deeper as a man and artist.

It’s Been Awful is available on all music platforms.

— Earl Hopkins

Lady Alma’s newest Philly anthem

The career of Philly house music singer Alma Hornton — who performs as Lady Alma — stretches back to the 1990s, when she was a featured vocalist at the now “Back 2 Basics” nights at Silk City Lounge and gave voice to projects like King Britt’s soulful “Sylk 130″ and British electronic duo 4Hero.

Hornton had put music aside in the 2010s until a video of a fan dancing to her song “Let It Fall” went viral on Facebook, reviving a career that has gained momentum since, including her 2023 duet with the Eagles’ Jordan Mailata on “Merry Christmas, Baby.”

Now, she is a natural fit for the ongoing “Philly Anthems” project, an initiative of WXPN-FM (88.5) with support from the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage. Her song “Liberty” is the fourth to be heard from the project, which also includes “Better Times” by Eric Bazilian, “America the Beautiful” by the War on Drugs’ multi-instrumentalist Eliza Hardy Jones, and “Freedom” by XPN 24 Hour Song Challenge winners the Flying Vees.

The “Philly Anthems” concept is to give Philadelphia artists “the opportunity to reflect on themes in the Declaration of Independence that resonate today through original music,” according to XPN station manager Roger LaMay.

Hornton does just that in a pulsating dance track that’s a collaboration with esteemed old-school hip-hop producer Marley Marl and 88 Fingerz. “Need some answers for the madness” she sings over a house music groove that aims to find catharsis on the dance floor, “Seeing hope through the sadness.”

In a statement, Hornton describes “Liberty” as “a song that offers an honest perspective on what the world needs right now. The song carries a sense of joy. Embrace the message and find light in the darkness. Celebrate unity, love and the belief that one day we will truly have liberty and justice for all.”

The coming weeks will bring new “Philly Anthems” by Christian McBride and Devon Gilfillian, plus up-and-coming acts Grace Gardner, Black Buttafly, the Bul Bey, J.R. Everhart, Sug Daniels, and Moustapha Noumbissi. A 12-song album will be released timed to Record Store Day in April 2027.

— Dan DeLuca

An arty house in Queen Village

There’s a storied house in Queen Village that holds many names: Lego House, Clock-Tower House, Art Deco House, Mondrian (after Dutch painter Piet Mondrian) House. In a city full of architectural gems, it’s one of my favorites.

The marvelous corner building is dotted with color, featuring a cornice of red, yellow, and blue bricks — evoking Mondrian’s signature style — and a clock on the roof. A small statue of a little girl with yellow hair and a blue skirt is hidden among the lush flowers growing in containers in front of the house. The home dates back more than 100 years and once served as a deli before an architect in the 1980s transformed it into this visual landmark.

As striking as the home is on the outside, there’s now a rare chance for curious Philadelphians to get a peek inside, where the artistry continues with boldly colored staircases and decor. The house was sold earlier this summer and the doors are now open for an antique sale this weekend where you can explore the legendary home and find possible treasures within.

The antique sale runs through Aug. 16, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. 514 Fitzwater St., Phila.

— Rosa Cartagena

Jon Batiste’s ‘Black Mozart’ is a balm for the current times

Alas, we didn’t get Jon Batiste in person this week. The pianist, bandleader, and TV personality no doubt disappointed many when, citing “personal circumstances,” he canceled Friday night’s scheduled appearance at the Highmark Mann Center.

He “truly can’t wait to come back and perform for you soon,” Batiste assured fans in a message posted on the Highmark Mann website.

But Friday did bring us Jon Batiste all the same, via the release of Black Mozart. The new recording finds the musician at the keyboard alone in a jazzy, gospel-y, contemplative (though still energetic) mood. Using Mozart tunes as the departure point, he develops the material liberally — harmonically, rhythmically, sliding back and forth across the centuries and genres, and doing so in a natural, fluid way.

With 10 tracks totaling 35 minutes, Black Mozart’s source material is a Mozart piano sonata, a piano concerto, the Symphony No. 40, and other works. Batiste, who has two degrees from the Juilliard School, is at his best when he gets creative with the 18th-century composer.

Gospel Andante uses the slow movement of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major, K. 467 as a framework. But it’s when the power of gospel asserts itself — where the genre line really blurs — that the music lifts off into another emotional dimension.

There is nothing revolutionary about Black Mozart. Performers and composers have blended classical with jazz and other genres for decades. Batiste himself covered similar ground with his 2024 release, Beethoven Blues. But if Beethoven was a generally dramatic and soulful impetus, the quieter moments of Mozart transformed by Batiste are the appeal here. These are the easygoing pleasures that might be the counterprogramming you need in the current atmosphere.

“Black Mozart” is available across all music platforms.

— Peter Dobrin

A road trip featuring Goofy and Max

Odyssey this, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, that.

What about the cinematic brilliance that is Disney’s 1995 classic, A Goofy Movie?

The Philadelphia Film Society and Another Corner — a South Street novelty shop devoted to books, photography, coffee, and other specialties — are screening the movie next week for one night only.

It’s part of the Film Society’s series on road trips and Another Corner’s hobby of the month focusing on “movie loving.” Shop owner Lee Frank will say a few words at the beginning and there will be zines and other film buff collectibles on hand.

The movie, which is 31 years old (sorry millennials, I know that hurts!), focuses on Goofy and his son, Max, reconnecting as they head to a concert. They’re on their way to see the iconic fictional band, Powerline, featuring a “Michael Jackson-styled canine,” as described in the Miami Herald’s original review.

The Herald review praised the film, adding that “this fast-paced movie has enough colorful characters and rollicking gags to keep the tykes from getting bored.”

“A Goofy Movie” plays Aug. 20 at the Philadelphia Film Society Center, 1412 Chestnut St. Tickets are $16 and available on the Film Society’s website.

— Emily Bloch

Teeny tiny art in Queen Village

I’ve visited At My House a couple of times, scouring the aisles for quirky vintage pieces, loving the eclectic vibe of the store even when I didn’t buy anything. So I was not surprised to see them hosting what is possibly the most whimsical art show I’ve ever been to, displaying art about the size of a postage stamp.

The Queen Village clothing and homewares store is run by Kelly Braun who, in collaboration with artist Fabiola Lara, started the mini art show last year. They invited artists to create art that was 3 inches x 3 inches, so this year, it had to be even more silly, cutting it in half to 1.5 inches x 1.5 inches.

The opening reception for the show was absolutely buzzing, with people grabbing cocktails and lining up around the store to view the wall of tiny pieces. There was tiny clothing, houses, rooms, closets, and classic art pieces — those were made by Lara, who is no stranger to mini art.

You may have come across her mini art vending machines, of which there are 13 around the city.

After visiting several major museums with grandiose pieces, I never thought I would see people get the most excited over art that can fit in the palm of their hands. But there was an infectious energy and a sense of joy at At My House.

In a world where large-scale exhibits are so heavily celebrated, getting giddy over comically tiny art felt like a therapeutic break from artistic snobbery.

“The Mini Mini Art Show” is on display through Aug. 2 at At My House, 760 S. Fourth St., Philadelphia. atmyhou.se

— Morgan Ritter

Harmony-happy Hurry is back with ‘Zoned Out’

Matthew Scottoline is Zoned Out. That’s the title of the transporting new album by Hurry, the jangly Philadelphia band that has been his creative outlet since 2012, when Scottoline — previously the bassist in Philly emo band Everyone Everywhere, stepped out as leader of his own power-pop project.

Now six albums in, Scottoline continues to refine the harmony-happy Hurry approach, where longing and yearning and experiencing a bittersweet melancholy is elevated to an art form.

In his notes to the album — which began as home recordings on cassette and was completed at the Metal Shop in East Kensington — explains that the dreamy, hypnotic song that gives the collection its name came about because “I tend to disassociate. I zone out and sort of crawl into my own head.”

In this case, that dissociating is a result of facing life changes — the end of one relationship, the beginning of another, and the decision to become a parent — “and how [expletive] scary that is,” as Scottoline puts it in his notes.

But while that tension exists as an undercurrent, Scottoline’s knack for breezy, cascading melodies mean that Zoned Out is always riding a pleasurable, reassuring wave. The album — which features a cameo from Gerard Love of Scottish power-pop heroes Teenage Fanclub — conveys a sense that any conflicts or “Complications” that may arise will ultimately resolve themselves, just as the melodies do on this seriously catchy set of 10 songs.

Hurry will perform for free Aug. 1 at Main Street Music, 4444 Main St. in Manayunk with Planette Automatic, mainstreetmusicpa.com. After heading to England and Scotland for a short tour, the band will be back in town at Philly Typewriter, 1735 Passyunk Ave., with Chime School and Te Vista on Aug. 22. r5productions.com.

— Dan DeLuca

Saved by Mary Oliver

Before Mary Oliver’s poems became the stuff of Instagram inspiration posts, she was the patron saint of college girls discovering love and nature for the first time. I was 16 when I read “Wild Geese,” almost crying at the lines: “You do not have to be good. / You do not have to walk on your knees / for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.”

In the years since, I have met so many women in love with her words: a former coworker had a tattoo of her lines, a friend will often quote from Oliver’s “The Summer Day” from memory just to describe her joy of being in a beach on a day so hot that the water shimmers as it evaporates in the horizon.

Oliver, who lived with her partner, Molly Malone Cook, in Provincetown for several years, is also a queer icon whose words never fail to soothe a soul in need of a reminder of the love and tenderness in this world.

Now, a documentary on her life and career — featuring readings of her poems by the likes of Helena Bonham Carter and Oprah Winfrey — celebrates the poet who died in 2019. Peppered with poetry, remembrances, interviews, photos, and notebook pages, Sasha Waters’ Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World is a treat to those who love Mary Oliver and those who are waiting to start.

“Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World” plays July 31-Aug. 6, at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute, 824 W. Lancaster Ave., Bryn Mawr. brynmawrfilm.org

— Bedatri D. Choudhury

Steven Lagos’ Philly pride at Rockefeller Center

Philly master jeweler Steven Lagos’ flag blows along the perimeter of Rockefeller Center with graphic images of a cracked bell, 13 stars, and red-and-white striped detail. At first glance, it does not look much different than other art shouting out Philly’s history.

Then, I noticed Lagos’ golden caviar bead ribbon dancing in the center of the red, white, and blue canvas and thought this is special in a Lagos loves Philly kind of way.

Those caviar beads are Lagos’ trademark, a part of the design dictionary of Philadelphia, where Lagos has lived and worked for more than 50 years. It’s amazing to see him continuing to integrate Philly in his work.

Lagos’ flag is among 130 featured in the “United Flags of Fashion,” a joint project between the Council of Fashion Designers of America, Vogue, Rockefeller Center, and America 250 to honor the country’s milestone birthday. CFDA describes the project as a “sweeping tribute to American creativity, identity, and design.”

Other household-name fashion brands with flags flying high are Tommy Hilfiger, Vera Wang, Calvin Klein, Gap, and Kenneth Cole. Bucks County-born Thom Browne’s flag is steely gray flag and features a crest; Main Line-bred Tory Burch’s red, white, and blue flag also showcases a Liberty Bell, but her image hovers over the words virtue, liberty, and independence. These Pennsylvania makers are full mast.

While those designers proudly say they are from the Philly area, Lagos — whose red and white stripes represent the columns at the Philadelphia Museum of Art — stayed in Philly. His flagship business is on Philly’s toniest street and, as evidenced in his Rockefeller Center banner, Lagos reps Philly in everything he does.

The flags will fly at Rockefeller Center through Sept. 4.

— Elizabeth Wellington

God bless you please, Michelle Buteau

It’s hard to say goodbye to one of my favorite shows, but the third and final season of Survival of the Thickest felt like a fitting ending for Michelle Buteau’s witty comedy. She plays Mavis, an aspiring fashion designer who wants to make clothes that fit all body types — thick girls, genderqueer folks, and anyone else who thrives outside of the fashion world’s narrow beauty standards.

In this season, (part-time) Delaware County resident Wanda Sykes joins the cast as Mavis’ fertility doctor and she’s a cool-headed, hilarious scene partner who deflates her patient’s babbling anxiety with well-timed precision.

The show remains funny, warm, and sassy, but the emotions reach new depths as Mavis experiences a miscarriage and struggles in her recovery. Nothing keeps her down for long though, and it’s such a comfort to see Mavis get back up. It’s an uplifting and heartwarming story that could help any viewer overcome summertime (or other time) sadness.

“Survival of the Thickest” streams on Netflix.

— Rosa Cartagena