Details on the whole fiasco are here.
Details on the market:
Sunday February 1st 2009 10:00am to 4:30pm
At The Electric Factory (7th and Willow Sts – Center City – Philly)
All Ages / 21+ To Drink / $3 Entry Donation /

I don’t know – maybe you can find some cool Valentine’s gifts there! Or just a little something for yourself to enjoy during the winter cold!

1. Not so sure if it’s always this close to the holidays, but the Punk Rock Flea Market is on Saturday, from 10-5. $3 donation. The Starlight Ballroom: 460 N. 9th St.

Records, crafts, clothes, toys, furniture, food, etc!

2. 2nd Street Shopping Spree: Shop at 3 stores and receive subsequent discounts at each. The stores are: Art Star (623 N. 2nd), Conspiracy Showroom (910 N. 2nd), and Arcadia (819 N. 2nd). When you shop at the first, you get a 10% discount and coupon for 15% off the 2nd store, then at the 2nd store, you get a coupon for 20% off at the third.

In that spirit, here are two more craft fairs I know of this coming weekend. I’m sure there are more! Add on, if you like:

Shop, Rock & Roll: Girls Rock Philly and Mew Gallery present their combo craft sale at the Old Pine Community Center (401 Lombard) on Saturday, December 13, 2-6 p.m. Bands included. Sliding donation of $5-10.

The New Studio Holiday Bazaar: The New Studio (1241 Carpenter St., 3rd floor) has a fair selling gifts & goodies for mind, body, & spirit. Snacks. Friday, December 12, 7-10 p.m. and Saturday, December 13, 1-5 p.m.

Enjoy!

Don’t mention the war…I think I did it once..but I got away with it..”

Yeah, “The Germans” is my favorite episode of “Fawlty Towers“. Which reminds me – My awesome new friend and I checked out the 1st ever Christmas Village at City Hall on Tuesday. Now I’m REALLY angry that my new computer isn’t here yet – because I took some rockin’ photos of some hilarious stuff I found.

I’ll tell ya about it, any way.

It’s the first annual Christmas Village in Philadelphia and it’s running 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily through Christmas Eve at Dilworth Plaza. Admission is free.

There are lots of cool little stations dressed up like snowy houses all throughout the plaza. A couple of crepe and waffle stands, a place that sells doggy treats, and all sorts of little places to get Christmas decorations inspired by all different cultures throughout the world. Plus, Santa Claus is there (He is! We saw him coming out of the Port-O-Let!) – you can even get him to take a picture with your pet on Mondays. They also have a place for K-9 Christmas treats – including tins shaped like fire hydrants full of organic doggie goodies.

The place is kind of hilarious, though, because it’s being run by a company called “German American Marketing”. They own something called “Kathe Wohlfahrt“, according to a little catalog I picked up – which has one of the bigger “houses” there. I just think it’s hilarious because there’s some odd ornaments they’re selling there – like parrot ornaments, Santa Claus carrying a shotgun and a dead rabbit, Santa Claus with a baby alien, and, yes, a small ornament of Satan (which we tried to find a Nativity scene to insert into but no such luck at the time).

Also, things always sound harsher in German, no matter how nice of statements they are. The catalog implores you to “EINFACH ONLINE EINKAUFEN!” (Yes, shop at home online!)

Tons of cool stuff there (a place with candles including a scented candle called “Fresh Laundry”!) and I recomend everyone taking a stroll around the place – preferably with a hot chick from Northeast Philly, but that’s your call. Considering I just heard the country had the worst November in sales since 1969 – maybe get out there and drop $4 on a glass menagerie of somehow-related-to-Christmas roosters and get that economy bustling again.

After all of that Christmas joy and spirit, we headed over to The Mutter Museum. `Cause nothing says Christmas like a 40 pound colon tumor.

- AP

1. The University City Arts League Craft Show and Sale Party & Opening, Dec. 6, 5-8 pm.
Sale runs through Dec.19!
Hours: Monday-Friday 4-9pm; Saturday & Sunday noon-6pm.
4226 Spruce St., Philadelphia, PA 19104
Ph: (215) 382-7811
www.ucartsleague.org

2. Made in Philly Craft Fair @ Studio 34, featuring over 40 local craft folk and artisans.
Sponsored by Studio 34 & Vix Emporium.
Sunday, Dec. 7, 1-7 pm
4522 Baltimore Avenue
215-387-3434
www.studio34yoga.com

Larry Robin – owner, Robin’s Books and, for the last god-damned time NOTSanta Claus, kids

Robin’s Books, the last vanguard of independent bookstores, is closing its doors on January 31st, says the Philadelphia Inquirer:

The death notice appears in the front window of Robin’s Bookstore in Center City, sandwiched between Chopin – A Life and Our Dumb World.

Sales dipping as much as 15 percent in recent months, his salary not even $30,000, Robin said his beloved business had gone “from bad bearable to bad unbearable.”

Sadly, this is the way things are gonna go for a lot of local businesses. That’s why I’ve always tried to support local shopkeeps when I can – although it can be tough when they can’t afford to not mark-up their prices like bigger chain stores can. You just don’t get that same feeling at the malls or in a shopping center as you do when you walk into a small shop and are greeted and treated like the most important person in the room.

I hate going to the mall or a shopping center and getting the fake, trying-to-hard niceties like they’re churning out over at the Barnes & Noble at the Concord Mall in Delaware. Like the dude who kept calling me Chase Utley every 5 seconds. Fine. I get it. I’m wearing a Chase Utley jersey. No, I’m not getting ready for batting practice, just trying to find a marked-down copy of “Godless“. Ha ha, yeah, that’s funny, I’m not wearing my World Series ring. Find my damn MGMT CD so I can get out of here, please! UGH! I’ll just go to a less-annoying store.

And don’t even get me started on the always-disinterested/working-hard-enough-not-to-get-fired/probably-went-to-Chichester-with-me employee types. Ya know, the kinds that act like you’re completely ruining your day when you need them to look up something in the computer.

Local spots, mom `n pops..they’re rockin’. Especially because, 9 times out of 10, the person giving you attention is also the store’s head accountant and CEO. So, you have a higher percentage of having an enjoyable shopping/browsing/looky-loo experience and a lower percentage of douchebaggery.

So go out and support a local business! Especially when the end result could be the demise of a long-time staple of Philadelphia and its subsequent new found identity:

Cafe. Stage. Readings. Intellectual content.

*shivers in disgust* Take that sh*t to Manayunk.

Philly – go out and get some cheap books while you can!

Robin’s Bookstore

108 S 13th St
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 567-2615

http://www.robinsbookstore.com/

- AP

Maybe it’s the Curse of Riccardo Muti or Eugene Ormandy?

Don’t fret, woodwinds. None of the other cities listed in the Top 20 won the World Series this year.

Suck on those fermatas, Vienna.

- AP

Friends of the Free Library have posted about several meetings and rallies to help save the library, and will be holding a press conference at 12 noon on Monday (November 17) in front of the Haddington Library branch. The website also lists steps you can take if you would like to participate or donate.

The Kingsessing branch has started its own blog, Save Kingsessing Library! They are holding their own rally tomorrow, rain or shine, at 2 p.m. in the meeting room.

More news as it develops!

Henry Owings-author of The Rock Bible and publisher of Chunklet magazine-will be in Philly doing an in-store event at AKA Music in Old City (27 N. 2nd St.) on Sunday, November 9 at 3 p.m.

Henry will be discussing how The Rock Bible was conceived and created, and of course, the dos and don’ts of rock ‘n’ roll. He’ll then open up the floor to a Q&A followed by a signing.

Keep reading for more info. on the book!

CHUNKLET presents:
Henry Owings’ The Rock Bible: Unholy Scriptures for Fans & Bands
Price: $15.95
ISBN: 9781594742699
Publication Date: October 2008 (Quirk Books)

The Rock Bible is the word on rock music and its cultural lifestyle from an insider’s perspective. Featuring chapters on The Gospel According to the Drummer, Guitar Players, the Singer, the Keyboardist, the Band, the Crew, the Fan, and The Book of Revelation, The Rock Bible lays down the all-too-true and often too-funny laws of what it’s like to, as they say, “live the life.” A collection of rock rules and witty observations sometimes rudely and/or raunchily delivered from the folks who know best (tour managers, tour promoters, musicians, fans of editor/author Henry Owings’
Chunklet magazine and Owings himself), The Rock Bible is a must-have for anyone who has ever been curious about, a fan of, or part of the music universe. Plus, it has faux-biblical illustrations, parables and essays from comedian Patton Oswalt, drummer Brian Teasely, and professional smartass Andrew Earles.

The Rock Bible on song lyrics: “Nobody is impressed with Charles Bukowski references in your lyrics. You, like every literate person, should have stopped reading Bukowski by age 20 . . . along with Burroughs, Kerouac, and, if you happen to be female, Sylvia Plath.”

The Rock Bible on drummers: “Drummers should never piss off their girlfriends. It’s the best way for them to end up homeless.”

The Rock Bible on touring: “The worst toilet paper in America is always better than the best toilet paper in Europe. It’s best to bring your own, especially to Germany.”

The Rock Bible on backstage antics: “From the second they were delivered, backstage couches at rock clubs are never cleaned. Think of the crazy things that have been done on or near these couches and then proceed at great personal risk.”

About author/editor Henry Owings: Henry is the publisher of the widely recognized Chunklet Magazine based in Georgia. He was in Entertainment Weekly’s “It List” for his confrontational “100 Biggest Assholes In Rock” issue and has been taken to court by Mad Magazine for his similarly parodied issue. The Overrated Book, Henry’s first foray into book publishing, came out a couple years ago. Mostly under the Chunklet moniker, he has been a concert promoter since the late 80’s and has put on over 1,000 shows in his career. Through show promotion and the magazine, Henry went on tour with Bob Odenkirk and David Cross’s Mr. Show comedy tour, and has subsequently worked very closely with the Comedians of Comedy tour, which has criss-crossed the country for the past four years and filmed specials on Comedy Central and Netflix. In addition, he’s produced six comedy releases for Patton Oswalt (Pixar’s Ratatouille) and was instrumental in getting Oswalt signed to Sub Pop last spring. Henry has recorded releases for The Oblivians and The Black Lips and has released records on his own label by The Olivia Tremor Control, Elf Power, Harvey Milk and Man or Astroman?. Finally, just to keep busy, Henry is also a full-time Grammy-nominated art director who has done graphic design work for such diverse artists as John Cale (Velvet Underground), Captain Beefheart and Charley Patton, and has also done book design for Mr. Show and political cartoonist/ columnist Ted Rall. In his spare time, Henry plays Whirlyball and does nothing else except sleep. Henry resides in Atlanta, Georgia with his wife Sarah and dogs Bun and Dave. The Rock Bible is his second book.