The Weekender: The Best of Center City Sips :: Beer Week 2011 :: Two Pulizter Winners :: And More of the Best Ways to Spend Your Weekend

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The Weekender: Nightlife and Events Picks From the Editors of Philly Mag

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2011

Hello, Weekenders!

If there's one thing I like more than eating a great burger, it's eating a great burger while improving my karma simultaneously. So this Saturday, I'll be heading to the first-ever Philadelphia Burger Brawl. Fifteen restaurants (from PYT to Butcher & Singer
to Paesano's) will present their best burgers in the playground at Meredith Middle School to be judged by the Eagles' Winston Justice, Food Network's Marc Summers, Mike Jerrick from Fox 29, WMMR's Matt Cord, and ... you! Tickets are $60 and all proceeds go to a new computer lab for the school. Be there! — Victor Fiorillo, A&E Editor

All The Beer You Need (And Then Some): Like some terrible mutant beast from another land that takes control of the world and all of its inhabitants, Philly Beer Week has returned and threatens the virtuous Quaker foundations on which this city was built. Finally! Since its start just a few years ago, Beer Week has become the largest suds celebration in the country, and the whole things gets going (officially) on Friday with the Opening Tap celebration at Independence Mall and continues all the way through June 12th. Go here for a schedule, but be sure to check Foobooz later this week for complete coverage.

Public Chair Sex and Cherry Vodka: The life of a Jersey Shore bartender
Because You Need Whiskey With Your Beer: Philadelphia gets a new spirit
Where to Drink Your $4 Cocktails: The best of Center City Sips
No Surprise There: Esquire names the Franklin one of the Best Bars in America

Midnight in Paris: Just when you thought Woody Allen would never produce a good or even just decent movie again, he goes and makes this romantic film, which was all the rage at Cannes and opens here on Friday. Owen Wilson goes to the City of Lights and learns the all-important "grass-is-greener" lesson. Woody wrote and directed, but does not—thankfully—appear in the film. Co-starring Rachel McAdams and Kathy Bates. Details

A Summer Superhero Sequel: X-Men First Class
New Film Course: Arthur Penn: Chronicling the Outsiders
You Need Advance Notice for This One: All three Godfathers in one day, sheesh!
See Da Movie, Mon: Reggae legend Lee "Scratch" Perry, in documentary form

The Roots Picnic: Certainly the most hyped concert event of the season thus far, this annual outdoor music fest offers an impressive lineup for your $80 (plus $14.75 in "service" fees) ticket, with the mainstage headlined by Nas, Esperanza Spalding, Wiz Khalifa, and, of course, The Roots, and a smaller stage for smaller acts like Yelawolf, Mac Miller, and local loves Man Man. The Picnic kicks off at noon this Saturday at Penn's Landing. Details

From $90 on StubHub: Death Cab for Cutie is sold out
Your Dirty Little Secret: NKOTB meet the BSB with special guest JS
A Songwriting Legend: Paul Simon makes a go of it at the Merriam
A Musical Tribute: Remember Grover Washington, Jr.

Wanda Sykes: In case you haven't been paying attention, the Emmy-winning comic, writer, and actress lives in Media with her wife and their two adopted twins, which means that we get to see more of her on stage than most people. Most recently, she did Annie at the Media Theater. And this fall, she's at the Keswick in Glenside. But in between, she's got a show at the Borgata this Saturday with tickets starting at $55. Details

Invasion of the '80s: Belinda Carlisle and her Go Go girls
In This Corner ... : Carl "Cobra" Froch and Glen "The Road Warrior" Johnson duke it out
A Hole Lotta Fun: The ShopRite LPGA Classic

Alastair Moock: With a name like that, this guy has kids album written all over him. But it's only after five studio albums that fit squarely into the folk genre that this fingerpicking Bostonite has released his first collection of songs for tots, A Cow Says Moock. The 2010 album comes with the official recommendation of the Parents' Choice Foundation, and it sounds like this. Moock plays for the kids this Saturday at World Cafe Live. Details

Is Your Kid Caillou Obsessed?: Go to the Comcast Center for a playdate
Remember the 4H Club?: Fox Chase Farm's open house
Based on the Books: Click, Clack, Moo on stage

The Great American Trailer Park Musical: The New York Sun called it "South Park meets Desperate Housewives." The Voice declared it "a show that actually lives up to the hype of its title." And the show's producers promise adultery, spray cheese, road kill, and kleptomania. What more could I possibly add? This two-act musical opens at the Arden on Friday and runs through June 19th. Details

From Neil Simon: Lost in Yonkers comes to Rittenhouse
Won the 2009 Pulitzer for Drama: Lynn Nottage's Ruined

At the Grindcore House: No, don't worry. The Grindcore house is not some illegal music venue in Kensington featuring bands of the genre like Circle of Dead Children and Cattle Decapitation (actual grindcore bands, by the way). It's a vegan cafe in South Philly. And this Saturday, activist-author Will Potter will be on hand to talk about his latest work, Green Is the New Red: An Insider's Account of a Social Movement Under Siege, which just came out. Details

A Pulitzer Prize Winner: Oscar Hijuelos and his memoir, Thoughts Without Cigarettes
For Lovers of Spoken Word, Poetry and Fiction: The Apiary 2 launch party
If You Like Cars Just A Little Too Much: Michael Furman's Art of the Automobile

La Fille Mal Gardee: If your French is limited to what you learned from Pepe Le Pew or "Lady Marmalade," allow me to translate. The title of this 18th-century comic ballet works out to something like "The Badly Guarded Girl" though it's more commonly known as "The Wayward Daugther." Basically, it's the story of a girl in love and her meddling mother who tries to fix her up. The Pennsylvania Ballet presents La Fille at the Academy of Music from June 2-11. Details

Local Talent: Kate Speer's My Generation at Mascher Space
At the Latvian Society: RLPIM and their Backstories

Fun With Organs: The Wanamaker Organ may dwarf the Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ at the Kimmel Center, but that latter is still the largest concert hall organ in the world, which ain't too shabby. And let me tell you—as someone who has actually played the thing—it's a force to be reckoned with. This Saturday, the Kimmel hosts the first annual Organ Day in Verizon Hall with something like a dozen performers. Details

From Gershwin to Wagner: Bravo Brass' 8th annual festival concert
If You Really Like the Sax: The Prism Quartet's five world premieres
Chamber Choirs, Anyone?: The Crossing's Month of Moderns
It's Not Often We Get an Opera Premiere: Phaedra, by Hans Werner Henze

Waifs Need Not Apply: If you're strolling down Spruce Street this Saturday and spy a bunch of retro-sexy gals getting their pictures taken, it's for Varga Bar's 2nd Annual Pints and Pinups Block Party. There will be a dunk tank. There will be hot dog and wing eating contests. And, most importantly, there will be a competition to get onto the bar's 2012 vintage pinup calendar. No, this is not some frat boy wet t-shirt contest business. Varga classes it up. At least as classy as a pinup calendar can be. Details

It's That Time of Year: Linvilla's strawberry festival
Gently Down the Stream: The Independence Dragon Boat Regatta
You'll Be Wearing Their Clothes in a Few Years: The 2011 Drexel Fashion Show
Run for a Cause: The Badges of Honor 5K

Yo Gabba Gabba! Live: If your household is on a first name basis with Muno, Brobee, Foofa, and that goofy DJ Lance, you'll want to know (or not) that the whole crew will be at the Tower Theater way out on October 7th with their It's Time To Dance "tour". And if you have no idea what I am talking about, consider yourself lucky. Tickets are $29 to $62 and go on sale this Monday. Details

At the TLA: An acoustic evening with The Weepies
An Enigmatic Guitar God: The man known only as Buckethead