March 19th, 2010

Before driving back down to Maryland for spring break, my sister wanted to take advantage of being in the Philadelphia area by checking out South Street and going to a concert at the Theatre of the Living Arts to see Copeland on their last tour.   After she and our friend Mel picked me up from my Sugarloaf dorm, we decided we were craving pizza and began our search for a good pizza place.  After our GPS led us to two different non-existent places, we found Toto’s, which we quickly established to be THE BEST PIZZA PLACE EVER.  We ordered a cheese pizza pie and watched as someone behind the counter started making it and brought it to our table in just a matter of minutes.  After finishing our awesome meal we headed over to South Street to explore before getting in line for our concert.

Teaser picture below. This is how close we were.  : )

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Tagged As: Concert, Music, Philadelphia, Phileo Yogurt, Philly, South Street, Theatre of the Living Arts, Toto's Pizza
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September 11th, 2009

College is like a tattoo. (Work with me for a minute.) Much like your degree, a tattoo is stuck with you for the rest of your life, for better or for worse. Tattoos are quite common; thousands of people may have the same design. (How many psychology majors do you know? That’s what I thought.) Often, it’s not the tattoo’s design that makes it unique, but where it’s located.

Here’s my point: you’ll find many things in common at every college, whether they be similar majors; esteemed faculty; fierce mascots; or Friday classes. So, what sets a college apart more than anything? Where it’s located. (Not impressed by my stellar tattoo analogy? Read on.)

No matter how large or small your college of choice is, you can’t stay on campus forever. Whether you’re looking for an internship, a part-time job, or just a way to spend Saturday evening, the city surrounding your campus makes all the difference.

With that in mind, my upcoming series (fittingly titled Why Philly?) will give you plenty of evidence proving that Philly is the ultimate college town. I’m going to dive into Philly’s affordable nightlife, fashion, music, internships, food, and more, plus how to access these amenities from CHC.

In the mean time, check out stories I’ve written for AroundPhilly.com (as an intern this fall, nonetheless) for a small sample of what Philly has to offer.

Tagged As: fashion, Food, Internship, Music, nightlife, Philly, SEPTA
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May 30th, 2009

      

       One of the most wondrous things about college is not having class on Friday. Normally, with the exception of science majors, one will not have class on Friday’s, which is great for sleeping in, but also, a chance to explore the city without spending loads of money. For a total of $10- $5 each way, one can take the R8, or R7 to 30th Street Station, and see well-known bands, playing live music for free! This past Friday, my friend Emilia and I went to the World Cafe Live, which is concert venue run by the University of Pennsylvania’s radio station, WXPN to see the White Rabbits perform. Located on 3025 Walnut Street, the World Café is not a far walk from the train- about 4 blocks in total. However, before you make the trip to University City, you must reserve tickets at: http://xpn.org/concerts-events/free-at-noon. Once you arrive, simply, walk down the stairs, sign-in, and enjoy- the doors open at 11:30 a.m., and the venue is a standing room, which simply means, arrive early, and you’ll be guaranteed a spot in the front of the stage.

 

     Being my first free at noon, I thought the idea of live music for free was too good to be true; however, I was pleasantly surprised. Having heard of the White Rabbits on Pandora radio, I surmised that it would enjoyable to see them live, and they were incredibly entertaining- both the lead singer, Greg Roberts and guitarist, Steve Patterson played drums during the set, and their sound is infectious. Blending a mix of ska, and reggae, but are a bit less baroque poppy then Vampire Weekend, the White Rabbits are a must see- with drumming-intensive songs such as “Percussion Gun,” and “Rudie Falls,” the band is well-known for having energy-infused shows, in which, dancing is mandatory! The White Rabbits’ passion for their music radiates in their sets, and the band is in the beginning stages of becoming a well-known, indie band. Their second album, It’s Frightening, produced by Britt Daniel of Spoon, has received critical acclaim, and is on iTunes for $6.99. Also, if you’d like to listen to a few songs, but you’re low on cash, check out their myspace: http://www.myspace.com/whiterabbits. If you’re digging their sound, the White Rabbits will be back at Johnny Brenda’s June 5th, and at All Points West Festival in New Jersey on August 1st. Also, if you’d like to hear this concert live, or any other concert from the Free at Noon series just click: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5194329. Happy Listening!

Tagged As: Concerts, Music, Philadelphia
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March 17th, 2009

Before returning to CHC from Spring Break, I experienced my first ever punk rock concert at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia. I stood in the mid-back to enjoy listening to the show and stay at a safe range from the mosh pit, but still could see the bobbing heads and bodies moving back and forth a ways in front of me. Since I’m not too tall, I spent a lot of the evening watching the performances on stage conveniently projected onto the wall to my left.

The opening act was an all girl band, Civet. Their music was decent and I was impressed with their talent, (it’s not too often one comes across ladies dolled up in cute skirts and dresses, but can work the stage like hardcore rockers). But I really enjoyed the next group- H2O a lot more. The group has been together for over a decade and was mostly comprised of middle aged men, but ran around the stage like teenagers. They communicated with the crowd, cracked jokes, and explained some of their songs-many of which were actually pretty deep. I listened past the booming bass drum and screaming words to hear the lyrics of a song asking What happened to the passion? What happened to the hard work? What happened to the music and message that I love? So not only did I get a great performance and fun melodies to sing and dance along to, but a few thought-provoking moments as well.

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Tagged As: Civet, Concert, Dropkick Murphys, Electric Factory, H2O, Music, Philadelphia
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February 23rd, 2009

The Chestnut Hill College music department put on its second annual student-produced musical, “Godspell,” on January 30 and 31, 2009.

Last year, as sophomores, Kelly Wilson and Mark Urmson first brought a student-produced musical to the Chestnut Hill College stage with “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.” After the great success of “Charlie Brown,” Kelly and Mark agreed to turn student-produced musicals into an annual tradition, picking “Godspell” for the next year.

“Godspell,” based on the Gospel according to Matthew, can be a daunting musical to produce, but Kelly (as director) and Mark (as musical director) were able to make CHC’s production a total success. They were aided by sophomores Ashley Pavone, the choreographer, and Patrick Curtin, the set design manager. Five musicians were under Mark’s guidance in the pit band, while Kelly managed the 10 actors on stage.

Although I wasn’t at all the performances, I do know the show was a success from the start: the cast received a standing ovation on opening night!

Check out the great set and the actors at work:
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Tagged As: Music, Musical, Performance, photos
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November 19th, 2008

 

Over the weekend some friends and I hit the concert scene at a local church, Calvary Chapel of Philadelphia, for some good music.

The artists that preformed are not well-known artists, but their music is colorful, energetic, and diverse, and it is only a matter of time, before your grooving to their beats. The first performer was Michelle Bonilla. She is a singer from New York City who incorporated her Puerto Rican and Dominican roots into her R&B music style. Bonilla’s love for her culture and her faith in God are the themes found in her music, which makes her music and her lyrics standout to her audience. She really encourages young men and women to embrace who they are and bask in their individuality.

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Tagged As: Group 1 Crew, Michelle Bonilla, Music, Philadelphia
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September 27th, 2008

Philadelphia’s music scene seems to pick up right when Fall semester starts at Chestnut Hill, which grants all on campus the opportune chance to catch their favorite bands live. Last Sunday I was able to see the Mars Volta with two of my close friends from CHC and the experience was beyond spectacular. Being able to drive 20 minutes from the campus to the city is definately convenient because I am always able to complete class assignments right before leaving for the show; when at home, it would normally take me over two hours to drive to the city because of the distance and traffic so concerts must be tightly organized around my schedule. When at CHC, one can be invited by another student the day of the show and be able to arrive home in time for a suitable night’s rest for class in the morning.

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Tagged As: Concert, Electric Factory, Music, off campus, Philadelphia, The Mars Volta
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September 23rd, 2008

The Chestnut Hill music department is slowly but surely making its way up in the world, as my fellow blogger Andréa has stated in one of her previous blogs. However, one just doesn’t realize how many options there are besides the already established performing groups if he or she is having trouble finding their niche in the music community.

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Tagged As: A Capella, Brass, Flute, History, Jazz, Lessons, Music, Music Department, Open Mic, Pep Band, Philly, Theory
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