August 17th, 2012
Go See It This Weekend: Anthony Jeselnik, My Morning Jacket, The Prince & Michael Experience, Keith Sweat, Garfunkel & Oates, And The Big Beautiful Women Pageant
Friday, August 17
Anthony Jeselnik
There aren’t too many speaking humans who can make a funny joke about a dead baby. There are even fewer who can do so with a wry delivery and evil grin. Enter Anthony Jeselnik: An unbelievably perverse comic with model good looks who writes concise, incredibly lean and impressively mean one liners that will make you wince through your laughs. Jeselnik’s persona—cocksure uber-asshole frat guy—works because his jokes are so perfectly crafted. He’s smart as hell, which makes the audience believe he’s earned every bit of his smarm. Few men mining for yuks can elicit the types of reactions he’s able to with such practiced cool and seemingly no effort. Jesnelik’s words are bombs. He doesn’t need to use many to kill. -Brian McManus
8pm. $23. Trocadero, 1003 Arch St. 215.922.6888. thetroc.com
My Morning Jacket
They’ve come a long way from recording reverb-drenched southern psych-soul in abandoned Kentucky grain silos, and these days, My Morning Jacket play loose and free with just about any genre that strikes their fancy: Crazy Horse-style roots rockers, midnight soul creepers, electro-funkateers, prime purveyors of old school cosmic Americana, and all points inbetween. It’s this magpie tendency that tends to irritate their detractors—too southern fried and downright hairy for the hipsters, too damned hip for the spaced-out jam band set. But live, the band remain an epic proposition, a majestic, freewheeling convocation of ecstatic abandon, topped off by Jim James’ ethereal falsetto. They are, undisputedly, one of the great live heavyweight contenders out there right now. See them, and become a believer. -Neil Ferguson
7:30pm. $48.50-$29.50. With Band of Horses. Mann Center, 5201 Parkside Ave. manncenter.org
Saturday, August 18
The Prince & Michael Experience
The music of Prince and Michael Jackson has managed to transcend time and cultural boundaries, inspiring fans and musicians across the globe for more than four decades. Now, during one rather epic party, the Blockley celebrates the two biggest pop icons of our generation, paying tribute to their most legendary tunes and moves. In addition to some general theme-dancing, fans of the Purple One and the King of Pop will have a chance to face off on the dance floor, as DJ Dave Paul mixes album cuts and rare tracks in addition to their greatest hits. To top it all off, you’ll even get to see the pop superstars up close—or, at least two people who look an awful lot like them. Professional celebrity impersonators Ed Hollins and Marcus Scott will travel from Chicago for the occasion. -Nicole Finkbiner
9pm. $10-$12. The Blockley, 3801 Chestnut St. 215.222.1234. theblockley.com
Keith Sweat
Keith Sweat has earned his loverman bonafides from a career crooning out sexy love songs. Since his chart-topping 1987 debut Make It Last Forever, the aptly named Sweat has kept his countless female fans in a state of excited anticipation; his biggest hits—“I Want Her,” “Nobody” and “Twisted”—all share sexual angst as their central theme. The Harlem, N.Y. native and one-time Wall Streeter found his fortune in music instead, becoming one of the stalwarts of the late ‘80s “New Jack Swing” era. He’s credited with discovering the hit ‘90s soul group Silk and shared the stage with Johnny Gill and the late, great Gerald Levert in the supergroup LSG, which scored a Top 5 Billboard hit in 1997 with “My Body.” Aside from having babies with reality show stars—Sweat is former Real Housewives of Atlanta cast member Lisa Wu’s former husband—Sweat also hosts a nationally syndicated radio show “The Sweat Hotel.” Bet it’s worth a stay. -Tonya Pendleton
8pm. $52.50-$62.50. Keswick Theater, 291 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside. keswicktheater.com
Garfunkel & Oates
Probably the best musical comedy act in the country right now, Garfunkel & Oates are the duo behind infectious YouTube hits like “Pregnant Women are Smug”, “This Party Took a Turn for the Douche” and “I Don’t Understand Job”. The pair—Kate Micucci and Riki Lindhome—have cute faces, but grizzled veteran comedy resumes, with three full-length albums to their name and blow-out performances on The Tonight Show and Comedy Central Presents. Their folksy songs hit that double sweet-spot of “hummable tune plus dark jokes,” cheerfully lancing the weeping blister of female frustration that afflicts smart women in world built for dicks. Enjoy seeing them now, before they get all Flight of The Conchords huge and annoying people ruin them for you. -Tom Cowell
7:30pm and 10pm. $20. Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St. heliumcomedy.com
Sunday, August 19
Big Beautiful Women Pageant
If you like women, and you like ‘em big, there is only one place for you to go this week: to Philadelphia’s yearly celebration of full-figured hotties. Organizer Dave Wilkes runs this sincere salute to plus-size beauty, which aims to land a few heartfelt blows against body-image prejudice while still having pageant fun with gowns and tiaras. This year’s event marks 13 years of promoting plus-size beauty, talent and intelligence. The event even has its own theme song “Beauty Comes in Plus,” by R&B vocalist Destinee Maree, whose lyrics capture the essence of the pageant: “Don’t fade in the background, I shine up in front. I’m a full bottle, and not just a sippy cup… I am not no skinny mini, just plus size and above. What some call two-car fat, others call more to love.” -Tom Cowell
2pm. Holiday Inn Stadium, 900 Packer Ave. 877.294.5537. wilkesproductions.com
