Sandy Ruins Shows

This storm’s really got the east coast’s panties in a twist. Wal-Marts and Fresh Grocers are sold out of batteries, bread, water and candles. And no one will discount the body count already – the death count’s almost 70 from the Caribbean. But boy do we love a panic, don’t we? The worst is yet to come, it seems, even as the Schuykill and Delaware frighteningly swell as I type. But some Philly businesses are fighting this storm like it’s the 2012 election. Did you see the boarded-up boardwalk biz that likened their unscaredness of Sandy to their hope for Romney?

#openinPHL is a trending hashtag on Twitter that has businesses and city organizations tweeting strong words. For instance, @PhillyFireDept says: “”We hope business are #closedinPHL and not #OpenInPHL”.” (Quotes used to emphasize misuses of grammar and capitalization.) FooBooz polled readers and 37% say it’s wrong for a restaurant to be open and 55% say only if it’s voluntary for employees to show up. Only 8% basically say ‘Yeah, I want to eat and drink.’

Things are just as bad in New York, it seems. Sunday night, Louis C.K. canceled a Midtown comedy booking and penned a pretty great open letter to his fans. So here in Philly, we’ve seen some cancellations, too.

UT cancelled tonight’s Heartless Bastards show (with Futurebirds and Dana Falconberry). But the Dead Milkmen seem on for Wednesday night. The Troc cancelled last night’s lineup of Rita Ora and Iggy Azalea but seems to be cool with screening 1987’s The Monster Squad tonight. Tomorrow night’s TLA night of Pierce The Veil (with three other bands) seems to be a go, as does their sold-out Halloween night on Wednesday with Foxy Shazam. The Electric Factory has postponed tonight’s show with the xx, however Deathlok’s on for the 31st. Sound Tribe Sector 9 seems to be still selling tickets to Wednesday night’s Tower Theatre show while John Legend’s cancelled his Thursday spot. Kung Fu Necktie’s cancelled tonight’s Screaming Rattler set but doesn’t seem ready to axe anything tomorrow or later. Looks like Johnny Brenda’s is saying Sean Hayes’ set is cancelled tonight but that they’re open for business until Sandy says ‘Nuh unh.’

And maybe tomorrow everything’ll just be automatically cancelled when we don’t have power, internet, cell phone use and the fear of Walking Dead-style mania in the streets of Philadelphia keeps everyone indoors reading books or something. Until their tablet or laptop runs out of juice. But if Sandy’s done by Wednesday morning, imagine the freaks that’ll come out as the winds die down. Oooh, it’ll be scary.