Sing-A-Longs

Songs that everyone knows are considered sing-a-long songs.  Say It Ain’t So by Weezer is a prime example.  There are a couple of facets for a song to reach sing-a-long status.  #1 is that people need to know the words.  Not every word but the primary chorus is a must.  It takes time for people to learn songs like this so these types fall in the older music category beginning with early 00’s and everything before.  This is prime white people music and activity.  I was at Time on Friday night and Green Day’s Welcome to Paradise came on and the black dude next to me was like, “what the fuck is this?”  I also think it’s funny if a hip hop song is played and there’s a word that sounds like Pooh’s friend, do you sing it?

EDM

I have grown to like EDM.  I don’t do the drugs that generally make this scene better but even still, the science behind creating this music is fascinating to me.  The control of the beats per minute and how the crowd reacts is awesome.  I also find that this is great drunk music, as in, the drunker I get the more I like it.  Unfortunately it helps if you have some “rage” dance moves but even with a simple head bob or fist pound, you can fit in.  Another anecdote from the weekend, Weens was hammered at Morgan’s Pier and fits into th EDM scene and in my mind kills it on the dance floor.  Overbearing perhaps but you could tell it wasn’t his first time in this atmosphere.

Pop

My least favorite music category.  Smith’s on Friday night was a relevant example to playing a lot of pop.  If Timber comes on, you are in a pop bar.  Girls love this music because it’s what they are listening to currently but I find the music difficult on the ears and even harder to dance to.  This kind of music is cringe worthy and I usually run to the bar.  I also have a dislike for early 2000’s pop like the Backstreet Boys.  Personal opinion, I feel like a homo singing a long to anything by the Backside Boys.  Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Hip Hop

I don’t go to too many places that solely play Hip Hop but I’m out of the game of what’s popular in this community.  Back when it was Snoop, Dre, Tupac, and Biggie, I knew some music.  Since 2000, I couldn’t name a song.  Even when the songs from the aforementioned artist come on, I can’t really get into it.  For me it isn’t bar music.

Classic Rock

You won’t hear much Classic Rock in a bar unless it is a white person, sitting down bar.  Bars that have this setting sometimes have a jukebox and that’s when people will play older songs that they like.  I’ll give a quick suggestion, don’t play Don’t Stop Believing by Journey.  Overplayed classic rocks songs aren’t just overplayed at this point, they are played out.  A personal bar favorite that I played on Friday was One Bourbon, One Scotch, and One Beer because it’s 8 minutes long and a fine drinking song.  That’s the key, if it makes you want to drink, it should be played.

A Philly Bar dedicated to Philadelphia is needed in our city.  With all the Bar Rescue I’ve been watching, I decided to come up with my own idea for a bar.   Considering I haven’t seen this type of bar, I’m sure someone will steal the idea.  I also most likely won’t be making this happen in my near future so I don’t see why sharing it could be bad. Plus this post will at least give it some validity and a time stamp. I’ll break down my location, food, drink, and decor within.

Location

Click to Enlarge

Center city of course.  Sure it’s the most expensive area but what better place to have a Philly bar than in the heart of the city.  Philly lacks what I consider a good sports bar.  The Fieldhouse is decent but it misses the mark with its table set up.  Fox and Hound is a step up but I still think I could do better.  Smith’s calls itself a sports bar but it’s not geared up for actually watching sports.  I don’t think Old City or Graduate Hospital area has the right crowd for this type of bar.  South Philly would probably work well because that is really Philly.  Either way, Center City has the money and the action and it’s where you need to be to hit the hot spot.

Food

Everything Philly.  If it’s not from Philly, it isn’t served.   John’s Roast Pork cheese steak will be the model for the food.  Tasty cake dishes will man the desert.  Peanut Chews will be gratis for all to enjoy.  Soft pretzels will be made by Center City Pretzel.  This is it.  No variety.  You order a cheese steak or have yourself pretzel.   No soft shit here.

Drink

Yards, Philly Brewery, Dockside, Manayunk Brew Pub, and Triumph beers will be served.   This keeps everything local and these breweries can hold their own.  Only draft beers.  Same idea that everything stays in Philly.

Decor

Rocky statues and posters will line the wall.  DeSean’s punt return against the Giants, AI crossing up Jordan, and Brad Lidge’s World Series pitch will be looped nonstop on the monitors.    Heck, maybe even a Donovan McNabb poster will find its way in.  Nah!!!  Eagles banners will fly freely and Nick Foles will have his own personal seat after he becomes the Superbowl MVP.  We can all dream.   Another section of Philadelphia themed art by local artists will also have its place.  If you want to know the history of Philly, you’ll see it here.

Panhandlers are all over the city of Philadelphia. There is a wide range of approaches they use but one thing is for certain, their goal is to get your money. I’ve recently encountered two situations which inspired this post. I don’t think there is anything wrong with asking for money if it’s done appropriately. Meaning that the person is polite and respects the fact that it’s acceptable that he leave this one sided transaction with nothing. This of course isn’t always the case because beggers tend to be 1) Desperate and 2) On Drugs. This creates an uneasy, volatile situation every time you are approached. Here are 2 examples of recent time that I’ve run into.

I went to Best Buy on Delaware Ave and as I got out of my car and walked to the entrance, a dirty, hooded white man walked out of the shadows and said, “excuse me, do you see the PPA (Phila Parking Authority) over there? I’ve been gathering pennies and I’d really like to get a $.49 cheeseburger at Wendy’s.” This guy’s approach almost got me. The fact that he was gathering pennies pretty much demoted him to the lowest rung of begging possible. Gathering pennies! And all for a cheeseburger. I felt bad for this guy if it was true. Now the fact that he wanted to meet me by the lurking shadows of the PPA didn’t make me feel to easy but I still felt a sense of empathy for a dire situation. Alas, as I came out of the store, he wasn’t there anymore and I left with all my pennies.

The 2nd encounter was a much different approach. I was picking up some Chinese food at the Plaza Pizza, well, plaza, and a man in street clothes called out from across the walking area, “Hey, big guy.” I saw him approaching and quickly turned my back to him and starting walking the other direction. He again called out, “Hey, big guy.” I turned around in case he was shot in the gut or something and this was an emergency. He said, “I need 50 cents for bus money.” I walked away with no more said. My first reaction to his request of “big guy” was confrontational. It’s like he’s sizing me up. I knew what was coming so I was hoping to ignore the situation but his persistence was also noted. Notice his request of 50 cents is 50x more than the other guy. My chance of giving this guy money was 0%.

I give money to one beggar and it’s because I’ve known him for a long time. He’s genuinely a nice guy and doesn’t spaz if I don’t give him any money. He rarely asks but always accepts. I understand the thought behind begging but generally you get to that point by making bad decisions. I’m sure it’s not always the case but there are consequences to bad decisions and bailing people out isn’t smart. Tell that to the government.

I also watched Law Abiding Citizen tonight with Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler. I’m going to spoil it for you if you didn’t see it so don’t read further if you intend to watch it. I thought the first hour was really entertaining when I thought that Clyde had other people helping him run the show from prison, but when I found out he had an underground tunnel?!?! in the jail cell, it just comes off as sort of dumb. Far fetched to say the least. I was amused though and even though it certainly isn’t a 4 star movie it didn’t bore me for the 1 hour 48 minutes. Certainly not one that I would watch again though although I liked how it was set in Philly. Mayor Nutter even had a cameo and I liked when they were driving down Market St because it hits close to home. Worth a watch for amusement but not a good movie.

I’m starting to feel a bond to the city of Philadelphia. I remember when I was going to Pitt, I never felt like I was from Pittsburgh and the feeling never grew. I was born and raised in Philly (suburbs…) and I really can’t see myself going anywhere else. I have walk in customers for my business that I’ve grown to like who are South Philly. The people I engage with on a daily basis grow to like you and remember you. The bum who opens the door at Dunkin Doughnuts knows my name (yeah sheee you know who I’m talking about). I really like the size because it’s not too big and not too small. I’ve been to New York and it’s just an overwhelming amount of people. I like how I’m from where the nation was established and I don’t speak with any accent. I like how other cities try to copy the Philly Cheese Steak and how easy it is to make and how terribly places butcher it. I like driving in on Kelly Drive, also a good spot to run, and passing the Art Museum and the Rocky steps everyday. I don’t even experience the city as much as I should but I feel some loyalty to it. I like how we support our winning sports teams and boo our losers. There’s not much to this other than I saw it in the movie and I like how Philadelphia represents.

If you haven’t listened to this Mel Gibson rant, you are seriously missing out. It was gripping from second 1. The part where he says “smile, and blow me,” is just too much to take. Talk about a guy whose had too much to drink. He has some funny lines though and I just want to keep anyone who reads this blog in the loop of great things that celebrities do.

Phil’s 5k is tomorrow and I checked my time from last year and saw it was 17:30 something and I was pretty surprised I was in that good of shape last year. I’m not really sure what to expect as I think my training has been off as of late but I feel pretty thin at 172. The 3 miles won’t be tough on my air but I hope my legs will be strong at a pace that I’m usually not used to running. Anything under last years time is an accomplishment.