Weekend Picks: Spacin’, Treeing, Being
Fri 6/10
Something I am not mad at: Wellness. Not so much the industry of it, which is like whatever whatever, but rather the idea of wellness being a lens through which to consider activities that make us feel more human. It has only recently occurred to me that this should be the perspective that we consider as a foremost criteria for even this, your humble weekend picks. To wit: Will this event make me feel good? Will it do me good? I mean, otherwise, what are we doing here, right? It sounds obvious, but it’s not: Think of how many times I sent you to The Dolphin.
It is in that spirit that all picks shall follow, beginning with the On Out In Festival at Sunflower, 4-10pm. This is an outdoor spiritual-neighborhood hang that is somehow headlined by ambient/new age legend Laraaji, who in the 70s and 80s, alongside Brian Eno and others, essentially invented a whole philosophy of music making that pushes out on behalf of the meditative, the symbiosis of the inner and the outer. The bill is fleshed out by further peaced-out vibes (though noisier) from avant-guitarist Ken Brenninger, the psych-pop-jam band Spacin’, vibraphonist/sound healer Hudson River, and synth ensemble Majority Razorblade. There is also a jam circle, soft sculpture, and more. These people really did not skimp on concept.
Not to be outdone, the Flower Show opens today and is also taking a holistic approach: It now has a daily music lineup.
Also, Aldous Harding is at Union Transfer. Harding has penned my stuck-on-repeat jam of the whole year so far. It’s called “Fever” and it’s about a love affair; it’s dead honest, it rocks like a leaky boat and about 2/3rds of the way through, it just abandons itself altogether for an unaccompanied horn section flight of fancy. Send this song into space so the aliens consider letting us live.
Elsewhere: Full Bush abortion access benefit show at JB’s, and the West Phila Orchestra at Maas Building.
Sat 6/11
The weather forecast has been all over the place all week — Mt. Airy Day has already been cancelled, sorry Mt. Airy! — but as of this writing, it looks like Saturday might pull through after all, which is good news for a bunch of daytime neighborhood hangs, like the Rail Park Block Party, the East Passyunk Neighborhood Sidewalk Sale, and the new John Coltrane Mural Dedication at 2729 W Diamond St.
But if I’m honest, per all of the above vibes, the thing that is really tickling my brain is Headlong Performance Institute Fellow David Guzman's TREEING which, as you can see in the flyer embedded here, is some kind of day-long installation-meets-performance-meets-group therapy and neighborhood cleanup? I have no idea what this is but I am, as the hot take-rs say, here for it.
Elsewhere: !!! + Minka at Underground Arts.
Sun 6/12
All Philly weekends are front-loaded but members, don’t get weary: Odunde is back and Doug E. Fresh is headlining. If you did not know, this is called The Show.
Elsewhere: A Taste of Mexicali at La Chinesca, with Number One Lovers, featured cocktails and mariscos bar. See also: Above Standard Drag Brunch at Standard Tap, with host Bruce Maequeen and FX drag king Henlo Bullfrog.
Here’s to feelin’ good all the time!
To submit an event for consideration for Weekend Picks, email your stuff to tips[at]philebrity.com.
