Hey, it's damn cold out now.  At least it is in Philly.  Down here in South Florida, it's in the high 70s/low 80s and the ocean temperature is still 78 degrees.  In fact, it was so nice last night that I took in a cover band at the Pompano Beach Great Lawn. 

Yup, it's oceanfront and it was at night.  Breezy?  Yes, of course, there are no trees or other obstructions to block the wind.  Cold?  Nope.  I was in shorts and flip flops (my normal SoFla uniform - hey, if you had hairy toothpick legs like mine, wouldn't you want to show them off, haha!), but I did wear a light windbreaker jacket over my short-sleeved t-shirt. 

Here are some pictures.  First, a little moon over Pompano thing with the palm trees, and then some pics of the band, Rough Shot.  Rough Shot was ok, but they need a better lead singer.  What's that you say?  Better tempo?  Yes, I'll concede, they need that, too - it was up and down in the middle of songs.  But hey, they played Stevie's "Superstition," and morphed into Parliament's "Give Up The Funk" in the middle of that tune.  That covers up a lot of faults, don't you think?  And check out the stage - it's right in front of a group of palm trees.  The pics don't capture the full visual effect, but the trees were eerily beautiful with the stage lights glowing underneath them. 

One last treat:  Rough Shot was playing tunes before the show, and one that they played was LTD's "Back in Love Again."  It's one of my all time favorite funky songs, and the video is simply fantastic.  I was up dancing and grooving heavily to the song and giving the huge Rough Shot crowd something to talk/laugh about.  One of Pompano's finest came by and laughed and said "Now, that's great music."  Indeed, sir.  The YouTube video is at the end. 

Stay warm up there Philly.  I'm going to the beach.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art has redone their Southeast Asian galleries, and I checked it out recently.  It’s well done, much better than before, and shows off PMA’s significant collection of art from the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asian countries.  I took some pictures (see below), but decided to try and link them back to the general rock 'n roll theme of this blog.  So I have also put a song or something else unique and thematic with each picture. 

Are they disrespectful?  I hope not - the works of art are exquisite, and I hope you enjoy them.  But I'm also trying to get some rock themes going here as this blog is supposed to be about rock 'n roll.  So remember that umbrage is in the mind of the outraged, and if something bothers you, please simmer down and go with it.  It’s all done in the spirit of fun.  I hope you enjoy it.

And with that, here we go.  First , here is a bodhisattva from the exhibit.  It's really beautiful: 

A bodhisattva is an enlightened being who stays back in first grade to help the teacher with next year’s class.  And you know that Steely Dan was totally into these spiritual figures with this song:

What’s that 3 headed god called?  I can’t remember, but here is one museum quality version.  It's amazing and the detail is fantastic. 

And here’s Jimi Hendrix’s version on the cover of Axis:  Bold as Love.  Now, maybe Jimi was disrespectful, but maybe not.  Regardless, he was inspired! 

How about this crystal ball?  It’s an amazing piece of work, and is basically flawless.  Unlike the Styx song, “Crystal Ball,” which is, well, a crappy song by Styx.   But did you know that there’s a European hard rock band called Crystal Ball, and that they toured with Shakira (herself a goddess)?  Well, it’s true.  They're awful, too, but they are most definitely not Styx.  Here you go - first the crystal ball, and then the band Crystal Ball - if you can last more than one minute of this video, you're a better person than me.

 
Check out this interesting Buddhist bell.  I was very tempted to figure out a way to ring it, but refrained.  If you are ever at PMA, do me a favor:  get out your phone, turn on the video camera, and go try and ring the damn thing.  Send me the video, and I'll post it.  For now, however, you'll simply have to take a look at this picture: 

It's interesting that Buddhism started in India and spread throughout Asia, but that it’s not really a big religion today in India.  But a few Westerners are attracted to Buddhism probably so that they can put a Buddha statue in their garden and look all hip and with it.  What is so attractive about Buddhism to them?  I don't know, but I really think it must be because of the bells.  And now, can we please here Ring My Bell?  Why yes, you can, Anita Ward style:

PMA has some truly cool pieces of decorative arts and books.  I think these are better appreciated in person - the amount of detail is incredible, and they are really impressive in their craftsmanship, creativity and beauty.  Take a look at a few examples:  

There are no rock songs about decorative arts that I am aware of (go ahead and write one and you’re in!), but there are plenty of artsy videos, including this one by the Talking Heads.  Love that Wild Wild Life!

That's all I've got for you, kiddos.  I hope you enjoyed and found something interesting and fun in this post.  And I hope that you are getting all jazzed up for Christmas.  One of my favorite things about the season is seeing all the lights as I drive around - they're so festive and fun!  

I'll be back soon with a review of another live rock 'n roll show.  It's going to be a barnburner, but I'm going to keep the band secret just for a little longer.  I can see that you are on the edges of your seat now!

Chill, my friends, and enjoy the peace and harmony of the season.  Stay warm.  And don't go looking for trouble - just let it come to you, ok? 

How about those Hokies?  Yes, they lost to Clemson in the ACC Championship game, 42-35.  But they gave the Tigers all they could handle, never quit, and demonstrated grit and heart that was badass.  The big news is that the Hokies are back playing for championships, are racking up big-time recruits, and have a great future ahead of them.  And Justin Fuente was named ACC Coach of the Year in his Hokie debut season.  Yes, it’s good to be back!  Now, let’s knock off the Arkansas Razorbacks in the Belk Bowl (who names these things?) and get to 10 wins.  Oh, and yes, it will be the Hokies 24th straight bowl game – wowza!

Lots of good concerts coming up in Philly.  Marah, who are amazing live, rock Underground Arts next Friday, and BRP will be there.  And the New Year is looking very promising already.  I’ll come back and revisit who I saw in 2016 for my special end of the year post, but it’s also great to look forward to another amazing year.

There’s also a new exhibition of Toulouse-Lautrec upcoming in 2017 in DC at the Phillips Collection.  I really dig T-L.  His art covered a lot of the undesirable elements of Paris, from hookers to drunks to musicians, yet he humanized them and embraced their bohemian lifestyles.  He’s been a long-time BRP favorite, and I’m looking forward to his Belle Epoque lithographs and portraits. 

Anything to share in your neck of the woods?  Let me know and I’ll give it some free publicity.  Both readers of BRP will surely show up and patronize whatever you want patronized.  That’s a joke – readership is actually growing and at a pretty good clip.  Thanks for spreading the word, checking back often for new posts, and for being the smart, astute and discriminating readership necessary to appreciate such high-minded pursuits such as rock concerts, travel posts, Hokie football updates, and kitschy day-in-the-life scenes that are so popular here at BRP.  Best to all, and rock hard and often.  

I’m back with round two of the rock ‘n roll pet peeves.  Did you like the first ones?  They were pretty good, right?  Anyway, I try not to complain too much, and these are all for fun.  No shows for me until next weekend, and I have to keep this discerning crowd entertained.  And with that, here we go:

1. VIP Areas.What are these all about?  I don’t think they were around when rock ‘n roll got started, nor do I remember seeing them at Woodstock, or in the clubs of my youth.  Like a lot of things in this country, they are emblematic of a nation that is too wealthy (think dog spas).  Anyway, I go to clubs now and people have paid extra to sit upstairs on a chair as far away as possible from the fun and the band.  This is true at the Foundry, TLA, the Electric Factory, and others.  I look around on the floor and everyone is grooving.  I look up at the VIP section, and the gilded ones are barely tapping their feet as they sit and update their Facebook page.  Now, don’t get me wrong.  There are places where I like to be treated as a VIP.  I like first class on airplanes.  I like corporate boxes at sporting events (because free tickets with food is always nice).  And some people are short or handicapped, and need something different.  But when it comes to rock ‘n roll, I want to be part of the everyman crowd, chancing that I won’t get Mr. 6’4” or hyper-fan by me (which I do not most of the time), feeling the rush as the band performs just feet away from me, and otherwise in the milieu of the crowd.  I don’t want to be aloof, rich and “cool,” and then go cooing to people about what a great show I saw sitting on my butt looking at my phone.  The poseurs abound. 
    
   
2. Tinnitus.The scourge of rockers everywhere, tinnitus is that ringing, whooshing, buzzing in your ears from listening to too much loud music.  I have it.  I can hear it all the time, particularly at night when everything is quiet, but even during the day when there isn’t lots of hubbub going on.  It sucks, but I’ve had it for so long that it’s just sort of there for me now.  The worst part?  No cure.  And it continually gets worse – there is no bounce back here.  So am I going to turn down the rock in the car or quit going to shows?  Don’t be ridiculous.  I do wear ear plugs at almost every show I attend now because I want to continue to hear what my grandkids are saying.  But I can’t help but turn up a song in the car when it’s really grooving.  There should be a saying for this syndrome.  How about this?  Tinnitus:  it blows more than a groupie.  
    
3. Checking the Phone.I hate this well beyond rock shows.  For heaven’s sake, be in the moment and demonstrate some self-control, a skill normally mastered as a child.  What are you looking at on that damn thing that is more important than the band on stage that should be melting your face off?  I see more people texting, checking their emails, updating their Facebook pages, and doing other stuff on their phones during the show.  “Hey, look at me, I’m at the Springsteen show!”  Yeah, what song is he playing?  Tell them tomorrow, be in the moment now. 
    
4. The Farter.The scourge of dance floors, concerts, and other crowded spaces around the globe.  We’ve all experienced this, right?  You’re packed into a crowd, and someone is breaking some nasty stuff that makes you want to puke.  Dude, do you need a new diaper now?  Seriously, change your diet or else come to the show with barf bags for your neighbors. 
    
5. Bands That Are Late.I don’t like people being late in my normal day-to-day life.  It’s a show of disrespect right off the bat:  you know, my time is more important than yours.  But when bands don’t come on stage when they are supposed to, it’s really annoying.  Hey, guys, some of us have jobs you know, how do you think we afforded these tickets?  It’s one reason that I like seeing bands full of baby boomers – they’re too old to stay up partying all night and want to get off the stage at a reasonable time, too. 
    

Hey, that’s it.  Did I miss anything?  Have pet peeves of your own to share?  Let me know, I’m an equal opportunity complainer.  And really, are any of these things so bad?  I think we can live with them all and continue to be happy, right? 

I hope you enjoyed, and I hope you were entertained.  Rock on, gangstas!

You probably think that all I do is go to rock shows and museums.  You would be wrong.  I generally don’t write about attending sporting events, as they are heavily televised and stories on individual games are easily found.  I go to a fair amount of baseball, hockey and football games.  If Philly had an NBA team, I might even go to those games.  But who wants to read my amateur take on those events?  How about something different? 
 
I went to my first professional boxing bout on Friday at the 2300 Arena in South Philly, and figured that was worth writing about.  Yes, boxing is physical and brutal.  But it’s not brutal like UFC, and it’s highly regulated for safety purposes.  I saw no blood.  And I had a much better time than I expected to have.  In fact, it was good enough that I’m planning on going back.  I don’t always do that – I went to a NASCAR race in Dover last year, and while it was interesting, it’s not my thing.  Boxing?  I doubt I will follow it like I do Hokie football, but going to see it live was great.  And where better than in Philly, the hometown of Joe Frazier, Sonny Liston, Jack O’Brien, and even a fictional character named Rocky Balboa.  It’s a great boxing town!
 
Here is the deal.  The 2300 Arena is a small warehouse-like facility in South Philly off of Columbus Avenue.  It’s not in the best part of town, but it seems safe, and the parking is close and free.  It’s small, holding maybe 2000 people, and no seat is bad.  The crowd was the most diverse crowd that I have ever been in for a paid event.  All races and income levels were represented, and the ages ranged from infants to ancients.  And they were into it – it was a very active and mouthy crowd, with lots of advice hollered at the fighters during the bout, and lots of cheering during the action.
 
There were actually 8 bouts on the card.  Six of them were 4 rounders, one was 6 rounds, and the main event, a title bout for the NABF Junior Lightweight Title, was 10 rounds.  A few of the bouts didn’t even last a round – quick and decisive victories were the case in two bouts.  And with the exception of the one 6 round bout, all were highly interesting and entertaining.  One involved heavyweights, but most involved much lighter fighters, in the range of 125 – 155 pounds and representing different weight classifications.
 
The best fight of the night involved a local Philly guy, Isaiah Wise, versus Roque Zapata from Culpeper, Virginia.  Wise has a hard punch.  Zapata could take that punch, and was aggressive and counter-attacking all the time.  We were sitting about 8 rows back from the ring, and when Wise came out, a bunch of locals who knew him filled in around us.  Their cheering didn’t really help.  Zapata was clearly the winner, but that fight was really competitive and fun to watch.
 
The main championship event was also a great bout.  Tevin Farmer was the defending champ and a North Philly guy.  He went up against Dardan Zenuinaj from Kosovo.  Both of these guys were experienced fighters with strong professional records, and the fight went the distance.  Both guys landed a lot of punches, but neither seemed able to hurt the other guy.  In fact, at various times, both fighters taunted the other with gestures of “is that all you’ve got” or “bring it on, big boy.”  It was a good bout, with Farmer successfully (and correctly) defending his title.
 
One guy to watch is Joseph Adorno, a junior lightweight out of Allentown.  He went up against Guy Newman from Lynchburg, Virginia, and Adorno knocked him out in the first round.  Adorno has a big following of Dominicans wearing “Blessed Hands” gear, and he is quite the showman.  He is also lightning fast, punches hard, and clearly has significant talent.
 
There are some pictures below.  Note that most of the pictures are of the fights, but one is of a ring girl.  The 2300 Arena has the ring girls who prance around the ring in tiny bikinis and high heels while holding up a large card informing the crowd of the round.  It’s a boxing tradition. 
 
Oh, and on the way home, we stopped at the original Tony Luke’s for a cheesesteak.  TL’s had a sizeable crowd at 10:30 at night, and it’s going to have to be part of the experience going forward.  By the way, it’s a damned good cheesesteak, far better than the more famous Pat’s and Geno’s.  And it was the perfect finish to a night that is quintessentially Philly. 
 
 

I love virtually everything about rock ‘n roll.  But then again, as I think about it, there are some things that could make rock even better.  Yes, I have some pet peeves that I am going to share with you.  In fact, I have enough to cover two posts.  Now, don’t go all giddy thinking that I’m falling off the r ‘n r bandwagon.  That ain’t going to happen.  But in the human quest for perfection, or even just a better experience, I share these with you so that the rock world continues to develop.    

Ready?  Too bad!  Here comes Part 1 of BillyRocksPhilly’s Rock ‘n Roll Pet Peeves anyway.

1. Ticket fees.  Alright, I’m game to buy a $25 ticket to a show.  And now I’m going to be charged two fees?  Yes I am.  I’m going to print the ticket on my printer using my paper and my ink.  Why do I have to pay Mr. Ticket Seller a fee for printing the ticket?  I don’t know, but I do.  And then, of course, is the even worse fee that I have to pay simply to buy the ticket off of the web.  Why do I have to pay a fee to you that is equal to about 20% of the face value of the ticket for each ticket?  Because you wrote an algorithm, that’s why!  Why isn’t that included in the ticket price?  I recognize that Mr. Ticket Seller needs to make money, too, but on every ticket for every show and the price for that algorithm never goes down?  Cut me a break, man.  I hate that crap.
   
   
2. The encore.  Is the encore the stupidest tradition in rock or what?  You mean, after paying top dollar to see a performer put on a show, I now have to cheer, stomp and beg the band to come back and play a few more songs that they were already going to play?  I mean, it is right there on the playlist!  Here’s the issue:  the band breaks up the momentum of the show so that they can go and get another beer or something.  I’ve seen many bands that have the crowd really jumping, then they take 5 minutes to do whatever they do backstage, only to come back on and do … a boring ballad.  Ugh!  It’s worse than Deflate-Gate at that point, but without the detailed investigations, court cases, and band member suspensions.  True story:  I was in Wilmington seeing Joe Ely upstairs at the Queen.  There were maybe 50 people there.  I had a choice spot where I could see Joe on stage, and also see what he was doing when he left the stage.  Well, here’s exactly what he did:  He left, stood off to the side where most of the crowd couldn’t see him, stared at nothing, and waited a few minutes while listening to the deafening roar of 50 people checking their cell phones.  Then he came back on stage.  What was the point of that?  More and more bands are beginning to play straight through – the English Beat and Collective Soul are two bands that never play an encore.  Kudos to them!
   
   
3. Groupies.  I never understood how the guys in the band wanted to screw some slut, and then move to the next town on the following evening and do yet another skank.  There is one word for you guys:  NASTY.  In the medical profession, rockers are often known as Patient One for the next vicious STD.  But the rock guys wouldn’t be able to do it if there weren’t a stable full of women wanting to lay down their honor for rock ‘n roll.  At the recent Catfish show I attended, I was located close to the stage, and there was a guy representing the band who actually trolled the crowd and brought girls up to “party with the band” after the show.  Um, ladies, I think that means that they get you drunk/stoned, don’t remember your name as they screw you, and then move on to the next town and do it all over again with some other hose bag.  And they call this “making love,” haha.  Band dudes, you are foul.  Girls, you will need to explain to me what this is all about.  And both of you – is it really such a great story to tell your kids or spouse, you know, that you had loveless sex with dozens of people? 
   
   
4. Fake Smoke.  In the 70s, I saw a lot of bands that used dry-ice smoke in their show, and it permeated the venue (well, that and other combustibles).  It was cool when I was 15.  But now, I go to clubs, and they are actually piping the stuff in from the sides to make the clubs look smoky.  People can’t smoke in clubs anymore, but I guess the club owners like the hazy look.  I don’t care for it.  It affects the lighting, the visuals, and the photos.  What is the point?  Can’t we be somewhere with sparkling clean air and be happy about that?  Or does every club need to try to recreate the vibe of a Lenny Bruce movie poster featuring a smoky bar in New York?  C’mon, already.
   
   
5. The Hyper Fan.  Yes, I get excited to see bands that I really love.  When the music is cranking, I groove to it.  If there is space and the song is danceable, I dance.  That’s fun.  But then there is the hyper-fan, the guy who isn’t moshing, but can’t stay in his own space.  He’s backing up into you, or bouncing twice as fast as the beat and bumping you with every bounce.  And just when you think it couldn’t get more annoying, he turns, faces you and then serenades you with an off-key version of the chorus of your favorite song while spewing garlic breath in your face.  Son, I’m sorry, but I came to hear the band sing their songs, not you.  The worst is when the hyper-fan also smells bad.  It happens all too frequently.  Hyper fan can cover the cost of a ticket and a bunch of beers, but apparently that bar of Dial is too expensive.  I remember seeing the Damned and one stinky hyper fan kept bumping into my buddy.  After the show, when we were outside the club, my friend noticed that he now smelled rank due to hyper fan.  The inhumanity!
   

OK, that’s it for Part 1.  I’ll be back with Part 2 shortly.  In the meantime, how about that Hokie basketball team?  They knocked off Michigan on the road last night, coming from 15 points down, and now stand at 6-1.  Every day is a great day to be a Hokie, but last night was super cool.

Catch you on the flip side.