THE DIVE PRESENTS TO THE WALL PRODUCTIONS' FIRST BIRTHDAY You can have your cake and eat it, too. And don't forget to indulge in some of the drinking games on hand to celebrate the first birthday of To the Wall Productions, the local initiative bent on keeping local thespians from feeling "constrained by commercial theater." We're all about that kind of acting-outside-the-box mentality, so we encourage you to head over to The Dive and celebrate......

Why did the Phillyist cross the road? To get to... ANI DIFRANCO AT THE MANN CENTER She is Woman. She is also Musician and spoken-word poet. She's at the Mann Center tonight and you can still get tickets. She is Ani DiFranco. WHO: Anyone! WHERE: The Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Broad and Sansom Streets (map) WHEN: 8pm HOW MUCH: Prices vary, but the sooner you get 'em, the better. SWANWELDER, LANDSCAPE PAPERWEIGHT, HAPPY......

You know it's bad when the dry cleaning lady gives you a disapproving look and tells you she can't guarantee success on the first try. REAL PIRATES AT THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE Well, sort of. Their historically significant stories and wares are on display over at the Franklin Institute. The exhibit specifically features artifacts from the Whydah, including a full-size replica of the ship. The show runs until 8pm tonight, so you'll have time to head......

These days, Death Cab for Cutie (MySpace) is seeming a little bit more alive. When we heard “I will possess your heart” and other new tracks from the band’s latest album, Narrow Stairs, we thought our favorite music for melancholy moods had been injected with some happy pills. Lead singer Ben Gibbard recently told Gothamist he and the band were proud of this album. “I think it's far more loud and more raw than......

Looking forward to outdoor concerts this summer? How would you like to see some for free? The Philadelphia Orchestra has lined up several opportunities to see this fabulous orchestra for free. May 1st – May 31st, you can get free lawn tickets to its summer season at the Mann: Monday, June 30 at 8pm - YO-YO MA RETURNS Tuesday, July 1 at 8pm - LA BOHÈME Wednesday, July 2 at 8pm - A NIGHT......

Governor Rendell said that he would back the indicted Senator Fumo's reelection bid if Fumo just asked him. Ed says: "We would be lost in Harrisburg without him because of his skill. He has done great things, and we are lucky to have him." The Inquirer is getting excited about the Philadelphia Flower Show, which will have a preview opening for selected guests tomorrow, and then open to the general public on Sunday. Catherine......

Every Tuesday and Thursday, we'll be posting events that are going on sale during the current week. This Tuesday post only collects the early announcements, so definitely check back on Thursday for the latest ticket news. COMEDY Chris Rock No Apologies Tour Borgata Casino, Atlantic City Fri, 5/16/08, 8PM; Sat, 5/17/08, 8PM On sale: Sat, 10AM, Live Nation (Fri show, Sat show) MUSIC Sasha & John Digweed Fillmore at the TLA Thu, 4/3/08, 9PM $30......

As this was Nickel Creek's farewell tour, I expected a concert full of Nickel Creek and their music. (Heaven forbid!) Though the concert was co-billed with Fiona Apple, I thought we would see Apple perform as sort of an opener, as well as at the end, where she would perform a couple of encore numbers with Nickel Creek. I was grossly mistaken. Everyone ultimately felt gypped, annoyed and frustrated regardless of who they went to......

Alison Sudol, better known on stage as A Fine Frenzy, is more than just a pretty face: she's also a musician with both a level of talent and a musical maturity well beyond her twenty-two years. You can classify her music as "alternative," we suppose – but it's definitely not your little sister's brand of alternative. Her single "You Picked Me," a gorgeous, sincere love song written in an unconventional 6/8 time signature, is the......

Earlier this week, we had the chance to check out bluegrass legend Alison Krauss, and now we get to see Nickel Creek's farewell tour with Fiona Apple (strange combination, I know.) Now Nickel Creek is also well-known in the bluegrass community with their standard instrumentation of fiddle, guitar, mandolin, and bass, but they've definitely jumped out of the standard bluegrass mold. They refer to their music as "progressive acoustic." I refer to it as "kick-ass......

It is true. We have a love of fiddle-playing, banjo-picking bluegrass music. (Not country - that's a whole different story.) This week, Philadelphia has the privilege of hosting two of bluegrass' biggest acts: Alison Krauss (tonight) and Nickel Creek (Saturday night). Alison Krauss is known for basically transforming bluegrass music back into popular music. It's no doubt you have heard her Grammy-nominated tunes on movies such as O, Brother Where Art Thou? or Cold Mountain.......

Wednesday The Holy Trinity Rittenhouse Square is going strong with their brown bag lunch concerts. This week features Tom Meany and Michael Simmons, Flute and Guitar duo. Holly Trinity (Rittenhouse Square); 12:30 PM; FREE Thursday The Philadelphia Orchestra recovers from their Free Neighborhood Concert series with an evening of Wagner, Beethoven, and Dvorak. Mann Center; 8 PM: $10-$50 Friday In case you need another dose of Gilbert and Sullivan silliness, the Haddonfield players give their......

Chris Funk of The Decemberists...

The Decemberists Giveaway
7/2/07-7/6/07...

Tuesday The Philadelphia Orchestra begins this week of concerts with the unforgettable Beethoven 9. Mann Center; 8 PM; $10-$50 Wednesday Hear the angelic voices of the Keystone State Boy Choir as part of the Holy Trinity's Brown Bag Lunch Series. Holy Trinity (Rittenhouse Square); 12:30 PM; FREE The Philadelphia Orchestra, along with the acclaimed Itzhak Perlman as soloist, will give a somewhat "spanish"-themed concert with works by Chabrier, Berlioz, and Mendelssohn. Mann Center; 8......

Every Tuesday and Thursday, we'll be posting events that are going on sale during the current week. This Thursday post only collects the latest announcements, so definitely check the Tuesday post for any you may have missed. Camera Obscura Fillmore at the TLA Wed, 8/22/07, 8PM $16 ($18 day of show) Pre-sale: Today, 10AM - 10PM, Live Nation Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Crocodile Rock, Allentown Tue, 6/19/07, 8PM $16 On sale: Today, 10AM, Ticketmaster Brotherly......

Tonight. 8 p.m. Damien Rice. Mann Music Center. Joygasm. The thing that grabbed us back in 2003 about Damien Rice's debut album, O, was the cello. Having played the instrument ourselves for eight years, we are a sucker for the cello. And then there was his voice. That haunting, lilting voice that expressed so much in one verse. What I am to you is not real What I am to you you do not......

We always get a little sad when the main classical music season ends and all the musicians go to their fun summer festivals. But, this can only mean that the Mann Center's season is just around the corner! Monday For the 150th anniversary of Robert Schumann's death, the Kimmel Center presents "The Romantic World of Robert Schumann" with Jeffrey Siegel, piano. This program takes a look at the passion behind Robert Schumann's piano works......