So, it seems Plain Parade is a City Paper Choice Award winner. Award No. 3, as a matter of fact! Mathematically that breaks down into 75% awesomeness, 25% not-so-awesomeness, which is grand metaphor for the life of a concert promoter. Big thanks to Pat Rapa for nominating us.

Most Missed Rock Curators

So long, fair ladies of Plain Parade. Your tiny happy shows were the most lovingly booked, your tastes were impeccable. Four years of giving Philly its first glimpses of underdog indie stars is a pretty good run, and last year’s Songs From the Sixth Borough comp is a fitting and lasting swan song.

Yes yes, more music & fun from me today, if you’re up early enough to catch it. Not one of those morning people? No worries, there’s an archive (podcast stylee) for you.

Log onto WQHS 10AM - 12PM and get your morning on »

OK, not really a podcast per se, but it’s the archives of my radio show on WQHS. (My WPRB archives are currently unavailable.) I know this is going to detract from you actually tuning in, but oh well, better late than never, right?

Add this link to your feed »

apologies for the crankiness. very long work hours this week, little time to do much else. send chocolate and dvds my way, please.

Tomorrow on my show I’ll be giving away a ticket to see Built To Spill at the Trocadero on 10/7. It’s not a real giveaway — I have to shoot this show for an assignment [details TBA] and I wound up with an extra ticket. I figured someone would want it. Anytime I wind up with a +1 for a show no one ever wants to go with me, so hey, now it belongs to the world.

Tune in tomorrow 10AM - 12PM EST on WQHS and win!

Grandchildren at Haunted Cream Egg on 9/23/06

Same bat time, same bat channel! Tune in tomorrow, Wednesday 9/26, from 10AM - 12PM EST on WQHS. Let’s hope I remember how the telephone works — it was a little tricky last week.

BTW, if you are reading this and work for a record label/PR firm/etc, drop me a line. I’d like to give away some concert tickets, CD’s and dates with your bands. Everyone else can eff off! Oh, I’m just joking. You Listeners are the reason I keep doing this.

11:00 - 11:40 Ex Models
09:30 - 10:30 Lee, Jae-Won & Red Rocket (more on this in a sec!)
08:45 - 09:15 Voodoo Economics
08:00 - 08:30 Normal Love
07:00 - 07:30 Apes

You lazy bitches better represent, hear?

I’m pleased to announce that my weekly radio show, HER JAZZ, is moving to WQHS, the internet-only student radio station at the *University of Pennsylvania* this fall. I’m psyched to continue DJing through the school year. Plus, I’ve managed to whittle my radio commute from nearly 2 hours to 20 minutes. Yee haw!

When: Wednesday 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM EST
Listen: WQHS [internet only]

i had a bunch of awesome stuff to tell you but i forgot all of it in my offline off-time. here’s what i can remember. i think dr dog are still playing away at the block party down the street and still busting out that “ob-la-di” rip off tune. ob-la-dont, indeed!

» my last WPRB show of the summer is this week! sad! i can’t believe the fall schedule starts soon. i feel like i’ve officially accomplished nothing this summer. anyway, tune in — ol’ jt is my special guest.

» *i am going on tour*. well, kind of. with clockcleaner, natch. i probably shouldnt use the phrase tour because two shows doesn’t exactly constitute a tour, but whatever. if you consider tour managing to be sitting in the van with my ipod and staring sullenly out the window all teenage family vacation stylee, then thats what im doing. i cannot be held responsible for the actions of clockcleaner at these gigs, so if you are offended, its your own damn fault. im the nice one:

09-08 Columbus, OH @ Skylab Gallery (57 E. Gay St #5) w/ Times New Viking, Lambsbread

Touch & Go Anniversary Afterparty!
09-09 Chicago, IL @ the Mutiny (2428 N. Western Ave) w/ Functional Blackouts

» *ah, yes, touch & go.* i can’t wait to be in chicago this weekend and hanging with tons of rad people! furthermore, i cannot wait to eat lots of hot dogs and sausages and weiners and totally up my caloric intake. i started training for weinerfest by picking up a package of hot dogs this week.

» speaking of training, *i am having a major brodown with my re-emerging inner jock these days*. i started swimming in addition to playing tennis, but i am a lousy swimmer so they’ve relegated me to the slow lane. i only do the breaststroke because anything else looks like im drowning and really, there’s no need to make the lifeguard worry. but hey, i did 16 laps in the olympic-sized pool at work! i am also all about the elliptical machine. did you know that *blood on the wall* and *black flag* make for great workout music? now you do.

» i listened to the first night of *y-rock on wxpn* and made it through three songs before turning off the stereo. sorry, folks? what i heard: pearl jam’s “alive”, ramones “we want the airwaves” and some replacements song about drinking and music being a vital urgent thing [wait, thats like all their songs]. i just didnt understand how this was different from wxpn’s programming and furthermore, when did philadelphia ever lack an alternative? there’s always been wkdu, wxpn and wprb. what more could anyone ask for? also, why did i hear *the spinto band* play live twice on wxpn in a single day? amy and i were driving and we heard them on the noonish slot, then there was something else later [which i missed].

» and now, the moment you’ve been waiting for: my opinion on this year’s *mtv vmas*. they sucked. like, royally. every year i watch for the trainwrecks and this year i got a snoozefest. its a bad sign when one of the more entertaining moments is a bunch of aging indie rockers extending their 15 minutes of fame by leaping around on treadmills like a bunch of trained hamsters. i also dug pink’s dig at nicole ritchie when accepting her award. genius! and did anyone else hear the low groan/boo when britney spears was intro’ed?

Go to Plain Parade for more info, sound samples, etc etc. It’s one of our few all-ages shows, so don’t miss out.

» If you were a captive audience on SEPTA last week, you might have stumbled upon a Metro article about Her Jazz.

» The ever-awesome Doree Shafrir wrote this hilarious piece on dating dealbreakers, featuring quotes from my pal [and PW writer] Maggie Serota.

» Picked up the new issue of _Philly Mag_. Before I go any further: I realize talking about the craptacularness of this mag is old hat and totes obvs but seriously, this “Best Of” shit is awful. A whole “Kids” category? Kill me, now. Please. [note: i happen to like kids, even though i was a crap babysitter in high school.]

» Martha Coolidge, why?! Well, ever since those two episodes of _Sex & the City_, I should have figured this was gonna happen.

» OK, music talk: *Antelope*. Is this what happens when you cross CCR guitar economics with post-punk? Maybe, maybe not but all I know is that I like listening to this song over and over again.

Antelope, “Game Over”

I mention them because they are touring, with Joe Lally of Fugazi of all things! Here’s some dates for you, and oh, buy their records:

09/11/06 Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church (2125 Chestnut St.). $8. 7:30pm All Ages.

09/12/06 New York, NY @ The Knitting Factory (74 Leonard St.). $8. 8pm All Ages.

09/13/06 Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk Place (47 East Mohawk St.). $7. 9pm All Ages.

09/14/06 Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom (15711 Waterloo Rd.). $7. 9pm All Ages.

09/15/06 Chicago, IL @ South Union Arts (1352 S. Union Ave.). $10. 9pm All Ages.

09/16/06 Dekalb, IL @ The House Cafe (263 E. Lincoln Highway). $6. 8pm All Ages.

09/17/06 Grand Rapids, MI @ Division Avenue Arts Collective (115 S. Division Ave.). $7. All Ages.

09/18/06 Detroit, MI @ Bohemian National Home (3009 Tillman St.). 9pm. All Ages.

09/19/06 Pittsburgh, PA @ Garfield Artworks (4931 Penn Ave.). $8. 8pm All Ages.

» Last things last: I realize that indie and punk rockers are not exactly the um, athletic types but I would like to play more tennis. James nonwithstanding ['cause he always plays with me], do any of you want to hit a few around? Who knows how long this weather will stick around!