Posts Tagged ‘Tshombe’
Thursday, June 24th, 2010
Mass Market Beers
Philadelphia can make someone a beer snob very easily. Beyond the 20 tap systems in beer bars, craft beers from across the nation, and the endless lists of Belgians, any given dive bar is guaranteed to have at least a few local beers with Yards and PBC making themselves widely available.  Golly, even our local cheap beers Yuengling and Lions Head are better that most of the generic mass produced beers we constantly see advertised at all sporting events and every third commercial in prime-time. Or are they? I have to admit, for the most part I managed to skip the whole cheap commercial beer phase that most people go through. Being from PDX my folks tried hard to raise me not to be a cheap date, drink-wise, and when I hit legal age to drink outside of my home, I never even bothered tasting what I had always been told was drivel.
So I had a terrible idea the other day to sample the generic beers widely available, to test to see if what I had always heard about them was true, that they were flavorless, low alcohol and not worth the time. PBR I was already well acquainted with, being a patron of Mom’s establishments, and on very hot summer nights when I am exceptionally poor of pocket, I’ve been known to drink Miller High Life. I’m unable to tell if these are good beers or not – I solely associate them with certain drinking environments. But perhaps there is a best among the worst, perhaps the masses know something that in my snobbery¬† I’ve missed. And so the Art in Bars contributors gathered at a household to sample some mass market beers. Here are our findings. (more…)
Tags: Art in Bars, bad, beer, budweiser, Coors, generic, High Life, Jenn, miller, Milwaukee's Best, sample, Sequoia, tasting, Tshombe
Posted in Drinking, Review | Comments Off
Tuesday, April 27th, 2010
Who are the fine souls who contribute to this thing we call Art in Bars? I would like to introduce myself, as well as the other people who help with this thing. I would also like to clarify our disclosure policy. First, meet the gang. (more…)
Tags: Art in Bars, Blog, blog disclosure, disclaimer, Jenn, Richard Pastor, Sarah Hunt, Sequoia, Tshombe
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Friday, April 16th, 2010
By Tshombe
Tim O'Hanlon
Today Ask An Artist focuses on Tim O’Hanlon. Tim is an painter who lives in the Philadelphia area. His artwork consists mostly of portraits of iconic rock musicians. We wanted to ask Tim a few questions after checking out his stuff at the supercool and affordable art market, Pirahna Betty’s where his work is currently for sale. (more…)
Tags: 2010, April, ask-an-artist, Piranha Betty's, Tim O'Hanlon, Tshombe
Posted in Ask-an-Artist | Comments Off
Wednesday, March 31st, 2010
Mmm. Malt Liquor.
Yes, that’s right, a malt liquor beer tasting. Since we enjoy gathering together to participate in thematic beer tastings, and our target audience of drinkers and artists are, shall we say, lower on the socioeconomic scale, it just made sense. This article shall forever prove that the contributors of Art in Bars are not classy in any way. We actually performed this tasting last fall, but, er, lost the notes on it shortly thereafter, and really didn’t feel like repeating the experience. The Autumn afternoon started off with a quick trip to a Kensington corner store, where we purchased a classic lineup of the standards in the cheap beer / malt liquor department: Olde English, Colt 45, Steel Reserve, Silver Thunder and Axe Head. Fast facts: While beer is typically made with water, hops and barley; malt liquor is made with those plus less expensive ingredients like corn or rice, and a higher concentration of alcohol. We noticed that some cheap beer being sold as malt liquor was actually just high abv beer. (Also, I later bought a Spaten Optimator, a dopplebock, which called itself a malt liquor on the label.) We tasted each contender and attempted to rate them by categories such as smoothness, sweetness (a negative attribute), color, booze-ability (high alcohol taste), aftertaste, and overall flavor. (more…)
Tags: Axe Head, beer, Colt 45, contributor, Jenn, malt liquor, Olde English, Sequoia, Silver Thunder, Steel Reserve, tasting, Tshombe
Posted in Drinking | 1 Comment »
Monday, March 22nd, 2010
 
Chris Gauvain
 
Tshombe
12 Steps Down has been a good place to see drawings on display. Now they’re showing the work of Chris Gauvain whose pencil strokes are very emotive. This hockey fight scene and all the squiggly and crooked lines express just how violent the moment is. I know I wouldn’t want to be punched in the face like that. Every time I’ve been in a fight it’s been some weak bastard grazing my cheek or the top of my head. You can feel the power behind the blow and the rustling of the Jerseys in the forefront of this drawing. But the strange thing that’s happening in this drawing is that the spectators in the background are all monochrome with hardly any detail. The crowds lack of detail gives off a diffrent style of drawing altogether. It’s as if the forefront of the picture is a still from a Guy Ritchie movie and the background a frame from a Bill Plympton cartoon . I like this contrast because the absence of colors enhance the red blood splatter that comes right out of the frame. (more…)
Tags: 12 steps down, Art, Bars, Chris Gauvain, Review, Tshombe
Posted in Review | 1 Comment »
Monday, March 15th, 2010
“Because anything that can happen can happen in a bar.” A great tagline, and a true one. Blue Box Productions created a comfortable and environment to enjoy what is usually the stuffiest of performing arts, theater. Sticky is the name of the ongoing one act play series that is as lovely as it is libationary. Blue Boy producers David Marcus and Libby Emmons have been keeping live theater fresh and alive since Sticky began in Philadelphia in 2000. It started at Bar Noir in the Rittenhouse/”French Quarter” area of Philly. Now in 2010 Sticky is stronger than ever, moving up the coast to the Bowery Poetry Club in Soho in New York City. This show has a simple concept : 6 10 minute plays set in a bar, performed in a bar. I know I’ve craved a beer or cocktail during most plays I’ve seen in theaters. At Sticky drinking during the show makes me part of the production design. (more…)
Tags: Bar, nyc, performance, Sticky, Tshombe
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Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010
We interrupt this message to bring you a warning: There has been a large tentacled monster attacking Old City Philadelphia. Thanks to the new t-shirt at Sugar Mom’s we now have an idea of what the beast looks like. Mr. and Mrs. America and all the ships at sea should be on the look out for a fifty foot squid like monster. The shirt shows us a pointy toothed, baby faced menace swatting at buildings that spell out the word Sugar while the streets run white with the name Mom’s.
The Bar that ATE Olde City
This is the bar t-shirt I’ve been waiting for. The monster is strange, the lettering is unique ,and the subject is engaging without being complicated. I’m also relived that this isn’t a shirt that says “Property of Sugar Mom’s” on it, or have a silly little logo in the breast pocket area. Most Irish Pubs shirts have letters in some sort of Celtic style but because of this they become standard and end up looking boring. Most people realize that a Paddy’s shirt is no different than a Brownies’. Now, Moms’ shirt has nothing standard about it. If another bar has a t-shirt with a disaster scene on it I will be forced to consider it a rip-off.
What’s the reason for this scene anyway? Is it to scare the good citizens of Old City in to drinking at Sugar Mom’s because Sugar Mom’s is a hungry beast? Maybe the shirt tells everyone that the patrons of Sugar Mom’s enjoy 1950’s style horror movies. Marvel, at the tentacles whipping around the periphery of the bulbous batboy head. Cringe, at the super creepy shadows created by its black and white design. If you want a bar t-shirt with an original design run, don’t walk to Sugar Mom’s but beware of THE THING THAT ATE OLD CITY.
Tags: Mom's, monster, Olde City, Philadelphia, Review, Sugar Mom's, Tee Shirt Review, Tshombe
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Thursday, January 14th, 2010
 
Steph Cisso
Tritone is that bar on the West side of South Street. It’s got that handicap ramp that leads up to the door and behind that door are blood red walls. Usually the walls are sparse. There’s a chalkboard menu here or a demonic painting there, but mostly blood red walls.¬†Occasionally¬†there’s a piece of art that goes up that doesn’t fit the decour so I was surprised to see this 8″ x 10″ beauty during one of my visits.
I don’t know who Steph Cisso is but I’m asking her to prom. I’m sure she will agree to my idea of having a tuxedo made entirely of black leather while she sports the Carrie White look covered head to toe in fake blood. I don’t care what grade she’s in or if she’s pretty ’cause this chick’s rad. My favorite part of this collage is the outline of the center figure that creates frame within a frame, and the pink makes a slick contrast to all the black. I’m sure Steph Cisso didn’t learn any of her techniques from Mrs. Harpers art class – unless I missed the day her lesson was on skulls and death.
Tshombe
Tritone 1508 South
Tags: Art in Bars, Review, Steph Cisso, Tritone, Tshombe
Posted in Art | Comments Off
Wednesday, December 16th, 2009
Presentation is very important when selling merchandise. Instead of a discussing the design elements of a particular bar t-shirt, here are some ideas on how t-shirts are displayed. It’s hard to make any piece of clothing look good when it’s dangling from a knob, or a pipe from the sprinkler. Most bars just put their t-shirt on a white plastic hanger behind the bar. I believe a t-shirt is the canvas of a graphic artist and the bar is the gallery space where they mount their art. Bars should frame their shirts and hang them right above the bar like some famous guys’ sports jersey. Since bars t-shirt designs have sports themes anyway, it wouldn’t be out of place. Or they can get busty mannequins; they could always put on one of those girly shirts with the capped sleeves. Or they really shouldn’t be mounted at all; there should be a t-shirt gun at last call every night.
Woody's Tees
Woody’s the bar/club on the corner of 13th and Walnut has a kind of merch table. It’s a glass display case with t-shirts in different styles. It’s nice idea ,but I couldn’t get a shirt. The bartender told me he didn’t have a key to the case and to come back at four. I came back at four. Still no shirt. They told me to come back at night and that made sense because at night Woody’s is a humpin’, pumpin’ and bumpin’ club and that’s when you’d get a t-shirt. I returned the next night and didn’t go in because Woody’s is a humpin’, pumpin’ and bumpin’ club and the line was too long.
Some of those shirts were pretty cool too. One said “Woody‚Äôs” all Sailor Jerry-style inside a ribbon, across a red heart. The rest of course had a sports theme. I came back to this place three times and still didn’t get a shirt. Maybe Woody‚Äôs has the best t-shirt because you gotta work for it.
Tags: gayborhood, Philadelphia, Review, Tee Shirt Review, Tshombe, Woodys
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Thursday, October 8th, 2009
I wish there was a Franklin Mortgage and Investment Company when I was younger. The Franklin would have totally impressed my dates, or my friends visiting from my hometown. This place would have been perfect to rock my brown and cream wingtips with my double-breasted pinstriped suit. This would be back during that curious swing dance craze in the nineteen nineties. This place would’ve blown their minds. This bar is set up like a speakeasy with all the details in place. The shiny dark brown leather seats and chandeliers makes you feel like you’re drinking in secret luxury. If this place would have been around when I was in college, we would go to the Franklin just before going dancing. After a couple of excellent top shelf old timey drinks we’d be ready for Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.
The art in the Franklin is a 20 foot long mural depicting scenes from 1920‚Äôs life. The focus of the mural is a three piece suit wearing gangster in the middle. I‚Äôd like to believe men walked around casually carrying around Tommy guns with sweet brown and cream wingtips. I‚Äôd also like to believe the boxer Jack Dempsey had a fight at a party while a beautiful couple danced the night away. The greatest thing in the mural is Ben “Mr. Electric‚Äù Franklin is in a crap game with what looks like the cast of Newsies.
These scenes play out nicely because of the well-placed columns and doorways to separate the vignettes . Because all the figures are about 4 1/2 feet tall, it makes me believe this is the actual size of 1920’s/ 30’s Philadelphians. You gotta experience this in person. Feels like you’re in a time when adults drank illegally.
Franklin Mortgage and Investment Company
112 S. 18th St.
Tags: Bar, Drinking, mural, Rittenhouse, The Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co., Tshombe
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