Comedian Adam Lowitt visited the Bossone Research Center’s Mitchell Auditorium Nov.17 for an evening of standup followed by a question-and-answer session. Lowitt is best known to audiences as a co-executive producer and writer for “The Daily Show.”  

The evening began with Karen Curry, director of Drexel’s Kal and Lucille Rudman Institute for Entertainment Industry Studies, introducing Lowitt by joking about how she has interviewed many people during her tenure and how usually the people she interviews have a lengthy bio. As is with comedians, Lowitt’s short-but-sweet biography includes, as Curry wittingly noted, the fact that he “currently lives in New York City with his seven wives and thirty-four kids” and that “it’s complicated.”  

Lowitt first came on stage to invite student Benny Feldman up to do an opening act. Feldman, who was the winner of CAB and Late Night Series’ Student Comedian Competition held in October, had a tight routine that provoked lots of laughter. He is an animated comedian who seems very in touch with the audience and who very clearly enjoys being performing. Feldman’s  subtle wordplay and puns employed observational humor which resonated with the audience. Topping that were his jokes about being Jewish and about having Tourette’s, which he flawlessly wove into his routine as his body experienced “turbulence.” Feldman had some dedicated fans in the audience who were very excited to see him perform.   

After Feldman’s performance, Lowitt performed his own standup routine. He pumped up the audience by asking what those in the audience are studying and by talking about Philadelphia.   Presumably because he was speaking to a college audience, he made jokes about previously being single and bitter, and about watching porn with his wife. Within these larger jokes he made smaller self-deprecating jokes about being Jewish and about his smaller stature.  

After his standup routine Curry and Lowitt did a question and answer session, before they opened it up to the audience.  Curry and Lowitt spoke about Lowitt’s entry into comedy—he did an internship during college for “The Daily Show.” They spoke about the technicalities of gathering and pitching material for staff writing sessions.

Curry later prompted Lowitt to tell a story he had told her earlier in the day about working with Jerry Seinfeld, which he described as the highlight of his comedy career.

Lowitt talked about the magic of Jon Stewart. He talked about how hard Stewart works and how much he enjoys what he does, noting how contagious and infections that passion truly is. He later touched on how developed Stewart’s voice is and how well he knows it, and moving on to discuss how well he treats his employees and how hard that makes them want to work in return.  

Curry asked about the major change of Stewart leaving the show and Trevor Noah coming on, and about the transition. Lowitt said that “The Daily Show” was looking for new correspondents about two years ago, before Stewart announced he was leaving.  Noah had a standup set sent over, and according to Lowitt, Stewart had barely made it through half a joke when he jokingly questioned, “Who the f-ck is this guy?  He’s going to take my job!”  Lowitt said that Noah has star quality: great presence, knows how to hold his own, and that he looks good behind the desk.  Apparently this is all that is needed to qualify to be the host of “The Daily Show.” Lowitt followed this up by saying that Noah has the mind necessary—he cares about politics, current events and culture.  

The students’ question and answer session allowed Lowitt to open up about topics such as being a cheerleader for potential comics by encouraging exploration into the local scene; discussing the worst he ever bombed, how he has made comedy a career, how he keeps his performance fresh, the importance of Twitter to the comedy community, and how to find your comedy voice.

Adam Lowitt is a four-time Emmy-Award-winning executive producer of Comedy Central’s ”The Daily Show,” and he regularly performs as a standup comedian in New York.  “The Daily Show” airs at 11 p.m. on Comedy Central, with new episodes airing Mondays through Thursdays.  

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The alternative rock, grunge and neo-psychedelic band Stone Temple Pilots performed to a sold-out crowd at the Theatre of Living Arts on South Street April 30. The concert was the final stop of the brief and aptly named “Spring 2015 North America” tour. For this tour, the band consciously chose to play smaller venues, creating a more intimate setting for audiences.

Originally formed in 1985 under the moniker Mighty Joe Young and hailing from San Diego, the band decided upon the name Stone Temple Pilots prior to signing with Atlantic Records, as the original band name was already in use by Chicago based blues artist, Joseph Young. Spending their early years touring, their first album was released in 1992, to much commercial success. As a result, Stone Temple Pilots became symbolic of the ‘90s alternative grunge scene, despite the members themselves wanting no parts of that particular label. Though Stone Temple Pilots does not like to be branded, they draw from such genres as rhythm and blues, lounge music, psychedelic rock, bossa nova, country, jangle pop, metal and ragtime. This confluence of genres is perhaps what makes Stone Temple Pilots’ sound so unique.

Initially comprised of lead vocalist and keyboardist Scott Weiland, bassist and backing vocalist Robert DeLeo, along with his brother guitarist Dean DeLeo and drummer Eric Kretz, Stone Temple Pilots has experienced many tumultuous moments during their tenure as a band, including a six-year hiatus. The band reformed in 2008, although over the next couple of years several tour dates were canceled due to Weiland being unable to reach his former vocal range. In early 2013, Weiland was officially fired from Stone Temple Pilots, after decades of dealing with heroin addiction, alcoholism and mental illness, all of which brought many professional highs and lows to the band. Since 2013, Stone Temple Pilots has been touring with Chester Bennington of Linkin Park, who has joined the band. Bennington is the only change to the lineup of the band to date.

The opening act of the night was the Brooklyn-based rock band, Dreamers. Once the opening act finished, anticipation filled the air as the crew began unloading Stone Temple Pilots’ instruments on to the stage. After several more minutes Stone Temple Pilots made their way to the stage to the welcoming hollers of the sold-out audience, which contained noticeably more males than females.

The opening song of the set was the heavy yet melodic track “Loungefly,” from the band’s second album, “Purple.” This opener was complete with the band’s compelling guitar effects and booming, definitive drumbeat throughout. The audience responded immediately, singing along, nodding heads and moving arms along with beat. The next song brought a little more of the band’s signature aggressive distortion and a lot more melody. Early on in their career, Stone Temple Pilots mastered the juxtaposition of a driving, distorted sound married with beautiful chord progressions. The first half of the show carried on similarly, showcasing more of the band’s early and heavier material with the occasional gorgeous harmony thrown in. It should be noted that by and large, I am not generally one for heavier rock and roll, but Stone Temple Pilots proves to be an exception due to the wide range of musical genres they draw from and incorporate into their songs, the intriguing rhythms, unique chord progressions and the occasional profound lyric.

Roughly halfway through the show, the band performed one of their more mellow tracks, “Adhesive.” This tour marks the live debut of the song despite being recorded 19 years ago. “Adhesive” is powerful yet dainty, thoughtful and hauntingly beautiful. The only elements that were sorely missing from the studio recording were the harmonies on chorus and the trumpet solo.

The Stone Temple Pilots is scheduled for a short tour in September, mainly touring the midwest; however they will be back May 16, playing the Susquehanna Bank Center for the WMMR 93.3 FM barbecue.

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Photo Courtesy Nashville Scene
Pulitzer winning playwright Doug Wright is accredited with the creation of popular Broadway productions like “The Little Mermaid” and “I Am My Own Wife.”

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and screenwriter Doug Wright spoke to a group in the URBN Annex Screening Room May 7. Wright is completing a residency at Drexel, in which, he has hosted three drop-in conversations with screenwriting and playwriting students, a “producing” class to discuss arts policy, censorship, funding and advocacy in a class titled “Art, Culture and Society,” all housed in the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design.

Additionally, as a part of his residency, Wright hosted a professional development workshop about job hunting and selling scripts. Students were encouraged to bring a short piece of drama, fiction or nonfiction writing as discussion fodder.

The title of Wright’s presentation was “Stage to Screen and Back Again.” Wright’s catalogue ranges from dramas to a Disney musical to works inspired by true-life events. While the audience was encouraged to ask questions whenever they arose, the format for the evening was an informal conversation between Wright and Blanka Zizka, founding artistic director of the Wilma Theater and a long-time friend of Wright.

After an introduction from Brian Moore, director of the entertainment and arts management program, Wright and Zizka made their way up to the front of the auditorium. The overarching goal of the talk was to explore story crafting, the processes of developing new plays, turning plays into movies, and examining the narrative and dialogical differences between stage and screen.

The conversation began with Wright’s work “Quills,” which began as a play and made its way to the silver screen. Wright was extended the opportunity to write its screenplay for the film version. He remarked that it was a great experience because he had a good connection with the film’s director and that he was welcomed in different aspects of the movie aside from merely the screenwriting process.

Next, the duo chatted about Wright’s characters. He noted that he likes creating eccentric and idiosyncratic characters, saying that he feels as though marginalized characters can tell us the most about ourselves.

The conversation moved into charting the differences between stage writing and film writing. Interestingly, Wright mentioned that one of the most striking differences in his experience was that film is touched by a lot of hands, while playwriting is more of an individual feat. Wright indicated that there are completely different sets of expectations for the two mediums, as moviegoers anticipate films to be strenuously accurate and realistic.

Later, Wright elucidated that for plays there is more artistic freedom, more metaphors, and more collaboration between the stage and audience. As a result, emotions are more intensely felt in plays rather than in film because plays involve more audience imagination. He gave the example of the sounds for breaking bones. While in film the audience might simply see the action and perhaps hear a cracking, on stage there is an orchestra backing said action.

Another interesting parallel Wright drew between film and the stage, harking back to the set of expectations, was that films “invite [the] audience to prove that the setting is authentic,” while plays “do not make the audience ask the medium to prove itself.” Film is a more passive experience.

Wright’s conversation was speckled with film and theater references that soared over my head, although the rest of the audience seemed to really appreciate them. After the differences between stage and film were established, the conversation then shifted to Wright’s piece “I Am My Own Wife,” which won two 2004 Tony Awards for best play and best lead actor in a play, a Pulitzer Prize for Drama, a Drama Desk Award for outstanding play, a GLAAD Media Award, and an Outer Critics Circle Award.

The play, which is based on conversations with German Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, tells the story of a transgender person who killed her father when she was a young child and survived the Nazi and Communist regimes in East Berlin. Wright explained that he felt compelled to share the story because it was a “piece of untold gay history about oppressive regimes and communist ties,” and a story that he had a 10-year love affair with.

While writing the play he decided to slightly shift the perspective of the play by making it about his journey of discovering von Mahlsdorf. Wright shared that this interesting standpoint kept him honest by having to stay true to all characters. If he began to skew the play to make himself look more favorable he would have to skew it to make von Mahlsdorf look more favorable as well. As a result, Wright feels as though the play is more truthful and candid than it would have been otherwise.

After this portion of conversation, the evening organically shifted to audience questions. One audience member asked about casting, especially with regard to casting different genders, ethnicities or races to play an “untraditional” part. Wright replied that the theater is predicated on one person playing another and that he would not be opposed to casting outside of conventionally conceived roles.

He also mused that theater teaches empathy and that it is the vast constellation of suffering. Another audience member asked about Wright’s revision process. He suggested that writers should enlist the help of artistic directors, actors and people they trust to proofread their works. He shared that he goes through at least eight to 10 drafts for all his works.

After the question-and-answer session the audience was invited to a reception where the conversation and collaboration continued in the URBN Annex Lobby.

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The annual Philadelphia Horticultural Society Philadelphia Flower Show opened to the public at the Pennsylvania Convention Center Saturday, March 1, and closed March 9.

The Philadelphia Horticultural Society put on its annual Flower Show from March 1 through March 9. There were a number of colorful, expertly manicured floral displays that included flowers like tulips and hyacinth. Environmental issues like nature deficit disorder and ecological restoration were highlighted in the exhibits. Photo courtesy of Ajon Brodie.

Dating back to 1829, the Philadelphia Flower Show has grown to boast the hefty reputation of the world’s largest indoor flower show, featuring the world’s premier landscape designers and florists. This year’s theme was “ARTiculture,” a fusion of art and horticulture that incorporated world cultures and art history. For those readers who have never experienced the Philadelphia Flower Show, each year has a different theme that sets an all-encompassing mood, making each year very different from the last. This year’s flower show billed itself as “an explor[ation] of the influence of natural landscapes on the arts [that] will celebrate great horticultural design as an art form in its own right.”And that it was. Every detail at the Flower Show was distinctly artistic, from the exuberant entrance garden inspired by the paintings and sculptures of the late Pennsylvania native Alexander Calder, to the homages to other famous artists sprinkled about the convention center floor. At different points throughout the nine-day stretch of the Flower Show, BANDALOOP, a California-based vertical dance troupe, performed gravity-defying acrobatics.

The attention to detail at the Flower Show was incredible; the tight, focused lighting combined with the aroma of freshly cut flowers offered an atmosphere that was unparalleled. The man-hours needed to construct such a show are absolutely unbelievable. Planning for the show begins more than a year in advance, and creation of the show involves more than 3,500 volunteers, thousands of exhibitors, and the entire PHS staff and extended family, according to Alan Jaffe, director of communications for PHS.

This year’s Flower Show featured collaborations with a number of museum partners, including both local outlets and museums from across the country. The local museum partners of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society included: the Philadelphia Museum of Art (in partnership with the National Museum of Korea, Seoul; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston), the Barnes Foundation, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the Penn Museum, the Guggenheim Museum, and the Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery of Washington, D.C. Additionally, special exhibitions at the show included a selection of floral prints by Andy Warhol, selections from the local West Collection of Oaks, Pa., works by local Bucks County sculptor Steve Tobin and local mural mosaic artist Isaiah Zagar.

In addition to the typical awards given out for flowers, this year’s Flower Show had a seemingly unusual amount of floral-inspired artwork. There was framed artwork made with pressed flower petals depicting scenic landscapes and arranged into flowers, floral inspired mobiles, floral inspired planters, floral inspired jewelry, brooches and perfume pendants, floral and art inspired dioramas, decked-out streetscapes with window boxes, and artwork that was inspired by flower arrangements. The artwork was displayed on the wall, with the flower arrangements set out a few feet from the wall. This exhibit made for a fascinating flower-cum-art interpretation.  Some of these art installations were honoring famous artists, including Georgia O’Keeffe and Piet Mondrain.

A noteworthy aspect of this year’s Flower Show was a new consciousness of environmental impact. Last year’s Flower Show saw the addition of a highly energy-efficient LED lighting system, and this year the cognizance was raised. The PHS worked with Green Mountain Energy Company to offset greenhouse gas emissions in an attempt to help balance the event’s carbon footprint. Additionally, PHS has pledged to recycle plants and products “whenever possible,” stating that props, signs and staging materials are reused, horticultural waste is composted and eco-friendly contractors are sought. Technology was also utilized to minimize paper communications, and through careful planning and recycling of their displays, exhibitors were encouraged to reduce negative impacts on the environment. The difference was noticeable; there were a number of exhibits that used recycled materials to put together their displays by incorporating items such as old bed springs, bicycle wheels, salvaged logs, crushed concrete, beautiful tumbled glass and papercrete.

Attention was also called to related issues such as nature deficit disorder (defined as “a widening gap or disconnect between people and the outdoors, which is resulting in a decrease in physical and emotional health”),and the importance of ecological restoration. Additionally, there was a special exhibit spotlighting biking as an environmentally friendly mode of transportation. In sticking with the theme of ARTiculture, this exhibit featured bike rack designs by local artists.  After being displayed at City Hall, the bike racks will be installed around Center City to enhance the streetscape. Keep an eye out! Additionally, the Philadelphia Water Department presented information about “the art of storm water management,” sharing its innovative, comprehensive plan for water infrastructure outlined in their document “Green City, Clean Waters,” and sharing information about rain barrels.

As always, there were culinary demonstrations that emphasized “garden to table” food offerings including art-themed specialties, tea-time and themed events including: “LGBT Party,” “Wedding Wednesday,” and “Girls’ Night Out.” Also consistent with past years, the Flower Show was filled with a variety of vendors selling flower related goods, including plants, herbs, terrariums, planters, gardening tools, apparel, candles and Flower Show collectables. New this year, PHS introduced an expanded line of PHS “lifestyle products,” including new PHS gardening gloves and three new PHS soaps available in honey and oats, milk and freesia, and tea olive scents.

Proceeds from the Flower Show benefit the year-round programs of PHS, including the innovative City Harvest program. For more information visit www.theflowershow.com, or www.PHSonline.org.

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First Person Arts, a local nonprofit organization that celebrates the power of the personal through storytelling, hosted its Grand Slam event Nov. 7 at Christ Church Neighborhood House in Old City. This particular Grand Slam happened to coincide with the end of First Person Arts’ 12th season. Grand Slam events are the culmination of a year’s worth of StorySlams. Eleven finalists from the season told five-minute stories to a sold-out audience.

A StorySlam is an invitation to share five minutes of one’s life with a room full of people. At StorySlams, anyone whose name is chosen has the opportunity to get onstage and tell a story. Each night features a new theme, so the stories and the storytellers are always changing. Stories are judged based on the storyteller’s ability to narrate a believable story that stays true to the theme, has a structured order and is under five minutes long.

Anticipation hung heavy as the audience entered the venue. Outside, First Person Arts’ volunteers were selling beer and other snacks, and it was clear that everyone was ready to be wowed.

For this year’s Grand Slam, the theme was “dilemma.” Stories included having to make the choice of whether or not to cheat on one’s spouse with an old friend, wrestling with the idea of getting an abortion, the decision of whether or not to lock a known claustrophobic in a room during a robbery, and the idea of returning home as an adult to one’s heroin-addicted parents who have found Jesus. The winning storyteller told a tale about wanting to live alone while also having a fear of dying alone.

Some storytellers make a living by crafting stories as professional writers, college professors, primary school teachers, or directors of film and video. Others do not have a traditional storytelling occupation. What they all have in common, however, is the ability to convey a well-told tale.

The host for the evening was Peter Aguero, who has made appearances as a lecturer for TED and has served various roles with The Moth. He is also the founder and lead singer of The BTK Band, known as “NYC’s hardest-drinking improvised storytelling rock band,” and is currently touring with his own show titled “Daddy Issues.”

First Person Arts was founded in 2000 as a response to the growing interest in memoir and documentary art. The organization hosts StorySlams throughout the year at World Cafe Live on the second Monday of each month and at L’Etage at 6th and Bainbridge streets on the fourth Tuesday of each month. The 13th season begins Monday, Dec. 9.

Additionally, First Person Arts hosts classes and workshops. Professional artists in storytelling, music, comedy and more are brought in to share their incredible stories from real life for the First Person Arts Presents series. In addition, there is a program called Edible World that lets guests savor amazing cuisine while hearing tales inspired by that food. For more information on upcoming events or to find out more about First Person Arts, visit http://firstpersonarts.org.

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Ajon Brodie – The Triangle
Panic! at the Disco performed at the fourth Radio 104.5 Block Party of the summer to a packed crowd. Alt-J and Walk Off the Earth also appeared.

Radio 104.5 hosted its fourth Block Party of the summer season Aug. 3 at The Piazza at Schmidt’s in Northern Liberties. Radio 104.5, Philadelphia’s alternative radio station, has been hosting the free monthly summer concert series since 2010. The fourth show of the season featured Walk Off the Earth, Alt-J, and Panic! at the Disco.

The show started at approximately 3:45 p.m., and it was absolutely packed. It may have been the most crowded 104.5 Summer Block Party show to date. This particular show brought more people with tattoos and piercings than I have seen in a while, and it also featured someone crowd surfing in a unicorn mask, among the many other crowd surfers.

Canadian band Walk Off the Earth, which recently rose to fame after posting a number of covers of pop artists on YouTube, played a short but sweet set. Walk Off the Earth has developed its unique sound by singing in tight harmony and by playing a myriad of distinctive instruments, such as xylophone, glockenspiel, ukulele and horns. All the current band members are multi-instrumentalists. Walk Off the Earth may be best known for its single “Red Hands,” and of course, they played it for their fans!

Next up was Alt-J. Hailing from Leeds, England, the band members’ accents were adorable. Alt-J is best known for its single “Breezeblocks,” which features a verse sung in a round. Deriving their name from the Greek letter delta, which is typed by pressing alt-J on a Mac keyboard, Alt-J has gone through a series of band names, some of which they had to relinquish because other established bands already went by the same name. A surprising number of attendees I spoke with were there just to see Alt-J.

The final act of the afternoon was the infamous Panic! at the Disco. Now veterans of the music scene, Panic! at the Disco has been around for nearly 10 years. Originating in Las Vegas fresh out of high school, Panic! At the Disco has spent the last decade maturing and honing its signature sound. With three albums out and a recently announced album on the way, Panic! At the Disco has been the center of much chatter over the years due to occupying a truly unique space in the music scene, a shift in sound, the absence and reappearance of the “!” in the band’s name, and half the band leaving in 2008.

Playing a mix of older and newer material, the crowd responded wildly. The only thing that was really missing was representation from Panic’s second album. All things considered, Panic did a great job. The hole that was created when Ryan Ross and Jon Walker left the band will never truly be filled, but for a band that has had such chancy beginnings, Panic is trudging along quite well.

The next show in the Block Party series is Sept. 14 and will feature The Airborne Toxic Event, The Unlikely Candidates and American Authors. For more information on the Radio 104.5 Summer Block Party series, visit www.radio1045.com.

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Radio 104.5 hosted its third Block Party of the summer season July 13 at The Piazza at Schmidt’s in Northern Liberties, featuring Cold War Kids, Capital Cities and opening act Bat Books . Radio 104.5, Philadelphia’s alternative radio station, has been hosting the free monthly summer concert series since 2010. The series runs from May through September, and each show draws a very large and unique crowd.

Capital Cities was one of three bands that performed at the July 13 Radio 104.5 block party, playing crowd favorite “Safe and Sound.”

For those who have yet to attend a Radio 104.5 Block Party, allow me to paint the scene for you. The Piazza at Schmidt’s is an 80,000-square-foot open-air plaza. Surrounding the plaza are three mixed-use buildings, including a number of artist studios and boutiques, restaurants, apartments, and office spaces. Most of these studios, boutiques and restaurants are open for business during the shows and carry some fascinating spectacles and trinkets. Additionally, vendors and sponsors set up under tents both in the plaza and surrounding it.. Frequently, residents of the surrounding apartments can be seen on their balconies enjoying the show.

The show started at approximately 3:45 p.m., but at this particular show, audience members continually trickled in on the scorching hot Saturday afternoon. Bad Books played an energetic set that set the bar for Capital Cities and Cold War Kids.

Capital Cities was next to play. The band’s enthusiastic set was a good match for Bad Books. Donning all black and enough scraggily beards and funny socks to go around, they broke out their horns and passionately belted out the signature line from their single “Safe and Sound.” Another great moment of the group’s set was the members’ synchronized arm wave dance routine.

The final act of the afternoon was Cold War Kids. Though the concert came very close to being rained out, Cold War Kids eventually took the stage and played a masterful closing set that inspired some crowd surfing and some singing, among other things. Along with their beat-up looking guitars and bass, the four members of this indie rock band from sunny Long Beach, Calif., appeared to put up with the humid and rainy East Coast just fine. They played some tracks off their newly released fourth album “Dear Miss Lonelyhearts,” which was inspired by the Nathanael West novel “Miss Lonelyhearts.” The album marks a slight departure from the band’s typical “grit-rock” sound for more spacious, audacious sounds.

The next show in the Block Party series is Aug. 3 and will feature Panic! at the Disco, Alt-J and Walk Off the Earth. After this, the final show of the season will take place Sept. 14, featuring The Airborne Toxic Event, The Unlikely Candidates and American Authors.

For more information on the Radio 104.5 Summer Block Party series, visit www.radio1045.com.

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Indie-alternative-pop band fun. performed for a sold-out audience July 19 at the Mann Center in Fairmount, supporting its sophomore album “Some Nights” on the Most Nights Summer Tour. With anticipation hanging heavy in the air, fun. played a knockout, killer set. Even from high up in the nosebleed section, this show was not to be missed.

Photo Courtesy The Claire Garvey Team. Fun. played to a sold-out crowd at the Mann Center July 19 with opener Tegan and Sara. The band performed songs from their touring album, “Some Nights,” closing the show with the title song.

The warm-up act for the Most Nights Summer Tour was the indie-rock, synth-pop band Tegan and Sara. Tegan and Sara’s set was incredibly heartfelt and genuine. The singer-songwriter duo, who happen to be identical twins, started touring after graduating high school in Canada in 1998. Tegan and Sara played for nearly an hour and clearly could have kept playing for longer. Their songs about the elusive nature of love and heartbreak were moving. Of course, they played their single “Closer,” among many others. No doubt, they did a great job warming up an excited crowd.

Finally, after too many agonizing minutes of waiting, the crowd began to cheer. Three very handsome and sharply dressed men donning suites and bow ties spilled onto the stage. Nate Ruess, fun.’s lead singer, promptly and quietly began to chant the theatrical “Some Nights (Intro),” the leading track from their touring album. The haunting melody quickly climbed from poignant and satirical to the grand finish, and off came the band’s suits in favor of more “fun” clothing that was trendy and urban.

I’d be hard pressed to choose a favorite song or moment from this show. Fun.’s wit brilliantly shone through its handcrafted and complex tunes. Additionally, the group took many opportunities to connect with the audience. Ruess nostalgically recalled how one of their first shows ever was played at a bar in Philadelphia, to which the crowd responded by cheering wildly. He then mentioned that the Mann Center is the largest venue they have headlined thus far in their career, which gave way to more cheering. Later on in their set, after Ruess made mention of his hailing from Arizona, guitarist Jack Antonoff shared that he is from right over the river in New Jersey and that this is the closest he gets to a hometown show. It was then divulged that both Antonoff’s and keyboardist Andrew Dost’s parents were in the audience. What proud parents they must be!

The energy level of fun. was simply indescribable. At one point, during a snippet of Gary Glitter’s “Rock and Roll Part II,” confetti was strewn across the stage. Ruess playfully rolled around in it and ended up with confetti stuck to his face. Antonoff got in on the action too, so much so that I was concerned he was going to smash his guitar. Thankfully, no guitars were harmed during the performance.

In all, fun. played 10 of the 11 songs on “Some Nights”. The only missing song was “All Alright,” and though it was sorely missed, it does not have the same arena rock energy that fun. was creating. They also played five songs from their freshman album, “Aim and Ignite,” including a 10-minute version of “Take Your Time (Coming Home),” which closed their set in the grandest of ways, and one cover of The Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” After an attempt at the Los Lonely Boys song “Heaven,” which they had allegedly been practicing, Ruess jokingly remarked, “We’ll stick to fun. songs tonight.”

The encore for the night was the infamous “Some Nights” which had the crowd gleefully singing along, followed by a 12-minute rendition of the song “Stars,” complete with horns. Philadelphia was the seventh stop on the Most Nights Summer Tour. Fun. will be touring through September, and I highly recommend going to a show, but, only if you like having fun.

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The International Student Union, in participation with The Good Idea Fund, sponsored the inaugural It’s a Small World Gala May 25. The black-tie gala was a celebration of international identities, and a good time was certainly had by all. In a unique twist in line with the international theme, attendees were encouraged to dress in traditional attire.

The night began with attendees being welcomed in the majestic Main Building. After showing their tickets, attendees were encouraged to place a pin on a world map to show their country of origin. There was overwhelming representation from South America, Europe, Asia and North America. The map was quite a spectacle and a lovely accent to the evening.

There was a photo backdrop with flags of many different countries where attendees could have their pictures taken. After some brief mingling and picture taking, attendees were ushered into the auditorium to watch a series of ethnic student and professional performances.

With the help of some funny emcees, Karthik Ravichander and Ashima Gandhi, the show was absolutely riveting. The first set of performers was the men of the Filipino Intercultural Society of Drexel University. Their performance was a traditional Filipino Dance that is performed with coconuts and displays a mock warfare between the Moors and Christians over the prized latik, or meat of the coconut. Next up was the Vietnamese Student Association, whose performance featured Vietnamese women in traditional dresses and hats. Their choreography was elegant and perfectly aligned.

The next set of performers was the Drexel Fanaa, who performed various Bollywood dances in a beautiful arrangement. Then the Drexel Blue Diamond Dragons performed a mesmerizing Step Dance that involved intricate moves through their hands and feet by using the bodies as instruments. The last two performances were a trio from Olive Dance Theater who breakdanced and a professional salsa dancer who presented an uplifting performance with polished movements.

After the series of performances, a few (bad) jokes told by the emcees, and some internationally themed audience participation games, it was time for dinner. In keeping with the international theme, the menu featured chicken breast with cilantro and lime and fresh mango salsa, a Greek-style salad, basmati rice, bok choy, chickpea tikka masala, Himalayan mango clouds, and blood orange punch. Immediately following dinner, attendees streamed onto the dance floor for a hands-on experience with the salsa dancer who performed earlier. The rest of the evening was spent dancing.

The International Student Union and The Good Idea Fund planned the gala.

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The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s annual Philadelphia Flower Show opened to the public March 2 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

Photo Courtesy PHS:  The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s annual Philadelphia Flower Show made its way to the Pennsylvania Convention Center March 2. This year, the show’s theme was everything British and titled “Brilliant!” It featured elaborate flower arrangements, competitions and extravagant decor.

Dating back to 1829, the Philadelphia Flower Show has gained a hefty reputation as the world’s largest indoor flower show. This year’s theme is “Brilliant!” an Anglicism that equates to something that is inventive, dazzling or extraordinary. Appropriately, this year’s Flower Show is billing itself as a “show fit for a king, a queen and everyone in between.”

And that it is. Every detail at the Flower Show is decidedly British, from the cardboard cutout of the queen down to the music playing in the background, which features peppy British tunes that might make you think “the British are coming.” All British invasion jokes aside, the Flower Show’s British theme sets a mood that differs greatly from past years.

As soon as I entered the Flower Show, my senses began to tingle. The dim lighting combined with the aroma of freshly cut flowers created a permeable atmosphere. The manpower and time needed to construct such a show were absolutely incredible. This year, for the first time, Pre-Show Sneak Peek ticket packages were available for the public to visit during setup week, Feb. 25-28. This new feature allowed for behind-the-scenes access during construction.

The centerpiece of the Flower Show was a digital rendition of Big Ben, the iconic clock tower of London. Every hour the clock tower displayed a light and emitted sound, which garnered much attention. The entrance to the Flower Show floor was designed by Chris Woods, a native of Great Britain, and featured beautifully scented English roses and an alley of magnificent birch trees. Other British-themed items were scattered around the Flower Show floor, including the iconic yellow submarine, a fancy British dining room set and lots of British flags. Also noteworthy was this year’s use of a new energy-efficient LED lighting system, which highlighted the intensity of plant coloring and improved opportunities for photographing.

The Flower Show has two categories for top winners: landscape and floral. This year’s winners for the Best-in-Show award, the highest-scoring landscape and floral major exhibits, were Michael Petrie’s Handmade Gardens and Schaffer Designs, respectively. Both exhibits epitomized a celebration of color and the art form of gardening. Other interesting awards offered this year included the PHS Sustainability Award for the educational major exhibit, demonstrating the best use of sustainable gardening practices to the public, and the Alfred M. Campbell Memorial Trophy for the educational major exhibit that demonstrated the most successful use of a variety of plants in a unique fashion, which was awarded to the Temple University Ambler School of Environmental Design.

Other attractions of this year’s Flower Show included presentations and displays that catered to providing useful ideas for the home, garden and the do-it-yourselfer. There were culinary demonstrations, wine tastings, and themed afternoon and evening events including “LGBT Party,” “Wedding Wednesday,” “Girls’ Night Out” and “Family Day.” This year there is also a Speaker Series and Gardener’s Studio presentations, in addition to floral-arranging contests pairing professional designers against amateur artists.

If you cannot make it out to one of the specially themed afternoons or evenings, the Flower Show is filled every day with a variety of vendors peddling flower-related goods. Whether you are looking for beautifully prepared and fragrant potpourri, homemade stained glass, beeswax hand lotion or elegant jewelry, the Flower Show has your needs in mind.

Proceeds from the Flower Show benefit the year-round programs of PHS, including the innovative City Harvest program. To date, PHS City Harvest has yielded more than 160,000 pounds of fresh, organic produce, helping 1,000 families in need per week during the growing season. Come out, support your city and enjoy some beautiful creations. For more information please visit www.theflowershow.com.