Author Archives | Shane O'Connor

NBC’s ‘The Good Place’ offers philosophical takes on life

Imagine a place where there are frozen yogurt shops on every corner. You get to live in your dream house, with a person who is guaranteed to be the perfect match for you. Every day, for the rest of eternity, is spent in this paradise as your reward for being a good person. This is where we find Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell) at the start of “The Good Place,” and it’s pretty much exactly that.

As its architect Michael (a perfect Ted Danson, using his history in sitcom to its fullest) explains, “The Good Place” isn’t exactly the biblical heaven per se; it instead mixes the ideas of the afterlife from different cultures and religions. There’s just one small hitch: Eleanor is not supposed to be there. In fact, on earth she was the exact opposite of what her supposed human rights lawyer title would imply. She was a selfish, abrasive jerk who willingly sold seniors fake supplements and died in a parking lot picking up margarita mix.

Fish out of water story? Yes, and there’s a generic version of this that would probably use that hitch as a formulaic claptrap. Not this one. As envisioned by Michael Schur, creator of “Parks and Recreation” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “The Good Place” is a surprisingly philosophical show that frequently asks questions about the nature of being a good person and the complications of the existence of an afterlife that includes a “Bad Place”. It’s also frequently laugh-out-loud hilarious, and it mines a lot of comedy out of the peculiarities of the “Good Place” and its inhabitants, especially Michael’s fascination with humans.

The cast outside of Bell and Danson also nails their roles: William Jackson Harper as a nervous ethics professor Chidi (who, as Eleanor’s soulmate, decides he has an obligation to help her avoid going to the “Bad Place”), Jameela Jamil as the braggadocious philanthropist Tahani and Manny Jacinto as her Buddhist monk soulmate.

The breakout star, however, is D’Arcy Carden as Janet, a Siri-like personal assistant who appears out of thin air on command and cheerfully fulfills the requests of all residents of the “Good Place.” Carden perfects Janet’s bright helpfulness, best exemplified when she cheerfully plays Eleanor a clip of screaming from the “Bad Place.” A later gag involving cacti is the funniest thing in the whole show, best experienced blind.

For a comedy on a broadcast network, “The Good Place” has shown a remarkable confidence in its plot and the strength of its world. Each episode ends with a cliffhanger of some sort and no plot point has been wasted. Though it takes until about episode four for the plot to really kick in, there’s a never-ending stream of jokes and background gags, as well as ethical quandaries aplenty to consider. Though “The Good Place” is easily the most philosophical show on television, it excels because of its weird sense of humor and total confidence in its plot.

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Montreal indie band drops hot debut album

Montreal quintet Heat just released their debut album “Overnight,” a strong entry into the world of atmospheric, almost dreamlike indie pop rock. I first heard of Heat when I saw them open for Bully at Boot and Saddle about two years ago. At the time, they only had their stellar EP “Rooms” to perform but boy, did they ever. That EP was all hits and I expected Heat to burst onto the scene after touring with an act as hot as Bully. But alas, for whatever reason, I didn’t hear a peep from Heat until a few months ago when “Overnight” was announced. It’s been a long wait, but finally Heat is back, hopefully to stay this time.

Three of the band’s founding members are still around: Susil Sharma (vocals, guitar, synth), Matthew Fiorentino (guitar, synth) and Raphael Bussieres (bass). “Rooms” was marked by zooming guitar lines and snazzy lyrics by Sharma. Everything felt sharp and clear, with each listen-through allowing the listener to get lost in a different part of each song. With “Overnight” the lines are blurred a bit more to create an atmospheric full-length that really transports the listener.

When I first heard “Lush,” the lead single from “Overnight,” I was worried the Heat that I knew and loved from “Rooms” was gone forever. Gone were the country twangs from standout tracks like “Wild Eyes,” instead replaced by waves of synth and a drum machine. But when able to hear the entire record together, I realized that Heat was just evolving their sound into a lean, mean indie pop rock machine, ready to take 2017 by the horns.

“Overnight” ebbs and flows, almost like a living thing. Starting out with the zippy guitar line in the opening track “City Limits” and ending with the epic, nearly seven minute long, jam “Chains,” “Overnight” gets better with every listen. “Sometimes,” the album’s second and maybe best track, really ushers in the synth aspects that Heat has incorporated into their sound. The synths hang out in the background while Sharma’s throaty, smoky vocals hang are front and center. It’s a bit hard to understand what he is singing about at times but the sick guitar riffs more than make up for it. A more subdued track like “Lush” is immediately followed by the upbeat, catchy number “The Unknown.” The chill instrumental song (featuring some neat female backing vocals) “Rose De Lima” is the countered by the fast and forceful “Cold Hard Morning Light.”

The year is only one month in but Heat has set the bar high with “Overnight.” The boys from Montreal took awhile to make their way back into the indie fold, but they have done so with a confident EP that is sure to make a splash. If you are a fan of indie rock with sharp, catchy guitar licks and a solid helping of synth action, then Heat and their debut record “Overnight” are just the ticket.

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’20th Century Women’ disappoints despite cultural significance

Mike Mills’ “20th Century Women” starts off with a car on fire in a supermarket parking lot. The blazing vehicle in question is a Ford Galaxy that once belonged to the unseen ex-husband of single mother Dorothea Fields (Annette Bening). It’s a fitting opening for a movie that’s steeped in feminism, a striking visual that brings to mind the idea of bra burnings in the ’60s and ’70s.

Apocryphal or not, the symbolism of using one’s brassiere as kindling represents the rejection of the onerous male influence on a woman’s destiny. Therein lies the somewhat paradoxical, if not existential question of the film that writer-director Mills is trying to answer: Does it take a man to raise a man or can a lady find herself equally as capable for the challenge? Unfortunately, it’s an interesting query being pursued by a disappointingly ho-hum movie.

It’s 1979 and Dorothea is doing the best she can with her son Jamie (Lucas Jade Zumann, who exudes all the quiet naivete and good-naturedness of a clueless and hormonal teenage boy) in an idyllic Santa Barbara neighborhood of endless summer. A product of the Great Depression, the 55-year-old, chain-smoking divorcee is a paradox in and of herself. She’s the product of a more puritanical generation who is stuck in her ways (writing down her stock prices every morning and sticking with the same cigarette brand), yet not averse to telling the occasional lie to bust Jamie out of school from time to time.

Fearing that she’s not doing enough for Jamie, Dorothea enlists the help of one of her tenants, cancer survivor Abbie (a red-haired Greta Gerwig) and her son’s best friend, the promiscuous Julie (Elle Fanning), to try and help raise him. That’s where any semblance of a plot begins and ends because “20th Century Women” doesn’t go anywhere.

The movie drops off into a string of boredom-inducing vignettes that have almost nothing significant to say about women’s liberation at the tail end of a truly turbulent decade, at least nothing I could discern, anyway (perhaps I’m just too blinded by the patriarchy). Instead, there’s monotone, omniscient narration while the same stock footage and photos pass across the screen in a tired exercise we’ve seen before. It’s nearly two bloated hours of overblown pretentiousness as if, in some way, Mills set out to make a ’70s-set remake of “American Beauty” with all the aerial shots and Roger Neill’s interesting and synthy score that seems like a callback to the ethereal scores of Thomas Newman.

The movie is at its most honest (and funny) when it’s not trying to teach us something it thinks is profound. When the characters simply don’t give a damn or, you know, just act like regular human beings, things really pop. There’s delightful dinner time conversation about casting off the awkward stigma of a woman’s time of the month and a genuine moment when Dorothea — so steeped in her own upbringing on Louis Armstrong and “Casablanca” (she lovingly refers to Jamie as “kid”) — tries to interpret punk rock and dance to “The Big Country” by Talking Heads like a poorly-oiled robot with her other tenant, an ex-hippie named William (Billy Crudup). Crudup is more wasted potential, looking like his rock star persona from “Almost Famous,” Russell Hammond, was chewed up and spit out by the music industry, a little worse for wear.

While other critics will extol Bening’s heartwarming performance, it’s actually Gerwig and Fanning who steal the show. In particular, this is the second time Fanning has played a teenage heartthrob in movie set in 1979; the first being J.J. Abrams’s PG-13 nostalgia piece “Super 8” back in 2011. However, an R-rating gives her so much more range and freedom as a girl who began sleeping around at the age of 14 and secretly cuddles in the same bed of her best friend who’s also harboring a secret love for her that she won’t reciprocate. Gerwig’s Abbie, on the other hand, inundates Jamie with so much feminist literature that he gets beaten up for trying to explain clitoral stimulation to one of his guy friends who just wants to brag about his one night stand.

Then the cinematography sometimes bursts into multi-colored road trips as if the director of photography was pumping acid into the cameras intravenously during filming. Meanwhile, the sound mixing helps expertly portray the generation gaps, ingeniously comparing the sound of punk music to an electric sander.

It’s stuff like this that shine like beacons on a foggy post-Watergate night, but unlike similar movies set around the same time (“Almost Famous,” “Boogie Nights”), the disjointedness is the real enemy here. There’s some good stuff, but it’s a real chore to sift through the multitude of minutiae. As Jimmy Carter would say, the film, much like the American public in 1979, has a crisis of confidence and a total lack of energy — a little rumination on the oil crisis of the time.

While I (and my own Baby Boomer mother who came of age in the 1970s) didn’t care much for “20th Century Women,” it’s still a relevant piece of cinema about female self-determination that can’t help but mirror the current political and social climate caused by the recent presidential election and subsequent women’s march — enough so to gain Mills an Oscar nod for Best Original Screenplay.

“My son grew up with a needless war, protests and Nixon,” says Dorothea with blatant disdain, obviously talking across the years to modern audiences with the message that some things never change. Once the credits roll and the lights come up, the words of Humphrey Bogart’s Rick Blaine may be ringing in your ears, “It doesn’t take much to see that the problems of three little people don’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. Someday you’ll understand that.” Given the struggles of Mills’ three damaged main characters that are never truly resolved, maybe Rick was talking about Dorothea, Abbie and Julie all along.

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‘Having the time of your life’ at ‘Mamma Mia! The Musical’

Photo courtesy Kevin Thomas Garcia

Photo courtesy Kevin Thomas Garcia

The cast of “Mamma Mia!” dazzled the audience Dec. 27 at the Merriam Theater in Philadelphia. The show is currently on its farewell North American tour, having stopped in Philly for a short time frame during the holiday season — Dec. 27 through Dec. 31.

The hit jukebox musical, comprised entirely of songs made famous by ’70s Swedish pop group ABBA, begins with main character Sophie (played by Lizzie Markson) discovering one of her mother’s old diaries. It is revealed that Sophie does not know who her father is, but wants him to attend her impending wedding with her fiance Sky (played by Dustin Harris Smith).

Using the diary, Sophie identifies three potential men who could be her father, and sends them wedding invitations unbeknownst to her mother, Donna (played by Betsy Padamonsky). This scene is narrated with one of the greatest songs about infatuation of all time, “Honey, Honey.”

Act One of “Mamma Mia!” takes place the day before the wedding, on Donna’s Greek island resort. Most of the guests arrive, including Donna’s two middle-aged gal pals, Rosie (Sarah Smith) and Tanya (Cashelle Butler). However, much to Donna’s surprise, her three old flames Sam, Harry and Bill also arrive, each with no idea why they have been summoned.

Padamonsky’s performance as Donna was the best of the entire cast. Her singing on numbers such as “Money, Money, Money,” “Mamma Mia” and “Dancing Queen” was consistently impressive and each of her lines was chock full of charisma.

Smith and Butler also really shined as Rosie and Tanya — their wit and comedic timing went unmatched throughout. Butler’s performance in “Does Your Mother Know” was especially delightful and humorous.

Sophie and Sky, in a tantalizing display of their affection for each other, break out into a well-choreographed rendition of “Lay All Your Love on Me,” in which they take turns expressing their love while Sky’s friends drag him off to his bachelor party.

One by one, Sam, Harry and Bill started to become privy to the fact that one of them may be Sophie’s father. Sophie, after much deliberation, decides that Bill is her father, and confides in him. He is reluctant to walk her down the aisle without Donna’s permission, but Sophie wishes to keep her mother out of the loop. In a dizzying climax during the exciting dance number “Voulez-Vous,” Sophie realizes she has no idea who her father is.

In Act Two, everything begins to fall apart. Sophie panics about not knowing for sure who her father is, which upsets her mother. Sam attempts to console Donna, but this dredges up old hurt feelings of the less-than-amicable end to their relationship, expressed through a heartfelt rendition of “SOS.”

Without giving away the ending, the story takes a few turns and ends on a happy note — not that anyone in the crowd would’ve expected any less. The musical closes with a more pensive feel, with Sophie singing the beautiful classic “I Have a Dream.”

Before the audience could leave the theater with hazy eyes, the cast came back onstage and had an “encore” of sorts. They danced and sang to “Mamma Mia,” “Dancing Queen” and “Waterloo,” three of ABBA’s biggest and definite fan favorites. Everyone in the theater was on their feet, dancing along with the cast.

I enjoyed “Mamma Mia!” thoroughly — the entire cast was spectacular, and I loved hearing all my favorite ABBA songs (a few of which being “Thank You for the Music,” “The Name of the Game” and “Slipping Through My Fingers”). It was probably the most fun I’ve ever had seeing a musical. The Merriam Theater was the perfect setting for “Mamma Mia!” as it was a little more intimate than the Kimmel Center, just down the block. There wasn’t a bad seat in the house.

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Shura, M83 treat Fillmore to electro-synth stylings

Photo: Shane O'Connor, The Triangle

Photo: Shane O’Connor, The Triangle

I think the first time I heard M83 I was listening to the radio while eating some Wendy’s in my car on break from my shift at Sears. That summer it was hard to avoid the weird synth-horn intro of M83’s hit single “Midnight City.” This was back in 2011, boy do I feel old. Though my musical tastes have changed a bit since then, I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to see M83 and Shura at the Fillmore Oct. 13.

You probably haven’t heard of the British singer, songwriter, producer Shura, but I imagine that will change soon. Playing alongside two bandmates, Shura entertained the Fillmore crowd with songs from her debut album “Nothing’s Real,” which came out this past July. Shura plays a brand of atmospheric electro-pop that harkens back to the synth-pop of the 1980s a bit. “2Shy” and “Touch” really stuck out to me. People were grooving around in time with the music as Shura showed off her great vocal skills.

Shura and her band were having a great time on stage as was a small knot of Shura-super fans in front of the stage. She looked right at home on stage, flashing a mischievous smile in between songs. Towards the end of her set she remarked that her and her band were “Losing our Philly virginity. The first time is always a bit awkward isn’t it?” This got a great response from the crowd. Closing with the song, “White Light,” Shura and the gang left it all on stage, going into a great extended jam at the end of the song. Shura even went so far as to start punching and generally abusing her Midi controller. It was pretty cool. Give her a listen, I’m sure she’ll be back in the city of brotherly love sooner or later.

M83, led by Anthony Gonzalez, came on stage to a loud round of applause and jumped right into the song “Reunion” from the double album “Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming.” Songs from that album would feature heavily throughout the night. With how dense the soundscapes on many M83 songs sound like on the album, it seemed weird that there were only five band members total. I imagined a whole fleet of synthesizer players for some reason or another. Even with just the five folks, the band sounded tight as heck. It seemed that each and every song extended into a real jam session on stage. It was neat to see M83 take some leeway with songs that are so tightly composed and structured on their albums.

With rotating light bars, strobes and a cool star-like light backdrop, M83’s stage production was as top notch as the music being played. “Sitting” and “Oblivion” were two highlights from M83’s set. The latter was the eponymous track of the film soundtrack of the 2013 movie with Tom Cruise. It seemed like a lot of their songs could fit right into any movie soundtrack. They glide along and pitch up and down, conveying different emotions and feelings throughout the song. It was great to kind of let the music and lights wash over you as you dance a little bit in the middle of a throng of people. “Midnight City” was as cathartic as teenage me would have imagined. Everyone was singing along and dancing and having a grand ol’ time with M83’s most well-known song. It was a great way to close the set before the encore.

Shura and M83 put on a solid show at the Fillmore Oct. 13. The European bands brought the electro-synth goods across the pond and supplied some great performances. Give Shura a listen if you get the chance. Maybe throw on “Midnight City” or “Kim and Jessie” by M83 and drift back to those golden days of the early 2010s.

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Allah-Las bring ’60s psych rock vibes to Johnny Brenda’s

Photo: Brian Cruice, The Triangle

Photo: Brian Cruice, The Triangle

If you ever find yourself driving a convertible with the top down along a long, desert highway with cacti dotting the barren and a sandy landscape, you should definitely be jamming out to the Allah-Las for the ride. The California psych rockers have managed to bottle up the essence of 1960s psych rock and deliver it to our ears here in the 21st century. At Fishtown’s famed Johnny Brenda’s Sept. 19, the Allah-Las took a sold-out crowd on a sweet ride back in time.

Canadian band TOPS got the night underway with some groovy, laid back indie rock. It’s hard to put a finger on exactly who TOPS sounds like but after hearing a few songs their sound struck me as a kind of indie elevator music or music that plays during “Local on the 8s” on the Weather Channel, but in a good way! Lead singer and keyboardist Jane Penny really showed off her vocal prowess. At times she could sing soft, crooning almost, but then she’d ratchet it up and start to sound a little like Grace Slick of yesteryear. TOPS’ best song of the night was easily “Way to Be Loved;” that song is top notch. Check it out on YouTube (there is a neat music video and everything.) Performed live the song takes on a little more urgency. David Carriere’s guitar work is understated but perfect for the song, with a snazzy little riff that gets stuck in your head for days. Check TOPS out if you get a chance, with two albums under their belt they are coming up fast.

At around 10:30 p.m. the guys from Allah-Las came on stage to a roar of applause. Everything from their vintage guitars to their sharp duds and loafers harkened back to those days of laid-back, sunwashed rockers from the ’60s and ’70s. They kicked off with “Ferus Gallery” a tremendous instrumental track from their second album “Worship the Sun.” It is hard for me to explain just how awesome this song is, but as a top-notch student journalist I will do my darndest to do just that. Two electric guitars work in tandem as the bass line slinks alongside them with the drums ever present off in the background. Then this keyboard part comes in out of nowhere to set the mood before guitarist Pedrum Siadatian rips off a quick little solo. Check out this song I tell you it is something out of the opening montage of an old James Bond movie or something.

The group’s vocal skills are out of this world. There are harmonized backing vocals on tracks like “Follow You Down” or “Calm Me Down” that draw similarities to the Beatles. Each main band member took a turn or two on lead vocals, relieving lead singer Miles Michaud of his duties now and again. Drummer Matthew Correia was a delightful surprise on main vocals on the aforementioned “Calm Me Down” (while playing drums to boot) as well as during “Long Journey” (where Correia came to the front as Michaud took over on drums). You don’t see many bands doing vocal work like the Allah-Las and it is a real treat to see live.

The Allah-Las’ latest album “Calico Review” channels even more of a Western, Texas vibe especially on songs like “Strange Heat” and “Famous Phone Figure.” “Could Be You” is my favorite song from “Calico Review” and it did not disappoint live. For all the merits that “Calico Review” has, it was older tracks from their self-titled first album that rocked the hardest. “Tell Me (What’s on Your Mind)” blew my doors right off. Michaud really goes for it while singing the bridge, exuding this raw, unbridled energy that was almost like electricity in the air. He brought the same kind of energy to play the tambourine during the band’s final song, “Every Girl.” It was the perfect way to end the night.

The Allah-Las packed a sold-out Johnny Brenda’s crowd in a time machine and unloaded them in middle of the psychedelic rock era. It was a pure pleasure to experience the band’s 21st century reinvention of the rock ‘n’ roll of a bygone era. There is something beautiful in the vibe and atmosphere that the guys from Allah-Las create and it is most definitely something you should take the opportunity to check out, whether it be hearing them in person, through headphones or through your car’s speakers on a long, sunny drive.

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Hockey Dad brings surf, rock n’ roll to Boot and Saddle

Australian surf-rock duo Hockey Dad played a stellar show at South Broad Street’s Boot and Saddle Aug. 30. Coming all the way from Down Under, guitarist Zach Stephenson and drummer Billy Fleming put on a great second-to-last show of their U.S. tour.

Hockey Dad gets their great monniker from a deep “Simpsons” reference and their music embodies a sense of fun adolescence in a straightforward fashion. Their debut album “Boronia,” named after the street the two Aussies grew up on, is one of the most enjoyable releases of 2016. Stephenson’s guitar takes on a neat tone which deftly combines punk and surf rock into something really rad. Songs like “Jump the Gun,” have a real summer vibe while powering along thanks to the sharp drumming from Fleming. Hockey Dad isn’t out to create dense musical textures filled with verbose, intricate lyrics. They’re making catchy, propulsive surf-rock songs whose lyrics are about having fun, surfing, partying and of course, love.

Two bands opened up for Hockey Dad Aug. 30: Joy Riding and Muuy Biien. Philly’s own Joy Riding made a rare live appearance at Boot and Saddle and delivered a sweet set. The four piece sounded pretty tight and most everyone was bobbing in time with the music. They were heads and shoulders above the other opener Muuy Biien. Hailing from Georgia, these guys were anything but peachy. Their music sounded a bit sinister, with a passing resemblance to the Arctic Monkeys. It was a relief when their set was over and Hockey Dad started getting their gear in order on stage.

After getting everything set up, including moving the drum set to the front of the stage, Hockey Dad launched right into “Lull City” from their EP “Dreamin.” The crowd didn’t seem too ready to jump around or mosh or do much of anything so Hockey Dad was left to create their own energy in the small venue. The tracks from “Boronia” sounded great live as Stephenson and Fleming gave their all on stage. At one point, Fleming busted his snare drum head and a sound engineer quickly swapped in a new one. The two lads traded jokes with each other throughout their set, displaying their easy chemistry together.

“A Night Out With,” “I Need A Woman” and “Seaweed” were the standout tracks of the evening. On all three songs, Stephenson took some time to really jam on guitar while Fleming pounded away on the drums. Stephenson’s vocals are nice to hear live as you can see all the emotion he lets out with every lyric. His guitar playing is also top notch as he works around with his pedal board to flesh out the guitar sounds on every song. Not to forget about Fleming, he is a real dynamo behind the drum kit, keeping everything moving along nicely.

Hockey Dad’s “Boronia” is a great summer album. It’s a fun collection of songs and doesn’t pretend to be anything it isn’t. Live the boys from Down Under sound great. It’s cool to see a rock n’ roll duo making the rounds. A guitar and drums is as simple as it gets and Hockey Dad makes the most of what they have. Be sure to check these cool dudes out next time they come ‘round Philly.

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The freshman’s guide to Drexel’s favorite food trucks

Photo: Rachael Ferry, The Triangle

Photo: Rachael Ferry, The Triangle


As you grow to dislike the Hans and University City’s pricier restaurants, you’ll find food trucks are an attractive dining option for affordable eats.

Some of the biggest perks of having food trucks on campus are their ethnic variety, surprisingly decent food quality and friendly service. Below, I have compiled a list of some of my personal favorite food trucks that you can find on campus.

Cucina Zapata — This colorful, red food truck is located in food truck alley behind Main Building. Cucina Zapata offers Thai specialties, bubble tea, tacos and tilapia (with the option of chicken or lamb). I’ve talked to students who appreciate that the food is a fusion of Japanese and Mexican cuisine, which is admittedly a very unique combination.

Cucina Zapata has been ranked #1 for three reasons: it’s cheap, fast and exotic.

Hours: Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Average price: $8

Fan favorites:

Captain Crunch Tilapia

Captain Crunch Burrito

Chicken Katsu Platter

Katsu platter

Happy Sunshine — This bright, yellow food truck is right across from Calhoun Hall on Arch Street. While many food trucks offer exotic cuisines, Happy Sunshine serves up traditional American food. They have a long menu featuring many types of sandwiches, cheesesteaks, club sandwiches, hoagies and beverages. It’s fairly cheap, and the workers are very friendly, which is always a plus.

Hours: Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Average price: $5 and under

Fan favorites:

Turkey Bacon

Hash Browns

Egg and Cheese Sandwich

Pepperoni Cheesesteak

Bucket Iced Tea

Halal Food Truck  — Located on 33rd Street, near Mario the Dragon, this truck is one of Drexel’s most beloved. It’s not like the other three Halal food trucks you will see on campus, it’s better. If you enjoy rich spicy food, then this truck was made for you!

Meat eaters will enjoy their famous lamb or chicken over rice with white sauce, while others might choose a lighter dish and opt for the mixed veggies or chicken or lamb salad. Vegetarians on campus can get falafel over rice.

Hours: Daily, 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Average price: $5 (drink included)

Fan favorites:

Chicken and rice with falafel

Lamb over rice with white sauce

iPho Son’s Kitchen — If you’re looking for an option closer to the freshmen dorms, iPho Son’s Kitchen is definitely for you. What appears to be a simple-looking food truck located on 33rd and Arch Streets directly in front of Calhoun Hall, is in fact the only Vietnamese food truck on campus.

For people like me with a sweet tooth, they offer a variety of bubble tea, which can be accompanied  by grilled tofu, chicken or lamb, with sides of noodles and rice. If you want to have a lighter meal, they also offer spring rolls (for meat and non-meat eaters). You can also add protein to your meal with a complimentary fresh egg option.

Plus, it provides pickup and delivery services and accepts credit cards!

Hours: Monday through Friday11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Average price: $5

Fan favorites:

Seafood pho

Lemongrass chicken with rice

H&J Food Truck — In food truck alley behind Main Building sits H&J Food Truck. It is not only extremely convenient and at the heart of campus, but also a mini-convenience store.

What does it offer besides food? H&J has over-the-counter medicine like Tylenol and Advil, an ATM, easily accessible on the right-hand side of the truck and a variety of cigarettes. Whether coming from Drexel Plaza or Korman, you can always find what you need without walking all the way to CVS.

It serves a wide variety of food for any time of day from platters and sandwiches to curry and Greek specialties.Their menu also includes smoothies, ice cream and water ice.

Plus, they’re super tech savvy! You can text and email them at 484-343-5069 or contact them at HNJFoodTruck@gmail.com to order.

Hours: Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 6p.m.

Average price: $5

Fan favorites:

Pizza Cheesesteak

Bustro by Cuisine 365 — To those coming out of the DAC or working in iCommons, I haven’t forgotten you. Bustro, located right across from Buckley Green’s volleyball courts, has the food you need to sustain yourself — whether you’re about to swim miles at the pool or cram for exams in the Hagerty Library.

For more information, check out their website: www.Cusinie365.net

Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Average price: $4

Fan favorites:

Omelets and French toast

Ricky Cafe — Ricky’s Cafe is a good option when you’re near Lebow, Korman or Pearlstein. It is the first truck you’ll see as you cross Market street to get to LeBow. There you’ll find a wide variety of American and Chinese food and drinks to satisfy any cravings you have during the day. They offer breakfast sandwiches, hoagies, cheesesteaks, smoothies, teas, ice drinks and salads, noodles and freshly made teriyakis.

You can also order by calling 267-303-5529.

Hours: Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Average price: $5

Fan favorites:

Beef Teriyaki on White Rice

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Made in America festival takes over Parkway for fifth year

Jamie xx performs on the Liberty Stage. (photo: Shane O'Connor The Triangle)

Jamie xx performs on the Liberty Stage. (Photo: Shane O’Connor The Triangle)

The Ben Franklin Parkway was originally designed to emulate the Champs-Elysees in Paris. Going all the way from beautiful City Hall, down past Logan Circle, up through the tricky to navigate Eakins Oval and ending at the iconic Art Museum, if you squint a little you can almost see the resemblance to the famous French thoroughfare.

Every Labor Day weekend for the past five years, this parkway has been home to one of the better music festivals on the east coast: Made in America. Masterminded by Jay-Z, the festival has grown into one of the hottest events in Philadelphia. Thousands of people decked out in all sorts of America garb came out this year to check out artists from all different genres. Rihanna and Coldplay were the top acts along with Chance the Rapper, Jamie xx and FKA Twigs. These artists combined to create a stellar weekend of musical action on the parkway.

This was my first time attending Made in America, and let’s get one thing straight right away, it is as close as you can get to Drexel. A 15 minute stroll across the Spring Garden Street Bridge and you’re there. You might have to wait in a long line of drunk twentysomethings  to get into the festival itself but, hey, at least you got to the line quickly.

Five stages were set up: Rocky, Liberty, Freedom, Tidal and Skate. The Rocky and Liberty stages were for the bigger acts, Freedom was for mainly EDM artists, Skate was for smaller indie acts and finally Tidal was for everyone in between. Everything is pretty close together so you can go from seeing British rockers Basement to rapper Lil Yachty to whatever FKA Twigs is up to with only a short walk.

Along the main drag of the parkway were food trucks, shrines to the major sponsors (Tidal and Budweiser) and a Ferris Wheel. People of all sorts were in attendance: young people in practically no clothing, dudes wearing Ben Simmons Sixers jerseys, Ben Simmons himself, Ben Simmons’ teammates Jahlil Okafor, Robert Covington and Jerami Grant, first daughter Malia Obama and why not, Bill Clinton too! Jay-Z and Beyonce (mainly Bey, who are we kidding) are real famous people magnets, I tell you.

There was a little fear of Hurricane Hermine putting a dampener on Saturday’s festivities but by the time the first act took the stage the sun was shining and everyone was ready for a good time. Porches got things starting to a crowd of maybe 30 people over at the Skate Stage. The indie Pitchfork darlings played a real tight set, consisting mainly of songs of their latest album “Pool.” While waiting for Car Seat Headrest to come on to the Tidal Stage, I got to take in Manolo Rose, a rapper who brought people on stage to dance while jumping around like there was no tomorrow. Soon after him the boys from Car Seat Headrest took the stage and delivered the maximum amount of rock n’ roll recommended by the Surgeon General in a half hour period. “Destroyed by Hippie Powers” was particularly on point, especially to many a festival-goer, with the lyric “Should not have had that last beer.”

Car Seat Headrest rocks out on the Tidal Stage (photo: Shane O'Connor The Triangle)

Car Seat Headrest rocks out on the Tidal Stage. (Photo: Shane O’Connor The Triangle)

Grimes was mysteriously absent from the day’s events after being billed as one of the top artists. Jay Electronica filled her spot on the bill and put on a concert that was literally riotous. Police had to step in after the artists invited folks from the crowd to storm the stage. What a time to be alive! Finally, Jamie xx and Rihanna put an end to the day with two stellar sets.

The sun was shining again Sunday and the day’s festivities seemed to surpass those of Saturday with performances by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros (ESMZ), Chance the Rapper, Travis Scott and of course, Coldplay. Gary Clark Jr. brought some soul and blues rock to the Liberty Stage, delivering plenty of sweet guitar solos in the early afternoon.

It was over on the Rocky Stage that ESMZ that put on a show like nothing I’d ever seen before. Frontman Alex Ebert casually wandered between the stage and the fans lined up around the barriers down below. He posed for pictures while singing, handed off the microphone to let a guy freestyle rap and danced with fans on stage. At one point he just walked up to a fan, said “What song do you want to hear next?” and then launched into a great rendition of their hit song “Home.”

Up close and personal with Alex Ebert, lead singer of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes (Photo: Shane O'Connor The Triangle)

Up close and personal with Alex Ebert, lead singer of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. (Photo: Shane O’Connor The Triangle)

Travis Scott whipped the crowd of the Liberty Stage into a frenzy with backing beats that you could probably hear all the way down at City Hall. The man even climbed up a tree by the stage and performed up there for a bit. It seemed like Scott’s fans made their way over to the Tidal Stage later for Lil Yachty, a rapper who came out to the Rocky theme song wearing a sweet boxing robe. It was a real rowdy affair, people really love that rap music. This was best seen when Chance the Rapper hit the Rocky Stage Sunday night. Living up to his very accurate monniker, Chance was on the top of his game. Playing songs spanning his entire discography, Chance brought the house down with his verse from Kanye West’s “Ultralight Beam” followed right up by “Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1.” But then there were the songs from Chance’s latest album “Coloring Book.” And what songs they were. “No Problems,” “Blessings,” “Summer Friends,” “All Night,” it was astounding. His stage presence was tremendous, hopping all around the stage, chatting with the crowd in between songs, it was really something.

Travis Scott had himself a good time on the Liberty Stage (Photo: Shane O'Connor The Triangle)

Travis Scott had himself a good time on the Liberty Stage. (Photo: Shane O’Connor The Triangle)

And then there was Coldplay. The British stadium rockers’ music is often described by hipsters as being mainstream trash but if you know anyone who wasn’t singing along to “The Scientist” Sunday night, I’ll pay ‘em a dollar (please feel free to contact me at shane.oconnor@thetriangle.org). There is nothing quite like seeing lead singer Chris Martin go absolutely bananas on stage. The man is a human dynamo, bouncing all over while belting out the lyrics. As fireworks shot off into the night sky above the Rocky Stage, Coldplay closed out Made in America 2016 with “Up&Up.”

Made in America is a good and fun time that is hard to pass up, especially considering it’s just a short stroll from campus. The five-year agreement between the festival and the city expired this year, so we’ll have to see if it comes back to Philadelphia for 2017. If not, boy will all of this year’s attendees have something good to hold over their less cool friends’ heads!

Chance the Rapper may have stole the show Sunday at Made in America. (Photo: Shane O'Connor The Triangle)

Chance the Rapper may have stole the show Sunday at Made in America. (Photo: Shane O’Connor The Triangle)

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Wilco plays intimate show at Ireland’s Iveagh Gardens

The legendary rock band Wilco played Philly’s hottest new venue, Iveagh Gardens, July 10. Just kidding you guys– I’m in Dublin, the capital city of the Emerald Isle, Ireland. I’m studying abroad and doing my darnedest to expand the Triangle’s coverage across the pond. Are we an international publication now? In my mind, sure. Why not!

As our first and finest international correspondent it is my pleasure to give you readers back at Drexel a review of the show. Wilco is a band that I fell in love with back in high school and have been trying to see live ever since. Only took five years for the stars to finally align and it was well worth the wait.

Dublin is a great city for walking around, and walking around is just what I did when I first got into town. The Iveagh Gardens are a real hidden gem. So hidden in fact, that I walked by them three times before I eventually figured out where the entrance was. I totally see how the Gardens, which have been around since 1865, earned their nickname as Dublin’s “Secret Garden.” It seemed like a couple thousand people could fit on the lawn space carved out from the surrounding fauna, creating an intimate concert experience that you wouldn’t usually get for a band of Wilco’s caliber.

Lucinda Williams and her three piece backing band opened up for Wilco. Williams delivered some great country blues rock songs that had a lot of moms in the front rows singing along in earnest. The lead guitarist laid down some serious licks as Williams sang in a way somewhat reminiscent of Stevie Nicks. During the song “Foolishness,” Williams rattled off all the things that she doesn’t need in her life, including name checking Donald Trump, causing a roar of agreement from the crowd. Williams and company closed with a great cover of Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World” that really got people going. Hard to go wrong with a classic rock cover when your audience is mainly middle-aged folks!

At around 8:30 p.m. Wilco came on stage to a thunderous round of applause from the crowd. It’s a bit different when you’re in a country where the sun doesn’t have any plans on setting until after 10 p.m. It’s downright weird if you ask me. But Jeff Tweedy and his bandmates didn’t seem to mind as they ran through three quick cuts from their latest album “Star Wars.” A little over a year ago, Wilco released “Star Wars” as a surprise album that you could download for free. Haven’t checked in a bit, but I imagine that you have to pay for it nowadays. Either way, the songs from it, “Cold Slope” and “King of You” in particular, sound fantastic live.

It’s incredible how tight Wilco play together. Lead guitarist Nels Cline kept to himself on the far side of the stage, wrangling whatever sounds and feedback he could from his guitar on almost every song. His solo on “Impossible Germany” left me with my jaw on the ground as I tried and failed to match Cline on my air guitar. Drummer Glenn Kotche is a real dynamo, propelling every song with such a pure energy. He really shined on “Via Chicago.” You’d think it’d be hard to showcase a drummer on such a somber track but during the live version of the song, the band starts playing this cacophonous segment and Kotche just starts going bananas. He was a whirlwind playing behind his kit; at one point his drum stick broke and a shard of it almost hit Kline. Kotche has to be one of the best drummers in the game today. It’s Tweedy who holds everything together with his trademark vocals and strong stage presence. He sounded just as good as ever and looked sharp with his glasses and cowboy hat. Hard to imagine there is a more rad dad in rock ‘n’ roll today.

As a fine mist of rain came down through the trees, Tweedy remarked that the weather was “very appropriate” for a Wilco show. The songs’ often melancholic lyrics are tailor made for crowds to sing along to themselves in the rain, letting whatever feelings and emotions they’ve imparted on the songs and lyrics throughout the years come through in earnest, among fellow fans and friends. For me personally, I let it all hang out on “I am Trying to Break Your Heart,” a song from the legendary album “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” and “Dawned on Me” from my favorite Wilco album “The Whole Love.”

The acoustic encore was a real treat. Even though the rain picked up, the band was still able to play some amazing versions of songs including “Misunderstood,” “War on War,” and “California Stars.” “A Shot in the Arm” was an awesome song to close the acoustic encore with. The whole crowd sang along with Tweedy and bassist John Stirratt during the hook, “Maybe all I need is a shot in the arm/ something in my veins, bloodier than blood.”

Then, before anyone could start the “One more tune!” chant, Wilco came back out to play one last song, the frenetic “I’m a Wheel.”  It was over almost as soon as it started but it was a great way to end the night. Wilco is one of the best live acts touring these days and to see them in as intimate a venue as the Iveagh Gardens was a real treat. If you’re ever studying abroad keep an eye out for local shows. It could end up being a one of a kind experience.

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