Pauly Shore's Still Alive?
Pauly Shore
Helium Comedy Club
2031 Sansom St.
Tue, 7:30 p.m. & 10 p.m., $25
(215) 496-9001
www.heliumcomedy.com
What if I told you that Pauly Shore, known for such "successful" films as Encino Man and Son In Law, has returned to stand-up comedy and will be performing at the Helium Comedy Club? Is that something you'd be interested in? It feels like the closest Pauly's come to a hit since the '90s was two cameos on HBO's Entourage. But like all talented actors, Pauly's finally fulfilling his dream of directing, following up 2003's Pauly Shore Is Dead with a new DVD, Natural Born Komics. Mr. Shore's ongoing battle with obscurity vis a vis his directorial efforts and the ill-fated reality show Minding the Store brings him to the City of Brotherly Love for one night only. You don't want to miss this opportunity to see Pauly live as he stops by Philly on his inevitable journey to The Surreal Life.
- Ruben Brosbe
"George Bush Doesn't Care about Black People"
When the Levees Broke
International House
3701 Chestnut St.
Wed, 7 p.m., $8-10
(866) 468-7619
www.ihousephilly.org
Spike Lee's When the Leeves Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts is an HBO documentary film that addresses the disappointing American relief effort that followed Hurricane Katrina. The aftermath of the August 29, 2005, disaster reflected deep racial and political tensions. Lee divides the film into four acts and incorporates multiple viewpoints, including those of the community, government and outside activists. The film was released shortly before the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and chronicles the large-scale destruction and the disorganized recovery response. Lee poses the timely question of what is to follow as we rebuild New Orleans.
- Nicole CuUnjieng
FABLES FOR
GROWN-UPS
Fables
Institute of Contemporary Art
118 S. 36th St.
Wed-Fri, 12 p.m.-8 p.m., Sat-Sun, 11 a.m.- 5 p.m., free with PennCard
(215) 898-7108
www.icaphila.org
In the sixth century B.C., as you'll recall from kindergarten, a fellow named Aesop wrote some fables. Eons later, artists are converging on West Philly to present some Fables of their own. But instead of tortoises, hares and boys who cry wolf, these fables are of a more fluid nature. And in lieu of the instant gratification of an easy-to-digest moral, these will leave you pondering their meanings for days. In the exhibit, artists work across a range of media to both visually recreate and fabricate their personal and cultural histories. Slow and steady wins the race for sure, but it doesn't exactly make for the most lively intellectual debate now that you're a brainy college student. So, take in the complexity of these Fables, in which artists will try to both build and deconstruct what it means to be a person of color.
- Heather Schwedel
Take Me Down to Paradise City
College Day on the Parkway
Sat, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Ben Franklin Parkway
www.campusphilly.org
Everyone knows that college kids don't love anything more than free crap, and it looks like Campus Philly has indeed picked up on that. This Saturday the group, which encourages students to take advantage of everything Philadelphia has to offer, hosts its kickoff party to "celebrate Philly's native and adoptive scholars." Fat Joe and Saves the Day will headline the concert portion of the day. Other attractions include an involvement fair and a mini-ramp skate jam. In addition, transportation will be provided to the city's best museums, like the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Rodin Museum and Penn's own Museum of Archeology and Anthropology. All events, transportation and museum admissions are free with a valid college ID, so whip out that PennCard and explore fair Philly.
- Julia Rubin
All Things Go
Sufjan Stevens
Tower Theatre
69th & Ludlow streets
Thu, 8 p.m., $32.50
(610) 352-2887
www.livenation.com
For the uninitiated, Sufjan Stevens is to music what Jonathan Safran Foer is to books and Wes Anderson is to movies: a quirky, sincere wunderkind who's both adored by critics and revered by fans. Whether you love or hate the indie-folk-experimental god of the moment will depend on your exact threshold for earnestness. For instance, do you find it a) annoyingly precious or b) endearingly ironic that Stevens has proclaimed his plans to make one album for each of the 50 states? (He already has Michigan and Illinois in the can.) If you answered a), you probably beat up future Sufjan Stevens fans on the playground as a kid. But if you answered b), you not only have this concert to look forward to, but also Stevens's hymns to the other 48 states, and coming this November, the most indie Christmas album ever.
- H.S.
