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| Click the image to see the original article for Primer Magazine |
Showing posts with label concert. Show all posts
Showing posts with label concert. Show all posts
01 August 2011
Gentleman's Goal: Accomplished
In May I wrote an article for Primer Magazine issuing a goal for gentlemen worldwide: take a woman on a picnic within the next two weeks. Several readers responded positively to this idea, and I thought it wise to take my own advice and go on a picnic. I have recently garnered a reputation for coming up with creative dates, and the picnic goal fits perfectly in that niche.
In the Primer article, I gave gents two weeks to accomplish this goal. Week one was set aside for planning and preparation, week two is when the picnic was to occur. I broke the preparation into three parts: setting, tools of the trade, and menu. Unfortunately for me, I did not have a setting, the tools of the trade, or, for that matter, a woman. Luckily, these missing pieces all came together quite nicely. Shortly after the article came out, I started dating a lovely lady and told her about going to the Mann Music Center in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park to watch orchestral performances. As it turned out, the very next day she was able to score tickets to one such performance for free. The cool thing about orchestral performances is that the Mann Center allows you to bring coolers, food, chairs, alcoholic beverages, and more. Just like that, the missing pieces fell into place.
04 June 2010
Six reasons to check out the Xponential Music Festival
Summer is here and the time is right for dancing in the street. Leave it to WXPN to bring the perfect opportunity to do just that. Each year they promote their Xponential Music Festival at Wiggins Park on the Camden waterfront. The concert is three days of music combined with a little bit of art to give off a vibe of Woodstock on a small scale. If you haven't checked out this fest in the past few years, here are 
six reasons to give it a go this year.
#1 - The price is right
In the late 1990's and early 2000's, a summer tradition was going to see the Y100 Feztival which was promoted as being a concert that featured twenty bands for twenty dollars. With WMMR's recent MMRBQ featuring six bands for nearly sixty dollars, it seems those days of affordable festivals are gone. This is not the case with the Xponential Festival. Prices range from as low as $15 for an XPN Member one day pass to $50 for a three-day, non-member pass. Kids are five bucks any day, regardless of membership.
#2 - More bang for your buck
Whereas many local festivals feature less than ten bands, XPN will offer you much, much more. Thus far there have been 26 acts lined up for the 2010 fest, with more to be added in the next six weeks. There is a decent variety with bands such as the Cowboy Junkies, known for their cover of the Velvet Underground's "Sweet Jane," and local favorites Dr. Dog, among many more.
#3 - The starting lineup
On Friday, the first night of the fest, expect to see it headlined by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, whose raucous, rocking set tore the house down at the 2007 Xponential Festival. Saturday could be headlined by either indie faves Yo La Tengo or Roseanne Cash, daughter of the man in black himself. Sunday's expected headliner could be Robert Randolph and the Family Band, a group whose live performances are like a revival tent on speed and steroids, or Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros whose hit "Home" has received ample airplay on XPN in recent months.
#4 - It's a family affair
This concert is very laid back and rarely overcrowded. It's a safe venue to bring along the kids, who even have their own stage with a variety of family-friendly acts performing each day. Furthermore, if you are a member, there is an area set aside where you can pick up some free lemonade and cool off in the shade while still being within earshot of the music. This area also plays host to meet and greets with the various artists playing that day, but if you time it right you can get in and out before a line forms.
#5- Get your grub on
You're not going to pay ten dollars for a cheeseburger that makes McDonald's look appetizing at this event. One of the bonuses of being in a park and not in a normal venue is that XPN can hire outside vendors who prepare better foods, like delicious BBQ viddles, and sell it at a price that won't make you cry. This isn't to say the food is cheap, but definitely more affordable than standard concert fare and it is certainly tastier.
#6- Easy access
Don't let the festival's Camden address scare you off. If you can get to Center City, you can get to this show. One option is to take the PATCO line from Center City to the City Hall stop in Camden, and walk a few blocks from there. Another option is to take the ferry from Penn's Landing (near Dock St.) across the Delaware that drops you off directly next to Wiggins Park. Either way is quick, easy, and saves you from tolls and parking fees.
The Xponential Music Festival comes your way from 16 July through 18 July in Camden, NJ at Wiggins Park. For more information, check out XPN's website where more details will be released in the upcoming weeks.
six reasons to give it a go this year.#1 - The price is right
In the late 1990's and early 2000's, a summer tradition was going to see the Y100 Feztival which was promoted as being a concert that featured twenty bands for twenty dollars. With WMMR's recent MMRBQ featuring six bands for nearly sixty dollars, it seems those days of affordable festivals are gone. This is not the case with the Xponential Festival. Prices range from as low as $15 for an XPN Member one day pass to $50 for a three-day, non-member pass. Kids are five bucks any day, regardless of membership.
#2 - More bang for your buck
Whereas many local festivals feature less than ten bands, XPN will offer you much, much more. Thus far there have been 26 acts lined up for the 2010 fest, with more to be added in the next six weeks. There is a decent variety with bands such as the Cowboy Junkies, known for their cover of the Velvet Underground's "Sweet Jane," and local favorites Dr. Dog, among many more.
#3 - The starting lineup
On Friday, the first night of the fest, expect to see it headlined by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, whose raucous, rocking set tore the house down at the 2007 Xponential Festival. Saturday could be headlined by either indie faves Yo La Tengo or Roseanne Cash, daughter of the man in black himself. Sunday's expected headliner could be Robert Randolph and the Family Band, a group whose live performances are like a revival tent on speed and steroids, or Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros whose hit "Home" has received ample airplay on XPN in recent months.
#4 - It's a family affair
This concert is very laid back and rarely overcrowded. It's a safe venue to bring along the kids, who even have their own stage with a variety of family-friendly acts performing each day. Furthermore, if you are a member, there is an area set aside where you can pick up some free lemonade and cool off in the shade while still being within earshot of the music. This area also plays host to meet and greets with the various artists playing that day, but if you time it right you can get in and out before a line forms.
#5- Get your grub on
You're not going to pay ten dollars for a cheeseburger that makes McDonald's look appetizing at this event. One of the bonuses of being in a park and not in a normal venue is that XPN can hire outside vendors who prepare better foods, like delicious BBQ viddles, and sell it at a price that won't make you cry. This isn't to say the food is cheap, but definitely more affordable than standard concert fare and it is certainly tastier.
#6- Easy access
Don't let the festival's Camden address scare you off. If you can get to Center City, you can get to this show. One option is to take the PATCO line from Center City to the City Hall stop in Camden, and walk a few blocks from there. Another option is to take the ferry from Penn's Landing (near Dock St.) across the Delaware that drops you off directly next to Wiggins Park. Either way is quick, easy, and saves you from tolls and parking fees.
The Xponential Music Festival comes your way from 16 July through 18 July in Camden, NJ at Wiggins Park. For more information, check out XPN's website where more details will be released in the upcoming weeks.
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