December 11, 2007
Basically, this little shindig is wrapped in an excuse-proof skin. Most of you probably live in Fishtown anyway. If not, there’s a good chance you’re couch-surfing there. It’s a Tuesday, thus highly unlikely that you have anything better to do.
DJ Doug Wallen
Tuesday Dec. 11, 9 p.m. Free.
Atlantis: The Lost Bar, 2442 Frankford Ave. (corner of Frankford and Hagert)
Disclaimer: While Atlantis: The Lost bar may technically own a Kensington address, it’s all Fishtown these days, isn’t it?
Even though a fellow Philly blogger recently postulated that Fishtown’s population is now evenly split between hipsters and obese children, it still stands to reason that while the body count of individuals on either side of the divide may be in a dead heat, the fat kids still hold the edge in mass. Think about it – how much meat could possibly be stuffed into those skinny black jeans that have been all the rage amongst the scenesters since, oh, I don’t know, the late ‘90s? And don’t even get me started on the toothpicks with tits that crowd the dives, the Barbary and any other place that features a never-ending supply of Pabst Blue Ribbon.
Nonetheless, in a thinly-veiled effort to tip the scales, local freelance music scribe, sometimes-DJ and all-around Captain Awesome in civvies, Doug Wallen, plays pied piper tonight, luring music snobs and irony whores alike to Atlantis: The Lost Bar. Armed with a slew of psych, country and old pop on vinyl, Wallen bares his cold, cold heart to the masses as the liquor flows and the fancy feet fly all over Fishtown’s little bar that could.
Considering Wallen’s indisputable status as the consummate country gentlemen, you can rest assured that his definition of country music has absolutely nothing in common with the garbage spewed all over the commercial airwaves. It’s safe to assume that when Wallen threatens to spin country tracks, each and every one passes muster on the Hank authenticity scale. In other words, don’t expect anything from Mr. Williams, Jr. nor the paltry excuse for rockabilly that Williams III is passing off as genuine biker and Bettie Page fare.
As far as the psych goes, Wallen is one of the city’s foremost authorities on the genre, so no worries there, either. Old pop is invariably awesome so that one’s pretty much a non-issue.
Wallen has exquisite taste when it comes to music and even recent pillagings of his vinyl stacks to generate funds to keep his Aussie wife draped in furs and awash in bling did little to diminish his impressive collection. Oh, and there’s an aquarium behind the bar. If that doesn’t clinch it, I guess nothing ever will.
So grab your spurs and Stetson and head out to Atlantis tonight to share in some country love. Hell, if you really want to stay true to the theme, grab your brother, sister or cousin as well. Regardless, Fishtown is calling. Please heed her cry and don’t make her wait much longer. She’s an impatient muse and the fat kids are really getting on her last nerve.
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