DJ Jon Solomon Celebrates 25th Anniversary of His Holiday Radio Show

Jon Solomon hosts an annual holiday radio marathon on WPRB in Princeton, NJ

By A.D. AMOROSI

Christmas and Hanukkah music has no better friend than Jon Solomon. For twenty-five years, Princeton, NJ’s WPRB FM DJ Jon Solomon has made his name nationally by staying up for 24 hours each Christmas Eve (starting at 5 PM on December 24) and spinning non-traditional holiday music. Solomon’s marathon time on the radio – 103.3 on the FM dial and streaming online WPRB.com – includes tales of holiday cheer and woe submitted by his faithful listeners. To celebrate his quarter-century anniversary, Solomon will add 60 minutes to his usual 24-hour marathon, and host a 25-Hour Holiday Radio Show.
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'Mr. & Mrs. A' Review: Serrano Restaurant in Philly's Old City District

Serrano Restaurant in Philadelphia's Old City District

By A.D. AMOROSI and GLAMOROSI

Since 2005, husband and wife Donal and Jennifer McCoy have made Serrano at 20 S. 2nd Street in Philadelphia's Old City area into their own version of an international dining spot. Between the restaurant’s dynamic cuisine by Chef Gina Rodriguez, and Serrano’s second floor club, the Tin Angel, with its dedication to acoustic pop and jazz music, you’ve got an address that’s one-stop shopping for foodies and folkies. I was a tad apprehensive about this Mr. & Mrs. A review because Serrano is named after a hot pepper, and with spicy food, my husband A.D. and I are polar opposites; for him, the hotter the better, for me, everything has to be mild. With that in mind, we headed to Serrano, where the warmth of our hosts, and the pleasant heat in Chef Rodriguez' pepper-infused dishes, made it clear to me why this is one of Philly's hottest restaurants.
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Interview: Actor Brandon Andrus from The Four Seasons Musical 'Jersey Boys'

Brandon Andrus

By A.D. AMOROSI

The latest touring production of Jersey Boys – the Tony-winning, musical biography of pop music's most notable vocal quartet, The Four Seasons – is at Philadelphia’s Forrest Theater though January 5, 2014. For seven years, several different teams of actors and singers have criss-crossed the globe portraying the original members of The Four Seasons: Frankie Valli, Tommy DeVito, Bob Gaudio, and Nick Massi. Langhorne, PA, native Brandon Andrus is a two-year veteran of this musical playing Massi, the quietest Season, its bass voice, its rhythmic underbelly, and its most stylish member.
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'Chasing Nashville' S1 E8 Recap: Helena Gets a Makeover, Autumn Gets a Deal

Autumn Blair, star of Chasing Nashville

By GLAMOROSI

Previously on Chasing Nashville, aspiring country music stars Autumn Blair, Helena Hunt, Savannah Little and Lauren Marie Presley were preparing to perform for record label execs. Now, on Chasing Nashville season 1, episode 8 titled "Showtime", the moment has arrived for the girls to sing in producer Keith Thomas' label showcase. Unfortunately, Keith makes Savannah sit it out, but the other singers, including the fantastic Julia Knight, represent themselves extremely well. By episode's end, Helena gets a rock star makeover and Autumn gets a record deal.
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Interview: Chef Justin Bogle on Opening Avance in Former Le Bec-Fin Space

Chef Justin Bogle from Avance in Philadelphia, PA

By A.D. AMOROSI

If anyone has a right to claim he’s having a busy week, it’s Chef Justin Bogle. The two-star Michelin chef who has worked at Philly's Alma de Cuba and Striped Bass, and NYC’s Gilt (where he got his stars) is opening Avance, a modernist American restaurant at 1523 Walnut Street in Philadelphia, on December 13. If that address sounds familiar, it’s because that space was the one-time home to George Perrier’s infamous Le Bec-Fin, as well as last year’s troubled LBF 2.0. From its stone, steel, and wood doorway to its progressive, seasonal, and locally-sourced menu, Bogle’s restaurant has done everything to insure that Avance is unlike anything you’ve seen before at that location, or anywhere else, in Philadelphia.
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Did The Walkmen Break Up?

The Walkmen

By A.D. AMOROSI

Since the year 2000, The Walkmen – a Velvet Underground-inspired quintet of Philadelphia and New York players – has made smart, incendiary garage rock with seven albums to show for its effort. In early December (12/4/13), at Philadelphia’s Union Transfer, The Walkmen played as part of a benefit for this city’s Rail Park. Right before that show, a post on The Walkmen Facebook page announced, “We’re not going to play shows for a long time." Was that Union Transfer show The Walkmen's last gig? Did The Walkmen break up?
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'Chasing Nashville' Recap S1 E7 Under Pressure: Helena Weighs Her Options

Helena Hunt, star of Chasing Nashville

By GLAMOROSI

Previously on Chasing Nashville, producer Keith Thomas invited the aspiring country stars to perform in a label showcase. This week on Chasing Nashville season 1, episode 7 titled "Under Pressure," each of the singers has an obstacle to overcome: for Autumn Blair it's nerves, for Savannah Little it's finances, for Lauren Marie Presley it's her stage mother, and for Helena Hunt, it's a major life decision; she has to decide if she really wants to be in the music business.
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Philadelphia Celebrates the Holidays with Tree Lighting Events

Christmas tree at The Shops at Liberty Place in Philadelphia

By A.D. AMOROSI and GLAMOROSI

Nothing kicks off December’s holiday season better than a Christmas tree lighting ceremony. These events are nearly as much fun as spiking eggnog with brandy, and far less filling. This week Philadelphia’s evergreens will have their lights strung and their balls hung, often with a visit from Santa Claus to boot. In Center City, The Shops at Liberty Place and The Friends of Rittenhouse Square will both flip the switch on Tuesday, December 3; Mayor Michael Nutter and his wife will be on hand at Love Park for the city's official tree lighting on December 4; South Philly's East Passyunk Avenue will deck the halls on December 5; and the South Street Headhouse District will light their tree during their Winter Wonderland event on December 8.
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Legendary Sugar Mom's Bar Closes Suddenly in Philadelphia

The Predator at Sugar Mom's in Philadelphia, PA

By A.D. AMOROSI

Sugar Mom's in Philadelphia has long been an institution, a subterranean saloon opened by Kathy Hughes at the start of this city's restaurant renaissance which served old punk rock heads, artists, and people new to the then-burgeoning Old City neighborhood. Sadly, the 225 Church St, bar (renamed Sugar’s) closed, quietly and quickly last weekend, according to neighbors, regulars, and the property’s operators, Brandywine Realtors.
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'Chasing Nashville' Recap S1 E6 Fight or Flight: Lauren Marie Rebels

Lana and daughter Lauren Marie Presley from Chasing Nashville

By GLAMOROSI

Last week on Chasing Nashville, Autumn Blair went back to West Virginia to go to prom, Savannah Little took singing lessons, Helena Hunt wrote an emotional song about her dad, and Lauren Marie Presley struggled with her overly-ambitious mother. This week on Chasing Nashville season 1, episode 6 titled "Fight or Flight," producer Keith Thomas invites Autumn and Helena to perform at a record label showcase (reps from 19 and Warner Bros. will be there), and though he's not sure she's ready, he also asks Savannah to participate. Meanwhile, a frustrated Lauren Marie rebels against her 'momager' and flees to Keith's studio, a turn of events that may bring a second chance for her to work with him.
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