Nosferatu a Live Film Score Show will once again be retuning to Philadelphia on October 15th at 8pm. The classic silent vampire film will be played on the big screen and accompanied by all-star quintet of some of Philly’s finest, at the iHouse.

If you’re not familiar with this German Expressionist horror film it’s the story of Hutter, a German man who travels deep into the Carpathian mountains of Transylvania to visit the castle of Count Orluk, a “Nosferatu”. The film was unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula so they couldn’t get the rights to “Dracula” or “vampire.”

Tickets are $10 and I missed the last time they did this at the Rotunda to a sold out crowd. I will not make the same mistake again. Check out the trailer below!

Quick, what’s the first thing that comes to mind when I say multimedia opera? Yeah, didn’t think so. Well, let me let Michael McDermott broaden your horizons…

Pangaea: When The Continents Were One is a multi-media opera presented by Philadelphia based label and music collective, earSnake. The music and story for the opera were written by composer and sound artist Mike McDermott (Mikronesia) over the past 15 years.

Pangaea: When The Continents Were One will be premiered on November 11, 2011 (11/11/11) at The Rotunda in Philadelphia, PA. The multi-media opera will be presented by a 17 piece ensemble of strings, horns, flute, percussion, piano, electronics, guitars and voice. Sets, costumes, life sized puppets and masks are being designed by Liza Goodell of Spiral Q Puppet Theater and Tigre Bailando. In addition to the ensemble of musicians, singers and human puppets, Nico Dominguez (of Klip Collective) will be presenting images from the story that will be digitally projected and manipulated on stage. Pangaea’s mix of world, chamber, electronic and rock music plus the blend of real life and digital visuals will make this premiere a truly modern spectacle of sight and sound.

So.

A quick rundown: Huge musical ensemble? Check. Digital imagery? Check. Giant man-sized puppets? Check, check, and check. There’s even a pretty legit sounding story tying all of this awesome together. What are you still doing here? Go and donate your money so that we may better understand the plight of our progenitors though the lens of modern theatre. If nothing else, be sure you check out the opening Friday November 11th, 2011 at the Rotunda on the UPenn campus.

The Project: Pangaea: When the Continents Were One

Creator: Michael McDermott

The Sweet Spot: You can get a digital download of the opera and the satisfaction of knowing you supported something really amazing for only $10. Even better, for $50 you’re getting that same fuzzy feeling AND a deluxe edition of the Pangaea studio recording. This deluxe edition comes with a 60 page book that contains the epic poem of the Pangaea saga, notes for the recording, drawings and maps from the opera and of course the CD of the entire studio version of the opera, plus a signed Pangaea poster. So, a lot.

Funding Deadline: October 11th, 2011

More Info: There’s no shortage of info on this production. Check out the main Kickstarter page, Michael’s personal site, the official Pangaea site, and earSnake’s spot as well.

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Every Monday Geekadelphia features a Kickstarter created by local Philadelphians. Check ‘em out and support our local geek scene. If you have a project that you’d like featured on site, contact geekadelphia@gmail.com

I’m sorry, Mann Center. I’m psyched to help host a giveaway. But your event is entitled Angel’s Bone… so, you’re getting a Flight of the Conchords song about angels doin’ it as your header image. Deal with it.

So yeah. Angel’s Bone.

The Mann Center was commissioned by the Philadelphia Music Project to put on an experimental show this Friday, September 23rd, entitled Angel’s Bone: An Imaginary Tale of Facts featuring Du Yun & International Contemporary Ensemble.

It’s a mixture of classical music, pop, cabaret, noise and visual art. According to the folks at the Mann, it’s all very fantasy and science fiction-esque, what with the story telling the “tale of captivity, bondage and eventual liberation of two heavenly angels from a family with a subversive secret.” The event incorporates a cool story and some neat technology, and I’ve got a pair of tickets to dish out.

So! Leave a comment about your favorite angel from literature, film, television, whatever… and I’ll pick one of you at random for a free set of tickets to this awesome event at the Mann Center.

For more information on the show, visit the Mann’s official website. And remember. There are angels. In the clouds. Doin’ it.

Angel’s Bone @ the Mann Center
Friday, September 23rd, 2011
www.manncenter.org/du-yun-angels-bone

Philly-based composer and vocalist Matt Campana is currently in a contest to have his work featured in the next Assassin’s Creed.

Matt’s work with music stretches back nearly a decade, starting with private music lessons. In recent years he’s acquired some additional skills and knowledge through Drexel University’s Music Technology and Berklee College of Music’s Composition and Game Audio programs.

He’s created quality music and audio assets for film, TV and video games. Some of his past work includes arrangement for Video Games Live. In an effort to run with that idea, he’s now looking to get his work included in the upcoming Assassin’s Creed: Revelations.

Let’s help a fellow Philadelphian and geek out by casting our vote on UJAM. It’s simple, just head here and click the Facebook “like” button. At the time of writing this, he’s number 9. After the voting ends, the top 20 will be reviewed by Hans Zimmer (top Hollywood and video game composer) himself.

Vote now. It ends tonight at 11:59pm

For more info about Matt and his work, visit his website:
www.MattCampana.net

Mercury Radio Theater, is one of the geekier bands in Philly, fueled by comic books, animation, and sci-fi. Their shows are presented as episodes, and they have compiled different “episodes” over the years through their “Monster Trilogy”. Their new album Kilroy is set to release on September 3rd, and I had the pleasure of listening to it before fans could get their hands on it.

This album is a unique option for music fans in Philadelphia. The sound is chaotic, yet–while listening to it—you can tell that every decision is delicately made. Mercury Radio Theater’s music defiantly has a “theatric” feel to it. Imagine being thrown onto Coney Island in 1945, and all of the music is being amplified by guitar and sped up into a post punk paradise. Throw in some darker Tim Burton and Stolen Babies elements, and you’ve got a killer album. In other words, you’ve got Kilroy.

One brave choice that Mercury Radio Theater makes is that there are no vocals in their album. Yes, Kilroy is mostly music, but it is so strongly structured so that you don’t need lyrics understand what’s happening. You hear it through the music, but this also makes me want to check out a live show! The animation used in their live shows illustrate alongside Mercury Radio Theater’s music.

I was able to sit down with Mercury Radio Theater to ask them a few things about the band and Kilroy. They were very enthusiastic about sharing their musical vision. (more…)

Those of you who attended this year’s Philadelphia Geek Awards were, no doubt, blown away by the opening and closing song; an 8-bit remix of the Game of Thrones theme song, whipped up by Philadelphia’s own Chipocrite.

At the start and the end of the ceremony, we proudly announced that this song would be available as a free download here on Geekadelphia. Well, here it is, friends.

Just Right Click and Save As this link (http://bit.ly/mV6f91) to get the song. Add it to your iTunes, and listen to it on repeat a couple dozen times. I sure as hell have.

Big thank you to Chipocrite for taking the time to mix this track. Visit his official website, and pick up his album Hit & Run. Also be sure to like him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.

Film and music fans get ready – the second annual Philly F/M Festival will descend upon us September 22nd to the 25th.

Taking cues from SXSW and CMJ, the festival will span all types of music, from indie to electronic to metal and all the way back around to hip hop. In addition to music, there will also be film screenings of documentaries about music. We Don’t Care About Music Anyway takes a look into the Japanese experimental music genre, while Sound It Out gives people a glance into the last vinyl record shop in Teesside, North East England.

There’s also a history of Beatboxing in Beatboxing: The Fifth Element of Hip Hop, as well as one that will draw the most Philadelphians – Meet Me On South Street, a documentary about the history of the local rock ‘n roll bar, J.C. Dobbs.

Spanning four days and over fifteen venues, both indoor and outdoor, the festival will boast more than 100 artists, with at 15 of them at the “headline-level” (meaning bands even your mom has probably heard of). Some of the big names include Deadmau5, The Descendents, The Dead Milkmen, Hot Water Music, and The Suicide Machines.

While many of the performances will be held in Fishtown and Northern Liberties, other venues include the Festival Pier, Trocadero, and TLA. Last year’s festival – which took place at 30 venues and had 300 artists (with none at the headline level) and 60 films – drew 13,000 visitors. The projected number for this year is 25,000.

Tickets are available per day or in the form of an “all-access badge,” which lets you see all there is to offer.

Philadelphia F/M Festival
September 22nd – 25th, 2011
www.phillyfmfest.com

The Halloween event of the year for Philadelphia genre fans is back with its fifth installment, the Exhumed Films 24 Hour Horror-thon at the iHouse. While there will still be 24 hours of great horror and genre programming this year in gloriously grimy 35mm, quite few things are changing with this year’s installment of the Horror-thon.

The first change? VIP seating at a small premium cost. This came from the fact that seating for the event is first come first serve, and the line usually starts about 2-3 hours before show time. These seats will accommodate folks would that would rather pay the premium then wait in line for good seats.

The second difference? Normally you don’t know any of the films being shown until they are unspooled in front of you, but this year we know at least one before hand. The Dead, a British zombie film will get its Philadelphia premier sometime that night. It looks to be a lot of fun for fans of old school Romero style zombie films.

Along with the premier of The Dead, the Exhumed Crew is also setting out to play all new films that they have never showed before at any previous event. That brings us to the final change, which is the price. Regular tickets are now $30, $40 for a VIP ticket.

I honestly can’t wait for the Horror-thon, the programming is always top notch and you undoubtedly see things you wont see elsewhere else. So mark your calendars for Saturday October 29^th and Sunday October 30^th and get your tickets here before they sell out like they always do. See you there!

I don’t think I can ever remember a time when “Being Green” was such a part of the national conversation (that and the debt ceiling). Going Green has not only become the responsible thing to do, but it is also the “hip” thing to do. If you’re cool and happening, then you also do things in a Green way. And now two Philadelphia based urban clothing lines, Aphillyated Apparel and Verde Styles, have taken it upon themselves to make the next generation aware of the Green Initiative with Power Down Philly.

At 3 PM on August 11th at the PHS Pops Up Garden at 20th and Market Streets in Philadelphia, the two clothing companies are teaming up with Hewlett-Packard and Temple University to create the first Green block party. Music will be supplied by Dave Patten and some of the best DJs the city has to offer. But what makes it a Green event, I hear you asking? Well, all the DJ equipment and lighting is going to be powered by bicycle.

Yes, bicycle.

Four bicycle generators are going to be set up that attendees will be able to pedal and power the event. The hope is that this interactive approach to renewable energy will turn younger people on to the benefits of going Green. Grab you bicycle shorts and make sure you limber up. If nothing else, it’s a great way to get a workout and save the planet at the same time.

Power Down Philly
powerdownphiladelphia.com
www.facebook.com/powerdownphilly

Local Philly pop punk group Robots & Racecars aren’t just your run of the mill New Found Glory wannabes. These guys sing serious nerd rock, with lyrics about Transformers, spaceships, Super Mario and the Lock Ness Monster. We supported their Kickstarter earlier this Summer, and now, it’s time to go support them in concert.

The geek rockers will be playing at Kung Fu Necktie on Monday, August 8th. And the icing on the cake? You’ll get to scope out Invincible, a local rock group fronted by Geekadelphia’s own Jo Pincushion. They’ll be shooting a video of the performance, and will be sure to catch you swooning and ogling over Jo on camera. Because you will be.

Tickets are only $5. Be there.

Robots & Racecars w/ Invincible @ KFN
Monday, August 8th, $5

Kung Fu Necktie
1248 North Front Street (19122)
(215) 291-4919
www.kungfunecktie.com

This week’s Geek of the Week is Joe Hallman, a local composer whose music inspires the imagination. Joseph has worked with some notable musicians such as, internationally acclaimed American cellist Alisa Weilerstein, poet Jessica Hornik, and Antwone Fisher. He has also composed for members of the Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Symphony, and Cleveland Orchestra.

Geekadelphia got to ask Joseph some questions about his work and inspiration.

What started your love of music? What’s the first memory you have?

I didn’t come from a particularly musical household. My mom listened to the radio fairly often- Motown, Oldies, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Fleetwood Mac, etc. I think the most pivotal moment is that in which I bought an LP of Beethoven’s 6th Symphony at a flea market. I had heard the music on Fantasia (it’s the Bacchanal scene with the satyrs, etc.) and loved it. I listened to it all the time. It was probably my first favorite pieces of music- and still is, I suppose.

What was the most challenging thing about acquiring the musical education you use now to build your songs?

I was a pretty poor kid- so money for lessons as a kid was sometimes scary to think about. I remember my first audition for a scholarship at the age of 12 or so. I thought I had done so miserably and I would lose my scholarship to keep studying and I just bawled my little head off for a day. It turned out fine of course. Money was always tight as a kid and classical music was/is pretty much an elitist’s hobby. Not sure how I transferred that into my process now. I guess it taught me the tenacity and chutzpah to dream big and follow through on the things that were important to me. Everything can be achieved. (more…)

2 Electric Guitars + 1 Electric Bass + 1 Drum Kit + 1 Hacked NES from 1985 = Anamanaguchi

Get psyched, 8 bit music enthusiasts. Anamanguchi will be in town playing at the legendary North Star Bar on Thursday, July, 21st. Tickets will only run you  $10-$12. To learn more about the band and to listen to some free tracks, visit Anamanaguchi’s official website.

So come have your face blown off by a hacked NES. We’ll see you there.

Anamanguchi @ the North Star Bar
2639 Poplar Street (19130)
(215) 787-0488
www.northstarbar.com