THE MATCHES INSIGNIA... SOAP?
6/26/2008
THE MATCHES guitarist Jon DeVoto and friend Robby West, who have apparently been making handmade soap together for a while and giving it away as gifts, have gone into business. The soap, which if you've been to a Matches show lately has been offered for sale on the band's merch table, can now be purchased online at JR Soap Co. in various good-for-you, vegan formulas as well as in bars with the band's insignia or not. They also have a MySpace for their company.

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to see one of my favorite newcomer bands, Still Standing (check them out HERE), in a pretty unique way. I've known about these guys for a couple of years now, seen them play a few times, and really, I can't say enough good things about them. Trouble is, they're in that position that's probably the most frustrating, both for an unsigned band and their fans alike: they're "almost" ready to set the world on fire... but not quite. Which means touring for them is still pretty localized at the moment, or damned-near impossible. That's great for all the people out in Los Angeles, where they re-located in order to pursue their career as a band, but considering that I'm on the other side of the country, it makes me jealous! Hey, move back to Philly, guys!

So of course I was glad to be able to see Still Standing perform again when I did. They played a headlining set, unveiling a lot of new material from their upcoming, highly-anticipated new album. Songs I'd never heard before. Didn't cost me a fortune in airfare, either. Even better, I had the most awesome views of the entire band and didn't have to stand on my toes, or be constantly trying to peek around some 6-foot-tall kid who got in front of my little 5-foot-self all set long. I got to see everything from the "best seat in the house," and I got to see a pre-show interview, too, which was an added bonus. I watched them play from my living room, on my 20" high-res flat-screen monitor, while chatting with a friend (who was also watching them; someone who I had told about the band and convinced to watch along with me - one more fan added to the fanpool). (Read more...)

March 2nd through 9th marked the 159th Philadelphia Flower Show, an annual event sponsored by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society to promote awareness of the wonders and beauty of horticulture. The first society of its kind in the US, the PHS now boasts over 15,000 members and hosts their huge event yearly at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. At the Philadelphia Flower Show over 250,000 people annually have viewed over 3,000 flower and horticultural exhibits on display, sat in on free demonstrations and lectures, seen growers competition showcases, bought plants, flowers, art and other floral and horticultural items, and of course ate... because what important event is complete without great food and drink? (Read more...)

Consider it a different kind of Mile High Club. While the concept of the Bruce Air flight packages are nothing new to Maiden fans, the latest twist for the 2008 Somewhere Back in Time tour is.

The band has announced that they will be flying around the world on a souped up 757 that comes complete with and image of mascot Cyborg Eddie on the tail wing and Bruce Dickinson as pilot. The tour kicks off on February 1st in Mumbai, India, and will hit five different continents. (In addition to the usual haunts for Heavy Metal acts, Australia and South America are also on the bill.) After the first run, there will be extensive touring in Europe and North America, with stops that include the various summer festivals that fuel Heavy Metal machine. Over the course of the tour the band, crew, plane, and fans will log more than 100,000 miles together. It would be nice to say that bands like Iron Maiden were beyond gimmicks, but doing so would also negate everything even Black Sabbath has done since 1970. Yes, even metal bands use gimmicks to get people to listen. Some of those gimmicks, however, are much cooler than others. (Read more...)

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