Text Size
  • A
  • A
  • A
Share

Freezing Temperatures, Fine Art, Full Pints and Geeky Fun Found on Frankford Ave.’s First Friday


  The initial First Friday of 2017 brought outside temperatures cold enough to see your breath. However, behind closed doors along Frankford Ave., First Friday festivities were underway in a warmer, room-temperature climate.

Philadelphia Brewing Co.

2440 Frankford Ave.

/Julia Jablonowski

/Julia Jablonowski

  The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board initiated a new regulation which has allowed breweries to sell beer by the pint without being a brew pub. With this new change in liquor laws, Nancy Barton, owner of Philadelphia Brewing Company, saw this as an opportunity to celebrate, for its first time ever, First Friday style. With doors opened from 5-8:30 PM, brew lovers found a mixture of beer and ciders on tap while sounds of Philadelphia’s River Bones Band filled the tasting room. 10 taps highlighted a variety of beers and ciders. Six beers were showcased, which included Philadelphia Brewing Co.’s Winter Wonder Beer, an amber colored winter spiced ale brewed with plums, dates and cranberries. Four Commonwealth Ciders were also being poured to drinkers’ delight. Not sure what you want? No worries, half pints are $3. And the evening’s special guest, a full pint, is only $5. With its first First Friday being a hit, Barton is excited for the months ahead. “We have a couple different artists line up for the next few months,” said Barton. “So hopefully people get word and it just starts building [from here].”

Amalgam Comics & Coffeehouse

2578 Frankford Ave.

/Julia Jablonowski

/Julia Jablonowski

  Since last April, this comic book store and coffee shop has hosted “Tribbletang” on First Friday. “It’s a night full of music, art, and geekery,” said Lenn Webb, the creator and producer of podcasting nerd quintet Black Tribbles. The team went live a for an audience and recorded an episode with comedian Darryl Charles. Games like ‘Up, Up, and Away’, where Webb gives a member superpowers and they’ll have to guess what superhero they are, was on the agenda for the night. To reap all of the benefits of Amalgam’s first Friday, Webb encourages one to dig out their nerdy side for the Tribble draft. “All you have to do to become a Tribble is embrace your geek,” said Webb. “Even if you don’t think you are, everyone’s a geek. [Becoming a Tribble] is embracing wherever your geek lies.” Webb is also known as BatTribble due to his fondness for Batman. He told us to work on our own a.k.a. As fans of sloths and goats, we’re currently brainstorming the best versions of our Tribble names.  Friday’s recording along with the rest of the Black Tribbles’ podcasts can be found on iTunes, SoundCloud, and on the Black Tribbles’ website.

Space 2033

2033 Frankford Ave.

/Shealyn Kilroy

/Shealyn Kilroy

  When we walked into Space 2033 we were immediately greeted by the warmth of the room and ambient music that immediately put you into a semi-meditative state. The walls were covered with vibrant and colorful works of art that drew you into the space. Various Philadelphia artists had the opportunity to showcase their art, which all revolved around the theme of nature. A few artists, such as Leta Gray, Sam Spetner, and Priscilla Anacakuyani Bell, displayed works that more specifically focused on the importance of water in direct response to the issue of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). Jess Marino, the owner of Space 2033 and a “No DAPL” supporter, has been holding First Friday benefit shows since Oct. 2016. “Part of those proceeds for any of the [artwork] sales are going to help benefit the people at Standing Rock,” Marino said. While Marino says that this is likely to be Space 2033’s last benefit show for Standing Rock, you can still help support the cause by buying Spetner’s prints.

Circle of Hope

2007 Frankford Ave.

/Shealyn Kilroy

/Shealyn Kilroy

  Local artist Priscilla Anacakuyani Bell not only had some of her work shown in Space 2033, but also was the main focus of a solo show a few doors down at the Circle of Hope. Bell, a community activist, educator and someone of Taino descent, has been working to embrace her ancestry and those who identify with the indigenous culture by making it the main subject of her art throughout the last five years. “These are actual people [referring to the figures in her paintings] that belong to, or self-identify as Taino,” Bell said. She combines their portraits with other visual elements, such as text in a Tanio dialect and excerpts from a 2001 genetic study showing the commonality of Taino ancestry throughout areas such as Puerto Rico, to connect these diverse personalities to their heritage. Want to see her work in person? No problem! Bell’s show will be on display throughout the rest of January in the Circle of Hope’s gallery on Frankford Ave.

The Spirit | Hyperlocal done differently
Advertise Now

Related News