Weekend Picks 4-17-15

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The weather is fine so get out and do something this weekend. Here are the top things to do, according to us!

Portland Cello Project hits Johnny Brenda’s Friday night. This unique group has a repertoire of over 1,000 pieces so every show is a unique experience. I mean, when’s the last time you got to head to a club and check out people playing cellos. The show is at 9:00 and tickets are $15-18. Check out their cover of Taylor Swift’s Shake It Off.

PHILADANCO begins their 45th Anniversary season this weekend at the Kimmel Center. If you haven’t seen Philadanco, you need to. They may be the most talented group of artists in the city. This dance company rivals the reknown Alvin Ailey dance group in NYC. Philadanco tours the world to sell-out audiences. They should get the same support in their hometown. Really, the best dancers in the city.   They are performing all weekend, presenting Having Our Say, a new program featuring works by four female choreographers. Here’s a promo for their work:

The Philadelphia Independent Film Festival starts Friday and runs in conjunction with Philly Tech Week. Friday night there are three fetaure films and a couple of shorts scheduled. This 8-day festival will include a bunch of Philadelphia debuts, as well as a couple of world premiers. This is a chance to see some great indie films while the major motion picture industry releases a bunch of clunkers.

PHILLY TECH WEEK starts Saturday (was scheduled for Friday, but rain pushed it to Saturday. They have cool events planned all week long. Saturday is the big outdoor Arcade at Dilworth Park. You’ll be able to check out and play with a ton of new apps that will be on display. Some live performances are also scheduled.

Saturday is RECORD STORE DAY in the music industry. This is the day to support indie record stores and buy something instead of downloading or grabbing stuff from Amazon, Best Buy or Target. REPO RECORDS on South Street is making an entire day of it with 7 live performances scheduled.  Should be a great day to stroll South Street and take in some good music. Click on the Repo Records link above for the full schedule.

It’s Beer Garden Weather and the first beer garden popping up might be the garden at MEMPHIS TAPROOM. Their garden opens Saturday. The festivities start at noon and include circus-like acrobats and other cool events. It’s a great excuse to drink some beers outside and eat some food from their food truck.

The 3rd Annual Sprung! Beer Crawl takes place this Saturday in the Graduate Hospital area. The crawl runs from 1-7 p.m. and includes over a half dozen bars in the neighborhood. They’ll have drink specials running all day. Tickets are $5 and that gets you food/drink specials and trolley to transport ya. Bars participating include: Grace Tavern, Doobie’s, Bob & Barbara’s, Jet Wine Bar, Cambridge, and others.

Yards Brewing Company hosts its 8th annual PHILADELPHIA REAL ALE INVITATIONAL on Sunday April 19th. This festival features 40 firkins from the US and UK. The event runs 1 to 5 p.m. and includes beer, food and live music. Tickets run $50.