Some Ghosts of the Past

Brown-Eyed Women and Red Grenadine

"when night falls on the city
there is no peace
the lights may be gone
and the sound may be low
but the dark faces in the street lamp's light
are there around the corner
hiding out in the night" - AF

The sages of the subway sit just like the living dead...

Things Will Be Great...

When you're downtown...

I'll See You On the Dark Side of The Moon

Like many young people across the country and undoubtedly, around the globe, I discovered Pink Floyd's classic album from 1973, "Dark Side of the Moon". The themes of escaping youth, growing up, regrets and the ills modern society had struck a chord with me when I was in my later teen years as I saw my sheltered life forever altered by the events of 9/11 and my carefree youthful existence slipping away.
Now sitting here writing this at the wise age of 22, I yearn for the days when my biggest worry was where my buddies and I would be hanging out that weekend or how to skip out of school a few periods early. Anytime I hear a song from "Dark Side", I still think of the days spent hanging out with a couple of my best friends discovering this music for the first time.
When I heard the news that bassist, vocalist and songwriter from Pink Floyd, Roger Waters, would be coming to Philadelphia to perform "Dark Side of The Moon" in it's entirety I knew it was a show I could not miss. Purchasing my tickets in mid-February, it seemed like June 1st was a lifetime away.
But finally, the day had come. The parking lot was filled with a lovely aroma and throngs of baby boomers and teenagers anticipating the show. And what a show it was. From the opening chords of The Wall's "In The Flesh", the audience morphed into one of the loudest, respectful, attentive -- greatest -- crowds I have ever been a part of. As Waters continued onto such Floyd classics as "Wish You Were Here" and "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" it became obvious why Waters was able to fill an arena of 20,000 nearly 30 years after his last significant album.
We were all in search of the same thing. The seats were filled with people who all had the same memories that I had. We remembered what it was like to be just a kid, searching for his or her way in the world, trying to find a place where they fit in. When Waters finally kicked into the "Dark Side" material during the second set, every seat was filled and fully in tuned with what was occurring on the stage.
I had feared that this would be nothing more than a second rate Floyd cover band doing songs that only this one band could perform. Luckily, I was wrong; by the time he came out for his encore and the band broke out into "Another Brick in The Wall (Pt. 2)" it had been apparent for a long time that Waters came with an ample band. I would be remiss to not note the incredible pyrotechnics, lighting and enormous screen - but this writer would be unable to describe their usage and really, they don't get to the heart of the show.
The last song of the evening was "Comfortably Numb", a song Waters wrote with David Gilmour for 1979's "The Wall". It's a song that fits perfectly within the context of that album; the writer feels nothing for himself, for the world, vaguely remembers memories from his childhood and in the end accepts the way things are. We should hope for a more positive outlook on life, but in reality, the line "the child is gone, the dream is over" rings true for a lot of us. At least for this one night, Waters let us catch a "fleeting glimpse out of the corner" of our eyes into what it was like to once again be young and idealistic.

A Triumph for craft brewing

Do you know how India Pale Ale got its name? Patrick Jones does and that’s good news for Triumph Brewing Company.
As the head brewer at the newly opened Old City location, Jones is the man behind the scenes who creates the distinctive beers that now flow at Triumph’s third location in the tri-state area.
With eight beers on tap you are bound to find something you like. Over the past three years, Jones has helped the New Hope Triumph location win five medals at the Great American Beer Festival.
“When I got to Triumph, I was finally able to enter the Festival,” Jones explained. “The Kellerbier won the gold medal in 2004, something I’m really proud of.”
Triumph’s new spacious location at 117 Chestnut Street has two floors, with a bar downstairs running the length of the building and another bar upstairs that allows for a view of the brewery.
Sleek and swanky yet comfortable at the same time, Triumph has a menu that contains regular pub food like burgers and pizza. They also have sufficient seating if you want to sit down with friends and enjoy a more traditional meal.
Brian Fitting , one of the owners since 2001, said that the water in Philadelphia is conducive to great beer. That may help explain the city’s storied past with brewing. Old City Tavern was the hangout for members of the First Continental Congress in 1774. One hundred years ago, Philly was considered the largest brewing city in the Western Hemisphere. That title stood until 1920.
Prohibition wrecked the brewing industry across the nation. Jones explained that by the late 1970’s there were only about 10 craft breweries in the United States. Sierra Nevada was among the leaders of the craft beer resurgence during the 1980’s. Flying Fish in Cherry Hill, Yard’s in Kensington and Victory in Downingtown, PA are all proof of the renaissance. Consider Triumph Brewing Company part of that movement.
“I think the fresh beer alone will bring people in,” Fitting said. “The beer production has been phenomenal. We’re going to bring in a different crowd.”
Triumph was started in 1995 in Princeton, New Jersey by Adam Rechnitz, the first brewpub in the state. In 2003, the second location opened in New Hope, PA about an hour north of Philadelphia. The challenge of opening a brewpub in a major metropolitan area is not lost on the owners.
“(The main difference) was the cost, quite honestly. The other two locations are smaller suburbs and were pretty grassroots at the time,” explained Fitting. He added that getting acquainted with the city was part of the challenge.
He also sees similarities between Princeton and Philadelphia. Both brewpubs have downtown locations, are in an arts centered section of town and have Ivy League schools. The Old City location is surrounded by many other bars such as Mad River, Mint and Brownie’s Pub. Triumph isn’t necessarily trying to take customers away but simply offer them something they haven’t had before.
India Pale Ale, which this writer considers his favorite, was first brewed in the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries in Great Britain. It had high levels of alcohol and hops because both are natural preservatives. An export solely to India, it needed higher levels of these ingredients for the long sea voyage.
According to Jones, no one in England was aware of this process until a ship en route to India wrecked and bottles washed ashore. Britons quickly realized this was the best beer they had ever tasted.
Unlike our British cousins, we won’t need to wait for a shipwreck to taste some of the best beer in the city. Stop by Triumph Brewing Company and taste a little bit of history for yourself.


(PHOTO CREDITS: CODY GLENN)