A trip to Emmaus yesterday has me convinced that it's truly getting easier to be a vegetarian in the Lehigh Valley. I had gone to the “Souper Bowl” at Starters Riverport on Saturday with my girlfriend, where my choices were limited but the most interesting offering I tasted came from a place called Balasia, which the guy behind the table described to me as a completely meat-free restaurant. I had never heard of it before, but made it a point to try it out along with a friend (we'll call her "T") from the Emmaus area.

Balasia sits on the corner of 5th and Chestnut in a house T claims has seen quite a few tenants in the past few years, explaining why I hadn't heard of Balasia and why it doesn't have a website as of yet. The fact that this particular restaurant sits in a house not unlike your grandmother's is the first sign that you're in for a unique experience, the fact that you walk into a lobby that features a community "borrowing" library is a quick and powerful second.

Yesterday's lunch menu was completely vegan, and despite the fact that I do eat (and love) eggs, I opted for an egg-free quiche featuring mushrooms and greens on a bed of brown rice. T went for a wrap that featured, among other things, sweet potatoes. Once again, I don't claim to be a food expert, but I can say that I had no way of noticing that my quiche was egg-less save for the fact that the waiter told me it would be, and T wouldn't shut up about how good her wrap was.

The total bill came to just under $20, though T only had water; my one complaint about Balasia is the fact that I chose a $2.50 iced tea and was never offered a refill despite the fact I was given a glass with more ice than tea. I don't know if they have a no-refill policy, but that seems a bit much to pay for tea that was easily gone before the waiter even took my order, let alone before he actually gave me my food. T got quite a big water, however. Oh, speaking of the bill, the most unique part of the whole Balasia experience has to be the actual, physical bill. I'll let you find that one out for yourself, but I do have to say that T didn't stop laughing for a solid five minutes after the waiter walked away, plus the fact that she kept it for posterity.

Balasia earns four out of five uh... stars, I guess out of lack of originality, for what is one of the most unique dining experiences in the Valley. Those who frequent Yocco's more than anything else will likely not find anything on Balasia's menu appetizing, but carnivores open to experimentation may just surprise themselves. As for the Valley's vegetarians and vegans, Balasia is a must.

-Ryan

...me!!! Well, maybe not, but I think I put in quite the excellent performance carrying around film on the set of "The Unspoken" over the weekend.

For those who missed the Morning Call story last week, "The Unspoken" is a horror/comedy film directed by Stevan Mena starring the lead guy from "Clerks," the shorter Bangladeshi guy from "The 40-Year Old Virgin," the girl who gets violated by trees in "The Evil Dead," and LEATHERFACE FROM "TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE!!!" AAAUUUGHHH! Mena is filming the entire movie in and around the Lehigh Valley, including the old Bethlehem Steel buildings, Deja Brew and the new NCCC South Side campus, where I was on Friday night amongst an always busy film crew and two damn realistic zombies.

I actually had a pretty easy assignment compared to some other extras; all I had to do was walk past a door carrying film equipment as one of the main characters opened it to talk to some other people. I say pretty easy because I had to do this no less than fifteen times as lines were flubbed, new angles were being shot and lines were being seriously flubbed again. Anyone who's never been on a film set does not realize the amount of hurry-up-and-wait that goes on, which is also why I say I had it relatively easy- others would have to lie on the floor later that night pretending to be dead while the zombies roamed the halls. I can guarantee there were at least 30 takes of that before the director was satisfied.

There are still some spots available to be an extra- I know they need a whole lot of people for Saturday, February 17th- so send a message to volunteer@brutalmassacre.com if you want your one-half second of fame. Don't worry if you have little to no acting experience; I was alongside two IT managers and a chef from Bethlehem. Mena's "Unspoken" set is far from Hollywood excess, but they will feed you well and you'll witness film-making at a truly organic level even DVD special features won't let you see.

-Ryan

Downtown Hellertown ain't exactly the most happening of scenes, but I went to a new cafe there yesterday that would like to pretend differently. Infusion Cafe and Lounge is open for business in a building along Main Street (Rt. 412) a few blocks south of the 78 intersection, also known as "Son of a #@$!@ why won't you move!" intersection to those who frequent it during rush hours. It's not exactly primo location but Infusion is the only cafe of its kind in the surrounding area.

Infusion doesn't have a big sign up outside yet, which is why I drove past it about 3 times before finally realizing where it was, and the space still has a bit of a bare feel. There's art on the wall from local artists, however, and a fireplace in the back along with some couches where people can chill should they want to (the fireplace looked especially good after coming in from the bitter cold of yesterday). I brought my laptop and decided I would do some work (including yesterday's blog) to see how functional the place would be, but the tables were actually quite small and it wasn't easy getting lunch and working at the same time.

The food was great, though; I had a vegetarian wrap that was packed with good stuff along with a tasty cucumber salad. It was a $7 wrap, though, so it better have been packed with stuff. Infusion also offers paninis and various other wraps- I would visit it strictly for lunch until they expand their menu. Overall the experience was pretty good, though nothing I'd jump up and down about. It's obvious Infusion is still a work in progress, though, and I'm anxious to see what happens when it reaches full potential.

-Ryan

Some thoughts on Tuesday's Oscar nominee announcements:

1) The Golden Globes really do influence the way Oscar voters think- but not in the way Golden Globe winners would like. I was truly surprised Dreamgirls didn't get a Best Picture nomination but I'm not gonna lose any sleep over it.

2) I haven't seen Dreamgirls yet, so there's no reason for me to lose any sleep. This marks the umpteenth year in a row that I've seen only one of the Best Pic nominees at the time of announcement (this year's was The Departed, and it was frickin' sensational).

3) Mark Wahlberg probably won't win Best Supporting Actor for The Departed, but it's easily one of the most deserved nominations in the history of the Academy. Not to bring up his Funky Bunch past, but anyone who goes from underwear model/rapper to legitimate actor while paying the dues he has deserves all the accolades possible.

4) I was aware of all these movies before they were nominated, but The Departed was the only one that made me immediately willing to depart with $9 and see it before I could Netflix it... did I miss something amongst all these other movies? Is my taste in film getting low-brow? I didn't go see Talledega Nights...

5) Once again, more nominated films were played at Allentown's Civic Theatre than any of the chain theaters. Last King of Scotland is there now; check it out to see why Best Actor nom Forest Whitaker
is the front runner.

6) Eddie Murphy should win just for the speech possibilities.

-Ryan

Has anyone else noticed that metal is undergoing a revival of sorts lately? There are specials on VH1 detailing the rock genre's complete history, members of seminal metal bands like Anthrax, Biohazard and Pantera are finally becoming household names and there are suddenly a rash of concerts in and around the Lehigh Valley meant strictly for metal's greatest fans.

There was Metalfest 2007 at Crocodile Rock last night, which, according to friends, rocked pretty damn hard, and tonight The Silo in Reading is hosting what could pretty much be considered Metalfest Part 2. The show features Suicide City (a band that includes Billy from Biohazard and Jennifer formerly of Kittie, the Canadian group that enjoyed some commercial success a few years ago), 50 Caliber Kiss, Five Minute Freakshow, Betrayed By Innocence and Nu World Disorder. I don't have a good enough vibe on the other bands to be able to tell you what to expect, but Suicide City's Pixies-like loud/soft sound is worth struggling through 3 polka bands to see.

The Sterling Hotel hosts their version of Metalfest on Saturday, with Vicious Circle, Bataan Death March, Fire Set Birth, Ischemia, Lifeless Skin and Divination. All of these bands are either local or from the tri-state region- and they are all HARD. A much bigger show comes to Croc Rock on Valentine's Day, though, when the aforementioned Kittie headlines a concert featuring Walls of Jericho, 36 Crazyfists, Dead to Fall and In This Moment. Tickets for the show are $12 and are already on sale.

-Ryan

Recovering from the holiday season both mentally and financially can take some people quite a while... like until October, maybe, but in community theatre you don't have much of a choice- you're back in business by now whether you're ready or not. Lehigh Valley theatre comes back to life this weekend with two strange but very provocative shows worth your money, Belle Reprieve at the Theatre Outlet and Vinegar Tom at the Allentown Civic Theatre.

The Theatre Outlet is starting to make a habit of taking a classic show and making it... uh... can I say... gayer? Seriously, last year's R&J was an all-male version of Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet, a play that normally requires at least one woman. This time the Outlet has gotten a hold of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire and turned it into what Theatre Outlet artistic director Beth Schachter calls "an unusual combination of very funny vaudeville sequences... as well as another provocative look at the issues of identity and role playing." In other words, the guy (Stanley, a role made famous on film by Marlon Brando) is played by a girl and the girl is played by a guy in drag.  I understand that what might be provocative for some is sadly objectionable for others, but I'm straight and I'm intrigued. Belle Reprieve opens tomorrow night and runs through next weekend.

You only have this one weekend to see Vinegar Tom, however; it's a celebrated drama famous for smashing together the old-world witchcraft trials with the new-world reaction to the feminist movement of the 1970s. Before I go any further, however, you should know that I am in this show (now the blog title makes sense...) and obviously have grown quite fond of it. Vinegar Tom's pervasive sexuality made it a lightning rod for controversy when it was debuted in the Valley by Muhlenberg in 1991. The fact the Civic's decision to take it on sixteen years later hasn't caused so much as a peep from the community might lead one to believe that I'm in a show that's lost its "mojo," but we live in a world where Britney Spears showing her hoo-ha to ever-present camerapeople is deemed more headline-worthy than genocide in Darfur, so I would say female sexuality is still quite the hot topic and Vinegar Tom is all the more important. Oh yeah, it's cheap, too: $10 general admission, $8 with a student ID.

Many people considered 2006 to be a great year for local theatre; these two shows prove that the momentum has carried on to 2007. Enjoy.

-Ryan

It was a friend's birthday last night; she's a native Texan in the middle of a one-year internship here but had already been to most of my usual birthday bar fallbacks, so we ventured a little farther north into Bethlehem than usual and found Machs Gute, a friendly establishment on Linden Street.

The Gute has recently been renovated, and it still shows as the overall clean look of the place gives it a definite edge over the other bars in the area but still off of Main Street. We got there around 11 last night and it was pretty busy, but there was room to breathe; a table was secured after only 5 minutes of waiting. After sitting and observing for a bit, I realized why this place could stay as clean-looking as it is; we're too far from the colleges. Everyone at Machs Gute last night was my age (26), a little older or a little younger, but if there was a college kid there I couldn't tell. It's a townie bar without the rundown feel; a place serious about catering to the Valley's young professionals without making them dress like they're back at work.

My friend enjoyed her birthday... a lot... as she was soon unaware of whether she was in Texas or not. The outstanding service at the Gute did her in, as anyone who ventured from the table to buy her a drink was back within two minutes tops despite a very busy bar. The prices are pretty much normal, with mixed drinks at around $3.75 and beers between the $2-$4 range. Be aware that you won't be barhopping in that area, though, as there aren't any other bars on that particular block of Linden and Main Street is too far away to walk. It's a small setback, as the laid-back atmosphere and clean presence will likely keep you at Mach's Gute until last call anyway.

-Ryan

If you can truly say you appreciate the darker side of Rocky Horror, think David Bowie and the Misfits are as influential as the members of Fall Out Boy are total d-bags, and feel that the Suicide Girls are simply misunderstood, you're gonna want to see the Rabies tomorrow night at the Funhouse.

Straight outta Buffalo, NY, the Rabies are glam-punk to the core, playing noisy blasts of distortion punctuated with keyboard riffs you'll swear were ripped from the last B-movie you were too drunk to turn off last Halloween. The band is endlessly fun, however, as they proved at a show in the Sterling Hotel last month along with Valley punkers the Fux and a million others. They're arguably the most unique choice for live music in the Valley this weekend. Some other highlights for the next few nights:

Post Junction at the Bluetone Cafe in Easton: Jam/funk/fusion meets one of the nicest places to catch a band in the entire Lehigh Valley. Friday at 9pm.

Jeffrey Gaines at Godfrey Daniels in South Bethlehem: Philly-born adult alternative legend in the Valley's best "listening room." Friday at 8pm.

Tavern Tan at Wired Gallery in Bethlehem: Roots-rock band strips down for show in this laid-back coffeehouse/gallery. Friday at 8pm.

The Unpronounceable at the Funhouse in South Bethlehem: If you haven't seen this neo-rockabilly act yet despite the numerous times I've mentioned them here, I'm convinced you don't love me and likely never did. Jerk. Tonight at 10pm.

-Ryan

The official press release just came out - Ludacris will perform at Musikfest this year. The date is August 4, the time is 8:30.  Better get in line for your tickets now, kiddies, I have a feeling these will be rapidly hard to come by.

Now sit back and wait for the tide of Musikfest-related stuff to roll on in.

Check out the full press release after the jump.

    -Tucker

RAPPER LUDACRIS SET TO PERFORM AT MUSIKFEST

BETHLEHEM, PA— Chart-topping rap artist Ludacris will electrify the RiverPlace stage at Musikfest in Bethlehem, Pa. on Aug. 4, 8:30 p.m., festival officials announced today.

Born Christopher Brian Bridges, Ludacris has been a mainstay on the rap scene in recent years. He made his major label debut in 2000 with “Back for the First Time.” Over the past seven years, his hits have included “What’s Your Fantasy?,” “Stand Up,” “Southern Hospitality” and “Roll Out.” In addition, he has appeared on several other artists’ songs, including Usher’s “Yeah!”

Ludacris’ latest CD is “Release Therapy,” which debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Album charts in September 2006. The album, which included the chart-topping single “Money Maker” and features several guest artists, including Mary J. Blige and R. Kelly, resulted in two nominations for this year’s Grammy Awards: Best Rap Album and Best Rap Song, for “Money Maker.” In addition, Ludacris was nominated for two other Grammys for “Georgia” with the Field Mob (Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group) and “Unpredictable,” with Jamie Foxx (Best Rap/Sung Collaboration).

Although best known for his music, Ludacris has also branched out into acting, appearing in movies such as “Crash,” Hustle & Flow” and “2 Fast 2 Furious.” In January 2006, he received a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Cast in a Motion Picture for “Crash.”

Media sponsor for the Ludacris show is B104. Tickets for the concert are $22-$39. They will go on sale in April at www.fest.org and 610-332-FEST (3378), with members of the new Club ArtsQuest having the first opportunity to purchase tickets to the show, as well as all other announced Musikfest concerts.

To join or learn more about Club ArtsQuest, call 610-332-FEST or visit www.fest.org.

There are as many gripes against the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as there are notes in the solos to "Freebird" and I agree with many of them, but I have to say that they did a great job with their list of inductees for 2007. Announced yesterday, the five honorees range from arena rock (Van Halen) to indie (R.E.M.) to rap (Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five) to doo-wop (The Ronettes) to pre-emo emo/punk (Patti Smith, and yes, I just coined that genre, send the royalty checks ASAP). What we call rock music is constantly changing and splintering off into growing subsets, but this might be the first year the Hall has put forth a class that leaves the majority of fans satisfied.

It could also create quite a problem in the coming years, however, as the artists eligible for induction (an artist or group has to have put their first album out no less than 25 years before they can be considered) will become more and more diverse. Take Grandmaster Flash, for instance, the first rap group to ever be inducted; within the next ten years influential rap acts such as Run DMC, N.W.A. and Dr. Dre will all be eligible, but will they get in? What about the hair bands that ruled the 80s? Do Motley Crue, Poison or even Bon Jovi deserve enshrinement among the likes of the Beatles, Elvis and the Rolling Stones? Will either the rappers or the headbangers have to create splinter Halls of Fame to be recognized, if they even want to be? Here's the problem, if you take out the hair bands and the rappers that were just getting their start 25 years ago, there's really little else to induct unless you're willing to explore the electronic genre the likes of Depeche Mode and Brian Eno lived in. The definition of "rock and roll" was twisted greatly during the 80s and early 90s, and though we know Nirvana and Pearl Jam are shoo-ins for 2017, the period between now and then will be up for serious debate. This particular site explores the rap question and many more about the future Hall of Fame nominees (next year: Madonna, Metallica and the Beastie Boys!) in much more depth.

As for the 2007 group of inductees, however, I must say that I'm thrilled to see R.E.M. get the recognition in their first year eligible despite the serious commercial rut they've found themselves in recently. There used to be a day when I could aggressively argue the finer points of R.E.M. is better than U2 because of... but now, not so much. As matter of fact, I don't, because U2 has taken that step into rock immortality that R.E.M. only flirted with, but never sealed the deal. It's also touching that R.E.M. front-man Michael Stipe will be inducted alongside his hero, Patti Smith, without whom there would likely be no R.E.M., and without R.E.M. there would likely be no Nirvana, and so on. Van Halen is an obvious choice both artistically and commercially, as everyone will be talking about whether or not Hagar or Roth (or both?) will be fronting the band at the induction ceremony, as substantiated rumors have been going around that Roth is set to reunite with the boys for a tour (whatever gets him away from those bluegrass covers of "Jump"). I'm sure those at the Hall are anxious to see the tickets to the ceremony get snapped up by those aching to see a Roth v. Hagar slug-fest.

For those who haven't listened to some or any of these bands but would like to get closer to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class of '07, here's some suggestions:

Van Halen: The obvious choice is 1984, but the very first album, Van Halen, is a serious contender. If you want Hagar action, go with For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, though you should be prepared to hear songs you haven't heard 3,412 times already on WZZO.

R.E.M.: Automatic for the People for those who have never listened to an R.E.M. album, Fables of the Reconstruction for those who only own the popular stuff.

Patti Smith: Horses. Michael Stipe claims this album convinced him to be a musician.

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five: The Message is the album everyone points to as helping to kick-start hip-hop, but also download the song White Lines if you want to hear one of the most socially responsible songs of the early 80s.

The Ronettes: "Be My Baby" was their biggest hit (a song you know even if you think you don't), but that's about as far as my knowledge of the band goes. Those who might be sore over the Ronettes getting in over Iggy Pop (rejected for the fifth year in a row, a new record), should spin The Idiot or any of his Stooges albums over and over again in defiance. Don't be surprised if he finally gets his due next year.

-Ryan

There's a singer coming to the Lehigh Valley that I had never heard of before but am suddenly excited to see for one very specific reason: she's from Vermont. The state has intrigued me for many years (despite the fact that I haven't been there since I was 8) because I went to college in upstate New York and Vermonters I got to know there were easily the most laid-back people I'd ever known. The pressures of exams, relationships and student club politics would eventually drive me to therapy, but the kids from Vermont just shrugged it off with a chill game of hackeysack. This is why my girlfriend and I are planning a getaway up there within the next couple months; in the meantime I'll depend on one of the state's best young musicians to transport me to the state where they just don't give a...

Anais Mitchell grew up on a sheep farm idolizing the likes of Ani Difranco and is currently signed to the indie legend's record label, Righteous Babe records. Be careful in quickly putting her in the pile of female-with-acoustic-guitar-who-must-be-gay musicians, however, Mitchell does have some dimensions to her not so easily categorized. She's actually just finished watching her folk opera, "Hadestown," be performed in Vermont; it was an update of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice... yeah, I don't know either, but it sounds pretty deep. The music I'm hearing on her Myspace page sounds like what Jewel could have been if radio and TV didn't like her so damn much, as I feel smarter after just two songs. By the way, the Boston Herald tabbed her as one of six singer-songwriters to watch in 2006.

Ms. Mitchell is playing two back-to-back shows in South Bethlehem tomorrow night; first at 8 in Godfrey Daniel's and then at the Wildflower Cafe. Those who have been to either of these places will know she's perfect for them; acoustic musicians owe it to themselves to play the intimate stage at Godfrey Daniel's and the space at the Wildflower Cafe was made for sitting around and relaxing- come on, there's couches instead of seats! If you want to relax, but can't afford the money to getaway anywhere where the highways aren't jammed and New Jersey isn't so damn close by, check Anais Mitchell out tomorrow.

-Ryan

In the spirit of Merge's current Rewind 2006 issue and the fact that I'm a slacker with just enough pretentiousness to do it; here's my faves of the year that was.

Favorite recorded musical experience: Red Hot Chili Peppers- Stadium Arcadium. Easily the best double album since Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness by the Smashing Pumpkins (which was ten years old in 2006! Auugh!). Fans of the Peppers of old finally got to vibe with those who only have been following the future legends since their every-other-video resurgence on VH1, as Arcadium merged the funk, the rock and the introspective yet subtle vulnerability Anthony Kiedis puts forth on gems like "She Looks To Me."

Favorite recorded musical experience that keeps my indie cred intact: The Black Keys- Magic Potion. I was still addicted to Rubber Factory and the infectious song 10AM Automatic and have been used to cool bands finding new and easy ways to become seriously uncool really quickly in this decade (see Franz Ferdinand). The Black Keys did not, however, and this album is a must for anyone who claims to like hard-rockin' blues.

Favorite Lehigh Valley musical experience: Seeing the Ooftah Boys for the first time (finally) would have gotten this, but I'm instead reminded of a certain Monday night at the Funhouse when I did a stand-up set that went over really well, but was followed by one of the bartenders taking an acoustic guitar and belting out the most painfully beautiful melody against her awkward guitar picking. Here's her myspace page: www.myspace.com/marieantoni. The song on there doesn't do what I heard justice and I don't even know if she plays out, but hearing that tender song after doing 5 minutes of not-so-tender comedy was so fantastically strange that it must have stuck with me.

Favorite TV experience: Please Jack Bauer, don't kill me, but finding Scrubs reruns on Comedy Central was very much like finding a Red Stripe in the fridge when all you thought you had was Coors Light.

Favorite movie experience: Funny, I don't hear much of that "Daniel Craig isn't Bond" argument anymore... maybe it's 'cuz Casino Royale kicked serious ass and will go down as one of the top three Bond movies of all time unless the producers top themselves with upcoming installments- for once the public will be excited to find out.

Favorite stage experience: The Cider House Rules at the Civic Theatre in Allentown. I'll make sure you know right off the bat that I was in this show and at times during rehearsal wanted to spoon my own brains out for getting myself involved in a 5-hour long epic that would take four full months to develop, but it was damn worth it when I had to practically swim through the audience's tears to get off stage at the end.

It took writing all this to realize that 2006 wasn't all that bad a year for entertainment despite people along the lines of Paris Hilton and Kevin Federline being allowed to record albums, appear on TV and even make movies. It might even be the year people here in the Valley look back on as the beginning of a "cultural rebirth" of sorts as we saw a huge Andy Warhol exhibit come to Allentown, bold choices in main-stage productions from the area's biggest theatres and the announcement of SteelStax and a casino coming to Bethlehem's brownfields. Just as long as K-Fed isn't tapped to play the first show.

-Ryan