🎧 It’s Tierra Whack’s world | Things to Do

Welcome, spring! It’s been an absolutely lovely week to get outside, as the clocks have sprung forward and we’re seeing sunnier days. What are you doing to enjoy the gorgeous weather? Let me know!

I’m currently in the midst of rewatching and ranking all 15 films by local legend/divisive director M. Night Shyamalan — and I understand that folks, especially in this region, have very strong opinions. I’d love to hear yours: Do you have a favorite Shyamalan flick? What’s the worst film he’s made? The best movie (that isn’t The Sixth Sense)? Anything underrated that you think deserves more attention? I’d love to hear all of your takes. Give me a shout.

This weekend, we’re listening to Tierra Whack’s new album, celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, exploring the brand new Philadelphia Organ Festival, and trying Rita’s new water ice flavor.

— Rosa Cartagena (@_RosaCartagena, Email me at thingstodo@inquirer.com)

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North Philly rapper and singer Tierra Whack sat down with Inquirer pop music critic Dan DeLuca to talk about her highly anticipated new album, World Wide Whack, out this Friday. It was mostly recorded here in her hometown and will feature videos and visuals from local artist Alex Da Corte. Here’s why we can’t wait to listen.

☘️ Raise your glass: St. Patrick’s Day is this Sunday so expect to see a lot of green around town. Out of the many Irish bars in Philly, there’s one that was recently spotlighted — the Travel Channel named Center City pub McGillin’s the best Irish bar in the country.

🎹 Strange sounds: Pipe organs are often seen, not always heard. The first Philadelphia Organ Festival aims to change that, offering nine concerts from notable and lesser-known organs around the city beginning this weekend, including a special tribute to Philly’s star singer Marian Anderson.

🎨 New art opening: In honor of Women’s History Month, the Moody Jones Gallery in Glenside just opened an exhibit called “The Light of Truth,” named with a quote from legendary journalist Ida B. Wells-Barnett. It showcases paintings by New Jersey and New York artists Antoinette Ellis-Williams, Martryce Roach and Lydia Boddie-Rice.

🎭 What’s on now: The epic Lehman Trilogy opened at the Arden Theatre this week — look out for our review soon! — and there are a ton of amazing musicals and plays landing in Philly in the coming months. Check out the buzziest shows to watch this Spring.

🍴 Celebrating Philly in New York: James Beard Award-winning restaurateur Ellen Yin just celebrated the 25th anniversary of Philly’s beloved Fork. On Tuesday, March 19, decorated local chefs will join Yin in New York for a special alumni dinner showcasing the popular restaurant’s taste both past and present, along with additional events on March 20 and 21.

🏆 Short recap: If you haven’t heard, Philly native Da’Vine Joy Randolph won the Oscar for best supporting actress for her standout role in The Holdovers. Yay! Sadly the other Philly celebs up for nominations — Bradley Cooper with multiple nods for Maestro and Colman Domingo for best actor in Rustin — could not compete with the Oppenheimer juggernaut. They’re still winners to us, though (as is Lily Gladstone, duh). Catch up on what you might have missed.

📅 My calendar picks this week: Philly Yarn Crawl, Erin Express Bar Crawl, (re)Focus 2024.

An opera concert dedicated to Langston Hughes will feature works by Black composers inspired by the historic writer’s poetry, beginning with this verse as a jumping-off point: “To sit and dream, to sit and read / To sit and learn about the world… / All you who are dreamers, too / Help me to make our world anew.” Opera Philadelphia, Wharton-Wesley Faith Ensemble, and local soprano Karen Slack will perform the show “To Sit and Dream” at Tindley Temple United Methodist Church on Sunday, March 17 at 3 p.m., and tickets are free or pay-what-you-can.

🍧 Grab that spoon: The sun is out and the temperature is heating up, so it’s the perfect time to look forward to frozen treats. Good news — Rita’s will roll out a new flavor this month, Sour Patch Kids Watermelon Ice.

🎸 Summer show: Despite the ongoing divorce proceedings between Philly duo Hall & Oats, both musicians have upcoming shows. This summer, that includes Hall performing with Elvis Costello at the Mann Center.

🚗 Spot hero: Maybe the worst part about going out is finding parking. We’re here to help with the Inquirer’s ultimate guide to parking in Philadelphia.

🍔 When you’re hungry: Sometimes you just want a burger and fries, but not all patties are the same. We just updated our list of the 20 best burgers to eat in Philly right now.

👑 Fan apparel: Jason Kelce’s famous Mummers hat — from the Super Bowl LII victory parade — will be discontinued next month, retiring along with the Eagles center. Here’s where you can still find it.

🎸 Planning ahead: Weezer is coming to Philadelphia later this year with their 30th anniversary tour celebrating the band’s unforgettable debut, the Blue Album. Tickets go on sale soon.

So many people have said that I would love the legendary Giovanni’s Room — the oldest LGBTQIA+ bookstore in the country — and I’m happy to report they were completely right. I recently visited and found such a quirky and welcoming place; that night the staff was preparing to host a queer proposal. In any bookshop, I’m almost always compelled to take something home, and here I immediately began filling my arms with new and used books while also glancing at the funky thrift clothes (thanks to owner Philly AIDS Thrift) and cool postcards. I love short stories and speculative fiction, so I wound up buying a copy of Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology featuring terrifying tales from Kelli Jo Ford, Rebecca Roanhorse, Cherie Dimaline, and others — and it’s already been keeping me up at night. Do you have any favorite bookstores in the city? Let me know!

Which one of these rappers is NOT from Philadelphia?

A) Killer Mike

B) Black Thought

C) Lil Uzi Vert

D) Schoolly D

📮 To let me know which of the above is correct, write me back.

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This week, I’ve watched the entire Unbreakable trilogy on my Shyamalan journey. Since I’m in that mindset, what are your favorite horror movies? I’d love your recommendations.