PhillyVoice • January 7, 2025

Japanese Breakfast's new album aims to capture the 'romantic thrill of a gothic novel'

Japanese Breakfast is releasing its first album in four years, "For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women)" on March 21 and following it up with a homecoming show in Philadelphia.

PhillyVoice • December 11, 2024

SEPTA releases redesigned app with improved trip planning and real-time info

Transit riders can download a new version of the SEPTA mobile app, which the authority said provides a more accessible travel experience with better real-time information. Lex Powers, the transit authority's director of service information design, said the updated tool — which immediately displays a map upon opening it — will be easier to use for travelers who are new to SEPTA.

PhillyVoice • December 9, 2024

'Beastieball,' a Philly native's new video game, features a 'goofy' character based on Gritty

Video game creator Greg Lobanov left Philadelphia for Vancouver almost a decade ago, but the city's monumental sports culture never left him and that passion was used as inspiration on his latest project "Beastieball."

PhillyVoice • November 20, 2024

Celebrity lookalike contests are all the rage, and Philly is joining the party

A wave of celebrity look-a-like contests has hit major cities, and Philadelphia has a handful coming up in the weeks ahead.

PhillyVoice • November 12, 2024

SEPTA proposes steep fare hikes, massive service cuts to begin Jan. 1

SEPTA fares may be nearly 30% higher when the new year begins, and some transit routes soon may be eliminated unless the transit authority receives an influx of revenue, SEPTA officials warned Tuesday.

PhillyVoice • November 7, 2024

Board game convention PAX Unplugged adds murder mystery, live music this year

The annual PAX Unplugged expo for tabletop and board games returns in December to the Pennsylvania Convention Center. New this year attendees can play a murder-mystery game that combines elements of live-action role-playing and escape rooms.

PhillyVoice • October 26, 2024

'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' and 'Abbott Elementary' crossover will be a two-episode event

Two sitcoms based in Philly are crossing the streams, with the crossover between "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" and "Abbott Elementary" taking place across both shows.

PhillyVoice • October 25, 2024

All year, this East Passyunk artist has chronicled the lives of Philly residents through a collaborative, online diary

An East Passyunk artist has been documenting the lives Philadelphians through an online diary all year – and her project won't stop when 2024 ends. Molly Gorelick, 27, is the creator of "A Year in Philadelphia," a website that runs daily entries from city residents detailing their days, generally in an hour-by-hour format with photos.

PhillyVoice • October 24, 2024

Philly Zoo to expand Bear Country exhibit with largest renovation in over a decade

The Philadelphia Zoo will have a new home for its bears when it completes its biggest renovation in over a decade.

PhillyVoice • October 22, 2024

Woman behind Wildwood's iconic tram recording sues, alleging it's been used unfairly for decades

The woman who voiced Wildwood's famous boardwalk tram alert – "Watch the tram car, please" – is suing the Jersey Shore town, claiming the clip has been used commercially without her consent.

PhillyVoice • October 16, 2024

City Council proposes to rename Taney Street after Philly civil rights activist Caroline LeCount

Taney Street, which was named after an infamous figure in American history, will soon bear the name of Philadelphia civil rights leader and educator Caroline LeCount if the City Council passes a bill that will be introduced Thursday.

PhillyVoice • October 11, 2024

Beloved MLK mural in West Philly will be restored on the building that obstructs it

After a new development obscured a beloved mural depicting Martin Luther King Jr., West Philly community members protested. Next week, the artwork will return and grace the wall of the very building that blocks it.

PhillyVoice • October 4, 2024

An 'Abbott Elementary' and 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' crossover episode appears to be on the way

Two sitcoms set in Philadelphia are about to collide: a crossover between "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" and "Abbott Elementary" appears imminent based on photos shared Thursday by Rob McElhenney.

PhillyVoice • September 25, 2024

Philly drag artist Pi to bring ghoulish costumes to 'The Boulet Brothers' Dragula'

After Sapphira Cristál's successful run to the finale of "RuPaul's Drag Race," another Philly drag performer is looking to make a splash in a TV competition show. A local artist with the stage name Pi will be in the Season 6 cast of "The Boulet Brothers' Dragula," which streams on the Shudder and AMC+ services and has 12 contestants vying for a cash prize of $100,000.

PhillyVoice • September 11, 2024

How valuable is Taylor Swift's endorsement of Kamala Harris? Political pundits had a range of reactions

Taylor Swift's endorsement of Kamala Harris after Tuesday night's presidential debate in Philadelphia drew a range of reactions from political pundits, with one calling it the "most important" celebrity endorsement ever and another dismissing it as predictable.

PhillyVoice • September 3, 2024

This fall at Eastern State Penitentiary's Halloween Nights, brave souls will be given a puzzle to solve

Fans of Eastern State Penitentiary's haunted houses will find a new experience this fall that asks them to engage with scary characters as they solve a puzzle that takes them throughout the prison.

PhillyVoice • September 2, 2024

After 50 years, People's Light theater company is still focused on connecting with the community

People's Light is reaching a landmark 50 years of history, and the Malvern theater company is viewing its upcoming season as a party. Five productions and numerous social events are planned for the season, and People's Light Artistic Director Zak Berkman said all of the events will demonstrate the company's place as a hub for live arts and community engagement.

PhillyVoice • August 28, 2024

SpongeBob SquarePants video game to be released by Philly-based studio in October

A new video game made in Philadelphia will take players under the sea to Bikini Bottom, the fictional hometown of SpongeBob SquarePants."SpongeBob SquarePants: The Patrick Star Game," created by the studio PHL Collective, is based on the popular Nickelodeon cartoon.

PhillyVoice • August 24, 2024

Ryan Reynolds explains how Rob McElhenney was cut from 'Deadpool and Wolverine'

After Rob McElhenney joked about how his Wrexham AFC co-owner Ryan Reynolds removed his cameo in the Marvel Studios hit "Deadpool and Wolverine," Reynolds took to Instagram to explain how it happened and paid tribute to McElhenney.

PhillyVoice • August 17, 2024

Bike activists delivered a petition to Mayor Cherelle Parker's office with a 'cold reception'

Amid calls for increased safety for bicyclists and pedestrians in Philadelphia, demonstrators delivered a petition for protected concrete bike lanes and parking reform to Mayor Cherelle Parker's office — though activists say the hand-off didn't go as planned.