Shallow | Center

Say It ... Say It!

Seriously, Is It So Hard to Spit Out Three Freakin' Words in Exchange for Free Candy?

THERE ARE certain moments in your life when you realize that the irreverence and carefree nature of youth are gone forever. For me, Halloween is one of those moments. Now that I'm a homeowner in a neighborhood with a lot of kids, I target October 31 as annual proof of societal breakdown. Festooned in their costumes, they knock on the door, you open up, and they ... just stand there, bags opened and held out at the ready. It's a simple transaction -- or it should be. They say three words, one syllable each, and you give them free candy. Yet too damn many of them stand mutely and expectantly, waiting impatiently for you to drop their loot into the bag. You have to beg them to say the words. And afterward, you know they're walking away, muttering to each other, "Man, what's with the old dude?"

Maybe I'll dress up as youthful irreverence today. Surely no one would recognize me. Happy Halloween, all.

The Return of the Prodigal Daughter

New Pornographers Play Philadelphia With -- Sigh -- Neko Case in Tow

HER VOCALS turn New Pornographers from a decent band to a very good one, but Neko Case (on whom I have a wicked vocal crush) has found success as a solo artist, so when tickets for last weekend's NP show went on sale over the summer, I took a pass, featuring she'd be off somewhere else doing her own thing. Then I read Sam Adams's review of the show in yesterday's Inquirer and came across this:

... [A]fter the August release of Challengers, their fourth album, both Case and [Dan] Bejar were back in the fold, although Bejar was constantly drifting on and off stage, beer in hand, like a mad genius wandering in off the street. ...

Although they're occasionally more clever than smart, the New Pornographers' best songs strike a perfect balance between insidious catchiness and passionate enigma. The fact that Newman's lyrics sometimes verge on the indecipherable doesn't make them any less enjoyable to belt out. As the band closed its set with "The Bleeding Heart Show," Case's voice rang out over a chorus of ooos and hey las, belting out the phrase "We have arrived." There was no reason to disagree with her.

I'd say that counts as a missed opportunity. Come back, guys -- and bring Neko with you.

Scranton Shows the Love ... to Me

Shallow Center Owns the Office Convention, Baby!

A GUY could get used to this. In its roundup of bloggers' coverage of the Office Convention, the Scranton Times yesterday cited my post on Creed Bratton's and Brian Baumgartner's moonlighting Friday evening. Even more ego-puffing, yours truly wound up included in one of NBC.com's video clips from the convention; that's me dorkily holding a water bottle and watching Craig Robinson and Angela Kinsey do an elaborate high-fiving routine. (Cue Jim looking directly at the camera and throwing up a "Can you believe this dude?" eyebrow raise.)

Pay Some Attention to the Man Behind the Camera

Daniels: We're Thinking About Who's Filming Dunder Mifflin

YESTERDAY'S OFFICE Convention activities included a press conference with about a dozen cast members and a couple of crew members, including series honcho Greg Daniels. The cast members were very gracious in handling questions both expected and inane, and up until the very end it appeared as if nothing newsworthy would come out of the event. But then Clark DeLeon, of all people, representing Philadelphia Metro, stood to compliment The Office's director of photography on the show's spot-on, documentary-like look and feel and to ask for whom the doc is being shot.

"That's a reveal we have in the back of our heads," Daniels replied. "But it's too soon."

As DeLeon noted in his question, the camera is one of the show's most important characters. It'll be interesting to find out why this office is being filmed and who's doing the lensing.

The convention continues today, but my work was done last night, so I'm home now. What I'll take with me is the memory of how incredibly nice and genuine those actors were. Seeing them behind the scenes laughing and joking not only with one another but also with the foot soldiers from NBC who were there to help coordinate things was a real treat. Dunder Mifflin's Scranton branch may be filled with sad-sack, resentful types who hate their jobs, but the men and women who play them could not be more different than their characters.

Ain't No Party Like a ... Well, You Know

'Office'-Related Surreality Continues in Scranton

MICHAEL SCOTT would be proud. His officemates at Dunder Mifflin's Scranton branch are clearly enjoying themselves here at the Office Convention. On my way to the U. last night to work an event (the collegiate Office Olympics, whose winners will participate in today's competition at the convention), I had to pass through a tent that had been set up adjacent to my hotel, which is serving as the convention headquarters. Hundreds of fans of the show were partying, local TV was covering it, and there were Creed Bratton, belting out a blues numbers on the stage while playing a guitar, and Brian Baumgartner (Kevin), pouring draft beers for convention goers. I continue to have to ask myself whether this is really happening.

Creed's Apostles

At the 'Office' Convention, Character Actors Get the Rock-Star Treatment

IF YOU don't know about Scranton, Pennsylvania's place in contemporary pop culture, then you, friend, don't know pop culture. The small city in the Keystone State's mountainous northeastern region is the setting for NBC's The Office, and this weekend it's playing host to a convention devoted to the show. Because I've done work for the University of Scranton, which is the site of most of the activities, I'm here lending an extra PR hand. Yesterday morning the Today show kicked off the festivities with Al Roker on campus doing weather cut-ins and nine of the show's actors arriving to jack up the crowd, which consisted mostly of college kids who had been up for hours in anticipation of getting on live TV.

Bearly Breathing

A Dreadful Loss to Chicago Exposes the Eagles' Mediocrity

WHICH WAS worse: Watching the Bears' excruciating, 97-yard drive with less than two minutes to go, or having to listen to Dick Stockton, the country's worst network play-by-play broadcaster, call it? Regardless, it was not a fun day either at Lincoln Financial Field or in front of the television. The only Eagle to have a good day was David Akers, and that's because his teammates forgot that the rules allow you to carry and throw the ball into the end zone as well as kick it. For some reason Donovan McNabb can move the chains very effectively, despite having only one real weapon in Brian Westbrook, until the Eagles get to the 20, and then unimaginative play calling and poor execution kick in. And yesterday Jim Johnson's bend-but-don't break defense, hampered by injuries, chose the worst possible time to break.

It's been a terrific run, these last half-dozen years, but the team looks to be at a crossroads. The Eagles now have the look of a competitive team, but not of a contending one, and the difference between the two is critical. I'm not advocating inserting Kevin Kolb; I think McNabb still has a fair amount of time left. But more and more, it appears as if bigger changes are needed than simply tweaking around the edges.

Elsewhere in South Philadelphia

Surprising Flyers, Puzzling Sixers Appear Headed in Different Directions

WHILE PHILADELPHIA laments the Phillies' demise and scratches its head over what to make of the Eagles, the Flyers have quietly come roaring out of the gate. They shut out their old nemesis the Devils last night, notching their fifth win against just a single loss. With Paul Holmgren transitioning the team from the lumbering grinders of the Bob Clarke era to a squad that's younger, quicker, and more skilled, the Flyers have proved themselves worth keeping an eye on. It'll be fun to watch them come together this season.

Their Comcast-Spectacor siblings, meanwhile, have struggled through the NBA preseason. The 76ers have not been as swift as the Flyers to adapt to their new circumstances; in the case of the Sixers, it's finding an identity in the post-Iverson era. They did a nice job in the second half last year, better than a lot of people thought they would, but they have a lot of work to do in figuring out what kind of team they're going to be. The Sixers are 0-4 thus far, albeit in meaningless games. Samuel Dalembert is on the shelf with a foot injury, greatly limiting the team's defense, and the Answer's 25 points per night are showing up on Denver's scoreboard. There are good, likable, young players here, but they haven't coalesced yet. I don't envy Maurice Cheeks his job. | SC

Wait, Haven't We Done This Before?

WXPN's Latest Countdown Has a Too-Familiar Feel to It

Countdowns and lists are great parlor games, and WXPN, Philadelphia's unparalleled noncommercial music station, has been having an awful lot of fun with them over the last few years. This year's initiative, though, is lacking. The station's countdown of the 885 Most Memorable Musical Moments feels slapped together and lame, as if, when planning what to do earlier this year, the staff and DJs sat around quietly stirring their coffee until someone timidly suggested "most memorable musical moments," and because ideas were few and far between, no one said, "Well, how does that differ from what we've already counted down?"

For example, moment No. 78 was Bob Dylan's release of Highway 61 Revisited. Well, Dylan was recognized as No. 2 on the previous list of the 885 All Time Greatest Artists. The record itself was No. 16 on the list of the 885 All Time Greatest Albums. And the album's songs "Like a Rolling Stone" (No. 3), "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" (No. 92), and "Desolation Row" (No. 252) all made the list of the 885 All Time Greatest Songs. Not only that, but 'XPN played "Like a Rolling Stone" to commemorate Musical Moment No. 323, the opening of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

I'm all for recycling, but I'm hoping the station comes up with something more original next year. They're simply slogging through this year's list -- it's not engaging at all, and, unlike past years, I have no sense of anticipation or suspense over what the top of the list will reveal. Put on some more coffee, guys, and get to work.

The Return of Uncle Cholly

To No One's Surprise, Phils Bring Back Manuel for 2 More Seasons

WITH A ramshackle pitching staff and injuries at just about every position to deal with, Charlie Manuel somehow cobbled together a playoff appearance, and so his two-year deal to return as the Phillies' manager was not unexpected. Manuel deserves considerable credit keeping his players moving forward; you have to wonder who else in baseball could have accomplished what he did with the same team. While the 'IP gasbags may deride his Southern-fried folksiness and less than tight command of the English language, it takes someone pretty damn smart to motivate and manage people the way he did in 2007.

The downside, though, is having to live through Uncle Cholly's weak in-game managing and lousy handling of his rotation and bullpen. And the Phils' chronic failure to achieve even a mediocre start to each season, let alone a good one, must be laid at Manuel's feet if we're also praising his late-season adeptness. Would the Phillies have been better prepared mentally for the Rockies had they not spent themselves emotionally in the season's final two weeks? Perhaps.

I'm okay with Manuel coming back; I think pitching upgrades are far more important for this club than a new face on the bench. Yet I continue to wonder why the Phillies cannot find a manager who has both technical ability and people skills.