Flippin' Our Shades: Y-Rock on XPN Dudes

Thursday, February 24, 2005 was a dark day for music lovers because Y100.3, Philly's only alternative rock radio station, went off the air. A few passionate people were determined to keep the music alive. And, after years of transition, Philly now has yrockonxpn.org, an online radio station which straight-up rocks, both literally and figuratively. As professed radio deejay admirers, we love the fact that the dudes that host the show are so pumped about the music that many of them deejay for free. And, these dudes are hot AND funny. Check out excerpts from our interview with three of 'em below:

SK: Does being a deejay/radio host impress the ladies?
Reid: Are you asking me out?
Billy: Usually they're already so impressed by my fresh-pressed slacks that by the time we get to the deejay/host topic, it's hard to tell if it does anything for them.

SK: What would you put on a mix tape for a girl?
Billy: Clearly, Peter Cetera's "Glory of Love" from the Karate Kid II soundtrack would be involved. A Philly favorite, G. Love's "Gimme Some Lovin'" would get thrown in as well. We've been spinning a track recently called "Dream About Me" by The Depreciation Guild, which would certainly stir some romantic emotions on a mixed tape for a love interest.
Reid: Jeff Buckley always finds his way on to my mix tapes. If I’m feeling nostalgic, Neutral Milk Hotel. ELO is good too.
Andre: I'd have to get a read on what she likes. Then I'd sprinkle in some Bowie.

SK: Do any female fans ever write in asking you out or try to bribe you for tickets?
Reid: We have a great fan base who enjoy the music first. As sexy as every last one of us Y-Rock deejay’s are, that hasn’t happened…yet. Now the flocks of female fans outside the studio are a different story.
Billy: My female fans are typically sooo into the music I'm playing that they are too distracted to type a write-in ask out. At least that's what I like to think.
Andre: Actually, one listener was very creative. She Photoshopped me into the poster for Eagle vs. Shark, a movie I've mentioned my love for on-air. It won her my gratitude and respect. But no tickets.

SK: Describe the perfect Philly first date.
Billy: Of course, we'd have to take that duck bus/boat thinger around. Then eat a cheesesteak and curse at a TV together while watching the Eagles lose. To top it off, I'd bring her back to my place and pop in my Fresh Prince CD. From there, anything's possible.
Reid: I'd take her to Ortlieb's because it's the perfect mix of music and conversation. They have good food too.

SK: Tell us a secret!
Reid: When I’m on air, I don’t wear pants.
Billy: I'm dating Gwen Stefani. Don't tell Gavin. He'd rip off my head and replace it with a machine.

SK: What is the biggest mistake guys make in dating?
Billy: Now, this mistake doesn't happen all too often but it is a BIG mistake that I have seen severely crush some of my friends chances in the very infancy of their relationship: Moving too fast and trying to get ultra-serious prematurely. Generally speaking, this is dating disaster and seen as a turn-off by girls.
Reid: It’s a tie: Trying to woo a girl with a mix tape / mimic something you saw in a movie, unless it’s Swingers of course. It’s money baby, every time.
Andre: Probably getting to know someone too much too soon, and also overthinking.

SK: What is the worst thing a girl can do on the first date?
Billy: For the love of everything holy, put your phone away.
Reid: Repeatedly text in front of me. Once or twice is ok, but c’mon. Aren’t you going to call your bff at the end of the night anyway?
Andre: The worst thing anyone, girl or guy can do on the first date, is to try too hard to be anything other than oneself. Otherwise, it just feels awkward and stilted.

So, there you have it! What did we learn? Don't text too much while wearing slacks sprinkled with David Bowie. Or something. You can ogle all of them here. Thanks, fellas!

Flippin' Our Shades: Y-Rock on XPN Dudes

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Flippin' Our Shades: Free Energy

Free Energy's music jingles and jangles in all the right places. It's jangly. How jangly? Well, their songs could basically be an instructional audio clip about how to handclap, that's how jangly it is. We think they sound like Weezer covering Tom Petty songs and that's a compliment. We grilled singer Paul Sprangers, a Philly transplant by way of Minneapolis, about girls, Philly, and Philly girls. He squirmed a bit but we powered on. These are his answers:

SK: So, how is being in a band?
Paul: Haha. It's going great! It's everything that I thought it wouldn't be.

SK: What do you like most about Philly girls?

Paul: Their tattoos. Skulls, roses, centaurs, flying unicorns, lightning: All of it. The girls from Fishtown/ Kenzington are my favorite.

SK: Ah, those Fishtown freedom lovers. What's your idea of a perfect Philly date?
Paul: Riding bikes down to Franklin fountain then riding to Penn Treaty Park to watch a band on a Sunday night. Then boning.

SK: What do most guys do wrong?
Paul: They try to pretend that they aren't nerds.

SK: What do most girls do wrong?
Paul: Girls can do no wrong. *wink*

SK: Tell us a secret!
Paul: Uh. I'm drawing a blank on this one.

SK: Ok, we'll skip it. Where's the most romantic place in Philly?
Paul: I gotta say the Lost Bar.

SK: Really? I guess? I mean, we like dive bars too. What would you put on a mix tape for a girl that you liked?
Paul: "Push It" by Salt 'n' Pepa
"Who Let the Dogs Out" by Baha Men
"Everything I Do, I Do It For You" by Bryan Adams
"Right Here Waiting" by Richard Marx

Salt 'n' Pepa? Richard Marx? Baha Men? Those are some pretty solid choices. Thanks, Paul, for being such a great sport. Download Free Energy's Daytrotter session songs for free and be sure to check 'em out when they roll through your town.

Flippin' Our Shades: Free Energy

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Flippin' Our Shades: The Boys from WhirtWhirl.com

Three dudes, Mike, Eric and Gil, banded together to start WhirtWhirl.com, a Philly-based alternative to Craigslist's Missed Connections. At first, we were like, what the hell is this word? Whirt whirl?? Then, we looked at the site's FAQs and read that, "it's a spelling of the sound that someone whistles when they see a person they are attracted to." HOW CUTE IS THAT? Now, we can't stop saying it. Try it. Isn't it fun? How lucky are we that these guys are from Philly? Like an order of cheesefries at 2:07am on Friday night, they're all ours and we don't want to share 'em with anyone else. We asked them some hard-hitting questions and here are their answers: 

SK: So, how did the site start? What has the response been so far?
All: Craigslist creeps us out. Creating a post on there requires too many clicks and we don't think you should have to make an account in order to post. WhirtWhirl.com is brand new and we're growing each day. We're working on a mobile phone version of the site so you can create posts on-the-go as they happen.

SK: Is the site just based in Philly?
All: It is. We're all from the area, being Drexel and Art Institute grads. Once the site grows a bit, we are looking to support local bars and businesses in any way we can. We want to tailor our site just for our city and cater it to Philly singles.

SK: What's the craziest thing you've posted?
All: We've found that people who ride fixie bikes and drink PBR are all about posting missed connections.

SK: What's your idea of a perfect Philly date?
Mike: Drinks are a must. Maybe shoot some pool, share a hookah. I like dive bars since they're less crowded and the people there are usually more interesting. I like to share stories, play some Photohunt and then maybe off to a diner to get a late night breakfast. A drunk cab ride home is always fun.

SK: Yes! Photohunt! What do most guys do wrong?
All: They call too soon after the first date. "3 days is kind of money."

SK: What do most girls do wrong? 
All: They never call after the first date.

SK: Tell us a secret! 
Mike: I googled you earlier today.
Eric: After a night of boozing, I've fallen asleep looking in the fridge.
Gil: I read gossip magazines.

SK: Where's the most romantic place in Philly?
All: The upstairs bathroom in the Khyber.

SK: I detect some sarcasm in that answer. What would you put on a mix tape for a girl that you liked?
Mike: "Vic's Lament" by Vic Ruggiero. 40s and fettucine.
Eric: "Shakedown Street," Grateful Dead
Gil: "It's A Wild World," Cat Stevens

Photohunt? Drunken cab rides? An awesome upstart Web site with a sense of humor? We love it! And, we love them.

Flippin' Our Shades: The Boys from WhirtWhirl.com

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Flippin' Our Shades: Dylan Houser

From the second we met Dylan Houser, he put a smile on our face. He basically has the best attitude ever. Sometimes, we'll be walking around bummed out about something with our head down like Charlie Brown and then we'll get a text message from Dylan out of the blue telling us that he thinks we're pretty and that he hopes that we are having a good day. HOW RAD IS THAT? It's like getting a great haircut, a pay raise, and a B-12 shot simultaneously.

The more we talked to Dylan, the more we realized how awesome he is. He's a designer for various clothing and footwear companies like Paul Frank and Puma. Here he is in a video talking about the connection between Puma sneakers and the 700 level (which is an Eagles thing, we think.) Look how cute he is talking about those kicks! Right now, he is working with the Philly band Pattern is Movement. I asked him a few questions and he gave us a few answers:

SK: So, what do you do?

DH: For work, I'm a freelance designer mostly working on on apparel and footwear. I also work with a band called Pattern is Movement. For fun, I bowl. Not well, just often.

SK: What do you like most about Philly girls?

DH: The thing I like most about Philly girls--as lame as it may sound--is their love for sports. I'm originally from San Francisco and finding a lady to yell and/or high five at a ball game was few and far between.

SK: What's your idea of a perfect Philly date?
DH: I'm pretty easy; Philly has so many food options! There isn't much that I like more than food. So if I can convince someone to go eat somewhere new, I'm generally down. I'm still on the hunt for some decent Mexican food, like how it was back home.

SK: What do most guys do wrong?
DH: I think it has something to do with baking. We, as guys, need to make more cookies or something.

SK: Haha. Well, what do most girls do wrong?
DH: If I knew the answer to this question or the last one, I'd write a book, make all kinds of money, and bowl full-time.

SK: Tell us a secret!
DH: I'm a sucker for a girl in an apron.

SK: (Blushing from his response to the last question,) um, where's the most romantic place in Philly?

DH: I really have no idea. That's why I read this blog. The idea of a picnic in Rittenhouse does sound pretty swell. I'd even bring homemade cookies!!

SK: Someone seems really hungry right now. Anyways, what would you put on a mix tape for a girl that you liked?
DH: Oh man! That's no easy task. The top five mix tape songs ever are as follows:

1. The Murder City Devils - Boom Swagger Boom
2. Devin The Dude - Too Cute
3. The Dead Milkmen - Punk Rock Girl
4. All-Time Quarterback - Sock Hop
5. The Aquabats! - Red Sweater

Cookies, bowling, and Mexican food? See? We told you that he was adorable. You can follow Dylan on Twitter @BarelyRegal.

Flippin' Our Shades: Dylan Houser

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Flippin' Our Shades: Ryan and Jon From Tie Or Die

If we could reach through our computer monitor and pinch these guys' cheeks, we totally would. How can you not fall for this charming duo? Philly ad men by trade, they post their work outfits up on TieOrDie.com, where readers vote on who wore the best outfit that day. It's a friendly, stylish competition, like a duel at a tea party. Here are the rules, according to their site:

• A tie must be worn every work day in the month of October
• The same tie cannot be worn more than once
• Contestant must wear a shirt with some sort of collar (can't pair a t–shirt and a tie, etc.)
• Ties cannot be removed during the work day, regardless of work activities (e.g., ping pong, rough day, jazzercise)

The loser is the first person to break any of the above rules or whomever receives the lower number of total votes in the month–long "who wore it best?" competition. The winner is the other guy.

Well, if you ask us, both of these guys are winners in our books. We dig how they are kickin' up their work wardrobe a few notches for our benefit. So, I asked these Tie Or Die-ers, Ryan Brown and Jon Fruman, some questions about being a Philly guy with a tie on. Pull up a chair.

SK: How did you come up with the idea of TieOrDie.com?
[This exchange is taken directly from Facebook:]

Ryan Brown: Tomorrow is October 1st. I will wear a tie to work every day this month, and not just that--but a different tie every day. This is because I have all of these great ties that rarely see the light of day.
September 30 at 3:34pm

Jon Fruman: I'll take that bet. I get to kick you in the pants every day you don't wear a tie!
September 30 at 3:44pm

And then a coworker from our agency misunderstood the exchange and thought that Jon was going to go through with it as well. (He doesn’t really back down from challenges.) We both wore a tie on Thursday, October 1st, and by Friday we had a Web site with pictures and all.

SK: What do you like most about Philly girls?
Ryan: I think they’re typically rather independent, aren’t they? I like a girl that seems like she can handle anything and would be comfortable in a variety of environments.

Jon: I can’t say for sure there are one or two things I like, so perhaps I like the diversity Philly has to offer.

SK: What's your idea of a perfect Philly date?
Ryan: One where you keep finding things to do throughout the evening because you don’t want the night to end: Find the best burger in the city, go see a concert, get drinks at your favorite bar, go for a walk, see how that goes. Maybe an open-mouth kiss or something. I dunno.

Jon: Coffee, sneakers, watches, tequila, Wii, and High Life (the order it happens in is irrelevant).

SK: What do most guys do wrong?
Ryan and Jon: refrain from launching microsites of them shamelessly looking their best for all the girlies to see?

SK: Tell us a secret!
Ryan: a sexy secret? Um. I lost my virginity in a foreign country. Don’t tell.

Jon: I’m a huge fan of R. Kelly, specifically Trapped in the Closet. I frequently think about producing, directing, and starring in the first Broadway adaptation. I’d play Tron.

SK: Where's the most romantic place in philly?
Ryan: A corner booth in a cozy down-home bar (Good Dog, etc.) at 1am during winter when it’s snowing on a weekday. Or the Ben Franklin Bridge walkway during summer at sundown, but I’ve only been there by myself.

Jon: There are a couple rad places in the city and they all depend on a specific time of the year. I’ve always been keen on our skyline and the best place to see it from is Belmont Plateau in Fairmount.

SK: What would you put on a mix tape for a girl that you liked?
Ryan: MSTRKRFT’s “Heartbreaker” featuring John Legend. The video for that song makes me want to get my crush on faster than you can say, “Mstrkrft.”

Jon: “So Much” by Spill Canvas.

SK: Are either of you single?
Ryan: Yes. But. I’m two or three dates in with a lass that I’m excited to be hanging out with, so I need to be careful what I say here!

Jon: Yes, but similar to Sir Brown, things are on the up and up.

We probably should've asked more hard-hitting questions about health care reform or their position on third world debt forgiveness. We threw them some softballs, admittedly. What can we say? We spent the whole time daydreaming about taking one of them home to meet our Mom. High Life, sneakers and Wiis? Have they been reading our diary? What are you doing still reading this? Go vote on who wore the best outfit at TieOrDie.com!

Flippin' Our Shades: Ryan and Jon From Tie Or Die

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Flippin' Our Shades: Josh Kaplan, Cheese Monger

Dating a designer or musician is almost cliche. But every once in a while you meet someone who has a truly original job. I recently met an artist that draws the little cartoons on all the Trader Joe's packaging, a skydiving instructor, and my personal favorite, a cheese monger. Yup, one of our very own Philly dudes, Josh Kaplan, spends all day slicing, eating, and educating the public about cheese.

Josh is a cheese artisan, not to be confused with the hoagie-boy from my local deli that I dated in high school who speed sliced American by the pound. Cheese mongers like Josh are the royalty of the cheese people and the Bubba Gumps of the cheese world. He can ramble off facts about any of the roughly 1200 different cheeses he deals with on a weekly basis!

Can you imagine dating a cheese monger like Josh? He's hot even to the lactose intolerant. Can you fathom the intensity of the grilled cheeses he would make if you were feeling sick? There'd be like 50 cheeses on it. Or the breakfast-in-bed cheese omelettes? I'm melting just thinking about it. I didn't even know people like this existed. Plus, look how adorable that face is. We got to chat with him:

SK: What does a girls' cheese choice say about her?
Josh: If a girl eats cheese, particularly gourmet or artisan cheese, it is a statement of self confidence: “Who cares about fat content? I look good and when I eat this cheese I feel good, too.”

Would you ever date a girl who hated cheese?
Josh: A girl who hated cheese?! If she is willing to write off every cheese (all 3000 or so) based on limited experience, what else won't she do? I would never date a girl who isn’t searching for a new culinary experience.

SK: We want a cheesesteak! Now! What cheese would you use?
Josh: Taleggio, a washed-rind cheese from northern Italy produced from the foothills of the Italian Alps. Taleggio is a velvety and slightly sweet cows milk cheese that melts like a dream over seared steak, adds just the right amount of salt to the mix and is well accepting of cracked black pepper. Philly-o-sophically, however, I am against calling a gourmet steak sandwich a “cheese steak" as they are two different foods. The only cheese on a cheesesteak is wiz. [Lora's note: he has street smarts despite his vast, cheesy knowledge!]

SK: How the hell does cheese relate to dating and romance?
Josh: Cheese can be great when dating! It is an indulgence and necessity wrapped up into often sensual flavor profiles. What is better than a late spring picnic in the park with crusty bread, a bottle of light burgundy, and a decadent triple cream? Pre-packed produce and cheese in perfect geometric shapes deprive us of the romance of eating. Sharing a meal is intimate, particularly when we allow ourselves to be more closely connected to each other and our food.

Whoa. We need to take a minute to catch our breaths after that last answer. You can join us this Friday to hang with Josh and some other handsome cheese dudes and local brewers at Di Brunos for a cheese/beer pairing. Josh, we raise our toothpicks to you and all of your kind.

Flippin' Our Shades: Josh Kaplan, Cheese Monger

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Flippin' Our Shades: Brian James Kirk

Brian James Kirk flat out rocks. So, when we made a list of the rad Philly guys we flip our shades at, he was right at the top. As one of the founders of Technically Philly, he is making Philly a cooler, nerdier place. And, you know how much we love cool nerds.

We interrogated him about dating stuff in a confined cell under a lone, swinging light bulb. It was all very Law & Order-ish. I had to be restrained because I got a little riled up, but I think we broke him down and got the scoop.

SK: What do you like most about Philly girls?

I'm a little on edge answering these questions. Philly girls don't fall for bullshit. I dig that.

SK: What's your idea of a perfect Philly date?

Take-out sushi and mix-a-six beers at the park was a recent favorite. I'm a simple dude and admittedly unoriginal, but I make up for it in conversation; I promise.

SK: What do most guys do wrong?

Post missed connections for girls they should have approached.

SK: What do most girls do wrong?

Post missed connections for guys they should have approached.

SK: What would most girls be shocked to find out about guys?

Though mostly in jest, we are in awe of the Pickup Artist and GOB Bluth. We make fun of them, but at some fundamental psychological level, we wish we could approach girls with such ease. We consider taking up magic, illusions, striped shirts. The difference is that we just want to ask the cute girl with glasses for her phone number, not back to our place. Well, most of the time, anyway.

SK: Tell us a secret!

I sought out and watched Marley and Me alone and in pajamas, one of my weakest moments. I will not confirm or deny tears.

SK: Where's the most romantic place in philly?

Any block in the city with a view of the skyline, even if it's glimpsed through the guts of an abandoned lot blocked by barbed wire-topped fences. The fact that you can get that feeling on the El coming out of the tunnel up to Spring Garden always blows my mind. After stepping over the piss and garbage underground, how can you see that skyline and not feel the promise of something better?

SK: What would you put on a mix tape for a girl that you liked?

A Promise Ring tune. If she knew what it was, I'd be shmitten.

The Promise Ring! How cute! We'll drink two cherry cokes to that. Is there anyone you'd like to nominate for us to flip our shades at? Email us at hi@shmittenkitten.com and let us know why they'd be a good candidate.

[Previously: We Flipped Our Shades at filmmaker Joe Stakun]

Flippin' Our Shades: Brian James Kirk

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Flippin' Our Shades: Joe Stakun

Hubba hubba. We see a lot of rad guys around Philly. Usually we just flip our shades at 'em, all Diamond Dave-style to let 'em know that we are feelin' it. Well, we decided that we should spotlight our faves and let other girls know about them too. We know, we're nice like that. So, for our first Shade Flipper, we think that it's fitting to profile Joe Stakun. We're pretty sure if you checked his diet, he must eat 100% awesome things because they say you are what you eat and this guy is totally awesome. Did that even make sense?

When not making videos and movies, he can be found zipping around town on his bike. In fact, he just released his first feature length documentary about the BMX bike culture called I Love My Bicycle. It also helps that he's incredibly handsome. That's kind of a big part of being a Shades Flipper. Let's meet the man behind the camera.

SK: So, Joe, what have you been up to?
Ummm. I am on the tail end of a feature length documentary I've been making for the past two and a half years. It just premiered in NYC and Philadelphia. At this point, I'm looking around for distro and fine tuning the film. Hopefully it will be out on DVD before 2010. After that, I'm just going to take it easy and go back to doing more music videos.

SK: What bums you out that girls do?
Hmmm. I'm not a big fan of make-up and when girls dress up fancy every time they leave the house.

SK: What do you love that girls do?
When they are funny, cute, original, and talented.

SK: What would you wear on a first date?
Probably just jeans and a t-shirt or flannel. I'm not sure the typical first date really exists.

SK: What would you put on a mix tape for a girl that you liked?
Depends on the girl.

SK: Tell us a secret.
No secrets here.

SK: Oh man, not even one?
I don't have any secrets; I'm a pretty open book for the most part. Is this photo alright? It's quite a metro posture.

SK: Yup, this photo is just great.

Flippin' Our Shades: Joe Stakun

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