By A.D. AMOROSI
Of all the grandly romantic things you can do - and all the money you could spend doing so – for Valentine’s Day 2017, one of the most curious events is its most musical and lyrical: a night spent dancing, drinking and doing karaoke to the sad songs of Morrissey and The Smiths with MOZZAOKE. The party is at TLA (Theatre of Living Arts), 334 South Street, starting at 7 PM, and the cost of admission is $8. The music of Morrissey, solo or with The Smiths, has always revealed the deepest of yearnings while remaining cleverly caustic. What could be better then, than lifting your voice in song to “Hairdresser on Fire” or “Every Day is like Sunday?”
MOZZAOKE was conceived by Live Nation’s Laura Wilson after a particularly vivacious Morrissey show at the Kimmel Center in October, 2016. “Moz and the band had people singing along and it occurred to me there that Morrissey karaoke would be a fun thing,” says Wilson. In Philadelphia, if you’re doing punk karaoke, you’re reaching out to karaoke hostess, Sara Sherr, and if you’re tackling New Wave oldies, you’re collaborating with WXPN’s Robert Drake.
“I’ve been a life-long fan of The Smiths and Morrissey, so when participating in a Smiths/Moz karaoke event ON Valentine’s Day surfaced, I thought, ‘now THIS is how the world should spend the holiday,” says Drake. “As wonderful as Hallmark would like to make us all believe Valentine’s Day can be … the truth is, for most of us – single or coupled – Valentine’s brings the angst, frustration, stress that any good Smiths song can … so having the boys be the soundtrack for Cupid’s big day is oh-so-obvious.”
Photo courtesy of Aversa PR & Events
Posted on Tuesday, February 14, 2017
