White shame: Across the U.S. African-Americans were forced to flee their homes.

A-List

Banished

Ethnic cleansing in America? Just when you thought history could no longer shock you, this documentary makes your jaw drop into your lap. Imagine being forced to vacate your hometown because of the color of your skin. In 1912 more than 1,000 African-American residents of a town in Georgia were forced to flee after their homes were dynamited. It wasn’t an isolated incident. In Banished, native Philly filmmaker Marco Williams explores the violent expulsion of entire African-American populations from small towns across the U.S., and he meets the descendents of the victims who want justice. Hosted by heartthrob Terrence Howard, Banished is a feature documentary of PBS’ Independent Lens series. Check it out but brace yourself: It’s not pretty. (Shanique Jones)

Animus

Animus

Animus defines itself as “world fusion music,” but really, that means absolutely nothing these days. Everything is world fusion music in one way or another— even Fergie. So what does local instrumental collective Animus sound like? Sometimes it’s easiest to think of music in terms of the greatest medium of all time: food. So let your senses marinate on a seductive spread—cubes of feta drizzled with olive oil, accompanied by wedges of lemon (a tart high note that cuts through the cream); tandoori chicken rubbed red with chilies and tumeric (that linger on your tongue and in your gut); a flourish of buttery baba ghanoush, both smoky and light in its finish. Pretty irresistible even for the most jaded of palates. With influences that span ethnicities and genres (Greek, Middle Eastern, Indian, rock, funk, klezmer) and unorthodox instrumentation (electric bass, djembe, accordion, oud), Animus provide one of the most tantalizing performances in the city. The live bellydancers—a rolling haze of jeweled chiffon and practiced allure—don’t hurt either. (Caralyn Green)

Tomorrow’s Radio

So I got this flier in an email and started geeking out. Brendan Bring ’Em, Ian St. Laurent and Lowbudget from Hollertronix in the same venue? Yes please. Brendan and ISL have been wanting to put this party together for a while, and now they’re ready to unveil Tomorrow’s Radio—a new monthly (every third Wednesday) at the Barbary. Expect nothing but future classics, hip-hop, soul, dance music and DJs breaking new records from Philly, Paris, Berlin and Los Angeles. With cheap drinks, an incredible sound system and three world-class DJs trying to one-up each other all night, you should probably just request a vacation day every third Thursday. (di1)

Sen. Larry Craig

My Queer Valentine

Breakin’ up is hard to do. Finding someone to break up with is even harder. Thankfully, the folks at the William Way Center are here to help. This Saturday check out My Queer Valentine, a speed-dating night for LGBT guys and gals ages 20 to 30. Daters have approximately three minutes with each date. At the end of the night you submit the names of those who tickled your fancy. We recommend asking deal breakers like “How do you like your coffee?” If you discover they’re the kind who order the grande nonfat two-pump decaf no-whip mocha in a venti cup, you know they’re too high-maintenance to bother with. But if they’re a venti house blend, add them to your list. Even if you don’t meet the love of your life, it’s cheaper than having coffee with the hottie you’ve been messaging on manhunt.net and discovering they’d rather slum it at Dunkin’ funkin’ Donuts. (Erica Palan)