ADVENTURE TIME: PHILLY 2022

Last year was my first time visiting Philly, and though it was hot as all hell, I had fun. The original plan was to attend two concerts out there and do some site seeing in between, but due to Covid restrictions, both concerts were canceled/postponed. This time around, the plan was similar, however the show went on.

The main reason why we were out in Philly again was to catch the “Freaks on Parade Tour” show. Powerman 5000, Static-X, Mudvayne (who are on their first tour in about 13-14 years) and last but not least, the headliner, Rob Zombie. This was probably the most “2000’s” show I’ve ever been to. Outside of a few songs from each band, I wouldn’t call myself a hardcore fan, but I did like them all, and Kayla loves her some Rob Zombie.

The show was wild. Every band brought it and killed their sets. It was dope seeing Powerman 5000 play “When Worlds Collide” live… yeah, that banger track from Tony Hawk Pro Skater. Static-X was wild too. And Mudvayne tore it down as well. In all honesty, it was nice to check all these guys off the “I’ve seen them live” list.

Rob Zombie’s set was bananas! From the wild graphics playing on all the screens to the giant monsters who popped up sporadically and the energy the entire band brought made this show one of the best I’ve seen… Ever. Not being the BIGGEST fan of Zombie’s music, that didn’t matter. I automatically became a big fan once I saw Rodan, Ultraman and Kamen Rider pop up on the screens that filled the stage. And again, everyone’s energy made you connect and feel the music. I’d highly recommend catching Zombie live if you haven’t already. 10 out of 10 show for sure!

A little side note, I actually really liked this venue. The staff we’re super chill and it was ridiculously close to our hotel. We could literally walk to and from the ferry that takes us across the river.

I feel like me and Kayla did a lot more this time around in Philly despite being out there for a shorter time.

We hit up this spot called “Oh, Brother”, who are known for their Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches. Also, another spot that was super close to our hotel. The first time we went there, me and Kayla shared a cheesesteak sandwich, she got fried pickles and I got Mac N Cheese and a strawberry milkshake. Our second time there, Kayla got herself another cheesecake sandwich but I got myself a General Tsao chicken sandwich and when I say that shit was GOOD, it was so good that I’m still salivating right now as I write this.

On Saturday, we got up early-ish and took a cab to the Mütter Museum at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. But before that, This museum was very intriguing and creepy as all hell. What caught my attention the most was this exhibit they had that remembered the Influenza pandemic of 1918 and how much of a disaster that all was. If I’m remembering it right, that exhibit was put up in 2019/2020, BEFORE the Covid pandemic. It’s wild to see how similarly both pandemics were handled and how the war back then overshadowed the devastation of the Flu outbreak. The more things change, huh?

After we finished up there, we took a walk to Federal Donuts… a place we had on the radar last year but for some reason, never actually stopped at. Kayla got herself a donut, I forget what it was exactly, I just know it was chocolate. I got myself a mocha latte. Nothing too crazy.

Then it was off to City Hall. Thankfully it was wayyyyy nicer than our trip last year. It was hot, but never felt like we were walking in satan’s butthole, so the walk never felt too overwhelming. I can’t vouch for Kayla’s little feets though. We got some nice shots OF city hall from both sides, but I kind of failed at trying to get pictures of Kayla in front of City Hall. It wasn’t even really her, it just felt like I could never get that killer shot. Also, they should totally clean up the divider and cut those roots growing out of it.

Now that we finally got around to checking out City Hall, it was back to the hotel to chill for a bit before we grabbed a bite to eat at Oh Brother and headed to the movie theater to watch “NOPE”. I actually enjoyed the movie a lot. I thought it was well written and beautifully shot, though I’m still divided on calling AMAZING. That’s a story for another day. I also think it’s pretty interesting that both times we visited Philly, we managed to make our way to the movies… to watch horror movies too.

That pretty much concluded our second trip to Philly. I’d say I actually like Philly a lot. Especially where we stood this time around. Hopefully next time we’re out there, we can finally catch a baseball and/or football game. 🤘🏼