What would James Wolcott say?

by Brian McKim & Traci Skene on April 19th, 2005

One line jumped out at us from the Borgata press release announcing their teaming with Electric Factory Concerts and their spring and summer lineup:

In a precedent-setting move, Borgata will make a year-round commitment to hosting the biggest comedic and musical performances in today’s contemporary scene.

The word “comedic” comes before “musical.” It’s the little things.

The Electric Factory people started out humbly enough in Philadelphia with a small venue that hosted the hottest rock acts of that era (the late-60’s, specializing in bands like the Chambers Brothers and Big Brother and the Holding Company) in a pychedelically-painted, free-standing building just off the center of the city. They’re now the kind of behemoth that causes Eddie Vedder to lose sleep at night. It’s significant that they stress comedy so much in their Borgata venture. This spring and summer, they’ll be responsible for bringing Dennis Miller, Dave Chapelle, Dom Irrera, Ray Romano, Dave Attell and Wayne Brady to audiences that draw from the entire Eastern seaboard and present them in a state-of-the-art venue.