It's no New York City

The unfortunate thing about a college town's arts scene is that when the students leave for break, so does the scene. But I couldn't let nine days of vacation go by without getting my fix of live entertainment, so I went a-road trippin'.

With the accompaniment of a fellow Collegianaire, I left my native Philadelphia for New York City. It's not that Philadelphia's scene is bad; it's anything but. This was the result of a sick twist of fate that had one of my favorite bands, of Montreal, playing Philadelphia the night before I came home for spring break. Fortunately, I lucked into a ticket to their sold-out Saturday night show at Irving Plaza in the Big Apple.

Aside from the show, New York obviously had a lot to offer. When there's that much diversity and that many people in a city, there's usually going to be a lot of options for entertainment. We glimpsed amateur painters and new styles before stumbling upon a couple acrobatic entertainers in Washington Square Park named Tic and Tac. The guys cracked jokes with the audience members and performed some awesome stunts to the sounds of an accompanying drummer.

But the highlight of my break came later that night when of Montreal took the stage. The band showcased songs from each of its last three albums, keeping the concert feeling like a dance party. And the band never shied away from stage antics, having one member dress as Darth Vader and employing the aid of a figurative dancer who shoved squashed bananas down his unitard. Bizarre? Yes. But also shockingly delightful.

Apologies to State College, but it's no New York City. But then again, maybe fruit-loving dancers aren't your cup of tea, either.