OK, so maybe your friend from Egypt is an exception to the rule. And perhaps that one girl you know from upstate New York can't relate either. But how often is your "I'm from Philadelphia" or "I'm from Pittsburgh" answered with an "Oh, everyone is from there."
Well, there's at least one reason people like to live in the big cities: Plenty of good concerts.
The upcoming winter break offers many musical opportunities for residents of the two big Penn State hometowns. Ranging from small indie shows to large rock festivals, it's no wonder thousands of students will be flocking home to Philly and the Big Burgh to partake in the holiday season music scenes.
Philadelphians have several special musical treats to look forward to over the break to keep entertained in virtually all of the city's popular venues.
The Electric Factory, 421 N. 7th St., will be hosting several noteworthy shows. Good Charlotte will perform at the venue on Dec. 20 along with other rockers Mest and Midtown. Rap superstars Method Man and Redman will also blaze through the Factory on Dec. 22, as will Afroman on Dec. 28.
Music fans can also find shows at Philadelphia's other small music venue, The Trocadero, 1003 Arch St. Fans of heavy metal may not want to miss Deicide, Exhumed, Morbid Angel, Soilent Green, and Zyklon on Dec. 16. Lake Trout (who recently performed in State College) will also play the Troc on Dec. 28, as will indie rock band Guided by Voices on Dec. 29.
The funk/jazz super group The Philadelphia Experiment will play the Theatre of Living Arts, 334 South St., on Dec. 15.
The group -- composed of originally Philadelphian musicians including drummer Ahmir Thompson (more commonly known as ?uestlove when performing with his hip-hop group the Roots) -- will perform at the TLA as part of only three scheduled shows.
Rick Hirsch, adjunct professor of music and director of Penn State jazz ensemble Inner Dimensions, said that the show is worth checking out for any Philadelphian music fans.
"Every song in the band's repertoire has a strong association with Philadelphia, ranging from songs written by Philadelphian songwriters to one song dedicated to the MOVE incident," Hirsch said.
"This is one of those rare groupings of all-stars from disparate backgrounds that just have that special chemistry together."
Pittsburgh is just about as well rounded in terms of its musical offerings for the upcoming break. Two of the city's biggest radio stations are offering their own brands of the holiday festival concert.
96.1 KISS FM will present its Kissmas concert, featuring Alicia Keys and Ja Rule. The show takes place on Dec. 17 at the A.J. Palumbo Center, 1304 Forbes Ave. In addition to the main headliners, the show also features several other R&B/hip-hop acts that may please fans of the genre.
Many modern rock aficionados in the city will be attending WXDX 105.9's "Kick Ass X-mas" show at the M (formerly Metropol), 1600 Smallman St., on Dec. 18. Popular rock bands Default, Nickelback and Saliva headline the show, which has already generated a large amount of interest.
"The Metropol is a great venue," said Pittsburgh resident Rob Pochciol (junior-psychology). "It would be a great place to see Saliva. I'm not too big on Nickelback, but seeing Saliva would definitely be kickass."
Pittsburgh's smaller venues are not going to be passed over during this break, however.
Club Laga, 3609 Forbes Ave., also has its own share of shows lined up, including emo/punk bands Zao and The Juliana Theory, who will perform at this venue on Dec. 26.
In addition, the funky rockers of Clutch also play the Club on Dec. 28.
Regarding the all-important New Year's Eve show, both major cities will be celebrating with hometown heroes.
Philly's biggest offering is the techno-jam band Disco Biscuits, formed in Philadelphia several years ago, performing on both Dec. 30 and Dec. 31 at the Electric Factory. Their trippy blend of instrumentals and electronics will bring in the New Year with some exciting sounds.
To bring in their own year, Pittsburghians can celebrate with local favorites The Clarks at Nick's Fat City, 1601 to 1605 E. Carson St.
Sharing the holiday homecoming with the Pittsburgh-based indie rockers themselves could be the perfect way for a P-Burgh student to spend his or her New Year.
Whatever their plans are for the break, students from Pittsburgh and Philadelphia can be comforted knowing that the next "Oh, everyone is from there" might really translate to "I wish my hometown had a good music scene."
