fascinating face fur in philly

Excuse me as I don't blab about food for once (a shocker!), but I attended an evening affair that cannot go without being mentioned!

Last week, as a scribed about Philadelphia's First Annual Beard and Moustache Competition, held at Studio 34, I pined to experience first-hand the energy one room could possess when filled with furry gentlemen.

What I wrote of the March manliness was this:

Anchorage, Alaska, may be the notorious nesting ground for seasonally appropriate, fascinating face fur, but that doesn't mean it's the only locale capable of capturing the artfully unkempt in a rousing beard-praising competition. Roo Vandegrift (see his icy beard below) and Mica Baum-Tuccillo, the Beard and Moustache Competition co-originators from West Philly, encourage all of the area's urban hillbillies to flaunt their fuzz in an energetic battle of the beards. Vandegrift, proudly unshaven for more than six months, invites fellows and females to contend in five non-gendered, audience-judged contests over natural and free-styled full and partial beards, 'staches, fakes and much more — all while boozing on beastly homebrews inspired by Fu Manchus, mutton chops and the scandalous Salvador Dalí.

After partaking in the exhilarating eve of beards, 'staches, mutton chops, goatees, and all things alike, I was also enthused that several members of the Lancaster County Bart und Schnauzer Friendship Society participated in the roused contest, which of course, led me to tap tap on my keyboard about a recap of the event.

 

You may view that anxious retelling here. Leon Lutz, who I mention in detail in that link, is seen below during his small speech admist the mustache category he competed.

And now, several snapshots from the evening:

A Brooklyn-based participant of the full beard category, energizing his fellow comrades to "long live the beard," as did his furry friend below.

And Roo, the emcee of the harried event, also provided me with the following photos of several individuals who were victorious in having the best face fuzz.

AND, the marvelous Molly Eichel over at City Paper also posted a perfect slideshow of photographs from the evening, all done by the graceful Greg P. Check them out here.