Also this issue: Sound Judgments Nostalgia, varnish and acoustic doors: tuning Verizon Hall to the Orchestra -- and expectations. -Peter Burwasser Progress Report Year one in the Orchestra's new home. -Peter Burwasser Rick Henderson -A.D. Amorosi Kara Lafty -Interview by Patrick Rapa Philadelphia Orchestra -Peter Burwasser The Greg Osby Four -Nate Chinen Zwan -A.D. Amorosi Elliott -Chris Parker

December 12-18, 2002

musicpicks

The Go/The Witnesses/Gregg Foreman/The Trauma Queens

Despite each city's current renown for producing twisted, punkish, soul-garage rock, neither Detroit nor Manhattan hold the patent on Rawk & Blues. While it's true that latter-day members of The Mooney Suzuki and the Rondelles populate hard hip-shakers The Witnesses (from NYC) and that the Motor City lays claim to The Go's greasy gutter-rock, Philly's thrown its own frantic funky chicken in the groovy garage fray too. The Go/Witnesses show at The Khyber is also the solo debut of scene-stirrer Gregg Foreman -- best known as the rooster-head of The Delta 72 and the earl of Philly's mod-garage DJ set. Then there's The Trauma Queens (pictured), Jason Killinger's quixotic quartet who release The Malevolent Sounds of ... CD tonight. Born from the burnt-sienna ashes of Philly's The Bad Vibes, The Trauma Queens are thrashy and trashy -- a sort of scabbed-over, soul-punk, R&B sound. Come early for Foreman. Stay late to get Trauma-tized.

The Trauma Queens CD release party Sat., Dec. 14, 9:30 p.m., $8, with The Go, The Witnesses, Gregg Foreman, The Khyber, 56 S. Second St., 215-238-5888.

—A.D. Amorosi