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ISSUE . March 15th, 2007

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Re-Formers

Who Are These Strange Beings Who Want to Save City Hall?

by Doron Taussig

If Damon Roberts holds a press conference in his district, chances are that Inquirer City Hall Bureau Chief Marcia Gelbart doesn't show up. But if he and 13 others storm City Council, she'll be there, along with the Daily News and WHYY. The candidates become more than the sum of their parts: They're the embodiment of a general dissatisfaction.

Opinion

Slant:

Bombs Away

The U.S. threatens a war it can't afford.

by David Faris

At this point, the Bush administration might as well nominate discredited New Republic scribe Stephen Glass to be secretary of state.

Editor's Letter:

School's Out

Violence isn't the sole reason my wife and I won't be sending our kids to public schools.

by Duane Swierczynski

My friend Ronnie Polaneczky, a columnist at the Daily News, read my piece, and thought it was an insult to the families of public-school children, and she's sick of knee-jerk reactions like mine.

Loose Canon:

Getting to Eddie

As poll numbers climb against casinos, Eddy's perch is getting less steady.

by Bruce Schimmel

Under the great canopy of City Council's soaring chambers, city councilman Frank DiCicco and state rep Mike O'Brien squabbled like circus performers whose act had gone wrong.

Feedback:

Letters to the Editor

What You Say

Of course anyone who turns out to have been wrongfully convicted should and will be released. | I applaud you for helping to bring the vital issue of promoting school libraries in Philadelphia to light. | When will it end? It will end when we let the Germans off the hook.

Naked City

Haus Music

The new owners of Ortlieb's promise a new look. But will the song remain the same?

by A.D. Amorosi

"Aw, man, give these guys a chance," says Roker with a laugh while heading out the door to rehearse with Swanna for Ortlieb's opening night. "I haven't even played for them yet. So far it's good."

Running Numbers

A scholarly look at the digits that matter.

by Nick Norlen

You're lucky it's Lent, Comcast. I gave up ragging on easy targets.

Fine Print:

Madness on the Edge of Town

Online voting continues through this weekend.

So we're one week into round-one voting on City Paper/Nick Norlen's mammoth Philly Madness field-of-76 bracket (www.citypaper.net/phillymadness), and what have we learned?

I'd Like to Thank the Beauty Academy

Getting Grease-y at the seventh annual Hair Oscars.

by Monica Weymouth

As much a party as a competition, the Marki Starr Hair Studio's 2007 Hair Oscars celebrated local African-American hair stylists and entrepreneurs.

Icepack

Amorosi on the news, nightlife, gossip and bitchiness beats.

by A.D. Amorosi

When the results of a college study conducted between 1982 and 2006 were recently unveiled, American kids were found to be self-loving, self-serving little pricks without a care for their fellow teens. I cried when I heard.

News

Relocation Blues

The Convention Center expansion plan costs arts groups more than a home.

by Daniel Campo

In October 2006, tenants of the Gilbert Building received formal 90-day eviction notices, demanding that they move out before Jan. 11. They have been scrambling ever since.

The Bell Curve

City Paper's Quality-o-Life-o-Meter

When news breaks in Philadelphia, we make jokes.

The City Paper/YPP Project:

Passing Judgment

The City Paper/YPP Project

by Ray Murphy

Does it make sense to elect judges to a court without being able to decide what division they will go to? How do progressive or reform-oriented voters develop metrics to select the best judicial candidates?

First the Snakes, Now This?

Irish mouths won't be smokin' inside bars Saturday. Will business suffer?

by Tom Namako

Ask McGillin's Old Ale House owner Chris Mullins how he feels about the smoking ban, and he'll show you a wet fistful of multicolored chewing gum. "That's what I pull from the urinals every week."

The Insider:

Mike Checked

Where do you start explaining what's gone wrong with Michael Nutter's once-promising campaign?

by Anonymous

My advice to Nutter and his campaign is simple: Stop screwing around. Stop being the nice, smart guy. And start being aggressive with your opponents.

Cocktails With...:

Bill Greenlee

At-large City Councilman, Democrat

by Brian Hickey

Greenlee headed off into the back room to help the owner figure out whether a wire had shorted. Of course, he did so after he bought a round for the whole place.

Ask A Candidate

You have questions. We get answers.

If you have a question you want to ask one of our potential next mayors, send it to hickey@citypaper.net or call 215-735-8444, ext. 211. (And please include your name and what neighborhood you're from.)

Political Notebook:

Is Nutter Better?

Yes, Nutter believes he is the true champion of change.

by Mary F. Patel

Has Nutter really broken from his establishment ways? To date, he has maintained his position as leader of the 52nd Ward and, in that role, is part of the whole party apparatus that he says he disdains.

Arts

Theater Review:

Play On

The spring Shakespeare season begins with People's Light's emotionally mature and insightful Twelfth Night.

by Mark Cofta

As much as I enjoyed City Theater Company's playfully irreverent production in Wilmington recently, I left Adams' version impressed by the script's melancholy textures.

Culture Shock:

Things That Matter To People Who Matter

Eschatology; Locally Localized Gravity; Os Mutantes Reissues; Salsa Dancing at Brasil's

Eschatology, the study of the final events in human history, has always fascinated me.—Brendan O'Connor, guitarist/vocalist, Serpents of Wisdom

Now See This

Get Out!

Aging in America | Beyond Beyond | In the Continuum | Down the Mississippi | The Devils

Theater Review:

Happy to Be Stuck With You

Lanford Wilson's 1982 play Angels Fall is so well-crafted one can't help but step back and admire his work.

by Mark Cofta

Trapping a bunch of strangers in a confined space is a standard recipe for suspense, but Angels Fall is far from formulaic.

Good to Be Bad

Souvenir is all about the difference between laughing at and laughing with.

by Mark Cofta

Today, fools try to duplicate Florence Foster Jenkins ' bizarre success (i.e. ubiquitous American Idol audition horrors), but their self-serving self-mockery betrays their cynicism.

Road-Tested

Like a solid old Caddy, Alfred Uhry's Driving Miss Daisy always works

by Mark Cofta

The 1988 Pulitzer Prize winner does what it does very, very well, especially in the Delaware Theatre Company's smooth revival.

Dance Review:

New Fortuna

Matthew Neenan's Carmina Burana is worlds away from John Butler's Carmina, long considered Pennsylvania Ballet's signature work.

by Janet Anderson

Gone are the candles, monks and medieval setting. Neenan plunges into cyberspace, movies, visual arts, even outer space.

Ready for the Big Dance

But it is a rarity to find such a farm team as impressive as Nacho Duato's CompaÃƒÆ’Ã†â€™Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â±ia Nacional de Danza 2.

by Janet Anderson

Justly considered a major European innovator, Duato has a distinctive style: His moves are fast, crisp and tend to be low to the ground.

Book Review:

Dead Air

Lost City Radio follows the cleaving of three lives in the wake of civil war in an unnamed South American city.

by Sam Tremble

In many ways, Alarcon's novel resembles the radio show for which it is named. Norma, though forbidden to talk about the war on air, asks callers about the scent of their mothers' cooking, not of burning buildings.

Arts Picks:

All Power to the People!

All Power to the People!: The Black Panther Suite, Sat., March 17, 7:30 p.m., and Sun., March 18, 3 p.m., New Freedom Theatre, 1346 N. Broad St.

by Deni Kasrel

The revolution may not be televised, but it will appear on Broad Street, when Fred Ho presents All Power to the People!: The Black Panther Suite.

SCUBA

Fri., March 16, 8 p.m., Conwell Dance Theater, Broad and Montgomery streets

by Deni Kasrel

The majority of dance shows in Philadelphia fall into two categories: local, independent groups and large touring companies. Terry Fox, director of Philadelphia Dance Projects, wants to expand that view to include grassroots ensembles from elsewhere.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Tue., March 20, 8 p.m., Free Library of Philadelphia, 1901 Vine St.

by Termeh Mazhari

Somali-born former member of Dutch Parliament Ayaan Hirsi Ali is famous (or infamous) for her outspoken criticism of conservative Islam.

Arts Agenda

Last Chance

Catch It or Regret It

by Lydia Navatsyk

Rocks-n-Glocks | Amy S. Kauffman: (from scratch) | Noises Off

Arts Agenda Picks:

Just Do It

Paul Rusesabagina

by Mickey Jou

Mon., March 19, 5:45 p.m., The Union League of Philadelphia, 140 S. Broad St.

Gettin' Some

The Kiss Me, I'm Irish Date

by Monica Weymouth

Belles of Dublin | Fadó | Plough and the Stars

In The Event That...

You'd Like to Feel the Love Tonight

by Mickey Jou

For some folks, singing along to Disney songs evokes warm 'n' fuzzy childhood memories. That's what Elliot Jones is hoping for, anyway.

Galleries

Galleries are usually open Tuesdays through Saturdays; please call the gallery for exact days and hours. Receptions are denoted with Reception 222 GALLERY , 222

Museums/Exhibits

Museums and exhibits have varying schedules; please call for exact days, hours and prices. ABINGTON ART CENTER , 515 Meetinghouse Rd., Jenkintown, 215-887-4882. 2ND SOLO

Performing Arts

Please call the phone number listed with the venue for specific dates, times and ticket information. dance CARMINA BURANA & SERENADE PA Ballet presents the

Readings/Book Signings

ADAM LEVINE The local author signs his new book, "A Guide to Great Gardens of the Philadelphia Region." Thu, March 15, 7pm, FREE , Harvest

Movies

Road Tested

For the roaming Mira Nair, inspiration is a plane ticket away.

by Cindy Fuchs

Mira Nair has a cold. She's been traveling for her new film, The Namesake, and recently has been laid low by one of those stuffy-airplane-cabin-borne viruses.

Desi Nation

The Namesake is full of wonders.

by Cindy Fuchs

In this moment, amid wreckage and noise, The Namesake begins again. Ashoke reappears, face bruised and body broken, newly determined to see the world he almost missed.

Bored Member

I Think I Love My Wife is too busy stroking its men to qualify as gender comedy.

by Cindy Fuchs

Chris Rock's decision to remake Eric Rohmer's 1972 comedy Chloe in the Afternoon suggests the two films have something in common.

Repertory Film

Send repertory film listings to tami.fertig@citypaper.net. AMBLER THEATER 108 E. Butler Ave., Ambler, 215-345-7855, www.amblertheater.org. M*A*S*H (1970, U.S., 116 min.) Thu., March 15, 7 p.m.,

Music

New Old Wave

Why Narthex took 25 years to drop their debut.

by A.D. Amorosi

Narthex is the way-early-'80s duo that Mike Ace shared with Dean "Clean" Sabatino, a drummer who would go on to fame and sorta-fortune with the Dead Milkmen

Aid or Invade:

Brazil

Rodney Anonymous vs. the World

by Rodney Anonymous

Brazil is a country so vast that its borders are capable of encompassing not only the candirú — a parasitic Amazonian fish that actually swims up the penis of its victim — but also singer Caetano Veloso.

CD Reviews

Philadelphia Philharmonia | Explosions in the Sky | The Philadelphia Orchestra

One Track Mind:

Radical Face

"Glory"

by Brian Howard

It's a one-man trail of tears, a "walking open wound," as Chris Carrabba might put it.

Soundadvice

Get Out!

Music Picks:

Network for New Music/Group Motion Dance Theater

Thu.-Fri., March 15-16, 8 p.m., Arts Bank, 601 S. Broad St.

by Peter Burwasser

Multimedia arts presentations are all the rage, but good intentions do not always translate into quality results.

Papo Vasquez & the Mighty Pirate Orquestra

Sat., March 17, 7 and 9 p.m., Painted Bride Art Center, 230 Vine St.

by Deni Kasrel

Lenny Seidman, the Painted Bride Art Center's music curator, has been warning anyone who will listen that his venue is headed for structural demise.

Gate: 8-Bit Electronic Music

Fri., March 16, 8 p.m., free, The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut St.

by Shaun Brady

Anyone who spent their childhood lying awake at night with the maddening strains of Tetris playing through their head wouldn't necessarily think of that music as having much potential for elaboration.

Food

Great White

Learning to love the versatile, quaffable Riesling.

by Peter Burwasser

Call it the Riesling conundrum. Here is a varietal that is praised by connoisseurs as one of the most remarkable white wines on earth. So why isn't Riesling more popular?

Pojangmacha

Forget the tent, this new Upper Darby Korean restaurant is housed in a onetime White Castle.

by Elisa Ludwig

Pojangmachas generally cater to students looking for cheap, late-night eats. After an evening of drinking — I mean, studying — bowls of super-spicy stews are the perfect thing to fortify the soul and awaken numbed extremities.

Feeding Frenzy

Restaurants opening, closing and pending

by Drew Lazor

707 Restaurant & Bar | The Penthouse Lounge and Grille | Whisk and Spoon | Tinto

What's Cooking:

The Week In Eats

Get Out!

by Amy Strauss

Robin Miller Book Signing | Amada Cooking Course | Blind Wine Tasting Dinner | Katherine J. Parkin Book Presentation

Top 5:

St. Patrick's Day Eats

Litany of the Saints

by Amy Strauss

1) St. Patrick's Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner | 2) Ancient Order of Hibernians Charity Brunch | 3) Countdown to St. Patrick's Day | 4) Everybody's Irish on St. Patty's Day Party | 5) The Best St. Patrick's Day Celebration

Watering Hole:

The Sidecar Bar & Grille

It's Where We Drink

by Will Dean

When Adam Ritter found a trove of plastic barbershop combs at a Germantown warehouse, he decided they'd make fantastic drink garnishes.

Agenda

Agenda Lead:

Everybody Loves Lisa

Like her or lick her.

by Brian Howard

Anyone who's tuned in to a Comedy Central roast in the last couple of years has caught Lisa Lampanelli, aka "comedy's queen of mean."

Agenda Picks:

Been There/Done That

PhillyNORML

by Sam Tremble

Meets every first and third Thursday, 7:30 p.m., free, The A-Space, 4722 Baltimore Ave.

On The DL

How Different Is Different?

by Erin Brodbeck

Wed., March 21, noon, free, Rutgers University, Armitage Hall, 311 N. Fifth St., Camden.

Kids, etc.

Big Fun for Little Ones

by Linnay Trail

Dirty Sock Funtime Band | Explore With Dora | Totally Awesome Pirates | Glass Blowing | Puppetry and Tapestries