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ISSUE . October 18th, 2007
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Cover Story


The Music Issue
City Paper's bi-annual music blow-out.

The Bee Team
Dirty folk for the whole family [Listen on the CP Playa]
by M.J. Fine
Folk music's supposed to be a link from one generation to the next. The Bee Team sees that tradition reflected in the people who watch their rehearsals in the park.

5-String Productions
Gimme that new old-time music
by Mary Armstrong
How did a budding father-and-son operation in suburban Pennsylvania get so lucky?

White T's and White Belts
DIY djs for the dirty pink panties set
by Kelly White
There's a booty over here and a belly over there, and if your hands ain't up, they're on another person.

Greg Weeks
Zen and the art of geological energy retention [Listen to Language of Stone artists Mountain Home and Orion Rigel Dommisse on the CP Playa]
by A.D. Amorosi
Greg Weeks, best known as the frontman for Philly's freaky, folky Espers, wasn't thinking about the digital-only domain when he and his wife, Jessica, started their own imprint on the Drag City record label, Language of Stone, in September.

Pink Skull
DJs Dancing into the Next Days of Disco [Listen on the CP Playa]
by Andrew Parks
When you're 13 and your dad catches you listening to Donna Summer, he starts to worry a bit.

Ethel Cee
Underground MC Sprung from the Spoken-Word Scene
by Deesha Dyer
"I don't get caught up in all that, really. I understand how important it is, but it is not a crutch. I can't be the face of black female MCs everywhere, or even the face of hip-hop. When I go onstage I need to represent myself."

The Extraordinaires
Irresistibly Theatrical South Philly Rock Storytellers [Listen on the CP Playa]
by John Vettese
The band's two releases — the maritime narrative Ribbons of War and the recent collection of stand-alones called Short Stories — are actually books bound in Masonite.

David Dye
Radio Legend Throws the Book at the Rock World
by M.J. Fine
Gall him a gatekeeper, a curator, a professional mix-tape devotee. In 16 years of being the face %u2014 er, voice %u2014 of World Cafe, David Dye has guided the show from its beginnings at a funky Spruce Street studio with four broadcast affiliates to its three-year-old Walnut Street digs with national syndication and NPR's muscle behind it.


Opinion


Editor's Letter:
Snapshots
We Rule. We Drool.
by Duane Swierczynski
It's been a week of ups and downs. Let's start with the ups, just to get them out of the way. I'm happy to report that City Paper was named 2007 "Newspaper of the Year."

Slant:
A Question of Mercy
When compassion hurts the innocent.
by Michael Washburn
When the Grinnell College alumni magazine came in the mail the other day, I never expected to find out that someone had been murdered. Let alone Derek.

Loose Canon:
A Bright Light in Dark Skies
The young family seemed a textbook case of an endangered and invaluable species.
by Bruce Schimmel
In the last couple of years, travel by air has become nasty, and quickly. I shivered to imagine how much uglier it could soon get. Especially if we don't chart a new course for our ship of state.

Feedback:
Letters to the Editor
What You Say
There are more than 25 housing counseling agencies in Philadelphia to assist homeowners who are about to lose their home. | We do not live like this! | Given that this is our City Paper, our standards are high. | We are not stupid and know when someone is being propped up. | I applaud Hugs For Puppies who have demonstrated that silence is the enemy of justice. | If that's your answer, take two Pepto and fasten your seat belt. | As Upton Sinclair wrote in The Jungle, "In matters of business all men are to be held to account as Liars."


Naked City


Naked City :: Foiled AgainFoiled Again
Fencing may look easy, but our reporter takes a stab and finds it difficult to make the cut.
by J.F. Pirro
I'm beginning to realize that tonight I won't be suiting up in one of those white bee-keeper outfits I see six advanced students wearing. They're hooked up like marionettes on two sets of cable wires running to overhead reels and scoring lights. They're fencing.

Icepack
Amorosi on the news, nightlife, gossip and bitchiness beats.
by A.D. Amorosi
It's obvious to me, what with the real possibility New York City'll get its first casino at the Aqueduct with the help of the Shinnecock Indians, that Manhattan is finally afraid of us. They read Rolling Stone's "Hot Scene" and that we got it going on. Our rents our cheaper. Our artists are wackier.

Fine Print:
Shortz Notice
Chatting up puzzle master Will Shortz.
by Aly Semigran

CP: What do you do with your free time?

WS: I'm fanatical about table tennis. I play five to six nights a week, three hours a night. I love the speed of the game, the geometry of the game. It's the best relaxation for me after a day of work.


Web Exclusive
Health Craze
What you need to know about: PUFFA
by Sam Tremble

It's no secret that obesity is a major epidemic in the United States, and Philadelphia is not immune to this outbreak. In response, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation has started the Food and Fitness Initiative, giving grants to nine U.S. communities to make plans for creating access to healthy local food and safe facilities for physical activity.


Running Numbers
A scholarly look at the digits that matter.
by Nick Norlen
100 Number of people needed for a "soup-tasting brigade" during the Jewish Mama Soup-a-Rama, a Kosher soup-making contest that is just one part of the citywide Mitzvah Mania event Oct. 21.


News


News :: Banned ArtBanned Art
An unexpected L&I crackdown leaves First Friday street vendors on the outs.
by Tom Namako

"I made sure I could get out of there if I had to, and made sure all my stuff would be with me," street vendor Chen Reichert recalls. Why the need for a quick escape?


The Bell Curve
City Paper's Quality-o-Life-o-Meter
Protesters speaking out against gun violence march from 16th and Race to Broad and Spring Garden. "We've got a long way to go to stop the violence," says protester. "And this march is symbolic of the opposite of that." Plus 1

High-Rise Surprise
On The Scene: "Barnes Tower"
by Doron Taussig
on the scene Sometimes it's good to look back and see how yesterday's debacles turned out. It was about a year and a half ago

The Long Wait
The battle over handicapped-accessible public housing gets nasty.
by Jason Tomassini
Shortly after entering the "real" world, Connor was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. It was manageable, but led to organ damage and respiratory problems that eventually brought surgery in 2002.

Web Exclusive
Two Minutes With...:
Joey Vento
Proprietor, Geno's Steaks; proud English-speaking American
by Zach Pontz

City Paper: Did last year's controversy affect business at all?

Joey Vento: It increased it. I get a lot more people coming in and when they're coming in, it's to show support.


Philly Blunt:
A Hero's Welcome
One week after his family's protest, Philly's boy hero is allowed to go home.
by Brian Hickey
Her adoring eyes rise from the toy. As she seeks his approval, the only thing Uncle Doobie can do, as his brother Andre takes it all in with a video camera, is smile.

Political Notebook:
The Brady Pulpit
by Mary F. Patel

The other losing mayoral candidates, U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah and state Rep. Dwight Evans, were no-shows. But Brady is still chairman of the party, so he wielded his power to call for unity and rally for votes.



Arts


Arts :: Even Stephen
Art:
Even Stephen
Why Sondheim stays alive on Philly stages.
by A.D. Amorosi
Calling Stephen Sondheim the most revolutionary musical theater artist of the 20th century is a no-brainer.

Culture Shock:
Things That Matter To People Who Matter
FDR Skate Park | The Draughtsman's Contract | From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank | Star Wars Holiday Special
I was lured by a hymn built from metal trucks barking on concrete, renegade murals being thrown up, iron horse locomotives bumping in the yard. | It immerses us in the candle-lit milieu of a smutty and conspiratorial English gentry circa 1694. | Recently, I've begun routing a trip to Alaska, despite the increasingly prohibitive cost of gas, by planning to retrofit a diesel bus to burn waste vegetable oil. | Throw in a holographic tabletop circus and a strung-out Carrie Fisher and you have the disaster that is the 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special.

Theater Review:
Target Practice
The Why shows that irony is easy; depth is hard
by David Anthony Fox
It's easier to answer "the who, what and where." Robert, a troubled kid, shot four classmates in his school cafeteria. Three of them died, and

The Joy of Six
Anyone afraid of serious plays will find solace in Six Characters in Search of an Author
by Mark Cofta
I'm wary of "significant" plays, the classics we're taught to revere; too often, they're not particularly entertaining. Many students reject theater after slogging through Oedipus' complexities or a dated translation of A Doll's House, and who can blame them?

Arts Picks:
The Art of Can
Runs Oct. 20-Nov. 2, the F.U.E.L. Collection, 249-251 Arch St., 215-592-8400, www.fuelcollection.com.
by Deni Kasrel
Here, people of all ages and nationalities get creative with the cans %u2014 works hail from the U.S., Russia and elsewhere around the globe.

Disposable Men
Fri.-Sat., Oct. 19-20, 8 p.m., $25, Painted Bride Art Center, 230 Vine St., 215-925-9914, www.paintedbride.org.
by David Anthony Fox
Frankenstein, King Kong, Amadou Diallo %u2014 to many of you, it probably sounds like I'm tastelessly free-associating.

Beijing LDTX Modern Dance Company
Tue., Oct. 23, 7:30 p.m., $29-$39, Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, 3680 Walnut St., 215-898-6701, www.pennpresents.org.
by Deni Kasrel
Risk and danger abound when Beijing LDTX Dance Company presents The Cold Dagger.

Web Exclusive
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago
Thu., Oct. 18, 7:30 p.m.; Fri., Oct. 19, 8 p.m.; Sat., Oct. 20, 2 and 8 p.m., $32-$46, Zellerbach Theatre, Annenberg Center, 3680 Walnut St., 215-898-3900, www.pennpresents.org.
by Janet Anderson
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago is one of a handful of dance companies that regularly appear in Annenberg's Dance Celebration series, and for good reason.

Web Exclusive
Suzanne Roberts Theatre Open House
Sun., Oct. 21, 8 p.m., Suzanne Roberts Theatre, Broad and Lombard streets, 215-985-0420, www.philadelphiatheatre.org.
by Mark Cofta
The Philadelphia Theatre Company's new home, the Suzanne Roberts Theatre on the Avenue of the Arts — that's what we call Broad Street south of


Arts Agenda


Arts Agenda :: Last ChanceLast Chance
Catch it or Regret It
by Holly Otterbein
Sojourner | Clay@Penn | Mastery in Clay

Arts Agenda Picks:
In The Event That...
You Don't Own Enough Silly Toys
by Sam Tremble
The Mr. Lertchman Toy Release Party and Monster Art Show Opening reception Fri., Oct. 19, 7-10 p.m., exhibit runs through Nov. 19, Jinxed Clothing, 620 S. Fourth St.

Day Tripper
Mid-Atlantic Radical Bookfair
by Luke Sirinides
Sat.-Sun., Oct. 20-21, various times, free, Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse, 2640 St. Paul St., Baltimore, Md., 443-554-6181, www.redemmas.org/bookfair

Galleries
Galleries are usually open Tuesdays through Saturdays; please call the gallery for exact days and hours. Receptions are denoted with Reception 201 GALLERY , 1400

Museums/Exhibits
Museums and exhibits have varying schedules; please callfor exact days, hours and prices. ABINGTON ART CENTER , 515 Meetinghouse Rd., Jenkintown, 215-887-4882. INSIDE/OUTSIDE: HABITAT, Features

Performing Arts
Please call the phone number listed with the venue for specific dates, times and ticket information. dance the cold dagger This performance by Beijing Modern

Readings/Book Signings
EDWARD SCHWARTZCHILD The author reads from his new book, "The Family Diamond: Stories," which features mostly middle class, Jewish Philadelphian characters. Fri, Oct. 19, 6:30pm,


Movies


Movies :: Reinventing the RealReinventing the Real
Werner Herzog defends the ecstatic truth.
by Shaun Brady
"Technically, it's not a documentary," Herzog corrects me. "It only appears to be a documentary. It looks like a documentary, but it is not."

Family Matters
Talking with Darjeeling Limited's Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola and Jason Schwartzman.
by Shaun Brady

Only Coppola seems to remember what actually started the feud, and he refuses to mention it in front of prying writers %u2014 he'll simply say, "You guys had a funny dynamic sometimes."


Rubber Soul Mate
A man and a doll make quite the couple in Lars and the Real Girl.
by Sam Adams
There are so many reasons why Lars and the Real Girl shouldn't work that it's a small miracle it does. The script, by Six Feet Under scribe Nancy Oliver, is swimming in indie-quirk tics, and based on the kind of outlandish, yet on-the-nose premise that makes viewers feel they've experienced something "original" without actually forcing them to rethink anything at all.

Repertory Film
Your weekly guide to local film events, festivals and under-the-radar screenings.
Send repertory film listings to tami.fertig@citypaper.net.


Music


Music :: Things Fall TogetherThings Fall Together
Trolleyvox pops up from the rabbit hole with two new CDs.
by M.J. Fine
It's not their fault, but the Trolleyvox has never been what you'd call prolific. So it seemed ambitious, to say the least, when guitarist Andrew Chalfen announced late last year that a double EP was in the works.

Driven to Abstraction
The Philadelphia Singers do the time warp in Rothko Chapel.
by Peter Burwasser
Morton Feldman was 6 feet tall, hulking and fond of loud sport jackets. He held court with a braying Queens accent that pierced the air like the horn on a yellow cab.

Aid or Invade:
Republic of Benin
Rodney Anonymous vs. the World
by Rodney Anonymous
Artist: Angelique Kidjo
Album: Djin Djin
Country of Origin: Republic of Benin

One Track Mind:
Stars
"Bitches in Tokyo"
by Brian Howard
Stars perform Wed., Oct. 24, 8 p.m., $16, with New Buffalo at the Trocadero, 1003 Arch St.

Web Exclusive
Music Picks:
New Buffalo
Wed., Oct. 24, 8 p.m., $16, with Stars, Starlight Ballroom, 460 N. Ninth St., 866-468-7619, www.r5productions.com.
by M.J. Fine
Outside of Fatboy Slim and Dido, secular music hasn't had much time for praise. Gospel's full of it, but why should Jesus get all the adoration?

Web Exclusive
The Philadelphia Orchestra
Oct. 18-20, 8 p.m., $10-$113, Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St., 215-893-1999, www.philorch.org.
by Peter Burwasser
Finland, of all places, has become something of an orchestra-conductor factory in recent years.

Web Exclusive
Danzig
Wed., Oct. 24, 8 p.m., $28-$30, with Gorgeous Frankenstein and Doom Riders, Electric Factory, Seventh and Willow streets, 215-336-2000, www.livenation.com.
by A.D. Amorosi
metal Even though I find 2002's 777: I Luciferi to be an icon of wickedness, a truly totemic watershed of evil noisemaking — the Citizen


Food


Food :: Time Wafers No ManTime Wafers No Man
Nothing says Phillyween quite like Sweetzels Spiced Wafers.
by J.F. Pirro
During the height of prime selling season - July 1 through this month - Borzillo's 30,000-square-foot automated plant in York produces 2,400 cookies, or 42 boxes, a minute.

Feeding Frenzy
Restaurants opening, closing and pending
by Drew Lazor
>> Now Seating: Las Bugambilias 148 South St., 215-922-3190 | >> Waiting List: Brewtown Coffee 3001 W. Girard Ave.

By (No) Bread Alone
A carb-free Book and the Cook?
by A.D. Amorosi
For people (like me) who try keep the carb consumption to a minimum, TBaTC can be an exercise in foodicide.

Canon Fodder
Max & David's wants you to think differently about kosher cuisine.
by Luke Sirinides
The cynic would say that Katz is a salesman, but there's no reason to label his optimism as insincere: A shopping complex in suburban Elkins Park is probably the last place you'd expect to find international fine dining, but Max & David's hopes to change that for good.

What's Cooking:
The Week In Eats
Get Out!
by Felicia D'Ambrosio
South Jersey Restaurant Week | Trunks for the 'Yunk | Morton's Tailgating Contest | Single Malt and Scotch Whisky Tasting at the Union League | The Book and the Cook

Top 5:
Rugby World Cup Haunts
Feelin' Scrummy
by Chad Crisp
1 Dark Horse Pub | 2 Tir Na Nog | 3 Fadó | 4 Kildare's | 5 O'Neals Pub

You Ask We Answer
Culinary Mysteries Solved
Q. I'm learning how to make sushi at home. Where are the best places to buy quality raw fish?

Small Bites
Little Vittles
Brunch at Rum Bar | One-Click Butter Cutter | Hershey's Candy Corn Kisses | Paolo's UArts Burger


Agenda


Agenda :: Oh, Mandy
Agenda Lead:
Oh, Mandy
What Patinkin's thinkin'
by A.D. Amorosi
If you're a theater hag, you don't ask Mandy Patinkin — a Tony Award-winner with historic roles in Evita, Sunday in the Park with George and The Secret Garden on his résumé — questions about The Princess Bride.

Agenda Picks:
In The Event That...
You Prefer Law and Disorder
by Aly Semigran
Lawyerpalooza, Thu., Oct. 25, 6:30 p.m., $10, Kildare's, 509-511 S. Second St., 215-574-2995, www.philadelphiabar.org

In The Event That...
More Than Your Tooth is Sweet
by Monica Weymouth
Candyland Fashion Show, Thu., Oct. 18, 10 p.m.-2 a.m., no cover, Valanni, 1229 Spruce St., 215-790-9494, www.valanni.com

On The DL
The Amazing Harry Olson Trail
by Luke Sirinides
Sun., Oct. 21, 11 a.m., $20 (includes picnic lunch), Flat Rock Park, River Road, Gladwyne, 610-645-9030, www.lmconservancy.org

What We Heart
Philthy Hoops
by Luke Sirinides
Emily Lopizzo is putting the hula back in the hoop. Between gigs at a Web design firm and coffee shop, she's the force behind Philthyhoops, a playful company dedicated to anything but ordinary hooping.

Just Do It
JK LOL
by Holly Otterbein
Fri., Oct. 19, 9 p.m.-2 a.m., $8, Level Room, 2102 Market St., 215-564-4202, www.myspace.com/jklolphilly

Web Exclusive
On The DL
Rav Michael Laitman
by Dana Henry
Tue., Oct. 23, 4 p.m., free, Margaret Gest Center for the Cross Cultural Study of Religions, Room 101, Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Ave., Haverford, 215-673-2120, www.kabbalah.info


 
 
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