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ISSUE . January 17th, 2008
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Cover Story


The Challengers
The Dufala brothers are not going to make this easy on you.
by Lori Hill
"There's been a lot of art binging," confirms Steven. The brothers estimate they've had about three weeks to prepare, between the holidays and other individual commitments. Billy, for instance, recently returned from a tour with his band, Man Man, of which Steven was a founding member.

Begin Again
With their fans going halfsies, IKE builds a new power-pop band on the ruins of the old one.
by M.J. Fine
Listen on the CP Streaming Playa
Throughout the upheaval, IKE could always count on its fans. About 60 of their most loyal patrons shelled out between $25 and $450 to help pay for Where to Begin, covering about half of its $12,000 budget. "It's a cheap price tag for the record we got," Faye says.

On Move and Movements
The essential Kariamu Welsh demands more from her dancers (and her audiences).
by Deni Kasrel
On a Monday evening, in Temple University's Pearson Hall, Kariamu Welsh rehearses her company for a February dance concert. As two conga drummers pound out polyrhythms, the performers run through phrases that embody elements of authentic African dance — foot stomping, rippling torsos while slowly swiveling the hips, and ululation — integrated with elements of modern dance plus a smattering of more theatrical scenarios.

Rock/Pop
Our guide to spring's rock/pop highlights.
by Michael Pelusi

Sugar Town Anniversary Show
Sara Sherr celebrates seven years of spotlighting the very best in music from the ladies. Cynthia G. Mason, The Shondes, DJ (and CP columnist) M.J. Fine and others will help get the party started.


Jazz
Our guide to spring's jazz highlights.
by Shaun Brady
Our Father Who Art Blakey
Altoist Bobby Watson, tenorman Dave Schnitter and trumpeter Valery Ponomarev, the horn section of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers for three years, reunite to honor their former mentor.

Classical
Our guide to spring's classical highlights.
by Peter Burwasser

Pierre-Laurent Aimard:
The remarkable French pianist is not going for the big crowds with this daunting program: the complete Art of the Fugue, by Bach, and jumping ahead two centuries-plus to music of Carter and Benjamin. 


Roots
Our guide to spring's roots highlights.
by Mary Armstrong

Ali Akbar Moradi:
How often do you get the opportunity to hear sacred Kurdish music?


Theater
Our guide to spring's theater highlights.
by David Anthony Fox

Black Gold:
InterAct continues its celebrations with the première of producing artistic director Seth Rozin's new play. Black Gold promises to be a vaudeville-style farce about an African-American man who scores a big-time oil hit.


Visual Art
Our guide to spring's visual art highlights.
by Robin Rice
Frida Kahlo:
The must-see show of the season brings 200 paintings by the much-loved artist familiarly known as "Frida" to Philadelphia. It includes two famous self-portraits never before shown in the U.S., as well as portraits of friends and late still lifes.

Dance
Our guide to spring's dance highlights.
by Janet Anderson

Pilobolus Dance:
These are the guys who invented a whole theater genre where athleticism melds with dance and sheer goofiness. They're still using their bodies to create geometric shapes, fiddling around with every possible prop and turning whimsy into theater. 


Opera
by Peter Burwasser

Giuseppe Verdi: La Traviata:
Verdi freaks (guilty as charged) need no introduction to this beloved masterpiece. For opera newbies, this is the one; it has everything. The story is compelling and sharply told, and the score consists of one timeless melody after another. To top it off, this is AVA pay dirt, perfect for the beautiful young singers, and at the heart of the inspired leadership of music director Christofer Macatsoris. 



Opinion


Slant:
Dear Mayor Nutter
I'd Like to Be the New Fitness Czar. An Open Letter.
by David Sylvester
You know, one of the most fascinating things is to see something grow: plants, societies, ideas, ideals and attitudes; as a personal trainer I have seen this growth in people. I've heard "I can't" morph into "I can" and "why not?"

How I Stopped Worrying ...
... and learned to love Obama.
by David Faris
After a year in which Hillary Clinton's path to the Democratic nomination seemed clearer than Dennis Kucinich's conscience, Barack Obama's Iowa victory and New Hampshire near-victory made him a viable alternative to the establishment's candidate. And while Hillary might have the longer résumé and the more beloved spouse, Barack Obama is the better candidate.

Loose Canon:
From Whom the Belle Tolson
Nutter risked alienating the greens, and won.
by Bruce Schimmel
When I first read that Michael Nutter would be retaining Tolson's services, I honestly thought it was a misprint. So did many of the Greenistas, at meetings the following day of the Next Great City coalition and of the Recycling Alliance.

Feedback:
Letters to the Editor
What You Say
If you are on parole and another offense will get you 20 or more years, and the only thing standing between you and jail time is some overworked cop %u2026 | I question how widespread and significant skinhead activity truly is. Moreover, there was no violent crime involved in the Harrisburg event. | I found him to be a hostile, miserable thing of a human being and a prime example of just one more idiot he claims we are outnumbered by.


Naked City


Naked City :: Wing PatrolWing Patrol
Some of Philly's finest make pigs of themselves in support of a fallen brother.
by J.F. Pirro
Known as "Fat Herb" on the force, and Dan "The Cop" on sports talk radio 610 WIP, the 6-foot-4, 275-pound policeman is returning to the station's Wing Bowl XVI Feb. 1 at the Wachovia Spectrum, but not before hosting a preliminary event, an All-Cop Wing Bowl, the week prior on Jan. 24 at the Eggs' Nest at Revere Street and Roosevelt Boulevard.

Icepack
Amorosi on the news, nightlife, gossip and bitchiness beats.
by A.D. Amorosi

► Between the Vels' Chris Larkin's memorial and James Suggs' candlelit The Sea (through Jan. 19), Old Swedes' Church is my fave new pop-perf venue. With gravestones. Stay tuned to see which promoter/booker gets Gloria'd regularly.


AIA MIA?
The AIA Bookstore bids adieu, temporarily.
by A.D. Amorosi

"People would call us from July to find out when our Christmas room would open," says Leslie Oshana, an employee/buyer at AIA for 13 years. She still has sparkle in her hair as she talks. Toy buyer Michael Fulkerson has glitter in his eyebrows. "It's permanent," says Oshana.


Lost and Found:
Off the Clock
An interview with Sudanese refugee Eltigani Abualgasim.
by B. Davin Stengel
Recently recognized as one of the best cab drivers in Philadelphia, Eltigani Abualgasim used to be in a very different kind of transportation business, helping to deliver Red Cross messages across Sudan and reconnecting families torn apart by war.

Web Exclusive
Share and Share a Bike
The Bicycle Coalition is trying to bring a bike share to Philly. Not everyone's on board.
by Sam Tremble
BCGP members need to print and distribute postcards to inform the public of the forum's date. Their typical PR campaign strategy: Walk the streets, stick cards in the spokes of parked bikes and drop off additional stacks of cards in area bike shops. There's one bike shop that BCGP will not be visiting, however.

Web Exclusive
Fine Print:
Little 'Duce Coup
Talking with Danny Bonaduce about his upcoming celebrity boxing match.
by A.D. Amorosi
DB: I'm not trying to sound or seem tough. It's just a fact of life that I've learned the hard way. Just because I'm sober now doesn't mean you get to be a loud-mouthed drunk and not lose a lot of teeth.

Running Numbers
A scholarly look at the digits that matter.
by Nick Norlen
5 Number of days a week Temple Law student and newly crowned Running Numbers Treasure Run winner Erin Worrell takes the subway to class, which makes her prize — a chestful of SEPTA tokens — even sweeter.


News


News :: The Runners-UpThe Runners-Up
Fifty-six volunteers strong, Philly for Obama left a mark in the close New Hampshire primary.
by Mike Newall
"All of sudden there were 20 people filing in," the Laconia for Obama coordinator remembers. "It was like the cavalry arrived." And they kept coming throughout the night. And the next morning, too. They arrived from the Philadelphia area in groups of two and three, in their own cars, on their own dime, 56 in all, to serve as the "foot soldiers," as Arsenault called them, in Laconia's extensive get-out-the-vote efforts.

The Bell Curve
City Paper's Quality-o-Life-o-Meter
Rumors circulate regarding multimillion-dollar entertainment complex that would replace Wachovia Spectrum. This'll have a trickle-down effect: Phantoms at RiverRink! Wings at Rizzo Rink! Kixx in the work force, learning to use hands! Minus 3


Unhappy Anniversary
On The Scene
by Mary Wilson
Last Friday, more than 100 people gathered at the Federal Courthouse on Sixth and Market to demand the closing of the U.S. detention facilities at Guantánamo Bay.

Web Exclusive
Two Minutes With...:
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Professional Basketball legend, author
by E. James Beale
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the 7-foot-2 former center who sky hooked his way to an NBA record 38,387 career points (not to mention being on a team that bested a certain Philadelphia squad for the 1982 title) and then authored six books, was in town last weekend for the American Library Association's Midwinter Meetings.

Philly Blunt:
Karma's Coming, Tour Guides
I may be dirty, but some other Philadelphians are downright filthy.
by Brian Hickey
Should you ever find yourself in the bathroom of your workplace at 6:57 a.m., wearing what you wore to bed last night, and carrying a plastic ShopRite bag containing a bar of Dove, a Bobby Abreu commemorative beach towel, some Old Spice High Endurance and a change of clothing down to the socks, you'll have a good idea of how things were going for me Wednesday.

Political Notebook:
$plitting the Vote
by Mary F. Patel
A pair of the firm's major players are supporting different front-runners in the presidential election. Former chairman Charlie Kopp is the state finance chair for Republican contender Mitt Romney, while current chairman Mark Alderman is co-chairing the state finance committee for Barack Obama. (And no, neither Kopp nor Alderman desires a job in D.C.)

Rock Bottom
The lowest of Philly's low.


Arts


Arts :: A Hand Up
Art:
A Hand Up
A new show at ICA brings puppets out of storage and into the limelight.
by Mary Wilson
Puppets have got a long history of artistry and entertainment, but it's not every day they set up shop at a contemporary art gallery. That's why "The Puppet Show" at ICA is a rare treat.

Culture Shock:
Things That Matter To People Who Matter
Cesar Millan | Dinner pies | The War of the World | Esperanto
Even though my dog is 12 and likely beyond any further training, I can't help but wonder what more there could be to our mysterious bond. | In the depths of winter, our bodies crave flaky, fatty pastry. My new discovery is savory chestnut mushroom pie. | Opponents of immigration undervalue what an achievement our multiethnic nation really is, while champions of diversity understate the potential fragility of such melting pots. | There's a whole community and subculture on the Internet based around Esperanto, the international language.

Theater Review:
Light Fantasticks
Energy and good will The Fantasticks has. But everybody's favorite bittersweet musical is deceptively difficult to pull off.
by David Anthony Fox
If this Fantasticks were in a small community theater, I could happily praise it as full of energy and good will, likely to enchant the friends, parents and local folks in attendance, and well worth the (undoubtedly inexpensive) ticket prices.

Enough Rope
Dorothy Parker & Friends: One Perfect Rose seems like a good idea, but Parker's booze-fueld boldness is in short supply.
by Mark Cofta
If one knows nothing about Parker (and if so, shame on you!), this collection — stretched to 80 minutes with pedestrian recitations of period songs — is not only incomplete, it's misleading.

Arts Picks:
Philly Skyline Night
Sun., Jan. 20, 8 p.m., free, Johnny Brenda's, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 215-739-9684, johnnybrendas.com.
by John Vettese
Bradley "B. Love" Maule is responsible for no fewer than 79 photo essays on his blog, the majority of which feature the Philadelphia cityscape. Maule's fascination with the Philly skyline is partly because it happens to be the name of his blog (phillyskyline.com), partly because he relishes finding new angles on the city's nucleus.

Grand Passions
Fri., Jan. 18, 7:30 p.m., Perelman Theater, 300 S. Broad St., 215-893-1999; Sat., Jan. 19, 7:30 p.m., Walter K. Gordon Theater, Third and Pearl streets, Camden, N.J., 856-225-2700; Tue., Jan. 22, 7:30 p.m., Centennial Hall, Haverford School, 450 Lancaster Ave., Haverford, 215-735-1685, $45-$80, avao
by David Shengold
There's a worldwide shortage of qualified candidates to sing the once-standard works by the two kingpins of "red sauce" Italian opera.


Arts Agenda


Arts Agenda :: Last ChanceLast Chance
Catch it or Regret It
by Holly Otterbein
Veiling UnVeiling: Like two skilled cake bakers, Peter Hayes and Marjorie Tether Arendt show that the inner layers of a work are as important as the exterior. | Mimesis and Memory: Painter/sculptor Ron Isaacs explores the personal history associated with clothing, tools and other domestic objects. | Lost and Found: Bambi proprietor and local bartender Candace Karch's work is much like the Fishtown matriarch herself: quirky, multifaceted and a tad dark.

Arts Agenda Picks:
On The DL
I Heard It Through the Grapevine
by John Vettese
Lecture Wed., Jan 23, 5:30 p.m., free, CBS Auditorium, Hamilton Hall, University of the Arts, 320 S. Broad St.; opening reception Thu., Jan. 24, 4:30-7

Just Do It
Neil Shubin
by Tami Fertig
Paleontologist Neil Shubin spent six years searching the Canadian Arctic for the so-called missing link between sea-dwellers and land-walkers.

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 call for exact days, hours and prices. 30TH STREET STATION , 30th & Market Sts. THE FACES OF CHRONIC

Performing Arts
Please call the phone number listed with the venue for specific dates, times and ticket information. dance backward in heels Known for their sexy and

Readings/Book Signings
BILL BRADLEY The senator and former NBA star reads from his new book, "The New American Story," which argues that the nation needs a stronger


Movies


Movies :: Drawn to LifeDrawn to Life
A colorful story of childhood sketched in simple black and white.
by Shaun Brady
Comic book adaptations typically go to one of two extremes: either neglecting the unique artistic perspective that made their source special in the first place, or stitching together reenacted panels like a mega-budget flip book. Persepolis falls into neither trap.

Suite Relief
Highlights from the Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival.
by Shaun Brady
Music is a healing art, many argue, and this weekend the Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival will present a trio of documentaries that make that claim from a variety of standpoints.

Graphic Details
Marjane Satrapi traces the development of Persepolis from comic book to movie.
by Sam Adams
Opening at the dawn of Iran's Islamic revolution, Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis covers a dark period in the country's history and her life. Only 9 when the Shah is deposed, young Marjane is old enough to glean what's happening, but too young to understand its import.

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 :: Still Out ThereStill Out There
Interstellar jazz legend Rashied Ali makes space for the next generation.
by Shaun Brady
Drummer Rashied Ali was the subject of one of the most famous mentorships in jazz history, thrust into the spotlight when he first supplemented and then replaced Elvin Jones in John Coltrane's band. Ali was there alongside the legendary saxophonist on his furthest explorations into the outer limits of his music, most notably as Trane's duet partner on the groundbreaking Interstellar Space.

Aid or Invade:
Pakistan
Rodney Anonymous vs. the World
by Rodney Anonymous
If mixing dub and qawwali sounds like the worst idea since your older brother conned you into drinking a mixture of Kool-Aid and cat piss, then you'll be relieved to know that this CD rules like Pervez Musharraf on New Uniform Day.

Music Picks:
Little Women/Where From Here?
Thu., Jan. 17, 8 p.m., free, Rotunda, 4014 Walnut St., arsnovaworkshop.com.
by Shaun Brady
Little Women are neither. Four men blow so unrelentlessly big that you begin to feel sorry for their long-suffering instruments.

Philadelphia Chamber Music Society
David Starobin, guitar, Sun., Jan. 20, 3 p.m., $22.50, Philadelphia Museum of Art, 26th Street and Ben Franklin Parkway, 215-569-8080, pcmsconcerts.org.
by Peter Burwasser
The versatile and always popular guitar is an instrument that never quite gets a comfortable fit into the world of so-called classical music.

Aderbat/Peasant
Thu., Jan 17, 9 p.m., $8, Johnny Brenda's, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 215-739-9684, johnnybrendas.com.
by A.D. Amorosi
The first word that comes to mind when you hear Aderbat's Matt Taylor is "autumnal."

Soundadvice
Get Out!
MaryClare Brzytwa and Dominique Leone | Kimya Dawson | Fantasy's Core | Misha Mengelberg Quartet | The Walkmen


Food


Food :: Lounge WizardsLounge Wizards
Surprisingly good eats behind the velvet rope at Dia Sawan's latest night spot.
by Trey Popp
"It's a nice place — if you can get in." There are plenty of nightclubs you could say that of, but Vango might be the one where it has nothing to do with a linebacker-size bouncer.

Feeding Frenzy
Restaurants opening, closing and pending
by Drew Lazor
Pizza U Empire Liberties Walk, 1030 N. Second St., 215-925-5051 | Devil's Den 1148-1150 S. 11th St. | Bottom of the Sea 714 South St., 215-627-9510

Up the Right Tree
by Elisa Ludwig
The sandwich bears a striking resemblance to the Philly cheesesteak — the basic version is a golden, puffy Le Bus roll stuffed with slices of thin fried steak, a "broken" fried egg, turkey ham and melty Port-Salut cheese.

Dukes of Pearl
Childhood friends prepare for one of 2008's biggest openings.
by A.D. Amorosi
There seem to be two cardinal sins when it comes to opening restaurants and bars. First, promoters should never own a space. Second, never operate a space with friends or family.

What's Cooking:
The Week In Eats
Get Out!
by Dena Merlino
Five-Course Wine Dinner at World Café Live | Hotdish Philly | Cooking Classes at Williams-Sonoma: Bowl Game Party | Kids in the Kitchen: After-School Snack Attack

Top 5:
Matzo Ball Soup
TORAH! TORAH! TORAH!
by Tami Fertig
1 Famous 4th Street Delicatessen | 2 Marathon Grill | 3 Hershel's East Side Deli | 4 Zeke's Deli | 5 Kibitz in the City

Small Bites
Little Vittles
National Pie Day | Al Paris' Homemade Limoncello | VegPa.net | Florida Stone Crab Claws at Oceanaire


Agenda


Agenda :: Dream Works
Agenda Lead:
Dream Works
Celebrating MLK Jr. Day
by Deesha Dyer
Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. means more than lounging around on your Monday off.

Agenda Picks:
Just Do It
Preventing Gun Violence
by Nadia Stadnycki
Things Everyone Can Do to Protect Their Loved Ones and Their Communities Sat., Jan. 19, 12:45 p.m., free, Germantown Jewish Centre, 400 W. Ellet St., 215-844-1507, germantownjewishcentre.org

On The DL
PhilaHealthia Information Session
by Mary Wilson
Tue., Jan. 22, 7:30 p.m., free, Philadelphia Community Acupuncture, Firehouse building, third floor, 50th Street and Baltimore Avenue, 215-805-8330, healthdemocracy.org

What We Heart
Inedible Jewelry: $6.50-$40, inediblejewelry.etsy.com
by Amy Strauss
Jessica and Susan Partain were foodies from the beginning. Growing up wannabe gourmands, the sisters fed their dolls handmade clay entrées that replicated some of their mom's best dishes.

Just Opened
Fabulous Stationery
by Annamarya Scaccia
When Trish Demasi, Jay Arnold and Bruce Campbell started Fabulous Stationery nearly four years ago as a Philly-based online shop, they ditched the daisies and sappy messages.

In The Event That...
You Swear — You'll Start Your Diet Tomorrow
by Danielle Zimmerman
City Fitness Health FairSat., Jan. 19, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., free, City Fitness, 200 Spring Garden St., 215-923-4114, cityfitnessphilly.com

Just Do It
A Green Mixer: Recycling Old Politics
by Alexis Apfelbaum
Sun., Jan. 20, 4-6 p.m., free, Peace Center of Delaware County, 1001 Old Sproul Road, Springfield, 610-543-8427, delcogreens.org


 
 
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