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ISSUE . July 16th, 2009
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Cover Story


Steamrolled!
The soccer stadium barrels its way into Chester.
by Isaiah Thompson
The parcel of land adjacent to the stadium — the one which is supposed to become a mixed-use development, including a supermarket — remains bare. In theory, that's according to plan: The stadium was always supposed to be built first. But research by City Paper raises questions about whether that part of the project will ever be built, at least along the lines promised,and whether the public will get what it paid for.


Opinion


Opinion :: The Art of Survival, Survival of the Arts
Loose Canon:
The Art of Survival, Survival of the Arts
Art is nature to its best advantage dressed.
by Bruce Schimmel
Six designs were selected from a competition of some 80 proposals. Their challenge was to create woodland shelters that were both beautiful and practical. The semi-permanent structures had to tread lightly on the land. To be sustainable in their choice of materials, construction methods and even in their eventual demolition.

Editor's Letter:
Out of the Wild
No one was all that impressed when we told them we'd seen bears.
by Brian Howard
Sure, this one was a wee little guy, but the first thing they teach you about bears is that where there's a little one, there's probably a big protective one lurking. They also teach you to not surprise bears and to accomplish this by making a lot of noise. So we started whistling "76 Trombones" (just popped into my head) and marched off to eat dinner.

Feedback:
Letters to the Editor
What You Say
"Like anything in life, quality has a price tag."


News


News :: After the FallAfter the Fall
In West Philly, a fantastic sanctuary sits empty.
by Tom Dreisbach
Though scaffolding sits atop a gash in the floor where the steeple fell, it can't conceal the space's centuries-old beauty. Christ Memorial is filled with potential. But for what?

Dispatch:
An Eye for a McFlurry
One terrible reason to lose a body part.
by Mike Newall
Assistant District Attorney Nicole Siller asked Henderson to explain the extent of his injuries. Henderson spoke of his physical pain, his depression and of how he could no longer work at his job. "I can't believe I lost an eye over this," he said.

A Million Stories
The finale for Vince Fumo | Center City to get more bike lanes

Web Exclusive
Icepack
Amorosi on the news, nightlife, gossip and bitchiness beats.
by A.D. Amorosi
Bonus Web Content
Don't worry, Icepackers, I won't become a crepe hanger — promise. No more than my usual griping and torturous lamenting.

The Bell Curve
City Paper's Quality-o-Life-o-Meter
When news breaks in Philadelphia, we make jokes.


Arts


Arts :: Through the Looking Glass
Re-View:
Through the Looking Glass
Robin Rice on Visual Art
by Robin Rice
Bonus Web Content
Elizabeth Osborne and Sidney Goodman were almost envelope-busting painters for an earlier generation; now they are iconic.

Arts Picks:
Buzz Aldrin
Tue., July 21, 7:30 p.m., $14, Free Library, Central Branch, 1901 Vine St., 215-567-4341, freelibrary.org.
by Shaun Brady
Buzz Aldrin's new memoir begins with what seems like the climax.

BalletX
Wed.-Sat., July 22-25, 8 p.m.; Sun., July 26, 2 p.m.; $30, Wilma Theater, 265 S. Broad St., 215-546-7824, balletx.org.
by Deni Kasrel
According to its co-founder, Christine Cox, BalletX can make a fan out of pretty much anyone.

End Days
Through Aug. 2, $41-$48, People's Light & Theatre Co., 39 Conestoga Road, Malvern, 610-644-3500, peopleslight.org.
by Mark Cofta
What's so surprising about Deborah Zoe Laufer's End Days isn't its naughty satire but how director Jackson Gay'sproduction morphs humor into heartfelt hope.

Kaleidoscope
Mad Men | Armalite | Bobby Hill | Pterodactyl

Arts Picks:
What Was Our Vision
Reception Fri., July 17, 7-8 p.m., free, through Aug. 16, Philadelphia Museum of Jewish Art, 615 N. Broad St., 215-627-6747, rodephshalom.org.
by Carolyn Huckabay
Though Zoë Cohen's latest work, a series of tableaux titled "What Was Our Vision: 16 Scenes from Wandering in the Desert," was created in a studio, it's no less interactive.


Movies


Movies :: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood PrinceHarry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
City Paper Grade: B+
by Drew Lazor
At the heart of the penultimate installment of J.K. Rowling's series are two equally potent and important thematic currents — Harry Potter's sour embrace of his role as the One Who Will Save Them All, and the insatiable libidos of the boy wizard and his cohorts.

The Godfather
Legendary director Francis Ford Coppola talks about his return to smaller, more personal filmmaking.
by Sam Adams
Bonus Web Content
"If you want your films to be beautiful, and you want to have beautiful images and beautiful sound and beautiful acting, you have to kind of corral all the collaborators."

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


Music


Music :: My BuoyMy Buoy
Carsie Blanton gets her groove and goes Motown.
by M.J. Fine
Carsie Blanton has higher hopes for her new disc, Buoy. She works a lot of words into her songs, but she wants you to savor every one.

Hang The DJ:
New Diggity
Hip-hop trio Tanya Morgan's latest, Brooklynati, is both an antidote for radio's emptiness and the underground's piousness.

One Track Mind:
Drink Up Buttercup
Sosey & Dosey
The B-side to the new Farewell Captain 7-inch from Philly's Drink Up Buttercup is so simplistic on a narrative level

Music Picks:
Gemini Wolf
Sat., July 18, 8 p.m., $10, with Pink Skull, The West Philadelphia Orchestra and DJ Bilwa, Johnny Brenda's, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 866-468-7619, johnnybrendas.com.
by John Vettese
The second release from beaty, bouncy Philly duo Gemini Wolf, Synchronized Eyes, swims in surreal Afro-pop arrangements and sublime vocal hooks.

The Veronicas
Fri., July 17, 7 p.m., $15-$18, with Carney, TLA, 334 South St., 215-922-1011, livenation.com.
by K. Ross Hoffman
Their furiously impassioned double-barred wail conveys the breathless urgency of adolescent angst and desire perhaps better than any other sound this decade.

Micachu and the Shapes
Fri., July 17, 8 p.m., $12-$13, with Anni Rossi, World Café Live, 3025 Walnut St., 215-222-1400, worldcafelive.com
by K. Ross Hoffman
On Jewellery, the precocious 22-year-old's Rough Trade debut, she and her band The Shapes venture into different territory entirely.

Abe Vigoda
Thu., July 16, 6:30 p.m., $10, all ages, with Talbot Tagora, The Barbary, 951 N. Frankford Ave., 866-468-7619, r5productions.com
by Molly Eichel
Abe Vigoda the band is an L.A.-based pop outfit steeped in skuzz.


Food


Food :: Ain't That AmericaAin't That America
Noble backs up its trendier inclinations with serious food and drink.
by Trey Popp
Seafood occupies the spotlight here, and for once, the offerings live up to all the lip service about sustainability. Out of the starting gate, chef Steven Cameron has put together a brilliant lineup of fish that the most ardent environmentalist can eat with nary a twinge of guilt.

Genie in a Bottle
Aladeen Middle Eastern Restaurant
by David Snyder
If a genie granted me three wishes for Aladeen, the Middle Eastern/Moroccan spot on South Street, here's how I'd spend them.

What's Cooking
Get Out!
by Lauren Fleming
Ultimate Philadelphia Ice Cream Festival | Good Food, Good Beer and the Rest is History | Home Brew Celebration at Mémé | The Great Philly Cheesesteak Book Talk at the Free Library | Wine, Art and Food Festival

Feeding Frenzy
Restaurants opening, closing and pending
by Drew Lazor
May's Gourmet Café & Deli | Sampan | Elevation Burger | New happy hours at Bar 210 at Lacroix and Doobies


Agenda


Agenda :: Classic Rock
Agenda Lead:
Classic Rock
Mary Bichner's still making orchestral maneuvers.
by Patrick Rapa
A rock songwriter with an intense classical-math-composer streak, Mary Bichner of Box Five has always dreamed of assembling a "crazy pop-rock orchestra" to do her bidding.

Last Chance
Catch it or Regret It
by Holly Otterbein
Three Headed Presents: Adventures in the Land of Smoke and Mirrors | Think Global, Go Local |  Pure Gold 2!

Agenda Picks:
Arm Wrestling Tournament
Every Thu., 10 p.m., free, Raven Lounge, 1718 Sansom St., 215-840-3577, ravenlounge.com.
by Jasia Kaulbach
The bar has begun hosting an arm wrestling tournament every Thursday night. Everyone plays, including old folks, young people, guys and girls.

Sam Singleton Atheist Evangelist
Sat., July 18, 8 p.m., $12-$15, Ethical Society Building, 1906 S. Rittenhouse Square, 215-735-3456, samsingleton.com.
by Holly Otterbein
"I wanted to know what would happen if someone had been raised in an abusive religious background, but still became an evangelist — an atheist evangelist, preaching atheism — because that's what everyone in his family did."

Bonerama
Thu.-Sat., July 16-18, 8 and 10 p.m., $10, Philly Improv Theater at the Shubin Theatre, 407 Bainbridge St., 267-233-1556, phillyimprovtheater.com.
by Chelsea Calhoun
"Women in Philadelphia comedy, and comedy in general, hold their own."

Web Exclusive
How To Host a Garden Party
Sat., July 18, 2 p.m., free, Terrain at Styer's, 914 Baltimore Pike, Glen Mills, 610-459-2400, terrainathome.com.
by Kyle Press
Paloux says you can make cocktails with your garden's herbs, and have guests pick tomatoes off your indoor potted plants to eat them like hors d'oeuvres.

Urban Farm Bike Ride
Sat., July 18, 8:30 a.m.-2:45 p.m., $15, starts at Weavers Way Co-op Farm, East Washington Lane, 215-843-2350, weaversway.coop.
by Sherri Hospedales

The Urban Farm Bike Ride takes participants on a journey to interact with farmers and learn more about the industry. Stops include Greensgrow, Spring Garden Community Gardens, Teens4Good, the Orchard at Woodford Mansion and Mill Creek Farm.



 
 
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