Between the last note of Melody Gardot's opening song at the Kimmel and the first report of one hand against the other triggering an avalanche of applause, there's a sliver of near-silence. And from some anonymous voice in the audience, a single word fills the fleeting moment. "Wow."

"It took a lot of energy and time to get everything coordinated, but then once we got all the pieces in place," says Arcuragi, "I really just let it do its thing."

Born Mike Taylor, Tu grew up in West Philly, graduated from Overbrook High, the son of a jazz-sax-tooting pop and an R&B-loving mom. Tu listened to all that and everything in between. "When I write I don't look at it as rapping," he says. "I look at it as songwriting."

After a four-year drought, she's got a slew of new projects — a single out now, a digital EP due early next year and a full-length album further down the road — and doesn't want to talk about any of them.

It's clear from the first swift splash of cymbal and brisk strum of acoustic guitar: This new Espers record won't be the same old tour of the drone factory.

The badness of American food holds true.

by Bruce Schimmel

What You Say

Today, the weeds are gone. The garden is freshly planted, the gazebo and stage freshly painted. A new walkway connects the concrete to the gazebo, which dangles new flower baskets from its corners. Every Sunday, a group gathers for yoga. And some community leaders couldn't be more upset.

You know the line "the reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated" or however it goes? That's absolutely Henri David's mood.

When news breaks in Philadelphia, we make jokes.

We're not so different from the Iron City.

by Isaiah Thompson

"When you do it in the postseason, everyone knows who you are."

by E. James Beale

Malcolm McLaren's sex film/pop music cut-ups seek deep meaning in shallow moments.

by Shaun Brady

Hunter Gatherers, Oct. 29-Nov. 22, $25-$30, Theatre Exile at The Adrienne, 2030 Sansom St., 215-218-4022, theatreexile.org; boom, Oct. 28-Nov. 21, $15-$18, Flashpoint Theatre Co. at Second Stage at the Adrienne, 2030 Sansom St., 215-665-9720, flashpointtheatre.org.

by Mark Cofta

John Vettese sees what develops

by John Vettese

Ally McBeal | Dave Douglas' Brass Ecstasy | Rain Machine | "A Revisionist History of Teeth"

Thu.-Fri., Oct. 22-23, noon; Sat.-Sun., Oct. 24-25, 3 p.m.; free, Rodin Museum Courtyard, 2154 Ben Franklin Parkway, 215-387-9895, groupmotion.org.

by Josh Middleton

Thu., Oct. 22, 7:30 p.m.; Fri., Oct. 23, 8 p.m.; Sat., Oct. 24, 2 and 8 p.m.; $24-$48, Annenberg Center, 3680 Walnut St., 218-898-3900, pennpresents.org.

by Deni Kasrel

Tue.-Thu., Oct. 27-29, 7:30 p.m.; Fri., Oct. 30, 8 p.m.; Sat., Oct. 31, 2 and 8 p.m.; $20-$55, Annenberg Center, 3680 Walnut St., 215-898-3900, pennpresents.org.

by David Anthony Fox

As Lone Scherfig's movie makes delicately clear, Jenny's convinced that David's lies are charming, a sign of his intelligence.

Send repertory film listings to molly.eichel@citypaper.net.

by Peter Burwasser

Sat., Oct. 24, 6 and 9:30 p.m., $8-$12, with Raccoon Fighter and The Canon Logic, The Fire, 412 W. Girard Ave., 267-671-9298, iourecords.com.

by Lauren Seibert

Sat., Oct. 24, 8 and 10 p.m., $30, Chris' Jazz Cafe, 1421 Sansom St., 215-568-3131, chrisjazzcafe.com.

by Shaun Brady

"Pedal to the Side"

by John Vettese

Thu., Oct. 22, 8 p.m., $15-$18, First Unitarian Church Sanctuary, 2125 Chestnut St., r5productions.com.

by Brian Howard

Halpern does not rely on forward-thinking cookery for every dish. On the contrary — some of his most impressive work features traditional flavors and ingredients. But that doesn't mean the chef doesn't keep some tricks in his toolbox to stay on top of the ever-changing culinary world.

Like most good magazines, Gourmet offered irritation as well as enlightenment. But for every photo spread of faux-casual picnickers gamboling in some New England meadow, there was something to inspire the mind.

Get Out!

by Erin Mae Szrankowski

Whipped Bakeshop | Hub Bub Coffee | European Republic

How a burlesque queen set out to save Philly's pit bulls.

by Natalie Hope McDonald

Like the Brothers Grimm fairy tales, Hiro Sakaguchi's paintings in the exhibit "Idle Daydream" invoke a complex, knotty fear — one that cleverly layers horror in between preciousness, childlike innocence and pastel colors.

$56, A Beautiful Life, 15-19 W. Mechanic St., New Hope, 215-862-8838, abeautifullife.com.

by Nicole Saylor

Thu.-Sun., Oct. 22-25, various times, $8-$12, Franklin Institute, 222 N. 20th St., firstglancefilms.com.

by Josh Middleton

Sat., Oct. 24, 1 p.m., free, Independence Mall, Sixth and Market streets, 350philly.org.

by Scott Yorko

Sat., Oct. 24, 7 p.m, free, Piazza at Schmidts, Second Street and Germantown Avenue, 215-895-6220, thrilltheworld.com.

by Catherine Grubb

Sat., Oct. 24, 4-8 p.m., $50-$100, Tower Gallery, 969 N. Second St., 215-545-4331, atticyouthcenter.org.

by Julia West