other issues :
Jef Lee JohnsonPhilly's secret guitar hero is ready for his close-up. Are you?
by A.D. AmorosiEverybody who's worked with him sings his praises. And everybody else has never heard of him.
Thee PhantomA Philly MC known for pushing the envelope sets his sights on music's most serious stage
by Deesha DyerWhile his peers are hoping to book a gig opening for Lil Wayne, Thee Phantom's got his eye on Carnegie Hall.
Drink Up ButtercupDoylestown rockers mix style with substance and go nuts.
by John VetteseYou know, if you're not paying attention, you might mistake Drink Up Buttercup for some seriously demented dudes.
RJD2The West Philly DJ/label CEO was born a rambling man.
by A.D. Amorosi"It's nice to not have a little imaginary devil on your shoulder anymore wondering, 'will the label like this song, or not?'"
Post PostA local smarty-pop college band takes the plunge.
by Patrick RapaEvery milestone is a hurdle for a young band, but
philosophically there is only one question: Are you serious? Post Post is serious.

Loose Canon:
Dancing About PoliticsBodies in motion can rebalance the body politic.
by Bruce SchimmelPersonal dance in an intimate setting lets people appreciate the beauty of ideas they might otherwise despise.

Editor's Letter:
Aftershocks by Brian HowardWhen we arrived in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, two Fridays ago, weary from iteration six or seven of Philly Winter Flu/Cold 2010, we were expecting
Feedback:
Letters to the EditorWhat You Say
"Most of these people who show up to these events start all the trouble;
then they get put in their place; then they want to cry. Take it like a
man."

A Million StoriesAll the news we care to print.
by Jeffrey C. Billman, Holly Otterbein and Andrew ThompsonLast week, we told you that Philadelphia received a report card informing us that our longtime subsistence on Fritos Honey BBQ Twists and purple drink has made us the very least healthy county in all of Pennsylvania.

Man Overboard!:
Proximity!Steve Wynn and the birth of the "convenience casino."
by Isaiah ThompsonTourists are finicky, few and far away, and Wynn knows this.
This week, he announced that his Philly casino would be only three
stories tall and wouldn't include a hotel. These casinos aren't for tourists; they're for us.

Sports:
Bring Back CroceLeadership matters. Croce has it. The 76ers don't.
by E. James BealeThe 76ers didn't make a mistake when they decided to bring back a
cornerstone of the 2001 championship run. They made a mistake in
choosing Iverson, who recently left the team to care for his ailing
daughter, instead of the natural fit — former president Pat Croce.

The Bell CurveCity Paper's Quality-o-Life-o-Meter
When news breaks in Philadelphia, we make jokes.
First Friday FocusLori Hill's First Friday Hit List
by Lori HillScientific Researches! New Discoveries in PNEUMATICKS! or an
Experimental Lecture on the Powers of Air, by James Gillray, 1802,
hand-colored engraving.
Arts Picks:
GroovalooMarch 9-14, $25-$59.50, Merriam Theater, 250 S. Broad St., 215-731-3333,
kimmelcenter.org. by Emily CurrierFresh from guesting on So You Think You Can Dance in December, the Groovaloos are breaking and battling their way to Philly.
The Rear ColumnThrough March 21, $22, Iron Age Theatre at Centre Theater, 208 DeKalb St., Norristown, 610-279-1013,
ironagetheatre.org.
by Mark CoftaIron Age Theatre co-directors Randall Wise and John Doyle seem to like a good history lesson.
Art:
Work in ProgressAbstract Expressionist Neil Anderson won't stop short of a resolution.
by Bruce WalshNeil Anderson wakes up every morning and contemplates the texture of the ground directly under his feet.
KaleidoscopeSeth Grahame-Smith | Book Bombs | Pierced Arrows | Man Man
Shelf Life:
Growing PainsUnder the Covers with Justin Bauer
by Justin BauerIn Jillian Weise's The Colony, researchers
gather subjects for radical gene therapy. They can mend Alzheimer's,
they say, and delete a predisposition toward fat.
M. Hulot's HolidayCity Paper Grade: A
by Sam AdamsTati's later films grew more and more despondent about the dehumanizing state of the modern world, but Holiday's fond nostalgia is unadulterated by social critique.
Repertory FilmYour weekly guide to local film events, festivals and under-the-radar screenings.
Send repertory film listings to molly.eichel@citypaper.net.

Hang The DJ:
True JerseyTitus Andronicus' The Monitor
by J. Edward Keyes"A More Perfect Union"
contains more references to New Jersey in its first verse than the last
four Springsteen records combined.
Steer ClearFinding a Philly cheesesteak in Mumbai is not as hard as it sounds.
by Dan PackelMostly-Hindu India, where McDonald's doesn't even offer hamburgers, is one place I never expected to encounter a cheesesteak.
Wit' StyleTwo local cheesesteak shops are taking an unprecedented approach to interior design.
by Carolyn WymanCheesesteak shop "design" has long referred to nothing more than where
the soda pallets and cans of Whiz are stacked. But the idea that good steaks can come only from
downscale digs is changing.
What's Cooking:
The Week in EatsGet Out!
by Alexandra HarcharekStoudt's Beer Dinner at Amada | "Pig & Its Parts" Menu at James | Vegan Cocktail Party at Cantina Dos Segundos | Oscars Pajama Party at The Institute
Feeding FrenzyRestaurants opening, closing and pending
by Drew LazorDelicatessen | Apollinare | Ro-Zu | Hawthornes | Zento Contemporary | Argan Moroccan Cuisine

Agenda Lead:
On a Wing and a PrayerSwallow Your Pride follows six Wing Bowl-ers, including hometown hero Bill "El Wingador" Simmons.
by Josh MiddletonThe film spotlights various competitors qualifying for the chance to
compete in the 2005 competition, but the bulk of the film chows down on
El Wingador's rematch with The Black Widow, who he believes should not
have won in 2004.

Peer-to-Peer:
Warning: Graphic ContentBrian James Kirk geeks out
by Brian James KirkComic book artists Jamar Nicholas and Josh Neufeld use a combination of words and images as a powerful method of storytelling.
Agenda Picks:
Anti-Bestiality Educational AwarenessTue., March 9, 10 p.m., $3, Bob and Barbara's, 1509 South St., 215-545-4511,
swellco2000.com.
by Julia West"People should avoid having sex with their pets," says Swellco & Swellco's Robert Brown. Truer words were never spoken.
Puppet Uprising's Julius CaesarThu.-Mon., March 11-15, 8 p.m., pay-what-you-can (Thu. preview)-$20, 267-909-2633,
puppetuprising.org.
by Emily CurrierFor a simultaneously schizophrenic and appetizing play, the five-company production of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar fits the bill.

IcepackAmorosi on the news, nightlife, gossip and bitchiness beats.
by A.D. AmorosiMy Music Issue Ice is nice because as I wrote it I sang "You're So Vain" backward while whispering David Geffen's name. I did.
Agenda Picks:
Red Bowl Bike Coalition FundraiserSat., March 6, 2-6 p.m., $10-$15, North Bowl Lounge, 909 N. Second St., 215-242-9253,
northbowlphilly.com.
by Julia WestDespite the recent Snowpocalypse, the Bicycle Coalition is throwing an
indoor bash as a way to turn a hopeful eye to a warm, flurry-free
spring.
Womyns FestSun., March 7, 7-11 p.m., free, Rotunda, 4014 Walnut St., 215-573-3234,
therotunda.org.
by Julia WestMusical guests include folkers Victoria and the Spaeth Cadets, dance
and poetry from Dragoness, southern fried rockers Dolly Trolly and a
surprise, unlisted band.
David Goodis to a Pulp by Mandy BeeDirector Larry Withers' fascination with the writer began when he found
out that Goodis was secretly married to Withers' mother in the '40s.