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ISSUE . January 20th, 2011
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Cover Story


Moonlighting
As the sun sets on old-school music journalism, veteran rock critic Tom Moon enters a new phase.
by Shaun Brady
When Tom Moon steps onto the stage at L'Etage at the end of the month, the experience might be comparable to a prison warden getting locked in with the general population. A music critic mustering the courage to release his own CD is inevitably accompanied by the sound of knives being sharpened.


Opinion


Editor's Letter:
Waving the Red Flag
A goodbye from our departing editor in chief, Brian Howard.
by Brian Howard
David Warner had a saying. Whenever the staff would debate whether we were getting too deep or brainy he'd say, "Never underestimate City Paper readers."

Man Overboard!:
The Kool-Aid
Let's start by getting real: Guns aren't pencils.
by Isaiah Thompson
In response to the reader who wrote me that "guns are no more responsible for death and injury than a lead pencil is responsible for poor penmanship": I thank you for your letter, but disagree with every neuron in my collected synapses.


News


News :: Undercut and OvergrownUndercut and Overgrown
Unless the city coughs up soon, thousands of vacant lots may go to seed this year.
by Anthony Campisi
To understand the difference an abandoned lot can make in its neighborhood, look no further than the 1900 block of East Cumberland Street in Kensington.

A Million Stories
"I see you are a reformed man, but because of this law, we cannot do anything," says the ICE official.

The Bell Curve
CP's Quality-o-Life-o-Meter
When news breaks, we make jokes.


Arts


Grace Under Fire
One of Eugene O'Neill's roughest roles transforms one of Philly's toughest talents.
by A.D. Amorosi
"As for the insides, I am part Josie. All American women are."

Arts Picks:
A New Brain
Through Jan. 29, $25-$30, Plays & Players Theatre, 1714 Delancey Place, 800-595-4849, playsandplayers.org.
by Mark Cofta
Don't miss Plays & Players' area première of A New Brain, the seldom-seen 1998 William Finn musical about his harrowing brush with death.

Full Exposure:
School of Life
Through Feb. 19, Fleisher-Ollman Gallery, 1616 Walnut St., No. 100, 215-545-7562, fleisher-ollmangallery.com.
by John Vettese

Unwrapping packages and sorting through frames stacked in the back room of Fleisher-Ollman Gallery, director Amy Adams describes its new exhibit as "absolutely wrong and beautiful."


Kaleidoscope
Alan Gilbert | PhillyNORML | Spread 2.0 | Boom Bap Tourism

Theater Review:
Quirky Charmed Life
REVIEW: Mauckingbird Theatre Co.'s [title of show]
by David Anthony Fox
For more than a decade, off-Broadway musicals about musicals have been practically a genre.

Re-View:
Big Bang Theory
Robin Rice on Visual Art
by Robin Rice
The two groups of work on view this month at Locks Gallery are typical — in different ways — of the post-holiday season.

Arts Picks:
Brian Sanders' Junk
Jan. 20-23, $25-$35, Arts Bank, 601 S. Broad St., 215-893-1999, brian sandersjunk.com.
by Janet Anderson
How do you celebrate 18 and three-quarters years of experimental dance?

American Chameleons
Sat., Jan. 22, 9 p.m.; Sun. Jan. 23, 5 p.m.; $20-$25 suggested donation, Painted Bride Art Center, 230 Vine St., 215-925-9914, paintedbride.org.
by Deni Kasrel
If these tough economic times are cramping your arts patronage style, the Painted Bride's Post-Op Festival feels your pain.

Arts Picks:
Pigadilly Circus
Fri., Jan. 21, 8 p.m., $25-$75, Trocadero, 1003 Arch St., 215-627-1883, pigiron.org.
by Eric Schuman
For this year's benefit bash, the pranksters at Pig Iron Theatre Co. combine the decadent whimsy of Alice in Wonderland with the alluring sleaze of a Victorian sideshow.


Movies


Movies :: The Way BackThe Way Back
City Paper Grade: B
by Sam Adams
The strengths of Weir's film have more to do with its awe-inspiring depiction of the ravages of nature than its historical accuracy.


Music


Music :: Double Dare YaDouble Dare Ya
Philly's Trophy Wife puts sound to the fury.
by John Vettese
Trophy Wife is a two-headed dragon.

Music Picks:
Matthew Dear
Sun., Jan. 23, 9 p.m., $12, Kung Fu Necktie, 1250 N. Front St., 877-435-9849, kungfunecktie.com.
by K. Ross Hoffman
Matthew Dear has skirted the elusive line between abstruse avant-pop auteur and down-to-business dancefloor maven for a while now.

Dolce Suono Ensemble
Sun., Jan. 23, 3 p.m., $20. First Baptist Church, 123 S. 17th St., 267-252-1803, dolcesuono.com.
by Peter Burwasser
It seems an improbable combination — organ and flute — but each instrument defies stereotypes.

Joe Lovano and John Scofield
Sat., Jan. 22, 8 p.m., $25, Montgomery County Community College, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell, 215-641-6505, mc3.edu.
by Shaun Brady
Offhand, Joe Lovano and John Scofield don't seem the most natural fit.

Band Name
Sat., Jan. 22, 6 p.m., $7, with No Regrets, Aspiga and The Retrotones, The Fire, 412 W. Girard Ave., 267-671-9298, iourecords.com/thefire.
by John Vettese
One of the most sophisticated goofball records you'll hear, Band Name's debut full-length is a rich digest of garage rock hooks and punk energy

Sachal Vasandani
Fri., Jan. 21, 5:45 and 7:15 p.m., free with museum admission of $16, Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2600 Ben Franklin Parkway, 215-763-8100, philamuseum.org.
by Shaun Brady
Sachal Vasandani furthers his case as the modern-day equivalent of yesteryear's velvet-voiced smoothies.

Jemeel Moondoc Trio
Thu., Jan. 20, 8 p.m., free, Rotunda, 4014 Walnut St., 215-573-3234, rotunda.org.
by Shaun Brady
While many a veteran of New York's late-'70s loft scene have traveled far afield, Jemeel Moondoc's raw, piercing wail is an umbilical link direct to that time.

Yo La Tengo
Thu., Jan. 20, 8 p.m., $18.50-$21, with William Tyler, Trocadero, 1003 Arch St., 215-336-2000, thetroc.com.
by K. Ross Hoffman
New Jersey's beloved, unassuming, baseball-loving, cover-happy threesome has been one of indie rock's most dependable bets for well over two decades now.

Julia Rainer and the Shiners
Thu., Jan. 20, 8 p.m., $8, with North Lawrence Midnight Singers, Spirit and Dust, and Satellite Hearts, North Star Bar, 2639 Poplar St., 215-787-0488, northstarbar.com.
by John Vettese
Julia Rainer will haunt you.


Food


Food :: Second LineSecond Line
Khyber Pass Pub trades punk for po'boys.
by Adam Erace
Saying people were miffed when the Khyber announced it would be turning into an izakaya is like saying people were miffed about Ruben Amaro dealing Cliff Lee after the '09 season.

Portion Control:
Lettuce Pray
Winter salads that truly showcase the season.
by Felicia D' Ambrosio
Since our current season lacks the outrageous abundance of local produce that rains down in summer and early fall, creativity is required to conceive a worthy cold-weather salad plate.

Feeding Frenzy
Restaurants opening, closing and pending
by Drew Lazor
SOCIAL Nightspot | Manakeesh Café | Perch Pub | Cantina Feliz


Agenda


Agenda :: Coming: A Rock Musical of Biblical Proportions
Queer Bait:
Coming: A Rock Musical of Biblical Proportions
Through Feb. 6, $15-$27, Prince Music Theater, 1412 Chestnut St.
by Josh Middleton
Coming: A Rock Musical of Biblical Proportions is an over-the-top spectacle that not only tinkers with ideas about the end of the world but also deals with meatier, real-life subject matter.

Agenda Picks:
Smerconish Book Club
Tue., Jan. 25, 7 p.m., $20, Bryn Mawr Film Institute, 824 W. Lancaster Ave., 610-527-9898, smerconish.com.
by Andrew Milner
It's a busy new year for Michael Smerconish.

Viridiana
Wed., Jan. 26, 6:30 p.m., free, Ibrahim Theater at International House, 3701 Chestnut St., 215-387-5125, ihousephilly.org.
by Shaun Brady
So many scandals lose their power to shock over time, but 50 years later, Luis Buñuel's Viridiana still maintains its ability to offend.

Icepack
Amorosi on the news, nightlife, gossip and bitchiness beats.
by A.D. Amorosi
Since getting announced in November, it's been a quiet stroll toward publishing for Jump.

Agenda Picks:
Watercolor Workshop
Sun., Jan 23, 1-3 p.m. $10 (RSVP required), Ryerss Museum and Library, 7370 Central Ave., 215-685-0544, ryerssmuseum.org.
by Emad Khalil
Aspiring watercolorists and lovers of objets d'art can kill two birds with one stone at this Ryerss Museum and Library workshop.

Stoplight Party
Thu., Jan. 20, 7 p.m., $10, World Café Live, 3025 Walnut St., 215-222-1400, worldcafelive.com.
by Eric Schuman
One of the most annoying things about bar flirting is figuring out if the person you're eyeing is single or taken.




 
 
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