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ISSUE . February 3rd, 2011
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Cover Story


"The Teaspoon"
25th Annual Writing Contest Fiction Winner
by Andrea Blumberg
On a small hill there was a big house, and in the big house was a fancy dining room, and in the dining room was a long table, and on the table there was a spoon. A teaspoon, in fact.

"house in mind"
25th Annual Writing Contest Poetry Winner
by Alison Hicks
"Hicks writes from and toward a self that is not a myself, but an ourself that chooses, and then finds, connections."

"An Upside-Down Frown"
25th Annual Writing Contest Fiction Runner-Up
by Alexander J. Vuocolo
Recall, for a moment, the emotional state known as happiness. It was never clearly defined, but there were certain telltale signs.

"Cackleberry"
25th Annual Writing Contest Fiction Runner-Up
by Erica Hoffmann
Hours have passed and I am still smarting from the Pizza Barn incident.

Web Exclusive
"canoeing at night"
25th Annual Writing Contest Poetry Runner-Up
by Alison Hicks

Web Exclusive
"Somewhere Near Peaceful Valley"
25th Annual Writing Contest Poetry Runner-Up
by Sean Webb


Opinion


Man Overboard!:
Desk Duty
What happened to the "pending the outcome of an investigation" part?
by Isaiah Thompson
While DA Seth Williams' office has moved quickly on a small number of high-profile cases, it's not clear much has changed for the cases that don't get media attention.


News


News :: After AnnaAfter Anna
What exactly does a City Council president do?
by Isaiah Thompson
City Council will have a new president — and that, in turn, could mean a lot of things. Or, possibly, not much at all.

A Million Stories
"I hope they continue this, and that every time it snows we don't have to raise hell to get them to follow the code."

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


Arts


Arts :: First Friday FocusFirst Friday Focus
Holly Otterbein's First Friday Hit List
by Holly Otterbein
Marginal Utility | The Slingluff Gallery | The Great and Terrible Artists' Collective

Arts Picks:
Nocturne
Through Feb. 26, $10-$25, Second Stage at the Adrienne, 2030 Sansom St., 215-665-9720, flashpointtheatre.org.
by Mark Cofta
"Fifteen years ago I killed my sister," Adam Rapp's eerie drama begins.

Kaleidoscope
Tapes 'n Tapes | Greater Philadelphia Flag Football League's Super Bowl viewing party | Gold Rush Alaska | Maxine Hong Kingston

Theater Review:
True Colors
THEATER REVIEW: David Mamet's Race
by Mark Cofta
Love him or hate him, David Mamet has carved a niche for himself in contemporary American culture. The wonder of it all is that he's done it mainly by pissing people off.


Movies


Movies :: StreetwiseStreetwise
At Sundance, a West Philly filmmaker's doc gets a well-deserved nod.
by Sam Adams
Similar tiles have been found from Boston to Kansas City, Mo., and as far afield as Buenos Aires. But they're nowhere so numerous as in Philadelphia, which is why Foy, who was raised in Willow Grove, dropped out of film school in Austin and moved back to Philadelphia to hunt for the Toynbee tiler.

Barney's Version
City Paper Grade: B
by Sam Adams
Barney's Version isn't a film so much as a series of episodes, without much beyond plot to tie them together.


Music

Suite Spot:
The G.O.A.T.s
To know the Little Mushroom is to love him deeply.
by Peter Burwasser
The amount of music greatness that he produced before his death at 31 is astonishing. Beyond that, the fun begins.

Music Picks:
Monotonix
Mon., Feb. 7, 8 p.m., $10, with Pujol, Federation X and Da! Comrade, The Ox, 1652 N. Second St., myspace.com/theoxphiladelphia.
by K. Ross Hoffman
This roving trio of Tel Aviv troublemakers dishes out some agreeably sloppy, spirited grunge-punk on its albums.

Orbit to Leslie
Fri., Feb. 4, 9 p.m., $10, with Strange Engineers, The Yes Way and Heylady, North Star Bar, 2639 Poplar St., 215-787-0488, northstarbar.com.
by John Vettese
Orbit to Leslie is hard-hitting, propulsive and not shy about slamming into the odd minute-long surf-rock blast.

Camerata Ama Deus
Fri., Feb. 4, 8 p.m., $20-$60, Kimmel Center, 300 S. Broad St., 215-893-1999, voxamadeus.org.
by Peter Burwasser
It's easy to take musical blockbusters for granted, but really, Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" is a wonderful, get-under-your-skin kind of work.

Robyn
Thu., Feb. 3, 7:30 p.m., $25-$32.70, with Diamond Rings and Natalia Kills, Electric Factory, 421 N. Seventh St., 610-784-5400, electricfactory.info.
by K. Ross Hoffman
Equal parts Euro-pop fembot, sage and empathetic confidante, Robyn just might be the most badass person on the planet right now.

Acres of Diamonds
Thu., Feb. 3, 8 p.m., $5, with The Orchid and Bells Bells Bells, Kung Fu Necktie, 1250 N. Front St., 866-777-8932, kungfunecktie.com.
by John Vettese
Philly sextet Acres of Diamonds seems the product of a bygone era.

Bobby Zankel
Thu., Feb. 3, 9 p.m., $10, Tritone, 1508 South St., 215-545-0475, tritonebar.com.
by Shaun Brady
Bobby Zankel has taken advantage of several recent performances to cast the collective eyes of his stellar big band backward.


Food


Food :: Right AnglesRight Angles
Well-shaken cocktails and creative comfort food meet and greet at the Corner.
by Adam Erace
Unlike sulfates, the Corner's tonics may not treat Oregon Trail ailments, but they'll remedy a boring Thursday.

Portion Control:
Agent Orange
Big changes are afoot at South Street's Pumpkin triumvirate.
by Drew Lazor
"Our kitchen is a little different. It's not totalitarian," says Moroney. "If you have a strong kitchen, you let people do what they can do."

Feeding Frenzy
Restaurants opening, closing and pending
by Drew Lazor
Monsú | The Farm and Fisherman | Unnamed spot in AKA Rittenhouse Square


Agenda


Agenda :: Dragtastic: A Dumpsta Players Fundraiser
Queer Bait:
Dragtastic: A Dumpsta Players Fundraiser
Fri., Feb. 4, 7 p.m., $5 suggested donation, Tabu Lounge, 200 S. 12th St.
by Josh Middleton
After nearly 15 years of performing some of the sleaziest experimental theater Philly has ever seen, DJ K-Tell and the Dumpsta Players suddenly find themselves feeling all legit and upstanding.

Agenda Picks:
ICA Free For All
Wed., Feb. 9, 6:30 p.m., free, Institute of Contemporary Art, 118 S. 36th St., 215-898-7108, icaphila.org.
by Eric Schuman
As the weather outside grows increasingly frightful, the Institute of Contemporary Art offers at least one beacon of cozy enjoyment.

CiCi McNair
Wed., Feb. 9, 5:30 p.m., free, The Next Page, 722 Chestnut St., 215-925-0722, nextpagebookstore.blogspot.com.
by Will Stone
Look closer at Cici McNair's own title — private investigator — and you'll realize this detective thriller is more self-referential than your average crime story.

MaederMade Pop-Up Studio
Feb. 5-20, various times, $10-$48, Green on Greene, 6819 Greene St., 215-842-1040, maedermade.blogspot.com.
by Eric Schuman
Edward Maeder doesn't make something out of nothing — he makes something out of something else.

Icepack
Amorosi on the news, nightlife, gossip and bitchiness beats.
by A.D. Amorosi
Are you a Wing Bowl guy, frothing at the mouth for Feb. 4's bash at the WFC? Step away from the column.

Agenda Picks:
Philadelphia Tattoo Arts Convention
Fri.-Sun., Feb. 4-6, various times, $20 (per day)-$40 (weekend pass), Sheraton Philadelphia City Center Hotel, 201 N. 17th St., 800-541-8239, tattooedkingpin.com.
by Emad Khalil
More than 200 of the world's best tattoo-slingers will gather this weekend for three days of seminars, art galleries and auctions focused on the world of body art.

Lemmy
Thu., Feb. 3, 8:30 p.m., $8, Trocadero, 1003 Arch St., 800-745-3000, thetroc.com.
by Shaun Brady
Lemmy is simply a living, breathing heavy-metal Mount Rushmore, an unchanging monument to the restorative powers of rocking your ass off night after night.




 
 
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