VOL. 22 NO. 6
AUGUST 2009
OutAndAboutNow.Com
COMPLIMENTARY
ArtGrill The
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of the
Plus State Auditor Thomas Wagner The Avett Brothers | Pets, Pets, Pets!
7/24/2009 6:38:02 PM
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7/23/2009 4:07:06 PM
Embrace your unique style this summer. Whether you’re patient and cool or passionate and fiery, the Delaware Lottery has a game that matches your personality. So, carve your own wave of excitement with the Delaware Lottery game that suits your style. You could catch the ride of a lifetime!
delottery.com It’s The Law: You must be 18 years old to play. Play Responsibly: If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the Delaware Gambling Helpline at 1-888-850-8888. Player Information: In Delaware: 1-800-338-6200. From out of state: 1-302-736-1436. www.out-and-about.com
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2 . Inside
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August | O&A
7/23/2009 4:12:53 PM
Money really does
grow on trees Studies show
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3
7/23/2009 7/21/2009 4:14:22 4:27:16 PM
6 minutes early? or 6 feet under? This year, speeding has been a factor in 34% of the fatal crashes in Delaware. Yet when you think about it, driving faster doesn’t really save that much time on quick trips. Isn’t it so much better to arrive safely instead of not at all? Officers statewide are on the lookout for speeders. They want you to make it safely to your destination.
STOP SPEEDING. BEFORE IT STOPS YOU. 4 . Inside
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www.ohs.delaware.gov
August | O&A
7/24/2009 11:27:02 AM
INSIDE
pg 11
pg 25
pg 45
Published each month by TSN Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Mailing & business address: 307 A Street, Wilmington, DE 19801 Publisher: Gerald DuPhily
O&ACONTENTS August 2009 Vol. 22, No. 6 www.OutAndAboutNow.com
Editor-in-Chief: Michael Pollock
FEATURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Director of Publications/Sales & Marketing: Jim Hunter Miller Art Director: Matthew Loeb Account Executive: Marie Graham Senior Graphic Designer: Joy Smoker Junior Graphic Designer: Shawna Sneath Contributing Editor: Bob Yearick Senior Writers: Pam George, Larry Nagengast Scott Pruden Contributing Writers: Kendra Acker, Dan Butler, Kaytie Dowling Sophie DuPhily, Mark Fields, Richard L. Gaw Carol Kipp, Steven Leech, Ciro Poppiti Contributing Photographers: Joe del Tufo, Dennis Dischler Lindsay DuPhily, Tim Hawk Les Kipp, Matt Urban Director of Information Technology: Chris Marts Special Projects: John D. Holton For editorial and advertising information: (302) 655-6483 • FAX (302) 654-0569 Website: www.outandaboutnow.com Email: contact@tsnpub.com
www.out-and-about.com
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22 THE O&A INTERVIEW: TOM WAGNER The state auditor has suggested some possible cost savings for the state. But will the Legislature follow through on his reports? By Bob Yearick
25 THE ART OF THE GRILL Whether you’re a timid newbie or a seasoned pro, take these tips to the grates next time you want to throw another one on the barbie. By Pam George 29 SOUTHERN ACCENTS Scott Avett on the making of his band’s stunning new album, working with Rick Rubin, and being a neighborhood-beach bum. By Michael Pollock 45 3 FEET HIGH, STILL RISING? De La Soul celebrate the 20th anniversary of their classic debut with a show at The Note in West Chester on Aug. 14. We ask local rappers, hip-hop personalities, and music fans what the group and the album mean to them. Compiled & edited by Michael Pollock
DEPARTMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Snap Shots
10
Out Front
16
Monthly Events Calendar
25
Food & Drink
42
Bud Light Film Crew
45
Music
53
Nightlife
ON THE COVER
Union City Grille owner and chef Matt Curtis fired up the grill and supplied the ingredients for this month’s cover, shot by Tim Hawk. For some of his grilling tips, see pg. 25. And make plans to be at the 8th & Union Dine-Around on Aug. 13, where you can taste fare from his restaurant and others. See pg. 53 for details. 5
7/27/2009 11:28:50 AM
DELAWARE HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES Division of Public Health Tobacco Prevention and Control Program
CAN You deserve to have one less worry—and one less expense. For suggestions on how to quit smoking, visit de.quitnet.com or call the Quitline at 1.866.409.1858.
6 . Inside
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August | O&A
7/23/2009 4:17:27 PM
YOU CAN’T SKIP RENT. YOU CAN’T IGNORE YOUR STUDENT LOANS. YOU CAN’T MISS YOUR CAR PAYMENT.
CAN You deserve to have one less worry—and one less expense. For suggestions on how to quit smoking, visit de.quitnet.com or call the Quitline at 1.866.409.1858. www.out-and-about.com
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7
7/23/2009 4:17:55 PM
1.
2. 3.
4.
1. John Flynn at the Grand Opera House on July 15. Photo by Tony Kukulich 2. PJ Hendrix tries the food from Qdoba at the CityLife Block Party on July 23. Photo by Matt Urban 3. Anthony Gallucio performs during the CityLife Block Party. Photo by Matt Urban 4. Anders Osborne plays a benefit for the Queen Theater at Twin Lakes on June 27. Photo by Shawna Sneath
XX . Music
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Feb | O&A
7/24/2009 6:01:42 PM
SNAPSHOTS
1. 2.
3.
1. Jeff Tweedy of Wilco. The band returned to play Wilmington for the second time in less than a year with a show at Frawley Stadium on July 10. Photo by Joe del Tufo 2. Bright Eye Conor Oberst opened for Wilco with his new project, the Mystic Valley Band. Photo by Joe del Tufo 3. The awesome Nels Cline works his magic. For a review of his and Wilco’s performance, see pg. 11. Photo by Joe del Tufo
www.out-and-about.com
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XX
7/24/2009 6:01:59 PM
OUTFRONT
A monthly column in which we attempt, however futilely, to point out some of the most common mistakes in the way Americans speak and write By Bob Yearick
Graduate Students
A Guide to Guy
Dept. of Redundant Redundancies
Literally of the Month
No doubt this is a losing cause, but we feel compelled once again to deplore the phrase, “I graduated college.” It’s not only wrong, it’s ugly. After all, colleges graduate students, students don’t graduate colleges. So, it’s “I graduated from college.” But, alas, we’re seeing it in the best publications these days.
Whodathunkit? A trip to Disney World gave “War” an item for this department. We discovered that the acronym EPCOT stands for Experimental Prototype City of Tomorrow. C’mon, Disney, “experimental” and “prototype” have much the same meaning. Wouldn’t it be more concise and precise to leave “prototype” out of the title? But then Disney would be stuck with ECOT, instead of the more mellifluous EPCOT. That mouse—he’s a clever one.
Most Misspelled Word
According to a recent survey, it’s definitely. Others: sacrilegious, indict, bureaucracy, maneuver, prejudice, consensus, unnecessary. We would add minuscule (often misspelled “miniscule”) to the list.
Double Trouble
The sign over the women’s restroom at Frawley Stadium says “Ladies.” Fine, so far. But the sign over the other restroom reads “Mens.” That’s wrong grammatically, of course. The plural of man is not mens, it’s men. But it’s also a little lacking in political correctness. If females are “ladies,” why aren’t we males “gentlemen”? Just asking, Blue Rocks.
Those supporting cables or wires anchored at one end and tied to an object or structure to stabilize it often are called—mistakenly—“guide wires.” An understandable error. The term—defying almost all logic—is guy wires. Guy comes from the Old French “guie,” and the verb “guier”—to guide. So now you know.
Tom McCarthy, Phillies announcer: “The Marlins took a big lead and then literally hung on to win the game.” At least he didn’t add “by their fingernails.”
Media Watch
Larry Nagengast, O&A senior writer, points out this dangler in a recent News Journal story: “Stasi Karros, 19, is bargaining for a new Dodge Challenger. Originally priced at $42,000, Karros, of Aston, Pa., offered the car dealership $35,000.” I thought scientists had determined the human body’s worth at about $1.98. That Karros guy must be superhuman. And this from a column in The News Journal weekly that covers the entertainment scene for young adults: “The car had their headlights on.” Should be its headlights, of course.
Word of the Month: Solipsism
The theory or view that the self is the only reality and the only thing that can be known and verified. This egocentric doctrine posits that, in principle, “existence” means for me my existence and that of my mental states.
Heard or seen a good (bad) one lately? Drop us a line at allwriter@comcast.net. And check out Bob Yearick’s novel, Sawyer, on Amazon or at the publisher’s website: bayoakpublishers.com.
Out & About—Now! A
s our web presence gets a makeover, check in daily with the Out & About Now section of our current site. It’s where you can get the latest on what’s happening in the area right now. We also highlight new music releases, entertainment news, and cool finds on the web. Freshened daily. Check it out. Now!
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7/24/2009 6:00:27 PM
Wilco wow Wilmo again, but this time it’s the sideman who shines
T
Photo by Joe del Tufo
here are plenty of people making noise with guitars at the moment, but where are the architects of shred? J. Mascis? Yes. Lil Wayne? No. Jack White? Sure, but he’s a drummer now. My vote? Nels Cline, the 53year-old guitarist of Wilco, who played a triumphant show at Frawley Stadium on July 10, their second time in Wilmington in less than a year. Cline’s style is most easily described as improv-based; he found his sweet spot when he discovered free jazz in high school. His work in Wilco, whom he joined in time for 2004’s A Ghost Is Born, leans toward ’70s progressive and is on full display on the Sky Blue Sky tracks “On and On” and “Impossible Germany.” Imagine Dick Wagner and Steve Hunter’s beautiful, three-minute daydream that opens “Sweet Jane,” from Lou Reed’s Rock n Roll Animal, coating drunken hooks and loose, barnyard rhythms. That’s a pretty good idea what Nels Cline brings to Wilco. Many of the best moments during the band’s show here last month came crawling next to his spidery notes, where they hung for a moment before slipping up and away into the summer sky. (The disappearing sound that night wasn’t always a good thing.) Wilco excel at musicianship, not stage presence, and if Jeff Tweedy was the band’s star at the Grand Opera House last August, Frawley belonged to Nels Cline: guitar savant, Fender of the flame, last of a dying breed. — Michael Pollock
Where No Man Had Gone Before
T
Nocturnal and Horary Disk, 1647; brass; Florence, Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza, inv. 1294 This pocket-sized instrument is one of 100 artifacts on display as part of the Galileo exhibit at the Franklin Institute.
his summer, science buffs and sci-fi fans alike will find satisfaction at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, home to Galileo, the Medici and the Age of Astronomy, which runs until Sept. 7, and Star Trek: The Exhibition, which ends Sept. 20. The first is a one-time only exhibit that explores Galileo and other early astronomers’ work during the age of the Medici family’s prominence. The 100 artifacts came from several sources in Italy, and some are appearing together for the first time. Star Trek is a lot more light-hearted, especially for those of us more likely to recognize a phaser than a brass horary quadrant. The show is designed to appear as though we exist far into the future and are walking through a museum saluting the various crews of the Star Fleet missions. We look at props as though they’re artifacts. (A brief description at the bottom indicates in which movie/episode the item appeared.) You’ll see costumes worn by William Shatner, Ricardo Montalban, and Patrick Stewart; the bridge from Star Trek: The Next Generation; the Sickbay set; and Data’s limbs. You may even see people walking around in Star Trek costumes. Apparently, there’s still no shortage of Trekkies. For more info, go to fi.edu. — Pam George
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7/24/2009 6:02:05 PM
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August | O&A
7/24/2009 6:32:00 PM
Dancing Her Way to Health “Take the first steps to achieving a healthy, balanced, and fulfilling life…”
American Buffalo won their Musikarmageddon round last month. Photo by Matt Urban
Are You ’Geddon It?
T
hat’s how the “Be Beautiful, Be Healthy, Be Empowered” Contest was promoted in the May and June issues of Out & About. With the glamour of the contest’s grand prize came a distinct challenge: Get fit and learn how to dance. Our winner, Carol Knotts (pictured above, at left), has taken her first steps to meet that challenge after beating out 10 other semi-finalists. And as our judges learned, Knotts responds to adversity with quiet strength. “What touched our hearts was that she left a career of 31 years with DuPont to volunteer full-time for the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition after losing her mother to breast cancer,” says Arianne Missimer, owner of CORE Fitness and the contest’s creator. Knotts says her mother had always been an exceptional dancer. Those memories, coupled with the encouragement of her sister, Bev Michel, inspired Knotts to give the contest a try. Working together over the past three years, Knotts and Michel have raised more than $200,000 for the DBCC. Earlier this year, the sisters received nominations for Jefferson Awards for their charitable work. But even charity work comes at a price. “[She] spends most of her day at a computer and has developed a combination of poor posture, decreased functional strength, and a 30-pound weight gain over the years,” Missimer says. “We can empower her to take time for herself by improving her confidence, well-being, and overall health.” In her first month, Knotts has undergone a fitness assessment, a nutrition consultation and several personal-training sessions at CORE. She also has taken introductory dance lessons from Brian Wells at Starliters Dance Studio. During the next five months, Knotts will continue to take dance sessions every week, as well as two personal-training sessions a week. Toward the end of the year, she’ll perform live at two dance events. “I think it’s all wonderful,” Knotts says. “I think this is something that I can do.” — Jim Miller www.out-and-about.com
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The area’s premier battle of the bands rolls into its second month
M
usikarmageddon, the O&Asponsored, Miller Lite-presented local battle-of-the-bands series, is ready to rock Kelly’s Logan House again this month. Here’s a look at the schedule. Celtic-rock outfit Mythica take on power-pop band Galaxy 13 on Aug. 5. On Aug. 6, it’s the Venom Blues Band against roots rockers the Miles. The Future Unwritten’s poppunk takes on Kalai King’s acoustic rhythms on Aug. 12. On Aug. 13, jam band Orbit Shaker play against the surf rock of Camp Dracula. Winners are determined by a combination of audience votes and judges’ scorecards. All shows start at 10 p.m. A note of congratulations to our July first-round winners: Three Legged Fox, Plunger, American Buffalo, and From Here to Forever. They’ll be back in September to play against the winners of this month’s round. For updates and more info, visit outandaboutnow.com. — Michael Pollock
13
7/24/2009 6:44:30 PM
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Aug 20
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Sept 3
Hollywood’s Funk Fest
Sept 17
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Ben LeRoy and The Snap
Oct 1
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(Benefit for Girls On The Run) August | O&A
7/24/2009 6:33:03 PM
August 15 – October 4 We tapped their phones. Bugged their apartments. And discovered the original sources for works by Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Richard Prince, and many more. Come join the case. Images: (left to right) Runaway Nurse, 2006. Richard Prince (born 1949). Oil on canvas, 110 1/4 x 66 x 1 1/2 inches. Private Lender. | Source: Cover art for Runaway Nurse, a novel by Florence Stuart (Macfadden-Bartell, 1964). Support provided by the Delaware Division of the Arts.
2301 Kentmere Parkway | Wilmington, DE | 302.571.9590 | www.delart.org
Enhance your career, artistic abilities and lifestyle. Courses in digital design, fine arts, graphic design, interior design, photography, web design and more. Fall semester begins September 14. Register at dcadevents.com or call 302.622.8867 x110.
www.out-and-about.com
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FALL
09
15
7/24/2009 10:00:05 AM
EVENTSCALENDAR
School of Rock Presents “Woodstock 40th Anniversary” Woodstock Commemorative Concert Aug. 15, 12-7pm schoolofrockde.com Students from six local schools play Bellevue State Park and pay homage to Woodstock by recreating songs performed at the original 1969 concert and subsequent anniversary shows. Food and beverages will be available, but families are welcome to pack a picnic and bring a blanket. The show is free, but there is a $3 in-state or $5 out-of-state parkentrance fee.
Pick up your complimentary copy of Out&About Magazine at any of our nine Delaware locations. brewhaha.com 16 . Events Calendar
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18th Annual Jason Gundel Claymont Classic Aug. 30, 9:30am-8pm Delaware’s oldest cycling competition moves to Claymont this year, and the action-packed day will feature seven races. The Lance Armstrong Junior Olympic Race Series is returning as part of the Jason Gundel Claymont Classic for the second year in a row. This popular event will once again provide invaluable racing opportunities for young riders between the ages of 10 and 18. The 1.2-mile route encompasses sections of Philadelphia Pike in Claymont, Gov. Printz Boulevard, and Manor Avenue bordering August | O&A
7/24/2009 5:51:06 PM
R
T HI S MON T H
Ou t & A b ou t
EVENTSCALENDAR
For a list of Wilmington events, see the “in” calendar on pgs. 4-5 in Wilmington magazine
Mythica
Archmere Academy, creating a demanding race course for the participants and exciting racing action for the spectators. This year’s event will once again benefit the Kelly Heinz-Grundner Brain Tumor Awareness Foundation, which focuses on brain-tumor awareness and financial support of families of brain-tumor patients. For more information, contact Jay Gundel at 658-1674 or jay@ jaygundel.com.
SEPT. 5 102nd Annual
ARDEN FAIR
11am-6pm (rain date: Sept. 6)
H
andmade crafts (many of which are local), antiques, used books, plants, live music in the Shady Grove, children’s rides, a variety of foods, an art show featuring David Burslem, Gild booths, and more contribute to this year’s Arden Fair. Admission is free and shuttle buses are available. For questions, call Sima at 302-475-7268. For more details: ardenclub.org
Wine & Weed at the Read House Aug. 4 & 25, 5:30-8:30pm dehistory.org Help keep the Victorian garden at the Read House in historic New Castle neat and tidy for tours and special events. After an evening of weeding, deadheading, or light pruning, enjoy refreshments with other garden-lovers and volunteers. For more details, call 322-8411. New Castle Garden Festivus & Great Pear Cook-Off August 9, 10am-4pm visitdelaware.com Garden Festivus is growing into a community-wide celebration of the gardens and green spaces of New Castle, featuring lots of family-oriented activities. For more information and to register, call Katie Farrer at 295-3284 or email kfarrer@dehistory.org. www.out-and-about.com www.out-and-about.com
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102nd
Annual
& ANTIQUES MARKET 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
SATURDAY SEPT. 5th Rain Date Sunday, Sept. 6
Phone 302.475.3126
# # # # #
Food Arts # Crafts # Antiques Children's Games & Rides # Pony Rides Live Music & Entertainment for All Ages Free Admission & Parking
www.ardenclub.com
7 Miles North of Wilmington, Delaware XX 17
7/24/2009 5:51:21 PM
at the
BEACH
EVENTSCALENDAR
Indian River Marina Seafood & Arts Festival Aug. 8, 2-6pm destateparks.com Enjoy a fun day with your family at the Indian River Marina, located on Inlet Road in Rehoboth Beach. Attractions include nautical artists, wood-carving, jewelers, children’s activities, a steeldrum band, and delicious seafood, courtesy of the Hook ’Em ’n’ Cook ’Em seafood shop. For more details, call (302) 227-3071. Riverwalk Arts & Jazz Aug. 22, 3-8pm delawarescene.com Fine artists, artisans, and performers will exhibit and perform throughout the streets and Riverwalk of historic Milford. Delicious food, great shopping, fine art, andJeffrey relaxingGaines jazz create the perfect ambience for a summer evening. Downtown Milford Farmers’ Market Every Saturday, 9am-1pm downtownmilford.org Fresh, locally grown in-season products, such as produce, flowers, herbs, meats, and eggs. Fresh-baked dumplings, pies, and bread and seasonal craft items, such as wreaths, are also available. Located on Walnut Street near the Mispillion Riverwalk in downtown Milford.
Casual Dining Lunch & Dinner Outdoor Seating nbjo!tu/-!ofxbsl!!¦!!413/377/9222 Nvtu!cf!32!up!foufs!¦!Gsff!hbsbhf!qbsljoh!¦!Sftfswbujpot!tvhhftufe
TUPOFCBMMPPOXI/DPN 18 . Events Calendar
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East Coast SkimBoarding Competition Aug. 15-16 Professional and amateur skimboarders from near and far gather to show off their skills at the East Coast Skim-Boarding Competition in Dewey Beach. Second Saturday Art Walk Aug. 8, 6-9pm mosaicrehoboth.com Join the galleries of MOSAIC on the second Saturday of every month for “Destination Art.” Walk around Rehoboth and visit each member’s gallery for reception activities. August | O&A
7/24/2009 5:45:14 PM
T HI S MON T H
Downtown Newa r k
For a c o m p le t e c a le n d a r of events , v is it : newark .d e .u s / d
owntown
EVENTSCALENDAR 1st Annual Home Grown Brews & Blues Festival Aug. 15 & 16 homegrowncafe.com This August, Home Grown Café celebrates its ninth anniversary. To celebrate, the restaurant will be hosting a weekend-long showcase of great local beers and great local blues artists. Delicious craft brews and new seasonal releases by Dogfish Head and Victory Brewing Co. will be available for sampling, and will also be appropriately paired with Home Grown’s renowned creative cuisine—all fresh and local ingredients, of course. Great blues music will be played both days for brunch and dinner. Artists include Brian Lapann (from 61 North),
South Saturn Delta, Wood and Soul, Venom Blues, and Chaz Depaolo. It’s a chance to support great food and great music in Newark. Fusion Belly Dance Festival of Delaware Aug. 29, 12-8:30pm blackdragonbellydance.com/ fusionfestival Professional belly dancer Naimah will lead workshops at the Market East Plaza on Main Street. If you’ve never belly-danced before, or just want improve your technique, there are workshops available for all styles and levels. The festival also doubles as a party—food, drinks, music, and more.
Newark Film Festival Sept. 10-17 newarkfilm.com Each year, the Newark Film Festival offers opportunities to see great independent films in Newark, a privilege local film buffs usually need to travel to Philadelphia or New York for. Some of last year’s featured films included The Visitor, A Prairie Home Companion, and Counterfeiters. The festival also brings avid moviegoers from the surrounding area into downtown Newark, exposing them to all of the great restaurants and shops Newark has to offer. To learn more about this year’s film festival, or if you’re interested in advertising or sponsorship opportunities, email barry@newarkfilm.com.
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(302) 368-6262 / www.newarkscionworld.com www.out-and-about.com
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19
7/24/2009 5:45:32 PM
THIS MONTH
August 1: Deb Callahan with Bluebone August 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: Butch Zito's Open Mic Night August 3, 10, 17, 24, 31: Blues Monday Jam August 7: Richard Julian with Aaron Nathans August 8: E.B. Hawkins with Celtic Mishap August 14: Dogo Wazo August 15: Hippocampus with Parkwright August 19, 23: "You Can Count on Me " at the Back Alley Theater August 21: Hoots & Hellmouth with Sisters 3 & Mason Porter August 22: Long Walk Home August 28: Steve Forbert August 29: The Kennedys
484.732.8295
Check the website www.kennettÁash.org for concert details and tickets.
AUGUST 9
Fireworks & Fountains at Longwood Gardens 9:15pm
T
his month’s performance, titled “Abbacadabra: The Magic of Abba,” sets the beautiful sights of fireworks and colorfully illuminated fountains to the sounds of the discopop band Abba (“Dancing Queen,” “Knowing Me Knowing You,” “Take a Chance on Me”). Tickets are $34/person for ages 16 and older and $18/person for those 15 and younger.
For more details: longwoodgardens.org
20 . Events Calendar
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August | O&A
7/24/2009 5:46:07 PM
A
H
Around the Square & Brandywine Valley EVENTSCALENDAR Summer Nights Under the Stars at Chaddsford Winery Friday Nights, 7-9:30pm chaddsfordwinery.com Bring a blanket and a picnic basket, purchase a delicious bottle of Chaddsford wine, and sit back and enjoy the sounds and sights the evening has to offer. This month’s performances will include Alligator Zydeco, Big Package, Been There Done That, Turning Blue, and an opera night on Aug. 29. Admission is $20/person, and reservations are strongly recommended: (610) 388-6221.
For a c o m p le t e c a le n d a r of events , v is it : H is t o ri c K e n n e tt
S q u a re .c
om
Sunday Brunch at
The Concordville Inn
Garden Grooves Summer Concert Series Presents Rufus Wainwright Aug. 6, 8pm See renowned male vocalist, songwriter, and composer Rufus Wainwright (below) in a beautiful garden setting when he performs at Longwood Gardens. Tickets are $55/person and can be ordered at (215) 336-2000 or through ticketmaster.com.
Appetizers & Salads, Antipasto Breakfast & Pastry Station Crab Cakes, Huge Dessert Bar Omelet Station, WafÁe Station Prime Rib & Virginia Ham Station Gourmet Chocolate Fountain Children’s Entrée’s available upon request
Murder Mystery Art Stroll Aug. 7 Aug 7, 6pm historickennettsquare.com/ events Everyone is invited to participate in the annual whodunit murder mystery on the streets of Kennett Square during the August Friday Arts Stroll. The Kennett Amateur Theatrical Society will perform “The Mystery of Galloping Gunty’s Demise.” The art stroll begins at 6 p.m., the body will be discovered at 6:45 p.m., and clues will be collected until the culprit is revealed. Prizes will be awarded to those who can help solve the mystery.
Adults $21.95, Children $11.95 Price does not include tax or gratuity
Sunday Brunch
$5
off
Two Adults
Award-Winning Sunday Brunch
Prices do not include Tax or Gratuity. Valid on discount of $5 for two adult brunches. Not valid on holidays. Not valid with any other coupons, promotions or discounts.
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The Concordville Inn |610.459.2230 780 Baltimore Pike | Concordville, PA 21
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XX . Interview
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August | O&A
7/24/2009 9:14:18 AM
INTERVIEW
The New Pay Role State Auditor Tom Wagner has suggested some possible cost savings for the state. Will the Legislature follow through on his reports?
R
obert Thomas Wagner Jr. is one of those fortunate individuals who has found his calling in life. He has been Delaware’s Auditor of Accounts for 20 years, and he aspires to no other job—in either the public or private sector. As the state’s longest-serving auditor, Wagner has ferreted out fraud in both state and local government. He has led the fight to audit all school districts and the Dept. of Transportation, identifying millions of dollars in cost savings. Most recently, in June, his office published a report on salaries of Delaware school superintendents, which showed them making more than many highranking government officials and, in many cases, more than superintendents in neighboring states. According to the report, Delaware superintendents’ salaries range from $113,769 to $193,000, and eight of the 19 Delaware superintendents make more money than the $155,450 paid to state Secretary of Education Lillian Lowery. Wagner and others have suggested that one way to cut costs is to consolidate the state’s 19 school districts. “We have too much administrative cost in public education,” he told The News Journal. “It has to be addressed.” Out & About discussed this proposal and other issues with Wagner by phone recently while he attended the National State Auditors Association Conference in Savannah, Ga.
By Bob Yearick
First of all, are you a Democrat or a Republican? Your biography on the state website doesn’t have that information.
administrative costs. If you’re talking about public education, and you’re talking about cutting teachers or paraprofessionals, you’re obviously not doing your job, because there are a lot of administrative costs that should be the first area you look at. But that can be said for a lot of state agencies—we have too many administrators. The revenue streams we’ve had in the past aren’t going to come back. We have to refocus and rethink how we operate, and try to operate in a much leaner fashion. Delaware operates the same way that we’ve operated since the ’60s, with some [minor] changes. Name me any corporation or any large entity that operates the same way it did decades ago. This is the perfect time, when things are tough and money is short, to refocus on how we deliver the
I’m the last Republican standing. I’m an endangered species, so the Democrats should be protecting me.
What kind of reaction have you gotten from state legislators and the governor on your suggestion that school districts should be consolidated and on your report on superintendents’ salaries? I haven’t heard a peep out of anybody. And in reality, we have several reports. One was on the superintendents’ salaries. The next one, which was really redoing one we did last year, is on consolidation of vocational school districts. And our www.out-and-about.com
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next report will deal with sort of the potential cost savings of consolidation of the 19 school districts.
So are you hoping to get a reaction from legislators after the third report? Well, I sent a proposal last year with about $32 million in cost savings to the General Assembly. In a nutshell, I never heard a peep and they said to mind my own business. They also proceeded to take 14 positions away from my office.
In your opinion, what should the state government be doing to climb out of the financial hole it finds itself in? The state has to get a handle on its payroll. Our payroll is not sustainable in the long run. I think the key is
Wagner believes the state has to get a handle on its payroll. “We have too many administrators,” he says. Photo by Tim Hawk
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The New Pay Role —
could be reducing your overall payroll but creating real problems at agency levels. Obviously, the auditor’s office does fact-finding reports or investigations, but what’s done with them is ultimately up to cabinet secretaries, the administrative branch, and the legislative branch. I can’t force any changes to be made.
continued from previous page
services. And obviously our two biggest expenditures would be education as a program and salaries in general. Education is our biggest programmatic expenditure, and 65-70 percent [of that] is salaries. What is happening right now is [we’re] reducing the payroll through attrition. The problem with that is, if you start losing people at agencies such as Corrections, they don’t have enough employees to begin with, and if you’re looking at savings from eliminating those positions and you’re not motivated to try and fill them, what have you really accomplished but putting more pressure on those employees who are already there? So you
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Speaking of that, do you have aspirations to any other offices where you might actually be able to act on such reports? You couldn’t get me in Washington, and I have no interest whatsoever in being governor.
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24 . Interview
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What about the state legislature? The only way I could ever conceive of doing something like that is if I was so frustrated and ticked off [that I would consider running]. But I think I could be more effective in being auditor. Are you in favor of state employees taking an 8 percent pay cut? No, I’m against it as it stands. I don’t think it gets you where you need to be. In my humble opinion on this, any type of pay cut we do with employees is going to be a longer-term pay cut, and what needs to be done is cut into administrative costs. Why would we want to punish state employees when we know there’s a longerterm revenue problem? It’s not like we get through this year and everybody gets their salary back. Most are predicting next fiscal year is going to be worse than this fiscal year. A pay cut is a shortterm solution that creates other kinds of long-term problems. To me, what we need to do is make tougher decisions in terms of how we reduce the payroll. How much do you make as state auditor? I think it’s $103,000, somewhere in that neighborhood. You don’t know what your salary is? I was a state employee before I became auditor, and I couldn’t even tell you what pay grade I was. I don’t pay that much attention to that. The day I have a complaint on my salary is the day I should look for another job.
August | O&A
7/24/2009 9:14:42 AM
FOOD&DRINK
Art Grill
The of the
P
erhaps nothing is quite as intoxicating as the aroma of steak sizzling on the grill. Like Pavlov’s dog, our mouths begin to water as we picture the meat, seared on the outside and rosy pink on the inside, releasing its succulent juices onto the plate. But no matter whether you’re slapping a shrimp or a steak on the barbie, grilling is not just a skill. It’s an art form. “You have to take it seriously,” says Norm Buczik, owner of Doc’s Meat Market in Hockessin. “You can’t just turn on the grill, put the meat on and go watch the baseball game.” Fortunately, you too can become a grill-master with these expert tips.
Whether you’re a timid newbie or a seasoned pro, take these tips to the grates next time you want to throw another one on the barbie
The basics Choose your weapon. Gas, charcoal, pit grills with smokers, ceramic grills, kettle grills, or fire bowls—there are lots of options, says John Walter Constantinou, owner of Walter’s Steakhouse in Wilmington’s Little Italy. Old fashioned? Go for the charcoal. Like it clean and easy? Opt for gas. Ceramic grills are generally inexpensive and portable. Understand your grill. Regardless of whether you’re using a gas grill or charcoal grill, heat is heat, says Phil Pyle, co-owner of Fair Hill Inn in Fair Hill, Md. “Once the correct temperature is reached with either grill, the actual process of cooking the
By Pam George meat, vegetable, or fish is the same.” However, every grill has different hot and cold spots. Keep it clean. Preheat the grill on high with the lid down, let it warm up, then brush it down. “Heat is a natural cleaner,” says Matthew Curtis, owner of Union City Grille in Little Italy. Tim Smith, owner of Twelves in West Grove, uses oil to clean his grill before and after use. Get it hot. With a charcoal grill, wait until those coals turn white, Buczik says. “Sometimes people get impatient. If you can’t wait, a charcoal grill is not for you.” When using lump or charcoal briquettes, don’t use lighter fluid. A residual flavor will remain even after continued on next page
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The Art of the Grill —
continued from previous page
bundle of herbs on the grate instead of in the coals. Use wood chips. Hickory or applewood chips mixed with the coals imparts a smoky flavor. Keep in mind that the combustion process can create nitrates, which cause the meat to keep a pink color, Constantinou says. Use salt. Some experts say salting meat draws out the moisture, making for a dry steak or burger. Pyle, however, says people are often too timid with the salt. The secret is to shake it on just prior to grilling. Buczik recommends kosher or sea salt. Marinade. Inexpensive cuts get a boost of flavor when marinated. If you like a nice char, avoid a wet marinade that’s low on oil, says David Banks, executive chef of both Harry’s Seafood Grill on the Riverfront and Harry’s Savoy Grill in North Wilmington. Or opt for a rub. Add culture. Curtis coats shrimp with yogurt: “It makes them so tender and moist.”
Grilling chicken
Union City Grille owner and chef Matthew Curtis grills a veal chop with salt, pepper, and olive oil; eggplants; blistered red bell peppers; zucchini; red onion; thyme; rosemary; parsley; and plum tomatoes. Photos by Tim Hawk
the coals have ashed over. Use a chimney starter instead. Have the right utensils. Basics include tongs, spatulas, and skewers. You can have lots of fun with grill trays, grates, screens, skillets, and woks. Keep a thermometer handy to determine doneness. You can enhance flavor profiles with seasonings, rubs, brines, marinades, or glazes. A hot grill is also a prerequisite before cooking with gas. Whether the temperature remains on high depends on what you’re cooking and how you like it. For a big, hearty steak served medium-rare to rare, Smith keeps the heat cranked up. But for chicken, he’d kick it down to medium.
Seasoning Use herbs. At this time of year, you won’t have trouble finding fresh herbs. Curtis puts herbs like thyme and rosemary right on the coal to infuse the meat, chicken or fish with flavor. Curtis places his 26 . Food&Drink
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Be a thigh man—or woman. A boneless, skinless breast of grilled chicken can be summed up in a word: dry. “It’s almost impossible to keep moist,” Pyle agrees. A thigh has a built-in bone that keeps meat from drying out. Dark meat also has more flavor, and the skin naturally seals in juices. (Bonein chicken will take longer than boneless chicken, so plan accordingly.) Cook it first. Banks says too many people slather barbecue sauce on raw chicken and expect to get a good result. “It’s just a burnt mess.” He first rubs the chicken with spice and bakes it, or parboils it. (When you parboil, you remove the food from the water before it’s all the way done.) He uses the leftover water to cook corn or potatoes, while chicken and sauce high-tail it to the coals. Brine it. Since intense heat tends to dehydrate foods like pork or chicken, Constantinou recommends soaking them first in salty brine so they stay juicy and tender.
Grilling seafood Run it hard. Banks says fish needs a hot, clean grill so as not to stick and to achieve those pretty grill marks. Choose well. Heartier fish—tuna, rockfish, swordfish, and mahi mahi—fare better on the grill than flaky fish. Salmon, an oily fish, is universally approved for grilling. Curtis particularly likes mako shark, one of the fastest fish in the ocean. “It can catch swordfish and marlin,” Curtis says. “You are what you eat, and it’s very flavorful, with more moistness to it than swordfish.” Whatever you choose, don’t overcook it. Use a basket. Professional chefs rarely use them, August | O&A
7/24/2009 12:40:28 PM
but if you’re worried about sticking, slip the fish into a grilling basket. Leave the lemon for later. When you’re cooking seafood, avoid marinades with citrus—or use sparingly since citrus alone will cook the fish if you let it sit in the sauce too long. (Ceviche, anyone?) Pyle skips citrusy or acid ingredients in favor of fresh herbs, olive oil, and other aromatic flavorings. He squeezes the lemon juice after the seafood is grilled. Hang loose. Don’t pack shrimp on skewers. Give them some open space so they cook evenly. Make it pretty. Place the better-looking side of the fish on the grill facedown first, says Dan Butler, owner of Deep Blue Bar & Grill, Toscana Kitchen + Grill, Brandywine Prime Seafood and Chops, and Bistro on the Brandywine. With a salmon filet, the good side is not the skin side. “The side that touches the heat first will always have a more appealing sear,” Butler says.
rbs. or, use fresh he For purity of flav they’re as , d? Use less Have to use drie to 3 1 of ated. A ratio more concentr ick. should do the tr
Grilling meat Consider inexpensive cuts. Try sirloin tri-tip. Pyle recommends skirt steak, and Curtis is a big fan of hangar steak, which does well with just a rub of oil and some salt and pepper. (Most inexpensive cuts benefit from marinade.) Don’t fuss with the best cuts. Highly marbled meat is the most prized because it delivers the most flavor. USDA Prime tops the list, but that’s usually limited to restaurants and some butcher cases. Next is choice. (Certified Angus Beef is a brand. Only 7 percent of all choice beef can be classified Certified Angus, Buczik says.) Select, which has less marbling, is the stuff in many supermarkets. Flavor from grilling actually comes from the juices and fat dripping on the coals, Butler notes. So, higher grades of beef are frequently self-sufficient. Just salt and pepper them before grilling. A little pat of herb butter at the table is all you need. Let it rest. Grilling or roasting meat directs the liquid in the meat toward the middle, Pyle explains. Allowing the temperature to come down before slicing lets the juices return to their origin. Cut too soon and the juices flow right out. Pyle lets meat rest for half the time it was on the grill. So, if it took 14 minutes, let it rest for seven.
Experiment Have fun with your grill. Buczik likes to toss on a medley of portabella mushrooms, zucchini, yellow squash, and Vidalia onions, marinated first in balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Serve up a medley of sausages, such as chorizo, broccoli raab with sharp provolone, and the classic hot and sweet Italian sausages. It doesn’t break the checkbook and your guests will be impressed at the variety. Curtis loves grilled radicchio. Keep the root attached and halve or quarter depending on the size. Brush it with oil. After grilling, dress the radicchio with a little vinaigrette infused with fresh herbs. Curtis has also grilled polenta for a dessert. Smith recently started grilling soft-shell crabs. Banks has grilled watermelon, artichokes, and tomatoes. “You can grill,” Banks says, “just about anything.” www.out-and-about.com
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Chef Phil Pyle’s
Meat Marinade (Use on 4 lbs. of skirt steak)
1 cup of balsamic vinegar ½ cup of corn oil or other neutral oil, such as grapeseed or canola oil 1 cup of red wine ½ cup of maple syrup ¼ cup of Worcestershire sauce 2 shallots, roughly chopped 6 cloves of garlic, crushed 1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper 1 tablespoon each of chopped fresh rosemary, oregano, thyme 2 teaspoons of freshly ground black pepper
Mix together and add meat. Let marinate for four to six hours then grill.
Phil Pyle is co-owner of Fair Hill Inn in Fair Hill, Md.
XX
7/24/2009 1:25:19 PM
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7/24/2009 2:48:54 PM
AVETT
The Avett Brothers (L to R): Scott Avett, Bob Crawford, and Seth Avett. Photo by Crackerfarm
Southern Accents Scott Avett on the making of his band’s stunning new album, By Michael Pollock working with Rick Rubin, and being a neighborhood-beach bum
I
n 2007, after seven years of religious recording and touring, the North Carolina-based experimental roots band the Avett Brothers released their most successful album yet. Titled Emotionalism, it was their fifth full-length studio effort, something refined and mature that marked a clear growth from their early days of faithful bluegrass. Between plucked banjo strings it seemed to whisper, rather than yell, breakthrough. On one level, it did. Conan O’Brien had the band on his show. Emotionalism charted on Billboard, a first. Paste magazine, a Georgia–based music publication that leans toward countrified rock and singer/songwriter types, named it the 12th best album of the year, just behind Radiohead’s In Rainbows. “Great pop sensibility with harmonies all over the place,” wrote The News Journal’s Ryan www.out-and-about.com
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Cormier. From a four-star review on Allmusic.com: “A fabulous album from a band that just keeps getting better.” The Avetts’ new album, I and Love and You, their major-label debut to be released Sept. 29, is something else altogether. More than a natural evolution of songwriting, style, and strength, it lifts rather than carries; comes to you instead of waiting to be found. There are melodies here that are impossibly sweet, and a sweetness that feels impossible. Never mind better—right now, it’s the best album of the year. Two bands come to mind when thinking of the Avett Brothers and how they got here. One is Wilco, who reached new heights, critically and commercially, with their fourth album, 2002’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. The other is the Flaming Lips, who flirted with mainstream popularity for years before making
1999’s The Soft Bulletin, then waited another three years to fully emerge with Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. Like the albums that led up to those moments, Emotionalism, as well as the Gleam EPs that were released on either side of it, cleared a space for I and Love and You to have its very own chair in the Avetts’ healthy discography. Bands don’t get to have careers like this anymore, and too few know how to create one. Scott Avett, who, with his brother Seth, shares songwriting, vocal, fingerpicking, and drumming duties, took time during an afternoon at his chicken coop in North Carolina to answer questions about I and Love and You, their upcoming show at Bottle & Cork on Aug. 4, and what it means to grow. continued on next page
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What’s the story behind the title I and Love and You? The first form [of the title track] was really a chronological folk song—it didn’t have a chorus; it didn’t repeat anything. It kinda flowed from verse to verse. And one of the verses was referring to a situation where it became difficult to express to someone you love that you love them—to verbalize that you love this person. With that came a double meaning, where it also worked to say that it becomes harder to love someone. And that resonated on many levels for me, as far as reflecting on a relationship that maybe once existed in my life, or relationships with groups of people you may have. That second meaning is what validates it for me.
What’s the process like between you and Seth as far as writing songs—do you sit down together?
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Over the years, we’ve had less time to work as a practicing band. So what Seth and I have done, especially for I and Love and You, is we came into the studio and had a lot of fragments of songs. We carved our three or four days where we pursed the songs and bounced ideas off each other in the studio with instruments at hand—a piano, an organ, a drum kit, an electric bass, an electric guitar, a banjo. So if the song was calling for a certain approach, we just grabbed the instruments and did it. For this record in particular, we spent a lot of time on the foundation—drums and piano, rhythm and keys. It was new and exciting for us—a little more spontaneous than it had been in the past. Things really got demoed more.
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That new approach—was that something you guys wanted to do, or was that more of Rick Rubin’s suggestion, as producer?
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Not at all. Rick was good about that. He didn’t feel the need to discuss how we work. He didn’t wanna mess with that. We’d already written the songs the way we saw fit. We had 30 demos—some of them were fragments, some of them were full songs. We came to him with two CDs and we sat down and listened to them together. Y’know, one of the bands we admire a lot is Mars Volta. And the question I put to Rick was, “If we want a song to be 10 minutes long, how do you deal with that?” He’s worked with Mars Volta, who obviously don’t practice restraint or try to make things in a pop format, which we didn’t want, either. He told me, “Every band has a different August | O&A
7/24/2009 11:11:01 AM
approach. Ten years ago, I would’ve made suggestions and see to it that everybody tried certain things.” Now, he throws out things and we react to them. The collective group sees something happen that the Avett Brothers alone or Rick Rubin alone didn’t have an idea of.
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Was that more his role, then, to be a guide in the studio? Because I understand he’s not someone who sits behind the board and adjusts levels. Absolutely. He’s very intelligent when it comes to knowing what to delegate and what not to delegate. He knows the engineer’s job is the engineer’s job. And he’s got engineers who know their way around the board. That’s not even an issue. What I would say was the hard work—which we really enjoyed, and which I think Rick enjoyed, too—was pulling out a part of the song that was really great. He’s able to recognize what he wants to hear again.
What was the introduction between you guys? Who approached who? It happened through the A&R department at Columbia, who had worked with a friend of ours. We were contacted that Rick wanted to meet us. He laid out the invitation to come to his house in Malibu. We were playing a show in Los Angeles, and so we arranged to meet there afterward. We had invitations from labels before, but they were all on a business level. It wasn’t anybody coming to us and saying, “We can help you with the music,” or the art, or the production. It was all, ‘We can help you sell records.’ But our plan was already working pretty well, because it’s always been very low overhead with us. So Rick inviting us like that was a no-brainer, because we knew it could improve the art. And even if it didn’t improve it on the surface, we were gonna learn a lot, and it would improve things in the long run. People will be quick to say they like the record or don’t like the record. But to do a record and learn and move on to the next stage—sometimes that’s the sacrifice you need to make.
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I caught the YouTube clip of you guys doing “I and Love and You” in Charlotte on New Year’s Eve in 2008. It seemed that it’s been tough to get the audience to quiet down during the slower songs. Has that been the case with these newer ones? Because it seems there are more of those moments on this record.
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We’re having some luck with that on the road right now, because we’re doing rooms that fit about 800 to 1,400 people, and they’re usually pretty jammed with fans. The New Year’s Eve show was a 2,300-seater venue, and they do get a little bit out of hand. But I don’t blame them for that—it’s New Year’s, and it’s a celebration, so it’s to be expected. The way we look at things is that there are a lot of slower songs we’ve always done. It’s just a big part of us and always has been. But the concert experience and the record are always going to be different. I also think that once people make personal relationships with the songs on a record, they’re more willing to either be quiet or want to sing along. Either way, they’re going to be much more attentive during those quieter songs.
Walter’s Steakhouse:
Union City Grille: Crab Bisque and Seafood Hot Pot (Edna Valley Sauvignon Blanc (or Chardonnay) & Pinot Noir) Slow-cooked Short Ribs with Braised Red Cabbage (Monterey Vineyards Chardonnay & Pinot Noir) An art auction featuring both prints and originals with an emphasis on local favorites will follow dinner. Dessert, tea, and coËee will be provided. Proceeds to beneñt West End Neighborhood House
“The Weight of Lies” [from 2007’s Emotionalism] has been mentioned as a point of departure, maybe, for this new record. Is that accurate, or were there other continued on next page
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Southern Accents —
continued from previous page
things at play, like the piano-and-drum foundation you mentioned earlier? So you think “Weight of Lies” fits in more with the new batch of songs?
Yeah, it seemed to be written from a space that’s a lot more evident on the new record. That’s appreciated, and that very well could’ve been a song that fit on this record. I see a pretty predictable and healthy transition from Emotionalism to this record. I also think, right from the start, my brother and I got ourselves into a little bit of a hole. We did great things for ourselves—to get out of the hardcore rock, or the metal, or the emo, or whatever we were in—when we picked up the banjo and the acoustic guitar. It was a beautiful thing to do. But I think we had to dig out of that, too, because it was influencing a part of our changing and growth as musicians. But Emotionalism onto this record is much closer than what we were doing with the hard-rock stuff before.
There’s the line in “Head Full of Doubt, Road Full of Promise”—“And your life doesn’t change by the man that’s elected.” Are the songs coming from a perspective that’s as much political as personal? Maybe so. Seth and I try not to get really wrapped up in that. Your family’s enough to deal with. But it’s tough not to have politics in your face all the time. I wrote that song as more of a personal venture. But that it can translate or have more than one meaning is what validates it, because it doesn’t really matter what it was to me or my brother or you or [bassist] Bob [Crawford] or anybody. Once it gets out there, it gets made into what it needs to be. “The Weight of Lies” is a good example of that. I remember somebody asking me about it, and I’d forgotten what I wrote it about. Once I validated writing it, and I validated the source it came from, it kinda became irrelevant for me. It’s gone at that point.
This show at Bottle & Cork is going to be the band’s third time in Delaware in less than two years. What impressions do you have of our state?
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The Wilmington show [at the Grand Opera House on Nov. 20, 2007]—I remember that was at the very end of our run that year. We were so exhausted and just barely there. That’s where we recorded the cover of the Jessica Lee Mayfield song “For Today.” I think it’s the most-hit video we have on YouTube, and it’s not even our song. I remember that show was such a blur—we were so wiped out. You get that way at the end; you just can’t deny it. I remember going to Bottle & Cork [last summer] and making the comment to Bob—because he grew up near Asbury Park in New Jersey—that this place reminds me of what it must be like to grow up in Springsteenland and play those venues. It had a neighborhood-beach vibe to it that I liked a lot. Really timeless. It was a pleasure to be there.
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32 . Q&A with Scott Avett
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SCOTT AVETT: WHAT I’M SPINNING “I was excited to get Beware, the new Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy record. I just bought the Lemonheads covers record—I can’t remember the name of it. [Editor’s Note: It’s Varshons.] I’m a huge fan of Evan Dando. You can say that when I’m home, and I wanna listen to driving pop-rock, I go from new to old Lemonheads. Let’s see…There’s a band we just got so into. They’re called Auld Lang Syne, out of Rochester, New York. They don’t have a lot of material out there, but they’ve done some touring with us. They have a new record called Midnight Folly. And I’m constantly playing Townes Van Zandt. My favorite record is Flyin’ Shoes. That’s always, always close by.” August | O&A
7/24/2009 10:38:44 AM
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7/24/2009 4:47:34 PM
Home Forever:
Securing healthy places for pets during insecure economic times
This year, DHA is helping people keep their pets in their homes forever. DHA provides: ° Healthy, desirable, and affordable animals for adoption ° Low-cost spay/neuter services and vaccinations through Wellness Clinics, to keep pets healthy
° Temporary shelter, in case of emergencies ° Humane education programs (formally and informally)
to educate people on how to keep their pets safe and healthy Come and meet our adoptable dogs and cats by visiting the shelter at
701 A Street, Wilmington, DE 19801 888-DHA-SPAY | www.dehumane.org
We speak for those who cannot speak for themselves
34 . Pets
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Support our efforts by sending a contribution to the address at the left, or make a gift online by visiting:
www.dehumane.org/support.
August | O&A
7/24/2009 4:44:48 PM
PETS
1.
4.
Skye
2.
Emma
Douglas
5.
Lil’ Z
6.
3.
Maisy
7.
Theo
9.
Rox
Henry 8.
Bear
Staff Pets 1. Owner: Marie Graham, account executive 2. Owner: Marie Graham 3. Owner: Michael Pollock, editor-in-chief 4. Owner: Marie Graham 5. Owner: Joy Smoker, senior graphic designer 6. Owner: Kelly Loeb (wife of art director Matt) 7. Owner: Matt Loeb 8. Owner: Jim Miller, director of sales 9. Owner: Shawna Sneath, graphic designer
08_Pets.indd 1
7/24/2009 4:40:28 PM
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36 . Pets
08_Pets.indd 2
August | O&A
7/27/2009 10:10:00 AM
Name
Great Songs About Pets
That
Pet le Dogs Top 5 Names for Ma 4. Rocky 1. Max 2. Buddy 5. Bailey 3. Jake Top 5 Names for Female Dogs 4. Lucy 1. Molly 2. Maggie 5. Sadie 3. Daisy
Pet Insurance; (Compiled by Veterinary m) .co spotted at mentalfloss
Top 5 Names for Male Cats 1. Max 2. Tiigger 3. Tiger 4. Smokey 5. Oliver TTop 5 Names for Female Cats 1. Chloe 2. Lucy 4. Princess 3. Cleo 5. Angel (Compiled by Veterinary Pet Insurance; spotted at petplace.com) www.out-and-about.com
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(admittedly, most of them are about dogs) Jane’s Addiction “My Cat’s Name Is Maceo” Pink Floyd “Seamus” Michael Jackson “Ben” Keller Williams “Passapatanzy” Neil Young “Old King” Phish “Runaway Jim” Beatles “Martha, My Dear” Fiery Furnaces “My Dog Was Lost But Now He’s Found” Queen “Delilah” Arcade Fire “Laika” Ben Folds “Dog”
All in the Family
TV-show pets that are more than just cute and fuzzy Lassie
(Lassie). The world’s most famous collie and TV’s most famous pet. Period.
Spot (The Munsters). Young Eddie’s pet dragon was always sneaking out of its stair-lair but still seemed more trainable than most house pets.
Arnold the Pig (Green Acres). Arnold’s interactive role set the stage for later (albeit animated) characters like Garfield and Brian Griffin (Family Guy).
Comet (Full House). Golden retrievers make great family pets, on- and off-screen. Buck Bundy (Married…With Children). Lazy and with a knack for running off with females in the neighborhood, Buck fit in with the Bundy clan right from the start.
Marcel the Capuchin Monkey
(Friends). Marcel’s stint with the ensemble was brief but memorable, especially for Ross. XX
7/24/2009 4:42:01 PM
Girls’ Night Out Girls’ Night Out
sample.sip.shop. Thursday, September 17, 2009 Deerfield Country Club 6-8 p.m. Live Fashion Show. Cocktails. Shopping.
NO O
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08_Movies.indd 4
7/24/2009 10:04:38 AM
tter
MOVIES
Harr y Po
Strange Magic
Randy adult comedy, fantasy epic explore vicissitudes of love
A
s with all genre films, successful romantic comedies have to walk a fine line. We want the main couple to end up together (as we know, of course, they will), but the path to love can’t be too straight. Absent any conflict, a straightforward romance makes for a boring movie. The Ugly Truth manages to concoct an effective comic brew from its opposites-attract formula by blending ingredients appealing to both masculine and feminine sensibilities. Equally foulmouthed and soft-hearted, the final product is like The 40-Year-Old Virgin in a pencil skirt, and, strangely, it works. Like magic. Katherine Heigl (Izzie from Grey’s Anatomy) plays a winsome but lovelorn Sacramento TV producer struggling with dwindling viewership for her local daytime magazine show. Gerard Butler www.out-and-about.com
08_Movies.indd 1
(300) is Mike, a defiantly loutish host of a local cable show called The Ugly Truth that purportedly explores the real problems between men and women. When the station manager hires Mike for Abby’s show to boost ratings, the two are forced to work together despite their mutual contempt. A classic, maybe even predictable super-ego meets id conflict, and so we know they are destined for one another. Scripted by two female writers (Nicole Eastman and Karen McCullah Lutz), The Ugly Truth finds its strongest comic voice by taking a page from Judd Apatow’s coarse boy-centric comedies. Mike makes a bet with Abby on how to get the man of her dreams, and attempts to remake an uptight, controlling woman into a flirty, skirty man-trap. Heigl’s unlikely transformation makes for lots
By Mark Fields
of hilarious physical comedy, especially in the restaurant scene where Abby gets hot and bothered—quite literally—by her specialty underwear. The movie loses steam in the third act when it abandons its horny edge for a more conventional rom-com resolution. Until then, it’s laugh-out-loud funny and refreshingly humane as an alternative to the usual effects-heavy midsummer lineup at the cineplex. Surprisingly for a popcorn movie, there’s more than a grain of real truth in the essential premise behind The Ugly Truth. (Full disclosure: I started reading the Harry Potter book series long before my children were old enough to be involved. I admit I am a Potterphile. Read on with that in mind.) continued on next page
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40 . Movies
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continued from previous page
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince brings its loyal fans within sight of the epic series’ dramatic—and traumatic— conclusion. J.K. Rowling’s boy wizard continues his adventures, this time working closely with his mentor and headmaster Dumbledore to find a way to defeat their formidable adversary, the supremely evil Lord Voldemort. This part of the tale, however, leavens the intensely dramatic conflict with a heavy dose of romance and a dash of teenage angst. Daniel Radcliffe (Harry), Rupert Grint (Ron), and Emma Watson (Hermione) have matured into capable young actors, and all three effectively capture the awkward combination of bravery, familiarity, and adolescent anxiety that has defined their friendship through six films. Half-Blood Prince focuses on this trio (and Dumbledore, played by Michael Gambon) more exclusively than the earlier films, yet they’re ably backed up by the ongoing support cast of British acting royalty (Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, and, new in this film, Jim Broadbent). David Yates returns as director again after Order of the Phoenix, and shapes the flow of this film deftly. After a slow start focused too much on the Muggle world, Half-Blood Prince settles into a brisk and confident rhythm, bouncing between Harry and Dumbledore’s urgent quest and the rampant hormonal awakenings of Hogwart’s teenage wizards and witches. The levity of the latter provides both contrast and poignancy to the threatening atmosphere of the core Harry-Voldemort conflict. This is the first film to be released after the conclusion of the story in book form. I suspected that knowledge of the outcome would affect how this particular chapter plays, and indeed it does, but in a positive way. There is an elegiac tone that is both apt and oddly comfortable. I’m also struck by how the natural aging of these actors, children and adults alike, takes on further resonance as noticeably visible consequences of the story’s epic struggle between good and evil. At this late stage, it’s hard to imagine that anyone would come to this film without being steeped in the Potter mythology, and so I don’t even consider whether the uninitiated could follow the story now. Yet, given the pervasive multimedia success of all things Potter, it’s even harder to imagine that anyone is still immune to its charms.
August | O&A
7/24/2009 4:00:56 PM
Falling Down (1993) A divorced, laid-off defense worker snaps in the middle of an L.A. traffic jam and goes on a bitterly tragi-comical rampage across the city attempting to see his estranged daughter on her birthday. Michael Douglas brings a laserbeam intensity to his role; Robert Duvall and Barbara Hershey co-star. Viewers either loved or hated this film, but Douglas’ performance commands attention.
Unemployment Assurance
A
s the unemployment rate continues to head higher and job anxiety is the emotion du jour, experience some movies that depict characters who turn unemployment into life-changing experiences—some happy, others not so much. The Full Monty (1997) Six unemployed steel workers in Sheffield, England decide to earn some much-needed cash and regain a modicum of self-respect by staging a male strip show. They sweeten the deal by promoting their intent to offer “the full monty” (British slang for full nudity). Robert Carlisle, Mark Addy, and Tom Wilkinson lead a terrific band of misfits in this story that is equally funny and poignant.
Trading Places (1983) Remember when Eddie Murphy made you laugh instead of wince? This comedy reminds you of his early years, when his persona was fresh and disarming. Murphy plays a street hustler who gets hired to run a commodities firm as part of a jokey wager between wealthy brothers (Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche). Dan Ackroyd and Jamie Lee Curtis also star, and the new junior senator from Minnesota has a bit part as an animal-handler. Tootsie (1982) One of the funniest screen comedies of all time, Tootsie features a remarkable performance by Dustin Hoffman as an unemployable (read: temperamental) actor who goes drag to get a part on a daytime TV drama and ends up as a femaleempowerment icon. The music and costumes are painfully dated, but the stellar cast (Jessica Lange, Dabney Coleman, Teri Garr, Charles Durning, and an uncredited Bill Murray) is witty, and the plot absurdities pile up delightfully.
THANK YOU OUT & ABOUT READERS For Voting Us “Best Pizza” 2009!
www.out-and-about.com
08_Movies.indd 3
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7/24/2009 11:53:07 AM
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2009 Dewey Beach Scavenger Hunt view the video @ BudLightFilmCrew.com � John & Bobby D. determine the winning teams
FILM FILMCREW CREW Centerspread_aug09.indd 3
7/24/2009 11:00:54 AM
We miss you Roxie! (Aug. 2005—Dec. 2008)
age s s e M om fr ... D y Bobb
W
hat an AMAZING Season I! Congrats to Slow Rollers, Luther Towers, HAC Foots, and Where My Pitches At?! DSL would like to welcome Middletown, Odessa, Townsend (MOT) to our family now. That makes 4 locations throughout the state which gets us closer to our goal of having DSL be a STATEWIDE network of people. We can get everyone together at The DSL Field Day Presented by Delaware Lottery on Aug. 22nd! I TOLD YOU WE WOULD DO IT! How long have some of you been asking for this? We are gonna have sack races, croquet, balloon toss, slip & slide bowling, bocce ball, tug of war, and a ton more games! Chorduroy will be there along with Kalai King! There will be Bethany Blues BBQ, Grotto Pizza, and of course Bud Light! You can read about it on the Field Day Page of the website! We are working to bring you everything that we have promised and so far we are lookin’ good! Be good to each other Delaware…We’ll see ya out there!
DELAWARE SPORTSLEAGUE.COM
Monthly Highlights... WILMINGTON KICKBALL: •Congratulations to Slow Rollers, the Lincoln Kickball Champions! •Congrats to Luther Towers, the Roxie Kickball Champions! KICKBALL AT THE BEACH: •Congratulations to Where My Pitches At, the DSL at the Beach Kickball Champions!
4 SUN. pdf
7/20/0 9
1:43:3 4 PM
HAC KICKBALL: •Congrats to HAC Foots as they won the DSL at HAC kickball title! •However, Gizzi Balls’ slide was the play of the year! SUMMER BOWLING: •Doug from Down 4 The Count was the Player of the Evening, bowling over his average in all 3 games and he had the highest score of the night with a 210! •Brian Newcott from Splits or Swallows bowled all his games in the 200’s! TEACHERS LEAGUE BOWLING: •Bob Toy from Quad Lams was Player of the Evening, he was killer in the first 2 games with a 241 and 231 respectively! •Jayme Fields had an impressive night for Schlitz 4 Us, Splits 4 U, she bowled over average in all 3 games, even with a tight neck from a tetherball injury, yes that’s right, tetherball.
XX . MUSIC
DSL_Full_Aug09.indd 1
It is the policy of Delaware Sports League that all members and/or those participating in Delaware Sports League games, events and/or outings must be 21 years of age or older. Neither athletic ability nor the consumption of alcohol is a requirement to participate in Delaware Sports League games, events, or outings. This is about the people, not the party. The only MAY 2008 | O&A XX requirement is that you are open to all people, treat them well, be safe with yourself and others, and have fun!
7/27/2009 11:47:06 AM
MUSIC
3 Feet High, Still Rising? As De La Soul celebrate the 20th anniversary of their classic debut with a show at The Note on Aug. 14, we ask an assembly of local rappers, hip-hop personalities, and music fans what the group and the album mean to them Gentle Jones Hip-hop artist, DJ, writer: “3 Feet High and Rising is one of the most influential records of its time, in any genre. Prince Paul’s production on the album is phenomenal. It raised the standards for sample-based rhythms. I remember when it came out and being impressed with the level of creativity—the dudes even made up their own haircuts.”
Fred Knuxx Hip-hop artist: “3 Feet High was ahead of its time. It came out in one of the best eras of rap and when I first started to fall in love with hip-hop. I was only, like, 7 years old when it came out. My older brother put me on to all the good hip-hop back then. To this day, ‘Me, Myself and I’ is still one of my all-time favorite songs.”
Erica Roane Contributor, AllHipHop.com & 55 Hours: www.out-and-about.com
08_Music2.indd 1
“I was only 5 years old when 3 Feet High was released, but I remember the colorful flow that the album represented: Cross Colours clothing, neon brights, asymmetrical hair, combat boots. De La Soul were pioneers of innovative and socially conscious hip-hop. They were educated and unapologetic about how they were perceived.”
Mellie Mel Operations manager and on-air personality, Kiss 101.7 FM: “I was just a little kid on the playground when it came out [laughs]. Gangsta rap was killin’ it at the time. De La paved the way for conscious hip-hop and jazz-influenced hip-hop—Common, Jazzmatazz, all that.”
Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmur Co-founder, AllHipHop.com: “I always had a love for ‘Potholes in My Lawn.’ It was so metaphorical. They took
a real common thing in hip-hop, which was biting—y’know, be original—and turned it into something poetic and symbolic, in a way that you didn’t catch onto it as easily as just saying, ‘Don’t bite off my style’ [laughs].”
Michael Pollock O&A editor-in-chief: “One of my earliest memories of hiphop was seeing the ‘Potholes in My Lawn’ video on Yo! MTV Raps. I can’t remember much about it now, and by the time I bought 3 Feet High, in high school, I’d fallen for ‘Eye Know’ and ‘Jenifa Taught Me.’ De La were different, but they were even braver. Those songs expressed something hiphop has always struggled with: emotion as a part of sex.”
continued on next page
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7/24/2009 12:33:29 PM
3 Feet High, Still Rising? —
continued from previous page
DJ Slice: Hip-hop artist, producer: “My joints were ‘Plug Tunin,’ ‘Say No Go,’ ‘Me,
Free wine tasting
Myself and I,’ and ‘Buddy.’ I liked the fact that there was another crew [Native Tongues] that could rival the Juice Crew lyrically. [The Native Tongues] were deep: Jungle Brothers, A Tribe Called Quest, Monie Love, Queen Latifah, De La, and a few others that joined later. They brought a unique sound to hip-hop.”
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The oÌcial coËee shop of Out&About Magazine
Matt Amis Assistant editor, Delaware Today: “‘The Magic Number’ appealed to young me more than any hip-hop song I’d heard to that point. It had daisies, monkeys, arithmetic, Punky Brewster, and the tune from Schoolhouse Rock! What’s not to love? It simply made a stronger connection with me than Ice Cube.”
Erica Roane: “Their music was somewhat kid-friendly and had minimal profanity in it, so I was allowed to listen to it [laughs]. Good thing my mom never knew what ‘Jenifa Taught Me’ was really teaching.” Fred Knuxx: “It’s amazing how creative they were with the word ‘Buddy’ [laughs].” Richard Raw Hip-hop artist: “As an artist, I was highly influenced by De La Soul’s lyrical complexity and difference. 3 Feet High motivated me to improve my storytelling skills by focusing on real-life situations, rather than fiction.”
DJ Slice: “3 Feet High has significance for me because the group I was in—Hip Hop Connection—met Pos up at Rutgers University in ’89 during a radio interview that our then-manager had set up for us. Pos was telling us his record was gonna drop, and, of course, on the way home we were in the car, like, ‘Yeah, right.’ A few weeks later, we see the video to ‘Me, Myself and I,’ and go, ‘Damn, we could’ve given him our tape.’ Pos was really cool to talk to, but all kinds of cats were talking like they had a record coming out back then and they didn’t come through.” Gentle Jones: “I saw De La Soul perform at the Stone Balloon. This was on the Buhloone Mind State tour. Posdnuos and Trugoy split the crowd down the middle and took turns whipping each side into a frenzy, like it was a competition. They did the classic call-and-response and even pulled a couple cats onstage to freestyle. My man Tony Maduro—who I didn’t even know was there; that’s how packed it was—got pulled up to do an impromptu rhyme and killed it. You could see on De La’s faces that they were impressed.” Jim Miller
Pick up your complimentary copy of Out&About Magazine at any of our nine Delaware locations.
brewhaha.com 46 . Music
08_Music2.indd 2
O&A director of sales and marketing: “We had late-night listening sessions in the dorms where the album became a virtual Name That Tune. It offered dozens of bits and pieces, ranging from the essential—James Brown, Ohio Players, the Bar-Kays—to the eccentric—the Monkees, Schoolhouse Rock!, Bill Cosby. Hip-hop fans would dig the nod to Funky Four Plus One in ‘Say No Go,’ just as classic-rock fans smiled at the clever use of Steely Dan’s ‘Peg’ in ‘Eye Know.’ In that way, the music literally brought people together.”
August | O&A
7/24/2009 12:33:38 PM
Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmur Co-founder, AllHipHop.com: “De La and Prince Paul were the first to turn the skit into an artform. They made it part of the overall work, so it didn’t stick out. Anything that’s groundbreaking—it’s inevitable you’ll have people who misuse it or overuse it. That’s just the way things are in the music industry. De La spawned a lot of copycats. But the people who did skits after them didn’t have the same concept in mind.”
Michael Pollock: “I think one of the things that gets
overlooked is how coded their music is. They’ve got their own language, and it appeals to the cerebral. That’s definitely hurt them commercially, because inventiveness isn’t really rewarded in hip-hop. Respected, maybe, but not rewarded.”
Mellie Mel: “It’s hard for any old-school rapper to make a comeback now. Labels don’t work artists anymore. They work songs. We still have some artists we wait on for albums—Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige. But I don’t think De La Soul could be relevant today. Labels are working singles now, they’re not maintaining artists.” “Grouchy” Greg Watkins Co-founder, AllHipHop.com: “It’s very tough to be in a group. Not only financially, but creatively. You very rarely see groups stay together as long as De La Soul has. It usually comes from a chemistry that’s rooted in friendship. I remember seeing their camaraderie early on at Lincoln University. This was, like, ’88, ’89. They’re so tight it’s almost like they’re brothers. For De La Soul to be in existence for 20-plus years, not only is that an accomplishment as a hip-hop group, that’s an accomplishment for any group. And that comes from them having a global audience, really.”
Jim Miller: “I’m not big on hip-hop nowadays. But as a music fan, I can’t help but feel that in 1989 De La Soul broke new ground and laid a blueprint to all that hip-hop could be: wellversed, visionary, free-spirited, and fun. It felt like someone opened a door to a whole new world of possibilities. In retrospect, it’s too bad that since then, so few artists have chosen to head that way. Let that be perhaps a friendly notice to any up-and-coming hip-hoppers who’d consider that direction: There are a lot of us who’d like to go back.” Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmur: “The thing that has escaped a
lot of newer artists, and even older artists that are still doing it, is that your work is all you have. Public Enemy gets it, Redman and Method Man get it. They understand longevity is just as important as money. De La Soul, for what it’s worth, took a lot of pride in the art they made. They changed and evolved, but they never compromised who they were to fit in.”
www.out-and-about.com
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7/24/2009 12:33:47 PM
T S E G G I B S ’ A E R A ANDS E
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08_Music2.indd 4
August | O&A
7/24/2009 12:33:59 PM
MUSIC
Sound Bites Hoots & Hellmouth get more soulful while sticking close to their roots on their second album, The Holy Open Secret
“You and All of Us”
Sean Hoots, vocals & guitar: “Playing rootsy music as we do, we tend to raise a few eyebrows when we tell folks we’re from Philadelphia. ‘Y’all have country music in Pennsylvania?’ Of course we do! Everyone has country music. The accents may change as you cross regional boundaries, but we all share the common-denominator elements that comprise our greater human experience. The country mouse and the city mouse aren’t all that different. We’re all cut from the same universal cloth. It binds us all together. It covers us. It is us. And, honey, if you can’t trust us, who can you trust?”
“Roll, Brandywine, Roll”
Hoots: “The sweetest suicide note you’ve ever heard. Ever wonder what it’d be like to slip under the surface of a gently rolling river, becoming one with the current, allowing it to wash away every trace of your individuality, enveloping you in the infinite all? Turn off your thinking. Forget your name. Release your body. Turns out the ‘middle of nowhere’ is actually everywhere. There is no physical. There is no spiritual. The only thing is all. But don’t just take my word for it. Find yourself a river and dive in. The only thing you have to lose is yourself.” www.out-and-about.com
08_Music2.indd 5
“Ne’er Do Well”
Andrew Gray, vocals & guitar: “Inspired by a tour stop in Houston, Texas, where I witnessed a moment of true love between a drummer and his girlfriend. This chartered its course first as a love song, then over the next eight months, twisted its way into a song without a specific meaning or purpose—a meditation on being as time passes through the mind, a song that remains a mystery to its writer and continually reveals itself as the song evolves as part of nightly set lists. Personally, I’m not comfortable telling anyone what something ‘means,’ especially a song where all of a sudden I looked up and had a finished product.”
“Dishpan Hands”
Gray: “‘In this kitchen all I see, is a thousand dishes and me…’ is how ‘Dishpan Hands’ begins, and that was literally the scene in a kitchen in a wonderful house where I had the pleasure to live in Norristown, Pa. After I left my teaching job, my friends, Mike and Rikki Bardzik, let me stay in their house quite affordably, and the comfort of the space they created allowed me to not only roam free as I pleased but to flourish artistically as well. They always kept their home very neat, so a pile of dishes was an unusual sight…I went with it.” 49
7/24/2009 12:34:18 PM
Staff Playlist
Iron & Wine Such Great Heights Avett Brothers I and Love and You Mos Def Brooklyn Two Fingers Keman Rhythm Luke Temple Ahab Rock Plaza Central Oh I Can Avett Brothers The Weight of Lies My Friends Dirty Dancing Dinosaur Jr. Almost Ready Organized Konfusion Prisoners of War Funkadelic Mommy, What’s a Funkadelic? Jane’s Addiction Of Course Thom Yorke All for the Best 50 . Music
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August | O&A
7/24/2009 12:34:31 PM
A
August
AUGUST 6 Great white hype Asher Roth makes a hometown appearance at the Electric Factory in support of his debut, Asleep in the Bread Aisle. The equally trumpeted Kid Cudi, B.o.B., and 88-Keys open. It’ll be a night that showcases the more refreshing talent hip-hop has to offer in 2009.
www.out-and-about.com
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AUGUST 29 The unparalleled Flaming Lips return after a three-year hiatus with a double-album (Embryonic, their twelfth full-length, released Sept. 29) and a show at the Festival Pier. They alternate between genius and unapproachable, and what they choose to do live is anyone’s guess. You’ve been warned.
AUGUST 15 Minimalist psychedelia is perhaps the best way to describe the band Woods and its latest album, the sorely overlooked Songs of Shame. Swedish prog-metal band Dungen—who, like Woods, can’t keep their hands out of the genre jar— share the bill. Catch both performances.
myspace.com/rubberskunk The Sin City Band (bluegrass) Aug. 8: Home Grown Café thesincityband.com Three Legged Fox (jam/reggae rock) Aug. 7: Mojo 13 myspace.com/threeleggedfox Keller Williams Aug. 6: Bottle & Cork The one-man jam pulls from a mixed bag of genres Bernie Worrell Aug. 8: Johnny Brenda’s The Parliament/Funkadelic keyboardist performs, with Black Landlord opening To have your shows listed, email contact@out-and-about.com
American Buffalo (reverb-heavy rock) Aug. 1: Home Grown Cafe myspace.com/buffalode Black Landlord (rock ’n’ soul) Aug. 1: Mojo 13 Aug. 28: Kelly’s Logan House myspace.com/blacklandlord The Bullbuckers (ska) Aug. 21: Deer Park Tavern myspace.com/bullbuckers The Casting Out (punk rock) Aug. 21: Deer Park Tavern myspace.com/thecastingout Chapel Street Junction (bluegrass) Aug. 14: Home Grown Café myspace.com/chapelstreetjunction The Future Unwritten (pop-punk) Aug. 22: Mojo 13 myspace.com/thefutureunwritten Hippocampus (jam) Aug. 15: The Kennett Flash (w/ Parkwright)
Aug. 29: Deer Park Tavern myspace.com/hippocampus2 Hoots & Hellmouth (roots rock) Aug. 21: The Kennett Flash hootsandhellmouth.com Mad-Sweet Pangs (pop-rock) Aug. 6: Deer Park Tavern madsweetpangs.com Musikarmageddon Second round in the O&A-sponsored battle of the bands Aug. 5: Mythica vs. Galaxy 13 Aug. 6: Venom Blues Band vs. the Miles Aug. 12: The Future Unwritten vs. Kalai King Aug. 13: Orbit Shaker vs. Camp Dracula All shows at Kelly’s Logan House, starting at 10 p.m. outandaboutnow.com Revolution, I Love You (electronic rock) Aug. 8: Deer Park Tavern Aug. 15: Mojo 13 Aug. 27: The Kennett Flash revolutioniloveyou.com Rubber Skunk (funk) Aug. 12, 21, 16: Home Grown Café
AUGUST 27 You can find vampires everywhere these days—in movies, in books, on TV. Find another one on stage at Mojo 13 this month: Unknown Hinson, of Adult Swim fame. Hinson specializes in psychobilly, a blender of sounds that pulls from punk, thrash, and rockabilly while laying on the campy sexuality. Like good vampires do.
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The Deer Park Tavern August Entertainment
6................Mad Sweet Pangs 13...............Long Walk Home 20.............................Octane 27...........Fat Daddy Has Been
SATURDAYS
THURSDAYS
NO COVER THIS SUMMER! 1..........................Joe Trainor Trio w/ The Miles 8.......Revolution I Love You w/ Derek Fuhrmann 15.................................What Mamma Said 22..............................................Daze Alone 29...................................Hippocampus
SUNDAY BRUNCH 2, 16, 30.............................................Bill Kintzer 9, 23..............................................Michael Hunter
Aug 21 Spark Summer Series – Bullbuckers & The Casting Out
Everyday Specials Tall Captain & Coke: $3 • 24 oz Bud Light Cans: $3 • Applesauce Shooter: $3 Corona & Corona Light Bottles: $3 • Irish Car Bombs: $5 • Red Bull Drink: $4 Tall Vodka Drinks $3 • $2 Bud & Bud Light drafts $1.50 during happy hour EVERY MONDAY 1/2 Price Pizza • EVERY TUESDAY / Hubb & Friends EVERY WEDNESDAY / Showtime Trivia • EVERY THURSDAY / Mug Night EVERY FRIDAY / DJ Double E / • EVERY SUNDAY / CHORDUROY
302.369.9414 | 108 West Main Street, Newark | www.deerparktavern.com
52 . Nightlife
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August | O&A
7/24/2009 3:04:51 PM
Neighborly Fare Great food, wine, and art are on display at the 8th & Union Dine-Around
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he folks at Eighth and Union streets aim to please…as do all of us at Out & About. That’s why when we teamed up with Union City Grill, Pomodoro, and Walter’s Steakhouse, the emphasis was to create an event we felt was custommade for our readers. The result was the 8th & Union Dine-Around: an event that combines three of our readers’ favorite interests—food, wine, and art—all in one night. Sound like a good time to you? Then join us on Thursday, Aug. 13, for a progressive dinner we feel is a masterpiece in itself. For just $50, you’ll enjoy three signature dishes paired with delicious wines at each of the three participating locations. Pomodoro will serve a piccolo
caprese and mushroom risotto with Stellina di Notte Pinot Grigio and Chianti. Union City Grille is cooking up crab bisque and a seafood hot pot with Edna Valley Sauvignon Blanc (or Chardonnay) and Pinot Noir. And at Walter’s Steakhouse, slowcooked short ribs with braised red cabbage are paired with Monterey Vineyards Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. d Afterward, an art auction hosted d by Hardcastle Gallery will be held on the second floor of Walter’s. Proceeds from the auction will benefit West End Neighborhood House. “I believe Little Italy has some of the best restaurants in the state—and these three restaurants certainly exemplify those standards of excellence,” says Paul Calistro Jr., executive director of West End Neighborhood House. “We’re always pleased
NIGHTLIFE to work together to strengthen the businesses, neighborhood associations, and social services in Little Italy,” Calistro adds. “I feel fortunate to live and work in this community.” For more info, or to reserve your place at the table, go to outandaboutnow.com. — Jim Miller
Patio Crab Feast Wednesday, August 26th, 6:30pm Join us for an evening on the patio with all you can eat blue crabs, ice cold brews and live music by Lyric Drive! Reserve your mallet today! Everyday Specials: Happy Hour 4pm–7pm: $2 Domestic Pints ~ $3 Rail Drinks ½ Price Frozen drinks Monday through Friday 11-5pm Mondays: Kid’s Eat Free – Children 10 and under eat free from the kid’s menu. 5pm–Close. Enjoy Jungle John’s balloon creations! Tuesdays: ½ Price Burgers All Day & Night. $2 Yuengling Pints 5–Close. Wednesdays: ALL bottled wines on the list ½ price ALL day & night. $4 Jeremiah Weed BIG drinks 5pm-Close. All new discount appetizer menu at the bar. Live music starts @ 10pm. $8 Lunch Deal: Full Sandwich and Salad Menu for just $ 8 with a free soft drink. Thursdays: Raw Bar and discount appetizer menu at the bar from 4pm-7pm. 80s’ Dance Party with DJ Andrew Hugh @ 10pm. $2.50 Heineken Light bottles and specially priced margarita menu all night. $4 Red Bull Vodkas 9pm–Close $4 Tall Captain Morgans 5pm–Close. Fridays: $4 New Castle Brown pints from 4pm–7pm. Calling all Steak Lovers! With all steak orders, take your pick of a ½ price bottle of wine, $2 Domestic Pint, or a $3 Import Pint. Live Music starts at 10pm. Saturdays: Saturday Breakfast menu served from 11am–4pm. HAPPY HOUR ALL DAY & NIGHT! Enjoy our everyday specials all day & night! “Fajitas and Ritas” starting at 5pm. Full Fajita menu and specially priced margarita menu. Sundays: Sunday Funday at the bar! ½ price appetizers, $2 Domestic bottles, & $4 Tall Kettle drinks. 9pm–Close.
1801 W 14th St • Wilmington, DE 19806• 302-658-4600 • www.kidshelleens.com 53
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S outh Beach is O nly 10 M inutes Away...
: E T A D E H SAVE T #OCKTAILS ON THE 7ATER s $INNER WITH A 6IEW ,IVE -USIC ON THE $ECK s !LL THAT IS -ISSING IS 9OU
For menu & events, visit us at www.aquasolrestaurant.com Tuesday thru Friday Happy Hour 4p-7p $4 Tapas, $4 Mojitos, $2 Beers
Tuesdays -
Crab Feast Night, Blue Crabs by the Dozen
Wednesdays Half Priced Bottle of Wine Night Thursdays Open Mic & Karaoke
On The Summit North Marina 3006 Summit Harbour Place Bear, DE 19701 302.365.6490
August 2009 Saturday
Friday 31 Friends of the Family 8p - 12p Funk, R&B, Reggae 7 Noxx 8p - 12p Classic Rock
We B Rockin 8p - 12p Classic Rock, R & B The Jammers 8p - 12p Pop & Rock
14 Kirk Abernake Project 8p - 12p 70’s Funk
Earth Dogs 8p - 12p Rock & Roll
21 Fuse Box 8p - 12p Classic/Contemporary
Hippocampus 8p - 12p All Your Favorites
Anne Simoni 8p - 12p Brazilian Jazz
28
1
Sunday The Hammond Cru 4p - 8p Jazz
2
8
9 Manos 4p - 8p World, Contemporary
15
16 The Hammond Cru 4p - 8p Jazz
23 Christina Steelband 4p - 8p Caribbean Steeldrums 30 29 Hake & Jarema Keli Vale Band 4p - 8p 8p - 12p Acoustic/Classic Rock All Your Favorites
...movies that matter
Cinema Center 3 Newark, DE Sept 10-17, 2009 Delaware Art Museum Sept 25-27, 2009
29
NewarkFilm.com For more information, contact Barry Schlecker at 302.690.5555
Official print sponsor:
54 . Nightlife
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August | O&A
7/24/2009 5:41:06 PM
NIGHTLIFE
BACK IN THE LOOP Halloween turns 30, while the Pink Loop kicks off its first year
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hose who were 21 and attended the inaugural Halloween Loop will be 51 this time around. Think about that for a minute. What other nightlife tradition in Delaware (with the exception of the Bottle & Cork’s Jam Session) can claim such longevity? This year’s Halloween Loop, the 30th, takes place on Friday, Oct. 30. It’s one night before Halloween, as well as the UD’s 2009 Homecoming, so it promises to be one helluva weekend. The City Loop Series kicks off this year with a new concept, the Pink Loop. The loop nightspots have decided to donate every $5 cover charge collected that evening to the fight against breast cancer. The Pink Loop is Saturday, Sept. 26. Below is this year’s overall loop schedule. Visit outandaboutnow. com for updates on these legendary Wilmington pub crawls.
Saturday, Sept. 26
THE PINK LOOP Friday, Oct. 30
30TH HALLOWEEN LOOP Saturday, Dec. 12
SANTA CRAWL Tuesday, Feb. 16
FAT TUESDAY LOOP Saturday, March 13
ST. PADDY’S LOOP
1-800-BY-MULCH Buy 5 yards of mulch and get the 6th yard FREE!
DOUBLE GROUND MULCH • TRIPLE GROUND MULCH • PLAYGROUND MULCH
Log Splitter Rental Available DECORATIVE STONE • TOP SOIL • FIREWOOD Fade Resistant Red, Black & Brown Mulches Now Available! We recycle your waste. Call Robert L. Gallo 302.325.2257 Relocated to Rt. 273 - Across from Court #11 and Behind Burger King
OUTDOOR STORAGE: Boats, RVs, Construction Equipment etc. www.out-and-about.com
08_Nightlife.indd 3
— Michael Pollock
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7/24/2009 6:00:01 PM
State Line Liquors
win
Family owned & operated for over 35 years! www.statelineliquors.com
Stocking over 1500 different beers • Singles, packs & cases Special Events and Tastings Visit us on the web for details
Gourmet Food & Cheeses Sign up for our Discount Club Card details online: statelineliquors.com
Over 75 Single Malt Scotches
eW t a ED
sti
NE
SD
n A g Y
RANKED #7 Best Beer Retailer 2008 ratebeer.com
Top Wine Shop from Food & Wine Magazine
Gift Baskets Available
Open 7 days a week
outand aboutnow .com
1610 ELKTON RD, Route 279 . ELKTON, MD OUTSIDE MD. (800) 446-WINE, IN MARYLAND (410) 398-3838
56 . Nightlife
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August | O&A
7/24/2009 5:18:35 PM
NIGHTLIFE
A Taste for Shopping
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ove to shop? Love to try new and interesting wines? If you just said yes twice, you’ll be happy to hear you can now enjoy both of those things simultaneously in a fun, relaxing environment. Wine Tasting Wednesday continues on Aug. 19 at Greenville Shopping Center and Power Mill Square. From 5 to 7 p.m. select stores will be offering special sales and promotions along with wine tastings, featuring varietals from Rosenblum Cellars and BV Coastal Estates. Consider it the perfect excuse to catch happy hour with the girlfriends, or, conversely, an opportunity to score some big points with a significant other. Guys, if you’re in the doghouse right now, take note. Another reason: the event benefits a good cause. Proceeds from the wine tastings will benefit the Delaware Children’s Museum. Tasting glasses are $10 and can be purchased at any of the tasting locations: A.R. Morris Jewelers, Carl Doubét Jewelers, Covet Spa, Houppette, Janssen’s Market, Lolita, Oranges & Lemons, Peter Kate, Social Butterfly, and Somethings Unique. “We’re really excited to be the beneficiary of this event,” Delaware Children’s Museum director Julie Van Blarcom says. “Hats off to the Greenville merchants for coming up with such a creative way to support great Wilmington projects.” To get more details, go to outandaboutnow.com. For updates on the soon-to-be-open Delaware Children’s Museum, go to delawarechildrensmuseum.org. — Jim Miller
www.out-and-about.com
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{IN HOUSE-ALL DAY}
MONDAYS: TUESDAYS:
1/2 PRICE $2.25 YUENGLING LAGER PINTS
BURGER
{IN HOUSE-ALL DAY}
1/2 PRICE
P U LSANDWICH LED PORK $2.25 MILLER LITE PINTS {11AM-10PM}
ALL YOU CAN EAT
RIBS
INCLUDES ALL YOU CAN EAT SOUP & SALAD BAR
1/2 PRICE
P I Z Z A BOTTLES OF WINE
WEDNESDAYS:
1/2 PRICE {IN HOUSE-ALL DAY} $2.25 COORS LIGHT PINTS
THURSDAYS: MUSSEL MANIA $6
.99
{IN HOUSE-ALL DAY} $3 MARGARITAS
S
S
TANLEY’ BANQUET FACILITIES
$3 CORONA $3 CORONA LIGHT
STADIUM CLUB ROOM Banquets for 25 to 100 People
2038 FOULK ROAD | WILMINGTON, DE 302.475.1887 | WWW.STANLEYS-TAVERN.COM 57
7/24/2009 6:00:18 PM
2009
e f i L City K
K C O L B R TY!
nt
prese
@ s y a d Thurs a at City Center The Plaz reets • $5 Cover
PA
ll St a n t PM a 9 T 5 & • K 01 th N DRI & D O O F IC • LIVE MUS fe Live World Ca
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o L 0 2 t g s u e F A k n u F s ’ d o o w y l l o H 3 t p nts Se p a Live Prese n e f a S C ld e r h Wo T ) n d u n R a e y h o T R On Le s l n r e i B G 7 1 r o t f p Se nefit e B ( s a n a u g I e h Oct 1 T
A Wilmington Renaissance Production
For more info go to: www.DowntownWilmington.com CP
58 . Nightlife
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RAIN OR SHINE – Free parking in the City Center Garage with event wristband
August | O&A
7/24/2009 2:22:44 PM
HEAR THIS Did you love this month’s feature? Hate an interview?
Get Out & About
Now!
We always have something fun going on:
We want to know what you think. Tell the editor! Please send comments, good or bad, to
mpollock@tsnpub.com
Win Cool Stuff: Don’t miss out! Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter for up-to-date info on fun and exciting things to do. What’s more? Sign up this month to be entered to win dinner for two at Celebrity Kitchens!
• CityLife Block Parties (Aug. 6 & 20; Sept. 3 & 17; Oct. 1) • Musikarmageddon (Aug. 5 - October) • Home Grown Blues & Blues Festival (Aug. 15 & 16) • Wine Tasting Wednesdays (Aug. 19; September 16) • 8th & Union Dine-Around (Aug. 13) • Pink Loop (Sept. 26) • Visit OutAndAboutNow.com for details
flip page downtownwilmington.com for more info visit:
August 6th & 20th September 3rd & 17th October 1st
flip page Every Tuesday through September 200 block of Market Street
11am–2pm Event proceeds to benefit West End Neighborhood House
Visit OutAndAboutNow.com and be the first to answer the Dine-Around trivia question correctly!
August 13th, 6:30pm
Dinner for 2 at the 8th & Union Dine-Around
WIN! magazine
Don’t Miss! 08_FlipPage.indd 1
7/27/2009 11:59:58 AM
In This Together
In the City That Makes a Difference Through Mentoring
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n an effort to make a positive difference in the lives of Wilmington’s youth, Mayor Baker last month launched a new drive for city employees and residents alike to join a new mentoring initiative. The drive will supplement other mentoring efforts currently underway. Mayor Baker hopes to ultimately identify 500 additional mentors to work with youths in the city. “Many organizations in Wilmington and Delaware, such as Big Brothers Big Sisters and Connecting Generations, have had mentoring programs for years,” Mayor Baker says. “Recently, Lt. Gov. Denn launched a statewide effort to find mentors. As part of our desire to support these efforts and reinvigorate the city’s own corps, I’m asking city employees and city residents to seriously consider becoming mentors.” In late 2008, Mayor Baker issued an executive order establishing the Greater Wilmington Mentoring Commission, a group of businesses, educators, and community leaders charged with the coordination and facilitation of mentoring programs for school-aged children. The commission is working to establish a citywide network of mentors to provide school-based and communitybased mentoring to help youths build academic, social, and life skills. “Our children represent the future of Wilmington,” Mayor Baker says. One-onone mentoring, he further notes, has proven effective as a kind of social intervention, leading children to more successful paths in life. “If we’re to continue prospering in the future, we must provide our youths with the guidance they need to become well-educated, responsible, and productive citizens able to achieve their full potential. Time and again, oneon-one mentoring from positive role models has proven its value in keeping children in school, promoting higher learning, and decreasing the likelihood of drug and alcohol use and other undesirable behaviors.” in
City residents interested in mentoring should contact either Big Brothers Big Sisters (bbbsde.org) at 998-3577 or Connecting Generations’ Creative Mentoring program (creativementoring.org) at 656-2122.
AUGUST 2009 | 25 magazine
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What are
YOU Looking at?
24 . Riverfront magazine
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7/24/2009 5:26:38 PM
Discover
The Riverfront Market
A European-Style Marketplace and Your Destination to Eat, Shop & Relax on Wilmington’s Riverfront
Now Open! Harry's Fish Market + Grill - (302) 225-1500 The menu features fresh fish daily, as well as fish & chips, gourmet sandwiches, farm fresh salads, homemade soups and beignets (New Orlean style doughnuts) on our breakfast menu. Ask about our catering menu! www.harrysfishmarket.com eeffoc’s-a coffee cafe - (302) 655-5956 Enjoy your choice of 10 fresh brewed coffees, Espresso, lattes, cappucino, tea, hot chocolate, smoothies or cold beverages while shopping in the market. Brew at home supplies also available.
NOW OPEN IN TROLLEY SQAURE! www.eeffoccafe.com
Jeenwong Thai Cuisine - (302) 655-5140 Authentic Gourmet Thai Food - Made to order. Something for every tastebud! Homemade entrees from sweet n sour to hot n spicy, we offer daily specials that will keep you coming back for more. Eat in or take out. Jonas Miller’s Butcher Shop - (302) 655-2770 Delicious Sandwich Maker - Cold Cuts - Only Amish Butcher in Town! Featuring all natural beef, cheeses, baked goods & prepared sandwiches all in one location. Jonas Miller’s Bake Shop - (302) 655-2770
Market City News Your local news/smoke shop with Wilmington’s best cigar/cigarette selection. We also carry books, magazines, newspapers, drinks, proteins, candies and essentials - you name it, we have it
Olde World Cheese Steak Factory - (302) 655-9944 Enjoy Philly-style steak sandwiches with a variety of toppings and condiments eat-in or take-out. Call ahead for easy pick-up.
Riverfront Flowers- (302) 655-3720 Voted First Place Winner - News Journal Reader’s Choice Awards. We are a full service florist capable of sending flowers worldwide via Teleflora. Our designers can create a unique floral gift for any occasion. We also carry Asher’s Chocolates and greeting cards. www.riverfrontflowers.com
Riverfront Produce - (302) 777-1990 Fresh Fruit, Produce and Much More! Homemade Salsa & Sauces. The best produce variety in the area including some homegrown items when available. Our fresh, cut fruit is perfect for snacking. Party trays available for all occasions.
Tokyo Sushi - (302) 658-6586 Sushi Anyone? A wide variety of sushi offerings for eat-in or take- out. Our comfortable sushi bar is conveniently located in the center of the market.
Homemade Amish Goodies - Whole or by the Slice. Choose from a variety of bread, cakes, pies, muffins & more!
Market City Cafe Enjoy gourmet hot dogs with our famous chili and hot toppings bar, as well as oven fresh pizza slices. Sit at the counter and enjoy a relaxed outdoor atmosphere. Beginning with Cinco de Mayo (May 5) we will offer an Authentic Taco Bar. We also offer ice cream specials all summer long.
Visit our website | Take our online survey | Join our mailing list
www.riverfrontmarketwilm.com
08_Wilmington_Riverfront.indd 5
7/24/2009 6:09:03 PM
on the riverfront
Riverfront
Y O U R G U I D E T O W H AT ’ S H A P P E N I N G AT R I V E R F R O N T W I L M I N G T O N
Riverfront
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* = River Taxi Stops
Amtrak Station Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park Residences at Christina Landing Harry’s Seafood Grill Riverfront Market Delaware Theatre Company C.W. Harborside Justison Landing Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts Joe’s Crab Shack Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant Frawley Stadium & Delaware Sports Hall of Fame Chase Center on the Riverfront Dravo Plaza & Dock Shipyard Shops Timothy’s Restaurant Molly’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream Wilmington Rowing Center Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge Wilmington Youth Rowing Assoc. Cosi @ the Barclays Crescent Building ThoroBreads at Christina Landing Opera Delaware Studios/ City Theater Co. Hare Pavilion/Riverwalk Public Docks AAA Mid-Atlantic
THIS MONTH ON THE RIVERFRONT 11
A U G . 1, 2, 11–16
13
BLUE ROCKS BASEBALL Frawley Stadium Various times 13
A U G . 4–5, 11–12, 18–19 R I V E R TA X I F A M I LY N I G H T S & WINE CRUISES Dravo Plaza Various times
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AUG. 6, 13 & 20 S H I P YA R D S U M M E R C O N C E R T S E R I E S Dravo Plaza Presented by Citizens Bank 7-8:30 p.m.; various artists
AUG. 7-9 R I V E R F R O N T B L U E S F E S T I VA L Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park Various times & performances throughout weekend
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AUG. 29 & 30 A U G U S T Q U A R T E R LY Various events at Tubman-Garrett Park & the Chase Center
F O R A C O M P L E T E L I S T O F R I V E R F R O N T E V E N T S , V I S I T: R I V E R F RO N T W I L M . C O M 22 . Riverfront magazine
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wilm.com
magazine
GOOD FOOD Dig into new eats he Riverfront has always hosted great restaurants, but the recent addition of three eateries makes waterfront dining a must-do before the summer’s end. The options? There’s Asian-fusion/sushi-fave restaurant Kooma, at 400 Justison St.; Big Fish Grill on the Riverfront (720 Justison), a popular beach spot that now has a Northern location; and Harry’s Fish Market + Grill, the latest Riverfront Market tenant, conveniently situated next to Harry’s Seafood Grill.
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For more on any of these new restaurants (as well as tried-and-true Iron Hill, C.W. Harborside, Timothy’s, and Joe’s Crab Shack), visit riverfrontwilm.com.
Lace up your running shoes ugust is teeming with opportunities for exercise and good-cause fundraising. Sign up for a 5K this month and you’ll have your pick of great races: the third annual 5K for Our Kids’ Health on Aug. 1, the 19th 5K the Westside Way on Aug. 5, the fifth Pace for Prevention on Aug. 8, and the eighth Wilmington Blue Rocks 5K on Aug. 26.
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To register or for more info: races2run.com
RUN FOR A CAUSE August 2009 | 21 magazine
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Riverfront
LIVE MUSIC Get your blues fix he Riverfront Blues Festival returns to TubmanGarrett Riverfront Park for the weekend of Aug. 7-9. This year’s blues bash features Tad Robinson, three-time Grammy winner Delbert McClinton, the Freddie King Tribute, Roger Girke, and many others. Advance tickets range in price from $15 and $20 for one-day passes to $50 for a weekend pass. Children 12 and younger get in free. Free parking is available around the venue.
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For more info, go to riverfrontbluesfest.com
wk . photo by Tim Ha ’s blues festival ar ye st la at Sugar Blue
Meet the Sarge ttend a Blue Rocks game this month and you’re likely to walk away with something extra. On Aug. 1, for example, former WWE champ and G.I. Joe character Sgt. Slaughter will be on hand for a special appearance during G.I. Joe Night. Aug. 11 is Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? Night; Aug. 12 is a Saved by the Bell tribute. For a more historical outing, attend Judy Johnson Night, featuring a tribute to baseball’s former Negro League.
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For tickets, times, and giveaway info, go to bluerocks.com
FAMILY FUN
20 . Riverfront magazine
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7/24/2009 6:07:02 PM
Sinatra, His Way—
continued from previous page
He’s excited about the opportunity to work in the midst of the North Union Street area, with its many restaurants. “It’s very competitive,” he says, “but what could be better than Frank right in the middle of Little Italy?” Reilly and Zipse have also wowed audiences at retirement homes, the Rehoboth Beach Country Club, and Cavaliers Country Club. Zipse, a professional musician for about 30 years, says the Sinatra persona “just comes naturally” to Reilly. “He even looks like him, and he’s very personable. People connect to him. He befriends the audience.” Reilly is at ease in a restaurant atmosphere because he owned the Shipley Grill from 1989 until its closing in 2001. “In fact,” he says, “while I’m singing, I find myself motioning people to open tables.” A long-time resident of Wilmington, Reilly owns one of the more historic homes in the city at 310 West St. “It was once part of the underground railroad,” he says. “I did a lot of research on the building, and finally had it registered with the National Register of Historic Places. He says his neighborhood “is 5,000 times better” than when he moved there 26 years ago. While admitting there are still problem areas in the city, Reilly says, “Where Wilmington had room to improve, it greatly improved. And that’s the Riverfront, neighborhoods, Market Street. I think finally everything’s headed in the right direction.” He’s particularly impressed with the Baker administration’s attention to trash removal and street cleaning. “Of course, it takes all of us,” he says. He still picks up trash on his daily walk with his dog to the Riverfront. “But there’s less trash to pick up,” he adds. Reilly works full-time as a recruiter, but “no one is hiring,” he says, so he’s grateful to have found this second career. And he’s had the pleasure of paying tribute to the person who got him started: his mother. His parents and four siblings were at Ameritage a few months ago to celebrate the couple’s 59th anniversary. Reilly, of course, introduced his mother as “Dolly Sinatra.” in
IN TUNE Sean Reilly, in costume, at Ameritage earlier this year. He now performs his Sinatra act with musical partner David Zipse at Union City Grille on Fridays. AUGUST 2009 | 19 magazine
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7/24/2009 6:15:08 PM
People
Sinatra, His Way Former Shipley Grill owner Sean Reilly discovers a second career—channeling Ol’ Blue Eyes By Bob Yearick photos by Tim Hawk
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ean Reilly almost literally emerged from the womb listening to Frank Sinatra. At about the time Reilly was born in 1956, Sinatra came out with one of his signature albums, In the Wee Small Hours. “My mother would sing it to me to put me to sleep,” Reilly says. Young Sean took to Ol’ Blue Eyes immediately. “When I was growing up, 6 or 7 years old, I would pull Sinatra records out of my parents’ closet and play them. When I was 16 and got my own car with an eight-track tape deck and all my Sinatra tapes, if my friends wanted to ride in my Nova, [I told them], ‘No Allman Brothers—you’re listening to Frank.’” Fast-forward four decades to 2007. Greer Firestone, local entertainment maven, is producing a show about Judy Garland. He has lined up Stefanie Jaye to portray Garland, but he needs impersonators for Dean Martin, Liza Minelli, and Sinatra. Reilly, who has known Firestone for years, dons a suit, tie, and fedora and belts out two songs.
“He blew us away,” says David Zipse, musical director for the show. He and Firestone immediately chose Reilly over the other half-dozen candidates. And thus, at the age of 51, Sean Reilly entered showbiz. Since that performance, where he did five or six songs, Reilly has collaborated with Zipse to create a two-hour Sinatra act with a repertoire of 50 to 60 tunes. In February, they landed a gig at Ameritage Restaurant & Lounge at Ninth and Orange, and appeared there every other Wednesday until Ameritage closed in June. The duo subsequently was hired by Union City Grille, at 805 N. Union St., where they will appear Fridays from 6:30 until about 10 p.m. “Union City will be our new home,” Reilly says. “We’re working into their available schedule. We’re going to grow, though. We’re making it up as we go along, but it’s not that complicated.” continued on next page
18 . People magazine
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downtownwilmington.com
Wilmington Renaissance Corporation
WRC News
2009
PAR W
Besides the events WRC has planned throughout the year, one of the many programs it offers is the Downtown Business Information Zone (DBIZ), which is designed to be a resource for those who are looking to open or expand a business downtown. From business-plan-writing to lending to finding a location to marketing a business, DBIZ helps point business-owners in the right direction, ensuring that the necessary steps are taken for success. For more information, contact Shari Williams at 425-5500 ext. 105 or email shariwilliams@downtownwilmington.com.
WRC FAVORITES
CityCLifKe
BLOTY!
magazine
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very month we’ll feature a few of the staff ’s favorite things happening in the city. More details can be found at downtownwilmington.com. Our favorites for August include (in no particular order): Blues-tinged R&B band the Buicks play the next CityLife Block Party on Aug. 6.
ilmington Renaissance Corporation (WRC) has many plans and projects in the works! The LoMa Fresh Market is still held every Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the 200 Block of Market Street and has been growing since the first day. The market now offers water ice from Yatz’s, Bloomsberry Flowers, produce from the Delaware Food Bank, pastries and lunch items from Papa’s Pastry Shop, homemade soaps, perfumes, and more. Each week is something new—you won’t want to miss it! In addition, WRC continues to offer its CityLife Block Party series every other Thursday. The next one is coming up on Aug. 6. The series is a chance to get outside and enjoy the summer downtown with friends while listening to great music, having some drinks, and grabbing a bite to eat from downtown restaurants. This year, the participating restaurants are Deep Blue, Qdoba Mexican Grill, Café Mezzanotte, and Orillas. Stop by the Plaza at City Center and check out the fun! And be sure to mark your calendar for the rest of the series: Aug. 20, Sept. 3 and 17, and Oct. 1. See you there!
• Blue Parrot on Union Street offers $2 margaritas during happy hour and has a beautiful patio where patrons can enjoy the outdoor sights while having fun with friends. • Christina Cultural Arts Center launched a new website. Check out ccacde.org to find out what child and adult classes are available at the center, as well as all the great things the organization does for families. • Delaware Center for Horticulture and Christiana Care’s FRESH Program created the first urban farm in Wilmington at 12th and Brandywine streets. They also hold an Urban Farmer’s Market each Monday and Thursday. Check out dehort.org for more details. • Yatz’s on Union Street now serves ice cream, and Papa’s Pastry Shop on Union has a brand-new gelato machine— straight from Italy! • Qdoba Mexican Grill at 837 Market St. is open until 7 p.m., so you can grab dinner on the way home!
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City Notes — continued from previous page
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Big Fish Grill is now open on the Riverfront. The restaurant—a popular dining option in Rehoboth Beach— serves lunch and dinner. The Riverfront location offers an outdoor patio for dining by the river. FOR MORE info, visit bigfishriverfront.com.
DART’s resort service featured in new e-book DART’s resort service to Rehoboth Beach is featured on a new web site and e–book about beaches in the U.S.—“Car Free at the Beach: 20 U.S. Beaches You Can Enjoy Without a Car.” The e-book is available at carfreeamerica. com. DART and Rehoboth Beach are featured on pages 37 to 41. For more info on DART and the resort service, visit dartfirststate.com.
$8,000 available for first-time homebuyers City officials are encouraging homeownership through a federal housing-tax incentive available until later this year. From the website federalhousingtaxcredit.com: “A tax credit of up to $8,000 is available for qualified first-time homebuyers purchasing a principal residence on or after January 1, 2009 and before December 1, 2009.” FOR MORE info and FAQ, visit the website. in 16 . City Notes magazine
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Delaware Center for Horticulture publication nets ECO award The Delaware Center for Horticulture report Our Urban Forest recently won a national award from the Environmental Communicator website. The site’s honors, called the ECO Awards, recognize outstanding achievement by environmental-communications professionals. This annual competition is open to all individuals, companies, government agencies, and organizations involved in the production of environmental communications. In other words, not just “green” organizations. “Clear, effective copy makes for informative reading,” the judges said. “Beautiful photography complements a pleasing layout— page after page. [The publication] is a stellar example of firstclass environmental writing and design.” To read the award-winning report online, go to urbanforest.dehort.org.
“Best Sushi”
– Main Line Today
“Best Japanese Restaurant”
– Neighborhood Choice Award for Chester County
“Best Martini Bar” – Philadelphia Magazine
Thorobreads Café Architecture firm racks up big honors at industry awards arQitecture, whose founder, Todd Danner, is profiled in this month’s issue, recently received two of the five major awards at the annual International Interior Design Association PA/NJ/DE Awards. arQitecture was honored with the Judge’s Choice Award and the first-ever Up and Coming Firm to Watch Award for its work with Rainbow Dry Cleaners, Pizza by Elizabeths, and Thorobreads Café. For more on the firm, continued on next page visit arQitecture.com.
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City Notes
Renovation of Wilmington dry-goods building to begin this fall Preservation Initiatives will begin work on the old Wilmington Dry Goods building in October. “This will create 14 loft apartments”—both one-bedroom and two-bedroom units—“and six boutique retail spaces, one of which will be marketed for a bar or restaurant,” Preservation Initiatives
Do your part to boost blood-bank donations during the slow summer The seventh annual Summer Blood Challenge continues now through Sept. 5. The challenge is a competition among local employers to recruit the most Blood Bank members and donors during the slower summer months, when fewer people typically give blood. Many employers, including the City of Wilmington, have participated in the Summer Blood Challenge for years. The challenge’s theme— “Summertime and the Giving Is Easy”—sends a message that despite the current economic times, giving blood is still a great (and easy) way to give back this summer. Blood Challenge participants also earn chances to win prizes, including $50 Visa gift cards, a $500 Visa gift
spokesman Chris Winburn says. “We expect to finish the first phase in December 2010”—the Fourth and Market side of the block—“and the rest in early 2011,” which will be the Fifth and Market side
card, and an all-inclusive vacation for two in Punta Cana. For more info, visit delmarvablood.org.
Historical Society, others create single-rate admission The Brandywine Museums & Gardens Alliance—a group of nine member institutions that include the Brandywine River Museum, the Delaware Art Museum, the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts, the Delaware Museum of Natural History, the Delaware Historical Society & Read House, Hagley Museum & Library, Longwood Gardens, Rockwood Museum, and Winterthur—has created a single-rate admission ticket that gives visitors the opportunity to visit all nine venues at a discount. One-time general admission is $35 for individuals or $75 for families (two adults and up
to three children). For more info, visit brandywinetreasures.org.
Christina Cultural Arts Center receives United Way award On June 25, the United Way of Delaware presented the 2008 Community Impact Award to Christina Cultural Arts Center, Children & Families First, and CHEER. CCAC makes arts education affordable to youth from low-income families. Children & Families First is an advocacy group for children’s needs, while CHEER provides services to seniors. “[CCAC] not only meets, but, in fact, surpasses these criteria because of its critical and compassionate programs targeting urban families,” says Michelle A. Taylor, president and CEO of United Way of Delaware.
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Name: Julio Lazzarini Age: 34 Business: Orillas Tapas Bar & Restaurant Name: Megan Healy & Amy Trelenberg Age: 25 Business: Shopmamie.com
Type of Business: Specializing in Mediterranean and Spanish cuisine Years in business: Eight months Recent accomplishments: Chef Lazzarini competed on the Food Network program Chopped, while Orillas was named “Best Tapas Bar in Delaware” by Delaware Today magazine. Favorite thing about running your own business: The challenges, Lazzarini says. “The headaches keep you looking for creative solutions.” Least favorite thing about running your own business: The long days. “Your energy fades out of sheer exhaustion,” Lazzarini says. What factors do you attribute to your success? “Drive, desire, and an unwavering passion for quality food made out of simple ingredients,” Lazzarini says. Advice to anyone starting his or her own business: Make sure you’re in it for the long haul, Lazzarini says. “Be ready to commit to your business until is successful; that is, until it becomes your only source of energy and creativity.” When I need to get away from it all, I … “Retreat to the ocean. It’s calm, honest, and unassuming, yet fierce.”
Type of Business: An online women’s clothing store and traveling boutique carrying items under $100 Years in business: One and a half Recent accomplishments: Healy and Trelenberg just launched an affiliate program designed to increase business across the country. They’ve also spoken at fashion classes at UD and have been invited to be fashion stylists at the launch party for a new Bacardi drink in New York City. How did you get your start? “We started Shopmamie.com two years after college with a dream and a great idea,” Healy says. “We worked months and months on our business plan and put together our nominal savings until we had enough funds to create a website and buy our first season of clothes. We threw a Shopmamie.com launch party on March 5, 2008. It was a success—we sold out of most of our clothes that night. From there, we quit our jobs to commit full-time.” Favorite thing about running your own business: “We’re our own bosses, we make our own hours, and we wear flirty sundresses to work. What beats that?” Healy jokes. On a more serious note,
“We love the happiness it brings us. The feeling of success and fulfilling your dreams is the best.” Least favorite thing about running your own business: The responsibility. “Your work follows you everywhere,” Healy says. “When something fails, you can’t blame anyone but yourself.” What factors do you attribute to your success? The cohesiveness they share as coowners is important. “Amy is the financial, technological, and more analytical partner,” Healy says. “I’m the more creative idea person and social networker.” Advice to anyone starting his or her own business: Always have successful people around you with good advice, Healy says. “My dad, Jack Healy, owns a successful construction company [Healy, Long & Jevin Concrete Contractors], and Amy’s dad is a retired DuPont engineer who traveled the world supervising plants. They provide amazing advice.” When we need to get away from it all, we … “Beach! We’re both total beach-lovers. We frequent Stone Harbor for relaxation and Dewey to let our hair down.” in AUGUST 2009 | 13
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Name: Savette Thatch Age: 30 Business: Polished Salon Type of Business: An all-natural nail salon Years in business: Two and a half Recent accomplishments: After finding success with their first store, in Hockessin— which drew customers from North Wilmington, West Chester, and Kennett Square—Savette and her sister Thu opened a second location, in Trolley Square, in April. Favorite thing about running your own business: You get what you give, Thatch says. “The hard work and time put into the business is always paid back.” Least favorite thing about running your own business: Good help is hard to find, Thatch says. “But so far, once I find the right workers, they never leave.” What factors do you attribute to your success? Loving what you do, Thatch says. “I look forward to coming in to work everyday. I would do it seven days a week if I didn’t have a husband and child,” she laughs. Advice to anyone starting his or her own business: Test the water before diving right in. “Try working in your industry for at least a year to see if you’re cut out for it,” Thatch says. When I need to get away from it all, I … “This sounds crazy,” Thatch says, “But I never want to get away from it. I come to work to get away from everything else.” 12 . On the Cover magazine
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Least favorite thing about running your own business: “Getting paid,” Danner says. “Cash flow is king. The hardest part is on the business side—paying bills, making payroll. When clients owe you even small amounts of money, that can make a big difference.” What factors do you attribute to your success? Accessibility and hard work. “Being in the city is a big advantage, too,” Danner says. “The separation of people is minimal. You could meet the CEO of a company if you wanted to.” Advice to anyone starting his or her own business: Ask yourself if you have the passion, Danner says. “The idea is that the grass is always greener. But I have a lot more respect for my former employers now. There were things I wasn’t cognizant of as an employee. You see your boss come and go and you don’t know what he’s doing, but it’s necessary to business. The boss is constantly marketing the company.”
Recent accomplishments: Davenport created the 2009 DuPont Clifford Brown Jazz Festival logo, and she’ll have a solo multimedia show at the inaugural Fringe Fest in October. She also recently attended a casting call for artists for an upcoming show on Bravo, although she says with a laugh, “I’m sworn to secrecy not to reveal any details.” How did you get your start? Davenport got her photography start in high school, scoring backstage passes to shoot bands passing through the Philly area, then landing her shots in magazines and fanzines. Among her early subjects: Moby, Outkast, X, and the Misfits. “I’ve wanted to be an artist all my life,” Davenport says, “but I got the feeling that it wasn’t very supported, so I had to choose a career.” She went with graphic design, earning degrees from UD and DCAD while working at MBNA.
Years in business: Four and a half
Favorite thing about running your own business: Being able to be herself, Davenport says. “When I think about where I’ve been—I worked at MBNA for six years. I’m someone who had a mohawk in high school and went to clubs to listen to industrial music. My career as an artist wasn’t compatible with a corporate lifestyle. I’m very grateful for those opportunities, but I felt like I had to suppress that part of my personality to fit in.”
Recent accomplishments: arQitecture picked up two big honors from the International Interior Design Association for work on Rainbow Dry Cleaners, Pizza by Elizabeths, and Thorobreads Café.
Least favorite thing about running your own business: Having steady income is a challenge. Also, “There’s no one to delegate work to—except my husband, who helps lug around my paintings,” Davenport laughs.
How did you get your start? A merger of frustration and fate, Danner says. “I decided to take a chance at doing things better than how they were being done at my old job. I got tired of feeling, ‘I think I could do this better.’” A tragedy at a friend’s wedding put things in deeper perspective. “I realized life was too short to wait any longer.”
What factors do you attribute to your success? Tenacity. “If I want something, I’m not afraid to ask, ” she says.
Name: Todd Danner Age: 32 Business: arQitecture Type of Business: A firm specializing in architectural and interior design, graphics, textiles, and furniture
Favorite thing about running your own business: The “idea of freedom,” as Danner puts it. “I don’t know if I have any more freedom than I did before, but now I can work from home and be with my kids more.”
When I need to get away from it all, I … “Get back to my roots. I sit outside and sketch—be creative. The sketchbook in my hands makes me remember why I’m doing this.”
Name: Sarah Davenport Age: 30 Business: Phengo Photography & Design Years in business: Davenport has been a freelance photographer for 13 years. This is her first year as a full-time entrepreneur.
Advice to anyone starting his or her own business: Eliminate the fear, Davenport says. “That’s what holds people back: fear of failure, fear people won’t like it. It’s taken me half my life to do this full-time. You always have to start somewhere.”
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AUGUST 2009 | 11 magazine
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What factors do you attribute to your success? Davis adopts a multi-tiered strategy. “Research, dedication, discipline, faith in my products, and support,” he says.
Least favorite thing about running your own business: Simply put, the hours. “I don’t get to see my family as much,” Grant says. “I’m always working.”
Advice to anyone starting his or her own business: Think in steps but keep a bigger picture in mind. “Do your homework, be prepared to work very hard, and don’t be afraid to dream big,” Davis says.
What factors do you attribute to your success? Understanding that the business is part of a larger community. “We’re the people’s restaurant. We understand the economic conditions right now, so we discount larger portions. People are picking up on the value.” Advice to anyone starting his or her own business: Anything is possible—as long as you don’t quit. “One of the reasons the restaurant is called The Rebel is because people told me not to do it,” Grant says. “The economy was tough. People didn’t want to see me fail. And I was already in a situation that was comfortable.”
Name: Alex Grant Age: 27 Business: The Rebel
When I need to get away from it all, I … “Go to the bathroom and lock the door,” Grant laughs. “I actually go up the street to Orillas and have some sangria. It’s a different environment from The Rebel. Also, every Sunday, I go to breakfast with my girlfriend and son. We make it a family day.”
Years in business: Six and a half Recent accomplishments: CORE teamed up with the Delaware Sports League to offer affordable training to a group of six. To date, the CORE Fitness/DSL Team Edition has lost a total of 30 lbs. In addition, the “Be Beautiful, Be Healthy, Be Empowered Contest”—a dance/fitness contest sponsored by CORE, Starliters Dance Studio, and Out & About—is underway. “My biggest personal goal to date,” Missimer says, “is the pursuit of a doctorate of physical therapy degree at Neumann University.” She graduates next May. How did you get your start? “Earlier in my career, I was given the opportunity to team up with Kim Dare, a physical therapist who owns and operates Physical Therapy Connection, to lease space adjacent to her practice. It was a great opportunity. I saw the potential and went for it.” Least favorite thing about running your own business: “Everything is up to me, ultimately: the decision-making, the advertising, the managing. All this, coupled with long hours, can present a challenge. But it’s worth it in the end. This isn’t just a job I go to each day—it’s a huge part of my life.”
Type of Business: A restaurant specializing in Southern and Caribbean cuisine Years in business: The Rebel turns a year old next month. How did you get your start? Grant earned his degree in nutrition and dietetics from Delaware State University, then found work as a nutrition-service coordinator and foodbuyer for a school district in Trenton, N.J. “I always knew I wanted to own my own business,” he says. He began doing catering out of his house, on the side, which eventually evolved into a fullscale restaurant. Favorite thing about running your own business: The sky’s the limit, Grant says. “You reap as much as you put into it. When I was working for the school district, I could put in 100 hours but it wouldn’t matter—I wasn’t making any more money.”
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Name: Arianne Missimer Age: 28 Business: CORE Fitness
Type of Business: CORE’s fitness programs include corrective exercise, injury prevention, performance enhancement, and nutritional counseling.
What factors do you attribute to your success? “I’m a firm believer of Albert Schweitzer’s quote, ‘Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.’” When I need to get away from it all, I … “Love to dance. That’s my form of relaxation. Of course, my other favorites are working out; walking my dog, Zoey Anne; and fitting in travel whenever time permits.” continued on page 11
AUGUST 2009 | 9 magazine
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On the Cover
Saving for the Future Meet 10 city entrepreneurs, all under the age of 35 By Michael Pollock
What factors do you attribute to your success? “Beyond a shadow of a doubt, I attribute the success of my company to our unique team. Every project we design and install is custom and unique to our clients’ needs. I’m not kidding when I say I receive more compliments on the quality of our employees than on our finished work.” Advice to anyone starting his or her own business: “Being a business-owner is not for everyone. Day in and day out, there are tough decisions that have to be made. People around you may not agree with or fully understand your decisions, but you have to be willing to do what’s best for you and the well-being of your company.” When I need to get away from it all, I … “Do simple things, like fishing. I love dining at great restaurants. Spending time with my wife and children, and enjoying the serenity of our backyard. I really enjoy that.”
Name: Mike Borsello Age: 32 Business: Borsello Landscaping Type of business: Home-and-garden care. Although, Borsello admits, “It’s difficult to describe what we do in a short phrase. Basically, we design, install, and maintain unique outdoor living spaces, with a focus on our clients’ needs and lifestyles.” Years in business: 14 Recent accomplishments: “We’re installing some great projects,” Borsello says, such as “custom stone fireplaces, Koi ponds, outdoor kitchens, ‘water-wise’ irrigations systems, really colorful plantings.” How did you get your start? “My love of gardening started with my mother and grandmother,” Borsello says. “I learned so much at a young age just being around them. At 82 years old, my grandmother still plants fabulous gardens. Cars slow down when they drive past her house. It’s amazing—I joke about offering her a position in my company.” Least favorite thing about running your own business: “I’m never truly satisfied. I’m not sure yet if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. I always feel as if I could do a better job. I’m always looking for ways to improve.”
Name: Bruce Davis Age: 27 Business: Urban Avenue Type of business: A clothing store specializing in streetwear and contemporary styles for men and women Years in business: Two How did you get your start? A little bit (OK, a lot) of family support. “My parents gave me the opportunity to get things started after they refinanced their house,” Davis says. Favorite thing about running your own business: The challenges that come with trying to be successful. “I love the idea of building an empire,” Davis says. Least favorite thing about running your own business: The hours—not that there are too many of them, Davis says, but rather, that there are too few. “There’s so little time,” he says, “but so much to do.”
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because it’s going to foster a culture that will bring more bright young people to the area.” Lee Mikles, founder and CEO of the Archer Group, says entrepreneurs are fortunate to have so many large companies in Wilmington. “If you can succeed here with corporate clients, it sets you up nationally, because you know how to interact with a corporate client,” he says. “You can use that skill and experience to get work beyond your backyard.” Mikles, Danner, and Matt Urban, a partner in Mobius New Media, enjoy the easy access they have to movers and shakers in Wilmington. “In New York City, I’d be a dime a dozen. Here you get to meet and know people quickly, and good news travels fast,” Danner says. “The CEO of a big company might go to the same church as you, or your kids might go to the same school.” “If you have a good reputation, that can open a lot of doors. People you see in Rotary, in service organizations, can connect you,” Mikles says. “I was able to come in with only a few years’ experience and make an impact on the Delaware Technology Forum, and in Rotary on the board of directors. There’s a lot of opportunity to get involved at a high level.” Being civic-minded also strengthens personal networks, Mikles says, citing connections made through business-themed activities at the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts. Urban thrives on the pulse of being downtown—“You walk down the street and you see someone. You grab lunch and one of your clients is in line”—and the easy access to city government officials. “I can pick up the phone, call [City Hall] and have a constructive conversation on how to make things work. There’s this incredible access, and eagerness for new ideas and new energy,” Urban says. Maureen C. Johnson, Parcels CEO and coowner of the business with her husband, Jim, says “the city is very open to entrepreneurs who are doing a good job. They’ve been fair to us, and you can talk to them if you want to.” The city’s Economic Development Office and the local SBA office provide a wide range of assistance to businesses in their early stages. Resources include counseling and training as well as financing opportunities. SBA financing options, Armstrong says, include governmentguaranteed loans that reduce participating banks’ lending exposure. The city has an economic-development strategic fund that provides incentives to start-ups and established businesses who promise to bring new jobs to the city, says Jeff Flynn, Wilmington’s deputy director of economic development. Flynn’s
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CAPTURING BUSINESS Photographer Laura Novak recently used an SBAbacked loan to purchase new office space on Delaware Avenue in Trolley Square. “The location is ideal and my overhead is low,” she says.
office also refers entrepreneurs who don’t qualify for bank financing to the First State Community Loan Fund and the Wilmington Economic Development Corp. “Other than wanting a more abundant source of low-cost financing, I think we have all the tools we need” to help entrepreneurs get started, Flynn says. SBA support has helped numerous entrepreneurs. Laura Novak, owner of Laura Novak Photography, recently used an SBA-backed loan to purchase new office space on Delaware Avenue in Trolley Square. Although she has clients throughout the mid-Atlantic states and a satellite office in Manhattan, Novak is glad she’s based in Wilmington. “The location is ideal and my overhead is relatively low,” she says. Like Novak, Dayna Moore, director of Lessons Learned Daycare and Preschool on Union Street, benefited from Armstrong’s mentoring and counseling at SBA. “She guided us to financial opportunities and is very helpful to early-childhood education as a whole,” Moore says. Today’s tough economy isn’t particularly helpful to restaurant and retail entrepreneurs, Armstrong and others note. In this environment, Armstrong adds, it’s important to “get the public thinking more about small business and recognizing that it’s just as important as corporate jobs” on the road to economic recovery. “We need a more mobile downtown community, more workers coming out on their lunch hour to support local businesses,” she says. “The more established businesses support the entrepreneurial climate, the better off we’ll be,” Browning says. “It’s a win-win.” in
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On the Cover
Small Business, Big Opportunities The city’s corporate culture is giving way to new businesses, run by entrepreneurs going out on their own
By Larry Nagengast
I
n a city long dominated by corporate titans, entrepreneurs are charting fresh paths to prosperity for their small and mid-sized businesses. For many of them, that path includes one common element: they’ve used strong relationships with Wilmington’s major corporations, banks, and law firms as an essential stepping stone to their own success. Consider the following examples.
THE TRICKLE-DOWN EFFECT Lluminari.com’s Elizabeth Browning believes big business has an important role in nurturing newer, smaller operations. “It’s going to foster a culture that will bring more young people to the area,” she says. ONE ON ONE The Archer Group’s Lee Mikles. “If you can succeed here with corporate clients, it sets you up nationally, because you know how to interact with a corporate client,” he says. “You can use that skill and experience to get work beyond your backyard.”
Parcels Inc., started 25 years ago as a courier service for law firms, has expanded into electronic-document management and retrieval, trial-support services, and mailroom management for about 15 downtown firms. When out-oftown lawyers come to Wilmington for trials, Parcels trucks in their equipment and files, sets up their temporary office, and caters to their every need. The Archer Group, a six-year-old interactive marketing firm, has doubled in size in the last 18 months, thanks in part to relationships developed with two Wilmington-based credit-card banks and regional pharmaceutical businesses. Mobius New Media, another interactive marketer, started in the city 12 years ago, moved out to the suburbs, and returned to Market Street last fall to be closer to its growing roster of clients. Lluminari.com, an online healthmedia company founded in 2001, gained initial financial support from local private investors and a year’s worth of rent payments from the DuPont Co. Based on the Riverfront for five years, it now has an office in New York,
a consumer-oriented web site called bewell.com, and a national network of more than 30 doctors/writers. Architect Todd Danner left another Wilmington firm in 2005 to start his own company, arQitecture, and his innovative designs have helped him secure real estate developer and property manager the Buccini/Pollin Group as a major client. These examples provide solid evidence that Wilmington can be a good place to be an entrepreneur. While there’s a lot more required for success than going to City Hall and getting a business license, entrepreneurs and their advocates share optimism about the future. “Everything is in alignment for small-business success, but we’ve got to believe in it,” says Jayne Armstrong, director of the Delaware office of the Small Business Administration. That alignment, Armstrong and others noted, starts with an economicdevelopment mantra that Gov. Markell has been preaching: “The next big thing is 100 little things.” “I agree 100 percent,” says Elizabeth A. Browning, Lluminari’s founder and CEO. “That’s a very visionary statement.” Big businesses, Browning says, have an important role in nurturing the newer, smaller operations in the city and the state. “Securing opportunities from large businesses is critical to getting small businesses up and running,” she says. “The more opportunities large companies can give small businesses, the more it helps the overall economy, and the better it is for the large companies,
6 . On the Cover magazine
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• CityLife Block Party Series August 6 – October 1 Plaza at City Center, 5:30–9pm Tatnall Street between 10th & 11th streets 425-5500; downtownwilmington.com Friday, August 7 • Ellen Pyle Gallery Chat with Lisa Smith, great-granddaughter of the artist Delaware Art Museum, 6–7pm 2301 Kentmere Parkway; 571-9590 delart.org • “Luminaria Labyrinth Walks” Delaware Art Museum, 6–8pm 2301 Kentmere Parkway; 571-9590 delart.org • “Glory Stories: My Many Colored Days” by Dr. Seuss Delaware Art Museum, 10:30–11:30pm 2301 Kentmere Parkway; 571-9590 delart.org • Art Exhibit: Bill Deering Delaware Center for Horticulture 5:30–8:30pm 1810 N. DuPont Street; 658-6262 dehort.org • Riverfront Blues Festival August 7–9 Tubman Garret Park Riverfront Wilmington; 576-3095 riverfrontbluesfest.com
571-9590; delart.org • Destination Fashion The Baby Grand, 7pm-11pm 818 N. Market Street ticketsatthegrand.org Tuesday, August 18 • Exclusive Wine Dinners at Orillas Tapas Bar & Restaurant Orillas Tapas Bar & Restaurant 7–10pm; 413 N. Market Street 427-9700; orillastapasbar.com Thursday, August 20 • Legendary Sinners Dravo Plaza, 7–8:30pm Riverfront Wilmington; 425-4890 riverfrontwilm.com Friday, August 21 • “Glory Stories: Planting a Rainbow “ by Lois Ehlert Delaware Art Museum, 10:30–11:30pm 2301 Kentmere Parkway; 571-9590 delart.org Wednesday, August 26 • 8th Annual Blue Rocks 5K Frawley Stadium, 5–7:30pm Wilmington Riverfront; 661-7300 lls.org/de/bluerocks5k
magazine
Thursday, August 27 • The Tim Laushey Orchestra Dravo Plaza, 7–8:30pm Riverfront Wilmington; 425-4890 riverfrontwilm.com Friday, August 28 • “Glory Stories: Rainbow Fish” by Marcus Pfister Delaware Art Museum, 10:30–11:30pm 2301 Kentmere Parkway; 571-9590 delart.org Saturday, August 29 • August Quarterly August 29–30 Tubman-Garret Park, Noon–9pm Riverfront Wilmington; 652-9937 augustquarterly.org
Sunday, August 9 • Second Sunday Film Series Delaware Art Museum, 1:30–3:30pm 2301 Kentmere Parkway; 571-9590 delart.org Tuesday, August 11 • Blue Rocks vs. Winston-Salem August 11–13 Frawley Stadium, 7-10:15pm Riverfront Wilmington bluerocks.com • Weeded Library Book Sale August 11–12 Wilmington Library, 9am-7pm 10th & Market streets on the 3rd floor 571-7407 Thursday, August 13 • Danny Quinn - Family Night Dravo Plaza, 7–8:30pm Riverfront Wilmington; 425-4890 riverfrontwilm.com Friday, August 14 • “Glory Stories: Life Doesn’t Frighten Me” by Maya Angelou Delaware Art Museum, 10:30–11:30pm 2301 Kentmere Parkway; 571-9590 delart.org • Blue Rocks vs. Potomac August 14–16 Frawley Stadium, 7–10:15pm Riverfront Wilmington; bluerocks.com Saturday, August 15 • “Exposed! Revealing Sources in Contemporary Art” August 15 – October 4 Delaware Art Museum 2301 Kentmere Parkway
Exposed! Revealing Sources in Contemporary Art. Aug. 15 to Oct. 4. Del Art Museum. Richard Prince’s Runaway Nurse, an oil-on-canvas painting from 2006, is one of several striking pieces that explore pop culture through art as part of Exposed!, on display at the Delaware Art Museum starting Aug. 15.
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In Calendar
DON’T MISS
August Quarterly. Aug. 7-30. Various downtown events and locations. The August Quarterly Festival, sometimes called the Big Quarterly, is a celebration of religious freedom that runs throughout the month.
8/6, 8/20
8/7 - 8/30
CityLife Block Party Series
August Quarterly
@ Plaza at City Center, 5:30–9pm
@ Tubman-Garret Park,Noon–9pm
@ Delaware Art Museum
downtownwilmington.com
augustquarterly.org
delart.org
Saturday, August 1 • 7th Annual Summer Blood Challenge August 1–5 Blood Bank of Delaware, Wilmington Center 913 N. Market Street; (800) 548-4009 delmarvablood.org • “Illustrating Her World: Ellen B. T. Pyle” August 1 – January 3, 2010 Delaware Art Museum 2301 Kentmere Parkway; 571-9590; delart.org • “John Sloan in Philadelphia and New York” August 1 – September 30 Delaware Art Museum 2301 Kentmere Parkway; 571-9590 delart.org • “Maritime Storytime” August 1 – October 3 Delaware History Museum 10:30am-11:30am 4 . In Calendar
504 N. Market Street; 295-2395 • Henrietta Johnson Medical Center 5K Dravo Plaza, 8-11am Riverfront Wilmington; 655-6187 races2run.com • Blue Rocks vs. Salem Frawley Stadium, 6:15-9:15pm Riverfront Wilmington; bluerocks.com Sunday, August 2 • Blue Rocks vs. Salem Frawley Stadium, 1:30–4:30pm Riverfront Wilmington bluerocks.com Tuesday, August 4 • LoMa Fresh Market August 4 – September 22 3rd & Market Streets, 11am–2pm 302-425-5500; downtownwilmington.com • River Taxi Family Night August 4 – 25; Dravo Plaza, 5–8pm Riverfront Wilmington; 425-4890 riverfrontwilm.com
Starts 8/15 Exposed!
Wednesday, August 5 • River Taxi Wine Cruise August 5–19 Dravo Plaza, 5:30–8:30am Riverfront Wilmington; 425-4890 riverfrontwilm.com Thursday, August 6 • Tree Care Club Pruning Delaware Center for Horticulture 6–8pm; 658-6262; dehort.org • Citizens Bank Shipyard Summer Concert Series August 6–27 Dravo Plaza, 7pm-8:30pm Wilmington Riverfront; 425-4890 riverfrontwilm.com • Alfie Moss and the Dexter Koonce Project Dravo Plaza, 7–8:30pm Riverfront Wilmington; 425-4890 riverfrontwilm.com
magazine
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7/24/2009 11:58:41 AM
Produced by magazine
all rights reserved
TSN Publishing, Inc. President Gerald DuPhily
Editor-in-Chief Michael Pollock
August 2009 volume 1, issue 3
6 Cover Story
Cover photo of Mike Borsello by Tim Hawk
Small Business, Big Opportunities The city’s corporate culture is giving way to smaller businesses, run by entrepreneurs going out on their own. By Larry Nagengast
Art Director Matthew Loeb Senior Graphic Designer Joy Smoker Junior Graphic Designer Shawna Sneath
Director of Sales Jim Hunter Miller Sales Associate Marie Graham Project Manager Christine Serio
Contributing Writers Josephine Eccel, Pam George Carol Kipp, Larry Nagengast Shari Williams, Bob Yearick
8 Entrepreneurs
Saving for the Future Meet 10 city business-owners, all under the age of 35. By Michael Pollock
18 People Sinatra, His Way Former Shipley Grill owner Sean Reilly discovers a second career—channeling Ol’ Blue Eyes. By Bob Yearick 4
In Calendar
11
In This Together
14
City Notes
18
Wilmington Renaissance News
20
Riverfront
Contributing Photographers Joe del Tufo, Tim Hawk Les Kipp, Matt Urban
For editorial and advertising information: p (302) 655-6483 f (302) 654-0569
ABOUT THE “IN” CAMPAIGN Wilmington is truly in the middle of it all, and the “in” campaign is a celebration of the accomplishments we continue to achieve as a community to make our city stronger and more attractive. From neighborhood and business development to our arts and cultural scene, the people of Wilmington are working together to support our city’s ongoing growth and prosperity.
ABOUT WILMINGTON MAGAZINE TSN Publishing, Inc. 307 A Street Wilmington, DE 19801
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The mission of Wilmington Magazine is to capture, through stories and images, the ongoing energy present in the city. We aim to inform readers, both inside and outside Wilmington, of the city’s residential, financial, and cultural progress while remaining entertaining and vibrant.
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E THIS ISSU
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Small Business = Big Opportunities Sean Reilly’s Blue-Eyed Act August Quarterly, Blues Festival & More Summer Fun
August 2009 | Vol. 1 | Issue 3
7/27/2009 12:23:10 PM