Out and About April Issue - The Annual Dining Issue

VOL. 24 NO. 2

APRIL 2011

PLUS: >>> Restaurants reach for the middle

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>>> A chef becomes a customer

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>>> Is vinyl saving the record store? >>> Kevin Ramsey's latest stage adventure

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OutAndAboutNow.Com

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March  | O&A

3/25/2011 4:32:36 PM

INSIDE

Published each month by TSN Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Mailing & business address: 307 A Street, Wilmington, DE 19801

O&ACONTENTS April 2011 | Vol. 24, No. 2 | www.outandaboutnow.com

FEATURES Publisher Gerald DuPhily

15 UP CLOSE: THE DINING ISSUE

Editor-in-Chief Michael Pollock

We offer a preview of Meals from the Masters, one of the biggest culinary weekends of the year. Plus, Pam George looks at how both upscale and casual restaurants are broadening their appeal. And: the results of our annual dining survey.

25 THE ARTS: KEVIN RAMSEY Director of Publications Jim Hunter Miller Director of Sales Marie Graham Creative/Production Manager Matthew Loeb

The playwright, actor, director, music lover, and history buff tells us about his latest, Chasin’ Dem Blues.

33 SHORT STORY: AUTUMN SON The winning entry in this year’s writing contest. By Adam Albright

42 MUSIC: ROUND & ROUND Vinyl has made a huge comeback. Can it save what’s left of the music industry?

By Michael Pollock

Art Director Joy Smoker Senior Graphic Designer Shawna Sneath

DEPARTMENTS 7

Contributing Editor Bob Yearick Contributing Writers Mark Fields, Richard L. Gaw, Pam George Carol Kipp, Robert Lhulier J. Burke Morrison, Larry Nagengast

Out Front

27 Food & Drink 42 Music 51 Nightlife 57 Flip Page

Contributing Photographers Joe del Tufo, Dennis Dischler Tim Hawk, Les Kipp, Matt Urban Editorial Intern Arielle From

For editorial and advertising information: (302) 655-6483 • Fax (302) 654-0569 Website: www.outandaboutnow.com Email: contact@tsnpub.com

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3/25/2011 4:35:13 PM

DIVISION OF MOTOR VEHICLES

The Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles is now issuing more secure, federally compliant driver licenses and identification cards.

In order to obtain your new driver license or ID card, you will need to collect and bring a few important source documents to provide proof of: s Identity (Name and Date of Birth) s U.S. citizenship/Legal presence s Social Security Number s 2 proofs of Delaware residency s Name change documents (if applicable) You can find everything you need to know at

SecureID.dmv.de.gov or call toll free

877-477-7117

Editor’s Note

I

started at Out & About six years ago working as an assistant editor, where I wrote features and edited our music section. I took great pride—and still do—in writing band and artist profiles, spotlighting local releases, and covering our eclectic community of musicians.

That’s why I’m especially excited about this month’s feature on vinyl. Once the dominant format for music fans, vinyl fell victim in the late ’80s and early ’90s to the increasing convenience of CDs and cassettes before settling into its role as collector’s item. But with music sales sliding across the board, vinyl has found that being niche can pay off.

Learn more on pg. 42. And remember that Friday, April 15 is Record Store Day. Many of the shops mentioned in our story are participating. Go to recordstoreday.com for more.

Record stores aren’t the only business adjusting their approach to stay relevant. As we find out in Pam George’s “Eating in the Middle,” restaurants both upscale and casual are changing menu options to appease budgetconscious diners. The piece is part of our inaugural Dining Issue package, which begins on pg. 15.

Enjoy, and thanks for reading.

Michael Pollock, Editor-in-Chief 6 . Out Front

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April  | O&A

3/25/2011 2:31:14 PM

The War

OUTFRONT

ON WORDS

By Bob Yearick

A monthly column in which we attempt, however futilely, to correct some of the most common errors in English usage

Super Bowl slip-ups As promised, “War” kept a tally of verbal blunders committed during the run-up to and actual broadcast of this year’s Super Bowl. We overestimated the over-under at 10, but we did see and hear the following gaffes: • An official interviewed during a pregame show said there probably would be “less” penalties called than in a regular-season game.

As “War” has noted, the word “fewer” is not part of most people’s vocabularies. Use it when referring to plurals.

• Color analyst Troy Aikman said that Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers is “playing sensational…” Should have been “sensationally,” of course.

• Play-by-play man Joe Buck spoke of “a 9-1 winning percentage.” Not really a grammatical faux pas, but as any mathematician knows, 9-1 is not a percentage, it’s a ratio.

• In the Philadelphia Inquirer sports pages, Jeff McLane reported that the Steelers had “eked past the Ravens and the Jets.” At best, this is nonstandard. At worst, it’s just wrong.

Eke almost always must be followed by “out,” as in “They eked out victories over the Ravens and Jets.”

• And, of course, there were several references to the “frozen tundra of Green Bay.” Tundra, as pointed out previously in this space, is frozen ground, making this a classic and persistent redundancy.

• Finally, we offer this—without comment— from ESPN analyst Ron Jaworski: “You have to understand the conceptual concept of Green Bay’s offense.”

Media Watch Larry Platt, new editor of the Philadelphia Daily News, defending the use of the initials WTF (followed by a question mark) on the newspaper’s front page, called the initials “an acronym.” Not www.out-and-about.com

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WORD OF THE MONTH

superannuated Pronounced super-ann-yuated, it means retired, worn out or out-of-date.

quite. An acronym is a word formed by the first letters of a name, as in DART (Delaware Area Regional Transport).

How long, oh lord, how long?

“War” recently went for an eye exam and came across this sign at one of the several billing desks: “Dr. Savilingam’s patient’s.” Hey, at least they got the first apostrophe in the right place.

Literally of the Month/ Dept. of Redundancies Dept.

WIP radio’s Angelo Cataldi, always a potential “War” contributor, recently gave us a two-fer when he described Charlie Sheen, Lindsay Lohan, and other celebs as “literally complete and total train wrecks.”

Academia Gleanings from recent Wilmington University press releases: “abuzz” as two words —”Faculty and staff are a buzz with excitement.” And this: “Commencement was divided into three separate ceremonies”—as opposed to three of the same ceremony?

Even “War”… …believe it or not, learns something about the language now and then. Take trooper/trouper. My son and I, emailing about his wife, who just gave birth to twins (boy and girl, perfect little beings!), called her a “trooper.” Then, “War” got a note from a friend who called his wife, doing hospital volunteer duty, a “trouper.” Turns out the latter is correct.

A trouper is not just “a professional performer for whom the show must go on, no matter what.”

In Merriam-Webster, it also means “a person who deals with and persists through difficulty or hardship without complaint.”

BONUS

WORD OF THE MONTH sophistry Pronounced sof-istry, it means the use of reasoning or arguments that sound correct but are actually false (as in the rhetoric generated by most political campaigns).

Seen a good

(bad) one lately?

Send your candidates to allwriter@ comcast.net.

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3/25/2011 2:32:00 PM

OUTFRONT Littering in parks. Based on the amount of trash on the ground in public parks, it’s evident that plenty of people don’t understand that parks are a privilege. Parks exist because enough of us believe everyone deserves clean, outdoor spaces to enjoy, and that it’s important to protect our wildlife and natural resources. Like it or not, many parks in Delaware are “carry in, carry out,” meaning trashcans aren’t provided. With that in mind, if you aren’t willing to clean up after yourself, perhaps your next picnic should be in your own backyard.

That Is Not OK!

By Marie Graham

t last month’s St. Patrick’s Day parade, I saw something really unnerving. A boy, who appeared to be about 8 years old, caught a piece of candy that was tossed from a float, removed the wrapper, and nonchalantly tossed it on the ground. The adult with him observed this and totally disregarded it. I’m not here to lecture anyone on parenting, but I’ll tell you that littering is definitely not OK. The situation got me thinking how gross and disrespectful throwing trash on the ground is. I really can’t imagine any scenario where littering is acceptable, but here are a few specific kinds of litter that I find particularly offensive.

A

Cigarette butts. I don’t understand why so many smokers seem to think it’s OK to throw butts on the ground. Do I think smoking in general is gross? Sure. But as long as you aren’t within nose-shot of me, it really isn’t my business. But it becomes my business when the evidence of your dirty habit is scattered around stoplights, picnic benches, beaches, and other shared spaces. If you want to throw your butts on your living-room floor, don’t let me stop you. But when you’re in public, stop being so lazy and start disposing of them properly.

Gum. Who hasn’t suffered from gum on the shoe?

Or accidentally touched the gum that someone stuck to the bottom of a table or chair? It’s filthy and can ruin the unsuspecting victim’s clothes, hair—maybe even his or her whole day.

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Fast-food wrappers. Fortunately, you don’t see this one as frequently as the others—even the casual litter bug realizes this is completely despicable— but I bet that you’ve witnessed people throwing white bags with golden arches on them out their car window, after they’ve finished having it “their way.” Then there is the classic move where one simply leaves the whole bag of trash in his or her parking spot before pulling away. Environment aside, it’s not OK to expect others to have to clean up your mess.

Perhaps you don’t want to hear about carbon footprints and think the concept of global warming is ridiculous.

After all, it did snow this past February.

Or maybe you simply don’t have time to participate in a river clean-up. But you don’t have to be a tree hugger to realize that littering impacts your fellow Delawarean. So pick up after yourself (wind is not an excuse—you know who you are!). Teach your kids to put their trash in a trash/recycling can. And if you’re walking in the park and see an empty bag of chips on the ground, bend over and pick it up. I know it wasn’t yours, but it’s your park and it’s good for your waistline.

Feedback Feedback is always OK. Write me at: mgraham@tsnpub.com

April  | O&A

3/25/2011 2:33:08 PM

GOING DEEP A local playwright explores a baseball legend’s life off the field hat better way to wrap up one season and ring in another? With a play about a baseball legend, of course.

As the area’s performing-arts season comes to a close and baseball springs into action, Opera Delaware will host Studio 241’s production of DiMaggio, a new work by award-winning local playwright (and occasional O&A and Wilmington Magazine contributor) Richard L. Gaw. The play makes its debut on April 8 at the Opera Delaware Studios on Poplar Street in downtown Wilmington.

DiMaggio is set in 1993, and imagines the famed Yankee in his twilight years.

Deeply personal revelations unfold as DiMaggio works with a jaded sportswriter to compose the story he always wanted written about himself.

“I grew up in New York as a Yankee fan,” Gaw tells us. “I was intrigued by DiMaggio’s polite distance from the public eye, given that he was the greatest ballplayer of his generation, and that he married one of the most famous women in the world. I wanted to explore what the volley between fame and solitude can do to someone and where it leaves him at the end of his life.”

Performances will be held on April 8, 9, 14, 15, and 16, all at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 and available the day of show.

W

FASHION & FUNDRAISING L-R: Dawn Filandro, Michelle Kramer-Fitzgerald, Francine Stone, and Lori Walsh pose for AIDS Delaware’s Red Ribbon Runway fundraiser at Barclays Bank on Feb. 26. The event raised more than $30,000.

Photo by K.A. Junos of 2XCell Media Productions

FIGHTING FRAUD A new DMV program helps prevent identity theft o one gets excited about going to the DMV. But a new federal security program is making the trip worth your while.

SecureID is part of a federal mandate that came after 9/11 Commission Report findings that exposed shortcomings in identity fraud. The program works with the DMV to create one-time federally compliant driver’s licenses that can be used to board domestic flights and enter federal facilities in place of a passport. The new identification cards also work to prevent ID theft. “They’re virtually impossible to replicate,” Jennifer Cohan, director of the Delaware DMV, says.

To enroll in SecureID, the DMV is encouraging everyone who comes in for or renews his or her license to also bring the original documents that verify the following: identity, legal presence in the United States, Social Security number, Delaware residency, and any name changes (due to marriage, for example).

N

For more info, go to dmv.de.gov.

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Announcing the winners of this year’s short-story contest t was one of the many snowy evenings we experienced in January, and Adam Albright was reading Out & About over dinner at his Kennett Square home. He came across the article about the short-story contest, and the theme, “turning points,” reminded him of a conversation with his mother some 13 years ago. The snow rendered him more or less homebound, so Adam took the opportunity to write a story with that conversation as the focal point. The result, “Autumn Son,” took first place in this year’s contest.

This is the 41-year-old Albright’s first attempt at fiction. He had several articles published in campus newspapers back in his college days at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and as publications coordinator for Hagley Museum and Library, he writes the occasional article for Hagley Magazine. Noting that he spent his college years in Indiana, Pa.—“the Christmas-tree capital of the world”—and that he now lives in “the mushroom capital of the world,” Adam says, “I don’t know what it is with me and towns of internationally renowned agriculture.”

Second place in the 2011 contest goes to Stephen McDonald, of Wilmington, a winner in 2001 and 2008. His story, “Killing the Lights,” will appear in the May issue. The thirdplace winner is Pamela Zwaskis, also of Wilmington, whose story, “Taking Its Toll,” will be published in June.

Congratulations from Out & About and the Delaware Literary Connection to the winners, and thanks to all 54 writers who entered the contest.

I

“I

have to commend you on your magazine. I enjoy it and look forward to each new issue.

In the February Wilmington Magazine, the article ‘Artfully Done’ was excellent. I was disappointed, though, when I got to the Charles Parks section. You mention his most famous statue, Our Lady of Peace, in Santa Clara, Calif.

We have our own Our Lady Queen of Peace shrine, 34 feet tall and weighing 8,400 lbs. She is on the grounds of Holy Spirit Church in New Castle, overlooking 1-295.

It took seven years to raise the $500,000 to build it. Mr. Parks considered this his last hurrah, and kept working on her with every $50,000 we gave him. If you haven’t seen her up close, I recommend that you do.”

— John L. Watson, chairman, Our Lady’s Statue Inc.

“O

n behalf of my band the Cocks, I want to thank you for the story in the February Out & About. After languishing for more than two decades in the Delaware music scene by steadfastly adhering to an alloriginal format, it really boosts my morale when peers recognize your hard work. These little things mean a lot. You’ve got a first-class publication, and the design and layout are superb. I’m a sucker for great design and great photography. I think you’ve got both in spades.”

— Mark Stallard, bassist and vocalist, the Cocks

“‘W

ar on Words’ is ontarget, creative, and universally needed. Thank you.”

— Alan Runk, Greenville

April  | O&A

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SNAPSHOTS 1. A cyclist rolls down King Street for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 12 2. Performers at the St. Paddy’s Parade 3. Mark & Jenna Lucey at the Next Generation’s Chips for Charity on March 5 4. Lauren Jester, Christopher Griffiths & Bill Dogdale at Chips for Charity 5. Tiffany Nash, Sarah Lumb, Suzanne McCraw & Mandi Broomall enjoy Kelly’s Logan House during the Shamrock Shuttle on March 12 6. Brian & Ryan Cunningham at the Shamrock Shuttle. photos by Tony Kukulich

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3/25/2011 2:42:40 PM

UPCLOSE

A Masterful WEEKEND Delaware gets a taste of the nation’s top culinary talent at this year’s Meals from the Masters

I

magine walking into a room and finding yourself able to sample the tastiest treats from some of the best chefs in the country. Now imagine coming back two days later for an intimate all-star brunch.

That fantasy is a reality every year at the annual Meals from the Masters weekend. Running Friday, April 15 and Sunday the 17th, Meals from the Masters is Meals on Wheels Delaware’s premier fundraiser, and a superb culinary showcase on its own.

Meals from the Masters includes three main events. The ninth annual Evening with the Masters, held at the Chase Center on the Riverfront on Friday the 15th, typically hosts upward of 1,800 guests and features displays from 30 regional restaurants, with beer and fine wine provided by local breweries and wineries. The eighth annual Cellar Masters’ Wine Auction www.out-and-about.com

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also takes place at the Chase Center that night—an auction of fine and rare wines with hors d’oeuvres, cheeses, and gourmet desserts from the Columbus Inn and Hotel du Pont. The 15th Celebrity Chefs’ Brunch (at Bank of America on King Street in downtown Wilmington) on Sunday the 17th features 25 world-class chefs and caps off the weekend.

If this year’s schedule of events has a theme, its Philly Phlavor. (Excuse the phonetics.) Talula’s Table, which has a location in Kennett Square and is soon opening Talula’s Garden in Philadelphia, will be part of An Evening with the Masters. Slugged “the toughest table in America” to get a reservation by Portfolio.com, Talula’s is the brainchild of Aimee Olexy and Matthew Moon, formerly of Center City BYO Django.

Award-winning chefs Brad Spence (executive chef of Amis, which came in at No. 11 in Philadelphia magazine’s annual “50 Best Restaurants Right Now” feature and was recently cited by Bon Appétit as one of the top 10 pasta restaurants in the country) and Daniel Stern, both of Center City’s R2L, have been specially invited to the Celebrity Chefs’ Brunch. Stern studied under some of the world’s best chefs—Gray Kunz, Daniel Boulud, Rocco DiSpirito, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten—before

coming back home to his native Philly, where he joined Le Bec-Fin as executive chef in 2002. He launched his own line of restaurants beginning in 2005.

You’ll also notice several of this year’s guest chefs from TV. Top Chef season-four winner Stephanie Izard, of Chicago, will be appearing at Sunday’s brunch, as will Chef Holly Smith, a contestant on season two of The Next Iron Chef. Smith and her Café Juanita, in Kirkland, Wash., are semifinalists for the 2011 James Beard Awards for Outstanding Chef and Outstanding Restaurant, respectively. The Celebrity Chefs’ Brunch will also include Chef Lee Anne Wong, a Top Chef season-one participant and former executive chef of events at the French Culinary Institute.

Need more incentive? Meals from the Masters benefits mealdelivery programs throughout the state for Meals on Wheels Delaware.

Combined with fall fundraisers Denim & Diamonds and the Celebrity Chefs’ Beach Brunch, Meals from the Masters has helped raise more than $5 million to deliver hot, nutritious meals to homebound seniors.

Order your tickets and learn more at mealsonwheelsde.org.

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3/25/2011 3:13:20 PM

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hen the 1,800-plus hungry guests pour into the Chase Center on the Riverfront on Friday, April 15 for An Evening with the Masters, they’ll be feeding more than themselves.

An Evening with the Masters, as well as that night’s Cellar Masters’ Wine Auction and Sunday the 17th’s Celebrity Chefs’ Brunch at Bank of America on King Street in Wilmington, comprise the annual culinary showcase known as Meals from the Masters.

Meals from the Masters is a fundraiser for Meals on Wheels Delaware, the nonproďŹ t that aims to satisfy the dietary needs of homebound seniors.

The organization raises money to ensure there’s no waiting list for hot meals throughout the state. “The tremendous community support for this event is inspiring,� says Meg Nichols, director of events for Meals on Wheels Delaware.

Outside Meals from the Masters, Meals on Wheels Delaware relies on similar collaboration to see its eorts pay o. The program works with ďŹ ve meal-providing agencies and thousands of volunteers from corporations and civic, religious, and community groups to provide and deliver meals everyday to almost 4,000 homebound seniors. Last year, nearly 600,000 meals were served throughout the state.

Over the last 13 years, Meals on Wheels Delaware has raised more than $5 million from the Meals from the Masters events. Nichols says this year’s goal is to top $400,000. “With a rapidly aging population and rising gas prices, we need the community’s help more than ever,� says Mari Considine, Meals on Wheels Delaware’s executive director. “Events like Meals from the Masters play an important role in raising the necessary funds.� — Arielle From

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16 . UP CLOSE

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April ď™…ď™ƒď™„ď™„ | O&A

3/25/2011 2:50:36 PM

UPCLOSE

Eating in the

MIDDLE

As customers reconsider their spending, restaurants reconsider their menus

By Pam George

I

f you haven’t been to Scratch Magoo’s lately, you’re in for a surprise. Singles swilling PBR and wolfing down nachos are now in the minority. You’re more likely to see customers sipping wine and sharing small-plate dishes, or friends relaxing with craft beers, served in snifters. Chances are good that you’ll also spot small children, playing with toys that the server provided.

“It’s a wide range,” agrees John

Russell, general manager of the Shemp Group, which owns Scratch Magoo’s, Tyler Fitzgerald’s in Pike Creek, and Shellhammer’s in Newark.

“Scratch’s has gone through a change. We’re not looking at Miller Lite and wing specials anymore.”

Recent renovations in all three restaurants prompted owners to give the menu a makeover. Many sandwiches are now served on artisanstyle breads with fancy spreads. The kitchens use Gorgonzola instead of pedestrian blue cheese. Beers range from $3 to $22, and they’re served in the appropriate glassware.

Meanwhile, up at Harry’s Savoy Grill in Brandywine Hundred, customers are bellying up to community tables near the bar to sample such bar-menu options as Harry’s “MiniMe” (prime rib on toasted baguette with creamy horseradish sauce),

short-rib empanadas, and sautéed meatloaf. The wall dividing the bar from the rest of the room is gone, as are a row of booths. The cohesive space is now known as the Grill.

In today’s tight economy, restaurants like Scratch Magoo’s and Harry’s are striving to attract a wider customer base. No longer can a restaurant occupy a narrow niche that targets a specific demographic. “It’s your job to appeal to as broad an audience as possible,” says Dan Butler, chef/ owner of Piccolina Toscana, the latest incarnation of his flagship Trolley Square restaurant. “How you achieve that is the ‘special sauce.’”

For casual restaurants, it means giving the menu an epicurean flair.

For restaurants often lumped in the fine-dining category, it’s about offering a variety of price points and fun, approachable menu options. continued on next page

www.out-and-about.com

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17

3/25/2011 2:51:13 PM

Eating in the Middle continued from previous page

Value is driving the trend, says Xavier Teixido, owner of Harry’s Savoy Grill and co-owner of Harry’s Seafood Grill and, most recently, Kid Shelleen’s Charcoal House & Saloon.

In grim times, the search for value often benefits casual eateries first.

“We fit into the market well when the economy hit,” Russell says. “Guests could get a sandwich for under $10.”

Now, customers can get a “gourmet” sandwich for under $10. Consider Shellhammer’s “Tuscan chicken”: grilled chicken topped with sautéed baby spinach, roasted red pepper, buffalo mozzarella, and basil pesto aioli, served on ciabatta bread.

Credit chains like Panera Bread and Cosi for raising the bar in the casualdining segment. Britain’s gastro-pub invasion, a concept that sailed across the pond in the 1990s, has also played a part. “England’s Michelin-star chefs took over taverns and put out great food,” says Bob Ashby, owner of McGlynn’s Pub & Restaurant and the Deer Park Tavern in Newark. Taverns and pubs everywhere began upping the offerings. The bistro explosion has also had an influence.

McGlynn’s—which has locations in Pike Creek, Glasgow, and Dover—last fall began offering seasonal menu additions with an haute influence, such as Burgundy-laced beef stew.

“We’ve gotten more creative, and it’s gone over very well,” Ashby says.

Kelly’s Logan House in Trolley Square is also making changes. The landmark bar and restaurant is updating its menu with healthy choices, such as freshfish entrees, chicken dishes and bison.

At the same time, the establishment is strengthening its theme by adding corned beef and cabbage, salmon with Jameson cream, and Guinness Irish stew.

James Street Tavern in Newport recently changed its menu to capitalize on the comfort food trend that’s run rampant in some upscale restaurants.

Dishes include fried buttermilk chicken with ham gravy and a roast-beef sandwich with a bacon-horseradish spread and shaved red onions. Ryan Kennedy, director of marketing

continued on page 21

18 . UP CLOSE

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April  | O&A

3/25/2011 2:51:46 PM

UPCLOSE

OUT&ABOUT MAGAZINE ANNUAL DINING SURVEY RESULTS 1) How many times do you go out to a restaurant for breakfast, lunch, or dinner (not including fast food, takeout, or delivery)?

Once or twice a week: 48.8% •3-7 times a week: 28.1% •Once or twice a month: 19.4% •7 or more times a week: 3.1% •Never: .6%

2) The majority of the time, what is the most important factor for deciding which restaurant you choose for dining? (Quickness of service got 0%.)

Quality: 62.5% •Prox. to home or work: 16.2% •Variety: 13.1% •Price point: 8.1%

3) Which of the following menu options are you most likely to order?

Seafood: 48.1% •Beef: 21.9% •Poultry: 13.8% •Pasta: 10.6% •Vegetarian or vegan: 5.6%

4) Which of the following beverages are you most likely to order with a meal at a restaurant?

Wine: 60% •Beer: 25% •Spirits: 8.8% •Coffee: 3.8% •Hot tea: 2.5%

4_UpClose.indd 5

5) Which of the following best describes your attitude toward dining out?

8) About how many hours a week do you spend preparing meals for you and others in your household?

Curious: I like trying new places, but more often visit my favorites: 65.6%

•15 or more hours a week: 5.1%

•Adventurous: I try new restaurants more often than going to my select favorites: 31.9% •Cautious: More often stick to my favorites, and seldom try something new: 2.5%

6) Compared to five years ago, describe your attitude toward learning about food and dining options.

I am much more interested in learning about food: 50% •I am slightly more interested in learning about food: 24.4% • My interest is about the same as it was five years ago: 23.8% • I am slightly less interested in learning about food: 1.2%

7) Which of the following best describes your attitude toward healthy foods?

•I am on a strict diet for health and/or other reasons: 2.5% • I carefully watch what I eat, but allow for occasional rewards: 25.3% •My eating habits are balanced

between health and pure enjoyment: 53.8% • I should probably improve my eating habits to better my health: 12% •Life is short. I eat to enjoy!: 6.3%

5-10 hours a week: 46.2% •10-15 hours a week: 11.4% •Less than five hours: 34.8% •Zero: 2.5%

9) How would you rank your current interest in organic or locally grown produce?

•I will go out of my way for quality organic and locally grown produce: 15.8% •I will choose organic and locally

grown if those options are readily available: 73.4% •Not interested in those options: 10.8%

10) Rate the following statement: When purchasing food, I care where it is grown.

•Strongly agree: 10.1% •Agree: 53.8% •No opinion: 17.7% •Disagree: 11.4% •Strongly disagree: 7%

11) How old are you?

•21-30: 24.7% •31-40: 36.1% •41-50: 23.4% •51-60: 11.4% •Older than 60: 3.8%

3/28/2011 1:53:46 PM

TheDCH is‌ ‌

5th

ANNIV.

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20 . UP CLOSE

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April ď™…ď™ƒď™„ď™„ | O&A

3/25/2011 3:08:02 PM

Eating in the Middle continued from page 18

for Harvey, Hanna & Associates, which owns the restaurant, is keen on the jumbo “hog wings,” three chicken-wing-shaped pieces of pork, slathered in barbecue sauce and served with cole slaw.

In both casual and upscale restaurants, elevating the expected makes it unexpected. Customers rave about Harry’s tater tots, made with double Gloucester cheese. The familiar dish kills two birds with one tot. Foodies rave about the cheese; others just think they’re “damn good tater tots,” Teixido says.

Spicing up the menu with novel combinations and ingredients appeals to baby boomers who want to feel young and experimental, he says. Conversely, community tables—also in place at both Kid’s and Harry’s Seafood Grill—appeal to the last-minute, text-me-where-

www.out-and-about.com

4_UpClose.indd 7

you’re-going crowd. “They just want to go out and have fun,” Teixido says.

“They don’t want to make reservations.”

When it comes to food, both groups want flexibility. At the Grill at Harry’s Savoy, one diner can opt for the primerib sandwich while another noshes on duck quesadilla. The free-spirited approach lets the kitchen roam into ethnic territories that might seem out of place in Harry’s main dining room.

For fine-dining restaurants, it’s all about avoiding the special-occasion category, which in this economy has an unpalatable connotation. “You don’t want such a defined niche that only a certain number of people come to the restaurant only on certain occasions,” Butler says. “There aren’t enough special occasions to go around.”

Piccolina Toscana focuses on small Italian dishes, such as salt-cod croquettes with horseradish aioli; beef short-rib-filled pasta with mushroom and red wine demi-glace; and

roasted chicken, chorizo, and porcini mushroom risotto. The restaurant has retained its cushy lounge. It, too, sports a community table.

Moro, widely deemed among the area’s finest restaurants, also made changes. Wood-fired pizza is now on the menu, and many entrees—including rustic pan-seared veal Parmesan—are available in half-size portions for diners with limited appetites or budgets.

No matter whether an upscale restaurant is showing its casual side or a casual restaurant is upping it culinary aspirations, the establishment must offer a total experience if it wants to succeed.

“It’s atmosphere, it’s service, and it’s presentation,” Russell concludes.

It’s also about quality. “You can offer a $6 sandwich, but if it’s not a good $6 sandwich, people won’t come back. At any price point, it has to be good.”

21

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22 . UP CLOSE

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April  | O&A

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4_UpClose.indd 9

23

3/25/2011 3:54:00 PM

Presented by

Bob Hickok

AT WINTERTHUR

Photos: Jim Graham and

Sunday, May 8

E

njoy glorious steeplechase racing at this year’s Point-to-Point. Join us for a full day of nonstop fun and festivities, set amidst the splendor of Henry Francis du Pont’s Winterthur estate. Pack a picnic lunch or tailgate spread and get ready to enjoy one of the Brandywine Valley’s most stylish sporting events!

For complete details and to purchase admission, call 800.448.3883 or visit winterthur.org/ptp. Trackside tailgate parking spaces and tailgate guest wristbands are available by calling 302.888.4994.

Don’t miss the PTP Pre-Event April 13 at the BBC! Advance sales only. Rain-or-shine event. No refunds. All wristbands must be purchased by May 7. Adult general admission $30 (March 1–April 29); $50 (April 30–May 7). No tickets will be mailed after April 29. Children under 12 free. Discount for Winterthur Members.

Proceeds benefit the continued maintenance and preservation of the Winterthur Garden and estate.

Purchase your Point-to-Point general admission at any of the following locations:

Brew Ha Ha! 3842 Kennett Pike Greenville, DE 19807 302.658.6336

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ShopRite Supermarkets 501 South Walnut Street Wilmington, DE 19801 302.225.6900

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24 . THE ARTS

4_UpClose.indd 10

| O&A

3/25/2011 6:25:31 PM

THE ARTS

> “It’s interesting: My two passions in life are music and history. I’m always interested in how we as human beings continue to evolve and, at the same time, celebrate our evolution—no matter how painful or celebratory our past has been.

I’m not even sure why I’m drawn to these stories. I wasn’t looking to write Chasin’ Dem Blues. I don’t know why it fascinated me. There was just a moment when that information and that connection planted a seed, and I wanted to explore that.” > “The piece the way I originally

In His Own Words:

Kevin Ramsey The actor/writer/director brings another piece of musical history to the stage with his latest, Chasin’ Dem Blues

A

funny thing happened after we spoke with Kevin Ramsey, the playwright/actor/director whose music-laced histories (Forever Mr. Soul, Fire on the Bayou) have graced the Delaware Theatre Company stage since 2004, and whose latest, Chasin’ Dem Blues: The Untold Story of Paramount Records, runs there April 13 to May 1. The funny thing? We realized our interview made a much better conversation. In fact, we were only getting in the way—the New Orleans native, who now lives in L.A., had plenty to say beyond and between our questions, and the Q&A format felt limiting. We thought it only right that Mr. Ramsey get the full spotlight. With that, we’ll let him tell it.

www.out-and-about.com

4_TheArts.indd 1

wrote it took place in an attic. I’ve sort of shifted or repurposed the work for this production so that it’s taking place in this fictitious train station, to look at how important the train was at a time when that was the first thing connecting America and commerce. It suggests our evolution as human beings.”

> “I had this conversation with my sister, who was responsible for introducing me to theater as a child.

We recently disagreed about the blues. She, in her mind, thought it was just one kind of music. She tuned it out because she felt it was about an experience of being downtrodden.

And I was saying, ‘No! It’s more than that.’ The blues is celebratory, the blues is revolutionary, the blues is passive, the blues is aggressive. But at the end of the day, it’s just these simple, simple lyrics that cut through the fat. It’s so direct. In the first two lines, you know exactly what this person is feeling and experiencing.”

> “Paramount Records is also a company that saw the opportunity to make chairs, so they did. They saw

an opportunity based on needs. But in researching and reading about the artists and the company, I found that most of them died broke. Or look at Gertrude “Ma” Rainey—she went on to retire and owned two vaudeville theaters in Atlanta. She died a wealthy woman. Ma figured something out. [laughs] I know you’re riding me, but I’m gonna make sure I’m not taken advantage of. So I find that fascinating as well.”

> “There’s a part of me, at times, when I think about the arts, and how important it is to maintain a relationship with the business community to support it. And if a business person’s point-of-view is, ‘I want to make money from this,’ well, I don’t mind that. Because your involvement is also helping to bring this art forward.”

> “I just love music. There’s a piece I’m working on called A Capella Humana, which explores the sound of the voice. To me, music is truly a universal language, without sounding cliché. Give me anything, just make sure there’s some music in it.

Not to have a violin moment [laughs], but I think the fact that I grew up a stutterer, I had to silence myself, and the way I silenced myself was with music and theater.”

> “Everybody comes into their own when they’re teenagers. I’m a child of the ’70s in that sense. So you put on Earth, Wind & Fire or Stevie Wonder any day of the week and I’ll just go back to that place. [laughs] It was live bands, it was Mandrill, it was War, it was Tower of Power, it was a sound.

That’s where I live.”

— Told to Michael Pollock

25

3/24/2011 6:29:30 PM

A TASTE OF LITTLE ITALY MORE THAN JUST PASTA May 17th, 18th, & 19th A community wide culinary event held simultaneously at Li le Italy eateries.

PARTICIPATING EATERIES: Bangkok House, Blue Parrot, Dead Presidents, Juliana’s Kitchen, Kozy Korner, Luigi Vitrone’s Pastabilities, Madeline’s, Mona Lisa, Mrs. Robino’s, Pomodoro, Tijuana Taco, Union City Grille, Walter’s Steakhouse

Proceeds to benefit the West End Neighborhood House

WestEndNh.org For a complete list of participating Li le Italy eateries and businesses visit:

ATasteOfLi leItaly.com

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26 . Food & Drink

4_FoodDrink.indd 12

Menus & Prices Available Online www.ChocolateWaterfall.com | www.Bachettis.com P 302.994.4467 | 4723 Kirkwood Hwy. Midway Plaza

April  | O&A

3/28/2011 1:29:53 PM

FOOD&DRINK

I

TASTE What happens when the chef becomes the customer?

By Robert Lhulier

www.out-and-about.com

4_FoodDrink.indd 1

s a chef really that tough a customer on his day off? No doubt, we have that reputation. In actuality, chefs have very low expectations when they go out to eat—we’re often delighted that someone else will be cooking! That’s not to say we can’t be brutally critical or even outwardly demanding at the table, but it all has to do with what we come to expect when we sit down.

I’ve gotten the stink eye before from servers who know I’m in the business. So, when I have to inform them my wine glass has lipstick on it, or that my flatware is dirty, or even that my entrée was delivered and I have no fork, I’m automatically suspect for being Captain Cranky Pants.

But, please?! If it’s a diner, I expect it. If, on the other hand, the chef can be seen regularly in newspapers and magazines, and his/her staff is throwing attitude because they’re too busy to remember what it’s like to be slow and not make bank, I take issue with that. Priorities are out of whack when basic things like salt and seasoning are inconsistent in the food from a celebrated chef.

I’ve had the pleasure of partaking of the 14-course Grand Tasting Menu at Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago, and I was blown away at their precision, artistry, and finesse.

Alternately, I’ve had amazingly fresh and authentic South American food in the now defunct homey Philadelphia cafe Azafran. I’ve eaten celebrity-driven meals at James

Beard Foundation events, and dined at Nobu in New York City when Masaharu Morimoto was cooking as Matsuhisa’s sous chef. Twostar Michelin restaurants and homemade pasta and roast chicken; it’s all relative.

A really memorable meal, I’ve discovered after some protracted thought, has less to do with the actual food or stellar combination of ingredients than it does with the setting, the people you’re with, and the mood. I’ve had great meals, for example, in France and Italy, but very often in starkly lit rooms with nary a candle flame or soft jazz to enhance the mood. It’s just not part of their thing. Americans, on the other hand, have got it down. That said, I’ve eaten at some really cool-ass places in Philly and New York that make you feel like you’re on a movie set. But they, too, can suffer from average food and service that take a back seat to a holier-than-thou atmosphere.

All flash, no substance or soul.

No, the real trick is in balance. I’ve noticed a pattern among operators I respect and admire. They know what they are. They know who their customer is. They don’t wake up one day and try something new for kicks.

Their moves are calculated, and that sets you up to actually get what you come to expect.

It’s the really talented and creative ones that hit you with exceptional attention to details in service or tiny surprises that exceed your expectations. In a way, they’re

really magicians. They know the tricks that dazzle, and know not to ruin it by letting you see behind the curtain.

While in Paris with my friends Dan and Kasia, we hit up a shoppe that specialized in products in and around the region of Aveyron, France. A la Ville de Rodez in le Marais sold cheeses and meats indigenous to the region, along with glorious hand-crafted breads and nose-tingling mustards and condiments. Desserts and pastries abounded in the antique lace-curtained window of the shoppe. And you could purchase cutlery from the famed town of Laguiole. We took our goodies back to the apartment and spread them out in the crinkled brown and white butcher paper they came wrapped in. We opened a bottle of Marcillac and poured it into little juice glasses and threw open the windows of our fourth floor chambres. We slapped a disc I had just bought while music shopping in the stereo and dug in to our luscious little urban picnic. It was just a day or two before September 11, 2001, and so, you see, the memory of a great meal with good friends in an atmosphere of conviviality, romance, and of course, histoire, will trump a perfectly executed soufflé, lobster bisque, or crab cake, always. Toujours.

Robert Lhulier is the executive chef at the University & Whist Club and author of the food blog forkncork. blogspot.com.

27

3/25/2011 3:24:24 PM

Meatless Mondays!

SMALL

getting

BITES CRAFTY 20 (kids under 10 $5)

every sunday 10 to 2 delicious buffet selections & kitchen menu cooked to order

Meals from the Masters brings world-class flavor to Wilmington Meals from the Masters, the popular culinary event and annual fundraiser for Meals on Wheels Delaware, returns to the Chase Center for the weekend of April 1517. This year, An Evening with the Masters and the Cellar Masters’ Wine Auction will be held on Friday the 15th, featuring 30 regional restaurants and fine beverages from Chaddsford Winery, Dogfish Head, and others. The signature Celebrity Chefs’ Brunch takes place on Sunday the 17th, featuring 25 world-class chefs. For more, see the Up Close section in this issue or go to mealsonwheelsde.org.

Taylor’s Grog celebrates first year

302.654.8001 1412 n. dupont st., wilmington piccolinatoscana.com

Taylor’s Grog, the brainchild brew of Twin Lakes and Bob Ashby (owner of Deer Park Tavern and McGlynns Pub), is turning a year old, and its getting an appropriate birthday party—a beer dinner, of course.

Join in for a taste at McGlynns Pub in Dover on Wednesday, May 4. Tickets are $40 per person and include a six-course dinner featuring Taylor’s Grog and Dogfish beers: Namaste, My Antonia, Sah’tea, Squall, and World Wide Stout.

Pizza by Elizabeths hosts cooking class, Dogfish dinner

$

20 (kids under 10 $10)

sundays 4 to 8 a la carte menu available

Sam and Liz have formed a friendship.

Dogfish Head beer and Pizza by Elizabeths join forces on Monday, April 4 for a beer dinner featuring four PBE courses (including field-green salad, steamed Prince Edward Island mussels, flat-iron steak, and s’mores) paired with PBE’s favorite DFH brews, such as Aprihop, Shelter Pale Ale, 60 Minute IPA, and Chicory Stout. Tickets are $59 per person.

The following Monday, Chef Amporn Vasquez will host a fusion-cuisine dinner party that doubles as a cooking class.

Tickets for that event are $40 each.

ShopRite of Christina hosts Italian-foods sampler

Gluten Free Tuesdays!

The Kenny Family ShopRites of Delaware hosts Italian Flavor Fest 2011—featuring Italian cuisine from various vendors—on Saturday, April 16 from noon to 4 p.m. at the ShopRite of Christina Crossing in Wilmington. The event will be held outdoors and is open to the public.

{ Select beer & wine

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Dogfish Head dogfish.com April 1-3: Second annual Weekend of Compelling Ales & Whatnot. Happy hour, “Meet the Brewers,” and live music at night. Beers include Noble Rot, Ta Henket, Hardtack, World Wide Stout, Olde School, Bitches Brew, Wrath of Pecant, Poppaskull, Red & White, My Antonia, Namaste, Palo Santo Marron, Burton Baton, Shelter Pale Ale, Aprihop, 60 Minute IPA, 90 Minute IPA, Indian Brown Ale, Raison d’Etre, Lawnmower, and Chicory Stout.

April 10: Low Country Dogfish Dinner.

Beers include Midas Touch, 60 Minute IPA, Lawnmower Light, Aprihop, Red & White. $57/person. 6:30-8:30 pm.

April 17: Celebrity Chefs’ Brunch. 9th annual Meals From the Masters Weekend.

Beers include World Wide Stout, Sahtea, Red & White, Midas Touch. $175/person.

April 25: Delmarva Mad Brewer Homebrew Competition. $5 entry fee. 2-4pm.

Iron Hill ironhillbrewery.com April 8: Wilmington Dark Side Party.

Second annual dark-beer celebration.

Beer supplied by all eight Iron Hill Breweries.

The Pickled Pig Pub pickledpigpub.com April 12-18: “First State Beer Week,” the pub’s first-anniversary event. Beers include Greenville Pale Ale (Twin Lakes), Evolution (Delmar), 16 Mile (Georgetown), Fordham/Old Dominion (Dover), and Dogfish (Milton).

Twin Lakes Brewing Company twinlakesbrewery.com April 21: Fifth Anniversary Party.

Buckley’s Tavern. 4-8pm.

28 . Food & Drink

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standard India pale ale, either. It’s a hop lover’s dream that’s citrusy and clean, with an incredible finish.”

Back Burner Restaurant “I pair the Yuengling Porter with my New Zealand baby rack of lamb,” executive chef Kristin McGuigan says. “The lamb is served with a cocoa/ port reduction, which brings out the chocolate in the Porter nicely.”

Iron Hill Brewery “I would pair our Munich Dunkel with the pepper-crusted NY strip steak,” says Dave Anderson, executive chef and director of culinary training. “The Dunkel has caramel and chocolate notes that pair nicely with the caramelized crust of the steak.”

Cromwell’s Tavern “The Yuengling Bock pairs well with our Greenville Grilled Cheese, which includes smoked gouda, Swiss, and cheddar cheeses; tomato; scallions; hot mustard; and apple-wood ham,” says owner Pat Nilon.

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Pair It Up We put a select beer to area chefs, restaurant managers, and owners, then asked them to pair it with an item from their current menus.

Here’s what they came up with.

“A nicely hopped pilsner would serve well with our grilled oysters,” says Jeremy Hughes, director of operations for Ashby Management. “We place them directly on our grill, baste them very heavily with a seasoned garlic butter, and top each one with seasonings, Panko bread crumbs, and a little parmesan cheese.”

Home Grown Café “Our Tamale Turnover pairs nicely with the Southern Tier 2xIPA,” general manager Brett Tunstall says. “It’s not quite an imperial, but certainly not a

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“I think a Dogfish 60 Minute IPA would be a delicious match with our Cat Ballou Burger,” says Kelly O’Hanlon, general manager of Harry’s Restaurants.

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Stone Balloon Wine House What pairs well with the Hennepin Farmhouse Saison? “The roasted Cornish game hen, served with truffled Winter squash, white-sweet potato puree, foraged mushrooms, country sausage, chestnuts, and a natural jus,” offers Chef Jason Diettrick.

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SHORT STORY

Autumn Son

By Adam Albright

“T

here’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you,” my mom said, as we walked up one of the steepest hills in my hometown. I hadn’t made my usual July visit, and now the green leaves of summer were giving way to the reds, yellows, and oranges of autumn. “It’s been about a year—and, well—what do you think of this new lifestyle of yours?”

My mother and I were never very close, and after the tumult of my early twenties,

our combined stubbornness, and at one point, five years with no communication, we made an unspoken peace treaty of respectful caution.

Age had mellowed us. Our conversations steered clear of religion or politics, so I didn’t think she wanted to hear about the best tricks I had or which were my favorite bath houses.

“It’s not really a lifestyle, Mom. I mean, I still get up in the morning, brush my teeth, go to work, only now I’m dating guys instead of being married to Rochelle.”

Christ, I wish it had been as easy as I was making it sound. It was a sunny, pleasant afternoon, and the mountain air added vitality to our traditional walk. The leaves, just a couple of weeks short of their peak fall colors, rustled in a gentle breeze. As the days shortened and the air cooled with the season,

the green chlorophyll in the leaves would retreat closer and closer to the veins.

“Well, how is that going, being with guys?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well—you know—it’s a muscle, and it’s only this big…” She made a circle with her thumb and forefinger.

“Oh, god, mom…”

“And don’t things get dirty when you…”

“You shower before, and could we please not discuss this?” I could feel my face flushing. I was not about to talk about the mechanics of gay sex with my mother.

We continued walking.

I knew these streets and sidewalks intimately— which ones were the best for skateboarding, the best for bike-riding.

The trees along the sidewalk were bursting with yellow and orange maple

leaves. The bright reds were starting, but weren’t quite at their brightest yet. The pigments that make the brightest colors in the leaves are present year-round; the green chlorophyll masks them until autumn wears it away. The fallen leaves rustled and crunched as we walked through a patch of them.

“Edda!”

My mother turned toward the voice. It was a neighbor of ours whose name I’d forgotten.

I remembered that her son and I had gone to high school together, and that he looked great in his football uniform, at a time when I had no idea what those feelings meant or how I could possibly act on them. What a confusing time back then, filled with shame and self-hatred.

“Edda, is that Alan?” the neighbor asked. continued on page 35

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Autumn Son

continued from page 33

“Yes, it is,” my mother replied.

“He’s gotten so big! It seems like yesterday our boys were in high school!”

I’m not that big, and by the way, back in high school I really wanted to see your son naked, and I think the feeling may have been mutual.

My mom and the neighbor chatted about the weather and church-council news while I smiled and nodded and tried to remember what number was on her son’s uniform. Fifteen, I think, which made him either a running back or a wide receiver. Heh, heh, heh. Wide receiver.

I helped the neighbor hang a potted plant on her porch, and we said our goodbyes.

“What were you smiling about back there?” my mother asked.

“What?”

“While we were talking about church council, you seemed very happy about something. Didn’t you hear Mrs. Swembat ask me why you were so pleased with yourself?”

Ah, that was his name, Donny Swembat. He played baseball, too, and always joked about having a bat in his name and in his pants.

“I had a crush on her son in high school.”

“What? Did you two have sex? Did he make you gay?”

“Oh, Mom, for chrissake, there are so many things wrong with that. No, that’s not why I was smiling. No, we never had sex, and did Dad make you straight? Could you possibly filter what you say with some kind of sense?”

“I’m sorry, I just have no frame of reference for what you are now.”

“What I am? Jesus Christ. Just—I’m still who I’ve always been. I still play piano, I still hate lima beans, I still read comic books. Back when I was dating girls, and engaged, and even married, you and I never talked about sex, but we still had plenty to talk about. Although I still tell my friends about what a disaster your version of sex education was.”

It was. She had given me a book filled with anatomically correct sketches of naked boys and girls along with text explaining periods, erections, ejaculations, wet dreams, sperm, eggs—the sorts of things that every adolescent boy wants his mother to know he’s thinking about. You can guess which sketches got my attention, although I made sure

to point out the sketches of girls to the guys on the school bus the next day.

We walked by a park three streets over from the homestead. I’d spent a lot of time there, swinging on the swings, playing on the monkey bars. A few kids played basketball on the court, punctuating the air with laughs and shouts.

“I worry about you,” she said.

“Oh, Mom. You don’t have to worry about me. It turns out that the torture I put myself through in my late teens and twenties paid off. By the time I came out I was in a much better position to handle the consequences.”

“But, Alan, you’ve changed.”

“Not really, Mom. I came out; that doesn’t mean that I changed. For as long as I can remember, I’ve liked guys—I’ve always been gay. It’s just that now I’m not hiding it anymore.”

We walked along the chain-link fence surrounding the park. The guys playing basketball were wearing tank tops, but had jackets sitting on the picnic tables near the court. It’s tough to let go of summer.

“I know it might be on your mind a lot now, but being gay is not who I am; it’s just a part of who I am. Can you try to remember that, and also remember what’s most important—that in all our years of playing you have never, ever beaten me at a game of Boggle?”

The leaves rustled. I never had to rake leaves growing up, since our backyard was lined with evergreens.

“I guess I can remember that,” my mother said. She smiled.

I could see my dad on the porch swing a couple of blocks away. We were almost home.

“So,” Mom asked, “Why were you smiling when I was talking with Mrs. Swembat?”

I picked up a maple leaf. It was at its peak; there wasn’t a hint of green.

Nothing but bold, bright yellow.

“Because I realized that was the first time I thought about the crush I had on Donny Swembat.

Without hating myself for it.”

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BEACH DODGEBALL: It has been quite a season this winter. The real highlight has been the weekly e-mail reminders from Maria Motley to be sure we tell her what the heck is going on at DSL at the beach. Thanks for always being on us and keeping us in line Maria!

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MUSIC

ROUND & Round

Can vinyl save the record store?

Even crazier: Can it jumpstart new ones?

By Michael Pollock photos of Grooves and Tubes by Joy Smoker

4_Music.indd 2

3/25/2011 3:58:20 PM

O

n a list of small-business prospects, record store isn’t likely to appear at the top. But that could soon change, and for a very strange reason.

First, some background.

For people who sell music out of brick-andmortar spaces, these recent years haven’t been kind. You may have heard the news: CD sales continue to sink at alarming rates. In 2010, sales of compact discs slid a whopping 20 percent from the year before. Ten years ago, *NSync’s No Strings Attached sold more than 2.4 million copies in a single week. By contrast, in 2010 only 13 albums went platinum (sales exceeding 1 million units), with the year’s biggest-selling disc, Eminem’s Recovery, selling (what looks like a paltry) 3.4 million. These figures arrived via Billboard, which called the CD-sales decline “a new low.”

What’s more, sales of digital music—the stuff you can’t buy in stores—were up slightly last year, both for singles and albums. Still, they weren’t enough to boost overall (physical and digital combined) music sales, which actually fell by 2 percent, the first time that’s ever happened in the digital age.

And not to keep dragging out all these geeky music-stat thingies, but there’s one more set of numbers to consider. For at least the fifth year in a row, sales of vinyl are up. Way up. More up than any other area of the music industry. In 2010, some 2.8 million pieces of vinyl—bulky, fragile creations of paper and plastic that are more expensive than CDs and legal downloads and require pieces of non-computer stereo equipment in order to be played—were sold. About 70 percent of that activity happened in small record stores. It’s the highest year-end total for vinyl sales since 1991.

Is that the sound of four horses galloping?

Could the last hope for the record business lie in selling…records?

THE CONVENTIONAL WISDOM among record stores today is that, yes, vinyl is pointing the way out of this mess. “It’s clearly keeping some smaller mom-and-pop operations alive,” says Greg Kot, who covers the music industry religiously for the Chicago Tribune and as a co-host of the radio show Sound Opinions. “Vinyl is still relatively hard to find, so a well-stocked retail store can serve a small but dedicated audience. I don’t think this is the kind of phenomenon that can save the industry, but it’s great for niche retailers.”

So far locally, that’s proven the case. “We’re looking to expand vinyl by about 20 percent over the next two months,” says Chris Avino, who owns Rainbow Books & Music on Main Street in Newark. Rainbow recently condensed its location to save costs, losing about 30 percent of its previous floor space in the process. Meanwhile, Avino is cutting back on inventory that’s not moving as well, like books and new and used CDs. “We have some days where vinyl outsells everything else,” says John Harton, who opened

4_Music.indd 3

the Mad Platter in West Chester in 1976 and still runs the store today. Dave Castleman, owner of Shady Dog Records in Berwyn since 1993, sees the same trend at his shop. “There are days when we have four times as many vinyl sales as CD sales,” he says. Asked about the probability of surviving without the benefit of vinyl, Castleman is blunt.

“It’s unlikely. We probably wouldn’t be in business right now.” Says Harton: “We don’t do well enough across our other areas to make the store work.”

Other area record stores have fully embraced the vinyl renaissance. Gold Million Records in Bryn Mawr now sells nothing but vinyl. “If you’re looking for CDs, head elsewhere,” writes customer Sara C. in a review of the store on yelp.com. “I’ve never seen a record store that carried multiple copies of Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures and Closer LPs.” Bert Ottaviano, a fixture on Rt. 202 since the early ’70s with Bert’s, has shifted to an all-vinyl inventory as well. For Ottaviano, the writing has been on the wall for at least 10 years, when CD sales first started slowing down. “What’s left of the music industry,” he says, “is in vinyl.”

“We have some days where vinyl outsells everything else,” the Mad Platter’s John Harton says.

CHRIS AVINO HAS BEEN WORKING at Rainbow on and off since 1994. During that time, the store grew into a small chain and made a killing during its key-tag sales—a discount card that allowed customers to buy CDs for a then-cheap $11.99.

“Through the ’90s, it was just ridiculous,” Avino says. “People used to walk out of here with armloads of stuff. There was a ton of great music coming out, and everyone was switching formats.”

By around 1998, though, things were changing.

Widespread CD-burning and downloading sites like Napster would complicate things even further.

Gold Million co-owner Max I. Million—her honest-to-God real name—remembers the time.

“CDs became the format of choice in the ’90s, but we had all this vinyl,” she says. “So we became a CD store almost overnight. We moved the vinyl upstairs and put CDs on the first floor. Then, in 1999, 2000, downloading became the norm. CDs bit the dust. Everything was changing again.”

43

3/25/2011 3:58:44 PM

MUSIC

Round and Round – continued from previous page

Gold Million started, in Ardmore in 1976, as Plastic Fantastic. About five years ago, co-owners Million and her husband Harold Gold dumped their existing inventory, save for vinyl, moved to Bryn Mawr, and rechristened themselves Gold Million.

Echoing Avino’s earlier observation, Gold says, “CDs and everything else were going down, and vinyl was going up. It was an easy decision.”

Most record stores agree that the vinyl renaissance began about five or six years ago. “We’ve always been into vinyl, to some degree,” Castleman says. “Five years ago, we started to increase it. Not just because of the renewed interest, but because so many people had it and were selling it. We saw no reason not to. We sort of anticipated it.”

I

n August 2005, Avino purchased Rainbow, the last store standing out of what was once seven locations.

He soon started placing big orders of vinyl, and now has 3,000 titles in his inventory. (There’s another 1,500 to 2,000 used pieces.) The new Decemberists album and releases by Wilco and the Black Keys are among his top sellers.

“I was at a conference last year, and there was industry guy who talked about growth for vinyl, and how it basically comes down to a rounding error,” Avino says. “It’s still less than 1 percent of what’s being sold. But for a small store, less than 1 percent is still a lot of money. You can grasp onto that and make a living.”

BACK TO THAT OPENING SCENARIO. Stores like Bert’s, the Mad Platter, and Gold Million have been around since vinyl’s golden era, and so the idea of selling something you were once known for might be more about adaptation than growth. What if you were to open a new record store in this day and age?

Gerald Young did just that with Grooves and Tubes, a used-vinyl and vintage-electronics shop he opened in a small shopping center off Kennett Pike in Centreville in April 2009. A retired Chrysler engineer, Young approaches Grooves and Tubes as more hobby than business. The store is only open Thursday through Sunday. Many pieces XX . Music

4_Music.indd 4

sell for between $5 and $10, and it’s not uncommon to see records without price tags; Young just eyes them up at the counter. “I’m always looking to make as much money as I can,” he says, “but I’m still having a lot of fun doing it. If I can get my bills paid and have enough after that to support my habit, that’s fine.”

A visit to Grooves and Tubes is something of a walking dream for anyone who grew up frequenting record stores. Every turn triggers a memory, then a reaction: Scary Monsters, on vinyl! Black Sabbath’s Vol. 4, on vinyl!

“Purple Rain,” on purple 12-inch vinyl!

“I knew there was a void,” Young says.

“There’s a pretty good mix of people who come in here. The bulk is probably male and between 30 and 40, 45. Some of the younger kids, their parents actually bring them here,” Young laughs. But he’s serious. “The parents say, ‘Look, this is how we listened to music.’”

Grooves and Tubes plays on that nostalgia. Record stores in general are becoming their own museums. “People love coming in to see something like this still around,” says Debbie Rich, manager of the Mad Platter. That kind of attention doesn’t always translate to sales; a college-age-looking customer had just been in to look at a $129 turntable—the Mad Platter sells turntables, cartridges, and cleaning supplies in addition to new and used records—before deciding to pass. But during my recent trip to Bert’s, a gentleman in a business suit and overcoat, probably in his 50s and clearly not a regular, picked up a pair of reissued Stooges albums on 180gram, then asked about the possibility of the Beatles catalog coming to vinyl.

I asked Ottaviano why people, young and old, have gravitated toward vinyl.

I’d put the question to others, and the answers painted a familiar picture: Vinyl sounds better; kids love to put records in album frames and hang them up as art; music fans still want something tangible.

Ottaviano’s response caught me by surprise, though, because it touches on both the obvious and the hidden. “I think there are people who sit in front of a computer all day long, and when they get home, they don’t want to be in front of a box. They want to experience their music the way it’s meant to be heard.” continued on page 47

April  | O&A

3/28/2011 12:46:17 PM

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45

3/25/2011 5:13:38 PM

Coming this month

Support your local music scene (and beyond)

JEFFREY GAINES Sat, Apr 30 Doors 8pm/Show 9pm

Upstairs at World Cafe Live at the Queen

GIGS

APRIL

& MORE

AIMEE MANN World Cafe Live at the Queen

I

n its first month, World Cafe Live at the Queen reaches out to bring to Wilmington some of the top regional and local bands to its intimate Upstairs performance room.

No stranger to Wilmington, Jeffrey Gaines brings his highly-heralded brand of soulful yet often gritty rock to the stage Upstairs. This Harrisburg-born musician has traveled far and wide earning praise and winning fans from all over.

The Village Voice says, “Gaines has earned endless cult and critical acclaim, and juice enough to be touring partners with such celebrated icons as Stevie Nicks and Sting.” And the Chicago Tribute is no less forthcoming with adoration, calling Gaines “extraordinary and timeless.”

Although he is widely known for his rendition of Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes,” Gaines has nearly two decades worth of original material stemming back from his first self-titled release in 1992.

Don’t miss this captivating performer live this month, one who Rolling Stone calls “one of pop’s finest singers.”

ALSO AT WORLD CAFE LIVE THIS MONTH Every Tuesday Night starting 4/12: Acoustic/Electric Open Mic Every Wednesday Night starting 4/13: 4W5 Blues Jam 11 – 4W5 Acoustic Jam 15 – 61 North w/Fat Daddy Has Been 16 – The Nik Everett Band 18 – 4W5 Acoustic Jam 21 – Splintered Sunlight 23 – Lee MacDougall (7pm)

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by Nancy Josephson and Marc Moss 28 – Joe Trainor Trio 29 – Angel Band 30 – Jeffrey Gaines

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The Bullbuckers (ska/funk) April 2: Deer Park April 9: The Cove April 16: Rusty Rudder myspace.com/bullbuckers

Mad-Sweet Pangs April 16: Home Grown Cafe April 22: World Cafe Live at the Queen April 30: RamJam (see pg. 47)

The Doobie Brothers April 21: Grand Opera House You’ll find soul, funk, and rock in this 40-year-old, hit-filled recipe, with no one element overpowering the rest.

Aimee Mann April 9: World Cafe Live at the Queen The critically acclaimed, industry-snubbed singer/ songwriter soldiers on with a soft voice and great melodies.

For more on the Queen, see the flipside of this issue.

Nik Everett (folk rock) April 16: World Cafe Live at the Queen April 30, 8pm: Chaplan’s Music Cafe (Spring City, Pa.) nikeverett.com The Hold-Up (roots rock) Tuesdays @ Blue Parrot myspace.com/thebigholdup Joe Trainor Trio (pop-rock) April 16: Rusty Rudder (part of the Delaware Music Festival) April 23: J.B. McGinnes joetrainortrio.com Kennett Flash (select shows) April 3, 10, 17, 24; May 1: Openmic nights w/Butch Zito April 4, 11, 18, 25; May 2: Blue Monday blues jam April 29: Jenny & Tyler kennettflash.org lower case blues (blues rock) April 15: Blue Parrot April 16: Rusty Rudder (part of the Delaware Music Festival) lowercaseblues.net

Mojo 13 (select events) April 1: Last in Line (Dio tribute) April 16: Tric Town (indie-music showcase) myspace.com/mojothirteen New Sweden (roots rock) April 22: Home Grown Cafe April 30: RamJam (see pg. 47) newswedenmusic.com Stallions (hard rock) April 7: WVUD Radiothon (see pg. 53) April 30: World Cafe Live at the Queen (part of Cinema Jams) reverbnation.com/thisisstallions Villains Like You (blues/garage rock) April 9: Deer Park Tavern April 19: North Star Bar (Philly) April 23: World Cafe Live at the Queen April 30: The Wedge (Landenberg, Pa.) villainslikeyou.com

46 . Music

4_Music.indd 6

3/28/2011 1:53:00 PM

Round and Round — continued from page 44

“HERE, YOU WANT TO HEAR SOMETHING COOL?” Ottoviano abruptly ends our conversation to better illustrate his point. He places a copy of Wanda Jackson’s Right or Wrong album on the in-store turntable, an original pressing from the ’60s that Ottaviano has kept in excellent condition. Jackson’s unmistakable voice soon fills one side of the store. “You can hear the warmth,” Ottaviano shouts over the music. “You can hear soul.” He smiles and lets a clenched fist fall from his chest.

There was warmth, all right, and lots of soul. It sounded like Ms. Jackson was right there in the room, singing just for us. In a way, she was.

“Vinyl is a ritual,” Rich told me when I first walked into the Mad Platter. “You clean it. You turn it over. You can’t download that.”

The irony of vinyl’s popularity is that its process of seeking, buying, and playing goes against everything we’ve come to know about experiencing music. It’s too much unnecessary work for most people. Cassettes, CDs, MP3s, portable music players: We’re encouraged to shrink our habits for greater convenience, and we happily buy into new philosophies. But we traded quality.

We made music small, then we made it free.

But something funny happened, and it keeps happening. Small groups are banding together to make a small piece of the music industry look like a big deal. They’ll never be huge. They’ll never be rich. But they won’t go quietly.

“You’re sometimes having a conversation with someone who’s 60, and he’s telling the younger kid who’s buying a record about first owning it,” Castleman says. “There’s a sense of community about it. You’re spending time with people who have common interests. We’re serious about music, and we’re finding other people who are just as serious as we are.”

47

4_Music.indd 7

3/25/2011 4:31:04 PM

MUSIC New Sweden

SKY’S THE LIMIT Festivals, a new EP on tap for our favorite shoegaze duo

A MOTHER NATURE and the Earth Tones RamJam embraces music, arts, and the outdoors

T

he RamJam Arts & Music Festival was an idea formed on the front porch of a small farm in nearby Maryland. But as jam sessions are bound to spread, so, too, has the festival’s reach. Now in its fourth year, it’ll be held all day on April 30 on Uncle Bob’s Western Corral in Fair Hill, “a hop, skip, and jump from the original RamJam location,” a press release promises.

Expect free-flowing bands, art that uses natural materials, and a love for the outdoors: New Sweden, Mad-Sweet Pangs, Spokey Speaky, Baygrass Bluegrass, and Yellow Dubmarine are on tap to perform, and overnight camping sites are designated.

Tickets are $35 until April 29 ($45 day-of) and include parking and camping space. Bigger vehicles hoping to camp out must purchase separate tickets. Food vendors will be on hand.

Proceeds benefit the UD chapter of Engineers Without Borders. For tickets and more info, go to ramjamming.com.

mong the many great bands lined up for this year’s Austin Psych Fest, held the weekend of April 29 to May 1, is a familiar name: the Sky Drops, the reverb-layered shoegaze duo extensively profiled in our October 2009 issue.

As the festival’s name implies, it’s a celebration with the trippiest of the trippy. Drops members Rob Montejo (guitars, vocals) and Monika Bullette (drums, vocals) will share the hot Texas stage with Atlas Sound, the Black Angels, Sleepy Sun, Dead Meadow, Roky Erickson, the Fresh & Onlys, Prefuse 73, Crystal Stilts, Pontiak, Black Moth Super Rainbow, and Black Moth frontman Tobacco, to name a handful. If you recognize these bands, your listening habits clearly involve other extracurricular activities. (We’re not judging.)

It’s a busy time for the Sky Drops, which will also make an appearance at a similarly themed festival, Somerville, Massachusetts’ Deep Heaven Now, on April 16, and have a new EP, Making Mountains, slated for a vinyl release this spring on Custom Made Music.

Those without turntables need not fret—Bullette assures us CD and digital copies will also be readied. You can also download the EP’s first single, “Explain It to Me,” from iTunes.

— Michael Pollock

STAFF PLAYLIST TYLER, THE CREATOR

Kurt Vile Smoke Ring for My Halo Frank Ocean nostalgia, ULTRA. Tyler, the Creator “Yonkers” J Mascis Several Shades of Why — Michael Pollock, editor-in-chief Odd Future Radical — Joy Smoker, art director

XX . Music

4_Music.indd 8

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PARTY PETS The first-ever Bunny Loop turns Wilmington into an animal kingdom The City Loop Series, sponsored in part by this magazine, is no stranger to creative thinking. Last month was the Shamrock Shuttle, which coincides with Wilmington’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

There’s the Pink Loop, with proceeds going toward breast-cancer research and programs. There’s the Santa Crawl, just in time for the winter holidays. And, of course, there’s the granddaddy of them all: the Halloween Loop, now in its 33rd year.

So it’s fitting that the newest addition to the series—the Bunny Hop, nicknamed “a Loop for Party Animals”—continues the trend, while benefitting something near and dear to any pet owner: animal shelters. Dress up like your favorite animal and support the cause on Saturday, April 23, from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.

A $5 wristband, available for purchase the night of the 23rd at any of the 21 participating venues, grants access to all Loop spots as well as free admission on the shuttle service making the rounds. For questions and more info, see the F.A.Q. page at outandaboutnow. com or call 655-6483.

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51

3/28/2011 1:00:20 PM

SAVE THE DATE The 29th Annual

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April  | O&A

3/25/2011 4:21:40 PM

NIGHTLIFE

Local Limelight WVUD’s Radiothon hands over the stage to area bands

L

ast year’s WVUD Radiothon hosted the cerebral rock of yearning New Yorkers the Walkmen.

This year, it’s all about the locals.

Hard-charging Stallions, made up of former American Buffalo members Andrew Price and Pete Daly, as well as veteran musician Shane Trimble and Pete’s brother Pat, is just one of several area bands slated to perform at the UD radio station’s annual fundraiser on Thursday, April 7 at 7 p.m. in the Trabant University Center. Newark jam band the Common Room and lower case blues are also slated to perform.

They’re joined by Baltimore pop-rock band Clear for Takeoff, which contributes two songs to Dare to Be Loud, a 16-track CD compilation featuring 10 area bands that will be available at the show. Atlas, New Sweden, Mythica, 61 North, and Rod Kim were also pegged for the disc.

About half of the songs were recorded at WVUD’s Newark studio. The rest were submitted.

“We hope to make the CD an annual thing,” Steve Kramarck, WVUD’s station manager, says.

“Back in 1995, WVUD did a compilation of local bands called Scare Your Roommate. When I interviewed for this position three years ago, I mentioned the possibility of doing another one.

The students were behind the idea, but it took until now for it to come to fruition.” After Radiothon, Dare to Be Loud will be sold locally and available through WVUD. Tickets for Radiothon are $12 for non-UD students and $7 for UD students and are available through Ticketmaster or at the UD box office. Go to wvud.org for more.

— Michael Pollock

53

4_NightLife.indd 5

3/25/2011 4:42:24 PM

Boom! Crash! WOW! HIV/AIDS fundraiser honors its own superheroes

W

ho says fundraising for a serious cause has to be soâ&#x20AC;Śserious?

Not the Delaware HIV Consortium, which is hosting its seventh annual WOW Gala at the Clarion Hotel in New Castle on May 6. Each yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s WOW has switched up its theme. This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s event takes a superhero approach: MAC Cosmetics will body-paint a male model into a superhero in front of guests.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;This year reďŹ&#x201A;ects upon the Red Ribbon awardees who are the Delaware HIV Consortiumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very own â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;superheroes,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? Consortium executive director Peter Houle says. Houle promises surprises â&#x20AC;&#x153;that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be talking about all year long.â&#x20AC;?

Channel 6 Action News traďŹ&#x192;c reporter Matt Pellman will be the nightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guest MC. A silent auction will include two round-trip Southwest Airlines tickets, four round-trip Acela Express tickets, artwork, restaurant certiďŹ cates, museum passes, and various gift baskets. Dinner and drinks will be served, a DJ will spin tunes for the dance ďŹ&#x201A;oor, and a prize raďŹ&#x201E;e will be held.

Through its Red Ribbon Awards, WOW recognizes corporate and individual achievements in philanthropy, volunteerism, fundraising, and community leadership in the eďŹ&#x20AC;orts against HIV/AIDS. This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recipients are John Gardner (Humanitarian Award), BristolMyers Squibbâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Renetta Mosley (Visionary Award), House of Joseph IIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Liz Ramsoram (Guardian Angel Award), CAMP Rehobothâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Steve Elkins (Community Award), Kelly Snavely (Volunteer of the Year), Mark Manchen (Impact Award), Brandywine Counselingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Basha Silverman (Ally Award), Christiana Careâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mary Kay Sullivan (Ryan White Award), and Mary Mathews and LabCorp (Corporate Award).

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A Cause for Celebration Help Ministry of Caring in its battle against hunger

I

t is the oft-quoted saying from Ministry of Caring’s Brother Ronald that the poor “should never be treated poorly.” This month, you can help bring that philosophy closer to reality.

Join Ministry of Caring as they host their annual Emmanuel Dining Room Auction, one of their biggest fundraising efforts all year. Emmanuel Dining Room is a Ministry of Caring program that aims to feed the 20,000plus hungry visitors at three sites in Wilmington and New Castle.

The 29th EDR Auction takes place this year at Barclay’s on the Riverfront on Friday, April 8 from 6:30 to 11 p.m. The evening includes dinner, cocktails, live and silent auctions, and a $10,000 raffle. Tickets are $100 and can be purchased by calling 428-3702 or online at ministryofcaring.org.

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18 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6:35 PM.......................................................................................$1 Hot Dogs Monday 19 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6:35 PM...........................................................................................Going Green Night 20 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 11:05 AM................................Future Healthy Delawareans Today and Tomorrow Day 29 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 7:05 PM.............Fireworks Friday!/ Star Wars Night featuring Chewbacca Appearance

Victor â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cowboyâ&#x20AC;? Mattia

30 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6:05 PM..........................Long Sleeve T-shirt Giveaway courtesy of Mid-Atlantic Spine Appearance by Edyta Sliwinska of Dancing with the Stars / University of Delaware Night

Three wily characters (who lost three separate wagers)

MUST Jump into a still, very chilly Twin Lakes

for Charity

2011 SEASON Ticket Game Plans starting at $28 Corporate Picnics Corporate Group Outings Cafe Rentals Luxury Suite Rentals Blue Rocks Youth Kidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Club Birthday Parties Youth Team Parties

at Twin Lakes BrEwery

SAT, APRIL 9 $5 per person benefits Leukemia & Lymphoma Society PRE-PARTY AT PIZZA BY ELIZABETHS AT 2PM

PLUNGE CEREMONY 3PM AT TWIN LAKES BREWERY

4210 Kennett Pike AFTER PARTY 5PM @ BBC

#-6& t #-6&30$,4 $0.

56 . Nightlife

4_NightLife.indd 8

April ď&#x2122;&#x2026;ď&#x2122;&#x192;ď&#x2122;&#x201E;ď&#x2122;&#x201E; | O&A

3/28/2011 2:00:22 PM

Passover

New Beer’s Eve

6

4_FlipPageCalendar.indd 1

Easter

@ CHASE CENTER

CELEBRITY CHEFS’ BRUNCH

Palm Sunday

Praying with Lior part of Movies with a Message @ Del Art Museum

@ the Grand

24

17

25

18

11

26

19

12

Leo eo Loeb Turns urns One! ne!

Babe Ruth Day

George Takei’s Birthday

27

20

Chasin’ Dem Blues April 13 to May 1 @ Del Theatre Company

13

7

21

23rd Annual Taste of the Nation Fundraising Dinner at Harry’s Savoy Grill

28

TWIN LAKES 5th ANNIVERSARY PARTY

@ the Grand

DOOBIE BROTHERS

Friday

15

Good Friday

22

An Evening g 29 with Erin Brockovich @ Chase Center

Earth Day

Blue Rocks Home Opener

@ CHASE CENTER

An Evening with the Masters

Emmanuel Dining Room Auction at Barclays Bank on the Riverfront

8

NEWARK

World Cafe Live at the Queen opens its doors

A LOOP FO

3/28/2011 2:13:56 PM

30

R PARTY AN

IMALS!

23

HOP

BUNNY

The

16

The Twin Lakes PLUNGE 3pm at Twin Lakes Brewery

9

WINE & DIN DINE

2

Saturday 1

Grace Lee Whitney’s Birthday

WVUDstock

Thursday

14

5

Wednesday

10

4

Tuesday

WVUD’s 2011 Radiothon at UD’s Trabant MPR

3

Monday

PIANO JAZZ SUMMIT

April

SUNDAY

Our event picks for the month

magazine April 2011 | Vol. 2 | Issue 11

The Queen Is Here Meet the team breathing new life into the city’s music scene

in

E THIS ISSU

4_Wilm_Cover.indd 1

Wilmington’s very own TV show Blues, baseball & more on the Riverfront State of the Downtown: April 8

3/24/2011 6:34:40 PM

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4_Inside.indd 10

3/25/2011 6:18:51 PM

What a difference a weekend can make 9 th annual

Evening With The Masters FRIDAY APRIL 15

tickets $75 per person CHASE CENTER ON THE RIVERFRONT

6:30 PM TO 10:00 PM

7 th annual

Cellar Masters’ Wine Auction at Evening With The Masters tickets $100 per person (includes entry into Evening With the Masters) CHASE CENTER ON THE RIVERFRONT

7:30 PM TO 9:30 PM

FRIDAY APRIL 15 14 th annual

Celebrity Chefs’ Brunch SUNDAY APRIL 17

tickets $175 per person BANK OF AMERICA BRACEBRIDGE 111

10 AM TO 1:30 PM

Benefits Meals On Wheels Delaware To purchase tickets visit www.mealsonwheelsde.org

4_Wilmington_Inside.indd 1

3/25/2011 5:27:05 PM

3 DAYS MAY 20-22 500 RACERS 6 BLOCKS OF

FREE FAMILY FUN

15,000 PEOPLE

4_Wilmington_Inside.indd 2

DOWNTOWN WILMINGTON

3/25/2011 5:28:00 PM

Produced by magazine

all rights reserved

TSN Publishing, Inc. President Gerald DuPhily

April 2011 volume 2, issue 11

6 Cover Story

All Hail the Queen

Editor-in-Chief

Our exclusive preview of World Cafe Live at the Queen as the venue opens its doors this month.

Michael Pollock

By Michael Pollock

Art Director Joy Smoker Production Manager Matt Loeb Senior Graphic Designer Shawna Sneath

Advertising Sales Jim Hunter Miller Marie Graham

13 In This Together Lights, Cameras, Wilmington!

The city takes its message to the airwaves.

14 Riverfront April on the Water An Evening with the Masters at the Chase Center, Blue Rocks start the season, Chasin’ Dem Blues at DTC, and more.

Project Manager Christine Serio

Contributing Writers

4

“in” Calendar

18

City Notes

Josephine Eccel, Carol Kipp Larry Nagengast, Bob Yearick

Contributing Photographers Joe del Tufo, Tim Hawk Les Kipp, Matt Urban

For editorial and advertising information: p (302) 655-6483 f (302) 654-0569

TSN Media, Inc. 307 A Street Wilmington, DE 19801

ON THE COVER: Members of the World Cafe Live at the Queen management team, L-R: Neil Sulkes, vice president; Hal Real, founder and president; Laura Wilson, talent buyer; Derek Newton, general manager. photo by Tim Hawk

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 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.

APRIL 2011 | 3

4_Wilmington_Inside.indd 3

3/25/2011 5:37:18 PM

In Calendar

THE DOOBIE BROTHERS at the Grand Opera House Thursday, April 21

DON’T MISS all month long

4/9

4/21

Art Exhibit: Escape to Adventure: Focus on Arthur E. Brecher

Aimee Mann

The Doobie Brothers @ the Grand Opera House

@ Delaware Art Museum

@ World Cafe Live at the Queen

delart.org

queen.worldcafelive.com

Friday, April 1 • Art Loop & re:Fresh After-Party Various downtown locations wilmingtonde.gov/artloop/ @ Delaware Art Museum • “Cool and Collected” Thru Saturday, April 30 • “Fred Comegys Photographs”

4_Wilmington_InCalendar.indd 2

Thru Sunday, May 1 • “Battle of the Sexes” Thru Sunday, May 22 • “Escape to Adventure: Focus on Arthur E. Becher” Thru Saturday, December 31 571-9590; delart.org

thegrandwilmington.org

@ Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts • “The Book: A Contemporary View” Thru Sunday, April 17 • “Brain Fruit II: An Excited State” Thru Sunday, April 17 • “Jayoung Yoon - Sensory Thought I” Thru Thursday, May 5 • “Splinters”

3/24/2011 6:49:20 PM

Thru Sunday, May 8 • “Philadelphia” by Jeffrey Stockbridge Thru Sunday, May 8 • “Perforations” Thru Sunday, May 15 • “We Are Our Stuff” Thru Sunday, May 22 656-6466; thedcca.org • Taken by Trees Delaware Center for Horticulture 658-6262; thedch.org • “Steppin' Out: Under the Stars” Thru Thursday, January 12, 2012 Delaware History Museum hsd.org • “Blue Suede Shoes” Grand Opera House Two Elvis impersonators—one young, one mature—offer their takes on the King 652-5577; thegrandwilmington.org • “The Pillowman” Thru Saturday, April 9 Shipyard Shops at the Riverfront bootless.org • “Kaboom” Friday, April 1 - Sunday, April 3 Theatre N The latest feature from cult indie filmmaker Gregg Araki 576-2137; theatren.org

comedy, and theater 656-4401; duponttheatre.com

Wednesday, April 6 • Orquestra de Guitarras de Barcelona Grand Opera House 652-5577; thegrandwilmington.org

Thursday, April 7 • The Naked Organ First & Central Presbyterian Church 1101 Market Street fandc.org • Ignite Wilmington #5 World Cafe Live at the Queen 500 N. Market Street queen.worldcafelive.com

• Mastersingers of Wilmington First & Central Presbyterian Church 1101 Market Street fandc.org

Sunday, April 3 • “Jesus Christ Superstar” Thru Sunday, April 17 Delaware Children's Theatre 655-1014; dechildrenstheatre.org • “Cultural Crossroads: Music, Ritual & Healing” The Music School of Delaware 762-1132; musicschoolofdelaware.org • Piano Jazz Summit Grand Opera House 652-5577; thegrandwilmington.org

Thursday, April 14 • Melomanie First & Central Presbyterian Church 1101 Market Street fandc.org • “The Business of NOW” Networking Series Thru Thursday, June 23 The coIN Loft (300 A West Ninth Street) thecoinloft.com

Friday, April 15

• Art Salad (Series) Thru Thursday, April 28 Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts 656-6466; thedcca.org

• Meals from the Masters: An Evening with the Masters The Meals on Wheels fundraiser doubles as a culinary-showcase weekend Chase Center on the Riverfront mealsonwheelsde.org

Friday, April 8

Saturday, April 16

• Ikebana Exhibit Delaware Center for Horticulture 658-6262; thedch.org • “The Adventures of Pinocchio” Thru Saturday, April 9 Grand Opera House 652-5577; thegrandwilmington.org

Saturday, April 2 • Gallery Chat with Fred Comegys Delaware Art Museum 571-9590; delart.org

• “The Hollywood Librarian: A Look at Librarians Through Film” Theatre N 576-2137; theatren.org

• Family Concert: “A Musical Storybook” The Music School of Delaware 762-1132; musicschoolofdelaware.org

Sunday, April 17 • “Mapmaker, Make Me a Map” Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts 656-6466; thedcca.org

Friday, April 9 • Aimee Mann World Cafe Live at the Queen 500 N. Market Street The critically adored singer/songwriter, known for her melodic, emotional rock, helps the restored Queen kick off its opening queen.worldcafelive.com

Sunday, April 10 • “Praying with Lior” Delaware Art Museum An award-winning documentary about a young man with Down syndrome as he awaits his Bar Mitzvah • “Hard at Work” Book Series Delaware Humanities Forum 100 W. 10th Street; 752-2060 • Calvary Community Series: Music School Faculty The Music School of Delaware 762-1132; musicschoolofdelaware.org

Wednesday, April 20 • Student Recital: “Rising Stars” The Music School of Delaware 762-1132; musicschoolofdelaware.org

Thursday, April 21 • The Doobie Brothers Grand Opera House Soul, funk, rock—and lots of feel-good hits 652-5577; thegrandwilmington.org

Saturday, April 23 • 22nd Annual Ronald McDonald House 5K Run/Walk Begins at Big Fish on the Riverfront races2run.com

Thursday, April 28 • Delaware Art Museum Book Club 571-9590; delart.org

Monday, April 4 • “From My Collection to Yours” Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts 656-6466; thedcca.org

Tuesday, April 5 • Blue Man Group DuPont Theatre Thru Sunday, April 10 A multimedia performance combining music,

Wednesday, April 13 • “Chasin’ Dem Blues: The Untold Story of Paramount Records” Delaware Theatre Company The latest from playwright Kevin Ramsey. For more, see pg. 25 on the flipside of this issue.

Thru Sunday, May 1 594-1104; delawaretheatre.org

Friday, April 29 • “The Promise: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town” Theatre N Hit documentary containing rare footage of Bruce Springsteen and the E. Street Band from 1976 to ’78, when the group recorded material for its follow-up to Born to Run 576-2137; theatren.org

APRIL 2011 | 5 magazine

4_Wilmington_InCalendar.indd 3

3/28/2011 1:05:12 PM

ALL HAIL THE QUEEN

W

e first caught wind of the Queen project more than two years ago, when we made the story behind early restoration efforts our cover for the February/March 2009 issue of CityLife (which became Wilmington Magazine later that year).

How things have evolved since that story was published.

Today, World Cafe Live at the Queen—the venue’s official name now—is set to open just as this issue hits the streets.

We’ve been following the progress closely. It’s no secret that we’re excited: The Queen’s success can only mean good things for the city. But truth be told, there’s no bigger story in Wilmington right now. And so we’ve dedicated a largerthan-usual section of this issue to an exclusive preview. Meet the minds behind the mission, brush up on your Queen history, and see who’s hi ing the stage this month and next.

Time will tell the rest of the Queen’s story. For now, we’ve got some shows to see. Join us, won’t you?

— Michael Pollock, Editor

4_Wilmington_QueenPackage.indd 2

3/25/2011 5:44:51 PM

>

You’ve talked about not wanting to make World Cafe Live a franchise. What sealed the deal for you to come to Wilmington?

5

Questions with

Hal Real

The founder and president of World Cafe Live talks about expanding to Wilmington, challenges, and his desert-island albums

What I mean is that each World Cafe Live needs to have its own unique character, reflecting and being an integral part of the community it serves. It’s not a Hard Rock Cafe or cookie-cu er kind of thing. Being an engaged collaborator in the local music and arts scene is key to our success wherever we might have the fortune to create a World Cafe Live.

As to Wilmington, no one thing sealed the deal—it truly was a combination of many factors: the great fabric and bones of Market Street that we saw from an architectural, historical perspective when we slowed down and took a good look at the marvelous buildings along Market Street; the enthusiasm for us as a catalyst to accelerate the renaissance already underway on Market Street; the potential of collaborating with such great partners both in “lighting up” the Queen—Buccini/Pollin Group, the city, the state, the foundation and corporate community, and others—and the operating synergies we could enjoy working with the strong greater Wilmington arts and culture community, from our neighbors at DCAD, Delaware Historical Society, Christina Cultural Center, and Kuumba to the Cab Calloway School of Performing Arts, the Grand Opera House, the Arden Gild Hall, the Symphony, Opera Delaware, the Children’s Museum, DCCA, and DTC, to name a few. Also, XPN and World Cafe Live both have lots of members and fans in the area who told us they would love to have our programming available to them on a more regular and more accessible basis.

Then, of course, there’s the Queen itself—a daunting challenge, but a glorious opportunity to bring her back to life in our very unique WCL way.

>

What’s the biggest challenge you anticipate about opening World Cafe Live at the Queen, and how do you plan to tackle it?

Our biggest challenge is helping everyone realize that Wilmington will never achieve its potential to be a world-class city of its own—or even Philly’s funky kid brother or sister—unless everyone in the greater Wilmington area gets past their bad vibes about downtown. It’s beautiful, it’s safe—especially as more and more people come to check out all the new stuff we have going on—and, most important, it’s their, and our, downtown. Failure is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Take back the town and make it even half of what it was in its heyday, and you’ll have a downtown Wilmington that’s absolutely as cool as any town or city in the world.

XX

magazine

>

You’re a live-music guy. Tell us the best shows you’ve ever seen.

Wow, almost an impossible question for a guy who literally averages a hundred-plus live-music experiences a year. A few that that come to mind: Wynton Marsalis with his dad and two of his brothers in a family-reunion set in a small tent at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival; Jamie Cullum our opening month at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia; and many, many shows in my high school and college days at the original Main Point in Bryn Mawr, Pa., including then-emerging artists such as Bonnie Rai , Bruce Springsteen, and Jackson Browne. That place had a lot of influence on my goal to create an intimate se ing for artists and audiences at World Cafe Live.

>

Who’s on your all-time wish list for WCL performers?

Robert Plant, Annie Lennox, Wynton Marsalis, Dave Ma hews, Bonnie Rai , Coldplay, Stevie Wonder, Dylan, the Decemberists, Diana Krall, Tom Pe y, Zero 7, Springsteen, Yo-Yo Ma, Tina Turner, Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, James Taylor, Norah Jones, Lyle Love , Dave Brubeck…guess I’d be er stop?

>

You’re stranded on an island but you can bring five albums with you. What are they?

Marvin Gaye’s Let’s Get It On, KT Tunstall’s Eye to the Telescope, Stevie Wonder’s Innervisions, Chick Corea & Gary Burton’s Crystal Silence, and Ben Webster Meets Oscar Peterson. But I don’t know that I could live on that island very long without so many other great tunes that could just as well be on this list.

APRIL 2011 | 7

magazine

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3/28/2011 1:03:38 PM

A rts Media IN Upcoming Client Events!

LLC

Christina Cultural Arts Center First State Community Loan Fund and DE Small Business & Technology Development Center present

Discovering the Entreprenuer in You: Artists as Business Leaders

a conference on finance, marketing, grants & more for artists of all genres

Wilmington, May 6 & 7 • Call for details 302.377.3156

Delaware Valley Chorale David Christopher, conductor

City Theater Company

The Delaware Symphony Orchestra

NINE, the musical May 6-21 The Black Box OperaDelaware Studios

Brahms’ Requiem May 15, 4pm Immanuel Church

Tickets: city-theater.org

David Amado, music director

Tickets: 302.740.2410 or delawarevalleychorale.org

One Rocking Weekend NON-COMM moves to Wilmington

W

XPN’s annual NONCOMMvention is a music festival and industrynetworking event now in its 11th year. And while 2010’s bash was in Philadelphia, this year’s NON-COMM, held the weekend of May 19-21, will be hosted for the first time in Wilmington, to coincide with the April opening of World Café Live at the Queen at Fi h and Market streets.

NON-COMM blends the sounds of all things rock—singer/songwriter, experimental, folk, jam, indie, and country—over one weekend. Acts slated to perform this year include Sonic Youth frontman Thurston Moore, Bright Eyes, the Jayhawks, New York Dolls, DeVotchKa, G. Love, Sarah Jarosz, John Popper and the Duskray Troubadours, the Head and the Heart, the White Buffalo, Junip (featuring Jose Gonzalez), Over the Rhine, the Sam Roberts Band, Todd Snider, Ma Nathanson, Dylan LeBlanc, and Rebecca Pidgeon. A bit of rock ’n’ roll legacy comes by way of James McCartney (son of Paul) and Justin Townes Earle (son of Steve). Robbie Robertson will also be on hand to tape an interview with David Dye for XPN’s World Cafe program.

Three-day passes start at $75 and can be purchased at xpn.org.

8 . WORLD CAFE LIVE AT THE QUEEN magazine

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3/28/2011 11:26:46 AM

From There to Her

By Michael Pollock

I

n the February/March issue of CityLife (the former incarnation of Wilmington Magazine), we ran an in-depth story on the efforts that were underway to revive the historic Queen Theater at Fi h and Market streets.

Our original piece went behind the scenes with Bill Taylor, executive director of Light Up the Queen, World Cafe Live’s nonprofit partner. We recently spoke with Taylor for an update on what’s happened since our 2009 story ran.

What’s the financial breakdown that got the project off the ground?

The brunt of it came from historic and new-market tax credits. That was just over $11 million, of the $25 million needed for construction. Then from there, we have a mixture of foundations, corporation, and individuals, as well as support from the state and the City of Wilmington, who gave us $3 million. So it’s a wide range of different sources.

The bridge loan [for $5.2 million] enabled us to close the deal and get construction started in October 2009.

So it helps that everyone is shouldering more of the responsibility.

Exactly. The model is new and innovative, but you’re starting to see it more and more, which is a for-profit/nonprofit combination. This project is very difficult to pull off. It would’ve been much cheaper to tear the building down than build something new. So in order to finance the whole thing, you have the nonprofit that’s able to go out and get the foundation and corporate money. But at the same time, you have a for-profit operator. Which means that, unlike many arts institutions, we won’t need to reach out for help on the operations side.

What’s been your role in terms of fundraising?

At the heart of everything I do is fundraising. But each event doesn’t necessarily raise a ton of money. What it does do, though, is raise awareness. And out of those events we’ve been able to sign up some high-end donors.

People who’ve come to the events and really enjoyed them, and go en a sense of what we’re all about.

Do you have any favorite performances from the Light Up the Queen shows?

Trombone Shorty, definitely. He’s like a li le brother. I used to tutor him through high school, and he’s exploded now. We go way back, so that was a good one, when we had him on the roof of ShopRite. David Bromberg’s Big Noise in the Neighborhood was another amazing event.

What’s your role going to be once the Queen opens?

We’ll still be doing fundraisers for Light Up the Queen, and we’ll be able to hold them inside the building a few times a year. We’re also developing some programming for kids and professional musicians, and modifying some programs I did in New Orleans, that we’ll be instituting inside the Queen.

You started working with the Queen in October 2008. What kind of moments have been most exciting for you during all this?

There have been a number of watershed moments along the way. Obviously, a couple of the big donations, especially as the economy was suffering so badly, that allowed us to move forward and keep our eyes on the prize, so to speak.

So the buy-in we’ve go en from all levels of the community has really inspired us to persevere and get this done.

I’d also say that every event we’ve done—we’ve really been able to build an audience over time. Bringing people to downtown Wilmington is a challenge in and of itself.

And I think as time has gone on, we’ve been able to do that more and more with each event. And that’s something I’m very proud of. In the beginning, people weren’t always comfortable coming downtown, for whatever reason. I think we’ve done a good job of chipping away at that argument.

APRIL 2011 | 9

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3/25/2011 5:47:50 PM

photos by Joe del Tufo

Timeline T mel el n of Queen f Qu Quee uee ue een e History Histo His H sto st ory or o ry ry Key dates in the history of Market Street’s famed building

1789: The Indian Queen Hotel is built.

July 4, 1797: A celebration of U.S. freedom is held at a space in the hotel known as the Queen of Otaheite Tavern, named a er the South Pacific island that had been visited by a Wilmington whaling vessel.

1829: Martin Van Buren, seven years before he was elected President of the United States, visits the Queen.

1847: Despite harsh economic conditions, hotel proprietor John Hall doubles the Queen’s capacity by making it three stories high.

March 25, 1871: Artisans’ Bank and the First National Bank of Wilmington buy the Indian Queen as a combination headquarters, but decide instead to upgrade it into a first-class hotel, the Clayton House, at a price tag of $200,000. An additional two stories were added, bringing the building’s total height to five stories.

1916: The Clayton House gives way to a $250,000 movie theater with

4_Wilmington_QueenPackage.indd 6

enough seating in the auditorium and on the balcony for 2,000 people.

April 1959: The movie theater closes, showing House on Haunted Hill as its final film. The Queen remains dark for the next five decades.

October 2004: Hal Real and his Real Entertainment Group open World Cafe Live in Philadelphia.

Designed to host “good, live music for grown-ups,” it shares the same building as nonprofit radio station WXPN, whose World Cafe program inspired the venue’s name.

2008: Hal Real begins talks with Wilmington-based real estate developers the Buccini/Pollin Group and officials from the City of Wilmington to discuss restoring the Queen into a fully operational performing-arts venue. A deal is met and fundraising efforts for the $25 million project get underway.

October 2009: Construction begins on the 45,000-square-foot World Cafe Live at the Queen, with a spring 2011 opening date announced.

2010: Benefit concerts held by the Light Up the Queen Foundation feature Wilmington resident David Bromberg and New Orleans native Trombone Shorty, who performs on the roof of the nearby ShopRite.

November 2010: Demolition reveals three 10’ x 18’ murals still in excellent condition. Representing beauty, painting, and music, the murals were obstructed by soundproofing panels when the Queen was converted from a hotel into a theater.

April 1, 2011: World Cafe Live at the Queen opens its doors. The rest, as they say, is history.

3/25/2011 5:48:26 PM

ATT THE TH E TH QUEEN QUEE Q QU UEE UE EN N Coming to the downstairs stage this month and next

April 8

April 23

May 7

Nineties folk-pop band Toad the Wet Sprocket reunites, with Carbon Leaf opening

Peanut Bu er and Jams welcomes children’s-entertainment group the Diggity Dudes

The neo-burlesque cabaret Peeka-Boo Revue (must be 18 or older)

April 9

April 23

Critically acclaimed pop-rock songstress Aimee Mann

A showcase of Mantis Entertainment’s local talent with the Paul Waltz Band, the Source, Villains Like You, and Small Time Crooks

April 10 Gypsy jazz from the multi-talented John Jorgensen Quintet

April 13 Dogfish’s Sam Calagione and wine aficionado Marnie Old serve up a three-course dinner in “He Said Beer, She Said Wine”

April 14

April 2 Uganda world-music artist Kinobe

The kings of Western swing, Asleep at the Wheel

April 2

April 15

April 24 The Orchestre National de Jazz presents Shut Up and Dance

April 28 Simon & Garfunkel Retrospective, a tribute to the legendary folk duo

May 13 The Renaissance revisited with Blackmore’s Night

May 14 Peanut Bu er and Jams presents singer/songwriter and teacher Joanie Leeds

May 16 Funk and soul from Robert Randolph & the Family Band

May 21

April 29

PhillyBloco Dance Party with samba, funk, reggae, and more rhythmic sounds

Country-rock pioneers Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen

May 25

April 30

Bob Marley’s world-famous band, the Wailers

Cinema Jams, a ba le of the bands hosted by local moviemakers Film Brothers

May 27

Ingrid Michaelson, singer/ songwriter of WXPN and Grey’s Anatomy fame

Philadelphia-based roots rockers Hoots & Hellmouth

April 3

A night of reggae with the Easy Star All-Stars, sponsored by Jagermeister

May 4 Prog-rock veterans Ambrosia

May 28

April 22

May 7

John Oates, one half of the hitmaking pop-soul duo

Eclectic pop with local band Mad-Sweet Pangs

Peanut Bu er and Jams presents children’s-music artist Yosi

Slide-guitar master Sonny Landreth

April 16

Raul Malo blends Latin roots with Americana influences

From one queen to another... thanks for coming to wilmington!

Pizza by Elizabeths welcomes the World Cafe Live to the beautifully revitalized Queen Theatre on Market Street

APRIL 2011 | 11 magazine

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3/28/2011 12:57:47 PM

Poster Children DCAD students put their best art forward to celebrate the Queen’s opening

I

n February, 18 DCAD students in John Breakey’s Graphic Design II class took a crack at capturing World Cafe Live at the Queen in poster form, for a contest in conjunction with the Queen’s grand opening this month. But it was 22-year-old Bre Robinson, a second-year student from New Castle, who stood out.

Robinson’s poster, shown at right, was given top honors by a judging panel made up of DCAD faculty and WCL staff. It best exemplified the challenge put forth by the commi ee to “express what live music sounds like to someone who cannot hear.” Graphic-design majors Kasheem Black, 19, of Wilmington, and Sandra Gichuhi, 18, of Nairobi, Kenya, took second and third place, respectively. All three winners are set to graduate in May. “I started by doing a lot of research on World Cafe Live and

their brand,” Robinson says of his process. “That’s when I thought of the music notes, in all different colors, popping out at once.”

Another of the poster’s striking images is that of the historic Queen building itself, positioned smack in the center. “We went to the building a few times and walked around, to get a good idea of the architecture,” Robinson says. A er sketching out ideas on paper, he took his vision to the computer and created it using Adobe applications, notably Illustrator. In all, Robinson worked “two to three days a week” from early February until mid-March.

As for music, Robinson is an admi ed hip-hop and R&B fan, and counts Lil Wayne and Drake among his favorite artists. While it’s unlikely Young Money will be gracing a Queen stage anytime soon, Robinson can certainly appreciate the project’s goal. “It’s a beautiful venue—I had never been inside before. It’s smart to bring that vibe here; a new hangout. It’s what we need in Wilmington right now.”

Italian Flavor Fest 2011 Sample the Tastes of Italy

at the

QUEEN

Catch all 18 posters hanging inside the Queen, as well as at DCAD’s annual gala, held this year on May 5 (also at the Queen).

Sundays AT CHELSEA

ShopRite of Christina Crossing 501 S. Walnut Street, Wilmington

Saturday, April 16 12PM - 4PM

SUNDAY BRUNCH – 10AM - 2PM

Celebrate the Foods of Italy

Bloody Mary Bar, Ala Carte Menu, The MANmosa!

Free Admission • Free Food • Music Free Balloons • Free Prizes

SUNDAY DINNER – 4PM - 9PM

Steak Frites, Saltine Crusted Salmon, Beer-Battered Catfish, Kid’s Menu INDUSTRY NIGHT – 9PM - 1AM

Complimentary Craft Pizzas, Industry Specials, Special Appearances by local DJ’s The Kenny Family ShopRites of Delaware

www.ChelseaTavern.com

12 . WORLD CAFE LIVE AT THE QUEEN magazine

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magazine

IN THIS TOGETHER

Lights, Cameras, Wilmington!

The city takes its message to the airwaves

I

t’s a Friday in early March at the Delaware Children’s Museum, and where there are scores of children running through exhibits and adults keeping a close watch nearby, there’s also a small TV crew and a composed cast seated in tall chairs.

They’re set up for a taping of Wilmington…In the Middle of It All. Taking its name from the City of Wilmington’s branding campaign, In the Middle of It All is a monthly one-hour program that looks at, in the words of the city’s director of communications and policy development (and the show’s

executive producer), John Rago, “the people, places, and things that have really helped to change Wilmington in recent years.” Julie Van Blarcom, the Children’s Museum’s executive director, is being interviewed on this day; Dr. Lillian Lowery is standing by to speak on improving early-childhood education and decreasing school drop-out rates.

Started three years ago, the show illustrates the city’s marketing message using the still-powerful medium of television. “If we’re telling folks that Wilmington is in the middle of it all,” Rago says, “we want to demonstrate that in a visual way.”

Rago is among several City employees who have recurring segments on the show. He hosts “Who Thrilled J.R.?,”—a reference to the famous Dallas storyline— featuring an interview with a current newsmaker. Cultural-affairs director Tina Betz does “Tina Time,” a report on the city’s cultural activities.

Assistant communications director Rich Neumann hosts “Where in Wilmington?,” a piece on historical city landmarks. “Behind the Headlines” runs through current city events. Even

Mayor James Baker gets in on the action, hosting “Eat at Jim’s,” which highlights a different local restaurant each month. (The Maryland Avenue Sub Shop is on tap for today.)

The show runs twice a day (at 9 a.m. and again at 7 p.m.) all month long on WITN Channel 22, available to all Comcast subscribers within city limits. While the program aims to battle perception issues about the city, it also goes far in showcasing the kind of positive energy that speaks to residents.

“We always like to say there’s a new Wilmington emerging from the old,” Rago says. “And what that means is there’s a lot of history in this city, and there are a lot of people in the city who are a part of that history. At the same time, we have a new wave of individuals who’ve come into Wilmington in recent years. So it’s a nice blend, now, of new folks coming to the city and folks who’ve been here a long time. A lot of them are working on projects together.

They represent two different eras, but it’s all sort of a celebration of the city today as a whole.” in

ON THE SET Rich Neumann, Mayor Baker, John Rago, and Tina Betz tape an episode of In the Middle of It All. Photo by Joy Smoker APRIL 2011 | 13 magazine

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Riverfront

USE A C A R O F E N I D

Treat your taste buds to An Evening with the Masters he Chase Center hosts a night of culinary magic on April 15 with An Evening with the Masters, part of the annual Meals from the Masters benefit for Meals on Wheels Delaware that includes hands-on cooking demonstrations with celebrity chefs, a wine auction, and live music and dancing.

Tickets are $75, $35 of which is tax-deductible. (mealsfromthemasters.com/evening-with-the-masters.html)

T

PLAY BALL! Blue Rocks begin season at Frawley Stadium ilmingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s minor-league baseball team kicks off its 2011 season with play against the Potomac Nationals on April 15 at Frawley Stadium (7 p.m. start time). After a 68-70 record last season, the Blue Rocks hope to turn things around. They take on the Nationals in their first home series that runs April 15-17. Following these games, the Blue Rocks will play the Kinston Indians at home April 18-20 before heading on the road. (bluerocks.com)

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wilm.com

magazine

DELAWARE THEATRE A mixed-media musical at Delaware Theatre laywright and actor Kevin Ramsey brings his latest piece, Chasin’ Dem Blues: The Untold Story of Paramount Records, to DTC this month. Ramsey’s recent musicals, Fire on the Bayou and Sam Cooke: Forever Mr. Soul, captivated Delaware audiences with their blend of music and history.

Chasin’ Dem Blues follows a small Midwestern blues town that forever transformed American music in the early 20th century. Runs April 13 to May 1. (delawaretheatre.org)

P

VISUAL ARTS Visual arts show to benefit Delaware’s high schools ore than 50 visual artists from the Brandywine Valley area will exhibit and sell original works that include sculpture, porcelain, jewelry, and limitededition pieces for the Delaware Foundation for the Visual Arts Riverfront art show taking place Friday, April 1 (5:30 to 8:30 p.m.); Saturday, April 2 (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.), and Sunday, April 3 (11 a.m. to 4 p.m.) at Suite 974 Justison St. (across from the Chase Center, next to Planet Fitness). A portion of the proceeds benefit DFVA’s art-scholarship and education programs for Delaware high school students. (dfva.org)

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on the riverfront

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APRIL 6 VOLUNTEER OPEN HOUSE

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Learn about volunteer opportunities and ways to get involved at DEEC DuPont Environmental Education Center 12-1 pm & 5-6pm

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A P R I L 1 4 H A B I TAT F O R H U M A N I T Y 2 5 T H ANNIVERSARY DINNER Chase Center on the Riverfront, 6-8pm

Amtrak Station Tubman-Garre Riverfront Park Residences at Christina Landing Harry’s Seafood Grill Riverfront Market Delaware Theatre Company FireStone Roasting House 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/DuPont Environmental Education Center 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 Kooma Big Fish Grill Delaware Children’s Museum

APRIL 15 BLUE ROCKS HOME OPENER

APRIL 15 AN EVENING WITH THE MASTERS

APRIL 16 SWEET PEA GAL A Fundraiser for children with illness that includes dinner, dancing, drinks, and silent auction Chase Center on the Riverfront, 6-10pm

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Select dates & times 12

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Ninth annual culinary benefit for Meals on Wheels Delaware Chase Center, 6-10:30pm

5 APRIL 13 – MAY 1 “CHASIN’ DEM BLUES” The story of Paramount Records, written and directed by Kevin Ramsey Delaware Theater Company

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vs. Potomac Nationals Frawley Stadium, 7pm

A P R I L 9 C A N I N E PA R T N E R S FOR LIFE WINE AUCTION BENEFIT Chase Center on the Riverfront, 6-10pm

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A P R I L 1 6 E A R T H D AY F E S T I VA L 41st Earth Day celebration DuPont Environmental Education Center

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A P R I L 2 0 K A L M A R N YC K E L L E C T U R E S E R I E S Third and final lecture in the series Chase Center on the Riverfront, 6pm

F O R M O R E O N T H E R I V E R F R O N T, V I S I T: R I V E R F R O N T W I L M . C O M 4_Wilmington_Riverfront.indd 4

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FEBRUARY 12, 2011 – MAY 1, 2011 For more than 50 years, Wilmington photographer and Pulitzer finalist Fred Comegys has captured international celebrities and local kids for the pages of The News Journal.

Experience Comegys’ distinctive vision and diverse subjects in this retrospective exhibition.

Fred Comegys Photographs is sponsored by Signature Brandywine magazine. This exhibition is made possible, in part, by grants from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. | Image: “Hairy Ride,” John Kmetz, Newark Resident, Enjoys the James E. Strates Show, Prices Corner, 1987. Fred Comegys (born 1941). Digital print on paper. On loan from the artist, © Fred Comegys.

2301 Kentmere Pkwy Wilmington, DE 19806 302.571.9590 www.delart.org

MARCH 2011 | 17 magazine

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3/25/2011 5:54:47 PM

City Notes

AMTRAK STATION GETS ITS BIG REVEAL On Saturday, March 19, the newly renovated Wilmington Amtrak Station was officially unveiled to the public. The celebration began with an invite-only ceremony, followed by an open-house celebration open to the public. The festivities included children’s singing performances, hot dogs, popcorn, and other goodies. Attendees were also able to tour the station, which underwent a $32 million renovation that saw restoration of its Victorian architecture, repair of its platforms, and the installation of a waterproofing system.

Housing-and-fire-station project moves forward An innovative project that combines a publichousing complex with a new city fire station took another step forward last month after City Council approved a pair of ordinances authorizing a development and acquisition agreement and conduit financing for the proposed project.

The City of Wilmington has been collaborating with the Wilmington Housing Authority, members of City Council, and neighborhood and community residents for more than a year on a project that will replace two outdated facilities—the former Lincoln Towers public-housing complex at 1625 Gilpin Ave. and Fire Station #5 at 1814 Gilpin—with a stateof-the art “green” facility that combines both.

Joining Mayor Baker, Fire Chief Willie Patrick, and WHA executive director Fred Purnell in the planning process for the project were 8th District City Council Member and legislation sponsor Stephen Martelli and Council Members At-Large Charles “Bud” Freel and Michael A. Brown.

The former Lincoln Towers contained 120 units and was home to approximately 150 people. The building was in need of costly updating, including the need to retrofit the structure with a fire-suppression sprinkler system.

Demolition of the building began in early January.

Station #5 is one of six fire stations and a marine unit serving Wilmington. It was originally built in the late 1800s to serve the neighborhoods of Forty Acres, the Highlands, Trolley Square, and Ninth Ward, and is the smallest and oldest fire station in the city.

The 10-story combined facility will include 88 housing units, with room for approximately 100 age-restricted, elderly mixed-income residents.

Completion is slated for June 2012. The city’s 10,000-square-foot fire station will occupy

the bottom two floors of the new building, with the entrance to the station’s two bays opening onto DuPont Street. The new station is scheduled to be fully operational by August 2012. The new station makes up $3.5 million of the building’s total $30 million cost and is being funded through the City of Wilmington’s capital fund. The City also contributed $1 million to the residential portion of the building.

To follow news on the project, go to wilmingtonde.gov.

Federal funding will lead to hire of 13 city firefighters Support from Delaware senators Tom Carper, Chris Coons, and John Carney recently led the city to a $1.7 million FEMA grant that will allow Wilmington, among other measures, to hire 13 firefighters.

The FEMA grant, titled SAFER (Staffing for Assistance for Fire and Emergency Response), provides funding for a two-year period. The city’s fire department is currently seeking candidates for a new Fire Training Academy, which must start by May 18 in order for the city to receive the federal funding.

The 13 hires will fill the positions of the eight firefighters laid off in FY 2010, as well as fill the five positions currently vacant due to attrition.

Arts-education grants give three city orgs a hand Arts education is vital to many arts organizations, and recently the Delaware Division of the Arts helped five organizations, including three in Wilmington, get closer to program goals.

Last month, DDOA created a special arts– education funding initiative, designated as

CHILDREN'S MUSEUM TURNS 1 The Delaware Children’s Museum celebrates its first birthday on Saturday, April 9 with its Look Who’s Turning One Gala. And while the museum is for kids, the gala (held at DCM) is an adults-only affair, featuring cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, Motown music, and a silent auction.

Tickets are $125.

A project a decade in the making, the Children’s Museum has welcomed more than 125,000 people through its doors as of March.

18 . City Notes magazine

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March for Arts in Education month. Five Delaware arts organizations received a total of $90,000 from DDOA to support arts-education initiatives currently underway. The funding came from RACE with the Arts, or Replicating Arts Curriculum Experiences, a one-time funding opportunity to help the organizations evaluate and document their programs for the purpose of future replication and expansion.

Organizations were selected through a competitive application process. They are: Delaware Theatre Company; Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts; a consortium of arts organizations serving Warner Elementary School, represented by the Grand Opera House, Opera Delaware, the Delaware Art Museum, and Delaware Symphony; VSA Delaware; and the Rehoboth Art League.

“The arts are part of a world-class education,” Gov. Markell says. “There’s an economic incentive to supporting arts education.

Businesses want to grow in places with a high quality of life, and the arts add so much to that standard of living. Ultimately, by promoting the arts with young people, we are perpetuating our state’s cultural, economic, and educational best interests.”

Historical Society names new CEO Last month, the Delaware Historical Society welcomed new leadership with Scott Loehr taking over as its new chief executive officer (CEO). Loehr assumed his new responsibilities on March 15 and proceeds Joan Hoge, who accepted a position at Hagley Museum.

Loehr, a native Floridian who studied history and business at Florida State University and holds a master’s degree in history from Colorado State, has previously worked at the Newport Historical Society, the Augusta (Ga.) Museum of History, the Cape Fear Historical Complex, and the Flint RiverQuarium in Albany, Ga. The Delaware Historical Society is the statewide nonprofit that owns and operates the Delaware History Museum, Old Town Hall in Wilmington, the Read House and Gardens in New Castle, and an outstanding research library.

NOSO Boutique is open The Ninth Street corridor between Tatnall and Orange streets has a new addition. Entrepreneur Anne Hamilton recently opened NOSO Boutique on the block, adding to the area’s style-driven offerings.

The boutique features what it calls “fashion-forward clothing,” as well as accessories such as handbags, jewelry, and shoes.

Blue Streak show explores unity from two perspectives The Blue Streak Gallery (1721 Delaware Ave.) will hold an eight-piece collaborative painting show, Being, beginning Friday, April 1 that features two artists—Brett Anderson Walker and Antonio Puri—exploring unity among humanity. “As dramatic events around the world continue to unfold, the timeliness of this show becomes apparent,” Blue Streak owner Ellen Bartholomaus says. A gallery talk with both artists will be held on Thursday, April 28 from 7 to 9 p.m. Catherine Quillman will also be on hand to sign copies of her new book, 100 Artists of the Brandywine.

downtownwilmington.com

Wilmington Renaissance Corporation

•

WRC News T

he spring is here and everyone seems to be trying to beat the winter doldrums by getting outside. Wilmington is a great city for many reasons, but one of them is the green space that complements the urban atmosphere.

For those who live or work downtown, serenity is just a short stroll to the 500 block of Market Street. Whether it’s lounging in a park, eating al fresco, or getting active on a trail, you don’t have to look far from your office window or front door to find a great outdoor space.

The Delaware Historical Society’s campus has Willingtown Square in the middle of the block. The gated park is open to the public to sit on the steps or benches for lunch, a breath of fresh air, or just some quiet time.

If you’d rather be on the other end of Market, Rodney Square is an open park with trees and benches. You may even catch a game of chess played by some regulars near the statue of Caesar Rodney. The park will be slightly transformed beginning in May, when it undergoes beautification construction.

If downtown employees, visitors, or residents feel like taking a longer hike, they can go down Market Street and cross over Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. to walk along the Riverwalk.

The brick pathway is a great way to get some sunshine, a bit of exercise, and take in the river scenery. The Christina River is home to the Wilmington Rowing Club, so walkers can expect to see some skulling on their walks.

Just on the outskirts of downtown, Brandywine Park is home to the zoo, Josephine Fountain, Jasper Crane Rose Garden, many pathways, and the Brandywine River. During the spring and summer, many people can be seen tubing or canoeing down the river.

The city has a number of smaller and larger parks that can satisfy anyone bitten by the need-for-nature bug. A little exploration can have a big payoff !

For more information on Wilmington City Parks, visit destateparks.com/park/wilmington.

WRC’s Favorites

E

very month we’ll feature a few of the staff ’s favorite things that are happening in the city. Our favorites for April include (in no particular order!):

• WRC’s State of the Downtown is Friday, April 8 from 7:30 to 10 a.m. at World Cafe Live at the Queen. For info and tickets, visit downtownwilmington.com.

SEPTA now offering Sunday train service Beginning last month, SEPTA’s Wilmington and Claymont passengers have been able to hop aboard the Authority’s Regional Rail Line for trips to Philadelphia seven days a week. SEPTA, in partnership with DART First State, started its Sunday service at the Wilmington and Claymont Stations. Sunday trains replicate SEPTA’s Saturday service schedule, offering seven daily round trips between Wilmington and Center City Philadelphia. Schedules are available at septa.org. in

• NOSO Boutique sells trendy women’s clothing, accessories, and shoes on Ninth Street between Tatnall and Orange streets.

• The 2011 Wilmington Grand Prix—a nationally ranked cycling event and free street festival—returns to downtown May 20-22.

• Meals from the Masters will hold An Evening with the Masters on April 15 at the Chase Center and the Celebrity Chefs’ Brunch on Sunday, April 17 at Bank of America (1100 N. King St.).

DowntownWilmington.com

magazine

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