search citypaper.net
  

					Also this issue: The Hangman James Lewes is documenting a very perishable part of the local rock scene. -Patrick Rapa Where They Were Then From Studio to salon to saloon, old-heads recall the scene they can¹t exactly remember. -A.D. Amorosi Punk Calling Diary of a man in a local band (or two) in the early 䢔s. -179Frank Blank² Moriarty Getting to the point the bryn mawr club knows where it¹s going, and where it¹s been. -Mary Armstrong Those were the frickin¹ days Rolling stone¹s david fricke remembers the main point -Patrick Rapa The Lowdown Peaks, valleys and what finally put a fork in The Low Road. -Lori Hill Deep Thoughts with The Low Road Tearing Down The House DJ The life, music, modeling, drugs, death and rebirth of Narayan. -Sean O¹Neal

October 17-23, 2002

cover story

Here We Are Now

by Patrick Rapa

You’ll notice a lot of name-dropping in the following pages. That’s how we wanted it. This issue is about people and places past, and we won’t be stingy about giving credit where it’s due. Philadelphia’s music history is a huge, living, morphing thing.

We're using the "Where Are They Now?" theme as a sort of catch-all: A reason to exhume old favorites. An opportunity to trace the city's rock lineage. A chance to dig up old stories lest they become lost forever. An excuse to run a photo of Britny Fox. Of course there isn't space or time enough to do some kind of completist, all-encompassing retrospective of Philadelphia's music history, and we're proud to be from a city for which such an encapsulation is impossible. Besides, Patti LaBelle, Will Smith, Gamble & Huff -- we know where those guys are now. This is about digging a little deeper.

First up there's James Lewes, a Welsh-born Philly guy who's created a digital database of old punk fliers. That's a tiny sampling of them above..

Next, A.D. Amorosi takes us on a hazy, un-credible romp through Philly's old clubs, studios and such. I think you'll find his Hunter S. Thompson-like eye for detail entertaining.

In the '80s, "Frank Blank" was one of Philadelphia's most vocal supporters of local music, writing about rock and pop every week in City Paper. We still get CDs addressed to him. Now a published author, Frank Moriarty works some six blocks away from CP's current home. Enthusiastic as ever, in this issue, he recalls the scene as he remembers it, from the stage and behind it.

The Main Point -- the acoustic/folk club which begat The Point -- is legend far outside Bryn Mawr. Mary Armstrong rounds up its founders and figures, and Rolling Stone's David Fricke reminisces about working there.

The Low Road were one of the best Philly bands of the '90s. Lori Hill catches up with Mike "Slo-Mo" Brenner and the rest to find out what split them up and why they still resonate on area jukeboxes.

After much digging, Sean O'Neal unearthed Narayan, the popular Philly house DJ who's wandering back into music after some bizarre detours.

A.D. catches up with singer-songwriter Matt Sevier, who's putting his previous successes and failures (and a certain famous murderous landlord) behind him to make the best music of his life.

Yes, glam-metal screechers Britny Fox are back at it and still living around here. Drummer Johnny Dee tells us the rumors of his band's demise were only accurate for a little while.

A couple South Philly jazz legends from the '20s and '30s finally get their due with a box set of rarities. It's sort of a personal story for A.D.

Brian Howard sits down with Monkey 101's Paul Kowalchuk to find out how his old band's rep is helping his new band, Chino, gain momentum.

It wasn't in the cards for Frank Lewis to see Hooters in high school.

From Dandelion to Trip 66 to Ty Cobb, Laguardia are all tangled up in the local music scene. John Vettese talks to a band that isn't looking back.

We wrap things up with reviews of new music by area bands. Because the story is still being written.