February 28–March 7, 2002 cover story Fear Factor The city’s felony waiver program gives defendants the stark choice of giving up their right to trial by jury or risking the sentencing wrath of Eugene Maier, one of the toughest judges…

February 21–28, 2002 naked city Icepack by A.D. Amorosi This week is an A/V lover’s dream, with producers, film guys and techies taking up more room in my column than spawts jackets in my closet. Mr. Edan Cohen of Soundgun…

February 7–14, 2002 music picks|rock/pop Varnaline If the Beasties hadn’t taken the phrase “Slow and low, that is the tempo” for their own, Anders Parker could have claimed it. His nearly-one-man band Varnaline’s Songs in a Northern Key (E-Squared/Artemis) may…

January 24–31, 2002 dj nights DJ Nights A selective look at who’s spinning what and where. by Sean O’Neal Pick of the week: FRIDAY Chicago House Tracks (one-off) (house) (deep house) @Aqualounge w/ Paul Johnson, Illasound and Chris Purtell, $10.…

January 24–31, 2002 book quicks The Last Dream-O-Rama: The Cars Detroit Forgot to Build, 1950-1960 By Bruce McCall Crown Publishers, 128 pp., $25.00 hardcover Bruce McCall continues to distinguish himself as one of the most socially perceptive, and gloriously depraved,…

January 17–24, 2002 naked city Icepack by A.D. Amorosi Life’s so interconnected. Latin lounge lord Esquivel dies, and there’s a running of the bulls on Broad Street for First Union’s rodeo at the Spectrum (Jan. 18-20). I think “charitable endeavor”…

January 17–24, 2002 cd reviews|rock/pop Moth Wranglers Never Mind the Context (Magnetic Motorworks) Ld Beghtol and Chris Xefos, the singer-instrumentalists behind Moth Wranglers, have nice friends. The Flare frontman and the ex-King Missile-ite, respectively, approach their avant-Appalachian cabaret tunes with…

January 17–24, 2002 dj nights DJ Nights by Sean O’Neal Pick of the week: SUNDAY, JANUARY 20 Anime (one-off) (hardcore) (trance) (drum ‘n’ bass) (breaks) @ Flow Nightclub w/ Johnny Hardkore!!, Scorpion, Cosmicboy, X-Factor, Hectic, Xonel Smart, Josh Holiday, RubixQube,…

January 10–17, 2002 naked city Icepack by A.D. Amorosi Say prayers for just-deceased spiritual godfathers for Icepack: Foster Brooks (TV’s fave boozehound/friend to every Dean Martin celeb roast) and Lance Loud (flamboyant punk icon and star of TV’s first, bitchiest…