January 21–28, 1999 hit and run Spoke Too Soon Two weeks ago, attorneys representing two firefighters injured in a 1995 gas explosion in Norristown were so giddy at the prospect of deposing PECO CEO Corbin McNeill that they put out…

January 21–28, 1999 critic pick The Ken Schaphorst Big Band     “I have a sort of ambivalent relationship with the jazz big band tradition,” says Ken Schaphorst. Coming from the director of jazz studies at Wisconsin’s Lawrence University, it’s…

December 16–23, 1999 critic pick|jazz Walter Bell Philly native Walter Bell’s never been one to limit his options. The jazz flutist began his career playing in rock and funk bands. His main gig since, though, has been with the Latin…

December 16–23, 1999 music Ill Street Grooves by K-C Bajai The regional hip-hop community lost one of its most fervent members this month. Tragically, Brian Perkins, a.k.a. DJ Swift, was accidentally shot and mortally wounded by his lifelong friend and…

July 15–22, 1999 noises off Lights! Liberty! Letdown! Denizens of Old City had been watching the work in progress for weeks. We’d been wondering about the big blue cabinets with the clear domes scattered around Independence National Historical Park —…

November 11–18, 1999 six pick Arts & Crafts Is it craft? Is it art? The rich colors and fine lines in a typical Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show provide so much aesthetic pleasure that those old distinctions seem just…

March 11–18, 1999 city beat Mallspeak Like, Penn is trying to stem the tide of slang. You know? by Jen Darr     illustration by A.J.W. Surely you’ve heard the irritating “likes,” “you knows” and “whatevers” that pad the speech…

January 7–14, 1999 cover story|sidebar The Detective’s Story click here to return to cover story Tom Augustine’s world started to come apart in one of the district attorney’s bathrooms. Augustine was looking in a mirror, brushing his teeth. Standing behind…

August 5–12, 1999 city beat The Battle of Benson Park A beloved Kensington refuge is now fenced off. Neighbors are irate. by Jen Darr William Rosado vividly remembers July 6, one of the hottest days of the year. But he…