icepack

by A.D. Amorosi

While mega-spiders and gigantic webs hovered over University City (Honest! What marketing! How very William Castle!), the week’s mad badness came in threes: the passing of Love Park’s skate spot into the ether of city bureaucracy; legendary Benny Krass’ Krass Bros. haberdashers going out of the bachelor-clothing biz and selling at a steal (“$1,999,999!” he’s been saying); and that guy who fell off the balcony at Tower Theater during the Frankie Beverly and Maze show. OK, that was last week, and it’s not bad, just dumb.… Days after being snapped at Standard Tap by Philly photog Christian Landry for major photo spreads in GQ and Magnet, Paul Westerberg canceled his remaining Tower Records mini-gigs (resting for that Replacements reunion/Rolling Stones tour, perhaps? It hits Philly Sept. 18 at the Vet and Sept. 22 at the Tower, reuniting Jagger & Co. with Larry Magid for the first time in a couple years).… Coming home: Philly’s Def Poetry jammer Black Ice stopped by Stef Renée’s Testify night at Soul Sanctuary, talking up his upcoming spoken-word CD. Soulphonic-rapper Cee Knowledge ducked into DJ Taz’s spin-thing at Tritone. And expat Philly designer Danny Noble will be here trunk-showing at Coeur, May 11, with sexy, unspoken Underoos.… Who isn’t modeling? Eve is scheduled to walk the Dell East’s runway July 26 for the Philadelphia Fashion Montage. Believe that when I see it. More plausible is Silk City’s Pheromone night model search (May 14), sponsored by Ropeadope and Stand Strong wear, to find men and ladies for spreads. They’re looking for “realness” and “exhibitionism.” Ain’t we all? Finally, it’s a big kissable congrats to the Reinhard modeling agency, Philly’s fashion-forward veterans who fete their 25th anniversary at Toto May 9.… Burning Brides narrowing desired labels to desirous Columbia, Epic and WB?… High-profile telegenic anti-antibiotic avatar/authoress Diane Ayres (missus to author Steve Fried) debuts her first novel Other Girls at Power Plant Studio, 230 N. Second, on May 10.… Prince Theater’s poet/funkateer Ozzie Jones headlines his first show at The Fire May 11.… Backinnaday bar legend Sonny (of Backstage, now at Tavern on Camac) joins Natassia, Jimi Mooney, Dan Contarino and DJ A.D. as Sunday-showtune, Bump-brunch regulars.… Avenue B opened its dark window-front Piano Bar last weekend, wheeling in a 100-year-old Steinway piano into a lounge area enveloped by faux fur, cream leather banquettes and weird-wooden cocktail tables. Its vibe: more funk/less glossy than its Ave-o’-Arts counterparts, but still opulently appointed; very Carlyle Hotel and Bobby Short.… Philly’s dev79 and Major Taylor welcome Detroit undergrounders Kero and DM to Aqualounge May 15 for some freaky broke-up beats.… Ad of the week goes to South-o’-South swinger spot KamaSutra’s e-ads for “Naughty School-Girls and Teacher Theme”: “Playing in the Key of G: Fun With the G-Spot!” with Hal, a.k.a. PartyMan. And while the Club KamaSutra Saddle will be in full effect (“ladies; double up on this daring dual dildo delight”) my fave is the rave for its “Hand-Job Contest” (“Pleasure your mate. Entertain the crowd,” says the note), imploring y’all to “cum one, cum all”.… Before they head to Chicago to record with producer Keith Cleaversly (Spiritualized, Flaming Lips) for Nettwerk America, the Persona play La Tazza May 11. Why do you care? ’Cuz singer Joe Melchiorre is ex-Perils of Pauline, and his Persona makes brisk snotty mod-rock with a lil’ Bowie twist.… Relix mag gives away subscriptions if you go to TLA May 12 to see Townhall, who, the very next day, start recording CD No. 2, live, at Indre for June release.… Very busy spooky beatbox babe Kelly Slusher yips it up for the release of her Rocks and Tears CD at Khyber May 15, toting along electronicist Jason Corace’s A Boy Named Thor, with whom Slusher collaborates under the nom de duo Boothby (which’ll release a 7-inch single via Khyber’s Single Club, as will Slusher with two non-LP tracks). Opening is the Snow Fairies, for whom she guests on drums, and the Realistics, for whom she baby-sits.… As soon as DJ Brendan Olkus finishes spinning the (Philly-filmed) Emmett’s Mark release party held at Centro-Fly (NYC, May 9) for the De Niro-sponsored Tribeca Film fest, you can help Olkus celebrate a shared b-day with his DJ-partner Joey Blanco. How? A) You can see them start their soon-weekly “The Joint” at Mask & Wig, May 11. B) You can dig Sunday’s “Soul Travelin” at Alma May 12. Or C) You can wait for 1616 Locust’s “The Illadelph Xperiment” party May 18, booked by ?uestlove/Squarebiz. “Xperiment” -- sponsored by The Fader, for which Rich Medina and I write on occasion, and Jazzy Jeff -- stars Illadelph’s hottest parties under one roof for one night. Each party has its own room in 1616: Afrorikan Vybe (Medina/Dennis Perez), Tastytreats (Mike Nice/L-Boogie), Candyland (?uestlove/Train), The Remedy (Cosmo/Kenny Meez), VIP room (?uest/Jazzy Jeff) and Blanco/Olkus’ The Joint/Soul Travelin. “We anticipate it’ll be pretty crazo,” says Olkus.… You can celebrate Synergy DJ Michael Myers’ b-day at Transit on May 10, but wherever you are, don't forget to toast the toast of Times Square, Ozzy pal/photog Scott Weiner.




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