Also this issue: Petite Sophisticates Supper clubs and cabarets are gaining popularity with Philly’s 20-something set. -A.D. Amorosi

December 5-11, 2002

music

icepack

by A.D. Amorosi

Some people go away for holidays and visit family or hit Vegas. DJ/CP DJ Nights dude Sean O’Neal goes to Russia. After hosting Dec. 5’s “Hologram” with TBTMO-er Rob Mall, Ben Morgan, Spintronic, Tremolo and Team Techno, O’Neal flies to Russia to DJ the annual KAMA Records electronic festival “Izhevsk Underwater News,” as well as Moscow’s La Luna Club and New Year’s Eve at Babylon in Izhevsk (along with one gig as Flowchart, his electro-morph alter ego). In a town famous for Kalashnikov weaponry, the international fest hosts snoozecore and electro-pop tops from across the globe. Yo, I’ve partied in Izhevsk. It’s cool, but it’s hardly Perm’s Sbity Iyotchik Club or even Kirov’s Pobeda Club. Now those are wack.… It ain’t Russia, but The Persona are also leaving town to record with producer Brad Wood (Smashing Pumpkins) in Chicago.… With everyone leaving, it’s nice to see someone returning, like Bart Shifflet. The former rum-runner behind Market Street’s 2-4-7 backinaday hosts urban-lounge Thelonious Tuesdays at Marmont and soul-house-hop Wednesdays at Venus at 120 Chestnut. (And on a returning home P.S.: Was that really Joe Annaruma’s Throttle that played Club 218 this week?)… While local alums Laguardia dotted eyes finally with Universal, the new Ruff Enterprises signed a first outta-towner: L.A.’s Ill Kid, whose due-March disc was produced by Dust Bros. and John Travis (Kid Rock).… Dec. 6, Base Kamp (above Morimoto) hosts Jugo, Advance, Argo and Andrew Moore as part of the Red Bull Music Academy’s DJ awareness/electronic music forum’s Philly showcase. (The actual event occurs in Sao Paolo, Brazil -- damn, does that mean they’re leaving too?)… Speaking of forums, along with moving his TV car segments from Fox-Philly to NBC-10 this week, George Polgar helps host Dec. 10’s “The Business of Music” at the Electric Factory with a panel of industry experts (Adam Spivak, Vince Kershner, Joe the Butcher and Mitch Goldfarb amongst the many) discussing the legal and tech ends of the music biz moderated by Salomon Smith Barney’s J.P. Cummins. OK. But will there be cake?… As if opening her Like Crazy, Like Wow at the Adrienne isn’t enough this week, 1812’s Jen Childs will direct a one-time rock-concertized return of the boffo Box Office of the Damned (written by 2002 Barrymore winner Michael Ogborn, starring Bob-n-Barb’s Ricky J) at the Arden, Dec. 16. “It’s going to be a big fat rock concert and I’m so excited I can’t stand myself,” says Childs via e-mail.… Alma de Cuba gets its First Friday vibe going, showing Cubano artist Pablo Labanino’s photo-like acrylic paintings on floor dos, Dec. 6.… “There goes our street cred,” says Neil Drucker, Record Cellar label owner. The company is licensing gone-but-not-forgotten (or reuniting) Philly-poppers Flight of Mavis’ 1991 song “It Comes In Time” to the new Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen movie When In Rome. The Twins were barely born when it was written, but this should signal a Mediterranean resurgence for Mavis. The song gets its CD debut in Spain and Italy in 2003. Olé.… Kim Alexander Walsh brings the Anna Crusis Women’s Choir out for their 28th annual winter concert series, “Workin’ for the Dawn of Peace,” Dec. 7 and 8, at Chestnut Hill United Methodist Church, 8812 Germantown Ave. (Call 215-864-5591.)… Planning that holiday party? Rent out Worship Recordings’ Solomonic Sound Systems, who’re making themselves available for any dark-dubbing jam, yo. You can catch them teamed with Tigerhook for “Two Sound Clash” on vinyl (featuring HITO’s “Third I”) or at their new Silk monthly, starting Dec. 5, called Oneness.… Brave New World hosts the first annual Island Relief Party Dec. 7 to benefit kids of the Caribbean in need of medical supplies, linens, school supplies, clothing, etc. Joining T. Lee Barrett is Kenny Meez, Double L, Tony Tone and more.… Then there was last week’s Adam Brodsky’s recca-release party. Overheard by many was a new tune by Ben Arnold -- of 4 Way Street and soon a dozen awful reviews by me (psych!) -- that went something like “it must’ve taken a lot of pot and pills and booze to get A.D. to dig you….” I love that line. Fact is, I can’t stop singing it. .… Holiday party of the week: The Bitches of Black Rock hold Speak Easy Dec. 8 at Silk City, a Prohibition-era theme party complete with a bathtub full of gin and spinning swing. (That doesn’t sound Depressing.) Happy-hoo-has to Robbie Tronco, who celebrated his b-day at Evolution; to Reflective Mutimedia, who celebrated six years at New City Tavern; to Dr. Octo-Pussy (now hosting Futurist Coalition electro-punk Mondays at Mako’s on South Street) who got a Vesago/Fast Cheap b-day at Fluid, voyeur-cammed and all; and to Standard Tapper Ruth Weiner, who married Fred Bohlander in Vegas. Not only was Elvis Presley presiding, but the whole thing was broadcast live at the Tap, via Internet and RealPlayer (vivalasvegasweddings.com) to owners and patrons alike.