Also this issue: Insurrection Mass With Funeral Marches For Rotten Ideas -Juliet Fletcher History in the Fast Lane -Paul Burress It's Raining Menus -Kristina Weise Flash Pipe -Brian White

February 13,-19, 2003

mixpicks

Back in Business

by Lori Hill

Sometimes parties can benefit more than your endorphin levels. In 1999, a group of friends and DJs calling themselves the Big Hearted Kings of Charitable Wax decided to throw a benefit party for the Back Packs 4 Buddies program, which provides foster children with the little things that can make a big difference when making the transition to a new home. These Big Hearted Kings -- Benjamin Blei, Bill Gat, Brandon Patch and Guy Smith -- will be the turntablists for the evening, hoping to raise money toward the purchase of toys, bikes, clothes and personal items -- and backpacks to cart it all off to a new beginning. Blei, who started the program, was himself in foster care as a kid and his mother is a social worker, circumstances which instilled in him the desire to help kids from similar backgrounds. A different establishment hosts the event each year, and this time Northern Liberties' own Ministry of Information (a.k.a. the W&J) clears out some space for the DJs. Local businesses -- such as Fork, Caribou Café, The Latest Dish, Tattooed Mom's, Cue Records, 611 Records and Giovanni & Pileggi salon -- are donating prizes for a raffle during the evening, as are local artists Pete Checchia, Paul Rodriguez and Anthony DeMelas. So if you're going to go out on a Sunday night anyway, why not make it worth someone else's while too?

Back Packs 4 Buddies Benefit, Sun., Feb. 16, 10 p.m.-2 a.m., $10 donation at the door (includes one drink), Ministry of Information, 449 Poplar St., 215-925-0999.