Also this issue: Minis, Maxed “Tuner” Eric Savage helps Mini owners drive large. -Brian Howard

March 6-12, 2003

music

icepack

by A.D. Amorosi

While more Center City restaubars got hit by fire-exit-conscious gendarmes over the weekend, an interesting rumor percolated. Remember last Icepack's mention of the IRS dogging Rittenhouse restaurateurs? (Phila. Business Journal only outed Neil Stein. There's more.) I hear Gov. Rendell -- a healthy eater if ever there was one -- is looking for a way to get those taxes pardoned, expunged or reduced. Somebody pick up that man's tab! Since having a baby (Mary Elizabeth), Jeff “Met” Thies turned his Chord magazine/Too Damn Hype label empire around. He's got a publishing deal for Chord and a sub-label deal for TDH under an indie via marketing/manager guy Jay Warsinske (of Clash, U2, Snoop fame) and his new RED-based label, Activate. Thies and pal Schoolly D will sign groups under Activate's sub-label, S&M. Projects include Kill Verona (formerly Little League), white metal hip-hoppers Skamdust, Schoolly's new EP and his band Blackville with Tone and ex-Ruffhouser Cheese. (Thies and Schoolly'll also appear and provide soundtrack stuff for a 2004 LL Cool J film directed by How to Be A Player's Lionel C. Martin.) Norristown native/comic book freak/Plain Dealer scribe Mike Sands sold his first script to Marvel Comics' film division, about invisible heroes and such. Congrats. After helping Dance Celebration's charity ball ring in 20 years on April 7, Patrick Swayze joins TLA's Film Fest April 8 with his flick, One Last Dance. Taji Modern Gallery hosts decorative wood crafters J. Camp Designs' 40-year retrospective with a live soundtrack from June Lopez and Jamaaladeen Tacuma March 7. Was that bouncer/actor Troy Jackson I saw on new episodes of Blind Date?! (Did he know Star Search was at the Wyndham Franklin Plaza Hotel auditioning over the weekend?) When Synthesis Latin Band begins its Latina Fridays at Marathon Lounge on Commerce Square March 7, it'll be me, A.D., DJ'ing their happiest hours. Marathon 1339 Chestnut has started Nostradamus Jazz Sunday brunches. Gentlemen 4 play the next one, March 9. WhoWhatWhere: Director Sydney Pollack was blabbing about Cold Mountain at the Union League. John Travolta was chatting up Basic at Four Seasons. Buju Banton, who'll hit Philly March 15, hung at 32. Axis Inc. hosted a Pod party for Grammy winner James Poyser. Joss editors Ish Klein, Dan Labeau and Molly Russakoff just released ish No. 2 of their prose/poem mag sold exclusively at Molly's Café & Bookstore on S. Ninth. Welcome back to Slipping Into Sublimnity, which had a reunion last week with John Schenk at "myAURALmodulation," with Gloria Justen, Erin Anderson, Richard Marcus, Ben Morgan and Danielle. While N. 3rd was slated to host but couldn't (the spot is getting unnecessary dance-license flack from a neighbor -- more on this next week), The Abbaye gracefully opened its doors. Bring it on again! (P.S. N. 3rd's Tommy “T-Bone” Cunnane holds his art show at Ashley Gallery March 7.) After moving his men's shop to 115 S. 13th, Tony Sparacino helps host March 6's Dancers of PA Ballet/MANNA pre-Shut Up & Dance bash at Bump. Along with pushing their own new Vibon 2 CD, the boys of TBTMO's Hologram at La Tazza get legendary with a set from Philly electronic masters Charles Cohen and Jeff Cain. Stonegraham Productions ("girL" party promoters Luca Stone and Jessica Graham) team up with Valanni for March 6's new party, "Ironlace," featuring filmmaker Carolina Roca and DJ MG. What's going on with that new gentlemen's club Oasis? Rumor has it they lured Signature's dancers away with promises of big bucks and happening schedules (but no audition?), only to cut 30 dancers after opening-night festivities. Dag. DJ Cosmo -- busy pumping the careers of Philly's own Diplodocus (new CD Thingamajawn on Money Studies) and Shaun Abu (new EP Space Cadet) -- welcomes BBE-label out-of-towner Spinna to Fluid March 10. Local alt-folk vet Ray Naylor hosts his first-ever-CD release party for Slow Cooking at The Point March 9, with Patti Shea, Deirdre Flint and Gina Scipione. In the midst of trying to hook up a deal with Philly International, Lawrence Bracey's Coolthingsmusic Inc. gets busy with a benefit for ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) for On A Sweet Note: An Evening Under the Stars March 12, at Franklin Institute's Fels Planetarium. Honoree Sue Mingus -- whose legendary husband Charles succumbed to the disease -- will be around for the party. (Call 215-271-2101.) The Girls of G-Room -- Amanda and Marion -- hook up the newly renovated Key West March 8 with DJ Lexes. Then move on to their new party, Elevate, March 13 at Key West with Jen Leary, Tracy Buchholz and T-Dog. Speaking of dogs, the Television-like LouDog comes out of retirement long enough to play The Fire March 6 and release a new EP, High Speed Secrets, with producers Bogdan Hernik and Bob Ludwig (Led Zep). Happy b-days to two faves: WHYY's Amy “Goat Killer” Salit and Bar Noir's Allan Lane, who celebrates there March 7.