Also this issue: firstlook -A.D. Amorosi

April 17-23, 2003

music

icepack

by A.D. Amorosi

Spring has many signifiers: house-heads partying at Seger Playground where dogs and DJs congregate, wiping down outdoor seating at cafés across town and, of course, Del.-Ave clubbing. The speed bump in this is that KatManDu, going into its 13th season, has leased the space to two Kat employees and will be ragga no more. In its stead is Cavanaugh’s, an Irish-themed restaubar run by GM Ken Hutchings and Patrick Pawliczek (whose family operates Cavanaugh’s in West Philly). With musical bookings by staffers from Finnigan’s Wake (Black 47’s already on the schedule), Cavanaugh’s will be less themey than Kat, and not island-y at all. (For reggae stuff, Rock Lobster may take up that slack.) One man unhappy about the change is Terry Lee Barrett, host/DJ of KatManDu’s Caribbean Sundays, one of Kat’s most profitable nights: "I told [several owners] … I thought they had more responsibility to Philadelphia in making a better decision as to who would assume leadership at Pier 25. It’s important to keep the place multicultural to the max. … That’s what this city needs. Big time!" Though Barrett and biz partners (along with others) tried to lease Kat, one of its owners, Lance Silver, was apparently set on the Cavanaugh guys. "To his credit, Lance told the new managers that getting rid of Sundays is a mistake," says Barrett.… Yes, Stephen Starr closed down his fabulously French Blue Angel on Tuesday, only to refigure it as a mod Italian bistro opening within four weeks. "It’s named after you, buddy: Angelina," laughed Starr about his new old Italian haunt currently under secret construction. Tangerine’s chef, Chris Painter, will cook.… Along with its nautical theme, Bar Noir gets a healthy dose of Tim “Bonehead” Bowen’s booking Tuesday jazz jawns like Elliott Levin Trio April 22, which also hits Tritone April 21 with Los Jimbaguas.… Want to be The Apprentice? Gear up for local June auditions -- I hear NBC may bring show producers Mark "Survivor" Burnett and Wharton grad Donald Trump to town to have a look-see.… Joe Lekkas’ band, Hilliard, hosts Mondays at Doc Watson’s, handpicking fave garage acts.… Philly Film Fest still frames: Confidence’s Ed Burns showing up to a Westin Hotel Q and A session with old flame Christy Turlington. Drexel MAAD professor/screenwriter Jonathan Estrin (my role model) spilling wine on Sharon Pinkenson at an after-party for his Jasper, Texas. The whole damn mega-crowded Adult Swim Animator’s Ball bash at Emerald City. Phew.… Right after Stef Renee gets done with April 19’s Linguistics First Annual Po-Fest (with scribes Walidah Imarisha and Brother Rufus) at The Rotunda, she’ll start her every-third-Sunday gig (April 20) as new co-host/DJ for "Janet’s House," a public affairs show on WURD 900 AM, 3 to 4 p.m.… The Zanzibar Blue label drops Fortune Vinson Cruse’s Sunny Nights April 21 at the Zan with a live jazz party.… Freaky folkie Mia Johnson shows off her new band (K-Floor drummer Tom Walling, Love Syndicate cellist Erin Ryan, Jeff Hiatt, Devin Greenwood’s bassist) April 17 at Tin Angel.… Ed Budzilla’s Club DOS! at Pizzeria Uno goes all 21-plus starting this week.… After getting a lovely letter from country great Tom T. Hall (he loved the song "Coffee with Tom T. Hall"), Chet Delcampo and pals Rocco Notte, Kimbal Brown and Mark Schreiber play bits from Chet’s due-soon Apartment at The Fire, April 17.… Just finished her new CD with Edan Cohen, Cynthia Mason works toward a Fire "evening of melancholy tunes and drunken revelry," April 22 with Providence faves The Eyesores and Fern Knight. Mason will be playing with Areif Sless-Kitain and Greg Weeks.… WhoWhatWhere: The kids from MTV’s The Real World Paris (where, by the way, you’ll hear Townhall’s "The New Song") hit Bump. Jeffrey Gaines (who got an Emmy nomination for "I Want You to Want Me," from the ABC soap All My Children and whose "Your Town" played throughout AT&T’s one-rate plan ad campaign) was hanging at the Joe Jackson Band’s killer reunion show. While I spotted Jackson and Fischerspooner kids window shopping along South Street (buy something, damn it), Jackson could also be found at Indre (as could Ginuwine and The Donnas, not together), all doing stuff for WXPN, The Beat and Y100.… Newtown, Pa.’s groove-heavy shoegazers, Highspire, start their tour for Your Everything with a first stop at The Rotunda April 23.… OK, I thought Dotdash closing was hard. But Ye Olde Ale House at Roosevelt and Red Lion is gone, given way to the hibachi-tabled Kona Kai. At the same time, I see Top Dog at the Sheraton at U of P has opened a Leather Lounge with toga parties to come soon. The former home of Zounds on 15th and Chestnut has given way to a neon men’s club, Midnight Caller.… After taking a month off for Ladyfest Philly, Sugar Town roars back with Stiffed and West Philly’s The Reflectors (Beth Pucinella, Leno Forbes) at The Balcony April 19. Plain Parade delivers Philly’s Denison Witmer at Doc Watson’s April 17.… B-Days: Dance Affiliates, which celebrated 20 with Jerry Blavat, Jerome Muchnik and Patrick Swayze at Annenberg; Sola’s Eric Wareheim. And to fave strange DJs Dan Buskirk and Ms. Trishy.… And a fond farewell to Thacher Longstreth, who passed this week. Despite the rotten health and puerile gossip of the last few years, Longstreth represented -- especially in my Rizzo-strewn youth -- a statelier side to city government, an intelligent option. We’ll miss the bow ties.