Also this issue: Rethink, Reuse Hands-on fashion artists give new steam to old trash. -Debra Auspitz boxscore Rating the week in TV -Sam Adams, Debra Auspitz and Lori Hill

May 29-June 4, 2003

music

icepack

by A.D. Amorosi

On March 5, I got a note from YB Entertainment Group’s managers, hip-hop promoter Lisa Colbath and promoter/attorney Paul Czech, stating that they filed suit in Common Pleas Court against booking giant Clear Channel/Electric Factory Concerts. YB will be represented by Czech’s law offices, and Colbath writes in an e-mail that the suit is for "defamation including malicious defamation, slander and slander per se, conspiracy, tortuous interference with contract, commercial disparagement as well as other claims." Colbath says YB can’t elaborate, and CC/EFC’s reps can’t comment, as it’s an active suit. Back in November 2001, I reported that Colbath had complained publicly about CC/EFC ignoring local acts, predominantly hip-hop groups, predominantly YB’s. In May 2002, Colbath said in this column that she had been heard, and that a YB act was slated to play a gig at The TLA. Now it seems the two promoters are back on bad terms. In December 2002, YB filed its lawsuit, which the company amended in April 2003. YB may have a beef. Maybe their bands don’t get a chance to play for CC/EFC as often as YB thinks they should. I’m not even sure what "tortuous interference" is. (I like the sound of it.) But, in my opinion, CC/EFC books locals: into The Khyber, The Fire and NXNW, and into TLA, a venue housing hip-hop Method Mondays. Not to mention shows at First Union Center and Tweeter Center. There were scads of locals at last weekend’s Jam on the River. (It rained. You couldn’t see them.) I’m not standing up for the big, bad company. Maybe Clear Channel is mean. Maybe YB just wants attention. But Philly’s booking cats don’t ignore locals or hip-hop. Besides, how can you hate EFC co-founders Larry Magid and Allen Spivak? They got nominated for Tony Awards for producing Bill Maher’s Victory Begins at Home and Def Poetry Jam on Broadway. Never hate guys who can get that close to Harvey Weinstein.… More news on the Neil Stein front: We all know that Avenue B has closed, and Stein was blocked from auctioning off its stuff, and that the IRS and a federal bankruptcy judge are checking out Avenue (and two of Stein’s other Chapter 11 boîtes, Striped Bass and Rouge) for bankruptcy fraud and tax violations. Now, Chef David Wiederholt is out of Bleu, Stein’s other restaurant, leaving on nice-nice terms. His replacement: Bleu sous chef Justin Rambo-Garwood.… Soon, you won’t have West Philly’s Walkie Talkies to kick around anymore. West Philly’s spartan dance/punk duo, comprised of Peter Seprish and Rahfee Barber, are having a going away show at Doc Watson’s on May 30. Why are they leaving? After playing here since April 2002, Seprish says, "The music scene is just starting to get there, but there’s no labels around -- like File 13. So we’re leaving on an adventure, to make a name for ourselves on another coast [Olympia, Wash.]."… Remember last week’s item about The Brick Playhouse closing? I never said they were gone from South Street yet. The Brick is holding a fundraiser on June 1 and hosting a last Guaranteed Overnight Theater (new plays written, rehearsed and produced in 24 hours) on June 7.… Is anything good? Yes. DJ Brendan O is not only starting a "music for lovers" weekly, "Planet Lovetron," at North on June 4, he just finished mixing Machine Inc.’s Rootdown CD, starring himself, Joey Blanco, Kenny Meez, Bon Mon Sci Fi Con, Rich Medina, Kenneth Masters, Lady Alma, June Lopez, Phil Moore Brown and more for June. Hold it. Never heard of Phil Moore Brown? States singer/prose master Daniel Thomas, PMB is "a lesson in Negro history translated through progressive punked poetry songs … the great brown hype … laughing at Blaxploitation." This gospel/dub/rock combo, featuring singers/talkers Shaun and Gravy Thomas, Elad, Daud and Chuck D. (late of Sugar Smack Daddy), hits Silk City on June 2.… On June 4 at Marathon Commerce Square, Bruce Reinfeld presents a fashion show of his High Fidelity clothing line, a digital photo show and a gig from his band, Polar Creep.… New CDs gone live? There’s a million of ’em: Sean Adamz’s sick electro-psych-ing Psy-Ops drops its latest May 30 at Silk City; One Star Hotel (once known as Stereofield) show off their Mike Brenner-produced jam May 31 at The Fire; and Raccoon and The Teeth release their split Christmas City EP at The Khyber May 31. Plus, DUTV’s latest star, Jimi Mooney (on air for a live show June 2), and his Helen Back & the Str8 Razors celebrate finishing a CD and getting the Helen mockumentary into summer’s TLA Gay/Lesbian Film Festival by playing the Northern Liberties Music Festival, at Third Street off Poplar May 31. Stick around the neighborhood till June 1 and catch InLiquid’s "Art for the Cash Poor IV" at Skytop Rover (1045 Sarah St.) for an afternoon of Yards, crabs, rock (Pearly Gates) and art sold for under $150.… Club Nostradamus’ Robin Parry hosts space-folky Happy Rhodes -- the original goddess -- May 31 at Parry’s home for a picnic and intimate jam. Want in? E-mail Ken Osterhaudt at kosterhaudt@aol.com.