Also this issue: Bubble Rap The “King of Hot Tubs” shares some steamy tales. -Debra Auspitz boxscore Rating the week in TV.

June 12-18, 2003

music

icepack

by A.D. Amorosi

For 20 years, The Palladium, on the University of Pennsylvania’s campus, has whipped frat guys, their friends and us locals into a boozy frenzy with, well, liquor, but also with concoctions of the musical variety. Sadly, on Friday the 13th, the bar at 36th and Locust Walk closes, with a performance from Kenn Kweder and his friends, The Men From Wawa (including Greg Davis, Wally Smith, Allen James, Artie Tripp, Michael Ratcliffe and Wah Wah Welding). Owners Vincent Whittacre and Roger Harman are shutting The Palladium’s cathedral doors due to a lost lease. "The closing was no secret," says Harman, who will yield the place to its owners, U of P. "Our lease was up. We had options. But the university and its real estate department had other plans." Tony Sorrentino, director of external relations for the executive VP at Penn, says the university bought the property ("affectionately known as the Arch," he says) a year ago as part of U of P’s 25-year plan. "It’s a cool spot -- there’s restaurants, a bar, an office of student life on top. We may not have plans for it yet. But it’ll fit nicely into the future." While there’s no reason to cry for Harman and Whittacre (they’re opening a swank Italian restaurant, Abbracio, at 47th and Warrington at June’s end), you can shed tears for The Palladium. Having a gothic-style bar with big windows and fireplaces added to the Ivy League atmosphere on campus. In fact, says Harman, it was "the admissions office who was our greatest supporter in complaining to U of P. They loved pointing out the beauty of the building."… Big debuts: Former members of Thee Minks, Stuntmen and 440s Peter Santa Maria, Chris Praz and Rob Semantics join Joe McKagan to become Jukebox Zeros, debuting at Doc Watson’s June 13 with KeN and Apache Grip in the house. Plus, locals Areif Sless-Kitain, Dan Snyder and Mikele Edwards -- former Series sorts now known as South Congress -- debut their brand-new minimalist electronic EP, Life Story, at The Khyber June 17.… It’s not the end of the world, but Lora Bloom (of Radio ERIS) would have you believe otherwise when her "Apocalyptic Playground" multimedia cabaret hits Tritone June 16, with a very rare live gig by Qual’s Anthony Jedvabny (check www.mp3.com/Qual), Temple of Bon Matin, a fire-breather, Psycho-Sexual Freakshow host Iris Senseless and The Extremist.… Three men walking: Techno-iste Bob Brown and his Framework Music label have left Philly for his hometown of Medina, Ohio. "I was tired of fighting an uphill battle for techno in Philly," says Brown, frustrated with a lack of support from club owners and dwellers. "I’m a DJ and producer, not a promoter." His label and gigs have always been popular in Europe (he’ll be playing Berlin this summer), and Brown will continue to release deliciously dark stuff from Ibrahim Alfa and The Aphorism (both have new CDs soon) as well as a label compilation, FW016, with newbies Blimp and Paul Birken. Then there’s Ian Nagoski -- an ambient electronic producer/promoter who left Philly for Baltimore and its experimental music scene over a year ago. Not only is he releasing a new CD, Effortless Battle (Recorded), he returns to Philly June 13 at The Table Space (948 N. Eighth St.) with Catherine Pancake. And what about dark electronic/industrial guy Shok, who left Philly for Los Angeles? He’s got his music on FOX TV’s new series Keen Eddie. "Daniel Ash (Bauhaus/Love and Rockets) and I created the theme song and music within the series," says Shok, who is producing L7’s Donita Sparks and planning a Philly visit in July with Zeitmahl (now Stendhal).… WhoWhatWhere: Former Philly police boss John Timoney met the Phillies’ Pat Burrell and songstress Erika Schiff at Bar Noir. Apparently Timoney is trying to convince Bar Noir owner David Carroll to open up another Noir in Miami.… CN8’s way popular local cooking show, The Fretz Kitchen (produced by Gerald Stevens, Inc. and hosted by Michelle Seidman), has gone beyond Comcast to hit FOX TV in Maine, expanding their reach to seven million viewers from New York and beyond.… Yes, you missed Bruce Renfield’s High Fidelity groovy Pop fashion/photo show at Marathon. But you can still hit www.highfidelity.com and buy, buy, buy. And you can still get to The Fire, every Tuesday, to hear SloMo in residency, with friends like Mark Boyce and Marah. And though he has no suitors for a second CD, Mike Brenner is selling "a five-song, no-frills disc of new material because I think the tunes are strong and just want to get them out" at the gigs.… The nicest ballad-band in town? That could be Medea, whose dreamy but sinister electro-jazzy folk, heard on their new CD, The Miracle Line, hits Tin Angel June 12.… The boys of Rootdown TV hold a debut party for their mix CD, CD.01, June 14 at Circa with Phil Moore Brown, Jazzy Jeff, Lady Alma and Cee Knowledge in the house.