Also this issue: No Girls Allowed Shaving Grace offers a tonsorial haven for men. -A.D. Amorosi

June 19-25, 2003

music

icepack

by A.D. Amorosi

"Trenton makes, the world takes" didn’t quite hold true where nightclub Conduit was concerned. The ambitious Trenton music/art/food spot, opened in October 2001, closed June 13. The spoken-word/jazz boîte that birthed it, Urban Word Cafe, closed a few weeks prior. In a post-9/11 world, Conduit was meant to act as a home for national and local acts and DJs between NYC and Philly, bringing a lift to Trenton’s slowly rejuvenating Broad Street area. "We had a great lot of fun there," says Jamaican Dave of his regular Conduit Caribbean party. "We got two weeks’ notice. But it was still a shock." Conduit publicist Michael Mazur confirmed developers Roland Pott and David Henderson closed Conduit’s doors mostly due to the fact that they simply didn’t want to run a nightclub/restaurant anymore. Mazur also confirms that there have been talks with Philly types about taking over the place. We’ve also recently had to say goodbye to Trust, developer Tony Goldman’s bar on the famous Goldman strip at 13th and Sansom streets. It’s closed after only 15 months. The shutters won’t be up for long, though. Stephen Starr (who was set to do a spot with Goldman in that neighborhood) will open, hopefully by autumn, a mod Mexican eatery and bar in its spot. It’s designed by David Rockwell (Pod), so expect something ’60s and swinging -- very "Tijuana Taxi." In that same time frame, Starr is supposedly opening both Continental West on 18th Street and his Washington Square Stork-like club. As for some immediate good news along 13th, Scarlett Messina and her shop’s Scarlett Cosmetics line are launching at Bendel’s this week. It’s lip-gloss for everyone.… Philly’s Vertebrae, the odd, mostly one-man baby of Andrew Ryan, was slapped a while back with a cease-and-desist order from a Seattle band of the same name. Rather than give up, Ryan is back with his newly named Illoin, debuting at Mike Z’s "Dive" party at Silk City on June 19.… While you’ve missed G. Love’s alter ego band, Lottery, at Club 218 with Incognegro, the two bands will hang tight as they leave for a long European tour with Mark Boyce’s Krass Bros. Incognegro celebrate the upcoming trip and the fact that they finished their David Ivory-produced CD for Chord with a going-away bash June 26 at Pontiac with trip-mates Boyce and G. Love. Incognegro’s Blue Maxx Goat will sing "Leaving on a Jet Plane" to me at the party, of course. … Mojitos and Marathon: Tommy Up joins the Friday Sunset crew (like me, DJ A.D.) with his Cuban mixology night, starting June 20 on Commerce Square.… WhoWhatWhere: American Idol Kelly Clarkson may have missed her train to get to Allied Advertising/20th Century Fox’s hometown screening of From Justin to Kelly with Justin Guarini at Doylestown/Warrington’s Regal Theater. But she did get there in time for the after-party. Though not in town yet, two special guests are heading here for Philly events: The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia’s celebration performance Sept. 15 will host Luciano Pavarotti, and The Prince Music Theater’s premiere of the They Might Be Giants documentary, Gigantic, on July 6, will feature John Flansburgh.… It’s boat-party time: Yes, you missed Jugo’s "Phantom Booty" bash on the Delaware. But you can still see The Trouble With Sweeney’s faux-Sex Pistols jaunt along the water when he, Dirty Dave Pee and the gals from Plain Parade take over the river June 19 from Captain Lucky’s River Steamboat (Callowhill St. and Delaware Ave.) (See p. 34 for Patrick Rapa’s interview with Sweeney.)… So you’re a DJ, but not a member of NARAS? Reenie “Adele” Kane and Adele “Reenie” Landini fix that June 23 at the 2-4 Club with a party/danceathon featuring specially reduced rates to join the Recording Academy and appearances by Lee Jones, Dozia, Nigel Richards and Miss Phoenixx.…

Too-long-gone Philly group Tintinabulus return with new material and the debut of composer Ian Moss’ "Drum Cells for Blue Band" (performed by members of Way Blue Bucket) June 19 at High Wire Gallery.…

Josh Wink goes pre-release solo-spinning crazy for his long overdue Profound Sounds 2 Ovum bash at Fluid June 25.… Also dropping is Dev79’s new joint, Distinct Stance (Zenapolae), a scary slab of broke-beat electro-hop, at Silk City June 24, featuring Def Jux’s Masai Bey, Carl Kavorkian and Greek and DJ Saint B. Dev (a.k.a. Gair Marking) is also hooked up with "Klack Wikkid," appearing on the Tik label’s new Brick Smack. And staying electro, sorta, give it up for Brit electro diva Sarah Jane Morris and her new CD, Love and Pain. This cousin to author Armistead Maupin has gotten herself banned in England under its anti-pornography Clause 28 for covering one of Philly’s own -- Billy Paul’s "Me and Mrs. Jones."