Also this issue: The Mix Master A local author prescribes drinks and delivers the proof. -Debra Auspitz

July 17-23, 2003

music

icepack

by A.D. Amorosi

This week, it’s all about the music, maaan. So, first and foremost, say happy birthday to Jamaican Dave, July 19 at his b-day bash at Electric Factory with Capleton, Cocoa Tea, Freddie McGregor and more. Dave brings you the best international reggae and dub throughout Philly on a regular basis. That’s reason to pay respect.… Tue., July 22, line up at your record store and wait for Grooves Disques to drop The Trolleyvox’s new CD, Leap of Folly, the second in their series of pop pleasers. Tuesdays in July will be great for another reason: The National Association of Black Female Executives in Music & Entertainment (NABFEME) is holding open auditions at Black Lily (at the Five Spot) to find openers for a "Women Who Jam!" gig during NABFEME’s International Women’s Leadership Summit in August.… Why was there a line down the block at the Troc on Saturday? Couldn’t be for Fountains of Wayne (critics suddenly seem to love them: Why?). Everyone was there to see Philly’s McGowan play guitar for Aussie Ben Lee, touring his new CD, Hey You. Yes You. Either that or it’s the Troc’s new roof.… King Britt and Dozia, famous for their Philly Back to Basics party, are reuniting under the corporate banner of Scion/Toyota and The Movement Series with Maseo (De La Soul), July 22 at Fluid. King also has corporate things going with Salem, Aug. 2 at Shampoo, co-starring DJs Jazzy Jeff and Rahsaan. Rahsaan’s got a gig spinning Brazilian for Loews Hotel’s after-work jams every Tuesday, a night at Moda with Jon Gill July 24 and an appearance in August’s Maxim (listing his top beach albums).… Speaking of mags, NME’s June 23 issue touched on the phenomenon that is The Gloves. Sorta. See, Philly-now-New-York-er Strummer Hoffman (daughter of A.K.A. Music’s Mike Hoffman), and her designer pal, Stephanie Rovera, formed a fictitious band called The Gloves. There are T-shirts and posters all over Manhattan. They’ve told people about their sound (Ronettes-meets-Jimmy Miller-era Stones). But there’s no band. That hasn’t stopped them from getting big: Ryan Adams (who, with Jesse Malin, has a punk band, The Fingers) approached them at NYC’s Niagara and said, "We wanna play with you guys." Gloves and Fingers -- get it? No word on a tour yet. The Gloves are used to trouble, after Rovera made and wore a T-shirt that said, "I fucked Jack White." The shirt not only got a mention in NME, The White Stripes themselves bought 10 shirts from Rovera’s website (www.cokeheads.com) and Meg White made her own shirt, declaring, "I really fucked Jack White." Then Stripes management got hot heads and sent cease and desist orders to Rovera.… Party of the week: Y 100/Cordalene’s Jim McGuinn’s Bella Vista housewarming, with the gents of Clear Channel (Jeff Gordon, Jim Sutcliffe, Bryan Dilworth) and The Troc (Jon Hampton), bands (Stiffed, Army of Me, Wayward Wind) dancers (Moxie, Headlong) and theater folks (Pig Iron, New Paradise). No one fell off a roof and no jams were reported.… Drink of the month: At Bella, filled with the Lombard Swim Club crowd, Ali Waks mixes mean "strawberry shortcakes" (Absolut Vanilia, Stoli Strasberi, strawberry puree, Japanese strawberry syrup) and summer "flings" (Bacardi Razz, Island Blue Schnapps, lime juice, triple sec). "It tastes exactly like a blue beaver pop but that title was just way too suggestive," says Waks.… Scary headline of the week: "Exhumed Films ’80s Night with Asia." Yes, the remaining members of Asia will play an acoustic set before the showing of 1983’s Valley Girl (July 19, Broadway Theatre, Pitman, N.J.). … WhoWhatWhere: Stone Gossard stopped at Silk City. Candace Bushnell wore a smashing seersucker Cynthia Rowley suit whilst reading at the Free Library. The Hilton sisters made the rounds of DENIM and Bar Noir. And TLA’s Gay & Lesbian Film Fest brought Jacqueline Bisset, who supped at Buddakan, and Kids director Larry Clark, who checked out G-Room’s aniversary jam at 2-4 before his Ken Park screening. And if you happen to see Paulie the Bike Messenger, ask him to get you into Ray’s Happy Birthday Lounge at Passyunk and Federal when he bartends on Wednesday nights. It’s packed.… Congrats to Sofitel GM Scott Wiseman, who is leaving town to become VP of marketing for Accor Business Hotels (Sofitel and Novitel hotels in the U.S., Canada and Mexico).… Cynthia G. Mason uses July 19 to fill The Fire with her own trio (now starring D.C. hardcore dude Areif Sless-Kitain), The Last Town Chorus and Like Moving Insects.… While we say happy b-day to the Free Library’s Gina Sigal and Emerald City DJ Chris Costanza, we say goodbye to long-suffering Philly photographer Phil Ceccola, who passed away this weekend. Long before you were pretending to know about the minutiae of band life, Ceccola was capturing the pre-sainthood exploits of Bruce Springsteen and co. (Ceccola’s lounging, cig-smoking Bruce shot graces The Boss’ Tracks box set), as well as every other international playboy and local schmo from the late ’60s on. Plus, his pics adorned a zillion punkish pins and badges you may have worn to show off your fandom. Some people loved him, some hated him, but everyone had to deal with Ceccola, a bear of a man. He’ll be missed.