icepack

by A.D. Amorosi

To dress or not to dress: That’s the question at this showy post-Fashion Week moment. On Sept. 28, you have the opening of the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s "Shocking!" exhibit of Elsa Schiaparelli’s creations (hopefully with Schiaparelli’s granddaughter, actress Marisa Berenson, in attendance). On the 25th, there’s the reopening of Denim on Walnut Street. The refurbished swanky spot debuts not only its new supper-club vibe, which they’ve dubbed the "DINE DENIM" design, but features the premiere performance (outside of N.Y.C.) of Patrick Bonomo’s glam floorshow, "Rouge." That same day, Jamila Payne’s fashion-forward Milla by Mail website presents "Pink Chocolate," an evening of fashion and artwork, featuring chocolate hors d’oeuvres, Payne’s designs and fundraising for The Big Bam! charity, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It all takes place at Laurance Rassin’s, I mean, Perry Milou’s South 18th Street gallery. Speaking of fashion, two congrats: to John Karon for getting his lean, custom-made clothes into last week’s Phashion Phest, and to old friend Emil De John, the ousted director of Moore College of Art & Design’s fashion design program, who joins Drexel University as director of its fashion design program. Air kisses to all.… I know you don’t trust Clear Channel. But now that CC, the state and the Goldenberg Group took on the Boyd Theatre/Sameric project for Broadway-theater-style refashioning, will y’all stop whining? I applaud the valuable work that "Save the Boyd" leader Howard Haas has done. They should now try to protect those three historic buildings along the 1900 block of Sansom that Philly’s Parking Authority wants to knock down. No word yet on what Larry Magid’s EFC/CC will be up to. Expect plenty. "It’s an awesome prospect," says Stephen Starr, a happily un-objective player with stakes in the area, as his Continental 2 is set to open in ’04. Starr and former rival/now-pal Magid are looking to open a live-music joint/restaurant, aside from Starr’s in-progress Supper Club on Washington Square. "Two things make a city’s businesses thrive at night -- conventions and theater," Starr says. "Building a theater on Chestnut is better than having another ugly monumental pharmacy that uses up the street’s great architecture."… Billy Weiss reopens Transit Sept. 27, all dolled up with bottle service and light and sound spectaculars, with BITCH, Shannon Niland and Cyoni Dahling’s party featuring Natasha in her Transit bar debut, pouring her "Love Spell" martini (rum, banana liqueur, apple schnapps). Transit’s also dedicated to old-school sounds, with Dozia’s "My House" Fridays with Ivan Lopez and (maybe?) a shocking ?uestlove/Brendan/Alma Horton live collaboration!… Who is Scott Martin Brooks? Now you can answer that question about the local actor (he just finished working with Bernie Mac on Mr. 3000) -- he’s in Trivial Pursuit’s pop-culture edition DVD for his Budweiser "Wazzup" ads.… The Capitol Years begin album three with producer Thom Monahan at his Massachusetts studio. I hear big names (hello Ric Ocasek) are listening.… Shawn “Saigon” Slimm is hosting oddly beautiful "Livin’ Live" Wednesdays at Aqua Lounge with acid-jazz-jammers Sensi Star.… While downtown big-name restaurateurs peeked at Billy Bob’s in University City, Copabanana’s Bill Curry has taken it for hisself and his Copa empire (U of P was demanding something more foodcentric than barlicious).… Larry Fields and The New York Times mentioned her wedding. But I’m going to spring the sad surprise that Phyllis Polk, public relations coordinator with the city Representative’s Office, a woman integral to the success of The Book and The Cook, Phashion Phest and the Marian Anderson Award, is retiring on Sept. 30 in order to have more fun.… Ex-Das Damen dude Phil Carter returns with a new band, Sisyphus Banana Peel, and a new CD Sept. 27 at the Underground Art Museum (521 S. Fourth St.).… DJs Lorne, Cisum and Rahsaan start their till-4 a.m. funky Fridays, "Tight Fit," Sept. 26 at The Parkway Diner.… Worship Recordings jump The Philadelphia Experiment at Silk City Sept. 26 with a mishmash starring DJ Willyum, Carl Michaels, Kevin V and Cue Kid/The Rurals’ Bazil.… WhoWhatWhere: By the time you read this, Jon Bon Jovi and Craig Spencer should have hooked up a press conference at Spencer’s Ritz-Carlton Hotel, announcing their partnership in Philly’s arena football league team. Sam Katz got "Unplugged" at Prince Music Theater. No word how his take on "Cinnamon Girl" went. Whiskey Dix prepped for Sept. 26’s Maxim cover girl photo shoot by playing host to The Bouncing Souls and the women who love them, plus an after-party with guys from Vision, My Chemical Romance, Arson and Afterparty starring Johnny Rock ’N’ Roll and The Toilet Boys.… How is South Street kicking off autumn? By finding it’s own piece of the pie between the West-of-Broad separatists and the Old City Bitching Committee with the block-to-block indoor/outdoor "Blues in the Night" fest Sept. 27, as well as a chalk outline, I mean, chalk art project.… Happy birthday to John Coltrane, who is dead, and to Musiq (Soulchild), whose November-due Def Soul joint, Soul Star, is killer.

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