December 4-10, 2003

music

icepack

by A.D. Amorosi

It’s beginning to look a lot like the holidays. Rittenhouse Square held its Christmas tree lighting. We’ve extended charity to MTV’s Real World, which may film a season here -- perhaps not a good idea after all, now that a non-cast member has alleged that she was drugged and assaulted in the Real World’s San Diego house (currently filming). There are posters of a leering Peter Nero promoting the Philly Pops at bus stops; they're so scary that kids'll want to enforce the "with adults" rule. And I think a pole dancer at the opening of Suite 450 had a dreidel painted on her. Which reminds me. I love what 450 (formerly Bash) did with its sound system, dancer decks, Middle Eastern drapery and relaxed hookah lounges. But an A/X-wearing crowd? Now I know where the Taylor's/Ponzio's habitués went.… Speaking of strippers, when Corey Feldman hit the Bikini Bandits bash at Delilah's, my spy spotted Feldman being led away by several ladies for a lap dance. At dance's end, the very married Feldman was seen collecting their numbers on his cell phone. Eek.… Haute faux pas: Tip to everyone running fashion shows: Do not let tags hang out.… N.Y.C.'s Madison Square Garden overflowed with Philly-ites and others for Jay-Z's farewell gig, where Jigga, backed by Ahmir Thompson and James Poyser's Illadelphonics, hosted Freeway and Beanie Sigel (under house arrest?), Michael Buffer, Foxy Brown, Beyonc, Ghostface, Missy Elliott and R. Kelly with P. Diddy on the side. (Philly's Kevin Hanson, who also backed Jay-Z, got home in time to play with Amos Lee at Tin Angel.) ?uestlove is keeping busy: He's acting as musical supervisor/composer for Comedy Central's Dave Chappelle show and for Showtime's Street Time; starring in and directing Scion spots (also filmed by Jill Scott, Musiq, Jazzy Jeff and King Britt, whose FiveSix Media came up with the concept); and doing music for Spike Lee's Microsoft ads with Nas.… Brendan and Blanco welcome Philly expat Cosmo to their BBE party for Pete Rock's Lost & Found: Hip Hop Underground Classics, Dec. 7 at Loie.… WhoWhatWhere: Deniece Williams caught local jazz vet Jamaaladeen Tacuma playing Zanzibar Blue for the first time, with his Jazzotica cohorts, Napolean Black and DJ June Lopez. M. Night Shyamalan got Philly's Nathaniel Kahn (son of Louis Kahn, subject of Nathaniel's film, My Architect) to film Shyamalan's life for the SciFi Channel. JD of Le Tigre visited the Balcony to hear The VIPs' "gay hardcore rap," says Johnny Szymanski, the Gwen Stefani of VIP, whose EP hits in January. … Laugh: Jesse Wilson brings his one-man show, Sex Hero, to Bar Noir on Dec. 7.… South 13th Street's B3 section is buzzing this week. There's the opening of Matthew Izzo's second couture goodies store/gallery (also the home of his interior design firm, AXZO, with N.Y.C.'s Mark Ax), and a Sparacino Mens sale with not-yet-open neighbor Lolita on Dec. 4, where 10 percent of each sale goes to the Sapphire Fund, an organization that supports health programs for Philly's LGBT community.… Ed Bacon hits the Save the Sameric fundraiser Dec. 5 at International House. Weird. I thought it was already saved.… If you see a Nat King Cole look-alike singing in the streets, it's Leonard Dockery, the shadowy star and producer of Three Blind Mice Productions' NKC Story.… Collette Carter brings lo-electro via The New Stroboscopic to Dec. 4's Plain Parade party at Doc Watson's, with fellow locals The Last Wave (their CD is due soon on Foxyboy) and Carolynne McNeel, formerly of April Disaster. The next night, Kevin Diehl's Sonic Liberation Front and Ramon Sender's Jungulungularity parade around.… Nick Esposito (formerly of Troma Films) just arrived in Philly to distribute the Denver-based mag Modern Drunkard (featuring Philly's Red Burns) only to get shot at Fifth and Federal sts. Now recuperating at Jefferson, Esposito will be roasted at Tritone on Dec. 6.… Philadelphia Fashion Coterie's trunk show benefit for Career Wardrobe is on for Dec. 4 at Open House, 107 S. 13th St.… What's that wonderful noise coming from the Red Room at Society Hill Playhouse on Dec. 4? Denise King Trio, you fool.… Jittery Joe Poon appears on Dec. 9's Ellen DeGeneres Show -- hopefully he can wake her up.… Along with attending "Bad Reputation" with DJ Chatty Cathy at The Khyber Dec. 6, help Trishy Gdowik (and Gina Renzi) by buying a table at their Rotunda Flea Market Benefit on Dec. 14 (U of P cut budgets for their free programs). For information, write

gina@foundationarts.org or call 215-573-3234.… B-days and schtuff: Congrats to the former staff of famed Philly party "Judy Boots," which celebrated its eight-year reunion by reliving all of the drug-and-sex talk at Martini's. Happy b-hoo-hah to Donovan McNabb, who celebrated at Hibachi. Congrats to Valanni GM Nancy Green, who recently got engaged to Savannah chef Richard Benussi, proving that food is love. Or something like it.