icepack

by A.D. Amorosi

With The Darkness selling out TLA in a minute and garage-rocker John Kerry leading the pack for the Democratic nomination, I made a decision: This week, everything must rock. Loudly. So it must be horrific for the Pi Lambda Phi fraternity (39th and Spruce) that U of P’s vice provost for university life and the Office for Fraternity and Sorority Affairs has recommended that Pi vacate its house due to issues like termite and water damage. The recommendation was made after studies by university-hired architectural firms. That ain’t water, kids -- that’s beer from old Human Barbecues. … I love The V.I.P. Not only did they cause an excellent fervor at the Troc (was it the white hot pants?), their Next pre-party and 32º after-party, they also did so by showing up at Valanni’s Pop Rock Suicide event, where catty talk ensued between V.I.P. and non-fans over whose seat was whose. One eyewitness who asked to remain anonymous says that he saw a V.I.P.-er hit a shit-talker over the head with a wine glass, and the evening’s bartender, Ed Datillo, says he saw something similar, but admits that he couldn’t see all the action from behind the bar. "No brawl," says Datillo. "It was just crack, and run. Happened so fast I don’t think anyone knew it." Love the crack and run! Datillo says the unidentified victim merely had a laceration on his hand and, to Datillo’s knowledge, pressed no charges. V.I.P. spokeslady Nicole Cashman denied it was even the boys, saying that maybe someone else did it in their name. When someone’s doing crack-and-runs in your name, you know you’ve made it. … WHOWHATWHERE: It was three men and a baby -- the men, Jon Takiff, Michael Tearson and David Dye, sitting together at The Point watching jazz youngster Nellie McKay. Paul Green School of Rock’s Gigi Hollander got to hang with Zappa collaborator Napoleon Brock after their Indre gig. Director Stephen Stahl met with Dee Dee Bridgewater after her Kimmel show to chat about their Ella Fitzgerald tribute for Broadway in 2005. If you’re around TLA Video at 15th and Locust on March 6, grab Queer as Folk’s Hal Sparks, Robert Gant and Harris Allan and make them sign limbs and what have you. Drexel unveiled its student-run Mad Dragon label, along with bands Polymer and Alphabet Army, at the Troc to a music-and-media-industry audience that included Jerry Blavat, Phil Nicolo, Helen Leicht, Jim McGuinn, Kevin Glickman, Monica Malpass, Mark Schultz, Nancy Glass, Kal Rudman, John DeBella and Patti LaBelle (who is the first artist signed to Def Jam Classics, with a CD due May 4). Mad Dragon’s first CDs are on sale at Urban Outfitters, Drexel’s bookstore and CD Baby. … New tricks from well-heeled locals: The second floor of 427 South St. (currently warehousing Book Trader) becomes South Street Arts, a free gallery space for locals "who either aren’t big enough to get into Old City galleries or don’t care for" Old City gouging, says Charles A. Towsley, who, along with Eyes Gallery’s Carol Shields and Julia Zagar, is running the joint. Newly unionized Union 237 Gallery is calling for submissions of films of all sizes and sorts for screenings and "eye candy." Send your pictures to dear old Peter Heacock (237 Market St.). Now that Ministers of Information Terry MacNeish and Peter Schriber bought ages-old Anthony’s Olde City Pub from "Rotten" Ralph Paschal, after they snazzy up the taproom the new name’ll be Skinner’s Dry Goods. Speaking of taprooms, Fergus "Fergie" Carey and Tom Peters bought Kelly’s at 2229 Grays Ferry Ave. to reopen it as Grace. … Gravy Thomas calls his Phil Moore Browne’s March 6 gig with Cobraman at Silk City a night of "Mötley Crüe meets 2 Live Crew." … Singer Sean Adamz (PSY-OPS) joins ex-Undergirl bassist Melissa Zahnweh as drummer for Black Strip Withdrawal at Doc Watson’s, March 4. … Jon Hampton and Lisa Cohen’s Heyday Booking ceased handling Millcreek Tavern, leaving the booking to sound guy Ben Morgan. "I’m excited to develop an exciting venue in West Philly, the neighborhood I’ve lived in for 11 years," Morgan says. Also, Hollace Detwiler left Tin Angel last week, after six years of booking, bartending and what not. Ben Arnold, Slo Mo and Kenn Kweder played in tribute to Detwiler. Kweder also gigged the packed Tokio jam for the late Alan Mann, which featured Mann’s devoted manager Murray Bernstein giving out free copies of Mann’s last album, Neighborhood. … Southwest inna house: While Lloyd Ness Mathis (Da Band) starts season three on MTV’s Making the Band 2 on March 4, ex-West Catholic professor Paul Grillo does post-Beat poetry on March 7 at The Point with Ira Cohen. Grillo has a batch of new books due, including Burnt Sienna and The Owleffe Diaries. … B-day cake to Jen Hess of Jen’s Den at Bar Noir and to Rhythm Donkey/after-hours hairdresser to the stars (OK, me), Scott Chestnut.

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