May 13-19, 2004

music

icepack

by A.D. Amorosi

Banners. Kids flooding Love Park in disgust over arts budget cuts had ’em. U.S. Airways and Southwest flew ’em. I’m using banners to display the philosophy of Icepack: "I HEART NOTHING." "$UCK MY CLIQUE." Why? The banner signifies some kind of union -- as in, "I’m aligned with YOU. And I have tarp to prove it." Ö Speaking of corporate infiltration, remember I reported DJs Ahmir Thompson and King Britt -- both over 30 and without driver’s licenses -- were going to film attempts to get licensed for the Toyota Scion? Now, the fruits of the DJs labors are on display via On the D.L. (

www.scion.com/onthedl). So, who kept the car? "We didn't get to keep it, which was bogus," says Britt. "Corporations suck sometimes." Can't we all get along? Look at the Trocadero, House of Blues and EFC/Clear Channel. The goings-on between House and EFC/CC might not be as radical as some imagine. "Rather than be a competitor, House of Blues works together with Clear Channel on tons of shows in every market," said Badger Cudahy, new Troc/HoB talent agent. "We'll work with anyone." While there's yet to have been overtures made by either party, a funny thing comes to mind: Ex-Troc booker Jon Hampton, now with EFC, could wind up placing shows at the Troc. What about the Balcony, the Troc's upstairs club for local bands? "House of Blues will put stuff in the Balcony," says Troc owner Joanna Pang. "We'll have a local person to support them." "We're looking to utilize that room with someone on the ground to book the baby bands," says Cudahy. Maybe they should call ex-Hampton partner Sean Agnew, whose concession to corporate culture comes when the Yeah Yeah Yeahs offer passes for unlimited entry to every show at First Unitarian Church -- you can win by filling out forms at Urban Outfitters. For more on all of this, see Patrick Rapa's article on p. 39. … After making a go of Trenton's Conduit for eight months, bartenders/co-owners Randy Walker and Paul Browning are outta there. While its other owners are in talks with Nassau Broadcasting (of WPST FM fame), Browning and Walker are scouting Philly bars for new prospects. … Not corporate -- but weird -- is Little Steve Van Zandt teaming with Dunkin' Donuts for his Underground Garage Battle of the Bands at the Pontiac, May 13-15. While The Donuts (a ringer?) and Jukebox Zeros rock out, Stewkey, Blues Magoo's Pepi Castro and John DeBella judge. … The old Waldorf Cafe that became Bella, then wasn't Bella, will be turned into Meritage by James Colabelli (ex-sommelier at Davio's) and pal Taylor Barnebey this week. … Ben Edwards (of his renowned eponymous trio and the new Soulamite!) will bring noir to Bar Noir, May 17, playing blues/jazz standup bass behind soul songstress Heather Henderson. … In between running apologies from Rummy and Bush, AOL News' front page over the weekend ran the phrase "The Next Guns N' Roses" with a picture of Philly's Silvertide, whose Arista debut, Show & Tell, gets released to coincide with opening gigs for Van Halen. … WHOWHATWHERE: By the time you read this, Sean Penn may have left Sydney Pollack's NYC-set The Interpreter, with son Hopper, to come hang with Bam Margera of MTV's Viva La Bam in West Chester. "The word is Sean is looking to invest in the sequel to Haggard," says a source very close to director Margera and producer Joe Frantz. "Sean's people and Bam discussed it." But, according to my source, Margera would rather control the film with a modest budget than have many "Hollywood assholes" fighting for investment rights. 2 Live Crew's Luke and his "coryographers" (sic) held a casting call for models for his new video at Beyond. Stella Blu chef Ralph Pallarino was on The Restaurant. Is Jeffrey Chodorow looking for another Rocco? Ollie North hung out atop the Battleship New Jersey filming bits of his Fox News show, War Stories. Along with members of Real World: Philly and Heidi Bressler from The Apprentice, Suede's weekend was filled with sporting dudes Pat Burrell, Jason Michaels (who likes their Grey Goose Vodka) Donovan McNabb and Koy Detmer. And what were poet Nikki Giovanni and fitness guru Donna Richardson doing together at the Pantene Total You event at the convention center? … Janet Bressler fabulously foists the femme-filled "Bressfest" onto Tokio, May 15, starring, says Bressler, "me, the dark, mysterious Nicki Jaine, angelic-voiced Pamela West, local pop-rock band Prima Donna and The Non-Domestiks, a Zombies-ish duo from Jersey."…When Amanda Leahy and Marion Leary's G-Room hit FiSo on Saturday, it was the end of an era: There will be no more of their "traveling gay and lesbian dance party." Writes Leary in an e-mail, "G-Room turned out to be a bigger success than ever imagined, but all good things must come to an end." … Along with saluting wedded bliss (cartoonist Alex Strang to songbird Harriet Elfring), happy b-day to rock writer Barry Gutman, to fashion photog Nic D'Amico and to two most patient CP editors, Lori Hill and Patrick Rapa.