November 4-10, 2004

music

icepack

by A.D. Amorosi

By the time you read this, you'll have a new president. Maybe. That said, we've luvved the attention from schtars who think Philly makes a difference. Nice having a slim Bubba around Love Park, Ted Kennedy irksomely singing Spanish in Kensington, Al "Hoffa" Franken (nearly as fat as Ted), Julia Stiles and Jessica Lange barking at Sheet Metal Workers Union Local 19 on Columbus Blvd., and Gloria Steinem joining Le Tigre at TLA. Now, will you all go the fuck home so we can concentrate on finding Annapolis' Tyrese? … Everyone hates MTV's The Real World Philadelphia. But everyone pups tents in their drawers thinking about being in the house the cast inhabited. That's how it seemed at two parties thrown there for youngprofs on Mischief Night and the Thursday preceding. While Mayor Street welcomed Thursday's guests (including The Capitol Years?!) with "If you're not having a great day, you need another drink," Saturday's guests—at the invitation of promotions/PR/talent company Aquamatrix Inc.—wore masks (better for all concerned) and paid dearly for VIP "bed" seating, all for the benefit of the Children's Crisis Treatment Center. … A little bird tells me Wired 96.5 FM will turn Sunday nights over to Jamaican music of all (red) stripes. … Woah. Right in the middle of prepping to wish Bar Noir Scorpios—Bobby Startup, Billy Magee, Michael McCue, ex-Noir-er Peter Dunmire—happy birthday, big news leaked that the Noir had been taken over by Avram Hornik. Neither Hornik nor outgoing owner David Carroll are saying much. Suffice it to say, Hornik took over last Friday and will continue biz as usual while readying his Chestnut Street Noche for a Nov. 6 opening, as well as opening an as-yet-unnamed Italian kosher restaurant on the same block.

"Not everything is as it seems," says Carroll, regarding rumored financial woes. Though he'll have more to say later in the month pending legal approval of Noir's sale, Carroll says he's happy to have passed the Bar Noir to baton to Hornik, "a sturdy runner."

Watch this space for more. If you wondered what blood-soaked furniture movers were doing at Artists@Work last week (cops did, stopping production briefly), fear not: These were extras filming final scenes of director Scott Johnston's comedy-horror Long Haul, a Moby Dick retelling through the eyes of a furniture-moving company, starring Jeb Kreiger (New Paradise Laboratories) and, no kidding, Ishmael Klein. … Old dogs, new tricks: While The Jane Anchor drops its new CD, Second Wave, at Indre Studios Nov. 6, another veteran act, The Grundles, hits Grape Street the same night with new CD, Disgrundled. … Check out Reef's Saturday night jam with host Allen Iverson. If the Lamborghini's there, A.I.'s in the house. … Elephant Man's post-Electric Factory party is planned for the Upper Deck, Nov. 4, which is also a busy day for Worship Records and Solomonic Sound, as they offer up the gods of Delaware dubdom Oneness featuring Getto Heaven at Silk City. … Get your lit on at Loews Hotel Nov. 9 when, as part of NPR's Selected Shorts program, actors Keir Dullea (2001: A Space Odyssey) and Barbara Barrie (Breaking Away) read, respectively, the texts of Raymond Carver and Allan Gurganus for the benefit of the Center for Literacy of Philadelphia in partnership with WHYY. Call 215-474-1235. … When Anna Sui got Fashion Group Philadelphia's Visionary Award at Drexel's Mandell Theater last week, the designer received another gift—a portrait of her by Drexel sophomore Gerta Frasheri. "Gerta did one last year for Betsey Johnson," says Drexel administrator Emil DeJohn. "She still has it on her mantle." WHOWHATWHERE: Robert Picardo, star of Albert Innaurato's Gemini: The Musical, stopped at 10th Street's Shank & Evelyn's. Bar Noir got a visit from Gomez. Young Buck and Lloyd Banks penned autographs at City Blue on South Street. Jungle maven Roni Size hung at Tragos, waiting for De La Soul, who never showed. A couple of Gypsy Kings made an appearance at Posh with DJ Rahsaan in on the action. Eagle Jon Ritchie joined Green Day on stage at the Liacouras for some bass duties. … Even though he's busy supersizing his Torre men's clothing into a neighboring building, owner Mark Rosenfeld isn't too busy to help a friend. That'd be Marie Massimiano, co-owner of MBC Clothing, a 12th and Passyunk legend that's been around for more than 80 years. With her husband Ray's recent passing, Marie asked Rosenfeld to host one final "everything must go" sale that should last until Christmas. …

Glamorosi Jewelry—Patrice Amorosi's line—has its first-ever showcases this weekend: a trunk show, Nov. 5, at Molletta on N. Third St. and a two-day run, Nov. 5-6, at the Artisans Fall Festival at the Unitarian Society of Germantown, 6511 Lincoln Drive.

Not only would I like to wish Marina D'Angelo (nice tiara!) and Peter Santa Maria congrats on their wedding over the weekend, I'd like to say how grateful I am they ran into me at the Hyatt on Penn's Landing right before they started their honeymoon.