December 23-29, 2004

music

icepack

by A.D. Amorosi

Some people told me I was being an asshole last week, dissing Neil Stein when he’s down and ripping Bill Cosby for, um, being Bill Cosby. Cosby annoys the eyebrows off me. Did you know he has four nipples? No bullshit. I heard it from his assistant. And Stein? Schemer or scourge, I dig him. Not to get all Chinatown, but Stein helped make this town. That he made it with pointy hair, red skin peels and admitted bad habits makes me love him more. Besides, I gave lots of people passes this season. I could have bitched out Jim McGreevey when I saw this Inquirer report: "Out of office, McGreevey costs taxpayers." Could someone double-check those "legal expenses" for Poppers and issues of Bear? Coulda moaned when Goldenberg Group said it was turning Eighth and Market into another cheesy mall (How 1975!), Target and all (Which makes us wonder: Is Target -- also taking over Adam’s Mark Hotel -- the Spencer Gifts of the 2000s? Is Hot Foot next?) Coulda been snide about animal rights activists picketing Alma de Cuba for serving foie gras (Stephen Starr must’ve had some left over from when picketers nailed Barclay Prime). I love animals more than children. But can’t a guy get some foie gras?! (And does this mean I should eat children? Ah, morality’s slippery slope.) I could’ve continued my decade-long dogging of Marah -- the Beaver Brown Band of its generation -- and its literary lapdog Nick Hornby. Isn’t Hornby’s fellating akin to Norman Mailer’s Jack Abbott love? Is this why Marah’s latest drummer, Jon Wurster, is leaving? … Speaking of bad Christmases, in separate e-mail missives, Cordalene and its bassist Jim McGuinn are admitting that the band fired McGuinn -- right after all their gear got stolen. "It was a unilateral decision by one member without consulting the others," says a source close to Cordalene. "It’s weird [Jim] would no longer be part of what [he] founded." We dig Cordalene and know Jim’ll do something funky. But dag, boys, why don’t you just eat his children? … As some bands split, others get together. Like Robots in Disguise, ambient-tronic Philadelphians starring keyboardist Mikronesia, bassist/vocalist Plunkit, DJs Hutnons and Skipmode, and drummer/ programmer Ndugu (aka Jimmy Coleman of Aqua Session). They’ll reunite for the first time since 2002 for Monday Night Club at Bar Noir, Dec. 27. … Jonny Makeup of VIP tells me the group’s NYC CD EP (phew) release party at Misshapes got raves from DJ Larry Tee, that star-trannie Sophia LaMar wants to guest on their now-recording full-length (Tightly Rapped), and that Zaldy, designer for Gwen Stefani’s clothing line L.A.M.B., was way into the VIP-ers. "Is there a clothing sponsorship in the air for VIP?" asks Jonny. … Rude ad: STUFFED at 32°. It ain’t what you think. The staff of Atlantic City’s 32° Luxe Lounge in the Quarter at Tropicana (opening Jan. 20) will be introduced at 32° Old City today. New hire Cherie Daley is in Stuff mag’s December issue. … Along with The Brakes dropping their CD at TLA today, fave Philly songwriters Julia Othmer and Ron Forczek will play acoustic sets to open. … WHOWHATWHERE: Luna’s Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips were spied at the Loews’ lobby bar. That’s where you’ll find Philly’s Leo Rossi. Back from filming 10th & Wolf in Pittsburgh, Rossi’ll co-host NBC’s morning show, 10, with Lauren Hart, Dec. 28 and 29. Jimi Mooney, Jilline Ringle and Joe Genaro, not to mention Jesus Fighting Santa -- these were the visual treats when Big Mess Orchestra hit Poor Henry’s. Funniest thing heard was leader Andy Bresnan ranting about Clear Channel as well as what seemed disregard for ol’ Poor Henry’s ("very forgettable place"). Artist Jonathan Adler and Barneys’ creative director Simon Doonan hung at Congregation Rodeph Shalom’s Philadelphia Museum of Jewish Art last week for a vodka/latke party. That’s what I’m serving at my next gig. … Dancing girls in cages at North Star? You can thank glam-o-licous metal mongers Haywire who play there with Primadonnaz tonight. … BAD NEWS: As president of the Licensed Beverage Association of the Entertainment District of Philly, Joe Dougherty (co-owner of Emerald City) warned me about House Bill 2105, recently signed by Gov. Rendell. Partially targeting "stop and gos" in bad neighborhoods selling liquor illegally, the bill will attack all retail licensees. With the new points system, HB 2105 could be "death penalty legislation" for liquor licensees, says Dougherty. "If you own a bar and your bartender happens to serve an intoxicated patron or your bouncer accidentally lets in a minor, owners will get five- to 10-point citations for violations of this new code. After 15 points, your license goes on ice [for] "safe keeping.’ You can sell it, but the points against the license follow. And who the hell would want to buy it? Even on appeal, your penalties remain and you have to stay closed. Your career is over." Says Dougherty, even the LCB is supposedly against it, as, according to his sources there, the board wasn’t consulted on the bill. "We’re all for shutting down "stop ’n’ gos’ and applaud all who combat such. But this has gotta’ stop." This is gonna get messy.