April 14-20, 2005

music

icepack

by A.D. Amorosi

Celebrity's a terrible thing to waste. Don't fuck it up with apologies for your past. Instead, apologize for your present foibles, like that frosted hair, Jane Fonda. Don't write "celebrity" haikus like dumb designer Tory Burch in WWD's new glossy, Scoop. And Danish cabbie-hacking Philly DJ Jared "Illadelph" Heller should've known: Cutting's out, mash-ups are in. All this celebri-blab reminds me: With the Philadelphia Film Fest in swing, my wig's spinier than Brini Maxwell in a moto-cross. After being warned "Triple D" David Duchovny wouldn't make a Pine Street affair thrown by Allison and William Rulon-Miller (he did, by a nick), I found the snug-jeans wearing director in the green room of the Prince after his House of D. "Bringing this film here is a little like making a blind date," said a dazed Duchovny about liking Philly fine. He ain't original. But, he's Mulder! He gets a pass for dunderheadedness. Others were not lucky. My IceCrew saw to that. Here to promote Crash, Matt Dillon was spotted in Old City Coffee: "Seemed like he couldn't keep his head up. Is he retarded?" Here to promote King's Ransom, Anthony Anderson (Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle/Kangaroo Jack) confused my spy as to who was sitting in Loews Hotel lobby. "I thought the guy on ER was white." On Billy Idol, spied backstage at the Liacouras Center: "If Clint Eastwood was a candle, melting, that'd be Idol. … His upper lip was stuck in a permanent snarl." While Def Jam crooner Bobby "Slow Down" Valentino hung at Glam — not bothering anyone enough to get dissed — Damon Dash came to the Bridge for his Philly Film Fest/TLA-distributed contribution (State Property 2) looking great and smelling like he was down six dime bags o' weed. Dalmn! … You won't have Earl "Direct From New York" Dax to kick around. After two months of producing Vanguard Sundays at L'Etage with big names and not-so-big audiences, that weekly is ovah. Dax'll focus energies in NYC on monthly curatorial shows at Galapagos in Williamsburg, as well as his booking arm, which is representing Penny Arcade, Taylor Mac and Murray Hill, whose show he'll associate-produce for off-Broadway. "L'Etage and I [are] still discussing a monthly or one-offs," says Dax, who's prepping shows at Painted Bride, the Troc and 2005 Fringe Fest's Late Night Cabaret. … You love Denim, you hate Denim. Either way, it's rumored to be vewwwy qwietly (for a bar on Walnut Street?) going after hours. If Denim doesn't go after hours and you'd like to see its habitués hit by trains and eaten by dogs, send 'em to Penrose Diner or Oasis in South West Philly, both Pagan biker stops according to recent Daily News reports. (We'd lurrve to meet that story's horny blonde waitress "swooning" over bikers. But the DN spotting horn-ball broads freaks me out.) … Want free stuff, the scarier the better? Northern Arms is giving away copies of its shoegazey, Diamond Dogs-like debut, Bow Ties and Black Teeth, at the Khyber April 15. … George Manney's done such a job convincing everyone there's a market for his Brotherly Love All Stars (April 9's affair at World Café Live) — starring Cameo/Parkway label composers (Dave Appell), producers (Joseph Tarsia) and artists (John Madra, the Orlons, Charlie Gracie) — ABKCO Inc. will issue a four-CD set, The Cameo Parkway Story, in May. Look for former Alan Mann drummer Manney to take part in Janet Bressler's multi-artist Mann tribute at WCL April 16. … Drexel fashion school head Emil DeJohn is overjoyed. In anticipation of his Crystal Star Celebration/department benefit May 9 at the Art Museum honoring Philly designer Ralph Rucci, Rucci and Georges Perrier have kicked in to raise event awareness. Perrier hosts a dinner at his Main Line home April 15 for Crystal benefactors. "He's an angel," says DeJohn of Rucci, "sending a priceless amount of wares: private design sketches, beaded gloves and fur-trimmed dresses." … You want hair people to help you look better than your scrubby self? Check out Pulse, Adam Sahagian and Mark Gigliotti's beauty school done with Paul Mitchell Inc. That company's CEO, John Paul DeJoria, will hit the E. Pennsylvania Ave. (Downingtown) opening April 14. … We know it's bigbigbig: EFC is pairing with the Borgata in Atlantic City for a first-ever casino teaming (how excited we are by Deep Purple, however, we dunno). But, hey: Heyday announced they'll book the Barbary with Mikey Primmadonna DJ nights to start in May. … Happy b-day to manager David Carroll and barrister Alyson Davis, who'll be celebrating April 15 at their chanteuse/client Erika's Tin Angel gig. Good thing a lawyer's there: TLA Releasing's been sniffing around the singer, asking about original material.