Icepack

Amorosi on the news, nightlife, gossip and bitchiness beats.

by A.D. Amorosi

Between Halloween and Election Day (and I dare you to tell those Tuesdays apart; tell me Bob Menendez and Rick Santorum aren't just scary costumes), A.D. found himself with more suspicious slips of paper than a sack of hanging chads. So rather than make you bite into big Ice chunks, here's little ones I found.

► We know Daft Punk didn't play in da Klip house pre-Halloween as clowned. But rumor has it that some partygoers no-way, no-how involved with throwing the bash busted up the Klip Collective Race Street loft something awful. Heads without Daft-helmets will roll.

► Tootsie Parker's son KeVen D. Parker (Café 3801) expands the Ms. Tootsie's Soul Food on South Street experience with a neighboring multilevel tasty-toastie lounge this week. Don't get the new drapes dirty with all that luscious food.

► Dildo-bobbers at Jerry's Corner — don't feel alone. From the sound of people I know applying for jobs (and I would know people like that), there'll be a swingers club at Torresdale and Harbison at ye old Club Infinity spot.

► WHOWHATWHERE: Who hit the tri-state other than Alice Cooper who stopped in Glassboro (the true sixth ring of hell) for a WMGK promotion and Mr. Buckethead (star of vid-game designer Alex Strang's mini-movies) at Valley Forge's Zenkaikon anime convention? Lil' Kim, Allen Iverson and Donovan McNabb were at Powerhouse 24 at Wachovia Center. Here's my impression of their mumbled conversation: "I am not a loser. I am not a loser." Yes, the Slits showed up to First Unitarian Church's load-in sans amps and had to purchase some at Eight Street Music. Anyone looking for local, er, celebs found 'em at Amos Lee's big TLA show (Kenn Kweder and Jeffrey Gaines) and at the bamboozy Bamboo Lounge opening courtesy of Cashman & Associates. While fight enthusiasts Damon Feldman and Jimmy Binns arm-wrestled (sike) and Monica Malpass dressed like my mom, Q102's Diego, (thankfully) ex-Iggle Cecil Martin and NBC's Doug Kammerer hung tough. Bamboo was cute. But what's with Cascamorto, the packed new piano lounge underneath? And did anyone pay attention to the fact that Bamboo is the old new Tom Hagen's Tavern?

► For $10 you can go to The Subdudes after-party upstairs at World Café Live (Grimace Federation's playing) Nov. 7 and donate to Philly-to-New-Orleans' volunteer program to send locals-we-like Gravy Thomas and Melody Gardot away. It's a small price: Lose Gravy, save Nola, but.

► Rich Hillen Jr. 's World Famous Crawlspace Bros (now with grads of Paul Green's Rock School) play The Barbary Nov. 4 with Young Werewolves, Gein & the Grave Robbers and Ghouls Against Boys — the latter, a one-man-band obsessed with horror movies and breakfast cereal. Get the picture?

► What's weirder: That The Beautiful South is playing TLA Nov. 4 or that Smash Palace is opening? And March 27 — Justin Timberlake at Wachovia Center with Philly's Pink, who's steaming that Zooey Deschanel won that role as Janis Joplin right from under her; filmed in her town yet!

► What's got 2,800-plus square feet and a sky deck? Mango — a due-by-spring lounge on S. 18th owned and operated by Byblos' folk. And Byblos' next-door-neighbor, Bar Noir, so loved the teaming of Gemini Wolf's orchestral maneuvers and the glam-popped Persona (at Khyber) they decided to hold a do-over Mon., Nov. 6. Anyone who wants to hear more than "Owl Song" from Gemini Wolf's stringed electro-rock ensemble can hear new songs from their due-in-January CD, Josiah, while those wishing more of Joe Melchiorre can hear his Persona's harder new Loose Cannon CD before it's pressed.

► A.D.'s ArtStuff: Falling Cow owner Tim Bowen won't tell anyone who the "Anonymous Artist" is that's opening Nov. 4's "Simple-ism" show at his gallery. But Bowen does mention that the unknown painter "rejects personal content in order to explore intuitive expression." Oy. Then there's my other new fave collective, the artists at 10th Street Laundromat who bring First Friday to Glam Gallery at S. Second (next to Khyber) with a site-specific photo show featuring "Orphan Poser" (a photo "ConGLAMeration" between Nicole Porter and John Fitzpatrick), Becky Tholan, Carolyn Ballen, Candace Fisher and Nazie Meacham. Then there's the annual and prestigious Artisans Fall Fair/Juried Craft Show at the Unitarian Society of Germantown (www.usguu.org), whose Nov. 4-5 event just happens to feature birthday girl Patrice Amorosi's Glamorosi jewelry as one of its premier stands. I may be partial to my wife's semi-precious stone stuffs and beyond. Then again, I may not and it may be as truly fab as I say it is.

► We beat it to death before anyone that David Grasso's The Grande at the Packard Building was getting a House of Blues sooner than later. But the real news is that Grasso Holdings Inc. is moving into the Grande (out of digs with his dad) and that David should be ready to announce what he's been working on for a year: his rumored multi-acred 16th and Vine project coming soon; one that'll hopefully co-star Whole Foods (will they be gone from 21st Street?), Best Buy, Eastern Mountain Sports, a hotel and apartments. Also brother Joe Grasso (Shampoo, Egypt), as J. Grasso Properties, did indeed purchase The Curtis Center (where his new offices are) and just announced his acquisition of the Public Ledger Building.

► Couples doing clubby things: It's the new improved Monkey Bar — raised VIP area, comfy leather pit spooky red lighting — that hosted b-day couple DJ Evan Gusz and translator Jackie Samschick. And it's a "Haunted House of Love" party for Allen and Elizabeth Fiend on the 25th anniversary of their holy hilarious union. www.flickr.com/photos/31848368@N00. They said it wouldn't last.

(a_amorosi@citypaper.net)