Icepack

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

by A.D. Amorosi

Pigs flying over the Inky. The clock striking 02:03:04, 05/06/07. The Cannabis March down Broad Street. That was some trippy stuff over the weekend. I had a nice high — until my own personal real estate market crashed. I'm not talking about the Ardrossan estate in Radnor (I can't afford 50-room Georgian mansions ... yet). I'm talking about The J. Dundas Lippincott House at 507 S. Broad — the five floor, Frank Furness-attributed tower run by Circle Mission Church. It went up for auction Saturday. I welled up looking at the stained glass, the elevator shaft, the dozen fireplaces — I had to leave. I don't know what it sold for. Hurts too bad to ask. But that was the house I dreamt of since childhood. Man, I wish I had some weed.

► On the left side of the WXPN/World Cafe Live facility, we find the show that WCL's Hal Real produced for Mark Cuban's digital networks, "On Stage at World Cafe Live," got its PBS debut May 6 with the remaining 12 episodes in the series showing Sundays at 11 p.m. (Universal's Decca will do DVDs.) On the right/radio side of the building, there's rumors 'bout DJ Matt Reilly wanting to leave 'XPN. No news about anything brewing in the lobby.

► I went to get my scooter fixed at the Vespa place on South Street, and Global Dish caterers Jen and Mitch Prensky are building Supper — a new-American nosherie — in its place.

► Hairy guitarist Nick Millevoi, trombonist Dan Blacksberg and the not-entirely-hirsute Circles drop their yet-untitled follow-up to When the Big River Floods (a cage match between Pharaoh Sanders and Hank Williams) May 12 at the Fire. That's so unlike the eight-man computer-gaming Chromolodeon, who wrapped up their 10-year-plus tenure last week rrrright before releasing the just-out The Final Recordings of video game arrangements and new tunes.

► While we're psyched that Philly/Baltimore's Spank Rock made a Fabric mix CD and gets to be part of David Bowie's Highline Fest in NYC (May 15, Highline Ballroom) we're more tickled that Spank's got a new producer in Philly's Brendan "Bring 'Em" Olkus. Brendan's also been in LA: spinning for Lindsay Lohan and the Entourage cast; meeting with Capitol label A&R guy/producer Joe "3H" Weinberger about picking up one of Brendan's new label (Deuce Deuce) charges DJ Jes-One or Brendan's own Black Card project. Things are good at home, too, as wife/designer Kasey Olkus dropped her spring '07 Louise clothing line. Noice.

► Ian Jarvis and Andrew Lipke may've wrapped recording Franzschubert's new Little Lamb-o's Birthday Party (think Flaming Lips-at-200 Motels). But with Jarvis shooting a video for the CD's single "Flappa Wing," Lipke's gotta tend to his solo, somnolent Rufus Wainwright-esque The Way Home and his gig at The Underground May 11.

► WHOWHATWHERE: While Jerry Blavat, Al Martino and Aramingo Diner's George Grigos yipped it up for Bob Brady at Radicchio, Latin music legend Willie Colon whooped over City Council candidate Maria Quiñones-Sanchez at Club Polaris. Rumor: Is there, on May 22, a private event with Barack Obama at Electric Factory? Aaron Carter was spied at Sofitel — man bag, surfer shorts — yakking into a cellie in a whiny rich-kid voice. The Beach Balls' "Opera James" Collabelli and Robert Fanelli kicked off a reunion of Philly's fave artsy-fartsy cover band as a surprise opener for Hung on a Blonde Pony Tail at the Balcony. Fab. We hear Philly perf-comic Jodi Letizia (rumor has it she's got Rocky lawsuit money, yo!) is planning to surprise Danny Ozark at his open mic at Balcony May 14.

► Soulamite/Peek-a-Boo-Revue gal Heather Henderson is starting a Prince cover band. ("To play the vintage Prince tunes I miss so much ... the rock songs. Skip the pop.") And she wants YOU. Be 25+ and e-mail Heather@HHenderson.com if you're soft 'n' wet.

► A ca-wha? A cappella's the name of the barbershop octet game when Adam Arcuragi, Shai Halperin, Gianmarco Cilli, Rick Flom and more Philly indie supastars debut as The Silver Ages at L'Etage May 13.

► SIGNED: Acey Slade and Steve Haley's Trashlight Vision aren't just for British kids wearing Spandex 'n' blue eyeliner. Philly's sleazy answer to that first Motley Crüe CD signed with Rock Ridge Music with Alibis and Ammunition to be released July 10.

► While you can give a b-day hello to Scott Weiner — the photog who told Patti Smith, "I got one word for you: NAIR!" at her Free Library show — anywhere you see him, you can hit up Drake trumpeter David Ramsey only on May 12 at Tritone. Buy him a copy of his new CD.

► Local LGBT heroine Tracy Buchholz — women's event chair of the Sapphire Fund, Emerge co-creator — is moving to L.A. May 12. Sob! But her Action parties and girl balls will continue. "I've got strong, sexy Eliza Hanson so that we can keep the best LGBT party going," says Buchholz.

► ARTFART: After clowning all of Center City, the Hydrogen Jukebox crew kicks off its Second Friday Carnivalutions at Ellen Powell Tiberino Museum May 11. Painters Perry Milou, Thom De La Pena and John Andrulis are quickly working to keep their art spot, Galleria 1901 (Walnut Street), a secret. Too bad. They'll open in June. Web-graphics guys P'unk Ave on Passyunk Avenue just opened their big off-Ninth Street shop. And though downstairs neighbor Marc Brodzik had a fun bash with Philebrity, upstairs neighbor Tony DeMelas' soiree was the bomb-diggity. It was for his post-opening soiree at James Oliver's gallery.

► Steven Tobin is crazy unpacking after moving his Fire Museum Records to Philly from the Bay Area. But still he's dropping avant/world CDs — Espers' Helena Espvall's Nimis & Arx, Alan Sondheim's Ski/NN — and hosting F.U.E.L. nights May 11 and 25 at 249 Arch St. with label bands Bolivar Soar, Saader Turkoz and Espvall in tow. Go say hello.

(a_amorosi@citypaper.net)