Icepack

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

by A.D. Amorosi

A message to Misters Ansill and Apaghian, who ended their fine foodie run of quirkily French Pif and quirkily romantic Astral Plane, respectively, June 14: You both made Bastille Day no (Greek) picnic. You cut out our hearts, then you cut off our heads, to say nothing of our gastro-something-or-others. And you didn't have to flash fois gras (thanks, Georges Perrier) to do it. Sacre bleu. 

► Doggystyle: Just because Philly's Dr. Dog have to be part of July 22's weirdly capitalized XPoNential music fest in Camden, it doesn't mean you have to suffer. You can find 10 unreleased Dog tracks on www.weallbelong.net every Monday for streaming only. 

► Not only did CAConrad release The Frank Poems, a spooky follow-up to Deviant Propulsion, with German translations (www.ypolitapress.blogspot.com), but when he took part in a private party for F.U.E.L.'s whack Puppies are Biodegradable anti-animal-cruelty exhibit (with Michael Nutter in tow), Conrad had this to say: "I hate the rich as much as I hate the Amish," regarding Puppies' anti-Amish sentiment. They creep me out, too. "When the organizers got a look at us poets, they put off the reading end of it until it was clear to us we weren't reading, and of course in typical bourgeois, passive-aggressive fashion, we were fucked over with a smile." But at least Conrad and pals drank. A lot.

► When Scott Johnston wasn't shoveling food into Silk City's first-time brunchers on Sunday (lensed by Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives peeps), he finalized Fringe Cabaret's move to Starlight Ballroom and its old-school open-stage policy (unlike last year) with legendary long-time-no-see hosts (Greg Giovanni, Theatre Exile's Deborah Block, Jimi Mooney â€â€� who'll debut his Helen Back CD) and newbies (beardo bar-keep Fergie, me, King Britt â€â€� who'll bring Phil Moore Brown and Ursula Rucker ). Brava. When the Fringe's Get-to-Know-U Gathering rolls into the Balcony July 23, it'll preview not only Bckseet Productions' The Wall but b-day boy Needles Jones ' yearly ho-mage to the Velvet Underground's chanteuse, The Nico Show with members of Experience Kef alongside Monday Night Club's hostess.

► SocialPhilly.com's Brett Silver started a spin-off promotional marketing company, Silver Marketing Group, that'll run project-based promotions. His first client, Creative Access, is taking on the needs of the deaf (www.youngfriendsofthedeaf.com) in support of PaH! Festival of Deaf Arts+Culture this fall. 

► No sooner than Café Habana seemed ready to close, Juan Carlos Fernandez dropped the food, kick-started his weekends with dance jams, and brought Danny Ozark and Jon Connor for Sour Grapes Tuesdays open-mic gripes for comedians and young professionals. Now David Carroll (Bar Noir, Hot Club) and DJ Evan (Gusz) enter the Habana dragon every Thursday for hot rock 'n' roll.

► WHOWHATWHERE: Sad days for Italians in the 'burbs: Frank Stallone was at Fresco Pizza & Grill on Newtown Street Road talking up boxing and some film he has coming out with Vince Vaughn . This week, the Sopranos actor who'll forever be known as "Big Gay Vito," Joe Gannascoli , will host a Miss NE Bikini contest at Alfie's Night Club, 2417 Welsh Road, July 20. David Chase should've just killed Joe, too. After he rapped up the Troc for Mikal Kamil/Dan Levin 's 3Kingdom label gig at the Troc, Mos Def hit the Ritz Carlton. And Nicole Richie and Good Charlotte's Joel Madden were spotted outside Snackbar on Sunday, more than likely not really eating much. PGLFFpsst: After Entourage's Rex Lee attended XIX's Starrbooty party, he and fest-man Thom Cardwell hit Little Pete's, where, at 2:30 a.m., management had to refuse entrance. Too many people had mobbed Pete's for a glimpse of Rex. While Rex said yes to every photo request, Starrbooty star RuPaul went barely recognized sans drag at Continental Mid-town.

► Here's some private gigs you'll fight to get into: GQ mag's bash with John Legend /Nouveau Riche at Kimmel July 26; the Billy Joel high-roller ball, Borgata, July 21. OK. You'll fight for the first one.

► Justin (Tragos) Ziegler soft-opened WineO at NoLibs' W&J/Ministry of Information the other day. But we hear he's still looking for an exec chef. We hear Johnny Brenda's is looking for someone to help book 'n' promote. Tell 'em you like Lunch with Beardo and FNU Ronnies and start pitching. 

► If it wasn't enough that the way-positive Andrea Collins-Smith 's a wife and mother of six children who once tended to rowdier kids when working at Zipperhead and Tattooed Mom, the young mom just got diagnosed with cancer. But there's a good reason she's got a site called punkrockmommy.org. She's tough. Pals like Live Not On Evil, Julian S. Process , Psydde Delicious , Son of a Gun , ScareHo and more scare up benefit time July 22 at M Room. Do it.

► Have I mentioned the fact that Bobby Startup 's onetime area managerial charges Brian Setzer , Lee Rocker and Slim Jim Phantom â€â€� Stray Cats â€â€� are gonna rock-a-billy their asses all over the Borgata July 23, with ZZ Top ? Speaking of old punk rock, this summer marks five years since Spider from Philly's (maybe the world's) first black punk group, Pure Hell , passed away. And while Stinker Gordon and Co. prepare a new CD (Black Box) in his memory, Pure Hell's onetime manager, Rich Wolff (of TLA Entertainment, trivia fans), seems to have the bug again, sniffing around the Duran-meet-DFA glam kids TV Sound, notorious from RedRum nights. Expect secret gigs, yo.

 ► Farewell to the Philly mob's favorite legal eagle, Bobby Simone , and to property investor/builder Harry Blatstein, who passed last week. These men helped shape where you're standing in more than a few ways.

(a_amorosi@citypaper.net)