Icepack

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

by A.D. Amorosi

You'd think having our gays back after a Day Without 'em would be enough for one year's celebration. But then I saw those Running Santas at Buckhead Saloon and the Tom Moon shoppe on Amazon where he talks up his 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die. Suddenly I think, "Wow, did Moon pluck his eyebrows?" And "DAG, I FORGOT TO TELL YOU ICEPRICKS WHAT YOU WANT FOR CHRISTMAS!" Here are some local things for your last-minute spree. Get a new Vox Populi Gallery T-shirt designed by the folks at Print Liberation in the style of Frankie Goes to Hollywood (voxpopuligallery.org). You can buy Bluecoat, the tastiest Philly-brewed designer gin. (Kip Waide at Southwark does a mean shaken-not-stirred Bond impression with Bluecoat 'n' blond Lillet). For music aficionados/fans of Tom Moon's old eyebrows, there's Philly's rockabilly originator Charlie Gracie doing a smooth Burt Bacharach song, "I Looked for You," on Burt's new rarities collection, Always Something There: 1952-1969. Don't be tardy to the party. There are still vinyl copies of Jelly Roll Gospel, Brother JT/John Terlesky's snazzy garage-y thing on Drag City, left. I'm obsessed with "Ribbon Driver." Is it a Christmas song? "It refers to folks who have those magnetic ribbons that say various things on the back end of their cars, and who, in my experience, tend to be not very good drivers," says JT. "That goes double for those who've mounted American flags somewhere. I give 'em wide berth." I feel better knowing that. And along with Moon's book — a must, A MUST, I say — buy Warren Muller's first-ever book, Wink. The Bahdeebahdu light sculptor's extra-wide and -heavy coffee-table tome looks extra good under one of his reading lamps.

► For anyone jumping on the whole Labelle reunion — Patti, Nona and Sarah — you better run-not-walk to Harlem's Apollo Theater. The voulez-vous-avec-moi trio start their tour there Dec. 19, nearly one whole month before they play Trump's A.C. casino.

► Word has it that bigwigs from Kansas City (or guys from KC with towering beehives) are flying in to look-see Albert Paris' Bella Vista boite Pat Bombino's, the Italian joint he has with chef Mathew DiNatale. Yo, Al. You no like-ah mah neighborhood? Shadduppa you face.

► Whoevah chooseth to not observe John Milton's 400th birthday is a douchebag. So check out Chester's Milton & The Devil's Party at World Café Live Dec. 20 with Grammar Debate and party like it's 1669.

► That long-shuddered former ChriStevens spot on Ninth off South just got a leaser. Who got it? Speak up! Could that be the near-Lombard address Devil's Alley/Sam's Grill operator Susan Schlisman chose for her next joint? Or is Schlisman taking the former Overtures spot at the Passyunk triangle off South?

► The Mikronesia/Gemini Wolf kids who own the earSnake label have been awfully busy in 2008, releasing CDs by Lillie Ruth Bussey, signing Shawn Kilroy for his third album ("it's a disco record with love songs and special guests like Mike Brennen," says Mikronesia, as if we expected different). Plus earSnake penned a contract with West Philadelphia Orchestra to release their new album. Before earSnake get to 2009 and dropping those records (as well as Gemini Wolf's new one and its singer Jalima Shani's new project, JSIC), that entire bunch plays its annual free Christmas show, "O Come All Ye earSnake," Dec. 22 at National Mechanics. They'll have free copies of The earSnake Holiday Hymnal CD to gift and will be joined by Paper Masques (members of The Teeth and Zelda Pinwheel).

HALF OFF DEPOT

Why live life at full price?

► WHOWHATWHERE: When Taraji P. Henson visited Philly for the preview of her Christmas Day release, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, she slept through a Ritz theater Q&A at Four Seasons Hotel, but woke in time to laugh with me about the question she always gets. "People bug me to sing 'It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp' alllll the time," says Henson about her big number from 2005's Hustle & Flow. "You had to find a hi to save a ho," she laughs.

► Remember we talked up the Tower Theater's VIP loft parlor seating? Now it's getting a gourmet go-round with Wolfgang Puck's catering division running its food concessions. Oddly enough, Live Nation's TLA on South gets the same deal. Which means bar manager Michael "Dirty Diamond" Hans'll be handling foie gras to go with those plastic mugs o' beer.

► "I'm really excited to be able to show my stuff for the very first time," says Jimi Mooney. No. The stuff isn't anything salacious. Mooney — known to tranny punk fans as "Helen Back" — debuts his longtime obsession, collage making. Mooney'll present his work Dec. 18 at Sweet Jane Vintage ("Two doors down from Marra's at Moore Street," says Mooney, ever the cumare).

► The Baraness — DJ Erica Baran — is stellar. At least that's what she said she is regarding "Twilight," her new weekly deep-house party starting Thu., Dec. 18, at North (222 South St.). "It's a starry theme," says Baraness, as opposed to a 'tween vampire scene. Plus, the Baraness will fill in for Mistress DJ Venus at Pearl (Saturdays in January) while the Venusian hits the gen-er-al-hos-pit-al for a realigning of her hip bones. Yes, I mean groovy.