Icepack

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

by A.D. Amorosi

So ye olde Shirt Corner in Old City — the place where I bought suits during my time in The Time (few more gigs and I'd've had Morris Day's job, oohwah oohwah) — will probably become an Applebee's. And maybe Mac nerds are correct that the first Philly Apple Store will wind up at the shuttered Brasserie Perrier spot and be a mammoth Bohlin Cywinski Jackson-designed super-shop. What's the problem? Too much corporate stuff, fuckers. I know, that makes me sound like a dinosaur. It shouldn't. See, I have no problem (necessarily) with the money the corporate giants toss toward our town. We need the cash. But with Walnut Street turned into a bland tony strip mall and the same fate awaiting Chestnut Street if it's not careful (keep the Dots ladies store near the Scientology Center and hope that Fine/Steinberg/Sembello boîte opens nearby soon), Philly's landlords must steel themselves against lameness. Let Old City's transformation into a local clothes 'n' lifestyle boutique center be your guide.

► Hey, we know the Cashman/Pinkenson kids at the Philadelphia Industry Lounge in Def Jam's House o' Hype at Sundance's Film Fest had sad faces when the Iggles lost. All those green Tastykake Butterscotch Krimpet boxes surely got trashed. But along with being happy state Rep. Ron Marsico can't afford airfare to Park City (he's the jitbag who wants to cut Greater Philly Film Office's 25 percent tax credit to films spending 60 percent of their budget in our state), they had to have smiled seeing Philly filmmaker Eric Weiss in Utah for the premier of his cult phenom Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry. It'll be the doc of the winter season there. And look for my chat with Philly director Lee Daniels, whose Push, with Mariah Carey, made a splash at Sundance, as did Daniels and Carey's appearance at Philly's Industry Lounge.

► You loved Fathead throughout the latter '90s and wee early '00s when Chris M and Jeremy D were just a couple of funky white boy Philly brahs doing their jazz-bo Caucasoid hip-hop thing. They split. Moved to Brooklyn. Formed prog-pop bands. Now the Fat-team is back for one night (Jan. 24, North Star) to raise money for Philabundance. "All 10 of us," says Chris M. Do this. Another bunch of old friends, Philly Gumbo, bring their Jamaica-meets-N'awlins groove to an Obama post-inauguration bash at NXNW Jan. 23 before debuting at Gerald Veasley's Berks county Jazz Base club.

► WHOWHATWHERE: While faced with a drought on our Jamie Foxx pre-film coverage, we bumped into Sound of Philly leader Kenny Gamble at the opening of Tavis Smiley's historic America I Am exhibit at the National Constitution Center with Cornell West (never saw an academic pose for so many pictures with the ladies) and NBC 10's Lori Wilson. Plus Gamble was spied at the Labelle reunion with Miss Patti, Sarah and Nona at LeTrump in AC. Before that gig, Patti was spied supping at Two Street's Continental.

► There'll be some real fisticuffs between Philadelphia boxers — the Jan. 23 Trop Casino gig with local lightweight Eddie Alvarez taking part in the mixed-martial-art Extreme Challenge War — and not-exactly real fisticuffs — Danny Bonaduce vs. Jose Canseco Jan. 24 with referee Vince Papale for Damon Feldman Promotions at Ice Works Skating Complex in Aston, Pa.

► African-American venue choices just expanded in the area — not only because there's a new space called Chocolate City in Clementon, N.J., with Big Scott Productions doing CC's Grown 'n' Sexy Saturdays. It's rumored that Vango on 18th Street will be taking on WDAS as one of its primary radio sponsors.

► While Ms. Kristi and DJ Box Lunch do their first 3 Dollar Bill party for all the gay-ish boys 'n' girls at World Café Live Jan. 23, the mistress of Elevate — one of Philly's old-school LGBTQ bashes — Tracy Buchholz returned from San Diego for her new, starting-Saturday monthly The Scene, Jan. 24, at Vesuvio. DJs Just Jess and Klembott are on board.

► Bierista is changing its name to Brew as it opens its beer 'n' coffee takeout joint at 15th and Mifflin inna-bouta-week.

HALF OFF DEPOT

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► Matt Davis' Aerial Photograph gets one last shot at its "Philadelphia, 2008" one-story-a-month program at Tritone Jan 22. The whole tale will be told during its first set, with singer Devin Greenwood, Alex Day and more on a second set.

► We know you're pissed that Gregg Foreman and Gillian Chadwick formed a(nother) Rare Birds. But did you listen (thedrugstore.blogspot.com) to the fucking songs? Brutal beautiful.

► We're hearing that Antony (for his Feb. 2 Keswick Theater gig with The Johnsons) has specified that he only wants a local avant-classical choir, black gospel group or ethnic song clinicians for his area gig. You go gurl.

► Miro Dance Theatre's Amanda Miller is performing in Orfeo ed Euridice at the Met in NYC now till Jan. 31. Atza nize. But if you can't spring for opera-house tix on Jan. 24 Orfeo will screen as part of the Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD series across the country at The Bridge and da Riverview. More: fathomevents.com.

► S & M hits Moonstone Arts this week. What that means is that Samantha Barrow and Monica McIntyre's local arts venture takes a first crack at what used to be Moonstone (née Robin's Bookstore) for its Jan. 26 test run with readers and writers Jan Beatty, CAConrad, M. Saida Agostini and more. Stay tuned to this.

(a_amorosi@citypaper.net)