Icepack

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


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Published: Apr 20, 2010

While eating along other avenues in anticipation of this weekend's East Passyunk Flavors of the Avenue restaurant-a-thon (Ridge and Elmwood aves are but shreds of their former selves), I ran into old friends with good/sad news: Like King Britt 's doing a party at Fluid April 23 for Intricate Beauty — his final "conventional" dance album, and the kids at Worship and the Barbary are holding a 40th b-day party for Josh Wink (April 24). And all I can think of is Britt-n-Wink's Ovum label, their good old Vagabond parties, and how if Josh is 40 I then have to have at least turned 38. I see Stephen Starr opening the accordion-filled El Rey / Ranstead Room at the MidTown IV then heading into David Ansill 's eponymous Bainbridge joint next for Il Pittore and I remember Ansill bartending for Starr at The Bank . Now I want a spritzer. I see Steph Hayes ' Good Problems opening for Kaki King at TLA April 28, and remember the days of Stargazer Lily and hearing Hayes on TV movie Joan of Arc . Then I realize I actually watched Joan of Arc . Just a little sadder though is hearing that Philly photog Zoe Strauss will end her I-95 series under the highway May 2 (no more $5 photos?) and that Butch Cordora 's In Bed with Butch cable-access show is over. The going-on-11-year-old talkie on DUTV and WYBE — the latter until 2008 when it became MIND-TV who cancelled the program but still shows old reruns — didn't run out of steam or fun. It lost sponsorship ducats. "Money's been declining since '08 when In Bed went from seven to two sponsors and I put my own cash in," says Cordora. The last newly filmed show with Danny Bonaduce aired in January. "It's a blessing in disguise because I'm kinda over it. Something weird happened after that 10th anniversary party at PURE last April. I suddenly didn't want to interview one more fucking celebrity." Cordora hears from DUTV that the last airing of In Bed is Memorial Day (but also predicts he'll be this area's Seinfeld in reruns). Meanwhile, Cordora's set for a gallery exhibit of his photos AND a screening of his Straight & Butch calendar documentary in July. Check CritMass for more on this sob-worthy event.

► Rumor has it Jose Garces' new place at the Cira has started hiring .

► When Philly-gone-NYC producer Earl Dax brings Justin Bond to L'Etage April 22, it'll begin a regular gay-ole-Dax-cabaret series starring Joey Arias .

► Though it opened to fanfare in 2005, the Blue Martini at Bally's has gone ignored until now, as a team of sound 'n' visual designers is giving the nightclub an overhaul with a rumored reopening for May.

► Open mic hostess-with-most-est Dani Mari (Lickety Split, National Mechanics) screens her "Vampire" single/video April 22 at Triumph Brewing.

►Wait! Is that the Philadelphia Ukulele Orchestra — recent stars of an 11 p.m. Action News report — performing at the Troc April 28? It certainly is, with David Fishkin’s Extreme Fishkin, Ed Wilcox’s Scotch n’ Soda, Da Comrade and Bells Bells Bells to boot. Play the Action News van theme. PLAY IT.

➤ The new Engage 2020 Innovation Grant Program just gave away two $50,000-plus grants to New Paradise Laboratories and Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia, and eight $75,000 grants to Art Sanctuary, Curtis Institute of Music, Fairmount Park Art Association, First Person Arts, Philadelphia Mural Arts Advocates, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, People’s Light & Theatre and Walnut Street Theatre. Thanks Engage.

➤ Meredith Rainey, Peter Crimmins and Kate Watson-Wallace are having a season-ending party for Philadelphia Dance Projects, April 23 at Bahdeebahdu (1522 N. American). You gotta pay to benefit the PDP. But bring cake, too. They love cake.

➤ That long-discussed food co-op for South Philly is getting a (chicken) leg up on April 26 with a discussion being led by Weavers Way at the South Philly Older Adult Center on Passyunk and Dickinson. Don’t leave any wrappers behind; I’ll just have to sweep again.

➤ If I tell you once I’ll tell you again: Midnight Sounds is Darren Morze (Trouble Everyday, Native Black), Josh Cicetti (Gildon Works), Josh Brown (Ink and Dagger) and Mike Jurin (Stellastarr*) and therefore qualifies as a bona fide super group. They play dark but sprightly Joy Division-ish stuff with killer grooves and big melodies, and headline Kung Fu Necktie April 23.

➤ I wouldn’t normally encourage you to listen to Michael Tozzi — jazz killer extraordinaire — but his ijazzglobal.com did unveil the long-in-the-vault tapes of Grover Washington Jr. via the Grover Live CD on April 20. The late great Washington is a Philly treasure. Listen and buy.

► Fresh ice cubes at citypaper.net/criticalmass.

(a_amorosi@citypaper.net)