Icepack

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


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Published: Apr 28, 2010

➤"Remember you wrote the very first press on this project and now I'm super fucking fancy?" laughs photographer Zoe Strauss, recounting how 10 years ago I devoted some ink to her sub-interstate exhibition at Front and Mifflin. "Isn't that crazy?" Then and now, the I-95 show's been free to all, with photocopies of her work a mere $5 each. Strauss made her bones with I-95's starkly surreal yet neighborly shots of Philadelphians at their torn-and-tattered (but proud) best. Since 2000, Strauss published a book (America) and booked her first solo show at the Philadelphia Museum of Art for 2012. And I-95? On May 2, 1-4 p.m., she'll hold her last one. "The project has to be over. That's how I planned it, 10 years and done." While a decade is the right amount of time to have devoted to I-95 — "long enough to make a strong body of work and a set ending point to make sure the project isn't over-worked" — it's important to note how Strauss found beauty in unexpected places. Whether making gorgeous drama from homeless junkie women or turning the crack that separates I-95's north and southbound lanes underneath the highway into poetry worthy of Leonard Cohen ("that's how the light gets in"), that project will be missed and cherished for eternity.

➤Last Saturday it was a battle of the new barroom: Daniel Stern's post-10 p.m. version of R2L (BAR2L) or Stephen Starr's bordello-red-wallpapered, naughty-painting-filled Ranstead Room behind El Rey. BAR2L had nice views and tony drinks like Whiskey Rebellion. But the 40-plus-seat speakeasy-ish Ranstead ("When it's full, there's no getting in," says drink couture-ier Sasha Petraske) has a dark, private vibe and handcrafted cocktails so spicy my lips are still burning. Atza'nize. See you at the Ranstead.

➤ Thrill Jockey ain't done with the late Jack Rose yet. Not only will the Chicago label release an eponymous EP from Rose and D. Charles Speer & The Helix, their website's selling Honest Strings: A Tribute, featuring Pelt, Bardo Pond (currently playing Euro festivals at the behest of Laurie Anderson and Lou Reed) and more.

➤West Philly's hard-soul Out da Basement has a busy May. OdB start a Tuesday jam session at Tritone; join Reg, Chuck D and new DJ Kyle Andrews for Wishbone's monthly R&B party at National Mechanics May 3; and play the Balcony May 26 with pal Joe Jordan and Puzzlebox.

➤Philly's ActionAIDS' Dining Out for Life celebrates its 20th anniversary April 29 with spokespersons Pam Grier and Food Network-er Ted Allen aboard. While they sup at Butcher & Singer (look for my chat with Allen at citypaper.net/icepack), it's a must you eat at any participating venue. It's our best homegrown fundraiser.

HALF OFF DEPOT

Why live life at full price?

➤Dino Minelli — the ex-boss at G Lounge who has been GM-ing at Public House now for almost a year — reminded me that his new House isn’t so new anymore. Public House is five. Time flies, Dino. They’ll celebrate the birthday April 29 with some of the crew, like the Kissette sisters, who used to work at the NYC bar he owned, Luke & Leroy. “The girls were fixtures of during the heyday of our infamous Misshapes party,” says Minelli.

➤ Celebrity Boxing/Wrestling/Whatever Else You Can Do With Four Limbs CEO Damon Feldman, porn babe Gina Lynn and Nazi sympathizer Michelle Bombshell McGee will host a press conference at South Philly Bar and Grill May 6.

➤ WHOWHATWHERE: With the Dark Field DeNiro Watch on high alert starting today, and the search for Bradley Cooper extended from PYT to outside the windows of Hallahan High, how is it bloggers keep bothering with Abbie Cornish spottings? She split Philly for Coachella in Cali nearly two weeks ago. Hey, know who everyone’s certain they spotted? The Office’s favorite Nazi killer, B.J. Novak, who was seen hanging at the Irish Pub.

➤ By now, word has slipped out that John Legend, Joanna Newsom, Cody Chestnutt and Jim James (of My Morning Jacket) will be on The Roots’ next CD, How I Got Over. But when they played at Washington, D.C.’s Climate Rally the other day, sweet Brit songstress Joss Stone joined them for “You Got Me” and all I can think is: If they ain’t done recordings (and they never are), they ought to make room for Joss.

➤ Then there’s Michael Tearson. The WMGK-FM guy stopped at Connie’s Ric Rac to catch Ronnie Norpel’s book reading. I found out from Tearson that he’s a participant in the Internet radio site radiothatdoesntsuck.com, with 10 shows posted and more to come. “Instead of having to tune in over the air or streaming online you can get me on demand, free, 24/7 on the site. It’s my ‘art for art’s sake’ work that doesn’t fit on terrestrial radio commercial or non-com or on satellite,” says Tearson, who notes that since the site’s based in Canada, all U.S. restrictions on Internet/satellite radio via Digital Millennium Copyright Act simply do not apply. Ask him about it yourself on May 1 when he hosts the Philly Pop Music event curated by George Manney at Philadelphia House (7312 Castor). Manney’s filming and recording each performance, like this one starring The Nazz, American Dream, Jeff Washington and Soul Survivors. Plus Manney will screen bits of his next documentary, Philly Pop Music, The Lost Pioneers.

➤ Area filmmaker Brad Furman (Unbroken, The Take) and Philly-based producer Sidney Kimmel just pushed The Lincoln Lawyer to Lionsgate. It’ll film this summer with Matthew McConaughey, Ryan Phillippe and William H. Macy.

(a_amorosi@citypaper.net)