Icepack

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

by A.D. Amorosi

This autumn truly starts — as all falls in Philadelphia should forevermore — with a block party and parade on Walnut Street hosted by my-man-pots-n-pans Jerry Blavat. The primary occasion is to welcome Jersey Boys to the Forrest for 11 weeks. (Look for homegirl Alayna Gallo, back from the show's San Antonio run, at the parade as well as presenting at Oct. 4's Barrymore Awards.)

► More signs of seasons changing: UPenn buying the DuPont Philadelphia Works/Marshall Labs acreage off the Schuylkill. (Hope they let the geese roam free.) Chris' Jazz Café getting a blue neon sign on the night of its 20th anniversary. Busybee relocating its home design shop from Kensington to South Street.

► I'd like to throw a parade for my dear amigo Evan Gusz (ex- Ruffhouse label baby), who'll marry dear Jaclyn Palagruto — with me as one of the groomsmen — this weekend. Blessings to the Gusz/Palagruto kids.

► Some things start, some depart: Mike Stollenwerk's buying a liquor license for Fathom in Fishtown while my fave old low-lit boite for white wine and sour cream dishes, Warsaw Cafe, may say goodbye when the building is sold.

► The legendary Monday open mic at Fergie's lost its main men — host/drummer Pete Gaudioso and keyboardist Anam Owili-Eger — with a blowout gig Sept 27. "I started going in 2002, and can count on two hands the number of those I've missed since then," says Owili-Eger. "We love Fergie but decided that it was time for us to step down."

► Choreographer/arts mensch DeVaughn Nelson had his greatest burlesque successes at 2010's Fringe. Makes perfect sense that he's moving to Berlin. "I'll miss Philly like nobody's biz, but I'm going to go feel out their scene for a while," says lovely DeVo.

► Did you know that Philly soundscaper Bilwa and his dancing missus Emily Sweeney left town — for the whole world? They moved to Vermont and are now heading to Melbourne, Australia's Fringe Fest. Kids.

► Philly's mix-tape-making major-label signers Chiddy Bang can be found on Pete Wentz 's new band Black Cards' debut single "Club Called Heaven" at blackcardsmusic.com.

► Poet/accidental lyricist CAConrad ( Scotty Leitch made punk rock of The Book of Frank at wobblingroof.com) debuts the mega-expanded edition of Frank (WAVE Books) on Oct. 2 at a Kelly Writers House reading.

► If watching Iron Chef Michael Symon filming Food Network's Food Feuds between Ralph's and Villa di Roma (meatballs) and Pat's and Geno's (cheesesteaks) months back wasn't enough, I spied MSN's Appetite for Life guy Andrew Zimmern and a handful of Mummers on East Passyunk after having done his "curbside cuisine" thing at Paesano's and John's Roast Pork.

► Ice comes in cube form, too! Citypaper.net/criticalmass.

(a_amorosi@citypaper.net)