Also this issue:

Border Lines
Another in a series on the look and texture of Philadelphia neighborhoods.
-Photographs by Kass Mencher

May 30-June 5, 2002

music

icepack

by A.D. Amorosi

Despite having sung “Book of Love” at Avenue B’s Piano Bar the night before Tuesday’s vote, Ed Rendell still won the Democratic ticket. So now that the tomfoolery’s begun in earnest, what else is goofy, post-Memorial Day? On the holy side, there’s Anna Crusis Women’s Choir’s 27th annual spring concert, June 1 at the Church of St. Luke and da Epiphany, 330 S. 13th; it’s called “Wade in the Water,” after a Bulgarian wedding song. Speaking of wedding-bell blues, WB17’s Toni Yates is marrying Philly firefighter Chuck Harvey. Put out the fire, C. On the less-than-sacred side: John Torres. John ain’t a prince of darkness. But if he’s booking Wednesdays at R. Mac’s Pub (427 Crystal Lake Ave., Haddon Township, N.J.) with a bunch of glass-busting crusty old locals and biker-musician sorts making music already aimed for CD release, Torres surely knows Satan. No one leaves Mac’s without a nose bleed. No one leaves Torres’ Wednesdays with their soul. Then there’s rumors: Nasty, but, we keep hearing, despite brisk biz at all Neil Stein locales, that the building owners of Rouge on Rittenhouse may want Stein and his boxer, Striper, outta there at lease’s end. But he’s gearing up for his first “Chef’s Night Out” at Ave B., so he doesn’t seem to be sweating. Yet.… June 1 at The Fire is the unofficial Record Cellar Jam-bo-reee, with Frank Brown (and band), John Train, Frog Holler and Richard Kaufmann’s Philadelphia Atoms. Yell at Neil Drucker to stopping golfing and make this a monthly.… Art Dupras, Clifford Hall, Kevin Karg, Mark Schreiber and Mark Bendian are Wobbly, and dammit, their George Manney-produced debut, Drop in the Bucket, gets outted June 2 at a dainty Sunday 3 o’clock tea at The Khyber. The Yarrows debut there and then too. (Note: Manney’s own dreamy-electronic trio, Clutch Cargo, play for the first time at Khyber on June 1, with Drums & Tuba and Club D’Elf).… After Glenn Lewis’ TLA show, Kaleidoscope Inc. brought Lewis and his producers Andre Harris and Vidal Davis to the 8th Floor. What’s wrawng with you?… Joan of Arc’s Tim Kinsella and Todd Mattei go semi-solo with Friend/Enemy (Perishable), with some help from Need New Body and Euphone.… With sessions for Magus and Quarkspace, and prepping for June 1’s Philly Underground Music and Culture Fest delaying The Red Masque’s CD, they’re releasing an EP. The fest is at Sedgwick Cultural Center, 7137 Germantown Ave., with Red, Persephone’s Dream and Church of Hed (with kids from Quarkspace).… R5 bring to Rotunda, one time only, Mr. Quintron’s 900-pound organ and Miss Pussycat’s puppet show, June 4.… InLiquid.com has its third Art for the Cash Poor block party, where IL artists sell nothing over $150, on the 100 block of North Orianna, with an after-party at Silk.… Snipes director Rich Murray is working with Compression Films for their new joint.… Ex-Betty WhiteTrash singer Jeremy K. Hugo now fronts the metal mess The Union Dead, who debut at Pontiac on May 30. Also on that bill: Bob and Steve Limecell’s marauding Sons of Liberty.… The Human Rights Campaign got Tony Sparacino and Charles Porter to show beachy clothes and swimwear at the pool area of Trust on June 2, 6 p.m., to benefit HRC. See you near the bathroom.… Famous in Vegas presents Altar Boy: The Musical, promising “Priests, Pedophilia and Rock ’n’ Roll,” June 2 at Doc Watson’s. That’s members of Trailer Trash UK, The Minks and Euclid Street to y’all.… Spiral Q Puppet Theater presents its new Living Loft Public Museum and office space with fire-breathers May 31 at 3114 Spring Garden St.… The four Philly Soul Collectivists -- after having redone and remixed the Five in D.C. -- will take on the three kids of Tuning Spork at Fluid May 31.… The Beach Balls’ll tout new T-shirts at their Bar Noir gig June 2.… Give a laurel and hearty welcome to soon-transplanting Pittsburghers Peter Zabransky’s Esquevez. Along with releasing their crisp, funky debut CD Something Tan and playing Grape Street Pub on May 30, the band with Pitt’s biggest fan base (those damn Warhol Museum freaks) is moving to Philly. What’s wrawng with you?… South Jersey’s Infanit have a long EP, Perpetual Life, out now, and it sounds like a cross of Dr. Dre and Funkadelic at its crunchiest moments. Dig it at

infanit.tripod.com

. Happy b-day to Falcon Club fave Espo, Mr. Magnet-back-page Phil Sheridan, to TPDS’ Allegra Browne (who’ll celebrate twice, once this weekend and then at TPDS’ Doctor Octo-Pussy’s Shock! Therapy S&M dance anniversary June 7).… On a sad but still joyous tip, y’all better join Richard Wolf, Lisa Sanders and the members of a reunited Pure Hell for May 31’s Trocadero benefit for the family of Pure Hell’s late Michael “Spider” Sanders. Also playing: Sic Kidz, Blessed Muthas, Electric Nubians, Cobalt Blues and Surround. Don’t act like you didn’t see last month’s story about his passing. Get there.