icepack

by A.D. Amorosi

When a good thing has been a part of your life, you imagine it’ll last. Like The Brick Playhouse, upstairs at 623 South St. Whether the Brick was presenting full-length plays or one-acts, festivals (like Night of 1,000 Plays) or special events like Guaranteed Overnight Theatre or sketch comedy troupe The Dive, it was great having live theater on a street dedicated to short attention spans. So to see actor Steve Lippe’s e-mail announcement that May 17 marked the last Dive ever at the Brick was a shock. Bill McKinlay, the Brick’s executive director, confirmed that after nine years in the building, the Brick gotsta go. "While we were saddened to learn we were losing the only home we’ve known, we’re excited by the challenge of developing a new space," says McKinlay. "We’ve been beneficiaries of the tremendous generosity of [building owner Harris Eckstut], who provided the space free of charge since [the Brick’s] inception." The fate of 623 South St. is up for speculation. While the building is owned by Eckstut, all legal control is held by a Connecticut mortgage company, TC5. "The Brick had to cease because our litigation -- mine and the bank’s -- had reached the point of no return," Eckstut says. "The company is trying to simply make as much money as possible on me and on the property." The Brick’s programs, happily, should be up and running again in the future -- McKinlay is in negotiations for a new Brick on Sansom Street near the Adrienne.… Also continuing, despite worries about its imminent demise, is Universal Distributors, one of the last of a dying breed of giant "one-stop" providers of CDs and musical ephemera. Backinnaday, Universal was a tour stop for many a musical giant. Harold Lipsius, Universal’s owner since 1955, confirmed that while Universal filed for chapter 11 in April, they intend to continue as a company. Will they sell or go under? "Those are questions we’re trying to answer ourselves," says Lipsius.… There’s no answer to this -- and I’m in shock: Top hip-hop DJ Cosmo is suddenly leaving "Remedy" and Fluid May 26, after six years. Nothing personal. Just time to move on. "I know the effect we’ve had on the scene and the contribution we’ve made, … the type of legendary historical thing that maybe 10 to 20 years from now, people will talk about and say, "Man, that was some hot shit,’" says Cosmo, who has invited DJs and fans to stop by for free before he goes. He will be missed.… The Bigger Lovers’ drummer, Patrick Berkery, moved from recording with Pernice Brothers for Yours, Mine and Ours to touring the world with them. Luckily he demo-ed Lovers tunes to be recorded in the fall with Brian McTear at Miner Street for an ’04 release.… Not only did you miss the debut of L’Etage’s Screening Room series (every Thursday), you missed the debut of filmmaker Mike Dennis’ diva-licious documentary, A Taste of Lady Alma.… WhoWhatWhere: 32º had Detroit Pistons Danny Manning, Mehmet Okur, Pepe Sanchez, broadcaster Rick Mahorn and Flyer Jeremy Roenick in, as well as O-Town’s Ashley Parker Angel and Dawson’s Creek-er Bourke Floyd, who chugged Veuve Clicquot. Before Method Man brought Def Jam Vendetta to Chrome, he made rapper Joe Budden, who lost a game of spades, clean the Def tour bus. We don’t know why, but Lord Snowden stopped at Bar Noir. And Daniel Lanois joined songstress Nancy Falkow for her shows along the East Coast, including TLA. (We know it was the other way around -- she was singing for him -- but we can dream.) Falkow also appears on "I Got A Pain" by Frankie and the Avalons (

www.cdstreet.com). It's "the perfect gift for your masochistic friends," says singer Tim Bowen, who recruited George Manney and Su Teears for the effort. Manney appears with Teears' Jazz Band on 10! May 27 (10 a.m. on NBC 10) before they play Bar Noir. The toast of the next Ovum CD, Eric Morillo, brings stuff from the sublime Subliminal Sessions Vol. 5 to boss man Josh Wink's Fluid night May 28. It's a Brad Wood revolution: While Laguardia recorded their Republic-label debut with the top-notch producer in L.A., Persona -- who also worked with Wood -- play Doc Watson's May 22 with Nixon’s Head and Cordalene. Liquid Blue, Warmth and CP's own Sean O’Neal host the release party for the mirthful Flowchart CD Broken and Blue (with Rob Paine remixes) May 22. Moore College Professor Doug Bucci just signed an exclusive deal with the Home Shopping Network to show off jewelry starting in October. "I'll be the next Joan Rivers," says Bucci. Last bit of sadness: At Moore's semester-end fashion show, to a room full of students wearing "I love Emil" buttons, fashion design department Chair Emil DeJohn said goodbye, leaving (or forced to leave?) the school now that his teaching contract is up. Show judge/award sponsor Frank Agostino thanked DeJohn for all he's done. It was a bittersweet affair, one that moved DeJohn to tears. "And I wasn't going to cry," he says. He'll be back.