icepack

by A.D. Amorosi

From the look of the cover, The Sound of Philadelphia is on my mind. But TSOP ain’t all music. At least, not in any conventional sense. So now you’ve got The Philly Sound: New Poetry Weekend, Aug. 8 and 9, hosted by Molly Russakoff, Tom Devaney, Frank Sherlock, CAConrad, Greg Fuchs and Magdalena Zurawski. They’ll give it up for local and national prosers, small-press publications and broadsheets. Check www.english.upenn.edu/ ~wh/phillysoundwknd.html for TPS’ own brand of soul.… If you missed the last homecoming at First U Church for Need New Body (who have a new CD, UFO, on File 13 in September), too bad. You missed Gravy Thomas and Chuck Duquesne’s "zigaboo gospel" group, Phil Moore Browne, squeeze in 15 righteous minutes of funk. No wonder poet Saul Williams has been dogging them. While Thomas’ readying Transit for Gone, a multimedia Fringe performance on Sept. 6 (from choreographer Kate Watson-Wallace), Chuck D. is bringing back his funk-pop band, SugarSmack Daddy. With SSD compatriot Aja Beech, Duquesne is producing a half-old, half-new CD of Sugar stuff -- all part of their Aug. 19 gig at L’Hexagone -- as well as getting Philly expat film director Kate McCabe to direct videos for the new CD.… Who got new gigs? Stylist/fashion shaper Michele DiMarcello is now at Walnut Street’s tony clothier, Joan Shepp. Brett Brasler moved from the Kimmel to the corporate food biz at Max & Me Catering. They also tackle backstage foodstuffs for EFC, like recent gigs with Blue Man Group and Jane’s Addiction.… Manayunk punk-funks it up: Restaurateur Derek Davis got Grape St.’s booking boss, Joe Cahill, to bring the noise to Davis’ Italian eatery, Carmella’s, on the deck known as "Il Terrazzo," starting Aug. 7 (with Kevin Hanson Trio and Brian Seymour). M-yunk’s Bourbon Blue has a new executive chef, Brian Watson.… Where hath Gyro and its Bikini Bandits offshoot been? Club Tru in Atlantic City for the Aug. 9 Atlantic City Film Fest.… Speaking of films, Tattooed Mom’s hosts Northwest on Aug. 7. The skatepark thrill-ride film is directed by Coan Nichols and Rick Charnoski, the team behind 1999’s backyard-pool-riding flick, Fruit of the Vine.… WhoWhatWhere: Some people act like skate punks. Literally. Like Abington-born actor Mike Vogel (of Grounded for Life fame) who, along with his Grind co-star, Jessica Morrison, did the skate-hang at ESPN’s X-Games Skate Park at Franklin Mills Mall. Hot NYC designer Caleb McCloud got toted around town by Jonny Szymanski and Bear Smith, who brought McCloud to Fluid, Swanky Bubbles, Shampoo and 218. When they’re not busy hitting Ozzfest, Korn is in and out of 51st Street’s Third Story Recording, working with producer Mark Sarisky, who’s also building his own studio in Northeast Pennsylvania.… I don’t want to start a rumor, but with loyal ol’ Springsteen in town for a gig at Lincoln Financial Field and old Philly pal Denny Somach helping Orbit Gallery owner David Decca throw The Boss’ first photographer, the late Phil Ceccola, a tribute showing in Manayunk on Aug. 7 -- you do the math.… If you’re not busy being addicted to Banyan Productions’ Ambush Makeover on Fox, Tom Emmi, president of Ace Entertainment, is looking for kids to get involved in his "competitive music series" being produced for national cable. The pilot shoots Aug. 17 -- get resumés and JPEGs to tomemmi@aol.com.… With Patti LuPone and Michael Feinstein in town, unofficial cabaret week continues as local cabaret doyen, Eddie Bruce, does "Bruce on Bennett" (not literally, he’s just covering Tony tunes) at Maggiano’s Aug. 9 and 10.… On Aug. 3, Adam Brodsky finally began his Guinness world-record shot at playing 50 shows in 50 days in all 50 states. "This is a big fucking deal. I am a foolish idiot," says Brodsky.… Big Tea Party’s Elizabeth Fiend has just been ordained a Right Reverend in the Universal Life Church and can now marry you. Info: elizabeth@bigteaparty.com.… Happy birthday to Club Nostradamus’ Robin Parry, who’ll celebrate at The North Star on Aug. 8 with the new, improved Sweetie (themselves celebrating a new six-song EP). Along with wishing ex-Motown promo man Freddie Sutton happy b-day, it’s anniversary hellos to entertainment legal eagles Bernie Resnick and his wife, Priscilla J. “Sally” Mattison (Resnick, who, with Kevon Glickman, just renegotiated local Atlantic chanteuse Trina’s contract, appeared on E!’s It’s Good to Be Will & Jada). And Brothers Suggarillo’s Victor Fiorillo celebrated one year with wife Suchita by taking her to the Apollo in Harlem’s open-mic night, dressing in FuBu gear and singing Shaggy’s "Angel" to her. Not only did Fiorillo not get booed off, as he expected, he was given a standing O, won third place and will get an opportunity to perform there again, in the Aug. 20 lightning round. He also got the host, Def Comedy’s Drew Fraser, to ask the crowd, "Where is the woman who married this crazy freak?"