Icepack

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

by A.D. Amorosi

When I heard the Five Spot was burning, I had to see it. Not out of my usual voyeurism — that's indoor sports, y'all. Rather, I had to grab a rock. To commiserate. To send Five Spot off proper. I done writ previously that Phil Cohen was not only looking to sell, but that he had a righteous buyer in mind — one rumored to come that very night to peek Peek-A-Boo Revue and maybe sign papers Monday. Sad that. So I ran to see it because the bricks held history. Not just as the Five Spot where I got tangled in too many martini-and-bead-curtain wars; tried to swing dance wearing leather pants; hung at nearly every Black Lily watching Ursula, Alma and Ryva do their thing; saw John Stephens hone his Afro-James-Taylor jawn before he had the sense to get funky and become "Legend"; laughed at The Interpreters — a lot; grooved to Cesar & the Latin Playboys and gringo DJ Aaron Levinson; and saw Juliette Lewis and Thurston Moore — separately — within sweating distance. It was the Casbah before that: Barry Lutz and Chef Abu's world music boite (thanks, reggae booker Jeff Natt!) where the kinky Rainbow Playground sex party roosted and Patrice Caldwell's Stephchild Music booked live rawk before she became my wife and you could drink scads of cheap Jingoo. OK, I could. Lastly it was home to the aforementioned Peek-A-Boo, who happened to have un-fucking-fortunately stored all costumes, props and puppets there. Saturday's show went on — producer Cohen invited Scott Johnston's troupe to Phil's tabernacled home in Gloucester City, N.J., for a charity night of comedy, tragedy and striptease. "We're naked," says Johnston. Scott promises Peek-A-Boo'll rise from the literal/figurative ashes. "All the things that truly mattered from the Spot are intact — thank God: friendships made over the club's decade run and the willingness of the space to support diverse musical acts and live theater that'll remain its legacy." Check www.myspace.com/peekaboorevue for donations and benefit info ("No more canned yams!"), and give Phil a hug when you see him. He helped make this scene.

► Weird legacy stuff afoot: It was 10 years ago Feb. 7 that WDRE-FM — Y100/y100rocks.com/Y-Rock On XPN's neat-alterna-rock daddy — went off air. Pow. Last man standing Jim McGuinn wouldn't let that anniversary go unchecked. So when he's not busy bringing the likes of me and Damian Kulash from OK Go to speak to his Drexel U marketing class (last week), McGuinn's arranging a three-hour tribute to the station with former DRE staff for Feb. 21 on Y-Rock on XPN. I'll dig up my Throwing Muses shirt.

► If you've got an art gallery, the least cool thing to do is have an opening on First Friday. That means Falling Cow Gallery not only starts its next exhibit Feb. 10, it's also the first time since he's owned the gallery — for one whole year — that Tim Bowen gets to show off his stuff: his mammoth, colorful wack-duality "PeopleTIME 2005" series. Feb. 8 sees Nick Cassway's Nexus Gallery moving to Fishtown's Crane Arts Building and starting Second Thursdays with Jennie Thwing's video installation kicking it allll awwwf.

► Rumor: Is B3 (Blocks Below Broad) getting claustrophobic when it comes to letting more bars and clubs open 'round 13th Street? We hear they're pushing the city for zero new bars because B3 wants only nice stores, condos and restaurants. (We'll be down one sleazepit if Tyz at 15th and South truly got sold.) Is this Steve Grasse/Gyro's neighborhood renaming committee trying to put the rrrrrrrred light distrrrrect (say it like Ludacris) respectable?

► With NoLib youngbloods set to soft-open Ortlieb's Jazzhaus Feb. 20 with a decidedly blues 'n' brass New Orleans vibe in look, food and sound (Philly-to-NoLa charities is doing every third Thursday there!), you might want to check this N'Orleans news, too: Ex-Throttler Joe Annaruma, back in Philly since vacating his Louisiana home in the wake of Katrina, is once again a band guy booking gigs — but only Orleans parish charity ones. Like March 31's show at Tritone when his charity-only Man is Doomed and members of Trained Attack Dogs and the She-Males gather for the aid of St. Bernard's HOPE Project. Stay very fucking tuned.

► Stephen Starr is rumored to be turning that Seventh and Chestnut space of his (ye old Blue Angel) into a public house/gastro-izakaya by 2008. Speaking of a Public House, the guy behind that, Brian Cooke, should have his Mission Grill at 19th and Arch open this week.

► The only reason to watch Feb. 11's Grammys? To yell when you hear the name "Howard Benson." The best producer nominee for Head Automatica's Popaganda is a Philly boy/Drexel grad who cut his pointy teeth producing TSOL and Bang Tango.

► WHOWHATWHERE: Let's move fast. Amos Lee's making rounds — at Tin Angel for its Erin McKeown show, sitting in at Connie's Ric Rac Cowmuddy show. James on Eighth? Barely open a month and it got celeb-eater No. 1: Arlen Specter. When Rockstar Supernova sits around the house: Dilana, Toby and Magni ate lots 'n' lots at LaFourno. Not only did beardo-mascot Dave Navarro hit Delilah's; he invited lotsa dancers to the Spectrum. Where was Tommy Lee during Dilana's set? In the press box with tattooed love gals/women in tube tops. Rachel Inc. and Tayyib Smith hosted James Poyser's b-day at Bamboo with Jill Scott, Black Thought, Dre & Vidal and Kindred the Family Soul, all dancing to King Britt's thick beats. What the hell were the Weinstein bros (Harvey, Bob), Diddy and Jay-Z doing at Comcast's Market Street HQ? Not taking stock options, not from Comcast's NYSE drop. And we may have missed Iggy 'n' Iha (Jimmy) at Bam-Missy's Loews hotel wedding. But Tony and Lhotse Hawk were at Lacroix and the 10th and Reed CVS.

► Before Philly's dancing ferret Patrick Rodgers brings his label-babies Crüxshadows to China, they'll be stopping by Shampoo to screw — I mean heart — Feb. 14. Speaking of China — and this is way better than Coachella — to celebrate the Chinese New Year, Jackie Chan pairs up with SpankRock, Amos Lee (again!) and The Roots at Vegas' Aladdin Casino Feb. 13 to 14.

► Hey jerks — you haven't seen Cozmic Cat in years. The From Philly with Love DJ's been living in Toronto since 2003. "Only time I came back was '06 when Lorne and I worked on some tracks and went raging about Old City getting drunk," says Cat. She'll be back with DJs Jon Gill and Steve Bloodbath for ghettotech god Switch's gig at M-Room Feb. 11. "I'll go record shopping and hit my fave rest-o-rant in Chinatown, Lee How Fook's, for some salt-baked squid. Then I'll go where the ladies lead me!" She might never leave.

(a_amorosi@citypaper.net)