Icepack

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

by A.D. Amorosi

Things're getting sticky-icky. Not just weed-wise (yay), but humidity-wise, too (boo). The steamy stuff's gonna curl those razored chunks at the ends of your hair so you wind up with orange juice-can flips like your mom used to get. So while there's a last summer breeze blowing through the jasmine of your mind (pop fans: that's the whoosh before Sinatra's summer wind), let's dress in long pants and toed shoes (no sandals!) for your fashion-forward Icepack. On June 14, in anticipation of Matthew Izzo's fifth anniversary (June 28), Izzo Inc.'s doing a pre-Bruce Yelk gay happy hour fashion show at Pompeii with what we hope is tons of new Julian Red "Skaggrock" tees. Then Izzo's shipping clothes to XIX at le Park Hyatt Bellevue that night for "Gorgeous," Noel 'n' Nancy from N Squared's big show with duds from Kim Montenegro 's Very Bad Horse, Jennifer Ramsay 's Echochic and Gino Iovino 's Eleganza. Listen for taragirl and Nicki Jaine , too, yoo hoo.

► The only thing swankier than Brian McTear 's Bitter Bitter Weeks' just-out Peace is Burning Like a River is the dove T-shirts from Joel Peterson /Outlaw Print Co. and the CD's cover art from Amy Morrissey. "She's from the not-so-distant future, donning a jet pack against Philly's skyline," says McTear of Peace's pulp-fiction sci-fi-cover babe. "Jet packs'll be all the rage. Mark my words!"

► It's either a cry for help or something Jenny Balls made him drink: Before participating in Balls' Bawdy Girl-hosted fairy tale party for 2007's Comic-Con (Troc, June 16, VJ Large Marge ), Carmen Martella III shaved his mustache â€â€� the 'stache that put him on the map, Dali-wise. "It was devastating until I remembered when I met him without his whiskers," says paramour/artist Susan Ricca . "Aww." Speaking of facial hair, we think beards make Swing Set sexy â€â€� the new snazzy jazzy act from Hoagy Wing (Slo-Mo) and Alexi Papadopolous (Stinking Lizaveta) who debut at Monday Night Club @ the Balcony's Live Arts/Fringe preview with cabaret god Andy Prescott June 18. We don't know how Swing Set's Dena (Kiss Kiss Kill) or Rob (Zoot Suit) feel about the tonsorial smarts.

► WHOWHATWHERE: Since my Sunday was spent with the Sopranos (nize mortadella spread if I do say), I missed Teddy Pendergrass ' celebration at the Kimmel. But that doesn't mean I wasn't up Monday to catch a nattily dressed T.I. do a surprise assembly (for the students â€â€� I mean, I knew) at North 66th Street's Harambee Institute telling kids to stay in school, dig his KING Foundation's education program, and buy his T.I. vs T.I.P. CD out July 3. Holla. "I wouldn't put out a message about something I wouldn't do myself," was a T.I. platitude. Then a double negative: "You can't compare me to nobody." Oh, the shame. Punk rock types Senses Fail had another sales tactic: showing up at the Deptford Mall â€â€� all so educational. While actor Fred Savage could be spotted at Happy Rooster sporting a husky beard and singing karaoke, comic accused of assault Faizon Love split time 'tween chilling at Manny Brown's and folding dollar-dollar bills at Gold Club. Then there's Eli Roth . His Hostel: Part II may've hit only No. 6 at the box office, but he doesn't care. When we hung at Four Seasons with photog Scott Weiner snapping Roth with dental tools and syringes ("nice stuff; too nice for my movies"), spike-haired Roth was about having zero boundaries ("Anything's fair game as long as it drives the story"; "It's too easy to be disgusting â€â€� just add another body part") and Hostel II 's socio-political ramifications. "The bidding war at the center of Hostel II is a comment on American capitalism," says Roth about the ultimate in eBay-ish flesh-peddling â€â€� you know, the kind that leads to torture. He got annoyed when I questioned his original intentions. But he countered nicely. "I hate movies where they cram messages down your throat. But love movies where you just realize the point. Hostel II? Whoever has the most money gets to buy you off."

► He dresses in black. What's more fashionable? David Stone's Man in Black Johnny Cash Experience is dropping an eponymous CD and taking on Sellersville Theater, June 16. "We're gonna hang the stop lights upside down," says Cash, I mean, Stone.

► Since no one spends more money on clothes than my pharmacist (P. DelloBuono, yo), check it: The National in Old City and SocialPhilly's crew sponsor a Young Professional Doctor/Nurse/Pharm meet-greet-tonsil-check at Cavanaugh's RiverDeck June 14. Go get something yummy prescribed. www.socialphilly.com.

► Curve Dominant? World dominant, what with Curve's studio/label-owner Eric Vincent (when he ain't snapping photos of R&B-jazz-bo Anam Owili-Eger 's spiffy new rolled 'n' rowed hairdo) doing a weekend Curve event starting June 22 with nights of funk (Mister King, Kozee ) and soul (Owili-Eger, Naeemah , Ashley Phillips ) at Doc Watson's and jam at his Last Monday (June 25) at the Balcony with Jon Bon Jovi's crooning charge Lisa Bouchelle .

► Fashion forward? Fashion finale: What's with Tony Sparacino's clothing-and-shoe dynasty now that he's passed, especially with rumors involving headaches from Tony's ex-beau? What info I'm privy to has Tony's fam running the businesses as directed in his will. The Sparacinos are considering engaging in partnerships or selling. Frank (La Tazza) Sparacino currently oversees Tony's business and estate with input from their parents, while Frank's wife, Tammy, manages the shoe store and Tim Bellew (creator of MANNA catering) manages Sparacino Mens. As for the boyfriend not being part of the will, word had Sparacino's ex spewing not-so-nicely about being left "out of the loop." That anger did not endear the ex to the Sparacinos as it dishonored Tony's spirit. Sad.

(a _amorosi@citypaper.net)