Icepack

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

by A.D. Amorosi

Maybe it's summer's sudden gray pall or that my neighborhood's still mourning Tykeem Law's murder on our doorstep, but do we recognize violence only when there're guns around? I watched a police crew clean the suicide space at Mace's Crossing where a boy (barely a man) had just jumped from a Windsor Suites window. (Odd that. I thought I saw something falling, standing off in the distance as I was. But it couldn't be. It was.) I spent a weekend at Jefferson Hospital after my friend Needles Jones got his face beat, his jaw broken and his eye who-knows-whatted by some predatory cum-stain he met. (Send jewels. Not flowers.) You won't see much written about those events. Now Wiggins Park's XPoNetial-fest mess with one cracked-up whack-off in an SUV gets press! Hey, it's me rubbed raw. I just want the dumb fuck who beat my friend and the Perc-ed up jerk-off who gunned down Law done proper. And can someone take dog-killer Michael Vick and his slimy defender Allen Iverson with them?

► Funny this got trimmed from last week's Ice: Val "Not the Spice" Safran and Marcie Turney (both own Lolita and Open House) hook up their Grocery on 13th with an Indian cookery, Bindi, this autumn. Funny 'cause we hear Stephen Starr , ready to rebrand Washington Square or Tangerine as Bindi, got turned down by legal-eagle reps of Bindi Irwin — Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin 's kid — a scary child whose smiling display of showmanship in the face of her dad's demise is its own macabre death mask. 

► No more sad stuff: Pete Antipas (Bamboo) opens the silver swanky Level after L&I delays caused a last-minute cancellation last Thanksgiving. Paper Street's Tommy Up throws Level's first pitch July 27 with Game Over starring Brendan Bring'Em and Si Young from Plastic Little (thanks for the rude "Dopeness" video). 

► WHOWHATWHERE: Morrissey — all over South Street. In your record stores (Repo). At your Mom's (Tattooed). And we hear you were surly. Oh Moz, next time, stay uptown. 

► Trouble at Sal's paradise (we'll go to any length for a Kerouac joke): On the verge of Upstairs @ Sal's first anniversary (Aug. 2), rather than lose managerial footing as had been rumored, Ryan "Solobuns" Soloby has made himself indispensable by taking Thursday's DJ slot (as Movement) from Sal's Broadzilla DJs. Wha'happened to KT and the other Broads? We know they're doing a Vice party at Silk City and Aug. 11's Making Time. So far, no one's saying much. But Soloby's feeling so good, he's starting an M Room monthly July 27, Last Nite on Earth, with Crimp Yr Hair DJs and Andy Pry who just remixed some Hail Social tracks. 

► She won't be Janis Joplin in Philly anytime. But at least Zooey Deschanel , Mark Wahlberg and M. Night Shyamalan 'll be Happening ... maybe at The Waterworks? That's a place we've heard M.'s production peeps've sniffed around. And look for Peter Fonda 'round town Aug. 1. Don't ask about Hanoi Jane or Dennis Hopper . He's here for 3:10 to Yuma.

► In anticipation of the Aug. 11 Tritone reunion of Philly's original MC organization, Tuff Crew (see this circa 1989 ), Eric Young and Andre Lewis hit the Balcony to rap for Eric Vincent and Anam Owili-Eger 's "Last Monday" monthly jam July 30 with D Sharp. (P.S. That's the night G. Love 's live DVD premieres at the Troc's movie night.) Young 'n' Lewis — aka Wicked and DJ Black — have their tracks "North Philly" and "Child Support" all over the place. They were part of Tuff Crew's "danger zone" back in the day and will open for TC. Funky chic keyboardist Eger and can be found, too, July 28, at The Fire with Da Rezarekt . 

► You know Kathryn and Davide Faenza from South Philly's L'Angolo. Now they got Salento at 22nd and Walnut; white tablecloths 'n' everything. Atza nize. Stay nize July 28 as Da Vinci Gallery hosts a 76th anniversary fundraising dinner/auction with Cucina Forte, Napoli's Pizza and Da Vinci artist/member/Philly Orch violist Judy Geist. Do dat. 

► GoodieGoodie host hip-hop shows. Make dance presentations. Script films. Produce movies. Sometimes all at once. Their event with oLive Dance, the MOVE-centric Brotherly Love show that got canceled in May at Painted Bride when dancer/choreographer Raphael Xavier got hurt, will resurface in fall (GoodieGoodie push forward with the film side of the project with screenwriter Paolo Pillardi). GG's Giovanni LaRosa's Siamese Children flick is in development. But this week, GoodieGoodie Productions film by director Richard Power Hoffmann (he directed their debut, Invisible Mountains) Fridays at the Farm debuts on Sundance Channel's The Green series (check July 27 listings) as well as at a DVD release party that same night at Seven Stones Cafe in Media. The flick, created for WYBE TV 35's "Philadelphia Stories," is about Hoffmann's time as an organic farmer here. 

► They have self-parking but bring an extra set of keys just in case: Philly Mag's "Best of Philly" is Aug. 1 at Rae at the Cira Centre. 

► You loved her in Screaming Orgasms 4. What makes you think you won't like her in person? That's Krystal Steal at Club Risque, July 25-28 at Columbus Boulevard — just blocks away from Penn Treaty Park and personal trainer Brian Adoff 's Punk Rock Boot Camp there July 28. He's having PRBC Appreciation Day July 28. How much will you appreciate him if we get her to show up there?

► Now, I feel old: I just got reminded by their new PR kids at Team Clermont that Three 4 Tens , who drop their Down the Way CD on Rainbow Quartz this week, started August 1997 when they "exploded onto the local scene after scoring an opening slot for The Who on their Quadrophenia World Tour at ... the E-Center." Oi.

(a _amorosi@citypaper.net)