Icepack

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

by A.D. Amorosi

Between the 75,000 people NutterButter said during his budget-planning bash he wanted to move here and philly.com's story about those artists coming to town (from Delaware?!), all I can say is I hope y'all brought cake. And hey, new arrivals, look up for a last glimpse at history: The PNB Building's wrapped like a chalupa. You can't see the historic Founders Bell (still rings if you ask it nice) through the "Wachovia" wrapping. They're removing the nearly-30-foot-tall P's, N's and B's (I want the P — I always do), and selling 'em for scrap. Tell Wachovia thanks for making Philly niftily corporate for your arrival. And remember that cake.

► Between El Bar's WKDU/Wreckhouse rockabilly Thursdays, Elvis El Rey/Tronco's sideburned booming Fridays at Silver Cloud and the nightly escapades at Blue Comet, we're a greasers' paradise. Looks like Intrepid Jam's Feb. 23 show at New Alhambra with El Rey, Tombs Tones and Billy Light's Trio solidifies Philly's slick-back-'n'-sides tenure (myspace.com/rockabillyphilly). And wait a sec: What's disco-tech head DJ Tronco doing there? Yes, he's upped his ante. But he's also swinging his old electro-mash mallet for new nights at what used to be the Mansion: "Hairdresser" Sunday and a dark "Luxx" Tuesday. The Mansion? Gone are crack whores and the boys who loved them. New owners — father-son Chris and Fran Twardy — kicked out the scams, renamed the place O.N.E. at Rittenhouse and cleaned it up.

► Curve Dominant producer Eric Vincent, Anam Owili-Eger and Come Dionysus rhythmatists are ceasing their Last Mondays vocal freestyle night after one last gig at the Balcony Feb. 25, starring Gemini Wolf's Jalima and MC Skyrocket (rapper Kevin Williams, whose take on Jeffrey Vann's "The Obama Song" is something the kids love). Expect Alex Radus and BCKSEET's Greg DeCandia — Curve stalwarts — to stop in for a sing.

► Jenny Balls brings her fire-breathing routine out of retirement from the "ol' Whiskey Dix days" for North Star/Rob Brown/Sniveling Goat's filmed-for-TV Freakshow Idol sideshow audition soiree Feb. 24. "Must rekindle my love of Bacardi 151," says Balls.

► El Fuego ain't just a reliable name in burrito circles, it's the name of Philly/Paul Green-school vet Joe Reno's up-'n'-coming crunching pop band. El Fuego will open for Floridian swamp-jazz-jam faves Heavy Pets Feb. 22 at Khyber.

► Are these really the songs of her life? That's what dippy Philly cabaret babe Heidi Hayes promises Feb. 23, at l'Ethical Society, singing Noel Coward faves. Oddly enough, frank folkish boy Adam Arcuragi gets Ethical Feb. 21 for his limited-edition EP on High Two.

► Don Butler, of Bacchanal's once-upon-a-time house band Cobalt Blues, celebrates 25 years in the dizzy blues biz at Tin Angel, Feb. 23.

► The PA SPCA's Good Dog Gala Feb. 23 at Loews Hotel not only has DA Lynne Abraham toting around her cocker spaniel at cocktail hour, you can also bring yer pooch and win Vespa scooters and tix for The Colbert Report. Get in there (215-426-6304, ext. 227, pspca.org).

Academy of Natural Sciences: Family Four-Pack of Tickets | Mango Moon | Prive | Bliss | Raw Dawgs Saloon | Cream and Sugar | S & H Kebab House | Cafe Nola | Copabanana | Hollywood Tans: $50 for $25

HALF OFF DEPOT

Why live life at full price?

► David Ansill celebrates two years of delish pricey tripe and livery innards at Ansill on Bainbridge Street, Feb. 21, with the debut of his late-night menu and DJs Jolah & Argo.

► After Justin Paul's Burning Man-esque PEX warehouse jawn on N. Fifth with King Britt and The Model, his Playloop label party at Fluid Feb. 22 is set to host more tech-flexed Model remixes than I can stand. And I can stand a lot. PHAG's Pillow Talk event with Brini Maxwell on Feb. 24 features owner Jason Crook's billowy designs as well as Ms. Maxwell's at 3 p.m. Yum.

► When Philly's Fosterchild opens for Silvertide at Fillmore/TLA Feb. 23, it ain't just cuz they love Kevin Miller. It's the pre-debut show of their deal with Warners for their Independence Day CD.

► SheMales singer John Gilmore was going to have had a back-to-death-rock reunion of his exes for Joe Annaruma's Andrea Collins Smith benefit at North Star in March. Won't happen. SheMales can't see eye to eye. While Annaruma's own Throttle reunite for that "punkrockmom" benefit and Gilmore debuts in the Mikey Wilde/Scareho match-made-in-heck (Tritone, Feb. 24), Annaruma's Big Fat Ugly Brands refuses to live in the past. They're going young-and-hardcore for the Feb. 26 Project H.O.M.E. benefit Joe's throwing at the Balcony with Inside the Park punks Good for Nothing, Our Time and Cease Fire.

► February was supposed to be Bahdeebahdu's month. Light-boxer Warren Muller and interior design guy R.J. Thornburg's studio got featured in I.D. magazine. They were making plans to move to NoLibs. And Muller was just about to debut his "green" installation of chandeliers and interconnected elements at Philadelphia Building for developer Tony Goldman (what Muller calls a "PissElegant" chandelier of hospital bottle fixtures was ready to hit Walnut Street) when a fire wrecked their Cherry Street studio. "R.J., our pets and I got out OK," says Muller. But while this forced them to close their Moonfire Tower sculpture display and rent studio space, it will speed the move to N. American Street and slow the Goldman installation a tad. "We have to clean up the soot and the smell."

► Fond farewell to Daily News scribe Rick Selvin who passed last week. He'll be missed for more than his witty lit.

(a_amorosi@citypaper.net)