Icepack

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

by A.D. Amorosi

Before we end our lamest summer ever, let's review fer-a-sec the reasons it was way bad. Could it have been the shooting in the vicinity of Level or the money woes felt by bartenders tending to big crowds with little cash to throw around, even on cheapie cocktails? We know July's the month for L&I's usual witch hunt, but could it have been the surprise raids on Rittenhouse-area haunts such as Denim, the Vango/Byblos complex, Bar Noir, Loie, etc., that made summer unbearable? (You know, the ones we first heard were generated by RitRow elders living in the Barclay, but now are rumored to have come from Deputy L&I Commish Dominic Verdi wielding wild influence over his inspectors?) Or did summer only truly get grisly when Bob & Barbara's and Tritone were nailed with L&I violations? And having all of New Jersey stay home due to high gas prices has hurt. Wait. That was the best part of summer. No matter. There are mere days left and I suggest you put a rubber wading pool in your yard, grab a bottle of the pink merlot I had at Tinto the other night, and stay in until August blows over. I am.

► Delaware: It's not just the home state of VP-in-waiting/plagiarist Joe Biden. It's rumored to be the state where Hal Real's World Café Live 2 will plant its flag — at a historic building in Wilmington where roof-deck seating isn't impossible. Roof decks? Wilmington? WCL? I smell a FourWayStreet reunion.

► Philly's John Terlesky — Bro JT and psychedelic godhead to you and yours — is readying a six-song-long effort, Jelly Roll Gospel, for an Oct. 21 release on Drag City. I'm telling you this now because it won't come on CD, there'll be a bonus track you can only get on iTunes and the label is only releasing 500 copies of the vinyl. Book early. This is not to be confused with Philly's wordiest rapping hood Mr. Lif, who'll drop a series of politically charged tracks every three weeks at myspace.com/mrlif starting with "I Heard it Today" Sept. 9 and ending right after Election Day. After that comes the full-length on Inauguration Day '09.

► While you were sleeping on South Street, the hippie meeting ground opened a green-tinted Phileo — a self-serving frozen yogurt joint not unlike the Pinkberry chain. And Bainbridge found itself with Bistrot La Minette at Sixth by the time the weekend hit.

► We've mentioned previously that bar owner Avram Hornik was looking to go live (music that is) in NoLibs while divesting himself of some of his other spots. So with his supposed 215Live venture throwing up orange stickers at Front and Girard's Global Thrift shop, it's rumored that he's quietly trying to sell Lucy's Hat Shop on Market.

► Plus, is Sansom Street looking watery to you? While we wait for Mad River (of Manayunk) to take control of the 15th-and-Sansom spot they got, rumor has it that Barristers at 18th and Sansom just got sold to Cavanaugh River Deck's folks.

► The fruitiest thing you'll do all summer: Mamma Mia! The Sing-Along Edition starts at AMC Cherry Hill Friday Aug. 29, for a (thankfully) limited time, though I can't say I haven't been heard shouting "S.O.S."

► Ex-Trenton City Gardens promoter Randy Ellis started booking bands inside the vinyl-junkie-dream location The Record Collector in Bordentown, N.J., only four months ago. And now he's got a Monkee (Peter Tork, Aug. 29) and a Beatle (Pete Best, Oct. 12). You can get tix only at the store (358 Farnsworth Ave.).

► Paradiso owner Lynn Rinaldi and chef Corey Baver — South Philly's fave couple — open the Japan-ishi sushi parlor Izumi, across from the fountain at 11th and Passyunk, this week.

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HALF OFF DEPOT

Why live life at full price?

► Who and what hit Windber, PA's Kerouacfest last weekend? Strippers, dominatrixes, a typewriter made of pizza, Philly-poetess Lora "Eris" Bloom and Bauhaus bassist David J.

► Glenside's home to rockabilly and sideburns beyond-the-norm, the Blue Comet, is going through tough times — money woes, a few fines. They ain't closed and they'll get through it but for now, it's a BYOB joint. Until the Comet can get solvent and serve booze, DJ Robbie Tronco and Blue Comet bar-folk Andrew and Julianna are throwing Sunday benefits like last week's jitterbug dance party/live gigs with bands such as Three Blue Teardrops at the Third and Walnut Bar in Lansdale. "We're just baby-sitting the night until the Comet is rocking again," says Tronco.

► Remember I rumored-then-blotted-out the rumor about Union Trust getting a house-y lounge spot within its vault come October opening? Co-owner Terry White tells me the balcony spot everybody keeps hearing about (I like to call it "The Lip") is a high-roller/big-spender mezzanine space much like the one White idealized and helped design when he exec-chefed DelFrisco's in Manhattan back in the day.

► The guys from DiPinto Guitars and their gazillion band-buds (Martians, Sparklers, Beloved Infidels, Chet Delcampo) gave it up for Philly's late great amp designer John Martin at Johnny Brenda's on Sunday. Martin passed in May from an aortic aneurysm. But his pals at the shop where he sold his wares and Overdrive Date Master (John's band with Wayne Hamilton, David Talento and Binky the WunderMonkey) weren't letting him go quietly. Thanks, gents.

(a_amorosi@citypaper.net)