Icepack

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

by A.D. Amorosi

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Published: Dec 9, 2008

Sometimes you can't give people your time or your talent. Maybe you think you have little of the former. Believe me, I know lots of you have zip of the latter. But you're good Icepack people — cold exteriors, warm hearts. So stick with me on this. Yeah, it's tough out there. But y'all must tuck in and dig deeper — within yourself, within your pockets. Allow me to illuminate and elucidate. When psych-folk classical guitar goddess/teacher Linda Cohen cancelled an appearance at Green Line Café's 45th and Locust locale, it wasn't some diva move. The woman I've been raving about for years — maker of eerily atmospheric records such as Leda and Lake of Light (1972 and '73, respectively), teacher at 20th and Sansom's Classical Guitar Store — is stricken with lung cancer and receiving in-house treatment. So she's going to need our help. Times are tough. We're going to have to dig deep for this. Rich Wexler's Sherman Arts jawn and I will conduct several benefits in December and January. Stay tuned here. Send Cohen your love, your prayers and whatever cash you can. Save some prayers for Dr. Harrison Ridley Jr. , WRTI-FM's overlord of "The Historical Approach to the Positive Music" for 30-plus years, one of this city's keenest jazz educators. He's been ill and in hospital of late. With all that, it seems a bit tame or lame to ask for money for sweet soul-sonic jazz-bo pianist/singer Anam Owili-Eger so that he can tour Switzerland. But AO-E's music is indeed healing so perhaps going to Doc Watson's Dec. 13 and hearing him sing for his supper while fronting his band and sitting in with The Living Sample, Bruce Torres and The Absolute Zeros for his plane fare, etc. is AO-E OK.

► The first name bandied about/rumored for the 2009 Philadelphia Film Society/TLA Philadelphia Film Festival is local Terrence Howard, who'll probably be toting his star vehicle, director Dito Montiel's Fighting.

► Sailor Jerry's having a holiday party at its 13th Street store Dec. 11 with free SJ rum and money off its merch. Do that. Philly Skyliner R. Bradley Maule's 2009 local-yokel calendars will debut Dec. 11 at Conspiracy on North Second. Do that.

► If you caught Sunday's Meal Ticket, you know I spoke to Brett Perloff about having taken over what he called "the nightlife venue at 2029 Walnut Street in Philadelphia, formerly known as Monkey Bar." Still a part owner of Pearl with nothing to do with its operations (Brett says it's "irreconcilable differences"), Perloff and partners will manage 2029 until Jan. 5, 2009, when they'll close it, bring in the furnishings 'n' fabrications currently being constructed off-site (DJ booth, luxurious banquettes) and turn the joint into a "high-end boutique bottle-bar concept" with food created and outsourced by a local restaurateur. Perloff won't say who'll craft the food (sushi/sashimi is rumored) yet. But with Perloff hosting a holiday party at Continental Mid-town, I'll start the speculation with the Starr/Morimoto brand and work sideways. Speaking of sideways, more Walnut Street foodie fare occurs as 2019 Acquisition Inc. (the name on the orange sticker on what used to be Empyrean Coffee) is revealed to be none other than the Vasiliadis bros. of Pandora's Lunchbox fame. They got 2019 and are doing a high-end Parisian-style restaurant there for 2009. Farther south, that German restaurant I mentioned for South Street months ago? Schnitzel's going into ye olde American Pie's slice of Seventh and South — namely a way-authentic foodery from Kelly Schmitz and Doug Hagel, Schmitz's Brauhaus. How big a deal is that? When the pair celebrated signing their lease at Le Bec-Fin, Georges Perrier was so thrilled he sent them a bottle of champagne and personally gave the pair full table service. Oompah.

► On the day City Council rapped about damn-near securing the zoning for his real tall 1,510-foot American Commerce Center at 18th and Arch, one of the deal's principals, Walnut Street Capital's Joe Grasso, had dinner at his bro David Grasso's Packard Building eatery, Del Frisco's. On the day after Harry Jay Katz hosted Arnold Schwarzenegger at Mahogany cigar bar, Katz's kid, David, previewed his play, Philip Roth in Khartoum, at NYC's Public Theater, 425 Lafayette. The show runs till Dec. 21 and David's best friend, Philip Seymour Hoffman, has some investment ducats in the mix. That's Silk City's own Mark Bee outside the diner, in his thick, warm flak suit with a big drilling machine. He's just started building out that rumored beer garden for a May 2009 opening. Joe Biden at Dante & Luigi's? Getoffamystreet would ya?

► All that Philly Grammy nom talk and no one mentioned that Old City's Francis Davis got nominated for his liner notes lead essay for Sony Legacy's 50th anniversary collector's edition Miles Davis Kind of Blue box set.

► Philly's Heery Casting and director F. Gary Gray want you — men 30 to 45 — for Law-Abiding Citizen. Bring your pictures to dear old Southwark House (Front and Ellsworth) Dec. 13.

► Charity not just close to home: Philly2NewOrleans' Home for the Holidays at World Café Live Dec. 13 may be the money-making Katrina victim event's last show for a while. Get there for some Hoppin' John (orchestra, not food) and Penni Gould's Melange Variety Cabaret magic.

(a_amorosi@citypaper.net)

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