Icepack

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

by A.D. Amorosi

I'm calling it: This is Philly's slow week, one where the clouds have parted if but for a minute and the dampened mist of the moors have flooded the skies before the hiss of summer lawns. Oh, hang on — that's Wuthering Heights. Fuck it. Let's go to the Shore anyway. Eric Millstein's opening Dusk with DJ AM in Atlantic City — soft this weekend, grand on July 4. Dusk's the place I clowned AM about, how a man who nearly lost his life would dedicate it now to a city brinking on fiscal doom. About a second after I said that, I got the skippy from more than a few peeps using pricey bronzer: It's the casinos, restaurants and hotels that are suffering and not the packed clubs of mur.mur, Chelsea Hotel's fifth-floor den of iniquity and presumably the flashy 10,000-square-foot Dusk. Clubs are booming. Having nearly fallen into The Pool or lost a shoe at the Cabana Club, I concur. "I think we're seeing a trend towards a better economy and the need to escape," says Millstein, anxious to add that the typical Dusk-er isn't worried about their mortgage but rather their choices in wardrobe and their access to celebrity. Caesars, the hotel where you'll find Dusk (and its relaxed-fit 1,700-square-foot partner, Dawn), has been supportive in positioning the ICrave-designed multitiered nightclub into a destination. Dusk co-owner AM is about programming, celebrity outreach and DJ booth design. He didn't swing a hammer. But I bet he balanced some turntable knobs. "The real surprise is when you walk into Dusk and see the finished product," says Millstein. "The attention to detail and the flow of the room is matchless." Plus, although Stephen Starr was arguing with/suing (still?) the Pier Shops at Caesars in April in regard to opening branches of Buddakan and Continental when the Piers' mall level was half-empty, Stephen Starr Events will handle Dusk's private catering. Showbiz, folks. See you on the sands.

► Alycia Lane's Facebook last Friday read that she's selling her 950-square-foot apartment in Midtown Manhattan for under $600 thou? When that goes, all that's left of Alycia's time on the East Coast is bad memories. Bye-eee.

► While hanging on Delancey Street's set of Neil Patrick Harris/Amy Sedaris's Best and the Brightest I found out three things: NPH smokes Marlboro Lights, Sedaris has nice calves and some of the BatB crew who worked on Tenure — Mike Million's Luke Wilson feature, filmed in Bryn Mawr, Brandywine and Fort Washington awhile back — might be working on Million's next locally lensed flick due here by fall.

► Can't wait for TLA Entertainment's LBGT-geared Q-Fest? I'll get you warmed up at National Mechanics June 29, with performances from electro-rapping Sgt. Sass, space-soul stars TDM and the Ghost of Sound and Technophobes.

► View of the week: Used(up) car salesman Gary Barbera's ads for Obama-Rama bailout sales featuring a Barack-look-not-a-like? YIKES.

► It's a last Friday thing, you wouldn't understand. OK. Maybe you would. Astro Vintage, South Fifth Street's swankiest new old boutique — and thank you owner/Mistress Karin Elizabeth for that — is opening its doors to art gallery gear every last Friday of the month. For her first event, June 26, she's asked another Karin (photographess Karin Tyburczy) to hook up her walls with snaps. Sounds real cute. Also, is it me or does Sweet Jane Vintage on East Passyunk got some Os Os goods from South Philly's designing duo Carly Franks and Bethany Santos? It does.

► I'm hearing Jesse Short — co-star of Tremble & Spark with Heather Henderson — will unveil his Spock Buckton nom de plume's directorial debut July 14 as part of the POPPORN.com fam's newest enterprises. And I'm hearing adult superstar Bobbi Starr — 2009 XRCO Superslut — will be contributing, hmm, her writing skills to that adult blog-turned-film releasing agent. Plus local web-wonk Philly Boy in LA will show off his auteur-ial television pilot project Little Hollywood June 25 at Silk City. It's about love, hate, Nashville and Hollywood, mods and cons. Bring cake. Watch this: littlehollywoodtv.com.

► Talking about pilot projects: What happens when an ex-Daily News food editor (April Lisante) and her baking, chef-ing hubbie (Christian Gatti) go to Bala Cynwyd? Drama ensues at Avril, an Italian-Franco white linen BYOB opening in July. Think Provincial Southern France meets Northern Italy.

► No Soul for Sale? That's a scary umbrella title for what Vox Populi's Andrew Suggs, Nick Paparone and Jamie Dillon have planned for the art-then-noise events at NYC's X Initiative, June 26 and 27. I'm scared.

► Jay Davidson, Nicki Jaine, The Blazing Cherries and good ole Annie A-Bomb do their best to get all naughty for Cabaret Red Light at the creperie L'Etage June 25. Bon appetite.

► Derek Dorsey's The Fire is a most happy recipient of a just-added/big deal/Pitchfork-buzz-worthy debut July 1, that of Cursive member Gretta Cohn's side-band Twin Thousand. Cohn's TT just signed to Drexel U/Philly's Madd Dragon and the show is 18+. For the kids, ya know.

► She's going to the Scandanavias for quite a while we hear – that's why red-headed Kinky Quizzo Valanni hostess Jen Karwoski is retiring from her naughty haughty gig. But not before she found another game-playing, prize-giving, foul question asking mistress of the night, right? And the winner, as of Tuesday. was Pools of Smegma, a team of Kinky Quizzo regulars made up of local DJ James Intrinsic, his wife and Fatty Patty, their blow-up doll. "The house was packed. I got a standing ovation right before I read the last question, and it was just a huge success," says Karwoski. "I'm thankful for the support I've had for these last four years."

(a_amorosi@citypaper.net)