Icepack

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

by A.D. Amorosi

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Published: Nov 18, 2009

► As a mean-ass arbiter of a culture that awards everything, I usually can't celebrate celebration. I save my black ties for Bryan Ferry impersonations and gold cups for my codpiece display. But there're two-count-em-two events I'm proud to see: Nov. 20's 41st Broadcast Pioneers of Philly's Hall of Fame Gala at Bala's Golf Club celebrates men (kiddie-show host Gene London, KYW-TV's Mort Crim and Channel 10 sporter Al Meltzer) and ladies (WCAU's Renée Chenault-Fattah, 6ABC's Lisa Thomas-Laury) most all y'all're barely old enough to remember. And 2009's Philly Urban Legend Awards, Nov. 19, at First District Plaza in West Philly? I look forward to Mista Shock's annual event as much as I do hunting for great pumpkins, and this year, host Lady B, beat-boxer Ready Rock C, graffiti chieftain Cornbread, DJs Baby DST and Gary-O, gangster-papa Schoolly D and WDAS-FM mistress Mimi Brown get the hook-up. But give a shout to awardee/guitar god Mike Tyler who played for Kurtis Blow, Jean Carn, Cypress Hill and The Fugees, and music-directed MTVs Hip-Hop Unplugged. He can cold-crush mere mortals with his six strings.

► Your West Philly stretched-T-shirt-and-clove News-o-the-Day: Dr. Doug from Kill Time and the neighborhood DPR Posse changed his name to Dr. Israel and can be found working with Bill Laswell's Method of Defiance who have a new CD, Live: Nihon, out now. You can't hide from us, Doug. If you miss the West Philadelphia Orchestra at 7:30 a.m., Nov. 22, "jamming for crazy-ass marathon runners on Chestnut Street" (says saxophonist Elliot Levin), dig 'em Nov. 25 at Tritone as they raise cash to make their own CD.

► The sign is up at the former-Shanks location on South 10th for that new ristorante known as Carluccio's. Known, too, as Carluccio's Way Inc. , the Italian nosherie could be ready by December.

► A benefit for DJ Too Tuff — hit with thyroid cancer, imprisoned at the House of Corrections — is Nov. 21 at Tacony Billiards. Vixion, H3O and Mechanism will be there.

► Wanna know why you couldn't get hold of Persona's Joe Melchiorre the other day? "I got married last week and went to Rome for a honeymoon," says Joe, who turned Jessica Puma into Jessica Melchiorre. God bless. He'll soon debut new tracks.

► Bam Margera leaves West Chester to sign copies of his new book, Serious as Dog Dirt, at Borders King of Prussia Nov. 21, jackasses.

► Philly-native chef Carmen Cappello came all the way back from Atlanta's Ritz-Carlton to hook up with childhood pal Chris Martino (whose family owns Mako) to open the long-vacant Bombino's on Ninth Street. He called to say their Wishing Well Public House ("not a gastro-pub") should open for local brews and burgers topped with scrapple by December. Check Meal Ticket for more Wishing.

►Los Lobos did their new Disney-covers CD at Harrah's Casino in Chester the other night. Why mention? Cuz it was the first rock show at the slot pahhhlor.

►Peter Gabriel's first new CD in a decade, the cover-filled Scratch My Back, ends with his take on Neil Young's "Philadelphia." First Andy Horowitz runs screaming from his job at the Piazza and now this? Bruce Reinfeld — photographer and High Fidelity brand print-and-T-shirt designer — was one of the first guys to drink Bart Blatstein's Kool Aid and get a futaaaaahristic cozy live-and-work cube in the Piazza. But now, at least for now, his lease is up and he is out of there. Yes, Reinfeld might come back, like the swallows to Capistrano, to open a living space/art gallery in the spring. Then again, he's searching L.A. for a space this winter and will spend the holidays at the south end of NYC's Union Square's Market.

► Sarah Van Aken, though she just opened her design shoppe's first retail location at 1700 Sansom St. mere months ago, will host a new Pop Up location in the Shops at Liberty Place pumping her Van Aken shirts for the holidays starting NOW.

►WHOWHATWHERE: Hills star/Playboy Playmate 2008 Jayde Nicole showed up with Philly Playmate Shannon James to Dusk the other night. Two things here. Firstly — and this is an opinion, guess, whatever — if she's doing Botox already as her forehead seemed to stiffly indicate, she's gotta stop. She's already getting that Vampirella eyebrow thing. Secondly, from friends who stayed after I left the event, I gathered that Nicole was working the pole with a bottle of booze in her mitts before night's end. Nothing but class.

►Congrats to David Eisner for nailing down that National Constitution Center president and chief executive officer gig. He's been acting as it since Linda E. Johnson left in January.

►I've written about Philly's groove-inducing Prowler before so you know their rawk-n-rhythmic brand. But before they usher a new album for 2010, they asked fellow Phillyian Plastic Little to remix their upcoming single "Spooky Pussy."Hear here.

(a_amorosi@citypaper.net)

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