The one thing I learned from my weekend helping the family of Tim Bowen — the recently deceased Philadelphia artist and musician you might know from The Crystal Ball Breakers, Bonehead or Falling Cow Gallery — remove items from his house to place them in storage is that few of us are ever truly alone. So many loving friends were there to help, to get a chance to touch the pieces he left behind. It was weird that this sadly cathartic exercise — of pulling Bowen's immensely prodigious outpouring of artworks stored in his Carpenter Street home for over 30 years — occurred on the same day photographer Zoe Strauss was being celebrated by her brother Cosmo, ?uestlove and all of us, her extended family, at the Art Museum. Yet it reminded me how much of a fraternal/paternal/maternal thing Philly's art scene is.
Some of your favorite southern spots (well, mine) are looking to expand, literally and figuratively, after each went before community bosses. South Street's own Wine and Spirits Shop and Brauhaus Schmitz are seeking to split the difference on an expansion that finds each taking over part of the beat-down furniture store between them. The Wine Shop will use the space for more booze, and B-Schmitz will put in a private room and more specialized German beer. Further south, on Ninth, is the Italian Market's live spot Connie's Ric Rac, which wants a license to serve food and do takeout. And they're talking about more than the cans of Chef Boyardee and corn chips they used to keep around.
When Amnesty International releases the four-CD Chimes of Freedom: Songs of Bob Dylan next week, among the Bob covers — by Peter Townshend, Bryan Ferry, Ke$ha, etc. — will be Adele's take on "Make You Feel My Love" taped at WXPN studios.
You haven't seen Mikey Galactic strum his brand of risqué comic rock for six months. You're not ignoring him — he's been ignoring you. Dig Galactic's return to the stage with A$S (formerly Apogee) and Kyle Martin James Casey Jan. 19 at Little Bar.
Albert Coccia, his wife Bridget (married 21 years, they worked together at his fam's Frankie's Seafood Italiano) and his partner Domenic Collaretti (Mary's Catering) are soft-opening a new breakfast-lunch eaterie, The Cup and Saucer (on Eighth, just south of Fitzwater), on Jan. 23. They'll serve La Colombe coffee through a manual drip and a breakfast menu ranging from fruit-stuffed French toast to homemade crepes. For lunch they'll offer traditional Italian dishes as well as vegan specials and homemade soups. Young pastry chef Steph Vacca will make the desserts while Dom and Bridget do the cooking. Abbondanza.
There's plenty more Icepack — and photos to go with it — at City Paper's A&E blog Critical Mass.
