Three years is not a long time, like, geologically speaking. But the 36-plus months in which the Rodin Museum and its gardens were being messed up (okay, revitalized) — that felt like forever. The 83-year-old home to the largest collection of Auguste Rodin sculpture outside of Paris was the first museum I ever visited, even before its big brother down the block. To a child, the Rodin is a primer to how grand art can be. Since you never truly miss the water till the well runs dry, it’s delicious to have the place reopening this weekend. The Gates of Hell never looked so good.
There’s a sign in the window at 943 S. Ninth St. that says Pascual Cancelliere’s swell Argentine BYOB 943 is closed temporarily due to illness. Oy. Best wishes for a speedy recovery and a quick reopening.
Free-jazz art-punks Bob Cozzolino and George Draguns — Flying Sutra to you — have dates with dancing devils. On July 18, Sutra’s got sword-wielding belly-dancer Irene Reinke doing her Bix Beiderbecke bop with some Homophones and Oral Sex Suicide on board at the Troc’s Bal-cony. At Magic Gardens July 28, Sutra flames up with fire dancers and Scratched and Dented. Whoosh.
Moms, lock up your very old daughters: Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp will host the heartland’s hottest benefit concert — Farm Aid — when it returns to the area Sept. 22 at Hershey Park Stadium. The annual farm-jam hit Burgettstown, Pa., in 2002 and Camden in ’06.
It ain’t sexy with its spiral notebook binding, but Shake, Stir, Pour: Fresh Homegrown Cocktails from Han Dynasty mixologist/Tiki specialist Katie Loeb just came out (foreword by Jose Garces), and it’s a doozy. Along with reading about how Loeb preps farm-fresh ingredients for 50 original recipes, you can check her out at a location-undisclosed August book-launch event with Rum Bar’s Adam Kanter.
After Allied Advertising lost its Philly-film-PR traffic cop Nick Tarnowski to run their Denver office, Allied announces that the new director of directing things is Jesse Cute. “My reign of terror begins,” laughs the Cute one.
Philly’s annual LGBTQ-film con, QFest (City Paper’s coverage begins on p. 14), kicks off July 12 with a bash for badge holders at Table 31 and model/rap moll Amber Rose repping Fluffed and Whipped. Nothing dirty, folks, we’re talking vodka. ™ Congratulations are quietly in order as longtime couple Crossfaded Bacon producer/DJ Emil Nassar (aka Emynd) and Amy Rivera (Wing King/Chili Bowl/food truck promoting fame) got engaged without telling their pals. Well, they know now. Ain’t love grand?
There’s plenty more fluffing and whipping when Icepack gets illustrated at citypaper.net/criticalmass.
