The Philadelphia International Airport isn’t just for waiting, yelling about waiting and accidentally shooting off guns. If city, interstate and civil aeronautics officials have their way, the PIA will get a glittering redesign sooner rather than later, with noteworthy names like Jose Garces acting as consultants. One fun rumor is of a collaboration with Philadelphia Music Alliance to decorate all airport entrances with photos of local music greats. The Alliance’s Broad Street Walk of Fame and its gold stars may also be part of the new design. Sounds swank if it happens, but I’ll miss stepping on Hall & Oates.
Philly expatriate Christian Meoli is a one-man film industry. He can act, in upcoming flicks such as Treachery, Dirty People and Should’ve Been Romeo, can screen them at his Hollywood theater Arena Screen, and can represent them, too, as his Voltaire Media company is doing with the shot-throughout-Philly flick Deer Crossing, which came out this week. Look for the upcoming Deer Crossing 2: The Legend of Carvin County to star Meoli as well. He says so.
Two things you need to know about Philly/Jersey rockabilly garage outfit Low Cut Connie before they play North Star Sept. 27 for the Call Me Sylvia album release party: They’re in Rolling Stone magazine this week (on page 76) and Little Steven’s assistant Craig Snyder is now the band’s manager. Last year I told you how Middle Eastern marvel Bitar’s, (10th and Federal) narrowly avoided relocating due to the shouts of the locals (the neighborhood’s Lebanese community and beyond). All summer, there’s been scuttlebutt that Bitar’s has a slew of plans in the works, including reviving its wholesale grocery business and expanding and sprucing up the dining area with atmospheric touches and indigenous art. Expect extended hours for its growing eat-in and take-home crowd, too.
Producer Gary Dann isn’t just the local guy behind Cee Knowledge and Bulletproof Tigers recordings. A year ago, he told me he was opening a studio in Fishtown and that this city needed a comfortable, dynamic recording space. Now, the Boom Room is celebrating its first birthday on Sept. 29. Camp Lo, The W.E. (the latest project of singer Jaguar Wright) and rapper Kuf Knotz lead the charge and blow up the balloons.
Look, Bernie Nearey and I have had not-such-pleasant words to say to each other, but I’m disappointed to hear his 15-year run with the Roxy Theatre at 20th and Sansom, Philly’s last independently owned cinema, will end when his lease is up in November. Here’s hoping that property owner John Ciccone will stick to his promise to turn the Roxy into an art-house and repertory screening room after renovations.
More falafel at citypaper.net/criticalmass.
