Icepack

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

by A.D. Amorosi

More confounding than paparazzo photos of Britney's nether regions — grotesque, yet you can't look away — and doubly slippery is the rallying-round-the-flag occurring when you mention Mumia Abu-Jamal. Rallies accompany Dec. 9's 25th anniversary of the death of Officer Daniel Faulkner for which Mumia's been imprisoned. Despite my usual crooked-finger points, I'm no judge, no jury and no lawyer, despite owning a spiffy array of power ties. I think he did it no matter how weird the case and its original findings were. I'm just confounded that, even in the most leftist/liberal circumstances, he's so lionized. Love Jerry Lewis if you like and Mickey Rourke, too. But having the French support him ... that's no help. Besides, with more than 370 people murdered in 2006, I'd like to think we might better spend our time worrying about the present and future than our sorry sordid past.

► Sonic Liberation Front's Change Over Time CD show Dec. 8 at Tritone with Breakfast — Shot x Shot saxophonist Bryan Rogers' band? Do that or you're wrong.

► Rumors of The Fire ready to close (from someone in da-club biz professing interest!) got squashed by Fire booking baron Derek Dorsey. "If anything we're growing, despite competition from Fishtown," says Dorsey. "Our schedule's strong." He's gotta be talkin' 'bout Dec. 8's funky ol' Kilo show with power-jazz singer Ryat (who's promising a boatload of new harder songs) and Ashley Phillips, said to be dropping her yearningly soulful CD. "So I better hurry and finish it," said her mixologist, Eric Vincent.

► Ms. Phoenixx — legendary pomaded/powdered club doyenne, chocolate honeybunny, guy who'll grab your dick just as soon as look at you — is rumored to be out 'n' about after a short stint in Jersey's jails. Phoenixx, call and check in: All's forgiven.

► WHOWHATWHERE: Before his gig at Electric Factory, Deadsy's Elijah Blue — Cher's kid with Gregg Allman — was spied deep in conversation with Jacky Bam Bam of WYSP-FM. Were they talking Eat a Peach or "Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves"? Minds boggle. After receiving a National Italian American Political Action Committee award (?!), Gina Lollobrigida ran along First Friday's Gallery Row looking busty, beauteous and telling peeps she's considering Philly for an exhibit of her artworks. My attempts to yell "Ms. Lollabrickida" a la The Flintstones were thwarted. Members of Jet were witnessed actually eating at Lovash on South Street before their TLA gig — hard to believe, what with those velvet scarves tied so snugly around their skinny gullets.

► Old City action: Bluezette — Delilah Winder's stylish soulfood joint — ain't closed. It's just hibernating for December, to be retooled supposedly as Delilah's. And Red Sky? Are they doing an RS2 across from Drinkers' Rittenhouse area outlet?

► Speaking o' bulbous Adam's apples, WIP announced Pat Croce is the Wing Bowl Commissioner starting with February 2007's bout. Beloved longtime commish Eric Gregg is spinning in his grave.

► Kindred the Family Soul's Kulture Shop at 50th and Baltimore takes culture to another level with Lacey Clark (Oprah-meets-Missy Elliot) signing Celebrate HER Now! Dec. 9.

► We're surprised to hear the rumor that Cordalene may be breaking up or broke up already. Because we didn't even know they wuz still around. Who cares? Bye.

► We know Stephen Starr intimated to New York mag (darling, that photo!) that he'd introduce his bo-teek hotel concept in Manhattan rather than Philly as he's widely discussed since the days of making a nice petit filet at Starz. But rumor has Starr still testing tony boutique waters in Philly before 2007's end. WashSquare maybe?

► I miss Earl Dax — expat Philly performance art PR dude by day, dragstress "Enya Buttox" by night. And I'll probably miss him again when he brings Shortbus film star Jay Brannan to L'Etage Dec. 13 for a delightful singer-songwriter caba-romp.

► Everybody's upstairs: St. Jack's on S. Third St. just reopened floor two as the loungey Level 2. RitRow's Loie just finished their pretty-prive space that'll open for intimate affairs and weekends.

► After dropping winter's spookiest CD, Nimis & Arx, Helena Espvall joins Bilwa, videographer John Phillips and movement artists Zornitsa Stoyanova and Emily Sweeney for some perpetual Rashomon Effect stuff at Mascher Space Cooperative, 155 Cecil B. Moore Ave. Dec. 9. The last time I saw this crew they was at 10th Street Laundromat. And they weren't washing tighty-whiteys.

► Gyro. Just 'cause you're in da Gayborhood don't mean you get to change its name. Damn, it does. And they did; dully too."13th Street District adopts 'Midtown Village' as their new neighbourhood name," stated the www.midtownvillage.org release. About 60 businesses voted on four names at a Holiday Inn Express Midtown meeting in Nov.: New City, District 13, B3 and Midtown Village. No Gayborhood. No Red-Light-District-That-Loves-You-Back. No BestBlock4TrannyBlowJobsUnder40DollarsGuar-oan-teed. Sad, that.

► Carmen Martella's been so busy teaching drama to DelCo middle-school kids he's had zip-time to Skeletor. Wither poor Thulsa Doom. For Japan's Dmonstrations, Dec. 13, Khyber? Out comes the cape and miter.

► Producer/Alan Mann associate Larry Saklad wants you, that is if you've got a snappy song that has something to do with Philly. Mail him here (KidGrinRecords@hotmail.com), check him there (www.myspace.com/OhPhiladelphiaSongSearch), see him Dec. 9 at Kaffa's, 4423 Chestnut St., and figure out if you can place a Philly anthem on his CD to be released Feb. 27 at a Connie's RicRac party near you.

(a_amorosi@citypaper.net)