ICEPACK ILLUSTRATED: Bellydance, Billy Joel, Jen Carroll, Tim Heidecker, Kurt Vile and more

Philly's own Kurt Vile may be taking guff for licensing his tune "Baby's Arms" to Bank of America. Patrick Stickles from Titus Andronicus hit Twitter and said "Come on, Kurt Vile, yr a million times better than that" and "I thought you were, like, the best dude in music."

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ICEPACK ILLUSTRATED: Bellydance, Billy Joel, Jen Carroll, Tim Heidecker, Kurt Vile and more

POSTED: Thursday, November 10, 2011, 3:00 PM

Filed Under: Icepack Illustrated

After my feature on the Barajagala Tribal Bellydance troupe they’ve received all manner of requests for gigs and pairings. Like this week’s teaming with the West Philadelphia Orchestra for Nov. 10’s dance party at Tritone. “Elliot Levin came to our Halloween bash and jammed with us,” says Irene Reinke, BTB spokes-goddess, so now they’re returning the favor. You might as well stick around Tritone for a day (you won’t have many more chances) and catch the record release party for the psych-bluesy St. James & the Apostles whose Live-at-Tritone release gets its proper debut Nov 12. Plus, the first 25 paid customers (doormen, watch that guest list!) get a free CD of Jamie Mahon/Mike Kiker’s blustery new work.

You know like I know that Cook on Rittenhouse is Audrey Clare Taichman’s kitchen-nook-classroom-like environs for chefs to strut their experimental food stuffs. (Foobooz jotted down a list of its December gigs with Peter Woolsey from Bistrot La Minette, Monica Glass from 10 Arts dessert cart Nick Macri (Southwark) and Brian Kane (Zahav) doing a one-night-only drink-and-charcuterie soiree.) On Wednesday night though, Cook’s Jackie Baik and Lily Cope hosted the scholarly nosh spot’s first ever cocktail party with the boys of the ’booz (Arthur Etchell) and Philly mag (Jason Sheehan) to commemorate what Sheehan called the magazine’s “first ever bar issue.” While George Costa from Pub & Kitchen and Southwark made magic potions (he promised to answer my question — “who makes Philly’s best sazerac?” — at Southwark soon), Rick Fitzgerald (pictured) creator of the Philly Flyer, Philadelphia’s official cocktail, basked in the glory while serving a mean concoction. Costa had an interesting thing to say about the cocktail revolution and the “mixologist” phrase. He loathes it. “At home you’re a mixologist,” said Costa, referring to the phrase as pretentious and laced with Mr. Boston homespun badness. “Mixologist is a bullshit term. At work, you’re a bartender.” Costa is definitely a bartender.

I dig art (OK, some of it) and love animals (all of them) so this week’s Art for Animals event, Nov. 16 at CITYSPACE Real Estate (2200 Walnut) to raise cash (auction and raffle) for the Pennsylvania SPCA at 6 p.m. should be a howl. “As a real estate professional and longtime arts proponent, I always incorporate the work of Philadelphia’s artists into my practice to provide a platform for exposure for their work while creating a unique marketing strategy for the homeowners I represent,” says CITYSPACE CEO Michael Garden about bringing together culture and business in support of animal welfare. “Animals, pets in particular, have the potential to become doorways to compassion not just between humans and animals, but between humans and humans. So it’s my aim to increase support of the Pennsylvania SPCA’s mission of humane animal treatment by bringing together a broad audience of culturally engaged professionals in support of this common cause.”

Pay attention to this week’s big-remastered reissued Legacy edition of Billy Joel’s Columbia debut Piano Man of 1973. The new two-disc set features a previously unreleased restored WMMR radio broadcast from April 15, 1972, taped at Sigma Sound Studios. Plus Daily News scribe Jonathan Takiff did the deeply detailed liner notes.

Delicatessen (amongst other spots) cook/conceptualist Ali Waks is helping The Food52 Cookbook authors/site managers Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs unleash their book on the masses Thursday, Nov. 17 at 6:30 p.m. The price of admission ($25) gets you includes a signed copy of The Food52 Cookbook: 140 Winning Recipes from Exceptional Home sure. But it also gets you snacks from Chef Wak’s Food52 recipes, as she has several in the tome. Waks is encouraging other Food52 creators to stop in with nibbles from the online community cookbook.

Tim Heidecker (of Tim & Eric) might be gone from his hometown Philly yet he continues to haunt our dreams. He just recorded and released an album of songs inspired by pizza man/groper/candidate Herman Cain — Cainthology. Yes, of course something called “Cain Mutiny” is there. Proceeds from the sale of the album go to The VIP Medical Clinics for Abused Children and Community Mental Health Center.

If the cuisine hasn’t been enough of reason to hit Peche (it is, trust me) head there Sat., Nov. 12 for the Living Beyond Breast Cancer’s 20th anniversary event.

While you’re at it, if you’re feeling in a continuously charitable mood, head to the National Constitution Center Nov. 14 for the Jimmy Rollins Foundation benefit, the inaugural Havana Nights event for Prevent Child Abuse Pennsylvania. Do it.

Funny that everybody is writing how T.A. Flannery’s, at S. 21st St. in the RitRow area JUST became Rogues Gallery (David Carroll, Michael Steinberg and friends) and brought on a new chef, Gunners Run ex Shawn Sollberger. Google my name, Icepack, Meal Ticket and Rogues Gallery and you’ll find a rogue writings since 2010. Wake up.

NBC’s Love in the Wild wants real folk (are there any left?) ages 25-35, “willing to do whatever it takes to find love” according to NBC.com. You have one week to get real and get ready for the 5-8 p.m., Nov. 17 call at Mission Grill (19th and Arch) Bring two photos and sign here.

The crab shack-ish signage is up at the date is set for the ex-Wilkie Buick spot now known as Route 6, Stephen Starr’s tony sea fooderie which opens Nov. 17. I just got a call that ex-Morimoto sous chef Anthony DiRienzo is behind the stove there. Along with a classic fish menu, it’s got its own brew called Route 6 Ale, designed by the folks from White Birch Brewing. Closer to my home — south south south — Kris at 11th and Federal is supposed to pop this weekend. That’s what they’re calling ye old Kristian’s. Hunt around.

Philly’s own Kurt Vile may be taking guff for licensing his tune “Baby’s Arms” to Bank of America. Patrick Stickles from Titus Andronicus hit Twitter and said “Come on, Kurt Vile, yr a million times better than that” and “I thought you were, like, the best dude in music.” Apparently Vile is just paying back his publishing advance and comments on the Pitchfork Facebook page have Vile’s management stating that Kurt “never used his music as a political platform.” Rollingstone.com has a lot of news on this. Plus Vile just dropped the So Outta Reach EP (12” and digital) with original songs like “Life’s a Beach” with guest start Stebe Shelley from Sonic Youth and a cover of Springsteen’s “Downbound Train.” Plus Matador just reissued Smoke Ring for My Halo as a deluxe two-CD re-release featuring the So Outta Reach EP as the second disc. Vile hits Union Transfer Nov. 12.

Chef Jen Carroll may have just left 10 Arts a few weeks back for a well deserved rest. Yet the Top Chef contestant doesn’t seem to be taking much of a break. She’ll be with Scott Schroeder at his SPTR (1509 Mifflin) for his two-part Allagash dinner (Collegeville’s Longview Center for Agriculture is the second stop) on Wed., Nov. 30, 7 p.m. Schroeder and Carroll are doing seven courses inspired by New England-y fish treats. Book now. This will sell out: SPTR, 215-271-7787.

WHOWHATWHERE: Indian film sensation Anupam Kher (over 440 films), in town for The Silver Linings Playbook sessions with Robert De Niro and Bradley Cooper, has so loved his stops at Tashan —Philly’s new mod Indian cuisinery — that he’s done a PSA for them. The more you know, right? Comedian/actor Chris Tucker, also in town for the same movie got singer Harry Belafonte to sign a copy of his autobiography at the Free Library of Philadelphia. Tucker was also spied eating at the Palm. After hanging around the Academy of Music wowing audiences, Tony Bennett wowed autograph-seekers while leaving the Four Seasons Hotel. The unholy meeting of promoter Patrick Rodgers and restaurateur Paul Brown for the first-ever Uyghur-centric dinner at National Mechanics came off deliciously and without a hitch. Word has it another U meal is in the planning stages. Blue-eyed soul singer Mayer Hawthorne is a cheesesteak fan who supped at Jim’s on South before Monday’s performance at the Electric Factory. No one at Jim’s tried to sell him pills or coke. South Philly-born R&R star Charlie Gracie received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Philadelphia Row Home magazine at Vie (600 N. Broad) this week with Michael Vick; Leo Rossi (a columnist for Row Home) and Philly International’s Bunny Sigler in the house. Gracie just released a new CD, For the Love of Charlie featuring Graham Nash and Al Kooper and a fifth anniversary director’s cut of his documentary Fabulous will premiere Sunday, Nov. 20 at Cannsttaters in the Northeast. “How could he just walk by and not bother looking at the farmer’s market?” asked on-lookers as Gordon Ramsay, in town for his Kitchen Nightmares show, walked to East Passyunk’s Chiarella’s where he’s filming Nov. 8-11 He’s also stopped into West Philadelphia’s Zocalo (where he’ll film Nov. 12-15) and Morimoto where he got the Chef’s Table treatment.

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Featuring everything from event roundups to concert reviews and sex talk, City Paper's Critical Mass is a space for off-the-wall coverage of Philly's A&E scene.

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