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ICEPACK ILLUSTRATED: Break that ground, pump those bellows, decorate that Power Plant.
It is no fun talking about a place closing.
ICEPACK ILLUSTRATED: Break that ground, pump those bellows, decorate that Power Plant.
The New Festival Headquarters (on the corner of Race Street and Columbus Boulevard) is breaking ground Mon., Feb. 25. If you’re wondering what I’m talking about, that’d be the new Live Arts & Philly Fringe HQ on the waterfront that I riffed about exclusively the day after Nick Stuccio signed the lease last summer. Stuccio, Mayor Nutter, ex-Gov. Rendell and Live Arts board members Maria Papadakis and Leonard C. Haas will be there.
It is no fun talking about a place closing. On Valentine’s afternoon, my wife and I were running around the Italian Market when we spied a worker jiggering with the door at the Ninth Street restaurant/BYOB 943. Plants were gone from the front of the window. It seemed like a bad sign. We asked if they were closing and the worker said “yep” before ducking inside. Sometimes I feel like owner/chef Pascual Cancelliere’s Argentinian/Italian eatery never had a chance. It took him a while to open the space after (it finally unveiled in Feb 2011) and there were nasty rumors about monies owed and to whom swirling around the Market. The poor guy had to close up shop last July for heart surgery. Then there’s the fact that 943 was tucked behind the Market’s storied stands. Now, Bebe’s BBQ had the same problem back in the day (and it closed) yet Paesano’s flourishes. Who knows? Good luck Pasquale on your next venture.
Speaking of the Ital Market, Liberties Bellows — the famed accordion sales, repairs and lessons shops — has moved to 614 S. Second St., a larger space with a stage area for squeeze-box only performances. I don’t think the new spot is ready yet so if you need to hear the accordion at its bellow-pumping best soon, check out one of this town’s finest practitioners, Neon and Shy, on Feb 21 (tonight) at the Spiral Bookcase, 112 Cotton St. (thespiralbookcase.com).
Our man Diplo (I know he kinda-sorta moved to LA, but he’ll always be local to me) just started Potato, a YouTube channel dedicated to all-music programming in the spirit of MTV at its start. No, it’s not revivalism of any sort. There’ll be no Headbangers Ball or 120 Minutes. Dip, Skrillex and A-Trak (together with execs from the Sundance Channel and VH-1) are updating the idea of all-music-TV-all-the-time with the currency of digital/mobile application. The station launched Feb 15.
Ali-Waks’ debut Dishcrawl along East Passyunk on Tuesday night was a smashing success. The walk was sold out. Sophia’s apps were OK but Noir and its Canadian-inspired cuisine shined (loved their chicken pot pie!) and Birra was pizza-perfect as usual (and yes, they now deliver so that your addiction will know no bounds). East Passyunk PR Salvatore Aversa maven stopped by at Waks’ walk’s end to remind us that East Passyunk Restaurant Week was approaching (Feb. 24-March 2, see participating restaurants here) and to serve cupcakes at Ms. Goody’s. It wasn’t so long ago that I saw Aversa as he was one of the hosts at the 23rd Street Armory’s Puppy Love Valentines Party where funds raised went to the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PSCPA).
We’re not sure how we feel about the idea that Federal Donuts might open a booth at Citizens Bank Park (try telling beer-swilling base-ballers you’re out of donuts). Federal Donuts is too busy to think about the future (even though the season is fast approaching). Their Center City store is playing host to the crew of ABC’s The Chew early this afternoon.
To celebrate the opening of its next show on March 8 — the debut of Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them at Old City’s the Power Plant on N. Second Street, the girls of Theatre Confetti (Nicole and Bi) threw a performance art jam last night. UMAMI: An Evening of Sensory Indulgence turned the Power Plant (does photographer Jim Graham still own that amazing space?) into a walking daydream (Crème staging is responsible for design). Anxious to see what Edith looks like in that space.
WHOWHATWHERE: On Monday night the friends of the late Jef Lee Johnson held a tribute jam in his name at Steel City Coffee in Phoenixville, PA. Video from the event can be seen here. Philly radio stations got cute visitors this week: Pure pop kids from Imagine Dragons and Trapdoor Social hit up Radio 104.5 and dreamy Brian McKnight stopped by WDAS. Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek stopped by the Barnes Foundation during a stop this week at Colonial Penn Life Insurance. No he’s not suing. He’s their spokesman. While Mumford & Sons ate to its hearts’ content at Buddakan before selling out the Susquehanna Bank Center, Jonah Hill and Jake Gyllenhaal were probably noshing on giant pretzels at the same show in Camden as each was spotted in the audience. So was Mayor Nutter which definitely goes against his Grandmaster Mike profile. Billy Campbell, in town to promote his Nat Geo show Killing Lincoln stopped by Positano Coast in Old City for a tipple. And Ice Cube interview subject Mondo Guerra was an absolute delight on Valentines Day, charming fans of Project Runway as well chatting to diners at the Hotel Monaco evening he hosted to benefit ActionAIDS and Dining Out for Life.
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