POSTED: Thursday, December 2, 2010, 3:00 PM
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| Photo | Scott Weiner |
| Needles Jones and Schoolly D |
➤ Several weeks back I mentioned that DJ/label owner/realtor
Nigel Richards (after closing his store 611 at 4th and South in 2007) was opening a pop-up shop for his new
"Grown n' sexy" venture. The new location at 131 S. 18th St. is open on Dec. 11 from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Dec. 11 and Dec. 12 from 11 a.m.-6 p.m., with a private event on Dec 10. Yowsah.
➤
Schoolly D will be in on the madness, which reminds me that Philly gangstas-not-gangastas
Schoolly D and Freeway never worked together before. The last time
Freeway was spotted in town was when he and
Peedi Crakk hit the
Complex EA Sports NBA Jam launch party at
Ubiq (1509 Walnut St.) a minute ago. But now here's
Schoolly and Freeway recording at a studio on N. 3rd quietly making tracks-n-raps and talking about hitting the drawing board for a new animated cartoon.
Schoolly's got an in with
Adult Swim. Solid. I couldn't snag a photo of
Schoolly and Freeway, but I did manage to snag a shot that
Scott Weiner took of the rapper at
National Mechanics with Monday Night Club host
Needles Jones. Maybe Needles and Schoolly will duet soon.
➤ The eighth annual
Mustache Night at
El Bar is coming up on Dec. 3, and I've been raising a pencil-thin Gable 'stache since before Thanksgiving. Stay tuned.
➤ Distillery community darling
Joan Verratti, the first licensed female distiller in the country since Prohibition, starts brewing batches of her first whiskey this week. Raise a glass.
➤ Remember back in July when Icepack discussed how
Roy's (the closed chain restaubar reclaimed by its building's owners,
Joe and David Grasso) would re-open as a casual eatery with a club component by 2010's end? Not going to happen—at least not by year's end. The legendary vault-filled basement club space and the big-ass restaubar above will be ready for
Valentine's Day 2011.
The Philly Chit Chat blog has some nice under-construction shots.
➤ Talk about awhile back? Previously, Icepack dropped news on 1320 Chestnut's
The Commonwealth club/bar/small plate jawn since Jan. 2009, and that never even happened. Now can the boys of
Premiere Hospitality (to say nothing of their stint as Chelsea boys in AC and throwing back-in-a-day parties at DelFrisco's)
Justin D. Fine,
Michael Steinberg and real estate developer
Anthony Sembello be ready to spread the C-Wealth? Yes. Very soon, I hear.
➤ Whattaya get when one-time
Roots/Badu/Labelle engineer
David Ivory twiddles the knobs for Philly's epic robo-rawk giants
Lamagier? There are ghosts in that machine. The resulting
With That Sound CD gets its release party (with
Small Time Scoundrels and
Big Crowd Popular in tow) at the
Balcony on Dec. 7.
➤ Last spotted backing up big daddy
Mike Nutter on the steel wheels,
DJ Jazzy Jeff and soooo-soooulful vocalist
Ayah just dropped "Xmas Time" for free (download it
here) as the opening salvo for their upcoming CD collaboration for 2011. Thanks for the Christmas gift, DJJJ.
➤ Speaking of gifts,
Kate Faust—Lady/Virtual Virgin vocalist extraordinaire—can tear up a jazz jawn just as quick as she can put a hurt on K.D. Lang-ish rock or chamber pop. It's her birthday on Dec. 2 and she's celebrating at
Chris' Jazz Café with Kate's Birthday Band featuring
Tony Miceli—three sets from 8 p.m. Request "Three Little Words" and she'll be ready for you.
➤ Will Philly's recently re-activated
Cameo-Parkway reissue series and records from Philly legends
Bobby Rydell, John Zacherelle and more, get lost in the recent sale of the
Collectors' Choice label?
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| Photo | Scott Weiner |
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➤
WHOWHATWHERE: How did
Soulja Boy spend the day after he released his third studio album
The DeAndre Way? Hanging at
WIOQ.FM studios.
➤ Why doesn't anyone care that Jersey Girl
Kelly Ripa was the
Broadcast Pioneers Person of the Year and was celebrated as such at Nov. 19's Banquet? Just saying.
➤ The
Settlement Music School's Adult Chamber Player's lecture series welcomed violinist and Settlement 100 Honoree
John Blake, Jr. Wednesday morning. He's been all over recordings by/with
Archie Shepp,
Grover Washington, Jr. and
Charles Fambrough.
➤ My neighboring
Paesano's on Christian St. got an eyeful of
Bobby Flay the other day when he was down the block for one of his
Food Network Throwdowns, this time against master sandwich paisan P
eter McAndrews. The next day the shoot continued at
FUEL Gallery in the OC.
➤ Also in my neighborhood:
Wendy the Snapple Lady hung outside
Pat's Steaks in a white limo mumbling something about a Whizz Quiz.
➤ After shooting some of CKY's "Afterworld" song at
The Fire (like we mentioned several weeks back) director
Bam Margera and CKY adjourned to
Philly Sound Stages to wreck a car and such. Apparently, the whole shebang is scheduled to be part of Jackass 3D's DVD extras.
➤ Man, I wish I would've stayed and played roulette: after his
Borgata gig last Friday,
Bob Dylan walked through the hotel and casino and smilingly took photos with adoring fans. Dag.
➤
Red Buttons never got a dinner but apparently
Arlen Specter did at
Prime Rib (17th & Locust) in celebration of his 30+ years of senatorial service. Comcast CEO
Brian Roberts, U.S. Rep.
Pat Meehan,
John Dougherty,
Michael Smerconish and Arlen's sweets-making wife
Joan showed up. Damn, Arlen, magic bullet or not, we'll miss you.
➤ Some men get dinners, some get battered cars. Actor/director/adaptor
Anthony Lawton (pictured above right) gets a whole festival at
Lantern Theater Company from Dec. 3-19 called
Between Heaven and Hell. Lots of
C.S. Lewis. Lots of Screwtape stuff. We've got the pictures to prove it.
