Ice Cubes

ICECUBE: Paul Green School of Rock sells out?

POSTED: Friday, July 9, 2010, 4:27 PM

Filed Under: Ice Cubes | Music

SchoolOfRock

The Philadelphia-based School of Rock — Paul Green's master class for kids who want to pose, slash, bang and solo like their heroes — is rumored to have sold its many locations to an as-yet-undisclosed national buyer for $10 million. That doesn't sound like a lot of money for the dream that Green started in 1998 and the keys to 30-plus School of Rocks from here to California and beyond. Not to mention the bitching bragging rights to the fact that Jack Black ripped Paul off. Stay tuned for more.

Madeline

Posted 2010-07-09 15:06:04

Hmm. This happened about a year ago.

PhillyRock

Posted 2010-07-10 11:25:30

It was not sold,  It was a large capital investment last year by a company that has a history of growing a company like the one Paul Green started from 50 schools to over 200.

MusicBiz

Posted 2010-07-12 11:00:03

The McDonald's of the music business is now part of Sylvan learning centers... Just wait for the $5 an hour freckled faced 18 year olds who've  never played a real gig start teaching more and more 17 year olds around the country... yea...

DeDub

Posted 2010-07-12 13:38:07

MusicBiz - I don't really know what your comment means, but Sylvan Learning Center only hires certified teachers as tutors.  Any "freckled faced 18 year olds" would be assistants who deliver materials to the teachers and reshelve them. Also, music has never been part of our curriculum.

Iknow

Posted 2010-08-13 22:38:43

Sylvan bought it late 08-early 09 but left Paul in place with certain responsibilities- including the All Stars but he stomped off in a huff Christmas 09. Rumour has it Paul is clean and sober now and actually took a crew to Zappanale this month.

Posted by A.D. Amorosi @ 4:27 PM Permalink | Post a comment

ICE CUBE: More Mac's, tough lovin' and what does a Stanley Cup finalist buy at AKA?

POSTED: Friday, June 25, 2010, 3:02 PM

Filed Under: Ice Cubes | Music | TV

©Scott Weiner 2010

Courtney Love

After the cigarettes smolder and the WHOWHATWHERE of Icepack has gone to bed (want to know what's up with the Courtney Love shot above? Don't miss Ice online!), there's always more fabulousness to be had where out-of-towner celebs — let's be honest, the only kind — are concerned. You know like I know how crowded Mac's Tavern (226 Market St., 267-324-5507) — that would be Mac from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia — was during it's grand opening soiree (check out Critical Mass' pictures from the event and interview with IASIP's Kaitlin Olson, Rob McElhenney and Glenn Howerton). Only my pants were tighter than the crowd at Mac's. Anyone who hung patiently for Danny DeVito to join his castmates had to wait out his drink fest at Butcher & Singer. Yet if you didn't feel like being crammed tightly next to Sunny-siders, you could find another basic cable star in Steve Ward. The VH1 Tough Love Philly-bred host hit the Wilhelmina Models' opening bash at Arch Street's FUEL Gallery wearing shorts. No Steve, shorts aren't cool or appropriate on a man of your age. Grow up. Then there's the shopping spree at AKA Records (27 N. Second St., 215-922-3855) that ended in sorrow. See, there was this guy with a sort-of-a-Finnish accent shopping for vinyl albums at Mike Hoffman's shop. After a couple words were exchanged, Hoffman asked the gentleman what he did and who he was. He answered: hockey player, Ville Leino. When Hoffman asked what Leino was up to, the gentleman replied "Well, we almost won the Stanley Cup." Dag, brah. Leino then went on to purchase LPs of The Cure's Disintegration and Lou Reed's Berlin: Live at St. Anne's Warehouse. No wonder he's sad.

Random Question

Posted 2010-06-25 20:52:07

Um, so, at what age are short inappropriate in 99 degree heat? Moron.

Not a fan!

Posted 2010-06-25 21:31:20

Wow really shorts not appropriate for age? Seriously dude get a life! Obviously u don`t have one if the only comment u have is negative oh and wrong! People with lives don't make money heckling others! This is y society going into crapper no one can be nice anymore, lighten up get a life and stop the hate!

jessica

Posted 2010-06-25 22:55:22

steve you show them sexy legs wherever, whenever you want! heck you could even wear em during the winter!lol now that would really give them something to complain about! lolol

Posted by A.D. Amorosi @ 3:02 PM Permalink | Post a comment

ICE CUBE: Thom Cardwell is such a drag

POSTED: Friday, June 18, 2010, 6:33 PM

Filed Under: Ice Cubes | LGBTQ

Scott A. Drake

Cardwell is beautiful in blue.

Sorry this was too late for Icepack's WHOWHATWHERE section. (Hey! I caught Max Weinberg playing cards on his tour bus with sugar packets at his recent World Cafe show, so gimme a break.) But my cell phone nearly clogged from all of the text messages and photos I got from last weekend's drag debut of Ms. Thom Cardwell, the sartorially splendid Philadelphia Cinema Alliance-r, Thom's Table foodie soirees, Buck Monkey events — like last night's networking wine event with QueerTIMES — and as development director of the upcoming QFest. But friends and attendees at the Traverse Arts Project's second annual Philadelphia GLBT Arts Festival (resident CP Queer Baiter Josh Middleton told you all about it, remember!?) got to know Cardwell in a whole new manner. For the first time ever, Cardwell donned drag to play Mary Haynes' mother in an all-drag reading of Claire Booth Luce's The Women. Comments came fast and furious after seeing Cardwell don a dress â most of them, like Darling Diner liason Dan Contarino would say, "The bitch turned it out." Indeed. RELATED >> QFEST CONTROVERSY: Ticked-off Trannies with Knives ticking off trannies

Enrique

Posted 2010-06-23 20:12:31

It was a great show!! Great actors and a great director in Mark Dahl!!

Posted by A.D. Amorosi @ 6:33 PM Permalink | Post a comment

ICE CUBE: A.D.'s just walkin' around, thinkin' about things.

POSTED: Thursday, June 3, 2010, 9:15 PM

Filed Under: Ice Cubes | Music Philly Bands

twitter.com/questlove

?uesto got Flyered Up before the Picnic

How do you get over? You know, I didn't even get that the Flyers had won last night until two things happened. As I was walking down the street after a big-n-blistering Futureheads show at the First Unitarian Church, a jabbering klatch of orange-n-black clad women were doing the scream — thaaaaaaaaaaaaaat scream, the one where the polyps at that the back of the throat must bleed in order to be effectively effusive and gleeful. Then, there was the fact that my show-pocketed cell phone was filled with text messages about Ahmir '?uestlove" Thompson being at the Flyers game. He's a versatile guy — my guess is that, along with drumming, he's raised a goalie stick in his day. And he likes to picnic — as you fans of the Roots Picnic at Festival Pier this Saturday no doubt remember from the top of today's Icepack. But what I did miss about his busy weekend — and Pop art posters adorning every phone pole on my block remind me of — is that Thompson will spin several shifts of June 6's Sundae jam at Octo as well as its Silk City After Party. Dag. The hardest working man in show biz? Maybe he's the hardest working man in hockey and very possibly a goalie to boot.

Posted by A.D. Amorosi @ 9:15 PM Permalink | Post a comment

ICE CUBE: Watch it! Accidents on the Dark Fields set.

POSTED: Wednesday, May 12, 2010, 8:00 PM

Filed Under: Ice Cubes | Movies On set

We know Bob De Niro's got another day on Dark Fields' set and that the whole she-bang should be finished filming in Philly by the end of May. We'll be sorry to see y'all Dark Fielders go but we need you guys to be more careful while you're here. Not only did we hear that De Niro busted some DelFrisco's glassware by accident during that shoot I mentioned on Monday. But days before that there was a minor unplanned auto accident not in the script when a cab swiped a minivan — both with New York state license plates — and knocked its mirror into pieces during a scene where Bradley Cooper vomits onto the street. Hey, I don't come to your house and puke in your garden, do I sport? (Thanks Ryan M for the info.) Now get out of town before you make more of a mess.

Posted by A.D. Amorosi @ 8:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

ICE CUBE: Questo reveals album details for The Roots and John Legend

POSTED: Wednesday, May 12, 2010, 6:20 PM

Filed Under: Ice Cubes | Music | Album Philly Bands

Remember that time in Icepack that ?uestlove exclusively dropped the dime on both The Roots' upcoming album and a little something-something special with his pal, John Legend? Well, the long-discussed Roots CD, How I Got Over?, FINALLY has a date — June 8 — on Def Jam, with its Legend-led songs "The Fire" and "Again" — the latter a redux from Legend's Once Again. Since I broke the Legend-ary news in Ice, a lot has changed. The album moved from June to September; now has a name — Wake Up — based on Philly's own Harold Melvin song "Wake Up Everybody"; a concept — social protest covers from the '60s and '70s; and some possible songs (Donny Hathaway's "Little Ghetto Boy," Les McCann/Eddie Harris' "Compared to What" and a tune Nina Simone made famous, "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free"). You can ask Questo and Legend about both albums next time you see The Roots at their picnic by the river, June 5 with Vampire Weekend and the Wu-Tang's Method Man, Ghostface Killah and Raekwon replacing the Run-DMC reunion. And check out Icepack tomorrow morning for more gossipy goodness.

Posted by A.D. Amorosi @ 6:20 PM Permalink | Post a comment

ICE CUBE: Arrested Celeb Boxing CEO says "C'mon, I'm the WWE of boxing."

POSTED: Wednesday, April 14, 2010, 9:15 PM

Filed Under: Ice Cubes

"There's not a prayer that we'd lose this," says CBF's lawyer, Chuck Peruto Jr.

celebrityboxing.tv

When news broke, including my story, that Celebrity Boxing Federation CEO Damon Feldman had to move his May 7 bout from Philly spaces (ballrooms, saloons, what-have-yous) to either New Jersey or Delaware because of his woes with the attorney general and the State Athletic Commission, it caused a shitstorm of media attention locally (FOX, Daily News' Saturday cover) and nationally (Inside Edition). Thanks, gents, for doing that heavy lifting. I'll take over from here. The same day I spoke with Feldman at South Philly Bar & Grille (much of which was off-the-record), he got arrested for rigging fights and staging events without a legit promoters' license by the PA Attorney General's Office. Why can't Feldman get a license? That question should probably be directed to Greg Serb, executive director of the Pennsylvania Athletic Commission. This may or may not be relevant, but: Serb fought in a few Feldman fights and there seems to be a personality clash between the two. No one in Feldman's camp digs The Serb, and jokes about his height are prevalent. No matter. The charges got lobbed at Feldman's CBF from the Attorney General's office that these were fixed fights and that he didn't have a license. He'd have to go to court to defend his silly livelihood. This all seems a waste of time for several reasons.Where women's matches were concerned, Feldman uses these oversize pillow-like gloves. NOBODY ever thought this was real boxing. Though Danny Bonaduce is a genuine scrapper, no audience member believed (at least I hope not) that Johnny Fairplay, Tonya Harding or John Wayne Bobbitt (all of whom fought in CBF matches) were for real. "C'mon, I'm the WWE of boxing," says Feldman. "Yes, I was in the legit boxing business at one time." Feldman fought under the name "the Jewish Bomber" and attempted, several years ago, to do legit boxing promotions, Broad Street Boxing with Jimmy Binns (detailed in a City Paper feature back in 2006). "But the Celebrity Boxing Federation — this is 100 percent entertainment and they know that. I'm an entertainer." "It's a waste of the commonwealth's time and money," says Feldman's new attorney, Chuck Peruto Jr., who spoke to me last night before he hit the courthouse in Folcroft and got a continuance on the strange case. Peruto didn't know all the niceties of the case (Bob Bush was the original attorney) and wants time to figure it all out. "I hadn't even seen the charges," Peruto Jr. told me. "But I can't see anything criminal here. There's not a prayer that we'd lose this." They better figure something out — Feldman is still set to host Jesse James' bitch Michelle "Bombshell" McGee fighting (rather than refereeing as once reported) with porn babe Gina Lynn at a NJ or Delaware location rather than North Philly's Club Polaris as originally intended. This one ain't over until the fat lady hits the other lady with a big pillowy glove.

Posted by A.D. Amorosi @ 9:15 PM Permalink | Post a comment

ICE CUBE: Boxing match erupts at Celebrity Boxing press conference

POSTED: Thursday, April 8, 2010, 10:30 PM

Filed Under: Ice Cubes

Photo | Scott Weiner

Last night in my neck of the woods — the sweet (pepper) spot where Pat's, Geno's and the South Philadelphia Bar & Grille reside — Damon Feldman's Celebrity Boxing Federation held a press conference regarding the Female Lightweight Championship bout we wrote as an Ice Cube earlier this week. Jon Gosselin's ex Hailey Glassman would fight XXX-film babe Gina Lynn in a bout refereed by friend to Nazis everywhere Michelle Bombshell McGee (Google Jesse James, Sandra Bullock and the most hated man in America if you don't recall where you know that last name) on May 7 at Club Polaris. That is until everything went to hell. First I found out from Feldman privately that his woes regarding the Pennsylvania State Boxing Commission (the thing that sent his CBF events packing to points north and west — including Massachusetts, Nevada and California) aren't over and that the May 7 gig was probably moving to either right over the bridge to NJ or down I-95 to Delaware. Either way, it's on and I'm calling the boxing commissioner Greg Serb asap. Then there was the matter of Glassman's attorney who produced a letter that read "I told you I wasn't coming and I don't support this. I have obligations due to the contract and I will attend the event because it's for charity." (A.D. says it's a local charity — Jasonsday.com — regarding Marfan Syndrome) "I stand strong for my belief in equality, regardless of race, color, religion, or national origin. I will not stand to be associated with anyone who is a Nazi, Anti-Semitic or racist." Feldman used to box — he was the Jewish Bomber when I met him — so he knows how to dance. Enter his pal Michael Lohan (Lindsay's dad), his new fiancÃ© (like this week) Kate Major (a gal pal of Glassman and a lady who also dated Gosselin — man, is the world small) and the idea that it'll be Major who fights Lynn (who is half Spanish and half Italian according to her and her husband Travis Knight). During this press conference Knight starts insulting Lohan for looking like a grandfather, Lohan takes off his shirt to reveal a wife beater tank top and suddenly: Mock fisticuffs ensue. Or guy slapping. It was very silly. And then... Oh, you know the ending already — these two will also fight; maybe May 7; maybe another night. Who knows, it was much too messy to tell. No matter — I'm on the horn to Serb today. There's no way he can stop this sort of entertainment from happening. Especially so close to my house. Want more gossip? Check out Icepack online at citypaper.net/icepack. RELATED >> Cooper and De Niro's co-star and boxing with the woman who bedded Bullock's hubby

neil pasquale

Posted 2010-08-20 23:38:16

this is better than the wwe. great job

Posted by A.D. Amorosi @ 10:30 PM Permalink | Post a comment

ICE CUBE: Cooper and De Niro's co-star and boxing with the woman who bedded Bullock's hubby

POSTED: Monday, April 5, 2010, 9:52 PM

Filed Under: Ice Cubes


Friel	McGee

Who cares if De Niro and Bradley Cooper (sorry, Brad you don't get one-name recognition yet. The Hangover wasn't all you) will eat at Union Trust and DelFrisco's while filming Neil Burger's new Dark Fields in a few weeks? The Hollywood Reporter let the cat out of the bag that the beautiful breath of fresh air that is Anna Friel (Land Of The Lost, Pushing Daisies) is in negotiations to co-star. Bob DeNiro: No. We're looking at her.

On the downside of girls-on-film-in-Philly, two weeks ago TMZ's television show mentioned that the Celebrity Boxing Federation (Phily expat Damon Feldman's company) was looking at Michelle "Bombshell" McGee, the tattooed bitch who slept with Nazi poseur Jesse James [aka, the (former?) Mr. Sandra Bullock] to do an event. It's still on, but not L.A. as assumed: It'll be May 7 at Club Polaris (460 N. Ninth St., that's the Starlight Ballroom to you R5-hanging hipsters). McGee will ref the bout between porn babe Gina Lynn and Hailey Glassman, ex-gal-pal of Jon Gosselin. Lynn and Glassman will be at South Philly Bar & Grille (1235 E. Passyunk Ave.) on April 7 if you want to meet them, which ... why? I'm hearing that McGee and Feldman will probably be in Philly together on May 4 or 5 before the duo head to a Howard Stern satellite radio show appearance.

Oy.

Want more gossip? Check out Icepack online at citypaper.net/icepack.

Posted by A.D. Amorosi @ 9:52 PM Permalink | Post a comment

« PREVIOUS | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18

Q&A with SHARI SOLANIS: "The goal isn't pornography"
What we're trying to do this weekend
SEXY TIME Q&A: I've never had an orgasm during sex with a man — and I'm 30!
NOW SEE THIS: Transit cop arrests marijuana activist for alleged disorderly conduct.
Q&A with Tony Goldwyn: "Life is gray, and relationships are, too"
CONCERT REVIEW: Primus (3D & quadraphonic sound) @ The Tower 10/17
ICEPACK ILLUSTRATED: The Archbishop meets the Geator, the Mayor goes suit shopping, Le Bec Fin fin.
ICEPACK ILLUSTRATED: Indian fare rules, Dunder Mifflin lives on, Tom Jones is a god
Q&A with Goon’s Seann William Scott
SWIMMING HOLES: Some of our favorite places to get wet

About this blog

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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