Pressler's Miscellany

by Julie Gerstein

R.I.P. Caribbean Rhythms. Last week was the dub, reggae and dancehall night's last turn at Gasoline. Fans of Jamaican Dave and co. shouldn't worry too much, though--Jamaican Dave Productions will be busy organizing the One Love Festival, slated to happen at the Electric Factory this June. Just one in a loooong line of upcoming summerfests and mega-tours, One Love will bring Toots and the Maytals, Luciano, Mikey General and a host of other reggae and soca superstars. >> Saturday (May 4), the Ex Models will work it on the Khyber stage along with tour partners the Seconds. The Models, in case you haven't heard, have gained a modest following among the Magnet magazine set for their post-punk aesthetic and striking debut record Other Mathematics. Magnet's typically dramatic take: "Sounds like Devo being chased by a mountain lion. Other Mathematics is an adrenaline shot: desperate measures for desperate times." And we thought it was just good music. >> Speaking of Magnet: Prior to his in-store at Tower Tuesday night, ex-Replacement Paul Westerberg did a photo shoot at the Standard Tap for an upcoming Magnet cover. >> This month's Kirsten Dunst-loving Vanity Fair gives props to Space 1026's upcoming show at the ICA with a blurb in the May calendar section. The magazine gets it only sort of right when they say the ICA will feature"Sixteen graphic and computer artists who are partly inspired by 'adolescent notebook art.'" But how neat is it that the Space is getting so much national attention? Soon it'll be Andrew Jeffrey Wright on the cover in low-cut Armani. If you can't wait till the ICA opening (May 10) to get your 1026 fix, consider the Dynamo/ Brian Ralph show this First Friday (May 3). Ralph--a Rhode Island School of Design graduate, along with fellow 1026'ers Wright and Ben Woodward--and the Dynamo team will explore ideas related to travel to strange places. >> If you weren't on the ball enough to get tickets to the sold-out Belle and Sebastian show this Friday at the Tower Theatre (guilty as charged) take heart: The Mask and Wig club is hosting a post-show party featuring the DJ stylings of Dave Pianka, Magnetique's Jeff and B&S superstar Chris Geddes (the cute one on the cover of Boy With the Arab Strap). >> On Saturday Coup d'Etat recording artist J-Live will guest DJ at Aqua Lounge's monthly hip-hop party Body Rock. J-Live's much-hyped new album, All of the Above, produced at Jazzy Jeff's Touch of Jazz studio, was rated "exceptional" in the May issue of Vibe (check out page 158). >> Also on Friday, neo-Dischord band Q and Not U, along with local dudes AM/FM and the Sound of Failure, play a show at the First Unitarian Church to benefit the Books Through Bars program. BTB, a nonprofit dedicated to providing prisoners with educational and informational reading material, asks that attendees bring a new or used dictionary or educational text to the show for donation. For more info about the group, contact killthemail@yahoo.com. >> On Tuesday (May 7) the South Philly branch of the Settlement Music School breaks ground on the 2.15 million Field Chamber Music Center. The Bella Vista landmark, which is known for 1) having more than a slight obsession with South Philly crooner Mario Lanza and 2) providing quality music education to youngsters, was able to expand after a $500,000 contribution from Joseph Field, a former Settlement student. >> Ex-Wilco songwriter/ guitarist Jay Bennett was sporting a truly hideous mustache at last Friday's Tin Angel show, but he brought along a choice songbook, which he and partner Edward Burch ran down with acoustic guitars and close-knit harmonies. The showstoppers were the two songs--"Shakin' Sugar" and "Venus Stopped the Train"--that Bennett wrote with Jeff Tweedy for the just-out Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. That the songs didn't wind up on the album explains, in part, why Bennett is no longer in Wilco. >> Members of the Faint and the boys of No Doubt partied hard. Wednesday's Art Conspiracy party at Silk City. We're told Gwen Stefani's ex-boyfriend Tony Kamal also made it over to Tribecca for some after-hours action. >> Carlotta Ttendant, the host of Gay Bingo and the Big Mess Caberet, called to let us know about ActionAIDS' 15th anniversary celebration Sunday (May 5), which she'll be hosting. Treats include a premiere of Jillian Ringle's new show Shut Up and Kiss Me at the Troc, and DJ K-Tell--who spins at Bob and Barbara's and works as an AIDS activist--will be on hand to mix things up. It's $15 and it's for a good cause.

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