On the heels of June 5’s charity BBQ at Luna Farm for his Garces Foundation with wife Beatriz, Jose Garces is changing the rules a bit at his tony, ticketed Volvér. Not long ago, it was rumored Volvér would lift sanctions to raise reservation levels on off-hours and tempt diners perhaps confused by ticket policies. Starting this week, Volvér starts experimenting with $95 tasting menus for Wednesday/Thursday seatings between 6 and 8 p.m.during the usually slow summer months, to start. It’s a smaller, still-hearty take on Garces’ mega-performance dinner.
Tickets go on sale June 6 for Wynnewood-born glam rocker Joan Jett’s charity gig with The Who’s Roger Daltrey for Teen Cancer America at Kimmel Center, July 28 (www.Kimmelcenter.org)
Craig Grossman (of Goldman Properties) and Shepard Fairey at Wall Ball 2014 at Union Transfer. Credit: Courtesy Steven Baranowski
News from Philadelphia Mural Arts’ 10th annual fundraising Wall Ball at Union Transfer. Graphic-art guru Shepard Fairey picked up a Tony Goldman Visionary Award (an award Philly’s M. Night Shyamalan would’ve shared except he couldn’t attend due to a rumored last minute meeting in Hollywood), spun records with Cosmo Baker, hung with pals from the Space 1026 collective such as Andrew Jeffrey Wright, and told anyone within earshot he was considering making another mural (like that which he wheat-pasted onto Fishtown’s Rocket Cat Café) in Philly this summer. On Mural Arts’s front, Jenn McCreary – an exec with Jane Golden’s organization since 2004 – is leaving to pursue her dream, a long-fulminating poetry project funded by a Pew Foundation grant.
Seen on the Scene
Filitalia International Museum opens at 18th and E. Passyunk Avenue with Fox 29’s Sue Serio. Credit: Courtesy Kory Aversa
The Roots Picnic at the refurbished Festival Pier was a stone-soul groove with its backstage area a family-and-friends blast: DJ RJD2, Doug E. Fresh (who hit the stage with Rahzel for a surprise version of “La Di Da Di”) and notorious rap impresario Suge Knight (spotted by many, unconfirmed by Live Nation). While the Picnic started, Philly-expatriate Diplo, who played that venue Friday, hit the hoops outside the Palumbo Recreation Center on my block.
When Filitalia International Museum opened at 1834 E. Passyunk Ave, Fox 29’s Sue Serio got there early and helped cut the ribbon on the Italian immigration museum.
Art Sanctuary closed its 30th Celebration of Black Writing at Temple U’s Performing Arts Center with a Lifetime Achievement prize for author Earnest Gaines and the Gamble & Huff Award for Excellence in Songwriting, presented by its namesakes to Philly’s platinum-plated producing team Carvin Haggins & Ivan Barias with Ledisi in the house. These honors also included a tribute to the late Dr. Maya Angelou who passed right before the ceremony.
Carvin Haggins, Ivan Barias, Valerie Gay and Kenny Gamble at Temple University Performing Arts Center. Credit: Courtesy of Megan R. Smith
