As we enter yet another episode of Celebrity Rehab, from one downtown Brooklyn dude to the rest of the county.
Tonight we had a couple rounds of Scrabble at Zombie Hut where you had plenty of people wishing they were funny but instead spouting off ridiculously offensive stereotype jokes. There was also a who's balls were bigger discussion about American whiskey; they were making ignorant fun of the wonderfully awesome Tuthilltown distillery and questioning its brilliance while acting as if they knew everything about liquor without the earnest inquisitiveness that real connoisseurs would exude.
I managed "apex" and aimed for "moxie" on the board gameness but was overturned on the latter due to a bad fit. All this greatness on Bookworm leaves me a terrible Scrabble player still.
Anywho, there was a man who was both Italian and Asian. His obnoxious friends tried to determine whether he was "hairy" which in a public venue, one person should probably never ask another person. Couple that with some INTENSE cologne/perfume coming from another group coming in and you know I had to switch to PBR to keep it real. At least Scrooged was playing on the projector screen. Bill Murray is always a good distraction right?
Anywho, as we walked through the neighborhood on such a brisk night, we passed two men by Bar Great Henry where one said to the other, "Dude I don't know if I want to go over to that girl's place". So many contexts to this one but I guess he's shy.
Shopping in Downtown Brooklyn is down and dirty (at least for now). One would never think that there would be enough to warrant a nice sheen when it comes to a little press and marketing; the charm is that it's a microcosm that isn't neatly packaged.
However, surprisingly the Metrotech BID, who is trying to champion the neighborhood that alternately is the hottest neighborhood in Brooklyn and one of those areas where nobody knows really where/what it is, has fashioned a sort of organized flow chart for the holiday season. So if you know you can get your family something at Macy's or Jimmy Jazz, or any sneakers to speak of, maybe you'll take a look and enter the Holidays in the Heart of Brooklyn sweepstakes. This includes 2 nights in the Sheraton awkwardly situated among scaffolding currently; dinner at Morton's (which is the kicker for me), and a nice discount at the TKTS.
So the microsite is nice and the Facebook page is really well done considering it just started and they invested into a little creative work and some decent messaging/copy even with only 92 likes. You enter the sweepstakes on Facebook (although Wildfire's application can be used on the microsite as well but they chose to funnel traffic I'm guessing) and take a look at their shopping guide.
Two things about this guide: one, it's nice that all the local businesses I see are getting holiday cheery with small discounts across the board, whether dining, apparel, etc.
The other thing is though; how do we ask for the discount? Do we just print out the section where they are listed? Do half of these businesses know they are doing discounts? It's not like Tanger outlets or Woodbury Commons where everything is name brand and part of a larger real estate structure. I know that's what this shopping guide is supposed to do, organize into a bigger marketing picture, but I'm just a little skeptical that I'm actually going to get "10%" at Jack's Barber Shop down the street. 10% of what? 10% of a haircut? 10% of the barber's mind?
Exciting stuff but not quite there yet. Although I did 'like' the Facebook page and would love to see it develop from a good digital strategy. Until then, there's always the scrappy Downtown Brooklyn Facebook page...
Downtown Ale House has taken over the former spot of Taino Soleil and this is good news for DoBrah folks who still feel like they need just a little extra something to get their options flowing. I see a new nabe spot although Taino Soleil had a spirit all its own.
So here we go, there's a slightly full range of scrumptious food including 3o cent Sunday wings and reasonably priced apps and burgers. An ale house should mean some selection which it does have currently listed on the site. There is plenty of space and some TVs leftover from the previous incarnation so I see a bright future ahead with sports involved maybe. Anywho, the space is needed to help build some sort of nightlife surrounding the Fulton Mall. This plus the Shake Shack, although miles away in terms of hype, constitutes some place for people to go and eat or drink after hours and should draw some attention due to the proximity to an important piece of real estate in the area. The actual block this is on isn't the best but it's a good space and from the photos it seems like they were able to put a lot of materials from Taino to use.
I will definitely stop by at some point! Oh did I mention Tuesday Karaoke? Tuesdays are always the new Thursdays...
I always wondered which bar has the tiniest bathroom in New York. Vittorio's in the West Village has a bathroom the size of a pea and it's kinda hilarious.
The Sackett I don't think is the smallest, but I was pleasantly surprised at the proximity of everything within a forearm's distance. There are two different kinds of pros with large and small bathrooms. Large bathrooms make you feel like it's a sanctuary, where you get away from the hubbub of socializing or looking at anyone but yourself (if they have a mirror).
The small bathrooms are just kind of funny to me, it's like they shoved a bathroom into a space where it wasn't really meant to be. You could probably wash your hands while doing whatever. Turn one way, your nose is to the wall. Turn the other way, you're kissing the mirror. Turn a third way, you notice the small details and nicks and chips of the door.
I know this is quite a bit just discussing bar bathrooms, but hey it's early Saturday afternoon.
Anywho, I've been wanting to hit up the Sackett for a hot second and finally got the chance to grab a drink there with the better half while walking down 4th Ave. toward the Union R stop. It's very unassuming with little fan fare and the space feels immediately intimate. We were both into it for sure, although there was a lot of "totally"s taking up the adverbage between these two women at the bar and I couldn't figure out what exactly they was referring to. It's neatly laid out, small, cozy, wonderful jukebox, and ripe for casual conversations (but not encounters I don't think). It's a great place for pairs, triples and quads, as you sit and talk about your favorite movies and stuff.
The best word to describe The Sackett would be compact; there are no frills and everyone kind of keeps to themselves. The prices are reasonable, and like Abilene, Genny Cream Ale exists in the gullet of their selection.
I have a hankering to compare it to bars such as Buttermilk or 4th Ave. Pub or Black Sheep Pub but it's got it's own thing going for sure. Perfect for a nightcap from Union Hall (depending on how you're feeling).
Favorite bathroom songs has to include this right?
I was walking with my girlfriend this evening down Jay/Smith Street north of Atlantic and we passed by the jail vehicle entrance.
Now whoever lives at 75 Smith or the Nu Hotel sitting there (they managed to put out a chalkboard stand harping on 5 dollar martinis even though nobody is ever in the first floor bar) must either feel uneasy watching buses of handcuffed persons come in across the street or totally fascinated that in the middle of a yuppified neighborhood there's still a reminder of the county courts a couple blocks north, holding all the anger, frustration, and fateful legal discourse of one of the most dynamic areas in the country. Was that a run-on sentence?
Anywho, a man quietly approached us and said, "Excuse me buddy, but could you spare a quarter, I just got out of jail." I unfortunately did not even have any change on me as we were just escorting a friend a few blocks to Atlantic. He was wearing a classically ugly holiday sweater, which reminded me of a wonderfully hideous sweater I have in my closet that I cannot wait to wear. I wondered how long he had been lingering around the jail; I'm assuming a few hours if he was processed during normal work hours but I could be completely wrong.
I wondered what his next step was along with what he could have possibly done to land in jail. Hopefully he gets where he's going. It isn't superbly cold tonight, but to exit an unfamiliar (or maybe familiar) environment with nothing on you, I can't imagine the numerous things that go through your mind. Since I'm assuming nobody was there to greet him upon his exit, the feeling of being alone and out there in the night has to be a little crushing. His explanation that he was in jail probably would turn people off but it was meant to grab a little sympathy I think.
Then again, he could have been dangerous. I apologized anyway and passed him on the corner as he slowly walked without a sense of direction, searching for another sympathetic ear.
Conan is better than ever by the way, or if you want SEO-optimized I guess I should say Conan is the funniest late night show on TV.
Nope that dog run for Downtown Brooklyn might not get going until there's a little more oomph in the petitions, however, ever since the Metrotech here in Downtown Brooklyn decided to open up to vehicles (if there was a hospital in there and your wife was going into labor they STILL probably wouldn't let you in) I'm curious to see how traffic patterns will change.
The B54 bus that bobs and shakes to Ridgewood in Queens but also travels down Myrtle will be cutting across the Metrotech Center, part of a diversion and also part of a future revamped Jay Street-Borough Hall subway station. You know, because the areas a changin'.
What's awesome is that there is so much good stuff happening on Dekalb and Myrtle in general. I could cross over Flatbush in about 3 minutes but it's pretty awesome to add yet another transportation arm; it's what makes this area really fantastic, given we have all the subway lines except 3 (not including shuttles) and a gazillion buses at Fulton.
In more news, Filene's Basement is coming to the Fulton Mall, as well as a long-awaited Shake Shack. All that hubbub over the changes is definitely starting to come to pass. CityPoint is setting up shop online with a new One Dekalb retail center (in the old Albee Square about two blocks away), which actually will be close enough to the point where the quiet blocks of the Metrotech are probably going away over the next couple of years.
That was the most interesting thing about the B54, starting to see more traffic through the Metrotech, I gotta make sure I look both ways again. It was nice to have a super quiet block, serene next to the mall. It's still quiet for sure, but I definitely want to not only see the changes, but feel them as well.
NY Perks will always trump whatever you're doing. Kevin Barry's probably does as well during the eve, but what's great about NY Perks is that it's been there for years probably giving a big middle finger to Bar Tabac (hell I would anyway). Actually Ceol is probably giving a big middle finger to Bar Tabac too. Anywho, Perks has some scares lined up for Halloween Eve tonight with 2 for 1 Grey Goose drinks from 9 to 11 which is a good way to scare any embarrassment you MIGHT have about your costume. Ladies are free before midnight and men probably aren't but you knew you were paying dude, Halloween and New Year's are the easiest reasons to do covers at the door.
You know it's going to be serious. It's like the Van Wilder Halloween party, not the lame Richard Halloween party. You wouldn't want Tara Reid in any case.
For more, go to NY Perks official site and additional info from here.
There have been a couple of well meaningarticles on The Fulton Mall lately, with the stiff-as-morning-wood Wall Street Journal and the less dreamy New York Observer putting for their respective thoughts on how the strip will come about in the next few years. WSJ says, well big chains and big money are signalling a "rebirth" happening next to the religious squawking by Hoyt and the NYO says, well if you look at your facts, the Other Kings Plaza is already cream of the crop in terms of sales and general foot traffic (although the Arby's shutting down in a matter of months is kind of a shame).
What bothers me is that everything is seen from a perspective of upscale is better. Big developers are better. Gentrification is better. Shifting the overall "populace" in the area is better. "Catering" to the new residents literally a block or two away is a better, brighter future. Who comes up with that bullshit? I'm not saying an H&M is a bad thing; functionally they provide affordable clothing with a little style to boot. Although Aeropostale is totally lame. As the NYO points out though, there's nothing actually wrong with the Fulton Mall, and what's more frustrating, it's actually comparable to the best shopping the city has to offer. Living a block from the mall actually reminds me of Fulton Street in the city where I lived around the corner from 3 million dollar bonuses in suits as well as low end clothing/fast food with a heavy immigrant population.
Brownstoner's reader comments on the article are spot on and probably articulate what I want to say better. What the WSJ is missing (and what I was hoping the NYO was more fiercely vocal about, although hey, this isn't blogging right, it's journalism?) is a sense that The Fulton Mall serves a much greater purpose that they failed to realize. They also treat the strip as if it needs a total overhaul because well, it's not gentrified enough. As the NYO pointed out, whatever dirtbag wrote the WSJ piece is not writing it from the perspective that the mall is a viable, competitive, and highly sustainable economy for working class and middle class folks (with a decidedly disheveled and quite awesome Macy's) equal to strips in the city, it's from the perspective that it needs to be cleaned up and upscaled, using the new "type" of resident as part of the reasoning. It's just so dismissive and it bugs me; that's how powerful words can be, one way or the other. I guess causing me to blog isn't exactly mindblowing but hey I could be shopping for Halloween candy so the kids in the building don't think we're trolls.
As a person who is part of a new community settling into the neighborhood, I wholeheartedly, except for welcoming an H&M and stores that would fit well into the current state, reject this way of thinking about the Fulton Mall. I stand behind the fact that I can get a much better selection of what I want at the Fulton Mall than the Atlantic Center (although I do love me some Pathmark). I stand behind the fact that I can foster a newfound interest in snazzy kicks at Foot Action, Foot Locker, AND Finish Line. I stand behind the fact that there are stores that sell DVDs, jewelry, shoes, and cell phones AT THE SAME TIME. I stand behind the fact that you have the easiest selection of fast food joints ever for those who eat fast. It's like, when did the idea of good shopping (read: affluent) get in the way of the naturally existing economy of the past several decades?
Does the article add to the long list of excitable press surrounding the area? Sure. Is it an interesting outlook? Certainly, considering the development of the area. Yet, does it take into account anything beyond appearances of white it could be? No. The half-assedness of it is the most blatant diss.
Am I the exception rather than the rule when it comes to new residents wanting a gentrified mall? I hope not, but if I am, I'm at least urging people to really not shop at Aeropostale. Seriously.
Ok maybe that was a terrible headline but don't blame me, I'm working on a Glenfiddich and feeling brave.
Let me give you the skinny on this kooky quirk: you have a lot of menus. You use the computer. You may even have one of those fancy iPhonez (I'm looking at you Szyzska). Why not trade in all that clutter for one all encompassing digital menu? Seamless Web, one of the oldest online food ordering services, is putting you to the test and turning your no-cooking into artistic gold, collecting menus from across New York and commissioning an artist to fashion something awesome out of it for the Brooklyn Flea next weekend (not this weekend, next weekend, I always say that for some reason as if I don't trust someone's ability to put my time frame in context). It's Less Paper, More Eat and below you'll find a nice schedule of where the Seamless Web truck is stopping so you can hand in your papers; it all starts on Monday (Oct. 18th, that's this coming Monday, not the Monday after).
As an additional incentive, if you've never ordered from them you can get 10 clams off your first ever attempt with the SW. Don't worry; all the menu items from your actual takeout menu are indeed on their menus.
Brooklyn Flea has had plenty of local restaurants set up shop to feed the hip masses but this stunt is probably the biggest I've heard in terms of actually taking advantage of Brooklyn's hippest. All I know is, whatever art Mr. Kevin O'Callaghan conjures up, is it safe to say it's going to be half Asian?
COME ON that was pretty good.
October 18th – Union Square – 11:30am-7:30pm
October 19th – Columbus Circle – 11:30am-7:30pm
October 20th – Madison Square Park – 11:30am-7:30pm
October 21st – Lexington Avenue between 57th and 58th Street – 11:30am-7:30pm
October 22nd – Washington Square Park – 11:30am-7:30pm
You see Elvis on the right? That's actually a real lookalike staring through a cut out frame in the wall. No I only had one beer.
I was invited to a shindig at Graceland Tattoo, an Elvis haven (per one of the owner's favorite icons) in Greenpoint that also doubles as a serious hair salon. It's the kind of place that I could probably see myself hanging out in any day of the week. The hyper punk music streams loud and clear as people line up to get a $50 special; the artists and hairstylists were all booked very quickly for the day. I had a can of PBR as I mulled over in my head the funky decor, scissors and horseshoes cemented into the floor, and friendly owners who greeted everyone.
The Lorimer L stop, kind of a pseudo middle ground between what starts to become East Williamsburg and Greenpoint to the north, I feel has a lot of tat shops around and not only that, some of the best reviewed ones on Yelp. I think Graceland has the chops to hold its own even as the immediate area is still developing a bit. It comes from a great pedigree from both sides of the business (ties from East Side Ink and Mudhoney) and it fits right in with the neighborhood. There's something very casual and free about it; everything is simply and economically laid out and it's cozy; again, I feel it's a place I could just hang out and shoot the shit with the folks.
Another thing was a lady was getting her hair did and took a smoke break while her highlights settled in. She quipped, "Yeah everyone wants to get their hair done in the middle of a party right?" I know nothing about hair really; all I know is that mine is awesome and I never know what to do with it. Watching the process was fascinating and totes fun y'all. Check out this video below from those jesters at ABC 7 and also since they were playing the Buzzcocks Singles Going Steady I've provided a cut.
Note: you really only have to watch the first 30 seconds of this, after that it's on loop. Also, this past week's episode had a new, funny variation from Pauly and Vinny.
When I was in high school and then college, the guys used to always have strange mundane things that became in-jokes, or rather, less than in-jokes, just something we would shout about or whatever. Mostly expletives in high school, then a more refined nonsense in college and random nicknames. Everyone has these, but we definitely did it to the point of annoyance, but that's what made the urge even stronger. And we did it loud.
What impressed me about the past couple episodes of MTV's Jersey Shore was that the guys started getting into "It's T-Shirt Time", something to just repeat over and over again instead of conversation because you know, they are getting ready to get ripped. It's awesomely childish and they've managed to work in their pre-game process into the mix. I will definitely be getting this as my new ringtone (Glee's version of Don't Stop Believing probably has worn out it's welcome). It's to assert a collectiveness through chant. Very old school.
Anywho, since we're not frolicking in the hotness that is Miami (at least my girlfriend confirms that), and since Brooklyn is full of the mid-60s weather today, it's officially time to turn over to "It's Hoodie Time." I love hoodies, and the collection is starting to grow, half of them free so far, but I've made some choices that I would consider fashionable over the last while. I've got kinds of hoodies, but none of them are hip, don't worry hardcore fans would be down with it. You can call it a hooded sweatshirt but I won't just because it's too many syllables and I'm lazy. I think a good hoodie does include pockets or that kangaroo pocket if it's not a zip up, but that's just for functionality so you can hide your hands and scratch your belly in secret. If you have cargo shorts on, A+ for leaving legs exposed and over-covering the top. Hardcore dude. My girlfriend calls me on it every time and I just smile and shrug my shoulders. I was never about a sensible fashion, but you'll see glimpses every once in a while. Super casual though.
There's your sentimental old zip up dirty hoodie, only really good for occasions of workmanlike demeanor.
There's your wacky ghetto hoodie, as evidenced by the baby blue zip up (all the way, so I look like an alien) with Superman logos and dollar signs in equal proportion.
There's your hoodie-that-no-one-else-has, a comfortable pullover with boxing gloves printed on the front as if they were hanging from your neck.
There's your Blade Trinity promo hoodie. Well that's not much to be desired.
There's your....wait I take it back I have one hip hoodie. Venture Bros. hoodie. Wait I have a Williams Street hoodie too. The hipness NOOOO....
There's your two Patriots hoodies, one with just the old school logo to match my leg. Is that necessary (or to make it a joke, is tat necessary)? Well I'm a fan so it is. Don't worry, The Town might only win one or no Oscars this year, you know how they don't really award thriller/dramas too often.
Promo Smashing Pumpkins hoodie. Second incarnation, and not relevant. Promo Fracture hoodie. Because Ryan Gosling is a great actor right?
Descendents hoodie from shady-looking online store. It's the hoodie that provides the most coverage of the head area but also makes my legs look short because well it goes down to my frickin' knees.
Yelp Elite hoodie, which is kind of like my small tight hoodie in case you need to floor punch or just look like you need a slightly bigger hoodie. It's cool looking, so I dig and I wear.
RPI hoodie, just to represent upstate NY that isn't Buffalo. "Where are you from?" - "Albany." "Oh I know someone from Buffalo." - "That's 5 hours away with totally different accents."
Sweater vest hoodie, you know, in case people have tickets to the bare arms show.
I'm not a size 29 waist so threadbare hoodies aren't really my thing; they should be substantial either in style or thickness in my humble opinion. The thin ones seem a little too much about the fashion and loose the warmth and initial purpose of something so down-to-earth. It could also be really understated too. But please don't be an Ed Hardy hoodie. I'll have to kick you in the peen for that, who decided glittery prints of someone's doodle pad and an occasional tiger was a good idea?
A good hoodie feels right: it doesn't restrict you like a coat or jacket, and you can look SO angry in one. You don't know what's going on with a guy or girl who has an awesome hoodie on, you just know they are covered. Especially in places like Brooklyn or the city or wherever where walking is essential most of the time, there's like a palpable time for it, and that's when I start to talk about it as if it's some awesome concert I'm going to and befuddle any sane person around me. They give you weight, this street appropriate attire, it's like a letterman jacket post high school. And for me personally, it's just been somewhat a part of the fashion that some of the music I like gravitates toward. Loves me some hoodies.
The NYC transit system is finding more and more ways to annoy me, but I actually am surprised at how little I've been angry at it lately. Sure, now trains wait for others across the platform, service changes derail getting to places in a timely fashion, but for some reason, the G train I think runs fairly well.
I think the one thing that bothers me irrationally about subway stations is the size of the steps on the stairwells. It's not the stations' faults, it's a combination of my height the depth of the steps. They either aren't deep enough, not shallow enough. When I run up one by one, I feel like I'm getting nowhere and expending too much energy for stairs. Maybe it's the bouncing from step to step in a straight line and with each step because they are a hair too small you're like, "when am I ever going to get to the top?"
Going two steps at a time is good though, but I feel like I've had a couple of pairs of ripped jeans solely because of that. Maybe I should just take my time on the stairs and walk slow, that way the pace matches the actual progression up the stairs.
Yet, I've been caught too many times going up or down the stairs behind someone who I determine is walking TOO slow. What is too slow you ask? Tough question, but part of my perception correlates to if I think the person in front of me is capable of moving with a little more speed and just is being leisurely or incredibly safe. I dunno. All I know is if I'm charging up step by step and a person is taking their time, those two put together make me feel like I'm running in place even more. The bigger the stairs the better I feel actually, such as Atlantic-Pacific.
Slow news week? Yeah you guessed it.
Photo courtesy of APP.com. If you click on that link, it's a pretty awesomely weird story. I dare you.
I love noodles. I love pasta. Barring several favorite foods, I think I could eat any form of noodles at any time. I just ate some pasta salad tonight. It was extremely awesome.
I was walking down 5th Ave. and noticed that a new Naruto Ramen (there's another one in Manhattan) whose "grund opening" this week on Sept. 10th (yes it's complete with typo on the door) is awesome punk rock music to my ears. It's no St. Mark's noodle house (the dishes are a little more expensive but hopefully just as good) but definitely something new to bring to the neighborhood to liven up the food options. The menu is somewhat limited in comparison as well but think of it as something to take out or a quick bite of what I kind of call Asian soul food.
There's just something to the idea that you can have something chewy and soft and in the case of long noodles, a large, unending type of food that sauce and other collective ingredients adhere to, along for the ride into my tummy. Carbonara, chow fun, whatever it is. Bowls and bowls of noodles. Noodles noshing around yum yum yum yum...
Here's the front of the takeout menu:
Fish cakes and boiled eggs, that's not what Maryland does.
Speaking of delicious, here's some Hi-Standard with special appearances by Fat Mike and No Use For A Name:
A couple of things that I may be in attendance for, so much to do, so little time on a Sunday.
The friends at SCRATCHbread and their insanely delicious concoctions are not only at the Brooklyn Flea every weekend but they happen to throw their own events. I can't say where this next one is held so if you sign up for their SCRATCHbread newsletter you just may get the scoop on these assemblies (we have that right as 'Mericans). Also, if you're into the whole social play of grassroots funding for businesses, check out their 'Right to Deliciousness' campaign on KickStarter.com, a cool way of getting support for your cause, whatever it may be. Since Brooklyn is all about homegrown businesses (have you seen West Brooklyn lately?) maybe it will trend as well as Groupon has.
The other thing is Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum who helps sponsor Williamsburg jelly pool parties with some very good bands over the course of several Sundays this summer. I doubt newfangled hipsters would appreciate Cap'n Jazz, but hey, I'm not here to flick snob snot at anyone (they did not end up playing due to weather). For more on Sailor Jerry, go to their official site.
I'm a huge fan of the Scott Pilgrim vs. The World comic book series written by Bryan Lee O'Malley (he's sort of Asian, much like myself). I was handed one on a recommendation from Berman Bothers himself, Loni Berman, and spent several of the next few subway rides rolling through each volume (they take about an hour to read through, very quick, like cheetah). Scott Pilgrim and his merry cohorts in their band Sex Bob-omb inhabit a hilarious, anime/gamer infused world that's a highly stylish, boy-dream setting for a charming and breezy romantic comedy. Mr. Pilgrim has the hots for Ramona Flowers, is being chased by Knives Chau, and is forced to fight Ramona's 7 evil ex-boyfriends (well one of them is well read it! Or watch the movie).
You have Michael Cera (not my first choice to play Scott) and all sorts of fun supporting cast members. What's great about the comic and hopefully what's great about the movie, which comes out tomorrow, is that even if you're not into the references and style, you understand the manic nature suits the story well and gives it a wacky bravado. I'm excited as any, and it's a great way to end the summer in my opinion. If it disappoints, I'll have to hadouken the theater usher.
In celebration of this film adaptation, I have two t-shirts to give away courtesy of Universal Pictures! You can see what they look like below. One is for guys (red). One is for girls (black). Both are size large. You want to go to there.
Guy Shirt: Red Scott Pilgrim T-shirt with full Scott Pilgrim logo on front and “An epic of epic epicness” tagline on back. Girl Shirt: Black ladies t-shirt with lighting Bomb logo on the front and Scott Pilgrim logo on back nape of neck.
(I'll get pictures up tomorrow)
Now, for those of you who know our very own resident film critic, Roger Ebert's absolute favorite (from FilmCritic.com no less, featured on the homepage) Chris Cabin, you know he wishes he were Scott Pilgrim. Michael Cera too, but I'd rather be Chris Evans. He also owes me a beer from my birthday, so we'll as usual set him up with a Chris Cab-tion contest. You know the drill; comment to enter to win:
"I'll extinguish you"
For more, visit the pretty sweet official website. Or, just do like I do and play Scott Pilgrim Punchout until your head explodes. Basically there's a ton of cool things to check out and I would expect nothing less from an Edgar Wright directed film.
I'll consider all entries through Monday August 16th. Maybe a day after. Who knows?
Saw this today, not sure how long it's been up, pretty chill on a summer Friday while getting a gyro from the Souvlaki House. I think this block is the one that will be turned into yet another huge, sky-swallowing building in the area.
Unfashionably late with self-gratifying pictures of my friends at Siren Festival 2010, which had a decidedly less superstar lineup. Then again, Ted Leo disappointed somewhat with a set of non-favorites. Anywho, by the time the hot sun dried me out like Mercury, I was ready to go home and watch episodes of The First 48. I thought Earl Greyhound was bank and defined some badassery.
Themed parties are almost always a good time if there's enough support and a good build (theme decor, good venue, willing participants). Even bad theme parties are kind of funny/depressing in their own way. The idea is that if you are willing to devote a night (or a weekend, or possibly weeks) to something you didn't create/nostalgia/embarrassment/letting loose, you should look out for more theme parties, especially among hipsters. Because they love a good, ironic time.
Yesterday was a Full House of activity, going to beach, getting burned, going to a great barbeque in Ozone Park, seeing a friend get harassed by two men on children's bikes, and wonton love of a show that for all intensive purposes was just cheesy (save a few moments) and had no sense of what high school was actually like: Saved By The Bell.
Don't get my wrong; I enjoy SBTB a lot. I liked it growing up, and I still enjoy watching it in the morning before work. I don't own the series like Pat Craig does, but that's ok.
The Bell House being an amazing venue was the perfect place for a Saved By The Bell dance, where 3 dollars for every ticket went to oil relief. By the time the main part of the dance was over and The Bayside Tigers wrapped up their set, there was a real dance party in the front lounge. Everything is just set up well.
I was wearing my Malibu Sands shirt thinking 8 other people would be wearing it but I was dead wrong. Half the people didn't dress up, the other half were a mix of 3 really dressed up people and 100 semi-dressed up people. Leotards, skinny suspenders, light jeans, I couldn't help but wonder if this was 1994, or people just thought it was an 80s party. Because there has to be a difference right? Reagan vs. Clinton? Shit I should have worn my chain wallet. And brought like a copy of Swingers. Or something. Empire Records by the way is one of the top 10 worst movies ever. I stand by that wholeheartedly.
Folks who bought a ticket received one free vodka lemonade drink ticket and a view of strobe lights and a huge Bayside logo where you could take your picture and feel like a has been actor. "Man in the Mirror" and "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" and other tunes got the dance floor slightly going but everything was surprisingly pretty chill (the dance party in the front was way more solid, Union Pool-ish in a way). The Bayside Tigers played all 90s alt-rock hits; I called 3 of them (Blur, Harvey Danger, and Lit) and we sung most of them throughout. At least they played Bosstones and Blink 182 right?
There were some crazy ladies, some drunk ladies, and a wider age range than usual, probably 21 to 36. Everything was just a lot of fun, it didn't sell out, there was room to dance, I actually listened to suburban 90s alt-rock (except for godamn 3 doors down, god they suck, rembrandts, suck, gin blossoms, double suck for being catchy, eve 6, suck, all played by these bands), and you had just enough characters (yes you lady in the flower top just going batshit crazy, it's a band covering Oasis, not actually Oasis) to make the people watching interesting. When they started playing 3 Doors Down, I kid you not half the people went to go get a drink. People have spoken.
A young woman seemed to twist or land on her ankle the wrong way and I helped get her to the comfortable couch by the side of the stage. There was also a group who came up to me and asked for my picture because I looked EXACTLY (their word) like their friend from LA. I guess I'm not the only Asian with a normal haircut.
The bar moved quick, everyone was having fun, there were cupcakes out front from Robicelli's where you can find all over west Brooklyn and a couple of other locations including the new dessert shop Farmacy on Henry Street in Carroll Gardens.
All in all, a very fun experience and worth it. And btdubs, there are several other clubs in the area. And I still want to go to Canal Bar on 3rd Avenue. They are really trying to turn Gowanus into like a Brooklynized meatpacking aren't they?
The good friends at The Music Slut have been whoring it out for 5 years now. Keeping up with new music is no joke, and if it weren't for internet weblogs such as TMS, well I'd miss out on a possibly inconsequential generation of music right? But that's just me being a music snob. TMS is having a music show in honor of this 5 year mark, details later on.
The Music Slut is no frills music news from across the landscape and they support lots of wonderful music videos; kind of like a really indie Subterranean but in blog form. Lots of dedication on the parts of these men and women and possible minors here to cull info from all angles and give it to you straight up. You don't need Twitter when you have TMS; you get all your tasty morsels with visuals to boot, and it's quick strike. They may have started out a little wordier, but it's been honed to just the facts Jack. I've been reading their first posts, very nostalgic.
5 years is a long time coming, so congrats you guys and gals. In 2005, I was starting the last bit of college, and graduating to more hardcore shows. Alkaline Trio released Crimson (by that point I was doing the whole "I'm only going to listen up to a certain album" thing becaues I was lazy) and there are albums that I still listen to that I consider "new" but I guess 5 years can be quite a while. I'm also glad that some bands that I enjoyed albums from that year are still around and have released not one but several albums since, it gives them a real body of work and a consistency that is admirable.
Again, congrats sluts! The Music Slut will be having a 5 year anniversary show on 7/29 which you can purchase tickets for here. And guess what the kicker is? It's part of the Rocks Off Cruise series, which means you'll be drinking on a boat and being real sleazy with the bands. Like, double entendre sleazy. Tonight Catch 22 is playing. The newer one. That's been playing since before even 2005.
Cheryl! Congrats on one copy of Brooklyn's Finest on DVD from Anchor Bay Entertainment, please don't assume that it's realistic by any stretch of the imagination, because well, Wesley Snipes ain't from this world at all.
Flynn, you took yourself out of the competition because it's MI-6, not MI-16. MI-16 is probably where they keep the real messed up shit.
Eh ra, juicy. Succulent pork. Chicken Sausage. Spicy brisket, Fizzy Lizzy. Bacon ice cream, chopped up ribs, BBQ, Bike N Roll. The fact that you wait a gazillion minutes for a 80 second boat ride to Governor's Island (we could have swam) is pretty hilarious but those Furman Street apartments have a lot going for them.
Anywho, Meatopia was going on, and it was raging within the first hour it started. It was kind of disorganized as the stations were not clearly marked (if you want to give people an easy map, you might as well put the station numbers NOT on the ground) and the lines were a mess. On top of that several stations ran out of food within an hour or two, and the whole event didn't even last to 5pm. The rain was somewhat nice, especially while biking around the island. You could definitely see a private school movie being filmed here, or something scarier like a Shutter Island or something.
The food at Meatopia was pretty awesome though; you got tasting tickets that were marked off as you went through the stations, and we tried not to overstuff ourselves and had a couple of nice picks, including the wonderful Abe & Arthur rib, complete with bawdy/edgy white-Asian racism as the chef was BBQing and the Asian dude was chopping it up. It was packed with juice and just amazing. Six Point was all over this with beer, as they seem to be with every event within striking distance of Brooklyn.
I kind of half expected someone from PETA to go undercover and then throw a huge bucket of paint to destroy stations, but that didn't happen. I also witnessed a nasty PR lady who was talking about me in front of me as if I wasn't there. She did the whole mutter under her breath like a 6 year old child. Real mature lady. You're not curing cancer. And you should concentrate on organizing a better event.
I found the island stunning. The buildings were interesting to me, abandoned but still intact. Since NYU will actually have some sort of campus by taking this place over, it's just like a nice little time capsule of a sort of Federal time, a few roads, almost no cars, and very little signs of industry (with no retail it retains a certain residential quality). We went into a gallery where there were paintings inspired by the island. Old school New York American houses, and the meat stations and whole roasting lambs and pigs added to the effect. Here are some pictures.
This guy looked pissed that well his paddle boats went around in a pond-sized area.
Maple Bacon Ice Cream from The Bent Spoon. Tasting ticket not eligible, but damn good ice cream.
I'll be watching Annie Hall in my non air-conditioned apartment thank you very much. Syfy and people at say, Time Out New York are bringing us some super awesome visuals this summer and the fun started tonight with Woody Allen's affecting comedy about being in and out of love. The full schedule can be seen at the site, and because I know you're lazy, let me give you my top picks:
Thursday, August 19 Feature Film: The Blues Brothers (R) – 1980, 133 min Short: Mr. Okra by T.G. Herrington DJ: Soulstatic
Thursday, July 29 Feature Film: Rear Window (PG) – 1954, 112 min Short: Sketches from Great Gull by Nicholas Laviola DJ: DJ DRM
Now The Big Lebowski is playing too, something you might want to have a babysitter for if you have kids, but The Blues Brothers is just an ingenious pick. It's sloppy, It's funny, It's soulmatic, and I capitalize It's because It's that awesome. And John Landis is a totally underrated director. I own Into the Night on DVD. Yup.
That and the grass in the newer areas of Brooklyn Bridge Park are impeccably manicured.
Our resident film critic Chris Cabin probably frowns on Brooklyn's Finest. Then again, he don't live in Brooklyn, so he don't know squat.
Anywho, since this is Brooklyn based blog, I'm giving away one (1) copy of Brooklyn's Finest on DVD, standard, because we're old school. The movie concerns the 65th precinct of Brooklyn and follows 3 police officers in the usual Antoine Fuqua fashion. Now, the 65th precinct does not exist anymore in real Brooklyn, but there is a reference to it in the 73rd precinct which is located in Brownsville, which is fittingly the kind of Brooklyn that a lot of people think about when they think Brooklyn.
Anywho, it's got a killer cast (Wesley Snipes hasn't been in a theatrically released movie since WHEN) and I was just next to Lili Taylor on the train the other week. I also remember when Ethan Hawke was all over the projectionist union dispute at IFC Center when we first opened. I've never met Richard Gere, but if he has anything against the Chinese after Red Corner, I probably should stay away, no?
Here's the theatrical trailer:
We have our resident film critic Chris Cabin once again the subject of a caption contest, all you have to do is comment below for a chance to win the DVD. It doesn't even have to be that funny. Because Chris Cabin's film reviews are far from funny. Look at this picture and give it your best shot: Yes, you can also purchase this shirt. Captions after Sunday will not be considered. For more on Brooklyn's Finest, check out their Facebook and Twitter pages.
