TAGG, You're It!...

If you're a gay man who enjoys $120 tank tops, then TAGG is awesome. For everyone else, not so much. But they did throw a fun party with free booze, and tunes spun by a talented up and comer, someone I may have mentioned once or twice before- one DJ BennyK... aka Punky... aka Ben... aka the baddest bitch in NYC. I know the boys hate fruitflies being in the bars and clubs, and I don't necessarily blame then. Believe me, being the only girl in a room full of horny queens it's not my scene. My scene generally involves vagabonding , and really nerdy activities like playing Scrabble or watching a documentary.  I'm simply amidst the hedonistic debauchery to support my boy. And if DJ BennyK can make this girl dance her nerdy ass off,  then the asses belonging to all you cool NYC club kids will be blown to high heaven. Pun intended. So for all the gay boys in NYC, if you see us amongst you, don't be bitchy queens to your devoted fruitflies. Be nice. Say hi. Blow fog in my mouth. I'm dorky, but I've never met a gay boy who didn't love me. And to the old drunk dude who is from Utah, but who is not Mormon, who was once married with kids, but who now dreams of owning a gay oriented retail store with naked boys dancing in the window, and who inexplicably tried to make out with me- get yourself together, man! Then, once you do, come on over and say hi. I won't hold your indiscretions against you because I have a soft spot for train wrecks. We've all been there. I always say, if you haven't had a nervous breakdown, you haven't lived.

DJ BennyK continues to make a name for himself in NYC, spinning at so many hotspots that my blog posts can't keep up. Here he is bringing down the house at Bar 13, a multi-tiered club that draws an eclectic crowd of friendly and open-minded characters. Go and visit Paul, the precious bartender, who will carry you merrily into the wee hours. Be sure to compliment him for being so majestic, and thank him by throwing your almighty dollars his way. He deserves it. Congrats to Nathan Kelly and Chris Ryan for hiring a badass DJ, for throwing a badass party, and for generously treating me to free drinks all night. A special thanks to Paola, Ann, and Chris for a hilariously dramatic experience in the loo straight out of a Lynch film, to sweet Jason who knew in his heart that I was neither a lesbian nor white and who came to chat with me to apparently prove it to the rest of the bar, to Karma LiLoLa for being bold, beautiful, and the spiciest girl of them all, to Jon for sporting the coolest t-shirt of the night, to Roland for simply being his amazing self, to DJ Robertox for his mouth to mouth fog antics, and of course to the incomparable DJ BennyK for making me forget all about the rooftop smores and for keeping me on the dance floor. When a girl looks up and realizes she is dancing aside a zombie and a drag queen, gratitude for this beloved city is further instilled into her heart. Enjoy my little vid:

Check out DJ BennyK's latest podcast:

DJ BennyK PodOmatic

"Thru the rhythm of darkened times/ Painted black by knowledge crimes/ And repetitions pointless mime/ Instilling values the sick define/ That keeps the fabric that keeps you blind/ And ties your hands and cloaks your mind/ But on my stilts, I'm above the slime/ Come on up if you can make the climb, but who am I?/ Who am I? Who am I?" --13th Floor Elevators, Thru the Rhythm

 

Merry Ferry To Throwback Isle...

The inscribed tree stump above was the coolest thing I stumbled upon while traversing Governors Island, which is a hop, skip, jump, and a free ferry ride away from Manhattan. On the Lt. Samuel S. Coursen we saluted Lady Liberty as we merrily merrily merrily merrily glided across the bay. And five minutes later, we landed in 1965. As idyllic as the island appears, and it is indeed a peaceful throwback to a supposedly simpler time, I also found it a rather eerie place. Its rows of big uninhabited houses, its 18th century monuments reeking of secrets and depravity, and its expansive, isolating grounds would be a superlative setting for a horror film. It's also strangely remote considering that it's only half a mile across the harbor from one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Governors Island has a fascinating military history, having been used as an Army post from 1783-1966, and as a Coast Guard installation from 1966-1996. Prior to that, and prior to being stolen by the Dutch and the British, the land of course belonged to the Native Americans and was known as Pagganck (aka Nut Island). The northern end opened to the public in 2003 after being redeveloped as parkland and a historical/cultural/educational/ destination. Many New Yorkers looking to escape the city for a day, as well as lots of tourists, can be found picnicking, cycling the perimeter, taking in the public art, exploring Castle Williams and Fort Jay, wandering around the sculpture garden, poking their noses in abandoned homes, and simply basking in the glow of the land that time forgot.

Here's a video I made of my trip. A warning to those who are prone to motion sickness- it's a bumpy ride!

I definitely missed the 'bring your bicycle' memo.

I remember very clearly watching and loving old Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour reruns on Nick at Nite as a young girl, so it was a pleasant surprise to learn that the dynamic duo was actually born on Governors Island, where their father, an army officer, was stationed. Who knows if I actually grasped the satirical humor of the show as a kid, but watching clips of the show today,  I can easily understand why it was considered so groundbreaking. Its influence on the political comics of today is palpable.  The show was comprised of incredible musical guests (The Beatles, Tina Turner, The Who, The Doors, Ray Charles etc...), great writing (Steve Martin, Rob Reiner, Don Novello), biting political commentary (Pat Paulsen), and the hilarious blend of folk singing and standup comedy by the stars of the show. The brilliant documentary, Smothered: The Censorship Struggles of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (2002), depicts the ongoing conflicts with and subsequent cancellation by CBS (with heavy pressure from Nixon's administration) in 1969 for satirizing America's involvement in the Vietnam War amongst other controversial topics. In a strange rehashing of events, the Bush administration gets Bill Maher kicked off of ABC 40+ years later for also pointing out the obvious.  A piece of pop culture history at its finest:

"Little bird up in a tree/ Looked down and sang a song to me/ Of how it began" --The Beach Boys, Little Bird

Sunday In The Park With...

Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village is a lovely place to spend an afternoon. I always have a book with me, but the sights and sounds at the park are so distracting that I usually end up people watching and listening to the ever present bands and musicians around the main fountain instead of reading. The 'Crazy Piano Guy' as he is known, is Colin Huggins, a Georgia native who found success in NYC as a ballet accompanist for Joffrey and and the American Ballet Theatre. Those are impressive credits. But apparently that type of success wasn't very satisfying for Mr. Huggins, who decided that he would rather push various types of pianos all over Manhattan and play amongst the people. And that is exactly what he has been doing for about five years now. So on your next visit to NYC, keep an eye out for this awesome character. There's no telling where he and his piano might be. Here's my homage to French New Wave:

 

On the other side of the fountain another band was jammin'. Unfortunately I didn't get their story or even their name, but I really enjoyed their tunes:

The Washington Square Arch was modeled after the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, which is pictured below. The WSA was erected in 1889 in celebration of the centennial of George Washington's inauguration as president. It was made of plaster and wood until 1892 when the more permanent marble arch was designed by architect Stanford White and subsequently erected.

Since the 1940's Washington Square Park has been a hub for many artists, writers, and activists. In the 1950's and 60's it became the heart of the folk music scene, the hippie movement, and the beat generation, with professional musicians such as Buddy Holly, Joan Baez, David Bennett Cohen, Dave Von Ronk, and Bob Dylan hanging out and playing alongside amateur musicians. In 1961, the parks commissioner decided that the park should be peaceful and quiet and ordered a ban on Sunday folk performances. This was also an attempt to rid the park of "undesirables" and "degenerates" by removing “the roving troubadours and their followers.”  Hundreds of musicians gathered in protest, a demonstration which was organized by Izzy Young, director of the Folklore Center on MacDougal Street, a few blocks away from the park.The cops showed up, madness ensued, and newspapers the following day christened the event The Beatnik Riot and The Washington Square Folk Riot.

 Eventually the ban was lifted after more protests followed and a 1,500 person petition was signed. And to this day, Washington Square Park continues building on its legacy as a cultural and political epicenter hosting buskers of every musical genre, rallies, performance artists, music festivals, film screenings, and art showings.

There isn't much documentation on that day save for Dan Drasin's  20 minute documentary, Sunday. This year marks its 51st anniversary. Best line in the short film goes to Izzy Young: "I have everybody singing 'The Star-Spangled Banner. I said, 'They can't hit us on the head while we're doing that.'" The cops waited patiently until after they were done singing to start hitting people on the head. It's quite a moving scene:

 

"I need pull myself out of the hole I've been digging/ Better make something of myself because my time is ticking " --Washington Square Park, No Medication

Wlliamsburg Waterfront Way...

These are the awesome views of the Manhattan skyline and the Williamsburg Bridge from East River State Park and Northside Piers Park in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The East River State Park itself, not much more than concrete slabs and a few picnic tables, is nothing to write home about, but the view it offers is stunning, even on a grey and cloudy day such as today. Though there was barely any sign of life at the park on this dreary spring day, apparently the park is a happening place during the summer, hosting free concerts, films, and parties. And obviously, they had me at 'free.' I also hear there is a rockin flea market around here on Sundays, yet another thing that is right up my alley. Summer is just around the corner so I look forward to revisiting the Williamsburg Waterfront during a more festive occasion.


"And you can stand/ On the arms/ Of the Williamsburg Bridge/ Crying/ Hey man, well this is Babylon" --Soul Coughing, True Dreams of Wichita

Moment of Geek...

The best new thing in the world today is the book, Drift, by the beautiful and inspiring Rachel Maddow, who is far and away the best political pundit in mainstream news. Aside from Jack White, Rachel Maddow is my only other celebrity crush *swoon* and I am happy to report that she is just as dreamy in person as she is on tv. Had Rachel gazed into my eyes from across the room, swore away her partner of a decade, and declared love for me at first sight, I would have immediately become a lesbian. Unfortunately, that didn't happen, but I did tell her she was the biggest bad ass around and she seemed very amused by that, slightly blushing and giggling  in that precious way she is known to do. You think she'd be used to all the flattery by now.

Maddow walked up onto the stage at Barnes and Noble Union Square to thunderous applause and wild exuberance. Looking visibly nervous and surprised, she asked "Is this normal?" I've been to a lot of book discussions/signings in the city and I can answer definitively that this was not, in fact, normal. This was more like a gig than a literary event.  Rachel is a rock star. And we were her groupies. The entire top floor of  the book store was packed with fans as obsessive as myself. I became fast friends with the guy sitting next to me. We lamented, and consoled each other over the fact that we would not be allowed to hug Rachel.

And why are we so enamored with Ms. Maddow? The Oxford-educated Rhodes scholar is undoubtedly brilliant, yet she manages to exhibit her brilliance in a remarkably unpretentious manner. That's rare for anyone in this world, but it's especially unique given the circus of vainglorious windbags she is amongst in cable news. As a respectful polemicist, who engages in debates with the utmost civility, and allows those in disagreement a fair opportunity to argue their side, Maddow puts all the other narcissistic blowhard pundits to shame. And her signature use of humor, interesting anecdotes, and little-known facts to set up and present information is compelling and entertaining. I find that she often has a unique perspective on issues, that she offers critical insights not presented by any other media sources. It is telling that so many invited guests decline repeated offers to appear on her show, in spite of Ms. Maddow's reputation for being fair and courteous. That is a testament to her brilliance, and to their fears and insecurities. These people know they are no match for sharp shooter Rachel Maddow!

Above all, Ms. Maddow just seems like a genuine human being, one who shares her love of dogs, comic books, fishing, and classic cocktails; one who is playful and geeky, yet serious and determined; one who unabashedly lets out her inner fangirl and gushes over the likes of Metallica's iconic drummer Lars Ulrich, and then one who is able to refocus that enthusiasm into a hard-hitting takedown of the Koch brothers. That she does not conform to the traditional standards of beauty makes her that much more appealing. She is such an amazing ambassador for women in a society starving for strong and respectable female public figures, and in a society drowning in Disney princesses, in female reality stars who promote stupidity as entertainment, and in attempts by the women of the religious right and the GOP to destroy feminist policy.

The only way the event could have been better is if Rachel had mixed cocktails for the audience. I would have also loved to get a pic with her, but understandably it wasn't allowed as there were just too many fans in attendance, and Barnes and Noble would have had to stay open all night long to accommodate such requests. Maddow did commit to signing everyone's books which was very generous. She probably developed carpal tunnel syndrome as a result.

At one point, a lady in the audience asked Maddow when she was going to run for office. The entire audience erupted in cheers. Maddow seemed flattered, but horrified by the thought. I'd vote for her.

Someone sitting close enough managed to take a great video of the event. No doubt they arrived at least two hours prior to claim their seat. I arrived an hour prior and managed to get a seat towards the middle which was actually pretty far back. But there were many who weren't so lucky. It was standing-room only with hordes of people packed all the way back in Timbuktu. Here she is talking about her book Drift, which analyzes our country's drift towards a state of perpetual war and the resulting destruction of this state upon our democracy:

And here is the famous cocktail enthusiast showing us how to make a Jack Rose:

This guy might love Rachel as much as I do:

I think this guy is also part of the I heart Rachel fanclub:

And a really brilliant tribute from the folks at New York Theatre Barn:

I totally lied when I said that Jack White and Rachel Maddow are my only celebrity crushes. Rounding out my top five are Conan O'Brien, Lisa Bonet, and....hmmmm..... fifth spot is a tough one. I'll have to think about that. Which five celebrities are on your laminated list?

"Three times I made sergeant/ I’m not that kind of man/ And pretty much just as quick as I could/ I get busted back to private again/ Cause takin’ orders never suited me/ Giving them out was much worse/ I could not stand to get my friends killed/ So I took care of myself first/ Now I know that don’t sound right/ Don’t think too bad of me/ Now it keeps me up nights/ What I could have done differently" --Lucero, The War