Posts Tagged ‘Guitar Bar’

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

The Right Stuff

Thursday, April 1st, 2010

Holy Thursday Batman! That’s what today is on the 4:30 Movie. The Robe and the Matching Slippers. Blessed art thou who weareth the slippers.

I just got back from some busking. Played for about 90 minutes until my arm cramped up. You’d think my arm would be used to repetitive motion, I mean I even shaved my palms and wear corrective lenses. I made $1.77.

Didn’t do any singing, just strum strum strum. I played Love Shack, Hercules, Good Lovin’, All My Loving, Please Please Me, So It Goes, Whatever Gets You Through the Night, Surrender, Take Your Mama, Brown Eyed Girl, Peggy Sue, The Letter, Half a World Away and a little bit of Mr. Tambourine Man and a slightly askew version of Fourth Time Around. Also 2000 Miles.

It’s a good thing I didn’t sing, especially with 2000 Miles being a Christmas song of sorts. But the chords have a nice progression. Stopped by the Guitar Bar and firmed up plans with Jim Mastro for Saturday morning.

He asked if I had anything planned to say and I told him I didn’t because I don’t. Jim was very supportive of my busking and recommended having the guitar case open to collect bills and change.

I had a phone call from Pedro who prefers Riker’s Island to home. Cabin fever pitch. He was heading into Manhattan and asked me to join him. So now, I’m home and called him to make sure since last time he said that, I went into the city and was unable to contact him.

I didn’t mind, I was able to go to JR Cigars and pick up some cigars anyhow. This time, I’ll just stay in Hoboken and see if he calls before I do anything. Annemarie planted that idea in my head, to make sure Pedro would be around. I was hoping he would be, not just to hang out with him but to also pick up the latest Mojo and Uncut.

Got another US Census form in the mail. I got one a few weeks ago and duly mailed it in. Now here it is again. I marked Bill as my unmarried partner. If I fill it out again, maybe I will mark him as my husband.

Crazy cannabis free dreams again last night. One involved living back in Lodi with two terriers named Jackie and Jibby. Frank and Elaine were living in the Iwanicki house next door and I could hear Elaine and my niece Corinne have a heated discussion about something. There were also some ominous overtones with regards to something in the backyard of 13 Riverview.

And Starlings. Did you know Starlings aren’t native to North America and that someone imported them with the concept of having all the birds mentioned in Shakespeare living in North America? And now the Starlings are taking over the Sparrows? I read that somewhere. Bad idea, not fully thought through.

The other dream took place in Manhattan where I was pedaling a Pedi Cab on Seventh Avenue then lending it to Rachel Maddow for the opening of City Boys, a musical about Cowboys in Manhattan.

I was also wearing a cowboy hat and my former coworker Sarah Pierson was in the dream as well, and I took her on a bicycle tour of Hoboken. Strange dreams indeed.

Other than all that, it’s been a beautiful day. I heard from the Hudson Reporter about a letter I wrote supporting the bibliothèque. Just confirming that I was who I said I was.

I always need to confirm that, if not to other people then to myself.

And twice I’ve been in the supermarket and both times I’ve heard The Right Stuff by New Kids on the Block and I found myself singing along.

WTF?

I am who I say I am

I am who I say I am

Tags:, , , , , , ,
Posted in WTF | 2 Comments »

In the Pines

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

Another day. Another Wednesday. Right now, the sun is shining. It hasn’t rained today. At least not since I’ve been awake. It was a pleasure to get out of the apartment without an umbrella. Last night was a monsoon though.

I stayed in and watched Lost which while good, was not as good as the previous week which was all about Richard Alpert and not Baba Ram Dass. It was enjoyable. I think Jack will become Jacob and Locke will be the Smoke Monster.

It certainly isn’t a comfortable show, not that it ever was, but with Sayid being an automaton, Sawyer double dealing, Kate hanging with the wrong crew, the Professor & Mary Ann getting it on, it seems a bit much.

6 more episodes left so I guess things should bet getting tied up soon enough. I did read somewhere, the Jacob and the Smoke Monster could be Cain & Abel. Or Thor & Loki. Or some other mythological characters.

After that instead of watching what I’ve usually been watching I watched Lawn Hors d’œuvre Criminal Malcontent. That was odd since Bill wasn’t around when it started at 10PM. It was one of the last episodes with Katheryn Erbe and Vincent D’onofrio.

Quite a surprising turn of events as well. I’d love to write about them here but I don’t want to be a spoiler. For once. Bill came home when there was 15 minutes left. Surprisingly though, Bill did not know that D’onofrio and Erbe would only be on for a few episodes this season, then it’s adios for them.

Off to bed for Bill and I joined him after watching Craig Ferguson. It was cold last night and I had to turn on the heater. We’ve been trying to keep things down. Slept better once it warmed up.

Bill was adorable as he kissed me good bye. I think he asked me what I was doing and all I could say was ‘sleeping’. In other words, ‘I love you but you had better leave me alone right now.’ I did get up a short while later and though the skies were gray I knew it would get better.

I walked around Hoboken, stopped by the Guitar Bar and made some arrangements with Jim to officiate the vows that we will do, more than likely on Saturday morning. In the Guitar Bar. I don’t have anything written and I don’t know if Bill does.

If need be I will have to wing it. Perhaps a belt of Irish whiskey will loosen my tongue beforehand. I could be like my Grandfather and just pour it in my coffee in the morning. Bill’s friend Tom will be our witness and maybe Tom’s wife.

After the Guitar Bar I walked along the riverfront and ran into Tariq, who was playing guitar. We talked for a while, and when he ran off to the bathroom I played his guitar, strumming quick versions of Please Please Me, All My Loving and So It Goes. Tariq was impressed.

I told him since tomorrow is supposed to be a nice day I might bring my guitar out there. He was going to be busking in Central Park with his pal, Steve who was the guy who was singing Sweet Melissa a few weeks ago. They make good money at 59th and Fifth.

Nice tourist spot and with the salt & pepper musicians, the Euro tourists will more than likely drop some cash on them.

I also heard from Pedro today. Always good to hear from him. He was complaining about his hillbilly neighbors and the fact that since he’s been on disability he has cabin fever. I thought I had it bad, but at least I’m in an area where if I needed to or wanted to I could head into the city for whatever.

He’s out there in the sticks and with the weather being what it was the past week or so, he was climbing the walls. So he’s going back to Riker’s Island just to get out of the house.

I think I figured out that when I see guys going home in the mid-afternoon, dressed in a suit & tie, they;re probably coming back from an interview.

Tariq

Tariq


Construction, a few building down the street

Construction, a few building down the street


Tags:, , , ,
Posted in STFU | No Comments »

The Telephone Always Rings

Tuesday, March 16th, 2010

Oh it’s been a big blue sky today. After the past couple of days of gray and rain, it certainly is nice to be out and about in sunlight. I made it a point to go out and walked over by the river, by Pier A and checked out things.

Lot’s of people out and about. The unemployed, the dog walkers, the stroller set, the runners & joggers and the employed out for their lunch break. I made my way up there after stopping by the Multi Service Center on Grand Street in Hoboken to pick up the papers from last week’s civil union thing.

I was told to look over to see if the info was correct and it was except for them having Bill’s birthday as June 26 instead on the 29th. If I didn’t catch that I would have been marrying a fraud and you know that would just be so wrong. What’s the point of having second class marital status if it’s a sham?

Such a depressing place to work, but it’s a job and I suppose it’s what you make of it, so who am I to talk? I ran into 2 Irish gents who were wandering around Hoboken looking for Piccolo’s, which is a cheese steak sandwich shop where they play all Sinatra, all the time.

I hadn’t been there since the 1980′s but I did give them the proper directions which the Hoboken natives sitting around outside the center were unable to do. I wished them well saying ‘Good luck Lads’ even though they were considerably older than me.

I saw Jim Mastro once again, annoyed the hell out of him I’m sure. We discussed a unique guitar that I saw the other day, not that I want to for myself but I had never seen a guitar like that before. It’s a Hanson Guitar, and it looks cool.

large-HansonCigno

Jim said he plays one, but I have yet to hear it for myself.

Then I wandered up to Pier A and took some snapshots, before walking over to Sinatra Park where I sat and read in Mojo magazine, articles about Judy Collins, Serge Gainsbourg and Roky Erickson and the 13th Floor Elevators.

I took plenty of pictures mainly through the cellphone which get uploaded to Facebook almost immediately, or as long as it takes to go from my phone to the satellite. Came home, read emails, read the New Yorker from weeks ago and spoke on the phone with Juan who was hilarious.

He may be up in this area on Saturday so it might be nice to see him. Also heard from Casey Chasm who wished Bill and myself ‘mazel-tov’ on our marriage. I had to correct him and thank him at the same time, telling him that it was just a civil union, not a marriage. Yet.

Last night, or rather this morning I had a dream that my brother Brian was singing at Lincoln Center. Annemarie flew in for it, a lot of relatives and friends were around. I was living in Lodi and could not get a ride to Lincoln Center.

I walked down to Route 80 and tired to hitchhike to no avail. Tried to get a ride on a coach bus but the driver wasn’t paying attention and smashed into a tree by the VFW Circle on Saddle River Road. I wound up yelling at everyone at the Saddle Brook Howard Johnson’s and in so doing I woke up angry.

Not the best way to start the day, upset at imaginary situations but some coffee and the beautiful day took care of all that.

3.16.10 Hoboken 002
3.16.10 Hoboken 008
3.16.10 Hoboken Rooftoppers 014

Tags:, , , , , , ,
Posted in What's it doing outside? | No Comments »

What A Wonderful World

Monday, March 15th, 2010

A new week, a new day, a new entry for johnozed. Isn’t life grand? Today was the first day since last week that I had actually walked around Hoboken, besides the supermarket and Washington Street. Oh and the library. Nothing has changed it’s still the same. And as usual I’ve got nothing to say but it’s OK.

I got a nice St. Patrick’s Day card from my cousin Theresa. That was nice. I would have sent her one in kind if I had known and it’s not too late to do that I suppose. It just won’t get to her by Wednesday.

That is what actually got me out of the apartment and into the damp streets of Hoboken. I bought a St. Patrick’s Day card for Bill and wanted to get it to his office, hopefully by tomorrow. He won’t be in on Wednesday since he has something MAJOR going on, something that he asked me not to talk about.

So getting it in the mail to be delivered across the river within 24 hours is the goal. Then again you hear of people mailing letters decades ago and never making to the receiver, and I hope that’s not the case this time.

But if it doesn’t get there by tomorrow I take comfort in the fact that he’ll have something nice on his desk when he returns on Thursday.

I also stopped by the Guitar Bar and said hello to Jim Mastro. I hope he doesn’t think I’m a nuisance. I just pop in for a quick chat, say hello and I’m out of there. If I’m headed to the post office I usually ask him if he has any mail to be dropped off, but today I was going in the opposite direction.

He was playing Booker T & the MG’s McLemore Avenue, which is their take on Abbey Road. I bought it last year from iTunes and hadn’t played it since so when I came home I made sure to play it, as well as burn it so some people (maybe you) might get a copy somewhere down the line.

Despite the gray day, overcast skies I’ve been enjoying myself somewhat. Posting a lot onto Facebook. Found a hero and friend to LGBT people in young Will Phillips.

He’s the young man from Arkansas who got into trouble at his school when he refused to recite the Pledge of Allegiance sine gay people are not afforded liberty and justice. 10 years old and he recognized that liberty and justice was only for some, not all.

Posted a video from YouTube and commented on his YouTube page. Of course there are the usual wankers who wrote, people will marry their dogs, their children or have many wives. You know, the usual ignorant bullshit.

In a retaliatory move, I posted a clip of Mandy Patakin singing ‘You Have to be Carefully Taught’ from South Pacific on Facebook. I tried posting the video on the YouTube page but was unable so I posted the lyrics instead.

Last night I posted an interview from the Village Voice with Henry Rollins. Ol’ Henry’s a great guy, and quite a few people dug the interview. In the interview it’s mentioned that Henry is friends with RuPaul and will be a guest judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race, which is a fun show in itself.

Well according to Joe Jervis of JoeMyGod, that show is on tonight so I will be watching that.

Last night I watched The Pacific, the story of the battles in the Pacific theater of World War II. As I watched it I couldn’t help but think of the men that my father drank with at the VFW when I was growing up.

Like I’ve written previously, I spent a lot of time, perhaps too much time at the VFW. I didn’t mind then and looking back I still don’t mind. Gave me insight on how these men were.

Like how they saw atrocities, perhaps performed atrocities then came home and didn’t really say anything about it. Going to a psychiatrist or psychologist was a sign of weakness.

And don’t forget, men don’t cry.

Which is bullshit.

I know this is a Hollywood version and nowhere near as horrible as it actually was, but it’s a glimpse nonetheless. It was well made and when it was rebroadcast at 11:00 Bill and I watched it together and Bill was blown away as I was earlier.

Will Phillips is my hero!

Will Phillips accepts the award for Outstanding TV Journalism Segment at the 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York on March 13, 2010. Phillips appeared in the award winning segment “Why Will Won’t Pledge Allegiance” from CNN’s American Morning.

From Rogers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific: Carefully Taught

You’ve got to be taught/To hate and fear,You’ve got to be taught
From year to year,It’s got to be drummed In your dear little ear
You’ve got to be carefully taught.

You’ve got to be taught to be afraid Of people whose eyes are oddly made,
And people whose skin is a diff’rent shade,You’ve got to be carefully taught.

You’ve got to be taught before it’s too late, Before you are six or seven or eight,
To hate all the people your relatives hate, You’ve got to be carefully taught!

Tags:, , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Love Love Love | 1 Comment »

My Love

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

It’s Thursday once more. It’s been an out of the ordinary day for me and Bill. Today was the day Bill and I decided to get a civil union from the city of Hoboken.

The whole idea started a few weeks ago when Joe Jervis of Joe My God posted on Facebook that a friend of his was looking to interview same sex couples who happened to be interracial. Seeing that Bill and I fit the bill I volunteered us.

It was for an article in a national magazine. Joe asked if we were married, domestically partnered or what. Living in New Jersey, civil unions were the only was to go. We discussed getting a civil union a few years ago but I guess both of us were distracted by whatever and so we never got around to it.

Now the subject matter came up again and since I am unemployed and fighting off troglodytes online it seemed like a good idea. I did the research and found out what we needed, photo ID, proof of residency, Social Security card, $28.00 and a witness.

I asked Stine the other day and she said she would be able to after she and Alexander came back from the Romper Room. So after a weird dream involving an occult warehouse and some demon looking for a pair of orange footwear I woke up and started the day.

Bill was awake soon after me and we both started donning suits and ties. Stine phoned that she and Alexander were on their way so I went downstairs to meet them. Bill soon came out and joined us and the four of us were soon headed to the Multi Services center of Hoboken on Grand Street.

I wisely mentioned not going through the park so Alexander wouldn’t insist on playing there. Stine was impressed by that. We walked over to the center and walked into the wrong room.

When we asked about civil unions the older woman behind the counter didn’t know what we were talking about, but a young woman behind us overheard and pointed us in the right direction and offered us congratulations.

We made it to the correct room a few doors down and spoke with a woman behind 2 inches of bulletproof glass. They asked what my father’s name was, my mother’s name, where were they from, were Bill and I related.

They also asked if I had my birth certificate (which they didn’t mention so I didn’t bring it) since my passport only has my middle initial. She asked if my birth certificate had my full middle name and it did. She decided to bend the rules and let it slide.

The same questions for Bill. Stine seemed to like the fact that Bill’s middle name is Julian. The woman behind the bulletproof glass asked Stine if to the best of her knowledge, what we said was true. Stine doesn’t do well with authority figures and immediately got flustered. I had to intervene and tell Stine that she was asking if we were lying.

We all then raised our right hands and swore an oath that we were all telling the truth and not communists despite the room seeming like it was designed by a Soviet bloc interior decorator. We walked Stine and Alexander back to the building where they got into their car and drove off to a play date with Julio’s sister’s twins.

Bill and I walked up to Stacks, a new pancake restaurant on Washington Street for a civil union breakfast. Quite nice. We went home and changed out of our suits, then Bill was off to Harlem to continue working on the play.

I walked over to the Guitar Bar where I informed Jim Mastro that I gave the city of Hoboken his name as the officiator for our ceremony. He was up for it. At the center when they asked when the ceremony would be and I said July, for when Annemarie will be around. But that’s too far off so I told them the date would be April 1.

I also had a great talk with my dear friend Connie on the phone for about 90 minutes. She may be getting a computer since its the only way she can watch Star Trek. I’m glad she’s doing better.

Here are some pictures from today’s lovely happening.

Bill and Me

Bill and Me


Cori and Magazines and NYC 006
That's my Bill.

That's my Bill.


We're almost legit!

We're almost legit!

Tags:, , , , , , ,
Posted in Love Love Love | 8 Comments »

Fela’s Riff (Unfinished Outtake)

Monday, March 8th, 2010

Well here we are on a Monday. The Lady Maurice could be gone for good. I can only hope that it’s so. The only time I intend on mentioning that name is perhaps when writing about Charlie Brown’s sister.

It’s another beautiful day today, temperatures close to 60 degrees. Last night wasn’t so bad even though I didn’t go out, I did have the window open.

I planned on watching the Academy Awards in the bedroom since there was a fight between ABC TV and my cable provider Cablevision. I had the foresight, or rather Bill had the foresight, to get a digital converter box. I had the coupon for the box, Bill actually went out and got the box.

A part of the day was spent online advising friends on Facebook who also were in the same cable TV boat to go out and get the box if they intended to watch the Oscars.

I settled in expecting to be running back and forth, from room to room, bedroom to computer so I can provide my witty and insightful updates. OK, updates. Perhaps not so witty and probably not insightful.

About 15 minutes into the awards show a scroll at the bottom of the screen announced an agreement between ABC and Cablevision, that while they are still negotiating, ABC will still broadcast on Cablevision’s system.

I turned on the big TV and there it was as they said, just a foot or two from the computer. I announced on Facebook what had happened and apparently some Facebook friends didn’t know. I even called my niece Meghan to let her know since she had mentioned earlier how disappointed that she was going to have to watch the Oscars on her computer screen.

I enjoyed the Oscars and enjoyed exchanging snarky comments with my online friends. I’d like to think we all enjoyed ourselves. I stayed up and watched Jimmy Kimmel after the news following the Academy Awards which was generally pretty funny.

I wound up staying up until 2:00. Bill hadn’t come home yet and I was a bit worried but opted to go to sleep. He was home about 45 minutes later, trains and things run much slower after midnight and this play is definitely taking on a life on it’s own.

Woke up before he did this morning, I was in a better mood today than I was yesterday. I showed Bill yesterday’s post, he agreed that I was standoffish in the morning which I expected. He situated himself in the bedroom, working on his laptop and making phone calls to the stage hands.

Around noon I headed out, wandered around Hoboken. Saw Jim Mastro at the Guitar Bar for a little while. Also ran into my former roommate William on Washington Street with a friend of his David, a 75 year old gent that William seemed to be escorting around town.

Good to see William and nice to meet David. William’s friend Lisa showed up as well and we all parted ways after a bit, William and David off to feed quarters in the meter and Lisa and I headed uptown.

Came home, Bill en route to Manhattan. I decided to watch the DVD of Passing Strange which was most excellent. Bill and I had seen it at the Public Theater in 2007 and we both loved it, and Spike Lee decided to film the last night that it played on Broadway.

Forgot how good and touching it is. Definitely worth catching if you have the chance. I got it from the library so I guess it is available in most DVD rental stores.

Being the last show, weepiness abounds on both sides of the screen, them more than me. Still it’s a powerful, funny, sad and touching show and worth watching.

Will someone please beat Tom DeLay within an inch of his life? I have a ruler if needed.

Tags:, , , , , , , ,
Posted in Iron my Shirt | No Comments »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »