Posts Tagged ‘McSwells’

« Older Entries

She Bang

Monday, March 29th, 2010

It’s a Monday and if you’re lucky enough to be employed you’re probably not happy about it. I remember when I was working, how I dreaded Mondays. Now all the days blend into one another and you can tell when it’s Monday when there are less people around. The usual downcast faces appear, coming in from the fog.

Just giving myself some poetic license.

It’s not foggy, but it has been rainy. I did go out a few times today, to the post office, to the Guitar Bar, the supermarket, as well as the bibliothèque twice.

Once to return Macbeth the DVD, the play and the Cliff Notes, the other time, just a few minutes ago to return Auntie Mame which I couldn’t watch since someone who may reside in Old Tappan might have scratched the disc. Right during the Christmas scene.

Jerry Herman would have pitched a fit! I need a little Christmas, right this very minute goddamn it! The candles are in the window and the spinet is in the shop but I’m sure we could use one of Bill’s keyboards.

I did get in return from the bibliothèque, Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon. Never saw it but my curiosity was piqued when I saw that it was Brian Eno’s favorite movie. And Kubrick was a master filmmaker.

I have even put Eyes Wide Shut in my queue at the bibliothèque. I saw that in the theater but wasn’t that impressed, but it does deserve another look. I also caught a little bit of the ending of Rat Race this afternoon.

That was a date movie with Bill when we started going out. Silly little movie, John Cleese, Whoopi Goldberg and quite a few other people. It’s ‘It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad Mad World’ for the 21st century just in case you thought this century was lacking one of those. We saw it when it came out in August 2001. It’s a goof.

Bill and I have been debating whether or not we’ve been together for 9 or 10 years. I say 9 and will be 10 in September. Bill says 10 now. We met in September 2000 you see.

And Thursday is the day we’re having Jim Mastro say those magic words for the sake of saying those magic words. The license office here in Hoboken needed a date and when I said July they said it had to be within 30 days.

So it’s just for the fact that we have to do it for the sake of the government.

I suppose in July, that is when we will actually have some vows written and said. I myself am leaning towards ‘A Whomp Bomp a Loo Bop, a Whomp Bam Boom’. I think it sums up our relationship quite nicely. I don’t know what Bill has to say on the matter or if he has anything to say regarding it.

I would like Maxwells to be the spot for our party. A Sunday afternoon, 12-4PM. Ideally it would be cool if Todd gave us the room for free. Cash bar out front, to discourage drunk driving and dancing, music and food in the back room.

That’s how I’m envisioning it. And I’m really hoping for it so much that I’ve written Maxwells instead of McSwells. I am going to have to talk to Todd soon, hat in hat and with humility.

And this just over the wire, Ricky Martin is out of the closet. Yes he’s admitted that he’s a fortunate homosexual. That’s nice. Can’t say I’m a fan of his music (though when he blew up the Grammys 12 years ago that was a thrill) but he certainly is someone easy on the eyes.

Well good luck to Ricky Martin, Salud!

Sorry Girls, He's Gay.

Sorry Girls, He's Gay.


Moving out in Hoboken. Police investigate.

Moving out in Hoboken. Police investigate.

Tags:, , , , , , , ,
Posted in What's it doing outside? | 2 Comments »

I’ve Seen That Movie Too

Sunday, March 28th, 2010

This the second attempt at writing is underway. It’s been a day where things are a bit off. Bill rented a Zip Car since it’s the last day of the play Pecong and couldn’t find the key card which is usually in his wallet. I have have to confess my relief at not having anything to do with the missing card.

I did see the play last night, Pecong and it was an enjoyable show. Based on Medea and set in the West Indies. A few members of the audience did not know about Medea and so were surprised by the way things turned out.

A very good cast, wonderful lighting and an amusing and sometimes funny script kept the tragic events unfolding hidden from the eyes of the audience. Bill was a most able stage manager and from what I gathered was well regarded by the cast and crew. And it was a good turnout as well, nearly all the seats were filled.

Bill being the stage manager had to make sure everyone was out of the theater space since it gets used as a church on Sunday mornings. I mingled with the cast and crew and soon Bill and I were on a local 3 train downtown to 34th Street.

We walked through Penn Station and up to the street level. As we headed down the stairs to the Path train I spied some guy checking Bill out. When Bill tells me some guy is checking me out I continue on with my usual obliviousness. When I tell Bill the same thing, Bill scans the area.

It turns out he knew the other guy, a bloke named Richie from Bill’s old church. The stood and started chatting to each other as I turned and saw the 12:30 train about to leave the station. Of course by the time Bill was done the train had left the station and I didn’t have many kind words at all to say about Richie, though it wasn’t his fault.

I dreaded having to wait another hour for the next train but as we stood on the platform another train arrived about 15 minutes later. Not a comfortable ride though. For Bill and myself it was but a smallish woman and her oafish boyfriend sat next to Bill.

The smallish woman kept making faces at the size of Bill. I pointed it out to Bill and he didn’t care. As we left the train in Hoboken the woman was throwing knives with her eyes. Bill turned and started to say something but I advised him not to since the moment had passed.

And it was chilly as we walked home, Bill went to bed almost immediately and I followed soon thereafter. Finally I slept really well and probably would have continued sleeping if it weren’t for the fact that today was the Last Sunday of the Month Shakespeare Reading at McSwells.

And today the play scheduled was Macbeth, which happens to be my favorite Shakespeare play. I was up and out to get bagels and the paper and a little while after that I was walking up to McSwells. Bill had left and came back when he realized he couldn’t find his Zip Car key.

I would have helped him look for it but I was pressed for time and not one to favor being late.

On the way there I got a phone call from Lois who was wondering if I was coming. Most of the participants usually have brunch at McSwells, I eat at home. As I walked in there were Lois and five others eating brunch, not even close to being finished.

I sat in the fishbowl in the front room of McSwells and pulled out my notebook, waiting for the others to finish. They eventually joined in the fishbowl, Lois filling a bag with roles for the Scottish play.

As luck would have it, I pulled out the plum role of Macbeth. 685 lines. I also pulled out a few other roles since we only had five other readers and multiple parts are needed. I opted to read Macbeth in what I approximated to be a Scottish burr. By the end my throat was shot.

Still it was a fun time and once again I was glad that I did it. Next month I believe is The Tempest. Lois would love to have other readers to join in, no skills beside a reading comprehension is needed.

So if you find yourself in Hoboken on the last Sunday of the month and it’s around noon and you’re around McSwells, do stop in and join us. Extra copies are generally handy and you never know, you could be Prospero next month.

I just watched the BBC production of Macbeth by the Royal Shakespeare Company starring Ian McKellan and Judi Dench, and not for nothing, we had a better time this afternoon at McSwells.

The National Black Theater

The National Black Theater


3.28.10 Pecong vs Shakepeare reading 003
Bill and some cast members and a fan

Bill and some cast members and a fan


Today's Shakespeare readers

Today's Shakespeare readers


A nonplussed Macbeth

A nonplussed Macbeth

Oh and the head of the RC crutch feels that any connection of him to child rape is merely gossip.

Tags:, , , , , , ,
Posted in Shed a tear | 1 Comment »

Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is

Sunday, February 7th, 2010

Well I went outside today. After staying inside most of the day yesterday it was a treat. It wasn’t as cold as it was yesterday and it was actually bright and sunny. Last night I watched Led Zeppelin, downloaded a slew of tracks as well.

And I had forgotten that John Paul Jones, perhaps my favorite Zep was on Saturday Night Live as part of Them Crooked Vultures. Didn’t really care for them, but it’s a treat to see JPJ playing bass and having a good time, and despite what some people say, I do like Dave Grohl. Seems like a nice guy.

And while thinking of Led Zeppelin, I thought of a party I had thrown at my basement apartment at 1124 Willow. No real theme or reason for the party, just the idea of having a party. I knew a lot of people then, many people came, maybe 50.

Back then I used to say 100 people came but I was probably seeing double at the time. I was working for Murdoch Magazines at the time during the day and also working at McSwells at night.

The date was May 14, 1988 and I remember that since Julio and his buddy Damian came later in the night after attending the Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary concert at Madison Square Garden, where they saw a version of Led Zeppelin.

People did not come empty handed and we wound up keeping the beer cold in the bathroom, in an ice filled bathtub. The McSwells crew all came after the bar closed at 3:00AM, with more supplies and one or two bar flies/party crashers.

I remember Martin Kelly, after closing McSwells and coming over, telling me that when he walked through the door and down the hallway it looked like a certain friend of mine was eating powdered donuts from a bag, and I should be more careful that the police didn’t come.

I wasn’t worried about that since next door was a school and the apartment directly above was vacant. I did have the party crashers thrown out as well. I think either they or someone else stole someone’s jacket.

Another memory was some friends, Sean & Susan (?) doing ‘Da Butt’ by E.U. which was a hot song at the time, while my other friends laughed with them since they had it going on so well. Steve Fallon might have even made an appearance before the party ended at what I guess was about 5:30 or so.

The powdered donuts guy left Rand and myself a nice little mound of confectioners sugar which thrilled us some more for a while after that. It was a rousing success even though my answering machine was trashed, but then again, so most everyone was.

I did tried to duplicate the party again a few months later and it was not as successful but still a good time was had. I was psychedicized for that one as were a few other guests. Made changing records a major challenge.

One of the tripping guests who was tripping for the first time, the late Tony Sankitts, wound up feeling queasy and I set him up in my roommate’s empty room, where Tony threw up on the carpet. Pedro danced a dance called the rooftop in the back yard.

Like I said while it was a fun party, it wasn’t the event that the first party was. Couldn’t duplicate it I suppose. Last night I watched Saturday Night Live like I wrote about earlier. It was OK, could have been funnier.

The funniest sketch was towards the end, featuring a wedding reception and the former band of the bride’s father who were a hardcore band in the early 1980′s. Oh man it was classic.

I wasn’t really involved with the hardcore scene, I tended to listen to more melodic stuff. I think that’s when the music scene became fragmented, bands that were hardcore emerging and other bands with more tuneful songs which also fragmented into the silly new romantic crap of which hardcore was probably a rebellion against as well.

Became of a US vs UK thing as well. Still there were lots of interesting things happening with X, the Minutemen and REM as well as XTC, Elvis Costello and Talking Heads among others holding up the late 1970′s style, going forward for a spell.

I should write about the acid resurgence in the underground scene of the mid 80′s sometime. Just not this time.

Bill decided not to wear his sleep apnea mask last night which made him snore like he was playing a horn. I tried to fall asleep, pleading with him to at least give me 10 minutes to sleep then he could perhaps snore all he wanted, but he was unresponsive and asleep.

I decided to record him snoring and at one point, getting out of bed and uploading 5 recordings into the computer. Wound up with about 10 recordings overall. After the last recording, I said loudly ‘That’s a wrap’ which woke him up. I think when he woke up he jumped up and his head hit my hand holding the recorder.

This morning, I asked him if he slept well and he said he didn’t. He did ask, why did I hit him in the head last night and I swore I didn’t but he insisted that I did. Tonight I will crazy glue the sleep apnea mask to his face.

Hoboken scenes.

2.7.10 Hoboken 001

2.7.10 Hoboken 004

2.7.10 Hoboken 006

2.7.10 Hoboken 007

Pedro/Otisville

Pedro/Otisville

JOZ Colorize

Pedro Ramos- LOADED

Pedro Ramos- LOADED

looking up, looking ahead

looking up, looking ahead

Tags:, , , , , , , , ,
Posted in So how's band camp? | 2 Comments »

Hole in My Shoe

Sunday, January 31st, 2010

Well here I am in the apartment, in front of the computer again. Tomorrow I start the new job. Yes I am anxious. How could I not be? After 7 months of not working, jumping back into the world of employment can be nerve wracking.

It’s not that bad though. I’m just nervous about waking up in time or rather on time. I’m sure it will be fine. A few friends have stated the same message, I will be fine, it will be fine. Bill started it last week, as he was kissing me goodbye in the morning while I was still in bed, that my days of freedom were winding down.

It should be an interesting scenario nonetheless. I haven’t decided what suit I am going to wear, but more than likely I will be wearing pinstripes. Still time to decide that.

Last night in case you didn’t notice, I’ve started animating the reading of the blog. At least yesterday’s entry, Beast of Burden. I started animating Ruby, My Dear but it was quite wordy so I stopped midway through, with the reader saying that it was Part One and if you want to hear Part Two, contact John Ozed.

No one wants to hear Part Two I guess, since I never heard from anyone. It’s inspired by Martha Keavney’s series, The Andromedans. I was up until almost 3:00 last night watching Now Voyager again while fine tuning the 2 animations I made last night. Didn’t get as much feedback as I had hoped, but like this blog, I will persevere and carry on regardless.

Last night before Now Voyager I watched Saturday Night Live. John Hamm was the host and he was funny in several bits, the Digital Short was pretty funny as well. Sergio!

Bill was sleeping in Atlantic City as I wrote yesterday.

He made it home safely this morning and went to bed. I headed up to the Last Sunday of the Month Shakespeare Reading at McSwells. Once again organized by Lois, this month we read The Taming of the Shrew. We started out with 7 readers, turned into 8 when someone showed up late.

Lois went all out, with many index cards with each different character spelled out. I wound up having about 9 speaking parts, most of them were only a few lines, other parts had lines throughout the play.

I used different voices again, I played Baptista with an effeminate lisp, Christopher Shy as a cockney, the merchant as a wise talking 1920′s character, the widow as a Python woman and the haberdasher with a cookie monster type voice.

There were a few other voices thrown in here and there, covering for Rand when his two characters wound up in a dialogue with each other. It was fun once again. The only thing is no one except for a few of us, heeded Lois’ instruction that we use our outdoor voices.

Mainly it was a couple of women who just used their everyday speaking voice which didn’t help when the noise of the restaurant got louder. That was a bit frustrating and I held off on requesting that they speak up.

Me & Rand

Me & Rand

1.31.10 Shakespeare Mxwls 012

1.31.10 Shakespeare Mxwls 013

Taming_of_the_shrew

Back to work tomorrow! Whee!

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

My Generation

Sunday, December 27th, 2009

Just got back a little while ago from McSwells with Bill. Lois DiLivio had organized an open reading of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. I was a bit apprehensive about it and suggested a few weeks ago that Lois choose a comedy rather than a drama.

But it was her doing and since she already posted what play we would be reading from she was averse to changing the selection. Perhaps next month. I don’t know who makes the decision on whether or not there would be a next month, but I would gladly participate if invited.

I portrayed 2 characters, Solanio, a friend to Antonio and Bassiano & also Old Gobbo, father to Lancelot. I surprised Bill and perhaps a few others when I read each character in a different voice. I surprised myself actually.

I’ve never participated in a reading like this though I have attended a few that Bill had either organized or participated in. All the roles were pulled out of a hat or rather a bag and some people found themselves playing characters that had dialogs between them.

That was weird and some tried different voices. Afterward, I suggested to Lois that perhaps if there is a conversation between 2 characters played by the same reader, perhaps the second lines should go to the person sitting to the left or the right of the initial character.

And perhaps for a fun twist, if the second reader says their lines in a different voice, then the person who originally had the lines, make them say it close to the way the secondary reader says. Does that make sense? It would also be a laugh.

And if that doesn’t work, helium should be introduced.

Lois did a commendable job organizing the whole thing, and Rand and Lisa with Rand’s sister Glenda as well as Jim and Diane and a guy named Steve with me & Bill all enjoyed ourselves. I wisely ate breakfast at home, skipping brunch which some had beforehand and others had to eat during the read.

There was some difficulty with ye olde English leading me to think but not suggest perhaps a more recent play, maybe George S. Kaufman? Even Oscar Wilde might be good. Obviously I am leaning towards comedy.

Considering that I spent a good part of the past 24 hours dealing with a most uncooperative toilet, I think leaning towards comedy isn’t such a bad thing. Beats shit, that’s for sure.

Finally after building up muscles in my arms via plunger usage a passage was created and things are flowing nicely in the porcelain world.

It was a pain and on the way up to McSwells I suggested that if he had to go, McSwells might be the best place to do it. I’m just glad it’s over with.

I also just found out that I’ll be attending a wake this week. My uncle, Joseph Powers passed away this morning. He was the last of my parents generation so now it’s down to the kids.

12.27.09 Merchant of Venice at Maxwells 005

Photo courtesy of Rand Hoppe

Photo courtesy of Rand Hoppe

Tags:, , , , , , , ,
Posted in Shed a tear, Yesterday's News Tomorrow | No Comments »

Black Slacks

Thursday, December 17th, 2009

Well it’s a pretty cold Thursday. But I enjoyed it. Been an Ian Dury & the Blockheads day. Spent some time wandering around Hoboken and listening to New Boots and Panties on the iPod. Also downloaded a few rockabilly tracks and several disco tracks since if you’re on my gift list, burned CD’s is what you’ll be getting.

It’s been fun. Some Link Wray, Robert Gordon, Bill Justis, Eddie Cochran and Sweet Gene Vincent on the rockabilly side. France Joli, Alicia Bridges, KC & the Sunshine Band and the Trammps on the disco side.

All promising a good time, some songs that I heard the other night at the McSwells Christmas party, some songs that I last heard on WPIX-FM at the end of the 1970′s. I enjoyed playing them all, loud this afternoon.

Last night was quite nice. Warm and cozy. Bill made it home in time to catch the Simpsons episode which featured Lisa on a bus.

Bill is currently driving me crazy since he has a Droid now and is texting like mad while riding the 126 bus.

It was one of my favorite episodes it involved Homer and Lisa breaking into the Isis exhibit at the Springfield Museum. It’s all about taking stupid risks. One of my favorites.

Bill hoped that Lawn Hors d’œuvre would be on but it wasn’t. I decided to show him something that I recorded the other night, Voices of the People with Howard Zinn. Oh it was as good as expected, as powerful too. Bill definitely was into it. Several actors that he admires were in it, Don Cheadle, Morgan Freeman, Viggo Mortensen and Jasmine Guy to name but a few.

I recorded it, so it wound up being about 90 minutes rather than the 2 hours originally broadcast. Blip-verts! Bill went to bed soon after that and I of course stayed up and watched most of Craig Ferguson. I also started a Facebook group for Hoboken Daily News. An attempt to bolster their spirits since they’re a bit afraid now that 7 Eleven opened up across the street from them.

Slept soundly after that. Woke up and started the downloading. Walked around listening to Ian Dury, stopped by the Guitar Bar and picked up some mail from Jim for the post office. I was mailing some holiday cards so it was a nice thing to do.

I stopped by Hoboken Daily News and told the proprietor Andy about the Facebook group and he was thrilled even though he didn’t know what Facebook was. I took some more pictures and posted them to the Facebook group. Bought some CD’s at CVS for the burning I continue to do.

Came home and while burning some reggae CD’s for my nephew Earl I decided to watch Synecdoche, New York. It’s written by Charlie Kaufman who also wrote Being John Malkovich and Adaptation. Charlie Kaufman also directed. It’s really quite a movie.

Unnerving and unsettling and also very engrossing.

It’s funny, I’ve been told I look like Phillip Seymour Hoffman and since I also look like by brother Frank quite a bit, it’s safe to say that if A=B, and B=C, then A=C. The funny part and by funny I mean strange, was the fact that so much of the first part of the film reminded me of Frank and his current ailments.

Great cast including Catherine Keener, Dianne Weist, Samantha Morton, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Michelle Williams to name but a few. I definitely intend on seeing it again there is a lot involved in watching it and I probably missed some of it since I was also burning CD’s. It has so many layers involved, I highly recommend it!

12.17.09 Hoboken Daily News 010

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

« Older Entries