Tag Archives: Spectacle with Elvis Costello

Wax and Wane

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I am so tired. I forgot how walking around midtown in work boots can weigh you down. Perhaps it as Harpy says, I am tired from the elation of getting a job. Last night wasn’t so bad. Bill was on the phone running lines with some guy who’s going to be in a play that Bill was working on.

I surprised Bill by having Lawn Hors d’œuvre Criminal Malcontent on when he came out of the bedroom. It was actually a really good one. Logan’s (Chris Noth) last episode or at least one of the last ones. It piqued my interest when they mentioned Lenny Briscoe in the beginning. That was the late Jerry Orbach’s role.

Bill was surprised to see it on and I was surprised to hear Bill know most of the lines. It turned out that Bill has the episode on his iPod and has seen it quite a few times since it’s one of his favorites. We started to watch another Lawn Hors d’œuvre Criminal Malcontent when my brother Brian texted me to tell me that Bruce Springsteen was on Spectacle with Elvis Costello.

Immediately we switched over to that, or rather I switched over since Bill decided to go to bed. I remember the first time I saw Elvis Costello and the Attractions at the Capitol Theater on the Armed Forces tour.

My brothers and I had fifth row seats on the left and at the end of the show walking a few feet away from us was Bruce heading backstage to meet Elvis and the boys. It was a good show on Spectacle and it was only part one. Bill was asleep by the end and I of course watched the news, Conan O’Brien and then Craig Ferguson before I turned in myself.

And yes, there were some weird dreams.

One involved me riding on the back of a motorcycle being driven by Fergie. We were heading to Fort Lee for the premiere of Nine. We rode across the George Washington Bridge and saw the traffic for the Harlem River Drive when she decided to turn around and head back to Fort Lee.

On the bridge I fell off the back of the motorcycle. We weren’t going fast and I merely went ‘plop’ and got back on. I wrote that down in the notebook that I’ve been keeping next to the bed to record these dreams.

I also wrote Rhane Stone/Coffee, Copier Love and Robin Guthrie. Robin was in the Cocteau Twins and married to fellow Cocteau Twin,Liz Fraser. Their relationship ended badly.

Today I went in to help out Greg Stevens again. It was an interesting time. I spoke with 2 of the subtenants who will need to vacate the offices at the end of February. They are scrambling to find new space as soon as possible.

Luckily for them I will be working for a company that leases offices for small companies. I called up Chaim who interviewed me and left a voice mail. Turns out, he is the president of the company. He called me back and I told him the scoop.

He told me to give them his direct number and was impressed with the fact that I produced 2 potential clients. A nice father in the cap and I haven’t even gotten the cap yet.

Also heard from Cindy See who returned my call. She recommended taking the job that was offered. She also felt that I was being underpaid for my services, but like I wrote yesterday, it’s the bird in hand.

And yes while it is a pay cut, it is better than the unemployment benefits on which I’ve been eking out a meager existence. She did tell me that I should keep looking and if anything comes up she would let me know.

The workplace drama begins anew.

I also had a realization. While I am happy to be working again, there is some trepidation. I realize that with each job that I’ve had, or anyone has, requires that you have to reinvent your personality, or adjust if you will.

My trepidation was about who will I have to be at this new job?

And what the fuck is up with the Supreme Court allowing corporations to donate as much money to campaigns as they might want?

Tramp The Dirt Down

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Last night was an interesting night for lack of a better word. As furious as Juan was when he came over, he calmed down enough to be hilarious. Actually I think both of us were hilarious. Sometimes the hilarity subsided when he had a phone call from some family member.

Juan was kind enough to go into the bathroom and talk on the phone but as his anger returned his voice got louder and the acoustics in the bathroom accentuated his ire creating more of a noise than it would have been if he was sitting right next to me.

Plus the neighbors probably heard everything perfectly. At least they would probably have something to talk about since things are generally pretty quiet here with Bill and myself. I had to go knock on the door and tell him to take the call in the bedroom which was a bit quieter for the residents of the 5th floor.

He was soon back on Earth and settled on the couch where we watched episodes of The Office which I had saved for moments like this, when Juan was over. Also posted one or two other new links to the blogroll regarding Hoboken blogs.

Blogga please!

Juan was on yet another call (for which he was ultimately apologetic for) in the bedroom when Bill came home. Bill was happy to be home and showed me his New Jersey Driver’s License which establishes his new residency as one of those who live on the mainland. Nice picture too.

He had his Subway sandwich and Juan sat next to him on the couch and we watched Elvis Costello Presents Spectacle. It was the first episode of the new season, last night’s guests were Bono and The Edge from U2.

It was enjoyable, Bono was as usual talking most of the time. Elvis and the Imposters played Mysterious Ways by U2 and at the end both Bono and The Edge did a duet with Elvis singing a medley of Pump It Up/Get on Your Boots with a little bit of Subterranean Homesick Blues thrown in for good measure.

Juan then checked his 7000 emails from school and I sat on the couch reading about Tom Petty in Mojo which did not publish my letter about the Specials this month. The Simpsons came on, the Lord of the Flies episode which was not as good as most of them despite the promise. I had to send Juan home after that. I was tired and needed my sleep.

Last night’s cannabis free dream was a Zombie dream that took place at a besieged 13 Riverview Avenue, the house where I grew up. I was grateful it wasn’t Zoombies but rather the slow walking Zombies.

It was a relatively quiet day. I walked around Hoboken a bit and found that I like startling people by saying ‘Good morning’ or ‘Hello’ when I pass them and catching them looking at me.

Old people are usually pleasantly surprised when they hear it and usually reply in kind. Younger folk have no idea what to say.

Spent a lot of time in front of the computer, probably too much. Got tipped by Jeremy at Good As You about some geezer on his front porch, smoking a butt and dispensing his views on gay marriage. After watching the video on YouTube, I had to unleash the sock puppet.

The geezer was upset by what the sock puppet had to say and then posted an even more heinous video wishing death to queers, homosexuals and lesbians, despite saying in an earlier video that he loved his late epileptic bisexual brother.

The sock puppet reminded him that he was in effect wising his brother dead if his brother was still alive, since he felt that the granting of a civil right to gays and lesbians would infringe upon his rights.

That’s the point that is so stupid.

Well, that point as well as the point they try to make that being gay is a choice.

The sock puppet had to ask when did he decide to be straight?

I mean if sexuality is a choice, isn’t it a choice for everyone? Or was he like Larry Craig, who felt that the louder he protested against gays, the less likely people would think he enjoyed performing oral sex on men in public rest rooms.

Oh he short circuited and shut down. It was a fun way to spend this afternoon, tramping down the dirt on some red neck geezer from South Jersey.

Pump

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It’s been a lovely Friday afternoon, from what I can tell by looking out the window. I normally would have been out and about doing something, but no, not today. Apparently while watching the taping of Spectacle with Elvis Costello last night, Bill was home and tried to DVR something.

But the DVR wasn’t working at all. I don’t know if he was trying to record something or watch something that he recorded but he was unable to. By the time I came home last night Bill was fast asleep, snoring since he decided not to wear his sleep apnea mask. (Mask is broken and needs a replacement).

I found out this morning that Bill had arranged for Cablevision to stop by and try to fix the box. Now they might be able to and they might not. They were scheduled to be here between 2PM and 5PM. It’s 6:09 now.

Bill has spoken to them and they said they might be here by 7:00. That means I’ve been waiting for 5 hours. In that regard, it’s true. I have no patience.

I was able to get some things done before 2:00 and I hoped they would get her soon enough. But of course they didn’t. I even saw a cable guy a few doors down when I was running around earlier and I asked him if he was here for 616.

No, he was here for 608. I guess it’s easier to send a few different guys out than have one guy work a certain area. So I sit and wait. And wait. And then wait some more. I know this usually happens to everyone sooner or later, but in this instance I have had no say in the matter.

Bill made these arrangements in my best interest. Since it’s more than likely they won’t be able to fix the box (Bill-optimist. Me- not so much) he didn’t want to turn in the broken box with shows that I have saved for some time now.

Laurie Anderson narrating a documentary on Andy Warhol is probably the oldest recording on it. I’ve seen it once haven’t seen it since, but still you never know when someone with an interest in 20th Century American Artists might stop by and after climbing four flights of steps I’d be more than happy to oblige.

Customer service phoned and said the guy would be here shortly. I asked what is shortly. They said 10 minutes. I said well I’ve been waiting since 2:00. She said well just sit and wait for the bell. I said, ‘that was a brilliant idea. Why didn’t I think of that before?’

She hung up.

True to her word the cable did show up around 10 minutes later. Nice guy, handsome chap. Turns out he hates Cablevision too! He rebooted the cable box with the hitting of a few buttons then for 5 minutes it reset itself and now it’s working fine. And it only took 5.5 hours!

Harpy then called making ‘my phone was on vibrate’ excuses for not answering his cellphone. I suppose when I turn 58. I too will have some authority to not answer my cellphone. Then Julio called while Harpy was yakking away and I took Julio’s call since I hardly ever hear from him.

He was sitting on the stoop telling a neighbor not to throw his empty jug of Dewar’s in the garbage, ‘It’s recyclable’, he yelled. I walked downstairs where the guy hurried down the street. The bottle somehow wound up on the guys stoop a few doors down.

I had printed a dozen fliers for a Gate Sale that I am participating in with Rand and Lois. We did this last year and now we’re doing it this year. I walked up the block and taped the first flier to a telephone pole at 8th and Park.

Walked up to Washington Street and taped a few more fliers until I ran out of tape and wound up buying some crap tape which I wrestled with. Who knew packing tape could stretch so far? Ran out of fliers and retraced my steps, and at 8th and Park the first flier was already torn down.

I knew it might happen anyway.

I did get a call from Annemarie who is treating herself to a B-52′s concert at Humboldt State University. I’m sure she will have a good time, A B-52′s show is always a good dancin’ party!

I can’t wait to hear about it!

The Wait

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It’s Thursday again. Not such a bad day though I didn’t sleep well last night. At the movie with Lois I got popcorn and a diet coke. It was the diet coke that kept me up. Way too much caffeine. I should have known better.

And of course I don’t follow my own advice of getting out of bed if you can’t sleep, but being awake at 2:30 makes me feel guilty about being up so late. I mainly go to bed not because I’m tired but more from thinking that ‘I should be asleep by now.’

Still I got some sleep though not as restful as I had hoped.

Inglourious Basterds was a good movie. Not a knock out but worth seeing. Good revenge on Nazis movie. It veers sharply from history but seeing Hitler getting shot in the face was worth a smirk. It’s more of a fantasy than anything.

If you haven’t seen it in a movie theater you might as well wait for the DVD. Overall I would give it a ‘B+’.

I’m just hanging out right now. I got a phone call from Billie in DC who was just checking in. He asked if I got the birthday card he sent and I said I did. I didn’t really, but it seemed like the thing to say. It was a short phone call and Billie mentioned before it ended that he hoped I could use the money.

I hung up thought to myself, ‘Why did I say yes?’ I didn’t mean to upset Billie basically. I eventually went out to the supermarket and saw I did get a birthday card from Billie, so I did tell the truth though I didn’t know about it initially.

Heard from Juan, nursing a broken heart. All I could tell him was that perhaps Time heals all wounds. He’s truly heartbroken though. Sad to hear him that way.

And now I’ve just gotten back from the world famous Apollo Theater on 125th Street in Harlem USA. Brought my brother Brian, always good to hang out together like this. Lot’s of laughs, no beer. They sold it, much to my surprise but we didn’t realize it until we were in out seats.

Elvis was great, looking like a Beauregard or rather Rhett Butler with a hat like Gable’s and from where we sat, a moustache? Perhaps it was an homage to the Band. It was a taping for Spectacle with… Elvis Costello, with Allen Toussaint, Richard Thompson, Levon Helm and Nick Lowe.

Larry Campbell formerly with Bob Dylan sat in with Elvis and the Imposters (the Attractions sans Bruce Thomas) and Ray LaMontagne sang the Weight at the end.

It was an enjoyable evening, certainly out of the ordinary. Brian had never been to the Apollo before, I was there in the 1980′s to see Boogie Down Productions with DJ Red Alert and Rob Base. It was a Christmas night show, went with Rand and Maurice Menares.

We were at the early show, sitting in the balcony, the negative image of the ants in the sugar bowl. People around us wondered what three white boys were there and we simply told them we were into rap. And we were.

That was a good show and our timing was good since at the later show there was a shooting.

Tonight was good timing as well. Brian made it to Hoboken, caught the Path then an uptown express. Had to wait online outside the theater for a while but that was fine, good to catch up with Brian. The show was entertaining and an interesting look at how a show like Spectacle is put together.

One can only imagine Victor Spinetti in the control booth.

Since Ray LaMontagne suddenly appeared and sang The Weight, they had to redo it with a proper introduction for LaMontagne. Brian and I split, caught an express back downtown where we found a Path train back to Hoboken waiting for us.

As soon as we took our seats the doors closed and we were en route. Good karma. Saw Brian off on a train to the hinterlands of Bergen County.

A good night with a good friend, my brother Brian.
Apollo Marquee

photo by Brian

A Million Miles Away

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Right now I am watching Glenn Beck. I always wanted to see this car wreck of a show. Right now some puppet is calling Jimmy Carter an anti Semite. Really couldn’t take much of it, played Solsbury Hill by Peter Gabriel which is a nice palate cleanser.

I knew that Glenn Beck was an asshole, but wow, what a big asshole he is, or has.

Today has been an overcast day, gray clouds and considerably cooler. Autumnal weather. Got an email inviting me to see a taping of Spectacle with Elvis Costello at the Apollo Theater with Nick Lowe as a guest so I decided to invite my brother Brian, knowing that he would get a kick out of it. It’s next Thursday, September 24 at 7:00 and we have a plan.

Last night was a good night. Juan stopped by for a little while and just like old times he assumed his place on the couch, me in front of the computer and Bill, for a bit of a change was in front of his Mac doing some homework.

Juan and I watched the last three episodes of True Blood. He calls it goth, I don’t go for his bait. Also calls True Blood fans ‘Fang Bangers’. Still I resist the bait. It was good to see Juan, looking so handsome.

He’s invited me down to Trenton, what’s best for him would be a Monday. I just have to check which Monday that would be.

Been a quiet day today. Got a text from Casey Chasm, they were going to induce labor for Mrs. Chasm who is due to have her baby today. I hope everything will go as they hoped. They will make great parents I’m sure. I think life is working out just fine for them up in Vermont.

Tonight I might just watch Close Encounters of the Third Kind. I ordered it from the library and it came in yesterday. It’s the deluxe three disc set. The theatrical version, the ‘Special Edition’ which features the inside of the mother ship that looks like a parking garage and the director’s cut.

It’s from the Ridgewood library and it’s due back next week, so I had better get cracking. I’ve seen the first two versions and I’m not sure what the director’s cut will entail so maybe I will watch that.

I heard from the wonderful Jared Nickerson. He’s putting together a benefit for someone at McSwells in December and asked me to DJ for it.

I agreed to do it and I’m looking forward to it. Just bringing an iPod, no more lugging crates of records around. Not with my back. I’ll bring the Nano as a back up. Just another thing to look forward to.

Bill has class tonight, Juan is back in Trenton and I’m here with Close Encounters ready to go. A mellow night and I am fine with that. I have to gather a few of these entries and mail them up to my friend Jane up by Woodstock who has no internet.

That should give me a chance to go back and review the things I’ve written and send her the best, or what I think is the best. What do you think is the best? Any suggestions?

Tell Me What You See

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This has been an odd day. Nothing bad happened, at least not yet. It just started out on the wrong foot, leading to a day of missteps. I woke up, tried to contact Julio to see if he and Stine wanted bagels. No answer. I called Stine instead and she said no, they were going out. That was no problem.

I went to the bagel shop where there is never a line anymore. It used to be there would be a line out of the store onto the sidewalk, but hasn’t been like that in a few months.

I asked Jeff, someone who’s been working there for ages, a week or so ago if it’s been slow and he mentioned that I had just missed a rush. I didn’t believe that since there is hardly anyone in there when I’m there. Denial or just putting forth the company line?

I’m convinced they don’t like me in the Bagel store. One guy in particular doesn’t like me, I can tell. When I moved back to Hoboken almost 7 years ago, I started getting my bagels on Washington Street. A few weeks later I saw this particular guy on the street with his kids and as I passed I said hello. He gave me the stink eye in return. I figured with the hundreds of people he sees each week I was lost in the shuffle.

After that I saw him again and once again said hello and once again I get the stink eye. One time I gave my order at the counter, something like 3 sesame, and 2 poppy bagels. He gave me 3 and 3. I mentioned that it wasn’t what I ordered and he got all uppity. So ever since then it’s quite frosty between us.

I do try to support small businesses, but in Hoboken, the small business owners don’t make it easy and show very little gratitude. Next to the register is a container for tips. Knowing that some of the staff have families to support I sometimes leave my change in the container. Sometimes I get thanked, and other times like today with me and Frosty the bagel counter person I get nothing.

I think next time I go in I will wait for Frosty to be waiting on another customer. And if I hear Jeff say to a new customer, ‘You know those bagels will make you thirsty, you sure you don’t want something to drink with that?’ I’ll go postal.

That basically set the tone for the day. I went out once after that and it just seemed so weird that I decided not to go out again until tomorrow. But I did go out, hoping to run into the Chinese dude who usually sells bootleg DVD’s at the barber shop at 4:00PM on Saturday afternoons.

I didn’t see him and I wasn’t going to go hang out in a barber shop if I wasn’t getting a haircut. I was hoping to get a $5.00 DVD of Slumdog Millionaire. Oh well. The only Academy Awards movies that I’ve seen are Milk and The Visitor, and Wall-E.

Maybe I’ll do a live blog during the awards tomorrow, or rather write about it as it happens and post afterwards. That seems more likely since I don’t think I’m equipped for live blogging.

Last night I caught up on what I had DVR’d. Spectacle with Elvis Costello. 1st up had guests She and Him, Jenny Lewis and Jacob Dylan. All very good and enjoyable and that Jacob Dylan sure is cute, and he sounds like Bruce Springsteen I think. Imagine growing up being Bob Dylan’s kid, how strange that must be.

I have a newfound love for Jenny Lewis, though Juan has been hyping her up to me for a while now. And She and Him, Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward were good enough to make me think about getting their record.

Then I watched what I guess is the season finale for Spectacle, this time hosted by Elton John who interviewed Diana Krall and had her husband, Elvis Costello come out opening with a song and singing with Diana and Elton at the end.

Geez, I swear Diana Krall is like so many women that I know, at least in the way she talks and her mannerisms. I enjoyed her, but sometimes it was like watching my niece Corinne on TV. If only Corinne played piano. She was very entertaining, Diana Krall and I think she’d be worth checking out as well.

After that I watched the 11:30 Simpsons who had Stephen Sondheim on, writing a song for Krusty the clown. And Bart was in therapy and really getting a lot out of it, even though 5 sessions were mandatory as punishment for a school prank.

I almost stayed up to watch Conan O’Brien’s last Late Night show but since I was recording it I figured I would watch it today. Which I did do, watch it today. Unfortunately it ran long and as Conan was summing up his 16 years hosting the show it got cut off.

So I watched that on NBC.com, and posted it on my Facebook page, as well as Conan releasing Abe Vigoda back into the wild, since ‘Pa’ said he wouldn’t be able to take him to Los Angeles where he will host the Tonight Show.

Though I didn’t watch Conan that often since it was on past my bedtime, I will miss him. But I should be able to catch some of the Tonight Show with Conan . I’m 6’2” and wear a size 12, Conan is 6’4” and probably wears a larger shoe, and I can only hope Jimmy Fallon could fill those shoes.