Author Archives: johnozed

About johnozed

I'm 50+ years old, 210-ish#, 6'2", reddish blonde, blue eyes with glasses (and without) masculine, funny, relatively intelligent, enjoy the company of assorted friends and family especially sordid friends and family. I love music, reading, writing, conversing, laughing, going to films, shows, concerts and smoking cigars. And I also enjoy looking nice in a suit and tie. Looking more like Lewis Lapham than Tom Wolfe. I'm sure there is more, but we'll just have to find out when I write about it. In a lifetime relationship with partner Bill Vila.

52 Girls

4 Replies

Sunday evening, dark at 5:30. Daylight savings y’all. Nice to get that extra hour of sleep, not as harsh as the clocks moving forward in the spring. Last night was a splendid evening. I thought I would be lat but as usual I was early.

A ton of people headed into the city on the Path train around 7:15. Rode in a crowded car feeling good. Some people were in costumes heading to various bars and parties, still carrying on the Halloween spirit. I was wearing my Obama as Superman shirt. Rode the train to 33rd Street and once on the street lit up a Padron and walked over to The Hammerstein Ballroom on 34th between 8th and 9th Avenues.

It was a beautiful evening as I puffed and avoided the Black Israelites on the corner of 7th Avenue. Sat on the steps of the ballroom when Bill showed. We sat and chatted, Bill telling me about his day and his friends. I suggested going for a pint before we went in and wound up at an Irish pub around the corner.

We sat and talked and drank our pints. A guy named Tom Gallagher came up to me and told how great he thought my shirt was. He was supporting Obama and we all toasted to Obama’s hopeful success on Tuesday. Tom was off to the show and we told him we’d hope to see him inside.

Bill was off to the loo and a woman asked me if Bill would be back as she was eying his seat for her boyfriend. I mentioned that we would probably be going soon. She too was going to see the B-52’s with her boyfriend and had the inside scoop that the band wouldn’t be on until 10:30.

It was 8:30 so Bill and I had one more pint, as well as shots of chilled Absolut Limon. Bill was analyzing the effect of the shot as he hadn’t had one in quite sometime. By the time we hit the street he was well lit. 2 pints and a shot did the trick as we queued up outside the ballroom.

After a wait of about 20 minutes we were inside, right in the middle of the dance floor. Hercules and Love Affair were the opening act and they were mediocre at best. No Antony thankfully, but not much in stage presence and the 2 dancers voguing at each end of the stage were fast becoming annoying. Still pockets of the crowd liked them.

The DJ was James Murphy from LCD Soundsystem and also Pat Mahoney of DFA Records which is LCD’s label I think. They played a nice selection including Pylon, Danger (Dub) and Soft Cell’s Memorabilia.

The B-52’s hit the stage with Pump, the first track on their newest album Funplex. High energy for sure. Everyone was dancing and the floor was going up and down. It was non stop energy with the strongest points being songs from Wild Planet and Funplex.

Could have used a bit more Funplex and I hate to say it but Cindy’s tour de force, Give Me Back My Man slowed the show down considerably. It was a quick recovery though and there definite moments like Pete Townshend once said about how a great rock and roll show will take you somewhere else.

Songs that were 3 minutes or so felt a lot longer and the grooves were quite infectious. It was good to see Fred and Kate flanking Cindy as they sang.

The band was tight and Keith made it a point to tell everyone to go out and Barack the vote. More comments from my shirt happened throughout the show and by the time Bill and I left we were quite spent.

Nice Path ride home and we were back in the apartment by 1:00 which wasn’t so bad for 2 geezers like Bill and myself. It was really a wonderful time and I hadn’t danced like that since we last saw the B-52’s indoors at Irving Plaza in 2002.

The set list was: Pump, Mesopotamia, Ultraviolet, Private Idaho, Give Me Back My Man, Strobe Light, Funplex, Juliet of the Spirits, Roam, Party Out of Bounds, Hot Corner, Love in the Year 3000, Love Shack, Planet Claire, Keep This Party Going On, and Rock Lobster.

The shirt was designed by Alex Ross and I found that this Alex Ross is a popular guy, at least with some bloke I wound up talking to for about 20 minutes this afternoon while walking around Hoboken. It was a fun chat with the man named Lee.

He said if Alex Ross saw my face he could probably draw me as Green Arrow. I said ‘Oh great. I would be Oliver Queen. But at least he would be half right.’ I waited a beat and then said, ‘My name is Oliver.’ which got a bemused chuckle from Lee.

I wound up referring him to check out the Kirby Museum for info on Jack Kirby who he wasn’t sure of who he was, but if he was into comic books and around the ballpark of my age group, he’d more than likely would at least recognize the work of Jack Kirby.

Throw That Beat in the Garbage Can

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Well here we are on a Saturday. Day of the dead or Dia de los Muertos for those playing at home. So far it’s been a good day which promises to be a good evening. Last night I did go out after all. Walked up to McSwells where Rand was dressed as a zombie cracker pimp and Lisa was his ho. Lois was dressed as a zombie cannibal Wall Streeter.

I of course didn’t have a costume. It took a lot for me to get out of the house. Bill had gone to be early and I was content to do nothing. Rand called and texted me, effectively cajoling me to go out. So I got my act together and headed out. It was a Friday night and walking up to McSwells I thought about how rarely it is that I go out.

I used to work at McSwells on Friday nights as a bar back so I didn’t really know how things were on the outside. Perhaps it was different then, but last night there were mobs of people in their Halloween costumes all queuing up to get into various bars and pubs. When I lived in Weehawken I really didn’t go out on Fridays. I was definitely content to stay in an do whatever it was that I used to do, which was watch TV and play with Zed.

I had my ID checked at the door which should have been flattering and then waited for a pint of Guinness. $6.00 a pint and with a tip it made for $7.00. Found Rand and Lisa and Lois in the back all dressed up. On stage was a woman dressed as Sarah Palin singing what may have been a Carpenters song.

It was my first time at karaoke and it wasn’t quite what I expected. Not that it was bad or anything like that, just that I expected something different. I felt a bit out of place not being in a costume but then again I wasn’t planning on staying long. I didn’t understand whether people are really bad singers, or just mangling a song because they could.

I’m sure there are different types of people that go to karaoke. There are the ones who do their best and take it very seriously and then there are those who are simply out for a laugh. I understand both camps. I did entertain the idea of getting up on stage and singing a song, whether faithfully or interpreting the song as a way of overcoming my terrible stage fright. But last night wasn’t the night for me to do that.

After a long wait for a second pint I saw Lois sing Money (Thats What I Want). Money as well as human flesh is what she actually wanted. Rand and I joined in from the audience with Lois’ request for human flesh. Unfortunately the karaoke machine broke down in the middle of Lois’ song and as a way of making it up to her offered another song to sing.


Unfortunately the song was One Eyed One Horned Giant Purple People Eater which wasn’t the same thing and a bit lame. Who knew there were actually lyrics to that song?

I had enough by then and didn’t feel like waiting a long time for another pint so I made my exit after wishing Rand and Lisa and Lois a good time. I would have stayed to hear Rand and Lisa sing but I was getting cranky. Two pints seemed to be enough for me and I wandered on home, avoiding groups of costumed revelers.

Bill was still fast asleep, he didn’t even realize I had gone. I watched the rest of Bill Maher and then went to sleep myself. Got up ran some errands, saw Linda the former cashier at the supermarket who hung on my arm as we walked into the store. She then went her way and I went mine.

After a few hours I went out and bought myself an Obama as Superman t-shirt to wear to the B-52’s tonight, then walked over to the Obama Headquarters where I phoned over 100 people in Kearny to remind them to vote on Tuesday.

Mostly I left messages and only spoke to two McCain supporters who I still reminded to vote on Tuesday and to have a good day today. So now I’m just getting ready to see the B-52’s which really should be a good show.