I Like It- Gerry & the Pacemakers

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The first time I saw Daniel Rodriguez was probably over 20 years ago. He was an occultist then, dressed in black almost all the time with a pentagram hanging around his neck. I never really spoke to him, nothing more than the small talk one says when conducting a transaction. I was working at the Little Shop of Video in Hoboken back then and came across a lot of people when I was there. There were regulars like Susan Howard that came in almost every day with her dog, there were guys that had positions very deep inside city hall renting transgendered porn almost daily.

I still see these patrons from time to time on the street and usually think to myself, ‘I wonder if he ever returned ‘She Male Action Volume 6’. They’re older now and collect nice city pensions while sitting on benches watching their waistlines expand with every passing day.

The owner of the store was a nice guy, Peter Kressley. When I first met him I could have sworn he was gay, he was with his number 2 guy, Leonard and they were so close it led me to believe that they were a couple. It wasn’t until I met Peter’s wife Karen that I figured out what was what.

I just brought that up since I had just seen Daniel Rodriquez on the street, he didn’t recognize me but I recognized him. Time has not been kind to Daniel Rodriquez. The Little Shop of Video was one of the retail gigs I had in the past.

Another retail gig I had was at Pier Platters in Hoboken. That was owned by 2 friends of mine from Maxwells and it was not a steady job. I was on the list of people to call when the regular staff couldn’t make it. It mainly was a job where I sat behind the counter and rang up CD’s and vinyl. It was around the corner from the main store as this shop was set up to sell mainly CD’s which at the time were new. The vinyl was used and I snagged a few choice albums from people who were trading their old stuff in so they could get it on CD. Pier Platters faded away though, a victim of rising rents.

Then there was Farfetched. I first started working at the Fourth Avenue shop in the Village in 1997. I met Susan at a party at the Paramount Hotel that Harpy was throwing for his then girlfriend. Farfetched had just gotten robbed at gunpoint by a guy named Delroy Kemp. Susan and Harry discussed having a man work the shop and until they could find one, I would do.

There was a bit of a worry that I would play nothing but reggae since I was deeply immersed in the reggae world. I worked with Susan and her business partner Lois, and their friend Denise. It was a good place to work, once again called on to sit in for whoever couldn’t work. I enjoyed my time there and I am still in close contact with Susan and Lois and of course Harpy.

I told Susan and Lois at Harpy’s party that Farfetched spoiled me, that they had my back as much as I had theirs. They had no illusions of grandeur, and it was always a good time to work there, even during the hellish holiday season. Farfetched fell victim to the times, rising rents and a zealous neighbor who coveted their space.

I always think of Lois and Susan when I have a glass of Riesling.



Talk Talk – Lifes What You Make It The Fluke Remix

I Like It- The Blackout All Stars

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Last night I heard from a former co-worker. Nice guy, hadn’t heard from them in a while. He has a way with words and being a little older than me, there are many tales he likes to tell. One of the last times we worked together he started to repeat his stories and I had to tell him that he told the story to me so often that I could repeat it back to him.

He doesn’t feel that comfortable where he’s working and now that I’m gone, he feels the music business is not what it used to be. It had been some time since I left that world and to hear him say such things, and then doing an about face and talked about how he plans on doing better after watching a Clive Davis video.

Listening to him talk about what was said (which sounded like a death rattle) , he told me that he plans to persevere and follow Clive’s direction. Apparently he has decided to take a big gulp from the Kool Aid being offered. I did ask if a certain wombat was still working in the organization and he said that the wombat was still there, still being as horrid as he had been, in fact the wombat has gotten worse.

Considering it has been over 10 years since I had last been there and not much had changed at all, I was surprised that the wombat still has the same desk, doing the same work he has been doing for about 20 years. Then again I shouldn’t be surprised since he has a debilitating drug problem and still he gets to work every Monday through Friday, and even attends the events after work, it is probably the only thing the wombat can do. And you wonder why the music business is in the shape it’s in.

It’s now been a week since I was dismissed from the cigar shack and I do hear from some customers. I guess contact between me and Thomas and Jerry Vale has been restricted. One of the customers mentioned that someone that I didn’t much care for was put off by my dismissal, saying it was typical of how the cigar shack handles things.

Having worked for the cigar shack long enough I can attest that he is right, certain things are handled in a hush hush, sweep it under the rug as soon as possible manner. Since I am no longer there, I can’t say that I still care but I was surprised that this certain customer actually had some nice things to say about me.

Bill had off today from the day job, having spent three of the past five days driving a bus. He came home last night, had a quick bite and promptly went to bed. I stayed up watching Mad Men which I missed on Sunday night. It was good and I am glad I forgot most of what the synopsis I had read previously.

Tonight I am going to an art installation at the ferry terminal in town. Why not? It’s free. From there I might just take a ferry to Manhattan and attend cigar night at the Eagle. Since I went last month and handed out cards for the cigar shack, talking up business for the shack, I feel I should go and let the fellas know that I am no longer in the cigar shack’s employ and that they might as well go back to ordering their cigars online, rather than visit a place that let me go. It should make for an interesting evening overall.





20 Mellow Yellow