Tag Archives: Raphael Saadiq

I Know Shuggie Otis

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Well I was home by 9:30 last night, but decided not to write. Hope you weren’t waiting up for more. Ha! I came home Bill fast asleep in bed. I’m glad I got to the South Street Seaport when I did. Caught the last half of the last song by Endless Boogie, who sounded interesting but I only heard a minute and a half. Not many people there.

Raphael Saadiq was added to the bill on Wednesday so there wasn’t much promotion. I found out from subscribing to rivertorivernyc.com . Raphael is quite a soul singer and has such a great presence on stage. I guess that Tony Toni Tone (TTT) disbanded so that Raphael wouldn’t have to share the spotlight with his brother and cousin. Unfortunately his spotlight wasn’t working properly last night.

Choreographed moves ala Motown, great songs reminiscent of songs from way back then and he still has a killer smile on stage. Probably off stage as well. He played for about 50 minutes which was a bit short, did medleys of his hits from TTT. But it was all over too soon.

Prior to Raphael hitting the stage I was off to the side by a four masted ship docked at the pier having a smoke. A woman approached me with that, ‘Can I get a light’ look. She complimented me saying that chivalry wasn’t dead. She asked what I was doing there and I said I was waiting for Raphael Saadiq. She didn’t know who he was so I explained.

She hoped that he was better than the first group who ‘sounded good if you were 12 years old and deaf’. I told her that I thought they were interesting. Then she asked if I was there to pick up girls and I said no, that I was gay, ‘cruising for sailors but my ship hadn’t come in’ as I was sitting next to a ship. She told me that she wished she was gay, and I told her it wasn’t as glamorous as it seemed.

She then said that her brother was partnered with the same guy for 20 years. I lifted my plastic cup of Stella Artois and said ‘Cheers’. She asked how long Bill and I have been together and I told 8 years. She was impressed and then ran off to join her friends for a boat ride around New York harbor.

I must have the kind of face that people are comfortable with since after she left 3 other people came up to me after the show and asked for directions to Chinatown, Wall Street and midtown Manhattan.

I remember a few years ago, I was between jobs and feeling down about it. I was whining to my friend Miriam about my lack of skills, and she was surprised saying that I have a great skill not many other people have. The ability to talk to just about anyone. It’s true. I do.

One time when I was a kid, my parents and my brother Brian and I went into the city to look at some new furniture. We left some showroom and were out on the street waiting for the light to change. They went ahead as I stayed on the corner talking to some street person about who knows what.

Last night all I had to do was point to the left and say Chinatown was about a half mile from where I was, or point south and say Wall Street that way, or even pointing out the right train to get on when the World Trade Center train pulled into Hoboken station.

Woke up this morning, Bill on his feet like nothing happened. He had on the memorial service for Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones who died last week of a brain attack. That’s basically what it is, an aneurysm. I read that last year when visiting my brother Frank in the hospital. That really gets your attention.

She was a good fighter and a friend of the LGBT community as well as other groups that are discriminated against. Bill left to check in with his mother and I just left it on listening to it more than watching it. Great gospel groups, and heartfelt speeches from her family as well as various democratic bigwigs who have been in the headlines all week.

The forecast threatened rain and so Chaz wasn’t into the beach today. Of course, it hasn’t rained all day. Last night it did and it drizzled towards the end of Raphael’s set. But that was it.

Also missed karaoke night at McSwells. Rand and Lisa went, Rand singing You’re No Good in a punk style. Roda reportedly sang a Barry White song and Lou Rawl’s ‘You’re Gonna Miss My Loving’. Still haven’t tried karaoke yet. It seems likely somewhere down the line.

Balloon Lady

Old Brown Shoe

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A lazy Friday. Just little running around errands here and there. Nothing major. Juan came by last night on his way back to Trenton. We watched the convention, He, Bill and I. Specifically Obama’s speech which was excellent.

I read somewhere that Bruce Springsteen was going to make an appearance but all we saw was Melissa Etheridge, Sheryl Crow and Stevie Wonder with Take 6. Stevie was great as usual, but no Bruce. A mellow low light evening.

Juan left after Obama spoke. Bill went to bed and I stayed up watching nothing in particular. Maybe the Simpsons, I don’t remember. Went to bed around 12:30 and slept until 9:00 this morning. Last weekend for lot’s of parking in Hoboken so you might want to get here quick.

Tonight I’m heading over to South Street Seaport to see Raphael Saadiq. It’s fairly cool and since I will be on the water I’m thinking blue jeans instead of shorts. Once the sun goes down it will get cooler, that’s for sure. But then again, just because it’s breezy and cool on the fifth floor, there really isn’t a breeze on the street.

I sent emails to Chaz , Roda, Rand and Lisa as well as Pedro. Roda has to work at McSwells, Pedro doesn’t want to drive since he has to work tomorrow, and no word from Rand and Lisa, though Chaz responded in an email that it sounds like a plan. Of course that’s an ambiguous response, one that I have given a few times probably in the past week.

The big news today on TV was not Barack Obama’s speech, but rather that McCrazy picked a woman for his vice president. Sarah Palin from Alaska. We’ll see how that goes. Anti Choice, Gun Enthusiast, former Mayor of 6500, present Governor, and she’s also against equal pay for equal work, which is just swell. She loves that glass ceiling. It’s an obvious ploy to get the Hillary supporters who are greatly upset with Obama getting the nomination.

So what else is there? I don’t know. I’m killing time. Last week was Shea Stadium and that was fun. Bill said he’d get some more tickets if they became available if I wanted. I said maybe. Last week was fun since Shea was going to be torn down when the season was over and it’s true I do prefer the Mets over the Yankees but I guess I committed to ‘yes’ when I said ‘maybe’. I didn’t say ‘no’.

Well Bill just came home and he’s feeling ill. Just walked through the door and went right to bed. He looked like hell. He’s better off staying home and sleeping. Me? I’m having a Stella Artois before I head into the city.

I think I’ll post this now and perhaps write about the show when I get back. Or maybe not. A few beers and the last thing I want to do is formulate my thoughts for reading. Pontificating from a bar stool, no problem. Sitting and writing, mucho difficulty. Though I have done it before, in a few altered states. I’ll probably leave a little after 6:00 and take the Path in.

Sounds like a plan.