Tag Archives: Spectacle with Elvis Costello

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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