Category Archives: music

December 7, 2008 · 12:52 am

Uggs and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

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Tonight was a wonderful adventure in leaving the zip code. At the last minute we decided to venture into Soho to check out the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s NYC Annex. It has only been open for a couple of weeks and apparently is one of New York’s best kept secrets.

We pulled up on Mercer Street and parked the car. There was a line halfway down the block, but not for the Museum. Oh no, my friends, this was an orderly line in front of the Uggs store, waiting to get in. This was no Walmart situation, but simply a calm crowd of shoppers waiting to drop a $100 or so for a pair of boots. And the Museum… not a soul on the street or in the lobby for that matter.

The entry to the museum is timed to allow for crowd control, kind of joke tonight as the max amount of people we saw in any section was perhaps 20.

The Annex is a real gem. I have been to the Rock Hall in Cleveland. We went there for Gary’s 50th and it was fabulous. But the old girl is a bit tired looking and could use a sprucing up. The curators of this Annex did an amazing job. The first room had walls covered with brushed aluminum plates with the names of every inductee etched into them. The artists’ names would light up around the room as their music was played. Very cool.

The graphics were perfect and all the materials enhanced the exhibits. There were translucent digital photographic banners stretched between brushed aluminum curved poles throughout, screen printed photos on plexi panels, suspended plasma screens, a 3-d frosted plexi model of NY with touch screens allowing you to explore each NY rock and roll landmark… all of it simply amazing. The space was a combo of exposed brick and pipes with high tech lighting and materials that struck a perfect balance.

Similar to the Cleveland Museum there is a rotating featured exhibit. This first one was The Clash and it was great. Joe Strummer at his finest.

Some highlights:

1. Gary dancing in the video room during a sequence when they featured us, the audience, in the rock videos shown on the screen

2. Elvis’ bible with handwritten notations in the margin

3. David Byrne’s big suit in a display that featured the video of him on tour, then the video faded out to reveal the actual suit

4. Handwritten letters from Simon and Garfunkel to eachother when they were at sleepaway camp.

5. John Lennon’s wire framed glasses

6. Bruce Springsteen’s Belair

7. The urinal from CBGB’s behind glass (in case anyone thought of peeing in it)

Ok, I will stop here at Lucky 7. If you are in NY stop by and enjoy every minute.

Hmmm, for some reason I feel an undying need to buy a pair of Uggs online…

(btw, those who are wondering, yes it is snowing on my page. just another cool little WordPress 2.7 trick, gotta love it)

Haven’t had enough of me yet? You can also read me at Mid-Century Modern Moms and at 50-Something Moms Blog.

For photo enthusiasts, visit Leaving the zip code, photos from outside the comfort zone.

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November 6, 2008 · 7:23 pm

Pigpen and the chihuahua, separated at birth?

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For those who missed yesterday’s post, the picture on the left was featured there. In the comments, Dr Jimmy mentioned the Grateful Dead resemblance in this line-up, with Pigpen being the chihuahua.

Since many of you are not Dead fans, I thought I would post the inside flap of the Skull and Roses album with the picture he referenced (and so graciously sent me a link to). Thanks Dr. J – what slow day drilling today?

El Nel informed me that she cracked up when she saw the pet picture as it is featured everyday in Newsday. Being in suburban denial I refuse to read this Long Island newspaper even though it is quite good. (BTW, I moved out of the city 20 years ago.) The ad is for the North Shore Animal League if you were wondering.

Back to the photo. Take a look at the guy in the middle (Pigpen) and tell me this is not a separated at birth scenario.

Just plain scary!

Haven’t had enough of me yet? You can also read me at Mid-Century Modern Moms and at 50-Something Moms Blog where Jana joins in the election bloglove.

For photo enthusiasts, visit Leaving the zip code, photos from outside the comfort zone.

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October 19, 2008 · 9:20 pm

Living la vida lunchbox

Oh, my. Kind of creepy, right? I had to take a picture of this! Sadly, poor old Ricky M. was on the discount shelf at the art supply store. Who would have thought the artist with the 1999 song that topped the charts would end up here?

I got a particular charge out of this as that song was the theme of my 40th birthday dinner with the First Thursdays.

I guess every lunchbox has its day.

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October 16, 2008 · 10:33 pm

Crosby, Nash and the fat guy sitting behind me

Have you ever been to a concert where the guy behind you insists upon singing EVERY word to every song?

Poorly.

Yeh, well that was the guy behind me last night at the David Crosby and Graham Nash concert. This friggin’ guy thought he was headlining! Imagine the big galoot belting out the words to Our House like a high school girl for G-d sake! “Our Houssssssse, is a very, very very fine Housssssse…”

Jeez bud, give me a break. For the ticket price I would prefer the traditional Crosby/Nash harmonies over you reminiscing in my ear, thank you very much.

It was an otherwise nice nostalgic show. But for some reason it took on the feeling of a Twilight Zone episode. When we first walked in my friend asked me if I had this odd feeling that we were at a terrible high school reunion. I looked around and realized that we were in a crowd of some of the sorriest looking souls I have seen in a long time. Hey, we were absolutely gorgeous in this crowd! (not a bad thing).

We took a walk to the outside deck before the show and suddenly this women started talking to us as if we were old friends. Donna was her name. Let me preface this with the fact that both Ellen and I have this personality trait that makes complete strangers spill their guts to us. Unsolicited, I might add.

Before we knew it we had good old Donna’s life story down. Two grown kids, widowed, took her kid to see Crosby and Nash in ’86 – partook in some questionable activities that led her son to grab the wheel when she was driving, legal secretary – semi-retired, fat stomach that caused her to hike up her pants and ask us if we had issues with our jeans falling down (I kid you not), loves salsa music prompting her kids to call her ‘Mambo’, lives in Queens, does not like the subway, refuses to learn how to text message and was trying like hell to get us to go back stage with her to meet the band.

Ooooooo boy, this was one surreal episode for sure. Our husbands came outside to find us hanging with good ol’ Donna and did not quite know what to make of her. Honestly, we were kind of into Donna. She had an ‘I don’t give a crap about anything at this point of my life’ kind of way that was actually quite refreshing.

Wait, wasn’t this supposed to be a post about the annoying fat guy singing behind me? I suppose this post took the same direction as the evening did.

Organic, in a bizarre sort of way.

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October 10, 2008 · 11:51 pm

Aretha or Tina?

In light of the battle between Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner over the royal title of Queen, I have decided to do a little poll of my own. Please use the poll above to place your vote.

In case you were preoccupied with silly news stories like the Dow dropping like a rock or Sarah Palin’s latest legal woes, it would appear that Aretha is quite put off.

In February, Beyonce introduced Tina at the Grammy’s as the queen. Aretha? Not so happy!

Tina’s comment, “She’s the queen of soul, and I’m the queen of rock ‘n’ roll. There were so many kings and queens there that night. Her ego must be so big to think she was the only one.” She joked, “That’s how queens are!”

Aretha’s comment in USA Today:

“I have always appreciated what Tina Turner has to offer and had quietly cheered her on after Ike and her subsequent success. However, with respect to her statement concerning my ego, clearly she was talking about herself as she described herself as the ‘Queen of Rock’ and saying ‘that’s what Queens do’ — particularly since she does not have a clue as to who I am in view of the fact that we have never met.”

That, my friends is the Diva’s equivalent of ‘I know you are but what am I?” Um, yeh right. Well ladies, let’s be honest. Who really gives a flying…

Well, let’s find out. Please vote above. And send this to all your friends. Perhaps we can solve this ourselves. A reminder, for those who are on email subscriptions and RSS feeds, you will have to visit the site to vote (come on, don’t be so friggin’ lazy, this is important)

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September 24, 2008 · 10:32 pm

Taxicab Confessions

One thing that took us by surprise in Vegas was how talkative and friendly the cabbies were. Not to say the NY cab driver is not a cordial breed. But honestly, I sometimes worry I will lose a shoe when getting out one because they are driving away before I fully get out.

Our last night in the City of Sin brought us to a wonderful restaurant about 20 minutes off the strip called Rosemary’s. (Thanks for the suggestion Jeff, it was amazing).

Every Vegas cabbie has a story. This particular one started to chat about the Northeast and why he left. He talked about having been very fortunate early in his career and raising 4 daughters in Westport, CT. Now this guy, he had a long gray ponytail and the look of many years of partying hearty. Not exactly your typical Westport resident.

Of course Gary had to ask him what he did. He told us he was a musician and had great success (um, then why are we driving a cab in Vegas, again?).

Gary: what band?

Cabbie: oh, a little band called ‘the iron butterfly”

Gary: Get the hell out of here. In-a-gada-da-vita?!!

Me: That was our wedding song (I was kidding, it was actually James Brown “I Feel Good”)

So, he and Gary go on to chat up music for the rest of the ride and I am squinting in the dark trying to get this guy’s name off the dashboard. He tells us that he played keyboard and sang. Being the blackberry detective, I look up Iron Butterfly and the names don’t match.

As we got out of the cab Gary asked his name. The name he gave was correct but certainly did not match his taxi license. Was this like his pen name for driving so people did not know it was him. Was he ghost driving?

Of course I had to go upstairs and do more Googling. What is wrong with me, don’t most people just gamble in Vegas.

He talked about playing Woodstock. The Iron Butterfly did not, they got stuck at the airport. He talked about growing up in Sty-town.  Doug Ingle was born in Omaha and grew up in the Rocky Mountains, then moved to San Diego. (uh, last I looked Sty-town was on the east side in NY).

My net of this experience?

Sometimes it is better not to have all that information at your fingertips. Wouldn’t it have just been cool to think that a past rock icon was our driver and he drove a cab so he could chat about the old days with people who cared? Here’s a great vintage vid for those of you who have been humming the song since I mentioned it.

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