Posts tagged concert

Meeting Ramen & Friend’s Baby Cormac

We went out to see Ramen & Friends Yoshie & Rob’s new baby Cormac. He’s a little one. He sure likes to watch TV. Apparently he likes True Blood and White Chicks. I can’t wait until we food blog with him.

jotu cormac Meeting Ramen & Friends Baby Cormac

Sam, Laura and I stopped for tacos on the way out at California Taqueria. The sign says it’s been open for 20 years (since 1990). I keep thinking we’re still in the 90′s. Shit, I’m old. I got what I expected in the combination platter …a pile of slop. Sam noticed it weighed about half of baby Cormac. The food needs a lot of hot sauce to make it taste good. Luckily they have several kinds. Also Sam got to try his first TAB soda. TAB? We sure it still ain’t the 90′s?

I then ran over to Brooklyn Bowl to catch my friends Brendan and Jackson of the Playboys of the Western World, covering a bunch of yacht rock songs (Michael McDonald, Toto, Christopher Cross). I blown away. They’re twins, but one is playing leftie and the other rightie guitar. Then they’d rip the same identical Steely Dan lick. It was like there was a trippy mirror between them. Interestingly, I came back to Brooklyn Bowl the next night to see my friends in Class Actress. Sexy. And Chairlift played later, who have that iPod commercial. They were good, but outside of that one iPod song, they reminded me of Avatar.

Original California Taqueria – 187 Court St (btwn Congress St & Wyckoff St) Brooklyn, NY 11201

Jason Lam meets Baby Cormac

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The Ponderosa Stomp NYC 2010 & Oprah & Gayle’s Favorite Pizza

Met up with friends at the Ponderosa Stomp concert at Lincoln Center yesterday. Seemed like they were really into The Gories and DEATH, whereas I was blown away from Question Mark and the Mysterians. I didn’t know who they were, but I felt like I always knew that singer …in my soul. I felt bad when people only stood up and danced to their hit song “96 Tears“, because they were so awesome throughout.

After, Suzy & the Baltimore girls and I looked for some food and ended up at Mariella Pizza. There was a sign that said Oprah & Gayle discovered that this pizza was only a few steps from their office (VIDEO). It was pretty much standard New York pizza. Large, fresh by the slice and greasy.

We all felt pretty good after the slices and headed to the afterparty at Hotel Empire. I almost didn’t get in because of my sneakers. I guess I could’ve worn high heels like that one time at the Grand Central Station fancy bar. Some dancing, some drinking. There was a girl there that I couldn’t tell if I thought she was attractive because she was wasted or because I was wasted.

Mariella Pizza – 151 E 60th St (btwn 3rd & Lexington Ave) New York 10022

I should have stuck with Suzy and the gang. They ended up at Great Jones Cafe where Question Mark and the Mysterians played a late night secret show. I ended up going home eating a can of peas.

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Flaming Lips at Terminal 5 & Chicken Ring Sandwich

I wished upon a star to see the Flaming Lips and Jiminy Cricket (aka The Thrillist) made my wish come true. I won tickets to the show last night at Terminal 5. Met up with Lara and we had our first Flaming Lips experience.

After, we ended up walking into a closed restaurant. It was really weird. The door was open, lights on, but no one was there. I felt like we were in a Twilight Zone episode and there was no more food to blog.

I ended up at White Castle to try their Chicken Ring Sandwich. That’s one dry bready sandwich. I kept squirting hot sauce on it, but it didn’t work. Nothing on the menu can beat their Jalapeño Cheeseburger!

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Shit Horse & Punjabi Deli

Dave got us to go to the free Shit Horse show at the Mercury Lounge last week. It was really fun. The singer is a real character. He’s like the black Rusty 5 years from now.

Afterwards, headed across the street to fill ourselves up on cheap spicy Indian food at Punjabi Deli. $1 Samosas and $3 small bowl of rice with two veggies is such a good deal. It was perfect filler to end the night.

Punjabi Deli – 114 E 1st St (btwn 1st Ave & Ave A) New York, NY 10009

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Siren Fest 2010 Recap

Out with friends in Coney Island for yesterday’s Siren Fest. The singer from Screaming Females was like the girl version of me. She had my hair. I always wondered what I looked like on stage. But this girl shredded hard on guitar, unlike me. They were badass.

For food, I’ve waited a year to come back to try that huge torta sandwich in the midway that I saw last year after I had already stuffed my face. Plaza Mexico Dona Zita, I’m glad you’re still around. I’ve seen two other Mexican spots there turn into a t-shirt store. Pork Torta –the lady took the big bread buns, spread it with mayonnaise and put them mayo side down on the griddle, spread refried beans and back on the griddle, then topped with lotsa chopped pork, pickled jalapeño peppers, half an avocado, tons of Oaxaca cheese, lettuce, tomato. It was as awesome tasting as it was awesome looking. Sam and I had to split this. $8. Worth every cent.

Watched some more bands and went back out with Shonali and Jasper for more food. We stopped over at the newish Kaplash Cuchifritos stand (I think that’s how they spell it. I can’t read the sign.) Got the mofongo and chicharrón (which I never had just as the pork rind and no meat). A nice lady next to us shared her fried plantains and meaty chunks version of chicharrón. She was really into the food there. Then Shonali and Jasper grabbed a chorizo & chicken taco and watermelon juice. I was about to say that Todd got diarrhea sick from the chorizo there last year, but didn’t because I didn’t want to put that in their heads. They did leave Siren early, so I do wonder.

Out on the beach, I think I was the hottest girl there. The lifeguard was so ghetto. He had a do-rag and smoked a cigarette. He yelled at some kid “No dunking!” I don’t think the kid was in the water. I’m not sure if he was a real lifeguard, but at least he was making sure everyone was safe.

We saw former WWF wrestler Virgil on the boardwalk, signing autographs. He said he was going to dinner with Michael Bloomberg and talked about how rich him and Vince McMahon are. I wonder if he was confused with the Million Dollar Man.

The rest of the night had a lot to do with cups of straight vodka …some from Dan Aykroyd and some from a man hiding behind a tent with a granny cart.

Great time at Siren! Thanks Neil, Diane, Shonali and the Village Voice.

My camera’s audio sucks.

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David Dondero @ Rockwood Music Hall

David Dondero is probably one of the hardest working touring musicians I know. I don’t know how he does it. I’m such a pussy when I’m away from my own bed for more than a week. He stopped by and we ate redfish Rusty grilled in the front yard …and I had a whole huge slab for breakfast already. Then after a nice nap, we went to see him play at Rockwood Music Hall last night. His songs sound like you’re on the road with him and trucking along through the small American towns.

Afterwards, we went out drinking and I got hungry …doy! It was insane in the Lower East Side with everyone walking around partying. I ducked into The Three Monkeys when I saw their lighted sign for a Falafel/Hummus wrap $3.65 ($4 after tax). It’s a really hefty wrap, the size of a Chipotle burrito. With the cool green cucumber/dill sauce on the table, it did its job at filling my tummy just fine while I watched partygoers stumbling around on the street.

The Three Monkeys – 99 Rivington St (btwn Orchard & Ludlow St) New York, NY 10002

David Dondero plays tonight (Sunday 7/11) @ Union Hall (Park Slope)

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The Last Night in New Orleans

After Vietnamese food, I met back up with Jody & Christa at Harrah’s casino. We walked around for an hour trying to figure out how to play. The machines wouldn’t take our dollar bills. Then we figured out that we have to put at least $5 in. Then it wouldn’t take our $5′s. We almost gave up, then I decided it was time to go down in flames and stuck $10 in there. I pushed some buttons and it gave me more money back. What kind of business is Harrah’s in? The business of losing money or the business of fulfilling dreams?

We walked around trying to find Jody & Christa some cheap, quick food. By that time, there wasn’t much open but Popeyes. But I have to admit, Popeyes makes some dang good food. I love their Jambalaya and lived on that in college. That’s how I think I base my judgement of what good Jambalaya is –by Popeyes. Although, I know I’ve had a couple of Popeyes that tasted like vomit, but when it’s good, it’s great. The one right there in the French Quarter didn’t have Jambalaya though. Only Dirty or Cajun Rice. Every location should have jambalaya IMO …and fried chicken liver!

Jody picked up a Shrimp Po-Boy and that looked great. We brought it back to our hotel and stood in the lobby talking, where we saw an old man without any pants holding onto the luggage rack. I couldn’t tell if his glasses were super thick that made his eyes super wide or if he really was a deer in headlights. We think he might have been in one of those situational comedies where he was hanging with a lady and got locked out of his room. That Popeyes Shrimp Po-Boy tasted really good.

Then we met back up with Jay where he was doing sound at One Eyed Jack’s for Dax Riggs. That was a fun show. After, we stumbled around for more food. There really isn’t much open, except Arby’s. Two years ago, Rusty totally Hasselhoff’d on Arby’s down in the Big Easy. He was dipping his fries and roast beef sandwich in the Horsey sauce that got on his bed. Good thing the line was crazy long at Arby’s this time. It could’ve been Hoff Deux. Not that I wasn’t ready to videotape it.

There’s this weird illusion when you wake up and open the windows at the St. James Hotel. You see your reflection from the building across the street and think you’re in the Twilight Zone. It freaked us out.

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Bang on a Can Marathon Concert 2010

I met Shonali in the city Sunday night to be a guest on the syndicated show, The Edge with Jake Sasseville. That guy was hilarious. It reminded us of the time we were on the MTV Desi countdown. Afterward, we met up with Jasper at BRGR around the corner for a shake. There was a sign that said they were rated the best shake in the city, per New York Magazine. I thought the Black & White shake tasted like a sweeter Wendy’s Frosty.

We had to go back to the studio to sign some release forms and there we saw the MTV Desi guy who interviewed us in the guest seat. It really confused me.

Then we walked over to the World Financial Center where there was a Bang on a Can Marathon. We were thinking it was a drum marathon. We couldn’t find it, so we sat down at SouthWestNY for some dinner. My Blackened Salmon BLT was really blackened. Ash sandwich. Eating outside was really nice though.

Shonali looked up the Bang on Can Marathon on her phone again and discovered it was indoors. Then we found it. No drums, but World Music.

BRGR – 287 Seventh Ave (btwn 26th & 27th St) New York, NY 10001
SouthWestNY – 225 Liberty St (2 World Financial Center) New York, NY 10281
Bang on a Can

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