Fashion’s Night Out in NYC
September 7th, 2012 by chocko
Last night the freaky, stylish and flashy fashionista zombies of NYC roamed the streets showing off the latest trends while shopping and looking for free drinks and bargains. The Planet Chocko Crew put on their freshest gear (which is not really saying much) and took part in the gawking and cat-walking in the SoHo section of NYC. Anytime there’s free food and free music Mr. C, Joey Teacups and Chocko are not too far from the scene. Our first attempt at getting into a free performance was shot-blocked. We got to the MAC store on Broadway where the line to see Azealia Banks perform, spilled out in all directions. At least three lines formed to get in and most likely half the crowd had no shot in seeing Azealia rock the microphone. We elbowed our way to the next event.
We went to the Helmut Lang store on 93 Mercer St. to soak in some spirits and tunes spun by the Swedish electropop duo, Icona Pop. Aino Neneh Jawo and Caroline Hjelt were all smiles while they got the party rocking. We fist pumped and scored some free sandwiches to go with The Macallan. Next, we sashayed among the throngs of beautiful people to Prada (575 Broadway) a couple blocks away to catch the next show.
We waited for over an hour for the Brooklyn snythpop band, Chairlift to hit the stage at Prada. Free caramel popcorn served on huge silver trays kept the crowd at bay. The place erupted when Chairlift appeared. The duo of Caroline Polachek (synthesizers and vocals) and Patrick Wimberly (bass guitar) were accompanied by a drummer and played a set of songs which included a sultry reggae cover and a soulful cover of a Honey Ltd. song, “Silk ‘N Honey.” Their song “I Belong In Your Arms” is a bouncy, catchy song that will have you dancing like a fool. They recently recorded a rocking Japanese version of that song to celebrate the release of their album in Japan. It’s so good! Chairlift will be back in town when they open up for The XX next month at Paradise Theatre in The Boogie Down Bronx.
We kicked and clawed our way back to the Helmut Lang shop to catch Katy Goodman (Vivian Girls) and her other band La Sera. Katy sounded awesome and looked striking in her Helmut Lang dress and sneakers (keeping it real!). Chocko caught the last 3 songs in the set: Drive On, Never Come Around and You’re Going To Cry. Shoutout to Chris Cantalini of the blog Gorilla Vs. Bear for curating the evening’s music at Helmut Lang. We’re looking forward to next year’s Fashion Fright Night!
VIDEOS by CHOCKO and MR. C
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Tags: chairlift, fashion, fashion's night out, fno, helmut lang, icona pop, la sera, new york city, nyc, prada
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food pron <~> porn
September 7th, 2012 by Mr. C
Just a few photos of some eats that we’ve enjoyed over the past few weeks or so….
The Mile End Sandwich shop is a Montreal inspired Jewish Deli in New York City.
Mile End Sandwich
53 Bond Street
NY, NY (NoHo)
(The Ruth Wilensky – fried beef salami, mustard, onion roll – the roll was crispy, charred, & flavorful!)
(Smoked Meat – cured & smoked brisket, mustard, rye)
(Poutine – Classic fries, cheese curds, & gravy)
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The ramen noodles were springy and not overcooked. The broth was rich with miso flavor without being too rich or overpowering. A tad salty though – yes, I know it’s miso.
Ramen Misoya
129 Second Ave
New York, NY 10003
East Village
(Grated cheese miso based ramen with char siu – Hokkaido Style)
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Ramen Yebisu
126 N 6th St (between Berry St & Bedford Ave)
Brooklyn, NY 11211
Williamsburg – North Side
(Seafood Ramen – Whole prawn, mussels, snow crab, scallops, scallion, & seaweed).
Tags: food, photos
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aerosol art in Hackensack
September 4th, 2012 by Mr. C
Some really neat aerosol typography in wild style and burner formats exists near the Planet Chocko experimental labs and we didn’t even know about it until recently. Thanks to one of New Jersey’s finest old skool graff writers – ZAR – from Paterson, NJ for pointing out the location to us. ZAR is a frequent contributor to the eye popping lettering & artwork that lines the walls of the basketball courts in Hackensack and School 15 in Paterson. Graffiti writing crews such as EOS, FC, TDS, & COD have all graced us with some amazing pieces on the wall as well. SHIRO from Japan even made her mark here!
hey-hey-hey, don’t forget to use Atlantic Cleaning Services in Hackensack for all your cleaning needs! Fat Albert & the crew on Union Steet said so!
Tags: graffiti, new jersey, street art
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REEWIND: An interview with THE INDEPENDENTS
August 31st, 2012 by Mr. C
The Independents, a horror punk/ska band were one of our favorite acts to rise out of the east village punk music scene in the late 1990s most notably playing at clubs like The Continental, Coney Island High, and Brownies. Being from the dirty planet of NJ, Chocko and I also saw the Independents perform at Connections in Clifton. Joey Ramone of The Ramone’s would help steer the success of The Independents in the right direction.
Come every October during Chiller Theater convention time our cassette playlist would be amped up infinitely with tunes by The Misfits, The Undead, & The Independents to get us in that horror mood!
At live shows, Evil Presley – the lead vocalist of The Independents would have a habit of flipping Chocko’s baseball cap off his noggin’ while he enjoyed the show from the front row! Fun & playful stuff from the Evil one himself!
Chocko had a friendly chat with Evil Presley and Willy B which we shared on our zine sometime ago. Enjoy!
Tags: interviews, planet chocko zine archives, punk
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Detournement : Signs of the Times – art exhibition at Jonathan Levine Gallery
August 28th, 2012 by Mr. C
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Being the slackers that we are, we made it to the last day of the Detournement : Signs of the Times art exhibit. Thanks to @mondocurry for forcing the action. I had no idea that last Saturday was the end of the run. The Signs of the Times is a group exhibition that celebrates images that redirects the visual message of capitalistic signs and expressions into a parody of sorts.
(From Carlo Mccormick – the curator of the exhibition)
This exhibition is meant to both celebrate the lineage of detournement and bring attention to some of its current practitioners who embody its continued vitality through their art. We live in a forest of signs that are meant to confuse, distract and numb us to the more dire consequences of the human condition as it is. We do not need to follow these signs, we need to make our own so as to find a way out of the mess we are in. I cannot thank these artists enough for their contributions towards helping us find another way.
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(Artist: Ron English)
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(Artist: Shepard Fairey)
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(Artist: AIKO)
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(Artist: Steve Powers aka ESPO – ISLAM IS PEACE)
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(Artist: Mike Osterhout)
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(Artist: David Wojnarowicz)
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(Artist: Jack Pierson)
Tags: art, detournement, jonathan levine gallery, sign of the times
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Curtis Salgado + Joanne Shaw Taylor at the Blues BBQ
August 27th, 2012 by Mr. C
(All photos & videos by mr c except the Annie Lennox performance)
I eventually stumbled into the Blues BBQ Festival on Pier 84 last Saturday which was a stones throw away from the U.S.S. Intrepid if you are a major league pitcher that is. Earlier in the day, my mind was double pumping in the paint and it was starting to fake me out trying to decide if I wanted to attend the Afropunk music festival in Brooklyn or jam it out with some Blues at the Que. In the end, I drove hard to the west side basket without being assaulted and walked right into the set of Curtis Salgado and his band while Curtis was doing one of his epic harmonica solo pieces blowing out fire from his instrument! It was refreshing to hear some real soul and R&B! I was able to capture a performance of SUMMERTIME LIFE (Soul Activated – 2001) from the Blues BBQ.
(Curtis Salgado burning up the harmonica!)
The next act was a pleasant surprise – JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR – a contemporary Blues guitarist/singer/songwriter from England! Apparently she was discovered by Dave Stewart from The Eurythmics as a teenage guitar prodigy and a decade later she has released 2 albums (White Sugar & Diamonds in the Dirt) and a new third album – Almost Always never – set to be released on September 17th. Taylor also recently played lead guitar in Annie Lennox’s (former Eurythmic) band at the Diamond Jubilee Concert in front of the Buckingham Palace in London last June where she jammed out to an extended solo during the performance!
(Joanne Shaw Taylor at the merch table after her Blues BBQ performance)
(Video of Annie Lennox with Joanne Shaw Taylor as lead guitarist at the Diamond Jubilee Concert at Buckingham Palace – courtesy of Surethom @ Youtube)
Joanne Shaw Taylor blessed and addressed us with her smoky soulful vocals with attitude and fire coupled with her dynamic guitar licks and extended solos from the front to the back! Her performance at the Blues BBQ Fest was amazing! Some songs on her set from Pier 84 included Diamonds in the Dirt, Time has come, Goin’ Down, Kiss the ground goodbye, and Manic Depression (Jimi Hendrix). Despite being a young lady, Taylor’s presence and spirit on stage brims with much gusto and confidence! I hate to compare artists but to me and y’all will probably think I’m crazy but I hear a bit of Norah Jones and Lisa Stansfield in Joanne’s voice albeit with a rougher edge and growl! Maybe it’s the tone of the voices that are just similiar or maybe I’m just obsessed about Norah Jones and Lisa Stansfield with their sultry voices! I can also see JST blending in just as smoothly as she rips up those speed induced solos in a metal band!
(Joanne Shaw Taylor performing at the Blues BBQ in NYC – vids by mr c)
Oh yeah – the BBQ part of day was fulfilled by:
Brother Jimmy’s BBQ
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
Tags: blues, blues bbq, r&b
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Printed Matter, Inc. hosted the Opening of the Bootleg T-Shirt Show
August 21st, 2012 by chocko
Last Saturday was the first time Chocko and Mr. C stepped into Printed Matter, Inc. in NYC and it was pretty mind blowing to see so many self published books and ‘zines by artists and writers from all over the globe. Printed Matter also hosts events such as readings, classes and art shows.
We stepped into the place for the Bootleg T-Shirt Show where limited edition shirts by 20 different artists were on display and for sale. There was nothing bootleg about some of the price tags on these shirts. Most of them were priced at $35. I saw a couple shirts for $20 but sheesh…I either need to get a new job or somebody needs to make a bootleg of these artistic interpretations of bootlegs and sell them out on the street.
These two were my favorites. This Bootleg Bart Simpson shirt was done by Andrew Kuo. I also loved the Grateful Death Row Records shirt by Peter Sutherland. These shirts would look mad fly in my wardrobe.
This totally got my attention and because it was hanging in the window, it reminded me of an old Sir Mixalot ditty, “Put ‘Em On The Glass.” This shirt was done by O.J. San Felipe, the guitarist and singer of Xray Eyeballs and a member of Golden Triangle (you guys need to play shows again!).
Here’s the back and front of the limited edition mini-zine which commemorated the event. Inside the booklet which the staff at Printed Matter were still cutting up and stapling as we walked in (hot off the press!) are photos of all the shirts from the show worn by the lovely bootleg Kate Moss. A sweet deal at $2 a pop and a print run of 50.
Printed Matter, Inc. is located at 195 Tenth Ave between 21st and 22nd Streets. Their store hours are Monday to Wednesday and Saturday 11am-7pm, Thursday and Friday 11am-8pm. Closed Sunday. Recommended spot for all you artists’ publication and ‘zine aficionados!
Tags: andrew kuo, bootleg t-shirt show, new york city, nyc, o.j. san felipe, peter sutherland, printed matter, zines
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Punch played ABC No Rio and Death By Audio
August 16th, 2012 by chocko
It was a weekend of Punch in NYC when the San Francisco based hardcore punk band played ABC No Rio in the Lower East Side (08/04) and Death By Audio in Brooklyn (08/05). Last time I saw the band play around these parts, lead singer Meghan O’Neil was hopping around due to a broken foot but this time, the band rocked at full strength. The slimy and sweaty mess of a crowd was treated to an energetic and violent set of killer riffs and screaming vocals punctuated with machine gun beats and blasts. To the untrained ear, it’s hard to tell where the lightning quick songs begin or end during a Punch set unless the band stops to gasp for some air or get hydrated. Drummer Val Saucedo worked the double shift, providing the beats for not only Punch but for openers, Living Eyes too. Living Eyes are an awesome hardcore punk band from Oakland, California with a 7″ titled Starve For Agony with 8 killer tracks that will crush you alive! I picked up a couple other goodies at the merch table including the Punch Nothing Lasts E.P. (blue vinyl-first press) which I’ve been playing constantly… “Time Apart” and “How Nothing Lasts” are my favorite tracks. I also picked up their second album titled Push Pull (brutal songs + smart lyrics!) and a ‘zine by Meghan titled “Something You Have…” which features photos of band mates, family, friends and cats taken in off-beat locations in different cities and foreign countries. More ‘zines please!
Check out Deathwish Inc. for Punch and Living Eyes records and stuff.
Check out the videos below of the sweat-soaked show at ABC No Rio. I definitely lost some water weight and put my deodorant to the test!
SET LIST
How Nothing Lasts
Don’t Start
Ol’ Factory
Do It Yourself
Stay Afloat
No Such Thing As A Stupid Question
Time Apart
Get Back
Positively God Free
Fuming
Nothing Left
Let Me Forget
Fixation
If Not Me
Words
Here’s RJ Leimpeter of Living Eyes providing the rage-filled vocals and about to set things off at ABC, opening for Punch. High energy 90’s era hardcore sounds with a lotta hopping around. It’s Clobbering Time!
Punch and Living Eyes played Brooklyn the following night at the diy space, Death By Audio. It’s a great venue to see a band but the smoking there has got to come to an end! Even the band had something to say about it. C’mon, alll you nicotine addicted hipsters and punks, take your stinky cigarette smoking outside. Second hand smoke ain’t no joke! Besides stinking like an ashtray and having my arm grated like cheese while being dragged across the front speakers, the show was loads of fun. Hopefully they come back to NYC soon with more new records and ‘zines. Check out the video below of Punch performing “words” at DBA.
Tags: abc no rio, band, death by audio, hardcore punk, living eyes, new york city, nyc, punch, san francisco, show
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We are ALL Private DANNY CHEN
August 13th, 2012 by Mr. C
A rally was held at Columbus Park in Chinatown last Saturday to show support for the family of 19 year old Private Danny Chen who took his own life after being hazed and subjected to racial slurs by his superiors while on duty in Afghanistan. This gathering at Columbus Park was also in protest to the verdict of the first military court martial of U.S. v Sgt Holcomb which basically was an equivalent to a slap in the wrist. They found the defendant guilty of maltreatment and assault & battery. He was sentenced to 30 days of confinement, one level of reduction in rank, and a $1,181.55 fine. How is this soldier, one of the leaders in his platoon still serving in our armed forces? Aren’t we ALL united in brotherhood/sisterhood being a U.S. citizen regardless of race/creed/ethnic background? And in this case they were supposedly united fighting in the U.S. Military on foreign soil. Who’s the real enemy here? It certainly wasn’t the Afghans. In my estimation, leaders in the military have two goals: accomplish any missions assigned before them with little to no harm to your unit and to provide care and safety mentally/physically for your soldiers in combat like they were a member of your own family. The Sgt. in charge of Private Danny seemed to be doing quite the opposite. The feelings of being worthless, the sense of being helpless with no signs of hope must of been driven down pretty darn deep from these WORTHLESS/HEARTLESS/SOULLESS eight U.S. soldiers in order for Private Chen to take his own life.
(Rally at Columbus Park in Chinatown-NYC)
Seven other soldiers await their trials and with the results of the first one, we as a community can’t help but be pessimistic. This verdict is what prompted the rally for Danny Chen last Saturday as leaders from the community including OCA-NY, Councilwoman Margaret Chin, NYC Comptroller John Liu, and other NYC community leaders like Council Members Mendez, Jackson, & Gentile provided inspirational speeches to lead the fight for justice for Danny Chen, his family, and to bring to light leadership issues in our military as well as the suicide epidemic in our armed forces.
(Danny Chen’s aunt)
(Time Magazine’s referral to ONE A DAY suicide in our Military Forces)
(The 3 feelings or signs before someone contemplates suicide.)
Danny Chen’s – Aunt Lucy made a touching speech thanking the community for their support as she continues to console the parents of Danny through these hard times. Aunt Lucy was adamant in saying that she would NEVER recommend nor want anyone one in her family to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces ever again. From simply wanting to serve his OWN country came a nasty revelation of failed leadership in the militiary as well as the ugly reality of racial discrimination even to this day and age in the America’s. It is very sad.
Other memorable speeches from the event were given by an alumni from Pace High School in Chinatown/L.E.S where Danny went to school as well as from the Director of the Headstart School where Danny attended as well. It was also comforting to hear and see a new generation of leaders like Julia Chung from Vassar College who is attending the hearings at Fort Bragg and providing support for the fight.
Sources of contact:
OCA-NY (Organization of Chinese Americans)
NY Immigration Coalition
Petition For Administrative Discharge From The Army (SGT Adam Holcomb)
(Councilwoman Margaret Chin)
(NYC Council Jackson)
(NYC Council Gentile)
(NYC Comptroller – John Liu)
(Alumni from Pace High School)
(Director from HeadStart School)
(Julia organizing the petitions)
Tags: danny chen, justice, rally
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REEWIND: An interview with Stockyard Stoics
August 9th, 2012 by Mr. C
Tags: interviews, joe piglet, planet chocko zine archives, punk
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Kimmo Pohjonen & Helsinki Nelson: Accordion Wrestling
August 9th, 2012 by Mr. C
I wasn’t sure what I was witnessing at first glance with the Finnish Accordion Wrestling performance at Damrosch Park on the grounds of Lincoln Center but the show ended up being quite a unique & pleasant spectacle to the eyes and ears! This hybrid theatrical performance – part music, wrestling, art, & dance was headed by Kimmo Pohjonen, the accordion player and featured at least 10 Finnish wrestlers including 2 women wrestlers. This eclectic show was paying homage to Finnish wrestling from the early to mid-1900s when an accordion player would actually provide the musical accompaniment for the wrestling matches. The lighting, narration, and projected images on the stage would set the background for the story as the wrestlers would interact with each other & as solo players using training drills from their craft as bodies were flying be it from hip tosses, to fireman like throws, trips, flips, body rolls, tumbles, & to other neat looking takedowns. There must of been mics attached to the wrestlers or perhaps on the mats as we heard thuds from the bodies being tossed around and grunts from our Finnish grunts in stereo! While the powerful, yet graceful techniques were being demonstrated by these warriors – the accordion player would lay the mood with his play to tell a story but his sarcastic gestures to the wrestlers with ‘strong necks and a little brain’ would rile them up fueling a confrontation at the end! The performance was beautiful, peaceful, & fluid yet offered a sense of chaos and destruction at the same time which reflected their struggles in Finland at the time. The sounds that melded together including the grunts, groans, bodies crashing on the floor, to the chants, and accordion playing all combined into a flowing unit of experimental and holistic harmony! The sounds combined with the visuals really transformed the performance into a haunting tribute that brought those Finnish wrestlers from the early to mid-1900s back to life!
Visit the official web page of KIMMO POHJONEN ACCORDION WRESTLING for more information.
Tags: accordion, finnish, wrestling
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The SKETCHBOOK PROJECT
August 7th, 2012 by chocko
This year, Chocko participated in The Sketchbook Project, a global art project that involves drawing and doodling in sketchbooks and having your work exhibited across thousands of miles to different cities in North America and eventually finding its home to be displayed at the Brooklyn Art Library. Here are some samples from Chocko’s sketchbook and as you can see…you don’t have to be an artist or have a whole lotta talent to participate. If you have that creative itch, definitely take part in the 2013 Sketchbook Project and be a part of the traveling library of artist’s books. It only costs $25 to get a sketchbook mailed to your house. Pick a theme, draw and create and mail it back by the deadline. C’mon, Do It!
My sketchbook features drawings mostly done with pencil and ink, magic markers and watercolor paints. The clown drawing has a little aerosol paint sprayed on. The drawing of the dude eating piles of doughnuts was inspired by a drawing in the J DILLA album, Donuts. It was a lot of fun working on the project and Chocko definitely has to thank an alien from the Planet Geminian, Mary for the encouragement and push. Follow her on twitter and check out her blog to follow her crazy adventures. Take a peek at Mary’s Sketchbook for drawings of unicorns, snails and turtles!
The Brooklyn Art Library is a great place to check out thousands of sketchbooks in their ever evolving collection. You can also stop by this unique exhibition space for art supplies and unusual toys and books. A recommended spot if you’re wandering the streets of Williamsburg, NYC!
Brooklyn Art Library
103A North 3rd St.
Brooklyn, NY 11249
Closed Mon – Tues.
Open 12-8pm Wed – Sun.
Tags: art, artists, brooklyn art library, sketches, sketchook, the sketchbook project
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