DOC NYC November 13 – 20, 2014
November 13th, 2014 by chocko
If you love documentaries and live in the NYC area, then you are in the right place at the right time! The 5th Annual DOC NYC (America’s largest documentary festival) is in full effect starting November 13 to November 20. DOC NYC will feature over 150 film and events including panels, workshops and Q&A’s with filmmakers and special guests. Get your tickets and head over to either IFC Center, SVA Theatre or Bow Tie Chelsea Cinemas. Get those eyeballs ready because there’s plenty to see!
The following are some reviews or a couple words on some DOC NYC films we’ve seen in advance. The first three movie reviews in this post are by our special guest writer, Ariela from Vegan in the Big Apple. She went to see Banksy Does New York, A Small Section Of The World and Back On Board: Greg Louganis. Chocko reviewed Still Dreaming and Meet The Patels. Keep it locked for more updates and DOC NYC reviews.
BANKSY DOES NEW YORK
DIR: Chris Moukarbel
“Banksy Does New York” is a documentary about Banksy’s month long residency in New York City. The first thing we find out, is that Banksy has no affiliation to the documentary.
Banksy, a British street artist, posted a photo a day on his website, without announcing the location of the piece. The documentary travels day by day to the various art that Banksy created throughout the city, interviewing Banksy fans, art critics and gallery owners. Many fans considered it a 31 day scavenger hunt. The film often follows two dog walkers, who are also known as Banksy Hunters (anyone trying to find Banksy’s art, is considered a Banksy Hunter), who try finding Banksy’s work by clues on Instagram and Twitter. Often, hoping they will find it before it was removed or before someone graffitied over it. Much of, if not the majority of, the film, shows the public’s reactions to his work, both via interviews and via Twitter “tweets”.
An interesting part of the film, is that we also get to see some of the people who helped preserve Banksy’s work, such as the two lovely gentleman who own Zabars on the Upper West Side, as well as seeing some of the people who had “stolen” Banksy’s work, to which they say “it wasn’t reported missing, so it wasn’t stolen”.
This is a fun, light film, which also includes some New York history of street art. From Banksy’s point of view “the outside is where art should live, amongst us, where it can act as a public service, promote debate, voice concerns and forge identities. Don’t we want to live in a world made of art, not just decorated by it?”
A SMALL SECTION OF THE WORLD
DIR: Lesley Chilcott
“A Small Section of the World” is a very inspiring and moving documentary. It shows how a group of women in Costa Rica form a coffee growing collective, called ASOMOBI(Association of Organized Women of Biolley- the M because in Spanish women is mujeres) They build a place to make coffee, without knowing anything about growing coffee or having a business. They sold it to several people who told them it was awful. They connect with a local exporter, also a woman, who appreciates what they are trying to do, and appreciates their dedication, and gives them advice on firstly, how to actually grow coffee! You will be surprised to learn where coffee beans actually come from! Few know, even those who are coffee addicts. Through the help of this woman, they eventually become an international coffee company.
This film shows that anyone is capable of doing anything if you don’t give up. They have been there for 17 years, it took them a long time and obstacles to get started but they were committed and kept at it, and thrived in the end.
BACK ON BOARD: GREG LOUGANIS
DIR: Cheryl Furjanic
“Back on Board” is the story of 4-time- gold medal Olympian diver Greg Louganis. He’s considered the greatest diver of all time with diving records yet to be beaten. He won his first gold medal at the age of 24. At the age of 26, he found out he was HIV positive and decided to still compete. While being a diver, he always felt that he didn’t fit in, he didn’t make friends, some having to do with jealousy, but much of that having to do with being gay. No one wanted to room with him. He later became one of the first openly gay men in sports,opening the world for other gay athletes. I was not familiar with Greg Louganis prior to watching this documentary. I noticed myself rooting for him throughout the movie. The documentary was inspiring and moving. The Nov 16 screening is sold out!
STILL DREAMING
DIR: Hank Rogerson and Jilann Spitzmiller
This film is about the elderly, retired performers who reside at the Lillian Booth Actors Home in Englewood, New Jersey (not too far from Manhattan!), an assisted living facility that cares for retired entertainers and their family members. Young professional Broadway directors are brought into the picture to help prepare the elderly entertainers as they take on the challenge of performing the Shakespearean play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
I loved this documentary! Some of the characters that you will come across from the sweet old grandmas to the rebel-loner types, will have you cheering them on as they rise above the limitations that come with old age. I enjoyed the stories of the old folks recalling their early days in entertainment and watching the movie made me think that you could certainly learn a thing or twenty from the elderly. The movie is about second chances, respecting your fellow human beings, taking on challenges and realizing that life is short. I highly recommend this film.
MEET THE PATELS
DIR: Geeta V. Patel and Ravi V. Patel
This is a highly entertaining and funny documentary about Ravi Patel, a first-generation Indian-American who is looking for his perfect mate. Lighthearted animation sequences are scattered throughout the film which starts off with perhaps a homage to “When Harry Met Sally” where Indian couples recall how they met and talk about their happy marriages. Ravi, the subject of the film is fast approaching 30, recently breaks up with his secret white girlfriend of 2 years and due to his parents’ wishes and pressures of his Indian culture, sets out on a quest to find the perfect Indian bride.
Ravi’s adventures include blind dates all across the country and Canada, looking for brides in India and attending a Patel matrimonial convention. All of this is captured on camera by his sister, Geeta. The film is not only hilarious but it’s also an eye-opening look at Indian culture and customs. Ravi is fun to watch as well as his persistent, matchmaking parents. This is a film I cannot wait to see again.
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Tags: A Small Section Of The World, ariela, Banksy Does New York, doc nyc, documentaries, documentary, film festival, Meet The Patels, movies, new york city, reviews, Still Dreaming
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Jimmy Wang Yu – the one armed files
November 12th, 2014 by Mr. C
(Jimmy Wong Yu pays respects to the audience as we give him an ovation!)
Last night we had the privilege of attending “An evening with Jimmy Wong Yu” held at the Walter Reade Theater on 65th Street which included a screening of The Master of the Flying Guillotine and a Q&A with the man himself after the movie. The event was basically a continuation on a failed punt return from last summer at The New York Asian Film Festival because of Wong Yu’s visa issues. AND I can say this punt return was a total success leading to an unmolested touchdown! The Lifetime Achievement Award was handed over successfully to the guest of honor – thank you! Thanks to the folks at Subway Cinema for being persistent and being radical as always! We weren’t able to make it to the reception but Chocko did manage to elbow check and rope a doped a few nerds to get ahead of the line at the end of the reception to get his Master of the Flying Guillotine DVD signed!
It was fun to revisit the film as it was many many years since I’ve seen it and it was in the english scrub a dub dub phase! I honestly had forgotten that it was directed by our guest of honor. With the balls to the wall fight choreography by the late great Lau Kar Leung and the manhua/manga style presentation of the characters, this was destined to be a midnight, grindhouse movie gem! I appreciated the original language mandarin version in 35mm format for the screening. The print itself was bluish hued and faded but you know what – like they always say, we love the imperfections, sounds, and character that film films create. The upbeat guitar and electro music soundtrack was pretty off the wall too! We caught Fab 5 Freddy in the audience nodding to the beat! We wanted to ask FAB if he had seen Master of the Flying Guillotine at one of the Grindhouse Theaters in Times Square back in the days, but FAB did the Yo! MTV Raps shuffle pretty darn quick after the Q/A!
(Gavin Smith from Lincoln Center introduces the Subway Team)
(Team Subway Cinema – Grady Hendrix starts to cook the Wang Yu entrance to the audience!)
(Don’t drop the award!)
(The one armed bandit picks the winners of the Shout!Factory Jimmy Wang Yu box set!)
(Grady Shouts! out the names of the winners! It’s not me!)
As much as how the film rocked with the crazy kung fu tournament and the blind monk assassin looking for revenge with his flying guillotine contraption, the Q&A session moderated by Grady Hendrix was even more fun! Grady danced and pranced and tried to lure in Wang Yu with questions regarding the Shaw Brothers, triads, the infamous Jackie Chan contract, and the Oliver Reed incident! And oh yeah, Wang Yu even performed a floating ring slight of hand trick to boot. Wait, I didn’t mention that he reminded us that he can still jog at 71 years young even after his stroke in 2011! It was just a privilege to be able to see the man we’ve grown up watching in the wuxia and old school kung fu movies – totally come to life in person with his outrageous and no holds barred personality! Check out some of our videos below of the Q/A from that night. Enjoy!
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Tour de Bronx
October 30th, 2014 by Mr. C
(My ride parked outside of the Banana Deli on 161st Street)
On Sunday October 26th, I biked the 25 mile leg of the Tour De Bronx! It’s one of my favorite bike rides if not most favorite of the year eclipsing the NYC 5 borough bike ride, Tour de Brooklyn, & Tour de Queens. Not only is the ride free but the vibe and flow of the tour is just plain better than the rest. The rules are not strict as well. It’s recommended that folks wear helmets but I’ve seen plenty of the young & not so young, dumb, & the cool – ride in the tour without much regards for their noggin’ but hey that’s their decision. The streets in the Bx were not closed to traffic but were manned by NYPD for the most part to let the riders flow through! The sun was out and the temperature was a nippy 60 at best with a decent amount of wind to keep things interesting at times. This year I decided to park my car a little bit closer to the Botanical Garden which is where the finish line was at. I left the 4 wheel cager in the Belmont section of the Bronx on Arthur Avenue right in front of the Madonia Bakery a few doors down from the famous Arthur Ave retail market. I loaded up with some freshly baked scones at the Madonia. These tasty morsels served as fuel during my rest stops! I unloaded my foldup bicycle and headed towards Yankee Stadium. 1st stop – the Banana deli on 161st Street! The Banana deli used to serve as a religious pre-stop for the Planet Chocko crew before going to Yankee games. Today, I go for the breakfast of champions – 2 eggs over easy on a roll with sausage! Next, I waddled over to the Bronx County Building, checked-in for the ride, & anxiously waited for that horn to blow at 10.40am! Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz greeted the 6000+ cyclists and off we went!
(Check-in at the Bronx County Building)
The bike ride itself was great fun! I was pretty impressed with my Dahon folding bicycle and the way she handled the urban terrain! I had the bike since 2001 mainly riding in NJ parks and paved paths. This is the first time that I’ve taken it out of its domain besides a few manhanttan runs. As for the tour, there were a few bottlenecks and choke points mainly at entrances into the greenways but in no time the bottleneck turned into a KRS – BDP posse freestyle in da Bronx! We were definitely boom-bapin’ through beautiful urban landscapes, zagging through crotona park, styling and profiling through the greenway paths along the Bronx River Parkway, paid respects while touring St. Raymond’s Cemetary, and stepped into a World of Bx neighborhoods along the waterfront! We were offered bagels with cream cheese, water, energy bars, & juice throughout the 3 rest stops. At the final resting point at the Botanical Gardens we were greeted with pizza and a free t-shirt for those participating in the ride! Right on! I love this ride! Can’t wait to do it all again next year. Maybe we’ll try the 40 mile trek next year!
(Parked in front of the Madonia Bakery – great bread there!)
(Passed the Kool Herc mural on the Grand Concourse enroute to the Yankee Stadium area)
(The Banana Deli on 161st St. Had to grease up before the ride)
(Getting anxious to roll!)
(1st stop of the day – Get those bagels on! – Crotona Park!)
(YMCA rest stop)
(YMCA rest stop overlooking the Whitestone Bridge)
(My bike staring at the Whitestone Bridge!)
(The unicyclist passed me!)
(The Hulk bicycle stretching its muscle at St. Raymond’s cemetary)
(Welcome to Harding park)
(View from harding park)
(Arthur Ave Retail Market)
(Mike’s Deli inside the Arthur Ave market)
(Treated myself to a Big Mike Sub!)
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Welling Court Mural Project – take 1 (2014 Open House New York)
October 12th, 2014 by Mr. C
Though it was part of the Open House New York offerings this past weekend – a great weekend when all 5 boroughs of NYC opens up its doors to many of its establishments,events,landmarks, and businesses in order to celebrate the city – The Welling Court Mural Project in Astoria, Queens has opened up it’s “outdoors” for 5 years strong now – providing beautiful artwork on display on its concrete walls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! The Welling Court Mural Project is a collection of local and international street artists whose sole mission is to unify,celebrate,beautify, and provide hope to their community. The network of all star aerosol artists mashes up a mix of old school legendary artists with up and coming young guns as well as a blend of talented writers from abroad. I honestly didn’t find out about this Astoria Queens collective until a few months ago, mostly being overshadowed by the late great & defunct 5 Pointz and the similiar street art community in Brooklyn – The Bushwick Collective.
(Eddie C3)
(Cekis)
Earlier today, we strolled through the Welling Court Mural surroundings and was astonished at how creative and gorgeous some of the pieces on the wall and metal shutters were! Familiar artists like Cern,Too Fly,Lady Pink,Fumero,Mr Prvrt to just name a few, really adorned the neighborhood with pieces of eye candy on the concrete slabs to celebrate street culture at its finest! Below are a few photos we took from Welling Court and the surrounding neighborhood in Astoria. Enjoy! Also, if you end up stopping by to check out the murals in person, a really good cafe in the area to hang out and just ponder over with the out of sight graffiti that you just witnessed is the Astor Bake Shop on Astoria Boulevard. Really good coffee and delightful pastries! I loved the almond croissant!
Astor Bake Shop
12-23 Astoria Blvd, Astoria – Queens
—————————————————————————————————————
(Cern)
(Dasic Fernandez)
(Caleb Neelon)
(Epic-Uno)
(Lady Pink)
(Mr Prvrt)
(Imnopi)
(Logik-One)
(Too Fly)
(SP-One)
(Fumero)
(Cey Adams – from Def Jam – OG in the creative designs)
(KR-One)
(Raquel-Echanique)
(Sinned)
(Shiro)
(Queen Andrea)
(esteban-del-valle)
(Indelible Funk)
(Wayne-COD)
(Bishop)
(Icy & Sot)
(Left-Danielle Mastrion & Lexi Bella;Right-Pyramid Oracle)
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Hackensack Street Fair – performances by Average White Band & African drumming-dancing
September 28th, 2014 by Mr. C
Lately, I’ve been looking for more & more excuses to stay on the Jersey side of the hudson river due to time contraints and in general just trying to take advantage of some events we easily dismiss in the Garden State. Yesterday 9/27 Saturday gave me a good opportunity to not exercise my old EZPASS toll thingama-jingy’ because of a local street fair headlined by the live tunes of funk/R&B/Soul by way of the Average White Band! Average they are NOT! At first the band’s name didn’t ring a bell but as I listen to some of their old hits from the 70s, I was like oh crap! Everyone has got to have heard “Pick up the pieces” at one point in their life as well as “Cut the Cake”. Quite a few hip hop/rap groups have also sampled a tune or two from the Average White Band arsenal! My jaw dropped when I heard “Schoolboy Crush”. Pretty impressive!
(Alex Gorrie – bass/vocals original member of AWB)
(Brent Carter – brought the vocals!)
(David Spinnoza – guitars)
It sounds like AWB has gone through a few reincarnations and iterations of band members. The bass player/vocals – Alan Gorrie is the only common denominator from the original crew to the present. All original band members or not, the Average White Band that I saw at the Hackensack Street Fair sounded pretty damn good! The band melded together and in sync like they have been playing together for years. Guitarist David Spinnoza who has worked with the Beatles, James Taylor, Paul Simon, & others was a hired gun for the tour. The vocals from Brent Carter was amazing especially when he reached deep for that falsetto! Some of my favorite performances from their set at the street fair included Marvin Gaye’s – I want you, Pick up the Pieces, Oh Maceo, & The Isley Brothers’ – Work to do. Original band member Alan Gorrie gave a shoutout to The Isley Brothers and their own record label T-Neck (Teaneck) records which is a neighboring town by Hackensack. I’ve included the setlist below and some videos of their performance. Enjoy!
I had a good time strolling through the street fair as local vendors from the town opened up shop on the sidewalk. Food was the only thing on my mind and latin food was well represented in the fair as well as a few asian choices. Wondee’s, an authentic Thai restaurant on the block for years had a small stall for their excellent drinks like their delightful Thai Iced Tea. Morton’s Steak house had a setup going offering gourmet sliders.
Another fun performance from the day included the African drum and dance routine. Have a look see at some of the African percussions and soulful dancing! Visit the Center for Modern Dance Education at 84 Euclid Avenue Hackensack,NJ 07601.
(Audience participation – learning African dance)
New Jersey senator and former mayor of Newark was also roaming around the premises to meet and greet people as well as endorse Hackensack resident Roy Cho in running for Congress.
Hackensack residents unite! Johnson Public library on main street needs your help! Please head into the libary and sign the petition to help save the library from getting drastic budget cuts. The Johnson Public Library had a $2 fill a bag with books specials.
Average White Band Setlist
Got the love
Whatcha gonna do for me
I just can’t give you up
I want you (Marvin Gaye)
If I ever lose this heaven
Oh Maceo (Maceo Parker)
Work to do (Isley Brothers)
Cut the Cake
A Love of your own
Put it where you want it
Schoolboy Crush
Person to Person
Pick up the pieces
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CBGB Music and Film Festival
September 23rd, 2014 by chocko
The Ramones
The CBGB Music And Film Festival 2014 will take place in New York City from October 8 through 12. I went last year and checked out a few events during my limited schedule at the time. Blank Generation was being screened at Anthology Film Archives with director Ivan Kral in the house. The black and white, diy movie featured Ivan’s home movies which followed the early punk scene in New York City. Bands such as The Ramones, Talking Heads and Blondie are featured on and off stage while old band demos and rare recordings provide the audio backdrop to the whole documentary. It is an interesting slice of history but don’t expect a narrative or any mind blowing commentary. Definitely check it out for the old school NYC bands, clubs and music from an era long gone. The black and white photos above and below were stills taken from the movie screen. The photos feature some important bands that originally played at CBGB and blazed a trail for all bands to later follow. The Ramones are in the photo above. Below are The Heartbreakers featuring from left to right: Johnny Thunders, Richard Hell and Walter Lure. Also pictured below are David Byrne of Talking Heads and Deborah Harry of Blondie.
The Heartbreakers
David Byrne of Talking Heads
Deborah Harry of Blondie
Pink Slips at Pianos
I checked out the debut of the band, Pink Slips at Pianos in the Lower East Side. The band features Jamie Brooks and Duff McKagan’s (GUNS N’ ROSES) 16-year-old daughter Grace McKagan. They performed acoustic covers from some of their favorite musicians such as Amy Winehouse, First Aid Kit and Death Cab For Cutie. They ended their set with a Grimes cover of “Oblivion” with Duff joining in on guitar. Check out the video of that song below. Nowadays the band features Grace with a more aggressive attitude and punk vocals (I think somebody got inspired at CBGB Fest!) and a bunch of dudes backing her up. Come back to NYC!
This highlight of the festival was the free Times Square event which featured two stages of music. Vendors such as downtown record store Other Music and food trucks lined the street and tourists and music fans rubbed elbows as bands such as My Morning Jacket and Grizzly Bear rocked out. James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem) spun some tunes during his DJ set that got the booties gyrating. Pictured above are some of the actual walls of the sacred landmark that was CBGB. Check out the untouched graffiti scrawlings and flyers! Times Square was the place to be…artists also collaborated to create murals and skateboarders did their thing on a half pipe built for the special occasion. More photos below!
#EnMasseProject
skate or die!
James Murphy on the turntables
tourists and music fans on the Red Stairs
Grizzly Bear
Get psyched for the CBGB Music & Film Festival in October. See ya there!
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Tags: art, blank generation, cbgb, cbgb music festival, film, indie rock, manhattan, movie, music, music festival, new york city, nyc, pink slips, punk rock, ramones
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11th Annual Indian Larry Grease Monkey Block Party
September 21st, 2014 by Mr. C
Indian Larry’s Legacy Shop 400 Union Ave South Williamsburg, Brooklyn NYC
Indian Larry was a legendary motorcycle builder influenced by 1950s & 1960s style choppers, hot rods, & hot rod art & its sub culture. Some aesthetics of his old school choppers included small gas tanks, no front fenders or front brakes, ape hanger handlebars, suicide clutches, modern tech in engine mechanics, & what initially sucked me into Indian Larry’s bikes was his sick – signature TWISTED downtube motorcycle frame that he designed and built. Yes, twisted metal for the downtube on the frame! If you look at Ed Roth’s Rat Fink art, you can clearly see Indian Larry’s monster hot rod choppers come to life.
Indian Larry built motorcycles
Indian Larry lived life fast, hard, & furious and unfortunately he was taken away from us too soon in 2004 while performing a stunt on his motorcycle. The Indian Larry legacy lives on with his compatriots at Indian Larry’s Legacy motorcycle shop in Brooklyn. Fast forward 10 years later and today Sept 20th – Saturday, we still celebrate & appreciate Larry for his passion with the motorcycle culture. 9/20/14 marked the 11th Annual Indian Larry grease monkey block party! Hot dogs or hamburgers for $5 with a drink, Donuts from Brooklyn’s own Dough, live music by Sea Monster, Wrench, Judas Priestess, Scrapers, & Big House Pete and of course a bike show competition. Face painting for the kids and plenty of vendors for your motorcycle accessory needs! I couldn’t stay for the whole event but I did soak in the beautiful custom motorcycles on hand and the familiar sounds of Sea Monster! And yes that donut from Dough Brooklyn was deelish!
David Peel & Arthur (lead vocalist Sea Monster)
Sea Monster performs!
WRENCH performs!
Pontiac Eight
Chevy 3200
Trophy for the Best Paint
(Best Vintage & Best overall)
Tags: indian larry, motorcycles
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Buzzcocks played Webster Hall
September 20th, 2014 by chocko
Buzzcocks at Webster Hall – 09.06.14
Titus Andronicus
U.K. punk vets BUZZCOCKS rocked a furious set at Webster Hall in New York City. They scheduled shows around their Riot Fest appearances and this time around we got to see them with scrappy Jersey punks, Titus Andronicus opening up the evening. When the Buzzcocks hit the stage the first thing you notice is Pete Shelley rocking a beard looking more like an English professor than a legendary punk rocker. He sounded amazing along with guitarist Steve Diggle provided the relentless energy that got the crowd pumped up and dancing. They played a bunch of new songs off their brand new album THE WAY which is still not available in the United States. The encore was fantastic…Diggle took the lead vocals on “Harmony In My Head” then Shelley closed the night with “Ever Fallen In Love” and “Orgasm Addict.” The Buzzcocks will be back in the U.K. in October for a tour with The Dollyrots. Check out a photo of the set list below and some videos I recorded from the show at Webster Hall.
Harmony In My Head
Noise Annoys + Breakdown
I Don’t Mind
Tags: buzzcocks, new york city, nyc, pete shelley, punk rock, steve diggle, titus andronicus, webster hall
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Chiller Theatre April 2014
September 19th, 2014 by chocko
Geez, time is just passing by so quickly. It’s that time of year once again for the CHILLER THEATRE HALLOWEEN EXTRAVAGANZA which takes place October 24 – 26 at Sheraton Parsippany Hotel in Parsippany, NJ. The guests coming through this time around include Hulk Hogan, Traci Lords, Barbara Steele, Zacherle The Cool Ghoul, plus loads more including a Good Times Reunion, The G-3 Godzilla Summit and Musical Guests including Marky Ramone, Cherie Curie and Lita Ford. Tickets are on sale now. Definitely get your tickets in advance. Here’s a quick look at some of the guests at Chiller Theatre which took place a couple months ago.
Bobby Steele of legendary punk band, The Undead. Bobby was also in the horror punk band Misfits before Doyle joined the band. We interviewed Bobby many moons ago and one day we’ll have to do an updated version.
Tommy Flanagan (Sons Of Anarchy) looking dapper in the chapeau.
Chuck Zito (Sons Of Anarchy) signing motorcycle parts.
Don “The Dragon” Wilson (Bloodfist) can still kick your ass.
Some of the attendees look nightmarish and creepy. Shoutout to Blacula!
Alison Arngrim (Little House On The Prairie)
Steve Zing (Samhain)…big fan of the bands he’s been associated with over the years playing bass and drums! Thanks for stopping for a pic.
WKRP In Cincinnati Reunion with Howard Hessman and Loni Anderson
Josip Elic (One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest)
Jackie “The Jokeman” Martling (left) and Cathy Rigby (right)
VHSPS sure knows how to reel ’em in. I want all your wrestling DVDs!
Very cool models of rockers no longer with us. Can you name them all?
Shirley Jones (The Partridge Family..yo, loved that show back in the day)
Donna Wilkes (Angel, Jaws 2) and 8mm horror and sci-fi goodies
Adrianne Curry (America’s Next Top Model) posing with a fan.
William Lucking (Sons Of Anarchy) and Jackson Nicoll (Bad Grandpa)
You’ll find it all at Chiller Theatre. See you guys and ghouls in October!
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Tags: chiller theatre, convention, halloween, horror, new jersey, nj, zacherle
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An Interview with Dasic Fernandez
September 3rd, 2014 by chocko
I was wandering the Bushwick Collective in Brooklyn recently with Ariela of the blog Vegan In The Big Apple and Joey Teacups. While checking out some of the street art in the neighborhood and taking photos, we came across the Chilean born artist, Danic Fernandez who just finished an amazing mural that will hopefully be up for a long time. A huge thanks to Dasic for taking the time out to talk to us and answer our questions.
Tell us a little bit about this brand new piece on Troutman Street and Wyckoff Avenue. How long did it take you to do?
I just finished it yesterday morning and been working on it for four days with some friends around. I had some people help me with the ladders and stuff, but I did it all by myself.
How did you get into street art and graffiti?
When I was a kid, thirteen or fourteen years old, I got into graffiti through hip hop culture. I was very involved, so my way to contribute to the culture was through graffiti and emceeing. I tried to dance a little bit too, but graffiti was my thing.
Do you tend to work on pieces with a political message?
Sometimes, I think everything that we create is political. When you’re creating something, you’re always leaving a statement behind no matter what you’re doing. Some are more evident than other ones, probably.
What is your statement on this latest piece and does it have a name?
This is called “Hand of Protest.” I always like to leave it open for people. It talks about all the different struggles and fights around the world in different neighborhoods, different countries, and different cultures.
How did you choose the colors?
I’m always trying to put the colors together in harmony. It’s like a composition of color where every color has a place to be.
Do you plan to collaborate with other artists?
If there is a chance to do it, then yes why not? Pretty much, I just paint with my crew who are graffiti artists who write pieces and burners. Most of the time I paint by myself.
Does somebody commission you guys to paint?
The guys from Bushwick Collective, the community organizers here put the stuff together to get the walls, permits and supplies. They invited me to paint the wall. They showed me some walls around, so I’m probably going to be painting other walls here.
How often do they change the walls?
I think the one before was up for two years. Hopefully, it will be up for a year for the people to appreciate it. New York is not an easy place to get walls. I get used to having my murals painted over.
Do you have any closing comments?
Enjoy it and take your time to take a look at it. Check out my instagram! @dasicfernandez
For more information and photos of Dasic’s work…check out his blog!
Tags: artist, bushwick collective, dasic fernandez, graffiti, interview, street art
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Bushwick Graffiti and Street Art 2
September 3rd, 2014 by chocko
All the photos below were taken recently in the neighborhood of Bushwick in Brooklyn, NYC. Some of the photos were taken near Morgan Ave. and around Troutman Street and Saint Nicholas Ave, a one of a kind outdoor gallery also known as The Bushwick Collective. It’s so simple to get to via subway…take the L train and get off at Jefferson St. Walk around, grab some yummy food in the area (this time around, I housed a burrito at LA Burrito. Damn good!) and soak in the sights. The murals are spread out over a couple blocks, so give yourself some time to check out the art. We spotted Jerkface painting. We also ran into Dasic Fernandez who just finished a mural. We did a quick interview with Dasic and that should be up shortly but in the meantime, check out some photos.
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Tags: brooklyn, buff monster, chocko, graffiti, jerkface, new york city, nyc, street art
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Living Colour played NJPAC
August 28th, 2014 by chocko
Corey Glover and Vernon Reid of Living Colour
The soul and funk metal sounds of Living Colour blasted through the Theater Square at NJPAC last week. The free show got music fans from Newark and beyond to assemble for a night of loud music. Due to the threat of some nasty weather, the show got an early start with opener Danielia Cotton warming up the crowd with her band and powerhouse vocals. She ended her set with a Prince cover of “Purple Rain” that almost had me waving my lighter in the air. Her latest release is titled The Gun In Your Hand which Mr. C picked up from the merch table. Perhaps a review coming soon. In the meantime, check out Danielia’s website or follow her on twitter for information on her upcoming shows and music updates.
Danielia Cotton
After perusing the food trucks, we joined the crowd that surrounded the stage eagerly anticipating the headliners: Vernon Reid (guitarist), Will Calhoun (drummer), Doug Wimbish (bassist) and Corey Glover (vocalist)…aka Living Colour. It’s been years since I checked out one of their shows…yeah, what is my problem? What a treat to be soaking it all in while in the front and watching Vernon Reid play the guitar! Their set list comprised of their many hits including “Open Letter To A Landlord” which showcased some acrobatic vocals by Corey Glover. Also on tap were many songs including “Middle Man,” “Elvis Is Dead,” “Time’s Up” and “Love Rears Its Ugly Head” all while Corey was chilling on top of a speaker on the side of the stage. Not only can he sing but Corey can run the social media side of things while on stage, taking videos and selfies with the crowd and even liking one of my instagram pics. I enjoyed hearing Will Calhoun play a drum solo which featured what Vernon described as “the beat your mother warned you about.” The other half of the rhythm section, Doug Wimbish also quite impressive on the bass. Toward the end of their set, the band played their monster hit “Cult of Personality” which got a lot of smartphones and cameras up in the air.
Some quick news…the band will be dropping a brand new album titled Shade in the fall along with a tour celebrating the band’s 30th anniversary. Corey recently fronted the Bad Brains for a couple songs at last week’s Afro Punk Fest in Brooklyyn. He totally killed it. Check it out HERE. Vernon is back in Newark on August 28 for a free performance with Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber. Doug is organizing the WimBash 2014 which happens at Sully’s Pub & Tiki Bar in Hartford, CT on Sept 13 which features a stellar lineup of musicians. Check out more photos and videos from the Living Colour show at NJPAC in Newark, NJ below.
Tags: corey glover, danielia cotton, doug wimbish, living colour, new jersey performing arts center, newark, njpac, theater square, vernon reid, will calhoun
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