A Look Back at Cosplay at Comic-Con International 2013
July 9th, 2014 by chocko
The San Diego Comic Con (July 24 – 27, 2014) at the San Diego Convention Center is nearly upon us. There will be lots to see and write about, but first here are some photos of the Cosplay action at last year’s Comic Con. More photos of nerds, misfits, freaks and geeks coming soon!
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Tags: comic con, comic-con international, cosplay, costumes, nerds, san diego, sdcc
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Dead Kennedys played Irving Plaza
July 7th, 2014 by chocko
Dead Kennedys at Irving Plaza
Is this Joan Jett and Slash…no, it’s Tibbie X and Paul Cripple of Reagan Youth!
A couple weeks ago, I went to see two legendary punk bands, Dead Kennedys and Reagan Youth play Irving Plaza in New York City. Burning Streets from Boston, MA opened up the evening. I walked in on the Reagan Youth set and did not recognize the band at all. I haven’t seen the band play since a Tompkins Square Park gig a few years back. The only original member left in Reagan Youth is guitarist Paul “Cripple” Bakija and the rest of the current lineup is Tibbie X (X-Possibles and Kissy Kamikaze) on bass, Stig Whisper on drums and Trey Oswald on lead vocals. The present lineup pumps new life into Reagan Youth’s angry, aggressive, 80’s hardcore punk tunes. They were amazing at Irving Plaza and absolutely killed it at the Punk Island event a couple days later.
D.H. Peligro of Dead Kennedys
I’ve noticed at recent shows at Irving Plaza that they charge you extra to watch the show from the balcony. Normally, I’m not down with such nonsense but I caved in and decided to watch the rest of the show up in the balcony where for an extra $25 you get to lean over a rail with a free drink, away from the sweaty throngs of moshers and crowd surfers. Not very punk rock to be up in there but after working all day, do you blame me for not wanting to square up with mosh pit juggernauts in lucha libre masks? Maybe next time. Dead Kennedys…the legendary San Francisco hardcore punk band came to town and they sounded incredible. Although the O.G. and irreplaceable Jello Biafra is no longer fronting the band at this point in time, Skip McSkipster (Brooklyn represent!) fills in as lead singer just fine. The rest of the stellar lineup features mainstays East Bay Ray on guitar, Klaus Fluoride on bass and D.H. Peligro on drums. Dead Kennedys cranked it up and played a set list of greatest hits including California Über Alles, Too Drunk To Fuck and Holiday In Cambodia. They also played some new stuff like “MP3 Get Off The Web” which was played shortly after Skip busted a person in the front exhibiting poor punk rock etiquette and texting during the show. Catch these Cali punk legends later in the summer. They’ll be across the Big Pond in Belgium and the UK in August playing festivals and clubs. Start limbering up now for some insane circle pits, acrobatic stage dives and put those phones away!
SET LIST
Rawhide
Winnebago Warrior
Police Truck
Insight
Let’s Lynch The Landlord
Jock-O-Rama
Kill The Poor
MP3 Get Off The Web
I Kill Children
Too Drunk To Fuck
Moon Over Marin
Nazi Punks Fuck Off
California Über Alles
ENCORE 1
Bleed For Me
Viva Las Vegas
Holiday In Cambodia
ENCORE 2
Chemical Warfare
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Tags: dead kennedys, irving plaza, live, new york city, nyc, punk, reagan youth, show
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A look back at Punk Island 2013
June 20th, 2014 by chocko
Here is a super duper late review of last year’s Punk Island which moved from Governor’s Island to its present location at the Staten Island Pier. I am typing this on the eve of Punk Island 2014 which should be a blast! See you in a few short hours at Pier 1 right off the Staten Island Ferry on June 21 (10AM- 9PM) Punk Island is FREE and feature over 90 punk bands on 7 stages. “no racist /// misogynist/// homophobe /// crazy right wing /// backwards bullshit! Just good times, and aggression.”
Blackout Shoppers
Last year’s Punk Island took place on Pier 1 in Staten Island and featured 90 bands on 7 stages for FREE. Due to work, extreme napping and driving to Manhattan like Mr. Magoo and fumbling through subway stations and riding the Staten Island Ferry for the first time, I finally made it to Punk Island around 7:30 pm, but I made the best of my short time at the festival. The first band I encountered after getting patted down by security and waltzing past the food trucks and abandoned buildings was Blackout Shoppers at the “Dispatches From The Underground” Stage.
The Homewreckers
I walked along the pier with the ferry boats in the distance, passed by some vendors and came across the pop punk sounds of The Homewreckers which made me want to pogo. I am a huge fan of this band and I enjoy lead singer Cristy C. Road’s books and art and Jackie O. on the bass rules. I like her other band Girlcrush too. They sound like Screeching Weasel with female vocals. Please put out a new Girlcrush album! I wandered off for a couple minutes and when I came back to the Brooklyn Transcore stage, Cristy invited some friends from other bands to form the super group Lez Go! which got the crowd shaking it.
Evan of The Vegan O’Brien Baking Company
It’s always a pleasure to run into Evan of The Vegan O’Brien Baking Company. I’ve seen him set up shop at hardcore matinees at ABC NO RIO, tried his vegan chocolate chip cookies and became hooked. Good stuff and a great way to get a boost of energy before diving into the mosh pit.
Habits
Honah Lee
Aye Nako
UZUHI
UZUHI were in the house at the Candy Apple Red Stage..totally insane Japanese pop punk with a hopping, lunatic on lead vocals. I enjoyed their set a lot and and the positive energy all around was infectious. I stuck around while the next band was setting up. I was impressed by the gritty hood folk and story-yelling of a band outta Boston, The Old Edison. Banjo, Violin, all kinds of real instruments mixed with some gravelly vocals. Somebody pass that singer a lozenge. Dark came soon after and the night of punk music wrapped up with two legendary hardcore bands….Antidote, a band who’ve been rocking the NYHC scene since the early 80’s and The F.U.’s from Boston. Both bands came out and rocked some brutal, brick to the face sets. Check out some more pics and videos below. That’s it for now. See you back at the Shaolin Pier in 2014.
Antidote
The F.U.’s
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Tags: 2013, antidote, aye nako, diy, hardcore punk, make music, nyc, punk, punk island, punx, review, staten island, the f.u.'s, the homewreckers, the old edison, uzuhi
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Fucked Up played Bowery Ballroom
June 8th, 2014 by chocko
Fucked Up at Bowery Ballroom (photos by chocko)
Big Ups at Bowery Ballroom
Fucked Up crushed and pulverized in NYC, playing a Sold Out Bowery Ballroom on Friday (6/6), with openers In School and Big Ups. I regret walking into the venue late and missing In School but I did hear that the all female NYC based, punk rockers played an awesome set of raging tunes. The all dude band Big Ups played pissed off post-hardcore songs which harkened back to the days of classic Minor Threat, Descendents and Black Flag. Lead vocalist, Joe Galarraga got some funky moves and definitely knows how to rock the microphone, going from anxious punk vocals to downshifting to spoken word vocals on songs such as “Wool.”
The Toronto hardcore punk band, Fucked Up blazed through a set which showcased their latest all killer/no filler album Glass Boys (out now on Matador Records). They started their set with the first song on their new album titled “Echo Boomer” which features some heavy pounding drumming. Lead vocalist, Damian Abraham started off the set fully dressed but in no time baseball cap and shirt were tossed aside to join the sweaty mess of a crowd. Just in case you don’t know-during a Fucked Up show, Damian spends just as much time off stage in the crowd as he does on stage with the rest of the band. Damian is always fun to watch and listen to…he quickly noted that it was the first time the band played in front of their own banner. It must be a milestone for the band in its thus far, 13 year career…check it out in the photo below. The crowd was insane and bodies were flying and piling up everywhere. The rest of the band were anchored on the stage and provided backup vocals…I love me some backup Fucked Up vocals, more Sandy please! Towards the end of the set, Damian teased at a possible all “Zodiac” encore which would be comprised of their songs inspired by the Chinese Zodiac. That didn’t happen but they did close their set with “Glass Boys” and “Police” followed by a quick encore of “The Other Shoe.” Check out more photos below and some videos from the Planet Chocko balcony cam.
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Tags: 2014, big ups, bowery ballroom, fucked up, glass boys, hardcore punk, june, nyc, punk, review, show, toronto
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Tori Amos played Rough Trade NYC
April 30th, 2014 by chocko
Tori Amos at Rough Trade NYC (photos by chocko)
Lucky fans of Tori Amos got the chance to check out a super intimate performance yesterday with the pre-purchase of her latest album titled Unrepentant Geraldines. Her newest album is her 14th studio release and will be dropping on May 13. The in-store event happened at the Rough Trade NYC performance space which recently reopened after a long hiatus due to acoustic issues. The passionate crowd cheered and wept as Tori Amos, seated at her piano, performed a short but sweet set of songs including two new tracks, “Selkie” and “Trouble’s Lament.” Tori started the set with “Parasol” and continued with “Strange” after an impromptu song about a cord getting tangled on her high heeled shoe. Later in the set, she made up a funny song about having to now wear glasses. Tori Amos is a weird one, and I do mean that in a loving way. “Ribbons Undone” was also performed and early on, she took it back to 1992 with “Take It To The Sky” which was a b-side to “Winter” from the album Little Earthquakes. She sounded amazing and I’m digging the glasses! Tori stuck around to sign autographs and take photos with fans.
Tori Amos will be embarking on an ambitious summer tour which will take her all over Europe, Russia, South Africa and North America. She’ll be back in New York City on August 12 and 13 when she plays The Beacon Theatre for a sure not to be missed performance. Be sure to check out her website for details on the upcoming tour. Check out 2 videos below from her in-store performance at Rough Trade NYC courtesy of loopyvids!
Tori Amos performing “Strange” at Rough Trade NYC
Tori Amos performing “Take It To The Sky” at Rough Trade NYC
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Tags: in-store, live, performance, rough trade, rough trade nyc, tori amos
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No No: A Dockumentary (about Dock Ellis) screening at the 2014 Montclair Film Festival
April 29th, 2014 by Mr. C
With the recent cancer rash in the mouth of Los Angeles Clipper’s owner Donald Sterling with his alleged racial comments, No No: A Dockumentary takes a more refreshing outlook and inspirational view of Major League Baseball pitcher Dock Ellis but not without his own flaws on display of course. It’s basically Dock’s story of baseball colliding with pop culture. Dock was a strong individual that was battling racial equality amongst other non-discriminating demons in his life. You can definitely classify him as an outlaw, a controversial and angry man, a black militant that wasn’t afraid to stick it to your face. Perhaps the single most thing that he was known for in his career besides that drop dead looping curveball was throwing a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres while under the influence of LSD. It wasn’t a pretty no-hitter as he walked and hit a few batters to boot but a no-hitter is a no-hitter especially when he was under the persuasion of narcotics! Apparently Ellis was under the influence of acid and/or alcohol in ALL of his Major League starts as reported by him! Amazing in a very bad way!
The film takes us on a journey of his outrageous antics mostly as a Pittsburgh Pirate like when he wore curlers in his hair at the games so that he can quickly reach for a curler and instantly get a grip for his spit balls or the time when he play-sparred with Muhammad Ali in the clubhouse! He was affectionately known as the Muhammad Ali of baseball as his boisterous voice and gift of gab would get him in hot water but would also serve as a barking message to others for standing up for what he believed in. Dock had a whole host of characters and raggamuffins as mentors in his Pittsburgh Pirate upbringing such as the legendary Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell, Dave Parker, Al Oliver, Steve Blass, and Manny Sanguillen. Another influence (pardon the pun but well justified in this case) of Ellis was Negro league pitcher & Pittsburgh Pirate scout – Chet Brewer who should also be talked about in the same sentence as the legendary Satchel Paige.
This documentary went on to show that Dock was a controlled type of a crazy enigmatic. He was selective in what he went ballistic on and pretty much had a method to his madness. Unfortunately the addiction of drugs and alcohol would take a toll on him. A great example of when Dock would play mental games to get the upper hand was in the 1971 All Star Game.
Vida Blue was already selected to start the All Star game for the American League and Dock Ellis was on the National League All Star lineup. The leading vote getters to get the nod to start for the National League were either Tom Seaver or Steve Carlton. Of course Dock Ellis put the word out that they would NEVER pit two african american starting pitchers against each other.and low & behold – the pressures that be would stack two african americans for the very first time against each other in the All Star game!
The film did a great job of getting the right talking head interviews from Dock’s baseball teammates as well as from his personal life. Dock himself was a great interview! One of my favorite moments in the documentary was when Ellis was reading the Jackie Robinson letter that was addressed to him. It was such a moving letter! You get a feeling that Jackie and Dock came from the same seeds in the pod! Just the thought that Dock knew that Jackie approved of his stand and praised his actions to the fullest brought tears to his eyes.
The latter part of the film would be a story of redemption for Ellis. After a career of MLB and the abuse of drugs to medicate himself to deal with failure, he was able to reform himself and actually be the healer to others with issues of drug and alcohol addiction. From a man that said he used to “out-milligram” any opponent by taking a max of 15-17 pills of dexamyl to being a soul that preaches to just believe in yourself. Dock Ellis was a rebel, an outlaw, a spirited man that created waves against society. He had the spirit of Jackie Robinson but did things completely opposite of Jackie. A more in your face, unapologetic, & kick you in the nuts mentality. In Jackie’s letter to Dock Ellis, he mentioned to him – “You might want to give up” but Dock never did.
The archival footage of the MLB games involving Dock Ellis and the cartoon work used for illustration in the documentary were visually appealing! The soundtrack to the film also matched the funky and soulful rhythm of the personalities in question. The only thing that didn’t quite flow well for me was that the scenes kept on jumping back and forth from the latter years to the early years and then back again. The storytelling and editing seemed fragmented but the subject in question definitely made the trip worth it!
No No: A Dockumentary (about Dock Ellis) screens at the 2014 Montclair Film Festival on Saturday – May 3rd 2:00pm at the Clairidge Cinema on Bloomfield Avenue
Tags: 2014 Montclair Film Festival, documentary, sports
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Photos From Outer Space 6
April 14th, 2014 by chocko
You already know the deal…Planet Chocko pooperazzi time. All photos by Chocko!
St. Vincent a.k.a. Annie Clark signed her brand new self-titled album at Rough Trade NYC last February prior to a performance on The Colbert Report (I was lucky to get tickets!) and a sold out show at Terminal 5.
Filmmaker Wes Anderson and actors Ralph Fiennes and Tony Revolori were at the Apple Store in Soho where they discussed their new film, THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL. The movie is funny, smart and features a huge cast which also includes Tilda Swinton, Willem Dafoe and Harvey Keitel.
THE MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE held a preview screening of THE RAID 2: BERANDAL, the sequel to the action packed, frenetic martial arts movie THE RAID. Director Gareth Evans and actors Iko Uwais and Julie Estelle were in the house to answer questions after the screening. They all stuck around for photos and signed stuff like my Raid Blu-Ray. Yes!
Questlove, Talib Kweli, A-Trak and DJ Peanut Butter Wolf were among the guests at the Q&A panel following the SOLD OUT Manhattan Premiere of OUR VINYL WEIGHS A TON at Village East Cinema. Definitely check out the documenttary which chronicles the enigmatic, Los Angeles based record label which has been releasing classic hip hop albums since 1996. My only beef with the movie was there wasn’t even a mention of Percee P, an MC from the Bronx who had a number of releases on Stones Throw including his debut album Perseverance. Percee was briefly mentioned during the Q&A by Questlove and Talib Kweli who were trying to recall the MC’s on J-Dilla and Madlib’s collaborative album titled CHAMPION SOUND. The only MC’s on that classic album were Talib Kweli, Guilty Simpson and Percee P. Damn, I’m going off on a tangent…go see OUR VINYL WEIGHS A TON. Dope movie featuring a lot of talented hip hop artists like J-Dilla, Madlib and MF Doom! Shout out to the cyptic Folerio.
Kevin Corrigan and Pat Healy hug it out after a Q&A and screening of the movie CHEAP THRILLS at Cinema Village. The movie is a weird, brutal and fascinating story about the limits of what people will do for money. MONDOCURRY wrote a great review of the film which you can check out on the UNSEEN FILMS BLOG and if you want to check out more pics and video footage of the Q&A at Cinema Village, do check it all out HERE.
To say I geeked out on the release day of the Stephen Malkmus (lead singer of PAVEMENT…one of my most favorite bands) would be a gross understatement. So, the day started with trekking over to Momofuku Milk Bar in Brooklyn on the coldest day of the winter with a Polar Vortex barreling down on NYC to taste the “Cinnamon and Lesbians” ice cream flavor inspired by a lyric off the new album WIG OUT AT JAGBAGS. Sthephen Malkmus & The Jicks were in the house signing a Gary Panther designed poster which commemorated the momentous occasion. The band also played an in store at Generation Records. I recorded a bunch of songs but haven’t gotten around to uploading them. Stephen and the band signed my CD which is my favorite of his solo albums. Get it now!
Adèle Exarchopoulos made a recent appearance at IFC Center to promote the controversial French movie BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR, a love story based on a graphic novel. Check out the Q&A HERE. James Franco got his own festival at the theater recently. I checked out his short films and he showed up for a bunch of Q&A’s which were a lot of fun. You definitely get the impression that he truly loves film and acting.
Fred Armisen was seen at The Mercury Lounge following a smoldering set by the power trio EX HEX. Here his is with lead singer and guitarist of EX HEX, Mary Timony. You might recognize her from her other bands, Wild Flag and Helium. EX HEX just released a 7″ on Merge Records featuring “Hot and Cold” b/w “Waterfall” and “Everywhere.”
After Wrestlemania XXX and RAW in New Orleans, Chocko spotted a bunch of wrestlers at the Louis Armstrong International Airport. Ryback (top) didn’t want to be bothered with fans and selfies…he kept his headphones on and kept it moving. You can’t blame him, after all it was the ungodly hour of 6 A.M. A member of THE SHIELD, Dean Ambrose (middle) successfully avoided the handful of wrestling fans that recognized him. Natalya (bottom) is a Total Diva, but was nice and posed for photos. Also seen at the airport: Jack Swagger, Roman Reigns, Titus O’Neil, Kofi Kingston, Eva Marie, R-Truth and Bray Wyatt.
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Tags: Adèle Exarchopoulos, annie clark, cheap thrills, dean ambrose, Iko Uwais, james franco, natalya, paparazzi, raid 2, st. vincent, stephen malkmus, wes anderson, wrestlemania, wwe
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The Grouch & Eligh played Highline Ballroom
April 1st, 2014 by chocko
The Grouch & Eligh at Highline Ballroom
West Coast indie hip hop legends, The Grouch & Eligh played Highline Ballroom (3/19) with Eliot Lipp, Pigeon John and DJ Fresh. Grouch and Eligh, both founding members of Los Angeles hip hop collective, Living Legends took to the stage to debut songs from their new triple album The Tortoise And The Crow. The new album features a disc with brand new Grouch songs, one with Eligh rocking it solo too and a disc with the collaborative effort of The Grouch & Eligh. The album features cameos by the likes of Pigeon John, Slightly Stoopid, Pretty Lights, Ant of Atmosphere, Zion I, Kreayshawn and Blu & Exile. Check out footage recorded of two new songs “All These Lights” and “ANX” below.
The show at Highline Ballroom was so much fun…the small but enthusiastic crowd was dancing around and yelling out lyrics the whole time. The Grouch has a laid back and smooth lyrical delivery that complements Eligh’s faster flow on the mic. The songs especially the new ones sounded fantastic live and I dare you to stand still at a G&E show. It’s not happening. Even Chocko had to put the camera away for a minute to wave my hands in the air and do some spin moves. Tour opener, Pigeon John joined the duo on stage for a few songs. After nearly an hour set which included a 3 song encore, the crowd wanted more. On the way out, I noticed Grouch at the merch table greeting the duo’s loyal fans. It’s always nice to see performers go the extra mile and hang out and meet some fans after a show. The tour’s winding down but if you live in Phoenix, AZ or Los Angeles or Pomona, CA definitely check out The Grouch & Eligh rock the stage. Once again, the new album is The Tortoise And The Crow. Pick it up at a record store near you!
Pigeon John and G&E
Eligh
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Tags: eligh, highline ballroom, hip hop, new york city, nyc, show, the grouch
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Oleta Adams at the South Orange Performing Arts Center
March 31st, 2014 by Mr. C
I can picture it now – 1990 – on heavy playback rotation for me when I wanted to take a day off from the boom-bap high energy filled rap & hip hop, I pinch hitted my playlist with dance, soul, new jack swing, & R&B tunes. The usual must have suspects on my cassette mixtape were Lisa Stansfield (Affection), Soul II Soul’s (Back to Life), Joyce Sims (All in All/Come into my life), and Sybil’s (Don’t Make me over). On the flipside of that EP mixtape would be Oleta Adams’ Circle of One album! Amongst my favorite songs of hers include Get Here, Rhythm of Life, and Circle of One.
So when I found out that Miss Adam’s was performing at the South Orange Performing Arts Center, it was a done deal! I have never seen her perform live and off I went! Oleta Adams has a mesmorizing low and hypnotic, smooth and powerful voice that she can take up to the high registers as well. She’s very talented on the piano and writes the lyrics to her own songs ranging from topics of love and despair, inspirational & uplifting pieces to songs of prayer as well as having the ear to rearrange her songs into a fun and funky-soul rendition of the original version.
At her show in South Orange, NJ – she was accompanied by a guitarist, bass player, and her husband of twenty years on drums, John Cushon! Oleta kept it real fun and light with her banter about how she snatched up her drummer husband to save money as well as making fun of herself turning 61 this year and being on AARP’s hit list! She kept it relevant about how kids nowadays need to learn the real meaning of the word sacrifice instead of mistaking it for the word – entitlement. She then segued into her song “Power of Sacrifice”. She played 4 of my favorite tunes from Circle of One and blew it completely out of the park with all four especially with the funky jungle-latin version of “Rhythm of Life” and “Everything must change”. When Oleta played “Get Here” on the piano, goosebumps made an appearance as her rich voice echoed throughout the arts center! Her romantic, “Hold me for a while” got the lovers in the audience heated up! Of course there’s always the classic hear me out songs like “My heart won’t lie” and “Picture you the way that I do” that gets a few sniffles with the reflective outlook in relationships. The 1st half of Oleta’s setlist was an all out jam with her band and her on the Yamaha piano while the 2nd half of the program was more of the unplugged organic version w/ the acoustic guitar, bass, & light percussions. Things got back to amplify mode when the band went big along with Oleta’s voice even getting bigger as they finished the night with the inspirational “Everything Must Change”. The guitar player shredded up the strings as the gee-tar started talking back dirty! I was hoping that the Tears For Fears song featuring Oleta Adams “Woman in Chains” would of made it to the setlist but no luck tonight. The setlist from that nights performance is below. I’m glad I finally got to see Oleta play live and encourage y’all to do the same if she’s playing near you. Now, Lisa Stansfield is next on my must see live hit-list cause she’s “All Woman”!
Setlist
Circle of One
I hope you dance (Lee ann Womack)
Hold me for awhile
No secrets
My heart won’t lie
funky blues instrumental John Cushon
All the love
2nd half of program- unplugged
Picture you the way that I do
Safe and Sound
Rhythm of Life
deaf, dumb, and exposed (cover)
The Power of Sacrifice
Get here
Everything must change (Benard Ighner/Quincy Jones cover)
South Orange Performing Arts Center
1 SOPAC Way
South Orange, NJ 07079
Tags: gospel, oleta adams, r&b, soul, south orange performing arts center
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2014 DMC NYC Regional DJ Battle Review + Photos
March 18th, 2014 by chocko
2014 DMC NYC Winner: Dwells
Chocko and Mr. C were on the scene at Webster Hall for the 2014 DMC NYC Regional DJ Battle. Lord Finesse of DITC provided plenty of comedy along with hosting duties while DJs from the tri-state area battled it out for a chance to represent NYC in the next round of cutting and scratching. Judges for the competition included Johnny “Juice” Rosado of The Bomb Squad, Grand Wizzard Theodore (inventor of the scratch) and QBert a virtuoso and Jedi Master on the turntables. The competition was fierce but a 13 year old DJ from Connecticut by the name of Dwells won the top slot with 2 impressive rounds of 90’s hip hop beats juggled, sliced and diced and yes, some body tricks thrown in to seal the deal.
DJ Roli Rho
DJ Roli Rho from the Battle DJ crew, The 5th Platoon, made his return to the battle circuit and proved to be a force to be reckoned with. Roli Rho had not battled prior to the Regional NYC Battle since 1999. Also pictured below are some finalists including DJ Dirty Digits who I thought should have won after an impressive all-vinyl set. Crowd favorite, DJ Ease was no joke and spun some solid sets that got the heads nodding and amped up. After the smoke cleared and the dust settled, Ease took 2nd place in the battle, Dirty Digits won 3rd place and Roli Rho won 4th place.
DJ Dirty Digits
DJ International EASE
Grand Wizzard Theodore
In between the battle sets and judges tabulating, the crowd got some special performances to take in, including legendary Grand Wizzard Theodore. I was waiting for a needle drop routine but, nonetheless Theodore entertained as always. Former DMC World Champion DJ QBert dazzled the audience with a wide array of skills on the turntables which he does so effortlessly. I met up with him at the side of the stage after the show where he was posing for photos with fans. I got him to sign my copy of the DJ documentary, SCRATCH. If you have never seen it, you must! It’s an excellent film about DJs. He also signed my Wave Twisters album and DVD. 15 years later, his follow up to Wave Twisters is coming out soon and it’s a double album titled Extraterrestria and GalaXXXian.
DJ QBert
Lord Finesse and DJ QBert
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Tags: Battle, dj, DMC, Grand Wizzard Theodore, hip hop, Lord Finesse, nyc, QBert, Regional
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Kung Fu – theatrical stage play at Signature Theatre 42nd Street
March 9th, 2014 by Mr. C
(Set in KUNG FU – Bruce Lee’s Jun Fan Kwoon)
(Cole Horibe as Bruce Lee – lobby at Signature Theatre)
We caught Kung Fu, the theatrical performance at Signature Theatre on 42nd street last week and was pretty impressed with the production of this charming little off Broadway play. Kung Fu is the story of Bruce Lee’s journey from his motherland Hong Kong to the United States on his quest of bettering his life while living the American dream as an up and coming martial artist, movie star, dad, & husband despite encountering hurdles such as his skin color and memories of his dad. This stage play was dynamic as the man himself blending drama, martial arts, theatre, chinese opera, and dance. It was almost like Fame with Kung Fu. The setting of the play ranged from 1940’s Hong Kong to 1960/1970s Seattle, Los Angeles, and then back to Hong Kong. Without giving out too much detail, the story centered on Bruce’s inner demons with his dad which ultimately provided the inspiration to do what he does but also provide much heartache and dysfunction in himself. While I’m not a Bruce Lee historian nor expert – this was the first time that I’ve seen the story play out with Bruce’s conflict with his father in this fashion. The storyline brought much over dramatical flashbacks scenes with Bruce and his father while on the opposite spectrum the scenes in his Seattle Kung Fu Kwoon, Hollywood, and his home brought much comedic relief. The acts with James Coburn played by an African American player was hilarious. The cast in general was strong as bull but free flowing as water. Many of the cast members had multiple roles in the play and it was quite a sight as each act was intensely demanding with drama, dance, and martial arts. As for the Bruce Lee role, I thought player – Cole Horibe did a tremendous job. First off, his slender but muscular physique was very akin to Bruce as was his confidence and cockiness. Cole’s hybrid martial arts and dance was very flowing and convincing. The linguistics and accent was a little bit overbearing and over-done I thought but I may be nit-picking. The ‘Kung Fu’ performance overall was entertaining and exhilarating though I do think the story plays better to an audience that is quite familiar with Lee’s background. Otherwise, those not in the know might find themselves trying to do research after the fact. If you can grab seats for $25, it is well worth your time. KUNG FU plays through April 3rd at Signature Theatre.
The Pershing Square Signature Center
480 West 42nd Street
New York, NY
(Center-Cole Horibe as Bruce Lee; Left-Francis Jue as Bruce Lee’s father; right-Phoebe Strole as Linda Lee)
Tags: bruce lee, kung fu, theatre
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Pearl River Mart Chinese New Year celebrations
February 17th, 2014 by Mr. C
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Pearl River Mart, a tremendous import store dedicated to all things chinese including clothing,fabric,house goods,cookware,herbal medicine,traditional bird cages,traditional musical instruments,candy,artwork,porcelain goods, and a million of other knick knacks. They even have a tea shop on the third floor. Pearl River Mart has been in the Chinatown area since…dare I say since we lived in Chinatown in the early 1970s. My family has moved out of Chinatown since but Pearl River remains in the community. The current storefront on Broadway between Grand and Broome Streets is not technically chinatown but it’s close enough. Their prior location was on Canal Street & Broadway, just a few blocks away.
It has become tradition that Pearl River Mart plays host to a Lion Dance & Kung fu performance to celebrate chinese new year at their storefront weather permitting and this year was no different. This year the festivities were held in the store including the Lion Dance and red envelope giveaway as well as storytelling for kids on how the Lion dance was created. I was disappointed that there wasn’t a martal arts demo but the event was still a festive one. The Wan Chi Ming Hung Gar Institute in Chinatown did a great job with the traditional southern lion dance, picture taking, and storytelling activities.
Pearl River Mart
477 Broadway between Grand and Broome Streets
New York, NY
Wan Chi Ming Hung Gar Institute
65 East Broadway 5th floor
New York,NY 10002
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(Video by Team Wan Chi Ming Hung Gar Institute)
(The Storytelling begins!)
Tags: chinese new year celebrations, pearl river mart, wan chi ming hung gar
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