Kicksville Confidential
November 23rd, 2011 by chocko
This new comic book features true torrid tales by Billy Miller and art by Avi Spivak. The book starts with the story of how Billy, a Brooklyn record dealer, met Miriam Linna, an avid record collector and The Cramps first drummer. The two really hit it off and eventually started Kicks magazine and then in 1986 began releasing some of the sickest, rarest tunes on their own label, Norton Records. Norton Records have been around for 25 years now and still going strong, releasing the best records around from all types of genres including rare rock n’ roll from the fifties and sixties, soul, rockabilly, jazz, garage band music and punk rock.
The book is busting at the seams with facts, profiles and outrageous stories about the artists on the Norton label such as Hasil Adkins, Esquerita, The Mighty Hannibal, Link Wray and Rudy Ray Moore to name a few. One of my favorite stories involved one of my favorite actors of all time…Rudy Ray Moore a.k.a. Dolemite! I never knew he started his career as a blues and R&B singer. I also enjoyed reading how The Mighty Hannibal stole a circus elephant and rode it through the streets of Manhattan. Reading about Esquerita and his street fight with Screamin’ Jay Hawkins was definitely a highlight too.
The art in the book is all in glorious black and white, but is very dense with a lot going on in the drawings and panels. The artist, Avi Spivak, also writes and draws a NYC music ‘zine titled “Human Being Lawnmower” where you can find band interviews and more of Avi’s comics. I’ve been a fan of his cartoons and drawings ever since seeing his art on punk rock flyers in NYC. I recommend buying this book and support stores that sell underground comics and keep digging in those dusty record store crates!
Tags: avi spivak, hasil adkins, norton records
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High on Crack Street: Lost lives in Lowell
November 23rd, 2011 by Mr. C
Revisiting this documentary shadowing 3 lost souls with a harrowing crack addiction in Lowell, Massachusetts in 1993 just put a whole new perspective on Thanksgiving day for me. High on Crack Street would follow Brenda, Boo Boo, & Dick Eklund (former pro boxer & older brother of “Irish” Micky Ward) for 18 months up & around in crack houses, jail, rehab, a boxing gym, & a medical clinic. God only knows how much HBO put forth in compensating the troubled trio for their on screen services & voracious habits.
Lowell, Massachussetts was known at one time as being the largest producer of cotton textile in the United States which gave them the title of being the 1st land industrial city in the US. Unfortunately, in the 1920’s most of the cotton textile industries in Lowell began to move down south which caused the city to empty out. Fast forward to the 1990’s and the city still has a roughneck disposition to its existence. Drugs, unemployment, & lack of education would slay any dragon.
Boo Boo would feed his $200+ a day rock habit by rhymin’ & stealin’ and not by the Beastie Boys’ code of ethics either. The film showed him going into a store and blitzing right out with a set of golf clubs without paying of course. I guess you can say the film crew was an accomplice to the crime as they provided the getaway for the operation.
Brenda was another victim of the night of the living baseheads as well. She has an on/off relationship with Boo Boo as she hooks on the streets of Lowell to feed her habit. She also has an on/off relationship with rehab, too. Things get a little complicated when Brenda finds out that she is prego but who is the father? Hmmm, can it be Boo Boo, ex-boyfriend Mike, or one of her paying friends from the streets? The prospects of abortion will be discussed.
Another bomb would drop on boo boo when he discovers that he is HIV positive.
Dicky Eklund, a former boxer whose most famous bout was against Sugar Ray Leonard in July of 1978 is the most dangerous of the night of the living baseheads! Being hopped up on crack and possessing two lethal hands as weapons is not a good combination. Eklund feeds his habit by robbin’ & stealin’ using lethal force by any means neccessary including assistance from a sawed off shotgun. Eklund finds himself in/out of jail as he uses boxing as a solace point but eventually the demons would come a calling once again. Dicky awaits trial for a more serious offense and the consequences can land him up to a decade in jail. The mother sets up a benefit at the local VFW replaying the 1978 boxing match between Eklund vs Sugar Ray Leonard in order to collect funds to try and bail out her son from jail. Who would know that this benefit would generate fisticuffs of their own?! Eklunds relationship with his professional boxer-brother Micky Ward has also been a rollercoaster of emotions. Training his brother for a fight seems to keep him out of trouble…for the night, but unfortunately the baseheads would eventually come knocking on his door.
The three would seem to go on a path of self destruction as AIDS, a pregnant crack addict, & a man prone to a life of violence can only lead to the calling from the crimson ghost.
To get a drama filled replay of Dicky Eklund on screen, watch The Fighter. It’s definitely a piece of work! This movie is mostly about Micky Ward — the boxer and his family, but Dicky Eklund played by Christian Bale in the movie really stole the show!
And remember, Crack is Wack, folks! Happy Thanksgiving?!
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The Last Fight (1983) — friday night fights at the movies!
November 18th, 2011 by Mr. C
Director: Fred Williamson
Stars: Ruben Blades, Willie Colon, Fred Williamson, Don King, Nereida Mercado, Darlanne Fluegel, Joe Spinell, Tony Sirico
Genre: boxing drama
Fred “The Hammer” Williamson, former NFL football player from the 1960’s directed and starred in this entertaining nuyorican-barrio piece playing the role of Jessie Crowder–private investigator & ex-cop! This was a fun movie especially because it entailed boxing as the main course with a badass brother from another mother doing some CSI work. The cool breeze salsa soundtrack was performed by the Fania All Stars with two main members from the band, Ruben Blades & Willie Colon starring in film as well! Bada-bing, even Tony Sirico was in this movie portraying the role of what else…a gangster! Cameos included Celia Cruz (Fania All Stars), Don King, boxer-Jose Torres, boxer-Salvador Sanchez, Johnny Pacheco (Fania All Stars), Hector Lavoe (Fania All Stars), referee-Tony Perez, & Producer-Bert Sugarman! The film was shot in various locations throughout NYC including the upper west side of manhattan & the Gramercy boxing gym. The west side highway & west end avenue played home to a few street scenes as well.
The story unfolds with a troubled Andy “Kid Clave” Perez (Ruben Blades), an up and coming jr. lightweight boxing contender by night & professional salsa singer all other times, who is trying to get himself out of a huge gambling debt. With a sick mother bedridden in a hospital, he decides to sign a contract with Joaqin (Willie Colon), a local gangster who promises to wipe out his debt & help take care of his mother’s medical bills along with the prospects of sharing Kid Clave’s boxing earnings 50-50. Papa, the manager & trainer is disgusted with the news and despises Joaqin as the local, no good crook. The trainer decides to go to the boxing commission to appeal the contract. Bada bing, bada boom…soon, henchmen would arrive at the gym in the late hours to talk some sense into Papa amongst other things. The ex-champ, Jose Torres would share some fisticuffs with the goons!
Big bad Jessie Crowder arrives on the scene as a private investigator to survey the situation. It was funny & ironic that Don King would be consulted by Crowder about the no good Joaquin! Can someone say mirror image?
Meanwhile, Kid Clave fights with a heavy heart and a blood clot in his brain sustained from a brouhaha in a club. Things are not quite the same with the salsa warrior in the ring. The ballgame would change once the Kid begins to unravel the truth with the help of his girlfriend! A few explosions later and Andy would find himself in a rage like “Tony Montana”! Fred Williamson would also drop the hammer on some unsuspecting fools. The climax of the film would also include a boxing match to determine the featherweight champion of the world between Andy “Kid Clave” vs the legendary champ, Salvador Sanchez playing himself!
Go see this film, y’all! When will you ever see two legendary nuyorican salsa performers play a boxer and a gangster while also providing the smooth & rhythmic twist your hips type of soundtrack for the film? That coupled with Fred “The Hammer” regulating and inoculating the opposition sounds like a winner to me!
On a sad note, the legendary mexican boxer, Salvador Sanchez died in an automobile accident shortly after the film was made. This movie was in dedication to him.
Yo Puedo Vivir del Amor – Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
Tags: boxing, fania all stars, fred williamson, mr c
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Lady Pink — Evolution
November 14th, 2011 by Mr. C
“Lady Pink’s unique personal vision has been communicated throughout her evolution from subway writer to fine artist.”
—Woodward Gallery
While hovering our UFO on the lower east “chinese” side of manhattan, our radars honed into an art gallery that displayed the works by one of our favorite graffiti artists in the N-Y, Lady Pink. Planet Chocko usually admires her street art on the side of a building, subway trains, & spaceships but her message conveys well to any medium! She earned respect amongst her peers tagging on the NYC subway trains since 1979. From her reputation as an excellent aerosol writer, director-Charlie Ahearn cast her in the role as “Rose” in the classic 1983 graffiti movie, Wild Style! The rest would be history! Her evolution from creating spontaneous-combustible, awe-inspiring graffiti and murals on the public domain to re-mastering some of her work onto canvas is a sight to behold & a must see in person whether on the street, in art galleries, or museums in the like! Lady Pink’s EVOLUTION is on display at the Woodward Gallery from November 5th-December 30th, 2011! Check it, check it out, ya’ll!!
Lady Pink — Evolution
Woodward Gallery
133 Eldridge street (bet. Broome & Delancey)
NY, NY 10002
Tags: art, evolution, graffiti, lady pink
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Joe Frazier: When the Smoke Clears — friday night fights at the movies!
November 11th, 2011 by Mr. C
Director: Mike Todd
Stars: Joe Frazier, Marvis Frazier
Genre: Boxing documentary
It was a very sad & bittersweet feeling when we screened this documentary at IFC Theater just a day after the passing of the great Smokin’ Joe. However, it was also a tremendous way to commemorate and appreciate this boxing legend and more importantly a man who was compassionate towards others–outside the square canvas that is. Family values and community were high priorities in his life and you could clearly see that this would be the solid foundation that would make him into the man that he turned out to be. It just so happened that he was a tenacious & ferocious beast in the ring when he went to work digging those damaging left hooks into someone’s body and soul!
I really dug that this film didn’t concentrate on Frazier’s obvious drama with Muhammad Ali and their epic battles in the ring but instead the director focused more on the man himself, his family in Beaufort-South Carolina, his boxing gym in philly, and the community that benefited from his kind heart. The story would also tell the tale of father and son, Joe and Marvis as they appeared inseparable. Marvis also followed in his fathers footsteps of being a professional prizefighter but you can tell that he wasn’t quite the lion that his dad was. Marvis had a respectable boxing career finishing with a record of 19-2 with two devastating losses to the hands of Iron Mike Tyson & the Easton Assassin, Larry Holmes. There was a touching story told by Marvis in the film after the loss to Larry Holmes with him crying to his dad, expecting Joe to scold him and to tell him how embarrassed he was that he ruined the Frazier name, but instead Joe hugged his son, smiled, and told him everything was alright son, he loved him no matter what. I could only imagine the pressure it was to follow in the footsteps of his dad.
Marvis seemed to blossom into a great man himself thanks to his dad, while he teached, preached, & mentored kids at Joe Frazier’s Gym. The father and son combo definitely was a saviour to the community in this crime ridden area of North Philadelphia. It was a heartbreak to hear of the financial troubles that the gym was going through several years ago which prompted Joe to sell the gym. Now it’s a furniture store.
Cameos from the film included Bernard Hopkins, Larry Merchant, Larry Holmes, George Foreman, Angelo Dundee, & the up and coming boxer from the neighborhood, Isaiah Muneer. They all had nothing but great insight and inspirational words to say about Joe Frazier. It was neat to hear Larry Merchant, Larry Holmes, & Foreman say that Smokin’ Joe might not be the greatest boxer of all time, but his will to win and his HEART was 2nd to none! A revealing statement told by George Foreman was also very poignant. He said that if Muhammad Ali ever called him on the phone and needed some help, he would be there in a minute. If Joe Frazier called him and needed help, he would be there in a second!
Smokin’ Joe represented the humble, softspoken working class folk. His spoken words didn’t break out into cute soliloquy’s or jive talkin’ rhymes such as some other dirty mouth wordsmiths but instead you had a quiet-reserved but relentless warrior ready to destroy his opponent opposite of him in the ring or be destroyed. Outside the ring, he seemed to be a gentle, fun loving family man who truly cared about his fellow brothers and sisters of the human race. It was very nice to hear from the cinematographer & director of this film and Joe’s manager, Les Wolfe that whenever Frazier made a public appearance, he would stay to sign EVERYONE’s autograph. That really says a lot about a person.
I was fortunate enough to be able to meet Joe Frazier at two autograph signing events more than a decade ago in Cherry Hill, NJ and at a Barnes & Noble on Astor Place. He was very gracious and it was fitting that his son, Marvis Frazier was there by his side.
Boxing fan or not, the father and son story of JOE FRAZIER: WHEN THE SMOKE CLEARS is worth the price of admission.
The City of Philadelphia should do more than to erect a statue of Joe Frazier. Although Smokin Joe was not born & bred in Philly, he adopted this gritty city as his home since the late 60’s and he never looked back. Frazier’s fighting style matches up with the city of brotherly love rather well both rugged, tough, & ready to rumble toe to toe! Forget about the fictional character Rocky….Phi-town had a legend and best ambassador to their city under their wings and they didn’t even know it.
Tags: documentary, joe frazier, mr c
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Crosby, Nash and Sweat
November 10th, 2011 by chocko
Last Tuesday, Keith Sweat was at J&R Musicworld in Downtown NYC to celebrate the release of his new album ‘Til The Morning. The Harlem born singer has been in the game since the 80’s ushering in the new jack swing era and continuing on to a successful soul and R&B career along with being a radio personality on the side. The O.G. Keith Sweat signed the new album and old stuff I dug out of the milk crates too. The new album is slamming and doesn’t stray too far from what works for Sweat: smooth R&B ballads which finds the singer begging and pleading with promises of candle light dinners by the fireplace and treating that girl right even if it’s on the living room floor. The album starts out fairly innocent, “Candy Store” takes a trip down memory lane when he met that cute girl at the corner store but the rest of the tracks might make somebody pregnant! The man still got it, tracks like “High As The Sun”, “Make You Say Ooh” and “Til The Morning” will get you hot and bothered and the obvious hit “To The Middle” with T-Pain will get the head nodding, no doubt. “Knew It All Along” teams Sweat up with his former LSG band members, Johnny Gill and the late Gerald Levert. In the song, they portray a man telling a girl, from a friend’s perspective that her boyfriend has been cheating but then suggests hey, I think I could take his place. Coko from SWV is also featured on a track “My Valentine.” Highly recommended if you long for those good old 90’s style r&b songs!
I also wandered around Zuccotti Park to check out what the Occupy Wall Street Protestors were up to. It’s a sight to see…plenty of tents, people holding up protest signs, musicians singing with their guitars, curious tourists, vendors selling stuff like pins and necklaces all under the watchful eye of the police. It was a microcosm of America, with all people young, old, of all races bonded together by a common struggle and a goal of peace, freedom and equality. I was standing in the middle of the park after checking out their kitchen and library when all of a sudden there was a commotion. A group of people were making their way through the park and I immediately recognized David Crosby with his stringy white hair and moustache. Graham Nash was also among the people making their way through the already crowded park and they had guitars with them. Crosby and Nash set up shop and performed a bunch of songs for the people without amplifiers or microphones, completely unplugged. It was difficult to see or hear the two legends but when the crowd sang a long it was truly inspiring. I just wanna say good luck to all the human beings out there protesting and fighting the good fight. May you stay strong, safe and warm through the upcoming colder months.
Tags: crosby and nash, keith sweat, new york city, nyc, occupy wall street, ows
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The Incredible Hulk #1
November 7th, 2011 by chocko
It looks like Marvel Comics are starting some of their books at square one, but don’t be mistaken-it’s not a reboot! The Incredible Hulk #1 features writing by Jason Aaron and art by the legend Marc Silvestri!
We find the Hulk as a bearded and introspective outsider living in the subterranean world beneath the Earth’s surface among a race of creatures, the Moloids, who depend on the Hulk as a hunter and provider. There are some really cool fight scenes of Hulk smashing monsters the size of Rhode Island with no problem. An interesting part of the story is the fact that Hulk and Dr. Bruce Banner have been separated, but we’re not sure how or why that’s happened. Hulk gets a rude awakening when government agents led by the ultra-sexy Amanda Von Doom, crash a Moloid party and request Hulk’s help in stopping Bruce Banner. Looks like Bruce is going cuckoo and experimenting on animals with his team of mutated pig people in some remote jungle.
It will be interesting to see if there will be any cool appearances and cameos in the upcoming issues. The inevitable showdown between Hulk and Banner should be fun and I’m definitely looking forward to more amazing art by Silvestri. The cover for the next issue features the Green Goliath battling a gang of oversized mutated sharks!
Tags: comics, marvel, review
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planet chocko zine from the vaults!
November 5th, 2011 by Mr. C
I was cleaning up some skeletons in the closet and low & behold, I found some dusty archives of planet chocko in zine format from 1997! Chocko was the martian behind the excellent artwork on the front and back covers but, you do see a trail of bon bons left by mr c on my feeble attempt at chicken doodle with the 4th installment to celebrate chinese new year — the year of the tiger!
The content of our “collective unconscious” hasn’t changed much since we discovered the internet in 2009, but the personal touches & the vibe in print format is something we miss. We were thinking of pumping out a limited run of planet chocko on paper for fun! Stay tuned!
Enjoy your day, my young padawan’s!
(A BIG peace sign to all of the collective unconscious planet chocko contributors from our previous life which includes Raluca (R.I.P), JoelDEV, Brett, Woody, & Buggy.)
Tags: chocko, mr c, planet chocko, zine
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Pictoplasma NYC
November 4th, 2011 by chocko
Pictoplasma NYC-The Festival of Contemporary Character Design and Art rolls through New York City November 3-6, 2011 with a variety of exhibitions and installations to check out all around town. Most of the art happenings are in downtown NYC and Chelsea but be sure to hop on a subway and check out what’s going on in Brooklyn too. Chocko and the crew stopped by a few spots with the help of the Pictoplasma map which you can grab at any of the participating galleries or shops.
Geneviève Gauckler‘s paintings of weird and wild painting of creatures were located at Cappellini NYC (152 Wooster Street) along with the bizarre, beastly fabric sculptures by Joshua Ben Longo. The paintings were hung on the walls and the Longo monsters were all over the furniture store on top of tables and on the floor too. The monsters with pink sphincters for mouths kinda freaked me out.
A short walk from the store brought us to the hanahou gallery (611 Broadway, Suite 730) which featured ‘Gnomes vs. Snowmen’ by Anna Hrachovec. This has to be seen in person to appreciate the work that went into the epic battle told with knitted miniature scenes depicting gnomes and snowmen going at it-no holds barred. Those cute little gnomes are sadistic creeps and those snowmen fight dirty for the control of the carrot supplies. Unleash the bunny rabbits! Can’t we all just get along? Highly recommended. Check it out Nov 3-18!
Bold Hype (547 W 27 St, Suite 510) featured the paintings of Johannah O’Donnell and drawings and prints by Raymond Lemstra. Johannah’s vibrant paintings showed young women hanging out with humans with animal heads. Those human-animal hybrids looked like they were ready to party. Beautiful work! Raymond’s work was displayed in the back gallery room and featured distorted portraits and characters done with pencils looking both futuristic and drawing influence from tribal art.
‘Time Kills All Gods’ by AJ Fosik was displayed at Jonathan Levine Gallery (529 W 20 St, 9th fl). Every relief and sculpture was made out of wood. So much detail went into each work, many covered in painted tiny shingle-like pieces to portray fur and textures. The sculptures depict creatures with multiple mouths and creepy, bugged out eyes. The large scale installation piece titled “The Shepherd Inevitably Consumes the Flock” is sick!
Tags: art, exhibitions, festival, festival of contemporary character design and art, new york, new york city, review
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The Real Rocky — friday night fights at the movies!
November 4th, 2011 by Mr. C
Director: Jeff Reuerzeig
Starring: Chuck Wepner
Genre: boxing documentary
ESPN 30/30 films churned out another righteous & entertaining documentary called The Real Rocky which chronicled the boxing life story of Northern New Jersey’s own, the Bayonne bleeder — Chuck Wepner and his battle to get some recognition and royalties from the Rocky movie franchise. Sylvester Stallone had made it known all along that Wepner was the inspiration for Rocky Balboa as Stallone witnessed the brutal boxing match between Muhammad Ali vs Chuck Wepner on March 24, 1975. Wepner would surprise a lot of folks by enduring 15 rounds with the champion before getting TKO’d in the 15th. Originally, Wepner was scheduled to fight George Foreman for the heavyweight title but after the rumble in the jungle — plans changed.
The documentary started out with the Chuck Wepner of 2010 doing some road work dressed in his sweats and knit cap which then progressed into a workout at Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn, shadowboxing and working on the speed & heavy bags. The Rocky theme music would be playing in the background. Not for nothing, but the old lion still looks like he can still pack a punch! George Foreman, where are you?? I think we found you a perfect matchup!! It may be 35+ years late, but… — Wepner would then finish his workout by triumphantly running up some long steps at Hudson County Park in Bayonne, NJ! Sound familiar?? Guess where Stallone got that from!
This film would only get better as a who’s who sportswriter roundtable gathered at the gritty Ringside Tavern in Jersey City, NJ which included: Bill Gallo – RIP (Daily News), Jerry Izenberg (Newark Star Ledger), Charlie Mcgill (Bergen Record), Vic Ziegel – RIP (NY Post), Bob Kurland, and John Rowe (Bergen Record). Boy, I would of loved to be a fly on that wall! They had fun talking about the Bayonne Bleeder and his problematic cuts in matches which led to a river of blood on his face. They all agreed Wepner was not the most talented of pugilists but he was one tough cookie that always gave it his all. Bill Gallo even mentioned that he drew a cartoon of Wepner bleeding at the onset of touching gloves with his opponent even before the bell was rung! These sportswriters/cartoonists are vicious!
*Excerpts from Sports Illustrated*
– “Wepner has swallowed more blood than dracula!”
– “He has enough stitches in his face for a double knit suit!”
The Bayonne Bleeder, a former marine–former bouncer at a go-go bar–former leg breaker for the mob–was a very colorful character. Unfortunately, that also included run ins with johnny law due to his bouts with cocaine use. John Belushi’s name was mentioned in the mix as well. Possession of cocaine would eventually lead Wepner to spend some time up at Northern State prison in Newark, NJ. As luck would have it or maybe he was just shadowing Chuck Wepner to find more inspirational stories, Sylvester Stallone and his cast happened to be filming “Lock Up” at Northern State at the same time when he was in prison.
Some other off the wall circus acts on the menu from this Bayonne outlaw included wrestling a real life bear named Victor at Art Stocks — Royal Manor and the infamous mixed wrestling match vs Andre the Giant at Shea Stadium: War of the Worlds! Chuck Wepner looked like pee wee herman compared to the 7’ 500lb Andre the Giant! The bayonne bleeder tried his haymaker shots and his well known rabbit punches to the back of the head but the Giant swatted those bee stings away and eventually picked up the NJ outlaw and threw him outside the ring! A melee broke loose after Wepner got back in the square! As another coincidence, Rocky II had Rocky Balboa wrestling Hulk Hogan as Thunder Lips! Hmmm?! I wonder if the Wepner vs Andre the Giant was an inspiration?!!
Chuck Wepner vs Andre the Giant courtesy of baltazarbrothers @ youtube
As Chuck was living his day to day being a liquor salesman while receiving no financial rewards from the Rocky franchise, not even a penny — what really broke the straw in the camel’s back for Wepner was when Sylvester Stallone came to Edgewater, NJ to film Copland with Robert Deniro but had made no mention to him. 30+ years have gone by and ‘0’ benefits from the Rocky franchise. Can you say lawsuit? Vince Mcmahon had a word of advice for Stallone — settle —
In September of 1978, the Bayonne Bleeder would have his last fight vs Scott Frank. Wepner went the distance but lost his State Title to a younger and hungrier opponent.
Chuck is happily married to his 3rd wife and still lives in Bayonne.
The Real Rocky is heavily recommended and definitely worth your time! Chuck Wepner also did the narration for the film which added a genuine Jersey bada bing touch! Director, Jeff Reuerzeig is said to be in the works developing the film “The Bayonne Bleeder” which is based on the life story of this Jersey outlaw! See you at the movies for this bruiser fest!
Tags: bayonne bleeder, boxing, chuck wepner, documentary, mr c, real rocky
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Night Birds
November 1st, 2011 by chocko
2011 has been a busy year for East Coast’s Night Birds. They played a ton of shows including a European tour and released their killer 7″ featuring their tribute to sleazy films titled “Midnight Movies”, an album titled Fresh Kills Vol. 1 featuring all their vinyl recordings since 2009 and the brand spankin’ new album The Other Side of Darkness. Their punk songs are all killer, no filler and combine punk with surf rock. Night Birds features Brian Gorsegner on vocals, Mike Hunchback on guitar, Joe Keller on bass and vocals and Ryan Mchale on drums. Their last show of 2011 will be on December 17 at ABC NO RIO in NYC along with Death First, Mind Eraser, and Citizens Arrest. That show is gonna rule! Thanks to Joe for taking the time out and doing the following interview.
How did you all meet and form the band?
Brian, Mike, and myself all had previous bands and we all played with each other’s bands. Once those band (For Science, The Ergs, and Hunchback) broke up, we got together to form Night Birds.
What are some of the bands you’ve all previously been in?
Brian – For Science, The Survivors, Full of Fancy, Psyched to Die, The Good Book,
Mike – Hunchback, Weird Fantasy Band
Joe – The Ergs
Tell us about the new record, Fresh Kills Vol. 1.
Fresh Kills Vol. 1 is a compilation of the songs from our original 4 song demo plus the three 7″s we’ve put out so far. It’s everything we’ve done as a band up to “The Other Side of Darkness” LP.
What are some bands that have influenced you?
I love tons of stuff all over the board. I like jazz, punk, old rock n roll, soul, surf, and country. In terms of what influences Night Birds, I’d say it’s heavily influenced by old California punk and hardcore. Mike also brings his heavy 60’s surf influence to the band as well which I think really defines how we sound.
What do you remember about going to your first punk show?
Shit! I guess that depends on what you define a punk show as. I think the very first punk show I went to was The Ramones believe it or not! I saw them on their last tour back in 1995, fucking half a lifetime ago at this point. In terms of first local punk show, I think the first show I saw was at a place called Club Bene in Sayreville NJ. I went to go see my friends’ band, Visual Purple, play. They did a bunch of originals as well as some sex pistol and Rancid covers. Then they smashed all their gear. Two of the guys in the band were the other 2 members of The Ergs. I think that day changed my life.
How has touring been so far?
Touring has been great so far. We all get along pretty well so that makes it go very smoothly. We’ve done the Midwest, a little bit of Canada, and Europe so far. We hope to hit the West Coast next year.
Do you have any good road stories to tell?
Hmmm, the really juicy ones are not fit to print. I guess the best thing I can talk about is Mike falling off of the stage in Germany. Mike likes to jump into the crowd while we play and this time he tripped on the way out. He hit the ground hard and according to him, he blacked out for a second. He thought he was ok by the end of the night but the next morning he sneezed and heard something crack. All of a sudden he was in terrible pain. We had to call a doctor to the squat to have him looked at. She was afraid Mike had ripped his spleen because if he did, he would probably die on the plane ride back home. We got Mike some ultrasounds and an x-ray and thankfully he was ok. He had to play sitting on a stool for the next couple of nights though. It looked like he was in coffee shop mode.
What are everybody’s interests outside of the band?
Music takes up a lot of my time, but I also love science fiction books and movies. I listen to records and drink large quantities of soda whenever possible.
What are some of your favorite horror and b-movies?
I’m not the biggest horror fand like Mike is, but I love the John Carpenter stuff as well anything by Frank Henonlotter. It may be a little too big to be considered a b-movie, but “Army of Darkness” is one of my all time faves.
Do you have any favorite comic books?
When I was a kid I loved the Marvel superhero stuff, particularly the X-Men. Nowadays, I read a lot of stuff on Vertigo. I was reading the Walking Dead but I haven’t kept up.
If you could have one super power, what would it be?
Gotta go with invulnerability – party all night and no hangover.
Do you have any touring or recording planned for the near future?
We’re definitely going to do an instrumental surf 7″ next year as well as be on a couple of compilations. I don’t know yet what we’re doing beyond that but I would expect a couple more records after that.
Closing comments?
Get in the hole!
Night Birds at Europa in Brooklyn (video courtesy of loopyvids)
Tags: interview, night birds, punk, punk rock
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CMJ in NYC Part 2
November 1st, 2011 by chocko
There was a free BrooklynVegan showcase at the Knitting Factory on Oct. 20 during the CMJ Fest. I missed the Yellow Ostrich, but just made it for the start of the Still Corners 1:15 PM set. I’ve been listening to their new album nonstop. “I Wrote In Blood” sounds like a song from Twin Peaks mashed with a Wutang Clan beat. Hundred Visions from Austin, TX rocked out with songs that mixed indie rock, with some funk and new wave. The band was energetic and the lead singer hopped around a lot-they were fun to watch. Sorry, to hear that the band’s van and most of the gear got stolen the night before.
Forest Fire from Brooklyn played a short set and will be hitting the road next month. Look out Europe! Bobby played next with a lineup that looks whittled down since I last saw them play a couple of months ago at Music Hall of Williamsburg. They play polyrhythmic, avant garde electonic music using guitars and synthesizers. Check them out. Main Attrakionz from Oakland represented the hip hop world with a set of rap songs about girls, getting high and skateboarding. They provided a lot of laughs with their laid back Cali swagger and performed their “cloud rap” like they were in a packed arena.
Later that night at the Woods in Williamsburg Broooklyn, there was a Tom Tom Magazine’s showcase featuring an interesting mix of bands featuring female percussionists. The night featured many bands including Brute Heart from Minneapolis featuring 3 women on bass, viola and drums. Their songs can get tribal and abstract, but it’s good stuff! Pearl And The Beard also rocked the stage with their fun, soulful folky tunes! This trio from Brooklyn (Jocelyn Mackenzie, Emily Hope Price, and Jeremy Styles) sing and play a variety of instruments, but mostly guitar, glockenspiel and cello. They always play a fantastic live show…highly recommended band! Japanese female punk band, Hard Nips were also in the house. Emi, Mariko, Yoko, and The Gootch got the party moving with their pop punk songs. “Children Of Satan” go the fists pumping! Coasting, a two-piece from Brooklyn featuring drummer Fiona Cambell and guitarist Madison Farmer who met while organizing d.i.y. shows, brought their lo-fi songs complete with killer riffs and booming beats. Next time I see them, I’m definitely buying all their records on the merch table!
After a quick drive into the Lower East Side and charging through the jam packed Pianos on Ludlow Street, the packed-like-sardines audience were treated to a free showcase by Deli Magazine and friends. The Grates (from Australia) featuring John Patterson on guitar and bouncy, kick-ass Patience Hodgson played a late set and jolted the CMJ zombies with a much needed burst of adrenalin. The Grates never cease to amaze me and I love the way Patience interacts with the crowd. She can never stand in one place for too long until she’s whipping a lariat, or climbing on a table or jumping on the shoulders of an audience member. Their new album titled “Secret Rituals” is out now. Check ’em out!
Tags: brute heart, coasting, hard nips, main attrakionz, pearl and the beard, still corners, the grates
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