tuesday, february 26, 2008
A commenter just urged me to see Be Your Own Pet, with exclamation points, so perhaps I should mention that I did, in fact, see them last week with little Matt. They were rock and roll for sure. The lead singer, in case you don't follow these things, is a platinum blonde teenage girl (late teens by now, I think) and boy is she sassy. She flings that hair around, leaps around the stage, the whole shebang, while the band kicks up a decent racket behind her. Not really sure if the songs are that awesome, but they're entertaining. An especially entertaining (and creepy) moment came after she asked if anyone wanted to fight her, bragging that she'd been kicked out of several Nashville bars for fighting. Some big lug answered the call, came up on stage, and then tried to plant one on her. Band members came flying to her rescue, though, and the dude was sent into the drum kit, necessitating a brief delay while they fixed it. Matt and I ran into this persona non grata outside after the show, and he claimed that it was all staged and that he and Aunt Jemima or whatever her name is went "way back." How far back, asked Matt. "Babies, man," was the hilarious reply, followed by an even more hilarious request for directions to Times Square. Poor, pathetic dude.
I've been seeing a bunch of shows lately, actually. I also saw the Magnetic Fields at Town Hall on Friday night and wrote it up for Metromix. The Times had a similar view. And I was supposed to go see new Brooklyn resident Travis Morrison on Saturday night but stayed in to nurse an ailing stomach and watch Gone Baby Gone (excellent). Last night Matt and Carl and I dragged our tired Monday asses to Bowery Ballroom for another show by Super Furry Animals. We'd been blown away by them just last month at Maxwell's and decided to go back for more. The show wasn't quite as awesome (score one for tiny Maxwell's, I guess), but it was still great fun, evidenced by my often-shaking booty. Plus, they got a large portion of the audience to wiggle their fingers behind their heads, "because it improves the sound." In too-cool New York, this is a feat. And just good, silly fun. The Pita approves.
And later this week I have two more shows: Hallelujah the Hills opening for Evangelicals and Headlights, both of whom I have read about on the Internet so they MUST be good, at Union Hall on Friday; and Times New Viking (we missed them last night), Matthew Friedberger, Doug Gillard and GBV tribute band the Textbook Committee at Don Pedro's for the paperback release party for John Sellers' indie-rock memoir, Perfect From Now On, on Saturday. Whew!
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thursday, february 21, 2008
I figured people would want to stop having to look at that ridiculous picture of me and Carl, so here are some pretty steel trees in Madison Square Park. Until recently, I had never stepped foot in it. Even with Shake Shack and everything. Weird, huh?
I forgot to mention last time that my boyfriend totally looks like Paul Giammati. Carl's response on seeing the picture: "Is that me?"
And because I know all any readers of this blog want to do is look at pictures of people who look like Carl and Carl himself, here is John Chabalko's "Amongst the Chimneys" series of the two of us on our roof the day after my birthday. John also has some sweet pictures of Dumbo in there, so click backwards and enjoy.
Here's some exciting news: I am totally going to South by Southwest! Tickets have been purchased! Are there any bands I should be seeing? Parties you know about? Let me know! I'm totally psyched. I've wanted to go forever.
This is funny: Stuff White People Like. Takes one to know one? Discuss.
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friday, february 15, 2008
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sunday, february 10, 2008
Why, hello there. Fancy seeing you here! Fancy seeing me here, I know. I haven't updated in forever. Work keeps me pretty busy, and there are just so many things I'd rather be doing. Like reading books! Or watching movies! Hunting for handbags on ebay! Poring over 432 comments on the latest Lost episode! Enough flimsy excuses, let's move on to a weekend update, shall we? Why not....
I had to update, see, because my father got married! After 20-plus years, he and Janet decided to make it official (maybe he just now decided she's the one?). They went low-key, having the ceremony at 11 a.m. on a Thursday in the town hall of South Brunswick, New Jersey. It was performed by Mayor Frank Gambatizzi in what looked like a city council meeting room. Carl walked Janet down the aisle while we all hummed, in a somewhat bizarre turn. And then Frank started in on the ceremony while the kids scurried around trying to get good photos. I particularly liked the closing line of the vows: "And together we shall live free." Nicely said, New Jersey! It was over very quickly (I can be heard on the official wedding video saying, "That's it!"), and then we went and stuffed ourselves silly at Princeton's Lahiere's restaurant. Two days later, the official reception took place at Whispering Woods (aka Dad's house), with lots of food and delicious, gooey birthday cake and people in suits who aren't usually in suits. Obvs, a good time was had by all.
And what else do I have to report? Carl recently made a choucroute for some people he met once at a party seven years ago in Jersey City and often runs into in the neighborhood. He wanted to be sure that you, the loyal pita reader, got to see this triumph::
Lots of sausages in a sea of sauerkraut, basically.
What else...these shoes are really cute. Sometimes I post on the Binge. But not that often there, either. Annnnyway, now I am off to watch a movie, maybe. See how that works? Leave a comment and tell me how much you love these sporadic updates....bye!
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