Tag: New York City

Posted on

You Only Live Once – The Strokes in NYC

Last night…., I was fortunate to get hooked up by a friend with tix to the first North American tour appearance for The Strokes, the band named best International Band at the Shockwaves NME Awards 2006 last month in London – Thank you Kris!. Wed night was the first of three shows at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City in support of their new album First Impressions of Earth. I’m not a concert or even music reviewer, however, for my personal tastes, I felt the energy of all their popular as well as new tracks come through strong, clear, and with the direct sensibility of their albums. Basically the show rocked!

Opening for the Strokes was The Eagles of Death Metal. The band features Carlo Von Sexron (Josh Homme from ‘Queens of the Stone Age’) on their last album: Peace, Love Death Metal. Their show was hardly death metal, but more or less just rock n roll which is what they proclaimed on stage. What I got out of the show was that Jesse “Boots Electric” Hughes loves the ladies and I was repeatedly told so, every other song…”I love the ladies!!!”, “Ladies make your way up front…”, “Damn I love em lady, Woo Hoo Rock n Roll and Ladies!!!”. Sorry guys, when I think of Death Metal, the first band I think of is Cannibal Corpse (MP3). BTW ol’ Boots is on MySpace (MyS Profile) and he definitely loves the ladies there too! (Picture – This Clip is about the hardest they rocked all set – btw sorry for the distortion on the clips but my camera is not the best device for recording concerts)

The Strokes show began with First Impressions’ opening track, “You Only Live Once.” and they tore through their popular and new catalog of tunes building up the crowds energy to a furious release with “Last Night”. The resting point of the set was the guitar free take on “Ask Me Anything” with Valensi, on keyboards, providing the sole accompaniment for Casablancas (Picture). I enjoyed the tribute rendition of The Ramones “Life is a Gas” (Clip). The Strokes closed their set with “Reptilia” before a short break to the encore.

Returning for their encore performance, which Kris points out they rarely do, The Strokes broke out the once apocryphal “New York City Cops”. Hardly flattering to the NYPD, the song was abruptly removed, with the band’s consent, from their 2001 debut in the aftermath of September 11th. It’s inclusion in the set provided the only slightly political bend on the show.

Gossip hounds were out and attending the show were some of NYC’s celebrities. Of course Drew Barrymore was there to support her man, Fabrizio Moretti. She was in the lower level VIP box with Lucy Liu (dancing like a mad woman I might add). I tried repeatedly to snap a pic for you and of course my friend Kris (here’s one for you buddy), however, this is the best I could do, and went back to enjoying what I came for. Apparently Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin were there as well, and at a Friday show, Mario Batali and Joaquin Phoenix were there… together – can you say odd couple?

First Clip of the Strokes

Here’s the set list in exact order from the show:
1. You only live once
2. The modern age
3. Hawaii Aloha
4. Juicebox
5. The End Has No End
6. 12:51
7. Heart in a Cage
8. Razorblade
9. Soma
10. I Can’t Win
11. Life Is A Gas (Ramones Cover – Clip)
12. Alone, Together
13. Last Nite
14. Hard To Explain
15. Ize of The World
16. Trying Your Luck
17. Barely Legal
18. Ask Me Anything
19. Vision of Division
20. Reptilia

Encore
21. NYC Cops
22. Someday
23. Take It Or Leave It – (Clip of last song, till battery died)

Full Gallery of Photos from the Show

“Professional” Reviews of the Strokes Show in NYC:
NY times review of the 3/1 show in NY
Earvolution review of the first NYC Show

33 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE STROKES

~from the pages of Blender ~


Posted on

Gung Hei Fat Choy – Year of the Dog

Last Sunday the Law and I went down to Chinatown for the New Year’s Day Firecracker Ceremony & Culture Festival on south Mott. This year we meandered around the side streets, trying to avoid any crowds on Canal ST and participated in the dragon shows, drumming and cheered with the firecrackers. You would think from the shots below that the umbrellas were out because of the confetti but no this year it was a wet dog celebration.

That’s right, this lunar year, is the Year of the Dog and like “man’s best friend”, Dogs are known for loyalty and generosity. However, according a Dragon friend, the year of the dog is an unlucky for those born in the year of the Dragon. They try to stay out of the stripclubs, poker rooms and lay low for the year.

I’m born in the Year of the Rabbit, which in Chinese culture typically means I’m articulate, talented, and ambitious. Rabbits are virtuous, reserved, and have excellent taste. We are admired, trusted, and are often financially lucky (oh I hope so!). Rabbits are fond of gossip but are tactful and generally kind. Rabbit people seldom lose their temper. We are clever at business and being conscientious, and never back out of a contract. And apparently we rabbits make good gamblers as we have the uncanny gift of choosing the right number, card, roll of the dice etc.. However, seldom do we actually use our fortune, and I’ve used the excuse before, that I’m too conservative and wise for it, so it must be true! For the most part this is true (but with any astrological reading you can find some truths).

Here’s a short clip of the celebration (Clip: NYC Lunar New Year 19 sec)

Click for rest of gallery

An interesting blog about Chinese New Year foods
Wikipedia on Chinese New Year

Now…. Lai See Dau Loi!

Posted on

Bridge n Tunnel crowd forced out of the city – TWU Strike

So I wrote a post about the potential strike of the NYC transit workers last week (Linked here) and after their pathetic attempt to bluff the system yesterday with a 2-line private bus strike in Queens, they finally pulled the plug on the NYC commute. The first transit strike in 25 years has commenced and a walk around NYC today feels like a stroll in my home town suburb of P-town.

The TWU’s strike, initiated as a counter move in negotiations for more money, is yet another reason American Unions are deflating the US economy and these days its all about greed. These no education-having fucks make more money than the average NYer (public defender, cop, firefighter, teacher, nurse, EMT, etc.) and still think they deserve more of the financial pie from an already corrupt MTA.

It’s quite ironic actually, that through their strike, NYers are forced not to work and spend their income in the city. Thus the TWU is helping reduce the amount of taxes incurred by the city to pay their own salaries. An 18% raise, retirement at 50 and MLK day designated as a holiday for their job of driving around in circles, getting NYers to work, so we can pay for their homes and 9 person families. Well what about my family! My bills! My house er uh Apt!

“Transit workers are tired of being under appreciated and disrespected.” – Roger Toussaint (President of the Transit Workers Union). I think I deserve a thank you first for riding the train Mr. Toussaint, before I even contemplate appreciating the job a 5th grade education can afford.

If you pick a silver lining out of this, at least the BnT are stuck outside Manhattan – its quite livable in the city this morning! But if you’re forced to walk to the island today, bundle up kids, its going to be a balmy 23 degrees today!

A side note, I heard the Red Cross was set up at all the bridges in Manhattan for those walking into work today, handing out free coffee to the refugees.

Strike halts New York transport {BBC News}
Gawker has some interesting updates, comedy and posts on the strike as well.