White Wedding - B.B. Kings 8/14/09 New York City

When it comes to performing Live Music in New York City there's probably about Five rooms that really matter and B.B. Kings is certainly one of them. Their Tech staff is always accommodating and a pleasure to work with making sure the band is comfortable with monitor levels and mic positioning.

The room is Beautiful and we pulled in quite the lively dancing and VERY UP 80s minded audience ready for some frolic and cavortment.

When the pressure is on Im very proud of all my band mates as I must say we did quite a good job keeping our crowd moving and screaming for more. I would Love to do it every week, fingers crossed.













Earlier that afternoon I had the pleasure of visiting my friends just one day old baby (HI Erin Rose) and finally getting to try out the Burger everyones been talking about. Five Guys Burger is right up there with the best Burgers Yet (Burger Joint,Jackson Hole,Big Nicks) very Fresh and a Double burger to boot, had mine with Bacon,Grilled Onions and A1 Steak Sauce. The Fries were Delicious and done to perfection, They serve them in a cup then dump a bunch more on top in a brown paper bag and I do mean A BUNCH.

I Laughed,I Cried And Then I Read The Book ll : Here,There And Everywhere

And what an entertaining and insightful read this book is. Geoff Emerick served as "balance engineer" for EMI studios and sat behind the mixing console for most of The Beatles (Yes The Greatest Band That Will Ever Be) recording career so we get insight into what went on in the control room as it happened. I admire Sir Paul McCartney even more after reading of his perfectionism and infectious drive during the recording sessions. Mr. Emerick writes in a friendly style and you get the impression that hes not bending any truths or fueling any myths he's simply stating the facts as they happened. The Beatles broke so much ground musically AND with the recording studio as a musical instrument, take "Tomorrow Never Knows" for example.

"The problem was that we only had one extra tape machine.Fortunately, There were plenty of other tape machines in the Abbey Road complex, all interconnected via wiring in the walls, and all the other studios just happened to be empty that afternoon. What followed next was a scene that could have come out of a science fiction move-Or a Monty Python sketch. Every tape machine in every studio was commandeered and every available EMI employee was given the task of holding a pencil or drinking glass to give the loops (tape loops) the proper tensioning, In many instances this meant they had to be standing out in the hallway, looking quite sheepish. Most of those people didnt have a clue what we were doing;they probably thought we were daft. they certainly weren't pop people, and they weren't that young either. Add in the fact that all of the technical staff were required to wear white lab coats, and the whole thing became totally surreal"

I cant add anything after that, If your a Beatles fan do yourself a favor and read the book.

Babysitter's Biscuit Birthday

HAPPY BIRTHDAY To Amber Our Flagship Doggie.

LONG MAY YOU WAG!!!

Fast Food Asian Nation - Burger King - The Angry Whopper

Fast Food is a guilty pleasure indeed if for nothing else why pay Diner prices for a substandard even more chemically enhanced Burger.

Burger King's Double Whopper with Cheese certainly hits the spot
as opposed to my experience with a Small Mac (Rule of thumb BK=Burgers McDees=Fries) but alas I forgot about this new BK Angry Burger which to my delight is also available as a Double and Triple.

"Double Me" I requested and was very pleased. To my palate this Burger is in No Ways Angry, perhaps a little miffed and somber or ruffled around the feathers but thats Americana taste buds for you. the conversation might go like this

Customer: What are you trying to do? My Mouth is On Fire!!!
BK associate: But sir, you ordered an Angry Burger.
Customer: Let Me speak to a Manager!!!

In all of BK's Burger wisdom and Kingly splendor we get a toned down Mild Jalapeno But, I'm not complaining. The Angry Is A Blast, Whats inside? Two Burger's,Lettuce,Tomato,Bacon,Pepper Jack Cheese,Jalapeno's,Angry Sauce (Its a mystery and I didnt peek) and Crispy Angry Onions (BKs version of Onion Stix) housed between Two Sesame Seed Buns.

Am I satisfied? Couldnt finish it.
Its What you crave, oh... waitaminnit....

Foods From A Box - Hamburger Helper - Sloppy Joe/Double Cheeseburger Macaroni

Sloppy Joe Hamburger Helper while decent is not nearly as good as the Cheeseburger Macaroni Flavor. Foolishly I grabbed my selection based on Noodle shape forgetting the all important Sauce selection, Powdered Tomato Sauce is nowhere near as good as Powdered Cheese Sauce.

I was wiser in my Beverage choice. Dr. Browns Black Cherry Soda is quite possibly the Greatest Soda in the world, In the least its the Greatest Black Cherry Soda in the world and deserves a Blog posting all its own. Im impressed with its Foam Depletion time as well.

ADDENDUMB Sundae 8/09/09



Had to have my Hamburger Helper Double Cheeseburger Macaroni and boy was it an improvement, pictured as well is a 1.5 Liter Coke, Its Stays Fresher. Its also the same price as 2 Liters of Coke, Someones getting Gypped.



Some Hamburger Helper I made in 2011, spooky time travel.

50th Posting - Amber

Dont hate me Because I'm Beautiful.
Are those Biscuits I smell?

Radegast Hall & Biergarten 8/02/09 Williamsburg,Brooklyn

Radegast Hall & Biergarten in Williamsburg has Great Atmosphere,Great Music (They played Grantchester Meadows fer chrissake),Good Service and Average Prices. I was looking forward to having a Burger with Mustard (pictured is German Mustard,Radegast Mustard and Horseradish) to accompany my Delicious Pints Only to receive a Hockey Puck sized Burger with Lettuce,Tomato and Flavorless Cheddar. There clearly is NO QUALITY CONTROL at the Brat & Burger counter as my friends Burger (also done medium) actually was bigger than the Bun as opposed to my sad ass miniscule meatball ($13 Meatball mind you), However this wasnt brought to my attention until after we were done eating otherwise Chef Jerkface would have gotten a piece of my mind. The Beer was Delicious though.

White Wedding - Rembrandt's Bar & Grill 8/01/09 Hicksville,Long Island

We had a nice crowd at Rembrandt's Bar and Grill singing along and dancing to their favorites (Who knew there were so many Prince fans in Hicksville?) Thanks to the Coors girls for the illuminated Translucent Coors Light Flip Flop pendant and to the pub owner for telling me "You don't LOOK like your in the band" slyly





Before my nearly disastrous commute I stopped off at Gyro ll (where the heck is Gyro One anyways?) to pick up an overpriced average Gyro with the works. Take my advice you get the same flavor and value for cheaper at the Halal carts scattered all about the city. Props to Gyro ll for remaining a mainstay in this city's ever changing architecture, No Offense Intended.

White Wedding - Rebel NYC 7/30/09 New York City

"Thats Not a Moon, Thats a Space Station"
Rebel is also home to West 30th street's only sedentary Disco Ball.



Rebel has a very adequate sound system and tasty lighting rig. Whomever was doing the lighting knew the tunes and Lit accordingly. Thanks very much, I enjoyed my own Private Planetarium/Gigging Biscuit Experience.



Weeknight,Quick Gig,Ate at Home.

Triscuits,Cracker Barrel Aged Reserve White Cheddar and a 20 ounce Coke with a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup for afters.

SO GOOD IT'S ALMOST FOOD!!!

Silver Star Restaurant Lunch Special - 7/25/09 Brooklyn, New York

Silver Star Chinese Restaurant a mainstay of my misspent youth.



We Have Golden Arch for You.



Heres where the fun starts. Proper Wonton Soup (Wonton Broth NOT Chicken Broth,Bok Choy {thanks Joe} NOT Diced Scallions,Pork Medallions and Plump Wontons) flanked by House Mustard,House Duck Sauce and Crispy Noodles.



And the Toppermost of the Poppermost, Roast Pork Chow Mein a la 70s style, the Vegetables should be undiscernable and resemble a gooey substance, hued mucous green (Bet that makes your mouth water) with a velvety consistency. This style of Chow Mein has all but dissappeared from Brooklyn chinese dining (modern style has clearly discernable Veggies) and was a pleasant surprise as even Silver Star went the common modern Chow Mein route years ago but thankfully have reconsidered such foolishness, Guess I'm not the only Foodie out there that prefers the Dessicated style. Thanks for the Meal Frank. 6221 18th avenue while you still can.

Long Live Brooklyn 1970s Chow Mein. Like KISS, QUEEN and JUDAS PRIEST, It Dont Get No Heavier.

Prized Possessions - QUEEN Autographs

From Myspace Blog 1/26/08 and hastily composed too.

MEETING QUEEN IN 1982 -

Yes, i will never forget meeting QUEEN. they were in town for 3 nights at Madison Square Garden on the "Hot Space" tour. Roger was on a local news program "Live at five" the day before and the reporter mentioned the in-store at Crazy Eddies.
I was one of the first people down there (around 10 a.m.) and hours later QUEEN arrived and got out of their cream coloured limo to much applause from us.
Brian raised his fist in the air to show approval. Very Cool to my 16 year old mind (actually still cool)

As we made our way to the room upstairs (complete with video monitors,TVs in those days playing "Queen's Greatest Flix") the staff informed us that we were only allowed one autograph per person!!! WHAT TO DO?
Brian is my favorite but even then I knew Freddie would be the toughest one to get a signature from in the grand scheme of things.

I placed my plain piece of copy paper in front of Freddie and he signed it (I didnt say anything, I was very shy and a bit starstruck). Next John asks me very nicely "would you like me to sign this?" I probably nodded yes and he did. On to Roger (who wound up being very cool) and by this time I got some courage up. I mumbled "I saw you on live at five yesterday" to which Roger replied "sorry" he didnt quite catch what I was saying and to a New Yorker's ears "sorry" was quite exotic and British compared to the typical "excuse me". I repeated myself and Rog told me "I was bloody tired" (mind you he said it very good naturedly). Finally on to Brian to whom I mumbled "Your my favorite guitar player" But alas he didnt hear me (also how many times has he heard that!!!) and I went on my way totally satisfied that I got all four signatures and met the band.

I distinctly remember having one last look back at the band sitting there and thinking "WOW Its QUEEN"

I did take some photos that day but lost them years ago. Im sure they will turn up some day,one day.

White Wedding - Dive Bar/Althea's Birthday Bash - 7/18/09 New York City

Having a receptive and actively mobile (spelled Dancing) audience is infectious to any gigging band and thats precisely what we got at the Dive Bar for Althea's birthday celebration pleasing us and enhancing our own playing abilities as individuals and a unit, I cant see much from my vantage point but boy did I hear it. Always a pleasure to perform for an energetic crowd.



After the gig I sampled some Delicious Chicken Fingers, they were Chickeny and they were Fingery
nice Honey Mustard Sauce too. Thanks Taylor for being a lovely and attentive host.

Studio Square Beer Garden - Sangria in the Summertime 7/12/09 Queens,New York

Some folks like a nice cold Beer and some folks like a nice cold Soda yet others like a nice cold Sangria during the summer months (or for that matter all year round) pictured above is a Sangria pitcher from Beer Garden in Queens but you can also make this refreshing concoction to enjoy in the privacy of your own bungalow. there are no rules to what you can add to the mix,heres my humble yet potent recipe. Thanks Joe

Cabernet Sauvignon Wine
Triple Sec (to taste)
Sliced Orange,Lemon and Lime
Diced Apple

Let stand overnight.

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Annex - 7/5/09 New York City

New Yorks' Rock and Roll hall of fame annex in trendy Soho while smaller than Cleveland's large display area still retains the diversity and respect the music deserves. You are led from an atmospheric and cutely entertaining holding area to view an excellent film encapsulating the history of modern music (concert lighting accentuates the video images) and then to an "In Headphones" touring experience (raised my volume level to 11 and they were thankfully LOUD enough) culminating to the main exhibit hall. I was fortunate enough to see the John Lennon exhibit which like Cleveland's Springsteen exhibit was very tastefully executed.





What's up with the baggy jeans Fatso?



I went with a couple of friends to pay one last visit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Annex on the very last day of operations (1/3/10) and decided to attempt to snap a pic(k) of Beck-O's Stratocaster of which I was successful. Sad to see you guys go but thanks for the ride just the same.

Salchipapas - Planet Chicken Dunellen,New Jersey 7/3/09

(L to R) Fried Potatoes, Fried Hot Dogs, Salad a la papas flanked by flavorful dipping sauces. And no thats not cheese on the lettuce (DAMMITT!!!) its shredded Carrots.

Prices have increased but still worth the five bucks admission fee.

White Wedding - Adventureland Amusement Park 7/4/09 Long Island,New York

Not only did we get a chance to perform for an all ages family crowd on the Fourth of July but were also asked to supply ourselves for our very first "meet and greet" and special thanks to the four patrons who did. It was a pleasure performing at Adventureland in the shade of the rollercoaster and adding to the already festive atmosphere with some Rockin' 80s Tunes.

Thanks for taking care of us Sonny.



Pre-gig I just had to have a Cheeseburger from Roy Rogers (It must be 20 years since now) and boy was that a disappointment, Average fries and the smallest $8.55 Burger I have yet to see, I had mine with Horseradish which was kinda spicytastycoolioroni though. However, with such a paltry Burger weight next time make mine a Quadruple.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - 6/24/09 Cleveland,Ohio

A trip to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum comes very highly reccomended to anyone who is musically minded. I hold my own reservations about the organization itself considering that such groundbreaking and influential artists (CAN,Alice Cooper,T. Rex,Electric Light Orchestra,Rush,KISS) will probably never receive an induction but once you are actually viewing the exhibits the realization comes through that this is a museum dedicated to Rock Music and that cant be bad at all.

Very tastefully done with respect paid to all genres across the board, Next Stop the New York annex.

White Wedding - DJ Riders 6/13/09 Long Island,New York

Aside from the drummer starting the opening cadence and for that matter the whole first verse of "Walking on Sunshine" with a completely alien drum pattern in the wrong time signature it was bizness as usual for the newly christened White Wedding (formerly of and was the Airwaves) However my Horrific commute was a different matter altogether.



Puppet show, Spinal Tap

Special thanks to Darcy for being a considerate sound technician and very professional Indeed.

The Joe Franklin's - 6/6/09 Three Jolly Pigeons, Brooklyn NYC

A Great time was had by all (especially Chris) at this classic old school Irish pub as the Joe Franklin's, Box of Crayons and Baby Daddy graced the corner (pronounced stage) by the Dr. Who T.A.R.D.I.S. restroom and peeled off tune after tune pleasing the crowd and getting a drunk girl so crazed with wild abandonment resulting in her ejection from the premises.

Thanks to Baby Daddy and Box of Crayons for inviting us and holding these shindigs from time to time. Cant wait for the next one.

Star Trek For The Next Generation.

FIVE STARS, A WONDERFUL ACCOMPLISHMENT.

Insanity In Food:Chicken Chow Mein Sandwich

AS served up at the ORIGINAL NATHAN'S FLAGSHIP/STRONGHOLD EATERY STAND RIGHT OFF THE BOARDWALK.
(Established 1916) CONEY ISLAND,BROOKLYN NYC. (Bragging,.... yes)

Classic "Gooey" style 1950's American Chow Mein.
Topped with 1950's style American Crispy Noodles.
ON A SESAME SEED BUN.
Dreadful!!!
Yet Tons of Fun.

Needs some Soy Sauce in my humble opinion,
I drink the stuff meself though.
mmmmm, salty

From The Airwaves:Virgin Megastore 5/7/09

It was a Fabulous 80s Drenched evening performing at the "Last Instore/Virgin Union Square" and for me especially twas' a very moving ('ceptin my less than kinetic right hand which was in fear of dropping the stick for the first half of the show but thats nitpicking innitt?) and fitting showcase playing in the cafe of my Beloved, Long Standing place of employment the Now waning and Very Soon to be Defunct CD shoppe and DVD space Virgin Megastore.

A Truly Festival atmosphere accompanied us as the Virgin staff all played our little Rock and Roll hearts out to a receptive crowd of employees,wander inners and neighborhood folk (not to mention someone dressed as a space alien) mourning the passing of the Megastore and the ushering in of yet more clothing stores very possibly, or frightful the thought.
A Mega Nasal Inhaler Emporium!!!
(no offense to decongestant users please)

A Success? Indeed.

A fitting Instore to end music retail as we currently know it.

Music Is From The Heart,
Give The Gift Of Music.
and most of all
ROCK IT OUT!!!

The Virgin Megastore Is Dead, Long Live the Virgin Megastore.

The Last Instore