Ken's Blog

Is ITC Studio Script the new Tekton?

2010-10-27T17:16:00.009-05:00

I wanted to know which font was used on this hipster East Village coffee shop sign.. Then I stopped by McDonald's for a 3-piece Chicken Selects.. Is it just me, or is ITC Studio Script (designed by Robert Evans in 1991) making a HUGE comeback?

Ira Schnapp, Master Letterer

2009-10-01T14:44:00.007-05:00

Last week I went to the Type Director's Club to hear Arlen Schumer speak about the history of Comic Book fonts.. He spoke at length about an unknown designer and letterer named Ira Schnapp, who not only designed and refined the logos for Superman, Action Comics and the Comics Code, but ALSO hand-chiseled the letters on the New York Public Library.. You know, the ones that say "NEITHER SNOW NOR RAIN NOR HEAT NOR GLOOM OF NIGHT STAYS THESE COURIERS FROM THE SWIFT COMPLETION OF THEIR APPOINTED ROUNDS." Correct.. Same guy.. Ira Schnapp.. How cool is that?

You can read more about Ira Schnapp here www.dialbforblog.com/archives/372

Check out Arlen's work here www.arlenschumer.com

Conversation Stoppers, Village Voice 1980-86

2009-07-10T16:26:00.043-05:00

Found these comic strips in an old file drawer.. They were printed in the corner of the Village Voice every week from 1980-1986.. Cracked me up every time...
Check out the complete collection
PS I Googled the writers a few times, but came up emptyhanded.. Anyone have any information on the authors of these brillant gems?..

Max Rosenstock, aka "Max the Strongman".. My Great Uncle!

2009-04-09T15:06:00.005-05:00

When I was growing up, my grandfather Al Rosenstock, would tell me stories of his Uncle Mendel Rosenstock, a famous strongman in the circus, who could pull airplanes together with his bare hands.. For the last 35 years, I never knew if these stories were made up, or highly exaggerated.. I recently reconnected with my grandfather's sister, my Great Aunt Martha, who told me that Uncle Mendel DEFINITELY existed, and went by the name of Max the Shtarker, or Max the Strongman. I Googled Max Rosenstock and this is what I found.. it's a photo from 1928.. This is my Great Great Uncle.. He's also my sister Great Great Uncle and my son and niece's Great Great Great Uncle...

I Love Futura!

2009-01-21T18:23:00.004-05:00

I Love Futura! Especially Futura in all caps. I Like To Use Futura Extra Bold with Futura Light, Futura Book, or sometimes, even Futura Book Italic! Or Futura Extra Bold Condensed as headline type. I use Futura Condensend if I have to fit a lot of letters into a small space. If I really have fit a lot of letters in a small space, I use Futura Condensend in upper and lower case. Thank you Futura. I love you!

11:00-11:30 HONEYMOONERS - Comedy (BW)

2008-03-03T20:39:00.012-05:00

"The Honeymooners (Classic 39)" was, is, and always will be The Greatest TV Comedy of All Time. I became a Honeymooners fan around age 10. By 14, I was racing to the magazine store to pick up the TV Guide, to see which 7 of the Classic 39 they would be showing at 11pm every night for the next week.. I even attended the R.A.L.P.H. Convention (The Royal Association for the Longevity and Preservation of the Honeymooners) at C.W. Post on 3/10/84... I think Rita Weidermeier was at that one, but that's another story... When I was growing up, I always loved the way TV Guide would describe these hilariously funny shows with as few words as possible. I started collecting these descriptions until I had a complete set of 39, which I will now share with you.. Can anyone relate to any of this or does someone think someone has way too much time on their hands?... Anyway, it's time to present to you.. The TV Guide Descriptions of The Honeymooners Classic 39 (not to be confused with the Lost Episodes which suck)..

1. Alice and Trixie go to the Racoons' convention.
2. A peek at the future spells trouble for Ralph.
3. Ralph's business trip is anything but restful, with sleepwalker Norton taking his nightly strolls.
4. Ralph gets into a tangle with a wiseacre.
5. Stagestruck Ralph appears in an amateur production.
6 "The Golfer" is Ralph. His teacher: Norton.
7. Ralph and Norton purchase a TV set.
8. Never put it in writing - or on tape - Ralph learns when he records an apology to Alice.
9. Ralph glides into trouble at the roller-skating rink.
10. Ralph tries to accept the fact that he's not a born executive.
11. A dance teacher moves into Ralph's building.
12. It's aches and pains for Ralph as he struggles to get in shape for the bus-company physical.
13. The Kramden's building has a new janitor: Ralph.
14. Ralph and Norton appear on a TV show.
15. Ralph and Norton go into business.
16. Ralph is torn between fear and civic duty when he witnesses a bank robbery.
17. Temptation beckons when Ralph finds a suitcase filled with money.
18. Ralph and Norton masquerade as men from outer space.
19. Answer-man Ralph becomes a contestant on a quiz show.
20. Dial T for trouble: Ralph overhears a phone conversation.
21. Alice takes an office job.
22. Alice tries to surprise Ralph by redecorating the apartment.
23. The Christmas spirit takes a beating when the Nortons join the Kramdens for the holidays.
24. It's the doghouse for Ralph when Alice gets a puppy.
25. Ralph tries to reaffirm his position as head of the house.
26. The Kramdens and the Norton's visit a bus-comapny executive.
27. Ralph cues his boss in on pool.
28. Ralph refuses to pay a rent increase
29. The honeymoon is almost over before it begins when Ralph gives advice to a prospective bridegroom.
30. Ralph enters politics.
31. Ralph thinks he is to be named Raccoon of the Year.
32. The "Young Man with a Horn" is Ralph, who found an old cornet.
33. Accidents will happen, especially to Ralph - who's about to receive a safety award.
34. Norton tries to win a promotion.
35. Ralph exaggerates his importance at the bus company.
36. Ralph's in a dither: his mother-in-law is coming.
37. Togetherness is the password as Alice and Trixie try to share their husbands interests.
38. Ralph's worried: the internal revenue service has sent him a summons.
39. A misadventure strains Ralph and Norton's friendship.

Grateful Dead Shows

2007-08-31T19:49:00.000-05:00

Here's a list of every Grateful Dead show I've been to. (I'm missing 4 because I know I've seen 170, I'll have to check the ticket stubs...) I'm not including the Hershey Park Show from 1985 because Steve Paschall, Blake Gerard and I got to the show really late (Drums/Space) and hung out in the parking lot because we couldn't get a ticket.

1. 5/9/79 Broome County Arena, Binghamton, NY
2. 5/16/81 Barton Hall, Cornell Univ, Ithaca, NY
3. 4/2/83 Broome County Arena Binghamton, NY
4. 6/16/83 Performing Arts Center, Saratoga, NY
5. 10/11/83 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
6. 10/12/83 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
7. 10/15/83 Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT
8. 10/22/83 Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY
9. 4/19/84 Civic Center, Philadelphia, PA
10. 4/20/84 Civic Center, Philadelphia, PA
11. 4/21/84 Civic Center, Philadelphia, PA
12. 4/23/84 New Haven Coliseum, New Haven, CT
13. 4/24/84 New Haven Coliseum, New Haven, CT
14. 4/29/84 Nassau Colliseum, Uniondale, NY
15. 4/30/84 Nassau Colliseum, Uniondale, NY
16. 6/24/84 Performing Arts Center, Saratoga, NY
17. 10/17/84 Brendan Byrne Arena, E.Rutherford, NJ
18. 10/18/84 Brendan Byrne Arena, E.Rutherford, NJ
19. 10/20/84 Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY
20. 3/27/85 Nassau Colliseum, Uniondale, NY
21. 3/28/85 Nassau Colliseum, Uniondale, NY
22. 3/29/85 Nassau Colliseum, Uniondale, NY
23. 4/6/85 The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
24. 11/10/85 Brendan Byrne Arena, E.Rutherford, NJ
25. 11/11/85 Brendan Byrne Arena, E.Rutherford, NJ
26. 12/30/85 Oakland Coliseum Arena, Oakland, CA
27. 12/31/85 Oakland Colliseum Arena, Oakland, CA
28. 4/4/86 Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT
29. 3/22/87 Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA
30. 3/23/87 Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA
31. 3/24/87 Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA
32. 3/27/87 Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT
33. 3/30/87 The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
34. 4/6/87 Brendan Byrne Arena, E.Rutherford, NJ
35. 4/7/87 Brendan Byrne Arena, E. Rutherford, NJ
36. 4/9/87 UIC Pavilion, Chicago, IL
37. 4/10/87 UIC Pavilion, Chicago, IL
38. 4/11/87 UIC Pavilion, Chicago, IL
39. 7/4/87 Sullivan Stadium, Foxboro, MA
40. 7/12/87 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
41. 9/12/87 Capital Centre, Landover, MD
42. 9/15/87 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
43. 9/16/87 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
44. 9/18/87 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
45. 9/19/87 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
46. 9/20/87 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
47. 12/27/87 Oakland Coliseum Arena, Oakland, CA
48. 12/28/87 Oakland Coliseum Arena, Oakland, CA
49. 12/30/87 Oakland Coliseum Arena, Oakland, CA
50. 12/31/87 Oakland Coliseum Arena, Oakland, CA
51. 3/30/88 Brendan Byrne Arena, E.Rutherford, NJ
52. 3/31/88 Brendan Byrne Arena, E.Rutherford, NJ
53. 4/1/88 Brendan Byrne Arena, E.Rutherford, NJ
54. 4/3/88 Civic Center, Hartford, CT
55. 4/7/88 The Centrum, Worcester, MA
56. 4/8/88 The Centrum, Worcester, MA
57. 4/9/88 The Centrum, Worcester, MA
58. 6/28/88 Performing Arts Center, Saratoga, NY
59. 7/2/88 Oxford Speedway, Oxford, ME
60. 7/3/88 Oxford Speedway, Oxford, ME
61. 9/14/88 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
62. 9/15/88 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
63. 9/16/88 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
64. 9/18/88 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
65. 9/19/88 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
66. 9/20/88 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
67. 9/22/88 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
68. 9/23/88 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
69. 9/24/88 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
70. 3/30/89 Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC
71. 3/31/89 Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC
72. 7/7/89 JFK Stadium, Philadelphia, PA
73. 7/9/89 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
74. 7/10/89 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
75. 10/11/89 Brendan Byrne Arena, E.Rutherford, NJ
76. 10/12/89 Brendan Byrne Arena, E.Rutherford, NJ
77. 10/14/89 Brendan Byrne Arena, E.Rutherford, NJ
78. 10/15/89 Brendan Byrne Arena, E.Rutherford, NJ
79. 10/16/89 Brendan Byrne Arena, E.Rutherford, NJ
80. 10/20/89 The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
81. 3/18/90 Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT
82. 3/19/90 Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT
83. 3/24/90 Knickerbocker Arena, Albany, NY
84. 3/25/90 Knickerbocker Arena, Albany, NY
85. 3/26/90 Knickerbocker Arena, Albany, NY
86. 3/28/90 Nassau Colliseum, Uniondale, NY
87. 3/29/90 Nassau Colliseum, Uniondale, NY
88. 3/30/90 Nassau Colliseum, Uniondale, NY
89. 7/4/90 Foxboro Stadium, Foxboro, MA
90. 9/14/90 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
91. 9/15/90 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, N
92. 9/16/90 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
93. 9/18/90 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
94. 9/19/90 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
95. 9/20/90 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
96. 10/13/90 Istadium, Stockholm, Sweden
97. 10/17/90 Grugga Halle, Essen, Germany
98. 10/19/90 ICC, Berlin, Germany
99. 10/20/90 ICC, Berlin, Germany
100. 10/22/90 Fest Halle, Frankfurt, Germany
101. 10/24/90 Sports Halle, Hamburg, Germany
102. 10/27/90 Le Zenith, Paris, France
103. 10/28/90 Le Zenith, Paris, France
104. 10/30/90 Wembley Arena, London, England
105. 10/31/90 Wembley Arena, London, England
106. 11/1/90 Wembley Arena, London, England
107. 3/23/91 Knickerbocker Arena, Albany, NY
108. 3/24/91 Knickerbocker Arena, Albany, NY
109. 3/25/91 Knickerbocker Arena, Albany, NY
110. 3/27/91 Nassau Colliseum, Uniondale, NY
111. 3/28/91 Nassau Colliseum, Uniondale, NY
112. 3/29/91 Nassau Colliseum, Uniondale, NY
113. 6/16/91 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
114. 6/17/91 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
115. 9/8/91 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
116. 9/9/91 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
117. 9/10/91 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
118. 9/12/91 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
119. 9/13/91 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
120. 9/14/91 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
121. 9/16/91 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
122. 9/17/91 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
123. 9/18/91 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
124. 3/11/92 Nassau Colliseum, Uniondale, NY
125. 3/12/92 Nassau Colliseum, Uniondale, NY
126. 3/13/92 Nassau Colliseum, Uniondale, NY
127. 3/16/92 The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
128. 3/17/92 The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
129. 3/18/92 The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
130. 6/11/92 Knickerbocker Arena, Albany, NY
131. 6/12/92 Knickerbocker Arena, Albany, NY
132. 6/14/92 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
133. 6/15/92 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
134. 6/20/92 RFK Stadium, Washington, DC
135. 3/27/93 Knickerbocker Arena, Albany, NY
136. 3/28/93 Knickerbocker Arena, Albany, NY
137. 3/29/93 Knickerbocker Arena, Albany, NY
138. 3/31/93 Nassau Colliseum, Uniondale, NY
139. 4/1/93 Nassau Colliseum, Uniondale, NY
140. 4/2/93 Nassau Colliseum, Uniondale, NY
141. 4/4/93 Nassau Colliseum, Uniondale, NY
142. 4/5/93 Nassau Colliseum, Uniondale, NY
143. 6/5/93 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
144. 6/6/93 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
145. 9/16/93 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
146. 9/17/93 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
147. 9/18/93 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
148. 9/20/93 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
149. 9/21/93 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
150. 9/22/93 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
151. 3/23/94 Nassau Colliseum, Uniondale, NY
152. 3/25/94 Nassau Colliseum, Uniondale, NY
153. 3/27/94 Nassau Colliseum, Uniondale, NY
154. 3/28/94 Nassau Colliseum, Uniondale, NY
155. 8/3/94 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
156. 8/4/94 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
157. 10/13/94 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
158. 10/14/94 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
159. 10/15/94 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
160. 10/17/94 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
161. 10/18/94 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
162. 10/19/94 Madison Sq. Garden, New York, NY
163. 6/18/95 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
164. 6/19/95 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
165. 6/21/95 Knickerbocker Arena, Albany, NY
166. 6/22/95 Knickerbocker Arena, Albany, NY

The Wiggles • Continental Arena, Meadowlands, NJ 7/29/07

2007-08-14T14:20:00.000-05:00

A good friend of mine once said "The Wiggles ceased to exist once Greg Page left the group. Now it's more of a Jefferson Starship without Kaukonen and Casady, or a Van Halen without David Lee Roth. Sam Moran is nothing more than Sammy Hagar in a yellow t-shirt. " While it's true some consider Sam Moran a "Poor Man's Greg" (even harping on his "weight problem" which scared some kids on the latest tour), lets not forget the 150 times he valiantly stood in as Greg's understudy, before taking over the ownership of the coveted yellow skivvies...

Here's the setlist of the Meadowlands show...
Here Come The Wiggles
Rock-a-Bye Your Bear
Joanie
Look Both Ways
Eensy Weensy Spider
Here Comes A Bear
Captain Feathersword Ring a Ding Ding
Getting Strong (Running on the Spot?)
Hey Hey Hey, We're All Pirate Dancing
Ooh It's Captain Feathersword
Romp Bomp A Stomp
We're Dancing with Wags the Dog
Move Your Arms Like Henry
Mary Had a Little Lamb
Stairway To Heaven Riff (hilarious, to keep the adults awake)
Play Your Guitar Like Murray
Robin Red Breast/English Country Garden
Ring a Round the Rosie
Can You Point Your Finger And Do The Twist?
Teddybear's Big Day Out
Fruit Salad
Balleirina, Ballerina
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Captain Feathersword Fell Asleep on his Pirate Ship (Quack Quack)
Hot Potato
Toot Toot Chugga Chugga Big Red Car

My Phish Shows

2007-05-18T15:34:00.002-05:00

1. 12/28/90 The Marquee New York, NY
2. 2/16/91 The Marquee New York, NY
3. 4/27/91 Capitol Theater Port Chester, NY
4. 7/15/91 The Academy New York, NY
5. 3/14/92 Roseland Ballroom New York, NY
6. 7/12/92 Jones Beach Music Theater Wantagh, NY
7. 11/27/92 Capitol Theater Port Chester, NY
8. 11/28/92 Capitol Theater Port Chester, NY
9. 2/5/93 Roseland Ballroom New York, NY
10. 2/6/93 Roseland Ballroom New York, NY
11. 5/3/93 State Theatre New Brunswick, NJ
12. 5/5/93 Palace Theater Albany, NY
13. 7/23/93 Jones Beach Music Theater Wantagh, NY
14. 12/29/93 New Haven Vet. Mem. Col. New Haven, CT
15. 4/13/94 The Beacon Theater New York, NY
16. 4/14/94 The Beacon Theater New York, NY
17. 4/15/94 The Beacon Theater New Yorky, NY
18. 7/1/94 Mann Music Center Philadelphia, PA
19. 7/13/94 Big Birch Patterson, NY
20. 7/15/94 Jones Beach Music Theater Wantagh, NY
21. 10/7/94 Stabler Arena, Lehigh Univ. Bethlehem, PA
22. 12/28/94 Philadelphia Civic Center Philadelphia, PA
23. 12/30/94 Madison Square Garden New York, NY
24. 12/31/94 Boston Garden Boston, MA
25. 6/28/95 Jones Beach Music Theater Wantaugh, NY
26. 6/29/95 Jones Beach Music Theater, Wantaugh, NY
27. 12/2/95 New Haven Coliseum New Haven, CT
28. 12/30/95 Madison Square Garden New York, NY
29. 12/31/95 Madison Square Garden New York, NY
30. 4/26/96 Fairgrounds New Orleans, LA
31. 7/11/96 Shepherds Bush Empire London, England
32. 7/12/96 The Melkweg Amsterdam, Netherlands
33. 7/15/96 La Marna Sesto Calende, Italy
34. 7/18/96 Theatre de Verdure Nice, France
35. 7/19/96 Les Arenes Arles, France
36. 7/21/96 The Forum Nurnberg, Germany
37. 7/23/96 Markthalle, Hamburg, Germany
38. 10/21/96 Madison Square Garden New York, NY
39. 10/22/96 Madison Square Garden New York, NY
40. 12/28/96 Spectrum Philadelphia, PA
41. 12/29/96 Spectrum Philadelphia, PA
42. 6/13/97 The S.F.X. Centre Dublin, Ireland
43. 6/14/97 The S.F.X Centre Dublin, Ireland
44. 6/16/97 Royal Albert Hall London, England
45. 6/19/97 Arena Vienna, Austria
46. 6/20/97 Archa Theatre Prague, Czech Republic
47. 6/24/97 La Laiterie Strasbourg, France
48. 6/25/97 L’Aeronef Lille, France
49. 11/26/97 Hartford Civic Center Hartford, CT
50. 12/2/97 The Corestates Spectrum Philadelphia, PA
51. 12/3/97 The Corestates Spectrum Philadelphia, PA
52. 12/12/97 Pepsi Arena Albany, NY
53. 12/13/97 Pepsi Arena Albany, NY
54. 12/29/97 Madison Square Garden New York, NY
55. 12/30/97 Madison Square Garden New York, NY
56. 12/31/97 Madison Square Garden New York, NY
57. 4/2/98 Nassau Colliseum Uniondale, NY
58. 4/3/98 Nassau Colliseum Uniondale, NY
59. 4/4/98 Providence Civic Center Providence, RI
60. 4/5/98 Providence Civic Center Providence, RI
61. 6/30/98 The Grey Hall, Chistiana Copenhagen, Denmark
62. 7/1/98 The Grey Hall, Chistiana Copenhagen, Denmark
63. 7/2/98 The Grey Hall, Chistiana Copenhagen, Denmark
64. 7/5/98 Lucerna Theatre Prague, Czech Republic
65. 7/6/98 Lucerna Theatre Prague, Czech Republic
66. 7/8/98 Zeleste Barcelona, Spain
67. 7/9/98 Zeleste Barcelona, Spain
68. 7/10/98 Zeleste Barcelona, Spain
69. 10/28/98 Sony Music Studio New York, NY
70. 10/30/98 Thomas and Mack Center Las Vegas, NV
71. 10/31/98 Thomas and Mack Center Las Vegas, NV
72. 11/24/98 New Haven Coliseum New Haven, CT
73. 11/27/98 The Centrum Worcester, MA
74. 11/28/98 The Centrum Worcester, MA
75. 11/29/98 The Centrum Worcester, MA
76. 12/28/98 Madison Square Garden New York, NY
77. 12/29/98 Madison Square Garden New York, NY
78. 12/30/98 Madison Square Garden New York, NY
79. 12/31/98 Madison Square Garden New York, NY
80. 7/8/99 Virginia Beach Amptheatre Virginia Beach, VA
81. 7/9/99 Merriweather Post Pavilion Columbia, MD
82. 7/10/99 E Centre, Camden, NJ
83. 7/15/99 PNC Bank Arts Center Holmdel, NJ
84. 7/16/99 PNC Bank Arts Center Holmdel, NJ
85. 9/26/99 Lakefront Arena New Orleans, LA
86. 9/29/99 Pyramid Arena Memphis, TN
87. 10/7/99 Nassau Coliseum Uniondale, NY
88. 10/8/99 Nassau Coliseum Uniondale, NY
89. 10/9/99 Pepsi Arena Albany, NY
90. 10/10/99 Pepsi Arena Albany, NY
91. 12/10/99 First Union Spectrum Philadelphia, PA
92. 12/11/99 First Union Spectrum Philadelphia, PA
93. 5/21/00 Radio City Music Hall New York, NY
94. 5/22/00 Radio City Music Hall New York, NY
95. 6/28/00 PNC Bank Art Center Holmdel, NJ
96. 6/29/00 PNC Bank Art Center Holmdel, NJ
97. 7/1/00 Meadows Music Theatre Hartford CT
98. 12/31/02 Madison Square Garden New York, NY
99. 2/24/03 Continental Arena East Rutherford, NJ
100. 2/28/03 Nassau Coliseum Uniondale, NY
101. 7/30/03 Tweeter Center Camden, NJ
102. 11/28/03 Nassau Coliseum Uniondale, NY
103. 11/29/03 Spectrum Philadelphia, PA
104. 6/17/04 Keyspan Brooklyn, NY
105. 6/18/04 Keyspan Brooklyn, NY
106. 6/21/04 Ed Sullivan Theatre New York, NY
107. 8/10/04 Tweeter Center Camden, NJ
108. 8/12/04 Coventry Coventry, VT
109. 8/13/04 Coventry Coventry, VT
110. 5/31/09 Fenway Park Boston, MA
111. 6/2/09 Jones Beach Wantagh, NY
112. 6/4/09 Jones Beach Wantagh, NY
113. 6/5/09 Jones Beach Wantagh, NY
114. 11/24/09 Wachovia Center Philadelphia, PA
115. 11/25/09 Wachovia Center Philadelphia, PA
116. 11/28/09 Times Union Center Albany, NY
117. 11/29/09 Times Union Center Albany, NY
118. 12/2/09 Madison Square Garden New York, NY
119. 12/3/09 Madison Square Garden New York, NY
120. 12/4/09 Madison Square Garden New York, NY
121. 6/13/10 Hersheypark Stadium Hershey, PA
122. 6/26/10 Merriweather Post Pavillion Columbia, MD
123. 6/27/10 Merriweather Post Pavillion Columbia, MD
124. 8/17/10 Jones Beach, Wantagh NY
125. 8/18/10 Jones Beach, Wantagh NY
126. 12/30/10 Madison Square Garden New York, NY
127. 12/31/10 Madison Square Garden New York, NY
128. 1/1/11 Madison Square Garden New York, NY
129. 5/27/11 Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, Bethel, NY
130. 5/28/11 Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, Bethel, NY
131. 5/29/11 Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, Bethel, NY

What I'm listening to on my Ipod...

2007-05-02T15:27:00.000-05:00

"PHISH, MILWAUKEE 5/1/92" Early live show of beloved hippy jam band. "SARAVAH for CAFE APRE MIDI" V/A. French and Brazilian Ultra-Cool Hipster Lounge Collection. "CALIFORNIA COOL" V/A. West Coast Beatnik 50's Hepcat Jazz. "DUKE REID'S TREASURE CHEST" V/A. Early Jamaican Rock Steady '64-'66. "EASY LISTENING STORY VOL. 1" V/A Cheesy Instrumentals and Space Age Bachelor Pad Music from the 50's and 60's. "ESPRESSO ESPRESSO" V/A. Swingin' 60's Bossa Nova/Pop/Lounge. "EXCLUSIVELY TALENT" THE OPTIGONALLY YOURS Harmonic Electronica with a twist of irony. "FANTASMA" CORNELIUS The Modern Master of Japanese Loungecore. "HAMPTON COMES ALIVE, DISK 3" PHISH Need I say more? OK, I miss those guys. "IF DEEJAY WAS YOUR TRADE" V/A. Vintage killer Dub/DJ mixes from the early and late 70's ."LET'S FLIP" THE MICROSCOPIC SEPTET Eclectic jazz group who ruled the downtown scene in the 80's. "ROOTS & RIGHTS" V/A. Radical Roots Rock with Positive Dub Vibrations. "SUSHI 2003" V/A. Japanese Lounge does not get any better than this. "TAKE THE Z TRAIN" THE MICROSCOPIC SEPTET Like Raymond Scott, only better. "TECHNIQUES CLASSICS" Easy Skankin' Lover's Rock with Copasetic Vocal Harmonies. "TERMINATION DUB" V/A. Dub it up, blacker than dread. Irie. "THE NUTLEY BRASS PLAY THE BEST OF SHIMMY DISK" Quirky big band renditions of hits from this NJ indie label. "U ROY & FRIENDS" V/A. Early 70's DJ toasting along 60's Jamaican pop gems. "VERSION GALORE" V/A. Toasting, Skanking, Rub-a-Dub, Rhythm come forward. Ya mon. "WACKY SAMPLER" V/A Roots Rock Reggae, Emperor Haile Sallassie, I and I… Rastaman!

"The Incident" (1967)

2007-04-06T15:12:00.000-05:00

Has anyone ever heard of this flick? I stumbled upon it at The Transit Museum in Brooklyn in this cool room full of subway-related movie posters. It's about a couple of street toughs (Martin Sheen, Tony Mussante, his 1st role) who terrorize the passengers of a moving Third Avenue El train. The film co-stars, get this: Ed McMahon, Beau Bridges, Ruby Dee, Jack Gilford, Thelma Ritter, Donna Mills and Brock Peters! Sounds pretty wild, no? So I go home after the museum, excited to hunt it down on Ebay, only to find that it's completely unavailable on DVD, and that a USED VHS copy going for $45 smackeroos… Yikes! I do a little more internet searching, and find that the movie is also playing on AMC, March 29th at 6:30 in the morning, for one-time only!!! A miracle. Can't wait to see this one…

Spreadsheet Sam Birthday Blowout

2007-03-31T03:01:00.000-05:00

And what a special night it was… The 5 Horsemen plus special guest appearances by Hipster Saint Lou Solish and couple of the year, Dan "The Man" Patrick and Jessica "Poo Poo Face" Stein!

The Wiggles

2007-03-29T00:08:00.000-05:00

The Wiggles play this song called "Walkin' On The Moon" that quite simply, redefines modern rock music. I heard it this morning for the millionth time, and now I can't get it out of my head. Does anyone know what I'm talking about? I hope that they play it live the next time the boys are in town, though it obviously won't sound the same without Greg.

My Sock Drawer

2007-03-19T23:21:00.000-05:00

I like my socks, and I especially like the drawer that they are kept in. It's fun to just reach into it sometimes and be surprised which one comes out. Somethimes, it's a black pair, but most of the time it's a pair of white ones. The white ones I wear most days, because they go well with sneakers, which I also wear, unless I have to meet a client, and then I put on shoes.

TAU Bro's Come To McSorley's

2007-03-14T20:11:00.000-05:00

How cool is it when active SUNY Binghamton TAU Brothers Pierce Schiller, Tim Ho, Chris Ciano and Steve "The Doctor" Conroy come looking for their favorite Alumni Bro in the back room of McSorley's? Very cool, and that's just what happened this past Friday. In case anyone was interested, I pledged the Tau Alpha Upsilon fraternity in the Spring of 1983, my 10th semester in Binghamton. Eight of us started out pledging and only two of us made it. Me and Sanjay Malhotra (3rd from left in picture) who's now a prominent attorney. Our pledge trip was to Buffalo, NY. We had to carry around stuffed tigers for 4 1/2 weeks and be humiliated regularly in front of a large group of people. All in all, the most memorable experience I had in my 5 years of college. And looking back, if that's ALL I had to do to get Pierce, Tim, Chris and Dr. Steve into the back room of McSorley's 24 years later, then it was well worth it. And TAU Bro's if you're reading this, as soon as all of you graduate college (I love saying that), we'll be accepting applications for New Horsemen. We could use a few fellas like you…

Me Like Blogs...

2007-03-10T02:38:00.000-05:00

Well, it's Friday again, that day of the week when we go to McSorley's Ale House (15 East 7th St. NYC), the oldest continually run drinking establishment in New York City. I'm really looking forward to seeing all the fellas- Adam, Spreadsheet Sam (my brother-in-law, non-blood), Bobby Boy and Jamal. It's been a whole week since I've seen them last and so much has happened since then. I'm especially looking forward to tipping Tommy tonight as well. I feel good giving him all of my money when I see the joy it brings him. And I know that the money is going to good use, like an orphanage or something back home in Ireland. See ya's later.

So, this is what a 12Darks Blog looks like?

2007-03-06T02:27:00.000-05:00

I guess this is where I can write whatever I want about my friends who join me in the back room of McSorley's Ale House (15 East 7th Street, NYC) every Friday night, 11:30-1. I'm sure there will be thousands of people who might be interested in this. The only problem is that if I write something down in my blog, then what will we talk about on Friday night? I mean it's not like we talk alot on Friday night anyway, but it will be even less if I say everything I have to say in this blog. I like the name of it. Blog. In fact I even like typing, which is why this is going on so long, this being my first blog. So, there you have, now I am a blogger. So this is it. What is the big blogging deal. Who cares what I have to say about Tommy Nolan or Scotty or Mike or Brenden, or my pals the Horsemen. Dave Bloom was the one who told me about this anyway and now I can't stop typing. I feel like Adam when he's posting all of those ridiculous space rock reviews. I feel like Jack Kerouac writing "On The Road" on that roll of toilet paper, I feel like Dieter from Sprockets. Oh well, I guess everyone will wait until next time when I have some more fascinating things to say. Until then, take care blog fans. Beware of the Blog. Blog on, Bloggers!