(L-R): Laura von Holt as Contrary Mary, John Kurzynowski as Fleecy and Sofia Jean Gomez as Alan Photo credit: Yi Zhao



As far as I have been able to determine, there are three ‘types’ of live theater in NYC. Broadway’s current crop of Disney pageants, movie adaptations and remakes; off-Broadway ‘ultra hip’ houses where often times shows get an airing before they move uptown and the ‘off off’ scene where warehouses, lofts, drawing rooms and even backyards are converted into interesting, often stuffy spaces presenting edgy, if not downright lively odd pieces that can be called experimental in the best sense of the word. I like all three types of theater, but I got to tell you, Wooster Street’s Ohio Theatre, is holding its 16th annual Ice Factory Summer Festival, and it is rockin’ the sticky summer night air.

The show I saw was a 90-minute retelling of Babes in Toyland, an über campy version that swooped, pranced and generally used that odd but interesting Ohio Theatre space to its utmost. I admit I was pre-interested in this production because of David Greenspan, one of the most talented actor/writers in the downtown scene, but along with Mr. G. as Mother Goose and the Master Toy Maker, other notables of the supremely talented Little Lord Fauntleroys are Rodney Pallanck as “Mother Goose” and “Antoinette the Toyland Doll” (and keyboard player), Michael Levinton as “Barnaby” and “Spider” (he’s also the director of this play) and Laura von Holt as “Mary.” Previous Ice Factory shows have gone on to the Joyce, PS 122, the Edinburgh Fringe among others and won Obies and I can see why. “Babes” is a solid evening and while I’m not so much taken with camp for camp’s sake, there was enough fun moments and self deprecation, plus the wild David Greenspan, that I say go see “Babes” or whatever else the Ice Factory’s got going on to cool you in the upcoming weeks.

The Ohio Theater, at 66 Wooster Street (between Spring & Broome Sts.) is a great space with high ceilings, tight yet comfortable seating and what is claimed to be…the cheapest bar in Soho!

The schedule for the festival is:
Wonderland: Wed 7/8, Thu 7/9, Fri 7/10, Sat 7/11
Lavaman: Wed 7/15, Thu 7/16, Fri 7/17, Sat 7/18
Babes In Toyland: Wed 7/22, Thu 7/23, Fri 7/24, Sat 7/25
Conni’s Avant Garde Restaurant: Wed 8/5, Thu 8/6, Fri 8/7, Sat 8/8

Ralph Greco, Jr.

Friday The 13th (Extended Killer Cut)
(Warner Home Video)





I'm old enough to remember when the original first Friday the 13th sliced its way across movie screens in 1980. It literally scared audiences witless and began a spate of 'kill-teenagers-in-more-and-more-interesting-ways-because-they-are-hooking-up' movies with its iconic hockey-mask killer (which, I learned from this DVD's 'extra' documentary, was first introduced in Friday 13th, part 3). This remake of the original is a lush looking film, deep in color (blood not withstanding), interesting sets and great claustrophobic spaces.

The now dead Camp Crystal Lake (the film takes place many years after those initial murders in 1980 when Jason's mom was killing teens) is used as only one locale. It might just be the different locations (albeit just a hop, skip and certainly a run from each other) that I responded to so well; God knows the kills and characters are certainly nothing to write home about. True, there's not much of the Saw torture-porn slice and dice and there are enough augmented female breasts here to make any hetero teen boy salivate, but really there are no surprises. The fact that Jason now runs instead of walks is kinda neat, but the story isn't much, the characters stereotypes and the ending way too predictable.

As I mentioned previously, there is a 'making of' documentary included here, which seems like rationalization from the players and producers more than anything else. This Friday the 13th, Killer Cut is a faithful adaptation, remake, what-have-you, for whatever new viewers need to see instead of the terrifying original.

Ralph Greco, Jr.

"...and that guy was Dando" Photo credit: Leslie Torre



Going to a Lemonheads show is like seeing your favorite local band when you were in high school. They arrive on stage and just play through the set list-one song right after the other-with hardly any crowd banter or interaction. The audience, not as female-dominated as it used to be in the band's heyday (i.e. Dando's heartthrob-status days), did not seem to mind the no-nonsense approach. Lemonheads fans are pretty diehard and seem to just enjoy hearing the songs of their youth. The crowd at the Bowery Ballroom was ready for a trip back in time, and that trip was all about the music.

The show opened with a jangly version of "The Great Big No," a poppy, yet emotionally complex, song from the 1993 album Come On Feel the Lemonheads. The next hour was filled with a mix of 1990s staples, including "Into Your Arms," "It's a Shame About Ray," and "If I Could Talk I'd Tell You." The end of the show was rounded out by a solo acoustic set featuring just Dando and his guitar, which seems to be a trend of the band's recent shows.

While the set list of this show was pretty predictable (and like listening to a greatest hits album), it was still a fun time, full of energy and just enough teenaged sentimentality. Whether it be nostaligia or just plain talent, after all these years, the crowd still loves Evan Dando and his Lemonheads.

Allison DeMatteo & Leslie Torre

Brooklyn’s Vivian Girls stop by Amoeba Records to talk about “What’s in my Bag?” a fun video series where the store has bands discuss the music they are listening to at the moment. Pretty interesting and fun stuff.



DaVe Lipp

Friday July 24

Location: Meatpacking District, NYC
Film: Ghostbusters
Show time: 8:30 PM; FREE
Venue: Pier 46 (at Charles Street)
Food: Spice Market
Drink: Plunge
Miscellaneous: Little Pie Company (located at 407 W14th St.)

Who you gonna call when New York is attacked by a 100 foot marshmallow man…Ghostbusters. Check out this hysterical 1984 classic film starring Bill Murray, Dan Ackroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson. For dinner, if you can get a table, check out Spice Market. Chef and owner Jean-Georges Vongerichten converted this HUGE space into one of the sexiest Asian restaurants in NYC. Serving up exquisite dishes like the onion and chili crusted short ribs with egg noodles and pea shoots ($22), Spice Market impresses. If you choose not to stay at APT for drinks, close by is Plunge. Located at the top of the Hotel Gansevoort, this rooftop lounge offers stunning views of the city. If dessert is your thing, stop over at Little Pie Company, where pies are baked on premises. Whether you’re in the mood for sour cream apple, southern pecan, or Mississippi mud pie, you can’t go wrong here.

Friday July 24

Location: Lower East Side, NYC
Bands: Junior Boys Get Tickets Here
Show time: 7 PM
Venue: Webster Hall
Food: Momofuku
Drink: The Village Pourhouse
Miscellaneous: Sundaes and Cones

Electropop darlings Junior Boys make sweet dance music reminiscent of Prince if he was on crack and was writing songs off a computer, but Canadian duo Singer Jeremy Greenspan and programmer Matt Didemus have plenty of soul and are quite good at reinterpreting their influences with their own twist. If you like ramen noodles and pork, then Momofuku is your spot for food. The Berkshire pork is the best I’ve had and it’s the only place I’ll eat pork period, which should tell you just how good Momofuku really is! What looks like a neighborhood bar to watch sports actually has three more rooms. The Village Pourhouse is where you can order food or find a quiet place to smooch! For dessert a little left of the dial, Sundaes and Cones offers eclectic flavors like wasabi and corn and many more flavors that are familiar.

Saturday July 25

Location: Gowanus, Brooklyn
Film: Rooftop Films Presents Stay the Same Never Change + Stars Like Fleas
Show time: 9 PM
Venue: Old American Can Factory (on the rooftop)
Food: El Viejo Yayo
Drink: Buttermilk Bar
Miscellaneous: The Chocolate Room

The first feature length film from video artist Nakadate, Stay the Same Never Change features a series of teenage girls in their rooms where the banal becomes extreme and the normal has a discomforting strangeness. Plus Brooklyn band Stars Like Fleas performs. Keeping the night going, try El Viejo Yayo for dinner. This gorgeous and warm restaurant has an elegant dining room and an affordable menu offering Dominican/Latin cuisine. The outside of Buttermilk Bar may look non-descript, but looks are deceiving . . . just not in this case, as this low-key watering hole is where you can grab a cheap drink in a friendly atmosphere, while playing a board game or two. With a near insane menu of chocolates from coffee and tea to delectable dessert, and even beer, The The Chocolate Room is a great way to end the night on a high note.

Saturday July 25

Location: East Village, NYC
Event: Paste Magazine Benefit Concert
Show time: 9 PM
Venue: Webster Hall
Food: Minca
Drink: Ace Bar
Miscellaneous: Le Gamin Café

Looks like Paste magazine is having financial problems as it’s on the verge of shutting down. Well, you can help save this great music and entertainment mag by attending the Paste Magazine Benefit Concert. You can check out music by bands Reredux (members of Brazillian Girls), Mixel Pixel, Paul & the Patients, Fugitive Souls, Anthem In, Infernal Devices, and French Horn Rebellion and know your money is going towards helping this great magazine hopefully survive. Close by is the ramen noodle bar called Minca. After recently trying this place, I’d highly recommend it. The ramen noodles are made fresh and way better than those you’d buy and boil. What makes the soups here great is the broth. Take the Minca Ramen, a mild broth with pork, chicken and dried seafood ($8.50), it has impeccable flavor that hits the spot. Plus its way less expensive than other ramen specialty restaurants and just as good. Right across the street from Minca is the Ace Bar. Sort of divey, it’s also where you’ll find people playing skeeball and shooting pool, while drinking some decent beers on tap. For dessert and coffee, Le Gamin Café is the place for crepes.

Saturday July 25

Location: Chinatown, NYC
Bands: The Metal Music & Fashion Show for Breast Cancer Charity
Show time: 7:30 PM
Venue: Santos Party House
Food: Pakistan Tea House
Drink: Mocca Lounge
Miscellaneous: Chinatown Ice Cream Factory

I’ve heard of plenty of fashion shows using almost every kind of music as their theme and now you can finally see what it’s like when metal is the theme at The Metal Music & Fashion Show for Breast Cancer Charity where metal acts performing include Hybrid Draw, Exemption, Feff, and Citizens of Contrary Knowledge. Plus you can win one of 10 dates with a model and one person will win a weekend trip to Las Vegas. Nearby, Pakistan Tea House is a buffet style Indian restaurant where you can choose between chicken, meat, fish and vegetables. It’s affordable and very good. For drinks, check out Mocca Lounge. With a funky interior and a menu of Italian inspired fare, it’s also a bar with a large list of coffees with or without alcohol, beers, and frozen shots. Smack dab in the heart of Chinatown, the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory makes gourmet ice cream flavors like Black Sesame, Ginger, Durian, and more exotic flavors like Taro and Wasabi. Don’t worry, they have the go-to’s like Vanilla, fruits, and chocolate flavors too.

Sunday July 26

Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Bands: ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead
Show time: 2 PM; FREE
Venue: Williamsburg Waterfront
Food: SEA
Drink: Zablozki’s
Miscellaneous: Hugs

Formerly the McCarren Park Pool concerts, now the Williamsbur Waterfronts is home to some of the best shows happening this summer. The space is great and the waterfront view is even better. ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead headlines this weeks show along with Black Lips, HEALTH, and Grupo Fantasma. Just as much fun as any show and just as big a venue, SEA is one BIG Thai restaurant. Big enough to have a pool surrounded by tables as a giant Buddha stands above it. Luckily, the food is really great. Offering traditional Pad Thai ($7) to more involved dishes like the Mummy Fish ($14). On N6th, a street full of bars and restaurants, Zablozki’s is the local bar of the bunch, with a pool table and a friendly atmosphere and 12 beers on tap. What looks like some dark basement with tables and some couches, Hugs will end up being a dance party with an awkward blend of music genres that you will grow to love quickly.

Perfecting Sound Forever
By Greg Milner
(Faber & Faber)





My hats off to anybody who can weave Thomas Edison and Def Leppard into the same book!

Greg Milner has done just that in his book Perfecting Sound Forever. This is the story of sound recording, from the early days with Edison (and others) when records were made on wax cylnders and Edison’s “Diamond” discs, right through the war over tape speeds, to early folk/blues recordings of Lead Belly, Bing Crosby’s involvement (you’ll be surprised), Les Paul’s self-perpetuated importance (which Milner puts into perspective), studios battling one another for prominence in the 50’s, Phil Spector and Joe Meek’s contributions, Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham and right on up to Def Leppard.

A subject like this could be a very dry read indeed but Milner, who has written for Rolling Stone, Salon and Slate (and many others) knows how to keep us moving through his 371 pages of history. This is more a living breathing story of people then it is of hard facts, though Milner’s research is meticulous.

Perfecting Sound Forever might just be the first thing you need to hear about the history of this most unusual, yet far reaching of subjects.

Ralph Greco, Jr.

Location: Park Slope, Brooklyn
Bands: Chico Mann
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: Southpaw
Food: Chiles & Chocolate Oaxacan Kitchen
Drink: The Gate
Miscellaneous: Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co.

The side project from Antibalas guitarist Marcos Garcia, Chico Mann blends afrobeat rhythms with Casio keyboards and vintage drum machines making for some booty shaking music. Joining them are afrobeat powerhouse The Superpowers, Planet Rump, and DJ Dhundee. Ever have Oaxacan food? Chiles & Chocolate Oaxacan Kitchen serves up some fantastic, not exactly Mexican food. Try the smoky flavored Mole Negro, one of the best mole sauces I’ve had in NYC. Before leaving, you must try one of the hot chocolates like the Chiles Y Chocolate. A hint of chipotle without too much heat is a nice kick start for the night. The Gate is a great Park Slope bar with excellent beers on tap and a outdoor courtyard to chill. If time permits, you must, and I mean MUST go to the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co., a non-profit organization that helps kids with their writing, that’s fronted by a store selling super powers.