PLANET CHOCKO – art/music/movies/beyond

G.B.H. and Total Chaos played Gramercy Theatre

June 24th, 2015 by chocko

G.B.H. at Gramercy Theatre

Total Chaos at Gramercy Theatre

UK street punk vets, GBH stopped by Gramercy Theatre in NYC which marked their 35th show and 5th country on their most recent tour. Fellow punk rockers from California, Total Chaos opened up the show which featured lots of new tunes from their new album, World Of Insanity. A good amount of the songs on the album seem to come from a point in lead singer, Rob Chaos’ life living in Berlin and getting ratted out for something. He mentioned it briefly on stage, not going into detail but then busting out songs like “Sold Me Out” and “Police Rat.” I tried recording some songs but the Security force at the venue shut me down. The sedated NYC crowd stood around posing for most of the Total Chaos set but by the last song, people started moving and grooving in the pit.

Charged GBH, but commonly known as GBH stepped on the stage, people with mohawks came out of the woodwork and there was a sudden surge to the front. The lineup from the Birmingham, England band featured the original core trio of Colin Abrahall on lead vocals, Jock Blyth on guitar and Ross Lomas on bass. Scott Preece rounded out the lineup and is certainly not a rookie with nearly 20 years banging the drums with GBH. The spikey haired Col sounded amazing and was flanked by two gnarly looking dudes..Ross looked like he could curb stomp a bull and Jock looked like he could punch through a brick wall. Their nearly 25 song set comprised of tunes from 30 years of UK street punk. Songs such as “Necrophilia,” “Slit Your Own Throat” and “City Baby Attacked By Rats” were performed while the crowd danced in a circle pit, sang along or like the dude next to me fist pumped and punched the air like he was trying to knock out Kimbo Slice. All the running amok got the security distracted and I was able to record a couple songs including “Cadillac One” where the bass player from Total Chaos was invited back on stage to perform the shuffling punk tune. The band closed out their set with “Maniac” which you can also check out below. GBH continues to tour around the globe…next stop, Mexico! June 25 Tijuana at You Revolution, June 26 Monterrey at Cafe Iguana, June 27 Queretaro at Club de Los Leones and June 28 Guadalajara at Foro C3. See them at a club near you.

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Tags: Charged GBH, GBH, Gramercy Theatre, new york city, nyc, photos, punk rock, review, show, street punk, Total Chaos
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A Look Back At Punk Island 2014

June 21st, 2015 by chocko

Punk Island is mere hours away….rain or shine! It’s taking place on Sunday, June 21 2015 from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm at Staten Island Pier 1. 100 bands including Crack Rock Steady 7 and RVIVR. It’s gonna be insane. Check out some photos and videos from Punk Island 2014.

Tags: cop problem, punk island 2014, punk island 2015, punks
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Biz Markie and Masta Ace played Herbert Von King Park

June 21st, 2015 by chocko

Biz Markie at Herbert Von King Park

Masta Ace at Herbert Von King Park

Old school hip hop was in the house at Herbert Von King Park last Wednesday night with a free Summerstage show featuring Biz Markie and Masta Ace. After driving around Bed Stuy like Mr. Magoo and finally parking in a spot near the park, Chocko followed the booming sounds, skipped down the steps of the crowded, outdoor amphitheater and made my way to the front. Masta Ace had just begun his set and the lyrically gifted, Brooklyn native entertained the crowd with mostly old songs from deep in the catalog including his verses from “Crooklyn” and “Symphony.” Kind of fitting for the show, Masta Ace also performed a 1990 track titled “Me & The Biz” where Ace does his best Biz Markie impersonation. Was this track a homage to Biz or done out of necessity because Biz couldn’t make it to the studio to perform on the song? This song always confused me…I hope one day they just record this properly with both Ace and Biz together on a track. Somebody make it happen!

Ace also got the crowd participation going by performing snippets of some well known hip hop songs by other artists and letting the audience fill in the blanks. He finished off his set with “Good Ol’ Love” from his 2004 album, A Long Hot Summer. Check out some videos below!

Danny Castro of Lyricist Lounge killed some time between sets by talking with the crowd and asking the audience questions like “Who’s better, Mobb Deep or Smif N Wesun?” or “Who’s better, Jay-Z or Nas?” or “Mos Def or Q-Tip?” You get the picture…Hip Hop fans could sit around and debate these type of questions to the break of dawn, but at the show it was decided by how loud the crowd cheered. Believe it or not, Nas won over the Brooklyn crowd. I demand a recount! It was a relief to see DJ Cool V, Biz’s long time DJ and cousin behind the turntables which meant that the show was about to get bonkers. Biz Markie did not disappoint!
DJ Cool V

The Diabolical Biz Markie started off the show with a showcase of his beatboxing skills. “The Clown Prince of Hip Hop” perfectly mimicked the beatboxing of some of his peers including Doug E. Fresh and Buffy of the Fat Boys. Biz proceeded to entertain by performing tracks from his debut album Goin’ Off including “Goin’ Off,” “Pickin’ Boogers” and “Make The Music With Your Mouth, Biz.” Songs by Rick James and Michael Jackson were also performed. Uncle Ralph McDaniels of Video Music Box was standing in the back of the stage but grinning along with the audience to Biz mumbling the lyrics and singing out of tune renditions of “Mary Jane” and “I Want You Back.” Biz closed out the show with “The Vapors” and his monster hit “Just A Friend” which got everybody in the park singing along. Check out more videos below and be on the look out for the next free Lyricist Lounge show featuring The Jungle Brothers and Kool DJ Red Alert at Crotona Park on June 25 at 7:00 pm. See you in The Bronx!

Tags: bed stuy, biz markie, free show, herbert von king park, hip hop, masta ace, new york city, old school, summerstage
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Legends Of Wrestling at Citi Field

June 18th, 2015 by chocko

This under the radar professional wrestling event happened in early June at the home of the New York Mets, Citi Field in Queens, NYC and featured old wrestling legends battling it out in the ring after autograph and Q&A sessions. A few thousand were in attendance at the baseball stadium and the wrestling ring was where second base would be, surrounded by VIP seats. If you weren’t sitting in the premium seats, you were most likely watching the action on the jumbotron because the ring was situated so far from the stands. When me and Joey Teacups arrived, we just missed “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan win his match against Robbie E. The other matches we missed included Brian Myers defeating Tyrus and Flex Armstrong and Andrew Anderson (w/ Greg “the Hammer” Valentine) beating Mr. T.A. and Bam Shaw (w/ John Cena Sr.). John Cena Suuucks!

Tommy Dreamer trampled over Wes Briscoe for the victory. It was good to hear some “ECW” chants throughout the match. The commentary mostly provided by Matt Stryker and later joined by Tyrus, was heard throughout the evening over the PA system. Been to a lot of sporting and wrestling events over the years, and never experienced that.

Ric Flair walked to the ring and began a pro-NYC promo only to be rudely interrupted by Mr. Anderson and Knux who were representing Aces & Eights. Flair called upon the Nasty Boys to even the odds. Brutality!

The Nasty Boys took care of Aces & Eights after some sloppy, hardcore brawling. Baking trays and garbage cans to the head made the street trash brawl more buck wild than it already was. Mullets and fists were flying! Wes Briscoe, Doc Gallows and Demolition showed up to the match and joined in on the melee and The Nasty Boys walked away with the win.

During a brief break from wrestling, we took a walk over Shea Bridge behind Center Field and pounded down some tasty burgers from Shake Shack. Two Boots could have been an option but they weren’t open. The Mets game was briefly shown on the jumbotron while I housed a double shack and checked out the wrestling merchandise which included tables of DVDs, memorabilia and autographed photographs. I also picked up a flyer for Wrestling Universe a one stop shop for all your wrestling needs. They host a lot of autograph signings at their Flushing, Queens shop (34-29 Francis Lewis Blvd). Looks like it good be worth the road trip!

A bit of a size difference in the match after the break – “Reborn” Matt Sydal squared up against Doc Gallows, representing the Bullet Club. Sydal defeated the 6’8″ Gallows for the upset and goofiest match of the card.

The best and final match of the day came from the clashing of Scott Steiner aka Big Poppa Pump and Rob Van Dam. Before the match there was a brief promo with RVD followed by Steiner who says something like “Let’s bring this mystery opponent out.” Oy vey. Steiner, accompanied by Doc Gallows gets to the ring and grabs the microphone and calls Hulk Hogan a bitch and starts mouthing off to the hecklers. RVD brings out the legendary Bret Hart for a brief appearance and mic time. After some anti-Mets remarks like “This town belongs to The Yankees,” Steiner sneak attacks RVD and the pummeling begins. Doc was in total heel mode and threw in every cheap shot at RVD that he could get in. RVD got the victory after a chair thrown in the ring by Gallows was used to Van Dam’s advantage and RVD connects with the Van Daminator. After the victory, RVD got jumped by the two jacked up heels and then Goldberg runs in to save the day. He spears Steiner and Doc got the Jackhammer! heat3mia uploaded some great footage of the match. Check it out HERE!

Tags: Citi Field, Doc Gallows, Legends Of Wrestling, nyc, pro-wrestling, professional wrestling, results, Rob Van Dam, RVD, Scott Steiner, sports entertainment
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Big Apple BBQ Block Party

June 15th, 2015 by Mr. C

(The calm before the smoke at 10:00am at the Big Apple BBQ block party on Saturday)

(my accomplices at the BBQ fest – no forks – no problem!)

(Shake Shack who?)

The 13th annual Big Apple BBQ Block party at Madison Square Park came and went last weekend. About 17 BBQ pitmasters came as far as from Texas & Mississipi and some like Hill Country and Blue Smoke as close as just a few blocks away from the Park. We made no fuss no muss about it as our raggamuffin foodie crew with a non-foodie attitude grabbed 4 plates of ‘Cue from 4 different vendors, poked & probed it with our chopsticks until finally making it disappear. We usually get there early, around 10.30am – parse the crew to the different vendors to get on the queue for the ‘Cue – wait till the opening cow bell opening at 11am & we’re off in slow smoked whole hog heaven! This year we made sure that we covered the big three proteins: lamb,beef,& pork! We tried 2 newcomers to the block party or at least new to us. The Jamaican Jerk St. Louis Ribs with Caribbean Slaw from Hometown Bar-B-Cue located in nearby Red Hook, Brooklyn was just another victim! I prefer the smaller & fattier pork ribs but the bigger beef counterpart in that well smoked Hometown BBQ state with that tingly-spicy jerk marinade had me attempting to talk like a rastafarian – mon! Definitely left me wanting to reach for a bottle of Ting! The caribbean slaw also had a nice & refreshing bite that talked back to me! Hometown BBQ – Red Hook, Brooklyn – expect a few neon glowing residents from NJ to make a trek out to Crooklyn sometime this summer!

(Hometown BBQ – Jamaican Jerk St. Louis Ribs with Caribbean Slaw)

(Canopies made of golden,mirror-polished discs above the walkways at Madison Square Park)

The 2nd new BBQ we tried was the Lamb brisket & borracho beans from The Woodshed Smokehouse from Dallas. I’m usually not a big fan of beans but the consistency from these were light & flavorful – almost like a soup.
The Lamb brisket was quite tasty, fatty, tender, & charred up to my liking though a bit salty if anything. The lamb brisket had that slight kickback of taste to let you know that it was uniquely lamb indeed! If given some rice with this Lamb brisket with the burnt ends – I might still be chowing down on this till no end! You can hold the borracho beans.

(The Woodshed Smokehouse – Lamb brisket & borracho beans)

Now for some replays – we couldn’t help but to get back at Salt Lick with their Beef Brisket,Sausage, & slaw combination. No burnt ends in sight with the brisket but the meat was well seasoned, silky & tender to the mouth. A nice simple brisket done right. Dip that brisket with some of Salt Lick’s champion barbecue sauce and Bang bang Bang..Hmmmm…Hmmmm good! The sausage had the attitude that I was looking for with that snap when my fangs met casing. The peppery mix in the sausage was noticible & delightful especially chasing it down with some of the tangy slaw!

(The Salt Lick crew working hard to get those briskets out!)

(Salt Lick – Beef Brisket,Sausage, & Cole slaw)

There’s no secret here that we are big fans of Big Bob Gibson from Decatur,Alabama with his hickory smoked pulled pork shoulder sandwich. I’m guessing the consistency of how they smoke the shoulder since it’s the same part of the pig is more predictable than when constructing a whole hog sandwich with the meat pulled from all over the carcass? Either way, I really enjoy Big Bob’s pulled pork because the meat is so succulent and tasty. The natural juices from the meat and the rough chop/pull from the pork as opposed to finer chopped pieces of meat really does the trick for me as the less you mess with the meat, I find it more appealing to the eyes & palate. For the icing on the cake, dab & jab some of that spicy mustard cole slaw in the sandwich and dang – get the heavy artillery out so I can show my gratitude!

(Big Bob Gibson’s – pulled pork shoulder sandwich + spicy mustard cole slaw)

(Jim n Nicks Smoked Sausage – photo by Mondocurry)

(We even tried a veggie burger made from beans and other mealy ingredients & textures? Not bad but not great either)

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Jersey City – vinyl records and street art!

June 14th, 2015 by Mr. C

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In trying to stay with our theme of keeping the jams in Jersey more & more instead of venturing out to NYC, the Planet Chocko goonies – Chocko & Mr. C headed into Jersey City for the Jersey City Record Riot at the Grove Street Path Station. Say What? Outdoors – Free – 35 plus tables of Vinyl LPs,CDs, & memorabilia – Live DJs all day – no brainer – we are there! Let me preface Jersey City by saying that JC is a destination that we often overlooked in the past for fun & entertainment. I came to know JC as a gritty city before venturing into the Holland Tunnel enroute to Lower Manhattan & Chinatown during my childhood in the 80s & 90s. My family worked & drove into Chinatown daily/weekends for 25 years via the Holland Tunnel & let me tell you my sister taught me all the sneaky ways of driving into Jersey City to cut through the local streets to avoid traffic before filtering back out into the queue for the Holland Tunnel. This consisted of driving through the downtown Journal square area to the Grove Street – Newport mall area. I remember driving through JC and thinking boy – bombed out,rough,tough,zombies – what a grimey city! – and many parts of the city still is. Fast forward to the current times and double boy, Jersey City has come a long way. From the restaurants,music,shops,art,lounges,beer gardens,financial companies – to the clean streets. Not saying JC has solved their poverty and crime issues but yes, notable changes for the better in parts of the City. So don’t underestimate Jersey City!

(Two Boots Pizza Jersey City – corn meal crusted pizza w/ cajun style toppings)

Chocko and I had a great time rediscovering the Grove Street Path station area as well as the Newport mall surrounding area by BJ’s Wholesale and Shoprite. Before doing the fingertip walk on the vinyl, we fueled up at Two Boots pizza (an offbeat NYC chain that serves tasty corn meal crusted pizzas with quirky Cajun toppings) on Newark Avenue before the Record Riot shopping! After the Wax attack digging through the crates, we walked around the surrounding area near the Grove Street path station as well as the nearby Newport Mall to discover a revival and appreciation of street art/graffiti/murals in the community! Last but not least, we stepped into a really neat bookstore called – WORD . A nice selection of books for ranging tastes including comic books! WORD felt like a bookstore that was designed for the community in mind rather than structured from a generic cookie cutter standpoint. They even had a cute little cafe nestled in the back! Did I just say cute – what? Chocko has been to the WORD bookstore in Greenpoint,Brooklyn and was pleasantly surprised to see one pop-up in Jersey City, NJ! Support these businesses, y’all! Enjoy our photos from the day!

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Two Boots Pizza
133 Newark Ave, Jersey City, NJ 07302

Word
123 Newark Ave, Jersey City, NJ 07302

Bon Chon Chicken
172 Newark Ave, Jersey City, NJ 07302

Iris Records
114 Brunswick St, Jersey City, NJ 07302

Barcade
163 Newark Ave, Jersey City, NJ 07302
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(Newark ave)

(Romano’s Disco Fries food truck “It’s a Jersey Thing” on the out at the stoplight by Grove Street! Have to find out where they dole out the Disco Fries)

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(Murals near the Grove Street Path Station off of Christopher Colombus Drive)

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(Wicked 3D Astronaut! side street by Barcade)

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At a former Pep Boys Auto Center off Marin Blvd sandwiched in between Newport Centre Mall and BJ’s Wholesale Warehouse/Shoprite was a mix of beautiful aerosol art that wrapped the entire building created by local artists in the NJ/NYC area. By chance I had spoken to Mr. Mustart – one of the many artists that collaborated on the colorful pieces adorned on the former Pep Boys building. Mustart was very humble and friendly. He told me the artwork has been at this location for a few months now. Pep Boys moved to another Jersey hood – Paterson. Local arts organization – Green Villain is responsible for strategizing the beautification of street art in Jersey City! Mark your calendars folks – on June 27th – Demolition Exhibition, there will be a party at this Pep Boys location to celebrate the local street arts before destruction of the building in order to build those skyscrapers?! Print releases,food,beer,softgoods, & Green Village DJ sets will be onhand! See Green Villain for more details!

(former Pep Boys Auto Center off Marin Blvd by BJ’s Warehouse)

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Human Rights Watch Film Festival New York June 11-21

June 12th, 2015 by chocko

3 1/2 Minutes, Ten Bullets (Marc Silver)

The Human Rights Watch Film Festival in New York will be screening movies from June 11-21 at the Film Society of Lincoln Center and IFC Center. The film festival focuses on films that deal with social injustices and human rights violations. It is a film festival in its 26th year and features 17 award-winning films that cover a lot of ground and deal with some deep issues. This year’s festival focuses on themes such as Art Versus Oppression, Changemakers and Justice and Peace. I had the pleasure of seeing 3 films in advance including the opening night film 3 1/2 Minutes, Ten Bullets. This documentary tells the story of four unarmed African American who were shot at a gas station in Jacksonville, Florida in November 2012. The teens were playing their stereo too loud, there is an altercation with a person from another vehicle and seconds later the bullets fly. The shooter, Michael Dunn, claimed he shot in self defense because he thought one of the teens had a gun. That teen, 17-year-old Jordan Davis died after 10 bullets were fired into the car he was in. The film follows Jordan’s parents as they fight for justice in a state that favors the Stand Your Ground self-defense laws.

The Wanted 18 (Amer Shomali and Paul Cowan)

The Wanted 18 tells the “moo-ving” story of how a group of Palestinians peacefully protested the Israeli occupation of the West Bank by purchasing 18 cows and producing their own milk. The undercover dairy operation was declared “a threat to the national security of the state of Israel” and hundreds of soldiers took part in the search for the illegal bovines. The movies is told with a mix of funny stop motion animation and interviews with activists from the town of Beit Sahour where the collective farm was located. It screens on June 13 at 6:30 p.m. at the Film Society of Lincoln Center and opens theatrically in NYC on June 19.

Life Is Sacred (Andreas Dalsgaard)

The third movie I saw was titled Life Is Sacred and deals with life and politics in Colombia, a country in constant turmoil due to clashes and widespread violence between the military, guerrillas, paramilitaries and drug cartels. Along comes the presidential candidate Antanas Mockus who galvanizes the public with creative ideas and catchy phrases, with a promise to end the violence and make some much needed changes. As mayor of Bogota, Mockus dressed up as a superhero in a cape to take on crime in the streets and had mimes on street corners directing traffic. This portrait of the anti-establishment icon follows the ups and downs of a political figure who loves his people and just wants to make a difference. The movie also makes its New York premiere screening on Thursday June 18 at 7:00 p.m. at the IFC Center and Saturday June 20 at 9:00 p.m. at the Film Society of Lincoln Center. Plenty of movies to see at this film festival…get information on tickets HERE. Check out the trailer for the Human Rights Watch Film Festival 2015 below!

Tags: 3 1/2 Minutes, documentary, film festival, Film Society of Lincoln Center, Human Rights Watch, Human Rights Watch Film Festival, IFC Center, Life Is Sacred, movies, new york city, nyc, review, Ten Bullets, The Wanted 18
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Large Professor played Rough Trade NYC

June 10th, 2015 by chocko

The Legendary Hip Hop Producer and MC, Large Professor was in the house at Rough Trade NYC for the release of his latest album re:living. The performance space at Rough Trade slowly filled up early in the evening while Large Pro waited for some late guests to arrive to the venue. The new album played through the speakers and thirty minutes after the scheduled start time, Large Professor plugged his phone into the sound system and started the show. Large Pro warmed up the crowd with some early songs from his career including “Just Hanging Out” which is off the Main Source album Breaking Atoms. Main Source was the underground hip hop group which Large Professor was a founding member of and I can’t say enough about the importance of the album “Breaking Atoms” but it did feature Nas on the track “Live at the Barbeque,” which was the first appearance of Nas on a record. After performing some familiar songs, Large Pro showcased some of the verses off the new album and sounded smooth despite fumbling and forgetting some of the lyrics from the new material. There was also a slight hiccup in the performance when the beat stopped, but that’s what you get when you play the instrumentals off your phone and you receive a text!

The album re:living is highly recommended if you’re a fan of that old hip hop that featured banging beats and dope lyrics. Turntablists Rob Swift, DJ Boogie Blind and DJ Eclipse are credited for their scratches and the album features guests such as Sadat X, Lord Jamar, Cormega, Roc Marciano all on one track titled “Industry Remix 2.” My favorite tracks right now are “New Train Ole Route” a jazzy cut which will get your head snapping back and forth in no time and “In The Scrolls” which is a tribute to Nas and features G-Wiz. Check out some videos below from the performance. Pick up the album, it’s out now on Fat Beats Records.

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Tags: brooklyn, hip hop, Large Pro, Large Professor, re:living, rough trade nyc, show
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lower east side – nyc doings: Egg Rolls and Egg Creams Festival & now introducing Empanadas plus more!

June 8th, 2015 by Mr. C

(the mixologists making my chocolate egg cream with the classic Fox’s Ubet chocolate syrup!)

(Peking Opera – Monkey King performance)

(Puerto Rican Vejigante mask)

(Puerto Rican fan making)

The 15th annual Egg Rolls and Egg Creams Festival & this year – Empanadas were added to the Eldridge street mix! The festival provides a fun opportunity to celebrate the joint cultural heritages of the historic Lower East Side and Chinatown with food, music, arts, & crafts! Jewish, Chinese, and now Puerto Rican culture were honored on this great day! On this 15th anniversary of the Festival, The Museum at Eldridge Street Synagogue wanted to showcase the contributions of the Puerto Rican community to the Lower East Side so hence the addition! Some highlights of this annual ethnic block party includes Chinese opera and acrobats, klezmer performances, bomba and plena music, Puerto Rican mask making, Hebrew and Chinese scribal art, & more! Last but not least – the stars of the show – kosher egg rolls, egg cream, & empanadas were for sale!

(Jewish Pickling techniques)

(Yarmulka making)

(Northern style chinese dumpling making)

(Yiddish lessons by mark sommerstein)

(Monkey King performance)

(kreplach-demonstration)

(klezmer-music & dancing)

(Mah Joong hustling!)

(Chess is for the birds – Mah Joong is where it’s at!)

(Jewish Scribal Arts)

(Chinese Calligraphy)

(Sifu Ken Lo can kick your ass w/ his Kung Fu techniques but before he does that he will share his knowledge of the traditional Chinese Tea ceremony)

(Challah making)

(WEPA! Bomba and plena music)

(Puerto Rican Vejigante mask)

(jewish cantorial music by eric freeman)

(decorating a chinese porcelain bowl on paper bowl)

Post celebrations of the festival had us appreciating more of the Lower East Side at an art gallery on 291 Grand Street by Eldridge. It happened to be the last day of a solo exhibit by an old school Nuyorican street artist who grew up in the LES – Lee Quinones. Leave it up to us to make the exhibit on the very last day. We are big fans of Lee’s aerosol art and his appearance in Wild Style the movie turned us on! It’s great to see that Lee Quinones’ art work remains relevant to this day! Lee’s pop-up solo exhibition puts on a display of his early, never been seen before drawings as well as his current works which collectively spans from 1975 to the present. This exhibition sheds light on Quinones’ love for drawing. From aerosol bombing of NYC subway trains to NYC public concrete walls, and now (has been) taking it to the studio – Lee Quinones’ work is still evolving as political and social messages are still be doled out throughout his art no matter what format he chooses!

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Chiller Theatre Spring 2015

June 2nd, 2015 by chocko

Here are some photos from the Chiller Theatre Spring Spectacular 2015. The next Chiller Theatre Expo is October 23 -25, 2015. Just a quick suggestion: Get your tickets in advance when they go on sale unless you like to stand in a that moves like one of those old school Romero zombies. It should be a great time…live bands, films, panels and can’t wait to see who the guests will be! Start making plans and come to the party in your best costume. See you nasty freaks in October.

A recent replica of the “Maria Robot” from Fritz Lang’s Metropolis

Sylvain Sylvain from the legendary New York Dolls

Dolly Read and Marcia McBroom from Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls

Mindy Sterling (Frau Farbissina in the Austin Powers movies)

Alex P. Keaton’s pops from Family Ties, Michael Gross

Scream Queen icon, Brinke Stevens

Michelle Bauer, of the B-movie classic Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers

Fred Olen Ray signing for his Veterans charity The Gallant Few. Chocko got him to sign a Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers DVD which he directed along with his 2004 Tomb Of The Werewolf which starred Michelle Bauer and Paul Naschy in his last role as a werewolf named Waldemar Daninsky.

“Feed Me!” the monstrous Little Shop of Horrors puppet, created by Bill Diamond. Looks like the always friendly Basil Gogos (legendary artist from Famous Monsters of Filmland) might be Audrey II’s next meal. Look out!

Josh Mostel among many actors from the movie Jesus Christ Superstar

Is it me or are the crowds at Chiller Theatre getting older?

“The Pride of Lowell” Boxing Legend, Dicky Eklund.

William Katt best known for his role in the 80’s tv series, “The Greatest American Hero.” It’s also true that he auditioned for the part of Luke Skywalker in The Star Wars movies. Here’s a VIDEO of William Katt along with Kurt Russell auditioning for the roles of Han Solo and Luke.

It’s the Karate Kid’s nemesis, William “No Mercy” Zabka (left) and Gavin MacLeod (right) aka Captain Stubing from “The Love Boat”

Dick Miller, a character actor from The Bronx who’s been in over 100 movies including Gremlins and The Terminator. There’s a doc about him titled That Guy Dick Miller which recently screened at the Anthology Film Archives in New York City during a series dedicated to his films.

Linda Miller of King Kong Escapes (1967)

Naomi Grossman of American Horror Story looking good.

The Champ is here…Merciless Ray Mercer.

Straight outta The Time Tunnel Lee Meriwether sitting at the far left of the table and Robert Colbert on his phone looking Young and Restless.

In the stylish glasses, James Darren, the third guest from The Time Tunnel chatting with Michael Cole from another 60’s tv series, The Mod Squad. The older ladies in the room swooned at the sight of these two.

Wrestler Bully Ray and surprise guest, Devon…The Dudley Boyz!

Creepiest cosplay goes to this guy…Andrew Arkham Cosplay.

Get da puck outta here, it’s The Mighty Ducks Reunion…from left to right Shaun Weiss, Vincent LaRusso, Brandon Adams and Matt Doherty.

Josip Elic chatting it up with the alluring Lee Meredith.

Wesley Eure (Will from Land Of The Lost) and a severed Sleestak head.

Phil Paley (Chaka from Land Of The Lost)

Land Of The Lost cast members Kathy Coleman, Wesley Eure and Phillip Paley (pictured above) reunited at Chiller. I got my lunchbox signed by all 3 guests. Chocko vs. Chaka in a street fight? Chaka got no chance even if he brings that baby brontosaurus with him and a posse of Sleestak.

John Zacherle “The Cool Ghoul” horror movie host legend!

The costumes just keep getting more nightmarish and getta a load of this kid. Talk about the heebie-jeebies. He’s holding a baby alligator, has a boa constrictor around his neck and a tarantula on top of his head!

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Tags: american horror story, b-movies, chiller theatre, dick miller, dudley boyz, king kong escapes, land of the lost, scream queens, spring, the mighty ducks, the time tunnel, zacherle
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Brand Nubian + Cover Girls + Amina Buddafly + Peter Gunz + Nene Ali = Celebrate Bronx Week 2015 ~> Moshulu Park!

May 18th, 2015 by Mr. C

All photos by Mr. C – All Videos by Chocko

(Bronx residents – Throw your X’s in the air to Celebrate Bronx Week at Moshulu Park!)

(Rapper,B-Boy,Politician,Playboy(kidding) – Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. was the emcee at the event)

(Brand Nubian with special guest Ruben Diaz Jr. performing Step to the Rear)

(Steph Lova – hostess of the event)

(Amina Buddafly – has got it going on!)

(The Cover Girls belting out their hits!)

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Our classic 1990s latin freestyle dance and hip hop hongry’ palates were satisfied last Sunday on the last day of Celebrate Bronx week held at Moshulu park with live performances by the Cover Girls and Brand Nubian! Sandwiched in between was a refreshing set of new school hear me out R&B by Amina Buddafly. She’s a very talented artist that plays the guitar, keyboards, & not to mention gifted with a set of pleasing melodic, & powerful – crystal clear lungs. Amina might be better known to most from the reality show on VH1 called Love and Hip Hop. Joining her onstage was her husband who is also on Love and Hip Hop – Peter Gunz! Most of us know Peter Gunz from his hit rap song from the late 90s – Deja Vu (Uptown Baby) by Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz. Amina Buddafly’s setlist from Moshulu Park included: Never been in love this way, Do you feel the same, I have nothing, Love in silence, Since you’ve been gone (with Peter Gunz). Cop Amina Buddafly’s new album – My Music on iTunes or Amazon! Check out some of the videos of the performances from the event below thanks to Chocko!
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(Peter Gunz & Amina Buddafly)

(Peter Gunz)

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Nene Ali, a talented young spoken word poet and high energy rap artist from around the way in the Bronx lit it up onstage with her socially conscious & uplifting lyrics. She has that onstage swagger, rhythm, tone & delivery that reminded us of MC Lyte and Roxanne Shante. Definitely look out for more of Nene Ali as she blossoms!
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(Nene Ali & Hakim Green)

(Chris Rivers-Big Pun’s son tearing up a verse or two!)

(The Cover Girls)

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Getting to the heart of the matter – The Cover Girls definitely made my “Heart Skip a beat” as the trio laid out their freestyle dance hits from the 1990s! I thought I was transformed back into an era of Chess King & ~~Oakley~~ Oak Tree wares, MC hammer pants, wingtip shoes for the clubs, and z-cavaricci pants to sport around casually. As any freestyle dance music fan knows, the lyrics of most of these dance songs centers around love, relationships, & heartbreak. Any teenager and college student from the 90s can identify with that right? Looking at the photos from the Cover Girl’s performance last Sunday, I think Chocko was right. The Cover Girl lead vocalist doesn’t look familiar. Maybe not the original lineup but 2/3’s isn’t bad! Either way the Cover Girl’s performance was fun & dynamite. Did we see Bronx Borough president – Ruben Diaz jr. – uprock! Yes we did! The setlist by the Cover Girls on their Bronx Week performance at Moshulu included: Inside Outside, Wishing on a star, My heart skips a beat, Because of you, & Show me! Literally the bass that was thumping from the speakers really did make my heart skip a beat or two. Where that pacemaker at?

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(Brand Nubian – Grand Puba,Sadat X,Lord Jamar)

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Last but not least – one of the funkiest hip hop groups of all time – Brand Nubian – rampaged the stage! Their 1990 “One for All” album blew everyone’s Pumas off! Great sampling, socially aware lyrical flow, & mad tight rhythm. No disrespect to Lord Jamar, but Grand Puba and Sadat X have got to be considered one of the best MCs of all time! I wasn’t sure when we’d last seen Brand Nubian perform live was. I think it might have been Tramps or Chocko is telling me it was at S.O.B.’s but I honestly forgot how they sounded in person. Bronx – Moshulu park – 2015 – Celebrate Bronx week – it was real! Brand Nubian sounded tight!.At first I was a little disappointed that only Lord Jamar & Sadat X bum-rushed the stage to perform their first tune of the set – Allah u Akbar but rest assured Grand Puba appeared for “Step to the rear” as did special guest rapper – the Bronx Borough president Ruben Diaz Jr.! All in all or should I say All for One and One for All – Brand Nubian put on a great show! Brand Nubian’s setlist that day included: Allah u Akbar, Step to the rear, What’s the 411, Love me or leave me alone, 360 degrees (What goes around), Punks jump up to get beat down, All for one, & Slow down! The 90s was such a great era for Hip Hop music! Thanks to ultra brother-man Chocko for the videos from the show! What’s the 411 – That’s the 411, y’all!
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WFMU Record Fair 2015

May 17th, 2015 by chocko

The Norton Records booth at WFMU Record Fair 2015

The WFMU Record Fair happened a couple weeks ago at a new venue, the Brooklyn Expo Center (79 Franklin Street) in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The record fair is definitely a highlight of the year for me and I’m sure a lot of crate diggers and music fans will agree that the WFMU Record fair is the best place to dig for records this side of the Hudson. I ventured out on a Saturday afternoon and immediately found parking in the neighborhood which used to be a challenge back when the Record Fair was in Manhattan. Inside the sleek Expo Center, the vibe was cool and the new place felt like a perfect fit for the WFMU event. I walked in and Danny Kroha (The Gories) was in the middle of his acoustic set of foot stomping gospel and country roots. The last time I saw Danny play at the Record Fair was many moons ago with his group The Demolition Doll Rods. He’s got a new solo album out, ‘Angels Watching Over Me,’ on Third Man Records. Definitely a good slab of vinyl worth every penny. Shortly after Danny’s set, Todd-O-Phonic Todd started his broadcast which included more live performances by The Baseball Project, Miriam and Bambi Kino.

Danny Kroha

Jon Spencer and Danny Kroha

miles and miles of records, CDs, movies and all kinds of junk

Lord Finesse

OK, I gotta admit, I was a little starstruck to see a legend in the building…Lord Finesse of the D.I.T.C. crew walking around the Expo Center. The man is a legendary Bronx hip hop MC and producer. His name is on records by Notorious B.I.G., Big L, Fat Joe and the list goes on and on. If you’re not familiar with the work of Lord Finesse, you have some homework to do. Here’s a video of his appearance on Crate Diggers from a couple years ago, talking about his vinyl collection. Check it out!

AP Mike of the Best Show makes a cameo appearance during Todd-O-Phonic Todd’s live broadcast

dusty stacks of 45’s

Do you dare spin the WFMU Wheel-O-Fate?

more photos of dealers, vinyl enthusiasts and boxes of records

The Baseball Project knocked it outta the park with a set of songs about baseball.

drummer Linda Pitmon of The Baseball Project. She’s a Twins fan!

Dope stuff over at Redefinition Records. “Another Time” by DJ EFN…highly recommended!

Bambi Kino killed it at the WFMU Record Fair

Bambi Kino (featuring Doug Gillard, Nada Surf’s Ira Elliot) play the unrecorded songs performed by The Beatles in the early 1960’s. If they’re playing a show near you, go! The musicianship is top notch and the songs will get you twisting, shouting and dancing like a fool. Check out some videos from the Record Fair below featuring Danny Kroha, The Baseball Project and Bambi Kino! See you next spring in Greenpoint!