A review of the various rums under the DonQ brand while enjoying food at Brooklyn’s Fatty Cue. (linked here)

(via The Greenpoint Gazette)

The Greenpoint Gazette – the voice of Greenpoint – is a neighborhood newspaper in Brooklyn, NYC

via Greenpoint Gazette:LP.

Here is a link to another bar review written for The Greenpoint Gazette.

do it.

The Greenpoint Gazette – the voice of Greenpoint – is a neighborhood newspaper in Brooklyn, NYC

via Greenpoint Gazette:Last Sips of Summer.

The Greenpoint Gazette – the voice of Greenpoint – is a neighborhood newspaper in Brooklyn, NYC

via Greenpoint Gazette:Two 80 Café.

For this second bathroom advert’ review, and a follow-up to Ethan’s second bathroom review, we take a look at:

The Dardys on the toilet seat at Mars Bar
Now that you’ve read Ethan’s review of this bathroom, I went into this questioning what type of band, and its members, would have the need for promotion so bad that they would touch this toilet seat cover. But there it is, and when I decided to investigate The Dardys I began to notice their stickers are everywhere! Mostly in bathrooms too.
Nonetheless, I began with a quick google search confident I would discover the result to be another Brooklyn based band. Alas, I was totally correct. The band, outfitted with a mysapce music page, an official band page and a blog, has a strong presence on the internet. Their personal page consists of a bio page that indicates they are a four piece indie-pop band from New York with their main influences being Buddy Holly, Arctic Monkeys and Blur. The rest of the page consists of their origin which is followed by a list of quotes from varying music blogs to their friends and at the bottom a link to download their album for free.

Download complete, unzipped and loaded into iTunes and pressed play. Their sound of the instruments were tight, good use of back-up singers and overall catchy song construction. Having listened to the whole album I felt as if it had a narrative – that being the band got better.
I think the only thing that put my off initially was the lead singer’s, David Heffernan, voice. Not that it was bad, but there seemed to be an element that was forced. But it was over the course of the album that I think he found is stride and by the last two songs, which were my favorite, he found a good middle ground between his actually singing voice and the voice he seemingly tried to emulate.
Nonetheless, the band had a great ability to get me into the groove and dance elements of their sound and can definitely forsee this band achieving bigger and better. Granted, they already have a good promotion plan of smothering bathrooms of hip bars all about Brooklyn and Manhattan. After exploring this band, they’ve managed to hook me enough where I am curious about their live performance.

In the early morning of September 11th, 2010 I was informed by friends of a show, Twin Shadow, that was going down later in the evening at Glasslands, 289 Kent Ave. With tickets available online for purchase I decided to go see a band(s) I’ve never heard of at a venue I’d never been to – an experiment I would make of my evening!
Managing to wrangle Ethan and Giulia, a visiting friend from Santa Cruz with her brothers and sister in-law in tow, we forged our way down Bedford Ave to the venue. Sadly we were a little late in our arrival and missed the first two, of five, bands that were playing. Meh.

The venue itself was large with a balcony that looked down upon the eccentrically decorated stage and the bar (that seemed designed simply for beer, shots and basic mixed drinks). While the next band was setting up, I armed myself with a tall Rolling Rock can and shot of whiskey and then searched for a good spot to post at to take in My Gold Mask as they readied their sound levels.

This Chicago based guy/girl two-piece was fun to watch. The immediate reasons being: they are from my hometown and, one of my kryptonite(s) happen to be cute girls in glasses that play music. That said, their music was fun too. Her higher toned voice was nice as she carried elongated notes and smashed the shit out of her drum set. Between the two, they harmonized well and created, with the limited instruments they were equipped with, good song structure. I will note the band turned up the energy for the last two songs that I wish was present for their whole set. Nonetheless, it was a nice way to start this experimental concert-going experience.
Time for a refill.

The following band was Zambri, two sisters backed by a drummer and a guitar/key-board/drum machine player-dude.

With the two sisters changing instruments, lead vocals and positions about the stage the music they created varied from slower, more vocal-based songs, to the fun and dancey hits that included the familiar cow-bell and solid drum beats. They actually reminded me of Out Hud and Santigold – which was awesome. They had a great ability to stir the crowd into a tizzy of dance and excitement which was endearing and entertaining as they were adorned with eccentric head-wear and/or dress. Again, another good find that I will most likely look up and listen to in the future.

Between Zambri and the final band Ethan, Giulia and I went outside for a cigarette which is when I noticed two large ‘spot lights’ in the sky. I, forgetful of the day, asked if those were for something in Manhattan related to Fashion Week (which is currently underway). I looked, sounded and felt like an idiot when I realized they were the lights emitting from ground zero. I’m gunna guess there was not a party going on there… New York, I promise I won’t be so ignorant next year.

Thusly, onto the final band: Twin Shadow.

I will preface my knowledge of this band as being described as a hodge-podge between Prince and New Order (which is why I so readily bought tickets to the show). I will further say: “yeah, no – totally not Prince meets New Order.” Not to derogate the band’s clout; they were still very impressive and entertaining to hear and see.

With, from I can best recall at this point, dancey guitar riffs and moving drum beats, the band commanded the crowd into a flowing motion of movement and excitement which included a number of audience members (that I would conclude to be their friends) joining them on stage to incite further dance and revels. With a sincere passion toward performance, Twin Shadow seemed to thrive on the audience’s grand response, mine included, and channel it into the energy of the show and experience.

With a great set and response from the audience, the show concluded and it was time to go home.

As an odd momentary anecdote after leaving the show, I did stumble across this odd ’white party’. Which I’ve now learned is a “thing that happens.”

[editorial note: VitaminC4 will never actively review an event of this sort]

As a closure to this review, I did quickly return home to find the Hispanic residents of the first floor sloppily strewing about, where they then offered me a beer and we exchanged broken English/Spanish banter.

Lesson learned: Being half-Mexican, I need to speak better Spanish.

The Greenpoint Gazette – the voice of Greenpoint – is a neighborhood newspaper in Brooklyn, NYC

via Greenpoint Gazette:BROOKLYN BARS: The Counting Room.

Another simple, and satisfying review.

On September 7th, 2010 at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple, located at 317 Clermont & Lafayette, Boris and Sunn O))) performed their duo album Altar, put on by All Tomorrow’s Parties – and oh my lord, I’ve never felt closer to the Elder Gods. But, before I tell you about all the ways their performance made time feel all wibbly-wobbly, I shall tell you of all the awesome that happened preceding.

A portion of this night’s success relied on the fact that Ethan and I, at times very big forgetful slackers, managed to find tickets to the show through various last minute sources. This could be luck, or possibly a sign from Ulthar giving us great fortune. Furthermore, California pal and Vermont native Cooper McBean arrived with his sister Megan as Ethan and I were walking in the doors of the venue where Sleep had played the night before. Embraces and high-fives a plenty were followed by the purchasing of beers (well, not before we had to buy drink tickets). The Masonic temple itself is large with two levels. The bottom for the stage, standing room, sound booth, beer and merch while the upper part had several rows of seating.

For the first band, Jesse Sykes and The Sweet Hereafter, the hall’s lights remained relatively raised, allowing for those still trickling in to find their positions, friends, or the end of the beer ticket line. The band took to the stage, two smoke machines pushed the altered air onto the crowd and they began to play. While they aren’t as stoney as most metal bands that I prefer, Jesse Sykes has a voice that works in beautiful harmony with her guitar, and with the music being played by the band behind her. Skinny, lanky, with long black hair – she belted out, and carried sweetly, a range of notes that transformed the venue into a temple to the Elder Gods. Their set was awesome, even when they transitioned to the ending portion in which they experimented with the genre of folk.

After Jesse Skyes, BXI played. That was, at the very least, an interesting experience. To give you a background, BXI is made up of the members of Boris with Ian Astbury, of The Cult, as their lead man. This act was a mix of emotions that consisted of seeing the musical talents of Boris playing without robes (see next paragraph), but also having to endure an aged metal dude in a leather jacket and yoga pants. Granted, Ian’s voice still carries and sounds ripping. It’s rather distracting to see the line-up of Boris support a fleeting – but still awesome – character from the past. During the set I did question, out of amusement, the mathematical equation as to how this band came into existence. Nonetheless, it was still along the lines of ‘fucking radical’. (see fig. 4).

fig. 4

A couple of cigarettes, and a piss, later it was time for the grand finale. Quickly the lot of us jumped in and out of the beer line(s) and sought higher ground on the upper deck to embrace the trembles that were about to fall upon us. The lights darkened, the smoke machines created a worm-like creature that stretched over a portion of the balcony, and they took to the stage in a whimsical fashion (robes-n-all). What was once cheering quickly turned into silence as the congregation of listeners anticipated the first series of strummed notes to vibrate through their bodies. The band(s) slowly swayed back and forth with their instrumental weapons in hand. From the balcony it looked as if an ocean of black shirts was about to slam onto the stage, drowning those who wore their summer-time plaid shirts like sailors lost at sea, while we atop were the tidal-wave crashing down with angst. The snare hits became more consistent and it continued to build, everyone now feeling it in their bones. The first song finished and I somehow felt altered, more so then what two beers could do to me normally.

[editorial note: when placing your bag in your friend's car before the last act goes on stage, remember to grab the camera. This sorry excuse of a human totally forgot it. Lack of pictures begins – now]

Sadly, during the second song the power cut out. Some of the already amazed crowd quickly fled for the doors to smoke and chatter about the immediate satisfaction of seeing this duo play only two songs, while the rest of us waited in agonized anticipation, wondering whether the power would return.

Hark! Nodens would, with his mighty power, allow for us puny humans to continue with the show, and the power returned . Once again, the band(s) members took the stage and proceeded from whence they had ended.

I was now sitting in a recently vacated chair and was mesmerized by their new presence on the altar laid before me, even though I could not see them through the darkness of the hall (because they had cut the lights out of concern over the power supply). Note after note began to vibrate through my body. Their power was now making my brain move within my skull. My organs, not literally, changed position around my stomach. The sensation of breathing sound. And my consciousness ascending upon a Lovecraftian realm in which pure thought, fantasy and fear became one.

The experience itself consisted of drifting between visual and mental awareness, especially during “The Sinking Belle (Blue Sheep)” (that features the vocals of Jesse Sykes).

And just as soon as it started, my mind and eyes felt the lights go up.

The show was over…

The experience alone of seeing these two amazing bands perform this album in its entirety was the best live performance I’ve ever had both physically and mentally.

While exiting the show, my comrades and I remained in silence only to make the occasional comment of “holy shit that was amazing”, or “my body is still vibrating.”

Now that I have been to several ‘big time’ events about the city which include some of my favored bands, this still remains to be the best thing to have happened in New York since I’ve been here, and possibly the year.

My praise to you, oh, Elder Gods. May our sacrifices be plentiful.

Blood for the blood God.

The Greenpoint Gazette – the voice of Greenpoint – is a neighborhood newspaper in Brooklyn, NYC via Greenpoint Gazette:The Subway Bar: Drinks.

Alrighty, welcome to a new series at Vitamin C4 where we investigate and review bathroom advertisements. From the varied stickers, tags or hand written links we take a chance and roll the dice. Think of all the times you were taking a piss or poop at an establishment and stared at something that was on the wall and wondered what the hell it might be for. You tell yourself that you will look it up when you get home, but you always forget. Well, we here at Vitamin C4 will be your guide to the weird, obscure, good and bad shit that is smeared, stuck or inked on the walls of NY bathrooms.
For the first Bathroom Advertisements, we will be looking into:

http://www.1990-1997.com on the wall of The Charleston bar

This being the first review, the random link turned out to be quite a gem. Admittedly, I thought this would be a link for a band, some up-and-coming short film or local organization with a hipstery means. But, I was very surprised/pleased to find this is the site for, what I would describe as, a avant-garde digital artist Zak Loyd. With a series of audio-visual pieces, images, gifs, html links and live performances this artist’s statement is to “revisit the bliss through artifacts and memory” and to “seek internet magic”

Through a digital medium and throw-back style, Zak uses relatively out-dated tools and basic modes in this art form that remind us MS paint and intro html code can still be modern. Granted his still images seem to be the tawdry product of boredom, Zac’s Statements page, various A/V works and HTML links are rather STONEY. If I were a bigger digital art fan and stoner I could easily find myself being lost in the dozens of digital art pieces provided by this site.

This bathroom advertisement was an awesome and obscure find, and at least worth five minutes to marvel at the weird shit this kid makes.

When we last left our hairy-footed heroes, they had settled in at a tavern in the Bushwick parish of New York to wash the dust from their heels and ponder their future. The night grew late, and they did retire. The following morn, Joe the mighty bard took Austigorn and Ethan, king of the elves, on a tour of the Lower East Side of Manhattan, commonly translated as “White People Island”. They did feast upon cheap dumplings at “Vanessa’s” in Chinatown, and got caught in a mighty gale. Austigorn sought refuge in a local shop that specialized in drawings of fantasy stories, and found the clerk therein to be quite comely. They embarked into a tavern that shows True Blood, an epic concerning “vampyres”, to wait out the storm.

The three parted ways shortly thereafter, but a night of revelry still awaited. Samwise and Ethan, king of the elves, did wander the streets of Brooklyn for a time, along a circuitous route that led them across the mighty Williamsburg Bridge, a powerful chokepoint used in defense of White People Island. No army has ever breached Manhattan, at least not since mid-July.

Parts of Brooklyn remind me so much of Midgar sometimes that it makes my heart weep.

There Samwise and Ethan, king of the elves, descended into the catacombs beneath the city, where Samwise took the “Moria” route back to the land of Bushwick, while Ethan rode the Number 6 dwarf-coach uptown to meet Austigorn and his friend Alex (another bard) at the Boar’s Head Tavern, where they found all the comforts of home. There were recordings by Devil Makes Three, as well as Golden Tee, a popular diversion at the Rush Inn in days of yore.

The days that followed flew by in a blur. Austigorn found his Green Lantern rings to be an excellent conversation starter, and atteneded a free Murder City Devils concert in a local park. He quickly found employment at Hotel Delmano in Williamsburg parish, where he concocts fancy elixirs for the local populace.

Ethan, king of the elves, has been deep in negotiations with the local Hasidic population in order to find a house for the fellowship. Armed with his own good credit and Austigorn’s Jewish-sounding last name, they have overcome their lack of paystubs to land a nice 3-bedroom in a favorable location in Bushwick parish. Together he, Austigorn and Joe the bard have spent many nights in revelry, enjoying $5 beer-and-shot combos across the land.

Samwise the Temperate has been juggling his 3 jobs with alacrity. He spends his off-hours sleeping on roofs, eating peculiar food-stuffs and eBay-ing a lot. The fellowship has found the weather to be sticky but manageable, the tortillas to be unpalatable (although the beans and rice are pretty spot-on), and the lasses to be fair. Armed with their trusty iPalantirs, they’re even able to find their way from one place to another sometimes. So far, New York City seems to be a place that isn’t going to totally kick their asses just yet.

While this might be my first quiet moment I’ve had in New York I feel almost too tired to write. This is only because I’m trying to refuel my tanks for the rest that is to come. But, before I tell you all about that, let me tell you about what has happened so far.
Thursday I arrived into NY at 11:50pm! Joe Petersen, who I am staying with for part of my time here, said he was going to pick me up from the airport but didn’t. This part was rather exciting for me because I now had to figure out the New York subway system in a matter of minutes. Let me tell you this: The New York Subway system is the easiest and most understandable system in the world. You would have to be deaf, dumb and blind to not figure it out.
Moving on, and finally meeting up with Joe, and his two friends from SF, CA (who are also visiting for the weekend) at a bar in Williamsburg, Brooklyn – I was ready to party. From about 12:30pm to 4am we drank and took photo booth pictures. Continuing the party we decided to go to Manahattan (where the SF guys were staying) and see everything until the sun came up. I went to Grand Central station and spoke into the whisper arch, the NY Library and saw where Billy Murray & Dan Aykroyd stood in one scene of Ghostbusters, sacraficed the Chrysler building to the blood god and lastly saw Bryant Park.
At this point in time is it now 8am…

On friday I awoke midafternoon feeling like crap. But I had to suck it up because I was meeting my friend and former co-worker Katie and her friend Alex at the NY MOMA for free day. These two gals have turned out to be the coolest, and cutest, guides in NY.
At the MOMA we went into a film, that we didnt know anything about other then it being Canadian cinema. IT WAS THE MOST DEPRESSING MOVIE EVER! But it was also very beautiful. It was called “Polytechnique” (2009), and it’s about the Montreal Massacre of 1989.
To lighten our moods we went to the main exhibit which was Tim Burton’s art. Deciding that was enough to make us feel happier, we went for drinks in west village then went back to Brooklyn to get dinner. The three of us ate at Robertas pizza where we ordered a delicious pizza to split and also BONE MARROW. It was served in the bone and when taken out and spread onto bread it looks like a thick red cream. BRUTAL!
After dinner, the two ladies had to depart and I went off on my own to find the Gotham City Lounge. I found it, and holy crap, it was awesome. With action figures and other comic collectibles hanging from the ceiling, large posters plastering the walls and the tables covered in comic book panels – I was in shock and awe. Joe was just getting off work and I was headed to his place to finally drop off my bag. From here, Joe and I decided to take me to his favorite neighborhood bar called Ali’s Two80. Ali, who is the owner, bartender, cook and cleaner he is 56 years old and 100% bad-ass. After a couple of rounds talking with old school Brooklyn Italian dudes who work in “construction” and are slightly racist, Ali closed down the shop and let Joe and myself stay in the bar. He cooked us food, gave us free whiskey and beer and told us stories about times he uses his ‘shovel’ to kick people out.
Again, 100% BADASS DUDE.
We get back at 6am.

From here on out, I’ll be a little quicker with my experiences:
Saturday, Joe and I got up to meet with his friends for brunch in Hells Kitchen at a place that had bottomless mimosas, screw drivers or bloody marys. YES!
After brunch we went to Chelsea to meet with a friend of Joe’s from college.
CHELSEA is a giant gay night club all the time. And 90% of the dudes have sixpacks there.
Meeting up with Ricky, we went to the legendary Stonewall Inn and had a couple of drinks there. Did you know? Stonewall in always serves free hot dogs – hey, get your mind out of the gutter. I mean real hotdogs with buns, ketchup and mustard.
After Stonewall Inn, Joe, Ricky and myself went to the Comix Comedy Club to meet up with Alex and see Garfunkle & Oates preform – FOR FREE (the girl I sat next to on the plane works there and got us all in!!!). The show was beyond cute. So cute. My hearted melted. To be honest it was too cute for words I’m moving on…

After the show Alex and I went to Brooklyn to meet up with Katie at her work in Williamsburg. She got off work, we got food and drinks and then went to a bar till 4am playing telephone-pictionary.
Here is what happened. I am staying at Joe’s place. My phone died and so did his. I know where he lives (yeah, really good visual memory) but I didn’t know if I was going to be able to get back into his house – or even if he was going home.
I took a chance and rolled the dice. I took the subway back to bushwick alone. And waiting at the platform for 20min alone while waiting for the train is scary and cool all rolled-up into one. Walked to his house and rang the button. Whew – Vernon, his housemate, was awake and buzzed me in. Joe never showed up, so I got his bed.

That’s all for now. Tonight I’m off to Williamsburg to see Michael Showalter preform comedy with his friends.

see you soon internet!