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Kitchen Cynics NYC Diary


Alan Cynic

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I don't know if I'll be able to keep this up, but I thought I'd keep you lot posted on my NYC visit. I arrived early this afternoon, and have had a pretty good day so far (it's now 12.52 NYC time). I'm trying to stay up all night, but am beginning to flag. I spent the afternoon in greenwich Village, checking out record shops (Bleecker Bob's etc), then had a pretty good sandwich, followed by drinks in the east Village, at places like Manitoba's, the Lakeside Lounge, Sidewalk Cafe, Max Fish etc. I aslo checked out Cake Shop, where I'm playing next week, and it seems a nice little venue, next door to the Living room, and round the corner from Arlenes Grocery. The only disappointing thing that's happened is I just missed a set by the Trachtenburg Family (although I've seen them before).

More later, if I survive the night in one piece!!!!!

Oh..I was thrilled that my gig is mentioned in Time Out New York!

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i heard there are loads of aberdeen stag & hen parties headed for New York while you are there, so if you see somebody throwing brown frisbees you'll know the rowie brigade

have arrived................

only joking

have a good one, hope the shows go well & your live radio show is great. If you see 1

your famous friends (SY) ask them if they want a wee gig in 'deen

m

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I don't know if I'll be able to keep this up' date=' but I thought I'd keep you lot posted on my NYC visit. I arrived early this afternoon, and have had a pretty good day so far (it's now 12.52 NYC time). I'm trying to stay up all night, but am beginning to flag. I spent the afternoon in greenwich Village, checking out record shops (Bleecker Bob's etc), then had a pretty good sandwich, followed by drinks in the east Village, at places like Manitoba's, the Lakeside Lounge, Sidewalk Cafe, Max Fish etc. I aslo checked out Cake Shop, where I'm playing next week, and it seems a nice little venue, next door to the Living room, and round the corner from Arlenes Grocery. The only disappointing thing that's happened is I just missed a set by the Trachtenburg Family (although I've seen them before).

More later, if I survive the night in one piece!!!!!

Oh..I was thrilled that my gig is mentioned in Time Out New York![/quote']

Alan,

Arlene's Grocery has "Punk Rock Karaoke" on Monday nights if you fancy a laugh - actually, after looking at http://www.arlenesgrocery.net it seems to have renamed itself as "rock n' roll karaoke", the corporate sell out whores!!!

If you're down on Bleeker St (directly opposite CBGBs) then our "local" the last couple of times I've been there was The Red Lion http://www.barcrawler.com/redlion.html. There was 3 live bands a night when I was last there (of variable quality, admittedly) & they server food, Guinness on tap & have big screens for Sport, so basically all you need. Round the corner is a decent record/cd shop as well with a decent sized second hand vinyl section in the basment.

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I <3 NY

A few things i'd REALLY suggest that you go to in your free time would be the 'Weigh-and-pay' Dellis, they're the best way to eat what you want when you want and the food is top knotch. I loved in NY was the Guggenheim museum, but that's probably 'cos i like a gander round museums anyways, but it's a beautiful building and the art inside is magic. The American Museum of Natural History, Rockefeller Center, Empire State, Central Park and Radio City Music Hall, are obviously well worth a look as well.

I thought The Statue of Liberty was totally over-rated 'cos it's tiny (the pedestal / base creates the tall illusion) and when we were there you couldn't get to the crown. The ques were massive and it's part of a three-island tour on slow ferries. Although i'd still go down to the sout tip of the island to see it from afar, and check out the nice coastal view.

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I thought The Statue of Liberty was totally over-rated 'cos it's tiny (the pedestal / base creates the tall illusion) and when we were there you couldn't get to the crown. The ques were massive and it's part of a three-island tour on slow ferries. Although i'd still go down to the sout tip of the island to see it from afar' date=' and check out the nice coastal view.[/quote']

Or just get the Statten Island Ferry which is free and will take you right past it :D

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Or just get the Statten Island Ferry which is free and will take you right past it :D

..and it pissed rain when we went on it! Still, it serves beer from the Starbucks kiosk on board so that passed the time!

Next problem was what do we do on Staten Island? We'd missed O'l Dirty Bastards funeral by a couple of days & we couldn't see any bars when we got off. Solution - turn around & go back again!

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Thanks for all the tips, folks...I've been before, and done the galleries & museums. My fave was the Brooklyn Museum of Art. I might go to MOMA again, now that it's back from its time out at Queens.

Last time here I did find a good photography museum on Staten Island, in the house of a lesbian photographer from the 1920s, Alice somebody.

I've passed the Red Lion often enough, but wil make the effort to go in this time, and Greig's Irn Bru tip would've been useful last night! The heavens opened just after I posted, and I was dotting from cafe to pub to cafe again, trying not to get soaked/killed by lightning.

I managed to stay up all night, but was totally knackered, so decided to head for Providence a day early, and here I am. I'm playing at a party with Black Forest/Black Sea on Saturday night, then back to NYC on Sunday, where I will meet with Mr & Mrs Dusty Deviada in Cafe Figaro (hang out of the beats, Dylan, Fred Neil etc). On Monday I'm doing the live session on WFMU (between 4 and 6pm NYC time), then I'm live at the Cake Shop on Tuesday supporting Mike Wexler and PG Six. It's been a thrill seeing the poster up here and there (eg in Other Music ).

I was going to go to an open-mike in Providence tonight, but none of the cabbies have heard of the place, so I might just have an early night to catch up on some zzzzzzzs (dreaming of flutes....but played by nubile women, not Zeenats!!!!)

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Staten Island / Record Shop (not Staten Islan)

Damn right... I did exactly the same both times.... nothing to see in Staten Island.

Not strictly true' date=' there's a lovely little museum of Tibetan art housed in a replica temple built in someone's garden.

[url']http://www.tibetanmuseum.org/

Means a half hour bus trip and a wander up a suburban side street but it's a lovely little oasis compared to the concrete pit that is the Staten Island ferry terminus/bus station

And for a great record shop try Downtown Music Gallery if you haven't already been - haven't visited since they moved to 342 Bowery [between E. 2nd & E. 3rd Streets] from a tiny basement on E5thSt but used to be a great place to spend a wet afternoon listening to great sounds

http://www.dtmgallery.com/Main/

Wish I was there. Have a great time.

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I'm playing at a party with Black Forest/Black Sea on Saturday night' date=' then back to NYC on Sunday, where I will meet with Mr & Mrs Dusty Deviada in Cafe Figaro (hang out of the beats, Dylan, Fred Neil etc). On Monday I'm doing the live session on WFMU (between 4 and 6pm NYC time), then I'm live at the Cake Shop on Tuesday supporting Mike Wexler and PG Six. It's been a thrill seeing the poster up here and there (eg in Other Music ). [/quote']

make sure you keep your eyes off Miriams Toes otherwise Geoffrey maybe after you..........

ps greetings to BF/BS from interesting music

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I passed CBGBs on Tuesday, but I suppose you're right.....must take a last look in before it disappears (plus I meant to buy some of their chocolate....rock'n'roll!!!!).

Last night I was eating & drinking out with Black Forest/Black Sea and Will Schaff (he of GYBE cover drawings fame). It was a great night, and tomorrow we're doing a gig at a party...my nerves are beginning to start up.

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