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November 20, 2005
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
My kid brother's up in New York for the weekend, which has been a blast. Amazing how the little brother who annoys the snot out of you, who spends his days dreaming up ways to annoy you, who you spend lots of time chasing around trying to punch when you were kids... can grow up to be your best friend. His wife had to stay home for work this time, so it's just been the brothers hanging around in New York City.
We started with the mandatory visit to Terra Blues on Friday night (it's a requisite... if you ever visit me in New York City, we will go to Terra Blues for at least an hour or two)... saw Michael Hill and a band of players (featuring Junior Mack) put together at the last second to cover a last minute illness from the featured act. Good times, good times. Broke my diet rules and had a couple of papaya dogs at some place that was an obvious knock-off from the definitive NY hot dog place, Gray's Papaya. And after the show as we were wandering back to the car, we stumbled onto one of the things that even I have to admit is very freaking cool about New York City: it really doesn't sleep, and there really is something for everyone; where else in the Western world can stumble upon a middle eastern deli and get shawerma and tabouleh at 2:00 in the morning?
We had a full day yesterday -- starting with a visit to the Guggenheim, then cut through Central Park and saw Strawberry Fields and the Dakota (hard to believe John Lennon's been gone for 25 years next month!). From there, we headed down Broadway from the Upper West Side down to the Times Square area... I generally try to avoid Times Square unless it's karaoke night and we're staying in the Crowne Plaza there -- too damn many tourists clogging the streets like they were Marlon Brando's arteries. But John wanted to hit the Virgin megastore to do some CD shopping (they're overpriced, but they do have a ridiculously wide selection there, including world music he can't get many other places). (I always get momentarily excited when I hear the name of that store... a virgin megastore? Heh huh huh heh. I'll take two blondes and a brunette please. What? Not that kind of virgin? Daaaaamn.)
We tried a walk through Times Square afterward, but it was too claustrophobic and I was quickly becoming touriscidal, so we cut over to Fifth Avenue and walked down it instead. After dinner at Bamiyan, we headed over to the Gotham Comedy Club. Before I get into the show, let me just address the clientele and their dress. I don't know the person who invented low-cut, hip-hugger jeans, and I don't know how it is that so many women in Manhattan were choosing to wear them on a 37 degree evening. All I know is that whoever invented exposed hip bones should be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Congressional Medal of Honor, the Nobel Peace Prize, and Most Likely To Succeed all at once. More than once yesterday, I honestly found myself thinking, "How on earth can you possibly hate this town? Look around you!" I'll just say this: the best scenery of the day had nothing to do with Central Park, and the most breathtaking works of art weren't at the Guggenheim. Sigh.
All right, my testosterone-laced digression aside, the show at Gotham was absolutely worth the 65 block walk from the Guggenheim. They had four acts up, and all four were funny -- three of them I found really, really good. Tom Van Horn was the opening act, and had a great routine on living in New York that had me howling in recognition. Lisa Landry, if you get the chance to see her, was very funny as well - no hold your gut and fall off your chair moments, but she got a consistent grin and chuckles throughout her 15 minute set. Very funny lady. But the "headline" act, the 30 minute set at the end of the show that absolutely brought the house down, was Louis Ramey. I swear, nobody stopped laughing -- not chuckling, not even giggling, but flat out belly-laughing -- through his entire set. If you're a stand-up fan and see that this guy is playing a club in your area.... run, don't walk to get tickets. Howlingly, side-splittingly funny guy.
We've got about four hours to kill before I have to take my brother to the airport to head home to DC. Amazingly enough, he would prefer not to spend them sitting in my apartment while I blog about how much fun this weekend has been. So we're heading out again for one last dart out on the town before he leaves. I'll probably be back on later tonight. You can sleep better now for knowing that, can't you? Later, cats.
Comments
It ain't such a bad life in NYC...Believe that.
Posted by: Corey at November 20, 2005 12:34 PM
Sounds like have had a cultured good time. I, on the other hand, am trying to uncover why I woke up buck ass naked on my bed with all the lights on. Alone.
Posted by: the beav at November 20, 2005 12:46 PM
sounds fabulous. I'm massively jealous.
Posted by: Sarah at November 20, 2005 01:50 PM
www.danecook.com.... roll. on. the. floor. funny.
Posted by: Erika at November 20, 2005 11:38 PM
tell him to send me an email sometime
Posted by: Cuzin Jose at November 21, 2005 01:00 AM
New York, Schmoo York. Much more exciting here in Raleigh, NC. It's actually raining here for the first time in several weeks. Doesn't get much more happenin' than that.
Posted by: JewsForDamon at November 21, 2005 10:07 AM
