25,000 views! June 16, 2011
Posted by Mike C. in Internet, Personal.1 comment so far
This morning, The Mike Chimeri Blog surpassed 25,000 views! Thanks to all of you that have visited since I launched the blog three years, two months, and one day ago. You’re always welcome here.
Shilts at Houndsooth Pub recap; with guests! June 13, 2011
Posted by Mike C. in Jazz, Music, Personal, Photography, Sports, Travel, Weather.add a comment
Later Shilts recap: May 2012
Saturday evening, I made my second trip to Manhattan in four days. I saw Lisa Hilton down in Greenwich Village on Wednesday. On Saturday, the musician was Shilts at Houndstooth Pub in the Fashion District, a few blocks north of Penn Station.
Unlike Wednesday when my dad and I drove to the venue, I went by myself taking the LIRR (Long Island Rail Road) to Penn Station. Not that it mattered to me, but alcohol was banned from trains that day because of the Belmont Stakes. It made sense. Why spoil the day of someone who came from out of town for the race? I was between Woodside and Penn Station while the race was in progress. Neither Shackleford nor Animal Kingdom won. Instead, Ruler on Ice was the surprise winner, as I learned through mobile web on my cell phone once inside Houndstooth Pub and watched on DVR when I got home.
Getting back to music, the last time I was at Houndstooth for Brian Simpson, there were strong winds and heavy rain. This time, there was a lighter wind and mist. The $19.99 umbrella I bought earlier in the day was worth it.
Bass player Kenny Harris opened up for Shilts with two songs. The latter song was a Bobby Caldwell cover, “What You Won’t Do For Love,” which he also played during Matt Marshak’s Houndstooth show in December.
Kenny was accompanied by his brother Rodney Harris on drums and the aforementioned Matt Marshak on guitar.
Then, it was time for Shilts.
Kenny Harris remained on bass:
Frank “Third” Richardson was on drums:
And Jay Rowe played the keyboards:
SET LIST
1. See What Happens
2. Look What’s Happened
3. Good Evans – Solo intro by Jay Rowe
4. Steve Cole: Just A Natural Thang – without Shilts
5. Sugar (Stanley Turrentine cover) – with Steve Cole
6. Seeing Things Clearly
7. Jam – with Matt Marshak
8. Staten Island Groove – with Matt Marshak
Jay led off “Good Evans” with an original piano solo:
He had another in the middle of the song:
After “Good Evans,” Shilts introduced a special guest:
Shilts yielded the stage to Steve who played “Just A Natural Thang”:
Shilts returned and Steve stuck around for “Sugar”:
Shilts brought out another special guest, Matt Marshak, seen earlier with Kenny, for the last two songs:
Third Richardson’s “Jam” drum solo:
The last song of the set was “Staten Island Groove”:
And that was it for the first set:
I’m sure the second set was just as great.
Before I left, I said hello to Shilts and we posed this picture:
I had a blast. I send my thanks to all involved: Shilts, Steve Cole, Kenny Harris, Rodney Harris, Third Richardson, Matt Marshak, Jay Rowe, Eulis Cathey, Kevin McCabe, Steve Butler, Kat Sarracco, Frank Sarracco (neither present, but there in spirit as Neko Productions was a sponsor), and Katherine Gilraine. K.G. has a post up about the entire night.
Lisa Hilton at Zinc Bar recap June 9, 2011
Posted by Mike C. in Jazz, Music, Personal, Travel, Weather.add a comment
Later recaps: January 2014, January 2015, January 2016, January 2018, January 2019
(If you’re friends with me on Facebook, I cross-posted pictures from this show in a photo album.)
Last night, my dad and I went to see pianist Lisa Hilton perform at Zinc Bar down in Greenwich Village. It was the first of two concerts I’m going to in four nights. I’ll be seeing Shilts at Houndstooth Pub on Saturday night. (6/15 UPDATE: Here’s how that show went.)
We left Wantagh at about 5:15. Thanks to delays for seven exits on the L.I.E. (Long Island Expwy., I-495) and volume on Park Ave./Union Square E./Broadway, we didn’t get to West 3rd Street until 6:30. We parked by Mercer Street, three blocks east of Zinc. We walked in the high heat and humidity past Zinc to Ben’s Pizzeria on the corner of MacDougal Street for a few slices of pizza. Eating was a challenge because we sat a table that was right next to a fan. (Ben’s was open-air with no air conditioning; hence the large fan set on high.) I had to weigh down my plates and napkins. The pizza made it worth it. After that, it was back to Zinc just before 7:00 as another band was finishing up.
Lisa was scheduled to play two sets, but she and her band seemed to combine the two into one long set. That set began at 7:20.
Lisa’s band was made up of JD Allen on the tenor saxophone:
Ameen Saleem on acoustic bass:
And Jaimeo Brown on drums:
The set lasted about an hour and 45 minutes with 15 songs played. Here’s the set list:
1. City Streets (without JD)
2. Underground*
3. Someday, Somehow, Soon*
4. Just A Little Past Midnight*
5. So This Is Love
6. Boston+Blues* (+ = and)
7. Come & Go*
8. Midnight in Manhattan
9. Meltdown
10. Seduction (Lisa solo)
11. Moon River (Henry Mancini cover) (Lisa/JD duet)
12. Blue Truth*
13. Early Morning Impressions
14. Wake Me Up When September Ends (Green Day cover) (without JD)
15. Jack & Jill*
*From Lisa’s latest album, “Underground.”
Lisa spoke to the audience between each song:
Lisa & JD during their “Moon River” duet:
Lisa rhythmically swayed her right arm at one point in “Jack & Jill” while playing with her left hand:
I spoke to Lisa afterward. We were both glad to finally meet each other in person after six years when first interviewed her at WCWP. (Those interview occurred in November 2005 and August 2006.) Then we posed for this picture:
Lisa asked me what my favorite song was. I told her it was hard to pick one favorite. So, I chose three: “City Streets,” “Underground,” and “Jack & Jill.”
It was certainly an interesting two hours at Zinc Bar. Thanks to Lisa and the band for a really good show.
FLASHBACK: Interviewed for Dave’s Gone By on New Year’s Eve 2006 June 6, 2011
Posted by Mike C. in Airchecks, Comedy, Internet, Interviews, Jazz, Media, Music, Personal, Politics, Radio, Theatre.add a comment
I was Googling my name just now and came across this page. It’s the website Dave’s Gone By, a weekly radio show hosted by Dave Lefkowitz. There I found an interview I did–in which I was the interviewee–for the Dave’s Gone By New Year’s Craptacular special on New Year’s Eve 2006. You can hear that interview here. It starts at the 8:11 mark.
I was returning the favor after interviewing Dave a handful of times for The Mike Chimeri Show, which was days from its last show. Here are all those interviews (with air dates in parentheses):
Dave Lefkowitz Interview, Part 1 (August 17, 2005)
Dave Lefkowitz Interview, Part 2 (August 17, 2005)
Dave Lefkowitz Interview II (November 23, 2005) (In this one, I accidentally refer to Dave by his show title at one point. I had to rush down to Rockville Centre after I recorded the interview and my mind was all over the place.)
Dave Lefkowitz Interview III (March 29, 2006) (This was the first of three interviews I recorded in one day. After Dave came Nick Colionne and Mindi Abair. For all my Mike Chimeri Show interviews, which I self-consciously haven’t listened to since I edited them, click here.)
Dave Lefkowitz Interview IV, Part 1 (December 22, 2006)
Dave Lefkowitz Interview IV, Part 2 (December 22, 2006) (This was the last interview I recorded for The Mike Chimeri Show.)
About four years later, I was the interviewee again during the Fan Phone Call segment of Alison Rosen’s UStream show, Alison Rosen is Your New Best Friend. You can hear that here.
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