Instrumental Invasion, 1/26/22 January 27, 2022
Posted by Mike C. in Airchecks, Audio, Film, Internet, Jazz, Media, Music, Personal, Politics, Radio, TV.add a comment

The January 26 Instrumental Invasion on WCWP was recorded from December 7 to 9, 2021. The first segment was recorded at home on the 7th, four segments at the remote location on the 8th, and the last segment and pickups back at home on the 9th. More pickups were recorded at the remote location on the 14th as I shortened four segments. Starting next week, all segments will be 18 minutes long, bringing me full circle as that was the standard duration for the first seven months of Instrumental Invasion. (Going forward, I will not specify where segments are recorded; only when.)
The playlist was created on December 5 with annotations on the 6th. The talk break script was drafted on the 6th and 7th.
The stream cut out seven minutes into the show. Audio returned 39 minutes later, but uncompressed and initially fluctuating between channels. I will reuse the songs that didn’t air in future shows.
I played “Sundance” by Boney James because it was on the smooth jazz radio charts at the time of recording. I also wanted to work in the line “without Butch” in reference to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. You won’t hear that on Watercolors!
I didn’t realize “Legacy” by Kenny G – a “duet” with Stan Getz – was new to the charts. I chose it as the first of six tracks to play from New Standards because it was featured in Kenny’s episode of the HBO documentary series Music Box that aired on December 2, the day before the album’s release. Plus, I got to call back to the Return to Forever song at the top of the show (“Medieval Overture“) since Stan Getz collaborated with Chick Corea during the RTF era. Fun fact: Chick’s compositions “Captain Marvel” and “500 Miles High” were recorded with Stan before RTF, but Light as a Feather came out first.
And yes, it’s true. I once let slip my political views on air, as noted after Jeff Lorber‘s “Anthem for a New America.” These days, the less I know about politics and current events, the better, and I don’t want to clash with people. I want to be everyone’s friend, regardless of politics. Incidentally, this was the second week in a row where I played a song from Jeff’s He Had a Hat album.
Click here to download the aircheck MP3 or listen below:
The dead air portion was filled with segment file audio. The audio afterward was hard limited with the fluctuating portion converted to mono.
Instrumental Invasion, 11/24/21 November 25, 2021
Posted by Mike C. in Airchecks, Animation, Audio, Comedy, Internet, Jazz, Media, Music, Personal, Politics, Radio, TV, Video Games.add a comment

The November 24 Instrumental Invasion on WCWP was recorded one hour per day on October 4 and 6. I chose not to record on the 5th due to insomnia the night before. Recording was done on my laptop at my secondary location, but with my spare Audio-Technica AT2020 mic connected to my Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 that I used at home before receiving a new mixer for Christmas. The mic stood on a boom for three years under the false hope of conducting an interview with a house guest. Accepting reality, I brought the mic and interface to the other location to use with my laptop. I’d finally achieved a universal sound with the same mic model in both locations. The only problem is I noticed a hum on my talk breaks, which I determined was from the fluorescent lights on the ceiling. Apparently, I had gotten used to the hum and forgot it existed. I know now to turn off the lights before recording.
Pickups were recorded from home on October 8 and 21. Segments were also remixed on the 21st down to 18:30 or close to it.
The playlist was created on October 1 and annotated on the 2nd. The script was drafted before recording on the 4th.
To accommodate all the new music I received, I replaced the 1984 and earlier segment with a third 2017 to present segment.
This was the first show with a new Dan Siegel liner in mind. Segments from the previous four shows featuring his music were retrofitted to include the liner.
In addition to new music by Dan, the show also marked the debut of the Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio after his music was sent my way for airplay consideration. I said the title of the song I played “Girly Face,” a la Arnold Schwarzenegger, in reference to his phrase “girlie men.” The phrase was co-opted from the Hans and Franz sketch on Saturday Night Live, in the same manner that “cheese-eatin[g] surrender monkeys” was co-opted from an episode of The Simpsons.
I averted an error when crafting the second segment of hour 1, but missed the one in hour 2’s second segment. Thinking I had 3:50 available rather than 2:50, I selected “Watch Your Step” by Chris Geith. I realized the error during the October 6 recording session, replacing it with “Nocturnal” by Lisa Hilton. You’ll hear Chris’s song next week.
I’ve been meaning to end a show with Gerald Albright‘s cover of “Crazy” for a while, but it never fit. There was finally time for it this week.
Little did I realize that the penultimate song of the night, “Looking Ahead” by Bill Heller, would get the music video treatment the day after I finished recording. Here it is, with all musicians except for the percussionist (Paula Atherton is featured in the thumbnail on flute):
I didn’t mention on the air, but it was my parents’ 44th wedding anniversary.
Click here to download the aircheck MP3 or listen below:
8:45 AM UPDATE: I made another mistake that I didn’t notice until listening to the aircheck. When drafting the script, I mistook the first “i” in Dan Feiszli for an “r,” leading me to call him “Dan Ferszli” while back-selling “Full Sail” by Lawson Rollins.
My experience at Day 1 of 2021 New York Comic Con October 9, 2021
Posted by Mike C. in Airchecks, Animation, Art, Audio, Audiobooks, DVD, Health, History, Internet, Jazz, Media, Music, News, Personal, Politics, Radio, Technology, Trains, Travel, TV, Video, War, Wrestling.2 comments
Other New York Comic Con recaps: 2012 Day 2, 2014 Day 1, 2017 Day 1, 2018 Day 1, 2019 Day 1
I returned to the Javits Center on Thursday for the first day of this year’s New York Comic Con, my sixth time at the event. It was also the first time I set foot in Manhattan since a failed trip to Lisa Hilton’s performance at Carnegie Hall, nearly two years ago.
The days and weeks leading up to my trip were filled with trepidation. I felt anxious about what to expect. Would there be a capacity limit? Would I get scolded by staff or security? Did I waste my money on a badge? Why did William Shatner have to go to space, leading his events to be moved to the evening?
The day turned out to be as exciting as it was my last time at NYCC in 2019.
Under the assumption that I’d be meeting Shatner, I tweeted him about my concerns:
Been going back/forth on replying, but here goes: I have Asperger Syndrome, & I’m going to day 1 of NY Comic Con on Oct 7. I’m worried about what to expect, including photo op w/you that I bought. I’m hoping staff are nice, not angry/scolding. Will wear mask, of course.
Mike Chimeri
He replied encouragingly. I was hoping to link to that reply, but it seems to have been taken down.
Regardless, that led to many more replies from fellow fans. One fan in the UK made this suggestion:
Hi Mike, not sure if you have the same in the States, but in the UK we have a scheme where people wear a lanyard with sunflowers on, this signifies that the person wearing the lanyard may perceive life differently and to be a bit more understanding around them.
Mark ELVIS Goddard, @GBsBestElvis
They are just a subtle way to let people know to be kind I work in the tourist industry & if a customer is wearing one we automatically know 2b kind & maybe a bit calmer around them, but they don’t have that awkward conversation of explaining why they don’t do lifts for example!
Mark ELVIS Goddard, @GBsBestElvis
So, I paid about $8 for a set of artificial sunflower heads. They shed like dog fur, but I proudly put one in my ticket holder above my badge.
My day began like any other Thursday since last April, in the days when the Javits Center was a field hospital for COVID patients: edit Wednesday’s Instrumental Invasion aircheck, make a scoped version for my blog, publish the blog post, and share the post on social media. That left me about 45 minutes to eat breakfast (a bowl of cereal), shower, and get dressed and packed.
An Uber driver picked me up around 9:00, dropping me off at Wantagh LIRR station within ten minutes. Once there, I bought my ticket and walked to my usual spot on the west end of the platform, above Wantagh Avenue. The train arrived at 9:28:
I was hoping for the new M9 railcar, but it was the old M7. Oh, well.
I listened to much of my aircheck on the platform and then on the train.
Penn Station has changed drastically since last January, as seen in these photos taken on the way back from Javits:
When I arrived at Javits, my Clear app vaccination voucher was scanned, then my badge, and I went through security. It was hassle-free, thankfully. I took the first photo at 10:42, snapping away until I reached the autographing area in hall 1E:
Knowing I’d be meeting Dee Bradley Baker, earlier in the week, I ordered a compilation DVD on Amazon of Phineas and Ferb episodes centered around Perry the Platypus, Dee’s character. Assuming I’d be seeing William Shatner’s panel at 11AM and getting a photo op at 12:10 PM, I bought a 1PM ticket for Dee. Thankfully, it was accepted at 11:00.
As I waited in line, I saw Dee and other celebrity guests assembling behind the curtain. I waved to Dee and he signaled back to me, pointing two fingers at his eyes and then toward me, as if to say “I’m watching you.” That was flattering. When I was next in line, I learned that photos were not allowed at the table; autographs only. I asked the representative if he had a photo op. Yes, at 3:40, an hour and 50 minutes before the rescheduled Shatner photo op would have been. I was fine with that.
Dee and I spoke briefly as he signed the DVD box art:

To Mike!
Dee Baker
Agent P (Perry’s code name in the O.W.C.A. [Organization Without a Cool Acronym])
Dee’s autograph
Then, he graced me with Perry’s signature vocal effect. We said our goodbyes and I proceeded to the sales table to buy my photo op.
It took half an hour because neither my credit nor debit cards worked and I had to withdraw cash from an ATM, then going on the line for cash payments.
I had 3 1/2 hours to spend until it was time to wait in the queue. What to do?
First, I bought lunch at the food court: chicken fingers with waffle fries and a Sprite. I ate as I finished listening to my aircheck. When I went to out my Bose SoundLink wireless headphones away, the ear cushion for the right channel came loose. I had to buy a replacement set from their website.
After that, I proceeded up to the show floor:
What?! Jerry “The King” Lawler and Jim “Good Ol’ J.R.” Ross?!
I was a big pro wrestling fan growing up, along with my sister Lauren and cousins Chris and Sam (Samantha). After another ATM trip, a dream of mine was fulfilled: an autographed photo…:

To Mike!
“King” Jerry Lawler (WWE) HOF 07
Jim Ross
WWE HOF ’07
Jerry and Jim’s autographs
…and a photo op with King and J.R.!:

As you can see, I wore my 2020 U.S. Open shirt, previously seen in my pretend Winged Foot photo.
Before the photo, I told King that I didn’t know he’d be there. True to form, he quipped that he didn’t, either, but found himself and J.R. there anyway, or words to that effect. Don’t quote me. All I know is my comeback was “yeah, that’s how it goes,” meaning that’s what happens. After the photo, I told J.R. how long I’d been a fan and that I really enjoyed his two books, Slobberknocker and Under the Black Hat, which I listened to on Audible. He thanked me. (I synopsized Under the Black Hat in my latest “audiobooking” post.)
I took some more photos on the show floor…:
…then went back to the food court for seltzer (sparkling water) and a cookie. I engaged in conversation with my table mates, then called a few friends, and texted Lauren and Chris with a photo of the photo:

There was still plenty of time, so I sought out room 1E01: the Quiet Room:

As the name suggests, it’s a place where you can silently contemplate. I used my time in the room to charge my phone and draft the post you’re reading now.
My plan to pass the time worked. 3:15 came and I walked to the queue:
I spent the next 20 minutes or so chatting with my fellow queue members, then it was time.
I handed a staff member my ticket, put my belongings on a shelf, and was reunited with Dee. Here is our photo:

I was looking straight ahead, so I didn’t know what expression he made. I love it: Jack Benny-esque.
I said goodbye again, grabbed my belongings, picked up my photo print, and left the Javits Center. I may not have seen and met William Shatner, but I made many lasting memories. I’m so happy with how the day turned out. I will definitely be back.
Incidentally, there are articles on Bill’s 6:45 panel – which I would have seen if it was still at 11AM – on CNN’s website and Mediaite. Mediaite’s article includes a YouTube video of the panel (by Gragon Productions):
I watched on Friday night. It was like I was there in person.
10/13 UPDATE: Bill’s space trip was this morning. I didn’t realize it would only be a few minutes, but those few minutes were literally awesome for him. Watch the Blue Origin webcast replay:
10/14 UPDATE: Then, watch the moment of apogee inside the capsule:
10/17 UPDATE: Blue Origin had one more video up their sleeve: a recap:
Back to October 7.
Here’s my photographic journey back to Penn Station:
I reached Penn at 4:05…:
…and took the 4:12 bound for Wantagh, which was another M7:

When I arrived in Wantagh at 5:02, my mom was waiting to drive me home. As it turns out, the Penn-bound train was an M9:
Back in my room, I took photos of all the day’s belongings:

POSTSCRIPT: While perusing the New York Comic Con site on Friday afternoon, I noticed George Takei, Bill’s Star Trek co-star, was in the Q&A portion of his panel. So, I watched, periodically taking screencaps. In addition to Star Trek, he fielded questions about the animated film Kubo and the Two Strings, the video game Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3, his political activism stemming from internment during World War II (I ached as he told his story), and fond memories of Leonard Nimoy, another Star Trek co-star. One anecdote in particular was about how George saw Leonard perform in the play Equus on Broadway and Leonard returned the favor when George performed in the L.A. production. After the last question, George stood up, thanked the fans in the hall, and gave them Spock’s Vulcan salute. Now, how about those screencaps?
Well, thank you for making it this far. My next task is to chronicle the return of WCWP Homecoming Weekend. Till then, so long.
Audiobooking 6 April 4, 2021
Posted by Mike C. in Animation, Audio, Audiobooks, Baseball, Comedy, Commentary, Film, History, Media, Personal, Politics, Radio, Sports, TV, Video.add a comment
It’s been just over a year since the previous post. Instrumental Invasion has taken up most of my time, providing a necessary escape from the tumultuous reality.
I continue to listen to audiobooks on days where I workout and run, or even while editing photos. My source remains Audible, now as a paid member. When I’m billed at the end of each month, I use my credit on the next audiobook to listen to. As I type, I have a three-book backlog.
Here’s what I’ve been listened to since Andrea Barber’s memoir:
- Relentless: Unleashing a Life of Purpose, Grit, and Faith by John Tesh – Back and forth between life events and his cancer treatment and recovery
- Love, Lucy by Lucille Ball (read by Lucie Arnaz)
- The Facts of My Life by Charlotte Rae (1926-2018) and Larry Strauss (her son) (read by Charlotte) – Like me, Charlotte’s firstborn son (Larry’s older brother) Andy was on the autism spectrum – I felt deep empathy whenever Charlotte talked about him
- I, Rhoda: A Memoir by Valerie Harper (1939-2019) – As a compulsive overeater, I can relate to Valerie’s struggle
- Inside Out: A Memoir by Demi Moore – Came off as a downer at times
- Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years by Julie Andrews with Emma Walton Hamilton (her daughter) (read by Julie) – sequel to Home: A Memoir of My Early Years
- The Answer Is…: Reflections on My Life by Alex Trebek (1940-2020) (read mainly by Ken Jennings with a few chapters read by Alex) – Eugene Levy’s last name is pronounced “levvy,” Ken; not “leavy”
- Raised Eyebrows, Expanded Edition: My Years Inside Groucho’s House by Steve Stoliar, who also read Dick Cavett’s introduction in Dick’s voice – Very entertaining – Boo, Erin Fleming!
- The Plus: Self-Help for People Who Hate Self-Help by Greg Gutfeld – recorded in the early days of the pandemic, before a certain event tore the country apart – another one of those books catching me up on all the news I chose to avoid – Greg hates “at the end of the day” just as much as I do
- Riding the Elephant: A Memoir of Altercations, Humiliations, Hallucinations, and Observations by Craig Ferguson – At times, Craig came close to deriding religion and right-wing political figures
- The Day It Snowed in April: A Memoir by Devin Devasquez – Mostly about her relationship with Prince, but does chronicle her life – seemed to be read in one take, complete with pauses – “at the end of the day”
- Killing Crazy Horse: The Merciless Indian Wars in America by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard (introduction read by Bill, otherwise read by Robert Petkoff)
- Beastie Boys Book by Michael Diamond and Adam Horovitz (read by Michael, Adam, and various celebrites, including Rachel Maddow) – Left-wing politics nearly marred my listening, but I hung in to the end – I’m sure it would have been worse if it came out around the time I listened in October
- All the Way: My Life in Four Quarters by Joe Namath with Sean Mortimer and Don Yaeger (read by Joe)
- Full Count: The Education of a Pitcher by David Cone and Jack Curry (read by David)
- As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes with Joe Layden (read by Cary) – Cary isn’t the only voice you’ll hear – we also hear accounts from Rob Reiner (who wrote the foreword), Andy Scheinman, Robin Wright, Christopher Guest, Chris Sarandon, Wallace Shawn, Billy Crystal, and Carol Kane – Fred Savage, Mandy Patinkin, Norman Lear, and author/screenwriter William Goldman are portrayed by the same narrator, whose name I didn’t catch
- The Me Generation…by Me: Growin Up in the ’60s by Ken Levine (la-VYNE) – Left-wing political perspective, but for half-century-old events; didn’t bother me
- Simpsons Confidential: Jokes, Secrets, and Outright Lies from a Lifetime Writing for The Simpsons by Mike Reiss (“rees”) with Mathew Klickstein (read by Mike, including Judd Apatow’s foreword) – Left-wing political perspective on events from the last 20 years! – Religion bashing, southern state bashing, Bush bashing, Trump bashing, anger over Jonah Goldberg co-opting “cheese-eating surrender monkeys” – Add a misleading cheery voice, and you get a smiling character assassin from Bristol, Connecticut (whose youth predated ESPN, which wasn’t mentioned), verbally shooting down everyone he hates – At least I learned about his days on The Critic before I rage quit listening with an hour to go – Instagram post:
I was a big fan of “The Critic” and have been an on-and-off fan of “The Simpsons.” I heard the cheery voice of Mike Reiss (“rees”) in DVD commentaries for both shows. I thought I would like “Simpsons Confidential.” While it had its moments, the book was mostly a string of personal or locational attacks: Texas, South Carolina, Tim Allen, Republican politicians, etc. Never meet your heroes and don’t listen to their memoirs. I was previously let down in a similar fashion by Ron Perlman, Joely Fisher, Carrie Keagan, and Eric Idle. I was somehow able to tolerate the political asides of Billy Crystal, Carl Reiner, and Ken Levine (“laVYNE”) in their memoirs.
My Instagram post, 1/30/21; a screencap of Audible’s credit was the post photo
Thankfully, Audible refunded my credit for the book, even with only 55 minutes left to listen to. I used it to buy Jerry Seinfeld’s “Is This Anything?” I hope nothing makes me regret that purchase.
If you want to see Mike’s latest personal attacks on people he hates, he’s on Twitter at MikeReissWriter.
- All in All: An Actor’s Life On and Off the Stage by Stacy Keach (foreword by Alec Baldwin, read by voice actress whose name, again, I missed) – Only political in the ’60s and early ’70s – blessed relief after enduring Mike Reiss
- Is This Anything? by Jerry Seinfeld (chapter titles read by British voice actress) – Jerry’s jokes by decade, prefaced by synopses of his life in each decade
- Never Look at the Empty Seats: A Memoir by Charlie Daniels (1936-2020) – Nearly the opposite of Ken Levine and Mike Reiss politically – pleasant to my center-right ears – nice to learn about his full career besides “The Devil Went Down to Georgia”
- Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey – Except for acknowledging 2020 events at the end, enjoyable to listen to – “NOTE TO SELF! …”
- Under the Black Hat: My Life in the WWE and Beyond by Jim Ross with Paul O’Brien (read by JR) – Focuses on JR’s WWF/WWE career, beginning at Wrestlemania XV in 1999 (six years after his initial debut) – for a wider life story, I’ll need to check out Slobberknocker: My Life in Wrestling
There, all caught up.
Until next year’s “Audiobooking” post, happy listening.
Audiobooking 5 April 1, 2020
Posted by Mike C. in Animation, Audio, Audiobooks, Comedy, Commentary, Film, History, Media, Military, News, Personal, Politics, TV, Video.add a comment
In light of my practically apolitical audiobook streak since I impulsively quit the “Audiobooking” series, save for the right end of the spectrum, I chose to bring it back. Here’s what I’ve been listening to while exercising since September 2018:
- My Days: Happy and Otherwise by Marion Ross with David Laurell (read by Marion with David and guest voices; foreword written and read by Ron Howard)
- Killing the SS: The Hunt for the Worst War Criminals in History by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard (read by Bill, with periodic mispronunciations)
- #DoNotDisturb: How I Ghosted My Cell Phone to Take Back My Life by Jedediah Bila – Since listening to this, I’ve put my phone in airplane mode when I don’t want to be disturbed, typically at bedtime
- The Geraldo Show: A Memoir by Geraldo Rivera – This book mostly chronicles Geraldo’s war reporting in Afghanistan and Iraq
- Stay Hungry by Sebastian Maniscalco
- Live Long and…: What I Learned Along the Way by William Shatner with David Fisher (read by Bill)
- The Light Within Me: An Inspirational Memoir by Ainsley Earhardt
- Always Look on the Bright Side of Life: A Sortabiography by Eric Idle – There was a brief political rant toward the end, using an airport employee as a strawman
- Grateful American: A Journey from Self to Service by Gary Sinise with Marcus Brotherton (read by Gary)
- A Polaroid Guy in a Snapchat World by David Spade (Audible original)
- The United States of Trump: How the President Really Sees America by Bill O’Reilly (read by Rick Adamson, with periodic mispronunciations [i.e. “mewler”]; beginning and end read by Bill)
- Never Play Dead: How the Truth Makes You Unstoppable by Tomi Lahren – A handful of “at the end of the day”
- The Way I Heard It by Mike Rowe
- Voice Lessons: How a Couple of Ninja Turtles, Pinky and an Animaniac Saved My Life by Rob Paulsen with Michael Fleeman (read by Rob; foreword written and read by his son Ash) – I read the paperback as I listened on Audible; I posted a review in November
- Vocal Recall: A Life in Radio and Voice Overs by Neil Ross
- 9 Rules of Engagement: A Military Brat’s Guide to Life and Success by Harris Faulkner – She said “at the end of the day” once
- Finding the Bright Side: The Art of Chasing What Matters by Shannon Bream
- Break Shot: My First 21 Years by James Taylor (Audible original) – Periodic song excerpts
- Goldie: A Lotus Grows in the Mud (abridged) by Goldie Hawn
- Full Circle: From Hollywood to Real Life and Back Again by Andrea Barber
2018 humbled me with the unexpected political turns in the memoirs I listened to, not to mention Kevin Hart’s endless tangents. It taught me to choose the audiobooks I buy carefully. If the author is politically active from the left on social media, chances are it will come up in their book. Eric Idle was the last mistake in that respect, which is why I haven’t bought John Cleese’s memoir. Thankfully, Neil Ross only had one political sentence in his book: deriding right-to-work states. I wonder what Goldie Hawn’s memoir, released in 2005, would have been like if it came out today. Never Play Dead and The United States of Trump weren’t exactly choir music, either. The books reminded me of the political stories I missed while avoiding current events. Nevertheless, they were worth listening to, as were the rest of the audiobooks listed above.
Whenever Andrea Barber mentioned her son Tate in Full Circle, I thought of a running gag on the Game Sack YouTube channel involving TATE Mode, the vertical screen orientation for arcade games. It’s generally pronounced “tah-tay,” but host Joe Redifer pronounces it phonetically, an acceptable alternate pronunciation. Whenever a game is featured with TATE Mode, he’ll get facetiously hyperbolic.
I have three more audiobooks to listen to in my Audible app after I finish Full Circle, and you’ll see what those were in the next “Audiobooking” post. Until then, happy listening.
Lisa Hilton at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall: 2019 edition January 12, 2019
Posted by Mike C. in Animation, Blu-ray, Comedy, DVD, Hockey, Internet, Jazz, Media, Music, Personal, Photography, Politics, Sports, Travel, TV, Video Games, Weather.add a comment
Previous Lisa Hilton recaps: June 2011, January 2014, January 2015, January 2016, January 2018
Thursday night, for the fifth time in six years, I made my way to the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall to see jazz pianist Lisa Hilton perform.
Unlike last year, I didn’t leave the house early so I could eat dinner before arriving at Weill. I went about my typical Thursday routine, including eating a pasta dinner around 5:00. At 5:40, my mom drove me to the Wantagh LIRR station. It’s a good thing I chose to leave at that time because unbeknownst to me, the 5:59 train was moved up to 5:55 starting on Monday:
The other arrival times are unchanged.
It was cold and windy on the platform, so it’s a good thing I wasn’t there long.
The train arrived two minutes late, at least on clocks set to the official U.S. time:
Just like the snowy night I saw the Bob James Trio at the Blue Note, the Rangers and Islanders were playing each other. Then, the game was at Barclays Center, current home of the Islanders. This time, it was at Madison Square Garden. Thus, Rangers and Islanders fans were prevalent on the train. Ordinarily, I would have stayed on all the way to Penn Station, but getting to Carnegie Hall isn’t as direct as Blue Note. I could have taken the 1 train from Penn to 59th Street-Columbus Circle, but I would have to walk a few blocks south and east from there. In the afternoon, I consulted Google Maps to determine what subway line I should take instead of the 1. They suggested I exit at Woodside and take the 7 train to Queensboro Plaza, then transfer to the N or W trains to 57th Street and 7th Avenue. That’s what I did.
I arrived at Woodside at 6:46 and proceeded to the adjacent subway station:
I lost my sense of direction and stood in position for this Flushing-bound train:
I figured out where I was facing when the doors wouldn’t open on my side.
The correct 7 train arrived at 6:52:
12 minutes later, I stood in Queensboro Plaza:
Google Maps suggested the N train on the way and the W train going back. I ended up doing the opposite. The W train arrived before the N, two minutes after I got off the 7:
By 7:15, I was at 57th Street:
I took the southeast corner stairway:
The stairway faces south, so I had to turn north and then east:
It wasn’t long before I reached my destination:
Foolishly choosing the stairs over the elevator, I (somewhat) breathlessly arrived on the fourth floor and stood in the lobby until the hall doors were opened:
The audience was allowed in at 7:30.
After finding my front row not-quite-center seat, I took a few pictures of the stage, knowing I’d have to put the camera away until afterward:
A security guard reminded me there was no photography during the show, and I assured him I was only taking before and after. I know the rules and willingly play by them. (I didn’t tell him that.)
Lisa and her two bandmates walked on stage at 8:04. Yes, for the first time, this was a trio performance. Luques (“lu-KEZ”) Curtis was once again on acoustic bass with Mark Whitfield Jr. on drums. Mark alternated between sticks and brushes depending on the song.
The first nine songs were all from Lisa’s latest album, Oasis, released on December 7. The concept is similar to that of her previous album, Escapism: escaping the craziness of the real world. At the Oasis, you can take your mind off the political turmoil and extreme weather dominating the news. A case of extreme weather is the Woolsey fire in Southern California, which forced Lisa to evacuate her Malibu home. She eventually returned home to no damage, but others weren’t as fortunate.
I’m right-of-center politically, but I can’t stand politics’ insane tribalism. It’s our way or the highway, whether “our” is Republicans or Democrats. And don’t get me started on the politics of personal destruction. One wrong move will destroy your life. I also have a pessimistic view of my party’s chances in elections and I take hyperbole from left-leaning politicians and pundits personally.
Since late September, I have paid little attention to the news. I know what happened on November 6, and that my left-wing friends gloated triumphantly, but that’s mostly it. Some news comes to my attention by overhearing what someone is watching in another room, from newspapers on display at the supermarket if I fail to avert my gaze, or reading Chuck Lorre’s vanity cards at the end of episodes of his sitcoms. I keep my head buried in music, sports (but not sports debate or news magazines), documentaries, cartoons, sitcoms, tech reviews, and video game or console reviews and retrospectives. Ignorance is bliss.
I used to occasionally post political links or videos, such as for Prager University, on Facebook, but I stopped a year ago. Now, I don’t talk politics at all on any of my social media (I seldom did on Twitter since my account is public) or with family and friends, unless we agree. I’m a people-pleaser; I want to be everyone’s friend. I don’t want politics to come between us.
Lisa promised that the songs we were about to hear would be uplifting. There wouldn’t be any songs with titles like “F U Donald,” as John Scofield had with Combo 66 in November.
The set ran about 70 minutes. Here’s what Lisa Hilton’s trio played:
1. Adventure Lands
This made me think of the times I went to the Adventureland amusement park in Farmingdale when I was growing up.
2. Oasis
Mark Whitfield Jr. provided a swing beat at times. At one point, I followed Luques Curtis’s fingers on the bass.
3. Twists of Fate
Lisa credited Count Basie and Thelonious Monk among her inspirations for this song.
4. Watercolor World
5. Vapors & Shadows (also on Horizons, 2015)
In a quiet moment, Mark lightly clacked the drums. Lisa and I seemed to lock eyes briefly.
6. Lazy Daisy
This brought to mind a hippie daisy floating downstream or lying in an inner tube in a water park lazy river, like the one at Splish Splash in Riverhead. That was another park I frequented growing up, but I haven’t been there in almost 20 years.
7. Just for Fun (also on In the Mood for Jazz, 2003; Nuance, 2010; and Getaway, 2013)
Lisa’s gliding up and down the keys made me laugh.
8. Sunshine States
There was a Latin flavor befitting the two Sunshine States, California (officially the Golden State) and Florida. It was reminiscent of Chick Corea, and the end felt like “Tequila” by The Champs, just as “Hot Summer Samba” did last year.
9. Sunday Morning (also on Midnight in Manhattan, 2006)
10. Waterfall (from Cocktails at Eight, 2000)
11. Meltdown (from Sunny Day Theory, 2008; later on Nuance, 2010; and Escapism, 2017)
This song is a comment on a hectic life, being driven to a meltdown or breakdown. It had a frantic, heavy metal-like pace, and also brought to mind boss music in a video game. There were occasionally staccato Morse Code-like notes.
12 (Encore). Zero Gravity (from Escapism, 2017)
Coincidentally, earlier in the day, I watched the fourth Futurama film, Into the Wild Green Yonder (2009), on Blu-ray. One of the special features involved series executive producers Matt Groening and David X. Cohen talking about their recent Zero G flight. They and their fellow passengers, including Matt’s son Will, experienced periods of weightlessness.
As it turned out, no one else was seated in the front row, not even in the handicap seats. I could have moved, but chose not to.
1/18 UPDATE: Lisa posted a picture from the set (taken by photographer Ryan Nava) to Facebook, her website, and her newsletter last night:
Here’s the Facebook post, which ends with a link to her web post:
1/29 UPDATE: Lisa posted two more of Ryan Nava’s pictures to social media yesterday:
When the house lights went back up in Weill Recital Hall, and the audience began to leave, I said aloud, to no one in particular, that was a great show. Steve, who was seated one row behind me, agreed. I told him it was my fifth time, he said it was his first. We spoke a little more, then went our separate ways. I proceeded to the lobby to meet and greet Lisa and Luques. I didn’t see Mark, though. As I let other audience members talk to them for a while, I shared my enthusiasm with Adam and Vicki. Adam was seated a row or two behind me and told me he noticed that I was taking notes. I let him know it was for the recap you’re reading right now, and shared some of the notes with him. He was nice enough to take a picture of Lisa and me before I left:
I rightly took the elevator back down to the first floor.
By 9:46, I was back in the 57th Street subway station:
My N train for Queensboro Plaza arrived at 9:54:
Ten minutes later, I was among a massive throng of passengers (whom I didn’t photograph out of privacy) waiting to board the 7 train:
It took another ten minutes for that 7 train to arrive, and a couple more minutes before the doors were opened. I barely fit into the cramped car I walked into. There was little relief between stops as few people got off. Flushing was likely the majority destination.
The late arrival of the 7 train at Woodside meant I missed my LIRR train for Wantagh.
The good news is I would only have to wait about 20 minutes for the next Babylon-bound train:
The bad news is it was an express train that only stopped at Woodside, Jamaica, Valley Stream, and Freeport, with no other stops before Babylon. My dad was nice enough to drive 15 minutes out to Freeport to pick me up because I wasn’t about to wait until about 11:15 for a train that would stop at Wantagh.
After waiting upstairs out of the wind for 15 minutes, I proceeded to the track 4 platform and waited for my train:
Brrr! Each gust was tough to endure.
I was relieved to board the warm train at 10:47:
Once again, there were Rangers and Islanders fans aboard. And once again, the Islanders won. This time, 4-3. As a Rangers fan, this has been a tough season. (8:20 PM UPDATE: The game was part of a home-and-home. The Rangers won 2-1 at Barclays Center earlier today.)
The train was scheduled to arrive at Freeport by 11:15. Instead, it was there at 11:23. My railcar was a few blocks from where Dad was. Once inside his car, the drive back to Wantagh took 15 minutes, the same length it took to get to Freeport. Home sweet home.
Thank you to Lisa Hilton, Luques Curtis, and Mark Whitfield Jr. for the fifth great night of music in six years. (I couldn’t make it in 2017.) Thanks, as well, to Steve, Adam, and Vicki from the audience; and of course, to my parents for transportation to and from the train stations.
John Scofield’s Combo 66 at Blue Note December 2, 2018
Posted by Mike C. in Jazz, Music, Personal, Photography, Politics, Travel, Weather.add a comment
Two weeks after braving wintry conditions to see the Bob James Trio at Blue Note Jazz Club in Greenwich Village, I returned to the legendary venue to see guitarist John Scofield‘s Combo 66 quartet.
363 nights after seeing saxophonist Dave Koz for the first time, as his 20th Anniversary Christmas Tour stopped at the Tilles Center, it was time to see John Scofield for the first time.
Skies were partly cloudy with a stiff westerly breeze on Thursday afternoon as I walked from my house to the Wantagh LIRR station. I took an earlier train than the last time: 4:27 this time. Aboard the train, an M3 railcar, I sat in the head car and could see straight ahead, a perspective I seldom see.
Once at Penn Station, I boarded an E train for West 4th Street. I arrived outside Blue Note at exactly 5:45:
Within 20 minutes, I was inside. I thought about sitting by the stage again, but opted for a seat further back and elevated. Unfortunately, I didn’t make any new friends at the table this time. A father and son, and man in his 20s kept to themselves and I was too shy to start a conversation.
John Scofield’s Combo 66 began their set a few minutes after 8:00:
John led the quartet on electric guitar:
He was backed up by Gerald Clayton, on piano for five songs:
…and organ, which I had a better view of, for three songs:
Vicente Archer on acoustic bass:
Bill used brushes for “I’m Sleeping In”:
There were eight songs in the quartet’s set, with all but three of them from the Combo 66 album:
1. Can’t Dance*
Originally heard on: Combo 66 (2018)
2. Hand Jive
Originally heard on: Hand Jive (1994)
3. Green Tea*
Originally heard on: A Go Go (1998)
4. Dang Swing
Originally heard on: Combo 66 (2018)
5. I’m Sleeping In
Originally heard on: Combo 66 (2018)
6. Icons of the Fair
Originally heard on: Combo 66 (2018)
7. F U Donald (Bill Stewart composition)
Originally heard on: Band Menu (Bill Stewart) (2018)
I felt like an outcast as John announced the title, an obvious shot at President Donald Trump, which received a hearty applause. The son seated next to me cheered “my man!” at the title’s sentiment. I just sighed and shook my head. The song itself was great. I thought it was better with guitar than saxophone as there was on Bill’s Band Menu. Afterward, John emphatically repeated the title and softly quipped, “now, we’d like to play a beautiful ballad for [Vice President] Mike Pence.” Even I laughed. Then, the set concluded with…
8. New Waltzo*
Originally heard on: Combo 66 (2018)
*-Gerald Clayton played organ.
It was a superb set. Not even a politically-charged song title could dampen my enjoyment. Thank you to John, Gerald, Vicente, and Bill.
Returning to Penn Station on the E train and to Wantagh on a Babylon-bound LIRR train were both uneventful. My next trip to Manhattan is slated for January 10 when I’ll once again see pianist Lisa Hilton perform.
No more “Audiobooking” posts; rant about expressions September 21, 2018
Posted by Mike C. in Audiobooks, Books, Personal, Politics.add a comment
I’ve had a rough year when it comes to audiobooks I’ve purchased on Audible. After enduring the disappointing political turn in Ron Perlman’s book last year, I was subjected to the same political turns from Carrie Keagan and Joely Fisher, culminating in Kevin Hart repeatedly going off on endless tangents in his book. He didn’t get political, but he took a political turn at the MTV Video Music Awards while I was in the process of listening to the book.
As if the tangents weren’t enough, he said “at the end of the day.” It’s time for me to come clean: I loathe that expression. I also have no use for “kind of” unless you actually mean “somewhat” or “partially.” And don’t get me started on “so” as the first word of a response to a question or to introduce a video. “So” typically means “therefore.” Oh, and uptalk/high-rising terminal.
That was a tangent, but a worthwhile one.
In light of the four audiobook disappointments, three this year alone, I’ve decided to give up the annual “Audiobooking” posts. I don’t listen as often anymore, anyway. I tend to watch YouTube videos (some of which are plagued with the aggravating expressions and/or vocal tic) or listen to podcasts (likewise) during my workouts or at bedtime.
I’ll conclude this impulsively-conceived post by linking to the final “Audiobooking” post from nine months ago.
Audiobooking 4 December 12, 2017
Posted by Mike C. in Audio, Audiobooks, Comedy, Country, Film, Game Shows, History, Internet, Media, Music, News, Personal, Politics, Radio, Technology, Theatre, TV.add a comment
Here is a list of all the audiobooks I’ve listened to in the 51 weeks since my previous “audiobooking” post:
- Rush Revere and the Presidency by Rush Limbaugh and Kathryn Adams Limbaugh (read by Rush)
- Life is Not a Stage: From Broadway Baby to a Lovely Lady and Beyond by Florence Henderson (1934-2016) with Joel Brokaw (read by Florence)
- I Am Spock (abridged) by Leonard Nimoy (1931-2015)
- Jeannie Out of the Bottle by Barbara Eden with Wendy Leigh (read by Barbara)
- My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business by Dick Van Dyke (foreword written and read by Carl Reiner)
- Unsinkable: A Memoir by Debbie Reynolds (1932-2016) and Dorian Hannaway (read by Debbie)
- Old School: Life in the Sane Lane by Bill O’Reilly and Bruce Feirstein (read by Holter Graham)
- All My Life: A Memoir by Susan Lucci with Laura Morton (read by Susan)
- Shirley Jones: A Memoir by Shirley Jones with Wendy Leigh (read by Shirley)
- I Only Know Who I Am When I Am Somebody Else: My Life on the Street, on the Stage, and in the Movies by Danny Aiello
- Where Am I Now?: True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame by Mara Wilson
- Confessions of a Serial Songwriter by Shelly Peiken (Check out my review of Shelly’s book from last March and recap of her book discussion and signing from last September)
- Easy Street (the Hard Way): A Memoir by Ron Perlman with Michael Largo (read by Ron) – the penultimate chapter, “Legacy” was highly political, from the far-left, and kept me from listening to the rest, as I wrote in my Audible review
- Whisperin’ Bill Anderson: An Unprecedented Life in Country Music by Bill Anderson with Peter Cooper (chapters read by Bill, chapter intros read by Peter) – ends with new recordings of “Bright Lights and Country Music,” “Whiskey Lullaby,” “Po’ Folks,” “I’ll Wait for You,” “City Lights,” “Still,” “Give It Away,” “The Tip of My Fingers,” “A Lot of Things Different,” and “Which Bridge to Cross” – worth getting on CD if you want to rip the tracks for listening outside of the audiobook
- Killing England: The Brutal Struggle for American Independence by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard (read by Robert Petkoff, except for introduction read by Bill)
- Lessons from the Prairie: The Surprising Secrets to Happiness, Success, and (Sometimes Just) Survival I Learned on America’s Favorite Show by Melissa Francis
- Mean Dads for a Better America: The Generous Rewards of an Old-Fashioned Childhood by Tom Shillue
- The Road to Happiness is Always Under Construction by Linda Gray
These audiobooks got me through workouts, bedtime, long walks, and boredom.
In the case of Ron Perlman’s book, I found out after the “Legacy” chapter that Ron is politically active on social media. But I digress.
While I was obsessed with Game Show Network (now GSN) in the early 2000s, I saw plenty of Bill Anderson on Goodson-Todman game shows like Match Game and Password Plus. So, it was nice to be reacquainted with him and introduced to his music.
When you read a book, you don’t hear the tone and inflection that the author had in mind. Listening to Shelly Peiken read Confessions of a Serial Songwriter put what her words I read 16 months earlier into perspective.
Next year’s post will be #5, but will not mark five years of regularly listening to audiobooks. That milestone comes in a year and a half. In the meantime, I hope I’ve inspired you to give the above audiobooks a chance. Happy listening.
Audiobooking 7 March 26, 2022
Posted by Mike C. in Animation, Audio, Audiobooks, Baseball, Books, Comedy, Commentary, Drama, Film, Football, Health, History, Internet, Media, Music, News, Personal, Politics, Radio, Rock, Sports, TV, Video, War, Wrestling.2 comments
Another year of audiobook listening is in the books. I’m still an Audible member and use each month’s credit on a new book, but throughout my membership, there will come a time where I pay $35.88 to buy three extra credits. I listened while exercising, running (or walking) errands, doing household tasks, and at bedtime.
I even listened to one book on YouTube rather than Audible. Find out which one as I list the audiobooks I listened to since last year’s Audiobooking post:
As I crafted this post, adding one book at a time, I had no idea how many books I had listened to: 34, plus three that I returned! That far exceeds the amount of books in earlier posts.
Until next year’s “Audiobooking” post, happy listening.