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.
Fan phone call! September 1, 2010
Posted by Mike C. in Comedy, Internet, Interviews, Jazz, Media, Music, Personal, Pets, Photography, Radio, Sports, Technology, Travel, TV.add a comment
Since March, I have been a semi-regular viewer of Alison Rosen’s weekly internet show, Alison Rosen is Your New Best Friend, on the website UStream. One of the segments on her show, which streams through a webcam on her laptop, is Fan Phone Call. Phone numbers e-mailed to her by fans are taken out of a pot at random. The lucky fan is then called. If there is no answer, Alison leaves a funny voicemail and picks another number. If there is an answer, she interviews the fan. I e-mailed my number in March but it was never picked. So, I e-mailed it again on August 1.
This Sunday, my number was finally picked. You can see the call here. Scroll ahead to 27:40. I also recorded my end of the conversation in Adobe Audition with my mic in hand. I later mixed Alison’s end and my end together. Here’s the end result.
As you listen or watch, keep the following in mind:
- I bear no malice toward WCWP or any of the management. I have nothing but fond memories and best wishes. I’ll have more on my Homecoming show in a later post. (9/25 UPDATE: The show is not happening, but I will be at Homecoming. 10/16 UPDATE: I’m not going, but should be on hand for WCWP’s 50th anniversary next year.)
- I didn’t notice that Alison and her friend Dustin Goot were referring to the former JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater as they were pressing me on my departure from the station.
- I was speaking generally when I said I’ve stormed out of places in the past, later coming back and apologizing. It comes with having Asperger Syndrome. I may regret writing this publicly.
- As you’ve seen in a few concert recaps on this blog, I do take pictures of street signs, highway markers, and exit signs. I used to have Hagstrom’s New York City, Western Suffolk, and Eastern Suffolk atlases. Now, I only have a recent Nassau atlas. With sites like Mapquest and Google Maps with printable directions, there’s less of a need to rely on atlases.
- Despite the heat, I kept my word and went for a walk 20 minutes after the call.
C.W. Post/WCWP Homecoming 2009 recap October 6, 2009
Posted by Mike C. in Airchecks, Football, Internet, Jazz, Personal, Radio, Sports, Weather.1 comment so far
Other recaps: 2008, WCWP 50th Anniversary (2011), 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022
I arrived on campus for this year’s Homecoming shortly after 2:30. Unlike last year, the weather was cloudy (at least when I arrived), warm, and humid.
After putting all my equipment (and two bottles of soda) down at WCWP, I walked to Hickox Field to soak in the Homecoming atmosphere.
This year, the C.W. Post Pioneers football team played the Shippensburg Red Raiders.
The press box:
The WCWP play-by-play announcers were in the lower right corner.
Here’s a closer look:
The Pioneers won 40-24.
After I got back to WCWP, the rains came, and they were heavy.
There were even a few rumbles of thunder, including a loud crash.
Across from Studio 1, I noticed the print version of Jim Merritt’s Newsday recap of this year’s Long Island Radio & TV Day.
Here I am with fellow alumni Jonathan Focarino, Stephanie Koithan, Jay Mirabile, and Pete Bellotti:
The same people, but with another alumna: M.J.:
Bobby G. and Bernie Bernard:
Bernie was the board operator during Steve and Birdy’s radio show, which led in to mine.
At 6:30, I headed to the Pioneer Room in Hillwood Commons to set up for my show from the WCWP Homecoming Dinner.
Here is the audio aircheck from the show.
The same audio mixed with video from my camcorder:
And here are some vidcaps, starting with me counting down to go on:
Bernie Bernard took this picture of me as “Down the Wire” by Spyro Gyra was playing:
Back to vidcaps as I smirk at my camcorder after bobbing my head in time to “W.C. Handy Hop” by Gerald Albright:
Closing the show…
…and turning the mic off:
Back in Studio 1 at WCWP, Jay Mirabile’s “Disco and Funk King Show” followed me:
Jay and Bernie Bernard:
Jay and WCWP Homecoming Coordinator Alan Seltzer:
Jay and Eli W. Sen:
Then, I joined in:
We conclude this recap with some webcam shots from Studio 1:
See you next year!
U.S. Open 2009 recap June 25, 2009
Posted by Mike C. in Golf, Personal, Sports, Travel, TV, Weather.add a comment
Last week, Bethpage Black Golf Course hosted the 109th U.S. Open [Golf] Championship. The Black Course is one of five golf courses at Bethpage State Park. The other ones are Yellow, Red, Blue, and Green. Depending on where you are on the Black Course, you are in Old Bethpage, Melville, or Farmingdale, New York. The course also hosted the 102nd U.S. Open in 2002 won by Tiger Woods.
Heavy rains delayed the tournament on Thursday and Saturday. That pushed each round up a day. The first round was mostly played on Friday, the second round was played on Friday and Saturday, the third round was played on Saturday and Sunday, and the final round on Sunday and Monday. Needless to say, the suspension-of-play airhorns (or whatever they’re called) got quite a workout. Those rains, coupled with thousands (at least) of feet walking on the grounds created widespread mud puddles.
I was there three days during the week of the Open: Sunday, June 14, for the free pre-championship opening weekend; Tuesday, June 16, for the second Practice Round; and Sunday, June 21, for much of the third round and the start of the final round. (In 2002, I was there on June 9 and 15.)
In the days and weeks ahead, I will gradually add pictures taken on the 14th and 16th to this post.
Here are pics from June 14:
This was a special exit on the Seaford-Oyster Bay Expwy. (NY 135) northbound for U.S. Open shuttle buses coming from Jones Beach.
Heading for parking lot C:
Entering Lot C:
Getting on the spectator shuttle to the Black Course:
This is normally the parking lot for the golf courses, but during the Open, it was a pick-up/drop-off lot:
Entering the course…
Testing the jumbotron:
Fans watching players on the practice range:
The merchandise pavilion:
As people exited the pavilion, they were greeted by posters for future U.S. Open Championships:
The site for the 2016 Open was later revealed to be Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pennsylvania:
One of many concession stands:
The back of the practice range grandstands:
Walking up to the grandstands:
A tee shot in mid-flight:
Another one:
Both pictures were cropped versions of larger ones.
The main gate for shuttles to and from Jones Beach:
Let’s look inside the American Express Championship Experience tent…
The history of the U.S. Open:
An Open timeline:
Back outside, this is the gate for shuttles to and from LIRR Farmingdale Station:
Me:
Pictures from my practice round trip on June 16 still to come.
After 72 holes had been completed, Lucas Glover had won. It was his first major championship, and only his second win on the PGA Tour.
8/18/12 UPDATE: In a major case of procrastination, I never got around to posting pictures from my practice round trip. With The Barclays coming to Bethpage Black next week, it’s time for me to finally post those pics. Since there are so many, I’m posting them in gallery form. Unfortunately, I don’t know how to limit what pictures to include in the gallery. So, scroll down until you see MC61609003 – a picture of buses.
8/2/16 UPDATE: I figured out how to limit the pictures. Forget what I said in the previous update. All pictures in the gallery below are now from the practice round.
Spring 2009 pre-order update #1 April 8, 2009
Posted by Mike C. in Jazz, Personal, Sports.add a comment
Paul Brown & Marc Antoine’s collaborative CD arrived in my front porch yesterday. As I type this early Wednesday morning, I just finished listening to all ten tracks. I say this for nearly every album I listen to, but it was great.
Next week, Bernie Williams.
Latest 200+ Wii Bowling game February 28, 2009
Posted by Mike C. in Bowling, Personal, Sports, Video Games.add a comment
Early this morning, I bowled the latest 200+ game in Wii Sports’ Bowling: a 202! I was able to get marks in every frame but the last, where I got a 6-7-10 split.
Here is a picture of the final score that I took of the basement TV, where the Nintendo Wii has been back in for two weeks:
A vidcap of video I shot while I had the Wii connected to the VCR:
And finally, the video itself:
Winter pre-order update #1 February 25, 2009
Posted by Mike C. in Animation, Football, Jazz, Personal, Sports, TV.add a comment
The first round of pre-orders came out yesterday (Tuesday) and promptly arrived at my front porch. The items were:
Jeff Kashiwa, “Back In The Day”
Pieces Of A Dream, “Soul Intent”
“Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder” (DVD)
“Super Bowl XLIII Champions: Pittsburgh Steelers” (DVD)
After bringing everything in, opening the packaging, and unwrapping, I ripped (loaded CD tracks from) “Back In The Day” and “Soul Intent” to my computer. I didn’t get to watch the “Futurama” DVD or listen to the CDs, but I did watch the Super Bowl XLIII DVD. It was in widescreen format, which was zoomed by my HD upconversion DVD player. That’s why I love the player.
I’ll get around to CD listening in the next day or so.
Winter pre-orders February 9, 2009
Posted by Mike C. in Animation, Football, Jazz, Personal, Sports, TV.add a comment
It’s time for another round of pre-orders on Amazon.com. The pre-ordered items range from jazz CDs to animation DVDs to a Super Bowl Champions DVD. Here’s the list:
Jeff Kashiwa, “Back In The Day” (2/24)
Pieces Of A Dream, “Soul Intent” (2/24)
“Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder” (DVD) (2/24)
“Super Bowl XLIII Champions: Pittsburgh Steelers” (DVD) (2/24)
Rippingtons, “Modern Art” (3/10)
Down to the Bone, “Future Boogie” (4/21)
Check back in the coming weeks for pre-order updates, which will come when the items arrive or if I pre-order anything else.
2/10 UPDATE: Chuck Loeb, “Between 2 Worlds” (3/24)
Cablevision adds CNBC HD, but not FBN. December 5, 2008
Posted by Mike C. in Media, Personal, Sports, TV.2 comments
On Tuesday, Cablevision added four more HD channels to their lineup. The key add among them was CNBC HD. This flies in the face of customers like me that have been lobbying for the Fox Business Network to be added. I’ve been as vocal as I can be since a week before FBN debuted in SD (standard definition) and HD (high definition) on October 15, 2007.
Originally, I was going to say more, but I decided to hold back.
The other channels added were also under the NBC Universal umbrella: Bravo HD, SCI FI HD, and USA HD. This means that next year, I’ll be able to watch early rounds of the tennis U.S. Open in HD.
From the press release linked above:
Bravo HD (iO TV channel 745) offers Bravo’s critically acclaimed arts and entertainment programming devoted to the food, fashion, design, beauty and pop culture genres including critically acclaimed series “Top Chef 5,” “Top Design 2,” Shear Genius 2,” “Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style 2” and “The Real Housewives of New York City 2.” CNBC HD+ (channel 771) has become the essential service for the investor, providing all the elements of CNBC with greater levels of information equipping the viewer with more tools necessary to make investment decisions. SCI FI HD (channel 748 ) continues to fuel the imagination of viewers with original series and events, blockbuster movies, and classic science fiction and fantasy programming including “Sanctuary,” “Stargate Atlantis,” “Battlestar Galactica,” “Ghost Hunters” and “Eureka.” USA HD (channel 738 ) is the #1-rated television network in all of basic cable for the past three years. USA offers hit original series and feature movies, sports and entertainment events, off-net television shows and blockbuster theatrical films. Hit original series include: Emmy-winning “Monk;” Friday night comedy “Psych; #1-rated cable show of summer, “Burn Notice;” the #1-rated new show of the summer “In Plain Sight;” and the Emmy-winning series “The Starter Wife.”
2/13/09 UPDATE: After getting a comment to this post, I noticed that the “8” and “)” became a sunglasses emoticon: 8)
I’ve added a space between the two characters to fix that problem.
11/19/09 UPDATE: FBN has finally come to Cablevision!
Slightly good news: Cablevision adds more HD channels. October 16, 2008
Posted by Mike C. in Media, Personal, Sports, TV.add a comment
I went to the Cablevision About page to see if there was any new news and maybe a certain business channel added. Nope. That would be silly, of course. But five more HD channels were added this week:
BETHPAGE, NY, October 14, 2008 — Cablevision Systems Corp. (NYSE: CVC) today announced the addition of five new free high-definition channels to the iO TV digital cable lineup, which now offers customers 65 HD channels across Cablevision’s entire service area. The new channels, MTV HD, VH1 HD, CMT HD, Fuse HD and NHL Network HD, present leading music, pop culture and sports programming and will launch over a three day period from October 14-16.
Well, I had wanted NHL Network HD. So, at least I get that. Meanwhile, still no Fox Business Network. It doesn’t matter how many times Neil Cavuto says of FBN, “If you’re not getting it, demand it.” Cablevision doesn’t seem to care. Or does it? Toward the end of that link:
Sources close to negotiations indicate that FBN is closing in on a deal with one of three main holdouts: Dish Network, Cablevision and Cox.
My pessimism indicates that one of three is actually one of the two: Dish Network and Cox. I really hope I’m wrong.
11/19/09 UPDATE: FBN has finally come to Cablevision!
MikeChimeri.com 
