My experience at Day 1 of 2014 New York Comic Con October 10, 2014
Posted by Mike C. in Animation, Art, Books, Comedy, Internet, Interviews, Media, Personal, Photography, Radio, Technology, Travel, TV, Video, Video Games, Weather.add a comment
Other New York Comic Con recap: 2012 Day 2, 2017 Day 1, 2018 Day 1, 2019 Day 1, 2021 Day 1
Yesterday marked my second trip to New York Comic Con, held annually at the Javits Center in the Midtown West portion of Manhattan. This time, I went with my girlfriend. We met each other at Penn Station, going our own ways to get there. I came from Wantagh, she came from Wallingford, Connecticut.
My way to her began at around 12:15 when I walked two blocks to a bus stop for the southbound NICE (Nassau Inter-County Express) n73. The bus arrived at 12:28, two minutes ahead of schedule. That ensured I would arrive at the Wantagh LIRR (Long Island Rail Road) station in time to board a 12:32 train, an earlier train than I had planned for. If I hadn’t bought my round trip ticket the day before, I’d have to wait for the 12:57. 50 minutes later, I was at Penn Station. I met up with my girlfriend and we began the half-hour walk to the Javits Center.
We entered at West 38th Street, tapping our badges before going inside. Conventioneers were greeted by giant inflated Teen Titans – and, by extension, Teen Titans Go! – characters.
Beast Boy and Starfire:
Cyborg and Robin:
Time to head inside…
My first plan was to meet voice actor Billy West, whom I interviewed back in 2005 at WCWP. Since autographing was involved, and not knowing offhand where Booth 1280 was, despite going to NYCC two years ago, I headed downstairs.
A fellow conventioneer informed me that Booth 1280 was on the show floor. So, my girlfriend and I headed there.
On the floor…
We searched the aisle numbers and headed for the 1200s. It was there that we found Billy West.
Billy and I had a brief conversation, he signed my copy of Futurama, Volume 7 – which has Zoidberg on the cover – and my girlfriend took our picture:
He signed the cover this way:
To Mike!
…Zoidberg could eat…
Billy West
It was the highlight of my afternoon. But there was more to do. My girlfriend and I walked the floor back to a downward escalator.
Along the way, this is what we saw:
We finally reached a downward escalator:
There were a few panels I was interested in attending, but the one we settled on was here in Room 1A21:
It was for the latest (and upcoming) Transformers TV series, Transformers: Robots in Disguise. The panel began at 4:00, but we got in line at 3:00.
The line was small when we arrived and we ended up near the front. It pays to show up early. After 50 minutes in line, the door was opened. We ended up sitting front row center. It was fantastic.
The panel was moderated by Mike Vogel, the Vice President of Development for Hasbro Studios:
From right to left on the dais, there was Jeff Kline, executive producer:
Adam Beecher, producer and writer:
And the voice talent:
Will Friedle (Bumblebee):
Khary Payton (Grimlock):
Constance Zimmer (Strongarm):
…and Mitchell Whitfield (Fixit):
Now that you know the stars, here are random panel wide shots:
Khary set up the clip about to be shown:
Q&A:
After 45 minutes, the panel came to an end:
Constance and Khary stuck around to sign autographs:
Transformers: Robots in Disguise premieres in early 2015 on Cartoon Network. I can’t wait. I’m so glad I chose this panel.
After a few fun hours at New York Comic Con, my girlfriend and I called it a day:
We didn’t go right home, though. We walked down 11th Avenue to West 35th Street, taking that to 8th. We stopped in Trattoria Bianca for an early dinner. An hour later, we boarded an express LIRR train back to Wantagh, which also took an hour.
As I did for my 2012 Day 2 recap, I’ll leave you with a picture of the ticket holder I wore and the badge it carried:
10/11 UPDATE: There is an in-depth recap of the Transformers: Robots in Disguise panel at Newsarama.
And unbeknownst to me, because I didn’t look at the NYCC schedule beyond Thursday, there was a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles panel yesterday. Bam! Smack! Pow! has a recap of that, while IGN’s Scott Collura interviewed Rob Paulsen (Donatello), Greg Cipes (Michelangelo), and executive producers Ciro Nieli and Brandon Auman.
If tickets for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday hadn’t sold out so fast, I would have gone either of those days. But I’m glad I went when I did. As I noted in the original recap, I got to meet Billy West in person and to whet my appetite for Transformers: Robots in Disguise, sitting front row center for their panel in the process.
Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk September 29, 2014
Posted by Mike C. in Fire, Health, Internet, Military, News, Personal, Phone, Photography, Police, Travel, TV.add a comment
I was in New York City yesterday for the annual Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers 5K Run and Walk. I signed up back in May after my dad recommended it to me. He was impressed by all the running I had done, and at such a fast pace. The fast pace back then occurred on the treadmill, but that has extended to the outdoors since I signed up. September alone was a landmark month for me, as I routinely ran 3.6 miles in about 38 minutes. Conditioning like that prepared me for yesterday.
The day began dark and early at 4:30 AM when my alarm clock woke me up. I tried to go to sleep early and get a decent amount of hours in, but I was only able to get about three hours of sleep. I spent about an hour getting ready and was out the door with my dad at 5:30.
We traveled to Point Lookout with eleven others from Dad’s firehouse, Freeport Excelsior Hook and Ladder Co. 1. There, we joined a bigger team from Point Lookout Lido Fire Department’s 2nd Battalion.
I didn’t bring my Nikon D5100, settling on my iPhone 5 for all pictures seen in this recap.
Three buses took us to Red Hook, Brooklyn. Our Freeport team boarded first of those three.
We arrived in Red Hook shortly before 9:00.
20 minutes later, we began the long stop-and-go walk to the starting line.
Along the way, we passed Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Roman Catholic Church:
Their bell rang as we passed by.
Almost at the starting line:
And away we went!
I didn’t think I’d be able to run because of the amount of people participating. But once we crossed the starting line, I did run, though not for the entire 5K.
The Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel (aka Hugh L. Carey Tunnel):
As I ran and walked through the tunnel, music was pumped in through speakers and various runners yelled patriotic chants. It was surreal, but I enjoyed it.
The tunnel seemed to go on forever. While 1.73 miles is a mere two minutes by car, in light traffic, I was in there for 25 minutes on foot.
The light at the end of the tunnel:
When I was out, I was greeted by the sight of One World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan:
Freeport native Richie Muldowney was one of the 343 FDNY firefighters lost on 9/11:
A view of Jersey City across the Hudson River:
50 minutes after I started…
…I crossed the finish line:
My official time, listed here (search chimeri), was 0:50:36.
On my way back, there were two early buses and one late bus. The early buses were full, so I and most of the Freeport team had to wait for the late bus. While we waited, we had lunch at Greenwich Street Tavern in TriBeCa.
We were finished eating just in time to board the late bus back. It took nearly two hours to return to Point Lookout due to heavy traffic, and a half hour to return home to Wantagh.
The Tunnel to Towers 5K Run and Walk was an amazing and awesome (in the literal sense) experience. If you haven’t signed up for it before, I recommend you try it at least once.
9/30 UPDATE: The full text results can be seen here.
Planting Fields Arboretum pictures July 3, 2014
Posted by Mike C. in Jazz, Music, Personal, Photography, Travel.2 comments
I didn’t say anything about it here, but last August, a few days before the Spyro Gyra Smooth Cruise, my girlfriend and I went up to Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park in Oyster Bay. It was the first time either of us had been to the park in over a decade, years before we met. We only went there for concerts, not touring the sights. This time, we went solely to look around.
Here are select pictures from our sightseeing:
I hope this has inspired you to visit Planting Fields Arboretum. As long as the weather is dry when you go, you won’t be disappointed.
The Jeff Lorber Fusion at Blue Note June 14, 2014
Posted by Mike C. in Jazz, Music, Personal, Photography, Travel, Weather.add a comment
Monday evening marked my first trip to the famous Blue Note Jazz Club in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan.
Blue Note is not far from Zinc Bar, which I was at in June 2011 for Lisa Hilton.
The band I saw at Blue Note on Monday was the Jeff Lorber Fusion, who were originally scheduled to appear on April 7. It’s a good thing the show was moved because I would have had to deal with moderate to heavy rain on the original night. The sky was equally overcast on this rescheduled night, but it didn’t rain, at least not while I was outside.
My girlfriend and I arrived nearly two hours before showtime, 15 minutes after doors opened. Our early arrival paid off as we were seated at a table right next to center stage! It was great.
The Jeff Lorber Fusion was made up of Jeff on keyboard:
…and piano (seen here playing both):
Eric Marienthal on soprano sax:
…and alto sax:
Jimmy Haslip on bass:
…and Lionel Cordew on drums:
There were two shows that night: 8PM and 10:30 PM. Kelly and I chose the early show. The set list was as follows:
8PM SET LIST
1. Chinese Medicinal Herbs
Originally heard on: “The Jeff Lorber Fusion,” 1977; “Now is the Time,” 2010
2. Hacienda
Originally heard on: “Hacienda,” 2013
3. He Had a Hat
Originally heard on: “He Had a Hat,” 2007
4. Singaraja
Originally heard on: “Galaxy,” 2012
5. Montserrat
Originally heard on: “Galaxy,” 2012
6. Horace
Originally heard on: “Galaxy,” 2012
7. Rain Dance
Originally heard on: “Water Sign,” 1979; “Now is the Time,” 2010
8. King Kong (Frank Zappa cover)
Originally heard on: “Hacienda,” 2013
9. Surreptitious
Originally heard on: “He Had a Hat,” 2007
NOTE: Eric Marienthal played soprano sax on #1, 4, and 7, but alto otherwise.
With flash photography disallowed, and fearing that my camera’s AF-Assist light would be mistaken for a flash, I didn’t take that many pictures. But it was an exhilarating show with wild solos by each member of the band. This was my first Jeff Lorber concert, and I doubt it will be my last. Thank you to Jeff, Eric, Jimmy, and Lionel.
I’ll leave you with pictures from two solos.
First, Lionel Cordew’s “Chinese Medicinal Herbs” solo:
And Jimmy Haslip’s “Hacienda” solo:
SJFS 2014 Night 2 recap April 24, 2014
Posted by Mike C. in Internet, Jazz, Media, Music, Personal, Photography, Travel.3 comments
Jay Rowe‘s twelfth annual Smooth Jazz for Scholars benefit concert resumed on Saturday night with a packed house. They were in for a wild night.
Kevin McCabe welcomed the house, or audience, at approximately 8PM:
The first song of the night was by select members of the West Shore Middle School Band. Twelve hours earlier on Facebook, the band’s teacher, Bob Nunno, let me know that some of his students would be opening the show. I told him that was great and I looked forward to seeing them. Pictures from their song can be found in the set list below.
The band for the rest of the night consisted of Jay Rowe on keyboards:
Trever Somerville on drums:
…and Steve Scales on percussion:
SET LIST
1. Clocks (Coldplay cover)
Musicians: Select members of the West Shore Middle School Band, under the direction of Mr. Bob Nunno (who also played keyboard)
Applause:
Like the previous night, Kevin returned to the stage to introduce Jay and his band. Jay welcomed the audience…:
…then played the first song of the main show, the second song overall:
2. Pleasure Island (Jay Rowe)
Originally heard on: “Laugh Out Loud,” 2001
Featured musician: Jay Rowe (keyboards)
3. George Can’t Dance (Chieli Minucci)
Originally heard on: “Catwalk,” 1994 (Special EFX album)
Featured musicians: Chieli Minucci (electric guitar), Nelson Rangell (alto sax)
4. Till the End of Time (Chieli Minucci)
Originally heard on: “Genesis,” 2013 (Chieli Minucci & Special EFX album)
Featured musicians: Chieli Minucci (electric guitar), Nelson Rangell (alto sax)
5. Point of Departure (Nelson Rangell)
Originally heard on: “Red” and “Blue” (upcoming albums) (1/30/15 UPDATE: “Red” and “Blue” are available for download this Sunday, February 1.)
Featured musician: Nelson Rangell (alto sax)
6. Speak Softly Love (Love Theme from The Godfather)*/Slammin’ (Nick Colionne)
Originally heard on: “Influences,” 2014
Featured musician: Nick Colionne (electric guitar)
*-Jay’s intro tune for Nick
7. Melting Into You (Nick Colionne)
Originally heard on: “No Limits,” 2008
Featured musicians: Nick Colionne (vocals/electric guitar), Marion Meadows (soprano sax) (walked on mid-song)
8. The Lift (Marion Meadows)
Originally heard on: “Body Rhythm,” 1995
Featured musician: Marion Meadows (soprano sax)
Marion and Jay co-wrote this song, the last track on “Body Rhythm,” which featured both them and Dave Anderson.
9. My Cherie Amour (Marion Meadows; Stevie Wonder cover)
Originally heard on: “Body Rhythm,” 1995
Featured musicians: Timmy Maia (vocals), Marion Meadows (soprano sax), Chieli Minucci (electric guitar)
10. Blue Lagoon (Chieli Minucci)
Originally heard on: “Genesis,” 2013 (Chieli Minucci & Special EFX album)
Featured musician: Chieli Minucci (electric guitar)
11. In Memory of Elizabeth Reed (The Allman Brothers Band cover)
Featured musicians: Caitlin Kalafus (drums), Chieli Minucci (electric guitar)
12. Children’s Games (Nelson Rangell; Antonio Carlos Jobim cover)
Originally heard on: “Red” and “Blue” (upcoming albums) (1/30/15 UPDATE: “Red” and “Blue” are available for download this Sunday, February 1.)
Featured musicians: Nelson Rangell (whistling/piccolo/vocals/claps), Musician (acoustic guitar)
When I spoke to Jay in February, I wondered what Nelson’s whistle song would be this year. This was a pleasant surprise, and the second year in a row where Nelson covered a Jobim tune.
13. Rainbow Seeker (Nelson Rangell; Joe Sample cover)
Originally heard on: “Far Away Day,” 2000
Featured musician: Nelson Rangell (flute)
14 (Finale). James Brown Tribute
Featured musicians: Everyone, led by Nick Colionne (vocals)
Now for various pictures of each musician, beginning with Jay Rowe:
Dave Anderson:
Trever Somerville:
Steve Scales:
Chieli Minucci:
Electric guitar:
Acoustic guitar on “Children’s Games”:
Nelson Rangell:
Alto sax:
Flute:
Piccolo:
Percussion via Steve’s chimes:
Vocals and claps:
“Nelson Rangell, ladies and gentlemen!”:
Nick Colionne:
Guitar:
Vocals:
Marion Meadows:
Timmy Maia:
Caitlin Kalafus:
This was Caitlin’s first appearance at SJFS in six years.
To be blunt, she rocked!
The audience agreed.
On to wide shots. First up, “George Can’t Dance”:
“Till the End of Time”:
During “Melting Into You”…:
…and after:
“The Lift”:
During “My Cherie Amour”…:
…and after:
“In Memory of Elizabeth Reed”:
“Children’s Games”:
Steve and Trever’s “Rainbow Seeker” duet:
The wild finale (isn’t it always?): Nick’s tribute to James Brown:
“Yeah!”:
“Ha-haaaa!”:
Nick: “Here we go! Can I count it off?!” Nelson: “Count it off!”
“1, 2, 3, ‘ey!”
Time to go into the audience:
(singing): “What about you?!”: (4/27 UPDATE: Or as it’s spelled on “Influences,” “Whatta ‘Bout You?”)
What about Jay’s mother-in-law?:
Meanwhile, back on stage:
Caitlin briefly returned to drums…:
…and Timmy took over percussion:
No tribute to James Brown would be complete without the cape routine:
Jay wrapped it up:
“See you all next year!”
Bob Nunno was sitting near where I set up. So, we spoke for a few minutes after the show. Then, I had my girlfriend take our picture:
Putting together these recaps is a labor of love. From capturing to editing to uploading to writing, it’s a long and trying process. When I left the Parsons Complex on Saturday night, I contemplated not going again. But that would be crazy. I love Smooth Jazz for Scholars. For two days out of the year, Milford is my home. I am grateful to Jay and everyone involved each year for putting on what I consider the Super Bowl of contemporary jazz.
I’ll be back, and I hope you, the reader (if you’re into this genre), make plans to come, too. Thank you for reading, and to quote Jay, see you all next year!
SJFS 2014 Night 1 recap April 23, 2014
Posted by Mike C. in Internet, Jazz, Media, Music, Personal, Photography, Travel.add a comment
For eight years, I’ve traveled to Milford, Connecticut, for Jay Rowe‘s Smooth Jazz for Scholars benefit concert. This is the first year that has taken place on Easter weekend. My original plan was to only come to this first night – Friday, April 18. But when I spoke to Jay between sets at Jeff Kashiwa’s Houndstooth Pub show in February, he convinced me to come to both nights. I’m glad I did. I’ll recap the second night in a separate post, but let’s focus on the first night.
The night began just after 8PM with an introduction from Kevin McCabe:
The first song of the night was by select members of the Foran High School Jazz Ensemble. Pictures from that song can be found in the set list below.
As for the main band, you had SJFS founder Jay Rowe on keyboards:
Dave Anderson on bass:
Trever Somerville on drums:
Steve Scales on percussion:
…and for nine songs, Rohn Lawrence on guitar:
SET LIST
1. Pick Up the Pieces (Average White Band cover)
Featured musicians: Foran “Average High School Ensemble,” as they called themselves
Applause:
After the ensemble performed, Kevin McCabe returned to the stage to resume his introduction, then he tossed to Jay Rowe:
2. Rosemary’s Tune (Jay Rowe)
Originally heard on: “Live at Daniel Street,” 2011
Featured musicians: Jay Rowe (keyboards), Rohn Lawrence (guitar)
3. Just a Natural Thang (Steve Cole)
Originally heard on: “True,” 2006
Featured musicians: Steve Cole (tenor sax), Rohn Lawrence (guitar)
4. Going in Circles (Steve Cole; The Friends of Distinction cover)
Originally heard on: “Pulse,” 2013
Featured musicians: Steve Cole (tenor sax), Rohn Lawrence (guitar)
5. The Music Inside (Chuck Loeb)
Originally heard on: “The Music Inside,” 1996
Featured musicians: Chuck Loeb (guitar)
6. Hacienda (Jeff Lorber)
Originally heard on: “Hacienda,” 2013 (Jeff Lorber Fusion album)
Featured musicians: Jeff Lorber (keyboard), Steve Cole (tenor sax), Chuck Loeb (guitar)
7. Tune 88 (Jeff Lorber)
Originally heard on: “Water Sign,” 1979 (Jeff Lorber Fusion album)
Featured musicians: Jeff Lorber (keyboard), Chuck Loeb (guitar), Rohn Lawrence (guitar), Kim Waters (alto sax)
8. Waterfall (Kim Waters)
Originally heard on: “Someone to Love You,” 2002
Featured musicians: Kim Waters (alto sax), Rohn Lawrence (guitar)
9. In the House (Kim Waters)
Originally heard on: “From the Heart,” 2001
Featured musicians: Kim Waters (alto sax), Chuck Loeb (guitar), Rohn Lawrence (guitar)
10. With You All the Way/All ‘n All (Steve Cole)
Originally heard on: “Pulse,” 2013
Featured musicians: Steve Cole (tenor sax), Rohn Lawrence (guitar)
11. Silver Lining (Chuck Loeb)
Originally heard on: “Silhouette,” 2013
Featured musicians: Chuck Loeb (guitar), Jeff Lorber (keyboard)
12. Silhouette (Chuck Loeb)
Originally heard on: “Silhouette,” 2013
Featured musicians: Chuck Loeb (guitar), Jeff Lorber (keyboard)
13. Red Wine and You (Kim Waters)
Originally heard on: “My Loves,” 2013
Featured musicians: Kim Waters (alto sax), Rohn Lawrence (guitar)
14. Confirmation (Charlie Parker cover)
Keyboard duet: Jay Rowe, Jeff Lorber
15 (Finale). Toad’s Place (Jeff Lorber)
Originally heard on: “Water Sign,” 1979 (Jeff Lorber Fusion album)
Featured musicians: Everyone
Let’s move on to various pictures of each musician.
We start with Jay Rowe:
A call and response with Chuck Loeb on “The Music Inside”:
Dave Anderson:
Trever Somerville:
Steve Scales:
Prompting the audience to clap during “Waterfall”:
Rohn Lawrence:
I love when he creeps up the fingerboard.
I love this, too:
Steve Cole:
Chuck Loeb:
Chuck worked scat into his “In the House” solo:
Kim Waters:
Kim briefly switched to keyboard – Jeff Lorber’s keyboard – during his “In the House” solo:
Jeff Lorber:
On to wide shots, beginning with “Rosemary’s Tune”:
“Going in Circles”:
“Hacienda”:
“Tune 88”:
“In the House”:
“Confirmation,” a duet by Jay and Jeff:
The finale – “Toad’s Place”:
The first night of Smooth Jazz for Scholars was in the books. Jay gave it up one more time for all performers.
Afterward, I had brief conversations with Steve Cole, Chuck Loeb, Kim Waters, and Jeff Lorber. I also got pictures with three of them, starting with Jeff:
Then Kim:
And Chuck:
There were more musical thrills on the second night. Click here to see.
One year with iPhone April 11, 2014
Posted by Mike C. in Audio, Health, Internet, Media, News, Personal, Phone, Photography, Radio, Sports, Technology, Travel, TV.add a comment
A year ago yesterday, I boarded the iPhone bandwagon by switching from an LG enV3, which I had for 3 1/2 years, to an iPhone 5. When I’m not texting or making a phone call, it’s a great alternative for internet access. My workouts with the Nike Running app have gone further than I was going in my first iPhone post last July. I’ve gone as far as 5.35 miles in one workout and broke 100 miles for the month of March.
When I need to comparison shop, I use shopping apps. When I want to listen to the radio, I have the TuneIn app. I’ve downloaded apps for several networks, network affiliates, and cable channels.
But I still wish the internal hard drive was bigger; maybe with the next iPhone.
Jeff Kashiwa at Houndstooth Pub February 19, 2014
Posted by Mike C. in Jazz, Music, News, Personal, Photography, Travel, Weather.add a comment
I had a social doubleheader last Saturday. By afternoon, I was at my friends’ twin daughters’ first birthday party in Hempstead:
By night, I was at Houndstooth Pub in Manhattan to see saxophonist Jeff Kashiwa perform. I almost didn’t go because of the snow that had developed late in the afternoon. I was afraid to venture out because I thought we were in for up six inches of snow. Instead, we only got two. So, after much deliberation, including a declaration that I wouldn’t go, I decided I would go.
There was nearly an inch snow on the ground when my mother drove me down to Wantagh LIRR station at 5:15. The station platform looked like a pretzel as it was covered in rock salt. The result was a slushy coating that I trudged through as I walked in the light snow to the far end of the platform where only one person was standing. Everyone else huddled by the stairs and escalator. It was a quiet ride inside my railcar, but sparks flashed outside as the train rode the snow-covered rails. I had 40 minutes to kill before Houndstooth’s lower bar was open, so I stopped at Famous Famiglia two blocks south for a slice of pizza. With five minutes to go, I resumed the walk up to Houndstooth and made my way inside. I ordered chicken fingers and steak fries, then waited for the show to start.
Shows usually begin at 8:00, but Jeff Kashiwa’s began ten minutes early. Jeff played tenor saxophone…
…and EWI (“E-wee”) (electronic wind instrument):
Jay Rowe was on keyboards:
Dave Anderson on bass:
…and Trever Somerville on drums:
The set list featured six songs, a break, and six more songs:
1. Givin’ In
Originally heard on: “Walk A Mile,” 1997
2. Blue Jeans
Originally heard on: “Play,” 2007
3. Could It Be I’m Falling In Love (The Spinners cover)
Originally heard on: “Remember Catalina,” 1995
4. When It Feels Good
Originally heard on: “Back in the Day,” 2009
5. A Quiet Goodbye (preceded by Jay Rowe’s intro)
Originally heard on: “Simple Truth,” 2002
6. Hot Tin Roof
Originally heard on: “Let It Ride,” 2012
BREAK
7. Let It Ride
Originally heard on: “Let It Ride,” 2012
Played with multiple loops on Jeff’s iPhone app
8. Well, You Needn’t (Thelonious Monk cover)
9. Once Again
Originally heard on: “Play,” 2007
10. Canon in D (Johann Pachelbel)
Jeff’s iPhone app was used again for an echo effect
11. Movin’ Up
Originally heard on: “Play,” 2007
12. Hyde Park (The “Ah, Oooh” Song)
Originally heard on: “Another Door Opens,” 2000
Jeff played tenor sax on #1, 2, 6, 7, 9, 11, and 12; alto sax on #3, 4, 5, and 8; and EWI on #10 and part of #11.
Now for pictures grouped by artist, starting with Jeff:
Jay Rowe during “Blue Jeans”:
Jay’s “Could It Be I’m Falling In Love” solo:
“A Quiet Goodbye” intro:
“Well, You Needn’t” solo:
Dave Anderson’s “Well, You Needn’t” solo:
Flash pictures of drummers fail to capture the fluid movement involved. So, I took one pic without the flash:
Back to flash:
“Hyde Park (The ‘Ah, Oooh’ Song)”:
The “ah, oooh” part came from the audience, as Jeff’s direction indicates.
The view from my table:
The last note:
Jeff introduced the band one more time…
…and that was it.
Jeff and I caught up with each other during the break and I had Steve Butler take our picture:
Later in the break, I took this shot of Jeff, Trever, and Jay:
I wasn’t able to catch up with Dave until after the show. I told him that I almost didn’t come to the show, but once I knew that he, Trever, and Jay would be back Jeff up, I had to go. He really appreciated that.
I made the right decision to brave the snow and come to the show. Thank you to Jeff, Jay, Dave, Trever, manager Steve Butler, and father-and-son engineers Neal and Dale Newman for a wonderful night of music.
My trip up Super Bowl Boulevard February 14, 2014
Posted by Mike C. in Broadway, Football, Media, News, Personal, Photography, Sports, Travel, TV, Video, Video Games, Weather.add a comment
Last Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the Seattle Seahawks resoundingly defeated the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII by the score of 43-8. It was the Seahawks’ first Super Bowl championship in franchise history.
Two days before the Big Game, I headed to nearby Manhattan to walk the NFL’s Super Bowl Boulevard Engineered by GMC. The “Boulevard” spanned Broadway between West 34th and West 47th Streets. It was open to the public between Wednesday, January 29, and Saturday, February 1, the day after I was there. I had my Nikon D5100 (and two lenses) along for the walk to take pictures with.
The pictures in this post were taken outside the remote studios of ESPN, NFL Network, and FOX Sports; inside the Xbox One tent; by the Super Bowl Toboggan Run; by Extra Points, where fans could kick footballs through a goalpost; and a few other landmarks along the way.
We begin at ESPN’s studio:
The Xbox One tent:
The CNN/Bleacher Report studio:
The autograph stage:
Super Bowl Toboggan Run:
NFL Network’s studio at West 41st Street:
One block north of Super Bowl Boulevard was M&Ms World:
On the second floor, there was a massive array of tubes that contained milk chocolate, peanut, peanut butter, and pretzel M&Ms in a variety of colors. Two of the tubes had milk chocolate M&Ms in the team colors of the Seahawks and Broncos. I filled a bag of all kinds of M&Ms in all colors; 2.87 pounds worth. It took me three days to eat it all.
The FOX Sports studio at West 46th Street:
Megyn Kelly hosted her Fox News Channel show, The Kelly File, from this south-facing desk hours after I took this picture:
The north side of the studio:
A later shot of the south side:
Extra Points:
This kick was good:
When I passed by NFL Network’s studio again, Joe Montana was on set with hosts Andrew Siciliano, Willie McGinest, and Heath Evans:
Here’s how that looked on NFL Network:
And when I passed by ESPN’s studio, NFL Insiders was on:
From left to right: Bill Polian, Chris Mortensen, Adam Schefter, and Suzy Kolber:
Macy’s Broadway entrance:
Macy’s West 34th Street entrance near 7th Avenue:
Once inside, I bought a Super Bowl XLVIII polo shirt, cap (second from the left above), full size football with the Seahawks and Broncos logos on it, and program.
Despite the massive crowds and back stiffness that set in after an hour and a half, I had a great time walking Super Bowl Boulevard.
Congratulations to the Seattle Seahawks on winning Super Bowl XLVIII two nights later.
Chieli Minucci & Special EFX at The Cutting Room January 21, 2014
Posted by Mike C. in Jazz, Media, Music, Personal, Photography, Travel.add a comment
For the second time in three nights, I was in the New York City borough of Manhattan for a concert. Thursday, it was pianist Lisa Hilton at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall. On Saturday, it was guitarist Chieli Minucci and his band Special EFX at The Cutting Room. Thursday was acoustic. Saturday was electronic. But each were exciting and entertaining, not to mention my first time at each venue.
The Cutting Room was one block south and five blocks east of where I exited Penn Station’s LIRR Terminal. Once there, I was directed to a room set back on the left. It was dark with most of the light coming from the stage. Most tables on facing the left side and center of the stage were full, but my girlfriend and I found an empty table close to the right end of the stage. But whatever side of the stage we were facing, we were going to be treated to great music from a legendary band, celebrating their 30th anniversary in 2014.
Special EFX was led by co-founder Chieli Minucci on electric guitar:
Jay Rowe on keyboards:
David Mann on tenor saxophone…
…soprano saxophone…
…and flute:
Jerry Brooks on bass:
And, as best I could see him from my seat, Lionel Cordew on drums:
Unfortunately, I couldn’t see much more of Jerry and Lionel from my seat. I probably could have taken shots from the right side of the stage behind the column that blocked my view, but I didn’t want to risk getting reprimanded. To make up for the lack of pictures, I’m dipping into the archives with pics of them from Special EFX’s appearance at the Long Beach Jazz Festival in September 2012.
Back on Saturday night, the band played eight songs:
1. Ballerina
Originally heard on: “Just Like Magic,” 1990
2. Courageous Cats
Originally heard on: “Jewels,” 1995 (Chieli solo album)
3. Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers
Originally heard on: “Renaissance,” 1996 (Chieli solo album)
4. Crazy Eights
Originally heard on: “Genesis,” 2013
5. Till the End of Time (preceded by Jay’s intro)
Originally heard on: “Genesis,” 2013
6. Kickin’ It Hard/Spain
“Kickin’ It Hard” originally heard on: “Night Grooves,” 2003 (Chieli solo album); “Spain” is a Return to Forever cover
7. Speak to Me (preceded by Chieli’s intro)
Originally heard on: “Masterpiece,” 1999
8. Bodybeat (preceded by Chieli and Jerry’s intro duet)
Originally heard on: “Body Language,” 1995
#6 and 7 featured occasional vocalization from Chieli.
Now that you’ve seen Jerry Brooks and Lionel Cordew, here are pictures of the rest of the band, starting with Chieli Minucci:
Jay Rowe, seen here during his “Courageous Cats” solo:
It was Jay’s birthday, and Chieli had a present for him:
Jay’s “Till the End of Time” intro:
David Mann:
The last song (“Bodybeat”):
The bow:
As I wrote earlier, it was another night of great music from the legendary Chieli Minucci and Special EFX. I hope to see them again soon.
MikeChimeri.com 
