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Riding the Long Island Expressway July 29, 2012

Posted by Mike C. in Internet, Media, News, Personal, Photography, Travel, TV, Video, Weather.
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I went to Hoboken last Saturday for my friends’ daughter’s first birthday party.  On the drive with my parents to and from the Madison Bar and Grill, I took plenty of pictures.  In fact,  I shot more on the drive than at the party: 115 out of 224.

In this post, we’ll focus on pics taken on Interstate 495, the L.I.E. (Long Island Expressway).

Westbound, starting with Exit 37:

Exit 36:

Exit 33:

Exit 32:

Exit 31:

Exit 28:

Exit 27:

A tow truck got in the way for the next few exits.  I resumed at Exit 20:

Exit 19:

Exit 18:

Exit 17W:

Exit 16:

Exit 15, the last westbound exit:

Eastbound starts immediately after the tolls with Exit 13:

Exit 14:

Exit 17:

Exit 19:

Exit 21:

Exit 22:

Exit 24:

Exit 25:

There was a bow below the rear view mirror in the way in the upper left.  So, I rubber stamped it out in Adobe Photoshop 7.

Exit 26:

Exit 27:

Exit 29:

Exit 30:

Exit 31S:

Traffic advisory sign:

Exit 32:

Exit 33:

Exit 34:

Exit 35:

Exit 36:

Exit 37:

Exit 38:

Exit 39:

Exit 40W:

Exit 40E:

Exit 41S:

Exit 41N:

Exit 42:

Exit 43:

A closer look:

Before HOV lanes were added, the Exit 43 ramp was here:

The original ramp can be seen in a video from WLIG-TV (now WLNY) after Hurricane Gloria hit Long Island on September 27, 1985.  This is a vidcap (h/t Mike Erickson):

Video:

The vidcap was taken at the 1:03 mark.

Exit 44S:

That was our exit.  From there, it wasn’t long before we got home.  I spent several hours the next day editing all 224 pictures.  The party pics were easy to edit because I used the flash and didn’t have to fix the color or smudge out license plates.

Trust Us with Your Life; UPDATE: Canceled!; UPDATE 2: Not officially canceled.; UPDATE 3: I give up. July 12, 2012

Posted by Mike C. in Comedy, Media, Music, Personal, Sports, TV.
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8/1 UPDATE: Trust Us with Your Life has been canceled.
8/2 UPDATE: Or has it?  More on these updates at the bottom of the post.
2/19/13 UPDATE: I give up.  I’ll assume it’s canceled.
4/1/13 UPDATE:
Whose Line is it Anyway? reboots this summer!

If you like improvisational comedy, you’ll love the new ABC series Trust Us with Your Life.  It was developed by Dan Patterson, one of the people behind Whose Line is it Anyway?  It’s hosted by Fred Willard and stars improv veterans Wayne Brady, Jonathan Mangum, and Colin Mochrie.  The first two episodes have also starred Greg Proops and Craig Cackowski.

The stars of the show create scenes based on stories recounted by each episode’s guest, which have included (and will include) Serena Williams, Jack and Kelly Osbourne, Mark Cuban, Ricky Gervais, and Florence Henderson (a guest in a latter season of Whose Line).  There are improv games to go along with the scenes.  If you’ve seen previous Drew Carey’s* previous improv series or tours, this sample of games played may sound familiar:

  • Glee Club It! (like Showstopping Number)
  • Putting Words in My Mouth (like Dubbing)
  • Rap It! (like Kick It!)
  • Dramatic Episode (like First Date and New Choice)
  • Styles

As a hardcore fan of improv comedy, I laughed hard at most of the scenes.

Unfortunately, post-Whose Line improv series have not lasted long:

  • Drew Carey’s Green Screen Show was canceled on the WB after only a handful of episodes.  The rest of the recorded episodes were run a year later on Comedy Central.
  • Drew Carey’s Improv-A-Ganza ran five nights a week for eight weeks, but did poorly on GSN.  It was not renewed.  But thanks to the five-night-a-week run, it is the longest-running post-Whose Line series.

I’m hoping Trust Us with Your Life breaks that trend and becomes a huge hit.  Why watch serial sitcoms, dramas, and reality shows when you can laugh uncontrollably for 30 to 60 minutes a week with no conflict?  Thank you, Dan Patterson, for giving us TUSWYL.  I love it!

*-Due to Drew’s contract with CBS, he is not allowed to appear on TUSWYL since it’s on a competing network.

8/1 UPDATE: Nope, the trend was not bucked.  Trust Us with Your Life has been canceled.  Another post-Whose Line improv series has failed.

Blame this on Fred Willard’s incident all you want, but this is really about a majority of American viewers not looking kindly on improv comedy.  The fact that Whose Line is it Anyway? lasted so long amazes me when you consider that its offspring cannot achieve the same staying power.

There are only two cable networks I can imagine the TUWYL re-emerging and perhaps achieving success: Comedy Central or BBC America.  But that won’t happen, either.

All involved with the show – in addition to Green Screen and Improv-a-Ganza- should be applauded for trying.  Among improv fans like myself, these are hits, but there aren’t enough fans like us to make a difference.  It’s a reality we must accept.

8/2 UPDATE: I didn’t catch this until around 11:50 last night, but the TUYWL Facebook page said this about the show’s fate at 10:15 Tuesday night:

I would like to clarify something. “Trust Us With Your Life” has NOT been officially cancelled as of right now. The last two episodes were pulled from the schedule due to competing with ratings for the Olympics. The last two episodes may (or may not) be scheduled at a later time. If you would love to at least see the final two episodes of the season, feel free to write to ABC directly (in other words, not on here) and vocalize this. Thanks, all.

Notice the post says “the final two episodes of the season,” and not the series.  I’d like to think they’re right; that Trust Us with Your Life is still alive and merely on hiatus.  If so, it would fly in the face of those reveling in its demise because of who the host is.

2/19/13 UPDATE: I give up.  I think I can safely say that Trust Us with Your Life was indeed canceled and is never coming back.  And while Fred Willard continues to have guest shots on TV series, the performers he moderated, so to speak, haven’t been seen on TV since; at least not to my knowledge.

So, once again, a post-Whose Line improv series bites the dust.  Maybe if Nick Cannon was the host, as he was on Wild ‘n Out, Trust Us with Your Life would still be on the air.

4/1/13 UPDATE: Whose Line is it Anyway?reboots this summer!

Derecho flashback July 1, 2012

Posted by Mike C. in Baseball, Interviews, Jazz, Media, Music, News, Personal, Radio, Sports, Weather.
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Friday’s derecho that plowed through the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic took me back fourteen years to a derecho that impacted Long Island.

Derecho” is a Spanish term that has many translations, including “straight.”  The “straight” translation gives the long-lasting weather event its name because of the straight-line winds it produces.

The derecho I remember hit in the mid-afternoon of September 7, 1998; Labor Day.  But I didn’t even know of that term, or the swath of damage it caused, until last winter while reading up on major storms that have hit Long Island.

Outside of looking at the radar on The Weather Channel and hearing the thunder, I was oblivious of the derecho’s effects.  I was in the basement of my friend Joey’s house, a few blocks southwest of my home in Wantagh.  The basement was basically his apartment.  It had a bedroom, entertainment center (where we were at the time), and bathroom.  I sat at a table while he sat on the couch.  I flipped back and forth from The Weather Channel and ESPN, the latter of which was carrying a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs.  Mark McGwire hit his 61st home run of that season in that game.

Despite the strong winds and lightning, the power never went out at Joey’s house.  My house wasn’t so lucky.  We did lose power.  Considering what I learned recently, I can understand why and why it was out for so long.  Power was not restored until around 4AM, about half a day after the derecho hit.

YouTube user Eltiempo10 has video of a Weather Channel Local Forecast at 2:58 PM:

The forecast begins at 0:38, following a station promo featuring Mike Bono, who is now at YNN.  (Click here for my December 2005 interview with him.)  The JFK “Current Conditions” observation at the top of the forecast is from before the derecho.  At 0:50, you’ll notice the temperature went down 11 degrees and the wind speed was 51 MPH!  Much of the last 90-seconds is the 90-minute radar loop.  The music excerpt used is “Secrets” by Brazilian jazz guitarist Torcuato Mariano, from his 1995 album Last Look.

Scenery pictures June 30, 2012

Posted by Mike C. in Baseball, Personal, Photography, Sports, Travel, Weather.
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Inspired by my travel pictures post, this post is made up entirely of pictures of scenery or past landmarks that are new to the site.

I originally planned on putting in pictures I shot in April and June of this year, but then went further back to 2005.  Unless otherwise noted, the pictures were taken outside my house.

We’ll start with a few sunrise pictures.

February 24, 2005:

March 3, 2005:

March 14, 2005, overlooking the 1st hole fairway of Innisbrook Resort’s Copperhead golf course in Palm Harbor, Florida:

July 3, 2005: Sunset outside Jones Beach Theater:

May 27, 2006: Memorial Day Weekend fireworks at North Hempstead Beach Park:

July 30, 2006: A series of sunset pics while on a boat ride south of Freeport:

August 18, 2006: Looking above Woodcleft Avenue in Freeport:

August 25, 2006: On the beach in Lake Worth, Florida:

Later that day, an approaching thunderstorm at The Cascades in Boynton Beach:

August 26, 2006: Storm clouds north of Boynton Beach:

August 28, 2006: Walking up Cascades Isle Boulevard:

September 6, 2006: Shea Stadium before the first game of a Mets-Braves doubleheader:

A plane for a since-defunct airline in its final approach to LaGuardia Airport:

September 8, 2006: Hicksville LIRR station:

September 11, 2006:

October 28, 2006: Back at Innisbrook, looking above Copperhead’s 2nd tee:

Part of Innisbrook’s Loch Ness pool:

November 3, 2006: Fall foliage at LIU Post:

Looking above the Duffy Avenue/Newbridge Road intersection in Hicksville, south of the LIRR station:

November 10, 2006: Sunset at Post:

August 17, 2007: The early stage of a thunderstorm:

September 12, 2007:

October 27, 2007:

March 8, 2008: Back above Copperhead:

April 7, 2012, at a surprise wedding in Freeport:

June 3, 2012:

June 9, 2012:

June 17, 2012, at a Father’s Day barbecue in Freeport:

June 22, 2012: Sunset:

June 27, 2012: Looking above the platform at the Wantagh LIRR station:

A bird in the Rockville Centre LIRR station parking lot:

And now more photographic loose ends have been tied up at MikeChimeri.com.  I hope you liked what you saw.

Acoustic Alchemy concert recap 3 June 22, 2012

Posted by Mike C. in Jazz, Music, News, Personal, Travel, Weather.
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Other Acoustic Alchemy recaps: June 2008, October 2010, November 2016

Yesterday was a day I had been looking forward to since mid-March when I bought my ticket: Acoustic Alchemy‘s 8PM set at The Iridium.  It was their third night of three at the club.

But there is a prelude to the photo recap of their show.

This was the middle day of a three-day heat wave in the Northeastern U.S.  The evening before, the power went out at my house for three hours, from 6:20 to 9:20 (both approximately), except for two minutes around 8:45 when there was power before losing it again.  45 minutes later, the power was out again, but back within a few minutes.  The next time I lost power wasn’t until 2:25 yesterday afternoon.  LIPA (the Long Island Power Authority) estimated that power would be restored by 5:00.  According to the alarm clock in my room when I got home, it returned at 5:13.

But I couldn’t wait two hours in a gradually heating up house until my planned train ride at 4:59.  So, within 15 minutes of the outage, I got ready to go (with only sunlight to work with) and got a ride to the Wantagh LIRR (Long Island Rail Road) station at around 3:15.  The train left at 3:27 and I was at Penn Station by about 4:15.  While in Woodside, my train passed over I-278, the B.Q.E. (Brooklyn-Queens Expressway):

This was my second attempt at a picture over there.  My first try came on the way to Shilts’ show at Houndstooth last month.

I took the subway from 34th Street to 42nd and walked toward 6th Avenue.  From there, I passed News Corporation, McGraw-Hill, SNY (SportsNet New York) and Radio City Music Hall, before turning back toward Broadway at 51st Street.

It was only 5:15.  I still had an hour and a half before show attendees could go into Iridium.  So, I killed another hour at the Applebee’s a block away.  Then, I waited for a half hour outside the next-door Winter Garden Theatre.  Finally, at 6:50, the first wave of attendees were let in.  After seltzer, water, and pizza, it was time for the show.

Greg Carmichael, the Boss of the Band, played acoustic guitar:

Miles Gilderdale played electric guitar…

And acoustic guitar:

Fred White on keyboards:

Gary Grainger on bass:

And his brother Gregory Grainger on drums:

The set:
1. Homecoming
Originally heard on: “Reference Point,” 1990; “Arcanum,” 1996

2. Overnight Sleeper
Originally heard on: “Natural Elements,” 1988

3. Angel of the South
Originally heard on: “The Beautiful Game,” 2000

4. Jamaica Heartbeat
Originally heard on: “Back On The Case,” 1991

5. Marrakesh
Originally heard on: “Roseland,” 2011

6. One for Shorty
Originally heard on: “Roseland,” 2011

7. Passion Play
Originally heard on: “AArt,” 2001

8. Ariane
Originally heard on: “Blue Chip,” 1989

9. The Stone Circle
Originally heard on: “Red Dust & Spanish Lace,” 1987

10. The Beautiful Game
Originally heard on: “The Beautiful Game,” 2000

11. Tuff Puzzle
Originally heard on: “AArt,” 2001

Encore 1. Casino
Originally heard on: “Natural Elements,” 1988; “Early Alchemy,” 1992 (recorded circa ’82); “Arcanum,” 1996

Miles’ “Overnight Sleeper” solo:

Greg C.:

Gary’s bass/scat solo on “One for Shorty,” a tribute to his late niece, Gregory’s daughter, Dianne:

Greg G.:

Click here to learn about The MusicianShip, the non-profit organization co-founded by Greg, Dianne, and Jeffery Tribble Jr.

Fred’s “Passion Play” solo:

The Graingers’ bass/drum jam during “Tuff Puzzle”:

Miles’ wild “Tuff Puzzle” solo!:

The encore: “Casino”:

It was quite a show.  The band was fantastic!  And I heard from Fred that the 10:00 show was just as great!

35,000 views June 15, 2012

Posted by Mike C. in Internet, Personal.
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A few hours ago, MikeChimeri.com (previously The Mike Chimeri Blog) surpassed 35,000 views.

The next milestone post will come at 40,000.

1/5/14 UPDATE: The next post came at 50,000.

Travel pictures June 13, 2012

Posted by Mike C. in Personal, Photography, Travel.
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This post contains pictures that I haven’t put in a post at this website before.  Most go back to before it began in April 2008.  The pics were taken during my travels: on interstate highways, parkways, state roads, county roads, city streets, from a cruise ship, and in a parking lot.

We’ll begin in Pennsylvania and New Jersey on May 16, 2005, leaving Penn State University the day after that year’s commencement ceremony.  (My sister received her Bachelor’s degree in marketing.)

U.S. 322 west:

U.S. 220 north:

I-80 east:

Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania is not related to the actual Jersey Shore, nor anywhere near it.

In New Jersey:

I-95 approaching the inbound George Washington Bridge:

Our next stop is Connecticut on the Merritt/Wilbur Cross Parkway.

Northbound on March 28, 2004:

Southbound on December 10, 2010:

It’s off to Florida for the next set of pictures.  We’ll start in South Florida.

April 7, 2004: I-75 south:

I-75’s southern terminus, and State Road 924 (Gratigny Parkway):

According to the Google Maps street view, this is how the above interchange looked seven years later:

Downtown Miami, viewed from a parking garage near American Airlines Arena:

April 9, 2004: State Road 869 (Sawgrass Expressway) approaching I-595:

I-595 east:

August 29, 2006: I-95 north, approaching Palm Beach International Airport:

The above pic was taken at 6:16 AM, just before sunrise.

I-95 south two days earlier, on August 27:

Then-State Road 782 (Linton Boulevard) west, approaching I-95:

Linton was re-designated as Palm Beach County Road 782, but as of today, either it’s an unsigned route or that designation was also removed.

We head northwest to the Tampa Bay Area for the next few pics.

October 27, 2006: State Road 60 west:

U.S. 19 north:

October 30, 2006: Pinellas County Road 611 south:

State Road 60 east:

That leaves us with New York.  The first set of New York pics are from Manhattan, then the Bronx, and Westchester and Nassau counties.

April 27, 1999:

July 8, 2002: Embarking on a five-day cruise to and from the Canadian Maritimes:

November 7, 2003: State Route 9A (West Side Highway) south:

December 5, 1999: A view of two bridges from the southbound FDR Drive.

Manhattan Bridge:

Brooklyn Bridge:

November 17, 2006:

Back to May 16, 2005: I-95 north at I-295‘s northern terminus:

March 28, 2004: Hutchinson River Parkway north:

May 10, 2001: State Routes 107 and 106 splitting up in Hicksville, the southern terminus of their 1.51 mile concurrency:

The last picture of this post was taken on August 22, 2004, on a boat, just below the Loop Parkway‘s eastern terminus at the Meadowbrook State Parkway:

And with that, this website’s photographic loose ends have been tied up.

For more travel pics, check these posts:
Spyro Gyra Smooth Cruise recap (July 2008)
Alumni Show interview: Ken Navarro! (September 2008)
South Florida trip recap (September-October 2008)
SJFS 2009 recap (May 2009)
Rippingtons Smooth Cruise recap (July 2009)
HotForWords at Borders in NYC! (August 2009)
David Benoit at Tarrytown recap (May 2010)
RnR Smooth Cruise recap (August 2010)
Guitars & Saxes 2010 Smooth Cruise recap (August 2010)
Rippingtons Smooth Cruise recap 2 (July 2011)
Shilts at Houndstooth Pub recap 2 (May 2012)

Where I was: Johan Santana’s no-hitter June 1, 2012

Posted by Mike C. in Baseball, Hockey, Internet, Media, News, Personal, Radio, TV.
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(Updated with additional links.)

It’s been a whirlwind 56 minutes as I type.  Here goes:

For stress reasons, I typically don’t watch or listen to Mets games until three hours after it starts.  If I didn’t check ESPN.com at 9:42 PM EDT to see the name of the winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee finals held last night – it was Snigdha Nandipati – I would not have known Johan Santana was three outs away from pitching a no-hitter.  But I did.

I left my bedroom, and from the top of the stairs in the top floor hallway, I told my parents down in the den to put on SNY because Santana was close to achieving that no-hitter.  This may be too much information, but while SNY was (and still is) recording on the DVR in my room, I listened to the last three outs on WFAN from the bathroom on the shower radio in there.

Mets lead radio play-by-play announcer Howie Rose was as loud as he was 18 years and five nights ago at Madison Square Garden, calling Stephane Matteau’s Eastern Conference Finals-clinching goal in double overtime for the Rangers against the Devils.

I don’t think any Mets fan, including Howie, thought tonight would ever happen.  It took 8,020 games in 51 seasons for the first no-hitter in Mets history to occur.  What a night.

An excerpt of the game recap from Steven Miller at MLB.com:

It took 50 years, but the New York Mets and Johan Santana finally have their no-hitter.

The 33-year-old Santana held the Cardinals hitless in an 8-0 victory Friday in front of 27,069 at Citi Field, who witnessed the first no-hitter in franchise history. The left-hander walked five as his pitch count climbed to 134, but manager Terry Collins could not pull his starter, who Collins said he would limit to about 110 pitches before the game.

“Wow — amazing,” Santana said after the game. “Coming into this season, I was just hoping to come back and stay healthy and help this team. And now I’m in this situation in the greatest city in baseball. I’m very happy, and I’m happy for [the fans], finally — the first one.

“It was a crazy night, trying to command my fastball, moving all over the plate. But I was able to locate it, command it and get some quick outs and get out of there.”

When asked how he felt after throwing the final pitch, Santana could hardly contain his excitement.

“That’s the greatest feeling ever,” Santana said, just as he received a celebratory pie to the face.

WFAN audio/SNY video via Deadspin

New York Daily News:
Anthony McCarron: Johan Santana tosses first no-hitter in NY Mets history during 8-0 victory against St. Louis Cardinals at Citi Field
Mike Lupica: On Johan Santana’s magical night at Citi Field, NY Mets fans finally see a no-hitter

Newsday (subscription required):
Roderick Boone: Johan Santana pitches Mets’ first no-hitter

ESPN New York:
Andrew Marchand: Johan Santana tosses no-hitter

WFAN/Associated Press/1010 WINS:
UNBELIEVABLE: Santana Throws First No-Hitter In Mets History

Steve Somers of WFAN (who now sounds years younger thanks to dental surgery last Monday):
Show Open
Interview with Mets catcher Josh Thole
Interview with Ron Darling, former Mets pitcher and current analyst for Mets games on SNY
6/6 UPDATE: Monday night’s Show Open and interview with Jerry Seinfeld

MLB.com:
Pictures
Video

8/18 UPDATE: In recent days, Steve Somers’ speech has returned nearly to what it was before his surgery.  He no longer sounds like he ingested helium.

Unfortunately, Johan hasn’t been the same pitcher since the no-hitter.

David Benoit, “Conversation” May 29, 2012

Posted by Mike C. in Jazz, Music, Personal.
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Album cover from Benoit.com

The winning streak continues!  Jazz pianist and conductor David Benoit’s Conversation album was released today.

Here are the tracks:
1. Napa Crossroads Overture (3:46) – David and guitarist/vocalist David Pack (previously with the band Ambrosia) wrote this tune two years ago and it finally found a home on Conversation.  Pack is featured on guitars with a little help from Pat Kelley.
2. Feelin’ It (3:57)
3. Diary of a Wimpy Kid (3:07) – This is the theme from the movie of the same name, composed and originally performed by Theodore Shapiro.  It featuers a wild guitar solo by Jeff Golub and violin from David’s daughter June.
4. Kei’s Song Redux (4:49) – The title is self-explanatory: it’s a new version of “Kei’s Song,” originally recorded for Freedom at Midnight 25 years ago, but it isn’t exactly a carbon copy.
5. Sunrise On Mansion Row (4:10)
6. You’re Amazing (3:21) – A tribute to David’s friend and site webmaster Jean Wang.  In addition to playing flute and piccolo, Tim Weisberg also gave David Lee Roth-esque “shoutouts” like “well, all right!” and “come on!”
7. Q’s Motif (3:11) – “Q” is for Quincy Jones; based on a boogie-woogie motif he wrote.  This is my favorite song on the album so far, not just because of the synthesizer solo, but the piano, as well.
8. Let’s Get Ready (4:47)
9. Conversation (From Music For Two Trios) (4:55) – Another self-explanatory title.  It’s a musical conversation between pianist Robert Theis, violinist Yun Tang, and cellist Cathy Biagini; and David, bassist David Hughes, and drummer Jamey Tate.  The former performed in the classical style while the latter performed in jazz.  Will the two trios converge?  Listen and find out.

In addition to the musicians mentioned above, you’ll also hear Brad Dutz on percussion, David Sills on tenor and soprano saxophone, and the following classical musicians:

  • Violinists: Yun Tang, Michelle Wood, Eleanor Dunbar
  • Violaists: Xiang Wang, Ilona Geller

I highly recommend Conversation.  You won’t regret your purchase.  And if you’re a diehard jazz fan like me, you’ll be listening again and again and again!

Shilts at Houndstooth Pub recap 2 May 14, 2012

Posted by Mike C. in Hockey, Jazz, Media, Music, Personal, Photography, Sports, Travel, TV, Weather.
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Previous Shilts recap: June 2011

Two nights ago, for the second Saturday in a row, I saw saxophonist Paul “Shilts” Weimar perform.  Last week, Shilts was part of keyboardist Jay Rowe’s tenth annual Smooth Jazz for Scholars benefit concert.  This time, he played solo at the Houndstooth Pub, a few blocks north of Penn Station.  It was a busy night in that area.  In addition to Shilts, there was the Bolder & Fresher Tour (Bill O’Reilly and Dennis Miller) show at the Town Hall six blocks north (and two east) of Houndstooth, and Game 7 of the NHL Stanley Cup Eastern Conference Semifinals was taking place at Madison Square Garden.  The New York Rangers and Washington Capitals alternated wins and losses in the first six games and the winner would face the New Jersey Devils in the conference final beginning two nights later.  Both floors of Houndstooth had TVs tuned to the NBC Sports Network where Rangers and Caps fans alike that could get into MSG watched.

Before we get to Shilts’ performance, I have a few pictures to share from my train ride in to Penn on the LIRR.

Forest Hills station:

BQE (Brooklyn-Queens Expressway):

A view of Manhattan from Long Island City:

I thought one of those buildings was One World Trade Center, but that’s to the south, and I was in a north-facing seat.

Long Island City rail yard:

Not only was this a concert, but it was also a release party for Shilts’ upcoming album, All Grown Up.  Copies were available, but sold out fast, just as tickets for the show did.

I got a premium seating ticket back in March and ended up right next to the stage!

Shilts was joined by Abdul Zuhri on guitar:

Ken Stacks Richardson on keyboards:

Thomas Gooding on bass:

And Eric Brown on drums:

SET LIST

SET 1
1. See What Happens
2. Lambeth Strut
3. Good Evans
4. Seeing Things Clearly
5. Sugar
6. Look What’s Happened

SET 2
(NOTE: I left between sets, but saw the set list printout from my seat.  If I made any mistakes, let me know in the comment thread.)

7. All Grown Up
8. 2 Pesos For Bud
9. Soul Eyes
10. Eyes Down
11. Blues
12. Back On The Hudson

Neal Newman, audio engineer, assisted by his son Dale (not pictured):

Eric Brown’s “Sugar” drum solo:

I left between sets, but not before getting my copy of All Grown Up signed by Shilts and grabbing a picture with him:

Cheers to Shilts, Abdul, Ken, Thomas, and Eric for another great show.

I’ll conclude this recap on the topic of the Rangers.

Just as I approached 34th Street, I heard wild cheers coming from the top floor of Lucy’s Cantina Royale.  The Rangers had held on to beat the Capitals 2-1 and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals against the Devils.

Here are the happy Rangers fans leaving Madison Square Garden to head home:

Game 1 of the EC Finals is tonight.

5/25, 11:17 PM UPDATE: Unfortunately for Rangers fans, like myself, the Rangers lost to the Devils in six games.  They took a 2-1 series lead and then lost three straight.  The Devils will face the Los Angeles Kings in the Stanley Cup Finals.