So How’s it Workin’ for YOU Today?

Me?

First: Please remember to vote (click as a 5 star rating) for Kirk and Josh at:

http://www.kkbbcasting.com/casting/?vidId=29596

If this instruction confuses, please read the entry directly below today’s.

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I’m struggling with some misadventures in acquiring a new guitar amp, spoiled by playing through expensive old tube amps, gigging more and more, still without a roadie… a conundrum.

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We (Gold Teleproductions, Soho) bought a new camera, which is tres cool. The model has been around for a while, but we just decided we should have one:
http://www.digitaljournalist.org/issue0401/smith.html

RIP

My old pal, an ex roommate, a guy who I truly don’t know how many hits of blotter I ate with back in ‘the day.’

A guy who ALWAYS had a bummer when we did so.

A guy who could get laid by walking into the E. Exchange McDonalds, order a Big Mac, and turn to some girl and say “Wanna…?”

My only friend from that cultural world of biker/hippy/artist, seemingly a bit of a Svengali.

There are those you seldom see, you almost never bump into, you don’t call, they don’t call, and it’s OK. You once upon a time shared so very much, it no longer matters. You just live your lives and know you love each other. Jimmy G. Shambo and I shared that. So I’m grateful to have awakened today, and to be writing this. Yet it’s a sad, gray, rainy, post Father’s Day day. Think I’m grieving Alison a li’l bit, too.

I’m so tempted to pour another cup of coffee, take my pooches, Eddie and Debbie, and climb back into bed to doze a bit, watch a bad HBO movie, maybe both… we’ll see.

Hope it’s workin’ well for you today.

MY SON-IN-LAW IS A BETTER ACTOR THAN HE IS A SHYSTER... AND THAT'S SAYIN' SOMETHING!

WE NEED YOUR HELP, GENTLE READER. IN TAKING THE FIRST STEPS TO INSURING A COMFORTABLE, IF NOT RIDICULOUSLY LUXURIOUS RETIREMENT FOR D-MOM AND ME... PLEASE READ TO THE END -

The following is an edited reprint from my son-in-law Kirk’s blog:

This past weekend Meghan and I were supposed to make our way to Maryland to my family's old vacation spot, the Solomon Islands. Unfortunately we were unable to go due to work and other monetary related accidents. During my weekend of brooding over my absence from the family vacation, mi amigo Yoshuwa contacted me about a contest in which the first place winners would receive a trip to L.A. to meet a casting director and receive two hundred dollars spending money. All we had to do was a scene from a movie and submit it for a chance to win. The movie we would copy from was, "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang", a new movie with Val Kilmer and Robert Downey Jr.

Yoshuwa was convinced we looked close enough to the two actors that we could duplicate the scene and sweep the contest. Not only on our looks but on our unmatched acting abilities as well mind you.

Yoshuwa and I rehearsed our lines for long periods of time trying to memorize them and to sound as natural in our dialogue as possible. We ended the night confident in our abilities to deliver the scene with unbelieveable, untapped talent

The next day we had breakfast and went over our lines (ed. Presumably for the 8000th time), and then went to the downtown parking lot in Warren, Ohio… and set up the tri-pod.

Now, with most movies I believe actors get up to something like ten takes. We took at least twenty or so, a piece. I strongly believe that we would have done many, many more if my battery hadn't died. We then headed for the editorial room of the GOLD PALACE located in …ed.- somewhere secret.

Yoshuwa and I just didn't realize that it would take us six hours of editing to get one minute of video footage. Now I understand why they never let directors or actors edit movies.

We scraped together the scene, doubtful that we'll make it to Hollywood, yet hopeful that this whole contest could be the catapault that slings us into total "where the heck where you two hiding all this time" celebrity.

Whichever way the wind blows all we ask is that we are given a chance. Ed- This section had a declaration of humility, followed directly by a shout from atop the mount glorying in the incredible balls it took to step out to the top of a parking deck with a camcorder.

Then comes the paragraph with the link and an entreaty to go there and vote for the best clip, and not for him and Yoshie unless you think it's the best. Well, I'm here to ask you to ignore the "aw shucks" humility and sense of fair play from our dear midwestern boy. We love him for it, but I repeat:

Do not heed that last paragraph!! Kirk really IS good. Go look. You’ll see. My point is, I already did, and I say he’s excellent. As Dustin Hoffman so eloquently pointed out one year as he accepted his Oscar, so many things transpire against an aspiring actor. It may never happen, for so many reasons. So just vote for him, regardless of whether you have the time to watch the clip.

DON'T STOP, GO DIRECTLY TO www.kkbbcasting.com/casting/?vidId=29596 then vote.

VOTING BEGINS MONDAY, JUNE 19th
Trust me, Kirk actually IS an actor... better yet, don't trust me.

IMPORTANT NOTE -- THE BOYS FINISHED 8th IN THE VOTING AND DID NOT, IN FACT, WIN ANYTHING IN THIS CONTEST. THIS SPACE HAD THE CLIP TO WATCH, BUT IT SLOWED DOWN THE BLOG SO MUCH, I HAD TO RID MYSELF OF IT. STILL... GREAT WORK GUYS! MAZEL TOV FOR THE SHOWING YOU MADE.

Additionally, I know Yoshua, and why he hasn't already been a major/minor character killed off by Miami Steve on the Sopranos, having moved on to releasing his own brand of pasta sauce, I haven't a clue.

... also, to Val Kilmer: I know Kirk Olmstead, and you're no Kirk Olmstead.

I Just Have to Share

Once in a great while, something happens... we turn a phrase, we think a thought... we get a visitation.
Today I wrote this to my son-in-law. This might become part of a song, might not. Might need an accent I can't consistently deliver. No matter. The Goddamned aliens beamed this shit into my noggin and I'm glad they did:

"We act like we got diamonds sittin' in a lobster trap and you gots antennas."

Thank you! Stop! You're Too Kind! Thank You Very Much!!!

HUGE DAY

Today is the 5th Anniversary of the morning I woke up and went to the bathroom on MY WEDDING DAY to my dear D-Mom.

This is also my dear friend Sally Petersen's day to mark yet another beginning of a year gracing us.

My great friends, Chris, Debbie, Stu, and Michael will be helping me celebrate this day by joining me in one of the great joys of my life, playing music, tonight at The Lime Spider as part of a benefit to aid fellow musicians in New Orleans displaced by Hurricane Katrina. As Dolli loves to hear us play, this works just fine.

Thanks to everyone who was there 5 years ago, and to those of you who have joined or re-joined our lives in the days that have followed. I've been remrkably lucky and truly blessed.

"Gee, Harvey's blogs keep getting more and more maudlin. Ever since he had liver and onions with Dolli and Debbie at Luna, he HAS become 80 years old!"

LETS EAT!!! Or not…

With a couple notable exceptions, most Mexican restaurants in Akron pretty much serve the same stuff. The con queso is the same white goo (mmmm good), the carnitas is prepared the same, the same combination plates, the same salsa, the same, the same, the same. Now this is fine. If you like it, you can get exactly what you want in every corner of the city. Truth be told, it was the rare Mexican restaurant in NY that I’d run into that was very much different than any other either. Figure a lot of it just has to do with what Mexicans eat… or what Americans want as Mexican. Last night, though, we went to Mateo’s California Mexican Restaurant.

For you Akronites, this is in the Valley, where The Globe and many others lived before it, at the Noisy Oyster mini-mall on the right, just before you get to the BP as you reach the bottom of the hill on Portage Path. For those of you not from Akron, if you come, just call us and we’ll guide you there. Run by Guatemalan, Alberto Vega, named after his grandson, Mateo, this really feels like little fun Mexican restaurants in L.A. that I’ve been to. Now we didn’t do a Jane Snow and sample a lot of different things on the menu. We just ordered and ate.

Small place, sweet waitress, friendly welcoming owner.

The con queso was NOT white goo, but a delicious, quite spicy goo, and the salsa was pretty normal, but just a bit spicier, and a little chunkier than that found at the Poco Loco Toco grills. Dolli liked her Margarita and they gave me a chilled glass for my Negra Modelo. I was told they have not just Mexican beers, but Central American varieties, and will do beer and tequila tastings if arranged for in advance.

The cup of Tortilla Soup was unlike any I’ve had. No crispies and garnies floating on the top. Pretty dull presentation, actually, but just the best, meaty chicken soup I could ask for. Really delicious!

Dolli’s Chicken Chimichanga was enormous and unusually light, fluffy (yet crispy) and really tasty. The beans weren’t the standard Akro-Mex paste, but real refried beans, more like Three Amigos.

My 12” Mexican Pizza with chorizo was just plain indulgent. If you’re eating chorizo you have a death wish. I was tough on my friend the other day so I figured I should punish myself. I’m crying now. So it was big, plenty, cheesy, and greasy, just as it should be, served with dabs of sour cream on each sliced wedge-o-death and a nice mound of Guac on the hub.

They have music there on Fridays and Saturdays, sometimes Thursdays. Dolli and I hope to be there on June 24th to celebrate Mateo’s 3rd birthday with whatever music they have booked in.

When I lived in Manhattan, there was a corner, I think 3rd and E. 88th or 89th, where for some reason nothing could survive. It was like any eatery that opened there was a plant trying to make it in a Moroccan closet. The only place that lasted more than a biscuit was a bare bones bar serving wings called “Name This Joint.” The space Mateo’s is in seems similar by nature, and it would be a shame for this place not to thrive, so… try it, even once. If you like it, keep supporting it. I like Chipotle and used to like a couple things at Baha Fresh, but that’s completely different.

Here , you walk in, see a different menu, have a friendly waitress serve you a nicely made Margarita, and have a really nice time. Very cool. Oh , and their menu has outrageous deserts involving tres leche and pineapple ice cream burritos, and stuff… we were too full, but next time… absolutely!

Come & Get it! The Authentic American favorite! Authentic Sloppy Joes made with Authentic Meat Flavored Meat!”

Now later last night I had a conversation with someone who doesn’t like Mateo’s. The word “authentic” got used a lot, and this morning, I started thinking about how that word applies to this subject. I’ve been to Mexico and eaten pretty authentic there. I’ve eaten ’authentic’ Mexican in the tiniest mom and pop eateries, made by little round Mexican ladies for a room populated in large by multi sized, apparently Hispanic people, and frankly, to my tastes, it’s just not always that exciting. Sure, some people make it spicier, some flavor things a little better, some do more slow cooking, some dry out the meat, some let dark meat cartilage in the mix, some slop some sort of green ooze on an edge of the plate.

I mean “Authentic” American might include overcooked string beans and Del Monte asparagus cooked into mush. On the other extreme, authentic Indonesian deep fried Parrot head may be cool, but raised on Cocoa Crispies and Brisket, I think I’ll likely pass. So “authentic” doesn’t always carry the cachet we might think, when ya think about it.

This place, in fact, WAS different. As D-Mom points out, they don’t call it “Mateo’s Authentic !” They call it Mateo’s California Mexican Restaurant, and for the one time we’ve been, so far, we like it!! No matter. Just wanted to weigh in on that “AUTHENTIC” issue. Geez. I think I’ll run down to Canal Street and get me one of them authentic $2.00 Korean Digitals that’ll keep poor time until it turns my wrist green and busts completely by the time I hit Houston! There’s the ticket!

Sad Changes

While we’re on the subject of restaurants, Susan Aylward, after expending a tremendous amount of energy fashioning a really sweet tea/coffee/ fresh food joint in her image at ‘Enjoy’ has met with an abrupt change in strategy from it’s owner and has exited as manager. Given the way things were handled at this place, given the amount of free labor my brudda Michael Aylward put into it… regardless of what it becomes, we will be boycotting and urge all our pals to do so as well. We’ll miss you being there, Susan. I wanted to play there again.

OK, Food Hour is over. Thanks for reading. And remember! Tip your Waitresses.