2nd the good news: yesterday Rebecca and I got on the subway in Grand Central, luckily passing by a Hudson News where James Franco's hotass face called to us from the glass windows. L train reading material!
L train because yesterday was the Albert Hammond Jr. show at McCarren Park Pool, and by AHJ show, I mean Regina Spektor show. The crowd makeup was hilarious. I hadn't realized that the neo-Lillith Fair-ites would be hugging and kissing and swaying in the rainy breeze. Otherwise I may have worn a flowered maxi dress. In any case, the crowd showed Albert little to no love, except for me, Rebecca, the Amer family, and the group of boys I see at pretty much every show I go to in this city.
Albert's show was solid. His playing faces kill me, and we all know I'm a sucker for the windmill. Matt Romano rocked it with his hideous facial hair and a Hawaiian shirt. Marc the guitarist really has fun while playing, esp during "Postal Blowfish," and who wouldn't? My favorite song of the set was "Feed Me Jack." Here's a 14 sec. video from my shit LG to enjoy. (I busted my digital camera in a 1/2 drunken rage.)
Literally after the final note of "Feed Me Jack," it started to rain. The crowd promptly created an umbrella canopy. We decided to move back because all the young, hugging girls got a little too giddy for the upcoming set. Plus our stomachs began to eat themselves. Oh, HEY, they only sold hamburgers and hotdogs, thanks!
Aside: while waiting for Regina, I tried to follow Ryan Gentles around the perimeter of the pool. As I told Rebecca, at this point in my life (aka having not seen Julian alive in over a year) I am not below 6th Stroke level stalking. Well, congratulations, WizKid. You are one swift mother fucker. Blink one time, and that short, well-suited sidler will be gone.
Regina Spektor: just like the 1st time I saw her 5 yrs ago while opening for the Strokes on their Room on Fire tour, she's seriously wild and crazy. The only difference is that she gets to play on a better piano now and people actually like her. She's a little too "cutesy" for my taste, but her impeccable voice sounds better live than on record. Plus, she played every single song of hers that I like, including "That Time," "Poor Little Rich Boy," "The Flowers," "Love Affair," "Somedays," "Ghost of a Corporate Future," and my personal favorite, "Summer in the City." The latter gave me serious chills, as it's probably one of the most accurately written heartbroken songs of all time. Yeah, a serious claim, but one I find to be true both emotionally and physically.
We left before the onslaught of glowstick-bedecked women and the people they love (somehow a large plastic bin of purple glowstick bracelets was unleashed midway thru the show) could overrun us. Headed to Dan's to hang out with him and Zeke and ended the night in Brooklyn the way it began: traipsing thru the unnumbered streets of the 2nd borough.
Final thoughts: AHJ is super skinny. Like as in his pants hang off him. Also, Tony's pizza on Grand is amazing. Also Ralph's Ice. And Michael Phelps is a maniac! I love being off the chain and you know how I get when I'm in BROOKLYN!
