The great James Mastro (The Bongos, Health & Happiness Show, etc.) owns Guitar Bar and Guitar Bar Jr. in Hoboken. Awesome guy Pete Martinez (The Coffin Daggers, Stuyvesant, etc.) owns the Drum Den in Hoboken. The two shops got together and had a baby in Jersey City Heights: Guitar Bar Drum Den. I wrote an article about the new store for the Jersey City Independent website.
Separated at Birth XXXVIII
Elton John in 1999 and Harry Potter
My Internet Radio Playlist, 11/17/15
EPISODE #207: PEACE
in solidarity with Paris
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
Stade de France crowd, 2007 Rugby World Cup — “Le Marseillaise”
Wire — “Dot Dash”
Ya’akov Silbert — “Peace”
Los Lobos — “Peace”
Hot Chocolate Band — “Give Peace a Chance”
Portastatic — “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding”
Elvis Costello and the Attractions — “Peace in Our Time”
Golden Grrrls — “Wrld Peace”
Belle & Sebastian — “Today (This Army’s for Peace)”
Northern Picture Library — “Paris”
Joni Mitchell — “Free Man in Paris”
George Harrison — “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)”
Paul McCartney — “Pipes of Peace”
John Lennon — “Give Peace a Chance”
Nick Lowe — “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding” [acoustic]
broadcast live from Hoboken, NJ, on “Jack’s Aquarium”
Tuesday, 11/17/15, 10:00-11:15 a.m. eastern time
What I’ve Been Watching: Edition XI
So I just subscribed to Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Prime, HBO Now, CBS All Access, and Sling TV, and it’s only going to cost me $4,000 a month more than my cable bill! Score! Hey, you do what ya gotta do when you love the TV. Speaking of, here’s my biannual rundown of the new (or new-to-me) shows I’ve been watching of late.
LOVED
Show Me a Hero (HBO) Like Bridge of Spies, this miniseries turned negotiation into compelling viewing. David Simon rebounded from Tre-meh with this true-life tale, based on the political, legal, and community battles to integrate Yonkers, New York, in the late-80s/early-90s. Oscar Isaac, one of the absolute best actors working today, is outstanding in the lead role. Plus we get lots of Springsteen tunes, and my forever-crush Winona Ryder. It all added up to truly excellent television, with a very affecting conclusion.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix) OK, I was late to the party (I don’t have the, cough cough, “traditional” access to Netflix), but oh man is this sharp and funny, like 30 Rock was, unsurprisingly. Ellie Kemper is perfectly cast in the title role; it’s great to see her getting a chance to shine after the sad, slow death of The Office. But everybody is great in this: Carol Kane (!), Titus Burgess, and guest stars like Martin Short, Nick Kroll, and Jon Hamm. Funny, funny stuff.
LIKED A LOT
The Grinder (FOX) Rob Lowe, who had become a bit tiresome on Parks & Recreation (well, the whole show did), is completely hilarious in this. The entire cast is great: Fred Savage, William Devane (fun to see him doing comedy after tango-ing with Jack Bauer for many years), a toning-it-down Stevie from Eastbound and Down…. The first episode was fantastic, the second one wasn’t, but overall this show has maintained a very high level of both clever writing and crisp performances.
Fargo (FX) I really look forward to this every week, and I certainly can’t say that about most things I watch. It’s a bit darker than the first season, but the writing, cast, and overall filmmaking is equally as good. They really set and maintain a unique northern mood.
Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp (Netflix) I know I was supposed to love the original movie when it came out, but I didn’t. This limited series, though, was a marked improvement — the State crew has gotten smarter and funnier in the intervening years. Inspired me to give the movie a second chance… and I still think it’s only so-so.
Documentary Now! (IFC) When this was good — which was most of the time — it was superb. Fred Armisen and Bill Hader get goofy as all get-out, with really strong attention to detail. I liked it a lot more than Portlandia and I don’t care who knows it!
LIKED
Code Black (CBS) It’s been quite a while since I’ve regularly watched a network hour-long drama, but, you know, maybe I’m tight with the sister of the dude who makes this one. I like it! Set in a busy L.A. emergency ward, this reminds me a bit of St. Elsewhere, Getting On, Scrubs, and ER except I never watched ER. Oh, and Homicide, because they’ve got one of those dry-erase boards with names written in red or black. This feels more realistic than other hospital shows, maybe because it’s based on a documentary (which I’d now like to see). And just when you think it might get too melodramatic, it doesn’t, because there’s always a new patient to deal with, and you really feel like you’re in the middle of all the hectic, life-or-death activity. Marcia Gay Harden is a believable, comforting presence in the lead role, and you can’t go wrong with Luis Guzmán.
The Muppets (ABC) The reboot movies have been highly entertaining, but I was nervous about this. Would it try to be too grown-up/”edgy”? Thankfully, they seem pretty respectful to the characters, and there have been decent laughs in every episode. In the most recent one, Kermit busting out the banjo for “Rainbow Connection” gave me a real smile.
The Jim Gaffigan Show (TV Land) This wants to be Louie, and it is not Louie. They even rip off the Seinfeld music. Also, OK, we get it, you’re Catholic. (And why does Adam Goldberg have to be the butt of so many jokes?) Still, Gaffigan is dependably funny, Michael Ian Black provides some laughs too, there are amusing cameos… eh, for TV Land, it’s good enough.
True Detective (HBO) A solid second season, if not as distinctive as the first. Another strong cast: Colin Farrell, Taylor “Tim Riggins” Kitsch, Rachel McAdams who I am also rather fond of but don’t worry Winona my heart still belongs to you, Vince Vaughn… all turning in good work. I dug Lera Lynn spookily singing and strumming in that creepy bar. (I’d been a fan since seeing her on Letterman back in January.) Storyline was pretty convoluted but when all was said and done it held together.
DIDN’T LIKE
The Spoils Before Dying (IFC) I really enjoyed The Spoils of Babylon, but this just didn’t do it for me. Maybe comedy is not the strength of Omar from The Wire. Or maybe it was the Law of Diminishing Returns for Will Ferrell and his band of merry disciples.
TWO AND DONE
Another Period (Comedy Central) Maybe if I watched Downton Abbey, I’d appreciate this spoof a lot more. Many very funny people are in this, including Garfunkel from Garfunkel and Oates (who is also Fozzie’s girlfriend on The Muppets). But I just didn’t laugh very much at all. After two episodes, I was done.
ONE AND DONE
The Brink (HBO) Also a very strong cast — Tim Robbins, Jack Black, etc. — but zero laughs. Like Albert Brooks a decade ago, they went looking for comedy in the Muslim world, and also did not find it.
Mr. Robot (USA Network) This got an awful lot of buzz — ooh, hacking! how very NOW! — but watching it, I couldn’t really give a shit. I do like Rami Malek, and I’m happy Christian Slater is getting work, but I cannot say “domo arigato” to Mr. Robot.
Blunt Talk (Starz) I was excited that Jonathan Ames had another show after my beloved Bored to Death. I shouldn’t have been. Decent cast, led by Patrick Stewart, Richard Lewis, etc., but an overall cheap feel to the proceedings and, to be blunt, not funny.
Why? With Hannibal Buress (Comedy Central) Let’s give Hannibal Buress credit for really jumpstarting the anti-Cosby movement, but I have to say, Cosby is still a lot funnier than him. The writing here was crummy, and there were too many forced reaction shots of the studio audience. Stick with the much better Eric Andre Show, Mr. Buress.
Supergirl (CBS) The lead actress seemed really charming to me, but this just didn’t have a superhero vibe. Seemed like a cynical attempt to appeal to women: We’ll make the sets bright and airy! She’ll worry about her clothes! When the show did try to get superhero-y, it was incredibly stupid. Hmm, is that what the S stands for?
DELETED 69 MINUTES INTO THE 90-MINUTE PREMIERE
American Horror Story: Hotel (FX) I have really liked past seasons of American Horror Story (though last year’s Freak Show edition was pretty sucky). And I am by no means a prude — bring on the dirty, dirty sex and the morally questionable gore! But, I’m sorry, this was garbage. It seems to me that true horror must be rooted in reality. But by this point, Mr. Glee has totally lost sight of that. He’s just trying to shock “mainstream sensibilities” and is not talented enough to weave it into a gripping story. On the bright side, for me it was like the end of Daylight Saving Time — I got an hour back on my DVR, every week!
DELETED AFTER 12 MINUTES
Moonbeam City (Comedy Central) Animated Miami Vice/80s spoof. Good voices — Rob Lowe, Will Forte, Elizabeth Banks — can’t make up for crappy writing.
JURY STILL OUT
Ash vs. Evil Dead (Starz) Two episodes in, I want to slot this in “Liked a Lot,” but… let’s hold off for the time being. Though my buddy Rob sang the praises of The Evil Dead back in high school, I was a late adopter. But now I am quite the devotee, and will take The Evil Dead over The Walking Dead any day of the week. So far, the show is as twisted, dark, and funny as the films, and it is a true pleasure to watch Bruce Campbell do his thing. Still, with Sam Raimi not heavily involved after the first episode, I’m curious to see if they’ll be able to vary the stories enough as the weeks go by. You can only see so many heads get chainsawed off.
JURY CAME BACK
Wayward Pines (FOX) “I’ll keep watching, but I reserve the right to be very angry at this show,” I said in the previous edition. Well, I did get very angry at this show. The second half of the season was garbage, and the final episode made me feel like a real jackhole for tuning in at all. You and I are through, M. Night Shyamalan.
STILL WATCHING THE SIMPSONS?
Yep.
LOOKING FORWARD TO
I have high hopes for Zach Snuffleupagus in Baskets. I want to believe that the return of The X-Files will be good. And I’d be excited about Vinyl on HBO even if my friend Tiffany wasn’t an extra.
SHOWS I USED TO WATCH AND IN MANY CASES STILL DO
Links to Edition I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX and X.
Movie Review: Spectre
3.5 stars out of 5
It’s a challenge for any long-running series: They have to recycle just enough of the old tropes to satisfy the fans, while also including new elements to freshen things up. You know, like when your favorite old rocker incorporated trip-hop beats. Here, the Bond crew walks that tightrope, leaning toward the old and familiar, and it’s mostly successful.
For “something new,” we get the threat of Big Data. (“Snowden. Edward Snowden.”) No one is safe from surveillance, not even in Moneypenny’s apartment.
For “something borrowed,” we get… everything else. Spectre is basically a greatest-hits of the Daniel Craig years, as past characters and occurrences are revisited. And of course we also get SPECTRE, the most sinister collection of baddies this side of KAOS. SPECTRE was a staple of the early Bond films, and with legal wrangling over rights to the name seemingly resolved, the specter of spectre is back as expected.
The action is solid. The visually-grabbing opening set piece takes place on the Day of the Dead in Mexico City, featuring a crumbling building and a cool fight inside a helicopter. There’s also a car chase in Rome, hand-to-hand combat aboard a (suddenly empty?) train, plane vs. SUV in Austria, etc. As always, Bond has a Passport to Kill.
Beyond Craig, several of our familiar friends are back again: the hipster-nerd Q, the black Moneypenny, Rory Kinnear (who between Bonds was terrific in that Black Mirror episode) as Chief of Staff Tanner, and Mr. White. Among the new recruits, Ralph Fiennes does a fien job as M, with an air of slightly stuffy authority. The streak of very well-cast villains continues with Christoph Waltz, appropriately creepy. We get Bond girls both age-appropriate (Monica Bellucci in a steamy scene) and not (Léa Seydoux, who I liked in The Grand Budapest Hotel but not as much as Saoirse Ronan so I’ll have to see Brooklyn soon). For a Bond movie, Seydoux’s is a strong female character.
Sam Smith’s theme song is pretty great and doesn’t even sound a little bit like Tom Petty.
Product placement? Sure. I’ll give Aston Martin a pass, but oh what a lingering shot of an Omega watch. There are lapses in logic; for example, Bond wants to travel undetected by his bosses, but then immediately steals a new car from MI6. The attempts at humor generally fall flat, and returning director Sam Mendes is not as artful as he was in Skyfall. For the most part, though, Spectre is a thrilling tale, well-plotted, paced, and performed.
That all being said, I dropped my rating from 4 stars to 3.5. Just when we seem headed to a satisfying conclusion (and the actual ending is strong), they decide to toss in yet another set piece. Beyond being one too many — contributing to the movie’s overly-long 148 minutes — this scene is flat-out stupid, like something out of a crummy superhero flick. Come on, guys, sometimes the world is enough.
My Internet Radio Playlist, 11/10/15
EPISODE #206: VETERANS DAY 2015 (WAR)
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
Allen & Allen — “Heavenly Baby” in memory of Allen Toussaint
Phoenix — “Armistice”
The Extra Lens — “In Germany Before the War”
Billy Bragg — “Rumours of War”
Big Dipper — “Man o’ War”
The Merry-Go-Round — “Gonna Fight the War”
Edwin Starr — “War”
The Clash — “Hate & War”
Neil Young — “Love and War”
Joe Henry — “After the War”
Jon Langford and Skull Orchard — “What Did You Do in the War?”
Peter Holsapple — “Don’t Mention the War”
Pete Seeger — “Study War No More (Down by the Riverside)”
The Pogues — “The Band Played Waltzing Matilda”
broadcast live from Hoboken, NJ, on “Jack’s Aquarium”
Tuesday, 11/10/15, 10:00-11:20 a.m. eastern time
My Internet Radio Playlist, 11/3/15
EPISODE #205: ASK JACK, INSTALLMENT 11
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
The Smiths — “Ask”
Question from Audrey:
Why do major league ballparks all have different dimensions (outfield fence, foul territory, etc.)? It seems to me like there should be uniform dimensions in every ballpark, so that if a ball is a home run in one ballpark, it would be a home run in every ballpark. This drives me crazy!!
Post-answer song:
Frank Sinatra — “There Used To Be a Ballpark”
Question from Deb:
What do you do when your friends invite you to join them at the beach and don’t bother to mention it’s a nude beach?
Post-answer song:
Nude Beach — “I’m Not Like You”
Question from Chico:
Who put the Bop in the Bop Shoo Bop?
Post-answer song:
Hanson — “MMMBop”
Question from Kim:
Should I stay or should I go now? This indecision’s bugging me.
Post-answer song:
Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs — “Stay”
Question from Sucia:
Who would win in a fight between Obama and Putin?
Post-answer song:
Morrissey — “Boxers”
Question from Carolyn:
How can a highly qualified but not highly promoted presidential candidate win an election?
Post-answer song:
The Gazetteers — “Perennial Fringe Candidate”
Question from Lou:
When the hell is Peter Griffin going to win the fight with that chicken?
Post-answer song:
The Felice Brothers — “Run Chicken Run”
Question from Richard:
Is there or are there?
Post-answer song:
Radiohead — “There There”
Question from Mike:
Did John Titor really exist?
Post-answer song:
The Continental Drifters — “Tighter, Tighter” [demo]
Winter Hours — “Stay With Me” [demo] in memory of Michael Carlucci
broadcast live from Hoboken, NJ, on “Jack’s Aquarium”
Tuesday, 11/3/15, 10:00-11:25 a.m. eastern time
Movie Review: Freeheld
4 stars out of 5
First things first: Yes, the movie is set in New Jersey, but no, it is not set in the town of Freehold. And the second thing: If you are unfamiliar with the case of Laurel Hester and you have an interest in justice and equality, you really need to see this movie. Now. Stop reading this review and go see it.
I had only the vaguest recollections of this Ocean County police detective who simply wanted her pension to go to her same-sex domestic partner. This is in those long-ago days when same-sex marriage was not yet legal in New Jersey—you know, prior to October 22, 2013. Things were more complicated back then.
So the movie has this fascinating, entirely true, brink-of-history plot going for it, which is brought to life by an absolutely world-class cast. Leading the way with a powerhouse performance as Hester is the incredible Julianne Moore. She embodies Hester’s no-nonsense decency and dignity. Moore captures Hester’s inherent Jerseyness without making it an over-the-top portrayal. (The story starts in 2002, though Hester is still proudly rocking a ’70s feathered ‘do.) She’s a real good cop who is maybe a little reserved, likely because she’s led a secret life for so long. However, that becomes much harder for Hester to do when she genuinely falls in love.
Playing the girlfriend who becomes Hester’s domestic partner is Ellen Page. Now, she’ll always be Juno to me, but as Stacie Andree, Page does superb work here. Again, this could’ve turned out to be a clichéd character—the tough, short-haired, motorcycle-repairing lesbian (I’m thinking Andrea Martin’s “Dutch” from SCTV)—but Page does it just right, with real humanity.
Now you know I love that madman Michael Shannon. He’s already earned his Jersey stripes with his strong performance as Richard “The Iceman” Kuklinski. Here, he’s on the other side of the law, as Hester’s partner on the force (Dane Wells, not Nelson Van Alden). This is a key character, because he symbolizes the ability for people to change their minds, and Shannon handles it flawlessly. He has a couple of the best scenes in the film, including one with Moore in the front yard—Hester’s “coming out”—which really got to me.
Steve Carell gets to have some fun with a lively portrayal of Steven Goldstein, the head of Garden State Equality. (I didn’t know about that advocacy organization till late 2009, a few years after the events in the movie, when my friends Sean and Alex sent an email about an upcoming marriage-equality vote in the New Jersey State Senate.) Top character actors—hey, there’s the mayor from Boardwalk Empire! And there’s the preppie bad guy from the Wet Hot American Summer Netflix series!—round out the cast.
There is so much to learn and consider in this movie. (One meeting of the Ocean County Board of Freeholders—the true powerbrokers who give the film its name—was very informative but felt like a bit too much exposition.) We get politics and law and lobbying and bigotry and loyalty, and it’s all true which makes it all the more compelling. But at the center of everything is a basic love story: Two people who care deeply for each other, who look out for one another, and who just want to be treated fairly by the society around them. It’s funny, 2006 seems like a million years ago in many regards, but there is still so much work to be done. The Kim Davises of the world aren’t just in “redneck enclaves; you need look no further than the cover of this week’s Sports Illustrated, where an unrepentant homophobe based in New York City is being held up as a hero.
So this is a very important movie, with a sprinkling of solid laughs but even more tears (I estimate I was choked up and/or crying for literally half the film), some Capra-esque goodness, and a whole lot of heart. Kudos to everyone involved.
Items from the Derek Jeter/Hannah Davis Bridal Registry
Sorry, ladies, the Captain is off the market! Retired shortstop Derek Jeter has found true love at last with Sports Illustrated cover girl Hannah Davis. Salt in Wound has been granted an exclusive sneak peek at the happy couple’s bridal registry. Here is just a sampling of the items you can purchase to help these sweet kids begin their life together.
• His-and-her towels
• Kohler faucets emblazoned with “For the wet stuff coming out of wall”
• Cutlery with directional indicators
• Math workbook for counting above 2
• Fireplace starter logs that give $100 bills that “special glow”
• Bose flush-activated speakers announcing in the voice of Bob Sheppard, “No. 2, Derek Jeter. No. 2.”
• Childproof Gatorade bottle
• The Collected Poems of Rebecca Romijn-Stamos
• A new dishwasher and also a sleeping bag in the corner for her husband
• Paint-by-numbers pre-nup
My Internet Radio Playlist, 10/27/15
EPISODE #204: HALLOWEEN 2015
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
The Shaggs — “It’s Halloween”
Male Bonding — “Pumpkin”
Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians — “Sleeping With Your Devil Mask”
Beat Happening — “Black Candy”
Evans the Death — “Terrified”
Michael Jackson — “Thriller”
The Porchistas — “Zombie Jesus”
Sufjan Stevens — “They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back From The Dead!! Ahhhh!”
Donovan — “Season of the Witch”
Broadcast — “Black Cat”
They Might Be Giants — “Spider”
The White Stripes — “Little Ghost”
Lou Reed — “Halloween Parade”
broadcast live from Hoboken, NJ, on “Jack’s Aquarium”
Tuesday, 10/27/15, 10:00-11:05 a.m. eastern time
Jack Silbert, curator