Quick November trip to New York City
 

We've been invited to play the International Pop Overthrow at Kenny's Castaways in Greenwich Village the first week of November. We haven't gotten the exact schedule, yet, so I can't say what dates I'll be in NYC. It will probably be a quick trip: drive in the day before, hang out and play the show, drive back to Michigan the following day. We've hoping for a weekend slot.

I'll be hunting for lodgings fairly close by. It's got to be somewhere with secure parking for the van full of equipment, and reasonably priced. I'm figuring to have one evening, albeit, after a looooong drive, and a portion of the day of the show, to hang out and wander Greenwich/Soho.

If things work out, I'll be bringing son Tim for driving support and roadie duties. I took him for a quick meet and eat with a few Chicago folks a couple of years ago, and we all had some fun. He's only 20, so entertainment options may be limited.

I'd love the opportunity to at least meet a few of TFP's New York contingent, even if only for coffee, beer, or a sandwich. Of course, having a few come to the show would be the perfect scenario.

So, what's up New York? Any tips, advice, suggestions?

I'll make myself available to see you at the venue 100%. I'll scour up some recommendations for housing. It will be much cheaper to stay in NJ, but not really. Your problem will be parking the van and the safety of the equipment.

I'll be there! I'm not sure where you can stay, but you can count me in on attending.

Cool! I was hoping to hear from both of you!

Actually, my wife has a friend on the Jersey side who may be able to put us up. I'm angling for his address in order to map it and see if it's workable. Need hotel leads as a back-up. It's not always good to disrupt someone's home and routine. Especially if we're in mid-week and out til all hours.

you can always count on hal and cynth to meet you! they did a swell job last xmas when i was there.

my pick - go to Lombardos for a slice of Pizza followed by Rice to Riches for desert...

ok so its not my idea..it was cynths..but its still worth the try.

A slice of authentic New York style pizza sounds great! I've had Chicago. I'm sure I'll enjoy New York just as much.

We're still waiting for IPO to post a schedule, but I'm getting pumped already!

damn, if i wasn't going to be in florida, i would be totally there...

It would be great, phil. We'll have to tip a B&C together another time, my friend.

Just got the booking info: Sunday, Nov. 9 at 10 pm. This may not be a great slot for anyone having to get up early on Monday, but then, I heard that New Yorkers can PARTY!!

can we shoot you guys on video?

A video of you shooting us could be used as evidence.

Hey, we're from Detroit! WE do the shooting!!!

Seriously though, a vid would be cool. I don't see any problem, unless we suck... which we don't!

pizza same night? or sat night?

Can't say yet. Gotta work out the details.

It's going to be interesting. My boss leaves for a cruise Friday night, Nov 7. I'm a store manager, and the guy who runs the stock orders for all six locations. When the big guy is out of town, many of his chores fall to me, and vice versa. We've never had to have a back up for the back up before. Besides this, I'm the company IT guy (bwaaa-ha-ha!) and I'm in the middle of a systems maintenance process... cleaning a years accumulation of crap from a couple dozen pc's and such, and upgrading software and hardware as needed. I've begun delegating some operational duties. a couple of weeks of super high intensity training will have the place ready to run for a few day without me.

My ultimate goal is to make myself superfluous. Then I can pursue my decadent rock and roll dreams with a clear conscience.

Yes, pizza definitely! Saturday or Sunday, or both!

Do New Yorkers drink Brooklyn Brown Ale? Tasty stuff, IMO.

yes some of them do... I don't but some do.

The misses and I are in - Grumpy, check your pms.

I don't know about those guys from Manhattan...:suave:

I haven't had but I'm always down for a McSorelys.

I'm down for some McSorley's. No problem!

PM'd ya back!

kick 'em all in the ass for me grump..........

Asses will be kicked, bud.

My biggest problem will be the waiting... November feels like it's a long way off!

Dude, I can't wait!

you cant wait for your ass to be kicked??

Hey, don't knock it. There's odder kinks on this board.

yes,yes there is..............have a good show grump...........still playin' your Ric?

Yessir, still banging on the Ric. Gibby's been relegated to second string.

We've had a distressing development. Jeff, our drummer, was taking to the hospital this morning (Sunday, October 19). He suffered a mild heart attack and will be undergoing a catherization later today. We know other drummers, who may or may not be able to make the trip with us.

We have a show scheduled for this Saturday. It's supposed to be simulcast on a local rock station. We'll likely have to cancel this one.

More news as things progress.

oh no... sorry to hear that. I hope that he has a full recovery

Still waiting to hear how the procedure went. He's a strong, otherwise healthy guy. We have faith that he will be okay.

Jeff's got none of the lifestyle traits that lead to this kind of thing. He doesn't smoke, rarely drinks.

Otherwise, we've made an arrangement for this upcoming show. Our studio engineer is a drummer and knows our set. I think he'll do a great job.

We still aren't sure about New York, though.

I'm sorry to hear this, GOD. I know how much you were looking forward to this trip.

Sending vibes to percussion ...

Man hope he is well. Hope you don't miss this gig. I'll be thinking good thoughts, for what that's worth. I mean you guys are from Detroit, can't see a little thing like a heart attack getting in our way.

So far, so good. Jeff had angioplasty this afternoon. They found blockage and installed a stint. The report is that the muscle damage is minimal. He was resting comfortably in recovery, last I heard. His full recovery and long term health are our primary concern.

Beyond being a thumping mofo of a drummer, Jeff's a friend with a family that needs to have their husband/father hale and hearty. The band situation will resolve.

Thanks for the good thoughts. I believe that positive vibes do help the healing process.

big ass 'ol vibes from one drummer to another............

Our friend, Tom, played our show last Saturday. He did a great job, considering the condensed rehearsal time we had with him. He can't make the New York trip, though.

We've arranged a session guy to rehearse with us this week, and make the trip. Since it's a short set, the learning curve shouldn't be overwhelming. Ain't rock and roll fun?

Our current plan is to drive Saturday and spend the night at the Holiday Inn in Long Island City. We'll have Sunday to wander and see a bit of Manhattan. The guys want to start heading home right away after the show Sunday night, so hanging out time will be minimal. I still want to spend some time with the TFP folks, maybe after we check in Saturday, or over lunch on Sunday.

Anyone who's interested, PM some local contact info, so we can hook up.

Jeff's resting, and still hurting. The lack of activity is driving him nuts. Rehab may be longer than he'd hoped. We don't want to rush things.

hope all is going well with jeff, GOD.

good luck with the coming gig.

wish i could do another NY trip. would have loved to listen to you live!

Less than a week to go! There's so much other shit going down around here that I haven't had time to get excited yet. That all changes Tuesday when we start live rehearsals with the drummer du jour, Danny.

Dlish, I'll ask the promoter when he plans on taking the IPO to Dubai.

hope things w/ the fill in work for ya' grump...........keep us updated.

This still on? I'm waiting for it!

So what's the plan? :)

Yes, we're still on! We're scheduled for 10pm Sunday.
We'll leave Michigan at 7 am or earlier Saturday and drive through to Long Island City Holiday Inn. Don't know how much energy we'll have when we get there, so meeting for a drink Saturday night is a maybe.
We ended up booking a second night at the hotel, so all day Sunday, and a few hours post show will be for hanging out, making contacts. We'll be wanting to leave as early Monday as possible, as real life awaits.

We rehearsed with the drummer tonight, and things went all good! The young man is very good and a quick study. We'll have two more rehearsals, on Wednesday and Friday. We're leaving the keyboard/sax man home. He can't take the time from his day jobs. We'll only have two part vocals, rather than three, since Jeff can't make the trip. It's a short set, and we're bringing a lot of energy to the stage, and I suspect, a little more "power" to our pop than the other bands on the bill. It will be fun!

I want to get some "New York Style" pizza while in town, and Sunday lunch or early dinner would probably be the best time. I'm really looking forward to meeting you guys!

knock 'em dead bro

Despite the passing of my mother, the family insists that I make this NYC trip. They say that she was very excited for me to go, and I would never be forgiven if I canceled. So the trip goes on... dedicated to the memory of sweet, sweet Jessie, my wonderful mom.

We leave at the next sunrise!

Hal, Cyn and Manic, I'm pm-ing you my cell phone number. If the trip goes smoothly, we'll be in the hotel by 7 pm.

so sorry for you grump.........my condolences