Triple Cities Carousel July 2014

CAROUSEL triple cities

free

july 2014

vol. 2 issue 7

living local. loving life.

July 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 3

contents.

editorial.......................................................................4 music.............................................................................5 ‘merica........................................................................13 persons of interest...............................................14 art...............................................................................16 calendar....................................................................20 food and drink.........................................................23 theatre and dance.................................................27 books..........................................................................30 wellness....................................................................33 film.............................................................................35 fun stuff...................................................................36 crossword...............................................................38 TRIPLE CITIES CAROUSEL P.O. BOX 2947 BINGHAMTON, NY 13902 Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Christopher Bodnarczuk Assistant Editors Heather Merlis, Ronnie Vuolo Creative Consulant/Calendar Guru Ty Whitbeck Advertising Christopher Bodnarczuk, Kathleen Klein, Ahlpheh Ohtis Wilson Staff Writers Charles Berman, Stacey Burke, Ilana Lipowicz, Maria “Murph” Murphy, Rose Silberman-Gorn, Krissy Howard, Felicia Waynesboro, Nick Wilsey, Ahlpheh Ohtis Wilson Contributors Maggie Gilroy, Paul O’Heron, Dan Pokorak, Kevin Salisbury Photography Ty Whitbeck Layout/Design Christopher Bodnarczuk On the Cover Detail of “A Bunch of Firecrackers” -Kyle Edward Balles

FOR ADVERTISING: triplecitiesads@gmail.com FOR LETTERS, COMPLAINTS, PRAISE, DEATH THREATS, AND MORE INFO: triplecitiescarousel@gmail.com APOLOGIES TO ANYONE TRYING TO CONTACT OUR ALTERNATIVE EMAIL ADDRESSES- THEY’LL BE BACK SOON!

Copyright 2014 by Triple Cities Carousel. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without prior written consent from the publisher.

4 Vol. 2 Issue 7

editorial.

And then there was July.

It’s been an extremely busy month here at Carousel HQ. Regular readers of the paper might notice a little something different this month. Okay, a lot of something different. Welcome to Carousel 2.0. Well, I guess Carousel 2.1. Or something. Hell, as long as it’s better than Windows 8, amiright?

But seriously, like, look at this freakin’ paper! New size, new format, new sections, and 100% more color… all in the span of a month. What can I say? Caffeine. What a drug. I’ve taken to snorting dark roast coffee beans off of old Ted Nugent albums in the middle of the night (just kidding, Mom!).

I’d like to humbly present to you, dear reader, this new issue of Carousel, but I can’t humbly do anything. This paper’s always been pretty incredible, and right now, at 6am, as I look over all the work the staff and I put into this baby in the past month, I’m pretty damn full of myself.

Seriously. Check it out. So much color! Do you have any idea how stressful it is to try and put together an arts paper that’s primarily black and white? I do. It sucks. Not no more, though!

And it’s not just the color that’s got me excited. We’ve got a new page size, which means my days of folding over half of the cover art to get the paper to fit on a counter are over. We’ve got a new design scheme, which means a lot more pictures. And we’ve got some awesome new sections: starting this month, we’ve partnered with RiverRead Books to bring you a monthly section on, well, books! Plus, a brand new movie section! And the return of the “persons of interest” section! Except you won’t even recognize it, because it’s 1000% times more amazing and surreal than it ever was when I was running around asking random strangers what their favorite restaurant was.

And that’s not all! Wait till August, when things really get moving- even more sections, even better design… some wild stuff on the horizon, Carousel nation!

I should probably introduce myself to all our new readers in Norwich and Windsor and everywhere else, too. Oh, hey Norwich and Windsor and everywhere else, too. I’m Chris. I run this thing (with a whole lot of dedicated help!). We just started delivering in your towns. We’ll be writing about your towns, too. Y’all have got a lot of cool stuff happening.

Alright, I think there’s about 4 hours between me writing this sentence and when I need to show up to the printer for pick up. I’ve been staring at this screen for the last 18 hours. Nighty night.

-Christopher M.F. Bodnarczuk

July 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 5

Boz Scaggs. Photo Provided.

music.

The pop music world has gone through no small change since the late ‘70s when Boz Scaggs had multiple singles top the charts and established himself as a solo artist capable of composing splashy tunes in a variety of flavors.

He has since released records every few years, building up a sizable repertoire, experimenting with so many different genres and styles that there’s a Boz Scaggs song to match every occasion, mood, or landscape you can think of. On July 29th, you can see him perform at the Anderson Center as part of his tour for his new album “Memphis.”

Scaggs has been predominantly a solo artist for most of his career, but his real success began when he teamed up with Steve Miller. His run with the Steve Miller Band was fruitful but short lived, and he continued to work on his own projects while playing with the band. Then, in 1976, he released Silk Degrees, his most famous album to date, on which are found the songs that many still define him by to date. “Lido Shuffle,” “It’s Over,” and “Lowdown” were on that record and have stayed alive by jiving through car radios across America and by being so persistently catchy- once one of his songs is in your head, it takes a mild shock to get it out.

Although Boz Scaggs came from a blues background, he always had a pop inclination. While most musicians’ move toward pop has signified a compromise of their artistic integrity, Scaggs’ awareness of changes in trends and interest in experimenting with them is what has granted his work such diversity and defined him as a musician. His music is a little bit of blues, a little bit of rock & roll, jazz, funk, disco, and R&B. He’s worked with a lot of bands, but stayed primarily a solo artist for the sake of the freedom of variability. His music has called for a horn section, an organ, soulful backup singers, and drum machines. His distinct vocals and guitar-playing are enough to identify his music as his own and grant it all unity.

Now, at age 70, Scaggs has paid tribute to his many influences in his most recent album, “Memphis,” which he released in March of 2013. The majority of the album is comprised of covers, including one of “So Good to Be Here” by Al Green, who, like Scaggs, recorded albums in Memphis’s famous Royal Studios. He also does a quicker version of Steely Dan’s “Pearl of the Quarter,” bringing in violins and spicing up the guitar riffs.

The album still begins and ends with two Scaggs originals, which together give a taste of both ends of his musical spectrum- a spunky breakup tune and a slow ballad which is also about a breakup but feels more like an appropriate reprise for the reflective album it concludes.

BOZ SCAGGS

You can expect to hear songs of the new album at the concert, but be certain he’ll also be playing the old hits. He puts a lot of thought into his arrangements and organizing his sets. “I like to do a show that is concise and dynamic and musically includes a lot of stuff,” he’s said of previous shows. He’d be hard pressed to showcase every style of music he’d done in a coherent manner, and at the end of the day, he knows the most important thing at a show is making the crowd happy. “It’s just my feeling that they (the audience) want to get to the stuff that they’re familiar with.”

Boz Scaggs will be performing at the Osterhout Theater in the Anderson Center at BU on July 29 at 8pm. Tickets are $40 for orchestra seating or $20 for the lawn and can be bought at AndersonCenter.showare.com.

SHUFFLES INTO ANDERSON CENTER

by Ilana Lipowicz

BUSY BIRD

6 Vol. 2 Issue 7

BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL RETURNS FOR ANOTHER YEAR

OF MUSIC AND REVELRY

Maggie Gilroy Contributing Writer

The legacy of “Busy Bird” Beverly Kithcart will continue to live on as the Busy Bird Bluegrass Festival takes place July 11-13 in Berkshire. Currently in its third year under the direction of the Gwardyak family, the celebration is growing fast in size and attendees.

The festival will feature two headliners over the first two days; the NY City Slickers will headline on Friday, followed by The Deadly Gentlemen on Saturday.

Hailing from Manhattan, the NY City Slickers is an eight piece bluegrass band that formed in 2008, frequently touring venues in New York City. The Deadly Gentlemen is a Boston based quintet that formed in 2011. The band has released three albums to date, most recently releasing Roll Me Tumble Me. Responsible for the booking and managing for the festival is Tim Gwardyak, who scopes YouTube and other festival line-ups for possible acts for the festival.

“My line-up this year is, I believe, what’s going to be our best program yet,” says Gwardyak.

“In 11 years I don’t think I’ve had this level of talent all in one spot.” The budget was increased this year to afford the high caliber acts. ”I think that this year every one of my bands that we have could headline a festival,” he continues.

In addition to the performances, the festival will feature vendors with offerings including arts and crafts, woodworking, homemade jewelry, and festival t-shirts. A full service kitchen run by festival organizers will feature breakfast, lunch and dinner each day. Ithaca’s famous Purity Ice Cream will also have a booth set up there.

The festival grounds include a camping area, and the camping is included in the price of the weekend pass. The festival is presented in honor of Beverly Kithcart, a music-lover nicknamed “Busy Bird.” In 2004, her children made her dream of having a music festival of her own come true, entitling it the Busy Bird Bluegrass Festival in her honor.

While Kithcart only experienced the festival in its inaugural year, as she died in 2005, the festival continues to be presented annually in her

memory. In 2011 the festival was passed to the Gwardyak family, who continue to hold the festival in her honor. Since then, the family has expanded the fan-base from nearly 1000 attendees in 2011 to 1500 in 2013.

“I’m expecting that and more hopefully this year,” Gwardyak remarks. He credits the increase in attendees to social media as well as the I Love NY program.

Kithcart’s daughter and one of the festival’s founders, Terry Patrick, has played the festival each year with her band, the Cannon Hole Rounders. Her band will close off the festival this year.

“Terry did a great job with the festival,” says Gwardyak, “and we just kind of carry it on …

The important thing is that she started it and we’re just carrying it on with the tradition.”

In addition to the headliners, the festival features smaller local acts performing a variety of bluegrass styles in order to attract both younger and older generations of audience members. Additional musical acts include the Hilltoppers, Cannon Hill Rounders, Melanie and the Boys, Jersey Corn Pickers, Jim Gaudet and the Railroad Boys, Chad Darou, Stealing Time, Slew Foot, Matthew Family Tradition, Rebecca Colleen and the Chorleads, Coaltown Rounders, Jim Hurst, Coloradas, Wood & Wire and Gospel Way. “What’s really important to me is to keep that bluegrass spirit alive, and to do that you need to make changes and infuse some different types of talent to keep the younger crowd that’s coming up. You know, they’re going to keep that alive,” Gwardyak explains.

“It was founded because of family and the love for her [Terry’s] mother,” said Gwardyak, “So we try to keep that spirit going.”

Weekend passes, which include camping, are modestly priced at $40, and day passes range from $10-20 depending on the day. “We don’t do it to make money, so we keep it very reasonable,” said Gwardyak. “It’s a good way, and it’s a very inexpensive way, for people that don’t want to travel real far to come to our festival, have a good weekend, camp out. It’s just a great atmosphere.”

The festival takes place Friday July 11th at 3 pm through Sunday July 13th at 4 pm. The festival is located at 231 Ketchumville Rd. in Berkshire. Additional information, including ticket prices, can be accessed at busybirdbluegrass.com.

July 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 7

ANNUAL STREET FESTIVAL RETURNS

TO DT BINGHAMTON

Chris Bodnarczuk Editor-in-Chief

From July 11th to 13th, the streets of downtown Binghamton will be shut down to make way for the masses attending the 52nd Annual July Fest celebration.

Music will play the main role of the weekend, as the festival-within-a-festival Binghamton Music and Jazz Festival returns for the another year, showcasing several local and national acts over the course of three days on the M&T Bank Concert Stage, at the intersection of State and Court Streets.

NATHAN AVAKIAN JUMPS TO THE FUTURE WITH THE TOOLS OF THE PAST Chris Bodnarczuk Editor-in-Chief

“I have a tremendous respect for the history and the legacy of it all, but my passion is pushing the envelope; using it in different ways to collaborate with different things.”

So says 22 year old musical prodigy Nathan Avakian of his weapon of choice, the theatre organ. And push the envelope he does. Avakian, who performs at the Forum Theatre for the second time on July 20th, has gained international acclaim for putting a hip, modern spin on what many consider to be a dinosaur of an instrument.

“Theatre organ in general has this stereotype of catering to older generations, or being a museum piece; playing things from the ‘20s and ‘30s- silent films. Yeah, that’s how it started, but at the time it was a cutting edge piece of technology- and it still is, in many ways. It kind of lost its voice when the ‘talkies’ came out, but it found other ways of surviving. For a while, they were put into roller rinks and pizza parlors. There was a regeneration in the 1960s with hi-fi recording. Pipe organ was the only thing that could really demonstrate the frequency range. For whatever reason, for the last 50 years or so, there hasn’t been a push to do new things with it. It’s unfortunate, because it’s such a versatile thing. It doesn’t just have to do things from the ‘20s and ‘30s. That music was never really my interest. My interest was always contemporary music.”

Avakian was first introduced to the theatre organ in his hometown of Portland, Oregon,

at- oddly enough- a pizza place. The Portland Organ Grinder, which is long since closed, dished up pies to a soundtrack unlike any other. It was love at first sight for four year old Avakian.

“It was multifaceted. There was the mechanical complexity of it. There was the power of it.

The ability to surround you with sound- a type of sound that can’t be replicated by speakers or any other means. And the whole atmosphere of the place... It was a really fun time, and the music that played was contemporary.

My favorite song was ‘Under the Sea’ and the theme from ‘Star Wars.’ I had no knowledge of the classical music scene or even silent film, the way that the organ used to be presented.

All I knew was I loved going to the Organ Grinder.”

He began taking organ lessons at 11, and by his mid-teens, had become a bit of a sensation in the theatre organ community. He was doing things with the instrument that just hadn’t been done- integrating backing tracks of digital rhythms and loops into his music; playing fresh, modern music; collaborating with other live musicians.

At 17, he was approached to record music for a youth silent film competition in Portland.

The idea was to have Avakian record 5 songs on the theatre organ- each one of a different genre, each one at exactly three minutes longand then challenge young filmmakers to make a movie for which they used those recordings as the soundtrack. It was a big hit, and the International Youth Silent Film Festival now gets entries from as far away as Australia. The success of the project catapulted Avakian to theatre-organ-stardom, and has allowed him to travel the world to play live accompaniments at screenings of the films.

Avakian performed in Binghamton last year, accompanying the 2013 winning films on the Forum Theatre’s 1926 theatre organ for the widely acclaimed “Outside the Box” show. He returns to Binghamton with the 2014 winning films on Sunday, July 20th, for “Outside the Box 2.”

The show will indeed be “outside the box.”

Not only will Avakian be performing live as the films screen, but he’ll also be showcasing some of his multi-layered originals and takes on classics, essentially accompanying himself with self-recorded MIDI loops. To make things even more interesting, the Binghamton High School “Juice Blenders” Steel Drum Band (directed by Joel Smales) will be on hand as well, performing on their own for some pieces, and accompanying Nathan on others. It is, as far as the young musician knows, the first time ever that steel drum and theatre organ will be played side by side.

“The blend is going to work really well.”

But, don’t take his word for it. Get yourself a ticket and see for yourself. Just be sure to leave any preconceived notions as to what theatre organ music is behind.

Nathan Avakian comes to the Forum Theatre in Binghamton at 3pm on July 20th for “Outside the Box 2,” presented by the Binghamton Theater Organ Society. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for members, $30 for families, and $5 for those 22 and under. They can be bought day of show, or in advance (suggested) at the Early Owego Antique Center, or by calling (607) 722 0022, or (607) 773 1495.

Popcorn and light refreshments will be available for sale.

More than 80 artists and craft vendors will line the streets hawking their wares, including fine art, jewelry, purses, skin care products, and the occasional Oriental Trading Co. gimmicks. Other attractions include the Parlor City 5K Run, carnival food vendors, and the Kidz Artzone.

It is a curious beast, July Fest. For a festival that takes place in the heart of downtown Binghamton, finding the pulse of Binghamton is not as easy as one would expect. With a lineup heavy on out of town talent- especially on Saturday- one must search a bit to find the music that makes Binghamton thrive through the rest of the year. But, that doesn’t mean it’s not there: Splash will of course be there, playing for three hours on Friday evening (the band, which features festival music coordinator Mike Carbone on sax, percussion, and vocals, has been voted the Southern Tier’s favorite band 11 of the past 15 years by the real-people newspaper). Other local highlights include Salsa Libre (high energy Latin dance music), Ayana D. and Lawrence Elder (the reigning queen of local jazz, with piano accompaniment), the Binghamton High School Juice Blenders Steel Band (the coolest high school band in the world), Bill Carter and the Presbypop Quartet (instrumental Christian jazz), Eric Ross (theremin!), and Tim Beardsley (local jazz).

The rest of the lineup consists of regional and national acts, including headlining Rochester wedding favorites Primetime Funk with Ronnie Leigh for three hours on Saturday night. Other highlights include Sirsy (read all about them on page 11), the NY Funk Exchange (powerhouse Brooklyn funk), and internationally renowned xylophone player Alex Jacobowitz.

July Fest, hosted by the Downtown Binghamton Business Association and the City of Binghamton, takes place Friday, July 11th thru Sunday, July 13th on State, Court, and Washington Streets in downtown Binghamton. The festival opens each day at 10am. Admission is free. For more information, visit julyfestbinghamton.com.

8 Vol. 2 Issue 7

OWEGO, ENDICOTT

EACH PRESENT SUMMER

CONCERT SERIES

Ronnie Vuolo Assistant Editor Starting Wednesday, July 2nd, Owego’s Hickories Park will ring with the sound of music at the opener of this year’s Concerts in the Park series. Presented by the Tioga Arts Council, free concerts will be held every Wednesday evening through August 6th.

Festivities kick off at 7:30pm on the 2nd with the Kirby Band, followed by fireworks at 9:30pm.

For many, Independence Day -season brings to mind parades, flags, and bunting- sitting on a hillside on a perfect evening, listening to patriotic music while groups of children run in and out under the watchful eyes of friends and neighbors. Eating cotton candy with sticky fingers after a picnic dinner, with your worries set aside for another day. The Kirby Band more than fills the bill, with a huge repertoire including everything from parade music to show tunes. A perfect setting, great music, friends, good food, and fireworks- what could be better!

The remaining concerts run from 7-9pm, and are as follows: July 9th- Old Friends, playing traditional English and Irish folk tunes and dance music; July 16th- The Gunpoets, a Hip Hop band with a twist; July 23rd- Blue J’s, offering the best of blues and rock; July 30th- Terry Walker and No Compromise, everything rock and pop; August 6- Triple Play with Alice Detrick, featuring country music.

Concerts are rain or shine; however, in the event of severe weather, cancellations will be noted on the council phone and announced on local radio. For further information, contact the Tioga Arts Council at (607) 687-0785 or go to tiogaartscouncil. org.

Meanwhile, Endicott’s having a summer concert series of their own. Hosted by The Downtown Endicott Business Association, The Avenue Summer Concert Series returns for another year on Washington Ave. Shows begin at 5pm on Wednesdays, a time when folks are hungry and need to unwind after a day at work, or long hours with the kids. What better way to end the day than relaxing on a lawn chair, listening to good music, and enjoying the outdoors? The bands seem to have been chosen specifically for their ability to restore flagging spirits, and rejuvenate tired bodies. The July concert, held on the 23rd, features UUU. Hailing from northeast PA, their website labels them a “we play it all party band.” After listening to a few songs, I can honestly say that this IS a true feel good party band; there is very little chance you will be able to sit still when this band is playing. The final show of the series is August 13th. Showcasing Oswego based southern rock band Frostbit Blue, you can expect another great show by another great band. Vendors will be on-site for each show with food, beverages, and a variety of crafts. Proceeds from vendor fees go to benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Western Broome, and Wendy’s Walk for Kids.

PIMPS OF JOYTIME HEAD TO NORWICH Pimps of Joytime. Photo Provided.

FOR SOME SUMMER JAMS

Maggie Gilroy Contributing Writer “You can’t beat really good music out in the park on a summer night.

You know, in your blanket or lawn chair.” So says Eric Larsen, who has organized Norwich’s Chenango Summer Jams Concert series since 2012. “There’s no better way to spend the day in my book.”

than other groups’ other events, choosing a variety of music genres to include in the series. The July concert will include the Pimps of Joytime, Seek the Lion and Sven Curth.

The concert series is a free outdoor music event organized by the Chenango Blues Association, a non-profit volunteer group known for presenting the annual Chenango Blues Festival as well as a weekly live concert each Thursday throughout July.

Bringing more mellow sounds to the lineup is local act Seek the Lion, a reggae band hailing from Norwich. The group has toured nationally with solo projects as well as nationally touring groups including Dubstate, Tumbleweed Highway and the Bruce Beadle Band.

The second installment of the series (the first was in June) will take place on July 26th in East Side Park in downtown Norwich. While many events hosted by the festival are tailored to a single genre, the artists featured in the concert series are not defined by one musical genre.

On the irreverent side is the only solo act of the series, Sven Curth. Curth is a singer, songwriter and guitar player whose work features honky-tonk and blues music with lyrics covering a variety of topics ranging from drinking to tractors.

“It’s just a way to try some different events out and hopefully get some people something good to come and do,” says Larsen. He describes the summer line-up as more “eclectic”

Pimps of Joytime is a Brooklyn-based funk group who has performed in over 100 shows nationwide and played the festival circuit, including gigs at Bonnaroo, High Sierra, Outside Lands, All Good and the VooDoo Experience. The group’s sound features diverse influences including soul, funk, afrobeat, Latin, reggae and rock.

“You’re not going to get bored,” Larsen laughed when describing the three bands.

Heading into its third year, the July 26 installment Chenango Summer Jams Concert

Series is being sponsored by Morrisville State College.

“We like to do free shows so that we can expose everyone to really high quality music,” said Larsen. “Venues are so expensive now.

These are opportunities to get the whole community out, to bring the kids out.”

While there will not be food provided at the concert site, Larsen encourages people to take advantage of the central location of the park and attend the local restaurants and bars.

“You can’t beat an opportunity to hear bands that would cost you $25 to go see anywhere else,” said Larsen. “Here you can bring the whole group down and see them for free.”

The second installment of the Chenango Summer Jams Concert Series will take place on July 26, with Sven Curth at 5 pm., Seek the Lion at 6:30 pm. and Pimps of Joytime at 8 pm. More information on the Chenango Summer Jams Concert Series, as well as the performers, can be found by visiting chenangosummerjam.org. Also, check out Chenangobluesfest.com for info on the every Thursday NBT Bank Summer Concert Series (same location), which in July features the Cris Jacobs Band on the 10th, CJ Chenier on the 17th, Boilermaker Jazz Band on the 24th, and New Riders of the Purple Sage on the 31st.

the old union hotel Voted 2013 “King of wings” live music every week!

Pete Ruttle & Friends: Every Friday at 5:30pm Dan Pokorak: 7/1, 7/15, and 7/29 at 9:00pm Milkweed: 7/8 and 7/22 at 9:00pm The Revelers: 7/26 Daily Food and Drink Specials

Kitchen Open 11am-Close

246 clinton st, binghamton 607-217-5935 “Like” us on facebook for up to date specials, events, and more!

CAROUSEL DAY

July 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 9

BRINGS FAMILY FUN TO CFJ PARK

Maria “Murph” Murphy Staff Writer

Every July, at CFJ Park in Johnson City, the Johnson City Partners put together an arts and education event that is truly a blast from the past.

Carousel Day is full of fun activities for the whole family, a reminder of the good ol’ E-J era, and the rich cultural history of the area.

“I wanted to show a little more culture in Johnson City; I wanted people a little more exposed to the arts,” says Julie Deemie, President of Johnson City Partners, and organizer/creator of Carousel Day. And what better place to celebrate the area’s artistic culture and history than in one of the six carousel parks that represent the integrity, innovation, and compassion, this community was built on. “Carousels really are a work of art themselves, working art,” Deemie continues. “We [CFJ Park] have the largest and most ornate of the six in Broome County.”

Admission for the event is free, and all proceeds go right back into funding the park. “We purposefully made the event free so everyone can come,” she explains. By everyone, she includes people from all generations. Children’s events include: a children’s hour with Johnny Only, a scavenger hunt sponsored by Your Home Public Library, arts and crafts, jugglers, free children’s books, and of course, free carousel rides. With the children entertained, adults are free to enjoy live local music such as: The Scott Freeman Band, the Revival Horns, and the Barefoot Betty Band. In addition to numerous food vendors, there will be displays and demonstrations to appeal to every age. It will be a time for nostalgia, and for

creating new memories to be shared. “I try to find things that either fit the era, are family friendly, or are just interesting in general; I want people to leave with something,” Deemie states.

It is with this attitude of giving to the community, that Deemie leads the Johnson City Partners: a group of five local women who volunteer their time in an effort to revitalize the downtown area of Johnson City. “The primary mission of the Johnson City Partners is the economic development of the core of our village. Our main focus right now is the downtown area, but we will serve the whole village when there is a need.” The group’s effort in 2011, collecting home-goods for those affected by the flood, is but one example of this service. Originating in 2007, they continue to grow each year. In addition to Carousel Day: they are responsible for the Johnson City Third Thursday Cruze-In, won the 2012 Heart of the Arts award, and were awarded the 2011 New York Main Street Grant. The grant, along with the partnership of the Goodwill Theatre, is helping with the progress of the Johnson City Health & Cultural District Plan. The J.C. Partners are always open to new members, there is no membership fee, and members do not need to be Johnson City residents. “Just as long as their hearts are with Johnson City,” Deemie says, “we want to keep it open to everyone.”

Carousel Day will be held at CFJ Park (at the corner of Lester Ave. and CFJ Blvd.) on July 26th, from 10am until 6pm, rain or shine. For further information, call (607) 206-0424.

The group is still looking for local artists and artisans to display their work. Applications can be found on the website: jcpartners.org.

Those interested in volunteering can call: (607) 766-9928, or e-mail johnsoncitypartners@gmail.com.

BLIND OWL BAND

10 Vol. 2 Issue 7

CHUG-A-LUGS INTO GALAXY

Ty Whitbeck Creative Consultant

When you hear the whistle cry on that still summer night, you best be on your way. The locals in the North Country of Saranac Lake call it Adirondack Freight Train String Music, and you can feel the commotion and the vibrancy between the rails. It’s The Blind Owl Band, comin’ in hot to a brewery near you.

Mandolin player Eric Munley grew up in Central New Jersey soaking up musical influences from his father (‘60s and ‘70s folk) and his friends (indie rock and punk). Munley jumped head first into the music scene at a very young age- the days of his youth were spent listening to records that challenged his tastes and his ways of thinking. He was the anti-pop, and he shunned the mainstream music of his time.

In 2006, he moved to the Adirondacks in search of something new. He enrolled at Paul Smith’s College, where he was smacked hard in the face with bluegrass music. Be it traditional or modern bluegrass, he acquired an ear for it all. It was a Whompers show at the college that changed the way he viewed string band music altogether. The Whompers were a group that hardly played out, but when they did, their explosion of brute force energy and camaraderie spoke volumes. The way the band played and listened to each other proved that they were more group oriented than some of their predecessors, who focused more on solos and standout performances. This dynamic struck a chord with Munley. He got himself a guitar and tried to learn their picking styles. Later, he axed his guitar in favor of the mandolin, a brave move that would prove to be worthwhile.

Finding common ground with the locals of Paul Smith’s, a jam broke out at a party one night. There were a few guitars, an upright bass, a banjo and a mandolin, plus some kids thrashing on trash cans. It was a surreal experience. Something came over Munley that night. His proper upbringing of folk and anti-establishment punk rock music were blending synergistically with another, and suddenly

his fingers were doing the talking.

In the following weeks, Munley invited some gentlemen who shared similar interests over to his apartment for a smaller version of the house party jam. At the time, they played together without the thought of starting a bandthey wanted to play for the fun of it, to get whatever was on their mind out, musically.

But people soon caught wind of them, and like moths to a flame, they developed an audience.

This weekly session would distill and triple filter itself to what would become known as the Blind Owl Band, and those involved made a conscious effort to go forward with their music as an ensemble.

Munley handles mandolin; James Ford plays banjo; on guitar is Arthur Buezo; Christian Cardiello rounds out the low end with upright bass. Munley, Ford, and Buezo all share vocal duties.

Although they resemble one, don’t call them a bluegrass band. They defy the Laws of Tradition when it comes to string band music.

The Blind Owl Band plays with an unrelenting ferocity that can only be experienced head on.

The chug-a-lug of the banjo, guitar, and mandolin set the gears in motion while the thump of the bass strings creates the follow through.

It gives them the momentum and cadence required to deem it “Adirondack Freight Train String Music.” The rumbling whiskey-laced smokiness of the vocal harmonies call out like a steam whistle, which lends to their unmistakable sound.

Their dedication and talent have earned them two full length albums, receiving much praise in the Upstate NY music scene. Their sophomore release, “This Train We Ride is Made of Wood and Steel” (2013), has their style honed into a well-rounded, heavy string band sound, with obvious influences from Hot Day at the Zoo to The Devil Makes Three. It is with this intensity that makes their live shows legendary.

They continue to play a lengthy list of tour dates and festivals in over 10 states. On Thursday, July 10th, they’ll be playing Binghamton, at Galaxy Brewing Co. The free show starts at 9pm. You can find their music at theblindowlband.com and on Spotify.

“Like” Holiday Inn Binghamton On Facebook For More Info

July 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 11

ALBANY POWER DUO SIRSY PLAYS BACK TO BACK BING SHOWS

rock cadences to broken down, melodic arrangements of spacey vocals and flute/melodica solos at the drop of a hat. Their style is as diverse as their instrumentation.

Ty Whitbeck Creative Consultant

“Our show is high energy, even when we’re playing a ballad,” says Krahmer. “We are not a ‘shoe gaze’ band. We look at the audience. It’s all about that connection with the audience for us. That’s what makes it a good show... when we can make that connection.”

Look up “badass” in the Oxford Dictionary and you might find a photo of Albany based power-rock duo Sirsy.

Fronted by Melanie Krahmer (the blues singing, high-heel-wearing bombshell behind the drums, bass, AND the flute) and complemented by Rich Libutti (Rickenbacker guitar, bass, and vocals), they’re a little bit punk rock, a little bit blues, and no matter the circumstance, they’re a full on party. And the band just happens to be gracing Binghamton with its presence twice on Friday, July 11th.

The advent of social media has made it easier to reach a large group of people at once, though Sirsy still keeps with the old school traditions of promoting: good old-fashioned handbills and personal interaction with the fans that make the drive to each of their shows.

Sirsy wasn’t always a duo- they’ve played as a trio, and even toured for a while as a four piece, playing alongside acts like Blues Traveler, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, and Third Eye Blind.

“We often hang out with our fans before and after our show and try to engage them face to face as much as possible,” Krahmer says.

“We did try to make it work for a couple years as a four piece,” recalls Krahmer. “After countless lineup changes and, let’s say, ‘issues,’ we decided to make it work as a two piece,” she adds.

The great paradox is that the sound became fuller with less members. The rhythms became tighter, and the guitar licks became heavier; more well-rounded. A certain sass began to emanate from Krahmer’s presence, a sass that could pierce through the most calloused of hearts. Instead of fronting the band from the typical ‘singer’ standpoint, she now brings the ruckus standing (yes, she plays drums standing up) behind her drum kit. Her responsibili-

Sirsy. Photo Provided.

ties in the band have also grown tenfold since the days of the quartet. In addition to singing, drumming, and being the flautist for Sirsy, she commands part of the bass groove with a digital drum pad and her sticks. Rich Libutti handles everything else. From his ripping guitar patterns that accompany Krahmer’s sultry vocal stylings so nicely, to the keyboard bass that he plays with his feet, the talent here is

uncanny. These two multi-instrumentalists have more credits to their name than most can scratch on a bedpost.

It’s easy to fall under the spell of Sirsy. Their lyrics evoke a dark, introspective look into Krahmer’s history, often personifying these events and giving characters names in song form. The tempos change from driving hard

With six albums of original music under their belt, they continue to motivate each other with new developments in their playing. Their most recent work of art is titled “Coming Into Frame,” and it’s their most raw yet. Without using a click track, they were able to explore more of the emotion and the feel behind each song, rather than playing within the confines of a persistent metronome.

Currently, they’re working on a new album and trying to find a way to play on the moon.

But, in the meantime, you can catch them twice in Binghamton on July 11th: they’ll be on the Main Stage of July Fest from 5-6pm, then heading over to Cyber Café West for a raucous late night set, starting at 9pm. Both shows are free.

10% off with this coupon exp. 7/31

5 Court St. Downtown Binghamton or

www.riverreadbooks.com

July 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 13

‘merica.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!

(you don’t look a day over 200) (Not Krissy.) Photo by Ty Whitbeck.

Krissy Howard Staff Writer Alright, who’s more American: John “Cougar” Mellencamp, or Bruce “Cougar” Springsteen?

WRONG! The correct answer is THE FOURTH OF JULY! America’s Birthday! (the North one, not South. Or Central. And Canada isn’t included either. Or Mexico. So, just the states, then- the United States!) The birth of our nation’s independence, and the one day a year when the President pardons one very lucky little watermelon, although I’m pretty sure Gallagher isn’t even doing shows anymore. This would be a great opportunity for me to take a giant number two all over the hypocritical power dynamics of this great country, but I think we all know there’s no way I’ll be able to do it better than South Park anyway, and what’s more American than just giving up before I even started, eh? (not like the Canadian, “eh?”)

We all know the history, right? Those smarmy Brits wouldn’t shut up about taxing everyone’s stupid cups of tea, until the day came when a man, one man, one single man led us across the Atlantic Ocean and into great unknown. I say that because that guy had no idea what this new place was called (what guy, you ask? Oh, just a timid little wallflower named Christopher Columbus, ever heard of him?!)

Lucky for us, and history book editors everywhere, Columbus hired a young up and comer by the name of Johnny Appleseed to manage

all of the new country’s social media accounts, and a star was born! They called this land #America, because @America76 was already taken, and because they thought they could gain some buzz with a hashtag before launching their brand. Someone was on their way to blowin’ up in a big way.

I think it’s safe to say that that relationship with the Brits was over before it officially ended, you know what I mean? We just wanted different things. Just think, if we didn’t declare independence, we would all be speaking... well, the same language, just peppered with a slightly different flavour. And if that were the case, we would have no idea which guy to hook up with while we’re away on vacation, as everyone would be speaking in the same, super hot accent.

We totally deserve better. America has a ton of wonderful American things to offer. From sea to shiny (oil slicked) sea, you can find anything from Chinese food to pizza, bagels to Jackie Chan. Damn. Maybe none of those things are actually originally from America.

I’m not really sure what the hell goes on in the rest of the country anymore, as I now live in New York City, the least American of all the American cities (Paris, TX included). I know that there are still Wal-Marts in most parts.

I’ve also come to understand that as long as there is someone lucky enough to get a record deal (and about five million other people who go to work every day to earn a paycheck but really don’t want to have to think about anything else), there will continue to be songs available to audibly assult our ears, such as: “American Soldier,” “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American),” and

“Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American- Dance Club Remix feat.

Drake);” which are all by Toby Keith, except for the last one, which I made up. But hahaha!

That’s the name of the song, though, really?

That’s the actual name that someone (Toby “Stupid” Keith) thought of? And then a whole board of other people who make a million billion dollars a year selling horrible music to idiot people, approved of? Under the guise of patriotism? You sure got us good, fellas, excellent timing and everything!

America is still a relatively young country, and maybe we didn’t invent paper or gunpowder or irrigation or even the candy bar, and maybe we did pander to our very own (thank you Toby “Stupid” Keith) during a time of intense mourning in an attempt to promote hatred and validate the invasion of a country so that rich people could keep being rich people for a little while longer (no biggie), but according to Wikipedia (an AMERICAN invention, thank you very much!), some of the ideas hatched on our very own soil are not exactly ones to be scoffed at, if I do say so myself. Please refer below to my Americanventions™ Top Five: 1. Flexible Urinary Catheter (1752) Ok, thank you. I have needed you before, and I will definitely need you again, as I can already foresee a future of being one of those ladies with a peeing in the pants problem, and probably on the sooner rather than later end. I appreciate the advancements you made to “flexible catheter” from what I can only assume was a cold, rigid, metal pipe.

2. Swivel Chair (1776) Oh, hey there, 1776!

Way to knock it out of the park, girl! I know

every year we make that resolutions list, and then we both stop volunteering by January 8th, and we are back into full blown active alcoholism by January 9th, but you really did you this year, huh? Go ahead boo, that new flag looks cute on you, too.

3. Pink Lemonade (1857) You can invent something like pink lemonade? There’s someone out there kicking back, living large on that sweet, pink lemonade money?

4. Vibrator (1869) No, I didn’t even make up the 69 part… but, holy crap?! They had vibrators in 1869?! Did they have to crank it by hand? Apparently not since 1869 they haven’t! OHHH! (ba dum, tssh) 5. Bazooka (1942) I forget that bazookas are a real thing, and not just something you see in cartoons/something you see young boys pretending to use to kill you and your entire army. Without you, dear bazooka, we wouldn’t have had that awesome scene in Robocop when that guy blows up that car, or that gum that tastes like a tiny piece of a powdery rock.

Maybe nowadays the fourth of July is celebrated with the lighting of fireworks, cookouts with friends and family, red and white and blue everything, and eagle tattoos (or any bird- popular amongst young women aged 1824), but let us not forget what we’re really celebrating; let us never forget the struggles we fought so hard to overcome in that laborious year of 1776- swivel chairs. Because how else could we turn around and reach things behind us while still remaining seated? Let’s see you answer that, Britons.

14 Vol. 2 Issue 7

persons of interest.

REAL INTERVIEW WITH NOT TOM CRUISE A VAMPIRE [EDITOR’S NOTE: Nicholas Wilsey showed up on Carousel’s radar a few months ago, after, like, a whole bunch of people came up to us and said ‘oh, hey, you need to see this guy’s interviews!’ Apparently, he was running all over creation asking random people the most surreal questions he possibly could. So we checked his work out. And we loved it. Anyone that can write a Q&A with the coffee can he ashes his cigarettes into is just our kind of writer. Starting this month, he’ll be interviewing random locals for every issue of Carousel, and we can’t be more thrilled to have him aboard. This month, he interviews Andy. We’re not even going to tell you Andy’s last name. He’s just Andy. Up, up and away!]

picking up and perusing, like, a magazine that was sitting on top of um, like the toilet water-containing thing? Something like that. What kind of torture would you do? For someone like that? I think that, in this hypothetical circumstance I would want the torture to be fitting to the crime.

What kind of torture would you invent? For that?

Yeah. Something involving copious washing of hands. Maybe some sandpaper.

Ooh. Wow. Seems like it would be a tough life if we were all held up to that kind of punishment for those kind of misdemeanors. Honestly, in that scenario I would be harsher than in most others, because that person is not damaging or hurting themselves but rather other people.

Yeah. When I say “woman on a horse”- Woman on a horse?

(Nick): If you could be as honest as possible, as though you were making a confession to the devil- who knew your nastiest inner nature- and you were being held on trial for the truthful presentation of your opinion of this idea- (Andy): Alright. I got it.

How do you fall in love? I don’t know. Never done it. I don’t know how you spell “uhnnnnnn,” but that’s my answer.

Would you take a job weed whacking (but only at night), in a graveyard- a pretty big graveyard- if it meant that, besides receiving, like, I don’t know, like the same payment as whatever you’re getting now for whatever you’re doing- or maybe even more- in addition to that payment, you also picked up the ability to read other people’s minds? But! As a caveat, you have a lot of troubling supernatural experiences while you’re working in this graveyard. No. I would not do that. For a combination of reasons. One, I don’t care what’s on other people’s minds; Two, I love my current job; and three, even if I could read minds, I don’t think that would really improve my life. I think I’d rather let people present what they want to present and leave their gross crap in their minds.

Yeah. “Woman on a horse.” Can you describe in, like, the fullest detail possible what that paradigm is like in your mind? Like, that image? Um... I had too much time to think about it. I’ve got two images in my mind now.

What’s the first one that happened? Was she nude? No, cowboy hat. Other than that, yeah.

Really!? Wow. That’s a phenomenon. ‘Cuz when I thought to say that [“woman on a horse”] she was nude in my head, too! I had too much time to think about it. By the end I had gotten to some kind of prissy, 18th century noblewoman in a frilly dress. But yes, the first thing was that.

Seems cruel of our imaginations considering I’ve heard female friends of mine describe running- a much less bouncy activity I would imagine- as being kind of painful without any kind of like, securement. Hm-hm.

Yeah. And? Huh? And?

Who’s someone you know that you think, were you to be reading their mind, the font of the text in their mind would be Comic Sans? I have known people like that, yeah. None of my current friends, I think. But I’ve definitely come across those characters.

Well, on a horse it just seems like it would be even more painful, possibly. Who cares? It’s a fantasy you’re having, not a real human being.

What are the characteristics that make up the real person- Who has Comic Sans?

Oh yeah yeah, no. Well, my imagination did that, too. I feel guilt for my imagination. Don’t! You shouldn’t feel guilty. Guilt is not a positive emotion.

As the text in the mind that you could read. Um, ditsy.

Ditsy? Yes, I imagine some people I knew in high school, who were very friendly, and high energy, but... airheads.

Would you say “ditsy” is a word that’s virtually always used to describe the female sex and never the male? I knew you were going to ask that before you said that.

Yeah! I’ve never heard of a ditsy male. I don’t see why not though.

As an offshoot, do you think there would be more people of the male sex or the female sex who would have Comic Sans as the text that you could read in their mind? Mm, getting on my latent sexism. I don’t know. Because I’m forced to think about it, now I wanna say equal, but... that’s just to prove that I’m not biased one way or the other. I don’t know what the honest answer to that question is.

If you were a torturer for petty immoralities- A torturer?

Yeah a torturer for petty immoralities, and you had your- What’s a petty immorality? Give me a definition of “petty immorality.”

Oh! Yeah, do you think that guilt is useful or not useful? I don’t know if there’s any real basis in this, but when I think of the word “guilt,” I think of it as feeling negatively because of some way you thought of or dealt with another person. Like, I feel guilty because I did that to a person. And I don’t like that. But there’s the other side of that, which is, you know, feeling bad about yourself, which is, I think, more like shame. Shame is something we should all feel from time to time.

Would you rather have a guardian angel who was actually able to intervene in your physical life and tie your shoes whenever they came untied so that you never tripped on your shoelaces; or a guardian angel who, whenever you felt, like, a moment of anxiety, would just kind of, uh, brush the outline of your ear with their finger? But, you’d never really think of it as a finger cuz it would just feel like something was touching your ear- which might actually freak you out since you didn’t know about it... But, the shoe-tying thing would freak you out too, if you saw it... But, you don’t really get to not have either guardian angel.

You have to have one or the other, kinda. This is the most complex scenario you’re setting up here. The second one does not appeal to me at all.

Yeah. The first one appeals to me a lot right now, because my arm’s broken and I can’t tie my own shoes, so… It’s literally ‘you can’t tie your shoes.’ So I would take that answer.

SPECIAL EDITION NOT TOM CRUISE

Hm. Like a, kinda like taking a crap, and not washing your hands, and then

by Nicholas Wilsey

r a lm

Greetings from

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The

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g n i B St. n i a M 5 9

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live________________ music on the patio!

July 11 - The Falconers July 25 - Bob Wilson ________________

Now with a food cart, drink specials and more barbecue!

Wish you were here!

16 Vol. 2 Issue 7

THE CHUNKY ART OF

KYLE EDWARD BALLES Above: “Mattress Man.” Left Top: “A Bunch of Fireworks.” Left Bottom: “Tall Blot Chairs” and “Short Blot Chairs.”

by Felicia Waynesboro

July 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 17

Existence isn’t a smooth thing. For artist Kyle Edward Balles, it is always “chunky.”

“It’s mostly detritus from his life,” says JungleScience Gallery and Art Laboratories’ managing director Nick Rubenstein, speaking of the Balles’ work. “He was in a group show at Spool and I saw that piece,” he said, pointing his finger to a large assemblage on the wall across the room, “and was compelled enough to want to see the rest of his work. When I did, I decided I wanted to do a full show, a single show.” The result is Kyle Edward Balles: Very Chunky Collage.

The piece that captivated Rubenstein was a recent creation. Nothing in the show is more than five years old. The collage, like much of Balles’ work, is an intricately affixed arrangement of diverse elements from his nearly twenty-eight years of life. While wild and stimulating to view, nothing is haphazard.

The work is loaded with objects and the execution is clearly loaded with work.

Science show opened in June.

The Art Laboratories of JungleScience are on-premises workspace studios for five resident artists. Works shown in the gallery, however, may be from artists residing anywhere.

Kyle Balles has lived in Texas for the last three years but is Binghamton born and raised. In keeping with the importance of family in his artistic life, he moved to Austin because of his connection to his significant other. While his work has shown at the Romani Gallery there, as well as in Binghamton, he reports that he has had no formal art training.

This may seem surprising to most who view his manifold work, but a professional, formally schooled artist- who preferred not to be named- recently gave a passionate opinion concerning the un-

there’s something that bothers you or something that triggers something.”

In the June opening of Very Chunky Collage, a line of chairs stood in a row before a wall, each one thoroughly covered in “splash painting,” as Kyle calls it, waiting like empty perches for potential wallflowers at some mad ball.

The chairs were reminiscent of a rock venue Kyle and his twin organized a few years back called Blot Spot. It was literally underground, in a basement in Binghamton, and what those who remember it always seem to talk about is not the music, but the recollection that every inch of the basement and its contents were covered in vibrant splash painting, just like those chairs.

JungleScience shows usually run for two months, and the Very Chunky

He tells the story of his father as a great collector of random stuff that he would find meaningful enough to give to his children, “mounds and mounds of stuff,” Kyle says.

Much of it, the elder Balles would shelter away in drawers, or Kyle would end up stacking it into piles. In his statement for this exhibition, the artist recommended: “Don’t let your stuff die with you in piles.”

Kyle’s father- Michael Balles (1960 – 2014)died just two months before the Jungle-

For a new piece intended for the July segment of Very Chunky Collage Balles spoke of “picking up dirt off the ground to throw in with it.”

He continued, “The way I look at it is like how people would dig into a polar icecap and they could tell what was there in the environment, like, a million years ago. So I like to throw in pieces of debris like that with all these other things from the current time.”

This Binghamton native, weaned on the Twilight Zone, says, “There’s a quality of that in my art, too.” Balles is so comfortable with the concept of Rod Serling as the creator of the seminal series that there was no need for him even to mention Serling’s name. Just “he” or “him” was enough when Balles talked about, “the beautiful thing about him,” and, “understanding where he’s coming from…”

“He made the best out of a city that’s actually gloomy a lot of the time,” Kyle remarked, referring to Binghamton. And to those who complain that they feel stultified by that perceived “gloominess,” Balles’s reaction is, “If you feel like doing something and you’re good at something usually you’ll find a way to do it no matter where you are.”

When Kyle speaks, you can feel the thoughts pouring into his head, and it is rather fun to hear them rushing out of his mouth almost in chunks, like his artwork itself. He coined the term “chunk art” as an umbrella for his collage work, and describes it in his artist’s statement as “an infinite rummage of personal meanings perfectly placed forever.”

He remembers that he and his twin brother, Justin, were always picking up and collecting objects as kids. The sensation of finding, handling and keeping things, he explained, “has a chunky quality.”

Memories and family are, unapologetically, great sources of strength and inspiration for Balles. That relationship includes his tabby cats who sometimes show up in internet videos of his work environment. He chuckles, “The cats are probably the most important.”

But in a literal assessment of importance, Balles says, “My dad is probably the biggest reason I started doing the crazier collages.”

art.

There is a video on the internet in which a viewer can watch Balles’ hands as he creates a work titled Packing in the Fur. Apparently, the tabby cats are, indeed, an influence. The “fur” is slender strips the artist has created of combinations of varied materials, which he is stuffing, with a tool, into a painted trunk.

The work is meticulous and precise and one cannot help but realize- for all its meticulousness and precision- that these lovingly created strands will probably never be seen again. “Yes,” he says of his work, “there’s a lot of stuff hidden forever in the pieces. There’s layers and layers. You feel the intensity when you stand in front of it.”

trained artist’s position in the art world. “Art school as a criterion for commercial success or acceptance is a relatively recent development,” the young painter said. “Art school is great, and I learned a lot studying art in a ‘traditional’ setting, but it’s absurd to me that artists are as judged by their resumes as they are by their artwork. Being [an artist] doesn’t have to have anything to do with formal education or training.”

Balles began seriously making art in 2009, and his work is already the quality that merits displaying in one’s home. Rubenstein says that the collage that originally captured his attention would be a great piece to own and live with, “because you’d be able to see new things all the time. What I consider good art is when you think about it a couple of days later and

Collage exhibit will follow that pattern, celebrating a second opening on First Friday in July with additional, new pieces on view that have never been seen anywhere before. “The older stuff has the abstract-expressionist type of feel,” Kyle says, “the paint splashing kind of thing.” Revealing that he sometimes works on ten or fifteen pieces of artwork at a time, Balles says that he enjoys working on smaller pieces now. “There’s more control. Compositionally it’s a little bit more precise. The Jackson Pollack thing definitely is melting away.”

Sometimes, the elements that influence an artist’s work can be surprisingly practical.

Kyle says, “I don’t splash paint at all anymore because I don’t have a huge area where I can do that,” he adds. “And I don’t feel like giving up a $1000 security deposit.”

When asked how it feels to sell a piece and know that he must let go of the aura-ridden personal objects from which the work is made, Kyle says, “It’s kind of a catharsis.” Of his artwork, he reflects, “It should make dying a little easier for me. I feel that in the end, the significance of certain little objects will be so strong that I could put it all into just one object… Everything I’ve learned was a residual experience.”

The mid-exhibition reception for “Very Chunky Collage,” takes place on First Friday, July 4th, from 6 to 9pm. The show runs through July 31st at JungleScience Gallery, (33 Court St. Binghamton). Gallery hours are held Wednesdays and Fridays, 6 -8pm.

ROLAND KOZLOWSKI TALKS TO THE DEAD

18 Vol. 2 Issue 7

IN NEW EXHIBIT AT SALATI GALLERY dropped in and asked- successfully!”

Rose Silberman-Gorn Staff Writer

For the months of July and August, Polish artist Roland Kozlowski will be displaying his work at Orazio Salati Fine Arts with the show Two Continents—Abstract Expressionism. Kozlowski’s oil paintings range from fully abstract to semi-abstract, depicting cityscapes, landscapes, and various other organic objects such as fruits and flowers. Kozlowski’s work is full of vibrant colors, loose brushstrokes, and an obvious love of art.

Like many artists, Kozlowski has always been passionate about art, even from a young age.

“Art was my way to escape from a difficult childhood into a different, safe world,” he explains. He studied at the Institute of Art in Poland from 1992-1997, and received his degree in Studio of Image Processing and Inter-media. After graduating, he continued making and displaying work, recently exhibiting pieces from his “Red-Hot/Cold-Blue” series at

A selection of paintings by Roland Kozlowski. Photo Provided,

Ashok Jain Gallery in New York City.

Kozlowski’s “Red-Hot/Cold-Blue” series is an ongoing project of abstract expressionist paintings, inspired by meditations with famous artists. He visualized conversations with his two favorite (dead) artists, Andy Warhol and Vincent Van Gogh. During the conversations, he asked the artists what he should paint next to become more successful and popular. Warhol instructed him to paint big apples, mother of God, and cardinalsboth the religious figures and the birds. Van Gogh told Roland to paint bodies, space, and light, which he interpreted as stars, galaxies, the moon, and the sun.

The “Red-Hot” half of the series, which de-

picts the aforementioned subjects of cardinals (the bird) and cardinals (the religious official) in warm, eye-catching tones of red, is completed. The “Cold-Blue” works are currently in progress. For his show at Salati Gallery, Roland will be showing 13 paintings from “RedHot,” and he hopes to include new pieces from “Cold-Blue” by the August reception.

Kozlowski explains how he connected with Orazio Salati to show in his gallery: “Vestal was the first American city I lived in, with my partner Robert Keeler, and every First Friday of the month we drove to Binghamton, visiting galleries and studios. I felt so happy and inspired by State Street that I got an idea to exhibit here. Orazio Salati Gallery was number one on my list, so one Friday I just

Kozlowski hopes he will be able to attend the opening reception, but is, as of press time, having some trouble attaining a visa, as he is currently in Poland. Kozlowski was born to Swedish and Polish parents in a town called Swinoujscie on the Baltic Sea, but has moved around a lot since then. “I’ve spent time in so many different places in Europe and in America that I get confused where I come from,” he says. “But I know where my real home is nowbeside my partner Robert Keeler, who is an American living in the US, and after knowing each other for 5 years, we plan to get married and live together in America.”

Kozlowski’s other future plans? “To paint, paint, paint... and to exhibit, exhibit, exhibit... no upcoming exhibitions after the show at Orazio, but they will come.”

Roland Kozlowski’s exhibition, ‘Two Continents—Abstract Expressionism’ will be on display from July 4th through the end of August at Orazio Salati Gallery, 204 State Street in Binghamton, NY. For more information on Roland Kozlowski, visit his website, rolandkozlowski.com. More information on Orazio Salati Studio and Gallery can be found at oraziosalati.com.

COOPERATIVE GALLERY GOES 3-D

July 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 19

Ronnie Vuolo Assistant Editor

Every month Cooperative Gallery 213 hosts a new show; this month’s exhibit will be truly Off-the-Wall, promises Judy Salton, who will be curating the show along with MaryRose Griffin.

For the sake of this show, “Off-the-Wall” has multiple meanings. On one hand, it denotes three-dimensional art rather than “flat” art that one normally finds hanging on a wall.

This could mean: sculpture, installation, mixed media, performance, fiber art, even video. The scope and form are left entirely up to the imagination of the artist. On the other hand, it can denote a state of mind, something out of the ordinary in its subject matter.

“We encourage people to think ‘off-the-wall,’” Salton says. “We don’t want standard on-thewall art. We want something really different, at least off-the-wall in subject.”

Salton is among the members exhibiting. In addition to collaborating on an installation project with Griffin, she has a three-dimensional piece on view. Peg Johnston, co-founder of the gallery along with Salton and Griffin, is also exhibiting. “I am collaborating with others to make a waterfall out of plastic water bottles, making an environmental statement.

Actually, several of the pieces will be from recycled or waste materials. We are inspired

by the work of Bryant Holsenbeck, who is an environmental artist from Durham, North Carolina.” She went on, “‘Off-the-Wall’ gives us a chance to explore totally different media, and to make a political statement. Plastic is forever and water is more and more precious: pay attention!” A wide variety of entries can be expected, with each member bringing his or her own artistic expertise and individual vision to the show.

Summertime brings its own unique energy to the region, with its festivals and special events, and the Co-Op Gallery has been an integral part of the ongoing resurgence of the arts scene in Binghamton. It can be expected that the “Off-the-Wall” show will reflect it’s own special brand of energy. As Salton says, “It’s a lot of fun, a good summer show, something different and interesting. This is a challenge to our membership. It was a group decision to do the show, and I’m looking forward to seeing what we get!”

The “Off-the-Wall” show opens July 3rd, with an artist’s reception from 6-8pm, and runs through the 26th. Located at 213 State Street in Binghamton, regularly scheduled hours are Fridays from 3-6pm and Saturdays from 12-4pm. The Gallery participates in the First Friday Art Walks, during which the hours are expanded to 3-9pm. Additional viewing hours may be scheduled by appointment with the featured artist, or an exhibiting member. For further information, contact the Gallery at (607) 724-3462, or cooperativegallery.com.

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triple cities carousel

sunday.

06 13 20 27

Museum Tours (PMM) Planetarium Shows (ROB) Sassy Sundays (TRQ)

Museum Tours (PMM) Aladdin Jr. (CMP) Planetarium Shows (ROB) Spunday Chillout Sessions (THAI) July Fest (DTB) Bad Dreams/Atlas Arrows/Quarterback (FTZ) Sassy Sundays (TRQ) Busy Bird Fest (BERK),

Museum Tours (PMM) Nathan Avakian: Outside the Box 2 (FORUM) Binghamton HS Steel Drum Band (FORUM) Bat Boy (EPAC) Planetarium Shows (ROB) En Plein Air Art Sale/Garden Walk (DTO) Kennedy Ctr. Theatre Fest Finalists (KNOW) Lumberjack Festival (DEP) Ukrainian Days (JOHN) Contra Dance (TTC) Grassroots Fest (TBURG)Sassy Sundays (TRQ) Museum Tours (PMM) Loose Blues (BBW) Planetarium Shows (ROB) Spunday Chillout Sessions (THAI) Broome County Fair (WP) Sassy Sundays (TRQ)

(ATOM) Atomic Tom's (BBW) Black Bear Winery (BCPL) Broome County Public Library (BEL) Belmar Pub (BGM) Greater Binghamton Airport (BHMN) Bohemian Moon, Norwich (BRK) Brackney Inn (BSP) Blarney Stone Pub, Norwich (BTP) Blind Tiger Pub (BUN) Bundy Museum (CCW) Cyber Café West

monday.

07 14 21 28

Comedy Writing Workshop (BUN) Open Mic (BEL) Open Mic w/Dan Pokorak (KING) Storms & the Southern Tier (YHPL) Tango Lessons (ATOM)

Jazz Jam (FHS) Comedy Writing Workshop (BUN) Open Mic (BEL) Open Mic w/Dan Pokorak (KING) Miss Viola’s Birthday Show (MRLN) Tango Lessons (ATOM)

Open Percussion Circle (BCPL) Comedy Writing Workshop (BUN) Open Mic (BEL) Open Mic w/ Dan Pokorak (KING) Space Movie Series (YHPL) Tango Lessons (ATOM)

Intro to Oil Painting w/Glenda Burke (YHPL) Jazz Jam (FHS) Comedy Writing Workshop (BUN) Open Mic (BEL) Open Mic w/Dan Pokorak (KING) Tango Lessons (ATOM)

(CFJ) CFJ Park, JC (CMP) Cider Mill Playhouse (DEP) Borden St, Deposit (DTB) Downtown Binghamton (DTE) Downtown Endicott (DTO) Downtown Owego (EPAC) Endicott Performing Arts Center (ESP) East Side Park, Norwich (FHS) Firehouse Stage (FIVE) Number 5 (FORUM) Binghamton Forum Theatre

tuesday.

01 08 15 22 29

JULY

International Reggae Day (WW) Speakeasy Open Mic (CCW) Swing Dance (REX) Outer Reef (OTS) Dan Pokorak (OUH)

Swing Dance (REX) Getting Healthy at the Library (YHPL) Rich Wilson (OTS) Milkweed (OUH) Tom Bouman Reading (RRB)

Swing Dance (REX) Brotherhood (OTS) Dan Pokorak (OUH)

wedne

02 09 16 23 30

Jazz Ja

Kirby B

T

Jazz Ja

The Joy of

Swing Dance (REX) Katie Scott w/Persuasion (OTS) Broome County Fair (WP) Milkweed (OUH) Space Movie Series (YHPL)

Open Art Studio (SWC) Boz Scaggs (AC) Swing Dance (REX) Dan Pokkorak (OUH) Space Movie Series (YHPL)

(FTN) Fountains Tavern (FTZ) Fitzies Pub (GB) Green Brothers Apple Hills (GWJP) George W. Johnson Park, Endicott (GXY) Galaxy Brewing Co. (HID) Holiday Inn Downtown (HPO) Hickories Park, Owego (JBC) John Barleycorn (JOHN) St John’s Ukrainian Church, JC (KING) Kingsley’s Pub (KNOW) KNOW Theatre

B Avenue Con

Terry Walker &

(LDC) Lost Dog Café/Lou (MB) Matty B’s (MOS) Mosquito Lounge (MRLN) Merlin’s (NGP) Nathaneal Greene (OTS) Otsiningo Park (OUH) Old Union Hotel (PMM) Phelps Mansion M (REX) Rexer’s Karate (ROB) Roberson Museum (RPZ) Ross Park Zoo

2014

esday. thursday.

am w/Miles Ahead (LDC) The Jauntee (CCW) Band & Fireworks (HPO) Open Mic (JBC) Live Music (KING) Comedy Open Mic (MB)

The Vine Brothers (CCW) Old Friends (HPO) Open Mic (JBC) Live Music (KING)

am w/Miles Ahead (LDC) The Gunpoets (HPO) Open Mic (JBC) Live Music (KING) Comedy Open Mic (MB) f Crafting Violins (WHIP)

Milkweed (CCW) Blue J’s (HPO) Live Music (KING) Broome County Fair (WP) ncert Series: UUU (DTE)

Jamie Willard (CCW) & No Compromise (HPO) Live Music (KING)

unge

e’s Pub

Museum

m

03 10 17 24 31

Vermont Cheddar w/Carol Simek (BTP) InnerMission- Cyber 17th Anniversary! (CCW) MiZ (GXY) The Troubadours (MOS) Mike Davis & Bobby T (BSP)

Randy McStine & John Kanaz (BTP) Grease: Teen Workshop (EPAC) InnerMission (CCW) Blind Owl Band (GXY) Frostbit Blue (MOS) Open Mic w/Nate Gross (BSP) Autumn Rum (BHMN) Chris Jacobs Band (ESP) Trash Thursdays (MRLN)

Enerjee Jazz w/Ayana D (LDC) Vermont Cheddar w/Carol Simek (BTP) Bat Boy (EPAC) InnerMission (CCW) The Ruffo Brothers (GXY) Kennedy Ctr. Theatre Fest Finalists (KNOW) Beard of Bees (MOS) Lumberjack Festival (DEP) Melissa Clark (BHMN) CJ Chenier’s Red Hot Louisiana Band (ESP) Grassroots Festival (TBURG) Joe Stento & Friends (BTP) InnerMission (CCW) Honey Spine (GXY) Boots On (MOS) Open Mic w/Nate Gross (BSP) Boilermaker Jazz Band (ESP) Broome County Fair (WP)

L Ectric Brew (BTP) EPAC Kids Rock Broadway (EPAC) InnerMission (CCW) Free Music Orchestra (GXY) Highline (MOS) New Riders of the Purple Sage (ESP) Space Movie Series (YHPL)

(RRB) RiverRead Books (SFR) Scott’s Family Resort, Oquaga Lake (SPOOL) Spool MFG Gallery (SWC) Sunrise Wellness Center (TBURG) Trumansburg, NY Fairgrounds (THAI) Thai Time (TRQ) Tranquil (TTC) Tioga Trails Café (TW) Techworks (VCH) Vestal Coal House (WHIP) Windsor Whip Works

events calendar

friday.

04 11 18 25

First Friday Art Walk (DTB/DTO) Museum Tours (PMM) Rick Iacovelli (BTP) Greater Binghamton Airshow (BGM) Chillout Sessions (THAI) Open Jam (BBW) Boots On (BRK) Cans & Clams (DTB) Outer Reef (HID) The Hilltoppers (TTC) Dusty Boxx: Broadway Drag (MRLN)

Sirsy (CCW), Grease: Teen Workshop (EPAC) Museum Tours (PMM), The Hit Men (AC) Outer Reef (BTP), Aladdin Jr. (CMP) Unity Group (LDC), DJ Chris Beats (BOB) Planetarium Shows (ROB), Open Jam (BBW) July Fest (DTB), Wreckless Marci (BRK) Kids’ Night Out: Moreland the Magician (DTO) Falconers (BEL), Street Feet/Bad Dreams (FTZ) Universal Funk Order (BSP), John Wells (NGP) Cans & Clams (DTB), 40+ Social Mixer (MRLN) Busy Bird Fest (BERK), 80s Dance Party (MRLN)

Bat Boy (EPAC), Museum Tours (PMM) Dusty Wayne & Mr. Pete (BTP) Bat Boy (EPAC), DJ Chris Beats (BOB) Moho Collective & The End Men (CCW) Splash (FIVE), Planetarium Shows (ROB) Open Jam (BBW) Kids’ Night Out John Simon Songs/Stories (DTO) Kennedy Ctr. Theatre Fest Finalists (KNOW) Cans & Clams (DTB), Escuela (FTZ) Lumberjack Festival (DEP) Grassroots Festival (TBURG), Wild Honey (BSP) Museum Tours (PMM), The Beatles Band (BTP) Dance Stories: In the Studio (EPAC) Uncle Buford’s Traveling Road Show (BOB) Raibred (CCW), Masterpiece (FIVE) Planetarium Shows (ROB), Open Jam (BBW) Bleak/Hell Mary (FTZ), The Tight Spots (BRK) Kids’ Night Out: Will Stafford, juggler (DTO) Chippendale’s Comes to Merlin’s (MRLN) Cans & Clams (DTB), John Scarpulla (BSP) Christmas in July (DTB), Old Friends (NGP) Bob Wilson (BEL), Broome County Fair (WP)

(WP) Whitney Point (WW) Worldwide (YHPL) Your Home Public Library

saturday.

05 12 19 26

Museum Tours (PMM) Highest Standards w/Bellydancers (CCW) Bruce Beadle Band (FIVE) Planetarium Shows (ROB) Greater Binghamton Airshow (BGM) Woodshed Prophets (BRK) The Quantum (FTZ) Dinner Duo (TTC) Bing. Bridge Pedal/Coolest Dessert in Town (TW)

Museum Tours (PMM), The Revelers (BTP) Aladdin Jr. (CMP), Grease Teen Wkshp (EPAC) Mr. Boneless (CCW), Dennis Winges Jazz (FIVE) Planetarium Shows (ROB) Benefit Rounds Family: Bull Rides/Music (BRK) Salsa Libre (FTN), July Fest (DTB) Ashes of Grandeur/The Push Rods (FTZ) Busy Bird Fest (BERK), The Hook (BSP) Thistle Dew Bluegrass Boys (TTC) Comedy Drag (MRLN) Full Buck Moon Opening (SPOOL)

Museum Tours (PMM), Rick Fry (BTP) My Brother Kissed Mark Zuckerburg (CMP) All-Star Comedy (VCH), The Quantum (LDC) Planetarium Shows (ROB), Kim & Chris (CCW) Bat Boy (EPAC), 2nd Ed. w/Mary Meier (FIVE) Theory Fallen (BRK), Toy Box Trophies (FTN) Grassroots (TBURG), Kennedy Ctr Films (KNOW) Blue Velvet Orchestra & Dance (SFR) Raibred (FTZ), Lumberjack Festival (DEP) Ukrainian Days (JOHN), Berry Festival (GB) Johanna & Burt (TTC), Divas After Dark (MRLN) Bing. Martini Walk (DTB), Museum Tours (PMM) Anything Goes (FIVE), Beauty & Beats (BTP) DJs Castle & Krae (LDC), Buddha Kings (CCW) Planetarium Shows (ROB), Indigo 6 (BRK) Broome Cnty Fair (WP), Tim Ruffo Band (FTN) Ruination/HPA/Thirteen South (FTZ) Carousel Day (CFJ) George Johnson Carousel 80th Birthday (GWJP) Purple Valley (TTC) The Revelers (OUH) The Pimps of Joytime (ESP)

The Triple Cities Carousel Events Calendar is featured each month as a courtesy to our advertisers, however we welcome venues to submit their events to triplecitiescarousel@gmail.com by the 15th of the month prior to publication. Space is limited, so calendar entries, which have no cost, are picked on a first come/first serve basis. Triple Cities Carousel reserves the right to reject any submission deemed to be nonarts related, or, well, for any reason.

July 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 23

food and drink.

MARTINI WALK 2014

Is it cliché to start the Martini Walk article with a mention of James Bond? You know: “shaken, not stirred, excuse me while I go and sleep with all of the Playboy bunnies ever and electrocute that dude with the teeth.” It’s a cliché, right? So it’s probably even more cliché to call out that Mr. Bond doesn’t have the slightest idea what a martini is, right?

Shaken? Pff. That’s not a martini. That’s called a Bradford. But that would all be super cliché, right? Okay, we won’t start the article that way.

Ahem. It’s here! It’s here! The 3rd Annual Downtown Binghamton Martini Walk is here! Ahh! We’re so excited! We’re so drunk! We’re so taking a cab!

The walk, organized by our friends at BingSpot, has become one of downtown Binghamton’s most anticipated annual events. It works like this: You buy a ticket for $10 (a portion of proceeds benefit the KNOW Theatre). You go downtown with your legal-aged friends at noon on July 26th. You go to as many of the 19 participating bars and restaurants as you can, and order a $2 sample of their martini special. You grab a ballot, and rate each martini you drank from 1 (eh) to 5 (ah!). You eat some food- probably something involving a lot of bread. You take a cab home. You sleep it off. You wake up the next day and check bingspot.com, which will announce the highest rated martini, crowning the purveyors of said martini “Martini Bar of the Year.” Then, you wait 364 days for the 2015 Martini Walk, and do it all over again.

You may be wondering how much of a difference you could possibly taste in 19 different martinis. Gin, vermouth, olive. Simple, right? Wrong. See, the term “martini” has taken on a life of its own in recent years. Some bartender somewhere decided he could totally get all the women in the bar to sleep with him if he put apple juice and vodka in a martini glass, and hence, the apple-tini was born (and said bartender got the clap three times in the first year). Everybody everywhere loved it. They said “hey, if we can put apple juice into a martini glass, we can put pomegranate juice or mango juice or ANYTHING in a martini glass!” And so they did, and over the last decade or so, “martini” has become a term used for pretty much anything in a martini glass. And so maybe we’re too harsh on Bradford-drinking James Bond for not being a purist.

Don’t expect to be drinking apple-tinis at the Downtown Binghamton Martini Walk, though. The drinks are a whole lot more complicated and a whole lot more delicious than that. For instance, last year’s winning martini was Lost Dog Lounge’s “Urban S’more.” For purely research purposes, this particular writer has drank three of them in the past week. It’s going to be tough to top this year: chocolate and and booze, topped with a skewered toasted marshmallow and served in a graham-cracker rimmed glass.

They will no doubt top it this year, though, although as of press time, the question remains: with what? They’re tight-lipped about their 2014 entry the moment, as are all the other participating locations. So, again- purely for research purposes- this writer decided to try as many of last year’s entries as possible. Remliks’s “Salted Caramel Martini” was a must- after all, they came in second last year. And it’s divine: Rum Chata and caramel vodka, served in a glass rimmed with house made caramel, salt, and sugar, with a caramel “R” drizzled on top.

Merlin’s Dance club is always a sure bet for cocktails, and their martinis are no different.

Carousel stopped by to try last year’s entry- “The Bitchy Queen,” but it featured specialty ingredients not normally on-hand, so we gave owner Lauren Hering the challenge to make us the best martini she could think of on the spot. The result was “The Wedding Cake Martini,” which contains vanilla vodka, coconut rum, pineapple juice, and grenadine; and tastes surprisingly butterscotchy.

All three venues will have new options this year, as will Little Venice, which won the inaugural Martini Walk with their- get this- “Chambord Gelato Milkshake Martini” (Loft at 99 came in second in 2012, with the “Chocolate Covered 99”). Joining these past favorites for this year’s Walk are Amici, Burger Monday’s, Dillinger’s, Galaxy Brewing Company, Number 5, The River Bistro, sake-tumi, Social on State, South Side Yanni’s, Thai Time, Tranquil Bar and Bistro, Whole in the Wall, and Zona and Co. Grille.

Carousel tried submitting to the challenge the “Warm PBR and Well Whiskey Martini,” but we have no bar or liquor license, and we’re pretty sure that’s really called a “Boilermaker” anyway, so we’re refraining from entering- but we’ll most certainly be at the Walk.

You can be, too! Maybe. Tickets went on sale on June 27th, and the event was more than 50% sold out in less than an hour. If you’re reading this early July, you might still be able to snag some tickets at Little Venice, Water Street Brewing Co, Number 5, or Whole in the Wall. Also, be sure to “like” BingSpot on facebook… they’ve been known to hold contests to release a few last minute tickets for their events.

by Chris Bodnarczuk

The 3rd Annual Downtown Binghamton Martini Walk takes place on Sat. July 26th, from noon to 5pm. Tickets are $10. Be responsible: don’t drive!

Photo by Ty Whitbeck.

CUP-A-JO OFFERS CAFFEINE, COMPANIONSHIP IN CHENANGO BRIDGE

July 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 25

Heather Merlis Assistant Editor There’s no place like home, except maybe Cup-A-Jo in Chenango Bridge.

The first time I visited was before they moved next door to their larger new space, and I almost walked right into the kitchen. It felt as if I had walked into the home of somebody who didn’t mind the sight of an unfamiliar face.

“My phrase here is: “A stranger when you arrive, a friend when you leave,” says owner Amy Jo Taylor, a Whitney Point native. “I love people. People come in here to talk to me. I could find out somebody’s whole life story in one visit, and I don’t even try to.”

Located on Upper Front Street, there aren’t many other independent coffee shops in her neck of the woods, so Cup-A-Jo has become a popular meeting place for old friends and new. “This is a great place for the community to meet. We sit here and talk amongst each other.” Amy takes a lot of pride in her community, in her shop, and in her coffee. “About twenty years ago, my sister took me to a coffee shop in Harrisburg and I had my first latte, and I fell in love. Ten years later, I decided that I wanted to start my own. On a snow day in January, the kids were off from school, and my kids came up with the name. We opened up a drive-thru coffee shop in Chenango Bridge, right across from our current location, that June.”

Everything at Cup-A-Jo is homemade, on premises. Amy’s fiancé, Tom Marcano, does

Cup-a-Jo. Photo Provided.

all of the cooking and baking, so there is authenticity to its local, familial feel. Their coffee is sourced from Binghamton-based Java Joe’s Roasters, as they only want to offer the best. “I’m a snob. I want a good cup of coffee.

Always. I don’t want it stale; I want it hot; I want it fresh.” Amy has a secret to making the best iced-coffee drinks around, but you need to have one yourself to find out what makes them so special.

When I arrived, I ordered a cappuccino and a loaded (i.e. with tomato and bacon) “Almost Famous Chicken Sandwich,” which is, essentially, a chicken salad melt. It may sound ba-

sic, but I was comforted to find on the menu, as it’s a favorite of mine that I usually have to special order. Eating at Amy’s establishment is like sitting in the home of an old family friend, one who happens to make a superb cappuccino. After finishing my sandwich, I went to the counter and stared at her gorgeous, gleaming, red espresso machine. “That’s my Cadillac,” she pronounces proudly. Her prize piece of equipment, it’s the source of seriously delicious espresso drinks, but there is much more to admire in the shop.

“We have dedicated an entire wall to consign to crafters. People come here and set up their

wares: homemade soap and lots of handmade goods. I met a lot of people at Jimay’s Flea Market in Conklin (note: go there) who are going to come here and set up.” When she originally told me this, they were still at their old location, with only a small amount of space for display. With all the space in their new shop, it’s a veritable crafters’ collective: handmade soaps, scrubs, tote bags, paper goods, and other lovely things, all fitting cohesively with the shop’s cozy aesthetic. From the big blue garbage cans in front, adorned to look like giant coffee mugs, to the warm décor inside, it’s obvious that Cup-A-Jo offers something unique. When pressed, Amy simply replies, “They come here for companionship, they do. And they know the food is all homemade, so they’re not afraid to try something different and new on the menu.” A community has formed in this Chenango Bridge café, and I was in the presence of some of them the day I visited. Amy beamed as she introduced me to the man she bought the building from, who was there enjoying a snack. “He’s my biggest fan.”

If you’re having one of those days, and you need a mood adjustment, Cup-A-Jo might be the place to go. “Thursday mornings we have a group of retirees, and semi-retirees, who just sit and gab and tell stories.” Having grown from a mother’s snowy-day dream, to a roadside stop, to a generously sized shop, it’s hard not to feel the love at Cup-A-Jo. Take a spin off the beaten path to 1355 Upper Front Street and see for yourself. They also host events.

Hours are Mon.-Fri. 6:30am-4pm, and Saturdays from 8am-1pm. They are closed on Sundays. For information, call (607) 237-5174.

Be sure to check us out at: whatsgoinonbinghamton.com

July 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 27

theatre and dance.

BAT BOY FOUND IN ENDICOTT! Extra, extra! Read all about it! Endicott Performing Arts Center is holding their third annual “Broadway in the Park” event, and it should be so good it will drive you batty. “I really can’t say enough positive things about it. It’s off the wall: fun story, great music,” says Pat Foti, Artistic/Executive Director for EPAC, “The cast is phenomenal- very strong.”

He’s talking about Bat Boy - The Musical, based on an actual newspaper tabloid article that appeared in Weekly World News in 1992, about a half-boy/half-bat, found in a cave. Sorry to disappoint all the baseball and DC Comic fans out there with a title so open for interpretation, but don’t let this news send you flying off into the night. No matter what your interests, this is sure to be a show that everyone will enjoy.

‘There are several twists to the show that are going to knock the audience’s socks off! It’s very well written,” Foti exclaims.

Great script or not, you can’t spell musical without music. There are a large variety of musical numbers in this show, some familiar, some original, and they will be performed by a live pit band/orchestra, right on stage. “The music is great; it’s mostly rock n’ roll.” Bringing it all together is a cast and crew of local community members- including Carousel’s own Heather Merlis (as Bat Boy’s love interest) volunteering their time and talents to put on a great show for the whole family.

“We attract from all over the Southern Tier, as far as performers go. Sometimes as far as Scranton, or Ithaca even.”

The production will take place at George W. Johnson Park, on The Stage at Little Italy. Although the performance is rain or shine, in the event of severe weather, tickets will be honored at an alternate evening’s showing. Refreshments will be available, but the audience is also welcome to bring their own food, as well as a blanket or chair, in order to enjoy the show in comfort.

What better way to appreciate the arts, than to be out in the sunshine at one of the area’s beautiful parks. Says Foti, “If you have the opportunity to come see the show, you’ll love it!”

“Bat Boy - The Musical” will be playing July 17th through the 20th, beginning at 8pm each evening, at the George W. Johnson Park in Endicott. Admission is $10 for adults, and $5 for children (12 and under). For information about tickets, visit the website: endicottarts.com, or call (607) 785-8903. Street parking will be available, as well as parking for the park, and at the learning center. Be sure to “like” EPAC on Facebook, and keep an eye out for future auditions, and volunteer opportunities.

(EPAC REPORTEDLY HOLDING HIM HOSTAGE)

Bat Boy! Photo Provided.

by Maria Murphy

28 Vol. 2 Issue 7

GILBERT AND SULLIVAN GET BIT IN “IOLANTHE: REVAMPED”

crew is open for everyone to join. “We’re considered community theatre, so we allow people to participate in any way they wish,” she continues. “We are very much a volunteer organization. We get everybody from teachers, to doctors, to lawyers, to people who work at Price Chopper. You name it.”

Maria “Murph” Murphy Staff Writer

It began in 1882 with the classic Gilbert & Sullivan’s tale, “Iolanthe”: a tale of politics, forbidden love, and fairy creatures. This month, Summer Savoyards will be putting a modern twist on this old-time plot with their production of Iolanthe: ReVamped.

The list goes on to include Binghamton University and Broome Community College students and staff, retired IBM engineers, experienced actors and new ones. Even WSKG’s Bill Snyder will be playing a lead role in this summer’s performance. The audience can get in on the fun on Saturday, July 26th, for ‘Dress Like a Vampire, Fairy, or Zombie Night,’ on which anyone who comes in costume as any of the three said creatures will receive a discounted ticket of $15 (no presale tickets for this price). There will also be a costume contest that night during the show’s intermission for the best adult and best child costumes.

“It’s gonna be fun!” exclaims Ripic.

“We thought, if we have fairies, why not have them become a little darker and make them vampires,” explains Laura Rhoads, member of the Board of Directors for Summer Savoyards. “By changing the appearance and costuming, but keeping the music and the words the same, we are hoping we can attract a younger audience.”

Younger audience is not a relative term. The cast and crew for this show want to be sure this is a performance that is appropriate for everyone to enjoy. “We really want to emphasize that, although we have a darker theme, it is still a family friendly show,” she continues.

“We’re keeping it ‘nice’ so that all ages can appreciate it.” So, although some aspects of the show will be modified, the integrity and quality of a Gilbert and Sullivan piece will still be intact.

vvv The cast of “Iolanthe: ReVamped.” Photo Provided.

Summer Savoyards itself has rich roots within the community that have been replanted over the generations. “It started about fifty-four years ago with a couple of college students home for break,” says Dave Ripic, also a member of the Board of Directors. In fact, the late and talented Alan Crabb was one of the actors in the original show in 1961. The company still

continues to find talent from all walks of life.

“We really are a motley crew,” Rhoads goes on. “Every year we get together, in summertime. We kind of come from all different places and come together and we put on one of the Gilbert and Sullivan operettas.”

“Iolanthe: Re-Vamped” will be running from Thursday, July 24th through Sunday, July 27th in the Chamber Hall at the Anderson Center for the Performing Arts, Binghamton University. Regular admission: $20, Students/Seniors: $18. For more information call (607) 777-4237 or e-mail tickets@summersavoyards.org. Future audition inquiries can be directed to info@summersavoyards. org. Be sure to check them out on Facebook and at their website, summersavoyards.org.

SRO UNDERGROUND BARES ALL Although they do hold auditions, this motley

have more of a rock-based score, as opposed to a traditional musical theater score. These shows deserve to be produced as much as “Hello, Dolly!” or anything by Rodgers and Hammerstein.

Heather Merlis Assistant Editor

Theatre can be a transformative experience, and bare: A Pop Opera has been known to have this effect on audiences. We spoke with Mike Meaney, the director of SRO Underground’s production of this powerful, honest piece of musical theatre.

At 24, you are a pretty young director.

Has this presented any challenges for you? I don’t think so, because I have been involved with theatre since I was seven years old. And I’ve always been a huge theatre nerd, just taking it in, whether it’s going to see shows, or being a part of them. So I’ve seen, throughout the years, lots of directors and how they work. And I’ve gotten to cherry-pick the best parts of each director with whom I’ve worked, to kind of mold how I run things. I think it helps me too, because I’m younger, that I’m not as scared to take risks and do things that are bold. I just throw caution to the wind and jump right in.

vvv How did you discover the show? Somebody gave me the CD a few years ago, and upon listening to it, I fell in love with it. Then, about two years ago, I saw it performed in Ithaca, and after seeing it, I really wanted to do it. It’s very much like Rent, very easy to like. Each of them are rock operas, entirely sung through, with rock music.

The cast of “bare: A Pop Opera.” Photo Provided.

What is “bare” about? “Bare” is about a group of high school students who attend a Catholic boarding school, and at the center of this group are two roommates who are gay, and in a relationship with each other. And nobody else at the school knows about it. It’s all about their last semester at school together. And everyone eventually finds out about them, so they need to become comfortable with being gay in a world that’s quick to judge them for it.”

characters, and they are the focus of the show, but it’s not like a sitcom; they’re not stereotypes- they’re real people with real problems.

There are supporting characters as well: a girl who is self-conscious about her weight; a girl who has fallen in with the popular crowd, but there’s more to her than that; there’s a guy who is constantly trying to get her attention, and is tired of always coming in second place.

It’s an important show, because everyone can see themselves in these characters, in one way or another.

Also, as a cast, to help create a bond, we started the rehearsal process by playing games with each other- to be more comfortable and open with each other.

Why is this an important show for audiences to see? It deals with issues that are prevalent today, especially with such high suicide rates among gay teens. There are gay

What have you done to make these characters real? We spent a lot of time talking about these characters: who they are, what their backgrounds might have been.

Tell us a little about SRO Underground.

It is a relatively new branch of SRO Productions, which aims to produce lesser-known, more provocative shows, and shows that

We hear that you have quite the cast.

How did you find them? I have worked with quite a few of them before, in “Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson” and “Les Miserables.” Also, the show itself drew a lot of people in, because it’s the kind of show that, if you knew it, you would want to be a part of it.

Who should come see “bare?” It’s an important show for everyone to come see. You get all different perspectives. Also, if you are a high school or college student and you’re just trying to figure out who you are as a person, this show is really great, because it’s all about learning to be comfortable with who you are.

It is also important for the younger gay community who are still trying to be comfortablefor them to know that it’s okay, that nobody should think differently of you, and that you should be proud of who you are.

vvv “Bare: A Pop Opera” will be performed on Friday, July 11th, and Saturday, July 12th at 8pm, and Sunday, July 13th at 2pm at the Schorr Family Firehouse Stage. For tickets, visit sroproductions.com.

damianmartintvvideo.com

30 Vol. 2 Issue 7

RIVERREAD’S RIVER READS

DRY BONES IN THE VALLEY

By Tom Bouman (WW Norton) $24.95, 20% off

When an elderly recluse discovers a corpse on his land, Officer Henry Farrell is drawn into his first murder investigation, a case he has little hope of closing. In Wild Thyme Township, secrets and feuds go back generations, meth labs and heroin dealers are sprouting like mushrooms in the woods, and the steady encroachment of gas drilling has brought new wealth and discord. When danger strikes close to home, Henry’s hunt for the killer will open old wounds, dredge up ancient crimes, and lead to a final, deadly reckoning.

As Daniel Woodrell did for the Ozarks and Dennis Lehane does for gritty South Boston, Tom Bouman immerses readers in rural northeastern Pennsylvania, a region now undergoing profound changes.

Mystery readers will love fiddle-playing, deer-hunting Henry Farrell, a bashful local cop with a wry voice and hidden depths. As you read this gritty novel, you’ll begin to recognize certain familiar places and happenings. A great read!!

JOIN US AT RIVERREAD BOOKS ON JULY 8TH AT 6:30PM FOR AN EVENT FEATURING TOM BOUMAN, AUTHOR OF DRY BONES IN THE VALLEY!

TEQUILA MOCKINGBIRD

By Tim Federle (Running Press Books) $15.00

HA! We have sold dozens of copies of this great little book! You fought through War and Peace, burned through Fahrenheit 451, and sailed through Moby-Dick. All right, you nearly drowned in Moby-Dick, but you made it to shore- and you deserve a drink! A fun gift for barflies, and a terrific treat for book clubs, Tequila Mockingbird is the ultimate cocktail book for the literary obsessed. Featuring 65 delicious drink recipes- paired with wry commentary on history’s most beloved novels- the book also includes bar bites, drinking games, and whimsical illustrations throughout. Even if you don’t have a B.A. in English, tonight you’re gonna drink like you do. Drinks include: The Pitcher of Dorian Grey Goose The Last of the Mojitos Love in the Time of Kahlua Romeo and Julep A Rum of One’s Own Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margarita Vermouth the Bell Tolls and more!

WHITMAN ILLUMINATED: SONG OF MYSELF

By Walt Whitman via Allen Crawford (Tin House) $28.95, 20% off

You will need to hold this book in your hands and experience the joy and grit that was Whitman… captured perfectly by Mr. Crawford. NOT just for lovers of poetry! Walt Whitman’s iconic collection of poems, Leaves of Grass, has earned a reputation as a sacred American text. Whitman himself made such comparisons, going so far as to use biblical verse as a model for his own. So it’s only appropriate that artist and illustrator Allen Crawford has chosen to illuminate- like medieval monks with their own holy scriptures- Whitman’s masterpiece and the core of his poetic vision, “Song of Myself.” Crawford has turned the original sixty-page poem from Whitman’s 1855 edition into a sprawling 234-page work of art. The handwritten text and illustrations intermingle in a way that’s both surprising and wholly in tune with the spirit of the poem- they’re exuberant, rough, and wild. Whitman Illuminated: Song of Myself is a sensational reading experience, an artifact in its own right, and a masterful tribute to the Good Gray Poet.

CARSICK

By John Waters (Farrar Straus and Giroux) $26.00, 20% off John Waters is putting his life on the line.

Armed with wit, a pencil-thin mustache, and a cardboard sign that reads “I’m Not Psycho,” he hitchhikes across America from Baltimore to San Francisco, braving lonely roads and treacherous drivers. But who should we be more worried about, the delicate film director with genteel manners or the unsuspecting travelers transporting the Pope of Trash?

Before he leaves for this bizarre adventure, Waters fantasizes about the best and worst possible scenarios: a friendly drug dealer hands over piles of cash to finance films with no questions asked, a demolition-derby driver makes a filthy sexual request in the middle of a race, a gun-toting drunk terrorizes and holds him hostage, and a Kansas vice squad entraps and throws him in jail. So what really happens when this cult legend sticks out his thumb and faces the open road? His real-life rides include a gentle eighty-one-year-old farmer who is convinced Waters is a hobo, an indie band on tour, and the perverse filmmaker’s unexpected hero: a young, sandy-haired Republican in a Corvette. Laced with subversive humor and warm intelligence, Carsick is an unforgettable vacation with a wickedly funny companion- and a celebration of America’s weird, astonishing, and generous citizenry.

July 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 31

books.

In our ongoing attempt to make Carousel the best damn free arts paper around, we humbly present our brand new monthly book section. We’ve partnered with our friends at RiverRead Books (5 Court St. Binghamton) to showcase what’s new in the literary world... what you should be reading when you’re not reading Carousel. Don’t forget to check out their ad on page twelve for a discount on your next purchase at Binghamton’s only independent bookstore. Special thanks to CONNIE BARNES and PATRICIA HUTCHINSON-DAY for the following previews and reviews!

THE FREAKS SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH

By Chris Brogan (Wiley & Sons) $25.00, 20% off

Turn passion into business while still being as weird as you want. Why work for ‘the Man’ when you can craft a business built around your skills? This title offers a mix of action plans and interviews with successful personal business professionals, from watchmakers to barbershop employees, cafe owners to digital entrepreneurs, to even the big companies that are equipping the personal business revolution.

“The book is a mix of recipes for action plus interviews with successful personal business professionals, from watch makers to barbershop employees to cafe owners to digital entrepreneurs to even the big companies that are equipping the personal business revolution”

THE PURPOSE ECONOMY

DARING GREATLY

THE UNTOLD

A series of shifts are happening in our economy: Millennials are trading in conventional career paths to launch tech startups, start small businesses rooted in local communities, or freelance their expertise.

We are sharing everything, from bikes and cars, to extra rooms in our homes. We now create, buy and sell handcrafted products in our local communities with ease.

Every day we experience the uncertainty, risks, and emotional exposure that define what it means to be vulnerable, or to dare greatly. Whether the arena is a new relationship, an important meeting, our creative process, or a difficult family conversation, we must find the courage to walk into vulnerability and engage with our whole hearts.

With shades of Water for Elephants and True Grit, The Untold is a stunning debut novel set in the Australian outback, about a female horse thief, her bid for freedom, and the two men trying to capture her.

Globally recognized entrepreneur, founder of Taproot Foundation, and CEO of Imperative, Aaron Hurst, argues in his latest book that while these developments seem unrelated at first, taken together they reveal a powerful pattern that points to purpose as the new driver of the American economy.

Like the Information Economy, which has driven innovation and economic growth until now, Hurst argues that our new economic era is driven by connecting people to their purpose.

In Daring Greatly, Dr. Brown challenges everything we think we know about vulnerability. Based on twelve years of research, she argues that vulnerability is not weakness, but rather our clearest path to courage, engagement, and meaningful connection. The book that Dr. Brown’s many fans have been waiting for, Daring Greatly will spark a new spirit of truthand trust- in our organizations, families, schools, and communities.

By Aaron Hurst (Elevate) $25.00, 20% off

By Brene Brown (Gotham) $26.00, 20% off

By Courtney Collins (Amy Einhorn) $26.95, 20% off

It is 1921. In a mountain-locked valley, amid squalls of driving rain, Jessie is on the run. Born wild and brave, by 26 she has already lived life as a circus rider, horse and cattle rustler and convict. But on this fateful night, she is just a woman wanting to survive, though there is barely any life left in her. She mounts her horse and points it towards the highest mountain in sight. Soon bands of men will crash through the bush land, desperate to claim the reward on her head. And in their wake will be two more men, one her lover, the other the law, both uncertain if they should save her or themselves. But as it has always been for Jessie, it is death, not a man, who is her closest pursuer and companion. And while all odds are stacked against her, there is one who will never give up on her- her own child, who awaits her. The Untold, both heartbreaking and exhilarating, ultimately sings out for life and then grips onto it, with tooth and broken nail. Incredibly powerful.

July 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 33

wellness.

VESTAL COAL HOUSE OFFERS UP HEALTHY FARE, FITNESS CLASSES, AND A WHOLE LOT MORE The Vestal Coal House. Photo Provided.

Stacey Burke Staff Writer

The Vestal Rail Trail has been a great spot for runners and walkers alike to get in some nice exercise since 2002, without the worries of oncoming traffic, unleveled sidewalks, or hilly, mountainous paths. It’s served as great training grounds for myself as well, when working up for a 5k. But the trail (and its newly expanded lengths towards Apalachin) is not all that’s been happening lately! At the west end, is a small building that is quickly making a name for itself housing a plethora of community activities- the Vestal Coal House.

Now, the Vestal Coal House building is not a new structure. Built in 1908, the Coal House was located just down the road near the intersection of Old Vestal Road and North Main Street, serving as a drop off and pickup station for mainly small businesses. It was open until

the 1970s, and it in 2006 the dormant building was moved to its current location, with the original structure and flooring (and even the scale under the archway) all remaining intact.

samples are also provided, and the program is open to all ages and fitness levels. It’s a great way to learn about healthy living, as well as new ways to move your body!

In 2012, the Vestal Coal House came alive again, with a mission to serve as a community gathering place- one that offers a variety of events (either free or low cost) to the public.

Instead of supplying coal, the building houses a small café, providing healthy and refreshing beverages and food to its customers. The café area has a convenient walk up window, and a small counter with a few tables inside, where patrons can enjoy handmade smoothies, juices and sandwiches (or even an ice cream cone!). During my visit, I decided to give one of their whole food smoothies a try, and was immediately refreshed with an apple, kale, kiwi and spinach juice, made to order.

Coming right up on July 2nd , Marisa Maney, from Harmony with One Life Coaching, will speak on setting attainable fitness goals (who doesn’t need that!?) and Greg Rollo will lead the workout session with “Intro to Crossfit.”

On August 6th, Matthew Gowers, an International Triathlon Coach, will speak on running and health awareness, and Joe Hashey, Owner of Synergy Athletics Endwell, will get people moving with Core and Bodyweight Training Basics. September 3rd’s guest speaker is Tracy Rickard, a local health coach, who will present information on safe and effective ways to cleanse & detox, and Tracy Meier from Inspire Fitness, will lead boot camp style stations, focusing on cardio and strength for adolescents. Lastly, on October 1st, Alexa Schmidt, Certified Sports Dietician, will discuss eating awareness, followed by Kevin Webb, owner of KW Fitness, who will teach attendees some easy at home exercises.

Piggybacking on the healthy offerings of the café, and the already hot spot for walkers and runners, The Vestal Coal House has started First Wednesday Workouts– a free, fun fitness and wellness program. Through October, every first Wednesday from 5:30pm-6:30pm, you can enjoy a lecture on a health and wellness topic by a local guest speaker, followed by a guided workout session. Free smoothie

These sessions have been a hit, with around 50 people attending monthly so far. Make sure to keep your ears open, as The Vestal

Coalhouse is planning on expanding these workouts to more youth-centered groups as well. Along with the speakers and workouts, there are several booths set up with health centered information, blood pressure screenings and other educational displays.

The First Wednesday Workouts are just a taste of what the Vestal Coal House is offering to the community. Every Tuesday from 5:30pm6:30pm, they host Yoga in the Park, followed by an open mic night from 6:30pm-8:30pm.

Several comedy nights have been hosted in the second floor space of the building, (which is also available for reservation for meetings or small gatherings and celebrations.) The next comedy night will be an All Star Comedy show on Saturday, July 19th at 7:30pm. Also, coming up on July 18th is the second annual Rail Trail Relay- a family friendly, 4 mile relay with fun categories for all ages! In the fall, Paws for a Cause, the Heroes and Villains 5k, and the Haunted Trail are all big events to make sure to stay tuned for.

The information on these events and what else is going on at the Vestal Coal House, can all be found on their Facebook page Vestal Coal House, and their website www.mspuaredcpa. com.

VAULT ATTHE BRANDTHENEWBOX OFFICE: MONTHLY MOVIE SECTION

July 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 35

film.

FROM THE

Ilana Lipowicz Staff Writer

Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later. A monthly movie section in Carousel. Everybody needs their celluloid heroes, right? Okay, okay. We’re calling it ‘the film section’ instead of ‘the movie section,’ which purists might hate us for, but it makes us sound artsier, and it means we can do it all! Hollywood movies, local film festivals, interviews with local filmmakers- we’ll get everything in eventually. But, at the height of summer, what’s better than a good ol’ Hollywood blockbuster? We turned to ILANA LIPOWICZ, our resident film junkie, to fill us in…

Deliver Us From Evil

Tammy

Sex Tape

If you saw the movie Bridesmaids, you might remember a scene in which Melissa McCarthy shits in a sink. Now she’s the leading woman in a movie co-written by herself and her husband, which appears to be filled with similar antics. It’s hard to say anything bad about Tammy; it’s not often we see a fat girl in the leading role, and while her size amps up the humor, a good script and a talented actress carry the weight, and not the other way around. After losing her fast food job and catching her husband cheating on her, Tammy picks up her eccentric grandmother (played by Susan Sarandon) to escape on a road trip. It’s an unlikely duo that just might make comedic magic. If you’re looking to laugh, see this movie. (July 2nd) There’s only one thing creepier than a dude in a mask terrorizing the city, and that is regular, unmasked townsfolks inexplicably wreaking the havoc on their own. This flick looks like a weird modge podge of things we love in horror movies: possession by demons; powerless authorities (the cop protagonist must enlist the help of a priest); creepy little kid voices saying creepy things; otherwise normal-looking people ferociously scratching at walls and rocks; and it all starts out in the zoo. Not a great pick for those with wild imaginations, unless you don’t mind listening to the sound of your neighbor scratching at your back door in the middle of the night. Or was that just a tree branch? (July 2nd)

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

If you have a restless kid home for summer vacation, or are a restless kid home for summer vacation, you might check this one out, or not.

The recent trend in TV and film of infusing everything with smart phones likens directors to parents desperately trying to relate to their kids by poking them on Facebook and ending texts with lol. Earth to Echo is essentially an updated E.T. for the mobile phone era. The alien is more robotic, but just as cute as his creaturely predecessor, and the three friends who find him are actually supposed to be decent actors. Still, if you’re thinking of taking your kids to see this movie, make sure they’ve seen the classic it’s knocking off first, or maybe just forget about it and watch E.T. instead.

(July 2nd)

The 2011 film Rise of the Planet of the Apes followed leading ape Caesar from his days as a little chimp through his ascent to chief of the revolutionary ape army, whose intelligence has been enhanced by the same viral drug that, in this morn-approaching sequel, has killed off the majority of the human race.

James Franco’s character couldn’t stick it out, but his absence in the sequel hands the spotlight over to the primates, who, despite their new-found intelligence, can only master an “I Tarzan- you Jane” level of dialogue. So don’t expect an extremely quotable movie, but if you’re a CGI nerd, a monkey lover, or a delegate of social justice, you’ll find something to like about this one. (July 11th)

2004: I, Robot (July 23) Ten years later, it’s not looking like a world where robots occupy every household is going to become a reality - at least not robots made to look like people. It was kind of like Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, except instead of apes outsmarting humans, it’s robots, and they’re defeated almost singlehandedly by Will Smith.

1994: Forrest Gump (July 6) It comes as no surprise that this American epic is still on the USA network more or less once a week… 20 years after its release. We are now about as far on the timeline from the release date as the events depicted in the movie were when it was made. Weird.

Another comedy, this one offers the added pleasure of looking at sexy people, although the quality of the casting might have suffered for this purpose. The director of Bad Teacher liked Cameron Diaz enough to place her in another lead role, this time next to Jason Segel, whose character is just similar enough to Marshall in HIMYM that it’s weird to see him making a sex tape. In this cross between a porno and an iCloud commercial, the leading couple decides to spice up their dying sex life by filming it. Once the deed is done, they opt to delete the video, but not before it’s leaked to all of their friends, family, coworkers, and the mailman. There’s also a scene with Cameron Diaz doing coke with her boss. (July 18th)

Lucy

Earth to Echo

Oh, why not? We’ve got a whole page to work with. Here’s a list of movies that came out in July a decade ago, two decades ago, three decades ago, you get the picture. Get ready to feel old.

If you’ve heard that we only use 10% of our brains, you might also have heard that the statistic is wrong- or at least very misleading.

However, scientific accuracy isn’t exactly what this film is going for, and it shouldn’t make the story any less enjoyable. Scarlet Johansson, after some blue mystery drug she’s supposed to be transporting bursts in her stomach, gains super intelligence as she grows the ability to use her brain to its full capacity (and unlike the apes, she can speak in full sentences).

There’s something in this film for everybody: drug trafficking, merciless pointshooting, superhuman powers, and a beautiful female protagonist, not to mention Morgan Freeman as the scientist who explains as much as he can with only 10% of his brain. (July 25th)

1984: Purple Rain (July 20) Prince’s biopic beat out Revenge of the Nerds for highest grossing film that July.

More of an attempt to cash in on Prince’s popularity at the time than to achieve cinematic excellence, the movie won no great accolades but was strange enough to secure a place in the cultural memory and as a cult classic.

1974: Death Wish (July 1) This action vigilante film was based on the 1972 novel by Brian Garfield. It was louted by critics for promoting vigilantism, but popular enough with the public to spur 4 sequels and a remake featuring Kevin Bacon.

1964: The Unsinkable Molly Brown (July 11) Adapted from a screenplay brought to Broadway in 1960, the musical film starred Debbie Reynolds as Molly Brown, who longs for a husband, finds a husband, leaves her husband, and then survives the Titanic, after which she goes back to her husband.

36 Vol. 2 Issue 7

fun stuff.

HOROSCOPES

B.C.

by MASTROIANNI AND HART

Each month, CAROUSEL features a guest horoscope columnist. For July, we welcome Dan Pokorak, local musician and promoter. As far as we know, he knows nothing about astrology.

Cancer (Jun. 22-Jul. 22) It’s not easy being cared for when you’re always the caretaker. Enjoy it while you can... watch the stars make some wishes.

Leo (Jul. 23-Aug. 22) Enjoy the fireworks, you’re setting them off all over town. Now that everyone is watching, it’s time to show them how bright you shine.

DOGS OF C-KENNEL

by MICK AND MASON MASTROIANNI

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Skip the daily routine. The seeming chaos in this world holds its own perfection. Go outside and get your hands dirty... a walk in the park will bring you luck.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) That new person you met that you feel you can read like a book, it might just be because your holding some of the pages to the story. Make it about the moments not the details.

Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 21) You play just as well in the light as you do the dark.

And there’s a lot of light coming your way.

Not that you will be afraid, but don’t be.

You can’t control everything that’s changing around you, but if you control yourself it just might be enough.

WIZARD OF ID

by PARKER, MASTROIANNI, AND HART

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) If you slow down just a bit, the things you want will have enough time to catch up... for every one thousand flowers, pick ten... then find that one. There is that one, and they’ll find you.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Your hard work paid off and it’s time to relax... those dreams about being a fish? It is summer, the pools are open... who says dreams can’t come true.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) The world seems to be settling back into a more gracious space... not to say it doesn’t have its eyes on you... you think it’s time to change your world. You’re right, so go do it.

Pisces (Feb. 19-Mar. 20) Your head’s been like a radio picking up too many signals. It’s about to calm down, and come into focus... one ear worm is better than twenty.

Aries (Mar. 21-Apr. 19) The challenges you have been facing seem to vanish into thin air, sure June was strange, but it was strange for everyone... That obsession with the color blue will fade. It might not be “the” summer of love, it might just be yours.

Taurus (Apr. 20-May 20) You get to keep everything you have found, which should make you happy... the funny thing about ‘shoulds’ is they care very little about being ‘truths.’ Maybe you skipped the spring cleaning, something your holding onto needs to find its way out of your life.

Gemini (May 21-Jun. 21) Time is but a trick of the mind, so don’t let it force your hand. With all the excitement, it’s easy to get caught up in it... take a few deep breaths it will all be fine.

COMICS TO WATCH Salisbury

by Kevin

This month’s featured comic is Jim Mencel. Jim has only been ac- best memory in comedy, but when I opened for you [Kevin] and Tim tively doing stand up for a very short period of time, but what he Joyce, he said to me ‘don’t you fucking quit this.’ That felt great to hear.

Really, anytime I can get on stage I’m happy, though. lacks in experience, he makes up for in unquestionable talent. Born in Los Angeles, Jim’s family reloWhat are your favorite spots to perform? I cated to the Binghamton area when he was a baby, haven’t performed many places, but I like the shows which has given him a lifetimes worth of inspiration we do at Matty B’s. It feels like my home base as far for material… everything from his views on which as comedy goes. Lot 10 in Ithaca is also a great room. kids would make the best veterinarians to comparing apples and oranges. It’s rare to come across a What can we expect from you in the future? For comedian who is such a natural, but Jim has quicknow, I’m gonna keep working on learning to do comely earned that distinction, and is one of the funnidy and getting used to being on stage. I’d like to travel est up and coming comics in the Binghamton area. around the upstate New York area and do a few more rooms. An actual tour is a way’s off though, I think.

When did you get into comedy? I was first interested in comedy when I first started watching specials in middle school, but never really seJim Mencel is one of many featured comedians perriously considered doing it myself until this year. forming at the 2nd Annual Binghamton Comedy & Arts Festival, which takes place September 12- 14, Who are your comedy idols?

My bigpresented by Binghamton Comedy and The Bundy gest comedy idol is Louis CK. His specials crack me up, and Museum, and sponsored in part by Triple Cities Carousel. The Binghis show is one of my favorites on TV right now. Besides hamton Comedy & Arts Festival For more will feature over 40 comethat, I’m a big fan of Carlin, Chris Rock and Dimitri Martin. dians from all over the northeast as well as artists from the Greater Binghamton Area. For more information, including the full line up What is your best memory in comedy? I can’t pick out a single and schedule, go to binghamtoncomedy.com.

38 Vol. 2 Issue 7

crossword.

“I Think I Shall Never See a Puzzle as Lovely as a Tree ”

by Paul O’Heron

[The answer to any clue followed by (tree) is the name of a tree] Across 1. _____ Nut: baby food brand (tree) 4. Charter _____: symbol on the reverse of the Connecticut state quarter (tree)

2. Street made famous in the Freddy Krueger “Nightmare” series of movies (tree)

9. Yma _____: the Peruvian songbird rumored to be the inspiration for the alien diva in the 1997 film The Fifth Element (tree)

3. President Andrew Jackson’s nickname “Old _____” (tree)

11. Computer/iPod company (tree) 12. Socrates’ poison (tree) 14. “Every once in a while, a girl has to _____ herself.” - Sarah Jessica Parker 15. Measures gold or silver for content 16. 1999 film for which Tom Cruise won a best supporting Oscar (tree)

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4. The Folk Sampler is a syndicated radio program (WSKG) of folk, traditional, bluegrass and blues coming to you from the foothills of the _____ since 1978.

5. Tanya Harding’s 1994 Olympic teammate Nancy _____ 6. Street urchin eventually loved by Princess Jasmine in the eponymous 1992 movie 7. The darkest part of the eye 8. Relationship of Cheyenne Woods to Tiger

20. “_____ Row”, 2013 sequel to John Grisham’s 1989 novel “A Time to Kill” (tree)

12. Talking _____, band with husband/wife rhythm section Chris Franz/Tina Weymouth

22. 2006 film “The Black _____” based on the 1987 book by James Ellroy (flower)

13. “The _____ Man”, 1962 musical noted for “76 Tombones”

25. “Falling in love is awesome, but I’m never _____ _____ happy songs per se…” Miranda Lambert

17. A light shade of purple (tree)

27. What the emerald ash borer, honey bee, and termites are

Why wouldn’t you?

Everybody reads this freakin’ thing.

1. “The Magic _____” 1968 song by The Who that contains the words “I want it, I want it, I want it, I want it”

6. Colorado ski resort (tree)

10. _____ Jordan: Nike sneaker brand

ADVERTISE HERE!

Down

28. _____ Rapids, Iowa (tree) 29. Lana _____ Rey, stage name for Elizabeth Woolridge Grant 30. The “giant sucking sound” was 1992 United States Presidential candidate Ross Perot’s colorful phrase for what he believed would be the negative effects this agreement 33. Actress Thora _____ of movies American Beauty (1999) and Ghost World (2001) (tree) 34. Homonym of the word for a female sheep (tree) 35. Classic Monty Python sketch “The _____” where John Cleese interviews three schoolboys about a tree (tree)

18. Last name of Ansel, John, John Quincy, or Sam 19. Commemoration related to this puzzle designated for the last Friday in April 21. An orange and black butterfly whose larvae are enamored of milkweed 23. English Premier League soccer team whose insignia shows the side view of a cannon 24. 1998 Ron Howard film about a dwarf who protects a baby (tree) 25. 1983 R-rated comedy starring Mr. T, controversial because he was popular with children 26. Eugene _____: alternate name used by actor Gene Hackman (tree) 31. Homonym of the word for pelt (tree) 32. _____ Ketchum (Satoshi), the main human protagonist of the Pokemon series (tree)