CAROUSEL triple cities
june 2014
free
vol. 2 issue 6
living local. loving life.
editorial. pride.................................................................................7 contents.
June 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 5
Well, it’s June in the Triple Cities, and that means it’s Pride Month; a time to stand in support of our LGBT brothers and sisters and print the Carousel header in rainbow colors.
It also no doubt means at least a few of you reading this will be sending me in letters along the lines of “well, where’s straight pride month?” Insert audible sigh here. Here’s the thing. Be straight. Be gay. Be bisexual. Do your thing, it’s cool. But, if you’re one of those straight people that wants to know why you don’t have a month of your own, well, allow me to present to you July-May. It’s no different than the argument I’ve been having with my dear father since I was old enough for critical thought: “How come there’s no white history month?,” he’d ask. Insert second audible sigh here. Well, dad, if you’re lucky enough to be born a straight, white, American male, good for you. Depending on the social class you were born into, you’ve either got the world handed to you, or you’ve got nothing. What you do have is the privilege of being born as someone that doesn’t have to worry, day in and day out, about how you’re being perceived by complete strangers. Complete strangers are, at worst, judging you by how much money you have. But that’s totally the American way. But picture, for a minute: You are black. You are gay. You are _____. You were born into a world that has systems in place to, well, fuck you. You walk down the street daily, and regardless of how good of a person you may be, there are people that will cross the street to avoid you. There are people that that think that the very core of what you are is wrong. There’s no need for straight pride month. There’s no need for white pride month. Because no one in the whole wide world is telling you it’s wrong to be straight, or white. But I digress. A week ago, I went into the local gay bars with a digital recorder and a mission: I wanted to hear peoples’ coming out stories (for a feature article that definitely would have been printed if I didn’t always wait for the 13th hour to do everything). Three days later, I decided to come out myself, as bisexual. Flash forward another few days, and I’m really not sure if I made the right decision. It’s not because I lost friends over it- in fact, every last person I know has been extremely, overwhelmingly supportive. It’s not because I’m still freaking out about the prospect of telling my father, bless is soul. It’s because frankly, I don’t really know if it’s true or not. I mean, I’m definitely attracted to men. But generally speaking, I really, really love women. Y’all are great, and even better if you’re a woman that wants to have sex with me. Sex is great. Anyway… I’ve always been of the mindset that people are people are people are people, and as for the specifics, well, that’s just hardware. Do I ever see myself dating a man? Probably not. But, when I was interviewing people about their own coming out stories, the biggest trend seemed to be I wish I had done it sooner. Who knows what the next 60 years of my life will bring? I certainly don’t. If someday I do decide I want to date a man, coolhopefully he’ll be sexy and rich. What I wouldn’t want to do would be to be forced to love that person in secrecy, or have to make the decision to come out when I’m 40 years old, because that seems like it’d be a hell of a lot harder than it is at 25. Everything’s on a scale, anyway, isn’t it? If Monday-Friday, I want to be with a woman, but come Saturday, I’m all about some chest hair, where on that scale do I fall? Am I gay? Straight? Bisexual? Frankly, I really don’t know the answer. The wonderful thing, is I don’t need to. So I present this issue of Carousel to you- not as a straight man, or as a bisexual man, or as a gay man, but as a human being that believes from the bottom of my heart that human equality is essential. Some people get to have their voices heard all the time. Some people don’t. Everybody deserves a chance to speak, though. -Christopher M. F. Bodnarczuk
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, Ahlpheh Ohtis Wilson Contributors Paul O’Heron, Kevin Salisbury, Viola, Rich Wiesenthal Photography Ty Whitbeck Layout/Design Christopher Bodnarczuk Printer Our Press. Chenango Bridge, NY On the Cover “The Black Diary” -Cornelius ‘Neal’ Nixon 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!
antique row................................................................12 food and drink............................................................13 art..................................................................................16 events calendar........................................................18 music.............................................................................23 faerie fest..................................................................28 theatre and dance....................................................29 comedy..........................................................................31 fun stuff......................................................................32 crossword..................................................................34 HEY THERE, SAILOR. SEND LETTERS TO US. MAYBE WE’LL PRINT THEM. triplecitiescarousel@gmail.com
pride.
June 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 7
Some people think GLBT Pride is about parades. Some think it is about acceptance. Some think it is about equality, and some think it is about recognition by the “straight community”. The dictionary tells us that ‘pride’ is “a feeling that you respect yourself and deserve to be respected by other people.” This is the concept behind GLBT Pride. The first Pride parade took place a year after the Stonewall riots that occurred in 1969 in New York City. The parades have become a way both of celebrating not only our history, but our diversity. Anyone who has never been to a Pride parade, but has viewed the event as it is covered in the mainstream media, would have no idea what they are really about. When you tune into the evening news and view the coverage of the Pride Parade in New York City, what you typically see are the most “picturesque” people in the parade. You will no doubt see drag queens and kings, dykes on bikes, leather daddies, guys in jockstraps, and some demonstrations of S&M behavior. And while it is true that those people are part of the inclusive GLBT community, they by no means define it. We are a diverse community, but the media, for the most part, prefers to define us by our stereotypes rather than the reality of who we are. The stereotypical image of the gay man or lesbian woman is familiar to the general public, and it makes much better press to show leather men in positions of dominance and submission than it does to show rows and rows of gay doctors, lawyers, police, firefighters, judges, parents, teachers and many other groups who are mostly invisible as GLBT members in our day to day lives. Pandering to the stereotype of gay men and women continues to be the choice of the media. They want the GLBT people they portray to be recognizable to the general public, and to do that they rely on old images emblazoned in the minds of the public, who expect every gay man to look and sound like Truman Capote and every lesbian woman to appear as “butch” as the current world wrestling champion. It appeals to the comfort zone of straight people who don’t want to think too much about what it means to be part of the GLBT community. So what is GLBT Pride about? It is about a spectrum of people who are as diverse as the general public. It is about a continuum of behavior and appearance that includes the drag queen, the leather daddy, the pup, the “butch” lesbian, the lipstick lesbian and the twink. But, it is about so much more. It is about parents of GLBT children who have learned to accept their children for who they are and accept their choices about who they choose to love. It is about men and women in professions that in the past excluded them because of their sexual orientation. It is about teenagers who yearn for safety and acceptance from their community, regardless of the fact that they choose to hold the hand or love someone of the same sex. It is about the absolute right of every individual to discover who they are and accept that discovery with pride. It is about the obliteration of fear and shame and denial. It is about our refusal to be intimidated by a religious right that picks specific biblical text designed to shame us out of existence. It is about our right to stand up and be heard in the political, social, and economic arenas of our country. It is about self- empowerment. It is about learning to use our political and economic power as a community to achieve our goal of equality. We have made huge strides in the years since the Stonewall riots. We continue to be a long way from achieving equality. Nineteen states have legalized same sex marriage, and thirty one states still have laws banning marriage equality. Only nineteen states have laws that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, and fewer have laws that protect the rights of those with gender identity issues. In states where there is no protection, you can lose your job, be refused housing, be refused the right to adopt a child, and be refused service based on your sexual orientation. That very lack of equal protection under the law makes people reluctant to make their voices heard. Fear, threats and intimidation are rampant in places where no protection is offered by the very authorities whose job it is to make sure that all citizens are safe. There is no doubt that times are changing. The GLBT community has begun to emerge as a force to be reckoned with, and it is undeniable that many of the laws that threaten us have already been overturned by some state governments as well as the federal courts. When parents stop assuming that their children are straight; when children can stop hiding who they know they are because they fear punishment, abandonment or retribution; when GLBT teenagers stop seeing suicide as the only way out of horrific bullying situations in their schools and communities, then, and only then, will we know that we are nearing our goal of equality. Until then, we will continue to march, to show our diversity, to show our pride in acceptance of who we are , and to show the world that there is more that unites us than makes us different. -Richard Weisenthal
PRIDE PALOOZA 2014 8 Vol. 2 Issue 6
the best in local music. Brenna Swanger is performing, as well as familiar faces from EPAC Idol; plus The Good Fruits, the Halflight Theatre Company’s cast of “Company,” Thom and Beth Ormsby, and the Vestal Violators- the Binghamton region’s premier Rocky Horror troupe.
Chris Bodnarczuk Editor-in-Chief
“Plus, you’ve gotta have drag!”
Well, it’s summer in Binghamton, and what good is a downtown if you can’t put on a street fair? The 10th Annual Binghamton Pride Palooza takes place from noon- 8pm on Saturday, June 14th.
Local drag queens and kings will be making appearances onstage throughout the day, culminating in an evening event at Merlin’s Dance Club. Pride Palooza 2014 marks the second year that the festival will take place on Court St; in previous years, it has been held both at the courtyard in between Washington and State Streets, and farther up State Street.
The yearly celebration, which returns to its new location on Court St. (in between State and that very uncontroversial roundabout) for the second time, provides an opportunity for the local LGBT community and their allies to let loose in a fun, family friendly environment.
“Merlin’s moved from State to Court, and we did, too. Not because of the bar, per se, though everyone likes bathrooms and alcohol,” says Waters. “But if we can be in the center of downtown, why not.”
“I don’t want it to just be a gay thing. I don’t want people to think ‘this is just a gay festival,’ because it’s a community festival for people to come to, just like July Fest and all these other things people do,” says festival organizer Chris Waters. “We do market to the gay community, because it’s our time to celebrate, but it’s very friendly to anyone that wants to come.” With over 25 craft vendors and non-profits planning on tabling (be sure to stop by the Carousel booth to say hello!), plus food and a full lineup of music and activities, this year promises to be bigger and better than ever before.
Indeed, the move has proven to be symbolic. Putting on a gay pride event in the shadow of the city Courthouse shows just how far times have come for the LGBT community. “The city has been really, really supportive.” Pride Palooza 2013. Photo by Joshua B.
“It’s very family friendly. Pride and Joy Families, an organization that does great things for families in the community, has a whole kid’s zone planned out: face painting, balloons, crafts and stuff,” explains
VIOLA’S TIPS ON BEING ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS
Waters. “Plus, the Ross Park Zoomobile is going to be there this year, which is huge for us!” Onstage, Palooza-goers will be treated to some of
And you can be just as supportive. Make plans to attend Pride Palooza on Saturday, June 14th, in the heart of downtown Binghamton. For more information, check out binghamtonpride.org, or find them on the ol’ social media.
Well, I was asked to sit and write a funny article on what it means to be a fabulous drag queen. My first thought when I was approached by Carousel’s editor in the dark and crowded bar was “ oh, great another freak with a Delta Burke fetish!” That was of course not it, although I’m still not sure if he’s really into that or not.
He asked me if I would be willing to type up a little something for this edition of the paper. Well what an honor it was to be asked! At least that’s what I told him! In my head I’m thinking: “lunch with Sarah Palin and the entire cast of Duck Dynasty would be more fun!” But I realized that I could touch so many... lives… by sharing my insight with the masses! So here it is, the secret! The big mysterious thing that we queens have kept so quiet for so long! What it really takes to be a fabulous queen is: dollar store makeup and a big ass bottle of Colt 45! Ok, so maybe that’s not totally true. But it sure as hell doesn’t hurt! And it would explain Lady Bunny’s career! Here is the real secret: it’s all about attitude! That’s really all it takes! You can’t be quiet and reserved and shy. You have to be willing to open yourself up and take all the love and criticism that will be thrown at you! And let me tell you something, there will be A LOT of criticism. Pattie Labelle said it best: ‘you gotta have a new attitude!’ Be courageous and strong and brave in what you do! That’s how I became the performer and person I am today, although I do owe a little to Colonel Sanders (solely in a sexual way- not because of the food), and all the amazing queens that came before me (i.e. Lady Bunny, Ru Paul, Hedda Lettuce, Jackie Beat and so on!). You can do the same thing! Be proud and love yourself and what you do! That’s what I’ve learned! Have a great pride month babies, and be safe!
Viola! Photo by Ty Whitbeck.
AA LOOK CENTURY OF STRUGGLE: AT THE SEARCH FOR EQUALITY
June 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 9
Compiled by Maria “Murph” Murphy and Ronnie Vuolo
December 10, 1924 – The first gay rights organization, Society for Human Rights, is founded in Chicago by Henry Gerber. Friendship and Freedom is published by society and is named the first American publication for homosexuals. 1948 – Alfred Kinsey, biologist and sex researcher, challenges current belief that homosexuality is an illness by publishing Sexual Behavior in the Human Male. November 11, 1950 – The Mattachine Society is founded in Los Angeles by gay rights activist, Harry Hay; the first American national gay rights organization. September 21, 1955 – The first lesbian rights organization in the United States is formed in San Francisco, called the Daughters of Bilitis. August 30, 1956 – The clinical perceptions of homosexuality begins changing due to the influences of Evelyn Hooker, an American psychologist, who performed research that showed that homosexuality is not a clinical matter and that there are no significant differences between homosexuals and heterosexuals. January 13, 1958 – The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that 1st Amendment rights applied to a homosexual magazine, the first time the Supreme Court ruled in favor of homosexuals. January 1, 1962 – Illinois becomes the first state in the United States to decriminalize homosexuality. July 4, 1965 – The first Reminder Day is staged at Independence Hall in Philadelphia in order to shed light on the lack of civil rights for LGBT people. April 21, 1966 – Mattachine Society members, protesting the New York Liquor Authorities prohibition on serving gay patrons, stage a “Sip-In” at the Julius Bar in Greenwich Village that results in the NYC Commission on Human Rights declaration that homosexuals have the right to be served. 1966 – The first peer-run support and advocacy organization in the world, the National Transsexual Counseling Unit, is established. June 28, 1969 – A 3 day riot erupts when police raid the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, a popular homosexual gathering place. The event is often credited as the impetus behind the modern LGBT rights movement. June 28, 1970 – On the anniversary of the Stonewall riot, The Christopher Street Liberation Day event is culminates in thousands marching in Central Park. It becomes known as the first American gay pride parade. December 15, 1973 – Homosexuality is voted off the list of mental illnesses by the Board of the American Psychiatric Association. January 1974 – Kathy Kozachenko wins a seat on the Ann Arbor, Michigan City Council and becomes the first openly gay or lesbian American elected into public office. 1977 – Harvey Milk successfully leads a campaign against proposition 6 as well as earning a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors where he proposes a gay rights ordinance that protects gay and lesbian workers from being fired. October 14, 1979 – LGBTQ and straight allies (around 75,000 of them) attend the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. August 11-14, 1980 – At their National Convention, the Democratic Party endorses a homosexual rights platform, the first political party to do so. March 2, 1982 – Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation becomes outlawed in Wisconsin, making it the first state to do so in the U.S. March 10, 1987 – The AIDs Advocacy group ACT UP is formed to fight the disease devastating the Gay and Lesbian community in NY. October 11, 1987 – In response to President Reagan’s failure to take action on the AIDS crisis, hundreds of thousands march on Washington. December 1, 1988 – The first World AIDS Day is organized by The World Health Organization in order to spread awareness of the growing pandemic. August 18, 1990 – Federally funded program, call the Ryan White Care Act, to help people living with AIDS is signed into order by President George Bush. September 21, 1993 - The “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy comes into effect as a result of a Department of Defense Directive prohibiting the military from barring applicants based upon sexual orientation. The Directive prohibits asking or requiring them to tell their sexual orientation. May 20, 1996 – Colorado’s 2nd Amendment (which denied gays and lesbians protection against discrimination) is struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court. April 26, 2000 – Same sex civil unions and registered partnerships becomes legal in the state of Vermont, making it the first. June 26, 2003 – The U.S. Supreme Court rules sodomy laws in United States to be unconstitutional in Lawrence v. Texas case. May 18, 2004 – Massachusetts becomes the 1st state to legalize gay marriage. 2007 – The bill ensuring equal rights in the workplace for gay, lesbian, and bisexual is approved by the House of Representatives. June 17, 2009 – A presidential memorandum signed by President Obama grants limited benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees. October 28, 2009 – President Obama signs the Matthew Shepard Act, passed by Congress, into law which adds crimes motivated by a victim’s actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability to the 1969 U.S. Federal Hate Crime Law. August 4, 2010 – California’s Proposition 8 (which banned same-sex marriage), is declared unconstitutional by a Federal Judge in San Francisco. December 18, 2010 – U.S. Senate votes to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” February 23, 2011 – President Obama publically announces that his administration will not support The Defense of Marriage Act. (The Act banned the recognition of same-sex marriage.) June 24, 2011 – Same-sex marriage is legalized in New York State with the passage of The Marriage Equality Act. 2012 – 2013 – Gay marriage approval in 3 states (Washington, Maine, and Maryland) is won by popular vote for the first time. To Date – Nineteen states in the U.S., along with Washington D.C. (March 3, 2010), allow gay marriages: Massachusetts (May 17, 2004), Connecticut (November 12, 2008), Iowa (April 24, 2009), Vermont (September 1, 2009), New Hampshire (January 1, 2010), New York (July 24, 2011), Washington (December 9, 2012), Maine (December 29, 2012), Maryland (January 1, 2013), California (June 28, 2013), Delaware (July 1, 2013), Rhode Island and Minnesota (August 1, 2013), New Jersey (October 21, 2013), Hawaii (December 2, 2013), New Mexico (December 19, 2013), Oregon (May 19, 2014), Pennsylvania (May 20, 2014), Illinois (June 1, 2014).
SOUTHERN TIER AIDS PROGRAM:
10 Vol. 2 Issue 6
FRIENDS WHO CARE Maria “Murph” Murphy Staff Writer In 1983, due to the growth of the HIV/ AIDS pandemic, the New York State Department of Health established the AIDS Institute. This brought the founding of the Task Force that following year, which came to be known as the Southern Tier AIDS Program, or STAP. As one of fourteen statewide Community Service Programs, STAP serves eight counties: Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Ostego, Tioga, and Tompkins. The program mostly began in the hopes of saving money for the state: healthier people equal fewer medical bills to pay. Over time, it proved to be improving the lives of New York State residents in ways that transcended economics. “It’s a good thing for society at large, which is something that is often lost when dealing with non-profit organizations,” John Barry, Executive Director of STAP and Binghamton native, explains. “Across the board we can show how our programs are saving people all over New York State money, while helping people and their families to have a better quality of life.” For many years, the STAP headquarters were located in a well-disguised location in Johnson City, because it was during a time when confidentiality and discretion were of high priority. But this past March, STAP relocated to a big and beautiful building right in the heart of Binghamton. “Part of this move was definitely about visibility,” says Barry. “Now, we want people to know that we still exist, and the disease still exists.” Thanks to the past thirty years of work done by this program, HIV and AIDS may still exist, but not in the same condition that they existed decades ago. “Every year fewer people are becoming infected. We can prove it not only locally, but also statewide that this is working.” The proof is in the statistics, which show how programs such as STAP have helped to lower infection rates, raise public awareness, increase the life expectancy and improve the quality of life of those infected with the viruses. One example of this is STAP’s Syringe Exchange Program, which
provides information and opportunities for people at risk of contracting HIV from needles. Since the program began in the early 1980s, the percentage of people becoming HIV-positive from sharing needles has dropped from forty to fifty percent, to three to four percent. HIV and AIDS are not the only issues of which STAP provides awareness, prevention, and treatment. Currently, due to its growth, a great deal of time and energy is going towards focusing on hepatitis C. In addition, STAP has many other programs offered to its region such as Identity, which is a program for LGBTQ youth located on State Street in downtown Binghamton. The program is built by the youth, for the youth, and provides activities and events like dances, parties, yoga, art groups, gay student alliances in high schools, educational programs for consent and safe dating, and more. “It is there to act as a safe space and support for youth who identify and who are dealing with this reality.” Barry continues, “The community’s response is wonderful; more and more kids come every day.” Another program is M4, an HIV prevention program just for homosexual men, which is helping to build the community and attempting to change the community norms. STAP is also involved with current medical methods for treatment and prevention of illnesses, and support for additions such as opioid overdose prevention, medication complience, viral load, and PrEP, which is considered the most successful intervention for HIV so far. It stands for PreExposure Prophylaxis, and it is medication that can actually prevent HIV-negative people who are at high risk of contraction, or even exposed to the virus, from contracting it. Even if you are not in need of one of their services, you can still be a part of the STAP community by volunteering, donating, or attending one of their many events throughout the year. This month they will be hosting their annual Bartending Bash on June 8th at the Boatyard Grill in Ithaca from 3pm until 6pm. The event is a fun-filled evening where local celebrities tend bar to help raise awareness and money for STAP and its programs, as well as bring people together. For more information on STAP, its events, programs, or how to get involved, visit stapinc.org or call (607) 798-1706. Their hotline is (800) 3330892. STAP is now located at 22 Riverside Drive in Binghamton.
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‘LGBTQIA’ WHAT? EVOLVING TIMES CALL FOR EVOLVING LABELS
June 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 11
(OR MAYBE NO LABELS AT ALL)
Ilana Lipowicz Staff Writer [EDITOR’S NOTE: This article first appeared in February’s Sex Issue, but given the theme of our current issue, we figure it’s relevant enough to print twice!] The issues of sexuality and gender have been at the forefront of political and cultural discourse for some time, shifting aside only for the recent hype over the decriminalization of marijuana. Since Massachusetts became the first state in the U.S. to legalize gay marriage almost a decade ago, 19 more states and Washington D.C. have followed. As of this past November, same-sex marriage is recognized here in New York. While we can expect it to be a long time before the whole country gets on board, there is no doubt that it is picking up momentum. Monitoring state legislature; however, will hardly give you a full picture of the evolution in attitude towards sexuality. These changes are indicative of a much more complex cultural turnaround. No longer is the dominant discourse telling people that their sexual preferences are wrong, illogical, or biologically impossible. Of course, these notions still exist, and in some places are still heavily embedded; but nowadays, even a closeted boy from an ultra-Christian small town Kansas can find groups of people who relate to and accept him, with a quick search of the internet. You could say it’s now easier than ever to “come out of the closet.” There is something even more revolutionary going on than the growing acceptance of sexual diversity. Homosexuality goes back almost as far as recorded history, and the attitudes towards it have varied between civilizations and over time. There has always been gay and straight– only recently are we being confronted with everything in between [EDITOR’S NOTE: There is exception to this… many Native tribes have a long history of not only recognizing, but embracing and exalting transgendered people, though the same cannot be said of dominant society in the history of Western Civilization]. If you’re still telling your friends how supportive you are of LGBT rights, you are already behind the times. The acronym has been expanded now to LGBTQIA; Q is
for “queer” or “questioning,” I for “inter-sex,” and A for “asexual.” This still doesn’t cover all the ways people have begun to define their gender and sexuality. A relatively new term people have begun to use is “pansexual,” defined as being attracted to people regardless of gender. This term acknowledges those whose gender identity is not strictly male or female. The length of this banner may seem absurd, but it forces the question: how long will it have to get before we drop the labels altogether? This is not to criticize labels or say that they aren’t useful, but rather that as the lines between these labels start to blur, they may become irrelevant. We are already starting to see a culture that does not require individuals to label themselves by their sexual preferences. The hit 2013 Netflix series “Orange is the New Black” is at the forefront of this new idea in popular media. The protagonist’s former relationship with a woman is referred to as a “lesbian phase” by her friends and her (male) fiancé. But wait– does that mean that when she gets engaged to a man she’s a lesbian-turned-straight, and when she falls for her former lover again is she a straight-turned-lesbian? We don’t know, and Piper herself doesn’t seem to know, or to spend much time trying to figure it out. We can make it simple and say she’s bisexual– or pansexual– but the show asks us to look beyond that and to see Piper’s love story simply for what it is. The sexuality and gender revolution does not end with a welcome party waiting outside the closet for those who don’t see themselves as straight. Rather, we are moving towards a culture where there would be no need to “come out of the closet,” because nothing would be assumed about an individual’s preference in the first place. If a man kisses a man, there would be no inclination to ask, “So, does this mean you’re gay now?” This concept is incomprehensible to most of the older generation, and hard to grasp even for many of the younger generation. Gay rights and sexual equality are old news- what’s new and growing is the disposal of the gay-straight binary altogether. While it’s unlikely we will ever fully rid ourselves of these labels, the millennial generation is going to see less and less of gay and straight and a whole lot more of everything in-between.
antique row.
12 Vol. 2 Issue 6
STROLLING THROUGH BINGHAMTON’S PAST: Ilana Lipowicz Staff Writer
Sometimes the heart of an era is captured so perfectly in a place that its essence remains long after its temporal passing. Clinton Street, the main strip of the First Ward in Binghamton, is the setting of many a rich memory, and wherever it’s mentioned in conversation or in writing, it is with great affection and nostalgia. Everything happened on Clinton Street. From the time you came out of the dark shadows underneath the railroad overpass on Front Street at the east end until you covered its mile-long stretch ending at Glenwood Avenue on the West Side, Clinton Street was the heart and soul of the First Ward. Its noisy, crowded sidewalks were filled with life. -Ronald Capalaces, When All the Men Were Gone
with people. Binghamton is a city with a strong relationship to its past. Memories of the era of E-J Shoe Company and the boom of IBM linger in the minds of residents, either in their own rose-colored recollections or in an image they’ve gathered from the accounts of others. Having lived here for only a year and a half, I fall into the latter category. As my understanding of this city has expanded across the geographical space, it’s expanded in time as well; looking at a building or a stretch of road, I imagine it as a photograph, and then it morphs into a photo of the same spot 50 years ago. Sometimes it feels like if I start chipping at the surfaces, I’ll uncover the old city- and nowhere does that feeling hang more thickly in the air than on Clinton Street.
has brought his shopping cart inside the shop and is asking about a $4,000 wardrobe. She shoos him out and tells me that strange things occur in her store all the time. “My shop is appropriately named the Mad Hatter, because you never know what’s going to happen here,” she says. “I love my cuckoos!” When Joanne started selling antiques in 1976, it was out of a tiny room at the front of a store; now the Mad Hatter has expanded into three large floors, engulfing apartments and digging out a basement. As the owner of the oldest of the remaining antique shops on Clinton, Joanne has gained an understanding of old things and what they mean to people. “People who are troubled, they come and just wander for an hour, and then they feel better.” You truly can get lost in the items in the store; Jo-
I am now sure I’ve crossed into another realm of time. I sip my Coke and head inside Jack’s, whose business I learn is mostly stripping and restoring, although he’s got a room full of antiques on display. I’ve caught him at a busy time, but it’s here that I find Notes from a Stripper, the short story collection I’ve quoted above, written by Jack’s wife, Mimi Carmen. He sees me flipping through it and tells me I can keep it. His old-fashioned generosity moves me deeper into the past, and I move along.
She likes to walk on Clinton Street. It is her crowd, her country, her society; even with her new BCC degree, this is home. -Mimi Carmen, Notes From a Stripper For just over a mile of road, the strip has prompted a breadth of literature. The block has forgone a wild evolution since the second World War, the era Capalaces wrote about in his recent book, the entirety of which was dedicated to illustrating life in the First Ward at that time. When a physical place is so potent with life that it becomes a character in a story, it is usually a place that embodies far more than what came and went there, a dimension that is unseen but commonly understood as containing something magical. The change Clinton has undergone since its heyday is evident in the fact that I Mad Hatter Antiques. Photo by Ty Whitbeck. knew none of this until I set about on a Tuesday with the goal of hitting six of the shops on Before it was Antique Row, in the days of E-J, the what is now Antique Row. I think I’d subconscious- block was booming with business of every sort: barly dressed for the theme of the day, in a raggedy ber shops, saloons, diners, and movie theatres lined old jumper that reminded me of a sailor dress. The the streets, and people spilled out of them, filling temperature was on the cusp of hot and cool, so I’d the sidewalks with chatter and bustle. The block brought a thin sweater, but by the time I passed un- was once swarming with pedestrians, poking into der the shade of the tracks on my way from Main to the shops, leaning up against automobiles, biting Clinton, the sun felt so close I found myself squint- into roast beef sandwiches on the curbs, and stoping, and I shoved my sweater into my bag. My ping on the street to shoot the breeze. Kids weaved mouth tasted funny from the coffee I’d drank that through on bicycles and played games in the shade morning, so I ran inside the corner gas station and of the buildings. bought a pack of gum for 99 cents and headed west. It is fitting that a block with such a rich past would The stretch from Treasure Chest Antiques at the become the hub of antique shops in the Triple Citwest end of Clinton to Dennis’ shop on the east is ies; it’s as if all of the nostalgia for the prosperity of only about a half a mile, so the window between earlier decades is concentrated into one strip, and 11am and 4pm, show time for most of them, seemed with such force that a walk down Clinton Street tolike plenty. My understanding of where everything day feels like a walk through a time capsule. was situated came from a brief study on Google Maps, which proved far less helpful in navigating The first shop I enter is Mad Hatter Antiques, a than the tongues of the shop owners themselves. wacky looking place that’s hard to miss: one side Throughout the day, I would realize that aside of the building is decorated with the character for from the remnant of a memory of the interactive which it is named and colored in a bright purple map still floating in my brain, my exploration on and green. The inside gives a feeling of having fallClinton Street was rather true to that of someone en down a rabbit hole. When I walk in, the owner, strolling down the street back when it was crowded Joanne, holds up a finger to tell me to wait. A man
To get to the rest of the antique shops, I have to go about a half a mile east. It is on this walk that I realize what a relic of the past the street itself actually is. Across the street from Treasure Chest, I notice a diner called the Smoothie Factory; it’s closed and looks like it’ll soon be replaced, but looking in, I see that the whole restaurant is straight out of the 1950s. Everything is old and authentic, from the machines, to the tables, to the restroom signs. Further down the road I see an antique Coca-Cola sign outside of a small grocery- Nannery’s. It’s rare that I go for a bottle of coke, but I’m feeling in the spirit of classics, so I grab one, beginning to feel that I have actually gone back in time. Businesses that are themselves antiquated still exist here; there is a shoe shine, a baseball card exchange, and Robot City Games, the arcade which must thrive on nostalgia in a day when everybody and their mother has some gaming console in their living room. I play a game of Pac-Man, and go on my way. A crossing guard with a wooden stop sign leads me across a quiet residential street.
Next I stop into Luke’s, which is closed for the day, but I find Luke in the back and he gives me a peek inside. It’s a beautiful interior with walls of dark-washed wood and large pieces that warrant a couple of minutes’ examination.
anne has everything arranged so carefully that what could easily become a jumble of stuff flows seamlessly from grandma’s kitchen to a Victorian parlor to a country cottage. She’s kind enough to leave her post to show me an antique carousel hidden away in a storage room, which she just can’t bring herself to sell. Just a few steps from Joanne’s shop is Treasure Chest Antiques. Aside from its impressive collection of books, this shop harbors the most extensive set of local memorabilia; if you want to paint a picture of local history, this is the place to go. On one shelf you’ll find IBM mugs, mason jars from old saloons, and a thermometer mounted on a landscape painting from Olum’s Furniture Co. Flip through rows of postcards sorted by city in New York, and you’re bound to find an old photo of a familiar corner. Next I go inside Sylvia’s. A neat little shop, here I found an array of linens, china, clay pots, and porcelain dolls. Sylvia reminds me of my grandmother, and we talk for a while about business and about how poor handwriting has become now that kids are typing everything. Next door, her son buys and sells bicycles.
Old, Odd, and Unique is next door, and already I’ve heard the name mentioned by the other storeowners a few times throughout the day. It’s not open, but luckily I’ve been there before and understand what all the fuss is about. The owner knows his antiques, and garners a special appreciation for the weird. He displays hats on mannequin heads painted by a woman who, when she saw that one head was without features, decided to paint it as an alien, with one eye staring out from the center. If a shrunken head passes through any of the shops, it’ll be here.
Nearing 4 o’clock, I hurry into the last shop, the most recent to grace Antique Row, where I met the owner, a kind man named Dennis whose specialty is fixing up old machines. He was born here and remembers the old Clinton Street, and he shows me a black-and-white photograph taken of his father outside that very shop, back when it was a barbershop. He stands smiling in front of a black convertible with the barbershop owner and Bingo Jo, the boxer. There is a strange vivacity in their surroundings, the life of Clinton Street evident even in the stillness of the photograph. I think of this picture when I think of Clinton Street, and I marvel at the historic strip’s power to radiate the magic of a beautiful era.
AN AFTERNOON ON ANTIQUE ROW
food and drink.
June 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 13
HEALTHY TRANQUIL BAR AND BISTRO: EATS Stacey Burke Staff Writer
Ah, summer is here! As of June 21st, we can officially celebrate the shortest season here in Upstate New York! Along with summer comes a plethora of fresh fruits and vegetables that will begin to show their much missed presence at the farmers’ markets! One of the most popular fruits, loved by many, the strawberry makes its debut this month. Other than enjoying these berries whole, I love to throw them in salads and smoothies- their simplicity is one of the added perks! Strawberries are a good source of antioxidants and loaded with vitamin C, and this month, while they are at their peak, you just can’t beat the flavor. This smoothie recipe below is beyond simple and absolutely delicious. The best part- adjust the milk added, and freeze the berries for a better than ice cream treat! Strawberry-Banana Smoothie 1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced (use frozen for a thicker version)
A TASTE OF PRIDE
Getting ready for dinner service at Tranquil. Photo by Ty Whitbeck.
Ahlpheh Ohtis Wilson Staff Writer
Tranquil Bar & Bistro is located at 36 Pine Street in Binghamton, a neighborhood that hosts notable landmarks such as: St. Mary’s of the Assumption Church, the Phelps Mansion, the Broome County Public Library, and Binghamton Mets Stadium. The exterior of Tranquil is brick, and fairly non-descript, save for the obvious age of the building. For years, it was the site of quiet neighborhood bars, until 2007, when co-owners Sean Massey and husband Loren Couch transformed the entrance façade, and the interior, and began preparing French inspired bistro cuisine. The interior has a very inviting and cozy feel, with seating for about 15 at the bar. A short wall separates the bar from the dining area, which holds four, and two top tables, that can be reconfigured to accommodate larger parties. Exposed brick runs throughout the interior, and behind the bar a movie is projected onto the wall (an old black and white flick this evening). The walls in the dining area are dotted tastefully with a display from local artists, with this month’s feature being: “You Have Seen Nothing in The Orient- A Show of Photography by Rui Gomes Coelho and Christopher L. Southward.” The table settings are clean and simple, and the lighting is muted and warm. Kitchen Manager Kodi Black worked diligently to create the “Prix Fixe Menu,” which offers diners the opportunity to enjoy a three course meal for twenty dollars. There are several appetizers to choose from, as well as soup and salad. There are currently four entrees and a couple of desserts on
this menu. I inquire as to what Kodi’s favorite thing to cook is, and he states, “Rack of lamb, and also coming up with creative specials with seafood. My wife is vegan, so I’ve also been creating a lot of vegetarian options.”
The appetizers we choose are the dolmades and the sirloin skewers (usually offered on the aforementioned Prix Fixe menu). The dolmades are a pleasant surprise, as I’ve had them many times without acquiring a liking for them. I usually find the bitterness and toughness of the grape leaves too much to be palatable. These ones are stuffed with rice, goat cheese, roasted red peppers, and fresh herbs. Notes of fresh oregano and lemon, along with the melt in your mouth texture of the grape leaves, puts the dolmades at the top of my list. The marinated sirloin skewers are cooked nicely, served with a balsamic reduction and a chili aioli. The French onion soup is done very different than any I’ve previously encountered. Absent is the cheese-covered crock. Instead, in a shallow bowl of nicely seasoned beef broth riddled with onion petals, sit toast points covered in Gruyere cheese. I find not only the presentation of the soup more appealing, but also its ability to bring all of the flavors together before the cheese firmed up and sealed away my soup forever. Kodi says he grew up cooking and helping out in his Grandmother’s diner, and has since had the pleasure of training under a lot of great chefs. What he wants people to know about Tranquil is that they offer “The highest quality ingredients, prepared using the classic traditional French methods, for a fair price.” We choose the Tuna Nicoise salad course, served on a bed of greens, with pan-seared tuna, white potatoes, hard boiled eggs, radishes, green beans garnished with chives, and a light dressing. The salad is excellent, and the hints of rosemary and white pepper compliment the tuna quite well. I order a
melon mojito while we wait for the entrees, and hello summer! The burst of mint and melon send me on a Mitty-like daydream right to the beach. While there’s some very interesting entree specials tonight (including: a crab-stuffed whole rainbow trout, topped with hollandaise, and served over wild rice with wilted Arugula; and a 15-day dry-aged NY Strip, served with hassel-back potatoes, asparagus, and a béarnaise sauce), we opt for the Stuffed Zucchini, and Carbonade de Boef. The zucchini is awesome- filled with mushrooms, roasted tomatoes, and ricotta cheese, and topped with Gruyere. It has a soft, meaty texture that holds the filling firmly, and the freshness of the vegetables is evident. The Carbonade de Boef is a slow-cooked beef short-rib, simmered in mirepoix, Horseheads Red Brick Ale, and herbs, served over wild mushroom risotto, and sautéed vegetables. I believe “ooh la la” would be the French term that best describes this entrée. Something about slow-cooked beef ribs is just sexy; the velvety texture of the meat coupled with the flavors infused throughout- wonderful! I’m pretty sure we’re done, until our waitress Ashley describes the desserts. We choose the English bread pudding (lemon with a raspberry glaze) and the chocolate mousse. I always state that I’m not much of a dessert guy, but I may be slowly becoming one. The lemon bread pudding is more like a light pound cake, with a custard-like center. The zest of lemon adds just a bit of tart contrast. The Chocolate Mousse is smooth, flavorful, and also very light. Not only is the food at this French inspired bistro decadent and delicious, but the environment is wonderful. On top of that, in keeping with Carousel’s June Pride theme, they’re extremely supportive of our LGBT brothers and sisters in this community and beyond. So the next time you’re in center city, take a little jaunt to Tranquil and enjoy!
1 large banana, frozen 1/2 cup coconut, almond or soy milk (less or more depending on your preference!) Directions Place all ingredients in a blender, and blend. That simple. Enjoy! If you make it like I do, you’ll need a spoon! Tip: You can freeze bananas easily, by taking those that you can’t eat quick enough, peel ‘em, slice ‘em and put them in freezer friendly baggies or containers. Then, bam! You have readily available smoothie making stuff!
Stacey Burke is a Holistic Health and Wellness Coach, and founder of New Roots to Health. She works with busy individuals whom struggle with stress around weight loss, cravings and low energy by supporting them in setting personal goals in balancing diet and lifestyle. How often do you get the personal attention you deserve when talking about your health and nutrition? Email her at Stacey@newrootstohealth.com or visit her website www. newrootstohealth.com to learn more about programs that could change your life. Mention you read about her in Carousel, and receive 25% off a 6-month, personalized program!
SHARING THE LOVE:
14 Vol. 2 Issue 6
BINGHAMTON FARM SHARE BRINGS GOOD FOOD TO THE PEOPLE
The stomach has been dubbed the “second brain,” so it’s no wonder that we should be mindful of what we eat, and of where our food comes from.
a week before you expect your share. We’re really excited to be adding new farms, because we can offer a wider variety of options, such as fruit (in North Windsor Berries shares), which was requested last year. Hemlock Creek, which is a small, diversified, family farm- and they have really great producehas an every-other week share option, which is great for folks who go away in the summer, or if you have a smaller family and take longer to go through a share.
Being a “foodie” may seem like a luxury for rich hipsters, but access to good food is an essential human right (despite the current reality for far too much of Earth’s population). Eating well is far from a trend; it is fundamental to feeling good physically, mentally and emotionally. Our community is fortunate enough to have a Farm Share, a program that makes eating well more affordable by providing local residents with weekly boxes bursting with fresh produce.
What’s the price range for a share? The shares range from about $14-$30 per week. People can pay all at once at the beginning of the season, but the majority of our customers pay every two weeks, or every four weeks. In addition to this, we have fifty percent discounts that some folks are eligible for: anybody who receives SNAP, WIC, or anyone else who is income-eligible. We have limited funds to match the share prices available, so it is first come, first served.
Heather Merlis Assistant Editor
I met with Rebecca Heller-Steinberg, Coordinator of Binghamton Farm Share, and we discussed the program over her homemade orange pekoe kombucha and amazing chili made from locally sourced ingredients.
vvv Tell us about the history of the Farm Share. This is our second year; last year was the pilot year of the program. Farm Share is unique because it came about through the collaboration of a bunch of organizations, businesses, and community partners. There was a feasibility study done by CADE (Center for Agricultural Development and Entrepreneurship) looking at access and availability of good food in Binghamton. This study pointed out the need for something like this. The program is largely led by VINES (Volunteers Improving Neighborhood Environments), with Cornell Cooperative Extension offering sampling, recipes, and food demonstrations at our different pick-up sites. We are also very closely working with United Way of
Eat it! Photo Provided.
Broome County, as well as the Healthy Lifestyles Coalition. We also have our farms: Binghamton Urban Farm, Early Morning Farm, North Windsor Berries, and Hemlock Creek CSA. Paint us a picture of how Farm Share works. So, you’re looking for a place to get healthy, local, tasty vegetables. Maybe you’re on a budget. You sign up for the program; maybe you get a discount. Then, you are committing to come every week (or every other week) to the pickup site that you’ve selected, at the date and time that you’ve selected. In exchange, the farmer and the program are committing to bring you really great, in-season producethe best of what’s available. There’s no guarantee of exactly what’s going to be in the box each week, as the growing season brings what it brings, but you are always getting a great assortment of super-fresh veggies and fruit that you really can’t get in a supermarket. And you end up discovering new foods. There are often things in the share that people hav-
en’t eaten before, and maybe haven’t seen before. I think kohlrabi is an unfamiliar one for a lot of people. It looks, to me, a little bit like a UFO. It’s sort of a bulbous, leafy vegetable; a lot of people think it’s a root, but it’s actually a swelling of the stem that grows right at soil level. I really like it; you have to peel it, and then I like to eat it cut into sticks, raw, like a carrot. But it’s also really great roasted, or in soups, or grated into a salad. We provide recipes and cooking tips for all of our customers. People might come in thinking, “I don’t know what to do with these,” and then they wind up discovering that they like things that they never knew they liked before. Did you make these delicious pickles? Yes. I love to ferment things. When is Farm Share season, and what do the shares have to offer? People can get their shares from June through November, although it varies by farm. If you want to get in on the beginning on it, you should submit your application
What kind of impact do you think farm shares can have on communities? Our primary goal as a program is to increase access to healthy, affordable food. Many of our customers from last year increased their vegetable intake, while simultaneously decreasing their grocery bill, and all of our customers tried or prepared a vegetable that was new to them. We want to build community and make connections, both person-to-person, and local residents to local farms. This program helps to support local farmers, who put in so much work, so it’s really great for people to learn about and appreciate where their food is coming from.
vvv You can sign up at any time, but the earlier you sign up, the more options you will have, and the higher your chances will be to receive a discount. Farm Share pick-up sites are all in Binghamton. For more information, to sign up for a share, or to volunteer, go to vinesgardens.org/farmshare or call (607) 238-3522 to request an application.
I SCREAM, YOU SCREAM, WE ALL SCREAM...
Ty Whitbeck Creative Consultant
Dessert: it’s what’s for dinner. Is this really a thing? Do some people really opt for ice cream before their filet mignon, or is this just a running joke among the food world? Sweet before savory? That’s just crazy talk. Everybody knows the order in which to eat your food and has known this since birth. Why put a cog in the machine? Because you’re a rebel. You, like I, like to swim against the current, stand outside the norm, and not let the food authorities dictate the planning of our courses. We are part of a rare breed, you and I. This is why tonight, we’re doing it different. I’ve heard comedian Louie C.K. call it a “bang-bang,” meaning, you go to one place, eat an entire meal, pay your tab, then go to another place and eat another entire meal. I don’t have that much gusto, gastro-intestinally, but I do happen to have a sweet tooth today. We’re doing two desserts. Bang-bang. We’ll start with Jones’ Humdinger, on Upper Front Street in Binghamton, and finish up with Sugar Lips, on the corner of Burbank and Riverside Drive in Johnson City. Let’s ride.
It’s a sunny Wednesday afternoon, perfect for a bicycle ride to these retro walk-up ice cream parlors. Just the mention of Humdinger stokes fond childhood memories of my brother and I, crowding the line with my folks just after Sunday dinner at the grandparents’ house. It’s always packed on the weekends, but on Wednesdays they have vintage nights, and all the old hot rods and muscle cars flood the parking lot next door. It really reflects the motif for this 1950s style parlor. From the slanted roof and the thick, yellow fluorescent lights to the original signs (dating back to 1957), Jones’ Humdinger takes it back to the old days. They do ice cream the homemade way, as well as milkshakes, cakes and homemade ice cream sandwiches. They dabble in the dips, too: your ice cream barista will take your sundae or your cone and dip it into a molten sugary liquid, only to solidify once it touches the air, leaving your frozen treat protected by a coat of sweet, sweet edible armor.
ways leave my cherry for last and this time is no different. I save the stem to chew on as I hop on my bicycle and ride on.
Here, I went with a three-scoop root beer float. Simple: vanilla bean ice cream, Barq’s root beer, and whipped cream with a cherry on top. The ice cream they use is homemade, and the effervescence of the root beer bubbles creates a blending reaction, loosening up the solids and aerating it throughout the drink. It’s total madness, if you watch it happen. The float’s served up ice cold with a straw and a spoon, because having the option to drink or eat your dessert is always nice. The carbonation of the soda is retained, and the ice cream works so well with it. It’s absolutely terrific and refreshing. I al-
I’m here for the milkshake, though. What makes a good milkshake? The thickness. It’s not quite soft serve and it’s not quite hard ice cream, but it needs to be able to withstand the “upside down test.” It needs to be that the straw serves no function until a few minutes into it, yet the milkshake remains somewhat viscous. My Gifford’s Maine Blueberry shake lived up to these standards. Sweet, heavy, and chock full of blueberry seeds, this thing has texture, baby. If you’ve never had Gifford’s before, it’s delectable. It’s super rich and creamy, steeped in the old time churning traditions passed down
When I was a kid, it was Carvel, then it became Riverside Ice Cream… now, it’s Sugar Lips, and they’re keeping with the tradition of scooping up top quality ice cream, as this location has done for decades. This time, they promise, Sugar Lips is here to stay. When it comes to soft serve, most people are only familiar with your standards: vanilla, chocolate, swirl… and once in a while you can find strawberry. If you visit Sugar Lips, your brain will go into a deep freeze when you see how they’re doing it. They bring gourmet flavors into the world of soft serve, including pina colada, amaretto, cheesecake, and banana. Mix a couple of flavors together if you really want to turn some heads, but you’ll probably get some looks if you order up a chocolate-pina-colada soft serve in a waffle cone with sprinkles.
from the generations. Gifford’s started off on a small dairy farm in rural Maine in the eighties, and although their name has branched out statewide, they continue to operate the old fashioned way. Still family owned, they distribute to independent ice cream stands and grocery stores as far south as Washington, DC. I’ve been coming to this location since childhood, and I’m glad that throughout all the name changes and ownerships, this ice cream parlor continues to persevere. I’ll be coming back. All in all, I’m happy. My legs are sore with calories burned from a fifteen-mile round-trip bike ride, and my sweet tooth has been satiated. Bang-bang. I’m glad to have been able to revisit these childhood gems. There seems to be a lot of reminiscing when people visit these two places. I overheard a couple in line talking about how they used to visit the old Carvel when they were kids, and now they’re bringing their own kids, happy it’s still around. If you’re new to the area, or even if you’ve lived here and never before ventured to these spots, may I suggest you become familiar. It’s going to get hot out this summer and you’ll want something cold and sweet at some point. Both of these locations offer lactose-free options and a line of other beverages that are not made with ice cream. Prices are reasonable, but again, you’re paying for quality. Both joints are open seven days a week, Humdinger until 9pm, and Sugar Lips until 10pm. Find them both on Facebook for their constantly updated flavors and specials. It’s summertime- treat yourself!
“Like” Holiday Inn Binghamton On Facebook For More Info
16 Vol. 2 Issue 6
CORNELIUS NIXON:
OPENING THE DIARY by Chris Bodnarczuk
art.
June 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 17
“Nothing has to be just one thing. Like, that tree doesn’t just have to be a tree. That tree is a beautiful lady full of flowers, with flowers in her hand. Seriously. Nothing only has to be one thing. It doesn’t. I guess that’s why people like my paintings. There’s more than just one thing.”
And so he did. “I guess now I’m a real artist,” he muses. “It’s weird.” Nixon came to Binghamton in 1998 to visit friends, and the colors of the changing seasons kept him here. He moved into an apartment on Thorpe St, and quickly set to work painting murals on the bare
“The local community is really receptive to my art. The only problem I have is not making them fast enough.” He has become a bit of a favorite in his adopted hometown over the past years. He returns annually to the Bundy; he’s got a permanent display at
To say that there’s a lot going on in Cornelius ‘Neal’ Nixon’s paintings is an understatement. To view his art is to make a commitment; one can easily gaze at the collage-like oil paintings for ten minutes and still not make it through the weaving bodies and symbolism. “It’s all the things that I see; all the faces I see. We all have two eyes, a nose, and a mouth on our face, you know, but… it’s the small nuances of the face that make us all different. Granted, I loved that painting my grandmother had- the vase with the flowers on her wall- that was pretty, but it doesn’t make you think. I always wanted to do stuff that makes people think, makes people dream. If I can make someone else think, dream. That makes it all worthwhile.”
He continues, “there’s always the kiss. Whether it’s a man and a woman, or whether it’s two men- there should be something sensual about art. Art is sensual, to me anyway. But, it’s not just the sensual for itself. There’s always a story behind the image, and if you can create that story, it helps you understand even yourself more. It helps you relate. That beautiful vase of flowers my grandmother had- it was nice, it was pretty, but I couldn’t smell it. I didn’t know where it was from. You can see that beautiful vase of flowers, but what house is it in? Whose house is it in? Who are these people? With all the people we see every day, and all the images we seeall the people we knowyou want to display that. I just wanted to show that, and show all the things that I can see, and all the things that I know.” That personal touch- the weaving in of dreams and reality, or the transcendence of it, has translated into intensely personal, vibrant images, images that hypnotize the viewer from their respective frames. Not just figures, not just symbols, but an embodiment of their spirit.
Indeed, his paintings come across as vast, fantastical dreamscapes. They are sometimes horrific; sometimes sexual; sometimes serene; always surreal.
“Any good artist can paint the structure; the building in front of you. But it’s not just that building. What about the people inside of it? What about them? They mean something. They are something. They are there. If I can get that building, and paint that, and give you an image that represents that building and the people inside of it at the same time, and give you all of that- make it all color coordinated and coincide with everything that’s inside of the building itself- you don’t just get the building, you get the people inside of it. It’s like [gestures] here is the church, here is the steeple, whoops! Here’s all the people. You know what I mean? It’s supposed to be like that. That’s what my art represents, just about. It’s not just the church and the steeple, it’s the people as well.
“Of course I love Salvador Dali. I guess my work is Picasso-ish. Picasso, Dali, mixed a bit with my own little thing.” Cornelius Nixon was not always an artist. Born in Connecticut, he spent his early years moving around- he spent some time in South Carolina before moving to Florida at 17. “I always drew- doodles and things, always pencil and paper. Then in Florida, I had a roommate, and she was a painter. She’d do these beautiful color paintings- flowers and stuff. I knew how to draw, but I didn’t know how to paint. She says to me ‘if you can draw, you can paint.’ And it’s true. ‘The letter A,’ she said, ‘if you can draw the letter A, you can draw. If you can draw, you can paint. You just have to be patient with yourself.’ So she gave me one of her canvases and some oil paint, and she was like, ‘just doodle something.’ And I said ‘well, what do I do?’ She told me to just stare at it for a while; she told me I’d figure it out. ‘If something needs to be adjusted or fixed or colored in, you’ll do it.’”
the same characters. Everyone’s diary is different, but we all have the same characters in our diariesthe little girl holding the doll, the key, the book itself; the little boy holding the teddy bear is in a few.”
walls in his kitchen and bedroom. He painted in private, honing his craft; giving away the occasional piece for birthday presents and such. Word quickly got out, and he was invited to showcase his work at Cyber Café West (where he currently has his studio set up). This, in turn, led to shows at the Bundy Museum and elsewhere.
Cyber Café West; he’s had shows at Lost Dog and Imagicka- the latter of which he returns to this month, with an exhibit entitled “Tapestries,” which includes new paintings from his long-running “Diary” series. “It’s an ongoing series, and it always has some of
Cornelius ‘Neal’ Nixon’s “Tapestries” exhibit opens on First Friday, June 6th, at Imagicka, 75 Court St. in downtown Binghamton. The show will not just be on display during the art walk, from 6-9pm, but throughout the month of June. He will also be displaying work at The Bundy Museum this coming August.
triple cities carousel sunday.
01 08 15 22 29
Spamalot (CMP) Jericho: A Musical Comedy (EPAC) Digital Planetarium Shows (ROB) Path Through History (ROB) St. Joseph’s Bazaar (JOES) Sassy Sundays (TRQ) World Oceans Day (RPZ)
Death and the Maiden (KNOW) Spamalot (CMP) Father’s Day Jazz Concert (FHS) Passion: Food-Music-Soul (WFP) Million Dollar Quartet (FORUM) Digital Planetarium Shows (ROB) Path Through History (ROB) St. Anthony’s Italian Bazaar (ANTH) Sassy Sundays (TRQ) Sherman’s Binghamton Walking Tour (PMM) Third Sunday Contra Dance (TTC) Death and the Maiden (KNOW) Spamalot (CMP) Digital Planetarium Shows (ROB) Sassy Sundays (TRQ)
Death and the Maiden (KNOW) Spamalot (CMP) Hansel & Gretel (EPAC) Digital Planetarium Shows (ROB) NY Faerie Festival (HARP) Sassy Sundays (TRQ) Drag King Show (MRLN)
monday.
02 09 16 23 30
Jazz Jams (FHS) Comedy Writing Workshop (BUN) Open Mic (BEL) Open Mic w/Dan Pokorak (KING)
Comedy Writing Workshop (BUN) Open Mic (BEL) Open Mic w/Dan Pokorak (KING)
Jazz Jams (FHS) Comedy Writing Workshop (BUN) Open Mic (BEL) Open Mic w/Dan Pokorak (KING)
Comedy Writing Workshop (BUN) Open Mic (BEL) Open Mic w/Dan Pokorak (KING)
Jazz Jams (FHS) Comedy Writing Workshop (BUN) Open Mic (BEL) Open Mic w/Dan Pokorak (KING)
tuesday.
03 10 17 24
Speakeasy Open Mic (CCW) Swing Dance (REX)
“That Old Cape Magic” book discussion (YHPL) Swing Dance (REX) Milkweed (OUH)
Summer Concert Series: Shambles (OTS) Swing Dance (REX) Movie Night- Super 8 (YHPL)
Summer Concert Series: Los Vega (OTS) Swing Dance (REX) Milkweed (OUH)
JUNE
wedne
04 11 18 25
Open Jazz J
Eye
Open Jazz J
American Idol
The Triple Cities Carousel each month as a courtesy to welcome everyone to subm tiescarousel.com by the 15 lication. Space is limited, so no cost, are picked on a firs Cities Carousel reserves the deemed to be non-arts rela
(ALP80) American Legion Pst. 8 (ANTH) St. Anthony’s Church, E (ARENA) Broome County Arena
2014
esday. thursday.
Jam w/Miles Ahead (LDC) Laura Thurston (CCW) Live Music (KING) ehategod and More(FTZ) Open Mic (JBC) Comedy Open Mic (MB)
Tallboys (CCW) Live Music (KING) Open Mic (JBC)
Jam w/Miles Ahead (LDC) Patrick McGlynn (CCW) Live Music (KING) Open Mic (JBC) Comedy Open Mic (MB)
Lizzy Pitch (CCW) Live! Tour 2014 (ARENA) Live Music (KING) Open Mic (JBC)
Events Calendar is featured o our advertisers, however we mit their events to ty@tripleci5th of the month prior to pubo calendar entries, which have st come/first serve basis. Triple e right to reject any submission ated, or, well, for any reason.
80 Endicott
05 12 19 26
Jericho: A Musical Comedy (EPAC) Spamalot (CMP) Vermont Cheddar (BTP) InnerMission (CCW) Pride Art Pop Dance Party (LDC) Charley Orlando (GXY) Beard of Bees/Bike Night (CI) Trash Thursdays (MRLN) Local Hip Hop (MOS)
Another Happy Ending: A Musical Comedy (FHS) Randy McStine & John Kanazawich (BTP) Spamalot (CMP) InnerMission (CCW) Rockwood Ferry (GXY) Local Hip Hop (MOS)
Death and the Maiden (KNOW) Herb Class/Family Game Night (YHPL) Spamalot (CMP) Enerjee Jazz w/Ayana D (LDC) Vermont Cheddar (BTP) InnerMission (CCW) Milkweed (GXY) Local Hip Hop (MOS)
Spamalot (CMP) Joe Stento (BTP) Hansel & Gretel (EPAC) InnerMission (CCW) Pete Ruttle & Dan Pokorak (GXY) Local Hip Hop (MOS)
(BBW) Black Bear Winery (BEL) Belmar Pub (BRK) Brackney Inn (BTP) Blind Tiger Pub (BUN) Bundy Museum (CCW) Cyber Café West (CI) Choconut Inn (CMP) Cider Mill Playhouse (DORCH) Dorchester Park (DTB) Downtown Binghamton (DTO) Downtown Owego (EPAC) Endicott Performing Arts Center (FHS) Firehouse Stage (FORUM) Binghamton Forum Theatre
events calendar
friday.
06 13 20 27
First Friday Art Walk (DTB/DTO) The Sauce Boss (FHS), Rick Iacovelli (BTP) Jericho: A Musical Comedy (EPAC) Commander Cody and his Band (CCW) Digital Planetarium Shows (ROB) SCUBA: Discoveries by Local Divers (ROB) St. Joseph’s Bazaar (JOES), The Falconers (LDC) Live Music (BBW), Shattuck/Uncle Madrid (FTZ) The Blue J’s (MRLN) Exhibit of Perry Papers (PMM) Pete Ruttle & Friends (OUH)
Another Happy Ending: A Musical Comedy (FHS) Death and the Maiden (KNOW) Spamalot (CMP) Toy Box Trophies (BTP) Mama’s Black Sheep (LDC) Mel & the Boys (CCW) Digital Planetarium Shows (ROB) St. Anthony’s Italian Bazaar (ANTH) Live Music (BBW) Death to Slater/Street Feet/Ambitions (HCS) Pete Ruttle & Friends (OUH) Death and the Maiden (KNOW), Spamalot (CMP) The Yadda Yaddas (BTP) Dance Stories Presents: In the Studio (EPAC) Uncle Jake & the 18 Wheel Gang (CCW) Digital Planetarium (ROB) Xcite Wrestling (ALP80) Live Music (BBW) Special Buddy Discount, more (FTZ) Rusted Root (CI) Owego Strawberry Festival (DTO) Pete Ruttle & Friends (OUH) Open Art Studio (SWC) Death and the Maiden (KNOW) Spamalot (CMP) The Beatles Band (BTP) Hansel & Gretel (EPAC) Digital Planetarium Shows (ROB) NY Faerie Festival (HARP) Live Music (BBW) The Dusty Boxx Show (MRLN) Pete Ruttle & Friends (OUH)
(FTZ) Fitzies Pub (GXY) Galaxy Brewing Co. (HARP) Harpursville, NY (HCS) HCS Skatepark Vestal (JBC) John Barleycorn (JOES) St. Joseph’s Church, Endicott (KING) Kingsley’s Pub (KNOW) KNOW Theatre (LDC) Lost Dog Café/Lounge (MB) Matty B’s (MRLN) Merlin’s (MOS) Mosquito Lounge (OTS) Otsiningo Park (OUH) Old Union Hotel
saturday.
07 14 21 28
Anatomy for Artists (WHIP) Spamalot (CMP), Ultra Vibe (BTP) Jericho: A Musical Comedy (EPAC) Wine & Tapas Tour (DTB) Greg Smith & the Broken English (CCW) Digital Planetarium Shows (ROB) Path Through History (ROB) St. Joseph’s Bazaar (JOES) Comedy Night (VCH), The Quantum (FTZ) Pride Flag Raising (DTB) Sherman’s Binghamton Walking Tour (PMM)
Another Happy Ending: A Musical Comedy (FHS) Anatomy for Artists (WHIP), Spamalot (CMP) Death and the Maiden (KNOW), Passion (WFP) Thom, Beth & Mark (BTP), Jamie Willard (CCW) Digital Planetarium Shows (ROB) Path Through History (ROB) St. Anthony’s Italian Bazaar (ANTH) Street Feet/Dream Team/Harsh Reality (FTZ) Pride Palooza (DTB), Drag Show (MRLN) Toast & Jammers Fiddle Tune Club (YHPL) The Hilltoppers Bluegrass (TTC)
Death and the Maiden (KNOW), Spamalot (CMP) BOA/Skin N’ Bones/Prelude the Ruin (FTZ) Voodoo Highway (BTP) Go Skate Day (HCS), DJ Castle (LDC) Dirty Moon Frank (CCW) Digital Planetarium Shows (ROB) Donna the Buffalo (CI) Zydeco Po’ Boys (BRK) Divas After Dark (MRLN) Owego Strawberry Festival (DTO) Amanda Kates Closing Exhibit (SPOOL) Death and the Maiden (KNOW), Spamalot (CMP) A Country Mile (BTP) Hansel & Gretel (EPAC) Bert Scholl (LDC) Rebecca & Soul Shakers (CCW) Digital Planetarium Shows (ROB) NY Faerie Festival (HARP) BC Parks Triathalon (DORCH) Yoga & Toga 5k Fun Fest (VCH) Order of the Dead/Gutted Alive/Valnad (FTZ) Tesla’s Revenge/Entropy/Landman (HCS)
(PMM) Phelps Mansion Museum (REX) Rexer’s Karate (ROB) Roberson Museum (RPZ) Ross Park Zoo (SPOOL) Spool MFG (SWC) Sunrise Wellness Center (TRQ) Tranquil (TTC) Tioga Trails Café (VCH) Vestal Coal House (WFP) Westside Food Pantry, 72 Main St. Binghamton (WHIP) Windsor Whip Works (YHPL) Your Home Public Library
20 Vol. 2 Issue 6
SPOOL MFG UNWINDS WITH NEW SHOW BY AMANDA KATES retreat.”
Felicia Waynesboro Staff Writer
She went on to tell Carousel, “There aren’t a lot of places for your eye to rest in the work,” then offered further insight into her style and techniques. She says she sometimes lifts digital snapshots from the internet that she finds provocative: “hurried visual imagery…quick and not planned out.” She then takes these images and makes paintings or drawings of them within her work. Or she’ll become interested in a frozen moment of buffering time in an internet video when some made-up, well-presented actor or newscaster or pundit is stuck in a frame, “with their mouth half-open and their eyes halfclosed and some kind of crazy gesture that you’re really not supposed to see them in.” Kates occasionally makes screenshots of such moments and incorporates them into her work, thereby perpetuating the contents of split seconds that no one ever intended for us to notice.
Like it or not, most of us are continually caught up in what emerging artist Amanda Kates once called “the noise of wit and perpetual salesmanship.” Her large canvases, and even her smaller works on paper, virtually tingle with, agitate, and radiate “the noise.” Carefully considering her verbal explanation of the barrage of vivid color, and the swerve and flow of forms in her abstract paintings and drawings, Kates says, “There’s this internet culture now where we’re on all these social media platforms and we’re expected to have an internet representation of ourselves in some form or fashion. I think that that, in addition to just living life and trying to be ambitious and achieve and fight for the top position- or whatever it is we’re all trying to do- is all very anxiety arousing for me. I don’t know if it is for everybody… There’s little downtime from it. I perceive the constant selling of ourselves which I have to do- and everybody has to partake in- as noise.” This month, gallery visitors can take in the “unrelenting visual activity,” and see and feel the noise, in an exhibition of Kates’ latest works at Spool Mfg. When asked at the opening reception in May, in regard to the show’s title Believe Me, I’m Lying, “Are you lying?” the artist broke into a warm smile and answered, “I don’t know.” Amanda Kates says she has been painting as a serious artist for the last twelve or fourteen years. A graduate of Binghamton University, she holds a post-baccalaureate from the Maryland Institute College of Art and a Master of Fine Arts in painting from SUNY Albany. Her work has shown in such venues as the RARE Gallery in New York City, Collar Works Gallery in Troy, and in a Best in Show
When asked why anyone would willingly subject himself to disquiet, agitation, and other challenging sensations that most of us experience daily on an involuntary basis, Kates answered, after consideration, that those aspects of contemporary life are an “experience worth acknowledging and seeing. I think artwork doesn’t have to make you feel good; it just has to make you feel something.” Don’t be surprised if viewing the acid colors and frenetic compositions of works such as “MRI TMI,” “This Is How It Goes Now,” or “Four Halves Make a ___,” does actually make you feel good.
“Washington II” by Amanda Kates.
group exhibition at the New York State Museum. She is currently settled in the Washington DC area, but has shown at Spool Mfg. several times before, including at one of the Amnesties group shows. She has been an online curator and served a recent residency at the Vermont Studio Center. “Unless you live in some really remote place in the desert, I guess,” she chuckles at herself here, “there’s never any silence anywhere. I don’t know
that I’ve ever experienced silence in my entire life.” There is always electricity humming or something. But Amanda particularly attributes her life in the wired, hyper environs of Washington DC with influencing the energies in her artwork. “I make paintings and drawings that evoke this sensation of disquiet,” she wrote in a Q&A at the 1 Op Collective website. “Shifting, agitated patterns and textures generate a bustling, buzzing surface through which people, objects, and spaces alternately emerge and
Believe Me, I’m Lying: New Paintings and Works on Paper by Amanda Kates opened on May 17th and runs through June 21st at Spool Mfg., 138 Baldwin Street in Johnson City. Gallery hours are Saturdays 12pm-3pm or by appointment. For more information, email info@spoolmfg.org. There will be a reception at the close of the show on June 21st from 7pm to 10pm featuring an Artist’s Talk. Ms. Kates will be present for a Q&A session.
KAPOW! ART NOW EXPLODES ONTO
22 Vol. 2 Issue 6
THE BING ART SCENE
Rose Silberman-Gorn Staff Writer KAPOW! Art Now, a new local art school and public art studio, is the brainchild of Alisha Sickler-Brunelli, a lifelong artist and educator. Inspiration for her business came from her love of art, extensive experience teaching it for the past 13 years, and mild dissatisfaction with the offerings of public school art education. “I found that I couldn’t fully teach the way I wanted to,” she says. “For instance, I wanted a small class size so that I could give enough attention to all of my students, and so that they could have an exploratory experience.” Starting her own art school seemed the perfect solution, marrying her teaching qualifications with her desire to teach in a small, individual-based and creatively open setting. The creative setting of KAPOW! is enhanced by its location on the second floor of Anthony Brunelli Fine Arts, at 186 State St. in downtown Binghamton. Sickler-Brunelli explains why the location felt like the perfect fit: “I feel that this location provides a lot of visibility and accessibility to the public. It is in the heart of the arts area in downtown. The gallery is connected to the classroom space, so while students come and enjoy a creative experience, they can see whatever exhibit is on display. And it’s just a beautiful space!” KAPOW!’s current offerings include individual lessons, group lessons, a summer art camp, and private parties. The individual lessons are a great way for a budding artist of any age to get help specifically tailored to them. Before beginning private lessons, Alisha has a free consultation with the student, looking at their work and determining what their strengths are. She then comes up with a plan specifically oriented around their goals and needs. Many individual lessons are based around drawing,
which artists know is the backbone of mastering any visual medium. In order to teach drawing, Alisha gives artists exercises such as grids, still lives, value scales, and observational drawings. “I draw right alongside my students, which allows me to let them work independently and make suggestions,” she explains. Alisha is excited for Kapow!’s first annual summer camps, which will consist of three different weeklong sessions, from June 23-27, July 21-25, and July 28-August 1. Each session will have a morning group for 2nd to 5th graders, and an afternoon group for 6th to 12th graders. The camps will offer kids and teens fun, educational activities using various methods, including drawing, painting, collage, and sculpture. Open spots are still available in Sessions 2 and 3, and can be registered for online. Sickler-Brunelli is planning on expanding Kapow! in the near future by having open studios on Saturdays, during which she will provide supplies for artists to come and work on various projects. Her plans also include guest workshops taught by local and national artists, a high school scholarship fund, private parties for children and adults, and PDF lessons available for purchase online. For Alisha, art is a family affair- she is the wife of John Brunelli, director of Anthony Brunelli Fine Arts, and her daughter provides her with inspiration in teaching art in a creative and fun manner. In offering artistic and creative services, Alisha wants to give back to the community, where she has lived since studying at Binghamton University in 1997. “I hope to be established enough that people know they can come here, that we can be an available resource for the community.” KAPOW!’s new address on the second floor of Anthony Brunelli Fine Arts, 186 State Street, will officially open mid-July. They will be open on First Fridays, so that the public can visit the studio classroom space and find out about the school’s offerings. For more information on KAPOW! Art Now, visit the website at kapowartnow.com. For questions about individual or group classes or other services, contact Alisha Sickler-Brunelli at 607237-8246.
music.
June 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 23
DOWN TO SEEDS AND STEMS AGAIN:
THE COMMANDER CODY INTERVIEW Commander Cody. Photo by Crisina Arrigoni.
Chris Bodnarczuk Editor-in-Chief
“All I hope is that you did a little bit of homework and that you’re not going to ask the same stupid questions everybody else asks, ‘cuz I’m tired of that shit… I’m happy to answer anything you’ve got, as long as you don’t ask me where I got the name, what it was like playing with Jerry Garcia, or how I feel about anything. I’ve been doing this for a long time.” Challenge accepted. Let’s do this. I’ve been terrified of interviewing Commander Cody since the day I found out I would be conducting said interview, in anticipation of his June 6th show at Cyber Café West. A living legend, the man born George Frayne rose to fame in the late 60s and early 70s, as frontman and piano player of country rock band Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen, best known for their classic rendition of “Hot Rod Lincoln.” While the Airmen have long since disbanded, the Commander, whose musical career has spanned six decades, continues to tour regularly, currently with the Modern Day Airmen. I first saw him perform a decade ago, at a county fair downstate, and I’ve been hooked ever since. So, on this particular Monday afternoon, my voice practically cracks on the phone with him. No worries, he’s an easy-going guy. Just don’t ask him about Jerry Garcia. Ask him about country music. “The thing with country music- I don’t know when finally you were allowed to have drums and electric bass. But, I went to the Grand Ole Opryhouse. In 1969. Drums and electric bass were not allowed… the first country stuff that had electric music- electric guitar and stuff? The first country stuff to electrify was the truck drivers… Then, Buck Owens came in. And Buck Owens revolutionized country
music because he had a completely electric band. He also was the first guy to utilize the idea that you don’t take your equipment with you. And this was so outrageous at the time, I mean, the hippies were like ‘oh, man, I gotta have my own amp.’”
It must have been a curious thing for the country rock pioneers of the early years. No matter how well they played the music, they had long hair and bell bottoms and drugs, all of which were unwelcome in country purist strongholds.
He speaks with a reverence for Owens, whose hits are too numerous to list. It’s no wonder- the Commander’s been covering Owens songs for years, and his brand of boogie-woogie honky-tonk music has taken a clear influence from the Bakersfield sound the late country song pioneered.
“You know, in 1969, Bill Kirchen [lead guitar player of the Lost Planet Airmen] almost got killed by a bunch of hillbillies that drove by us- it was just like in “Easy Rider”- drive by in a pickup truck with a shotgun. That happened to Bill Kirchen! They almost killed him- he was one of them freakin’ hippies, you know. That happened to me a bunch of times: we’re talking about baseball bats, we’re talking about guns, we’re talking giant stacked hillbillies that all look like Larry the Cable Guy… It’s worse than it used to be. The most racist, horrible place on the planet isn’t Texas, it’s North Dakota. I had a Chinese roadie that I saved from being killed by a bunch of hillbillies, because they thought he was an Indian trying to talk to a white woman. And this was 10 years ago!”
“I knew Don Rich [guitar/fiddler for Owens’s Buckaroos] real well,” Cody continues, “because Don Rich smoked a lot of weed, and I grew a lot of weed. We were really close friends. Anyway, the band- they’d just grab their guitars and jump on a plane, and they knew all their amps were gonna be there for them. That revolutionized it. We wouldn’t be able to work and play like we did- none of us- if people didn’t have backlines for us. The whole electrification of country music took a really long time, and the reason we were called influential, in fact, is because country rock, country rock didn’t mean electric music. It means Yankees started playing the southern music.” The Commander may hail from Michigan, but he has called Saratoga Springs home for a number of years now. He certainly counts as a Yank at this point. “It was good and bad. It was good for up north, because nobody had thought just calling it ‘country music electrified’ could be any good or have anything to do with the rock and roll that we were playing. But, the people down south- they were accusing us of stealing their music. It did great for us in California; it broke us into the scene, because we were playing stuff like no other people were doing. It was also bad, because when I went down to Texas, when they found out I was a Yankee, I almost got killed. So when it was all over and done with, it turned out okay, but there’s still places down south that I don’t go to.”
Don’t worry, Cody. We’re a friendly bunch here in Binghamton. “So I’m coming to- which Hampton? Should I bring my surfboard and my swimsuit?” Binghamton, dammit. Binghamton. Bring an umbrella, if anything. “Oh, it’s gonna be a good show. I’m gonna go to the stuff. The repertoire’s huge. I mean, in an hour, I’m going to play 30 songs. Well, two one hour sets, but you know what I mean. Hell, the repertoire is a couple of hundred songs. There’s plenty of stuff from the original material, without having to play things I’ve played once or twice, which I don’t wanna do anyway.” Joining Cody onstage will be his drummer of 20 years, Steve Barbuto, plus guitar player Mark Emerick and bassist Randy Bramwell. “I’m not doing any new songs anymore. People
don’t wanna come out and hear what I’ve been working on lately. They wanna come hear the classic songs from the good old days. Which is fine with me, because those are great songs and that’s what makes the band. The band is made by those songs, so we play the songs everyone thinks they wanna hear- “Smoke that Cigarette,” “Too much Fun”we’re gonna do all that stuff. The only stuff we can’t do is the really drawn out Bob Wills stuff- “San Antonio Rose;” and the real honky country stuff, and things like that which require pedal steel guitar. I’m not playing with pedal steel guitar players anymore.” (Fret not, pedal steel enthusiasts. The June 6th Cyber Café West show has got locals Tumbleweed Highway opening, and they’ve got plenty of pedal steel) Okay, great. Almost through the interview, and I haven’t mentioned Jerry Garcia once. Is asking about influences too cliché? “The first record my dad ever got me, in 1955, or whenever Elvis’s first record came out- he got that for me, along with “A Child’s Garden of Freberg,” which is an album by a guy that made fun of rock and roll. My ideas for rock and roll came from both those; it’s a lot of fun, and it’s fun to make fun of at the same time. Those two things have really carried me through all these years. I grew up listening to Jerry Lee Louis- on Sun Records. I really loved Sun Records, and I loved rockabilly- it was way later on that I found out about the racism, the racist things about how rockabilly was. When I met those guys and realized what kind of people they were, I really changed my attitude. But when I was growing up, I was really infatuated with rockabilly.” If you’ve got an infatuation of your own, head down to Cyber Café West (176 Main St, Binghamton) on Friday, June 6th. Tickets for Commander Cody and the Modern Day Airmen are available now, $20/ advance, $25 day of show. Opening act Tumbleweed Highway takes the stage at 8pm. Is that it? “No, one more thing. I’ve been a little down, lately. Bring me a joint.”
24 Vol. 2 Issue 6
CELEBRATING
FALSE IDOLS
A NIGHT OF METAL WITH
AT THE ARENA
Heather Merlis Assistant Editor
I used to watch American Idol religiously. There was a time, not all that very long ago, when I would rush home to watch the program with the oldest hook in the books: a singing contest that pretty much never ended. They could have broadcast their season over the course of one week, but the show dragged on and on (I believe it was shown four days a week) with life stories of contestants, dramatic brainwashing music (DA-duh da-DUH da-DUH da-DUMM), commercial breaks longer than the segments themselves, pomp, and circumstance. I no longer watch the show (I’m above that now), but I did do some research for this piece, and it quickly became clear to me that my shell of cynicism is no more than a flimsy cover for what a sucker I am for singing contests. After about five seconds of Majesty Rose’s audition video, I was nearly in tears. You, too, can be brought to tears: American Idol Live is coming to the Broome County Arena! The top ten contestants of the show’s fourteenth season (because America never can have enough idols) are making their way to the Triple Cities. And they must be onto something, because Binghamton is the first stop on their tour. The show has changed since the early years; many more contestants now come wielding guitars, and one of them- Caleb Johnson- actually rocks. The Asheville, North Carolina native should be bringing his high-voltage vocals to the Arena, but live audiences will be spared what television and internet viewers were not: perpetual, gratuitous shots of judge Jennifer “J. Lo” Lopez gyrating (while her fellow judge is caught on camera indiscreetly checking her out), mouthing lyrics, even singing along with contestants during their meager chance at immortality. You have to give her credit for bringing back the booty like, two decades ago, but Jenny from the Block, this show isn’t about you. It’s about the contestants! The budding stars! Our Idols! Another one whom nearly brought me to tears: Miss Jena Irene of Farmington Hills, Michigan. She is vying for first place with Mr. Johnson, though time is the only test of whether victory on the show will be a step to stardom, or the peak of their careers before vanishing into obscurity. At seventeen years old, Jena has a belty pop voice beyond her years that is begging for radio play, and must be chill-inducing live. And she can play piano, at least well enough to accompany herself.
EYEHATEGOD Eyehategod. Photo via Web.
Kevin Salisbury Contributing Writer
For over 25 years, Eyehategod has been carving a clear and definite path through the heavy metal landscape. While many bands out there gain recognition and peter out over time, Eyehategod has done the complete opposite, becoming one of the most influential bands of their genre. To add to this already incredible history, many members of this unmistakable New Orleans collective are involved in other remarkable acts, including Superjoint Ritual, Down, Soilent Green… the list goes on. Recently, I was given the honor of doing an over the phone interview with none other than Eyehategod frontman Mike IX, who will be leading the band to Binghamton on Wednesday, June 4th, when they perform at American Legion Post 80. They will be joined by Ringworm, Enabler, Bleak and local favorites Delete History (brought to you by KevieMetal & Sound-Go-Round). vvv
I don’t recommend anyone devote their free time to watching American Idol, or worshipping false idols of any kind, for that matter. But I love going to see people sing, especially when they’ve still got the fire in them, when they really want it. And these young singers want it- the fame, the glory, more camera time than J. Lo.
I really appreciate you taking the time to do this interview. You’ve got a show here in Binghamton, NY in a few weeks that we’re all looking forward to. When does the tour start? We’re heading up that way. The tour starts May 28th. I think we head to Atlanta. From there on, it’s the east coast and the mid-west for this run.
Go catch a rising star at the Broome County Arena on Tuesday, June 24th at 7:30pm. Tickets are all over the internet; this is American Idol we’re talking about.
I see that Eyehategod has numerous members who are involved in various other projects. Yeah, Jimmy Bower is the guitar player for Eyehategod, but he plays drums with Down. It’s like a big family down here (New Orleans, LA) and we all play in each other’s bands. We just
like to make music. That’s what this whole city is about. Music, music, music. Whatever kind of band it is. I’ve got Corrections House, Arson Anthem, Outlaw Order. I have another band… kinda like a noise, dark, black metal thing called The Guilt Of. We’ve got a bunch of self-released stuff. How can people find that? The Guilt Of stuff can be found on my website. I have a website: www.mikeix.com, and you can find The Guilt Of stuff there. The other stuff, like Corrections House, which is me and Scott Kelly (of Neurosis), and a couple of other guys, is out on Neurot Records. We also have a 7” out on War Crimes Records. The Arson Anthem record is on Housecore Records, which is Phil Anselmo’s (Pantera) label. That’s a band with me, Phil and Hank III. That’s quite the line-up. I can only imagine being in the same room as Phil Anselmo and Hank III. They both have a hell of a reputation. Yeah, of course. We all do. They’re friends of mine. We wanted to do an 80s sounding hardcore punk record and we did a good job. We did two records with that band. Did Arson Anthem ever play out? Arson Anthem did a couple tours, but we did these weird little runs where we kind of just played smaller cities. That band is on hold right now because everybody is super busy. We haven’t done anything with that band in a few years. There’s a lot of bands out there right now. What are you liking these days? I don’t listen to a lot of new stuff at all. I listen to mostly older stuff, but there’s a few new bands I like. There’s a band called Pinkish Black that I like a lot, out of Texas. They’re really good, but I don’t keep up with a lot of the new stuff. I read record reviews in the magazines. There’s bands like Dawn of Humans, Violent Arrest from the U.K... I’m not into anything really technical. I like mostly simple stuff. You’ve been in Eyehategod for over 25 years and have been able to meet a lot of new people in different areas. That’s gotta be rewarding. Well, that makes the whole thing for me. We’re not one of the bands that goes to a show and hides backstage. Some days, you might not be feeling good or feel like hanging out, but I
think it goes a long way, meeting the fans and the people coming out to see the shows. We’ll sit down and have a drink with you and talk about music. That’s what we like to do. When I was a kid, I wanted that to happen with bands, and I still remember the bands who gave me the time of day as a kid. Tell us about your other works. I understand you do spoken word and are an author as well. For a year or two, I did record reviews and interviews for Metal Maniacs magazine. I’ve had a book out since 2003, called Cancer Is A Social Activity. It’s a book of lyrics and dark poetry, or whatever you wanna call it. I’ve got more coming out as well. I’ve got tons of stuff written, but I need to edit a lot of it and format it and lay it out and get it published. I’ve got at least two more books written, and I’ve been talking about getting them published for years. I just need to lay everything out. You’ve got a pretty solid tour starting in June. Who is coming along with you for this one? It looks like Ringworm and Enabler. I’ve heard they’re good. From what I hear, both bands are pretty heavy. Hopefully, it’ll be a great tour. Can we look forward to any new albums anytime soon? My band Correction House is working on a new record, but I don’t know when that’s gonna come out. For right now, it’s Eyehategod and our new album [a self-titled release came out on May 27th]. Wanna plug anything that the readers can check out? Definitely. You can go to my website www.mikeix.com, and also www.eyehategod. ee. There is also the official Eyehategod facebook page, which is updated pretty regularly. I really appreciate you taking the time to talk and look forward to catching you guys in June. It was cool, man. See you in Binghamton.
vvv Eyehategod headlines American Legion Post 80 (76 Main St, Binghamton) on Wednesday, June 4th. Advance tickets are $20. Check out the event page on facebook for more info on this all-ages show.
THIS IS RUSTED ROOT:
June 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 25
Rusted Root. Photo via Web.
YOU KNOW, THE BAND
THAT SINGS THAT FREAKIN’ “SEND ME ON MY WAY” SONG.
THERE’S NOTHING TO SAY
ABOUT THEM THAT HASN’T
BEEN SAID 10,000 TIMES. (THERE WOULD BE IF THEY’D LET US INTERVIEW THEM, PROBABLY)
THEY’RE PLAYING AT THE
CHOCONUT INN ON JUNE 20TH.
YOU SHOULD GO, IF THAT’S YOUR THING.
ON THE BUS WITH DONNA THE BUFFALO’S
26 Vol. 2 Issue 6
JEB PURYEAR
and then we started Grassroots. I’ve still been able to do it, and have this real active chemistry still. Tara and I, you know, we kind of accepted this as our lives. But then, you see people that are going to do it a certain way. You know, quit workin’ and devote their time to playing music.
Ty Whitbeck Creative Consultant
Yes, indeedy. It’s Memorial Day Weekend, and I’m spending a sunny Saturday at The Susquehanna River Big Splash Festival in Owego. Upstate favorites Donna the Buffalo take the stage in a few hours, in the form of their Cajun alter-ego Buffalo Zydeco, but right now, the trance-folk sounds of One Fly Down are emanating from the main stage. Since Donna the Buffalo is playing at the Choconut Inn this June, I take the opportunity to hop on their bus and chew the fat with Jeb Puryear, Donna frontman and co-founder of the Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance (the organization behind which is also responsible for Big Splash). Here’s how it went down:
Did you think it would work out like this? Not much interested me as a kid besides music. I mean, you’re also lucky in life if you find the thing you’re interested in. And a lot of times it doesn’t happen. And it takes some a while to find it. Some people never find what they’re looking for, to shoot ‘em the way they wish. So anyway, to be able to play music for a living with a select group of... [Tara shuts the bus door and Jeb loses his train of thought.] What is the democracy of songwriting within the band like? We write a song, we start playing, everybody catches a part… it usually works like that. If I write a song, I sing it. If Tara writes a song, she sings- like that. It’s all about the musicians perceiving what the song is, the character of it. And sometimes it could go either way. Someone will take it a certain way that another person doesn’t see it as, and then you have to stop and talk it out. You don’t take it personally if, you know, Tara doesn’t like the guitar part you’re playing- but no, we don’t write out any parts.
vvv You’ve been invested in music your whole life. When did Donna the Buffalo come into the picture for you? Well, I started Bubba George when I was a kid. Me and my brothers. It was Me, Jordan (Puryear), Richie (Stearns), and then Shane (Lamphier)- who was the original drummer for Donna the Buffalo. Donna the Buffalo started when Jim (Miller) and I, and everyone else, met and began playing music together 20 something years ago, simply. We all jammed on a bunch of instruments, and it was Richie’s wife, Jennie, [who] was booking the talent at this café up in Trumansburg and got us a gig. So we rehearsed up and got all these songs together. It was really fun, it was like learning a double language, and I remember after the first gig being completely electrified. Is that when it turned from a rock outfit to more of a Cajun touch? I had played bass in a Cajun band for a couple years, but it was a separate thing that happened, like 3 or 4 years later, when those guys got totally turned on to Louisiana and Zydeco (Tara Nevins and Jim). But we started interjecting that sort of flavor into our music. We would interject any kind of flavor into our music without even thinking about it, and it always came out sounding like us no matter what we tried. We didn’t try to make every single part of the music be more fitting, or try to imitate anybody. But, like,
Jeb Puryear. Photo Provided.
there were these African guitarists that had these cool licks, and Jim would just start playing some of these things, or if you felt the song needed a 60s rockin’ thing, we did that. Sometimes people ask who we’re influenced by, but we probably haven’t met or heard anyone that we haven’t been influenced by. You have a very unique and distinguishable style of playing guitar. Did you have any formal training? Jim Miller knew how to play guitar
a little more than I did. I fooled around with one for a little bit when I was picking apples for a season up in Maine. Then I went and bought one. And this guitar, for some reason, I don’t know, was candy apple red. It was this big, heavy thing. I didn’t really like it, but I paid a bunch of money for it. Then he went and bought the guitar that I’m playing now. Then he bought a Telecaster a week later. So he became a Telecaster guy and I became the Strat, and he told me to put the patina on it- and I’m still busy puttin’ the patina on it! And that’s how it all went,
Are there any songs that don’t make the cut with Donna that end up being used with Jeb & Friends, and Buffalo Zydeco [Puryear’s other projects]? With Buffalo Zydeco (we started that at Blue Heron a few years ago) we used to do it more. But we would start at midnight and everybody would still be out, and we’d play until dawn. That’s what’s interesting about the Choconut thing too. The character of the Choconut thing is that the devoted community that’s around there just comes out, it’s really awesome. The first time I played at the Choconut Inn, three years ago, was one of my favorite gigs, and that’s what I like about it. The thing with these festivals, or street fairs, or what is it– the Pole Barn- as opposed to a club gig in the city- the people just come out for these things. And when you go to a club, you only get a segment of the people. You might not know most of the people at the Choconut, but shit, they’re all there.”
vvv Donna the Buffalo will be bringing the Herd to the Choconut Inn Pole Barn in Friendsville, PA on June 21st, with supporting act: Tumbleweed Highway. Tickets are on sale now at choconutinn.com for $20. Doors open at 7pm. Check out our uncut interview with Jeb on the Carousel facebook page.
BINGHAMTON TO HOST LIVE MUSIC ON THE WATERFRONT
June 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 27
Chris Bodnarczuk Editor-in-Chief
you walked around downtown at night, it was crickets,” continues Murphy. “Now, there’s people, there’s a lot of activity.”
Downtown Binghamton has been seeing a bit of a renaissance lately; there’s no denying that. New restaurants, new retail stores, an influx of students and young professionals; there’s a vibrancy that hasn’t existed since the height of the factory days.
With the first show of the series showcasing Alpha Brass Band’s infectious New Orleans sound and the jazz-funk-blues mashup that is Ultra Vibe, there’s bound to be a lot of dancing, too. There’s a bit of a theme to the music selections. The second event will focus on folk, with Ramble Run and Honey Spine, while the third night features Binghamton’s own salsa powerhouse, Salsa Libre, plus DJ Jam. This will all wrap up with a student band finale upon the return of the BU students at the end of the summer, with Strange Appeal and some TBA guests. Again, dates for the latter three are still being confirmed, though keep an eye out in August and September.
City Hall has taken notice, and in an effort to encourage the growth, they’re presenting Binghamton Live on the Waterfront, picking up where the “Off the Wall” concert series left off last fall. On four separate occasions throughout the summer, the Peacemaker’s Stage area of the Rivertrail will come alive with not just local music, but food trucks, micro-brews, and visual art. While dates for the latter three shows are currently being revised due to scheduling conflicts, the first show of the series is set to take place on First Friday, June 6th, with music by the Alpha Brass Band and Ultra Vibe. Joining them will be three food trucks: The Cook Truck, Mad Man Sammies, and Zona & Co. Grille’s Sammich truck; plus two local breweries: Galaxy Brewing Co. and the North Brewery (no word as of press time whether they’ll be presenting another one of their collaborative brews). The Quarter Yel-
Last year’s “Off the Wall” series. Photo by Mayumi Pak.
low Artist Collective will be present as well, painting live. “In marketing Binghamton to the rest of the regionthe rest of the world- having a vibrant arts community is so essential to get people’s attention,” says Sabina Mora, of the Office of Econ. Development. “When you think of the top 5 things Binghamton is known for, we want art to be one of those, versus whatever else could come to mind.”
Says Robert Murphy, Director of Econ. Development for the city, “there’s a younger, student population moving in downtown. That and young professionals. We want to welcome them. We want to say ‘hey, we’re glad you’re here.’” And there’s nothing young millennials love more than music and beer. “You look at night- I can tell you from years ago-
The food trucks and breweries will be alternating as well, with appearances from Water Street Brewing and the long- anticipated Binghamton Brewing Company at later dates. If all goes well with the series, concerts at the generally neglected Peacemaker’s Stage will become a regular thing. Says Murphy, ““If you want to see more of this, show up. Vote with your feet!” The Binghamton Live on the Waterfront series holds its first event on Friday, June 6th at 5:30pm, along the Peacemaker’s Stage in downtown Binghamton. Music is free. Vote with your feet!
MATT VENUTI BRINGS HANG AND GUBAL MUSIC TO BINGHAMTON
Hang. A friend who went to a festival saw an early version of the instrument, and I knew it was for me. I was obsessed. Nobody even knew what it was called; it was so new. Finally, the word came back that it was a Hang, which means “hand” in Swiss German: made by hand, played with a hand; there’s some interaction that happens with a hand that is unlike any other instrument. So it’s a very appropriate yet simple name.
Heather Merlis Assistant Editor
Art is a living in constant evolution. It is not always easy to keep up with the muse, but singer-songwriter Matt Venuti does his best. He is devoted to the ever-changing musical creations of two Swiss artists who invented the Hang and the Gubal (pronounced, respectively, “hahng” and “goo-ball”). The Geneva, New York native just returned from Bern, Switzerland with the latest incarnation of their instrument, which he has brought back to share with his fellow upstate New Yorkers. Matt spent some time to telling us about the history and the impact of these instruments. vvv What is the Hang, and what is the Gubal? The Hang is a flying-saucer-shaped, lap-based instrument that you play with your hands. It is the first of its kind, based on a combination of a steel pan, an udu (a clay-pot drum from Africa), a ghatam (a clay pot instrument from India), the Indonesian gamelan instruments, bells, wind chimes- it is truly a world instrument. The first Hang was created in about 2001. Two people in the world make it; their names are Felix and Sabina, and they live in Bern, where it was first conceived of and created. Since that first Hang was created, there have been several generations of the instrument that have made improvement in the sound and the resonance. Because it’s made of their own material, they continue to refine it. Now, there are probably a hundred new instruments out there, many in the United States, that are more or less
One thing led to another, and I found myself in Bern, Switzerland, after an invitation, to get to know the makers of the instrument. Since then, I’ve been going back every year to be part of the next incarnation of the instrument, and I’ve developed a very strong friendship there.
Matt Vanuti. Photo Provided.
copying the Hang, the idea. But the original concept and instrument came from Bern, Switzerlandthose are the masters, the makers, the multi-instrumentalist artists who are really talented at what they do. They’ve been furthering these instruments every year, and then they declared that they were going to stop making the Hang in 2013, and they did. They started making something new, based on the same concept as the Hang: the Gubal. It has a different kind of resonance, a different kind of approach to playing; you have an entire orchestra potential in your lap. It comes with its own deep sound chamber, but you can still hit the higher frequencies, and it requires a different approach to playing. The Hang was kind of like candy: everyone was seduced by it; it was a very beautiful sound that would take people to outer space, but the Gubal brings you
back to the ground. It’s an amazing instrument. It’s like a beast, in a sense, that needs to be tamed. I had one of the first Gubals, and I played it for a while; it was a prototype. I was invited to come back to Bern to exchange the prototype for the finished product, but with Felix and Sabina, nothing is ever finished; they’re artists. I just brought the newer instrument back to the United States, so Binghamton will be among the first of all the people of the world to hear it. It’s something of an historical event. How did you discover Hang music? I had been a musician for many years; I grew up playing piano and trumpet. Then I got into electronic music, playing an electronic trumpet called an EVI, electronic valve instrument. But, after a little while, I started to get a little anxious for something new, and, talking to my friends, I almost described the
How has your life changed since you started playing, and what kind of changes have you seen in your audiences? Well, my wife of twenty years passed away. I went from playing in a band, playing loud world music, getting people dancing, to wanting to be more introspective, wanting to find a way to express to my heart what I had been feeling from this great loss. It has caused me to want to delve deeper into the heart of the audience, and into my own heart, to be able to express. Now, my audiences feel touched in their heart, too. That’s what the concert is about, but that’s not what it’s all about; there’s a lot of fun, too. But there is a kind of transformation that takes place when I play.
vvv Come be a part of world music history at Matt’s Summer Solstice concert on Saturday, June 21st 7:30pm at Vishnu’s Couch, located on the fourth floor of the Art Mission building, at 61 Prospect Avenue in Binghamton. He will also be performing at the First Congregational Church of Binghamton on Sunday, June 22nd at 5pm. Tickets for both performances are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Call (607) 232-6189 for tickets to the Solstice show. Visit mattvenuti.com for videos of him playing, and for more information.
faerie fest.
28 Vol. 2 Issue 6
A Forest Full of Fantasy: Ronnie Vuolo Assistant Editor The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines a fairy as “a mythical being of folklore and romance usually having diminutive human form and magic powers.” Known for making mischief, along with elves, gnomes, leprechauns, trolls, sprites and pixies, they can be found in the folklore of cultures the world over.
strels, puppeteers, and storytellers, ready to entertain and amaze. “The magic of the place is letting your imagination take over. People decorated with paint and feathers become the characters.” The landscape is an integral part of the experience. Wattlestone Garden is a tree shaded, stone paved area, surrounded by a giant woven wicker-like fence. Filled with beautiful plants, paths, imaginative figures, and stone decorations, one entrance is only 3’ high and easily accessible only by little people. Another creative center is the Labyrinth. A 42’
“I think the first thing I’d suggest to people coming to festivals such as ours,” says Creative Director Bill Thorpe, “is that they should try to come without expectations, that the very nature of the show is that it’s a celebration of the imagination, an invitation into a magical realm. As such, an open mind and active imagination are the best ways to walk through that gate. We often say that, in the land of fairies- as we make it, it isn’t about what you believe– it’s about what you make-believe.” Speaking to Bill, it becomes clear that the characters inhab-
Although often feared in times past, they have more recently developed a devoted and enthusiastic following, people who gather at times, in designated places, to revel in all things faerie. The 1st such gathering is said to have been The Spoutswood Farm May Day Fairie Festival in York, PA, 21 years ago. In 2008, Glenn Herbert and William Thorpe, from central New York, attended that festival for the first time. Glenn recalls, “Bill wanted to hold an event on my land for years. Various ideas were discussed. Then we went to the Spoutwood festival in 2008, the grandmother of faerie festivals. Bill said ‘we can do that,’ and a whole lot of planning and work later and here we are.”’
The festival has something for everyone, from the very young to the far from young. There are many child friendly events and a staffed children’s tent with art projects for the smaller children. The presence of the children of staff and performers, as part of the event, helps draw the younger attendees into the action. Festival-goers are encouraged to join in the festivities by wearing their own faerie finery, in whatever form appeals to their whimsy, and taking part in the faerie fashion show. Opportunities abound to join in: dancing to live music, participating in the parades, and becoming part of interactive performances. For those who don’t come so garbed, there are vendors with clothing, wings, masks, accessories, and all things faerie related for sale. For the satisfaction of more earthly needs, food vendors are happy to supply both the sweet and the savory to delight the palate. As in the past, live musical performances abound on the 4 stages, as well as other musical venues throughout the grounds. The eclectic line-up includes: Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams, Bu Dubh, Woodland, Frenchy and the Punk, Wendy Rule, Stara Planina, Honey Circuit, Jessica Star, The Bardo Brothers, Sofeya and the Puffins, Sharon Knight, Brighthawk, Billy Woods and Maharal. The performance schedule will be finalized and should appear on the festival website by mid-June. Camping is available for those who wish to stay on-site and is located in a large open field serviced by port-a-johns and open-air hot water showers. Running water is available; however, RV hookups are not. Ground fires are not permitted in the campsite. Although the festival grounds are handicapped accessible, the camping area offers more of a challenge due to more rolling terrain. Further information regarding camping may be found on the website.
Thus the New York Faerie Fest was conceived. With Glenn as the Technical Director and Bill the Creative Director, Faerie Fest is set to begin its 6th annual event on June 27th. Although taking a cue from the Renaissance Faire tradition, (raucous celebrations of medieval life that came on the scene in the 60s), Faerie Festival has a different feel to it, according to Glenn, foregoing its bawdy, satirical humor, and not encouraging or serving alcohol. Each faerie festival has its own particular flavor. “One difference between our festival and others is that we include a full range of characters- good and bad faeries, white and dark elves. Some festivals are all about light and fluffy ones. We have the full range and some are scary- like trolls who like to chase kids. Kids love to be chased.” Another difference is the presence of a jousting troupe, something not found elsewhere, but envisioned from the start by Glenn and Bill. An old friend of theirs had been involved with the Renaissance Faire for decades, both playing the part of the French Queen and as the owner of a professional jousting company. When they were putting together the New York festival, it seemed obvious that they should be included, thus the French Queen morphed into the Faerie Queen with her own court. “The New York festival is eclectic,” Glenn enthuses, “including characters and references of all facets of European folklore.”
the child in us all. Of the costumed and be-tusked trolls, towering over the children from a height well over 6’, he says, “kids can relate to them. They see them as an opportunity to interact with a creature also in a state of play. It’s something they don’t get to do every day.”
Faerie Fest- goers. Photo by Dave Shepherd.
diameter circle surrounded by 12 standing stones, it encircles a classical labyrinth design made from paving stones set on a path. It is an ancient pattern, one found in cave paintings and carved in rocks in times long past.
iting Faerie Fest are at the heart of it’s magic: the trolls both fierce and funny, the lane acts you meet along the way– jugglers, acrobats and the like– and the myriad of faerie folk in all their manifestations, serve to capture the imagination and bring out
Faerie Fest takes place Friday, June 27th through Sunday, June 29th from 11am-7pm. Adult admission is $15, children (ages 5-15) $8, and those under 5 free. There is a $5 fee for parking (good for the entire weekend). Tickets may be purchased at the gate or ordered online. The festival is located at 2195 State Route 79, Harpursville NY. Further information, can be found at nyfaeriefest.com or by calling 607-655-1376. The festival day-area is handicapped accessible with reserved parking located near the gate. Pets are permitted on-site provided owners maintain control and clean up all waste. Alcohol is not served on-site; attendees are requested not to bring or consume alcoholic beverages during festival hours. Smoking allowed in designated areas only.
New York Faerie Festival
Those who enter this place enter into a realm like no other, one inhabited by enchanted creatures. Its byways abound with acrobats, illusionists, min-
theatre and dance.
June 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 29
KNOW THEATRE PRESENTS CHANNELLING MEMPHIS’S GOLDEN YEARS WITH “DEATH AND THE MAIDEN” THE MILLION
Charles Berman Staff Writer
From June 13th-29th, Binghamton’s KNOW Theatre will be presenting its production of Ariel Dorfman’s celebrated 1990 play Death and the Maidena work that is deeply both artistic and political, and that brings into question many serious concerns that have not ceased to become ever more relevant and important with the passing of time. The title of “Death and the Maiden” (or “La Muerte y La Doncella” in its Spanish original) may not be familiar to all English theatregoers, but it is the most performed work of Chilean theatre around the world. And while it is a hermetic work that retains its effect on its own, it is inextricably bound to its context. In 1970, Chile voted to elect a Socialist named Salvador Allende as its president. Serving as his cultural advisor was a young man named Ariel Dorfman, the future author of “Death and the Maiden.” The tenures of both Allende and Dorfman met their ends on September 11, 1973, when Allende died during a coup d’etat backed by Nixon’s US govern-
ment. His death, announced as a suicide, was widely believed to have been an assassination. The United States, threatened by the open election of a Marxist in its own hemisphere, backed the anti-communist military takeover by the leader of Chile army, Augusto Pinochet. Pinochet commenced his tenure by rounding up political enemies in Chile’s National Stadium and having them shot. Under Pinochet’s government, an estimated 31,947 people were tortured for political reasons, and 3,065 killed.
In a 1989 referendum, Chile’s people voted to remove Pinochet from power, but when he stepped down as President in 1990, the Constitution that he had installed allowed for him to remain as the country’s military commander-in-chief rather than facing trial for his crimes. It was in this year that “Death and the Maiden” was written- a work whose main these its author identifies as Chile’s painful transition to democracy. Dorfman may have been perfectly positioned to write the play that he did, not only as a figure directly involved in Allende’s overthrown government, but also a literary artist/activist in the mold of Nobel Prize winner Harold Pinter, with whom he later became a personal friend. “Death and the Maiden” is set in an unnamed country at the end of an unspecified dictatorship-
keeping its themes universal while not obscuring its obvious relevance to Chile. The play concerns a woman who is convinced that a man who drove her husband home after a flat tire is the same doctor who tortured her whole playing a recording of Schubert’s “Death and the Maiden” during her country’s political unrest. Uncertainty over whether it was in fact the same man drives the action of the play, which maintains a tense three-person cast. It may be needless to point out the relevance that themes such as the truth of information obtained under torture, the disbelief of accusations of sexual abuse, and the impunity of governments who commit human rights abuses have in our world today. The play went on to international success, winning the 1992 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play. It was later adapted into a film by Roman Polanski, starring Sigourney Weaver and Ben Kingsley. KNOW Theatre’s production is directed by Brandt Reiter, and stars prolific local actors Dori May Ganson and Nick De Lucia, alongside the theatre’s artistic director, Tim Gleason. Shows run June 13th-29th, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, with Sunday matinees at 3pm. Tickets cost $20 for general admission, $15 for senior citizens, and $10 for students. They can be obtained by calling 607-7244341 or by e-mailing binghamtoncitystage@gmail. com. More information is available at knowtheatre. org.
BUY LOCAL EVERY DAY
DOLLAR QUARTET
Rose Silberman-Gorn Staff Writer
On December 4th, 1956, four young musicians ran into each other in the Sun Record Studios in Memphis, Tennessee, and had an impromptu jam session. These musicians were none other than Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins. The Memphis Press-Scimitar caught wind of this great musical happenstance, and dubbed it the Million Dollar Quartet. Years later, the coming together of these legendary musicians inspired a musical by the same name. Written by Floyd Mutrux and Colin Escott, it takes place in a single afternoon, and gives a fly on the wall perspective of what happened that day in the recording studio. This jukebox musical includes many of the artists’ classic hits, including “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Great Balls of Fire,” “Walk the Line,” and “Hound Dog.” “Million Dollar Quartet” ran on Broadway from 20102011, and is currently touring the country. Actor Scott Moreau, who portrays Johnny Cash in the musical, enjoys many parts of being on tour. “I get to see a lot of the country, and experience a lot of different cultures,” he says. “It’s also really validating to be doing something that makes people happy.” Moreau also finds it rewarding to portray Cash, who he is a huge fan of. “I sought out this role because I wanted to play Johnny Cash,” Moreau explains. He barely had to do any research to get into character, because he had already been avidly devouring every book, movie, and interview related to the country icon. For Moreau and the other actors portraying these musicians, it’s not just a gig. The actors’ passion must pay off, because the tour gets glowing reception from audiences. “People usually tell us they love the music, and that it brought them back to a simpler time,” says Moreau. The musical recalls a time when these musicians’ careers were just beginning, when they were young and driven and our main association of them wasn’t bloat, bespangled jumpsuits, and endlessly cheesy impersonators. “Million Dollar Quartet” is great for music lovers, classic Rock and Roll enthusiasts, or anyone who wants to experience a fun musical performed by talented, enthusiastic actors. Moreau notes that audience members should stick around at the end of the show, because they don’t want to miss the foursong finale. “Million Dollar Quartet” will take place at the Forum Theatre on Sunday, June 15th, with showings at 3pm and 7pm. Tickets range from $35$55, and can be purchased at ticketmaster. com; search Broome County Forum.
‘JERICHO’ IS REBORN AT EPAC 30 Vol. 2 Issue 6
Ronnie Vuolo Assistant Editor
Many years ago, (40 to be exact) two talented young men combined forces and Jericho was born. Introduced to the world on the stage of the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre at the University of Michigan, it gave voice to a fictional young reporter from Beacon, NY, named Josh Maxwell. Over the next 4 decades, Josh’s story took second place to that of creators Jack McLaughlin and Jim Ford, as they forged careers in music, acting, directing and teaching. Now, on the 4oth anniversary of its Ann Arbor debut, the story of Josh Maxwell will again be told on the stage of the Endicott Performing Arts Center. It’s a story that everyone can relate to, the little guy battling mighty forces to make a big dream come true. In this case, it’s the mid-70s, and Josh is a reporter for the Beacon Bugle, working to rally support to save the local steam locomotive line. Along the way he encounters assorted characters, tilts at corporate windmills, and encounters romance, all while making you laugh, cry and cheer. The universality of the theme is timeless. With script and lyrics by Jack McLaughlin, and music by Binghamton native Jim Ford, “Jericho” is being performed as a staged concert reading taking the form of a live radio broadcast. Brought to the EPAC stage and produced by James R. Ford Musical Enterprises, it is directed by Judy McMahon, who also serves as narrator. Veteran local actors Randy Kerr and Laura Liburdi appear in the leading roles of Josh Maxwell and Ruby Rubinsky, with Jeff Bartlett, Kate Murray, Mike Ziemba, Paula Bacorn, Gene Czebiniak, Joe Bardales, and Katie Glasgow featured in supporting roles.
current incarnation required creative tweaking. “The main feature of a staged reading is the fact that nothing is memorized by the actors,” explains Ford. “They will be reading from scripts and music, but doing so in a way that faithfully interprets the personalities, feelings, and sensibilities of the characters they are portraying. Sound effects will play a vital role.” Only small changes were made in the original dialog and lyrics. In this production, the audience itself is given an active role, that of the radio broadcast audience. “This is a fun, entertaining presentation that will lift your spirits,” promises Ford. “Ticket prices are kept low so that we can have a good turnout for each of the 4 performances.” In the years since Jack McLaughlin first conceived “Jericho,” he has performed on film, television and in regional theatre. He founded the Radio Ensemble Players in Chicago and served for many years as their artistic director. In addition to his acting career, he has been a full-time professor for the past 15 years teaching his craft at Illinois State University. Jim Ford continued his career as a composer and performer on both organ and piano. Locally, he was actively involved in the restoration of the Robert Morgan theatre pipe organ, now located at the Forum; as a performer and teacher at the Roberson Center; and more recently, performing silent film improvisations for the Binghamton Theatre Organ Society. He is the organist and choir director at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Vestal and serves as the pianist for the Big Band Era Mason Warrington Orchestra.
Performances of “Jericho” take place on Thursday 6/5, Friday 6/6 and Saturday 6/7 from 8-10pm, and Sunday, 6/8 at 3pm at the Endicott Performing Arts Center, 102 Washington Avenue. Tickets are $10 for the general public, $8 for students and seniors 65-plus, and may be purchased by calling EPAC at (607) 785-8903 or at endicottarts.com.
SPAM, SPAM, SPAM, SPAM, SPAM:
Transitioning from the original production to its
MONTY PYTHON FAVORITE RETURNS TO ENDICOTT Heather Merlis Assistant Editor
The Southern Tier must have a taste for British humor (err, humour), as Monty Python’s Spamalot is back in town, this time at the Cider Mill Playhouse. A musical adaptation of the 1975 film “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” this is a musical for people who would maybe rather not sit through a musical. Paul Falzone, the show’s director, is one of those people. We spoke about Python, comedic timing, and the Southern Tier’s incredible pool of talent. Why Spamalot? It’s interesting. Monty Python, they’re kind of like the Beatles: they have this huge following. They’re what I would call “sophisticated silly.” Silly just by itself is not funny, but if you put things of substance behind it, it is. They turned the legal system, politics, history into farce, and I don’t know that anybody had ever done that before, with that level of silliness. The movie, “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” has something of a cult following, and I’m part of that cult. Now, I’m not a musical person- I don’t go to see musicals a lot. So when Spamalot came out, I went to go see it, because I thought it was a terrible idea. How can you take this movie, that is almost perfect in its intent, and succeeds on a fabulous level, and make a musical out of it? Apparently, the rest of the Python troupe thought that Eric Idle, who wrote the musical, was crazy, too. But I went to Broadway, and I saw the musical, and it was just hysterical. I don’t know how they pulled this off, but it was funny, and very true to the original movie. It works beautifully as a musical. I wouldn’t have thought it, but, then, I’m not Eric Idle.
Are you trying to stay true to the production or the movie? It’s true to the movie as it is written, but I can’t stay true to the Broadway production: the space is different, the blocking has to change, and I’d like to think that I’ve made some things even funnier than the Broadway version. We have immensely talented people. Tom Kremer, who is playing King Arthur, is better than Tim Curry, who I saw in the Broadway version: I’d stake my reputation on it, if I have a reputation. What unique creative choices have you made for this production? They’re mostly in comedic timing, which I’m a bit of a stickler for. I think that all comedy comes down to timing, and if you don’t have it, if you don’t take the time to figure out what is the funniest timing to use on any one particular joke, you’re dead in the water. Timing is everything, and it is a collaborative effort. My job, as the director, is to make it funny.
So, the audience you’re looking to bring does not necessarily need be filled with theatre-lovers? No! I don’t know what I could compare this show to. It is definitely more comedy than it is musical. We have people who can sing, and there’s one musical number after another. We have people who can dance through walls for you. But it is not your normal musical, and I don’t think anybody would expect it to be. It’s Monty Python; it’s funny. If you like funny, this is for you. They were some of the funniest people to ever walk across the planet. Monty Python’s Spamalot will be playing at the Cider Mill Playhouse, located at 2 South Nanticoke Avenue in Endicott, from Thursday, June 5th through Sunday, June 29th. Performances are at 8:15pm on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays; Sunday matinees are at 3pm. Visit cidermillplayhouse.com or call (607) 748-7363 for tickets.
comedy.
June 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 31
THE OTHER MOTHER’S DAY:
THIS ONE’S FOR YOU, POPS
COMICS TO WATCH
Kevin Salisbury Contributing Writer
This month’s comic to watch is Anna Phillips. Originally from Baltimore, Phillips began her stand up comedy career in 2010, performing at local open mics in Syracuse, NY. She has performed at notable comedy clubs such as Caroline’s on Broadway, Eastville Comedy Club, and Comic Strip Live in NYC; in addition to opening for Tom Green. She describes her act as “no big deal,” primarily due to her self-deprecating persona. However, audiences describe her as endearing, genuine and hilarious.
Anna Phillips. Photo Provided.
Real original, son. Photo by Ty Whitbeck.
Krissy Howard Staff Writer
June 15th marks “Guy Who Texts Me a Daily Weather Report For a Town in Which I No Longer Live”’s Day, otherwise known as Father’s Day. If you’re going to get him something, may I suggest a tie? Or perhaps a tie clip? Do dads even wear ties anymore? Maybe you can get him a nice “tie app” for his phone, that he can pretend to like instead. Other great suggestions include something about shaving, “lawnmower,” or any of those World War 2 documentaries they always play on The History Channel anyway. So, much like the Mother’s Day article I hastily wrote last month, this Father’s Day piece is troublesome, not due to some deeply-rooted, psychologically damaging relationship I have with my dad; I would say our relationship today is actually supportive and mutually respectful- it’s not so much “Cat’s In The Cradle” as it is “Papa Don’t Preach”. Or, no. I think that song is about abortion or something. I guess it’s more like... just whatever song is about having a normal dad who is just normal and sometimes even cool, but I digress. [EDITOR’S NOTE: You’re thinking of “It’s a Boy,” by Slick Rick, the most normal father ever. Sheesh, Krissy, off month?] These pieces are hard to write because my family is just not all that sentimental, and we really don’t make a big deal about holidays, especially stupid ones like Father’s Day. I know, however, that most of you are better people than I, and you appreciate the guy who sacrificed a lot for you, so allow me to regale you with a brief history of the holiday’s humble beginnings.
In 1972, President Richard Nixon (yup, that Richard Nixon, the same one from the bank robbery masks in Point Break) declared Father’s Day a national holiday, leaving Mother’s Day an ample 58 years to passive aggressively nag its way into leasing a second car “like Barbara’s husband did.” Unlike Mother’s Day, Father’s Day wasn’t entirely well received, as people don’t tend to appreciate dads as much as moms, probably on account of the whole “we physically need you to survive” relationship us mammals have with our maternal nurturers. It also certainly didn’t help matters that the honorees of said holiday weren’t entirely feeling it either, probably upon coming to the whole “why are you buying us ties with our own money, do you even really like me?” realization. I can’t say that I don’t disagree. Like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, while conceived with the best intentions (not unlike myself-wink!), would end up becoming a holiday more commonly concerned with impulse buying traditional manly-man dad-type items, only serving to remind dear old dad that their entire life consists of work (ties!) and that when they come home there’s probably still a good amount of work to be done (anything from Home Depot!) So this year for Father’s Day I’m going to do something different; instead of giving “gifts,” I’ll be encouraging my dad to kick up his feet and relax as I present him with the gift of THE TRUTH, as I expose my darkest childhood secret in a one-sided game of Truth-or-Dare (except not the dare because he’ll probably just dare me to actually get health insurance). So, truth: Okay, this one time my brother and I really wanted to make perfume that smelled like Grandma (aww!), so we mixed a bunch of cinnamon and sugar in a Dixie cup of water, and voila! Parfum! Except, since my brother was an idiot child at the time, he round-house kicked me while I was holding the cup, spilling the contents all over the living room floor… JUST AS YOU WERE PULLING INTO THE DRIVEWAY FROM WORK, DAD! So, I panicked and sat on the stain all night until you went to bed. I don’t think I cleaned it up
later, though. Also, if we happened to have moved out of that house due to a cinnamon/sugar induced ants infestation...it was my brother’s fault. As much as I joke about how stupid these holidays are, things were recently put into perspective for me upon the death of a parent of one of my good friends. She also never had a very close relationship with her parents, but following the first Mother’s Day since her mom’s passing she shared with me how special the day feels for her now, and how she wished she at least got to wish her mom a happy Mother’s Day this year, even though it didn’t really mean all that much to them in the years prior. So to all of you out there who have lost a parent (or maybe never got to know one), and are perhaps missing your dad this Father’s Day, I’ll be thinking of you, and I hope you have the best day possible. And to my own dad, I will miss you when you die too, so you can count on that! I’m still not sending you a card, though.
So, Happy Father’s Day, Dad: if it weren’t for you, the world would never have known the literary greatness that is me. Way to “git-r-done!” I’m so grateful that you were ever born, because without you, I wouldn’t be around to say all those funny things I say, and do all those pay it forward-types of things I so selflessly do for the sake of the greater good (and certainly not so that I may shamelessly mention them in this article I wrote) that would make a dad like you proud of a kid like me. There were also all those times I won all those swim meets (and came in a respectable fourth, or sometimes eighth, or maybe thirtieth place in all those cross country races in high school). And the volunteering. I also crochet. Basically, you raised a saint (tips hat). I leave you with a quote from my real favorite dad of all time: “Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try.” -Homer Simpson
When did you get into comedy? I started doing stand up comedy about 3 years ago in Syracuse at a local open mic. I had no idea what I was doing. I was ill-prepared. I just didn’t know what to talk about. I just knew people told me I was funny and sarcastic and should try comedy. But the Twilight movie just came out and the local college team sucked (still does) so I just made stuff up as I talked. I didn’t bomb (maybe because I brought people?) so I didn’t stop. Who are your comedy idols? Idols, idols, idols… not really into them. I really enjoyed Dave Chappelle’s old stuff, but I wouldn’t say I idolize him. His best work was his interview with James Lipton on “Inside the Actors Studio,” which I’ve watched a hundred times. It keeps me grounded, makes me think that I never want to get so famous or successful that I have to buy a ticket to Africa. Also, I really like Tig Notaro and Hannibal Buress. What is your best memory in comedy? My best memory in comedy? That’s difficult to say because some of my best performances were done under the influence, i.e. Doug Stanhope’s show. I heard that might have been my best, but I don’t remember (after hanging with Doug in the green room). Nice guy. What are your favorite spots to perform? My favorite spots to perform are Ithaca, dive bars in Binghamton, and colleges. I like Ithaca because the crowds are smart, even if sometimes they’re so liberal that they’re uptight. I feel like I can win them over. Binghamton and I go way back. We’re both underdogs. People underestimate us and write us off without getting to know us. I’m the Susan Boyle of comedy.
Anna Phillips is one of the many featured comics performing at The 2nd Annual Binghamton Comedy & Arts Festival this September, which is presented by Binghamton Comedy and The Bundy Museum, and proudly sponsored in part by Triple Cities Carousel. For more info, tickets and a full line up, go to binghamtoncomedy.com.
fun stuff.
32 Vol. 2 Issue 6
B.C.
by MASTROIANNI AND HART
HOROSCOPES
Each month, CAROUSEL features a guest horoscope columnist. For June, we welcome KEVIN SALISBURY, local comedian and regular contributor to Carousel. As far as we know, he knows nothing about astrology. Gemini (May 21-Jun. 21) You’re going to have a great month, unless you have a series of mood swings comparable to those of a pregnant woman on steroids. In that case, stay home, don’t date, and get to know Netflix.
WIZARD OF ID
by PARKER, MASTROIANNI, AND HART
Cancer (Jun. 22-Jul. 22) You tend to shy away from showing how you really feel, and that’s good. Most of your friends are jerks, and they would talk jive about you if you opened up anyway. If you ever get the urge to talk about how you feel, do it on facebook at 3am in the form of a long and drawn out cry for help brought on by the sadness of empty beer bottles and pizza boxes on your floor, and delete it two hours later. Leo (Jul. 23-Aug. 22) Your confidence will get you arrested this month. You may think you look good in a Speedo and rollerblades, but the security guards at the Town Square Mall disagree. Stay home and get to know Brazzers. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Your predisposition to be nosy and talkative will make you that person who “knows” everything about people who can’t stand you. Stay home and get to know Netflix, you jerk.
DOGS OF C-KENNEL
by MICK AND MASON MASTROIANNI
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) You respect and practice balance and stability... except when you drink. Stay home and get to know your family during the intervention. Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 21) You can do anything you put your mind to, and this will shine once you return from that “mental vacation” you took after she left you for someone who works the panini press at Wegmans. Stay home and get to know your pissed off roommate’s Netflix account. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) You have the sign that is hardest to spell. Don’t you feel cultured? Stay home and dream about living in the French Riviera, you pretentious turd.
CROSSWORD ANSWERS! (CROSSWORD ON PAGE 34)
TRIPLE CITIES CAROUSEL
is always looking for contributors! Articles, Pictures, Comics, Puzzles, Poetry... We’re not going to pay you or anything, but THINK OF THE FAME! THINK OF THE GLORY! THINK OF HOW MUCH COOLER THIS PAGE WOULD BE WITHOUT A BIGASS GREY BLOCK ON IT! Email editor@triplecitiescarousel.com today! (then wait a month or so, because we’re super flaky and probably won’t respont for about that long)
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) THE GOAT! That’s gotta suck… Stay home and eat grass, you filthy animal. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) You are quiet and reserved, which can only mean one thing... you’re a serial killer. Stay at home and fight the urges, bro. I hear Netflix helps with that. Just don’t watch any movies that star people who look like that girl who left you and drove you to this. Pisces (Feb. 19-Mar. 20) Stay the hell away from Aquarius. He’s hiding something- I think it might be bodies- and you kinda look like his ex. Stay home and watch your windows and doors with a gun in your hand. Then again, he could be in your closet... waiting... watching... In that case, stay at your mom’s house and think about dying or cutting your hair. Although, if that is the case, it’s already too late. RIP. Aries (Mar. 21-Apr. 19) Your creativity will take you to new places... like the ER. Maybe the next time you want to try a new recipe with your significant other, you’ll learn what temperature chicken is supposed to be when it’s done. Taurus (Apr. 20-May 20) You’re a strong and dependable automobile. You have the ability to travel the country with a large family inside of you. Props.
crossword.
34 Vol. 2 Issue 6
“This is Classic Rock”
by Paul O’Heron
Across
Down
1. Communication Breakdown, Whole Lotta Love 6. Thunderstruck, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap 9. A Day in the Life, Help! 10. Earth, Wind and _____: Shining Star, September 12. Title of 7th Yes album (1974). Contains: Soon 13. Take back what was once yours 14. _____ Shop, 2012 Macklemore and Ryan Lewis hit. 16. Baba O’Riley, Love Reign O’er Me 19. A coalition of organizations and journalists recently filed a federal lawsuit to overturn Idaho’s newly passed “ag-_____” _____, which jails people who secretly film animal abuse at Idaho’s agricultural facilities. 20. Depending on the sport and sex, this 2013 event was won by Justin Rose, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams or Inbee Park 22. Oye Como Va, Black Magic Woman 23. Stacee Jaxx’s band in the musical Rock of Ages 25. “_____ _____ Tired”, song on The White Album where John Lennon sings (pleads) “You know I’d give you everything I got for a little peace of mind.” 26. Armageddon It, Pour Some Sugar on Me 27. Rock and Roll All Night, Beth 28. Eleanor, Happy Together
1. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame web site: Ray Davies (of the Kinks) is almost indisputably rock’s most _____ , witty and insightful songwriter. Lola, You Really Got Me 2. “_____ on the Threshold”, 1982 and 1984 Van Morrison release 3. Public _____: Fight the Power, Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos 4. _____ Noone, lead singer of Herman’s Hermits: Mrs. Brown You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter, I’m Into Something Good 5. “_____ _____ _____ train a comin’, it’s rolling round the bend…”- opening line to Johnny Cash’s Folsom Prison Blues 7. 25 or 6 to 4, Colour My World 8. Badge, Sunshine of Your Love 11. “Irish Smiles and _____”, title of November 17, 1993 NY Times concert review of The Cranberries: Zombie, Linger 15. Slow Ride, I Just Want to Make Love to You 17. Love Hurts, Hair of the Dog 18. Sticker promotion on many albums “_____ the Hit Single…” 19. I Can’t Dance, Abacab 21. “_____ Wizard”, Tommy’s talent on the Who’s album of the same name. 22. Grace _____, lead singer for Jefferson Airplane: White Rabbit, Somebody to Love 23. Note on the 4th fret of the 1st and 6th string of a guitar tuned to standard 24. _____tramp: The Logical Song, Give a Little Bit