CAROUSEL triple cities
march 2014
free
vol. 2 issue 3
living local. loving life.
MOE IS COMING
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LIVING
LOCAL LOVING LIFE
SINCE
2013
contents.
March 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 5
editorial..............................................................................6 parade day .......................................................................8 music...................................................................................9 poetry...............................................................................14 art .....................................................................................16 calendar............................................................................18 theatre and dance.......................................................23 food and drink................................................................27 travel................................................................................29 comedy..............................................................................31 fun stuff..........................................................................32 crossword......................................................................34
HEY THERE, PUNK. YOU KNOW HOW YOU KEEP SAYING “CAROUSEL NEEDS A ‘LETTERS TO THE EDITOR’ SECTION? WELL, WE TOTALLY WOULD IF YOU’D SEND US SOMETHING! editor@triplecitiescarousel.com 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 Staff Writers Charles Berman, Stacey Burke, Ilana Lipowicz, Kaitlin Mooney, Rose Silberman-Gorn, Dan Spaventa, Felicia Waynesboro, Ahlpheh Ohtis Wilson Contributors Mark Dickinson, Brian Kamsoke, Paul O’Heron, Nick Rubenstein, Kevin Salisbury, Kristina Strain Photography Ty Whitbeck Layout/Design Christopher Bodnarczuk Youth Liason Ahlpheh Ohtis Wilson Printer Our Press Chenango Bridge, NY On the Cover “Infinite Flower” -Greg Bohner FOR ADVERTISING: ads@triplecitiescarousel.com FOR LETTERS, COMPLAINTS, PRAISE, DEATH THREATS, AND MORE INFO: editor@triplecitiescarousel.com
editorial.
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It’s hard to believe. Overwhelming, even. A year ago to the day (well, at least to the day that I’m writing this here editorial on. Probably a bit more for you.), I drove around to 50 different businesses in the Triple Cities, stumbling over my words as I asked people if it would be okay if I dropped off a few papers with them. And it certainly was “a few.” There were 2000 copies of a 16 page newsletter in my trunk, and they didn’t even fill it. Most people were receptive to it (though maybe not receptive enough… I’ve still got about 400 of those issues in my closet), and so was born Triple Cities Carousel. The next month, we printed 5000 copies of a 20 page paper. The month after that, 5000 copies of a 24 page paper. I took care to ensure that the two investors we had didn’t have the slightest idea where I lived, because I was pretty sure by the fourth month we were gonna go under, and there wasn’t a chance in hell I’d be able to pay them back (I still haven’t, for the record). And yet, the fourth month came, and the paper got even bigger. Here we are, a year later… 8000 copies. 180 distribution locations. 36 pages. Oooh snap, son. “Print is dead.” I heard that phrase a whole lot in the beginning. I almost believed it. And yet, here I am, writing my thirteenth editorial for this supposedly dead medium. Carousel-1. Naysayers-0. It’s taken a whole lot of sleepless nights. And espresso. And whiskey. And an ever expanding crew of creative whirlwinds looking to write. But, we made it. A year. A fucking year. This whole paper was supposed to be a hobby. At its launch, I was still living out of Driftwood’s van, trying to scrape up enough money as tour manager to buy myself a pack of cigarettes and dinner every night. All I wanted was to have something to work on during the endless drives up and down I-95, something that would give back to my adopted hometown and maybe make me a few hundred bucks along the way. But, the response was so strong, and so immediate, that I had no choice but to stick around town to keep it going. I’ve barely seen that few hundred bucks, and god knows there’s nothing I miss more than that crazy crew of folksingers, but I can’t think of any point in my life where I would have considered myself richer. I don’t know how much of a part Carousel has had in it, but there is no denying that sometime in the past year, a fire has been lit under the ass of our local creative community. Venues are filling up like never before. BU students are venturing into the hidden gems like never before. Theatrical events are happening with more frequency than ever before. Public art is being discussed as a real economic booster, and I can’t even count on one hand the amount of promoters that have come out of the woodworks, full of piss and vinegar and creativity, ready to do their part. Binghamton, and the Triple Cities as a whole, have seen rock bottom. The departure of manufacturing jobs left a void that can’t ever be filled. And yet, all those empty factories are gold to the arts community. Cheap rent, large studio spaces, and a Rust Belt grittiness… that’s what makes an arts scene. That, and strength in numbers. Let’s make it happen. Okay ramblers, let’s get rambling. -Christopher M.F. Bodnarczuk
MURPHY’S LAW
IS COMING TO FITZIES AND IT’S A REALLY BIG DEAL, BUT OUR INTERVIEW DIDN’T COME THROUGH IN TIME, SO WE’RE GOING TO WRITE THIS IN BIG HUGE BLOCK LETTERS SO YOU KNOW HOW BIG OF A DEAL IT IS. MARCH 16TH 8PM 18+ $10 ALSO ON THE BILL...
KROOKED KNUCKLES, SAFETY RAZORS, AND DIALYSIS
parade day.
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BINGHAMTON PARADE DAY:
punched every single one in the face. Next thing you know, the police are coming in. Apparently, they had been chasing these two from downtown. After a long fight, they restrained him on the ground. One of them came over to ask me what I had seen, and I told them what I just recounted to you. Next, an officer in a suit with a large badge came in and asked to speak with my supervisor. Apparently, these two had been part of a nationwide crime spree and had fled to Binghamton to celebrate the robbery of a gun store in Scranton. I guess they wanted to blend in with all the students. Still, they were caught and I finally went to bed at 1am after filling out paperwork and talking to the FBI. Ya, it was definitely my most epic parade day memory ever. I’ll remember it forever.”
Kaitlin Mooney Staff Writer
Binghamton’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade is one of the least memorable events of the year. It is a wonderful parade, with amazing performances from the Broome County Celtic Pipes and Drums, creatively crafted floats, talented Irish Step Dancers and much more (including a Celtic Kazoo Band). However, the Binghamton tradition of marathon day drinking leaves many wondering what they saw, what they bought ($11 novelty eyeglasses that look like beer pitchers? I NEED IT), what they drank, and who they kissed/offended/ punched. Parade Day is a mixed bag. The warm hearted kindness of pleasantly buzzed strangers, accepting of anyone decked in green, can lead to hilarious stories and new (1 day only) friends. Or, the masses of obnoxious drunk kids stumbling around, while children are watching the parade with their parents, can leave one embarrassed and wishing they just stayed home eating Lucky Charms. I for one have had good parade days (2011: drunk enough to socialize and saw 3 dogs dyed Green), and horrible parade days (2012: public confrontation with a kind of ex dressed as a Leprechaun). Parade Day stories, whether they are good, bad, entirely made up, or only slightly embellished, are always fun to hear about. Carousel asked people their best Parade Day memory… “People remember things from Parade Day?” “Car Bombs under the table at Denny’s.” “One year I picked up my friend at the Holiday Inn, who somehow wandered there in a drunken stupor. She lost her pants and was walking around their ballroom in her underwear while they had a big conference in there. (Who holds a conference on Binghamton’s drunkest day of the year? Don’t ask me.) When we got there she was wearing a window draping as a dress. We took her home but never recovered the pants.”
“The year I dumped my beer all over my friend ….and then the year after that, when I threw up on his shirt.”
“I’ve never done anything for Parade Day, except once I walked down the street after it was over and saw a big green mess.” “That time I kissed a girl who wasn’t a girl. That’s what I get for mixing Molly with grain alcohol. Never again.” “I took about eight shots between 9 and 10am and slept through the entirety of parade day on a bench. When I woke up, I was surrounded by a completely different group of people that I didn’t know. I never did end up making it downtown.” “The three times I didn’t go.” “The four times I didn’t go.” “My friend throwing up in my driveway before noon and insisting it be caught on camera.” “The year I found $20 on the ground while walking downtown.”
“The time when I was on RA duty during parade day, and a couple came into the office circa 8pm. The guy stumbled to the condom basket, looked down at it for three seconds, and then vomited directly into it. He then looked at me and said, ‘$%$*#…. pizza.’ At this point, the young woman who came with him was starting to run away, until she realized that she could hide in the defunct telephone booth outside the RA office. I asked the guy if he was ok. He said he was fine and that he was sorry, but that he had to go. There was no reasoning with him. As he was walking out, past the phone booth, he did the most exaggerated double take I have ever seen outside of a cartoon. He was mystified that the woman he had come with was inside the defunct telephone booth. ‘I thought you were from this dimension,’ he told her. He was having trouble conceiving that the space inside the telephone booth was as real as the space outside of it. He looked very depressed, presumably because the woman he thought he was hooking up with was now in another dimension. This prompted me to worry about him, but as I was calling the ambulance, EMT’s rushed into the building and began to take care of him. He
“Mostly, day drinking just made my girlfriends want to fight with me, so I never had fun on Parade Day.”
vvv [EDITOR’S NOTE: We had planned on getting this issue out the day before Parade Day, not two days after, but a bit of a family emergency had to be tended to with the editorial staff. Y’all knew Parade Day was happening anyway, we hope! There’s not much to be said about Parade Day that hasn’t been said before, but there’s plenty of stories to be told nonetheless. We tasked Kaitlin with collecting the best Parade Day memories she could find. Our aim is not to encourage reckless drinking or blackouts, it just so happens that for many, it is a day full of that. We realize that there are many in the Triple Cities that are disgusted by the Bacchanalian aftermath of the St. Pat’s Parade, and our goal is not in any way to offend our non-binging Irish friends. That said, when a bunch of 20-somethings are tasked with covering what’s going on in town, there’s bound to be an alcohol related twist. So there you go.]
PIECING TOGETHER THE MEMORIES
music.
March 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 9
HOOTIE WHO? Darius Rucker. Photo Provided.
EX- BLOWFISH FRONTMAN DARIUS RUCKER HEADLINES BROOME ARENA
Ty Whitbeck Creative Consultant
As a child of the 90s, I have fond memories of huddling over my boom box with my trigger finger on the “Record” button, anxiously waiting for that hot song of the summer to come on. More than once, I missed curfew because I was up the street with my friends, waiting for the DJ on the radio to announce that Hootie & the Blowfish was coming up next. Hootie bombarded the airwaves with their poppy blues rock, leaving most other mid-nineties artists in the shadows. It was a good time to be an impressionable ten-year-old. After their 1991 self-released freshman EP, Kootchypop, the South Carolina band signed with Atlantic Records and captivated millions with its major label debut, Cracked Rear View, in 1994. Every single song on it was a hit, including but not limited to, “Hold My Hand,” “Time,” and the radio station staple “Only Wanna Be with You,” the music video for which featured Miami Dolphins’ Hall of Fame Quarterback, Dan Marino. The song also contained some unauthorized Bob Dylan lyrics, a lapse that landed them with an out of court settlement. It was their quick progression to stardom that front man Darius Rucker and his boys had a hard time
following, and they had to work in order to tag up to industry standards. Cracked Rear View is currently the 16th best-selling album ever released in the United States (with over 26 million copies sold by the year 2000), going 16 times platinum.
Hootie’s succeeding albums maintained awesome status, but none held a flame to Cracked Rear View. Its 1996 album Fairweather Johnson sold steadily in the first week, the single “Old Man and Me” topping the US charts at Number 13 and going 3 times platinum. Fairweather Johnson only sold 4 million copies in the US (“only”) and Hootie began to fall out of the limelight. They released two more albums with Atlantic Records and a last one with Vanguard in 2005. Within that time the band launched their own record label, Breaking Records, in cooperation with Atlantic, who has signed Carolina artists like Edwin McCain and The Meat Puppets. The label dissolved in 2000. Hootie plays four yearly charity concerts and has been paying it forward since ’95. Among these shows is the Monday after the Masters Golf tournament which raises money for local charities. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, they were involved in building houses in Musicians’ Village. They’ve performed USO Tours in the Middle East and Europe, and they sold the rights to their #1 song “Hold My Hand” to help the working poor. These guys are what you call a class act. They didn’t ask for the spotlight, and they continue to be themselves and live within their means. What sets Hootie & the Blowfish apart is that despite the Hootie “hysteria,” the members have always been normal guys, doing good for others with what they’ve gained through their success.
In 2008, front man Darius Rucker made a public internet statement on AOL Sessions announcing that the he and the gang would be taking a “hiatus.” Rucker explained that he would be pursuing a career in country music and that while Hootie & the Blowfish would not be writing any more music together, they would still play the rest of their scheduled dates and their yearly charity events.
As if overnight, Darius Rucker reinvented himself as a solo country player. He turned in his forward facing baseball cap for a curled brim cowboy hat. Our first introduction to Rucker as a country artist was a 2005 Burger King commercial, in which he donned a purple cowboy suit, resembling Don Cheadle in “Boogie Nights,” and sang a parody of “Big Rock Candy Mountain.” In 2008, he released his first country album on Capitol Records, titled Learn to Live, featuring the singles “Alright,” “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It,” and “It Won’t Be Like This for Long.” Each one of these songs reached #1 on the US Hot Country charts, not to mention “History in the Making” which only reached #3 (once again, only…). This album struck the masses much like Cracked Rear View did, appealing to frat boys and sports bars nationwide. Rucker’s second release, Charleston, SC 1966, was on shelves in October of 2010 and debuted at #2 on the US Billboard 200. It jumped around the charts for weeks and sold a few hundred thousand copies in the first couple weeks. Critics called it a solid follow-up to Learn to Live and recognized a more mature Darius Rucker. Although it didn’t share a traditional feel with his previous release, it did capture Rucker’s true emotion. It’s a style that fits him like a well-tailored cowboy suit.
In June of 2013, Rucker put out his most recent album, True Believers, selling 478,000 copies in the US. This album contains the coveted “Wagon Wheel,” a hitch-hiking song that has done something unrelenting to this country and the music scene in general. Originally framed by Bob Dylan for the “Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid” soundtrack, Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show picked it up and wrote verses to accompany the originally titled “Rock Me Mama.” While Bob Dylan is credited as the co-writer, the finished Old Crow version, “Wagon Wheel,” went on to be the “Free Bird” of my generation and what most people spend their jukebox quarters on. Rucker’s cover of the song peaked at #16 on the US Billboard Country charts. (Darius Rucker must really like giving Bob Dylan his money).
vvv On Thursday, March 27th, Darius Rucker will be bringing his rootsy country flavor to the Binghamton Veterans Memorial Arena. Tickets are on sale at the Arena Box Office and pretty much anywhere on the internet that sells concert tickets. So throw on your biggest belt buckle and your western shirt, and prepare for one of the most soulful voices in pop country music today. For more information, visit dariusrucker.com. (To clear the air regarding the name: Hootie does not refer to Darius Rucker, and the Blowfish are not the band. The name comes from two childhood friends of Rucker’s: Hootie, and the Blowfish. It was a name that stuck after an open mic performance back in college in South Carolina. The more you know…)
AYANA D AND ENERJEE JAZZ HEAT UP A COLD CITY WITH MONTHLY RESIDENCY
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together and let themselves go in some jazzy freestyle.
Ilana Lipowicz Staff Writer
Ayana can especially appreciate being able to depend on this escape each month when little else in her world has stayed the same. In December, she experienced the terrible misfortune of losing her home in a fire, along with her keyboard, her violin, and her sheet music- the kinds of personal items of which the loss feels as heavy as losing a piece of your identity. But if you know Ayana, you know her unbending positivity, and she’s been able to grasp whatever good came out of the accident and to see it as a part of a larger spiritual transformation in her life. “In the midst of all this, I received an amazing, unbelievable outpouring of support from the community,” she says.
Thursday night feels quiet in the Lost Dog’s main dining room, compared with the usual bustle of people waiting with their buzzers for a seat on the weekends, but the tight hallway behind the hostess stand opens up into the other world of the restaurant that is its cool, modern back room lounge. If you haven’t checked it out yet, the third Thursday of each month you can find it by following Ayana D’s sultry notes and dynamic scats that flow throughout the room. She and the Enerjee Jazz trio, composed of Joel Smales on drums, Ryan Cirbass on bass, and Brian Murphy on keys, have been putting on their monthly show since 2007. It’s a gig that is close to their hearts. After all of these years, Ayana says, the Lost Dog feels like a second home to her. The relaxed vibe allows her and Enerjee Jazz the freedom to let loose and improvise, and as Ayana says, “the heart of jazz is improvisation.” The performance certainly does not lack heart. Past the bar in the room lit mystically green, I found Ayana deeply absorbed in a soulful rendition of the Gershwin classic, “Summertime.” The band lets the music wander off into a florid improvisation, Ayana scatting away as she leans into her notes.
at BU. She comes from an artistic family: her father was a percussionist, her mother a marimba dancer, and her sister a singer like herself. She remembers the whole family getting together and singing doowop when she was a kid. When I asked her if she always had a passion for performance, I could hear the smile in her voice as she told me about her first time seeing “Annie” in the movie theater: according to her aunt, she jumped out into the aisle when “Tomorrow” came on and started to sing along.
Ayana D grew up in Endwell while her father worked for the Educational Opportunity Program
It is obvious, from the life the band puts into the music and the smile that does not leave Ayana’s
Ayana D. Photo Provided.
face, that the night of their monthly show is a special one for them. They do not prepare a strict set list, so the performance is always different, unraveling according to their moods and the tone of the night. To Ayana, it’s a chance to “lay it all out on the floor, whatever we’re feeling that day, or that week or month.” There is a certain exuberance in the group’s dynamic which has to do with the fact that their Lost Dog gig is the only time when they are all together. When they’re not at their monthly gig, each member of the band is busy with a job or engaged in a solo project, so the gig has become a sort of ritual for them, the one time they can all get
It was also recently that she broke with her producing partner, and so her relationship to her music is changing as well. The love she has felt from the community has inspired her to complete an album, a project she has been working on for a while but has had to put off for some time. With the album, she wants to give thanks to everyone who has helped and supported her. And of course, she appreciates the Lost Dog for supporting her music and the community, both as a business and a place of inspiration. The atmosphere is “oozing creativity,” she says. “It’s like a really cool Mecca for Binghamton.” To Ayana, it’s all about the community, and she has a vision of putting on a concert for everyone who has helped her in recent times. For now though, you can find Ayana D and the Enerjee Jazz trio at the Lost Dog on March 20th at 9pm, exuding the positive spirit that Ayana cannot help but possess.
March 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 11
BRING ON THE SNARK! Snarky Puppy. Photo Provided.
Ty Whitbeck Creative Consultant
Snarky Puppy is the musician’s idea of Eden. The 18-piece jazz band recently won the Grammy for Best R&B Performance award, and just the mention of their name will cause any jazz player’s ears to perk up. In a room full of jazz players, the question, “have you heard that news on Snarky Puppy yet?” will have everyone chomping at the bit to chime in. Their music evinces the type of depth of emotion that commands a room. Nothing has moved me to tears quite like watching the live in-studio video of their album “groundUP” and witnessing the true musicianship of these players and the seated audience’s stupefied reactions to the madness of their creation. The seeds of Snarky Puppy sprouted in 2004 at the University of North Texas in Denton. Since it was founded by bassist, composer, and maestro Michael League, Snarky Puppy has been on the rise. League boasts that the past ten years’ work has been conducted completely underground as a direct artistto-fan experience under no major label or management. Now they are winning the world over with nothing but their sounds and experiences.
League got into jazz in high school and went on to major in it at the University of North Texas. He listened to a lot of classic rock and R&B growing up, but it wasn’t until college that he made a swan dive into the jazz scene. His repertoire increased in size and he began writing Latin music in keeping with his affection for Fusion. It soon became apparent to League that these songs had a calling to be accompanied live, so he rounded up nine of his friends in his garage and played through his catalog once a week until they were ready to book the venues of North Texas. Getting promoters to take a chance on a big band with no known following proved difficult. League spent most of his time sending out hundreds of emails to clubs in attempt to book a tour from Texas. He received few responses, every 200 emails yielding about 10 responses, most of them no more detailed than a brisk ‘No,’ so the band went another route and embraced the college town scene, benefitting from its insatiable desire to party. He would bring the orchestra down to any basement that would have it and they would play for the door. Finding common ground with the fraternities and sorority houses along the way would prove a worthwhile effort. For three years, they played these smaller outlets as well as pizza parlors and coffee houses. Once they created a buzz in a community, they started booking clubs and found they had no trouble filling a room. The sheer size of the group made it so that their friends alone could pack a venue. As they began to book bigger venues they maintained their grassroots approach and continued handling their own promotion. It was Snarky
Puppy in every direction, and their perseverance and will to survive as an independent group was a testament to them.
The band is made of up a cavalcade of world musicians, spanning styles from New Orleans jazz, blues, Afro/Latino, world beat and hints of everything else under the sun. Having players from such different and unique backgrounds can sometimes confuse the goal of the project, but League knew what he wanted from the get go. He has compared his approach to that of going to the grocery store with a purpose and not just because you’re hungry. Having the world at his fingertips, he hand selected the players who he believed could make his dream a reality. The collective Snarky Puppy, known as “The Fam,” consists of over 40 members but tours with significantly less. Some nights they’ll have an orchestra while other nights the performance is more stripped down, but they never fail to deliver. The lineup rotates depending on who is available. Outside of Snarky Puppy, some band members perform with major artists including Erykah Badu, Justin Timberlake, and Snoop Dogg. Since 2005, the group has recorded and released nine albums on its own. It wasn’t until 2013 that their otherwise underground following saw light with their release of “Family Dinner Volume I,” a live CD/DVD combo that featured vocalists and guest musicians. One of these vocalists, Lalah Hathaway, helped Snarky Puppy go viral with their performance of Brenda Russell’s “Something.” There was something in this mix that made every player and audience member hypothetically crap
themselves. At about six minutes in, Lalah begins to sing triadic chords with her voice not once, but four times, in different harmonies. The guitar player had to play the rest of the song sitting down. For this performance, they were nominated for and won the Grammy for “Best R&B Performance.” Things have been put into perspective since the award ceremony. There are a whole lot more smiles in “The Fam” now, but they still have not forgotten where they started. Now Brooklyn-based, Snarky Puppy continues to tour relentlessly to promote keeping music in schools. They hold seminars, clinics and master classes world-wide while donating portions of their tour profits to musical education around the country. They also just released “We Like it Here,” another live CD/DVD combo filmed over four nights in the Netherlands. Sometimes, their live shows are interactive, making the audience a part of the stage. Among the music stands and microphones are rows of seats for lucky listeners who get the option to dial into the soundboard mix with high-fidelity headphones or sit inches away from the players. The experience is wholesome and, indeed, emotionally moving. Come Thursday, March 13th for a chance to witness pure magic with Snarky Puppy at the Anderson Center at BU. For tickets and information, call 777-ARTS or log on to anderson.binghamton.edu. This performance of Snarky Puppy’s tour is funded through Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation’s Jazz Touring Network program with the support from the National Endowment of the Arts.
THE TOWN PANTS
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10% off with this coupon exp. 3/31
CELEBRATE ST. PAT’S A DAY EARLY
AT MCGIRK’S IRISH PUB
The Town Pants. Photo Provided.
Ilana Lipowicz Staff Writer If you’ve got the post-Parade Day blues, knowing it’ll be a whole year before you can shamelessly drink four beers before noon and still feel comfortable going out in public, remember that the holiday it celebrates is still ahead, and what better way to celebrate St. Patty’s than at McGirk’s Irish Pub with the Town Pants, the Celtic rock band from Vancouver that combines traditional Irish folk rock with American roots music for a dynamic performance which forces you on your feet. The band was started by a pair of brothers, Dave and Duane Keogh, who now play banjo, guitar, and provide vocals for the band. The brothers grew up associating music with tradition and celebration. They come from a long line of Irish and Acadian ancestry, and they remember being allowed to stay up past bedtime during their families’ kitchen parties where the traditional Irish music that would later be part of their sound first planted itself into their hearts. Their father, an Ottowa country music artist, set the stage for them to take on lives as full time musicians. The Town Pants formed out of the remaining members of the brother’s former band, the Van Daemons. The Town Pants started as a side project, its lighthearted nature being a fun alternative to the heavy rock music of the Van Demons. At its beginning it existed mostly to provide fun music to enhance friends’ parties. They played old Irish drinking and rebel songs for their friends to sing along and laugh to. Only after the Van Demons fizzled did the remaining members begin to take the Town Pants more
seriously; they added original music to the mix, planning tours and soon moving to Vancouver. Here, they joined with other founding member Aaron Chapman who plays whistle and mandolin for the band and is also the only member native to Vancouver. The band has lost some old members and seen some new ones over the decades they’ve been playing. Along with Aaron and the brothers, current members include Darla Daniels on fiddle and vocals, Brendan Mooney on bass, and Mike Matsin on percussion. The band was born out of traditional Irish music and the Irish tradition of dancing and having a good time. The band has toured extensively throughout the US, Canada, and all over Europe, their fans following them to rock venues as well as countless Celtic and Roots festivals. While the members have grown as musicians and honed their style, the band’s held to the goal of throwing a great party which brought it about in the first place. Duane Keogh has said that when they are booked in seated venues, they often find that the audience getting up and dancing in the theatre’s pit. Lined up in a row across the stage, the band is thrown into motion by the energy of their own music, rocking and stomping their feet through their fast-paced songs. In the Celtic tradition, many of their songs tell stories. “Seven Drunk Nights,” for example, describes the drunk man’s weeklong plight to discover if his wife is actually cheating on him or if he is simply too drunk to make a proper judgment. While they do go for laughs, the music is arranged smartly, and you can also expect some pretty melodies and impressive fiddle-shredding. It’ll be the perfect night for getting drunk and dancing to songs about getting drunk and dancing, and it’s a show that takes it back to the roots. The Town Pants will be playing at McGirk’s (1 Kattelville Rd, Binghamton… but we all know it’s really in Chenango Bridge) at 7pm on St. Patty’s Day Eve, Sunday, March 16th. For more info, check out thetownpants.com, or mcgirksirishpub.com.
5 Court St. Downtown Binghamton or
www.riverreadbooks.com
March 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 13
CAROUSEL PRESENTS: THE BI G MEAN SOUND MACHI N E (HAVE WE MENTIONED IT’S OUR BIRTHDAY PARTY?)
The Big Mean Sound Machine. Photo Provided.
Chris Bodnarczuk Editor-in-Chief
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so we’ll keep this article short and let the picture speak for itself. Look at all of them! We count eleven. Eleven musicians, on one stage. Sounds like a hell of a party! And a hell of a party it will be. The band: The Big Mean Sound Machine. The event: Carousel Presents the First Birthday. The extras: cake and t-shirts and all sorts of giveaways. Oh yea. Come celebrate one year of Triple Cities Carousel.
Since a birthday party was in order anyway, we at Carousel decided to think big. And so we got The Big Mean Sound Machine, one of the best funk bands in upstate New York. Maybe it’s not funk. Soul? Afrobeat? Jazz? Whatever the hell it is, it’s got us dancing, and it can have you dancing, too, if you show up to Cyber Café West on Friday, March 7th. Bring $10 with you.
The Big Mean Sound Machine formed in Ithaca in 2009, and they’ve been wowing audiences ever since. With a dozen members spread out throughout the Eastern seaboard, it’s a wonder they ever get the chance to play. But play they do. Carousel readers may recognize them from last summer’s Big Splash festival in Hector, or from Cortland’s annual Seedstock, though the name is known to show up on virtually every well-lit marquee in New York State. With a genre bending live show they describe
as ‘movement for the body and the soul,’ the band has one mission: to make everyone (everyone!) dance. With two critically acclaimed albums and a live DVD under their belt, the band has been busy in the studio recording a new record, to be released within the next few months.
The Big Mean Sound Machine might be the biggest draw of the night, but it is far from the only reason to come and get sloppy and silly with our editorial board. Muckles’ Ink, Binghamton’s own artisanal screen-printing company, will be gracing the Cyber with their presence as well, printing some amazing limited edition Triple Cities Carousel t-shirts (with a design by Binghamton artist Charlotte Robins). We’ll be giving shirts away all night, as well as posters and gift certificates. Hell, if we do enough celebrating early in the night, we might just give away the whole paper. Business and all. Oh, and cake.
Don’t forget the cake. There will be a whole lot of cake. Come for the music. Come for the shirts. Come for the cake. Come for the giveaways. Or just come for the community. Sustaining a new business in a dying field for the past year certainly hasn’t been easy for us at Carousel. We like to hear we’re appreciated once in a while. Thank us with an IPA, if you will! The music starts at 9pm on Friday, March 7th. There is a $10 cover, and every last bit of that goes to the musicians. Presale tickets have been selling out quick, so be sure to stop over at Cyber Café West the week before the event for a ticket and a cup of coffee. Cyber Café West is located at 176 Main St. in Binghamton. For more info on the event, check out cybercafewest.com. For more info on the band, check out bigmeansoundmachine.com.
poetry. POET OF THE MONTH: BRIAN KAMSOKE
14 Vol. 2 Issue 3
Brian Kamsoke is a native Central New Yorker. His poetry has appeared in Mikrokosmos, Grasslands Review, Innisfree Magazine, and The Nocturnal Lyric. His fiction has appeared in REAL: Regarding Arts & Letters, Reed Magazine, rkvry Quarterly Literary Journal, Flint Hills Review, and Pearl. Brian recently graduated from the Wichita State University MFA Creative Writing Program, where he held the 2012-2013 Creative Writing Fellowship.
The Gordian Knot
Our Father’s Hairless Legs
These waters Have awoken What stirs below – A string of eggs, Eight feet long, Entangled together like The Gordian Knot.
Creep toward us like the bone-white Stands of timber ‘cross the pond, Every step foreboding on a land we know,
If we are blind to the birthing, Then we are as the Phrygians Were without a king, Our ox-cart tied To faulty doctrine. We could draw our sword And slice the squirming Buddle in two – Or simply remove The pin from the yoke And run wild Like horsehairs come alive.
Nearer the creek, where every June, We wonder, “Has it died?” Before it leafs out again full of life.
Tonight we will witness A violent thunderstorm And tomorrow An eagle shall perch Upon the deadwood stump Nearest the pond But we will never know The meaning of this. Let us then wade into the water, Join the bloodworms and phantoms; Let us sink our feet into The bacteria of decay; Let us not secure the Alexandrian Solution, But merge and squeeze the mud Between our toes. This Great Unraveling How frost evokes colors from the forest, How pupils dilate to hide the iris, And how like on this mirrored pond, Fringed with sedge and lily and sweet gale, We hover on the wings of an hour Calling our passage time because we know Our breath fleeting, like the beating Heart of a hemlock we cannot see, Like wind through the treetops we call applause, Where here we only think of ourselves, Today, in this great unraveling, The woods awake our endless slumber.
Like how that locust Planted to mark a child’s birth Cut from root sucker, moved to meadow
What We Search For We Often Destroy Have we, as Emerson says, Retained the spirit of infancy – Our inward sense of self Connected to Nature Even into the era of manhood? “It’s so quiet here,” a neighbor said, “Reminds me of an Adirondack wilderness pond,” said another. That was five years ago before the hemlocks fell, The wetlands cleared, suburbia bushes and Christmas trees planted, before the fountain (Yes, fountain!) emerged on a front lawn. Our land we do not mow, For a manicured lawn only dulls the mind. Blueberries and briers, sedge and saplings, Overgrow our land, a canopy of maples, Hemlock, birch, and beech shelter us. Our untamed land is alive with life: Dragonflies mated on a willow bough, Butterflies and rabbits and snakes even. Last night, we heard a bobcat screech. New and returning growth keeps us Guessing, studying and deciphering. Is that a faded trillium blossom? “Swamp,” a lifelong woodsman called this pond, “Disaster,” a young boy who knew no better. This pond never existed until industrious beavers Spurred human imagination and mammon lust: Now staked out and surveyed, Waterfront property For Sale.
16 Vol. 2 Issue 3
GREG BOHNER:
BY HEATHER MERLIS
On a chilly February evening, I was greeted with a warm welcome at the home of Greg Bohner, this month’s Carousel cover artist. The stairway leading up to his abode is wallpapered and carpeted with remnants of a Binghamton long past, grand and elegant. When I stepped into his apartment, I bore witness to his “personal gallery,” an accumulation of years of his work, ranging from surrealistic paintings to abstract monotypes, colorful cartoons to sensuous woodcut prints. His greatest work; however, takes place in the classroom. Tell us about what you do, as a teacher and as an artist. Students call me “Mr. B.” I teach kindergarten through fifth grade at Charles F. Johnson, in the Union Endicott School District, and also at JFS Middle School. It’s been a while since I’ve painted, but I’m constantly making art for the kids to learn from. I don’t like being told what to do, but I like telling people what they can do. I don’t teach arts and crafts; I give them a problem, and they have to solve it. And measuring it is tough for me, because everyone puts heart into it. I try to leave my students with the desire to be happy to create. I don’t like to do art for money. I enjoy doing it. It makes me feel good, and I learn new things from it. Do you feel like you have the time to make art, being a teacher? I
feel good enough making the art I do for my students. I do art pieces with my friends that are, pretty much, the same assignments that I give my students. I do the work to show them how to do it, and it becomes a piece of art for me. How do you navigate the changing world of education? They want us to teach them how to write better. They got rid of more art classes throughout the years. You know, I argue that if you get rid of art classes, you lessen their ability how to understand basic symbols. The alphabet is a bunch of symbols. You learn all kinds of things when you write, but also when you draw a lot. Often, the kids who are the best writers are also best at drawing. I wasn’t good in school, I was kind of a comedian. I didn’t understand; I didn’t care to understand, because my mind didn’t think like that. I wanted to look at the book for the pictures. I couldn’t read as good, I’d rather communicate with my drawings. How did you learn how to draw? I remember seeing a picture of a Big Bird that I did, with all the details, the little feathers on the top. It was before I was in school. I was looking at Big Bird and applying what I saw. Were you initially interested in doing comics when you first started out? Not really. I met a guy named Jay Lynch; he is a very famous underground comics artist, he did Wacky Packages and Garbage Pail Kids. I sometimes give my students Wacky Packages, which are stickers that depict parodies of brands (like “Weakies” rather than Wheaties, “Flunkables” versus Lunchables). They’re deprogramming tools, and they encourage kids to make fun of what traps them. Jay Lynch is associated with Robert Crumb. Now, Robert Crumb is the best. They consider him as a modern-day Bruegel. Bruegel was a parody artist who, back in the day, did parodies and satire against the
art.
March 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 17
THE ART OF TEACHING
church during the Renaissance era. And his drawings were beautiful, just like Crumb. Crumb’s art is beautiful, but it’s not stuff that you can teach in school. I studied underground comics for my master’s thesis at Marywood, in Pennsylvania. It’s a Catholic college. So just imagine: these guys are dirty comics, and I did that as a thesis somehow. Thank God the sister in charge of our program happened to be in Alaska at the time. Teaching is obviously hugely important to you. Could you describe any of your influences, aesthetically or stylistically? A lot of things that I teach might not be the most traditional things; I don’t do a lot of history. What I’m really interested in is giving students the tools to speak for themselves. So one thing is that I don’t get clip art of anything; I draw the things out. In English, a picture says a thousand words, so how do you describe a piece of art? One problem is that students can’t always easily break things down in an abstract way, and that’s important, to feel that they have the ability to just apply it. From where do you draw your inspiration? My sources of inspiration are the children. It keeps my art young. Kids are the future. They’re the most important resource that we have. And it’s not really about the test. And if it is about a test, with my subject, it should have to do with art. If they’re familiar with art, it builds confidence. But there are some kids who are absolutely terrified to draw. And it’s a catch-22, because the kids who need help don’t want to ask for it, because they don’t want to draw attention to themselves. And after a certain point, if they don’t know how to do that stuff, for the rest of their life they’re not going to know how. I’m curious about your pets. These are Madagascar hissing cockroaches. They’re my brother’s; he’s a science teacher in the city. (Greg proceeds to take out one of the roaches, the friend-
liest of the bunch. Then he provokes the big bull cockroach, to get him to hiss, which he did.) What were you working on during the time you made the painting for this month’s cover? “Infinite Flower” is a painting which has never been finished. I’m hoping to let it become something else entirely in the next few years. I always wanted to develop a never-ending painting. I want to throw art parties with local artists and conjure something, something that represents the beginning of an art movement right here in Binghamton. Bring it on! Oh, and this painting over here [see right side of this spread]… this painting was created for the local band Yolk, which began as Groove Socket. They needed an album cover, and I was working at Wegman’s with their bassist, Jim Lamonaco. So I would draw up different ideas and have him take a look. I had done the back cover art for the first album, which sold thousands of copies. I tried to get on the cover with one of my paintings for the next album, but a Russian artist who had made a monotype got the cover instead. Your work displays an incredible range of technique and style. I’d like to have a gallery show one day, but right now I am in the business of trying to make children understand how to speak for themselves with a visual medium. That’s my job now. That’s what I’m interested in. Next month, Bohner’s students will have art on display in the Davinci Festival Student Art Show at the Broome County Public Library (more on that in the April issue of Carousel). Bohner is currently busy at work with his students, but has plans to coordinate several shows in the coming year. Keep your ears to the pavement and you’re bound to find out what’s next!
triple cities carousel sunday.
(AC) Anderson Center (ALP82) American Legion Post 82 (AP) Adriano’s Pizza (B2) Brothers 2 (BCC) Broome Comm. Coll. (BUCW) BU Center for Writers (BBW) Black Bear Winery (BCA) Broome County Arena (BEL) Belmar Pub (BGL) Beagle Pub (BHS) Binghamton High School
02 09 16 23 30
HANGOVER DAY!
Miss Saigon (EPAC) You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (BHS)
Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone (BU) Murphy’s Law/Krooked Knuckles (FTZ) Classical Pianist Victoria Young (TCO) The Town Pants (MCG) Miss Saigon (EPAC)
WWE Live: Road to Wrestlemania (BCA) Casual Sunday Social Dance (ALP82) John Covelli & Friends (FHS) Deathtrap (CMP) Ultra Vibe (LDC)
Deathtrap (CMP)
monday.
tuesday.
(BTP) Blind Tiger Pub (BOB) Bobby’s Place (BU) Binghamton University (BUN) Bundy Museum (BWSC) Binghamton West Sr. Center (CCW) Cyber Café West (CI) Choconut Inn (CMP) Cider Mill Playhouse (CRAN) Cranberry Coffee House (DTB) Downtown Binghamton (DTO) Downtown Owego
(EPAC) Endicott Performing Arts Center (FHS) Firehouse Stage (FORUM) Binghamton Forum Theatre (FTZ) Fitzies Pub (GIP) Gallagher’s Irish Pub (GXY) Galaxy Brewing Co. (JBC) John Barleycorn (JCMS) JC Middle School (KING) Kingsley’s Pub (KNOW) KNOW Theatre (KS) Kalurah Shrine
03 10 17 24 31
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) Poetry Workshop (BUCW) Meet the Farmer Dinner (WSBC)
Comedy Writing Workshop (BUN) Open Mic (BEL) Open Mic w/Dan Pokorak (KING) Poetry Workshop (BUCW) Saint Patrick’s Party Continued (GIP)
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) Poetry Workshop (BUCW)
04 11 18 25
MARCH
Ric Pedro/Basin St. Jazz/Zydeco Po’ Boys (LDC) Therese Walsh Book Signing (RRB) Speakeasy Open Mic (CCW) Milkweed (OUH
Milkweed (OUH)
wedne
(LDC) Lost Dog Café/Lou (MB) Matty B’s (MCG) McGirk’s Irish Pub (MSBC) Main St. Baptist C (MPW) Musicians Perform (OUH) Old Union Hotel (PMM) Phelps Mansion M (ROB) Roberson Museum (RRB) River Read Books (SB) Searchbar (TACP) Ti-Ahwaga Comm
05 12 19 26
Prima
Kate Purcell &
The Ha Puzzled Playe Prima
H 2014
esday. thursday.
unge
Church mance Warehouse
events calendar
friday.
(TC) Terra Cotta (TCO) Tri-Cities Opera Center (UUC) Unitarian Universalist Church (WSBC) Waster Street Brewing Co.
Museum m
munity Players Devinne Meyers (CCW) Open Jazz Jam (LDC) Live Music (KING) Open Mic (JBC) Triple Divide (UUC)
al Beat Open Drum (BUN) Jamie Willard (CCW) Live Music (KING) Comedy Open Mic (MB)
Opera Scenes (AC) & the Burns Sisters (CCW) Open Jazz Jam (LDC) Live Music (KING) Percussion Clinic (MPW)
arlem Globetrotters (BCA) ers Improv Comedy (LDC) al Beat Open Drum (BUN) Zac Potter (CCW) Live Music (KING) Comedy Open Mic (MB)
06 13 20 27
You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (BHS) West Coast Swing Lessons (BWSC) American Idiot (FORUM) InnerMission (CCW) Mid-Day Concert (BU) Cult Movie Thursday (BUN) Chris Mollo (BTP) Hummel’s Jug (GXY)
Snarky Puppy (AC) Mid-Day Concert (BU) Vermont Cheddar (BTP) Cult Movie Thursday (BUN) InnerMission (CCW) Poetry Workshop (BUCW) Tewksbury, Linkroum & Evans (GXY) Quick Step Lessons (BWSC) Donal O’Shaughnessy (GIP) The Quantum (BEL)
Mid-Day Concert (BU) Cult Movie Thursday (BUN) Chris Mollo (BTP) InnerMission (CCW) Deathtrap (CMP) Enerjee Jazz w/Ayana D (LDC) Poetry Workshop (BUCW) Milkweed (GXY) Quick Step Lessons (BWSC) Startisan (FTZ) Percussion Clinic (BCC/BHS), The Quantum (BEL) Darius Rucker w/Eli Young Band (BCA) Vermont Cheddar (BTP) Mid-Day Concert (BU) Cult Movie Thursday (BUN) Deathtrap (CMP) InnerMission (CCW) Poetry Workshop (BUCW) Richie Stearns/Rosie Newton (GXY) Quick Step Lessons (BWSC) The Quantum (BEL)
07 14 21 28
Carousel B-Day! Big Mean Sound Machine (CCW) First Friday Art Walk (DTB), Beard of Bees (BOB) Daphne (JBC) Rick Iacovelli (BTP) The Vagina Monologues (KNOW) Live Music (BBW) Miss Saigon (EPAC) Pete Ruttle & Friends (OUH) Pasty White & Double Wide (GIP) Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone (BU) You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (BHS) Uncle Buford’s Travelin’ Roadshow (BOB) Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone (BU) Doug Mosher (BTP) Klyma/Fitzsimmons (CCW) Miss Saigon (EPAC) Live Music (BBW) BU’s Party with a Purpose (TC) Phillips Head (JBC) Pete Ruttle & Friends (OUH)
Solaris (BGL) Outer Reef (BTP) Deathtrap (CMP) Milkweed (CCW) Live Music (BBW) Third Friday Art Walk (DTO) Peaches & Crime (FTZ) Mason Warrington Orchestra (KS) The Blind Spots (JBC) Pete Ruttle & Friends (OUH)
Never Enough (BOB) Pasty White & Double Wide (BTP) Deathtrap (CMP) Thousands of One (CCW) Live Music (BBW) Adams & Beardslee (JBC) Pete Ruttle & Friends (OUH) Time & Distance (AP) Blue Velvet Orchestra/Dance (B2) Godamnit, The Emersons, More (FTZ)
saturday.
01 08 15 22 29
PARADE DAY!
Joey Belladonna w/Chief Bigway (CI) Bugtown Follies Puppet Show (FHS) Therese Walsh Book Signing (RRB) Chorale & Women’s Chorus (AC) Serling’s The Twilight Zone (BU) Singing With the Stars! (TCO) Acoustic Persuasion (BTP) Lallapalooza (TACP) Wreckless Marci (BOB) Kim & Chris (CCW), Miss Saigon (EPAC) You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (BHS)
Cavaille-Coll Documentary Series #3 (MSBC) Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone (BU) BU Ballroom Dance Comp. (JCMS) Music by Numbers (AC) Mike Whittemore (BTP) Magnolia Drive (CCW) Miss Saigon (EPAC) Shelter Slam (CI), Finer (LDC) Intoxicated Youth and More (FTZ) Saint Patrick’s Party (GIP) Tim & Mallory (JBC),The Revelers (OUH) The Gravelding Brothers (BOB) Liberty Belle & the Union Boys (FTZ) Charlie Brown (BTP) Lee Murdock (CRAN) Beauty Shop Stories (FHS) Deathtrap (CMP) The Jauntee (CCW) Survay Says!/Lila Ignite – SKA! (AP) Grand Opening Dance Party (SB)
Rick Fry (BTP) Deathtrap (CMP) Brenda Swanger (CCW) Kim & Chris (LDC) Gifts Galore Raffle Party (PMM) Woodshed Prophets (JBC)
The Triple Cities Carousel Events Calendar is featured each month as a courtesy to our advertisers, however we welcome everyone to submit their events to calendar@triplecitiescarousel.com by the 15th of the month prior to publication. Space is limited, so calendar entries, which have no cost, are picked on a first come/ first serve basis. Triple Cities Carousel reserves the right to reject any submission deemed to be non-arts related, or, well, for any reason.
20 Vol. 2 Issue 3
BLEEDING THE MEDIUM: THE ART OF NICk Kushner
Mark Dickinson Contributing Writer This past month, Nick Kushner’s Acaldama came to Jungle Science Art Labs in downtown Binghamton. The show, which runs through April, presents a series of blood paintings by Kushner. Mark Dickinson, Binghamton’s resident expert on all things dark and bloody, interviewed the LA based artist recently for a video for Carousel’s comrades in media arms, What’s Goin’ on Binghamton? The following is a transcription of that video:
botomy tools to extract my medium.
Do you mix it with paint or is it just straight up? It’s straight blood. I guess the technique is closest to watercolor. I use water to dilute, you know– Keep it from coagulating? Yeah, in order to get the subtleties and different tones in the painting. Now, how long did it take to actually perfect the technique of painting with blood? It’s
himself- where his entrails fell to the earth for taking the silver and betraying Christ, so thematically I thought that represented the show the best. And I guess it’s also kind of a funny pun- the paintings are for sale, so taking money for blood.
You’ve taken the show on tour- you’ve been to Europe actually. Yeah, I have a piece, which we have here, that I had in the Museum of Fantastic Art in Austria. I had pieces and shows in England, and throughout the US too.
What’s up next for you? What’s next? I’m in a group show in LA this April. I’ll be having a solo exhibition in Mexico City sometime within the next year or so.
vvv First off, could you tell us a little about yourself? Yeah, I’m a Binghamton native. I was living in Brooklyn for a few years; I’m living in LA now where I’ve had a few solo experiences so far, so I’m back in town touring my current show at Jungle Science. Could you tell us a little about the show? Yeah, I paint using my own blood as an art medium which- it’s not a shock thing, it’s always my way of literally transmuting myself into my artwork. You know, art is something that should be meaningful and powerful, and it has a power to affect the world- like doing right, as opposed to just a “The Immoralist” by Nick Kushner. hobby. So I’m using blood as something I started at an early age to kind of re- something I’ve been doing for about 10 or 15 years. flect that. You know, you say something’s signed in I started when I was 15. It started in a self-portrait. blood, and it has an air of power to it. Growing up in a small town, I’ve encountered, you know, adversity from being different, thinking difRight, literally signed in blood. The show’s ferent, feeling different, so I drew a self-portrait, comprised of 17 original works, and all large scale, and I was in a crucifixion pose. And it wasn’t an agpainted entirely with blood. grandizement or anything, it was kind of a searching of identity, you know, taking a leap, and this is How’s it been received? Actually, it’s been pret- what you get. And I used blood emanating from the ty positive so far, which feels nice. I’m in my home- nail wounds in my hands. It was kind of the most town, and kind of been doing this for years, so it’s potent way to reflect the theme, reflect what I was nice to get a little recognition for it. trying to convey, and it evolved from there. I work predominantly in graphite, and I’ve used blood as Do you find that some people are appalled accents and highlights throughout the piece which by the use of the blood in the ink? I haven’t over the years began to slowly evolve into full scale had too many negative reactions; you know, for works done in blood. most people, I guess surprise would be something that would come- as opposed to something nega- So can we look for a book like Marquis de tive. Some people were a little put off by it, but if Sade? Yeah (laughs), eventually, I’d love to. you don’t make enemies, you’re not doing anything powerful. Aceldama was a unique name which, correct me if I’m wrong, means “fields of blood?” How much blood do you actually use? It var- Yeah, it’s a poem by Aleister Crowley. He’s one of ies piece to piece, and depending on the depth and my heroes and inspirations. It’s a Hebrew word. scale and the tone of the piece, but each piece is It’s in the bible; it means fields of blood. It’s also generally two to six vials of blood. I’ve used phle- the field where- when Judas is buried and hanged
kabarett: it’s nachtkabarett.com. It’s basically a site about- you don’t have to be in the fandom of this necessarily to appreciate it. It’s kind of an occult encyclopedia. It’s a compendium of imagery, with, if you’re on my own studies, certainly alchemy, the occult, art history and what not. So you know, I read a book, and I see, “Oh, that’s the same symbol from Holy Wood, one of Marilyn Manson’s albums,” so I take that symbol, take his usage of it, put them side by side, say what each means by themselves, and then say how they correlate to each other, and the meaning of the whole larger concept. And so I massed hundreds of these things. I never tried to deliberately search for them; I just kept hitting them through just my own studies, and so it’s been evolving for several years. I’ll eventually publish it in a book form.
When you’re done with this tour, do you plan on starting something new? Yeah, I think so. You know, at any given time, I have 30 or 50 painting concepts. I’m just waiting to get the time to get out there. There are only so many hours in the day.
Were you able to go to those shows? Unfortunately, no, I had to sell some here. Your show went over pretty well in LAyou’ve actually had two, correct? Right. Well, I’ve had three, but two solo shows. Another was a group show between myself and a friend of mine, Anthony Silva who’s a videographer. He actually co-wrote and co-produced the film script for Marilyn Manson’s film Phantasmagoria. Which I recently saw the trailer for, it’s great. Yeah, and he also did some of the photography for “Eat Me, Drink Me,” the album artwork, so we had a lot of those. He had stills of Phantasmagoria. He had a couple shots of me that he took. He made a short film of me actually that was playing at the opening. Can people see this short film of yours? Yeah, you can see it on my website actually, in the multimedia area. So you actually met Marilyn Manson through him? Yeah, you know, he’s always been a hero of mine… I author a site. It’s called the Nacht-
Now, just for shits and giggles, for anybody starting out as an artist, as a painter, do you have any advice? I’d say, you know, a lot of people talk about originality these days. I think that to actually be original, be an individual, you have to actually be an original. I think you have to eventually turn the computer off because if you’re constantly inundated with what’s going on around you, you can’t listen to the God within you, you know, whatever you want to call it, to channel your higher self in order to hone your identity. So, to tune in and drop out. Where can people find out more about you, your art? Where can people purchase your art? My show will be on display until April 4th, when I’m having a closing reception at Jungle Science, and the pieces are for sale, and prints, T-shirts, posters and what not, and you can go to my website, NickKushner.com, and it has my whole collection.
vvv Special thanks to Mark Dickinson and What’s Goin On Binghamton? for allowing us to reprint the preceding interview. To see the original video in its entirety, as well as a slew of other amazing videos and articles, check out whatsgoinonbinghamton.com.
March 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 21
SARDAR KESTAY MAKES THE BODY SPEAK
IN SALATI GALLERY EXHIBIT
Kestay with his art. Photo Provided.
Ilana Lipowicz Staff Writer The white, wintery vibe of Orazio Salati’s gallery feels appropriate for this time of year, when we are starting to question whether the grass is still present under all of this snow, and the bursts of color that Sardar Kestay’s paintings have adorned them with are stunning and refreshing. The show, When the Body Speaks, is Kestay’s first gallery show in the United States, and it was met with enthusiasm on First Friday in February. The paintings transport you outside of not only our cold-weather climate but also our geographical setting. Kestay, hailing originally from Kurdistan, shipped himself and his paintings to the U.S. only eight months ago, and the life that the paintings emanate flows not only from the rich use of color, but from the many miles they’ve travelled to get here as well.
607-222-9225
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The path that led Sardar to Binghamton arose from unexpected and unfortunate circumstances. After his brother was killed on a mission while working with the U.S. Army as a cultural advisor in 2003, Sardar and his family were afforded Visas to come to the United States. Back in September, he was the featured artist at the Lost Dog, and when Orazio Salati saw his work, he contacted Marie Foley McKenna to find the artist. Sardar’s work has been shown in many galleries and festivals, from his native Kurdistan to galleries in Sweden, Germany, and Egypt. Still, he appeared to be modestly enchanted by the crowd of people who filled up the gallery on the night of his show’s opening. With his translator Ezzat Mustafa by his side, he floated around, talking to his bright-eyed guests who were undoubtedly affected by the vivacity the artwork lent to the room and perhaps also the wine samples and chocolate mints that fit Salati’s always-elegant aesthetic. The setup of the show eases you into what’s been called the “impressionistic carnival” of Kestay’s work. The subjects of the paintings are the wom-
an and the female body. When you walk in, you are immediately confronted with a large canvas depicting one woman using only a deep blue color. She reclines like a mermaid on a rock, suggestive yet solemn, facing you but not seeing you, as if she were trapped in the canvas. In the paintings that depict a lone female, Sardar often uses a dripping paint style, blurring the lines between the girl and her surroundings, which fade into abstraction: she could be in a cloud, or under water, or separated completely from time and space. Sardar’s artwork is concerned with rendering the experience of the Kurdish woman. “I wanted to share her pains with everybody and also give her a signal that I knew about her pain,” he explained in an email. His ability to illustrate emotion through body language is undoubtedly related to his work as a former caricaturist. As a member of the Kurdistan Journalist syndicate, Kestay drew political cartoons, a genre which relies heavily on expressionist technique. Sardar wrote that for him, caricature was more about criticizing current events whereas with his paintings now, he is more concerned with the beauty of the work. As you get towards the back of the room, you see his earlier work, which uses a multitude of bright vivid colors layered with short, thick brush strokes that make fireworks across the canvas. At the time when Sardar was painting these high-energy images, he wanted to show the happier side of the Kurdish woman’s life: full of spectacle, with jewelry and brightly colored dresses. The newer works show the darker side. It’s a show about binaries: the walls of the gallery act as the thick space between the different lives women lead in the Middle East. In the newer work, there is a sense of this duplicity even within the paintings; the women are sexual yet forlorn, bare yet unreachable. And as is true of good art, the experience depicted was one that resonates with everyone. While women in America may enjoy a kind of freedom not experienced by women in the Middle East, the notion of the public versus the private life is relevant to women and men alike, in the Middle East and in the United States. When the Body Speaks will be on display at the Salati Gallery on State Street throughout March.
22 Vol. 2 Issue 3
ROBYN ADAMS BRINGS WHIMSY TO LIFE
WITH FIRST FRIDAY REMLIK’S RECEPTION
Robyn playing poker with her dogs.
Rose Silberman-Gorn Staff Writer Montrose, Pennsylvania-based artist Robyn Adams had been displaying work in Remlik’s when customers’ interest led the owners to ask if she’d like to have a reception. Adams was excited by the prospect and decided to add an interesting twist to the reception. Because the quirky, silly characters that she creates are crucial to her work, she decided to recruit friends, family, and students to portray 15 of her characters live. Recreating her characters was a challenging, exciting task, requiring a lot of creativity and resourcefulness. “The costumes are a mix of different things,” she explains. “I bought some clothing, painted on fabric, and made some props out of paper mache.” The characters will be mingling during the reception, talking to people and passing out free prints of the paintings which they appear in. Robyn was initially inspired to create characters by one of her Masters program’s assignments which involved choosing a children’s book and illustrating it. She chose The Fisherman and His Wife by the Brothers Grimm. “I had a blast! It was fun making up characters,” she says. This led her to continue making characters, for whom the inspiration came from funny situations in everyday life. For instance,
she created the Grumpy Princess character based on her daughter, Cecelia’s propensity for dressing up in a Snow White costume and making grouchy expressions. Inspiration also comes from Robyn’s job as an art teacher at Vestal Hills Elementary School. “Children are very creative,” she explains. Robyn has pretty much always painted in the same whimsical, loose style, but her subject matter used to be much darker and moodier. She named her senior art show “Guts and Giggles,” as the tone of the work vacillated from dark to funny. So what happened? “As I got older, I got happier,” she says. This happiness is what initially drew people to her artwork at Remlik’s. Adams is a Binghamton native who grew up on the Westside. After studying at Elmira College, she began her own home furnishings company, and then she ended up going back to school for teaching. She’s taught at Vestal Hills Elementary for 15 years, and she also taught an art camp for several years out of her house. When not teaching, Robyn spends her time renovating her 19th-century house and being around her kids. For the reception, Robyn already has her outfit planned out. She’s dressing as the self-portrait she painted for the show which depicts her playing poker with her dogs. The reception, which will take place during March’s First Friday from 6-9pm., will be complete with hors d’oeuvres, a giveaway of a wine table, a recorder group playing music, and of course, the fun characters. Remlik’s is located at 31 Lewis Street in Binghamton. For more information on Robyn’s work or to buy a print, visit robynadams.net.
theatre and dance.
March 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 23
Some of the TZ cast. Photo by Jonathan Cohen.
...A DIMENSION OF SIGHT, OF SOUND, OF MIND, OF BU STUDENTS... NEXT STOP
THE TWILIGHT ZONE! Heather Merlis Assistant Editor
“‘The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street’ starts in this harmonious, tranquil suburban environment,” describes Elizabeth Mozer, creative force behind the live, onstage production of Rod Serling’s “The Twilight Zone” at Binghamton University. She goes on to describe what any Twilight Zone fan (and there is no scarcity of such fans in Binghamton, Serling’s hometown) already knows about this, one of the television series’ best-known episodes: the warmth and fuzziness begin to devolve and rush unrelentingly, “into chaos and mayhem.” That is exactly what will happen in front of audiences, as the cast of sixteen Binghamton University students and four child-actors from the community “reimagine” Serling’s scripts, under Mozer’s direction at the University’s main stage, Watter’s Theater. Mozer, an Assistant Professor in BU’s Theatre Department since 2012, says that she perceives the production of two separate, theatricalized Twilight Zone teleplays as a two-act play. She says that the second script, “Dust,” a much lesser-known Twilight Zone installment, “begins in that place of desperateness and soul-sickness,” where “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street” leaves off, and eventually cycles to some typically unexpected Ser-
ling twists on the human condition. “So for me,” the director explains, “there’s a wonderful through-line for the evening of theatre.”
Elizabeth Mozer was well seasoned to direct her first main stage production at BU last spring, the beautifully received comedy Dead Man’s Cellphone. She has an MFA in Theatre Arts, Performance Pedagogy from the University of Pittsburgh. Her stage and media work is extensive, and she is a member of the entertainment industry trade unions SAG-AFTRA, Actor’s Equity and AGVA. Elizabeth was part of the original cast of the major Broadway hit Victor/ Victoria as well as two other shows on the Great White Way, Teddy & Alice and Dangerous Games. Viewers who have paid unusually close attention to television over the years might recognize her from some of the 100 or so TV commercials she has made but, she says, recognition is not likely. She has been an instructor at the legendary Stella Adler Studio and the long-established American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City. As the founder and artistic director of the repertory company Theatre in the Flesh, Mozer says, “One of the major uniting threads of it is that much of the work […] was movement-oriented. Non-verbal action was the primary creative tool.” That is fitting, since Mozer’s undergraduate degree is a BA in Dance from SUNY Brockport. But another uniting thread of the repertory company is that it produces collaboratively created ensemble work- the same thread that stitches together Rod Serling’s “The Twilight Zone.” Mozer asks the cast to do “personal research on their characters,
on the material of the play, on Rod Serling, on the time period, so that we’re all invested in the process together.” She explains, “We draw from various sources of inspiration together, cultivate theatrical content together… so that we’re all picking on the roles of director, creator, writer, choreographer, actor, lighting designer together, collaboratively.” Creating an original work as a group “demands certain values and skills that are brought to bear in the process that I also think are really useful as a society and as a world as individuals,” Elizabeth asserts, “like patience, understanding, listening to, taking turns, learning how to speak to each other in ways that support each other’s creative work.”
American boy who, after flirting with a white woman, was abducted, brutalized, and then lynched. Young Till’s murderers were acquitted in a sphere of racial injustice, though they later admitted they had done it. Each time, Serling’s scripts were pulverized by networks and sponsors. The third and most successful attempt was a televised airing in 1958 titled “A Town Has Turned to Dust.” Despite the industry’s nod of an Emmy nomination this script, too, had been turned to relative pabulum. Three years later, Serling may have decided to turn sprinkles from the dark incident and the previous scripts into the atmospheric, engaging, and entertaining Twilight Zone episode, “Dust.”
Make no mistake, however. The words are Serling’s and the text remains his. The six-time Emmy winner is credited as the writer. Mozer sought and gained permission from Rod’s daughter Anne Serling, representing the Serling estate, to develop the project and use the original teleplays. Rod Serling set the standard for intriguing audiences with social issues enmeshed in startling fantasy. “I love his writing,” Mozer says, “and his economy,” of settings, images, plot, and so on.
“There’s a delight in it,” Elizabeth says. “I think it helps us understand more deeply the graces in our lives. It shines that up.”
Of the two scripts for the production, the director says, “I didn’t choose either one based on popularity or lack of popularity. That’s just an added plus that people know ‘Monsters.’” Not as many remember “Dust” which, Elizabeth maintains, sifted down from the inspiration of a shameful incident in mid-twentieth century America. Serling tried three times to bring the story of Emmett Till before American audiences: a fourteen-year-old African
Rod Serling’s “The Twilight Zone” cast in alphabetical order: Natasha Alimanestianu, Andrew Bryce, Jade Cayne, Sam Checo, Tyler Downey, Mary Dziekowicz, Anthony Gabriele, Kevin Gleeson, Jonathan Molyneaux, Danielle Nigro, Laura Potel, Talia Saraceno, Rob Tendy, Kevin Walsh, Imani Williams, Erik Young and the Youth Cast / Molly Murray, Joshua Schull, Ashley Trelease, Ryan Verity. The production runs the weekends of March 7th and 8th and March 14th and 15th at 8PM, and March 16th at 2PM, in the Watters Theatre, Binghamton University, 4400 Vestal Parkway East. Tickets run $8-$14. To purchase tickets, call 607777-ARTS (2787) or visit the Box Office in the University’s Anderson Center for the Performing Arts.
MISS SAIGON PREMIERES AT EPAC
24 Vol. 2 Issue 3
IN FIRST EVER TRIPLE CITIES RUN
Ronnie Vuolo Assistant Editor
In the final days of April 1975, thousands fled Saigon ahead of the invading North Vietnamese army. During one eighteen-hour period, over 1000 Americans and 7000 South Vietnamese were evacuated from the city. In a photograph seen around the world, hundreds of desperate residents attempted to gain access to a single U.S. helicopter transport. Amidst the headlines and body counts lay untold stories of personal tragedy. Fourteen years later, Miss Saigon opened in London. Written by Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boubil (with lyrics by Boubil and Richard Maltby Jr.), it is based on the Puccini opera Ma-
dame Butterfly, and tells the story of an American soldier who falls in love with a Vietnamese bargirl. Years later, back in the States, he discovers that she’s alive and raising his son in Saigon. Returning to the city, he arrives just as the Viet Cong are closing in. The musical began a successful run on Broadway in 1991 and, as of 2013, was the twelfth longest running musical in Broadway history. It has been seen in over 300 cities around the world, and has earned a place as one of the most beloved musicals in history. On March 7th, three hours northwest of Broadway, Miss Saigon opens at the Endicott Performing Arts Center for its first ever run in the Triple Cities region. “I’ve been wanting to do this show for years and years, and finally Pat Foti said ‘yes’ and agreed to it, and away we go,” says director Lorraine Tennant. “The honor of being the first to put this on, it’s phenomenal. It’s set in a very specific time, the fall of Saigon. My goal as the director is to let people know how it actually was on those few days that transpired before it fell...and then the love story happened within that.”
The play presents many challenges to the EPAC Reparatory Company. Speaking about Musical Director Maureen Helms, Tennant states, “She has graciously accepted my challenge of giving me a sixty-plus orchestra, without a sixty-plus orchestra. They are not using backing tracks, not using pre-recorded music. Instead, they will have a piano and six keyboards, plus electric drums, to create as full of an orchestra sound as humanly possible. It’s really difficult to do. Without room and funding available, it’s really hard to get a full sixty piece orchestra in a community theatre show.” Another challenge Tennant describes is the helicopter scene, “Without giving anything away, I can tell you that without a ‘fly’ system it is quite challenging to fly in a helicopter. This is the exact reason EPAC is pushing hard with our Fly System Fundraiser.”
The production is choreographed by Aniel Kermida, and has a cast of thirty-five people. Josh Smith plays the part of Chris, the American soldier, and Lauren Kovacic is Kim, his war bride. The role of their son, Am, is being played by a mysterious and promising three-year-old actor, making his first
ever stage appearance. Matt Gaska plays the ‘Engineer.’ As the bar pimp, Tennant looks at him as “integral,” and refers to him as “the puppet master of the show.” Andrew Simek appears as Thuy, and Chris’ best friend John is played by Michael Farley. Kovacic says of her role, “I would like to say that I am so thankful to Lorraine and EPAC for doing this beautiful show. It is a beautiful story of true love and sacrifice, and it is a dream and honor to play Kim.”
vvv Miss Saigon begins her run at the Robert Eckert Theatre of the Endicott Performing Arts Center, 102 Washington Ave in Endicott. Performance dates are Fridays March 7th and 14th, and Saturdays March 8th and 15th, at 8pm; and Sundays March 9th and 16th, at 3pm. Tickets may be purchased online at endicottarts.com, at the box office weekdays between 9-5pm (and evenings in the week before production), or by calling (607) 785-8903.
YAPPY TRAPS: THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES AT THE KNOW
Kaitlin Mooney Staff Writer The KNOW Theatre welcomes a special benefit production of V-Day BinghamtonThe Vagina Monologues to the stage the weekend of March 7th-8th. What does V-Day mean to you? For most it is a guilt free dessert after a fancy dinner, doting partners (or soul crushing loneliness/a comforting sense of independence- depending on which way you spin it) and artisan chocolate makers working 14 hour days. But for some, V doesn’t just stand for Valentine; it stands for Victory, for Vagina. V-Day is an activist movement spanning the globe and advocating for an end to violence against women by promoting creative events to raise money and revitalize the spirit of existing anti-violence organizations. V-Day Binghamton is doing just that with their production of “The Vagina Monologues,” with a staggering portion of the proceeds going to benefit Binghamton’s Crime Victim Assistance Center (CVAC). A small portion of ticket sales will also be going to 1 Billion Rising, a campaign urging female survivors of violence, and those who love and support them, to gather safely in public places where they deserve to feel safe- but often do not.
The New York Times proclaims “The Vagina Monologues” to be “probably the most important piece of political theater of the last decade.” Amoreena Wade, Community Educator for CVAC and the director of “The Vagina Monologues,” was kind enough to provide Carousel with some exclusive info on the show.
vvv Why the Vagina Monologues? The Vagina Monologues and the V-Day movement hold a special place in my heart. I have been acting in, and/or organizing, the show on and off for the past 10 years... The show is a magnet for people who are passionate about ending sexual violence and raising female empowerment. With 1/3 of women in the U.S. experiencing sexual violence, it is a statistical guarantee that everyone has either survived some form of sexual violence or is very close to someone who has, so it is a personal issue for everyone involved. I myself am a survivor of child sexual abuse, and rape as an adult. It is a blessing to be near so many other people who are passionate and emboldened to fight back. It feels more like a form of activism than a standard theatrical production. It’s a way to use art both to heal and make social change. Have you worked with KNOW Theatre
before? Last year KNOW Theatre produced “The MENding Monologues” as a fundraiser for CVAC. [However] I’m not directing this as a representative for CVAC. I’m directing it as a member of the local theatre community. KNOW Theatre has a reputation for doing hard-hitting theatre that makes its audience think. It is passionate about giving back to the community and participating in social and personal change through art. Without the passion and dedication of Tim Gleason, the Artistic Director of KNOW Theatre, and the rest of the KNOW Theatre family, this wouldn’t have been possible.
Where will the proceeds of the production go this year? Every year V-Day, the foundation created by “The Vagina Monologues” playwright, Eve Ensler, makes the rights to the play free under the condition that 90% of the proceeds are donated locally, and 10% are donated to a worldwide spotlight campaign. The 90% is going to CVAC, and the 10% goes to One Billion Rising. What is the Crime Victims Assistance Center? CVAC is a non-profit agency committed to increasing awareness and understanding the needs of crime victims, and those affected by- or at risk of- experiencing crime. Is this your first time directing? This is my
first time directing! I have been acting for more than 20 years, and producing for 10 or so. This show was a perfect fit for my directorial debut, because I know it like the back of my hand. Over the past ten years I have done a close study of each monologue in one way or another, so I have had plenty of time to do my homework. I have a huge cast of 21 women! We are alternating some actors on Friday and Saturday, and there are also some ensemble pieces. Rather than having a specific idea of what I wanted to mold each monologue into, I wanted to see how each actor interpreted her monologue and mold it from there. The wide range of interpretations/emotions/humor/ passion has been amazing. We have people ranging from this being their first performance, to veteran performers with decades of experience, but everyone is bringing such truth and honesty that I often tear up at rehearsal. The alternating performers are also putting very different spins on their monologues because they’re bringing their own truth to it. I would encourage people to come both nights.”
vvv You can catch the Vagina Monologues at KNOW Theatre (74 Carroll St, Binghamton) at 8pm, March 7th-8th. Tickets are $25 and go to an extremely important cause.
GOOD GRIEF!
March 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 25
AMERICAN IDIOT
LANDS AT THE FORUM ON MARCH 6TH
Dan Spaventa Staff Writer
If you are interested in pop-punk tunes, musical theatre, or a fusion of both, you’ll want to check out Green Day’s American Idiot, appearing at the Forum Theatre on Thursday, March 6th. Coming off a critically acclaimed Broadway run, American Idiot promises a uniquely anarchistic experience that the average musical theatre aficionado may not be used to. The musical is based upon the multi-platinum album by Green Day, “American Idiot.” The rock opera focuses on three friends, each in their early twenties, who feel the strain of a mundane and stifling suburban existence. Two of them choose to pursue their dreams of leaving the suburbs and embarking on an exciting life in the city while one stays behind with his pregnant girlfriend.
BHS STUDENTS TACKLE CHARLI E BROWN IN SPRING PRODUCTION
The cast of ‘Charlie Brown.’ Photo Provided.
Heather Merlis Assistant Editor
“Happiness is whatever we make of it. It’s anything really, as long as we look at it that way.” Such sage wisdom was imparted by Alexa Boyd, a senior at the Rod Serling School of Fine Arts at Binghamton High School. She will be performing in the spring musical, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, this March. “It’s a quest for true happiness,” she added, with a level of philosophical insight that her character, Sally Brown, can only hope to rival. Finding happiness in life’s small gifts is but one theme of the 1967 musical, written by Clark Gesner, which began as a concept album based on Charles Schulz’s “Peanuts” comic strip. Since the moment that Gesner was granted permission to feature Schulz’s quintessential characters in a staged production, the show has become a classic for small theater troupes, and has enjoyed a couple of acclaimed Broadway runs. It also added the beloved tune, “Happiness,” to the American songbook. As Binghamton is a city with its own comic strip clout, it seems an appropriate choice, but when it was announced before the winter break, not all of the young thespians were pleased. “I received some threatening emails,” revealed Lawrence Kassan, the school’s Coordinator of Special Events and Theatre. Darius Fuller, who plays Charlie Brown, admitted,
“Personally, I wasn’t fond of it at first.” Well, Charlie Brown was never known for his enthusiasm. True to her character, Melissa Carter (who plays Lucy in the touring cast) was more curious about the motivations of the players. “I was interested in seeing how it would all come together, to see how each role would be characterized and get played out.” While the teenage cast was not initially thrilled at the prospect of portraying little kids (and a dog), they have since learned that this show is far from child’s play. “It’s a lot harder than people might think it is,” said Alexa, “because you have to step out of your box, and I think we are going to become better actors because of it.” Megan VanVorce, who plays Lucy, agreed, “It’s a different form of acting, because it’s really informal.” This bleeds into the choreography as well, as ensemble member Rachel Jones noted, “It’s really different to dance like little kids, stomping your feet, lots of crazy hands.” The actors are not merely acting out for the sake of regression; Schulz’s characters are archetypes representing entire aspects of the human condition. Julia Guy, who plays Snoopy, recalled, “We each had to come in and talk to the director about characterization. We talked about how Snoopy is dog-like, but also human-like.” Linus, a character with some serious object-permanence issues, is portrayed by Stephen Shea: “I’m embracing the fact that my character is very smart and intellectual, but also very naïve, and acts like a little kid, carrying around his blanket.” Also playing Linus in the touring cast is Meredith Starks, who provides a bit of psychoanalysis of the title character: “Charlie tends to look on the dark side of life. His friends don’t exactly support him so much. Eventually, by the end of the show, he gets over that.”
By placing these personalities in the vessels of children and animals, the characters are able to display human nature in a larger-than-life manner, and it is this approach that informs the entire production. “The whole design concept is to look like the cartoon, and everything is straight from the Sunday paper,” explained Mr. Kassan. The set depicts an oversized world, to give the illusion that the characters are tiny, thereby giving them the room for outsized behavior. The huge world you find onstage at the Helen Foley Theater not only shrinks down the players, it also transport audience members to a place where they may find their own inner child. And when they see the show, what lesson might they leave the theatre with? “When you’re little,” said Rachel, “everything seems like the end of the world, but it’s really not.” Due to the enormous talent at the Serling School, this show has a rotating cast. All of the players featured in this article will be performing in the Friday night and Sunday matinee performances. Those noted as principals of the touring cast are also members of the Friday and Sunday performance ensemble. The touring cast will be performing highlights from the show at various schools throughout the Binghamton School District during school hours.
vvv “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” will be performed Thursday, March 6th, through Saturday, March 8th, at 7:30pm. There will also be a 2pm Sunday matinee on March 9th. Tickets are $8 for general admission and $6 for students and senior citizens; call (607) 762-8202.
With themes ranging from post-9/11 disillusionment to the mind-numbing effects of media and technology, the show brings poignant modern themes to light. Making very little use of spoken dialogue, the show employs Green Day’s song lyrics to tell the story, a mode reminiscent of rock operas from The Who’s “Tommy” to Frank Zappa’s “Joe’s Garage.” The musical dips into Green Day’s long catalogue, featuring hits such as “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” “Wake Me Up When September Ends,” “Holiday,” “21 Guns,” and of course the musical’s eponymous track. The band has been active since the early 1990s, and along with “American Idiot,” their hit albums include “Dookie,” “Warning,” and many others. One of the most commercially successful punk bands of all time, Green Day has sold over 75 million albums worldwide and won five Grammys. Front man Billie Joe Armstrong played an important role in developing the band’s 2004 album into a hit musical by writing the book, in addition to the songs’ lyrics. Ensemble cast member Alison Morooney emphasized the massive size of the production: “There is always something to watch! Between the music, the dancing, the lights, and the graphics, an audience member will always be engaged.” American Idiot starts loud and fast and never quite slows down. To prepare for the story told entirely through Armstrong’s songs, the cast had to approach the lyrics in a novel way. “We had this great moment when we sat in a circle and read the lyrics out loud,” she remembered. “Taking the lyrics away from the iconic music for a little bit was really informative.” The cast is multitalented, with actors playing instruments throughout the performance to capture the punk rock ethos of the musical. This all leads up to a very special surprise at the end of the show which Morooney doesn’t want to give away. However, she did provide the hint that “everyone in the cast knows how to play guitar,” so expect a grand finale in the tradition of any showstopper you may see in a Broadway show, only this time with a Green Day-inspired jam. Green Day’s American Idiot will appear at The Forum Theatre in Binghamton on Thursday, March 6th at 7:30pm. Tickets are still available at the Arena Box Office and Ticketmaster. For more information, call 607-778-6626 or visit BroadwayInBinghamton.com. For group ticket sales, call 607-772-1391.
TWO LEFT FEET?
26 Vol. 2 Issue 3
THERE’S HOPE FOR YOU YET!
Heather Merlis Assistant Editor
It may seem crazy, but there are people nearby who want to help you look good the next time you show up to a fancy event, or any social gathering with music. There is an actual non-profit organization that exists to help you to appear, or even become, coordinated, and possibly not embarrass yourself at a wedding, even your own wedding. This organization is USA Dance, and they have chapters all over the country. I’ve been dancing my whole life (but, please don’t be intimidated; I still have trouble recalling three consecutive dance moves when pressed), and I had no idea that this institution existed. So, on a recent Thursday evening I drove with my dance partner to the Broome West Senior Center, and despite the fact that I lost one of my contact lenses in the car, proceeded to learn how to do West Coast Swing for an hour. The class was held in a multipurpose room on the ground floor of the center. The room is spacious and the crowd was relaxed and welcoming. Yes, it is in a senior center, but the class caters to all ages. There were couples who seemed to be preparing to dance on their big day, singles looking to learn how to get out there at parties, and maybe even a sly journalist who thought she knew more about dance than she actually did. You can bring a partner to these classes, which are held about three times per month, but don’t get too attached; rotating partners is regular practice, so you may make some new friends. The lessons focus on different types of “social dancing,” including West and East Coast Swing, Foxtrot, Salsa, and Country Western. They don’t use the term “ballroom” because they don’t want to intimidate potential dancers with notions of ball gowns and tuxedos. They’re here to promote dance for everyone. While I was there, I had the pleasure to meet the founder and President of the Southern Tier Chapter of USA Dance, Francine Stein. We spoke briefly after class, and later I called her to pick her brain about the history of the organization as well as her own personal relationship with dance. Francine began dancing when she was seven years old. She dancing on pointe for seven years until money concerns led her to stop taking lessons; thereafter, she poured her energy into varsity high school volleyball. After marrying her high school sweetheart and having three children, she returned to dance:
first to ballet, since it was familiar, then to lyrical jazz. At her parents’ fiftieth wedding anniversary, she saw her them dancing together (they had been studying with an independent teacher) and “that was it.” She began studying ballroom dancing with her parents’ instructor, and then dancing competitively, with her father as her first partner. Since then, Francine has been competing with professionals, even dancing with the World Show Dance Champion as her partner for thirteen years. She helped her husband learn to dance and they held dances for the community. After finding out about USA Dance, they founded the Southern Tier chapter twenty-four years ago, joining the national organization and gaining non-profit status. The Binghamton University ballroom dance team is included in the chapter, and Francine teaches continuing education classes at Broome Community College through the organization as well. In addition to the regular Thursday night dance lessons, there are a variety of workshops held on Saturdays, as well as dances: the monthly Sunday Social with a deejay, and two monthly dances featuring a seventeen-piece orchestra. “Our audiences are people who can dance, at least a little,” Francine explained. At the beginning of some of the dances, which take place throughout Endicott and Endwell, there is a short lesson for attendees. “We want people to learn everything; we promote variety. We want you to come and have fun. And even if you don’t want to dance, you can sit and listen to the orchestra.” The social dance circuit provided by USA Dance offers a complete night on the town for locals. “At Brothers 2 in Endwell, there’s an orchestra called Blue Velvet. There is a man who teaches from seven to eight, and he also sings, along with a female singer. There’s also a buffet set up, Italian food, pizza, salad.” But Francine isn’t in it for the live music, or the pizza. “We make no money; we’re just here to promote dance. Everybody on the board is a volunteer.” Ask anyone who is passionate about dance; it is truly a way of life that engages the body and mind through expression, athleticism, and social interaction. “It’s a way for people to get together. Dancing is one of the best things that you can do for yourself. It will stay with you forever, at any age. My husband has Alzheimer’s and he can still dance. He was the one who helped me teach and helped me demonstrate. It’s the one thing that he remembers. It keeps you going, physically, mentally, and emotionally. This is what I have, it keeps me sane. I love to teach; I love to dance. I’m going to keep doing it until I can’t do it anymore.” For more information about lessons, dances, membership, and events, please visit virtualforum.com/ dancing.
food and drink. HEALTHY
March 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 27
EATS
Stacey Burke Staff Writer
In honor of St. Patty’s Day, a cabbage recipe is a must! Traditionally, many chow down on some of the stuff this month alongside some corn beef, but using the green (or purple) cruciferous head can be enjoyed in many other ways. Cabbage is a super good for you veggie, loaded with Vitamin K and C, not to mention calcium, magnesium, potassium and many other nutrients. Eating the stuff raw or just slightly cooked will have you reaping the most benefits. Shred some into salads, onto tacos, mix-up a veggie coleslaw, or even use the outer leaves as a natural wrap! Given that it’s still pretty chilly here in the Southern Tier, I thought a cabbage soup recipe would be in order, this version of which is very cleansing to the body. So whether you grab a head or have some leftover after your Irish feast, make sure to add some cabbage into your diet.
FEASTING PROPERLY THIS ST. PAT’S DAY Mmm Mmm, Good! Photo via Web.
Ahlpheh Ohtis Wilson Staff Writer
While walking around Binghamton on Parade Day will give one some insight into the large population of people proud of their Irish heritage (as well as people who believe they can start drinking at 8am and last all day), It will not guide you to the places in the Triple Cities that will be preparing corned beef and the other Irish inspired specialties of the season. But, this will… On March 17th, many people will dress in their favorite green attire and head for local watering holes and eateries in Celebration of St. Patrick’s day. I have always been a big fan of the holiday, having grown up in NYC and spectating at St. Patrick’s Day parades as far back as I can remember. My birthday is on March 12th, and I would usually get a new camera each year. My father would always take my brother and I to Manhattan for the parade, and this was usually my first opportunity to take photos of the floats, bagpipers, tourists, and the other colorful events of the day. In 1989, I and three other Marines in my unit had the honor of providing an Honor Guard for the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan in the St. Patrick’s Day parade. It is one
of the more memorable experiences in my life, although carrying an M-16 for several hours does not lend itself to picking up 16oz beers later in the day. The Irish have many traditional dishes including: Barmbrack (a leavened bread with sultanas and raisins), Colcannon (mashed potatoes with kale or cabbage), Cottage Pie (a basic version of what you may call Shepherd’s pie), Irish Stew (A traditional stew of lamb, or mutton, potatoes, carrots, onions, and parsley), and multiple other meals… including my favorite (which is rumored to be more of an Irish American creation), Boiled Dinner. Boiled dinner is usually prepared with either corned beef brisket or ham, and can use a variety of ingredients. I prefer the point cut brisket… for some reason it always seems more tender than the flat cut. I usually select a 4-5 pound brisket (they cook down quite a bit) and for vegetables, I use white potatoes, baby carrots, rutabaga, and of course cabbage. It is very simple to make, and can be left cooking while you and friends visit some of the local establishments. Simply add the brisket to a stock pot with 3 cans of low salt chicken broth, the spice pack included with the brisket, and a bay leaf, and cover with water. Bring it to a boil, and then turn it to low simmer for about 6 hours before removing the brisket to rest and adding the vegetables. When the vegetables are done, I place the brisket back in for a few minutes to warm through thoroughly. Slice against the grain, and serve with a hearty rye bread (which will also be used for the reubens you make with the leftovers).
There are several taverns and eateries that will be serving either the full boiled dinner or corned beef sandwiches on Parade Day and/or St. Patrick’s Day, and I have compiled a list of them.
If you are in the Endicott/Endwell area, the places that I found that will be serving both corned beef and cabbage and ham and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day are as follows: Harry Tufts and Barnaby’s Pub.
Cleansing Cabbage Soup 2 tablespoons extra-virgin coconut oil 1/2 onion, cut into thin slices 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger 2 large carrots, cut into matchsticks 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 cup cooked quinoa 1 1/2 cups sliced Savoy or green cabbage (purple is fine) 1/4 cup chopped parsley 1/2 teaspoon thyme Ground black pepper Directions: Over medium heat, add oil, onions and salt. Sauté for 10 minutes—do not have heat too high as you don’t want the onions to brown (this will cause soup to have an off flavor). Add garlic, ginger and carrots and sauté 5 more minutes. Add water and cooked quinoa, simmer about 10—15 minutes until carrots are tender. Add cabbage and cook 2—3 more minutes. Turn off heat and add parsley, thyme and ground black pepper. Taste and increase spices if needed...
In the Johnson City area, Kuda’s will be serving corned beef reubens on both Parade Day and St. Patrick’s Day. In the Binghamton area, I found quite a few places offering Irish fare, and they are as follows: Shennanigan’s will be offering a full corned beef dinner as well as Reubens. The Mosquito Lounge will be offering corned beef on both days. On The Roxx will be offering corned beef on both days. Uncle Tony’s will be offering the full dinner or sandwiches on both days. House of Reardon’s will be offering boiled dinner on St. Patrick’s Day. Some of the above mentioned establishments will also have live entertainment and various drink specials on the 17th. If you have the opportunity to try Zona’s reuben egg rolls, don’t miss out… they are fantastic. I’ve heard it said that everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day: with that in mind, throw on your best green outfit and head out for some fun with your likeminded peers this St. Patrick’s Day. Slainte!
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 the Carousel, and receive 25% off a 6-month, personalized program!
28 Vol. 2 Issue 3
DARING CURING THE IRISH FLU:
GARDENISTA
Since the very first issue of Carousel, KRISTINA STRAIN has kept us informed as to what we should be doing with our gardens, even in the depths of winter, when we didn’t think there could possibly be anything to do! Sadly, this is Kristina’s last column as our resident gardenista, but we wish her the best of luck with all future endeavors and hope she comes back to us soon!
It’s barely imaginable now. There’s thirty inches of snow on my Gilbertsville garden, and though I write this on the cusp of a burst of spring-like weather, it is hard to keep the faith. My seeds are ordered, though. Yesterday, I am pleased to report, I beheld fat fat fat silver maple buds swelling in the tops of the trees along the Susquehanna. Some neighbors who tap trees have lugged their syruping equipment out of winter storage; maybe this weekend they’ll drive in their first spiles. I’ve been hearing birds. But visually, for the most part, spring is nowhere to be found, which is too bad for me. This being my last month as Carousel correspondent and official daring gardenista, I wanted to see you off on a high note. I wanted to say, oh sure, maybe you’ll miss my musings about fennel, or advice on how to build a cold frame, but look! Snow drops are just around the corner. Not to be. I’ll have to make something up. It’s been a good run, and a truly enjoyable duty to bring you monthly dispatches from the frontlines of motivated cultivation- sometimes obsessive cultivation- and hopefully I’ve inspired some. But, as unimaginable as it may be, spring is approaching, and, as is usual, my garden ambitions surge like exploding stars as the weather warms. I’ve been filling in graph paper squares all winter, chartering fresh expanses of Swiss chard, new kingdoms of cabbage that will fill the coming season- and my time. It’s heady stuff. As soon as that snow-pack dissipates, any 40+ degree day will find me bundled, but outside anyway, tapping experimentally with my hoe in the most-certainly-still-frozen stretch slated to be planted in peas: Tap-tap-tap. Spring? Come in, spring? Come in. Deliver me, deliver us all into rows of bright-green lettuce breaking dark crumbled earth. Deliver us into robins singing until 9pm, and into hammock weather, and tan lines and bare toes and lawn beers, and long evenings in the garden.
I can hardly wait to get out there. You, too? Anyone who’d like to keep up with what’s going on in my corner of the world can check out my blog, sweetfernhandmade.blogspot.com, for garden updates spring through fall and a potpourri of crafting-sewing-home improvement the rest of the time. And with that, I’ll give you some unofficial gardener’s version of live long and prosper (what would that look like, exactly? A handful of carrots?) and wish you happy growing.
Don’t worry, little buddy. Photo by Ty Whitbeck.
MORNING AFTER ADVICE ally don’t want to suffer a hangover, be responsible.
Stacey Burke Staff Writer The drinks were flowing, the music was on point. You made at least five new best friends, told amazing jokes, showcased the best dance moves on the floor, and had the time of your life. It was a night you would not forget, or… possibly… not remember? The morning or afternoon following, you find yourself nursing a raging headache, possibly cuddling your only actual new best friend, the porcelain god. You swear you will never drink again, and even the thought of one of those “tasty beverages” you were downing last night curdles your stomach. Whether it is a crazy night out in your college years, or three glasses of wine too many during ladies’ night, it’s likely you’ve been there, in the midst of the oh-so-notorious hangover. No one enjoys the repercussions of overindulging, so why not do what you can do avoid that in the first place? We all have our own little remedies in attempt to prevent or cure a hangover, but there a few pretty fool-proof ways to dodge the bullet and leave yourself feeling like you didn’t get hit by a bus:
vvv Drink in moderation. This is first because it is the most obvious. If you are going to drink and re-
Hydrate. This is probably the easiest and most important of all things to do when drinking. While it might not be in the forefront of your mind, take a break from the shots and space them out with a couple of glasses of water throughout the night. Even more importantly, before going to bed, have two full glasses of water. It helps detoxify the system and cleanse out the alcohol. Dehydration causes hangovers, so simply keeping hydrated is essential. A little tidbit… try adding a dash of salt and sugar to your water to get your electrolytes back in balance. Eat food. Sounds simple right? Drinking on an empty stomach is never good news. Go out with a full stomach; that way there is something in there to absorb the alcohol. After drinking, eat again. Going to bed without eating anything after a night of heavy drinking is bound to leave you hurting in the morning. So what are some helpful foods to eat? Again, think absorbent: bread, crackers, rice. Alcohol depletes our bodies of many nutrients, so refueling on foods containing those nutrients can do wonders! Bananas, high in potassium, are a great hangover cure. Eggs, high in cysteine as well as B vitamins, are an excellent choice. Pedialyte freezer pops. Yes, strange, but they are packed with electrolytes to replenish your poor, dehydrated body. Some others that make the list: tomato juice, asparagus, coconut water and ginger (I wouldn’t recommend combining together though). Many a folk swear by the “greasy food” theory, which does hold some ground. Fat has more calories than both protein and carbohydrates, therefore it can help breakdown and process the alcohol more quickly. Just be
careful, over-greasy or cheesy foods can reap more havoc on your GI if you’re not careful, causing a possible storm to brew in your belly! Exercise. I know. Yeah, right. You might not even want to or be able to get off the couch without your head spinning, but light exercise can really help kick a hangover to the curb. Try yoga or a simple walk. Boosting your metabolism will help get the alcohol out of your system quicker. This equals good. Sleep. Plain and simple. Likely deprivation of the stuff from a night out will have you feeling more tired and cranky than normal, on top of whatever other symptoms you may be feeling. If you have the luxury, take it easy. Catch up on some Netflix marathon and snooze. A few other interesting ones to give a whirl: A foot rub. Reflexology deems rubbing the outer edge area of your right foot can speed up liver detoxification. Alka-seltzer. Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) has been shown to help neutralize stomach acid (but beware, as aspirin should actually be avoided, so this may also irritate you as well). Coffee. If you are an avid coffee drinker, skipping the stuff may just add a caffeine-withdrawal headache to your already pounding one. So having a (small!) cup of coffee may help.
vvv We all like to have fun, and sometimes this may involve drinking more than you intended to. Results may vary, but trying some of these ideas can help you feeling better in no time (or a day or two, depending on your age). That way you can make sure you, uh…never drink again.
travel.
March 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 29
THE 20-SOMETHING'S GUIDE
Some of Carousel’s extended family on the beaches of Miami. Photo by the drunk guy who’s shadow is on the left.
TO ROADTRIPPING ON A BUDGET Chris Bodnarczuk Editor-in-Chief Spring is close in upstate New York, and that means that legions of SUNY students are desperately trying to plan ahead for Spring Break. Having grown up with Hollywood’s most epic of Spring Break movies (uhh, “From Justin to Kelly,” anyone? Anyone?), these students are no doubt trying to plan the most epic of Spring Breaks. One of the unfortunate things about college, however, is the budgeting. While the silver screen may depict Spring Break as one big orgy on the beaches of Cancun, they fail to mention how in the hell you’re supposed to make that happen when your student loan surplus barely covers room, board, and the occasional State Street bender. Sure, your trust fund friend from Cornell is flying first class, but you, dear SUNY student, have been left in the cold. That’s not a metaphor. You’re in Binghamton. It’s freakin’ cold up here. Hope is not lost, though. You can still have the Spring Break of your dreams… you’ve just got to be adaptable. It’s not going to be in Cancun. All things considered, it’s probably for the best… most of those movies end with some crazed cannibal in the woods cutting of your nipples with a barracuda tooth. Messy business. The trick is knowing your budget and planning accordingly. The trick is going on a freakin’ road trip. With a car full of friends splitting the gas and a pocketful of those chalky 5 hour energy shots, you can get pretty much anywhere in the continental United States (and back!) for less than $150. Budgeting while you are wherever you go can be a little bit pricier, but if you refrain from the tables full of
cocaine and Courvoiser that Des Moines is so famous for, you can still easily have the week of your life for less than $300. For the sake of journalistic integrity, and nothing else, we at Carousel decided to test this theory out. This past month, we loaded my Camry with camping equipment and hard liquor, and headed south to Miami, to the Virginia Key Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance. I cannot vouch for the wallets of my travel mates, but I for one had a 10 day vacation for $223. It’s really not as hard as it seems. All you’ve got to do is change your idea of what luxury is. We camped on the beach and danced around to a whole lot of Colombian music and bluegrass, but the principle is adaptable to pretty much any trip you can think of in the continental United States. It’s 1360 miles from Binghamton to Miami, and the drive takes 22 hours. That’s only 300 miles less than the drive to Denver. Or Austin. Or Des Moines. Remember, though, there’s no leaving Des Moines. Load up your car. Unless your car is a truck. Then load up someone else’s car. In a ’05 Camry, the gas for the drive to and from Miami is around $400. Add $50 for Denver. Or Austin. Or Des Moines. In a truck or an SUV or anything else that gets 17mpg, you’re adding a good $250 onto the total cost. The legroom is desirable, but the destination is what’s important. Bring 3 or 4 friends with you, and fit as much as possible in the trunk. If you take turns driving and sleeping and drinking coffee, you’ll make it there in no time at all. Play those stupid license plate and alphabet games. Listen to music. Get it over with quick so that you can spend the maximum amount of time wherever you’re going. That’s where the fun is. Choose your destination wisely. You want it to be within whatever your budget allows for gas-wise, and you want it to set a great backdrop for your next Instagram selfie. I generally opt for
festivals, because I like to spend as much time as possible seeing live music, and once I’m there, I’m there. Many music festivals offer on-site camping for multiple days of music, plus vending villages of food and craft vendors. This all adds up pretty quick. Stay away from vendors until the last day, when you’re sure you can spare the cash. There’s still the cost of the ticket and the camping, though, which can easily add up to $200-$300. So volunteer. Many festivals offer free tickets (sometimes even including food) in exchange for a few hours of work. Garbage duty, hospitality, stage crew- the work can be grueling, but it’s a small price to pay for a free weekend of music and food. Plus, you get to really be a part of the festival, and you’ll meet some great people along the way (last summer I peed in the next port-a-potty over from Emmylou Harris). If you’re not into music, opt for a beach. Or camping in the woods. Big cities are expensive to vacation in, but sometimes you can find something doable on the outskirts. The more adaptable you are, the cheaper the trip. Keep that in mind for this next part…
roulette and set up wherever the hell you want. Best case scenario: you get a week of sleep. Worst case scenario: the cops arrest you for loitering. Pick your location wisely. If nothing else, with five of you in a car, someone is bound to have a relative in the general vicinity of where you want to go. Sleep in that person’s house, or camp in their backyard. Just be prepared to sift through potty-training photos that were taken on a 110 camera in 1992.
Camp or couch-surf. Oh, get over yourself. You’re young and limber. You can do it. I grew up on the lower end of middle class, which means camping is all I grew up doing for family vacations (except for the divorce trip to Disney World… that one was pretty sweet.). If you don’t have camping gear readily available, it will take a simple facebook post for one of your friends to come to your rescue. On the off chance that that doesn’t work, it’s pretty damn cheap to stock up on essentials… Cheap tent: $40. Sleeping bag: $20 (or just bring a few blankets). Flashlight: $2. Air mattress: $20 (to be classified as an unimportant, but amazing, luxury). Cooler: $20 (you can find a Styrofoam one for $5 at any gas station near a beach or state park, but don’t be a dick… for every Styrofoam cooler you buy, 10 baby seals get brutally beaten to death). Plus, you can camp pretty much anywhere. Opt for state parks over privately run campgrounds… the fees are a whole lot cheaper. Of course, you could play
Limit your vices. I say this without even a tidbit of jest. Binghamton is a cheap town to drink in. The rest of the towns in America… not so much. If you plan on hitting Miami nightlife, be prepared to spend $6 on a PBR tallboy. Of course, you could spend the exact same amount on a 12 pack of crappy beer. If you’re a drinker on a budget, the 12 pack is the way to go. Besides, there’s nothing more beautiful than watching the moon rise on the ocean’s horizon… it’s a lot easier to find an empty beach than it is to find a bar in a busy city with a seat open at the counter. If you’ve got a… umm… less wholesome vice… well, you’re on your own. I’m certainly not going to be your mule.
Go for the grocery over the restaurant. This works especially well if you’re camping, as many campgrounds will have a charcoal grill at each site or allow fires. Either way, make sure you stock up on aluminum foil… if you’re cooking on a grill, you can essentially make a griddle out of foil. If you’re cooking on a fire, you can wrap up meat, veggies… pretty much anything, and make a pouch of the foil to seal your food with before you stuff that sucker into the outer coals. Hotdogs, burgers, ham, peaches, potatoes, veggies… you can cook virtually anything but Beef Wellington on a grill or a fire if you allow yourself some common sense.
So it’s not the Cancun nipple cutting adventure you were planning on, but it’s still a vacation. Relaxation, partying with good friends, seeing some new sights, soaking up some sun and some music. Seems like a deal for $223.
comedy.
March 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 31
COMICS TO WATCH
Kevin Salisbury Contributing Writer
[EDITOR’S NOTE: Okay, full disclosure here. Kevin Salisbury is the twisted mind behind the Binghamton Comedy & Arts Festival. Carousel is a sponsor of the Binghamton Comedy & Arts Festival. Now we’ve told you. Please don’t get all “oh, but that’s nepotism” on us. Back to the column, now…] Every month leading into The 2nd Annual Binghamton Comedy & Arts Festival, I will be writing a piece highlighting notable comics who will be featured during this 3 day event. With over 40 comics to choose from, I will be picking the best of the best to showcase in these articles and will feature a Q&A with them to give you some insight into the mind of a comic (It’s gonna be a lot of booze and depression talk. We’re an awful bunch.). The first comic I am highlighting is Brock Shields. Not only is Brock a true friend, but a truly gifted comic as well.
PUZZLED ABOUT WHAT TO DO? The Puzzled Players. Photo Provided.
THESE PEOPLE WILL MAKE SOMETHING UP FOR YOU!
Charles Berman Staff Writer
It would be easy to accuse the Puzzled Players of coming unprepared for their monthly shows every last-Wednesday-ofthe-month at 8pm in Binghamton’s Lost Dog Cafe, but you’d really be missing the point. The Puzzled Players are Binghamton’s largest and longest standing improv comedy troupe, and every performance is a night of unscripted comedy devised right then and there. It’s a unique form of humor which brings to audiences an extra level of entertainment, as they both laugh at the jokes and experience the thrill of the actors while they build scenes on the spot, performing mental acrobatics to pull their next lines out of the air. John Carey, one of the original members of the group, explained that it takes a special kind of performer to really go for it. “One great improvver named Nick Napier said that improv can be the best thirty minutes of your life while performing, or the worst thirty minutes of your life,” he said. “And that’s true. But what I really love about it is the spontaneity- and the fact that I’m working with a group of people that are very talented and that can be trusted to know that if one of us is struggling, one of us is going to be there to help the other out.” So how does a person end up belonging to the unpredictable field of improv comedy? Carey says, “I’ve always had a pretty good sense of humor. I’m a bit of a smartass. Situational comedy, so to speak. I always tend to say things when people least expect them. Most of the time it’s inappropriate, but they get through that. And my wife had seen this ad in the paper about [local humorist and author] Tim Mollen’s improv class, and she mentioned it a couple times. I think three or four. And she said, ‘If you don’t sign up, I’m going to go sign you up.’”
Classes in improvisation? The inexperienced can sometimes ride on natural talent, but the best improv comedians often study a long time, learning theatrical techniques for fostering creativity and building interesting and funny unscripted scenes. It’s often a precarious balance between creating basic conflict to make a scene interesting and not grinding to a halt by denying new developments brought in by the other actors. And Carey, who has now been teaching his own improv classes since around 2005, must have shown some talent initially. “There were probably close to fifteen or sixteen other people in that class, and I didn’t have any expectations of doing anything with it other than just having a good time. Then, right after the class, one of the other members, Bill Whiting, called me and said, ‘Hey. We’re getting a bunch of people together and we’re going to form an improv group, and I thought you were pretty funny.’ So he asked me if I wanted to join. I said, ‘Yeah! Why not?’ And we started rehearsing, learning improv techniques, and we started doing shows.” That was in 2002, and the group has been generating laughs ever since. Along with Carey and Whiting, other members include area actor Mitch Tiffany, Dave Adams, Jenna Koger, Tara DeNucci, and Laura Ricciuti.
On hearing the term “improv comedy,” many audience members will first think of “Whose Line is it Anyway?,” the popular improvised British-American television series that ran from 1988 to 2007 and has recently been revived. According to Carey, people who make this association are absolutely correct: “They can expect a lot of games similar to what you would see on ‘Whose Line is it Anyway?,’” he says. “We do what is called short-form improv, and we base everything on certain games that we play. And the only missing pieces are what the setting is, who our characters are, and perhaps maybe some interesting thing that’s going to happen that we don’t know until we get the suggestion from the audience.” The audiences and performers seem to agree that the Puzzled Players could do far worse than to
model their performances on the world champion “Whose Line is it Anyway?” improvisers; Carey confesses, “One of the most gratifying experiences I’ve had being an improvver is that I’ve had a chance to meet Wayne Brady out in Hollywood, as a matter of fact, and I was able to meet Ryan Stiles, Chip Esten, Brad Sherwood, and Colin Mochrie and actually spend some time chatting with them.” But the improv show isn’t all of what the Puzzled Payers bring to a night of entertainment at the Lost Dog. Each month’s show features a performance from some other cherry-picked talent in the Binghamton area. Carey explains, “At the Lost Dog shows I look for local standup talent, and I check out the standup scene in the area, and I like to invite a different standup comic to open up each one of our shows- as well as a sketch comedy group that I have called Moose Pie which sometimes performs at the beginning of a Puzzled Players show. “ Moose Pie, which features Carey along with Dave Merrell, Bonnie DeForest, John Montgomery, and Joe Falank, has been performing since 2006, and adds some scripted comedy to the mix for a full night of entertainment. Carey also invites graduates of his improv classes and other experienced improvisers on stage to add to the comedy variety. He adds that as enjoyable as improvising itself can be, it’s really the audience reactions that make it worthwhile for him. “I can’t hear the laughter when it happens. I don’t know why. I’m kind of surprised when people appreciate it. There’s times when I just think that I didn’t do a good job or could have done something different that actually came across quite well. And people seem to like it. They laugh and, you know, you just move on from that.”
vvv The Puzzled Players perform the last Wednesday of every month at 9:30pm at Lost Dog Café, at 222 Water Street in Binghamton. Admission is free, and audience members must be over 21. More information can be found at thepuzzledplayers.com.
Brock Shields.Photo Provided.
Brock Shields is a Binghamton native who, with the help of various brands of alcoholic beverages and a possible personality disorder, has developed into a hilarious comic with a flair for sometimes dark and twisted humor. Having a mind that holds an immeasurable knowledge of stand up comedy, past and present, he is without question, one of the funniest, most well rounded and most vital parts of Binghamton’s comedy scene. What inspired you to become a comedian? I’ve loved comedy as long as I can remember but I was inspired to want to do stand up in high school after being into “Tough Crowd With Colin Quinn.” How long have you been performing stand up? I’ve been doing stand up for about 4 years. What is your favorite memory as a comedian? My favorite memory as a comedian is kissing Doug Stanhope on the mouth. Who is your favorite comedian to watch? My favorite comic to watch is John Dore because he always brings something new and unexpected. If you could book a show with 4 comedians, dead or alive, who would you pick? Jim Dore, Jim Norton, Greg Giraldo, Norm MacDonald How do you prepare for a set? Haha. I drink to excess and hope I can remember my jokes. If you could say one thing to up and coming comedians, what would it be? I would say be funny and drink as much free booze as you can. Brock Shields will be one of the many featured comics during The 2nd Annual Binghamton Comedy & Arts Festival which is presented by Binghamton Comedy and The Bundy Museum. This is a 3 day long event to be held September 12th-14th. For more info, tickets and a full line up, go to www.binghamtoncomedy.com.
fun stuff.
32 Vol. 2 Issue 3
B.C.
by MASTROIANNI AND HART
HOROSCOPES
Each month, CAROUSEL features a guest horoscope columnist. For March, we brought in NICK RUBENSTEIN, coordinator of Cult Movie Thursday at the Bundy, new director of Jungle Science, and organ player for Short Waves. As far as we know, he knows nothing about astrology.
WIZARD OF ID
by PARKER, MASTROIANNI, AND HART
Aries (Mar 21-April 19) You’re a hard-headed mother-effer, but this won’t help you if you forget to wear your helmet on the short bus this month. Be safe, Aries, there’s a lot of ice out there. Taurus (Apr 20-May 20) You’re headed for trouble this month, Taurus ... And here you thought you were into smooth sailing. Gemini (May 21-Jun 21) OK, Gemini, everyone knows you’re schizo as all hell. One day everything’s all peaches and cream, the next, everything’s bleaker than bleak. Just remember, when things look bad for you, they are.
DOGS OF C-KENNEL
by MICK AND MASON MASTROIANNI
Cancer (Jun 22-Jul 23) If you think you’re getting screwed, you’re probably right. That dang used car salesman sold you on that Honda with no rust, but you didn’t ask about the salvage history. Leo (Jul 24-Aug 23) Oh, so shocking Leo, you pretended to be homosexual just to get more attention, and NOW what are you going to do? That person you had your eye on decided they liked you, but heard you were gay and started dating your best friend. Try again next month. Virgo (Aug 24-Sep 22) Stop being such a pain in the ass, Virgo. I know you need to sort your socks by size, but dang it, can’t you just stop organizing your pantry long enough to go out to dinner with your poor neglected buddies? They said they’d pay and everything, so…
THERE’S A FREAKIN’ CROSSWORD ON PAGE 34!
There was one last month, too. Only, we kind of screwed up and didn’t think about the fact that when you’re printing monthly, you should probably put the answers in the same issue. Whoops. So, anyway. Like we were saying, there’s a crossword on page 34. Compliments of our good friend Paul O’Heron. If you want the answers to it, they’re to the far right of this here blurb. Upside down, because that’s totally how you do it. We probably should have put the crossword on this page and the answers on the next page. Maybe that’ll happen next month. Maybe not. The answer cube on the left is last month’s. But, you know that. We labeled them both. You can figure it out. That’s pretty much all there is to say about it. But, we’ve got four more lines of text to fill so that this whole thing lines up wth itself. So we’re going to keep typing. Almost done. See, we just made it to the end!
LAST MONTH i THIS MONTH i
Libra (Sep 23-Oct 22) Cut it out, everyone knows you’re sick and tired of people telling you they’re sick and tired of winter, but you don’t need to keep telling everyone they need to “wear more layers and stop complaining.” Sometimes people just like to complain. Scorpio (Oct 23-Nov 22) yeah, we get it Scorpio, you’re sexy, but for the love of god, will you please put a shirt on, it’s still cold out there. Didn’t your mother tell you to? Sagittarius (Nov 23-Dec 21) Look, Sagittarius, I didn’t bring you to me parents’ house so you could tie up my mom and pants my dad. I know you like to take things too far, but this is really taking things too far. If I have to tell you one more time… Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan 20) Normally I’d be writing your horoscope here, Capi, but you and everything you might do are WAY too boring, so… Aquarius (Jan 21-Feb 19) Aquarius means “water bringer,” So bring some water to the party, CUZ THE DAMN BAR IS ON FIRE! Pisces (Feb 20-Mar 20) Yo, Pisces, I understand that you hate logic, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use your brain once in a while. I mean, let’s face it, you aren’t gonna join MENSA any time soon, but can you please stop trying to get your toast outta the toaster with a dang fork?!
crossword.
34 Vol. 2 Issue 3
“Running out of Space”
Across 1&4. 2006 Oscar winner Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role “Syriana” (2005) 8&9. 2010 Oscar winner Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role “The Blind Side” (2009) 11. Mental ability developed by Bruce Willis’ character in the 2000 film “Unbreakable” 12. “I like exposing myself. There’s not an awful lot that _____ me.” – Kate Winslet 13. “The _____” 2004 Howard Hughes bio-pic starring Leonardo DiCaprio 14. What Natalie Portman was wearing on her ears when accepting her 2011 Oscar for “Black Swan” 17. German city firebombed in 1972 Kurt Vonnegut novel “Slaughterhouse 5” 20. What Isaac Newton has in common with 1&4 across, 8&9 across and 26&27 across 22. Character played by Hugh Jackman in the 2012 film “Les Misérables” 24. Israeli model featured on the cover of the 2009 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, _____ Rafaeli 26&27. Director of 2001 film “Y Tu Mamá También” and 2004 film “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” 28. 1995 DNA altering horror flick starring Natasha Henstridge 29. Robert Redford, as a resident of Sundance Down 1. “Beau _____”, 1939 Gary Cooper film about the Foreign Legion
by Paul O’Heron
2. Description of Paul Giamatti’s character in the 2004 film Sideways. 3. “Everybody Loves Raymond” and “’Til Death” actor Brad ______ 4. 1972 musical winner of 8 Oscars, including one for Liza Minelli 5. “The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New _____”, 2009 Nicholas Cage cop film 6. Barnes and Noble e-readers 7. “_____! They’ve landed!”, one of two taglines for 1996 Tim Burton film “Mars Attacks” 10. What you can call each of the the three people in the car and the trucker they talk to in the 2001 Paul Walker movie “Joy Ride” 13. “Farm _____”, annual concert founded by Willie Nelson, Neil Young, et al. in 1985 “to keep people on their land” 15. Scottish city featured in the 1996 film “Trainspotting” 16. Actor Stallone, to friends 18. “The _____ Code”, 2006 Tom Hanks film 19. Family in TV series “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet” (including singer son Ricky) 20. Joel _____, Liza Minelli costar in 4 down 21. French billionaire Bernard _____ whose company owns DKNY, Marc Jacobs, Fendi and Dior. 22. Family in John Steinbeck’s 1939 novel, and 1940 Henry Fonda film, “The Grapes of Wrath” 23. 1966 film starring Michael Caine, 2004 remake starring Jude Law, (and nickname of 26&27 across) 25. “47 _____”, 2013 Keanu Reeves samurai flick