Triple Cities Carousel May 2016

CAROUSEL triple cities

may 2016

free

vol. 4 issue 4

your local arts and culture rag.

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inside. editor’s note...4 music...6 events calendar...24 art...26 theatre...31 food and drink...33 film...37

books...38 travel...40 poetry...41 fun stuff...43 star stuff...46 business directory...47

“I would say like there’s a starving urge for hip hop to be fed in Binghamton, but there’s no food and there’s no restaurants for it to eat at.”

-Page 11

CAROUSEL triple cities

P.O. Box 2947 Binghamton, NY 13902 (607) 422-2043 carouselrag.com PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Christopher Bodnarczuk MANAGING EDITOR Heather Merlis ASSISTANT EDITOR Ronnie Vuolo STAFF WRITERS Doctor B, John Donson, Krissy Howard, Ilana Lipowicz, Felicia Waynesboro, Phil Westcott, Nick Wilsey CONTRIBUTORS Joseph Alston, Chris Arp, Bess Greenberg, Natassia Enright, Emily Jablon, Brian Lovesky, Maria Murphy, Paul O’Heron, Rob Ratman

CALENDAR GURU Ty Whitbeck LAYOUT/DESIGN Christopher Bodnarczuk PHOTOGRAPHY Stephen Schweitzer, Ty Whitbeck ADVERTISING SALES Christopher Bodnarczuk, Brian Vollmer DISTRIBUTION: Joseph Alston FOR ADVERTISING: advertising@carouselrag.com FOR CONTENT SUBMISSIONS: hmerlis@carouselrag.com (by 10th of prior month) FOR CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS: calendar@carouselrag.com (by 15th of prior month) FOR LETTERS, COMPLAINTS, DEATH THREATS, GLITTER BOMBS, AND OTHER INQUIRIES: editor@carouselrag.com

Triple Cities Carousel is published monthly, 11 times a year (Dec/Jan edition is a double issue). Copyright © 2016 by Triple Cities Carousel. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without prior written consent from the publisher. One copy of Triple Cities Carousel is free each month for regional residents and visitors. Anyone caught removing papers in bulk will be prosecuted on theft charges to the fullest extent of the law.

Yearly subscription: $25. Back issues: $3. Queries and submissions should include a self addressed stamped envelope. Advertisers own/control all intellectual property rights to submitted advertisements and agree to hold Triple Cities Carousel, its agents, and assignees harmless from all liabilities, claims, losses or damage of any kind arising out of the publication of any ad submitted on behalf of the advertiser.

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editor’s note.

“Electric word life.

It means forever and that’s a mighty long time” Prince Rogers Nelson 1958-2016

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Marco Benevento.

Photo by Michael DiDonna.

Marco Benevento Making a Big Splash in Owego

by Chris Bodnarczuk 6 carouselrag.com

F

ESTIVAL SEASON IS upon us, and for the Southern Tier, it kicks off this Memorial Day Weekend. The Susquehanna River Big Splash Sustainability Fair, presented by the folks up at the Fingerlakes Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance, returns to Owego for two days this month, and they’ve put together a bigger lineup than ever before. Headlining the eco-conscious music festival’s Sunday lineup is experimental piano player Marco Benevento.

The Woodstock- based musician is a familiar name on the jazz/jam circuit: he’s best known as half of the experimental Benevento/Russo Duo, but he’s also done stints with Joe Russo’s Almost Dead and with various members of Phish. He’s recorded with pretty much everybody, including, notably, an album, Tigerface (in 2012) with Rubblebucket’s Annakalmia Traver. Benevento spends most of his time touring with Ween bassist Dave Dreiwitz and drummer Andy Borger (who also works with Norah Jones), and he released a new album, The Story of Fred Short, on April 1st. Benevento touched base recently with Carousel; he was calling from the New Orleans Jazz Festival, and the sounds of celebration were clearly audible through the phone: You hosted a tribute to the late NOLA pianist James Booker last night at the Blue Nile in New Orleans. How was the show? Great. I’ve been here since Friday, playing every night. I’ve got one more night here.

That yearly gig has become a staple of the New Orleans Jazz Festival. Did they initially approach you, or was it your idea? No, it definitely wasn’t my idea, although I am a huge Booker fan. But, you know, I never really thought I’d have to take on that task, really learning all that shit. My friends actually hired me to play Booker for their wedding, so I learned a bunch of Booker tunes and played them for their wedding.

Ever since then, word got out and people were like ‘oh you do the Booker thing, let’s do it at Jazz Fest!’ So it just sort of happened organically like that. I guess the last three- or four years maybe we’ve been doing it every Monday night in between weekends of Jazz fest. It’s fun, it went real great!

And then you meet up with the Arcs [a side project of The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach] tomorrow. Have you played with them yet? I haven’t played live with them. Tomorrow’s like a rehearsal slash gig.

The keyboard player’s still there, but I’ll be there to ghost, like check it out. Then I play with them for the next five dates.

All this on top of touring in support of your newest release, The Story of Fred Short. Do you ever get a day off? Yeah, I do, I do. I definitely have chunks of super busy times, but I have kids and a wife, so I’ve got to make sure I have time off, otherwise they’re like, ‘where’s daddy, who’s daddy?’

It’s all good.

Let’s talk about the new album. It’s your second album with vocals. How

music. does learning to sing compare to learning piano? Well, you know, on piano you can play a lot of notes at one time, singing you can only get one note at a time, so uhh-It’s pretty focused. I really get to learn how to figure out to be, sort of way more in tune with my body with the singing. I’ve been doing a lot of vocal warmups and stuff, figuring out how to dial it in. It’s a new instrument that I’m learning how to play, and I really enjoy it. The crowd really seems to be connected to it as well.

Did you grow up singing? I did, actually. I grew up singing in bands in high school, and I did chorus in high school. I did a lot of singing in high school. And then I got really into jazz and improvisational music in college and sort of put all that singing and stuff to the side. Over the last three years I’ve been singing a ton more, and now I find it’s a very useful sort of weapon on stage. It’s a nice addition to our band. We have a lot of instrumental songs, and now we’re sort of balancing them out with tunes that are easy to get, singing, and more in that sort of rock/ pop style versus the jammy improvisational style. I did a gig here at Jazz Fest two years ago, and I sang a tune, and Charlie Hunter was there, and he was like ‘oh man, it sounds good! I like your stuff with the vocals, but you know, it took you thirty years to learn how to play the piano, it’s going to take you thirty years to learn how to sing.” I was like ‘oh shit, it’s true.’ I’m cool with it, though. It doesn’t seem so daunting anymore. I don’t feel so self-conscious about my voice anymore. So now I’m just singing, uhh, I’m a singer.

Is writing lyrics any different than writing a piano part? I’ve always kind of come up with the music first, and then come up with the melody second, and thirdly come up with the vocals and the lyrics. It doesn’t really change much. My tunes are very singable melodies, even going back to my first record, Invisible Baby. There’s a couple of tunes on there where the melodies are on a synth or an organ, but could easily be sung.

But I didn’t have that in the forefront of my mind. I never really decided to sing those melodies. But nothing changed that much except for the fact that now I have to think about words and writing lyrics- getting imagery or poetry together with my words. That’s the only tricky part about it: writing lyrics. I didn’t really do much of that. But I’m sort of over the beginning hump with that, which is good. I’m feeling more confident with storytelling, figuring out how to use words to my advantage.

So who is Fred Short? What’s his story? The story of Fred Short is that he was a Zuni Native American Indian that came from New Mexico to the Catskills and was renamed Fred Short by the settlers- by Henry Hudson. He renamed every Native American, because they had really long names like Bear Runs Through Forest Chasing Fish. So the story is, Henry Hudson renamed all the Native American people very common English names like Fred Short, or John Joy. John Carl. Very common names. This is about his travels from the West Coast to the East Coast,

his predictions that the world was going to end. He’s kept on telling people that the sun is almost over, and we need to not destroy the earth. But he was also a partier and a shaman, doing vision quests on the land that I live on. I live on Fred Short Road, so I was always wondering who the guy was. It opened a can of worms, finding the meaning here in the Woodstock area. Yeah, Fred Short Road, man, that’s where I live, come visit any time!

The Woodstock/Saugerties scene you’ve come to call home: it’s definitely a lot quieter than your former home in Brooklyn. Does that help the creative process at all? Absolutely, yeah.

I have a little studio right next to my house, like a 20’x20’ little square studio. I have a lot more space now to create. I can work whenever I want to work, and I’m surrounded by trees and mountains and animals. I have so much more room to create! In Brooklyn it’s really hard to do anything. Even just going grocery shopping or going to the post office; it takes a lot out of you. The city: there’s a lot of traffic and a lot of people around. And I have kids and I collect pianos, so the apartment was slowly shrinking. I had to get out.

I didn’t feel connected to the land at all, so I just moved everybody up. It’s so much better.

I was in Brooklyn for ten years. I did my city time, I did the rat race for a while. Now it’s really nice to just be connected to the land; plant seeds in early spring, have a big garden, get connected to that sort of thing. And I live about a mile from [late drummer of The Band] Levon Helm’s place, so I go there and record with people when they come to town- I just recorded with Shakey Graves over there. I recorded on Amy Helm’s record.

And playing over there- they still do the Midnight Rambles every once in a while. There’s a scene up there. There’s a lot of recording studios up there, too. I get called to play on people’s records in various recording studios.

I just did three days with Rich Robinson. So I’m busy, even though it’s the country. It’s a music town. Woodstock is a total music town.

I’ve seen you perform live a few times, but I’ve never really been able to wrap my head around how you do what you do. I know you’re big into circuit bending- can you explain that a little bit?

A friend of mine came to my gig in Chicago and he had a duffel bag full of all these children’s toys that had all these extra knobs on them. And lights. They were spray painted all these really cool colors, like something out of Wayne Coyne’s old toy chest or something.

When I fired them up, I was really intriguedit’s like all your favorite Casio keyboards that you mess with when you’re a kid, but they had all these tweaked out knobs and overdrive switches on them, and I was immediately drawn to the sort of ear candy of all these toys. I use the circuit bending toys to help me compose music, instead of standing in front of a piano and running chord after chord, melody line after melody line. The circuit bent toys give you quick sort of inspirational beats. Then before you know it, you’ve got an A section written in, and a B section.

And live they’re really fun, too. They’re cool to look at, people are intrigued by them.

They’re basically lo-fi 8-bit little sound boxes.

You open up the back of them and you rewire them: add switches where switches don’t belong. It creates a whole new sound... You can go on eBay now and get a lot of circuit bent toys. They’re out there.

Do you remember your first festival experience, either playing or attending?

I think maybe High Sierra in California was one of the first ones I did, in 2002. I drove out there with my buddy Joe Russo, and at the time we had a Hammond organ and drum duo [the wildly acclaimed, wildly experimental Benevento/Russo Duo], and we threw a Hammond organ and a Leslie and a drum kit into the back of my Subaru station wagon, and drove out to the west coast to play that festival. Super fun, small little hippie festival.

I’ll never forget it. It was one of my first experiences breaking into the festival scene, and people knowing who I am Are there any plans of a Benevento/ Russo Duo reunion? Not yet. Not yet, but who knows?

So you’re coming up to Owego for Big Splash on Memorial Day weekend, and then you’re straight down to Mountain Jam to play a Bowie tribute with Superhuman Happiness. How did that come about? I love all that Bowie stuff. We did Hunky Dorey, the whole record in its entirety, last July, and ever since then people sort of ask us to throw things together here and there. It’s my band-- Dave and Andy-- and some guys from Superhuman. We’ll probably do some of my tunes as well, but mostly probably the stuff off of Hunky Dorey.

Prince died last week. Was he a big influence on you? Oh, hell yeah. Especially recently-- I’ve been starting to collect a lot of his records, actually. I’m all about the dance party. Our band has been playing for crowds that have been standing up dancing, and listening to Prince is just a reminder of the importance of dancing, of how to let loose and have a good time. Yeah, huge fan.

Marco, thanks so much, I’ll see you at Big Splash. Enjoy the tour! Right on!

Susquehanna River Big Splash takes place at the Tioga County Fairgrounds (Marvin Park) in Owego, NY on Sat. May 28th and Sun. May 29th. In addition to Marco Benevento’s 8pm Sunday set, there will be performances by Donna the Buffalo, Big Mean Sound Machine, Jimkata, The Second Class Citizens, Milkweed, Triple Down, CC Ryder, Next to Kin, Adam Ate the Apple, and many more. The weekend will also feature renewable energy vendors, daily yoga classes, a farm-to-festival cafe, not-for-profit groups, environmental advocacy groups, and local artisans. Weekend passes: $20 advance/$25 at the gate. Day passes: $10 in advance/$15 at the gate. Kids twelve and under are free. Camping is available for an additional $25. For more info on Big Splash, check out grassrootsbigsplash.com. For more info on Marco Benevento, check out marcobenevento.com.

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Jen Chapin. Photo Provided.

Binghamton Live

Providing State St. with a sountrack

by Phil Westcott

M

USIC IS AN INTEGRAL PART of any celebration. Without the thud and the thump, the twang and the thwack of music - live or otherwise - a wedding, or party, or even a car ride would be considerably duller. With the return of warmer weather, Binghamton doesn’t seem so gray, and on First Fridays, live music will return to State Street.

Binghamton Live is a gathering of kindred spirits, of folks who have dedicated their lives to the production and promotion - as well as the performance - of music. John Kanazawich, the promoter and producer of the group, hopes that he can create an atmosphere of live music which will organically sprout up around town.

“Our show is going on at Atomic Tom’s because it’s right in the heart of the arts district,” says Kanazawich.

His lifelong commitment to helping original music get the recognition it deserves has led him to the creation of Binghamton Live, the next step in creating a home for original music downtown. As a promoter, Kanazawich has helped scores of songwriters perform in the area. He hosted the Songwriter Showcase for nine nine years at Cyber Cafe West, which was very successful. He hopes that by creating an event downtown on First Friday, he can increase exposure for talented local and national songwriters.

It’s an all-night affair. Opening up the evening (for free!) will be Devinne Meyers, Tim Ruffo, and Sonny Weeks, three of our area’s most active singer-songwriters. They’ll split up the night on the veranda of Atomic Tom’s from 6-9pm during the First Friday Art Walk. Devinne’s music is intimate, and dives into the depths of her soul. As she sings and plays with a shining personality, the listener is swept up into her stories, and transported to another world.

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Tim Ruffo is the outlaw countryman of the local music scene. His influences range from Waylon Jennings to Pink Floyd, and through his experiences traveling across the country, he has learned how to “live hard, work hard, and play hard.”

Sonny Weeks is the front man for local party band Wreckless Marci, and has been playing and writing songs for the last 16 years.

At 9pm, a $20 ticketed show begins, presenting Jen Chapin, who describes her music as “jazz tinged urban folk soul.” Hailing from Brooklyn, she will be accompanied by her guitarist Jamie Fox, from the Rosetta Trio.

Her songs are personal, and her lyrical sensibilities recall that of her late father, Harry Chapin (the folksinger best known for his ubiquitous “Cat’s in the Cradle”).

Chapin, however, does have a distinctly different voice than her father. She sings from her heart, and from her experiences raising her two children. Her brand of urban folk soul searches to bring together the hearts and minds of people, and to explore what we can learn from our shared meaning.

She is also an activist, and sits on the board of directors of her late father’s charity organization, WhyHunger, which looks to bring social justice and awareness to the cause of nutritious food for all. Chapin has worked her whole life traveling the world to bring social justice to all through education.

So add amazing music every month to your ever-growing list of reasons to come out on First Friday, and help create a Binghamton that is brighter than ever.

The Songwriter Series will occur every First Friday through October. The night will open up with local singer-songwriters from 6-9pm on the veranda at Atomic Tom’s, 196 State St in Binghamton. At 9pm, Jen Chapin takes the stage. More info on her performance at jenchapin.com.

41 court street

binghamton LIVE MUSIC CALENDAR

5/5 Cinco de Mayo with DJ Funky Leroy

Latin beats, drink specials, food specials!

5/12 3 Piece: Sonny Weeks, Rob Perez, & Rob Stachyra

Three of Binghamton’s favorite players from three of Binghamton’s favorite bands!

5/19 Hummels Jug

Edgy Outlaw Country from Friendsville, PA!

5/26 Next to Kin

Rock and funk from Mary Tewksbury, Mallory Evans, and Ryan Cirbus!

6/9 Adrienne Mack-Davis w/ feliciacruz Only 2016 Binghamton date!

With opening set by DJ Funky Leroy!

galaxybrewingco.com FOR FULL EVENT LISTINGS AND MORE INFO

PROJECT Trio.

Photo by Tom Walsh.

Not your grandfather’s chamber music: PROJECT Trio comes to Binghamton

by Ronnie Vuolo

T

RUE OR FALSE: Chamber musicians sit stiffly in chairs (or stand stoically by their instruments) courageously playing while less cultured members of the audience valiantly try to stay awake.

Answer: Not the guys in PROJECT Trio. Greg Pattillo (flute), Eric Stephenson (cello), and Peter Seymour (double bass) play like wild horses that slipped their traces and are careening wildly off the track. Rogue chamber musicians loose in the city of carousels. They jive, they bop, they are frenetically alive as they perform music the likes you’ve never heard coming from any classically trained ensemble. Yet, classically trained they are, outstandingly so. Defying stereotypes, this slightly demented musical version of the three Musketeers combine the energy and zeal of rock stars with impeccable classical training and a creativity that is uniquely their own. And boy do they have fun doing it.

Blending multiple genres, their work consists of original compositions and arrangements of music from diverse sources from Guns n’ Roses to Duke Ellington to Tchaikovsky.

What twists in the road morphed three classically trained musicians into the wild and crazy trio they are now? I sat down (on the other end of the phone line) with Greg Pattillo to find out: “I grew up in Seattle, Washington. In the 4th grade, I complained to my mom I wasn’t learning [flute] fast enough, and she looked into lessons. And I got something called Suzuki lessons. That teaches music by ear, and when you can play by ear, all of a sudden you can sit in on all these fantastic non-classical music settings. For me, I always thought that was just part of music and part of my music education, nothing too special. And I don’t know if it was because I grew up around the sorts of people I grew up with, or because it was out west or whatnot, but I didn’t really

get the message that there was a difference between high-brow classical music and rocking out on your instrument. By the time I went to the Cleveland Institute of Music, I had very long hair and I liked psychedelic rock and classic rock and I was very into these very non-classical things. And I arrived at a very amazing institution in Cleveland to find that, in fact, I was an oddball amongst those people- and effectively had to learn to hide my non-classical music tendencies.”

It was at the Cleveland Institute that Greg met Peter and Eric.

“Peter and Eric are both a year younger than me. So I’d already been at the school surrounded by these classical people, then the next year Peter came, and I was like, ‘Man, that guy’s cool, I want to hang out with that guy.’ And then Eric transferred into school a couple of years later. And when Eric and I first met, by the end of the week we had written a set for an open mic. And, I was like, ‘Whoa, that guy likes to play cello like I like to play the flute. He likes to rock-out on his cello.’”

And then school ended.

“When you get out of school you are faced with the real world, and that’s a very difficult thing for a musician, you know. I had graduated from grad school, moved around, and was not able to find a way to make a living playing music. I was teaching a lot and I moved and I left the Cleveland area: I moved to China, I moved to San Francisco… [In San Francisco] I ended up getting what I always called square jobs, in other words work not in the biz. And I met a lot of people that were artists and musicians. And one type of folks I really met were people that could do, like, performance poetry- what you call slam poetry. They had an open mic night every Thursday night at 16th Street and Mission at the Bart Station. It was a free-for-all open mic night. I was kind of introduced to this group through this girl that is now my wife

(she was a poet) and I brought my flute. I was like, ‘Hey do you guys want to hear my flute playing,’ and everyone kind of like looked sideways and groaned. And I was like, ‘Well, I’ll tell you what, I’m gonna’ come and I’ll try and do something funky.’ I realized that I’d kind of already had these sounds I was doing, because I like to emulate bluegrass players on the flute…and I realized I was just one step away from beatboxing. So, I practiced… and I learned to beatbox on the flute a little bit and people thought that was a riot. And so I kept practicing it.”

The practice obviously paid off. YouTube videos of his playing later went viral, and The New York Times called him “the best in the world at what he does.”

“I followed my girlfriend to New York. I was working at Trader Joe’s, and then during my lunch break I would go to Union Square and play on the subway and I had a little 45-minute subway set that I did. And I did something for a film student at NYU and she gave me an hour of free film time and I went to the studio- I just played my subway set and all of those edits ended up being, like, YouTube things that got millions of views. That was in, like, February of 2007, something like that.

Back then YouTube had one page, and for whatever reason, my video got on the front page and it stayed there for a week.”

Meanwhile…

“Peter had moved around. Eric stayed in Cleveland. They were doing summers together in Boulder, Colorado. There’s the Colorado Music Festival, and this is a very common thing for people in the classical world, to go do summers somewhere. They did, like, I think five or seven years in Boulder, every summer meeting up. Those guys were in Boulder saying, you know, ‘we could do better than this. We could do better than what we’re doing- the just gigging.’ Actually, Peter made the group a non-profit, he did all of this legwork on all of this paperwork and

things, and they brainstormed a lot and lived together in Boulder. And I kept in touch just because we were friends. And as the group was coming together, I was trying to be involved, because those two, they’re cool. I had even taken a special trip- we’d all flown from different places in America to Cleveland for the first Project event. I couldn’t be in Boulder because I was living in California at the time. Eventually, I was in New York and convinced them to move to New York. And it all kind of came together about 9 years ago- the spring of 2007.”

“Coming together” happened over time, the result of a lot of hard work. Managing and promoting themselves, they created the Harmonyville label, on which they have recorded 5 CDs (with a 6th in the works) and a DVD (PROJECT Trio: Live in Concert).

Their devotion to teaching creativity in relation to music education led them to create a non-profit organization to forward that cause. And in 2010, they were invited to play at Carnegie Hall.

“I’ve gone to Carnegie Hall plenty of times as a patron, and so playing for Carnegie Hall, that’s like a big fat check mark on your list. It was amazing. I’m fairly certain too, that Peter met his wife on the subway going to Carnegie Hall. He was on the subway with his bass and she said, ‘Hey, where you going?’ And he got to be, like, ‘I’m gonna’ go play Carnegie Hall.’

That’s a pretty awesome line actually to deliver, you know what I’m saying?”

In addition to having been seen on Nickelodeon and MTV, and having their music featured in commercials for Nike and Smart Car, they have toured extensively, both in the U.S. and internationally (including a State Department sponsored tour in 2013 to the former Soviet Union).

“We, I think, get additional value when we leave the country because we are kind of a strange group: there’s not really a group that’s flute, cello, and bass, and we’re pretty wild when we play. So we’re like a spectacle, and we have entertainment value on that level. So I think overseas, you know, we get away with a lot under the veil of being, ‘Those Americans, look how crazy they are.’ ” Greg closed with a few words about their upcoming performance at the Forum Backstage Theatre on Friday, May 6th.

“It’s kind of informal, or informal in the sense that you’re close to the actual act on stage.

We, as an ensemble, are trying to tear down the fourth wall, in the classical music sense.

In jazz and rock this often happens, the performer can get pretty amped up by the audience. It doesn’t always happen in classical music. We’re highly energetic, and so we let the audience feel that and bring it back to us.

I think that it’s hard to compare our group to anyone else, but if you like instrumental music, man you’re gonna’ love our stuff. We play a little bit from every genre. We cast a wide net, so you’re bound to like something we play.”

The show starts at 7:30pm and access is through the State Street entrance. Tickets are $25 and may be purchased online at binghamtonphilharmonic.org.

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MON - PROGRESSIVE WING NIGHT (wings get cheaper with each drink you buy after 6p) WED- DEEP CUTS PRO JAM (late), DEVINNE MEYERS (early) (Dinner tunes w/ Devinne at 6p, followed by an ever evolving collaboration feat. the area’s best musicians, 9p) THURS- TRIVIA (7:30p) FRI- B.Y.O. VINYL WITH DJ SPACE ONE SPECIAL EVENTS: (bring your best vinyl and get your second drink free) SUN- KARAOKE NIGHT (8P)

If we’re open, the kitchen’s open!

Burgers, Spiedies, Phillies, Reubens, Wings, Fries, Etc. (At the corner of Main and Beethoven)

190 main st.

binghamton

(607) 772-6313

Open Daily: Mon-Thurs 3p-1a, Fri-Sat 12p-3a, Sun 12p-1a

Have you danced with ransom yet?

May 2016 Music Schedule: Wed. 5/4 Open Mic

Thurs. 5/5 The Tomahawks

Fri. 5/6 Hummels Jug, The Kiil

Sat. 5/7 Band of Peace, Spectacular Average Boys Wed. 5/11 Dan Forsyth

Thurs. 5/12 Strauss & Co.

Fri. 5/13 Bendher, Johnny & Lonnie Band

Sat. 5/14 Blind Owl Band, Eastbound Jesus, Chris Mollo Wed. 5/18 Open Mic

Fri. 5/20 Bug Tussle, Rabbit in the Rye Sat. 5/21 Formula 5, Ultra Vibe Wed. 5/25 Skribe

Thurs. 5/26 Chris Merkley

Fri. 5/27 Next to Kin, Ryan’s Students Sat. 5/28 Kolby Oakley, Tim Ruffo

food and drinks and music and dancing est. 1831

552 Main Street

APALACHIN ny ransomsteeletavern.com 10 carouselrag.com

Dev Clancy. Photo Provided.

been most important to him, but he says he’s always been inspired by the big lyrical hip hop artists like Jay Z and Nas. “And then I like old school music-- Marvin Gaye, the Stylistics, the O’Jays—like, I was raised on that music because my dad always listened to that kind of music. So you know, I love music that’s orchestrated, and like real crazy bass lines. The band Tame Impala I’ve been listening to a lot. I just love the music, you know.”

Dev thinks of himself more of a creator than solely a musician. Since releasing his album, he’s been working on producing videos for its songs. The video for his song “Automatic” is on the more minimal side; in one long shot, he raps on a baseball field as a camera circles around him, while animated shapes and outlines appear and disappear around him. It is markedly minimal, but reveals a sharp visual sensibility. “Ride for Mine” is a more traditional music video, with dreamy imagery that somehow fits the song, although you’re not sure why. Here he’s with his friends in a garage with a TV playing static behind him; here they’re in the laundromat pulling whiskey bottles from the washing machine, and there’s a girl posing with a water gun. Somehow, it just looks good.

Although he’s a bedroom rapper, Dev’s friends and family are still a big part of his musical process. The girl with the water gun in his video also freestyled the bridge to his song “After Midnight,” when it was almost done but just missing something.

This Wasn’t Made for You: Make way for Binghamton rapper Dev Clancy

by Ilana Lipowicz

D

EV CLANCY BELONGS TO the recent generation of artists who can create full and layered works entirely on their laptops. When I ask him if he is a bedroom artist, he says “That’s exactly what I am... a bedroom rapper.” Clancy grew up in Binghamton, attending Binghamton High School, and has since moved back and forth between Binghamton and Atlanta, where he has family and where he hung out around Morehouse College and played gigs with a DJ friend.

Dev is 24 years old, confident but reserved; when we meet, he is wearing one of the hats he designed for his album, This Wasn’t Made for You, but his manner is not at all boastful.

The title of the album even serves as a sort of disclaimer; he says it was “a way for me to

confidently put my music out and not care about what people thought about the creative side, the creative differences.” With the album’s title written on his hat, it’s as if it’s referring to the man himself. I wasn’t made for you.

His debut album is the result of years of stirring around ideas and tossing them out. “I was working on a body of work - since I was in Atlanta actually- and you know, I would make the songs - I had about 30 songs - and I’d throw them away, thinking ‘this is- this is not right.’ And then I would start another project.”

This Wasn’t Made for You was drafted in one week in a burst of creativity that kept up momentum. “I’d been trying to come with a project for three, four years. But one week I just put this whole project together. And then over like, months and months I was adding

bells and whistles, perfecting it, mixing it, getting the sound perfect.”

Dev mixes using old-school programs, undercutting the album with a familiar, homegrown sound. “The thing with me is I stick to what I know, so the programs I use are pretty vintage stuff. I use like, old school programs that people don’t use anymore, like the old models of FL Studio, you know MPCs, the old ones - I just kind of dabble in different things.”

On the album, he does a lot of rapping, but he also sings, a task that was new and a bit daunting. “Definitely not a singer,” he says.

“I went heavily with the auto tune, and some people scold me for it, but I love the way it came out.

Calling himself a “music-head,” he hesitates to select a few musical influences that have

For a stretch of time, Dev was always recording people out of his pocket, collecting sounds that he would later incorporate into tracks. “So I’d be around girls, press record.

I’d be around my friends drunk, press record.

I’d be around everything, press record.” One of these recordings resulted in the interlude on his album, “SKIT (1st Night Home).” It’s an (R-rated) recording of his friend talking in a car just shortly after getting out of prison. “I try to put real life into my music,” Dev says.

Now that the debut album’s been floating around for some time, the next one is in fruition. The graphic designer in him already has the album cover and the title thought out (it’s a secret), but the music he’s still stirring around in his head, likely waiting for the next burst when it all comes out. For now, he’s been performing songs from This Wasn’t Made for You at the Grand Royale Hotel and Uncle Tony’s in downtown Binghamton, and at various house shows.

He does lament the lack of location and desire for a hip hop scene in Binghamton, especially compared with the booming scene in Atlanta. “I would say like there’s a starving urge for hip hop to be fed in Binghamton, but there’s no food and there’s no restaurants for it to eat at.” He says there are a lot of people rapping in Binghamton and a lot of people producing, but hip hop just has no pathway to flourish here. “I think it’s important for an artist to definitely pursue his hometown and try to get big in his hometown also, but it’s hard in Binghamton. It’s not really here. But maybe I could change that. Who knows?”

Find out more about Dev Clancy and hear his album This Wasn’t Made for You at devclancy.com.

May 2016 triple cities carousel 11

Rob Koritz on stage with DSO. Phot by Suzy Perler.

Playing Dead

An interview with Dark Star Orchestra drummer Rob Koritz

by Jeff Kahn 12 carouselrag.com

I

T WOULD HARDLY BE an understatement to say that no band in history has evoked such a dedicated following as the Grateful Dead. In the fifty plus years since the core players got their start as the house band for Ken Kesey’s Acid Tests, the Dead managed to build an entire culture around themselves; their immense musical catalogue is but one cog in a much larger wheel that includes art, drugs, philanthropy, legendarily large scale concerts, and a group of fans, “Deadheads,” who have crafted their entire lives around the band.

Lead guitarist and demigod Jerry Garcia suffered a fatal heart attack in 1995, but the cult of the Dead is just as strong as ever. The surviving members have performed together under various monikers and in various configurations steadily over the past two decades, and the influence of their music can be heard in virtually every jam band to ever grace a festival stage. Notably, a wide array of tribute acts have sprung up as well.

Of these tributes, none are more celebrated than Dark Star Orchestra.

Where many tributes are content to just play the music of the Grateful Dead, Dark Star Orchestra takes it a step, uh, further: the band describes itself as a “continuation of the classic Grateful Dead concert experience,” and that means that at each show, the players recreate one of the over 2300 classic Dead sets, in its entirety. Since forming in 1997, Dark Star Orchestra has built a rabid following of its own: sellout tours across America, headlining slots at various music festivals, and a fan base just as enthusiastic as that of the Dead.

When we at Carousel heard that Dark Star Orchestra would be performing this month at Magic City Music Hall, we knew we had to get an interview, and we knew only one person with such an encyclopedic knowledge of the Grateful Dead as to be up to the task: Jeff Kahn, proprietor of Binghamton’s Cyber Café West, and guitarist of Binghamton favorites Ugly Dolphin and Monkey’s Typing. Jeff graciously agreed. Here’s his interview with Dark Star Orchestra drummer Rob Koritz: What’s it like being Mickey Hart? Well, I’m not Mickey Hart-- I’m Rob Koritz, but playing that music is great. Mickey was a huge influence on me in many aspects of drumming. But it’s not so much about getting to be Mickey Hart, it’s about getting able to play this music. I love the world rhythms, like Mickey. World percussion-- that’s my bag too. It’s great. It’s different every night.

When it is a one-drummer show like a ’73 show and someone sits out, does someone get the night off? Is it that someone has something else to do? Is it ever annoying? Sure. We’re out here to play music, and you don’t necessarily want the night off. We all on the road at the same time, but not everyone is on stage every night.

At the same time, we’re pretty lucky because there are not too many people who can go out in the audience and watch their own band perform. That’s kind of cool.

If you go to see some Dead- related show these days, like Dead & Compa-

ny or Furthur, is it different, being in the business of being the Dead, seeing them now as opposed to seeing the Dead on the Europe Tour in ‘90?

Do you see it from both sides? Yeah, Europe ‘90 was great. I was on that tour. I wasn’t in Dark Star yet, but I was still breaking down musically everything-- particularly what Mickey was doing. That was college for us. We didn’t know it at the time. We didn’t know we were going to be Dark Star Orchestra ten years later, but we were all students then. If I go see the other shows, we probably watch it with a little bit more critical ear then most people do.

The Dead had off nights and on nights, but I’ve seen you guys, and you don’t seem to have off nights. I assume there’s pressure to go out there and be good. The popularity the Dead got, I think, put a strain on them: both what they could play and how high they could play. Do you feel as DSO has grown, has that changed anything?

You always want to go out and do your best, of course. Do we have off nights? Sure we do.

Our off nights, though, are still pretty good (laughs). We don’t– I don’t know how to say this– we don’t party real hard. It’s a job. We take it pretty seriously. We try to keep our heads about us while we’re out there, so that definitely helps us avoid the off nights I think.

The Dead always spoke of a mysterious X- factor, that moment when things sort of play themselves. Do you guys feel that? For sure! Last night we came off stage and we were all super jazzed. That little sequence of “Estimated” into “Other One” into “Eyes.” That really went well, man. That really flowed. There are some things that are better than others when we’re like, ‘yeah, we really pulled that off. That was really good.’

You mentioned not partying too hard.

The Dead were certainly about the music, but there was certainly music and drugs. There were drugs in the audience, there were drugs in that band. To you feel a connection between music as an altered state and people wanting to achieve an altered state? You’re providing something for some people who are going to a special place. Do you have feelings on the whole drug culture in the whole Dead scene? To be honest, all I worry about is getting out there and playing music the best I can.

You’ve spoken about how the songs you like to play aren’t necessarily the songs you like to hear the most. And, I know that Bill Kreutzmann has mentioned that one of his favorite songs to play is “Row Jimmy.” I’ve grown to appreciate it over time, but it was never my favorite when they brought it out.

Do you get that? Like, how a song like “Row Jimmy” could be much more fun to play than to hear? That’s interesting.

I think that’s a very personal thing. There are certain grooves that drummers gravitate toward; it feels better for them and they’re more enjoyable. For me, on a melodic side, there are certain chord progressions that really get me off. Just as an example, I happen to love playing, “Lazy River Road.” There’s nothing complicated about it. It’s not my fa-

vorite song by any means, but it just popped into my head because I love that chord progression. There’s the little cool descending diminished chords in there, and that really gets me off. But it’s a personal thing. You know, everybody’s opinion is going to be different. There are songs that I could play every night. And there are other songs, to be honest, if I never played them again I’d be okay.

What song can you play every night?

You know, it’s funny, but some of the songs that I could play every night are really simple ones, and other ones are more complicated.

But, I could play “The Music Never Stopped” every night. That’s my favorite song. It’s just got so much going on. Cool chord progressions, cool time changes, great lyrics.

There’s amazing build in that song.

When I’ve heard the Dead do it, they almost nail that build, you know, and I’ve heard you guys really nail that build. Do you know what I’m talking about? It’s complex, and you can miss it. Rhythmically there is some tough stuff going on in the changes. There’s a lot going on. There’s some abrupt change. There are some things in 4/4 and then there a big 6/8 section in the middle, a jam and back to 4/4 in the outro. Not super easy to do. It’s definitely a challenge, and that’s one of the things I love about it.

Train wrecks are fun when you’re doing the whole ‘jam band’ thing. Any recent train wrecks? We cover our tracks pretty quickly. We’re generally pretty good.

There’s never a total breakdown. It happens where we get to a point in the song and we forget the arrangement, and half the band goes in one direction and half the band goes the other. But we catch it pretty quick.

How about when changing members?

Like Jeff Mattson [lead guitar,vocals] joining the band: I saw Jeff in Freeport back in 1979-1980 and he actually played at my place (what used to be West Side Cheers but is now Cyber Café West). I saw him with the Zen Tricksters and now he’s with you. I thought he added a real shot to the band when I saw him with you guys. How did that change things for you guys? We’ve been really lucky. No matter who it is, when there’s a personnel change – and there’s been quite a few over the years – there’s always a small adjustment period just to learn each other’s musical intricacies. But we’ve been very lucky over the years. Every time we’ve had a personnel change, we’ve gotten better. It’s nothing against anyone who was there before. We just stepped up our game. It just makes it fresh again.

Maybe a little bit of the polish was off for a moment, but the depth really went to other places, I felt. Yeah. That’s just taking some time to learn their different musical devices, their different non-verbal cues and getting comfortable with everybody. In more recent years, three years ago we changed bass players. Kevin [Rosen, bass/ vocals] retired and Skip [Vangelas] joined the band. And, we went through the same process with just learning his playing style. Once we got comfortable with each other, it stepped up our game immeasurably; took us to a

whole different level. When Scott [Larned, keyboards] passed away in 2005, that was maybe the worst thing that ever happened to me. But Barraco came in and took us to another level. So we have just been really lucky in that respect.

You guys have your own history, but in some ways you share a lot of history with the Grateful Dead: if not chronologically, at least in the minds of the fans. Do you feel a connection to the ‘60s or ‘70s when you’re playing the music of that time? Is there a shift in you on stage? Is there time transport involved at all? Yes and no. If we’re going to go back and do the ‘60s, I have to stop and think, ‘these guys were really, really young,’ which none of us are (laughs). So why was this stuff so cool? Part of it was the drugs, and we’re not gonna go there. But some of it was, these were just young guys who got their groove on for the first time, really taking it where they wanted and playing with reckless abandon. So I think about that when I’m up there and think, ‘go for it a little bit, take some more chances, that’s okay right now.’

There was a delicacy with early Dead, in the way it could fall apart. Then much later on, it was more like a marching band: Jerry Garcia could fall off the stage and the music might continue. Early on though, there’s this feeling, like the music was on a tight rope someway. It felt more precarious.

As the band got better, I suppose, there was something lost in that fragility. I believe that as they got better, there were a whole lot more expectations. They’re not playing at the Fillmore for 1500 people anymore. They’re playing at a stadium for 40 or 50,000 people… There’s a lot of expectations, seats to fill, money on the line. You’ve got to play it a little bit safer; deliver the product that people are expecting to hear. Sure, the fans were still expecting improvisation and expecting them to take chances, but you can’t go out in front of 20,000 people and suck.

You’ve got to deliver.

Anything you want to add? Really my only thing to say is there are still a lot of people out there who say, ‘Oh, they’re just a cover band, why would I go to see that, do something original bla bla bla.’ If you’re skeptical, give it a chance. Just come out one time: I think we have the ability to change feelings about it.

“Cover band” is such a poor choice of words. I think it’s better to think of it like jazz, and these are the standards.

And you’ve got a group of fine musicians who are playing this book. Yes, you’re right! That’s exactly what it is.

Thank you so much, Rob. I’ll see you at the show! Thank you!

Dark Star Orchestra plays Magic City Music Hall (1240 Upper Front St. in Northgate Plaza, Binghamton) on Sunday, May 22nd.

Doors open at 7:30pm and music starts at 8:30pm. Tickets are $30 in advance, $35 day-of-show. More information on the band at: darkstarorchestra.net. More information on the venue at: themagiccitymusichall. com.

May 2016 triple cities carousel 13

ROBERT HOOVER NEW PAINTINGS TRANQUIL, MAY 6–31

FIRST FRIDAY MAY 6, 5-9PM FEATURING GUITARIST MARK TROJNAR 7PM TRANQUIL BAR & BISTRO 36 PINE ST, BINGHAMTON, 607-723-0495

14 carouselrag.com

Gary Lewis & the Playboys. Provided.

‘Hey kid, come out to the drums, I want to show you some stuff.’ This went on for seven years. He taught me things on the drums, and I was getting good, and he really gave me some beautiful, beautiful pointers.” It wasn’t until he was twelve years old that Gary realized that this friend of his dad’s – this man named Buddy Rich – was celebrated as one of the greatest drummers of all time.

That isn’t too surprising when considering who Gary’s father is. Comic actor Jerry Lewis -- of vintage movie and charitable TV telethon fame -- is one of the best known show biz figures ever. When asked whether it was a help or a hindrance to be the child of a mega-famous parent Gary answers, “It was never a hindrance. You know why? Because we didn’t do the same thing. The Beatles came out and I said, ‘I want to play music.’ My dad never did that.” Throughout his recording career and his repeated appearances on television shows including American Bandstand, Hullabaloo, The Tonight Show and the Ed Sullivan Show Gary always maintained his own, separate identity, “and even to this day people will say to me, ‘I had no idea your dad was Jerry Lewis.’ That’s how well that separation of jobs worked.”

He no longer plays the drums. Drums are hard on the shoulders over the years. The drummer in Lewis’s upcoming concert at Magic City Music Hall is Bobby Bond, and the bass player is Dominic Lazerri, both of Rochester, NY which Gary now calls home.

Nick Rather of Nashville is on guitar and the keyboard player is John Zehnder from Louisville. These “Playboys” (so named by Gary because the original group back in the day, before their career took off, is said to have had a penchant for idling in late to rehearsal sessions) have worked together since 2004.

Gary says he loves being back on guitar because it puts him up front where he can see the crowd, “play to them, talk to them. Behind the drums, I couldn’t do any of that.”

Gary Lewis & the Playboys ‘60s hitmakers play Magic City this month

by Felicia Waynesboro

W

HEN “THIS DIAMOND Ring” his first professional recording reached #1 on the charts in 1964, Gary Lewis’ producer said, “Don’t get too excited about the success of one song.” He didn’t. Instead, Gary Lewis and the Playboys kept working hard and found the group’s next six releases in a row each zooming up the charts to rest in a Top 10 position. Lewis was the first and only artist of that era to do that.

The well-established Drifters didn’t want to do “This Diamond Ring” when producer Snuff Garrett offered it to them, in spite of his impeccable reputation for knowing how to pick hits. So he gave it to the immensely popular Bobby Vee who, reportedly, didn’t like the song and didn’t want to do it either.

So when Garrett asked the newcomers if they

wanted it, “With all of his knowledge and the great arrangements and the musicians,” Lewis says, “I was so thrilled to start recording I would have done any song he said.”

The group not only made its way into the record books, it also struck reverberating chords in the memories of listeners. When asked if he still hears his tunes when shopping in a supermarket or turning on the radio Gary says, “All the time. It feels wonderful!”

With 8 Gold Singles, 17 Top 40 Hits, 4 Gold Albums, and 45 million records sold worldwide, hits like “Everybody Loves a Clown,” “I’m Sure Gonna Miss Her,” and “Count Me In” are an indelible part of our cultural makeup, and the only reason the songs stopped coming is because, “I got drafted,” Gary reports. His music is breezy, pop stuff with the kind of bounce that makes a broken heart seem not so bad. But in the two years he was away doing military service in South

Korea, “The music business changed from my kind of music to heavier rock like Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix.” The times were bad-assed and when Lewis got out of the service and returned to Liberty Records he was told there was no more market for his kind of music. “I said, so what is this? Like, Goodbye? And it was.” So he left entertaining, owned a music shop in California, and gave lessons on drums and guitar for more than a decade - until 1984 when an agent from Indiana called up and said, “Hey man, the ‘60s are comin’ back!”

The Indiana agent promised he could get multiple bookings every year for Gary’s familiar swinging ‘60s sound. Lewis was disbelieving but he says, “Since ’84, that’s what’s been happening.”

When Gary was five years old his father bought him a set of drums. “A friend of my dad’s used to come over all the time and say,

In 2012, the group recorded their latest single, “You Can’t Go Back” which is somewhat blues-influenced. Apparently though, in some ways, you can go back. “We’re playing to the same people we were playing to in the ‘60s except they bring their kids,” Lewis explains, “and they bring their kids.” He was charmed by an email he received from a seven year old girl who said she loves all his songs because her grandma sings them to her as lullabies.

“Wow, how cool is that?” he cooed.

The concert includes a little bit of video footage of Gary in bit parts his famous dad gave him in a few films, like “The Nutty Professor,” before his rock and roll days. He is almost speechless as he fishes around for the words to express how he feels about his audiences.

“To honestly go on stage and want to have a good time with them, to see them mouthing the words right along with me, I’ve been given this tremendous blessing to have this career for 52 years.”

Gary Lewis and the Playboys play Magic City Music Hall on Friday, May 20th at 8pm. 1240 Upper Front Street, Northgate Plaza in Binghamton. General admission is $25; admission with reserved table seating is $35. For more information call (607) 2963269 or visit themagiccitymusichall.com.

May 2016 triple cities carousel 15

WEDNESDAY! 5/4

MONDAY!

a binghamton tradition

Nate Calzetoni

starts at 8:30

5/11

TEAM TRIVIA!

Dan Pokorak

Coffee!

Lattes!

Steamers!

FIRST TUES.

sign ups start at 7:30pm

music starts at 8

OPEN MIC!

5/16

Pete Ruttle

FRIDAY!

5/25

Amanda Sprecher & Robert Scalici

5/6

Funktional Flow

LIVE MUSIC!

5/13

22 Beers on tap!

MVT 5/20

Free Wifi!

Study Nooks!

Comfy Couches!

THURSDAYS!

start your weekend early

with ugly dolphin!

LIVE MUSIC!

Jamie Willard 5/27

Raibred

LIVE MUSIC! 5/10, 5/17, 5/24

SATURDAY!

on the cyber stage

5/7

sing your little heart out

KARAOKE!

1 76 M ain St. BINGHAMTON

cybercafewest.com (607) 723-2456 open daily 16 carouselrag.com

Raibred 5/14

Castle Creek 5/21

Sandwiches!

Soup! Salads!

Burgers!

Wraps!

Desserts!

Greg Neff 5/28

Jeff’s Birthday Jam w/ Ugly Dolphin

LIVE MUSIC!

Rick Iacovelli.

Photo by Stephen Schweitzer.

“[It’s] all the stuff that inspired me, that influenced me, and evolved after the album was finished,” he says.

Once the recording was completed, Iacovelli found himself inspired by his own music and decided to create the artwork as well. Each album displays his own original drawings.

In addition, Iacovelli made one hundred individually drawn, limited-edition covers.

Each cover is more unique than the next, with illustrations depicting timeless scenes and headline script. Some of the drawings are inspired by the song titles, while others are influenced by famous figures of the past.

Iacovelli did not stop at the album covers. He also orchestrated an entire expo of audio and visual entertainment.

“The music came first and it evolved into an art project,” Iacovelli says.

Even if you are not a Darwin fan, this event is sure to be well adapted for all to enjoy.

Musical notes evolved into visual displays on paper, canvas, and film hit every sense and then some. There will be pen-and-ink drawings and watercolor paintings on display, as well as an illustrated book Iacovelli created based on his memories, influences, and experiences. A silent film will also be shown accompanied by live music, including a Basher reunion with Tony Tedeschi. Mentalist Robb Riddel is to perform as well. It’s no mystery that this should be an exciting and entertaining event.

Iacovelli states that this love for art and music began at a young age. He was fond of comic books and enjoyed drawing and painting as a child. Iacovelli was greatly inspired by Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol, and Binghamton’s own Jules Gotay. Aside from a short stint in the classroom, he was mostly self-taught in both fields.

Mystery at the Bundy Rick Iacovelli’s magnum opus

by Maria Murphy

I

T BEGAN IN 1985, Mystery on the Beach, a CD release/art expo over thirty years in the making. Local artist, musician, and self-described Mod, Rick Iacovelli will be unveiling his three-decade-old project this month at the Bundy Museum of History and Art. The time given to this project is present in both detail and workmanship. It is a combination of visual art, music, and film that not only entertain, but also tell a story.

Iacovelli created a concept album in which each song leads into the next, like pages in a book. When the tracks are put together into an album, it becomes one story. “[The story is about] all my life but fictionalized too,” he explains.

Iacovelli describes his music as “semi-autobiographical” for more reasons than one.

Not only has he combined his life story with

fiction, but he also played more than half of the instruments that appear in the album.

Mystery on the Beach also features Jeff Stachyra on the drums and guitar, and John Kanazawich on piano and reading poetry. As for Iacovelli, he is recorded playing the bass, piano, organ, omnichord, guitar, and vocals.

Each recording has been pieced together into a song that is part of the larger story within the album.

“It’s layered, like a painting,” Iacovelli describes.

Another layer to this mystery is its transcendence through time. When hearing the album, you are quite literally listening to the past and present coming together to make sweet, beautiful music. Iacovelli’s recording dates span between 1985 and 2015, yet they sound as if they could have been recorded on the same day; the blend is seamless. Like most great things in life, it seems music can

improve with age. Mystery on the Beach could be considered the musical version of an aged wine that has finally hit the perfect vintage. After being plucked out and years of seasoning and blending, the recordings can now work as one to share Iacovelli’s story.

It is a story that is not only a piece of history, but has also been influenced by history. Iacovelli has found inspiration in the greats of the past. From Charlie Chaplin, to the Beatles, to Alfred Hitchcock, they are present in each of Iacovelli’s chosen media. Most of all, possibly, was his friendship with George Harrison. Iacovelli’s artwork will even include a tribute to Harrison’s All Things Must Pass album cover. Iacovelli calls the CD release/ expo a tribute to Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and the Mods. It is truly a tribute, as the tracks seem suited for vinyl. The influence of the 1960s and ‘70s can be heard in each one - a manifestation of a different era in music.

Iacovelli’s music background was cultivated in a unique experience. His father, a restaurateur, also worked booking gigs for the Fountains Pavilion in Johnson City. Iacovelli recalls falling asleep on the sandbags backstage while listening to Bo Diddley perform only a few feet away. It was a childhood that, with no surprise, sparked a love for music within this local performer and artist. Still, he believes that his experiences and influences sparked from something that was already within him: a Mod, a Mocker, waiting to break free.

“There’s no real beginning or end of when I started [making art and music],” he continues. “That’s why it’s called the past, the present, and what is laughingly called the future.”

Iacovelli would like to make a special mention to the Bundy Museum (Eric Eckman and Janna Rudler), Peter Townshend, and the late George Harrison. He would also like to thank the Yardbirds, producer Jeff Stachyra and mystery producer Dustin Grimes, and John Kanazawich.

It all happens at 2pm on Sunday, May 15th at the Bundy Museum of History and Art, 129 Main St, Binghamton. Admission is free.

Food and refreshments will be provided.

Artwork and CDs will be available for purchase.

May 2016 triple cities carousel 17

18 carouselrag.com

Joe Bonamassa. Photo by Marty Moffat.

sounds more organic. I can feel the music.

The more the bit rate goes up, and the more the resolution and fidelity goes up, the more the human ear “hears,” and the less it impacts the soul.

Why do you prefer to record live, rather than resort to the studio techniques typical of modern recordings? For the same reasons I like analog. It sounds organic.

The problem is if you have absolutely no bleed and everything is fully separated, you get this very clinical, sterile-sounding record.

You have a side project, a funk band called Rock Candy Funk Party. What inspired you to expand into funk from blues? For fun! I love being in a band where I’m not the front man. I just get to play guitar, and a completely different kind of guitar from my day job.

Tell us about the radio program you produce, “The Pickup Radio.”

My buddy Matt Abramovitz hosts it with me and we talk about music history and our favorite guitarists and we play whatever songs we like-- sometimes obscure versions people may not have heard, and we just generally have a lot of fun.

Burnin’ blues in Binghamton Guitar great Joe Bonamassa heads to the Forum

by Doctor B. Widely acclaimed as one of the best blues guitarists of his generation, Joe Bonamassa, whose career started at the ripe old age of 12, ain’t no slouch. He’s been touring steadily for a quarter century, sharing the stage with some of the biggest names in music, throwing his support behind various charities, playing 200 dates a year, and carrying the torch of blues music into the 21st century. The upstate NY native makes a tour stop in Binghamton this May, for one night only at the Forum Theatre. I recently got a chance to catch up with the virtuoso: You’ve had 15 records out over the last 13 years, 11 of which have ended up at number one on the blues charts. That’s impressive. Thank you! Actually, with the record we just put out last month, Blues of Desperation, I hit my 16th #1. I’m very thankful that the fans keep being interested in what I’m putting out.

I saw the 1990 news video of you playing when you were 13 years old.

You blew away people 2 or 3 times your age! I practiced every day, all the time. And I had my own band at that point. We played in clubs in places like Buffalo and Scranton, playing on weekends.

Your biggest influences are English acts, like John Mayall, Peter Green,

and Jeff Beck. Great as they are, why them and not the more traditional American bluesmen? They all played louder, heavier and faster than the American cats. I loved that interpretation of the blues. I went back and discovered the American blues masters afterwards and I have a deep love and respect for them as well, but I’ll always be drawn to the English and Irish guys.

You mentioned bluegrass player Doc Watson in another interview. How did he influence your playing style? He was probably my biggest influence for acoustic playing, along with Stephen Stills.

To say your career started with a bang would be an understatement.

When you were only 12, you were the opening act for none other than B. B. King! Won’t you please tell us how that gig went? It was a dream come true for a 12 year-old-kid. And it was the largest crowd I had ever played up to that point – there were 4,000 to 5,000 people in the tent. When I went back to school after the summer and the teacher asked what we’d done on vacation, I wrote a detailed account of touring with B.B. King. The teacher didn’t believe me!

You’ve played alongside Eric Clapton.

What was that like? My common answer to this question is ‘what do you think it was like?’ Being able to look over to your side and see your hero there on stage with you, playing

a song that you both love, and you’re both listening to and playing along. You’re a lucky guy and there is no cooler feeling. It’s one of my all-time favorite experiences.

A couple of years ago, you went to Nashville to record Different Shades of Blue. You collaborated with three established industry songwriters. How did that come about? I knew Jonathan Cain, I knew Jerry Flowers, I’d met James House…I didn’t know Jeffrey Steele or Gary Nicholson until I got there. But they’re all really nice cats. It’s funny actually, I found I was welcomed with open arms in Nashville because I wasn’t there to write country hits.

I told them all I wanted was to write some blues-based stuff and it didn’t need to fit into the three-minute song radio model. I could see this look of relief on their faces and it made the whole songwriting process a lovely experience.

You’ve performed with Beth Hart, a great blues musician in her own right.

How did you meet her? We were always crossing paths out on tour in Europe. We bumped into each other in Holland and I told her I thought we should do a project together, which turned into our first album together, Don’t Explain.

You’ve mentioned that you prefer the sound of analogue recording over digital. Why is that? I think analog

You founded and run an educational foundation, “Keeping The Blues Alive”. Among many other things, it advocates for music education in American schools. Please tell us more about it. It’s important to me to give back and for a while we were doing these Blues in the Schools sessions where we’d visit schools and talk to the kids about music. I kept seeing that the arts programs were being down-sized or cut entirely. The schools don’t have the money they need for instruments or music classes and it’s the first thing to go. So we’ve been donating instruments and helping to fund programs and scholarships for students and teachers to keep these programs alive.

It’s vital to preserve music in schools and give kids a chance to discover music and discover themselves through music. We’ll partner with companies like Ernie Ball to send guitar strings, or Musician’s Institute to create a scholarship contest. I started doing blues tribute shows last summer with Muddy Wolf at Red Rocks, and then again this past summer with our Three Kings Tour (tributing the music of B.B. King, Freddie King and Albert King), and a portion of the proceeds from those shows went to KTBA. In February we’re did our second Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea cruise, which also benefited KTBA. What are your plans for the future?

Is there a new album in the works?

We just released a new album called Blues of Desperation last month. I recorded it in Nashville with a lot of the guys from the last record, Different Shades of Blue… like James House, Tom Hambridge, Jeffrey Steele, Jerry Flowers and Gary Nicholson. All the songs are originals again but this record is a bit grittier, a bit harder. We’ll be touring in support of it for the rest of the year.

Joe Bonamassa takes the stage at Binghamton’s Forum Theatre on Tuesday, May 24th. Tickets range from $79-$125.

More info is available at jbonamassa.com or broomearenaforum.com.

May 2016 triple cities carousel 19

Pete Ruttle.

Photo by Stephen Schweitzer.

Pete Ruttle

The Binghamton folk music staple is releasing a new album this month, so we found another Binghamton folk music staple to ask him about it

by Joseph Alston 20 carouselrag.com

I

t’S A THURSDAY MORNING in the beginning of spring, and Binghamton songwriter Pete Ruttle walks in my back door. He has a haircut appointment in an hour, and a new album called The Great Divide that he’s releasing this month. The editor of Carousel texted me late last night, while I was on the road, and asked me if I wanted to do the interview. ‘Hell yes’ my smart phone responds. I’ve known Pete forever. I lived with him for a few years, and I’ve been playing music with him for just as long.

I set him up on a stool and put some mics in front of him. He holds his guitar throughout the whole interview, even though I gave him a guitar stand. He, ever so slightly, fingerpicks while he talks. Every few minutes he checks the time. Hair appointment: The album is called The Great Divide. Why? Well, all the songs that are on it are songs that I wrote over the span of three years that I didn’t use on other projects. And a lot of the themes of the songs are about people I met and spent time with, friendships, experiences over that time; it seemed to make sense to call it that.

Oh wow, I didn’t realize the songs spanned that much of a time period!

Your last album, Night Songs, was released-- it’s not three years old, is it? It is. Yeah.

Oh. Crazy! Um… Well, I love the title!

I, uhh-- Listen, Joe. If your gonna interview me, do your homework.

Well, it’s not the New York Times, buddy. Gimme a break. I was asked to do this interview a day ago, so-- I lived with you for five years!

It seems like a couple of common phrases pop up throughout the album.

Do you think there is a common thread behind all of the songs? A thread that ties the album together? Yeah, there is a common thread… about traveling and experiencing new things. I know I sing about listening to the radio a lot, which is something I grew up with, and that’s not really prevalent these days. There is a big shift in what people listen to and how they listen to it. And also, not talking about the content, but the way we recorded it: we tried to make it a very organic sound. And the songs that I picked, I feel like they fit together, just in the style that they’re written; chord structure and everything. It was meant to be a very tight package… and to fit together like a puzzle.

Radio. That reminds me of your Dad being a DJ during your formative years. I’m thinking that probably played a part? Oh yeah, definitely. I gained a lot of musical experience from him. Our basement was always filled with a thousand records… we had guitars and whatnot down there, and that’s how I was introduced to the musical world.

Captain Ruttle. Yup. What inspires you as a songwriter?

Umm… I think the biggest thing that inspires me to write songs is it helped me out as a form of personal expression. Where I can’t express myself in-- other ways-- day to day conversations. It allows me to channel things that I’m feeling or thinking, and lets me get them out.

That is an interesting thing about you, because having known you for so long, I know you as a very sarcastic person.

Then I listen to your music, your songs,

and they’re heartfelt and as direct to that emotional state as it can get. Not to say you don’t have your heartfelt moments, but you’re pretty sarcastic.

[Insert slightly uncomfortable laughter here.] Yeah, that’s interesting.

Cool. This is going great. Oh, yeah.

Moving right along: you’ve collaborated with Joe Kollar at Yellowbike Studio [in Chenango Bridge, NY] for the last two albums. For those of you who don’t know Joe, you actually probably do. He plays banjo, drums, sings and writes for the band Driftwood. He also owns and runs Yellowbike Studio. He also plays in your other band, Pete, the Lutheran Skirts. I know you love working with him. Tell me about the process the two of you have. What makes it unique and keeps you going back to it? It’s just really easy to work with Joe. We’ve been friends and been around each other’s music for a long time. Neither of us have a tendency to want to control what’s going on in the studio. We work very freely with each other. We take into account what each of us has to offer, and usually it works out for the best. And if it doesn’t, we cut each other down. Harshly. But it does work. And, you know, it took a year to record the album, but we actually only got together 18 days. We actually accomplished a lot over a short time, but it was just about being available to do it.

That’s a really unique way to record an album. I think that really aids in the process, because you keep building up the ideas. Yeah, and you come in fresh.

You have time in between. ‘Cuz you get a little weird when you listen to the same couple measures over and over again… I don’t have the biggest attention span.

No kidding. So the album also features Joey Arcuri, also from Driftwood, on standup bass. Tell me about the arrangement process between the three of you. How does the song go from what you write by yourself to what we hear on the album? Very naturally. I had a lot of time traveling on the road with Driftwood, so they were very familiar with my songs. I just told them to play whatever they wanted. Joey just always plays the most sweetest lines. I never really told them what to do. And actually, through the recording process, the songs changed dramatically.

We had a rule that we only wanted to record three takes, and we only broke that rule on three songs. But even in just those three takes it would morph into the end result. And I was happy with what they chose to do. I think that’s why everybody had a lot of fun doing it, because you go in and do what you feel, and then you move on. Because it’s not the last song or album I’m going to record. So just do it naturally, how you feel, and then move on.

You guys learned the songs on the road, but not really playing a lot of shows, right? Yeah. We’d play in hotel rooms, hanging out at peoples’ houses.

Which is cool: it’s like a free form rehearsal. It’s interesting, because the way you guys make albums is very different than most recording artists.

And I commend you for that. Thank you, sir.

Who was your first musical crush? My first? I always loved Tom Petty. I love the way he wrote prolifically. I like that style. And the only other style of music I was really always into was classical. I sang in a choir for ten to twelve years. You know: Beethoven, Brahms

and Mozart. Very cool stuff.

So combine Brahms and Tom Petty, and you get Pete Ruttle. Well, there was other stuff in between. Too many to list.

Do you think there is a Binghamton music scene? Absolutely. And it has changed dramatically over the last ten years.

Most of the music around here ten years ago was just cover bands-- not to detract from that talent, but there has been a shift to appreciating original music. I remember, it was impossible to get a show and play original music and expect to get paid for it. Now people are really into it. It’s growing, and people come out and support and appreciate it. I do, too.

8/28/2016

Me, too. Okay, last question: just in the past few months, we have lost David Bowie, Merle Haggard, and Prince.

What musician have you never seen but would spend your rent to go see?

Alive or dead?

Lets say alive. Tricky question. Do you want to say dead? Yeah, say dead, ‘cuz I would want to go see Frank Zappa.

Nice. You know you can still go see his son, Dweezil, do Zappa plays Zappa?

It’s good, but-- it’s not the same thing.

The album is amazing. The songs fall in the vein of Nick Drake or Neil Young, and it’s obvious that sound engineer and banjo player Joe Kollar spent time listening to The Tallest Man on Earth to get some of his production ideas. Picture an herbal morning, with a three hour drive ahead, through a slight West Virginia rain, in late summer. Ruttle’s lyric-writing is literary, moody and heady, yet the hooks hook; I’ve caught myself humming the melodies in the shower and when I’m driving. Joey Arcuri’s bass playing is damn near classical in his note choices; choosing color tones instead of the roots of the chords adds a complexity to the arrangements that doesn’t burden the ear. The album is lush. With a constant mixture of Ruttle’s National dobro, Kollar’s deft and floating banjo, and a beautiful big body electric Gretsch guitar, the whole picture is wrapped in a light reverb. All with a slight but constant underbelly of percussion, to give it a backbone. The songs paint a picture of a confident man willing to be unsure of himself. It is by far the most mature work Pete Ruttle has output yet. Arcuri is a beast of a bass player, and Kollar is proving that Yellowbike Studio is well on its way to developing its own unique sound and style of making records.

The Great Divide will be released locally and online on Friday, May, 13th. A celebratory release party is planned for that evening at Atomic Tom’s, 196 State Street, Binghamton, NY. Doors open at 7pm, and there’s a $10 door charge. Pete, Joe and Joey will play at 8pm. The Lutheran Skirts will follow and likely play well into the night. The album is marked at $15, and will be available starting 5/13 at peteruttlemusic.com. If you can’t make it to the release, you can see Pete perform at Cyber Cafe West (176 Main St. Binghamton) on Wednesday, May 18th at 8pm, and every other Friday at 5:30pm at the Old Union Hotel (246 Clinton St. Binghamton).

Binghamton music lives.

(For an audio recording of the unabridged version of this interview, as well as a take of Pete Ruttle performing the song ‘On the Run’ live in the studio, check out the link at carouselrag.com.)

2nd Annual Binghamton Porchfest Be a part of it! binghamtonporchfest@gmail.com May 2016 triple cities carousel 21

music briefs T-PAIN AND WALK THE MOON AT BINGHAMTON UNIVERSITY SPRING FLING

T-Pain. Photo Provided.

Spring Fling is a fantastic tradition at Binghamton University: students reveling after finals and finishing papers, classes on their way out, and seniors preparing for graduation. The community is welcomed during the celebration, and carnival rides and booths stretch from the Peace Quad to the Student Wing. The headliners this year are spectacular: there is nothing like the sultry vocoded voice of the inimitable T-Pain, and indie rockers Walk the Moon’s infectious pop guarantee a party worth howling at.

T-Pain hit the national scene in the mid2000s, with a remarkable sound that you may know as ‘that electronic sounding voice,’ with hits like “Buy U A Drank,” and “I’m N Luv (With A Stripper),” essential parts of every millennial’s high school dance. Walk the Moon is indie-pop-rock; they broke through in mid-2012 with songs like “Anna Sun” and “Tightrope.” Their music is light and dance-y, and reminiscent of car rides in mid-July.

Opening up the night will be student band The Three Fours. Get down and dirty and dance your butt off; you deserve it. Spring Fling is free. Festivities start around 1pm, and the concert takes place at on May 7th 8pm. Binghamton University is located at 4400 Vestal Parkway East. in Vestal.

BAND OF PEACE AND SPECTACULAR AVERAGE BOYS AT RANSOM STEELE

What could be more peaceful than a band of peace? The Band of Peace is an Upstate super group, comprised of members of Big Leg Emma, Sonic Garden, and Little Mountain Band. Their sound is lively, with rockabilly and jam influences, making you want to get out of your seat and groove on down to the dance floor. The Spectacular Average Boys sell themselves short. Hailing from Oneonta, their mix of Americana and indie rock howls to be listened to. If you’re new to the Spectacular Average Boys, check them out at bandcamp.com. Prepare to be swept away by their soaring sound and intricately crafted lyricism.

The show is on May 7th, and the Ransom Steele Tavern is located at 552 Main St. in Apalachin. Tickets are $7 at the door. The Spectacular Average Boys will open the show, at 8pm.

DESSERT MUSICALE AT FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

The Harmony Club of Binghamton and the Southern Tier Music Teachers’ Association will collaborate to present “Dessert Musicale.” Together, the STMTA and the Harmony Club award scholarships to a local high school student and help fund different musical recitals and competitions. Vocalists, pianists, and other instrumentalists will perform, as well as selected student winners of the 2016 STMTA competition for your listening pleasure. Works to be performed include a smorgasbord of classical solo and chamber

22 carouselrag.com

works, as well as works from operas and old favorites. There will also be raffles, giveaways, and of course, delicious desserts.

Tickets are available at the door, and are $10 for adults, and $5 for students and seniors. You can pre-order tickets by emailing kpeters@stny.rr.com. For more information, visit stmta.org or harmonyclubbgm.org. The May 11th concert will start at 7pm. First United Methodist church is located at 53 McKinley Avenue in Endicott.

BLUE VELVET AT VESTAL AMERICAN LEGION

The 1920s. Jazz, prohibition, and flappers.

Swing was in the air, on the streets, on the radio and in the dance halls. Competitions occurred where you would swing ’til you dropped. Blue Velvet, a 17-piece big band fronted by one of the area’s best sax players, Tony Alduino, hosts semi-regular monthly dances, whether you are a professional or a beginner. The talent in the band is truly phenomenal; if you’re a fan of swing music, you won’t want to miss this show, whether or not

you’re a dancer. If you’re a dancer, but don’t know swing so well, take this chance to fall in love. The show starts at 7:30pm on May 13th and goes for three hours, with open dancing all night long. There is also a chance for you to brush up on your moves, with a dance lesson from Chuck Williamson beginning at 6:45pm.

The Vestal American Legion is located at 118 S. Jensen Rd, Vestal, near Kohl’s. Tickets are $12 for the general public and $10 for USA Dance members. For more information, call (607) 775-5654.

OAK RIDGE BOYS AT THE FORUM

The Oak Ridge Boys have been making music together for over 40 years. The fearsome foursome consists of Duane Allen, Richard Sterben, Jon Bonsall and William Lee Golden. They rose to fame in the late 1970s, with their one-of-a-kind mix of pop, gospel, and country music. They’ve played for five presidents, and George H.W. Bush considers them personal friends; when the former

president fell ill in 2012 and was hospitalized, the Oaks came to his room to personally serenaded him and offer their best wishes. The camaraderie between the group is tangible watching the Oaks sing together, and you can tell that the love affair between their voices hasn’t burnt out. Sterben’s deep bass pulses and throbs, sending the audience swooning, especially during their hit song “Elvira.” The vocalists are backed by a fantastic band; if you are a country fan, then you’ll want to buy your tickets fast.

The concert is on May 13th, and the Forum is located at 236 Washington St. in Binghamton. The show starts at 7:30pm; tickets are $38-48, and are available at broomearenaforum.com.

LAMB OF GOD, AND MORE AT MAGIC CITY MUSIC HALL

Lamb of God is one of the most highly acclaimed metal bands of the last ten years.

Since their conception in the mid- ‘90s, they have helped to define the genre. Vocalist Randy Blythe’s soaring and screaming vocals

rise above the intricate guitar melodies and pounding drums. One thing Lamb of God is not is quiet. High-energy and pulsing, their music will have you banging your head to the propulsive beat. They’ve mostly defied expectations of any one genre of metal, but you can find elements of thrash, speed, and groove metal in their rocking tunes.

Clutch is a psychedelic metal band that formed in the early ‘90s. They have a more traditional rock sound, but with the soaring licks and wailing bass that you expect out of a metal outfit. Corrosion of Conformity has been rocking out since the early ‘80s.

Straightforward, to the point, rock-yourskull-off metal.

Concert on May 16th; Magic City Music Hall is located at 1240 Upper Front St. The doors open at 6pm, and the show starts at 7:30pm.

Tickets $35 in advance, and $40 at the door.

More information at themagiccitymusichall. com

ROSIE NEWTON AND RICHIE STEARNS AT OWEGO ORIGINALS

Rosie Newton and Richie Stearns are a dynamic duo. They play music rooted in Americana and roots rock. Newton is an old-time fiddler who started playing music at a young age; she’s toured with many different artists, including the Duhks, Ferintosh, and zydeco legend Preston Frank. Stearns is a banjo player of incredible skill. He’s toured with Natalie Merchant and Donna the Buffalo, and is a founding member of Ithaca’s Horse Flies. They play a mix of old-time music, Appalachian folk, blues, rock, and country. They bring an incredible talent to the stage, and their voices blend together in an angelic chorus. They push each other and their instruments to new heights. It’s a rare opportunity to get intimate with such indelible musicality, but you’ll have the chance on May 20th.

Owego Originals is located at 25 Lake St. in Owego. Music starts at 7pm.

JAMIE WILLARD AT CYBER CAFE WEST

Jamie Willard has been a staple of the music scene in Binghamton for more than 30 years. His guitar playing is both majestic and infinitely accessible. Jamie plays finger-style guitar that stretches from classical to rock, to jazz and folk. He has been praised by guitar virtuoso Tommy Emmanuel as “brilliant,” and after hearing his playing, one cannot disagree. His unique sound is created by the complex modal tunings in which he plays his guitar. Each tuning is crafted to create a unique sound within the song, and elevates each composition to a greater height than the last. Witness Willard on May 20th at Cyber Cafe West, located at 176 Main St. in Binghamton. The show starts at 9pm; for more information, visit cybercafewest.com.

STEVE GILLETTE AND CINDY MANGSEN AT CRANBERRY COFFEEHOUSE

Steve Gillette and Cindy Mangsen are renowned folk artists who have been playing together for over 25 years. They may come

from different traditions, but when they get together, the music they make is beautiful and rich. Gillette’s baritone blends together with Mangsen’s voice delightfully. Gillette, a skilled song smith, wrote “Darcy Farrow,” made popular by John Denver, and played by artists including Waylon Jennings and Joshua Ritter. Cindy Mangsen is a “keeper of old songs.” Her interpretations of Anglo-Scottish ballads are beautiful and sincere, and her ear for harmony is unmatched.

The Cranberry Coffeehouse takes place in the Unitarian Universalist Church, located at 183 Riverside Drive in Binghamton. Gillette and Mangsen will both open and close the night on May 21st, but performers of all stripes are encouraged to sign up for 5-minute slots during the middle set. Performances generally start around 7:30pm.

DAN POKORAK AT BLIND TIGER PUB

Dan Pokarak is one of the most talented singer-songwriters in the Binghamton area. He plays at various venues almost every week; Wednesday nights he hosts Deep Cuts at Callahan’s, and on Thursday nights you can find him fronting Adam Ate the Apple at the Belmar Pub. Dan’s songs range from folk to country, rock to reggae. His outlaw style of playing leads him to play only original tunes; after hearing his songs, you wouldn’t want anything else. Pokorak’s smoky voice soars over meticulous guitar lines, created through years of practice and performing. He is a true delight to hear in any line-up, but his solo shows bring an intimate honesty - a raw passion for music that cannot be caged.

He’ll make you want to dance, and in the next set turn around and make you feel the beauty and struggle of life.

See him on May 25th at The Blind Tiger Pub, located at 4402 Watson Blvd. in Johnson City. Music around 8pm.

EXPLODING

FINGERS

GUITAR DOJO

A monthly lesson in music theory from guitar player extraordinaire Chris Arp

H

EY EVERYBODY! I HOPE YOU ARE CATCHING ON to the material we have been covering for the last few months. We have discussed what a diatonic chord progression is. We demonstrated a way to play the C major scale. Last month we learned how to put certain chords of the major scale in order and whether they will be major, minor or diminished. Also we used this knowledge to play the Am 12 bar blues. We are moving right along. If you would like a refresher on any of these ideas there is an archive of past articles available at the web page listed below.

This month we are going to start discussing the interval known as the third. For our purposes there are two types of thirds. There is the major third (M3) and the minor third (m3).

Figure 1 demonstrates that the major third is a distance of four half steps and the minor third is three half steps. A half step is basically one sequential fret on the fretboard.

Fig. 1 So the distance between the notes determines whether or not the third is major or minor.

But why is the interval called a “third”? It’s a very simple concept actually. It is all about the letter of the note you are starting with and the letter of the note that you are ending with.

Let’s first explain to you what a “second” is. Say we are starting with the tone C in Figure 2. If we were to go “up a second” we would be going to a D. If it were a minor second (m2) it would be a D flat. If it were a major second (M2) it would be a D natural. But either way it would be a “D” of some sort. That is because D is the “second” letter after C. Now say we were to go “back a second” from C. We would then find a B of some kind. If it were back a minor second it would be B natural. If it were back a major second it would be B flat. Either way it would be a “B” of some form. That is because if we were to go in the opposite direction B is the second letter after C. Now if we use this same frame of logic for thirds I hope you can see that “E” would be considered the third letter going up from C, and “A” would be the third letter going down from C.

FRIDAYS: LED EFFECT AT CHATTERBOX

LED Effect is a jazz trio formed of college friends. They play standards as well as covers of popular tunes. The band is simultaneously tight and free. Dan Kadyrov heads up the group on keys, but bassist Eddie Compagnone and drummer Louis Vassar Semanchik are beasts in and of themselves. They move from rollicking songs like the Gorillaz’s “Clint Eastwood” to the smooth bossa nova of Jobim’s “The Girl from Ipanema” with ease.

With a relaxed setting and hors d’oeurves, listening to the LED Effect at Chatterbox makes for a delightful start to a Friday evening. The band will occasionally have their friends sit in; guitarists, singers, and saxophonists have all been guests at their gigs.

Chatterbox is located at 21 Main St in Binghamton. The show starts at 8pm, every Friday.

Music briefs compiled

by Phil Westcott: music@carouselrag.com

Fig. 2 That will be it this month for the discussion of thirds. We are going to utilize this system of measurement next month to help us with understanding how many chords are built. In the meantime, I have included this “major” sounding interpretation of last month’s 12 bar blues diatonic to C major. Instead of using the ii, iii, and vi chords, we are now using the I, IV, and V chords in Figure 3. We do this while mimicking the same types of movements between the chords.

Therefore you can still utilize the C Major scale when improvising over this diatonic chord progression. The scale will just have a different effect over the chords, of course. This lends us a beginner’s insight into modal playing. There will be more on that later to come. I invite you to visit our web page below where you will find this backing track so that you may be Fig. 3 able to play along and get with the swing of things.

If you have any questions, comments, or are interested in getting guitar lessons in the Binghamton area, you can contact me at explodingfingers@hotmail.com.

explodingfingers.com/carousel.html May 2016 triple cities carousel 23

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Hamlet (AC) TCO Presents: Sweeney Todd (FRM) Kalurah Shriner's Royal Hanneford Circus (BCA) RED (CMP) Alice in Wonderland (CMP) Sassy Sundays (TRQ) Digital Planetarium Show (ROB) Yairms (BEL) Binghamton City Limites (MGRX)

the little things (ARMH), Hamlet (AC) University Wind Symphony (AC) Mothers Day Brunch (ORG), Greg Neff (BTP) Alice in Wonderland (CMP) Chamber Concert Series (PMM) Sassy Sundays (TRQ) Digital Planetarium Show (ROB) The Zen of Drawing (UUC) Mom's Day Cheesecake & Wine (BBW) Mother's Day Brunch (CTR) Binghamton City Limites (MGRX)

Iacovelli CD Release (BUN), Where the Wild Things Are (CMP) Sassy Sundays (TRQ) Digital Planetarium Show (ROB) Binghamton City Limites (MGRX)

Burlesque 5 (EPAC) Dark Star Orchestra (MGC) Day of the Dead: Pre DSO Show (MGRX) Digital Planetarium Show (ROB) The Zen of Drawing (UUC) Pretzel Yoga (WSB) Sassy Sundays (TRQ) Binghamton City Limites (MGRX) Home Brew (MGRX)

Digital Planetarium Show (ROB) Stella & Lou (CRT) Jeremy James (TD) Big Splash Sustainability Fair (MRV) Beers & Cheers (MC) Marathon Music Fest (DTB) Sassy Sundays (TRQ) Binghamton City Limites (MGRX)

(6OTS) 6 On the Square, Oxford (ABN) Abandoned Studios, Johnson City (AC) Anderson Center, BU (ARMH) African Rd. Middle School, Vestal (ATOM) Atomic Tom’s, Binghamton (BCA) Broome County Arena, Binghamton (BDT) Binghamton DoubleTree (BEL) Belmar Pub, Binghamton (BFH) Buffalo Head, Conklin (BHMN) Bohemian Moon, Norwich (BSP) Blarney Stone Pub, Norwich

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(BTP) Blind Tiger Pub, Johnson City (BU) Binghamton University (BUN) Bundy Museum, Binghamton (CAL) Callahan’s Sportsman’s Pub, Binghamton (CCW) Cyber Café West, Binghamton (CMP) Cider Mill Playhouse, Endicott (CRAN) Cranberry Coffeehouse, Binghamton (CRT) Chenango River Theatre, Greene (CTR) Citrea Restaurant & Bar, Binghamton (DSC) Discovery Center, Binghamton (DTB) Downtown Binghamton

(DTM) Downtown Montrose, PA (DTO) Downtown Owego (EPAC) Endicott Performing Arts Center (FHS) Firehouse Stage, Johnson City (FRM) Forum Theatre, Binghamton (FTZ) Fitzies Pub, Binghamton (FUM) First United Methodist Church, Endicott (GXY) Galaxy Brewing Co., Binghamton (JBC) John Barleycorn, Owego (JCC) Jewish Community Center, Vestal (LDC) Lost Dog Café/Lounge, Binghamton

Team Trivia (CCW) Norman Rockwell Museum (PMM) Argentine Tango Lessons (ATOM) Open Mic (BEL) Mac & Mondays (CAL) Pot Party (BU) Jamie Renfro (MGRX)

Team Trivia (CCW) Jazz Jam # 12 (FHS) BCC Choir (PMM) Argentine Tango Lessons (ATOM) Open Mic (BEL) Mac & Mondays (CAL) Bark-9 (VPL) Lego Club (YHPL) Several Sons (MGRX)

Team Trivia (CCW) Lamb of God/Clutch/COC (MGC) KSO Ins. Solutions: Under Observation (PMM) Downtown Book Club (RRB) Argentine Tango Lessons (ATOM) Open Mic (BEL) Mac & Mondays (CAL) The Boy Who Would Not Play Ball (YHPL) Bark-9 (YHPL) Robbie Perez (MGRX)

Team Trivia (CCW) Argentine Tango Lessons (ATOM) Open Mic (BEL) Mac & Mondays (CAL) Budd Ash (MGRX)

Team Trivia (CCW/) Argentine Tango Lessons (ATOM) Open Mic (BEL) Mac & Mondays (CAL)

Riverdance 20 Years (FRM) Speakeasy Open Mic (CCW) Team Trivia (MGRX) Swing Dance (TCK) Team Trivia (LDC)

Percussion Ensemble Concert (AC) Team Trivia (MGRX) Swing Dance (TCK) Book Disc.: Beekeeper's Apprentice (YHPL) Team Trivia (LDC) Karaoke (CCW)

Team Trivia (MGRX) Swing Dance (TCK) Movie Night: Still Alice (YHPL) Team Trivia (LDC) Karaoke (CCW)

Team Trivia (MGRX) Swing Dance (TCK) Team Trivia (LDC) Karaoke (CCW)

wed.

04 11 18 25

Riverdance 20 Years (FRM) Chris Mollo (BTP) Nate Calzetoni (CCW) Country Line Dancing (MGC) Open Mic (PLC/RST) Deep Cuts Pro Jam (CAL) Mug Club/Beer Share (GXY) Exploitation & B-Movie Poster Exhibit (BU) Ceol do Beoir (CAL) Marv Williams (MGRX)

Percussion Ensemble Concert (AC) Team Trivia (MGRX) Swing Dance (TCK) Book Disc.: Beekeeper's Apprentice (YHPL) Desert Musicale (FUM) Ellen Street Muse (MGRX)

Doug and Eamon (BTP) Pete Ruttle (CCW) Country Line Dancing (MGC) History Happy Hour (PMM/WSB) Open Mic (RST) Deep Cuts Pro Jam (CAL) Mug Club/Beer Share (GXY) Quilting Class (YHPL) Ceol do Beoir (CAL) Rick Iacovelli (MGRX)

Dan Pokorak (BTP) Open Drum Circle (BUN) Amanda Sprecher & Robert Scalici (CCW) Country Line Dancing (MGC) Deep Cuts Pro Jam (CAL) Mug Club/Beer Share (GXY) Poetry & Music: Bombadils/Nick Maione (RRB) Rob Stachyra/Robbie Perez (MGRX)

Team Trivia (MGRX) Swing Dance (TCK) Team Trivia (LDC) Karaoke (CCW)

(MC) Metro Center, Binghamton (MGC) Magic City Music Hall, Binghamton (MGRX) McGirk’s, Chenango Bridge (MJR) Major's Inn, Gilbertsville (MRV) Marvin Park, Owego (OTS) Otsiningo Park, Binghamton (ORG) Original’s Bar and Lounge, Owego (OUH) Old Union Hotel, Binghamton (PLC) The Place on Court, Binghamton (PMM) Phelps Mansion Museum, Binghamton (RLF) The Relief Pitcher, Binghamton

thur.

05 12 19 26

LJ Gates (BHMN), Harpur Chorale (AC) Riverdance 20 Years (FRM) Karaoke (LDC), Rob & Rob (BTP) Ugly Dolphin (CCW) Alice in Wonderland (CMP) Stand-Up Comedy (MGC) The Tomahawks (RST) Adam Ate the Apple (BEL) DJ Funky Leroy Latin Dance Party (GXY) Joe Stento (MGRX), Open Mic (BSP) Fiesta (RML/CTR)

Dave Robertson (BHMN) Brady Goldsmith (MGRX) Seeds/Snow Film: Who Needs Sleep? (BUN) Acoustic Brew (BTP), Ugly Dolphin (CCW) Stand-Up Comedy (MGC) Strauss & Co. (RST) Adam Ate the Apple (BEL) Midday Concert (BU) Sonny Weeks/Rob Perez/Rob Stachyra (GXY) Karaoke (LDC), Open Mic (BSP) Bravo Broadway (TCO)

Doug Dudgeon (BHMN) Acoustic Brew (MGRX), Chris Mollo (BTP) Ugly Dolphin (CCW) Stand-Up Comedy (MGC) Claire Byrne & Brian Vollmer (RST) Adam Ate the Apple (BEL) Midday Concert (BU) Hummel's Jug (GXY) Karaoke (LDC), Open Mic (BSP) Herb Class (YHPL) Sip & Paint (BBW)

Mike Davis (BHMN) ELIXIR (BTP) Ugly Dolphin (CCW) Stand-Up Comedy (MGC) Adam Ate the Apple (BEL) Midday Concert (BU) Next to Kin (GXY) Open Mic (BSP) Karaoke (LDC) Pasty White and Doublewide (MGRX)

(RML) Remliks, Binghamton (ROB) Roberson Museum, Binghamton (RRB) River Read Books, Binghamton (RST) Ransom Steele Tavern, Apalachin (SCPH) South City Publick House, Binghamton (SOI) Sons of Italy, Endicott (TCK) Tri-Cities Karate, Endicott (TD) Tioga Downs Racino, Nichols (TCO) Tri-Cities Opera, Binghamton (TUM) Tabernacle United Methodist Church, Binghamton

06 13 20 27

fri.

calendar of events may 2016 sat.

Sabor Latino (CTR), First Friday Art Walk (DTB/DTO) Songwriters Series (ATOM), Guevin/Weinberger/Carbone (RRB) Lunchbox Sess/Rumrunners (MGRX)Hummels Jug/Kiil (RST), Scott Adams (JBC), Binghamton Crosbys: A Cosmic Voyage (AC) Vinyl (CAL), Tumbleweed Highway (BSP), Rick Iacovelli (BTP) John Truth Experience (BBW), 1st S. Tier Mini Print Exhibition (BUN) Still Kickin' (TD), Binghamton Runs on History (BUN) Ultra Vibe w/Mike Davis (ORG), Funktional Flow (CCW) A State of Denial (TUM), Alice in Wonderland (CMP) PROJECT Trip (FRM), Starship ft. Mickey Thomas (MGC) Songwriters Series (ATOM), The Tomahawks (PLC)

Pete Ruttle CD Release w/Lutheran Skirts (ATOM) Watermonsters (BTP) Lunchbox Sessions/Virgil Cain (MGRX), MVT (CCW) Where the Wild Things Are (CMP) Brooklyn Comedy Society Improv (FHS) Bendher/Jonnie & Lonnie (RST) Marv Williams/Acoustic Brew (ORG) Blue Velvet (VAL), Splash (TD) Daphne (JBC) WERK (LDC) John Truth Experience (BBW)

Travis Rocco (TD), The Revelers (BTP) Deveroe (JBC), Jamie Willard (CCW) John Truth Experience (BBW), Burlesque 5 (EPAC) Lunchbox Sessions (MGRX), Listen to My Heart (FHS) Gary Lewis & the Playboys (MGC) Joe Stento (LDC), Open Mic (RRB) Bug Tussle/Rabbit in the Rye (RST) Kites & Powerlines (SCPH) David Gunning (6OTS) A Toast & a Roast (DSC) Richie & Rosie (ORG)

Outer Reef (BTP) Raibred (CCW) Stella & Lou (CRT) Vic DiBitetto LIVE (RLF) Beard of Bees (TD) Binghamton Hardcore: Bodybag/Domestic Terror (FTZ) Pasty White & Doublewide (JBC) Devinne Meyers (LDC) John Truth Experience (BBW), Lunchbox Sessions/Sirsy (MGRX)

07 14 21 28

Mom's Day Cheesecake & Wine Pairing (BBW), DJ SpaceOne (LDC) Family Game Days (VPL), Rachael Sage (CCW) Woodshed Prophets (JBC), Disco Diva Night (CMP) Alice in Wonderland (CMP) Zarni & Jenn Grinels (FHS) Troubadours (MGRX), Textile Series (PMM) Band of Peace/Spectacular Avg. Boys (RST) Donal O'Shaughnessy (SCPH) Otsiningo Park Farmers Market (OTS) The Major's Inn Open House (MJR) Virgil Cain/Suspect (TD)

Audio Therapy (TD), DJ SpaceOne (LDC) Flight Club (YHPL), Doug and Eamon (BTP) Abandoned Studios Presents (ABN), Castle Creek (CCW) Where the Wild Things Are (CMP) Billy Currington/Kelsea Ballerini (MGC) Textile Series (PMM) Eastbound Jesus/Blind Owl Band (RST) Swamp Drivers (MGRX), Greg Neff (SCPH) Martyn Joseph (6OTS) Otsiningo Park Farmers Market (OTS) Comedy - Tony Liberati (ORG)

DJ SpaceOne (LDC) Wreckless Marci (JBC), Voodoo Highway (BTP) Chocolate & Wine Fest (DTM), Greg Neff (CCW) Burlesque 5 (EPAC) Scott Stapp: The Music of Creed (MGC) Hummels Jug (MGRX), Liz & Jim Hull (SCPH) Steve Gillette & Cindy Mangsen (CRAN) Otsiningo Park Farmers Market (OTS) Rare Breed (TD) Plant Sale & Barbecue (TUM) Book Sale (YHPL)

DJ SpaceOne (LDC) L Ectric Brew (BTP) Jeff's Birthday Jam (CCW) Kolby Oakley/Tim Ruffo (RST) Terry Walker & Mike Melnyk (SCPH) Black Hat (BFH) Beard of Bees (MGRX), Stella & Lou (CRT) Otsiningo Park Farmers Market (OTS) Vic DiBitetto LIVE (RLF) Cans & Bands: Zac Brown Tribute (TD) Big Splash Sustainability Fair (MRV)

(UMC) United Methodist Church Endicott (UUC) United Universalist Cong., Binghamton (VAL) Vestal American Legion (VPL) Vestal Public Library (WSB) Water Street Brewing, Binghamton (YHPL) Your Home Public Library, Johnson City

compiled by Ty Whitbeck.

May 2016 triple cities carousel 25

A Thousand Times

The art and music of Martin Shamoonpour

by Heather Merlis 26 carouselrag.com

art.

B

INGHAMTON HAS ITS WAY of luring the most precious gems into its roughest caverns. One open mic night at Callahan’s, not long ago, among the pluckers and crooners appeared Martin Shamoonpour, who played the jaw harp with such lucidity that it sounded almost alien.

ist: I play Jew harp; I play flute; I play frame drum. For example, if traditional music or a band, they need a daf player, so I was playing with them, as a record, as a concert. It was hard. I wasn’t making good money, but you could live with that.

Do you think you could keep working as a musician in the United States? It takes time. I was good when I started in Iran, but it takes time because people, they should know you. When I started in New York City, it was very hard because it’s very competitive.

People… sometimes they do not help you, or they want you: ‘okay, you can play with us, but there’s no money – I’m sorry.’ Or: ‘It’s good for you; they will know you.’ So, maybe they’re right; maybe you can make money.

Maybe, but it takes time. You should have [a] name. They should know you.

“I’m not good at driving; I’m not good at using guns. I’m not a good singer. I cannot whistle,” says the Iranian native. Despite this short list, he has made a home for himself in the United States, with a resume that includes composing for theatre, acting in films, and creating compelling visual art. He spoke with us about dreams, artistic authenticity, and his beloved Binghamton: Can you recall your first contact with creativity? I started drawing and painting when I was very, very young. I lost a lot of [my artwork] because when you immigrate, you try to be very compact. You know, moving, you lose some things that maybe were very important.

How do the audiences here in Binghamton compare to the audiences- I love Binghamton. Binghamton is great because audiences, you know, they accept new music and it’s very, very good. I had some experiences in Berlin, and in Austria – Vienna – they were shocked, but they are big cities.

It’s Vienna. It’s Berlin. Binghamton has very good musicians, and they accept your music, and they ask me to do music with them. It’s very beautiful.

I started music later, like, 15, 16 years old with drums – frame drum, [which is also called] daf – so I was playing traditional music in Iran, and then I started flute. I’m not good at being a student. I didn’t like school, so I never had the good teacher; I just started as self-taught. I just had two or three sessions on drums, so I never had somebody to teach me flute; I just learned it by myself and [from the] internet.

So, when you first started painting when you were a kid, did you have somebody teaching you? How did you end up painting? Like every child. My parents said ‘you know, that is very beautiful,’ and they started collecting them and putting dates: Martin, four years old; five years old.

I’m a huge fan of mathematics, so that’s what I started learning in my school. I wanted to be, like, a physicist or something like that, but I went to University of Tehran for graphic design.

When did you come to the United States? Two years ago: 15 October, yeah, two years ago.

And you came to Binghamton from Tehran? Yes, I came to New York, and then took a car and came to Binghamton.

Why did you leave Iran? I didn’t want to – I really didn’t want to. But I missed my family, because my mother, sister, brother they came to the United States seven years ago. They wanted to start a new life here. So me and my father, we came here. [My family] stopped in California, Burbank, and they moved here because my brother is getting his PhD at BU. I had no idea what is Binghamton. I was thinking it should be like New York City - I don’t know. I have no friends here, so I stayed a couple of weeks here and then moved to Brooklyn. I have a thousand friends there, and some of them are my friends for more than ten years. But they were different.

I didn’t feel this way in Brooklyn, because musicians, they want to be alone. They want to perform for audiences. I opened for some concerts; I didn’t feel good about that - New York City. There’s something wrong with that city. Something’s wrong over there; I don’t know what’s that.

All Art: Untitled multimedia works by Martin Shamoonpour.

They were different because New York City is crazy. It changes people. Maybe because it’s expensive – everybody’s running, you know; everybody’s busy. I didn’t like it. I stayed until June and it got very hot. I came back to Binghamton and I want to stay in Binghamton. I’m working… as a selector, freezer. So I have a job, pay bills. Besides that, I play music. I think I’ve played music with most of Binghamton musicians in any genre: folk, Irish, country music, Americana, experimental music – everything.

Can you describe the way that the creative climate shifted in Iran during your lifetime? I don’t really like it, you know. It’s very close [to how it is in the] United States. I was never a fan of pop art. Like, if you’re a pop artist, you can make money in Iran. If you’re a pop artist you can make money in the United States. If you’re an avant-garde artist – very experimental musician – it’s hard in Iran, and also in the United States.

I met a lot of experimental musicians in New York City; they’re very rich, and also in [Tehran]. It’s very, very similar. Tehran is very

close to New York City. There are three types of musicians, for example: the first type, they just do music and make money by music. It’s hard. The second one is, they have two jobs: music and another thing. The third type is they are rich: they do nothing and they do anything they want in music, and they don’t accept money from music, and they are famous because their music is pure; they’re not doing it for money. I think New York City is the same.

When you were in Tehran, you were working as a composer? Theatre composer, yes. It’s hard to say ‘composer,’ because it’s not like composing for an orchestra. In Iranian theatre, it’s a smaller business.

You can’t compare it to Broadway or something. It’s like Off-Off-Broadway.

Were you able to make a living that way? No. It’s hard. It’s very hard. You can live with that, but you should do about, you know, ten projects per month, and your quality, of course, goes down. So what did I do?

I was teaching flute, I was teaching daf, and I was doing some theatre projects, and some concerts, records. I am a multi-instrumental-

What about compared to the audiences in Tehran? There’s a proverb that they say in Farsi, that every place in the world, the sky is one color. It means that everybody’s… you know, it’s the same. The difference is that I’m speaking English. Over there, I’m speaking Farsi. But it’s very, very same. Sometimes, you see some audience, they talk sarcastically: the same, like Tehran. Sometimes, they talk directly and say “I don’t like you” - exactly like Tehran. Sometimes they say, “I love you with all my heart.” It’s really the same.

Let me think about the difference… Maybe, there’s a difference – it’s not because of a difference between United States and Tehran – it’s a difference because Binghamton is a very small city, compared to Tehran. For example, when I was doing open mics in New York City and Brooklyn, it was exactly like Tehran.

They were not talking so much; they tried to hide what they feel. It’s very good, because in Binghamton, people are humble; they say, ‘Oh my god, it was great.’ ‘Thank you, thank you so much.’ You know? So I feel a thousand times better here.

But. The problem that I have in Binghamton is that when I was in New York City I had friends that I had for more than ten years. I miss them, but I cannot make it over there, because it’s pretty expensive. Sometimes I

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 28) May 2016 triple cities carousel 27

MARTIN SHAMOONPOUR (CONT’D FROM PAGE 27) think of living over there. I miss that friendship, that sometimes you just speak Farsi…

I’m sorry, my English really sucks.

No it doesn’t. I’m a funny guy, but no, I’m not when I speak English, because it’s hard to make jokes with English, you know.

You actually are good at making jokes in English.

You are incredibly lucid onstage.

Whether you’re playing the mouth harp and beat-boxing or making jokes, how do you enter that mindset? Another beautiful one in Farsi that says, if you want to do the thing best, you should [do it] more than a thousand times. It comes from experience. I remember when I was performing… I was, like, 18 years old – it was church; it was Christmas in Tehran, and I came onstage and I was dying, you know, exhausted, and, you know, sweat, and it was very hard, and when I saw that, oh my god – I am not good at it, so I should do it thousand times. And I started doing for friends, and I’m fat, so, if you want to have girlfriends or something like that, you should play music very good, you know? So, you should perform a lot, you know? That’s what I feel.

So, you’re a composer, a performer, a musician, a visual artist – could you talk about your artistic process?

It’s hard. So, taking shower: when you take shower, you think about – I think about serious things when I take shower, or playing backgammon… sometimes suddenly something comes in my mind. I don’t have a paper, so I just write a text message and take a screen shot: I should do next album about this thing; I should paint this thing. I’m a huge fan of comedy, so I watch a lot of sitcoms. Sometimes they are disgusting; they are not funny at all. But some of them, they are. So, some ideas come from comics and sitcoms, and… I am a huge fan of Belgian and European comics like Asterix and Obelix and Tintin – I grew up with Tintin. I grew up with two things: Lego and Tintin. If I marry a girl and if I turn father, I should buy thousands of Legos and Tintin. Also, I’m a huge fan of cartoon and animation. Stop-motion. I hate 3D’s. Japanese animations, like mangas: they’re great. Animation is everything.

So, you draw your inspiration from things like that? I do something else: I write or record my dreams, or nightmares.

The most beautiful dream that I had in my childhood, I’ll remember until the last day of my life, and it was brilliant. Actually, it was starting with nightmare: it was a desert; I was running – three wolves, they were chasing me. It was scary. And I said, “Stop! It’s a dream. They are not real.” And I remember they went to the air; it was so funny. It was the most beautiful dream that I had. And I learned that everything is in your mind: if

28 carouselrag.com

you have a problem, if you have something unpleasant in your life, you can make it good in a second.

Can you talk about the art that you are creating for the cover of this issue? Enjoy today; tomorrow is worse. I cannot talk about that. It came to my mind, and I could draw that. I stop thinking when I draw, because when it’s blank, when it’s white, I see it. And I just put the pen there, I see, and I draw. I think that tomorrow is worse. Today was Monday, but tomorrow is really worse.

People who read this conversation, they should know that tomorrow is worse.

Why? I don’t know.

Do you think that some people would say that that’s a bad attitude to have?

It’s not a bad attitude; actually, it’s a great attitude, because you should save the time. It’s wrong if you say tomorrow is better. Shit, if you say tomorrow is better: okay, I’m going to sleep, tomorrow is better. No, it’s not. It’s a great attitude to say tomorrow is worse. But it’s really worse.

So, coming to America at this point in history, what do you think is your role as an artist? I don’t know. What should I do now in United States? I want to play with Lady Gaga. I don’t know how can I do that, but I want to do that. I want to play with her, I don’t know why. I love Tom Waits and Lady Gaga, but Tom Waits is old… so maybe Lady Gaga?

What do you think is the role of the artist in general? I really don’t like this question; it’s like: what shall I do as an artist? Shall I portray people? Shall I portray in paint? I don’t. I play music; remember: the first and the most important audience is yourself. I can lie to you; you cannot lie to yourself. I cannot lie to myself. I don’t have a duty at all. I can stop playing right now. I can stop painting right now. When you say that what is my role… there is general role: I never do music just for money; that’s why I’m working in a freezer.

It’s wrong, it’s completely wrong if your goal is money from painting and music. You know thousands of examples: you see some pop artist, see that their music is fake. If you do music for money, you should do fake things; you should lie, you should play something that you really do not want. So, I wish I was rich and could do experimental music, but I am not. So I do two things: one for a living, and another one for just what I want. So, my role as an artist is: I should not lie; I should do anything I want.

Martin does not have a website, nor is he showing his art anytime soon. But he can be found all over town playing any number of instruments with a variety of local musicians.

art briefs

Art by Daniel Mosner, up this month at Windsor Whipworks. Provided.

“ANOTHER WORLD” OPENS AT CO-OP GALLERY 213

This First Friday, Cooperative Gallery 213 in Binghamton will open an exhibition by Kathryn M. Niles, entitled “Another World.” The installation will run May 6th– 28th, and features India ink drawings on Duralar of plant roots, which take on “creature-like” personas.

In addition, other drawings in a different media and an oil painting pertaining to the same subject will be on view. Ms. Niles plans to give a short lecture entitled, “Reflections on Another World” at 6pm on May 6th and will remain on hand at the gallery to answer any questions. Ms. Niles has been an Adjunct Lecturer in the Fine Arts Department at Binghamton University for nearly 20 years.

The Cooperative Gallery, a popular stop on the First Friday Art Walk, located at 213 State Street in Binghamton, is open on First Friday 3-9pm, regular Fridays from 3-6 pm, and Saturdays from 12-4 pm. More info at cooperativegallery.com.

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY AT SOUND GO ROUND

If you like your art on newsprint (we do!), then Sound Go Round has got something special for you this month. They’ll be hosting Free Comic Book Day from 10am-4pm on May 7th, and it’s exactly what you’d expect it to be; there’s over 10,000 free comic books to give away! Free Comic Book Day is an international event that takes place on the first Saturday in May each year. Created to introduce children to the art and storytelling of comic books, it has helped to influence the resurgence of comic books over the past several years. Sound Go Round has participated every year, with this 2016 event slated to be the largest ever. In addition to the comics, there’ll be artist/author signings all day long (check out V Ken Marion, the Endicott native just hired at DC Comics!), a family friendly celebrity death-match with Wolverine and Spiderman, superhero face painting, and

for the grownups, beer tastings by the North Brewery.

Sound Go Round is an independent, locally owned comic book, video game, and record store located at 305 Vestal Parkway East in Vestal. For more information visit soundgoroundny.com.

MOSNER EXHIBIT CONTINUES WITH TWO MORE EVENTS AT WINDSOR WHIPWORKS Acclaimed artist Daniel Mosner’s last local exhibition opened last month at Windsor Whipworks, but there’s still time to check it out. “To Be + Goodbye: Working Master’s Work” marks Mosner’s departure from the region, and what a sad departure it will be.

Born, raised, and educated in NYC, Daniel Mosner’s escape from the urban world to a place in the country brought him to a house by a lake on a hill above the town of Oxford, NY. In this idyllic setting, he’s been painting.

But he also dreams of other worlds, and other escapes. Certainly he is a figure painter par excellence. In Mosner’s paintings, landscape forms are often dominant; but the figures who inhabit them are frequently anonymous, shielded, draped, or hidden. Yet, they are also engaged in activities which seem purposeful. In the images, technical concerns also challenge him. He pushes the dimensions, the levels of seeing, even the picture planes. There is a tension that comes into being between the layers of substance and the layers of meaning, revealing the artist’s many levels of interest. On May 7th, there will be a reception at the Whipworks gallery featuring a poetry recital by BU Professor Joe Weil. On May 14th, there will be a cross institutional collaboration between the Bundy Museum and the WWWAC featuring ART-O-MATIC, Dispensed Art for $5 of quarters.

Windsor Whipworks is located at 98 Main St. in Windsor, NY. More info at whipworksartgallery.org.

Art briefs compiled by John Donson: art@carouselrag.com

May 2016 triple cities carousel 29

30 carouselrag.com

theatre.

Jeremy Greenberg (Davidson) and Mary Stuart Masterson. Provided.

JG: We tried to shape their narrative with the quiet humor and poetry that their family clearly has deep in its fiber. And though it may not seem, on the surface, an easy story to come out for on Mother’s Day... I think it’s a beautiful way to honor the day.

TCC: What is the process you have for finding subject matter?

JG: Sometimes we read about people in the news.

MS: Or overhear them at a bar or on the train. There’s no set method to it.

JG: But I suppose all of our stories focus on people who are leading purpose-driven lives.

That hasn’t been a conscious choice on our part really. But these are inspiring people to us.

TCC: What other kinds of stories are in the works for Storyhorse?

Exploring Lyme and the little things Jeremy Greenberg and Mary Stuart Masterson bring documentary theater project to Vestal

by Bess Greenberg

S

TORYHORSE DOCUMENTARY Theater is a unique storytelling project based in New York’s Hudson Valley, co-founded by Vestal-native, actor/writer Jeremy Greenberg (stage-name Davidson) and his wife, actress/director Mary Stuart Masterson. Their stories are inspired by transcribed conversations with people in their community, and this Mother’s Day they are bringing their production the little things to Greenberg’s hometown. The piece is based on recorded conversations with the Elone family of Poughkeepsie regrding their battle with Lyme Disease. The cast includes Broadway veterans Leon Addison Brown, Kellie Overbey, David Pegram and Cornelius Davidson, and is being presented free to the public by the Southern Tier Lyme Support Group on Sunday morning, May 8th, at African Road Middle School in Vestal. I was able sit down recently with Jeremy and Mary Stuart in anticipation of the show: TCC: Storyhorse is a unique form of theatre. How would you describe its format, and what was the inspiration for its creation?

Jeremy Greenberg: A few years ago, the photojournalist Eugene Richards was interested in hearing the interviews he’d transcribed between Iraq War Veterans and their families-- who were dealing with severe inju-

ries-- read by actors; I put together a cast for him, and we ended up reading the stories at the Brooklyn Museum as part of their “War” exhibit. Some of the soldiers came to hear their stories that day, and it just felt like a real useful thing to be a part of. So when Mary Stuart and I moved our kids up to the Hudson Valley, we started recording local stories as a way to learn about the land and issues in our communities.

Mary Stuart Masterson: We wanted to grow deeper roots within the community where we live and raise our kids. So we simply talked to some of the fascinating strangers we met and were amazed by how open they were to a deeper discussion about their lives and work.

TCC: Why do you present these stories as readings?

JG: Well, these aren’t lectures or what we might normally think of when we think ‘poetry reading.’ These are narratives where actors are portraying the people in the stories and interacting with each other; but they don’t move around the stage. The focus really is on people’s words. And we build a sound and visual design that our actors can step into on the day. But it’s fragile and requires actors and designers who are comfortable taking risks without much rehearsal.

MS: Each of the performances is meant to be

a “first act,” setting the table for the “second act”: a live discussion between experts and the audience. We aren’t making polemical, political statements per se; we want to shine a light on the personal side to the issues that concern our community. And it turns out, the more personal and specific a story is, the more universal it becomes.

TCC: Can you tell us more about “the second act” of the little things and what the audience can expect?

MS: We’re lucky to have Lyme Specialist Dr. Richard Horowitz leading a talkback. He’s a terrific source of knowledge and author of the best-selling book Why Can’t I Get Better?

TCC: Especially in our upstate region, almost everyone knows someone who is battling Lyme. How did you approach writing the little things?

JG: Without giving away too much of their story, I’d read about what the Elone family had gone through, and since Lyme is an epidemic where we live, it seemed an important story to try to understand. So I wrote them a letter, and they were incredibly gracious to open their lives to us the way they did. But I’d say this piece is as much about family, education, race and faith as it is about Lyme.

MS: And how hard it is to surrender when you are a parent.

MS: We just presented our farm piece Good Dirt at the Brooklyn Academy of Music a few weeks ago and will be doing that piece again October 2nd at Bard College’s Fisher Center.

It’s a collection of six diverse farm families in the Hudson Valley.

JG: And we’ll be presenting another story that deals with slave narratives in Upstate New York-- based on a conversation with an Earth Science professor who conducted a survey of the African American burial grounds in Rhinebeck Cemetery-- sometime this fall at a barn in Red Hook, New York. That piece is a tapestry of recorded stories, letters, and historical documents regarding slavery and race, past and present. And we have a few more we’d like to present over the winter.

MS: One is about a transgender principal in Ulster County; and another follows the relationship between a woman in our town-- a psychic, and the family of Sasquatch they believe are living in our woods.

TCC: Thank you for bringing this production to the Triple Cities!

JG: We really have to thank Margaret Leone Smith and Laura Bailey Craig at the Southern Tier Lyme Support Group.

MS: And the Elone family.

JG: Yes, It’s incredibly generous of them to allow us to share their lives this way. And it gives us a chance to learn from them and hold their words in a sacred place.

A free presentation of the little things, written by Jeremy Greenberg (Davidson) and directed by Mary Stuart Masterson, will take place in the auditorium of African Road Middle School (600 S. Benita Blvd, Vestal) at 11:30am, Sunday, May 8th. Following the hour long performance will be a talkback

by Dr. Richard Horowitz. While tickets are free, advanced registration is encouraged: southerntierlymesupport.org. More info at: storyhorsetheater.com.

May 2016 triple cities carousel 31

theatre briefs

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RIVERDANCE 20 AT THE FORUM

Back by popular demand, Riverdance, with its 20th Anniversary World Tour, is celebrating a milestone as it makes stops in over 60 North American cities. The Edinburgh Evening News raves, “As for the flaws? Well, there simply aren’t any.” From the original producer, composer, and director - Moya Doherty, Bill Whelan, and John McColgan respectively - the show is a blend of dance, music and song. Drawing on Irish traditions, the combined talents of the performers propel Irish dancing and music into the present day, capturing the imagination of audiences across all ages and cultures. To mark the return of the show to North America - ending a four-year absence – Riverdance: The 20th Anniversary World Tour will feature new costumes, new lighting, new projections and the addition of a brand new number, “Anna Livia,” featuring the female members of the Irish dance troupe in an a capella hard-shoe number. Performances are May 3rd-5th at the Forum Theatre, 236 Washington Street in Binghamton. Curtain is at 7:30pm. Tickets run from $40 to $65 and can be purchased by phone or online. For more information call the Arena Box Office at (607) 778-6626 or visit broomearenaforum.com or broadwayinbinghamton.com.

STATE OF DENIAL AT TABERNACLE CHURCH

State of Denial, a one-act play about the racial tensions that might characterize any community in New York (or the United States), returns after a premier presentation last November. The play, this time sponsored

by Tabernacle’s Church and Society Committee, “challenges the audience to question not only community policing policies and practices, but where racial discrimination begins and ends as a function of power.” The all-community cast and crew includes Dean Anne McCall of Harpur College, dancer Andy Horowitz from Galumpha, students from Johnson City and Binghamton high schools, and faculty, staff and students from Binghamton University and SUNY Broome. A talkback with the performers will follow the performance. The play will be presented on Friday, May 6th at the Tabernacle Methodist Church, 83 Main Street in Binghamton.

Curtain is 7:30pm. Admission is by “free-will offering.” For more information call (607) 723-8983.

BURLESQUE 5 AT EPAC

This fifth Burlesque production will highlight the past four years of Burlesque shows, including original numbers and new pieces from A Las Vegas Review, Carnevil, Take Back the 80s, and Iconic Women of Music.

Director John Penird (Virginia Ham) started the Burlesque troop in 2012 in an effort to fight the negative stigma of the name “burlesque,” and bring back the glamour, beauty, and comedy associated with a true burlesque variety show. Each year has highlighted a specific theme and includes dance numbers, skits, acrobatics, silk dancing, pole dancing, and live singing. Featuring original choreography by Alery Patton (Scarlet Stiletto), and returning hosts Andy Shaul (Ashley Evans) and Jackson Bailey (Ginger Vitus), Burlesque will also welcome EPAC’s resident dance company “Dance Stories.” Performances will take place May 20th-22nd at the Endicott Performing Arts Center, 102 Washington Avenue in Endicott. Show times are 8pm Friday and Saturday, with a 3pm Sunday matinee.

Seating is reserved; the cost is $20 for adults, $18 for seniors. This show contains some elements that may not be suitable for young children. Parental discretion is advised.

STELLA & LOU AT CRT

Chenango River Theatre, a professional, non-profit theatre company under annual contract with Actors’ Equity, is opening its 10th Anniversary Season featuring the same actors you see on television, in film, and at major theatres across the country. Each play will be a premier for the region, the first being Stella & Lou from playwright Bruce Graham. Inspired by his parents’ own love story, it is a romantic comedy that proposes that a second chance at love is possible. Lou is about to close up his quiet bar for the night when Stella walks in. She reveals an unexpected surprise and an even more startling suggestion. An exploration of friendship and the longing for companionship that grows with the passage of time, Stella & Lou is an Edgerton Foundation New Play Award winner. The play runs May 27th–June 19th at the Chenango River Theatre, 991 State Highway 12 in Greene, NY. Curtain is 7:30pm Thursdays–Saturdays with 2pm Sunday matinees.

Ticket prices are $22 on Thursdays, $23 on Fridays and Sundays, and $25 on Saturdays.

Student tickets are half price for all performances. For more info or to purchase tickets visit chenangorivertheatre.org.

Theatre briefs compiled by Felicia Waynesboro: stage@carouselrag.com

32 carouselrag.com

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food and drink.

Mural inside of The Garage. Photo provided by Daniel Sharp.

I know that you may be thinking that there are certain establishments that serve tacos in - or near - Binghamton, and while I can’t disagree with that fact, I must assert that the only true and proper way to enjoy a taco is on a soft corn tortilla. As for anyone who cares to argue, we always welcome letters to the editor.

But I digress. Garage will be offering not only the content of tacos in their natural habitat (i.e. corn tortillas); they will also have barbequed meat served in Tex-Mex-inspired style, with “unseasoned meats where you can pick and choose your sauce,” as well as pan-Latin specialties such as fried plantains (maduros and tostones). They will also offer aguas frescas – fresh Mexican-style fruit juice.

“We’ll see what Binghamton thinks, but there are a lot of Mexican cocktails that are based in beer and wine, so we’ll be playing around with those,” Daniel says of the libations that they’ll be offering upon their opening. “Another thing we’re really getting into is Mexican street food, like the traditional corn on the cob.” It’s not easy to find the proper ingredients, like queso fresco, around these parts, but the Sharps are doing to legwork to keep it autentico in Binghamton.

As far as sourcing is concerned, they aim to acquire as much local and organic produce and meat as possible. After all, the secret to good Mexican food is fresh ingredients. Technically, Garage is a taqueria, and for anyone who has never been to a taqueria before, please do go with an open mind. Taquerias changed my life.

At long last...

Garage Taco Bar is bringing tacos to Binghamton

by Heather Merlis

I

T’S NO SECRET THAT Binghamton is blossoming before our eyes, like the trees that have abruptly given new meaning to the word “allergies.” But as newness and inspiration flourish all around us, there seems to be something missing. Don’t pretend like you haven’t noticed the giant taco-shaped void that’s been plaguing our town for years. As far as I’m concerned, a city isn’t fully-formed until you can get yourself some fried pork wrapped in a corn tortilla, and fast.

I seriously considered leaving Binghamton, or opening my own taco stand, because I was beginning to go insane from lack of tacos. But that is all about to change: nestled comfortably between Lost Dog and The Shop, Garage Taco Bar will be opening this month, ready to meet our most basic need: tacos.

Garage is run by a father-son team, Tim (father) and Daniel (son) Sharp. Daniel had been seeking a space for a start-up with his wife, Katie, but when they found this primely-located former Texaco, taxi service, and garage, he talked his father into opening an eatery.

“We’re just going at it,” says Daniel. The two are revitalizing the space together (with the help of contractors), using the original structure as inspiration for the interior and exterior design. “We wanted to pay tribute to what it always has been in Binghamton.”

With black-and-white tiling and vintage road maps plastered onto its walls, Garage pays homage to its past lives. “More than half of the building is garage doors, and, downtown, there isn’t really an indoor-outdoor seating area, so we built that heavily into the design,”

Daniel says of the patio seating. “A tranquil space: that’s what we’re shooting for.”

In addition to this, they hope to create a place that will cater to hungry customers in a hurry, in true street food style. “We’re trying to be more traditional,” Daniel attests. “We’re going to try our best to make all of our corn tortillas in-house and build [the tacos] all from scratch.”

I must admit that I am completely biased as I write this, though not biased towards or against Garage, our readers, or any other eateries in town. I am biased towards tacos because they are as important to me as the air I breathe, setting aside the fact that I haven’t technically died from the horrendous taco deficiency from which this city has been suffering since I’ve lived here (which has not been very long).

“I’m not sure if we’re going to change anything,” Daniel admits, “I just hope that we’re adding to an already great thing happening on this corner here.” At the very least, Garage will complete the trifecta of eateries where Henry Street meets Washington. “We want to create a really energetic space that feels a little more blue-collar, like you can just kick your shoes off after work and have a good time.”

Despite his modesty, Daniel’s vision has more reach: “I really want to build a culture around it - a venue, even. Maybe hit genres that haven’t been hit in the live-music scene.” Even though he doesn’t quite know if this place will change the landscape, his intentions are clear: “I don’t want anyone to leave Binghamton. I’m selfish. I want everyone here.”

I can’t personally say what Garage will be like: if the food will be any good, if I’ll have a good time listening to the live music they plan on hosting, if the sun will shine on their front yard, or whatever. I only know that, with a taqueria in the belly of the Binghamton beast, I’m much less likely to skip town.

Garage is located at 211 Washington Street in Downtown Binghamton. They plan on being open seven days a week, and staying open late. For more information and updates on their opening (all signs point to mid- May), find ‘em on the ol’ facebook, or at binghamtongarage.com.

May 2016 triple cities carousel 33

food briefs

STRANGE BREW BRINGS NYC FLAVOR TO BING

There is certainly no shortage of new cafés cropping up around Binghamton. Located at 137 Gorgeous Washington Street, Strange Brew was opened by a couple of Brooklynites (who happened to name their bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich after the borough, not coincidentally). The café is a clean, open space with huge windows that look out onto Washington Street and let in plenty of sunshine.

They offer coffee drinks brewed with beans roasted by Java Joe’s, but their food is what truly stands out. They feature a brisket sandwich, or if you prefer, brisket mac ‘n’ cheese.

There’s also a mushroom mac – in fact, they have a wide selection of mac ‘n’ cheese dishes, and they recommend, if you wish, to add bacon to any and all of them. Strange Brew has the vibe of a prime spot for live acoustic music, and is already hosting some local acts.

Visit strangebrewny.com for more info.

THAT COFFEE PLACE PERKS UP THE FIRST WARD

On the other side of town is a new café with a much homier feel. Opened by the family that runs the pet supply store next door, That Coffee Place is more than its name conveys.

You may be lured in by the coffee aroma that emanates from the building, but once inside, you’ll find a local marketplace for everything from handmade terrariums to gluten-free pizza crusts. The menu features homemade soups, quiche, and baked goods, some of which are – yes - gluten-free. They’ve also got veggie burgers, sandwiches, salads, and the menu is still growing. You can also get bubble tea (which seems to be everywhere, suddenly), fruit smoothies, and of course coffee (sourced from Finger Lakes Coffee Roasters) in this spacious café. In the future, they plan on selling fresh local and regional produce, CSA-style. That Coffee Place is located at 176 Clinton Street, and is open Monday through Friday from 6:30am-6pm; Saturday from 8am-6pm; Sunday from 9am-3pm.

AUTHENTIC PUERTO RICAN FARE AT SABOR LATINO

There is nothing Carousel foodies love more than authentic food made by the people who know how to do it right. Enter Sabor Latino Restaurant, located northeast of downtown at 124 Broad Ave. in Binghamton. Puerto Rico is officially represented at this family-run, cozy establishment, which offers empanadas, potato balls, rice and beams, pork, fried chicken, baked chicken, Cuban sandwiches, and the classic weekly rotation of daily specials. They also make their own flan and extremely delectable cheesecake.

Most importantly: everything is cooked fresh daily. Almost as important: they deliver. Sabor Latino is open from 8am-10pm Monday through Saturday; closed Sunday. Call (607) 723-3802 if you just can’t wait to have that baked chicken with a side of maduros (maduros!) delivered to your door.

NOVEL TEA IS TOTALLY NEW

Now, for something completely different: 20 Hawley Street in Downtown Binghamton is being occupied by a student startup, the kind

of startup that serves tea and traditional Chinese snacks. Novel Tea is run by (and seems to be predominantly frequented by) Binghamton University students, though its level of polish and professionalism tricked us into thinking it was a chain we’d never heard of.

The owners are from Queens, and they are definitely bringing the Asian flavor in a totally fresh and exciting way. Serving milk tea and bubble tea (with tea leaves from Taiwan), they do not serve coffee, so don’t go in there looking for a cappuccino. However, if you’re craving or curious about the wonder and glory that is Chinese baked goods, look no further, as they offer egg tarts (which are actually Portuguese in origin but were adapted by Chinese bakeries) and roast pork buns. What might be the most exciting item on the menu, though, are the homemade dumplings, which come with a variety of fillings and are made in accordance with family recipes. Visit Novel Tea Monday-Thursday from 3-10pm, Friday-Saturday from noon to 10, or on Sunday from noon to 8pm.

BAR CRAWL INVADES DOWNTOWN

On Thursday, May 19th, prepare to see an inordinate amount of drunken students wobbling up Court Street in clusters of matching t-shirts. Or, if you’re a college student, prepare to be very safe and responsible as you enjoy the Bar Crawl, your reward for studying so diligently and acing your finals... right?

Because college is about learning. Students will be encouraged (we guess) to celebrate knowledge and the institution of higher education by purchasing a mug on campus that will then be filled with beer (to students of legal drinking age) at a variety of bars on State Street (the part of State Street that is north of Court) and even, perhaps, the Belmar, where locals and our city’s illustrious scholars collide. But don’t literally collide, we hope.

There will be drink specials. Just be careful.

CHOCOLATE & WINE FEST IN MONTROSE, PA

And for the grownups! On Saturday, May 21st, from 2:30-7:30pm, Montrose hosts the only wine and chocolate festival in Susquehanna County, and the event is looking like it will transform the whole town with its festivities. With tastings from over 12 wineries, as well as Endless Brewing for those of us who want some beer, thankyouverymuch, this promises to be a festive, lovely day. Once you’ve tasted the vino, visit the craft vendors and sample the food and chocolate while you enjoy live music played by Sweet Leda, the Picklers, and Milkweed. If you care to get athletic for a cause, there will be a 1 mile/5K Run for Life. In case you’re interested in never leaving the house again, there will be home wine-making demonstrations! And if you’ve got some serious baking skills, consider entering battle in the 2016 Cupcake War. Yes, Cupcake War. Proceeds from the festival will benefit local charities, including The Susquehanna County Library Building Fund, Endless Mountains Health Systems and The Montrose Area School District Healthy Snack Program. For more information on this event, visit chocolatewinefestival.com.

Food briefs compiled by Heather Merlis: food@carouselrag.com

34 carouselrag.com

OLD UNION

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“like” us on facebook to find out all about our delicious daily specials!

THYME & SPACE A featured monthly recipe from the kitchen of Galaxy Brewing Company’s Chef Brian Lovesky

Photo by Ty Whitbeck.

RED SNAPPER VERACRUZ STYLE (serves 4)

Ingredients:

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For the fish: -blended olive oil -4 (6 oz.) filets of red snapper, skin on -salt and pepper -1 teaspoon ground cumin -1 teaspoon ground coriander -1 teaspoon dried oregano -1 teaspoon chili powder For the sauce: -blended olive oil -4 cloves garlic, chopped -1 medium yellow onion, sliced -2 pints cherry tomatoes, cut in halves -1 cup green Spanish olives, cut in halves -1 tablespoon Capers -1 jalapeno, small diced -3 tablespoons Sherry Vinegar or white wine -1 pinch red pepper flakes -salt and pepper -2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped Directions: 1. Blend fish spices and season both sides of the snapper filets, and set aside.

2. Heat olive oil in sauce pan over medium heat. Once oil is hot, add onions and cook until translucent and browned slightly. Add garlic and jalapenos, and sauté for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook for two minutes. Add green olives, capers, sherry vinegar and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat, and crush the tomatoes with a spoon. Add lime slices and simmer for five minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. While simmering Veracruz sauce, heat olive oil in a non-stick pan and gently add filets skin side down. Sauté for two minutes on each side.

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4. Serve snapper immediately over rice, topped with Veracruz sauce, lime slices, and cilantro.

Born and raised in Broome County, Chef Brian grew up surrounded by the many flavors of the different ethnic cultures of our area. He is the Executive Chef at Galaxy Brewing Company in Downtown Binghamton (and former Executive Chef at Tranquil Bar & Bistro). A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America with 20 years of restaurant experience in Upstate NY, New Orleans, and Nashville, Chef Brian currently resides in Vestal with his wife, two sons, and a daughter.

May 2016 triple cities carousel 35

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BANANAS FOSTER OVER FRENCH TOAST, PANCAKE, OR BELGIUM WAFFLE- homemade caramel sauce infused w/ sliced bananas, topped w/ ice cream & whipped cream.

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GRILLED MAC & CHEESE SANDWICHw/ tomato, bacon & homemade cheese sauce on grilled sourdough.

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HAND CRAFTED STUFFED BURGERS- choose from bacon cheddar, jalapeno pepperjack, mushroom swiss & bacon bleu.

CAROLINA BBQ TURKEY MELT- house roasted turkey, bbq sauce, cheese & coleslaw on grilled sourdough.

“THAT” FRIED CHICKEN SANDWICH- marinated chicken breast, deep fried & served with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion & mayo on a grilled Kaiser roll.

Also available buffalo bleu style.

GRILLED CUBANO- sliced pork loin, ham, dill pickles, swiss & mustard on grilled ciabatta w/ chips & a pickle.

FISH TACOS- (3x) beer battered cod, chipotle/jalapeno slaw, salsa, cilantro, chipotle sour cream & chips.

film.

Still from “The Family Fang.”

Photo courtesy of Starz Digital.

BUNDY SOCIAL JUSTICE & LABOR FILM SERIES

The last installment of the Bundy’s “Seeds Beneath the Snow” series will start at 6:30pm and will take place at the Bundy Annex Theatre behind the museum. Free Admission and refreshments.

-Who Needs Sleep? (May 12) Haskell Wexler’s 2006 documentary draws attention to the outrageously long workdays that drive the film industry. In the American culture and economy, in which most workers spend more hours than they would like to or for which they are paid, workers in the film industry are particularly subject to unpredictable schedules and setbacks. Wexler’s film paints this picture through the death of assistant cameraman Brent Hershman, who fell asleep at the wheel on his way home from a 19-hour day on set, and died. The film examines the still ongoing grassroots effort Hershman’s death helped spur to limit hours in production.

The Bundy Museum is located at 127-129 Main St. in Binghamton. More info at bundymuseum.org.

SHOWING THIS MONTH AT THE ART MISSON

-The Family Fang (May 13) Jason Bateman directed and stars in this new indie drama alongside Nicole Kidman as Baxter and Annie Fang, the children of famous parents, performance artists who, in the ‘70s, involved their children in their dark, strange staging. The performances of their parents (played by Christopher Walken and Maryann Plunkett) are glimpsed through flashbacks throughout the film. When their parents suddenly go missing, Kidman’s and Bateman’s

characters claim it to be another elaborate performance, but they search for them nonetheless. Critics have acknowledged that the characters are more multifaceted than those Kidman and Bateman have recently played, and that the film does not follow the stereotype of treating the artist as separable from the person, with independent moralities. The film opens at the Art Mission Theatre on May 13th. Rated R. The Art Mission & Theater is an art cinema and located at 61 Prospect Ave. in Binghamton. More info and full screening schedule at artmission.org.

SCREENING IN JOHNSON CITY AT YOUR HOME PUBLIC LIBRARY

-Still Alice (May 17) Based on the book

by Lisa Genova, the 2014 drama follows its title character, played by Julianne Moore, through her diagnosis and initial symptoms of early onset Alzheimer’s. The story illustrates her illness’s effects on her own life: as she begins to lose things more frequently and have short bouts of confusion, she experiences anxiety about the more significant things her memory might lose in the future, like her daughter’s name. Her daughter (Kristen Stewart) and husband (Alec Baldwin) also must reimagine their family and their relationships with Alice, deciding which parts of life must change and what can continue on as usual. The film will be shown at 6pm at Your Home Public Library. Admission is free. Rated PG-13.

Your Home Public Library, located at 107 Main St. in Johnson City, hosts regular movie nights and film screenings throughout the year. More info is available at yhpl.org.

Film briefs compiled by Ilana Lipowicz: film@carouselrag.com

May 2016 triple cities carousel 37

books. ting edge of industry, and the noble arena of public service,” he writes. “Comedians are created in gym class.”) to the proper way to goose along failing Kool-Aid sales in order to finance a trip to see Jaws in theaters (starting a fistfight on the front lawn appeared, at least temporarily, to be a winning strategy). The columns aren’t organized in any noticeable kind of coherent fashion, as Mollen interjects notes from the present day, or at least notes from his 30-something self, into his musings on the trials and tribulations of a budding pre-adolescent comedic genius, and it isn’t necessary to read them in order. They are, however, compulsively readable and addictively funny, and the bite-sized format makes it easy to devour quite a lot of them in a row before coming up for air.

NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLERS (as of 5/1/16)

Despite his self-deprecation, Tim is a sympathetic character in his own story. Readers will cringe in familiarity when he takes it upon himself to make a loud joke in the middle of a crowded restaurant (the recently-closed Friendly’s on the Vestal Parkway) during a blackout, only to be met with vaguely hostile silence from his customers and coworkers.

Or the process of buying a first home, he and his wife nodding and smiling through a baffling array of legal papers with the growing suspicion that they have, perhaps, just signed away their first-born child.

1. THE LAST MILE

by David Baldacci 2. THE OBSESSION

by Nora Roberts 3. STUCK-UP SUIT

by Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward 4. BOUNTY

by Kristen Ashley 5. THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN

by Paula Hawkins 6. ONE WITH YOU

by Sylvia Day 7. THE NEST

by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney 8. ME BEFORE YOU

by Jojo Moyes 9. ELIGIBLE

by Curtis Sittenfeld 10. FOOL ME ONCE

by Harlan Coben 11. JEWELS OF THE SUN

by Nora Roberts 12. DIRTY

by Kylie Scott 13. WHAT SHE KNEW

by Gilly Macmillan 14. THE NIGHTINGALE

by Kristin Hannah 15. ‘TIL DEATH DO US PART

by Amanda Quick

38 carouselrag.com

Lost Journal Tim Mollen’s local confessions

by Natassia Enright

(on loan from Your Home Public Library)

“I

F YOU LIVED ON the west side of Binghamton in the 1980s,” writes Tim Mollen in his aptly titled Confessions of a Failed Paperboy, “chances are pretty good that you had one of the Mollen brothers as your paperboy. And for that, I’m truly sorry.”

In Mollen’s defense, his primary sin as a paperboy appears to have been a surly demeanor brought on by a dislike of mornings, snow drifts, and Beatle Bailey. His elder siblings, however, included Bob, who subcontracted his paper route to a hapless younger brother, and Dan, who was known to deliver the Christmas calendar “sometime between Arbor Day and Halloween.” So it is, perhaps, appropriate that Tim, as the only brother

who has gone on to find employment as an adult in the newspaper industry, opens the first book of his collection of nationally syndicated columns with apology to his erstwhile customers. It sets a good example. And more than that, it sets the stage.

Tim Mollen’s three-volume Lost Journal collection, encompassing Vol. 1: Confessions of a Failed Paperboy, Vol. 2: Five Older Brothers, Twenty Bad Jobs, and Zero Dates and, last but certainly not least, Vol. 3: Some Lives are Funnier than Others, could be termed autobiographical, or at least vaguely memoir-like, if that didn’t seem like an unnecessarily formal designation. The Lost Journals span Mollen’s life from childhood to the present day in brief column format, reflecting on everything from the makings of genius (“Great leaders of men are created in the horrific chaos of battlefields, the cut-

The narrative is peppered with references that any Triple Cities native will recognize: of a middle-school skiing trip, he says that “[t]he staff of the Greek Peak cringes when they see our Ski Club bus approaching…my middle school, St. Patrick’s, boasts some of the worst skiers in the Northeast.” He mentions the Park Diner as a place where he and his friends, on breaks from college, would end up “after a long night of doing things we shouldn’t have been doing without medical supervision,” and wonders if such youthful marauding might have contributed to that august establishment’s decision to end its overnight hours and send its late-night college-aged clientele packing in the direction of Denny’s.

There are, appropriately, a number of stories about his career as a paperboy, and they are some of the best: from the time he agreed to act as an ‘enforcer’ for his brother, Dan, who is “so nice that he has difficulty bringing himself to conduct the ugly business of collecting weekly payments from customers” (Tim, as a self-described “pubescent crank”, has no such trouble, and is more than willing to extract an exorbitant fee from his sibling for the favor), to the time he and Dan stole their parents’ car in order to make the rounds on a snowy morning and then, in a state of panic, immediately shoveled the entire driveway so that their parents wouldn’t notice the tire tracks when they awoke.

All in all, this is a funny, nostalgic collection of columns that Binghamton natives are sure to appreciate.

Books, audiobooks, and ebooks are all available at timmollen.com (and most likely at your local library too!)

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May 2016 triple cities carousel 39

travel.

OFF THE BEAT A monthly look at quirky nearby places, people, and things by our own Felicia Waynesboro.

Provided.

THE BRAIN MUSEUM IN BUFFALO, NY

I

F THE SCARECROW FROM THE WIZARD OF OZ had been let loose in this place he might have been tempted to shoplift. He wanted a brain and the Brain Museum in Buffalo, NY has somewhere from 85 to 90 of them right now, floating in fluid and sitting on “beautifully illuminated” shelves. They are an attraction for everyone from neurosurgery students to researchers to whole families of tourists. It is the only museum in the nation – possibly in the world, since no list of brain museums exists -- devoted exclusively to the brain.

I suppose if you have a beautiful mind, you also have a beautiful brain. “Some have pathologies,” says Professor Christopher Cohan, museum curator, regarding the specimens, “but most are normal.”

Want to be part of a Think Tank? There’s a literal one at the Brain Museum (formally known as the Museum of Neuroanatomy but everyone, including Dr. Cohan, calls it simply “The Brain Museum”). It’s a vat that holds up to 50 brains. If you want yours in there you’ll have to donate your body to the medical school of the University at Buffalo, which houses the museum on its South Campus in the Biomedical Building. No guarantee that your brain will end up in the museum, but Dr. Cohan, a professor of pathology and anatomical sciences at the University, says that nobody’s body is rejected. That’s a great relief, I guess.

There are also interactive exhibits and models of the brain. The museum was established in 1994 by Harold Brody, MD -- a professor who believed that everyone has a fascination for the brain. Dr. Brody died in 2008 and, no, I did not ask if his brain is in the museum.

They wouldn’t have told me anyway: all brain donations are anonymous and no displayed brain is identified by its former owner.

Dr. Cohan carries on the founder’s work, and with the same commitment to educating a curious public. He says he has always been interested in the brain since he was a kid, calling it a “magnificent” thing and asserting that, “it’s what makes us human.”

You might not shuffle off to Buffalo - a little over a three and a half hour drive from the Binghamton area – just to visit the Brain Museum, but if you happen to find yourself in that corner of New York State, do drop in. If you go, please say hello to the head of the mustached man in the tank; he’s been in that tank with his brain exposed for over 7 decades, and he’s still in the Museum.

Dr. Cohan -- with his quiet, indulgent sense of humor about all this -- is just the kind of guy you would want to guide you on a tour of the brain. “Call me,” he says, explaining that a couple of years from now, the Brain Museum will move to a new location in the downtown area which will make it more accessible, “more public, more user-friendly.”

For now, an appointment is needed for a guided tour. It’s not brain surgery. Well…

Visit medicine.buffalo.edu for more info or call Dr. Cohan at (716) 829-3081 to arrange a tour.

40 carouselrag.com

1330 AM 101.3 FM 105.1 FM 107.9 FM

poetry.

THE POETRY OF ROB RATMAN

Rob Ratman arrived in NYC from a land far, far away in February 2003. It was a cold month, that February. New York was unwelcoming; it took him four months to find a stable job, but then things got easier. After a few years in the Big Apple, where he worked in construction, the fast food industry, and finally made it to a company on Wall Street, he threw everything away and moved to this area seduced by the fortunes to come, promised by the education of SUNY Binghamton. He currently studies nursing and tries to exist happily in Binghamton, taking odd jobs part-time - painting, construction, moving, working at a supermarket, and doing computer work - in between classes. He began writing a few years ago - mostly prose - about his experiences as an immigrant, which didn’t follow the path of the characters he saw in the movies or read about. He discovered that writing - prose and a bit of poetry, while the poetry part is rarely autobiographical - to be such a fulfilling, conducive to self-search, therapeutic activity, that he decided to make it into a full time job... sometimes.

ONE’S FEAR OF THE BIG CITY – OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT Even though I am afraid and feeling lost...

In this strange and grey and lonely city when I’m walking slowly down the street passing by corners, people, cars and buildings I still leave my home to roam it.

Now I’m withered by a dry and freezing wind which is searching for the alleys in between the steel and concrete on both sides of the street to mischievously sneak in, lift up in the air some old papers, turn them over, swirl them in the space between let them fall down after that, all forgotten and unseen...

The wind and the ravaged by it street are here to stay a revealing perspective for my lonely, searching soul.

At least I wish this wind will chase, no - freeze away The stink of something decomposing, long forgotten in a bowl something... smell of ocean, smell of crowd of piss coming from the alleys, sewer shafts spewing out a nasty cloud. subway tunnels, bittersweet and spicy food car exhaust, all these protrude and engulf my neighborhood...

And of course the pungent smell of fish, from the fish store down below my flat, it’s the favorite, coveted dish of a quick and tricky, stray, black cat.

She often sneaks into the store, then....runs out through the opened door...

This “perfume” is so vulgar and repulsive I wonder which of its ingredients I have to blame I am not so easy to get giddy but it makes me nauseous all the same...

The street on which I am walking is lined up with really tall buildings reaching high they are making me feel small like a black cat waiting by the door almost unnoticeable to the eye...

From the people I am afraid the most Passing by me fast, in a hurry talking on their phones, always on the move how do they perceive me - my walk, my coat, my shoes.

Do they approve?

And although I am afraid of strangers, I feel lonely sometimes.

I ask them for the time or for a cigarette, and you should know that I am not a smoker and I am also never late...

When I go back home and I look throughout the window and then into the mirror on the wall I see all my fears there reflected ready to wrap themselves into a ball jump up in my mouth and down my throat and suffocate me....

“I wish I wasn’t old” he is uttering out of the blue “How old are you?” is asking me “ - I am thirty-two.”

“Oh, really?” he is silent, thoughtful for a while He is a somewhat sullen but is giving me a smile: “It’s still early of an old age to worry then,” he said it quietly and I feel a little sad for the good old man.

And even though I am afraid of everything: people, buildings, streets, this city, feeling sometimes lost in the zigzagging labyrinth small, alone and keen to self-pity when I feel confused and broken All but about to fade away I remember how I often used to say: when you see your reflection in the mirror when you’re trembling, being afraid of getting lost try to conquer your own fears, of not trying you should be afraid the most.

He is taking a sip and is going on a trip to the bathroom, quite unsteady on his feet.

Two guys are sitting on the far end of the counter at the sight of him unsteady and his saunter one of them is saying with a snicker -”what a drinker”.

I’m raising up my glass “He’s not really a drinker but a thinker” They are smiling and drinking to the cheers and go back talking to each other of their fears that only such dark, rainy, lonely nights can bring.

A NIGHT AT THE BAR It’s warm and cozy at the old Irish bar a refuge from the rainy and cold night out.

I am drinking a glass of a strong, dark stout feeling a bit lonely - I don’t know why and the night is slowly dragging by.

I am a little tipsy and seeing it all in a blur and think that the smell of an old and mold and sticky floor are mixing well with every slur which is coming occasionally from the back where Laura and her friend The Czech they are an elderly couple with a spunk I know them well, they are already quite drunk.

Laura was pretty once and her man - maybe the same you know him – the Czech, oh what the heck he is beyond description – tall and rosy he always brings to Laura all those poises Next to me is siting Joe, such a geezer drinking whiskey – he is quite the teaser, he mocks my job and “silly” rhyming to him it “sounds like a cat’s whining”.

He is silent now although usually he likes to talk and is listening to that old classic rock, old song from the time when he was thirty two he said that it reminds him of a girl he knew and maybe he is thinking of her sometimes too.

He has been talking all night long of heavy things how people meet and someone new is born of love and then another one dies and get the wings to make them space into this world so they can live Joe is looking older, crooked and tall in the mirror, behind the counter, on the wall.

Then – bang - the door is opened with a swing...

A woman’s stepping in, brought by the wind she is coming towards me and sitting on Joe’s seat and my heart’s pounding, yet deciding to skip a beat for she is very pretty, but I’m not feeling any fear she’s taking off her raincoat and ordering a beer Then: “Hello” and we start a conversation.

I shouldn’t shorten it up but in summation we are getting along and maybe a new love will come before the wretched night ends and raises up the morning sun.

As we are falling slowly yet a bit fast in that sweet feeling, which might even last, suddenly it is getting so cold and dark into the bar as if the lamp above is throwing its drab light from afar my beer suddenly is tasting strangely stale.

What is that subtle and so vile smell of decay one cannot perceive it quite well and yet everyone inside the bar can tell, that it is there?

“Hey where is Joe?” I’m hearing and in the air is a feeling for a something new, yet well known I am getting up and going to the bathroom door.

I am opening it.

Inside the bathroom’s Joe - dead, lying sideways on the floor Then - cries, an ambulance, remembrance and much beer at last the night is ending and the morning’s near and at the first sign of the sun and the last left lonely star me and Vera – this is her name, are saying good-bye to the rest and hurriedly leaving the bar.

We are walking out both sad and happy, holding hands and maybe it is quite sudden but this is how the poem ends.

Interested in having your poetry featured in an upcoming issue? Please email 3-5 poems and a short bio to Heather Merlis: poetry@carouselrag.com

May 2016 triple cities carousel 41

42 carouselrag.com

fun stuff.

“AEIOU”

by Paul O’Heron

B.C.

DOGS OF C-KENNEL

ACROSS 1. Drivel/vigor/spot on a playing card/_____ Goes the Weasel/newborn dog.

9.

Mobster’s heat/obtain/“Scram!”/ obtained/ belly.

10. Precipitate drops/straps attached to a bit/decayed ancient buildings.

13. Flying mouse/wager/ gnawed/mechanical human (slang)/however.

19. Actor Aykroyd/TV room/ noise/Actor Cheadle/a horse of a certain color.

20. Slacks/usual 4th down occurrences, /measures of English ale.

25. Slab of butter/companion animal/peach center/it calls the kettle black/place.

29. Volatile computer storage/deep sleep/cup edge/ non-volatile computer storage/pirate’s drink.

DOWN 1. Game piece 2. _____ Scialfa, Bruce Springsteen’s spouse.

3. Makes smooth.

4. Babe or Wilbur.

5. A hoax.

6. “Now is the winter _____

_____ discontent. Made glorious summer by this son of York; …” - Richard The Third, Act 1, scene 1 7. Dog of a dwarf breed like a bulldog.

8. Ways in the woods.

10. Fanatical.

11. Waned.

12. Two word phrase humorously said after reading a fortune cookie.

14. Mortise’s counterpart.

15. Barely make (out).

16. Main principle.

17. Plastic _____ Band: band formed by John Lennon and his spouse in 1969 as a vehicle for their collaborative and solo projects.

18. “Hey, man. Play some _____!”

20. One of eleven given on the 11th day of Christmas.

21. _____ of Eratosthenes: a method for finding prime numbers.

22. Slang for a stimulant.

23. _____ bomb: appear where you aren’t wanted.

24. Referring to the kidney.

26. Scottish hat.

27. Actor Allen or director Burton.

28. A male turkey.

WIZARD OF ID

by MASTROIANNI & HART

by MICK & MASON MASTROIANNI

by JONNY HART & BRANT PARKER

May 2016 triple cities carousel 43

44 carouselrag.com

Are we all jaded?

Or are we really just a bunch of dicks?

by Krissy Howard

If you or a loved one has a drinking or drug problem...

HELP IS AVAILABLE AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) in the Triple Cities Region Hotline: (607) 722-5983 For a list of meetings: aabinghamton.org Al Anon/Alateen in Broome Co. and surrounding areas For info: (607) 772-0889 or (607) 387-5701 For a list of meetings: nynafg.com/district_10.html NA (Narcotics Anonymous) in the Triple Cities Region For info: (607) 762-9116 For a list of meetings: tcana.net

L

AST MONTH I FLEW to and from Florida to attend a friend’s wedding. If I had to guess, I would suppose 25% of the trip was spent enjoying the Keys, and appreciating the fact that a good friend of mine found happiness with another human being and asked me to help them celebrate that fact. The remaining 75% was spent dreading the early wake up time and commute to and from the airport, experiencing anxiety over TSA bullshit, and of course, hating the entire duration of the flight, which I immediately complained about to anyone willing to listen.

After I got home, I realized what an ungrateful prick I was, complaining about the modern miracle that is air travel.

I was going to write an entire piece about how lucky we are to be able to consider “flying through the air” as a mode of transportation, but then someone reminded me that Louis CK already has an entire bit about that, one that is probably much funnier than anything I could come up with. So I started thinking about other things we take for granted, or at least, fail to regard as an absolute blessing.

I thought of three things that, at one point, were considered to be nothing short of monumental moments in human history, which we either no longer consider so, find irritating, or straight up hate: Going to the doctor. There is a person you can visit who will fix your problems. Some of them, anyway. Your love life is still probably gonna be pretty disappointing, sorry to say.

Back to this person though; you tell them what’s bothering you physically, what hurts, what’s irritating, what won’t stop itching, and they fix it. This person is called a doctor.

They look at - even inside - our bodies, and use their knowledge of modern medicine to fix what’s wrong. Despite having the luxury of not dying from inhaling rat feces today, many of us meet the term “doctor’s appointment” with “Ugh, I hate going to the doctor.” Why? Because we have to wait. And the gowns are humiliating. And the magazines available for us to browse through are super old and/ or lame. All that considered, it makes sense that we would hate going to the doctor’s office. So what if they can detect cancer before it becomes life threatening? I’ll be damned if I have to take this Cosmo “What Kind of Sexy Are You?” quiz from 2008 again! I was born “Sweet Sexy” and I will die “Sweet Sexy!”

Walking. Maybe this is a bit of a stretch, but when you think about what a monumental event learning to walk has been, both as a species, and specifically for any individual, it’s incredible how easy it is to take walking for granted. The first steps we ever took on our own were literally met with people cheering us on, taking photos, and then sharing the entire thing across several different social platforms all over the internet. Once you learn to walk and have some practice at it, you literally don’t even think about what you’re doing. You don’t think about the fact that it’s taken millions of years to reach this pivotal moment in bipedalism, one which separates us from whatever Christians refuse to acknowledge we descend from. Thinking about it like that, I’m surprised we don’t fall on our asses a lot more than we do. It seems like, for a group of animals who possibly used to not have legs or land-maneuvering capabilities, the fact that our daily activity doesn’t more closely resemble some hilarious blooper reel is nothing short of incredible to me.

On a related note, I would really love it if our daily activity more closely resembled a blooper reel.

Things who birth other things. I believe the proper term for this would be “mothers,” but as someone with little to no maternal instinct of her own, I’m choosing to keep this is as disassociated as feels comfortable for me. I know some of you reading fully understand the absolute miracle that is childbirth, and I don’t mean miracle in a “gift from God” way, because I’ve watched enough episodes of Maury to understand that we might be laying it on a little thick with that phrase. I don’t think it’s miraculous that the human body does what it’s designed to do. What I’m talking about is how I can’t believe that women across all species, from the beginning of time, give birth, and then continue to live their lives as they know it. They carry a life to term, undergo hours of excruciating pain in order to deliver it through their body... and then that’s it. I mean, of course many go on to raise the child, but life eventually kinda picks up where it left off, and something about that just seems kind of wrong to me. Like, your body split open, passed another body through it, and now you’re making a dentist appointment? You still feel inclined to find a somewhat polite way of dismissing yourself from telemarketers? It just seems like, if you’ve passed a baby through your birth canal, and live to tell about it, you should just be done. I don’t mean that in a “stay at home” way, but in an “it seems like you should have graduated to some other form of being” way.

Then again, it’s possible I’m missing something. I’ll see if there’s a Cosmo quiz for that.

May 2016 triple cities carousel 45

star stuff.

ASTRO LOVE Cosmic guidance from Uranus. A monthly column by Binghamtons favorite astrologer, Emily Jablon.

A

NEW MOON OCCURS IN TAURUS, and we are energized to take charge, particularly when it comes to making ourselves feel more secure. It’s a time for reevaluating our relationship with money and possessions and discovering what it is that we truly value and genuinely makes us happy and fulfilled. We should be concentrating on what it is we can do to increase our own feelings of self-worth. This is a time for reconnecting to nature, to our bodies, and to the world of the five senses.

Mercury retrograde continues until May 22nd, so hold off on signing papers and traveling, if you can. It is worse around the beginning and end of the cycle, so the time around the 22nd is especially annoying. On the 21st, the full moon in Sagittarius reminds us to reach out beyond our usual routines, thoughts, and neighborhoods. Think about the things you would like to expand and promote for the next six months and plant a seed during this full moon. You will thank me in November as they come to fruition.

This will be a more frustrating month for everyone, with five of the planets in retrograde (aka “backwards”). Watch out for the “self words”: selfish, self-interested, and so on. Do what it takes to get out of your head. A change of scenery is highly suggested.

Aries (Mar 21- Apr 19) If Ariens are considered confident, then this month we are extra confident, rams. But before you bash your head into the nearest wall, take the time this month to check out the wall.

Taurus (Apr 20- May 20) “Focus on the things you can control and let go of the things you cannot control” is your May mantra. You have plenty of your own problems to focus on before you digging into those of everyone you know. Enjoy your own.

Gemini (May 21-June 21) Plan your day the night before, every night this month. Your day-to-day progress, plus feeling put together (for once), will spring you into spring. Plus, people will stop thinking you’re a nutbag.

Cancer (June 22-July 22) If you think someone is screwing you, you’re probably right.

Before you react, take the time to think of the “neutral” way to handle things. Your feelings are like Binghamton weather, crabs: they pass in 10 minutes.

Leo (July 23-Aug 22) You may be hungry for steamy romance and passion this month.

But being the king of the jungle can be irritating to some. So try to get out of your own way and be less abrasive. But no Leo believes in astrology, so...

Virgo (Aug 23-Sept 22) Surrender your broom and squeegee this month and let loose a little. Enjoy the spring air, and because nothing will go right anyway this month, give up.

It will all work out.

Libra (Sept 23-Oct 22) Find a new best friend and spend the month doing superficial things. Wear velour.

Scorpio (Oct 23-Nov 21) Take a chill pill this month and settle into the next mode down. You will enjoy it once you adjust. You don’t need to embarrass Libras in the workplace because you like your coffee straight out of the bag, eaten with a spoon.

Sagittarius (Nov 23-Dec 21) Going to the bathroom with no lights on does not qualify as an adventure this month, Sag. You are in need of travel. The idea of expanding your mind should, indeed, start to expand your mind. Go with it.

Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan 19) Hey goats, just because you are good at math doesn’t mean you get to be a pain in the ass. Give back this month with one of your many talents, skills, or fortunes. It will lighten your load in new ways. Your heart may beat.

Aquarius (Jan 29-Feb 18) Stop talking to your rice crispy cereal, because May is your time to focus and get ahead. Pass it forward (to yourself, of course). It will pay back in folds.

Pisces (Feb 19-Mar 20) Take the time to spend in nature this month. Enjoy the warmer weather and the stars. Find a new constellation besides the big dipper.

Emily Jablon, “Binghamton’s Astrologer to the Stars,” is a certified astrologer and public mosaic artist. Jablon has been studying astrology since college and specializes in relationship and personal astrology. She offers classes, private and group readings, and parties for a donation. Go to jablonstudios.com for more information or email emily@jablonstudios.com.

46 carouselrag.com

directory listings. arts organizations BROOME COUNTY ARTS COUNCIL Where the arts mean business!

81 State St. #501, Binghamton, NY (607) 723-4620 broomearts.org TIOGA ARTS COUNCIL Inspiring & supporting Tioga County 179 Front St. Owego, NY 13827 (607) 687-0785 tiogaartscouncil.org

art studios THE SPIRAL IMAGE STUDIO Affordable abstract art for any space.

2328 Colesville Rd, Harpursville NY (607) 349-2760/alla.boldina.art@gmail.com www.allaboldina.com KAPOW! ART STUDIO Unique Quality Art Classes for All Ages 186 State St. 2nd Fl, Binghamton, NY (607) 237-8246 kapowartnow.com

bars BELMAR PUB West Side World Famous 95 Main St. Binghamton, NY (607) 724-5920 belmar-bing.com CALLAHAN’S SPORTSMAN’S CLUB Drinks, food, and good tunes!

190 Main St. Binghamton, NY (607) 772-6313 Find us on Facebook!

FITZIES PUB Music, pool, and cheap shots!

9 Main St. Binghamton, NY (607) 217-5446 Find us on Facebook!

McGIRK’S IRISH PUB Music 5 nights/wk. Curated whiskey bar.

1 Kattelville Rd. Binghamton, NY (607) 648-9988 mcgirks.com

WATER STREET BREWING CO. Fresh. Local. Uncomplicated.

168 Water St. Binghamton, NY (607) 217-4546 waterstreetbrewingco.com

carousels ROSS PARK Undergoing renovations 60 Morgan Rd. Binghamton, NY (607) 772-7017 binghamton-ny.gov/carousels RECREATION PARK Round and round we go!

58-78 Beethoven Street, Binghamton, NY (607) 772-7017 binghamton-ny.gov/carousels C. FRED JOHNSON PARK Round and round we go!

98 CFJ Blvd. Johnson City, NY (607) 772-7017 villageofjc.com HIGHLAND PARK Round and round we go!

801 Hooper Rd. Endwell, NY (607) 786-2970 townofunion.com GEORGE W. JOHNSON PARK Round and round we go!

201 Oak Hill Ave. Endicott, NY (607) 757-0856 endicottny.com WEST ENDICOTT PARK Round and round we go!

Maple St. at Page Avenue, Endicott, NY (607) 786-2970 townofunion.com

dance instruction MANDALA BELLYDANCE & FLOW ARTS Classes/Fusion Bellydance /Fire & LED (607) 759-7551 www.facebook.com/mandalaflow mandalaflowarts@gmail.com

OLD UNION HOTEL “King of Wings” 3 Years in a Row! 246 Clinton St. Binghamton, NY (607) 217-5935 oldunionhotel.com

PURELY TECHNIQUE DANCE INSTRUCTION Ballet/Contemporary/Jazz/Tap Dance 32-36 Washington Ave. Endicott, NY (607) 245-6366 Purelytechniquedance@gmail.com

OWEGO ORIGINALS BAR & LOUNGE Music, pizza, drinks: Owego’s newest venue 25 Lake St. Owego, NY (607) 687-9510 Find us on Facebook!

TANGO MY HEART Argentine Style Classes/Practice: Mon. 7pm Atomic Tom’s, 196 State St. Binghamton, NY (607) 217-8731 tangomyheart.com

breweries GALAXY BREWING CO. Craft beers & great food in downtown Bing 41 Court St. Binghamton, NY (607) 217-7074 galaxybrewingco.com

dining CHROMA CAFÉ & BAKERY Artisan breads & pastries. breakfast/lunch.

97 Court St. Binghamton, NY (607) 595-7612 chromacafeandbakery.com

CITREA RESTAURANT & BAR Woodfire Pizza & Tapas 7 Court St. Suite 3, Binghamton, NY (607) 722-0039 citreapizza.com GROTTA AZZURA Late Night Pizza Delivery Fri.-Sat. 52 Main St. Binghamton, NY 13905 (607) 722-2003 grottaazzurraitalianrestaurant.com LOST DOG CAFÉ Global fare, specialty cocktails, music 222 Water St. Binghamton, NY (607) 771-6063 lostdogcafe.net MI CASA Authentic Latin Cuisine 58 Henry St. Binghamton, NY (607) 237-0227 Find us on Facebook!

VILLAGE DINER Check out our menu on Page 36!

255 Floral Ave, Johnson City, NY (607) 217-4134 JCvillagediner.com

hair salons ORION BEAUTY & BALANCE, INC. Hair, nails, body waxing, hair color. Aveda!

118 Washington St. Binghamton, NY (607) 724-0080 orionbeautyandbalance.com

home improvement BUTCH’S PAINTING Residental, Commercial, Interior, Exterior Binghamton, NY (607) 222-9225

jewelers CAMELOT JEWELERS Coins/repairs/custom designs.

We buy gold and silver!

48 Clinton St. Binghamton, NY (607) 722-0574

medical practices NY SKIN AND VEIN CENTER Natural good looks & healthy legs!

75 Pennsylvania Ave. Binghamton, NY (607) 417-0040 info@NYSVC.com

museums BUNDY MUSEUM Explore local Binghamton history!

127-129 Main St. Binghamton, NY (607) 772-9179 bundymuseum.org ROBERSON MUSEUM Exhibits, Events, The Mansion, & More 30 Front Street, Binghamton, NY (607) 772-0660 www.roberson.org

music instruction BANJO AND FIDDLE LESSONS with Brian Vollmer Binghamton, NY (301)385-4027 banjoandfiddle.com brian@banjoandfiddle.com

music venues CYBER CAFÉ WEST Binghamton’s home for live music.

176 Main St. Binghamton, NY (607) 723-2456 cybercafewest.com MAGIC CITY MUSIC HALL Back in action, bigger & better than before!

1040 Upper Front St. Binghamton, NY (607) 296-3269 themagiccitymusichall.com RANSOM STEELE TAVERN Do some dancin’ with Ransom 552 Main St. Apalachin, NY (607) 258-0165 ransomsteeletavern.com

specialty GARLAND GALLERY Custom framing, cool gifts, zany cards 116 Washington St. Binghamton, NY (607) 723-5172 garlandgallery.com

video production STEPHEN SCHWEITZER Video production and editing (607) 222-9281 vimeo.com/stephenschweitzer stephen.schweitzer@gmail.com

wineries BLACK BEAR WINERY NYS fruit wine. Stop by our tasting room!

248 County Rd. 1, Chenango Forks, NY (607) 656-9868 blackbearwinery.com

Be Inside Us! 18,000 discerning monthly readers.

200 regional distribution locations.

3 years of unrivaled arts coverage in the Triple Cities.

Get in touch today!

(607) 422-2043

advertising@carouselrag.com May 2016 triple cities carousel 47