CAROUSEL triple cities
free
november 2014
vol. 2 issue 11
living local. loving life.
PRINT’S NOT DEAD, BUT IT COULD BE!
PLEASE HELP US SAVE CAROUSEL! A fundraiser. For a fundraiser. What kind of idiots have to do a fundraiser for a fundraiser? How tacky is that? Read on, and you will find out the answer to both of those pressing questions!
Here’s the thing. We’ve got this magazine. Triple Cities Carousel. You’ve seen it. You’re holding it. Well, it comes out once a month, and it covers a whole bunch of everything involving Binghamton-area arts and music and entertainment and food and the like. And pictures. A bunch of those, too. And the whole thing is free. We like to think of it as kind of half magazine, half public service, half gonzo self-indulgence. That’s three halves. Three. Well, go figure, there’s not much money to be had in just straight up giving people 52 pages of newsprint every month. Okay, like pretty much no money. So, we decided to have a fundraiser. We threw a big huge party in a big huge art gallery. We called it the Triple Cities Scareousel Fantasmagorical Freakshow Ball. It was absolutely amazing. Like, completely stellar. And it made a whole bunch of money, too! Except, at the end of the night, a good chunk of that money was nowhere to be found. Total bummer, right? What kind of person steals from a fundraiser? And you know what’s an even bigger bummer? We can’t even really do anything about it. Over the course of the night, money from the bar got mixed with money from the door, and because of the pop-up nature of everything, there’s no record that can prove it’s even missing. Super good planning on our part, we know. So we can’t prove anything. And the cops can’t do anything. And well, the term is “screwed,” right? Instant karma’s gonna getchuuu… The good news is that we were able to pay all of the performers and staff and costs from the night. The bad news is that, when the math is all said and done, we raised about $100 at the Scareousel Ball. Well, at least it’s a profit! We needed that money. Desperately. The computer that the entire magazine is made on is on its last dying breath. Three loans were scheduled to be paid off the day after the fundraiser. We needed to buy a whole bunch of newspaper racks. We needed to be able to pay the printer. And so here we are, pandering and panhandling to you, the good hearted public. As it stands right now, we could be looking at the end of Carousel. No more events calendar. No more band interviews. No more artist showcases. No more nothin’. You know how infinitely important of a resource we put out. You rely on us to know what to do in your off time. Musicians and artists rely on us to promote them. Our advertisers rely on us to get the word out to you. We’ve all got a stake in it. Carousel dies, and a bit of the local culture we tirelessly work to foster dies too. And that’d suck, a whole lot. So please, consider donating. If each of our readers donated a dollar, we’d surpass our goal overnight! We do a lot for you, and we ask for very little in return. Help us help you! Save Carousel!
gofundme.com/gbrqf0
November 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 3
contents.
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editorial...........................................................................4 music.................................................................................5 thanksgiving..................................................................11 theatre...........................................................................13 comedy...........................................................................17 events calendar..........................................................18 art..................................................................................20 scareousel....................................................................22 misandry.......................................................................25 food and drink.............................................................27 film.................................................................................29 vines..............................................................................30 books...............................................................................31 bingspot.........................................................................33 fun stuff.......................................................................34 crossword...................................................................35 TRIPLE CITIES CAROUSEL P.O. BOX 2947 BINGHAMTON, NY 13902 Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Christopher Bodnarczuk Assistant Editors Heather Merlis, Ronnie Vuolo Advertising Christopher Bodnarczuk Calendar Guru Ty Whitbeck Staff Writers Krissy Howard, Ilana Lipowicz, Rose Silberman-Gorn, Kevin Salisbury, Felicia Waynesboro, Phil Wescott Contributors Connie Barnes, Gerald Kuntzwell, Joshua B. Ludski, Paul O’Heron, Sally Ride, Amoreena Wade Photography Ty Whitbeck, Stephen Schweitzer (Add. Photos by BingSpot and Randy Cummings) Layout/Design Christopher Bodnarczuk On the Cover Assorted Pottery- Strong Stone Pottery FOR ADVERTISING: triplecitiesads@gmail.com FOR LETTERS, COMPLAINTS, PRAISE, DEATH THREATS, AND MORE INFO: triplecitiescarousel@gmail.com Copyright 2014 by Triple Cities Carousel. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without prior written consent from the publisher.
4 Vol. 2 Issue 11
editorial.
I can’t even really call it bittersweet. That implies a fairly equal mixture of good and bad, and at the end of the day, my scale tips a hell of a lot farther towards good. So no, bittersweet isn’t the word at all. Maybe, um… well I don’t know. Yesterday, a barista put root beer syrup into my coffee instead of the butterscotch I asked for. It wasn’t bad. Definitely more good than bad. But it certainly wasn’t the coffee I had envisioned. It’s kind of like that. Yeah. It’s like a coffee with root beer syrup in it when you wanted butterscotch instead because butterscotch makes more sense (it’s like a missing verse on an Alanis Morissette song, too, apparently). For those that aren’t within my ranting social media reach (or haven’t already glanced at the inside cover), I’m talking about the 2nd Annual Triple Cities Scareousel Fantasmagorical Freakshow Ball. See, it happened like this: we threw an amazing party, you all came, you all danced, we all raised money to keep this paper going, someone stole the profits, we spent the past week trying to save ourselves from fundless extinction. Well fuck. That’s not good. Who the hell steals from a fundraiser? Good question, and I’d tell you if I could, but all that there is to hit is dead ends. And so here we are, just as in the hole as we were before the fundraiser. It’s a deep hole. Go figure, there’s no money in print. And the reality of it is, this little incident could put us under. And just as we were getting good, too. Am I upset that someone would do something like this? Well, yeah. Am I horrified to be writing so frankly about potentially losing everything? Yessir. Has this jaded my view of humanity? No. Not at all. Like I said, the scale tips pretty heavily towards good. So one (probably desperate) scumbag takes a few grand from us. That’s still one person. It doesn’t change how amazing the Ball was. And it doesn’t change the amount of people that came out of the woodwork before, during, and after the Ball, to lend their support to Carousel. Like, hundreds of people. First off, all the sponsors of the event… we had amazing food from Chroma Café & Bakery, Mi Casa, The Old Union Hotel, and Grotta Azzurra Pizzeria. Great beer from Bing Brewing Co, Galaxy Brewing, and the North Brewery (plus Green Room deliciousness from Endless). Super fancy wine from Black Bear Winery. Amazing media support from What’s Goin’ On Binghamton, Bing Spot, and BU’s Pipe Dream. An incredible roster of freaks- from sword swallowers to bearded ladies to snake charmers- curated by the incomparable Amber Tedesco and Mandala Flow Arts. The most danceable music possible from Alpha Brass, The Newman Brothers, Zydeco Po’ Boys, Taina Asili, Big Mean Sound Machine, and DJs Juniper and Space One. Tarot from Water’s Edge Esoteric Marketplace. Crazy ass glowing Ouija Boards from Charlie Robins and Ty Whitbeck. Light Painting from Stephen Schweitzer. Stellar bartenders and security guards. 452 of you crazy partygoers. A setup crew. A cleanup crew. The very patient board at Spool MFG. A 6am baby-doll-head-stickball team. No amount of stolen money could overshadow the immense gratitude I have for every single one of you. You made the Scareousel Ball. And together, we all made history. Seriously. Have you ever been to anything so freakishly perfect? Of course, we’re still in Dodge. The paper could still go under. Except. Except! Thank God for crowdfunding! In the days following the Ball, we set up a GoFundMe page to try and recoup some of the losses. As of right this very second, fifty one minutes before this baby goes to print, 50 incredibly generous souls have pooled together resources to get us just over halfway to our 5K goal. I can’t thank them enough. And I encourage you to donate, too. If every one of our readers donated a quarter, we’d surpass our goal overnight. Except I’m pretty sure the minimum donation is a dollar. That’s cool, too! Any funds raised surpassing our goal go to making Carousel bigger and better, and to more amazing events along the lines of the Ball. Because the Ball was wild, and should totally come more than once a year. (For the link and more information, flip back to Page 2.) Anyway, I’m pandering and over word count anyway. Please. Thank you. You’re all amazing. -Christopher M.F. Bodnarczuk
November 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 5
music.
Photo Provided.
klez project
goes to church Ronnie Vuolo Assistant Editor On November 8th, at 7:30pm, Klez Project brings their unique blend of klezmer music to the Cranberry Coffee House. “What,” you may ask, “is klezmer music, and why should I go see it?” Klez Project cofounder Allen Lutins is more than qualified to answer. “Klezmer is not some boring old Jewish music; it is high-energy dance music, with roots in Eastern Europe (especially Romanian and Gypsy) folk music, hints of Russian and Prussian military music, and a strong dose of early American jazz. It is rarely heard in the Binghamton area, and Klez Project may not be around for much longer- our rhythm player, David, will probably leave the region when he graduates college next spring, leaving a void that will be hard to fill- so I urge anyone who’s curious to hear this unique sound attend this event!” The Klez Project is comprised of Lutins on clarinet and Rima Grunes on the violin, with assorted other players joining in, depending on the type of event. Lutins explains, “Rima and I met as guest musicians with the Cornell University Klezmer Ensemble about eight or nine years ago. It was apparent that Central New York lacked a small, traditional Jewish music ensemble, so we teamed up to fill that void.” As for the musical components that make up their sound, Lutins elaborates: “The violin has been a staple of klezmer ensembles for centuries. In the 20th century, the clarinet gained iconic status. Modern ensembles utilize every instrument imaginable, but these two are typi-
cally preferred as lead instruments. Klez Project is a catchall name for whatever ensemble Rima and I need to bring together for a particular occasion. A small private gathering may call for just one or two other people, while larger events- like the American Civic Association’s Garlic Festival where we recently performed- can accommodate a fuller sound. Sometimes it’s a matter of the venue’s size or host’s budget. Since it’s essential to have someone backing our leads with a rhythm instrument, David Zakalik usually joins us. He’s a longtime pianist, but a few months ago he acquired an accordion, and he’s been ripping that thing up! The sound works great with this genre of music. Horns and/or drums also flesh out the sound nicely, so we also try to get Ryan Zawel (tuba/trombone) and/or a percussionist (most recently, Greg Ezrra) on board. Finally, when we need a vocalist, Dana Mandel is our number one choice, due to his familiarity with lyrics to classic Jewish tunes. All of these talented musicians will join us for the Cranberry Coffeehouse performance.” Over time, klezmer music has taken off in many directions; modern klez bands can sport a variety of sounds. Regarding Klez Project, Lutins says, “The early 20th century is considered to have been a ‘golden age’ for the genre, in part because that’s when our earliest recordings come from, and in part because it began to die out after that time. We concentrate on a style of klezmer deriving from that era, but also mix in a few Israeli folk songs and tunes from the early 20th century Yiddish theatre (as many contemporary klezmer ensembles do). Upbeat dance-able numbers tend to dominate, but there are also lovely introspective tunes. Audiences seem to be captivated by the range of emotions and energies that klezmer captures all in one genre.” Lutins’ introduction to music came at an early age. “I started playing clarinet and guitar in
elementary school. My best friend also played clarinet, and his mom was a piano teacherI used to go to his house to play music with them, and we frequently played tunes from a 1920s-era book called the Kammen Folio. I knew it was old-style Jewish instrumental music, but the term ‘klezmer’ hadn’t been popularized yet- it originally referred to a musician, but started to be used in reference to the musical style during a revival in the midlate 1970s. I gave up clarinet soon after arriving at college, but some 17 years later picked it up again while playing with a world fusion band. Everyone kept saying it sounded like I had a ‘klezmer’ sound. It was clearly an influence from my younger days, but something I wasn’t too familiar with at the time. Since it was part of my cultural background, I decided to pursue it with vigor. I still perform a number of other styles professionally on a variety of instruments.” Of his bandmate, Lutins says, “Rima is classically trained. She actually started studying violin from age three, as one of the first Suzuki students of Sanford and Joan Reuning. As a child she performed at the Eastman Theatre, SUNY Buffalo, and (at age 10!) Carnegie Hall. She studied at Ithaca College, The Meadowmount School of Music, and the Cleveland Institute of Music, but like myself, wound up giving it up- in her case, for 22 years- before taking it up again when she gained a desire to play traditional Jewish music.” Lutins’ musical journey was of a different ilk: “I, on the other hand, am primarily selftaught. I was introduced to the local folk music scene while an undergraduate in New Jersey, and subsequently built up a large repertoire of folk and world music tunes on a number of instruments, including classical Indian sitar, which I studied for two years when living in Albany. I performed Celtic music for years before getting serious about klezmer, and still
play a lot of Irish tunes, as well as bluegrass, Old Time, and Scandinavian tunes, on guitar and Irish whistles. I often play for dances and at farmer’s markets with local fiddler Amy Shapiro under the band name Rosetree.” Kept busy with jobs, family, and other activities, Lutins and Grunes try to limit Klez Project gigs to Central New York. “I’ve been dividing my time between several bands (including an early music consort with my wife and my friend Adam Flint, an English Country dance band with Lee & Julian Shepherd, and numerous other part-time projects), on top of working full- and sometimes over-time at my day job (as an Electromagnetic Interference Technician at a local engineering firm), so I’m satisfied to maintain our steady pace of a few gigs a year.” About half their listeners are hearing klez music for the first time. “I’d say it’s about fifty-fifty- a lot of our concerts are performed for newcomers, but often we’re asked to play at weddings or bar/bat mitzvahs because they know of and specifically desire that stylemuch of the klezmer repertoire developed specifically to accompany weddings.” The Cranberry Coffee house has been around for about 30 years; Lutins and his wife have been supporters since they moved to the area more than ten years ago. Located in the Unitarian Universalist Congregation building at 183 Riverside Drive in Binghamton, it has seating for up to 100, and provides a casual atmosphere for listening to traditional and original folk music. In addition to Klez Project, there is a middle set that is open mic. The suggested donation is $8, and parking is available in the rear of the building, with handicapped access in the front. For further information, contact: cranberrycoffeehouse@ yahoo.com or 607-754-9437.
CAROUSEL PRESENTS: BRENNA SWANGER November 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 7
CATCH A RISING STAR AT CYBER CAFE WEST Photo Provided.
Heather Merlis Assistant Editor
When Brenna Swanger walks into the room, one gets the feeling they are in the presence of a star. Endicott born and bred, she is a burgeoning hometown hero with the ability to write a deal-sealing single in a single sitting. Her songs are catchy, her voice is smooth, and she’s got some serious guitar chops. Though she only just turned seventeen, she possesses vision and drive beyond her years. Miss Swanger sat down with Carousel in anticipation of her November 7th Cyber Café West show to discuss her influences, accomplishments, and a tomorrow full of possibilities.
vvv How did you get into playing music? I had a toy guitar when I was six years old and I would run around the house and pretend I was a rock star. I listened to music pretty much every day. When I was seven, my mom’s cousin gave me his guitar, and when I was nine I started taking lessons. I wanted to be Ashley Tisdale’s guitar player- that was my first dream. Learning to play was fun, but
along the way, when things got hard, I wanted to quit. I’m so glad I didn’t, because if I had, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
You just got signed- congratulations! I just got signed with a professional management company called Arrow Entertainment. We found each other online, on a site called Music Clout. How did you start songwriting? I wrote half of a song when I was about ten (I still haven’t finished it), on the keyboard. I really started learning about songwriting when I was thirteen, from Zarni De Wet- she taught me about different methods. I was going into On Point Productions in Binghamton about that same time, so I got to see that side of creating a song, and those two things clicked, and it sort of snowballed from there. Then, I was pumping out song after song. I started my first album, “10 Metaphors for Love,” when I was fourteen, and it was released when I was fifteen. I am currently writing for an EP. I’m always writing, creating things that are more mature. I’ll be going to Nashville to record some newer material with a different vibe than what I’ve previously released. What part has living in this area played in your creative career? Growing up around here has been good for me as a person because it’s a very nice place to live. The com-
munity is very supportive in terms of playing out. There are some venues that are very, very awesome, and they continue to play a part in my musical progress. Who influences you musically? My number one influence has been Demi Lovato, but lately I have been more influenced by The 1975, The Griswolds, The Vamps, and Haim. Will you be performing any new material at the Cyber Café show? I may be bringing a new member of the band for a couple of songs. I have new covers, but I’m saving new originals until the release of my single, “Forged from Fire.” It’ll be a great surprise when the song is released. Could you tell us about your philanthropic work and goals? I created a program called “Rock On 4,” which is a multimedia performance for kids from kindergarten through twelfth grade. If focuses on four elements: courage, acceptance, kindness, and a tomorrow full of possibilities. It’s a school assembly show and also a concert, and the songs have to do with those concepts: originals and covers that the kids sing along with.
In terms of my goals, I love animals, so if I could do something that could help stray animals… I would someday like to open something that would be like a nursing home for old and sick animals, to give them a comfy home. Any way that I could use my voice...
that’s part of the reason I created “Rock On 4,” because some of my family and friends have been through some rough patches, and I think reaching out through music- which is something everyone can connect to- could really make a difference in kids’ lives. How did you make the transition from guitarist to singer? I did a lot of musical theatre as a child, doing shows at EPAC, and so I think that got me into singing. Then, as I was progressing with my guitar, listening to pop music, I thought, “I could do that. I want to do that. I don’t want to be on Broadway; I want to be on the radio.” I think doing theatre got me broke me out of my personal shell: I started out wanting to be a guitar player, then, with musical theatre, I wanted to sing. Now, I want to be my own artist.
My goals, at first, were to go on tour, and be on the radio with my own music. My goals and influences have changed, and are still changing, and are continuing to mature as I widen my range of what I listen to.
vvv Catch Brenna as she continues to break out of her shell, with a full band, on November 7th at Cyber Café West, 176 Main Street in Binghamton. This show is being presented by Triple Cities Carousel. Tickets are $5 at the door.
SHOTGUN WEDDING
8 Vol. 2 Issue 11
Photo Provided.
SHOOTS ‘EM DEAD
AT FIREHOUSE STAGE
Ilana Lipowicz Staff Writer
Shotgun Wedding is a city band with a country heart. The five-piece group is based in Brooklyn, and to hear their music is to experience the big city through that down-home way of storytelling. “Trying to get to work and I’m running late / drop a dollar in the GUI-tar player’s beat up case,” they sing over pluckin’ banjo and boogie-woogie piano in “City Boy.” It’s not huge surprise to find a Brooklyn based roots band, but these guys aren’t exactly country folks making it big in the Big Apple. “None of us grew up in the south,” says guitarist and vocalist Dennis Delgaudio. “Well actually, Andy’s got everybody beat- he’s from southern Australia. We didn’t grow up with the Blue Ridge Mountains sort of vibe, but we love the music.” In fact, aside from bassist Andy Chicon, the rest of the members grew up in NYC and Long Island, proving you don’t have to be from the country to appreciate country music. For Dennis, it’s a love of the guitar and the character of the lyrics that led him to the genre. “There’s something about it that’s so real. The stories are real, they’re plainspoken. You don’t try to necessarily turn a phrase or be too clever. It’s just- ‘here’s a story.’” They call their music “city-country” because of the prominence of piano in their music, on top of the classic southern strings. A wide range of distinct influences can also be picked out in their sound, from bluesy guitar to gos-
pel to ‘50s love song harmonies. Singer Catherine Porter is the only female member of the group, and her voice is packed with a punch that puts soul into the vocal harmonies. The piano player, Wade Preston, impressed Billy Joel so much that Joel asked him to stand in for him during rehearsals for his last play at Shea. Preston was also the understudy for Joel’s character in the Broadway production of Movin’ Out. “Wade is a monster piano player,” Delgaudio raves. Joel plays a big role in the band’s history; Dennis, Wade, and drummer Chuck Burgi were all part of the Movin’ Out ensemble. Andy had been the bass player for Joel’s band up until 1999, and Dennis also played in the band at the last concert at Shea Stadium. “It was really surreal,” he remembers. “You can only get a connection with the first 40 rows. The people in the grandstand, they look two dimensional.” Don’t think their history with the piano man means you’re in for a night of Billy Joel covers, although they do have a rendition of “Travelin’ Prayer” which Dennis calls Joel’s most country-sounding song. “I think we do a really kickin’ version if I may say so myself!” What you can expect is a group of seasoned and extremely experienced musicians playing their own eclectic synthesis of sounds. This is no wide-eyed and bushy-tailed young band; they’ve been around the block- to Broadway stages, to Shea Stadium, to Brooklyn bars, and on November 15 they’ll be bringing the country to Johnson City. Shotgun Wedding will be at the Goodwill Theatre at 7pm on November 15. Tickets are $25 or $20 for seniors and students. They can be purchased at the box office or online at goodwilltheatre.net.
41 Court Street, Binghamton YOU ALREADY KNOW ABOUT OUR BEER. YOU ALREADY KNOW ABOUT OUR FOOD. NOW CHECK OUT OUR MUSIC SCHEDULE! live Bands Every Thursday At 9:30
10/6 The Brummy Brothers
Rough and tumble bluegrass from dirty Jersey.
11/13 The Joe & Calya Show
An evening of old standards, new originals, and plenty of duets from Joe Kollar (Driftwood) and Calya Calypso (Raise the Lady).
11/18 Brian Vollmer & Ken Waldman
(Special 7pm Tuesday Show) An evening of tunes and storytelling with “Alaska’s Fiddling Poet” and Milkweed’s “Fiddling Brian.”
11/20 The Quantum
Sonic exploration of everything from The Dead to Miley.
11/26 Lutheran Skirts
(Special Thanksgiving Eve Show) Front porch folk from Binghamton’s most elusive supergroup. Featuring members of Driftwood, Salsa Libre, Zydeco Po’ Boys... and Pete Ruttle.
For Hours And More: Galaxybrewingco.com Or “Like” Us On Facebook!
BRUMMY BROS. BRING BLUEGRASS TO BING 10 Vol. 2 Issue 11
Phil Wescott Staff Writer
On Thursday, November 6th, the Brummy Brothers will be returning to Binghamton for a second time. The Brummy Brothers are an Americana and bluegrass band from the New Brunswick area of New Jersey. Formed in 2012 when Andrew Morris (guitar) and Russell Gottlieb (banjo) joined Dave (upright bass) and Eric (mandolin) Brumberg, the 4 -piece string band has toured the Northeast extensively since its inception, and the brothers have gained a reputation for their high energy, foot-stompin’ music. Russell Gottlieb was kind enough to field a phone call recently from Carousel. He answered a few questions about the band’s upcoming shows and discussed with us the expansion and role of bluegrass and string band music in the American soundscape.
vvv How did the band get together? Did you set out to be a bluegrass band or did it just come naturally with the fusion of
your talents? We’re all into bluegrass, and we had these instruments [generally associated with the genre]. It started as a weekly jam session with bass, mandolin, guitar, and banjo. We wound up playing one gig, then booked another, and another, and the rest is history. Our sound has been viscerally shaped by our performances.
The band has a tour coming up in the Virgin Islands. Have you played there before? Is there a bluegrass scene on the islands? How did you get such an amazing opportunity? Long story shortWe’ve been in touch with another bandAmericana Umbrella- which has been going down for short tours for a few years. [And it] worked out. None of us thought it was going to happen until it was confirmed. Is there anything that sets you apart from other bluegrass bands? What do you see as your role in the current landscape of American Music? What sets us apart is that our intention was not to be a bluegrass or Americana band. We had no intention of following lock in Bill Monroe or Earl Scruggs. We love and respect that music, and hope to honor those traditions, but we’re here to play our music. Not just bluegrass, but from all of our diverse backgrounds as a string
band. Our instrumentation lends itself to that sound, but being defined as a strictly bluegrass band is a little short sighted: we purposefully want to be hard to classify. We also don’t want to disenfranchise those listeners who aren’t ‘hardcore’ bluegrass fans. As long as you are having fun and enjoying the music, it doesn’t matter how long or how strong you are. We are still developing our sound; it’s a day to day thing.
If you could tour with any current artist, who would it be and why? Oh man, there’s too many... I’m gonna go with Tim O’Brien. He’s a multi-instrumentalist. He has a sound, it’s really bluegrass, but his style spans so many other genres as well. He brings an older sound into a modern world, full of emotion and energy. He’s a really amazing guitar player. Is there anything specific you’d like to say to the Binghamton audience? We like to play to new audiences- especially the second time. We played in Binghamton back in September, and it was a positive first experience. I’m also excited about the craft beers at Galaxy. It’s our second time [in Binghamton] so we can have more fun; we can let loose and play at a higher energy. One thing we’re not gonna do is put you to sleep. Some bands
that play bluegrass are a little lower energy, and that’s fine, but it’s not us. It’s relaxing to be back. It’s like a second date; you’ve moved past the pretension of the first date, yet not into the routine of the third or fourth. We’re still looking to impress, but we can let our walls down a little more.
vvv After the interview Russell engaged me in a discussion of how folk, jazz, and bluegrass music has intimately shaped how art music has been made in the last 100 years. From ethno-musicologists like Bartok, and early twentieth century composers such as Darius Milhaud, the diversity of influence available to the modern musician/composer are enormous. And that’s part of how he, and his band-mates, see music: they may have a string band’s instrumentation, but they aren’t trying to fit into the mold. Sonically breaking the boundaries and limits of the string band, soaring through both melodic heights and percussive valleys, the Brummy Brothers are one band you won’t want to miss. Catch the Brummy Brothers at Galaxy Brewing Co. at 9’o’clock on Thursday, November 6th.
November 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 11
thanksgiving.
Burnin’ Daylight: This Thanksgiving I feel really thankful that Carousel allows me to write basically whatever the hell I want, as researching the history of this holiday was easily the most boring thing I’ve ever had to do in my life- and that is saying a lot as I used to work for a security monitoring company (read: stare at a computer for eight hours at a time and watch as no one broke into anything, ever). It is one thing to learn about the history of the Pilgrims (BALLERS!!), but at the second mention of the Puritans I was just like… (*snoring) (*there is no way to convey what snoring sounds like with words). Luckily, in all of my incredibly thorough research, I did come across an actual, real-life diary entry as recorded by the patriarch of one very typical Pilgrim family, in real-time, no less! I mean, it was really written in the time of four hundred years ago. There wasn’t like, Twitter back then, I don’t think… Anyhow, some of this may have been lost in translation, and maybe I paraphrased the more boring parts of the dialogue, but it is pretty much historically accurate. The guy’s name is Henry something. Probably. Or Richard? Day 1: Whoo, boy! This is gonna be big! REAL big! I’M SO PSYCHED! The kids are a little peeved about having to leave the two Russian dwarf hamsters, and that damned dog they promised “to totally walk and take care of,” but you can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs, as I always say, and in this case it’s all worth it, as the omelette equals RELIGIOUS FREEDOM! Cry now kids, but that freedom omelette is gonna taste so sweet, just you wait and see! Some other stuff had to get left behind as well, mostly heavy furniture that would really weigh us down. “We’re crossing an ocean in a wooden ship, not some freaking Yukon Denali,” I had to keep telling Jessica, which she would always use as an opportunity to remind me that that smug kiss-ass John Carver on the East side owns one. That’s great, Jessica! I bet Yukon Denalis are the perfect vehicle for getting THREE DUI’s in eight months in, huh? Plus he wears Crocs, STILL! What a tool. Day 5: OK, well... I may have underestimated just how long this trip is gonna take. Would probably go a little faster if the kids would wake up in time to make the continental breakfast so we wouldn’t have to stop again an hour after we hit the road, but I’M NOT SAYING ANYTHING. Life is a box of chocolates, or whatever. Eye on the prize champ, freedom omelette! Day 12: In an attempt to boost morale I wrote “FREEDOM OMELETTE” in the dust all over the rear window! Hahahaha! I’m a nutter! I didn’t say anything either, I just waited until someone noticed. When I looked a few hours later I saw that someone wrote “F U” right underneath it. I’m not gonna name names over it, but those finger marks looked a little wide to belong to an eight or sixteen year old, JESSICA! Day 18: Hey Atlantic Ocean, rain much? Heh heh. Also, our youngest one, Carol, died three days ago. I guess you can eat too many oranges. What a mess. Day 44: What the hell is a Mayflower? Sounds gay. Day 45: Oh WHAAAAAT?!!!!!! They did not! Your ass is MINE, Carver. Day 72: I’m going to kill myself. Why did I have to leave? Everything was fine. Fresh air, sweet pastries, everyone in their clogs THOSE SWEET, CLACKITY CLOGS!! Gahhh, what the hell was I thinking? I should have just bought that riding lawn mower like the guys in my darts league kept telling me to, but noooo, always have to “go big or go home,” don’t you?! This is like that time you sank all of yours and Jess’s savings into that craft beer company you were so determined to start. You’re a failure. Your wife hates you, your kids hate you, or should I say kid, as in one, as in YOU CAN’T KEEP A HUMAN ALIVE ON ORANGES LIKE SHE’S SOME GODDAMN FRUIT FLY! Alright...ohhhh my God (pacing)... get it together, get it together. Day 74: So this is gonna sound so lame-o but I feel like a new person, like something inside me just opened up, and I really needed to experience all of the discomfort and uncertainty this voyage has forced me to endure to get to the other side. I started reading this book, it’s called Eat, Pray, Love, and it’s just like wowwww. Totes craving a green juice. Day 82: Oh-em-gee. We made it! I cannot even believe this is finally happening. America! It is so beautiful here. Henry (or Richard, maybe) Jr. and I are checking out the sights while Jess continues to glare at us from the passenger seat between Sudoku puzzles. Fantastic. Day 84: I ran into those Mayflower nerds- they said something about dinner on Thursday. I’ll probably check it out. Day 87: Corn? It’s just a ton of corn. This blows. I’m gonna try fitting this duck into a chicken, and then shove it all into a turkey. I bet it’ll catch on.
How One Dad Got His Family To The First Thanksgiving by Krissy Howard
RANSOM STEELE TAVERN Est. 1831
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Exchange Hotel Apalachin, NY
November 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 13
RITUAL DE LO HABIT-UAL:
‘SISTER ACT’ COMES TO THE FORUM These nuns are hot! And I know that for a fact, after talking to an actress from the original Sister Act movie. Prudence Wright Holmes, of the ensemble casts of the first film released in 1992 and its sequel the following year, reported that the nun’s habits were “hot and itchy.” Those original costumes were made of wool, and by the time the story was turned into a musical- which ran in a few US theatres, played to raves in London, then trooped back across the Atlantic to Broadway in 2011- the show’s award winning costume designer, Lez Brotherston, had created adaptations that made the habits more user-friendly for singers and dancers portraying nuns. But actresses Aléna Watters and Sarah Michelle Cuc (pronounced “cook”) both laughingly admit that the habits are still hot. Watters appeared in the ensemble of the full Broadway run, and Cuc plays Sister Mary Patrick on the national tour, which will be coming to Binghamton’s Forum Theater for a single day this month. The basic story is that of a sassy, struggling nightclub singer named Deloris Van Cartier who, while wrestling with her career and her relationship with a gangster boyfriend, unexpectedly witnesses a murder. The police place her under witness protection in what should be the last place the perpetrators would think to look for her: a convent run by an order-loving, no-nonsense Mother Superior. Watters says that the musical book honors the original story and is set afire by composer Alan Menken’s, “lovely, lush, disco, fun, funky Broadway pop score.” Cuc expands on that, saying that the revamped script for the stage is more vivid in character details about Delores, the nuns, and even the bad guys, than the two films. Who could forget Whoopi Goldberg as the Delores of the cinematic original? Goldberg is an EGOT winner- that is, one of the few performers to win an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony (as the producer of Broadway’s Thoroughly Modern Millie in 2002). Prudence revealed that Whoopi expected the first film to be a flop because there was so much juggling in the creation despite the big name screenwriters contributing to the script. But all’s well that ends well, and Goldberg is now so intertwined with her original molding of Delores, that she takes a turn again with Sister Act, this time as co-producer of the musical comedy, along with Troika Entertainment. The touring company was thrilled to work with the original Broadway creative team, composed of highly experienced award winners. Much beloved director Jerry Zaks, for example, wins the Broadway performer’s praise for his “clear vision” when Watters says, “He’s good at creating those moments that really make you care about the character.” Cuc- whose bright energy effervesces through the phone during the interview like bubbling Champagne- agrees. She refers to Zaks as a “comedic genius” and she adds, “There are moments where you will laugh and there are moments where you will cry. The characters are so big, but they are also so relatable.” Then there is the curious skill of remaining true to the original look and feel of the Broadway production, with sets-on-the-go. “The concept and design… still lies with the original design and creative team,” says production manager Ryan P. Murphy in an email. But he also writes about dealing with the reality that, “the show needs to break down and fit into 53-foot-long tractor-trailers,” and roll across the continent. Binghamton is Sister Act’s nineteenth stop on a tour that will keep traveling to cities far beyond, and every theatre is unique. “So unlike in a sit-down production,” he points out, “where the venue’s specific challenges can be planned for and dealt with once, we need to build a show that is ‘morphable’…This is a team effort.” The variety and precision of talents that go into giving an audience a night of theatre is endlessly amazing, and the constant adaptability involved makes it almost impossible for a tour to go stale. By the end of the play the hot habits transform into something surprising and dazzling, and Watters reports that audiences are often on their feet and screaming, like fans do at rock concerts. “That exchange of energy was just a joy,” she says of her Broadway run. “I’m excited that people across America get to experience this sweet, endearing, touching piece of beautiful theatre.”
by Felicia Waynesboro
Sister Act runs for two performances Sunday, November 23rd at 3pm and 7pm at the Forum Theatre, 236 Washington Street, Binghamton. Tickets may be purchased in advance at the Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena, various Ticketmaster locations, online, or at the Forum Theatre on the day of performance. Box Office: (607) 778-6626. Price of seats ranges from $35 to $55 (or with additional convenience charges if purchased through Ticketmaster). More info at broadwaybinghamton.com.
Photo by Roy Beusker.
theatre.
14 Vol. 2 Issue 11
HELLO TWELVE, HELLO THIRTEEN,
HELLO ‘A CHORUS LINE’ AT BU
ten into the text. “Zack [the director character] actually says what the steps are: ‘Step, step, up, cross, turn from there.’” So there’s not a ton of room for variation, though Mozer did change the gender of some of the characters to accommodate available talent.
Joshua B. Ludski Contributing Writer
In a childhood filled with musical theatre, perhaps my most vivid memory is that of my best friend Kevin performing “Dance Ten, Looks Three” during the karaoke hour at his own Bar Mitzvah. If you’re not familiar with the number, it involves a generously augmented woman belting “tits and ass” at the top of her lungs, in an attempt to explain why her career took off after a round of surgery.
These changes may bring fresh life to some of the iconic numbers penned by the show’s legendary composer, Marvin Hamlisch. “What I Did for Love,” arguably the show’s best song, is an anthem for professional dancers and all they must sacrifice for a few short years in the spotlight. Mozer might point out that it’s really an anthem to what we all sacrifice for our careers, and that the song only tells part of the story; we evolve. “There comes a point in everyone’s life where we have to shift gears. Where do we go from here?”
You’d be surprised how that killed at the synagogue. So, you see, A Chorus Line- the source of the song- holds a special place in my heart. And- I can only presume- in the hearts of Kevin’s grandparents. It also holds the distinction of being one of Broadway’s longest running musicals. On a list littered with touristy crowd-pleasers like Cats and The Lion King, you wouldn’t necessarily expect a play within a play- what’s basically a musical version of Inside the Actor’s Studio focusing on chorus members- to hold such appeal. Binghamton University’s next musical production is set during an audition for a major Broadway show; 19 performers sing and dance their hearts out for the chance to be one of the select eight. But unlike a typical audition, Zack, the director, wants an indepth talky interview with the performers: “I’m looking for a strong dancing chorus… but there are some small parts that have to be played by the dancers that I hire. I think it would be better if I knew something about your personalities.” This allows each of the dancers to explore the stories of their childhood, how they got into performing, and their aspirations for the future. Each story yields a song, and each song, whether comic or tragic, is an undeniable crowd-pleaser that will likely ring a bell if you’ve heard any Broadway music at all. Despite a storyline that could be an actors’ inside joke, A Chorus Line has flourished. Eliz-
Hamlisch certainly evolved. Known for touring with Barbra Streisand and scoring Oscar-winning films, he recently traveled the country as musical director for Frozen ice queen Idina Menzel. Hamlisch passed in 2012, just 10 days after a scheduled performance at Binghamton University that had to be canceled.
mean to young undergraduates immersing their selves in this story for the first time, Mozer responds, “These elements are a reality of the business… but it has shifted a bit since the show originated. Dancers are having much longer careers. One of the leads in Pippin is in her late 40s. And because of A Chorus Line, [chorus members can now] be a little more individual. They aren’t carbon copies.”
All told, it’s still easy to walk away from A Chorus Line a bit depressed. “Kiss today goodbye/ The gift was ours to borrow/ We did what we had to do/ Won’t forget, can’t regret, what I did for love.” One could almost imaging the dancers skulking back to their run-down postage-stamp-sized walk-up studio apartments to live the rest of their lives swirling gin while jealously heckling the contestants of So You Think You Can Dance on a 12-inch black-andwhite tube TV. But I like to hope that Hamlisch provides a truer example for most of us: still at the conductor’s podium, pounding away at a piano, always evolving and finding something to love and sacrifice for until they day we’re done.
Those who are only familiar with the Michael Douglas film version won’t see too much of it reflected in BU’s production: “It’s so different… in ways that I don’t enjoy,” notes Mozer. “I saw the original Broadway production six times. I’d go standing room.” She adds that an unusual amount of the original blocking, lighting, and choreography are actually writ-
A Chorus Line plays at the Watters Theater November 14th through the 23rd. The production is directed by Elizabeth Mozer and choreographed by JoEllen Kuhlman. Tickets are $10 for students, $16 for alumni, faculty, staff, and seniors, and $18 for the general public. For tickets and more information, visit binghamton.edu/theatre.
Photo Provided.
abeth Mozer, Director of Binghamton University’s production, argues that nearly anyone can relate. “It’s about the dedication, the hard work, and the passion that fuels the dancers. Chorus players go from show to show, withstanding rejection, without the promise of a long career… I think it’s that sense of committing to a goal so deeply that they’re willing to work very hard to make sacrifices. I think that’s universal.” Like any great show, it has emotional ups and downs, but one can’t help feeling a bit hollow after seeing its portrayal of the lives of New York City chorus members- shrinking from age, undergoing surgery to maintain a career, and eventually having to give it up because of wear on the body. Asked what this might
November 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 15
ARTSPOWER BRINGS
‘SHEILA THE GREAT’ TO FIREHOUSE STAGE Heather Merlis Assistant Editor
I’ve always loved reading. When I think back to the times in my childhood when I was truly absorbed in a book, unable to put it down- finishing in one day despite the fact that I am a terribly slow reader- they had one thing in common: Judy Blume. Judy Blume writes the best books! She’s best known for her mold-breaking young adult novels, but she also writes for grown-ups. (I think it’s time we all revisit Ms. Blume’s work.) Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great, her 1972 classic from the “Fudge” series, comes to the Goodwill Theatre as an original musical, thanks to ArtsPower, a company specializing in professional theatre based on books young people enjoy. It sounds like a childhood dream come true; the only thing I could have enjoyed more than reading the work of Judy Blume, would have been seeing it performed as a staged musical. I had the chance to speak with Mark Blackman, one of the founding co-directors of ArtsPower- the other being Gary, his identical twin. Founded in 1985, the company has produced 29 new musicals and dramas for families, mostly based on popular children’s’ books. “We work closely with the authors of the books to produce these plays and musicals,” explains Mark. “Judy Blume worked very closely with Artistic Director Greg Ganning to adapt the book. She was very involved, down to pretty much every word of the script.” All of the actors involved in the production are professionals based out of New York City. “We try to bring the highest quality to a young audience because they deserve that. That’s what they should be seeing.” Talking with Mark, it is clear that he understands that young people are people first and don’t need to be patron-
ized in order to understand a story or appreciate a work of art. People are complex at any age and Sheila is no exception. Her boastful demeanor is merely armor to shield her from a world of things that terrify her. “It’s about a girl who has a lot of fears, and it’s a story of her coming of age. She learns that her fears are just fears, and she grows up to learn that what she’s afraid of isn’t real, and she has to face her fears.” This message may be simple, but it is important and timeless. “There’s a moral of the story and it’s presented in a way that’s accessible to young and old alike.” Perhaps part of the reason the Blackman brothers have such respect for children is because they trace the roots of their dreams to an early age. “Both of us are musical and we always loved the magic of the theatre. Fortunately for us, this magic has never gone away.” ArtsPower offers a unique opportunity in that they bring legitimate theatre to audiences who may not otherwise have access to it, and these productions are special because they are made in collaboration with the authors of the books that inspired them. “The shows are really well-crafted, so all the aspects of the shows are top-notch, Broadway-quality parts of the production. Children’s theatre is not what we do; we do good theatre that children enjoy, and adults enjoy as much, if not more.” When ArtsPower comes to town, bring your kids, and maybe more importantly, the kid that lives inside of you. That person may still be impressionable. “The shows have integrity and speak differently to each level of student,” says Blackman of his productions. “The most rewarding part of this has been to be able to produce and witness theatre that makes a difference.” The Goodwill Theatre is located in Johnson City at 67 Broad Street. Performances are on Saturday, November 8th, at 11am and 2pm. Tickets are $10 for adults; $8 for children, students, and senior citizens. Visit goodwilltheatre.net for tickets and more information.
November 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 17
comedy.
Photo Provided.
THE KRISTEN BECKER INTERVIEW Kristen Becker is no stranger to comedy in small towns. She has run a very successful comedy tour (Dykes of Hazard- look it up), shared the stage with some incredible comedians, and helped build a now thriving comedy scene in Buffalo, NY. Not many comedians can be as funny at Kristen Becker while at the same time maintaining honesty and relatability- which easily makes her an absolute must see comedian. And you’ll get that chance on November 14th, when she performs at Merlin’s Dance Club in downtown Binghamton. Carousel recently sat down with Becker to discuss the upcoming show and more:
vvv You’re FINALLY coming to Binghamton! What can we expect to see? A sharp witted comedian on a rocket ship to stardom. Never again will you catch such talent at suck a low ticket price! You’d better buy tickets now for scalping the day of the show! …or, just me and some friends and our jokes. You spent a good portion of your comedy career living in Louisiana. Tell us about being a comedian in the Deep South. Being a comedian, or being an out gay comedian? Honestly, I never really noticed any opposition to what I was doing onstage. If you’re funny, people like you. However, just because they like you onstage doesn’t mean they think you should raise children. It is an odd disconnect. People will tell you how great the show was, and then if you try to turn that into something concrete (talking about laws in their area) or get them to engage in the civil rights battle around them, they shy away. Part of that is southern “mind your own business” politeness and some of it is people being unable to reconcile that the same person they may have preconceived notions about- based on their sexuality- is also the person that just made them laugh (aka: feel good). It takes time. You’re known for your honesty on and off stage. Has this ever landed you in hot water? Regularly. It is possible that it has gotten me IN more hot water than it has gotten me OUT of. I’m not wired for ass kissing, and I try to be as logical as I can and consider where other people are coming from- and take my own ego into account- before I mouth off, but once I believe something, I can be pretty passionate about it and my mouth has no filter. Long ago, a veteran in the industry said to me “you have so much talent, but I’m sure you are one of those people who will say the wrong thing to the wrong person. You like to speak truth to power too much.” That is when I knew I might never be “Ellen,” but if I had a career where the worst thing people could say about me was “that Becker tells it like it is, you never doubt where you stand with her,” well, I figured I’d be okay. You’ve shared the stage with some incredible comedians. Who would you say is your favorite comic to perform with? I like Doug Stanhope as a person and as a comic. Honestly, because I was producing my own shows in Buffalo, the people I worked with were ALL people I wanted to work with: Bamford, Friedlander, Stanhope. At [renowned Buffalo comedy club] Helium, both DL Hughley and Charlie Murphy were amazing comics and made sure to be extra kind to the staff. Dave Attell brought a giant sack of candy for the wait staff. Comedians are my people. It’s rare that I DON’T enjoy working with someone. You’ve done a great deal of work in the Buffalo area, which has won you a number of awards, including the honor of “Best Stand Up Comic in Buffalo” four years in a row. Tell us more about your time in Buffalo. I moved back to Buffalo to get my life under control. I know Buffalo doesn’t seem like a “get your shit together” place, but I was coming from New Orleans, so ANY last call helped, even a 4am one like Buffalo had. At the time there was no weekly comedy open mic, so I started one. I needed a place to work out jokes. Then I started producing bigger names, under the “Doin’ Time” comedy brand, and also started “Dykes of Hazard,” which toured a lot of the south. After 6 years running the open mic, I spent about a year and a half courting the owner of Helium Comedy Club and convincing him that Buffalo had talent- a new but growing pool of talent- and he agreed. We signed a contract, I hopped on as GM, and left performing to run the club and finish what I started. That is, to turn a city with no place “A” club, into a thriving comedy scene. So far, so good, and now I am back on the road as a performer. I figured we would end on a question you get asked all of the time, I’m sure... 2 Pac or Biggie? 2 Pac. always and forever. No disrespect to Biggie, I like him too, but TUPAC THUG LYFE!
by Kevin Salisbury
Kristen Becker takes the stage at Merlin’s Dance Club and Wine Lounge on Friday, November 14th. She’ll be joined onstage by Ruben RC and Lyla Cerulli. Tickets are $10. Doors open at 9pm, and the show starts at 10pm. For more information, check out binghamtoncomedy.com.
NOVEMB
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Binghamton Philharmonic (AC) One Slight Hitch (CMP) The King and I (EPAC) Patriotic Radio Show (FHS) Planetarium Show (ROB)
One Slight Hitch (CMP) The King and I (EPAC) Mason Warrington Orchestra (FHS) Second Sunday Concert: Katherine Manker (PMM) Planetarium Show (ROB)
A Chorus Line (AC) University Wind Symphony (AC) It’s a Wonderful Life Radio Play (CMP) Yes, Virginia (EPAC) Broadway in Binghamton: Sister Act (FRM) Playwrights & Artists Festival (KNOW) Get Hands On! Native American Culture (ROB) Planetarium Show (ROB) Collagraph Workshop (WHIP) Holiday Open House (321) Jane O'Shea (RRB) Playwrights & Artists Festival (KNOW) Sexy Sunday – Your All King Show (MRLN) Get Hands On! Winter Themed Crafts (ROB) Planetarium Show (ROB) Lessons and Carols (CHT)
Tango Lessons (ATOM) Open Mic (BEL) Jazz Jam #4 (FHS)
National Acrobats of China (AC) Tango Lessons (ATOM) Open Mic (BEL)
Tango Lessons (ATOM) Open Mic (BEL) Jazz Jam #5 (FHS)
(AC) Anderson Center (AM) Art Mission Theater (ATOM) Atomic Tom’s (BBW) Black Bear Winery (BCDC) Broome County Dance Center (BEL) Belmar Pub (BHMN) Bohemian Moon, Norwich (BSP) Blarney Stone Pub, Norwich (BTP) Blind Tiger Pub (BUN) Bundy Museum (CAL) Callahan’s Sportsman’s Pub
Open Dance w/Kate Pulling (BCDC) WTCS Film Series: After I Pick the Fruit (BUN) Tim Linkroum (OUH) Swing Dance (REX) Fountain International Gong Meditation (WEMP)
Open Dance w/Kate Pulling (BCDC) Music Now! Momenta Quartet (BU) Ken Waldman & Brian Vollmer (GXY) The Joe & Calya Show (OUH) Swing Dance (REX) Ken Waldman Writing Workshop (RRB)
Open Dance w/Kate Pulling (BCDC) Swing Dance (REX)
(CCW) Cyber Café West (CHT) Church of the Holy Trinity, Binghamton (CMP) Cider Mill Playhouse (CRAN) Cranberry Coffee House (DST) State Theatre, Deposit (DTB) Downtown Binghamton (DTO) Downtown Owego (EBY) East Binghamton Yard, Conklin (EPAC) Endicott Performing Arts Center (FHS) Firehouse Stage (FIVE) Number 5
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(FRM) Broome County F (GXY) Galaxy Brewing C (HIB) Holiday Inn, Bing (JBC) John Barleycorn (KNOW) KNOW Theatre (KROW) Krowbar (LDC) Lost Dog Café/Lo (LVG) L’Aveggio Roaster (MB) Matty B’s (MRLN) Merlin’s (NW) Nationwide, give
BER 2014
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Deep Cuts Pro Jam (CAL) Jamie Willard (CCW) Open Mic (JBC) am w/Miles Ahead (LDC) Writing Workshop (BUN) Comedy Open Mic (MB) Drawing Classes (WHIP)
Writing Workshop (BUN) Deep Cuts Pro Jam (CAL) Steve Strauss (CCW) Open Mic (JBC) cal Treasure: Joe Welden (WHIP) Drawing Classes (WHIP)
Writing Workshop (BUN) Comedy Open Mic (MB) Deep Cuts Pro Jam (CAL) ph Emerick Alston (CCW) Open Mic (JBC) am w/Miles Ahead (LDC) Drawing Classes (WHIP)
Writing Workshop (BUN) hom, Beth & Mark (BTP) Deep Cuts Pro Jam (CAL) Thing Two (CCW) Splash (FIVE) Lutheran Skirts (GXY) Open Mic (JBC) Egomaniacs (KROW) DJ Space One (LDC)
Forum Theatre Co. ghamton
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Vermont Cheddar (BTP) Bravo Broadway (TCOC), Melissa Clark (BHMN) Line Drawing Classes (WHIP), Open Mic (BSP) Cult Movie Thursdays: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (BUN) A Taste for Film (TC), Thing 1 (CCW) One Slight Hitch (CMP) The Brummy Brothers (GXY) Greg Neff (KROW) Trash Thursdays (MRLN) Our World Remade: WWI (PMM) Chris Mollo (BTP) Dave Robertson (BHMN) Open Mic (BSP) Cult Movie Thursdays: Blade Runner (BUN) Thing Two (CCW) One Slight Hitch (CMP) The Joe and Calya Show (GXY) Greg Neff (KROW) Trash Thursdays (MRLN) La Voix Humaine (TCOC) Line Drawing Classes (WHIP) Harpur Jazz Ensemble (AC) Vermont Cheddar (BTP) Autumn Rum (BHMN) Poetry Open Mic (RRB), Open Mic (BSP) Cult Movie Thursdays: Metropolis (BUN) Thing 1 (CCW), No Turning Back (FRM) The Quantum (GXY) Line Drawing Classes (WHIP) Greg Neff (KROW) Enerjee Jazz w/Ayana D (LDC) Trash Thursdays (MRLN) Thanksgiving (NW) Canadian Pacific Holiday Train (EBY)
(OUH) Old Union Hotel (OUM) Owego United Methodist Church (PMM) Phelps Mansion Museum (REX) Rexer’s Karate (ROB) Roberson Museum (RRB) RiverRead Books (TAC) Tioga Arts Council, Owego (TC) Terra Cotta (TCOC) Tri-Cities Opera Center (VCH) Vestal Coal House (WEMP) Water's Edge Esoteric Market-
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07 14 21 28
Listen Here Night (PMM), Rick Iacovelli (BTP) Planetarium Show (ROB) Bruce Beadle Band (BSP) Brenna Swanger (CCW) One Slight Hitch (CMP) First Friday Art Walk (DTB/DTO) The King and I (EPAC) Brotherhood (FIVE) Toy Box Trophies (KROW) Pie Contest/Film (RRB), Salsa Libre (MRLN) Taste For Film (AM), Pete Ruttle (OUH) A Chorus Line (AC) Planetarium Show (ROB), Outer Reef (BTP) La Voix Humaine (TCOC) Adam Ate the Apple (CCW) One Slight Hitch (CMP) The King and I (EPAC) Rooster & the Roadhouse Horns (FIVE) Wreckless Marci (KROW) Devinne Meyers (LDC) Binghamton Comedy: Kristen Becker (MRLN) Ava Chin Event (RRB), Pete Ruttle (OUH)
A Chorus Line (AC) Toy Box Trophies (BTP) Grace’s Ghost (CCW) Yes, Virginia (EPAC) Scared Skinny (FHS) Collagraph Wkshp (WHIP), Brotherhood (FIVE) Playwrights & Artists Festival (KNOW) Mystery Dinner: Death of a Doornail (OUM) Planetarium Show (ROB), Mieka Pauley (LDC) Last Call (KROW), Pete Ruttle (OUH) Bing Sister Cities Wine Release (TC) The Beatles Band (BTP) Matuto (CCW) Splash (FIVE) Playwrights & Artists Festival (KNOW) The Gravelding Brothers (KROW) Zydeco Po’ Boys (LDC) The Dusty Boxx Experience (MRLN) Pete Ruttle (OUH) Planetarium Show (ROB)
place (WHIP) Windsor Whip Works (321) Three-Two-One Gallery, Oxford
saturday.
01 08 15 22 29
Planet Show (ROB), Mike Whittemore (BTP) Know How Course: Intro to Guitar (BUN) Taste of Tioga (TAC), Fringe Film Fest (BUN) Owego Holiday Show (DTO), Kim & Chris (CCW) One Slight Hitch (CMP) Battle of the Bands Finals (HIB) William Loizeaux (RRB), The King and I (EPAC) Otherwise Known As Sheila the Great (FHS) Hi-Way Fruit Market (FIVE) Klex Project (CRAN), Unplugged (KROW) Kings & Queens of Comedy (MRLN) La Voix Humaine (TCOC) A Chorus Line (AC) Haydn’s Mass in Time of War (AC) Know How Course: Mindful Movement (BUN) The Goodfruits (CCW), One Slight Hitch (CMP) Angels of Comedy (VCH), King and I (EPAC) Shotgun Wedding (FHS) Mary Pat Hyland (RRB), Jazz Night (FIVE) VINES Coffee Bag Silent Auction (LVG) Divas After Dark (MRLN) Planetarium Show (ROB) Peaches & Crime Murder Mystery (DST)
Holiday Open House (321), A Chorus Line (AC) A Country Mile (BTP) Planetarium Show (ROB), Milkweed (CCW) It’s a Wonderful Life Radio Play (CMP) Boscov’s Holiday Parade (DTB) Collagraph Wkshp (WHIP), Yes, Virginia (EPAC) Jazz Night w/Anything Goes (FIVE) Playwrights & Artists Festival (KNOW) String of Pearls (KROW) Mystery Dinner: Death of a Doornail (OUM) Get Hands On! Native American Culture (ROB) Greg Neff (BTP) Adrienne Mack-Davis (CCW) Playwrights & Artists Festival (KNOW) Get Hands On! Winter Themed Crafts (ROB) Planetarium Show (ROB) Lessons and Carols (CHT)
The Triple Cities Carousel Events Calendar is featured each month as a courtesy to our advertisers, however we welcome venues to submit their events to triplecitiescarousel@ gmail.com by the 15th of the month prior to publication. Space is limited, so calendar entries, which have no cost, are picked on a first come/first serve basis. Triple Cities Carousel reserves the right to reject any submission.
20 Vol. 2 Issue 11
A LOOK INSIDE OXFORD’S GALLERY THREE-TWO-ONE by Ronnie Vuolo
Assorted Pottery from the Troxells. Opposite: Bill Hard at Work on the Next Creation. Photos by Stephen Schweitzer.
November 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 21
Gallery Three-Two-One is the brainchild of co-owners and husband and wife, Bill and Diane Troxell, named in honor of their blended family.
jewelry and pottery. It is our intention to have her take over our business in the future. Sarah
before she joined the business, explains Diane. “Bill stuck with decorations like bamboo,
“Diane has two daughters (3), I have one son (2), equals one family,” explains Bill. As with giving birth to a child, Gallery Three-Two-One came after a long period of gestation. “Bill began as a potter because of an art teacher named Fred Buhner, who he had in high school back in 1964. Fred had incredible vision. He was one of Bill’s best friends later in life, a potter also, and did the craft circuit,” says Diane. “Bill grew up in Oxford, and I grew up in West Islip. We met at a best friend’s house and that was it; we have been together ever since. I learned everything about pottery from Bill. When we met and married, I joined the business, Strong Stone Pottery. In the early ’80s, Bill was a school bus driver in addition to being a potter. He also taught me how to drive a school bus. He retired [from driving], and I have been a driver for 28 years now for Oxford Academy.”
he did. Those decorations evolved into impatiens, iris, apple blossoms, and more. We produce mostly functional pottery, handthrown or slab built. We are known for our vegetable decorated pottery, as there are very few potters out there who create pots with that decoration. All of our functional pottery is microwave/dishwasher safe and oven proof. We have many customers in the Southern Tier who use our pottery on a daily basis and have sent us photos of the pots being used.” Gallery Three-Two-One evolved from the pottery business. “Gallery ThreeTwo-One began in 1994,” recalls Bill. “It was a direct relationship to Strong Stone Pottery. We wanted to have a hometown store for our work and other craftspeople. We knew it was important to bring artists and craftspeople to our local region. We built it off of our pottery business. We wanted an alternative to having to do arts and crafts festivals every week. Most of the work we buy for our gallery is from people we know from festivals. Many of these people have become good friends over the years. Our biggest focus continues to be handmade in America. We select all of the artists and craftspeople because of their quality of work. We understand what our local market will support. We are always aware of the selling price, and the price points are appropriate to our area. We are not a consignment shop. We invest in the artists and craftspeople whose work we sell in the gallery.”
The Troxells have been making Strong Stone Pottery for more than 37 years, according to Diane. In 1974, the couple purchased a 100-year-old abandoned dairy barn; restoration began three years later. Over time, they transformed it into the beautiful gallery space it is now. When speaking about Strong Stone Pottery, there is justifiable pride in Diane’s words. “We specialize in personalized pottery, like vases, wedding bowls and plates, picture frames, baby banks, and wine jackets. We create a line of porcelain jewelry decorated in 18K gold that we sell in the gallery, which is very affordable, called Tropicals. I make the jewelry and get it all ready for Bill to decorate. He hand-decorates each piece of jewelry with a brush. We make a line of RAKU pottery and try to have demos during certain events at the gallery, weather permitting of course. RAKU is a very old technique of firing pottery. They are for decorative use, and not functional. We fire in a portable kiln that we built outside, using propane. You fire the pots to a certain temperature, pull them out individually with long tongs, place them in a small metal pail with combustible material (like newspaper or pine needles). A fire begins in the pail with the pottery, you wait… then open the lid, pull the pot out, and place it in a bucket of water. This is a very exciting process, and we do about six firings a year.” Diane goes on, “Our daughter, Sarah, a Family and Consumer Sciences teacher by trade, recently moved back to her hometown of Oxford, purchased a house, and has been mentoring with both of us. She has successfully produced her own line of RAKU
art.
The gallery now features the work of over 250 American artists, working in a variety of media, a sampling of which can be viewed online. In addition to pottery, fine art, jewelry, and crafts made of glass and wood, they sell gourmet food by Stonewall Kitchen, flavored olive oil by Pino’s Press, and local maple syrup. Purchasing has been made easy, says Diane. “Customers can order at the gallery or online or by telephone. We pack and ship anywhere in the world.” On November 22nd and 23rd, Gallery Three-Two-One will host a special Holiday Open House, featuring jewelers Margie and Bill Lombard, from Saratoga Springs. “This is the 7th year that the Lombard’s will be here for the weekend with their outstanding custom-made, one-of-a-kind jewelry set in sterling, 14K, and semi-precious stones,” enthuses Bill. “Come meet these wonderful, knowledgeable people, who have been jewelers for over 40 years.”
has become very good at firing RAKU, and we hope to do more firings in the coming year.” Sarah’s influence on their work began long
grasses- very subtle colors. But Sarah told him, when she was very young, to put some of the floral decorations he was using on our porcelain jewelry onto thrown pottery, and
Gallery Three-Two-One is located at 41 State Street in Oxford. Normal hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11am- 5pm; however, from November 28th through December 24th they will be open 7 days a week for holiday shopping. For information, call (607) 8439538 or go to the website: www.gallery32one. com.
22 Vol. 2 Issue 11
scareousel.
A LOOK BACK AT THE 2ND ANNUAL TRIPLE CITIES SCAREOUSEL FANTASMAGORICAL FREAKSHOW BALL. IF YOU WEREN’T THERE, WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING! SPECIAL THANKS TO RANDY CUMMINGS FROM BUNNHILLPHOTO.COM FOR THE GREAT SHOTS! CHECK OUT HIS WEBSITE, OR CAROUSEL’S FACEBOOK PAGE, FOR HUNDREDS MORE SHOTS! (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: THE NEWMAN BROS, STEPHEN SCHWEITZR LIGHT PAINTING, CHROMA’S DESSERT SPREAD, THE MAIN STAGE DANCE FLOOR, ZAPPA, TAINA ASILI Y LA BANDA REBELD, THREE SEXY BLIND MICE.) WHO’S READY FOR 2015?
Let vintage romance be the theme of your next gathering!
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blueeggvintage.com
(607) 343-7948
November 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 25
misandry.
ASK A RAGING FEMINIST
AMOREENA WADE is a New York State Certified Rape Crisis Counselor who provides advocacy to victims of gender based violence and free education to anyone who will listen. She is currently studying Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies at Binghamton University. Notably, her mother calls NYC Pride the “Dyke Parade” and goes every year. Dear Raging Feminist, This past week Anita Sarkeesian, a feminist games critic, canceled her talk at the University of Utah due to an anti-feminist threat of a mass shooting. In this internet age where anyone can send out a threatening email, should feminists allow themselves to be silenced by threats from anti-feminists who want to keep feminist beliefs as far to the fringes of discourse as possible? -Confused Cancelation Dear Confused, You seem reasonable. You seem nice. I like you. (I’m trying not be overly harsh or swear too much this month because my editors were total dicks about it last month. They obviously hate women) Okay, let’s start with the phrase, “allow themselves to be silenced by threats.” If you send me this kind of question again, I’m going to kill your entire family. I mean it. I’m going to come to [insert your actual address here], rape and kill your wife in front of you, then I’m going to kill you, and then I’m going to take your children home with me where they will stay locked up in my basement for as long as I care to keep them alive. How does that make you feel? This is a toned down version of a typical email Anita Sarkeesian and her colleagues receive on a daily basis… and those emails come complete with their actual addresses. And yet they soldier on. Imagine if I said all this to you, and you really wanted to send another question in, but the home security supply store (that’s a thing, right?) said there was no way to secure your home without infringing on the rights of angry feminists who want to rape your wife and enslave your children. Would you be all like, “I’m going to send in the question anyway because I’m not going to allow myself to be silenced by threats!” No, idiot– I mean, nice person who’s worthy of love. That’s what the Utah authorities told Sarkeesian. There was no way to ensure she and huge numbers of people wouldn’t have been shot to death in a bloody massacre. What you’re asking is classic victim blaming. A better question would have been, “What the sugar plum is up with anti-feminists who want to keep feminist beliefs as far to the fringes of discourse as possible?” My editors are being real assholes about my word count, but I’ll try to address this… the cultural solution to the problem of abject sexism isSincHERely, Raging Feminist If there is a situation in your life you’d like examined from a feminist perspective, email it to triplecitiescarousel@gmail.com c/o “Raging Feminist.”
November 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 27
food and drink.
AUTHENTICITY REIGNS AT CURRY’S OF INDIA
Heather Merlis Assistant Editor
In this city of hidden treasures, Curry’s of India is a diamond in the rough. This authentic hole-inthe-wall Indian restaurant, located right in the heart of downtown Binghamton, may have gone unrecognized to some extent, but it is not for lack of cultural or culinary flavor.
buffets: lunch during the workweek, from 11:30 to 2pm; and a new dinner buffet, Tuesdays through Fridays from 5-7:30pm. (Dinner is only $8.95, lunch is $6.50- plus tax.) This isn’t some immense, schizophrenic buffet that you may find on a parkway, where they offer everything from lo mein, to cheesecake, to
I come here for lunch regularly, spend as much as I would anywhere else for a good sandwich, and eat three plates full of perfectly seasoned chick peas and potatoes, spinach, cabbage, rice, and yogurt raita salad. And that’s just when I’m feeling meat-averse- there is always curry chicken and chicken tikka masala, not
If you haven’t been there yet, well, don’t feel bad- they’ve only been here since 1987. You may have walked right past it, vaguely acknowledging the uncanny optical illusion created by the mirrored divider between this establishment and the adjacent M&D-R-Nuts, which reflects toys and candy on one side, and an array of traditional Indian dolls on the other. From the outside, they could pass for two parts of the same establishment, as both businesses offer timeless authenticity and an atmosphere of homey warmth. Traditional wooden reliefs hang on the walls inside Curry’s, along with handmade Indian dolls, gourd instruments, and decorative papers. There is no pretense here, and not a trace of gimmickry. A humble sincerity and sense of tradition is apparent in everything from the décor, to the food, to the graciousness of the owners. Run by a husband and wife team, Curry’s was initially located on Front Street. Their journey began in Northern India, but they had restaurants in Chicago and Albany before landing in “the city that never lets go.” Thanks to word of mouth, they have stayed in business in Binghamton for 27 years. The owners love their downtown location, gratefully boasting that they have survived thanks to the loyalty of their customers. This loyalty is well deserved- the food is excellent and, as any legitimate Indian restaurant should, they have
but during lunch they make it by grilling their nan dough, normally baked in a special clay oven. Now, I am not doing justice to the vegetarian dishes here- they are complex and balanced in their flavor, and frankly, I can’t adequately describe them because I don’t fully understand what goes into them. I can’t cook like this, and I don’t know many people who can; it’s the real deal. Aside from their buffet options, the full menu is excellent, and the level of spice in each meal can be adjusted depending upon personal taste. For anyone who is accustomed to eating Indian food at home, or in a favorite spot in a nearby city, Curry’s stands up to the test. And for those of you who have never had Indian food, this restaurant is a perfect place to begin your journey. Indian food warms the belly and soul- the flavors are rich, with sauces that range from spicy and acidic to creamy and cooling. Most dishes come with meat of your choice- or vegetables- prepared in any number of traditional ways, along with basmati rice. It doesn’t hurt to add an order of nan for the table, to sop up that delicious sauce. And you can’t talk about Indian food without mentioning samosas- India’s version of the mandatory food-wrapped-in-dough; every culture’s got one. It’s the kind of cuisine that begs to be shared, with dishes that play off of each other in virtually any combination.
Photo by Chris Bodnarczuk.
baked clams; this is a selection of some choice dishes from their traditional menu that complement one another beautifully.
to mention rice pudding for dessert. They also offer a special paratha (grilled bread) during lunch: it is typically made with whole wheat,
Curry’s of India has been with Bing through its ups and downs, staying steadfast and sincere, and always cooking up that good curry. They’ve got vegan dishes, and if you really want to go big, they cater. Step inside 45 Court Street and let your taste buds enlighten you to one of downtown’s best kept secrets. Curry’s opens for dinner from Tuesday through Saturday at 5pm; lunch is served from 11:30-2pm Monday through Friday. They are closed on Sundays.
www.newsradiowebo.com
November 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 29
film. FROM THE
TRAILER TRASH VAULT Movie trailers aren’t always effective in giving useful previews of what a film is about. They’re usually a mess of disconnected images and phrases arranged in order to get the heart beating. Our resident cinephile, ILANA LIPOWICZ, deciphers these trailers each month, and here’s what she’s able to deduce. This information is not guaranteed to be accurate, but it will most definitely save you from feeling like you spent two and a half minutes spiraling towards the earth in a burning aircraft and still don’t know what movie to see.
Interstellar: After the possibilities of CGI came to a climax in Gravity- the 2013 3D gem taking place almost entirely in space- it was only a matter of time before Christopher Nolan tackled the galactic medium. Like Gravity, Interstellar centers around a male and a female astronaut who, by all traditional Hollywood conventions, should totally steal a zero-gravity kiss when they’re finished saving each other’s lives (but I suppose space is the one setting in the Hollywood world that’s exempt from this tiresome tradition). Which is great! Matthew McConoughey and Anne Hathaway form a duo that can certainly match or exceed Gravity’s George Clooney and Sandra Bullock in terms of charm… and, of course, instead of it being just their own lives at stake, the entire future of the earth in their hands! Way to one up ‘em! (Nov. 7)
Big Hero 6: Disney is hopping on board with the trend of transforming Marvel comics into movies, and the outcome looks downright adorable. Based on the comic book of the same name, this telling of the story zeroes in on young Hiro and his friend Baymax, who was created by Hiro’s father and is- well- he looks like some kind of cross between the Pillsbury dough boy, the Michelin Tire mascot, and that big white ball from The Prisoner that smothers to death anyone who tries to escape the island. But unless there’s some weird twist at the end, Baymax seems harmless and pretty cute, albeit a clumsy and not-so-bright sidekick. When it comes time to save the world though, the duo makes it work with the help of the rest of the team, which, in this version of the story, is made up of Hiro’s nerdy school friends. Because nerds can save the world too! And because they’re probably the ones watching the comic book movie... (Nov. 7)
Ilana Lipowicz Staff Writer
This time of year marks the transition from Halloween into Christmas. These are the films that always seem to stick in our minds, as nostalgia for the season tends to be strong. There’s no other time of year that I feel so strong an urge to watch old movies on TV. Regress now! Soon it’ll be New Years and you’ll have to start making resolutions and actually thinking about the future (far scarier than Freddie Krueger). The Polar Express (2004): An unnamed boy wakes up to the sound of rumbling and opens his door, only to find a train that appears to be a mile long, and the conductor (voice by Tom Hanks) welcoming him aboard. The animation, done using live action performance capture, was incredibly realistic for its time, making for an especially surreal Christmas experience. (Nov. 10)
The Theory of Everything: Of course, a Hollywood film about Stephen Hawking is going to oversimplify his scientific contributions and turn them into romantic metaphors, so if you’re interested in the man as scientist, you’d best stick to his TV documentaries. But as much as we love black holes and the universe, what truly does make the Hawking’s life so interesting to us is his disease and what he accomplished in spite of it. The miracles of his life and the miracles of the universe should mesh to form a miraculous story. It doesn’t hurt that Stephen Hawking was a good looking young man, made all the more so by that big old brain of his. (Nov. 7)
The Santa Clause (1994): Never forget when Tim Allen kills Santa and, by the rules of the North Pole, has to take his place. While he gains a frightening amount of weight, he also gains a rekindled relationship with his son. Still, you have to feel a little sorry for the psychologist stepdad, whose concern about the boy’s newfound obsession with Santa Clause is sort of well founded when you stop to think about it. (Nov. 11)
Beyond the Lights: Beneath the obvious cheese of the film- pop star loses her identity in fame, saved by prince charming in the form of a hot policeman- there seem to be some interesting things at play here. Noni, whose gift for singing shows itself early in her life and turns into a passion, finds herself sculpted into a sexualized mold for the public to whom her image is being sold. It’s interesting to see a biracial main character, as it adds a layer to Noni’s relationships: her mother is white, and her love interest is black. Race isn’t central to the film, but it is present in a way that makes you think. Outside of these issues it sorts through, it looks like it’ll be your typical “pop star almost jumps off a ledge” kind of melodrama, and who isn’t at least a little bit into that sort of thing? (Nov. 14)
Nightmare on Elm Street (1984): Are you afraid of the bogeyman? Freddier Krueger first started haunting dreams this month in 1984. The film set the scene for low-budget slasher films for many years to come. Everybody knows an Elm Street, and everybody gets a little spooked when turning onto it. (Nov. 9)
Dumb and Dumber To: Twenty years later, Harry and Lloyd are back to remind us that we we can’t call ourselves grown-up and still laugh at potty humor and getting hit in the head. But a lot has changed since 1994, and the gags in the original Dumb and Dumber (and in its less-successful prequel Dumb and Dumberer) would be considered timid now that America’s Funniest Home Videos is no longer the only place to watch compilations of people getting hurt. So the funny bits will be less subtle a little more in your face. I hope we can trust Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels to make sure that the film is carried not by the gags themselves but by the hilarious stupidity of the characters that deliver them. (Nov. 14)
Benji (1974): This crime-solving dog melted hearts 40 years ago, to the tune of his theme song “I Feel Love,” because the canines of the 70s were not exempt from spreading peace and love. The advancement of animation is bringing the flow of movies starring pups as protagonists to a quick halt, and it is truly a sad end to an era. (Nov. 15) Roustabout (1964): Elvis! Shenanigans! Musical numbers! Ahhh! (Nov. 11)
Hunger Games Mockingjay Part I: I’m always inclined to get cheeky when talking about the Hunger Games because I haven’t read the books or seen the movies, so the followers seem to make up a cool club that I’m not a part of. Because what is cooler than a dystopian trilogy written for kids, about kids killing other kids? Well, I don’t have to convince anyone to see this movie; if you’re a fan, you’ve probably had its release date marked on your calendar since you saw Catching Fire. It’s a bit annoying that the producers are stretching out the franchise by splitting the last book into two movies, and it’s hard for me to say which events will appear in which movie, but according to the summary, there’s some brutal and emotional violence somewhere in this last stretch of the story, so hopefully the producers don’t hold out on all the good stuff! (Nov. 21)
Meet me in Saint Louis (1944): It’s the 70th anniversary of this Christmas classic. Judy Garland was still America’s golden girl when she sang “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” to little Tootie as they mourned the prospect of leaving their lives and their beloved St. Louis behind. In newer Christmas movies, you can often spot this one playing somewhere in the background. (Nov. 28)
30 Vol. 2 Issue 11
vines.
FROM WASTE TO BEAUTY:
VINES FUNDRAISER CHALLENGES YOU TO CREATE Photo Provided.
Heather Merlis Assistant Editor
Symbiosis is a beautiful phenomenon, in nature and in community. This is particularly apparent in a community like ours, where one can find a plethora of collaborations and mutually supportive partnerships between businesses and non-profits, artisans and artists. This month, the businesses of Artisan Row (Laveggio Roasteria & Espresso Bar, The Loft at 99, and Chroma Café & Bakery) will be hosting a silent auction of community-generated art to benefit Volunteers Improving Neighborhood Environments, better known as VINES. “VINES came to be out of a small group of dedicated volunteers who wanted to transform vacant lots into community gardens to help beautify neighborhoods and give people the opportunity to grow food,” explained Amelia LoDolce, founding board member and Site Coordinator of the Liberty Street Community Garden. “We started in 2007, and we now have seven community gardens and half of an acre of urban farm in downtown Binghamton.” In addition to these green spaces, VINES conducts a six-week Summer Youth Employment Program, hold a Green Thumb Workshop Series, and run the Binghamton Farm Share. All of these elements contribute to the creation of a just community food system. “VINES could not operate without volunteers and help from the community, like the local businesses who are making this event possible,” said Amelia. The local businessperson who created this event is Mary Ann Magazzi-Young, co-owner of Laveggio. “Our partnership with VINES began when the urban farm was just an idea and people would come in and discuss it over coffee,” Mary Ann recalled. “When it started,
we gave them our used coffee grounds for compost. We liked their mission and what they were doing. I came up with the idea that we had all of these burlap coffee bags, so we could do something creative with them to benefit VINES.” This fundraiser is unique in that it involves the community on so many levels. Anyone can come into Laveggio, purchase a coffee bag for six dollars (which goes to VINES), get a submission form, and create whatever they want to contribute to the auction. “I was inspired by a customer who used a coffee bag to create an unusual purse,” says Mary Ann. As for the pieces themselves, “We never know what to expect until an item shows up.” Natalie Hughes, VINES’ Community Garden and Youth Program Manager, has been integral in organizing the event. “Upcycling, or creative recycling, is something that is really in line with VINES: taking something that is no longer needed and giving it a new function, whether it’s turning a coffee bag into art or turning vacant lots into community gardens.” Artists are still welcome of come to Laveggio and pick up a bag for repurposing; items are due for submission the week of November 10th. In past years, participants have made everything from a mosaic wall hanging to jewelry, from aprons to covered benches. You can use any part or amount of the bag (and these bags are HUGE), and make something functional or ornamental. Use your imagination and the community will thank you. If you’re not feeling inspired to create, at least come by to admire the pieces, have a cocktail at The Loft (rumor has it there will be a garden-themed special for the event), and maybe even place a bid.
The third annual VINES Coffee Bag Silent Auction Fundraiser will take place on Saturday, November 15th from 3 to 5:30pm on Artisan Row- pieces will be displayed and up for bid at all three businesses at 97 through 101 Court Street, and the winners will be announced at Laveggio. Stop by Laveggio, located at 101 Court Street, call VINES at (607) 205-8108 or visit vinesgardens.org for more details.
November 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 31
books.
RIVERREAD’S RIVERREADS We at Carousel are proud to have partnered with our friends at RiverRead Books (5 Court St. Binghamton) to showcase what’s new in the literary world... what you should be reading when you’re not reading Carousel. Don’t forget to check out their ad on page three for a discount on your next purchase at Binghamton’s only independent bookstore. Special thanks to CONNIE BARNES and friends for compiling the list!
BEAUTIFUL YOU By Chuck Palahniuk
HORNS by Joe Hill
THE GENIUS OF DOGS By Brian Hare & Vanessa Woods
The New York Times says: Palahniuk is a novelist of ideas, I suppose, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re good ones. In “Beautiful You,” the premise is that an evil, rich man, C. Linus Maxwell, has invented a line of sex toys with which he will rule the world via female orgasm. For a test subject he selects an average-looking and seemingly average-minded young woman, Penny Harrigan. But Penny just so happens to be perfect for the role: “You have a textbook vagina,” Maxwell tells her. Welcome to Palahniuk territory... To his credit, Palahniuk conducted extensive research on all sorts of exotic sex potions, not to mention the female reproductive organs. A vast majority of the book’s endless descriptions feel extremely clinical. It’s as if the reader is vicariously experiencing a particularly uncomfortable gynecological exam. And while the novel delivers moments of awkward humor and some nominally feminist plot twists, the language and the ridiculousness of this particular concept remain hard to digest. Here’s how Palahniuk describes Penny’s rival: “The actress moved like a panther in a curve-hugging black leather catsuit. Her lovely nostrils flared. Teeth bared, she was seething.” One can laugh at the silliness, and for that, be grateful. It’s true that Palahniuk’s premise demands an over-the-top treatment, and you could argue that he’s using clichés to mock clichés. But it’s harder to forgive, or even to comprehend, the real weakness of “Beautiful You”: How can a book about the female orgasm be so resolutely and profoundly unsexy?
Sciencefiction.com says: ‘Horns’ is a murder-mystery about the life and struggle Ignatius ‘Ig’ Perrish, a young man whose girlfriend was raped and murdered almost a year ago. Now, as the eve of her death approaches, Ig finds himself questioning the family and friends closest to him. Mainly his brother, Terry, and childhood best friend, Lee, who both have possible ties into the murder. His entire life is complicated by the sudden appearance of actual horns protruding from his skull. These new bits on his head give him the ability to influence others to a degree. This, of course, proves perfect for digging into the shrouded events surrounding his girlfriend’s demise. Almost *too* perfect, actually.
Book Jacket says: “Breakthroughs in cognitive science, have proven dogs have a kind of genius for getting along with people that is unique to the animal kingdom. This revolution is transforming how we live and work with our canine friends, including how we train them. Does your dog feel guilt? Is she pretending she can’t hear you? Does she want affection– or just your sandwich?
Connie says: Oh yeah, the latest Chuck P. is out and man, it’s a trip!
For the first third of the novel, ‘Horns’ is a gripping mystery with a supernatural twist and stylish prose one expects from an author of this caliber. Unfortunately, events tend to deteriorate after the first act with a series of complicated flashbacks which tend to drag affairs out. Coupled with the basic fact that the actual mystery has already been solved makes some parts seem mere padding. The horror aspects of the story do remain top-notch and the compelling, if thoroughly unwholesome, characters are the most gripping aspect. Hannah says: An honestly terrifying and disturbing read. With horns that appear overnight, Ignatius has to deal with compulsive, brutal honesty from everyone he knows, all while trying to figure out the murder of his girlfriend. Joe Hill is an extraordinary author (and son of Stephen King).
Connie says: Did you know that dogs domesticated themselves– over 40,000 years ago! They became more like human infants than their wolf ancestors– leading to a whole new kind of social intelligence. A fascinating book.
ZOOBIQUITY By Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, M.D., & Kathryn Bowers Book Jacket says: Inspired by an eye-opening consultation at the Los Angeles Zoo, which revealed that a monkey experienced the same symptoms of heart failure as her human patients, cardiologist Barbara Natterson-Horowitz embarked upon a project that would reshape how she practiced medicine. Beginning with the above questions, she began informally researching every affliction that she encountered in humans to learn whether it happened with animals, too. And usually, it did: dinosaurs suffered from brain cancer, koalas can catch chlamydia, reindeer seek narcotic escape in hallucinogenic mushrooms, stallions self-mutilate, and gorillas experience clinical depression. Natterson-Horowitz and science writer Kathryn Bowers have dubbed this pan-species approach to medicine zoobiquity. Here, they present a revelatory understanding of what animals can teach us about the human body and mind, exploring how animal and human commonality can be used to diagnose, treat, and heal patients of all species. Alex says: The great poet Keats once said “do you not see how necessary a world of pains and troubles is to school an intelligence and make it a soul?” If pain makes the soul, then what do we make of clinically depressed apes, cancerous dinosaurs and furry, four-legged addicts? Barbara Horowitz has amassed a number of real-life stories, as well as recent research that shows us that animals experience more “human” things than we ever expected. Definitely one of the best pieces of science writing in recent memory. Don’t miss it!
November 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 33
bingspot.
In each issue, our friends at BingSpot share with us a selection of their newest and best photos: a look back at the month that was. During October’s First Friday celebration, zombies took to the streets of Binghamton. Also, Kady Perry and Bruce Greig’s newest rivertrail mural, and Trey Songz at Binghamton University. Do we really need to tell you which is which?
34 Vol. 2 Issue 11
fun stuff.
SEX
B.C.
by MASTROIANNI AND HART
IN THE SOUTHERN TIER
Sally Ride Contributing Writer
I started my work in sex education trying to frighten people into having safer sex by sharing scary facts about things like STDs and pregnancy. Eventually I realized how much this type of sex education misses- like the fact that sex is fun! And that sex is so much broader than just penetration- from our fantasies to masturbation, from who we love to who we’re attracted to, from how we define our sexuality to what we choose to do in bed and with whom. High quality sex ed for youth and adults should embrace this broadness and emphasize both the risks and pleasures involved. That’s what I want to share with you here: honest information with a sex-positive focus. Each month I’ll answer your questions and share some of the lessons I’ve learned, such as: never say never- just because you’re not interested in something now, doesn’t mean you’ll never be. And it will be easier to admit your change of heart later if you haven’t said terrible things about people who do whatever it was you swore you’d never do.
DOGS OF C-KENNEL
WIZARD OF ID
by MICK AND MASON MASTROIANNI
by PARKER, MASTROIANNI, AND HART
Stay tuned for more! I had my hand in this woman’s cunt and I felt something sticking out so I asked her what it was and she said it was her Mirena. What’s the deal? Nice job being aware of what’s going on with your partner’s body and being comfortable enough to communicate with her about it. It sounds like you felt the “strings” of her Mirena, an IUD (intrauterine device). Another, less likely, possibility is that the IUD itself dislodged and you felt it poking out through the cervix into the vaginal canal. The strings are there to help tell that the IUD is in the correct place (and to help the doctor remove it). Women with IUDs should check the strings regularly to make sure the IUD hasn’t moved. If it seems like the IUD has moved, or you can feel the IUD itself, it may not protect against pregnancy, in which case contact your doctor ASAP and use another method of birth control in the meantime. IUDs were a popular birth control method in the ‘70s, but early ones had major negative side effects and fell out of vogue. Newer IUDs seem safer and usage is on the rise again, though there are some potential drawbacks, including that the IUD needs to be inserted by a doctor and it can have serious side effects, though the most common ones are spotting and severe cramping. Women might choose an IUD because it’s a long-term birth control method- (it can last from 3-10 years depending upon the type)- that’s also easily reversible. Although the Mirena has hormones, some IUDs like ParaGard do not, making them a good option for those seeking a non-hormonal birth control method. Sally Ride is a longtime sex geek and sex educator living in Binghamton. She likes reading about the historical side of sex, like the invention of the vibrator (did you know the first one was steam-powered?). Send her your questions at southerntiersexadvice@gmail.com.
HOROSCOPES
Each month, Carousel turns to a new guest columnist to construct our totally accurate horoscopes. For November, we welcome local impresario GERALD KUNTZWELL. Gerald uses all the latest science at his disposal to provide horoscopes superior to most local Pennysavers and several websites. He also collects stamps. Despite all of this, we are suspicious that he knows nothing about astrology. Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 21) Everything works out surprisingly well. Turns out he was an actual Nigerian prince. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Your father, who has a high position in the university, pressures the hiring committee to give you the job you are clearly not qualified for. If you have no such father, you do not get the job despite your superior qualifications. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) You realize that not having a smart phone is no longer as cool as it once was. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) You wonder how much longer it is okay to use your hot Halloween picture as your profile pic. Pisces (Feb. 19-Mar. 20) A game of Cards Against Humanity proves hilarious. You randomly remember a time when milk came out your nose. Aries (Mar. 21-Apr. 19) The time period during which you swore not to do something is dramatically reduced. Yoga is no substitute.
Taurus (Apr. 20-May 20) A significant other tries to tell a joke but completely flubs the punchline. You laugh anyway. Gemini (May 21-Jun. 21) A last minute project is met with acceptably mediocre results. Cancer (Jun. 22-Jul. 22) Disappointment over your horoscope leads you to envy Scorpio’s future. Leo (Jul. 23-Aug. 22) Everyone completely misses your Bionic Man reference. You discover Lucky Charms are cheaper than therapy. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) You continue to hold on to clothes you will never fit in, but you are willing to pack them away in plastic containers from Big Lots. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Procrastination includes reading fake horoscopes. You get a drink.
the old union hotel
Daily Food and Drink Specials
November 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 35
“I’ve Got Your Number”
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HINT: Puzzle contains all numbers between one and nineteen
Across 1. The number of drummers drumming. 4. Number of Frank Tripucka’s jersey retired in the 1960s, then unretired in 2012, by the Denver Broncos. 9. A type of card, finger, or reference section of a book. 10. “A successful marriage requires _____ _____ love many times, always with the same person.” - Mignon McLaughlin 11. The number of commandments listed in Exodus 20:2-17. 12. Stage name of Annie Clark, whose debut album was Marry Me (2007), followed by Actor (2009) and Strange Mercy (2011). She released a collaborative album with David Byrne in 2012 titled Love This Giant. Her fourth solo album is self-titled. 14. Continent home to Armenia, Malta, Moldova, and Estonia. 17. In English, the smallest natural number with seven letters in its spelled name. 21. The most difficult bowling split consisting of two pins from the third row. 22. “_____ _____ buckle my shoe…” 24. The smallest division on a standard tape measure. 26. On many golf courses it is 72. 28. The age at which Janis Ian, in 1975, “learned the truth that love was meant for beauty queens.” 30. The billed number of Stooges, although there were really six (seven if you count a temporary stand-in). 31. “Hey _____”, 1980 Steely Dan song with the line “She thinks I’m crazy, but I’m just growing old.” 32. Nigel Tufnel’s amp goes to _____!!! Down 1. Some consider this an unlucky number. 2. “The political process does not _____ _____ Election Day. Young people need to stay involved in the process by continuing to
pay attention to the conversation and holding their leaders accountable for the decisions they make.” - Patrick Murphy 3. “It _____ me when they would constrain science by the authority of the Scriptures, and yet do not consider themselves bound to answer reason and experiment.” -Galileo Galilei 5. The 21st state, granted statehood on December 3, 1818. 6. “Bali ____,” song from South Pacific, what many call the greatest musical of all time. 7. The Magic _____ Ball, a toy used for seeking advice, manufactured by Mattel and developed in the 1950s. 8. The number of defensive players allowed on a baseball field. 10. The number of dots on the quincunx side of a standard die. 13. Singer, pianist _____ John born Reginald Kenneth Dwight, March 25, 1947. 15. Winnie the Pooh’s marsupial friend. 16. A brand introduced by Corning Incorporated in 1915 for a line of clear, low-thermal-expansion borosilicate glass used for laboratory glassware and kitchenware. 18. The terrestrial juvenile of a newt. 19. A figured maple much desired and admired for the tops of electric guitars. 20. Apollo mission where Alan Shepard hit two golf balls on the Moon at the end of the last EVA. 23. “Change does not roll _____ _____ the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle.” – M. L. King, Jr. 24. Snow White and the _____ Dwarfs. 25. In Monopoly, one of these costs the same as five houses. 26. Friday the 13th, _____ _____- A New Beginning, 1985 horror film. 27. Sports network in which the Walt Disney Company has 80% controlling ownership. 29. “_____flix”, streaming video source.
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