Cormega is one of our favorite rappers from the old school. He’s still doing his thing and as part of the promotion for his new album, “Born and Raised”, he breaks down his classic ‘The Realness” track by track, courtesy ClassicRhymes.com. Below that is a video for “Journey” off his latest.
Word is spreading fast around the ‘hood that the Jelly Pool Party, originally, famously held at McCarren Park, and unceremoniously moved to the redeveloped East River State Park, is now in danger of happening at all next summer. This according to the organizers themselves in a sky-is-falling email to their subscribers. They write:
The future of the Pool Parties at the East River State Park could be in jeopardy. After a very successful 2009 season with 8 weeks of free performances including Grizzly Bear, Girl Talk, The Black Lips, Dirty Projectors, Deerhunter, Dan Deacon, No Age, Mission of Burma, Beach House, and Simian Mobile Disco, news came from the New York State Parks Department and the Open Space Alliance that the East River State Park may not be available to JELLY for the 2010 season. This will ultimately put an end to the flourishing free summer series.
Senator Schumer rallies the folks at the Pool Party, photo Tim Griffith
Like a good blockbuster, there’s a hero emerging and he’s got juice. It’s Senator Schumer, a native of Brooklyn who’s already been quoted by the ‘Times with kind words for the pool party and a promise he’ll try his darndest to have it return to the waterfront in 2010. He also apparently rides his bike through Williamsburg.
“I happened to pass by the Jelly concerts when I was riding my bike through Williamsburg and was amazed at the thousands of people who lined the streets to come to the concerts,” the senator said on Wednesday. “People from every part of the country who had made their way to Brooklyn, enjoying music and one another’s company – it’s the best of New York. When I heard that the concerts might be canceled, I couldn’t understand why, given that this is exactly what our parks are supposed to be for, and I am going to do everything I can to see that they continue.”
If you’ve been a fan of the pool parties at both McCarren Park and most recently East River State Park, you owe it to yourself and your fellow music lovers to remind the good Senator how much fun it is to have that music blasting all summer.
You can Contact Senator Charles Schumer via his Senate Contact Page.
photo: (top) Jay Z, Beyonce Knowles and Senator Chuck Schumer credit: Michael Rusch
photo: Jay Z attends the Pool Party with Beyonce Knowles, Senator Chuck Schumer rallies the crowd. credit: Tim Griffith, BrooklynVegan.com
video: Beyonce and Solange Knowles rocks out to the Grizzly Bears performing at East River State Park, August 30, 2009
Brooklyn Bowl (map) is a gem of a venue for Williamsburg, what with the Blue Ribbon chicken, live music and top shelf bowling lanes, but sheesh, it can get expensive fast. That’s why we’re pysched to pass along a tweet they made offering free bowling Monday-Thursday 6p-7p, yes, happy hour. By the sound of it, the promo won’t last forever (through November) so get it while its hot. Here’s the tweet:
FREE BOWLING ALERT! All November, Mon – Thurs :: 6pm-7pm :: It’s a Very Happy Hour at Brooklyn Bowl! :: Come Early, Stay Late.
Coney Island's future
After Mayor Bloomberg announced the City would purchase $95.6 worth of Coney Island prime real estate from Joe Sitt, plans to develop Coney Island into something of a cross between it’s former glorious self and Las Vegas, are getting under way. And this time it’s under the Mayor’s direction. The Brooklyn Paper is reporting that the City is now aggressively courting developers other than Sitt, going as far as Las Vegas to make the pitch at the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions exposition. According to the paper:
Mayor Bloomberg’s vision calls for a Coney Island amusement area reborn as a 24-7-365 destination featuring new hotels, restaurants, shopping, indoor attractions and, most important, a 12-acre open-air amusement park along the Boardwalk.
Amusement park ride owners wishing to bid for inclusion into the park must do so before Dec. 11th.
The Knitting Factory in Williamsburg (map) will be hosting comedy starting November 15th when Hannibal Burress, a writer for SNL, debuts as standup and host of the weekly series. In a not so funny coincidence, knitting will also be offered Sunday afternoons along with a monthly book reading series called “Largehearted Lit” to be hosted by author Jami Attenburg.
photo: Hannibal Burress by Mindy Tucker via BrooklynPaper
Solange Knowles, baby sister of you know who, is making her own name in the pop landscape. Her official debut album, T.O.N.Y. showed the Knowles family’s funkier, more retro side and now comes word that she’s gone indie rock. Brooklyn indie rock to be exact. Solange recently unveiled her remake of the Dirty Projector’s “Stillness is in the Move” (original Dirty Projectors version below). MTV approves:
She takes the original’s trippy groove, lays in a sample of Sou Mann & the Brothers’ “Bumpy’s Lament” and throws her own smooth croon over it. The result is somehow simultaneously a futuristic exploration and a supercool throwback, full of smokey sexiness and after-hours pomp.
It’s being reported that there’s no planned official release for the song and the posted version on pitchfork.com has been removed as requested by Universal Music. Given MTV’s glowing review, there’s a good chance a deal will be worked out. Hopefully llamas will make it in her version of the video.
Bloomberg.com’s Ryan Sutton has just done the Brooklyn Bowl thing over in Williamsburg and gave it mixed results – he, like many of us, couldn’t help but get the sticker shock. Let’s see, $13 for a whiskey milkshake, $30-$50 for a bowling lane, $4 shoe rentals, yeah that would add up. He wasn’t too impressed with the Blue Ribbon chicken either, says he:
It’s semi-famous for fried chicken even though it shouldn’t be, at least not here, where it’s under-salted and dry, with a crumbly, insubstantial crust.
Of course, anyone bowling a 154 should be concentrating on other things besides the food. If you’re headed to Brooklyn Bowl, bring lots of cash or a hot credit card, don’t forget the socks, and if you’re feeling the munchies we recommend the fries, which even Ryan likes. If chicken is your thing, it’s still Brooklyn and we wouldn’t tell if you stuffed a bodega bird into your jacket pocket – it’ll cost you a fraction of the Blue Ribbon and we guarantee it won’t be “under-salted”.
photo: Brooklyn Bowl, credit: Adam Macchia
Brooklyn Bowl (map)
61 Wythe Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11211
(718) 963-3369
First the assistant, now the intern – news of David Letterman’s trysts is about as predictable as his opening monologue. Hot on the heels of a revelation between the legendary comic and longtime staffer and occasional comic foil Stephanie Birkitt, a second woman has come forward. Holly Hester, an intern at the show has revealed a year long secret relationship in the early 90’s, even as David Letterman was with longtime girlfriend and now wife Regina Lasko.
Hester has been quoted as saying that she was “madly in love with him at the time,” and “would’ve married him”. David Letterman’s shocking confession came on national TV, after an ex-boyfriend of Birkitt, Robert (Joe) Halderman, saddled with financial debt from a divorce settlement, allegedly tried to extort Mr. Letterman for $2 million over the secret affair.
photo: Outside the Ed Sullivan Theater, where the Late Show with David Letterman is taped, NYC credit: kevinthoule via Flickr Creative Commons
Top Video Games, a sister publication, just launched, and on the surface, its nothing more than a catchy domain name, but its restrictive title (what else can the site be about except well, top video games) is in a way, its most useful feature. By restricting the content to top rated, best selling video games, no one can mistake this humble site for IGN, or UGO, massive video game portals and social networks.
Top Video Games is instead more of a compilation of the best video games out there, as determined by sales numbers, blogger rankings, respected industry reviews, etc. If you like video games feel free to check it out – and please, don’t oggle over the sexiest video game babe – its not polite.
Tinsley Mortimer via Access Hollywood
NEW YORK – Jumping from limo to limo, Tinsley Mortimer has leaped off the society pages to become America’s next pop princess. Here she is being called “a real life Gossip Girl” on “Access Hollywood“, there she goes on “High Net Worth” (video, below), gratefully acknowledging her blue blood upbringing in the back of a limo.
Sure, she’s still doing socialite events, such as a fundraiser for New Yorkers for Children, photos from which we hear, will grace the next fashion editorial for V Magazine. She’s busier than usual perhaps because of her foray into fashion – her Riccimie by Tinsley Mortimer boutique recently launched in Japan and Tinsley Pink lip gloss for Christian Dior recently bowed at Saks Fifth Avenue.
Heidi Montag watch out, a real socialite needs the spotlight now.
photo: Tinsley Mortimer wearing Versace at the MET Costume Institute Benefit Gala (Style.com)
