in New York
It's been a while... anyway, I took the Fung Wah bus back from Boston. I recommend it -- $20 roundtrip between New York and Boston -- can't be beat.
Monday I read at a spoken word open mic, then hung out with Steve L. We played songs on the jukebox at the Rawhide that confused the other customers and laughed a lot.
Tuesday I went to this group called 20Something at the LGBT Center -- nice discussion group with icebreakers -- would be good if there was something like this in San Francisco. Then I went to Big Lug, which is a great bear/cub night in the East Village at Nowhere -- no cover, $2 beer, and the guys play mp3s off a computer of good British and US music from the 80s (plus Bowie, etc.) I highly recommend Big Lug -- www.biglugnyc.com. It's a latenight thing, like 10 pm and on-- though it wound down a bit before the advertised time of 4 am. I'm planning on going again next week -- I may check out another east village night called Gays Against Gays at Wunderbar first, though. I like the East Village more than Chelsea like I like Silverlake more than West Hollywood and Soma more than the Castro.
Wednesday I had my reading -- went really well, though turnout was only a dozen people or so. The three readers each read eight minutes each, then we repeated the sequence. After I tried to go see a band but missed it, stopped in at Reverend Jen's Anti-slam (best thing I saw was a guy doing an acapella version of "Under Pressure," worst was a guy doing partial-birth abortion jokes) then went to Fez/Time Cafe and ate. Joan Rivers was performing in the basement, but no sign of her.
Thursday morning I went to the Whitney Biennial. Lots of art -- the stuff I liked the most was by Emily Jacir, who traveled around fulfilling wishes of Palestinian people unable to return to their hometowns, like getting home-cooked food and placing flowers on someone's mother's grave. Then I hung out with a friend of mine in the afternoon. In the evening I went to chinacub's improv show at the People's Improv Theater -- I talked to him afterwards -- he wasn't feeling too well though and headed home. Then I went to the Gotham Comedy Club and managed to catch a set by Julie Goldman, who's a very funny and high-energy comedian. She sang a funny song about gay marriage. After I wandered around and stopped by a bar where Hedda Lettuce was singing song parodies.
This morning I did laundry and hung out with a friend of mine in the afternoon. I'm going to go to the Whitney and see Antony and probably some other music tonight. Saturday I'm planning on seeing gay comedy at Don't Tell Mama's, and Sunday I think a day trip to Philadelphia (visiting friends and seeing Walt Whitman's house in Camden, NJ), returning for an evening of gay hip-hop at the Nuyorican, including a performance by lesbian rapper God-des, who has apparently moved to New York.
Monday I read at a spoken word open mic, then hung out with Steve L. We played songs on the jukebox at the Rawhide that confused the other customers and laughed a lot.
Tuesday I went to this group called 20Something at the LGBT Center -- nice discussion group with icebreakers -- would be good if there was something like this in San Francisco. Then I went to Big Lug, which is a great bear/cub night in the East Village at Nowhere -- no cover, $2 beer, and the guys play mp3s off a computer of good British and US music from the 80s (plus Bowie, etc.) I highly recommend Big Lug -- www.biglugnyc.com. It's a latenight thing, like 10 pm and on-- though it wound down a bit before the advertised time of 4 am. I'm planning on going again next week -- I may check out another east village night called Gays Against Gays at Wunderbar first, though. I like the East Village more than Chelsea like I like Silverlake more than West Hollywood and Soma more than the Castro.
Wednesday I had my reading -- went really well, though turnout was only a dozen people or so. The three readers each read eight minutes each, then we repeated the sequence. After I tried to go see a band but missed it, stopped in at Reverend Jen's Anti-slam (best thing I saw was a guy doing an acapella version of "Under Pressure," worst was a guy doing partial-birth abortion jokes) then went to Fez/Time Cafe and ate. Joan Rivers was performing in the basement, but no sign of her.
Thursday morning I went to the Whitney Biennial. Lots of art -- the stuff I liked the most was by Emily Jacir, who traveled around fulfilling wishes of Palestinian people unable to return to their hometowns, like getting home-cooked food and placing flowers on someone's mother's grave. Then I hung out with a friend of mine in the afternoon. In the evening I went to chinacub's improv show at the People's Improv Theater -- I talked to him afterwards -- he wasn't feeling too well though and headed home. Then I went to the Gotham Comedy Club and managed to catch a set by Julie Goldman, who's a very funny and high-energy comedian. She sang a funny song about gay marriage. After I wandered around and stopped by a bar where Hedda Lettuce was singing song parodies.
This morning I did laundry and hung out with a friend of mine in the afternoon. I'm going to go to the Whitney and see Antony and probably some other music tonight. Saturday I'm planning on seeing gay comedy at Don't Tell Mama's, and Sunday I think a day trip to Philadelphia (visiting friends and seeing Walt Whitman's house in Camden, NJ), returning for an evening of gay hip-hop at the Nuyorican, including a performance by lesbian rapper God-des, who has apparently moved to New York.