KingSize-USA

TUMBLING DICE

2011-11-16T19:19:00.002-05:00

we are currently tumbling instead of blogging - for now anyways...

http://www.tumblr.com/blog/kingsize-usa

SCARFACE BLU RAY!

2011-09-13T17:04:00.002-05:00

Before Hannah Montana there was Tony Montana and he is back and looking good in HD.

Limited Edition Scarface Blu Ray is on sale now!

Check out the details and try and win HERE

Be Heard!

2011-08-09T16:49:00.004-05:00

our old pal Mr Kaves is judging a cool new contest for Georges Duboeuf wines - we directed the sweet video below to give you a feel for what its all about

have a look and if you have the skills - enter the contest and BE HEARD!

enter contest here

thanks to ron from www.spincontrol.biz and trevz from www.thenewpop.com for making it great

KFAC X1 JULY 30, 2011

2011-07-31T17:10:00.006-05:00

KAYAK FOR A CAUSE X1 SHADY BEACH< NORWALK, CT
www.kayakforacause.com
We had a blast producing KFAC X1 - HUGE thanks go out to all the hard working volunteers, staff, charities, donors, vendors, bands, sponsors, the city of norwalk for making it an awesome day. proud to have been a part of it!

MORE PHOTOS WILL BE ADDED ASAP!

KINGSIZE PLAYLIST

2011-07-27T14:28:00.002-05:00

hey check out our brand spankin new itunes playlist widget featuring music from the Kingsize USA family

Mr Kaves @ Hionas Gallery

2011-07-20T17:03:00.003-05:00

the fine folks at www.lostinasupermarket.com just posted my review of Mr Kaves opening for his first NYC solo show at the new HIONAS gallery in SoHo

Have looksee here http://lostinasupermarket.com/2011/07/mr-kaves-new-york-new-york-big-city-of-dreams-exhibit-opening-recap/

good times. good times...

BASSMONSTER @ WEBSTER HALL NYC

2011-07-19T15:12:00.003-05:00

Bass Monster Tour – Webster Hall
I showed up at Webster Hall last Friday night with a buddy of mine ready for some quality dubstep. Play Me Records and Beatport’s Bass Monster Tour did not disappoint. Cyberoptics was running things when I got upstairs to the main room. This kid knows how to drop a beat, his samples mixed with his low low bass had the crowd going, and going hard. This kid from Memphis is up and coming in the dubstep world. He started out with his track, “Geisha” (http://www.beatport.com/track/geisha-vip-cyberoptics-vip/1824254) which topped the beatport charts, widely accepted as the best way to judge the quality of electronic music. Now he’s making beats and touring with the likes of FS and the lovely Reid Speed.

FS took the stage next, and boy was he ready. He was jumping around and getting pumped to Cyberoptics’ set before showing off his own stuff. With a seamless transition between DJs FS started spinning. He rolled through his chart toppers and particularly got the crowd jumping with “Yup”. (http://www.beatport.com/track/yup-original-mix/1693512) When that first “YUP” sounded in the hall the party took off. FS, formerly of Ming & FS, recently emerged in the dubstep scene, although he’s been dabbling in the genre long before it became popular, he’s based out of Brooklyn and working on all kinds of musical projects I, personally, am very excited for. FS’ sound is a strong combination of grimy and techno beats, making an electronic sound that isn’t too dubstep for the typical electronic listener. FS employs all parts of electronic music to create a sound that is distinctly him.

Finally, FS passed the turntables along to the bass monster tour headliner: Reid Speed. The lady of the evening and the owner and operator of Play Me Records knew what she was doing on stage. Like FS, Reid Speed has been around the electronic scene for a while and it shows. She knows how to combine the heavy bass with thumping beats. Reid Speed knew how to keep a song alive with the dubstep instead of relying on drop after drop. She ran the party well into the night and did not disappoint.

Thanks to Play Me Records for getting me in, Webster Hall and GBH for hosting this evening of bass drops and heavy beats. It was a blast.

PICS from The Bass Monster Tour from GBH @ Webster Hall courtesy of Niki Digital http://nickydigital.com/index.php?/gallery/album/C2385/

POSTED by JOSH MARTONE

Check out these great artists’ beatports to hear their music:
Cyberoptics (http://www.beatport.com/artist/cyberoptics/182460)
FS (http://www.beatport.com/artist/fs/23061)
Reid Speed (http://www.beatport.com/artist/reid-speed/19580)

Thrax is Back

2011-06-24T17:14:00.004-05:00

Anyone who knows me of follows this blow at all probably knows that I am a big Anthrax fan and lucky enough to be friends with the band. Today the first new material in years (and with joey belladonna on the mic) from the Big 4 metal legends is available for FREE and it rocks so get it while you can - if the album is anything like this its another killer http://bit.ly/fightem

And dont forget to get your tix for the upcoming BIG 4 concert at Yankee Stadium this Fall. Metallica, Slayer, Megadeath, and Anthrax together as one. history in the making!

check the trailer HERE

glee

2011-06-02T20:20:00.002-05:00

awesome Glee Live tour poster from artist http://amelialebarron.squarespace.com/

check out some of her other work as well

the glee tour is great so far - far from anything i had in mind

USO in NYC

2011-06-01T13:39:00.002-05:00

this is a pretty cool promo tie in from the upcoming Marvel Captain America : The First Avenger film where they brought the WWII era USO girls out to the Intrepid in NYC to perform for the troops over Memorial Day Weekend in NYC - I always miss this great stuff when I leave town...(back to work on cloning first thing tomorrow...)

more at

http://agentmlovestacos.com/post/6049811635/this-past-friday-as-part-of-fleet-week-the-uso

DLR awesomeness meter!

2011-06-01T13:06:00.003-05:00

At long last we can all finally determine just how awesome a concert was according to the final word on all things awesome - Diamond David Lee Roth himself!

disney!

2011-05-28T00:02:00.002-05:00

i went to disney land for the first time in my life and was attacked by a grizzly...

(more pix to come)

XMENTAL

2011-05-18T21:56:00.001-05:00

artsy fartsy

2011-05-13T16:20:00.005-05:00

let me first begin by thanking google / blogger for sucking yesterday and today - if anyone missed the last post i did yesterday it should be up now vs yesterday when it mattered and was being tweeted / posted about.... ahhh the well funded and well oiled machines that dont work....

anyways - i cant stop looking at awesome art lately

easily my biggest distraction in the world right now besides keeping tabs on Van Halen who seem to be gearing up for another run with diamond david lee roth. (note i will never refer to him as anything but diamond david lee roth. ever.)

heres some of the coolness i have been gazing upon during some endless conference calls today...

lately i have digging the comic / video game stylings of patrick brown from Australia

I also discovered the monstrous works of Andrew Barr from canada while looking for an image of the shirt Emilio Estevez wore in the beginning of Repo Man. I thought it might have had the cover art from The Cramps "bad music for bad people" on it which i have been obsessing about lately.

I actually never found that (if anyone see's one - send it!) and instead kept getting irritated by all the crap about Repo Men (a piece of shit jude law forrest wittaker vehicle) instead of what I wanted.

My search did have a lucky result though because I found Andrews takes on that great slice of celluloid as well as these other film inspired goodies. His series on Repo man is awesome - be sure to check them all, but this is my fave

as is this from Pee Wee's Big Adventure which I think I have written plenty about over the last few years...

And another of my all time faves - John Carpenters The THING! starring Kurt Russell aka Snake Plisken, AKA Jack Burton - A fine fine remake of the original B&W flick. Anyone who has seen the movie surely knows this dog monster shot is genius.

my man even went 3D with this tribute to THE MASK - a 3D film from the 60s that I actually saw on TV when they used to run those old Black & White 3D films in conjunction with Burger King or something.

Alrighty then - back to "work"

Revenge of the Nerd

2011-05-12T14:25:00.000-05:00

Been getting way back into comics lately. yes "graphic novels" or whatever is the preferred, but to me its all comics and its all good. i love the art and in some cases the stories and characters are great too.

Be on the lookout for more posts on this subject from me including new releases Im reading, some of the comic movies (thor is looking promising) , old ones I slept on, and sometimes just great images, stories, artists, writers and recommendations etc that come my way.

First up the new Spider Island - Deadly Foes from Marvel looks awesome -

Im about to start reading the entire Locke & Key series by Joe Hill www.joehillfiction.com- which after reading one the releases over the winter promises to be amazing. Joe also happens to be the son of the one and only Stephen King. I hate to say that since I appreciate that Joe doesn't use his fathers name and his work stands on its own, but its to big a deal for me to hide, so there it is...

Thanks to my good friend and major comic fan http://twitter.com/Scott_Ian of Anthrax for the suggestion - For those not in the know Scott has also written comics for DC including LOBO and is now working on the forth coming take on THE DEMON clearly he is a master of all things evil.

PLEASE RECOMMEND ANYTHING YOU ARE DIGGING AS WELL - some of the best material I have seen are those that people have suggested.

Need for Speed THE RUN

2011-04-29T12:01:00.004-05:00

today we have the first peek at the next release from the Need for Speed franchise. The Run appears to be a slick rally based game where drivers race cannonball style from SF to NYC.

check the trailer here http://www.needforspeed.com/therun

pre order a limited edition copy here http://www.needforspeed.com/therun/store

All we can think about is these fellas...

And this...

Rollins Speaks

2011-04-22T13:39:00.004-05:00

our good friends at Lost in a Supermarket have posted my recent interview with the great Henry Rollins. Im a huge fan of Henrys work in all forms and was honored to pick his brain. enjoy

http://lostinasupermarket.com/2011/04/the-world-according-to-henry-rollins-the-lost-in-a-supermarket-interview/

those not in the know can also be educated weekly by the man on his KCRW radio show if they are in the LA area or like me they can tune in online at http://www.kcrw.com/music/programs/hr

PARANOID SOCIAL CLUB, PLANESIDE, DIET KONG, & FOLEY LIVE IN NYC!

2011-03-11T17:38:00.009-05:00

KINGSIZE & PATRIARCH RECORDINGS PROUDLY PRESENTS

AN EVENING OF SCORCHING ROCK AND/OR ROLL...

FEATURING

Wednesday April 6, 2011

THE STUDIO @ WEBSTER HALL

125 E11th St NYC

ON SALE NOW!!!

http://event.websterhall.com/show_event_sub.php?id=1455&size=small&cdate=2011-04-06

Skrillex at Webster Hall - February 25, 2011

2011-03-04T12:35:00.009-05:00

My name is Josh and I’m a freshman at NYU. I’m living in the city under the guise of a business student, but I’m really here for the music scene. Coming from the suburbs of CT, I’ve grown up going to concerts in NYC, but now I’m finally living right at the heart of it all and loving every minute of it. Conveniently, I’m living just a few blocks from Webster Hall a choice spot for some of GBH's killer shows. Last Friday I had the chance to see Skrillex blow up this little concert hall. Special thanks to Tom from GBH who made this night happen.

My friend and I rolled into this little club/venue on 11th Street between 3rd and 4th Ave ready for a good night. We first ran into some quality club music in the basement and main floors. These two rooms, however, were relatively empty tonight, so we went looking for Skrillex upstairs. What we found was a packed house; the entire concert hall--a separate space from the club-style rooms downstairs--was filled with people moving around. DJ Aero and Tommy Lee--the drummer from Motley Crue, yea the rarely clothed wildman--an unlikely combination, ran the house with ease, and successfully prepped the crowd for our boy Skrillex.

Skrillex walked on stage to the chanting of his hundreds of fans to the tune of “My Name Is Skrillex.” When the beat dropped the crowd went nuts. Not a single person was standing still, glow sticks were flying, heads were banging, and arms flailing. It was a picture perfect rager of a dubstep party. Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites, the titular track off of his new release, rocked the house like we were all hearing it for the first time. The best I could do for pictures, as I stood amongst fans dancing to the grimy beats of Skrillex’s dubstep was hold up my phone and take a quick series of pictures all around me. Only three of these came out in homage to the insanity of the night.

Sunny Moore, known to the electronic world as Skrillex, has risen to fairly recent fame in the still emerging world of dubstep, and in my opinion he deserves all of it. His range is widespread and his style is dynamic. The former post-hardcore singer turned DJ is tearing up the scene and selling out shows. If you get a chance, check this guy out. Just be warned: this is one sweaty party of a night you will never forget.

Check out his website to hear Skrillex’s music and see if he is coming to a town near you: http://www.skrillex.com/.

--EDIT--

"@MrTommyLand: @kingsizeusa haha! Yer man Josh wrote such an impressive 3 words about us!(Prepped the crowd) Woohoo!!"

My first ever blog post, let alone live review and I'm called out by Tommy Lee himself. See for yourself, check the comments too. I've got to hand it to him though, he and DJ Aero killed it during their set. They definitely deserve more than just saying they "prepped the crowd." So, Tommy Lee, this one's for you:

Tommy Lee spearheaded the now trending transition of Rocker turned DJ. I think there is something to be said about a DJ coming from an instrumental background. They just have an advantage musically over other DJs. Boy can Tommy Lee and DJ Aero party! We all know Tommy knows what he's doing, and anyone he brings along is bound to be a good time. These two rocked the house, playing music the whole crowd could move to. Their show was nuts. The pair even stirred up some nostalgia for me; they played "Could This Be Real" a Sub Focus song, and the first Dubstep I ever heard. So naturally, I raged to their beats deep into the night. I'm certainly keeping my eye out for any other events involving these two, this night was the first I was hearing of them and it certainly won't be the last. DJ Aero and Tommy Lee welcome to my iTunes. Well, Tommy's been here a while now, but now he's got DJ Aero to join him.

Also be sure to check out GBH's other events; they've got a few choice shows coming up that I'm personally looking forward to:

Check out these clips from Webster Hall last week:

MANgled on the mountain

2010-12-13T13:33:00.010-05:00

dec 2010

Winter is here in NYC (although its like 40+ today). that means its time to man up and head north for snowboarding trips.

I missed the ENTIRE winter last year due to a drinking...err skiing injury so i was pretty stoked to get back on the slopes and to finally try out some of the brand new gear I got last year including my sweet ass Arbor deck which turned out to be a serious badass after sitting in plastic for a whole year in my office.

Arbor is a cool board company I found out about a few years back when I was out in venice, CA where they have a shop near the pier on washington street. check em out here http://www.arborcollective.com/snowboards

The conditions at Windham Mountain www.windhammountain.com

were decent for this time of year and it being so warm still. I had some great runs stayed on my feet most of the time which is a huge bonus. I will definitely be back on that mountain for more as the season continues.

This snowboarding trip turned out to be bit more like a survival weekend than your typical ski/snowboard trip. mainly because guns n ammo were involved, but also the gallons of booze and red meat we consumed. (500+ rounds & 50+ pounds plus a butt load of beer, wine, weed, and liquor).

We ate like kings, tore the mountain up pretty well for the first ride of the year, and I learned that I am deadly accurate with a .22 at 4am while cranking Metallica. seriously i think I was a sniper in another life.

Thanks to Ron for making this trip happen, driving both ways, and allowing it all to go down in his sweet house up at Windham, NY. Its amazing we didn't burn the place down or wind up in the hospital... Additional thanks to Mike Y for being providing creative target ideas, endless (dark) comic relief, and for not bleeding all over me...

also big props for cutting turns on your first time on a snowboard. watch out shaun white!

Props to Dave at Dynamic Beverages for the bottle of his new Redemption Rye http://www.redemptionrye.com - cant wait to try the bourbon!

pee wee herman on broadway

2010-12-06T16:04:00.004-05:00

saw Pee Wee's show on broadway last night!

really really funny - awesome set - dont sleep on this one

i loved everything about the show (although they could have put the heat on...) and was ready to walk out the door more than satisfied when we got word that we were going to be able to meet the man himself! (pic coming soon) joe franklin! ha - yeh well he actually was there too, but getting to meet Paul Reubens aka Pee Wee Fucking Herman was a pretty awesome way to end a great show.

thanks again pee wee- you are back!

now get some of your own:

Get Tickets - The Pee-wee Herman Show on Broadway

Now, at long last, Pee-wee's starring ON BROADWAY in a LIVE extravaganza! Big, bold and uniquely fabulous, THE PEE-WEE HERMAN SHOW is a stage play with ...
www.peewee.com/broadway

Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Tour

2010-11-23T12:20:00.003-05:00

at last the Need for Speed Hot Pursuit tour is complete and the game has been released

heres a video from LA plus a look at all the tour dates thus far

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGQWKaj9FHc

HUGE thanks go out to all the Musicians, Athletes, Celebs, Promoters, Venues, Partners, and of course the FANS, that made it a success!

shouts to:

DJ Z TRIP, DANNY MASTERSON, MIX MASTER MIKE, DEL THE FUNKY HOMOSAPIEN, FLOSSTRADAMUS, SPANK ROCK, CHIDDY BANG, MAYER HAWTHORNE, PEANUT BUTTER WOLF, and all the support DJs, and hardworking staff for bringing it home!

Need for Speed LA w CHIDDY BANG!

2010-11-01T20:09:00.003-05:00

wow Need for Speed Miami flew right by faster than the SLS we had on site...

while we catch our breath and post pix & video from that, check out the next and final tour date in LA on tuesday NOV 16th w MTV sweethearts CHIDDY BANG!

CHECK OUT this article and songs from CHIDDY here http://prettymuchamazing.com/mp3/chiddy-bang-is-the-coolest-thing-since-the-cool-kids

RSVP to event at:

http://nfshplakingsize.eventbrite.com/

Need for Speed Miami

2010-10-25T12:20:00.002-05:00

hey Miami - we are coming to get ya's
RSVP http://nfshpmiamikingsize.eventbrite.com/

DOWNPORE REUNION!!!!

2010-10-03T09:59:00.005-05:00

let it not be said that you cant ALWAYS get what you want:

KINGSIZE USA & UNDERBELLY proudly present

the triumphant return of

DOWNPORE

with special guests Hope Kills Fear & Heels on Fire

Sat Nov 6, 2010
7pm
$10
18+ w ID

GET TIX HERE NOW

http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&eventId=3204855&pl=santos

EA Need for Speed HOT PURSUIT: AUSTIN!!!

2010-09-27T15:47:00.002-05:00

Austin, TX is one of my favorite towns in the US.
Austin City Limits is one of my favorite music festivals.

Guess when and where our next Need for Speed On Tour stop is?

Online Ticketing for EA Need for Speed On Tour Austin powered by Eventbrite

http://needforspeedhotpursuitaustin.eventrbrite.com

WIN A COPY of GET HIM to the GREEK!

2010-09-20T16:24:00.002-05:00

Like Blu Rays?
Like DVDs?
Like Russel Brand?
Like Jonah Hill?
Sarah Marshall?
Judd Apatow?
40 yr old virgin?

if you are any thing like us, you said YES to all of the above and youd love a free copy of this hilarious film

GET HIM TO THE GREEK: ON BLU-RAY HI-DEF & DVD THIS SEPTEMBER
About GHTTG: Get Him to the Greek reunites Jonah Hill and Russell Brand with Forgetting Sarah Marshall director Nicholas Stoller in the story of a record company executive with three days to drag an uncooperative rock legend to Hollywood for a comeback concert. From producer Judd Apatow (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up).

comment at www.facebook.com/kingsizeusa to get yours

EA Need for Speed HOT PURSUIT SF

2010-09-13T18:48:00.004-05:00

this was the best one so far. ok, so we said that after the last two, but it was, it really was...

NEED FOR SPEED HOT PURSUIT ON TOUR rolled into the city by the bay this past weekend with a collection of sexy cars, NBA stars including Paul Pierce, and music lineup including Mix Master Mike from the Beastie Boys and Del the funkee homosapien and more.

MIX MASTER MIKE GETS BUSY @ NFS ON TOUR SF

WHO WOULDNT WANT TO GET FRISKED BY THIS COP?

NEXT STOP ON THE NEED FOR SPEED HOT PURSUIT TOUR: OCT 7 - AUSTIN TEXAS @ REPUBLIC LIVE

PEARL & HEART LA SEP 18, 2010

2010-09-13T18:34:00.004-05:00

Congrats to PEARL for getting the opening honors for the upcoming HEART show at the Gibson Amphitheatre in LA, CA this coming Sat Sep 18, 2010

If you are in the LA area and like the rock, come get some

for more info on PEARL check out www.cheersloverock.com

the ME shirt

2010-08-27T16:54:00.002-05:00

back once again is what historians may some day call THE BEST T SHIRT EVER!

Get em while they last!

available in mens & womens cuts & sizes!

paypal accepted!

http://kingsize.bigcartel.com/

remember: nothing says sexy cool like my face on your chest!

NEED FOR SPEED™ HOT PURSUIT CHI

2010-08-05T11:05:00.004-05:00

THIS WEEKEND WE TAKE THIS WINDY CITY BY STORM!

NEST STOP SEATTLE SEPTEMBER 4TH

NEED FOR SPEED™ HOT PURSUIT NYC

2010-07-08T20:42:00.003-05:00

We are far beyond stoked to be bringing you the first peak at EA's newest edition of NEED FOR SPEED

Keep your eyes peeled for updates and more tour stops at www.hotpursuitneedforspeed.com

www.http://needforspeedhotpursuitnewyork.eventbrite.com/to rsvp for NYC

HURRY!

Faith No More Reunion BK, July 2 & 5, 2010

2010-07-08T20:32:00.003-05:00

MIKE PATTON COOL/TALENTED, RAHZEL COOL/TALENTED, ME...

Two amazing shows, lots of great friends, more pics to come...

Money Grip

2010-06-04T14:59:00.003-05:00

Busy weekend...

In what is shaping up to be a historic Skating event based on the building of a major PERMANENT skate park at flushing meadows park, the Maloof Money Cup is a dont miss for skate fans.

Be sure to check out EA's new Skate 3 game for PS3 & X Box at The Maloof Money Cup!
We will be onsite demoing the new game that features the actual Maloof course all weekend with the SKATE 3 girls.

The soon to be legendary skateboarding competition hits Flushing Meadows, NY this weekend, June 5th and 6th.

Find more information about the event here: http://maloofmoneycup.com/dev/nyevent

Get yer Culture here...

2010-06-04T13:05:00.003-05:00

Once again we simple folk at KingSize learn you good with some hi brow culture type what not

Heres the skinny:

Scion Installation 6: VIDEO / BROOKLYN
Start Time:
Friday, June 4, 2010 at 7:00pm
End Time:
Sunday, June 27, 2010 at 7:00pm
Location:
Eastern District
Street:
43 Bogart St.
City/Town:
Brooklyn, NY
View Map
Description

Scion Installation 6: VIDEO
June 4 - June 27, 2010

Now in its 6th year, this revolutionary art tour heads for its final stop at Eastern District in Brooklyn, NY.

The tour focuses on the video medium, which emerged in the 1960s and has since expanded galleries into more experimental, kinetic and interactive spaces. “Installation 6: Video” challenged 10 artists to create non-narrative video installations that will eventually transform five unique exhibitions around the country.

Featuring:

Dust la Rock (Brooklyn, NY), Eric Nakamura (Los Angeles, CA), Saelee Oh (Los Angeles, CA), French & Alan Glass as Funeral Fog (London, England), Josh Graham (New York, NY), Ill-Studio (Paris, France), Monihan Monihan (New York, NY), Mark Mothersbaugh (Los Angeles, CA), PMKFA (Tokyo, Japan), and Sage Vaughn (Los Angeles, CA).

Opening Reception: Friday, June 4th, 2010 | 7-10pm

Eric Nakamura, Ill-Studio, PMKFA, Dust La Rock, Josh Graham and Monihan Monihan will be in attendence.

Eastern District
43 Bogart St.
Brooklyn, NY 11206

http://www.scion.com/installation

Revolver Presents PEARL in NYC April 28

2010-03-22T16:35:00.002-05:00

Our friends at REVOLVER "The Worlds Loudest Magazine" have jumped in to present our upcoming PEARL concert in NYC.
http://www.revolvermag.com/features/post/revolver-presents-pearl-featuring-pearl-aday-and-anthraxs-scott-ian-li/

APRIL 28, 2010

REVOLVER PRESENTS

PEARL www.myspace.com/pearl

with
PLANESIDE www.myspace.com/planeside
MINDWALK BLVD www.myspace.com/mindwalkblvd

THE STUDIO @ WEBSTER HALL
E125 E11th St, NYC
www.websterhall.com/thestudio

GET TIX NOW !
https://www.etix.com/ticket/servlet/onlineSale%3bjsessionid=0E61E46681E9D7DE4C3F75B59213E44C?action=selectPerformance&performance_id=1219492&cobrand=websterhallstudio

PEARL

2010-03-17T19:07:00.003-05:00

All of us at KingSize are are beyond stoked to be a part of PEARLS team.

If you haven't already done so, please check out her websites and of course buy the album at a store, itunes, amazon, or get out to a show and bring one home along with a shirt!

www.cheersloverock.com
www.myspace.com/pearl

PEARL TOUR>
PEARL is coming to a city near you. More dates and on sale info being announced daily

Confirmed dates so far are:

April 17 Las Vegas, NV @ Cheyenne Saloon
April 18 Aspen, CO @ Belly Up
April 20 Kansas City, MO @ Aftershock
April 22 Minneapolis, MN @ The Rock
April 23 Appleton, WI @ Revolution
April 24 Rockford, IL @ Kryptonite Bar
April 26 Chicago, IL @ Double Door
April 28 New York, NY @ The Studio at Webster Hall
April 29th New Jersey @ Brighton Bar
May 1 Kingston, NY @ The Basement
May 2 Harrisburg, PA @ Dragonfly
May 5 Tulsa, OK @ The Otherside
May 7 Tempe, AZ @ Club House

Keep tuned for more info, new poster art, new merch, and more!

English Beat & Fishbone in NYC!

2010-02-24T18:59:00.002-05:00

Last summer i had the pleaseure of working with Angelo Moore of Fishbone on the Most Interesting Show in the World tour.
The guy is truly an amazing talent.

I havent seen fishbone or the english beat in ages, but i bet they still kill

still some tix left. get some while you can!

See The English Beat on 02/27/10 at The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza in New York, NY. Find The English Beat tickets on LiveNation.com.

English Beat/Fishbone
All Ages
Saturday 02/27/10 at 7:00 PM
The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza
New York, NY
http://www.livenation.com/edp/eventId/415418

Skank it up!

CALIGULA MAXIMUS!

2010-02-23T15:40:00.006-05:00

Coming Soon to NYC!

La MaMa etc, Alfred Preisser and Randy Weiner & KingSize USA Present:

CALIGULA MAXIMUS!
Thursday and Friday at 8:00 pm
Saturday at 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.
Previews begin March 12th
Opens March 19th
Ellen Stewart Theatre
66 E. 4th St., between Second Avenue and The Bowery

Co-writers Alfred Preisser (Co-Founder, Classical Theatre of Harlem) and Randy Weiner (owner of the notorious night spot, The Box) have teamed up to create CALIGULA MAXIMUS, a new play that takes place on the last night of the notorious dictator’s life.

Presented by La MaMa, e.t.c., CALIGULA MAXIMUS is a project with Hammerstein & Weiner, LLC, Christopher McElroen, Alfred Preisser and Kingsize, USA.

CALIGULA MAXIMUS begins previews at the Ellen Stewart Theatre, 66 E, 4th St, in New York on March 12. Opening night is set for March 19th and the show will continue through April 3rd. Performances are Thursday and Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 8pm and 10pm.

With a cast that includes Ryan Knowles as Caligula, adult film star and Penthouse Pet Justine Joli, Lady Circus troupe aerialist Anya Sapozhnikova, award-winning competitive bodybuilders Myra Adams and Roxanne Edwards, Coney Island Sideshow tattooed muscleman Tim Dax, and an outrages collection of over two-dozen circus performers, wrestlers, showgirls and freaks, CALIGULA MAXIMUS audiences should expect “an entertainment” that will test their limits of human intellect and appetite.
Caligula sensing the encroachment of monotheistic religions (Christianity and Judaism) holds a phantasmagoric revival meeting in which he attempts to save the world by ushering in a new religion with himself as its principle prophet and god. As the revival meeting reaches fever pitch, his troupe grows weary of being used as toys, gains a sense of their own power and, bedecked in the war paint and leather costumes of barbarian invaders, descend upon him and murder him in mob frenzy. Six different languages will occur throughout the production in song and at the Coliseum.

Rounding out the cast in multiple roles are Alexandra Bernard, Luqman Brown, Angela Buccinni, Claire Buckingham, Eric Dorfman, Alicia Giangrisostomi, Jeff Goldfisher, David King, Jessica Krueger, Andrews Landsman, Channing McKindra, Ella Mische, Alexandra Petrova, Charletta Rozell, Alicia St. Louis, JerZ Short, Aaron Strand, Miriam Tabb, Jenny Weinbloom and Elian Zach.

With sets, rigging and lighting by Evan Collier, costumes by Laura Clarke, musical direction by Joe Shavel and choreography by Tracy Jack.

Tickets are $30, $25 for students and seniors and can be purchased online at
https://www.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/715425 or by calling the box office at 1-866-811-4111.

For more information, visit www.caligulamaximus.wordpress.com.

Join CALIGULA MAXIMUS on:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=268693721712&ref=mf
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/CALIGULAMAX
Blog: http://www.caligulamaximus.wordpress.com

JAN 7 2010 FLYER!!!

2010-01-01T21:43:00.002-05:00

DRINK UP BUTTERCUP LIVE IN NYC JAN 7 2010

2009-12-17T19:47:00.005-05:00

It has been quite some time since we produced a concert for no reason other than the love of live music, and what better way to return to our rockin' n ravin' roots than with this stellar line up for 2010!

THURSDAY JANUARY 7, 2010

Proudly Presents:

DRINK UP BUTTERCUP -yep roc records
www.drinkupbuttercup.com

ALEX BLEEKER & THE FREAKS (members of REAL ESTATE)-
Alex Bleeker MySpace

PLANESIDE - surreal records
Planeside MySpace

WACHICHOO (members of The Nillaz)
WaChiChoo Free EP Download

DJ $mall ¢hange (WFMU / EastVillageRadio.com)
www.DJ$mall ¢hange.com

@

125 E 11th St btw 3/4 Ave NYC
www.websterhall.com/thestudio

DOORS 8PM
19+

BUY TIX HERE!!!

FOR MORE INFO:
212.505.8500
info@kingsize-usa.com

weird beard

2009-12-15T22:27:00.002-05:00

I tend to grow beards in the winter. well...i tend to GROW facial hair constantly, and yes sometimes i dont shave often...the perks of being your own boss I guess.
BUT
come winter, I likes me a beard. last year was my finest effort to date. i think it was like 7 months with nothing but a few trims. the beard became a part of me. a character in itself...anyways, its Dec 15th (HAPPY B DAY LORI!), its cold outside, its been a solid week or more since I have taken blade to face, Im headed to Oregon for 2 weeks, welcome back Weird Beard!

This time around Im going to keep track via photos of the growth and will share with you the quasi social (anti social?) experiment that I go through this time of year when I shag out.

babys butt me:

stage 1 beardo me:

the future me?:

Until then,

MH

METALLICA MSG NYC 11.15.09

2009-11-16T17:52:00.002-05:00

Metallica really tore the Garden a new one over the weekend. I was lucky enough to score pretty sweet seats and VIP passes to last nights show, which from what I hear, was the far better of the two night metal fest.

Metallica played "in the round" which was definitely a bold move for a band that usually brings a massive stage and production along with them. Ive seen the full show a bunch over the years, so this was a nice change, which felt almost made for the gardens sight lines although its a bit weird watching the guys backs at times.
A lot of people may not get metallica. they probably havent really heard all the songs and certainly have not seen them live.
When you stop and think about it, they are likely the best hard rock band in the game, and have taken it far beyond metal.

The setlist was definitely on point, with enough of the old, recent, and new to please all comers.
One of my favorite Misfits songs "last caress" and old gold like Dyers Eve and plenty of pyro had me screaming and pumping my fists all night. Nice work guys.

Brooklyn Vegan did has a good review and pics of the show here http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2009/11/metallica_playe.html

MOTORHEAD * REV HORTON HEAT 09.09.09 NYC

2009-09-10T10:32:00.002-05:00

YES the show was AWESOME
YES I havent posted in AGES
YES I am VERY hungover as I type this

Heres some pix from my brand new Blackberry Tour, my latest gadget. pretty sweet so far, but only time will tell.
Nice to finally return to the world of camera phones after over a year using the Blackberry World Edition (no camera).

I hope this gets me taking more pix and therefore posting more frequently, but we will see how that goes...

Lemmy & Co ruled as usual. Amazingly loud. perhaps the loudest club show I have witnessed although very cool that they broke into an acoustic jam towards the end of the set. You havent lived until you see Motorhead live.
Matt Sorum from The Cult, Guns n Roses, Velvet Revolver, Camp Freddy, (anything else?) was on drums. an odd choice in my book, but technically he really brought it.
www.imotorhead.com

The Reverend Horton Heat blew my mind last night.

If you haven't seen and/or heard the Rev, do not sleep.
He is an amazing performer, songwriter, and unique character to say the least. His cross of rockabilly & punk are right up my tattoo covered, booze fueled, alley.
www.reverendhortonheat.com

His new album "Laughin & Cryin'" Is out Now. Go git it!

It was a true pleasure to meet The Rev & Jimbo his upright bass player.
Much love to Scott @ Atomic & John their gracious tour mgr for making that happen.

NEXT UP: CHICKENFOOT AUG 14, 2009 NYC

Star Trek on IMAX!

2009-05-21T20:38:00.005-05:00

What's with J.J. Abrams and time travel/alternate dimensions? Lost, Fringe, now Star Trek!

Even Felicity goes back in time!

It's a love-hate relationship with J.J. As much as I love Lost, it's been a heart-wrenching (Daniel Faraday's murder), frustrating (who is Jacob??), five-year, 100+ hour, tortuous path to figuring out the island. My Lost-based nightmares will be able to subside in 2010 after its final season. Thankfully, J.J. has created a self-contained, merely two-hour feature that is 2009's Star Trek. I've never been big on the series, but I enjoyed this film! This movie has tipped the love/hate scale in J.J.'s favor.

My favorite scenes were with Zachary Quinto and Leonard Nimoy as New and Old Spock, who gave great performances. (They appeared together on Jimmy Fallon's Late Night show, available online if you care to watch. Leonard is a funny old dude.) I won't give away any revealing details, but the film was definitely an exciting introduction to new Trekkies and included enough old school references to satisfy hardcore Trekkies. I have a newfound crush on emotionally-unavailable half-Vulcan half-humans, i.e. Spock.

Warning: Times Square AMC "IMAX" will rip you off. The screen is nowhere near as large as it should be. IMAX is associating its name with theaters that aren't actually IMAX. They can go suck it.

Star Trek Website

-Angela

NICE FACE Live at Don Pedro, Brooklyn

2009-05-20T20:05:00.003-05:00

A big fan of the Brooklyn lo-fi scene, Nice Face opened for Crystal Stilts at Don Pedro on Thursday night, May 14th. The band is relatively new to playing live, but I would argue they're on par with the trendy lo-fi bands, i.e. Crystal Stilts, Wavves, Vivian Girls, etc. I had already seen Crystal Stilts and wanted to check out Nice Face, whose MySpace I'd been listening to over the past year.

Their songs are a perfect mix of warped vocals, grit, noise, and dark, catchy hooks. "FUBAR Over You" and "Hidden Automatic" were definite crowd pleasers. The band always has really great original cover art, which makes buying a hard copy worth the trouble. You can find their records here: http://www.sacredbonesrecords.com/. Don Pedro was the perfect venue for Nice Face's first live show in more than a year. The space is extremely small, so their performance felt very intimate, with the lead singer and guitarist standing face-to-face, ground level with the audience.

Nice Face's MySpace

-Angela

Charlyne Yi and Akron/Family Live at Bowery Ballroom, NYC

2009-05-19T19:09:00.004-05:00

Charlyne Yi opened for Akron/Family at Bowery Ballroom on Wednesday, May 6th. I saw her walking out the doors as I entered and my friend and I gave each other a knowing glance... we've all seen and loved Knocked Up! (She was the super dorky, high as a kite Asian girlfriend of Martin Starr, who I will forever think of as Bill from Freaks and Geeks.) What I had thought was just a fun celebrity sighting ended up being much, much more. She performed live, singing charmingly off-key while playing multiple instruments (guitar, small harp, accordion), mixing awkward yet delightful comedy sketches with simplistic, sweet melodies and tons of audience participation.

Charlyne Yi's MySpace

Performance artist, musician, screenwriter, actress, comedian, on-screen and possibly real-life girlfriend of Michael Cera, Charlyne is my favorite celeb of the moment. I tried my best to look for Cera, but he was nowhere to be seen. Looking forward to seeing their mockumentary Paper Heart, which comes out on August 14th!

Paper Heart's Website

Although at times I felt I was forced into a hippie commune, dancing while participating in tribal chants, and though songs were frequently extended to the point of delirium, I found Akron/Family's enthusiastic energy to be refreshing and their music and vocals to very beautiful, meditative, folksy, experimental. There were impressive amounts of dead-on a capella, and also instrumental improv, not only by the three band members but by their backup wind instruments. Even the flute was badass!

Akron/Family's MySpace

Photos courtesy of SeanEdgar and Danfun's Flickr

-Angela

Friendly Fires and White Lies at Bowery Ballroom

2009-04-01T18:03:00.009-05:00

The Soft Pack, Friendly Fires, and White Lies played Bowery Ballroom on Friday, March 27th. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to catch the first act, The Soft Pack, my favorite band of the three.

I did get to see the lead singer of Friendly Fires, Ed Macfarlane--who definitely resembles a young, flamboyant Malcom McDowell!--and his spastic, gyrating dance moves. He was the highlight of my night! Plus, with a guitarist who brought a dustbuster to bang against his guitar strings for ambient effects and two sets of drummers perfectly in sync, they provided a performance worth my money. "Jump in the Pool" and "Paris" were most memorable. Their music is greatly appreciated when you need a little upper in your day, and if you want to dance at a show, check these boys out live.
http://www.myspace.com/friendlyfires

It was very fitting to see the goth-inspired, macabre White Lies dressed in all-black and no surprise to feel their somber stage presence. I have to say, their irritating light effects could have given a non-epilectic kid a seizure. The random, disorienting, bright-as-fuck flashes into the audience felt like some sort of blinding defense tactic a la Rear Window rather than dramatic effect. However, I was impressed by frontman Harry McVeigh's vocals--bold and on-key. The audience was very energetic, singing along. The crowd favorite seemed to be E.S.T., which stayed stuck in my head the rest of the night.
http://www.myspace.com/whitelies

-Angela

Work To Do at 112 Greene St Studio

2009-04-01T17:41:00.012-05:00

Street artists including Aiko, Bast, Dain, and Ellis G transformed the lower-level 112 Greene St. studio space into the vibrant, collaborative group show Work To Do, running through April 16th. Opening night, Thursday March 26th, featured deafeningly-loud 90's hip-hop and free beer and wine. Long lines wrapped along the block in the rain to get a first glimpse at the artwork!

My favorite pieces were WRONA's "Assorted Undead" series of acrylic and pen zombie creatures on cardboard. The undead suit was my favorite, but unfortunately it had already been sold.
http://www.myspace.com/death_wro

My next two favorites were available (the bawling half-head and hippie) and since I was a bit tipsy (open bars at art shows are genius!), I decided to just go for it with no qualms. I've purchased prints and small handmade crafts before (my tea mug from Etsy!), but this was my first gallery purchase. A real milestone! The show offers affordable works if you're looking to purchase art. Regardless, it's worth a browse.

-Angela

HAPPY ST PATTIES DAY!

2009-03-17T14:40:00.002-05:00

Once again the greatest drinking day of the year is upon us. Are you Irish? Are you wearing something green? Are you drinking something green? Are you naked and drinking something not green? Its all good either way, as long as you get in the spirit of thing in some way.

I thought Id take this time to suggest a few quality but surely not standard ways to enjoy your St. Patrick's Day:

Music - Tired of Black 47 & Irish Jigs? Here is a better way>

House of Pain -

maybe skip "jump around" but Danny Boy and co knew how to make it so.

U2 -

Ok so they probably get plenty of spins this time of year (and the rest of it) but its hard to resist some of their catalog after a few (too many) brews. go for "Bad", "Red Hill Mining Town", or maybe even "War" and you too (get it...?) and you may even get you some for once. points for anyone who sing these songs well. lord knows I try...

Thin Lizzy-Aaaahh the great Phil Lynott...what a sad loss to music. but thank god he was around loong enough to bless us with some amazing songs and performances in his short time. they just released "still dangerous" (more live cuts from "live and dangerous" which is probably awesome. I cant think of a better live CD moment off hand that rivals the huge moment where "Cowboy Song" (my personal fave) rolls right smack into "The Boys are Back in Town". I can live without "boys are back" no thanks to growing up on american radio, but you the moment is so awesome, I will roll with it anytime I can or at least on march 17th of every year until I croak...

Film:

State of Grace-

Ed Harris, Sean Penn, and Gary Oldman play Irish gang members in NYCs hells kitchen. yeh I know it sounds weak on paper, but the movie is awesome. John C Reilly (forever known to me as Chest Rockwell from Boogie Nights) makes a decent cameo as well. Apparently some of this movie is based on true people and events including the part where they keep a severed hand in a freezer to use for fingerprints on a murder weapon. genius.

also see: boondock saints

Blown Away-

Jeff "the dude" Bridges tries to catch & Tommy Lee Jones, an irish bomber who (while listening to U2 in tears) blows up everything in sight. good times. good rental. best with a cold Killians.

In the Name of the Father.

wow. anyone who ever wondered how Daniel Day Lewis got to be suck a big star and hasnt seen this work of art, should...see this work of art. DDL is pretty amazing in this true story about a young Irish lad who gets wrongly accused and jailed for being a member of the IRA.

also see: The Boxer, Gangs of New York (featuring DDL at his best as Bill the Butcher)

Now what would a list of St Pats things be without booze?

Beer:

For the record, I dont personally drink much Irish Beer, or Irish Booze in general. Anyone who knows me, knows I like my Whisky from Scotland, and my beer either mexican and sometimes blond, like me wife...But in the spirit of the thing, heres the path to stumble down:

Beer:

Guiness, Killians, Murphys, Smithwicks are all fine, but I"d say for this day, if you are drinking anything but Guiness, you are missing the boat.

Whiskey:

Jamesons is my choice here, but a good buddy of mine often recommends Pattys. Although he once asked me to pick him up some Pattys (Irish) whisky while I was in Edinburgh Scotland...so hard to really take that to heart.

Drinks/Shots:

Irish Car Bombs are the sure shot here. Guiness, Baileys Irish Creme, and Jameson Whisky. Whatever scientist invented this potent mixture surely deserved the nobel prize. You are kind of in jaeger bomb territory here, but for some reason, you feel a bit more classy doing it.

(classy...right???)

Alright then...enough out of me. now get out there, get drunk, feel the love and hopefully luck of the irish. if at all possible do it with class. like this gentleman below...

-Matty O'Hanrahan

Black Lips LIVE!

2009-03-13T16:06:00.035-05:00

Hello Friends!

Below is a concert review from my intern Angela Lee. I thought it would be worth sharing with you all. We hope to be bringing more reviews and current news in the weeks to come.

Enjoy,

-MH

03.10.2009

Black Lips Live

@ Brooklyn Music Hall

Brooklyn, NY

I had Huge Expectations for this show. Note the terrifying, hilarious shit show that went down: Black Lips' Letter to Indi a. (Has anyone else seen Locked Up Abroad?) Who else would you expect to get reprimanded by Indian polizei and flee the country?? Let's Wrestle and Gentleman Jesse & His Men opened for them, but let's be honest, they're a distant memory now because they were completely eclipsed by the wonderfully dirty southern garage rockabilly that are the Black Lips.

No pissing in mouths, nudity, fireworks, broken bottles, or band members making out this time. Just some beautifully sensuous guitar-licking, repeated vomiting by the sombreroed Cole Alexander while performing (didn't even miss a beat) and copious amounts of crowd surfing. Their records are amazing, and must be experienced live. The band performed a handful of crowd favorites like "Bad Kids" and "Cold Hands" as well as songs from their new album including "Drugs" and "Starting Over."

Let's get to the point: they are redneck gods and I hope they don't die early from their onstage madness and debauchery. They make me want to move south and save up money for gold grills. I couldn't have spent Tuesday night more wisely.

Vermont: the deep south only with snow...

2008-12-30T21:30:00.004-05:00

Vermont USA Dec 21-24, 2008

So I decided to test my manhood and venture up to Vermont for a few days of snowboarding with my friends.

A sudden snowstorm on the ride up made for quite a scary trip, but the pay off on the slopes was worth the risk.

The rugged road to Killington...

Bliss, Chopper, and the king of the mountain...

PS: Do NOT eat at Caseys Caboose if you can avoid it...

The Most Interesting Show in the World Tour

2008-12-11T13:52:00.002-05:00

The Most Interesting Show in the World Tour is finally complete!

All in all we did over 16 performances in over 15 cities around the U.S. in just over 6 weeks.

The variety show featured exotic dancers, contortionists, stuntmen, sword swallowers, lounge lizards, comics, aerialists, and even some very well trained dogs...

Thats me with the apple in my mouth and Jim Rose, the host of the show, with the chainsaw...

For more info on the tour www.dosequis.com/mostinterestingshow

Its a Boy!!!!

2008-08-15T13:31:00.002-05:00

As i mentioned in my last post, some dick helped themselves to my bike. so after a brief period of mourning, I got a new and better bike.

Ive named it Isaac Mac after the late bernie & hayes. RIP my brothers...

We are very happy together.

Come see us at www.bicycleforaday.org Sept 20 @ South Street Seaport

MY BIIIKKKEEEE!!!!

2008-08-08T15:56:00.003-05:00

today started off like any other day...I woke up a little later than the day before, stumbled to the shower, watched NY1 for the news and weather, walked the dog, then when I went to ride to work something happened...My beloved mountain bike was gone!

It hit me like a ton of bricks. I still cant believe it...Someone had taken my baby and rode off into the night (or possibly early part of the day).

A moment of silence for the loss of one of the few things in my life I actually care about.

I'll miss you little silver momma...I guess I should have been more like Pee Wee...

MISSING:

SILVER / BLACK GARY FISHER MOUNTAIN BIKE

HOO KOO E KOO MODEL (HKEK)

BONTRAGER WHEELS

LAST SEEN @ BANK & HUDSON ST NYC

CASH REWARD IF FOUND - NO QUESTIONS ASKED

info@kingsize-usa.com

SUMMER!

2008-07-15T17:13:00.002-05:00

Summertime! I love it soooo. Lots of people will tell you that NYC is no place to be in the summer, but they are WRONG I tell ya... Yes it gets VERY hot and VERY humid, but you have to know how to beat the heat. I find the best way to keep it cool and enjoy the big apple this time of year is to get down with Summer Drinks. Mojitos & pina coladas at outdoor cafes like cafe con leche (UWS) are awesome and not something I usually bother with any other time of the year.

Im also a big fan of the cafes along the hudson river like boat basin cafe (W79th see old post) as well as the riverside cafe in the 60s near the old ship loader. I usually go for a few Blue Moons with an orange wedge there. I ride my bike constantly and usually end up at one of these spots to balance the exercise with some brews.

In the next few weeks I will be taking a lot more pix as I finally bought a new camera and once again vow to keep this blog (somewhat) updated.

Up next: outdoor concerts, parks, ferries, upstate, and more!

Spirit of Amsterdam in NYC 05.15.08

2008-05-19T12:32:00.006-05:00

Amstel Light / SPIN Mag

VIP Party @ West 79th St Boat Basin

Pete Yorn Solo on the Main Stage

2 Matthews: Modine & Hanrahan

DJ $mall Change droppin science

lets review

2008-05-11T20:21:00.004-05:00

Been a minute since my last blog, so I should probably just give you the quick version or highlights of the last few months or so.

COMEDY:

doug benson

THE BENSON INTERRUPTION @ UCB

Doug Benson is pretty hilarious. Also pretty stoned. The Benson Interruption is a pretty funny stand up / improv thing where Doug has his comedian friends come on stage and basically cuts them off with whatever crazy shit goes through his whacked out mind. I went cus Patton Oswalt was the special guest, but have to admit that even though Patton was pretty on point, Doug blew him away and so did John Mulaney, who is my current favorite comic on the scene. Points to Anthony Jeselnik and Team Submarine who also cracked me up. Will have to keep an eye on them as well.

patton & posehn

BRIAN POSEHN @ COMIX

Brian is hilarious. Always makes me laugh out loud. I was lucky enough to meet Brian a few years ago through our common friend Scott Ian. Brian loves metal and makes fun of himself more than I do. You have to respect that. Brians set was really good and had me in stitches.
John Mulaney opened the show and killed. This guy is hilarious.

john mulaney

MOVIES:

IRON MAN

Thank God this movie didnt totally suck like so many of the other super hero flix, but just the same I have my gripes. lame "bad guy" scenario, product placement, pg - 13 *when is someone going o step up and do one of these in R??. otherwise I liked what I saw. Downey is great playing himself and I liked how they snuck Tom Morello from RATM/Audioslave in there, and lets face it, the whole movie looked great, but something just wasnt there. still I recomend it.

TRAVEL:

DC 4.17.08

Was down in the nations capital to produce an event a few weeks ago. i always like washington DC. maybe its the history, or just that Ive been there enough times to know where to go. and not to go...DC has an awesome metro system. kind of future retro style ala the BART in SF. a far cry from NYC. From where I was staying, you could really get around and see the sights easily but I didnt have any time . If you are ever in dupont circle, be sure to hit timberlakes pub. great food. had ribs one night and eggs chesapeake (poached eggs on crab cakes) the next day. yumzilla.

PHILLY 05.04.08

Ahh the city of brotherly love...spent about 28 hours in Philly a few weeks ago with John Trepp checking out this crazy scavenger event called City Chase www.citychase.com. 2 words: naked bowling. nuff said...I didnt really partake in the usual philly cheesesteaks n such, but did really get around town more than I have in years past.

MUSIC/LIVE:

ROAD TO RECOVERY BENEFIT @ nokia theatre nyc

Sitting through the horrible kid bands and TERRIBLE sound mix almost made this amazing show a nightmare, but once Slash, Jerry Cantrell, Tom Morello, Wayne Kramer, Sen Dog, and Perry Farrel finally got on stage and ripped a bunch of covers and their own hits, all was forgiven. Highlight? hard to say, but probably Slash & Cantrell doing "wish you here" acoustic, perry farrel doing a stripped down version of "pets", or sen dog rapping to "paradise city". saawweeettt!

BEASTIE BOYS @ Terminal 5 NYC

Scored a pair of tickets to the beastie boys live terminal 5 in NYC. my first time at the venue since it was a nightclub called Exit. Its a pretty dope spot to see a concert and with the B Boys rocking a good portion of their catalog live with and without instruments, it was a jam.

points awarded for the empanada bar instead of the regular club "food".

PICS:
Ive been meaning to include more "arty" photos that Ive taken. this is a favorite of mine that I sent my wife years ago. I think its keeper. just like her.

cabs whizzing down 5th ave

more pics and blogs soon. pinky swear.

aiiight then. talk soon.zub zub.

Starbucks Music

2008-04-24T21:42:00.002-05:00

Lately I have to admit that while waiting online at starbucks to get my fix, I have been checking out their music selections. I think they came out with what you would "expect" starbucks to sell, but little by little they have hipped it up a notch bby adding cool titles like Buddy Holly, James Brown, etc. Recent I saw they were selling the Vintage Country compilation and was curious enough to buy the CD while on the road working. yes, you heard it here, I bought a CD from starbucks! Anyways...The CD has great packaging, an impressive selection of songs and artists (not just the usual "stars") but what I actually got me writing this, was not the good, or the bad, but the UGLY! Get this: I pop the CD into my computer. import it to my itunes library, start reading through the booklet, etc..then I notice it: "only daddy that'll walk the line" by Waylon JACKSON!!! WTF? How do you fuck that up? Waylon JENNINGS!!, a legend, who's track is on the CD AND who's picture they use on the inside cover. The guy hung with Johnny Cash for god sake! He even brought country to the masses by way of Dukes of Hazzard. unreal...

They get it right on the package (twice), but some how they blow it in the encryption (or however they tell the computer which tracks are on the disc).

I figured there is no way Im the only who noticed, or at least the only one who wrote about it, but a quick google search proved that either nobody saw it, or nobody cared...well I do. Ive got yer back Waylon. This good ol boy will not let this stand man...

alright time to eat, drink, and sleep on this.

MH OUT.

Mr Hanrahan Goes to Washington

2008-02-28T13:27:00.000-05:00

White House Correspondants Dinner:

Bloomberg After Party 2.26.08

Wilhemina Models

DJ Jeffrey Tonneson / Will I Am (Black Eyed Peas & Pamela Anderson)

The Main Room / LED Walls with American Classics

A Horse of Another Color....

2008-02-27T17:50:00.003-05:00

SUN FEB 17, 2008
bluhammock presents the bluparty
Tavern on the Green
Wellington, FL

I remember when I was very young I got thrown from a horse I was about to ride. Years later I lived close enough to a county club that had polo matches, to know that it wasnt horses with a ball in the pool....but I really never had any real clue who or what a true equestrian event was like. Im still not sure I do, but I can say that having spent a few days in and around Palm Beach during their annual horse shows and polo matches, that I have learned a lot.

Luckily for me, the event I was involved with on behalf of my new favorite client, The Balvenie Scotch, was a really cool party, at a great venue, run by some fine people. I think our contribution to this event was really a bonus to the people who attended and something worth doing again.

Heres some pictures from the event. Thanks again to my great team, the local staff, and the good people at tavern on the green for making it work. Sal, you are a good man.

The Roots @ The Apollo

2008-02-27T17:43:00.006-05:00

FRI 2.22.08
Heineken Future Legends

Featuring THE ROOTS
@ The Apollo
Harlem, USA

What can I say about this event? The venue alone is legendary and just being there is an honor. The music was awesome, and our pre/post party was nothing short of impressive. We basically took a blank slate and made a VIP lounge worthy of any super club.

Before...... and AFTER!!!

Once again, I was lucky enough to have a great team, awesome local crew, and amazing venue staff. thanks to you all for making our first event at the Apollo a success.
And of course THE ROOTS ripped up it nice!!!

Its been great working up in Harlem. It sooo different from the rest of NYC and even more so than the neighborhood I live in. The odd thing is, all i do is jump on the A train express to 125th and its like I walked through a warphole or something. the food up there is so damn good, I cant wait t get myself back up to Dinosaur BBQ for more ribs.

My NYC

2008-02-09T18:08:00.001-05:00

Im sure some of you think that someone with my lifestyle lives in some sweet MTV Crib, but in reality its nothing like that.
Although I love my apt and the neighborhood its in, the real estate prices in NYC are so insane, that if I lived almost anywhere else, I would probably live like a king.

So with that in mind, I offer you a peek into my little slice of paradise here in the historic west village of the new york city.

Enjoy...

NYE 2008 Vermont

2007-12-18T23:24:00.000-05:00

2008 is already here and moving fast...NYE saw Lori and I up at Stratton, VT with our friends Ron & Dawn. We produced an impressive New Years party on behalf of Amstel Light and even managed to get some long overdue snowboarding in!

After a few runs I was back carving up a storm and am already planning my next trip. If you have never tried snowboarding or like me, have let it go for too long, get out there and rip it up. it is too easy to learn and too much fun to not enjoy.

Oh yeah, and I dressed up Santa for my neice & nephew for christmas. some day they will read this and know its me, but for lets keep it a secret eh?

2007 (and beyond) REWIND...

2007-12-07T13:20:00.000-05:00

It is getting very close to the end of the year although I am not quite ready to hit you with my "best of 2007"list yet, I thought it might be a good time to take a look back through some pictures that didn't make it to this blog. Mostly because, this blog didn't exist that far back. At least not in true "blog" form since I used to just send links to a shutterfly site for pictures and blab about my life via my email list...stop talking...

Ok, here are some pictures, and maybe some video, from the last few years of my traveling and touring with the Stones ('2005-'2006), etc as well as some random images and what not that I have come across.

Oh yeah, and I am finally going to start adding some mp3s you can download (*for a limited time for promotional purposes only) how about that for a disclaimer...?

Here's the first one...something for the ladies...I give you...

THE MAN IN BLACK!
Johnny Cash "Ring Of Fire MP3

And now for some video...

Some of you have seen this video, but most of you haven't. The quality is crap, but it still makes me laugh. I should have sent it in to one of those stupid video shows, I bet I'd be one of those tv writers on strike by now...

WHEN GOOD PETS GO BAD!!!!

And of course the actual blog...
Here are a few pictures from each location I travelled to. If I ever find the time, maybe I will upload a lot more from each stop, but there are just so many and Im so damn lazy... Ive also included a song that either goes with the picture, location, or just feels right...you dig? Good.

PARIS Daft Punk "Around The World"

Ahhh Paris...What can I say cept that is an awesome place and I am very lucky to have had enough time to see a lot of it. The food is amazing, the sights are unbelievable, the metro system is great, and the people hate us and smell bad...

The French LOVE it when Americans piss in their fountains...

BERLIN Ramones "Blitzkrieg Bop"
Berlin Germany is truly amazing. We camped out on the stadium grounds for a few days which was kind of creepy fun in a hogans heroes kind of way....

Berlin Stadium. Home of the Olympics, Hitler, and more!

We also managed to make it into town to party... a bit...

Me Likey Berlin!

(NOTE TO SELF: PUT MORE BERLIN PICS HERE)

NYC Frank Sinatra "New York, New York"
The city that never sleeps, The Big Apple, the center of it all...New York City has been my home for over 10 years now, but since I grew up right outside the city, I've always considered it my home town. I know true new yorkers say it only counts if you were born in the borroughs, but whatever...I love it.
It takes a lot to live here, and although it pays back big with the amount of things to do and see, you really have to adjust and learn to make it work for you.

I took this over the summer...riding over the williamsburgh bridge is great because its a proper bike lane, paved, and splits the reasonably sized crowd of hipsters in half. Its also cool knowing you are riding directly above the cars. oh and the east river waaay below...

But the Brooklyn Bridge on the other hand...that is the REAL deal. Kind of sucks for riding over since its a tiny 1 lane, wood planked, path that you "share" with the hordes of tourists, but you cant deny how awesome looking it is.

OREGON Neil Young "Down By The River"
Anyone who has read this blog knows that I love Oregon! My wife is from there and that means we get to go there at least once a year. Last year we spent over a week there camping, BBQing, and living life large. The best thing about OR is that it really has it all. Big City (Portland), Coast, Rivers, Sand Dunes, Redwoods, and more. You can disappear pretty easily, and still get back to the real world with ease.

This video is from when Lori and I took her parents Quads up the mountain for a nice "leisurely" ride...and yeh it hurt...thanks for asking...

DONUTS ANYONE?

Thats all for now...I will add more as I make time, and find material.

stay tuned....

Daves B Day

2007-12-04T18:30:00.001-05:00

A Very Happy 40th Birthday goes out to my brother in law Dave Liles. I hate referring to him as my brother in law, as I think it sounds like he is less than family that way and I definitely consider him the real McCoy. Brothers Hug it Out yo...

Big props go to my sister for pulling the party together and to dave horowitz for the awesome artwork on the posters & cake.

Anyways, Dave's surprise party last weekend at Fontana's was a Hella' good time. We partied down 'til the wee hours of the night! After waay too many Sol's and waaaaaay too many more Patron shots I finally got it together to get my sorry ass up off the bar stool and made my "triumphant return" to the stage alongside the Birthday Boy. The best part was that the drum kit was incomplete so Dave put an aluminum step ladder on it to fill in the missing pieces. It sounded awesome and looked crazy as hell, and I loved it even though I was so blasted I could barely keep it together up there...

Matty Van Hanrahan & Diamond Dave Liles Rock it

So far I only have one picture from this "legendary" performance, but hopefully I will get more pictures, and play out again soon as I miss that more than anything else in my life....ahhhh memories....

(MORE PICS AS PROMISED!!!)

MH out...

Van Halen (3rd Times the Charm)

2007-11-28T18:01:00.000-05:00

VAN HALEN
11.13.07 @ MSG, NYC

Yes I saw the Van Halen tour again for a third time. once, twice, three times a lady...
OK, so the they played the same set, but it was better, and there are some serious differences in the way Eddie plays and improvises, and what Roth says, and when and how we kicks and schticks...

This time around my dear friend Angie hooked my good friends Ron, JT, John & Lisa Izzo, and Lori and I with some truly wicked seats. Dead center of the floor, right in front of the loop of the extended stage, and even better, directly in front of Valerie "I used to be Eddie Van Halens Wife" Bertinelli. Beat that! Bertinelli, who is also the current spokeperson for Jenny Craig (seems to be working) was with her friend Rachel Ray, who is ironically the current spokesperson for Dunkin' Donuts & Triscuits. Way to support your fat friend Rach...We also spotted Val Kilmer in the crowd, who is rumored to be playing David Lee Roth in the also rumored film version of "The Dirt" the Motley Crue book. He is also fat. So is Fat Vince Neil from Motley. Buncha' Fat Fatty Fatso's. I thought they all did tons of blow? You think they'd be tiny or is that crack? anyways....

Also worth noting is that this show was in NYC at the Garden. Thats the real test, and they passed with flying colors. Its been weeks since the show now, and I swear that I am still reading reviews pour in (including a rare glowing review from Bob Lefsetz) as well as just in conversation on the street. That doesn't happen any more. If so, please tell me when and who, cus I want to see that band too...

For those of you have yet to witness this grand spectacle in person or via YouTube, You can still catch the tour when it comes your way. Note: they just added a ton of new dates for 2008 including a return to NYC!

For those of you still not sure or to cheap, or lame , or whatever, heres this from the MSG show:

Enjoy.

Mountain Biking, 3D Movies, and Corned Beef!

2007-11-08T12:26:00.000-05:00

MOUNTAIN BIKING NYC
I recently bought a pretty sweet Mountain Bike from some dude on craigslist. I love it very much, and Id much rather be on it right now than sitting at my desk typing this blog. The bike is a Gary Fisher Hoo Koo Ee Koo, which apparently is worth a crap load more than I paid for it which for me makes it even better knowing that I got a great deal. Anyways, recently Ive been exploring NYC by nike, which is really the only way to truly discover the hidden gems of this great city. NYC is so diverse in terrain, style, and history. Its amazing how much goes unseen unless you take the time to search it out. One minute you are dodging cars in the heart of the city, the next you are alone on trail in the park, and yet a minute later you are dodging crackheads and prostitutes under a bridge in the Bronx (true story).

I will be uploading pictures from some of my trips through the 5 borroughs soon, but for now heres a few decent shots of the George Washington Bridge and the hidden "Little Red Lighthouse" that lives just below the NYC side. Most people probably have never heard about this historic landmark since you cant see it from the bridge or the roads leading up to it.

THREE DEEEEEE!
Lori loves Halloween more than any holiday of the year. She literally starts planning her costume a year in advance. This year was probably the first year in her life she didnt dress up. Thats a looooong story, that Im not going to tell you, but we did sort of salvage the holiday by going to see "Tim Burtons The Nightmare Before Christmas" in 3D. I havent seen a 3D movie since I was like 10 and saw "SpaceHunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone" (why do these 3d movies have suck long titles?). Anyways, Spacehunter was a peice of crap and probably had like 10 miuntes of actual 3D, but it did feature a younge (pre sixteen candles) Molly Ringwald, so I'll take it easy on bashing it too bad. I think I also saw "JAWS 3D & Friday the 13th Part 3D" around that time with those crappy cardboard Red & Blue Glasses and the headaches from the old 3D technology.
The good news here is that the new 3D experience is awesome. The Glasses are normal looking and feeling sunglasses with special lenses and the modern 3D technology is truly amazing. From the second they starting rolling some of the previews in 3D I was glued to the screen. The images really appeared to be either comin right out you or adding additional depth to the main shots on the screen. Ive heard that George Lucas is already starting to remake the Stars Wars series in 3D for re release. Unfortunetly, it looks like Hollywood will also blow this opportunity by using the technology to lead horrible films like the god awful Brendon Frasure (the mummy) preview they showed us. Sure its visually awesome, but Id be about as interested in seeing that guy in 3D as I would be in sitting through another year of algebra...

CORNED BEEF HASH & EGGS
How do I love thee, let me count the ways....I am obsessed with corned beef hash, and eggs. I order it at least once a week for brunch (usually sundays at a diner), but I finally decided to buy some in a can and make it myself. Ive made with scrambled eggs, but sunny side up with the yolks running all over it, plus some A1 Steaksauce (Dave Liles taught me that), ketchup, or green tobasco, is really the only way to roll. Last weekend I made some and rolled it up inside a tortilla like a white trash burrito. Dang that was tasty. Im consider getting a truckload of it and fillig my bathtub with it and just soaking it up....Get some for yourself. I promise you wil not be let down.

Van Halen (Round 2)

2007-11-05T13:32:00.000-05:00

VAN HALEN
11.03.07 @ Izod Center E Rutherford, NJ

I was lucky enough to be given tickets to see Van Halen again over the weekend. The show was waaaaay better this time for a number of reasons. First off, the tckets were free (thank you Blatter!). Also, the seats were WAAAY better. 4th row, dead center, inside the circle of the stage loop. The band was definitely improved since the Philly show over a month ago, and aside from Eddie Van Halen experiencing some serious technical problems, they blew me away. Thats the closest Ive ever watched a full major concert from. Its another level of entertainment you simply cannot get from anything outside of the first 10 rows at a stadium or arena. David Lee Roth really emotes and accents every note and lyric, roundhouse kicks and all, and Eddie still really puts on a serious exhibition of guitar skill and showmanship.

I took a bunch of pictures with my camera phone. Heres two of the best pix.

Diamond Dave in full effect!

The Master at work

Im going once again this coming tuesday (3rd times the charm?) and will of course be posting by review shortly thereafter.

the kind of latest and possibly greatest...

2007-10-10T12:02:00.000-05:00

--------------------------
BETTER BLOGGING?
--------------------------
Everytime I say im going to keep these posts coming on the regular, I wind up slacking. What can I say? Im not being paid to do this, and as much as I enjoy it, it still requires time and effort that I wind up wasting on everything else including my job...

Regardless of all that, here I am writing again in hopes of getting a few laughs and the random feedback that these posts tend to result in. I love that people write to me after they read these. I actually prefer the bad reviews than the good as those are the people who seem to actually read the whole thing and then tell me how I "ramble too much" or "suck" or "forgot to plug their vodka brand" or "should try a grammar check before publishing". I'll get right on that...

In the meantime, I have been reading and searching out a lot of new blogs (new to me that is) in search of ideas, new music, and possible insight as to what makes a "good blog". Is it content? writing style? occasional porn and free mp3s? me thinks the latter...so I will keep an eye out for all of these, the finer things in life, startiiinnnnnng NOW!

FREE NEW MUSIC! Do yourself a favor and check out aquarium drunkard and ick music. These guys have loads of new music as well as some really awesome rarities, cool live stuff, random covers, and much cooler website names than mine. beaten again by the hip...
Ive been downloading a truck load of great stuff thanks to them.

Once I determine a way to store some music on my server I'll start uploading some of gems from my own collection and things I find from time to time.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
VAN HALEN LIVE
@ Wachovia Center, Philadelphia, PA 10.03.07
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

When I heard that Van Halen was finally going to tour with David Lee Roth I was VERY skeptical. So much has happened with the band over the years that I felt it was simply too late and that it could never be great again.

I was wrong.

I decided not to wait until the November 13 show in NYC and scored some decent tix for Lori and I to see them in Philly. Im glad we did, and we will definitely be going again next month.

I am going again not only because they were great, but also because I was sober at the philly show, and I was also so nervous that they'd suck that I almost couldnt enjoy myself. I just stood there worrying and nodding and playing air guitar...

The set list was really awesome. They played all but one song off their first album, as well as 2-4 songs from the rest of the Roth albums. Lots of album cuts, lots of improv, and of course No Hagar songs! They truly seem to be having a blast.

My only gripe of course is that Wolfgang Van Halen (Eddies 16 yr old son) does not quite fill the void let by oringal bass player Michael Anthony. Wolfgang can definitely sing and play well, but he simply cannot hang with the big boys. I love that he is a part of the band, but I think it would have been cooler to have him on rhythm guitar or something instead and bring out the oringal lineup. whatever, like Roth said at the show "3 parts original, 1 part inevitable". I got more than my moneys worth. you should too.

I never got to see the mighty van halen in the 80s with Roth. I was too young and by the time I was sneaking out to see them live they had "replaced" Roth with Sammy Hagar. Im a huge Eddie fan, but it was simply a different band without Diamond Dave. I have probably listened to their albums a zillion times over and over, and thanks to youtube Ive seen a decent amount of old footage from their glory days, but nothing can compare to seeing them live in person. There is something to it, that just doesnt come through on a recording like some bands.

Big hugs to Angie for taking the time to come out and say hello!

I still prefer to remember them like this.....(thanks to Blatter for the sweet pics)

-------------------------
ZIP CAR!
-------------------------

I should also mention that I finally tried ZIPCAR rather than take the train or rental car to get to Philly.

Zipcar is a pretty great idea for city dwellers who cant own a car and dont want to deal with rental cars.
You dont pay for gas, you get a lot of free miles, and they have lots of cool cars all over the city that you can drive without setting foot in a rental office.

I got a BMW 328i and drove it like a champ.
Not a bad way to visit "the city of brotherly love".
--------------------------
THE WHIZ!
--------------------------

I also finally took Lori to Ishakabibble , the famous cheese steak joint on South St.

I ate whole cheesesteak and half of her chicken philly and never felt better...Lori didnt feel quite the same way.

Cheese Whiz truly is natures candy.

---------------------------
L.O.R.I.
---------------------------
I probably havent said enough how cool my wife Lori is.

Im sure she had no interest in poisoning her body with questionable ingredients like that. Im also pretty sure that more than half of the things I like to eat, watch, or do, she is way too hot for me and she somehow puts up with me just because she is good person, and loves me even though I talk about myself constantly, hog the bed, eat mostly with my hands, burp, fart, and sweat a LOT, complain about my stiff back and legs, and tend to forget her name....

Heres to you Loni !!!
----------------------------
MY CURRENT TOP 10
----------------------------

Van Halen Tour - see it!
Zip Car - drive it!
Ishakabibble - eat it!
Radiohead "In Rainbows" - buy it (and pick the price!)
Killswitch Engage "Holy Diver"- watch it!
My New Gary Fisher HKEK - dont FUCKING steal it!
Orange V Vodka - drink it!
Swindle Magazine - read it!
The Box - dig it!
Darjileen Lmited - see it!

-----------------------------------
*Thats it for now. Short & Sweet.

Like you Like.

CYA SOON!

-all photos and stories taken and written by matt hanrahan

I left my heart in SF (...then found it in Oregon)

2007-08-28T16:17:00.000-05:00

Sculpture Art @ The Bay Bridge, SF

Those of you who have been reading my blogs over the years, are probably surprised to see how often I have been posting them as of late. You can chalk that up to the amount of cross country flights Ive been on recently or the fact that I actually like writing them. and yes, I love the sound of my own voice....lalalala

Ok, here we go....

---------------------------
THE POLICE @ Giant Stadium, NJ
---------------------------
I almost forgot this one...RIght before I split for the west coast my buddies on The Police Reunion tour hooked Lori and I up with passes for their amazing show at Giants Stadium. I was originally supposed to be working on this tour, and was actually very happy to be able to check it out without having to work...The Police were really tight and put on a solid show with all the hits, some cool jams, a huge stage, and a decent light show. It was great to run into so many old freinds from the Stones tour like Tim McWilliams, Burger, Nick Jones, Pete the Cop, Corey Mac, not to mention Mike McCann and his wife and Jay Cams who were also on hand.

(THE POLICE LIVE @ GIANTS STADIUM, NJ)

This guy was in the row in front of us. He was awesome as you can clearly see...

------------------------
ROCK THE BELLS SF 08.18.07
------------------------

Once again I went out in the field on behalf of Heineken, managing their sponsorship of the rock bells festivals and tour. Most recently we hit the great city of San Franciso, CA for the 4th and final festival date with Rage Against the Machine, Wu Tang, Public Enemy, Cypress HIll and a zillion others. This time around the venue was built from scratch in the McCovey Cove which is normally used for parking for the AT&T Ballpark where Barry Bonds hits homeruns and takes steroids all the time. Ive actually been lucky enough to work at the stadium a few times with the Rolling Stones and Metallica, so I know the surrounding areas pretty well.

Scott Ian, Me, and Sen Dog

The weather was truly amazing for late August with a steady breeze coming off the bay. It actually got kind of cold at night, but when you are working 20 hour days its a nice break from 95 degrees in the desert or NYC humidity. The show itself was perhaps the best of the tour with all the bands really hitting their mark and then some. I noticed a lot of interesting people backstage as well including Rick Rubin, Lars from Metallica, and my wifes personal favorite, Mike Patton, who i was lucky enough to meet and get to know a little bit. Also on hand was Whitfield Crane who came with my buddy Scott Ian. Whitfield is non stop comedy. Its really funny to listen to the things to come out of that guys mouth/brain. I also ran into my old touring buddy Jim Tobin, and my old freind Dan Hirsch, who I havent seen in ages.

Mike Patton & I

After a very tough month of work, I finally got to say goodbye to the Rock the Bells Tour and take some much needed R&R. Lori had already flown ahead to Oregon so I got to spend one last day off in SF.

I was so tired that day that I wound up taking a long nap in the park near the golden gate bridge. When I finally woke up, my old friend Jen Sand and I went out for some fantastic Indian food at a place called CHUTNEY. holy crap was that great!

----------------
BACK TO OREGON!
----------------
The next day I officially started my vacation. I flew from San Fran to Crescent City, CA on a tiny little turbo prop plane that holds like 20 people. its pretty loud, but it gets you there ok...

When I landed in Crescent City, CA, I rented a car and drove north up to Brookings, OR to meet up with my wife and our freinds who were already camping up river. we had a sweet camp site right near the Chetco River where we stayed for most of the week we there.

Brookings, OR is easly one of the most picturesque places I have ever been. The river is emerald green and crystal clear and the ocean and shoreline is breath taking.

Its really a nice change from NYC to sleep outdoors under the stars. Its so peaceful up there. All you hear is the river til the sun comes up and the birds start chirping.

We did the usual campfire bit of roasting hot dogs, beans, s'mores, drinking a ton of beer, skinny dipping and jamming some acoustic guitars by the fire. Good living!

When we were werent camping we were cruising up 101 North on Loris dads Harley Davidson Fatboy or ripping up the mountainside on a some quadrunners, or shooting guns in the redwood forest.

We had a few accidents, but aside from some bruised butts and egos, it was pretty awesome.

Im typing this while on the plane flying back to NYC and already I cant wait to go back. Im sitting in the dreaded middle seat in between some guy who smells like a locker room and a guy with a bladder the size of mouse. If he gets up again, I may drown him in the blue toilet water...

In the end I am feeling really well rested and recharged. Its hard to explain, since my job is actually pretty fun, but there is a ton of stress. I think maybe this picture that I keep by my desk best describes what my mood was before the trip.

...And this is how I feel now!

----------------
WEIRD PICS ALERT!
----------------

I took this picture from the terminal at JFK before I flew to SF. These guys were only play fighting around, but it looked pretty real for a while. Im sure the airline must be proud of these star employees....

This may be all time favorite! Lori took this one of Harely and I at South Street Seaport in nyc.
Pretty tough eh?

----------
MY TOP 10
----------
HOTEL VITALE (SF)
CHUTNEYS (INDIAN FOOD in SF)
MY NEW READING GLASSES (rayban)
JOHN ROGERS RUGER 9mm
WHARFSIDE DINNER (BROOKINGS OR.)
OREGON REDWOOD TRAIL
WHITE SANGRIA (SOHO GRAND NYC)
FRED MYERS (STORE)
ROB ZOMBIE'S HALLLOWEN
HOT FUZZ (DVD)

-all photos and stories taken and written by matt hanrahan

Lions, and Tigers, and Van Halen...oh my!

2007-08-15T15:07:00.001-05:00

WHO STOLE MY LIGHTER? (and everything else of value)

I took this picture a few months ago with my camera phone. I included it here simply becuase its great and to show what the rest of the pics could have looked like had I remembered to to reset the resolution settings...

Just the same, I hope you can see how awesome my recent trip to the San Bernardino, CA was. Or at leas the part of the trip that didnt include some asshole stealing my ray bans, fully loaded 30G video ipod, and my digital camera from my bag. Oh yeah and they also toll my rental car keys...what a drag man. All I can do is picture some little prick kickin back in the sun somewhere in front of his trailer jamming out to the misfits on my ipod while he takes pictures of his feet on my camera...i hope you die....

Anyways...on a more positive note, we had yet another successful event as part of heinekens rock the bells sponsorship. this time the festival took place at Glen Helen which is a massive outdoor ampitheatre and festival ground in the middle of nowhere aka san bernardino desert/mountains. the venue is pretty awesome and the show was sold out at 65,000 which is nuts even for rage against the machine.

This time around we set up in guerilla unions air conditioned VIP tent and turned it into the Heineken Red Star Lounge. Once again we brought our good friends SEN DOG & DJ MUGGS (CYPRESS HILL), SCOTT IAN (ANTHRAX), and RAHZEL together for an amazing and intimate performance. this one almost killed me, but the kids seemed to love it...

After the dust cleared (literally) I got some nuch needed sleep and then drove back out into the desert to do an encounter at Amazing Animals.

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This place is literally in the middle of the desert. I had to drive down this windy dirt road, then an even windier gravel one that was like 3 feet away from an active train track.

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The trip was only part of the adventure though. once i got to the ranch, I was greeted by Sky and the rest of the crew who introduced me to baby lions and tigers and bears. oh...you get it...(5 weeks old), a grizzly bear named cheyenne who I got to wrestle with. (thats her biting my hand...but i showed HER who was boss...), plus some fully grown and huge lions, wolves, hawks (that i flew), gators, pumas, and more. takes the whole zoo thing to another level. I still have some claw marks in my arm that are pretty rad. Those animals were sooo awesome. I dont think Ive ever had such a good time with nature in my life. thanks again to everyone involved for making this happen.

Sadly I had to leave the ranch and head back to NYC once again, only to get it together for this weekends rock the bells fest in SF. This one should be amazing as well, but Im really looking forward it to it because its the last one.

Once thats over Lori, Harley, and I are headed up to Brookings, OR for some R&R up river. Man do I need it....
Pictures from that trip on my new camera comin in the next addition...

VAN HALEN the new old version?
OK - So by now Im sure most of you have heard the news about the Van Halen tour with david lee roth. Anyone who knows me, knows I am pretty stoked that this happening and have been waiting my whole life for it, but why must even this be a tainted version of the real deal? Not bringing Michael Anthony along in favor of Eddies 16 yr old son wofgang is weak. Im sure the kid can play, and I welcome him to jump in as second guitar for support, but not instead of a foudning member who deserves it more.

Like the obsessed fan I am, I have checked the site and web for news daily since there was an internet and cringed the whole way through false starts, Hagar tours, and even the recent press conference where they go on and on about the "new band"... I dont know, I hope its great. I will definetly go to the show and be air guitaring just in case...

This should have happened 10 yrs ago when they first duped Roth at the VMAs, but I guess its better than not at all. or is it?
Where have all the good times gone...indeed.

This is a picture of the current lineup from the press conference...

but I prefer to remember them from the good old days like this....

WEIRD PIC ALERT!
Oh yeah. I found this pic clearing off my phone...This guy was set up in a parking lot at a park in Clifton, NJ. He is in full vegas Elvis get up and was rockin' hunka burnin love through his karoake machine like a champ to whoever came by.
god belss brother...

MY TOP 5
Uncle Marks BBQ'd Tuna Ka Bobs
The Coup Live @ Rock the Bells LA
Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo
In & Out Burger
Bear Wrestling

MORE UPDATES COMING SOON!!

Rock the Bells (& everything since the last blog...)

2007-08-02T10:41:00.000-05:00

ROCK THE BELLS JULY 28 & 29 RANDALLS ISLAND www.rockthebells.net

Back once again is the incredible, rhyme animal, THE Public Enemy #1...WOW did PE kill it at Rock the Bells or what? Hopefully some of you made it out to Randalls Island this past weekend to witness some of hip hops finest in action including Public Enemy (with our freind Scott Ian as a guest on Bring The Noise), Cypress Hill, Rakim, Mos Def, and loads more. But of course it was the mighty Rage Against the Machine who headlined the whole weekend long shebang who really tore the roof off the place.

WAIT!

Can you say tear the roof off when its an outdoor festival? well I just did so...

We were lucky enough to be able to work with Heineken who sponsored the festival and tour to create an amazing experience including a packed tent complete with AC, a custom bar, and of course some stellar talent. Who played our tent? a pack of amazing DJs like ODY ROC & JS1 (rocksteady crew), the 4 man Beat Box Entertainment crew, and special guests SCOTT IAN (ANTHRAX), SEN DOG (CYPRESS HILL), and DJ MUGGS (CYPRESS HILL) straight from the main stage. yeh. sick. sick...

SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY GRAND OPENING

Heres a weird one...I worked on a deal with Pepsi and Justin Timberlakes new BBQ restaurant which led to the grand opening in NYC. Im not one for the red carpet nor the paparazzi scum that line it, but due to the size of the venue and being a part of the insanity, I wound up in a lot of the pictures and madness. This is kind of funny pic of me with my "boys" JT & Jay Z. Its like Zelig or something...anyone actually get that reference?

Lori made it out to this one as well, and we wound up staying out waay too late with our freind Justin Kern. Man can he drink! I was so blasted that I forgot my bag (w laptop in it) at a bar way up on the UES , but Justin (not timberlake) was cool enough to go get it, bring down to the West Vill to me. What a guy! He got a sandwich from the deli for his valiant efforts...

and then theres the earth...

LIVE EARTH www.liveearth.org

OK....what else? Oh yeah, LIVE EARTH! man, was that a trip....My old buddy John Trepp and I reunited lke peaches and herb promote recycling on behalf of Pepsi at the US leg of the Live Earth concerts which took place around the world to raise awareness much like Live Aid & Live 8 before it. This time around they had The Police, Roger Waters, Dave Matthews, and hundreds more to make it fly.

Pepsi actually did some pretty cool promotions to get the recycling message out. From making tent tops and handbags out of used Pepsi Billboards to custom artist painted recyling bins and more.

What a looong day for my feet....

Aside from that I havent had much else going on in my life lately. its been a work a thon, but I will be back soon enough with more stories and pictures from my life.

MY CURRENT TOP 5
Marys Fish Camp vs Pearl Oyster Bar (MARYS WINS!)
White Stripes "Icky Thump"
NYC Water Taxi
Sailor Jerry Rum
TUK "Kamikaze" Shoes

NEXT UP: My triumphant return to Brookings, Oregon!

Blogzilla vs Mothra

2007-05-31T23:00:00.000-05:00

Dang Mang it sure has been a spell since my last attempt at a frequent update, but what can I say - shit has really been hectic, and I have been travelling, and working, and drinking, and....you get the vibe.

Today I read my good freinds the Anthony's blog chonicling the pregnancy of their first child, and aside from being very entertained by their words and pictures, I realized it was time to put fingers to keypads once again and to really try and keep this sucker live pics n' all.

So heres the highlights since the last entry, hopefully I wont leave anything out...

APRIL -

COACHELLA!
Coachella www.coachella.com was awesome this year. I was lucky enough to go out there with Heineken who sponsor the festival and caught some awesome bands including PEEPING TOM (mike patton & dan the automator), WILLY NELSON, CHILI PEPPERS, and of course RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE who were superb. I have to give a shout out to my man Mike McCann from Heineken for being a great festival wingman and to David Corso for being a gracious host. The whole experience was choice, but if I had to pick the best part, surely it was the pre/post show poolside acoustic jams we had at the Heineken Hacienda at PGA West. Bueno!

2xTAYLOR
Another stellar april event was when Lori and I caught a double dose of Corey Taylor (stone sour / slipknot) in nyc. the first dose was at our friends Scott & Pearls semi monthly event at Scotts club, Retox Rock Bar. Scott & Frankie from anthrax jammed a few unplugged tracks with Corey and they sounded awesome. Then to top that off, the next night we all went to see Stone Sout at roseland and partied with the band after til the wee hours. man i talk a lot when i drink.... yayyyerrrrr!

MAY -

MAX
This has been an insane month for me. i met my new born nephew Maximillian David Liles on mothers day and even managed to hold the little fella without dropping him or my beer! max didnt say or do much cept look cute all day, but you cant expect much from a someone who has only been alive for like a week right?

RETOX
Once again Lori and I rolled over to retox for Scott Ian's monthly ho down. this time around Scott had Bo Bice (american idol) as his guest, and they rocked some great classic rock songs. man that southern boy can sing.

HOLLYWEIRD
If that wasnt enough, I flew off to Hollywood for a cool art event for Mt Dew, with my buddy Ron Alan. We stayed at the roosevelt hotel in hollywood blvd near Graumans chinese theatre. The Roosevelt hotel is sliiiick. Im kind of a hotel snob, and really like the boutiquey / cheeky spots like that, but this one had something else. maybe the old skool hollywood flair mixed with modern design. the pictures of Brando & Ziggy Starduston the walls, the poolside firepits...all that I guess. I also got to see my good freinds Evan & Freddi C, Nick Stecher, Jonathan Bird, and Logan Hicks AND make it Neptunes Net in Malibu for some shrimp. wicked.

REVLON RUN/WALK NYC
Enough? hell no! Lori , Harley, and I walked in the Revlon Run/Walk for Cancer from Times Square to Central park.
What a nice day and a great cause. I must be getting soft... Oh and Mandy Moore was there, she wants it...

VR!
And then....my old touring pal Smilin' Jay Camerlengo, Lori, and I were lucky enough to see VELVET REVOLVER at Nokia Theatre in Times Square. What a great venue. Thanks to Jay & Matt Davis at Heineken for hooking it up. I think al the bands today should go see those guys for a primer on "how to rock 101". If Slash isnt the greatest rock n roll guitarist alive today, i dont know who is.

THIRSTY?
And last but certainly not least, Lori and I were in Las Vegas for Heineken Thirst Studios. Once again Im giving it up to Mike McCann from Heineken for some great time. I also have to thank Dirk from TAO for mad love at the door, and Glen at the Venetian for being a gracious dealer. I actually won like $1k playing black jack! Well, as my wife will tell you, I only made like $800 cus I "gave all her money" to glen as a tip...instant karma?

MY CURRENT TOP 5

MUSIC - DEFTONES "DRIVE"
TV - THE GIRLS NEXT DOOR
FILM - SPIDER-MAN 3 (IMAX)
STUFF - AVEENO SPF 45 SPRAY
FOOD - PAELLA DE NEGRA (SQUID INK!)
TRAVEL - SONG AIRLINES IN FLIGHT AUDIO/VIDEO
GUILTY PLEASURE - LINDSEY LOHAN
TECH - MY NEW LG LWHD8000R AIR CONDITIONER
FASHION? - MY NEW LOBSTER BOXER SHORTS
DRINK - HEINEKEN PREMIUM LIGHT CANS

OK, thats it for now, its almost 9pm and Im still at the office. Im off to the Golden Trailer Awards www.goldentrailer.com

More pictures & BS to come in the hours, days, and weeks ahead. seriously.

upcoming matt sightings:

June 9 - deftones @ roseland NYC
June 9 & 10 Big Apple BBQ Block Party @ Madison Square Park NYC
June 10 reverbnation presents: The Nillaz @ Cutting Room NYC
June 14 - Scott & Frankie with Special Guest @ Retox NYC

My Dog Ate My Blog 3

2007-04-05T17:34:00.000-05:00

Here I am blogging away again...3 times in like 2 months...not bad eh?
Since my last entry, much has happened so I figured it was time for me to share once again.

Where to start? Music? Life? Cookies?

OK Cookies it is...

My wife brought home these amazing cookies from Trader Joes the other day. You should find them and eat them. With Milk if possible. I promise you a moment or clarity. The cookie is basically a typical choclate chip cookie, but infused with peanut butter so its really a peanut butter choclate chip cookie. This may not sound as exotic as say a sausalito (my personal favorite pepperidge farm offering), but Im telling you, you will not be disapointed. I was actually at work today and was looking for a snack in the kitchen, and the next thing I knew was thinking about those cookies. Someone asked me something about a project we are workig on and all I could come up with was "Im going to choclate later". What does that mean? Anyways, like I said, go get some of those sweet choclaty peanut buttery morsels in your mouth ASAP, youll be glad you did...

Alrighty then. Lets see if I can write abot Music now that I have cookie on the brain...

I am making a huge effort to find and listen to new music. Not actually NEW in the sense that the band is unknown, unsigned, etc, although a lot of of the stuff Im checking out lately is just that, but also new to ME. I realized the other day that Im not on as many music promo lists as I used to be, and not getting all those sweet ass monthly new music compilations and demo subissions as I used to so I have to take it upon myself to do so. I also realized that my ipod is rampacked with a ton of great music, but most of it is stuff I know by heart (Van Halen, Guns n Roses, The Clash, The Who, Beasties, etc) I love all that stuff to death and I dont ever really tire of it, cus its soooo good, but I simply need to find some new meat for my sandwich feel me? So the first thing Ive done is to diligently (nice word eh?) download and listen to the free downloads that I get via email almost daily from thetripwire.com, itunes single of the week, billboard, cmj, and so on. I also got a hold of some Vice CDs I found lying around the office. Those joints are chock full a good tunes. I must get back on that mailing list! On top of that I was lucky enough to be sent to SXSW in Austin, TX for my job. All expenses paid. No real agenda aside from research. Hard to beat. I made it to some great shows by some bands Id heard of and some I just came across. Some of the highlights were Valient Thorr. These guys are insane and really rip it. VietNam. I thought for sure these Williamsburg hipsters were gonna be another Yeah Yeah Yeahs or indie alt rock thing, but instead I was treated to an awesome display of bluegrass inspired sounds that really made the Lone Star Beer in my mouth taste like heaven. That said, I am really in search of my new favorite band, so if you hear of anything that moves you and think it might move me, send me a link or whatever.

OK...How about Movies then?

I still havent seen 300. I hear its awesome. I will try and catch it asap. maybe even at the IMAX. Im dying to see Grindhouse. Tarantino & Rodriquez double exploitation feature. How can you beat a girl with a machine gun for a leg and Kurt Russel? Box Office Gold... Saw Flags of our Fathers on DVD. Very impressive to watch, but not a great film. More like Fags of our Fathers....Thank you for Smoking...decent...not blown away...Tenacious D...hilarious!...oh yeah and Babel...very good....Departed...VERY Good...and the other one with the dysfucntional family and the kids pageant...better than I would have guessed...and of course I did see Zodiac. I read that book when I was in middle school so I have to say the second I heard they were making it into a movie I was interested. Then I heard David Fincher was going to direct and since I loved Seven & Fight Club, I figured it would kick butt and although I wouldnt say it actualy kicked any butts, it was a great movie and worth going to the theatre for. I liked the soundtrack, the feel, the acting, and the fact that they showed a clip from dirty harry which kind of bit the Zodiac by calling their SF area killer Scorpio. Niiiice....Next big one for me is probably Spider Man 3 although I have to admit that even though Fantastic Four sucked soooooo badly I wil probably check out the new one featuring the Silver Surfer. C'mon the silver surfer is awesome, they have to realize F4 was crap, and really go big right? right?
god I hope so...my wife will kill me if I even try to make her watch it after I dragged her to the first peice of shit.

Speaking of my lovely wife....

I recently had my 2 year wedding anniversary. Hard to believe its been 2 whole years since we tied the knot. Just the same sometimes its hard to believe its only been 2 years. I guess thats good either way. Married life hasnt changed me much in some ways, but it has a lot in others. I dont think anyone really knows for sure whether things are going to go as planned or wind up as a major trainwreck on the evening news, but if you spend all your time worrying about things like that instead of enjoying your life it probably will go up in flames. So for me, its all about making the most out of the situation. Enjoying the good times, minimizing the bad, and really living instead of existing.

I think thats it for now. I ve got a great week ahead of me starting with tonight. My god buddy Scott Ian is going to be tearing the roof off RETOX rock bar in Chelsea with special guest Corey Taylor from Slipknot / Stone Sout. Holy Crapola!

Later.

>MH

KOTORI MAG & THE LAB 101

2007-03-03T13:26:00.000-05:00

If you havent already, head on over to www.kotorimag.com and check out the latest and greatest issue of KOTORI magazine. They are now officially monthly as a free downloadable PDF although you can still subscribe to or buy the printed issues.

For the record: THIS IS NOT A PAID ENDORSEMENT!!! I happen to like Kotori Mag. I like the folks who run it. I like the stuff they write about and the way it looks. Maybe you will too. So with that I once again reccomend you check it out and maybe tell a friend to do the same. I also love the good people at the lab 101 in LA. My old roomates Evan & Freddi C are fine and talented young minds. They used to call me "the parrot". Now I just miss them a lot. Go visit them and tell them the parrot sent ya. SQUWAAAUUUAAKKKK!!!

As long as Im doing the free plug bit, I may as well suggest that you if you happen to be in the LA area, to get on over to THE LAB 101 gallery space in Culver City, CA www.thelab101.com for this weekend opening.

Heres the gist:

~I WISH I WAS HERE

new paintings, sculptures and installation by ANDY HOWELL

MARCH 3 - MARCH 28, 2007

opening reception: Saturday March 3rd, 6-10pm
the artist will be signing copies of his book "Art, Skateboarding and Life" from 6-7pm

Guest DJ : MARK RAE

THE LAB101 GALLERY 8530-B Washington Blvd. Culver City, CA 90232
310 558 0911 / http://www.thelab101.com (map & directions)
gallery hrs. tue-fri 11am-6.30pm sat 12.30- 4.30pm

Press Release / ANDY HOWELL solo exhibition at The Lab 101 Gallery

Andy Howell grew up immersed in the 80‚s Virginia and DC punk, skate, surf and Hip Hop scene. Turning Pro In 1989, he went on to become a major influence in the style of street skating that help set the tone for the next 10 years. During his career as a top professional skateboarder, Howell received his Visual Communications degree and co-founded New Deal Skateboards, Element Skateboards, 411 video magazine, and Giant Distribution.

Through these outlets Howell developed his own unique graphic style of graffiti and cartoon influenced designs for skateboards and t-shirts. He founded Zero Sophisto Clothing, MTN, Girly Things Clothing, Freedom Video and Rowdy Industries. As Founder, President and Creative Director of Imagewerks, branding/advertising agency in California, Howell was responsible for major campaigns and promotions for such clients a McDonalds, Coca Cola, Activision‚s Tony Hawks Pro Skater Series, K2 Snowboards, Time Warner‚s Transworld Media Group, among others. After selling Imagewerks he set forth on adventures traveling across the globe for six months, hiking live volcanoes, surfing famous reef breaks in Bali, living on an island in Thailand, whitewater rafting at the source of the Nile, and trekking with the endangered mountain gorillas of Rwanda. Through these explorations he connected with many old and new friends along the way and interacted with artists from around the world in different languages and cultures. One central theme carried through it all: create new and exciting works of art.

While Howell‚s last solo exhibition in 2003 dealt with the painfully human reaction to the loss of his father, this current solo exhibition examines a human dilemma in a more playful manor. Howell chooses an array of mixed mediums that include all new works on paper and large sculptural formats to reflect his pictorial goal to examine∑'A history of the cultural dichotomy between abstract organic and synthetic geometry in the lost social tribes of tomorrow'.

ŒI WISH I WAS HERE‚ opens Saturday March the 3rd and runs until March 28th, 2007
For further information please contact The Lab 101 gallery @ 310 558 0911 / freddic@thelab101.com

'A history of the cultural dichotomy between abstract organic and synthetic geometry in the lost social tribes of tomorrow'
The goal is to show the currently existing tribes through the paintings and how they regress over time from organic abstraction to synthetic geometry, in their cultural understanding, social interaction, and self image. Basically we continue to evolve through a definitive series of regressive steps. We started as beautifully ornate organic abstractions filled with creativity and complexity, expressed though organically changing creative mood patterns. Our direction was unified, and we were all moving foward and working together as part of a whole being. Through religion, social institutions (like gangs, Hollywood, and business school), and technology we gave ourselves the illusion of progression through complexity. We added dimension to our personalities, we multitasked ourselves into splintered version 9.0, and our actual depth decreased. We could do more, but we continued to dilute our quality in order to produce more content. Thus the multiplicity of each person, his possible yield from a purely marketable product perspective, increased exponentially, while the value of each dimension of us as individuals decreased. We became complex configurations of one dimensional shards of personality, beautifully decorated monotone shells of our former selves. Empty input producing massive throughput without any significant output. We positioned ourselves on a grid of predictibility, in order that there be no new topics of conversation, just pre-processed blocks of jibberish that could easily be regurgitated in between meetings. 'How are you?' became an empty redundancy that could only be answered with the exact same phrase in same tone of voice. There was no answer, no exchange of feeling, just verbal filler that gave the illusion of interaction. And over time that emptiness became enough for us, and the meaningful content in our lives was provided by media. The grid of this new plastic society locked each one in, and our media addiction allowed us to medicate on others' dreams and tragedies, while we let go of our ability to share our own emotions. Our connectedness was replaced by connectivity, we cleared our hard disks to make room for RAM, disconnected from the network, and we became known as 'The Lost Social Tribes of Tomorrow.' - Andy Howell / Feb. 2007
http://www.andyhowell.com

Anywho, its Friday and almost 8pm EST and Im still at the office which is super lame, so Im gonna finish this sentence, click publish, then head out on the town.

enjoy your weekend. get out and do something for yourself and maybe someone else.

-MH

Blogzilla

2007-03-03T13:25:00.001-05:00

Per my usual hesitance to jump on any bandwagons, I have tried to resist the current trend of blogging, but since I have a lot to say, and need an easy way to say it, here I am Bloggin' Away...

Since this is my first official blog, but by no means my first published peice (yes I have been published outside of the net too...) I thought I would take a few moments to tell you who I am, and maybe what you can expect from this blog in the future. Assuming there is a future and I actually take the time to blog again.and again....

Sooooo about me...I was born and raised in Southern CT, just outside of NYC, where I now live (again). I grew up thinking I would be an artist, guitarist, or club owner. Although I professionally worked in all of those fields at one point or another, I currently keep the bills paid by working as a freelance marketing consultant to corporate brands and indy bands who want to take a stab at reaching the public eye in a hipper fashion than your typical ad campaign allows. Some of the cooler clients projects I have overseen include tour sponsorship campaigns for AT&T Wireless, RadioShack, American Express, and bands like The Rolling Stones. You may have heard of them? You can check out more about all of this at www.kingsize-usa.com

Ouside of work, I watch a TON of movies, a little TV, , eat out and cook to the best of my ability, and when time allows, or Im up to it, I go out to clubs/bars/concert halls for music events and the occasional comedy show. Sometimes I work out. Sometimes I dont. I play my guitar as much as possible. I sleep in on weekends. I have a gorgeous wife (2 yrs 3.27.07) who see's through all the scruff, bad habits, and temper issues enough to love me. We have no kids (yet?), but we do have a small dog named Harley, who pretty much gets what she wants...

I tend to make top 10 lists based on current things in my life. So why not, post one here & now:

MY Current Top 10:

DVD: The Departed
BEER: Pacifico
BAR: The Other Room
TECH: Lacie External Drive
EVENT: Pete Townshends Attic Jam
FOOD: BLT BURGER
MUSIC: Deftones Saturday Night Wrist
OTHER: IKEA PAX System
LIFE: Bringing my dog to the office
JOKE: Britney Spears on the Rampage!

OK then...enough for now. Im going to publish this and hope for the best!