The excellent website Mashable has declared today to be "Social Media Day". We've come to the point where we don't have to explain what social media is, and now it even gets it's own "day". With meetup events in over 90 countries, they are truly using the first two Ws in www. In New York, the flagship event will be held at The Mean Fiddler in Times Square:
Wednesday, June 30 Mashable Meetup in honor of Social Media Day
Drink specials: $4 Domestic Draft Beers $5 Well Cocktails $5 Glasses of Wine at: The Mean Fiddler 266 W. 47th St. (bet. Broadway & Eighth Ave.) New York, NY (212) 354-2950 TheMeanFiddlerNYC.com
World Cup action continues now with the second round. The top two finishers in each of the 8 groups advance to the knock-out round. There are sixteen teams left, including the USA. Schedule: Second Round: Saturday, June 26, 10am - Uruguay vs. South Korea Saturday, June 26, 2:30pm - USA vs. Ghana Sunday, June 27, 10am - Germany vs. England Sunday, June 27, 2:30pm - Argentina vs. Mexico Monday, June 28, 10am - Netherlands vs. Slovakia Monday, June 28, 2:30pm - Brazil vs. Chile Tuesday, June 29, 10am - Paraguay vs. Japan Tuesday, June 29, 2:30pm - Spain vs. Portugal
Quarter Finals Friday, July 2 - winners from June 26 & 27 Saturday, July 3 - winners from June 28 & 29
Semi Finals: Tuesday, July 6, 2:30pm Wednesday, July 7, 2:30pm
NYC comic John F. O'Donnell, co-producer of 50 First Jokes, extends that brilliant concept with his new show: 50 Best Jokes. Fifty of the funniest comedians in NYC gather at Comedy Below Canal to tell the very best piece of material that they have in their acts. Every comedian will be bringing their A+ game to the table for one epic comedic performance.
The featured comedians are an all-star team of New York City's rising comedic talent. They have been on or written for SNL, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, The Daily Show, Comedy Central, VHI, HBO, Letterman, College Humor, IFC, Leno, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Colbert Report, Montreal Just for Laughs Festival, Bonnaroo Festival, The Bridgetown Comedy Festival, Family Guy (say whaaat!?), Last Comic Standing and more.
I attended 50 First Jokes back in January. The jokes were raw, fresh and hilarious. Now, many of the same comics can hit you with their best stuff. So be prepared to laugh 50 asses off.
Tonight is the annual cruise hosted by our friends at T.G. Whitney's and Windfall. Thursday, June 24 Windfall-Whitney's 22nd Annual Booze Cruise $50 includes unlimited beer & special punch 2 Live DJs $50 Tickets on sale at: whitney-windfall.eventbrite.com Enjoy great views of The Statue of Liberty, The Brooklyn Bridge and more as you cruise down The Hudson into New York harbor. boarding 6:30pm leaving 7pm returning 10pm at: The Circle Line W. 42nd St. & Hudson River New York, NY
Tickets are also available at the bars: at: T.G. Whitney's 244 E. 53rd St. (bet. Second & Third Ave.) New York, NY (212) 888-5772 TGWhitneys.com
and...
Windfall Lounge & Grill 23 W. 39th St. (between Fifth & Sixth Ave.) New York, NY (212) 869-4606 WindfallNYC.com
The second in our series of Spotlight Artists, featuring NYC's musical talent. 2U calls itself "The World's Second Best U2 Show". This is, of course, out of respect for the original U2, so you have to admire their confidence. Comprised of music industry veterans, the U2 cover band's leader Joe Cumia was nice enough to answer our questions:
2U's Lineup Joseph Cumia - guitar and vox. Gene Marchello - lead vox. Denis Perry - bass and vox. Timothy Bellew - drums and sequencing.
How long have you been performing? How long performing in NYC?
10 years! I've been performing in NYC since the age of 17...but with this band, 10 yrs.
Past lives (i.e., previous bands, your early years, etc.): Collectively throughout the years and all members (past and present):
The Good Rats, Nine Days, Rotgut, Project Floyd, Evolution - The Journey tribute, 2112 - The Rush tribute, Swift Kick, The Young Breed, 40 Ft. Ringo, Blizzard of Oz - Black Sabbath tribute, New Life Crisis, and too many more bands that are notable, but not enough room to list... What are some of your favorite venues to play? Disney World Epcot Center (3 years in a row this year), corporate events at major convention centers around the world, Sleepy Hollow Country Club (Hung out with Bill Murray! He jammed with us and did a bunch of Caddyshack schtick...surreal man!!!)
What are some of your musical influences? Too many to list. Amongst many: Jimi Hendrix, Red Hot Chili Peppers, U2....obviously.
OK, time for some blatant self-promotion. What would you like to plug? 2U is only the first part of the bands full name... "2U-The Worlds 2nd Best U2 Show" is the full name of this band.
Where can we buy your music? 2U playing U2 music is not for sale...that would be illegal. Oh, right.
Tell us a story or anecdote about performing live in NYC: Played at Hillary Clinton fundraiser when she was running for president. Got to meet Bill Clinton, and talk health care with him, amongst other stuff, for a good 20 minutes. He then took the podium and said, "Oh My God! Can you guys believe that band 2U??!? That was eerie!! I've seen U2 many times, and I couldn't tell the difference! They even looked like the real thing!!!"
Any advice to someone just starting out? Don't ever turn down a paying gig... No matter how little the pay...WORK...WORK ....WORK! The money will get there...
Introducing a new feature on MurphGuide.com: Spotlight Artist (a.k.a. Artist of the Week, or Artist of the Day, depending on how frequently we update).
Our first featured artist is Michael James and his band, Midnight Mob. Band Lineup: Blackey- Lead Vocals Mickey Squeeze- Lead Guitar Spydyr- Rhythm Guitar Michael James- Drums Carly Quinn - Bass
How long have you been performing? And how long in NYC? Midnight Mob has been together since Feb. '09. Actually our very first gig was at Klub 45 Connolly's in Time Square in Feb 09'. They put us on at Midnight. What are your musical past lives (i.e., previous bands, your early years, etc.) I have been playing out since I was 13 so the past 9 years, and accomplished a couple of regional tours in that time. The younger members of the band: Blackey, Carly, and Spydyr have never performed in a band or had stage experience before joining the group. Squeeze has had a lot of teaching experience, but has been in and out of bands for most of his playing career.
What is your favorite venue to play? One of our favorites is Crash Mansion on Bowery. It has an awesome atmosphere. The crowd pushes right up to the front of the stage and they absolutely love our blend of psychedelic sex rock. Where can we hear/buy your music? You can hear our music streaming at our facebook fan page and on Myspace. We have been in talks with some indie and major labels. Right now we are planning a digital release of our single "Over Drive".
What are some of your musical influences: Guns 'N Roses, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Stone Temple Pilots, Buckcherry, Social Distortion, Joan Jett and the Black Hearts.
Tell us a story about performing live in NYC. One of our first shows in the city was at a club of some significant prestige. The show was double booked and on top of that the toilet was flooded, so went on at at about 2:30 in a very literal cesspool.
Do you have any advice to share with someone just starting out? Music is art, Music is passion, but it also is a business. Midnight Mob practices six days a week, promotes endlessly and we still feel we need to do more to become a better unit and get our music out there. Want to be in a successful band? You need to WORK for it and then WORK some more!
Can you recommend another local act we should feature on MurphGuide? Exemption. Bad ass three piece out of New York. They play Brooklyn and the city all the time. If you dig Midnight Mob you will love these guys. They have been called the heavy metal Beatles. [update: Exemption was featured here on MurphGuide on Aug. 2. 2010]
OK, time for some blatant self-promotion: What would you like to plug? Sunday, June 27th, 8:30pm Midnight Mob Live @ Main Stage Webster Hall Part of Emergenza US Finals All ages show, get your tickets from the band for $20 or at the door for $25. at: Webster Hall 125 E. 11th St. (bet. 3rd & 4th Ave.) New York, NY WebsterHall.com
Today is a great day for music lovers in New York City. The fourth annual Make Music New York takes place all day today in hundreds over venues and public spaces throughout the five boroughs. Monday, June 21 Make Music New York The annual, live, free musical celebration across the city. Hundreds of public spaces throughout the five boroughs become impromptu stages for over 1,000 free concerts. Musicians of all ages, creeds, and musical persuasions perform. makemusicny.org
Highlights of the day include: - Second Line: A New Orleans-style "second line" jazz parade. - IAMNY: Interactive Music. Two stages and four demonstration areas in the Meatpacking District - Xenakis in Central Park Celebrate the music of visionary Greek composer Iannis Xenakis - Play Me, I'm Yours - A public art installation by British artist Luke Jerram featuring 60 pianos in the parks and streets of New York - Mass Appeal - Hundreds of musicians to play pieces written for single types of instruments. For example, bagpipers will meet in Herald Square, cellists in Dag Hammerskjold Plaza, French horn players in Madison Square Park, guitarists in Union Square, etc. See the entire list here. - Play Hard - The MMNY Corporate Challenge pits guitar-slinging office workers from Accenture, Bloomberg LP, and HBO in a battle of the corporate bands.
There is no better place to celebrate Bloom's Day in New York City than at Ulysses'... Wednesday, June 16, 2010 Bloomsday Celebration at Ulysses' Celebrating James Joyce's famous novel and Ulysses' 7th anniversary a day of festivities starting at 11:30am
Bloom's Day commemorates the exploits Leopold Bloom, the protagonist in James Joyce's epic novel, Ulysses. (for more info. on Bloom's Day, check out Wikipedia)
Bloom's Day also marks the 7th anniversary of Ulysses' Folk House. Congratulations to Danny, Mike, Peter, Harry and all of our friends at Ulysses' on their anniversary. They will be celebrating all day and all night tonight, and believe me, those guys know how to throw a party. The schedule of festivities includes: - A carvery lunch: 11:30am - 3pm - Readings from Ulysses featuring acclaimed novelist Colum McCann: from 2pm - Anniversary drinks: 4:30 - 6:30pm - Live music: from 4:30pm - Music by Ulysses' Mark and DJ Joe Ballance - Complimentary drinks: 11:30pm - 12:30am at: Ulysses' 95 Pearl St./58 Stone St. (Hanover Square) New York, NY (212) 482-0400 Ulyssesfolkhouse.com
But wait, there's more... For other Bloom's Day commemorations, at American Irish Historical Society, Peter Jay Sharp Theatre, Greg Lord Studios, ETG Book Cafe (Staten Island) and on WBAI 99.5FM radio, visit: BloomsDayNYC.org
R.I.P. to the Town Tavern, the former hot spot on W. 3rd St. in Greenwich Village. They were once known for their creative marketing, wild parties and epic events, such as Halloween and their famous Cinco de Mayo parties, which used to have a line all the way down to Sixth Ave.
Although I will miss The Town Tavern circa 2004-2007, I do not lament the passing of what it had become. They had been going downhill for a while. By 2009, it seemed like they were just phoning it in. When they chose not to celebrate their 5th anniversary last fall, the writing was on the wall. They went out with a whimper (and burned bridges) this past Saturday afternoon. Sad.
The "under new management" sign was placed there by the new tenants. Good luck to the new owners, who also own Off the Wagon and several other bars in NYC.
Off the Wagon 109 MacDougal St. (bet. W. 3rd & Bleecker St.) New York, NY (212) 533-4487 NYCBestBar.com/off
They will close the place for renovations, and open up later this year. I hear it will be called "Three Sheets". I will let you know about it's opening when I find out.
Keats Restaurant and bar has become one of the top karaoke bars in New York City. So it was a perfect spot for "Gleeks" to gather to watch the season finale of "Glee". Alex from Keats helped keep the the party going by providing Three Olives vodka from 9-10pm
If you are interested in learning more about scotch whisky, what better place to start than at Whisky 101... Tuesday, June 8 Whisky 101 An all round guide to what's what in whisky, presented by Robin Robins from Compass Box. The curriculum includes: Whisky cocktails Bladnoch Knappogue Castle Linkwood Ledaig Glen Scotia 18 Hedonism
Ticket price is $55 plus tax and gratuity. Call 212-840-8413 and ask for Laura or Karoline to make a reservation. 7pm at: St. Andrew's 140 W. 46th St. (between 6th & 7th Ave.) New York, NY (212) 840-8413 StAndrewsNYC.com
They say that whisky is an acquired taste. So once you have acquired that taste, you can check out MurphGuide's list of scotch & whiskey bars in NYC.
Today, the Times Square Alliance presents the annual Taste of Times Square. Monday, June 7 Taste of Times Square Sample "tastes" of delicious signature dishes from Times Square's best restaurants Enjoy classic New York street performers Live entertainment:
Taste of Times Square food tickets can be purchased at the event and are redeemable for "tastes" and beverages at each of the booths. Tickets are $1 and tastes cost between 1 and 5 tickets. The main ticket booth at 46th St. and Broadway opens at 3pm; other booths throughout the neighborhood at 5pm
free admission 5pm - 8:30pm on: W. 46th Street (between Broadway & Ninth Ave.) New York, NY
Participating Restaurants include: Angus McIndoe Applebee's Aspen Social Club B. Smith's B.B. King Blues Club and Grill Bangkok House Barbetta Becco Bella Vita Bond 45 Bourbon Street Bar and Grille Brasserie 1605 Brooklyn Diner Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Carmine's Italian Restaurant Chevy's Da Rosina Restaurante Italiano Dave and Buster's Dervish Ellen's Stardust Diner Emmett O'Lunney's Irish Pub FireBird Russian Restaurant Gallagher's Steak House Gingers at the Doubletree Guest Suites Hard Rock Cafe Havana Central Hourglass Tavern Joe Allen Restaurant John's Pizzeria Junior's Restaurant Le Rivage Mama Sbarro Meson Sevilla Montenapo O'Lunney's Times Square Pub Orso Pasta Lovers Trattoria Patzeria Perfect Pizza Planet Hollywood Pomaire Ruby Foo's Sangria 46 Schnipper's Quality Kitchen Shula's American Steakhouse (Westin New York) Sofia Ristorante Italiano St. Andrew's Restaurant Swing 46 Jazz & Supper Club The House of Brews The Long Room The View at the New York Marriott Marquis The Paramount Hotel (Mezzanine Restaurant) Toloache Virgil's Real Barbecue
After you have sated your appetite, you can quench your thirst as some of these area bars: at: St. Andrew's 140 W. 46th St. (between 6th & 7th Ave.) New York, NY (212) 840-8413 StAndrewsNYC.com -------------------------------- The House of Brews 363 W. 46th St. (between Eighth & Ninth Ave.) New York, NY (212) 245-0551
---------------------------------- Bourbon Street 346 W. 46th St. (between 8th & 9th Ave.) New York, NY (212) 245-2030 BourbonNY.com
---------------------------------- The Long Room 120 W. 44th St. (between 6th & 7th Ave.) New York, NY 212 997-3933 TheLongRoomNYC.com ----------------------------------- Smith's Bar 701 Eighth Ave. (44th St.) New York, NY (212) 246-3268 SmithsBar.com ---------------------------------- Latitude 783 Eighth Ave. (between 47th & 48th St.) New York, NY (212) 245-3034 LatitudeBarNYC.com ------------------------------------
Our friends at McFadden's & Turtle Bay are opening a brand new bar this weekend, and they asked me to invite the MurphGuide readers (you!)... The Irish Exit Grand Opening Weekend-Bash Thursday June 3 through Saturday, June 5, 2010 Second Avenue's newest party pub, from the folks that brought you McFadden's, Calico Jack's and Turtle Bay. RSVP at steph.irishexit@gmail.com or by calling 212.755.8383
Thursday June 3 Grand Opening with Complimentary Drinks Complimentary Drinks & Passed Hor D'oeurves from 6-7pm Round 1 of their Cover Girl Contest at 11pm See who makes it to the Finals hosted by Vanilla Ice ----------------------------------- and then... Friday June 4 Grand Opening Presents Lucky Friday Irish-themed Happy Hour from 6-9pm with: Leprechauns, FDNY Pipes and Drums, corned beef sliders, $4 Guinness Pints and Jameson Shots all night long Late night beer chug contest ------------------------------------ and then... Saturday, June 5 Stop! Collaborate! and Listen! with Vanilla Ice Hosted by the one and only Vanilla Ice. (yes, that Vanilla Ice) Vanilla Ice will be at The Irish Exit NYC hosting the cover girl finals, rapping and pouring shots of Jagar all night long.
Call Stephanie @ 212.755.8383 to set up your VIP ACCESS and Drink Specials! Space is limited. RSVP for each night you would like to attend. Your confirmation will be emailed to you.
The Irish Exit will offer an extensive and creative menu of upscale Irish American cuisine. Signature dishes include shepherd’s pie, fish and chips, and of course the Dublin burger topped with a beer-battered onion ring. A traditional Irish brunch menu will also be served until 3pm on weekends, including a prix fix option to include bloody Marys and mimosas.
Open Daily 11:30am - 4am or until the last shot of Jameson goes down! Serving Lunch, Dinner, and Weekend Brunch Dress code: casual but neat
The Irish Exit 978 Second Ave. (between 51st & 52nd St.) New York, NY 212.755.8383 IrishExitNYC.com
With meetup events in over 90 countries, they are truly using the first two Ws in www.
The Mean Fiddler
