After the intro and starting about 40 seconds in, the drummer for Rick K. & the Allnighters (who book themselves as ‘America’s most exciting show band’) does some of the most entertaining drumming you’re likely to see any time soon.
Feature Photo from Rick K. & The Allnighters’ website.
Abbott and Costello meet the Wolfman and the Mummy and The Phantom of the Opera: mrflip, Feature Photo: Corey Leopold
Without a doubt, all artists are influenced by their environments, but perhaps not so much as Scott Wade who makes compelling images from a substance most regard as a nuisance and the Federal Highway Administration regards as a hazard: dirt on the windshield.
…and The Phantom of the Opera and Dracula and Frankenstein: mrflip
Wade is a Texas artist who lives at the end of a dirt road that coats the driver’s rear windshield in seconds. This may have been the impetus for the work, but as you can see in this video, he’s developed the process into a science, now requiring an even application of dirt blown with a hair dryer onto the wet sponge prepped glass.
The ephemeral pieces are washed clean by the elements, presenting fresh opportunities to create.
Surely a people pleaser, you might not believe Wade is making any statement at all with his virtuosic subtractive process.
While many artists invest their egos in the preservation of their work, Wade sees the temporal quality as a plus and a metaphor for life itself saying, “It’s a very…spiritual message, too… We’re not here forever…You gotta just enjoy life as it goes by.”
Community Connection
Matador is all about art for the people. Check out our Street Art Focus Page for more art that gets exposed to the elements.
We all know about pedestrian fetishes like those for feet and trampling. But there are some that push the boundaries, eroticizing the everyday, the average, and the incomprehensible.
For most of us, these are about as exciting as watching dust accumulate. For those with very specific tastes, there’s nothing more arousing than a woman blowing her nose or an overinflated balloon.
While you may scoff, don’t write the fetishist off. Just think of how generous they may be when indulging your freakiness after searching for years for someone to enthusiastically stomp toys for them or cheer them on while they writhe in lycra.
And while it might not make sense to you, imagine the ease of a life that requires nothing more to achieve satisfaction than a warm exhaust pipe or a pile of down parkas. No messy breakups. No awkward first dates.
Balloons
The people who put videos of their children with balloons on the internet ought to be cognizant of the fact that there are people out there (AKA ‘looners’) for whom the act of blowing up balloons is erotic. Blowing, popping – the suspense – it’s undeniable.
This guy was plausibly caught unaware, posting himself blowing up a balloon until it popped. Surprised at the number of views he got, it seems there is a certain percentage of erotic balloon enthusiasts who prefer their blowers wistfully unaware of their erotic powers.
If the human quotient is too cumbersome, sometimes it’s all about the balloon.
Buster is especially animated and entertaining. Just look at that twinkle in his eyes.
Nose Blowing
Don’t believe me? Go ahead and check out the comments in YouTube if your skeptical.
Unitards
A quick search for zentai or unitard on eBay will reveal a world you never imagined. It’s not about getting undressed, but about being completely covered and perhaps further immersed in water or mud.
Many of us experience momentary disgust with ourselves in those moments after bring ourselves to climax, but what about this guy? He’s got a good hour of cleanup ahead of himself once the afterglow fades.
Tickling
It’s easy to understand how tickling can be eroticized. If the axiom that fetishes come from mildly traumatizing experiences in early childhood is true, it’s a wonder more of us aren’t tickle freaks.
Object Crushing
While for most, the idea of being trampled may be abhorrent, there is some human contact there, and the trope of dominance and submission we can all comprehend, even if it leaves us cold.
Less relatable is the fetish for seeing objects crushed. I’m curious if, for those whose heart rates rise watching these, there is some projection happening in which the object is the viewer’s surrogate.
Is this fixation what happens when you stomp and destroy little Timmy’s favorite toy car?
Peanut Butter
One man’s lunch is another man’s orgasm.
Mummification
This is all about isolation. Ironically, it is incredibly dangerous if done unsupervised. The mummy can easily suffocate or asphyxiate.
A whole BBC five documentary was made about men who have sex with cars. One man has ironically named his car Vanilla. Paradise by that dashboard light?
Apotemnophilia is written about rather extensively in Wikipedia. It is the erotic desire to have a limb removed. What provokes sympathy and mortification at the thought of being caught staring in most is a deep source of arousal for others. Those who get off watching these may not simply be objectifying these people, but imagining themselves in their place.
As with nearly every fetish you see here, this fetish is often combined with the love of feet (or foot) and footwear.
Parkas
If you’re thinking of picking up your next parka at the Goodwill, you might want to make sure you run it by the cleaners before wearing it. Don’t get any ideas about this guy, ladies. A glance at his left hand lets us know he’s taken.
Destruction of the fetishized object:
Community Connection
We’ve all got our quirks. Do you see the appeal? Help the rest of us see reason in the comments below.
Philadelphia may be home to the cheesesteak, but you should take a break from comparing Pat’s with Geno’s and Jim’s to sample what this food-loving city has to offer.
Huitlacoche Quesadillas
Even though I’m from California, and lived within a half-hour drive of the Mexican border for 4 years, I’d never tried those quesadillas filled with corn smut until I encountered them at La Lupe, located in of all places, the Italian Market on 9th Street.
These days, the market is becoming increasingly Mexican, with Spanish music blaring from radios and restaurants offering tastes from south of the border. Just down the street from shops selling fresh pasta and cured meats, you can find tacos and quesadillas to rival any found in Southern California.
Hand-drawn Noodles
The Chinese have had a presence in Philadelphia since 1860, and today its Chinatown is the third-largest in the United States. An ethnic quarter of that size usually means that there are a good number of authentic restaurants to savor, including Nan Zhou Hand Drawn Noodle House, specializing in China’s famous hand-stretched pasta.
While you won’t see the chef stretching and flinging dough at this low-key restaurant, the noodles are nice and chewy, and the egg and vegetable option, at $4 for a generously portioned bowl, makes for a refreshing, bargain-priced meal.
Malaysian food
Philadelphia’s Asian food scene isn’t limited to the cuisine of China. Philly is home to a number of Malaysian restaurants, which offer tropical, spiced up dishes like mango chicken and Indian mee goreng. If you’ve been sampling cheesesteaks, you’ll probably need a break from the cheez whiz.
Banana Leaf in Chinatown is one popular and inexpensive choice, while Aqua, a stone’s throw from the site where the founding fathers declared their independence, offers a more chic setting.
Ice Cream
I’m convinced that the best Italian-style gelato to be found outside Italy is in Philadelphia, at Capogiro Gelato’s three downtown locations. The Thai coconut milk flavor is probably the most heavenly I’ve ever tasted, although the fruit flavors are very nice as well, especially since many are locally sourced from Lancaster County farms.
But if it’s an all-American scoop of vanilla or cookies and cream that you’re looking for, Bassett’s Ice Cream has been serving up classic favorites from behind its historic counter in the Reading Terminal Market since 1893. If you want to be decadent and go for a hot fudge sundae or banana split, Franklin Fountain, though less than a decade old, successfully recreates the old-fashioned ice cream parlor and soda fountain experience.
Water Ice
Unlike the coarse icy texture of the snow cones you grew up with, water ice, Philly speak for Italian ice, is smooth and fruity, which makes for a refreshing way to cool off on a hot, humid Philadelphia summer day. There are a number of stands and shops selling the popular treat around the city, including Rita’s Water Ice and Philadelphia Water Ice franchises.
Israeli food
Yet another international cuisine is on display in one of the city’s most renowned restaurants. Zahavcelebrates the Israeli heritage of the head chef, and does so ingeniously. It’s best to come with friends so you can sample an array of the delicious Mediterranean-style small plates, like hummus, house-made merguez, and Cypriotic sheep’s milk cheese, all prepared to perfection.
There’s not a single falafel to be found in this classy restaurant.
Brunch
Brunch is my favorite meal, and it’s hard to pass up a good brunch spot. Sabrina’s Cafe, with two locations, is a local favorite. The menu is extensive, filled with an enticing array of sweet and savory morning dishes like stuffed caramelized challah French toast with vanilla bean maple syrup and the egg white frittata with turkey bacon, spinach, tomatoes, and provolone.
Vegetarians are easily accommodated here, and those who feel left out of the city’s cheesesteak craze can consider trying Sabrina’s meatless version made with seitan.
Brunch can also be found inside the famed Reading Terminal Market. The Dutch Eating Place serves up Amish breakfasts, while Down Home Diner, evocative of the classic diners of the 1950s, has a southern flavor. Both locations offer scrapple, a local invention of pork scraps and trimmings combined with cornmeal, flour, and spices formed into a mush.
If you know the song, it’s now jammed in your brain for about 24 hours. The track was written about a market street in Brixton (London). Released in 1982, the single reached #2 in both the USA and The UK.
Bob Dylan “Positively Fourth Street”
This song was not release on an album, rather as a single to bridge the gap between Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde. There is some debate but it seems most likely that the 4th Street in question is an area of Greenwich Village where Dylan once lived.
Famed music critic Dave Marsh checked the tune as “an icy hipster bitch session”.
Back in the day, this would have been the place to go if you were looking for a male prostitute. The song’s geographic location pinpoints the nexus of the homosexual hooker trade in the 1970’s.
Written by Dee Dee Ramone, there has long been speculation that this track might be based on money that he earned himself on this corner. A must for Ramones fans.
Iron Maiden “22 Acacia Avenue”
“Acacia Avenue” is another way of saying “Main Street” in England – there are at least sixty Acacia Avenues in Great Britain. Maiden uses it here as a setting for the second song in their Charlotte the Harlot series. This track precedes “The Number of the Beast” on the album of the same title, one of heavy metal’s must-haves.
Counting Crows “Sullivan Street”
Male hookers here. Photo by google.
From Counting Crows’ debut, this track recounts a mopey trek home. It’s a great album track from a classic album, despite having one of the most pained high-school-student lyrics out there (“I’m almost drowning in her sea.”)
Old 97’s “Broadway”
This song is seemingly written while singer Rhett Miller was put up in a spiffy Times Square hotel room which “costs as much as my own apartment”. Taken from the album Too Far To Care, which is considered by many as an alt-rock classic.
Simon & Garfunkel “The 59th Street Bridge Song”
OK, technically it’s about a bridge but cut me some slack. “Bleeker Street” would have been too easy. Also known to many as “Feeling Groovy”, the song reminds people to “slow down, you move too fast.”
Steve Young “Seven Bridges Road”
You’ll might know this song as covered by The Eagles from their 1980 live album but it was originally recorded by Steve Young. “Seven Bridges Road” is the disputed name of the road that leads to Hank Williams’ grave. It’s been covered by both poofy-haired glam metal-ers (Firehouse) and poofy-haired country singers (Dolly Parton).
Not listed because it’s not real. Photo by loneprimate
Rolling Stones “2120 South Michigan Avenue”
This instrumental jam refers to the address of Chess Records, where the song was recorded for the band’s second EP (later to be released on their second album 12×5 in 1964).
Straylight Run “Sunrise Highway”
Officially “Your Name Here (Sunrise Highway)”, this song is one cover version away from being a smash. The singer asks you to go east on Long Island’s Sunrise Highway, then go left at Carman Avenue. Then go right at the first stoplight and, allegedly, the love of your life will be standing there waiting for you.
It would be neat to hear a hit that could have been written with Mapquest directions.
What’s your favorite location based song? Tell us in the replies.
Drugs and alcohol are the fuel of the service industry. In high school, most of my stoner buddies were working in restaurants and as ‘experimentation’ became habit, high school diploma or not, most of them stayed in kitchens or serving tables, moving on to fine dining establishments as the years wore on.
Bourdain – a mouthpiece of the awkwardly named ‘haute stoner cuisine’ movement. Photo and feature photo: richcianci
One thing didn’t change: the steady supply and use of drugs and alcohol that turns that pasted on smile worn while turning tables, or the grim look of concentration worn while coordinating 20 orders at the same time into a perma-grin at the end of the night as the staff go from serving to being served in bars.
Cathcart’s piece seems mainly to be based on a theory posited by Anthony Bourdain that the new wave in extra-satisfying, stimulating food, be it from a mobile taco cart or the Ritz Carton is the result of marijuana fueled inspiration and cravings.
‘There has been an entire strata of restaurants created by chefs to feed other chefs,’ Mr. Bourdain said. ‘These are restaurants created specially for the tastes of the slightly stoned, slightly drunk chef after work.’
While much credit seems to be given to pot here, little is given to the organic/slow food movements and their rebellion against the mass produced product readily available in every restaurant and grocery store.
No mention is made of a food culture that is forced to compete with our ever rising need for stimulation based on technology and the speed of our societies, or the need to vie for attention with scientifically developed food designed to keep us craving it that is readily available at fast food restaurants from the US to Thailand.
According to Bourdain, Crif Dog is an indication of a movement afoot (long). jasonlam
While stoner chef Vinny Dotolo is quoted as saying, “I always call it the Big Mac effect,” going on to extol the virtues of the flavors and textures of the burger, and further, “It’s that thing where you’re trying to hit all the senses,” we read nothing of the consumer aspect of this phenomenon and the way it has shaped our tastes and desires as a culture.
I guess that’s not what the article is about, but it seems pertinent. Especially as we seem to be on the cusp of marijuana becoming another legal commodity.
Is it any wonder when we can get KFC’s Double Down (a lab developed “sandwich” that combines two chicken patties dunked in a chemical bath of batter gang banging some jack cheese and a hefty portion of bacon into submission and slathered in “Colonel’s Sauce”) for $5 in less than five minutes that chefs are developing dishes like the Lincecum?
Really, I’m surprised that there are no combination spoon/remote controls and that a chef has yet to develop a four course meal with a big screen in surround sound, each course coordinated to be delivered during crucial plot points in classic movies (Sicilan with The Godfather, Mexican with Like Water for Chocolate) for a deeper experience. Should we just chalk it up to marijuana culture and leave it at that?
Increasing portion size may have less to do with kitchen culture’s shift from cocaine (which I’m sure is alive and well there as it ever was) to marijuana and more to do with our culture’s demands in a more global way.
If one thing will never change it’s that those who are in love with pot are likely to connect everything to it besides the fact that they can’t remember where they put their keys – and that includes trends in cuisine.
While there seems to be an emphasis on quality of ingredients and the cuisine in general, as parallels are drawn within the article to the gourmet-ification of coffee, food, liquor and even the marijuana itself, there is a way in which many of these dishes seem out of reach of the average person who will satisfy their munchies like any other kitchen scrub when we’ve spent our last $100 bill on that bag of weed – over at the Taco Bell.
There is nothing that closes off a killer night out like a burger, some greasy fries and a soda. The fat and carbs from neon-bathed diners help to absorb the evening’s over-consumption, thus reducing the potential of an inconvenient hangover.
In fact, the restorative properties of poutine, for example, have been proven by scientists. And by “scientists” I mean “frat-boys-who-study-leisure-sciences.” I don’t necessarily trust that crowd, but their research has been an integral contribution to formulating a perfect party night. The last leg of an epic evening ends better with comfort food.
Here are 5 Montréal greasy spoons to keep your adventures fuelled.
Voted #1 “Best Late-Night Eats” by Montréalers, La Banquise is Montréal’s poutine institution. There are poutines here that you never knew existed, such as the Kamikaze Poutine (Merguez sausage, hot peppers and Tabasco).
If your gurgling stomach can’t take the heat, they have classic poutine down to an art form. Simple and delicious.
The hot Lebanese bakery infamous among students and 24-hour party people, this is a great choice for cheap, but delicious eats. The Manakish is a mainstay of the bakery, but they also serve up pizza and salads. Finish up with fresh baklava. It’s Arabic fast food done right.
This classic style diner in the Gay Village features tons of table space and the comforting pulse of dance remixes. In the summer, stretch out under the stars on their patio. Go for the club sandwich. Obviously.
Throughout the streets of Montréal, you’ll find “$0.99” pizza joints scattered like Celine Dion albums at a used record shop. If you’re in a pinch, they’ll suffice. However if you’re hankerin’ for quality, Angela delivers a crispy crust and generous toppings. No seriously, she’ll deliver it if you want.
Pizza is probably one of the most subjective foods in the world. What’s gross to you might be perfectly normal to the next person. Even if that means cooking guinea pigs.
Emu
The Australian Heritage Hotel in Sydney offers many odd pizza choices. What could be crazier than Salt Water Crocodile or Pepper Kangaroo? In my book: BBQ Emu. For those not familiar, an emu is a large, f-ugly, flightless bird that looks like it’s carrying a tiki hut on its back. I’m betting that it doesn’t taste like chicken.
French Fries. Gnarly. Photo by author.
Labane
Sometimes used as a pizza-enhancer in Israel, Labane is a sour, strained yoghurt-cheese. Pictures of labane make me think that this somehow might be a winner – if a cheese as tart as goat cheese can work on more exotic pies, why couldn’t this one? A close relative, paneer, is often used in India.
Squid Ink
You can always count on Japan for turning food concepts on their head. This pizza finds tomato sauce replaced by the goo that comes out of a squid’s funnel. Given its notoriety for staining, I can only imagine that any mouth would look like that of a zombie after eating this pie.
Mayonnaise
Order a Mayo Jaga pizza in Japan and you’ll get mayonnaise, potato and bacon. I’m completely confused why the British didn’t create this pizza first, as it combines three of the most beloved recipe ingredients in the whole Kingdom.
Not only is it a great first pet, it’s also perfect when smooshed with cheese. Pizzas de Cuy have been sighted in the Andes, where eating this animal appears to be a delicacy. The meat is high in protein and low in fat and cholesterol, which makes it a much more appealing option than KFC’s Double Down.
Plenty of Fish
Many kinds of fish have been tossed on pizza, including the disgusting bacala concept. What beats that? A “mockba” pizza in Russia will allegedly land you toppings that include sardines, tuna, mackerel and salmon. Call it an aquarium on a pie.
French Fries
This egregious toppings is a parlour trick for tourists. I’ve seen it many tourist traps around the globe and can report that it tastes soppy and oily. Steer clear! This is among the worst in the world.
A hot debate on the pizza circuit, most people have a decisive opinion about as to whether corn should be involved in pizza making. Having never tried a pie with corn, I’d probably vote “yes”, as long as it was on the sweet and softer side and not something bright yellow and from a can.
Grapes
Most likely based on the Tuscan classic grape focaccia, this fruit has infiltrated high end pizzerias and looks to be a new trend.
Gherkin
I draw the line at pickles but many others don’t, especially in New Zealand. Not only are gherkins on the menu at the Hell Pizza chain, but so is cranberry sauce. Ridiculous.
Dateline 1985. Rallied by Ronnie James Dio, some of heavy metal’s biggest names gathered to create the rock answer to “We Are The World”.
I’d been buying every magazine I could find, poring over the details of metal’s who’s-who charity song, which followed on the heels of “We Are The World.” Six months passed before it would air (the record labels reportedly argued about clearances) but when it did, on January 1, 1986, I had BOTH of my family’s VHS recorders recording The Making Of Stars and the world-premiere video.
I watched it no less than 62 times in 24 hours.
Written by Dio and then-bandmates Jimmy Bain and Viv Campbell, “We’re Stars” contained some decidedly Dio lines (“We can be strong. We are fire and stone. We all want to touch a rainbow.”). Whereas other charity songs focused on, you know, the problem at hand, this song’s hook centered around the participants. The chorus goes:
Nevertheless, it raised a million bucks and featured an all-star cast of the metal scene, including members of Judas Priest, Quiet Riot, Dokken, Iron Maiden, Mötley Crüe, Twisted Sister, Queensrÿche, Blue Öyster Cult, and Spinal Tap.
The unedited version contains perhaps the sickest guitar solo in metal history, with licks by Yngwie Malmsteen, George Lynch, Brad Gillis, Neal Schon, Vivian Campbell and Craig Goldy (among others).
Photo of Lena Horne from Till the Clouds Roll By: Wikipedia
As a child, I remember hearing my parents’ Lena Horne records. All I really knew about her was the way she sounded when she sang and the way it made me feel: dreamy, floaty, turning dust motes into magic. What I didn’t know about her could fill a book and it has. Horne died Sunday, May 9 at the age of 92.
Lena Horne singing Stormy Weather in 1943 from the movie of the same name:
Horne was in 22 films between 1938 and 1994. She recorded 32 records between 1942 and 2006, and won four Grammys (and was nominated for eight). There’s so much more to say about her than that, though.
Horne’s life is a fascinating look into the history of the United States through the lens of an immensely talented performer for whom a choice in movie roles or songs had weighty political implications. As the first Black movie star signed to a contract with a major studio (MGM), she was able only to play roles in which she could be replaced with a white actress in versions released in the southern United States.
From the NPR page excerpting Buckley’s interview with Terry Gross from 1986:
“She was Walter White and Paul Robeson’s test case,” explained Buckley. “She was a test case for the NAACP which had decided that they were going to change the image of Hollywood. … That made her the enemy of a lot of black actors in Hollywood, who were very upset. They said, ‘You’re trying to take work away from us. There will be no more jungle movies. There will be no more old plantation movies. What are you trying to do?’ And Paul Robeson said to her, ‘These people aren’t important. The people who matter are out there — the Pullman porters, those people. And they want to see a new image. And you have to do it.’ “
Her second marriage to MGM conductor and arranger Lennie Hayton (white) preceded the legalization of interracial marriage by three years and was a secret daughter Gail didn’t understand having to keep until Loving v. Virginia.
Lena Horne with Bill Robinson from Stormy Weather Photo: manitou2121
From her start singing at the Cotton Club at the age of 16 to her refusal to perform for segregated audiences during WWII, as star of film, stage and nightclub, Horne was a Black star at a crucial time before and during the civil rights movement and was in the thick of politics, often to the detriment of her career.
Her family, from her dapper gambling father to her nightclub performing mother, and ‘bourgeois’ Harlem grandmother who disapproved of any job for a young lady aside from teaching all influenced young Lena Horne. The snippets of the family dynamic re-aired on Fresh Air are a fascinating glimpse into a courageous life that touched many and ultimately made the world a better place.
A 1996 PBS American Masters episode was based on Gail Lumet Buckley’s book, Lena Horne: In My Own Voice, which you can watch in its entirety at the website.
Community Connection
Did you check out PBS’s American Masters series? Catch the NPR interview of Gail Lumet Buckley or read her book? We’d love to read your thoughts below.
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