Happy Ending Lounge Performance with Claudia Chopek and Ward White

Here's a video of Claudia Chopek, Ward White & I performing my story, "Vinyl Medication," at Happy Ending Lounge on July 9th ~ part of Mr. Beller's Neighborhood Reading Series.
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Thank you, Claudia & Ward for trying something new with me. Thank you, Patrick Gallagher, Jean Paul Cativiela and Tom Beller for the opportunity.
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click on the arrow on the bottom left to start
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Check out Claudia & Ward's terrific work.
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http://www.myspace.com/claudiachopekmusic
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http://www.wardwhite.net/index2.html
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My Melancholy Baby

Hi, this is the Honorable Ann Pryor Rode, I just heard about tonight's show.
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I'm skipping the Fifty Fifty Club, canceling Bingo, and rescheduling the Cherokee Club Dinner Dance committee meeting.
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Though, I passed on six years ago, what kind of grandmother would I be if I can't come back and cheer my star boarder grandson on.
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I'm counting on Yorkville Casino quality entertainment tonight, but if Tommy stinks, I'm prepared to take over the mike and get the show on the road.
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See you at Happy Ending Lounge @ tonight @8pm
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http://www.happyendinglounge.com/2005/
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Why do you grieve?
Try and believe
Life is always sunshine
When the heart beats true
Banish your fears
Smile through your tears
When you're sad
It makes me feel the same as you...
Come to me my melancholy baby
Cuddle up and don't be blue
All your fears are foolish fancy, maybe
You know, dear, that I'm in love with you;
Every cloud must have a silver lining
Wait until the sun shines through
Come on and smile, my honey dear,
While I kiss away each tear
Or else I shall be melancholy too...
(music, Ernie Burnett, lyrics, George A. Norton)
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Next Cherokee Club Outing ~ Tommy's Reading Tomorrow Night ~ Thursday, July 9th @ 8pm

"Annie, Isabel here. I've got the bus ready for Tommy's reading tomorrow night. Woody will pick us up in front of the Cherokee Club on 79th Street. I put a crate of rotten peaches in the back. No, not Alberta, the Cling peaches. This way, if Tommy stinks we can rocket a few off his head."

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July 9th @ 8pm @ Happy Ending Lounge

302 Broome Street (between Forsyth and Eldridge Streets)

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part of Mr. Beller's Neighborhood Reading Series

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Tommy, Claudia Chopek & Ward White storytell with song

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see the link below for directions, please come.

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thanks, Tommy

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http://www.happyendinglounge.com/2005/

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Picture Book

Picture yourself
when you're getting old.
Sat by the fireplace
a pondering on.

Picture book,
pictures of your mama,
taken by your papa,
a long time ago.
Picture book,
of people with each other,
to prove they loved each other,
a long time ago.

(song by Ray Davies)

Trust

"Stop moving your nose."

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Alison reminded me of Elizabeth Montgomery playing Samantha on Bewitched. When I rubbed sun tan lotion on her nose, Alison's head would keep still, but her nose would take off like a whirly bird. I'd stretch the ritual out so I could watch her make a thousand faces.

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One of our favorite games was "Trust." She'd run the length of the couch and dive off like Wile E. Coyote. I'd be on the floor and the deal was I'd catch her as close to the ground as possible without her crashing. She'd take off like a madman and go up four, five feet in the air, trying to go past my arms, daring me to drop her. Lots of close calls, but no emergency room visits. Nothing compares to the powerful faith Alison had in me during that game.

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Today, Alison worked Elixir Juice Bar, a smoothie store on Hudson Street. I biked there to visit her. The place got busy. For 45 minutes, I read & watched Alison handle the best and worst of New York. She ran the place working alone. No sweat, no scenes, just satisfied customers.

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Liberty

Liberty is a precious gift, treasure it, protect it, don't abuse it.

Tuesday on the Hudson

Last Tuesday, the terrible weather didn't stop love from appearing on the Hudson. Biking north, Alison and I spied folks enjoying the river in the rain. There was a retired couple playing dominoes under two umbrellas, the lady was winning and after I asked permission to photograph them, and they said yes, she shyly slipped her head under her black umbrella.

We saw a solitary lady not alone with her companion, her dog. Never saw her face but all the energy from behind said she was fine.

While love sprouted in the drizzling rain, south of the scene the sky was clearing over the lower bay.
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Come Celebrate @ Thursday, July 9th @ 8pm

Tommy Pryor’s Reading ~ Next Thursday ~ Free Show

July 9th @ 8pm @ Happy Ending Lounge

302 Broome Street (between Forsyth and Eldridge Streets)















I’m so excited, I’m dribbling.

Come celebrate the publication of my first story in a book, Thursday, July 9th @ 8pm @ Happy Ending Lounge @ 302 Broome Street. The story, Madame Butterfly Goes Down, is part of Thomas Beller's new diverse anthology, Lost & Found: Stories from New York, Vol. 2, coming out July 21st.

Mr. Beller’s Neighborhood’s Reading Series invited me down & I'm reading two stories with musical accompaniment from two terrific string artists, Claudia Chopek & Ward White, There will be song. Please come, you'll have fun, promise. Be well, Tommy


Take the B, D train to Grand Street
Take the J, M, Z to Bowery.
Take the F to Delancey.
See Happy Ending Lounge link below for further travel details.
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http://www.happyendinglounge.com/2005/
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Cow Chasers on 10th Avenue ~ Yahoo!

Cowboys as cow chasers?
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Before the High Line elevated freight trains above the west side streets, there were cowboys on 10th & 11th Avenues shooing carts, vehicles and people off the street bed when the trains rolled by.
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The High Line is a section of the former elevated freight railroad of the West Side Line, along the lower west side of Manhattan. It runs from 34th Street near the Javits Convention Center to Gansevoort Street in the Meat Packing District of the West Village. The High Line was built in the early 1930s by the New York Central Railroad and was an active railway until 1980.

It's Good for Your Body, It's Good For Soul

Ladies and gentlemen,The golden age of rock and roll....

Everybody hazy, shell-shocked and crazy.

Screaming for the face at the window.

Jeans for the genies, dresses for the dreamies,
Fighting for a place in the front row.

Ohhh, ohhh, ohhh(its good for your body, its good for your soul)

Ohhh, ohhh, lets go!(its the golden age of rock and roll).

Well you getta little buzz, send for the fuzz,

Guitars getting higher and higher.

The dude in the paint thinks hes gonna faint,

Stoke more coke on the fire.

Ohhh, ohhh, ohhh(you gotta stay young, you can never grow old)

Ohhh, ohhh, whoooa(its the golden age of rock and roll).

The golden age of rock and roll will never die,

As long as children feel the need to laugh and cry.

Dont wanna smash - want a smash sensation,

Dont wanna wreck; just recreation,
Dont wanna fight - but if you turn us down

Were gonna turn you around gonna mess with the sound.

The shows gotta move, everybody groove

There aint no trouble on the streets now.

So if the going gets rough,Dont you blame us

You ninety-six decible freaks

Ohhh, ohhh, ohhh(its good for body, its good for your soul)

Ohhh, ohhh, whoooa(its the golden age of rock and roll).

Ohhh, ohhh, ohhh(you gotta stay young, you can never grow old)

Ohhh, ohhh, whoooa(its good for body, its good for your soul)

Ohhh, ohhh, whoooa(its the golden age of rock and roll).

Ohhh, ohhh, ohhh(you gotta stay young, you can never grow old)

Ohhh, ohhh, whoooa(its good for body, its good for your soul)

Ohhh, ohhh, whoooa(its the golden age of rock and roll).

That's all...

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Music saved my soul, I have no doubt. Off to the Losers Lounge show at Joe's Pub after a fantastic afternoon of bicycling to the GW Bridge and back down to the Brooklyn Bridge and finished with a spin through Central Park. Life is good.

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