Ground Control to Major Tom

When my daughter turned five, we threw her a party and invited half of her kindergarten class. The theme was space. I spray-painted fifteen five-gallon plastic cans silver and cut out a face hole in each one. I bought a ton of colorful buttons, stars and moons and the kids glued the buttons to their space helmets. When they put their helmets back on they had a hard time keeping the view hole forward and it turned into a demolition derby when they started dancing and banging into each other.

The four-hour party stretched to five, because everyone danced to the four hundred 45 singles I brought down to the basement along with my turntable and stereo system. Motown, British Invasion, Surf City, I Told the Witch Doctor, Monster Mash, and every 45 single novelty hit going back to 1958. The parents loved it, the kids went crazy, and I was in heaven.

I made fun things for my daughter and her friends; I played the music I love for five hours straight and danced with everybody. It was bliss.

Last night, at the “City Stories: Stoops to Nuts” storytelling show at Cornelia Street Café, similar feelings rushed through me. I invite great tellers and songsmiths to come perform. Artists, I admire for their talent and the power to engage me totally in their work. With the audience, I get to sit, listen, enjoy and participate in the show. I love my 45s, and I thoroughly enjoy curating this event.

Thank you, Leslie Goshko, Jim Hawkins, Bernie Libster, Jessie Murphyand Debby Schwartz for a great show, I deeply admire your talent and hope you came back next year.

As always, thank you Steve and Tiffany for making us welcome and keeping the customer satisfied. Welcome back, Tiffany!

Mumbo 6PM Tonight At Cornelia Street Cafe

Thinking of LaSalle Academy when Paul McCartney's "Mumbo," on the "Wild Life" Lp came out. The East Village in 1971 was an interesting & crowded forest.

We have a storytelling show tonight @ Cornelia Street Cafe and it's back to school time. Show @ 6pm, artists: Leslie Goshko, Jim Hawkins, Bernie Libster, Jessie Murphy, Thomas Pryor & Debby Schwartz. $7 gets you in and you receive one free drink. A swell deal. Hope to see you there, Tommy

All photographs here by Patrick Cullinan except Lp cover.

Carl Schurz Park 1973: The King Biscuit Flour Hour

I miss sitting on a stoop doing absolutely nothing for several hours with a few friends.

If you don't know, every street light pole in New York City used to have a regular electric socket in the base panel. If you popped the panel off you could plug in your music.

In the 1970s, we wheeled our Lp albums down Carl Schurz Park in a permanently borrowed Daitch Shopwell shopping cart, and lugged along a full stereo system to the park for the King Biscuit Flour Hour on Sunday nights. If we liked the artist we listened to the concert on the radio and delayed playing our own tunes. I remember a Band concert in 1976 we listened straight through.

Our act eventually got shot down by an angry Gracie Terrace mob. Our music bounced off their tall stone buildings. Their sheer walls were great for acoustics. Kicked out of Carl Schurz, we moved the party to John Jay Park where we were surrounded by less affluent neighbors.

Summer’s end put a dent in our stoop sitting, but that doesn’t mean we can’t tell a few stoop stories till it warms again.

Hi Folks, the next City Stories: Stoops to Nuts storytelling show at Cornelia Street Cafe is tomorrow,Tues @ Sept 13th @ 6pm.

Our artists: Leslie Goshko, Jim Hawkins, Bernie Libster, Jessie Murphy, Thomas Pryor & Debby Schwartz.

Admission: $ 7 including one free drink, a good deal and you'll leave with a smile.

Hope to see you there! be well, Tommy