I Love Paris When It Sizzles

This weekend, I saw two films: Gainsbourg & Midnight in Paris. I have the City of Light on my mind and easily could slip under its spell.

Two apples love Paris in the summer when it sizzles.

*****************************

Tomorrow night, I'm part of a terrific storytelling show in Washington Heights.

Please, Come on up!

Word Up! Bookshop

4157 Broadway (between 175 & 176 Streets)

JIM MENDRINOS ("The Complete Idiot's Guide To Comedy Writing") ALADDIN ("Indio", premiering @ The Public Theatre this October) JEFF KREISLER ("Get Rich Cheating") THOMAS PRYOR ("Yorkville: Stoops To Nuts") & more

The Kink Kronikles ~ Alison's Aim is True on Yorkville Radio

Alison Pryor is my guest this week on the radio show. We love the Kinks and we're going to explore why Ray Davies, Dave Davies, Pete Quaife & Mick Avory knock us out, and we'll figure out the Paris and Toulouse equivalent of sitting on a stoop.

Below, an early Kinks experience of mine in Queens. Photo of Eagle Theater @ Andrew Gardner, photographer, Street Level:

http://www.aonghais-macinnes.com/

Like my fathers' mother, like my father, I love my stuff. I'm no Collyer brother, my place is neat, in it's own way. I still own my first two records, both by Dave Seville and the Chipmunks: "Witch Doctor," in 1958, and 1959, "Alvin's Harmonica." The football is from 1969 and the main reason it's still here: I religiously duct taped it like a car accident victim. When I had no duct tape I used electric tape, this pissed Dad off, since most wires in our apartment and my grandmother's apartment were frayed and Dad kept a roll in his pocket on the weekend.

.
After 40 years of flying over and bouncing along concrete and asphalt, my friend,"Herman," the football stands by my side.
.
I was talking with a friend about how much I love Ray Davies and the Kinks music. This reminded me of a frigid November Saturday afternoon in 1965 when I was eleven.
.
For some reason, I was staying over my Aunt Barbara's apartment in Elmhurst. I liked to wander around the neighborhood by myself, so I was window shopping along Roosevelt Avenue under the El, breezed past 37th Road and Jackson Avenue. I had a buck, which meant today I would buy one 45 single, and it better be a good one. When I was eleven, no decision carried as much weight and thought as buying a record. There was a small music store near the Eagle movie house. I tired out the clerk looking over the new releases and finally decided on "Till the End of the Day," by the Kinks, because I heard "Where Have All the Good Times Gone?" the flip side once and liked it fine. It was a unexpected gift buying a single when the B side was a good song too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnB3CHwPipU
.
I ran a half mile to Barbara's apartment on Macnish Street, not breathing, said hi, and went straight to the Victrola. Saw something disturbing.
.
"Barbara, why is the record player unplugged?"
"It's broke.'
"Huh?"
OK now I was in hell. New music with no means of playing it. I dropped into a chair. Barbara saw the shape I was in and made a suggestion.
.
"Tommy, Joannie's not home, but why don't you go try Betty?"
.
Barbara, my Aunt Joan, and their friend Betty Mulhern, all lived in the building. Betty Mulhern was Emma Peel, Barbara Feldon and Serena, Samantha's evil cousin all rolled into one. If you didn't like brunettes, and saw Betty, you'd like brunettes. She danced every new dance, and her wild hair flew. She wore tight shorts on long legs, she wore clam diggers, she painted her pretty toes. Her eyes sparkled, her nose twitched. I couldn't make eye contact with her without my belly feeling funny.
.
I went down the hall and knocked on Betty's door. Music was playing.
.
"Hey Tommy, what's up?"
"Hmmm, I have a new record, Barbara's player is broken. Can I play it on yours?"
"Sure, come in."
I put it on. Betty was doing the dishes, and she started to sway her hips. All I could do was watch her move back and forth, back and forth.
.
I played both sides five times. Would have made it six, if Barbara didn't come in to retrieve me.

Oh Yeah

Listening to Roxy Music this morning over coffee, reminded me of Roxy's 1983 concert at Radio City Music Hall and the song, Mother of Pearl, that reminded me of Joe McGinty closing the Losers Lounge tribute to Roxy with the same song, and that led me to play one of my favorites, Oh, Yeah.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMjP37Coctc

Radio City Music Hall was a haven for New York teen couples up through the mid 1970s ~ a first run movie and the Rockettes. My girlfriend and I ran straight off the crosstown bus into the Blimpie's on 50th Street and Broadway. We bought two giant heroes and quart sodas and snuck the stuff into the theatre in our school bags. My mother wanted to know why I always smelled like a sandwich.

During the week, after school, the place was empty. We sat in the first row of the mezzanine in plush red velvet seats and enjoyed our feast with our shoes and socks off and a yard of carpeted space in front of our seats with a clear view of the biggest movie screen in the world.

Today, I'm part of a group doing a lower Manhattan tour for out of town friends. Among other places, I'm taking them to the spot where Franz Liebkind's house stood on Jane Street when visited by Mr. Bialystock & Mr. Bloom, passing the location of the "Trial of the Century,"showing them where My Sister Eileen lived, and peeking at the house on St. Luke's Place where Audrey Hepburn waited until dark for Alan Arkin.

Roxy made me think of Paris so here are a few more pictures.

Angry Geese and Giant Bunnies

I've never seen a pond in as beautiful a setting as the one in Domont. Like an idyllique Dogpatch with angry territorial geese the size of raptor dinosaurs, giant bunnies, goats, chickens, ducks, and a donkey who acted like he was the mayor of the village. He bit my pocket hoping for a grain based treat.

Rode a bike for half a day around Paris, I'd share more pictures but I'm struggling on a French keyboard on a laptop with no photo program to edit or compress the size of the shots.

Stayed first two days with Alison's boyfriend, Guillaume's family in Domont outside Paris. The Desjardins are charming and generous hosts and huge New York Yankee fans as you see from Juliet (sunglasses) and Anne Sabine's caps.

The bike ride yesterday? I love the Hudson River path ride but... Wow!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WF_yN1R2b5M&feature=fvst