Been A Long Time...

I know this blog has been slacking - but I really have to say so have I. Getting time to do things like this have taken the back burner to other stuff. Like playing guitar (Finally wrote my 1st original song), going to the gym (lost about 20 lbs since July - I've been saying this since October as I snack on Starburst Jellybeans), writing (goes along with the song writing), and oh right work. I've also been hitting up a bunch of concerts.

So far since the end of March - Snow Patrol, Christina Aguilera, Vedera, Little Charlie, and tomorrow is Fountains of Wayne. I've also heard Superchumbo spin twice this year. So far - I have yet to be let down at all. Honestly, Christina put on one of the best shows I've ever seen. Granted her writhing around on an amusement park horse singing "Dirrty" may have done it alone (I almost needed a bathroom break). However, I've only had chills at a concert a few times. First time I heard Pearl Jam sing "Black" at MSG. Just about every time NIN plays "Hurt." When John Williams encored with the "Star Wars Theme." Every time Ben Folds pulls out "Evaportaed." And now add when Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful" to that list. I'm sure there were more. Maybe hearing the Smashing Pumpkins play "Drown" or Pearl Jam playing "Footsteps." Anyways - she was amazing. That girl can sing and perform and it's unreal. I never posted by best albums of last year - however - I assure you it's amazing and would've made my top 5 easy. Along with the Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado.

So that's been some of life. Music. DJing picking back up to a weekly event - which I'm happy about. I'm doing the after party for wedding on Sunday night for a person on NY1 TV. Whom I see just about every morning on "Your Staten Island News Now." Ibiza is booked again for July and Sicily is a dream come true in August. I'm back at Pure soon - either late May or early June. I'm also spinning at The Den in New Brunswick on May 11. That's a lot of the good.

The bad - lots of craziness. Watching friends and family falling hard, falling soft and falling out. Everything from visiting a friend in a coma who OD'ed to 3 hour drives about distraught families to the trials and tribulations of unemployment. This goes along with my own internal and external monologues with myself and those around me. Take that along with one of my close friends and co-workers leaving for Virginia to join his family. Which means back to crisis mode at work as well as losing a great person and worker.


But that's enough for today. I keep thinking of what to do with this here to make it more relevant and current. Maybe I'll retire it - like the Vixxen and start one over again. Who knows. To quote something I recently wrote and recorded - maybe you'll hear it sometime.

I'm picking my pieces back up - starting all over again
I'm picking myself back up - living life again.


If you do want to hear one of my tracks - there's a link in a previous post on this blog that will get you there. Or maybe somewhere in this one.

Frank

PS - FM3's Essential Listening: Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero

Tattoo

So I've been thinking about getting a tattoo on my left arm - the only thing I know is that I want it to be the same size as the tattoo on my right arm. So I want it in a circle. Any suggestions? I've been contemplating making it a collection of different shapes and items that encompass myself. The other side already covers the 23 and the Star Wars. So what goes on the left arm? And I assure you I'm not this crazy. At least not yet.



However - many people are - so check this out for some crazy dedication fan tattoos. The last one of Adam Durtiz has to take the cake.

Frank

Valentine's Day

So on this February 14 - I have actually been reminiscing. Back in my freshman year of college I was single. I had a number of friends that were girls, which were and many still are some of my best friends. Dana reminded me of the Star Wars Valentine's Day cards I gave to everyone. And I believe attached on each one was a small chocolate heart. This became the infamous line of being imitated by both Dana and her mother. The phonetic spelling is something like "chawklit hawtz." This became the line followed by "My Friend Frank" from her family, and pretty much still to this day.

Another though was the "Good Will Hunting" story. Go here to download and listen to it as broadcast on WFDM, back when I had a radio show.

Also up there is a leak of a brand new Nine Inch Nails track called "My Violent Heart." I'm pretty excited for music again this year. Looking very much forward to 2/27 for the new NIN DVD and to 4/17 for the new album Year Zero. In between those two amazing pieces of musical genius, I will get my fill from Timbaland on 3/27.

Frank

Midday at Chelsea Piers...

...Dick in a box.

So I was at work yesterday rocking one of my favorite albums of the year. I mentioned to my intern I was pissed because I really wanted to go with my brother and his girlfriend's sister to MSG that night. Since Danny's girlfriend works for ticketing at MSG she sometimes is able to get some open spots in the luxury boxes. So Danny goes to the Justin Timberlake concert. Now - I know - I already defended "Prince" to Mike this week, so being told I squat when I pee or the ever original "and you're sure you're not gay" really has a lackluster effect on me at this point. Now, I like Justin Timberlake, I like this album and his first. I even like some of NSYNC's final stuff. In particular the BT produced "Pop." So it would've been entertaining for me. I do think he's talented and he does play a variety of instruments and even covered "Smells Like Teen Spirit" on his club tour. But I've missed shows before, and if I really wanted tickets I would've paid for them. But then...of course - my respect for this man goes up. With what will most likely be the ONLY live performance of this song. Yes - JT encores with "Dick In A Box."

I played this remix of it out last week at The Den in New Brunswick. It was the best crowd reaction I got all night. Individually, it was the guy who told me how great I was playing and he wasn't expecting to dance that hard. It was also about 12:30am at the time. Looks like I'll be going back there. Thanks to James for asking me to fill in!

And March 24 - Pure in Philly

Frank

My Favorite Movie of 2006

I'm waiting for the sequel!

A Social Experiment

2 examples of my of social experiences from the weekend and a video daily double.

In a bit of irony - this happened to me at a video game store the other day. The clue here is in the name of the um, um, clerk.

Frank - Do you have the Nunchuk for the Wii?
Clerk - We had 2 this morning, but they sold out.
Frank - They're sold out everywhere
Clerk - Yeah we got a whole box of them a week ago and people just went crazy and bought them all in a few days.
Frank - Wow
Clerk - Bunch of savages in this town.

Proceeded by laughter on both parts.



At a small bar where I DJed on Saturday. I will use WTB to stand for White Trash Bitch.

WTB - I don't know if you notice, but this isn't what people want to hear
Me - Oh, well I was told to play more dance and hip hop.
WTB - Maybe that's OK later, but we want to hear some 90s alternative rock and maybe 60s. But not the 80s, because that decade was terrible.
Me - Oh ok, I'll see what I can get on for you.
WTB - Obviously you have no idea what you're doing, you have to play better music.
Me - (sarcastic)Thank You
WTB - Oh my, thats the nastiest "Thank You" I've heard in a year and a half.
Me - (breaking and starting to laugh - but trying not to full out make this woman spit her 3 yellow teeth at me) - So, a year and a half ago, what happened then.
WTB - That's the last time someone said "Thank You" that nasty.
Me - Right


And the video daily double

What's Your Pop Secret? Mine is, yes that's Mike Musco and a bowl of popcorn.


Frank

A few odd balls

Saturday Night Live finally has picked up their game in the last few seasons - mainly with the inclusion of a NOT live segment. This is known as "An SNL Digital Short." You may have seen "Lazy Sunday" or the classic "Natalie Portman Rap" which I know I posted about some time ago. So here's another one. Makes me like JT even more and gives you a great idea for that last minute Kwanzaa gift. Be careful - it's catchy!

http://video.nbc.com/player.html?dlid=51289

So after that you can look at this - Dance Trent, Dance

Now I'm excited - but NIN as Hot Dance Single? Even the NIN sites are sort of shocked - I assure you I never heard a mix of this on KTU. Oh maybe that's because KTU only plays music from 1996 and before. Hell I've never even played it out - and I just mixed NIN's Closer with Beyonce's Irreplaceable on Saturday night. There's a new NIN DVD coming out on February 27, 2007. It looks amazing. It's being released in DVD, HD-DVD and Blu-Ray. Not that anyone actually owns a Blu-Ray player yet. We're being told a new album will be finished in early 2007. Which if all goes well means we will see it in stores in 2009.

I'm slacking on my best of songs and albums for the year, but I assure you it is coming and there will be some really obvious choices and some odd balls. Really, what else would you expect from me.

In the helping a brother out category - I was sent some nice gifts the other day from axerecovery.com for the AXE Recovery Top Hangover Songs List. Check out the site (you do have to register and stuff) but it's sort of an interesting musical discussion. Take a quick guess which one I chose.

Sunday Morning - The Velvet Underground
Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd
Fairytale of New York - The Pogues
2000 B.C. - Basehead
Here Comes a Regular - The Replacements
One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer - George Thoroughgood
Louder - Lo Fi Funk
Power - Kid Congo Powers
Van Drunk - The Scud Mountain Boys
Low Side of the Road - Tom Waites
I Am Wasted But I'm Ready - Ben Kweller
May You Never - John Martyn
The Bar Is A Beautiful Place - Ryan Adams
Coffee and TV - Blur
Poison Cup - M. Ward


Finally - I will be checking out Kevin Devine at Maxwell's in Hoboken on January 5. Be sure to come and check him out and see why he made my list of the best albums of 2006. Whoops...

Frank

The Holiday Panic

As much as I love the holidays - some people like them more. Like the people that are waiting in 30 degree cold at 9:45am waiting for Best Buy to open - are already playing Christmas music non stop - or um this lady.



Yes those are antlers on her VW. Maybe I'm just a bit behind this year. Maybe I need to dust off "A Very Special Christmas - Volume 1" and rock out to one of my favorite tunes - "Christmas in Hollis" by Run-DMC.


Frank

Chapter 11

11 years ago - December 1, 1995.

My mother and my aunt decide to open up a store based on a store they frequented in Ozone Park, Queens. It was a place to have kids birthday parties and adult women to have a night away from their own lives. So "Plaster Art" was born. It quickly became a staple part of the community. My first girlfriend was their first worker and did so for about 5 years. Tommy's sister worked there. My cousin's worked there. My sister worked there. Actually, I think I may have even done a few parties there - and I know my brother did. Tommy's mother also spent many week nights there with a number of other women - and I believe there were even nights that alcohol was involved.

In short - you picked out a piece which ranged from cars to baseball plaques to large pedestals. Then you painted it however you'd like. Kinda like Kindergarten - except at a store. The kids loved it - as did the parents. It came at a time where kids parties were becoming increasingly more expensive - $18 a kid for bowling or a trip to "Fun Bubble."

Over the past few years - rent steadily increased and income did not go along with that. So today - after a 2 week sale - we sat and ate pizza for the last time there. Thought about the funny times and then tomorrow the doors will lock for good. It was very reminiscent of the last "Growing Pains" episode - if you remember that at all.

So - goodbye "Plater Art" - thanks for letting kids and adults get Plastered for the last 11 years.

Frank

Shortsheeted

Watch this - it's funny and - well - I have an appearance. Good job Karen!