The Romantics at Coney Island

If you’ve been reading my blogs, then you’re no doubt familiar with the music of The Handcuffs, a fantastic, rocking band from the windy city of Chicago. (Get their latest CD here, if you haven’t already.) The founding members of The Handcuffs are Chloe F. Orwell and Brad Elvis, both of whom, I’m happy to say, are very good friends of mine. In fact, I think they’re the only people to appear on every single blog I’ve done. Check them out on: The Marty Wombacher Show, A Guy Walks Into 365 Bars and Marty After Dark. They haven’t appeared on this one yet, but we’ll fix that right now, ladies and gentlemen...

The Handcuffs! From left to right: Ellis Clark, Brad Elvis, Chloe F. Orwell and Emily Togni.

Not content to let his drum stool cool down, Brad also drums with the Detroit band, The Romantics. Brad called a week ago to let me know that they had a gig playing out at Coney Island and said if I wanted to go, he’d put me on the band’s backstage list. And so, it’s off to Coney Island we go!

Here we are on the Q train, Coney Island bound!

And once again through the magic of the internet, you're spared a grueling 52 minute train ride and here we are. It rained all day, but it finally stopped and the sky is just a little overcast.

Candygram.

Welcome to Coney Island.

Wow, everything's closed on the boardwalk, I guess because of the rainy day.

Eureka! Ruby's is open, I should've known they wouldn't pussy out because of a little rain, let's go check it out.

There's plenty of room at the bar, let's grab snag a stool and have a pre-Romantics beer or three.

And here's Stephanie, the pretty and friendly bartender serving up the first beer of the evening.

The signage is making me hungry in here.

So I oredered a dog and this gentleman happily served it up.

An ice-cold beer and a hot dog slathered in mustard, a perfect two-course Coney Island dinner!

Stephanie's back!

I love this classic Ruby's poster on the wall.

Luckily, Brad just called and said they had finished their sound check and I could stop by and hang out before the show. I was starting to forget why I came out in the first place for some reason.

A security guard told me I needed to come back here for my backstage pass, but I'm a little lost...

And who shows up to save the day, but Brad Elvis! He saw me wandering around and led me to Jillian who gave me a pass and a wristband for the show.

Here's Brad with Martin and his girlfriend Vinny, backstage in the Romantics trailer. Martin and Vinny are longtime Romantics fans and they live in Brooklyn. Martin's a standup comic and you can check out his website here: Martin Chaddock.

It's Mike Skill's birthday and they had this cake made for the occasion. Very cool!

And here's the band posing backstage for photos. From the left, Brad Elvis, birthday boy Mike Skills, Rich Cole and Wally Palmar.

One last shot and it's showtime!

Since I had a backstage pass, I was able to take photos from the stage, so you can see the show from the band's point of view.

And they're off! The Romantics take the stage, bathed in magenta light.

And there's Brad pounding the skins of the drums. Brad's one of the best drummers in the world and it's always a blast to watch him in action.

Hi Brad!

The sun has gone down as the Romantics rock on!

Mike's getting a workout running across the stage.

It was a great show and the Coney Island crowd loved the Romantics.

Mucho thanks to Brad and the band for letting me take photos on the stage and hanging out before and afterwards, it was a great time!

But all good times have to come to an end, and here I am in front of Nathan's. I thought I'd get a hot dog for the ride back, but it's too crowded.

So it's back into the subway after a great Coney Island night.

And one last obligatory subway window mirror shot, as the train chugs back to Manhattan.

Further Reading: Herald Review, allmusic.com and Chicagoist.

I hear the secrets that you keep,
When you’re talking in your sleep.

Sex and violins.

Surprise link, click on it...I dare you!

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Bonus Photos From the St. Mark’s Bookshop Cash Mob!

Last Saturday was the cash mob at St. Mark’s Bookshop that Jeremiah Moss organized and it was a great success! Lots of people showed up and you can read the details here. Below are some faces in the crowd, no captions, I just thought I’d let the pictures tell the story here. Thanks to everyone for showing up and to Jeremiah Moss for getting the ball rolling on this. Long live St. Mark’s Bookshop!

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P.S. To Ragin' RR!

If you're out there, send me an email, I can't find your address.

4th of July Dinner At Sam Wong's

I don’t go to Long Island much because...well...because it’s Long Island. In fact the only time I go out is when my friend Sam Wong invites me out for one of his legendary cookouts or dinners. Those of you who have followed me since the 365 bars blog (and God bless each and every one of you!) may remember a spectacular dinner I had at Sam's that year. Well, get ready for another one, because last week, Sam (and his wife, Hilda and daughter, Fiona) invited myself and my friends John and Luna out for a 4th of July dinner. So break out the cherry bombs and let’s take a trip to Long Island.

We’ll be taking the Long Island Railroad from Penn Station. Not a lot of people out here today, maybe because of the holiday there won’t be a big crowd.

Looks like I was wrong about it not being crowded, but at least there’s no pesky escalator walkers here today!

Holy shitballs, look at the line to get a ticket. Luckily, I’m an hour early, as always. Time for a Kinks moment as I get back in the line.

As I’m hanging around waiting for the train, I spy a whole crew of escalator walkers, but I can’t blame them because the escalator’s broke. Which reminds me of a Mitch Hedberg insight: "I like an escalator, because an escalator can never break. It can only become stairs. You'll never see an 'Escalator Out of Order' sign, only 'Escalator Temporarily Stairs. Sorry for the convenience.'"

And here’s my friends John and Luna on the train. As you can see, John’s not too thrilled to have his picture taken. At least he didn’t pull an Alec Baldwin on me!

Okay, through the magic of the internet you’re spared a 49 minute train ride to Long Island. And look over there, I think it’s the Wongmobile!

Yes, it is, and there’s our smiling host and chef for the evening, Sam Wong.

Here we are at Sam’s house, deep in the heart of suburbia.

I took a photo of Sam’s address marker on his house, I fuzzed out the number so nobody can stalk him, but I did want to point out that this is a Wong number! (Rimshot.)

And here’s Sam’s wife, Hilda. As you can see, she’s a little camera-shy.

But, as you can see, this camera shyness doesn’t run in the family. Sam and Hilda’s daughter, Fiona is more than happy to pose for the TWM camera.

Seeing this gave me a Christopher Moltisanti flashback.

Sam didn’t tell me he invited Lindsay Lohan to the dinner.

And speaking of Sam, it’s time for the chef to start cooking. Are you out there Food Network? Sam beats that goofy-ass Guy Fieri any old day of the week!

The prep work begins, I volunteered to be a sous chef, but Sam doesn’t trust me with sharp objects.

Can you say Veg-O-Matic? I knew that you could!

While Sam is getting everything ready for dinner, Fiona has challenged John to a chess match. Fiona’s five-years-old and knows how to play chess. At her age I was still struggling to figure out the dynamics of Tic-Tac-Toe.

Check this out, a plate of live lobsters!

Little do they know, they’re not long for this world. Sam’s put on his chef outfit, which means only one thing...

Time to start murdering lobsters for dinner!

And as Sam slays and prepares the lobsters, the chess match is up to a feverish pitch, it’s neck and neck.

It went right down to the finish, but Fiona won the match!

To the victor goes the popcorn.

Sam’s putting the final touches on the lobster salad, the lobster tails are in the oven, so it’s time to take this show outside.

And here’s the backyard, a little too bright out here, but very nice.

They have a shed off to the side. I’m going to be living here soon if I don’t find a job. 365 Days In A Shed...hmmm, that's got a nice ring to it!

The grill is lit and Sam is putting on giant filet mignon’s. I’m starvin’ like Marvin over here!

And just in the nick of time, the first course is served. Fresh lobster salad and steamed clams, a great way to start a meal!

Here’s the main course, stuffed lobster head, grilled lobster tail with parmesan cheese, a filet topped with Sam’s homemade steak sauce and fresh corn on the cob. A true feast and one of the best meals I’ve ever had! Great work by Sam!

And here everyone is digging in. If you look at my spot, you’ll see two cans of Budweiser. I don’t fuck around on the 4th of July!

After that spectacular dinner, Sam drove us back to the train station as the sun was setting on Long Island. Hey, I just thought of a name for Sam’s cooking show: “Wong Island.” Are you seeing this Food Network? I’m out of work and you could use a decent show, have your people call mine. Okay, I don’t have people, just send me an email, or Tweet me. At the very least, send me some leftovers from Paula Deen’s kitchen, I hear she’s on a diet now.

And once again, through the magic of the internet, you’re spared another Long Island train ride and here we are back in Manhattan.

On the way home the sky was lit up with 4th of July fireworks above the buildings.

Thanks to Sam, Hilda and Fiona for inviting us out and serving up a fabulous 4th of July Feast. If you need catering service for a small party or holiday gathering of up to 20 people, contact Sam. He’s willing to work within anyone’s budget to deliver a great meal or buffet so you can sit back and enjoy your party and your guests. Sam also does BBQ service on site and I can testify it’s the best BBQ I’ve ever had. If you’d like to contact Sam, simply email him here: Sam Wong Catering Services. Note: Please put, “Catering Service Needed” in the subject line.

Further Reading: 365 Bars, Wikitravel and ABC News.

Mexican kids are shootin,’
fireworks below,
Hey baby, it's the Fourth of July.

Surprise link, click on it...I dare you! (Illustration by “Boris.”)

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Bonus Photos by Shawn Chittle!
Last week, my friend and frequent TWM guest star, Shawn Chittle accompanied me out to Coney Island and took some fantastic photos. He sent them to me last week and here they are. Thanks Shawn, great work as always!

The front of my building, Chez Wombacher.

We had a couple beers before we took off on our journey, cheers!

I love this photo, looks like this kid can't handle the noise in the subway.

Here I am doing my blogging duties.

Almost there!

And here we are, Coney Island, baby!

Elmo and I share a moment, between you and I, Elmo needs to deodorize a bit.

Once again, not a big fan of the new Ruby's sign, but at least it's pretty much still the same inside.

There's board from the original boardwalk all over inside Ruby's, here's some of it over the bar.

And here's a cool shot of the wood that's been made into a table.

This go-kart raceway is new.

I get dizzy just looking at this shot.

This little fellow doesn't appear to be too thrilled to be held up by a policeman. Too funny!

Like Ruby's, Paul's Daughter escaped eviction and is still doing business on the boardwalk.

Great shot of the hamburger man at Paul's Daughter.

And here's the hamburger woman on the other side.

Care for a spot of tea?

And it's full circle and back to Ruby's for a nightcap.

Coney Island

I’ve really missed doing the TWM blog, but my money is disappearing at a much slower rate since I’ve put it on hold. And I’ve also had a lot more time to look for work and develop job leads. Plus I’ve also been taking online classes and tutorials to develop skills to help get me work in other fields of the industry I work in, since the jobs for things I do appear to be shrinking. Oh, and I’ve also had about 17,967 beers since we’ve last gotten together!

People kept commenting on my hold post and I was really touched by everyone’s nice wishes and good luck comments and felt bad I wasn’t putting anything new up there for all of you. So I’ve decided that for the time being, I’m going to put up one post a week, on Monday. That’ll give new content to check out once a week and it’ll give me something to do to break up the job hunt for a little bit of the week. And so here we go...off to Coney Island!

Shawn Chittle is this week's special guest star on TWM. We had a couple pre-Cony Island beers at my place and then...

We make the descent into the hot, muggy, buggy bowels of the NYC subway system.

And, through the magic of the internet, you're spared a sweltering five minute wait for the Q train and a 45 minute ride and right now the train is approaching Coney Island.

And here we are, let's go check it out.

As you can see, there's a big crowd here today.

And here we are on the boardwalk.

Well this is a little sad, this used to be Cha Cha's bar, but they got chased out and it's been replaced with this makeshift Italian Ice stand. Let's just move along and pretend we didn't see this.

This is a new store, the Brooklyn Beach shop, we looked in, saw that they were selling t-shirts for twenty bucks and quickly left in search of a drink.

And here's where that much-needed drink can be had, Ruby's bar. I don't care much for the new sign, but it was one of the concessions they had to make to get their eight year lease, so I guess I can deal with it, if they haven't changed it too much inside.

At least they've kept their old hand painted signs in front of the bar on the boardwalk.

And, happily, inside it looks pretty much the same. Ruby's is a great place for people watching.

I noticed Mike, the third generation owner of Ruby's working outside and said hello and congratulated him on the lease.

Mike pointed out that the bar has been revamped and is made out of wood taken from the boardwalk.

The tables in the back room are also made of wood salvaged from the boardwalk and there's also some of it on the walls and ceiling. All in all there's 6000 feet of boardwalk wood in Ruby's. Pretty cool!

Nice to see that the jukebox is still here and packed with great soul music.

And I'm happy to report that Harpo is still behind the bar.

I had to get an order of fried clams, especially when the woman working the stand is this pretty! Great smile!

Here's a shot from our view at the table.

And part of the old sign hangs on the wall inside. They had to take down all the vintage photos in here to paint the walls, but they're slowly putting them back up, which is good news.

And here's a shot for Al Rizo, Miami Beach never looked so good!

After a few beers, we decided to wander around a bit.

Yikes, I get dizzy just looking at rides like this one!

Nice to see that Paul's Daughter survived the cut on the boardwalk, but it's a too bad that they painted over all the hand-painted signage on the place.

At least there's some down below, maybe they'll add some color to the top as the season moves forward.

But the people behind the counter are colorful and friendly and that kind of makes up for it.

Nothing better than a hot dog slathered in mustard at Coney Island in the summer.

Thankfully, the Cyclone remains untouched.

It's the oldest roller coaster in America. I've ridden it once and I still get shivers when I think about it, but at least I did it.

Back to the boardwalk as the sun sets on Coney Island.

I had to get a shot of the Wonder Wheel and here it is.

We decided to have a nightcap at Ruby's and pretty Alexa serves it up.

Cheers from Shawn and I!

Usually I get a hot dog at Nathan's on the way to the subway, but I had already had a corn dog, fried clams, a hot dog and mucho beers, so I just took a photo...

And we went back to the subway, Manhattan bound.

Here's an obligatory window/mirror shot from the subway. Thanks to Shawn for coming along, lots of fun as always!

Further Reading: Amusing the Zillion, Kinetic Carnival and Shawn Chittle.

She's the moon in the mist to me,
She's my Coney Island baby,
She's my Coney Island girl.

Surprise link, click on it...I dare you!