In early 2009, Israel Nash Gripka released an album titled New York Town.  It was one of my favorite albums of  that year which I described as a reach back to much of what was good in 70s rock.    Now Israel has a new album about to come out.  It’s called Barn Doors and Concrete Floors.  Tonight Israel and his band will play an early set at The Mercury Lounge.  I’m sure songs from Barn Doors, as well as New York Town, will be on the set list.  This is one show you should see.  Show details are available at Now I’ve Heard Everything just by clicking here.

–Eliot Wagner

From my very first day as dog owner I was warmly welcomed into into the “cult” of Third Street dog walkers. Well, it’s not really a cult, just an enthusiastic group of people who own dogs.

It was like meeting my neighbors all over again. I mean, I already knew many of these people by name but the fact that I was walking a dog brought new meaning to the term neighbor.

“You have a dog now?”

“What’s his name?”

“What kind of dog is he?”

“Is he friendly?”

I met so many new dogs (and people) those first few days on the street. One evening late I walked around the entire block with a woman and her two dogs. We talked dog: barking, eating, pooping, dog joys and dog woes.

I got to know Maximus, Petey, the two Rosie’s on the block, Monkey and countless other dogs whose names I learned and immediately forgot. Some dogs like to tease, some like to play. They can be shy, feisty, flighty, flirty, nutty or aggressive (and kept on a short leash by their owners).

I truly enjoyed my walks with Stanley. With each walk we got to know each other better and better. Over time I learned his rhythms, his habits, the way he liked to do things (i.e. poop and pee). He loved the snow and hated the rain. He had a penchant for sniffing various and sundry items on the street and loved to explore small holes, gates, leaves, pieces of gum and garbage.

Stanley was a good companion, fun to be with, funny to observe. He got very excited when he saw other dogs and was very friendly. He elicited smiles from strangers, exclamations of “cute dog” from adults and children. While he was a sweetheart most of the time, he barked at the United Parcel guy and the mailman.

On our walks, I learned that people enjoy walking their dogs — even if they do have to put the poop in a little blue plastic bag. I learned never to go out without one of those blue plastic bags.

I learned that people love their dogs fiercely, passionately, profoundly.

So what do you feed a dog anyway? The Sean Casey people gave us a big bag of dried dog food but is that what a dog eats all the time?

Can a dog eat carrots?

Can a dog eat Brussels sprouts?

Should a dog be eating RED MEAT?

I stopped this nice guy on the street. He’s got a big German Shepherd and we’ve talked before about life, veterinary medicine, becoming an EMT. I asked him what he feeds his dog.

“My dog weighs 99 pounds and he eats dry food and vegetables. No meat,” he said with great seriousness.

“Really?” I said seriously interested.

He even showed me a picture on his iPhone of his dog’s daily platter of food. And the name of the very best dry dog food (I forget now). It’s very expensive, but very good. Dry food and veggies. Very impressive.

Okay, the food thing is one thing. What about pooping and exercise?

“How many times a day do you take your dog out,” I asked a neighbor with a dog.

“It depends…” she said.

Another friend told me I was walking Stanley all wrong.

“Hold his leash tight and close to you so he knows you’re in charge. Don’t let him walk you.”

And what about the dog run. The one in Prospect Park, the one in Washington Park. What’s the story with that?

There really is a lot to learn about having a dog.

Can a dog eat Brussels sprouts?

The weekend is HERE. I’ve been slaving over a hot stenography machine all week and I’m ready for something fun. Don’t forget the Oscars*2011 are on Sunday night. The biggest and best book sale is at the Park Slope United Methodist Church and there’s a Johnny Cash 79th birthday party at The Bell House. Good stuff at Zora Space for KIDS! Interested?

Click on read more for all the essential details.

Continue reading The OTBKB Weekend List: Feb 26-27 →

According to a post on NY Convergence, Park Slope’s Congregation Beth Elohim is embracing the computer age. The synagogue recently received a $5,000 grant from the Union of Reform Judaism to put their services, classes and events online.

Next fall they will be live streaming their Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services. In other words you’ll be able to “attend” the Kol Nidre on your iPhone.

You’ve heard of distance learning, right? And church services have been on Sunday morning television for years. Why not virtual reform Judaism right here in Park Slope.

It’s certainly a way to reach people who won’t go to shul because they can’t (elderly, incapacitated) or don’t want to (nervous, inhibited, don’t like crowds).

You will love “Braciole,” a wonderful little video by Brooklyn filmmaker Mark Hayes. It is a tribute to his funny, feisty, young-at-heart Sicilian grandmother Marie DeSantis, who talks about family history and her Staten Island childhood while preparing Braciole, a traditional Sicilian recipe, in her cozy little kitchen.

It is just lovely. Thanks for sharing it, Mark. And please pass my greetings along to Nonna Marie.

Nonna, would you please share more recipes?

Ready for the weekend. I know I am. I’ve been slaving over a hot stenography machine all week and I’m ready for something fun. You too? Well sit tight. In a few hours (fingers crossed) I will have the full weekend list. But for starters, here are the local movies and don’t forget the Oscars*2011 are on Sunday night. Wonder if Pops Corn wants to live blog the Oscars again? Also a link to Now I’ve Heard Everything…

Click on read more for all the essential details.

Continue reading OTBKB’s Weekend List: Feb 25-27 →

What could be more timely than an Arthur Miller play about the Great Depression now that we’re in this not so great depression/recession/tough economic period of our history?

Brooklyn’s acclaimed Brave New World Repertory Theater is presenting a must-see production of Arthur Miller’s The American Clock at the Brooklyn Lyceum (227 4th Avenue, Park Slope, Brooklyn) from March 3-13.

Last year I enjoyed the company’s sold-out site-specific run of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible at The Old Stone House and I’m hoping to catch their new production and urge you to do so, too.

Set  mostly in Brooklyn, The American Clock moves through the United States as it portrays a dramatic mosaic of songs and stories based on Studs Terkel’s epic oral history of that time.

Mood Indigo, Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries and On The Sunny Side of the Street are just some of the songs in the show, which includes 53 characters played by 20 actors. A middle-class Brooklyn family, train-riding hobos and Wall Street brokers brought and more tell the story  America’s iconic economic crisis.

The show, which runs March 3-13 (Thursdays-Fridays at 8PM, Saturdays at 3 and 8PM and Sundays at 7PM), is directed by Brave New World Associate Artistic Director Cynthia Babak. The huge cast is led by BNW Producing Artistic Director Claire Beckman and fellow founding member Stuart Zagnit as Rose and Moe Baum, based on Miller’s own parents. Company member Joe Salgo plays Miller’s autobiographical role of Lee Baum.

The day after we brought “Roscoe” home, many names were bandied about. Cute names, funny names, doggy names, intellectual names, names of artists, show-offy names, aren’t we clever names.

Names, names and more names.

I was a fan of the name Jasper. Jaz, Jazzy, Jasper. It seemed like a nice, playful name. But no one else liked it. Hepcat liked Zebulon and Kubrick. OSFO kept changing her mind.

I thought Milo sounded cute. There’s a list somewhere of ALL the names. I wish I could find it. There must have been 60 names on the list.

I would read the names and we’d vote on each one. If a name got three votes it was still in the running. Very few names met this criteria. We were stumped. I thought we’d NEVER name our dog.

I kept calling him Jasper. He needed a name in the interim. Finally the name Stanley came up. It sounded like an elderly person. An old Jewish man. The first name of the director of The Shining, Clockwork Orange, Dr. Stranglove…

Stanley. It wasn’t too bad. Did it suit our adorable white terrier? Did we like saying the name over and over?

Stanley?

Here we are at the final February Residency Wednesday. Two are on the Lower East Side, one at 8pm (Milton) and one at 9pm (Aaron Lee Tasjan), and one is in Williamsburg at 10pm (Serena Jean).  Details about all three shows are available to you at Now I’ve Heard Everything by clicking here.

In addition, you can see Aaron Lee Tasjan leading the straight ahead rock band, The Madison Square Gardeners, right here in Park Slope at The Rock Shop tomorrow night at 10:30 for $7.

–Eliot Wagner