The Pickle Girl

This is fucking hilarious...

As one YouTube commentor said "What about cucmbers?".

Help Redesign BSC... Please

I'm sick of the current design of BSC. It's just getting more and more cluttered with every addition. So if any of you fine people are willing to help me redesign this piece of shit I would be much obliged. Of course, I can't pay you because to date I've only made about $17 from this site. I can however get you into parties and some concerts for free. So it might be worth your time, depending on what your time is worth.

BrooklynSkiClub@yahoo.com

Lady Sov Performs @ Plumm Tonight

Links

Here are some links you should check out:

I hate thieves but this is fucking funny
Link: MySpace Mugging

Proof that bloggers are, in fact, bums
Link: Can You Spare Some Change For Bandwith?

Vote for Al Gore or we will all be dead

Link: Bye, Bye Glaciers

We are all going to have brain tumors soon
Link: Cell Phone Excitability

Who can stop terrorism? Motorhead's roadie... seriously
Link: Motorhead Anti-Jihad

Drunk friend: Oh John, you're sooo funny. You should do stand-up?
John Mayer: Really? You think so? I guess I am pretty funny.
Link: John Mayer Avoids Black People, Loves Sluts

The Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival

Please welcome Bryan to the Ski Club. For his first post he covered the Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival. Here goes:

The Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival at the Tobacco Factory in Brooklyn on Saturday wasn’t a last ditch effort to save hip hop. If anything, it was the perfect opportunity to show every skeptic that the music is thriving; it walked a fine line to acknowledging that, by saying if we can look back, there’s a good chance we can see the future, too.

I got to the show a little late, so I missed the first groups of Panacea and The Strange Fruit Project, but by all accounts they did their thing. The first act I caught was The Procussions from the Rawkus Records stable, once the be-all and end all for the backpacking set and label behind the super-group Black Star’s [Mos Def and Talib Kweli] rise to fame.

I actually first heard of The Procussions on a trip through Colorado two years ago: a mom and pop record shop with a homegrown artists category had their “…As Iron Sharpens Iron” at the front - dope album, a little rough around the edges, but enjoyable nonetheless. When I saw them this time though, they looked and sounded like pros [bad and unintended pun], an encouraging sign for a group that’s being hailed as the ones to bring Rawkus back to the top. Their deliveries were on point, albeit a little sharp from a bad mix, and the energy was up their entire set.

Brooklyn’s own Maya Azucena followed. Mostly a crooner, she rocked with a live band and definitely did her thing with a couple mid-tempo joints that had just about everyone in the audience nodding. Given some deserving props by the Village Voice and the NY Post (“a towering voice which has echoes of Chaka Kahn and Roberta Flack”], she was entertaining, but I thought the performance got a little sloppy in areas. Maybe the back and forth with the other singers and emcees… it could have been the sound system acting up, too. Sound issues were actually an unfortunate theme throughout the show.

A hype set by special unbilled guest Craig G was ruined because his partner’s mic wasn’t on and by the looks of it, took him from hype to angry. Shouts to Talib Kweli for popping out of nowhere during Craig’s set, though [maybe next year 40 minutes of Black Star???], as well as Sean Price and Buckshot from Boot Camp for coming through. The crowd seemed to have bouts of what I’ll call sluggishness through the show, and although Craig’s set reeked of old-school flavor, something about it seemed a little off. I think he sounded too angry, but I’d never seen him before outside of some battle shit on DVD, that could just be his style.

Of the top billed stars, three out of the four delivered. I should probably count Sleepy Brown in there and make it five stars, but his performance, while exciting, was really laid back and relegated to mostly him doing snippets of songs he laced with his dungeon family [Outkast, Organized Noise, “I Like the Way You Move,” “Can’t Wait” etc.]. He did a few songs for the ladies, but I think the crowd was hungrier for the kind of energy that resonates with an emcee rhyming rather than a slick dood like Sleepy singing.

Rhymefest was on last year’s bill and he definitely did not disappoint. I’d been hearing about him for awhile and was never really sold on his voice and delivery till I heard him rhyme. Fest definitely did some Chi-city shit, dipping, sliding and stepping through his set, not too mention lacing the illest freestyle of the day, some shit about [and I’m paraphrasing] “jumping into the crowd next to a white girl with a black girls’ ass and holding [my] own poster” – as he was doing each thing he mentioned. Fucking insanely good live performer.

I was disappointed the other young dude, Lupe Fiasco, billed as an emcee to watch didn’t come off as crazy. On tape, son is crazy... his rhyme schemes and layered punchlines "brown nosing like alf" have you constantly listening close, but live something about it didn't translate [tho "Kick Push" is gonna be a fucking classic]. In all fairness, though, his and Sleepy Browns’ style seemed not to mesh with the vibe the crowd was looking for whereas Fest’s did. While Fest was on some just rhyme shit, Lupe had a more gangster edge to him; the acapella he dropped was dope, but it had elements of the money/cash/hos/drugs theme that people came to escape from that I think lost him points.

For me, the highlight of the festival was two-fold. I got to see the headliner Big Daddy Kane, a mic LEGEND without question, AND I got to czec CL Smooth who I’ve always heard was incredible live. Some people might kill me for this, but I think CL stole the show. Kane had some great moments and his last song “Ain’t No Half Steppin” ranks among the craziest I’ve ever seen a crowd, and his tribute to hip hop greats who’ve passed [“A Moment of Noise”] was a dope way to celebrate those who’ve left this world and hip hop behind.

But CL just crushed the show with this ridiculous look on his face, kind of a smirk, kind of in disgust that he had to remind us he was dope, and kind of a smile cuz he knew that WE all knew he was dope to begin with. But holy shit, his rendition of “They Reminisce Over You – T.R.O.Y.” was jus CRAZY. The flow… it’s still beautiful. Granted after 14 years, it oughtta be, but still. The dude was relentless.

I think I was in the minority though, because everyone was basically hyped out of their minds about Kane’s performance. He talked with the crowd about how you have to respect the past in order to move forward and he was no doubt the guy performing last night was the kind that, in his heyday, elevated him to his now revered status. The guy just oozed charisma.

Aside from the shitty weather and a few sound problems, the show was seriously off the fucking cliff. There’s something about the energy at hip hop show that nothing else can duplicate, at least for me. Everything is clear, the vibe is crazy. Daps to Brooklyn Bodega for organizing it, czec them out: www.brooklynbodega.com. Brooklyn Brewery was also on hand for liquid fuel.

Bottom-line, anyone who wasn’t there, missed the fuck out. When you can hear the bass 5 blocks away, you know you’re in the right spot. For a purist, it was further proof that when the time is right, hip hop as a music will find it’s way back from what it is now to what it was then by embracing all it can and more importantly, SHOULD, become. Till then, we’ll reminisce over H.E.R.

MP3's:
Warm It Up Kane - Big Daddy Kane
Set It Off - Big Daddy Kane

BillyBurg Film Fest POSTPONED

Sorry kids but the rain has cancelled your plans for tonight. This means no Japanther, no Showalter, and no MyOpenBar after party at Supreme Trading. Actually, I'm not so sure MOB has cancelled the after party. I know they had a shitload of beer and who knows how long it is until the raindate. They might need to get rid of it. Olga is doing some research to find out whats up, if I hear anything I'll let you know.

Billyburg Film Fest

A Calm Night In The Village

Last night around midnight we headed over to Lit. It was surprisingly dead for a Friday night. Downstairs Deva (female Devo cover band) was playing, who I have been meaning to see, but I wasn't in the mood to see a band. So we decided maybe it was time to move on.

We headed over to Rififi for Trash. On the way there we passed by Moby on the street - he was alone with a big hat on trying not to be recognized. We got to Rififi just as the rain started to come down. Again it was kind of calm - which is unusual. Within a few minutes of our arrival the power in the backroom went out. I'm pretty sure it was a breaker since it was only the backroom but I'm not a fucking electrician. People started to head for the exit and then boom - music. Everyone turned around and went back to dance.

I stayed up front by the bar since I'm not a huge fan of dancing but very fond of drinking. You know the comedian Eugene Mirman? You should check him out if you aren't familiar he's pretty funny. Well, he is also kinda creepy. He was pretty much lurking in the shadows all night. He was carrying around a camera tripod but I did not see a camera. Mirman would do a little pace from the front of the room to the back and then just stop and stand in the middle of the room and stare at the crowd. It was really fucking weird.

I like Rififi on Fridays quite a bit. It's cool because it's a crazy hipsterish party but without all the retardedness. Well last night the Blue States Lose people made an appearance. In particular 70's jogger man - dude was rocking 70's short shorts with an ass tight cotton jersey and I'm pretty sure he a had a headband on. Seriously, what the fuck? Unfortunately, I did not have my camera with me to capture his magnificence. He wasn't the only one either, so I moved on.

After that it we took a trip to 7B for a night cap. Man I love that bar, great jukebox. Nothing exciting happened there at all. We just drank a couple of Natty Lite tall boys and rocked out to some Danzig. So overall last night was cool but there was a weird calmness in the air. Fucking summer in New York man - everyone stop going to the Hamptons and Jersey Shore. There is plenty fun to be had here.

MP3's:
It's Not Right - Deva

Honey - Moby
Porcelain - Moby

Video:
Sexpert - Eugene Mirman

WIN: Guestlist To Rated-X Saturday Night

Hey... so you want to check out the legendary debauchery of Rated-X but you don't want to pony up the $10 because a) you're cheap b) you're poor c) you're afraid to spend money on something you're unsure of. Well my friends, you are in luck because Andy Shaw (Shaw Promotion) wants to hook you up with a spot on the guestlist! All you have to do is send an email to BrooklynSkiClub@yahoo.com with the Subject: I'm A Winner.

I will randomly choose one winner who will get their name on the guestlist with a +1. Hurry the fuck up this shit is tomorrow night.

See what you have been missing:
Brooklyn Ski Club @ Rated-X (NSFW)

HERE'S ALL THE INFO:

Theo & Michael T
present
Rated X/Panty Party...
Sci-Fi Mutant Prom!
@ Luke N Leroy
7th ave South & Leroy st
Saturday, June 24th
[Gay Pride/Shame Weekend]

Doors 10pm/21 +/ID Please!
$5 w/invite $10 w/out all nite!

OPEN VODKA BAR 10-11!
2 4 1 Domestic Beers all nite for pant checkers!
$3 Alien shots for "Sci-Fi" patrons..all nite!
2 4 1 Domestic Beers & $4 Mixed Drinks btwn 3-4 for all!

Outer Space Cabaret Show @ Mid-Night!
featuring
T-Boy
Janice De Milo
Cathy Cervenka
Theo
Michael T aka..."The Mothership"
HOSTS DUCH, MIRANDA MOONDUST AND PUNK ROCK IAN!
MC:Peppermint Gummybear
Hot Body/Sci-Fi Costume Contest
$200 GRAND PRIZE @2am

UpstairsDJ's:
Justine D [Motherfucker]
DJ Jess [Trash]

Spinning:Icy New Wave, Road Warrior Post Punk & Glitter Galaxy Glam

Downstairs Dj's:
Rok One [The Bangers]
Kimann Foxman
Spinning:Intergalactic Soul& Nu-Wave Martian House!

invader hosts :
DUCH MIRANDA MOONDUST and Punk Rock IAN
Door:Blue

Stage, Lights& Decor:Ted E

Dresscode:Sci-Fi Movie looks [50's-80's] Gary Numan Meets Hazel O Conner
Spaceage Cowboy, Hookers from Mars, Silver, Spandex, Stars & Sequins!

Distributions:Shaw Promotions
Photos by:lastnightsparty

Internet Partially Down?

So I was just about to put up a fresh post and I noticed some of the sites I needed to go to aren't loading. I am online - I'm on AIM right now and I'm posting this - so I have a connection. MySpace, NetVibes, Blogger, and Gmail are working just fine for me. Well actually, MySpace is working fine except some peoples pictures aren't loading. This is all really fucking wierd, can anyone explain to me why this is happening?

Holy Diver!

Here is the latest from metal band extrodanaire Killswitch Engage. It's a cover of the Ronnie James Dio classic "Holy Diver". As great as the origianal is I think I like this version better. Sorry to all the old school metal heads out there. I mean this is the only Dio song I know, which is either something to be very proud of or very ashamed of - I'm not really sure.

MP3:

Holy Diver - Killswitch Engage

RJD

BRL Party Tonight @ Lit

Kings Of New York: Madball (& Turmoil) at CBGB's

This was a concert I was looking forward to for a long time. My favorite NYC hardcore band ever, Madball, and my favorite Philly hardcore band ever, Turmoil, playing together at CBGBs. I had some trouble getting in and I thought I might miss the show, which would have been horrible.

You see, I was supposed to be on the Madball list but somehow that didn't happen. I tried to explain this to the guy at the door but no dice. It was ok though because I was told if I wasn't on the list to give Freddy Madball a call and he would get me in. So I gave Freddy a call - no answer - fuck! Then I stood in front of CB's for about 30 minutes hoping I would see someone I recognized so I could plea my case - I didn't see anyone.

I was really nervous/pissed that I might not get to see this show. I swore that I read the show was sold out so I never actually asked if there were still tickets, and the door guys didn't mention it either. I saw Turmoil was loading in so I found another door guy and asked if there were still tickets. To my surprise he said yes, so I reluctantly coughed up 15 dollars and headed inside.

Turmoil was setting up their shit when I walked in - perfect timing. The band took the stage and that's when I realized how long it's been since I've seen these guys. They looked much older then I remembered. The singer who used to be a skinny dude was huge now - not really fat but stocky. It was weird because he was famous for being this fairly small dude that used to go into the pit during shows and fuck people up. I never saw a Turmoil show back in the day that didn't end with him covered in blood (I'm not exaggerating at all).

Anyway, they started exactly the way any Turmoil fan would hope - "What the fuck! - are! - you!". It was great to those words after all these years. Turmoil was always one of my favorite bands to see live and based on what I was seeing they still are.

My complaint is that one of the best parts of seeing them way back when was the crowd interaction. They were in the pit with everyone else and it was insane to witness. This time around they barely moved at all and stayed far from the pit - when there was one. Which also surprised me about this show - no one seemed to give a fuck about Turmoil. I mean come on, one of the best late 90's hardcore bands back together and no one cares. There was barely any action on the floor at all and it was a bit depressing. Turmoil didn't let it phase them though, they sounded awesome.

After Turmoil finished I moved to the side of the stage, where I found a chair to stand on. I had a pretty good spot, despite the monitor being in front of me. I wasn't staying on the floor for Madball - pits aren't fun for me anymore, they fucking hurt now. As expected a few minutes after Turmoil the flood gates opened and CB's filled with NY's hardest. One thing about Madball shows is that these are real fucking hardcore cats, not suburbanites with backwards hats. The crowd at a Madball show in NYC is a bit frightening and they fucking go apeshit.

I can't even remember what song they opened with but the floor exploded instantly. People jumping off of speakers, flipping into the crowd - the way a hardcore show should be. The thing is these weren't kids, these were old crusty punks/thugs cracking some skulls. It looked pretty brutal from my perch.

Madball NEVER puts on a bad show. I've seen them more times then I can count and they always destroy. There is a reason that they are considered the best NYC hardcore band (props to SOIA) and it's not their albums. Madball, like always, was on point - hell it's CBGBs, where it all started, of course they were on point.

Some of the notable moments of the show was when Toby from H2O joined the boys for a song. Hoya (bass) and Freddy (vocals) switched it up for that song. So Hoya and Toby were on vocal duty with Freddy playing bass. At another point in the set Freddy announced that Hoya was getting married (aww). Everyone gave him a big congratulations and then the show went on. They played quite a few songs, the best being "Pride" and "Down By Law". Those aren't my favorites they were just the best of the set.

I always love seeing Madball, especially in NYC. You know why? Because Madball are the kings of New York. You missed a great fucking show kids, don't slack next time they're around. Which won't be at CBGB's, this was officially they're last gig at CB's which just fucking sucks.

Madball

Toby from H2O & Hoya

Freddy Madball

MP3:
For My Enemies - Madball

Turmoil

Music:
Turmoil E-Card (check out "Playing Dead")