Super mega thanks to @sleepovertrading , @glam.stroker and the fantastic folks at @communitytheaterny for making this 55 year old kid’s dream come true. I finally got to see PHANTASM on the big screen. A masterpiece from @don_coscarelli . Even after seeing it on cable a thousand times, it still holds up. Best wishes to Reggie Banister who is in hospice now. That dude rules. And remember: you play a good game, boy, but the game is finished. now you die. #phantasm #doncoscarelli #commuitytheater #sleepovertradingco #glamstroker
Today would have been my mom’s 80th birthday. To say that she is missed would be a severe understatement. Not a day goes by where I don’t think of her and my dad. And I thank them everyday for bringing me into this world - no matter how crazy and brutal it can get. My mom was always one to remind everyone that life is beautiful even amongst the ruins. Happy birthday, Susan April Berger Rispler. And yes - I am wearing a Hawaiian style shirt with Skittles on it in this picture! #happybirthdaytoyou #susanrispler
Pumped up to party in Red Hook on Wednesday night! @mightyhighbrooklyn and @stiffrnrband invade @dockys_rh for an evening of #regressiverock. Heavy jams start around 8pm. NO MELLOW SHIT!
Come to @dockys_rh on tax day - Wed. 4/15 - to get some Tenafly Viper and witness the true STREET TRASH that makes up @mightyhighbrooklyn !!! Our dear friends from Chicago, @stiffrnrband , will be bringing the ruckus as well. So instead of being upset that you owe the government more money than you have, spend those last soon-to-be-useless dollars on getting hammered at this show! It’ll be fun! See y’all there! #mightyhighbrooklyn #stiff #stiffrnr #dockysredhook #rocknroll
RIP 1954-2026 - The inimitable Ross “The Boss” Friedman of Manowar and The Dictators fame passed away yesterday
Captured with the Dictators NYC at Bi Nuu Berlin 2016
#rosstheboss #riprosstheboss #manowarband #dictatorsnyc #thedictators
Last night, Ross “The Boss” Friedman quietly passed away after a relatively short battle with ALS. To say that I am absolutely crushed would be a severe understatement. Ross was not only an amazing musician and bandmate that I learned so much from, but he was a very close friend who I will miss until I die. Back in 1982 when I was 12 years old, I bought a copy of Manowar’s Battle Hymns. To this very day, that record still inspires me and completely kicks ass. I would have never imagined at that age that I would have ended up spending quality time with the guitarist on that album, much less be in bands with him. Being such a nerd who read all the metal magazines led me to find out that Ross’s first recording band was a legendary NYC proto-punk band called The Dictators. Amazing to think that Ross helped create and/or define two distinct genres in the world of rock-n-roll - punk rock and power metal. It’s insane. And Ross was so humble about it. He just did what he did constantly and consistently. And he did it better than most - all while staying grounded in reality. Ross was one of the hardest working people I have ever known. We would come home from a tour in Europe and land at 10:30am. And Ross would head from JFK straight to The Cage - the baseball batting facility that he ran with his family - and go right to work. I couldn’t believe his dedication. Truly a workhorse who never gave up. I have so many amazing memories of touring, recording and playing with Ross that it wouldn’t fit on this limited IG platform. But I will say that some of my favorite times were just hanging out with Ross at The Cage in Queens, listening to music, playing guitar on little practice amps while little league baseball players were practicing their hitting. We would talk shit all through the night and he would tell me stories of touring with Uriah Heep, Thin Lizzy, AC/DC and more. And despite Ross’s influence on both punk and metal, you can call out any song by the Grateful Dead (pre-74) and he could play it note-for-note. Kind of amazing that the same dude who absolutely rips on a song liked Dark Avenger could also play Dark Star. (More continued in comments below)
In these trying times, it’s extremely easy to abandon hope and positivity. It’s crazy, right? Managing life is difficult enough without the shadows of war, genocide, economic insecurity and what has basically become a “cold civil war” here in the US. So sometimes it’s easy to forget the people and things that make life worth living. And this pic above is what keeps me going. And they are who keep me grounded. So I have to say thank you to @crackbaby_69000 for being my rock and I have to be grateful to Skittles - you know, for just being Skittles.
Yes. Everything kinda sucks right now. From filling your gas tank and grocery bags for way too much all the way to the hellish insanity that we don’t even hear about in places like Darfur and the Republic Of Congo. So we sometimes we have to remind ourselves what we’re living for. And I guess that’s what this post is all about. Wishing everyone out there everywhere hope and love. ❤️❤️❤️
Would you fuckin’ listen to those harmonies? Holy shit! You knew right here that Neil was influenced hard by the Everly Brothers. That super close vocal that seems to kinda bend time and space? Do you hear it? Fuckin’ genius. And what a songwriter! When I was a kid we used to come into Brighton Beach to visit my grandma and great aunt who lived in the same Warbasse project building on Ocean Parkway for well over 40 years. Both of them were friendly with Neil’s mother and always told me what a nice boy he was. I, being first clueless other than knowing only what I heard on the radio and then being a snotty metalhead punk by 12 years old, thought Neil was square as fuck. But then I grew up. And my ears grew up with me. And I realized Mr. Sedaka’s genius. And yes - he was a genius. And both his songs and harmonies will live forever in my head. And they should in yours, too. Cool trivia: in the 70s when Neil moved to London to basically recharge his career, he used members of 10cc as his backup band. Super cool. R.I.P. Neil Sedaka. No matter how famous you got, you were always that nice Jewish boy from Brighton Beach with a great sense of humor. You even laughed when Carole King sang “Oh! Neil
I’d even give up a month’s supply of chewin’ tobacky
Just to be known as Mrs. Neil Sedaky!” #neilsedaka #calendargirls #breakingupishardtodo #stupidcupid #brightonbeach
R.I.P. Tom Noonan. One of the absolute best character actors in the business. From Manhunter to Heat to The Monster Squad and so much more, Tom was a master of his craft. And his writing was awesome as well. See both What Happened was… and The Wife (aka Wifey) and you’ll see what I mean. Thank you, Tom. You were amazing and will be missed greatly. #tomnoonan #manhunter #themonstersquad #tomnoonanactor #tomnoonanrules
