Shenanigans in NYC

So I was going to write a big long post detailing all my shenanigans in New York City from Thursday and Friday, but to tell you the truth I don't remember much... Just kidding I remember it all, but I know most of you probably  wouldn't read the entire post so I'll keep it semi brief. (Read: there are some things left better unwritten.)

In a 27.5 hour period (beginning Thursday at 7 am and ending Friday around 10:30 am) my brother and I spent roughly 13 or so hours on a bus. Luckily I slept (read: was passed out) for the return trip. Anyways, we arrived to NYC around 2 pm on Thursday afternoon. First bar around 3. They had $5 beer and whiskey shot combos, which is probably the greatest way to ever start off a day of drinking before a rock concert. Think about it, you're drinking a shot and beer in the amount of time you would normally do one or the other. That's twice the drunk in half the time! How could things ever turn out bad? (Hint: They don't!)

The place was a total dive, we coined the term "Duct tape Dive" because the entire booths were held together by red duct tape. The bartenders were wasted, along with all the other people there.  I love NYC. Anyways, we hit another bar after on the way to the concert. Had a few Jim Beam nips and finally the doors opened early around 6:30 or so.

Anyways, the concert was unreal. My Morning Jacket was unbelievably good and if you ever have the chance to seem them you really should. They played all of their album "It Still Moves" (they were doing 5 nights in a row, featuring a different album each night and recording it for a DVD box set). During their encore they played a few B-sides, a Bob Dylan cover, and a very awesome cover of the Band's "It Makes No Difference" and finished with a cool version of Lionel Richies' "All Night Long." If you're a fan of the band check out Youtube for recordings of just about every song they played, especially "Run Thru;" it was an intense performance with crazy strobe lights.

All in all it was an epic 27.5 hours. New York City never disappoints and you never know what you're going to see. Like the legitimately insane guy inline behind me at the bus station. The dude was absolutely terrifying.

That is how you fuckin' rock!

Tomorrow I'll  post my TNH column about my experience at the Colonial Clash before getting back to the regular postings. 

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Pommes Frites: Kurt's on Steriods

During my brief trip down to NYC I learned and experienced a lot of new things. For example, Glenn Beck is douche bag in real life too. (But really, how surprising is that?) I also learned that you shouldn't park on a side of a street just because other cars are already parked there. ($185 towing fees). I saw Gogol Bordello for my sixth time and their energy and performance still blows me away. It is crazy to think that you can see a band so many times (in just 2 1/2 years) and they still pull out new things. (Like crowd surfing on top of a drum.)

 But perhaps the best thing about New York is the amount of awesome restaurants and bars on every block. I made the trip with my older brother and his wife who lived in the city for three years and we met up with a few of their old friends so they took me to all their old spots in the small amount of time we had. The best food of the trip was this tiny french fry joint called "Pomme Frites" on 2nd avenue in Manhattan. If you like Kurt's cheesy fries, then Pomme Frites is the place for you.

Top: Big fries and delicious sauces (my photo). Bottom: front of shop (via google images.)

They have 25 different dipping sauces to go along with mouth watering, twice-fried, Belgian style french fries made from fresh potatoes. We sampled 9 of the sauces that included personal favorites such as pomegranate teriyaki mayo, dill lemon mayo, Mexican ketchup, the peanut satay and of course their own style of cheese. Bottom line is that if there was a Pomme Frites at UNH, Kurt's would be out of business before you could say "extra cheese." Even with the car-tow the trip was awesome and a great success. Oh, I almost forgot to mention, every bar we went to served me, which was pretty sweet. Although most places in NYC will serve you as long as you look 18, I like to think all the waitresses were digging my awesome neck beard.

Stay classy, not UMassy.