July 4th Madness

July 4th represents a lot of different things to numerous people who hold vastly diverse views on this country. Our day of independence did not mean much for a population of people living in this country at the time, but it did give way to the many freedoms we all enjoy today as American citizens. Yesterday (july 4th) I was with a few friends discussing the disparities in our government and relishing in our freedom to be able to hold these views without fear of punishment. It was an interesting conversation filled with ambivalence and sincerity. I, like many others, have a love/hate relationship with this wonderfully complicated country.
However, this is not why I am updating. I am updating to tell you about the awkward bbq I attended with a group of complete strangers.
So my friend and I were invited to this bbq without knowing but one person. It was a weird crowd of people because they were all paired off (the people who lived there and knew the guys who lived there) and didn't seem to be receptive to meeting new people, but my friend's friends were super cool and it was nice kind of getting to know them. So we were in Brooklyn, and these guys totally had that frat boy thing going on, which I am by no means against! It was just odd seeing it in the middle of Williamsburg. Eh, maybe not... Anywho, at first, I sat in the corner with my two friends wondering how the hell I get myself into these situations and later on after some liquid courage, I decided to bite the bullet and make the effort the hosts' refused to by walking over to the kiddie pool (yes there was a kiddie pool) and sticking my feet in with them and just started talking. It turns out the dudes were really cool and pretty funny. But then they began talking about sports at some point and I completely blanked out. The funniest part of our interaction, though, was when two of the guys girlfriends came over and sat on their boyfriends' laps. It was a warning sign for me I suppose. They didn't even join the conversation, they just spoke to each other. A united front against the enemy/vixen- yes, I just called myself a vixen. Cool it, I'm being sarcastic haha. Lock your boyfriends away ladies, I'm on the prowl. I chuckled to myself at the ridiculousness of the situation. Shortly after, my friends and I decided to leave. After we left we had a lot of fun and watched the fireworks on one of my friends' roofs. It was a goooooood time (as aforementioned).
I really do like meeting new people so even at the awkward bbq I had fun. Although, I feel like I've spent an obscene amount of money on going out and need to find other activities that don't delve into my pockets and make my money disappear. Any suggestions? I'm open to anything! THAT'S FREE. Hope you all had a wonderful July 4th weekend!

photo from clipartof.com

Also, I want to take this opportunity to shout out my g-ma who's bday lands on the day of independence! Happy Birthday Eva, though you'll never see this =/ haha

One more thing! I need to buy Independence Day. That movie is so dang goooooood. Love me some Will and Jeff.


I'm out.

Hey, you're weird.

Alright guys and dolls. I have been meeting quite a few people while living here in the BK, and I must say either 1. A majority of them have been apprehensive to pursue friendships for whatever neurosis they have, 2. Have been incredibly awkward/said really offensive, off-putting things, or 3. HAVE BEEN PLAIN FREAKING WEIRD. Is it in the water? Am I going to catch this inexplicable weirdness, too? Gosh, I hope not. I was just speaking to a good friend of mine about how hard it is to make friends. At this point in our lives are we so set in our own ideals that we can't branch out and meet people who don't share our EXACT SAME interests?! What are we... 85?! I still love going out and meeting people, don't get me wrong, but now I'm not so easily distracted by the novelty of strangers. I am more wary of people I don't know because they are all POTENTIAL NUT JOBS! So, yeah.
I remember going out to Barcade one night and meeting this girl I thought was totally cool so I was like let's exchange numbers and hang out. BAD IDEA. Come to find out this crazy girl has some SERIOUS issues. Without prompt she brought up some kinky sexual preferences she had (she said she preferred guys "dicks" but loved "tits" and wished she could have both- I by no means was offended by her desires, but extremely shocked that she would tell a complete stranger this), laughing hysterically after.She kept bringing up the fact she was Irish and proceeded to tell a very racist joke, telling me not to be offended- the joke: What does a black kid get for their birthday: PUNCHLINE: Your bike. Really?! How incredibly stupid. Um. CRAZY. At another place, I was with my friend and his boyfriend and we were all talking, sitting at the bar, and this other guy comes up to us and starts to hit on my friend's boyfriend- knowing he's taken! Telling us his boyfriend and him are having troubles, spilling his relationship details to an audience he met 5 minutes prior. WTF CRAZIES?! Oi. I just don't understand the audacity of people to just say whatever they want without consideration for others.

Oh and dating. Uuuuhhh guuuuuhhhhh. Yup, I swore I'd never talk about it on my blog, but it has to be the most confusing, awkward social experience(?). It's funny because no matter how many people I ask for advice I get the same answers, "I don't know," "I have no idea," "I'm confused, too." No one can seem to crack the shell of this age old human interaction. What does it all mean? Why do we put ourselves through it, knowing the result- more confusion and frustration. I think I'm just not cut out to date. Hanging out with my friends is just so much less stressful and not potentially mortifying... well, sometimes. Also, I wish people would just be honest. None of these lame excuses- just say what you feel. We're all adults here, right? Geebus. I'm not talking about one experience bee tee dubbs, but my general (mis)understanding of dating.
Can we just be friends? So much less pressure. Hate it. I think I'm gonna be a recluse with 96794875934 cats and imaginary friends.

I need to get out of the city. I need some good ol' nature. Somebody take me camping.

pretty please?!





I'm out.

MGMT Secret Show and oh yeah, my life

Wow, I haven't updated in a while. Isn't that so predictable to start a blog post with after not writing for a while? Whatever, I do what I want. ha. So, it's been a crazy few weeks filled with many ups and downs, mostly ups seeing as my new perspective on life has allowed me to graciously embrace more of the positive and disregard the negative- yay! Anywho, there are so many awesome things that have been happening in my life, but the most noteworthy/guaranteed to induce incredible amounts of jealousy would be my truly amazing experience at Mercury Lounge where I saw freaking MGMT perform!!! Mercury Lounge is this small venue in the LES that showcases lots of talented bands who wind up being pretty famous years later. MGMT actually performed there before they exploded into the sweet, sweet rhythmic sensation.

So, my roommate's brother bought these tickets online under the guise of some crazy band called like fish leopard or something. I don't remember. Before the show, the group of us were standing around a little anxious about who we would be seeing perform. The crowd was very diverse, of course there were a few hipsters sprinkled in the midst, but there were also people in suits, and girls in crazy heels. It was interesting. The lights dimmed and the stage was quiet. A man came from the crowd up to the mic standing on the stage and asked the crowd if they were excited to see MGMT perform, we all cheered in unison. He then told us to get ready for a treat and proceeded to introduce to us the WORST ventriloquist I have ever seen. He was supposedly on Conan and did some other notable shows, but he was horrendous! It was the most collectively awkward experience of my life. The entire crowd seemed to be shifting in discomfort while mr. ventriloquist waxed on about random incidents, not bothering to hide his moving mouth. It almost seemed like they took some random guy off the street, gave him a dummy, and threw him onstage. After that nonsense was finally over, which felt like HOURS, MGMT came on and played. They were AMAZING, however, yet another potentially fantastic musical experience was botched by the crowd's lack of energy. How could you not dance to "Electric Feel" or "Time to Pretend?!" HOW?! I was dancing of course, but it was so strange. I had a great time though hearing them play live and falling in love with them all over again. I even got to say hey to the bassist! He was really nice. My roommate, her friend, and her brother and I went to some bar afterward called The Local 269, where we befriended the bartender who was super nice and gave us a free round. The bar played some amazing music, too. It was a really relaxed atmosphere, which seems to be hard to find in the city. Also, the card minimum was only $10 and the drinks were cheap! Unheard of!

Whew. This is a long post. Apologies.
Life has been excellent, lots of great things happening. I'm meeting lots of really cool people and falling deeper in love with Brooklyn everyday.

I will try to be more consistent with my blog! I want to be a writer, but you wouldn't know it by the embarrassing gaps of time between entries. Meh.


I'm out.

Pinisi and Punks

Since moving to Brooklyn, I have not gone out nearly enough to Manhattan to discover gems of note- until recently. With my friend Nish, much adventuring was underway earlier this week. We walked around the city for hours- HOURS, and were pleasantly surprised by many different shops and such we stumbled (not literally) into. One place in particular that had a really great vibe was Pinisi Bakery that has a few locations around the city. We had some delicious cupcakes there after eating dollar pizza- health schmealth, and were very satisfied. The bakery is adorable and has couches in the back along with a bookshelf with many different titles- you can even learn Russian! The feel is reminiscent of an artist's living room, devoid of that sterile, conventional, corporate callousness of starbucks. There's original artwork on the walls and they painted the florescent lighting panels with pretty primary colors. Also, the guys working there were very friendly.
Before that we went to a small book store on 1st with a great women's studies and political theory section. Of course, I have forgotten the name of the bookstore, but when I'm not feeling completely and utterly lazy I'll look it up and post its whereabouts/website.
So, remember my aversion to the lower east side? I'm kind of over it. I had an awesome time hanging out down there so I have since changed my staunch stance (hehe) on it. Though it is filled with insensitive idiots, there is a really cool scene there as a whole. Maybe cool's not the word for it- um, interesting. Yes, there's a fascinating collective of people/ideas in the lower east side- a conflicting mass of bigotry and "liberalism." We (my friend and I) experienced this amorphous, confused reality when we were at a bar dancing around like fools. It was interesting seeing who would approach us, who stared at us in amusement and terror, and who avoided us. There was one guy in particular that was wasted and probably on numerous drugs who felt the need to tell us, "If you can't dance to rock music, then you can't dance. You have to be able to dance to every type of music." Mind you this was after the DJ (who was shitty that night) was playing bands like Empire of the Sun, Passion Pit, and even some hardcore- but mostly he played horrible 80s music that was not made to be played at a dance party. Anyway, he said this and we stared at him in disbelief, realizing he was drunk and an idiot. He then proceeded to ask us how to dance like "black people," when a hip-hop song came on. This guy was a true asshole, completely oblivious to the ignorance pouring out of his mouth. It's annoying to be in a situation like that because you really are powerless. This guy was intoxicated so no amount of reason was going to permeate that thick skull of his, we were just trying to ignore his insults and continue our fun. Luckily, as the universe would have it, he was an awful dancer and had been flailing around the dance floor like a madman, bruising himself in the process and without aid showed his ugly insides through his grotesque dancing style-buffoon. I don't like to judge people when they're dancing, but when they admit ignorance willfully I let myself go. It's funny because he swore he was lord of the dance.
It's so frustrating running into people who are so small-minded. I've been around such amazing people, I forget those foolish people exist. It was depressing. I'm over it though, there's no way I'm letting one person make me lose hope in humanity (I almost did that night haha).


I'm out.

CHATROULETTE

Okay, so I didn't sleep last night on account of this incredible new social media cleverly called Chatroullete. A website solely dedicated to connecting people all around the world using technology enabling users to utilize cameras/mikes on their computers to see and hear complete strangers. I really like this particular web er thing (?) because it's so interactive and you're speaking with real people in real time! Although, as you can probably gather, there are quite a few risks with exposing yourself to the unfiltered, uncensored computer screens of THE WORLD. There were a plethora of penises, indecent proposals, and creepy older gentlemen on the prowl. Luckily, the beauty of chatroulette is your ability to immediately disconnect and move on to someone/something else. However, amongst the nauseatingly bold sexual deviants are some really awesome people. My friend and I began tallying actually, pleasant conversations against crude, disgusting behavior and the pleasantries outweighed the eye-numbing crazies! By the end of out session we met 4 or 5 really cool people and had really great conversations with them about nothing at all really. One devastating thing did happen though! While speaking with two particularly funny guys from LA we got one of their fb links, but it was lost when we disconnected =( It was the saddest thing ever. It took me a few chatroulette sessions to get over the loss. I'm still not sure I'm over it. So, if you're out there chatroulette buddy- add me!! Crisis Scarlett on fb!! Oh and if anyone else feels inclined to add me either, go right ahead!
There were a few people who did some really cool computer tricks and that were just plain silly! We conversed with a guy from France who was THE NICEST guy ever. It really gives you hope that there are genuinely good people in this effed up world. It gives you hope. Sigh.

All in all chatroulette is yet another time-consuming activity to add to the list. Thanks a lot internet. Ho hum.

Oh and here's a link for some of the ridiculous screenshots captured during Chatroulette sessions from buzzfeed.com. Some of this stuff is pretty HILARIOUS.


I'm out.

The PIT

The People's Improv Theatre
(The PIT)

Going to see improv shows is somewhat of a gamble. Sitting nervously in the audience you watch people use their wits and instincts to entertain you. With every scene there is a chance of unbearable amounts of discomfort and embarrassment. However, my night at The PIT was devoid of any of the aforementioned, save one improv team that shall remain nameless. It was probably just an off night, which happens! Anyway, I saw 6 brilliant improv groups this fateful Wednesday night and was impressed in one way, shape, or form by their immense talent. My favorites were Local 154, Senator, Big Black Car (Kristen Schaal from HBO's Flight of the Conchords is actually on that team as well, but was not there last night), and The Baldwins. Though, I must say, I am a little biased considering my friends were on a few of those teams, but I really did have a lot of respect for all of them because everyone had such great energy.
Sitting in the audience that night, I have never felt so proud of my friends. For years they have steadily, wholeheartedly worked on their craft and eventually landed into these two amazing improv groups at The PIT that really allow them to showcase their considerable talent. Not to mention they are two of the best people you'll probably ever meet! Anyway, the teams I mentioned made a significant impact on me and performed the kind of imrpov you would easily drop mad bank on, but their performances were free! These guys effortlessly took random suggestions from the audience and put on such an incredible show! From the minute they received the suggestion to the black out they had the entire audience's attention.
The PIT is such a great place to see improv because of it's size and intimacy. Walking out after the show and seeing the actors mingling and joking around really makes you feel more involved in the experience and not just a mindless theatre-goer.

Improv is such a hard art to master considering there is no room for fear or inhibition. Being an improv actor means you are fearless and incapable of timidity. All of the actors last night showed a fearlessness that cannot be denied and brought their A-game.

I can't wait to go back! I'm actually considering (meaning I'm most likely) taking classes offered at The PIT. I have always loved improv and after seeing those shows last night a wave of inspiration swept over me in an overwhelming way!

So go check out The PIT, they have free shows Wednesday nights and other days of the week if you look at their website, but paying that $5-$10 is totally worth it! They offer classe and many chances for amateurs to perform in front of an audience FOR FREE!

Go Improv!!



I'm out.

The Bell House

On Saturday night, I dragged my friend from VA and my friend who just relocated back to Brooklyn to The Bell House for an event called
CHERYLYMPIX. According to the facebook invite I got, Cherylympix is...

CHERYL (the dance party that will ruin your life) invites you to curl your hair, hurl your disco balls, and streamline your body with an ergonomic, aerodynamic padded flesh tone luge suit. Fall face down on the skeleton track and thrust your body through hyperspace in .00000238 seconds in the direction of the Bell House for the largest compulsive compulsory competititive LIFE exhibition on this side of GoGo.

CHERYLYMPIX events commence with the traditional mannequinhand torch running, opening ceremony with 1,000 tiny native GoGo children, and the annual kozy shack eating championships. Additional events include inappropriate javelin thrusts, breath holdings, and the face smashing playoffs.


Then there was a link to this...


(yes, it was that amazing)

So my friends and I sat around my apartment for several minutes trying to figure out how the hell to get there. After realizing our trip would take an hour and a half using trusty ol MTA, we decided on a cab. We finally got there and to my dismay the bar seemed devoid of activity. Looking nervously at my two friends hoping they would forgive me for bringing them to the lamest party ever, we stepped further inside. We ordered some drinks and started heading towards the back of the bar, and that's when I saw it. The golden gates. There was an entire other room! A sigh of relief escaped my lips and my friends and I headed into the dark room with the colorful flashing lights and loud music. The venue is a great size. Not too big, but not a claustrophobic's nightmare. It's actually very beautiful inside, but you couldn't really tell with all the lights out and an innumerable amount of people grinding on each other. There's a stage right in front of you when you walk in and plenty of standing room for dancing. A bar stood towards the back wall and another was elevated left of the stage. There were couches littered around the edges of the room where one could sit and take a breather from the massive pulsing crowd.
The music was excellent: yeah yeah yeahs, cut copy, CHROMEO. Dancing was indisputable, there were no options, your feet were required to move. We danced all night!
The only negative thing I have to say about the experience was the horrible transportation. Because it was the weekend, the trains were running at unreasonable hours. After we left we had a small squabble with an asshole cab driver that insisted on running the meter without knowing how to get to our destination. My friend loudly voiced her discontent, consequently getting us thrown out of the taxi. It was one of the funniest/ most absurd things I ever witnessed. The cabby was truly a piece of work. With spirits high, and the adrenaline (amongst other things) from hours of dancing still pumping through our veins we set off to take the subway- that didn't work. We wound up even further away and elected to take a cab after a pit stop at D and D. America runs on dunkin- apparently.

Saturday night was epic, consisting of fortified wine (cisco. you know the deal)and friends. I totally recommend The Bell House ( a bar/venue) for all your entertainment needs.



I'm out.

HOME SWEET HOME + THE DARK ROOM

Home Sweet Home

A bar with a lot of character, and an even more interesting clientele. I went to the bar solely because of their drink special on Monday nights (2 for 1), but was pleasantly surprised by the ambiance and people. It reminded me of a hunter's lodge. The music was really fun and people were very friendly and social. One of my coworkers even shared a smoke sesh (cigarettes!) with Chloë Sevigny! -Funny story about Mizz Chloë Sevigny- She was sitting at the bar minding her own business when a gentlemen commented on her outfit, saying it was in so many words unattractive. She then went to smoke a cig, and when she came back the gentlemen was enlightened about her celebrity status and immediately went up to her to retract his statement in (embarrassing) shame. She smiled and walked away, obviously unmoved by his opinion, but gracefully accepting his pitiful apology.


The Dark Room

Though I did not stay there long (Monday night there's an open bar-free vodka drinks from 11- midnight), I must say this place was really entertaining, good people, great dj. It looks like it would be really fun packed, but the Monday night we were there, the crowd was sparse.

All in all it was a really good night.


I'm out.

Jonte and Cherie Lily @ Santos Party House

Santos Party House

I think I'm in love. The place just oozes with fun. On all the walls, encircling the dance floor are speakers. Hanging intimidatingly from the ceiling, enticing sounds bursting out of them reverberating off the walls, into you. It was almost impossible to stay still in there, yet people did just that. Most of the crowd seemed like a slow moving lump of boredom. Entreating people to dance, Andrew WK blasted faster, bass-filled tunes, yelling every so often about partying hard because we were in NYC. You know how Andrew loves to party. However, the crowd was not having it. People were not as into the music as would be expected, but it was still fun to just be there and be entranced by the lights and music. There were a few people there trying to break out and party hard like in the song, but they were looked at strangely by others so there intensity decreased and they were reduced to emotionless drones. I'm exaggerating, but you get my point.
There was an mc who was a a guy in a costume- a suit with a huge yellow balloon for a head, was just walking up and down this strip that was laid out in front of the stage like a catwalk, rapping and/or yelling random things into the microphone. Because of the way the costume was constructed, the guy's actual face was in the middle of the suit, so it was really bizarre seeing him lift the microphone to his chest to speak. Freaky.There were also a few guys dressed like secret service agents hovering around him the entire time. Needless to say, I was completely and utterly confused by what was going on. Then abruptly, the balloon head popped and the secret service agents rolled up the catwalk and nothing was mentioned. I thought maybe I dreamed it.

Cherie Lily

I came in late (it's becoming a frightening trend) so I only saw one other performer besides Jonte, Cherie Lily, who at first I was skeptical of- probably because I was still recovering from the balloon man, but then she won my heart. She was really fun! Her adorable American Apparel work-out outfit didn't hurt. Her music reminded me of vogueing music: very fast, with few, easily memorable lyrics so the audience can sing along. She had this one song called "Get Sweaty," where she basically yells about getting wet and sweaty. It was fabulous. Here's a horrible quality youtube video of her performance of it from another night...

I love when her and the dancers go crazy at the end!

JONTE
Need I say more? He was incredible! He and his dancers came out wearing these intricate black jumpsuits fit with a monitor on the crouch. When they came out the monitors had beating hearts on them, then when he performed another song there was a loop of him yelling into the camera, so it was like their crouches were yelling at the audience. Jonte is a performer in every meaning of the word. His stage presence is undeniable. His choreography is crisp and together- all the time! I love when he perfomed "Bitch You Betta" because the entire place was filled with such great energy and everyone knew the lyrics. Unfortunately, during his set he realized his headset mike wasn't working so he had to pick up a hand-held and dance with it, but he didn't flinch at all. He knew exactly what to do, like a true performer, he improvised and solved the issue.
It was an amazing show. I didn't even mean to go last night, it was totally spur of the moment. Oh what a pleasant surprise.
Here's a picture I got with the beautiful quality of the iPhone-ugh.


And here's my all time favorite video of his...

I may be slightly biased because my friend Jade taught me the dance.
LOVE IT!


I'm out.