Warning to Williamsburg

They could be one of the stereotypes of Williamsburg residents or it could be the end to all hipsters. Skinny jeans not as deadly as the swine flu...yet?

"she noticed an odd tingly sensation running up and down her thighs. And when she got up to walk around, things got weirder. She felt like she was almost "floating," because she couldn't feel her legs. “It felt really strange — it felt like my leg had gone to sleep,” (MSNBC)

New Project: Ra Ra Riot and Vampire Weekend

Despite a busy year for these two bands a couple of the fellas managed to get together and record some new music. Well maybe not. These two songs on their myspace have been around for a couple of years, but no one was spreading the word. Until now.



"Rostam Batmanglij of Vampire Weekend has teamed up with Wes Miles of Ra Ra Riot to create Discovery. There are only two tracks up on their MySpace right now, but they say they're "COMING HARD AT YOU IN 2009!"" (MyOldKy)

Matt and Kim - Lessons Learned (Video)

Well, this is a video of Matt and Kim hanging out in Times Square...naked. Its for their new single "Lessons Learned" which is one of the lower energy songs on the album. The video does nothing for me but its funny to watch everyone stare and the ending is pretty killer.

Passion Pit - The Reeling (Video)

The new Passion Pit video for the song "The Reeling" was debuted yesterday. Their videos always interest me and are usually a good watch. This one isn't anything special but is still a fun little party video. Check it out.

5 Pointz Collapse

The 5 Pointz building that we enjoy visiting from time to time has run in to some issues. The main concrete fire escape located on the inner part of the building has fallen down to some extent while an artist was on it.

"The city’s Buildings Department ordered the largest of the buildings that make up the studios closed and issued a host of violations including unsafe conditions and putting up partitions to create the studios without a proper permit." (NYTimes)

Everythings Better With a Bag of Weed

If you didn't catch Family Guy last night then you missed one of the best musicals ever on the show. Not necessarily because its about weed but it was quite long and thought out. They made sure to offend plenty of people in ways that make you ask yourself if you are supposed to laugh or not.

Damn Straight Time Warner

They could not have been serious? Right?

Time Warner Cable Inc. is shelving its plan to bill customers based on how much Internet traffic they generate, following mounting public and political outcry.

Time Warner Cable's capitulation doesn't bode well for the future of metered billing of the Internet, in which people who use more bandwidth pay more. (MSNBC)

Grifter Lady is Everywhere

I tried and tried to not put anything up about this crazy woman but I can't help it. She is everywhere and it is all very entertaining. I first read about this on FreeWilliamsburg and recommend filing through all the blogs and articles. You will definitely get a kick out of it.

Here is some help:
Gothamist
Observer
Gawker

SitComs Gone Porno

This is quite great.

"Porn companies have certainly found a lucrative niche in the past few years: remaking beloved sitcoms as porn films that they can sell at a premium price. These videos have a built-in market in the porn world (fans of these shows) and they garner attention from mainstream media organizations. Here are five of the weirdest takes on beloved shows you'll ever see..." (HuffPost)

National Record Store Day

This Saturday is National Record Store Day. Check around to see what your local record stores have planned. Could be something special.

Liverpool loses steam

Liverpool went down hard this afternoon, 3-1, to Chelsea in the champions league. Giving up 3 away goals, which makes it 'Mission Impossible' to advance.

The squad was solid in the first half. Controlling the speed of play and maintaining the majority of possession, but never really pushing or threatening to score. Liverpool did manage putting one on the board early with a great ball from Dirk Kuyt finding Arbeloa down the right side. Arbeloa crossed the ball to Torres who finished the attack. In the 39th minute Chelsea's Ivanovic scored a header off a corner kick that drew the teams even at the half.

Now on to the next 45. Liverpool came out attacking and found themselves with a couple of good oppurtunities very early on. That's about all of the good in the second half for Liverpool. They lost control of the middle of the feild which made possesing the ball for more than 3 passes not an option. Another corner for Chelsea resulted in another Ivanovic goal and the lead. The away team sealed the match with a third goal from Drogba inside the six yard box.

All season long Liverpool has struggled marking on set peices and today was no exception. I can't understand how this continues to happen. Is no one on the staff noticing this? It has cost Liverpool vital points in the Premier League during the middle of the season and looks like it will be the road block to the squads Champions League hopes.

That is a lot of Blessing

"Fox 5's SkyFox helicopter took the above photograph of a Bedford Avenue gathering in Williamsburg; there were other gatherings in NYC this morning, such as a prayer at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza near the U.N. and a prayer at a penthouse near the World Trade Center site (according to the NY Times, "A Birkat Hachamah ceremony in 1981 was held on the 107th-story observation deck of the World Trade Center's South Tower, and the rabbi is dedicating Wednesday's blessing to the memory of those who died in the Sept. 11 attacks")."

(gothamist.com)

Ladies! Start mowing the lawn

Landscaping will never be the same.

Kumar working for the Man

"When Dr. Lawrence Kutner killed himself on the latest episode of "House: MD," it was the beginning of a new career for actor Kal Penn.

The demise of Penn's character cleared the way for the actor to move on to another "House," the White House.

Penn, 31, will be an associate director for the Obama administration's Office of Public Liaison."

(CNN.com/entertainment)

Liverpool over Fulham 1-0

Liam Neeson and his sons were present during the thrilling Liverpool victory this weekend. I was at my usual spot, the 11th Street Bar with the rest of the LFCNY crew.

After a first half of missed opportunities for Liverpool, Rafa Benitez looked to add an offensive spark midway through the second half. He substituted Ryan Babel for Andrea Dossena and Yossi Benayoun for Dirk Kuyt. Following a fortunate deflection in the 92nd minute Benayoun blasts a shot from just outside the 6 yard box which gave Liverpool three points and moved them back a top the Premier League table.

For the past few months Yossi Benayoun has proven himself time again to be a legit threat off the bench for the Reds. He has definitely been a spark for this team during the second half of the season and will also continue to play a big role in the final Premier League games as well as the upcoming Champoins League rounds.

Now the Reds prepare for their Champions League match this Wednesday against Chelsea FC.

I Heart NYC

I love NYC I really do. Now that the temperatures are warming up and people are all over and I don't have to bundle as much to ride my bike, its easier to check out new places.

Fringe is Filming

Fringe is filming in Williamsburg near Bedford and South 1st. On a more important note J.J. Abrams can do no wrong in my mind. LOST has been great this season and I am really looking forward to seeing Star Trek!!!

Friendly Fires/White Lies @ Bowery Ballroom

We showed up to Bowery Ballroom with no tickets in hand to the sold out show. Lucky for us they released some extras at the door. I'm going to start right off the bat by saying this was a great show all around. It has been a long time since I have had that much fun at a show. The White Lies and the Friendly Fires both play upbeat music which can make it very easy to get caught up in a dancing frenzy, which is exactly what I did.

The White Lies are usually thrown in the group with Interpol, Editors and The Bravery for their type of sound and it makes sense because that is who they sound like. I do personally feel they have a little Joy Division in them as well, but that's me. The crowd was really in to them. A lot of bouncing around, singing along and the occasional fist pump which I enjoy. Lets me know the people are there for all the right reasons. The band sounded pretty solid despite complaints about his throat from the lead singer (Harry McVeigh). They also provided an entertaining light show.

I'm a pretty big Friendly Fires fan which is why I wanted to make sure to catch the Thursday night show at Bowery since they were headlining unlike the Friday night show. They were exactly what I expected. Non-stop energy from song to song. The band looked to be having a great time on stage especially the lead singer (Ed Macfarlane) who had some pretty funky and highly entertaining dance moves. The entire crowd seemed to be having a really good time...Then things got confusing, for me at least. They finished up the set and went off stage. Still on a high from the great set everyone started clapping and cheering in anticipation of an encore. After about a minute the house music came on but very low. The crowd cheered again. After another few minutes pass the house music is full blast and the lights come on. I mean what the F? I stood there dumb founded. This was the worst ending to a really great show. The crowd never missed a beat. We were all singing a long and dancing with every song and this is how we get rewarded. I don't understand what happened but it was an ending I wouldn't have predicted.

Gossip Girls Filming

I took a walk to grab some lunch on this beautiful day and ran in to the Gossip Girls. Who are filming on Berry between S. 1st and S. 2nd.

Hillsborough Disaster Awareness

Photo:

April 15th will be the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster. For Liverpool supporters it is a time to remember the victims of this unfortunate tragedy and to send out awareness in order to prevent something like this from ever happening again.

A new music video has been recorded for the anniversary. It features ex-Reds, local bands and members of the Hillsborough Family Support Group. Take the time to watch the video and show your support.

"This record, the memorial service at Anfield and all the other Hillsborough remembrance events are a symbol of the fact that we will never forget the 96 young and old Liverpool fans who died."

Sizzle Sizzle Pop Pop

During the last year there have been more and more eating related events popping up in the area and so far I haven't dragged myself out for a single event. There were mulitple chili things and this past sunday was the Greenpoint Mac Off, but that one I was in VT so I think its OK. This one stands out because I love BACON!!! This sunday in Williamsburg there will be a bacon showdown.

Check it out here

Micachu & The Shapes @ Death By Audio

I am a bit embarrassed to admit that i finally made my first trip to Death By Audio. Embarrassed because I live extremely close and it took me this long to get over there but after all of the SXSW hype of Micachu & The Shapes it seemed like a perfect opportunity.

Glad we got there as early as we did (Around 10ish) because we were able to catch all three advertised bands.

Miracles of Modern Science started everything off with some upbeat pop music. I enjoyed the sound of all the string instruments and the interaction of all the band members. Even if you don't like the music they were wearing the 'Hole in the Wall' TV show costumes which automatically equals a thumbs up in my book.

Once the stage was stripped bare I sat there waiting for them to set up some new instruments or really do anything, but they didn't. After a while Anni Rossi walked out with just herself and her viola. She sounded really good and played the viola in a number of different ways to create a full and interesting sound. I kept thinking of Regina Spektor while she was playing because of the similar vocals.

Micachu & The Shapes walked in bundled up with their jackets and scarfs on. I assume they were a bit late and looked like they had run to the venue. I only heard a little bit of their music leading up to the show so i wasn't sure what to expect. Once the baby guitars were set up and the macbook was duct taped to the stand they got right in to it. I liked everything about it. From the obscurity of the instruments and sound that came out of them to the oddly coordinated t-shirts. The music was simple and some times chaotic but it all made sense. The guitar, keyboard, drums and vocals all complimented eachother to create a fun sound that had me smiling and bending my knees all night.

Tokyo Police Club/Born Ruffians/Harlem Shakes @ Webster Hall

I was very excited about this entire line up. I tried to get their in time to catch everyone, but then felt, that would be way too much time inside Webster Hall. This forced me to make a tough decision and missing out on the Harlem Shakes performance was it.

On the other hand arriving to see the Born Ruffians was a must for me. I was looking forward to their performance since I have missed the opportunity several times to catch them at smaller venues and as headliners. Immediately walking in to the main space I was caught off guard by the amount of people that were already inside. Born Ruffians had already taken the stage so I rushed to grab a drink then set up shop. Pretty sure I didn't catch the entire set because I only heard four songs. As for those four songs they sounded very good and I was highly intrigued. Not expecting to get a full vibe of what their live show is like, since they were the opener and at Webster Hall, but I do know that the next time they come to town as a headliner I will be there.

This being my third time seeing Tokyo Police Club I obviously like their live show. I saw them a couple of years ago at Bowery Ballroom then again when they opened for Bloc Party. Both shows were great, especially the Bowery show. Great energy from the band and even better energy from the crowd. As for this show on this night at Webster Hall I'd have to say I was highly disappointed. The reasoning not being necessarily the band, but the crowd. No one was really in to the music (given I wasn't as close to the stage as I would have like to have been). They did play some new tunes, but even on the older favorites I felt as if people were standing around and trying to figure out how much longer this was going to go on for. To throw a little credit back at the crowd I don't feel they were 100 percent to blame either. Webster Hall might be a little too large for Tokyo Police Club right now. The show did sell out but I hold the solid line up of all three bands more responsible for that rather than Tokyo Police Club on their own. Either way I thought the band sounded average and I hope they learn something from this show and do NYC right next time.

Tickets On The Wall?

I would love to start by saying we have some type of cool/fun/innovative idea on why we are starting this blog but we don't. We are two roommates who have been living in Williamsburg, BK for a little over a year now attempting to indulge in as many activities as our wallets will allow. (ie: concerts, restaurants, sporting events, art exhibits...anything we find interesting) We don't claim to be critics or have any special knowledge about anything that is posted, we simply want to share what we have been up to and give our opinion on it with the hopes that you'll give yours right back. Please enjoy and don't be to brutal towards us with the comments, we're sensitive.

This is definitely not the best time to start the blog considering our wallets have become much thinner in the past few months, but if we don't start it now then it probably will never happen.

So here's our best shot. Welcome to Tickets On The Wall!