Town Musicians of Bremen

At Mercury Lounge last night in the Lower East Side, seven extremely talented young men stepped on stage and gave a truly incredible performance. Pigpen Theater Co, based in NYC, is a group of musicians and actors who gathered at Carnegie Mellon writing, composing, and performing in their play The Old Man and The Old Moon which recently finished its performance run. They are now focusing efforts on their music having kicked started the tour here in NYC, then on to Boston, Philadelphia and DC.  

The guys; Ryan, Alex, Arya, Matt, Dan, Ben and Curtis (or as I refer to them; the old man, the old woman, cookie, narrator, the funny one, Gabriel, and Llewellyn) are all gifted and talented musicians. I love the diverse instrumentation beyond the guitar & bass including an accordion, a banjo and the fiddle. They freely and seamlessly switch instruments throughout the show and each take turns at the mic with their wonderful voices. Oh wait.... and have I mentioned that they are funny?!? The light banter between songs (similar to their characters’ in the play) is very entertaining and it makes you feel as if you know them on a personal level.

Please go check these guys out - you won’t regret it! As long as they keep getting on stage in NYC, I’ll be in the audience.

(Alissa and Steph I hope you have an awesome time at the show in Philly!)

Bremen debut album

Andrea and I being groupies :)

Cirque de Cyr Wheel

A few weeks ago I met my friend Lana at a Cyr Wheel party in the LES - where I took my first steps towards a career in the circus.

If you are asking what exactly is a Cyr Wheel... I had no idea either. However, I quickly learned how much of a fun, yet challenging total body workout it can be! The folks at the party were friendly and very helpful to us beginners, showing us how to hold the wheel, a few of the basic moves, and how to "skateboard kick" to start spinning in the wheel. As exciting as it was to try, this is definitely a sport which requires some practice. For Lana and me, we gave it our all and then relaxed with an infused vodka from their mini bar.

Below are some pictures of our first attempts, as well as a video of one of the pros getting some serious practice in.

If you are interested in trying out a class, head down to KHDT studios located at 330 Broome St. in the LES, close to the Grand stop on the D or the Spring stop on the 6. A single class is $35 for an hour and a half.

(Courtney Werthman, we are taking a class next time you are up. It's hooping to a whole new level)

where to start...

In new york, there is an infinite number of things to do in your spare time. I wanted to begin documenting some of the unique things my friends and I get into around the city and some of the spontaneous fun we have. This blog is not about the regular NYC bar scene; it is a blog to share my experiences and hope others will enjoy reading about and/or trying on their own.