The Nevada desert goes trick or treating as Astor Place.

I am deeply, deeply ambivalent about Burning Man. However these pix are great and it seemed like the right day to post 'em. Happy Halloween!

Celebrate the rebirth of Astroland at the "Death of Astroland" party!

So, it feels like a really perfect time for the announcement that Astroland will live for one more season! All the freaks love Halloween!

This Saturday, the good news can be celebrated at the huge Halloween party at The Hook, in Red Hook, now-not-so-aptly themed "The Death of Astroland". My Bump 'n' Grindhouse producing cohorts and I will be there, with some of the fabulous numbers from our Coney Island show. 15 bucks to get in, but free beer and booze! And a giant ball pit. Seriously. Should be fun.

And a couple of recommendations to keep the Halloween party going next week: on Tuesday night, the second installment of Happy Happy Tuesdays! Produced by Ari Levine and his band KiNDERGARTEN at Fontana's, this monthly band-burlesque-variety show is a lot of fun; Clams performed at the premiere last month and a good time was had by all. This month is very exciting: in celebration of Halloween it's Warriors Night! All the bands will be dressed as different gangs, and the theme will run through the whole night. Can...you...DIG IT! And on Halloween night, it's an extra-spooky edition of The Night Cap! Then head over to the Slipper Room, Clams is in the Halloween show! It should be full of people coming from the crowded nightmare that is the Village Halloween Parade.

One year I had the C3P0, and then I was Indiana Jones three years in a row.

Kids today (and adult women who want to dress as sexy cats, nurses and...Starbucks baristas? really?), are completely spoiled with their rows and rows of quality costumes at Ricky's and Halloween Adventure. When WE were kids, ready-made costumes meant one thing: a garish vinyl sleeve that slipped over your head, and a flimsy, razor-edged plastic mask with huge eyeholes and a string to hold it on your face. (Just talking to my officemate Maureen about this, she said "I can smell those masks right now!") Come with me back to those days of yesteryear by hitting this must-click link: the worst Halloween costumes ever!

Friday wrap-up...

Once again a very busy week comes to a close and I haven't had the time to write anything...Joey Bishop died yesterday! Not only the last of the Rat Pack, obviously, but also a game show favorite throughout the 60's. Joey was a frequent guest panelist on What's My Line! The classic game show attrition continues in '07. And, they hardly need my help to promote their show, but tonight's Pinchbottom Burlesque is going to be a lot of fun; it's called "Balls!" and it's all about sports. Not only including a fabulous new number by Clams, but an appearance by yours truly and a lot of hilarity, nudity and hilarious nudity. They usually have a few random tickets at the door and on a rainy night it's a great time to take your chances on seeing the show! Being at a sports-themed show tonight will make me feel better about missing the entire week's series between my old home-town heroes the Indians and the Red Sox. Go Tribe!

Shout out for a Clams interview and a whole lot of show!

In today's Candy Pitch, the interview is with the one and only Clams Casino!

If you're inspired to check Clams out in person after reading it, you're in luck! This is a big show weekend-tonight you can find her at Wasabassco Burlesque, always a fun show with a bonus cameo appearance tonight by me, and tomorrow night she's debuting a frankly amazing new number at the mysterious and saucy Revealed Burlesque. And then, on Monday, it's Jump the Shark! That is really going to be a great, fun show and totally worth heading to Galapagos for. See flyer above (with snazzy art by A.V. Phibes.)

Fall in New York: playing the "what did I miss this weekend?" game

Well, it's Autumn in New York, although the weather is stubbornly summer-like, and I've hardly had a chance to catch my breath since August. Yes, a busy summer has turned to a very busy fall, and meanwhile, these are the weeks when the City's cultural life explodes, and every weekend is something else cool going on--as I've lamented before, I haven't made it to hardly anything! (Case in point; I haven't even had the time to catch up on this blog since...Sep. 28? Really? Hence this hasty and bitchy post.) Two weekend ago it was the DUMBO Arts Under the Bridge Festival. Missed it completely, although granted, past experience has taught me that it can be a real toss-up in whether it's worth the effort. But this past weekend was Open House New York, and I'm very bummed to not have made it to any of the Open House sites all weekend! That's a real drag. I hope everyone else out there isn't letting fall get past you-shake off that hangover a few hours earlier on Saturday, so you can get out and see these things before you have to get all the things done you don't have time to do during the week! (Or maybe I'm projecting.)

Anyway, one thing I definitely won't miss this week: tonight's installment of What's My Line? Live in NYC! It's going to be a fun one; we've got two of the coolest, most unique contestants I've ever had on the show, and a fun, seasonally appropriate mystery guest. Plus our guest panelist is the fabulous Marisa Olson! Marisa is a multimedia artist and performer, curator, writer, critic and all-around new media intellectual. She's also an extremely talented, funny and lovely person and it'll be a fun night all around. So, come on down to the Parkside!