This is where I'm from.

A little example for my native New Yorker readers, in honor of the first day of the Buckeye Football season.

I have come to chew bubblegum, and kick ass

I love this: starting on Labor Day Monday, BAM is screening four cult classics by the director John Carpenter. He's probably still best known for the original Halloween, but the four films at BAM are from the 80s, and for Carpenter buffs and lovers of old school bad-ass-motherfucker movies, the kind that aren't made nowadays without a heavy dose of irony mixed in, these are beloved modern classics. Carpenter is from the last age of independent filmmakers who made true b-movies: this set of sci-fi action flicks, "gotcha!" monster movies and westerns remade in modern times all have a genuine social message hidden behind the bloody fist fights and sneering catch phrases--well, all of them except Big Trouble in Little China, that's just trashy good fun. Please, go see at least one of these: three of them starring Kurt Russell, the DeNiro to Carpenter's Scorsese (or, if you're really pretentious, the Mifune to his Kurosawa): Escape From New York (absolutely, my favorite New York movie that, as far as I know, has no actual footage shot in the city), The Thing (still fucking scary) and the aforementioned Big Trouble. The fourth, They Live, stars Rowdy Roddy Piper, (and he's great) and if you don't know the rest of his classic line in the title of this post, I don't want to ruin it for you.

All the burlesque that's fit to print

A shot of the whole cast backstage before AM GOLD on Thursday night, a great show, an amazing cast, a fabulous night at the beach! (That's me, Kenny Law, GiGi LaFemme, Anita Cookie, Creamy Stevens, Clams, Darlinda Just Darlinda and Runaround Sue)

Speaking of Darlinda Just Darlinda, Clams was part of the stellar cast for her show on Saturday at the Zipper Factory; the finale to her Year in Rainbow, a year-long art project/blog/performance in which she wore a different color of the rainbow exclusively every month. It was really an amazing show.

And next up: come out and join us tomorrow night, when Clams and I are in charge of Monday Night Burlesque while Doc Wasabassco, the producer, is out of town! I'm starting off the night at 9:00, hosting the Fresh Face Showcase. Summer's almost over, we have a great lineup, come on out!

I'm alright, don't nobody worry about me

I know I already told you all to come out to Coney for AM GOLD tonight, but have you been outside? It's a perfect late summer day. And there's a soft rock bonus: Huey Lewis is playing a free show next to the aquarium. How can you stay home?

Takin' it to the streets

I love this shot of Clams, I think it looks like an ad in an issue of of Playboy from 1974. Anyway, it should definitely get you in the mood for what will be, without a doubt, the smoothest burlesque show ever. You have GOT to join us in Coney Island tomorrow night for AM GOLD! We'll see you there!

Bringing you burlesque at the farthest reaches of Long Island

If you feel like traveling to two very different, equally worthwhile, beachfront spots in New York this weekend, you can get see some great burlesque action featuring Miss Clams Casino. Tonight, at Coney Island, one of the best lineups you'll see all summer will take the stage for Bambi the Mermaid's surrealist burlesque show! Then tomorrow night we'll be way out in Montauk, where Clams and Anita Cookie will take the stage at Sole East for Runaround Sue's Montauk Project. See some show, hit the beach, we'll be there!

I know it doesn't look like a sad picture

Well, the comedians got to have a semi-proper send-off for Rififi, making the last show in the venue's last night a last-minute big finale show. But for Sweet and Nasty Burlesque, the last burlesque show standing at Rififi on Sunday nights, there was no last show. So on Sunday night producer Nasty Canasta invited a bunch of us to Niagara, to raise a glass in its honor. It was a fun night for a sad occasion. Seen above, all the people present who have graced the Sweet and Nasty stage crammed into Niagara's photo booth-although the photo is courtesy of Ruby Valentine's camera (Ruby, who does nothing halfway, was dressed for mourning, bless her.)

Borderline Burlesque: Midnight Madonna Madness!

This is months away, but I am so psyched and as of today we have the whole cast set, everyone is really enthusiastic and I'm already looking forward to the show. Here's just a teaser: Anita Cookie, Clams Casino and Neil O'Fortune present Borderline Burlesque, Midnight Madonna Madness! November 1st, midnight, at the Zipper Factory Theatre. Co-hosted by Anita, Neil and Clams and starring: Creamy Stevens, Delirium Tremens, Dirty Martini, Little Brooklyn, Ruby Valentine and Tigger! Hell yes!

Even the nights are better since I found you.

What a fool believes

Is that it would be easy to find a good karaoke track of "This Is It" by Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald. Isn't this why the internet was invented? Why do we need that, do you ask? Come to Coney Island on August 21st and find out.

See also: previous post

I mean, you know, these weren't kids movies. I remember these, too (although by then I was old enough to make my parents take me to see the movie). I was a kid, so I don't remember; did anyone ever make any noise about tying in childrens' playthings and trading cards with gory R-rated movies, again, at a time before childrens' playthings were marketed to grown men to display on shelves?

Wasn't this...inappropriate?

Remember, this is from an era before they realized they could market action figures to adults. I remember these ads too.