Category Archives: Fun

Buns & Puns, the popular comedy show produced and hosted by the very fun and funny Jonathan Powley, is back! Previously every week at Arlo & Esme, which is sadly now closed, I enjoyed this free show immensely. We were always provided with free jello shots, buns and performances by top notch comedians that were sometimes better than a paid show.

Now, this past Friday, Buns & Puns made its debut after over a year at the Long Island City location, Creek & Cave which is a restaurant, bar and theater venue all in one with two levels and an outdoor patio. Nice spot, close to Manhattan, fairly easy to get to with an intimate feel.

Jonathan was a charming and welcoming host who made sure we got our orange and cherry jello shots, huge sugared cinnamon buns and even hooking up the front row with drinks and food. (Note to self: Next time, I’m all over that front row!) To warm us up, Jonathan showed us a hilarious video of him and his break dancing team around NYC. I enjoyed seeing the crazy moves the group got themselves into and had a good laugh. For me, the video prefaced a great show ahead, and I wasn’t disappointed.

First up was Joe Machi, who was not my favorite. He was just all right.. The cool thing about him was that he was unapologetic about who he is and he made some decent jokes.

The next comedians more than made up for Machi’s mediocre performance: Thomas Dale has been on MTVs New Years Eve Bash 2011, Comics Come Home,  NY’s Funniest Competition in New York Comedy Festival 3 yrs in a row, Sirius Radio, Comical Radio and WOR’s Joey Reynolds Show. It’s safe to say I had a secret crush on Thomas (not so secret anymore) even though he’s clearly gay. Or at least clearly after he announced it to the audience and used that as his platform. He was edgy, truthful, direct and it was definitely interesting to hear from his unique viewpoint.

Ophira Eisenberg was the only female comedian, and shined. She has appeared on Comedy Central, VH-1, Fox, E! Channel, CNN, Oxygen Network, and the Discovery Channel. I’m usually not a big fan of female comedians, but Ophira was easy to relate to and understand, giving us a glimpse into her interesting life.

Chris Laker was next, and while okay, wasn’t all that memorable for me.

I enjoyed the next performer, special guest Seaton Smith. This guy had me in stitches. As described on his website, Seaton applies smooth charisma to a layer of explosive energy, topped off with unforgettable characters sure to permanently reside in your brain, and leaves his audience in a state of comedic euphoria. This is high praise, but completely true. And I just loved how articulate and cool Seaton was.

The headliner of the show was Yannis Pappas was kind of crazy. He went off about men, women, relationships, cheating and how it’s a natural instinct for men, continuing with his rant by describing in detail how women are hypocrites. The men were completely into it, hooting and hollering while we women just shook our heads – It was controversial and completely off base but that was the point I suppose. I was somewhat amused but at the same time, totally not. But I do have to hand it to Yannis… He sure knows how to rile up a crowd.

Overall, a very fun, engaging show with a great lineup and no one can beat the price: Free! My thanks to Jonathan and here’s hoping Buns & Puns will happen again soon.

Location: Creek & Cave at 10-93 Jackson Avenue  Long Island City, NY

Monday night I attended what I thought was a regular free screening of Wrath of the Titans at AMC Lincoln Center theater with one of my Meetup groups. I quickly found out it was a special screening at the IMAX 3D theater, complete with heavy duty metal detectors we had to walk through and assigned seating. I was in row C (third from the front) toward the middle, which was a bit close but better than first row.

We were also granted the VIP privilege of complimentary popcorn and sodas which was a nice surprise. The movie started half an hour after the appointed time, but that was okay- I was pretty content with just enjoying the experience and excitement of being at the IMAX theater premiere, especially knowing that some of the cast members were in attendance.

The actual movie was just okay. The 3D and special effects were very real, especially being so close to screen, it almost felt like I was inside that world which was very cool. Though, as to be expected, there was a lot of action and not much plot especially since I hadn’t seen the first movie so I don’t really know the back story. However, the fighting scenes were quite good and I enjoyed some of the more passionate moments between the characters.

Afterwards, as I was waiting to use the restroom I noticed some high profile folks gathering around nearby and spotted Sam Worthington!

He looked handsome, sharp, fun loving and in good spirits. I was literally standing a few feet away from him and wanted to, could have ask for a picture with him but then the moment passed. I hate that I missed my chance! And I’m not normally shy when it comes to getting what I want… *Sigh*

Even though I didn’t get that picture with Sam Worthington, I still had a wonderful time at the special screening, and look forward to others in the future.

Last week I had the pleasure of co-hosting a glass making/glass blowing event at Scanlan Glass with Random Events. Scanlan Glass was a little bit out of the way, in Red Hook, Brooklyn by the water but the experience was worth it. Inside the studio were displays of beautiful glass artistry, from vases to circular objects and much more in gorgeous clear colors.

As for the equipment, there is an ever-burning furnace, glory holes, ovens which are made by Kevin (the owner) using new and recycled materials found in the Brooklyn area.

Our instructors, Kevin and Seth were knowledgeable and helpful. Kevin started off with a brief introduction about glass blowing, while Seth demonstrated by making a glass vase. It was very cool to see the process in action. Before we were able to try glass making for ourselves, we had to practice holding the glass making-stick and keep it rotating throughout. After that, it was time to make our own glass paperweight!

Step 1: Put the stick into the furnace to obtain the melted glass, which was probably the toughest part for me because you have to get fairly close to the heat and hold the stick a certain way while keeping the stick moving.

Step 2: We had to cool the glass by rotating it steadily against the metal and then placing the stick in the Glory hole to reheat the glass.

Step 3: We rolled the hot glass in the color we wanted (colors were in powder form). I chose to mix pale pink and blue together.

Then we repeated the process of sticking the glass in the furnace and Glory hole. Once that was done, we sat at the workstation and quickly poked holes onto the heated glass to make bubbles and then we shaped the glass to make it smooth and rounded.

When we finished adding all the touches to our glass, the instructor took the glass off the stick and smoothed the bottom then placed our glass creation in a special oven to cool the glass slowly.  After we had all finished, the instructors gave us a glass blowing demonstration and made a mug. It was pretty amazing to watch and see how much skill, precision and beauty is involved in it all. One of the coolest parts was when Kevin transferred the mug from one stick to another in a single, smooth movement and also when the handle was added on.

We had to wait a day to pick up our glass paperweight creation, but they came out beautifully. Mine was medium sized, with a decent amount of bubbles and swirls that had turned purple-pinkish in the process. I had wanted the light pink and blue to keep their individual colors but my glass still looks lovely.

All in all, what a great experience despite the distance. It was awesome to see the glass blowing in action, and then making our own glass was a lot of fun. It also made me feel accomplished for being able to create such a beautiful piece of glass with my own two hands. Okay, with guidance from Seth, one of the capable instructors.

Location: 499 Van Brunt Street  in Brooklyn, NY

Tobacco Road features the original NYC Dueling Pianos show, Shake Rattle and Roll which is an all request rock and roll singalong where two guys sit across from each other on the stage, battling songs out on the piano (and singing them). The capable piano men play anything from Billy Joel to Lady Gaga, to Meat Loaf. They really do know every song.

I got to go with Random Events (where I’m an Assistant Organizer) to this crazy show and we were seated at the bar and in front. We were definitely a fun and spirited crowd. In the beginning of the show, we played a game on which side of the room was loudest, and since we were a raucous, vocal bunch it wasn’t hard to win.

The pianists played quite a few of 80’s songs. My personal favorites: “Jessie’s Girl” and “Take Me On.” Of course they also played the classic songs everyone loves: “Brown Eyed Girl” and Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing.” We also heard “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” from Lion King which was awesome, “Faith” by George Michael, and a medley of Monkees & Michael Jackson songs. Plus much more of course.

Later in the night, I put in my request for Hanson’s MMMBop (thanks to my co-organizer’s funds)… I know most of you will groan when you hear the name Hanson, but it’s actually a really good song to play on the piano and sounded amazing live. And if you actually listen, the lyrics are wiser than you would think:

You have so many relationships in this life
Only one or two will last
You go through all the pain and strife
Then you turn your back and they’re gone so fast

There were also many jokes and toasts. The pianists would ask us if we would like to hear a dirty or clean toast, and we would invariably answer “Dirty!”  However, my favorite toast was not a dirty one, but a sentimental one: “There are ships that sail, and ships that… But the best ships are friendships.” What a sweet and true statement.

The night was filled with karaoke-style singing along, dancing, toasts, laughter, screaming and more.

If you go, it is every Friday and Saturday night at Tobacco Road. $10 with a two-drink minimum and it’s a good idea to make reservations to ensure you have a seat as this show is almost always sold out. Also, bring some cash as you will have to wrap your song requests in money if you want to hear it.

Address: 355 W. 41st St