Welcome To The 2012 Halloween Countdown!

Photobucket
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOhL19V-TfM?list=UUumnVDwF5g2FwPBXlebEUIg&hl=en_US]

Mwahahahaha! The door is creaking open. The fog machines have been fired up. The horror films are rolling and Sludgey is scared out of his mind. Please join us here at The Sexy Armpit every day this month for all the Halloween countdown fun…if you dare! Last year’s theme was The Lost Boys, and this year the motif is a tribute to Lodi, New Jersey’s horror punk icons, The Misfits!

The video above is The Sexy Armpit Halloween Special. If you haven’t seen it yet, definitely check it out. We worked hard on it last year and are in the midst of making more episodes so stay tuned!

And as I do every year, here’s a list of the BEST links from last year’s Halloween Countdown. Please check them out because they get lonely all locked up in the archives like that. They are liable to cause some real damage if they don’t get enough attention!

Gotham Shore by Bill Walko

Photobucket
Gotham Shore by the phenomenal Bill Walko

Jumping the shark is an understatement – they fist pumped the shark. MTV’s Jersey Shore had it’s time in the sun, but it’s soooo time for it to come to and end. This week the show will begin it’s 6th and final season to the joy of loads of New Jerseyans. Let’s just hope Abed from Community doesn’t ask for it to get 6 seasons and a movie.

It was nice to have the show draw attention to our state, but the stupid stereotypes were and still are annoying. We were the brunt of jokes way before Jersey Shore premiered, and we’ll be the brunt of them 100 years from now, so it doesn’t matter either way. Now we have to deal with lame shows like Made in Jersey. In the future we’ll probably look back fondly on the Jersey Shore and get all fuzzy and nostalgic. Kids in future generations will say “What the hell is a Snooki?” to the amusement of their parents and then score millions of hits on YouTube.

*Artist Bill Walko who created the Batman/Jersey Shore mash-up above will be appearing at this year’s New York Comic Con. Stop over and check out his Deviant Art Page!

Bumper Car Psychos in Keansburg, NJ!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sh8JODtAMhc?rel=0]
via Star Ledger Live on YouTube
This report comes to you from our friends at Ledger Live! These bumper car obsessed dudes are HARDCORE! I LOVE the shot of the kid crying – hysterical. Remember to buckle up when you ride the bumper cars at Keansburg. Another great video from Ledger Live!

New Jersey’s Great Pop Culture Moments Vol.67: I Wanna Hold Your Hand

Photobucket
I Wanna Hold Your Hand: Protests, Police, Prostitutes, and PAUL!!!

Some DVDs linger on my “must watch list,” but for one reason or another keep getting passed up in favor of repeat viewings of Mr. Mom and Nightmare on Elm Street. Those things happen. I’m rendered powerless when I turn on the TV and see Psycho on, but when there’s a hundred movies that I’ve been meaning to watch for years and I still haven’t followed through, then that’s a problem. Recently, I finally watched one that has literally been on my list for more than 5 years.

Talk about underrated! I hereby add 1978’s I Wanna Hold Your Hand to the most underrated comedies ever. While growing up I never even knew about this film. It didn’t really play on TV all that much and it didn’t make a ton of money at the box office either. Considering all the movies that have gone unnoticed in theaters and eventually became legendary on VHS and DVD, by rights this should be one of them, but it’s not. As we take a closer look you can be baffled along with me as to why I Wanna Hold Your Hand doesn’t always show up on those lists of classic rock and roll comedies.

There’s several reasons why you’ll want to check this movie out. What’s most noteworthy is that the film was written and directed by Robert Zemeckis and get this – it was produced by Steven Spielberg! If they aren’t the movie Mega Powers, I don’t know who is! Secondly, my notion of the film before I watched it was that it was probably some sort of Beatles biopic like a more straight laced version of Spinal Tap. That couldn’t have been further from the truth. The Beatles merely serve as the catalyst for the teenage characters to get to the Beatles legendary performance on the Ed Sullivan Show. Remember when Clark Griswold said “Getting there is half the fun, you know that!” Well that is definitely the case and the Beatles take a back seat to all the craziness that happens along the way.

Photobucket 


I Wanna Hold Your Hand has more in common with a teen period piece like American Graffiti than a straight up rock and roll film. It’s a time capsule of Beatlemania. Naturally it will have more of an effect on you if you lived through the ’60s, but that didn’t phase me one bit. The cast is fantastic and it includes Nancy Allen who makes out hardcore with Paul McCartney’s bass, the late Wendie Jo Sperber in her film debut (you may remember her from Bosom Buddies and as Mary McFly’s sister in Back to the Future) in her funniest role, Marc Mclure (Marty McFly’s brother), and Eddie Deezen who played the geek Eugene in the Grease films.

In 1999, the KISS version of this film was released as Detroit Rock City. That’s not an exaggeration. DRC is one of my favorites, but I couldn’t believe how much that film borrowed from I Wanna Hold Your Hand. Oh, and last but not least…the film opens in Maplewood, New Jersey! 

KISS: ALIVE AND IN NEW JERSEY!!!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0hWkIR0kn0?rel=0]
Thanks to Funchase.com and YouTube user agr8dj for the info and video!

The Stone Pony, The Capitol Theatre, Brendan Byrne Arena a.k.a The Izod Center, you name it KISS has played there. Since they are usually associated with huge arenas and amphitheaters, it may come as a surprise to know that some tracks from an early KISS concert in Wildwood, NJ were actually used on their monumental ALIVE! album. Now, please join me as I shatter the conceptions of some of the more casual KISS fans…from Detroit.

ALIVE!, the monstrous breakthrough KISS album will eternally be connected with Cobo Hall in Detroit, now known as Cobo Center. Sure that’s where the bulk of it was recorded, but other live recordings were incorporated from performances in Ohio, Iowa, and at the Wildwood Convention Center in New Jersey.

We all know that you gotta lose your mind in “Detroit Rock City,” but whoa whoa whoa whoa what about those Wildwood Days”? Michigan was a favorite stop for KISS in their early days, but the New York area is where they are originally from, so aside from playing in New York clubs, playing shows across the river in Jersey was probably the ultimate convenience for the band. Can you picture KISS on the Jersey Shore? Neither can I, unless they facing the Phantom of the Pier…Morey’s Pier of course.

It made sense that KISS played a vital show in Widwood, NJ. The doo-wop style shore town has always been a tourist attraction and KISS will play any venue where people are shelling out wads of cash. Originally the show was set to take place on July 5th, 1975, but was rescheduled to July 23rd, apparently due to the band being in a car accident.

All this information was culled from a website that just makes me drool with all it’s Jersey nostalgia called Funchase! Check it out and you’ll see all kinds of cool stuff and memories of Wildwood including photos, concert tickets, and newspaper clippings of pop culture goodness. Above is a video from YouTube user agr8dj that offers some photos he took of the concert as well as pics of the concert ticket from Funchase.

*KISS plays PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel NJ tonight 9/21 with Motley Crue!

UNBEARABLE #1 From Crucial Comics Is Rad

Photobucket

Since I’ve read mainly DC Comics for the majority of my life, indie comics rarely appear on my radar. It’s not intentional, but unless someone shoves one in my face, like my friend, Sexy Armpit Show co-star, and writer at Comic Booked, Mike Wirth (@leafenegg on Twitter), then it will probably pass me by completely. Recently Mike had a feeling that I’d be interested in, Unbearable, the latest offering from Crucial Comics that’s just laced with New Jersey nicety.

Typically, I’ve been reading my comics through the Comixology app, which I get a lot of shit for. It’s similar to how audiophiles felt when people started buying cassettes and CDs and they remained loyal (and snobby) to vinyl. I had no qualms about moving on from the actual physical comic book to having them beamed to my device digitally. I’m fascinated by technology, what can I say? Many of my comic book readin’ friends still worship the actual book. Not sure if they are trying to be hipsters or counter-culture or whatever, but I’ve moved on. This time though, Mike mentioned that I could find Unbearable at Little Shop of Comics in Scotch Plains, NJ. So I went retro.

I’ve been to Little Shop a bunch of times so I stopped there after work one day. The woman working there directed me right to Unbearable which was highlighted by a small sign attesting to the fact that this is a local book by an indie company. While I was there I picked up a couple of other DC issues that caught my eye and went on my merry way.

Photobucket
Picking up a Tiki Bar at The Englishtown Flea Market

Reading Unbearable was definitely not akin to it’s title, although some parts hit close to home (pun intended). The story centers around an aimless, out of work dude named Ben who is living in his girlfriend’s place in New Brunswick, NJ. Ben and his friends chill, play video games, drink beers, and get high, all while he’s NOT looking for employment opportunities – something that royally pisses off his girl Liz.

On a larger scale, whether intentionally or not, writers J.C Luz and Cliff Galbraith bring to life a group of guys who are notoriously “Jersey.” For all the ambitious celebrities and rock stars from New Jersey that I discuss here at The Sexy Armpit, there’s hundreds of unmotivated slackers in this state who talk a lot of shit, but never actually do anything. Kevin Smith wasn’t joking around when he showed us similar characters in Clerks and Mallrats. That wasn’t an exaggeration. It’s not like we’re in the mid-west where a kid with dreams of going to L.A or New York would have to save enough money for a plane ticket before setting out on their quest. We’re merely miles away from the greatest city in the world and we still manage to breed so many slackers. But, that’s not to say we don’t have a high concentration of go-getters, it just makes me wonder why staring at that New York skyline in the distance isn’t igniting even more creative fires. In Luz and Galbraith’s case it wasn’t New York City, but New Brunswick, NJ that set their minds in motion.

There were aspects of the book that reminded me of people who I once knew and some who I still know today. The first issue, while mostly serving as set-up, features our main character in an uncomfortable situation. The dude can’t keep his shit together so I went from rooting for him all the way to thinking “Dude! How could you forget your girlfriend’s BIRTHDAY?” Ben is certainly frustrating, but there’s room for improvement. I doubt he should even entertain trying to win Liz back though, she’s clearly not right for him.

Photobucket 

I haven’t read Galbraith’s Rat Bastard, so I can’t compare, but the art in Unbearable shows hints of The Simpsons and even the short lived late ’90s animated sitcom Mission Hill. At the end of this issue Galbraith reveals that Unbearable was originally planned as a possible TV show for UPN, and it certainly has that TV-type quality to it. The art was fun and the book was not hard to follow. My favorite panel is when, in horror, Ben sees that he has 47 messages from Liz on his phone. We’ve all been there.

So, a directionless crew of bros who drink, smoke pot, and play video games sums up about 45% of New Jersey – guys and girls. It’s sad that not much has changed since the early ’90s, but this is precisely why Unbearable works – it’s familiar. A lack of direction has actually simultaneously opened up a world of possibilities for Ben and his friends. I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes from here.

Photobucket 

**The New Jersey references were a bonus for me since I obviously love NJ crap. There were references to The Misfits, a knockoff version of The Court Tavern (The Cork Tavern), and the Englishtown Flea Market.

New Jersey Runs On Dunkin’!

Photobucket
D&D’s Limited Edition New Jersey DDestinations Collection Mug
The weather was so beautiful yesterday that I decided to take the back roads home from work. I even got really crazy and opened the sunroof. Something was missing though.

I felt like getting a pumpkin iced coffee from D&D. As it turns out, there’s no shortage of Dunkin’ Donuts locations in New Jersey, but what that actually means is that there’s one every 400 feet. I was near the Fanwood, NJ location so I pulled in. Whoa, long line! Usually the line is long for the breakfast rush, but at 5pm? Something told me not to jump in line right away.
Before I staked my claim on line behind the teenage girls that just got out of dance class, and the three stoner kids pooling their change together to buy vanilla bean Coolattas, I happened to notice a shelf with mugs to the right of the cash register, so I waltzed over to browse. As I got closer, I saw a bunch of ceramic mugs that said “New Jersey” on them. At first, I was in disbelief that D&D would offer a state branded mug, but it was real and it was begging me to bring it home.

Photobucket

The packaging that housed the mug clued me in that it’s part of D&D’s limited edition “DDestinations” mug collection. $5.99 was a fair price considering it’s a gigantic mug, well let me rephrase that, it’s actually more of a VAT. I won’t have to go back for refills with this one, especially since I also use mugs for other random beverages. The graphics on the ceramic mug are FAR from mind blowing, but the idea is still pretty neat. The colors are in line with D&D branding and the graphics feel like they are straight out of the ’70s or ’80s. These mugs are already popping up on eBay for $20 bucks, so if this kind of memorabilia appeals to you, then grab your state’s mug in-store while you can.
Most of the locations and points of interest depicted on the mug were easily identifiable, but I had a hell of a time attempting to figure out what the tall building was in the photo posted on the top right. After a lot of Google image searching and help from a friend we determined it’s a really poor interpretation of Goldman Sachs Tower in Jersey City, NJ.
In addition to Goldman Sachs Tower, the other points of interest were easy to figure out. You can see Ellis Island Immigration Station, Absecon Light House, Lucy The Elephant, a few acres of farmland, Atlantic City, and possibly Branchbrook Park in Newark which is known for the largest collection of Cherry Blossom trees in the U.S. I can’t officially say that’s what those trees are intended to represent, but I’m relatively certain. Can’t wait to fill this up with some D&D pumpkin or toasted almond coffee.

NJ KISS EXPO 2012 Recap

Photobucket
http://njkissexpo.com/

Cobo Hall in Detroit, MI may be one of the arenas where KISS recorded their monumental ALIVE album in 1975, but the NJ Expo Center in Edison, NJ is where the 2012 KISS EXPO took place on Saturday September 8th, 2012. The Sexy Armpit was there merely to take in the scene and report back to you, because I promised myself I wouldn’t get out of control with spending. Like many of you reading this, I’m a long time member of the KISS ARMY – hell, I’m probably a Lieutenant General by now. I feel good that I didn’t spend a lot and we still had a good time. Continue on for the recap!

Let’s get this out of the way right off the bat. This expo is referred to as the NJ/NY KISS EXPO, which makes me happy that it refers to NJ first, but it’s also lame because NOTHING that happens in New York EVER acknowledges Jersey. It’s NOT the NY/NJ Comic Con, is it? Don’t get me wrong, I’ve loved New York since I was a little kid, but why the hell can’t we have our own damn KISS expo?

Photobucket
Miss Sexy Armpit rocking some Paul Stanley style sunglasses 
and making Paul’s signature KISS face

God Gave Rock and Roll to me, well not to me personally, but you know what I mean, so who am I to refuse a freaking KISS expo merely a few miles away? Just show me where to sign! Well, I didn’t sign anything, but the tickets for the show started at $20 bucks each. Typical of most events like this, there were extra charges to meet Peter Criss and Bruce Kulick, but they were charged by the band member, not the expo itself. Since I was watching my spending I steered clear of all that anyway.

Photobucket
Usually I go to these things with an agenda or looking for a few items I’d like to own, but this time I just wanted to go and shoot the breeze with my woman and meet up with my friend Jim. That lucky guy is going on the upcoming KISS KRUISE II! Jim brought along his custom mint-in-box Peter Criss PEZ that he made himself to get signed. At this point, I’m pretty sure he’s had all the band members sign his custom made KISS PEZ set! Gene even told him not to sell them, what an A-HOLE! HAHA. I don’t care, I love that big old Demon anyway.

Photobucket
Gene Simmons can’t be mentioned in the same sentence without the thought of $$ MONEY $$, so let me tell you what I bought. First and foremost, I have enough KISS stuff to last me a life time, so the days of pining over KISS stuff are beyond me, that is…until something awesome crosses my path. Miss Sexy Armpit and I were digging through piles of t-shirts, (tees are some of my favorite things in life), and I didn’t see any I really liked for myself, but found an awesome Rock and Roll Over tee that I bought for Miss Armpit. As you can see, it was hard to pass up! It will do nicely for the KISS/CRUE show at the PNC Bank Arts Center on 9/21! Plus, it will match the patch on the back of “Irvin,” a.k.a my old denim KISS vest.

Photobucket
One of the only disappointments about the expo was the scale of the show. It wasn’t as vast as I imagined it would be. I missed last years expo so I can’t compare it, but this one had 2 fairly large rooms with plenty of vendors, but I guess I’m spoiled. Considering I’ve been going to Chiller and Monster Mania for years now, an expo like this feels small. It really wasn’t small at all though. 
As for entertainment, there was Dylan, a 9-year old Peter Criss impersonator playing drums along with KISS tracks, which was pretty cool. He kicked ass on the drums too. One thing I’d like to see the expo add next year is a few sets from a KISS tribute band. I understand they come with a pretty hefty price tag, but that would be worth the admission for me. I love watching KISS tribute bands, obviously not as much as I do the original band, but it’s still fun and an added attraction. Or Dylan can just get some of his friends and they can start up their own tribute band called KIDD. Do it Dylan!

Once Upon A Time In New Jersey – Surflight Theatre Review

Photobucket
Surflight Theatre: “Broadway at the Beach Since 1950” http://www.surflight.org/
There can be other variations of “Off Broadway” plays. The play Miss Sexy Armpit and I took in last week was “Off Off OFF Broadway,” in which the 3rd OFF is capitalized because we were actually on an island 100 miles away from Broadway…Long Beach Island that is! If you pass through L.B.I, you’ll arrive at the quaint shore town of Beach Haven. After a long string of shops and restaurants, The Surflight Theatre resides not far from the ocean. The Surflight Theatre’s production of Once Upon a Time in New Jersey is running now through September 15th and we checked out a matinee last weekend. If you are thinking to yourself “there’s NO way that a play in Beach Haven, NJ can be any good” think again!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aPvLeFVnB4?rel=0]

I had actually been planning on coming to see this play for months ever since I heard about it. Any possibility of it sucking was immediately shoved aside because for some reason I had an overwhelming feeling that I would enjoy it. I had no idea why either. I’m a tough critic when it comes to plays. Back in February we went to see Wicked for the first time and I was just not moved by it at all. I didn’t grasp what the thousands and thousands of other theater goers have been going nuts over for years. Wicked tickets are very expensive and they often sell out shows, but it just didn’t impress me in the least. Now that all you Wicked fans want to throw a bucket of water on me, let me get back to the play at hand. Here’s the synopsis from the official Surflight Theatre website:

“Hoboken New Jersey, 1956: A funny, frantic and frenzied fairy tale about what we do for love. Sweet, shy deli clerk Vinnie switches lives with Rocco, the town stud, to win the heart of the woman he loves. An Italian-American farce about dames, games, foods, feuds, molls, dolls, thugs, lugs, switches, snitches, glitches and mistaken identities… and how a simple sandwich guy becomes a hero.”

Once Upon a Time in New Jersey is billed as “The Sopranos Meets Happy Days” and that’s a mildly accurate analogy, but that’s really selling it short. There’s a bunch of other influences as well, including Grease, Grease 2, and elements of any story where 2 people trade places, like Trading Places, Big, Vice Versa, and Like Father, Like Son. And there’s also a little bit of Can’t Buy Me Love with Patrick Dempsey as he becomes much cooler when he starts dating one of the most popular girls in school. But don’t get the wrong impression – the play merely borrows certain aspects of their plots. Sadly, despite the use of the term “hero” and the New Jersey setting, there are no allusions to The Toxic Avenger.

Photobucket
photo credit: Chase Heilman

The Surflight Theatre surprised me. If you’re from South Jersey and you don’t feel like making the trip into Manhattan to see a play, then you’re lucky because the Surflight Theatre is a five star alternative. The stage sets were all custom made and it was apparent that a lot of time and effort went into all the details. From the etching on the shiny cloth banners that dropped down from the ceiling to the skyline backdrop, it all greatly enhanced the quality of the production.

Photobucket 
photo credit: Chase Heilman

As for the play itself, the plot is a bit derivative and stuffed like a cannoli with Italian stereotypes, but so what, it works! The majority of the songs are enjoyable, with the most memorable being the catchy opening title number. The cast was literally phenomenal and was comprised of Michael Bernardi, Vincent D’Elia, Crystal Kellogg, Mike Longo, George Psomas, Melissa Rose Hirsch, Marsha Waterbury and more. I’ve seen around 20 Broadway plays in my life and this cast offers the same performance caliber. Most of the actors have already starred on Broadway and appeared on various TV shows as well. They made us laugh, and made us root for them, and made us really invest in their characters.

Take my word for it, if you are in the South Jersey area then make it a point to get tickets to one of Surflight’s upcoming productions. If you’re into chick flicks and you can’t make it to Once Upon a Time in New Jersey, perhaps you’ll be able to check out their next production which is Steel Magnolias. Bring your tissues for that one ladies!

Surflight Theatre
201 Engleside Avenue
Beach Haven, NJ 08008
http://www.surflight.org/

30th Annual Lead East Car Show: The World’s Biggest ’50s Party!

Photobucket
http://leadeast.net/
Over the Labor Day weekend in Parsippany, NJ the 30th annual Lead East Car Show took place at the Hilton hotel. It’s an event that I’ve heard so much about and have been meaning to go to for a long time, and this year I finally went and I’m glad I did. Read on for a recap and at least two references to Cameron from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

Held annually in New Jersey, Lead East is the biggest car show in the state, or as they bill it, “the Biggest old car event” and the “Biggest ’50s Party,” and let me tell you they ain’t kiddin’! In addition to over 1,800 vintage and custom cars from over 20 states, Lead East offers concerts, parties, costume contests, food, collectibles for sale, movies playing drive-in style, karaoke, a prom, a sock hop, swing dancing, and of course, some good old fashioned cruising. With all that stuff going on, you don’t even need to be a hardcore fan of cars or the ’50s. It’s a chance to enjoy a fun day out with the whole family, and even the dog. There’s lots of folks who set up shop with tents for the whole 5-day stretch. One of those couples was nice enough to have myself, my father, and his friends at their tent for drinks and food which was awesome, especially the chance to get out of the blazing sun for a while.

Photobucket
Playing with Hot Wheels was one of my past times as a kid, but as I grew up I wasn’t much a gear head. I changed a tire once, but I can’t really tell you what’s what under the hood of my car. I do love looking at cars though, and driving them, especially the few all-time favorites of mine. I enjoy going to car shows like this in hopes of seeing my favorites and some of the rare cars that I had no idea existed. That’s where Father Armpit comes in. My Dad knows every freaking car imaginable and what year they came out.

Photobucket 

My Dad merely needs to glimpse a car for a split second and he can spew out all it’s details. Going with him to car shows is fun because he’s so enthralled by them. So many of the cars we saw (and studied) at Lead East hold special memories for him. He could tell you every car he ever owned, my uncle’s first, second, third, and fourth car, and even which cars were purchased by a few celebrities. It’s like putting me in a KISS or WWE museum. I’d never come out. I’d be staring at everything as if I was Cameron Frye at the Art Institute of Chicago. And even though I’m not as fanatical about cars as my father is, I still had a blast.

    
Photobucket 
Stutz – this model was owned by members of The Rat Pack

Although Lead East is a ’50s inspired car show, I had a hunch that I’d be seeing at least ONE of my ’70s favorites. In fact, almost as soon as I walked into the show I walked right up to my all-time favorite car, a 1973 Mustang Mach-1. The color wasn’t my preference, but that wouldn’t stop me from taking it for a spin or rubbing it with a diaper (like Cameron Frye’s dad does!). If you’re into ’70s cars like me, we’re all in luck – the Lead East website states that they have started to allow later model cars in the show on the Sunday installment of the show including 1976 models and earlier. It’s possible that each year they may let accept later models.

Photobucket
1973 Mustang Mach 1

Remember the “Greased Lightning” sequence in Grease? That’s what some of the cars reminded me of. But what was more amazing than all the crazy custom cars and all the little events they had going on at Lead East, was watching these guys and gals relive their high school days. The sight of a car can elicit such glows on people’s faces. The guys started to Remem-mem Rememmemmeber the first time they “parked” with their girlfriend, the first time they raced their car, and the first time they puked in their friend’s back seat. The Back to the Future DeLorean wasn’t there this year, but the thousands in attendance didn’t need it since the event itself was a time machine.

Photobucket 
This truck reminded me of something out of Disney’s CARS