Following Rabbits Blog

I've been living in my apartment for almost five months now, and I'm still trying to get my act together. An issue I've been grappling with are my empty walls. I have high ceilings and huge expanses of plain white walls-- my hallway alone is over 20 feet long and 10 feet high. I have several pieces of artwork and framed photographs from my last apartment that at least make the place look lived in, but I'm dying for something that'll give my apartment some personality and pops of color. I've been seeing vinyl wall decals everywhere, I especially love these from Etsy:

set of 6 vinyl vintage photo frames from SimpleShapes $38.99

vinyl branch and bird with frames by willowcreeksigns $59.95

vinyl wall decals by artwallproject

plum flowers by walldecors $35.75

vinyl New York City skyline by WallStarGraphics $60

I have a friend who owns a vinyl cutting machine and loads of vinyl in great colors. I sent him a few ideas for my apartment, and he agreed to make me some decals! I'm pretty amped-- I definitely want some mod looking frames for my living room, and some Alice in Wonderland inspired designs for my bedroom. I'll share some photos when I get them and put 'em up!

Starting today, there will be 60 pianos in public spaces across the 5 boroughs. I'm super jealous that I have no musical talent! I'd love to stop at a random piano and bust out a tune for the wandering passersby.  The project, "Play Me, I'm Yours", encourages the public to upload their photos, videos, and stories about the pianos on their website. The project runs for two weeks, through July 5, at which point the pianos will be donated to local schools and community centers. I actually saw two of the pianos this weekend, in Battery Park and Chelsea Market. You can see a map and full list of the locations here. Play Me, I'm Yours is being sponsored by Sing for Hope, and is taking place simultaneously in NYC and London. Know someone who's planning an impromptu show? Are you gonna get out there and play? Send me your photos and videos and I'll post them here!

I went to both of Julian's Rockwood shows, Friday and last night. Friday night I went solo and was able to score a close seat at the front (it was actually embarrassingly close once they centered the piano on the stage... so I only took a few pics on the sly sans flash). He sang all of his hits, including Joni, Do It Alone, Love Again for the First Time, and Jimmy Dean & Steve McQueen. His shows are high energy, with sarcastic commentary spewed out between songs. Both shows were great, as I knew they would be, but Friday's crowd was a little more cooperative. Saturday I had family with me, and we sat in the balcony. People were talking so loudly that Julian stopped mid-song to ask if people were listening. After that people were generally quiet, although I did have to ask the girl behind me to kindly *stfu* when Julian started singing A Dream, which is my fave song of his. He also played two songs I really like that I can't find anywhere to download: Take the Money and Run and a song about Saturday Night... Julian?

These shows kicked off his east coast tour- you can check out where he's headed here. Absolutely see him live if you get a chance! You can also download his music on iTunes, become a facebook fan, follow his twitter... you get the picture.

WATCH IT: video I peeped this week that you should too
A baby hummingbird fell out of a nest injuring its wing. A man rescued it and nursed it back to health, and in the meantime, mama hummingbird would come by and feed baby while it sat in the man's hands! Pretty incredible.

HEAR IT: songs I downloaded this week
1. True Affection by The Blow 2. Bulletproof (Dave Aude Cherry Radio Remix) by La Roux 3. Runaway by Yeah Yeah Yeahs 4. Angel by Massive Attack 

Photo (c) Barry Yanowitz 2009

DO IT: things to put on your calendar this week
Julian Velard is playing two shows at Rockwood Music Hall- tonight and tomorrow, 9pm, just $5 at the door! I've seen him perform at Rockwood before, and trust me, they're going to be awesome shows. Check out the Q&A I did with him here!

The Coney Island Mermaid Parade is tomorrow! Get your pasties and your glitter (or at the very least your camera and sunscreen) and get there before the 2pm start to find a good spot to see all there is to see... and there's a LOT to see!

The Red Bull Air Race is this weekend, over NY Harbor. They'll be racing tomorrow and Sunday, with the best vantage points being Liberty State Park in Jersey City or Battery Park downtown. Basically, if you can see the Statue of Liberty, you'll be able to see these planes zipping around at eye level over the water. Zoom!

photo via myspace 

I was first introduced to Julian Velard's music a few weeks ago when Hugo and I wandered into Rockwood after leaving a show at Mercury Lounge. Julian was finishing up his set, playing Love Again for the First Time, A Dream, Joni, and Jimmy Dean & Steve McQueen. I was hooked! I downloaded a ton of his music over the next few days, and saw that he had an upcoming tour- including two more nights at Rockwood. (His shows are tomorrow and Saturday night, just $5 at the door!) I tracked him down on twitter and he agreed to do a lil Q&A for ya! (You're welcome):

1. Gimme five random facts about you.
1) I can't do that thing with my tongue where it curls horizontal like a fruit roll up, you know, the thing everyone on earth can do
2) I used to be a Pre-Kindergarten Gym Teacher for 3 years.
3) I am a terrible waiter
4) Like bright colored socks
5) Have very very very big feet (size 13 quadruple E width)

2. Favorite song to perform? At the moment, I'm really digging on Genesis' "That's All". Phil, as they say in London, writes some CHOONES!

3. Sort your iTunes library by play count... what's the most played song? I Get Along Without You Very Well by Sinatra. I don't remember playing it 100 times. I think my computer is trying to tell me something.

4. Favorite meal to make for yourself? Oatmeal. That's about all I can do. Been a bachelor for too long.

5. What do you see when you look out your window? A parking lot.

6. Favorite tourist spot in NYC? Toss up between The Cloisters/Fort Tryon Park and The Empire State Building. Going up to the 102nd floor, not the 86th, and watching the sunset is one of the most incredible sights ever. Did I mention I'm a cheeseball?

7. Who or what inspires you most? Steve McQueen. Did you have to ask?

8. Favorite sports team? New York Lebronabockers. Oops. I meant the Knicks.

9. What superpower would you most like to possess? Whatever Magneto has. That or Green Lantern's power. If I remember correctly, he creates big green energy that looks like a lantern. Amazing.

10. Favorite NYC restaurant? Difara's Pizzeria down on Avenue J in Midwood.  Not really a restaurant, but it's the best Pizza this Upper West Side boy has ever had.

11. Favorite dessert? Love me some Creme Brulee.

12. You get to go anywhere for a week, all expenses paid... where you headed? Somewhere hot that I haven't been before. Greece or the Sahara.

13. Which 80's cartoon character would you most identify with? Good question. Most days I feel like Shipwreck from G.I. Joe, the marine with the parrot on his shoulder. I identify with him most in the Synthoid Conspiracy Episodes (a 2 part series). Shipwreck has a secret formula burned into his brain by a russian scientist and is knocked unconscious in a sinking ship. He wakes to find himself in a home on an Island with a wife and a kid. The war with Cobra has ended and he's the savior. All the G.I. Joes work on the Island, retired now that the war is over. It turns out to be a plot by Cobra to get at the information in his brain. His family and friends are just clay copies that melt in extreme heat.

Welcome to my world.

14. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? First a carpenter. Then a baseball player.

15. Biggest pet peeve? Clipping toenails on the subway. Don't do it.

16. Favorite breakfast food? Oatmeal. I cook it myself.

17. You just had a 5-star evening- what happened? Played a gig with Tom Waits and Bob Dylan in the audience, met Scarlett Johansson for a drink, then went home with Punky Brewster.

18. Favorite guilty pleasure? Huey Lewis and The News

19. You're at Starbucks- whatcha drinking? Decaf Soy Latte. Lame I know

20. Someone has 1 day to experience NYC. What do you recommend they do? Just walk around. Don't take the subway. Finish it with the 102nd floor observatory atop the Empire State at sunset while playing "I'm Not In Love" through your iPhone speakers. Wipe the single tear with the pedals from the rose you bought for yourself. NYC in a nutshell.
*****

I'm actually going to both of Julian's shows, tomorrow and Saturday, so come keep me company and hear some awesome live music! It's definitely gonna be a great show. It starts at 9p, but get there early to grab a beer and a seat! And in the meantime, brush up on your JV before the show: myspace, facebook, iTunes. I'll post a show recap Friday night/Saturday morning!