New York Summer

Posted on July 1, 2021 by Tom Falco

I’ve been in New York. Did a lot so far in a week. The worst part was the flight. From the time I left my house until I got to the door here in NY, it took 10 hours. The flight was delayed and then we didn’t have a pilot! We literally sat on the plane for an hour waiting for him to arrive!

But I’m here and all is well.

Been to The Hamptons with my family and friends, we were at an outdoor bar listening to one of my cousins perform., He’s an entertainer and he was doing his thing out at the waterfront. It was a perfect day.

Did a bunch of other things – ate at one of our favorite Italian restaurants in Brooklyn. Did Hoboken and saw Manhattanhenge.

On Wednesday, a friend and I did the Little Island. It was beautiful and a lot of fun, but the temperature was 96 degrees with a heat index of 105 degrees. Oppressive! I even passed up Mr. Softee – I was too nauseous to eat.

Thursday a friend and I did the MET Museum. It rained all day, so that was a good indoor thing to do.

Been to diners, had an egg cream. Did all my usual stuff.

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In the Heights

Posted on June 13, 2021 by Tom Falco

I saw “In the Heights” the other night. Loved it.

I think it is probably the movie of the summer – it’s got everything – singing, dancing, a big presence and it’s fun.

I’ve been all over NYC, but never to Washington Heights, I always plan to go to see one thing – the Little Red Lighthouse at the foot of the George Washington Bridge, but I never seem to make it. You just take the A train or the #1 and you are there.

I’ve seen it from the Hudson River many times, from the Circle Line (the lighthouse and Washington Heights).

I’ve been to Spanish Harlem many times – by accident the first time. There’s a museum up that way, the Museum of the City of New York. Every time I’m in the city, I go to the museum. I take the #6 train and get off at 103rd Street and walk through the Spanish Harlem neighborhood and end up at Central Park, where the museum is, across from the park on 5th Avenue. But along the way, you are immersed in a great culture – the food, the murals, the bodegas, the schools and hospitals, there are many hospitals up that way.

The first time I went to the Museum of the City of New York, it was to see the Roz Chast exhibit. I figured out how to get to the area and I’ve gone back dozens of times since.

I’ll be in NYC soon and of course I’ll visit the Museum of the City of New York, Spanish Harlem, and Washington Heights. New York is back, as is most of the country, and I’ll be enjoying so much of it, having not been there for such a long time. The last time I was there I had to leave a little early because a nor’easter was coming!

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We can’t wait to gogh!

Posted on March 4, 2021 by Tom Falco

My cousin had me in tears the other day. Why? Because she booked us tickets for the Immerse Van Gogh experience in New York for July! I was going to get some tickets for Miami when it’s here in April, but this is better. I had written about it in November, when they were planning the event for Indianapolis. I really had considered going there to see it.

I was in tears because I can’t believe that things are starting to get back to normal. When she texted me that she got the tickets and told me the date and time, I was filled with happiness, something I really hadn’t felt in a long time, the pandemic was starting to weight on me. But it’s real. It’s happening. I’m going to immerse myself into my favorite artist with some of my favorite people.

I’ve missed them so much. My cousins are like brothers and sisters to me. I spend so much time with them during the year, but the last time I saw them in person was November 2019. We talk and chat all the time, but of course it’s not the same.

What was even better is that I didn’t realize that there were more than two of us on the text when she said she got the tix, so when others chimed in and said they were excited, too. I really lost it.

I’ll take you along through this blog, of course, but if you want to attend in a city near you, check out the info and dates here.

Walking through Starry Night

Posted on November 13, 2020 by Tom Falco

I’m seeing a reason to visit Indianapolis. Something I don’t think I ever thought of.

Why? For THE LUME’s debut at Newfields in Indianapolis. Starting in June 2021, Australian-based Grande Experiences is featuring a cutting-edge experience where you can walk among Vincent Van Gogh’s work.

You can immerse yourself in 30,000 square feet of Van Gogh, where 150 projectors will turn paintings into a 3D world.

Walk among Starry Night, Almond Blossoms, Irises and Van Gogh’s self portrait among so many others.

These images of The LUME Indianapolis are courtesy of Grande Experiences

Snoopy license plates!

Posted on October 5, 2020 by Tom Falco

The states of California is offering Snoopy license plates. The extra money raised goes to California museums.

“This street-legal, DMV- and PEANUTS-approved license plate features Snoopy doing his signature happy dance. Plates for cars, trucks, vans, commercial vehicles, and motorcycles start at just $50 ($103 for personalized plates).”

There are over 1400 museums in California.

I want one. Only I don’t live in California. 😦

When did culture start?

Posted on July 15, 2020 by Tom Falco

Culture sign isolated on white Every day it seems that another event is canceled – art shows, parades, Broadway and recently I read that Art Basel may be canceled. I’m still waiting to find out the fate of New York Comic Con, which is in early October.

The ~~good news~~ great news is that NYC has no new covid cases since March. None. I’m so proud of New York. Here in Florida, we are the opposite. If there is a Comic Con, how will they let people in? New York is safe now, do they want us grubby infected jerks in their state or city now?

But right now, things are boring. There is nothing to go to, nothing to attend anymore. It got me thinking, when did things start? When did culture start? I mean I’m sure the world was boring many years ago. There is the Coliseum in Rome, so we know that in 80 AD there were events going on. And I guess in ancient times before that there were things happening like chariot races, but when did opera start or plays on stage? When did someone say, “Let’s put up a stage here and perform?” When did someone say, “Let’s put up some clothes lines and hang art?”

When did art move from cave walls to something more portable? When did someone set up the first museum or have the first concert?

It’s something to think about. Before then there were dark ages, and I don’t mean the time before the Renaissance, I mean like caveman times.

MOMA Mia

Posted on November 29, 2019 by Tom Falco

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Went to one of my favorite places the other day – MOMA, the Museum of Modern Art in NYC. They recently completed a $450 million renovation. I keep telling people it was $40 million, but it was $450 million. I of course, couldn’t see the whole thing, but I did make sure I saw Starry Night, my favorite. I searched and searched and it took me awhile, but I found it. Right there, all blue and beautiful like always.

The guards are quite scary, they look you up and down as if you are going to do something, they just pop out of nowhere and inspect you with their beady eyes. To be fair. there are many tourists during holiday weeks and probably more people are attending the museum than at quieter times of the year.

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Lots of rules at the MET Museum

Posted on July 19, 2019 by Tom Falco

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I got yelled at at The Metropolitan Museum of Art the other today for taking video. I was taking a few 10 second videos of statues for my Instagram account. When I asked the security guy out of curiosity, what the difference is between still pics and video, thinking it hurt the art in some way like flash photography, he said it was because people visiting the museum don’t like being in other people’s videos. It starts fights. I guess the still images like these below are ok with shy patrons, which makes no sense at all.

This isn’t the guard who yelled at me. I just took the picture because I loved his look.

Another guard yelled at a lady who had an empty water bottle in her hand. He warned her about filling it at a water fountain. She explained that she could not find a trash can to dump it so she was carrying it around. Oh, and backpacks. The guy who yelled at me told me that backpacks are not appreciated either, although almost every tourist in there had one. He said when people are bumped into with a backpack it causes fights. He should try riding the subway some day. Half the space taken up in the trains is by backpacks on people’s backs.

I think the museums are fed up with tourists and crowds. I am too, but that’s what pays the bills.

By the way, I loved the Play it Loud exhibit, there until October 1. It’s musical instruments from famous rock history.

I think the ancient Egyptian items are the best.

Prince’s guitar, part of the Play it Loud exhibit.

The Beatles instruments part of the Play it Loud exhibit.

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The instruments of rock stars

Posted on March 31, 2019 by Tom Falco

I’m looking forward to a new exhibit opening at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC – it’s called “Play It Loud.” It features instruments played by famous people from famous songs. This video above is CBS Sunday Morning’s story on the exhibit.

Electric guitars, drums and amplifiers are featured. Jerry Lee Lewis’ piano is there, so is Keith Moon’s drum set and Chuck Berry’s Gibson guitar that he played Johnny B. Goode on, which still includes the traveling tags on the guitar case. There is John Lennon’s 12-string Rickenbacker and the drum set Ringo used on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame coordinated the exhibit and will present approximately 130 instruments alongside posters and costumes.

The exhibit runs from April 8 to October 1, 2019.

This video below is Don Felder playing Hotel California at the Met on his original double neck guitar.

Dale Messick and Brenda Starr featured at Society of Illustrators gallery

Posted on January 3, 2019 by Tom Falco

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The Art of Dale Messick – the Brenda Starr cartoonist, will be on display at the Society of Illustrators in NY from January 3 to March 23, 2019.

I won’t be in NY during this period, but would have loved to see the work up close. As a kid, I would read all of the comics in the NY Daily News, including Brenda Starr. I used to like the way it was drawn as well as the stories.

The Society of Illustrators is a small gallery/museum at 128 East 63rd Street, a great place but easy to miss.

The first time I went, I was meeting my cousin there, it was raining and I knew the general area, but couldn’t find the museum. I stood under a red awning to get out of the rain and was looking around the area, wondering, “Where is this place?” only to turn around and realize the awning I was standing under was the awning to the Society of Illustrators entrance!

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