THE HOLIDAY COCKTAIL LOUNGE - ON ST.MARKS BETWEEN 1ST AND 2ND AVE.

So tonight I decided to visit a very old haunt of mine called THE HOLIDAY COCKTAIL LOUNGE on St.Marks between 1st and 2nd Avenue. Thankfully this place is as gross as it has ever been. Also, the few "cool" people who get enough courage to venture in get freaked out and do not stay long.

I have been going to this place for half of my life. Pretty scary. At one time, if you could walk up to a bar in New York City and put your money on it you would get served. Alas, all has gone amok. The Holiday Cocktail Lounge has no cool or up to date changes. They are still old timey East Village Ukranian. And if you think you are the dog's balls, they will throw you out on your ass. Thank God for the old and crappy!

I have been to FAR scarier places in my short life, but this place is still the real deal. Wood paneling, giant piss smell and all.

Check out our bartender. Seriously. This guy has to be in his 80's. No shit. He is very surly and very Ukranian.

Isaac Moore. Hamming it up for my fans. Oh snap... I am AWESOME?

Fear not my TOTAL AWESOME!

I really love this Men's room. Yes it smells of 100 years of piss, but you can't beat the wood paneling. It is funny how the wood paneling seems to soak up the urine.
Another Thursday night in the East Village. Crazy go bananas.

So I was hanging out with an old hippy and a lesbian. Not that there is anything wrong with it. That is just where the conversation was at.

Here is what the New York Times said about this place.

Profile
W. H. Auden once lived next door, and Trotsky across the street. Both knew a little something about the low life, and so does the clientele of this East Village landmark. Years of thick smoke have given the place a gray pallor, the booths are cracked but cozy, and the Rolling Stones dominate the jukebox. In other words, you've got all you need to nurse yourself through a bout of poverty and despair. Just don't ask for a whiskey sour; they don't do that here. Straight whiskey, on the other hand, flows like water and, at $4 a glass, doesn't cost much more.Extra
The Holiday started out as a Prohibition-era speakeasy—and you might wonder if the well drinks are still made with bathtub gin.

Can you really go wrong with WH AUDEN and Trotsky? I think not!!! Ow, my liver hurts..

THUNDER MOUNTAIN BIKE RALLY - AT THE BLACKTHORN RESORT IN EAST DURHAM NEW YORK

Now for those in the know, I won’t have to say much about this event. For everyone else you should know that the THUNDER MOUNTAIN BIKE RALLY in East Durham New York has become an annual tradition for my friends and me.
This event takes place every September at the Blackthorn Resort in East Durham New York. Normally, this place is like an Irish version of the resort in Dirty Dancing, but one weekend a year it is full of all kinds of pelt wearing, sun bleached and greasy bikers who pound the Budweisers, wrestle in spaghetti, get into knife fights and generally get balls out crazy.
Lets begin.
First off my fiends who let my cousin Larry and I stay with them have a year around trailer at the top of a hill that has a long road running along side of it. I am rather fond of drinking a few crappy beers and hauling ass down it on their 4 year old's tricycle.

Here is yours truly doing warp 9.



Now on to the main attraction. The Bike Rally. Like most rallys there are the games. Such as the slow drive, hot dog eating off the back of the bike, balloon and engine tosses and a few others.

Here is an example of the slow race. Notice the sweet mullet in a pony tail. This guy is FLIRTIN' WITH DISASTER (For all you Molly Hatchett fans)

On to a few pictures of the games themselves.

It's good to see Ringo Star working again.

You can have ketchup or mustard on your hot dog.

Around the Olymian field there are all sorts of attractions. From the ball of steel to the wall of death. Here is a little taste.

This guy didn't win the tattoo contest.

Check out this guy's sweet mini mullet and the AMERICA FUCK YEAH goods that he carved with a cainsaw. Pretty bitchin if I do say so myself. The ball of DOOOOOM

Not only does this guy have a sweet mini-mullet, he makes "art" with chainsaws.
This guy is enjoying the stunt show. Nice.
Now if you wanted to pay $15 you can have a skany biker chick take a picture on your bike. If you want to pay $20, she will pose with your bike topless. This affair was a class act all the way.


Now the Thunder Mountain Bike Rally isn't all crappy Biker Olympics, tattoo contests and skanky girls in front of corndog stands. Oh no, there is so much more. Like decadent amounts of binge drinking and motorcycles driving through the bar.

This guy was awesome. He kept saying "YEAH YEAH YEAH!!"
Yeah indeed.

Cousin Larry
This is the hydraulic stage where the burnout competition is held. Razorback Fans


Here was an "interesting" attraction. The leather show. SHUDDER

As previously stated, they drove motorcycles through the bar while the band was playing. Nice.

Unfortunatly I didn't get anywhere near the spaghetti wrestling this year, but I promise to make up for it next year.

All in all it was a very good and very low end weekend. My liver is still recovering from the cheap booze, motorcycle fumes, crappy food and all of the Molly Hatchett that was played at 11.

Enjoy some of The Razorbacks.

CANDY'S MAGIC PUB IN SHIRLEY LONG ISLAND

This entry was submitted by my friend Lisa. This wonderful establishment goes by the name of CANDY’S MAGIC PUB in Shirley Long Island. She went there to see her boyfriend's band play at a black metal show.

From what I can gather, they try to get the kids in the place by having bands play.

Here is what she had to say about this place.

Lisa-
So I asked for a glass of wine at this place, and the old broad behind the counter opened a tiny refridgerator behind the bar and pulled out one of those twist off top mini bottles. She then poured it in a cup. Oh, there was smoking inside and the pool table had no balls.



Here is Lisa pointing out some of the lovely art work on the wall behind the bar and the sweet Knicks jacket that barley covers up an even sweeter grey mini mullet.

Good work Lisa. If you send in more pictures I will post them.

This guy is saying "GAAAHHHHH MEEETAALL GHAAAAAAA!!!!!".

Nothing says METAL like glittery unicorns!!

There is SO much to say about this image. The unicorn art, the framing. All of that stuff is fine, but look at the walls! The bubble gum looking sponge work is magnifique!

THE HOLLAND BAR ON 9TH AVE BETWEEN 39TH AND 40TH

Dave and I met at my new favorite bar in Manhattan. It is called the Holland Bar and man is it horrible/wonderful. It is on 9th Avenue between 39th and 40th, just a few blocks from the Port Authority bus terminal. This being only my second time there I didn't feel all too comfortable taking pictures of the inmates, but I will next time. In the past two times that I have been there, there have been junkies, old Chinese guys yelling about baseball, hookers, pimps and all other sorts of nefarious characters. It is the BEST in Manhattan!

Take note: If you do decide to go to The Holland, there is no name on the outside. It just says BAR in big letters. And the sign was painted with a brush and shitty black house paint. Also, be sure to bring only cash and not too much of it. Don't be shocked if there is a lot of agression and perchance, a fist fight.

Here is a review or two.

Our bartender Sharkey. He was fond of telling us that he had a bat behind the bar that is still "in use". This guy also warned me to watch my cash as there was a junkie eyeing it. Nice.

Dave and I enjoying the smell and ambiance.

The Holland bar used to be in the Holland Men's hotel. When the hotel closed down, they put the sign in the bar. They also have the previous owner's ashes in there as well. I think that they have illegal Chinese immigrant housing upstairs now, as I saw about 20 or so old Chinese guys coming out of the unmarked and shabby building. They cram into rooms of 10 guys and pay next to nothing in rent.

My MYSPACE picture. Done in a urine soaked men's room a block away from the Port Authority.

All in all The Holland is a fine establishment. Shitty jukebox, scary crowd, poor décor and the ashes of the previous owner on display. There are even thinly veiled threats from the management.

We should expect to see great things from the Holland.