A few months ago I was working doing street promotions for the Halloween Adventure Costume shop in Times Square. One day I was on the street with my friend Damien and we were both wearing costume armor, me wearing a horned "Viking" helmet. A fellow with a baseball cap on cockeyed asked me if I was getting paid enough to dress like a fool. I told him that at least my hat was on straight. He said " Well, I'm G, man." I noticed his rotund appearance and said "You look more like an 'O,' man." He responded by starting all over again with the thing about me looking like a fool, and I reminded him that at least my hat was on straight.
For three months I hit the streets several days a week in one absurd costume or another. I dressed like a gorilla, an Elvis Santa, a Spartan from "300," an Immortal from "300" and a giant cockroach ("New York's Original Love Bug"). I wore the giant "Squawk Beast." I got hugs from cute girls, I got kicked by small children, I got my picture taken by lots and lots of tourists. I even got a few people to come to the shop.
Then several weeks after the incident related above, I was out dressed as the cockroach and the same fellow happened along. This time he gave me props because here I was, doing my thing, doing my job, out there for all the world to see, day in and day out, with no shame.
And that's what it's about, isn't it? If you are gonna do something, do it without shame, without apology. So long as what someone does is not evil, respect them for doing it.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Great night at open mike!
I got sent home early to work today (nothing I did, it was just slow at Dave & Buster's) and I passed by the local cafe that has open mikes on Thursdays. As I passed I though about how I haven;t had a chance to perform in a while, but I also though about how much work I have to do (my costume contest at Wicked Faire, my "Redemption" video project, my Captain Marvel Culture work, etc) but I also though about hoiw I do need to get out more often, meet new people, get more people to know me, and how I did not know when the next time I would get to perform would be.
So as soon as I got home I pulled out my old Alvarez guitar (my newer one has a broken string that needs replacing) and made sure it was in tune (it was) and grabbed my harmonica and headed out.
I got there just as they were standing up to leave. I asked if I was too late, and the owner of the cafe, Jose, said now, to come on up, and he re-plugged in the microphone. Everybody sat down as I began to play.
I was on FIRE! The guitar was clanging, the harmonica was in tune, and my voice sounded out loud and clear (it helped that the venue was small and everyone was paying attention). The audience laughed at my jokes, bopped to the music and gave all the right responses.
Then, after playing "Bound for Brooklyn, telling a story about an ex-girlfriend that led into "too Crazy for Me," then doing my "M&M Song," I asked how many more songs I had, and they said a couple more. So I slowed it down.
I did the Blasters/Dave Alvin's "Little Honey." it is a song about a man who's girl is going out, possibly to see an old boyfriend, possibly not coming back. It has personal significance to me, and when that song was done, I continued into an instrumental on the harmonica.
I discovered, after not playing for months, how I can really tell an emotional story with the harmonica. I felt my emotions of the situation coming out through the notes and the rhythms. The emotions change, as I resolve from an angry boyfriend into one who has decided to move on, and that launches me into the Blasters/Dave Alvin's "So Long, Baby, Goodbye." That's when I opened my eyes.
I had completely lost the audience. Here I had thought that they were hanging on my every note, were hi[p enough to follow me on my emotional journey, and that they would be transfixed by my sincerity, but one person had walked out and the others were just kind of sitting there dumb.
So as soon as I got through "SLBGB," I launched into one verse of "Johnny B. Goode for the Lower East Side." That got them back.
I was invited to do one more song (it turned out that the guy who left just had to answer his cell phone). So I first warned them about, and then played, "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins in the Style of Arlo Guthrie." I tore the house down.
To be more precise, it was what I have come to expect from a crowd that size (about 8 people). One guy got every single reference and was in tears all the way through. About 3 other people got most of the references and died every time they came up. The rest did not quite understand it, but enjoyed the good naturedness and sheer bizarreness of it. And they were a little slow picking up on the "Bilbo" call-backs.
If I don't have work on Thursday night next week I will go again, otherwise, well, ti was fun. I do hope to go again. I need to get out more often and make new friends.
So as soon as I got home I pulled out my old Alvarez guitar (my newer one has a broken string that needs replacing) and made sure it was in tune (it was) and grabbed my harmonica and headed out.
I got there just as they were standing up to leave. I asked if I was too late, and the owner of the cafe, Jose, said now, to come on up, and he re-plugged in the microphone. Everybody sat down as I began to play.
I was on FIRE! The guitar was clanging, the harmonica was in tune, and my voice sounded out loud and clear (it helped that the venue was small and everyone was paying attention). The audience laughed at my jokes, bopped to the music and gave all the right responses.
Then, after playing "Bound for Brooklyn, telling a story about an ex-girlfriend that led into "too Crazy for Me," then doing my "M&M Song," I asked how many more songs I had, and they said a couple more. So I slowed it down.
I did the Blasters/Dave Alvin's "Little Honey." it is a song about a man who's girl is going out, possibly to see an old boyfriend, possibly not coming back. It has personal significance to me, and when that song was done, I continued into an instrumental on the harmonica.
I discovered, after not playing for months, how I can really tell an emotional story with the harmonica. I felt my emotions of the situation coming out through the notes and the rhythms. The emotions change, as I resolve from an angry boyfriend into one who has decided to move on, and that launches me into the Blasters/Dave Alvin's "So Long, Baby, Goodbye." That's when I opened my eyes.
I had completely lost the audience. Here I had thought that they were hanging on my every note, were hi[p enough to follow me on my emotional journey, and that they would be transfixed by my sincerity, but one person had walked out and the others were just kind of sitting there dumb.
So as soon as I got through "SLBGB," I launched into one verse of "Johnny B. Goode for the Lower East Side." That got them back.
I was invited to do one more song (it turned out that the guy who left just had to answer his cell phone). So I first warned them about, and then played, "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins in the Style of Arlo Guthrie." I tore the house down.
To be more precise, it was what I have come to expect from a crowd that size (about 8 people). One guy got every single reference and was in tears all the way through. About 3 other people got most of the references and died every time they came up. The rest did not quite understand it, but enjoyed the good naturedness and sheer bizarreness of it. And they were a little slow picking up on the "Bilbo" call-backs.
If I don't have work on Thursday night next week I will go again, otherwise, well, ti was fun. I do hope to go again. I need to get out more often and make new friends.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Redemption of Captain Zorikh Production Blog!
I have started a new blog, strictly for chronicling the progress of my "Redemption of Captain Zorikh" video project. You can follow it at http://czredemption.blogspot.com/
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Autdition today
I just got home after pulling the closing shift at work. Now I have just a couple of hours to sleep before the audition I am running for my next video project, "The Redemption of Captain Zorikh." Details to follow!
Monday, January 12, 2009
Saturday, January 3, 2009
New Workout Begins!
I am hereby officially launching my push for the "Redemption of Captain Zorikh" video project. I went to the gym today.
I actually have gone to the gym four times in the past two weeks. Not much, I admit, but I gotta start somewhere. First I tried a 30-minute, upper-body circuit workout I found in an old Muscle & Fitness magazine. After doing that twice I realized a few thing things: 1) My pecs need more work, 2) My shoulders need to be handled carefully, and 3) this workout is for folks who go to the gym regularly and once or twice a month only have thirty minutes where they would usually spend a little more time. To build strength and muscle one needs to concentrate on body parts. On Monday I did back and triceratops, today I did chest and bicycles. I will try to go tomorrow or Monday and do shoulders, legs, and trapezoids. I do abs each time.
I also have a home workout routine I do that involves lifting furniture and super-sets with my barbell and dumbbells. I also am going to start running up and down the stairs like I did a year ago.
Over the past few months my low income and active work had conspired to lose me about 15 lbs. If I entered a grappling tournament now I would be fighting guys that come up to my sternum, I'm so light. So I have lost some mass, and people are noticing. My face is thinner, and so is my waist. But I have less body fat and greater definition than I had when I was 197 lbs., working out 4-5 times a week and eating a lot of high-calorie foods.
I actually have gone to the gym four times in the past two weeks. Not much, I admit, but I gotta start somewhere. First I tried a 30-minute, upper-body circuit workout I found in an old Muscle & Fitness magazine. After doing that twice I realized a few thing things: 1) My pecs need more work, 2) My shoulders need to be handled carefully, and 3) this workout is for folks who go to the gym regularly and once or twice a month only have thirty minutes where they would usually spend a little more time. To build strength and muscle one needs to concentrate on body parts. On Monday I did back and triceratops, today I did chest and bicycles. I will try to go tomorrow or Monday and do shoulders, legs, and trapezoids. I do abs each time.
I also have a home workout routine I do that involves lifting furniture and super-sets with my barbell and dumbbells. I also am going to start running up and down the stairs like I did a year ago.
Over the past few months my low income and active work had conspired to lose me about 15 lbs. If I entered a grappling tournament now I would be fighting guys that come up to my sternum, I'm so light. So I have lost some mass, and people are noticing. My face is thinner, and so is my waist. But I have less body fat and greater definition than I had when I was 197 lbs., working out 4-5 times a week and eating a lot of high-calorie foods.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Wrestling party tonight, Combat Twister Video, more!
Hi Folks! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, eating much wonderful food with the people you love.
I have been busy here. I have posted up a short video on the making of “Combat Twister” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sL5mUOb7Y6M) , the video shoot that took place a few weeks ago at the Halloween Adventure Costume Shop on West 43rd Street. It is backed by the music of STARK (http://www.starknyc.com), a hard rock band that performed at Frank Wood's birthday celebration. The video that I actually shot still requires a few hours and some financial support to finish.
I have also posted up a short statement form Neal Adams about Captain Marvel (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5upTHccAQi0), made at the Big Apple Convention a couple of weeks age (and I edited in a few pictures of Captain Marvel, just to help get the point across). It is the first video of a new YouTube channel I have created, where I will be posting videos relating to the Captain Marvel Culture project.
Finally this week, it's that time of the month again, when Grapple Den hosts its monthly wrestling party. This, the last party of the year, will feature a X-Mas unwrapping match, blizzard wrestling, and of course, the royal Reindeer Tag-in Rumble! This will all go down at Tagine, that lovely Moroccan restaurant on 9th Ave near 40th Street on Wednesday, December 3rd, from 9:30 PM to 1:30 AM. As a special holiday present from Grapple Den, admission is half the usual price, only $10 per person this time! For more info, go to http://www.grappleden.com/party.
Now just a few plugs:
As you all know 'tis the season where we all are looking for that perfect gift for that special someone. Times are tough for all of us, so I hear, and Captain Zorikh is sensitive to this issue. That is why all products in the Watch This Space catalog, including the Pennsic War video documentary ( a great gift for that medievalist or LARPer), the Captain Zorikh music CD's (of which I highly recommend the Death Star Repairmen for that special Star Wars fan), and everything else is either $1 or 15% off, whichever is greater, from now through December 31. Simply deduct the appropriate ammlount from your PayPal order, or send a check or money order to the address at http://www.captainzorikh.com/wts/catalogue.html.
And should you find nothing there that is just right, remember that you can click on the link to Amazon.com from almost any page at http://www.captainzorikh.com and http://www.captainmarvelculture.com and a small portion of your purchase price will help Yours Truly finance future projects. Those websites happen to have lists of movies of interest to anyone who digs medieval/renaissance/ancient world/fantasy/swordfighting stuff, a list of comic book movies, and books about stage combat and armor, all linked to Amazon.com (and I know some of you out there dig that sort of thing).
And to wrap it up, plugs for two places in times Square that have kept me fed the past few months...
Dave and Buster's on 42nd Street between 7th and 8th Ave is having a Punisher party, with free giveaways and other special stuff to celebrate the release of the new film, “Punisher: War Zone.”
Halloween Adventure Costume Shop on 43rd Street between 8th and 9th Ave, in addition to having hosted the Combat Twister video shoot, also has lots and lots of costumes and accessories, masks, wigs, hats, makeup, magic tricks, gag toys, funny nose & glasses, squirt guns, lightsabers, even plastic doggie do! It also has Santa suits and elf costumes of all sizes for any budget, and New Years party hats, horns, beads, noisemakers, confetti, and more!
That's Captain Zorikh for you, you never know where he will show up next!
Captain Zorikh
http://www.captainzorikh.com
zorikh@juno.com
917-865-1214
I have been busy here. I have posted up a short video on the making of “Combat Twister” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sL5mUOb7Y6M) , the video shoot that took place a few weeks ago at the Halloween Adventure Costume Shop on West 43rd Street. It is backed by the music of STARK (http://www.starknyc.com), a hard rock band that performed at Frank Wood's birthday celebration. The video that I actually shot still requires a few hours and some financial support to finish.
I have also posted up a short statement form Neal Adams about Captain Marvel (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5upTHccAQi0), made at the Big Apple Convention a couple of weeks age (and I edited in a few pictures of Captain Marvel, just to help get the point across). It is the first video of a new YouTube channel I have created, where I will be posting videos relating to the Captain Marvel Culture project.
Finally this week, it's that time of the month again, when Grapple Den hosts its monthly wrestling party. This, the last party of the year, will feature a X-Mas unwrapping match, blizzard wrestling, and of course, the royal Reindeer Tag-in Rumble! This will all go down at Tagine, that lovely Moroccan restaurant on 9th Ave near 40th Street on Wednesday, December 3rd, from 9:30 PM to 1:30 AM. As a special holiday present from Grapple Den, admission is half the usual price, only $10 per person this time! For more info, go to http://www.grappleden.com/party.
Now just a few plugs:
As you all know 'tis the season where we all are looking for that perfect gift for that special someone. Times are tough for all of us, so I hear, and Captain Zorikh is sensitive to this issue. That is why all products in the Watch This Space catalog, including the Pennsic War video documentary ( a great gift for that medievalist or LARPer), the Captain Zorikh music CD's (of which I highly recommend the Death Star Repairmen for that special Star Wars fan), and everything else is either $1 or 15% off, whichever is greater, from now through December 31. Simply deduct the appropriate ammlount from your PayPal order, or send a check or money order to the address at http://www.captainzorikh.com/wts/catalogue.html.
And should you find nothing there that is just right, remember that you can click on the link to Amazon.com from almost any page at http://www.captainzorikh.com and http://www.captainmarvelculture.com and a small portion of your purchase price will help Yours Truly finance future projects. Those websites happen to have lists of movies of interest to anyone who digs medieval/renaissance/ancient world/fantasy/swordfighting stuff, a list of comic book movies, and books about stage combat and armor, all linked to Amazon.com (and I know some of you out there dig that sort of thing).
And to wrap it up, plugs for two places in times Square that have kept me fed the past few months...
Dave and Buster's on 42nd Street between 7th and 8th Ave is having a Punisher party, with free giveaways and other special stuff to celebrate the release of the new film, “Punisher: War Zone.”
Halloween Adventure Costume Shop on 43rd Street between 8th and 9th Ave, in addition to having hosted the Combat Twister video shoot, also has lots and lots of costumes and accessories, masks, wigs, hats, makeup, magic tricks, gag toys, funny nose & glasses, squirt guns, lightsabers, even plastic doggie do! It also has Santa suits and elf costumes of all sizes for any budget, and New Years party hats, horns, beads, noisemakers, confetti, and more!
That's Captain Zorikh for you, you never know where he will show up next!
Captain Zorikh
http://www.captainzorikh.com
zorikh@juno.com
917-865-1214
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