Category: Happenings

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Groupie Round

Here’s 10 questions on some other famous groupies that were used in this week’s wild card round. I’ve included links to videos, interviews, and other interesting facts with the answers after the jump.

1. After dancing on a car in one of the bands videos, she married the lead singer, then later hooked up with Tommy Lee. Who was she?

2. Karrine Steffans has hooked up with Diddy, Kool G Rap, Ja Rule, and Usher, among others. What nickname did she acquire, owing to her oral skills?

3. Pleather was a groupie of the 1980s and 90s that was different than the vast majority of groupies. How?

4. What Beatles song was based on the true story of a bunch of groupies breaking into Paul McCartney’s home and stealing some of his personal items?

5. Before hooking up with Johnny Rotten, this groupie followed Aerosmith and the Ramones.

6. Cassandra Peterson was a rock n roll groupie before finding fame as what late night TV star?

7. Bebe Buell was a Playboy playmate turned grouie whose brief affair with one of the members of one of the hottest bands in America in the 1970s led to a daughter who is now a fairly famous movie star. Who is this star?

8. KISS commemorated groupie Cynthia Albritton with a song about her unusual hobby. What song was it?

9. Pamela Des Barres (nee Miller) was a famous groupie in the 1970s who wrote a book about her experiences. What appropriate 4 word title did the book have?

10. Patti Boyd hooked up with Ronnie Wood of the Stones, but she is best known for marrying what two rock legends?

Continue reading “The Rock ‘n’ Roll Groupie Round” →

“Sweet, Sweet Connie Doing Her Act”…The Hardest Working Groupie in Show Business

One of probably the two of the best known groupies of all time is “Sweet” Connie Hamzy. Connie has hooked with pretty much everybody who’s anybody in 1970s and 1980s rock history, claims to have been fooling around with Bill Clinton when they got busted in the 1980s, and even in her mid-50s is still going strong. Here’s a few fascinating pieces about Sweet Connie, who made an appearance in our music round last night. (She’s featured in the first verse of the song, “We’re An American Band” by Grand Funk Railroad. “Sweet sweet Connie Doing her act/She had the whole show and that’s a natural fact”)

Here is an audio interview of Connie by Howard Stern. Needless to say, it’s not even close to being safe for work. Here’s part 2.

A great article in SPIN magazine from a few years ago about Connie.

Here’s a piece about groupies on Hard Copy back in the 1980s, when Connie was in her mid-30s, and talks about accomplishing her goals.

 

My Ultimate Philly Cocktail party

I somehow made the list for the Ultimate Philly Cocktail party (which isn’t actually happening, unfortunately) put together by Philly Mag. Needless to say I was flattered to be included. Now, if this party were to actually happen, I would probably spend most of my time hanging out with Michael Solomonov and Gonzo, hoping that Gonzo would introduce me to Victorino, who I would then try to impress by speaking pidgin in the hopes that he would find out that I used to live in Hawaii and then we would be great friends and then us and our wives would always go out on double dates and talk baseball. (Yeah, so my man crush is on Shane. So what? Yours is on Chase.) I would also make an awkward attempt to patch up my differences with ?uestlove (strange but true fact: because of something I wrote a few years ago, he won’t let me follow him on twitter) who probably won’t remember who I am, making for an awkward apology since he won’t have any idea what I’m apologizing for.

Alright, well I respect their list, but now it’s time for my own. I have purposely excluded anybody I actually know fairly well. I am lucky enough to know a lot of people through quizzo who have actually been incredible cocktail and garden party guests, but here are 10 people I’ve either never met or barely know who I think would be fun to talk to at a cocktail party:

Inga Saffron– Just for her spot-on destruction of the Pepto Bismol building on Broad Street, I’d love to talk to her about her favorite and least favorite buildings in Philadelphia.

Meek Mills– Would love to talk to him about how his experiences. Coming from such dire circumstances into fame and money, would love to know his outlook on life.

Jimmy Rollins– J-Roll and Shane are my favorite players, and following Jimmy on twitter makes him seem even cooler. Would love to knock a few back with him and talk baseball.

DJ Jazzy Jeff. When I worked in Hawaii, I had a chance to meet numerous famous people. In Philly, I’ve had a chance to meet some almost sort-of famous people. It’s been my experience that the sort-of famous people are a lot more interesting. I think Jazzy Jeff would be a bit more fun to hang out with than Will Smith.

Howard Eskin. The Ric Flair of local sports radio, I’d love to talk sports with Howard. I know a lot of people hate him, and I love how bad Charlie showed him up in that press conference, but he’s damn interesting and smarter than 99% of the guys on sports radio today.

Buzz Bissinger. I’ve hung out with Buzz a couple of times and even did an interview with him. A fascinating dude, a brilliant writer, and certainly a “wild card” at a cocktail party.

Nicole Cashman. What, I can’ try to network at this thing? It’s my party, remember?!

Eve– My wife would not be happy with this pick, seeing as how Eve and I have a history (and by history, I mean I’ve had a crush on her for years and she has no idea who I am). But I’m winning this argument (for once). Eve is on the list!

Neil Stein. No knock on Garces, Vetri, Solomonov, et al. I love all their places. But I feel like Stein just gets a cold shoulder since his fall from grace, and not nearly as much respect as he deserves. Without this dude, you’re not eating at any number of the hippest restaurants in town, because there are no hip restaurants in town. You’re in the suburbs, complaining about how awful Center City is. Neil could easily paraphrase Dr. Dre, “I’m the one who started this foodie shit, and this the motha f***in’ thanks I get?” I’d love to talk to Neil about Philly in the 90s. In fact, I think I just gave myself a story idea.

Phoebe Esmon. Renowned mixologist at Farmer’s Cabinet (and formerly of Chick’s) makes some of the best and most interesting drinks in town. Who better to invite to a cocktail party?

So who else should I add to the guest list?

 

A Few Rasslin Questions

I’ve had several out-of-towners request that I post a few of the questions from the rasslin quiz a couple of weeks ago. Here are some of the tougher ones. Let me know how you do. (answers below)

  1. What wrestling legend won the first ever ECW championship in 1992?
  2. In wrestling, what is juice (It’s not steroids)?
  3. This former Eddie Gilbert manager was managing the Nasty Boys when they won the WCW tag team title in 1993.
  4. What wrestling manager blew out his knee at Starcade ’86 when he fell off a 20 foot scaffold?
  5. Who won the first ever Royal Rumble in 1988?
  6. What two wrestlers were a tag team in the mid-1980s known as the Blade Runners?
  7. This wrestler won the WWF heavyweight title, the WWF tag team title, the ECW tag team title, the WCW tag team title, and the TNA heavyweight title. Who is he?
  8. The first ever African American heaveyweight champion was this former Florida State player, who won the WCW title in 1992.
  9. In one of the most hilariously awful moments in wrestling history, Sting and Davey Boy Smith  were introducing their mysterious new teammates when their mystery mate slipped and fell, his helmet falling off his head, and the mystery was instantly solved. What was this wrestler, previously known as Tugboat?
  10. Ernie Roth was probably the best known wrestling manager of the 1970s. He managed the Iron Sheik, Killer Kowalski, and Sergeant Slaughter. What was he known as?

 

Continue reading “A Few Rasslin Questions” →

Ten of the Greatest Rap Songs You’ve Never Heard, Vol. II

A year ago, I posted 10 great rap songs that most visitors to this site had probably never heard. Well, I figured it was about time to drop 10 more. I was in a rut a few months ago, and was convinced that hip-hop was dead. Not so, I just needed to look a little deeper.  Here’s some songs that embody the spirit of all that hip-hop is. From lighthearted smack talk to the depths of the ghetto and even the horror of Vietnam, there’s a lot of great non-commercial hip-hop below (NSFW). Enjoy. If you like it, click like below to help spread the word.

1. Saigon-Invitation. Love this guy. He had a guest spot on the Roots last album. Possibly the best storyteller in hip-hop right now. Highly advise checking out his catalogue. Spent 7 years in prison after being a young thug and decided in the pen to turn his life around. “I represent the poor and profitless…” The Johnny Cash of hip-hop.

2. Reef the Lost Cauze-Commander in Chief. Running neck and neck with Meek Mills for best rapper in Philly, IMO. Not only is a phenomenal wordsmith, he’s also a damn nice guy, and even came to quizzo one night to battle rap me. So many great songs to choose from. This one shows Reef’s sense of humor. Some great one-liners in this song. Pick up his new album, Your Favorite MC on itunes. You’ll thank me for it, and you’ll be supporting a true Philly artist, and a damn cool dude.

3. Masta Ace-Take a Walk. Any time I post “Ten of the Greatest Rap Songs of All-Time,” Masta Ace will be on it. One of the greatest 5 MCs in hip-hop history in my opinion (along with Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, Jay-Z, and Eminem.) And nobody in rap samples as much classic rock as this guy. He samples Spanky and Our Gang in this heartbreaking song about life in the ghetto.

4. Phonte-The Good Fight. A new song from one half of one of the greatest underground groups of all time, Little Brother. The pressure of living in a recession, trying not to sell out, and supporting a family. “What the f*** is selling out when ain’t nobody selling?”

5. Meek Mills and Beanie Sigel-Dreamchaser. You can never tell in rap, since the industry treats rappers as entirely disposable, but all indications are that this guy is getting ready to be huge. He does some of the same old boring stuff about money and hoes, but when he digs deep, he is as good as anybody in rap. This song is beyond heartbreaking. The first time I heard Beanie’s verse, I started to tear up.

6. Brother Ali-Fresh Air. I get chicken skin every time I hear this song. An incredible celebration of life. Reminds me of Notorious BIG’s Juicy, a song about a guy coming from nothing, and being eternally thankful for making to where he is now. Beautiful.

7. We Major Gang-In the Mix. Ok, so I’m a bit biased on this one. These are two guys I used to coach. But there is no denying that this song is a hell of a lot of fun. This reminds me of some late 80s hip hop, a dynamic duo that’s having a lot of fun. Plus they shot the video at LOVE park.

8. Cool Kids-Black Mags. These guys are ridiculously fun. While most boring mainstream rappers are bragging about cars they don’t really own and mansions they rented for a video shoot, these guys are rapping about their bicycles. And I doubt the bikes are rented.

9. Jay Electronica-Jazzmatazz. Born in one of New Orleans most notorious neighborhoods, he bounced from city to city as a teenager, crashing couches and performing on every mic he could find. He was booed off stage repeatedly. But he never stopped performing, never gave up belief in himself, even when everyone else did. People like this never cease to amaze me. Finally caught a break a few years ago, and in 2010 signed with Jay-Z’s label Roc Nation.

10. Uncommon Valor-Jedi Mind Tricks feat. RA the Rugged Man. A song about Vietnam. Philly born Vinnie Paz delivers a terrific verse to open the song, then RA the Rugged Man delivers one of the most intense verses in hip-hop history. He tells the true story of his father, a decorated soldier in Vietnam, in horrifying fashion. Prepare to have your mind blown by this verse.

And let’s end with some good hip-hop news…Roots new album is being released in a few months, and the first song leaked off the album sounds great.

New Power Rankings

Another wild week sends the QCS computer scrambling to figure out who’s ranked where.

1. Steak Em Up (Bards). Finally, a team holds onto the #1 spot for two straight weeks. Barely. A narrow win over Philliez Nutz. Last week: #1

2. Duane’s World (Black Sheep). 2 straight wins at the Sheep. This team has its swagger back.  Last week: #3

3. Philliez Nutz (Bards). Lose to Steak on number question at the end. These guys are for real. Last week: #4

4. Savage Ear (O’Neals). A win followed by a 2nd place finish. After a controversial hiatus, complete with vicious mudslinging emails between the Toddfather and myself, they are back in full effect. Last week: #6

5. Honey Badgers (Locust Rendezvous). Who dreamed of a day when the last 4 Rendezvous quizzes would be won by either the Honey Badgers or the Butterfaces? Last week: NR

6. Million Dollar Robot Baby (City Tap House). Two wins and three 2nd place finishers in the past 6 weeks. Last week: NR

7. Madame Butterface (Locust Rendezvous). A bad outing at the Vous sends them tumbling down the rankings. Nonetheless, they scored the most points in the JGTAI, so kudos for that. Last week: #2

8. Ruby Tuesday (Ugly American). Quietly making a name for themselves. Won at City Tap House a month ago, won at Ugly American last week. Last week: NR

9. Mister Lippers (O’Neals). If these guys played more often, I think they’d be a regular top 5 team. Whenever they play, they are really, really good. Last week: NR

10. Do It Live (Tap House). They’ve gone from first to 2nd to 3rd in the past 3 weeks. Will their slide continue or are they going to be a perennial Top 3 finisher at CTH? Last week: #7

11. PSU Defensive Coordinator (Tap House). Pull off a shocker last week at CTH. Is this a one-hit wonder or is this team for real? Last week: NR

12. Missing Heads (North Star). Didn’t exactly set any scoring records last week, but still got a hard-earned victory. Will these Black Sheep refugees establish themselves as the team to beat up North? Last week: NR

Also receiving votes:  Inglorious Barristers, Catdog, Goudafellas, Fracksylvania, Queen of Hearts, The Jams, Magnus ver Magnusson, Mysterious Mr. Mapother

Frazier Vs. Rocky

Here’s the latest piece I did for the Philly Post, on the death of Joe Frazier. I know it sounds like I’m hating on Rocky. I’m not, I think it’s a pretty damn good film (the first one, at least). I just think it’s a shame that we lavished so much praise on him and more or less ignored a guy who represented everything we claim to love. To watch the Thrilla in Manila between Frazier and Ali, click here.

In case you missed it: I did a piece earlier this week about our stangest and most interesting mayors. Last week, I did one on the raven that inspired both Dickens and Poe.

JGTAI Scoreboard Is Up! Finally!

Yes, I have been a complete and total slacker for the past few weeks. But here it is, the updated scoreboard with one regular season week and a wild card week separating us from the Autumn Invitational on November 20th. Now, some teams have had a few name changes, so if I have counted you as two different teams just let me know and I’ll fix it. Next chance to earn points? Tonight at North Star bar. No clear cut favorites there. A great way to get your team in the mix. Film and television quiz. Action starts at 7 p.m.