Gotham City, NJ: More Evidence!

After my post GOTHAM CITY, NJ? last year became one of the most popular here at The Sexy Armpit (excluding this one of course), I found yet another piece of evidence to back up my theory that Gotham City is actually in New Jersey. If you haven’t seen the Star Ledger Live/NJ.com video where they interview me about my theory, check it out right here: http://videos.nj.com/star-ledger/2011/11/could_batmans_gotham_city_real.html and here http://www.nj.com/ledgerlive/index.ssf/2011/11/gotham_city_new_jersey_yes_bat.html

If you aren’t familiar with this, there is quite a lot of evidence to prove that Batman actually operates out of New Jersey rather than New York. The trend seemed to start in the mid to late ’80s and early ’90s. As I detailed in the original post there were several occasions that dropped clues and even blatant facts that Gotham was indeed meant to be in NJ. Now, with the release of The Dark Knight Rises upon us, there’s even more of a reason to finally let go of the past and embrace change.

New York City is the greatest city in the world, there’s no doubt about it. It’s sickening amount of notoriety and fame will last eons. Let us, The Garden State, be proud of our connection with Batman – whether it’s a theory of an underground blogger or not. We in Jersey didn’t ask for MTV’s Jersey Shore. How much do you like guidos? That’s exactly how much New Jersey likes them. No silly MTV show being filmed here can ever compare to the fact that The Dark Knight Rises was filmed literally right down the highway in Newark, NJ.

Sandy Hook - Gotham City 

Onto the further evidence that has been collected. I initially discovered this information back in December 2011, but I kept this one under wraps until we arrived at July 2012, in time for the premiere of The Dark Knight Rises. The excellent horror blogger and movie reviewer Chuck Conry over at Zombies Don’t Run posted several pictures he found of a package containing promotional materials from The Dark Knight Rises marketing campaign. The package included a Bane T-Shirt as well as a map of Gotham. Posted above is a shot of this map that depicts a very familiar HOOK.

I’m not referring to Captain Hook or the memorable part of a song…I’m talking about my favorite barrier island: Sandy Hook. Sandy Hook is clearly labeled on the promo Gotham map. While this is simply Batman’s movie continuity, there’s still lots of clues in the comics as well. Take for instance Nightwing’s ‘hood, Bludhaven. The crime infested city has been pinpointed by DC Comics as southern New Jersey, possibly Little Egg Harbor, Brigantine, or Atlantic City. There we have hints in the movies and the comics, but what about the ’60s Batman TV show? Yep, we have that covered as well!
In New Jersey’s Great Pop Culture Moments 27 you can read how BATMAN AND NEW GUERNSEY are PURRRFECT TOGETHER!!! 

I was in Newark while the filming of the movie was taking place and it was one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had (Thanks to @BrianDonohue). Walking the streets and seeing Gotham City street signs and passing police cars with Gotham City license plates was incredible, especially since I’m a life long Batmaniac. Needless to say I’ve got my tickets for The Dark Knight Rises and this film is going to be memorable for me for a couple of reasons. Not only is it the last film starring Bale as Batman, but it features plenty of scenes in the subways of Newark and a big fight scene on the steps of Newark’s City Hall! 
Photobucket 

I don’t think you can argue with the piece of evidence posted above. If I convinced my man Eric and his young daughter from all the way across the country in Cali into believers, then that means it’s the real deal! Follow him on Twitter Twitter.com/BubbaShelby ! And if all of my research has proven true, then The Dark Knight Rises is truly a homecoming for Batman. Please feel free to weigh in with your opinion on the actual location of Gotham City!

Photobucket

Win Tickets To See The Dirty Pearls on the CBGB Festival July 5th!

Photobucket
Continue your 4th of July celebration the next night as the CBGB Festival Presents THE DIRTY PEARLS at The Highline Ballroom in New York City. The show will also feature Bebe Buell, The Killing Floor, The Noise, Ingrid and The Defectors, and Lightsout.  It’s all happening on Thursday July 5th 2012 and we have your chance to win tickets to be there! 


All you need to do is e-mail your answers to sexyarmpit@comcast.net with the subject PEARLS


Which of the following bands played at CBGB’s?
1) Big Time Rush
2) Blondie
3) The Wiggles
4) The Misfits

Answer the question correctly and a winner will be chosen at random to win tickets to the show! Remember, if you don’t have The Dirty Pearls debut album Whether You Like It or Not – get it now on their official website: http://thedirtypearls.com/store.html

If you’re buying tickets, go here:
http://highlineballroom.com/show/2012/07/05/the-dirty-pearls/

The Dirty Pearls Record Release Party, May 5th 2012

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebptLYZRiwo?rel=0]

Enchiladas can be eaten all freaking year, so I opted for some Rock and Roll instead. 2012’s Cinco De Mayo, a night usually reserved for chips and salsa and doing tequila shots off muffin tops, will go down as a major milestone for New York City’s prodigious party bringers The Dirty Pearls.

In his writings, Nostradamus once prophesied that there would one day be a mass of people who will experience full-length phonic exhilaration at the hands of five defiled gems. Ages later, actually, as of last night, the prophecy has come true. The five defiled gems Nostradamus spoke of were The Dirty Pearls and the full-length record finally came. Okay so Nostradamus didn’t predict any of that, but lead singer Tommy London has been promising a full length record for quite a long time and now it’s finally available! On Saturday night, the band celebrated the culmination of all their studio work with a huge concert at The Gramercy Theatre. London described the album to the packed house as “…our f*cking Chinese Democracy…but it actually sounds good.” It was a big night for The Dirty Pearls and I didn’t want to be anywhere else.

Not only did I try to squelch my insatiable lust for Mexican cuisine all night, but I was also missing Eli Manning hosting Saturday Night Live. See, Rock and Roll is all about sacrifice my friends…and DVR’ing shit. Only the hard working bands were playing out that night, all the others were stuffing their face with quesadillas and mainlining Patron. All the way across the country, The Black Keys were playing a concert in Sacramento. The Red Hot Chili Peppers were playing in Newark at The Prudential Center, (a venue I’d love to see The Dirty Pearls play at, but one step at a time here) but the most monumental show in the entire country was happening on East 23rd Street in NYC.

My ability to really go out and rock hard has decreased exponentially since entering my 30’s. For instance, my tolerance for annoying people is very low, hence I drove rather than took the train. Cinco De Mayo indicated to me there might be a lot of drunken idiots on the train. It turned out to be the right move because the night began with one of the quickest and most stress free rides into Manhattan I’ve ever driven. Emptying the bladder was first on my to do list, as I said, at this advanced age rocking can only happen after all these details are taken care of. Next, I set up Miss Sexy Armpit, our friend Lori, and myself up with a beer. As we caught the tail end of Ariana and The Rose’s last song, we found ourselves in an overwhelming predicament. I stood in a crowd of people and Miss Sexy Armpit’s gaze was fixated on the rows of stadium type seating in the back of the theatre. We were now faced with a huge decision. Do we completely lose our credibility and get our rock licenses revoked by sitting in those seats like a bunch of geriatrics? When the opportunity presents itself, we usually choose seats. Unless it’s Gwen Stefani and she might have her crotch in my face.

Even with all the local bands that I talk to on a regular basis, I had not heard of Liquid Blonde, one of the bands on the bill. They seemed to have characteristics like Powerman 5000 and Orgy. Their look is a little bit futuristic/punk while their sound incorporates electro type beats with heavy rock. Maybe there’s a rap-rock revival on the horizon because a couple of their songs had that vibe. I just Googled them as I write this and see that their tag line is “Electro-Sci-Fi Rock Orgy” so I wasn’t far off. Their drummer is jacked bigger than any of the WWE Superstars and I think they had a topless keyboardist, so there’s that.

The “Super-Moon” was supposedly out on Saturday night, but it was Star Killer that stole its thunder. The band, lead by Jasin Cadic, exploded onto the stage bringing their usual madness. They tore it up with all their tracks from their EP and then some including “As The Sky Is Falling” “Out of Range,” “Too Wrong” and “Picture Perfect.” The winning element to Star Killer’s songs is their ability to transport you to another world. You really get the feeling you’re in some sort of apocalyptic planet when listening to their music. Cadic’s enigmatic style and the aura that the band evokes is almost haunting and resonates in your mind long after their performance is over.

Just when I thought things couldn’t get any weirder. It’s not often that you see one guy come out with no band and no crazy lights and merely sing along with a backing track. Whether it’s budgetary or just the way he wants to present himself, Breedlove made a statement. You don’t need all the glitz, you just have to sound great and be original. During his impressive vocal set, the long-haired, bespectacled free spirit Breedlove mentioned that it’s not all the time that he can get a gig as grand as opening for The Dirty Pearls at Gramercy. Pull up his song “I Never Had” and you’ll hear what Breedlove is all about.

As evident on the bill that night, there’s quite a scene going on in the lower parts of Manhattan. A pretty large chunk of credit for that needs to go to The Dirty Pearls who have no problem welcoming fellow bands and singers into their world. During the show, the ‘Pearls frontman Tommy London mentioned that they are all about mutual respect and helping other bands in the scene. Recently, London started up his own label, Rivington Records, which will be spotlighting bands from the New York scene and beyond. 

As far as performances go, I never expect anything less than the best from The Dirty Pearls. They pour with intensity, it’s as if they actually run on “Caffeine and Gasoline” (track 3 on Whether You Like It Or Not, in case you were curious). Marty E., Dougie, Tommy, Sunny and Tommy London ripped through all their staple tracks including “New York City Is a Drug,” “Sucker For a Sequel,” “Static,” “Luvsikluv,” “Whether You Like It Or Not,” and of course “Who’s Coming Back To Who.” After many promises from London about the album having no ballads, they relented and threw in “You Got Me Where You Want Me” at the last minute. As a dude who switches off his brain when bands perform ballads, I was enthralled by how cool this track is. I even fired up my Zippo lighter app on the iPhone. At one point soon after Tommy London thanked everyone for being there and mentioned that he read on his Twitter feed that there were people in the crowd who came from as far as Berlin, Germany and even…NEW JERSEY hahaha!!! Those of us from across the river appreciate the shout out!

For the long time fans they threw in a medley of some old school ‘Pearls tracks like “Rockstarlivin’, “Hollywood La La La,” and one of my all-time favorites “Gimme, Gimme.” After their set was over, fans in the crowd resoundingly chanted “ONE MORE SONG! ONE MORE SONG,” and The ‘Pearls did not disappoint. They indeed came back to give us one more, but it wasn’t theirs. They performed a cover that was indicative of what they were feeling at that moment and that was Aerosmith’s “Sweet Emotion.”

All these paragraphs aren’t enough to express how perfectly The Dirty Pearls capture the raw emotion of rock and roll. If Elvis is The King, Frankie is The Chairman of the Board, Bruce is The Boss, then The Dirty Pearls head up New York City’s Department of Rock and Roll in the 5th Precinct.  

The Dirty Pearls first full-length record Whether You Like It or Not is available HERE

The Dirty Pearls Record Release Party on 5/5

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEgbn_OZJ9Y?rel=0]
WIN 2 TICKETS TO THE DIRTY PEARLS RECORD RELEASE PARTY ON 5/5!!
HOW TO ENTER: 
1. e-mail sexyarmpit@comcast.net 
2. subject STATIC
3. Include Name and Address

The Dirty Pearls and the Official Cinco De Mayo Party Commission have come to an exclusive agreement to combine the two most powerful forces in partying into one huge mega event. Cinco De Mayo is cool, and yes, you’ll most likely be on an alcohol fueled bender, but the only way to experience both the supreme 5th of May style drunkenness AND The Dirty Pearls LIVE in person that night is to have tickets to their first ever record release party on May 5th, 2012 at The Gramercy Theatre in NYC.

As much as I considered my solo marathon of all 6 Star Wars movies in 2010 complete with nonstop food, drinks, and snacks to be one stellar bash, THIS will literally be the party of the century folks. Drinks and ROCK! As old as rock and roll is, The Dirty Pearls make it sound completely fresh and new. They’ll be celebrating the release of the first ever full length album, WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT, that we’ve been anticipating for a long time here at The Sexy Armpit! Cannot wait to get it on my iPod!
Opening for The Dirty Pearls is Star Killer, and the show will also feature Hussle Club, Ariana and The Rose, Liquid Blonde and more special guests! Tickets are selling fast, but you can follow the directions above to get yourself 2 tickets to the show courtesy of best damn rock and roll band in New York City: The Dirty Pearls!!! If you don’t want to wait then get your tickets NOW via this link!
Gramercy Theatre
127 E. 23rd Street
New York, NY

Occupy Boardwalk!

Occupy Boardwalk print by Dann Designs

What were you up to on St. Patrick’s Day? Last Saturday was not only St. Patrick’s Day, but it also marked the 6-month anniversary of the Occupy Wall Street movement. So, if you weren’t protesting in New York’s Zuccotti Park, perhaps you were sacrificing alcoholic beverages up to the patron saints of Ireland, or locked into one of those absurdly long games of Monopoly?

Dann Designs has mashed all that up into one neat graphic. I’m sure you’ve been in one or two Monopoly games that have caused extreme emotional stress and compelled you to organize a protest about the prices of rent when landing on Boardwalk and Park Place, so this one is for you! For those who aren’t board game gurus, the Monopoly board was designed using the street names of those in Atlantic City, NJ. Something tells me we won’t be seeing Occupy protesters on the A.C Boardwalk anytime soon.

Dann Matthews, the awesome graphic artist behind Dann Designs, is known for incorporating some of the coolest and most recognizable pop culture stuff into his incredible work. Check out his sites: http://www.danndesigns.com/ and at Society 6 http://society6.com/danndesigns

Madonna, Atlantic City, and Armpits…

Photobucket
Frequently I come out with some preposterous claims. One of these includes the theory that I may have invented the “screen shot” or “screen grab” as it’s commonly known. As soon as Desperately Seeking Susan was available on VHS, Momma Armpit brought me home a copy because she knew I wanted it. I watched it over and over marveling at the fact that I could keep rewinding my favorite scene and watch it over and over. Believe it or not, my favorite scene wasn’t seeing Rosanna Arquette’s boobs, nope, as nice as they are, I was more interested in a scene most of you probably quickly forgot about. 
My favorite scene comes when Madonna is in the Port Authority bathroom looking super sexy in her hot pink mesh Atlantic City shirt. She walks over to the hand dryer and raises her arms to dry her armpit. Now, contrary to popular belief, I do not have an armpit fetish so get this out of your head right away. The name of the site might mislead you, but I just think it’s a funny scene. I wouldn’t doubt that Madonna actually came up with that herself because she’s really perverse.
Anyway, I took my 35MM Vivitar camera (that I still own!) and took a few snapshots of the TV screen while this scene was playing. My mom went to get the film developed and as she was going through the pics of the family gatherings and events there were also 2 or 3 shots of Madonna air drying her armpits. Classic.

NJ Transit Window Display In NY Penn Station

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKusia1m2BE?rel=0]

November is Model Railroad Month! Lots of kids and adults alike are getting ready to set up their toy trains for the holidays. Until then, check out the above video that I filmed back in the summer while waiting for a train at New York Penn Station. This window display is on the NJ Transit side and it’s pretty damn cool, especially if you’re a fan of Jersey history or just dig cool window displays. I never thought I’d see such a tribute to New Jersey in New York Penn Station but it’s actually right there near the waiting area so you can witness it for yourself the next time you are there, OR just watch this video! Of course, it’s not a traditional model train set, but since it’s the work of NJ Transit this will serve as our observation of Model Railroad Month!

The Dirty Pearls Scavenger Hunt

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnDoy6yGIaw?rel=0]

Fans of NYC rockers The Dirty Pearls have the chance to win tickets to see their next live show on 12/9 at The Gramercy Theater! Watch the video above for “Who’s Coming Back To Who?” (look for the Where’s Waldo style cameos by The Sexy Armpit) which will help you answer the questions below. Only the real fans of The Dirty Pearls will be able to get the answers to these! Winner will be chosen on 11/16.

E-mail your answers to sexyarmpit@comcast.net

Questions:
1. What exact time does lead actor Jasin Cadic meet and shake hands with Kelle Calco?
2. How many bottles are on the coffee table?
3. What color is the phone that Breedlove is on?
4. Which shoulder does Tommy London have his dead Elvis tattoo on?
5. How many times does lead actor Jasin Cadic tap Jeanine Moss on her shoulder to get her attention?
6. What exact time does Brian Newman put out his cigarette?
7. Who ended up coming back to who?

New York Comic Con 2011 Recap Part 1: Artist’s Alley

2011 will go down as one of the best times I’ve had at New York Comic Con yet. There was a fun vibe going on and less people were in my face begging for attention this year. Attendants seemed to be having a blast as usual. All the interactive displays and photo ops were bigger and better than previous years. The main floor attractions advertised for properties like Star Wars, Marvel, and DC Comics, and your other usual suspects. As for The Sexy Armpit, sure I dabbled in the mainstream stuff, but as usual, most of my time was spent in Artist’s Alley.

Art by Laurie B. 

My first stop was to Laurie B’s table. I first discovered Laurie’s art several years back while on a Google image search and continued to check her site often. Her artwork reminds me of Disney animation, especially wide-eyed girls like Ariel from The Little Mermaid. Ordering prints from her shop was always something I planned on doing, but when I recently saw she’d be coming to NYCC, I held out. I bought some awesome pieces from her. One piece I’ve wanted to hang above my toilet for the longest time, to go with my Vigo print on top of my toilet. Then I also picked up a Stay-Puft Marshamllow man holding a cute Ghostbuster girl in addition to The Sorceress from Masters of the Universe, and a cute girl version of Snap, Crackle, and Pop for my kitchen.

sopranos,artist,scott cooperabbott and costello meet frankenstein,scott cooper,artist 

You never know what kinds of cool art you’ll see when you aren’t even looking for it. My meeting with Scott Cooper is a prime example. Scott had the exact type of toonish art that I dig. One piece in particular caught my eye. He had on display an animated version of The Sopranos crew. Imagine The Sopranos had a Saturday morning cartoon show on Nickelodeon! HA! Fuggedaboutit!  I felt that I’d like to buy this print, nay, needed to own it desperately. Once Scott and I got into talking, he mentioned he had 2 different Sopranos prints and he offered a third print of my choice for free. What a guy! Naturally, when I saw a print of Bela Lugosi’s Dracula, it was easily my pick.

After getting home and finding his blogspot site, I hit the jackpot. I found out that the Dracula print I brought home was actually from his animated illustration of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein! With 2 classic Jersey icons like The Sopranos and Abbott and Costello, stopping at Scott Cooper’s table was an awesome surprise. Check out his illustrations and storyboards at his official site.

Photobucket

The fun didn’t stop there! I bought a few Spookshow Pinups from Ant Lucia, a digital pinup artist who you may know from his retro “Join the Rebellion” propaganda posters featuring Princess Leia. And finally, I couldn’t pass up an extremely cool tattoo art style print of Josie from Josie and The Pussycats by Archie artist Dan Parent. I discussed the upcoming ARCHIE MEETS KISS mini-series with him and now I’m even more pumped for it. Can’t wait!

Before my go around in Artist’s Alley came to an end, I stopped at one last table. The cute leather clad girl on the cover of The Saga of Pandora Zwieback lured me over. I’ll admit, the name alone did not compel me to stop and find out more, but the art by Eliseu Gouveia sucked me in. Steven A. Roman, author of X-Men The Chaos Engine Trilogy and Final Destination, Dead Man’s Hand, was promoting his new series of novels starring a goth girl named Pandora. The book’s tag line reads “Vampire Fashionistas, Paranoid Werewolves, Sugar Addicted Zombies, Welcome to Gothopolis.” If it sounds familiar, it might contain some similar ingredients and pop culture references, but this monster slayer story is all newfangled because only Pandora can see the creatures that are converging on the city.

Cooler than Buffy, tougher than the emo wimps in Twilight, Pandora is a teenage goth girl fighting off ghouls and monsters in New York City. She’s drawn to be really hot, but the problem is she’s underage! Hey Steve – what are you trying to do to us, couldn’t you have made her 18? No worries though, if things get inappropriate with your first Pandora experience, feel free to fantasize about her mentor, Sebastienne Mazarin, a chick who’s quite attractive for a 400 year-old monster hunter. All this was in the preview comic that Roman handed me (read the comic book HERE), but the novel is the real deal. Since alluding to Pandora’s box would be tasteless, why not open up Pandora’s book? It’s called Blood Feud and it’s available now at http://www.pandorazwieback.com/.

Jay and Silent Bob Get Old at NYCC!

Photobucket

East coasters, especially those from Jersey, will be excited to know that Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes will be presenting their live podcast Jay and Silent Bob Get Old at New York Comic Con this year. The Sexy Armpit will definitely be at Comic Con, but I’m not sure if I want to battle the crowds for that one. It’s cool to see our favorite stoners from Jersey appearing to beef up the star power. I’m sure there will be plenty more announcements of celebs and fanboy icons signing on in the coming weeks. Keep up on the latest news at the official NYCC website: http://www.newyorkcomiccon.com/