the main event

Thanks to Alex Porta for spotting a flyer on a telephone pool because we ended up spending Friday night at a bingo hall in Brooklyn watching a sold-out “professional” wrestling match. The event was sponsored by Boy Scout Troop #996 and sold hamburgers for $1.50. The air was heavy with greasy smoke, tension and jubliation.


Lucifer Darkside was a vicious winner of one of the first matches.


Lucious Lance pummels his opponent. Because of Lance’s drag queen outfit, the crowd began chanting, “YOU – ARE – GAY!”


The fans getting anxious.


Down for the count.


Timothy Plasma took a beating by Creeper.


Southerner Ron Price was an instant villian wearing a noose like a necktie and a Confederate flag T-shirt.


Tony Blaze, the Puerto Rican favorite, gets locked in a hold by the Southerner.


Boricua Tony Blaze prevails to the excitement of the crowd.


She wasn’t a fan of Ron Prices confederate antics.


The winner of a previous match signs autographs.


AC Smooth and Grindal left their marks.


The final match was between Tiberias and the favorite, a 425 pounder called MadDog. They fought in a steel cage.


Tiberias’s flying antics were not match for MadDog’s size.


MadDog took on two more rogue opponents after defeating Tiberias and still reigned victorious.


And the crowd went wild.


Click to see a slideshow of the event.

things were different then

My friend J asked me try and restore a picture of him and his older brother from 1977. It’s the only picture his mom has left from his childhood. I spent the entire morning trying to reconstruct this memory. Here’s the before and after.

afternoons on stagg street

Last week someone left me a good comment about my pictures of “self-absored, shallow hipsters.” And followed it up with:

“But the fuck you care, right Coltrane? Because you pricks are young, rich, and good-looking (for the most part). So you can all go to hell.”

I appreciated the feedback and took some time to think about who I spend my time with, the fuck I don’t care, and that I should download some more John Coltrane. That’s when I realized that I hang out with a group of folks that live in the projects of East Williamsburg more than any individual “hipster” friend of mine. I’ve been working on a story about an ex-con named J. And while I’m not prepared to share that story here right now, I will post some outtakes that I’ve gathered while hanging out with J and his friends.


We spend most of our time on Stagg Street in front of the bodega. Some men talk business as an unwanted police van drives by.


Hustle the dog used to hang out on the corner with us until J gave him to his cousin because to keep in his backyard.


Mikey just got locked up for a year for copping crack for some old-timer. He’s spent 22 years of his life in prison so one more ain’t shit. He’s crazy but the gun isn’t real.


Mikey found some firecrackers.


I think Harriel got locked up too. I haven’t seen him in a month. People seem to come and go in this neighborhood a lot. He’s the goofball. Dancing to Biz Markie on the car stereo.


J’s been like a bad older brother to me. I’ve learned a lot from him over the last few months. Streetwise.


Waving at the adult short bus.


J loves this little guy but says he’s slow in the head.


They make money running a car wash with the hydrant on warm days.


Mikey boxes the tree using a sparring glove he found on the street.


This is for walking around at night. His wife carries the other side.


The socks at their local bodega are good for hunting.


J’s wife prays to this.


Santi enjoys a frosty malt beverage in the mid-morning sun.


Beer trumpet.


This is my crew. Good guys who’ve made some bad decisions.


For whatever reason, Santi has no teeth.


Good thing too because J would smack the teeth outta Santi’s head if he had any left.

Some friends and strange men. Singles time.


Spend some time with this one.

1999

Didn’t have high hopes for New Years this time, but it turned out pretty damn fun.


This year, next year and forever. Craig Murphey.

unholy communion

Demassek and Hightower played Cakeshop in LES just before New Years. It was like a Robstock reunion.

2007 in photographs

It’s a strange way to reflect on a period of time, but I’ve assembled a slideshow of my favorite photos of 2007. Unlike the one I made for 2006, this was much less about the events and more about the pictures. I don’t know if that means life is getting duller or pictures are getting better. Either way, I’m ready for 2008 ’cause a change gonna come.