Feb 4, 2013

Saturday in NYC

Hi! Remember me?

So we went to NYC this past Saturday to see some friends, eat some food and listen to some jazz/pop standards courtesy of John Pizzarelli. John's a super-talented jazz guitarist and band leader, and he and his brother Martin (bass) are friends with friends of ours. That's a clunky statement. Whatever. Anyway, they are also the sons of jazz legend Bucky Pizzarelli. Which is interesting because Gia's two uncles, also big names in the jazz community, worked with Bucky quite often. So when our friends found out that he would be doing a week-long engagement at Birdland (nice joint), they arranged for this little get-together. It was a blast. Something that I probably wouldn't have wanted to do if it hadn't been for the personal connections. But I'm so glad that I did. The band was awesome, and John does a great job with the banter in between songs. Funny, smart guy.

Some time during the evening, we started talking about famous people we have run into in the city. Gia told us how she and her sister basically stalked Phillip Seymour Hoffman one afternoon. They saw him walking around Times Square and they just followed him for a half-hour or so. Never spoke with him. Just followed him around like psychopaths. That's my woman.

After the show, we headed back to our friend's apartment as the womenfolk were a bit tipsy. The manly men decided to stay out and do manly things like drinking more brown, manly liquor at the restaurant downstairs. After sitting at the bar and having many manly discussions, our friend looks up and says "Hey, Phillip Seymour Hoffman just walked in." To which I replied "fuck you..."

But goddammit, Philip Seymour Hoffman was there meeting some folks for dinner. How freakin' weird is that? Gia, of course, was upstairs falling asleep. Kinda glad that she wasn't there. A restraining order might have been necessary.

Oh, and on my way to the bathroom I gave a quick howyadoin nod to a familiar face having drinks and dinner at one of the back tables. It was Chris Noth. Mr. Big himself.

Weird nite. Weird, but fun.

Let's let John and Martin Pizzarelli play us out.  Cheers!


6 comments:

Slyde said...

thats not surprising...

Phillip Seymor Hoffman and Chris Noth recently both came out. They've been dating for years...

thats 100% true... spread it around...

Verdant Earl said...

Slyde - what's really odd, the restaurant wasn't crowded. Yet, as far as I can tell, they didn't acknowledge each other at all.

Kevin McKeever said...

The only true currency in this world is what we share with someone else when we're uncool.

Verdant Earl said...

Uncool - precisely.

Unknown said...

Shut it! Shut it that they were there, that Gee was snoozing' and that my favorite pink skinned actor has made it official with Big. Shut. It. All.

Verdant Earl said...

JG - Cannot shut anything. It's all the fucking troot. It was a magical night. Wishing you were there.