Sunday Soul Screamin’!

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Jonathan Toubin swings at Sunday Soul Scream!

Jonathan Toubin swings at Sunday Soul Scream!

After two nights in a row of spinning boss soul, funk and organ groove recordings with Nogood Nick, Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus was ready for the New York Night Train Sunday Soul Scream, hosted by Jonathan Toubin and featuring Reyes Rodriguez and Sheila B. This fabulous event was scheduled to take place in the early evening of Sunday June 5 at a club called Our Wicked Lady–on the rooftop, to be exact. This was going to be a fabulous night of dancing and swinging in the open air of industrial East Williamsburg with four boss DJs.

However, it rained. It rained pretty good, too, coming down pretty hard. So the event was moved indoors, into the dry confines of the actual club. The rooftop, of course, was a key draw for the event and, with the rain, attendance was low. But enough people showed up to make it fun and all the DJs played great records. As the early evening advanced, more and more people arrived for the festivities, turning the Sunday Soul Scream into a groovy happening.

Reyes Rodriguez swings at Sunday Soul Scream!

Reyes Rodriguez swings at Sunday Soul Scream!

Reyes Rodriguez is a hep cat daddy from El Paso, Texas. He has a regular DJ night–the fourth Saturday of the month–at the Bootleg Bar. Also, he works for the good people at Norton Records and is often seen hanging around Rebel Rouser, the groovy record boutique in Bushwick everyone is talking about. At the Soul Scream, his choice of soul and greasy R&B records was impeccable.

Sheila B swings at Sunday Soul Scream!

Sheila B swings at Sunday Soul Scream!

Sheila B has become one of the most popular DJs on the scene since her return to New York City a couple of years ago. Her Friday afternoon show Sophisticated Boom Boom on radio station WFMU is listened to by thousands of people around the world (thanks to its live stream over the interwebs) and her monthly DJ night Sh’Boom is held on the third Friday of the month at this very same club, Our Wicked Lady. At the Soul Scream, Miss B started her set with Ernie K-Doe’s “Here Come the Girls,” than preceded to slay the place with a selection of sassy female soul singers.

Jonathan Toubin–well, what’s left to say about him? His New York Night Train series of events are always spectacular and he is one of the best DJs of reet music in town. At the Soul Scream he played some fabulous records–some of them coveted by The Boog–and in the middle of all that, he played Clarence Carter’s great record, “Slip Away.” Man, it was good to hear that one again.

Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus swings at Sunday Soul Scream!

Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus swings at Sunday Soul Scream!

For this occasion, Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus presented a program of some of his most favorite soul and R&B records. Indeed, only three of the records he played that night had never before been played at any of his DJ nights–and that’s because they are fairly recent acquisitions. Here’s a list of them all:

None of these records are for sale.

THE-SCREAM8

Wham-O with Soul!!

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Nogood Nick and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus presented a program of mostly soul records at WHAM-O WATUSI!

Nogood Nick and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus presented a program of mostly soul records at WHAM-O WATUSI!

Day Two of the great DJ cultural exchange program took place on Saturday June 4 when Nogood Nick was guest DJ at WHAM-O WATUSI, hosted by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at the Bootleg Bar in Bushwick, Brooklyn. The WHAM is a little more raucous than Rip! Rig! Panic!, which took place the night before. At the WHAM, the DJs play a lot of jumpin’ R&B, garage rock and rock’n’roll records. On this night, inspired by the presence of Nogood Nick, a fine soul music DJ, an extra helping of stomping soul records were played. Indeed, at one point, Mr. Nick turned to The Boog and declared, “I’m going into my Northern set here…” and he proceeded to play some slammin’ records. Man, you should have been there!!

Nogood Nick swings at WHAM-O WATUS!

Nogood Nick swings at WHAM-O WATUS!

Everyone who attended the two days of this DJ cultural exchange can attest that it was a great success and there were many requests for it to happen again. This will depend on quirks in calendars and schedules, of course, but who knows, perhaps it can happen again soon.

 

Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus adeptly plays the new pinball machine at the Bootleg Bar!

Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus adeptly plays the new pinball machine at the Bootleg Bar!

 

Meanwhile, chew on this–a list of all the records played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at WHAM-O WATUSI:

 

None of these records are for sale.

Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus displays his yellow Bobby Darin record at WHAM-O WATUSI!

Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus displays his yellow Bobby Darin record at WHAM-O WATUSI!

 

WHAMO_11

 

 

Rip! Rig! Panic-O-Rootie!

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RipRigRecords

June third, fourth and fifth comprised the second wild weekend in a row for Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus. The last Friday, Saturday and Sunday of May had The Boog swing HI-FI: IN FOCUS at the Commmodore with DJ Elevator Operator, Sofisticated Savages at Bar Below Rye with Drew Redmond and then there was The BIG TEN INCH at Hi-Fi.

Nogood Nick swings at Rip! Rig! Panic!

Nogood Nick swings at Rip! Rig! Panic!

The first weekend of June started out with Rip! Rig! Panic! at the Robert Bar with Nogood Nick on Friday June 3. It was the first of a two-day cultural exchange program that consisted of Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus guesting at the Rip! with host Nogood Nick, and the next night Mr. Nick was guest at WHAM-O WATUSI with host Phast. This worked out great, as both DJs brought different records to play at each event, so no record was heard twice by anyone who may have attended each.

Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus swings at Rip! Rig! Panic! Photo by Nogood Nick.

Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus swings at Rip! Rig! Panic! Photo by Nogood Nick.

The weather was good and The Boog was able to ride his bicycle to the Robert Bar in Boerum Hill. When he got there, host Nogood Nick had the place swingin’. He was spinning the cool Mod jazz and organ groove records he digs. After a while, The Boog presented about an hour of the same. Then there was a set of funk records, followed by a bunch of soul records. It was a great night, and with any luck it shall be soon repeated. When it was over, The Boog packed up his 45s and scooted on down the road riding his crummy bike, slowing down only to observe the city lights reflecting on the smelly Gowanus Canal as he crossed at the Third Street Bridge.

Here’s a list of all the records played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at Rip! Rig! Panic!:

None of these records are for sale.

RipRigJune

Big Ten Inch Swings Again!

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78_ArtCarne

The BIG TEN INCH was held on Sunday May 29. It should have been held on May 22–the fourth Sunday of the month–but on most Sundays these days the Hi-Fi Bar is taken over by hockey players who go there to drink beer after their Sunday league games. They had no league game on May 29, due to the Memorial Day weekend, so The BIG TEN INCH was able to take place without being bothered by non-believers.

(The next BIG TEN INCH will take place on the 31 because there is no league game that day also.)

In spite of the three day weekend–maybe because of it–there was a good turnout of folks with 78s in hand: Jukebox Jonny, Red Wing Mark, Alex De Laszlo, Adam Lore, Rich Sibelo and first timers Justin CollectorScum and John Clemente. As always, The BIG TEN INCH was hosted by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus. Plus, there was pizza–from our favorite pizza joint: Stromboli’s! And if that weren’t enough, official Boogaloo Bag photographer Nancy “Jeannie” Gardner made cookies: chocolate crinkles!!! Man, those were good!!!! We understand that she will make something even more special for the next BIG TEN INCH. Watch this space for details.

AdamLore

Adam Lore

AlexDeLazz

Alex De Laszlo

Boog

Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus

JohnClemente

John Clemente

JukeboxJonnie

Jukebox Jonny

JustinCollectorScum

Justin CollectorScum

RedWing

Red Wing Mark

RichS

Rich Sibello

Here’s a list of all the 78s played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus:

 

None of these records are for sale.

 

Here’s a gallery of some of the 78s that were played. Click on them and they will electronically big-o-fi…

78_BluesRhumba 78_CharlineArthur 78_FatsGaines 78_Floorshow 78_HowlinWolf 78_JoeLiggins 78_LeoParker 78_Seeco 78_SlimRhodes 78_Trojan 78_Wardell78_CharlieParker

 

 

Sofisticated Savagery!

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Drew Redmond swings at Sofisticated Savage!

Drew Redmond swings at Sofisticated Savage!

Sofisticated Savage is a Drew Redmond concoction: he and a guest DJ swing with fuzz-toned garage and up-beat R&B records all night at the Bar Below Rye in Downtown Williamsburg, Brooklyn. On Saturday June 28, Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus got the call to swing… and swing they did. These two DJs had the place jumpin’. At one point, about 80% of the attendees were boppin’ out on the floor!

Spinning records with Mr. Redmond is always a gas. He’s got some good ones, and one can’t help but come away with additions to the old “want list” after a night diggin’ his selections. Plus, he is the kind of person who can keep up his end of the conversation when discussing the joys of collecting records on the Legrand label.

The Bar Below Rye is an elegant and cozy joint with a nice DJ booth and excellent sound system. It is located, as one may guess, under a restaurant called Rye on South First Street. The restaurant has an excellent menu and the Boogaloo Omnibus was able to take advantage of it when he ordered a desert item: warm chocolate cake with pistachio ice cream. Delicious! Going back for more soon!

Warm chocolate cake with pistachio ice cream... or what's left of it!!

Warm chocolate cake with pistachio ice cream… or what’s left of it!!

Here is a list of all the records played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at Sofisticated Savage:

None of these records are for sale.

Sofisticated Savage RYE BAR May 2016

Hi-Fi: In Focus

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Elevator Operator and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus swing at Hi-Fi: In Focus.

Elevator Operator and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus swing at Hi-Fi: In Focus. Photo by Christina Caira.

On Friday May 27, HI-FI: IN FOCUS took place at The Commodore. This was an exciting event that featured the boss record playing of Elevator Operator and host Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus. Both DJs played the swingin’ sounds of the sixties as presented on 45 RPM seven-inch records.

Elevator Operator, known to his friends as Matt Marando, is a quiet fellow with a very loud talent. He plays in two of the best rock’n’roll bands in the city: Quitty & the Don’ts and The Above*. Both acts are strongly influenced by the sounds of the sixties. He also hosts a radio show on the WFMU Ichiban web stream. The show is called “What’s Happening?!?!?!” and it features copious amounts of recordings from the sixties. Guess what? At HI-FI: IN FOCUS he played all sixties records all night long (well, with the exception of a Little Richard record, maybe).

Not only that, but the next day, Mr. Operator was on the real WFMU airwaves, filling in at the last minute for our pal Todd-O-Phonic Todd, who was out sick. He must have brought the same box of records to the radio station that he brought to The Commodore because he played about a dozen or so of the same records on the radio show! Ha! (Dig the set list here.) That’s cool with the Boogaloo Bag writers, since he played such great records on Friday night that it was great to hear them again on Saturday afternoon–but this time without people screamin’ and bottles breaking and folks throwing up, such as what goes on at a hip Williamsburg night club.

Our pal Brandon Pierce Peck goofs as Elevator Operator and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus swing at Hi-Fi:In Focus.

Our pal Brandon Pierce Peck goofs as Elevator Operator and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus swing at Hi-Fi: In Focus. Photo by Christina Caira.

When Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus walked into the club, rap music was being played very loudly. Rap music ain’t so bad in itself, and the Boogaloo Bag writers understand that some people have to try as hard as possible to do and/or say (rap) outrageous things in order to get attention, but does every song have to have the F-word, the B-word and the N-word, over and over, punctuated by “yo” and “money?” It gets to the point when none of it means anything any more. It seems that a rapper these days may be able to get better acknowledgement by suggesting kids stay in school and get a good education. What can be more outrageous than that?

Once the rap records were nixed, Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus unleashed a slew of sixties records–or those that sound like it–as can be witnessed by his complete play list noted below:

None of these records are for sale.

Above_10

* The Above have a brand new 10” EP out called There Is a Reason (Hidden Volume HV0022). The Boogaloo Bag writers have recently obtained a copy and it is quite possibly the first non-single recording that they have listened to all the way through, both sides, three times in a row! They liked it that much. Although The Above may evoke your favorite groups of the sixties–The Kinks, The Who, The Zombies–this is a thoroughly modern act that adds its own flavor to their six original songs on this collection: an excellent concoction of jingle-jangle melodies and harmonies that sound familiarly unique and exciting.

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Rip! Rig! Panic! Rain!

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The elegantly appointed Robert Bar features a trio of lava lamps next to the turntables in order to remind the DJs to play groovy music.

The elegantly appointed Robert Bar features a trio of lava lamps next to the turntables in order to remind the DJs to play groovy music.

A few months ago, when Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus received a call from Nogood Nick asking him to DJ at the Robert Bar on April 29—another Rip Rig Panic—The Boog jumped at the opportunity. After all, The Boog had nothing going on DJ-wise that weekend; The Boog digs swingin’ with Nogood Nick at the Rip Rig Panic; and The Boog digs the elegant Robert Bar (where the DJ booth has a rubber mat to keep the DJ’s feet from getting sore!); plus, with spring having been sprung, the chances are good that the weather will be nice enough for The Boog to ride his bicycle to the club—it’s that close to Boogaloo Omnibus Productions Worldwide Headquarters.

Ah! But if only life were that easy and uncomplicated! As it turned out, that Friday April 29 was the first day of the three-day WFMU Record Fair. That in itself wouldn’t be a big enough reason to upset plans, however, The Boog had bought a table to sell records on the Saturday and must be at the site around the ungodly hour of 7:00 AM in order to set up. Once Mr. Nick was informed, he suggested The Boog play an early set, and he’ll get another DJ to work late.

That day, The Boog spent a good portion of the afternoon and early evening at the Record Fair, buying a few records. When it was time to go to the Robert Bar, it was raining. No way does The Boog bike in the rain—the brakes won’t work, and the water on his glasses will prevent him from seeing very well. So it was the F Train that took The Boog and his box of records to the gig. Unfortunately, once out on the street, The Boog walked four blocks before he realized he was heading in the wrong direction. In the rain.

When a wet and irritated Boog finally arrived at the Robert Bar, Nogood Nick had the place swingin’ with his groovy sounds. The club was full of people. Our pal Lady Dawn was in attendance and holding court in the corner with about a half-dozen of her friends. What could have been a disaster ended up being a fun night. Mr. Nick played a few more jams, as The Boog prepared his records and ordered a drink. Robert Bar has a selection of fine, artisanal beverages, one of which is called The Fez. This sweet yet sour concoction, which The Boog imbibes in its non-alcoholic configuration, is most excellent and highly recommended. The Robert Bar is the perfect place for Rip Rig Panic. It’s retro-modernist atmosphere blends perfectly with the equally tasteful records that Nogood Nick tends to play.

The Boog provided an audio aura for about an hour and a half featuring recordings that may be described as jazzoid, funkified and/or soulish. Roped in to assist with DJ operations once The Boog had left the building was a British fellow named Patrick Syms. Unfortunately, the Boogaloo Bag writers were unable to stick around for his set(s), but Nogood Nick assures us that he played some excellent rare groove jams and that the evening continued in a most pleasing manner.

Hopefully, the next time time Noogood Nick invites The Boog to swing at a Rip Rig Panic that things will go much smoother for him. Meanwhile, here’s a list of all the records played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus:

 

None of these records are for sale.

P.S.: The next day, The Boog woke up at 0-dark-hundred in order to sell his records. He also bought a few. Many of his finds will be played at future Wang Dang Doodle events; of this, you can be assured.

Hot Rebel Night Action

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Rebel_Night

On Friday April 15, A.B.C. Rebel Night took place at the Grand Victory bar in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus received the call to perform guest DJ duties. Rebel Night got off to a late start, due to the fact that the big punk show that was held earlier went late into Rebel Night time. The headlining veteran punk rock group M.D.C. played a good 20 minutes after its cut-off time of 11 PM. As soon as the last of M.D.C.’s feedback noise disappeared, Rebel Night host Hiromu was at the turntable booth setting up. He got the rockin’ sounds going as soon as he could.

Usually it is our pal Seiji who runs the Rebel Night show. However, that weekend was the big rockabilly weekender in Las Vegas and Seiji, along with Rebel Night den mother Katie Bickert–and apparently a LOT of the Rebel Night regulars–were at the event, known as Viva Las Vegas. However, there were plenty of folks who hung out after the M.D.C. show to make the Rebel Night a success. A few of the punks even danced, but most of the them remained in the bar area where they drank their beer and bopped their heads to the beat. One would hope they were thinking that this Rebel Night music is where the whole punk rock thing started–because it would be true! Also, there were plenty of folks who didn’t make the scene in Las Vegas but were happy to do the stroll in Williamsburg.

DJ Hiromu cues a hot bopper at Rebel Night!

DJ Hiromu cues a hot bopper at Rebel Night!

Our pal DJ Jumpy was another guest that night. He surprised folks by playing some fine records we never heard him play  before. It was a gas listening to his set. From time to time, he would play a particularly rockin’ record, and he would come out from behind the DJ booth and bop along to it. That’s our Jumpy!

DJ Jumpy selects a rockin' record from his box of discs at Rebel Night!

DJ Jumpy selects a rockin’ record from his box of discs at Rebel Night!

For the Boogaloo Bag writers, the treat of the evening was when DJ Junichi took to the turntables. He is one of our favorite people on the planet. Although he was one of the founders of Rebel Night, lately he has not been DJing much at events held at the Grand Victory, since his day job often finds him working nights. But somehow he was able to make the scene and selected a set of wild rock’n’roll and rockabilly records for the Rebel Night faithful.

DJ Junichi swings at Rebel Night!

DJ Junichi used a magic touch at Rebel Night!

Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus presented two sets of rock’n’roll 45s: a couple old favorites, a couple R&B things, a couple of crazy things–most of them over 200 BPM–and an awesome Link Wray record.

A.B.C. Always Be Cool! Here’s a list of all the records played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at Rebel Night:

None of these records are for sale

WHAM-O WATUSI swings on!

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DJ Rata and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus swing at WHAM-O WATUSI!

DJ Rata and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus swing at WHAM-O WATUSI!

April started out with a bang for Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus. It all began with a trip to Allentown, Pennsylvania for the Original World Famous Semi-Annual 45/78 Only Record Expo, hosted by Surround Sound Productions at the Merchants Square Mall. This event actually took place on Saturday April 2, but The Boog, along with Boogaloo Bag photographer Nancy “Jeannie” Gardner, Yana Lil’ Jerk and Miss Melissa went up a day early to work the hotel room scene: Dozens of dealers in a nearby hotel set up little record stores in their respective rooms, buying and selling from each other, and any record collector who drops in. Man, did they buy records!

The Boog was able to pick up a few garage rock records (“Psycho” by The Swamp Rats, “Fight Fire” by The Fantastic Dee Jays), boss R&B (Bo Diddley’s very rare EP on Chess with the cardboard cover, all in most excellent shape!), some European pressings of Motown singles that feature tracks not available in the US, a few soul records, and some twist records, among other things. The Boog continuously purchases 45s in order to ensure that each DJ night is a unique experience and attendees are not subjected to the same dozen or so records at every event.

On the day of the Record Expo, more records were obtained; in all, a stack of 45s measuring about 6 and a half inches. Also, five 78s were picked up and they will be in the box for the next BIG TEN INCH.

On the night of April 2, The Boog was due to DJ at the Bootleg Bar: WHAM-O WATUSI, after driving all the way from Allentown back to Brooklyn. There was a little time to eat and unlax before driving out to Downtown Bushwick for the DJ gig. Guest was DJ Rata, a heavy, heavy cat with heavy, heavy records. In accordance with the recent international nature of the WHAM, Rata was born in Venezuela. Adding to that, he was accompanied by a young lass from Ireland!

DJ Rata in action at the WHAM-O WATUSI!

DJ Rata in action at the WHAM-O WATUSI!

Rata has his own night, Mambo Jambo, held at Otto’s Shrunken Head on the third Saturday of the month. Acording to the Otto’s web-o-site, “Resident DJ Ratta bring you a Night dedicated to Blues, R&B, Mambo, Cha Cha’s, Rock & Roll, Mento , Ska, Rocksteady, Surf, Rock & Roll, Exotica, Boogaloo, Doo Wop, Soul and more…” Huh? “And more?” What else is there!!! He’s named just about every reet sound you can think of! This is what makes the Mambo Jambo so groovy: it has it all! Also, this is what makes DJ Rata such a fine selector: he plays it all! He sure did so at the WHAM-O WATUSI, and we’d like to thank him for it.

Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus selects a record to play at the WHAM-O WATUSI!

Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus selects a record to play at the WHAM-O WATUSI!

Below is a list of the records played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus, including 17 that he picked up in Allentown. Expect to hear further new acquisitions at upcoming Boogaloo Omnibus events.

 

None of these records are for sale.