Tag Archives: music

Rock ‘n’ Ramen on a Saturday Night!

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DJ Pete Pop and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus hang in front of Quinn’s after another successful DO THE 45!

April’s Do The 45 was a unique one. Host DJ Pete Pop called for a mostly fifties music hustle: rockabilly, R&B, doo wop, blues, twist, etc. He called it The Shake ’n’ Twist Edition. Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus, who has somehow become a regular DJ at these events, was able to dig deep into his boxes and pull out some choice biscuits.

This Do The 45 was scheduled for Friday the 12th. However, due to some technical difficulties in the Quinn’s kitchen, the establishment couldn’t open that night so The 45 had to be moved to the Saturday. DJs Pete Pop and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus had to wait twenty four hours before they could deliver their explosive sounds at Beacon’s favorite rock ’n’ ramen joint. Right as the Quinn’s folks were ready to call it a night, a bunch of folks walked in and Mr. Pop and Mr. Phast ended up going an extra hour, alternating record playing. Go-Go dancers Bella Bombora and Sheba Shake were lined up to exhibit their fabulous dance moves, but Miss Sheba was already booked that night for a gig in Newburgh and couldn’t swing—so Miss Bella danced alone.

The electric Bella Bombora swings at the DO THE 45!

Although some folks still came out for the gig, many of the regulars couldn’t make the scene. The many folks who came for Quinn’s famous ramen noodles stayed extra long to dig the boss sounds. Miss Nancy made her signature vegan brownies and a new dish—chocolate chip cookies! Those things disappeared pretty quickly.

Speaking of sweet things, while at Quinn’s, The Boog sampled a desert item: Choco Monaka. It’s a sort of vanilla ice cream sandwich in a waffle crust with a thin layer of chocolate. Yummy!

Here’s a list of all the records played at the April Do The 45 by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus:

None of these records are for sale.

Astro Girl swings at Funky Kingston!

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Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus and Leah Beth (Astro Girl) swing at The Funky Kingston

The Funky Kingston takes place on the fifth Saturday of the month. In the year 2024 there are four. The first one fell on March 30. For a guest DJ, host Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus rounded up an old friend from the DJ Wars in New York City—Leah Beth. She used to be a regular guest DJ at the Subway Soul Club, Smashed! Blocked! and other fine DJ nights. Plus she was in such cool bands as The Dancettes, The Nouvellas, PMS and the Mood Swings and Habibi. Also, she has worked as a back-up singer for various Daptone acts. She’s very hip and has been involved with some fabulous stuff so we like to call her “Astro Girl.” Not only that, but she’s got great records and she brought a box of them to the Salt Box and played them for The Funky Kingston faithful. Leah Beth has a place up in the Hudson Valley somewhere, so we hope to see more of her.

Leah Beth swings at the Funky K!

For this occasion, Miss Nancy baked some vegan brownies and pecan tassies. By the end of the night, all of them were gone. We were also happy to see many of our local Hudson Valley friends drop in to hang out for a spell—and eat Miss Nancy’s vittles!

Some Hudson Valley pals swing at The Funky Kingston!
More Hudson Valley friends!!
Miss Nancy digs the Bat Signal as her vittles await to be devoured at The Funky Kingston!

Without a doubt, The Funky Kingston is the bossest event happening in Ulster Country. Folks come from all over to dig the hot rhythms laid down by The Boog and his guest DJs. The next fifth Saturday is June 29. If you live in the area, mark it on your calendar on your iPhone, iPad, iBook or whatever iCrap you have so you don’t miss out. If you live far away, come up to Kingston and make a weekend of it. Kingston has some excellent restaurants, art galleries, antique stores and record stores. June would be a great time to do so.

Here’s a list of all the records played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at The Funky Kingston:

None of these records are for sale.

190 Jump!

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On Friday March 15, DJ Pete Pop was enlisted to provide music for a Friday night at the 190 Bar in Newburgh, NY. Pete Pop then enlisted Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus to aid and abet his activities (although his name was left off the poster!).

Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus and Pete Pop swing at 190 Club.

The 190 Club, for some reason, is located at 190 Broadway in downtown Newburgh. It was the site of the super successful New Year’s Eve party that also had audio stimulation by Pete Pop and The Boog. However, for this particular Friday night happening, Pete Pop decided against a recreation of his Do The 45 in order to present a special evening for the elite crowd that comes to drink at 190; he called for cumbia, boogaloo, soul and funk. Knowing Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus, we knew he would throw in some mambo records as well.

Miss Nancy and Phast Phreddie at 190
DJ Pete Pop at 190

The music was originally meant to provide a soundtrack for the nice folks who get together at the club to socialize and swig frosty beverages, but a of couple hours into the night, these nice folks were dancing in the aisles, movin’ and groovin’. It wasn’t New Year’s Eve, but it was a gas.

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

None of these records are for sale.

Crankin’ It At Quinn’s!!

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This year, Pete Pop’s spectacular rock’n’soul dance party takes place on the second Friday of the month at Quinn’s, the rock ’n’ ramen establishment on Main Street in Beacon, NY. On March 8, his guest DJs were Peter Aaron and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus.

Pete Pop
Peter Aaron
Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus

Peter Aaron has been mentioned in the Boogaloo Bag before. Suffice it to say, after having been in a cool rock band (The Chrome Cranks) in the nineties, writing some books and hosting a radio show for several years, he’s got fantastic sense of what makes a party rock. Pete Pop asked him to bring some of his boss seventies and early eighties glam, punk and new wave records to spice up the night. Mission accomplished.

Pete Pop has incredible records and played them all night long. Folks were dancing; folks were falling down and drinks were spilled—a super successful party!

Go Go dancers Bella Bombora and Sheba Shake swing at Do The 45!

Also, this year, Do The 45 features two fabulous Go-Go dancers: Sheba Shake and Bella Bombora. Miss Sheba has been getting some dancing gigs down in The City and at local surf music concerts. Bella Bombora, when she’s not on stage, is the official photographer of the Boogaloo Bag as well as baker of treats for DJ gigs when Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus is involved.

Speaking of the Phast One, here’s a list of all the records he played at the March 8 Do The 45:

None of these records are for sale.

This event did not happen!

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On Saturday February 10, DJ Pete Pop and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus were invited to DJ at a Secret House Party held at an undisclosed location in Newburgh, NY. Bella Bombora and Sheba Shake were invited to Go-Go dance. For all intents and purposes, this event did not happen. Even if it did, the Boogaloo Bag writers would not be at liberty to discuss it.

Suffice it to say, the venue was indeed in the basement of someone’s house somewhere in Newburgh, in an unassuming building that was easy to miss. Everyone in attendance was asked not to take photos or discuss the details with anyone outside of those who were there. However, the Boogaloo Bag writers have been assured that posting such information as what a gas it was would be fine. The party room was full of folks and the two DJs had them dancing the entire time, encouraged by the two Go-Go dancers. As usual, DJ Pete Pop played some fantastic records and The Boog tried to keep up! In order to secure the privacy of the event hosts, no other information may be disclosed at this time.

The following is a list of records played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at this event. Shhhh… don’t tell anybody!!

None of these records are for sale.

Double the Go-Go at Do The 45!

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The first Do The 45! of the new year took place on January 12 at Quinn’s—the rock ’n’ ramen joint in Beacon, NY. This was an especially exciting Do The 45! because host DJ Pete Pop added another Go-Go dancer: Bella Bombora. She and Sheba Shake were up on the dance floor doin’ the watusi nearly all night. Man, those girls can move!

Another thing that made this Do The 45! special was the addition of DJ Benny Trokan. Mr. Trokan has played in such bands as Spoon, Reigning Sound and The Jay-Vons. Plus, he’s toured the world as a member of Lee Fields’ band. He’s got some pretty darn good records and at the Do The 45!, he showed everybody that he knows how to play them. Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus was invited along for the ride; he started each of three sets with “The Batman Theme.”

DJ Pete Pop played his usual assortment of garage, R&B and Latin stuff that always keeps the party going. Miss Nancy baked some banana cupcakes with peanut butter icing and these almond-flavored, star-shaped things that were excellent.

Above: Benny – Phast – Benny – Pete Pop

Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus played these records at the Do The 45!:

None of these songs are for sale.

Stooges and Shumba for the New Year!!

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The expectations for a New Year’s Eve party are always very high. People expect the event to be so totally fabulous that you’ll be talking about it for the rest of the year. On the New Year’s Eve that went from 2023 to 2024, our friend Sterling Knight put together one swingin’ affair. The Boogaloo Bag writers met her when she was the guiding light of Mama Roux, the fabulous eatery in Newburgh, NY—now defunct. She has recently taken her Mama Roux brand and become a professional event planner in the greater Newburgh area. 190 Bar, a new joint in Newburgh, came to her and asked her to produce a New Year’s Eve happening, the first for the fledgling club. Ms. Knight knows how to swing. She enlisted a tarot card reader; a tattoo artist; Go-Go dancers Sheba Shake and Bella Bombora and the Hudson Valley’s bossest DJs, Pete Pop and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus.

“Magnificent revelry” was promised… and delivered!!

190 Bar, as noted above, is a brand new establishment and it is located at 190 Broadway. It is beautifully appointed with artful paintings on the exposed brick walls and sparkling lights hanging from the ceiling.

DJ Pete Pop
Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus

The hero of the evening was DJ Pete Pop. Earlier that day, he DJ’d at the Jet Set for the monthly drag brunch. Then, by 6:00 PM, he was setting up his equipment at 190 Bar and soon after started playing records as folks were already showing up.

Sheba Shake!
Bella Bombora!

Phast Phreddie and Miss Nancy dropped by around 9:00 PM or so—still dragging a bit themselves; recovering from the Funky Kingston the night before. But Pete Pop’s records were so boss that rejuvenation was instant. Sheba Shake showed up and Miss Nancy got into Bella Bombora mode and the two Go-Go danced on the groovy platforms that were built just for the occasion. Soon the club was filled to the brim, with folks dancin’ and jumpin’ around and drinkin’ and making merry in all sorts of ways.

Miss Nancy’s yummy treats!

How fun was this New Year’s Eve? Pete Pop called it the best New Year’s Eve he’s ever experienced. The Go-Go dancing of Sheba Shake and Bella Bombora inspired everybody to watusi and frug! Folks were boppin’ to every record played—even “Egyptian Shumba!” At one point, a fellow showed his phone to Phast Phreddie and it said, “Stooges?” So a record by The Stooges was played! Best song request ever!!! The Boogaloo Bag writers were so enjoying the evening that few good photos were taken! Hostess Sterling Knight sure knows how to throw a wing ding! The merriment didn’t stop until the wee hours!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Sometime after four in the morning, the exhausted 190 Bar staff pleaded with the DJs to cut the jams. They had such a good night that some of them even helped Pete Pop carry his equipment out to his car!

Here’s a list of all the songs played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at the 190 Bar New Year’s Eve Party:

None of these records are for sale!

Funky Kingston Swings Again!

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The Bat Signal at the Salt Box signifies that Funky Kingston is happening!! Stuart Millman of The Greyhounds and Miss Nancy dig it!

In 2023, the last fifth Saturday of the month fell on December 30—the day before New Year’s Eve! It was the perfect time for folks to celebrate the New Year without dealing with amateur drinkers. Some folks took advantage of that by attending Funky Kingston at the Salt Box in Kingston, NY.

Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus and Scott Boyko swing at Funky Kingston!

Funky Kingston is the groovy new DJ night hosted by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus. It features all sorts of funky music (see list below) as well as special guest DJs. For this occasion, we were able to fly in Scott Boyko from south central Pennsylvania and he dropped some heavy, heavy funk and really righteous reggae jams. Mr. Boyko is a serious record collector and has been sharing his sounds at DJ events for more than 20 years. He once was a host of the Garden State Soul Club. Now he guests all over the place: Keystone State Soul Weekender (Lancaster, PA), Soul Finger (New York City), etc.

Scott Boyko in action!
Scott Boyko keeps the action going!

This particular Funky Kingston event went swingin’ly—with all sorts of friends showing up. Some friends even insisted on making this a sort of a late birthday party for Mr. Phreddie as he turned 70 two days before! 70! Wow! That means Phast Phreddie has been DJing for folks for about fifty years—since the early seventies when he worked at keg ’n’ Quaalude parties in San Pedro and Carson, California. Those were the days: trying to play records with one Garrard turntable hooked up to somebody’s guitar amplifier!!

Birthday cupcakes at Funky Kingston!

Anyway, the Funky Kingston had folks funkin’ all over the place. The historic stone building that houses The Salt Box could barely contain the fantastic rhythms that Mr. Boyko and The Phast One were letting loose! Miss Nancy baked some pumpkin/chocolate birthday cupcakes that were devoured pretty quickly.

These Funky Kingston happenings take place on the fifth Saturday of the month, when there is one. The next one will be March 30. Start planning now to make the scene for this fabulous party.

Here’s a list of records played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at the Funky Kingston:

None of these records are for sale.

Sunday Soul Screeeeeeeeeem!!!!

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OurWickedLady

Our pal Jonathan Toubin, truly a premier DJ of reet music if ever there was one, hosts the groovy Sunday Soul Scream on the rooftop of Our Wicked Lady through the summer months. He is a very busy man. On Sunday July 1, he was scheduled to be in Los Angeles for a series of events and could not make the Scream. To host the night, he roped in Haley Griffin and Bailey Leiter to make sure the evening ran smoothly. One of Brooklyn’s bossest bands The Othermen agreed to appear. Our new  friend The Wig Doctor was signed on to spin records before the band played. Post band DJs picked for this occasion were Avi Spivak of Rebel Rouser and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus. The night was warm and humid–indeed, everyone was sweatying–and Our Wicked Lady responded with an assortment of frozen cocktails. The moon was out and a lot of our friends showed up to swing with us.

The secret of the evening is the room on the ground floor which is air conditioned. The music from the rooftop is piped in, so no one missed a single needle-drop. Phast Phreddie‘s favorite thing: they have an excellent ginger beer on tap!

On the Googles, Our Wicked Lady is noted as a “hip music venue, arts complex & roof bar.” And so it is. Although the bar itself is of average size, the rooftop area is fairly sizable, allowing for a stage on one end and a bar, with DJ setup, on the other. It is situated in a very industrial area of East Williamsburg where few people live. Thus it can have loud music playing well into the night with nobody complaining. At about five minutes from the Morgan Avenue L Train stop, it is in a very convenient location.

BaileyHaley

Bailey & Haley swing at the Sunday Soul Scream

As Mr. Toubin so aptly put it, Haley and Bailey are “two snazzy babes.” After being on the scene and witnessing things going down for several years, they started their own event Je T’Aime Oh No, which takes place every Monday at Berlin. These gals know how to party, that’s for sure.

BH_Othermen

Bailey & Haley introduce The Othermen at the Sunday Soul Scream.

The Othermen is a grunge rock band in the pure sense of the word (having absolutely nothing to do with the so-called grunge rock movement of the early Nineties). At dictionary.com, “grunge” is defined as “dirt, filth, rubbish.” That’s exactly what this group sounds like, in the most fabulous way imaginable. With every instrument played at levels that achieve stunning audio distortion, this group makes a righteous, rockin’ noise unlike any other–with the optimal word being “noise” and the noise is boss! Highly recommended.

Othermen

The Othermen in action!

The Boogaloo Bag writers first met The Wig Doctor when they DJed together at one of DJ Rata’s Shake It Up Sundays last summer. He played some heavy, heavy mambos and cumbia records that we all dug. He is often seen working on Thursdays at Friends and Lovers in Prospect Heights and spins at Our Wicked Lady fairly regularly. He also pals around with Drew Redmond and they often DJ together, such as their Gettin’ Ugly night at the Beauty Bar. On this night, The Wig Doctor mixed it up with an eclectic set of rock, soul, funk, mambo and several other exotic styles. It was a gas.

WigDoctor

The Wig Doctor swings at the Sunday Soul Scream.

Besides being an incredible artist, Avi Spivak is a cat with a bunch of boss trash. He swings at the Rebel Rouser, a cool record and groovy stuff store. LPs, 45s, books, horror magazines, underground comix, and weird cult movies are all there for the buying. Located on Broadway, near the edge of Bushwick, it may seem small, but everything the place sells is gear. Rebel Rouser has hosted Rebel Rouser Club House nights at Ceremony with Josh Styles, William Martin, usually a rockin’ band and always Avi Spivak. A solid good time.

Avi

Avi Spivak swings at the Sunday Soul Scream.

The rooftop space was place was full of folks to dig The Othermen, and most of them stayed to dance to the solid sounds laid down by the two late-night DJs. Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus did not fool around by playing any lukewarm jive. Every record he played had super Go-Go Beat excitation. He must have gotten hungry around three quarters through the night as he played five food records in a row. Six if you count the Phil Flowers record (“…having to scrounge your next meal”)!

Boog

Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus swings at the Sunday Soul Scream.

Here’s a list of all the records played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at the Sunday Soul Scream:

None of these records are for sale. Some of them have links to the youtubes for you to dig.

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All for the Love of the 45!

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Iris

Stephen Gritzan is an avid Boogaloo Bag reader. He is also one of the nice people who put on the Record Riot series of record shows—including our favorite, the Brooklyn Record Riot. Also, he runs a groovy little record shop in the heart of Jersey City, New Jersey called Iris Records. The Iris Records staff have recently prepared several thousand 45s to be put on sale, and to celebrate, they decided to hold a party on Valentine’s Day afternoon called For the Love of the 45. They had snacks and soda pop and they invited a bunch of DJs to come spin records during this event, including Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus.

When the Boogaloo Bag writers arrived on the scene, there were all kinds of folks in the store flipping through the 45s bins, including WFMU DJ Joe Belock, the king of the Batman record Pat Longo, and later Miss Kiki and Greg Tormo. Our pal Todd-O-Phonic Todd was whipping the room into a frenzy with the records he played from excellent DJ booth.

Todd-O-Phonic Todd swings at Iris Records as Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus looks on!

Todd-O-Phonic Todd swings at Iris Records as Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus looks on!

The next DJ to spin played a whole hour of silky smooth seventies soul songs that featured soaring falsetto male lead vocals with a group backing: The Stylistics, The Intruders, The Delfonics, Blue Magic. Romantic ballads were very appropriate for the day.

However, Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus, soon took that mood and smashed it to pieces with an hour-long set of weird shit! At one point, he played an audio test record over a break-beat record! His third DJ gig in four days, The Boog must have been losing his mind!

Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus lost his mind at Iris Records!

Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus lost his mind at Iris Records!

Following The Boog was a cat who played mostly soul and funk records from the seventies, but cutting and scratching them into a fine rhythmic and artistic effect. It was cool.

It is very possible that the best customers that day were the DJs! Indeed, The Boog purchased a few records himself—including a hip rocker called “Drive In Movie” by Mickey Gilly for fifty cents—and he wished he could have stuck around to dig the other DJs, but it was Valentine’s Day, and his lovely date, Nancy Jeannie Gardner—an official Boogaloo Bag photographer—was keen on grabbing some Indian food back in Brooklyn.

And hey, if Mr. Gritzan had stuck around, he would have gotten his photo into the Boogaloo Bag!

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

None of these records are for sale. Photos by Nancy Jeannie Gardner.