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Stache: Epoch Fail

In case you haven’t noticed, Stache has vacated yet another building on Elmwood (830). Here’s the official word from Sweet and Dirty’s Myspace blog:

• Well its official, Stache is Goin,Goin Back,Back…Home thats right Erin and I have made the decision to merge Stache back with Sweet and Dirty. For some reason it happened again, I was made an offer i could not refuse. So HUGE! It’s an amazing feeling to go back to job security and a PAYCHECK! I’ve loved every min of having a store and thank you to everyone that supported me! I’m having a big sale on pretty much everything in the store thats not bolted down and then if you want to rip it down go for it. So holla at ur boy for more info, I’ll be here. thank you from the bottom of my heart!
  Joe

In other words: FAIL.

Why would anyone take up the “offer of a lifetime” to move from your own independent branded store, on the 800 block of Elmwood no less, to your (ex?) girlfriend’s chick store in the back corner of her shop? In, my opinion, Stache is over as a standalone store because Joe didn’t have the skills or the care to run his own shop. His hours were off and on, and many time the “open” sign would be lit, but the door locked and no one to be found. In fact, I was never able to make it into his store (on 830) to shop because it was always  “closed.”

The sad thing was that his store was actually pretty sweet. From the few local handmade lines that he carried to the American Apparel basics, I think he could have made it work if he was a bit more dedicated to being IN the store and OPEN. You can’t sell shit with your lights off.

Sweet and Dirty was the start, off Potomac next to Sunday Skate and BMX; Erin (along with her mentors, I’m sure) made it a success. Now, she paid it forward and gave her man his own start, only to have him close two stores and slink back to a corner in the back.

I hope Erin has learned a lesson from this: If your lover is bored and wants a piece of your success, give him a job, not his own store.

Tabree Restaurant: Plans

First off, I’ll really miss Astoria (423 Elmwood). We never had enough time to prepare; with a shady hasty announcement (two days prior) to staff and patrons that their last day was New Years Eve, I managed to get in for the final supper and spend that last moment with the best cajun-grilled porkchops I’ve ever had. days later the paper was up and word that a French Bistro called Tabree was going to replace it.

However, a “swift transition” it has not been. Its been almost month, and I’ve seen the lights on plenty of times, moving shadows cast against the privacy paper, but never enough to get a good glimpse of progress.

Till now. An accidental (maybe?) gash in the paper granted me a peek and a few photos, including one of the renovation plans..

• It seems they managed to rip up all the old booths and cleared out the partition to the kitchen. On the far right side a bar will go, and the front facing kitchen door will be relocated to the adjacent side. From what it looks like, there will be 27 indoor dining seats, bar included, with the front window areas converted to booths. Patrons of Astoria will notice that the center dividing booth will be rebuilt, extended, and split up into two tables of four and one two seater by the wall

[would you like a larger peak? click above to embiggen]

Aside from the bar in the main dining area, and the new booths, there doesn’t look to be too much more change from the original set up. I have no idea what a French bistro will offer, but they have a bar so I’m all for it. I just hope they can hurry it up.

Though I’m excited for a new place to eat on Elmwood, I know Tabree won’t be anything like Astoria. It was Lolo and Dimmer, Chris and Goldpenny that made Astoria memorable, not to mention the incredible food. So many good times were had. I even met Angel for the first time in the back kitchen; I have Astoria to thank for helping me cultivate some of my best friends on the block. Oh well, here’s to new memories and some good food, eh?

• Update: I heard in a roundabout way that the owners plan to open in April, which is a lot longer time than even I expected. However, I also heard of some very interesting plans to create a giant waterfall in the patio area.

SaiOne: My Narcissistic Daily Dose

 
[Brooklyn Industries, left. and Jib Hunt, lower right] 

Angel is my left nut. Kinda sweet and endearing of me eh?  We hang out every day, either at my office or his store, Sai One. Since he moved shop to the 800 block on Elmwood, it’s never been so much fun. The amount of hot guys (bears too!) walking in and out have tripled, and with more merch moving, there’s more stuff getting shipped in from NYC. That being said, I get the loverly privelage of trying on all the smedium fitting items. yea, it’s smedium. Higher end lines have been whittling down the standard sizes a lot more lately: small is extra small, medium is a smedium or regular small, and large is a medium allovasudden.  When I try everything on, Angel tells me I’m growing a belly (LIES!!!) and that I’m getting huge, because the mediums are fitting nicely now. He’s just yealous of mah sexiness. All things aside, the stuff at Sai One you won’t find anywhere but NYC, and only if you know how to get places. And you can also rest assured that Angel and his biz partner try to only stock one of each, no copy cats around herr.

You can click below for a flickr set with a lot more photos of yours truly looking dapper and smug in some new arrivals… I’ll warn you that if you like something you saw on me, you should come get it before I get paid. Game on Bitches.

• P.S. - Angel has a website coming soon for the store, so we took a whole lot of merchandise pictures, like the pillows, and purses, shoes, and candles. He stocks a lot more than skinny boy clothes, but I can’t wear a cocktail dress or a candlestick now can I?

• Saione @ 818 Elmwood ave, Blog
• I wanna be a supermodel [flickrset]

Weekend Update: Lampinelli, BDSM, and Family

[Click above to visit the flickr set]

I was Lisa Lampinelli’s personal whore

Actually, it was our bouncer James, making out with her, but I was her homo hospitality liason for the evening. See, Lisa Lampinelli perfomed at Shea’s Theatre Friday night, and like a good fag hag, she brought her ass (and pals) to Marcella’s for her after-party. True to her schtick, she latched on to James, our beloved black bouncer who by then end of the night was shirtless showing his “runaway slave” tattoo to her and getting a little Lampinelli action. I hear he didn’t get the “bomb-ass-pussy” but that she would make it back to buffalo and “BOOM!” I think I like Lampinelli more than Kathy Griffin, at least Lisa came to Marcella’s and she’s actually cool people.

Blackout and BDSM

Now, there was a little issue that made my running arounds interesting. We had a black-out party that night. The first this year, a black out party is when we turn the lights out at midnight and folk dance to glowsticks and black lights. Essentially, everyone does their drugs, and a few people get fucked on the dancefloor, but you can’t see shit. Since, I’m the light guy, I’m pretty much jobless at Black-out parties. I end up making my coins by dancing or running around for our manager, Richard. When I used to dance and whore around, I would dress up in my leather gear or something fierce and parade around dripping in glowlights. Nowadays, I’m getting older and grumpier and I can’t stand to dance for tips and trolls as much, but I always try to do a little something for the black out parties. This time, I decided to borrow a custom made gas mask that belongs to a “boy” of mine. I think I scared a few people with it. If you are wondering why someone would own an Anubis style gas mask, let custom order it, lets just say my “boy” enjoys certain BSDM elements where this would come in handy. Think oxygen and sensory deprivation. I live a full life, eh?

I also realized that night that I’ve crossed over in my alchohol tolerance for Jack Daniels. I was power drinking that night, and Joseph loves to pour strong drinks for me. Yet, I couldn’t even taste the alcohol and I was pretty nimble running around for Lampinelli. However, look below and you can tell I was pretty lit…

Dinner with the Folk.

I paid for it in the morning however. Wasn’t a hangover like I expected. No, Nater woke up still drunk at noon with my pops and my (for all intents and purposes) stepmom to take me out to lunch. We headed over to Pearl Street Grill to eat and then I got to show my Bradford living folks a bit of the Elmwood Strip.

Ooh, I almost forgot, I picked up a new vinyl too. Urban Treeson. After Pearl, we went to Hero so I could introduce my folks to the people who have been taking my money that last few weeks, but they had their intern at the store…. Bah! Regardless, I caved to the Treeson craze and picked up the black and crying model.

I skipped out on Saturday at the club, since Mike and I broke up, I’ve been wary of going out and dealing with fallout. I thought for a moment that since we ended things amicably that everything was ok, turns out he back to his bitter self again, this time talking about his “whore of an ex husband running off and fucking the Canadians,” and how “he should break up every week, he feels so good.” I’m trying to not let shit like that affect me, it just sucks to see another ex go the shady route. least I didn’t have to break his ribs… yet.

• Lisa Lampinelli
  
• Wid Gas Masks
• Treeson

Pier 1 demolished, Bank of America coming soon.

[click the pic to embiggen via flickr]

They ripped down the vacant Pier 1 on Wednesday, and in its spot will soon be a shiny new Bank of America, relocated from the Utica street. A slight bit of irony is that last August, Warren Buffet bought some Bank of America and sold his Pier 1 ownings.

Anyways, The Elmwood village dug their claws into this one –per usual– and the new plans are for a faux two story building with 4 bike spots, a greenspace and OMGPARKING! Miraculously, everything was approved and we should start to see some new construction start soon.

On a latter Elmwood note:

• Astoria is closed for good. -New Years eve was the last night. This is partly do to Elmwood (the EVA and the people) ignoring the Bryant section, and adds to the sad trend of closing stores and turnovers on that block. Solid Ground closed because the owner was a bitch and the food sucked, and Angel moved his store (Sai One) to the 800 block, as did Atelier. Astoria had some of the best food on the strip and no one appreciated that enough. Mythos is the closest equivalent, but its still not the same.

I Found My Christmas Tree

I stopped into Positively Main St, on Elmwood (makes no sense, I know) and picked up this year’s christmas tree. It’s a little small, but I needed something to top last year’s snowbot purchase.

Whadaya think? the homos on Elmwood have deemed this a red Christmas (Studio 806, Stuyvesant Gallery, Just Pizza, Room… all red and white lights) so the lights are in style and they chase up and down.

You know you are an Urban Hipster when:

• You think Buffalo has an awesome music scene and cite the Goo Goo Dolls being mildly famous in the late 90’s as evidence of it.
• Fidel Castro hats seem like a good idea.
• You think the glare people give you when you’re constantly pulling out your iPhone is one of jealousy.
• You think of being a regular at the old Pink as a life goal.
• You fail to see the shocking similarities between the quality of the products being sold at the Elmwood Art Festival and Walden Avenue Super Flea.
• You’re completely oppose to chain restaurants and refuse to eat at them on principle. Thankfully, Starbucks is just a coffee shop and it doesn’t count.
• You pretend you don’t eat at Pano’s.
• You pretend you do shop at the Lexington Co-Op.
• Two words. Emo glasses.
• You read Artvoice for something other than News of the Weird.
• You think a fishing store will destroy the city but have no problem shipping the Bills to Canada.
• You think JP Losman should be the Bills starting quarterback. Not because you think he’s better suited for the job (you don’t actually watch football), but because you like his haircut and he lives in your neighborhood.
• You remind everyone how great it is you drive a Hybrid just in case one of them wants to give you that medal you feel you’ve earned for it.
• You won’t shut up about how great the city is but you don’t have the balls to send your kid to the public schools
• You refuse to drink anything but wine and microbrews at a bar and turn your nose up and anyone who doesn’t but you’ll still drink Pabst Blue Ribbon to be ironic.

There are few more, so check out the post on WNYMedia. John you are the best at what you do.

• Via - WNYMedia 

The Sai One Custom Hoodie

Rock. Star.

Angel made me this Hoodie over the weekend. By hand, fit for me. I feel like a big ol’ homo wearing custom made threads. Ok, a warm big ol’ homo cause this sucker is toasty!

This was a prototype and I think Angel has plans to make a few more in different variations. If you want one, stop by his store on 818 Elmwood and let him know, or email him. Just remember, its Sai One; meaning this is the only piece in this style he’ll make.

Check out the flickrset with larger shots of the hoodie

Snap! - Firebrand is zen

Taken 18 Nov ‘07, 11.37pm EST PST.

Whats up to Jessica from FireBrand, the hottest new shoe store on Elmwood! Check her out on 715 Elmwood. Thanks for the snap! Rockstar!

Podawhaffacast #2

Offishally called the Podawhaffacast, I’m back and mumbley as ever, but now I have a co-host cohort, Angel. There were a lot of technical difficulties with this one, mainly audio tracking and the camera popped a bit out of frame, and its a huge file because I couldn’t edit it with the camera we used… regardless, Its a pretty tight show.

I think we covered too much information, the next episodes will be about 5-10 minutes long. Below you can check out the links and information we mentioned from the show. Thanks for watching! and give us some feedback as what to put in the next one… coming in the next couple weeks.

From the Show

• Nicole Giordano: Trunk Sale @ Sai One, on Dec 1st. All Day.
  www.nicolegiordano.com
• Sai One: Clothing and Accessories straight from NYC. 818 Elmwood.
  www.saione.blogspot.com
• Buffawhat’s Map: pinpoint locations and info on my favorite places on elmwood to shop
  Shop Local {Google Maps Mashup}
• Hero Design: 13th Month Anniversary @Hero on Nov 30th. 93 Allen. 7-10.
  www.heroandsound.com
• FireBrand: Boots Shoes Bags! 715 Elmwood.
  www.firebrandfootwear.com
• “Indian Blood:” December 4-30th @ Studio Arena. 710 Main St.
  www.studioarena.org
• Diary of a Freak Dancer Resurrection: dj Xotec’ newest mixset. download from my site or his.
  www.djxotec.com
• The Autobots: November 3oth, at Club Marcella. 12-4am. 622 Main St.
  www.theautobots.com