by Barry Marks

Created on: August 12, 2008

I've been a great supporter of the summer Seaside Concert Series in Brighton Beach/Coney Island. Oh, not in the financial sense. (They're free. That's the point. Oh, I know Marty Markowitz has to pay those guys, but that his problem. That's why we elected him, to deal with things like that. Or that's why you elected him. I didn't vote for him. I save my vote for the biggies, like Senator, or Viscount, or whatever we send up to the state capitol in Buffalo. If I waste my vote on a mere borough president it will devalue the power of my more important votes. My vote makes a statement! Just last week I cast some votes for American Idol, only to find that the competition ended months ago. And then it turned out that Jimmy Hendrix wasn't even in it. So I'm not going to waste time on some guy who only stands about four feet tall.) Anyway, I support the concerts in the sense that I show up and tell people I was there, thus spreading the word.

I've been mistaken about the location of the concerts too. I've always thought the park was called "Asher Levy Park." Nope. I was wrong. When I was there last week I spotted a sign that named the place "Asser Levy Park." Asser? C'mon, that has to be some guy at the Parks Department having a joke on us. But it isn't. I googled the guy (that is NOT dirty, no matter how it sounds. It is a beautiful thing, when a man googles another man. Not that I'm into that sort of thing.) and I found out that he was one of the first Jewish settlers in New Amsterdam, around 1655. So for all those who say that New York is full of Jews, blame him.

The concerts are staged in a big band shell, with good lighting and sound gear. There is a real stage and it is all very professional, which is why they get acts ranging from the small (Billy and the Boingers) to the big Atlantic City acts (Frankie Valley, Aretha Franklin) to the washed up (Huey Lewis.) They've got video screens, big name emcees (Like Cousin Brucie, and before you get ready to argue, there is no one bigger than Cousin Brucie-eeeeEEEEeeee in my musical joke book.) and draw huge crowds that fill the park and surrounding streets.

That's not where I went tonight.

I went to a show in Marine Park sponsored by Senator Marty Golden and let me tell you, the guy is cheap.

I drove up to the park and expected to see a big stage set up. I didn't. I saw guys playing football, kids riding bikes, people walking dogs, and a guy selling what appeared to be stolen mp3 players out of his trunk. I took out my copy

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• Next Page >>