Our guy in Australia has come through with this fabulous footage of Jobriath tickling the ivories and talking about the Chelsea’s creative spirit. Jobriath is credited as being the first mass-marketed glam rock star, and the first to be openly gay. This clip is from Nigel Finch’s 1981 BBC documentary. Jobriath spent his last days living in the pyramid at the top of the hotel until he died of AIDS in 1983.
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Yikes! You’d think that bed bug worries would be horror enough! The Conrad Hotel in Chicago is
showing classic horror movies such as “Dracula” and “Frankenstein” on Sundays and Mondays in October. A program like this would not go over so well at the Chelsea, as it would hit too close to home. We have real ghosts and monsters stalking us through the halls of this hotel. Beginning 
Tuesday, October 24, "Living with Legends" will present daily accounts – from guests and residents a like – of the various ghoulies, poltergeists and apparitions that have haunted the Chelsea over the years. Highlights include: the report of a medium who recently explored every floor of the hotel looking for psychic activity; the tale of a child possessed by a spectre haunting the tenth floor skylight; an account of the time that underground filmmaker Harry Smith attempted to reanimate a corpse; reported sightings of the Betty Boop ghost; and for comic relief, video of Miss Amelia performing her rendition of “Dracula.” Be there and be scared. If you have a ghost sighting to report send it to chelblog@yahoo.com (Photos: bluehour and Chelsea Hotel ghosts) -
It lives forever on youtube. As usual, Nancy demands the impossible, "Oh Sid, please just wake up and talk intelligently."
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It’s getting ridiculous to see the extent these fuddy-duddy hotels will go to show they’re rock-and-roll, now that old rockers have money to spend. Here’s an article about a really rockin’ hotel in Des
Moines, Iowa, of all places. They have a list of all these over-the-hill rockers like Ozzy and Jon Bon Jovi and Neil Diamond who have stayed there over the years, though obviously they did so because there was no place else in town. The real question is, what the hell were they doing in Des Moines? Who would attend their shows? I doubt that there’s even one person in Des Moines who rocks, and if there is, I’m sure he’s doing his damnedest to get the hell out. (Photo: Tiny Tim at the Hotel Fort Des Moines)Even the Holiday Inn has a more authentic rock pedigree than this place, Hotel Fort Des Moines. And though I’m being facetious, the article actually goes on to consider the claim that the Holiday Inn is a rock-and-roll hotel. And answers, bizarrely, in the affirmative.
Here’s the best example they could come up with of an actual, real life “rocker” who will admit to staying at the Fort Des Moines hotel, some guy named Tim Reynolds. For some reason they
mention that he drinks a six-pack of pineapple juice a night. That’s right, pineapple juice. Dude, there’s your problem. Chug some Jack Daniels and snort a line of coke if you wanna rock. What kind of half-assed rock-and-roll could possibly be fueled by pineapple juice? Oh, now I see: he plays for the Dave Mathews band. That explains that. And since when does pineapple juice come in six-packs?The pineapple juice is emblematic of a larger problem here. Why on earth did they even mention it? Well, I think there’s a dual message here. First of all, they want to validate the lifestyles of all the old farts out there who can’t party anymore: look, codgers, even the rockers are drinking prune—er, pineapple–juice. Secondly, it’s an attempt to convince you that rock-and-roll, though cool, is safe. There will be no naked groupies wandering the halls of the Fort Des Moines, no TVs tossed drunkenly through the windows at midnight. Another hotel mentioned in the article has a tanning salon because, “Even rockers with violent onstage antics require a good tan.”
Well, excuse me, but I for one demand that my rock gods live life in the fast lane. Otherwise, what kind of gods are they? It’s simply part of the job description. If they don’t like it, they can go back to school and study accounting.
The reason our attention was drawn to this article is that it claims that Sid Vicious died at the Chelsea Hotel. This is false: Sid killed Nancy here, but he himself died in a house in Greenwich
Village. (Today, in fact, is the anniversary of Nancy’s death.) Obviously this serves to erode the rock-and-roll street cred of this article’s author, but more importantly, it goes to show to just what shameless lengths these hotels will go to demonstrate that they are cool. Book a room at the Fort Des Moines, the article implies, and perhaps similar spectacular events will occur during your stay—or at least you can view the scene of the crime.On the other hand, “Several years ago Reynolds and his crew rejected spooky digs where they spied bloodstains on the walls through the window.” Now that was a rock and roll hotel. Sounds suspiciously like the Chelsea. (Ed Hamilton)
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This weekend’s Saturday Night Live featured a parody of "New York Stories," with Fred Armisen and Amy Poehler playing Lou Reed and Patti Smith, respectively. CBGBs was full of poets, losers, junkies and transvestites, and if you were lucky you might see Dee Dee eat 27 hotdogs. It was just like the Chelsea, except we’re still around–for now, anyway.
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On Monday we went to see the Chelsea Hotel’s own favorite composer Gerald Busby read as part of
the Serial Underground series at the Cornelia Street Café. As always it was a relaxed evening of fine avant garde music and slightly quirky good company.Composer’s Collaborative founder Jed Distler got the program rolling with a clever and humorous parody of how various composers, including Messiaen, would render the old standard “Happy Birthday.” One of the composers so parodied was actually in attendance, and a birthday boy himself!
One of the highlights of the evening was Judd Greenstein’s piece for solo viola, “Escape.” Nadia Sirota’s viola was eerie, then light and dancelike, brooding, then playful, as the piece built to an exciting interplay between the two themes, resolving into a frenzied finale. The piece was difficult to listen to at first, but it gradually pulled the listener in; it made a believer of me.
Gerald, with heart and practiced inflection, read a moving and funny story about a woman whose cat, Felix, falls off her terrace only to be adopted by a strange sort of trailer trash family with a painting of children being crucified on the wall. When the woman goes to collect Felix, the fat matriarch of the clan announces that they have changed the cat’s name to Jimmy, and that he seems to like it. It’s truly heartbreaking when Felix/Jimmy snuggles up to the fat woman as he’s never done with the original owner. The larger meaning of the story concerns loneliness. Maggie Paley, whose works include the novel Bad Manners and the nonfiction Book of the Penis is an excellent writer, deceptively plainspoken and without the need to rely on the usual writing school tricks, and manages to accomplish the nearly impossible in evoking empathy for even this rather grotesque family.
“New York Scenes,” a song cycle by Justine F. Chen, came next. These are just what they sound like: accounts of incidental encounters with archetypal New York characters. Chen said she composed the pieces with the baritone Giuseppe Spoletini, in mind, and it’s easy to see why she chose him: not only a fine singer, Spoletini is also an expressive actor. Best was his depiction of an irritable subway rider. Together with the fine pianist Edward Lorel, Spoletini carried us through the gamut of emotions, evoking in turn boredom, anxiety, frustration, anxiety, anger, defeat, and finally (momentary) triumph.
We were then treated to a rousing and funny cabaret number by Jed Distler, “A Brief History of Money” in which the narrator recounts the various indignities he has suffered in his quest to keep food on the table, including:
Broken into automatic Teller machines,
Sold junior highschool students amphetamines,
and played a dance class in queens.
Finally, Distler played a selection which he described as “Bach for hot tub users,” from his upcoming Meditate with the Masters CD. I liked the piece: smooth and catchy, it was certainly the easiest to appreciate. I guess that means I’m ready for the Hot Tub life. Where do they have those things? L.A.? Not at the Chelsea, that’s for sure. L.A. here I come. (Ed Hamilton)
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I was at the gym across the street from the Chelsea, the New York Sports Club. The locker room was almost empty, which was odd, but I suppose that’s because it was early on a Sunday morning. A fit
and trim, rather bulked-up young man strolled past me into the shower room, half yelling, half singing 
at the top of his lungs: “La la la, banana peels and cream pies, the ancient times of comedy, prehistoric comedy, slipping on banana peels and pies in the face.” He kept it up while he was in the shower. I could hear him singing the whole time I was getting dressed.Finally, somebody else called out, “Would you mind being quiet? I’m trying to shower in peace.”
“I’m like this because I was shy when I was a child,” the loud guy yelled. “I was late talking, not until I was two years old. Even after that I never used to say anything, and my parents were worried there was something wrong with me.”
“They oughta be worried that there’s something wrong with you now,” the other guy said. (Ed Hamilton)
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Monday, Oct. 9, 8:30 p.m.
Gerald Busby will perform a dramatic monologue, GLORIA’S CAT, written especially for him by Maggie Paley, author of a novel, BAD MANNERS, and THE BOOK OF THE PENIS. Violist Nadia Sirota plays Escape by Judd Greenstein, a song cycle by Justine F. Chen, performed by Giuseppe Spolentini pianist Jed Distler mediates with the Masters. The event is part of the Composer Collaborative Inc., Serial Underground, a series that presents all kinds of musical and dramatic performance creations. Cornelia Street Cafe, 29 Cornelia St., NY NY $15.00 at the door.
Tuesdsay, Oct. 10, 10:30 p.m.
Susanne Bartsch and Kenny Kenny invite you to Happy Valley Tuesdays. Show: Julie Atlas Muz. DJ: Larry Tee, Downstairs DJ Ryan and Kim Ann. Hosts: Miranda Moondust, Kim Aviance, Theodora, Astro, Ladyfag & Amanda Lepore.
14 East 27th St. NY NYThursday, Oct. 11, 9:00 p.m.
Seats to "Guilty Pleasures," Norman Gosney’s new burlesque show sale out quickly so contact Norman or Amelia to get your password and reservation ASAP.Friday, Oct. 13, 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.
It’s the closing party for Edie Sedgwick/Hotel Chelsea fan and struggling
young artist, Shena Jones. The art show includes portraits of Stanley Kubrick and Iggy Pop, and self-portraits from inside the Hotel. Jalopy, 315 Columbia St., Red Hook, Brooklyn (Jalopy is a new contemporary gallery with many services such as instrument sales and repairs, espresso, and live music.) 
Saturday, Oct. 14, 4:00 p.m.
Anders Bramsen’s film LE MIS POPOTE (THE ERRONEOUS EARTH KITCHEN) will screen in NYC at the DUMBO Arts Center.
d.u.m.b.o. Arts Center, 30 Washington Street, Brooklyn NYSaturday, Oct. 14, 8:00 p.m.
Eric Bogosian has updated his play "Suburbia." The new production features former Hotel Chelsea resident Gaby Hoffmann as Sooze, a would be performance artist. According to Hoffmann, she and her best friend Talya Shomron would roller-skate in the hallways, spy on the drug dealer across the hall, and persuade the bellman to go to the neighbourhood deli at night and get them ice cream.
2nd Stage Theatre, 307 West 43rd St., NY NYSunday, Oct. 15, 8:00 p.m.
Patti Smith will be playing the final show at CBGB’s. In all of our years in NYC, we’ve been to CBGB’s twice. Both times to hear former Chelsea resident Joe Bidewell play.
CBGB, 315 Bowery, NY NYIf you have an event that you want listed on "All Tomorrow’s Parties" please e-mail chelblog@yahoo.com
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Andy Warhol’s epic, "The Chelsea Girls," has been named one of the top 100 films of all times by the Radio Times Guide to Films 2007. "Andy Warhol’s underground film is to blame for reality television," according to the Guide. (Evening Standard)
Earlier this week, to celebrate what would have been Thomas Wolfe’s 106th 
birthday, the University of North Carolina moved his monument from a remote part of campus to a more highly trafficked area. Glad to see Wolfe’s finally getting the recognizition he deserves. (News 14 Carolina)
Even though the movie has yet to be released, Sienna Miller is being touted as an Oscar nominee for her portrayal of Edie Sedgwick in "Factory Girl." (Daily Mail) -
It may be too late to score tickets, but we hear from a very reliable source that Chelsea’s own Nicky Nichols has a role in "The Holy Mountain," and also worked on the costumes. The film is being screened at the Walter Reade Theatre on Saturday, Oct. 7, at midnight, so whether you can make it or not, be sure to scream along with Nicky as he’s covered with tarantulas!
Greeted with equal volumes of whistles, catcalls and cheers at its controversial Cannes premiere, Jodorowsky’s follow-up to El Topo is a riot of mystic and religious imagery underlining its vision of a spiritual quest towards enlightenment. An austere figure known as The Alchemist (Jodorowsky), holed up in a sheer-faced tower, brings together a diverse group of disciples from every culture and corner of the galaxy to embark with him on a journey to the Holy Mountain, where together they will try to unseat the immortal beings who secretly rule the universe.
One reviewer wrote:
The Holy Mountain was Alexandro Jodorowsky’s dizzying elegy to the sex, drugs and spiritual awakening of the late 1960s and early 1970s — a suitably bizarre follow-up to his El Topo (1971).
Fascinating, The Holy Mountain is beautifully shot and designed, and it suggests what might have resulted if Luis Buñuel, Michelangelo Antonioni, and George Romero had all dropped acid and made a movie together.
