The 100 Oaks Revival Interview with Shonali Bhowmik

Vital Statistics


Name: Shonali Bhowmik
Group Affiliation: Tigers & Monkeys, Variety Shac
Hometown: New York, New York via Nashville, TN
Website: www.shonalibhowmik.com  
Latest Project: 100 Oak Revival
Next New York Performance: Sunday, March 20th at Littlefield 

Shonali Bhowmik has spent years in New York’s music and comedy scenes. I caught up to her to talk about her new album, the benefits of the internet to the music industry and being a Southern Belle…

NYN: You have your own band (Tigers and Monkeys), an ongoing comedy show (Variety Shac), a pilot for a TV series and a day job. When did you find the time to record a new album? How long did it take you to finish this with everything else you have going on?


SB: I recorded this album in a way that I haven’t done in the past. It’s taken me a few years to complete this release because I flew down to my hometown of Nashville, TN on various weekends to lay down the basic tracks in the home studio of the enormously talented Paul Burch.

My intention was to just go for a sparse live recording and immediately release the “Shonali Basement Tapes” album. But instead, I returned to New York and just started hearing additional musical layers which absolutely had to be added to the recordings in order for me to feel satisfied. So over time, I scheduled sessions with Matt Gill in his Manhattan studio, Key Room where after work he and other musicians helped me add piano, cello, guitar, vocals late at night. I just couldn’t stop recording, and then there were technical issues with converting the tape to digital format which meant we had to rerecord instruments. So the short answer to your question is this album took forever. Ha.


NYN: You have had other albums with other groups in the past. How is this record artistically different from the previous releases? What were the inspirations for this CD?


SB: This new album includes a backlog of music that I had written over the years since I moved to NYC in 2002. For the most part, they are representative of a moodier, bluesier, more country Shonali. I grew up in Nashville, TN and although I had always believed that my country roots didn’t impact my music that much. It took reading music reviews about my music and the specifics on my singing drawl to realize that I actually sing like a Southern belle. And then it came to me that I sing like that because I AM a Southern belle. This album is certainly not as hard rocking as songs found in my Tigers and Monkeys repertoire (of which we are currently recording another release also).

NYN: There have been a lot of changes to the business and technology of music during your career. How does that affect the way you create an album now and how you sell it once it has been released?

SB: Honestly, the myth is that Napster and ITunes killed the music industry. The reality for me is that the internet is a direct way for me to share my music with the entire world. Due to the advances in recording technology, I don’t need to spend $100,000 making an album anymore, which believe it or not I did at one point. So now artists can spend a whole lot less money to make great music. This is an exciting time for musicians. As a business person, I think that artists have to be proactive and dictate where the industry goes. We should be forcing the direction. Big labels aren’t the experts anymore. So we can load up our music and sell it directly to the people. I find that “Pay what you Want” is the way to go. You want folks to have your music, but let them decide what its worth to them. Everyone has a different scale – be it they are broke, or they are rich, or they are somewhat fond of heavy metal, or somewhat fond of country music.


NYN: Your release party is going to be at Littlefield. A lot of live music has migrated from downtown Manhattan to Brooklyn over the past few years. How has that affected the way you and your friends create and perform music? Do you see musicians coming back to the city or do you feel that it will move farther into Brooklyn and Queens?


SB: Honestly, although I love NYC, I wonder how good it is for a rock band to live and pay bills here. I started playing music in Atlanta, Georgia where the rent was cheap, rehearsal spaces were cheap and jobs were everywhere. It was the perfect place to live as a member of a touring rock band.

In Manhattan, rock clubs will always be a mainstay, but I think the question regarding where the music will go has more to do with the viable living options available to artists. It’s been a long, long time since living in the East Village was an inexpensive place for rock n’ roll and artist types. Brooklyn and Queens have taken on those titles but those boroughs are getting more and more expensive day by day. I just read that Austin was where all the young artist types are moving. New York and the entire United States needs to do more to preserve its artistic culture especially if everyone is just ripping music off the web. (Yeah, and I was saying that this was a good thing in my response to your earlier question - yup, contradictory that’s me.)
 NYN: Tell me more about the show and tell me what else you have planned now that this album is done.


SB: The CD release party for 100 Oaks Revival is scheduled for Sunday, March 20th. Doors are at 7 pm, and there is an opening surprise comedic guest at 7:30 pm. Russell Dungan will be singing a few tunes from his upcoming new Justice of the Unicorns album. Performing with me are Jason Lam, Jody Bilinski, Christa Molinaro, Amy Slonaker, Marcellus Hall, Jasper Patch, Matt Gill, Brendan Kenny, and Matt Whyte. The album was inspired by my time growing up in Nashville, Tennessee so there will be a few Nashville souvenirs raffled off during the show. Please make plans to attend. This will be fun. The cost is $5. Tickets are available online or at the door, Littlefield, 622 Degraw Street.


Have fun.
Gamal

The Prince's Affaire

Affaire


Vital Statistics
Phone Number: 212-375-0665
Address: 50 Avenue B
Cross Streets: 3rd and 4th Streets
Closest Trains: F to 2nd Avenue
Website: http://affairenyc.com/contact-us/  


China 1 was a well known spot among some nightlife natives, but I never went there when they were opened. I suppose other spots in the LES lured me in before I could get to Alphabet City. When I heard they were dumping the Asian theme for something more Continental, I was curious. New European style spots like Salon Milleseme left a good impression on me last year and and the proposed Paris Burlesque Club might open soon, so I invited a friend out to see if the trend would continue.

When you enter Affaire looks like a cozy spot for an illicit rendezvous. The interior of the ground floor is a cross between a French salon and a cocktail lounge speakeasy. High backed chairs will hide you from prying eyes. The seating is intimate without being cramped. The lighting isn’t the pitch black cavern of Underbar or USL, but the overall effect is very poised and collected.

The staff is quite friendly and they look after you from the moment you walk in. All of them go out of their way to be attentive, knowledgeable and quick on their feet. Sean Baker, a veteran operator who runs Affaire with China 1 founder Andrew Krauss, told me that he only brought in staff that could give good service. He wondered out loud how so many venues in New York got away with being mean and condescending to their patrons. I think many local patrons are masochist, but good service is a nice change of pace.

Affaire has a cocktail menu that is varied in their ingredients but very biased in their names. The cocktail list is dominated by drinks like the French 75, the French 69, the French poodle, the French maid…you get the idea. The one notable entry in the drinks menu is the mimosa kit that is served with brunch. For $25, you pretty much get a pitcher of mimosas. Some assembly is required, but the staff will help you put that together to make sure you don’t hurt yourself.

The main eating space actually sits on top of a more substantial venue downstairs. While the décor and the feel of the place is the same throughout, the lower levels are less about cozy couples and more about amorous groups. There are two rooms underground, each one with a separate entrance to the street, a separate DJ booth, and space to roam around looking for love. Affaire could be several separate events or one big party. With all three rooms converted from a restaurant for brunch and dinner to a lounge at night, it could emerge as a major nightlife draw in that part of town.

The music programming has a distinct nightlife feel. Soulful house is pretty much the standard soundtrack for the space, reminding me more of Cielo and Love than any cocktail salon. It’s a sound that absolutely fits a larger, more animated venue but it is a little jarring when you are just sitting back and sipping mimosas. Your body is saying “dance” and your mind is saying “relax”. It takes some getting used to, but practice makes perfect.

The location of Affaire is a bit off the beaten track, but if you are willing to walk a couple more blocks you’ll find that the old China 1 space has been reborn into an interesting combination of pleasant sophistication and soulful house. Whether you show up for brunch, birthday party or a forbidden liaison, Affaire is worth the trip.

Have fun.
G

Dealing with Drunks Part 2: A Guide for Helping Your Drunken Friends

By Gamal Hennessy


Click Here to Read Part 1 


In part 1  of our drunken guide, we gave you tips on how to deal with strangers. Now let’s get to a more delicate subject; dealing with your drunken friends.


Friends: When your friend, date, client or family member is the drunk, it’s rude to just hand them over to the bouncer and keep on drinking like we did in part 1. It is a major undertaking to save your own personal drunk from himself. Shepherding a drunken companion is a sign of true friendship, but if everything turns out ok, it is also great ammunition for funny stories later.


Once you look over at your friend and realize they need help, focus on controlling their consumption, shielding them from danger and monitoring them for more serious conditions.


Controlling Their Consumption: The first thing your drunken friend probably wants is another drink. This is a bad idea, but as we saw earlier, logic is not in your friend’s vocabulary right now. Wikihow offers some suggestions on how to give them drinks without giving them drinks. If they call for another drink, try to give them harmless drinks. Try water, a very watered down version of their drink or just a soft drink. Depending on how drunk they are, you can simply hand them a coke and claim that it contains vodka. Unless they have very sensitive drunken palettes, they might not notice, especially if you're distracting them (hint: distracting a drunk is normally easier than distracting a sober person.) Don't give them a lot of stimulating drinks such as tea or coffee since this can accelerate dehydration. And don't force a drunk person to eat, since it could create a choking situation.


Shielding Them from Danger: Your friend needs protection when he is drunk because he can’t do it himself. First, you need to make sure he doesn’t engage in risky behavior including driving a car, fighting with other people or trying to make out with random individuals. Do your best to help your drunk avoid physical injury, especially through falling. Nicole John is the most extreme example of this hazard, but even a fall on the dance floor can be dangerous. Help them find and stay in a safe seat or even sit them the floor. It’s not the cutest look, but they can’t fall very far if they are already on the floor.


If your drunk needs to visit the bathroom, accompany them and wait for them to make sure they don’t slip and bang their head on the toilet. Above all, don’t leave them alone to sleep it off in any venue. They could be molested, robbed or snatched from the venue by a stranger.


If it is possible, try to deal with your drunk’s personal effects after your drunk is safe. Make an effort to find their phone, make sure their tab is closed and collect whatever clothing or accessories they discarded in their travels.


While you are looking out for your drunk, don’t forget to look out for yourself. Avoid saying anything that could provoke or anger the intoxicated person, since you don’t want the person you are trying to help fighting with you. Do not try to physically lift a drunken person or stop someone much larger than you falling down–you may injure your back. Instead, concentrate on protecting their head.. If you need help to help your drunk, look for the operators. It might be embarrassing for your drunk, but it is better to ask them for help than to have them kick you out when your drunk gets out of hand. Besides, a little embarrassment is a small price to pay to avoid more long term problems.


The final step in shielding your drunk from danger is getting them out of the venue and back to a place where they can safely wait for their hangover to arrive. That could be their place, your place or any place where they can crash. Your social relationship might prevent you from monitoring them after they leave the venue, but in extreme cases it is advisable to keep an eye on them.


Monitoring them for Serious Conditions: Once you make sure your drunk isn’t continuing to drink, fighting with the bouncers or sleeping in the street, you have to make sure they are resting safely. It helps to lie them down in a recovery position (on their side with the higher knee bent). to prevent choking. Put something behind their back to prevent them rolling back onto their back or stomach because vomiting in either position can cause them to choke or drown. Just because Jimi Hendrix did it doesn’t make it cool.


As they sleep, look for signs of alcohol poisoning including:
● abnormally slow breathing
● unresponsive to being prodded and pinched firmly
● blue lips and fingertips.
● rapid pulse.
● vomiting while asleep and not waking up even when vomiting.
● cold clammy hands/ feet.


If your friend starts to exhibit these symptoms, then it is time for you to stop helping them and time for medical professionals to start. Call 911. High levels of alcohol poisoning can lead to respiratory failure, coma or death.


I’m offering these tips with the understanding that I am not a medical professional. I’m just a guy who has caught a couple of falling drunks in my time. We all have too much at one time or another. Hopefully these tips can help you and your drunk get through the night so everyone can live to drink another day.


Have fun.
G