Everything You Need to Know About the Moth Story Slam NYC

When I ask you, dear reader, if you’ve heard of the little story telling phenomenon called The Moth, there are really only 2 answers:

Either 1: “OMG yes! I love The Moth!”

Or 2: “No…” accompanied by a look that says, “WTF…do I look like some kind of winged-insect enthusiast?”

Let me explain for all you 2s. The Moth is a story telling phenomenon. It started as a little story telling  show in New York City and has taken the word by storm! Having just celebrated its 20th anniversary, the Moth now has shows in cities all around the world. They have an award winning radio show! A chart-topping podcast!  The Moth is kinda a big deal. But if you attend a Moth Story SLAM, like I did last week, it will feel small and intimate as well.

These shows are seriously one of my all time favorite things to do in NYC. Tickets are a little hard to get, but they’re only $10!

What’s a Moth Story SLAM?

Moth StorySLAMs feature 10 storytellers who are chosen from literally anyone from the audience who puts their name in a hat. They then get up and tell a 5 minute story based on a theme. Names are chosen at random and it’s a huge part of the excitement of the show. The audience is always supportive, regardless of the ability of the storyteller. I’ve been to five Moth StorySLAMs and have always been amazed at how great the stories are, considering there is absolutely no filter for who participates! In those 5 shows, 50 stories, I can think of only 4 stories where things got a little uncomfortable or awkward.  The element of the UNKNOWN is a huge part of the fun!  Read More

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New York Cliché of the Day: The Best Dollar Slice at Percy’s Pizza

There is no meal in the the tristate area that’s as quick, cheap, and hot as the New York Dollar Slice. Defying the constant trends of NYC inflation, you can still find plenty of pretty great pizza for one dollar bill.

My favorite dollar slice in all New York is from a little hole-in-the-wall shop on Bleecker Street called Percy’s Pizza.

This place doesn’t have the crowds that the local chain 2 Bros does, unless it’s right when the neighborhood school gets out. I was greeted with a smile  when I walked in and listened the the guy behind the counter chat with the customer after me, “Where are the little ones today?” Percy’s Pizza manages to have a feeling of a neighborhood pizza joint during the day and oasis for drunken Village party people at night.  Read More

*UPDATE* What Happened To The High Line Kiss Mural?

Originally reported in February 2016. March 2018 update at the end of the post!

This iconic kiss was once the most photographed section of High Line, NYC’s elevated park in Chelsea.

korma kiss mural high line

Eduardo Kobra’s gorgeous mural celebrated one of the most iconic NYC photographs of all time, the 1945 photograph “V-J Day In Times Square” of the kissing sailor and nurse.

The mural burst with color. It captured the passion and exuberance of that sailor, of a kiss. It made you smile. It brightened your day as much as it brightened the New York City streets! Looking at it was sunshine, rainbows, New York City, and LOVE! It was wonderful!

High Line Kiss Mural Korba
Has my use of past tense made you tense? Have I prepared you for the horrible sight I’m about to reveal? Unless you’ve walked the High Line this past month, this will come as a shock. I haven’t seen it reported in any media and I only believe it because I saw it with my own eyes. You might want to sit down.

Are you sitting?

The Kiss Mural on the High Line is GONE Read More

Weekly New York Minutes #8

Every Friday I feature some fleeting moments from my week that made me stop and think, “I’m so lucky to live in NYC!” Here we go for this lion week of March…

You know it’s going to be a good week when you stumble across street art stencil magic on your way to work! “Stand here to activate your SUPER POWERS”. I tried my best to live up to this sign all week! Super powers ACTIVATED!

Read More

New York Cliché of the Day: Rose Crystal Tower Public Art in Union Square

“All the leaves are brown and the sky is gray…” I sing that Mamas and Papas song a lot in the winter months. Any flash of color is beautiful and excitement-worthy. That’s why I stop for all street art and I’m especially grateful for Chihuly’s public art in Union Square.

Dale Chihuly’s Rose Crystal Tower

The trees are bare, the sky is cloudy, but we do have yellow taxis and a giant purple glass sculpture! There is hope!

I actually watched the team assemble this art piece back in October. My appreciation was lacking back then… I’d given up eating sugar for the month and this was like a giant rock candy mirage taunting me! Read More

“What’s Your Wish?” Mine is this Delightful Fair Tale Musical I Didn’t Know I Needed!

In our bonkers world of thundersnow, habitual train traffic ahead of us, and pathetic American politics, sometimes you need a piece of entertainment that makes you forget it all and just feel happy (TRULY HAPPY) for 90 minutes!

Sometimes that’s all I wish for….

That wish came true with a theatre piece literally called “What’s Your Wish”. 

© Theater Now New York, Photo by Sarah George

This folk musical from Thicket & Thistle is the most heartwarming thing I’ve seen in ages. Every moment was just pure delight. I’d actually forgotten how wonderful lighthearted entertainment can be! What’s Your Wish washed all my troubles and worries away for over an hour. What the fuck more could a New Yorker wish for?  Read More