I’ve been a New York Mets fan since before I was born. When the Mets moved from the beloved but otherwise generally unremarkable stadium that was Shea, many fans were pissed. While I was excited to have a cool(er) baseball stadium in my own backyard, with the latest of accoutrements, I was not very pleased with the name. CitiField is just so… corporate. Unfortunately, advertising is the way of the world nowadays and everyone’s gotta make a buck one way or another. Aside from that one gripe, I am a big fan of the new ballpark. I’ve been to CitiField several times since it first opened but last week I brought my camera and took some photos. My pictures don’t do it justice but it really is a major step up from Shea. I hope fellow Mets fans won’t feel these statements as a betrayal, just an opinion. Take a look at a few of the photos, see how you feel, or better yet, go see it in person. If you do, go to Shake Shack and order some grub.

The view from outside…

and the view from inside the Jackie Robinson Rotunda.

The best mascot in the history of baseball, Mr. Met. I wonder where he keeps that t-shirt cannon he’s always firing off between innings.

If you’re hungry and got some cash to burn, hit up the Shake Shack. You will not be disappointed.

This food was absolutely delicious. Two shack burgers, two vanilla shakes and one order of cheese fries came to $33.25. Pricey, but I’d be lying if I said i wouldn’t do it again and again… and again.

All and all, it was a great day. I stuffed my face, took some photos and the Mets won. Not much more I could have asked for,

well, maybe more cheese fries.

Alright kids, I’ve been talking up Mark Millar for years but now it seems people outside of the comic fandom have taken notice, this dude is about to take the world by storm. I posted this on my original site last year, on November 5th, in anticipation of the KICK-ASS movie. Here’s the original post:

Mark Millar is a favorite comic book writer of mine. He’s written such gems as Superman: Red Son (which I loved, despite my hatred for Superman), Wanted (the comic book was much better than the movie), and the Marvel summer blockbuster series Civil War a few years back. So when I enter a comic book store and I see his name on something, I instantly pick it up and walk right to the register.

So about a year ago when I saw Kick-Ass issues #1 and #2 sitting on the shelves and understood the premise, it struck a nerve with any nerdy comic book fan like a blade to the heart. Kid loves comics, wants to be a superhero like the one he reads about, gets a costume, goes out and gets his ass handed to him …brutally. Hospital ridden for months but more determined than ever to keep up with the vigilantism, he goes back out to do his Batman impersonation and that’s the basis for the comic.

Now, since Hollywood hasn’t had an original idea in years, and continues to pump the comic book industry for fodder they’re making this into a movie as well. Even though I sound a little pessimistic about the Hollywood/comic industry connection, I actually enjoy it because it brings to the big screen some stories I’ve cherished. These fantastic stories that aside from the nerd sect wouldn’t get the time of day are now flooding theaters everywhere.

Kick-Ass is next on that list and from the trailer, it has some serious potential and looks to follow the comic book to the letter. Check out this site for more information and the very kick-ass trailer… was that lame of me? Yea, well… fuck you. Haha.

OK, so with that being said, I’m about to educate you folks on something else that I’m sure is going to be huge, NEMESIS. I already got my first issue and its written by the same dude.

This book is going to be insane in the best way possible. Mark Millar is top notch at everything and when he and Steve McNiven did Marvel’s Civil War, it rocked my fucking socks off. McNiven is an amazing artist, definitely one of my favorites in the industry. His work is just beautifully detailed.

If you like comics, educate yourselves on both of their previous works. Millar joked about this project, “What if Batman was a total cunt?” meaning, what if someone like Batman wasn’t the good guy, but on the other side, with no one to stop him? The first issue goes big and really takes a no-holds barred approach. I don’t want to ruin it for you so if you’re able to find the first issue, pick it up and see what happens.

I just came back from seeing Kick-Ass, I was pretty blown away.  I don’t think many will expect to see a movie this good when they buy a ticket for Kick-Ass but they’ll be pleasantly surprised.  With a title like Kick-Ass I find it hard to admit this but it is hands down the best superhero film I have ever seen.  Maybe I’m biased because I find most superhero movies to be pretty fucking WACK!  Or maybe it’s because I had no idea this film was based on an actual comic and I instead expected some Superbad-esque movie but with fake superheros.

I can hear your thoughts right now…You’re thinking “What the fuck happened to good ol’ Rob?  I used to value his opinion on films but now, well, I think he just lost it”  No, this is not the case, my friend.  I’m not sure after reading this you’ll totally understand why this film is really that damn good, but I gotta give it a shot.

Kick-Ass will make you laugh but it really can make you cry too.  I don’t think I’ve ever been so emotionally invested in a superhero movie before, the last thing that came close had to be Watchmen.  Kick-Ass starts out relatively lighthearted but slowly builds a real serious story, while still keeping comedic lighthearted moments throughout.  I think maybe this is where the charm lies.  It’s a superhero film that doesn’t take itself too seriously but still reels you in at all the right moments.

While there is a good amount of comedy throughout the film, the serious aspects of the film is where I think it really shines.  The relationship between Nicholas Cage’s character, Damon Macready, and his daughter Mindy is really beautiful.  I’m not usually a fan of Nicholas Cage but he did an amazing job on this one and sold it the whole way through.  I don’t like to go into too much detail on aspects of a film’s plot points when reviewing it here because I don’t want to ruin it for anyone.  There are just so many great moments in this film that I want to talk about here but I won’t, simply because I want you to be as surprised as I was.

The film really delivers on so many levels.  If you are into some really good action, it serves a heaping, steaming plateful of that too.  I never saw an 11 year old kick so much ass and with so much style.  It’s kinda sad for all the Batman, X-Men and Superman movies that an 11 year old girl kicked more ass on film than they did.

In conclusion, this film sends many other superhero films back to school.  So all you Christopher Nolan’s and Bryan Singer’s get out your fucking note pads, strap on some depends and sit the fuck back and be schooled.  It’s time to kick ass!

NOFX was one of the first bands that got me into punk, still to this day NOFX is one of my favorite bands.  I really find myself relating to their music so much, some of Fat Mike’s lyrics really feel like he’s saying what I’m thinking.  Recently Fat Mike dressed up as “Cokie The Clown” and had a solo performance.  This performance has gotten a lot of attention, check out the video and you’ll soon see why.

“Cokie The Clown” Show

ROB
How are you doing on this fine Saturday Morn? or afternoon should i say?

CHRIS
I’m doing ok, I suppose. Went to bed early, left a ska show early and was feelin i-rey and lil drunk.
Drank a lot of water and a cup of tea and bagel before bed and I woke up feeling dandy.

ROB
That’s good! Tell us about yourself and Yo!Scunt, for those that don’t know.

CHRIS
My name is Christopher, I do the vox/wailing-siren for Yo!SCUNT. Our members at the moment are, Andrew on bass and Seamus on drums. we played our first show in march of 2005. Timma and i started the band, from there we met one Mr. Danny Noest and then Dan Levine. Yo!SCUNT has always tried to be as autobiographical as possible.  We are sounds from Queens.

ROB
I definitely see that in your music, it seems to always be about what is really going on. Not about something abstract, but about what you experience.

CHRIS
Not always what is going on but what is in the mind or desired.

ROB
Exactly. Whats the plans for Yo!Scunt in the near future?

CHRIS
Find a guitar player who fits in with us.  Then take over the world a little bit at a time perhaps.  We wanna play music to different audiences, the kind that might stand there and not be used to you.  We wanna play more out of state.  Punk island June 20th is coming, that should be fun again.  New songs Andrew, Seamus, and I are itching to write.

ROB
I’m fairly certain there are people out there that don’t know what Punk Island is, enlighten us!

CHRIS
It’s, if I am correct, part of the make music NY festival. Governor’s Island is where they put a bunch of punk and hardcore bands to play. A zoo of some sort, all different bands, a bunch of ’stages’.  We’re playing with Seizure Crypt, Bloodbeat, Olde York and some others.  Fun time.  Always made new friends every year there.

ROB
I think some people may think “Punk Is DEAD!”, what do you think about that?

CHRIS
I think they are entitled to their opinion. We just played a show at the Hilltap Tavern in Queens, and it didn’t look dead to me. I think though this live music is needed in the 5 boroughs of NY, without live music something is missing. This live music being rock oriented music.  Nada wrong with jazz, hip hop, and all the different kinda of music.  I went to a good ska show last night and it was pretty cool.

ROB
It often feels like if you don’t have a name for yourself and you don’t open for a big band, people often don’t give you the time of day. And by “you” I mean anyone in a band. It seems people sometimes tend to only discover bands through word of mouth and having a band name jammed down their throat. I am a guilty of this myself. It seems unusual that you stumble upon a band just by yourself without hearing the band name thrown around a little while before you check em out. I guess what I’m saying is its often hard to get out there as a band when the scene is so over saturated. What advice do you have for a band that is trying to gain a fan base?

CHRIS
Play as many shows as you can. People , persons, anyone who gives you a compliment on any level, thank them and even introduce yerself to em. You’d be surprised how many cool people there are out there. Also i think you gotta be relentless. Obstacles and such, go around em. Keep trying. EVERYTHING GOOD takes work and effort…music, love, cooking, many things.

ROB
Punk is such a funny genre, in that it means something different to different people. To some people certain bands are punk and then to others they aren’t punk at all. Punk music, probably more than any other genre in music, is defined by strict rules that are made up by the listener. What do you think about these rules? For example, someone may call Avril Lavigne or Blink 182 punk rock bands, but others would scoff at such a claim. And also, don’t these rules go against the “no rules” punk rock way? What could be “anarchistic” about setting up rules?

CHRIS
Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one. That’s a good point Robert. It’s really a gray area cause different people have different ‘morals’…some bands will not play if its not all ages. Some bands will not play if the price is too high at the gate. These ‘rules’ of punk rock only apply when someone doesn’t like the rules or when someone has a finger to point or a gripe.

ROB
Where would you like to take Yo!Scunt? It doesn’t seem to me that you guys are trying to get on the Tonight Show but maybe you are!   Usually bands have dreams of where they would like their band to go, for example getting signed to this or that label or going on tour with this or that band. What are your dreams for Yo!Scunt, where would you like to see it go?

CHRIS
We wanna go a lil further than we can….however far that is. As far as a label goes, they’d have really make it worth our while….our mama’s taught us we’re something special so we don’t give it away that easy. Or even a lot further than what we expect. I think we work pretty hard at what we do. It’s fun. Would love to go to china or the mid west or even dogwood. hehheh

ROB
Ah Dogwood! (Landing Project’s studio underneath a strip mall) There have been talks about us putting on another show there, but there’s no bathroom, kind of a let down. It would be cool to do it on a holiday weekend when the stores are closed, and have a BBQ, no?

CHRIS
That sounds yummy.

ROB
Yes, yummy in my tummy

CHRIS
Been eating a lot of BBQ lately myself. Tom from Seizure Crypt and Bloodbeat is a BBQ master. Big Dave Blood makes illllll ribs.

ROB
WHAT?! Really, what does Tom like to grill?

CHRIS
Chicken, sausage, burgers, yams, hot dogs, corn on the cobb, that’s a typical BBQ at Toms.

ROB
For those that don’t know Tom, shed some light on how multi talented and awesome he is, please!

CHRIS
He is awesome. His work ethic is serious like Greg Ginn if I am to compare properly. He plays bass and sings. He writes music and lyrics. He can do CPR and such and is a real loyal friend. He recently tried to convince someone that my character is trustworthy and such, it meant a lot to him to help his friend out.

ROB
I remember he told me something he learned from being a paramedic. This was to never drive with the window half down, always all the way up or all the way down. He’s seen way to many people with glass in their necks after car accidents.

CHRIS
He’s a good man.

ROB
Ok, the gods of rock and roll wake you up in the middle of the night and ask you this question…”You may go on a world tour along with two bands alive or dead, who shall they be and why?”

CHRIS
mmmm. I like that. No Place To Piss cus they got us our very first gig and Landing Project cus their guitar player is adorable and smells pretty. : ) heheheheheh. Also No Place To Piss is one of thee most underrated bands, I wish they would play more often.

ROB
You know what I like about you Chris, you are a good person who wants to help out friends. You could have said any band, any band that inspired you to start a band. The Clash, Bob Marley, I dunno, whatever but you chose your friends. I remember at the last show, Bloodbeat was playing and you said to me “Did you hear that last song man? That’s one of my favorite songs of ALL time man, ALL TIME!” Most people wouldn’t give a local band that much credit, even if they deserved it.

CHRIS
Desparte Need by Bloodbeat. That was the song. Dave’s lyrics are great. If there was a 3rd band to choose from, it would be Bloodbeat(to tour with). Ive know Tom since i was i think 16? and Jay Dip since Jr. high.  It would be cool to go tour with cats I knew in my teens. As if it was a big deal, we made it. That corny stuff. and thanks Rob. I like you too.

ROB
What is in your record player, or heavy rotation on your iTunes these days?

CHRIS
Right now on my record player samhain ‘november’s coming fire’ is on it. iTunes i have no such ting. Heavy rotation these days, on record…perez prado ‘great mambos’, ds13 split with code 13, 1st suicidal tendencies, lou reed berlin and ramones leave home. On CD, token entry, some placebo CD, misfits static age voi vod ‘war and pain’

ROB
Jonathan was working at Gramercy Theater when Lou Reed was playing there. He had sound check and Jon was moving tables around and Lou Reed yelled at him and said something along the lines of “I’m trying to fucking sound check here” and probably called him a peon.

CHRIS
Well I’ve been called bad things by people before. Some of the people, most of em, I could give 3 fucks what they think. Sometimes, some people’s word can really sting. Even scar.

ROB
What would you do if Lou Reed said some nasty shit to you?

CHRIS
I’d tell him to go drive his BMW back to 516 and go lap up some chic with a dick. Not sure. It would be really weird to have a musician whose music I really admire diss me. Prince buster was the coolest. Pete chuck biscuits and Errie Von were cool. Townsend was cool.  So was Mick Jagger. Dez, Jerry and Rob were real cool….they spoke with me while waiting for a flight to Espana. Vinny Stigma was a real cool cat too when i met him at JFK a few times. Luckily i never had to be in that situation Jon was in. Maybe its his glasses ?

ROB
You know who is always nice, Stza of Leftover Crack.

CHRIS
Prince buster was still the friendliest. Derrick Morgan too was pretty cool. But he thought me and my friends were skinheads from London. Well he is blind.

ROB
I’m not sure you give two flying fucks about Sublime, BUT they recently came back together with a new singer to go out on tour and what not. What do you think about bands that had a huge following and a special place in peoples hearts and then they come back after breaking up?

CHRIS
If its for the money strictly, wack. Yo!SCUNT ain’t big like that. If I died I think it would be cool if Yo!Scunt continued.

ROB
Who’d be the singer? Maybe me! Nah, you cant die, you’re Chris Scunt, a superhero of hardcore punk!

CHRIS
Mike from The Straphangers(their drummer) got dibbs.

ROB
Ah ok.

CHRIS
Jay Dip would sound good. Maybe even you! Lets not talk about me dying. Just doesn’t sit well at the moment in my head.

ROB
I agree. It has been fun talking to you, but I gotta go eat some mediterranean food with my mom. Any final words?

CHRIS
my final words….

ROB
NO! not like that, you know what i meant!

CHRIS
I know. As wack as people’s nonsense can be, before you judge or burn a bridge, make sure you’re right. really 100 percent right. You could hurt yerself and someone in the process as well. And like Mr. Jimi said, ” that ain’t too cool.”  Thank you Rob for showing an interest in Yo!Scunt. Have a swellllllll day.

Photographs by people that are not me. (Rob)