Jon Bon Jovi to Have a Club in Stamford!

I have received a very juicy tip: Jon Bon Jovi is opening a club in Stamford at the site of the old Thirsty Turtle. Jon Bon Jovi and his partners own several high end clubs in NY, LA and Chicago, and their next will be in Stamford. I’m not sure how much free time I can procure in the next few months with this baby o’ mine, but you can bet I’m going to be stalking this club. Like, peering in the windows, asking workers when Jon is coming by… that’s the kind of stuff I do.
Anyway, I hear they are trying to open up in time for Alive at Five. That’s great news in my book. Not like we need any bigger crowds at Alive at Five, but in general, we need more people downtown. I wonder why Jon chose Stamford. Anyone?

I cannot find any info online about Jon's other clubs, so you can assume we are part of a very secret network of upscale clubs. I wonder if they'll have live music. That would be great to have a big name like Jon who could bring in quality groups.

Has anyone seen activity/renovation at the old Thirsty Turtle?

If you are new to Stamford or to this blog, last summer’s Alive at Fives were very, very fun. Very crowded, but very, very fun.
To read about past Alive at Fives, here are a few links:
--June 20, 2008-- First Alive at Five a Smashing Success
--June 18, 2008-- Stamford Alive@Five Concerts: Drunken Frat Party?

Fellow blogger Blog Stamford's posts about Alive at Five:

--June 20, 2008-- Live @ Five Open Thread
--July 22, 2008-- Alive @ Five -Ten
Click here to read more.

This Week: Music in Stamford and SoNo Arts Fest

Today, Wed: Fairfield County Happy Hour Club meets at Hula Hanks in Stamford. I love the guys that run this and I always meet nice people when I go (don't the people in this pic look nice?). I'm gonna stop by. I am dying to see what name tag I get; they always have funny ones. Also, there is music in Columbus Park tonight; I'm going to stop by that, too.
Ohhhh is that why Hula Hanks is doing 50's/Bike Night? Because the music in the park is 50's music? Nowwww I get it.

Tomorrow: I'm going to be at my 2nd FC Blogger Happy Hour at Monster B's, but Alive @ Five presents music (singer Billy Vera) in Columbus Park. Next week is the last one (Boys II Men!) so you should probably try to go to tomorrow's and next week's.

This weekend: SoNo Arts Celebration. Not only are the streets full of arts and crafts, there are two music stages. Mystic Bowie (he's my facebook friend!) is one of the opening acts on Friday at 8:30, and my real life friend Damon Grant plays at noon on Sunday. There is music throughout the whole event; see the website for a schedule of specific artists.

Related Stamford Talk posts:

--June 8, 2008-- Socializing Opps with FC Happy Hour Club

--July 10, 2008-- Mystic Bowie spotted at Monster B's?

--June 20, 2008-- First Alive at Five a Smashing Success

-- June 18, 2008-- Stamford Alive@Five Concerts: Drunken Frat Party? Click here to read more.

Alive @ Five Closes @ 9pm Due to Last Week's Violence

Quick reminder if you are heading out to Alive @ Five tonight: Due to fights between Stamford teens after last week's concert ended, SDSSD is trying out the tactic of emptying Columbus Park after the concert. This sign says that no one can enter the concert area after 9pm. I don't remember if the concerts usually end by that time, but I guess if you're in the park already, the concert can continue until 9:30 or whenever. I'm not sure if the solution will work, but if you read comments from Advocate readers, you'll see that the situation got pretty scary.
Thanks to the reader who sent me this photo from the show tonight!
Here are quotes from articles about the violence and tonight's solution:

From 7/21 Advocate, "Police to discuss Alive @ 5 brawls" by Jeff Morganteen:
Cooney said several fights broke out after Thursday's concert as youths from the city's West and East sides confronted one other in Columbus Park... Police arrested seven people in Thursday's altercations, and three officers were injured, Cooney said.

From 7/23 Advocate, "Columbus Park will close after Alive @ Five concert," Morganteen (this is the article with the interesting comments):
After discussions in the wake of last Thursday's Eve 6 concert, Stamford police officials and event organizers agreed to close Columbus Park from 9 to 11 p.m. after the show. Concertgoers, especially young music fans, said they were disappointed by the new policy... Jesse Arrico, 19, lamented the move because it would leave under-21 concertgoers with no place to go after the concerts. A greater police presence should be enough to correct the problem, he said... Police and concert organizers closed the park temporarily after last week's Eve 6 show. Many altercations between police and pedestrians occur after the music ends, usually at about 8:45 p.m., police and organizers said. "Most of the people who are the source of the trouble don't come for the concert," police spokesman Lt. Sean Cooney said. "They come after. We're trying to discourage that."

Blog Stamford also has an interesting post up about the subject in which he proposes some other solutions.

Click here to read my previous post about Alive at Five that links to my photos of the event. Click here to read more.

Ladies: Let's Kick Some Butt at Trivia This Week

Open invite! Everyone is invited to come play trivia at Tigin tomorrow, but my team is going to be all women, so guys will form their own teams. In the comments of last week’s trivia post, Blog Stamford bravely said: Girls aren't very good at trivia. Even on the rounds where they should be cleaning up, like the celebrity picture round, they struggle. Guys retain useless info, women remember birthdays, anniversaries, etc. I just don't agree with that, so I am putting together a girls’ team for tomorrow night.

Do I think we can win the whole shebang? Probably not.
Do I think we can beat Blog Stamford's team? Yes.

If there is a smidgen of truth in BS's idea that women aren't good at trivia, it's not the useless info itself, but the subjects of the info. It's on topics that guys care about, like baseball and boxing.

Baseball: I grew up in Va., so the Baltimore Orioles were the closest team; no one cared about them. We followed the Redskins and got to watch a spectacular Super Bowl with Doug Williams.
Boxing: I know about the Rumble in the Jungle, and the Thrilla in Manila, but I don't know who the boxers were, except maybe Muhummad Ali (OK, I just went and read about them on Wikipedia).

So, "trivia" usually means "questions that lean toward guy stuff," like that stupid pirate round from last spring! Bluebeard, Blackbeard, whatever. And movies. Women don't really sit around watching movies with friends. When we do, it's not the movies that trivia asks about.

I do think women do have an equal shot at the history and geography stuff, and I am determined to have a good showing on Tuesday. I've already got two people on board. Oh wait- three! I believe Mrs. Z. is on board. And she knows about baseball.

Now, if you are a loyal Stamford Talk male reader, don't join Blog Stamford's team. No offense to Blog Stamford, but some extremely smart men read this blog, and I don't want you to tip the balance to his team. You should be on your own team, with my friends who played last week, plus Mr. Z., and you will probably beat everyone. So start rounding up your men, men, and ladies, email me if you want to play.

When someone says something about girls, I always fight back (unless it’s true).

Scene from high school:
Jason (classmate who later plays volleyball for Hawaii and in a pro league in Europe): I can beat any girl at any sport.
Me: You can’t beat me at tennis.
J: Yes I can.
Me: Jason, you don’t even play, and I’m pretty good.
J: It doesn’t matter. I can beat you with my pure athletic ability.

So we played, and I beat him, with no huge effort. He insisted on a rematch- I do love his spirit- and I beat him again. Man, high school was fun. I also remember a boys vs. girls food war during cross-country practice. Click here to read more.

Reggae at Monster B's Was Good

I managed to catch the beginning of Monster B's Reggae Night with Timmy Love and Reflex Band. When the keyboard started, it felt like I was on a tropical island. On the next nice Sunday evening, I suggest you attend, get yourself a fruity (but strong) drink, and relax.

The music was supposed to be from 5-9, but I arrived at 8 and it was just starting. I don't like it when things start late, but I'm wondering if this band had to fill in last minute. They weren't listed for tonight on Monster B's page, but they are listed for several more upcoming gigs. That's what I choose to believe, since the band seemed cool, competent and not the type to stand people up.

Anyway. There was a mellow crowd on the deck- perhaps a bit too mellow. "This is a party... not a show. Dance if you want!" Timmy said. That is the right attitude. Get your butts out and dance, people. Not that many people were smoking, so you could probably even bring your (mellow) kids.

Related Stamford Talk Posts:
--July 10, 2008--Mystic Bowie Spotted at Monster B's?
Click here to read more.

Trivia at Tigin: Why Weren't You There?

All the cool kids were at Tigin’s trivia last night. My guy friends, two-time defending champs, hunkered down in their corner. Blog Stamford and Vin from Fairfield County Happy Hour Club were on a team out front. I played with two other local bloggers and two college friends who I hadn't seen in 10 years. They just moved here from the city; I am hoping my hobby of hunting down the good stuff in Stamford will ease their transition. They loved the trivia and are damn good at it, so I fully expect us to kick heinie next week. Our team, the Drunken Llamas, did quite well. My guy friends, who are a coworker's husband and his coworkers, didn't win tonight, but they only beat us by two points.

I like trivia because I'm competitive, and I like it when adults get enthusiastic about silly things. It's so funny to hear, at the announcement of the answer, "Annnnnnnnd the name of Hermione Granger's cat with the smushed up face?.... Crookshanks!" the roars of happiness and screams of dismay coming from various parts of the bar. I like games that involve shouting. I hate quiet games like Scrabble and poker with serious people who don’t like to trash-talk and bluff over-dramatically.

As usual, most of Tigin was full of men. I adore men, but I'm not OK with that. I'm married, so these men are useless to me. I'm looking for fun, and women are a lot more fun than men, so I need more women to come to trivia. Women keep the social atmosphere flowing; we're the talkers. As I've said before on this blog, men need us.

I'd assert that the lack of women at trivia, and even the lack of a huge crowd last night, is an example of how we are not making the most of this city. For years, I was so bored here. I should have been out at Trivia. Although, maybe then I wouldn't have met my husband, and I don't want to change that, so I'm fine with my lonely, single years.

I was disappointed that the Trivia Girls weren’t there last night. I met the three of them a few weeks ago when I wandered through Tigin, sat down with their team, and gave them a wrong answer. They were so friendly, and they trash-talk like champs. They are girly-girls, too, and I love girly-girls. I bet they watch the show Gossip Girl like I do. I hope they are at Trivia next week.

Related Stamford Talk posts:
--June 8, 2008--Socializing Opps with FC Happy Hour Club
--March 9, 2008-- Trivia at Tigin: Stamford’s Hot Tuesday Ticket
--February 20, 2008--Gordon Ramsay, Trivia: Stamford Rocks the FC
--January 18, 2008--Stamford's Single Women: Where Are You?
--August 29, 2007-- It's Easy to Meet People on Tuesday Click here to read more.

Mystic Bowie spotted at Monster B's?

I totally should have said hi to the guy with dreads at Monster B's. He was sitting on the patio when I was there randomly this Tuesday. I thought it was Mystic Bowie, but I wasn't sure; this guy looked younger than I expected. Also, I didn't want to look like a groupie, because I've never seen him play. If I said, "Are you Mystic Bowie?" all I'd be able to follow it up with would be, "I've seen your picture in the paper." Bo-ring!
Ugh. I should've said hi. I was tired, and not in the mood to try to be interesting, but now I regret it. Dammit. I also wasn't dressed that cutely, so... anyway, Mystic Bowie plays at Fairfield Theatre tonight.
***** Oh my god, that probably was Mystic Bowie! I just looked at his tour dates, and he's got several at Monster B's, including one on Sept 21: "Reggae Sunday Afternoon on the Deck." That sounds amazing.

Let's hope for great weather, but the indoor space at Monster B's is huge, so no worries. This event is SO already on my calendar and nothing is stopping me from going to it.

Monster B's
489 Glenbrook Rd
Stamford, CT
www.monsterbsbarandgrille.com

So, Mystic Bowie is from Jamaica. His website has an impressive bio, and you can hear samples of his music on his myspace page. I like "Sixteen Dimples."

Here's a description about the Fairfield Theatre show tonight: Mystic Bowie performs with a band of New Orleans natives. The result is music with a diverse mix of ethnic, geographic and musical roots, combining funk, jazz and rock with rich Caribbean traditions to create music with a hard-rocking, deeply funky reggae sound. Additionally since 1992, Mystic has delighted audiences around the world as the lead vocalist for the Tom Tom Club, a musical collaboration featuring Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz of Talking Heads.

Monster B's is a nice bar. Excellent sound system, two pool tables, darts, extensive outdoor seating, good food. Check it out if you haven't been yet. They also have live music Thurs-Sun! They are making one of my dreams a reality: live music in Stamford! Click here to read more.

First Alive at Five a Smashing Success

"Guys, I saw a snapping turtle today, and it was spectacular." -me to my dining companions after Alive at Five.

AAF was soooo crowded, but in a good way. No one was stumbling-drunk until 8:30. People were patient and didn't mind other people bumping into them. Goooooo Alive at Five, you were great!

I got there at 4:45-ish. I met old friends- from 5 years ago- and new friends- from 2 days ago- hey, Trivia Girls! Music was good, glasses of white wine were full, and the crowd was motley. Verdict: not like a frat party. Please see more pics at my flickr gallery.

My friends got claustrophobic and left around 7:30, but I think they were just tired. I personally did not mind rubbing up against a bunch of strangers. In fact, I loved it.

About the snapping turtle. You may recall I saved an unsavable turtle last weekend. Well, yesterday on the way home from work, I saw a creature scuttling across the road. I realized he was a large turtle- imagine the size of a large cat- so I pulled over to make sure he made it. By then, the turtle was across, and a Direct TV guy had pulled over and was taking a pic of the turtle with his camera phone. I jogged over to get a good look at the turtle with his badass jagged shell, then I went home to get ready for AAF.

Oh- the bad news- walking to Morton’s for a burger after AAF, I saw some Lacoste-wearing punk push over a human statue! I reported it to the UBS biking security guard, who said, "Thanks- it should be on camera.” Yeah, Stamford, with your fancy businesses and their fancy cameras!

Turns out Morton’s does not have burgers, so go to Napa for your fancy burgers. After apps and salad, the statue of the hula-hooping girl was back up.

You know, and this is just a thought, maybe it's not safe to have small children around those statues. Can you imagine if a statue fell over and a kid got smushed between the statue and a concrete sidewalk? Consider yourself warned, people. Click here to read more.

Socializing Opps with FC Happy Hour Club

If you are someone who complains that it's hard to meet people in Stamford, you need to shut your yap and come to a Fairfield County Happy Hour Club event. I went last Thursday night to its happy hour at SBC and it was really fun.
Three friends and I saw Sex and the City at the Majestic, then walked over to SBC. From a movie theatre full of women to a bar full of men? Sounds good to me. Actually, FCHHC draws plenty of women, which makes sense, because what single woman would avoid a crowd of cute men? Not me, and I'm not even single!

Two very cool guys, Vin and Travis, run the club. Their chill attitudes are ideal. FCHHC events are relaxed and friendly. I think it's the magic of the nametags. Not only are they how you get the drink deals, many have funny sayings, so they are conversation starters. My tag said, "And I even read the blog," another guy's said, "Nanny Hunter," and my friend's said, "I'm new." Two people- two!- introduced themselves to me. That is a freakin' record from my ten years up here. I even got to meet Blog Stamford in person and we had dorky blog chat.

After that, my husband met up with us girls, and we walked downtown to do some "Stamford Talk Research." First, we checked out g/r/a/n/d. It was a little slow, but on the way out, a woman kicked me in the thigh with a dramatic spin move while talking to her friends. That was exciting, and it didn't hurt. You've got to love it when you get randomly round-house kicked and come out unscathed. As for the other bars, Twenty was medium slow, Black Bear was hopping, and Thirsty Turtle was having a big event. That was 11:15 pm ish. I was proud to see so many Stamford-ites out on Thursday night, but still, I think more of us could be out.

I also caught the first part of the FCHHC pub crawl yesterday (Saturday) afternoon. It looked like it was going to be a great day, but I had to cut out early at 430 pm to go to a bachelorette party at Mohegan Sun. Again, people were very friendly; even other women talked to me. Does that ever happen in the FC? No. Usually women ignore each other, but FCHHC is different. There is a happy hour every Thursday, but this week's location has yet to be announced. Check the website for info! Click here to read more.

Music at Monster B's Tonight! UPDATE: I Went and It Was Good, But Now the Durkins' Gig is Over

Original Post, 6:30 pm: And I know for a fact that Stamford Talk will be there 915-1015. She has a 10:30 curfew, but has been inspired by Blog Stamford's vow to visit all of Stamford's bars by Labor Day... Jen Durkin is playing and I hear her band is very good!

Update, 10:57 pm. Ha ha! That was me laughing at the fact that I sat alone for an hour at the bar. If you were one of the people who rejected me, no worries. I got to talk to the band, plus I like to test myself occasionally to see how I do alone in public places. No, seriously, I do! I did OK this time. Not the best, because I didn't work my magic and make new best friends, but I did get some good face time with some (husband, earmuffs!) cute musicians.

Unfortunately, this was the Durkins (Jen is the lead singer, John the drummer, they're siblings) and Friends last night gigging at Monster B's. However, Johnny's band the Cosmic Jibaros (that's them on the right) are at Two Boots in Bridgeport this Sat, May 21. From the Fairfield Weekly site: "Local cross-cultural legends the Cosmic Jibaros combine the intensity of rock and roll with an infectious Latin beat. This nine-piece Bridgeport band prides itself on the groove, and almost half the group plays some sort of percussion instrument including Deep Banana Blackout drummer Johnny Durkin. Lead guitarist Darien Cunning adds jazz and soul to the mix without overpowering the vocals of frontman Ricardo Reyes. He sings his politically charged lyrics, primarily in Spanish, to an audience that's usually nothing if not entranced. Two Boots, 277 Fairfield Ave., Bridgeport. 9 p.m. $5. (203) 331-1377. www.twoboots.com."

So, we're back on the hunt for good live music in Stamford, and I don't mean cover bands. I don't want to hear songs I can sing along with. I just want to listen and appreciate. Tonight at Monster B's, Jen and Johnny had 5 others playing with them, including Rich Zirkowksi, bassist, and Darien Cunning, guitar. The music was really good and I hated to leave. The band started a little late, maybe 10:15, so I did not get to hear much before I left at 10:34. Not a bad night overall! The Blueberry Blue Point beer was tasty. Click here to read more.

Fairfield County Happy Hour at Monster B's

I am very curious about Monster B's. I meant to post about it on Stamford Talk, but I think I only posted about it at Chow. It's a new Stamford bar that I know nothing about, but I think it might have good music. Tonight (Thursday May 8) at 7pm, the Fairfield County Happy Hour Club is getting together there for what I am sure will be a total flirting drunk-fest. (That's the impression I get from the pics on their website.) I can't go because I'm sick, but you all should go and report back to me.

Here's what I know so far about Monster B's:

From the looks of the site, they DO have good music. Jen Durkin (Wednesdays) is well known and her friends are talented... Thurs is open Mike, and they have music Friday and Saturday. AND, I bet they have free parking. I can't picture where the place is, but I'm sure I can find it.

That's a pretty bold move to face off with Jimmy's Seaside's- I mean, Seaside Tavern's- Wed. Open Mic! Click here to read more.

The New Seaside Tavern (The Old Jimmy's!)

Last Wednesday, I forced my husband to go on a "Stamford Talk Adventure." First we cruised Cove Beach and took this pic of the boat dock, where anyone who wants to can drive their car straight into Long Island Sound. Go for it!
Then, we checked out Seaside Tavern, the new name of Jimmy's Seaside. Jimmy's is/was best known as one of Stamford's few live music venues. The new owners plan to continue the live music and place more emphasis on the food. I, personally, am not rushing to go try food at a place that is not known for its food, but please, if you have, post a review. I do hope the music continues, because the place can get pleasantly hot and crowded when a good band is playing.

When I was there last week, Seaside seemed just like Jimmy's. The house jam band was setting up for open mic, a yuppie-ish after work crew was wrapping up its happy hour, and some un-yuppies were playing pool. Jimmy's- I mean, Seaside Tavern- is a good place to go for a beer without feeling like you need to impress anyone. Its myspace page has the menu and a list of upcoming bands. There are also loads of pictures from the Seaside Tavern opening night party that are worth a gander.

Related Stamford Talk post:
Sept 2007: Hallelujah: Open Jam on Wednesday Click here to read more.

Weekend Planning: Yours, with the Fairfield Weekly

I tell ya, the Fairfield Weekly is where you need to go to plan your weekend. It's the most efficient way to find great events and the best resource for the local music scene.

I check the Weekly every Thursday. During the dark days when I first lived in Stamford, it was my lifeline to music, culture and creativity- the young kind. The FW led me to Green's, which led me to good music and all sorts of other things that are better off forgotten.

Scroll down a little bit to the "Leisure" tab on the right-hand side, and click on "7 Days: The Week That Is." The feature lists the top entertainment choice for each day of the week, which might be a lecture, concert, art show, or... any type of event you can think of that is legal. The wide variety of events means that you aren't only reading about things that cost 50 bucks, like tickets to shows at SCA. Click here to read more.

Steak, Pool, and Excess at Dunn's Loft

Last Saturday I finally played pool at Dunn's Loft. In a previous post, I wrote,
The pool table is in great shape, maybe because Dunn’s Loft is very new and very upscale. Rather than sloppy young drunks in baseball caps, I picture nicely-dressed 30 year old couples- not married!- playing in a self-assured yet subtly flirtatious way.
Well darned if that wasn't me, except I'm married, and so was the other couple we played with. I had way too much fun. The drinks do seem to flow at Dunn's, so take it easy. Those cosmos ain't small, people.

The bar is a good place to sit and listen to Vinnie Ferrone, the guitarist who plays on the weekend. He did some Tom Petty covers that were great. I've actually got a big crush on Tom Petty due to his days in the Traveling Wilburys. That was 1988, but whatever.

Related posts:

--Stamford Steak Awards 2008- March

--Stamford Restaurant: Dunn’s Loft... Steak!- January 2008 Click here to read more.

Singer Songwriters in Greenwich!

Cooooolio.
Thataway, I am impressed.
One of the reasons I started Stamford Talk was my dismay at the lack of local music. Well, Thataway Cafe's Songwriter's Den is not in Stamford, but Greenwich Avenue is close enough. Every Thursday the restaurant has a singer/songwriter perform at 8:30. From the website, it doesn't look like it's the 'one depressing person with a guitar' type of music. The Fairfield Weekly featured tonight's songwriter in their weekly event roundup, and it sounds awesome.

Here's text from Thataway's site. Thataway, you rock, and your food is pretty well-priced. And, your burgers are good. And, I like your waitstaff.

The Songwriter's Den is a new music venue happening every Thursday Night at Thataway Cafe in Greenwich, CT. A home for Singer/ Songwriter's where they can present their own original material in a warm artist friendly setting.

Since its inception in November of 2006 it has been gaining momentum with strong performances and some of the best singer songwriter's on the circuit.

Come on by to Thataway Cafe located at 409 Greenwich Ave on a Thursday night. Have a dinner and enjoy a night of great music!

Performing Artist Schedule: April-June

* 4.03.08
Marc Douglas Berardo with Teresa Storch and Chuck E Costa
* 4.10.08
John Cain and Joe Meo
* 4.17.08
Marc Von Em and KJ Denhert
* 4.24.08
Jay Mankita and Artie Tobia
* 5.01.08
Songwriter's Den Montgomery Delaney and Rick Snyder
* 5.22.08
Trina Hamlin
* 5.23.08 - (Saturday night)
John Cain and The Blues Buster's with "Young Blood" RJ.
* 5.29.08
Jenny Goodspeed
* 6.23.08
Blues Busters

I probably can't go because it's the season premiere of Battlestar Galactica, but I haven't finished season 3, so you never know what will happen in my household tonight. I know Battlestar Galactica sounds dorky, but if I like it, it has to be OK, because I hate everything. BG is kind of like Lost, because so far we only know who a few of the cylons are, so the suspense is, who are the other cylons posing as humans?

Related Stamford Talk posts:
--Cold Stamford: No Love for the Music?- September 3, 2007

--Mystery, Power: Stamford and the Island of Lost- March 4, 2008


Click here to read more.

Trivia at Tigin: Stamford’s Hot Tuesday Ticket

Pub trivia has the virtue of pairing drinking with a somewhat cerebral activity: answering random questions like “which movie beat out Flight of the Hookiepoo in 1938 for Best Film in the Academy Awards.”

I really like the atmosphere of Tigin’s Trivia. Before round one, people run around finding a spot for their team and doing some pre-game trivia trash talking. Some people take that time to ask strangers if they can join their team. Usually people say yes, so gussy yourself up and go make some friends. I did that a few weeks ago and I have this fabulous Nigerian Pancakes team photo to show for it. I’m not in the photo, because I have to maintain my anonymity so Stamford Talk is not vulnerable to outside influences like bribery and blackmail.

During the rounds, of which there are 7, moderators read questions over the loudspeaker. Groups of young adults and middle-aged people, maybe 60 % men, huddle around tables scribbling answers in the booklets. Some rounds are easier than others. The pirate round was a low point for my team, and the "what novels are these first lines from" kicked my English major butt.

A couple people were taken aback that this wasn’t electronic trivia and thought pencil-paper trivia was inefficient and too open to eavesdropping and cheating. Free WiFi on Bedford St.! I agree it’s inefficient, but it’s fun to run your answer sheet upstairs to the graders. You only get 5 minutes after the questions are read to answer them, so it feels like a leg of Amazing Race as you sweep by the other competitors to make sure you’re in line to hand in your sheet in a timely fashion. Don’t worry about cheating. Teams are seated close to each other, and cell phones aren’t allowed out. I’ve seen a hand-held device out once or twice, but those people were looked like they were just texting.

Caveat for the prim and proper: every trivia team picks a name, and some names are beyond sexually suggestive. I’m actually surprised that a public establishment would broadcast them loud and clear, but I love the fact that we have a safe place to be obscene in a good-natured way. I’m sure the moderators have the good sense to censor anything really bad. They clearly relish reading out team scores after each round, and the whole pub gets a good chuckle at the most ridiculous names.

If you want to try Trivia at Tigin soon, I’d go this Tuesday the 11th rather than next Tuesday the 18th. That’s the day after St. Patty’s Day, and I can’t even imagine what the place is going to look like. Head over at 7pm to get a good spot for the 8:30 start time. The place has been jam-packed all three times I've competed.

Related Stamford Talk post:
August 29, 2007: It's Easy to Meet People on Tuesday

Click here to read more.

Gordon Ramsay, Trivia: Stamford Rocks the FC

I had so much fun last night that I’m not even sure what to say. I’ll keep it brief for now. Doing Kitchen Nightmares was entertaining and awkward. I met Gordon Ramsay. He is a big, good-looking man.
After dinner I was pumped up on fame and adrenaline, so I talked my husband into “just one drink” at Tigin. Well... I joined a trivia team, recruited some more strangers, and we had a blast. I have no idea why this many people are out on a Tuesday, but it was a thrilling sight.

This morning I woke up and went out to get milk and coffee. It’s a beautiful sunny day. The cops were at Liz Sue Bagels (rumored to be the best bagels in Stamford), my convenience store owner was friendly, I held the door for a man, and I thought to myself, It’s going to be a fantastic day. We’ve got film shorts at the Avon tonight, a lunar eclipse, and I’m doing lunch with a friend at Duo. I’m happy bordering on ecstatic.

I also had lunch at Fin 2 yesterday, knocking one more restaurant off my “eat at every single restaurant in Stamford” list. The food was excellent, the freshest I’ve had in this town except Duo. Yup, Stamford continues to offer us many, many ways to enjoy life.

I know I'm being insanely positive (actually Gordon Ramsay commented that I was a very positive person) but I only have good things to say about yesterday. Even the Marshall's/Bed Bath parking lot was tolerable, and I noticed cars letting pedestrians pass more willingly than usual.

More details on Trivia and Kitchen Nightmares later today and tomorrow, because I have a lot to say about both. Click here to read more.

Stamford Events Feb. 14-18: Movies!

Happy Valentine's Day, I've got strep! No romantic dinner for me, but report back if you go somewhere nice. I'm not bitter.

Entertainment suggestions this weekend and next week:
Today, Thursday: If you're single, go to SBC Brewery on Summer St. for some Valentine's Day karaoke. Why the hell not? Or, go there after your V-Day dinner. I called them; karaoke is on. TiVo Lost and go out tonight.
Saturday: Two fun Oscar-nominated films at the Avon. I'm going to both. Sweeney Todd at 9:30a.m. and Into The Wild at 11:30 a.m.

Wednesday the 20th is a big day in Stamford. We have the eclipse at 8pm at the Stamford Museum and Nature Center. We also have the Academy Nominated Shorts Program at 6:15pm at the Avon. Animated Shorts are at 6:15 p.m. and Live Action Shorts are at 8 p.m. I am so going to that.

More from this weekend:
There’s a play at Stamford Theatre Works that I’ve heard good things about. It plays through Feb. 17. It’s a mystery/drama called Bee-Luther-Hatchee Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.; matinees Saturdays at 4 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets $25 -$43.

Not in Stamford:
Friday Feb. 15: Regina A. Quick Center, Fairfield University, Fairfield. 254-4010.: "Mardi Gras Celebration" with singer/pianist Marcia Ball and Grammy-winning BeauSoleil, Avec Michael Doucet; 8 p.m.; $35, $40.

Sunday Feb. 17: Ridgefield Playhouse, 80 East Ridge Ave., Ridgefield. 438-5795.. Buckwheat Zydeco 8 p.m., $58.

For a full account of this weekend’s and early next week’s events, check out my google calendar or visit the Stamford Times or Advocate. Enjoy, have fun, enjoy our sparkling city. If it’s nice, walk down Bedford, probably the prettiest city-scene in Stamford.

The Stamford Times has Stamford highlights and the Fairfield County Calendar. It also has a list of some of the library's events.

I'm not giving you the Advocate's link, because if you go to the site, you will never find the events calendar. Go ahead. You go look. Don't look under "entertainment" or "calendar." It's not there. I actually called the Advocate last summer to ask where the calendar is, and I was informed I'd find it if I typed in "weekend happenings" in their search form. Oh, how intuitive. Who wouldn't guess they should try that? Hm... how about you just give me a link that says "Weekend events?" Rrrrr!

Ahhhhhhhrrrrrrrrr! I just went back to the Advocate to give it one more chance, thinking, "maybe it's under this other calendar tab..." No. No, it's not. I don't mean to complain, but affronts to basic organization and communication principles bother me.



Click here to read more.

Stamford Calendar of Events

I'm continuing to keep the calendar to the right updated, culling through local websites so you don't have to! I don't put every single event up, just the ones I find appealing or ones I think will appeal to many people. If you think I have missed something, please email stamfordtalk at gmail.

I don't include meetup.com events on my Stamford calendar, but that's really where you should go if you are looking for fun activities in Stamford!

I don't have ongoing events listed, like Tuesday's Trivia at Tigin, because I don't want to jam up the calendar. I'm debating making a separate calendar for ongoing events, but for now, I'll add the Trivia to the Events calendar since it's the only ongoing activity besides karaoke that's worth going to on a weeknight.
Online sources I use are the Stamford Times, Stamford Advocate, Fairfield Weekly, Stamford Museum and Nature Center, Avon Theatre, Yahoo events, um.... I think that's it! Click here to read more.

The Best Way to Meet People in Stamford!

I’ll be honest with you. The only way I have ever met people in Stamford is through meetup.com. I do have one friend from my gym, and I’ve had some nice roommates, but Stamford did not deliver on the friendship front until I went onto meetup.com.

I now have friends from my meetup.com book club, but there are dozens of local meetup groups you can try. Here are some interesting ones:

• The Stamford Movie Fans Meetup Group
• Darien lovers of South American food
• Karaoke Lovers of CT
• The Stamford Scrabble Meetup Group
• Fairfield County Board Games (meets up this Tues at 6)
• Fairfield County Wingmen (I would think this group is a joke, except that I have randomly met the organizer, and he was very friendly. I’m not sure I’d use him as my wingman, though, as his exuberant personality might be a bit of a scene-stealer.)

• The Fairfield County Couples Going out Group
• Southwestern Connecticut Fun and Games Meet Up Group
• STAMFORD DINING & ACTIVITIES Meetup Group
• Stamford Social, Single & New in Town 20's to 40's Meetup
• The 35-45 Single Women's Weekend Meetup Group
• The Fairfield County Pug Meetup Group

Obviously, there are all kinds of people around here wanting to have fun. You should try one, or even start your own meetup.

Meetup now charges organizers a monthly fee of $19, or $228 per year. Annoying, but it cuts down on junk groups so the site isn't swamped with dead groups. Usually group members help the organizer with a 1 $ donation at each meeting.

Check out Wikipedia for a history of meetup.com. Click here to read more.