Vanilla Ice: … And so, your little quote in New York magazine a couple weeks back inspired me to take you for a stroll through the mall…
abbe diaz: sigh. so sad, isn’t it? we’re all getting old…
VI: Have you seen it yet?
ad: not yet— so i appreciate the photos.
VI: And? So? Whattya think?
ad: well i did walk by on the 20th street side last week prior to the opening on friday, and i noticed what was once the former "employee entrance" is still under construction. that particular little entry foyer led up the stairs the back way to the bathrooms, and on the ground level leading off to the left side of the stairs used to be "chapel." so it would appear they’re still doing construction and aren’t quite utilizing the entire space. and that perhaps would explain why your photos make the space look so much smaller than i remember it.
anyway, it’s not like the renderings or the snazzy PR pics i’ve seen. all those looked so swanky and flashy, but this just looks kinda tacky.
VI: Oh, yeah. Having seen it with my own two eyes, I’d say "tacky" is an apt description… Does it even look familiar to you?
ad: well the overall basic structure is discernible, obviously— but i’m having a little difficulty making out which direction you’re facing. if i’m not mistaken, the arched stained glass would be the stage side of the main level aka "disco" and the big round stained glass would be the opposite end, which would have been directly behind "disco bar."
and evidently, they extended the widths of the mezzanine walkways…
VI: What do you think of the concept overall?
ad: well, from a purely practical and objective standpoint, i suppose it’s something of an astute way to generate income from a building that’s essentially obsolete otherwise. clearly, the city’s current (and likely, future) administrations would never have allowed another Limelight to exist in any way reminiscent of its former incarnation. i can’t exactly say i’m against resurrecting the space in a viably profitable way, but it’s really a shame they made no effort at all with this new venture to embody the former spirit of such a legendary entity.
the city is awash with talented (but struggling) artists, artisans, and craftsmen. to turn over the space to pretentious jellybeans and chocolate is something of a travesty.
VI: Oh, snap! They had Hunter® wellies and flipflops, too— if that’s any consolation?
ad: ha ahaa, hardly. oh but don’t mind me— i’m maybe just having bitter flashbacks or something. i mean—
MarieBelle chocolate? ugh christ. (oh haa christ… Limelight… no uhh pun intended.)
i guess what i’m trying to say is, maybe this is all striking just a little too close to home for me or something. cuz like— MarieBelle is owned/operated by maribel-lieberman, the wife of jacques-lieberman, my former commercial landlord when i once had a flagship boutique for geld-iaz. as you may or may not know, MarieBelle’s (first) store is located at 484 Broome St— all the (five) ground floor commercial spaces of which are owned by jacques-lieberman.
if it weren’t for this convenient little arrangement to which MarieBelle is uniquely privy, i’d imagine you’d be rather hard pressed to find an artisanal chocolatier who could succeed in a space with a current market value in probably the $30K+ per month range. you see my point?
i’m just sayin.
but i think what’s pissing me off even more, is that the new MarieBelle in the Limelight appears to be located in the mezzanine over what would have been "disco bar." it’s that very same mezzanine under which were once installed large spotlights to help illuminate the bar and dance floor. well, one night during work while i was bartending, one of those spotlights came loose from all the bouncing around and stomping up there, and fell down directly over me, bonking me right on the noggin. huey-morgan (currently of Fun Lovin’ Criminals) was my barback at the time, and even he couldn’t believe i didn’t pass out from the accident. i ended up with a mild concussion and aches in my neck and back for a week.
ha ha ahaa so ya know— fuck those chocolates.
VI: LOL! Huh, I think there may even be "a moral in there someplace." ‘Nuff said. Aaaand, that’s a wrap!
ad: good. i love a short interview.
• Tuesday, May 4, 2010 4:30PM – Julian Schnabel, in sarong skirt and sandals, having late lunch at Mekong.
• Thursday, May 6, 2010 4:30PM – Ron Burkle with Danny "A" Abeckaser, having late lunch at Bar Pitti.
• Friday, April 30, 2010 9:30PM – NBC Extra’s A.J. Calloway arguing his way into La Esquina.
• Wednesday, May 5, 2010 6:30PM – F&B superstar prodigal son, Pietro Pagano, having early dinner at Da Silvano.
It’s Friday, let’s dance! In keeping with New York Magazine’s upcoming article on the legendary Limelight and its impending transition into a shopping mall— PX This urges you to: WORRRK.
(If Madonna calls, I’m at "Boom Boom.")
**SQUEEEEEEEE!**
eat that, bitches!
:)
i just had to screen capture that, in case he actually reads my book and then— aha ha haa ah argh augh uggh sob!— changes his mind.
but for now: yay! yay! yippee! hooray!
FREE E-BOOKS FOR EVERYBODY!
xoxo
p.s. if you would like to join the esteemed ranks of Salman Rushdie (and Fabio Trabocchi! booooya.) and be my "fan"— or even my lamp, or even my chair or whatever
please "fan" "like" me here —> http://www.facebook.com/pages/PX-This-by-abbe-diaz/40291641324
THANK YOU ♥
Jonny Cruz performing for Heartthrobs&Friends at The Hammerstein Ballroom.
To hear more music from former F&B/Nightlife Superstar, Jonny Cruz, visit ReverbNation.
You better worrrk.
Renowned chef Philippe Chow demonstrates his technique for the world-famous chicken satay— for a ’standing room only’ crowd at Macy’s Herald Square, Thursday, April 1st.
Mmmmm, sataaay…
Aaaand, now we have to kill you.
* with special thanks to Stratis Morfogen
Jerry Rosembert – Le Projet Nouvelle Haiti
"… I really wish I could have captured more of Jerry’s graffiti. Pretty much all the graffiti here is political, and mostly all but his is text, election related. Aba means ‘down with,’ often with Preval after. The rest is vote for so-and-so or the number corresponding to the candidates number on the slate or ballot. With an 80-90% illiteracy rate, most vote by number…
Haiti needs a hand up, not a handout."
** With very special thanks to F&B superstar, Lelaine Lau.
Coming to Madison Square Garden – June 25, 2010
Aack! Reserve your PX Package today!
:)
**See also (earlier): "…HOW DID I FORGET U KNOW MAXWELL…?!!!"
SHE’S BACK, BITCHES. That is all.
Listen to the newest single by Tracey Thorn, “Oh, The Divorces!” (and other tracks from artists of Strange Feeling Records).
Just released in theatres – March 5, 2010. Yay!
Watch Brooklyn’s Finest, starring Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes and of course, NYC nightlife superstar, Wass Stevens. Check out the official trailer (see if you can spot the temporarily revamped LaEsquina!)
* See also (earlier): " DON CHEADLE and WESLEY SNIPES… at LaEsquina"
Rosario Dawson at Tuesday night BonBon hosted by Kenny Kenny and Susanne Bartsch at Juliet Supper Club.
• See also (earlier): "SPOTTED: (Volume 20)"
* With special thanks to Kenny Kenny
• Tuesday, February 9, 2010. 8:00PM – Nelly, chillin’ (and coddling babies) at the crowning of Miss AppleBottoms 2010 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.*
• Tuesday, February 23, 2010. 11:30PM – Rosario Dawson chatting with Kenny Kenny at the Tuesday night weekly Bon Bon party (hosted by Kenny Kenny and Susanne Bartsch) at Juliet Supper Club.
• Saturday, February 20, 2010. 4:30PM – Russell Brand and Katy Perry strolling down West Houston near Greene St. in SoHo.
*With special thanks to Jenise Uehara
Fashion Week is over? OMG, did I sleep through it completely?! Goddammit.
OK, so I’m a little late – shoot me. (Or pay me to blog, so I’m more punctual. Whichever!) In any case, I was supposed to post this awesome excerpt from PX This – The Revised Edition. Coming soon in the Spring of 2010
[*warning: Eats, Shoots and Ladders Leaves freaks please CLICK HERE and HERE before reading any further. then take that favorite book of yours and stick it up your ass. thank you!]
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2003. 7:01AM
… ann-demeulmeester looked taken aback, perhaps she was surprised i speak english. the assistant looked totally amused though, she snickered in her nostrils and everything.
oh but the highlight of the trip! was azzedine-alaïa again this time he fed us omelettes and salad. he is sooo cute i just want to scrunch him up and swallow him like a dumpling.
marc told mr.alaïa i made my long chocolate geld-iaz wool halter mock wrap dress— which, by the way, was so smokin, caroline the head big cheese for alaïa and some other random buyer-lady there inquired how they could buy it. and mr.alaïa flashed me a BIG SMILE and said: “ohhh ah-beeee! tres biennnn!” i tell you i could have dropped dead ecstatic right there.
then the next big highlight! was marc and i going to the RitzCarlton to meet some fancy Lady-ofSomeplace from england she was phoning and leaving messages for marc all week long asking to meet him we have no idea why.
so marc and i get there and she and her super cute 20something daughter are sitting having afternoon tea with some dude he was very sweet and funny he made jokes about KFC and krispy-creme how he can’t live without them and how he “owns one of each” because he has given them so much money.
the next thing you know he is saying oh! he is a shop owner too just like marc! he has a little boutique in london ahah haha ahahaa “have you heard of Harrods?” he asks. i mean can you fucking imagine. then here comes the maiterdee with business cards for him and the shop owner dude hands one to marc as he is scolding him for not staying at theRitz.
it was MOHAMED AL FAYED.
i mean. when did life become like this exactly can i ask you
mr.al-fayed touched me warmly on the shoulder as he stood up to leave so i concentrated really hard to suck all his luck if he suddenly gets hits by a speeding bus you’ll know why.
see. things like this you can tell peoples and i think they just wouldn’t believe you ahahahaha imagine me dropping this story on the piglets.
finally last but not least was big highlight#3 marc and i went to a dinner with the big willies from Valentino. it was at Davé and i actually got to meet davé he is the restaurateur that was in isaac-mizrahi’s Unzipped in the scene where isaac is chillin with galliano and leon.talley and they are mocking on donna-karan.
anyhoo so graziano the president of ValentinoUSA was a gigantic sweetie pie and he was in looove with me he admired my dress and told me i am “beautiful” and “elegant!” okay can we back up for a second i said the PRESIDENT of VALENTINO admired my dress. all the way from the other end of the table he halted ALL CONVERSATION to say “i’m sorry but i just haaave to ask who makes your dress?”
by the way i had the seat right next to the new head designer of Valentino he was a cutie face his name is damiano (“dum YAHno”). see i do not even know their last names. how is it even comprehensible i am on a first name basis only with a president and head designer of Valentino? i told damiano how azzedine-alaïa complimented that very same dress and if that was not the moment to be feelin oneself i tell you maybe there never is.
the only thing that ruined it was Chicken, Ferret’s wife…
***For more on this story, read PX This – The Revised Edition and PX This Too – Coming soon in the Spring of 2010***
Yup, it’s Fashion Week.
The Paradise Garage collection by Patricia Field with the Keith Haring Foundation – hosted by Susanne Bartsch and Kenny Kenny
= "personne extraordinaire"