As it turns to the dogdays of Summer, things are heating up for the Yankees. Shame it's not on the field of play, but being waged on Twitter. In case you missed it, following a tweet saying his doctor cleared him to play baseball, A-Twit caught the wrath of Yankee GM, Brian Cashman, who told him through on the record comments, to "shut the fuck up."

Of course what he really wants to say is, "shut the fuck up, and go away and never come back," but that would be improper for the face of a professional baseball team. Yeah. Right. The Bombers miss George Steinbrenner more and more each day.

But at least the anemically equipped Yankee offense comes to Minneapolis next week for four games which usually spells three wins for the visiting team from New York. I should get to see two of them live and in person, Hope to miss the loss.

****************

Wednesday night at Kingman Studios in The Nordeast, I finally got to read some of the stories (okay-- the same three stories, but if you hadn't heard them yet, then they're new to you) from my book, "A Rose by any Other Name," to my friends here in Minneapolis. I was joined on the stage by Jamez Smith, who read poems from a collection he had written quite some time ago, lost the manuscript in a house-fire and then, very recently, was re-united with a copy of the original material.

And while I don't ever expect to be re-united with the novel that was lost when my laptop got stolen in Brooklyn a few years back, I almost got to screen the video that was cut from master tapes that the original editor had lost for years. So, yes, I added a "lost & found" theme to the previously-stated one of "relationships," but Jamez rolled with it.

The room was filled and it was a good way to spend the early part of a Wednesday night in the Twin Cities. 

And as of last night, Jamez and I have lined up a follow-up night for two weeks from today at the Blue Nile. The scheme is to create more of the "Modern Campfire" vibe and bring in some live music interspersed between my stories and Jamez's poem. So you read this first: consider it an early press release.

Enjoy the weekend; read a book. Read this book. (It's mine if you were wondering)

Thanks

B.

Well, I'm feeling okay over the fact that I have the book tour to distract me from what's been going on in the Bronx and wherever else, the New York Yankees drag their anemic offense this month. But, we'll get back to that after this paid endorsement from "A Rose by any Other Name."

After starting in Wisconsin, and following an appearance in St. Paul and the tour legs in Los Angeles and New York City, I am finally presenting Rose as the "home team." Wednesday, June 26th will be my Minneapolis debut. I am lining up some supporting artists for the event to be held in an art studio in the Nordeast section of Minneapolis.

Details for the event can be found right here and there will be some more upcoming news on other Twin Cities events in July before I drag this pony out to the Bay Area for some appearances in early August. Or, at least, that's the scheme.

There's a benefit this evening here in the 612 for a dear friend who aided me with the Rose IndieGoGo campaign who is fighting *(@&(#&ing cancer. So in honor of that I will throwing 50% of the $14 purchase price of Rose into the kitty for Reverend Zed. Paypal me at 26tales@gmail.com for ordering and shipping info. Thanks!

So, the Yankees...

All that went right through April and parts of May have gone the way of the beta-player since then. The plan to have the castoffs hold down the fort til the regulars came back from the disabled list actually worked for a while especially when Vernon Wells, Travis Hafner and Lyle Overbay were playing/hitting like it was Turn Back the Clock Night, err, Month. But Wells lovely start has grown colder than __________ (as it's finally Summer I am loathe to even think of something actually that cold) and no one has really picked up the slack offensively.

And then there's the guys returning from the DL. Curtis Granderson came back, got hit again and went right back to the DL for an extended time. Mark Texeira came back, hit some big dingers and then the wrist flared up again and he, too, is back on the DL -- perhaps requiring surgery.

Surgery, you say? Youkilis,we hardly knew ya' -- maybe that big mouth was right about you -- but also: came back, re-injured his balky back and looks like his recovery may take him to the end of the year and to end of his career in pinstripes. Yes, yes. We know A-Rod is taking swings, but I'd almost field a blank spot at the hot corner than see ol' #13 dragging his sorry ass out there at first pitch.

Jeter and Cervelli and even Nunez could be back soon which will help, but the team from the Bronx needs some bombers and unless Granderson and Tex can come back and provide that? Well, there's always the book tour...

I am looking forward to finally getting to see Michael Pineda pitch for the Yankees. Shoulder surgery recovery notwithstanding, there's now the mentions of his proclivity toward giving up fly balls which, much like we now know with Phil Hughes, doesn't necessarily play well in Yankee Stadium. Still- I want to see him throw.

Go read a book. This one here.

Thanks,
Brian

Well, there's nothing like making your New York City debut in the midst of the first tropical storm of the year (Andrea, if you're wondering) but that's what Friday, June 7th was for me and "A Rose by any Other Name." Curated by Neke Carson and Michael Wiener and hosted by the lovely staff at the Dixon Place, Darren Gaines and I brought "To Begin Again: A Modern Campfire" to life despite the torrential downpour.

The program opened with the world premiere screening of our long-in-the-works (after the original editor lost the master tapes for a couple years) music video for the song "To Begin Again" and then Darren read the first set of excerpts from his book, "Billboards."

Tag-teaming our performances, I interspersed three of the tales from Rose -- Last Paige, Mustang Sally and The Cross of Lorraine -- with a song from Darren as well as some more book-excerpts. Having debuted the format in Los Angeles the previous month, it's something I will try to replicate in each city I visit with Rose. It's been fantastic sharing the stage with friend/performers so San Francisco friends, drop me a line if you wanted to join me on the next leg.

Sunday, June 10th was the second and last NY appearance and for this one, I attempted to do what I had done in Los Angeles at the Bronson Bar -- a more casual reading spread out over the course of the late afternoon. But, making my Brooklyn debut at the Commonwealth Bar, I added a new wrinkle: food by my brother, Andy, who was aided and abetted by my nephew, Chase.

Despite combating noisy, 20-something, Sunday-afternoon drinkers and motorcycles in Brooklyn, this event was well received as well. Andy sold out - and then some - on his crazy cheesy concoctions. I read Last Paige and The Cross of Lorraine again, but added Zora, the Last Girl and Gabby & the New Boy to the set.

Others seemed more concerned with the talking (and there were some "talkings to") than many of the guests, but I figured I was the interloper. People who were already enjoining their drinks and the return of the sunshine in the backyard of the bar didn't know they were attending a book reading. I just spoke louder; see the neck veins popping?

And it felt really good to read to a more "hostile" crowd and to sell some books to random people as opposed to just preaching to the converted. As with the Dixon Place on Friday, return invites for all involved were quickly forthcoming so who knows? Maybe there will be a second NYC appearance at some point.

If you want to purchase a copy of "Rose" and I am not scheduled to come to your town it's available via Amazon (just sold my 1st copy to Japan!) and Kindle, but it's best for the author if you purchase it here.

I also have some promotional Rose t-shirts and tank-tops available. Want to sport the pink and support Rose? Drop me a line and we can make that happen. Here's the very lovely and talented Liliana from the Dixon Place modeling the tank-top.

Thanks for the support: NYC!

Here's an unsolicited review from the Dixon Place show and a recent review on Amazon:

It was a blast. Brian's servings of delicious black humor by comparison makes others look like so many shades of gray. Format was great, too, almost a variety hour, with music and poetry readings. - Daniel O'Brien

5.0 out of 5 stars umm yes June 5, 2013

By Emily S

Format:Kindle Edition

This book is getting me all hot and bothered and wishing I was getting laid. Nice job author!
Really great writing on specific moments and life events we can all relate to.

Thanks everyone!

Brian

The above still photo is a frame for the music video I shot & directed for the song "To Begin Again" by Darren Gaines & The Key Party. The world premiere of this video - 6 years in the making (long story) - will be this coming Friday night in New York City as part of the next leg of my book tour for "A Rose by any Other Name."

Here are the details for the night:

Dixon Place Presents

To Begin Again: A Modern Campfire  -- 7:30PM sharp

A music video collaboration between Brian Mazo and Darren Gaines - “To Begin Again” - will introduce Gaines reading vignettes from his forthcoming novel, “Billboards.” Gaines, born in San Francisco but working in New York for the moment, will also perform a song from his book. 

Mazo, born in New York, wrote “A Rose by Any Other Name” in Los Angeles and published it from Minneapolis, where none of it takes place. The twenty-six short stories that comprise the collection take place at that crossroads where lovers meet, bisect, dissect each other. Mazo, fresh from appearances in the Mid-West and LA, will read three of his tales in his native accent.

Roses and red wine: New York is all right if you like trombone…

BIOs
Darren Gaines: “Gaines is a poet in the same sense that Exene or Lou Reed is a poet.” – PopMatters

Gaines records have been favorably compared to the “gutter street” styles of Tom Waits, Jim Carroll and Nick Cave. (LA Weekly, Village Voice, SF Chronicle). His DIY albums have graced year-end lists from Boston’s WFNX to Spain’s Ruta 66. He’s charted on CMJ, made a record with the producer who recorded The Clash’s Combat Rock, enjoyed an artist-in-residence at The Gershwin Hotel, broke a guitar at the legendary Mint in Los Angeles and even performed in a cathedral on a mountaintop in Jamaica.

Brian Mazo: Brian Mazo graduated from NYU Film School, had a few movies produced from his screenplays and has written for a number of newspapers and magazines. Mazo claims to be the only screenwriter in captivity who has written movies starring women who have won both the Best Actress Academy Award (Oscar) and the porn equivalent (AVN) “A Rose by any Other Name” is his first book.

“If there is one thing Brian Mazo knows about it is women...and words, and together, this is what you get!” – Pamela Holm, author of “The Toaster Broke So We’re Getting Married”.

We are proud to be the debut installment of the monthly series, Gershwin Live at Dixon Place, hosted and curated by Michael Wiener and Neke Carson.

The Dixon Place Lounge is open before, during, and after the show. Proceeds directly support Dixon Place’s artists and mission.

I will be making a second appearance on Sunday, June 9th at the Commonwealth Bar in Brooklyn, NY from 3-6pm approximately. My brother will be making food for the event and his kick-ass homemade jerk marinade will be available for purchase.

Much like the appearance last month at the Bronson Bar in Hollywood, CA, I will be reading 3-4 of the tales from my short-story collection, but will break up the reading- the plan is to read a story close to the top of each hour. If quite a number of the same people who attended the Dixon reading are present in Brooklyn, I will read a few different tales from the ones that I have been performing on the tour.

The bar is located at

497 5th Ave  Brooklyn, NY 11215 Cheers & thanks and looking forward to seeing you New York & Brooklyn! Brian

So, it's the Friday before Memorial Day which traditionally marks end of the first quarter of the MLB season and surprise! surprise! The New York Yankees are in 1st place. And while there is a whole load of baseball yet to be played, this great start despite all the injuries and the prognostications, the Bronx Bombers and their fans have to be pleased with how things have started.

If there was a Manager of the Year Award for the 1st quarter, Joe Girardi gets it hands down. What kind of a job has he done? Nothing short of amazing, actually. Much credit has to go to GM Brian Cashman for finding the castoffs and re-treads that Girardi has maneuvered through the first 40+ games as well, though.

What does the team look like? On the left side of the infield, we have the 4th string guy playing third-base and the the 3rd string guy at shortstop following the injuries disabling Derek Jeter, A-Rod, Kevin Youkilis and Nunez. Overbay, filling in for the injured Tex, has probably delivered more offense than could have been expected from the traditionally slow starting Texeira. Behind the plate, currently it is rookie Austin Romine, the 3rd string guy at that crucial spot with Francisco Cervelli on the DL with a broken hand.

The aforementioned Overbay has been bolstered by Vernon Wells and Travis Hafner who are all playing like it was 5 seasons ago. Will they be able to sustain the early season production? Maybe yes, maybe no, but now the regulars are starting to come back. Granderson came back this week and is getting his stroke down. Tex and Youk should come back in the coming weeks as well as Joba to go back to the 7th inning spot.

The bullpen, even minus Chamberlain, has been outstanding; Mo has never been better: he is perfect closing through the first 40+ games. The starting rotation - which is missing 40% of its regulars (Andy Pettitte & Ivan Nova) has been stellar, lead this year by Kuroda. The fill-ins be they Phelps, Nuno or Warren have delivered starts that have kept the Yanks in the games where they were needed.

The Yanks are winning the close games, they're winning series, they're avoiding losing streaks all despite the steady rotation (currently 39 different players on the major league roster in 2013) of guys coming and going. This team has been more fun to watch than of many seasons past. Some of what I predicted in my pre-season blog on this team's chances have come out to bear. Sure looks like some of the "washed up" guys and the "baby Bombers" are playing very well as a team. Outside of Robinson Cano, most of the star players have been non-existent and yet, they're playing at a .609 clip which is second best in the AL only to Texas and 3rd overall in baseball when you add the Cards into the mix.

Again- a lot of baseball yet to play, but if the goal of the early season was the tread water and not get buried in the tough AL East, then the 2013 New York Yankees are already way ahead of that curve.

Play ball!

Cheers
B.

• Dixon Place Presents To Begin Again: A Modern Campfire A music video collaboration between Brian Mazo and Darren Gaines - “To Begin Again” - will introduce Gaines reading vignettes from his forthcoming novel, “Billboards.” Gaines, born in San Francisco but working in New York for the moment, will also perform a song from his book. Mazo, born in New York, wrote “A Rose by Any Other Name” in Los Angeles and published it from Minneapolis, where none of it takes place. The twenty-six short stories that comprise the collection take place at that crossroads where lovers meet, bisect, dissect each other. Mazo, fresh from appearances in the Mid-West and LA, will read three of his tales in his native accent. Roses and red wine: New York is all right if you like trombone… BIOs Darren Gaines: “Gaines is a poet in the same sense that Exene or Lou Reed is a poet.” – PopMatters Gaines records have been favorably compared to the “gutter street” styles of Tom Waits, Jim Carroll and Nick Cave. (LA Weekly, Village Voice, SF Chronicle). His DIY albums have graced year-end lists from Boston’s WFNX to Spain’s Ruta 66. He’s charted on CMJ, made a record with the producer who recorded The Clash’s Combat Rock, enjoyed an artist-in-residence at The Gershwin Hotel, broke a guitar at the legendary Mint in Los Angeles and even performed in a cathedral on a mountaintop in Jamaica. Brian Mazo: Brian Mazo graduated from NYU Film School, had a few movies produced from his screenplays and has written for a number of newspapers and magazines. Mazo claims to be the only screenwriter in captivity who has written movies starring women who have won both the Best Actress Academy Award (Oscar) and the porn equivalent (AVN) “A Rose by any Other Name” is his first book. “If there is one thing Brian Mazo knows about it is women...and words, and together, this is what you get!” – Pamela Holm, author of “The Toaster Broke So We’re Getting Married”. We are proud to be the debut installment of the monthly series, Gershwin Live at Dixon Place, hosted and curated by Michael Wiener and Neke Carson. The Dixon Place Lounge is open before, during, and after the show. Proceeds directly support Dixon Place’s artists and mission.

Dixon Place

161A Chrystie Street, New York, New York 10002

View Map · Get Directions

So, I am back in the Twin Cities following the first leg of the "Rock 'n Rose Spring Tour" in Los Angeles. It started snowing as my plane was on the tarmac, which seemed more than fitting. The fact that it was 90 and that the sky was filled with wild fire smoke when I touched down in SoCal was not lost on me: out of the freezer and into the frying pan.

The above photograph (c) Marc Evans was taken on Friday night, May 3rd in Paynie's downtown "Red Loft" and I already have a painter buddy wanting to immortalize that night on canvas. It was the only event I had planned on the LA-leg that wasn't my event per se, I was asked to read at a Wine and Grilled Cheese party.

But when it did become my time to take the mic, the wine had poured, the cheese had clogged and despite my friend's insistence that I don't read, I did anyway. Hard crowd- a bunch of quasi-intoxicated people who didn't quite know they were attending a book reading. Despite that, I did get them to listen to "The Cross of Lorraine" and discovered I could handle a "hostile crowd" but from a promotional or sales tack, this event didn't get it done for me. Was drinking J&B scotch and the event gets a C-.

Saturday, May the 4th be with you was the first event that was of my creation: something of a salon up in Malibu. Great house, amazing location on the PCH -- but far away from most people, alas. This show was something of a practice run for the event in NYC in June (details to follow) and I think the format worked really well.

I had another writer, Coburn Hawk, read from his novel, "Middle Man," and had the lovely & talented Deanna Neil sing a small handful of her plucky songs accompanied by euk' in between the words that Coburn and I delivered. He read two chapters, I read 3 tales from Rose (Last Paige, Cross of Lorraine and Mustang Sally) during an approximately hour long set.

My hosts, the wonderful and generous Chris & Annemarie Penny, opened their amazing home for me and Rose. The room was filled (although I had but a small group of friends in attendance) and the audience stayed with us throughout, including a follow-up Q&A when the readings and songs were done. Signed some books, put some bodies in some tank-tops. I would give the event a B and I was drinking Glenlivet.

The final event that went down (the Rock a Rose Tattoo event on Sunday early afternoon was just me and Tracy Ray, friend/tattoo artist so I got the beginnings of a new tattoo outlined so I wouldn't call the day an entire bust) was a reading Sunday, May 5th at the Bronson Bar in Hollywood.

I had a really nice crowd -- over 20 people in a small bar on a Sunday late afternoon -- a melange of friends from NYU, from the film biz, from Burning Man and read 4 tales adding "Nina, a Pinto and the Santa Ana Winds" to the same 3 I had read the night before.

As I read, friend/bar manager Dave Knapp, poured shots of Jim Beam on me (not literally), I played Lucero on the bar's speakers and parted with quite a number of signed copies of Rose as well as some more pink tank-tops. While I was a little exhausted by the schedule and schlepping all around LA for the last few days, this was a great event: I think the book and me lend themselves to a bar-setting and will plan on replicating such an event in the other cities I hit on the tour.

I would give this event an A and I was drinking Oban. I realized yesterday that the quality of the event for me was directly proportionate to the quality of scotch I was drinking and will keep an eye on that as I get to other cities.

Speaking of other cities -- and NYC you're up next: June 7-9th -- if I am not coming to your city, or if you just can't wait, the pink Rose promo tanks and T's are available via mail order. The tanks are available S/M/L and the T-shirts in M/L any size for $16 including shipping. If you want a signed copy of the book along with the shirt, make it $30 and paypal me at: 26tales@gmail.com

Thanks for reading. Hope I get to read you some tales in the future as more legs of the tour roll out.

Brian