On a rainy Tuesday, I went to check out Repeater: A Little Show About Big Songs at QED here in Astoria. I have seen a few shows at QED before, but this one was new to me. Comedians Evan Barden and Pat Cartelli host a  monthly discussion about a single song that their monthly guest loves and cherishes. They go on to discuss the history behind the guests’ love of the song, as well as their personal history. The original guest comedian Jo Firestone had to cancel at the last minute, but the replacement guest Courtney Maginnis confidently stepped in.

The show began with the three comedians talking about a band that they’ve been obsessed with lately. There was some funny banter about Hamilton and Solange Knowles’ new album, to which Courtney is a huge fan. Her personal song turned out to be “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding. Her quirky story about her family gatherings at a beach house was relatable to anyone who has one side of the family that might party a bit too hard. The song was played for the audience just in case anyone was unfamiliar with the classic tune. Whistling was involved!

Courtney, Evan and Pat then talked about their varying experiences as comedians, and we got to learn a little more about them. The whole show is recorded as a live podcast, so the audience is treated to a conversational show. As self deprecating as the comedians were, you could tell they definitely have a passion for music and their craft. It was interesting to learn about these people, as well as their families and even personal struggles. Their stories made me laugh quite a bit, as well as some of the awkward silences. It’s all part of the show, and I have to give the hosts props for dealing with last-minute guest changes.

After the funny conversation, the audience was treated to singer/songwriter Anielle Reid. She came on stage with a banjo, and played a few great soulful songs. Her banjo picking was flat-out great, and her voice is phenomenal. She deserved all the applaud she received. At the end of the show, a few prizes were given out, including an LP and some Otis Redding stickers. Overall this was a fairly entertaining show, and I have to give thanks to the hosts being so positive on a fairly rainy night, and with a less than expected turnout. I would definitely recommend it if you’re a music fan.

You can look up future shows of Repeater at qedastoria.com, and on their twitter account twitter.com/repeatershow

Putting a Human Face on Homelessness. Lisa Huberman on Evensong by Christina Quintana at Astoria Performing Arts Center.

What is poverty supposed to look like? And how do you recover your sense of worth when your life fails to live up to its potential, even if you have followed all of the rules the American Dream assures will lead to success? These are the central questions that animate Christina Quintana’s Evensong, the raw yet tender drama of homelessness in New York City, brought to vivid life at The Astoria Performing Arts Center.

In Evensong, we follow Teofilo “Teo” Aguilar (Daniel Prado), a Texas transplant to New York who has found himself checking into a homeless shelter after a string of bad luck. As an educated, clean-cut bank teller, Teo does not think of himself as a typical homeless person. He is definitely, he believes, of a different class and species from, say, the cagey Gladys (Marie Louise Guinier), who obsesses over the hot water kettle and absurdly demands a vegetarian option at their subsidized shelter meal. The tension between Teo’s financial circumstances and his self-identity remain a tension throughout the play. He may flirt with the shelter volunteer Bob (Chad Castarphen), and yet his role as a resident of the facility draws an invisible line between their chemistry. At his job for Bank of America, Teo has to scramble to make up excuses to his co-worker Haque (Sai Somboon) for why he can’t come out drinking and drags a suitcase everywhere. And yet at the same time, the second-hand suit he wears to his job at Bank of America signals to the homeless man on the subway (Doug Rossi) that he is an asshole for not giving him any money.

All of this could have the potential to descend into melodrama, but Quinana’s script and David Mendizábal’s direction zero in on the ferocity of the characters’ pain while never sentimentalizing it. (more…)

There’s a new pizza place in Astoria that definitely deserves your attention. The Long Island City pizza joint sLICe has opened up a second location on 30th Avenue in Astoria, and it is a much welcomed addition to the already great pizza scene. The inside of sLICe is very warm and welcoming. Its bright white interior meshes well with its red chairs and signs. Almost a mozzarella and sauce combination of color. New hip-hop was playing quietly from the speakers, and gave the interior a fun and loose vibe. There are five two-person tables to sit down and devour whichever pizza option you choose. And there are quite a number of options. I was given the opportunity to try five different slices, and it was very hard to choose a favorite.

I first bit into the classic Margherita slice. The cheese and sauce were perfectly portioned, and the fresh basil added the always delicious kick. The crust they use also has a very nice garlic taste to it. Usually when I get a Margherita slice somewhere, it hardly has any garlic flavor whatsoever. This was a nice change. I loved it.

Next up, I tried a classic NY slice. Again, the cheese and sauce ratio was great, and it was nicely crunchy on the bottom, yet still perfectly foldable. The perfect slice on the go.

I then tried the white ricotta slice. It wasn’t flavored with too much garlic, so I actually tasted the ricotta and cheese a lot more than some other white pies I’ve had. Definitely a good choice if you’re tired of the ol’ tomato sauce pizza.

The Sicilian slice was a mouthful. The crust is pre-baked, then topped with sauce and cheese, and then cooked again to make it even crispier. It was a little too doughy for me, but still absolutely delicious. It was nice that I could see the top of the dough was brown, so you could definitely tell that it had really been baked for the first time without any sauce or cheese on it.

My favorite slice was probably the grandma slice. It has the plum cherry tomato sauce that comes on the Margherita, but shape-wise, it’s like a smaller, thinner Sicilian slice. It was the perfect combination of the sauce, cheese, and dough. It had a perfectly crisp bottom, and a buttery crust that I absolutely loved.

The other options at sLICe include a great looking pepperoni slice, and even mini-calzones. They also have a large menu of subs and entrées. I look forward to going back to sLICe and trying a little bit of everything. Although it’ll be hard not to get at least one grandma slice every time I go back.

sLICe is located at 37-08 30th Ave, 718-606-9258