Photo: Candace Bushnell at Barnes and Noble (Memphis, TN)

Last night, Candace Bushnell made an appearance at Barnes and Noble in my hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. The author is currently on a book signing tour to promote her latest novel, Summer and The City, the sequel to her teen-centric The Carrie Diaries, which released on April 26.

Video: Fonzworth Bentley – “Venice Beaches”

I’ve been a fan of Fonzworth Bentley as a musical artist for quite some time. Ever since meeting him in Miami and hearing the debut of “C.O.L.O.U.R.S.” (featuring UGK), I was like, “Okay. Time to take this man seriously as an MC.”

And yes, I’m serious. If you’ve ever heard tracks like “Since I Was 9” or “Everybody” (featuring Kanye West, Andre 3000 and Sa-Ra), then you’d know what I’m taumbout. In any case, check out the new video for Fonzworth’s latest laid back ditty Venice Beaches. It’s simple, it’s cool; I dig it.

Video: Moe’s Bar Family Sings “Don’t Stop Believin'”

I’m sure some of you are tired of my eulogizing Moe’s Bar and Lounge, and to you I say, “Get over it, son.” As has been said time and time again, Moe’s was more than just a place to drink and the people I met there were more than just “bar friends.”

In fact, the above video—sorry that it’s so dark but we were in a bar, for Chrissakes—shows just how in sync we all are with each other. Courtesy of brother Ron Worthy‘s iPod playlist, Journey‘s classic rock power ballad “Don’t Stop Believin’” plays over the speakers and the entire bar erupts into a massive sing-along. It’s simultaneously hilarious and heart-wrenching, kitschy and sentimental. It is a quintessential Moe’s moment.

Life: Last Call at Moe’s Bar and Lounge

“Getting the shakes now, last call for drinks, bars closing down … Sun’s out. Where are we goin’ for breakfast?”
—Carlito Brigante (as played by Al Pacino), Carlito’s Way

“Don’t look so sad. I know its over. But life goes on and this old world will keep on turning. Lets just be glad we had some time to spend together …”
—Al Green, “For The Good Times”

In early December 2007, just a couple months after moving to New York City from Miami, I walked into what I viewed as an unremarkable Brooklyn dive bar to meet a friend for late night cocktails. I had no idea of the friendships that would be formed and experiences I was to have as a result of showing up that night at 80 Lafayette Avenue; I also never thought that nearly three and a half years later I would mourn its closing.

You see, I was a refugee in a strange, unfriendly land and, as it was the only place I’d become familiar with in my new surroundings, Moe’s Bar and Lounge served as a sort of safe haven. Over time, and innumerable pints of beer and shots of whisky and tequila, I got to know the motley bunch of people that I would come to regard as family. If you read any of the numerous eulogies dedicated to Moe’s, you’ll note that the word “family” is used quite a bit. Believe me when I tell you, these sentiments are not hyperbolic. This is a family that’s been around since Moe’s first opened its doors nearly a decade ago.

Ratchet: Big C – “Wak Wam” (Video)

“Down to the ground
Up get loud
Make Mama proud
Wak it out!”
—Big C

Damn you, Based God. I blame you.

Peep the undiluted ratchetness that is “Wak Wam,” courtesy of white girl rapper Big C. Tagged as “exclusive cooking music,” this video, featuring shots of copious Ciroc and Jäger consumption, random yet clever hip-hop slang references and a totally gratuitous toilet mise-en-scene, is either the height or nadir of hipster irony. In any case, I can’t e’em front—I was amused.

Fashion: Freshly Picked Apparel

My brother, filmmaker and occasional partner-in-crime Blinki Bathgate, has unveiled the first pieces from his new fashion line, Freshly Picked Apparel. The limited edition streetwear brand has a unique aesthetic, one that plays with the notion of fresh, as in “something newly made,” and fresh, as in “shit that’s fly, dope, and cool.”

As stated on their Facebook page:

Freshly Picked Apparel is a new line [of] high quality, all natural, organic cotton t-shirts that are comfortable and long lasting with colors and designs for a fresh attitude […] Our t-shirts come in natural colors of fruit and vegetables as in cotton white, pea green, pineapple yellow, etc. Our tees come in recycled plastic salad containers and some come in ziplock bags. [R]emember, if it ain’t Fresh, it ain’t no damn good!

News: Jennifer Egan’s Goon Squad Heads to HBO

It’s official—Brooklyn-based author Jennifer Egan is having the Best Week Ever.

First, her rock-and-roll novel A Visit From The Goon Squad won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Now, it’s being reported that HBO has optioned the novel for a television series. There’s no script yet, and thus there’s no idea how the novel’s sprawling, loosely-connected tales will be translated to the small screen. Egan will serve as series consultant.