Friday night with The Damned at Hammerstein Ballroom

Photos by Stacie Joy

On Friday night, The Damned returned to NYC to play a show billed as the Black Strawberry Ball at Hammerstein Ballroom.

With Rat Scabies back behind the drums, this version of the band who has seen many lineup changes through the years — David Vanian, Captain Sensible, Paul Gray (and joined by 1999-era recruit Monty Oxymoron on keyboards) — performed together for the first time since 1989. 

The setlist was heavy from the 1980s albums this core group helped create, including "Ignite" (Strawberries), "The History of the World (Part 1)" (The Black Album) and an EVG favorite, "Life Goes On" (Strawberries). Their familiar singles — "I Just Can't Be Happy Today," Neat Neat Neat," and "Smash It Up" came in loud and fast near the end of the two-hour set in front of an appreciative crowd. (The encore included "New Rose" and an MC5 cover, "Looking at You.")

As our friends at Academy Records on 12th Street noted in an Instagram post: 

Of course, we're all about recorded music on round pieces of plastic but please don't sleep on all the great live music that is out there. Like the Damned, who are still kicking ass after 48 years together and back with original drummer Rat Scabies! Living in NYC can be a real grind but then you get to experience things like this. 

At this point, there isn't a lot left for The Damned to prove (honors include being the first UK punk band to release an album, Damned Damned Damned, in 1977), and it would have been easy to lean on the hits and get back on the bus for the next stop. 

However, this show rolled merrily along, energetically propelled by the return of Rat Scabies, and the band sounded as energized as we've seen them on several tours. 

 A few scenes from upfront... starting with lead singer David Vanian...

... Captain Sensible...

... bassist Paul Gray ...

... Rat Scabies...

... and keyboardist Monty Oxymoron...

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• The Damned's Captain Sensible on the return of drummer Rat Scabies, the importance of the Ramones and the legend of CBGB

The Damned's Captain Sensible on the return of drummer Rat Scabies, the importance of the Ramones and the legend of CBGB

The Damned of the 1980s (from left): Captain Sensible, David Vanian, Rat Scabies and Paul Gray 

On Friday, May 31, the Hammerstein Ballroom hosts The Damned's Black Strawberry Ball, which reunites the UK band's iconic 1980s lineup for the first time since 1989. 

With the return of drummer Rat Scabies, the band — David Vanian, Captain Sensible, Scabies, Paul Gray (and joined by 1999-era recruit Monty Oxymoron on keyboards) — will perform together after 35 years. 

The Damned lay to claim being the first UK punk band to officially release a single, "New Rose," in 1976. Today, the band has 12 studio albums, evolving from the London punk scene to a more expansive and influential goth-rock sound. 

Band co-founder Captain Sensible fielded some questions from EVG ahead of next week's NYC show.

The headline ahead of this tour is that with Rat Scabies back in the fold. How did the early rehearsals go for this tour? Did it feel like picking up where you left off, or was there an adjustment period? 

We were all grinning like Cheshire Cats after the first few rehearsed songs... it was like winding the clock back to the 80s; that beautiful garage vibe was back, and of course, we have to credit Rat for that 'cause his drumming doesn’t hold back. He's as much a frontman as we are. It's nice to stop arguing and do what we do best. 

What does this lineup mean for setlists — will you be playing a lot from [1979-1982 releases] The Black Album, Strawberries and Machine Gun Etiquette? Will there also be songs from throughout the Damned's catalog? 

There are several bands in the Damned — punk, goth, psych, and we rock out, too, given half a chance. 

So writing setlists isn't easy 'cause there's a lot of material to choose from. We play a goth fest, and that's basically what's in the setlist... but this time out, we are going to grab a fair few from The Black Album and Strawberries 'cause apart from Monty, this lineup was responsible. God, how I wish [Monty had] been there though. Because with no computer shenanigans in the studio, Dave and myself shared the keyboard duties, and neither of us is what you'd call virtuosos. Can you imagine: it was take 47... take 53, etc, etc. Nowadays, you press a button, and a machine does it, which is why modern pop sounds so appalling. 

But, back to the setlist: Yes, we are topping it up with a bunch of faves from across the career. 

On May 31, you'll be in NYC at the Hammerstein Ballroom. On May 19, 2001, at the Hammerstein, you played Joey Ramone's 50th birthday bash a month after he tragically passed away. What did Joey and the Ramones mean to you? 

When the Ramones got their album out it proved that, despite being diametrically opposite to the popular music of the day, the stadium rock of the likes of Genesis ... more raunchy music like ours could fight its way through.

So when they played their first London show [July 1976], the majority of the audience was comprised of people in their own noisy bands playing small clubs and pubs around London with no real hopes of success. Joey and company showed it could be done. 

 I always grab a selfie at Joey's street sign on the Bowery [at Second Street] and then nip round the corner for a knish at that place on Houston Street that he was known to frequent. 

The backstage atmosphere at Joey's 50th birthday party was upbeat and fun — a celebration of his life. That's the way that I'd prefer to go too — none of that depressing stuff; remember the good times. 

In April 1977, the Damned played four nights at CBGB — the first UK punk band to do so. One CBGB superfan remembered your April 8 set this way: "They were aggressive, and the singer wore big black eye makeup, Captain Sensible wore a nurse's outfit. They were polished pandemonium. They didn't hang out afterward as most of the NY bands did." 

What do you recall about those shows? Any trepidation at the time about playing in a club that was quickly gaining a punk reputation? 

We couldn’t hang around 'cause after our performance, the club chucked everybody out, including us, and started sound-checking for a second show on the same day. We'd never experienced that in the UK, but New York is full of bars, so we just found the nearest and carried on there. 

The Damned at the time were like a gang — we had no respect for anyone. The drinking and chaos would get out of hand quite often. I can remember getting thrown out of four Paris hotels in one night. I believe we threw quite a few insults at the sedate CBGB audience and got some abuse back, but any reaction was better than NO reaction, so that was all good. 

Seeing what has become of CBGB is tragic, though... how short-sighted of city bigwigs not to keep the place running as a venue — it'd be a shrine to punk rock for fans the world over who would flock to NY to see where it all began.

You'll be touring the U.S. in May and June. What else is next for The Damned? 

We really pushed ourselves with [2023 album] Darkadelic, which sold a few to diehard fans and the odd discerning music lover, but how would anyone else have heard about its release. We're now in the old fart category and don't get played on the radio.

I get it — the music scene is for young trendies, but you know, we bust a gut on Darkadelic and are very happy with its sense of adventure musically and lyrically. We've come a long way since "Smash It Up"!

Having said all that — with the return of Rat Scabies, it'd be a criminal waste not to make one last cracker of an album featuring his vibey drumming. So, I'm gonna make it my priority to kick start that idea.

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A select videography...

 

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The Damned's Black Strawberry Ball will also feature special guests Lenny Kaye & Friends celebrating Nuggets and The Dictators.

A visit with East Village singer-songwriter Jim Andralis

Photos by Stacie Joy; Q&A by EVG

Jim Andralis is an East Village-based singer-songwriter ... and trauma-focused psychotherapist in private practice — a unique combination for a unique talent. 

His body of work, starting with 2016's debut, "Your Dying Wish Came True," shows Andralis as a pop craftsman, a songwriter of rare melodic gifts. Live, he has been joined by Julie Delano, Lesia Graves, Susan Hwang and Jessie Kilguss — not to mention his husband, artist-designer Larry Krone. (They opened for Bikini Kill on July 9 at Irving Plaza.)

Next Thursday (Aug. 11), Andralis plays at Rockwood Music Hall on Allen Street (it's also his birthday). His proceeds will go to the Yellowhammer Fund, which promotes reproductive justice in Alabama and the Deep South

Ahead of the show, we stopped by Andralis' East Village apartment, where we took a lot of photos of Dory, who graces the cover of his forthcoming LP, "I Can't Stop Trying," and the album's promo T-shirts. 

Here, Andralis talks about his career ambitions, life-changing accordion lessons and love of the East Village.

What was your earliest career ambition?

I had jobs since I was 15 but nothing resembling career ambition until I was well into my 20s. Until then, I think my sole ambition was trying to pass as heterosexual. 

Once I moved here at 24, the dream became performing on some kind of stage — ideally singing. The shows I loved the best were Kiki and Herb, The Talent Family (Amy and David Sedaris) plays, Jeff Weiss and Carlos Martinez’s insane serialized stuff. 

The people I looked up to the most were hustling in some kind of service-industry job while attempting to carve out some kind of creative life. Imagining I could do that here felt pretty fucking ambitious. 

When did music come into the picture? 

I had been in a couple off-off Broadway musicals and stuff, but in the early 2000s, I started taking accordion lessons with Walter Kuhr at Main Squeeze Accordions on Essex Street. I’d always been really drawn to the accordion, particularly in the context of a band. But it’s also completely self-contained. You can play the accordion in your apartment, sing along and you can do just do that right away. Playing chords is really easy. 

Anyway, you can draw a direct line from accordion lessons with Walter to everything I love about my life here. I was tending bar at Phoenix on 13th and A. Two of my favorite bar customers, Ben and Clint, found out I was taking accordion lessons and asked me if I wanted to be in their band the Isotoners. I started really writing and singing songs in that band. Bridget Everett would usually sing a couple songs with us whenever we performed, so that’s when Bridget and I got to be friends. 

Also, the whole reason I met my husband Larry Krone is that he asked me to play accordion with him at one of Julian Fleisher’s nights at Starlite Lounge on Avenue A. So music coming into the picture also coincided with love and family coming into the picture. 

You work as a trauma-focused psychotherapist. Do you consider your music to be more of a side project or perhaps a second career? 

It’s definitely a whole second career. But it’s not, to be clear, two actual revenue streams. It’s more like, “You want a vinyl pressing for this release? Take on two more clients, motherfucker.” 

You're a longtime East Village resident. What first prompted you to move here? What keeps you here?

Long before I actually lived in this neighborhood, I worked and spent every minute I could here. It wasn’t until I first entered The Bar on 2nd and 4th in, like, 1994 that I felt like I could be myself in any kind of gay context. Soon after that, I started tending bar there, then Gold Bar, Dick’s and finally Phoenix. But I mostly lived in Queens. 

When I started dating Larry in 2004 I put in an application for a place in the HDFC where he was already living. I was able to move here (and actually afford it) in 2007, all thanks to our HDFC! This neighborhood has felt like home to me for way before I lived here. I just feel lucky to miraculously have an apartment here, friends nearby, tons of live music within a 5-10 minute walk.

In conclusion, I believe I shall remain here as long as possible! 

I try to live in the moment as much as I can. But I've always been a nostalgic person. Do you find yourself being more nostalgic about the East Village and NYC, in general, these days, or can you balance the present and past to a healthy degree?

It depends on the moment. Some days I walk around and feel the history of our neighborhood existing in this weird, beautiful harmony right alongside the present. Like I’m part of something complicated and beautiful that extends beyond me in all these different dimensions. 

Other days, it’s almost like panic because I can’t remember what used to be where this nail place is. Was Little Rickie on First or A? And if I can’t remember fill-in-the-blank, how the hell will anyone remember I was ever here? 

It feels very linked to my feelings about mortality. In other words, yes completely healthy! 

Sometimes, though, it’s a really sweet nostalgia, like you could get a goddamn soy patty platter at Dojo for 5 bucks in my day, honey! 

Tell us more about the recently released single "New York City Spring" and what was going on when you wrote it. 

I got COVID pretty bad in March 2020 when the city was just hit so hard. 

I don’t think "Working Girl" is the BEST movie, but I like it. It came on TV when I was really sick. I watched the opening with Carly Simon singing, and a million people taking the Staten Island ferry to go work with, like, the Twin Towers on the horizon and I lost my SHIT. It was like this enormous wave of grief and terror came over me, this awareness of how vulnerable this little island is and how much it’s been through. 

I write a lot of songs about New York, and I love art that loves New York and New Yorkers, like my friend Neil Goldberg’s gorgeous work. “New York City Spring” is my experience of New York in 2020, when it felt like a scared, wounded place where all these things used to happen. But it ends up kind of a pep talk for us both and an attempt to conjure some sort of magic to come save us.

 

You and the band opened for Bikini Kill on July 9 at Irving Plaza. Most memorable moment of the evening for you? 

The entire feeling just felt like this enormous, insanely fun moment. We were just ecstatic to have been invited by Bikini Kill to do it and so overwhelmed by how welcoming the venue and crowd were.

But if I had to pick one particular moment, it was being with my band just ecstatically dancing during Bikini Kill’s incredible set. We’d already done our set, loved every second of it, and just got to celebrate the whole thing together as friends while watching the most amazing Bikini Kill show. Plus Kathleen dedicated “For Tammy Rae” to me and Lar. That also felt like heaven and made me cry. 

Your birthday is Aug. 11. (Happy early birthday!) You're playing a show that night at Rockwood Music Hall, and you're donating everything you make to the Yellowhammer Fund. Can you tell people more about them and why you support the organization? 

The Yellowhammer Fund is doing amazing reproductive justice work helping people in the places being hit the hardest right now. They help marginalized communities get health care. One way I can help is by supporting organizations like Yellowhammer. I’m just grateful they exist. They are doing beautiful work that is saving lives, and also fucking dangerous. 

And thanks for the birthday wishes! 

Your LP, "I Can't Stop Trying," is due out in early January. Will there be a tour with it? Any special plans?

I mean, I hope so! I’m proud of this record. My friend, producer and engineer Tom Beaujour set up this insanely safe and quarantined recording experience, and making this record really helped me survive that year. 

In terms of plans, we usually do a record release at Joe’s Pub. That’s not locked in, but we have our fingers crossed. I have never toured. I’m dying to do it but can’t quite afford it. But it’s something I feel like I’ll make happen if not for this record definitely the next one, which we’ll be recording this fall! 

Larry and I are doing a show in Andes with Julian Fleisher, Neal Medlyn and Julie DeLano on Aug. 6. Can we call that a tour?? 

You can keep tabs on Andralis via his website or Instagram.

Breaking the internet (and Instagram) with cumgirl8

Text and photos by Stacie Joy

I’m L-training it to Brooklyn to catch hypnotic neon punk band cumgirl8’s EP release show at the Knitting Factory. 

Also on the bill this October night, close collaborators GirlDick...

East Village performer and godmother of modern-day shock art Kembra Pfahler ...

... and dancer Bobbie Hondo (on the right) ...

I arrive in time to catch some of the load-in and soundcheck, with Veronica Vilim on guitar and percussive drill, Lida Fox on bass and synth, Chase Noelle with the powerhouse drumming, and featuring Avishag Cohen Rodrigues for additional firepower on guitar. 

There is some last-minute crafting of signage/decor backstage, scribbling out of setlists, adjusting clothing — lots of I.AM.GIA and cumgirl8 fashion designs and accessories styled by Jordane Stawecki — and a quickie trip to nab some preshow food at Caracas Arepa Bar, a former East Village favorite still up and running in Williamsburg.

The show itself is chaotic, loud, pleasurable — cusping off the pandemic, people are eager to celebrate, and the venue is filled with dancing and fans singing along...

After the show, I chat with the three core members about the band’s history, creativity during a pandemic, censorship, and normalizing female sexuality.

What were the common interests that led you to initially form a band beyond just jamming with friends?

Lida Fox: It really began as an outlet to express frustrations we faced in our lives and work and to vent toxicity from relationships. It was basically a healing/empowerment mechanism. We all have backgrounds in dance, art, and performing, so when we get together, it’s basically freeform pent-up energy, sometimes verging on insanity. 

Before we started this, I faced so many blocks in the way I thought I could express myself, but now I feel almost anything is possible. We all have pretty varying tastes in music, art, film, etc., but they complement each other in amazing ways. 

 

Some of the band members live/work in the Lower East Side or East Village. How do local events and shows — such as your fashion week show at Cafe Forgot and performances at the Flower Shop — differ from audiences in Brooklyn like at Baby’s All Right or tonight’s Knitting Factory show?

Veronika Vilim: I haven’t noticed too much difference in audiences, but I would say there is more of a younger crowd at shows in Brooklyn [Williamsburg/Bushwick] than shows in Manhattan. Having the fashion show during the day and it being a fashion show event, more people were interested in fashion. People like my mom and dad, for example, come to the daytime shows (fashion shows and music shows) in Manhattan rather than the show at the Knitting Factory, because it was not only at night but also because it was in Brooklyn.

How have you seen/heard your sound evolve from the early days of the band? 

Chase Noelle: In the early days, we were learning how to communicate with each other. Our first EP is fucking insane, impulsive, id-driven. We got a lot of comparisons to punk bands like the Desperate Bicycles and Flipper. 

We’re influenced by ballet and opera and club music, truly all over the place, and that’s why we sound so weird. Now our sound is more focused — it’s still shameless, but our musicality is showcased now and more directed. We really want to make people dance without feeling self-conscious. Our single “BUGS” is inside of that. We still sound fucking insane, especially live, but there’s a laser focus that cuts through it all. 

And how about your live performances? Do you feel more confident with each show?

Vilim: Yes! I feel like every show we play, we evolve together and become more of a team. We understand how to perform more and really embrace this character/world we have been developing! Watching videos from our live shows from the beginning until now, you can really see a difference in our performance. Also, now with the audience knowing our music more, there’s really a vibe with the crowd and that makes such a difference as well ’cause everyone really vibes together.

What’s your take on NYC right now as being a welcoming environment for a creative spirit? 

Fox:  I think there’s a welcoming creative environment now more than ever. [At least] in the last 12 years I’ve been here. The pandemic sucked, but it made everyone realize what a privilege it is to perform or be in the same room with a group of people dancing/jumping/going crazy together, watching a movie, appreciating art, etc. There’s so much more appreciative energy now, and people don’t hold back; they aren’t as jaded. 

Also, I feel that the creative community has gotten closer, I mean literally smaller, but also tighter and more support amongst the people who are still here. It’s still insanely expensive to try to survive and make art in NYC, though.

You just released your second EP, RIPcumgirl8. That’s an ominous title. Do you have plans to continue with cumgirl8? What else is on the horizon — perhaps another clothing collection? 

Noelle: RIPcumgirl8 is two-fold, but on the surface, it’s an homage to our Instagram that was deleted. We’ve been heavily censored, our YouTube got taken down and — believe it —  even our website started garnishing our sales because they’re...fascists? 

Don’t get me started. But yeah, that’s the first layer. Our identity is entrenched in internet culture, especially chatroom vibes from when we were coming of age. “Cumgirl8” is a screen name. It was really fitting when, after all of this feminist, sex-positive, youth outreach work we did, we ultimately got censored and then deleted. 

The whole point is to push and push and move the needle, so people eventually stop feeling shocked when they see the words “cum” and “girl” together. So it’s par for the course, perhaps. They deleted us right before we hit 10,000 followers, right after we released our first EP. 

Thankfully, we got our old handle back, but we had to start over. There’s a second, dissociative meaning to “RIPcumgirl8” that’s a lot more personal to us, but you can uncover that in the lyrics.   

You can keep up with the band via Instagram. 

And check out the video for the new single “BUGS” right here ...

  

Local elected officials, NYCHA reps get firsthand look at the problems at Mariana Bracetti Plaza

Text and photos by Stacie Joy

In a follow up to our initial story on the living conditions at Mariana Bracetti Plaza housing, local elected officials, a representative from Community Board 3 and NYCHA deputies met with tenant activists Kanielle Hernandez and Yvette Maria this past Thursday to view the buildings and grounds and map a plan for change here on at the complex on Third Street and Fourth Street along Avenue C. 

Present were District 2 City Councilmember Carlina Rivera and her assistant Irak Cehonski, NYCHA Deputy Director for Security Safety Strategies Andre Cirilo, NYCHA Regional Asset Manager Brenda Allen, State Assemblymember Harvey Epstein and his Chief of Staff John Blasco (who has been particularly active in assisting people living in public housing) and Community Board 3’s District Manager Susan Stetzer. 

The group did a walkthrough to inspect the conditions of the buildings, making note of what needed to be done on both city and state levels to effect change. 

During the tour, the group witnessed and discussed flooding, leaks, sewage and infrastructure issues, broken door locks, cracked pavements, sidewalk shed safety concerns, trespassing, nonfunctioning elevators, biohazards, and PSA4 (housing police) response, drug use and busted locks.

The tenant activists are hoping to start a tenant patrol and resident association, as well as partner with NYCHA and elected officials to bring about change in the quality-of-life conditions. 

After the tour, I talked with Kanielle to see what has happened after our story was published this past Jan. 14, what is currently occurring, and what she sees in the future.

How did you feel when your tenant activism brought together city, state, and NYCHA representatives to help fix the conditions you detailed in your interview?

I felt great. I walked away feeling hopeful and thankful. I know everyone is busy but having them all come and hear us was amazing. The energy was one of unity. We took turns talking and listening. It felt nice to meet them in person and actually interact with one another. 

A divided community doesn’t get heard. It gets abandoned and taken over. The more we come together and unite our skills and resources we can identify, understand, and resolve the issues more effectively. 

Can you speak a bit about what happened after the story was published?

 

Since the story has published it seems like a lot has happened. Sadly, though a man was shot and killed on the corner of Third Street and Avenue C. There has been a lot more police presence in the building and the community since the shooting. Our front door was also fixed. And there seems to be fewer drug addicts waiting around in front of our building.

 

The walkthrough was put together by Assemblyman Harvey Epstein’s team. They reached out to me after the story was published and set up a conference call. Harvey, Aura [Olavarria] and John [Blasco] have been great. I also met Carlina Rivera and her team and two NYCHA representatives. I have connected with a lot of new people from the neighborhood. Most of them also dealing with a lot of the same issues.

 

What do you see going forward? What are some of the resolutions proposed at today's meeting?

 
Moving forward I see a lot of positive results. I see more unity in agencies, NYPD and the community. 
 
NYCHA has a resident watch division. It’s a part of the tenant patrol program. Tenant patrol is currently inactive due to COVID. The resident watch has created a tip-line number, which can be reached anonymously. It’s for the tenants so they can now report things like homeless addicts sleeping in our hallway, or getting high in the staircases.
 
And for neighbors that allow their guests to disrespect our building with illegal activity or inconsiderate behavior. For example, groups of people smoking, drinking and playing loud music in the hallways. Or neighbors that let their dogs piss and shit in the hallways and don’t clean it up. 

For the tenants who refuse to stop smoking cigarettes in the elevators. Your apartment will be given a warning. The security cameras work and the resident watch department has access to them. 
 
I would hate to see anyone lose their apartment over things that can be adjusted. Wait until you go outside to light your cigarette. Play your music but if the walls are vibrating then it’s just a li’l too loud. I’m not saying stop playing the music, I’m asking to simply lower it to a reasonable and considerate volume. Remind your guests when they visit to act accordingly. 

And if they are visiting you and are caught soliciting in the hallway or staircase then your apartment will receive a warning. A second warning will be an official complaint to management. Hopefully, tenants and their guests will get on board with the new boundaries set in place with the intention to restore peace and safety in our building. 
 
Another NYCHA representative took pictures and noted the building conditions and said she would work on NYCHA’s part. And the elected officials are doing their part by staying on top of the issues and working toward getting outreach programs for the homeless. Everyone seems on board with working together to rectify the issues at hand. 

And I have been busy with research, emails, meetings, and tons of phone calls. Gaining knowledge is imperative to pursuing this the right way. Along with a lot of patience and gratitude. 
 
What are some of the reactions (positive or negative) you received from neighbors?

The story received such positive feedback! And a lot of support, which I’m extremely grateful for. It’s been super encouraging. To the people who left such nice comments, thank you! You’re awesome and appreciated. It showed me that I wasn’t the only one with the same feelings and concerns for the conditions of our building and neighborhood. 
 
There actually hasn’t been much in terms of negative reactions. At least none that I’m aware of. Hopefully, I’m not jinxing it [laughs]. But my intention is not to cause any more negativity. I don’t know what the future holds for our building and our community as a whole, but I do intend to continue speaking up until we see the changes we want and deserve.
 
Anyone — all inquiries will remain anonymous — interested in hearing more or has any questions and/or concerns can email us at ourcommunityisyourcommunityles@gmail.com and/or sign the petition here.

Previously on EV Grieve:

• Residents say dangerous safety conditions at Mariana Bracetti Plaza lead to illegal and hazardous activities

• Another look at conditions in and around the Mariana Bracetti Plaza public housing complex  

A Visit with Frank 'Frankie Christmas' Bianco

Text and photos by Stacie Joy

It’s hard not to get excited about Christmas when visiting Frank “Frankie Christmas” Bianco. 

The 52-year-old longtime East Village resident, who moved here from Brooklyn in 1980, welcomes me at the door of his fully decked out apartment on Avenue D, where he lives and works as the boutique building’s manager.

He’s painstakingly laid out more than 9,300 lights and six Christmas trees, ranging in height from 2 to more than 7 feet tall, and has a winter wonderland inside the one-bedroom space, complete with music, lights, pine scent, decals, garlands and ornaments.

Drinking a (perhaps) nontraditional beer, Frankie shows me around his space, pointing out special ornaments and his Christmas stockings, and his 30 snowflake tattoos, and custom Santa backpiece, which is truly amazing, in addition to flash pieces dedicated to the holiday elsewhere on his body.

We have a seat at his holiday-themed table to chat about Santa and Christmas and how his obsession with the holiday came to be.

 
When and how did your fascination with Christmas start?

My fascination with Christmas started with my mom who always made Christmas special. As a teenager I started helping my mom with decorations and then I always wanted to go bigger and better. 

Can you walk us through the process of decorating your apartment? When do you start/finish?

I start decorating in September, as it takes close to 100 hours to decorate. It’s more about laying things out and ordering what I need.

What’s Christmas Eve and Christmas Day like for you and your family?

My family is so spread out these days that I won’t know what I’m doing until a couple of days before Christmas. 

What do you friends, family and neighbors think of your decorations? 

Everyone loves it. My family and friends love it and they all know where to go to get into the Christmas spirit. Most of my neighbors stop by and bring their friends to see my apartment. 

Any other holidays pique your interest the way Christmas does?

I enjoy all the holidays throughout the year, but nothing even comes close to Christmas!

Have you ever decorated other locations — commercial, residential, or religious spaces?

I’ve never decorated anywhere else. 
 
Do you have any special plans for next Christmas?

I’m already thinking about how I’m gonna decorate next year…I want to do a tree with Swarovski crystal snowflakes.

A visit to Fit Ritual on 6th Street

Text and photos by Stacie Joy 

I’m eyeing the fancy new treadmill at Fit Ritual fitness studio, 543 E. Sixth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B, with a mixture of awe and dread. 

Before I can even investigate further, owner and personal trainer Helena Radulovic initiates COVID-safe protocols and checks my temperature and offers hand sanitizer. She then shows me all the bells and whistles on the machine, complete with fans, music, video and a precarious 15-percent incline. 

Clutching my heavy camera, I remind myself that I am here to interview, observe and document, not sweat it out on the equipment. In that light, I am relieved when Helena’s client, health-care marketing exec Ana Zivanovic arrives for her training session. Helena agrees to answer my questions after the hourlong session is over and Ana consents to being photographed as Helena puts her through the paces...

How has the pandemic and New York State’s PAUSE order affected your business?

On March 16, I was working up a sweat with my clients one last time at the fitness studio. COVID-19 lockdown orders were about to take effect on March 20 when Gov. Cuomo issued the executive order directing all nonessential businesses to close, and Fit Ritual— along with all other local gyms — would have to close its doors too. 

I never expected it to be for good and that night I made a decision to fight for its survival. Every piece of me went into that place. It was my dream come true. Fast-forward to a few months back, and I continued to actually pay the full rent through June, and with donations [for virtual classes] my clients were being very generous. I decided not to pay myself to keep things going. 

When I finally approached the landlord and was like, “Hey, I’ve been paying full rent this whole time, I’m really kind of out of money, can you help me out a little bit?” I got the answer, “Yes!” By July 20, all regions of New York, including New York City, had reached the Phase IV of the state’s reopening. But once they started announcing the phases and gyms weren’t ever mentioned, my heart sank. It’s as if the boutique fitness industry was completely overlooked in all of this. I’m choosing to believe this was all done in our best interest, because New York City and New York State did such a great job at mitigating the virus. But an entire sector of the industry to be completely ignored — it’s a huge industry in New York City and in every major city. 

So finally, on Monday, Aug. 24, interim guidance for gyms and fitness centers during the COVID-19 public health emergency was announced. However, the mayor of New York City decided to postpone the effective date until a later date, Sept. 2 — our official reopening day! And we intend to keep on going!

What precautions and procedures are currently in place for those wishing to work out or train at Fit Ritual? 

We strictly follow CDC and local guidelines. Temperature checks, screening for COVID-19 symptoms prior to session, social distancing, and masks are required. We always offer a spare one. There are multiple hand-sanitizing stations at the studio. 

In addition, we keep track of all appointments and contact details through Square, for contact tracing. Appointments are spread out with 30 minutes in between to allow us enough time for thorough sanitizing of all equipment and high-touch areas. 

We also keep the door open whenever possible to allow for circulation of fresh air. All our clients are encouraged to get tested on a regular basis and to cancel the session in case of any symptoms. 

How can people stay physically fit during a global pandemic? What does COVID fitness look like? 

We are not offering massage services and in-home training at the moment due to COVID. When it comes to nutrition counseling, it is offered as part of the personal training package. Zoom functions incredibly well; however, I must mention that since we reopened, clients prefer to come to the studio and train in-person. Weather permitting, outdoor training also gained in popularity. 

We are in contact with our clients via online platforms. We conducted a study recently and discovered that some people continued training hard despite the COVID setbacks. They consider fitness a mental challenge and we call them “Warriors.” Another group includes clients who either got sick or had other financial and emotional challenges during the pandemic. We pay special attention to this group, communicate more often, motivate them and encourage them with more frequent training sessions and offer a discounted plan. 

Exercise is more important now than ever and we try to help out as much as we can. 

Are there any particular challenges to living and working in the East Village? 

I think that my answer to this question is of an essence to my small business as well as any other small business in this beautiful, inspiring neighborhood. 

Being an EV resident since 2007, I thought I knew this neighborhood’s heartbeat but I definitely got the real taste during pandemic. I volunteered at a Sixth Street Community Center soup kitchen for almost four months. 

As a volunteer, you learn to embrace people as they are and understand where they are coming from. Being a volunteer means that you are offering something — something that is not required nor an obligation. This connects you to other human beings as you are working toward a common goal. I also have to say that my clients and I remained very close during the time of pandemic. 

As soon as they heard about the project I got involved with, they all stepped up to help, either financially or by offering to volunteer. That brought us even closer. It is very simple: if you want to conquer EV, you gotta be a tough worker with honest approach and a big big heart for your community. 

With gyms capped at 33-percent capacity and no group fitness classes allowed, many gyms and fitness studios (dance/barre, Pilates, yoga) have closed permanently or are about to fold. How do you see the future of boutique fitness studios and gyms? 

COVID-19 has changed how people exercise, but that doesn’t mean gyms are going away. To reassure uncertain people and ensure continued membership, fitness clubs at all points need to have firm plans for what a reopened gym will look like in terms of social distancing and continue to reinforce those measures as they reopen, which means decreased capacity and increased sanitation measures, among other things.

Members will need to feel assured that all measures available are being taken to keep them safe. On the other side, studios/gyms have experienced a demand shock for online fitness that might not have happened in a non-COVID world. 

Gyms and fitness studios that have a lot of group fitness offerings have tried to give their clients access to some of that knowledge by doing things like live-streaming workouts, posting videos for on-demand consumption, providing motivational coaching online, and even in some cases renting out equipment, as we did during pandemic. 

Online options should be an important back-up plan, and consumers will also look for flexible membership terms. I personally think that a lot of people are likely to return to their gym simply because gyms still offer a lot of things that people are struggling to achieve at home. One of the gym’s big appeals — besides easy access to equipment and workout space is access to the expert knowledge of trainers and the community knowledge, and support of other people working out. 

The bottom line is that, like everything else, the fitness industry has been changed by the pandemic. But that doesn’t mean people are going to stop working out together. Everybody, right now, is just craving that sense of community, and sports really does bring that. 

What’s next for Fit Ritual? 

The pandemic has thrown many of us into a panicked frenzy. While specifics can be tough to establish, simply planning ahead and thinking about the future does add a sense of much-needed normalcy and optimism to our lives. 

Also, reaching out to other personal trainers, nutrition coaches, as well as studio and gym owners has just been so lovely, and I’ve made connections with all of these other healthy lifestyle activists that I never had. The main project I would like to focus on will be kids’ fitness program, I think the studio can provide a safe environment for kids to start their fitness journey. Kids who enjoy sports and exercise tend to stay active throughout their lives. 

And staying fit can improve how kids do at school, build self-esteem, prevent obesity, and decrease the risk of serious illnesses such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease later in life.

You can keep up with Fit Ritual on Instagram.