Successful as a stand-up comic, musician, author and host, Dave Hill is a proven quadruple threat. As a comic, he regularly hosts The Dave Hill Explosion at Upright Citizens Brigade beyond regular appearances on TV. As a musician, he is the voice and lead guitar behind Valley Lodge, whose song “Go” is the theme to HBOâ€s Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, beyond playing with a wide array of folks that include Moby, Lucy Wainwright Roche, and Rival Schools†Walter Schreifels. As an author, he had a collection of essays titled Tasteful Nudes published by St. Martinâ€s Press in 2012, with a new title for Blue Rider Press slated for release in 2016. As a host, beyond the acclaimed Dave Hill Podcasting Incident podcast, Dave is the voice behind WFMUâ€s The Goddamn Dave Hill Show. And weirdly enough, those are not all of his credits or projects.

Mr. Hill was very funny in his Q&A for the RIVER VIEW OBSERVER, also proving to be knowledgeable about the Jersey City area. Both original and driven, one cannot help but be in awe of all the work that the guy manages to get done. For more information on Dave Hill in the meantime, click on over to www.davehillonline.com. 

RVO: You’re a comic, a musician, a host on radio and TV, a podcaster and an author. How do you usually identify when someone asks what you do for a living?

DH: I like to think of myself as a song and dance man. But on my tax retur,n I usually write “comedian who is also sweet at ripping guitar solos and stuff.”

RVO: When did you go to Jersey City for the first place?

DH: I was in a band from Cleveland called Cobra Verde and we played live in-studio at WFMU about 15 years ago. I think that was my first time in Jersey City. It was magical and also pouring rain and I really wished I hadnâ€t worn velvet pants that day, but lifeâ€s not perfect.

RVO: Do you have a favorite bar or restaurant in town?

DH: Raval is my favorite restaurant in Jersey City. Go there, and if you donâ€t like it, I will give you free lawncare for the entirety of 2016. And sometimes after my radio show, Iâ€ll grab a drink at Iron Monkey around the corner from WFMU. They have a great beer selection and also two floors. That way if you get bored drinking beer on one floor, you can try drinking beer on the other floor and see how that goes.

RVO: How did you wind up with a show on WFMU?

DH: Tom Scharpling was leaving his Tuesday night Best Show slot, which created an opening in the schedule. I had been a big fan of WFMU and had appeared on a few shows like The Best Show, Seven Second Delay, and Evan “Funk” Davies†show. Somehow my name came up and station manager Ken offered me the Tuesday night 9pm-to-midnight slot. The rest is either radio history, a decision station manager Ken deeply regrets, or perhaps some combination of both.

RVO: Did you grow up listening to a lot of free-form radio?

DH: Not really. Growing up in Cleveland, I listened to a lot of commercial rock radio as a kid and gradually got into college and public radio. And I grew up at a time when the Internet was just an abstract idea that only a few guys in lab coats were discussing in private somewhere, Iâ€m guessing, so I couldnâ€t just stream crazy stuff from all over the world. I had to live with whatever I could pick up on my radio in the wilds of suburban Cleveland. We didnâ€t have anything like WFMU back in Cleveland, at least not that I was aware of. But then again, there isnâ€t anything quite like WFMU anywhere, really. Itâ€s its own beast.

RVO: When is Valley Lodge next playing in the area? Any chance of a show at Monty Hall?

DH: I imagine weâ€ll play somewhere in New York soon, Mercury Lounge or somewhere. Iâ€d love to play at Monty Hall but I donâ€t think that would happen as I think that would qualify as a conflict of interest since I have a show on WFMU. I could be wrong, though. But Valley Lodge played live on Evan “Funk” Davies a couple of times before I had my own show on the station.

RVO: Is there any hope for a reunion of Diamondsnake?

DH: I would love to, but itâ€s unlikely now that Moby lives in Los Angeles. Nash Kato from Urge Overkill played with us a few times after Moby moved, which was fun. He has some of the best rock moves of anyone Iâ€ve ever seen. Theyâ€re not even moves, really, he just stands there looking cooler than everyone else. But as far as the “classic” Diamondsnake lineup goes, that could be tough.

RVO: Might there ever be a follow-up book to 2012’s Tasteful Nudes?

DH: Yes. In fact, I just turned it in today. It will be out on May 10, 2016 and will be published by Blue Rider Press, a Penguin imprint. Iâ€m still scrambling to decide on a title.

RVO: Do you have a favorite album of 2015?

DH: I really like Might & Magic by this German metal band called Iron Kobra and also Ghostâ€s new album Meliora. I also like the new stuff by King Parrot, Author & Punisher, and Sleaford Mods. But mostly Iâ€m still working on 2014. My favorite albums from last year are the self-titled Eyehategod album, Best of Boiler Room Classics by Mike Adams at His Honest Weight, and Johnny Marrâ€s Playland. Thereâ€s so much music over the last 60 or so years that Iâ€ve missed though, I tend to dig into the past more than I check out whatâ€s coming out now as most new stuff lately tends to either bore me or not sound enough like Slade to hold my interest. And now that I have access to the WFMU library, itâ€s an embarrassment of riches. I was just thinking the other day that one thing I know I can count on in life, other than the fact that I look great in a pant suit, is there will always be an endless amount of scorching hot jams for me to check out. Give me that and maybe a nice cheese plate and Iâ€ll be fine.

RVO: Finally, what’s the best way that a person can support Dave Hill?

DH: Send me money (laughs). I am kidding. This is just one more example of the ease with which I am able to make a humorous joke. Unless you want to send money. Then I am deeply serious. In lieu of that, though, just check out what Iâ€m doing on my website or wherever else and see if it might be up your alley. There are live shows all over the world, books, albums, radio shows, articles, this one weird thing I can do with a donkey, and other stuff too. Oh, and I sell T-shirts and other items that are priced-to-move on my website. And if for whatever reason, you donâ€t want anything to do with any of it, thatâ€s totally cool and I got no beef with you. Iâ€m able to make a living doing the stuff I love and my dog and I have the best time together pretty much 24/7, which makes me the luckiest guy in the world. The rest is gravy.

The post COMIC, MUSICIAN, AUTHOR & WFMU RADIO HOST DAVE HILL TALKS JERSEY CITY, THE FUTURE & MORE first appeared on River View Observer.

By Darren Paltrowitz

A Jersey City resident since 2007, Sterling Fox has worked on a lot of hit songs in his Jersey City home. Initially, Fox moved to JC out of financial necessity, backing up local musicians after a stint as a pianist on a cruise ship. Less than a decade since his move to Jersey City, Fox remains a highly-demanded co-writer with songs written and/or produced for artists including Gym Class Heroes, Adam Lambert, Tiesto, Lindsey Stirling and Boyz II Men.

When not occupied with making music for other artists, Fox runs Silver Scream Records, a record label and online apparel store. Fox recently released on the Silver Scream label, a single by renowned DJ Samantha Ronson, and Silver Scream will also be the home of an up-coming full-length album by Fox. In the meantime, Fox talked with River View Observer about life behind-the-scenes in music, in addition to everyday life as a Jersey City local.

RVO: What made you decide to move to Jersey City?

SF: At the time it was one of the cheapest places you could live in the New York City area. I originally moved here out of necessity, but soon grew to love the neighborhood and now just enjoy living here.

RVO: Do you have a favorite restaurant in town?

SF: Being a vegetarian, I really enjoy Subia’s Cafe on Jersey Avenue.

RVO: What do you wish more people knew about Jersey City?

SF: I wish they knew more about the history of the neighborhood — which is quite interesting — and also about some of the locations a bit more off the beaten path. Places like the Loew’s Theatre and Riverview Park are super-unique and don’t really get the amount of attention they deserve from the Downtown JC folks.

RVO: What keeps you living here, as opposed to Manhattan?

SF: I enjoy the neighborhood, the pace, the diversity. Manhattan is, of course, amazing, but Jersey City gives me a little creative buffer/bubble in which I can develop ideas without feeling as much anxiety as I would in Manhattan. There’s a little less pressure to be part of a scene, so I feel like that aids me in viewing things objectively. It’s kind of the antithesis of hipster subculture. I like to think of Jersey City as the norm-core capital of New York.

RVO: When you’re working, what does a typical work day in Jersey City look like for you?

SF: If I’m working from home, which I do often, I will wake up around 10 am. Depending on which section of JC I’m in — I currently have two apartments here and bounce back and forth between the two for work – Iâ€ll grab a coffee at Banyan Cafe on Bright Street, or Smith and Chang on Pavonia Avenue. After shotgunning said coffee, I’ll hole up in front of my workstation with my microphone, etc. and start writing or recording music. Often, recording artists will come to my house, and we will write songs and record demos. I sit in front of my computer a good portion of the day making music. For lunch sometimes I’ll hit Subia’s or Sawadee. If I’m going out for drinks later at night, I’ll typically hit Lucky Seven’s, LITM, Brightside Tavern, or Rolon’s. I usually lean toward older establishments or dive bar types.

RVO: Is there a good artist community around you in Jersey City?

SF: I think there is. I wouldn’t say I’m super-active in the scene here, although I would love to be. The art and music scene seems to be improving gradually. I think a proper small-to-mid-size music venue still seems to be a wish of mine. I’ve been talking with a few people about trying to put something together, so we shall see. I’ve seen a couple of great pieces of street art lately, and you get a few good bands popping up once in a while. I think the scene/city needs to continue to support the arts here and likewise artists need to continue to support each other. Jersey City has the potential to have a truly vibrant arts scene. New restaurants and developments are all well and good, but if creative minds aren’t given the support and space to work, the neighborhood will lose much of its charm and become just another commuter port-of-call. I think we, as Jersey City artists, also need to step up the quality control on our work. We could easily make this neighborhood a hotbed for creativity and cutting edge music and art, it’s just finding the vision and challenging each other to make our best work.

RVO: What’s ahead for you career-wise? Solo album still in the works? More Silver Scream singles?

SF: I do a lot of songwriting for other people — that is my primary gig. New songs should be coming out in the New Year that I’ve written for Britney Spears, Adam Lambert, etc. I also write stranger songs for myself and perform them as well. I tend to release a lot of stuff online, and every once in a while I do shows in the New York City area. I also run a little record label from my home base here, which releases singles online and helps incubate up and coming musical artists and gives them support.

RVO: Do you have any live gigs coming up?

SF: At the moment, I’m working on possibly developing a residency at Berlin on the Lower East Side. It would be a weird, Bowie-influenced rock and roll night once a week. In the past I’ve played at Pianos, Rockwood, etc. I’ve actually never played a gig in Jersey City oddly enough, but looking to do so ASAP.

RVO: You’ve worked with a lot of big names; who are some of the artists you’re still hoping to work with?

SF: My wish list for songwriting/producing collabs would most likely include Alabama Shakes, Jeff Lynne, Paul McCartney, Ariana Grande, Beach House, The Pixies, Bowie, Bjork, and Ty Segall.

RVO: Do you have an accomplishment you’re most proud of?

SF: This fall, Queen and Adam Lambert played one of my songs at ROCK IN RIO to about 100,000 people. Being a massive Queen fan growing up, it was pretty surreal to see Brian May soloing one of my melodies on guitar. I think a close second would be trusting my ear enough to work with Lana Del Rey early on. I produced her first hit “Video Games,” but at the time we worked together, she had no label and was just kind of bopping around New York playing to 10 people. She had all these quirky Nancy Sinatra/Marilyn Monroe demos, and I think a lot of other industry people kind of didn’t get it. I guess I can pat myself on the back for recognizing some level of brilliance and being able to contribute musically to the kickstarting of her career.

 Sterling Fox’s latest single, “Angry Sons”

is now available on iTunes at www.itunes.com.

The post PRODUCER, SONGWRITER STERLING FOX TALKS JC LIVING, CREATIVITY AND WHAT’S AHEAD first appeared on River View Observer.

Hudson County’s own Tammy Blanchard has been added to the cast of TALLULAH as reported by Variety Magazine.

Ms. Blanchard  recently appeared  in Disney’s INTO THE WOODS.

Rounding out the cast Ms. Blanchard joins, ‘X-Men’s Evan Jonigkeit  Ellen Page and Allison Janney, Zachary Quinto, Uzo Aduba, David Zayas and John Benjamin Hickey also star  in the upcoming dramedy .

TULLALAH  is the story of  “a free spirit who everybody thinks has kidnapped a baby after she rescues the child from her reckless mother.” The project is being lead by Sian Heder who also wrote the screenplay for TALLULAH.

Ms. Blanchard has appeared in several movies including: Moneyball, Deadline, The Good Shepherd, Rabbit Hole,  Blue  Jasmine  and the soon to be released Invitation

She has been nominated for two Tony Awards for her performances in  Gypsy (2003) and How to Succeed Without Really Trying in 2013

In 2001 she won an Emmy and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her portrayal as a young  Judy Garland in Life with Judy Garland – Me and My Shadows.

To find out more about Ms. Blanchard like her Facebook page at  Tammy Blanchard  Follow her on Twitter  Tammy Blanchard on Twitter

The post Tammy Blanchard Joins Cast of TALLULAH Dramedy first appeared on River View Observer.

By Sally Deering

Mr.Sedaka’s Facebook page

The River View Observer extends our condolences to the Sedaka family on the passing of Neil Sedaka

Our  Love Will Keep Us Together, Where the Boys Are,  Breaking Up is Hard to Do, Laughter in the Rain. Back in the day, these songs swept teens off their feet and into the world of Grammy-winning singer/songwriter and international legend, Neil Sedaka.

Accompanying himself at the piano, Sedaka wrote and sang soulful love songs that made teen girls cry and filled teen boys with youthful longing for that special sweetheart. With a voice like buttercream frosting on a 7-layer cake, Sedaka’s sweet vocals keep on going, and at 75, Sedaka will be back at the piano crooning his oldies and most recent recordings on Fri, Dec. 12 at the Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood.

Sedaka will be in the spotlight for one night only to give the audience a chance to hear a master songwriter in an intimate setting. With a look back, Sedaka will sing songs that made him famous and those he wrote that were performed by legends like Elvis, Connie Francis, and the Captain and Tennille. During his 50-year career, Sedaka has sold millions of records and penned hundreds of tunes with lyricists Howard Greenfield and Phil Cody.

Looking ahead, Sedaka will also perform songs from Solitaire his recent album. And while on tour, Sedaka is also working on a new musical slated for Broadway about his life and career that began in Brooklyn, where he lived with his family and studied the piano.

Accepted to Juilliard to study the classics, Sedaka grooved more to Elvis than to Beethoven. He began working with music groups, and then in the late 1950s, he teamed up with lyricist Howard Greenfield, and the two began writing songs that soon became Billboard hits on the Top 40 chart.

Sedaka soon had an office in the famous Brill Building in New York, where he and his partner wrote hit songs, but in the late 1960s and early ‘70s Sedakaâ€s career went through a dry spell. It wasn’t until the mid- 70s when Elton John rediscovered  Sedaka and signed him to his new record label, Rocket Records. Sedaka recorded two albums, Sedaka’s Back in 1974 and The Hungry Years in 1975, which became top-sellers and brought Sedaka back to the music scene for real.

Today, Sedaka has 106 albums listed on Amazon.com, includingThe Real Neil, a new release. Visit his website, www.neilsedaka.com, you’ll see pics of Sedaka with Sir Paul McCartney (of The Beatles), England Prince Charles, and his wife Camilla, and more. And lucky for us, on a recent afternoon, Sedaka found time in his busy schedule to share what it’s like to be a music legend still performing and trying new things.

RVO: Your concert at Bergen PAC on Dec. 12 will be you and a piano, that’s all?

NS:   very upfront and personal. I tell stories of how I write, why I write, and about my career. The audience is into the personal side.

RVO  And you’ll be singing some of your older tunes?

NS: I never get tired of singing the original hits.

RVO: When you were starting in the 50s, you appeared on American Bandstand with Dick Clark. What was it like to be on the show in its early years, and what was Dick Clark like?

NS: It was the thrill of a lifetime for a kid. I used to run home from school to watch the show. Dick Clark was very polished, very classy. He started me off, he had me on the ˜Beechnut Saturday Night show. The first hit I did wasThe Diary.  I knew him through the years. I did the first Rockin’ New Year’s Eve with Dick Clark. He loved the music. It was a great show, and he was one of the American Institutions. It was also a thrill to be on the Ed Sullivan Show and the Carol Burnett Show. I was on Sonny and Cher, Merv Griffin, and Mike Douglas.

RVO: Can you tell our readers what it was like working in the famous Brill Building in New York City?

NS: Howie (Greenfield) and I were teenagers. I was dating Carol King at the time. I brought her up there. At first, we went there five days a week, and we sang songs. It was terrific training.. I was the first at the Brill to sing my own songs. This was from 1958-63.

RVO: Who was the greatest person you ever met, musically, who affected you?

NS: Arthur Rubenstein. Being a child prodigy, I was studying at Juilliard when I met Arthur Rubenstein, the greatest pianist in the world.

RVO: Did you ever meet Elvis?

NS: I met Elvis, and he invited me to the MGM hotel, where he was performing. My wife and I went backstage. I sat at the piano, and we sang a gospel song together. He eventually recorded Solitaire.

RVO: Your career was revived in the 1970s by Elton John, is that right?

NS: My first career was a voice on TV. The second career, Elton John put me on his label, and I had an incredible comeback because of Elton. It was really something. I was out of work for 13 years. During that time, I raised a family, and there were a few countries that still remembered me, Japan, and South America, but I thought my career was over. Now I do mostly concerts. I live both in New York and L.A., so I can be with my grandkids.

RVO: What music do you listen to when you are  home or in the car?

NS: I like Sam Smith.

RVO: Do you like Lady Gaga?

NS: She’s a little too shrieky. I’m inspired by Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan.

RVO: You just released a new album?

NS: Yes.The Real Neil,– all new. These days, I don’t have to write commercially anymore; I write what I feel. I write from inside; nobody puts words in my mouth.

 RVO: Is it true you’re working on a Broadway musical?

NS: Yes. It’s called “Love Will Keep Us Together,” and it’s the life story of Neil Sedaka. It’s along the lines of the Carole King musical now on Broadway. (The show is called Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.)

RVO: What is the favorite song that you wrote?

NS: I’ve had everybody from Sinatra to Elvis, to ABBA, to Cher, to Shirley Bassey sing my songs. The Captain and Tennille recorded Love Will Keep Us Together, and we won a Grammy. I’ve won a few Grammys, but I’ve been nominated a lot more than I’ve won. But I’m still doing it and still loving it. My life has been very blessed.

The Show was on December 12 th 2014

For more information on Neil Sedaka and his incredible talent and life, visit: www.neilsedaka.com

The post THE COMEBACK KID-Everything Old is New Again when Neil Sedaka Performed at Bergen PAC on December 12th, 2014 first appeared on River View Observer.

On Wednesday, July 23rd reality TV Celebrity Teresa Guidice appeared at Jersey City’s popular restaurant VB3 to promote her new line of wine Faberlini.

Ms. Guidice  of The Real  Housewives of New Jersey fame has also  written 4  cookbooks of which 3 hit the NY Times Best Selling Author list. The popular reality star  has her own hair care line called “Milania” named after her daughter and has also appeared on Donald Trump’s Celebrity Apprentice.

The post Teresa Guidice of The Real Housewives of New Jersey Makes Appearance at Jersey City’s VB3 Restaurant first appeared on River View Observer.

A foodie with a gutsy attitude, Chef Rob Burmeister of Staten Island won the competition on a recent episode of CUTTHROAT KITCHEN on the Food Network when he made New England clam chowder with whipped cream and cognac. Not many chefs could stand up to the challenge, but Chef Robâ€s signature cooking style – “international fusion with a hint of American comfort” suggests his versatility as a chef and now with a taste of stardom on his lips, Chef Rob hungers for his own reality TV food show.

No side dish, Chef Rob has been featured on CHOPPED, RESTAURANT STAKEOUT, THE NEXT PORK PERSONALITY with GUY FIERI, and STATEN ISLAND CAKES. He also does the Tuesday night podcast CHEWING THE FAT WITH BIG AND BEEFY with co-host Clemenza Caserta, Jr. who was featured on Season 10 of HELLâ€S KITCHEN with Chef Gordon Ramsey. (Tuesday nights on Blogtalkradio.com/thewackonetwork, 7-9 pm.)

Chef Rob is also executive chef for Harvest Café in Staten Island, a training facility/restaurant for adults with mental disabilities to learn restaurant skills to obtain work in the community.

Letâ€s meet Chef Rob and ask him the Ten Ingredients to his success.

RVO: Chef Rob, where you were born & raised and who introduced you to cooking?

RB: I was born and raised in State Island, and I learned to cook sitting in front of the TV watching Channel 13 Chefs Martin Yan, Jeff Smith who is “The Frugal Gourmet,” and Julia Child. I remember my first dish, it was a recipe called Harvest Stew. Everyone loved it. My second big thing, someone gave me the Betty Crocker cookbook and I made Egg Drop soup with snow peas. Thatâ€s when I really got hooked. After high school, I wanted to go to culinary school, but I couldnâ€t pay for it myself, so I got a job washing dishes and being a prep cook at the Lake Café in Staten Island. It was a beautiful place. I started at 18 and grew up there. I wound up being a line cook, sous chef, and later the executive chef.

RVO: Can you describe your signature style?

RB: My personal style is international fusion with a hint of American comfort. Iâ€ve been doing it for years, like Mac & Cheese Eggrolls; Meatloaf and Mashed Potato Eggrolls. Different Calzones. I had a gourmet deli BURMEISTERâ€S CHOW in Staten Island for four years and weâ€d make gourmet take out. I used to deep fry Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches.

 RVO: What was it like being on CUTTHROAT KITCHEN?

RB: I was originally cast for a show on ABC, THE TASTE. Last year, my friend came in second place. She said you gotta try out for this. She mentioned my name to the directors so when the casting came up this year they called me and I went in for the audition, I had to cook something, and they told me Iâ€m on the show. They picked 60 people to fly out to California. An hour later I got a call and they told me I got cut because theyâ€re not going with 60 contestants. But the casting director said they were casting CUTTHROAT KITCHEN and flew me out to California. I filmed the end of October and they just aired it in February. The show is like an obstacle course – there are auctions and you can switch things around with your opponents. There are four chefs and three rounds and when we had to make New England clam chowder, I didnâ€t have water to steam the clams and all I had was whipped cream and cognac, so I steamed them with cognac which made a boozy clam broth and used a little whipped cream. I won after the third round when we had to make Chicken Fried Steak.

RVO: How did you get on THE NEXT PORK PERSONALITY?  

RB: THE NEXT PORK PERSONALITY was being held at the Food Networkâ€s food festival in Manhattan, so I sent in a tape of some of my appearances. They called me and said youâ€re in. Guy Fieri was the host. It was a big thing. I got there and I was up against two ladies from California. I came in second. Before I met Guy Fieri, I always loved his TV show DINERS, DRIVE-INS AND DIVES, and I hoped he was not full of himself and standoffish. After the first two minutes I met him, we were like brothers. We were out the night before the show until 5:30 in the morning.

RVO; Have reality TV shows helped your career?

RB: Yes, definitely. Itâ€s hard to get a job if you donâ€t have a diploma. If youâ€re going to get a loan to open a restaurant, theyâ€re looking for a diploma. I never had one, but being on TV they donâ€t care if I have a diploma.

RVO:  Would you do HELLâ€S KITCHEN?

RB:  I put in my application six or seven years back, but now they donâ€t want me because I have too much experience. Now I have different ideas for my own show. I put up videos on YouTube. Iâ€d love my own road show, like DINERS, DRIVE–INS AND DIVES. Thatâ€s what I want, a nice cool road show where Iâ€m hanging out with other cooks. I love being before the camera.

RVO: Whatâ€s your podcast CHEWING THE FAT WITH BIG AND BEEFY with Clemenza Caserta from HELLâ€S KITCHEN all about? 

RB: Clem and I were freshmen at St. Peterâ€s high school on Staten Island. I saw him on HELLâ€S KITCHEN and my jaw dropped; so I reached out to him. I was doing a little thing SLINGING THE HASH, a YouTube show I was trying to start. Weâ€d cook together. Clemenza reached out to the Wacko Network for advice and they said, why donâ€t you be on our network? We started CHEWING THE FAT WITH BIG AND BEEFY – Iâ€m ‘Big†and Clem is ‘Beefy† We talk about what we ate, food trends all over the world, one week we talked about our top five snack cakes. From the first show, weâ€ve had 1,000-1,500 listeners. We get calls from Australia, U.K. Canada, Texas, Virginia.

RVO: What is the work youâ€re doing at Harvest Cafe?

RB:  Itâ€s a non-profit restaurant where high-functioning adults are trained to wash dishes, do maintenance, prep food, cook food, wait tables and take drink orders. We teach them skills they need to work at neighboring restaurants. Iâ€m the executive chef and lead culinary trainer.

RVO: What is your favorite seasoning to cook with?

RB: I always have to have bacon fat. Bacon fat is universal. Iâ€ll add it if Iâ€m searing a piece of fish and I use it in my barbecue sauces, soups, and instead of butter or olive oil. Now Iâ€m making bacon soap and bacon candles.

RVO: At the end of the day, what is the food that you order at the diner?

RB: If I go to a diner, I have to get a side of corned beef hash with syrup and ketchup. Iâ€m always getting breakfast, a hungry man platter that comes with eggs, ham, bacon, sausage, toast and pancakes, with a chocolate milk, a root beer and a coffee. I never order Eggs Benedict because I know what a pain it is.

For more info on Chef Rob Burmeister, go to www.chefsroll.com/chefrob.

`

The post TEN INGREDIENTS: Chef Rob Burmeister Fans the Flames of Reality TV first appeared on River View Observer.

On the HBO award-winning TV series THE SOPRANOS (1999-2007), it was easy to like Vincent Curatola character Johnny Sack Sacramoni, a mobster who worshipped his heavyset wife. Sure, Curatola’s character was a cold-blooded killer, and he was scary to watch, but there was always a touch of humor, especially when he had to endure wisecracks about his wife’s weight. Curatola was so convincing that when Johnny Sack winced at a fat joke, the viewers did, too.

 A Jersey guy, Curatola grew up in Englewood, a residential community just north of the George Washington Bridge. According to his website, VincentCuratola.com  he always had the acting bug, and his wife, Maureen, encouraged him to take classes soon after Curatola brought Johnny Sack to life.

In the seven years since the show ended, Curatola has made a few movies, appeared on several TV shows, and taught acting in New York. He recently taped five episodes as an exasperated judge on the CBS hit show THE GOOD WIFE starring Julianna Margolis. Has it been difficult for Curatola to reinvent himself after eight years in a hit series? Do all roles pale in comparison to Johnny Sack?

On a recent afternoon, Mr. Curatola took time from his busy schedule to speak to River View Observer about what itâ€s like to continue his career after THE SOPRANOS.

RVO: Mr. Curatola, can you tell us a little about your background; where you grew up?

VC: I was born and raised in Englewood and I had a unique paper route on the block I lived on. My customers were Tony Bennett, Jerry Vale, Wilson Pickett, Lesley Gore, Dizzy Gillespie, and Sarah Vaughn. I used to deliver The Record. My father had a masonry business, and I started one on my own in the mid-1970s, but I had fantasies (about acting). So I went to study with Michael Moriarty.

 RVO: Did you do much acting before being cast in THE SOPRANOS?

VC: Michael got me on LAW & ORDER, and I wrote a one-act play about a funeral guy called DEARLY BELOVED. I also did the show EXILED.

 RVO: How did you get the part of Johnny Sack; was there a lot of competition?

VC: I happened to be filming in Staten Island, and my agent called and said, there this thing THE SOPRANOS. I told her I don want to go to the audition. I thought it was going to be SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER meets The Bronx. She called for the third time and said, there going to cast this character; you need to go in. I went home to New Jersey, changed, and went to 72^nd Street in Manhattan for the audition. I got out of the cab and thought, let me smoke a cigarette. a gorgeous spring day, I’m late already, let me smoke another cigarette. I got upstairs 35 minutes late, and there’s a woman sitting at a big desk in the middle of the room. Sorry, you’re late, she says; I’m leaving. She looks up at me and changes her mind. She says do you have the pages they faxed you? Come over, sit down, and lets read the scene.  I read it once, and she said, do you want to do it again? I said no. She said, I want you to meet somebody on Monday That Monday I’m in this big ante room, and there were 40-45 guys in for callbacks, I hear them, and everyone is screaming the part. I said I know what I’m going to do. So I go in, meet David Chase (the producer) and when I started the scene, I started to whisper. I whispered the whole scene. I could see they were scared stiff. The next morning, they wanted me to do one episode. I ended up doing 33 episodes and I was in it from the beginning right through to the end.

 RVO:  THE SOPRANOS was amazing, like Shakespeare. What was it like being in a hit series?

VC: Every time FedEx delivered a script, you were like a viewer. The writing was so incredible that they would take twists and turns. In many interviews over the years, the interviewer would describe it as a mob show, and I would say, I’m not on a mob show. I always bristled at that. weird. When people meet me, they say you don’t sound like a mobster. Johnny was an executive, he wasn’t the guy on the corner with the pinky ring.

 RVO: So many people were devastated over the death of James Gandolfini; can you share what it was like working with him?

VC: Jimmy and I, we’ve been through a lot. One year, he lost his father, and I lost mine. We’ve been through more funerals, more christenings. We met before THE SOPRANOS. We used to hang out at Mary Lou’s in Manhattan. This is a guy who gave us a piece of his production company, and along with that came a beautiful check. On December 1st of last year, we had a street in Park Ridge where he grew up renamed James Gandolfini Way.

 RVO: What acting lessons did you learn working with him?

VC: Don’t think; just open your mouth and talk. Don’t stop to check yourself out, don’t think.

RVO: Is it true you watched the last episode together?

VC: Yes. It was a Saturday night in 2007, we were brought to Foxwoods in Connecticut  me, Jimmy, Lorraine (Bracco), Tony Sirico, Steve Schirripa, Steve Van Zandt, and then the next morning they had a plane take us out to The Hard Rock in Florida, to watch the final episode with 16,000 people. They gave us a private room to watch it in. Nobody knew what the final episode was going to be. When it was over, I thought is David Chase kidding? Now we gotta go out to these 16,000 people and they did not look happy. What Jim did he found a guy in Switzerland who makes handmade watches, and he gave each one of us a watch — you could buy a Cadillac with this watch. It says on the back: THE SOPRANOS, R.I.P., love J.G. He was incredibly generous and self-effacing. Whenever we’d see in the script that a guy was going to die that week, we would take that guy out for dinner. We couldn’t tell anybody“ we couldn’t leak something so if anybody asked, we’d say it was his birthday.

 RVO: Since THE SOPRANOS ended, you’ve been on LAW & ORDER, SVU, and LAW & ORDER Criminal Intent; MONK, and PERSON OF INTEREST. Were you offered other roles?

VC: I’m a little picky. Once you’ve been on THE SOPRANOS, it’s like what do you do now? You drove a Rolls, now you’re going to drive a Chevy? I did two movies, KILLING THEM SOFTLY with Brad Pitt and NICKY DEUCE which was written by Steve Schirripa. We shot it in Montreal with Jimmy, Michael Imperioli, Tony Sirico, and Rita Moreno.

 RVO: Can you describe your part on the good wife?

VC: I play a judge.  a complete 180 from Johnny Sack. I love working with Julianna. She played a girlfriend of Christopher’s on THE SOPRANOS. She’s a wonderful actress; I play the judge who gets exasperated easily. I love to play that.

RVO: Anything planned for the future?

VC: A few months ago, I picked up the guitar again. I have three great teachers. About ten years ago, I went to the China Club with my wife Maureen, and who’s playing but CHICAGO. I ran out to my car and took out a CD of their greatest hits. When their act was done, I went backstage and they said, you want us to sign your stuff? Only if you sign ours. We had dinner once at The Plaza  it was somebody’s birthday“ and one of the band members starts to hum and I start to sing. They said, you sing? So, for about 7 years i’d be their surprise guest singer. We played the PNC Arts Center, Jones Beach. They would say to the audience, we have a friend and he told us he has to come out and sing a song.

 To learn more about Vincent Curatola, visit his website:

www.vincentcuratola.com.

 Photo of Mr. Curatola as John Sacramoni- and with James Gandolfini -HBO Publicity Photo from the hit series THE SOPRANOS

 

The post Worth Repeating Article…LIFE AFTER SOPRANOS Actor Vincent Curatola Picks up where Johnny Sack Left Off first appeared on River View Observer.

BIG BROTHER just wrapped its 15th season on CBS, a long-time hit where viewers seem to enjoy watching people live under a microscope. Bayonne resident Enzo Palumbo, who was a contestant on BIG BROTHER 12 is a huge fan of the show and keeps a new strategic plan in his back pocket ready to be used against his enemies when BIG BROTHER decides to do an “All Star” season.

“Itâ€s like mental warfare,” Palumbo says. “Once youâ€re into that house youâ€re in game mode.â€

A reality show, BIG BROTHER puts a hodge-podge of 15-20 people in a house together with TV cameras and microphones that record their every move. During their stay, the contestants are isolated from the rest of the world and not informed on current events. Each series lasts about three months, with the contestant who outlasts all his housemates winning a big cash prize. Palumbo, who went by the nickname “The Meow Meow” and was a member of an alliance known as “The Brigade” made it all the way to the final three before being evicted from the house and kicked off the show.

“We played the whole house,” Palumbo says of the alliance he started. “The Brigade was Lane, Hayden, Matt and me. We were the secret alliance and we kept each other alive.”

While in the house, Palumbo and the rest of the contestants had no TV, cell phones or computer, just each other. Contestants are not allowed to leave and havenâ€t a clue whatâ€s going on in the outside world.

“Looking back, it was definitely strange,” Palumbo says. “While I was in the house, after a couple of weeks, I couldnâ€t wait to go out. It feels like the house has a life of its own. When the next season came on, I wanted to go back and play the game. Thereâ€s backstabbing and throwing people under the bus. I played the game .I threw people under the bus, I backstabbed, I was just having so much fun in the house.”

Watching the show this season, Palumbo says he was put off by several housemates making racial slurs.
“There were a lot of people I didnâ€t like,” Palumbo says. “There was no one I could get behind and root for. Amanda was the villain this season. Spencer, he was another one that made racial remarks..”

Palumbo has been a huge fan of the show ever since season 12.
“Itâ€s a social experiment,” Palumbo says. “They bring a group of people from all over the U.S. and they put them in the house and let them go at it. Thereâ€s always a dramatic twist to it. Youâ€re always on the edge of your seat. BIG BROTHER is one of those reality shows, they donâ€t twist too much.. They let the people in the house determine everything.”

If and when there is an All Stars show, Palumbo says he would like the chance to be a housemate that season.

“I want to go against the best people and the best alliances that played the game,” Palumbo says. “Itâ€s like a poker game but with people instead of cards.”

”

The post BIG BROTHER 12 HOUSEMATE ENZO PALUMBO RAPS ON THE WRAP OF SEASON 15 first appeared on River View Observer.