A Rare Glimpse Inside The Brooklyn Historical Society

Power of the press! I was actually allowed to take pictures inside Brooklyn Heights' beautiful Historic Society earlier this week. Oak is everywhere, towering ceilings, along with relics of a time gone by (a card catalog!) and books, books, books. Just beautiful... *

Welcome (Almost) Summer: Din Din, Brooklyn Heights Rooftop

On Sunday, with Donna Mae Moose & Cecil visiting from Virginia, we hosted din din in Brooklyn Heights, complete with vegetarian fajitas and a view to kill for from the rooftop of my building. As you can see, guest Leonard is quite a "fan." Also attending: his pal Veejay. Mmm, mmm, good! *More below the jump! 

Brooklyn's Dekalb Market Turns Shipping Containers Into Urban Oasis

You’ve got to see it to believe it. Situated over an entire square block, the ultra-cool Dekalb Market in Downtown Brooklyn is constructed from recycled shipping containers converted into 60+ food & retail shops that frame a space for outdoor events and programs.

Located at 138 Willoughby Street and the Flatbush Avenue Extension, it offers a cornucopia of art, music, food & film events, as well as the new Dekalb outdoor performance and event space, a permanent beer & wine garden, “The Dekalb Farm” and 60 stores & food shops and outdoor weekend vendors, all “set against the gritty-cool urban backdrop of downtown Brooklyn.”

Over the weekend, Donna Mae Moose & her man Cecil and I at last stopped in to see what the fuss is all about for the locale that was voted Best New York Architecture in 2011 by the New York Observer. One word: waffles! *

Your Smoking Nun Blogger Continues To Burn The Midnight Oil

Hi, cool cats. I've got so much I want to share, after an adventuresome weekend with Donna Mae Moose & her man Cecil visiting NYC from Virginia... but duty continues to call. Here's an example of my day-to-day schedule (and god knows I'm certainly not complaining about having enough work to keep me bu$y)...

6 a.m. Rise & shine, shower and start guzzling coffee, check email, rummage around the webbie...
8 a.m. Report news until 1 p.m. for Radio-Info.com...
1 p.m. scattered throughout the day: search for, report, photograph news for the Brooklyn Heights Blog.
1 p.m. until 11 p.m. Work like a mad dog on my freelance assignment as editor of the 150-page Guidebook for the upcoming New Music Seminar in New York June 17-20.

For the latter, every time I think we've cleared a deadline, they somehow get extended, as we try to pack everything in before the final print deadline... which is Wednesday, as in tomorrow. Ah, but no rest for the weary. After that, proofs come back with further amendments and edits, followed by the Pocket Guide to be given out to attendees. In all, there are some 160 speakers for the conference... I have edited each & every one, along with editing mammoth amounts of copy.

And what's most surprising? The fact that record labels and artists working with music royalty fuck up the spelling of their meal tickets time after time.

Apparently, Nicki Minaj is as difficult for these folks to get right as was Alanis Morissette in the 1990s... I am sometimes stunned by just how daft corporations are providing their own biographical info. But, of course, it also reminds me that there are probably 22-year-old interns put in charge of most of these tasks. Imagine these kiddos trying to spell Led Zeppelin, much less knowing who they are... And so it goes.

There will come a time when I am able to return to my beloved Smoking Nun, but for the time being, paying the bills is a thrilling proposition, indeed. *

William Levy Is Back On TV: VH1's 'Single Ladies' TONIGHT!

The second episode of VH1's Singles Ladies Season 2 airs tonight—Monday, June 4 at 9 p.m.—with the debut of William Levy, following his absurd third-place finish on Dancing With the Stars to rigid, rhythm-less victor Donald Driver.

In "I Didn't Mean To Turn You On," new cast member Denise Vasi plays Will's love interest.  Huffington Post asked what it was like making out with him: "It was exactly everything that you imagine.

"I heard William was cast and obviously I knew who he was—I know now everyone in America knows who he is—but I knew who he was because I called my grandmother and my grandmother was like, “ay dios mio, William!” We knew him from the telenovelas."

She adds that his character Antonio was her character Raquel's first love and first sexual partner—she lost her virginity to him—"so there’s something really sweet about them reconnecting. But you know, the minute they do it's very sexy and hot." Ruff!

I tell you, no matter how bad this romantic comedy may be, there is simply no way it could be as dreadful to endure as DWTS. Thank god that's over and done. Moving on... Here's a preview of tonight's episode! *

Once Again, Lina Koutrakos Storms Joe's Pub, NYC

It's been over a year since Lina Koutrakos performed in New York: May 11, 2011 at Joe's Pub. Before that, it was New York's Iridium in November 2010.

She certainly hasn't mellowed one iota over time, with a rollicking encore performance Saturday night back at Joe's Pub. In attendance: visiting pals from Virginia Donna Mae Moose & her hubby Cecil, and Ayhan. I teared up, I howled, I laughed, I loved. *

Happy Hour: That Lil' Gang Of Mine

It's been a good long time since the minions have gathered for Happy Hour, and Friday's was a humdinger, with at least two dozen folks at Forum in the East Village. Love is all around! *

After Happy Hour, Donna Mae Moose, Cecil, Donna D. & Ty headed to John's Italian and Vegan in the East Village for vittles... *

Week In Music: It's Like 2006 Again, As 'American Idol' Pervades Charts

While ratings for "American Idol's Season 11 finale may have plummeted 30% this year, the franchise's wares are splashed all about the Billboard 200 this week. Let's start with the surprisingly robust debut of 2012 winner Phillip Phillips, whose iTunes exclusive "Journey to the Finale" album launches at No. 11 with 24,000 in sales.

In addition, Phillips is the first artist to launch with a debut Hot 100 single inside the top 10 in four years, as his "Home" wallops the list at No. 10, selling a dazzling 278,000 downloads.

He also has a second song on the 100: a cover of Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band's "We've Got Tonite," which comes in at No. 97. His is the third version of the coveted song to appear on the chart. Kenny Rogers & Sheena Easton hit No. 6 in 1983 with their lustrous remake (which also topped the country chart), while Seger's original reached No. 13 in 1979.

Likewise, 2011 "Idol" contestant Haley Reinhart is offered a hearty welcome at No. 17 with her first album "Listen Up!" selling 20,000. And four notches down, at No. 21, the "American Idol Season 11: Top 2 Season Finale" EP also hits the album chart, with 18,000.

As expected, 2009 "AI" winner Kris Allen's sophomore set, "Thank You Camellia," commanded less of a chart tidal wave, debuting at a tepid No. 26, with 17,000. His  self-titled debut in 2009 opened at No. 11, with 80,000 in sales. Perhaps predicting his future: Allen is only the second “Idol” victor to fall short of the top 20 among those who have released a sophomore album. Taylor Hicks' “The Distance” entered at a paltry No. 58 in 2009. And where is he now?

There's more: 2012 "Idol" runner-up Jessica Sanchez also enters The Billboard 200 at No. 126, with her own "Journey to the Finale" album, moving 4,000 copies.

The news is less celebratory for another “Idol” alumnus: Adam Lambert's "Trespassing," which debuted on the Billboard 200 at No. 1 last week, plummets all the way to No. 12, with a 71% decline in sales. Ouch!

And while Carrie Underwood has far surpassed her title as an “American Idol” winner, she holds steady this week at No. 3 with “Blown Away.” The set also maintains a four-week stronghold on Top Country Albums.

Meanwhile, at the top of the Billboard 200 this week, John Mayer is living large with his third No. 1 album, as "Born and Raised" debuts atop the Billboard 200 chart. The singer/songwriter scanned 219,000 copies of the album, which follows his chart toppers "Battle Studies" (2009) and "Heavier Things" (2003). “B&R” also enters The Official U.K. chart at No. 4—Mayer's first top 10 album there.

Keeping a watchful eye at No. 2 is  Adele's "21," followed by Underwood, while launching at No. 4 is Slash, whose "Apocalyptic Love," featuring vocalist Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators, comes in one notch lower than the rocker's self-titled 2010 release, which debuted and peaked at No. 3.

Next in line: One Direction's "Up All Night" rebounds 10-5; Lionel Richie's "Tuskegee" also rebounds, 9-6; followed by a debut from contemporary Christian group MercyMe at 7, with "The Hurt & the Healer”; singer/songwriter Sara Bareilles' new five-song EP "Once Upon Another Time" launches at No. 8; “Now 42” drops 3 to 9; and Norah Jones' "Little Broken Hearts" cascades down five to 10.

On the singles side, Gotye's irresistible "Somebody That I Used to Know," featuring Kimbra, becomes the longest-running No. 1 single of the year, to date, with its seventh week at No. 1 on the Hot 100. It tops the six weeks at the top by predecessor fun.'s "We Are Young," featuring Janelle Monae. Gotye also logs a second week at No. 1 on Radio Songs, with a total of 138 million impressions among all formats. It eases 2-3 on Digital Songs, while remaining at No. 1 on the On-Demand Songs chart.

And get this: The songs at Nos. 1 through 9 remain stationary on the Hot 100. Billboard's Chart Beat columnist Gary Trust notes this is the first time the top nine have remained in the same order since the entire top 10 repeated their ranks on Jan. 10, 2004.

The titles are: Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe"; Maroon 5's "Payphone," featuring Wiz Khalifa; Fun.'s "We Are Young"; Nicki Minaj's "Starships"; Flo Rida's "Wild Ones," featuring Sia; One Direction's "What Makes You Beautiful";  The Wanted's "Glad You Came"; Justin Bieber's "Boyfriend"; and then, debuting at No. 10, Phillips' “Home.”

Last week, we reported on the flurry of re-entries in the wake of Donna Summer's untimely death last month. Now, Yahoo! Music Chart Watch columnist Paul Grein fills us in on increased sales by the Bee Gees, following Robin Gibb's sad death last week. The trio's 1978 classic song "Stayin' Alive" sold 14,000 copies, which pushed its digital sales just over 1 million. Grein reminds us that "Stayin' Alive" topped the Hot 100 for four weeks in February 1978, and garnered Grammy nods for Record and Song of the Year.

As well, two Bee Gees compilations re-enter the chart: “The Ultimate Bee Gees” is back at No. 49, while “Number Ones” returns at No. 70. “Saturday Night Fever” also encores at No. 168.

Coming up: It's a relatively slow period for new releases. Bobby Brown's “The Masterpiece” is due June 5 (opportunistic, following Whitney Houston's death?), along with Grammy winner Shawn Colvin's “All Fall Down.” Usher's “All 4 Myself” arrives June 12; with Linkin Park's “Living Things” and Maroon 5's “Overexposed” June 19. And that same week:  what could be one of the biggest albums of the year, Justin Bieber's “Believe.” *