Nearly 60 revelers celebrated Punk Rope’s 5th Anniversary at the Bushwick Country Club (BCC)  in Williamsburg, Brooklyn on Sat, June 27. It was our 4th year in a row at the BCC and as with the previous years we had a spell of rain, but nothing could dampen the spirits of the guests who were too focused on their BBQ and beverages to notice the precipitation.

One of the highlights of the party was the boneless rubber chicken hunt, which served to break the ice and qualified guests for the prize giveaway. Speaking of the latter, this year’s prizes were truly awesome and included a $100 bar tab at the BCC, a $50 gift certificate to Zoe Lou Designs, a $50 gift certificate to Alternative Apparel, a night of bowling and beer at Asbury Lanes, and a $25 gift certificate to the Beaner Bar.

For our part, we’re just thrilled that we’ve kept Punk Rope alive for 5 years and are looking forward to the next 5. These have easily been the best 5 years of my life.

Sherry wins a CPR kit for the home

The boneless rubber chicken hunt was a big hit

Simone & Claire could teach Tiger Woods a thing or two

It was worth the rain to get this double rainbow

What do the following have in common?
a historic 1920s building
Punk Rope
the Atlantic Ocean
the Coney Island boardwalk
roller skating

If you join us this Sunday at 2pm at Dreamland Roller Rink you’ll surely find out. Dreamland is housed in the historic Childs Building which was erected in 1923 and, until recently, had only been open to the public a handful of times since it closed in 1950. We’ll be doing Punk Rope classes there every Sunday (except July 5) through Aug 30 from 2pm to 3pm.

The rink is literally adjacent to the boardwalk and while you’re jumping you can see the Atlantic Ocean in the distance. This Sunday’s class, led by Shana Brady & Tim Haft, will honor mother Russian. We’ll be playing Russian rock and roll and our drills will have a decidedly Russian flavor.

The $12 admission fee INCLUDES the 3pm-7pm skating session, during which you can practice your favorite moves to disco, 80s, and new wave classics. Not only that, but this Sunday there will be a FREE concert from 4pm-8pm featuring the psychedelic comedy band, Verge.

Getting to Dreamland is easy. Just catch the F, D, N, or Q train to Stillwell. From there it’s a short walk to Dreamland, which is located at W. 21st St & the boardwalk.

We made our first visit to Michigan on 6/12-13. Tim was born in Adrian and Shana lived for a spell in Midland so we both felt right at home. Our trip fortuitously coincided with game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals at Joe Louis arena in Detroit, which sadly the Red Wings dropped 2-1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Nevertheless, watching the game at Blackstone in downtown Flint and Kickers, a divey sports bar just outside of town, was priceless.

Flint is in rough shape and we can only hope the economy rebounds soon so that the locals can get back on their feet. But beneath its rough exterior the city has a certain je ne sais quoi appeal. The folks we met were very friendly including an artist with a dyed red goatee who is hoping to show his work in New York and a husband and wife team who make cool T-shirts celebrating Flint (we bought the Flint River Pirates shirt).

Our workshop was one for the ages. It was held outdoors at a park in Flushing, MI. We had 10 participants, which included PE teachers, a wine expert, a firefighter, and a soccer dad. The Michigan-themed demo class featuring the music of Iggy Pop, Stevie Wonder, the Supremes, Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels, and the Detroit Cobras was a hit. Wolverine tag went over pretty well as did the General Motors relay race. Hopefully on our next visit we can stay longer and spend some time in Detroit.