Well, Sundays seem so empty now, with Tony Soprano gone and all. But I was pleasantly surprised when Brenda & I sat down to watch the premiere of Flight of the Conchords. Not really knowing anything about these two kiwis or how they were gonna make their “funny folk” act into a TV show, we went in blind. But fifteen seconds into the intro I was hooked. Exactly four minutes in though, the protagonists broke into song at Dave’s party and I was laughing so hard at the lyrics and the presentation that Brenda thought the neighbors were gonna call the cops.

And when you’re on the street,
depending on the street,
I’ll bet you are definitely in
the top three…
good lookin’ girls on the street!
(depending on the street)

The show revolves around these two guys from New Zealand who have a band and are trying to make it in the Big Apple, but it’s essentially a vehicle for their hysterical songs.

You’re so beautiful, you could be an air hostess in the sixties…

It’s very interesting to see how you take a very funny musical stage act and roll it into a TV series. So far, 30 minutes into the experiment, they are succeeding wonderfully.

You’re so beautiful you could probably be a PART… TIME… MODEL… (but you’ll probably have to keep your regular job)

It’s no Sopranos; but so far, the ‘Conchords are killing.

P.S.
Here; see for yourself:

So, after eight absolutely fantastic fucking seasons, The Sopranos run has come to an end. The finale was a mixed bag, and the salt in the wound is that the lame-ish ending is followed by the premiere of a fucking surfer show.

The Sopranos has entertained me on so many levels it will take much more than a blog post at this hour to explain it. Suffice to say, the lingo brings back memories of my youth and my quote database is proof of that. The first time Brenda & I watched the show we were in a hotel room with HBO and after 15 seconds of the opening sequence, where Tony drives through the Lincoln Tunnel, past the Hoboken exit, and then onto the NJ Turnpike and past the oil tanks in Linden (Drive Safely!), we were hooked. The show went on to document the North Jersey Italian-American experience, and I’m not (just) talking about the mob shit, I’m talking about the manigoot (manicotti). The lingo, the mores, the food, the clothes: when I watched The Sopranos it was like a visit to Aunt Mary’s house; the only thing missing was the pinch on the cheek.

But you can’t run a crew these days without some strife, and Tony made his bed, sure as shit. So after last week’s mayhem we were on the edge of our seats for the finale tonight. I haven’t been this upset since the end of N.Y.P.D. Blue, but Brenda & I pulled up a chair and dutifully watched the end of what is probably the greatest TV Show Ever tonight, and had a good time with it.

The finale was a mixed bag. (Spoiler alert, whatever…) Phil Leotardo’s demise was great theatre, and that cocksucker got what he fucking deserved. But the fake foreshadowing with A.J. was very annoying. When his car caught on fire I thought for sure he was caught in the crosshairs, and was gonna be the victim of a car bomb. But, no. When he started driving the BMW and backed up to the camera sporting a NJ license plate with the letters “RDX”, I thought for sure he was going out in a blaze of glory. But, no. Vague talk of indictments on the way led us to a final scene at a diner with a shifty patron headed to the bathroom and we have to assume he didn’t come outta there with just his dick in his hand. As Meadow heads for the door of the diner, some black dudes enter, another reminder of the gas station scene where Phil’s head goes out like a grape, aaaaannnnnd, scene.

Scene! Not even fade to black, just black. Black, credits, that’s it, thanks for coming, motherfuckers.

Draw your own conclusions, I have mine. Bottom line, The Sopranos is over, one way or another, end of story.

Fuck.

P.S.
I realize David Milch is behind the new series “John from Cincinnati”, which is being groomed as the Sopranos replacement. Milch is the genius behind N.Y.P.D. Blue, my last TV tragedy. But I’m thinking that “Entourage” and “The Wire” have more of a chance of retaining my HBO subscription money than this new surfer bullshit (that I’m about to watch).

P.P.S.
Is Frank Vincent like not the most typecast tragic mob guy in all of mob cinema?! Like gosh! And I even saw “Ten Benny”, so I know what the fuck I’m talking about.

The Stats:
Brewery: Great Divide Brewing Company, Denver, CO
Style: India Pale Ale
abv: 9.1%

The Beer
Hercules Double IPA (India Pale Ale) is an exercise in excess. India Pale Ale, already a full bodied, hoppy and high-alcohol beer style, is taken to a whole new level in this rich, chewy brew. Golden in color, it pours cloudy with a nice medium head, and the beer clears nicely over time. The aroma is full of barley and you can almost taste the beer before ever taking a sip. And once you do take a sip, look out. The alcohol is always at the forefront, but so are all the flavors one would expect in an IPA —primarily, hoppy bitterness trumping malty sweetness—but it’s all turned up to eleven. More of everything, in equal proportions. The end result is a strong beer with strong flavors, an IPA to remember; the only flaw is that it’s so strong you can only drink so much in an evening! Highly recommended.

More Info
RateBeer.com Rating: 99(!)
Brewer’s Info Page: http://www.greatdivide.com/thebeers/hercules.htm

The Stats:
Brewery: Avery Brewing, Boulder CO
Style: Barleywine
abv: 9.2%

The Beer
I first tried Hog Heaven back in New Jersey, long before I ever entertained thoughts of living in the same town where the magic elixir is brewed. The reasoning was simple: it was a new barleywine ale on the shelf at my local New Jersey liquor store. What with strong ales of all stripes being my preference and barleywines in particular, I immediately grabbed a bottle. The flying pigs on the label didn’t hurt any, either.

The beer is dark ruby red in color, with a nice dense head and intense hop aroma. Dipping a nose into the glass, you can’t help but take several long pulls with your nose before ever taking a sip,and the whiffs are intoxicating in their own right. Once you take a sip, the deal is sealed. Strong alcohol flavor is balanced with an incredible one-two punch of malty sweetness and hoppy bitterness. The malt and hops are in perfect harmony; this beer is not cloyingly sweet nor is it dryingly bitter. It’s a lot of everything, but all flavors get their turn at the front of the stage and the end result is a beer that fills your mouth—and your soul—with the total beer experience. Immensely satisfying and delightfully sippable. This reviewer maintains that this is one barleywine that’s drinkable year-round; it’s that balanced.

Available in 22oz bomber bottles, this is one of my all-time favorite beers, and one or two are generally in residence on my refrigerator door rack at any given time.

More Info
RateBeer.com Rating: 96
Brewer’s Info Page: www.averybrewing.com/BigBeers/docs/hogHeaven