Slowhand…fast shutter: Dorian Grey Gallery, at 437 E. Ninth St., recently hosted a one-week show of Gene Shaw’s photos of legendary rock guitarist Eric Clapton. It was tied in with the release of Shaw’s new photo book on Clapton, “Journeyman.” Like the book, the exhibit featured never-before-seen shots of “Slowhand.” Above, Shaw, who currently hails from the Bronx, posed in front of his picture of Clapton playing at the Royal Albert Hall in 1991. “It’s when he was a rock god,” Shaw said. “He played 24 nights in a row — it’s a record.” Asked for some of his favorite “Clap” anecdotes, he shared the story of how the bluesman wrote “You Look Wonderful Tonight.” Basically, he was waiting downstairs for his then-wife, Pattie Boyd, to get ready to go out. He felt she looked terrific, and should just hurry along. While waiting, he penned the beautiful tune. How about when Clapton stole Pattie right away from George Harrison — and yet George still stayed friends with him, seemingly with no hard feelings? “It’s like a bird,” Shaw explained. “If it’s gone and doesn’t come back, you’ve gotta let it go.”
Doris marks the big 5-0: Marking Doris Diether’s half decade serving on Community Board 2, friends and colleagues will throw her a 50th anniversary party on Sun., Sept. 14, at fellow board member Richard Stewart and Dr. David Ramsay’s One Fifth Ave. home. It’s invite only. Though we hear Mr. Stix may try to crash it!
The third candidate? Speaking of C.B. 2, Richard Stewart has declared he’s running for board chairperson in November, while Tobi Bergman has also said he is interested. Now we hear that there may well be a third candidate, Bo Riccobono, the board’s first vice chairperson. Word has it that Riccobono has a plan, if elected, to “restructure the board.” We’re interested to find out more about what all that means. He told us he’ll be ready to talk soon about it.
Dot means war!Paul Garrin, of name.space, is fighting back. The city has recently been selling off .nyc addresses, even though Garrin repeatedly has explained that he created the .nyc top-level domain name — and .sex, .chat, .art and many, many more — as early as 1996. He’s been operating all of them on “alternate root,” outside of the main Internet that we all use, because the powers that be, a.k.a. ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), won’t let him into the “main root.” Now that the options of Internet suffix possibilities are finally being expanded, the East Village tech pioneer isn’t willing to give up what’s his. And why should he? He’s working to raise $75,000 for his lawsuit in federal court against ICANN. As part of his plan to sell .nyc addresses, profits would be funneled back into social-justice causes, like equipping schools with laptops or buying back the old P.S. 64 / CHARAS and restoring it as a community center. (Oh well, it may be too late for that last one, unfortunately.) You can help Garrin by donating at rally.org/namespace.
“Sham dorm!” Speaking of the old P.S. 64, at 605 E. Ninth St., which Gregg Singer is bent on turning into a college dorm, preservationist Andrew Berman gave us his stinging response to the city’s recent approval of the project’s application plan. “We are deeply disappointed that the Department of Buildings has decided to allow this sham dorm arrangement to move ahead,” Berman said. “It does not conform with D.O.B.’s own rules, which were promulgated to try to prevent exactly the kind of fraud being perpetuated here. We are working with our allies in the community and elected officials to do everything we can to ensure that this does not come to fruition.”
Historic demo? We hear from a reliable source that the owners of the former CVS retail space on Sixth Ave. north of Carmine St. hope to raze the place and redevelop the site residentially. The owner is reportedly the Ranieri family, who have about 150 buildings. Word is that grandson William would take a penthouse if the project gets built. The lot is 75 feet wide. “This is no small building,” our source noted. It’s not clear how tall it would be. Plus, it’s located in an extension of the Greenwich Village Historic District, so it’s landmarked, and it’s unusual for a building to get demolished in a historic district. G.V.S.H.P.’s Berman said it was the first he’d heard of it. “If I’m not mistaken, it’s a relatively nondescript postwar building,” he said. The Landmarks Preservation Commission would have to approve the demo and then the building plans. “It’s a multistep process,” the preservationist said.
Occupy Portland! Michael Ellick, the minister of Judson Church, gave his last sermon on Washington Square South on Sunday. He’s heading off to Portland, Oregon. Known as the “Priest of Occupy Wall Street,” Ellick was the leader of Occupy Faith NYC, a coalition of progressive New York City houses of worship supporting O.W.S. Judson congregants held a farewell party for him, at which warm memories of his times with the church were shared.
Hot or not? We saw this jar of La Esquina salsa roja (red salsa) on a deli shelf in Brooklyn. Yup, it seems to be put out by the hip Kenmare St. eatery/nightclub of the same name. Needless to say, we don’t think it has earned the Friends of Petrosino Square’s seal of approval!
Ah, such is life…: Jane St. author Warren Allen Smith, 92, has self-published his ninth book, a memoir, “Mr. Smith, The Sybarite Who Also Was A Teacher.” Clocking in at 450 pages, it details his life’s high points, such as serving as a chief clerk for General Eisenhower in W.W. II; co-owning Variety Recording Studio, and recording the likes of Marvin Hamlisch, Quincy Jones, Tito Puente, Liza Minnelli, Sun Ra, Stevie Wonder and many more; being a paramour to three-time Tony nominee Gilbert Price and “making sweet music” with Fernando Vargas, also of Variety Recording Studio; lending a mic to Sammy Davis Jr. to hide in his crotch; and being mooned by Screw publisher Al Goldstein, to name a few.
Ballots ’n’ books: Gina Shamus, of Westbeth, tells us that the famed artists’ housing complex will be having a book sale, possibly on Election Day. This way people can vote and pick up a good read in one swing.
