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Kicking Off Summer With House of Vans

By Amanda Gabriele Dec 18, 2019 5:17 PM

There are 100s of reasons to be crazy about summer. From the beach to ballgames, the list of things to do is never-ending. And if you appreciate live music as much as us, you know it’s also the season for free shows across the country. Which is why we’re super excited the Vans House Parties have started once again.

If you’re in the NYC-area and have never been to Vans’ annual concert series, this is the year to go. Presented by FYF, all shows are held at the House of Vans in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint neighborhood. Along with an indoor concrete bowl and outdoor skate plaza, the massive warehouse space will turn into a live music venue for six Thursdays this summer, and the lineups are killer. With acts like Chrome Sparks, The Black Lips, The Bouncing Souls, Future Islands and Holy Ghost!, these shows are definitely not ones to miss.

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We attended the kickoff last Thursday featuring Charles Bradley, Mac DeMarco and Benjamin Booker, and it was a fantastic night of music. Sound filled the indoor space as people watched the show while others gathered with their drinks in the huge outdoor courtyard. Mac DeMarco even crowd surfed because he’s amazing like that.

All shows are free with RSVP and open to the public of all ages. Doors open at 7, but admission is first come first serve, so we suggest arriving early. To learn more about the Vans House Parties and to RSVP for the next show, visit vans.com.

Amanda Gabriele is a food and travel writer at The Manual and the former senior editor at Supercall. She can’t live without… Read Full Bio

Put that in your pipe and smoke it: A beginner’s guide to the gentleman’s pipe

Packing a pipe

Norman Rockwell, Andy Warhol, Gerald Ford, Douglas MacArthur, Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and J. R. R. Tolkien. What do all of these men have in common? That is right, the pipe. These men loved a good gentleman’s pipe. Now, that might be a bit antiquated nowadays. Most of us men, if we go for the smoke, love to pick a good cigar. But the pipe is an elevated gentleman’s option that still deserves your attention. That is why we put together this handy dandy little how-to to introduce you to the pipe and how to smoke one.

There aren’t many tools required to smoke a pipe, but you do need these few essentials:

8 movies to watch on Veterans Day

8 movies to watch on veterans day a few good men 3

It is Veterans Day, and that means you had time off work and you got everything done. Does that mean you are sitting in front of the TV trying to figure out what to watch? Well, you know I am a huge movie buff, so I have the cure for your Veterans Day boredom. Military movies span the genres. There is horror, historical, comedies, dramas, action, and even some romantic comedies. The list is long and deep of some of the greatest performances you will see. So here are 8 military movies you can watch to celebrate the veteran in your life.

And speaking of them, a little reminder: Many of them have seen things you can’t imagine. They carry an invisible load you can’t fathom. Reach out to them. Invite them over to join in the celebration. Some won’t want to celebrate. But a beer and a movie is just a regular Wednesday.

Jack Bauer changed the landscape of television 25 years ago this month: We look back on ’24’

It is a rainy weekend here in New York City. That means it is the perfect time to sit back, turn on the TV, and get lost in a great show. While there are hundreds of newer series you could jump into on Netflix, Prime, Paramount, Hulu, Max, Apple TV, etc., I think it is more appropriate to look at the show that paved the way for all of them: 24. And let’s not forget the main character, who created the on-screen template for characters like Jack Reacher, Jack Ryan, and James Reece, Jack Bauer.

Is it a little overdramatic to say that 24 and Jack Bauer paved the way, or built the template, for the series we love today? Maybe. Is it entirely appropriate to attribute that overdramatic thought to a show that is by and large overdramatic? Absolutely. But here is the truth that any 24 fan will tell you: there are a handful of things commonplace today in the television landscape that weren’t that way until this series did them. And there was never a television character like Jack Bauer, until Jack Bauer made everyone want more characters like Jack Bauer. Do you see what I am saying? No? Ok, fine, here are four ways the series and its lead changed TV forever.