First Glimpse of Ruby’s New Sign, Coney Island Boardwalk. June 13, 2012. Via AmusingtheZillion.com
Today the new signs for Ruby’s Bar — “A Coney Island Tradition since 1934”–went up on the facade of the beloved Boardwalk bar. A reader sent us this photo of five men installing the ruby red sign that spells RUBY’S. Cheers!
“Sixteen,” a song about a young girl dancing with the Devil, takes its inspiration from Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ “I Put a Spell on You.” In an interview at Songfacts, The Heavy’s Kelvin Swaby tells how the group happened to shoot the vid in Coney: “Michael Maxxis, the video director, decided that we should go to Coney Island. We were in New York for a few days, and he was like, ‘Let’s go to Coney Island, because it’s just so wrecked, so rotten down there now. And it just seethes the vibe of the song.’ And it does.”
If you Google “seedy” and “Coney Island,” you’ll get more than a million hits, including “The place was magical and seedy at the same time… pure excitement!” But the days of Coney Island providing a seedy backdrop for music vids like this killer of a neo-blues song may be over. Redevelopment has created the beginnings of a shiny new amusement area since the video was shot in 2008.
The carless Wonder Wheel is a clue that the band was here during Coney’s desolate off-season. The monumental wheel feels like the last ride left standing, but if you watch closely you’ll catch a glimpse of the Saturn 6 in motion. The Astroland rocket, seen on the roof of the old Gregory & Paul’s (now Paul’s Daughter) in the video, was put in storage by the City in January 2009 and this season the eatery was renovated inside and out. Coney Island Arcade burned down and Shoot the Freak was banished from the new Boardwalk. The Henderson Music Hall, with its idiosyncratic “Water Raceing” game sign, was demolished to make way for a generic-looking building that looks like it belongs in a suburban mall. Rides fill the empty lot across the way.
The Heavy are playing at New York’s Mercury Lounge on June 18, but it’s already sold out. Coney Island is not on the tour. Catch them in Chicago, Austin, Denver, L.A. and Vegas. Hat tip to food blogger devourNYC for tweeting this vid!
New signage for ‘Miss Coney Island’ and games on Coney Island’s 12th St by Steve ‘ESPO’ Powers. Photo via twitter
Over Memorial Day, we saw artist Steve Powers in Coney Island and mentioned how much of the signage for his Dreamland Artist Club project had been painted over or demolished due to redevelopment. The most recent loss was the signage on Jones Walk, where the works created by Dreamland artists in 2004 were stolen or scrapped when the game operators moved out after losing their leases. The sole surviving “coin” from Toland Grinnell’s Dime Toss sign was donated to the Coney Island History Project, which is next door to some of the relocated games.
Powers told ATZ he was going to create new signs for Miss Coney Island, Skin the Wire and other games that moved to West 12th Street from the Walk. Today the artist unveiled the supercool signs shown above via twitter. “Watch Her Dance Till the End of Love” is for the automaton “Miss Coney Island.” The dancing doll did an exclusive interview with ATZ last month about the big move and the marvelous makeover that has fans saying she looks 30 years younger. “Miss Coney Island” and the miniature animated rides of “Coney Island Always” are next door to Skin the Wire and other whimsical games located on 12th Street just off the Boardwalk. The new signs will be installed next week.
Amusing the Zillion 