Oh lo these many years, I have given up on my search. See, prior to Ed, prior to millennium, prior to all that I was on a quest for a haircutter. Someone who would not put scissors to my follicals, make one cut and say, “Ut oh! Did you know your hair shows every mark?”
Yes, I know. I have been through a succession of stylist, barbers, man-scapers, beauticians and learners. One time, a co-worker from the Revolver was in Beauty School and he learned on my hair. Yes, I had to train my own barber. Well, I followed him from shop to shop as he apprenticed. Including, funnily enough, that guy on TV show Blow Out, back when he had the shop on Santa Monica Blvd. How long ago, you ask? Well, I was in the shop on a day when Mrs. Johnny Carson and Mrs. Ed McMayon were getting ready for the Emmys. Long long time ago.
I lost him after he quit barbering to do porn. So went life in Los Angeles in the 90's.
Anyway, low these recent years, I had given up. I go to Supercuts where they do what I say and I know it will look tolerable, never good.
Until New York. The other day, I was walking Trevor to his clip job (which is way expensive) and I passed a hole in the wall barber shop. $11 a clip. I walked in and fell in love with Tony.
Tony is an over-greased, married, skinny, Bronx Guy in his 30’s who bears more than a passing resemblance to John Travolta, circa Saturday Night Fever; but at ¾’s scale. The shop has like 4 chairs, hasn’t changed since World War Two - except for the haircut pictures (mainly of Hispanic Gangbangers in various semi-shaved styles) and the addition of small LCD TV’s at every station playing, what seems like, an endless loop of “Cops” (bad boys.. bad boys).
Ah but that Tony. He cuts quickly and confidently. He trims the ear hair without a word, and trims the eyebrows with a question the first time, but now does it by rote. It’s $11, he doesn’t talk too much. I give him a $20 and we both leave happy. I to think, I had to move to New York to find this guy!