Even a steady stream of vodka soda wasn't enough to keep minuscule meal-maker Rachael Ray interested in her altitudinally challenged husband and his band, the Cringe, on Thursday night in Manhattan. John Cusimano and his garage rock cohorts played a set at the Knitting Factory, and for a couple of rocking ditties, Ray was stomp-marching, whooping it up, and pulling heartily on cocktails right in front of her man in a show of support.
The Cringe delivered for one song that sounded like the Who's "Teenage Wasteland" meets Queen's "Under Pressure," but it didn't take long for audience members to turn their attentions to the daytime diva. Two songs in, Ray was too busy gabbing with her own bevy of fans to pay much attention to the aptly named act.
As for rumors of the alleged spit fetishist Cusimano cheating on his famous wife, he certainly didn't seem to be winning other ladies' attentions with his vocals. Ray, on the other hand, was carrying around a wad of $20s, keeping everyone in rounds of booze. When she went to buy drinks for herself and a male friend, a lady friend, and another dude, Ray left a paltry $2 in tip on the bar top. The male friend politely waited until Ray turned around before slyly replacing the measly two bucks with a fiver.
Photo: Splash News & Picture Agency