At Walden Pond by Mitchell Grabois

 

My car was rolling

but it was dying

 

Mercedes and Audi wheelwomen

sped by

blaring their horns

a form of screaming

screaming a form of hate

 

We were very near Walden Pond

very near transcendentalism

 

I came out of my hotel room the next morning

and couldn’t start my car

Tears came to my eyes and trickled down my cheeks

as if I were a skilled actor

 

A nun came out of the room next to mine

and spied me crying

She came up to me and let me know that she loved me

She loved misery and poverty

and the nearness to Thoreau’s condemned cabin

 

Thoreau needed so little

He didn’t need a Japanese car

He didn’t need a nun to console him

He didn’t need a god of consolation

 

There was a repair shop down the road

and the nun put her shoulder

to the cool metal

applied her love and minimal weight

and together we shoved the vehicle down the road

 

She was sweating when we arrived

and the mechanic

in a Boston accent

condemned me for using a nun

as an animal

 

It was her idea, I said

her idea

 

A nun is like a child, he said

She has to be protected from

her foolish notions

 

Mitchell Krochmalnik Grabois was born in the Bronx and now splits his time between Denver and a one-hundred-and-twenty-year-old, one room schoolhouse in Riverton Township, Michigan. His short fiction and poems have appeared in hundreds of literary magazines in the U.S. and internationally. He has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, most recently for his story “Purple Heart” published in The Examined Life in 2012, and for his poem. “Birds,” published in The Blue Hour, 2013. Grabois’s novel, Two-Headed Dog, is available in print and digitally.

THE WEEK/WEEKEND: Dec 7th-11th.

phantomPhantom Orchard: Zeena Parkins & Ikue Mori // Pet Bottle Ningen
Roulette
Tuesday, December 11, 2012 @ 8:00 pm

Friends and colleagues since 1988, Ikue Mori and Zeena Parkins are two of the strongest musical voices out of the downtown scene.  Lynchpins of bands as diverse as DNA, Skeleton Crew, Electric Masada, Hemophiliac and Björk, each have been leading figures of the downtown scene since the early 1980s, and their collaboration, Phantom Orchard is the perfect outlet for their unique and personal musical languages.  Tonight, Phantom Orchard presents duo arrangements of work from their most recent album,Trouble in Paradise (Tzadik), featuring Mori on live visuals and electronics and Parkins on harps, keyboard, and celesta.

Love Fail
BAM
Dec 6—Dec 8, 2012

The latest work from Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang, love fail marries evocative new music with timeless storytelling to tell a tale of love both found and unfulfilled, performed by the ravishing voices of legendary early music group Anonymous 4.

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THE WEEK/WEEKEND: Nov 15th-21st.

 

SANDY FUNDRAISERS: 

WAW CLOSING AND SANDY FUNDRAISER
FLAVORS / SANDY RELIEF FUNDRAISER
Sandy Hates Books Hurricane Relief Fundraiser
Foley Gallery presents #SANDY
THE SECRET CITY: ANCESTORS AND 3rd ANNUAL FOOD DRIVE
QMA ROCKAWAY FUNDRAISER
WHITE BOX FUNDRAISER (RED HOOK)
House of Yes
Jalopy Theatre And Friends Present: A Benefit to Restore Red Hook-Starring Rosanne Cash at THE BELL HOUSE
New Amsterdam Headquarters Fundraiser
Soup Bowl Fundraiser at EAT (Greenpointers)
THE KITCHEN: FUNDRAISER
Donations for Printed Matter

MORE EVENTS:

Kid Koala 12 bit Blues Vinyl Vaudeville
Music Hall of Williamsburg
Nov 21st

KID KOALA presents 12 bit Blues! The VINYL VAUDEVILLE TOUR To celebrate the release of his new album ’12 bit Blues’ featuring KID KOALA and HIS INCREDIBLE DANCING MACHINES! And introducing kid k’s very special guests: ADIRA AMRAM AND THE EXPERIENCE (NYC)

Calico Presents “Bad on its Own”
Calico (67 West St)
November 16 – December 2, 2012

Technically, a tree falling in the woods doesn’t make a sound unless the resonance has an eardrum to bounce off of – an argument that only stands under the assumption that the “anyone” in the famous question is a human being. Yet the crash displays independence even within its own nature. The tree falls despite our ears and despite its own roots.Art also provides an example of an imaginary sentience, and “Bad on its Own” is a particularly mischievous one. Pairing the malleable found textile patterns of Amanda Browder with “nature” paintings by Martin Esteves, the show demonstrates a pretend awareness through a more puckish spite; but art isn’t actually aware of itself, so the line treads wearily between a straight face and a smirk. Browder’s oversized installations create optical hallucinations from the simplest found sources. Her materials have been freed from all practical intentions and aren’t afraid to let you know it. Esteves’ paintings highlight the fact that nature is mean spirited already, regardless of human interferences such as greenhouse effects or global warming. Both artists’ mix of beauty and farce are what gives this show its title. The word “Bad” here means an intentional state.

Ethan Lipton & His Orchestra/Sven Ratzke with special guest Joey Arias/Alice Smith
Joe’s Pub
11:30 PM – November 16 

There comes a time in every artist’s life when they have to step into the spotlight on their own terms. For Janet, it was about Control. For Prince, it was about Emancipation. But for Alice Smith, it’s the art (and hard-won battle) of simply being herself. The NYC-bred singer/songwriter/producer, known for her 4-octave vocal range and stunning stage presence, made a name for herself with her critically-acclaimed 2006 debut album, For Lovers, Dreamers & Me, released on BBE Records. At the time, her artful blend of bluesy, soulful vocals and mid-tempo grooves garnered a passionate following that packed venues like NYC’s Mercury Lounge and Joe’s Pub, while Vibe Magazine gushed that her sound “evoke[s] Fiona Apple’s finest material.” Her single “Dream” was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Urban/Alternative category.

DREW CONRAD, AIN’T DEAD YET
Fitzroy Gallery
November 15, 2012 – January 20, 2013

Jeffrey Gibson
Marc Strauss
November 18 – December 23, 2012

Jeffrey Gibson grew up in major urban centers in the United States, Germany, Korea, England and elsewhere. He is also a member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and half Cherokee. This unique combination of global cultural influences converge in his multi-disciplinary practice of more than a decade since the completion of his Master of Arts degree in painting at The Royal College of Art, London in 1998 and his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1995.

SUGAR presents: Expressly Physical
449 Troutman St. #3-5, third fl. buzz #21
opening reception: Sunday Nov. 18th, 4-7pm

The Bunker (Untold/Bryan Kasenic/Nihal Ramchandani)
285 Kent
Saturday, Nov 15

Jack Dunning’s production work as Untold has reinvigorated the climate of dancefloors around the globe. Through his work with Hessle Audio, Clone, R&S and Hotflush, Dunning elevated dubstep to uncharted territories, combining it with grime, jungle and more recently techno. A lot of his music is truly alien and doesn’t really easily fit into any of these categories. Through his label, Hemlock Recordings, he has continued this pioneering role – discovering James Blake and releasing groundbreaking work from Ramadanman and Breton. Untold recently releasing his most comprehensive work to date – the three part EP “Change in a Dynamic Environment” (which you can hear in full on his Soundcloud). We’ve been eager to bring back Untold ever since he played the set of the night at the fist Bass Mutations at The Bunker at Unsound Festival New York back in 2010.


Mind Over Mirrors + Miguel Gutierrez

Fri, November 16, 2012 – 8:00pm
Actors Fund: 160 Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn

Mind Over Mirrors, AKA Jaime Fennelly, performs with dancer and musician Miguel Gutierrez as part of Fennelly’s two-night residency at ISSUE Project Room. After four years of constant collaboration, trans-continental performance, cohabitation and detritus exorcising from 2001 – 2004 as their duo Sabotage and the early formative years of The Powerful People, this evening marks the first time Fennelly and Gutierrez have performed together in over eight years.

THE LITTLE TOP CIRCUS & MEDICINE SHOW/HEART OF DARKNESS W/GREG BARRIS
Union Hall
Sat, Nov 17

Calling the low, the weak, and the ungodly! Calling the faithless, the mentally infirm, and the spiritually bereft! This is the end of days and that rumble in the distance is the wagons of The Little Top Circus & Medicine Show, rolling into town to save your sad sinner’s soul. Led by the evangelically infamous Good Reverend Doctor Professor Elucius Clay, this band of befouled lowlifes will horrify (watch as Stitch the Geek mutilates his own flesh!), flummox (recoil at Bobby Phobia’s feats of physiology), mystify (witness the Good Reverend’s holy fingersmithery, learned unto him in the Orient!) and titillify (surrender to the undulant charms of burlesque!), all to the blood-stirring sounds of musicianers Doc Minch, plus Ratty Mousebites & Miz E of The Hot Sardines.

The Poetry Brothel’s 327th Annual Masquerade [Rescheduled]
The Back Room: 102 Norfolk Street
Nov 18th

Guests are encouraged to come in disguise and inhabit an alter ego. Featured readers include Ariana Reines, Dorothea Lasky, Jennifer Tamayo, and Angelo Nikolopoulos! Other poetry whores include Will Brewer, Seth Oelbaum as Reinhardt Gobbles, Carina Finn as Cherry Cherie, Lisa Marie Basile as Luna Liprari, Meghann Plunkett as Echo Rose, Lauren Hunter as Harriett Van Os, Alyssa Morhardt-Goldstein as Elka, Rachel Herman-Gross as Simone, Rachel Boyadjis as Cosette Chapiteau, and Evan Burton as Buster Van Orson The night will include burlesque performances by Moxie Sazerac and Luna Liprari, tarot readings by Robert Cunningham, body painting by Liz Belomlinsky, sleight of mind performances from Who Is Cooper, AND we’ll enjoy live music by Karen Marie Richardson, better known as Stella Sinclair of Punchdrunk’s Sleep No More.

Short & Sweet: The Brooklyn Filmmakers Collective
Union Docs
Sunday, November 18 at 7:30pm

The BFC will present a night of short films by its members.  Diverse skill sets and wide interests converge at the collective’s weekly meetings, where members present works-in-progress to receive feedback and criticism from their peers.  Beyond the workshops, members share resources, ideas, gear, and crew-power.  The collective is also excited to present the Brooklyn premier of Alex Mallis’ short documentary, Spoils: Extraordinary Harvest.

My Ideal Bookshelf by Jane Mount and Thessaly La Force
Powerhouse Arena
Nov 16th

PowerHouse Arena celebrates the launch of My Ideal Bookshelf and presents an exhibition of prints from the book, which will be displayed on the Arena walls. Writer Thessaly La Force interviewed dozens of prominent artists, writers, chefs, and thinkers, to create this loving homage to book collecting illustrated by artist Jane Mount.

Perpetual Recombination : Ian Trask Solo Exhibition
Recession Art
OPENING, Saturday, November 17, 6–10pm

In Perpetual Recombination, Recession Art’s  featured artist Ian Trask presents a collection of sculptures that visualize an evolved interplay between concept, material and technique.  The show’s title refers to the exchange of material between chromosomes during meiosis (cell division) and the resulting recombination of maternal and paternal DNA, a process that perpetuates genetic diversity of species and biodiversity of ecosystems.  By analogy, this body of work represents nearly a decade of creative evolution.  The combinatorial potential between the materials Trask collects and the processes he applies over time generate an elaborate diversity of forms all descended from a fundamental intuitive origin.

PEPPE VOLTARELLI: THE JOURNEY, THE FATHER, THE MEMBERSHIP”/TARRAS BAND
Barbes
Sat 11/17

Based in Bologna, Italy, Peppe Voltarelli was the leader of Calabrian folk rock group Il Parto delle Nuvole Pesanti. In 2005, he starred in the cult movie “The true legend of Tony Vilar” about the search for an argentinean-Italian singer, and then embarked on a solo career, using his dual background as musician and performance artist. His new show is a look the Italian heritage through songs that shaped the global Italian identity and Peppe’s own career.

First Look: Aboveground Animation
New Museum
11/17

Artist and curator Casey Jane Ellison will present twenty short-form animations from Aboveground Animation, the online archive and roving exhibition platform she founded in 2008. The screening is staged in conjunction with First Look, the New Museum’s Digital Project series—through which a selection of animations from Aboveground Animation, exploring 3-D renderings of post-human forms, premiered in October. For this screening, Ellison will present a more expansive selection of Aboveground Animation. Made by an international group of emerging artists, the featured works take up a variety of themes and concerns, and exhibit original approaches to hand-drawn and stop animation, as well as employ new tools such as CGI. Following the hour-long screening, a discussion will be held with local artists Erin Dunn, Steve Emmons, Ryan Whittier Hale, Lauren Gregory, Rhett LaRue, Robert Bittenbender, Jacolby Satterwhite, Lale Westvind, and Ellison.

As Real As It Gets
ApexArt
Opening Reception: Thursday, November 15: 6-8 pm

Tell me about yourself, and you might mention where you’re from, the music you prefer, perhaps a favorite writer or filmmaker or artist, possibly even the sports teams you root for. But I doubt you’ll mention brands or products. That would seem shallow, right? There’s just something illegitimate about openly admitting that brands and products can function as cultural material, relevant to identity and expression. It’s as if we would prefer this weren’t true. (But we know it is: Tell me about a neighbor, co-worker, someone you met at a party, and it becomes far easier, convenient, maybe even necessary, to situate that other person within branded material culture.) The underlying discomfort is something I’ve noted over many years spent writing about brands and products. One reader comment clarifies the dilemma. In a column about products and companies that exist only in the fictional worlds of books and movies, I categorized such things as “imaginary brands.” Harrumph to that, this reader replied: All brands are imaginary.

Roman Tragedies
BAM
Nov 16—Nov 18, 2012

Visionary director Ivo van Hove transforms the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House into a modern-day Roman amphitheater with this interactive, hyper-modern take on Shakespeare’s powerful trilogy about the use and abuse of power: Julius CaesarAntony and Cleopatra, andCoriolanus. Staged as a single immersive experience, van Hove’s production turns audience members into the citizens of Rome, encouraging them to grab a drink during the action at the on-stage bar, push through the crowd to hear Marc Antony defend Caesar, or take it all in on giant video screens and tickertape news feeds.

THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS
Skirball Center
Nov 15-18

The magnificent theatrical adaptation of C. S. Lewis’ THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS returns to New York City starring award-winning actor Max McLean. THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS is a provocative and inspiring look at spiritual warfare from a demon’s point of view. Now in its third smash year, THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS’ National Tour has delighted capacity audiences in 50 major cities.

HABEAS CORPUS
IF IT’S SO THEN LET ME KNOW / CHRIS FENNELL
Gym, Dear, Northwood, Twi the Humble Feather
Meta-Monumental Garage Sale
RADIO UNNAMABLE
Mickalene Thomas: Origin of the Universe
NOVEMBER OPEN HOUSE and SUNDAY SESSIONS
CONTINUUM: CAGE CENTENNIAL
American Landscapes
Surfaces, Supports. Tatiana Berg & Evan Nesbit
Katarzyna Krakowiak “Possibility 02: Growth, Part II”
Haik Kocharian CD Release
André Cypriano: Two Decades
Y? O! G… A [RESCHEDULED]
THOMAS BROADBENT
Fall into Frost : New works by Kelly Denato/The Dandy : New works by Julie West
R. SIKORYAK & NEIL NUMBERMAN CAROUSEL FOR KIDS!

Ital Tek Us Tour feat. Howse (Tri Angle) & Lamin Fofana (Dutty Artz)
Uncommon Ground: Alternative Realities (Forum Gallery)
IOVIS reading at Poets House

AFTERMATH (ARTIFACT)
DAVID GARLAND/GLENN JONES/C SPENCER YEH
ED RUSCHA
A CATHODE RAY SEANCE
THE MUPPET VAULT: THE MAN OF A THOUSAND MUPPETS
Lauren Elder
Ellipsis: Allison Somers
Bernadette 
Corporation
Lines of Sight: Readings of photography in fiction
Opening Reception for “On Purpose: Art & Design in Brooklyn, 2012”
Secret Keeper
Chavisa Woods author of Love Does Not Make Me Gentle or Kind with Steve Dalachinsky

CHRISTEENE
JOHN BLAKEMORE (KLOMPCHING GALLERY)

Renegade Craft Fair Holiday Market in Brooklyn
UP IN THE AIR: Antoine Rose
Melodie Provenzano “Rock Center”(Lyons Weir)
Jim Krueger and artist Zach Brunner (The High Cost of Happily Ever After) Book Signing
“How I Learned” Storyslam
NAOMI PUNK/G Green/Parquet Courts/Psychic Blood
Live Drone Performance w/Acupuncture

Devin Powers (Book Release and Artist Talk)
Repo: The Genetic Opera
From the Akashic Jukebox: Magic and Music in Britain, 1888-1978: Illustrated Lecture and Rare British Occult Recordings with Mark Pilkington of Strange Attractor Press
Echo Eggebrecht: Probably Science
Andrew Kalleen
talk: zoo-topia: zoo architecture as taxonomies of representation
Phutureprimitive, Space Jesus, Soulacybin
Trenton Doyle Hancock
BARE!
Tokyo 1955–1970: A New Avant-Garde

COMING UP:

PUPPET PARLOR goes $BUCK NAKED$
{RESCHEDULED} 25TH ANNUAL HILLA REBAY LECTURE: The Para-Architectural Imagination of Gustav Klutsis
Witnessing Human Rights: Past, Present, and Future
Aki Sasamoto’s Centripetal Run
Selected Shorts: Comedy
Laura Vitale: White Sands
DJ Shadow
An Evening with Joyce Carol Oates
Music and Copyright in the Digital Era: DAVID BYRNE in conversation with CHRIS RUEN
Building Stories: CHRIS WARE in conversation with ZADIE SMITH
Night Train with Wyatt Cenac

THE WEEK/WEEKEND: Nov 9-14.

SANDY FUNDRAISERS:

GREENPOINTERS ONLINE RAFFLE
Brooklyn Relief: A night of words, music, and comedy to Benefit Hurricane Sandy Relief Efforts

THE KITCHEN: FUNDRAISER
Fuck. Off. Sandy. // Vintage Crawl // Dog Masquerade
New Amsterdam Headquarters Fundraiser
Defiance: A Literary Benefit to Rebuild Red Hook
ROB DELANEY Benefit
FASHION ACTION AT HOUSING WORKS
SPIRITUAL LEADERS AND ELDERS | PRAYER | LIVE MUSIC | FOOD | HEALING
SANCTUARY | ARTISAN MARKET
BROOKLYN LOVES BROOKLYN
QMA ROCKAWAY FUNDRAISER
“Anything But Politics” – A Pop Culture Trivia Benefit for Hurricane Sandy Relief
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
ED OSBORNAlbedo Prospect

Party + Auction + Community = TLC for an Ailing DUMBO
FOOD EVENTS FROM GRUB ST
Bushwick Star Auction
HURRICANE SANDY FUNDRAISER WITH…NASS GNAWA

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THE WEEK/WEEKEND: September 6-13.

VALERIE HEGARTY: Figure, Flowers, Fruit
Nicelle Beauchene Gallery
September 9, 2012 – October 21, 2012

In this exhibition, Hegarty takes her point of departure from themes of consumption, lust,reproduction and greed. Playing with traditional still life and figurative painting, Hegarty cites as inspiration the cult comedy Little Shop of Horrors along with current newsheadlines concerning the enhancement and mutilation of body and food. These four new paintings metamorphose sculpturally, as the paintings burst, grow and propagate in bodily gestures, leading the overgrowth to travel ominously beyond the canvas boundaries.

Strange Tales of Liaozhai
Friday, September 7
HERE Arts Center

Through choreography and manipulation, master puppeteer Hanne Tierney conducts an intricate counterweight system of over 100 strings, transforming a full stage of inanimate objects into the players of two emotionally charged tales.

Nancy Davidson: Dustup
Betty Cunningham Gallery
9/6/2012 To 10/6/2012

Betty Cuningham Gallery is pleased to open its 2012-13 season with Nancy Davidson, featuring her inflatable sculpture, Dustup. This will be the artist’s first exhibition at the Gallery. The artist will be present for the opening reception. Davidson, a sculptor and video artist, is known for her unique media – larger than life inflatable sculptures – and for her interest in American icons and gender issues. In 2005 with the support of a Creative Capital Grant, she began her exploration on the myth and reality of the cowgirl. After researching western women’s history Davidson focused on the rodeo cowgirl.

Thomas Allen: Beautiful Evidence
Sep 9 – Oct 14, 2012
Foley Gallery

Allen’s signature use of cutting and repurposing book illustrations has not vanished. Instead of the pulp fiction genre, Allen plays with 50’s era versions of clean cut youths and domesticated moms. His unmistakable talent for creating the illusion of 3D in photography with his deft cuts and crimps, establishes a magical world in which a boy and girl play tag creating their own kind of electricity, a milkman makes a very special delivery in space, young toughs play marbles with the solar system and a mother busily sews her own version of “string theory.”

David Stoupakis/Matthew Bone
September 8th – October 19th
Last Rites Gallery

David Stoupakis is an internationally recognized painter who creates eerie portraits of beings that appear wise beyond their years. The self-taught artist adds both haunting imagery and grim fairytale-like elements to his work to juxtapoz childhood innocence with macabre surroundings. InAshes to Sorrow, his new collection of drawings and oil paintings, David creates a continuation of his previous body of work-Walking with These Shadows./With his new work, Matthew Bone continues to explore the visual language he created as a child when massive unmonitored media consumption informed his worldview. A latchkey kid from an early age, pornography, comic books and movies formulated his ideas of sexuality, masculinity, and femininity- in essence reality and perception were sculpted by imaginary worlds steeped heavily in sensationalistic imagery.

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The Week/Weekend: August 23-Aug 30.


Exploring the Poison Cauldron of the Newtown Creek with Mitch Waxman
August 25, 2012, 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Meetup at the corner of Kingsland and Norman Avenues in Greenpoint at 11

The 22 is headed out this Saturday to check out Atlas Obscura’s tour of Newton Creek. We’ll have a full update afterwards, but in the meantime buy your tickets and join us! We will be exploring the petroleum and waste transfer districts of the Newtown Creek watershed in North Brooklyn. Heavily industrialized, the area we will be walking through is the heart of the Greenpoint Oil Spill and home to scores of waste transfer stations and other heavy industries. We will be heading for the thrice damned Kosciuszko Bridge, which is scheduled for a demolition and replacement project which will be starting in 2013. Photographers, in particular, will find this an interesting walk through a little known and quite obscure section of New York City.

Battle for Bergen Street
Monday, August 27, 7pm
at the corner of Smith and Bergen Streets 

“Battle on Bergen” is a site-specific performance incorporating elements of dance, street theater, puppetry, and live music, depicting certain events from the Battle of Brooklyn and drawing parallels between the American Revolutionary War and events today. Sometimes forgotten in the very neighborhoods where it took place, the Battle was fought on August 27th, 1776 weeks after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. “Battle on Bergen” is co-directed by Selene Colburn and features David Freeman, James Hannaham, Aaron Stanley, Willis Bigelow, Alan Balicki, Katie Merz, John Bauman, Tyler Sussman, and J.J. Hill-Wood.

Michael Hearst’s SONGS FOR UNUSUAL CREATURES
Sat 08/25
Barbes

A celebration of the under-appreciated creatures that roam the planet. From the Australian Bilby to the deep-sea Magnapinna Squid, to the Saddleback Caterpillar. The songs are brought to life by a gaggle of curious instruments and peculiar sounds including theremin, claviola, stylophone, and more.. With Michael Hearst, Ron Caswell, Allyssa Lamb Ben Holmes and Kristin Mueller.

Day Joy/Gracie
Fri, August 24, 2012
Cameo Gallery

Day Joy is the creation of Peter Michael Perceval and Michael Serrin of Orlando FL. Their music began acoustically on the porch and recordings began with just the duo layering instrumentation together and and creating the lush and layered Dream Folk/Pop recordings you can hear now.

Art for Progress presents “Mixed Greens”
Saturday, August 25th
Paperbox Brooklyn

AFP returns to The Paper Box in East Williamsburg for a new monthly multimedia experience showcasing some of the finest emerging talent NYC has to offer. Most recently, AFP hosted “Brooklyn Beat Music and Arts Festival” at The Paper Box, and will continue the multidisciplinary arts experience with their new monthly series “Mixed Greens.” Taking place on Saturday nights the third week of each month, “Mixed Greens” will bring together a fresh new mix of musicians, artists, and DJ’s, creating an eclectic experience.

Sound Off Salon
16 Beaver St

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Sound Off is an intimate performance series of sound art and experimental music that connects audiences with composers, musicians, artists, and one another. It takes place in a simple loft: no stage, no curtain, and little distance between performer and audience.

LUSH Curated by Michael Hunt
Saturday, August 25 from 6-10pm
Klughaus Gallery

The Australian so-called “graffiti artist” LUSH is having his debut New York solo exhibition at Klughaus Gallery on Saturday, August 25, 2012. Following successful shows in Australia and London, LUSH is going to be bringing his “Art” to the Big Apple.

FLASH POINT/ NYC: WRITERS AND COMPOSERS
Thursday,  Aug 30 – 6:00PM
Cornelia St Cafe

A multidisciplinary call-and-response experience, the FLASH POINT/ NYC ensemble of writers and composers interweave new hybrid texts, flash fiction, micro memoir and prose poems across the harmonic rhythms, inversions, melodies and lines of original live jazz. Synchronicities and spontaneities emerge, converge and diverge to cross genres, provoke tradition and explore the territories ahead.

Gayle Young with Reinhard Reitzenstein
8/25 Saturday
The Stone

Young and Reitzenstein combine pre-recorded sounds — ranging from oceans to railways — with two of Young’s stringed instruments, one wood and the other a prototype in aluminum. Their approach is a playful exploration of sound that integrates soundscape with unusual tunings.

Butoh Electra
August 29 – September 8
Irondale Center

The magnificent, intense and intelligent Butoh Electra is created and performed by the highly acclaimed ensemble, The Ume Group. A “beautiful and disturbing” piece (NYTheatre.com), Butoh Electra presents Sophocles’ Greek revenge tragedy as the story of a woman whose vibrant inner life is corrupted by the world of walking dead in which she lives.

The Disposable Film Festival
Thursday August 23

Solar1

The DFF was created in 2007 to celebrate the artistic potential of disposable video: short films made on non-professional devices.

Veronica Klaus Sings The Peggy Lee Songbook with special guest Joey Arias
7:30 PM – August 29 

Joe’s Pub

Veronica Klaus delves into the amazingly broad songbook of the inimitable Miss Peggy Lee and brings her own sultry, smokey soulful style to some favorites and some lesser known gems from the Lee songbook, with the Tammy Hall Trio backing her, this is a great night of music for fans of jazz and the immortal Peggy Lee!

Neil Rolnick/Kristin Norderval
8/29 Wednesday
The Stone

Neil Rolnick works for violin, piano and computer, with violinist Todd Reynolds and pianist Vicky Chow. Including Hammer & Hair, Digits, Fiddle Faddle and Robert Johnson Sampler.

Harry Pussy Record Release Party with Bill Orcutt & Chris Corsano
Thursday, August 30, 2012 @ 8:00 pm

Roulette

Record release party for Harry Pussy’s Let’s Build A Pussy (1998) & One Plus One (1992-1993) with solo sets and a world premere duo performance by Bill Orcutt (one of the most influential noise artists of the 20th century) and “one of the most exciting drummers on the planet”, Chris Corsano.

Leland Sundries/Angela Perley and The Howlin’ Moons/Raquel Bell and David Marshall of Mesiko
Friday, 8/24
Pete’s Candy Store

Leland Sundries, a band from New York led by Nick Loss-Eaton, is dedicated to storytelling in a way that recalls Woody Guthrie and his Folkways brethren.Raquel and David are performing a rare duo set of past songs from their now defunct band, Norden Bombsight, and some of their new material from recently formed, Mesiko (Ray Rizzo, Chris Rodahaffer).”Taking her cues from the bold ladies of classic Americana country, Angela Perley’s vocal whippoorwill twang and down-home lyrics are so darling they will keep you up at night.

ICY & SOT IRANIAN STREET ARTISTS
Openhouse Gallery
August 23-25

Neverheard Inc and Klerkx Art Agency will be presenting ICY AND SOT’s Made in Iran at Openhouse Gallery. The street art duo will be debuting at Openhouse 379 Broome in Nolita. Made in Iran will expose viewers to site-specific installation and new stencil work that has been seen on the streets of Paris, Turin, San Paolo, New York, and many other cities.

Taka Kigawa, piano – performing J.S. Bach’s “The Art of Fugue”
Le Poisson Rouge
Mon., August 27, 2012, 7:00 PM

Critically acclaimed pianist TAKA KIGAWA will present a solo piano recital on Monday, August 27th, 2012, at 8:00 pm, at (Le) Poisson Rouge. Doors open at 7:00 pm. For this recital, Mr. Kigawa will perform Johann Sebastian Bach’s The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080 (complete.)

The Snow / C. Gibbs/Annie and The Beekeepers with special guest Wilsen
Joe’s Pub
9:30 PM – August 30 

The Snow is a cinematic literary-pop quartet from Brooklyn, New York led by Pierre de Gaillande (Bad Reputation, Melomane, Morning Glories) and Hilary Downes. The Snow’s influences are as diverse as its sound – having been described in turns as post-apocalyptic French cabaret, gypsy pop, and carnival Americana.

BACHSTAR
KOTORINO
ANDY STATMAN
Creative Nonfiction Opening
VICTOR FRANGE PRESENTS GAS

Urban Food Waste Workshop
Braulio Amado’s: HOUDINI      
Cinema, Cinema/Bambara/Jackpot Tiger/Big Fur/Big Ups @Paper Box
Isle of Rhodes/Tough/Luck, Late Cambrian

Newtown Creek Celebration: Puppet Parade and Pageant
DAVE KADDEN/BAHAMA GIRL/CATFOX
N Y Moth Story Slam (Blunders)
BEAT Festival
SCHOOLNIGHT at the Bowery Hotel
Don’t Allow Fracking in New York State!
Nancy Beckman and Tom Bickley/Viv Corringham
GLOBAL LIVING ROOM FEST: JOSH RUTNER’S G’HOKTASAURUS
Jason Kao Hwang
Melanie Daniel: ECHO SHIELD
Skye Steele’s Glorious Sunshine Band
Crystal Bright and The Silver Hands

COMING UP:

Ryan Turley’s Hi/Lo
ELISA LENDVAY: Small Sculpture 
Strange Tales of Liaozhai
Thomas Allen: Beautiful Evidence
Wondering Around Wandering
Pauline Oliveros with Doug Van Nort and FILTER
Pictures from the Moon: A Symposium on Holograms and Art
Odd Job @Fowler Arts
SoundWalk 2012
THE NY ART BOOK FAIR
Next wave Festival
The Mountain Goats
Devotchka
 
 

Underpinnings at House of Yes.

House of Yes‘ recent fine art and performance art showcase, “Underpinnings” curated by Lauren Xandra and Rusty Van Riper focused loosely around the idea of “peeling” or multiple selves. The night was a success in many areas, including body control (choreography), preparedness, and flow of the night, while maintaining a heavy emphasis on dance and collaborative showcase. Highlights of the evening included “If Peeled…,” (choreographed and directed by Lauren Xandra) consisting of male and female dancers exploring the shapes and motions of bodies solo and en masse, followed by a perpetual motion chair piece performed by Pam Weiss and Laura Alexander titled, “Rise and Fall” (choreographed by Charlotte Hendrickson), “R(o/a)m” (choreographed by Claire Baum) and the surprisingly funny final piece, “Self Love Next to You” which consisted of siblings (Carolyn Ellis, Andrew Ellis) having a mock spat at the dinner table, complete with on tempo knife and fork fight. Take a look at some photos from the night below and see more here.

THE WEEK/WEEKEND: August 16-23.

Screening with Director David Cronenberg: “Cosmopolis”
Film Society of Lincoln Center
Friday, August 17th

“Adapted from a Don Delillo novel, Cronenberg’s latest dystopian odyssey boats all three the ingredients for filmic greatness — sex, violence, and Robert Pattinson — in generous portions.” –Chloe Wyma

Tales of Social Activism
Museum of the City of New York
Saturday, August 18 at 2:00 pm

Activist New York includes an astonishing array of documents, historic artifacts, and personal items that transport us to iconic moments when grassroots movements changed the city’s history and culture. But the stories of New York activism are also woven through the lives and memories of countless New Yorkers. Join us for a gatherine during which we invite you to bring along a photograph, or just a story, that tells about your or your family’s involvement in the democratic process of change that occurs when citizens unite for common goals.

What Can You Do?/Remember, Dream v. 2.5
The Stone
Wens, August 22nd

All are invited to be present in Dream Time, listening into the moment, discovering who we are in this moment, within and without, listening, sounding, moving, seriously playing the moment, exploring the moment as a community of listeners/viewers. A sound/video dreamscape which has evolved from Norman’s prior Singing Mask ceremonies, his latest work “Mysterium Magnum,” home videos and recent electronic music by Ezra will accompany us in this journey. As a shared dream, Ezra, Caleb and Norman will explore and guide us into the present moment with sound/movement/Singing Masks as we are all interdependently interconnected within the intricate interwoven depths and delights of Dream Time.

JACOB GARCHIK
Barbes
Wed,  August 22nd

Trombonist and composer has worked with Slavic Soul Party, Lee Konitz and the Kronos Quartet but here he presents elegant and energetic compositions for his lithe trio. “Odd and excellent, taut with paradox” – Ben Ratliff, the New York Times. With Jacob Sacks, piano and Dan Weiss, drums.

Cassie Ramone/Deep Time/Turn to Crime
285 Kent Ave
Thursday, August 16th

Thursday August 16th @ 285 KENT AVE
11:15 || Cassie Ramone w/ Julie K-Holes
10:30 |||| Deep Time ——— formerly known as Yellow Fever
-9:45 |||||| Turn To Crime —- Derek Stanton from Awesome Color
-9:00 |||||||| Weird Rivers
-8:15 |||||||||||| I’m Turning Into

OurGoods:Barter: Theory and Practice
Eyebeam: Art and Technology Center
Saturday, August 18

From myths of haggling savages to accounts of societies run on mutual aid, “barter” occupies a grey area between gift giving and market transactions. In this workshop, participants will experience the theory and practice of barter. Participants will (1) learn about contemporary and historic barter communities, (2) connect with potential barter partners and (3) discuss the problems and possibilities of barter: building trust, negotiating value, communicating clearly, and getting projects done without money. Workshop Facilitator: Caroline Woolard is a co-founder of OurGoods.org and TradeSchool.coop, two barter networks for cultural production. She is currently a Fellow at Eyebeam. cost: bring drinks/food to share, or volunteer to help clean up. You must RSVP to attend: email info@ourgoods.org with your name and the item/service you plan to bring.

Poison Dartz/Robin Vote/Catfox/DJ Bloody Powes/ART
SPR
Saturday, August 18

A night of music & art brought to you by… Chandrikas. Music by Poison Dartz/Robin Vote/Catfox/DJ Bloody Powes/ART, the closing of “Growing the Garden,” a summer art exhibition of mixed media and mixed forms by David Shull.

Pressed And, It is rain in my face, Cuddle Formation
Cameo
Saturday, August 18

Sxip Shirey’s Hour of Charm
Joe’s Pub
Friday, August 17th

A brief history of a word I use allot by Jesse Sheidlower lexicographer and writer of “The F-Word, a detailed history of the word f*ck,” Turntablist/percussionist/producer VAL INC. who pulls beautiful ghosts from a table of machines, very very real, very very human and very very funny New York stories by GREG Walloch and CHRIS WELLS, Fascinating smart songs and live electronic compositions of composer AMY X NEUBERG, beautiful and compelling 4 part vocal music of TREVOR WILSON and ENSEMBLE and a new composition inspired by Ali Farka Touré by SXIP SHIREY performed with Rob C. (special appearance by Leron Peled!)

Sky-Pony/PitchBlak Brass Band
Joe’s Pub
Sunday, August 19th

Pitchblak Brass Band is a ten-piece brass collective comprised of composers, producers, artists, rappers, strivers, hustlers, and superstars. Hailed as NYC’s only hip hop brass band, PitchBlak has been rocking the city since 2010 with their original dance-worthy music, which combines robust horns, Afro-Caribbean beats, soaring jazz solos, and tongue-twisting raps. In addition to performing at notable venues such as 92YTribeca, Southpaw, and a packed headlining performance at Brooklyn Bowl, PitchBlak most recently played to enthusiastic crowds at the NXNE festival in Toronto. Because of each member’s diverse musical background and training, PitchBlak is active in teaching and mentoring young musicians in New York, and prides itself on giving back to the community. For more info, visit www.pitchblakbrassband.com.

“CORIOLANUS” (Shakespeare in the Parking Lot)
Municipal Parking Lot at the corner of Ludlow and Broome Streets, Manhattan
August 2-18

Coriolanus” has been re-envisioned as a modern day “election fable” in the second production of the Drilling Company’s 2012 Shakespeare in the Park(ing) Lot series. This “Coriolanus” is set during an election year, when money can buy power and working class citizens feel threatened by a dwindling patrician class who are seeking to solidify their political power by manipulating political figures. The title character, played by Arash Mokhtar, is a potential leader who is vaunted for his success as a warrior but is completely out of touch with the every day citizen’s experience of hunger and joblessness. 

Popular Culture/Ferns
Cameo
Wed, August 22nd

GEORGE BARBA YIORGI AND THE BYZAN-TONES
Zebulon
Wed, August 22nd

An Illustrated lecture and book signing with Rachel Poliquin, author of The Breathless Zoo and the blog “Ravishing Beasts”
Observatory
Friday, August 17th

In her new book The Breathless Zoo: Taxidermy and the Cultures of Longing, Rachel Poliquin–best known for her blog “Ravishing Beasts”–explores the cultural history and poetic resonance of taxidermy from its rudimentary beginnings in cabinets of wonder to its revival in contemporary art. From hunting trophies to extinct species and kitten weddings to perpetual pets, The Breathless Zoo examines the meaning and matter of preserved animal-things and why anyone would want them to exist, and attempts to get to the heart of taxidermy by answering two fundamental questions: why would anyone want to preserve an animal, and what is this animal-thing now? Animal or object? Animal and object. This is the irresolvable tension that defines all taxidermy. As The Breathless Zoo demonstrates, with taxidermy there are no easy answers.

The Fall of the American Movie Palace
Observatory
Saturday, August 18th

There’s nothing remarkable about a movie theater today, but there used to be. When the great American Movie Palaces opened, they were some of the most lavish, stunning buildings anyone had ever seen. With the birth of the multiplex, theater companies found it harder and harder to keep these buildings open. Some were demolished, some were converted, and some remain to this day. “The Fall of the American Movie Palace” will take you through the history of these magnificent buildings, from their opening in the early 1900s to years after the final curtain.

Presentation Party Night 2 Year Blow Out
The Loom
Sunday, August 18th

Topics this month:
• Aesthetics
• L Train History
• Cider
• Self-Confidence
• History of Riddles
• PPN Past, Present, and Future!

OpenLab
Reverse
Saturday, August 17th

REVERSE invites you to the exhibition of OPEN LAB, the culmination of a month of work at REVERSE SPACE, during which six emerging artists use the 1010 sq ft gallery space and convert it into their own work-stations. The artists: Jin Joo Chae, Scott Fitzgerald, Hudson Lines, Francesca Padron, Gabriel J. Shuldiner, Jeremy Zierau

Microcosm: Sonic Territories
The Stone

Saturday, August 17th

Microcosm is Jonas Braasch’s new project. Expanding from his solo work, Microcosm is — in a nutshell — in a band with Jonas on the soprano saxophone, his alter ego on the Arturia Moog foot pedal, and Caira, an intelligent agent who improvises autonomously with the trio using auditory scene analysis techniques, machine listening, and logic-based reasoning. The agent is currently being developed through support from the National Science Foundation, together with team members Doug Van Nort, Pauline Oliveros, and Selmer Bringsjord. The Microcosm project was conceived to cross traditional boundaries between arts and science, and was conceptualized out of the desire to perform with an inspiring ensemble that can follow and provide musical cues very quickly. The concert will include adaptations from Jonas’ previous works: “Global Reflections”, “Sonic Territories”, and “Quartet for the End of Space”, which were released on Deep Listening and Pogus.

Quay Brothers: On Deciphering the Pharmacist’s Prescription for Lip-Reading Puppets
August 12, 2012–January 7, 2013

The Gay Agenda Plays It Straight
Look at Me Now
Debasement
Painting in the Digital Age

The 7th Annual Jazz Age Lawn Party

COMING UP:

Wondering Around Wandering
Day Joy/Gracie
Gayle Young with Reinhard Reitzenstein
Obscura Society NYC: The Poison Cauldron of the Newtown Creek