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

 

THE WEEK/WEEKEND: July 19-26.

WHAT: PETE’S MINI ZINE FEST
WHERE: Pete’s Candy Store
WHEN: Saturday, July 21, 2pm-7pm

WHY: We are so pleased to announce the first print version EVER of The 22 Magazine will be available at Pete’s Mini Zine Fest, coming up this Saturday, July 21, 2-7pm at Pete’s Candy Store. We will have VERY limited copies but you will also be able sign up for pre-orders and if we’re lucky, you’ll be able to order directly at the table via ipad. Likewise, the first person to buy a copy of The 22, will receive a free mini-painting from editor Cat Gilbert! (Check out the catalog of work here.)Please join us, along with Volume One contributor’s John Jennison and Max Evry (who will be selling work for Pranas T. Naujokaitis), and if you just can’t wait until Saturday you can grab a print copy of The 22 HERE. If you are in any way confused, please don’t hesitate to contact us to help with your order at the22magazine (at) gmail (dot) com. If you are a retail store looking to get a bulk order, please contact for a special discount price!

FACEBOOK INVITE.
WATCH THE PREVIEW VIDEO.

WHAT: How to Write a Novel” Field Projects Show #6
WHERE: Field Projects
WHEN: Opening: Thursday July 26th, 6:00-8:00pm, July 26th- August 11th

WHY: Join us, Thursday July 26th for the Chelsea Art Walk and opening of Field Projects Show #6: How to Write a Novel.  This exhibition centers on the labor and characterization of writing a novel.  It draws a parallel between the source material of writing a novel and making art.  Often the most potent source of inspiration for artists and novelists alike comes from the private, seemingly mundane aspects of our own lives.  How to Write a Novel features drawings of text, photographs, receipts, books and the mesh-mash debris in an author/artist’s life.  The artists in this exhibition include Polina Barskaya, Aaron Krach, Karl LaRocca, Thomas Marquet, Siobhan McBride, and Martin McMurray.

WHAT: The 2nd Annual New York City Poetry Festival
WHERE: Governors Island, Colonel’s Row
WHEN: Saturday & Sunday, July 21st & 22nd, 11am-5pm

WHY: This year we’ve got more series, more poets, more headliners, more vendors, an additional arts and crafts village, healthy and delicious food options [though, yes iced coffee and yes ice cream], and a brand new children’s festival! Oh, and we plan on more sun too, though last year would be hard to beat!  For a complete schedule of events click here, and be sure to click the banner below to check out the children’s festival!

WHAT: REGINA REX (PART TWO)
WHERE: ELI PING
WHEN: JULY 20 – AUGUST 5, 2012

WHY: Jeff DeGolier, Gabe Farrar, Elizabeth Ferry, Stacie Johnson, Anna Schachte, and Siebren Versteeg

WHAT: jerry blackman
WHERE: toomer labzda PRESENTS
WHEN: july 19 – 26, 2012 (by appointment only), opening reception / thursday, july 19: 6-8pm

WHY: toomer labzda PRESENTS is pleased to exhibit a collection of jerry blackman’s wall mounted works.each piece is penetrated and framed by the elements it is composed of: rope, metal chain, paint, faux wood and crystal. focusing on surface, he plays with the perception of materiality through a subtractive and additive process. his sculptures employ a malleable tension via a synthesis of patterns and objects which presents a core understanding of construction and craft.

WHAT: Stooges Brass Band/G.R.U.B.B. (Gypsy Roma Urban Balkan Beats)
WHERE: Lincoln Center

WHEN: July 26 at 7:30

WHY: Combining old-school jazz energy with raucous funk, hip-hop, and Mardi Gras Indian chants, the Stooges are rising stars among the new breed of New Orleans brass ensembles. Led by sousaphonist Walter “Whoadie” Ramsey, the Stooges were anointed the Crescent City’s best contemporary brass band at last year’s Big Easy Music Awards.

WHAT: Uptown Showdown with Kristen Schaal and Kurt Braunohler
WHERE: Symphony Space
WHEN: Tue, Jul 24 at 8 pm

WHY: At the next installment of the wacky debate series, a team including Hot Tub‘s Kristen Schaal (30 Rock and Flight of the Concords) and Kurt Braunohler (host of IFC’s new comedy game show Bunk) face off against a team led by Christian Finnegan(VH1’s Best Week Ever) with Myq Kaplan(Last Comic Standing) and Bob Powers (Happy Cruelty Day) in this quirky take-off on the old school debate team. Hosted byMatthew Love (Comedy Editor Time Out New York).

WHAT: Hot Club of Flatbush
WHERE: Barbes
WHEN: 7/22

WHY: Modeled on the Parisian acoustic jazz bands of the 1930s. While its instrumentation (violin, acoustic guitar, accordion and bass) has a distinctly continental sonic texture, the repertoire of this group is as diverse as Brooklyn itself. The technical mastery of its performers allows the group to slide gracefully between a burning Basie stomp to a slow Texas waltz without skipping a beat. Fronted by the vocalist Gretchen Vitamvas, the Hot Club of Flatbush is sure to please any musical palette. Stephane Wrembel is back next month.

WHAT: Silent Clowns Film Series:FILM: Hands Up!
WHERE: NYPL

WHEN: Saturday, July 21, 2012, 2:30 p.m.

WHY: The Silent Clowns Film Series is back and dedicated to silent era film star, Raymond Griffith, a star whom Walter Kerr described as “natty, lithe (and) un-mugging.” Today, view Griffith in Hands Up! (1926), with Mack Swain and Montagu Love. Dog Shy(1926) with Charley Chase is our added attraction.

WHAT: tamara gayer: the inside
WHERE: toomer labzda

WHEN: july 26 – august 31, 2012

WHY: tamara gayer creates a site specific kaleidoscopic installation, which focuses on the local and national monument – the Eldridge Street Synagogue in New York City’s Lower East Side. gayer manipulates, warps, inverts and expands the gallery’s appearance as she reinterprets the exterior and interior of the one hundred and twenty-five year old landmark.

WHAT: KINEMATIC : THURSDAYS (MARIA P / THIERRY DREYFUS /MATT MARBLE with JIM ALTIERI)
WHERE: ENTWINE

WHEN: July 21

WHY: This Summer, as part of its inaugural season of sonic-visual events, CoWorker Projects presents  Kinematic Thursdays (June – July 2012) – a multi-disciplinary performance series bringing audiences in New York City’s meatpacking district some of the most dynamic and exciting sonic artists, electronic musicians and experimental visual artists and filmmakers from native New York to abroad. This innovative programme reflects CoWorker Project’s expanded vision as being an experimental space in the heart of the West Village.

WHAT: Hand Stories
WHERE: Lincoln Center
WHEN: july 18-25

WHY: It starts with hands: his father’s hands, his brothers’, his countrymen’s, and above all his own. Told through wordless, utterly playful scenes featuring hand puppets, poetic music, and striking visuals, Hand Stories is Chinese puppeteer Yeung Faï’s deeply personal family history during the vast changes that swept China during the 20th century.

WHAT: STOP THE FRACK ATTACK!
WHERE: The Northwest Corner of 8th Ave and 34th St., New York City.
WHEN: Boarding starts 7:30 AM on Saturday July 28. Bus leaves promptly at 8:00 AM.

People across the country are converging on the U.S. Capitol to tell Congress, the President and the world:End the rush to drill! No to fracking, yes to renewables!

WHAT: FRESH 2012: The Wall/The Page/The Internet
WHERE: Klompching Gallery
WHEN: JULY 25—AUGUST 18, 2012

WHY: FRESH 2012 is co-curated by the distinguished collector of photo-based art, Fred Bidwell(Bidwell Projects), and Klompching Gallery owner, Darren Ching. Together, they have selected the work of five exciting new photographers from an international open call for submissions.

WHAT: Murals/Indian Rebound, Treppenverter, The Split
WHERE: Cameo Gallery
WHEN: Thu, July 26, 2012 8:00 pm

WHY: Following high school graduation in 2006, the band Murals dug their act out of the basement and planted it onto stages and into minds across Louisville, KY. Founding members Evan Blum (bass), Rob Monsma (drums) and Jacob Weaver (vocals/guitar) dreamed up a musical fruit jam, blending art-rock and psychedelic proto-punk. The addition of Hunter Presnell on guitar in 2009 completed the bands line-up.

WHAT: Heliotropes/The Loom
WHERE: Union Pool
WHEN: July 19

WHAT: Optical Juried Competition: Portrait Stories
WHERE: Porter/Contemporary
WHEN: July 19 – August 25

WHY: Optical is an annual juried competition for photography. The theme from 2011, Portrait Stories, serves as a platform for photographers to present their work. The exhibition is comprised of photographs created by the top five finalists of the competition and serves to be dramatic as well as insightful into each artist’s individual definition of the theme. Congratulations to: Jennifer Judkins, Justin Chase Lane, Jacqueline Langelier, Linnea Lenkus and Johnny Tang.

WHAT: The Believer presents Karolina Waclawiak
WHERE: WORD Bookstore
WHEN: July 25

WHY: Join The Believer in celebrating the launch of deputy editor Karolina Waclawiak’s debut novel, How To Get Into the Twin Palms. She’ll be in conversation with Ross Simonini, interviews editor. Facebook RSVP appreciated, but not required.

WHAT: Artists’ Book Open Call and Publishing Night
WHERE: Meulensten

WHEN: July 19th, 2012 6 to 8 PM

WHY: Court Square and pilot press…  present an artists’ book open call and publishing night, an event that welcomes those who want to share their feminist artist’s books with new audiences, and those who want to learn more about the variety of such works being made today.  Guests are invited to come together for an evening of discussion and publishing.  The first twenty artists to RSVP will be able to present their artists’ books to an audience of other artists, curators, writers, and pilot press… published authors.

WHAT: Temporary Arrangements: Allison Kaufman
WHERE: HERE Art Center
WHEN: J
uly 18 – Aug 25, Tues-Sat | 2 – 7pm

WHY: In her videos and photographs, Allison Kaufman creates temporary relationships with strangers, revealing the vulnerability, loneliness, aspirations, and disappointments of both her subjects and herself. Investigating these emotions in public and private spheres, her work highlights the gender roles we assume while playing on the performance and gaze inherent in all photography/video. In Dancing with Divorced Men, the artist records herself dancing with middle-aged, divorced men in their homes, allowing them to function as surrogates for her father. In Trust Falls, she collaborates with divorced men to stage intimate activities that require a sense of trust or caretaking. In Friday Nights at Guitar Center she explores the predominantly male customers of the musical instrument store via their impromptu in-store performances.

WHAT: Sandra Gottlieb
WHERE: Kathleen Cullen
WHEN: June 16 – July 13, 2012

WHY: In Sandra Gottlieb’s Black and White series, she zeroes in on the micro-creativity of waves crashing on the same stretch of Atlantic seaboard shore, cast in high relief by the setting sun. Gottlieb’s pictures are conceptual in nature, capturing moments that are structured to make the observer feel small, accept that one moment is quickly overtaken by another, or that some momentary phenomena remain beyond our reach, in terms of human perception. This is why wise beachgoers come away from a day there weary but strangely calm, drained and yet somehow massaged to serene wistfulness by what to others seems like the irritating monotony of the ocean.

WHAT: Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto w/ Geko Jones (Que Bajo?! NYC)
WHERE: Le Poisson Rouge

WHEN: Thu., July 26, 2012 / 10:00 PM

WHY: Africanismo* is a project dedicated to showcasing the lesser-known performing arts traditions of The African Diaspora by highlighting the lineage and influence of the African continent throughout The Americas. Coming direct from Colombia and transcending borders, Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto are the seminal gaita group that serve as an overflowing fountain of inspiration for artists throughout Latin America. Noted as being the root of cumbia, gaita music is an amalgamation of African and Amerindian traditions. Thanks in great part to Los Gaiteros, gaita music has become one of the most influential traditional musics in contemporary Colombian popular music today. Worldwide DJ extraordinaire Geko Jones (Que Bajo?! nyc) joins these living legends by spinning music inspired and influenced by Los Gaiteros in a dance party infusing live music featuring special guests.

WHAT: Banners & Cranks Presents: The Singing Picture Show
WHERE: Jalopy
WHEN: July 21-22

WHY: Banners & Cranks presents The Singing Picture Show July 20 & 21 at The Jalopy Theatre in Brooklyn featuring new works by a gaggle of cantastoria artists and musicians from across the country with yards and yards of art and folks there to sing its story.

WHAT: CORNELIA STREET OBSERVATORY
WHERE: Cornelia St
WHEN: Sunday,  Jul 22 – 6:00PM 

WHY: Angels, Animals and Cyborgs: Visions of Human Enhancement An illustrated lecture by Salvador Olguin: Presented by Hollow Earth Society; originally presented by Morbid Anatomy Deplored by many as yet another fashionable post, and defended by its supporters because it encompasses our current fears, hopes and changing reality, posthumanism is an attempt to think seriously about the possible long-term effects of technology in our society, our bodies and our mind. According to some advocates of posthumanism, these effects will be so deep, that they might change the human species as we know it, allowing humans to transcend the boundaries of their mortal lives by technologically altering or enhancing our bodies.

WHAT: Brooklyn Poets Reading Series
WHERE: Studio10
WHEN: Poetry Reading: July 20, 7-9 P.M.   

WHY: Studio10 is pleased to announce an event in the Brooklyn Poets Reading Series in association with the exhibition “Text,” featuring readings by poets Alex Dimitrov, Dorothea Lasky and Timothy Donnelly. Admission is free. Wine, beer and light refreshments will be served.

WHAT: Dent May, The Babies, Levek/New York Night Train SOUL CLAP AND DANCE OFF
WHERE: Glasslands

WHEN: July 21, 8:30

WHY: Dent MayThe BabiesLevek+GET DOWN…all night long to the exciting rare 1960s soul 45s of world famous DJ MR JONATHAN TOUBIN (at this point this is the only time of the month you can hear the DJ’s exquisite soul records in NYC)!

WHAT: SUPERHUMAN HAPPINESS/SMOOTA
WHERE: Zebulon

WHEN: JUL 21, 2012

WHAT: Smokey’s Secret Family
WHERE: Barbes
WHEN: 7/21

WHY: Smokey Hormel’s résumé reads like a history of American popular music over the decades. He has worked closely with Beck, Tom Waits, Johnny Cash, and Neil Diamond. His projects have included the Brazilian-influenced Smokey and Miho, as well as an ongoing tribute to Western swing. His latest endeavor is an idiosyncratic take on early Congolese rumba. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, African musicians looked to Cuba for inspiration. They recognized African roots in the music but were also captivated by its cosmopolitan aspect, which mirrored the evolution of their own culture. Using the electric guitar—fast becoming the symbol of urban culture—they forged a new hybrid that became an early soundtrack of decolonization. Hormel has hybridized the music further and taken it to the Americas for the second time. Keeping its pre-rock roots intact, he relies on a core sound of “wild guitars bursting through small amps afloat on a sea of hand drums and shakers.

WHAT: Rain Machine
WHERE: Mercury Lounge
WHEN: Mon 7/23 ,Doors: 9:00 pm

WHAT: HEART OF DARKNESS Hosted By GREG BARRIS
WHERE: Union Hall
WHEN: SAT 7/21: 8pm Doors

WHY: Musical guests Steven Bachmann and Susanna Raeven, Mind Warrior ,filmmaker Vikram Gandhi (Kumare), Barry Rothbart, Nikki Glaser and more!

WHAT: KOTORINO
WHERE: Barbes

WHEN: 7/26

WHY: Even in a music scene saturated with ‘chamber-pop’ bands and odd instrumentation, Kotorino stands out with its use of all variety of winds, strings, and other musical gadgetry. The music itself is omnivorous in its source material, quite pretty, and downright haunting. Kotorino includes Jeff Morris on guitar, words and birds, Estelle Bajou and Molly White on vocals, violins and verve, brother Jerome Morris on the batterie required, Sara Zar on musical sawesome, Liz Prince on tuba and invasive procedures, Mike Brown on upstanding bass, Stefan Zeniuk on reeds and rites and Jesse Selengut – trumpestuousness.

WHAT: Taylor Mac: Music of the 1820s/All the Rats & Rags
WHERE: Joe’s Pub
WHEN: July 23

WHY: A bedazzled creature builds a community by singing 24 concerts of the last 24 decades of popular music. Ultimately all 24 decades will be stitched together culminating in a 24-hour long extravaganza (in 2014) but for now join Taylor Mac, musical director Alexander Horwitz, and band as they use popular music from the 1820s to honor Louise Braille who, in 1825, invented the Braille system.  A note:  all audience members will be blindfolded for the duration of this ninety-minute concert. All the Rats & Rags is an electric new musical based on Charles Dickens’s Oliver Twist and featuring music from Tim Fite’s 2008 album, Fair Ain’t Fair – a carnivalistic funhouse of soul, bluegrass and hip hop.Set in a future on the brink of a universe-altering revolutionary war, this sci-fi rock opera centers on an adorably clueless spy-bot named Twizt.

COMING UP:

MOSTLY OTHER PEOPLE DO THE KILLING @Cornelia.
Get Weird: Antipop Consortium @New Museum.
Phil Kline: dreamcitynine (ongoing audio installation) LIVE PERFORMANCE @LINCOLN CENTER.
NICKY DA B, DJ RUSTY LAZER, ONRA (DJ SET), AND VERY SPECIAL GUESTS@Brookyln Bowl.
JOE GALLANT’S ILLUMINATI ORCHESTRA CELEBRATES THE 35TH ANNIVERSARY OF “TERRAPIN STATION”@Brooklyn Bowl.
 

 


THE WEEK/WEEKEND: May 31-June 7.

Three Colorists: curated by Michael Walls — Eozen Agopian, Alan Kleiman, Diane Mayo
Where: Lesley Heller Workspace
When: June 6 – July 6, 2012, Opening Reception: Wednesday, June 6, 6-8pm 

Three Colorists, curated by Michael Walls, highlights the work of three artists who have several things in common: they began their professional life as painters; the oeuvre of each importantly involves the role of color; and the work of each is not only labor intensive, but also revealing of a hard-won mastery of the chosen craft.

LABAPALOOZA! MINI FESTIVAL OF NEW PUPPET THEATER FROM THE LAB
Where: St. Ann’s Warehouse
When: MAY 31-JU­NE 3  

It’s the last show before we move to our new location at 29 Jay Street! What better w­ay to say goodbye to 38 Water Street than with our 14th annual Labapalooza Festival? This year’s line-up of works-in-progress ranges from the traditional to the irreverent, from the ground breaking to the nostalgic, and from delightful to downright punk-rock.

Masterpiece Theater Curated by: Geoffrey Young
Where: Morgan Lehman 
When: May 31  – June 30 

If theatrical is the question, masterpiece is the answer.  Modesty in art is over-rated, as anyone with a Schnabel complex knows, so be prepared for the challenge of ascertaining the significance of what these artists have been cooking up over the past four months.  Yes, each can draw, paint, and employ color to bold effect, but that’s of secondary importance (the least we can expect of an artist).  What drives these artists is Imagination.  Another word for imagination is risk, another word for risk is danger, another word for danger is aesthetics.  And aesthetics, as we know, is for the birds.  But these artists aint tweeting.

Thurston Moore + Bill Nace + Joe McPhee
Where: Roulette
When: May 31, 8pm 

Three pillars of the noise and avant-jazz scene collide : Thurston Moore, singer/songwriter/guitarist for Sonic Youth, teams up with free-noise guitarist Bill Nace and avant-jazz saxophonist Joe McPhee for an evening of mind bending cacophony.

Continue reading

THE WEEK: APRIL 9-13.

EDITOR’S PICKS:

Adam Rudolph – Go Organic Orchestra
http://roulette.org/events/shelley-hirsch-simon-ho-3/
04/02/2012-04/30/2012
8pm-

Unique in the realm of approaches to improvisational conducting, Go: Organic Orchestra utilizes a composed non-linear score consisting of sound and motion elements. These include tone rows, synthetic scales, melodies, linguistic shapes, intervallic patterns, textural gestures, modes, ragas, maqams, and plainchant. The score serves to provide material for both the improvisations and the orchestrations. Motion and forms and are generated through the application of the composer’s rhythm concept “Cyclic Verticalism” whereby polymeters are combined with additive rhythm cycles.

JAMES GODWIN LUNATIC CUNNING
http://www.dixonplace.org/index2.html
04/06/2012-04/21/2012
7:30pm-

A semi-autobiographical “mockumentary” from a puppetry and performance art pioneer. Lunatic Cunning mixes experiences from Godwin’s own life—such as his work with Julie Taymor on Across the Universe and appearances on Saturday Night Live, Chappelle’s Show, PBS and with Jim Henson’s Muppets. It’s a humorous examination of the occult roots of puppetry and performance art.

I T I N E R A N T Performance Art Festival
http://www.qmad.org/itinerant/
04/06/2012-05/04/2012
3pm-6pm

QMAD, Queens Media Arts Development, presents ITINERANT, a citywide festival for Contemporary Performance Art to be hosted at various venues in the five boroughs of New York City. ITINERANT 2012 focuses on live performative works that treat notions of intimacy, self-reflection, and introspection. ITINERANT 2012 focuses on live performative works that treat notions of intimacy, self-reflection, and introspection. Artists working in Contemporary Performance Art were selected to participate from an open call that attracted more than 175 local, national and international submissions. Forty five artists will be featuring new and existing works that explore the program’s theme over a period of 5 weeks starting on March 30th through May 5th.

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The Weekend: Dec 10-11.

SATURDAY:


Vaudeville Park presents…Noir Night
Come out to our 4th Installation of Noir Night, this Saturday at Vaudeville Park. Rare Noir Films & TV, Dark Synth Jazz, Bloody Red Cocktails, Free PopcornVillains of Vaudeville play sullen & dark synth jazz homages to Dark Shadows and Vertigo.

Seven in One Blow – 10th Anniversary Production!
For the tenth consecutive season, Axis Company will present its winter show for children, Seven In One Blow, or The Brave Little Kid. Adapted from the classic fairy tale by The Brothers Grimm, this interactive play with music is conceived by Axis Company and directed by Randy Sharp featuring Axis’ signature blend of advanced technology and live performance. Children in the audience will be encouraged to participate in many of the Kid’s challenges with singing and organized “shout outs.”

A-Lab Forum: ARTE UTIL
centers around the works of artists whose practice involves social and political engagement.  Through actions, performances, situations, and in may instances the reference to the object(s) , participating artists explore possible ways to bridge the gap between audiences and art experience.  Taking as departure the notion of Arte Util (Useful Art), first introduced in the 1960’s , the forum will open the dialogue to offer a possible re-formulation of  ideas behind artistic creation, aesthetics, alternative narratives, and public participation. Selected artists were invited to present their work and share their approach, ideas and experimentation with art that can be found in the streets outside the white box of a gallery or museum setting.

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THE WEEK: Sept 26-30.

LIVE from the NYPLROBERT WILSON with Rufus Wainwright, Lou Reed, Lucinda Childs, and others in conversation with Paul Holdengräber 
Friday, September 30, 2011 7:00 p.m.

Robert Wilson will talk to Rufus Wainwright, Lou Reed, Lucinda Childs and others about his artistic collaboration with them over the years.  The conversation will be instigated by Paul Holdengräber.

Robert Wilson is among the most distinguished theater directors of our time. Creator of such works as The King of Spain and The Life and Times of Sigmund Freud, Wilson also collaborated with Philip Glass on the hugely successful opera Einstein on the Beach. Today, Wilson’s accomplishments are recognized not only in the spheres of theatre and opera, but also in the visual arts. Retrospectives of his work have been held throughout the world, and his installations have appeared in several Guggenheim museums, among other venues worldwide.

This event marks the US publication date of The Watermill Center – A Laboratory for Performance – Robert Wilson’s Legacy, a new book about the first 20 years of The Watermill Center.  It will also feature the new book Robert Wilson From Within edited by Margery Arent Safir.

Organs in The Snow
Opening Reception: Sep 30, 8-11pm

A Group Show and Story by Rachel Mason

Dan Asher / John Baldessari / Michael G. Bauer / Michael Bilsborough / Nancy deHoll / Jen Denike / Tim Dowse / Ellie Ga / Laleh Khorramian / Jason Lazarus / Mamiko Otsubo / Samuel White

Opening Night Performances: Thank You Rosekind, Doom Trumpet, No Sky God, Mark Golamco

She was a lion sitting on her dad’s shoulders. They formed a totem of two heads, one large, one small as they walked down the street. Powerful with her lion-painted face, she stuck her tongue out at a man passing by. He tripped on the side of his foot and then fell to the ground.

The girl’s father didn’t realize that his daughter scared the man, causing him to fall. The man already had a fear of children. The girl’s father also didn’t realize that had he reached his hand out to help, the man wouldn’t now have two permanent rods conjoined in his hip bone, and wouldn’t have lapsed into a permanent hallucinatory state from which he’d never recover.

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THE WEEK: August 8-12th.

Social Hijinks! A screening and live action lecture night
Wednesday August 10, 7:30 pm

In conjunction with the exhibition Why Participate?, Angela Washko has organized a lineup of videos and live performative lectures by artists whose projects take place within social spaces. The works being presented and discussed are mischievous, critical, occasionally hilarious, and examine the boundaries of legality. Artists Jason Eppink, Nate Hill, Ann Hirsch, Jaime Iglehart, Action Club, Paolo Pedercini, and Jeff Stark present and talk about their works discussing surveillance, costumed public service, reality television, knock-off culture, collaboration, video game evolution, protest, and performance in public spaces.
Free + Bring your own beverages and snacks
(images courtesy of Jeff Stark)

Gian Luigi Diana, electronics & Ben Gerstein, trombone
Wednesday, August 10, 10pm

SEEDS:Brooklyn – www.seedsbrooklyn.org
617 Vanderbilt Ave., Brooklyn (preceded at 8:30 by Jacob Garchik, trombone/computer)

All Star Poetry: A Benefit at the Bowery Poetry Club.
Tuesday, August 9

Nine poets from the First Annual New York Poetry Festival join forces to raise funds for the Festival and Bowery Arts + Science. Featured poets include Lisa Marie Basile, Jassie Harris, Meghann Plunkett, Rita Mercedes, Sarah Feeley, Ayala Sella, Nick Adamski and Bob Holman w/ Molissa Fenley.

Books will be available for purchase after the reading.
Admission: $8
The Bowery Poetry Club is located at 308 Bowery (between Houston and Bleecker)

New York Poetry Festival Afterparty at the Bowery

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SUPPORT THIS PROJECT: THE BEST KEPT SECRET.

“In October 2007, I rented a small white room on West 14th Street in New York City. I asked three friends to meet me there, and to bring anything they might like to share in the way of a poem or a quote or a picture. We sat in a circle on the floor and I explained that I wanted to start a sanctuary for artists, a regular gathering that would celebrate the creative spirit and those who keep it alive. We discussed the idea, and everyone shared their poems, pictures and quotes. We all agreed that a monthly event celebrating artists and creativity could be a very powerful thing. We all left feeling excited. I booked the room for a Sunday morning the following month. And so the Secret City was born.”

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