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There are so many amazing events happening this weekend that my google calendar looks like a piece of psychedelic art! Sadly you can never do everything but here are my suggestions!
First off, don’t forget to check my previous post for great events taking place tonight!
Tomorrow night you’re going to have to make some tough choices; there are eight events I feel compelled to post.
First, Gemini and Scorpio are hosting a Nouvelle Époque Cabaret-Salon at The Players Club:
The legendary Players, boasting such luminary members as Mark Twain, Eugene O’Neill and Ernest Hemingway, is a members-only social club founded by the famed 19th century Shakespearean actor Edwin Booth. The Players’ landmarked home is a magnificent Victorian mansion with a wrought-iron balcony overlooking Gramercy Park.
JC Hopkins’ Biggish Band plays rollicking hard bop swing all night featuring guest vocalists tap-dancing sensation DeWitt Fleming Jr, velvet-voiced Jolie Holland, and Tony-nominated downtown icon Justin Bond, in addition to JC’s resident front-woman Queen Esther. The always-surprising Julie Atlas Muz (Miss Exotic World 2006), the jaw-droppingly stylish MsTickle, and hilariously naughty Trixie Little & Evil Hate Monkey perform feats of burlesque to live accompaniment by the band all night. In band breaks, 1920s tap sensation The Minsky Sisters amuse and titillate you.
The dress code calls for top hats and opera gloves… All this and I get to play dress-up? Sign me (and Cinderella) up!
For a slightly more actively artistic salon experience pick up a ticket to the exclusive Draw-a-Thon event happening in Michael Alan’s private studio. The drawing will actually be taking place on the roof of the studio in Williamsburg; the models will be posing as animals against the backdrop of the sun setting over Manhattan- sounds inspiring!
There are five great concerts Friday night, ranging from highbrow to hipster. The first, the Philharmonic Concert in Central Park, I’ve already mentioned. The Metropolitan Opera is performing their final outdoor recital in Crotona Park in the Bronx. This one should be much less crowded than the Summerstage shows so if you’re up for the trek I’m sure it will be worthwhile.
For a more contemporary outdoor concert experience check out Robert Cray and The Sweet Divines at the Prospect Park Bandshell. Check out these ladies:
If you want to stay indoors you can head over to Mercury Lounge to rock out with The Spinto Band. I wrote about them some time ago; I’ve had some of their songs in my subway playlists since then and I’ve definitely become quite fond of them.
You also have another chance to see Black Taxi! I saw them perform at Pianos a couple of weeks ago and I’ve been meaning to post a full review of their amazing performance- I promise I’ll get that to you soon but for now let me just say I am certain their show at Le Poisson Rouge will be a blast!
Last but not least, I am very excited to announce that there will be a GIANT GAME OF CAPTURE THE FLAG taking place Friday night. Newmindspace has organized this carefully structured game in Williamsburg- play nice!
On Saturday pull yourself together (I know, Friday is going to be intense but you can do it!) and get out to Coney Island for the annual Siren Music Festival! This year performers include Monotonix, Micachu & The Shapes and Spank Rock (to name but a few). After the shows there’s a hot afterparty at The Music Hall of Williamsburg (where there will be even more shows!). Check out the awesome drawing that adorns the press releases:
If you missed out on François Truffaut’s New Wave masterpiece The 400 Blows last week you have another chance to see it on Saturday, this time as part of the ongoing French New Wave Essentials series at the Museum of Arts and Design.
On Sunday Dare Dukes is playing at the Rockwood Music Hall. Listening to him croon lovely urban folk songs should be an excellent way to wind down the weekend.
There are two exciting outdoor film screenings to consider attending Monday evening. Harold and Maude is showing in Bryant Park:
Teenager Bud Cort and sexagenarian Ruth Gordon both like to go to funerals of people they don’t know, and meet to embark on one of cinema’s great relationships. Audacious and heartbreaking, Hal Ashby’s superb black comedy also features a perfect soundtrack by Cat Stevens.
And downtown, on The Elevated Acre, you can see West Side Story.
Natalie Wood as Maria in West Side Story
Enjoy and stay tuned for additions!
NOTE: The Big Red Apple is now TheBigRedApple.net
To view this post at its new location click HERE!
We have a super exciting weekend ahead of us! First of all, let me remind you of several events I’ve mentioned already– on Thursday The Raspberry Brothers are having a special early roasting of Garden State and Discovery is playing at Public Assembly. There are also various ongoing events like the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival; New York Classical Theatre’s wandering production of King Lear in Central Park, which I just reviewed and The NYC Food Film Festival (discussed in this post).
That said, please prepare yourself for difficult decisions.
Also on Thursday Schmami is the special guest DJ at Studio B’s Sunset Disco Rooftop BBQ with People Don’t Dance No More; get out there and prove them wrong!
Friday is a very special holiday in Sweden- Midsummer, a traditionally pagan holiday linked to the summer solstice and fertility rituals. So where should you celebrate your Swedish heritage, (or celebrate with some hot Swedes)? Party with the Swedish Consulate of course! They’re having a traditional Swedish Midsummer Celebration in Battery Park City:
Adults and children of all ages are welcome to help decorate the midsummer pole, make flower wreaths, play traditional games and dance to authentic fiddle music. Food stands will offer traditional delicacies from New York’s finest Swedish restaurants and food purveyors.
Keep your ears open for news of the equally traditional riotous afterparty!
Also on Friday you can help support Ground UP Productions and have a drink under the stars at their Rooftop Rendezvous! The posh event will be held on the Scholastic Center Rooftop Terrace and in the adjacent Greenhouse, both of which have enviable views of Soho. Get discount tickets HERE.
BAMcinemaFest is kicking off with screenings of new films at the BAM Rose Cinema. The New York Times wrote a blurb with their recommendations; I personally am quite intrigued by this trailer:
Saturday is the biggest event of the summer (at least if you’re a mermaid)- The Coney Island Mermaid Parade!! Words fail to describe the brilliance of this event, so here are some photos from past parades:
That is exactly the kind of madness that defines NYC!
Should you be looking for something more literally tasty there are also two amazing food-centric events happening on Saturday. First, you can witness a competition of gelatinous proportions at the Gowanus Studio Space; the great Jello-O Mold Competition will be judged on creativity, aesthetics, structural/sculptural ingenuity and edibility/culinary appeal. Can we achieve the jell-o art of times past?
If Jello-O isn’t hearty enough for you head over to 513 Henry St at Sackett in Carroll Gardens, where the Greenhorns are presenting the Goat Spit Summer Throwdown:
Join the Reverend Billy and the Greenhorns — a group of especially ambitious (and young!) farmers — in the previously abandoned Vermont Market & Pharmacy in Carroll Gardens for an afternoon of delectable treats and plenty of sustainable tips. Goat gets roasted on a bike-powered spit; you can fill up on greens, burgers, pickles, beer, and espresso, too. A rooftop gardening workshop coaxes your own latent green thumb, while a documentary on the Greenhorns also screens, perhaps serving as inspiration.
Sounds delicious!
On Sunday Central Park Summer Stage is embracing francophilia with a line-up that showcases the diversity of French contemporary music. I am particularly excited about Coralie Clément; watch this adorable music video and you will be too!
Also on Sunday you finally have another chance to check out Dare Dukes, who I called sexy ugly in a post ages ago. He’s also an excellent musician and songwriter and his show at The Living Room is certain to be the perfect way to wrap up your weekend!
Stay tuned for addtions!
NOTE: The Big Red Apple is now TheBigRedApple.net
To view this post at its new location click HERE!
What a weekend we have ahead of us! I personally am throwing a party Saturday night so I won’t be able to make as many of these stellar events as I would like but I think it’s going to be an amazing party so I suspect I’ll be able to get over the loss (Flavor tripping masquerade).
Tonight, as previously discussed, Dare Dukes will be performing at Banjo Jims and will give a free CD to anyone who informs him that they heard about his show from TheBigRedApple. Please check him out (haha) and report back.
Also tonight, Rachel Kramer Bussel, the organizer of the ‘In the Flesh Erotic Reading Series,’ amongst other things, tells me she will be attending the Evening Symposium- ‘Sex in America- Can the Conversation Change’ at The Blood Center.
Join some of the most bold and distinguished thinkers on sex in America in a thoughtful and provocative conversation about sex, pleasure, desire, eroticism, infidelity and monogamy.
ALSO tonight (feeling overwhelmed yet?), check out BAM Jam for free:
Cello wunderkind Rufus Cappadocia burns through ecstatic wails, slap-stringed grooves, and transcendent riffs with gorgeous sound and technique to spare—all on an amped 5-string cello he designed himself.
Tonight AND tomorrow the Glasslands Gallery will be hosting Williamsburg’s Fashion Week. For all of you who love to ogle pretty clothes but haven’t managed to find a way into the tents in Bryant Park (yours truly lusts after those tickets almost as much as I lust after the iPhone), this is the perfect opportunity. And of course the afterparties will feature bands and DJs who are way too cool for Anna Wintour.
Williamsburg Fashion Week
Also on Saturday you can support the New Amsterdam Market and help to make local oysters and sustainable food a part our city. The fundraiser will include some amazing local beer, bread, butter and oysters, just to name a few of the fabulous offerings.
On Saturday and Sunday head over to the Park Slope United Methodist Church for an amazing book sale. There will be books, DVDs, CDs, vinyl and even tapes for sale from 50 cents to $2 and if you buy 10 you get one free!
Also on Sunday you can hear David Polonsky discuss his film ‘Waltz with Bashir’ at the JCC– just in time for the Oscars!
Sunday evening if you aren’t having some sort of Oscar gathering of your own check out these spots for the best views of dresses and golden men:
- At Mulhollands proceeds from the costumed Oscar viewing event will go to the Red Hook Initiative . Pull on that mask and drink with the comfort of knowing that you’re supporting a good cause!
- At the Village Pourhouse you’ll have access to an excess of giant screens so you won’t miss a bit of the unfortunate fashion choices.
Have a wonderful weekend and if you go to any of these events please let me know what you think!
NOTE: The Big Red Apple is now TheBigRedApple.net
To view this post at its new location click HERE!
A few additions to my last post:
Tonight there will be an “architecture duel.” That’s right, I said an “architecture duel.” According to the NYTimes:
Architecture competitions are usually staid affairs involving scale models and renderings filled with happy people. Not so tonight, for the fifth installment of the party-giving LVHRD’s “architecture duel.” In the past, competitors have made bridges out of cheese and wilderness sites out of straws. This battle, in Dumbo, pits Weiss/Manfredi, who recently designed the Olympic Sculpture Park in Seattle, against Front Studio, masters of making the most out of a small space. They will make stuff using a secret material for a yet-to-be-revealed theme. As always, though, the real winner is you: there’s free beer and Dewar’s.
Check out all the details at LVHRD.
In case you missed it in the “comments,” on Wednesday, my friend S, who is my source for all things opera, has informed me that The MET Opera in HD is rebroadcasting Lucia di Lammermoor. This stunning opera, composed by Gaetano Donizetti, features Anna Netrebko and Piotr Beczala as Donizetti’s fragile title heroine and her lover, Edgardo, and Mariusz Kwiecien as Lucia’s tyrannical brother. Seeing opera in HD is the next best thing to experiencing it in person and if you haven’t fallen in love with opera yet this is a great introduction to the art form.
Finally, I am proud to announce that Dare Dukes read my last blog post and will be offering a free CD to anyone who makes his show Friday at Banjo Jims and says they heard about it from TheBigRedApple. I already own one of his CDs and you should too!
Enjoy your week and check back for more weekend events!
NOTE: The Big Red Apple is now TheBigRedApple.net
To view this post at its new location click HERE!
I hope everyone is as happy to have a 4 day week as I am! Celebrate tonight by taking home arm loads of free clothes from Thrift On!, a crazy clothes swap at the Botanica Bar. There will be a DJ, comedy, contests and mayhem. Bring something you’re tired of and remember one person’s trash is another’s treasure.
On Tuesday Sam Mickens will be playing his “soul music for the present age” at Zebulon. Time Out New York says
Zs (say “zees”) combines cutting-edge contemporary classical with avant-rock, diluting neither style in the least. The trio’s hyperinvolved compositions and feverishly exacting performances make it essential listening for any enthusiast of either genre. Sam Mickens hails from visionary art-pop group the Dead Science.
I know I’ve mentioned this venue before, but I will reiterate that this is really the pinnacle of artsy hipsterness in Wburg.
On Wednesday I will be attending a preview performance of a new show called ‘Fire Throws’ at the 3LD Art and Technology Center. It’s a modern twist on the classic play Antigone, which makes it in my opinion the epitome of ‘Questionable Theatre.’ Naturally A and I are going and I expect it will either be amazing or awful; either way we are certain to enjoy ourselves immensely.
Fire Throws
If you aren’t as confident in your ability to laugh off potentially dreadful theater I encourage you to check out the Mixer Reading and Music Series at Cakeshop. Dare Dukes was the musical performer last time and I totally fell in love with his crooning city-folk style. It didn’t hurt that Dare is what my friend K would call ‘sexy ugly.’ Actually he’ll be performing this Friday at Banjo Jims, so you can judge for yourself. This week the Mixer includes readings by Janice Erlbaum, Rob Sheffield and Melissa Seley and a musical performance by Allison Clancy. It should also be noted that not only is Cakeshop a great basement bar, it is also the purveyor of yummy pastries both vegan and otherwise.
On Thursday there will be another great literary event- the St. Mark’s Bookshop Reading Series at Solas. It was at one of these events that I heard Junot Diaz read from ‘The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao’ and became an instant die hard fan. As someone who enjoys both Llosa and Kanye West this was probably bound to happen. This week Brian Evenson and Jesse Ball will be reading. It tends to be crazy packed so get there early, find a comfy couch and be prepared to be be wowed.
Also on Thursday ‘Handmade Music’ will be umm… exploding at 3rd Ward. If you can get yourself out there (if it’s not too cold) these events are always worth the trip. They involve a coming together of “geeksters and the geek curious” and are generally a truly un-godly racket and a very good time.
I’ll be posting about next weekend as awesome events come to my attention. Please bring any to my attention that you come across!
The Big Red Apple 