New Lomography Store PopUpShop in Greenwich Village opened in December.
41 W. 8th Street
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
If I still had my radio show to play comedy music:
This will be a running list for when I get a comedy show on another community radio station:
1. Flight of the Conchords: Most of their discography will make it on my show but tonight's episode highlight "Sugar Lumps" will make the debut.
2. The Lonely Island- Andy Samberg and his two friends in this group make SNL digital shorts like "Dick in a Box," "Lazy Sunday," "Jiz in my Pants" and many more. Their debut album drops in February.
3.Dimitri Martin: His show just sold out at Bowery Ballroom but I may find a way in and call it "production research"
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Sick Day
Things I discovered on the magical internet sick in bed:
1. ROFLCON at Santos Party House- mixture of memes on the internet
speakers - you suck at photoshop, improv everywhere
2. Jeff Buckley: and a beautiful sad song - Dream Brother
3. Remixes and music at Stereogum
4. The Michael Showalter Showalter: Andy Samberg, Michael Ian Black
6. DJ Rupture
7. Kate Bush
8. Flo Rida's new song: Right Round
Friday, January 23, 2009
Good Bye
Vanishing Point- New DIY venue in Bushwick
Check out the link above for February concert listings.
240 Meserole St.
L to Montrose Ave. - Walk 1 block
L to Grand Ave. - Walk 4 blocks
Monday, January 19, 2009
Words Words Words
From this week's New Yorker - a whole glorious article by Judith Thurman about Scrabble entitled "Spreading the Word"!!
Some Facts:
1. Invented during the Depression by Alfred Mosher Butts
2. Butts created "Lexiko" based on a story by Edgar Allen Poe - "The Gold Bug"
3. Changed name to Criss-Cross Words in 1938
4. James Brunot - served on the War Relief Control Board under Roosevelt, assumes marketing duties in 1947 - renames "Scrabble"
5. 1952- Jack Strauss, chairman of Macy's, orders lots of "Scrabble" triggers avalanche
6. 1954- 3,798,555 "Scrabbles" were sold
Go to sites to play Scrabble online (Good luck stopping once you start!0
1. Games.com
2. Lexulous.com
3. quadplex.com
4. The Pixie Pitt - British site
5. ISC.ro
Cultural Relevance:
1. You Tube clip by Kreole Parody to tune of Fergie's "Glamorous"
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Sketch Shorts and Web Series
Here's an article from the NYTimes about sketch comedy on the internet.
Derrick comedy is mentioned. Check it out.
Fake documentary about rock band "All for Nots" in Brooklyn - web series by Thom Woodley who plays Paul - the lawyer, key boardist in the show.
Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy - Seth McFarlane's web series on Google's Adsense network
The Burg - Thom Woodley
Funny Plaza
Aubrey Plaza, hailed by NY magazine as one of 14 influential New Yorkers on the brink of stardom this year. She will also co-star in Amy Poehler's NBC show to air later this year.
Judd Apatow discovered her in a web comedy series The Jeannie Tate Show, about a soccer mom who broadcasts a talkshow from her minivan, directed by Maggie Carey - wife of SNL's Bill Hader.
This is the official web site.
Here's a youtube clip.
And more
Apatow cast her as Seth Rogen's girlfriend in his stand-up comedy film "Funny People" due this Summer.
Big Shoe?
Little Boots
Perez Hilton says her song "Stuck on Repeat" is a disco anthem likened to Donna Summer.
Young Classical Hotties
Gustavo Dudamel: He'll be 28 next week and this South American composer is talented, charming and passionate. He can be seen around the world conducting the best orchestra's of our time: from the NY philharmonic to the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela. Here's a clip.
Also, he has great hair and beautiful eyes. He is passionate about music as a tool of education and an expression of a beautiful life.
Joshua Bell: Classical violinist. Music educator.
Anne Sophie Mutter:Classical Violinst. Stirs the patrons at Carnegie Hall to a level of excitement not seen in years.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Alternative NY
Here are two bands representing NYC's underground dance music.
Antony and the Johnsons - Read this NY mag profile
And on to film:
Mondo New York - 1988 Documentary tour of underground NY
Here's a clip
How fucked up is the world we live in?
A 22 year old black male, Oscar Grant, was shot and killed by Oakland police at a BART stop on New Years Day. Witnesses took video on their cell phones that show an officer shoot the unarmed man while he was face down on the ground, not fighting, just defenseless. My friend Julia tells me there are riots in Oakland daily to protest this injustice. What is happening to our country, our people, our world?
Here's an update from Time magazine: Hundreds of people in Oakland took to the streets on January 7 smashing storefronts and setting fires to protest the shooting. They confronted Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums on the steps of city hall. Police used tear gas to break up the crowds. The officer who pulled the trigger resigned but authorities are still deciding whether to file criminal charges.
Cheeseheads
Here's a clip Julia found from the Milwaukee Tourism Bureau.
It is completely serious and that's what makes this so fun to watch.
Brooklyn Bowl
Peter Shapiro (Former owner of club Wetlands) plans to open his 20,000 square foot music venue/bowling alley Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg on inauguration day, January 20. The venue features:
16 Lanes
600 capacity performance space
L.E.E.D certification (YAY environment)
Partners with Blue Ribbon restaurant group
61 Wythe Avenue between N. 11th and N. 12th St.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Music goes Global
The Global Music Festival happened at Webster Hall Sunday, January 11. Brazilian artist Marcio Local, New Orlean's Hot 8 Brass Band, and Watcha Clan, Calypso Rose and more appeared as part of the three stage event. Afro beat legend Femi Kuti was scheduled to appear but he has canceled his entire tour. The event was broadcast live from WNYC.
2nd Mondomundo Festival at SOB's. Also a global treat with a line up to come back to.
Blog, Expand or Be Damned Print Sources
This New York Magazine article talks about technological and innovative changes at the New York Times. The Renegades at the New York Times addresses the fact that print journalism is quickly loosing advertising dollars and the only way for organizations to stay afloat is to adapt with interactive technologies and new techniques of story telling.
Here are some links to other online sources mentioned in the article:
John Marshall's Talking Points Memo
Political news and commentary
Entertainment updates from the Golden Globes in this special addition blog to the New York Times website.
Multiple Personalities
The United States of Tara on Showtime stars Toni Collette as a mom with multiple personalities in Kansas - at times she's your average suburban housewife and at other moments she's a teenage girl or a southern redneck hunter. The show is produced by a smalltime director, you may have heard of... Steven Spielberg and written and created by Diablo Cody (former stripper and award winning screenwriter for indie hit Juno).
Premieres Sunday January 18 at 10pm on Showtime. Here's the trailer. They're half hour episodes and this free one is...well, weird but interesting.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Eruption
Volcano: chicago music
The above is the myspace link to a band called Volcano. They're from Chicago and Josh, my brother-in-law told me about them recently. This video from You Tube for their song "Africa Just Wants to Have Fun" is pretty wacky. The lead singer pours milk down his underwear in the middle of the park. I think this will be an amazing show to see live.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Improv where?
Improv Everywhere is an organization in New York that puts on flashmobs around the city. The most recent mission was the "No pants Subway Ride" that continued for the 8th year in a row this Saturday, January 11. Temperatures were a balmy 30 degrees. Thousands of people dropped trout and took back public space. Hell YEAH!
the play's the thing
Allison Pill (Milk) and Phillip Seymour Hoffman attended the opening night of Becky Shaw at the 2nd Stage theater.
The play, which is written by Gina Gionfriddo and directed by Peter Dubois, is about couple who sets up two friends on a blind date that ends up changing everyone in the plays life forever.I enjoyed the witty and snapping dialogue from money hungry, emotionally closed off Max (David Wilson Barnes) and the shrewd and complex characterization of the title character, Becky Shaw (Annie Parisse). The show runs from December 16 - February 1, 2009. Click the Second Stage link above for move information.
Don't wine to me..
From the same man who brought us the recently closed iconic music venue the Knitting Factory - Michael Dorf presents City Winery,a combination winery and music venue comes to Varick street in New York City.
On January 9, Joe's Pub veteran Raul Midon plays here. Suzanne Vega, Phillip Glass and Rachel Yamagata will all play here in the coming months.
City Winery
212-608-0555
info@citywinery.com
More wine news: Here's a link to an article about a new winery opening in Red Hook, Brooklyn on Beard Street. Wine distributor Mark Snyder hopes to restore the tradition of wine making in the borough. Here's another link to an article about in in NY Magazine.
Life's a Deitch
This news is from brooklynvegan:
Don't miss a retrospective exhibit of work from 1980s iconographic artist Stephen Sprouse. Rock on Mars shows at the Deitch Gallery at 18 Wooster Street from January 9 - February 28.
There's also a Keith Haring exhibit , The Ten Commandments, that runs till February 15 at the Deith location in Long Island City. The exhibit shows the artists liberating interpretation of the biblical tradition.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
BAM
Brooklyn Academy of Music's Next Wave series is always an interesting array of artists. Here is a violinist, composer, performer and band leader: Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR). Filed here so I don't forget about him. Here is his myspace page for his band DBR and the Mission.
Sassy British Female
I saw her in Greenpoint a few years back and she was sassy, smoking cigarettes, talking about how she had to go to the bathroom and cursing. Lily Allen's new album is great, check out the song The Fear at her myspace linked above! A 2009 hit, I'm sure.
Video Killed the Radio Star
Sasha Frere Jones, my music journalist idol, named Los Angeles's Chris Dane Owens "Shine on me" the music video of the year. Click here to watch it.
Plus, music for 2009:
NYC's indie rock, electronica
Indianapolis Hardcore
Pass the (Black) Caesar Dressing
I'm Bored at Work
This web site of found footage, original sketches, viral videos, taped improv shows and much much more from one of the largest communities in comedy will keep you busy for way longer than is good for your productivity ratings.
Upright Citizens Brigade is a comedy troupe (Matt Besser, Matt Walsh, Amy Poehler and Ian Roberts) that started a theater and improv training school in New York and then opened up a second in LA. This web site eventually followed.
ENJOY.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Funky Dancing
They're calling it "Freak Dance: The Forbidden Dirty Boogaloo"
Winter Restaurant Week 2009
Reservations for Winter Restaurant Week 2009 will be open on Monday, January 5 at www.nycgo.com.
When is it: January 18-23 and January 25-30
Yet again many of the city's finest eateries are offering three course prix fixe lunch and dinner specials for $24.07 or $35. This is the largest restaurant week ever with over 250 participating restaurants and for the first year, the specials will run on Sundays.
Some restaurants in include Nobu, Gramercy Tavern, Apiary and Fishtail by David Burke. YUM.
Journalist Pratfalls
This is from Gawker:
Click the link for some ridiculous moments from TV newscasters including these money shot lines I've highlighted.
I've got my trusty stop watch and here they come now down the hill, it looks like Reuben is in the lead... (man wiped out by ski tube)
Friday, January 2, 2009
Mr. Show
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