Cultural Reflections of a 20-Something in NYC: NYC

Showing posts with label NYC. Show all posts

Thursday, April 22, 2010

NYC Celebrating Earth Day in Times Square, O-Kay?!

Apparently there is an extended Earth Day celebration in Times Square today, in honor of Earth Day's 40th anniversary. Can you smell the irony in the air?

New York Celebrates Earth Day's 40th Anniversary in Times Square -- NEW YORK, April 22 /PRNewswire/ --

Strange times we're in, indeed. Hmm, I may bike there today to check out the shenanigans. Oh, and did you know April is also bike month for NYC? Now that's a little more Earth Day friendly... See the info on the Transportation Alternatives website!

Brooklyn Blogs!

In honor of my resurrection as a blogger, I thought I would feature some other Brooklyn blogs, from Williamsburg and beyond.

Some notable Williamsburg blogs:

Cultural Reflections of a 20-Something in NYC (shameless self-promotion)

Friday, September 25, 2009

GBH Events: Dollar Daze at Webster, Anti-Pop Consortium and More!

I have to re-post this informative and exciting e-mail from the party-promoters at GBH.

BLACK DEVIL DISCO CLUB LIVE
Mike Simonetti (Italians Do It Better) DJs
$1 DRINKS & $1 ADMISSION B4 MIDNIGHT
Friday September 25 at Webster Hall

The legendary Black Devil Disco Club are coming to New York to play a live set for us. Our spines are tingling... these guys are not only the most mysterious and enigmatic electronic act in history, but their spooky electro disco sound is so essential, it feels like it is casting some weird voodoo spell over you.
Those italo disco basslines, and creeping synth lines, weird sound effects, amazing melodies... it's what you might imagine they play on a Saturday night in Beelzebub's brothel... take a listen
The Devil In Us //// Coach Me //// H Friend //// Open The Night

The excellent Mike Simonetti of Italians Do It Better will also be DJing.

And not to forget our resident Girls and Boys DJs: Alex English, Gavin Royce, Kids With Snakes and Rekles.

$1 DRINKS & $1 ADMISSION TIL 12 WITH RSVP: CLICK HERE

Webster Hall: 125 E11th St between 3rd & 4th Ave.s
Doors 10pm. 19+ w/I.D.

_________________________________________________________

Official Phoenix After Party
SVEDKA VODKA OPEN BAR 10-11
Tribeca Grand - Saturday Sept. 26

That's right... it's the Phoenix After Party... and DFA's Holy Ghost! will be DJing.

Plus Matt and Maia are back to rock the turntables (we'll be celebrating Matt Kaye's Birthday). Alex English will also be DJing.

Your hosts for the evening will be: The 66Sick Girls,and Aaron Kolfage.

And let's not forget the drinks speciasl:
$10 Sol and Jim Beam shot combo all night (Red Stripe and Jim Beam shots are both $6 if purchased separately).

PLUS SVEDKA VODKA OPEN BAR 1OPM-11PM

FREE WITH RSVP: CLICK HERE
When you arrive, tell the door person you are on the GBH Guest List.. Admission at doorperson's discretion.

Tribeca Grand: 2 Avenue of the Americas
Doors 10pm. 21+ w/I.D.
Admission at doorperson's discretion.
__________________________________________________________

ANTI-POP CONSORTIUM LIVE
Tuesday Sept 29 at Santos Party House

Legendary underground Hip-Hop renegades, Anti-Pop Consortium are back and they have a new album. This will be the release party for 'Fluorescent Black', with a live performance by the boys themselves plus CX Kidtronik and special guests.

$10 TICKETS AVAILABLE: CLICK HERE

Santos Party House: 96 Lafayette Street betwn Walker and White. Doors 7pm. 18+

Monday, September 21, 2009

San Gennaro Festival In Little Italy

Yesterday I enjoyed the food fest and craziness that is the San Gennaro festival in Little Italy. And my friend even won an oversized Winnie the Pooh!

(cutting the coconuts, above!)

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Oktoberfest!

Even though I am not - at all - of German descent, I went and enjoyed Oktoberfest festivities yesterday, which first included a parade along 5th Ave and then an afternoon-long celebration in SummerStage at Central Park.

And even though I barely had a drink of beer, it was quite amusing to vicariously enjoy the drunken enjoyment of the festivities!

Pics of parade and festival below.

Check out the stacks of empty beer pitchers...

Monday, September 7, 2009

HOWL! Festival at Tompkins Square Park

I checked out the HOWL! festival yesterday at Tompkins Square Park. Between the musical performance going inside the park, the painting happening on the periphery of the park, and the people-watching, it was a fun and fascinating way to spend my Sunday afternoon.

Some pictures below.

And, the art:

Friday, September 4, 2009

Labor Day Events in NYC

Okay, Labor Day, here I come!

I started off celebrating the weekend this afternoon in East River State Park, a waterfront park in my neighborhood (well, more like a 5-10 minute bike ride from my actual apartment). Definitely a local park I recommend!

And now, for the real festivities:

First, I have to share this tip I got from an UrbanDaddy email: The Queens County Farm Museum is having a Labor Day camp out. For $80, it is a cheap way to "get out of the city" while not actually having to travel far. I don't think it's likely I will actually make it to this, but it does sound pretty awesome!

Next, are these two parties promoted by GBH!

Also, this is happening tonight through Sunday - circus fun in Williamsburg!
(I learned of this from the Nonsense NYC email!)

Cirque This invites you to:

Cirque Off

Live on stage. Circus acts galore. From the hilarious to the beautiful to the
bizarre and all the way back again, and set to the amazing live music of the
Cirque This Band, we are bringing back the Cirque Off festival for a third year,
showcasing the talents of some of the finest emerging and established circus
artists from New York and Beyond. Cirque This sets the stage, while an amazing
roster of unusual and spectacular guests will dazzle you. (Not family friendly
and not for the faint of heart!)

Triskelion Arts Theater
118 North 11th Street, 3rd floor, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
8p; $12
Continues through SUNDAY
lauri@cirquethis.com
cirquethis.com

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

$5 Music Shows!

I think I must spend a significant percentage of my income on music shows.

Which is why I am that much more inclined to take advantage of Live Nation's deal with Citibank: $5 tickets for cardmembers to certain shows! Tonight there are $5 tickets available for the Pet Shop Boys. Now I just have to buy the tickets.. and find someone to go with!!

Oops - sale ended yesterday. And Craigslist is swarming with people looking for tickets.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Last Night: Emiliana Torrini at Highline Ballroom

On a whim last night, I decided to take myself - by that, I mean, bike - to Highline Ballroom to see Emiliana Torrini. Torrini, hailing from Iceland, has a wonderfully lilted singing voice and puts on a charming, moving show.

Her opener, Anya Marina, was equally captivating. I am still chiding myself for forgetting to stop by the merch table and pick up their latest albums there... Definitely music worth checking out!

Pics and videos from the show to come!

I also hope to see more shows at Highline in the future -- it's a lovely intimate venue to enjoy live music and other performances!

Friday, August 14, 2009

Free Comedy Over Free Music Last Night

As much as I really, really wanted to see Blondie live last night, I wasn't quite prepared for the combination of the long subway rides and the crowds that were surely there - in masses and masses, out for the free show with legendary rock performers Blondie and Pat Benatar, along with the Donnas.

So I stayed semi-local and saw a free comedy show at the Nightingale Lounge, in the East Village.

Thursdays they offer free comedy -- which started out strong and generally very enjoyable, and slowly declined with each successive comedian. Anyway, it was free, so I can't say it wasn't worth it! Nightingale Lounge has a very relaxed, intimate set-up, with the small stage central, across from the bar and encircled by the audience.

I recommend checking out this lounge and seeing their Calendar of Events, which features nightly happenings, such as open-mics of all kinds, poetry readings, music jam sessions and dance parties.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Tribeca Grand Party This Saturday (GBH Hosts!)

Aww, the good old days of the GBH parties... they are back!! And I will actually be in town to possibly enjoy one, especially as the line-up looks rather promising.

From the GBH website:

Terrible Records... Fixed... Daryl from Head Automatica DJs... Lemonade Live... Free Energy (DFA), Riton... JDH & Dave P... Nick Hook... Class Actress Live... Chris Taylor from Grizzly Bear... and more
Tribeca Grand - Saturday July 25

It's going to be a bigger night than usual this Saturday, as the Fixed guys join us for a night of music so epic that it almost all didn't fit on the flyer.
We are really excited by Class Actress who will be playing live upstairs, and Lemonade, who will be playing live downstairs... (hopefully not at the same time)... and Riton (who is on Erol Alkan's record label) and Daryl Palumbo of Head Automatica who will be DJing... and then there is Nick Hook of Cubic Zirconia... Free Engergy (a new DFA signing, who will be playing live), Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear, Ethan of Terrible Records, JDH and Dave P. of Fixed and of course, our own Alex English.

It will be like Coachella... but smaller... and more comfortable... with nicer bathrooms...

And let's not forget the drinks special:
$8 Red Stripe and Jim Beam shot combo all night (Red Stripe and Jim Beam shots are both $5 if purchased separately).

FREE WITH RSVP: CLICK HERE

Tribeca Grand: 2 Avenue of the Americas
Doors 10pm. 21+ w/I.D.

Last Days in Peru & Rooftop Films This Summer

I RETURN this Friday to NYC!! It doesn´t seem quite real, as I have been in Peru for two months and am currently traipsing around Iquitos, gateway to the Amazon.

NYC seems especially unreal to me when compared to my day here so far, where I hired a motorboat, enjoyed the lush beauty of the Amazon, visited a local native community where the women go bare-breasted (and no, I didn´t ¨go native¨), and explored a mini-zoo where much local wildlife roamed freely and monkeys went horse-back riding on a dog. Anything is possible, but both realities seem a little fantastic, especially their co-existence.

ANYWAY, I received an e-mail requesting I publish thelatest events from Rooftop Films, so here they are (and I will even be in town the 25th!)

We have two great film screenings this weekend I thought you might be interested in! On Friday, July 24th Rooftop Films is screening a series of animated shorts in partnership with the Animation Block Party film festival, dedicated to exhibiting the world's best independent, professional and student animation. On Saturday, July 25th, Rooftop Films presents Stay The Same Never Change, celebrated video artist Laurel Nakadate's first feature-length film, a hilarious and horrifying work starring a series of teenage girls in their own rooms and clothes, in a world in which the banal becomes extreme and the normal is infused with a chronic and discomfiting strangeness.

Here is some more information about both screenings:

Animation Block Party:

Venue: On the lawn of Automotive High School
Address: 50 Bedford Ave. @ North 13th St. (Williamsburg, Brooklyn)
Directions: L to Bedford Ave. or G to Nassau Ave.
Rain: In the event of rain the show will be held indoors at the same location
8:00PM: Doors open
8:30PM: Live music by Teengirl Fantasy, presented by Sound Fix Records
9:00PM: Film
10:30PM: Filmmaker Q & A
11:30PM-1:00AM: After-party: Open Bar at Matchless (557 Manhattan Ave. @
Driggs) Courtesy of Radeberger Pilsner
Tickets: $9 at the door or online
Presented in partnership with: 5 Gum ® , Cinereach, New York magazine,
City Council Member David Yassky & Automotive High School
Ticketing Link:
http://rooftopfilms.bside.com/2009/films/animationblockparty_rooftopfilms2009

No refunds. In the event of rain, the show will be indoors at the same
locations. Seating is first come, first served. Physical seats are
limited. This means you may not get a chair. You are welcome to bring a
blanket and picnic.

Stay The Same Never Change:

Venue: On the roof of the Old American Can Factory
Address: 232 3RD St. @ 3rd Ave. (Gowanus/ Park Slope, Brooklyn)
Directions: F/G to Carroll St. or M/R to Union Ave.
Rain: In the event of rain the show will be held indoors at the same location
8:00PM: Doors open
8:30PM: Live music by Stars Like Fleas presented by Sound Fix Records
9:00PM: Film
11:00PM–12:30AM: Reception in courtyard including free sangria courtesy of
Carlo Rossi sangria
Tickets: $9 at the door or online or $20 for the combo ticket which
includes admission to the outdoor performance by Michael Gira
Ticketing Link:
http://rooftopfilms.bside.com/2009/films/staythesameneverchange_rooftopfilms2009

Presented in partnership with: Cinereach, New York magazine, & XØ Projects

No refunds. In the event of rain, the show will be indoors at the same locations. Seating is first come, first served. Physical seats are limited. This means you may not get a chair. You are welcome to bring a blanket and picnic.

For more information about these events and others, please contact:

Danielle Kourtesis
Music and Outreach Manager, Rooftop Films
232 3rd St, #D101
Brooklyn, NY 11215
(718) 417-7362

We appreciate your help!

Julia Friedman

Friday, June 26, 2009

NYC, I miss you but am traversing through Peru!

My apologies for not updating my blog this summer, I am sure there are some AMAZING shows and such going on the city that never sleeps. Sadly, I am not there to experience it, until the end of July when I return.

For now, I am trekking and eating my way through Peru, and perhaps Ecuador as well...

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Blogging About Culture: A Family Tradition?!

It is a little strange to me that even my mom is blogging; and I even find her blog impressive, for a beginner. (Way to go, Mom!) Her blog, titled "Pittsburgh's Art, Dance, Films, Music & Theater" has a layout far clearer than mine (even if her latest link to the Russian film symposium cuts off the text on the left).

Lost and Found, NYC

I have to say it has been a strange, jarring past two weeks. A strange, jarring past two days, especially.

So last weekend, I had my camera and my phone in my bag; I was carrying my bike down the stairs from my apartment, and my bag fell out of my basket. The consequences, I found: my computer was and is completely intact, my camera screen was broken. What’s a blogger to do without a camera??

Well, I did have my phone camera… and then I was off to prepare to go to the Down & Derby rollerskating party at Studio B in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Of course, during my preparations, my bottle of water spilled over all the belongings in my bag. And, for the night, my phone screen was also broken.

Miraculously, my phone was fine the next day; and I also was able to find an upgrade version of my camera on sale for $100 plus tax (cheaper than the cost of repair or the price of my original camera). Everything was looking up…
images

Then I saw Lily Allen perform at Roseland Ballroom on Monday, 4/20, armed with my new camera, my phone, and happy as a clam. images-1

(Pictures and videos from the show coming soon… watch out for another post!)

Of course, I ended up losing my wallet… which must have fallen out of my bag… and I was freaked out and agonizing over my stupidity and losing all of my wallet’s contents. Another girl’s wallet turned up, which she gratefully retrieved, but the place cleared out - well before midnight - without a trace of my wallet. A staffer there gave me $10 for a cab ride, which I thankfully accepted (thank you!!).

And my cabbie, noticing I was upset, and wondering why my initial request to be driven to Williamsburg, Brooklyn changed to a request to be dropped off on 14th St, was similarly sympathetic: he offered me the extra ride back home free of charge. I returned home, exhausted and grateful for the kindness of strangers, only to find out that I had left my phone in the cab!

And then I found I had an e-mail from a girl who found my wallet, and who returned it to me, complete with all its contents — even the cash — the next day. The irony of losing a phone over a lost wallet, only to have the wallet returned. I swear I am not usually this ditzy.

But I have to say, it has been an interesting lesson/example in both the kindness of strangers and the maxim of “don’t trust anyone.” All in all, I guess I was pretty lucky: only my phone was lost, which I have insurance coverage for. The trials and tribulations of NYC life. I think it can be summed up pretty well by this poster I saw the other day, a rip-off of the “I heart NYC" t-shirt: "I can't afford to heart NYC."

(See my story also on LostFoundReturned.com!)

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Cut Copy Performance at Terminal 5

Cut Copy's sold-out performance last night at Terminal 5 delivered on its electropop, disco-worthy promise of addictively poppy new wave grooviness.

Below, "Hearts on Fire" clip from Youtube (not official video):

During the performance, the Australian electro-pop group verbally encouraged the audience to have a good time and fostered their desired dance party extravaganza through their catchy hooks, bright flashing visuals and the sheer energy emanating from both the band and the crowd.

While I at first wanted to be on the 1st floor of the venue and in the thick of it all, the claustrophobia of not even being able to stand without rubbing against someone's arms or purse was soon cause for exploration to other levels of the venue. Did you know Terminal 5 has an Empanada Mama inside of it? Well, now you do. It also has bars on every level, balconies to see from above, and most appealing of all to me: more space to not only breathe but to dance on the upper levels.

Here are some pictures and a video taken from my phone. (Unfortunately, but not unsurprisingly, videos taken from my phone don't have the best sound quality!) If you like 80's music, electro-pop, new wave or pop music at all, this is definitely music to check out and to even break into a sweat over!

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

All-Age Venues

Enjoy!

From http://toddpnyc.com/:

Monday, March 9, 2009

Pay-what-you-wish Museum Days!

So my last post was about free/cheap events, and I didn't even mention the Target First Saturdays at BAM or the Fringe Art Festival... so here I am, trying to make up for it. Check this out:

Pay-what-you-wish Museum Days!

Rachel

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Abandoned Brooklyn Tour!

Courtesy of FreeNYC.net:

Abandoned Brooklyn

Date: Saturday, January 24th
Time: 7:00pm
Location: UnionDocs (322 Union Ave, W'burg)
Cost: Free

To kick off 2009, UnionDocs presents a photographic exploration of Brooklyn's industrial neighborhoods, abandoned airports, deserted train stations and empty powerhouses. Abandoned Brooklyn documents a transitional moment in Brooklyn’s history, as it moves from its industrial past towards a future that seems to be dominated by luxury apartment buildings and chain stores. This exhibit is curated by the documentary collaborative UnionDocs and kicks off a new season of their Documentary Bodega screening series. As part of the opening night event, there will also be a screening of the film Covered Tracks - a short documentary about an abandoned homeless city underneath Manhattan.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Lusting After the Raveonettes

Yet another good show! The Raveonettes are one of the few bands I've seen lately who were better live than on their albums. Sample songs can be heard on their Myspace page; I had only been familiar with their most recent album, Lust Lust Lust, prior to the show last night at Webster Hall, and I maintain that this latest album is their best work to-date.

Videos below.