Sheva Fruitman Jewelry Exhibit in Paris
If you are in Paris: Go see this tonight.
Sheva Fruitman, a talented photographer, jewelry designer, and an old friend of OTBKB, sends word of the opening of her jewelry exhibition in Paris tonight (Naila de Monbrison, 6 Rue de Bourgogne, Paris 75007).
Doesn’t that sound lovely? We so wish we could be there.
Postcard from the Slope: Healing Music by Czech Composer
Music is said to soothe the soul and on the tenth anniversary of 9/11, many New Yorkers opted to attend musical performances scheduled for the day of remembrance.
At the Dr. S. Stevan Dweck Center at the Brooklyn Public Library, The Sherman Chamber Ensemble played a program of elegiac music by 18thand 19th century composers, including Gabriel Fauré, Felix Mendelssohn, and Sergei Rachmaninoff.
“I didn’t want it to be all lugubrious. I wanted to combine memory with works of mourning and rebirth,” said Eliot T. Bailen, co-founder of the ensemble and cellist.
Bailen and his wife, flutist Susan Rothholtz, founded the Sherman Chamber Ensemble in 1983. They perform nearly two-dozen concerts a year, including a subscription series in Sherman and Kent, Connecticut.
To prepare for the concert, Bailen listened to radio interviews with survivors and family members who lost loved ones in the 9/11 attacks.
“I tried to keep my focus on the day and the meaning of it,” he said.
Probably the most unusual piece on the program was the “Piano Trio” by Bedřich Smetana (1824-1884), a Czech composer who was championed by Franz Lizst. Introducing the piece, Bailen told the audience “to listen to the contours of the music and the way that it alternates between beautiful melodies and turbulence.”
Smetana’s composition, he explained, was written after the death of the composer’s 4-year-old daughter.
“It was very specifically written after tragedy and that is why it is appropriate for today,” Bailen explained.
The performance of this piece with Bailen on cello, Michael Roth on violin and Margaret Kampmeier on piano, was virtuosic and highly emotionally as it sonically conveyed what Bailen called “the incomprehensible train of thought between anger and beauty and the heroic aspect of dying.”
The audience seemed moved by the music and cheered for the performers who appeared equally exhausted and exhilarated.
OTBKB Music: Israel Nash Gripka Plays Neil Young
Last night’s Israel Nash Gripka show at The Rockwood Music Hall was a shot of pure rock ‘n’ roll adrenalin from the first song to the last note. Israel’s band frequently featured three guitars, with one of the guitars swapped out for a Mandobird the rest of the time. Although Israel plays his own material, he and the band ended the show with Neil Young’s Revolution Blues. See a clip of Israel and the band playing it at a show earlier this year at Now I’ve Heard Everything by clicking here.
–Eliot Wagner
OTBKB Music: August Calendar and Hayes Carll Video
It’s August and time for the new monthly music calendar. Either there are a lot of musicians taking the month of August off, or there will be more shows posted in the coming days and weeks. Still there’s a nice variety of things going on, just not at the frenetic pace of July. Click here to see the calendar posted on Now I’ve Heard Everything.
Hayes Carll and his band played a fun set this past Saturday at Stuyvesant Town Oval which included this song. It’s the title track from his recent album, and its narrator is a US soldier in Afghanistan. KMAG YOYO is military speak for kiss my ass guys, you’re on your own. Just click here to see it.
–Eliot Wagner
OTBKB Music: Another Club Is About to Bite The Dust
Banjo Jim’s is a bar located at Avenue C and 9th Street in the East Village which presents live music seven days a week. As of Thursday night (July 28th) on several places on the Banjo Jim’s website, you can read the following: Banjo Jim’s is closing! The last day of concerts is Tuesday, Aug. 2nd. This affects Brooklyn, as many Brooklyn-based musicians play there. Click here to read the details on what happened, which are posted at Now I’ve Heard Everything.
–Eliot Wagner
OTBKB Music: Amy Speace Tonight and Heat Wave Music Videos
Amy Speace comes into Rockwood Music Hall tonight. She’s touring behind her new record, Land Like a Bird, a mostly atmospheric Americana, sometimes straight acoustic album written after Amy left this area and resettled in Nashville. Given that Amy is no longer based in these parts, take tonight’s opportunity to see her. Details about the show are waiting for you at Now I’ve Heard Everything; just click here.
I know, posting Heat Wave given last week’s scorching weather is kind of obvious. But why not take this opportunity to see two version of this song. The first is by Martha and The Vandellas, who had the original hit with this way back in the early 60s. The group is obviously lip synching, but that’s OK. It still gives us the opportunity to see the Motown choreography. Next up is Linda Ronstadt. This live performance of her reinterpretation of the song from 1976 absolutely smokes as well. Just click here to see both videos.
–Eliot Wagner
OTBKB Music: Just in Case You Want to Venture Out
It’s just too hot to do much of anything. But if you decide to venture out tonight, there are four good shows you can choose from. Most importantly, all are indoors and air conditioned. Choose between Allison Weiss, The Basement Band, Li’l Mo and The Monicats and The Demolition String Band. See the details at Now I’ve Heard Everything by clicking here.
–Eliot Wagner
OTBKB Music: Pete Townsend Likes Willy Mason
The last time I saw Willy Mason he was playing with Pete Townsend. It was back in 2007 in Austin, at South By Southwest. Pete and his girlfriend, Rachel Fuller had put together a two hour show with a bunch of new bands they liked and Willy Mason and his band were part of that show. In the middle of Willy’s set, Pete came out and joined the band for a few songs. When he left, Willy said “thanks, Pete,” and then added “I never thought I’d be saying that.”
Back then, Willy had a band and his lyrically strong songs could be described accurately as folk-rock. Recently, Willy has been working on a new record over in England. I’m not sure what format he’ll be playing in tonight or what his new material sounds like. But this show at The Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 is a rare opportunity to see Willy and should not be passed up. See the details about tonight show at Now I’ve Heard Everything by clicking here.
–Eliot Wagner
OTBKB Music: A Tribute to Tom Waits Tonight
A few years ago, The Living Room held a series of shows honoring the songwriting talents of The Band, Fleetwood Mac and David Bowie. They were always fun, brought out a great cross section of local musicians (including a big name or two who showed up unannounced) and left you understanding what good songwriters the particular night’s honoree was. The guide behind those shows was Tim Luntzel. But then Tim got busy with other things (including touring with Rosanne Cash) and those shows ceased.
Well, tonight that series continues, again under the guiding hand of Tim. This time we have a Tribute to Tom Waits, with over 20 local musicians announced as playing. All the details are waiting for you at Now I’ve Heard Everything, just click here to see them.
–Eliot Wagner
OTBKB Music: James Maddock Tonight
I know that Tuesday was not a day to venture outdoors, but today is supposed to be a bit better and tonight you’ll find James Maddock playing a full band show at Carl Schurz Park on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. James just released an excellent new album, Wake Up and Dream, three weeks ago (which I previously reviewed here). I’d really recommend that you brave the residual heat and humidity to see James and his band, as their shows are not only excellent musically, they are just plain fun. Full details are posted at Now I’ve Heard Everything, see them by clicking here.
–Eliot Wagner
OTBKB Music: A Couple of Videos
The single off of The Wild Joys of Living, the brand new record from the Emily Zuzik Band is You Want to Go Out Tonight?, a summertime song if ever I heard one. I found a video of that song recorded last year over at The Rockwood Music Hall. And if you still haven’t seen Emily live yet, you have a chance to do so this coming Thursday at Public Assembly. Click here to see the video which is posted at Now I’ve Heard Everything.
My Pet Dragon have a new album, Mountains and Cities, coming out next month. The video (which consists of just the album cover) of the lead off track from that album, Majestic Lovers, is waiting for you when you click here.
–Eliot Wagner
OTBKB Music: Spanking Charlene Is Playing Tonight
Spanking Charlene usually just play The Lakeside Lounge on the third Saturday of the month, but tonight they are branching out and will be at The Bowery Electric. Spanking Charlene combines rock and punk in a way reminiscent of The Ramones. One commentator said “this band sounds almost exactly like X! Except with better vocals.” They are just plain fun, and tonight Eric Ambel will be joining the band as well. For more information on tonight’s show, see Now I’ve Heard Everything by clicking here.
–Eliot Wagner
OTBKB Music: July Music Calendar and Old 45 Picture Sleeves
July is almost upon us and therefore the Now I’ve Heard Everything July Music Calendar is up and ready for you to view and use; just click here.
I’ve also posted five more 45 rpm record picture sleeves. This time the collection consists of records from Bob Dylan, Ronnie Spector, The Pretenders, Graham Parker and Men Without Hats. Just click here to see them.
–Eliot Wagner
OTBKB Music: Photos of Sydney Wayser and Emily Zuzik at The Living Room
As I mentioned previously, Friday night there was a twofer at The Living Room. First up was Sydney Wayser. And then it was Emily Zuzik‘s turn. Pictures of those two shows which featured electrifying performances from Sydney and Emily are posted here at Now I’ve Heard Everything.
–Eliot Wagner
OTBKB Music: New Records from Emily Zuzik and James Maddock
Emily Zuzik and James Maddock have each released new albums. Emily’s is titled The Wild Joys of Living and the new one from James is Wake Up and Dream. Read the review of both new records at Now I’ve Heard Everything here. Then see them live: James is playing a CD release show at The Rockwood Music Hall tonight, read the details here. Emily has her record release show tomorrow night. Check Now I’ve Heard Everything tomorrow for more information.
–Eliot Wagner
OTBKB Music: Tribute to The Bottom Line at Rockefeller Park
.For nearly 30 years starting in 1974, The Bottom Line at West 4th Street and Mercer Street was rock central in New York City. There were other venues, sure, but it seemed that every act that was or was going to be important played there. Bruce Springsteen‘s week of shows there in 1975 broke him out of the pack. The place was an institution which came to an end in early 2004 as the result of a dispute with its landlord, New York University (the space occupied by The Bottom Line is now NYU classroom space).
But tonight’s show at Rockefeller Park, The Bottom Line Presents New York on My Mind is made up of a number of performers who graced The Bottom Line’s stage at one time or another and includes: GrooveBarbers, Rosanne Cash, Marshall Crenshaw, Garland Jeffreys, Willie Nile, NRBQ, Martin Rivas, Suzzy and Lucy Wainwright Roche, Vin Scelsa, Loudon Wainwright III, Dar Williams, Catherine Russell featuring music director John Leventhal with Mojo Mancini and hosted by Meg Griffin. Additional musicians may perform as well. In case of rain, this may be moved into Stuyvesant High School. For more details, see Now I’ve Heard Everything by clicking here.
Update: I’ve now heard from two reliable sources that the rain site for this show is The World Financial Center Winter Garden.
Update: It’s official. The show has been moved to The World Financial Center Winter Garden.
–Eliot Wagner
OTBKB Music: Clarence Clemons, 1942-2011
I heard that Clarence Clemons had died while at The Mercury Lounge Saturday night, right after the early show had finished. Although it was a shock, it was not unexpected given what I had heard about his stroke earlier this week. Clarence had been part of my musical world since Bruce Springsteen‘s Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ was released (which is close to 40 years ago now).
The New York Times has a pretty comprehensive obit here which will give you the facts of Clarence’s life. But facts are one thing, the music is another. So musically, when I think of Clarence, the first song I remember is the version of Kitty’s Back from The Wild, The Innocent and The E Street Shuffle. The sax solo at the end was amazingly long; it seemed that Clarence didn’t need to breathe.
So I’ll say goodbye to Clarence with a video of that song from a live performance in early 1974. I’ve posted it at Now I’ve Heard Everything, click here to see it.
–Eliot Wagner
OTBKB Music: Here’s a New Song from Blackie and The Rodeo Kings
On my first listen to Kings and Queens, the new album from Blackie and The Rodeo Kings, the song Black Sheep, a duet with Serena Ryder, jumped out at me. You can see the video of it produced by The Canadian Broadcasting Company over at Now I’ve Heard Everything by clicking here.
–Eliot Wagner
OTBKB Music: Photos of Blackie and The Rodeo Kings
There were many good shows on Tuesday night, but for my money, the place to be was The Living Room. There Canada’s Blackie and The Rodeo Kings played a crisp, loud and commanding one hour set in celebration of the release of their newest record, Kings and Queens. Blackie is made up of three singer/guitarists, Colin Linden, Stephen Fearing and Tom Wilson, plus bassist John Dymond and drummer Gary Craig. See photos of that show at Now I’ve Heard Everything by clicking here.
This Thurs: Coming to America At Brooklyn Reading Works
Writers from Nigeria, the Virgin Islands and Trinadad
Brooklyn Reading Works at the Old Stone House in Park Slope presents “Coming to America” on June 16 at 8PM. This exciting reading curated by novelist Martha Southgate brings together three new and acclaimed authors, Teju Cole, Tiphanie Yanique, and Victoria Brown, who came to America from Nigeria, the Virgin Islands and Trinidad respectively. There should be an interesting Q&A after the readings.
When: June 16 at 8PM
Where: The Old Stone House in Park Slope on 3rd Street between 5th and 4th Avenues. Note: due to construction in park enter from west side of the house. What else: $5 suggested donation includes wine and refreshments.
About Teju Cole:
“Open City is an indelible novel. Does precisely what literature should do: it brings together thoughts and beliefs, and blurs borders…A compassionate and masterly work.” —The New York Times
“Beautiful, subtle, and finally, original…What moves the prose forward is the prose—the desire to write, to defeat solitude by writing. Cole has made his novel as close to a diary as a novel can get, with room for reflection, autobiography, stasis, and repetition. This is extremely difficult, and many accomplished novelists would botch it, since a sure hand is needed to make the writer’s careful stitching look like a thread merely being followed for its own sake. Mysteriously, wonderfully, Cole does not botch it.” —James Wood, The New Yorker
About Tiphanie Yanique:
“The effects of colonialism throb in Yanique’s vivid debut collection. . . Yanique penetrates the perils and pleasures of lives lived outside resort walls.” —Publisher’s Weekly
About Victoria Brown:
‘Nanny lit’ may have turned heads years ago in the publishing world, but there’s a new voice – and a new book – getting people excited about the genre. Trinidadian immigrant Victoria Brown worked as a nanny on the Upper East Side, and she talks with us about her new book, Minding Ben, as well as her own path to motherhood. -The Takeaway
r in her employ.
OTBKB Music: Carrie Rodriguez at The Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2
Yesterday’s show by Carrie Rodriguez and her band at The Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 was the first with this band Carrie. But you’d never know it as the half Brooklyn, half Austin ensemble (Luke Jacobs – electric, acoustic and pedal steel guitars, Sammy Baker – drums, and I think that it was Kyle Kegerreis on bass) spend nearly 90 minutes playing songs from Carrie’s several solo albums, plus a few new songs as well. And the old songs all pretty much sported new arrangements. I’ve posted six photos of the show at Now I’ve Heard Everything, just click here to see them.
–Eliot Wagner
OTBKB Music: Harper Blynn and Hobson’s Choice
Tonight two OTBKB Music favorite bands are playing in Williamsburg, something you should take advantage of. First up at 9pm is Harper Blynn, a four piece band featuring high energy pop rock, lots of hooks and good harmonies. Then at midnight, see Hobson’s Choice, the band through which guitarist Thomas Bryan Eaton plays his songs (he plays in lots of other bands too). You’ll find mostly rock with a bit of alt country thrown into the mix and which has a bit of a 70s feel to it. Click here to see all the details about these shows waiting for you at Now I’ve Heard Everything.
–Eliot Wagner
Townhouse Art Gallery in Slope’s Most Intriguing Building
It is a rare Park Sloper who doesn’t have a story or a curiosity about the dilapidated building on the corner of Seventh Avenue and 2nd Street. Dubbed “the house that whimsy built” by the New York Times a few years ago (and later called The House of Whimsy by OTBKB), it is still owned by a woman named Dorothy Nash, who may or may not live in the building with her daughters.
In the Times’ article, Alison Statement wrote: “The structure radiates a mysterious, haunted quality that encourages local residents to wonder why the place has fallen into such disrepair and what, if anything, is to come of the valuable property.”
Over the years the storefront has been a boutique called the Baby Doll and the Landmark, a pub/performance space where you could find piles of old toys and doll heads and various local performers.
One of Dorothy’s daughters, Esther Nash, is currently running Townhouse Gallery (510 Second Street between 7th and 8th avenues) with her mother in a space that has more than a bit of a history.
Efrain Gonzolez met with Esther and her mom and took these pictures. Park Slope writer Brook Dramer shares some history about that building:
“In the 1980s it was The Iron Horse Tavern, which was quickly replaced by the Landmark Tavern. For a while it was the Babydoll Boutique (I don’t know if that venture ever got of the ground, but the sandwich board for that venture was out on the sidewalk for a while).
“The Landmark Tavern was a place where people somehow thought it was oh-so-Boho to sit in an unheated building, listening to Sailorman Jack sing as they banged toys in time to the music and drank cheap beer that was served by one of Dorothy’s beautiful daughters (I think she was about 8 years old) while the younger daughter slept on a couch next to a heater near the stage).
“The building drew some attention few years ago when a glass window felt out and sliced the cover of a parked convertible in half (fortunately, no one was sitting in the car).
“Years ago, Dorothy told people that she dreamed of running and art gallery. I wish her well–and I hope this incarnation of 502 Seventh Avenue generates enough income to finally fix up that building.”
Primordial Hybrids, Anyone?
Come sip wine and savor PRIMORDIAL HYBRIDS, an exhibition of works on paper by Barbara Ensor, at The Old Stone House Gallery in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
When: Tuesday, June 7, 6-8 p.m
Where: The Old Stone House in Park Slope, Brooklyn
Creatures part human and part animal gaze out from carved frames in Primordial Hybrids, an exhibit of three dozen new silhouettes on paper by Barbara Ensor. Written below are wry comments that contextualize the works in unexpected and startling ways. “He had climbed out of the primeval muck,” “She was not like the others” are just a few of the wry comments penned with enough ink splats to suggest a chaos lurking just beneath the surface.
No stranger to folkloric imagery Barbara Ensor is author of Cinderella (As If You Didn’t Already Know the Story) and Thumbelina, Tiny Runaway Bride, both published by Random House Children’s Books. She makes the pictures for these books, as well, cutting them out of black paper with a pair of sharp scissors in a style that is part history, part magic. “Even a child who had never heard these stories before will sense they are familiar,” says Ensor, “because they echo the way it feels to be alive.”
The same could be said of the hybrid creatures in this exhibit. “I immediately felt like I was looking in the mirror,” says Ensor “when timidly these odd creatures began to show up in my work.” At first, she admits, “I thought it was just me.” Ensor speculated that maybe she identified with the creatures because of a sense of not fitting in as a result of frequent moves when she was growing up. When she began to realize how wrong she had been, “It was comical,” says Ensor, “ how suddenly I couldn’t get away from them. I’d turn on the television and there’d be Mickey Mouse with those human hands in the white gloves or I’d glance up at a building and see a winged lion with the breasts and face of a woman staring down at me.” Even the earliest cave paintings mix up humans with animal parts it turns out, “and don’t forget the devil has horns,” says Ensor.
The process of making the art for this solo exhibit (her third in as many years) “was like searching for something that was already there—almost like an archeological dig,” says Ensor. “With the paper cut-outs I’m literally removing (with scissors) what isn’t the picture, like sifting through the sand to find a skeleton.
Gallery hours are 4-6PM on Friday afternoons, or by appointment. A reception will be held on Tuesday, June 7, from 6-8PM. The show runs through June 22nd.
The Old Stone House
http://www.theoldstonehouse.org/visit/
336 Third Street
Brooklyn, NY
718-768-3195
OTBKB Music: RIP Andrew Gold
Andrew Gold died over the weekend at the way too young age of 59. He was involved with a large number of musicians through the years including Linda Ronstadt; see more information about Andrew’s background here. You might know him as the guy who wrote the songs used as the themes for Golden Girls and Mad About You. But if you were around listening to a radio in 1977, you would know him as the musician who had the hit Lonely Boy. So we’ll remember Andrew today with a live performance of Lonely Boy from the TV show Midnight Special. Click here to see the video posted at Now I’ve Heard Everything.
–Eliot Wagner
Senior Moment: All That Stuff
The opening scene of Sex, Lies and Videotape plays in my mind a lot. Andie MacDowell in a therapy session calmly tells her therapist “Garbage. All I’ve been thinking about all week is garbage. I mean, I just can’t stop thinking about it…I’m worried about all the garbage.”
I think about this scene almost every time I take out our trash. But I also think of a slight variation every time I’m with a client. My version is “Stuff. All I’ve been thinking about is stuff. I’m worried about all the stuff.”
We almost all have too much stuff, and seniors tend to have the most. It’s not that seniors are particularly bad at throwing things away or that they shop too much. It’s simply that they’ve had more years to accumulate their stuff, and they tend to stay in the same home for much longer than younger generations, so they don’t have to go through the tedious process of boxing their belongings and forcing themselves to ask if they really need old tennis balls or cracked dishes.
When you pack to move, you challenge yourself to get rid of things. You almost have to – either you’ve got to fit everything into a small U-haul truck, or your mover is charging by the pound, or you just can’t bear the thought of scrounging the neighborhood for more boxes.
I moved a lot in my twenties and a few times in my thirties. I’ve moved across the country, across the city, even across hallways to bigger apartments in the same building. I hope I’m done moving, because I like where my husband and I have settled and I believe it will suit us for years to come. I want to be an octogenarian in our Park Slope apartment, finally with enough time to sit in our garden all summer long. But one thing that scares me is that if we stop moving, we may wind up with too much stuff.
Yesterday I helped a (non-senior) friend move his belongings out of a storage site. We spent a lot of time at the site, which depressed me beyond belief. I think of storage facilities as crutches that allow us to accumulate more than we need. It’s similar to how healthy eaters must feel about fast food restaurants. There are too many of them and they make it too easy to consume. Storage sites tantalize by telling us that we can have more and more stuff. Just upgrade to a larger storage unit when you outgrow your current one!
Most of my clients have lived in their present home for 30 years, minimum. They come to me because they are moving but can’t imagine how they’ll deal with all their stuff. How will they fit into their new apartment? Where do they start with the sorting process? They have no idea what’s in the backs of their closets. They are afraid of the top kitchen cabinets. They can’t remember if they’ve read half the books on their shelves.
The only way to get through it is one item at a time. Senior move managers are excavators, sorting through 70+ years of belongings, looking for treasures. We climb up on stepladders, open dusty cabinets, and pull out the things that haven’t been seen for years. We set dishes out on the bed for our clients to touch and hold. We ask where things came from and listen as they tell us the stories about their stuff. Our seniors sometimes cry with excitement when we find something long thought to be lost, and they often shake their heads in disbelief that they still have things they haven’t used in 20 years.
As we sort, our clients start to shape their futures by deciding what they will keep. An accomplished pianist who played daily for years couldn’t fit her piano in her new apartment, so we donated it for her. Instead she kept a guitar she looked forward to playing regularly. Another client who once cooked every family dinner and baked her own bread had to move into a residence with no private kitchens. She was torn up about this at first, but then realized she’d finally have time to read all the books she had collected. We sold her beautiful cookware but she took all her books with her. Our stuff can define us. I’m a reader, not a cook. I’m a guitar player now.
Our clients seem to go through a similar set of stages. First they don’t want to move at all. They often express resistance by not wanting to part with any of their belongings. Nothing should be given away or sold. Then, as we patiently go over floor plans with them and ask them about their future homes, they start to face reality and understand that it’s not practical to keep it all.
Slowly, as they see the alternatives – bestowing mementos to children, donating furniture and clothes to favorite charities, selling silver and art to offset the cost of the move – they begin to realize that their stuff may be better off without them, and that they may be opening up their worlds a little by shedding a bit of it. At some point they start to have fun. Either they get excited because they realize they’re going to be making some money by selling the mink stoles they haven’t worn in 40 years, or they start to feel good about the family in need who will be eating off their dining room table.
When done properly, the move itself can be a happy time – a time for the senior to reinvent himself and plan for the future. It’s not an easy process, and it requires patience and time, but moving can be incredibly rewarding, for all of us.
Salt & Pepper Shakers at Carroll Park Flea
My friend, Betsy, is selling novelty salt & pepper shakers from her collection at the annual Carroll Park Flea Market today between 10AM and 5PM.
I remember years ago when Betsy was buying these vintage shakers at flea markets, antique stores, thrift shops. I was collecting globes then. Now she has so many and I have more globes than I can count. It was fun to have a collection when I was in my thirties. Now we have too much stuff and I need to get rid of THINGS.
She writes: “If you’re in town come on by … there are always some good tables of “stuff” at this event and it’s supposed to be a nice day for walkin around the hood.”
Carroll Park
Court St. between President St. and Carroll St.
F train : Carroll St. stop
see Park / Playground across the street
OTBKB Music: Stay in The Slope for Soul or Go to The LES for Pop Rock
Tonight two excellent but very different musicians play at the same time in different parts of the city and both are favorites around here. Choosing between them will be tough, but let’s face it, when you have two great options, whatever your choice is, it will be a good one.
Over at Southpaw in Park Slope, you will find Eli Paperboy Reed and The True Loves. The band is an eight-piece affair (guitar, bass, drums, keys, trumpet, sax, baritone sax and Eli on vocals and guitar). Musically, the band plays very good original soul numbers with some covers of some stuff going back to the 60s. The biggest strength of Eli and the band is in their live show. Eli, originally from the Boston area and now living in Brooklyn, is an engaging live performer.
Lelia Broussard plays upbeat pop rock which is never less than a pleasure. Even though Lelia lives lives out in Los Angeles these days, she tends to play New York City in general, and The Rockwood Music Hall in particular, frequently. And right now Lelia is on the cusp of something interesting happening: she’s one of the two finalists in a contest whose prize is your picture on the cover of Rolling Stone.
Get more details and links to videos at Now I’ve Heard Everything by clicking here.
–Eliot Wagner
June 3-5: Hilstock DIY Music Festival
Hillstock, a DIY music festival in Williamsburg June 3-5, sounds like quite the fun event this weekend if you’re of a certain age in body or mind. My son’s new duo, Humbert Humbert will be playing there, as will his friend Jack’s new band, Sharpless (from Chicago).
So I’m just saying. Full disclosure: I know those guys…
Summer Drawing Program for 7-12 Year Olds
Here’s a shout-out to Juliet Borda, one of my advertisers, because she’s an amazing professional illustrator and she’s running a drawing class for 7-12 year olds in Park Slope this summer. It’s called Just Drawing for Kids.
