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June 10: People Make Mistakes: Fiction Curated by Martha Southgate

On Thursday, June 10th at 8PM at the Old Stone House in Park Slope Brooklyn Reading Works presents “People Make Mistakes,” an evening of fiction curated by Martha Southgate. Lauren Grodstein, author of A Friend of the Family, Danielle Evans, author of the upcoming short story collection Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self, and Martha Southgate, author of Third Girl From the Left will read.

Martha Southgate is the author of Third Girl from the Left, which was published in paperback by Houghton Mifflin in September 2006. It won the Best Novel of the year award from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. It was shortlisted for the PEN/Beyond Margins Award and the Hurston/Wright Legacy award. Her previous novel, The Fall of Rome, received the 2003 Alex Award from the American Library Association and was named one of the best novels of 2002 by Jonathan Yardley of the Washington Post. She is also the author of Another Way to Dance, which won the Coretta Scott King Genesis Award for Best First Novel. She now teaches in the Brooklyn College MFA program.

Lauren Grodstein’s books include the novels A Friend of the Family and Reproduction is the Flaw of Love, and The Best of Animals, a story collection. Her pseudonymous Girls Dinner Club was a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age. Her work has been translated into German, Italian, French, Turkish, and other languages, and her essays and stories have been widely anthologized. Lauren teaches creative writing at Rutgers-Camden, where she helps administer the college’s MFA program. She lives with her husband and son in New Jersey.

Danielle Evans was born in Northern Virginia in 1983. Her short fiction has appeared in Best American Short Stories 2008 and will appear in Best American Short Stories 2010, The Paris Review, Phoebe, Black Renaissance Noire, and The L Magazine. She received a BA in Anthropology from Columbia University, an MFA in fiction from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, and the Carol Houck Smith Fellowship from the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing. She has taught in the creative writing program at Missouri State University, and has recently joined the faculty at American University in Washington, DC. Her first short story collection, Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self, will be published in September and she is working on a novel entitled The Empire Has No Clothes. Both are forthcoming from Riverhead Books.

When: June 10, 2010 at 8PM — Where: The Old Stone House (theoldstonehouse.org)on Fifth Avenue and Third Street in Park Slope — $5

Undomesticated Brooklyn: My Friend, She’s Fried

by Paula Bernstein

My best friend Dori was a foodie before being a foodie was cool. She is the sort of person who phones just to tell you she made the most fabulous Potatoes Au Gratin with Gruyere that you just have to try. When we eat out, she knows where to go and exactly what to order (and how it should be cooked).

When her children were infants, instead of relying on store bought baby food, she mashed sweet potatoes and peas from scratch. As her kids grew into toddlers, Dori insisted on cooking them homemade chicken nuggets since she couldn’t stomach serving them the frozen kind.

Dori always makes cooking seem effortless and fun. Somehow, she manages to whip up dinner for eight with two kids underfoot while still looking as glamorous as a movie star (some see a resemblance to Meg Ryan). Not surprisingly, she has always been baffled – if not a bit irked – by my culinary ineptitude.

After years of rolling my eyes and listening patiently as she recounted her latest success in the kitchen, I finally have begun to take an interest. Now that I’ve begun to cook myself, I appreciate her passion for food and cooking even more. I’m lucky to have her on hand to (well, by phone or e-mail) to answer my questions about grilling, sauteing, steaming, and everything in between.

I’m proud to say that after years of dreaming about it, Dori has finally taken the leap and begun cooking school at the Institute for Culinary Education in Manhattan. She had taken recreational cooking classes there before, but this one is for pros. Of course, I thought Dori already knew everything there was to know, but I’m sure they can teach her a thing or two.

Dori is chronicling her journey on her blog, She’s Fried, which, like Dori, is funny, smart, animated, and always surprising.

In her most recent post, Dori tells of how she took on a lobster — and lost. Well, to be fair, she won (the lobster is dead), but she lost some blood in the process.

Check it out and see She’s Fried for yourself.

Life on the Stoop

When Absolut Vodka, in honor of the release of Absolut Brooklyn and their collaboration with the Brooklyn Blogfest, asked me to write a post for my blog about the stoop life, this is what came to mind:

It seems like I’ve spent years of my life sitting on the limestone stoop of my apartment building in Park Slope watching the world go by.

From the stoop I’ve watched my children grow. Now 13 and 19, they’ve spent countless hours playing with friends, inventing imaginary games, and racing their bikes and scooters from one end of the block to the other.

On hot summer days we used to take the plastic turtle kiddy pool out of the basement and fill it with iced cold water. It didn’t matter that it wasn’t a lavish suburban pool. I could cool my toes and supervise the kids having plenty of splashy fun.

More meals than I can remember have been eaten on our Third Street stoop.  We’ve ordered Chicken Lo Mein from Szechuan Delight and pizza from Pino’s and enjoyed homemade barbecue grilled on the Weber that we keep chained to our basement gate.

Those summer barbecues are legend on Third Street.  Neighbors bring their salads, meats, fish, vegetables and condiments downstairs and everyone cooks and eats together. My neighbor on the first floor always mans the barbecue expertly grilling the food, his face sweaty and red by the end of the night.

After dinner, the kids roast marshmallows on the grill and make chocolate S’mores, which leave a sticky mess on the sidewalk the next morning.

On Halloween night, we have a VIP view from the stoop of the magical Park Slope Halloween Parade as colorfully costumed adults and children move past our building.

Throughout the year, I learn the news of the block, the neighborhood, the city and the world from the stoop.

I was on the stoop when I found out that a young mother in the building next door was dying of brain cancer. Neighbors and friends banded together to help the family through this unthinkable tragedy.

I was on the stoop when I heard the faint rumble of an airplane hitting the second tower of the World Trade Center. I wasn’t sure what I was hearing until my neighbor ran into the building with radio pinned to his ear.

“We’re being attacked.” he said.

News travels fast on the stoop, where we talk about our children’s successes and troubles. We share news of weddings, graduations, school admissions, reunions; it’s where we keep up to date on local politics and school life. We complain, whine, opine, brag, tell stories, joke and basically live our lives out loud on the stoop.

Continue reading Life on the Stoop

June 10: Children of Abraham Peace Walk

I walked the  Peace Walk last year and it was really interesting and fun. I highly recommend it for those who believe that people of different faiths and different life experience can enjoy mutual respect and friendship.

Every year the walk covers a new neighborhood. Last year they went from Sunset Park to Park Slope stopping in at Beth Elohim and concluding at the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture, where there was an excellent program of poetry, speeches and a VERY delicious buffet dinner.

This year they’ll start on East 19th Street and end up at Sheepshead Bay. And I’m sure there will be delicious dinner.

So think about joining the peace walk.

This year’s Children of Abraham Peace Walk is on Thursday, June 10 from 4-7PM. In the spirit of peace, Jews, Christians, Muslims and people of other religious persuasions, walk and stop at stop at various houses of worship. They will conclude at the building site of a new mosque.

The group will be supporting the emergence of this new faith community while deepening their interfaith connections
and spreading the message that here in Brooklyn there is interfaith friendship and respect.

I’ll drink to that.

The walk begins at: St. Mark’s Church, 2609 East 19th Street (corner of Ocean Avenue & Avenue Z.
Subway: B/Q to Sheepshead Bay Station) in Brooklyn. The group will walk south along Ocean Avenue to the water of Sheepshead Bay.

They will then make a left on Emmons Avenue (after crossing Emmons) to the marina. At Bedford Avenue the group will turn left onto Bedford, then right on Voorhies Avenue.

The walk ends at the proposed building site of the mosque, 2812 Voorhies Avenue (about a quarter mile, near 28th St.).
Refreshments will be served. All ages welcome.

OTBKB Music: Folk City at 50

Folk City was THE club in the New York City music scene back in the day.  The owner of Folk City was Mike Porco, and tonight, his grandson, Bob Porco, will present a show in honor of Folk City’s 50th anniversary at The Village Underground, which is in the building where Folk City spent most of its years until it closed in the late 80s,  with more than 40 Folk City alumni performing.  Details and a video of The Roches talking about the place and singing Face Down at Folk City are over at Now I’ve Heard Everything.

–Eliot Wagner

Tonight at the Tea Lounge: The Easy-Bake Orchestra

Don’t miss this BIG musical treat at the Tea Lounge on Monday, June 7th at 9PM at 837 Union Street, Brooklyn, New York

The Joshua Shneider Easy-Bake Orchestra is a 17 piece ensemble comprised of some of NYC’s most illustrious and adventurous improvisors, interpreting the music and arrangements of Joshua Shneider.

The Tea Lounge gig is part of the Monday night Big Band series, Size Matters, curated J.C. Sanford. Please check the schedule for other great bands.

Josh Shneider and the EasyBake Orchestra will perform new compositions. The wonderful (and I mean wonderful) Saundra Williams will be singing with the band. Saundra has sung with Victor Wooten, Phish, and Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings among many others. Saundra can currently be seen in the new movie “Phish 3D”.

People Make Mistakes: Fiction Curated by Martha Southgate on June 10

On Thursday, June 10th at 8PM at the Old Stone House in Park Slope Brooklyn Reading Works (brooklynreadingworks.com) presents “People Make Mistakes,” an evening of fiction curated by Martha Southgate. Lauren Grodstein, author of A Friend of the Family, Danielle Evans, author of the upcoming short story collection Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self, and Martha Southgate, author of Third Girl From the Left will read.

Martha Southgate is the author of Third Girl from the Left, which was published in paperback by Houghton Mifflin in September 2006. It won the Best Novel of the year award from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. It was shortlisted for the PEN/Beyond Margins Award and the Hurston/Wright Legacy award. Her previous novel, The Fall of Rome, received the 2003 Alex Award from the American Library Association and was named one of the best novels of 2002 by Jonathan Yardley of the Washington Post. She is also the author of Another Way to Dance, which won the Coretta Scott King Genesis Award for Best First Novel. She now teaches in the Brooklyn College MFA program.

Lauren Grodstein’s books include the novels A Friend of the Family and Reproduction is the Flaw of Love, and The Best of Animals, a story collection. Her pseudonymous Girls Dinner Club was a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age. Her work has been translated into German, Italian, French, Turkish, and other languages, and her essays and stories have been widely anthologized. Lauren teaches creative writing at Rutgers-Camden, where she helps administer the college’s MFA program. She lives with her husband and son in New Jersey.

Danielle Evans was born in Northern Virginia in 1983. Her short fiction has appeared in Best American Short Stories 2008 and will appear in Best American Short Stories 2010, The Paris Review, Phoebe, Black Renaissance Noire, and The L Magazine. She received a BA in Anthropology from Columbia University, an MFA in fiction from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, and the Carol Houck Smith Fellowship from the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing. She has taught in the creative writing program at Missouri State University, and has recently joined the faculty at American University in Washington, DC. Her first short story collection, Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self, will be published in September and she is working on a novel entitled The Empire Has No Clothes. Both are forthcoming from Riverhead Books.

When: June 10, 2010 at 8PM — Where: The Old Stone House (theoldstonehouse.org)on Fifth Avenue and Third Street in Park Slope — $5

Diane Arbus Birthday: Hugh’s 50th in 2005

One can safely assume that my husband’s 50th birthday cake for his birthday party on June 4, 2005, was probably the only cake EVER to have a Diane Arbus photograph painted on it in icing.

And that’s not all. The cake also had photographs by Muybridge, Stieglitz,  Julia Cameron, Ansel Adams, Feinineger and even Hugh Crawford,  painted in gorgeous sepia hues.

Created by Park Slope cake designer, Ruth Seidler, the cake was a vertible history of photography. And it was a smash hit at my husband’s 50th birthday party on Saturday night at The Old Stone House. An almond sheet cake with rasberry frosting on the inside and marzipany frosting on the outside, it was astonishingly delicious.

JollyBe Bakery is the name of Ruth’s baking business. A former art restorer, she makes all kinds of painted, stained glass and sculptural cakes. For my father’s 75th birthday she created a Matisse cake that was also quite wonderful (pictured above).

2cbw0417Last night, we had an impromptu after-party in our front yard on Third Street. The kids enjoyed singing Happy Birthday. Then they got to the part about “Are you 1?. Are you 2?   Are you 3,? Are you 4?…” etc.

Finally, my daughter shouted out: “Let’s just count by tens!”

And yes, that was a more expedient way to reach the momentous number.

Today – June 6th, 2010, is Hugh’s Birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY HUGH!

Monday Night at Tea Lounge: Easy-Bake Orchestra

Don’t miss this BIG musical treat at the Tea Lounge on Monday, June 7th at 9PM at 837 Union Street, Brooklyn, New York

The Joshua Shneider Easy-Bake Orchestra is a 17 piece ensemble comprised of some of NYC’s most illustrious and adventurous improvisors, interpreting the music and arrangements of Joshua Shneider.

The Tea Lounge gig, Size Matters, is part of the Monday night Big Band series curated J.C. Sanford. Please check the schedule for other great bands.

Josh Shneider and the EasyBake Orchestra will perform new compositions. The wonderful (and I mean wonderful) Saundra Williams will be singing with the band. Saundra has sung with Victor Wooten, Phish, and Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings among many others. Saundra can currently be seen in the new movie “Phish 3D”.

Brooklyn Blogfest Is Taking Me Away from Blogging…

My hyper-local reporting has suffered because of a hyper-intense focus on the Brooklyn Blogfest and for that I apologize. These past weeks have been a blur of planning as I’ve been slammed with all the detail work that goes into producing an event of this size. Which isn’t to say that I don’t have a FANTASTIC group of collaborators because I do I do. In some ways I love the planning process as much as the event. But the event is way fun, too, because it’s cool to see how things really turn out.

This year promises to be really fun. I just previewed The Big Picture, our annual tribute to the great photographers of Brooklyn edited by Adrian Kinloch, and it’s a beautiful and breathtaking video. I can’t wait for all of you to see it.

Blogs Aloud is a dramatic reading by three actors of great blog writing. I am super excited about this segment. The actors are great, the writing is great and I think the crowd is gonna love it.

The panel moderated by award winning WNYC journalist Andrea Bernstein should be fantastic, too. Panelist are Jake Dobkin of Gothamist, who is always fun, Faye Penn of Brokelyn, Petra Symister of Bed Stuy Blog, Heather Johnston of So Good. TV and Atiba Edwards of Visual Stenographer and an arts and community organizer.

And then there’s Spike Lee and performer Lemon Andersen and his spoken word ode to Brooklyn.

Oh yeah: Blogs of a Feather, the breakout groups that are really the networky and fun,social part of the evening.

And did I mention the after party sponsored by Absolut Brooklyn? What a party.

What I love is all the serendipitous things that happen at Blogfest, the social interaction, the inspiration, the advice, the ideas…

Brooklyn Blogfest: The Excitement is Building

Blogfest. Blogfest. Blogfest.

On Friday we closed pre-registration for the Brooklyn Blogfest, which is on June 8th at 7PM. That means we can’t guarantee seats in the Lyceum auditorium. However there are seats on the upper level where participants can view the event on video.

I suggest that people arrive at the event around 6PM and line up outside the Lyceum. After 6:50 we WILL NOT honor pre-registratiosn and if there are any seats downstairs those will go to the people waiting on line. Once we hit capacity (around 300) int he auditorium we will send people to the upper level at the Lyceum, where they can watch the event on video.

It’s always hard to predict how many people will actually show up for something like this. But this year we’re getting a lot of press and are expecting quite a crowd.

Still I encourage you to line up even if you haven’t pre-registered. It’s should be a great show and a really interesting time for all.

June 5 & 6: Annual Atlantic Avenue Art Walk

ArtWalk is a self-guided tour of open artist studios and area exhibitions, a range of public art projects, special events, and extensive local merchant participation. The tour provides a relaxed setting for dialogue, collecting, and for artists to discuss current bodies of work, while offering a glimpse into the creation process.

This weekend’s event includes artists across all media, participatory events, film, public art, live music, and activities for families and children of all ages. Visitors can enjoy exhibits, view and buy work, meet the artists and sample the Avenue’s restaurants, shops and bars at their own pace. To add to the weekend festivities, local businesses host receptions while area restaurants and bars offer special rates to ArtWalkers throughout the weekend.

The Weekend List: First Saturday, indieScreen, Tiny Toy Theater

June 4-13 at Brooklyn Heights Cinema and indieScreen in Williamsburg: The 13th Brooklyn International Film Festival

Note: indieScreen is a brand new entertainment space located on the Southside of Williamsburg, Brooklyn that features a sophisticated A/V room, a restaurant, and a full bar. “The space has been created for all those New Yorkers seeking out the best in film, music, live entertainment, and cuisine,” they write on their website.

Sex and the City 2 and Solitary Man at BAM

THEATER

This Thursday thru Sunday and through June 13th: Toy Theater Festival at St. Ann’s Warehouse Check their website for details.

MUSIC

Friday, June 4 at 7PM: Opera on Tap at Barbes

Saturday, June 5 at 9PM at Barbes: One Ring Zero is led by Michael Hearst and Joshua Camp. The Brooklyn-based band has released six CDs, including their critically acclaimed album, As Smart As We Are, a book-cum-CD, featuring songs with lyrics contributed by such authors as Jonathan Lethem, Margaret Atwood, Paul Auster, Dave Eggers, A.M. Homes, Rick Moody, Neil Gaiman, Myla Goldberg and Denis Johnson.

BEER GARDEN

Every Friday at BKLYN YARD: Each Friday evening the Yard becomes a waterfront Beer Garden. Locals can stop in to enjoy a rotating selection of hand-crafted beers and music provided by local DJs / bands.

LOCAL PRODUCE FESTIVAL OF THE PERFORMING ARTS

Launched in 1993, The Local Produce Festival of the Performing Arts originated as a weekend marathon of music, theater and dance which now takes place annually in various indoor and outdoor venues around Park Slope. For more information, check out the Spoke the Hub website.

FAMOUS ACCORDIAN ORCHESTRA

Saturday, June 5 at 6PM: Red Hook Waterfront Arts Festival the Famous will be playing at Coffey Park in Red Hook. Note: The Red Hook Waterfront Arts Festival is produced annually by Dance Theatre Etcetera, and presents work by professional and student groups, free to the public.

FIRST SATURDAY AT THE BROOKLYN MUSEUM

Target First Saturday at the Brooklyn Museum. Funny Face directed by Stanley Donen with Audrey Hepurn and Fred Astaire (surely one of the best musicals ever).

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Rare Opportunity to Hear Experimental Percussion Legend Z’EV

My husband says that Z’EV is an amazing performer. But beyond that he has trouble explaining. He used to hear him back in the 1980’s and seems tempted to go hear him tomorrow night at Issue Project Room at 8PM.

At 5PM he will be conducting a special FREE master class focusing on: “The mytho-poetics of audiology:  ear drum / hammer-stirrup-anvil / labyrinth, drum as traditional trance inducer / the smithy – pythagoras & shamanism / labyrinth as image of return – Initiation, acoustics & psychoacoustics, a phenomenology of sound & consciousness”

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see a legend in experimental sound, text, and visual art.

“Z’EV has been exploring ‘spacial poetics’ while creating percussive mayhem since the 1970’s. He is responsible for tons of solo releases and has collaborated with the likes of the Hafler Trio, John Cage, and Psychic TV; he last visited FMU over 25 years ago while living in NYC and working with Glenn Branca and Rudolph Grey among others” – Brian Turner, WFMU

Authors Announced for Brooklyn Book Festival

Can you find me in the above picture? It’s sort of a Where’s Waldo kind of game. I’m on the left side of the picture. Only part of my face is showing.

On Wednesday, June 2, the Brooklyn Literary Council, top authors, publishing industry leaders, editors and literary insiders joined the Brooklyn Borough President’s Office to announce more than a hundred of the renowned national and international authors already confirmed to participate in the fifth annual Brooklyn Book Festival, which will take place this fall, Sunday, September 12, 2010, in and around Borough Hall and Columbus Park.

I was there and I enjoyed the white wine, the crudites and my conversation with Electric Literature co-editor, Scott Lindenbaum (full disclosure: they advertise on OTBKB).

In celebration of the Festival’s fifth anniversary, the Brooklyn Book Festival “Bookends” Partnership—made up of cultural institutions and performance venues—will present literary-themed events throughout Brooklyn on Friday, September 10; Saturday, September 11; and the day of the Book Festival on Sunday the 12th. Partners include BAM, Brooklyn Bridge Park, the Brooklyn Public Library, Littlefield, Light Industry/Triple Canopy, the Bell House, Book Court, WORD, Freebird, Greenlight Books, Boulevard Books & Café, PEN American Center and powerHouse Books. Programming and events will be announced in August.

I am hoping that there will be a Brooklyn Reading Works event connected with the Bookends partnership. The authors to be included in the BBF include:

BROOKLYN BOOK FESTIVAL 2010 AUTHORS

Nick Abadzis
Dorothy Allison
Steve Almond
Kurt Andersen
Lemon Andersen
Sam Anderson
Jabari Asim
Russell Banks
Sandra Rodriguez Barron
Colin Beavan
Jennifer Belle
Alafair Burke
Joyce Carol Oates
Rosanne Cash
Continue reading Authors Announced for Brooklyn Book Festival

BKLYN Yard is Closing Down: We’re Gonna Miss You

Sad news: BKLYN Yard, the place for fun, pop-up events all summer long, is closing down. Here is a letter I received today from MeanRed Productions, producers of those great events at the yard right next to the Carroll Street Bridge. My sense is that some of the events they’ve got planned for this summer will be re-located to other locations.

To our Yardies…

Over the past four years, we have worked hard to create BKLYN Yard. You watched us grow from a small unknown independent venue into a space that hosted the best tacos in NYC, incredible talent (Lee Scratch Perry, Kaiju Big Battel, Dan Deacon & Jose Gonzalez to name a few), the Sunday Best dance series, the Gowanus Harvest Fest, the BK County Fair, Score! Pop-Up Mega Swap, Parked: Food Truck Festival, and countless lobster bakes, pig roasts, BBQs and more. This past Memorial Day Weekend, we were so proud to open our doors and display all the hard work we have been putting into the space to make this summer even better…from our new bar, to our atm, to our bocce court. Thousands of you came out and supported us and made it one of the most beautiful weekends we have had yet, so we are sad to announce, that last weekend was the final weekend of BKLYN Yard in our Carroll Gardens home.

Our landlord of the past four years, who used to share our vision for BKLYN Yard, notified us on Tuesday May 1st, that they would no longer honor our lease which had been in place since early this year. They chose not to give us an opportunity to renegotiate, and requested that we take what we have built, and terminate all of our confirmed plans and schedule for BKLYN Yard this summer.

BKLYN Yard is a labor of love for MeanRed, rooted in our core company values: Love for artists, food, music and community. We are sad to see our passion project go in its brightest year, and are sad to let down all the people who have support and worked with us for the past 3 summers.

But if there is one thing we pride ourselves in, its our ability to think outside the box, to take a leap when there is no net, and to reach our highest visions. We wouldn’t be who we are if we let hurdles keep us down. If we can turn a dim sum restaurant into a nightclub, a loft into a members-only club, and a toxic yard into a beautiful summer oasis… we can do anything.

Rest assured, our renegade spirit and love for pop-up spaces will come alive again this summer — very possibly with the same collaborators and programming you see on our current schedule… And very possibly even better than we had planned before.

Doug Singer, Eamon Harkin and Justin Carter’s Sunday Best series will continue on at another location, including this Sunday with DJ Koze. You can keep an eye on them at  www.sundaybestnyc.com

In the meantime, we want to say:

Thank you for sharing in BKLYN Yard. We hope you’ll continue on this crazy ride with us as we bring you what’s next. Stay tuned, we will pop-up where you least expect it, with the words:

“Built by BKLYN Yard”
With love,

Festivals A Go Go

How many interesting cultural  festivals can you fit into one weekend in Brooklyn? I’m not sure but this weekend is chock full of interesting festivals and events. It’s a regular marathon of culture.

The Local Produce Festival of the Performing Arts was launched in 1993 by Spoke the Hub with events indoors and out-of-doors, Friday through Sunday, June 4th – 6th, 2010 in Park Slope, Brooklyn. “Revel in the verdure of early summer at this grassroots, family-friendly celebration of music, theater, art, dance, film and food – both homegrown and from around the world!” This year’s festival includes music and dance performances and workshops, fun and games for children, films on the politics of food, and our first international offering, the song, dance and taiko drumming of The USN International Friendship Group from Hachinohe, Japan. Most events are free and open to the general public. For more information, check out the Spoke the Hub website.

The 17th Annual Red Hook Festival with M.U.G.A.B.E.E., La Excelencia, Joseph Webb & Beautiful Fire, Decadancetheater, Cora Dance and over 200 of Brooklyn’s most talented young people. Plus: Community Resources (health services information, job training programs, etc.) from over a dozen local non-profitts; Kayak rides in New York Harbor, face-painting,  art projects, and more and breathtaking views of New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty.

Brooklyn International Film Festival runs from June 4th through June 13th. Now in its 13th year, BFF is an international, competitive festival for and by independent filmmakers. Their mission is to “discover, expose, and promote independent filmmakers while drawing worldwide attention to Brooklyn.” the group writes on their website.Screening locations include, Brooklyn Heights Cinema and indieScreen in Williamsburg.

The 9th International Tiny Toy Theater Festival at Dumbo’s St Ann’s Warehouse presents an eclectic mix of international and local theater miniaturists, both classical and experimental! This is grown-up theater and some of the work is not suitable for kids.

The Weekend List: Festivals Galore, Movies, Local Produce

FILM

June 4-13 at Brooklyn Heights Cinema and indieScreen in Williamsburg: The 13th Brooklyn International Film Festival

Note: indieScreen is a brand new entertainment space located on the Southside of Williamsburg, Brooklyn that features a sophisticated A/V room, a restaurant, and a full bar. “The space has been created for all those New Yorkers seeking out the best in film, music, live entertainment, and cuisine,” they write on their website.

Sex and the City 2 and Solitary Man at BAM

THEATER

This Thursday thru Sunday and through June 13th: Toy Theater Festival at St. Ann’s Warehouse Check their website for details.

June 9&10 at 7:30 at the Toy Theater Festival at St. Ann’s Warehouse: “Hudson to China.” In the Bronx, the statue of Henry Hudson believes he has found a route to the mythical Orient. Elsewhere, a young man dreams of success by conquering what he fears (the Chinese economy), and an immigrant longs for home. Co-created by Renee Philippi and Carlo Adinolfi. Performers: Carlo Adinolfi, Diana Chang, Zdenko Slobodnik. Original music by my neighbor: Bob Goldberg. www.ConcreteTempleTheatre.com

MUSIC

Friday, June 4 at 7PM: Opera on Tap at Barbes

Saturday, June 5 at 9PM at Barbes: One Ring Zero is led by Michael Hearst and Joshua Camp. The Brooklyn-based band has released six CDs, including their critically acclaimed album, As Smart As We Are, a book-cum-CD, featuring songs with lyrics contributed by such authors as Jonathan Lethem, Margaret Atwood, Paul Auster, Dave Eggers, A.M. Homes, Rick Moody, Neil Gaiman, Myla Goldberg and Denis Johnson.

BEER GARDEN

Every Friday at BKLYN YARD: Each Friday evening the Yard becomes a waterfront Beer Garden. Locals can stop in to enjoy a rotating selection of hand-crafted beers and music provided by local DJs / bands.

LOCAL PRODUCE FESTIVAL OF THE PERFORMING ARTS

Launched in 1993, The Local Produce Festival of the Performing Arts originated as a weekend marathon of music, theater and dance which now takes place annually in various indoor and outdoor venues around Park Slope. For more information, check out the Spoke the Hub website.

FAMOUS ACCORDIAN ORCHESTRA

Saturday, June 5 at 6PM: Red Hook Waterfront Arts Festival the Famous will be playing at Coffey Park in Red Hook. Note: The Red Hook Waterfront Arts Festival is produced annually by Dance Theatre Etcetera, and presents work by professional and student groups, free to the public.

FIRST SATURDAY AT THE BROOKLYN MUSEUM

Target First Saturday at the Brooklyn Museum. Funny Face directed by Stanley Donen with Audrey Hepurn and Fred Astaire (surely one of the best musicals ever).

OTBKB Music: Wreckless Eric and Amy Rigby Tonight

The winners of tonight’s battle of the bands are Wreckless Eric and Amy Rigby, who are touring to support their newly releasd album of covers, Two-Way Family Favourites (that’s the cover above).  The practical reason is that tonight’s show is probably the only one that they will do in New York City this year.  The other reason is that I really enjoyed their show in New York last year (you can find my review here).  McGinty & White will open.  Full details and five other worthwhile shows tonight over at Now I’ve Heard Everything.

–Eliot Wagner

Blogfest Pre-Registration Is Now Closed

Pre-registration for the Brooklyn Blogfest is now closed. Seating in the Lyceum auditorium is “sold out.”

We’re expecting a big crowd and we can only seat 300 people in the Lyceum auditorium. There is room for the overflow crowd upstairs but you will be watching the event on a video monitor. Those who wish to sit upstairs should line up at 6:30 PM on the night of the event.

Those who have pre-registered should also ARRIVE EARLY and LINE UP at 6:30 PM. First priority for seating in the auditorium will be given to the people who pre-registered. We will wait until 6:50 PM for them to arrive but after that we will let people from the overflow line take any vacant seats downstairs (if there are any) or go upstairs to the overflow area.

Thanks for your understanding. If this isn’t clear let me know and I will try to clarify.

Pre-Registration for the Brooklyn Blogfest is Now Closed

Pre-registration for the Brooklyn Blogfest is now closed. Seating in the Lyceum auditorium is “sold out.”

There is room for the overflow crowd upstairs but you will be watching the event on a video monitor. Those who wish to sit upstairs should line up at 6:30 PM on the night of the event.

First priority for seating in the auditorium will be given to the people who pre-registered. We will wait until 6:50 PM for those who pre-registered to show up and then let people from the line take any vacant seats downstairs (if there are any) or go upstairs to the overflow area.

Thank you for your understanding

A Weekend of Festivals in Brooklyn

How many interesting cultural  festivals can you fit into one weekend in Brooklyn? I’m not sure but this weekend is chock full of interesting festivals and events. It’s a regular marathon of culture.

The Local Produce Festival of the Performing Arts was launched in 1993 by Spoke the Hub with events indoors and out-of-doors, Friday through Sunday, June 4th – 6th, 2010 in Park Slope, Brooklyn. “Revel in the verdure of early summer at this grassroots, family-friendly celebration of music, theater, art, dance, film and food – both homegrown and from around the world!” This year’s festival includes music and dance performances and workshops, fun and games for children, films on the politics of food, and our first international offering, the song, dance and taiko drumming of The USN International Friendship Group from Hachinohe, Japan. Most events are free and open to the general public. For more information, check out the Spoke the Hub website.

The 17th Annual Red Hook Festival with M.U.G.A.B.E.E., La Excelencia, Joseph Webb & Beautiful Fire, Decadancetheater, Cora Dance and over 200 of Brooklyn’s most talented young people. Plus: Community Resources (health services information, job training programs, etc.) from over a dozen local non-profitts; Kayak rides in New York Harbor, face-painting,  art projects, and more and breathtaking views of New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty.

Brooklyn International Film Festival runs from June 4th through June 13th. Now in its 13th year, BFF is an international, competitive festival for and by independent filmmakers. Their mission is to “discover, expose, and promote independent filmmakers while drawing worldwide attention to Brooklyn.” the group writes on their website.Screening locations include, Brooklyn Heights Cinema and indieScreen in Williamsburg.

The 9th International Tiny Toy Theater Festival at Dumbo’s St Ann’s Warehouse presents an eclectic mix of international and local theater miniaturists, both classical and experimental! This is grown-up theater and some of the work is not suitable for kids.

Tweets from the Apollo by a Park Slope Teacher

The following was “Tweeted” by  Joseph C. Phillips, one of the PS 321 teachers who performed last night at the Apollo. Alas, their group did not win. But his tweets from the night really tell the story. The following is in reverse chronological order:

–Daryl Jordan is the winner singing Ordinary People; was good. Heartening that Jesse Miller playing blues 2nd #NYCTeachersatApollo     about 11 hours ago  via Twitter for iPhone

–ok the guy doing the Gato Barbieri impression DOESN’T get booed. Good player but c’mon…#NYCTeachersatApollo about 11 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone

–Stevie Wonder opening up the second half at Apollo, he’s not getting booed!!! #NYCTeachersatApollo about 11 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone

–in the balcony now having a beer watching the other acts, crowd is tired of booing, last 3 made it #NYCTeachersatApollo about 12 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone

–it’s student payback time, another bites the dust, but their is love and support in the GreenRoom#NYCTeachersatApollo about 12 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone

–being 1st, we were the sacrifical lambs of the Night booed off but almost made it to the end, oops there’s another out#NYCTeachersatApollo about 12 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone

–backstage ready to go on 1st, house band warming up the crowd #NYCTeachersatApollo about 13 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone

–just announced, 321 Band leads the Night off, 30 minutes to show time #NYCTeachersatApollo about 13 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone

–spontaneous break out of teachers playing Jobim and the Circle is Unbroken, good way to break the ice in Green Room #NYCTeachersatApollo about 14 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone

–Apollo Green room, with everyone getting ready like Queen Latifah’s Beauty Shop, only w/o hot combs (curlers only here)#NYCTeachersatApollo about 14 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone

–people already lined up on 125th St. for sold out Amatuer Night show at the Apollo, the tension & excitement mounts #NYCTeachersatApollo about 14 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone

–yea some teachers have some singing skills, surprising diverse program (blues, bluegrass, rock, blue-eyed soul pop) #NYCTeachersatApollo about 15 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone

–Can we get the surviving members of Apollo 13, lock them in a room w/some oil, tubes, mega sponges & have them solve BP’s mess? about 16 hours ago via web Retweeted by Numinousmusic and 1 other

–Ray 2 and the crew, back-up band at the Apollo, pretty killin’, working through rehearsal #NYCTeachersatApollo about 16 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone

–First thoughts: Apollo is smaller than I thought, I guess TV does add girth, hope I don’t look like Fat Albert up there #NYCTeachersatApollo about 17 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone

–Apollo Ex. Dir telling stories of Ella, James Brown, etc. booed off stage, ok so that’s going to make us feel better #NYCTeachersatApollo about 17 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone

–at the Apollo Theatre, downstairs waiting for the dress reh. Many teachers out of school, one grateful, relaxed bunch! #NYCTeachersatApollo about 17 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone

–on to Harlem for tonight’s performance at the Apollo Theatre