Did that spectacular Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings show at Celebrate Brooklyn last Saturday leave you in the mood for a little more soul?  Then check out Eli Paperboy Reed and The True Loves tonight at Le Poisson Rouge.  Eli, originally from the Boston area and now living in Brooklyn, is an engaging live performer.  I’ve seen him have the entire audience up and dancing.  Full details about this show can be found here at Now I’ve Heard Everything.

In addition, you’ll find Steve Wynn getting ready for Northern Agression, information about an interview of former WNEW-FM DJ Rosko by Richard Neer (also a former WNEW-FM DJ) and information on free tickets for some upcoming musical performances on CBS’s The Early Show here at Now I’ve Heard Everything.

–Eliot Wagner

Ezra, the soon to be owner of the Community Bookstore wrote to OTBKB about a great reading on Wednesday night. He writes: “It’s been a bit quiet of late at the old bookstore (celebrating its 39th year!) what with owner Catherine Bohne’s determination to park herself in one of the few remaining places on earth (Albania’s Valbona Valley) reachable by neither Internet nor cell phone. We are, however, regathering steam, energized by Catherine’s faith in us to run the store in her absence, and by the wonderful loyalty of our customers to our book-lined and somewhat Bohemian lair, as distant from a big box chain store as Brooklyn is from Bajrum Curri (the Albanian village where Catherine goes once a week to shop). What better way to get things going again than with a reading this Wednesday, 7pm, by Brooklyn’s own Jennifer Egan?…

Continue reading Wed Night: Jennifer Egan To Read at the Community Bookstore →

Subway Outrage

She was pregnant, about eight months,
With a two-year-old on her hip
As she stood on the crowded Q
That rattled at a furious clip.

She held tightly to an overhead bar
Yet none in the car seemed fazed
Neither young ‘uns nor pensioners.
Why, I sat there wholly amazed!

Where Have All The Shrinkers Gone?

Where have all the shrinkers gone,
This hot August?
Where have all the shrinkers gone,
When needed most?

Where have all the couch jocks gone–
Truro, Wellfleet, every one.
When will they all return,
When will they all return?

Where have all their patients gone
This hot August?

Where have all their patients gone,
Now August’s here?

Where have all their patients gone–
Had relapses every one.
When will the shrinks return,
When will the shrinks return?

The Blue Vipers of Brooklyn performed live music for an August wedding held beneath the Manhattan Bridge in the newly restored Empire Fulton Ferry State Park.

Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings played an incredible show at Celebrate Brooklyn‘s next to last show Saturday night. If you were one of the 20,000 people in the audience you already know that. I was able to get up close to the stage and come away with some pretty nice shots of the show. You’ll find them here at Now I’ve Heard Everything.

Also, JP, Chrissie & The Fairground Boys play The Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 tonight and The Apple Store tomorrow night; details on both show are here. And we have a winner in the Eli Paperboy Reed Giveaway. Check here to see if it’s you.
–Eliot Wagner

Author Richard Grayson wrote in to say that from Saturday, July 31 through Saturday, August 8th Saturday, it was possible to see 6 different free Shakespeare plays in Brookyn parks – and he did it and even wrote about it.

And that’s not all. He also saw “Lysistrata” at Van Cortlandt Park on Monday, and the two nights before this Brookyn-in-Shakespeare marathon, he saw “Medea” in Tompkins Square Park and “Cyrano” in Riverside Park. He writes: “But this past week was a bonzana for the Bard in Brooklyn!”

You won’t want to miss Grayson’s coverage of this Bard Bonanza!

If you don’t mind going out late tonight, check out Misty Boyce, who is  playing at The Mercury Lounge.  You’ll get great songwriting, spirited playing and an energetic crowd and tonight you’ll get some new song premieres as well.  Details here at Now I’ve Heard Everything.

Tomorrow night Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings, The Budos Band and others play the next to the last show of the season at Celebrate Brooklyn.  I’ll have more to say about this show tomorrow at Now I’ve Heard Everything.

Kathleen Edwards played a very cozy, semi acoustic show, with back up singers and a pedal steel, in Toronto earlier this week.  I have posted a video from that show here at Now I’ve Heard Everything in which Kathleen reaches back to 1975 and covers America‘s Sister Golden Hair.  The audio, video and performance are all outstanding.

Not all air mattresses were created equal: Reclaimed Home

Black-out shades with clouds: Swiss Miss

Surrounded by art in Carroll Gardens: Apartment Therapy

Flashback South Africa: A Brooklyn Limestone

Best of gallery walls: Design Sponge

While Congress debates immigration reform, an influx of foreigners continue to make Brooklyn their home, adding new accents, flavors, and art to the neighborhood cultural landscape. Non-Native New York is an art exhibition curated by Linn Edwards and Brian Bell, celebrating the cultural contributions of international artists living in Brooklyn. This exhibition examines the artwork that results when an artist is uprooted by moving to a new country, leaving behind a social support system, cultural commonality, and first language…

Continue reading Brooklyn Gallery Show of Immigrant Artists Opens Aug 5 →

Pictures of last week’s Celebrate Brooklyn Swell Season and Low Anthem show are up at Now I’ve Heard Everything.  For The Low Anthem, click here; for The Swell Season, click here.

There’s also some News and Notes over at NIHE today, and the theme seems to be “they used to live in Brooklyn.”  Read the latest about ex-Brooklynites Amy Speace, Kristin Diable, The Damnwells and the Damnwells’ show which goes on sale at 10am today by clicking here.

–Eliot Wagner

Aretha Franklin was set to play not one but two free shows in Brooklyn next week. Sadly, the famous diva has canceled. I can imagine this is causing much pain and consternation over at the Borough President’s Office, which runs the free Martin Luther King, Jr. Concert Series at Wingate Field and the Seaside Summer Concert Series at Asher Levy Park, where Aretha was scheduled to play on August 9 and August 12th respectively. That woman obviously has no respect for Brooklyn…

Continue reading Aretha Cancels Brooklyn Shows →

Sunday I was at Captain Nicks Rock and Roll Bar on Block Island listening to a reggae band from Boston called Ila Mawana. I didn’t even bother trying to find a place to watch Mad Men. As far I can tell there were no public viewings of Mad Men on Block Island. Ila Mawana is a great band with a lead singer named Gianpalo Blower (I’m guessing a made up name), a terrific female sax player name Nancy Loedy and a cheerful trumpet player named Trevor Bernatchez. They really rocked the place though there weren’t very many people in the club and very few dancing to an exceedingly danceable band. Meanwhile in Brooklyn…

Continue reading No Sound at Sheep Station, No Mad Men on Block but Great Reggae →

I have friends who have been going to Dancing Under the Stars every Tuesday night in Washington Park in Park Slope and are just loving it. Every week this summer this event, sponsored by the Park Slope Business Incentive District, features a different band and a different style of music. So far, there’s been jazz, pop, and folk dancing. This week a Latin band will be providing the music and there should be some great dancing rhythms. Continue reading Tuesday Night: Dancing Under the Stars in Washington Park →

For those of you who need to figure out what you are doing well before it happens, my August Advance Planning Music Calendar is now available over at Now I’ve Heard Everything.  Don’t forget that Aretha Franklin is coming to Brooklyn twice next week!

For those of you who’d like something for nothing, Now I’ve Heard Everything is holding a Giveaway.  Win tickets to see Eli Paperboy Reed and The True Loves at Le Poisson Rouge, the new CD from Eli and an American Express Gift Card.  You can read my review of Eli and the band when they visited The Bell House in June here, and then enter the Giveaway here.

–Eliot Wagner

Yes, it’s true. If you do not have cable at home (or specifically lack AMC) the nice people at Sheep Station welcome you to watch Mad Men tonight at 10PM in their back room. Here are the details from an OTBKB reader. And yes, I’ve called Sheep Station:

Like most Brooklynites, I don’t have cable, and like many Brooklynites I enjoy watching Mad Men. In trying to find a bar that was showing the premier last week, I kept hitting dead ends… Until the friendly folks at Sheep Station agreed last minute to show it for me and a few friends on the projection screen in their awesome back room. They’ve agreed quite enthusiastically to continue showing it every week, and I figured it was worth spreading the news to other Don Draper fans in the area. There have been questions posted on many a Brooklyn blog looking for this info which is why I’m sending it your way.

Mad Men is at 10pm on Sundays, and Sheep Station is at 4th Ave. & Douglass St. In Park Slope.

Celebrate Brooklyn hosts a rock weekend tonight and tomorrow.  Tonight’s show is of the softer variety with The Swell Season and The Low Anthem (gates open at 6:30pm and the show starts ay 7:30pm).  Tomorrow the festival goes loud with a triple bill of Sonic Youth, Grass Widow and Talk Normal (gates open early at 6pm and the show starts at 7pm).

After tonight’s show at Celebrate Brooklyn, why not head over to Two Boots on 2nd Street  and catch Li’l Mo and The Monicats?  You’ll get to see country, rockabilly, blues, 60s pop and whatever else she and they may play.  And I’ll add that not only are Li’l Mo and The Monicats terrific musically, they are just plain fun to watch.  More details for this show are over at Now I’ve Heard Everything.

–Eliot Wagner

A few days after Alejandro Escovedo played The Bowery Electric in New York City last week, he played The Stone Pony in Asbury Park.  And as you might have suspected, Bruce Springsteen showed up at that show and joined Alejandro on a few songs.  You can find  a video of Always A Friend from that night here at Now I’ve Heard Everything.

Tonight, The Wailin’ Jennys show up at Madison Square Park.  Their  sound is described as including folk, classical and pop and the focus of the group is on their harmonies.  Later in the evening check out singer-songwriter Amy Speace at The Living Room.  Amy’s in town with a trio featuring two guitars and an accordion.  Full details are over at Now I’ve Heard Everything.

–Eliot Wagner

Seems I made a little mistake yesterday and I apologize. I got a tip from someone in the neighborhood that they were screening the 4th season premiere of Mad Men at Bar 4. Turns out that was wrong, wrong, wrong.

Maybe he meant Bar Reis. I learned of my mistake just as I was trying trying to find a place to view Mad Men on Block Island…

Continue reading No Mad Men on Block Island and Bar 4 →

Last week was a great week for live music and I was able to capture two of the shows I saw photographically to share with you.  On Thursday, Kathleen Edwards and her band played on a Rockin’ the River cruise.  You’ll find lots of pictures from that show here at Now I’ve Heard Everything.  Kathleen still remembers playing the Celebrate Brooklyn Canada Day show back in 2002 fondly and would love playing Celebrate Brooklyn again.

The wonderfully brassy, both in terms of instrumentation (the band has four horns) and personality (of lead singer Arleigh Kincheloe) Sister Sparrow and The Dirty Birds packed them into the new Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 on Saturday night and had the whole place up and dancing. You can see pictures of the band here at Now I’ve Heard Everything.

–Eliot Wagner

Today is SUNDAY and it’s hot. I’m off to Block Island but you’re still here in need of things to do. Tonight, of course, you’ll be watching Mad Men on AMC at 10 PM. But if you don’t have cable there are things you can do…

Continue reading The Sunday List: Mad Men, Django Experiment, Hamlet →

Season 4 of Mad Men premieres tonight and I think I’m going to miss it unless I can find a bar that’s showing it on Block Island.

If you’re in Park Slope (and you don’t have cable) you can watch the latest adventures of Don Draper, Roger Sterling, Pete Campbell, Peggy Olson and all the rest at Bar 4 (444 Seventh Avenue in Park Slope), where they’re having a Mad Men viewing party. There are other ways to get your fix on Mad Men tonight…

Continue reading Watching Mad Men in Park Slope, Times Square, Block Island →

Tonight, Rooftop films presents Greetings from the Woods, a documentary about the town of Varberg, a beautiful little hamlet located deep within the Swedish forest. You can watch this film while sitting on the roof of the Old American Can Factory on Third Street and Third Avenue in Park Slope…

Continue reading Tonight: Swedish Documentary Up On The Roof →

Today is SATURDAY and it’s hot. Whatcha wanna do today? I spend hours each week scouring the listings to find great stuff for you to do. Below you will find info about a new movie theater in Dumbo and find out about Celebrate Brooklyn’s “DIY world’s fair.” Whatever you do, remember to drink water and stay cool…

Continue reading The Saturday List: The Book of Liz, Celebrate Bklyn, reRun Gastropub →

Today is Friday and you’re probably beginning to plan your weekend. That’s why I spend hours scouring the listings to find great stuff for you to do. This weekend check out the new movie theater in Dumbo and Celebrate Brooklyn’s “DIY world’s fair.” Lots to do, there is truly lots to do this weekend…

Continue reading The Friday List: Audrey the Trainwreck, The Big Lebowski, Nocturnes →

Artist Cynthia Sparrenberger (painting above) : Art in Brooklyn

Without truth you are the looser: Truth & Rocket Science

Pictures of African Festival: Brooklyn Vegan

Rembering Barbara Stanwyck: Self-Absorbed Boomer

People of the corn: Brooklynometry

Otto Dix at the Neue Gallery: The Spiral Staircase

Henri Matisse as radical inventor at MOMA: Deep in the Heart of Brooklyn

Tonight there’s a double feature of two very good but very different musical acts, Charlie Faye and Second Dan.

Charlie Faye is up first.  She released one of my favorite records of 2009, Wilson St.  Originally from New York, Charlie moved to Austin three years ago.  Charlie’s music consists of rock, blues, country and folk blended into each other and she has a rich, melodious voice.

Second Dan is up second (kind of fitting based on their name, I guess).  I originally discovered them through a bit of serendipity.   I was at a party a few months ago and after a while, the guy I was talking to told me that he not only was a photographer and a blogger, but he played in a band as well.  As you have no doubt figured out by now, that band was Second Dan.  More details are over at Now I’ve Heard Everything.

Tomorrow there’s another great show coming up: that nine piece R&B/Soul/Rock band, Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds.  Check Now I’ve Heard Everything on Saturday for the details.

–Eliot Wagner

I try to bring you what I think are the funnest activities every weekend. It’s stuff I’d like to do but more often than not I don’t get around to it. Besides, I can only run around so much. As the weekend progresses I add more…

Continue reading The Weekend List: Inception, Hamlet, The Kids Are All Right →

Alejandro Escovedo is a name that you probably don’t know, but you should.  Al shines in live performance.  Tonight he leads his band, The Sensitive Boys (guitarist David Pulkingham, bassist Bobby Daniel and longtime drummer Hector Munoz) into The Bowery Electric for their fourth show in New York City this month.  We are also promised special guests, and one of them will be Garland Jeffreys.  Full details are at Now I’ve Heard Everything.

Tomorrow, Canada’s Kathleen Edwards (who made her Brooklyn debut as an unannounced opener for Sarah Harmer and Luther Wright and the Wrongs at Celebrate Brooklyn back in 2002) will be playing New York City on a Rockin’ the River Cruise around Manhattan.  More details will be available at Now I’ve Heard Everything tomorrow.

–Eliot Wagner