Porch makeover: CasaCara
Bed-Stuy landmarking: Reclaimed Home
Mike and Maddie’s sweet nothings: Apartment Therapy
Stain remedies for furniture: Apartment Therapy
Soon: no more incandescent bulbs at Ikea: NY Times
A summer rental of one’s own: NY Times
Red and blue pop office: Brooklyn Limestone
When I moved to Brooklyn (Windsor Terrace then) in 1986, my answer to the question “what’s the night life like in Brooklyn” was “there isn’t any.” Clearly things have changed a great deal. Over the years Park Slope has acquired a number of places to see live music: Southpaw, Barbes, Union Hall, The Bell House (technically Gowanus but I can still walk there from my place in the center Slope), Bar 4 (which being on the south side of 15th Street is probably Windsor Terrace) as well as Perch and Two Boots.
Tonight, The Rock Shop (their website is still under construction, check them out on Twitter here), a club which opened a few months back on 4th Avenue, begins presenting music. The booker for the club is Skippy McFadden, who until recently was the booker for Union Hall and The Bell House. Tonight The Rondelles and friends show up to play. There will be a “Grand Opening” on August 2nd with a band whose name will not be announced until that day.
–Eliot Wagner
Zora Space on Friday, July 9th at 7:30PM will be celebrating jazz on a summer night with:
Jay Rodriguez, saxophone & flute( Two-time Grammy nominatee)
Teruo Nakamura, bass (Stanley Turrentine, George Benson, Roy Haynes, Steve Grossman.)
Warren Benbow, drums (Betty Carter, Nina Simone, Whitney Houston, Mary J Blige.)
Jimmy Sibuy, piano (Junior Cook)
It’ll be two nights in a row with Ann Miller. Last night we watched Mulholland Drive directed by David Lynch and tonight we’ll be in the park to see Kiss me Kate at 8:30PM on the turf behind The Old Stone House in Park Slope (3rd Street between 5th and 4th Avenues).
Kiss Me Kate (1953) – A witty take-off on Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, this fabulous Technicolor musical stars Ann Miller, with music by Cole Porter, directed by George Sidney.
Rosanne Cash played Governors Island on July 4th. With the exception of her and John Leventhal (her husband), all the members of the band were from Brooklyn. You can read a mini review and see some pictures of the show today at Now I’ve Heard Everything.
–Eliot Wagner
I’ve been keeping cool with these cool, interesting movies. All films and TV shows are available at Video Forum (except Clean, which I got on Netflix) on Seventh Avenue in Park Slope (which is a cool, fun place to spend time on a hot day):
Avatar: Loved it more than I expected to!
The Flower of my Secret: Pedro Almodovar at his sweet, funny, visually gorgeous best!
The Chung King Express: Wong Kar-wei’s film about a Hong Kong policeman and his relationship with a zany woman who works at a fast food shop.
In the Mood for Love: An exquisitely elegant and mysterious film by Wong Kar-wei set in 1962 Hong Kong. With Maggie Cheung.
Summer Hours: A beautiful and poignant film about a french family and their country house by Olivier Assayas.
Clean: Another film by Olivier Assayas. This one about a drug addict/mom and her journey to become “clean” with the great Maggie Cheung (not at Video Forum).
Irma Vep: An Olivier Assayas film about the making of vampire movie with Maggie Cheung and Jean Pierre Leaud.
Did I mention that I’ve been obsessed with these TV shows on DVD:
Mad Men: Of course.
Breaking Bad: Awesome TV. About a chemistry teacher who, desperate to make money, operates a crystal meth lab.
Big Love: Chloe Sevigny, Bruce Dern, Grace Zabriskie, Harry Dean Stanton, Mary Kay Place, Ginnifer Goodwin, Bill Paxton, Amanda Seyfried are all part of a great cast in a great series about a polygamous family in Utah.
It’s too darn hot,
It’s too darn hot.
I’d like to sup with my baby tonight,
Fulfill the cup with my baby tonight.
I’d like to sup with my baby tonight,
Fulfill the cup with my baby tonight,
But I ain’t up to my baby tonight,
‘Cause it’s too darn hot.
It’s too darn hot,
It’s too darn hot.
I’d like to coo with my baby tonight,
And pitch the woo with my baby tonight.
I’d like to coo with my baby tonight,
And pitch the woo with my baby tonight.
But sister you’ll fight my baby tonight
‘Cause it’s too darn hot.
It’s too darn hot,
According to the latest Report
Ev’ry average girl you know
Much prefers her lovely doggie to court
When the temperature is low,
But when the thermometer goes ‘way up
And the weather is sizzling hot,
Mister Adam
For his madam.
Is not,
‘Cause it’s too, too
Too darn hot,
It’s too darn hot,
It’s too darn hot.
It’s too darn hot,
It’s too darn hot.
It’s too darn hot.
Thursday, July 8th at 8:30PM on the turf behind the Old Stone House: Piper Theater presents: Nocturnes, a chilling new play inspired by the otherworldly tales of John Connolly, one of mystery’s most important new voices. Directed by Piper’s Artist in Residence, Scottish director Nigel Williams.
Best Chills on a Hot Night! says the Daily News
The Brooklyn Paper interviewed Kim Maier of the Old Stone House about why Piper Theater, the al fresco theater company in summer residence at the Old Stone House, decided to ditch Shakespeare this summer for contemporary voices like David and Amy Sedaris.
The Park Slope-based Piper Theatre made a conscious decision to move away from Shakespeare this summer — and it couldn’t have found a better opposite to the Great Bard than the Sedaris Family.
Amy and David Sadaris — one known for her quirky television show, “Strangers with Candy,” the other for his hilariously autobiographical essays — joined forces some years ago to write plays.
One result of that collaboration — “The Book of Liz” — comes to the Old Stone House this month.
“Piper has been doing Shakespeare up until this year, but wanted to move into more contemporary theater,” said Kim Maier, director of the historic Park Slope venue. “The Sedarises are two interesting voices that seemed like they would appeal to a Brooklyn audience.”
That is, if you’re interested in a few choice “-isms,” specifically absurdism and satirism. In “The Book of Liz,” the Liz in question is Sister Elizabeth Donderstock, whose two main character traits are she perpetually perspires and makes fantastic cheese balls — which happens to be the livelihood of her community, the Amish-esque Squeamish. When her cheese ball-making duties are taken from her and given to a sanctimonious new arrival, she decides to leave the comfort of Squeamish and venture out into the “real world.” Once there, she befriends Ukrainian refugees with Cockney accents and gay recovering alcoholic waiters, and finds employment at a Pilgrim-themed restaurant, where they serve items like “I Hate the English Muffins” and “Williamsburgers” (that’s the other Williamsburg).
Wednesday, Jul 7th at 8:30 PM: Kiss Me Kate in Washington Park (AKA JJ Byrne Park, the turf, the Old Stone House) on Third Street between 4th and 5th Avenues:
Kiss Me Kate (1953) – A witty take-off on Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, this fabulous Technicolor musical stars Ann Miller, with music by Cole Porter, directed by George Sidney.
Hear Ann Miller sing Cole Porter’s classic heatwave song: It’s Too Darn Hot (which opens the film).
7:30 tonight at Greenlight Books in Clinton Hill: New York author Jennifer Belle (author of Going Down and High Maintenance) reads from her new noe, The Seven Year Bitch, the story of a New York City girl who finds herself in a matrimonial rut.
According to Jessica, Greenlight Bookstore co-owner and Written Nerd blogger: “Belle’s novel delivers a dead-on, raw, and hilarious account of motherhood and marriage, and discovering that the life you have is exactly the one you wanted. Join us for Jennifer’s reading, and discuss the SYB phenomenon over a glass of wine.”
While Williamburg may be considered the current indie-rock capital of America, there are other nabes in Brooklyn, where you can find great music. Black Book has a list of bands from places like Astoria, Queens, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn and the West Village. One of the artists mentioned is Park Slope’s Michael Roi.
Artist/Band Name: Michael Roi
Hood: Park SlopeWho you are: I’m a singer/songwriter from Jupiter, Fla., influenced by Neil Diamond, Neil Young, Nick Cave, Tom Waits, and George Jones.
What drew you to Park Slope?: I never thought of Park Slope as a musical hotbed. I was drawn more to the culture, the artist community, the lack of noisy tourists and especially the tap water. While I live in Park Slope, I enjoy crashing on couches all over Brooklyn. Some friends asked me to write a parody Beatles tune that paid tribute to Sheepshead Bay. While it’s probably as far from the epicenter of the indie music scene as you can get, it’s one of my favorite places to hang and play music. I guess inspiration is where you find it.
Yesterday we spent the day with two remarkable sisters: my mother Edna and my Aunt Rhoda.
Born in Brooklyn’s Methodist Hospital, Edna and Rhoda grew up in the Midwood section of Brooklyn. Rhoda attended Madison High School, where she met her future husband. Edna was in the first class of Midwood High School.
Their father, Sam, owned a plumbing chemicals company and was called “the Mayor of 24th Street” for his friendliness and concern for his neighbors. He was a kind and generous man, always beautifully put together with a warm, memorable smile.
Their mother, Anna, was a skilled housewife, loving mother/grandmother, working woman and avid reader. She grew up on Westminister Road in a green house with a billiard room on the third floor.
Here Rhoda remembers the Great Depression (quoted in a Time.com feature, Remembering the Great Depression):
In 1932, we lived in a two-family house in Flatbush, Brooklyn. I remember seeing well-dressed men on bread lines, selling apples on the corner of Canal and Broadway in Manhattan, near where my father had a factory. He owned a chemical company, and had to let his employees go—both the workers and the salesmen. He would go out during the day to try to get orders for his plumbing and heating products and come back with one worker. They’d work most of the night on the third floor of the walk-up to package the chemicals.
I remember my mother walking down 24th Street in Flatbush, collecting clothing and shoes for a refugee family. [And I remember] I was going to have a birthday and my mother said, “Don’t expect any presents, because the banks have closed.” It scarred me for life. It made me very conservative in my spending. I’m concerned for my grandchildren having this debt that’s going to be passed on to them.
Rhoda married her high school sweetheart and raised three children in Westchester. She still lives there, though her husband died three years ago. Always a socially conscious and politically involved individual, for many years she worked as a district office manager for Representatives Richard L. Ottinger and Nita Lowey.
Yesterday, we visited Rhoda in the airy, light filled apartment she now lives in. On a shelf there is a photo of her with Hillary Clinton and Nita Lowey alongside a plethora of photographs of her children and grandchildren. There is even a arty photo of OSFO on the subway (taken by Hugh Crawford) in Rhoda’s bedroom.
She is now a District Leader, which is an un-paid elected official who performs a set of duties on behalf of his or her political party. Each district gets to elect two district leaders, one male and one female, with the same responsibilities. The district leader serves a two-year term. Currently she is collecting signatures for a ballot petition.
We spent a lovely day with the two sisters. Rhoda, dressed in a red and white striped shirt, looked absolutely fantastic. Edna, dressed in her signature black t-shirt and white pants, looked elegant as well. Both move with grace and ease and are up to date on all the news and culture that’s fit to print (in the New York Times and more).
We ate lunch at a local gourmet shop and spent the day talking about politics, family, friends and books. While Ducky and OSFO took a dip in the apartment building’s rooftop swimming pool, I heard stories about my grandparents and my grandfather’s business, which at one time was located in a loft building on Canal Street. My mother, Hepcat and I took a stroll in Rhoda’s local Target.
It was a pleasure to spend the day with these two remarkable sisters.
Governors Island
On Sunday, July 4 at 2PM (the beach opens at 10 AM) Roseanne Cash performs a free concert on Governors Island. And…
On Sunday, July 4 at 4PM there’s a free show by She and Him with Zooey Deschanel (500 Days of Summer) and MWard.
Coney Island
On the fourth: Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest. Get there early. Needless to say it’s a popular event.
Film
I Am Love, Winter’s Bone, Cyrus at BAM; Toy Story 3, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse at the Pavilion
Sunday, Jul 4 at 9:30 PM at BAM: Eldridge Cleaver directed by William Klein (1969) 75min. Under pressure from FBI’s counterintelligence program, Black Panther Eldridge Cleaver and his wife Kathleen left the United States for Algeria. There, he set up the International Section of the Black Panther Party which quickly became the hangout of revolutionaries from the Vietnamese and African liberation movements. Klein’s moving interview follows up with Cleaver during the Pan-African Cultural Festival in Algiers, where he expounds upon the Vietnam War and Black Power during a time when “revolution was the main theme of the day.”
Shopping
On Sunday, July 4: The Brooklyn Flea, a source for for top antiques, vintage furniture and clothing, handmade goods, jewelry, design objects, and locally grown and prepared foods, will remain at the Williamsburgh Savings Bank in Fort Greene on Sundays only.
If you’re a betting man, head on over to Willie’s Dawgs instead and sign up for the Park Slope spot’s hot dog eating contest lottery pool, with the spoils (a $100 discount at Park Slope Veterinary Care) going to whoever correctly predicts the amount of hot dogs it will take to win Coney Island’s fabled event (last year it was 68, and everyone knows that Chestnut will eat 74 this year). The hot dog joint plans to donate all proceeds from the lottery to the Sean Casey Animal Rescue organization, which helps keep man’s best friends safe.
Later, head to Floyd Bennett Field for a Fabolous day. That’s no misprint: the Brooklyn MC will co-headline the third annual Brooklyn Music Festival at Aviator Sports. He’s joined by the infamous Shaggy, whose hit song “Wasn’t Me” lit up the charts in the late 1990s, and B.O.B, the young budding rap star from Atlanta who topped the charts in 2010 with his soulful ballad “Nothin’ on You.” Other acts include Tony Matterhorn and Lady Saw, two Jamaican dancehall deejays who plan to ignite the dance floor, and Jamaican crooner Barrington Levy.
For those looking to move, put on your Fourth of July dancing shoes and head out to Bushwick for a patriotic powwow of massive proportions. The Sunday Best crew is at it again with its self-proclaimed “best doggone backyard barbecue in Brooklyn,” at its new home at Brooklyn Fire Proof. Burgers, corn on the cob and, of course, hot dogs will be on the grill, while special DJ guest Rich Medina will keep the tunes pumping from 3 pm into the night — but ending early enough for you to catch some fireworks.
And for a good old-fashioned picnic, head to Bay Ridge for state Sen. Marty Golden’s third annual gathering. Blues Circus, the Groove, High Tides, Piranha Bros., The Ridge, and Frank Marra and His Band will provide the tunes, while hot dogs, hamburgers, sausage, drinks and ice cream will be available.
Fireworks: Although the Hudson River once again plays host to the Fourth of July Macy’s Fireworks Spectacular, you can still enjoy the patriotic pyrotechnics from numerous waterfront parks, as the shells will reach heights of up to 1,000 feet, creating more than a mile of dazzling fiery joy visible from the Brooklyn shore.
North Brooklyn parks like East River State Park, Grand Ferry Park and the lesser-known Transmitter Park in Greenpoint offer the clearest views of the fireworks, set off between W. 24th and W. 50th street across the river. Financial district skyscrapers partially obscure the view from Brooklyn Heights Promenade and the new Brooklyn Bridge Park, but southern Brooklynites can flock to the 69th Street Pier in Gravesend for a straight peep up the river.
The 26-minute show starts at 9:20 pm, so pack some watermelon, head over to watch the sunset, and make a night of it.
Arty Parties
On Saturday, July 3: MoMA P.S. 1 in Long Island City begins their Warm-Up series with live music from Delorean, Janka Nabay and the Bubu Gang, and Glasser. There’s also a Pole Dance exhibit in the courtyard.
Also on Saturday night, July 3rd: the Brooklyn Museum has two local dance acts: Analogue Transit and Dynasty Electric, music, film and more, as part of their First Saturday Series.
Governors Island
On Saturday, July 4 at 2PM (the beach opens at 10 AM) Roseanne Cash performs a free concert on Governors Island. And…
On Saturday, July 4 at 4PM there’s a free show by She and Him with Zooey Deschanel (500 Days of Summer) and MWard.
Coney Island
On the fourth: Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest. Get there early. Needless to say it’s a popular event.
Film
Rooftop Films at the American Can Factory presents striking program of short films, self-constructing buildings battle for fidelity, makers of mold-o-form plastic deer muddle their love, and Werner Herzog plays a discarded plastic bag desperately seeking the meaning of existence.
I Am Love, Winter’s Bone, Cyrus at BAM; Toy Story 3, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse at the Pavilion
Saturday, Jul 3 at 9:30 PM at BAM: Underground, a documentary on the Weather Underground—then members of the FBI’s “Most Wanted” list—features shrouded interviews with Bill Ayers, Kathy Boudin, Bernadine Dohrn, Jeff Jones, and Cathy Wilkerson. After production of the film was completed, the footage was subpoenaed by the government with the hopes that it might lead to arrests—but the filmmakers refused to hand it over. Within a couple years of the film’s release, the Weather Underground dissolved.
Shopping
On Sunday, July 4: The Brooklyn Flea, a source for for top antiques, vintage furniture and clothing, handmade goods, jewelry, design objects, and locally grown and prepared foods, will remain at the Williamsburgh Savings Bank in Fort Greene on Sundays only.
Music
Friday, July 2 at 7:30 (gates open at 6:30 PM) at Celebrate Brooklyn: The Fab 5 and Uzalu, vintage party mix recordings to their credit, The Fab 5 embody the history of reggae and live up to their billing as “Jamaica’s #1 Showband, celebrating 40 years of quality music.” The extraordinary percussionist Junior “Gabu” Wedderburn, master drummer of Broadways Lion King and founder of the Jamaican roots collective Ancient Vibrations, gets things started with his latest project, Uzalu, a cornucopia of rhythm.
Saturday, July 3 at 8PM at Barbes: West African Soul by Badegna led by Malian singer and percussionist Makane Kouyate, Badegna plays predominantly Malian music with some jazz influence brought by the New York based keyboard player John Austria and tenor sax player, Marco Chelo.
Saturday, July 3 at 10PM at Barbes: Authentic Samba and Pagode from Rio with all the flavor and ginga (swing) necessary to keep your feet moving. It’s the sounds of Rio in New York; a shortcut to Lapa (a traditionally musical Rio neighbohhood). It’s the party within. Not to be missed if you want to exorcize the gloomy vibes of winter.
If you’re sticking around this holiday weekend, there is some pretty good live music which awaits you, including Alejandro Escovedo, Willie Nile, Spottiswoode and His Enemies, Rosanne Cash and The Demolition String Band. More details and the latest from musicians Milton, Kristin Diable and Alana Stewart over at Now I’ve Heard Everything. NIHE will be taking a break for the holiday weekend. You’ll find the next post there on Tuesday morning, and I’ll be back here at Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn on Wednesday.
–Eliot Wagner
They’ve got a lot of interesting shows at the Seaside Concert Series (across the street from the Coney Island Aquarium) this summer.
On July 22nd, it’s The Beach Boys live with something called the Happy Together – 25th anniversary tour, including elements from the following bands: The Monkees, The Turtles, & Paul Revere and the Raiders.
As previously mentioned here, Aretha Franklin (August 12) will grace the Seaside stage, as well as the stage at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Concert series in Wingate Park (August 9th). For the oldies crowd: there’s Neil Sedaka, Brenda Lee (July 15), and for blues aficionados there’s George Thorogood and the Destroyers.
Of interest to many will be John Legend’s show on August 5th at Seaside. Here’s some info at this acclaimed performer:
American pop/soul singer-songwriter-performer-social activist John Legend was still attending the University of Pennsylvania when Lauryn Hill invited him to play piano on “Everything is Everything,” from her Grammy-winning solo album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. John quickly established a reputation as an in-demand session player, adding his distinctive vocal and/or piano stylings to recordings by Alicia Keys, Jay-Z, Kanye West (who signed Legend to his R&B/hip-hop label) and others.
Released on his 26th birthday (December 28 2004), John Legend’s debut album, Get Lifted, rocketed to #4 on the Billboard Top 200 and became America’s #1 Top R&B/Hip-Hop album in January 2005. A critical and commercial triumph, Get Lifted earned John an astounding eight Grammy nominations — he won Best New Artist, Best Male R&B Vocal Performance (“Ordinary People”) and Best R&B album — while selling more than three million copies worldwide.
John’s second collection, Once Again, entered the Billboard Top 200 at #3 shortly after its release in October 2006, peaking at #1 on the R&B Album Sales chart. The album earned an RIAA platinum certification while securing two Grammy nominations: “Save Room” (for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance) and “Heaven” (which won Best Male R&B Vocal Performance).
John racked up his fifth overall career Grammy win in 2006 when “Family Affair” — a track he’d cut with Joss Stone and Van Hunt for Different Strokes by Different Folks, a Sly & the Family Stone tribute album — took home top honors in the Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals category. In 2009, he won his sixth Grammy — in the Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals category — for the single “Stay With Me (By the Sea)” by Al Green featuring John Legend.
There’s a lot of music around next month: Rosanne Cash is going to Governors Island for a free July 4th show, The Swell Season and Sonic Youth are coming to the neighborhood to play Celebrate Brooklyn, Kathleen Edwards is playing a show on a cruise around Manhattan, and the Siren Music Festival is at Coney Island. Information about those shows and 27 others can be found at the July Music Calendar over at Now I’ve Heard Everything.
–Eliot Wagner
If it’s boiling hot and humid tonight go see I Am Love with the marvelous Tilda Swinton. We saw it last night at BAM where the air conditioning was cold (despite Con Edison voltage reductions). Here’s an excerpt from the New Yorker review:
The best sex you will get all year, if that’s what you crave in your moviegoing, is between Tilda Swinton and a prawn. In the middle of “I Am Love,” a succulent new film from the Italian director Luca Guadagnino, Swinton’s character, Emma Recchi, sits down to lunch in a Milanese restaurant. Placed before her is a dish of seafood with ratatouille. She takes a bite, and finds herself deluged with sensation. The rest of the room grows dim, surrounding sounds are muffled, and Emma alone begins to glow. She is already incandescent, with her halo-gold hair, and a dress of flame red, but now illumination seems to fan upward from the plate and possess her. She is irradiated with a dangerous joy—a gourmet’s parody of Mary at the Annunciation, perhaps, though I couldn’t help remembering the end of “Kiss Me Deadly,” when another curious blonde opens a box with something nuclear inside, and gets a faceful of light.
On July 12 at 7:30 PM: George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic will open the 28th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Concert Series. Performances are held Monday nights at 7:30 PM at Wingate Field, which is located on Brooklyn Avenue between Rutland Road and Winthrop Street opposite Kings County Hospital. Possible rain date on Tuesday night.
The public is encouraged to bring their own chairs because seating is limited.
On the fourth of July at BAM as part as their Contraband Film Series on Sun, Jul 4 at 7:15pm: join Kathleen Cleaver (Emory Law School professor, author, and former Communications Secretary of the Black Panther Party) and curator Kazembe Balagun for a Q&A following a screening of William Klein’s documentary Eldridge Cleaver.
Eldridge Cleaver
Directed by William Klein
Under pressure from FBI’s counterintelligence program, Black Panther Eldridge Cleaver and his wife Kathleen left the United States for Algeria. There, he set up the International Section of the Black Panther Party which quickly became the hangout of revolutionaries from the Vietnamese and African liberation movements. Klein’s moving interview follows up with Cleaver during the Pan-African Cultural Festival in Algiers, where he expounds upon the Vietnam War and Black Power during a time when “revolution was the main theme of the day.”
A candlelight march was held in Tegucigalpa, Honduras to commemorate those killed since the military coup on June 28, 2009.
Haven’t you always wanted to rent an art studio in the Gowanus?
A friend is subletting her studio. The rent is $950.00. But the space is big enough to share. It has great light and a great location-near the Smith/9th street stop on the F/G trains, near Lowe’s in the Park Slope/Gowanus section of Brooklyn.
It is available for all of July and August, but she will consider renting it for all or part of that time. Email me if you are interested: louise_crawford(at)yahoo(dot)com
Movies alfresco at Brooklyn Film Works on the big turf field behind the Old Stone House. The first show is on Wednesday, July 7th at 8:30 PM:
July 7: Kiss Me Kate (1953) – A witty take-off on Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, this fabulous Technicolor musical stars Ann Miller, with music by Cole Porter, directed by George Sidney.
July 14: Girl Shy (1924) A comedy classic from under-celebrated silent screen great Harold Lloyd playing a shy tailor attempting to win his girl in this hilarious romance featuring one of the greatest chase scenes of all time.
July 21: The 30th Anniversary Asbury Shorts New York: Short Film Concert — An array of award-winning short films from festivals around the world, including Manolo Celi’s Nueva York; Mike Ehler’s Lunch and Jeremy Kip Walker’s Super Powers.
July 28: Piper Film Workshop Student Films – Live on-screen! More amazing presentations from Piper Theatre Productions summer program by students ages 12 to 16.
All shows start at 8:30 PM
While most movies provide structural comforts such as resolution, closure and narratives that resist interpretation, Dogtooth, is of a different breed. A winner of the Un Certain Regard Prize at Cannes in 2009, Dogtooth is about a family living within the confines of the high fences that shelter them from the outside world. There are therefore no exterior influences on the children. Perhaps they should be called offspring, since all three siblings—if we are to exclude the one unseen sibling who everyone believes lives on the other side of the fence—are of a young adult age. This may mean that the children will soon be leaving the compound. The title, in fact, refers to moment when one can do this: when one’s dogtooth falls out, “dogtooth” being one of many made-up or mis-defined words that the father has inserted into the family’s vocabulary. It is part of his cult leader-like methods of control, which also include numerous competitions for prizes and orchestrating the sex lives of those in his home.
If the description is confusing, it is then an apt synopsis for this incredible Greek film currently playing at Cinema Village. Nearly every scene requires the viewer to piece it together as the action of each scene is either not immediately clear or the motivation is not immediately able to be understood. Unlike most films with unusual conceits, Dogtooth dispenses with exposition creating a mysterious narrative for the audience to work through. In doing so the viewer also feels thrown into this world; the offspring are thrust into games blindfolded and we are also forced to feel our way through. An incredible must-see work from director Yorgos Lanthimos, the film is disturbing and unsettling right down to its final shot which can only be summed up as wonderfully confounding.
It all happens on Friday, July 9, 8:00pm at Galapagos Art Space 16 Main Street at Water Street, DUMBO, Brooklyn, NY.
Brooklyn Poets: Past and Present
American Opera Projects presents new songs based on works by Brooklyn poets.
Music by Gilda Lyons, Daniel Felsenfeld, and Andrew Staniland
Text by Walt Whitman, Keanu Stowe, Tristan Regist, and Tyler Forsythe
Performed by Adrienne Danrich and Nicole Mitchell.
Kelly Horsted, piano. Hamilton Berry, cello.
Removable Parts
Selections from the music-theatre piece
Music by Corey Dargel
Performed by Corey Dargel and Kathleen Supové
The Bloody Chamber
Opera on Tap presents scenes from the new one-act opera
Music by Daniel Felsenfeld
Libretto by Elizabeth Isadora Gold
Based on the novella “The Bloody Chamber” by Angela Carter
Performed by Indre Viskontas, Ross Benoliel, and Amanda Villegas
Musical Director, Jennifer Peterson
Stage Director, Sarah Stern
The Coney Island Museum is celebrating P.T. Barnum’s 200th birthday. Here are the details:
If P.T. Barnum had lived he would have turned 200 years old on July 5 of this year, which is about the age he once claimed Joice Heth, George Washington’s nurse was.
In observance of the fact, on the Glorious Fourth (one day early) at 4:30pm Trav S.D. will speak a piece at the Coney Island Museum. The topic of his lecture will be the legacy of Barnum and Barnumism (bunkum, hokum, humbug and hooey) in vaudeville and show business in general.
And because, showmanship is the name of the game, he will be joined by the great Lorinne Lampert, a.k.a., Uke-Lola – tap-dancing; song-singing, uke-playing, juggling vaudevillian extraordinaire.
(The host may do a turn or two himself along with other special guests TBA.)
What better place to spend the 4th than Coney Island? Watch the hot dog eating contest! Ride the rides! Go for a dip! And then come see the real dips at our presentation!
And, if you can’t make the show, tune in to the swell Barnum radio documentary by James Rana, featuring Trav S.D., Todd Robbins, and many others. Various NPR affiliates are carrying it, including WFDU-FM, which will run it at 8am on the 4th. (If you don’t get it in your area, ALL radio stations stream online nowadays, ya doofus!)
Trav S.D and Friends – A Barnum Bicentenary: Talk and performance by Trav S.D. and friends in observance of P.T. Barnum’s 200th birthday
When: July 4, 4:30pm
Where: 1208 Surf Avenue (near West 12th Street) (The Coney island Museum is on the 2nd Floor)
Admission: $5 for public, free for members of Coney Island USA
More info: http://www.coneyisland.com/museum.shtml
In a Fort Greene Connecticut Muffin, I spoke with Brooklyn’s multi-talented musician/model/voice-over artist Emily Zuzik about her life and music. The results, along with some photos from her recent show at The Rockwood Music Hall are posted in a closeup of Emily at Now I’ve Heard Everything.
The Texas Tornados came to Brooklyn on Saturday and blew away the audience at Celebrate Brooklyn with their unique blend of Tex-Mex rock ‘n’ roll. There’s a video (of a different show, unfortunately) and a link to a free track from The Tornados here at Now I’ve Heard Everything.
–Eliot Wagner
I was in Spoke the Hub last night at an exhibition of drawings from a recent figure drawing class taught by Russell Floersch. It was an interesting and diverse selection of drawings by adults who have enjoyed this weekly exploration of the body through drawing. The class included people who’ve never drawn before, as well as those who have. Floersch seems comfortable and delighted to work with all experience levels. He is offering this class in July and August. Go to the Spoke website (above) for more details.
The space has been hugely renovated since I was last in Spoke the Hub, when OSFO was 3. Way more space, a huge dance studio that doubles as a space for Floersch’s figure drawing classes with Russell with a live model.
This summer Spoke is running Camp Gowanee, located at Spoke’s other space at 748 Union Street & 295 Douglass Street. Look at the ambitious creative offerings. It might be just the thing for your child this summer for full or half day participation:
Week 1: Circus Arts (July 5-9)
* ages 7-11 / ages 12-15
* Juggling, magic, tumbling, mime, clowning, hula hoops…
Week 2: Street Dance, Culture & Art (July 12-16)
* ages 7-11 / ages 12-15
* Street Dance (hip hop, locking, stepping, breaking), rapping, poetry slams, grafitti (without destroying others’ property) fashion, mtv…
Week 3: Rhythm Week (July 19-23)
* ages 7-11 / ages 12-15
* African drumming, tap dance, poetry, rapping, music composition, visual rhythm composition in art …
Week 4: Tahiti Express (July 26-30)
* ages 7-11 / ages 12-15
* Polynesian dance, culture, language, crafts, music, synchronized swimming…
Continue reading Camp Gowanee for Kids of All Ages at Spoke the Hub.
Williamsburg Walks and Northside Festival
Today is Day 4 of the Northside Festival and it’s also Williamsburg Walks: A two day shut-down of Bedford Avenue between N 4 and 9th Sts organized by the Neighbors Allied for Good Growth, the L Magazine and Project for the Public Spaces with the support of the New York City Department of Transportation Weekend Walks Program. Bring the kids and the dogs and the bikes!
Art Benefit in Dumbo
Now through July 18, in Dumbo, A.I.R. Gallery, founded in 1972 as the first artist–run, not–for–profit gallery for women artists in the United States, is having its 9th annual postcard show/benefit: Wish You Were Here 9 includes original works by more than 400 artists. The 4” x 6” artworks, as well as diptychs and triptychs based on this size, are created and donated by A.I.R. Gallery Artists and hundreds of other national and international artists. These cards range widely in style and media and encompass a broad spectrum of themes, including work by Kiki Smith and Mary Frank.
Film
playing all weekend: I Am Love at BAM; Toy Story 3 at the Pavilion
Music
Sunday, June 27th at 9PM at Barbes: French virtuoso Guitarist Stephane Wrembel seems to have channeled both the technique and the fire of Django Reinhardt. He studied for years with the manouche (the French Gypsies) but has also gotten deep into American vernacular musical styles. His weekly sets will mix up the traditional Django repertoire along gypsy swing re-interpretations of standards
Theater
Shows this weekend: Gallery Players: 13th Annual Black Box New Play Festival
Sunday, June 27th at 7PM at Barbes: The Twenty-Five Cent Opera of San Francisco presents theater slash performance slash entertainment brought to you once monthly by the playwriting firm of shulman delaney gassman kosmas and copp. Featuring new works for the tiny stage by landscape artist Erin Courtney, theater architect Yelena Gluzman, & word contstruction worker Kristen Kosmas.
Art
At the Brooklyn Museum: Andy Warhol: The Last Decade is the first U.S. museum survey to examine the late work of American artist Andy Warhol (1928–1987). During this time Warhol produced more works, in a considerable number of series and on a vastly larger scale, than at any other point in his forty-year career.
Food
Sunday, June 27th on Smith Street between Douglas and Degraw: Stink-Fest ‘10 Rocks Smith Street with Fun For the Whole Family Fourth Annual Cheese Eating Contesting.
Sunday, June 27, 12 – 5PM at The Bell House: The 2010 Unfancy Food Show. With dozens of local purveyors including, but definitely not limited to, Brooklyn Brewery, Sullivan Street Bakery, SCRATCHbread, Cut Brooklyn, Sweet Deliverance, Marlow and Sons, McClure’s Pickles, The Brooklyn Kitchen,, People’s Pops, Salvatore Brooklyn Ricotta and Nunu Chocolate, the UnFancy Food Show is the most aggressively awesome gathering of small producers in New York.