In honor of poetry month, we are going to try and put one poem up each day. Do you have a favorite poem, if so, email it to us and we'll put it up for you. Here's one from Sharon Olds, whom I believe still teaches at NYU's graduate program, to kick it off:
rites of passage
As the guests arrive at my son's party
they gather in the living room--
short men, men in first grade
with smooth jaws and chins.
Hands in pockets, they stand around
jostling, jockeying for place, small fights
breaking out and calming. One says to another
How old are you? Six. I'm seven. So?
They eye each other, seeing themselves
tiny in the other's pupils. They clear their
throats a lot, a room of small bankers,
they fold their arms and frown. I could beat you
up, a seven says to a six,
the dark cake, round and heavy as a
turret, behind them on the table. My son,
freckles like specks of nutmeg on his cheeks,
chest narrow as the balsa keel of a
model boat, long hands
cool and thin as the day they guided him
out of me, speaks up as a host
for the sake of the group.
We could easily kill a two-year-old,
he says in his clear voice. The other
men agree, they clear their throats
like Generals, they relax and get down to
playing war, celebrating my son's life.
As far as we can tell, Compact Impact is a gallery/store created to satisfy our love for all things geeky. Tonight's opening is four their installation dedicated to all things game. "The games we exhibit will exist in a variety of formats: computer games, networked games, technology oriented toys, electronic gadgets, installations.... almost anything that is new media based and retail-oriented." Opening features visuals by Forward Motion Theater and sound by DJ Duane Reade.
Date: Friday, April 1st Time: 6:00pm Venue: Compact-Impact (21 Avenue B, New York) Cost: Free
How many young male artists does it take to screw in a light bulb? Ok, well I have no idea so lets try another one. How many young male artists does it take to have a group show at the Stay Gold Gallery in Williamsburg? The correct answer is six, Walter Cassidy III, Edward J. Luce, Tara Mateik, Darrin Martin, Desi Santiago and Joshua Thorson. Male Multiple is a multi medium show including photography, sculpture and painting and will touch on topics including but not limited to "...any men, gender, male, male group, cults, packs, dogs, gangs, school of thought, thoughts, alpha male, zombie cults, witch cults, warlocks..." Tonight is the opening reception, but the show runs through May 8th.
Date: Friday, April 1st Time: 7pm-10pm Location: Stay Gold Gallery, 451 Grand St, W'burg Cost: Free
Well folks it appears Spring may finally be upon us, time to bust out the flip flops and prepare for the outdoor mayhem that tends to occur throughout NYC in the Summer time. Kicking it off right, on Friday night, is a party in DUMBO brought to you by Complacent. End of Ice will take place in three parts and in three venues. Part 1, The Thaw, runs from 8pm 'til 2am, Part 2, The Heat, will take place from 11pm through 4am and the third installment, The Chill, closes out the night from 2am 'til 8am. There is all sorts of debauchery planned, check out the full line up.
Date: Friday, April 1st Time: 8pm - 8am Location: Part 1 - 57 Jay steet, Part 2 - 25 Jay Street, Part 3 - Undisclosed (I guess you find out during part 1 or 2) Cost: $10 gets you into all three parties
Books Through Bars is ABC No Rio's program to get fresh reading material to inmates. Tonight they are having a bingo fundraiser featuring DJ No Flag/Dave Powell, prizes from Babe's in Toyland, and candy Rainbo's.
Prizes include sex books and sex toys donated by Toys in Babeland, confections donated by Rainbo's (Essex Street Market), comic books and graphic novels, and more.
Date: Friday, April 1st Time: 8:00pm Venue: ABC No Rio (156 Rivington Street, between Clinton and Suffolk, Manhattan) Cost: Free to enter, $1 per bingo board
"April Fool's day has always been a day for mayhem and practical jokes. So don't forget your fake vomit, exploding bubble gum and pull-my-finger jokes. After much deliberation in the Clown Council, it has been concluded that the place a clown is needed the most is a Yuppie Midtown Sports Bar. So that is where we will have our uprising.
Special Note: If at anytime during the uprising, someone asks who is in charge say "the clown" and if they ask why we are there say "clowns". It is important that we be vague and smart as no permits have been acquired. So no blocking traffic or public drinking. We will strut together and if our clown-shoes are tired we can take the train, but either way I expect a royal rumpus all through the night.
Date: Friday, April 1st Time: 8:00pm Venue: Meet at the Carousel at Bryant Park Cost: Free
Cut is just another dance party sponsored by some clothing brands. What you need to know is that local up-and-come Spencer Product will be on the tables and Red Strip will be in your hand from 10-11. A good jump off for your friday night.
Date: Friday, April 1st Time: 10:00pm Venue: Bar 11 (152 Orchard Street) Cost: Free with RSVP
Just a friendly reminder to change all your clocks and watches tonight for daylight savings. For the record, I am very upset about this as I will be losing a crucial drinking hour Saturday night at 2am (technically Sunday). But you know, what's good for the gander...
If you cross over the East River, living in the shadows of other more popular and well known art museums, you will find the Brooklyn Museum. With 560,000 square feet on its side, and minus the heavy foot traffic that most Manhattan Museums tend to get from tourists, this museum has a lot going for it. Every first Saturday of the month admission is free (thanks to big name corporate sponsorship, but we dont have to talk about that), and there are a slew of events for the whole fam. This week check out the Jean-Michel Basquiat retrospective of more than 90 paintings and works on paper. Additionally, participate in dance workshops, a family drum circle, and a talk lead by the curator of the Basquiat exhibit (here is a full line up of evernts).
Come meet the instructors, look at class samples, and watch a demo or take a mini-lesson. 12-1: Learn knitting increases with Annika, 1-2: Free sewing machine orientations with Mary; 2-3: Jewelry making demo with Nandini; 3-4: Learn pop-up book structures with Liz.
Date: Saturday, April 2nd Time: 12:00pm - 4:00pm Venue: Church of Craft (325 Gold Street, No. 2, Brooklyn) Cost: Free
Its not that we advocate drinking during day, but I mean sometimes it seems like a really good idea. Banjorama! is a banjo trio, composed of two former Brooklyn Jugs members. Today they will be playing a bottom shelf whiskey tasting at LeNell's. The fun begins at 2pm and ends once you can't stand up anymore!
Date: Saturday, April 2nd Time: 2pm Location: LeNell's, 416 Van Brunt Street Cost: entrance is Free, but not sure of cost on the drinkin'
Spend Saturday night soaking up the culture of the islands in all forms. Start the night by catching a screening of Ras Cuba, a documentary about the origins and development of Rastafarian culture in Cuba. Then stick around for the tribute to Garnett Silk, a singer from the 80's dancehall scene who was shot back in 94. Today would have been his 39th birthday. Music will be brought to you by Strugglers Movement and special guest DJs including DJ Tree & DJ Styff.
Date: Saturday April 2nd Time: doors at 8pm Location: Brooklyn Lyceum, 227 4th Avenue, Park Slope Cost: Free only before 10pm
Check out the premier night of this new rock party. Featuring Steve Aoki on the turntables, go-go dancers, free sushi, free drinks, and free give-aways from Spiewak. Arrive early as the free drinks will run low fast.
Date: Sunday, April 3rd Time: 9:00pm Venue: Seventeen (37 west 17th Street) Cost: Free (say your with Poull at the door if they care)
...who is the most gothic of them all? What does a bar in the East Village, that has its own manicure table and hair dyers do for fun on a Sunday night? They hold their very own Gothic Beauty Pagaent (with the winner taking home $200). Judges will include Carlos D from Interpol, Joshua Zucker and Alex Chow from Visions of Imending Apocalypse, Denise The Piece, and Lesley Arfin of Vice Magazine. With music from M.F. Chip, Jason Cole, Sheal and S. Lockdown, plus free beer and vodka, what could possibly beat this for your Sunday night fun?
Date: Sunday, April 3rd Time: 10pm - 4am, pagaent at 11 Location: Beauty Bar, 14th btw 2nd and 3rd Cost: Free
Goodnight, mud by the thousands
of whatever unit they measure mud by;
you can't move through it without missing
the angry bleached light
of unusual. A bubble of humidity
forms above everything, and is
scratched open by the frictions of
machines moving
and human energies.
Hope dies and I
shake off the excess water,
spend a half hour crafting some opening
statement, but only giver her my coat
and say It's a gift. For me, she says,
eyeballs floating to the top of the eye,
and I can't speak, but hand-signal: Victory.
You may have noticed that a lot of events on FreeNYC take place in Williamsburg, and as you may have guessed about 2/3 of the FreeNYC staff live in Williamsburg (including the sheriff himself). Yes, its like hipster central over there, and yes it can be a bit much at times, but none the less, we love the 'Burg for its art, restaurants, bars and over all vibe. But like most things New York, the rents are raising, gentrification is becoming and understatement and there is some serious rezoning about to take place, turning Willy B into mini Manhattan. If this is a concern for you, the last hearing regarding this issue takes place on April 4th. And if you are going to be working that day you can always sign this petition from Williamsburg Warriors.
Date: Monday April 4th Time: 1pm Location: City Hall Cost: Free
This past weekend those mysterious Parsons Media Labs behind those mysterious metal doors locked dozens of ingenius minds away (during finals!) for 24hrs and asked them to design as many games as possible that provide a fresh spin on classic games from the birth of the video game era, such as Asteroids®, Missile Command®, Pong® and Centipede®. Tonight, the resulting games will be judged and awards provided in the categories of top overall game, most innovative game design, best sound, and best visuals, with the top overall game to be featured in the Atari ® FlashbackTM 2.0 Game Console, available in Summer 2005.
Attendees will have a chance to win Atari game consoles and products.
Date: Monday, April 4th Time: 5:00pm - 7:00pm Venue: Parsons (55 West 13th Street, 2nd Floor) Cost: Free
"Robert Bruegmann, a professor of architecture at UIC, will discuss his soon to be published book on urban sprawl. Most writers on the topic of sprawl have described it as a relatively recent, peculiarly American phenomenon. They also believe that it is inefficient, environmentally damaging, socially inequitable and aesthetically ugly and that it can be arrested by reforming poor public policies. In contrast, Bruegmann argues that sprawl has been a feature of urban development since the beginning of urban history and that it has been largely beneficial for most people which is why it is the dominant mode of settlement for affluent urbanites almost everywhere in the world today. He further argues that efforts to stop it are likely to be ineffective or produce unintended consequences worse than the sprawl itself. Robert Bruegmann is an historian of architecture, landscape, and the built environment who teaches at the University of Illinois, Chicago."
Date: Monday, April 4th Time: 6:15pm - 8:00pm Venue: Parsons (25 East 13th, glass corner) Cost: Free
Its Poetry Month (and we slack on the poems). And tonight living legend of the NYC poetry scene Star Black is reading at KGB. I wish I could find a poem online for you so that you could understand this woman's mastery for words but it seems that here flow is locked up tight. Your just going to have to take my word on this one.
Date: Monday, April 4th Time: 7:00pm - 9:00pm Venue: KGB Bar (85 East 4th Street) Cost: Free
Catch this gore-classic remake of HP Lovecrafts novel of the same name tonight at Metropol. The film will be complimented by death metal, darkwave and all other spooky music forms. $3 pints of PBR all night long.
Date: Monday, April 4th Time: 9:30pm Venue: Rififi (332 11th street between 1st and 2nd) Cost: Free
James Langston Hughes was born February 1, 1902, in Joplin, Missouri. His parents divorced when he was a small child, and his father moved to Mexico. He was raised by his grandmother until he was thirteen, when he moved to Lincoln, Illinois, to live with his mother and her husband, eventually settling in Cleveland, Ohio. It was in Lincoln, Illinois, that Hughes began writing poetry. Following graduation, he spent a year in Mexico and a year at Columbia University. During these years, he held odd jobs as an assistant cook, launderer, and a busboy, and travelled to Africa and Europe working as a seaman. In November 1924, he moved to Washington, D.C. Hughes first book of poetry, The Weary Blues, was published by Alfred A. Knopf in 1926. He finished his college education at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania three years later. In 1930 his first novel, Not Without Laughter, won the Harmon gold medal for literature.
Hughes, who claimed Paul Lawrence Dunbar, Carl Sandburg, and Walt Whitman as his primary influences, is particularly known for his insightful, colorful portrayals of black life in America from the twenties through the sixties. He wrote novels, short stories and plays, as well as poetry, and is also known for his engagement with the world of jazz and the influence it had on his writing, as in Montage of a Dream Deferred. His life and work were enormously important in shaping the artistic contributions of the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s. Unlike other notable black poets of the period--Claude McKay, Jean Toomer, and Countee Cullen--Hughes refused to differentiate between his personal experience and the common experience of black America. He wanted to tell the stories of his people in ways that reflected their actual culture, including both their suffering and their love of music, laughter, and language itself.
Langston Hughes died of complications from prostate cancer in May 22, 1967, in New York. In his memory, his residence at 20 East 127th Street in Harlem, New York City, has been given landmark status by the New York City Preservation Commission, and East 127th Street was renamed "Langston Hughes Place."
Catch this rare NYC appearance of Scottish import Silicon Soul. These boys sound like a cross between techno, new wave, and a moog synthesizer. In a good way, of course. Joining them tonight is Alex Smoke, Peter Anthony, and under apreciated local Three. Check out the latest Silicon Soul video here. Arrive early for a rare open bar from Glenfiddich (and Bass and Stella).
Date: Tuesday, April 4th Time: 10:00pm - 4:00am Venue: Cielo (18 Little West 12th Street) Cost: Free
"Surface to Air, an exhibition of new paintings, collages and drawings by Michael Bevilacqua, features two of the artist’s most ambitious works, Surface to Air, and Drawing Under the Influence; Geek USA. Surface to Air, is a twenty-four foot painting that summarizes the artist’s past themes and leads him into a new more painterly direction. Drawing Under the Influence; Geek USA is the final section of a fifty-three foot long painting that renders the artist’s personal history and artistic development into a vast artificial landscape."
Continue through April 30th
Date: Tuesday, April 5th Time: 6:00pm - 9:00pm Venue:Deitch Projects (76 Grand Street) Cost: Free
"Get your creative juices flowing at the April 5th meeting of the New York Sony Vegas users group. Our Main Event will be our first-ever Creative Video Challenge Contest, a game that challenges you to construct a movie in only one hour from the media clips we'll supply. Bring your laptop running Vegas (or any editing program you like) and join the fun.
The meeting will also feature our first-ever Vegas Quickstart Tutorial for people who are new to Vegas (or to video editing) as well as a showcase for videos that you've created and a Tip Swap where you can get answers to your most pressing Vegas questions.
If you want to join the creative challenge, email Charles Dennis, info@charlesdennis.net just so we'll know how many people to expect. To submit work for the showcase portion of the meeting, contact Jay at jayvivid@yahoo.com. Please keep submissions to 5 minutes or less.
The pre-meeting will begin at 6:30 pm with the Quickstart Tutorial, then the main program begins at 7:00 pm. The new home for our meeting is B&H Photo at 33rd Street and 9th Avenue."
Date: Tuesday, April 5th Time: 6:30pm Venue: B & H Photo (33rd Street and 9th Ave) Cost: Free
There once was a boy named Gimmesome Roy. He was nothing like me or you.
'Cause laying back and getting high was all he cared to do.
As a kid, he sat in the cellar, sniffing airplane glue.
And then he smoked bananas -- which was then the thing to do.
He tried aspirin in Coca-Cola, breathed helium on the sly,
And his life was just one endless search to find that perfect high.
But grass just made him want to lay back and eat chocolate-chip pizza all night,
And the great things he wrote while he was stoned looked like shit in the morning light.
And speed just made him rap all day, reds just laid him back,
And Cocaine Rose was sweet to his nose, but the price nearly broke his back.
He tried PCP and THC, but they didn't quite do the trick,
And poppers nearly blew his heart and mushrooms made him sick.
Acid made him see the light, but he couldn't remember it long.
And hashish was just a little too weak, and smack was a lot too strong,
And Quaaludes made him stumble, and booze just made him cry,
Till he heard of a cat named Baba Fats who knew of the perfect high.
Now, Baba Fats was a hermit cat who lived up in Nepal,
High on a craggy mountain top, up a sheer and icy wall.
"But hell," says Roy, "I'm a healthy boy, and I'll crawl or climb or fly,
But I'll find that guru who'll give me the clue as to what's the perfect high."
So out and off goes Gimmesome Roy to the land that knows no time,
Up a trail no man could conquer to a cliff no man could climb.
For fourteen years he tries that cliff, then back down again he slides
Then sits -- and cries -- and climbs again, pursuing the perfect high.
He's grinding his teeth, he's coughing blood, he's aching and shaking and weak,
As starving and sore and bleeding and tore, he reaches the mountain peak.
And his eyes blink red like a snow-blind wolf, and he snarls the snarl of a rat,
As there in perfect repose and wearing no clothes -- sits the godlike Baba Fats.
"What's happening, Fats?" says Roy with joy, "I've come to state my biz.
I hear you're hip to the perfect trip. Please tell me what it is.
For you can see," says Roy to he, "that I'm about to die,
So for my last ride, Fats, how can I achieve the perfect high?"
"Well, dog my cats!" says Baba Fats. "here's one more burnt-out soul,
Who's looking for some alchemist to turn his trip to gold.
But you won't find it in no dealer's stash, or on no druggist's shelf.
Son, if you would seek the perfect high -- find it in yourself."
"Why, you jive motherfucker!" screamed Gimmesome Roy, "I've climbed through rain and sleet,
I've lost three fingers off my hands and four toes off my feet!
I've braved the lair of the polar bear and tasted the maggot's kiss.
Now, you tell me the high is in myself. What kind of shit is this?
My ears 'fore they froze off," says Roy, "had heard all kind of crap,
But I didn't climb for fourteen years to listen to that sophomore rap.
And I didn't crawl up here to hear that the high is on the natch,
So you tell me where the real stuff is or I'll kill your guru ass!"
"Ok, OK," says Baba Fats, "you're forcing it out of me.
There is a land beyond the sun that's known as Zaboli.
A wretched land of stone and sand where snakes and buzzards scream,
And in this devil's garden blooms the mystic Tzu-Tzu tree.
And every ten years it blooms one flower as white as the Key West sky,
And he who eats of the Tzu-Tzu flower will know the perfect high.
For the rush comes on like a tidal wave and it hits like the blazing sun.
And the high, it lasts a lifetime and the down don't ever come.
But the Zaboli land is ruled by a giant who stands twelve cubits high.
With eyes of red in his hundred heads, he waits for the passers-by.
And you must slay the red-eyed giant, and swim the River of Slime,
Where the mucous beasts, they wait to feast on those who journey by.
And if you survive the giant and the beasts and swim that slimy sea,
There's a blood-drinking witch who sharpens her teeth as she guards that Tzu-Tzu tree."
"To hell with your witches and giants," laughs Roy. "To hell with the beasts of the sea.
As long as the Tzu-Tzu flower blooms, some hope still blooms for me."
And with tears of joy in his snow-blind eye, Roy hands the guru a five,
Then back down the icy mountain he crawls, pursuing that perfect high.
"Well, that is that," says Baba Fats, sitting back down on his stone,
Facing another thousand years of talking to God alone.
"It seems, Lord", says Fats, "it's always the same, old men or bright-eyed youth,
It's always easier to sell them some shit than it is to give them the truth." - Shel Silverstein, Originally published in Playboy Magazine, July 1979. Poem found here.
Gigantic Brand (parents of the Gigantic Art Space) are celebrating the last few days of early sunsets with a screening of Dario Argento's classic Italian horror film Susprisa which boasts "the most vicious murder scene ever filmed." Please call ahead if you have a large group (212.966.2361)
Date: Wednesday, April 6th Time: 7:00pm Venue:Gigantic Brand (59 Franklin Street between Broadway and Lafayette) Cost: Free
A spring time celebration, good hip hop (and by good I mean a bit more diverse than the usual radio line up, think kitchy mashups), talent from Philly plus free beer, and you got yourselves a lovely Wednesday evening. Oxy Cottontail brings you DJ Ayres and Spankrock with some free beer from 11 to 12.
Date: Wednesday, April 6th Time: 11pm Location: Joe's Pup Cost: $5 with RSVP
It is a green hollow where a gream gurgles, crazily catching silver rags of itself on the grasses; where the sun shines from the proud mountain: it is a little valley bubbling over with light.
A young soulder, open-mouthed, bare-headed, with the nape of his neck bathed in cool blue cresses, sleeps; he is stretched out on the grass, under the sky, pale on his green bed where the light falls like rain
His feet in the yellow flags, he lies sleeping. Smiling as a sick child might smile, he is having a nap. Cradle him warmly, Nature; he is cold.
No odour makes his nostril quiver; he sleeps in the sun, his hand on his breast, at peace. There are two red holes in his right side.
-Arthur Rimbaud
I think this may just be the end all and be all of the Fischerspooner salon series, Excellent Workshop. Tonight, is the album release party for the latest FS record, Odyssey. Providing tunes for the evening will be Tommie Sunshine. Providing you with drinks (while they last) will be Absolut. Just a reminder that the party gets started on the early side.
Date: Thursday, April 7th Time: 7pm-11pm Location: 110 N. 1st, W'burg Cost: Free
"I am the coleslaw girl
everything about me
is shredded.
I used to be whole
where did I go
to become this mess?
I am the coleslaw girl
grated & ripped apart
loosing my mind." - Arran, 16
Celebrate Poetry Month tonight as author/actress Sara Bynoe reads from her new book Teen Angst Poetry. Bring your own teen angst poetry and bare your soul in front of the crowd. And be sure to check out the "obvious metaphors" section on the website. Official release below the fold.
Date: Thursday, April 7th Time: 7:00pm - 9:00pm Venue: KGB Bar (85 East 4th Street) Cost: Free
Teen Angst: A Celebration of Really Bad Poetry is the first, the best, and the biggest collection of teen angst poetry ever to be published. Inspired by the popularity of her interactive website editor Sara Bynoe has compiled the definitive teen angst reader. Divided into 12 categories, including I am Alone and No One Understands My Pain and Obvious Metaphors, this book is for anyone who has ever written truly terrible, meditative, or self-indulgent poetry. Actually, this book is for anyone who survived being a teenager.
All of the poets featured in this collection are now adults, living happy, angst-free lives. However, for this special book, they are willing to reveal excerpts from their old tattered notebooks or leather bound journals. Along with the poems, each poet has included a short introduction, giving background information for each work. As Sara Bynoe says, looking back on teen angst poetry brings people together in a "poetry reading meets stand-up comedy meets AA" sort of way.
23-year-old Sara Bynoe lives in Vancouver, where she is an actress and a recovering teen angst poet.
Underground Railroad, one of the finer hip hop shows that will still brave the public airwaves, is turning 14 today. To celebrate, they are throwing down live at the Tap Bar. This is a great opportunity to see their DJs in action live as SJ Monk-1, DJ Emskee, and DJ 3D will all be in the house. If you are unfamiliar with the show then you can check it out online here.
Date: Thursday, April 7th Time: 9:00pm Venue: Tap Bar, Knitting Factory (74 Leonard Street) Cost: Free
I'm guessing that you have heard us talk about Pop Your Funk before, and I know you have heard us talk about XLR8R Magazine before. Tonight, watch the two come together to usher in Spring. Ok fine, they are really just partying in honor of the April issue of the mag, but still it promises to be fun!
Date: Thursday, April 7th
Time: ? (gonna guess 10ish though)
Location: APT, 419 West 13th between 9th Ave and Washington
Cost: Free
If you don't have a ticket to the Bloc Party show tonight, you can at least go hang out with the kids from Vice for the after party at Pianos. "Hand selected" by Bloc Party and performing will be Beans (at 1am) and Human Television (at 2am). Additionally, you got free Red Stripe from 12 to 1, and DJ sets from Spencer Product (We Bite, Up!, Elhaam (addVICE), Tarts of Pleasure, Kings of Boys (Russell and Matt of Bloc Party), Steve Aoki (Dim Mak). Kind of a late one for Thursday, but you can always nap at your desk on Friday.
Date: Thursday, April 7th Time: 11:30pm - 4am Location: Pianos, Ludlow and Stanton Cost: Free with RSVP
Its nice to know that I can count on my alma mater to host good, free events to "drop some knowledge" on the city of New York. Tonight, catch a screening of the documentary film Heart of the Congo. In summation, "In the Heart of the Congo, at the end of five years of civil war and 300 miles from the nearest paved road, a handful of aid workers help refugees who have lost everything. Filmmaker Tom Weidlinger lives amongst them and tells their story as they train Congolese staff to run health clinics, mobilize villagers to dig wells for clean water and nurse children suffering from acute malnutrition." Following the film there will be a discussion with Program Director, David Blanc and Food Security Coordinator, Devrig Velly, from Action Against Hunger. This one just may make you cry before its over.
Date: Friday, April 8th Time: 6pm Locatin: The New School, 66 West 12th Street room 404 Cost: Free
Its that time of the month again. Grab your bike, head to Grand Army Plaza and celebrate your right to share the road with the cars. Critical Mass is a monthly celebration of bicycles and other nonpolluting means of transportation, exercising our right to the road. Critical Mass is a movement, not an organization; no two riders participate for exactly the same reason. New York City's first Critical Mass was in 1993.
Date: Friday, April 8th
Time: 7:00pm
Venue: Meet at Grand Army Plaza
Cost: Free
Here are a bunch of things that the FreeNYC staff really love; dogs, ridiculous comedy, good directors, Philadelphia, free events, and trips to the beach (ok, well the beach has nothing to do with this but just thought you'd like to know). All that being said, this screening at the MoMA has pretty much packed all of those things into one. Tonight, get in at no cost as part of the museum's Free Friday Nights, then grab a ticket to the screening of Best In Show which will be introduced by the films director, Christopher Guest. I'd line up early for tickets as they are sure to go quick!
Date: Friday, April 8th Time: 8:30pm Location: MoMA, 11 West 53 Street Cost: Free
**For more information on free admission into the MoMA and other museums, stay tuned for the FreeNYC A Museum A Day guide coming soon to our culture section**
Its Friday and its been a long week. I think you deserve an open bar. Situation is a monthly new wave party which has just moved to a new home at Leopard Lounge. They are celebrating with a Smiths/Morrissey night, brought to you by DJs Mister X and Miss Fabulous. Oh yeah, and then there is that whole open bar thing from 9 'til 10.
Date: Friday, April 8th Time: 9pm Location: Leopard Lounge, 248 East 5th St Cost: Free before 10, $5 after
Maybe we should see just how many open bars you can hit up in one night. We got you one at 9, here is one at 11, now if only we could find one at 10. Head over to West Side and park it at Luke and Leroy. Upstairs you got Kimyon (Pockit Rockit USA) and marc-alan gray (soulstar IT), and then downstairs in lounge you got Neil Jackson (panther media group).
Date: Friday, April 8th Time: 11pm Location: Luke and Leroy, 21 7th Ave. South Cost: Free
"I can not go to school today"
Said little Peggy Ann McKay.
"I have the measles and the mumps,
A gash, a rash and purple bumps.
My mouth is wet, my throat is dry,
I'm going blind in my right eye.
My tonsils are as big as rocks,
I've counted sixteen chicken pox,
And there's one more-that's seventeen,
And don't you think my face looks green?
My leg is cut, my eyes are blue-
It might be instamatic flu.
I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,
I'm sure that my left leg is broke-
My hip hurts when I move my chin,
My belly button's caving in.
My back is wrenched, my ankle's sprained,
My 'pendix pains each time it rains.
My nose is cold, my toes are numb,
I have a sliver in my thumb.
My neck is stiff, my voice is weak,
I hardly whisper when I speak.
My tongue is filing up my mouth,
I think my hair is falling out.
My elbow's bent, my spine ain't straight,
My temperature is one-o-eight.
My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,
There is hole inside my ear.
I have a hangnail, and my heart is - what?
Whats that? What's that you say?
You say today is...Saturday?
G'bye, I'm going out to play!"
Today at Cronick Valentine check out art and design from Shelly Scott, Thom Theyer, Tivi, and Lucille Cronick. In case your not familiar with CV, they aren't some estranged boyfriend (or girlfriend) lurking in the backround, they are in fact "most simply put, a modern general store." They "aim to fill the world with fun and unique life accessories, allowing our customers to express their uniqueness and have fun with the little things in life." In case you have any questions, artist Shelly Scott will be at the store to meet you and explain the stories behind her paintings and photography. Plus, if you show up early, you'll get wine and snacks. And come on now, I know you all love snacks.
Date: Saturday, April 9th Time: ? Location: Cronick Valentine, 324 East 9th Street Cost: Free
It seems to be film fest time in the city with Gen Art's Film Fest this weekend and Tribeca just around the corner. We generally don't give you too much info on these events as they cost a pretty penny. This weekend though there will be some free discussions panels about film making. Today, take part in "Making It" an intimate discussion about making a film with actors, filmmakers, and crew members from On The Outs. Additionally, a little birdy told me there is a free screening of On the Outs prior to the discussion at 3pm, but you didn't hear that from me! (For Part 2 of the discussion panel see Sunday)
Date: Saturday, April 9th Time: 5pm Location: Clearview Chelea West, 333 W. 23rd St Cost: Free
This years Greek Independence Day Parade will travel up 5th ave from 59th street to 79th. Dawning the decks of the floats will be pop star Anna Vissi, an olympic champ or two, soldiers who guard the Athenian Parliment and Greece's Military Band.
Date: Sunday, April 10th Time: 1pm Location: 5th ave from 59th to 79th Cost: Free
For those who are tired of waiting for video projector prices to drop to what you may consider "affordable". Sabastien Santamaria teaches you how to make your own high end video projector for less than a tenth of the cost a part of the Flux Factory Technology Initiative
Date: Sunday, April 10th Time: 3:00pm - 6:00pm Venue: Flux Factory (click for directions) Cost: Free
Today's Gen Art panel "The Independent Minds" will focus on what feeds the spirit of the independent filmmaker and how do they vent their passions beyond filmmaking. Taking part in this discussion will be Susan Buice and Arin Crumley (Co-Directors of “Four-Eyed Monsters”), Michael Dowse (Director of "It's All Gone Pete Tong"), Jonathan Zames (Director of “Dog Eat Dog”), Jed Weintrob (Director of “The F Word”), Michael Showalter (Director of “The Baxter”), Louis Helfer (Director of “Life on the Ledge”), and Alexandra Brodsky (Director of “Bittersweet Palace”).
Date: Sunday, April 10th Time: 5pm Location: Clearview Chelsea West, 333 W. 23rd St Cost: Free
In honor of their new album, Dub Power, Trumystic will be playing at Sin Sin tonight. This Brooklyn based band is a "7 piece live dub alliance, on the cutting edge of reggae music. With vocalist Kirsty Rock at the helm (Easy Star All Stars-Dub Side of the Moon) partnered with bassist and cofounder Reggie Hodges (High Fidelity Dub Sessions #3), drummer, David Delgado (Yami Bolo, Marcia Griffith) & resident sound & science, Dept. of Dub. Accompanied with guitar, organ and horns, they deliver a ridiculously skilled and exciting dub experience." Click here to check out their sound.
Date: Sunday, April 10th
Time: ? still working on this one
Location: Sin Sin, 248 East 5th St
Cost: $7
You know its summer when Shaggy pops up again, Not only does he have a new single, but he also crashed this new weekly last Sunday at Seventeen. This Sunday, Keith Paine kicks off a live rock set on the stage and resident DJ Alex English takes to the turn tables. Plus our favorite thing, free beer from 9 to 10.
Date: Sunday, April 10th Time: 9pm Location: Seventeen Cost: Free
"Come use your Masters in Comparative American Poetry for something besides slinging Starbucks! The Poetry Game Show—the only poetry event that allows you to play 'Name the Poet,' 'Fictionary,' 'Caption the Slide,' and 'Whose Novel Is This Anyway?' Douglas Rothschild hosts with adjudicators Joanna Fuhrman and Erica Kaufman. Also featuring a slide presentation by Cathy Hannan and live music by Bethany Spiers."
Date: Monday, April 11th Time: 6:00pm - 7:00pm Venue: Bowery Poetry Club (308 Bowery) Cost: Free
Tonight catch a screening of the film DIG! A "feature-length documentary shot over seven years about musicians Anton Newcombe, leader of the Brian Jonestown Massacre, and Courtney Taylor, head of the Dandy Warhols, star-crossed friends and bitter rivals" Thanks to The Onion you will also have some free beer from 7 to 9.
Date: Monday, April 11th Time: 7pm Venue: Bowery Poetry Club Cost: Free with RSVP
If you don't know the deal by now, here it is again. Metropol screens clasic scary movies over at Rififi. They combine it with scary forms of music like Darkwave and Metal. Tonight, they rock personal favorite, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which is much better then the recent crappy remake (in my opinion).
Date: Monday, April 11th Time: 9:30pm Venue: Rififi (332 11th Street between 1st and 2nd) Cost: Free
The Greater New York Orchid Society (doesn't it seem like NY has a society for everything?) host this annual competition/homage to said flower. Expect top varieties from around the world and the photographers that love them. Lecture tours daily. Continues through April 17th. Check site for full details. Photo by Aric Wilt.
Date: Tuesday, April 12th - April 17th Time: 12:00pm - 5:00pm (sales area also open 7-9) Venue: Rockefeller Center Cost: $5 for the show, free for the sales area
Victor Wooton plays a mean bass. I mean, this guy has been awarded the Nashville Music Award for Bassist of the Year twice, the Bass Player of the Year award from Bass Player Magazine three times and was named one of the Top 10 Bass Innovators of the '90s by the same publication. If you love the low end, check out what this Flecktone can do on his own because his Irving show on Wednesday is probably sold out.
Date: Tuesday, April 12th Time: 12:30pm Venue: J&R Pop Store (23 Park Row) Cost: Free
"jet+rubble are a team-of-two living in New York who set out to change perspectives. Primarily posting multi-layered, multi-colored stencil work and hand-cut stickers, they've spent the past few years taking what is overlooked in our everyday lives and flipping those things back on themselves." Copy ganked from Freshness.
Date: Tuesday, April 12th Time: 7:00pm - 10:00pm Venue: Orchard Street Art Gallery (139 Orchard, 2nd floor) Cost: Free
Laurie Anderson is recognized worldwide for her innovative and groundbreaking work with technologically vanguard instruments in the arts. As an artist with a vast collection of work, she has published six books, produced numerous videos, films and radio pieces, and created orchestral work. She recently collaborated with Silicon Valley-based Interval Research Corporation to explore new creative tools including the Talking Stick, a wireless musical instrument that emits sound when touched.
Please join us for a very special evening of her work in retrospect, including a special screening of her latest media work, Hidden Inside Mountains.
Hidden Inside Mountains, commissioned by EXPO 2005 Aichi, Japan, is a high definition film that debuted on March 25, 2005 in Japan at EXPO 2005 on the largest high definition Astrovision screen in the world. An original score has been created by Laurie Anderson and mastered in stereo in 5.1. Hidden Inside Mountains is a film of short stories about nature, artifice and dreams. Located in a fictitious world of theatrical spaces, the stories unfold through music, gesture, text and the poetry of visual images. The film’s haunting music features violins, bells, dog barks and melody as well as many electronic sounds. Both joy and loss are caught in this film in Japanese and English. Running time is 25 minutes.
Date: Tuesday, April 12th Venue: New School University, Tishman Auditorium (66 West 12th Street) Time: 7:00pm - 9:00pm Cost: Free, first come first served
A Night of Dance, Music, Spoken Word, Film and Visual Art brought to you by this year’s Resident Artists, Grant Recipients, and the Funders who make it happen! Sponsored by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Featuring:
- East Winds (Taikoza)
- DDJW (Def Dance Jam Workshop)
- Bedford, excerpt of a short film by Andres San
- Chhandayan, a Tabla performance
- Fabulous Creatures, excerpt of video animation by Eunjung Hwang
- HT Chen Dance Ensemble
Date: Tuesday, April 12th Time: 7:00pm - 8:30pm Venue: Tribeca Performing Arts Center (199 Chambers Street between Greenwich & West St.) Cost: Free with RSVP
Supreme Trading has been down on the count lately, but they earn some extra brownie points this week by hosting a Fader party. Tonight, we are celebrating the free beer from Red Stripe, Guinness and Harp from 8 to 9. Just kidding, we are actually celebrating the new album Aligator from The National. Providing music will be Totally Wreckless (FADER DJ Crew), DJ Jenny Jeans (East Village Radio/Beggars) and DJ Paul Heck.
Date: Tuesday, April 12th Time: 8pm Location: Supreme Trading, North 8th and Driggs Cost: Free
Still slacking on your taxes? Get free advice from on-hand accountants while you drink and sing your blues away at this downtown spot. Free Red Stripe from 10-11 and onsite accountants.
Date: Tuesday, April 12th Time: 10:00pm Venue: Soho 323 (323 West Broadway between Grand and Canal) Cost: Free
Hmm where do I even begin on this one? Lets start by explaining that MOTUG actually stands for "Monsters Of The Unda-Ground." It is an art collective made up of 10 artists, including Futura, TKID170, Doze Green, NYC LASE, Ghost, Shepard Fairey, CES, EWOK, Dizmology, and TOOFLY. Ok here is the part where the sneaker freaks need to pay attention, in conjunction with JB Classics, the 10 artist produced a pair of limited edition sneakers. Now they only made 24 pairs (most of which went to the artists themselves) leaving only 7 pairs to be bought up by the masses. The show will also feature original artwork and tee shirts. The entire collection will be on display at The Showroom NYC from April 13th through May 13th.
Date: Wednesday, April 13th Time: 2pm - 7pm Location: The Showroom NYC, 117 Second Ave Cost: Free
Listen, I went to a small liberal arts writing college, where I studied anthropology and cultural studies, every once and a while I may throw some random, left wing, politcal or cultural event at you. And while it may not be the most exciting of the things we post about on here, you should try and attend a few, 'casue its good for you. That being said, tonight, swing by Cooper Union for a panel discussion about the dissapearance of dissenting oppinions on college campuses and in the media. "Panel includes: Tariq Ali- Radical icon, public intellectual and author of Street-Fighting Years and Speaking of Empire & Resistance; Joseph Massad- Middle East and Asian Languages and Cultures, Columbia University; Sara Roy- Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Harvard University; and Monique Dols- Columbia University Campus Anti-War Network. Amy Goodman, host of Democracy Now!, is the moderator."
Date: Wednesday, April 13th Time: 7pm Location: Cooper Union, The Great Hall, 7 E. 7th st Cost: Free
The Cupcake reading series continues to bring the finest in NYC women's writers to Lolita tonight. This month Rene Steinke (Holy
Skirts) and Paula Kamen (All In My Head) will be reading from their
new books. Bio's are below the fold.
René Steinke is the author of the new novel, Holy Skirts. Her debut
novel, The Fires, was published by William Morrow in March 1999. It
was featured on NPR's "All Things Considered," and the movie rights
were optioned to Madonna by Madguy Productions and Handprint
Entertainment. Steinke has an M.F.A. from the University of Virginia,
where she studied with Charles Wright and George Garrett, and a Ph.D.
from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Her work has also
appeared in such places as The New York Times Sunday Magazine,
Newsday, and TriQuarterly. René Steinke is also the Editor-in-Chief
of The Literary Review and teaches writing at Fairleigh Dickinson
University. Currently, she plays the keyboard in a rock band, Ruffian.
Her husband, Craig Marks, is the Editor of Blender magazine. Rene has
lived in New York City since 1994.
Paula Kamen, a Chicago journalist, is the author of the new memoir,
All in My Head: An Epic Quest to Cure an Unrelenting, Totally
Unreasonable, and Only Slightly Enlightening Headache. She is also the
author of Her Way: Young Women Remake the Sexual Revolution, (NYU
Press, 2000, Broadway Books, 2002), which was noted as the first
comprehensive "big picture" journalistic report of Generation X
women's changing and enhanced sexual attitudes and choices. Her first
book was Feminist Fatale: Voices from the 'Twentysomething' Generation
Explore the Future of the 'Women's Movement,' (Donald I. Fine, 1991),
another journalistic documentary which was highlighted as the first
post-boomer feminist book. She has held the position of "Visiting
Research Scholar" with Northwestern University's Gender Studies
Program since 1994. Her commentaries and book reviews have appeared in
The New York Times, Washington Post, Salon, Ms., Chicago Tribune, In
These Times, and more than a dozen anthologies, including Shiny Adidas
Track Suits and the Death of Camp: The Best of Might Magazine (Berkley
Boulevard, 1998) and Appeal to Reason: The Best 25 Years of In These
Times (Seven Stories, 2002). Kamen's analyses of young women's sexual
attitudes -- specifically activism against acquaintance rape -- also
appeared in "Bad Girls/Good Girls": Women, Sex and Power in the
Nineties (Rutgers University Press, 1996). Kamen, who holds a
bachelor's degree in journalism, is a 1989 graduate of the University
of Illinois. She was born in Chicago and grew up in Flossmoor,
Illinois.
I'm warning you all now, Its All Gone Pete Tong is my new obsession! I saw a screening on Monday night and it was real good.
Ok, let me fill you in a bit if you don't know too much about it. There once was a DJ named Frankie Wilde, who was legendary in Ibizia and in the dance music scene in general. Sadly, he suffers from a degenerative hearing disorder coupled with years of heavy drug use and the pounding beat of the clubs literally crumbled his eardrums leving him completly deaf at the height of his career. After a bit of a melt down, he ended up finding a way to produce an album and spin at Pancha as a deaf DJ. Following that set, he dissapeared from the scene and hasn't been seen since. I totally reccomend you go see the movie as my desription doesn't really do Frankie or the movie justice.
Now that we're all caught up and on the same page, I can't find another free screening to send you all to, but there is a Brooklyn premier party at the Stay Gold Gallery tonight. I haven't been able to find many details, except that DJ John XI will be providing the music. It may be worth checking out.
Date: Thursday, April 14th Time: 7pm - 10pm Location: Stay Gold Gallery, 213 N. 8th W'burg Cost: Free with RSVP
** I heard a rumor that Pete Tong will be doing an in-store at Virgin on Wednesday or Thursday in the Dance area downstairs. Its all very hush hush, so its hard to get details. **
Mumbleboy makes really cute toy dolls and has a crazy website. He also made Beck's latest video according to sources. Of course, we've never seen this video because we are too poor for cable so unless it is going to be features at a carribean boat party on BCAT anytime soon it is out of our reaches. Check out some of his art and video work at the 55DSL store this evening.
Date: Thursday, April 14th
Time: 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Venue: 55DSL (Union Square West and 14th Street)
Cost: Free with RSVP
This is the final Fischerspooner salon. Either be thankful that we will not be writing about it anymore or be sad because you will have to go searching for a new Thursday hot spot (hint... the weather is warming up and Union Pool has a great backyard)
Date: Thursday, April 14th Time: 8:00pm - 12:00am Venue: FS Studios (110 North 1st Street, Williamsburg) Cost: Free with RSVP
Camouflage has been holding down the weekly drum and bass scene in New York since 1997. Tonight, they say "farewell to the past and welcoming the future," with a special Thursday night gathering. On hand will be Bruna and Beau, the boys who started it all so be on the look out for plenty of classic tracks. Where will Camouflage go from here? Only time will tell...
Artists for the evening include...
CHRISTIAN BRUNA (Camouflage Forever)
RAW Q aka DJ BEAU (Bingo Beats, UK/NYC)
PAUL C (www.djpaulc.com)
REKALL (www.actualmusic.com)
Street Level: Old School, Hip-Hop, Reggae, Freestyle, 80's + more...
KECH REC (Animal, NYC)
CHRIS LOVE (Juke Box Heroes, NYC)
JACLYN (NYC)
EL DJ ADA (www.eldjada.com)
Date: Thursday, April 14th Time: 10:00pm Venue: Guernica (25 Ave. B btw. 2nd & 3rd St.) Cost: Free
Goth kids have the coolest microgenre names. In addition to the usual darkwave and industrial, this weekly party promises to offer you some "coldgrave" as well. Can someone tell us what coldgrave is? we feel old. Free vodka from 11-12
Date: Thursday, April 15th Time: 10:00pm - 4:00am Venue: Happy Ending (302 Broome on Forsythe) Cost: Free
Another bi-weekly installment of Cut. Come early for free gifts from Triple 5 Soul. Stay for the free beer and top notch local DJ's. Heads up for the next installment of Cut on April 29th that will feature Adult and Goldchains.
Date: Friday, April 15th Time: 10:00pm - 4:00am Venue: Bar Eleven (152 Orchard) Cost: Free
"Twenty-one performance artists explore prayer as an act of creativity, contemplation, and auto-analysis. Exit Art, an experimental cultural center, explores the impact of faith on contemporary society. Realizing that faith has become one of the most relevant issues of the 21st Century, Exit Art saw a need for artists to respond to issues such as the influence of the religious right on politics, the widespread interest in Zen practices, worldwide religious intolerance, use of religion to connect to personal heritage, mixing of business, politics and religion, the quest to achieve enlightenment, and many others. Some Prayingproject performances will last only 30 minutes while others last for six hours, and all will occur simultaneously on eight stages in the street windows. Complete schedule on the Website." [found via NonsenseNYC]
Date: Friday, April 15th Time: 3:00pm - 9:00pm Venue: Exit Art (475 10th Avenue, at 36th Street) Cost: Free
UK breakbeat-trance legends Hybrid will be in town tonight for a rare, free DJ set at Cellar Bar. Expect the breaks to take a bit of a backseat tonight as the boys, unfortunatelly, tend to spin house when they home to New York City. The set will be top notch regardless and this is great chance to see them in such in intimate setting.
Date: Friday, April 15th Time: 10:00pm Venue: Cellar Bar (40 West 40th Street) Cost: Free, but sign up for the guestlist here
Frankie Bones is a legend on the NYC electronic music scene (think Storm raves and warehouse parties). Tonight he kicks off this new weekly party in high fashion. Expect old school dirty house and freestyle jams. Highly recommended.
Date: Friday, April 15th Time: 10:00pm Venue: Luke and Leroy (21 7th Ave South at Leroy) Cost: Free
"While the super rich are benefiting from tax cuts, other things are being cut, too: after school programs, HIV/AIDS programs, affordable housing and more. Put your refund where your outrage is: ROCK YOUR REFUND to help close loopholes, invest in America and make sure our country has the tax justice it deserves. Donate part of your refund to Citizens for Tax Justice, the leading organization lobbying for a more equitable tax system - and we mean truly fair, not the fake "flat tax" or other garbage Republicans have proposed that try to swindle Americans into a system that's really only good for the top 1%." Hip hop, breakbeat, and all things funky provided by DJ Shakeyface.
Date: Friday, April 15 Time: 10:00 pm Venue: The Tank (432 West 42nd Street Between 9th and 10th Avenues) Cost: Free (suggested donation)
"Death by Hanging, Nagisa Oshima’s absurdist critique of the Japanese state and the death penalty, is a classic of New Wave cinema. Both hilarious and provocative, it has lost none of its potency or relevance. The film will be shown with his rarely screened short Diary of Yunbogi, a poetic montage of still images taken by Oshima in Korea. Introduced by Japanese film expert Michael Raine from the University of Chicago." This is not available on DVD and also not to be missed.
Date: Saturday, April 16th Time:12pm, but show up early, space is limited Location: Two Boots Pioneer Theater, 155 E 3rd St. Cost: Free
Just when you thought saving Williamsburg from the greedy developers was a big enough task, Jason Flores-Williams is back to continues his "secession NYC" movement. Jason will speak again tonight followed by a 45 minute Vermont-style town hall meeting. Then, the mayhem continues with Little Miss Big Mouth secession cabaret and DJ Erek Tynker. Check out Flores-Williams "A Call to Secession" if you are unsure what all of this is about.
Date: Saturday, April 16th Time: 6:00pm Venue: Union Pool (484 Union Ave in Williamsburg) Cost: $5
Ok so I have seen and been sent this flyer numerous times now. The truth is, I have no idea who Amy Snow is, but she is gonna have a wicked good time on her birthday. Expect to hear hip hop, hip step reggae, and drum'n'bass from the hands of Synapse, FTL, T.R.A.C., Jay Vega, I-Cue, Fresh, Rankin and Krunchy. Now apparently the bday girl will be giving out drink tickets for free shots from 12am to 1am (this is good news for those of you that know her).
Date: Saturday, April 16th Time: 10pm Location: Red and Black, 135 North 5th W'burg Cost: Free
Okay, this is it boys and girls. We have been hitting you with the Grime scene for months now and you have probably blown us off, and been like "dropthelime, what kind of name is that?," "what the hell are bangers and mash anyway?" etc. Or maybe you got off the F train and didn't get past Max Fish. We understand. But before we start hitting you over the head with our new favorite dance craze, Funk Carioca, make sure you check out the grandaddies of this Grime thing, straight from the UK. Local 2-steppers turned grime lovers Dinesh and Greg Poole are bringing legends Jon E Cash and DJ Dread D of the Black Ops Crew to town for 1 night only. Is all this foreign to you? Good, then come out and learn.
Date: Saturday, April 16th Time: 11:30pm Venue: Crash Mansion (199 Bowery) Cost: $5 before midnight, $10 after
While I will be painstakingly working on Sunday to transform my scary Brooklyn back yard into my place of summertime solace, the rest of you should go to the park and play. "Experience Spring with Parks & Recreation's EARTHFEST at Pelham Bay Park. Experience Spring's EARTHFEST will feature activities including Arts & Crafts, Live animals, Environment Display, Music and a host of other activities. The event is absolutely FREE and the whole family is welcome."
Date: Sunday, April 17th Time: 12pm - 4pm Location: Pelham Bay Park,Bruckner Blvd. & Middletown Road Cost: Free
Look you can have fun and help a good casue all at the same time. This Sunday is the Save The Williamsburg Waterfront Rally, come out for "free food, treasure hunts, pirate radip, guerilla gardening, kite flying, music by the Hungry March band, and a full scale invasion of our maybe someday future waterfront state park @ North 7th & Kent Ave - all to show solidarity against the developers and the Mayor's Office."
Date: Sunday, April 17th Time: 2pm Location: Grand Street Park, North 7th and Kent Cost: Free
The Free for All series brings classical music to Town Hall on a first come first serve basis. Tonight kicks off the series with Anne-Sofie von Otter and Bengt Forsberg performing works by Schubert and Haydn. Perfect cheap date activity. Check the website for the full calendar. More details below the fold.
Date: Sunday, April 17th
Time: 5:00pm (tickets available at noon)
Venue: Town Hall (123 West 43rd between 6th and 7th)
Cost: Free
If you love attending live performances of classical music but find that your finances are a little tight these days, you'll be glad to know about a series of free concerts in New York City's historic Town Hall. Free For All At Town Hall is designed to bring a diverse audience of New Yorkers and visitors to the city into contact with the superlative artistry of some of classical music's most celebrated performers. With the aim of reaching many new listeners with world-class classical music performances, tickets for all Free For All events are available at no charge to the public at the Town Hall Box Office on the day of the concert starting at noon. Assigned seats are distributed on a "first-come, first-served" basis (two ticket maximum per person). Upcoming concerts are:
Mezzosoprano Anne-Sofie von Otter with pianist Bengt Forsberg will launch the 2005 series on April 17, pianist Peter Serkin performs on May 1, and pianist André Watts appears on May 29. The Opus One Piano Quartet will perform on June 19 and percussionist Evelyn Glennie will close out the series with an exciting solo program on June 26.
In celebration of Earth Day 2005, Grand Central Terminal will host a week-long show of Giant Earth Images and messages, projected on the north columns in the Terminal’s Main Concourse from Monday, April 18 - Sunday, April 24. Environmentally themed slides from acclaimed artists such as Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, Roy Lichtenstein and Rafal Olbinski will be accented with messages and facts about our earth.
Date: Monday, April 18th Time: 10:00am - 8:00pm Place: Grand Central Terminal, Main Terminal Cost: Free
In case for some reason you have forgotten the state of our political well being, The York Theater Company is here to remind you with a reading of one of their plays. Bush is Bad: A Political Cabaret for Sore Losers, is "a 75-minute long "revue/cabaret/full frontal musical attack" that illustrates composer-lyricist-creator Joshua Rosenblum's philosophy, "Don't get mad; write songs. Gleeful musical potshots will be directed at George W. Bush, John Ashcroft, Ann Coulter, Dick Cheney, Condoleezza Rice and Karl Rove, among others."
Date: Monday, April 18th Time: 7:30 pm Location: St. Peter's in the Citigroup Center, 54th and Lexington Cost: Admission is free but call for reservations (212)935-5824
Continue the dance-along disco punk fun of tonights Bravery concert (sold out) with sounds from MisSHAPES & Ultragrrrl and free Absolut Vodka from 12-1:30am
Date: Monday, April 18th Time: 11:00pm Venue: BLVD (199 Bowery at Spring Cost: Free with RSVP by 4pm (else $5)
So in approximately two weeks, I gotta get myself into a bikini. Needless to say, I have been on a strict regiment of pilates, salads and beer drinking (HA!) Today though, from 12 to 8, you can get free ice cream cones from Ben and Jerry's. Truth be told, no matter what the diet, there is ALWAYS room for ice cream!
Date: Tuesday, April 19th Time: 12pm - 8pm Location: Various Ben and Jerry's Cost: Free
[note: even through registration for this event is closed, its still quite worth attending as a spectator]
Ruthie & Gussie’s, the world’s premier Kvetch-Proof ready-to-cook kosher food line, and Empire Kosher, the world's largest producer of kosher poultry has announced that it will hold The Ruthie & Gussie’s/Empire Kosher Matzo Ball-Eating Championship. The Ruthie & Gussie/ Empire Kosher Matzo Ball-Eating will showcase the greatest competitive eaters in America in a 10-minute, all-you-can-eat contest.
Eric “Badlands” Booker, Cookie Jarvis, Don Moses Lerman, Allen Goldstein, and Hungry Charles Hardy are expected to compete. The event will feature matzo balls from the official “kvetch-proof” Ruthie & Gussie’s recipe cooked in chicken soup made with great tasting Empire Kosher chickens. While filling, the delicious matzo balls are considered light, delicate and fast by competitive eaters.
“This event will finally solve the one question that has plagued matzo ball connoisseurs for years. “Is it easier to eat a floater or a sinker?” said Steve Gold of Ruthie & Gussie’s.
Date: Wednesday, April 20th Time: 1:00pm Venue: Friar's Club (57 E. 55th St.) Cost: Free
Check out this after party for the Handsome Boy Modeling School tonight. Rumor is that Prince Paul and Dan the Automator will be in the house, but who knows.
Date: Wednesday, April 20th Time: 11:00pm Venue: 17 (37 West 17th Street between 5th and 6th) Cost: Free with RSVP before 5pm
Calling All Poetry Lovers: Celebrate New York City's Poem in Your Pocket Day at the Bryant Park Reading Room. Bring a favorite poem to Bryant Park and receive a free book of poetry from the Academy of American Poets. There will be free National Poetry Month posters, and one book per person, while supplies last. For more details, visit www.poets.org.
Date: Thursday, April 22nd Time: 11:00am - 2:00pm Venue: Bryant Park Reading Room Cost: Free
Time Capsule is here dropping that good old school 80's and 90's electronica flavor. Local heros like Dara, Christian Bruna, Paul C, and Moises who defined the NYC sound all unite behind one set of classic turntables to churn out back to back legendary tracks. Not to be missed.
Date: Thursday, April 21st Time: 10:00pm - 4:00am Venue: Guernica (25 Avenue B betwen 2nd and 3rd) Cost: Free
The Roundtable Ensemble invites you to a series of live theater readings where professional actors will read both time-honored and modern plays. Tonights reading features "Grown Ups" by Jules Feiffer. This Pulitzer Prize nominated play features a middle-class family and one man's challenging relationship with his parents, wife and daughter. Staged reading directed by Kelly Ann Moore for The Roundtable Ensemble.
Date: Friday, April 22nd Time: 12:00pm Venue: The Educational Alliance (344 East 14th Street) Cost: Free
Earth Day New York is proud to present the third annual Earth Day at Grand Central Terminal featuring exhibitors, both commerical and non-profit, who work to promote earth-awareness. The event will take place outside this year on the west side of the Terminal on Vanderbilt Avenue. Children will be entertained with hands-on art projects and children's musicians, Adults will learn new ways to protect the planet through information and activities at various exhibitor booths. Free food samples, free give-aways! Continues Saturday, April 23rd
Date: Friday, April 22nd Time: 12:00pm - 7:00pm Venue: Grand Central Terminal Cost: Free
[Ed. note: I wrote my usual lame ass write up for this show and did Mr. Choe no justice. Trudy over at Windchill - where I stole this event from - had a much better write up so I am using hers instead]
Our friend the artist David Choe got arrested for punching out an undercover detective in Tokyo in December of 2004. Then he spent four months in solitary confinement in a Japanese prison. Deprived of his usual drawing and painting tools, David improvised materials out of whatever he could scrape together in his tiny cell — including soy sauce and his own urine. His prison stay resulted in the works in this show, a stunning collection of drawings that illustrate what a genius draftsman gets up to when he has nothing to but draw. There are lots of dirty renderings of nubile women, and there are also fantastical imaginary landscapes and tableaus that are apocalyptic, hilarious, and beautiful. You really should come see them. If you can't make the opening, they're up for four weeks afterward.
Date: Friday, April 22nd
Time: 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Venue: powerHouse Gallery (68 Charlton Street btwn Hudson and Varick)
Cost: Free with RSVP
LMCC stands for Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, I prefer LMCC, because its way easier to type, and well if you haven't already noticed, I clearly love acronyms. Enough early morning jabber though, lets get down to it... This weekend the LMCC opens their doors for some open studio workshops. Friday night is the opening reception and party, followed this weekend by a series of workshops and studio tours. Click here for a full list of events.
Date: Friday, April 22nd through Sunday, April 24th Time: Reception on Friday begins at 6pm Location: LMCC, 120 Broadway Cost: Free w/ RSVP
Georgia native Tayari Jones reads from her new novel, THE UNTELLING with Texas-born, Florida-raised New Yorker Maud Newton who reads from her novel-in-progress about fundamentalist Christians in 1980's Miami and how extremism can pass from one generation to the next.
Date: Friday, April 22nd Time: 7:00pm Venue: Bluestockings, 172 Allen Street between Stanton and Rivington. Cost: Free
Get your early drink on this evening with the boys (and girls) from Animal. Open bar from 9:30 to 10:30 along with music from locals DJ Elle and Oxy Cottontail.
Date: Friday, April 22nd Time: 9:00pm - 12:00pm Venue: QUO VIP Lair (511 West 28th Street) Cost: Free with RSVP
You gotta be really into Madonna for this one...It promises to be an all night Madonnathon complete with a Madonna look alike contest, however if your not fan, try other notable blondes like Marilyn Monroe, Mae West, Gwen Stephani, or even Beyonce.
Date: Friday, April 22nd Time: 10pm Location: Gallery, 27th between 5th and 6th Cost: Free with RSVP
Parents are invited to bring kids between the ages of 8 and 13 years old to the filming of a Kidz Bop music video for an upcoming Kidz Bop Video DVD! Kids will get the chance to sing and appear in the video. Free refreshments and lunch will be served, and kids will receive a free copy of the DVD for participating!
- Kids cannot wear clothing with logos or trademarks (ie - no pictures of famous cartoon characters, etc.)
- Parents must sign releases in order for their kids to appear in the video. Kids will not be allowed on set inside Pianos until papers are signed. Parents will not be allowed to be on set (in cameras view) with kids while filming. [ed. note: Kids in Pianos? that's kinda grimey if you ask us]
Date: Saturday, April 23 Time: 8:00am - 12:00pm [again, who's at Piano's at this hour] Venue: Pianos (158 Ludlow St.) Cost: Free
"Bring a picnic lunch and join New York City environmental and youth organizations for the Central Park Conservancy's annual Earth Day Fair in Central Park. With fun and educational activities for people of all ages, live music and performances, arts and crafts, potato-sack races and other lawn games, delicious food, special tours, and lots of picnic and play space, the day promises to be a treat for all. This year's entertainment includes earthy tunes by DJ Moose, a hula-hooping performance (with a special lesson to follow) by Groovehoops, and the electrifying beats of Paprika!
FREE and open to the public. Take the C train to Central Park West and 103rd Street or Central Park West and 110th Street. Free Valet Bike Parking available on site provided by Time's Up, and free bicycle tune-ups provided by Recycle-A-Bicycle."
Date: Saturday, April 23rd (rain date is the 24th) Time: 11am - 4pm Location: Central Park, west side from 103rd to 107th Cost: Free
Well not really free, but pretty damn close to it... If you have nothing to do all day, why not fill your belly with yummy Chinese food goodness. Spend your day exploring the Taste of Chinatown as 50 restaurants, bakeries, tea houses, and specialty shops will offer $1.00 tasting plates. "Sample dishes which have made Chinese cuisine the favorite world wide and marvel at the selections from Canton, Shanghai, Beijing, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Gorge on delicacies from Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore and Japan, all in one afternoon." This is a perfect way to diversify your typical Chinese take out order of General Tao's chicken.
Date: Saturday, April 23rd Time: 1pm - 6pm Location: Various shops in Chinatown Cost: $1 per tasting plate
The late Ossie Davis stars in this true wartime story of the only African-American crew to take a Navy warship into combat in World War II. The ship's first port of call was in Northern Ireland, where, for the first time, the sailors were treated simply as Americans. Catch this free screening as part of the Tribeca Film Festival. First come first served
Date: Saturday, April 23rd Time: 4:00pm Venue: Regal Battery Park 6 (102 North End Ave between Vesey and West Street) Cost: Free
So this is kind of hard for me to explain, so lets just go with the words straight from the horses mouth...
"BIG ART SHOW is available to all who wish to participate. The shows we throw are for the participants more so than for the audience. The ideal is for everyone to have a good experience and feel they have been given every chance to do whatever they wish to get across.
BIG ART SHOW is our banner. It is the guise in which we rally a dream of something cool, something real, something unspoiled by money and politics. Art shows guerrilla style morphing into a location. We are something to experience, something to remember."
Basically, I think that a bunch of artists and musician get together throw a party, make music and art and have a grand ol' time. These parties happen in a handful of cities, and this being the second one in New York. They are 30 artist showing their work and music by Suran Song in Stag, Fake Gimms, Mimi Cross, Moon and Water Planet.
Its the Vapors' First Annual Photo Issue release party. Steve Aoki, Kid Millionaire, and Franki Chan will be spinning the tunes with free beer and Sparks from 9:30 - 10:30. It's completely free, so no need to RSVP.
Date: Saturday, April 23rd Time: 9:00pm Venue: Beauty Bar (231 east 14th Street between 2nd and 3rd) Cost: Free
Victoria Clark curates this eclectic mix of short films from New York filmmakers and beyond. Eat. Drink. Watch.
Featured Shorts:
ON THE CLIFFS Directed by Lisa M. Perry; Produced/Written/Edited by Jessie Hutcheson & Lisa M. Perry
HUMAN EMOTION - OBJECTIVE LAUGHTER Mitchell Goldman
WRITING THROUGH Director: Joel Fendelman
152ND ST. Director: Sascha Just
THE SHRINKING CITY Director: Kurt B. Davis
BEAUTY Director: Pepper Negron
THERAPY Director: Hilton Ruiz
ELEVATOR STORY Director: Elizabeth Ward
OFF THE GRID Directors: Jeremy Stulberg/Randy Stulberg
COLD MURDER Director: Jamil Glenn
Date: Sunday, April 24th Time: 1:00pm - 4:00pm Venue: DEKK (134 Reade Street bet. Hudson and Greenwich Streets) Cost: Free
Housing Works Bookstore Café hosts the first live taping of "Liberal Arts", a pilot for an arts and culture program currently in development for Air America Radio. Join Katherine Lanpher – co-host of "The Al Franken Show" on Air America Radio – as she entertains authors, singer-songwriters and artists in an evening of conversation and performance.
The first evening's program, which will be an hour in length, features Allison Moorer and Steve Earle, currently on tour together. They'll make a stop at "Liberal Arts" and Katherine will talk to Allison about her latest album, "The Duel," and, in a switch, Steve Earle will discuss his other career as a playwright and fiction writer.
Date: Sunday, April 24th Time: 8:30pm Venue:Housing Works Books/Cafe (126 Crosby Street between Houston and Prince) Cost: Free
[ed note: We are so uncertain about this one that we thought it best just to repeat what was presented to us. Far as we can tell, this is an adult toga party with free snacks but who knows. Also, this takes place on Tuesday, but you must RSVP today. Check the site for full info]
Why traveling to Italy when you can spend a unique wonderful Roman night here in New York with a banquet of Ancient Rome inspired food and romantic Roman songs? A FREE TASTING BUFFET of the new Ancient Rome inspired menu "Dining with Caesar" by Dopoteatro, will be offered from 8:00 p.m. till all the food of the buffet will be gone. Musici Maximi (Special musicians) - directly from the Eternal City - "Il Duo GiMa" a musical duo comprised of 2 of the most accredited performers of typical Roman romantic songs. Praesules (Dancers) will keep up the vibe of the night. Gladiatores et Puellae (guys and girls) are welcome to come wearing their togas and tunics.
GUYS; IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A GLADIATOR COSTUME OR A TOGA, YOU CAN BRING A FLOWER (IN ROME MEN STOP WOMEN IN THE STREET AND OFFER THEM A FLOWER).
GIRLS: IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A TUNIC, YOU CAN WEAR YOUR SEXIEST DRESS SO MEN CAN WISTLE AT YOU - AS IT HAPPENS IN ROME!!!!
And yes, as usual I will be wearing my bow-tie and a model will accompany me holding the banner "Stefano is here" (ECCE STEFANUS) so you can spot me if you need me to introduce you to new people, either Caesar or Cleopatra. In addition, a fabulous DJ (cannot find the translation in Latin) will entertain you with music produced in a country (America) discovered over 2000 years after Rome was born. We have the two levels of the Bar/Restaurant just for us, so there should be no problem to accommodate people. You can bring one or more friends, male or female but please RSVP to stefanony@stefanospadoni.com by Monday indicating your first and last name and also the first and last name of each of your guests attending the event FOR THE LIST AT THE DOOR. Stop in and join us for one drink or stay all night. You can dine too, for dinner reservation to fully taste the new menu "Dining with Caesar", please call directly Dopoteatro at (212) 869-2849, mentioning Stefano's party
Catch up with old friends and meet new ones and please, feel free to forward the invitation to all the friends you want.
As you know, my Network has one goal: to create new connections between young male and female professionals, couples, artists, show business people, computer wizards, investors, and other city dwellers.
My fundamental role in this Network is to introduce people to each other and to ensure that everyone feels comfortable. Even if you or someone you know is new at the party -- you are sure to make new friends.
Last week was free Ben & Jerry's, today its free ice cream cake from Stone Cold Creamery. The cake is being given out in honor of their support for Make-a-Wish and is a "chocolate ice cream with cookie dough and chocolate shavings, layered with yellow cake and wrapped in a rich, fudge ganache." [found via Gothamist]
For the past fifteen years, a group of high school buddies from Everett, Washington compete in an annual strongman competition that combines physical strength, endurance and beer chugging. A sports documentary for the beer-guzzling weekend warrior in all of us. Catch this free screening as part of the Tribeca Film Festival. First come first served.
Date: Monday, April 25th Time: 10:00pm Venue: Tribeca Cinemas, Theatre 1 (54 Varick Street below Canal) Cost: Free
Like everyone else, their mom and their grandma, there is yet another brithday tonight. Swing by Sway to celebrate Miss Oxy Cottontail's Screwed Up Birfday. Providing you with music will be Rapid Ric(Texas/Mixtape Mechanics) Peter Hahn (Money Studies/Turntablelab) and Nick Catchdubs (The Fader). Providing you with free beer from 10 to 11:30 will be Red Stripe.
Date: Monday, April 25th
Time: 10pm
Location: Sway, 305 Spring St
Cost: $5 (suggested donation)
I watched a lot of Twin Peaks on VHS in college because I missed a lot of it the first time around (much how I feel about Lost right now). Tonight Laula Lounge screens the season finale. You will either be completely lost or grabbing a great memory (and you may still be completely lost.) Drink with a proper shot.
Date: Tuesday, April 27th Time: 7:00pm Venue: Laila Lounge (113 N 7th St) Cost: Free
The Austrian Cultural Forum and mica-music information center Austria proudly present moving patterns: electronic music and beyond, the third edition of a festival dedicated to the phenomenon of Vienna electronica and beyond from April 26-30, 2005, in New York City. The five-evening program is packed with concerts, DJ parties, and film screenings and will present artists from various disciplines – avant-garde, rock, pop, and electronic music.
This year's festival ranges from the presentation of perhaps the most important pioneer of Vienna electronica, Christian Fennesz , to the playful approach to retro trends supplied by Waldeck with Saint Privat and the exploration of artistic borders between music, fine art, and performing art by Thilges 3 in collaboration with the avant-garde violinist Eyvind Kang and members of iftaf - institute for transacoustic research .moving patterns is also presenting a cross-genre collaboration of the exceptional pianist Oskar Aichinger , electronic musician Stefan Nemeth (Radian), theremin-goddess Dorit Chrysler , the ironic popoganda of Gustav , and the pop cliches satirized by Binder&Krieglstein. Full info here. [found on Repellentzine]
Date: Tuesday, April 26th through April 30th Time: 7:15pm Venue: Austrian Cultural Forum (11 East 52nd Street) Cost: Free
Because that after party is really just an excuse to keep the party going, check out the Louis XIV after party tonight following their sold out show at the Bowery. Free Red Stripe from 11:30 - 12:30
Date: Tuesday, April 26th Time: 11:30pm Venue: Happy Endings (302 Broome Street between Eldrige and Forsyth) Cost: Free
Join the Onion at our monthly happy hour, "Wednesdays With The Onion." we'll buy your Bass Ale beers at The Cellar in the East Village (while supply lasts). Must be 21+. No cover. No catch. Just a whole lot of fun. To attend, please RSVP to nypromo@theonion.com with "Wednesdays" in the subject and your name in the body of the email. Your friends are
welcome, too!
Date: Wednesday, April 27th Time: 7:00pm to 9:00pm Venue: The Cellar (325 East 14th St. between 1st & 2nd St. Cost:Free with RSVP
The Tank is hosting a Circuit Bending festival over from today until Saturday. There are lots of free lectures and tutorial and some pay concerts at night. Check the site for full schedule and details.
Housing Works is having it's 1st Annual Design on a Dime Benefit Shopping Event this coming Friday, April 29th – Sunday May 1st. Be the first to shop from an extensive array of donations from New York’s finest decorators, design professionals, and antique dealers, plus new housewares, linens, appliances, and gifts, all available at “charitable prices.” All proceeds benefit Housing Works, New York’s largest AIDS service organization. Housing Works constantly strives to improve the lives of tens of thousands of New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS, by providing a supportive house, medical care, job training, case management, advocacy, and HIV counseling and testing services.
Date: Friday, April 29th Time: 10:00am - 6:00pm (Noon - 5:00pm on Sunday) Venue: Housing Works (157 East 23rd Street) Cost: Free
The Onion hosts a listening party for the new Eels album. Join the Onion at Alibi Lounge for a listening party to celebrate the release of the new Eels double album, Blinking Lights And Other Revelations. Free Red Stripe from the Onion folks.
Date: Friday, April 29 Time: 7:00pm - 9:00pm Venue: Alibi Lounge (116 MacDougal Street between Bleeker and West 3rd) Cost: Free with RSVP
Its that time of the month again. Grab your bike, head to Union Square and celebrate your right to share the road with the cars. Critical Mass is a monthly celebration of bicycles and other nonpolluting means of transportation, exercising our right to the road. Critical Mass is a movement, not an organization; no two riders participate for exactly the same reason. New York City's first Critical Mass was in 1993.
Date: Friday, April 29th
Time: 7:00pm
Venue: Meet at Union Square Park, South Side
Cost: Free
Cut is back this week with some heavy hitters. Both DJ Assault and Gold Chains will be in the hosue along side Sue Cie and Dave Elliot (plus residents). Free drinks from 10-11 to boot. If you have not checked the hot new regular out yet, tonight is the night!
Date: Friday, April 29th Time: 10:00pm Venue: Eleven (152 Orchard between Stanton and Rivington) Cost: Free with RSVP
An even crazier dance party than you could have ever imagined
featuring the likes of... Kudu, Criminal Justice (feat. Dana Leong, Jason Lindner and Baba Israel), Cardenal, and an all-night stroke-a-thon with Tim Sweeney (DFA/Beats in Space)
In Flagranti (Codek) spins between sets, and his special friend, Cocoa Cracker Brown (New Release/Nublu) takes care of the super late night end of things.
Date: Friday, April 29th
Time: 10:00pm
Venue: Asterisk (258 Johnson Ave, Bushwick)
Cost: $5
Join delinquent school leavers Richie, Hooks and Rabbit on their misadventures in bestiality, cannibalism, electro-shock therapy, crucifixion and all the other issues affecting young people today. If Viz and South Park had a baby and it was taken into care by the Young Ones, that unholy infant might be called Empire Square. Catch this free screening as part of the Tribeca Film Festival. First come first served.
Date: Friday, April 29th Time: 12:00am (midnight Venue: Tribeca Cinemas, Theatre 2 (54 Varick Street below Canal) Cost: Free
Participate in New York City's rite of spring at Sakura Matsuri. Take in the exuberant cherry blossom display while enjoying performances and demonstrations celebrating Japanese culture. Events include taiko drumming, traditional Japanese dance and music, flower arranging, tea ceremonies, craft demonstrations, and workshops for both adults and children. Families can also enjoy this year's all-new children's samurai sword fighting and taiko drum performances and join in hands-on taiko drum workshops designed for kids!
Date: Saturday, April 30th (continues Sunday) Time: 11:00am - 5:00pm Venue: Brooklyn Botanical Gardens (click for directions) Cost: $5 entry fee
Experience Spring with Parks & Recreation's SPRING INTO QUEENS at the Kissena Velodrome. Experience Spring's SPRING INTO QUEENS will feature activities including Gardening, Games, Relay Races and much more. The event is absolutely FREE and the whole family is welcome. For more information regarding this event as well as other Citywide events taking place at a park or recreation center near you, please call 311.
Date: Saturday, April 30th Time: 12:00pm - 4:00pm Venue: Kissena Velodrome (164th Street and Oak Avenue) Cost: Free
The TriBeCa Open Artist Studio Tour is one of the most eagerly anticipated downtown NYC events of the season, offering a great experience for anyone interested in viewing artwork at the source-- the artist's own studio. It's an opportunity to walk around the neighborhood and meet directly with the artists-- and often see artwork not accessible in gallery settings.
Visitors will see the working spaces-- from basement to loft, individual to shared -- of both established and emerging artists. The works range from abstract to representational, realistic to expressionist, traditional to cutting edge, in all media and sizes.
This year's TOAST event features additional programs. The Church Street School for Music and Art* will hold drop-in art activities for children; and the group Collective Unconscious will offer a performance of Tesla Mania*, featuring NYC's largest Tesla Coil*, and Mikon Hall of Worlds*, an interactive, voice- and computer- driven exhibit. Best of all, the whole tour experience is relaxed, informal and absolutely FREE!
Date: Saturday, April 30th (continues Sunday at the same time)
Time: 1:00pm - 6:00pm
Venue: Tribeca (download map here)
Cost: Free
Here’s your chance to see the latest from the Muppets for free. Contemporary teenager Dorothy (Grammy Award-winner Ashanti) joins the Scarecrow (Kermit the Frog), the Tin Thing (Gonzo), and the Cowardly Lion (Fozzie Bear) to fight off the Wicked Witch (Miss Piggy) as they journey to the showbiz capital of Oz in the hopes that the Wizard (Jeffrey Tambor) will make her a star! Also featuring Queen Latifah, David Alan Grier and Quentin Tarantino as himself! Admission granted on a first-come, first-served basis. Seating is very limited, so arrive early. Part of the Tribeca Film Festival.
Date: Saturday, April 30th
Time: 7:00pm
Venue: Scholastic Auditorium (557 Broadway Between Prince & Spring Streets)
Cost: Free
After a series of pay events, Kollektive, our favoite south asian inspired dubby breakbeat crew, is back with a new party at Kush. Special guest tonight is Janaka Selekta along side residents Dimm Summer, DK, Zakhm, and Karsh Kale.
Date: Saturday, April 30th Time: 9:00pm Venue: Kush (191 Chrystie between Stanton and Rivington) Cost: Free
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Grab some hipster hottness, including their new Estruary women's line, at the Surface to Air sample Sale. Continues through Saturday.
