Date: Wednesday, August 1st Time: 6:00pm Location: Eyebeam (540 W. 21st St. bet. 10th & 11th Aves.) Cost: Free
"Eyebeam brings together three leading media theorists for a book launch and panel discussion on video games as a cultural form... Increasingly sophisticated video games are gaining new ground and defying geographical boundaries, with massively multi-player games creating new frameworks for shared virtual worlds. Among the most prominent voices in the scholarly discourse surrounding gaming, Bogost, Galloway and Wark will discuss the potential of video games in fomenting social change and consider the significance of their growing use and popularity." Reception will follow. All Ages.
Dr. Ian Bogost is an Assistant Professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Founding Partner at Persuasive Games LLC. Bogost is author of Unit Operations: An Approach to Videogame Criticism (MIT Press 2006), recently listed among "50 books for everyone in the game industry," and of Persuasive Games: The Expressive Power of Videogames (MIT Press 2007). http://www.bogost.com /
Alexander R. Galloway is an author, programmer, founding member of the software collective RSG, and creator of the data surveillance engine Carnivore. The New York Times recently described his work as "conceptually sharp, visually compelling and completely attuned to the political moment." Galloway is the author of Protocol: How Culture Exists After Decentralization (MIT, 2004), Gaming: Essays on Algorithmic Culture (Minnesota, 2006), and a new book co-authored with Eugene Thacker called The Exploit: A Theory of Networks (forthcoming). Galloway currently teaches at New York University and is an Honorary Resident at Eyebeam.
McKenzie Wark is an Australian-born writer and scholar. He works mainly on media theory, critical theory, and new media. His best known works are A Hacker Manifesto (2004) and Gamer Theory (2007). Wark is currently Associate Professor of Media and Cultural Studies at Eugene Lang College of The New School for Liberal Arts and The New School for Social Research, and is an Honorary Resident at Eyebeam.
Moderator: Clive Thompson is a writer on science, technology, and culture. Thompson is currently a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine, and has written for Wired, Discover, New York Magazine, and Wired News.
Date: Wednesday, August 1st Time: 6:30pm - 8:00pm Location: Sheep Station (149 4th Ave at Douglass, Park Slope) Cost: Free
"Home Buying for Hipsters is on a mission to school our freelance generation of creative 'non-traditional wage earners' in the art and business of buying property. We support you in asking, 'Hey, what would it take to actually buy this place?' We aim to specifically address your concerns and break down the process into steps you can understand. Don’t worry, you don’t have to wear a tight Thin Lizzy t-shirt or sport an architectural hair statement to gain access--our classes are free and open to hipsters, non-hipsters, art stars, rock stars, designers, freelancers, sculptors, poets, part-time geniuses, business moguls, cheapskates, high rollers, nerds, players, winners, losers=whoever is ready to own a home!"
Date: Wednesday, August 1st Time: 6:30pm - 10:00pm Location: DCTV (87 Lafayette Street 3rd Floor Screening Room) Cost: Free with RSVP
Usually when we get emails for disTHIS! film screenings they are about raising awareness about people with disabilities. This one however is a little different. Ready, Willing and Able is "a non-stop thrill ride featuring exciting, never-before-seen wheelchair stunts and a heroic crip who, for once, actually earns the label. Christopher Templeton (Young and the Restless, Hill Street Blues, Fraiser), herself a polio survivor, stars as Samantha "Sam" Martin, a CIA special agent determined to continue her career after she is injured in the line of duty. When Sam discovers a deadly chemical weapons conspiracy she does what agents to best -- assembles a ragtag team of specialists and embark on a seemingly impossible and deadly mission. Did we mention that Sam, uses a wheelchair?"
Date: Wednesday, August 1st Time: 7:00pm Location: Socrates Sculpture Park ((32-01 Vernon Blvd, LIC) Cost: Free
"Dr. Seuss' 1953 musical about the perils of coerced collective labor — a thinly veiled metaphor for Ruskie economics — tells the tale of Bart Collins and his evil, authoritarian piano teacher, Dr. T, who is trying to enslave 500 little boys to play a gigantic piano. Teams of shirtless musicians parade around tooting on fantastical instruments, like a psychedelic Busby Berkeley show. This sterling example of Eisenhower-era psychic repression was filmed in glorious Technicolor." All Ages
Date: Wednesday, August 1st Time: 7:00pm Location: Rockefeller Park in Battery Park (Directons) Cost: Free
"Celebrating her newest album release, We’ll Never Turn Back, soul legend Mavis Staples performs a special concert featuring updated ‘Freedom Songs’ of the Civil Rights Movement along with classic Staple Singers hits." All Ages.
Date: Wednesday, August 1st Time: 7:30pm Location: AMC (19th and Broadway) Cost: Free with RSVP
Catch SNL's Andy Samberg in his big screen debut for free tonight as the at another free screening of Hot Rod. First come first served so RSVP and get there early. Trailer below. All Ages.
Date: Wednesday, August 1st Time: Dusk (around 8 or 8:30) Location: Pier 54 (14th st and the Hudson River) Cost: Free
On top of getting to watch movies outside on beautiful summer nights on the Hudson River, the other thing I like about River Flicks is every year they pick a central theme for their screenings. This years theme is "films with characters who overcome in surmountable odds to prove that they are right and the rest of the world is wrong." Tonight's movie is Stripes "The story of a man who wanted to keep the world safe for democracy...and meet girls". Seating is first come, first served, and as always the popcorn is free!
Date: Wednesday, August 1st Time: 8:00pm Location: Union Hall, downstairs (702 Union St. at 5th Ave., Park Slope) Cost: Free
Too hot to think? Don't sweat it. Science is cool even in the heat. Union Hall's Secret Science Club is back with more brain-bending lectures, mind-altering cocktails, and more talks of global warming. Tonight biogeochemist William Schlesinger lectures on the “role and response of forests in a future warmer world.” 21+
Date: Wednesday, August 1st Time: 8:30pm Location: Freddy's (485 Dean st at 6th ave, brooklyn) Cost: Free
Okay, seriously? This has got to be the best idea I've heard in a long, long time. Hosted by Sarah Brown and Liz Schroeter, this monthly reading series features former awkward adolescents reciting their tales of love, lost and pimples as written in their very own diaries. Come listen to your peers' pubescent woes and triumphs, and have a great laugh while doing so. Oh, and you get to go home feeling great about being 20-something - who'd ever want to do 14 over again?
Date: Wednesday, August 1st Time: 10:00pm Location: Bar 13 (13th St. & University) Cost: Free
Its time for another "excuse to shake your mother-effin' money maker, throw your
hands in the air and get down with fellow rump-shakers on a Wednesday night" as We Are Your Friends set up shop at their new regular spot, Bar 13. Expect electro bangers, dirty disco, and all the sounds that make the kids go crazy these days. DJs Massimo (Love or Perish) & Ilirjana (Apache Beat) keep things going and there's even a live performance by Spirit Machines who sound like this.
Date: Thursday, August 2nd Time: 7:00pm - 8:30pm Location: Springfield Park (149 Ave & Springfield Blvd, Brooklyn) - Map Cost: Free
Wow... Roy Ayers is a legend. He's been changing the face of music since the 1960's, beginning as a jazz vibraphonist and then expanding into R&B, fun lfunk, and disco. He is now considered to be an icon of modern music. At 64 years old, he is a man who is always looking decades ahead of his time. Many artists have sampled his music, and yet there’s still so much more to discover about Roy Ayers. And tonight, he plays a free show deep in Brooklyn. It's good to be a New Yorker some times.
"One of the founders of the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s, iconoclastic poet, author, critic and revolutionary theorist Amiri Baraka will read from his recently published collection of short fiction Tales of the Out & the Gone (Akashic Books), which spans the early 1970s to the twenty-first century. Baraka’s fellow Black Arts Movement pioneer, the poet Sonia Sanchez, joins him on the program, reading from her vast body of work, which includes Homegirls And Handgrenades, Shake Loose My Skin and Like The Singing Coming Off The Drums: Love Poems."
Date: Thursday, August 2nd Time: 8:00pm Location: Prospect Park Bandshell (9th St & Prospect Park West, Park Slope) Cost: Free
"The dynamic Brooklyn-based company [Brave New World] follows last summer's Bandshell production of 'The Great White Hope' with an adaptation of Walt Whitman's love song to the borough 'Crossing Brooklyn Ferry' that fuses poetry, projections, music, rap, and dance. Commissioned by Celebrate Brooklyn. Violinist/composer Jenny Scheinman 'has the street musician's trick of getting attention with the pure power of a single, perfect note. (NY Times) Her latest album, 12 Songs, includes the Whitman-inspired 'Song of the Open Road."
Date: Thursday, August 2nd Time: 9:00pm - 12:00pm Location: Glory Hole (400 Morgan Ave at Maspeth Ave, Bushwick) Cost: $1 Open Bar: Wine, well, & snacks
We don't get emails from CSSlebrities like Luiza Sa so I'll let My Open Bar do the talking... "Luiza Sa of Brazil's CSS is in town for a few nights and sent over a personal endorsement of this lil' art party where she'll be spinning (along with JD Samson from Le Tigre). I would love to share the note, as it's quite funny, but every time I paste it into the window, it crashes my browser. Not trying a third time. (It's been one of those days.) She claims this party will be 'better than hitting your boss in the face,' for example."
Date: Thursdays in August Time: 9:00pm Location: Supreme Trading (213 N 8th St btw. Driggs & Roebling, W'Burg) Cost: Free Open Bar: Vodka, 9-10
Every Thursday in August, Supreme Trading rocks Sound Clash. No, this not a REAL sound clash (there has not been one of those since back at ">Volume) but it does feature fine hip hop all night from Iron Lyon and Rev McFly. Plus, there's an open bar so if your in the neighborhood then what's not to like? 21+
Date: Friday, August 3rd Time: 6:30pm - 10:00pm Location: Queens Museum of Art (click for map) Cost: Free
"Leave your baggage at home and bring a picnic blanket out to Flushing Meadows Corona Park for the QMA's Passport Fridays Free International Outdoor Film, Dance and Music Series. The weekly outdoor festivities feature dance performances by participants in the QMA/TOPAZ Arts Dance in Queens Residency Program, and continue with a live concert and film screening from one of the many countries that fuel Queens' cultural & artistic vitality." This week is a celebration of South Africa with the African Underground Allstars and a screening of U-Carmen E-Khayelitsha. All Ages.
Date: Friday, August 3rd Time: 7:00pm - 4:00am Location: South Street Seaport Pier & Spiegel Tent (South Street & Fulton St.) Cost: Free
Following the success of Nina Simone: Remixed & Reimagined, Giant Step brings their patented breed of electro-global music to the works of Lady Day. To celebrate, they are taking over the South Street Pier (early) and Speigel tent (late) for a marathon dance party. Throughout the night you'll hear DJs Nickodemus, Jazzy Nice and Nappy G on percussion, Jay Rodriguez, of the world-famous Groove Collective, on saxophone and flute, and much more. All Ages (early), 21+ (late)
FreeNYC header artist (and a proper emerging talent in his own right), John Breiner presents his latest collection of works entitled "Trail of an Octopus" on books and paper tonight at what is probably the coolest gallery on 1st street (maybe the only?) There's beats, drinks, and of course, Breiner unique style of sketchbook meets xerox-transfer meets impasto in the back alley behind the strand bookstore. All Ages.
Date: Friday, August 3rd Time: 7:30pm Location: Prospect Park Bandshell (9th St and Prospect Park West, Park Slope) Cost: Free ($3 suggested)
Prospect Park gets lit up tonight by "a night of consciousness-raising rap, with Boogie Down Productions co-founder KRS-ONE, 'hip-hop's Cassius Clay,' (Mics) LADYBUG MECCA of the seminal bebop hip-hop poets Digable Planets, and a selection of young talent from the open mic visionaries of the Lyricist Lounge." Also on the bill: Blitz, Beat Entertainment, & Turntable Anihilists. All Ages
Date: Thursday through Saturday in August Time: 8:00pm Location: La Plaza Cultural (9th St & Ave C) Cost: Free
In true NYC style, Violet Hour Productions will be presenting their own rendition of the classic The Tempest in a LES Plaza. "Think 'Lost' meets 'Life Styles of the Rich and Famous.' An elegant cruise liner shipwrecks on an enchanted island (an outdoor community garden teeming with flowers and fruit trees) and the survivors plan to start a new civilization. Unbeknownst to them, they are all in the clutches of a paranoid and maniacal sorcerer who has a 'silver-surfer'-like Ariel to do his bidding." All Ages.
"Founded in 1970 by choreographer Joan Myers Brown, Philadanco is Philadelphia’s preeminent dance company and one of the most respected in the nation. Known for its athletic and innovative works, Philadanco maintains a prodigiously active touring and teaching schedule while still breaking new ground." Tonight they perform along with Camile A Brown. "Camille A. Brown is one of New York’s most exciting young choreographers. The company that bares her name is only a year old, but already has distinguished itself. Reviewing the company’s debut, The New York Times observed: 'Ms. Brown presents the dancing body as a vehicle for overt religious celebration…[mixing] modern dance techniques with West African dance elements'" All Ages
Date: Friday, August 3rd Time: 9:00pm Location: Crash Mansion Open Bar: vodka, 9:00pm - 10:00pm Cost: Free before 11 RSVP
So this makes 2 weeks in a row that one of my favorite local bands is playing at Rock and a Hard Place. Last week it was the NY Howl with their New Orleans gutter funk and tonight its BM Linx with their electro-rock proless. These boys are fresh out of the studio with a new fired up energy so hit that open bar and see what they've been working on. 21+.
NOTE: Last week the line was moving real slow to get in this place (it is owned by BLVD and they like to have those lines outside) so make sure you allow a little extra time to get in.
Date: Friday, August 3rd Time: 10:00pm Location: 200 Orchard Bar (Orchard btn Houston and Stanton) Cost: Free with RSVP
"The New York Disco Odyssey begins tonight! We've been hounding Sacha from In Flagranti to spin at a Modular party forever and he finally caved! YES!! And our pal Domie (one half of the rad NY DJ/production duo A Touch of Class) will be there too. ATOC have produced and remixed The Gossip, Scissor Sisters and more, and have somehow managed to make over 3 million friends on MySpace! Plus everyone's favorite beauties the 2 Mandy DJs will be spinning all night!" 21+
Date: Friday, August 3rd Time: Midnight - 2:00am Location: Apple Store 5th Ave (767 Fifth Ave) Cost: Free
Tim Sweeney (beats in space) and Tim Goldsworthy (DFA) take their stab at Apple's midnight DJ series tonight down at the 5th Ave Location. The boys will drop dirty techno bangers while you play with the new iPhone and contemplate unnecessary accessory purchases.
Date: Saturday, August 4th Time: 9:00am - 6:00pm Location: Flushing Meadow Corona Park, Queens (directions) Cost: Free
More then just a Dragon Boat race (but oh what a dragon boat race it is) the the 16h Annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival is a multicultural celebration and sporting event featuring "Shaolin Temple Warrior Monks demonstrating Kung Fu, the Drum Spirit of China, and traditional music and dance from China, Mexico and Peru. There will be demonstrations of folk arts and crafts, an ethnic food court and booths staffed by sponsors and many communty based organizations." Check below for today's festivities.
THE HONG KONG DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL IN NEW YORK
SAT, AUG 4 - SUN AUG 5, 2007 | 9AM - 5PM
FLUSHING MEADOWS PARK | FREE ADMISSION | RAIN OR SHINE EVENT SCHEDULE
Entertainment on the Stage throughout the day.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
10:30 AM
Chinese Music Ensemble of New York
Founded in 1961, the Chinese Music Ensemble of New York is the oldest and only full-scale Chinese orchestra in the United States and the Americas. Its present membership of nearly fifty musicians plays practically every type of Chinese music and Chinese instruments, both ancient and modern. Its repertory ranges from ancient classical to modern compositions, spanning some fifteen hundred years of history. Many of its award musicians come from prestigious Conservatories of Music including Shanghai, Sichuan, Beijing, Shenyang, and Tienjin, as well as several renowned orchestras in China. The Ensemble has performed in major concert halls throughout the Eastern seaboard and gives an annual performance in New York City's Merkin Concert Hall.
For the HKDBF-NY performance a small ensemble from the orchestra performs in repertory on traditional string, wind and percussions instruments.
11:45 AM
Dragon Dancing Team and Percussions welcome all and, together with invited dignitaries, officially open the weekend of dragon boat races and landside festival.
12:30 PM
Simon Yu's Fusion Band
Guitarist, composer and arranger, Hong Kong musician Simon Yu uses the influences of his traditional Chinese Musician family in his playing and compositions. His micro-tonal music mixes Chinese/Indian/Turkish mico-tonal systems with Western modern groove music. Now based in Boston, this Fusion Band just returned from a tour to Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Osaka performing Simon Yu's original compositions.
1:30 PM
Niall O'Leary Irish Dance Troupe
Niall O'Leary is a former All-Ireland and World Champion from Dublin, Ireland. A much sought after choreographer and instructor, Niall is the director of the largest Irish dance school in Dublin and New York City. Niall's dancers, now living in New York, are from around the world. Together they blend their influences and experiences to create an exciting Irish Dance Show, combining traditional forms with new choreography. The troupe has appeared through out the New York area, toured internationally and in 2001 and 2002 toured America with "the Three Irish Tenors".
2:30 PM
Dan Lipton + Band
Songwriter, arranger and ace keyboard player, Don Lipton is a musical chameleon whose work bridges pop music, film scoring and theatrical projects. Lipton is a creator and resident music director of the Off-Broadway comedy show Don't Quite Your Night Job. He played piano for several Broadway shows including The Full Monty and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and recently completed the marathon Broadway run of the Tony winning Tom Stoppard play The Coast of Utopia at Lincoln Center. Dan Lipton + Band can be heard at popular music venues throughout New York and Chicago.
3:30 PM
Shaolin Kung Fu
Warrior monks from the Shaolin Temple perform martial arts. In the history of the Shaolin Temple, founded in 495 AD, generation after generation of monk generals and soldiers protected the temples from wars and riots of society.
Date: Saturday, August 4th Time: 11:00am (sale), 4:00pm - 7:00pm (party) Location: Printed Matter (195 10th Ave btw. 21st & 22nd St.) Cost: Free Open Bar: Tiger Beer (at party)
"Hanging from the ceiling, the windows, and clotheslines draped throughout the store, artist-made t-shirts take over Printed Matter for one day only. Participants include a laundry list of today’s most exciting artists working on cotton. The t-shirt sale begins at 11:00am and includes one-of-a-kind hand drawn t-shirts as well as specially designed and silk screened t-shirts. The party kicks in at 4:00pm with music by DJ Dr. Ninja’s Black Bart Sabbath Sound System, buttons by Noah Lyon’s Retard Riot, made-to-order silk screened underwear by j. morrison, free haircuts by Nelson Loskamp’s electric chaircut, a visit from the heartschallenger ice cream truck, and a free raffle for selected t-shirts." All Ages.
Date: Saturday, August 4th Time: 11:30am - 2:00pm Location: Groundwork Community Playground (PS328 at 330 Alabama Ave btw. Sutter and Blake, Brooklyn) Cost: Free
The Caribbean comes to Brooklyn on the first Saturday of the month as Groundwork, Inc. brings an afternoon of storytelling, children's facepainting, free refreshments/drinks, and Caribbean music. There's even a basketball shooting contest and a sprinkler for the kids to play in! Perfect for the "what am I going to do with the kids all day in this 90º heat this weekend" blues. Directions below. All Ages.
From the C train:
Exit at Liberty stop. Walk about 6 blocks SOUTH along Pennsylvania Ave, turn RIGHT on Sutter Ave.; walk 3 blocks and turn LEFT on Alabama Ave. Walk 1 ½ blocks until you see the playground on the right.
From the 3 train:
Exit at Pennsylvania stop. Walk about 6 blocks NORTH along Pennsylvania Ave, then turn LEFT onto Blake Ave.; walk 3 blocks and turn RIGHT onto Alabama Ave. Walk ½ block until you see the playground on the left.
Date: Saturdays in August Time: 1:00pm Location: Governor's Island (Directions Below) Cost: Free
Giant Step and LMCC team up for the In The Pocket series throughout August. Hailed as your "summer day trip getaway." These events combine quality world music with a little afternoon getaway. "Bring a picnic and hop on the free ferry to the island off the island for some New World Music." This afternoon features local afro-beat superstars Antibalas and Ogans. "Brooklyn’s Antibalas expand the musical language of Afrobeat developed by Fela Anikulapo-Kuti in late-‘60s Lagos, Nigeria, adding Latin, jazz, and classical elements to their funky mix. Ogans incorporate capoeira into their un-traditional Afro-Brazilian mix of music and dance." All Ages, directions below.
Ferrys to the Island depart every hour starting at 10am-5pm
No Cover Charge
GETTING TO GOVERNORS ISLAND
Access to the Governors Island Ferry will be on a first-come, first-served basis. On Saturdays and Sundays, ferries will depart for Governors Island from the Battery Maritime Building in Lower Manhattan every hour on the hour beginning at 10:00 am until 3:00 pm. The Battery Maritime Building is located at the corner of South and Whitehall Streets, adjacent to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. Ferries will return from Governors Island every hour on the ½ hour with the last public ferry returning to Manhattan at 5:00 pm.
Access to Governors Island is also available via NY Water Taxi. For schedule, fares and information log on to nywatertaxi.com.
Date: Saturday, August 4th Time: 3:00pm - 7:00pm Location: Summerstage (Central Park - directions) Cost: Free
"Spam Allstars include every type of instrument in their music, from timbales to turntables, creating an exhilarating mix of Latin music, R&B, funk, hip-hop, deep-down dub and spaced-out soul. The instigator of this acousti-electronic jam style is DJ Le Spam, a Miami-based turntablist of English-Venezuelan extraction. The group’s latest album, electrodomésticos, includes contributions from soul-funk legend Pee Wee Ellis." They are joined this afternoon by the Spanish Harlem Orchestra and Tato Torres Y Yerbabuena.
Date: Saturday, August 4th Time: 7:30pm Location: Prospect Park Bandshell (9th St and Prospect Park West, Park Slope) Cost: Free ($3 suggested)
"The Paris-based French Antillian founding fathers of zouk—a driving mix of Caribbean rhythms, Franco-pop, and American funk—storm into Brooklyn en masse, blowing horns, banging drums, and whipping the crowd into a frenzied, hip-shaking mob with music that "sounds like the makings of a glorious carnival." (NY Times) Brooklynite Gaston Jean-Baptiste, aka BONGA, is a master traditional Haitian drummer and a high priest of voodoo."
Date: Saturday, August 4th Time: 8:00pm Location: Water Taxi Beach (2nd St and Bordon Ave, LIC) Cost: $3
Where there's Warm Up there's the Beach Party and in proper fashion, PS1's best - and maybe only - afterparty continues tonight with DJs, real trucked-in sand, and the best beach on the... er.... East River. Residents Justin Carter, Probus, and The Brothers' Brothers hold down the turntables to keep you dancing along with special guest Tim Sweeney (DFA). 21+
Date: Sunday August 5th Time: 10:00am - 6:00pm Location: Flushing Meadow Corona Park, Queens (directions) Cost: Free
More then just a Dragon Boat race (but oh what a dragon boat race it is) the the 16h Annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival is a multicultural celebration and sporting event featuring "Shaolin Temple Warrior Monks demonstrating Kung Fu, the Drum Spirit of China, and traditional music and dance from China, Mexico and Peru. There will be demonstrations of folk arts and crafts, an ethnic food court and booths staffed by sponsors and many communty based organizations." Check below for today's festivities.
Multiple drums, zithers and lutes combine rhythms and sounds of old China and Western classical. The members include Julliard trained musicians as well as traditional Chinese instrumentalists.
10:45 AM
Chinese Theatre Works
The Monkey King, in full battle dress, confronts and defeats those colorful characters who would challenge him. This is a modern performance of the exciting and acrobatic dance from the epic Monkey King stories.
11:00 AM
Arabian Nights
Just off a tour of Europe's major cities and a recent performance in NYC's Town Hall (rave reviews by the New York Times) this ensemble plays music that includes Middle Eastern-inspired fusion with a mix of gypsy sounds. These New York based musicians, all classically trained, also regularly appear on Broadway and throughout the concert halls and clubs.
12 Noon
Dumpling Eating contest
1:00 PM
Chinese Cultural Center's Dance Company
The resident company from America's premier traditional Chinese dance company, which includes international renowned artists, performs traditional and folk dances transporting audiences to a world of colorful myths, historical drama and timeless beauty.
2:00 PM
James Reams & The Barnstormers
This band plays traditional bluegrass music with an old-time country edge and a sound that's very much their own. It relies on early country material and originals written in authentic style. The results are a virtual history of the music and its roots. Mark Farrell on mandolin, fiddle and harmony vocals; Reuben Radding on upright bass and harmony vocals and Doug Nicolaisen on banjo.
www.jamesreams.com/barnstormers
3:00 PM
Shaolin Kung Fu
Warrior monks from the Shaolin Temple perform martial arts. In the history of the Shaolin Temple, founded in 495 AD, generation after generation of monk generals and soldiers protected the temples from wars and riots of society.
Date: Sunday, August 5th Time: 2:00pm Location: McCarren Park Pool (Bedford Ave and N 11th, Williamsburg) Cost: Free with RSVP
Blonde Redhead need no introduction. This eerie, wispy, dissonant love-child of Sonic Youth and Shonen Knife has been pushing out some of the finest post-emo indie rock stateside for years. This afternoon they invade the McCarren Park Pool to liven up your Sunday afternoon.
JukeboxHeroes set up show again this summer with their Sunday house music series, Another Taste of Summer. Every other week they bring soulful, global groove (and jackin classics from chicago and detroit) to this Williamsburg outdoor space. There's BBQ, and 2 for 1 sangria or margaritas from 3 - 5. This week features Syntax Music w/ Onionz, Master D, Stas + Jay-Roc alongside residents Lovesoundproject, DJ Spider, & Dbow & Lou Cass.
Date: Sunday, August 5th Time: 7:00pm Location: Socrates Sculpture Park (32-01 Vernon Blvd, LIC - directions) Cost: Free
The second night of the film portion of, L.I.C, NYC, an exhibition celebrating the working artists of Long Island City, curated by Andréa Salerno. The exhibit also features work by FreeNYC favorites Flux Factory, and monumental balloon sculptures by Jason Hackenwerth. Exhibit continues through August 5th.
Date: Sunday, August 5th Time: 7:00pm - 10:00pm Location: Summerstage (Central Park - directions) Cost: Free
"AfroReggae was formed in 1995 in the favela shanty-towns of Rio de Janeiro. Fusing many elements of Brazilian and international music past and present—including mangue beat, rap, samba-reggae, funk, raga, xaxado beats, drum ‘n’ bass, capoeira and candomblé—the 13 member group has established itself as one of Brazil’s most passionate and creative bands. AfroReggae has collaborated with artists like Arnaldo Antunes, Nando Reis and Caetano Veloso, and opened for the Rolling Stones at a 2006 Copacabana Beach concert for a crowd of over 2 million people. " Their performance tonight will preceed a screening of "Zuzu Angel, which tells the true story of a famous Brazilian fashion designer of the ‘70s, and her political awakening after the military regime kills her son." All Ages.
Date: Sunday, August 5th Time: 8:00pm (gates at 7:00pm) Location: MoMA Garden (54th St. bet. 5th & 6th) Cost: Free
As a card carrying member of the MoMA, you think I would be well versed in this secret Summergarden of theres. But low and behold, I didn't even know there was a garden! Every Sunday, the MoMA open their garden gates for a free, outdoor jazz concert at sunset. Tonight features a collection of works perfomed by The Juilliard Ensemble. All Ages.
Admission to Summergarden is free. Chairs are limited and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. The Sculpture Garden may be closed if attendance reaches maximum capacity. Entrance is through the Garden gate on Fifty-fourth Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues. The Garden opens at 7:00 p.m., and concerts start at 8:00 p.m. In the event of rain, concerts will be held indoors in The Agnes Gund Garden Lobby. The entrance is also on Fifty-fourth Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues, and doors open at 7:30 p.m.
Date: Monday, August 6th Time: 3:30pm Place: Naumburg Bandshell, Central Park Cost: Free
One of Canada's oldest community Brass Bands, the Whitby Brass Band, bring 140 years of musical experience to the bandshell this afternoon for a genre-spanning live performance of swing, pop, broadway, and more this afternoon.
Date: Monday, August 6th Time: Lawn opens at 5:00pm, movie at dusk Place:Bryant Park (42nd St @ 6th ave) Cost: Free
Bryant Park's summer film series conties tonight with the Marily Monroe classic Bus Stop. "Marilyn Monroe, in a spectacular turn, is a hardened bar room singer who yearns for Hollywood but becomes the romantic focus of a naive rodeo cowboy. With his mind set on marriage, he tries desperately to take her home to Montana." Trailer below. All Ages.
Date: Monday, August 6th Time: 7:00pm Location: Barbés (376 9th St, at Sixth Ave) Cost: Free
Every first and third Monday Barbes plays host to a variety of films. Tonight's shorts are "Metacarpus" (directed by Nicole Triche) which is an experimental documentary that takes a closer look at the human hand, and "Gulu Stories" is an intimate portrait of life on the ground in Northern Uganda, told through camp fire stories, aid worker accounts and the compositions of local musicians. Tonight's feature film is "The Guest Worker". "Color Having spent the last 40 years harvesting American crops, Candelario Gonzalez Moreno (Don Cande) is now a guestworker in the U.S. Government's H-2A Visa Program. While he has made the trip illegally many times before, the program ensures him safe passage but offers no hope of citizenship and the benefits that go along with it."
Lauryn Hill's 1998 solo debut The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill showed this Fugee was a major vocal and lyrical force, blending rap, soul, reggae, and R&B into an undeniably powerful, and deeply personal style. As a writer, arranger, and producer, she also delivered several times over on her initial promise of multi-faceted talent. Songs like "Doo Wop (That Thing)," "Ex-Factor," and "Lost Ones" are profound and timeless classics. Chart burner Sean Kingston Opens. All ages.
Date: Tuesday, August 7th Time: 1:00pm Location: Borders Wall St. (100 Broadway) Cost: Free
In his new book "You Can Run But You Can't Hide," Dog the Bounty Hunter "recounts his incredible story, chronicling his journey from his onetime criminal past to the guiding faith that has led him to become one of the most successful bounty hunters in American history. Against all odds, DOG turned his life around and went from ex-con to American icon." Here his tales as he signs books this afternoon
Date: Tuesday, August 7th Time: 7:00pm Location:McCarren Pool, Lorimer St. Wburg (btw Driggs and Bayard) Cost: Free
So where is the sequel? I mean, we have a sequel to the first War in the Gulf(tm), where is the Marky Mark sequel to Three Kings? Oh, wait, I'm sure they are working on it. The Summerscreen series continues tonight as Volkswagen and the L Magazine present a series of weekly free movies over in Williamsburg's treasured McCarren Park Pool, and tonight's feature is "Three Kings". VW owners bring your keys for a free goodie bag. Check here for the full schedule.
Date: Tuesday, August 7th Time: 8:00pm - 10:00pm Place: Tompkins Square Park (8th St. Between Aves. A & B) Cost: Free
"An urban ensemble that could only have formed in New York City, Universes combines poetry and political activism, hip-hop and jazz, minute social observations and expansive philosophical themes for a unique theater experience. As described in the Village Voice, this 'effervescent, racially mixed group…are as likely to kick some poetry as break out into a capella singing, or to orchestrate a vocal exercise as they are to burst into a step show…Their energy and realness is unmatchable.'" Tonight they perform Live From The Edge, a "celebration of communal creation, tracing the evolution of a culture’s poetic language from nursery rhymes to hip-hop flow." All Ages.
Date: Tuesday, August 7th Time: 8:00pm Location: Banjo Jims Cost: Free, 1 drink minimum per set
The Felice Brothers are back in town after taking a long hiatus (since the fall I believe) and ready to win you over once again with their honest take on good old Americana. They've been compared to some of the great American songwriters such as Bob Dylan and Woodie Guthrie but their sound is as applicable to our time as it was there's. The Brothers are just off a European tour with David Grey and The Waterboys so tonight's the night to welcome them home. 21+
Date: Tuesday, August 7th Time: 9:00pm (band at 10:30) Place: 205 (205 Chrystie at Stanton) Cost: Free with RSVP Open Bar: Something, 9-10
Its really refreshing to see the ultra-talented, local live-tronic Benzos release their new album with a live show tonight at über-hipster 205. I've watched these boys play jam-laden events (oh is that a naughty word on the music scene these days!) at North Six, Camp Bisco, and various other venues with contemporaries such as Philly's Brother's Past or Juan MacLean. And While there may not be enough hooks in their shoegaze indie meanderings for your average bar-goer, its nice to see the trendset get behind something that doesn't involve Justice's latest remix. Tonight is highly recommended as is their show at the Knit on Thursday on a proper system for a mere $8. 21+ tonight.
Date: Tuesday, August 7th Time: 10:00pm Location: Home Sweet Home (131 Chrystie) Cost: Free Open Bar: 10:00pm - 11:00pm
The All England Club brings you the sounds of British Reggae all night long. A one hour open bar and $3 Buds all night will keep everyone else looking sharp in your eyes. When they kick out your front door, how you gonna come?
Date: Wednesday, August 8th Time: 6:00pm Location:Rare Gallery (521 W. 26th) Cost: Free
Come enjoy complimentary drinks, check out some art and bid on a bevy of great artists' work to benefit the Seed Project. Hey, it's my birthday and I need to buy myself a suitable present. See below for list of artists.
Swoon, Lynda Abraham, Michael Alan, Todd Anderson, Donovan Barrow, Batman & Batman, Thomas Beale, Dianne Bowen, Brendan Roche, Chris Clark, David Cohen, Lisa Dahl, Todd Deluca, Troy Dugas, Lee Everett, Amy Finkbeiner, Matthew Fisher, Ryan Ford, Asha Fuller, Emily Ginsberg, Langdon Graves, Shannan Hayes, Halsey Hathaway, Midori Harima & Annysa Ng, Aaron Holz, Joanna Kambourian, Ray Kass, Yasamin Keshtkar, Cheol Yu Kim, Mary Lydecker, Fernando Mastrangelo, Gabriela Alva Cal y Mayor, Chris Mir, Joel Morrison, Brandon Neubauer, Justin Nissely, Lindsey Nobel, John O’Connor, Yooah Park, Guy Stanley Philoche, Kristine Robinson, Jennifer Rogers, Christopher Reiger, Hugh Sansom, Bryan Savitz, Michael Schall, Ridgely Schantz, Adriane Schramm, Aaron Storck, Nina Sweeney, Alison Elizabeth Taylor, Troy Tecau, Cassie Thornton, Fumiko Toda, Sarah Trigg, Scott Teplin, Arien Valizadeh, Annie Varnot, Deborah Wasserman, Sadie Weis, Nick Van Woert, Melinda Yale, Seldon Yuan
Date: Wednesday, August 8th Time: 6:30pm Location: Solar1, Stuyvesant Cove Park (FDR and 22nd Street) Cost: Free
Scenes from the opera version of the 17th century epic folk novel, Journey to the West, in which the story's hero, Sun Wu Kung a.k.a. Handsome Monkey King, is at a particularly naughty and rebellious stage of his career. When Monkey finds out that he has not been invited to the Queen of Heaven's Peach Banquet, he decides to take his revenge by sneaking into the banquet hall and eat the peaches and drink the wine. He is caught by a fairy but manages to fight his way free and escape.
Date: Wednesday, August 8th Time: 7:00pm Location: Jackie Robinson Park (145 St. & Amsterdam Ave.) Cost: Free
How about some hip hop for your hump day. Tonight, Biz Markie and Lovebug Starski hold a free performance in Jackie Robinson Park. In case you have been living under a rock for years now, "A master free-style rhymer, Biz presented himself as a figure of fun while somehow maintaining his street cred...Biz’s opted to write from the point of view of an eighth grader, and on songs like “Just A Friend,” he delivered his hilarious raps in a tongue-twisting style or a loud, out-of-tune sing-song." And for course Lovebug Starski was there at the birth of hip-hop: some even claim he was the first to call it by that name. He was house DJ at the legendary club Disco Fever and manned the wheels of steel at Club Harlem World and Rennaisance as well...Lovebug Starski has never forgotten how to keep a party movin."
Date: Wednesday, August 8th Time: Dusk (around 8 or 8:30) Location: Pier 54 (14th st and the Hudson River) Cost: Free
On top of getting to watch movies outside on beautiful summer nights on the Hudson River, the other thing I like about River Flicks is every year they pick a central theme for their screenings. This years theme is "films with characters who overcome in surmountable odds to prove that they are right and the rest of the world is wrong." Tonight's movie is The Gladiator, the tale of Roman betrayal and gladitorial revenge. Seating is first come, first served, and as always the popcorn is free!
Date: Thursday, August 9th Time: 4:00pm - 7:30pm Location: Dag Hammarskjold Plaza (East 47th St. btw 1st and 2nd Ave) Cost: Free
"The Third Annual People Building Peace Concert, coinciding with the arrival of Peace Boat's ship to New York City, will bring the rhythms of the world to the United Nations and highlight the initiatives people everywhere are making to build peace and say no to nukes and war!" The day will feature Asiko, a revolutionary blend of Nigerian Afrobeat,
Highlife and JuJu music, Yuca Seca Band playing Latin rhythms of traditional Afro-Cuban Son, Boleros, Guaracha, and Changui. Plus Pete Seeger and the Walkabout Clearwater Chorus playing folk music for peace and justice, Absolute Bhangra with Lively Punjabi dance and The Blue Vipers a Dixieland and early Swing band straight from New Orleans, and also featuring Japanese modern dance, international Art Projects
and more!
Date: Thursday, August 9th Time: 5:45pm Location: Hudson River Park's Pier 54 Pier 54 (14th st and the Hudson River) Cost: Free
"The perfect blend of music to compliment a beautiful summer night on the Hudson River! Come chill out to the Latin groove funk of Yerba Buena and the acid jazz of Los Amigos Invisibles. It is going to be a great night of music that is not to miss!" All Ages.
Date: Thursday, August 9th Time: 6:00pm Location: Josie Robertson Plaza, Lincoln Center (Columbus Ave bet. 62nd and 65th St.) Cost: Free
"It's like "Stomp", but instead of garbage can lids and broom sticks, these Lords of the Larynx use only their vocal chords... From the streets of Bali to Carnegie Hall, from meditative throat singing to high-energy Hip Hop rhymes, Akim Funk Buddha creates borderless performance art, fusing sounds and movements. An avid world traveler and self-described old-school B-boy MC, he is known for his holistic approach to Hip Hop, drawing from a full spectrum of cultural traditions and artistic disciplines." Part of the ongoing Lincoln Center Out of Doors Festival. Video below... All Ages.
Date: Thursday, August 9th Time: 6:30pm - 9:30pm Location: WhiteBox (525 West 26th St) Cost: Free
Has the art world exchanged its revolutionary obligations for nonconfrontational, pleasing aesthetics? "Without an element of cruelty at the root of every spectacle, the theater is not possible. In our present state of degeneration it is through the skin that metaphysics must be made to re-enter our minds. (Antonin Artaud, Theater and its Double) Join White Box this afternoon for a healthy discussion of followed by a reception. More below. All Ages
The above quote is culled from Antonin Artaud's writings whose reference to the theater of cruelty is often misconstrued as synonymous with sadism. There is no doubt that Artaud's framework for a new, revolutionary theater carried with it a poetics of transgression; yet, his unique aesthetic approach to the stage with its subtext of violence was neither gratuitous nor for shock value. Rather, what he sought to attack was the inertia of a theater that expressed a lifeless art to a submissive audience and coupled together, became a complacent pairing that inadvertently supported the status quo.
Analogously, contemporary art and its public seem to be suffering from their own particular strains of political and social indifference. This acquiescence undermines contemporary art's radical potential and is one of the many points of contention that the exhibition entitled Theater of Cruelty rubs up against. The artists in the exhibition engage contemporary art’s conventions similar in spirit to Artaud’s vilification of theater’s conservatism; their intent is to jolt us from our conformity in order that we may think more critically about the world we live in. They individually approach this through diverse themes formally articulated via a plethora of media including video, painting, photography, sculpture, works-on
So maybe your up in the park for the above mentioned Harlem Hop... or maybe you don't get out of work until 6:00pm so your just getting there now. Whatever the case, there is no better reason to find yourself on 112th st today then for a free dose of Slick Rick and DJ Red Alert. Slick Rick brings his slow drawl, eye patch wearin' storytelling rhymes to the park for a free show today along side Boogie Down Productions' Kool DJ Red Alert. Expect packed crowds but who knows when they will deport Slick Rick again so you don't want to miss out.
“Ricky D’s in control! Of what? The hip-hop scene…” So drawled the mighty Slick Rick on his 1989 debut The Great Adventures Of Slick Rick. With his beret, his eye-patch and his mock-British accent, Slick Rick was like no one else in rap. Not only did he have beats from the Bomb Squad (the production team behind Public Enemy’s greatest hits), but he was a master storyteller and peerless rhymer, able to bring all sorts of surreal characters to life in his songs. Though various scrapes with the law prevented him from fully capitalizing on his initial success, Slick Rick is still one of the most distinctive voices in the realm of hip-hop.
One of the most famous DJ’s in rap history, Kool DJ Red Alert has been showcasing new hip-hop for over 20 years—in dance clubs, on mix-tapes, and perhaps most importantly on legendary radio shows for KISS-FM, Hot 97 and Power105.1. Known for playing only the music he likes, no matter how obscure, Red Alert helped launch of the careers of the Jungle Brothers, A Tribe Called Quest and Queen Latifah, joined KRS-One’s Boogie Down Productions, and earned a place in the Rock ‘N Roll Hall of Fame.
Date: Thursday, August 9th Time: 7:00pm Location: Prospect Park Bandshell (9th St & Prospect Park West, Park Slope) Cost: Free
"(The Hold Steady) are rock & roll's 21st Century saviors—and perfect headliners for a fist-pumping all-Brooklyn triple bill. THE BIG SLEEP churn out 'seducing-yet-disorienting bedroom-metal,' (Spin.com) while the gritty and soulful TEENAGE PRAYERS boast a front man, Tim Adams, whose vocals are a fascinating cross between a traditional R&B belter and Stephen Malkmus.' (Trouser Press) Friends of CB pre-concert reception supported by Betancourt & Associates Realty. (All Ages)
Date: Thursday, August 9th Time: 7:30pm Location: Asser Levy/Seaside Park, Coney Island (directions) Cost: Free
So maybe you didn't get Daft Punk tickets tonight. Or maybe you've seen the Rapture so many times that you've memorized every rocker pose and waining lyric. Or maybe - like me - your fascinating that a 2000s dance superstar and 1980s dance superstar are both converging on that quiet beach town known as Coney Island today. Whatever the reason - pre-Daft Punk, alt-Daft Punk, or simply love for the slide whistle - the B-52s once again play their annual outdoor show tonight. Hit up the "Love Shack" before you dance the night away like a robot. All ages.
Date: Thursday through Saturday in August Time: 8:00pm Location: La Plaza Cultural (9th St & Ave C) Cost: Free
In true NYC style, Violet Hour Productions will be presenting their own rendition of the classic The Tempest in a LES Plaza. "Think 'Lost' meets 'Life Styles of the Rich and Famous.' An elegant cruise liner shipwrecks on an enchanted island (an outdoor community garden teeming with flowers and fruit trees) and the survivors plan to start a new civilization. Unbeknownst to them, they are all in the clutches of a paranoid and maniacal sorcerer who has a 'silver-surfer'-like Ariel to do his bidding." All Ages.
Its been almost a year since I wrote about Elk City and I am glad to see them make their way back to the site. Elk city are kind of like the lovechild of Belly and the Pixies but with a more 2007 indie rock thing then the 1997 indie rock thing. They've revived my love for the tambourine. mmm... tambourine. Anyway, tonight they play a free show at the 'Fix along with Elizabeth Harper who matches perfectly. Much more concise stolen review below. All Ages.
Firebrand Renée LoBue (singer/songwriter) brings you on a freewheeling make-out session after your worst break-up, as she and Ray Ketchem (drummer/producer) team up with influential ex-Luna guitarist Sean Eden and ex-Lovelies bassist Barbara Endes on New Believers, Elk City's (www.elkcity.net) finest work to date. The band's roots are deep: LoBue and Ketchem first paired as Melting Hopefuls, a pioneering 1990's band that scored two "Single of the Week" picks in England's Melody Maker and a SPIN Top Ten Single. In 1998, they became Elk City and recorded two critically acclaimed albums: 2000's status (Hidden Agenda) and 2002's Hold Tight the Ropes (WARM/Touch & Go). The band criss-crossed the US and Europe endlessly to promote their releases, touring with The Walkmen, Luna and The National. Elk City became the first group to sign with trailblazing French imprint Talitres and performed for more than 450,000 listeners on French radio. Elk City calls upon a wide palette of influences: 1960's psychedelic bands such as Love, the girl group sounds of classic Motown, 1970's proto-punk heroes John Cale and Television, and 1980's alternative rock such as The Smiths and The Pixies. New Believers closes with the promise "be set for more." With New Believers as example, there is much more in store for fans of Elk City.
Date: Friday, August 10th Time: 6:30pm - 10:00pm Location: Queens Museum of Art (click for map) Cost: Free
"Leave your baggage at home and bring a picnic blanket out to Flushing Meadows Corona Park for the QMA's Passport Fridays Free International Outdoor Film, Dance and Music Series. The weekly outdoor festivities feature dance performances by participants in the QMA/TOPAZ Arts Dance in Queens Residency Program, and continue with a live concert and film screening from one of the many countries that fuel Queens' cultural & artistic vitality." This week is a celebration of China with dance, music and a screening of Curse of the Golden Flower. All Ages.
Shawn Barber exhibits the latest in his Tattoo Portraits series tonight entitled The New York Experience. "The Tattooed Portraits series is an analysis, documentation and celebration of artists with tattoos, tattoo artists, tattooed art, and tattooist's materials. The artists portrayed in the series are pioneers in contemporary art history.
For his exhibit at Invisible NYC, The New York Experience, Mr. Barber focuses on painting twenty-three of New York City's most accomplished tattoo artists, specifically focusing on their primary tools of the trade - their hands..." All Ages.
"Mr. Barber’s gestural, loose approach to the application of the paint and the rendering of the subject gives a unique, contemporary vibrancy and movement to his portraits. He combines multiple perspectives of the visually electric tattooed arms and hands, alluding to the fact that a tattooist’s hands – and hands in general - are not static subjects. His approach to painting is much the same as the approach to tattooing in that movement is integral to the final product as well as to how the work is first conceived. Although his paintings present a fresh take on the tradition of portraiture, they also reference that fact that tattoos are bold, moving works of art."
Date: Friday, August 10th Time: 7:00pm Location: South Street Seaport (Fulton St. & South St) Cost: Free
Nice! I know nothing about Au Revoir Simone but they kind of sound like 80s-inspired synth-driven Shoegaze Laika which is okay by me. Check them out tonight and see for yourself... "The all-keyboard, all-female, Brooklyn-based Au Revoir Simone has spent the better part of the past year touring throughout Europe and Japan. The trio released its first full-length album, The Bird of Music, in May, features "a few straight pop songs, a few dreamy ones and some epic journeys... All about love of course," All Ages.
Date: Friday, August 10th Time: 7:30pm Location: Prospect Park Bandshell (9th St & Prosepect Park West, Park Slope) Cost: Free
"Come check out the bell-bottomed dreaminess of Rishi Kapoor and Tariq as they lip-synch and boogie their way through three hours of musical numbers in the 1977 Bollywood classic Hum Kisi Se Kum Nahin. Nasir Hussain's dizzying Technicolor action-romance tells the story of Kajal, a heavily mascara'd heiress who gets caught up in a plot to hunt down a cache of diamonds as well as (surprise!) a melodramatic love triangle. Keep an eye out for spectacularly low-tech, high-impact scenes, like Kajal floating through India's skies on balloons. DJ Rekha, of Basement Bhangra, hosts this evening of irrepressible song and dance — a much less creepy alternative to Travolta in a fat-suit." All Ages
Date: Friday, August 10th Time: 10:00pm Location: Cost: Free
It's Good Foot time again and each month it keeps getting better. Not only do you have the usual combination of DJ Morsy and Jess Jubile dropping mashed up bangers and miami bass but there are special guest DJ's Emynd & Bo Bliz (white t's & white belts), Curtis Vodka, and Flufftronix bringing the electro-hipster madness. If that wasn't enough, they've opened a second sound-system in their raw basement space that screams of house party. PUMPS (Vida & Carmine P Filthy) spin who knows what down there. And finally (whew!) its Jess Jubile's birthday tonight so you know things are gonna be live. If your within 50 blocks of this spot then you best stop by tonight. Goes late. 21+
Date: Friday, August 10th Time: 10:00pm Location: Mixx Lounge (84 7th Ave South btw. Bleeker and Grove) Cost: Free Open Bar: Vodka, 10-11
Not sure what's up with this one but its hard to find a Friday night open bar for free these days so this may be a good jump off for the night... "DJ OP! and DJ Knomad playing Hip Hop, Reggae, Disco, 80s, Soul, Classics, and other crowd pleasers." There's also 2 for 1's until 9pm and free buffet from 6:30 - 8. Not a bad after work spot. 21+
432 Promotions was born out of the need for more parties in NYC that are of high quality at an affordable price. Parties that people can go to and after work to have a drink with friends, or parties that they can stay at late into the night and dance - all wrapped in one. At 432 Promotions, we strive to keep entry free (of hassle and cover charges) and drinks cheap, while emphasizing quality vibes and music by handpicking our locations and DJs. We can't think of any other parties out there that can give you so much for such little money.
Date: Saturdays in August Time: 1:00pm Location: Governer's Island (Directions Below) Cost: Free
Giant Step and LMCC team up for the In The Pocket series throughout August. Hailed as your "summer day trip getaway." These events combine quality world music with a little afternoon getaway. "Bring a picnic and hop on the free ferry to the island off the island for some New World Music." This afternoon features Sweet Micky. "A musical marvel born in Port-au-Prince, Sweet Micky has brought incredible energy, passion and sensitivity to the world of Haitian compas music, layering satire and sharp commentary over pulsating, infectious beats." All Ages, directions below.
Ferrys to the Island depart every hour starting at 10am-5pm
No Cover Charge
GETTING TO GOVERNORS ISLAND
Access to the Governors Island Ferry will be on a first-come, first-served basis. On Saturdays and Sundays, ferries will depart for Governors Island from the Battery Maritime Building in Lower Manhattan every hour on the hour beginning at 10:00 am until 3:00 pm. The Battery Maritime Building is located at the corner of South and Whitehall Streets, adjacent to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. Ferries will return from Governors Island every hour on the ½ hour with the last public ferry returning to Manhattan at 5:00 pm.
Access to Governors Island is also available via NY Water Taxi. For schedule, fares and information log on to nywatertaxi.com.
Date: Saturday, August 11th Time: 2:00pm - 6:00pm Location: East River Park Amphitheatre (Cherry St. & FDR Drive) Cost: Free
"The East River Music Project is a group of people dedicated to putting on free summer concerts of local music at the East River Amphitheater." And we here at FreeNYC applaud this! Four Saturday's through out the summer ERMP brings you free shows. This weekend it's Vampire Weekend, Jonathan Kane's February, and Meg Baird who's retro-folk stylings have been on constant rotation in my studio as of late. Band Bios below. All Ages.
VAMPIRE WEEKEND
Acclaimed by the New York Times ("...something about their preppie, polyrhythmic sound feels fresh and funny and, weirdly, inevitable. Instead of borrowing from early Talking Heads albums...they're borrowing from Afro-pop, just as Talking Heads did on later albums. In retrospect it's a brilliantly well-timed approach") and John Darnielle ("They have awesome afrobeat-style guitar and an singer with a pretty sweet voice and, on the evidence of the songs on their Myspace, a natural gift for melody the likes of which you don't hear very often."), among others. Is it catchy? It's very catchy. Currently available is a three-song EP, plus a contribution to Stereogum's recent OK Computer tribute.
MEG BAIRD
May 2007 saw the release of Meg Baird's Dear Companion on Drag City. While Baird is primarily known for her work as a member of Philadelphia's acclaimed Espers, this solo work has been receiving its fair share of critical praise as well. "Each of Dear Companion's acoustic guitar-plus-voice songs feels as if it comes from another era, primarily the late-'60s heyday of British folk, with some '70 singer-songwriter touches thrown in for good measure. Whereas Baird's contemporaries...come across like a modern band simply appreciating the music of decades ago, Dear Companion genuinely sounds like a lost Fairport Convention recording." (Andrew Earles, The AV Club)
JONATHAN KANE'S FEBRUARY
I'll let the label bio speak for itself here: "Jonathan Kane is a Downtown NYC legend -- as co-founder of the no-wave behemoth Swans, and the rhythmic thunder behind the massed-guitar armies of Rhys Chatham and the rock excursions of La Monte Young -- and one of the hardest-hitting drummers on the planet. With his solo work, Kane summons Swans' concussive wallop, Chatham's dense guitar strata, and the perpetual propulsion of 70s krautrockers Neu, then steers it all head-on into... the blues." From having seen February (Kane's live band) myself, I can say that those comparisons are entirely accurate. Four guitars, one bass, and Kane on drums, playing music that draws from traditional blues and folk and runs it through a minimalist filter. To give you a sense of what this is like live, witness this live-at-WFMU performance:
Its an afternoon of brass-fueled swamp funk this afternoon as Summerstage bring Galactic, The Golden Eagle Mardi Gras Indians, & Soul Rebel Brass Band to park for an afteroon of meaty, blues dancing. Each band carry that New Orleans tradition of of big band, live energy but most notable are the boys from Galactic who have infused elements of hip hop and electornica into their sound as of late. While there most likely won't be any MCs at this show, check out the track below for an example of what I am talking about. All Ages.
Hardcore punk veterans who fell in love with the music of New Orleans, guitarist Jeff Raines and bassist Robert Mercurio formed Galactic to express their newfound appreciation of Professor Longhair, The Meters, the Neville Brothers and Dr. John. The instrumentalists of Galactic have developed a meaty, bass-heavy mix of swamp funk, bluesy hard rock, electronics and improvisation which New York Times critic Jon Pareles praised as “some of the most danceable music on earth.” Galactic is currently finishing its next album, which includes a guest appearance by New Orleans legend Monk Boudreaux.
After 30 years singing with Bo Dollis and the Wild Magnolias, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux struck out on his own and formed a new “tribe,” the Golden Eagles Mardi Gras Indians. Bourdreaux’s half moaning, half spoken singing style perfectly fits the hypnotic, reggae influenced sound of the Golden Eagles, and creates a sound that is New Orleans at its rawest and most funky.
For the members of the Soul Rebel Brass Band, “second line” jazz music is part of their make-up, almost as important as blood. But the band also likes modern hip-hop, and has managed to combine the two styles into an original sound that is contemporary while true to New Orleans traditions. Soul Rebel has worked with everyone from Crescent City favorites the Neville Brothers to progressive hip-hoppers A Tribe Called Quest and The Roots and rock icons Jimmy Page and Robert Plant.
Long Island City's Socrates Sculpture Park brings concerts to their month long FLOAT exhibit this afternoon with three of my favorite local acts. The no-filler lineup features Budos Band, El Michels Affair, and Chin Chin each bringing their own take on modern funk and soul. This is a great alternative to the always-packed-and-sweaty dance party that is PS1 Warm up and highly recommended. All Ages
The HOWL festival comes uptown with a carnival of performance and incidental activities. Imagine a day in Tompkins Square Park in the heart of the Lower East Side/East Village – filled with fashionistas, musicians, dancers, street theater and onsite installations by Terry Hardy and George Spencer that reflect the artistic spirit of the Village of the 1960s, 70s, 80s and today. Guest appearances include: Hungry March Band, Vit Horejs, Janis Joplin, Bob Holman, East Village Dance Project and a host of other downtown luminaries and shadow figures. It's all followed by the Drumsong African Ballet Theatre. All Ages.
Date: Saturday, August 11th Time: 6:00pm -9:00pm Location: The powerHouse Arena (37 Main St at Water St, DUMBO) Cost: Free with RSVP
All Writes Reserved: The Works of RETNA, REVOK & SABER is full of blindingly colorful, carefully rendered, and physically distorted letterforms and artwork. The exhibit will also house a large-scale installation that combines West Coast graffiti with found objects from the streets of New York. By utilizing found objects, they are taking ownership of the integrated items, and are essentially translating what occurs in the streets to this exhibition. Artist bios below.
RETNA’s style and experience have been pure Los Angeles from the beginning. He took equal cues from gang graffiti blocks and bright, old school renderings. He is known for his complex and eye-catching pieces painted on walls allover L.A. and beyond. RETNA’s art is collected by a number of celebrities, and he has shown his work at such institutions as the Pacific Design Center.
REVOK took to graffiti with an unparalleled combination of daring and artistry. His hardcore approach includes painting rooftops and billboards, combined with painting incredibly intricate walls. REVOK is unquestionably a real mover of the graffiti movement, one of the world’s best for the past decade.
SABER was already a fixture in the Los Angeles graffiti scene, but in 1997 when he completed the largest graffiti piece ever created he was catapulted to global legend. His piece on the sloping bank of the Los Angeles River is nearly the size of a football field, and can be read clear as day from a satellite photo. SABER is also known for his surreal landscapes, groundbreaking metal and wood sculptures and painstakingly rendered hyper-realistic canvases.
Date: Saturday, August 11th Time: 7:00pm - 10:00pm Location: MF Gallery (157 Rivington St. btw. Clinton & Suffolk) Cost: Free
MF GALLERY‚s Martina and Frank have curated a show of New York's wildest
underground artists for this Summer Carnival Extravaganza! The opening party,will be a mini street fair with FUN for all ages. Balloons, Puppet Shows, Face Painting, Music, Games, Burlesque Painting, Animals, Clowns, Drinks, Costumes, Food & Performances are just a few of the attractions. Fun Carnival Artwork by Molly Crabapple, Skip Williamson, Mike Stoneroad, Joe Simko, Mike Nirenberg, Aaron Tompkins, Muffinhead, Emma Porcupine, Garry Boake, Jaz Harold, Extremo The Clown, and many others, will hang in the gallery, while the carnival fun spills out onto the street. All Ages.
Date: Saturday, August 11th Time: 10:00pm Location:Highline Ballroom (431 W. 16th btwn 9th and 10th) Cost: Free til Midnight with RSVP
Every Saturday, Highline Ballroom hosts Robot Rock. This week, Head Automatica are playing live at midnight with Vampires For Hire. Followed by dance party extravaganza with DJ sets from Head Automatica's Daryl Palumbo, Dimitry!!!, Nick Hook (from Men Women & Children) and Eli Escobar. It's worth checking out the space and hey, its free.
Since the early 1990’s, Zap Mama has reigned supreme as one of the premier groups in world music. And they’ve done this by largely ignoring the label of “world music.” Founded by Zaire native Marie Daulne, Zap Mama specializes in a form of evocative vocal technique that Daulne learned from the pygmy tribes of her homeland. At heart, the Zap Mama sound is based on the harmonic and percussive sounds that the five members make using nothing but their voices. Over the years, Daulne has added instrumentation and contemporary touches to the group’s style, and worked with people like Common, King Britt, Erykah Badu, Nelly Furtado and The Roots. Time magazine has noted "Marie Daulne and Zap Mama make music that sounds like a one woman multicultural movement, melding African percussion, American soul and European urbanity." Angelique Kidjo opens. All Ages.
Date: Sunday, August 12th Time: 3:00pm Location: Coleman Skate Park (Pike and Monroe under Manhattam Bridge) Cost: Free
Red Bull Manny Mania is a super tech manual contest inspired by manny tech wizard and Red Bull pro Joey Brezinski. This is the first all-pro skateboarding contest ever held in Manhattan and the line up is pretty ridiculous: Joey Brezinski, Danny Supa, Kenny Anderson, Brian Wenning, PJ Ladd, Chris Haslam, Jereme Rodgers, Kerry Getz, Zared Basset, Devine Calloway, Sean Malto, Dennis Busnietz, Nick Dompiere, Chico Brenes, Daniel Castillo, Ronnie Creager, the list goes on.
Date: Sunday, August 12th Time: 8:00pm (gates at 7:00pm) Location: MoMA Garden (54th St. bet. 5th & 6th) Cost: Free
As a card carrying member of the MoMA, you think I would be well versed in this secret Summergarden of theres. But low and behold, I didn't even know there was a garden! Every Sunday, the MoMA open their garden gates for a free, outdoor jazz concert at sunset. Tonight features Culture Shock Project. "With Culture Shock Project, Etienne Charles explores jazz through the African rhythms and folk traditions of the Caribbean. Charles interprets stories of West Indian folklore characters for this concert, which includes the world premiere of the suite An Encounter with La Diablesse." All Ages.
Admission to Summergarden is free. Chairs are limited and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. The Sculpture Garden may be closed if attendance reaches maximum capacity. Entrance is through the Garden gate on Fifty-fourth Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues. The Garden opens at 7:00 p.m., and concerts start at 8:00 p.m. In the event of rain, concerts will be held indoors in The Agnes Gund Garden Lobby. The entrance is also on Fifty-fourth Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues, and doors open at 7:30 p.m.
Denmark's own Junior Senior are getting big. I'm talking Fuji Rock Festival big. Their hit "Move your Feet" was an instant classic and now their back working the circuit in honor of a new, equally infectious album of party jams. And while they have a well worthy show coming up at the Highline Ballroom next month, this is most likely your last chance to catch they 80's inspired disco-rock in such an intimate place. This is the perfect McCarren Pool afterparty so don't sleep on this one. All Ages. Video Below.
Date: Monday, August 13th Time: Lawn opens at 5:00pm, movie at dusk Place:Bryant Park (42nd St @ 6th ave) Cost: Free
This timeless masterpiece of film takes place at Rick's Cafe Americaine, the gin joint where intrigue, romance, valor and compassion collide at the edge of Europe during WWII. Humphrey Bogart sticks his neck out for nobody, except beautiful Ingrid Bergman, the love who left him years ago in Paris. All Ages.
Date: Monday, August 13th Time: 6:00pm - 10:00pm Place: Private Park Inside Hudson Hotel (356 W 58th St.) Cost: Free with RSVP
Giant Step's Monday evening DJ series continues tonight at Private Park with Benji B. Benji B is a highly influential underground DJ. He presents his Deviation radio show on the BBC's 1Xtra every Thursday night, and has developed a reputation over the last decade as a skilled DJ, important musical tastemaker and award-winning radio producer and presenter. His radio shows and DJ sets are musical journeys unique in club-land, blending tunes from all genres of underground music. Always reaching for the deeper side of the music with an ear open to the future - "whether it's Broken Beat or House or Hip Hop, the beats have gotta be right. And the music has to be soulful." This is new jazz and soul at its best and beats your average happy hour hands down. Space is limited so RSVP right quick. 21+
Grammy Award winner, composer, producer, mother and all-around superstar Anita Baker takes the stage tonight in her first ever Brooklyn performance. This is much more intimate then her usual arena or amphitheatre tour so if your a fan of this queen of R&B then tonight's your night. All ages.
Date: Monday, August 13th Time: 8:00pm -12:00am Place: Hotel QT (125 W. 45th St. btw 6th and 7th Aves) Cost: Free with RSVP
Its the QT Pool Party all over again. Couldn't make it to Fire Island this weekend, maybe a midtown dip is the next best thing. Josh Link spins mashed up funky whatever while you don your bathing suit and kick back cocktails and discuss how you never get summer Fridays off and your weekends are too short. 21+
Date: Monday, August 13th Time: 8:00pm Place: Living Theatre (21 Clinton Street) Cost: Free
In recognition of the anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima in August, 1945, the Living Theatre Company reads Enola Gay, the winner of the 2006 John Gassner Memorial Playwrighting Award, by Australian playwright David Blackman. The script incorporates actual memos and conversations into the drama about events leading up to the decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan. All Ages.
Date: Tuesday, August 14th - Sunday the 26th Time: 12:00pm - 7:00pm Location: Cost: Free Entry
Sweet Tater opens their vintage warehouse doors for a serious sale on leather boots and sandals, winter coats, summer dressed, high waisted denim, vintage blouses and most. Most items between $5 - $25 so stock up on some fresh, recycled fashions for the fall.
Date: Tuesday, August 14th Time: 1:00pm Location: Military Island (43rd St and Broadway) Cost: Free
On the anniversary of the end of World War II, Pucker up for Peace invites couples from all generations and of all types to celebrate again in Times Square, in honor of the US Armed Forces and in celebration of the universal ideals of peace, love and hope. A special invitation is extended to couples whose kisses bridge boundaries, be they religious, political, racial, national or otherwise, as well as veterans of WWII, returning veterans from the Iraq War, and couples in costumes commemorating the original 1945 kiss.
Date: Tuesday, August 14th Time: 7:00pm Location:McCarren Pool, Lorimer St. Wburg (btw Driggs and Bayard) Cost: Free
Ah the life -- robbing banks, bootlegging and murderin' -- all with your trusty moll by your side. I always wanted to see this one on the big screen and tonight's the night. The Summerscreen series continues as Volkswagen and the L Magazine present a series of weekly free movies over in Williamsburg's treasured MCarren Park Pool, and tonight's feature is Bonnie and Clyde. VW owners bring your keys for a free goodie bag. Check here for the full schedule.
Date: Tuesday, August 14th Time: 8:00pm Location: The Elevated Acre, 55 Water Street Cost: Free
Movie Nights are back again this year with screening of films that helped make the New York City skyline famous. Come early and enjoy the view, popcorn, and the versitile vocal stylings of Bliss Blood and her cast of musical characters... In Blake Edward’s adaptation of Truman Capote’s novel, George Peppard stars as a struggling writer, Paul Varjak, and Audrey Hepburn as the iconic, quirky neighbor Holly Golightly. Holly's lifestyle confuses and fascinates Paul; in public she flits through parties with a sexy, sophisticated air, but when they're alone she changes into a sweetly vulnerable bundle of neuroses. All Ages
“In this adaptation of Truman Capote’s novel, fortune hunter Holly Golightly
finds herself captivated by aspiring writer Paul Varjak, who’s moved into
her building on a wealthy woman’s dime. The portrayal of Holly Golightly as
the naive, eccentric socialite is generally considered to be Audrey
Hepburn's most memorable and identifiable role.”
Date: Tuesday, August 14th Time: 10:00pm Location: APT (419 W 13th St) Cost: Free
Two serious DJs - Stretch Armstrong and DJ Sunjiho - combine for one serious nighs of fat beats, feel good dancing, and no door hassle. Dirty electro boogie beats and club bangers. This is a one off night so its not to be missed.
Date: Tuesday, August 14th Time: 10:00pm Location: Home Sweet Home (131 Chrystie St bte. Delancey & Broome) Cost: Free Open Bar: Newcastle, 10pm until gone
This trendy fashion party features free Newcastle Brown Ale from 10PM on and no cover. Watch Kario Steel of Atelier, Kirin of Screaming Mimi's, and Rick of What Goes Around Comes Around compete in a fierce DJ Battle. Hot. 21+ [via Sheckys]
Date: Wednesday, August 15th Time: 6:00pm - 9:00pm Location: The powerHouse Arena (37 Main Street, Brooklyn) Cost: Free with RSVP
GRBG is hosting another event in celebration of the “Gangs of New York” Fall ’07 collection. This time around they are showcasing a photo exhibit of the fall look book shot in Coney Island and a screening of the Cult Classic “WARRIORS”. There will be an open bar courtesy of of 10 Cane rum and sounds from The Ransom Reps.
Date: Wednesday, August 15th Time: Dusk (around 8 or 8:30) Location: Pier 54 (14th st and the Hudson River) Cost: Free
On top of getting to watch movies outside on beautiful summer nights on the Hudson River, the other thing I like about River Flicks is every year they pick a central theme for their screenings. This years theme is "films with characters who overcome in surmountable odds to prove that they are right and the rest of the world is wrong." Tonight's film is one of great controversy among the FreeNYC family, as some of us love Beerfest and some of us (aka ME) do not! You'll have to judge for yourself! Seating is first come, first served, and as always the popcorn is free!
From juicy mangos to sex on Fire Island and more, August's In The Flesh takes into the bedroom and beyond with steamy stories from some of New York's naughtiest (plus a visiting guest from Minneapolis). Featuring John Blesso (Sharehouse Confidential), Perry Brass (Carnal
Sacraments), Catherine Lundoff (Crave), Elisha Miranda (The Sista Hood), and Michelle Herrera Mulligan (Juicy Mangos). Hosted by erotic writer and editor Rachel Kramer Bussel (He's on Top, She's on Top, Caught Looking). Free candy and cupcakes will be served and authors books will be available for sale.
Date: Wednesday, August 15th Time: 10:00pm Location: Ottos Shrunken Head (538 West 14th Street near Avenue B) Cost: Free
You've got mixes, remixes, covers, samples, everyone is stealing and borrowing and reinterpreting from one another, so why shouldn't there be a night dedicated to such unoriginal creativity. Copycat is a night of cover songs, remixes and all the hits with DJ Xerox and special guest DJ, The Sea Bishop. Plus Sousalves and Dirty Wings perform live sets in the back which will be at least half covers.
Date: Thursday, August 16th Time: 9:00pm Location: Union Hall (5th Ave and Union St, Park Slope) Cost: $10 Open Bar: Beer, 9-9:30 & 12-12:30
After years of waiting, our friends Project Jenny Project Jan have released their debut album and tonight we celebrate with an over-the-top basement bash over at Union Hall. PJPJ will be on hand, of course, with their electro-fueled karaoke stylings and we've brought along a group of favorites to help in the party. Brooklyn's own Cassettes Won't Listen will be performing a full live band set of techno-rock that says from shoegaze to dance jams, Nanachill's DJ Morsy will be kicking things off with some mashed up DJ Mayhem, and we've even brought back Jonny from Eclectic Methods for a late night VJ jam as he cuts and scratches on his 2 DVD player 2 CD rig. Plus, Miss Coney Island brings her sideshow styling as special MC for the night and we've got not 1 but 2 open bars! This one's gonna be super fun so don't miss out! 21+ lots of music below.
Date: Thursday, August 16th Time: sundown (DJs at 6pm) Location: Empire Fulton State Park, DUMBO (map) Cost: Free
They synopsis says it all... "An unknown batter takes a losing team to the top of the league in this magical sports fantasy." Check out the classic The Natural this evening at sunset. DJ Conquerrah spins before the film. All Ages
Date: Thursday, August 16th Time: 7:00pm Location: South Street Seaport, Pier 17 (Fulton St at South St) Cost: Free
After collaborating with the likes of Kanye West, Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, Rafael Saadiq and Robert Randolph, Leela James has made a name for herself in the R&B world. Inspired by Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner and Chaka Khan, and propelled by her floor-shaking voice, poetic lyrics, and indelible talent, she’s headed to the top. All Ages.
Detroit-based neo-soul sensation Dwele grew up on the music of Motown icons like Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, and he marries their old school passion to an utterly contemporary feel. His sophomore album, Some Kinda..., was released in 2005, and it highlights this singer/producer/instrumentalist’s smokey charisma and melodic skill. All Ages.
Date: Thursday, August 16th Time: 7:30pm Location: Damrosch Park Southwest corner of the Lincoln Center Plaza (62nd St near Amsterdam Ave) Cost: Free
Lula Washington Dance Theatre, a beautifully trained ensemble from Los Angeles, blends Afro-Caribbean, modern, street-dance and jazz techniques to create brilliant depictions of African American experiences, past and present. 21+
Date: Thursday through Saturday in August Time: 8:00pm Location: La Plaza Cultural (9th St & Ave C) Cost: Free
In true NYC style, Violet Hour Productions will be presenting their own rendition of the classic The Tempest in a LES Plaza. "Think 'Lost' meets 'Life Styles of the Rich and Famous.' An elegant cruise liner shipwrecks on an enchanted island (an outdoor community garden teeming with flowers and fruit trees) and the survivors plan to start a new civilization. Unbeknownst to them, they are all in the clutches of a paranoid and maniacal sorcerer who has a 'silver-surfer'-like Ariel to do his bidding." All Ages.
Date: Friday, August 17th Time: 6:30pm - 10:00pm Location: Queens Museum of Art (click for map) Cost: Free
"Leave your baggage at home and bring a picnic blanket out to Flushing Meadows Corona Park for the QMA's Passport Fridays Free International Outdoor Film, Dance and Music Series. The weekly outdoor festivities feature dance performances by participants in the QMA/TOPAZ Arts Dance in Queens Residency Program, and continue with a live concert and film screening from one of the many countries that fuel Queens' cultural & artistic vitality." This week is a celebration of dance, music, and film from Tunisia. All Ages.
Date: Friday, August 17th Time: 7:00pm Location: South Street Seaport (South St and Fulton St) Cost: Free
"Taking cues from such artists as Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and Johnny Cash, these New Yorkers by way of Cincinnati fuse the expressive depth of composed music with the urgency of pop. Its sound, built with guitar, bass, piano and drums festooned with brass, woodwinds, backing vocals, strings, and organs, could be dubbed “orch-pop” They bring their Americana-rooted, bar-soaked gems to the picturesque shores of Manhattan for one amazing night." All Ages.
Date: Friday, August 17th Time: 7:00pm Location: Damrosch Park, Lincoln Center Plaza (62nd St near Amsterdam Ave) Cost: Free
"Lula Washington Dance Theatre, a beautifully trained ensemble from Los Angeles, blends Afro-Caribbean, modern, street-dance and jazz techniques to create brilliant depictions of African American experiences, past and present." All Ages.
Date: Friday, August 17th Time: 9:00pm Location:Lolita Bar (266 Broome) Cost: Free
Midge and Shirley are back with an evening of 60s soul, 70s jams and the occasional Xanadu soundtrack gem (which has been scarily requested since it's bizarre staging on Broadway). Drink specials all night- don't be afraid to cross Delancey Street and get down!
Date: Friday, August 17th Time: 10:00pm Location: Pacha (618 W 46th St) Cost: Free
Normally we don't post events at the big mega clubs 'cause they tend to come with big mega price tags, but this one is actually free! Tonight, DJ Tengo spins house at Pacha's Secret Society party to get you dancing on your Friday night. Get there before 12 though, before they hike the price up.
Date: Friday, August 17th Time: 10:00pm Location: Highline Restaurant (Little West 12th and Washington) Cost: Free
Pukka is spinning tonight at Highline Restaurant in the Meatpacking District. Highline has a fancy lounge downstairs so definitely come dressed to impress, but girls leave your heels at home and bring your dancing shoes 'cause Pukka promises us beats to get you moving!
Date: Saturday, August 18th Time: 11:00am - 6:00pm Location: Pelham Bay Park Cost: Free
"Nearly 70% of Americans oppose the U.S. War in Iraq. Despite this, 3,600 U.S. soldiers have been killed and an estimated 10,000 Iraqis die each month. Become an active part of the pro-peace majority during a day of food, music and discussion in support of a peaceful and just resolution to the war. [Bring] Food to share, sunscreen, blanket to sit on, open mind"
Date: Saturdays in August Time: 1:00pm Location: Governor's Island (Directions Below) Cost: Free
Giant Step and LMCC team up for the In The Pocket series throughout August. Hailed as your "summer day trip getaway." These events combine quality world music with a little afternoon getaway. "Bring a picnic and hop on the free ferry to the island off the island for some New World Music." This afternoon features Si*Sé and personal favorites the Toubab Krewe. "With New York City’s diverse cultural mix as their model, singer/DJ Carol C. (Si*Sé) and programmer U.F. Low seamlessly work soul and Latin influences into their stylish dance grooves. Developing their unique sound after studying and performing with musical masters on extended trips to Africa, Asheville, North Carolina, quintet Toubab Krewe bridge East Coast and West African influences, blending Malian, American, and “Dirty South” influences." All Ages, directions below.
Ferrys to the Island depart every hour starting at 10am-5pm
No Cover Charge
GETTING TO GOVERNORS ISLAND
Access to the Governors Island Ferry will be on a first-come, first-served basis. On Saturdays and Sundays, ferries will depart for Governors Island from the Battery Maritime Building in Lower Manhattan every hour on the hour beginning at 10:00 am until 3:00 pm. The Battery Maritime Building is located at the corner of South and Whitehall Streets, adjacent to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. Ferries will return from Governors Island every hour on the ½ hour with the last public ferry returning to Manhattan at 5:00 pm.
Access to Governors Island is also available via NY Water Taxi. For schedule, fares and information log on to nywatertaxi.com.
Date: Saturday, August 18th Time: 4:00pm - 4:36pm Location: World Financial Center (by the North Cove Yacht Harbor, blue are in the attached photo) Cost: Free
To be honest I am not 100% sure what will happen at MP3 Experiment Four between 4 and 4:36 today, but I am certainly intrigued and promise to pass on what I do know! "The Mp3 Experiment is Improv Everywhere’s first mission to take place inside an actual theatre. As its name suggests, it’s really more of an experiment that a mission. Our typical audiences are made up of unsuspecting members of the public." Here are your instructions: 1. Download the Mp3 2. Load the track onto your mp3 player 3. Do not listen to the track. 4. On Saturday, wear a t-shirt that is one of the following colors: Red, Blue, Yellow, or Green. 5. Pack a digital camera or camera phone, if you have one.
6. Bring a watch with a second hand. Tell me you're not intruiged!
JukeboxHeroes set up show again this summer with their Sunday house music series, Another Taste of Summer. Every other week they bring soulful, global groove (and jackin classics from chicago and detroit) to this Williamsburg outdoor space. There's BBQ, and 2 for 1 sangria or margaritas from 3 - 5. This week features Chris Annibel (afrokinetic) + Sabo (turntable lab, sol*selectas) alongside residents Lovesoundproject, DJ Spider, & Dbow & Lou Cass.
Date: Sunday, August 19th Time: 6:30 - Midnight Location: Le Grand Dakar (285 Grand Ave, btwn Clfton Pl & Lafayette Ave, Fort Greene) Cost: Free
Today some good folks are throwing a party and benefit auction to raise money for a bigger party and some other good folks. Party for the People, a celebration of community consciousness, for the many, beautiful communities of Brooklyn, which is taking place October 6, and will showcase community service organizations and socially conscious artists from throughout the borough of Brooklyn. To raise fund today there will be a benefit auction, music, art, film and performances featuring, Reggae sensation Judah Tribe, Spiritchild of Mental Notes, Stephanie Rooker (soul, funk, R&B), a showcase of Movement in Motion poets, musicians, and MCs, plus DJ Poodlecannon spinning eclectic world beats
Date: Sunday, August 19th Time: 8:00pm (gates at 7:00pm) Location: MoMA Garden (54th St. bet. 5th & 6th) Cost: Free
As a card carrying member of the MoMA, you think I would be well versed in this secret Summergarden of theres. But low and behold, I didn't even know there was a garden! Every Sunday, the MoMA open their garden gates for a free, outdoor jazz concert at sunset. Tonight features a collection of works performed by The New Juilliard Ensemble. All Ages.
Admission to Summergarden is free. Chairs are limited and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. The Sculpture Garden may be closed if attendance reaches maximum capacity. Entrance is through the Garden gate on Fifty-fourth Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues. The Garden opens at 7:00 p.m., and concerts start at 8:00 p.m. In the event of rain, concerts will be held indoors in The Agnes Gund Garden Lobby. The entrance is also on Fifty-fourth Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues, and doors open at 7:30 p.m.
Date: Sunday, August 19th Time: 9pm Location:the Living Room (154 Ludlow) Cost: free
Its summer time...and the living's easy. And nothing is easier listening than three cute girls in matching dresses playing smooth folksy country camp on a hot summer night. Menage a Twang reunite for an evening of easy breezy love. What a way to ring in the week.
Date: Daily through Sept 3rd Time: 10:00am - 8:00pm (closes at 7 on weekends) Location: 255 West 17th St btw 7th and 8th Ave Cost: Free Entry
Girls, you know you've been shapening those nails and practicing those shirt snatching skills all month and not its the payoff. The Barney's Warehouse kicks off today and continues all month with 50-75% off the cities finest clothes, shoes, and accessories. Men, there's pleny there to help you step up your game as well.
Date: Daily through September 3rd Time: weekdays 11:00am - 7:00pm, weekends 9:00am - 7:00pm Location: Brooklyn Bridge Park (btw Piers 4 and 5, 334 Furman St) Cost: Free
We are a little late on this one as we have been bombarded with a slew of summer events, but with this one, it's definitely better late than never. The Brooklyn Bridge Park has installed a floating pool which they are calling The Floating Pool Lady. It's a 25-meter, 7-lane floating swimming pool moored in the East River. Besides the pool there is also 40,000 square foot beach where you can lay out, grab a burger, rent an umbrella and enjoy the views of New York Harbor. There are some restrictions due to size and demand, so see below for details.
How does it work? The Floating Pool Lady has a maximum capacity of 175 persons. The pool is 4 feet deep throughout. Swimmers will be issued colored wristbands for swim sessions on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you have to wait for a swim session, enjoy some time on the beach. There are concession stands, umbrella and chair rentals, and volleyball and soccer games! Please see below for complete pool and beach guidelines.
What are the swim session hours? Weekdays: 11:00-12:30; 1:00-2:30; 3:00-4:30; 5:00-6:45. Weekends: 9:00-10:30; 11:00-12:00; 12:30-1:30; 2:00-3:00; 3:30-4:30; 5:00-6:45. On weekdays, wristbands are given out one hour before each session; on weekends, they are given out 1/2 hour before each session. Due to popular demand, we are sorry we cannot guarantee the swim session of your choice.
Date: Monday, August 20th Time: Lawn opens at 5:00pm, movie at dusk Place:Bryant Park (42nd St @ 6th ave) Cost: Free
The Bryant Park film series closes out tonight with the thriller classic, Psycho. "Alfred Hitchcock directs Janet Leigh as an unfortunate lady-on-the-run who checks into the remote Bates Motel. There she encounters the creepy owner, played by Anthony Perkins in his career defining role, and meets a ghastly fate." All Ages.
Date: Monday, August 20th Time: 6:00pm Location: Botanica (47 East Houston St) Cost: Free
Looking for that super rare old school funktified 7"? Shakey's Record Fair is probably the ownly place you'll find it. Rare record dealers are hand selected and invited to this monthly record fair that includes a top notch DJ party as well including 15 of the cities best showing off their love for vinyl with mini-sets. 21+
Date: Mondays Time: 7:00pm - 9:00pm Location: Bar BQ (689 6th Ave at 20th St, Park Slope) Cost: Free Open Bar: Free bourbon of the week, 7-9
Not to be confused with the old Blue Owl Monday, Blue Monday is a more southern take on easing in your work week. Enjoy live blues (7-9) and free bourbon (7-9) if you can get out of work fast enough to hit the slope. If not, there's $2 Blue Points all night and, of course, BBQ).
Date: Monday, August 20th Time: 7:30pm Place: Josie Robertson Plaza, Lincoln Center (Columbus Ave. bet. 62nd and 65th St.) Cost: Free
Deeply ensconced in Irish roots, Mick Moloney has recorded and produced over 40 albums of traditional music. With a Ph.D. in folklore and folklife, he was awarded the National Heritage Award from the National Endowment for the Arts — the highest official honor a traditional artist can receive in the United States. Tonight he plays live along with Les Yeux Noirs who bring together Gypsy and Yiddish music with a nod to Manouche (French Gypsy) jazz violinists by combining violins, violoncello, accordion, electric guitar, cimbalom, and electronic samples in innovative, complementary ways. All Ages
Brooklyn's own Luke Temple just dropped his first album and has been getting praise across the board for his own blend of anti-folk melodies and american gothic lyricism. Hear what the hype is about first hand at tonight's intimate show. All Ages.
Date: Tuesday, August 21st Time: 12:00pm - 8:00pm Location: Orchard Bar (120 Orchard St btwn Stanton and Delancey) Cost: Free entry
NYC clothier and t-shirt smith Kiser are at it again, this time with a rock-bottom-priced sample sale and bar party. You can get cheap goods for as cheap as$10 and lots of stuff is 2 for 1!
Date: Tuesday, August 21st through Sunday Time: 1:00pm - 8:00pm Location: Sweet Virginia (164 Havemeyer Street, W'Burg) Cost: Free
Barney's sale a little too intense for ya? Then check out this mega-sale at Williamsburg's Sweet Virginia where clothes and shoes are 50%-75% off all week... just in time to fix up before school's back in session. Hours below.
Date: Tuesdays Time: 8:30pm - 10:00pm Location: Lazy Catfish (593 Lorimer St at Conselyea) Open Bar: PBR & Hot Dogs, 8:30-10
Not sure if there's music or DJs but there are always board games and Galaga to play. Plus, with free PBR and hot dogs, and $1 wells from 10-11 afterwards this is pretty much a sure fire cheap night out.
Date: Tuesday, August 21st Time: 9:00pm Location: The Tank (279 Church St) Cost: Free with RSVP (suggested donation)
Catch a special pre-release screening of Leonardo DiCaprio's The 11th Hour tonight. 11th Hour "is a feature length documentary about the environmental crises caused by human actions and their impact on the planet. With the help of over fifty of the world's most prominent thinkers and activists, including reformer Mikhail Gorbachev, physicist Stephen Hawking, and Nobel Prize winner Wangari Maathai, "The 11th Hour" documents the grave problems facing the planet's life systems."
Date: Tuesdays Time:10:00pm Location:Happy Ending (302 Broom St) Cost: Free Open Bar: Well Vodka, 11:30-12
Happy Ending is always good for a little late night booze-fest and tonight is no exception. Their new party, Dirty Disco mixes all the sounds the kids are diggin' these days... or in 1987... disco (duh), brit pop, indie, and new wave. While this will never replace the insanely debaucherous Sh!t Hammered weekly where I once say 4 Hassids shoot tequila while 2 lesbians made out on a bed in the middle of the dance floor - it should still prove to be a good time. 21+
Tools of War is at it again, bringing True School hip hop back to the uptown masses. Tonight's Harlem Hop Finale is a true school hip-hop dream with Grandmaster Caz, The Original Jazzy Jay, Kool DJ Red Alert, Popmaster Fabel, Fe'Nique, and King Uprock bringing the classic funk, break, disco, etc. to Harlem for an early evening show in the park. All Ages
Date: Wednesday, August 22nd Time: 7:00pm (doors 6:15) Location: ImaginAsian (239 East 59th Street) Cost: Free with RSVP
Another film from the cutting edge of Asian cinema, this time with aspecial guest appearance by the directors Chris Sheridan and Patty Kim as well as a live performance of "Song for Megumi" by Noel Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul and Mary. "'Abductions, The Megumi Yokota Story' is the remarkable true tale of a 13-year-old girl snatched off
the beach of Niigata, Japan in 1977 by North Korean spies. For 20 years, her parents no idea where she was or even if she was alive, until the whole world learned the shocking truth. Abduction follows Megumi's parents' emotional 30-year odyssey to try to bring her home."
The Delfonics were one of the first groups to feature the smoothed-out, orchestra-heavy soul that came to be known as “the Philly Sound.” Their 1968 debut included the single “La-La (Means I Love You),” a huge hit that stood out from the rawer Stax/Volt records, then ruling the charts. With original member William Hart still holding down the fort, the Delfonics provide a sweet reminder of those golden days of R&B when harmony was king. All Ages
Date: Wednesday, August 22nd Time: 7:00pm Location: Lucky Cheng's (24 1st Ave) Cost: Free with RSVP
Another meeting of The Onion Society For The Preservation Of Alcohol... "As per usual, we'll meet to the honor and the pleasure of Jameson Irish Whiskey (while supplies last) starting at 7 p.m. The Onion Society welcomes all alcohol preservationists over the age of 21. The Society meets monthly to discuss the issues of greatest import to alcohol preservationists: mainly, alcohol and the endless possibilities it bears." 21+
Creator of the "Spatial Music" concept, in which the performers are distributed throughout the performance space and surround the audience, experimental composer Henry Brant—a Pulitzer Prize winner—makes works for multiple ensembles. Dormant Craters is a percussion work for four percussion ensembles including steel pan band and gamelan. The effect is a stunning, not-to-be missed music experience—a wall of percussion sounds creating a world-wide "big bang." All Ages.
Date: Wednesday, August 22nd Time: Dusk (around 8 or 8:30) Location: Pier 54 (14th st and the Hudson River) Cost: Free
On top of getting to watch movies outside on beautiful summer nights on the Hudson River, the other thing I like about River Flicks is every year they pick a central theme for their screenings. This years theme is "films with characters who overcome in surmountable odds to prove that they are right and the rest of the world is wrong." Tonight's film movie is Superman Returns. Seating is first come, first served, and as always the popcorn is free!
Date: Wednesday, August 22nd Time: 8:00pm Location: Southpaw (125 5th Ave, Park Slope) Cost: Free with RSVP
So you think you've got ping pong skills, eh? Well, put them to the test this evening as The L Magazine bring a little tourney to Park Slope's South Paw complete with prize packs, advanced screening tickets for Balls of Fury, and $2 PBRs. Just watch for that dude with the sandpaper paddle... wicked english on that one.
Date: Wednesday, August 22nd Time: 10:00pm Location: Beauty Bar (231 East 14th Street) Cost: Free Open Bar: Vodka, 10pm - 11pm
an explosive selection of 80's, New Wave, Pop, Indie, Metal, & Dance rip through ye old beauty bar tonight while you get drunk on free vodka. What more can I say? 21+
Date: Thursday, August 23rd Time: 7:00-11:00pm Location: The Showroom (117 2nd Ave at 7th St, 2nd Fl) Cost: Free with RSVP
"Get ready to rumble, as east meets west and history gets made one OG girl doll at a time." What does that mean, I have no idea but with DJ Cosmo Baker, free Brooklyn Brewery Beer, and art from the likes of Alife, Cycle, Tristan Eaton, Haze, Evan Hecox, Irak, Krink, Lady Pink, and a host of others, you know this is going to be live.
I don't like to play favorites, but SoundFix has been burning up FreeNYC lately with quality free show after quality free show. Tonight is no exception with a double free bill with the haunting melodies from Glasgow's Camera Obscura and Seattle's Tiny Vipers. This is a fantastic show for those of you who dig post-folk female melodies and good music lovers in general.
Date: Thursday, August 23rd Time: 7:30-9:30pm Location: The Change You Want To See (84 Havemeyer St at Metropolitan Ave, W'Burg) Cost: Free
Hacking Couture is an artist talk and interactive fashion workshop with Giana Pilar Gonzales which "explores the merging of interactivity and fashion by applying the concept of open source to the process currently executed to forecast fashion. The design elements or DNA of an established brand, like Chanel, are revealed to be part of a system that invites participation. Preconceived understandings of 'open' modes of participation are broken down to reveal unforeseen limitations, and with them, new possibilities." Continues Friday, More below.
To execute a hack, the digital (or visual) aspects of a brand are first determined – for example, Chanel’s main color scheme is white on black. The next step is documenting the analog aspects of the code, which is done by examining the representations of a designer’s works in advertising and editorials. A successful hack is when a designer/contributor includes the core elements of the design code as part of their design. To a certain extent, the new creations are "part" of the same species, but not exactly of the same kind. The designer/contributor visually connects the elements of the design and imbues them with meaning.
In applying the language of new media and technology to textiles - a media that could arguably be called “older” or “traditional”, Hacking Couture plays with contemporary cultural discourse. This juxtaposition leads us to question what defines a “new” technology versus one that is not new. The shift in understanding that follows creates an opening whereby the social fabric of culture can begin to unravel. In Hacking Couture, designer/brand clothing serves as a specific example that points to a more general cultural condition.
About the Workshops
#1. Armani Hack, Thursday
In this workshop we will explore Giorgio Armani's Fashion Code and history. Our creations will use as primary material recycled suits for the creation of a new generation of Armanis, brainstormed by us, and shared online.
#2. D&G Hack, Friday
D&G is known to be one of the naturalists in Italian Fashion. Their use of animal prints, leathers, underwear as a structure for their creations brings their costumers to a natural/savage state. We bring our animalistic self into this workshop and brainstorm a whole new way of sexiness. We will be using underwear to build our designs upon it.
Date: Thursday, August 23rd Time: 10:00pm Location: Don Hills (511 Greenwich St) Cost: Free
The 80's are back! After a brief stint in Williamsburg that spandex, Cross Colours wearing era returns to Manhattan! DJ's Black Helmet and Rachel try in invoke the ghost of Misshapes to bring the magic to Don Hills on a Thursday. Let's see if they can pull it off. 21+
Date: Thursday, August 23rd Time: 10:00pm Location: Galapagos (60 N 6th St, W'Burg) Cost: Free
The Cassette crew are back at Galapagos with glitchy electro booty banging techno dance music all night long. Residents Jimmy Edgar, Machinedrum, Col Malveau, and Jungletalk drop beats all night while Addiquit and Gidgetsparks play live. Dance Party! 21+
Date: Friday, August 24th Time: 6:30pm - 10:00pm Location: Queens Museum of Art (click for map) Cost: Free
"Leave your baggage at home and bring a picnic blanket out to Flushing Meadows Corona Park for the QMA's Passport Fridays Free International Outdoor Film, Dance and Music Series. The weekly outdoor festivities feature dance performances by participants in the QMA/TOPAZ Arts Dance in Queens Residency Program, and continue with a live concert and film screening from one of the many countries that fuel Queens' cultural & artistic vitality." This week is a celebration of dance, music, and film of Korea. All Ages.
Date: Saturdays in August Time: 1:00pm Location: Governer's Island (Directions Below) Cost: Free
Giant Step and LMCC team up for the In The Pocket series throughout August. Hailed as your "summer day trip getaway." These events combine quality world music with a little afternoon getaway. "Bring a picnic and hop on the free ferry to the island off the island for some New World Music." This afternoon features DJs Rekha nd James Friedman in a bhangra vs. Trojan Records soundclash. "DJ Rekha’s long-running 'Basement Bhangra' party defines South Asian dance music, combining Bollywood and big bass—but on her dancefloor you don’t need a bindi to shake your booty! She’ll be featuring highlights from her forthcoming album, DJ Rekha Presents Basement Bhangra. Trojan Records has defined reggae since 1967, and to celebrate its 40th anniversary DJ James F!@#$%^ Friedman (Throne of Blood Records/Go Commando) will spin classic cuts from their catalog—including an old-school DJ 'soundclash' vs. DJ Rekha!" All Ages, directions below.
Ferrys to the Island depart every hour starting at 10am-5pm
No Cover Charge
GETTING TO GOVERNORS ISLAND
Access to the Governors Island Ferry will be on a first-come, first-served basis. On Saturdays and Sundays, ferries will depart for Governors Island from the Battery Maritime Building in Lower Manhattan every hour on the hour beginning at 10:00 am until 3:00 pm. The Battery Maritime Building is located at the corner of South and Whitehall Streets, adjacent to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. Ferries will return from Governors Island every hour on the ½ hour with the last public ferry returning to Manhattan at 5:00 pm.
Access to Governors Island is also available via NY Water Taxi. For schedule, fares and information log on to nywatertaxi.com.
Date: Sunday, Augutst 26th Time: 8:00pm (gates at 7:00pm) Location: MoMA Garden (54th St. bet. 5th & 6th) Cost: Free
As a card carrying member of the MoMA, you think I would be well versed in this secret Summergarden of theres. But low and behold, I didn't even know there was a garden! Every Sunday, the MoMA open their garden gates for a free, outdoor jazz concert at sunset. Tonight features Cyro Baptista's Anthropo-Fagia. "Cyro Baptista's Anthropo-Fagia is a musical manifestation of the process of eating, swallowing, and digesting all the tendencies that are part of the sonic landscape and our environment." All Ages.
Admission to Summergarden is free. Chairs are limited and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. The Sculpture Garden may be closed if attendance reaches maximum capacity. Entrance is through the Garden gate on Fifty-fourth Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues. The Garden opens at 7:00 p.m., and concerts start at 8:00 p.m. In the event of rain, concerts will be held indoors in The Agnes Gund Garden Lobby. The entrance is also on Fifty-fourth Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues, and doors open at 7:30 p.m.
Date: Monday, August 27th Time: 6:00pm - 10:00pm Location: Hudson Hotel (356 West 58th Street) Cost: Free with RSVP
"A cornerstone of Hip-Hop's late 90's indie-uprise, DJ Spinna made much of his first impression on listeners as the musical background of his group The Jigmastas... As an emcee in New York City, if you didn’t have a Spinna production under your belt, well, you just hadn’t accomplished all there was to accomplish. Everyone from Mos Def, Talib Kweli to Pharaohe Monch boasted Spinna beats to prove their worth to the scene... Vincent 'DJ Spinna' Williams obsessively collects for his extensive vinyl library and pursues the full range of his roots (Funk, Soul and Jazz), foundation (Hip-Hop) and future (Electronic/Dance music) with no restraints." Tonight, join Giant Step for their eighth Monday evening boogie in their Private Park series with 4 hours of grooves provided by DJ Spinna.
Date: Mondays Time: 7:00pm - 9:00pm Location: Bar BQ (689 6th Ave at 20th St, Park Slope) Cost: Free Open Bar: Free bourbon of the week, 7-9
Not to be confused with the old Blue Owl Monday, Blue Monday is a more southern take on easing in your work week. Enjoy live blues (7-9) and free bourbon (7-9) if you can get out of work fast enough to hit the slope. If not, there's $2 Blue Points all night and, of course, BBQ).
Date: Monday, August 27th Time: sunset (8-9pm) Location: Elevated Acre at 55 Water Street Cost: Free
"Elia Kazan’s landmark movie stars Marlon Brando as a washed-up ex-prizefighter working on the docks for the local gang boss. The death of a childhood friend, ordered by this gangster, fills him with guilt because he is unwittingly involved in the murder. This hardscrabble tale of treachery and deceit also features Eva Marie Saint, Karl Malden and Rod Steiger. A conversation with filmmaker Jacob Burckhardt, a screening of his short Marten's Bar (5 minutes, 1976) – a poetic tribute to a solitary life shot in Manhattan and Red Hook, Brooklyn and based on a poem by Edwin Denby – and a screening of his father Rudy Burckhardt’s Up and Down the Waterfront (8 minutes, 1946) – an elegy to the city’s waterfront with its crates and boxes unloading in the morning, lonely men sitting on half-broken docks in the afternoon, and sailor bars at night – precede the film." All Ages.
Date: Monday, August 27th Time: 8:00pm Location: Damrosch Park Bandshell Cost: Free
"Come join the sizzling sensation — the 'Princess of Salsa' La India — as she heats up Lincoln Center with “salsaton,” her term for a sound fusion of salsa and reggaeton music designed to keep your hips shaking and your feet moving. An integral part of growth of dance music in discos in the 1980s, La India crossed markets in the 1990s, becoming salsa’s darling diva and the heir apparent to continuing the genre’s legacy. Her songs are infectious, her voice passionate, and the beats compelling — a perfect combination for a hot summer night."
Date: Mondays Time: 10:00pm Location: Darkroom (165 Ludlow St at Stanton) Cost: Free Open Bar: PRB, 11-12
mmmmmm.... Monday drinking... Schools out, you know you want to. Hit up Darkroom tonight for this weekly night of booze and good times with hosted by Sean FightCats, & Mike Nouveau. Free Booze.... mmmmmm.... Photo by Nicky Digital...
Date: Tuesday, August 28th Time: 7:00pm (arrive by 6:30pm) Location:Bierkraft (191 5th Ave, Park Slope) Cost: Free, limited seating
Sure, wine tastings are a dime a dozen these days but how often do you get to take in a free beer and cheese tasting. Bierkraft - Park Slope's proprietor of some of the finest microbrews, cheeses, and chocolates - pairs 5 beers with 5 cheese tonight at this informal event. For those of you who fear the heavy beer, tonight is an all lager tasting.
Date: Tuesday, August 28th Time: 7:00pm Location:McCarren Pool, Lorimer St. Wburg (btw Driggs and Bayard) Cost: Free
Bring your kleenex to bid adieu to the end of movies at night for another summer and more kleenex for the finale of this one, and would it kill you to wear purple in honor of the man? The summerscreen series concludes this evening as Volkswagen and the L Magazine present a series of weekly free movies over in Williamsburg's treasured McCarren Park Pool, and tonight's feature is the one and only Purple Rain. VW owners bring your keys for a free goodie bag. Check here for the full schedule.
Date: Tuesday, August 28th Time: 7:00pm Location: The Pavilion Park Slope (188 Prospect Park West) Cost: Free with THIS PASS
I wish I wasn't working until all hours this week, because I love a free movie screening! Tonight The L urges you to take the F to Park Slope and enjoy an advanced screening of The Kingdom! And if you have never been to the Pavilion, that is an adventure all on its own!
"Incorporating shadow-play, text, and dance, and set in a field of dots, States & Resemblance is a collaboration between Japanese photographer and video artist Ryutaro Mishima, Indonesian dance and mask artist Restu Imansari Kusumaningrum, and choreographer and New York video artist Dean Moss. A meditation on the pain, beauty, and inevitability of how things, people, and experience pass away, the piece explores how this changing and passing is the most binding aspect of our existence." All Ages.
Liberated Matter and ASCAP bring this weekly series of unrelated live performances to pianos upstairs. This week its and indie rock and jazz double bill as The Monas and Taxi Taxi take the stage. More info on the bands below. 21+
The Monas are a "Non-band" band assembled by the multi-talented Jared Engel. Jared has spent the last several years playing myriad styles of music with the likes of music legends David Grisman, Mike Marshall and up-and-coming young artists including Stephane Wrembel, Loose Marbles, Jaymay and Kristin Diable among many others. For this adventurous Cross-Pollination, Jared has rounded up a combo comprised of some of the top young Jazz musicians in NYC. They will surely give us an amazing spectacle when paired with Taxi Taxi.
Taxi Taxi is the brainchild of musician and producer Terence Bernardo. The band serendipitously met in the back of a shared cab during the fabled New York City transit strike of 2005. Small talk ensued as driver fought through the morning rush hour and soon the passengers discovered a shared affinity for the sounds of Stax Records and varied artists such as ESG, Harry Nillson and Big Star. Within a month, the newfound friends were capitalizing on their luck, rehearsing in Bernardo's Brooklyn studio and recording what would eventually blossom (after some time in Kid Koala's Montreal studio), into Maps and Legends. With roots firmly planted in strong songwriting and inventive production, Taxi Taxi's sound defies easy classification. The band serves up classic pop tunes that are by turns rocky and melancholic, experimental and nostalgic.
Date: Tuesday, August 28th Time: 8:00pm Location: Rapture Cafe (200 Ave. A bet/ 12th & 13th St) Cost: Free
FilmFest, a new bi-monthly short-film series, "is a fresh way for anybody to have a great night out, see a wide range of creative films, talk with the film makers, and network with like-minded folks after the screening until the venue closes! (Yes, we just used the word 'folks' in a sentence!) Click here to see a list of upcoming films to be screened at our next Funfest!"
Date: Tuesdays Time: 11:00pm Location: Beauty Bar (231 East 14th St btw. 2nd and 3rd) Cost: Free Open Bar: Vodka, 11-12
Its the Funny Cry Happy Cute Core Danger Disco Party! What does that mean, who cares! With a tag line like "WE MAKE HAPPY PARTY FOR YOUR FRIENDS AND CAT" and half price drinks if you wear 2 pieces of clow attire, this is bound to be one of the more interesting things you can do on a Tuesday night. 21+ (old flyer)
Date: Wednesday, August 29th Time: 9:00pm Location: Heathers (506 East 13th St at Ave A) Cost: Free
DFA's Tim Sweeney joins Dan Selzer and Jeremy Campbell at their regular haunt for lovers of italo electro dirty disco this evening. Expect a the more music-lovers, esoteric take on the finer side of electronic music. 21+
comfortable heathers, 506 e13 at 'a' in manhattan.
Date: Wednesday, August 29th Time: 10:00pm Location: Triple Crown (108 Bedford Ave, W'burg) Cost: Free Open Bar: well, 10-10:30 & beer, 12-12:30
Ill P's back at it with more Wednesday night weeklies at Triple Crown. Its hip hop all night with DJ Melo-X (A.L.I.E.N) and DJ Polarity (Takeover Theory). 21+
Date: Wednesday, August 29th Time: 10:00pm Location: Savalas (285 Bedford Ave bte. Grand and S. 1st) Cost: Free Open Bar: well, 10:30-11
Ah, you know summer is over and school is back in session when you can basically walk down Bedford Ave on a Wednesday night and drink all night for free. This would be your stop in between the two open bars at Triple Crown (that is, if your an open bar man-whore which I have been known to be.) From the promoters: "This party is all about boozing and sleazing. I call it Don't Get Caught (pt. 3) because the object of the night is to leave your significant other at home and find a new one, if even only for one night or a quick stint in the bathroom stall." 21+
Date: Wednesday, August 29th Time: 11:00pm Location: Revolver (210 Rivington St bte. Pill & Ridge) Cost: Free Open Bar: Newcastle & Kronenbourg 1664, 11pm til gone
"Nick of the ultrafashionable (and always neon-free) BBlessing men's boutique now has a weekly party at Revolver. The crowd is rumored to be doucheless and the DJs are a good pick: Ellen Frances (whose sexual orientation we're still trying to sort out), Dack Attack and resident DJs Nick Kratochvil and Hunter Shaw." [via myopenbar]
Date: Wednesday, August 29th Time: 11:00pm Location: 205 Club (205 Chrystie at Stanton) Cost: Free
Ah, the summer is over (for big free events anyway) and we're back to a whole day's listing of straight dance parties. But with parties like No Comprendo Disco, who cares. Prince Language brings guests Lee Douglas and Norway's DJ Todd Terje to the basement of 205 tonight (with a fantastic sound system). Terje's been know to produce some insane deep tech house that borders between hypnotic tribal rhythems and chill-out electro so it'll be interesting to see what he brings to NYC, the house city that is hating on house music right now. Check the player below.
Date: Thursday, August 30th Time: 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM Location: Central Park Band Shell(enter at 72nd St. near the Bethesda Fountain) Cost: Free
An evening of Bagpipes, Irish and Scottish Dance, and much more!!! A parade procession starting at Bethesda Fountain leading to the Great Hall of a Medieval Castle, right on the stage of the Naumberg Band Shell! Through music and dance we will explore legends of old and new. Fun for the whole family. Celtic/medieval dress-up, wear yer kilt, sing and dance along:-) Free event with special give aways. Tell your Friends! Central Park Band Shell-enter @ 72nd St. near the Bethesda Fountain.
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Date: Thursday, August 30th - Saturday Time: 9:30pm (10:00pm on Saturday) Location: Living Room (154 Ludlow btw. Stanton and Rivington) Cost: Free, 1 drink minimum
"With wit, immense charm, good looks and a voice that inspires comparison to Harry Connick Jr., it would be in poor judgment to miss the week long residency of Spencer Day at the Living Room on the Lower East Side. In his compositions you can hear the influence of Cole Porter, Paul Simon and Rufus Wainwright and the like. Critics have called Day "the male counterpart to Norah Jones" but at the same time keeping his musical style all his own, combining jazz, contemporary and folk/country genres. Spencer Day performs with a with longtime guitarist/cellist Yair Evnine all week long at Googie's Upstairs Lounge at the Living Room (Saturday's performance in the main hall). "
Date: Thursday, August 30th Time: 9:30pm Location: Studio B (259 Banker St. Greenpoint) Cost: Free with RSVP Open Bar: Bass Ale, 10pm til its gone
Its an electro rock takeover at Studio B this evening as VHS and Beta play a free show for the masses. They are joined by the electro house of Walter Meego and the electro punk of Team Robespierre. Finger on the Pulse will DJ.... electro! Clearly, electro is the new B-More Club which is the new mash-up which is the new which is the new 80s which is really just electro with crappier synths so you figure it out. Don't forget to RSVP. 21+
Date: Thursdays Time: 10:00pm Location: Gallery Bar (120 Orchard St) Cost: Free Open Bar: Vodka, 10-11
The 1900s continue their weekly party tonight with 80s/90s electro-crooner Baby Dayliner DJing. There's an open bar to kick it off and an all around good time dance party vibe and Mel D Cole of Villageslum.com will be taking pics. Video below. 21+
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