Date: Thursday, May 1st Time: 7:00pm Location: Angels & Kings (500 East 11th St. Cost: Free, 2 drink minimum
As most of you know from reading FreeNYC, every once and a while I like to nerd out on some science and all around geeky stuff. Lately I am finding more people of a similar dorky mindset. And apparently the people over at Angels and Kings as they host Nerd Nite described pretty accurately as "like the Discovery Channel with beer." Tonight's Nerd Nite edition features Manhattan Borough historian Mike Miscione who will talk about the consolidation of New York, a human parasites presentation by Dr. John Dodson and Neil Janowitz who'll talk about car stereo competitions. more below. 21+
Presentation #1:
The Battle to Bind the Boroughs: The Consolidation of 1898
by Mike Miscione
Description: In 1898 the patchwork of rival municipalities around New York harbor were joined together to create the five-borough New York City that exists today. But the city that never sleeps was almost the city that never was. Michael will describe the clash between the pro-consolidationists, led by civic visionary Andrew H. Green (“the 19th century Robert Moses”), and the Brooklyn loyalists who opposed them. He’ll also answer that age-old question, “Why on earth did we let Staten Island join the club?”
Presentation #2
Human Parasites II: Revenge of the Protozoa
Human Parasites II. From a single-celled ameoba that eats your brain to giant worms that live in your intestines, human parasites come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Billions of people worldwide are affected by parasitic disease, many without even knowing it. In Dr. Dodson's second installation of his parasite talk, we'll learn about some of the more exotic human parasites as well as a few that are here in our own
backyard.
Presentation #3
So You Want A Competition-Quality Car Stereo: An Impractical Primer for New Yorkers Who Likely have Neither a Car nor the Desire to Enter the Car He or She Doesn’t have in Car Stereo Competitions
Description: Most people associate elaborate car stereos with douches who amble around emitting enough bass to rankle the corpse of Charles Richter. This is appropriate, because most car stereo owners are douches who amble around emitting enough bass to rankle the corpse of Charles Richter. But there is a small sub-set of car stereo enthusiasts whose aim it is to turn their vehicles into an aural utopia; one meant not to annoy, but rather to enlighten, all those who sit shotgun. Theirs is a
mission involving high degrees of skill in electrical and mechanical engineering, physics, and wood and fiberglass fabrication. It's an undertaking costing tens of thousands of dollars. And it's a process you will leave Angels and Kings fully understanding.
Date: Thursday, May 1st Time: 7:00pm Location: Book Culture (536 W 112th St, bet Broadway and Amsterdam Ave) Cost: Free
"Nineteen sixty-eight was a formative year for the left. The feminist, civil rights, and antiwar movements mobilized the idealism of many. But there were also many political disappointments: the Kennedy and King assassinations, the Soviet crackdown in Prague, the Chicago riots." Tonight, Dissent magazine editors Marshall Berman, Mitchell Cohen, Ann Snitow, and Michael Walzer will contemplate that tumultuous year--and its significance for today's left. There will be wine, cheese, and schmoozing after the talk. All Ages
Date: Thursday, May 1st Time: 6:00pm - 9:00pm Location: Black Box Galery, Hunter College (695 Park Ave, 5th Fl, Room 544N) Cost: Free
IMAterial – the sixth annual showcase of Hunter College's MFA in Integrated Media Arts program (IMA-MFA) – kicks off a three-day exhibit today that will highlight the body of digital and new media art, including video, interactive, installation, performance, games and web-based art, produced by students and faculty of the IMA-MFA program. The show's title—IMAterial—refers not only to the body of work produced by the Hunter College's Integrated Media Arts MFA program, but to the physical intangibility of new media and digital work; the challenge of interdisciplinary and new media artists to make their artistic and political work both relevant and of substance; and, finally, to the underlying spirit that drives the artistic production and practice of the students and faculty in the IMA-MFA program. Continues through the weekend. All Ages.
Date: Thursday, May 1st Time: 8:00pm Location: Juilliard’s Peter Jay Sharp Theater, (155 West 65th St) Cost: Free with ticket
"Conductor Jeffrey Milarsky leads the Juilliard Orchestra in the School’s annual evening of new compositions by Juilliard student composers tonight. On the program is Jakub Ciupiński’s D.J. Guillaume, based on the art of remixing, as well as Nicholas Csicsko’s Upon the King, Michael Gilbertson’s Vigil, Reinaldo Moya’s Aurora Australis, and Armand Ranjbaran’s Flashpoint. Young composers, the Juilliard Orchestra, and five new works – this is the remix." Grab tickets from the Juilliard Box Office, located at 60 Lincoln Center Plaza. Box Office from 11 AM – 6 PM. The Juilliard Box Office is accessible by elevator, escalator, or stairs located on W. 65th Street near Amsterdam Avenue. All Ages
Date: Thursday, May 1st Time: 9:00pm Location: Hiro Ballroom (371 West 16th St) Cost: Free with RSVP Open Bar: Lucky Beer, 9-10
Those Cheeky Bastard guys are taking a break from their usual hipster-electro-ladden format this evening for a new artist showcase featuring Enon, Men, Children and Women, & Blonde Acid Cult. DJ's round out there night and there's an open bar to kick it of... 21+
Date: Thursday, May 1st Time: 10:00pm Location: APT (419 W 13th St) Cost: Free
"Justin Van Der Volgen, the former multi-instrumentalist and sound maestro for !!! and Outhud; Justin Miller, 205 Tuesdays resident and DFA representative; and Justin Carter, Nublu affiliate, man behind the scenes at APT, and Beach Party resident; put their hands together to become one Voltron-like conglomeration of Justins tonight in the basement. We think you’ll put your hands together too." 21+
Date: Friday, May 2nd Time: 6:00pm Location: Bronx Museum of the Arts (1040 Grand Concourse , Bronx) Cost: Free
Join The Bronx Museum in celebrating May's First Friday. "A New York City rock and roll extravaganza; a musical exploration of up and coming urban rock and roll superstars with The Bangers and Dragons of Zynth." Plus free beer, wine and food.
Date: Friday, May 2nd Time: 6:30pm doors Location: Apollo Theater Soundstage (253 W. 125th St) Cost: Free
"The Apollo Theater Foundation, Inc. and the Museum of African American Cinema present: Remembering James Brown. Celebrate James Brown's birthday one day early with 90 minutes of rare and historic film footage from numerous sources that feature live performances of the late, great 'Godfather of Soul' along with band members Maceo Parker, Bootsy Collins and Abraham, Inc.'s Fed Wesley. Nelson George & Billy Mitchell will be hosting." Limited Seating, All Ages. Doors at 630pm, free.
Date: Friday, May 2nd Time: 7:30pm - 10:30pm Location: Cielo (18 Little West 12th St) Cost: Free with RSVP
Those NY Underbelly cats take a break tonight from their long-running Rock and a Hard Place party to do a little dancing and the one 1 of 2 excellent places in the Meat Pack (APT being the other). There's a little private VIP-ish basher going on to celebrate the new album by Maxinne Lausell who will be performing live along with DJs Willie Graff and RekLES. Plus, of course, an hour and a half of free drinks. 21+
Complimentary drinks 7:30 to 9:00
Date: Friday, May 2nd Time: 9:30pm Location: Rubin Museum of Art (150 W 17th St. btw 6th and 7th Aves) Cost: Free with $7 bar minimum
Woah nilly... just when I was waaay over posting these brainwave screenings, they come back with La Cite Des Enfants Perdus or - for those of us who chose to take art instead of French - City of Lost Children. This is one of my favorite films of all time (for real, check my MySpace and you know if it's on MySpace it has to be true) and my favorite Jean-Pierre Jeunet film. "Set in a bizarre and fantastic dystopian city, the eccentric scientist Krank and his twin brother kidnap children to steal their dreams to prevent premature aging. In a bittersweet journey, One and orphan Miette travel to The City of Lost Children to find One's baby brother and put an end to Krank and his evil Cyclops army." Yeah, all that and its preeeeeety. 21+
Date: Friday, May 2nd Time: 10:00pm Location: Savalas (285 Bedford bet. Grand and S. 1st, W'burg) Cost: Free
Cousin Cole brings his Panty Raid back to Savalas tonight. On the decks with him tonight is Steve Kream. Plus a Power Hour from 10pm to 11pm. For those of you who don't know, Power Hour is a drinking game where you take a shot every minute for an hour. The DJ changes the song every minute so you know when to drink. It's not free but they will give you 6 beers (and a shot) for $16.
Date: Saturday, May 3rd Time: 11:00am-7:00pm Location: Smith St. between Union and President St, Carroll Gardens Cost: Free
"Brooklyn Indie Market is a collective of up-and-coming and emerging fashion and product design, made up of designers taking their love of all things handmade into its second season. At the weekly Brooklyn Indie market, you will find handmade goodness such as jewelry by Wabisabi-Brooklyn, hats by Rocks and Salt, kids wear by Wonder Threads, and frocks by Melissa Bell." Support local artisans and emerging designers in Brooklyn!
Date: Saturday, May 3rd Time: 12:00pm Location: Havana Outpost (757 Fulton St at S. Portland, Ft. Greene) Cost: Free Entry
You know summer is right around the corner when the annual Havana Outpost Block Party comes around and this afternoon they'll transform mild-mannered Fort Greene into an all out funk/soul/cuban/brazilian/whatever throw down. This is another one of those crazy fun event's that takes place every year and is def. worth the trip out to BK (or after you spend $10 looking at cherry blossoms since you didn't listen to me last week). Plus, you can get your green-on as the Outpost is NYC's first eco-eatery, shops local, supports the community, and are all around good guys. Entertainment this afternoon includes live music from bands like Pistoleras, Conjunto Guantanamo, and a spectacular performance from The Hungry March Band. Plus, Dj Cato and Juice E, spin Funk, Soul, Cuban, Reggae, Hip Hop, and Brazilian sounds and there's even a fahsion show and kids corner. All Ages.
Date: Saturday, May 3rd Time: 3:30pm Location: Lower East Side Girls Club (56 East 1st St btw. 1st & 2nd Aves) Cost: Free
The Lower Eastside Girls Club Saturday Performance Series, now in its second year, is a weekly afternoon performance series featuring all-women line-ups of musicians, singer-songwriters, MC’s and poets. This afternoon series is an especially nice line-up as they welcome nu-jazz singer Alison Crockett. Alison has dropped vocals on many sultry tracks across the house, acid jazz, and UK garage genre's including personal favorite, Landslide's 2-stepper It's Not Over. Tonight she swoons you along with Brooklyn based chanteuse Rhonda Denet. And if you are a young woman under the age of 23, drop in early for their 2pm lunch workshop before the performances for an exclusive conversation with our artists. All Ages.
Date: Saturday, May 3rd Time: 8:00pm Location: Miller Theatre at Columbia Univ. (2960 Broadway at 116th St) Cost: Free
"Merging classical craft and with the rhythmic energy of modern culture, the Juilliard Music Technology Center presents its eighth annual festival of electronic and interactive music, Beyond the Machine 8.0: The Art of the Groove, featuring works by current Juilliard composers, alumni, and guest composers. Drawing on themes ranging from robots and shamanism to culture clash and talk shows, these new electronic compositions include Jakub Ciupiński’s Elvex; Jeremiah Duarte Bills’ Incantation; Scott Johnson’s Americans); Ryan Francis’ Music for Strings; JacobTV’s Lipstick; and Ron Ford’s Salome First. Jeffrey Milarsky conducts Juilliard’s newest and just about busiest ensemble AXIOM in the evening of new compositions. All Ages
Date: Sunday, May 4th Time: 12:00pm - 2:00pm Location: Great Hill, Central Park (enter 106th and Central Park West) Cost: Free
Laugh for World Peace on the Great Hill in Central Park this afternoon. "Bring friends and family and come celebrate with us the World Laughter Yoga Movement! Generate Endorphins, have a great time, and disperse the darkness with the light of Laughter. Escola de samba BOOM will be there to help make World Laughter Day NYC 2008 the best one yet!" All Ages
Date: Sunday, May 4th Time: 1:00pm - 8:00pm Location: Pier I, Riverside Park South (70th St & Hudson River) Cost: Free
"Experience Irish dance and music first hand at the Irish Arts Center's 7th annual celebration featuring traditional Irish music and performances by stars of the Irish dance world and students from NY area dance schools. Join in on the fun with live music, master workshops in traditional Irish dance, a Singers Circle, Irish language classes, face-painting and more!" All Ages.
Date: Sunday, May 4th Time: 3:00pm Location: Freebird Bookstore (123 Columbia St btw Kane & Degraw, Red Hook) Cost: Free
Great American literary cipher Thomas Pynchon turns 71 today and the folks over at Freebird Books are celebrating with a backyard barbeque and fax-a-thon... " We'll dine on foodstuffs famously vomited by Gravity's Rainbow's Tyrone Slothrop: burgers, homefries, chef's salad with French dressing, Moxie, after-dinner mints, Clark bars, salted peanuts, and 'the cherry from some Radcliffe girl's old-fashioned.' And yes, we'll be faxing birthday greetings to the great elusive one via the miracle of outmoded technology. One fax per customer, please. Please check your Kakutani hate mail at the door." Plus a screening and a giveaway. (assuming) all ages.
"Are you a TV junkie tired of the junk on TV? Then the Fancy Clip Party is for you! Come see another mind melting mixture of rare music video, obscure movie trailers, lost & now found footage and snippets from the most banal corners of the collective unconscious. Every clip party is unique as we strive to show new footage each time, and that's not easy when you're talking about... hours of outrageous obscure unbelievable jaw-dropping vintage video from the crew at Jolly Roger DV Archive, FANCY, and Reel Horror Show Production"
Date: Sunday, May 4th Time: 8:00pm Location: Galapagos Art Space (70 N 6th St, W'burg) Cost: Free
Or the return for us at least... RLMH has been off our radar for a while but now they are back screening some great movies for your Sunday afternoon. This week they present "two films about ordinary New Yorkers doing extraordinary things. Come see Spike Lee's Brooklyn masterpiece Do The Right Thing or experience the tragic and hopeful story of the underground homeless community of Dark Day.Before the features watch the brilliant short films of Lauren Kritzer and Robert Castillo. Kritzer investigates a day in the live of NYC's can collectors, while Castillo animates the adventures of growing up Latino in the five boroughs." 21+
Tonight the Brooklyn Independent Cinema Series gives you a short and a feature for your Monday night. In Angel's Fire, "an 8-year-old child laborer tries to develop a sense of community and friendship amidst horrifying conditions" while in Indestructible, filmmaker Ben Byer starts documenting his life on camera after being diagnosed with ALS, a fatal neurodgenerative disease. "What begins as a series of video diaries grows into an epic journey spanning three years and six countries as he scours the globe looking for answers - and a cure." 21+
Date: Tuesday, May 6th Time: 12:00pm - 7:00pm Location: Gloria Cabrera Salon & Spa (3 East 44th Street 5th Floor) Cost: Free!
Yay free spa treatments! The Gloria Cabrera Salon & Spa is offering free Mini Facial Exfoliation, Blow out & style, Foot Scrub & Reflexology and Eyebrow Waxing. Come in between 12pm and 7pm for your free pampering, plus 30% off any gift certificates and any other treatments you book while you are there.
Date: Tuesday, May 6th Time: 10:00pm Location: Acme Bar (9 Great Jones St) Cost: Free
Didn't get enough partying in on Cinco de Mayo, then try a little Fat Tuesday fun at Acme bar tonight. This annual party has been so much fun that it is not happening monthy! There's live music and dancing, Abita beers and Hurricanes, and Cajun food." 21+
Date: Tuesdays, May 6th Time:10:00pm Location: APT Cost: Free
MR. V!!!! Mr. V is like all the goodness of hanging out listening to bangin' tribal funky house without any of the lame shiny shirt pacha-ness. Tonight He man's the tables along with Alex Alvarez at the basement of APT for a night of the best deep house, tech house, old school classics and everything in between along with a funky mash up of elcectic hand picked selections straight from the world traveled crates of the dynamic duo. For real, if you dig good old baby-powder laden house music, this is it. 21+
Date: Wednesday, May 7th Time: 8:00pm Location: Union Hall (702 Union St., P'Slope) Cost: Free
This month at Secret Science Club, one of the most important contributors to our understanding of climate change, Wallace Broecker lectures on our increasingly hot planet—and what we can do about it. “The Earth’s climate system is an angry beast,” says Dr. Broecker. “And we’re poking it by adding greenhouse gases.” Every day, 60 to 70 million metric tons of carbon dioxide are dumped into the atmosphere. And even if a well-meaning fairy godmother were to turn all the world’s citizens into energy-saving paragons overnight, the resulting reduction in CO2 emissions could not stop the great warming tide headed our way. 21+
Date: Thursday, May 8th Time: 8:00pm Location: Alligator Lounge (600 Metropolitan Ave at Lorimer, W'burg) Cost: Free
Ukulele playing sweethearts, The Hazzards are having a bit of a pizza party show in honor of the new album. There'll be tunes for sure plus a free pizza with every drink at Williamsburg's favorite cheap dinner spot (or mine at least) 21+
A new weekly jammer from from the dormant 1900s crew kicks off tonight at the revamped Midway space. Ninja Tune's Blockhead and electro crooner Baby Dayliner take on DJ duties all night long dropping whatever they feel like (aka Soul, Breakbeats, 90s Hip Hop, Disco, New Wave ect.) $5 beer and whisky shot specials all night. 21+
Date: Friday, May 9th Time: 6:00pm - 9:00pm Location: Deitch Projects (76 Grand Street) Cost: Free
"Soft Serve features a new large portrait, four works on paper, and sculptural interventions by Taylor McKimens in a special exhibit in our storefront gallery. Taylor McKimens makes installation, sculpture, painting, and drawing all from a very elaborated world of his own creation: a world where the dark side of rural living inadvertently concocts elegant moments out of the repulsive and bizarre." More info after the jump.
This large portrait features a lip-bitingly awkward woman brandishing a recently caught fish, the slimy pink lure still protruding from its mouth and her, wearing nothing but a dirty white tee-shirt and broken glasses. The four works on paper are part of Taylor's ongoing relationship with comics and illustration. Working out ideas and burning through a lot of imagery quickly, Taylor makes hand-painted comics and zines (this one for The Ganzfield) that are beautiful objects on their own. These are a continuation of Taylor's ongoing series "The Drips".
Taylor McKimens' monsters are not terribly other-worldly or fantastical but are rather the folks next door, down the street, or on the wrong side of the tracks. Deadbeats and derelicts roam sparse, harshly lit worlds of soggy bread and Band-Aids, bologna and knotted garden hose. Taylor is concerned with the entropic-splatters, drips, tangles, mold and decay, rust and ruin-all the corners where disorder begins to reclaim our fabricated environment and our bodies. No one is smiling and everyone is somehow sweaty.
Date: Friday, May 9th Time: 7:00pm Location: Meet at Grand Army Plaza entrance to Prospect Park Cost: Free
Its that time of the month again. Grab your bike, head to Grand Army Plaza and celebrate your right to share the road with the cars. Critical Mass is a monthly celebration of bicycles and other nonpolluting means of transportation, exercising our right to the road. Critical Mass is a movement, not an organization; no two riders participate for exactly the same reason. New York City's first Critical Mass was in 1993.
Date: Friday, May 9th Time: 9:00pm Location: Sutra Lounge (16 First Avenue) Cost: Free with RSVP
"You know we’re sick of the Weekend warriors in our neighborhood, this is our solution.
Our favorite DJ’s, on a Friday night, at our own party, right here in the hood, for our friends, for free. You know how hard it is to get a Friday night to do your own party in the LES / East Village. We really want to blow this up!" -The Taste Crew! For One Night Only, check out DJ Spinna and Questlove! 21+
Date: Friday, May 9th Time: 10:00pm Location: Stoli Hotel (330 West Street) Cost: Free with RSVP
"Flying in from around the country, America's TOP 8 fast fashion designers face off in Live Style Battles for the first ever Style Wars crown! Inspired by MC battling and haute-couture, House of Diehl’s Style Battling is competitive fashion, created live on stage--in just minutes. Competitors CUT, TAPE, BURN and DRAPE to create new fashion items from vintage garments and unexpected materials, while mash-up DJs shred the decks, and celebrity judges decide who wins, and who bites the dust." Larry Tee DJs, Roxy Cottontail hosts, check House of Diehl for more info.
Dev79, Krames, JeDi and BD1982 roll in to Hope Lounge with the bass cranked all the way up. Tonight they celebrate the release of Dev79's Street Bass Anthems 3, plus a special performance from Mr. Andersonic!
Date: Friday, May 9th Time: 10:00pm Location: Tribeca Grand Hotel (2 Ave of the Americas btw. Church and White) Cost: Free with RSVP Open Bar: ???, 10-11
This one seems to be flying below the radar so it may be a great chance for you to rub shoulders with some tourists, grab a few free drinks, and take in some of the best electro Paris has to offer. The Parisian Panik party debuts in NYC tonight with some heavy-hitting DJ sets from SebastiAn (Ed Banger Records/FR), The Shoes (GUM/FR), Yuksek (UWE/FR), and Brodinski (Mental Groove/FR). Line-up look familiar? You can pretty much catch the same show that went down at Studio B on wednesday for free tonight. Be sure to get a few free drinks in early as cocktail prices go from zero to $12 at 11pm. 21+
The Blood Dumpster Art Collective explores the darker side of classical art themes themes at their group show, "Renovation." "Various works focus on religion's role in the present, allegories of today and modern myth. Many emphasize mathematics and sciences that develop our current technologies and that which we are on the brink of discovering and developing. Classical studies of figures with a modern ideal of the body as well as reinterpretations of classic compositions and imagery will be present." All Ages
Date: Saturday, May 10th Time: 7:00pm - 11:00pm Location: Deitch Studios (4-40 44th Drive & East River, LIC Queens) Cost: Free
Brazil's artistic mega-force Assume Vivid Astro Focus (Eli Sudbrack on his passport) invades the Deitch Long Island City space this evening for an all out explosion of sculpture, installation, performance, and disco dancing. Deitch openings are always a blast and this one is exception... "Passing the colorfully muraled exterior of the building, guests enter from the riverside entrance beside a neon atom bomb explosion into the main installation. This large gallery space will be filled with collaborative sculpture, murals, and rugged found materials inspired by the construction sites found throughout the city and especially from Williamsburg into Long Island City. Tonight's opening also features performance troupes and DJ sets from Justin Miller (DFA) and Jacques Renault (Runaway). There's even a "shuttle bus running between the gallery and the E and V subway stop at Ely and 23rd" for those too lazy to walk. Get out there early and catch an LIC sunrise. All Ages.
Date: Saturday, May 10th Time: 8:00pm Location: The Gallery at 3rd Ward (195 Morgan Avenue, at the corner of Stagg St.) Cost: Free with RSVP (after party is not free)
"The Super Thing: NYC goes DEVO at 3rd Ward is a DEVO inspired group show experience of art, adventure and music featuring 20 Postcard Diaries prints by Mark Mothersbaugh! The Super Thing art exhibition and music event is dedicated to the zealous, jerky synth-powered, midwestern heroes of DEVO and showcases art which shares their bold aesthetics, politics and humor. DEVO has already inspired legions with their politics, new wave getup of nuclear hazmat suits, retro-futuristic plastic pomps, and ziggurat-shaped energy dome "flower pot" hats and you can expect the same from their art." More info after the jump.
"In addition to Mark’s work, a room in 3rd Ward will be outfitted with a ziggurat-energy dome-shaped Zen Arcade full of interactive art including Molleindustria's latest video game, which joins spiritual deities in a Mortal Combat styled fight over the world. The show also features Yuliya Lanina's indecent robotic Mechanical Dolls, and Mike Dee's layered music videos; D. Dominick Lombardi, Jill Henderson, Victor Cox, and Paul McGuirk's mutants; Wayne Coe's dismembered soldiers; Michael Robinson's ingenious stealthy logos; and Marcos Lorn Ortega's ink drawings. Visitors will also be encouraged to enlist in Cassie Thornton's Future Inc. consultant project which assists artists in navigating the corporate art world.
Opening night will be a Super Thing Circus with live music by Omega Clash, Dawoud The Renagade Sufi and Ultrabunny, interactive art, limited edition merchandise, and a cyber appearance by Mark Mothersbaugh himself. Guests are encouraged to get dressed DEVO style! And photographers will be on hand to capture the insanity. Curator Alison B. Levy reminds us, "Collectively, we creatively, are ready to do what we must do for the super thing! Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are DEVO!"
Hot off is Fool's Gold tour, Mr. Sammy Bananas (when you comin' to Crooked Disco, Sammy?) teams up with a FreeNYC favorite, Caps of Caps & Jones, for a night of tom-foolery and hipster bangers. Caps assures me "we're gonna shoot the lights out." and you're def. gonna hear some top neu-hip-hop/baltimore/bounce/etc. 21+
Date: Sunday, May 11th Time: 1:00pm Location: Galapagos (70 N. 6th, W'burg) Cost: Free
While we tend to use Galapagos for bangin' bass, dance floor shake ups and overall debauchery, there really are a variety of uses for the place. Today the Brooklyn County Fair takes over and celebrates country music. Come see the likes of The Flanks (CD Release), The Newton Gang (EP release), Yarn, Jon Itkin, The Doc Marshalls, & Jamie Lun Smith and The Red Tail Hawk Band. 21+
Date: Sunday, May 11th Time: 2:00pm Location: Riverside Park (116th St & Hudson River) Cost: Free
For the rest of May, The Riverside Park teams up with the Manhattan School of Music and Columbia University to present free, afternoon concerts. This weekend features the Clumbia Woodwind Ensemble with director Andrew Pease performing early Italian music to John Phillips Sousa. All Ages.
Date: Monday, May 12th Time: 6:00pm Location: Jefferson Market Branch New York Public Library (425 Avenue of the Americas at 10th St.) Cost: Free
"Other People’s Pictures is a documentary about collectors who share an unlikely obsession – snapshots that have been abandoned or lost by their original owners and are now for sale. The film is set at New York City’s Chelsea Flea Market where, every weekend, dozens of collectors sift doggedly through piles, boxes and bins of cast-off photos, ready to pay anywhere from a few cents to hundreds of dollars for a single snapshot." Trailer here.
Date: Monday, May 12th Time: 7:30pm Location: The Change You Want to See Gallery (84 Havemeyer St, at Metropolitan Ave, W'burg) Cost: Free
"The Journal of Aesthetics and Protest is a Los Angeles based artists collective whose magazine sits at the discursive juncture of fine art, media theory and anti-authoritarian activism. Please join co-founder and collective member Marc Herbst for a presentation and theoretical retrospective of the past seven years of the project’s life...Since March 2001, the Journal has seen itself as one critical and dialogical site for the disparate progressive cultural movement.... One of the many constants throughout this era has been our sense that the Journal is a tool for a large group of engaged cultural activists (politicos, artists, media workers, theorists etc.). For our talk at The Change You Want to See Gallery, we'll attempt to survey the theoretical landscape we've worked through over these 7 years..."
Date: Tuesday, May 13th Time: 5:00pm - 9:00pm Location: ITP (721 Broadway, 4th Floor, South Elevators) Cost: Free
A two-day festival of interactive sight, sound and technology from the student artists and innovators at Tisch School of the Arts ITP Program. These technology/art rebels push microchip boundries in an oversized Greenwich Village loft house converted to the computer labs, rotating exhibitions, and production workshops. Tonight their is their semester summary exhibition. Bring ID to get past the NYU security. All Ages.
Date: Tuesday, May 13th Time: 6:00pm - 10:00pm Location: New York Open Center (83 Spring Street bet. Broadway and Crosby) Cost: Free
The New York Open Center is a non-profit educational and cultural center offering programs intended to heal the body, nourish the soul and awaken the spirit. It aims to serve as a focal point for holistic thought and practice. Today they offer an evening of free lectures and refreshments where you can meet the faculty, sample programs, ask questions and browse the bookstore. The schedule includes intros to a variety of programs including Eating Smart!, Introduction to Reiki, Mantra & Meditation, Bollywood Dancing, and much more!
The good folks over at Meanred are dropping a crazy party tonight on our favorite soundsystem, Love. And with the likes of Craze, Klever, Jokers of The Scene, Treasure Fingers, DJ Ayres, Kill the Noise, Eamon Harkon, and Rok One on the tables, Contagious Musiq is gonna be a blast for sure. But alas, it's not so free for ya ($8). But we've got 2 tickets to giveaway so hit us up and those quick on the draw get in for free! Oh, and if you don't win, I suggest you Buy your tickets here and save a few bucks off the door cost. 21+
Date: Wednesday, May 14th Time: 7:00pm Location:The Delancey (168 Delancey St at Attorney St) Cost: Free Open Bar: Well, 8:30pm - 9:30pm
The Delancey kick off their rooftop BBQ season tonight with a free show (Botanica & Gold Streets), DJs, free booze, and - of course - BBQ. It may be $5 for food but the free booze and sunset more than make up for it (or forgo the grub and grab a dog a Chelsea Papaya afterwards). Veggie options available. 21+
Date: Wednesday, May 14th Time: 11:00pm Location: Le Royale (21 7th Ave South at Leroy St) Cost: Free with RSVP
Sold out of the Cut Copy shows at Bowery and Studio B this week? Then catch the next best thing as the boys host an afterparty tonight with music by buddies Holy Ghost (DFA) and DJ Max Pask. And while Cut Copy will not be performing for you, this is a great photo op for your myspace page. 21+
Date: Thursday, May 15th Time: Midnight Location: Sidewalk Cafe (94 Ave A and 6th St.) Cost: Free
"Imagine a band so indebted to the likes of Bob Dylan, the Band and Dr. John that their music comes off like the last 25 years never happened, straight-up rock devoid of pretense or any definable link to Cobain or Yorke, played by two young guys. That's the Weber Brothers. Sure, they cut their teeth backing up Ronnie Hawkins, but they find their own voice on Lost And Found, their second album." They play a free show tonight at Sidewalk Cafe.
Date: Thursday, May 15th Time: 7:00pm Location: KGB Bar (85 E. 4th St.) Cost: Free
Drunken! Careening! Writers! is a monthly reading series dedicated to the proposition that readings should be: excellent, well-read pieces that have at least one thing in them that makes people laugh (nervous laughter counts), and don't run more than 15 minutes each. This months writers are Anne Elliot, Angela Himsel and Alyson Palmer.
Date: Thursday, May 15th Time: 7:30pm Location: Goethe-Institut (1014 Fifth Ave. at 83rd St.) Cost: Free
In the third installment of With God on Our SideThe Goethe-Institut New York "brings together London-based Asia expert, Ian Buruma, and Die Zeit journalist, Thomas E. Schmidt, to review the concept of 'Asian-style democracy.' Drawing on both philosophical analysis and empirical knowledge Buruma and Schmidt will discuss the question whether Confucian values and principles are compatible with the development of democracy. Ian Buruma, the author of Occidentalism: The West in the Eyes of its Enemies (Penguin Press), is Professor of Human Rights, Democracy and New Media at Bard College, New York, and a frequent contributor to The New York Review of Books. Thomas E. Schmidt, formerly literary editor of Frankfurter Rundschau and cultural editor of Die Welt, is now cultural correspondent of Die ZEIT in Berlin."
Date: Thursday, May 15th Time: 8:00pm Location: Hugs (106 N 6th St btw. Berry & Wythe, W'burg) Cost: Free
DJs Andy D, Suspicious Package, Macaque, Robot Blair (People Don't Dance no More) and DJ Jay Mcelfresh take on Williamsburg with this new party. Expect electro tinged dance music all night with some clubby flair for good measure. Worth checking out. 21+
Date: Thursday, May 15th Time: 9:00pm Location: Heathers (506 E 13th at Ave A) Cost: Free
Today is the screening of the documentary Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell. Prior to his death in 1992, Russell created "music that spanned both pop and the transcendent possibilities of abstract art. Now, over fifteen years since his passing, Arthur's work is finally finding its audience." At tonight's afterparty DJs Dan Selzer and Jeremy Campbell play Russell-related recordings.
Date: Thursday, May 15th Time: 9:00pm Location: Plan B (339 E 10th St) Cost: Free
Chad Dubz of the Takeover Theory Crew drops a new mixtape tonight and - to celebrate - they are invading Plan B with 2 for 1 stellas (9-11), free mixtapes to the first 50 people, and - of course - plenty of DJ goodness. It's hip hop, bmore, club and electro all night. And for visual stimuli there will be live artwork by Ben Angotti and Beast plus photography by Treehouse. 21+
Date: Thursday, May 15th Time: 10:00pm - 4:00am Location: BLVD (199 Bowery at Spring St.) Cost: Free with RSVP
Come get physical with Missbehave tonight! To celebrate the release of their new issue, Missbehave brings Rok One of The Bangers, JD Samson, Runaways and Lauren Flax plus a special appearance from the monsters of Kaiju Big Battle. Expect "Dancefloor Mayhem, Out of Control Behavior, and Makeout Madness."
Date: Friday, May 16th Time: 5:30pm - 9:00pm Location: American Folk Art Museum (45 West 53 Street) Cost: Free
"Dargerism looks at the influence of this self-taught artist's remarkable artwork on eleven contemporary artists whose work....paintings, drawings, sculpture, photography, music, videos and a site specific installation...contributes to a compelling dialogue with a selection of Darger's mythic and magnificent watercolors. The American Folk Art Museum is home to the single largest collection of paintings, books, ephemera and archival material by this reclusive Chicago artist, some of which is on view in Dargerism." Admission is free, there will be live music, drink specials, four floors of artwork, and tours with curator Brooke Davis Anderson. Plus performances from Jodi Saw, Kat, Kagero and Old Springs Pike. List of artists after the jump.
Exhibition Artists
Amy Cutler, Henry Darger, Jefferson Friedman, Anthony Goicolea, Trenton Doyle Hancock, Yun-Fei Ji, Justine Kurland, Justin Lieberman, Robyn O’Neil, Grayson Perry, Paula Rego, and Michael St. John
Date: Friday, May 16th and Saturday, May 17th Time: 8:00pm Location: Juilliard’s Peter Jay Sharp Theater (155 W. 65th St) Cost: Free
"Last dance, last chance for Juilliard Dance this season...the school’s Dance Division presents their annual Choreographic Honors concert featuring the year’s best student choreography and tomorrow’s stars. Don’t miss the last time these dancers take the Juilliard stage during the ’07-’08 season."
Date: Friday, May 16th Time: 8:00pm Location: Trophy Bar (351 Broadway, W'burg) Cost: Free
The good folks from the Stay Gold Gallery launch their newest endevor tonight, Trophy Bar. While I'd usually scoff at another bar opening in Williamsburg, Trophy is rocking some nice features. Beyond coming from great, art minded people, the space has a killer tequila list, 700 sq ft back garden with rotating sculptures, killer jukebox, and a nice rotating cast of local DJ talent. Tonight is also the opening for Jason Peter's sculture piece at their garden (rain be damned) from 8-10 and Lady Base on the tables all night. Keep an eye on this one. 21+
Date: Friday, May 16th Time: 10:15pm Location: Gallery Bar (120 Orchard St) Cost: Free with RSVP Open Bar:Newcastle & Whisky, 10:15 - 11:45
Catch the new Gsus summer line and hear tracks (and a DJ set) from rising star Katy Perry at this downtown night-starter. There's an hour and a half of free manly booze (thats beer and whisky) and some obligatory fashion industry people for sure. 21+
Tonight check out Dance Dance Library Revolution, complete with Dewey Decimal themed cocktails. Its all hosted by the Desk Set, a group of librarians devoted to soaking in the area's literary and alcoholic offerings. Proving once again that I'm a huge dork, I gotta say any event that references the dewey decimal system is pretty awesome in my book. Oh and speaking of books, anyone who brings a non-fiction paperback to donate to Books Through Bars gets a free drink!
Date: Saturday, May 17th Time: 12:00pm - 6:00pm; 8:00pm - 12:00am Location: Manhattan Bridge Skate Park (Pike and Monroe Sts.); KCDC (99 N 11th St, W'burg) Cost: Free
"The Zoo York Institute and New Era, in association with the Harold Hunter Foundation and KCDC Skateshop, are proud to announce that the 2nd Annual Harold Hunter Day." Start the day off with a skate jam at the Manhattan Bridge Skate Park. Then top the day off with the Harold Hunter Party at KCDC. Sorry kids the party is 21 an up.
Date: Saturday, May 17th Time: 1:00pm - 8:00pm Location: Starts at 28th & Broadway, full route here Cost: Free
"Nearly 5,000 dancers will converge on the streets of New York City to celebrate dance for the Second Annual New York City Dance Parade. Last year-the first-ever dance parade in New York-50 styles of dance were celebrated down Broadway, from ancient forms to contemporary, from world cultures to local. Dance Parade is growing to become a NYC annual staple. This year experience colorful floats, live bands and DJs creating a safe and exciting atmosphere to dance in the streets. Among the styles already registered for this year's parade: Ballet, Belly Dance, B-boy, Hip-Hop, House, Hustle, Modern, Mambo, Rumba, Salsa, Swing and more. The mission is to show that dance is an expressive and unifying form of art. The aim is to educate the public on the health and cultural benefits of dance. In doing so, we aim to support and strengthen the role of dance in our culture."
Date: Friday, May 16th and Saturday, May 17th Time: 8:00pm Location: Juilliard’s Peter Jay Sharp Theater (155 W. 65th St) Cost: Free
"Last dance, last chance for Juilliard Dance this season...the school’s Dance Division presents their annual Choreographic Honors concert featuring the year’s best student choreography and tomorrow’s stars. Don’t miss the last time these dancers take the Juilliard stage during the ’07-’08 season."
Date: Saturday, May 17th Time: 8:00pm (Movie at 9) Location: Outdoor Lot on Broome Between Essex and Ludlow Cost: Free with RSVP
Outdoor screenings are always pretty sweet so one that kicks off your night on the town is even sweeter... "Is the dating tax shrinking your wallet? At the Lower East Side Date Night you can bring a date or meet someone totally new Cross Delancey and see the film that inspired romance in the Lower East Side.
Date: Saturday, May 17th Time: 8:00pm - 11:00pm Location: Art Space MCV/NYC (20 Grand Ave #602 bet. Flushing and Park) Cost: Free
Marked is "an exhibition of works created by tattoo artists from across the country. An evening of indelible images created by some of the most powerful technicians in field to benefit The Step Right Up program, an arts and music education group that offers programs to students who would otherwise not have the opportunity to gain entry into the creative world." All Ages
Date: Sunday, May 18th Time: 12:00pm - 5:00pm Location: Pier I (Riverside Park South at 70th St) Cost: Free
I live in Park Slope where there are tons, and tons, and TONS of moms, so this one's for them... maybe there wont be so many strollers about today. "Celebrate mothers and the people who love them at our annual music and art filled afternoon featuring performances by mom bands Swingset Mamas and Housewives On Prozac, tot rocker AudraRox, a Gymboree Play Tent, mom-inspired arts & crafts, food and fun and more! Fun for all ages."
Date: Sunday, May 18th Time: 8:00pm - 11:00pm Location: Chelsea Art Museum (556 West 22nd St) Cost: Free with RSVP
Surface Magazine, Orange 22, & ISO Photography celebrate "the work of eight design icons as they collaborate with Orange22 design lab in the launch of a unique project." Beyond that... your guess is mine but assume arty party booze, monochrome clothing, and all things that are the cutting edge of the modern design world.
From the good folks at MyOpenBar: "OMG! WTF! LOL! SUV! ATM! Soundfix is having a week-long open barathon. (Goes through Friday of this week.) So blow your load on records instead of booze, then walk off your formidable buzz at McCarren park, one block away." PS: Sound Fix also has the best taste in music this side of Other Music so make sure to talk to the staff and spin a few while your out there. 21+
Date: Monday, May 19th Time: 6:00pm - 10:00pm Location: Hudson (356 West 58th Street) Cost: Free with RSVP
Giant Step invites you to their fortnightly celebration at the Hudson tonight. Tonight's DJs are FreeNYC favorites DJ Ayres, DJ Eleven, and Cosmo Baker - collectively known as The Rub. When they are not DJing premier parties around the world or dropping some of the blogosphere's hottest remixes, The Rub host Brooklyn's best monthly dance party (now 6 years strong). Their mixture of classic hip-hop, funk, baltimore, and new club always keeps things lively. 21+
The Brooklyn Independent Cinema Series gives you a short and a feature for your Monday night. The short of it, Emploi Jeune (Young Thug), is the story of Valentin, a young unemployed man "confronted with his own inability to make money, he gives in to a silent hatred, which will one night be unleashed." And the long of it, Facing the Habit, examines a root that grows in West Africa as a possible remedy for heroin addicts to use to break the cycle of addiction? "Dave is a former stockbroker whose life has spiraled out of control due to heroin addiction. A one-time millionaire, he is now reduced to petty theft as a means to supply his habit. Desperate to get help, Dave travels to Mexico for treatment with Ibogaine, a controversial plant-based drug reported to be the most powerful known treatment for drug addiction."
Date: Tuesday, May 20th Time: 7:00pm Location: 55 Bar (55 Christopher St) Cost: Free
Guitar Virtuoso Nat Janoff pops over from the Dirty Jerz tonight amaze you with his trio at one of the last great, cheap live music dive's in the city. 55 Bar is a pre-prohibition legend and the room sweats good music so tonight should be no exception for lover's of Pat Metheny, Bill Frisell, or guitar fueled jazz in general. 21+
Date: Tuesday, May 20th Time: 7:30pm Location: The Angel Orensanz Center (172 Norfolk Street) Cost: Free
"Kristoffer Saebo and Arthur Sato collaborated on this interactive, educational concert that will feature music of the Baroque era and of various folk traditions. Seeking to bridge cultures and traditions in a concert format that appeals to young adult audiences, these two musicians and a number of their close musical colleagues will present a lively, informative, and casual program as part of Carnegie Hall’s Neighborhood Concert Series."
Date: Tuesday, May 20th Time: 8:00pm Location: Sullivan Hall (214 Sullivan St) Cost: Free
It happens every year about this time, the sun breaks, I wander out of the clubs like some sort of cave creature, and I get back into that good old American Roots music. Nothing seems to say spring more (or spring time car commercial) than some good old guitar-laden singer-songwriter goodness beckenoning me to return to the outdoors. If you have similar musical meanderings then check out Danielia Cotton's release party tonight. She's a little bit rock, a little soul, and a little blues all wrapped in a nice neat package. Of course, if your into Danielia, be sure to check out Grace Potter and the Nocturnals who's a bit more Janis Joplin and a bit less Lenny Kravitz.
Sammy Bananas (Fool's Gold/Certified Bananas) and Skinny Friedman's (Philadelphyinz) spin assorted hipster jams and personal favorites at the weekly Player's Club party. Expect a mixed bag of party rockin beats from two of the city's best. Highly Recommended. 21+
Date: Wednesday, May 21st Time: 12:30pm - 1:45pm Location: The Bryant Park Reading Room (42nd Street side of the park - under the trees - between the back of the NYPL & 6th Avenue) Cost: Free
Today is the kick off of Word for Word 2008, which brings the country’s most celebrated authors and celebrities to speak about their recent successes and their thoughts on being a writer. This summer marks their fifth anniversary. This afternoon they welcome Augusten Burroughs who will read from A Wolf at the Table: A Memoir of My Father. Rain location is Barnes & Noble at Fifth Avenue and 46th Street.
Date: Thursday, May 22nd Time: 7:30pm Location: Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall (57th Street and Seventh Ave) Cost: Free
"Claire Bryant, Carol McGonnell, and Elizabeth Joy Roe, bring together the 4th-6th grade classrooms in which they serve as mentors for a concert on May 22 in Zankel Hall, in which the student musicians will make their Carnegie Hall debuts performing newly commissioned music by composers Nico Muhly and James Blachly. These three musicians hope to raise awareness of the crucial role that music education provides in a child’s development while also celebrating the public school students of New York City."
Date: Thursday, May 22nd Time: 9:00pm Location: Studio B (259 Banker St, Greenpoint) Cost: Free
Flosstradamus... Tigercity... Dopplehertz... Three seemingly-disconnected but talented acts come together tonight at Studio B for free. They're all worth it, let's see if they can come together and make a great night of it. 21+
Date: Thursday, May 22nd Time: 10:00pm Location: Porch (115 Ave C bet. 7th and 8th) Cost: Free with RSVP Open Bar: Butternuts Beer and 42 Below Vodka 10:00pm - 11:00pm
Tonight is the "Get Familiar" launch party, the first release from Name Ribbon Clothing's new music imprint, NR Music. Performances by M.I.A. protégé and Get Familiar host, Rye-Rye and DJs Cobra Krames, Kap10Kurt, Leif, Cousin Cole, Rok One, Marc-Alan Gray and Maggie Horn. Plus giveaways from XLR8R Magazine and NAME Ribbon.
Date: Friday, May 23rd - Sunday Time: 6:00pm - 1:00am Location: Theater For The New City (155 First Ave.) Cost: Free
"Droves of independent artists, arts organizations, dance companies, filmmakers and various other art-loving kids will unite this weekend for the 13th Annual LES Festival of the Arts. This year's theme, "Art Into Action, Action Into Art" serves to represent the culturally diverse artistic movements that have spread like rapid fire through downtown New York, and will feature performances by The Wendy Osserman Dance Company, Penny Arcade, Jazz legend David Amram and new works by rising playwrights Barbara Kahn, Lissa Moira and Larry Myers." [via the awesome people at Paper Mag]
Date: Friday, May 23rd Time: 6:00pm - 9:00pm Location: Whitney Museum of Art 941 Madison @ 75th Street (radio station is 2 doors south of museum entrance) Cost: Free
Here's a little mishmashed happy suprise of music and art for ya. Your favorite dubwise beat pioneers, the Subatomic Sound System will be recording a live performance at the Whitney Radio station while Water & Light project some crazy video. Plus, the museum is free on Friday afternoons. All Ages.
What better way to kick off your Memorial Day weekend than with Summer of Love at Hope Lounge! Nick Catchdubs, Tommy Mas and Stretch Armstrong take over the turntables. And free BBQ on the other tables from 9:00pm to 10:00pm.
Date: Friday, May 23rd Time: 10:00pm Location: Le Royale, 21 Seventh Ave. So. Cost: Free with RSVP
Holly hipster batman... get ready to blog this... Those Swedish bloghouse debutants cross the pond to throw down with the weekly electro madness at Robot Rock (okay, only one of them but she's gonna kill it with secret MP3s you're gonna be jockin' Hypem for in the mornin.) Joining the fun will be Toronto's Dopplehertz and FreeNYC favorite Marc Alan Grey along with Alex English and High Voltage's Dimitry!!! Expect wobbly distorted bass. 21+
Date: Friday, May 23rd Time: 10:00pm Location: APT (419 W 13th St bet 9th Ave and Washington St) Cost: Free
Super Family, dispensers of slowed-down house, techno, disco and offshoots thereof, is back in APT’s basement. Tonight the crew is joined by a pretty special guest, with Chicago doyen Roy Davis Jr.—the guy behind soulful house hits who started off in the ’80s producing seminal acid cuts and jack tracks—hitting the decks, including my favorite, below. 21+
Date: Saturday, May 24th Time: 2:00pm; 4:00pm Location: The Northwest corner of Bleecker and W. 11th Streets Cost: Free
"Join the Cupcake Cadets as they celebrate cult of the cupcake and the obsession to consume outside of Magnolia Bakery, in the heart of the West Village. Watch their ritual dances begin as they stand in line, and continue as they sing the cupcake anthem and march to the park across the street, where the show truly begins."
Date: Saturday, May 24th Time: 7:00pm - 9:20pm Location: Parkside Lounge (317 East Houston btwn Aves. B and C) Cost: Free
Happy Birthday to Another Night of Awesome. This month features performers all born in May. Jon Braman plays ukulele hip-hop (born May 11), Dave Burdick surrealist storyteller and moviemaker (born May 20), Will Chrysanthos eater of terrible things (born May 20), Gio Gaynor Morris dancer and your host (born May 27), Michael Wagner/Chappy – uke, tuba and sax band for your dancing pleasure (born May 20), plus movies and other entertainment from the May babies.
Date: Saturday, May 24th Time: 9:30pm Location: Galapagos (70 N 6th St) Cost: $7 with RSVP
Yeah yeah, go ahead, let me hear it. A $7 event on the site. But Gemini and Scorpio, alternative party mavens extrodionairre, pack a lot of punch into their night. There's free dance lessons at the start of the event, plus live horn players and drummer while DJs Dhundee, Shakey, and Qool Marv (word, Qool Marv is awesome) drop jazzy swingin' beats. Plus swirling live-feed projections by Glass Bead Collective. 21+
Date: Sunday, May 25th Time: 8:00am check-in, 9:30 ride Location: Water Street and New Dock Street Cost: Free
Dust off your bikes for the summer time and take a little ride in the Tour de Brooklyn. The Tour de Brooklyn is an exciting free fun family bike tour through 18 miles of Brooklyn. Each year the route changes to highlight the diverse neighborhoods of the borough. This year's tour will ride by Brooklyn's waterfronts, Atlantic Yards, Eastern Parkway with a brief rest stop at Maria Hernandez Park, continuing towards East Williamsburg and into the exclusive Brooklyn Navy Yards. The ride will wrap up at Walt Whitman Park around 1 pm. Register here.
Date: Sunday, May 25th Time: 4:00pm - later Location: Start at Duff's Bar (N 3rd and Kent, W'burg) Cost: Free
What better way to scare all those McCarren Park sun-bathers (who will still be in tight black jeans) then by dressing up like a zombie in the middle of spring, imbibing some mid-day booze, and tromping through the neighborhood. The NYC Zombie Crawl is a predecessor to this fall's larger national event. Meet at Duff's early to get your face painted, start drinking shots, and then travel over to Passout Records where the MC Chris Show will entertain you. At 8:30 the zombies (now really walking like zombies from all their drinking) head to Supreme Trading. Be forewarned that there is a (most likely) well-worth it $12 slideshow - and other stuff - here in the back room but if your still on the no-cover route then you can rock out to tunes in the front and keep on drinkin'. 21+
Date: Sunday, May 25th Time: 8:00pm Location: Hope Lounge Cost: free with RSVP
Takeover Theory bring their signature - so much going on you can't miss this - style to Hope Lounge tonight. You have free BBQ from 8-10 (with $3 beers), Free giveaways for the first 100 rsvps, free Bacardi from 1 to 2, and DJ sets from Demize, King Cut, and Morsy... With no work on Monday you've got no excuses. 21+
Date: Sunday, May 25th Time: 10:00pm Location: Beauty Bar (231 East 14th St bet. 2nd and 3rd) Cost: Free
The Bah Humbug crew presents A Hot Holiday Dance Party with DJs Captain Heartlock (Real Gone!) spinning Garage, Mod and Soul and DJ XEROX (Copycat) spinning Rock , Indie and Electro. 21+
Date: Monday, May 26th Time: 7:00am Location: Rockefeller Plaza (W 49th St) Cost: Free
The B-52s show up on the FreeNYC listings at least once a year with a free show. This morning they bring their party vibe to the early risers in midtown. All Ages.
Date: Monday, May 26th Time: 12:00pm Location: Water Taxi Beach (2 Borden Ave, LIC) Cost: Free
"A day on the sand is the sole suitable way to kick off the summer season, and this beachside bash is the prime opportunity to start the sun soaking. DJs Soul2Soul and Steven Retas spin disco and funk to begin the afternoon, followed by Nef Nunez, Brian Coxx and Brian Burnside bringing the beats. Don't be afraid to sweat a little, there's always the East River…" 21+
Williamsburg's cozy beer spot, Spike Hill, presents free local stand up comedy weekly in their back room. Be prepared for some solid laughs and enjoy some curry fries while your there. 21+
Date: Tuesdays Time: 11:00pm Location: Lit (93 2nd Ave, btw. 5th an 6th St) Cost: Free Open Bar: Vodka, 11-12
"Glam Rock decadence in the rock n roll capital of New York City...the East Village! This weekly Tuesday night glam party kicks off upstairs with BowieOpenBar from 11pm til midnite. That's one full hour of free vodka while DJ .dZGRa spins the music of David Bowie! Downstairs, at 11pm you have the option to see a different band each week ($6), hand-picked by the RebelRebel team! At midnight, both floors are open to everyone, and the glam revolution begins!" Old Flyer 21+
I'm not one for posting straight up happy hours (unless there is beer pong and $1 beverages) but since we are on the ebb tide of summer I figured what better way to spend your after work wind-down then with some bass-laden reggae, some cheap $4 Red Stripes or Rum Punchs, and some free jerk chicken. 21+
Date: Wednesday, May 28th Time: 7:00pm Location: Housing Works Bookstore Café (126 Crosby St) Cost: Free
Recent Poetry magazine contributors Mary Jo Bang, Cate Marvin, Philip Nikolayev, and Meghan O’Rourkewill all read their own works this evening. Complimentary copies of Poetry magazine and tote bags will be available to attendees and there will be a Q&A and signing after the reading. Donations of books to the store are welcome and encouraged.
Date: Wednesday, May 28th Time: 7:30pm Location: South Cove, Battery Park City (Hudson River & South End Ave) Cost: Free
Soprano Leah Partridge and tenor Norman Reinhardt delight with arias from the popular to the obscure on a stunning Hudson River setting. "American soprano Leah Partridge has received consistent praise for her virtuosic technique and dramatic insight. She has made some of the great bel canto roles her own, and her career includes performances of the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor, Violetta in La Traviata, and Gilda in Rigoletto. In the 2007-08 season Leah Partridge made her Metropolitan Opera debut singing the First Niece in a new production of Britten’s Peter Grimes. A graduate of the Houston Grand Opera Studio, American tenor Norman Reinhardt has had a successful start to his career. Amongst others, Norman has worked with Patrick Summers playing Ernesto in Don Pasquale and has sung in Der Kaiser von Atlantis at the Ravinia Festival under the baton of James Conlon."
Date: Wednesdays 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? Really old flyer, should be ignored. Someone please send a new one. 21+
Date: Wednesdays Time: 10:00pm Location: Rose Live Music (345 Grand St. btw Havemeyer and Marcy) Cost: Free
Subphonik Music takes over Rose Wednesday nights and brings you live hip hop, soul, jazz and, plus they always throw a little freestyle jam session in there for good measure. Tonight the Beat Battle winner receives a free class at Dubspot! 21+
Date: Wednesday, May 28th - Friday Time: 12:30pm Location: Outside the NYSE at 18 Broad Street Cost: Free
"LMCC’s Sitelines site-specific performance series launches this summer with Jacqulyn Buglisi's episodic, theatrical spectacle which marries art and commerce by bringing to life touchstone moments in the history of the New York Stock Exchange. Commencing with a resonating gong, the artists animate a sweeping, epic display that transforms the steps of Federal Hall and the New York Stock Exchange into a silken-sheathed proscenium depicting the early days of the NYSE, from the signing of the 1792 Buttonwood Agreement to the passionate frenzy on the Floor covered in ticker tape madness. The musical selections include Wynton Marsalis, Jelly Roll Morton and John Corgliano and a live performance by the Aeros Wind Quintet.
Led by Abigail Washburn, the Sparrow Quartet is an all-star ensemble that presents a unique musical fusion of original songs that draw inspiration from traditional American music and classical forms, with an underlying influence of the Far East. Featuring banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck, along with violinist Casey Driessen and cellist Ben Sollee, the group has visited both China and Tibet as musical ambassadors, doing what mass media cannot in representing contemporary American culture. Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn and Spectratone International open. Ticket info below. All Ages.
Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn has been at the heart of the vibrant independent music scene since her debut album and has been pushing the boundaries of indie-rock ever since. Her striking lyrical poise and emotional honesty prove quite evocative. Her latest collaboration with Spectratone International is a layered, insect-inspired song cycle delivered with beautiful lyrics, epic scale and intimate tone.
Tickets are required and space is limited. Two free tickets per person will be distributed at the Castle on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 5:00PM on the day of the show.
Date: Thursday, May 29th Time: 7:00pm Location: Water Taxi Beach (Long Island City) Cost: Free with RESERVATION
"Behavioral economist Dan Ariely, author of Predictably Irrational, will join Radio Lab hosts Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich and Proust was a Neuroscientist author and Radio Lab contributor Jonah Lehrer to explore the often surprising factors that motivate and dictate human behavior. Why, for example, are people generally more comfortable stealing pencils from work than money from a petty cash box? And what does this tell us about the degree to which human decision-making is based upon irrational thinking? The free event will combine discussion with live group experiments, games and demonstrations that test the ideas in Ariely's book, followed by food, drink and music under the stars." Admission is free, but reservations are required. More info on World Science Festival after the jump.
"The first annual World Science Festival, an unprecedented celebration of scientific discovery, will take place from May 28 through June 1, 2008 at more than 20 venues throughout New York City. It will bring together over a dozen Nobel Laureates, leading researchers, top-level technologists, dedicated educators, and high-level policy makers with creative artists, filmmakers, and performers to create more than 40 unique events that will shine a spotlight on science and explore the many ways in which scientific discovery and innovation are shaping modern life."
Date: Thursday, May 29th Time: 7:00pm - 11:00pm Location: 3rd Ward Gallery (195 Morgan Avenue, B'wick) Cost: Free with RSVP
Indie apparel line Brooklyn Royalty is opening the doors of its new studio space at innovative collective 3rd Ward to unveil their first-ever Video Lookbook. Festivities include music by Frank White & Friends, free gift bags to the first 100 attendees, open bar Sangria from 7pm to 8pm and even complimentary car service from the Grand L stop. The night concludes with an exclusive screening of the new Brooklyn Royalty Lookbook at 9PM. Party photographers will be on-hand to capture the ensuing dance party, which will continue until 11pm, and Brooklyn Royalty merchandise will be available for purchase all night.
Date: Thursday, May 29th Time: 7:00pm - 9:00pm Location: Invisible NYC (148 Orchard Street) Cost: Free Open Bar: Budweiser and Heineken from 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Invisible NYC presents Once in Awhile a new art show by artists Duane Bruton and Leif Parsons which explores the crazy male psyche. Both men work primarily with mixed media on paper, creating whimsical and visually pleasing poetic imagery sometimes recognizable, other times free form lines and space create familiar shapes and forms. While similar in their approach, each has unique execution and end result. And should you need an after work drink, there is free Budweiser and Heineken from 7pm to 9pm.
Date: Thursday, May 29th Time: 7:30am - 2:00pm Location: Park Avenue between 50th and 51st Streets Cost: Free
Pay very close attention to the words you are about to read. They are possibly the most important words I have ever shared with you... FREE CAKE!!! Thats right people, free cake! In the midst of this tumultuous presidential campaign Pillsbury feels we could all benefit from something sweet. "The Pillsbury Doughboy will declare Park Avenue and 51st the Sweetest Spot in New York City and offer morning commuters a free slice of a giant cake in the shape of the United States to kick-off the Campaign for a Sweeter America. Pillsbury will also donate more than 1,500 sweets to the New York Food Bank for delivery to community food programs throughout New York’s five boroughs."
The interestingness (okay, I know it's not a word) continues... same info here. "Enter into three immersive events whose fusion of water, sound and light will bring the mythic She-Wolf to life and transform outdoor river spaces with site-specific animations and music. In its US premiere, She Wolves features works that originated on the Tiber River in Rome as part of the annual Tevereterno celebration of contemporary art and sound. Each evening's experience will awaken a different River to River Festival site with commissioned musical compositions and projected animations paired in breathtaking installations for the river.
Date: Thursday, May 29th Time: 10:00pm Location: Sutra (16 1st Ave btw 1st and 2nd St) Cost: Free
Mr. Pace Won & Mr. Green drop their new release The Only Color That Matters Is Green this week and are celebrating with a release party tonight. The duo will perform live along with some surprise guests, and Takeover Theory DJ's Iron Lyon & Yamez (with guest DJ DP1 of the Turntable Anihilists) provide the beats all night ling. 2 for 1 stellas and heinekens from 10 -11, and live artwork in the basement. 21+
Date: Friday, May 30th Time: 7:00pm Location: South Street Seaport, Pier 17 (Fulton St & East River) Cost: Free
Its summer in the city at that means free concerts at the Seaport. This evening they kick things off with Wire and Die! Die! Die! "Wire came to prominence in the late 70s during the cultural revolution of punk in the UK. Their art-school approach set them apart from brasher contemporaries, where they expanded the sonic boundaries of not just punk, but rock music in general. From R.E.M., the Cure and Guided by Voices to Minor Threat and Black Flag, from Blur and the birth of Britpop up until Franz Ferdinand and Bloc Party, Wire’s influence has been one of most significant in the past 30 years." All Ages.
Date: Friday, May 30th Time: 8:30pm Location: Triangulo (135 West 20th, #301 btw 6th and 7th Ave) Cost: Free
What do I love more than a dance class? A free dance class! Tonight check out a free absolute beginner workshop in Argentine Tango. "Featured in Vogue, the National Herald Tribune, and The Economist, TriANGulO specializes in Argentine tango, the original, more intimate predecessor to international ballroom-style tango. Founder Carina Moeller is a professional dancer with training in modern dance and ballet who has worked and studied with such tango greats as Fabian Salas, Pablo Veron, and Mingo Pugliese. Known for her engaging and precise teaching style, Carina creates a stress-free atmosphere that is particularly appealing to novice dancers."
Date: Friday, May 30th Time: 9:00pm Location: Sutra (16 First Avenue) Cost: Free with RSVP
"Sutra’s One Night Only series kicked off a couple weeks back with DJ’s Spinna & ?uestlove. This Friday night, they continue the top-tier selection of hip-hop DJ’s bringing in the one and only Evil Dee, founding member of Black Moon, Boot Camp Clik & Da Beatminerz. Join the gang over on First and First for a rare chance to catch him on a Friday night in the LES."
Date: Friday, May 30th Time: 9:00pm Location: Galapagos Art Space (70 N 6th, W'burg) Cost: Free with RSVP; $5 without
Takeover Theory DJs King Cut & Complex take over Galapagos tonight and are joined by guest DJ IXL (dmc champion). They will be cuttin, scratchin, and partyrockin all night long! Plus free fried chicken and waffles from 9:00pm to 10:00pm.
Date: Friday, May 30th Time: 10:00pm Location: Sala, downstairs (344 Bowery at Great Jones) Cost: Free
It's that time of year again for a more relaxed work and school schedule, which means a more intense schedule of vacations, BBQs and best of all - partying. DJs Brainchild (Okayplayer/Dorkmag/OSN) and DJ Knomad (432 Promotions) will be playing some mellow soulful vibes in the beginning of the night and switching over to upbeat party vibes for the late night set. 21+
Date: Saturday, May 31st Time: 10:00pm Location: Galapagos (70 N 6th, W'burg) Cost: $5 w/RSVP Open Bar: Vodka 10:00pm - 11:00pm
Crooked Disco is back with their monthly one-room throw down dedicated to hands-in-the-air electronic goodness. It’s a very special tag team night this time around as Proper Villians (Jon [s] & Jesse Mann) and Sound Advice (K. Ross & Elsewhere) join residents DJ Morsy and DJ Kestar for a night of disco, electro, bmore, funky house, custom blends and who knows what else. Plus, we’re celebrating the release of Sound Advice’s new self-titled 12", so you’re sure to hear some exclusive new club bangers. Good Wood and the FPC guest host and help you get your party on all night and we kick things off with an open vodka bar at 10pm so don’t sleep!
Date: Saturday, May 31st Time: 3:00pm Location: Governors Island Cost: Free
Do you ever wake up in the morning and say "Man, I wish I could go to a polo game today." Yeah, me either. But the folks over at Veuve Cliquot have been waiting for 70 years since the last polo match was played in NYC. Ralph Lauren's team, Blackwatch (including Nacho Figueras), is playing against Asprey team. Veuve Clicquot champagne bar will be open field-side during the event and picnics are allowed and encouraged. Free ferries run from Manhattan to Gov Island every 30 minutes. Family friendly!
Date: Saturday, May 31st Time: 6:00pm - 4:00am+ Location: World Financial Center Cost: Free
As artistically inclusive as it is audience-friendly, Bang on a Can's annual 12-hour Marathon has become one of the most diverse, most open and most exciting music events in the world. "Imagine Lollapalooza advised by the ghost of John Cage," Vanity Fair wrote. "There are other places to hear new contemporary music, but it is seldom offered with such a potent blend of intensity, authority, and abandon." Last year's clocked in at a non-stop 27+ hrs of free avant guard music from the likes of Karsh Kale, Dan Deacon, Crash Ensemble, and more. Full details here. All Ages.
Date: Saturday, May 31st Time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm Location: Battery Maritime Building (10 South St) Cost: Free
"Creative Time presents Playing the Building, a 9,000-square-foot, interactive, site-specific installation by renowned artist David Byrne. The artist transforms the interior of the landmark Battery Maritime Building in Lower Manhattan into a massive sound sculpture that all visitors are invited to sit and 'play.' The project consists of a retrofitted antique organ, placed in the center of the building's cavernous second-floor gallery, that controls a series of devices attached to its structural features—metal beams, plumbing, electrical conduits, and heating and water pipes. These machines vibrate, strike, and blow across the building’s elements, triggering unique harmonics and producing finely tuned sounds."
Date: Saturday, May 31st Time: 7:00pm Location:MF Gallery, 157 Rivington St. Cost: Free
Following the success of the last two Zombie Art Show, the MF Gallery have decided to continue their tribute to the legions of the undead. The Opening Party in April drew a mixed crowd of Zombies and Humans. Dethrace, a Band of Satanic Superhero Robots, delivered a deadly 2000 megawatt performance and then had a bloody battle with the undead fiends. On May 31st, they will return once again for the final Zombie Battle. Anyone who shows up in Zombie makeup will receive free beer all night! Admission is free and open to all ages, no RSVP required…BUT ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK!! (old flyer)
Date: Saturday, May 31st Time: 7:00pm Location: 11th Street Skate Park & Garden (bet. 11th & 12th sts and Ave A & 1st Avenue) Cost: Free
Subatomic Sounds System invites you to come hang out with them in a Lower East Side Garden and Skate Park. They set up shop and play downtempo and dub reggae live. Plus Water and Light Project play Africa Unite featuring Bob Marley at 8:30pm. This event is at a community garden, please respect the rules of the space! (sorry, old flyer)
Date: Saturday, May 31st Time: 9:00pm Location: Ft. Greene Park (N. Portland and Myrtle, Ft. Greene) Cost: Free
IFC and Roof Top Films present At the Death House Door this evening in lovely Ft. Greene part. A powerful and important new documentary by Steve James and Peter Gilbert (makers of the classic doc "Hoop Dreams") At the Death House Door kicks off the summer for Roof Top films. After the screening there will be a Q and A and an opportunity for the audience to meet the filmmakers.
