Archive for November, 2005

Uncoolkids won’t be updated any more this week cause we got some of those $9 tickets to the Bahamas.

I’d like to say that we’ll be thinking of you while we’re sipping pina coladas on the beach, but we probably won’t.

Enjoy your week, we’ll see you next Monday.

“Be part of a live taping of Game Time, hosted by hysterical comic Christian Finnegan. Special guest: David Cassiday.

Audience members will be invited on stage, to participate in a series of Jeopardy styled questions focusing on classic TV trivia, shows like I LOVE LUCY, BEWITCHED, THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW, THE MUNSTERS, I DREAM OF JEANNIE, LEAVE IT TO BEAVER, THE BRADY BUNCH and ALL IN THE FAMILY. Participation is optional - Guests must be 21 years of age and older.

Wednesday, November 30
The Supper Club
240 West 47th Street

3:00pm or 6:00pm

The day is broken down into two shoots. Snacks and drinks provided.

Email your reservation request to kambri@ballyhoopromotions.net.

Provide the full name of all guests and the preferred time of attendance.”

NYC DECOMPRESSION 2005
by Tom Pearson

Sculpture by Paige Bradley Gallery; photo by Tom Pearson

This year’s NYC Decompression party, a celebration of art and alternative culture that serves as a cool down for New York area burners, was one of the best in years. The thirteen-hour interactive carnival held on the rooftop of Brookyln Sugar in Williamsburg brought the playa to the tar, replete with art installations, sculpture, performing artists, a dance floor, a costume trading post, free popcorn, cotton candy, a kissing booth, and of course, the fabulous annual resident creatures of Black Rock City. Smaller in scale than past parties, the contained atmosphere focused its energy instead on cultivating quality. The dance party was always kicking. The hula hoopers, with their own play area, were on hand to perform and share advice. Tip: a simple back and forth motion of the torso (with one foot planted slightly in front) is better for hooping than trying to circle with your waist.

The fire spinners were extraordinary as they showed their virtuosity to a vibrating but hushed crowd (we had to cheer quietly to keep the NYPD from closing us down). Two silvery acrobats performed circus-type fabric drops from the ceiling inside, while the dance party paused to watch. Outside, freezing party-goers crowded around a burn barrel situated between a sculpture of a horse made from rebar and tire treads and a sculpture by Paige Bradley Gallery of a woman emitting light from her torso.

Last year’s party, held at Spirit in Chelsea, attracted the club-goers and failed to satisfy, but the party on Saturday night was filled with true burners, who live the playa year-round and generously share their spirits and gifts. And, the few pieces of art and occasional performances were like nuggets of gold against the chilly skyline of Manhattan and a city preparing for a long cold winter.

© 2005 Tom Pearson

BETWEEN COMPOSURE AND OUTBURST:
“Puppy-Skills” at PS122
by Tom Pearson

In an evening of old and new works by Sally Silvers & Dancers Thursday night at PS122, the choreographer celebrated 25 years of dance-making with long-time collaborators, a few fresh faces, and an audience of die-hard fans.

The premieres of the evening offered Silvers at her best. In her closing solo, “Oven Rack,” Silvers wafted between sweet composure and surprising moments of movement Tourret’s. Perhaps a better opener than a closer, this solo epitomized the quirky quality and whimsical intelligence that Silvers has built her dance reputation around.

Read the rest of this entry »

“V2 Records, The PIT, and Dead-Frog.com present

The Aristocontest
[The Filthiest Joke Ever - LIVE!]

Saturday, December 3 - 11:00pm

Featuring:
Bob Wiltfong (The Daily Show)
Kurt Braunohler (Chengwin, Neutrino Video Projects)
Katherine Bryant (Fearsome)
Bob Powers (How to Kick People)
Andres du Bouchet (TONY Best of NY)
AND MORE!

Come early, and sign-up to tell your OWN version of the Aristocrats
joke!

$100 Grand Prize, courtesy of V2 Records!

All participants receive a copy of The Aristocrats comedy soundtrack,
out December 6 on V2 Records! Obscene, vulgar, offensive… The
Funniest CD you will ever hear.

at The Peoples Improv Theater
154 West 29th Street
(btwn. 6th & 7th Aves.)

Tickets: $8
Online: BrownPaperTickets
Phone: 1-800-838-3006
Questions? 212-563-7488

I just left midtown and apparently there was a suspicious bag that had been unattended for a couple of hours. So the cops broke out the yellow tape and blocked traffic while they waited for the fire trucks to show up. 42nd St was completely empty between Broadway and 8th, which was strange and oddly peaceful.

DAVID CRONENBERG DIRECTOR’S DIALOGUE
Tuesday, November 29, 8pm

“We know that many of you missed out on our first David Cronenberg event, so we’ve invited him back, this time to speak one-on-one with a special guest interviewer (TBA) about the themes and ideas that have shaped his career and his unique cinematic vision, from THEY CAME FROM WITHIN to A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE.”

Tickets: $20 general public ($17 students, $15 Film Society members)

One of the things about living in this city is that there is art everywhere. I was reminded of this when I went to Max Fish, a regular ‘ol bar in the Lower East side, and saw three paintings on the wall as good as anything in a gallery.

Anders Olson, the artist, has bravely chosen three very personal and raw pieces to display. The first impression I had was that they were very different styles and techniques, one of the front room pieces looks like a collection of photographs while the one hanging in the back has a more symbolic and dreamlike feel to it. But upon closer inspection I realized that they were a series of self portraits, using a layering technique in different ways to convey the different aspects of the artist.

Below are a couple pictures I was able to get (right click and choose view image for a bigger size), but nothing compares to going down there and seeing it for yourself.

Flux Factory, “a not for profit arts organization supporting innovation in things,” is looking for submissions for thier next couple of pieces. They always do some interesting stuff, all you musicians and artists out there should check this out:

1) “Flux Factory is putting out a call to artists to submit works for a benefit exhibition titled ‘Works on Paper’. The exhibition will run for one week from 18-26 February 2006 and will feature works on paper by emerging artists and sell them to a wide audience of dealers, collectors, gallery owners, artists and people who want art at extremely reasonable prices.”

You can find more info about the above on their website, but it looks like the next one hasn’t been posted yet, so I included everything they sent out:

2) “Flux Factory is putting out an open call for its latest show, FluxBox. The aim of FluxBox is to gather a group of international sound artists, musicians, and sculpture/installation artists to create a walk-through, room-sized “music box” that plays a single song. Like the Disneyland ride “It’s A Small World” all the objects in the exhibit present a world that is connected if simultaneously disjointed, which sings together, but in a harmonious cacophony.

Read the rest of this entry »

There’s no doubt that people love Harry Potter. Similarly, people love their iPods. So why was I so surprised at the size of the crowd when I went to Barnes and Noble, Union Square for a live joint taping of PotterCast/MuggleCast on Saturday night?

Five hundred fans were there, and almost all of them were teenage girls. One of them had been given the choice of going to Disneyland or the taping, and she chose the taping. One girl came from Kentucky, another from California, still another from South Africa. They all lined up to watch Emerson, Andrew, Ben, Kevin, John, Melissa and Sue - the new heroes of Hogwarts. The seven of them had been given something every fan dreams of, a chance to see the New York premiere of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and they were there to tell us what they saw.

From L to R: Sue, Emerson, Kevin, Ben, John, Melissa and Andrew

Read the rest of this entry »