I am seeing Yelle, the French pop-princess superstar extraordinaire, tonight! Ok, I don't actually (yet) own any of her music, but she seems like a blast. What's not to like about quirky French pop music?
See the Flavorpill write-up here, which cites Cindy Lauper as a source of inspiration, and go here for tickets (or just hang around Webster Hall to try to score one). Tickets are only $20 a piece.
Her Myspace page provides samples of her music to the uninitiated. And, Wikipedia gives further background information, including the fact that her real name is Julie Budet and her musical name Yelle comes from YEL, a feminine acronym for "You Enjoy Life."
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Notable Art Happenings!
As always, there is an almost endless, inexhaustible amount of arts and entertainment in NYC. Below are some highlights!
Banksy, a well-known British street/graffiti artist, has an exhibit up in the West Village at The Village Pet Store Bar and Grill. It will stay up through Halloween, October 31, 2008. This is apparently Banksy's first show in NYC (apparently there have been many shows purportedly with Banksy's works previously, which have all been revealed as fakes... ), as well as his first time using animatronics. There is no graffiti or street art in the so-called "store," but rather a bizarre combination of "animals" to behold.
The gallery/store is open daily from 10 am-12 am., at No. 89, 7th Ave South, between W. 4th and Bleeker St. The entire store also is viewable through the storefront window.
Banksy's site can be seen here.
In other art happenings, the Williamsburg Gallery Association offers free events every second Friday of the month. I also recommend the Live With Animals gallery in Williamsburg, on the corner of Kent Ave (210 Kent Ave.) and Metropolitan Ave. The gallery is open 2 pm to 7 pm, Sat-Sun, and the current exhibit is Against Nature, by Sebastian Mlynarski. The exhibit, up until October 26, features photographs that examine and confront the difficult relationship between humans and nature. The evening of Sat October 18th features an evening of art and music, with Bill Bronson performing a piece inspired by the exhibition.
October 24-26 features the NY Art Book Fair free to the public, at Phillips de Pury & Company, at 450 W. 15th St. at 10th Ave, 3rd fl. A list of exhibitors can be seen here.
Banksy, a well-known British street/graffiti artist, has an exhibit up in the West Village at The Village Pet Store Bar and Grill. It will stay up through Halloween, October 31, 2008. This is apparently Banksy's first show in NYC (apparently there have been many shows purportedly with Banksy's works previously, which have all been revealed as fakes... ), as well as his first time using animatronics. There is no graffiti or street art in the so-called "store," but rather a bizarre combination of "animals" to behold.
The gallery/store is open daily from 10 am-12 am., at No. 89, 7th Ave South, between W. 4th and Bleeker St. The entire store also is viewable through the storefront window.
Banksy's site can be seen here.
In other art happenings, the Williamsburg Gallery Association offers free events every second Friday of the month. I also recommend the Live With Animals gallery in Williamsburg, on the corner of Kent Ave (210 Kent Ave.) and Metropolitan Ave. The gallery is open 2 pm to 7 pm, Sat-Sun, and the current exhibit is Against Nature, by Sebastian Mlynarski. The exhibit, up until October 26, features photographs that examine and confront the difficult relationship between humans and nature. The evening of Sat October 18th features an evening of art and music, with Bill Bronson performing a piece inspired by the exhibition.
October 24-26 features the NY Art Book Fair free to the public, at Phillips de Pury & Company, at 450 W. 15th St. at 10th Ave, 3rd fl. A list of exhibitors can be seen here.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Of Montreal at Roseland Ballroom
Before seeing of Montreal at Roseland Ballroom yesterday, I had seen them once previously, about a year or so ago. Having seen them before, I knew that the band gloriously lives up to its quirky, innovative sounds and general sense of free-spirited fun.
Rolling Stone Magazine discusses lead singer Kevin Barnes and his band in an article, "The Surreal Life," which reveals that Barnes has a darker side that has often affected his music. It discusses, for example, that Barnes contemplated suicide after realizing his wife was pregnant. Was this his fear of having to assume the responsibilities of a father and an adult? Regardless, the act of him attempting suicide by hanging himself was re-enacted onstage last night. Disturbing.
The odd thing was that otherwise the performance was generally supremely fun-filled. With large-scale video backdrops, (some directly from their music videos), choreographed costumed dancing and theatrics, and even a white horse onstage, of Montreal's performance was a non-stop colorful tour-de-force.
Brooklynvegan has a more critical review of the show, but has an amazing slew of images that much more precisely give an insider view to the theatricality of the performance.
The odd thing was that otherwise the performance was generally supremely fun-filled. With large-scale video backdrops, (some directly from their music videos), choreographed costumed dancing and theatrics, and even a white horse onstage, of Montreal's performance was a non-stop colorful tour-de-force.
Brooklynvegan has a more critical review of the show, but has an amazing slew of images that much more precisely give an insider view to the theatricality of the performance.Wikipedia describes the band's and Kevin Barnes's history a bit more in-depth.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Columbus Day weekend events
I don't really know what I will be doing over the Columbus Day weekend, but here are several highlights:
This weekend is the 4th-Annual Bed-Stuy Alive! Festival.
Also, Saturday night, 10 pm, features a free performance at the BAMcafé, featuring Spanish singer Rosalía. The event is described on the BAM Café Live website as follows:"In conjunction with BAM’s New Voices from Spain series (2008 Next Wave Festival), BAMcafé Live presents an artist on the smoother, sexier side of Iberia’s burgeoning music scene: the keen-eared, classically-trained guitarist/singer Rosalía. Steeped in Spanish folklore, Latin rhythms, and jazz, Rosalía’s guitar lines are lush and sinuous, guiding the listener/vagabond into the most unlikely nooks and crannies of modern Spanish culture."
I recommend getting there early; space fills up fast!
Also, ISSUE Project Room will be having musical events every evening, featuring highlights of experimental music and videos from the 80's, 90's and 2000's, every evening, tonight through Saturday. Each event is $10 and begins at 8 pm. Sunday they are hosting an event at Spiegeltent.
And tomorrow, Friday, I will be seeing Of Montreal at Roseland Ballroom. There are also a LOT of other big shows on Friday; again, many of which may already be sold out, but go after tickets if you want 'em! Beck is playing again, Man Man (not sold out yet!) is playing ... and check out ohmyrockness for more suggestions.
Review and Pictures of Beck and MGMT
The United Palace Theater, where MGMT and Beck played, is way up in Harlem, on 175th St. to be exact. Getting there was no problem; getting home afterward was a little more of a hassle, but definitely worth it. The United Palace Theater is gorgeous.
Inside was seating, featuring a little less-than-preferably low ceilings but great views of the stage. I arrived mid-way through MGMT's performance. They had spotlights on stage but otherwise put their energy into the songs and not into visual appeal for the audience. I was satisfied that I arrived in time to hear their live performance of their songs "Kids" and "Electric Feel." I am excited to hear future releases by MGMT and see how they develop. (MGMT describes their musical style as "Healing/Easy Listening/Soul" on their Myspace page; somehow, that combination works for them, though I would be more inclined to call their genre folk-pop.)
(MGMT, above)
And Beck's performance lived completely up to my expectations, playing music from his older albums as well as his more recent releases. He and his bandmates put on a good performance; for the most part, they stuck to their musical roles and let the video backdrop behind them provide the visual complement to their music.
Everyone, or almost everyone, was standing during their performance. And a lot of us, like myself, were also dancing. Good times.
Inside was seating, featuring a little less-than-preferably low ceilings but great views of the stage. I arrived mid-way through MGMT's performance. They had spotlights on stage but otherwise put their energy into the songs and not into visual appeal for the audience. I was satisfied that I arrived in time to hear their live performance of their songs "Kids" and "Electric Feel." I am excited to hear future releases by MGMT and see how they develop. (MGMT describes their musical style as "Healing/Easy Listening/Soul" on their Myspace page; somehow, that combination works for them, though I would be more inclined to call their genre folk-pop.)
(MGMT, above)There followed a brief intermission as the stage was prepared for Beck.
And Beck's performance lived completely up to my expectations, playing music from his older albums as well as his more recent releases. He and his bandmates put on a good performance; for the most part, they stuck to their musical roles and let the video backdrop behind them provide the visual complement to their music.
Everyone, or almost everyone, was standing during their performance. And a lot of us, like myself, were also dancing. Good times.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Wednesday Music Events!
I am really stoked that I will be seeing both Beck and MGMT tonight. I think it is going to be an absolutely amazing show! I have been a fan of Beck's for years and have never seen him perform before; so tonight's show will be quite the treat, especially with MGMT opening for him! They are playing at United Palace Theater in Harlem, a venue I have also never been to previously. So, the evening ahead is looking quite electric!
(Beck, above)
The Beck/MGMT shows are sold out, but playing for three consecutive nights, so checking out craigslist.org or ebay.com, or trolling the area for an extra ticket prior to the show may yield you your very own lucky ticket to the event. But if you are not intersted in scavenging for a ticket and are looking for a fun electro-experimental show or an interesting evening in Brooklyn, musical or otherwise, I recommend the show below.
Barbara Morgenstern is apparently a musical superstar in Germany; to the American ear, she offers German-tinged electro-experimental music. See her Myspace page here.
Barbara Morgenstern
Berlin underground favorite Barbara Morgenstern www.barbaramorgenstern.de has come across the ocean to New York. Come hear a bit of what the Berlin scene is creating, and see why it's as interesting as it appears to be.
Buy tickets here!
Barbara Morgenstern is playing at Galapagos Art Space in DUMBO. The show is at 8 pm; tickets are only $10!
(Beck, above)The Beck/MGMT shows are sold out, but playing for three consecutive nights, so checking out craigslist.org or ebay.com, or trolling the area for an extra ticket prior to the show may yield you your very own lucky ticket to the event. But if you are not intersted in scavenging for a ticket and are looking for a fun electro-experimental show or an interesting evening in Brooklyn, musical or otherwise, I recommend the show below.
Barbara Morgenstern is apparently a musical superstar in Germany; to the American ear, she offers German-tinged electro-experimental music. See her Myspace page here.
Barbara Morgenstern
Berlin underground favorite Barbara Morgenstern www.
Buy tickets here!
Barbara Morgenstern is playing at Galapagos Art Space in DUMBO. The show is at 8 pm; tickets are only $10!
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Madonna's 'Sticky and Sweet' Performance
I saw Madonna in her Sticky and Sweet tour last night (yes, Madonna on a Monday!), and I have to say, I am blown away by that woman. If I had half the energy now that she has at 50, I would be a happy lady. Madonna's sheer unflagging energy onstage, from her double-dutch jump-rope dancing and general high level of physical exertion and ability, to her enthusiastic shouts to the crowd, was phenomenal. The show began somewhere around 9:30 p.m., a large video candyland projection introducing us to the spectacular spectacle of the evening which momentarily was eclipsed by a swiveling of the stage, revealing Madonna's dancers and then Madonna herself, sitting at the throne.A NY Times article on Madonna's previous performance in New Jersey gives a more critical look at Madonna's performance, in an article entitled, Aerobic, Not Erotic: The Concert as Workout, emphasizing how cold-hearted and driven her performance and general aesthetic was, a feat basically of sheer willpower. I would have to say I disagree; the erotic and aerobic are not incompatible, especially in Madonna' case. While her performance was an odd mish-mash of both music and theatrical effects, with themes ranging from hip-hop to club kid to Europen gypsy and spiritual, Madonna's show offered barely, if ever, a dull moment.
In one break from her live onstage performance, the audience was treated to a large projection of her very politically-oriented video, "Get Stupid":
Upon the video's closing, the audience erupted into loud applause. Madonna also made it clear during the performance, "Palin is NOT invited." She did, however, thank everyone there yesterday for attending her "party," and proclaimed that sitting down wasn't allowed during her show. "This is not the Streissand show," she said. Yes, Madonna is still going strong: with her attitude, her looks, her energy, and her performances. She is a worthy icon.
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