Union Square L Train Platform Dance Party!

Happy Halloweeeeeeeeen.

Waiting for the L train last night at Union Square, I stood back to watch and capture the evolution of a mini-dance party, with blaring horns, mimes and other assorted Friday night revelers in various degrees of costume. This was all well before midnight, mind you. More pictures and video below.

Enjoy!

(The band, Moon Hooch, has a single, Take the L Train, that you can download for free)

Bike Basket Find: NYC 70's Flash Map

The other day I rode my bike into Manhattan to go to Yoga to the People. Located on St. Mark's Place in the East Village, it's a relatively quick bike ride for me from Williamsburg; and Yoga to the People is a donation-based studio that accepts any amount you wish to pay for the class, if any. (Yes, I paid; it is well worth it!) The typical class runs an hour long and you feel the workout. Nothing like a bike ride to wind down after some serious yoga stretches...

So I am generally unconcerned about my bike; as long as it's locked up, it's safe enough, though the deteriorating state of my bike seat seems to encourage people to mess with it more these days. And this time, returning to my bike after yoga, which was locked up on 3rd Ave by the Stomp theater, I found that my basket was overflowing with books. Okay, garbage in my bike basket I've seen, but books? What was going on?

A closer look revealed that they were all maps, from all over the world. My automatic response was to be annoyed that someone saw my bike basket as a place to discard their unwanted maps, but a closer look revealed that the maps were actually intriguing. I decided to keep only one: a New York in Flash Maps book from the 70's. Hopefully someone else picked up the other discarded treasures... Here are some pictures of the fantastically dated book. Note that it was only 98¢!




(Above: How many of these shops still exist? Note some of the classics, Like Lord & Taylor, Saks Fifth Ave and Tiffany's)

Interesting, there was the West Side, and Lower West Side, all above Chelsea. And so continues the constant evolution of NYC.

Dram: Cocktails in S. Williamsburg

Another swanky bar in my part of Brooklyn! Only a few blocks from me, Dram is a stunning mellow bar in Williamsburg featuring premium top-notch cocktails and an unobstructed view of the street.

The place is rustic chic, with the solid wood paneling of the bar, tables and bathroom nicely complemented by the exposed brick of the outer wall.









At 177 S. 4th St, the bar is almost hidden; well, it's visible, but with no name on announcing its identity on the outside, it's one of those places you don't really feel truly comfortable entering until you know about it. Consider yourself informed.

Week/end Re-Cap: Art & Music Galore

First things first. There is a reason why I don't generally like going to swanky, pretentious clubs like Marquee: with $15 drinks, an odd mixed crowd, and a lackluster vibe, I didn't stick around for long. Oh well, you can't blame a girl for occasionally falling prey to the initial appeal .... that all-too-quickly faded.

So I decided to call it an early night yesterday. But before that, I had the fantastic opportunity to see a truly strong music set at Bruar Falls in Williamsburg. As part of CMJ, there was a free, all-day show at Bruar Falls, all bands promoted by KXSC Radio, Los Angeles. The band I went to see at 6:00 pm, Free Moral Agents, had a really perfectly appealing blend of angst, funk, and psychedelic. Quite a sound. With keyboardist Isaiah "Ikey" Owens from The Mars Volta, the band very adeptly mingles hip-hop, r&b and experiemntal stylings to create an addictive, well, psychedelic sound.

After that, I went with my friend to Taco Chulo, a really hip little Tex-Mex restaurant on Grand St. in Williamsburg, where I enjoyed tortilla soup, along with a large helping of chips and guacamole. Yum. If only I hadn't left the neighborhood for Manhattan last night, the evening probably would have gained rather than lost momentum.

And, speaking of staying around Williamsburg, here are some snapshots of my figure drawing sketches from this past Wednesday at 3rd Ward's Drink n' Draw.

Music, Meetings, Parties

Just a regular week in NYC.

This last Wednesday, I finally made it to Drink n' Draw at 3rd Ward. Seriously, an amazing deal: $10 when you come with a friend (otherwise $15), for two and a half hours of figure model drawing, with a lovely figure model and unlimited beer. I'll have to take pictures of some of my sketches and post them here. This may just have to become a weekly activity for me, too! What's great about the event is that it attracts artists of all levels, so there's no need to feel intimidated or inadequate: it's just a space to unwind and indulge in some creativity.

Thursday, last night, I went out... only pictures I managed on getting:

(me, above, not sure of the why of either of these pictures... made sense at the time!)

And tonight, I am going to check out some CMJ goodness at Bruar Falls in Williamsburg and then head to Manhattan to the classy, chic Marquee (not usually my scene, but it is a beautifully swank place to enjoy) for a Meet Up group, a MEGA Multi-group Fall party.

Hello, weekend!!

IAMSOUND Showcase at Santos Last Night

Ok, so I saw a total of 4 bands play at Santos last night. My friend and I, not realizing that MEN would not play until about 1:00 am, arrived around 9:00 pm. And were pleasantly surprised by the first two bands we saw: Superhumanoids and Kisses. Both electro-indie bands from L.A., they were each mesmerizing and artsy in their own ways.

The next two bands, Restless People and Salem, left something to be desired, the former being thumping jam-rock noise and the latter sounding like progressive goth. But the finale and headliner, MEN, made it worth sticking around. New York Times featured a review of the CMJ IAMSOUND showcase, "At Santos, an Oddly Juxtaposed Showcase". So true.

And some pictures of MEN:

Men (with JD Samson of Le Tigre) Tonight! CMJ Show

So I am seeing my first CMJ show of this season tonight. Men, with JD Samson of Le Tigre, will be playing at Santos Party House, and tickets are only $12! (And it includes a 6-month subscription to New York Magazine, not so shabby a perk.)

Men will be playing as part of the IAMSOUND Showcase, an indie label that should be delivering some excellent acts tonight. Tickets can be purchased online or at Other Music.