NYCity 1-2-3 : What's Happening / Manhattan's WestSide

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (10/22) + Today’s Featured Pub (Upper West Side)

Posted on 10/22/2017 by GregD

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.

For future NYC Events better check the tab above: “Notable NYC Events-OCTOBER”
It’s the most comprehensive list of top events this month that you will find anywhere.
Carefully curated from “Only the Best” NYC event info on the the web, it’s a simply superb resource that will help you plan your NYC visit all through the month.

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Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

TOWN HALL ENSEMBLE
at Town Hall / 3PM, $30+
“Over its 96-year history, the Town Hall has seen more than its share of historic moments. Built by a women’s rights organization, it has hosted events of great artistic ambition and political consequence, often both at once. The newly formed Town Hall Ensemble’s repertoire refers back to major presentations from throughout that storied history. This debut show will include tunes first performed there in 1947 by Dizzy Gillespie and Chano Pozo; a piece sung by the Jewish cantor Moishe Oysher at an anti-Nazi fund-raiser in 1944; and music from Coretta Scott King’s Freedom Concerts in the 1960s. Led by the trumpeter Steven Bernstein, the rotating ensemble appears here in a star-studded, 14-piece iteration, and will be joined by a slate of special guests.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

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7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>>SUKHISHVILI GEORGIAN NATIONAL BALLET
>>Shaken Not Stirred: The Music of James Bond
>>Tero Saarinen Company
>> LARRY WILLIS AND THE HEAVY BLUE BAND
>>Losers Lounge Tribute to Bee Gees
>>TASTING CIDER WEEK
>> 41st Annual Margaret Mead Film Festival
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Music, Dance, Performing Arts

SUKHISHVILI GEORGIAN NATIONAL BALLET
at David Geffen Hall / 5:30PM, $45+
“This company of 50 dancers and musicians brings Georgian culture to Lincoln Center for one night only. Formed in 1945 by Iliko Sukhishvili and Nino Ramishvili as the Georgian State Dance Company, the group lights up the stage with 21 works that display stunning footwork — notably, the men dance on their toes — brilliantly fast spins and the utmost precision.” (NYT-GIA KOURLAS)

Shaken Not Stirred: The Music of James Bond
The Django / 6PM, +9PM, $
“Natalie Joy Johnson, PJ Griffith, Matt Hetherington and the Romanova Dancers put their stock in Bond as they whirl through theme songs originally performed by Shirley Bassey, Adele, Tom Jones, Wings, Chris Cornell and more. (Dare we hope for a little A-ha and Sheena Easton?) Doors open an hour before showtime for an interactive Bond-inspired lounge party.” (TONY)

Tero Saarinen Company (LAST DAY)
at the Joyce Theater / 8PM, $30+
“The work that put Tero Saarinen on the international dance map more than 20 years ago was a trio exploring facets of masculinity. Now Mr. Saarinen, one of Finland’s major dance artists, comes to New York with “Morphed” (2014), which illustrates his evolving thoughts on that theme. “Morphed” features seven men inhabiting Mr. Saarinen’s blending of delicacy and wildness, echoed in a score by his fellow Finn the composer-conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen.” (NYT- BRIAN SCHAEFER)

LARRY WILLIS AND THE HEAVY BLUE BAND (LAST DAY)
at Smoke Jazz Club / 7, 9 and 10:30PM, $38
“A nimble pianist with a gentle but bracing touch, Mr. Willis has followed a winding career path: He accompanied Jackie McLean, Dizzy Gillespie and Cannonball Adderley; played for seven years in the rock fusion group Blood Sweat & Tears; and worked in the seminal Latin jazz Fort Apache Band. In 1990, he released a strong album called “Heavy Blue,” spotlighting his own ear-catching postbop compositions. Here he reprises that title with a different quintet, featuring Jeremy Pelt on trumpet, Joe Ford on saxophone, David Williams on bass and Victor Lewis on drums.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

Losers Lounge Tribute to Bee Gees
@ Joe’s Pub / 1PM, $
For 20+ years Joe McGinty has been leading the Losers Lounge, paying tribute to different artists with his talented band and a host of surprise guest vocalists. Today: The Brothers Gibb.

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

TASTING CIDER WEEK (thru Oct.29)
“If cider is the apple of your eye, then Cider Week is for you. Hop around town for tastings, celebrate the opening of the Bad Seed Cider Brooklyn Taproom and check out the Cider in the Square Apple Market to find hard and sweet ciders, apples, pie and donuts. Festivities also include cidercentric feasts, talks and extended happy hours.” (Newsday)
WHEN | WHERE Friday through Sunday, , Oct. 2029 at various venues, including the Bad Seed Brooklyn Tap Room, 585 Franklin Ave.,
INFO Free -$85, ciderweeknyc.com

41st Annual Margaret Mead Film Festival (LAST DAY)
American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th St. / all day, $12+
“The preeminent showcase for contemporary cultural storytelling, the 41st Annual Margaret Mead Film Festival screens a selection of titles chosen from more than 700 submissions. The festival will feature international documentaries, multimedia performances, installations, receptions throughout the Museum, intimate conversations with filmmakers and film subjects, and the presentation of the annual Margaret Mead Filmmaker Award.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

Continuing Events

Archtober (Oct.01-31)
31 days, 100+ ways to celebrate design in NYC! The seventh-annual, month-long festival of architecture activities, programs, and exhibitions in New York City will take place October 1-31, 2017. Archtober’s calendar features 200 architecture and design lectures, conferences, programs, and exhibitions at more than 70+ collaborating institutions across the city.

For more details go to my Tab in the Header: “Notable Events October” and scroll all the long way to the bottom. This event makes America, or at least NYCity, great again.

And for all you geek types out there:

NEW YORK ARCHIVES WEEK 2017 (Oct.18-25)
“More than 30 New York institutions will host free workshops, lectures, tours and exhibitions for the event, which aims to show off our city’s repositories of art, artifacts and documents.

This week, you can listen to Louis Armstrong’s personal reel-to-reel collection and see rare footage of the jazz musician at Queens College in Flushing on Wednesday.
On Thursday take a tour of the United Nations archives in Midtown, the National Archives at New York City Downtown, or the exhibition “Unlikely Historians: Materials collected by N.Y.P.D. surveillance teams 1960-1975”, also in Downtown Manhattan.

Prefer to chat about archives?
Join a discussion on diversifying the digital historical record at New York University on Friday, or head to Columbia University to learn about the archives of Human Rights organizations like Amnesty International USA, the Committee to Protect Journalists and Human Rights Watch.

For an immersive experience, the Museum of Interesting Things in Lower Manhattan will be screening vintage films on a 1965 Kodak projector, playing original vinyl records and Edison Cylinders, and explaining odd antiques from the 19th and 20th centuries on Saturday.” (NYT-Today)

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Bonus NYC Events – Jazz Clubs:
Many consider NYCity the Jazz capital of the world. Here are my favorite Jazz clubs, all on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who is playing tonight:

Greenwich Village:
(5 underground (UG), classic jazz joints. all 6 within walking distance of each other):
Village Vanguard – UG, 178 7th Ave. South, villagevanguard.com, 212-255-4037
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. bluenotejazz.com, 212-475-8592
55 Bar – basement @55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave.S. 55bar.com, 212-929-9883
Mezzrow – basement @ 163 W10th St. nr 7th Ave. mezzrow.com,646-476-4346
Smalls – basement @ 183 W10th St. smallslive.com, 646-476-4346
Cornelia Street Cafe – UG, 29 Cornelia St. corneliastreetcafe.com, 212-989-9319

Outside Greenwich Village:
Dizzy’s Club – Broadway @ 60th St. — jazz.org/dizzys / 212-258-9595
Birdland – 315 W44th St.(btw 8/9ave) — birdlandjazz.com / 212-581-3080
Smoke Jazz Club – 2751 Broadway nr.106th St. — smokejazz.com / 212-864-6662

Special Mention:
Caffe Vivaldi – 32 Jones St. nr Bleecker St. — caffevivaldi.com / 212-691-7538
a classic, old jazz club in the Village, Caffe V often surprises with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It’s my favorite spot for an evening of listening enjoyment and discovery.

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♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of 8.5 million, had a record 60 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2017. Quality shows draw crowds.
Try to reserve seats in advance at these top NYC events, even if just on day of performance.

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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A PremierPub / Upper West Side

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que / 700 W125th St. @ 12th ave.

Walk only five minutes from the 125th St. station on the #1 line to find this authentic honky-tonk barbecue joint. Some folks think Dinosaur is just a place to eat ribs. Au contraire. With 24 carefully selected taps, this is a place to drink beer, and eat ribs.

No food goes better with American craft ales than American barbecue. Dinosaur may be the best combo of good beer drinking and hearty eating in town, which makes the trip uptown to West Harlem totally worthwhile.

This second incarnation of Dinosaur in Harlem is in a two story, old brick warehouse near the Hudson River. Don’t let that run down exterior fool you. Inside it’s a large space with huge, rough wooden columns and unfinished wooden floors and brick walls – just right for a bbq joint. As soon as you open the front door you are hit with that tantalizing aroma of barbecue coming from the large open kitchen. Reminds me of those great rib joints I frequented when stationed in North Carolina all those years ago. If your stomach wasn’t grumbling before, it is now.

Head to the bar, sit down and try to decide on a beer. It’s not an easy decision – a good problem to have. This is a pretty damn good beer list to choose from, one that most beer bars should be jealous of. I love that they feature NY craft beers. You may want to try the four beer sampler, which is always fun, and in this place may be necessary.

The blues music playing in the background will get you in the mood for their North Carolina style barbecue, and even when it’s a full house your order shouldn’t take too long (assuming you snagged a table). The food is all slow smoked, so it’s already mostly done and ready to go. I always start with an order of their giant, spice rubbed wings, so good they may make you give up Buffalo wings.

Unfortunately, a place this good does not fly under the radar. There can be some long waits for a table at dinnertime. So you need a strategy – avoid prime time, and try not to arrive with your entire posse, which will limit your seating options.

A seat at the bar, a small table in the bar area, or in the summer, an outside table underneath what’s left of the elevated West Side Highway, all may open before a table inside the main dining room. Otherwise, try Dinosaur for lunch, or come very late for dinner, maybe after a show at the nearby Cotton Club nightclub.

Website: http://www.dinosaurbarbque.com/
Phone #: 212-694-1777
Hours: Mo-Th 11:30am-11:00pm; Fr-Sa 11:30am-12:00am;
Su 12:00pm-10:00pm
Happy Hour: 4-7pm every day; $1 off all drinks
Music: Fri / Sat 10:30pm
Subway: #1 to 125th St.
Walk 2 blk W on 125th St. to Dinosaur Bar-B-Q,
just past the elevated highway.
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“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge (except for certain jazz clubs).

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (10/21) + GallerySpecialExhibits: Chelsea

Posted on 10/21/2017 by GregD

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.

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Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

American Dance Spectacular!
Schimmel Center / 7:30PM, $29+
“Let’s say you’ve had it with esoteric “downtown” dance, with silence and ambiguity and complex concepts and robotic movement. Then head even further downtown to Pace University, forget your troubles, and take in this new evening of American popular dance, assembled by Broadway professionals Daniel C. Levine and Bryan Perri and choreographer Al Blackstone of So You Think You Can Dance. The night takes you on a journey from the Charleston and the Lindy Hop through the decades, up to vogueing. Six Broadway dancers, a book by Susan Batten, three vocalists, and a live band will keep the joint jumping.” (Elizabeth Zimmer, Village Voice)

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7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>>Ron Carter Golden Striker Trio
>>CITA RODRÍGUEZ Y SU ORQUESTA
>>Tero Saarinen Company
>> LARRY WILLIS AND THE HEAVY BLUE BAND
>>The Met: “Turandot”
>> Pre-Concert Discussion: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra Songbook
>> 41st Annual Margaret Mead Film Festival
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Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Ron Carter Golden Striker Trio (LAST DAY)
Birdland, / 8:30PM, 11PM, $40
“Legendary double bassist Ron Carter closes out his three-week residency at Birdland with a series of performances featuring his acclaimed Golden Striker Trio, with longtime guitarist Russell Malone and Donald Vega on piano. This current incarnation of the group have a beautiful live album, released this past April, called Golden Striker (Live at Theaterstübchen Kassel), where these three men gracefully interpret classic material like Oscar Pettiford’s “Laverne Walk”; Luiz Bonfá’s gorgeous “Samba de Orfeu,” from the 1959 film Black Narcissus; and a stunning reading of the very John Lewis song after which this trio is named. After kicking off his residency with a sixteen-piece big band in its first week and following up during week two with the debut of an excellent quartet (Jimmy Greene on tenor sax, pianist Renee Rosnes, and drummer Payton Crossley), Carter now brings his time at Birdland to a sublime ending with the Golden Striker Trio — a quintessential way for the musician to end a most epic New York City October.” (Ron Hart, Village Voice)

CITA RODRÍGUEZ Y SU ORQUESTA
at the Hostos Center for the Arts and Culture / 7:30PM, $25-$35
OK, this is not Manhattan’s WestSide and it’s not easy to get to, but if you like Latin music it’s so worth the detour. (#2 subway to 138th St., walk 10 blocks N to venue)
“Cita Rodríguez boasts a warm and playful voice, and prowls the stage with a sense of generous command. A New Yorker of Puerto Rican descent, she sings of love and heritage, often in the romantic bolero style. At this concert, Ms. Rodríguez pays tribute to her father, Pete Rodríguez, known as El Conde, a star vocalist who sang in the 1960s with the influential bandleader Johnny Pacheco before becoming a founding member of the Fania All-Stars and eventually embarking on a solo career.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

Tero Saarinen Company (Oct.18-22)
at the Joyce Theater / 8PM, $30+
“The work that put Tero Saarinen on the international dance map more than 20 years ago was a trio exploring facets of masculinity. Now Mr. Saarinen, one of Finland’s major dance artists, comes to New York with “Morphed” (2014), which illustrates his evolving thoughts on that theme. “Morphed” features seven men inhabiting Mr. Saarinen’s blending of delicacy and wildness, echoed in a score by his fellow Finn the composer-conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen.” (NYT- BRIAN SCHAEFER)

LARRY WILLIS AND THE HEAVY BLUE BAND (Oct. 20-22)
at Smoke Jazz Club / 7, 9 and 10:30PM, $38
“A nimble pianist with a gentle but bracing touch, Mr. Willis has followed a winding career path: He accompanied Jackie McLean, Dizzy Gillespie and Cannonball Adderley; played for seven years in the rock fusion group Blood Sweat & Tears; and worked in the seminal Latin jazz Fort Apache Band. In 1990, he released a strong album called “Heavy Blue,” spotlighting his own ear-catching postbop compositions. Here he reprises that title with a different quintet, featuring Jeremy Pelt on trumpet, Joe Ford on saxophone, David Williams on bass and Victor Lewis on drums.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

The Met: “Turandot”
Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center / 8PM, $25+
“Puccini’s grand spectacle of legendary China stars Oksana Dyka and Martina Serafin in the role of the ice princess and Marcelo Álvarez as the unknown prince who must thaw her heart or die. Maria Agresta, Hei-Kyung Hong, and James Morris are among the other remarkable artists featured in this cherished Franco Zeffirelli production, led by Carlo Rizzi and Marco Armiliato.”

“Franco Zeffirelli’s over-the-top style defined the Met in the eighties and nineties, but now the famed Italian director has only one other production (besides “La Bohème”) left in the company’s repertory, a traditionalist pageant of glittering chinoiserie that he devised for Puccini’s “Turandot” thirty years ago. Oksana Dyka, Aleksandrs Antonenko, and Maria Agresta star in the revival; Rizzi.” (NewYorker)

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

Pre-Concert Discussion: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra Songbook
Jazz at Lincoln Center, Rose Hall/Time Warner Center, 5th Floor / 7PM, FREE
“Jazz at Lincoln Center’s hour-long pre-concert discussions are led by musicologists and scholars as they discuss the featured artist’s music and legacy, taking an in-depth look at their contributions to the genre. This discussion looks at the music and careers of Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra members, discussing their original composition and inspiration behind them. No registration or tickets required.”

If you get right on it, there are also a few tickets left for the concert itself tonight, but even if you don’t go to the concert, I found this to be a worthwhile piece of jazz education.

41st Annual Margaret Mead Film Festival (Oct.19-22)
American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th St. / all day, $12+
“The preeminent showcase for contemporary cultural storytelling, the 41st Annual Margaret Mead Film Festival screens a selection of titles chosen from more than 700 submissions. The festival will feature international documentaries, multimedia performances, installations, receptions throughout the Museum, intimate conversations with filmmakers and film subjects, and the presentation of the annual Margaret Mead Filmmaker Award.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

Continuing Events

For more details go to my Tab in the Header: “Notable Events October” and scroll all the long way to the bottom. This event makes America, or at least NYCity, great again.

And for all you geek types out there:

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Bonus NYC events– Jazz Venues:
Many consider NYCity the Jazz capital of the world. Here are my favorite Jazz clubs, all on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who is playing tonight:

Greenwich Village:
(5 are underground, classic jazz joints. all 6 are within walking distance of each other):
Village Vanguard – UG, 178 7th Ave. South, villagevanguard.com, 212-255-4037
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. bluenotejazz.com, 212-475-8592
55 Bar – basement @55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave.S. 55bar.com, 212-929-9883
Mezzrow – basement @ 163 W10th St. nr 7th Ave. mezzrow.com,646-476-4346
Smalls – basement @ 183 W10th St. smallslive.com, 646-476-4346
Cornelia Street Cafe – UG, 29 Cornelia St. corneliastreetcafe.com, 212-989-9319

Outside Greenwich Village:
Dizzy’s Club – Broadway @ 60th St. — jazz.org/dizzys / 212-258-9595
Birdland – 315 W44th St.(btw 8/9ave) — birdlandjazz.com / 212-581-3080
Smoke Jazz Club – 2751 Broadway nr.106th St. — smokejazz.com / 212-864-6662

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♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of 8.5 million, had a record 60 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2017. Quality shows draw crowds.
Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just on day of performance.

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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Chelsea Art Gallery District*

Chelsea is the heart of the NYCity contemporary art scene. Home to more than 300 art galleries, the Rubin Museum, the Joyce Theater and The Kitchen performance spaces, there is no place like it anywhere in the world. Come here to browse free exhibitions by world-renowned artists and those unknowns waiting to be discovered in an art district that is concentrated between West 18th and West 27th Streets, and 10th and 11th Avenues. Afterwards stop in the Chelsea Market, stroll on the High Line, or rest up at one of the many cafes and bars and discuss the fine art.

Here is one exhibition that the New Yorker likes:

Jordan Casteel (thru Oct.28)
Casey Kaplan Gallery, 121 W27th St.

“In one of the most buzzed-about débuts of the fall season, Casteel shows large figurative canvases that combine the candid immediacy of the digital snapshots on which they’re based with the restraint and humanity of an Alice Neel portrait. The young Colorado-born phenom worked almost entirely from pictures she took in Harlem of men, at night. Casteel’s subjects, like the artist herself, are black, and her work tackles the representation of race in general, while revelling, as painters will, in the specific details. In “Q,” a man sits on a stoop next to a sketched-in green railing, earnestly consulting his iPhone, and wearing a sweatshirt with an image of Biggie Smalls in wraparound shades, a gold chain, and a Coogi sweater. In “MegaStarBrand’s Louie and A-Thug,” two well-turned-out young men sprawl with authority in folding chairs on the sidewalk, gazing skeptically out of frame. One wears a shirt that says “REASON,” the other is in a T-shirt that reads “T.H.U.G.: THE HATE YOU GAVE US.” In her exhilarating, if uneven, show, Casteel gives nothing but love.” (NewYorker)

Here is one exhibition that the New York Times likes:

Magdalena Suarez Frimkess (LAST DAY)
Kaufmann Repetto, 535 West 22nd Street,

“Untitled,” from 2009, is among the nearly 55 works by the ceramic artist Magdalena Suarez Frimkess at Kaufmann Repetto. Credit Adam Kremer
Magdalena Suarez Frimkess is some kind of genius. Her medium is glazed ceramic, with special emphasis on the glazes, expertly drawn and painted in numerous styles and indebted to popular art, folk art and an astounding array of other historical references. In Ms. Suarez Frimkess’s survey of nearly 55 works at Kaufmann Repetto, Minnie Mouse, Popeye and Krazy Kat keep company with Maya warrior gods. There are frequent forays into blue-and-white ware, which can depict Chinese-looking landscapes, mischievous kids on bicycles and more. Other decorations include village scenes that recall South American folk painting. (Ms. Suarez Frimkess, who has lived in this country since 1963, was born in Venezuela in 1929 and started her artistic career in Chile.)

“Untitled,” from 2014, by Magdalena Suarez Frimkess. Credit Dawn Blackman
Over the years she has often collaborated with her husband, Michael Frimkess, glazing vessels that he threw on a wheel. (They made a point of not consulting each other.) There are some of their collaborations here, with Mr. Frimkess’s contributions distinguished by their relative symmetry and finish. But Ms. Suarez Frimkess is at her best when glazing her own small hand-built vessels — plates, bowls, tiles, Japanese-influenced boxes, teacups and teapots — as well as small figurines. Marvelously irregular and sometimes almost as thin as leaves, they have a delicate looseness well-matched with glazes that often leave the clay body showing through. Their spontaneity can evoke Peter Voulkos’s towering, more Expressionistic forms, but on a small scale that is at once worldly, exquisite and laced with humor. They suggest an artist in love with her medium and buzzing with ideas.

Ms. Suarez Frimkess is fairly well known in her hometown, Los Angeles, but this is only her second solo show in New York, following her 2014 debut at White Columns. With works dating back to 1970, this selection is the first in these parts to delve into her past. It proves that she has been a genius for a while.” (ROBERTA SMITH, NYT)

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For a listing of 25 essential galleries in the Chelsea Art Gallery District, organized by street, which enables you to create your own Chelsea Art Gallery crawl, see the Chelsea Gallery Guide (nycgo.com) Or check out TONY magazine’s list of the “Best Chelsea Galleries” and click through to see what’s on view.

*Now plan your own gallery crawl, but better to plan your visits for Tuesday through Saturday; most galleries are closed Sunday and Monday.

TIP: After your gallery tour, stop in Ovest at 513W27th St. for Aperitivo Italiano (Happy Hour on steroids). Discuss all the great art you have viewed over a drink and a very tasty selection of FREE appetizers (M-F, 5-8pm). OR try the NYT recommendation: “When you’re done, adjourn to the newly renovated Bottino , the Chelsea art world’s unofficial canteen on 10th Avenue (btw 24/25 St.) “

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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see recent posts in right sidebar dated 10/19 and 10/17.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 41st Annual Margaret Mead Film Festival, American Dance Spectacular!, CITA RODRÍGUEZ Y SU ORQUESTA, LARRY WILLIS AND THE HEAVY BLUE BAND, NYC Events, Pre-Concert Discussion: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra Songbook, Ron Carter Golden Striker Trio, Saarinen, The Met: “Turandot” | Leave a comment

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (10/20) + Today’s Featured Pub (WestVillage)

Posted on 10/20/2017 by GregD

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.

===========================================================

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
BRIC JazzFest 2017 Marathon (Oct.19-21)
BRIC Arts Media House, 647 Fulton St., Brooklyn.
“Too long in coming but welcome all the same, Brooklyn has a jazz festival to call its very own. Now in its third year, this proudly eclectic gathering remains unbounded by convention; look for such artists as Maceo Parker, Vijay Iyer, GoGo Penguin, Harriet Tubman, Rudresh Mahanthappa Indo-Pak Coalition, Papo Vazquez, Dave Douglas Meets the Westerlies, and Matana Roberts during the three-day marathon.” (NewYorker)

My fave among many good ones tonight: Vijay Iyer Sextet (9:20PM, $30)
“The trailblazing pianist stretches out with drummer Marcus Gilmore, bassist Stephan Crump and the rest of the group behind his striking new progressive-jazz album, Far from Over.” (TONY)

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9 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Mara: A Chamber Opera Libretto
>> Camille O’Sullivan Sings Jaques Brel
>> LARRY WILLIS AND THE HEAVY BLUE BAND
>> Mary Stuart by Friedrich Schiller
>> American Ballet Theatre
>> Norma
>> Pre-Concert Discussion: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra Songbook
>> 41st Annual Margaret Mead Film Festival
>> John Herzog on “A Billion to One”
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Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Mara: A Chamber Opera Libretto by Stephen Batchelor + Music by Sherry Woods
Rubin Museum of Art ,150 W. 17th St./ 7PM, $25
“No great transformation is without its obstacles. Upon leaving home at the age of 29 on his quest for enlightenment, Siddhattha Gotama (Siddhartha Gautama) engaged in a sustained struggle to understand and overcome the forces that stood in his way. Once he had realized his goal and become the Buddha, he still had to contend with forces that resisted the establishment of his teachings and community. These psychological, physical, social, and institutional powers are personified in the complex, demonic figure of Mara. In MARA: A Chamber Opera, these deeply human conflicts are played out in a 75-minute performance with a libretto by best-selling Buddhist author Stephen Batchelor and music by Sherry Woods.”

Camille O’Sullivan Sings Jaques Brel
Irish Arts Center / 8PM, $32 (maybe a tough ticket, but she was awesome last night)
“Irish chanteuse O’Sullivan (Absinthe) throws herself into songs with spellbinding intensity, as she proved in her triumphant 2014 and 2016 runs at Irish Arts Center. In her new set, she rides the emotional carousel of songs of the great Belgian troubadour Jacques Brel (“Amsterdam,” “Ne Me Quitte Pas”).” (TONY)

Mary Stuart by Friedrich Schiller
Barnard College, 3009 Broadway / 8PM, $12
“Centering on the final days of the life of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, Friedrich Schiller’s intense psychological study is focused on the intersection of romantic, political, and religious betrayal, revealing vivid tension between the costs of moral righteousness and those of political expediency. Gisela Cardenas, who directed Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s brilliant Katzelmacher, returns to campus to direct this evocatively modern play.
Performed by Barnard and Columbia students.”

American Ballet Theatre (Oct.18-29)
at the NYS/DHK Theater, Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, $25+
The company’s two-week season at the Koch Theatre features a variety of shorter works. Much of the repertory here is new or of recent vintage, with the exception of Jerome Robbins’s “Other Dances” (which will be danced by David Hallberg and Hee Seo on Oct. 19 and Oct. 22) and Frederick Ashton’s “Symphonic Variations.”

The novelties include a new ballet by Alexei Ratmansky, “Songs of Bukovina”—set to a folk-infused piano suite by the Ukrainian composer Leonid Desyatnikov—and “I Feel the Earth Move,” by the L.A.-based choreographer Benjamin Millepied, who has also contributed a site-specific performance piece for the theatre’s public spaces, to be performed at intermission on some nights. (NewYorker)
Tonight at 7:30: “Songs of Bukovina,” “Her Notes,” and “Thirteen Diversions.”

Norma
Metropolitan Opera House / 8PM, $32+
“Ponselle, Milanov, Sutherland, Callas … after last night, Radvanovsky can add her name to the list,” declared the Huffington Post when Sondra Radvanovsky made her Met role debut as Norma in 2013. The 2017–18 season opens with a new production of Bellini’s masterpiece, starring Radvanovsky as the Druid priestess and Joyce DiDonato as her archrival, Adalgisa—a casting coup for bel canto fans. Tenor Joseph Calleja is Pollione, Norma’s unfaithful lover, and Carlo Rizzi conducts. Sir David McVicar’s evocative production sets the action deep in a Druid forest where nature and ancient ritual rule.”

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

If you get right on it, there are also a few tickets left for the concert itself tonight.

John Herzog on “A Billion to One”
Museum of American Finance, 48 Wall St./ 12:30PM, $5
“Join us for a lunchtime program with the Museum’s Founder and Chairman Emeritus, John Herzog, on his new book about the legendary Wall Street firm his family founded.
About the Speaker
John E. Herzog, Chairman Emeritus of Herzog, Heine, Geduld, Inc., joined the firm founded in 1926 by his father in 1959. With Irwin and Buzzy Geduld, he spearheaded its expansion into the third-largest Nasdaq market maker in the country. After the sale of the firm to Merrill Lynch in 2000, John devoted himself to R.M. Smythe & Co., the family auction firm dealing in antique stocks and bonds, bank notes, coins and autographs.

After the stock market crash of 1987, John founded the Museum of American Finance to enhance public understanding of the capital markets. John is a life-long collector of financial memorabilia whose collection has been exhibited many times at the Museum.”

Continuing Events

For more details go to my Tab in the Header: “Notable Events October” and scroll all the long way to the bottom. This event makes America, or at least NYCity, great again.

The 10th Annual Imagine Science Film Festival (LAST DAY)
“Produced by Imagine Science Films — the nonprofit behind science film festivals in New York, Paris, Abu Dhabi and satellite events worldwide – Imagine Science Film Festival showcases new and experimental works that bridge the worlds of science and film in an artful, entertaining, and meaningful way.

All of the events are low cost or FREE. The festival includes short and feature-length films, live cinema performances, discussions, interactive demonstrations and more taking place at museums, universities and cultural institutions across Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. Several of the films will be making their U.S. debuts at the festival.

Notable programming includes:
North American premiere of Honey, Rain and Dust at the American Museum of Natural History (Friday, Oct 20 @ 4 pm) – A unique ethnographic and ecological look into an unseen corner of the Arabian Gulf: beekeeping traditions in the northwestern mountains of the United Arab Emirates.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

For the complete program, visit: http://imaginesciencefilms.org/ny10/program
Tickets: FREE – $18

=====================================================
Bonus NYC events– Jazz Clubs:
Many consider NYCity the Jazz capital of the world. Here are my favorite Jazz clubs, all on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who is playing tonight:

Greenwich Village:
(5 underground, classic jazz joints. all 6 within walking distance of each other):
Village Vanguard – UG, 178 7th Ave. South, villagevanguard.com, 212-255-4037
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. bluenotejazz.com, 212-475-8592
55 Bar – basement @55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave.S. 55bar.com, 212-929-9883
Mezzrow – basement @ 163 W10th St. nr 7th Ave. mezzrow.com,646-476-4346
Smalls – basement @ 183 W10th St. smallslive.com, 646-476-4346
Cornelia Street Cafe – UG, 29 Cornelia St. corneliastreetcafe.com, 212-989-9319

==================================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of 8.5 million, had a record 60 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2016. Quality shows draw crowds.
Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just on day of performance.

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

================================================================================

A PremierPub / West Village

Corner Bistro / 331 W. 4th St.

Sometimes you just need a beer and a burger. If so, Corner Bistro is the place you want. Located just outside the hip Meatpacking district, this corner bar and grill is decidedly unhip, but it’s not uncrowded, especially at night. Seems that everyone knows this place has one of the better burgers in town.

In the maze of streets known as the West Village, where West 4th intersects with West 12th (and West 11th, and West 10th, go figure), you will eventually find Corner Bistro on the corner of West 4th and Jane Street. An unassuming neighborhood tavern, it looks just like dozens of other taverns around town.

The bartender tells me that the Corner Bistro celebrated it’s 50th anniversary last year. The well worn interior tells me that the place itself is much older.

Corner Bistro has outlasted many of those other taverns around town because they know how to keep it simple — just good burgers and beer, fairly priced. The classic bistro Burger is only $6.75, and should be ordered medium rare, which will be plenty rare for most folks. Actually, it will be a juicy, messy delight – make sure you have extra napkins. I like to pull up a stool and sit by the large front window in the afternoon, where I can rest my burger and beer on the shelf, and watch the Villagers walk by.

Corner Bistro seems to attract very different groups of patrons depending on time of day. While it’s crowded with locals in the evening, in the afternoon you hear different foreign languages, and watch groups of euro tourists wander in, led by their guidebooks and smartphones.

For the classic Bistro experience, order your burger with a McSorley’s draft, the dark preferably. This is the same beer that you can get over at the original McSorley’s in the East Village, the pub that claims to be the oldest continually operating bar in NYCity. The only difference is that this McSorley’s ale is served with a smile by the bartenders here. Or you can get a Sierra Nevada, Stella, or Hoegaarden on tap if you want to go upscale a bit. Either way this is a simple, but quality burger and beer experience that is just too rare these days (sorry for the pun).
=========================================================
Website: cornerbistrony.com
Phone #: 212-242-9502
Hours: 11:30am-4am Mon-Sat; 12pm-4am Sun
Happy Hour: NO
Music: Juke Box
Subway: #1/2/3 to 14th St. (S end of platform)
Walk 2 blk W. on 13th St. to 8th Ave.; 1 blk S. on 8th Ave. to Jane St.
Update:
==============================================================
“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge (except for certain jazz clubs).

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.
===========================================================================

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged American Ballet Theatre, John Herzog on “A Billion to One”, LARRY WILLIS AND THE HEAVY BLUE BAND, Mara: A Chamber Opera Libretto, Mary Stuart by Friedrich Schiller, Pre-Concert Discussion: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra Songbook | Leave a comment

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (10/19) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 10/19/2017 by GregD

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.

===========================================================

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

New York Cabaret Convention 2017 (LAST DAY)
Rose Theater, Time Warner Center / 6PM, $25+
If you like cabaret even a little bit, you’ll love this show.

Tonight: Too Marvelous for Words/Stardust—The Music of Hoggy Carmichael & Richard Whiting
“The clarion-voiced Klea Blackhurst hosts the final evening of the 2017 Cabaret Convention, devoted to tunes by Great American Songbook composers Hoagy Carmichael (“Georgia on My Mind”) and Whiting (“Ain’t We Got Fun?”). Performers include Eric Yves Garcia, Carol Woods, Liam Forde, Valeri.” (TONY)

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7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> BRIC JazzFest 2017 Marathon
>> Camille O’Sullivan Sings Jaques Brel
>> Tero Saarinen Company
>> Celebrate Mexico Now: Ampersan
>> Nightcap by Ike
>> 41st Annual Margaret Mead Film Festival
>> Civil Wars: From Ancient Rome to the Modern Middle East
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Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Tonight: Sun Ra Arkestra / 10:45PM, $30
“The long-running avant-garde big band, under the direction of veteran saxist Marshall Allen, has had a busy year, including recently opening for Solange at Radio City a few weeks ago. If you haven’t yet traveled the spaceways, here’s your chance.” (TONY)

Camille O’Sullivan Sings Jaques Brel
Irish Arts Center / 8PM, $32
“Irish chanteuse O’Sullivan (Absinthe) throws herself into songs with spellbinding intensity, as she proved in her triumphant 2014 and 2016 runs at Irish Arts Center. In her new set, she rides the emotional carousel of songs of the great Belgian troubadour Jacques Brel (“Amsterdam,” “Ne Me Quitte Pas”).” (TONY)

Celebrate Mexico Now: Ampersan
Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, FREE, but get there early for a seat.
“Since 2007, Mexico City–based band Ampersan has honored its close relationship with traditional Mexican music, while also embarking on cultural exchanges and embracing sound experimentation and contemporary classical music. Mixing traditional instruments with modern genres such as rock, jazz, and electronic, the band creates immersive musical poetry. Tonight, Ampersan leads us on an audiovisual journey through the diﬀerent landscapes and sounds of Mexico and Latin America.”

Nightcap by Ike
Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater / 9:30PM, $15
“Stand up and musical dynamo Ikechukwu Ufomadu takes over Joe’s Pub for a night of dry and witty sets, charming songs and special guests. After crushing it at UCB, Ars Nova and Under the Radar Fest, Ike is on a roll, and you don’t want to miss him before he becomes a household name. His droll, murmuring delivery—delivered with a confidence as big as all outdoors—leaves audiences in a haze of laughter.” (TONY)

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

Civil Wars: From Ancient Rome to the Modern Middle East
New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West / 6:30PM, $38
“From Ancient Rome to the present day, the term “civil war” has been applied to myriad confrontations throughout history. In an increasingly interconnected world, the effects of these violent clashes reverberate across the globe. Surveying historic conflicts, including the American Civil War and the Vietnam War, as well as the contemporary crises in Syria and Iraq, acclaimed historian David Armitage explores the fraught origins and consequences of civil wars.”

Continuing Events

Archtober
31 days, 100+ ways to celebrate design in NYC! The seventh-annual, month-long festival of architecture activities, programs, and exhibitions in New York City will take place October 1-31, 2017. Archtober’s calendar features 200 architecture and design lectures, conferences, programs, and exhibitions at more than 70+ collaborating institutions across the city.

For more details go to my Tab in the Header: “Notable Events October” and scroll all the long way to the bottom. This event makes America, or at least NYCity, great again.

The 10th Annual Imagine Science Film Festival (Oct.13-20)
“Produced by Imagine Science Films — the nonprofit behind science film festivals in New York, Paris, Abu Dhabi and satellite events worldwide – Imagine Science Film Festival showcases new and experimental works that bridge the worlds of science and film in an artful, entertaining, and meaningful way.

For the complete program, visit: http://imaginesciencefilms.org/ny10/program
Tickets: FREE – $18

===========================================================
Bonus NYC events– Jazz Clubs:
Many consider NYCity the Jazz capital of the world. Here are my favorite Jazz clubs, all on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who is playing tonight:

==================================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of 8.5 million, had a record 60 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2017. Quality shows draw crowds.
Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just on day of performance.

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

================================================================================

WHAT’S ON VIEW
These are My Fave Special Exhibitions @ MUSEUMS / Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue
(See the New York Times Arts Section for listings of all museum exhibitions,
and also see the expanded reviews of these exhibitions)

Museum of the City of New York
NY AT ITS CORE (ongoing)
“Ten years in the making, New York at Its Core tells the compelling story of New York’s rise from a striving Dutch village to today’s “Capital of the World.” The exhibition captures the human energy that drove New York to become a city like no other and a subject of fascination the world over. Entertaining, inspiring, important, and at times bemusing, New York City “big personalities,” including Alexander Hamilton, Walt Whitman, Boss Tweed, Emma Goldman, JP Morgan, Fiorello La Guardia, Jane Jacobs, Jay-Z, and dozens more, parade through the exhibition. Visitors will also learn the stories of lesser-known New York personalities, like Lenape chieftain Penhawitz and Italian immigrant Susie Rocco. Even animals like the horse, the pig, the beaver, and the oyster, which played pivotal roles in the economy and daily life of New York, get their moment in the historical spotlight. Occupying the entire first floor in three interactive galleries (Port City, 1609-1898, World City, 1898-2012, and Future City Lab) New York at Its Core is shaped by four themes: money, density, diversity, and creativity. Together, they provide a lens for examining the character of the city, and underlie the modern global metropolis we know today. mcny.org” (NYCity Guide)

and you should be sure to check out these special exhibitions at that little museum on Fifth Ave., The Metropolitan Museum of Art
(open 7 days /week, AND always Pay What You Wish)

‘TALKING PICTURES: CAMERA-PHONE CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN ARTISTS’ (through Dec. 17). “One of the wisest, savviest museum exhibitions of the summer may not have much actual art in it, but it circles the subject like a satellite around a planet. Using prints, slide shows, books and iPads, it presents image-only camera-phone exchanges between 12 pairs of artists and is full of flashes of wit, poetry, even genius. Observers will find occasional momentous events, both personal and presidential.” (NYT – Roberta Smith) 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org

‘STREAMS AND MOUNTAINS WITHOUT END: LANDSCAPE TRADITIONS OF CHINA’ (through Jan. 6). “If you’ve seen only ash-aired Beijing, or that architectural Oz Shanghai, you haven’t seen China. Most of the country is wide-open space, green and blue: hills, plains, water. And it was for an escape to that openness that some Chinese urbanites yearned in centuries past. Their dream: to sit in on a terrace halfway up a mountain, with tea steeping, an ink-brush at hand, a friend at the door, and a waterfall splashing nearby. Not just for vacation. Forever. One way they could live the dream was through images of the kind seen in this show. Technically, it’s a collection reinstallation spiced with a few loans. But the Met’s China holdings are so broad and deep that some of the pictures here are resurfacing for the first time in almost a decade; one is finally making its debut a century after it was acquired. And there’s more than just paintings on view: ceramics, textiles and scholar’s rocks fill out the panorama.” (NYT-Holland Cotter) 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org

‘JAPANESE BAMBOO ART: THE ABBEY COLLECTION’ (through Feb. 4). “This fabulous show celebrates Diane and Arthur Abbey’s gift of some 70 bamboo baskets and sculptures, which nearly doubles the Met’s already outstanding holdings in this genre and brings them into the 20th and 21st centuries. The curator has embedded this trove within what is essentially a second exhibition that traces bamboo’s presence through folding screens, ink paintings, porcelain, netsuke, kimonos and more.” (NYT-Roberta Smith)
212-535-7710, metmuseum.org

===========================================================
Museum Mile is a section of Fifth Avenue which contains one of the densest displays of culture in the world. Eight museums can be found along this section of Fifth Avenue:
• 105th Street – El Museo del Barrio (closed Sun-Mon)*
• 103rd Street – Museum of the City of New York (open 7 days /week)
• 92nd Street – The Jewish Museum (closed Wed) (Sat FREE) (Thu 5-8 PWYW)
• 91st Street – Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum (open 7 days /week)
• 89th Street – National Academy Museum (closed Mon-Tue)
• 88th Street – Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (closed Thu) (Sat 6-8 PWYW)
• 86th Street – Neue Galerie New York (closed Tue-Wed) (Fri 6-8 FREE)
Last, but certainly not least, America’s premier museum
• 82nd Street – The Metropolitan Museum of Art (open 7 days /week)*
*always Pay What You Wish (PWYW)

Although technically not part of the Museum Mile, the Frick Collection (closed Mon) (SUN 11am-1pm PWYW) on the corner of 70th St. and Fifth Avenue and the The Morgan Library & Museum (closed Mon) (Fri 7-9 FREE) on Madison Ave and 37th St are also located near Fifth Ave.
Now plan your own museum crawl (info on hours & admission updated June 2, 2015).
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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 10/17 and 10/15.
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Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 41st Annual Margaret Mead Film Festival, BRIC JazzFest 2017 Marathon, Celebrate Mexico Now: Ampersan, Civil Wars: From Ancient Rome to the Modern Middle East, New York Cabaret Convention 2017, Nightcap by Ike, NYC Events, Tero Saarinen Company | Leave a comment

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (10/18) + Today’s Featured Pub (Greenwich Village)

Posted on 10/18/2017 by GregD

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.

===========================================================

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

New York Cabaret Convention 2017 (Oct.16-19)
Rose Theater, Time Warner Center / 6PM, $25+
If you like cabaret even a little bit, you’ll love this show.

Tonight: Intimate Nights—The Golden Age of Cabaret
“Keen-eyed musical biographer James Gavin, who chronicled the peak years of New York cabaret in his book Intimate Nights, hosts the third concert of the Cabaret Convention. The night is packed with first-rate artists, including Nellie McKay, Molly Pope, Charles Busch, Bruce Vilanch, Natalie Douglas, Carol Lipnik, Barbara Brussell and the elusive Maude Maggart.” (TONY)

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5 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>>Marta Sanchez Quintet
>> Camille O’Sullivan Sings Jaques Brel
>>Henry Koperski: Halo Pop
>>Welcome to the Future
>>Chasing Consciousness: Virtual Reality to Future Reality
>>COMING SOON
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Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Marta Sanchez Quintet
at the Jazz Gallery / 7:30, +9:30PM, $15
Ms. Sanchez’s compositions are like her piano playing: lush and crisp and warm all at once. They seem to be reminding you that welcoming joy is an act of daring — and cherishing it is hard work. Hailing from Madrid but living in New York, Ms. Sanchez recently released “Danza Imposible,” an album featuring a crack ensemble: Roman Filiu on alto saxophone, Jerome Sabbagh on tenor saxophone, Rick Rosato on bass and Daniel Dor on drums.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

Henry Koperski: Halo Pop
The Duplex / 9;30PM, $10
“As a stage and cabaret pianist, Koperski has anchored the shows of legendary performers including Vanessa Williams, Lea DeLaria and Cole Escola. Now the radiant talent becomes his own star in this vividly confessional hour, in which he’ll invoke Beethoven and Miley Cyrus to reconcile with childhood innocence, coming out, teenage angst and spiritual becoming. After years of working with downtown’s finest stage icons, Koperski triumphantly proves that he’s not just an angel in their ears but a peer in creativity and musical instinct.” (TONY)

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

Welcome to the Future
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, Pier 86 / 7:30PM, $15
“A timely dialogue on the enormous impact of new technologies on society.

We are in the early stages of a fourth industrial revolution, transitioning to a “futuristic” world shaped by artificial intelligence, smart robotics, interconnected autonomous systems and 3D manufacturing. The limitless applications of this technology pose potential problems—loss of jobs, threats to privacy and new forms of warfare. Such profound technological advancements will challenge every facet of society, demand innovative responses and inspire new ways of thinking.

What are the cultural, political and ethical challenges of military robotics? How can technology improve life in smart cities? What kinds of jobs will emerge? How do we adapt 20th-century regulations to new technologies with such far-reaching applications? Where will we be in 10 years?”

Chasing Consciousness: Virtual Reality to Future Reality
Caveat, 21 Clinton St./ 5:30PM, $15
“Ordinary reality is so yesterday. Our species has been building new virtual worlds since we told the first fireside story. Now, with increasingly sophisticated technology like Oculus Rift these worlds are becoming all-encompassing. What is the state of the virtual? Where are we going in this new realm of the senses, and what are the implications?

YHouse welcomes two pioneering VR experts, Ken Perlin and Stephanie Riggs, for an evening guaranteed to push the boundaries of what you thought was possible.”

Continuing Events

For more details go to my Tab in the Header: “Notable Events October” and scroll all the long way to the bottom. This event makes America, or at least NYCity, great again.

For the complete program, visit: http://imaginesciencefilms.org/ny10/program
Tickets: FREE – $18

======================================================
Bonus NYC Events – Music Venues:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are my favorite non jazz music venues on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who’s playing tonight:

City Winery – 155 Varick St., citywinery.com, 212-608-0555
Feinstein’s/54 Below – 254 W54th St., 54below.com, 646-476-3551
Joe’s Pub @ Public Theater – 425 Lafayette St., joespub.com, 212-967-7555
Metropolitan Room – 34W22ndSt., metropolitan room.com, 212-206-0440
Beacon Theatre – 2124 Broadway @ 74th St., beacontheatre.com, 212-465-6500
Town Hall – 123 W43rd St., thetownhall.org, 212-997-6661
B.B. King’s Blues Bar – 237W42nd St., bbkingblues.com, 212-997-2144
Bowery Ballroom – 6 Delancey St. boweryballroom.com,
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St., lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474

Special Mention:
Caffe Vivaldi – 32 Jones St. nr Bleecker St. caffevivaldi.com, 212-691-7538
a classic, old jazz club in the Village, Caffe V often surprises with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It’s my favorite spot for an evening of listening discovery and enjoyment.
See Below.

==================================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of 8.5 million, had a record 60 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2017. Quality shows draw crowds.
Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just on day of performance.

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

=================================================================================

A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating Places – Greenwich Village

Caffe Vivaldi / 32 Jones Street (btw. Bleecker St./W4th St.)

Café Vivaldi is a classic, intimate club located in Greenwich Village on Jones Street, the street featured on the cover of Bob Dylan’s second album, “Freewheelin’. ”

Each night Ishrat, the long time proprietor and impresario, carefully curates and schedules an eclectic series of musicians. You can often see him at his table in the corner, hard at work reviewing music videos and listening to cd demos on his laptop, scouting out future bookings. Musicians come from all over to play and sing in a club in Greenwich Village. Some are local New Yorkers, others are just passing through, in town for a few days.

There is a small bar, seating maybe 10. It’s close to the stage and I find it’s a perfect spot to sip a glass of red wine while listening to the music. The room itself has the performance area at one end and a cozy fireplace at the other. The performance area here is small, dominated by a large black Yamaha Grand piano. Tables are bunched together and most people at the tables are eating lite meals or sampling the wonderful desserts.

There is also a good selection of fairly priced wines, but you are here because of the music. You can never be quite sure what you’re going to find, and that’s half the charm of this place. It’s not a home run every night, but many nights it’s pretty special.

I remember the night I saw the most talented bossa nova group, just in from San Paulo. As I listened, I wondered if there was any better music playing anywhere else in New York City that night. And at Caffé Vivaldi there is never a cover charge. Their recently redesigned web site does give you a better idea of the type of music playing each night.

At one time Greenwich Village was filled with clubs just like this, but times change. Real estate interests have impacted the village, and not for the better. Even Caffé Vivaldi had a rough time recently, when a new landlord raised the rent exorbitantly. Fortunately, Ishrat has built a loyal following over the years, and a fund raiser and slightly more reasonable rent has kept Café Vivaldi in business.

When Woody Allen and Al Pacino wanted to make movies featuring the timeless quality of Greenwich Village they came to Vivaldi. It’s important that we keep this special place alive, for if we lose Cafe Vivaldi, NYCity will have lost a piece of it’s soul.

Website: http://caffevivaldi.com/
Phone #: (212) 691-7538
Hours: Music generally 7:30PM – 11PM, but varies
Lunch/Dinner 11AM-on
Subway: #1 to Christopher St.
Walk 1 blk S. on 7th ave S. to Bleecker St., 1 blk left on Bleecker to Jones St., 50 yards left on Jones St. to Caffe V.
==============================================================
“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge.

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.
========================================================

3 Good Eating places

It’s not difficult to find a place to eat in Manhattan.
Finding a good, inexpensive place to eat is a bit harder.
Here are a few of my faves in this neighborhood:

Fish – 280 Bleecker St. (just a bit S. of 7th ave South)
This was an easy pick – the best raw bar special in town. $9 gets you 6 of the freshest oysters or clams + a glass of wine or beer. Don’t know how they can do it, but I tell everyone I know about this place. And it’s located right in the heart of some of the best no cover music in town.

Bleecker Street Pizza – 69 7th ave S. (corner of Bleecker St.)
The place is tiny and not much to look at, but this is one good slice. They like to brag that they have been voted “Best pizza in NY” 3 years in a row by the Food Network. I believe them. I would have voted for them.

Num Pang – 21 E 12th St. (btw. University Place/5th ave.)
This is a Cambodian banh mi sandwich shop that kept me well fed while I was in class nearby recently. It’s cramped, even for NYCity, but usually there is room up the spiral staircase to sit down and eat. In good weather carry your sandwich a few blocks to Union Square park. You may have to wait a few minutes, because everything is freshly made, but it’s worth it. Can you believe – an unheard of 26 food rating by Zagat.

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“3 Good Eating places” focuses on a quick bite, what I call “Fine Fast Food – NYCity Style”
No reservations needed.
========================================================
NYCity is the most diverse and interesting place to find a meal anywhere in the world. With more than 24,000 eating establishments you might welcome some advice.

◊ For all my picks of 54 Good Eating places, and essays on my favorite 18 PremierPubs in 9 Neighborhoods on Manhattan’s WestSide, order a copy of my e-book:
“Eating and Drinking on NYCity’s WestSide” ($4.99, available Winter 2017).
◊ Order before Feb. 28, 2018 and receive a bonus – 27 of my favorite casual dining places with free Wi-Fi.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Camille O'Sullivan Sings Jaques Brel, Chasing Consciousness: Virtual Reality to Future Reality, Henry Koperski: Halo Pop, Marta Sánchez Quintet, New York Cabaret Convention 2017, NYC Events, Welcome to the Future | Leave a comment

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (10/17) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 10/17/2017 by GregD

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.

===========================================================

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

New York Cabaret Convention 2017 (Oct.16-19)
Rose Theater, Time Warner Center / 6PM, $25+
If you like cabaret even a little bit, you’ll love this show and tonight is very special.
You just know that the highlight of the entire convention will be Jennifer Sheehan’s performance this evening. Can’t miss that – I’ll be there.

TONIGHT: S’Wonderful—The Music of George Gershwin
“Songs by Gershwin, perhaps the greatest of all Great American Songbook composers, are the subject of the Cabaret Convention’s second night, hosted by Jeff Harnar and Andrea Marcovicci. The starry lineup includes Karen Akers, Anna Bergman, Eric Comstock and Barbara Fasano, Marissa Mulder, Mark Nadler, Steve Ross, Gabrielle Stravelli, Jon Weber and ace violinist Aaron Weinstein.” (TONY)

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6 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> The Met: “Turandot”
>> ORRIN EVANS WITH MORGAN GUERIN
>> Weimar New York
>> The Book of Cheese
>> “Our Bums: The Lasting Legacy of the Brooklyn Dodgers”
>> Hair Sing Along Show and Tell
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Music, Dance, Performing Arts

The Met: “Turandot”
Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, $25+
“Puccini’s grand spectacle of legendary China stars Oksana Dyka and Martina Serafin in the role of the ice princess and Marcelo Álvarez as the unknown prince who must thaw her heart or die. Maria Agresta, Hei-Kyung Hong, and James Morris are among the other remarkable artists featured in this cherished Franco Zeffirelli production, led by Carlo Rizzi and Marco Armiliato.”

ORRIN EVANS WITH MORGAN GUERIN
at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem / 7PM, $10
“Mr. Evans lives a creative life of wily misdirection, all under the guise of a straight-ahead jazz pianist. He pounds the turf in Tarbaby, a caustically experimental trio; on a more traditional jazz gig, he’s liable to break out in gospel-like singing; and soon he’ll join the Bad Plus, that band of raffish jazz-pop instigators. But at 42, he’s also become a reliable mentor and ringleader on the Philadelphia jazz scene, shepherding younger talent and connecting generations. At this concert, part of the Jazz Gallery Mentoring Series at the National Jazz Museum, he will play in a quartet with Morgan Guerin, a full-toned young tenor saxophonist from New Orleans, whose electrified originals are built on lilting balladry and dreamlike crescendos.”(NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

Weimar New York
Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater / 9:30PM, $25
“Downtown impresario Earl Dax slices cabaret with cutting-edge performance in a new edition of his Weimar New York series, which draws connections between the subcultural creative burst of interwar Germany and the subversive arts scene of today’s New York. Kate Rigg hosts performers including Phoebe Legere, Geo Wyeth, M Lamar, Curtis Eller, Joseph Keckler, Alexis O’Hara and Jordan Arsenault.” (TONY)

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

The Book of Cheese
92nd Street Y,1395 Lexington Ave./ 7PM, $29
“Liz Thorpe, America’s authority on cheese, maps the world of cheese using nine familiar favorite “Gateway Cheeses.”

Through this system, learn how to find more cheeses to enjoy as you journey from basics like Swiss, Blue and Cheddar, to more adventurous types like mild Moses Sleeper or Fromage de Meaux. Liz also shares information on pairing, storing, cooking and plating cheese.”

Includes a three cheese tasting of Essex Street Comte, Consider Bardwell Rupert and Challerhocker. There will be a book signing following this event.

Elsewhere, but even if you are an old Giants fan (and I am), this one is worth the detour:
“Our Bums: The Lasting Legacy of the Brooklyn Dodgers”
Brooklyn Historical Society / 6:30PM, $5
“Fifty years after the Dodgers’ heartwrenching move to Los Angeles, “Dem Bums” still hold a special place in Brooklyn’s shared memory. Historian and author David Krell has plenty of Dodgers lore and stories to share about the history of the team and how they (especially Jackie Robinson) helped to define modern sports and popular culture.”

Hair Sing Along Show and Tell
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center, LPA Cafe / 7PM, FREE
“The Library’s popular sing along series returns to celebrate Hair, The Public Theater’s first non-Shakespeare production that opened the Astor Place on October 17, 1967. The Library for the Performing Arts’ collection includes many one-of-kind artifacts related to the creation of Hair. See these rare materials, hear memories and insights from a parade of special guests, and sing along to live performances of your favorite Hair numbers.”

Continuing Events

For more details go to my Tab in the Header: “Notable Events October” and scroll all the long way to the bottom. This event makes America, or at least NYCity, great again.

For the complete program, visit: http://imaginesciencefilms.org/ny10/program
Tickets: FREE – $18

Get ready to dig: Archives Week starts tomorrow.

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♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of 8.5 million, had a record 60 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2017. Quality shows draw crowds.
Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just on day of performance.

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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WHAT’S ON VIEW
My Fave Special Exhibitions – MUSEUMS / Manhattan’s WestSide
(See the New York Times Arts Section for listings of all museums,
and also to see their expanded reviews of these exhibitions)

Whitney Museum of American Art:

Calder: Hypermobility (thru Oct 23)
“focuses on the extraordinary breadth of movement and sound in the work of Alexander Calder. This exhibition brings together a rich constellation of key sculptures and provides a rare opportunity to experience the works as the artist intended—in motion. Regular activations will occur in the galleries, revealing the inherent kinetic nature of Calder’s work, as well as its relationship to performance. Influenced in part by the artist’s fascination and engagement with choreography, Calder’s sculptures contain an embedded performativity that is reflected in their idiosyncratic motions and the perceptual responses they provoke.”

Museum of Modern Art:

A special pat on the back to MOMA, who is now displaying art from the seven countries affected by Trump’s travel ban.

“Trump’s ban against refugees from seven Muslim-majority nations has sparked acts of defiance in NYC, from demonstrations across town, to striking taxicab drivers at JFK to Middle Eastern bodega owners closing their shops in protest. Recently, the Museum Of Modern added its two cents by bringing out artworks it owns from the affected countries, and hanging them prominently within the galleries usually reserved for 19th- and 20th-century artworks from Europe and the United States. Paintings by Picasso and Matisse, for example, were removed to make way for pieces by Tala Madani (from Iran), Ibrahim El-Salahi (from Sudan) and architect Zaha Hadid (from Iraq). The rehanging, which was unannounced, aims to create a symbolic welcome that repudiates Trump by creating a visual dialog between the newly added works and the more familiar objects from MoMA’s permanent collection.” (TONY)

New-York Historical Society

‘THE DUCHESS OF CARNEGIE HALL: PHOTOGRAPHS BY EDITTA SHERMAN’ (through Oct. 15).
“In this show, royalty photographs royalty, and everyone looks grand. The subjects facing the camera included some of the pop culture sovereigns of the 1940s and ’50s: Carl Sandburg, Tyrone Power, Leopold Stokowski. The person behind the lens was, though more discreetly crowned, no less lofty a luminary. Editta Sherman, born Edith Rinaolo, was a self-made celebrity portraitist operating out of a studio atop Carnegie Hall, where she worked and lived until she and her fellow tenants were removed in 2011. The show incudes dozens of her best pictures, her monumental 1930s camera and a short film of which she is the very engaging subject. Together they make a moving and regal tribute. (Holland Cotter-NYT)

American Museum of Natural History:

Mummies (thru 1/7/18)
“For thousands of years, peoples around the world practiced mummification as a way of preserving and honoring their dead. Mummies brings you face to face with some of these ancient individuals and reveals how scientists are using modern technology to glean stunning details about them and their cultures. In Mummies, ancient remains from the Nile Valley of Africa and the Andes Mountains of South America will be on view, allowing visitors to connect with cultures from the distant past. Mummification, a more widespread practice than most think, was used not only for royal Egyptians but also for common people and even animals. Interactive touch tables let visitors virtually “unravel” or see inside mummies as they delve deep into the unique stories of the people or animals who lie within. Other parts of the exhibition showcase the latest isotopic and DNA testing being performed on mummies, and explain how these sophisticated analytical techniques are helping scientists discover important clues about long-vanished practices. Mummies was developed by The Field Museum, Chicago.”(NYCity Guide)

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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 10/15 and 10/13.
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Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged “Our Bums: The Lasting Legacy of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Hair Sing Along Show and Tell, NEW YORK ARCHIVES WEEK, New York Cabaret Convention 2017, NYC Events, ORRIN EVANS WITH MORGAN GUERIN, The Book of Cheese, The Met: “Turandot”, Weimar New York | Leave a comment

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (10/16) + Today’s Featured Pub (Midtown West)

Posted on 10/16/2017 by GregD

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.

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Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

New York Cabaret Convention 2017 (Oct.16-19)
Rose Theater / 6PM, $25+
If you like cabaret even a little bit, you’ll love this show.
“The 28th annual cabaret fest kicks off with a lineup that brings together some of the genre’s signature artists to celebrate the Great American Songbook. Mabel Mercer Foundation bigwig KT Sullivan hosts the evening; performers of note include Marilyn Maye, Amanda McBroom, Luba Mason, Karen Mason, Carole J. Bufford and Vivian Reed.” (TONY)

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5 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Norma
>> CAMILLE
>> Los Wembler’s de Iquitos
>> Can You See This?
>> Dancing with Fred Astaire: Jonas Mekas with Amy Taubin
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Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Norma
Metropolitan Opera House / 7:30PM, $32+
“Ponselle, Milanov, Sutherland, Callas … after last night, Radvanovsky can add her name to the list,” declared the Huffington Post when Sondra Radvanovsky made her Met role debut as Norma in 2013. The 2017–18 season opens with a new production of Bellini’s masterpiece, starring Radvanovsky as the Druid priestess and Joyce DiDonato as her archrival, Adalgisa—a casting coup for bel canto fans. Tenor Joseph Calleja is Pollione, Norma’s unfaithful lover, and Carlo Rizzi conducts. Sir David McVicar’s evocative production sets the action deep in a Druid forest where nature and ancient ritual rule.”

CAMILLE
at Le Poisson Rouge / 8PM, $40
“The Paris singer Camille is a sly innovator, reworking the traditional sounds of French pop into thrillingly unrecognizable forms. Her most recent album, “Ouï,” was recorded in a former monastery, and at times it sounds like a one-woman sect reaching psychedelic nirvana. And while her lyrics are full of clever French puns, even resolute Anglophones will find much to enjoy.” (NYT-SIMON VOZICK-LEVINSON)

Elsewhere, but I’m a big fan of Peruvian rhythms, makes this worth the detour:
Los Wembler’s de Iquitos
PIONEER WORKS, 159 Pioneer St. Red Hook, 8PM, $25
“Formed in 1968 by Peruvian shoemaker Solomon Sanchez, along with his five sons, the apostrophically beguiling Los Wembler’s de Iquitos (the moniker reportedly has something to do with Wembley Stadium) launched the most otherworldly of cumbia subgenres with their first single, “Cumbia Amazónica.” Better known as chicha, the Sanchez sound mixed Andean melodies, psychedelic surf-rock guitar, and Farfisa organ along with strident cumbia bass lines and a pair of polyrhythmically persuasive percussionists. Songs like “Lamento del Yacuruna” and “La Danza del Petrolero” celebrated Amazonian water spirits and the oil industry, respectively, and inspired many other fine chicha groups (and imitators) during the Seventies. The five Sanchez brothers embody their father’s spirited grooves to this day, and local chicha-savvy Tropical futurists Combo Chimbita will join them here.” (Richard Gehr, Village Voice)

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

Can You See This?
The Cooper Union, 7 E. 7th St./ 6:30PM, FREE
“A free public lecture on how letters got on the eye chart and what they’re doing there by Professor William Germano, author of the recently published Eye Chart (Blooomsbury). The book traces the history of the eye chart as a medical test, work of graphic design and metaphor. Registration is requested.”

Author Talks:
Dancing with Fred Astaire: Jonas Mekas with Amy Taubin
NYPL, Main Building, Wachenheim Trustees Room / 6:30PM, FREE
“Filmmaker, critic, and poet Jonas Mekas has had an extraordinary life in the arts, playing an instrumental role in the careers of Jack Smith, Andy Warhol, and numerous other iconic artists as well as hanging out with everyone from Maya Deren to John Lennon and Yoko Ono, from Tiny Tim to Salvador Dalí, from the Kennedys to Fred Astaire. In A Dance with Fred Astaire (Anthology Editions) , Mekas recalls his many chance encounters, intimate exchanges, and lasting friendships with some of the past century’s most iconic and beloved artists. Whether stealing Anaïs Nin’s cookies, living alongside Janis Joplin and Patti Smith in the Chelsea Hotel, contemplating life and death with Allen Ginsberg, or meeting Timothy Leary, Arthur Miller, Lenny Bruce and so many more, Mekas has spent 94 years weaving himself inextricably into the very fabric of American culture.

In this special one-night-only program, Mekas will not only discuss the stories in the book with film critic Amy Taubin, he will also present a selection of short 16mm films he has curated from the Library’s Reserve Film and Video Collection. The films amplify anecdotes in A Dance with Fred Astaire and represent some of the incredible filmmakers whose lives and work have intersected with Mekas’s.”

Continuing Events

For more details go to my Tab in the Header: “Notable Events October” and scroll all the long way to the bottom. This event makes America, or at least NYCity, great again.

For the complete program, visit: http://imaginesciencefilms.org/ny10/program
Tickets: FREE – $18

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Bonus NYC Events – Jazz Venues:
Many consider NYCity the Jazz capital of the world. Here are my favorite Jazz clubs, all on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who is playing tonight:

Greenwich Village:
(5 are underground, classic jazz joints. all 6 are within walking distance of each other):
Village Vanguard – UG, 178 7th Ave. South, villagevanguard.com, 212-255-4037
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. bluenotejazz.com, 212-475-8592
55 Bar – basement @55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave.S. 55bar.com, 212-929-9883
Mezzrow – basement @ 163 W10th St. nr 7th Ave. mezzrow.com,646-476-4346
Smalls – basement @ 183 W10th St. smallslive.com, 646-476-4346
Cornelia Street Cafe – UG, 29 Cornelia St. corneliastreetcafe.com, 212-989-9319

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♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of 8.5 million, had a record 60 million visitors last year and is TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2017. Quality shows draw crowds.
Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just on day of performance.

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

=============================================================================

A PremierPub / Midtown West

Russian Vodka Room / 265 W 52nd St (btw 7th/8th ave)

Sure, you could travel to Minsk or even Brighton Beach, for an authentic Russian experience, but why bother. On those days when you feel you must wash down your dish of kasha with a few glasses of icy, cold vodka, the Russian Vodka Room will definitely satisfy your urge.

From the outside this place looks a bit drab, and with no windows, a bit mysterious. Midtown tourists walk right by on their way to see “Jersey Boys,” just down the block.
(Alas, no more. After 10 years, “Jersey Boys” closed Jan.15)

Those in the know enter a secret hideaway, a dimly lit front room with soft jazz playing – a perfect spot for an illicit late-night rendezvous, or maybe a meet-up with your Russian spy handler, but that’s later in the evening. Early in the evening the large U-shaped bar fills with the after work happy hour crowd, a group made very happy by the much reduced prices.

Their website says: “Welcome Comrades”. Of course, this welcome focuses on dozens of different vodkas, including their own special infusions, which marinate in giant, clear glass jugs visible around the room. The large vodka martinis ensure that you won’t confuse this place with your mother’s Russian Tea Room.

But man does not live by vodka alone. Eat some food, especially the tapa like appetizers. Be decadent and try the cheese blintzes with chocolate, or try a main dish like beef stroganoff with kasha.

Your best bet is to go on a night when the piano man is playing. This guy, who looks like he has eaten a lot of those cheese blintzes, plays five nights a week from 7 to 12 (no Mondays and Thursdays). When the piano man is playing American pop tunes, and you are at the crowded, dimly lit bar testing the horseradish infused vodka, that’s when the RVR shines.

It’s the kind of place where the noise gets louder and the crowd gets happier as the happy hour goes on. I’m generally a beer guy, but I like to come here with a group of friends. We find a table in the back room near the piano man; we eat, and we drink vodka ‘till it hurts (and it will hurt).
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Website: http://www.russianvodkaroom.com/
Phone #: 212-307-5835
Hours: 4pm-2am; Fri-Sun closes 4am (that could be trouble)
Happy Hour: 4-7pm every day
$4 shots infused vodka (2oz), $5 cosmos; $4 czech draft beer
Music: FR-SU; TU-WE / 7pm-12am
Subway: #1 to 50th St.
Walk 2 blk N. on B’way to 52nd St.; 1 blk W. to RVR
Confusingly, the Russian Samovar is right across the street, on the S. side of 52nd St.
The RVR, your destination, is on the N. side of 52nd St.
Update: music now includes a younger, trimmer piano man. “Tiny” we miss you.
Update#2: Rumor that “Tiny” is back playing only on Friday nights – need to check it out.

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“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge (except for certain jazz clubs).

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged CAMILLE, Can You See This?, Dancing with Fred Astaire: Jonas Mekas with Amy Taubin, Los Wembler’s de Iquitos, New York Cabaret Convention 2017 | Leave a comment

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > SUNDAY/ OCTOBER 22, 2017

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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A PremierPub / Upper West Side

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que / 700 W125th St. @ 12th ave.

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > SATURDAY/ OCTOBER 21, 2017

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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Chelsea Art Gallery District*

Today’s Top 10 NYC Events > FRIDAY/ OCTOBER 20, 2017

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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A PremierPub / West Village

Corner Bistro / 331 W. 4th St.

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment. ===========================================================================

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > THURSDAY/ OCTOBER 19, 2017

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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Today’s Sweet 6 NYC Events > WEDNESDAY/ OCTOBER 18, 2017

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating Places – Greenwich Village

Caffe Vivaldi / 32 Jones Street (btw. Bleecker St./W4th St.)

3 Good Eating places

Today’s Super 7 NYC Events > TUESDAY/ OCTOBER 17, 2017

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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Today’s Sweet 6 NYC Events > MONDAY/ OCTOBER 16, 2017

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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A PremierPub / Midtown West

Russian Vodka Room / 265 W 52nd St (btw 7th/8th ave)

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.

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If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.
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