NYC Events,”Only the Best” (04/24) + Today’s Featured Pub (Tribeca)

Posted on 04/24/2018 by

Today’s Sweet 6 NYC Events > TUESDAY/ APRIL 24, 2018

“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: “NYC Events-April”
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 over town, all through the month.

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

NEW YORK CITY BALLET (April 24-June 3)
BALANCHINE BLACK & WHITE
at the NYS Theater, Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, $30+
The spring season opens with two stellar all-George Balanchine programs featuring classics like “Apollo,” “Symphony in Three Movements” and “Concerto Barocco.” But the meat of the season begins on May 3 with Robbins 100, a celebration honoring the centennial of Jerome Robbins’s birth. As part of it, the choreographer and director Warren Carlyle presents a work featuring a cast of 30 and music and choreography from eight Broadway musicals associated with Robbins, including “On the Town” and “The King and I.” (NYT-GIA KOURLAS)

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5 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>>MATANA ROBERTS
>>Chucho Valdes
>> Karrin Allyson
>> SOFÍA REI
>> God Save Texas: Lawrence Wright

Continuing Events
>> Tribeca Film Festival
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Music, Dance, Performing Arts

MATANA ROBERTS (April 24)
at the Park Avenue Armory / 7, +9PM, $45
“Ms. Roberts is an alto saxophonist with a big, blooming tone. She’s also a historically minded conceptualist, digging deeply into the workings of memory and taking up arms against the present-day traumas that will haunt us in the years ahead. Her primary musical form is the long suite, but recently she’s also solidified a visual art practice. Ms. Roberts is represented by the Fridman Gallery in Lower Manhattan, where her second solo exhibition, “Jump at the Sun,” is on view through Wednesday. In the mixed-media works presented there, she uses combinations of sound, musical scores, old photographs and other collaged items.

This concert, uptown at the Park Avenue Armory, coincides with the closing of that show and features Ms. Roberts joined by a poet known as Geng and a sextet of snare drummers.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

Chucho Valdes (April 24-29)
Blue Note, 131 W. 3rd St./ 8:00PM, +10:30PM, $55-$75
“Irakere, co-founded by the virtuosic pianist Chucho Valdes, was a pioneering Cuban band that first gained prominence, in the nineteen-seventies, for its tangy blend of Caribbean influences and jazz. Valdes, a volcano of a stylist, will assemble a version of the outfit to celebrate the forty-fifth anniversary of the Grammy-winning ensemble’s inception.” (NewYorker)

Karrin Allyson (April 24-28)
Birdland / 8:30PM, +11:00PM, $40
“Over the course of her lengthy recording career, singer Allyson has released albums devoted to jazz standards, the Great American Songbook, Rodgers and Hammerstein show tunes, Brazilian fare and Coltrane classics.” (TONY)

SOFÍA REI (April 24-28)
at the Stone / 8:30PM, $20
“Ms. Rei, a vocalist hailing from Argentina, sings in a windblown, mountains-high voice, but she often sounds like she might be withholding something, too. It’s as if maybe the full delivery might be too overpowering — an engrossing suggestion. On Tuesday, Ms. Rei will perform a portion of John Zorn’s newly released, 11-volume collection, “The Book Beriah,” the closing installment of his epic “Masada” series. On Wednesday, she performs material from her own most recent album, a dedication to the Chilean folk icon Violeta Parra. On Thursday, she presents a gathering of eight vocalists titled “Slides, Stills & Snapshots.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO) 

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

God Save Texas: Lawrence Wright
McNally Jackson Books, 52 Prince St./ 6PM, FREE
“God Save Texas is a journey through the most controversial state in America. It is a red state in the heart of Trumpland that hasn’t elected a Democrat to a statewide office in more than twenty years; but it is also a state in which minorities already form a majority (including the largest number of Muslims). The cities are blue and among the most diverse in the nation. Oil is still king but Texas now leads California in technology exports. The Texas economic model of low taxes and minimal regulation has produced extraordinary growth but also striking income disparities. Texas looks a lot like the America that Donald Trump wants to create. And Wright’s profound portrait of the state not only reflects our country back as it is, but as it was and as it might be.”

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♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, plus dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.6 million, had a record 63 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2018 – awesome! BUT quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just earlier on the day of performance.
===========================================================================

Continuing Events

Tribeca Film Festival (various locations, April 18–29)
“It’s all happening downtown.
NYC’s lovable giant mongrel film fest is back for its 17th year, with a slew of features and docs and panels and Big Events like the Schindler’s List reunion with Spielberg, Neeson, and others. Among the highlights are the Rachel Weisz lesbian drama Disobedience, the stand-up teenage-girl-comedian drama Jellyfish, and about 100 other films.” (D.E., NY Magazine)

“The Tribeca Film Festival is much more than just movies.

With virtual reality and interactive installations in Tribeca Immersive, live music events, the Tribeca ESPN Sports Film Festival, the various Tribeca Talks, and free panels for working and aspiring filmmakers, you could be quite entertained without entering a theater… not that we recommend that.

The director, cast, and crew are often on hand for a Q & A after the screenings. The films, chosen from over thousands of submissions every year, are from every corner of the globe and offer almost as many perspectives as New Yorkers have opinions. Almost every film is a North American, international, or even world premiere, so you could be among the first to see the next big hit!”

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Bonus: Nifty 9 – Best Cabarets / Piano Bars NYCity
These are my favorite places for an after dinner night on the town – music and drinks.
Hit the Hot Link and check out what’s happening tonight:

Feinstein’s/54 Below – 254 W 54th St.

The Green Room 42 – 570 Tenth Ave.

Don’t Tell Mama – 343 W 46th St.

Marie’s Crisis – 59 Grove St.

The Rum House, in the Hotel Edison – 228 W. 47th St.

Laurie Beechman Theatre – 407 W 42nd St.

The Duplex – 61 Christopher St.

Sid Gold’s Request Room – 165 W 26th St.

Cafe Carlyle, in the Carlyle Hotel – 35 E. 76th St.
This is the only one not located on Manhattan’s WestSide, and it ain’t cheap, but it has some of the finest singers.

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NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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A PremierPub / Tribeca

B-Flat / 277 Church St. (btw Franklin/White St))

b_flat4There are some places that are tough to find, then add a layer of mystery when you do find them. B-Flat has a nondescript, almost unmarked door at street level – today’s speakeasy vibe. Open this door and you face a dimly lit stairway down to their basement location. It almost takes a leap of faith to follow the stairs down to their interior door.
But open that door and a pleasant surprise awaits you.

It’s a basement jazz spot all right, but not like any traditional jazz joint you may have been to before. This place looks as fresh as today, probably because it’s only been open for 6 years. Even though it hasn’t had a chance to age gracefully, the cherry wood accents and low lighting make this small space very inviting.

There is always jazz, often progressive jazz, playing over their very discrete, stylish bose speakers, setting just the right tone as you find a seat at the bar, or one of the small tables. There is wine and beer available, but this place has some expert mixologists making some very creative cocktails, which I’m told change seasonally, a nice touch.

Come at happy hour and tasty cocktails like the el Diablo or the lychee martini are $8 – not bad. I am a sucker for any drink made with lychee and how can you not try a tequila drink named el Diablo. There is also nice selection of small bites available at happy hour and a food menu that is as innovative as the cocktail menu, so this does not have to be a happy hour only stop.

It wasn’t surprising to find a tasty prosciutto and arugula salad with yuzu dressing, but I did not expect to find such a good version of fried chicken breast on the apps menu. Here it’s called “Tatsuta.” Best bet is to sample happy hour, then dinner on a Monday or Wednesday night, when you can finish with no cover live jazz that starts around 8.

This place is tough to find (look for a small slate sandwich board on the sidewalk out front advertising happy hour) and on some nights when there is no live music it may be a little too quiet for some. But I think it’s worth searching out if you want a place with good music, food, and especially drinks, away from the maddening crowd.

Website: http://http://www.bflat.info/index.html
Phone #: 212-219-2970
Hours: Mo-Wed 5pm-2am; Th-Sat 5pm-3am; no Sun
Happy Hour: 5-7pm every day; $8 cocktails + special prices on apps
Music: Mon/Wed 8pm
Subway: #1 to Franklin; walk E 1 blk to Church; N 1 blk to bFlat

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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.
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NYC Events,”Only the Best” (04/23) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 04/23/2018 by

Today’s Sweet 6 NYC Events > MONDAY/ APRIL 23, 2018

“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: “NYC Events-April”
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 over town, all through the month.

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

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

Roméo et Juliette (Apr 23-May 12)
Metropolitan Opera House / 7:30PM, $
“Bartlett Sher’s production of Gounod’s sumptuous Shakespeare adaptation was a hit of the 2016–17 Met season (“a revelation” declared the Huffington Post). Now the sweeping tragedy returns with Ailyn Pérez and Bryan Hymel, both celebrated in French repertoire, as the star crossed young lovers. Plácido Domingo conducts.”

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5 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>>PATTI SMITH
>>Shaina Taub
>> ANNA & ELIZABETH
>> Jim Caruso’s Cast Party
>> coming soon

Continuing Events
>> Tribeca Film Festival
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Music, Dance, Performing Arts

PATTI SMITH
at Beacon Theater / 7PM, $55+
“The new concert documentary “Horses: Patti Smith and Her Band,” filmed in Los Angeles in 2016, has its world premiere on Monday night as part of the Tribeca Film Festival. After the 77-minute screening, Ms. Smith and her longtime backing band will perform songs, including the title track of the classic 1975 album for which the film is named.” (NYT-SIMON VOZICK-LEVINSON)

Shaina Taub
Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater / 7PM, $20
“Accomplished piano songstress and theater composer Taub, whose wrote the score for the Public Works productions of Twelfth Night and As You Like It, shares new material in her latest Joe’s Pub set. Though her musicianship sometimes outstrips her lyrics, there’s no doubt she’s a rising talent.” (TONY)

ANNA & ELIZABETH
at Le Poisson Rouge / 8:30PM, $18
“On “The Invisible Comes to Us,” their first album for Smithsonian Folkways, the banjoist Elizabeth LaPrelle and the multi-instrumentalist Anna Roberts-Gevalt perform traditional folk songs in quietly subversive ways, with flecks of found sound and unusual percussion accenting the old verses. Listen to “Jeano,” the antiwar ballad that opens the LP, and reflect on the timelessness of some American heartaches.” (NYT-SIMON VOZICK-LEVINSON)

Jim Caruso’s Cast Party
Birdland, / 9:30PM, $30
“Jim Caruso’s Cast Party is a wildly popular weekly soiree that brings a sprinkling of Broadway glitz and urbane wit to the legendary Birdland in New York City every Monday night. It’s a cool cabaret night-out enlivened by a hilariously impromptu variety show. Showbiz superstars, backed by Steve Doyle on bass, Billy Stritch on piano and Daniel Glass on drums, hit the stage alongside up-and-comers, serving up jaw-dropping music and general razzle-dazzle.” (broadwayworld)

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

Coming Soon.

==========================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, plus dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.6 million, had a record 63 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2018 – awesome! BUT quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just earlier on the day of performance.
===========================================================================

Continuing Events

Tribeca Film Festival (various locations, April 18–29)
“It’s all happening downtown.
NYC’s lovable giant mongrel film fest is back for its 17th year, with a slew of features and docs and panels and Big Events like the Schindler’s List reunion with Spielberg, Neeson, and others. Among the highlights are the Rachel Weisz lesbian drama Disobedience, the stand-up teenage-girl-comedian drama Jellyfish, and about 100 other films.” (D.E., NY Magazine)

“The Tribeca Film Festival is much more than just movies.

With virtual reality and interactive installations in Tribeca Immersive, live music events, the Tribeca ESPN Sports Film Festival, the various Tribeca Talks, and free panels for working and aspiring filmmakers, you could be quite entertained without entering a theater… not that we recommend that.

The director, cast, and crew are often on hand for a Q & A after the screenings. The films, chosen from over thousands of submissions every year, are from every corner of the globe and offer almost as many perspectives as New Yorkers have opinions. Almost every film is a North American, international, or even world premiere, so you could be among the first to see the next big hit!”

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Bonus NYC events– Jazz Clubs:
Many consider NYCity the Jazz capital of the world. My favorite Jazz Clubs, all on Manhattan’s WestSide, feature top talent every night of the week.
Hit the Hot Link and 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. So., villagevanguard.com, 212-255-4037 (1st 8:30)
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. bluenotejazz.com, 212-475-8592 (1st set 8pm)
55 Bar – basement @55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave.S. 55bar.com, 212-929-9883 (1st 7pm)
Mezzrow – basement @ 163 W10th St. nr 7th Ave. mezzrow.com,646-476-4346 (1st 8)
Smalls – basement @ 183 W10th St. smallslive.com, 646-476-4346 (1st set 7:30pm)
Cornelia Street Cafe – UG, 29 Cornelia St. corneliastreetcafe.com, 212-989-9319 (6pm)

Outside Greenwich Village:
Dizzy’s Club – Broadway @ 60th St. — jazz.org/dizzys / 212-258-9595 (1st set 7:30pm)
Birdland – 315 W44th St.(btw 8/9ave) — birdlandjazz.com / 212-581-3080 (1st 8:30pm)
Smoke Jazz Club – 2751 Broadway nr.106th St. — smokejazz.com/ 212-864-6662 (7pm)

Special Mention:
Caffe Vivaldi – 32 Jones St. nr Bleecker St. — caffevivaldi.com / 212-691-7538 (1st 7pm)
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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NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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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)

Neue Galerie

‘BEFORE THE FALL: GERMAN AND AUSTRIAN ART OF THE 1930S’  (through May 28). “An exhibition in the form of a chokehold, the third of the Neue Galerie’s recent shows on art and German politics pushes into the years of dictatorship, with paintings, drawings and photographs by artists deemed “degenerate” by the Nazis — as well as by those who joined the party or who thought they could shut out the catastrophe. (You will know the dissidents, like Max Beckmann and Oskar Kokoschka; the fascists and sellouts are less known.) Gazing at ornery still lifes of dolls and dead flowers, or dreamy landscapes in imitation of an earlier German Romanticism, you may ask to what degree artists are responsible for the times in which they work. But then you see “Self-Portrait in the Camp,” by the Jewish German painter Felix Nussbaum — made between his escape from a French internment camp and his deportation to Auschwitz — and you know that there can be no pardon. (NYT -Farago)
212-628-6200, neuegalerie.org

Jewish Museum

‘SCENES FROM THE COLLECTION’  “After a surgical renovation to its grand pile on Fifth Avenue, the Jewish Museum has reopened its third-floor galleries with a rethought and refreshed display of its permanent collection, which intermingles modern and contemporary art, by Jews and gentiles alike — Mark Rothko, Lee Krasner, Nan Goldin, Cindy Sherman, and the excellent young Nigerian draftswoman Ruby Onyinyechi Amanze — with 4,000 years of Judaica. The works are shown in a nimble, non-chronological suite of galleries, and some of its century-spanning juxtapositions are bracing; others feel reductive, even dilletantish. But always, the Jewish Museum conceives of art and religion as interlocking elements of a story of civilization, commendably open to new influences and new interpretations.” (Farago) 212-423-3200, thejewishmuseum.org

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 for NewYorkers)

‘THOMAS COLE’S JOURNEY: ATLANTIC CROSSING’ (through May 13). “The Met’s exhibition of the nation’s first major landscape artist and progenitor of what would be called the Hudson River School is gorgeous, politically right for right now and a lesson in the mutability of art history. Politically, Cole’s art is conservative, but it’s also work that challenges and complicates that term. And this show is precisely about complication. Just as Cole is most realistically and revealingly seen and judged against the background of his time, so is the exhibition, coming as it does in this confounding MAGA moment.” (Holland Cotter)

‘DIAMOND MOUNTAINS: TRAVEL AND NOSTALGIA IN KOREAN ART’ (through May 20). “Mount Kumgang, or the “Diamond Mountain,” lies about 90 miles from Pyeongchang’s Olympic Stadium, but it’s a world away: The august, multipeaked range lies in North Korea and has been impossible to visit for most of the past seven decades. Featuring stunning loans from the National Museum of Korea and other institutions in Seoul, South Korea, this melancholy beauty of a show assembles three centuries’ worth of paintings of the Diamond Mountain range, and explores how landscapes intermingle nostalgia, nationalism, legend and regret. The unmissable prizes here are the painstaking paintings of Jeong Seon, the 18th-century artist who is perhaps the greatest of all Korean painters. And later impressions of the mountains, including a blotchy vision from the Paris-based modernist Lee Ungno, give a deeper historical weight to very live geopolitics.” (NYT – Farago)
212-535-7710, metmuseum.org

‘THE FACE OF DYNASTY: ROYAL CRESTS FROM WESTERN CAMEROON’ (through Sept. 3). “Upstairs, the Michelangelos continue to knock ‘em dead; downstairs, in the African wing, a show of just four commanding wooden crowns constitutes a blockbuster of its own. These massive wooden crests — in the form of stylized human faces with vast vertical brows — served as markers of royal power among the Bamileke peoples of the Cameroonian grasslands, and the Met’s recent acquisition of an 18th-century specimen is joined here by three later examples, each featuring sharply protruding cheeks, broadly smiling mouths, and brows incised with involute geometric patterns. Ritual objects like these were decisive for the development of western modernist painting, and a Cameroonian crest was even shown at MoMA in the 1930s, as a “sculpture” divorced from ethnography. But these crests had legal and diplomatic significance as well as aesthetic appeal, and their anonymous African creators had a political understanding of art not so far from our own.” (Farago)

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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) for NewYorkers

Although technically not part of the Museum Mile, the Frick Collection (closed Mon) (Wed 2-6pm PWYW; First Friday each month (exc Jan+Sep) 6-9pm FREE) 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 04/21 and 04/19.
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NYC Events,”Only the Best” (04/22) + Today’s Featured Pub (Greenwich Village)

Posted on 04/22/2018 by

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > SUNDAY/ APRIL 22, 2018

“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: “NYC Events-April”
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 over town, all through the month.

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

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

EarthFest at AMNH
American Museum of History (dawn-to-dusk festival)/ $23
“This dawn-to-dusk festival at the American Museum of Natural History will keep you busy all day long. Starting at 7 and 8 a.m., you can take yoga with live music in the Cullman Hall of the Universe and follow that with a tour of the museum by Hugo Award-winning science fiction author N.K. Jemisin or filmmaker Lynette Wallworth. You also can catch a performance by the Chelsea Symphony Orchestra of “Become Ocean” under the blue whale in the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life, and participate in “The Umbrella Project” by dance group Pilobolus. Throughout the museum, there will be live music by Appalachian folk singer Martha Redbone, harpist Ashley Jackson, Abena Koomson-Davis, Secret Drum Band and Lloyd H. Miller. You can also make a musical instrument with recyclables from Bash The Trash. If that wasn’t enough, you can also catch a concert inspired by birds. Some events require reservations.” (amny)

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 7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>>Dancing the Gods
>>Christian McBride Big Band
>> LAR LUBOVITCH DANCE COMPANY
>> Linda May Han Oh Quintet
>> Artexpo New York
>>Westworld Tour: Journey to the Center of the Maze
>> How Do We Prepare for Trump’s Second Term?
Continuing Events
>> PEN America World Voices Festival
>> The Orchid Show
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Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Christian McBride Big Band (LAST DAY)
Dizzy’s Club, Jazz at Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $35+
“GRAMMY® Award-winning bassist Christian McBride first composed for big band in 1995 as a commission for the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. The master musician has since appeared on over 300 recordings and is easily one of the most accomplished bassists alive. Now a leader of his own GRAMMY® Award-winning Big Band, featuring a staggering and diverse lineup of top musicians, McBride simultaneously shows off his compositional talent and unmatched ability to drive a band from behind the bass. This hip new group combines the classic big band sounds of the Swing Era with more than half a century of post-bop influences.”

Dancing the Gods
Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway / 7PM, lecture, 8PM, performance, $35-$40
“Indian dance is highlighted in two nights of exhilarating, evening-length showcases with live music during the annual Dancing the Gods event at Symphony Space. First is Amrita Lahiri, a star of Kuchipidi dance in South India. Sunday is the Dancing Monks of Assam and the Sattriya Dance Company, with traditional worship dances from northeast India. Both offer a pre-show intro to the significance of the dance, followed by a post-show Chat & Chai with the artists.” (METRO)

LAR LUBOVITCH DANCE COMPANY (LAST DAY).
at the Joyce Theater / 2PM, +8PM, $55+
“One of the most enduring names in American modern dance, Lar Lubovitch has been choreographing for half a century. He will honor that remarkable milestone this week with three programs spanning more than 30 years, from “A Brahms Symphony” (1985), performed by students, to the premiere of a new work. Members of the Martha Graham Dance Company will join the anniversary celebration with performances of Mr. Lubovitch’s “The Legend of Ten,” as will dancers from the Joffrey Ballet with a selection from Mr. Lubovitch’s full-length “Othello.” His acclaimed, tender exploration of masculinity in dance, “Men’s Stories: A Concerto in Ruin,” anchors each program.” (NYT-BRIAN SCHAEFER)

Linda May Han Oh Quintet
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St./ 8:30Pm, +10:30PM, $35
“It seems like just yesterday that the Australian bassist Oh was the new kid in town, dazzling listeners with her levitating bass lines; she’s since played with such estimable artists as Kenny Barron and Pat Metheny. Now leading her own unit at this most hallowed of jazz venues, Oh fronts a quintet that includes the saxophonist Ben Wendel, the pianist Fabian Almazan, and the drummer Rudy Royston.” (NewYorker)

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

Westworld Tour: Journey to the Center of the Maze
Rubin Museum of Art, 150 W. 17th St./ 1:30PM, FREE with museum admission
“Pregame for the return of Westworld Sunday night with a Brainwave session featuring the show’s neuroscientific advisor, David Eagleman, and machine learning specialist Pedro Domingos (The Master Algorithm: How the Quest for the Ultimate Learning Machine Will Remake Our World). After a discussion of our self-programmable-machine future, catch a Westworld-themed tour of the Rubin designed to “leave you questioning how much you really understand about your own mind.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

How Do We Prepare for Trump’s Second Term?
New York Live Arts, 219 W. 19th St./ 3:30PM, $10
“In a remarkably short span of time, President Donald J. Trump has transformed our culture. His achievement is not measured in his ability to build a border wall, heighten mass incarceration, impose a travel ban, or launch a military strike against North Korea. It is that these ideas are now seriously discussed and debated, when two years ago that would have been impossible. Do progressives have a viable and strategic response to his next presidential campaign? Are artists key to helping shape that response? Multimedia artist/activist Betty Yu and other artists will discuss these questions and others.”

Artexpo New York (April 19-22)
Pier 94, 711 12th Avenue / 10AM-8PM, $20
“Each year thousands of art industry insiders flock to Artexpo New York in search of the art and artists that will shape trends in galleries worldwide. Hosting more than 35,000 avid art enthusiasts annually, we’re the largest international gathering of qualified trade buyers—including gallery owners and managers, art dealers, interior designers, architects, corporate art buyers, and art and framing retailers.” (unplugged)

MLB Foodfest (April 21-22)
415 Fifth Ave./ 11 a.m.-9 p.m.,, $25-$40
“Some of the weirdest food comes out of ballparks, and Major League Baseball is bringing some of the greatest hits from all 30 of its venues nationwide to the first-ever MLB Foodfest. Try hometown classics like the Red Sox’s New England Lobster Rolls, fan favorites like whatever the Kurd-Marczuk is at the Cincinnati Reds’ Great American Ball Park, or real curveballs like the Toasted Grasshoppers from the Mariners’ Safeco Field, plus fun stuff like a Popcorn Pit and a Hot Dog Pit.” (METRO)

EDITOR’S NOTE: This event looks like a lot of fun. So much fun it just SOLD OUT. Use the link to sign up to be on their mailing list for the next one.

==========================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, plus dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.6 million, had a record 63 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2018 – awesome! BUT quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just earlier on the day of performance.
===========================================================================

Continuing Events

PEN America World Voices Festival
Multiple times and venues; Prices vary (LAST DAY)
“In a 2005 article on the first PEN America World Voices Festival, Salman Rushdie wrote of the need for Americans to listen to the voices of the globally oppressed. “Those voices — Arab or Afghan or Latin American or Russian — need to be magnified, so that they can be heard loud and clear just as the Soviet dissidents once were.” This was, of course, long before the 2016 election of Donald Trump, the surge of white nationalist rhetoric into the mainstream discourse, and the global reckoning of the #MeToo movement. This year’s PEN World Voices Festival: Resist and Reimagine promises to interrogate America’s own dissident histories and power dynamics. Click here to peruse the complete schedule.” (Alana Mohamed, VillageVoice)

The Orchid Show (LAST DAY)
New York Botanical Garden; 2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx; various dates and times; $20
“Now in its 16th year, this mesmerizing show displays thousands of orchids in geometric, illuminated sculptural presentations. Catch special Orchid evenings for dancing, music and drinks among the flowers.”

“With less than a month left to see the 16th edition of the Orchid Show, there’s no better time to go to the New York Botanical Garden. Marvel over Belgian floral artist Daniël Ost’s wabi-sabi installations, which find beauty in imperfection and impermanence.” (TONY)

The Orchid Show in NYC guide
https://www.timeout.com/newyork/things-to-do/orchid-show-nyc-guide

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

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. Hit the Hot Link and check out who’s playing tonight:

City Winery – 155 Varick St., citywinery.com, 212-608-0555
Joe’s Pub @ Public Theater – 425 Lafayette St., joespub.com, 212-967-7555
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
Another outrageous rent increase by a rapacious NYC landlord will close BBKings as of April 29 – How Sad.
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St., lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474
and one more, not exactly WestSide
Bowery Ballroom – 6 Delancey St. boweryballroom.com,

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.

———————————————————————————————————-

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.)

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’. ”

maxresdefaultEach 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 FALL 2018).
◊ Order before NOV.30, 2018 and receive a bonus – 27 of my favorite casual dining places with free Wi-Fi.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (04/21) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 04/21/2018 by

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > SATURDAY/ APRIL 21, 2018

“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: “NYC Events-April”
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 over town, all through the month.

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

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

LAR LUBOVITCH DANCE COMPANY (through April 22).
at the Joyce Theater / 2PM, +8PM, $55+
“One of the most enduring names in American modern dance, Lar Lubovitch has been choreographing for half a century. He will honor that remarkable milestone this week with three programs spanning more than 30 years, from “A Brahms Symphony” (1985), performed by students, to the premiere of a new work. Members of the Martha Graham Dance Company will join the anniversary celebration with performances of Mr. Lubovitch’s “The Legend of Ten,” as will dancers from the Joffrey Ballet with a selection from Mr. Lubovitch’s full-length “Othello.” His acclaimed, tender exploration of masculinity in dance, “Men’s Stories: A Concerto in Ruin,” anchors each program.” (NYT-BRIAN SCHAEFER)

=========================================================
 7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Linda May Han Oh Quintet
>>Dancing the Gods
>>Christian McBride Big Band
>> Time Travelers to Versailles
>> Artexpo New York
>> NYC Craft Beer Festival
>> Gotham Girls Roller Derby
Continuing Events
>> PEN America World Voices Festival
>> The Orchid Show
========================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Linda May Han Oh Quintet (also Sunday)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St./ 8:30Pm, +10:30PM, $35
“It seems like just yesterday that the Australian bassist Oh was the new kid in town, dazzling listeners with her levitating bass lines; she’s since played with such estimable artists as Kenny Barron and Pat Metheny. Now leading her own unit at this most hallowed of jazz venues, Oh fronts a quintet that includes the saxophonist Ben Wendel, the pianist Fabian Almazan, and the drummer Rudy Royston.” (NewYorker)

Dancing the Gods
Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway / 7PM, lecture, 8PM, performance, $35-$40
“Indian dance is highlighted in two nights of exhilarating, evening-length showcases with live music during the annual Dancing the Gods event at Symphony Space. First is Amrita Lahiri, a star of Kuchipidi dance in South India. Sunday is the Dancing Monks of Assam and the Sattriya Dance Company, with traditional worship dances from northeast India. Both offer a pre-show intro to the significance of the dance, followed by a post-show Chat & Chai with the artists.” (METRO)

Time Travelers to Versailles
Metropolitan Museum of Art / 7PM, $50
“If these walls could talk.
Versailles wasn’t just a château with a garden; it was the West’s own Xanadu, the pleasure palace of the divinely entitled. In conjunction with the exhibit “Visitors to Versailles (1682–1789),” the 18th century and ours talk to each other through music inspired by the headquarters of the ancien régime. Charpentier, who was there, shares a program with new works by Timo Andres and Caroline Shaw.” (NYMag, Justin Davidson)

Christian McBride Big Band (Apr.19-22)
Dizzy’s Club, Jazz at Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $35+
“GRAMMY® Award-winning bassist Christian McBride first composed for big band in 1995 as a commission for the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. The master musician has since appeared on over 300 recordings and is easily one of the most accomplished bassists alive. Now a leader of his own GRAMMY® Award-winning Big Band, featuring a staggering and diverse lineup of top musicians, McBride simultaneously shows off his compositional talent and unmatched ability to drive a band from behind the bass. This hip new group combines the classic big band sounds of the Swing Era with more than half a century of post-bop influences.”

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

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

Artexpo New York (April 19-22)
Pier 94, 711 12th Avenue / 10AM-8PM, $20
“Each year thousands of art industry insiders flock to Artexpo New York in search of the art and artists that will shape trends in galleries worldwide. Hosting more than 35,000 avid art enthusiasts annually, we’re the largest international gathering of qualified trade buyers—including gallery owners and managers, art dealers, interior designers, architects, corporate art buyers, and art and framing retailers.” (unplugged)

Gotham Girls Roller Derby
John Jay College of Criminal Justice / 6pm; $30
“Five boroughs, five colors, five teams of fierce female furies ready to battle it out on the rink for eternal glory and a championship title. Show up early in your favorite team’s colors and watch the league’s fiercest brawlers bring it with rollerblades at this beloved pastime.” (TONY)

NYC Craft Beer Festival (April 20-21)
Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 W. 18th St., $55-$85,
“Over 150 beers, ciders, means and more gather for your sampling pleasure at the NYC Craft Beer Festival. There’s also an upgraded ticket for a new experience called The Loft, a lounge with a Bloody Mary bar, live music, craft cocktails and a cash oyster bar.” (METRO)

MLB Foodfest (April 21-22)
415 Fifth Ave./ 11 a.m.-9 p.m.,, $25-$40
“Some of the weirdest food comes out of ballparks, and Major League Baseball is bringing some of the greatest hits from all 30 of its venues nationwide to the first-ever MLB Foodfest. Try hometown classics like the Red Sox’s New England Lobster Rolls, fan favorites like whatever the Kurd-Marczuk is at the Cincinnati Reds’ Great American Ball Park, or real curveballs like the Toasted Grasshoppers from the Mariners’ Safeco Field, plus fun stuff like a Popcorn Pit and a Hot Dog Pit.” (METRO)

EDITOR’S NOTE: This event looks like a lot of fun. So much fun it just SOLD OUT. Use the link to sign up to be on their mailing list for the next one.

==============================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, plus dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.6 million, had a record 63 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2018 – awesome! BUT quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just earlier on the day of performance.
===========================================================================

Continuing Events

PEN America World Voices Festival
Multiple times and venues; Prices vary (Apr. 16-22)
“In a 2005 article on the first PEN America World Voices Festival, Salman Rushdie wrote of the need for Americans to listen to the voices of the globally oppressed. “Those voices — Arab or Afghan or Latin American or Russian — need to be magnified, so that they can be heard loud and clear just as the Soviet dissidents once were.” This was, of course, long before the 2016 election of Donald Trump, the surge of white nationalist rhetoric into the mainstream discourse, and the global reckoning of the #MeToo movement. This year’s PEN World Voices Festival: Resist and Reimagine promises to interrogate America’s own dissident histories and power dynamics. Click here to peruse the complete schedule.” (Alana Mohamed, VillageVoice)

The Orchid Show (thru April 22)
New York Botanical Garden; 2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx; various dates and times; $20
“Now in its 16th year, this mesmerizing show displays thousands of orchids in geometric, illuminated sculptural presentations. Catch special Orchid evenings for dancing, music and drinks among the flowers.”

“With less than a month left to see the 16th edition of the Orchid Show, there’s no better time to go to the New York Botanical Garden. Marvel over Belgian floral artist Daniël Ost’s wabi-sabi installations, which find beauty in imperfection and impermanence.” (TONY)

The Orchid Show in NYC guide
https://www.timeout.com/newyork/things-to-do/orchid-show-nyc-guide

=====================================================
Bonus: Nifty 9 – Best Cabarets / Piano Bars NYCity
These are my favorite places for an after dinner night on the town – music and drinks.
Hit the Hot Link and check out what’s happening tonight:

Feinstein’s/54 Below – 254 W 54th St.

The Green Room 42 – 570 Tenth Ave.

Don’t Tell Mama – 343 W 46th St.

Marie’s Crisis – 59 Grove St.

The Rum House, in the Hotel Edison – 228 W. 47th St.

Laurie Beechman Theatre – 407 W 42nd St.

The Duplex – 61 Christopher St.

Sid Gold’s Request Room – 165 W 26th St.

Cafe Carlyle, in the Carlyle Hotel – 35 E. 76th St.
This is the only one not located on Manhattan’s WestSide, and it ain’t cheap, but it has some of the finest singers.

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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 exhibitions)

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)

Stephen Shore (thru May 28)

“This immersive and staggeringly charming retrospective is devoted to one of the best American photographers of the past half century. Shore has peers—Joel Meyerowitz, Joel Sternfeld, Richard Misrach, and, especially, William Eggleston—in a generation that, in the nineteen-seventies, stormed to eminence with color film, which art photographers had long disdained. His best-known series, “American Surfaces” and “Uncommon Places,” are both from the seventies and were mostly made in rugged Western states. The pictures in these series share a quality of surprise: appearances surely unappreciated if even really noticed by anyone before—in rural Arizona, a phone booth next to a tall cactus, on which a crude sign (“GARAGE”) is mounted, and, on a small-city street in Wisconsin, a movie marquee’s neon wanly aglow, at twilight. A search for fresh astonishments has kept Shore peripatetic, on productive sojourns in Mexico, Scotland, Italy, Ukraine, and Israel. He has remained a vestigial Romantic, stopping in space and 
time to frame views that exert a peculiar tug on him. This framing is resolutely formalist: subjects composed laterally, from edge to edge, and in depth. There’s never a “background.” The most distant element is as considered as the nearest. But only when looking for it are you conscious of Shore’s formal discipline, because it is as fluent as a language learned from birth. His best pictures at once arouse feelings and leave us alone to make what we will of them. He delivers truths, whether hard or easy, with something very like mercy.” (NewYorker)

Tarsila do Amaral (thru June 3)

Introducing New York to the First Brazilian Modernist
“Forty-five years after Tarsila do Amaral’s death, MOMA presents her first-ever museum exhibition in the U.S. Some artists are so iconic, they’re known by only one name: Brancusi, Léger, Tarsila. Wait, who? The painter Tarsila do Amaral is so famous in her native Brazil that forty-three years after her death she helped close out the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, when a projected pattern of red-orange-yellow arcs graced the stadium floor, an homage to her 1929 painting “Setting Sun.” That chimerical landscape—stylized sunset above tubular cacti and a herd of capybaras that shape-shift into boulders—hangs now at MOMA, in the artist’s first-ever museum exhibition in the U.S., “Tarsila do Amaral: Inventing Modern Art in Brazil.” (NewYorker)

‘TARSILA DO AMARAL: INVENTING MODERN ART IN BRAZIL’ (through June 3). “The subtitle is no overstatement: In the early 1920s, first in Paris and then back home in São Paulo, Brazil, this painter really did lay the groundwork for the coming of modernism in Latin America’s most populous nation. Tired of the European pretenders in Brazil’s art academies, Tarsila (who was always called by her first name) began to intermingle Western, African and indigenous motifs into flowing, biomorphic paintings, and to theorize a new national culture fueled by the principle of antropofagia, or “cannibalism.” Along with spare, assured drawings of Rio and the Brazilian countryside, this belated but very welcome show assembles Tarsila’s three most important paintings, including the classic “Abaporu” (1928): a semi-human nude with a spindly nose and a comically swollen foot. (Jason Farago)” (NYT)

Whitney Museum of American Art

‘GRANT WOOD: AMERICAN GOTHIC AND OTHER FABLES’ (through June 10). This well-done survey begins with the American Regionalist’s little-known efforts as an Arts and Crafts designer and touches just about every base. It includes his mural studies, book illustrations and most of his best-known paintings — including “American Gothic” and “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere.” Best of all are Wood’s smooth undulant landscapes with their plowmen and spongy trees and infectious serenity. (Smith, NYT)

‘ZOE LEONARD: SURVEY’  (through June 10).
Some shows cast a spell. Zoe Leonard’s reverberant retrospective does. Physically ultra-austere, all white walls with a fiercely edited selection of objects — photographs of clouds taken from airplane windows; a mural collaged from vintage postcards; a scattering of empty fruit skins, each stitched closed with needle and thread — it’s an extended essay about travel, time passing, political passion and the ineffable daily beauty of the world. (Cotter, NYT)
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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 04/19 and 04/17.

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Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (04/20) + Today’s Featured Pub (Upper West Side)

Posted on 04/20/2018 by

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > FRIDAY/ APRIL 20, 2018

“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: “NYC Events-April”
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 over town, all through the month.

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

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

Concert | Grammy Nominee
Eddie Montalvo y Su Orquesta
Rubenstein Atrium, Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, FREE, but get there early for a seat.
“Bronx-born conguero Eddie Montalvo started keeping time (i.e. was playing very basic rhythm just hitting the drum on a regular beat in order to keep the rest of the ensemble on time) when he was just five years old eventually backing superstars Celia Cruz, Héctor Lavoe, Willie Colón, and Johnny Pacheco, and in 1979 he became the youngest member of the Fania All-Stars. Montalvo’s most recent, Grammy-nominated solo album Desde Nueva York a Puerto Rico proves that this rhythm prodigy still brings it. He returns with his band for a night of classic salsa.”

=========================================================
 7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Anne Carrere: Piaf! The Show
>> LAR LUBOVITCH DANCE COMPANY
>>Christian McBride Big Band
>> THE V.4 DANCE FESTIVAL
>>Marilyn Maye: 90 at Last!
>> Artexpo New York
>> NYC Craft Beer Festival
Continuing Events
>> PEN America World Voices Festival
>> The Orchid Show
========================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Anne Carrere: Piaf! The Show (Apr.18-21)
French Institute Alliance Française, Florence Gould Hall / 7:30PM, $45-$55
“Carrere keeps her eye on the Little Sparrow in a two-act tribute to the great 20th-century chanteuse Edith Piaf. The show, which has toured extensively, is directed by France’s Gil Marsalla, who has previously staged similar tributes to Paris and Charles Aznavour.” (TONY)

LAR LUBOVITCH DANCE COMPANY (through April 22).
at the Joyce Theater / 7:30 p.m., $
“One of the most enduring names in American modern dance, Lar Lubovitch has been choreographing for half a century. He will honor that remarkable milestone this week with three programs spanning more than 30 years, from “A Brahms Symphony” (1985), performed by students, to the premiere of a new work. Members of the Martha Graham Dance Company will join the anniversary celebration with performances of Mr. Lubovitch’s “The Legend of Ten,” as will dancers from the Joffrey Ballet with a selection from Mr. Lubovitch’s full-length “Othello.” His acclaimed, tender exploration of masculinity in dance, “Men’s Stories: A Concerto in Ruin,” anchors each program.” (NYT-BRIAN SCHAEFER)

Christian McBride Big Band (Apr.19-22)
Dizzy’s Club, Jazz at Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $35+
“GRAMMY® Award-winning bassist Christian McBride first composed for big band in 1995 as a commission for the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. The master musician has since appeared on over 300 recordings and is easily one of the most accomplished bassists alive. Now a leader of his own GRAMMY® Award-winning Big Band, featuring a staggering and diverse lineup of top musicians, McBride simultaneously shows off his compositional talent and unmatched ability to drive a band from behind the bass. This hip new group combines the classic big band sounds of the Swing Era with more than half a century of post-bop influences.”

Marilyn Maye: 90 at Last! (April 10-29)
Feinstein’s/54 Below / 7PM, $85+
“Back by popular demand! In 90 At Last! marvelous Marilyn Maye returns to her home away from home to celebrate her (latest) milestone birthday with her favorite audiences. Every performance will feature a special 90th birthday celebration for this very beloved lady of cabaret. As always, Marilyn carries the torch from her peers who originated tunes of the Great American Songbook to the singers who perform these songs today and will carry them on to future generations.”

THE V.4 DANCE FESTIVAL (April 19-20)
at N.Y.U. Skirball / 7:30PM, $20+
“The Visegrad group is the political alliance of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. This week they form a dance alliance as well with a two-day festival showcasing one artist from each country. On April 19, Vera Ondrasikova from the Czech Republic presents “Guide,” an audiovisual experience featuring lasers, and Paweł Sakowicz from Poland performs “Total,” a satirical look at virtuosity in dance. On April 20, the Debris Company from Slovakia offers “Wow!,” a surreal portrait of humans and the environment, while Laszlo Fulop and Emese Cuhorka of Hungary tackle the concept of boredom in “Your Mother at My Door.” (NYT-BRIAN SCHAEFER)

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

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

Artexpo New York (April 19-22)
Pier 94, 711 12th Avenue / 10AM-8PM, $20
“Each year thousands of art industry insiders flock to Artexpo New York in search of the art and artists that will shape trends in galleries worldwide. Hosting more than 35,000 avid art enthusiasts annually, we’re the largest international gathering of qualified trade buyers—including gallery owners and managers, art dealers, interior designers, architects, corporate art buyers, and art and framing retailers.” (unplugged)

NYC Craft Beer Festival (April 20-21)
Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 W. 18th St., $55-$85,
“Over 150 beers, ciders, means and more gather for your sampling pleasure at the NYC Craft Beer Festival. There’s also an upgraded ticket for a new experience called The Loft, a lounge with a Bloody Mary bar, live music, craft cocktails and a cash oyster bar.” (METRO)

==============================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, plus dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.6 million, had a record 63 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2018 – awesome! BUT quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just earlier on the day of performance.
===========================================================================

Continuing Events

PEN America World Voices Festival
Multiple times and venues; Prices vary (Apr. 16-22)
“In a 2005 article on the first PEN America World Voices Festival, Salman Rushdie wrote of the need for Americans to listen to the voices of the globally oppressed. “Those voices — Arab or Afghan or Latin American or Russian — need to be magnified, so that they can be heard loud and clear just as the Soviet dissidents once were.” This was, of course, long before the 2016 election of Donald Trump, the surge of white nationalist rhetoric into the mainstream discourse, and the global reckoning of the #MeToo movement. This year’s PEN World Voices Festival: Resist and Reimagine promises to interrogate America’s own dissident histories and power dynamics. Click here to peruse the complete schedule.” (Alana Mohamed, VillageVoice)

The Orchid Show (thru April 22)
New York Botanical Garden; 2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx; various dates and times; $20
“Now in its 16th year, this mesmerizing show displays thousands of orchids in geometric, illuminated sculptural presentations. Catch special Orchid evenings for dancing, music and drinks among the flowers.”

“With less than a month left to see the 16th edition of the Orchid Show, there’s no better time to go to the New York Botanical Garden. Marvel over Belgian floral artist Daniël Ost’s wabi-sabi installations, which find beauty in imperfection and impermanence.” (TONY)

The Orchid Show in NYC guide
https://www.timeout.com/newyork/things-to-do/orchid-show-nyc-guide

===========================================================
Bonus NYC events– Jazz Clubs:
Many consider NYCity the Jazz capital of the world. My favorite Jazz Clubs, all on Manhattan’s WestSide, feature top talent every night of the week.
Hit the Hot Link and 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. So., villagevanguard.com, 212-255-4037 (1st 8:30)
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. bluenotejazz.com, 212-475-8592 (1st set 8pm)
55 Bar – basement @55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave.S. 55bar.com, 212-929-9883 (1st 7pm)
Mezzrow – basement @ 163 W10th St. nr 7th Ave. mezzrow.com,646-476-4346 (1st 8)
Smalls – basement @ 183 W10th St. smallslive.com, 646-476-4346 (1st set 7:30pm)
Cornelia Street Cafe – UG, 29 Cornelia St. corneliastreetcafe.com, 212-989-9319 (6pm)

Outside Greenwich Village:
Dizzy’s Club – Broadway @ 60th St. — jazz.org/dizzys / 212-258-9595 (1st set 7:30pm)
Birdland – 315 W44th St.(btw 8/9ave) — birdlandjazz.com / 212-581-3080 (1st 8:30pm)
Smoke Jazz Club – 2751 Broadway nr.106th St. — smokejazz.com/ 212-864-6662 (7pm)

Special Mention:
Caffe Vivaldi – 32 Jones St. nr Bleecker St. — caffevivaldi.com / 212-691-7538 (1st 7pm)
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

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

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):
================================================================================

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.

HarlHostStandNo 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.
========================================================
“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 , , | Leave a comment

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (04/19) + GallerySpecialExhibits: Chelsea

Posted on 04/19/2018 by

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > THURSDAY/ APRIL 19, 2018

“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: “NYC Events-April”
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 over town, all through the month.

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

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

Christian McBride Big Band (Apr.19-22)
Dizzy’s Club, Jazz at Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $35+
“GRAMMY® Award-winning bassist Christian McBride first composed for big band in 1995 as a commission for the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. The master musician has since appeared on over 300 recordings and is easily one of the most accomplished bassists alive. Now a leader of his own GRAMMY® Award-winning Big Band, featuring a staggering and diverse lineup of top musicians, McBride simultaneously shows off his compositional talent and unmatched ability to drive a band from behind the bass. This hip new group combines the classic big band sounds of the Swing Era with more than half a century of post-bop influences.”

=========================================================
 7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Suite for Abu Sadiya
>> PHAROAH SANDERS
>> The Happy Time: 50th Anniversary Concert
>> THE V.4 DANCE FESTIVAL
>> The Way of Whisky
>> The Cook’s Atelier New York
>> One Book, One New York: Authors in Conversation
Continuing Events
>> PEN America World Voices Festival
>> The Orchid Show
========================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Suite for Abu Sadiya featuring Yacine Boulares, Vincent Segal & Nasheet Waits
Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, FREE, but get there early for a seat.
“In this musical take on a North African myth, Brooklyn-based, French-Tunisian saxophonist Yacine Boulares, French cellist Vincent Segal, and American drummer Nasheet Waits reimagine the forgotten Stambeli tradition—a healing trance music created by the descendants of sub-Saharan slaves brought to Tunisia. Boulares and Segal’s original compositions form a series of variations on the legend of the hunter Abu Sadiya. In his wandering search for his enslaved daughter, Abu Sadiya danced and sang his sorrow in the streets of Tunis, thus becoming the first musician of Stambeli and personifying the memory of sub-Saharan slaves in Tunisia.”

PHAROAH SANDERS
at Le Poisson Rouge / 8PM, $
“A doyen of spiritual jazz, Mr. Sanders is known for his mantralike compositions, often featuring no more than two chords and a repetitious theme. They tend to open onto acres of space where the tenor saxophonist can improvise and conjure. At 77, Mr. Sanders — an N.E.A. Jazz Master — still performs with ardor, often singing as well as blowing the horn. And on jazz standards he can still channel the beaming, late-1950s sound of his mentor, John Coltrane.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

The Happy Time: 50th Anniversary Concert
Feinstein’s/54 Below / 7PM, $35+
“John Kander and Fred Ebb followed their breakthrough musical, Cabaret, with this less successful 1968 effort, which starred Robert Goulet as a French-Canadian photographer and a teenage Michael Rupert as his awkward nephew. Now Rupert heads the cast of the show’s golden-anniversary concert, which also features Claybourne Elder, Debbie Gravitte, Janet Metz, Nic Rouleau, AJ Shively and Jim Walton.” (TONY)

THE V.4 DANCE FESTIVAL (April 19-20)
at N.Y.U. Skirball / 7:30PM, $20+
“The Visegrad group is the political alliance of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. This week they form a dance alliance as well with a two-day festival showcasing one artist from each country. On April 19, Vera Ondrasikova from the Czech Republic presents “Guide,” an audiovisual experience featuring lasers, and Paweł Sakowicz from Poland performs “Total,” a satirical look at virtuosity in dance. On April 20, the Debris Company from Slovakia offers “Wow!,” a surreal portrait of humans and the environment, while Laszlo Fulop and Emese Cuhorka of Hungary tackle the concept of boredom in “Your Mother at My Door.” (NYT-BRIAN SCHAEFER)

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

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

The Way of Whisky
Japan Society, 333 E. 47th St./ 6:30PM, $14
“What makes Japanese whisky “Japanese?” That is the question award-winning author and whisky expert Dave Broom set out to answer in his book, The Way of Whisky. Broom’s journey took him to whisky distilleries across Japan, where he uncovered how Japanese craftsmanship, customs and nature combine to make these fine whiskies so unique. Join us to discover the subtle characteristics of this finely crafted spirit and the role Japan’s traditional arts play in its production and appreciation. Moderated by Noah Rothbaum, editor of The Daily Beast‘s Drink + Food section. Followed by a book signing reception.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

The Cook’s Atelier New York-
Williams Sonoma Columbus Circle / 6:30PM, $45
Includes small bites, champagne, and a signed copy of The Cook’s Atelier: Recipes, Techniques, and Stories from Our French Cooking School
“Meet mother and daughter American expats Marjorie Taylor and Kendall Smith Franchini.

With a lot of hard work and a dash of fate, Marjorie and Kendall realized their dream of moving to France and cofounded The Cook’s Atelier, a celebrated French cooking school in the storybook town of Beaune, located in the heart of the Burgundy wine region. Combining their professional backgrounds in food and wine, they attract visitors from near and far with their approachable, convivial style of cooking. This April, they will be bringing The Cook’s Atelier to New York, for an exclusive event that you won’t want to miss.

Marjorie and Kendall will be making recipes from their debut cookbook, The Cook’s Atelier: Recipes, Techniques, and Stories from Our French Cooking School. Featuring more than 100 market-inspired recipes and 300 exceptional photographs, this comprehensive reference is an extension of their cooking school, providing a refreshingly simple take on French techniques and recipes that every cook should know—basic butchery, essential stocks and sauces, pastry, dessert creams and sauces, and preserving, to name a few.”

One Book, One New York: Authors in Conversation
The New School / 7:30PM, FREE with RSVP
Vote early, vote often.
“As part of the PEN World Voices Festival and the second annual One Book, One New York program (this year in partnership with Vulture and New York), the four living nominated authors Imbolo Mbue, Hari Kunzru, Esmeralda Santiago, and Jennifer Egan will sit down with Moonlight’s Barry Jenkins and moderator Jennifer Finney Boylan for a panel discussion in advance of the winning book’s reveal on May 3.” (NewYorkMag)

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

♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, plus dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.6 million, had a record 63 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2018 – awesome! BUT quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just earlier on the day of performance.
===========================================================================

Continuing Events

PEN America World Voices Festival
Multiple times and venues; Prices vary (Apr. 16-22)
“In a 2005 article on the first PEN America World Voices Festival, Salman Rushdie wrote of the need for Americans to listen to the voices of the globally oppressed. “Those voices — Arab or Afghan or Latin American or Russian — need to be magnified, so that they can be heard loud and clear just as the Soviet dissidents once were.” This was, of course, long before the 2016 election of Donald Trump, the surge of white nationalist rhetoric into the mainstream discourse, and the global reckoning of the #MeToo movement. This year’s PEN World Voices Festival: Resist and Reimagine promises to interrogate America’s own dissident histories and power dynamics. Click here to peruse the complete schedule.” (Alana Mohamed, VillageVoice)

The Orchid Show (thru April 22)
New York Botanical Garden; 2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx; various dates and times; $20
“Now in its 16th year, this mesmerizing show displays thousands of orchids in geometric, illuminated sculptural presentations. Catch special Orchid evenings for dancing, music and drinks among the flowers.”

“With less than a month left to see the 16th edition of the Orchid Show, there’s no better time to go to the New York Botanical Garden. Marvel over Belgian floral artist Daniël Ost’s wabi-sabi installations, which find beauty in imperfection and impermanence.” (TONY)

The Orchid Show in NYC guide
https://www.timeout.com/newyork/things-to-do/orchid-show-nyc-guide

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

Bonus NYC 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
Joe’s Pub @ Public Theater – 425 Lafayette St., joespub.com, 212-967-7555
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
Another outrageous rent increase by a rapacious NYC landlord will close BBKings as of April 29 – How Sad.
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St., lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474
and one more, not quite WestSide
Bowery Ballroom – 6 Delancey St. boweryballroom.com,

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.
===========================================================

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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

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 an exhibition the New Yorker likes:

Arlene Gottfried (thru April 28)

“Aptly titled “A Lifetime of Wandering,” this posthumous exhibition of the photographer’s street scenes and portraits captures New York’s demimonde of the nineteen-seventies and eighties from a warm and impromptu perspective. Among Gottfried’s coöperative subjects were Brooklyn beachgoers, Harlem gospel singers, and disco-era clubbers, as well as underground icons and international celebrities. A shot of the transgender activist and performer Marsha P. Johnson shows her posing with a wide smile in the middle of the street. Diana Ross, standing by a wall and dressed to blend in, likewise beams for the camera. Gottfried, who died last year, at the age of sixty-six, also photographed those closest to her. One of the show’s high points is “Mommie Kissing Bubbie on Delancey Street,” from 1979, which celebrates two generations of her Jewish immigrant family in an unguarded moment on the Lower East Side.”  (Cooney, 508 W. 26th St.)

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

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.) “

=======================================================
For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see recent posts in right sidebar dated 04/17 and 04/15.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (04/18) + Today’s Featured Pub (WestVillage)

Posted on 04/18/2018 by

Today’s Super 7 NYC Events >WEDNESDAY/ APRIL 18, 2018

“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: “NYC Events-April”
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 over town, all through the month.

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

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

Bernstein at 100! – Michael Brown, pianist
Baruch Performing Arts Ctr, Engelman Recital Hall / 7:30PM, $36
“Celebrate the centenary of the great American conductor, composer, and pianist Leonard Bernstein with solo piano works by, for, and about Bernstein played by 2015 Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient, Michael Brown “one of the leading figures in the current renaissance of performer-composers” (The New York Times). In addition to works by Bernstein, this program features music by his contemporaries Lucas Foss, Aaron Copland and George Perle. It includes Aaron Copland’s Sonata and his El Salon Mexico as arranged for solo piano by Bernstein, three commemorative compositions: George Perle’s Celebratory Invention composed for Bernstein’s 70th birthday, Bernstein’s own Anniversaires, celebrating the birthdays of his friends, and the premiere of Michael Brown’s 100 Chords for Bernstein.”

=========================================================
5 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> LAR LUBOVITCH DANCE COMPANY
>> Anne Carrere: Piaf! The Show
>> Linda May Han Oh Quintet
>> AMERICAN BALLET THEATER STUDIO COMPANY
>> PEN America World Voices Festival
>> Berenice Abbott: A Life in Photography
Continuing Events
>> The Orchid Show
========================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Anne Carrere: Piaf! The Show (Apr.18-21)
French Institute Alliance Française, Florence Gould Hall / 7:30PM, $45-$55
“Carrere keeps her eye on the Little Sparrow in a two-act tribute to the great 20th-century chanteuse Edith Piaf. The show, which has toured extensively, is directed by France’s Gil Marsalla, who has previously staged similar tributes to Paris and Charles Aznavour.” (TONY)

LAR LUBOVITCH DANCE COMPANY (through April 22).
at the Joyce Theater / 7:30 p.m., $
“One of the most enduring names in American modern dance, Lar Lubovitch has been choreographing for half a century. He will honor that remarkable milestone this week with three programs spanning more than 30 years, from “A Brahms Symphony” (1985), performed by students, to the premiere of a new work. Members of the Martha Graham Dance Company will join the anniversary celebration with performances of Mr. Lubovitch’s “The Legend of Ten,” as will dancers from the Joffrey Ballet with a selection from Mr. Lubovitch’s full-length “Othello.” His acclaimed, tender exploration of masculinity in dance, “Men’s Stories: A Concerto in Ruin,” anchors each program.” (NYT-BRIAN SCHAEFER)

Linda May Han Oh Quintet (April 17-22)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St.
“It seems like just yesterday that the Australian bassist Oh was the new kid in town, dazzling listeners with her levitating bass lines; she’s since played with such estimable artists as Kenny Barron and Pat Metheny. Now leading her own unit at this most hallowed of jazz venues, Oh fronts a quintet that includes the saxophonist Ben Wendel, the pianist Fabian Almazan, and the drummer Rudy Royston.” (NewYorker)

AMERICAN BALLET THEATER STUDIO COMPANY (April 17-18)
at Ailey Citigroup Theater / 7PM, $
“Before they hit the big leagues, catch the next generation of ballet stars in intimate environs as Ballet Theater’s junior ensemble presents a mixed bill of classical and contemporary work. The program includes August Bournonville’s “William Tell” pas de deux and an excerpt from the Romantic staple “Giselle” as interpreted by Ethan Stiefel and Johan Kobborg. “Untitled” by the young British choreographer Liam Scarlett and new works by Marco Pelle and Lauren Lovette, a principal ballerina at New York City Ballet, will also be featured.” (NYT-BRIAN SCHAEFER)

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

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

PEN America World Voices Festival
Multiple times and venues; Prices vary (Apr. 16-22)
“In a 2005 article on the first PEN America World Voices Festival, Salman Rushdie wrote of the need for Americans to listen to the voices of the globally oppressed. “Those voices — Arab or Afghan or Latin American or Russian — need to be magnified, so that they can be heard loud and clear just as the Soviet dissidents once were.” This was, of course, long before the 2016 election of Donald Trump, the surge of white nationalist rhetoric into the mainstream discourse, and the global reckoning of the #MeToo movement. This year’s PEN World Voices Festival: Resist and Reimagine promises to interrogate America’s own dissident histories and power dynamics. Click here to peruse the complete schedule.” (Alana Mohamed, VillageVoice)

Berenice Abbott: A Life in Photography
New York Public Library—Schwarzman Building / 476 Ffth Ave. / 6:30PM, FREE
“Julia van Haaften, founding curator of the Library’s photography collection, returns to talk with artist Anna Craycroft about Berenice Abbott: a Life in Photography, Van Haaften’s comprehensive biography of the iconic 20th-century American photographer.”

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

♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, plus dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.6 million, had a record 63 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2018 – awesome! BUT quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just earlier on the day of performance.
===========================================================================

Continuing Events

The Orchid Show (thru April 22)
New York Botanical Garden; 2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx; various dates and times; $20
“Now in its 16th year, this mesmerizing show displays thousands of orchids in geometric, illuminated sculptural presentations. Catch special Orchid evenings for dancing, music and drinks among the flowers.”

“With less than a month left to see the 16th edition of the Orchid Show, there’s no better time to go to the New York Botanical Garden. Marvel over Belgian floral artist Daniël Ost’s wabi-sabi installations, which find beauty in imperfection and impermanence.” (TONY)

The Orchid Show in NYC guide
https://www.timeout.com/newyork/things-to-do/orchid-show-nyc-guide

=====================================================
Bonus: Nifty 9 – Best Cabarets / Piano Bars NYCity
These are my favorite places for an after dinner night on the town – music and drinks.
Hit the Hot Link and check out what’s happening tonight:

Feinstein’s/54 Below – 254 W 54th St.

The Green Room 42 – 570 Tenth Ave.

Don’t Tell Mama – 343 W 46th St.

Marie’s Crisis – 59 Grove St.

The Rum House, in the Hotel Edison – 228 W. 47th St.

Laurie Beechman Theatre – 407 W 42nd St.

The Duplex – 61 Christopher St.

Sid Gold’s Request Room – 165 W 26th St.

Cafe Carlyle, in the Carlyle Hotel – 35 E. 76th St.
This is the only one not located on Manhattan’s WestSide, and it ain’t cheap, but it has some of the finest singers.

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

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.

kac_120405_phude_corner_bistro_bar_1000-600x450In 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.
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