Today’s “Fab Five” / Selected NYCity Events – WEDNESDAY, AUG 07, 2013

Readings in Bryant Park – Chuck Klosterman & Sloane Crosley
Mwahahaha…one of America’s favorite pop-culturists and the author of the cult classic “Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs” explores our obsessions with heroes and villains in his all-original essay collection entitled “I Wear the Black Hat: Grappling with Villains (Real and Imagined).” In conversation with Sloane Crosley (I Was Told There’d be Cake)

“Word for Word Author” is an outdoor reading series that features bestselling authors, celebrity writers, and expert-panelists sharing anecdotes, answering questions from the audience, and signing copies of their latest books.
Bryant Park reading room, 6th Avenue at 42nd St.
(under the trees at the 42nd st side of the park)
At 12:30PM / FREE
(212) 768-4242 / bryantpark.org

Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk
A decade evolved from their debut at 2003′s New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Dumpstaphunk offers fans an unforgettable live experience steeped in the Big Easy tradition of a good time. The quintet features Ivan Neville on vocals, B3 and Clav, the double bass attack and soulful voices of Tony Hall and Nick Daniels III, Ian Neville on guitar, and the monster addition of Nikki Glaspie on drums and vocals.

Dumpstaphunk’s summer 2013 release, Dirty Word, re-imagines their genre, holding true to the opinionated, vintage funk of Sly & the Family Stone and Parliament Funkadelic, but with a modern edge that forays into gospel, blues, second-line, R&B and straight-up rock n’ roll. True to New Orleans tradition, Dumpsta’s friends and family Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, Rebirth Brass Band, Skerik, the Grooveline Horns, Art Neville, Ani DiFranco and Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers kick the Dirty Word sessions up a notch.

This is the eleventh season of Mad. Sq. Music: Oval Lawn Series, which presents award-winning performers in an eclectic range of genres, including folk, jazz, bluegrass, soul/R&B, and Americana. Set against the magnificent backdrop of historic Madison Square Park, the Oval Lawn Series is an enjoyable and relaxing way to hear live music by some of the most acclaimed and respected artists on the national scene.
Bring a blanket for lawn seating; no chairs are allowed.
Madison Square Park, 23rd St (btw 5th/Mad Ave)
At 7pm / FREE
212-538-1884 / madisonsquarepark.org

‘Dish’: Readings, Stories and Food
This monthly literary series features authors and restaurateurs in an evening of discussions, readings and food sampling. The night begins with a talk about the Brooklyn-based Industry City Distillery with its marketing director, Peter Simon, and a tasting of one of its drinks. Next will be a cooking demonstration with a chef from Egg, a restaurant in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, followed by a conversation with George Wald, the owner of Egg, and the author Robin Shulman (“Eat the City: A Tale of the Fishers, Foragers, Butchers, Farmers, Poultry Minders, Sugar Refiners, Cane Cutters, Beekeepers, Winemakers, and Brewers Who Built New York”). A discussion about desserts with Janine Kalesis, a food stylist, will end the evening.
Housing Works Bookstore Cafe, 126 Crosby Street, near Houston Street, SoHo
At 7 p.m./suggested donation, $5, with proceeds benefiting programs for those affected by homelessness and H.I.V./AIDS.
(212) 334-3324 / housingworksbookstore.org

Rubén Blades
The return of the salsa superstar. One of the top salseros of all time is back with all the force and wisdom that years of performing, recording, acting, and activism have lent him.

Unafraid to bring politics to the party, Rubén Blades’s songs take cues from the thoughtful new songwriting movements of Cuba and Latin America, raising the bar for salsa lyrics without sacrificing a moment of dance-worthy intensity. With a band that just won’t quit, Blades promises to remind everyone why he has long been one of Latin music’s most revered trailblazers, spokespeople, and music makers.

As high attendance is anticipated at this event, seating will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. A line is expected to form throughout the day. Seating in Damrosch Park will open at 6:30. Seats may not be held for guests who are not present, and attendees are encouraged to bring minimal belongings.
Lincoln Center Out of Doors – Damrosch Park Bandshell
At 7:30PM / FREE

E.J. Strickland Quintet
“While still better known as a drummer than as a bandleader, E. J. Strickland is beginning to make an impact with his own groups, which usually feature his twin brother, the tenor and soprano saxophonist Marcus Strickland. This one also includes the alto saxophonist Jaleel Shaw, the pianist Luis Perdomo and the bassist Linda Oh.” (Chinen-NYT)
Smoke, 2751 Broadway, at 106th Street,
At 7, 9 and 10:30 p.m./ no cover for early shows, $20 minimum for the late show.
864-6662 / smokejazz.com

Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm dates and check times, as schedules are subject to change.
================================================================================

SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS @ 3 Museums (WestSide & the BrooklynMuseum) 

‘Bill Brandt: Shadow and Light’ (through Aug. 12)
‘Ellsworth Kelly: Chatham Series’ (through Sept. 8)
‘Walker Evans: American Photographs’ (through Jan. 26)
Museum of Modern Art: 11 W 53rd St.
(212) 708-9400 / moma.org.
==========================================================

‘Against the Grain: Wood in Contemporary Art, Craft and Design’* (through Sept. 15)
Museum of Arts and Design: 2 Columbus Circle
212-299-7777 / madmuseum.org.
==========================================================

‘Connecting Cultures: A World in Brooklyn’ (continuing)
This eclectic, imaginatively thought-out one-gallery immersion experience in world art, all from Brooklyn’s collection and installed in the museum’s revamped Great Hall, serves as a teaser to the fabulous collections in the galleries beyond.
‘LaToya Ruby Frazier: A Haunted Capital’ (through Aug. 11)
‘Gravity and Grace: Monumental Works by El Anatsui’ (through Aug. 18)
‘the Bruce High Quality Foundation: Ode to Joy’ (through Sept. 22)
‘Divine Felines: Cats of AncientEgypt’ (through Dec. 29)
Brooklyn Museum: 200 Eastern Parkway, at Prospect Park,
(easy ride from midtown on #2 or #3 subway to Eastern Pkway/Bklyn Museum)
(718) 638-5000 / brooklynmuseum.org

Top Photography Exhibitions – NYCity / Manhattan’s WestSide

  Museum of Modern Art
Bill Brandt: Shadows and Light, (through Aug. 12, 2013)
Walker Evans: American Photographs (through Jan. 26)
11 West 53rd Street / 212-708-9400

  Metropolitan Museum of Art
Photography and the American Civil War (through Sept. 2, 2013)
Everyday Ephiphanies: Photography and Daily Life Since 1969 
(through January 26, 2014)
1000 Fifth Avenue (at 82nd Street) / 212-535-7710

   ICP
A Different Kind of Order: The ICP Triennial (through Sept. 22, 2013)
1133 Avenue of the Americas at 43rd Street / 212-857-0000

  American Museum Natural History 
Picturing Science: Museum Scientists and Imaging Technologies          
(through May 31, 2014)
79th St. And Central Park West / (212) 313-7278 

  Howard Greenberg Gallery
Bruce Davidson: “Time of Change” & “Staff Picks 2013”
(through Aug. 31, 2013)
41 East 57th Street, Suite 1406 / 212-334-0100

  Staley-Wise Gallery
It’s An American Thing (through Sept. 14, 2013)
560 Broadway, Soho / 212-966-6223
==========================================================

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar: “NYCity Events: Manhattan’s WestSide” dated 08/05 and 08/03.