Today’s “Fab 5” / Selected NYCity Events – SATURDAY, DEC. 14, 2013
For other useful and curated NYCity event info for Manhattan’s WestSide check out:
♦ “Notable NYC Events-Dec.”, (because the holiday season kicks into high gear in December)
and also “on Broadway”, and “Top10 Free” in the header above.
♦ For NYCity trip planning see links in “Resources” and “Smart Stuff” in the header above.
‘Great Generals’
Jean Edward Smith, a Pulitzer Prize finalist for the biography “Grant,” and Lewis Sorley, author of “Thunderbolt: General Creighton Abrams and the Army of His Time,” will speak about Ulysses S. Grant.
New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, at 77th St.
From 9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m./$60; $36 for members.
(212) 873-3400, nyhistory.org
Circus Der Sinne (through Jan. 5)
Fans of contemporary circus may be used to the surreal worlds of Cirque du Soleil, but “Mother Africa” by Circus Der Sinne (“Circus of the Senses”) offers a warmer and more spirited journey through a specific cultural landscape. Riding a wave of propulsive rhythms, the show mixes the spectacle of contortionists, jugglers and other tricksters with live African music and dance.” (Schaefer-NYT)
New Victory Theater, 209 West 42nd Street,
at 2 and 7 p.m. / $17 to $60
223-3010, newvictory.org
Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra,
‘Big Band Holidays’
“JALC’s current holiday offering, “Big Band Holidays,” has been an unqualified success now for three consecutive Christmas seasons. This weekend the Lincoln Centurians are ornamenting it up even further with the bubbly but hardly bauble-y rising vocalist, Cécile McLorin Salvant.
The orchestra’s staff of arrangers have done a particularly remarkable job in rejuvenating some of the most beloved melodies in all of music, as Ted Nash’s superb orchestration of “We Three Kings” clearly shows. The saxophonist-arranger, proving himself to be as wise as the kings themselves at the Nativity, cast the ancient carol in a commendably Coltrane-esque context, taking a soprano solo himself, and making what was once overly familiar now seem mystical and mysterious—and in the process, bringing out the spirituality of the season.” (WSJ)
Rose Theater, Frederick P. Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, 60th St. and Broadway,
at 2 and 8 p.m./ $30 to $105.
(212) 721-6500, jalc.org;
Gamelan Kusuma Laras perform music and dance of Java
If you are like me, a big fan of Gamelan music, don’t miss this one.
Celebrate Gamelan music of Central Java, performed by Gamelan Kusuma Laras, and dances of East Java with guest artist Christina Sunardi. Originally formed 25 years ago with instruments that had been created for the Indonesia Pavilion at the World’s Fair of 1964-65 in Flushing, New York, Gamelan Kusuma Laras has entranced audiences around the United States and Indonesia with its authentic performances of music, dance, and theater from the classical repertoire of the courts of Central Java.
Indonesian Consulate, 5 E. 68th St. (btw. Fifth & Madison Aves.)
At 8PM / FREE
1-212-879-0600
The GrooveBarbers’ A Cappella Holiday Concert
This powerhouse vocal quartet — which includes three members of the pioneering contemporary a capella ensemble Rockapella — brings holiday cheer with its soulful rock- and jazz-influenced take on barbershop. With no instruments in sight, seasonal classics get the doo-wop treatment for this special yuletide concert, featuring a guest turn by beatboxer extraordinaire Ed Chung of the a cappella funk group Duwende.
Peter Jay Sharp Building, BAMcafé
At 9PM / No cover, no minimum
Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm dates and check times, as schedules are subject to change. ===========================================================================================
A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating places – West Village
Corner Bistro / 331 W. 4th St.
Sometimes you just need a beer and a burger. If so, Corner Bistro is the place you want. Located just outside the hip Meatpacking district, this corner bar and grill is decidedly unhip, but it’s not uncrowded, especially at night. Seems that everyone knows this place has one of the better burgers in town.
In the maze of streets known as the West Village, where West 4th intersects with West 12th (and West 11th, and West 10th, go figure), you will eventually find Corner Bistro on the corner of West 4th and Jane Street. An unassuming neighborhood tavern, it looks just like dozens of other taverns around town. The bartender tells me that the Corner Bistro will be celebrating it’s 50th anniversary next 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:
NYCity 1-2-3 : What's Happening / Manhattan's WestSide 