Today’s “Fab 5″/ Selected NYCity Events – THURSDAY, JULY 03, 2014.

Pieces of a Dream
“This quiet-storm instrumental R&B band, a byproduct of the Philadelphia soul boom of the 1970s, has kept its fires burning low for more than 35 years; “In the Moment,” its most recent album, was released last year. The group appears courtesy of the Smooth Cruise, a leisurely two-hour dinner jaunt around the southern tip of Manhattan.” (Chinen-NYT)
Pier 40, Houston and West Streets, West Village,
866-468-7619, smoothjazznewyork.com;
Departs at 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. / $55, $80 with buffet.

“54 Below Sings 1776,”
Celebrate the July 4th weekend with “54 Below Sings 1776,” a celebration of the music from Broadway’s Tony Award-winning Independence Day musical by Sherman Edwards.

1776 recounts the trials and tribulations of John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin and America’s other founding fathers. Directed by Lucia Spina with musical direction by Jacob Yates, the concert will feature Jacob Hoffman, Rob Maitner, Daniel Marcus (from the original Broadway revival cast of 1776), David Alan Marshall, Patrick Mellen, Kathleen Monteleone, Aaron Ramey (from the Paper Mill Playhouse production of 1776), Brian Charles Rooney, Adam Shapiro, and Paul Michael Valley (from the original Broadway revival cast of 1776).
54 Below, 254 W 54th St., (btw Broadway and Eighth Ave.)
at 7PM and 9:30PM / cover starts at $50, plus $25 food or drink minimum
(646) 476-3551 / 866-468-7619 / 54below.com

New York Asian Film Festival 2014 (through July 10)
A festival of eyeball-exploding Asian films

“From futuristic thrillers to testosterone-fueled soap operas, the 13th annual New York Asian Film Festival showcases popular, eyeball-exploding films coming out of Asian today.

Screening 60 feature films, this edition serves up a tribute to Sir Run Run Shaw, a focus on Korean actor Lee Jung-jae, and a spotlight on resurgent local Hong Kong cinema. A number of star filmmakers and celebrity guests from Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan are also flying in for the occasion.” (Mindy Bond, Editor-Flavorpill)

Today’s Film: The Eternal Zero
永遠の０ | Takashi Yamazaki, 2013
Japan | Japanese with English subtitles | Format: HDCam | 144 minutes

U.S. Premiere
Japan’s biggest hit last year, and one of the 10 top-grossing Japanese films of all time, The Eternal Zero will no doubt provide the most extreme film experience of the NYAFF/Japan Cuts 2014 lineup. Infuriating in its ideological and political black holes as it is exhilarating in its superb visual artistry, particularly the grand cinematic spectacle of airborne combat that bookends the story, The Eternal Zero follows the quest of a young man investigating the life of his late grandfather, the reluctant kamikaze pilot Kyuzo Miyabe (Junichi Okada, in his best performance yet) during the Pacific War.

The quest goes from ever-more-troubling revelations to shocking truths about heroism, history, and his own family. In flashbacks that progressively reveal that his alleged cowardice in battle actually concealed a specific moral philosophy of survival, the film becomes not just an ambiguous war movie but a touching celebration of family values and ordinary individualism. In addition to the raw emotions it stirs in its depiction of the cruelties of war, the film generously shares the sensory rapture of breathtaking airborne battles, with sumptuous visuals of the Zero fighter planes in deadly action. Kinetic, emotionally intense, but also politically and morally thorny, it is, in short, a film that will leave no one indifferent. Presented with Japan Cuts: The New York Festival of Contemporary Japanese Cinema.
Showtime: 8:30pm Standby Only /Walter Reade Theater

Renee Rosnes Quartet (through July 6)
“Renee Rosnes, a resourceful and highly adaptable pianist, leads a post-bop band composed of the vibraphonist Steve Nelson, the bassist Peter Washington and the drummer Bill Stewart.” (Chinen-NYT)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Avenue South, at 11th Street, West Village
212-255-4037, villagevanguard.com
At 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. / $25 and $30 cover, with a one-drink minimum.

ECHOES OF ETTA: A TRIBUTE TO ETTA JAMES
Awarded the prestigious MAC Award for “2014 Show of the Year,” William Blake (lead/co-creator) and Michael Thomas Murray (music director/arranger/co-creator) and the entire Echoes team are back to deliver this energetic, no-holds-barred performance that is sure to move you out of your seat.

Blake, the Echoes band, and gorgeous back-up singers, “The Peaches,” excel with stellar musicality led by Murray’s rockin’ authentic period arrangements with a contemporary twist. This combined with one of the greatest songbooks of all time is sure to have audiences jumping to their feet. Blake delivers palpable life to these long-loved classic songs in this musical testimonial to the legend who bridged the gap between Rock ‘n’ Roll and Rhythm and Blues.

Fans can expect to hear many of their favorite Etta James tunes such as, A Sunday Kind of Love, At Last, Tell Mama, You Can Leave Your Hat On, I’d Rather Go Blind, Something’s Got A Hold On Me and Purple Rain, just to name a few.
Joe’s Pub, at the Public Theater, 425 Lafayette Street, at Astor Place
at 9:30PM / $30 cover, with a $12 minimum.
212.697.7555 / joespub.com

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

♦ NYCity is a big town with many visitors where quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
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WHAT’S ON VIEW: Special Exhibitions @ 2 MUSEUMS (Manhattan’s WestSide)

‘A World of Its Own: Photographic Practices in the Studio’ (through Oct. 5)
‘Designing Modern Women 1890-1990’(through Oct. 5)
Museum of Modern Art: 11 W 53rd St. (btw 5th /6th Ave.)
(212) 708-9400 / moma.org.

Designing Modern Women 1890-1990:

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The Art of the Brick by Nathan Sawaya (ongoing)
This exhibition by artist Nathan Sawaya is a critically acclaimed collection of intriguing and inspiring works of art made exclusively from one of the most recognizable toys in the world — LEGO® bricks. The Discovery Times Square exhibit is the world’s biggest and most elaborate display of LEGO® art ever and features brand-new, never-before-seen pieces by Sawaya. This show was named ‘One of CNN’s Ten Global Must-See Exhibitions.’
Discovery Times Square, 226 West 44th St. (btw 7th/8th ave)
866.987.9692 / http://www.discoverytsx.com

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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in the right Sidebar: “Selected Events + Special Exhibitions : … …” dated (07/01) and (06/29).