Today’s Super 7 NYC Events > SUNDAY/ JUNE 16, 2019

“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, check the tab above:  “June NYC Events”
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.
OR to make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above;  “LiveMusic.”

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

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

CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE BIG BAND (LAST DAY)
at Dizzy’s Club / 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.; $40
“Rather than harking back to the classic swing era or the progressive large-ensemble composers of the late 20th century, this 17-piece group picks up on a lesser-touted aspect of the jazz tradition: the bebop big bands led by Jimmy Heath and Dizzy Gillespie in the 1940s and ’50s. A lot of activity often happens at once in McBride’s ensemble: spitfire soloing from the saxophones and brass; calisthenic bowed-bass workouts from the bandleader; sprightly, charging momentum from the rhythm section. But McBride makes sure everything coheres, thanks to hip-huggingly tight swing rhythms and generous coats of grease on the harmonies.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

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

6 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Pilobolus
>> THEO CROKER
>> Alvin Ailey
>> Jazz Age Lawn Party
>>  Egg Rolls, Egg Creams & Empanadas Festival
>> Father’s Day Private Tour

You may want to look at previous days posts for events that continue through today.

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

Music, Dance, Performing Art

Pilobolus (through June 29)
Joyce Theatre, 175 Eighth Ave. / 2PM, $55+
“For a long time, summer at the Joyce was synonymous with a monthlong encampment by this popular troupe of acrobat-illusionists. But five years have passed since the company’s last visit. How has the group evolved in the meantime? Its two comeback programs don’t offer many chances to find out; the most recent item is “Branches,” an ebb-and-flow nature study, from 2017. The most reliable selections, in any case, come from the better, stranger early period: “Day 2” (1980), with its primordial creatures and Slip ‘N Slide coda; “Walklyndon” (1971), with its silly stage crossings; and, best of all, “Untitled” (1972), a Victorian picnic for giantesses.” (Brian Seibert, NewYorker)

THEO CROKER (LAST DAY)
at Jazz Standard / 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.; $30
“Last month, Croker logged a vital contribution to the growing body of nouveau jazz fusion (think Robert Glasper, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, Sarah Elizabeth Charles) when he released “Star People Nation,” an album that gallivants from swirling, left-field hip-hop beats to propellant swing to entrancing passages of African percussion. Through it all, Croker’s understated trumpet playing holds his small band together with swagger and poise. Here he celebrates the album’s release with Mike King on piano, Eric Wheeler on bass and Michael Ode on drums.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

Alvin Ailey (LAST DAY)
NYS Theater, LIncoln Center / 2PM, +8PM, $29+
“Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre’s short summer season at Lincoln Center introduces five new dancers and one new dance. “Ounce of Faith,” the first effort for the troupe by Darrell Grand Moultrie, an adept choreographer with iffy taste, is about a teacher and a child. It could be mawkish, but two must-see works from last season avoid that trap, in nearly opposite ways. Ronald K. Brown’s “The Call” is a formal gem, quietly spiritual; Rennie Harris’s “Lazarus” is dense and demanding, at once nightmarish and uplifting. The season also features a highlight-reel program of the founder’s choreography and a celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Ailey School.” (Brian Seibert, NewYorker)

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

Smart Stuff / Other NYC EventS

Jazz Age Lawn Party
Celebrate the end of prohibition
Governors Island
“Take a little breather from the horrors of modernity with a Jazz Age party on the lush lawns of Governors Island. There will be dance contests, live music and performances, a croquet tournament, and a steady flow of (non-bootlegged) rosé. 1920s clothing is encouraged, but not required — think flapper dresses, zoot suits, feathers, and spats. Wear your best pearls, pre-plan all your Instagram poses, and try not to drunkenly poke your eye out with a parasol.
Cost: $45 to enter; $75 for entry, two glasses of rosé, a sweet snack, and a couple souvenirs; $175 for two tickets, a bottle of rosé, sweet treats, and souvenirs; bring cash for extras” (Thrilist.com)

2019 Egg Rolls, Egg Creams & Empanadas Festival
Eat your way through the LES
Eldridge Street / 12-4PM, Free to enter, bring cash for food and drinks
“Celebrating the intersection of the Lower East Side’s Chinese, Jewish, and Puerto Rican communities, the Egg Rolls, Egg Creams, and Empanadas Festival offers a taste of the many traditions from this only-in-New-York corner of the world. Sip an egg cream (which are made with, as you may know, neither eggs nor cream), munch on some golden-fried foods, and learn to play mahjong or decorate a yarmulke. You can dance to klezmer and salsa music, then watch a Beijing opera — all within the space of a city block.” (Thrillist.com)

Father’s Day Private Tour
Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Ave./ 2PM,
$75 for 2 tickets and $10 for each additional ticket with limit of 5 tickets per group
“A Father’s Day outing for sports fans and history buffs! Treat your dad, grandfather, uncle, brother, or friend to a special Father’s Day tour of two special exhibitions: In the Dugout with Jackie Robinson: An Intimate Portrait of a Baseball Legend and Cycling in the City: A 200-Year History. Let the Museum Scholar regale your special guest with stories about Jackie Robinson and the city’s 200-year relationship to the bicycle.” (ThoughtGallery)

Continuing Events

‘MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING’
at the Delacorte Theater (thru June 23).
“Sigh no more, Shakespeare fans. Shakespeare in the Park — its tickets distributed free by line and lottery — returns with this sparkling comedy of sparring lovers. In postwar Messina, Beatrice (Danielle Brooks) and Benedick (Grantham Coleman) are a couple who despise each other. Until they don’t. Kenny Leon directs. ” (NYT-Alexis Soloski)
212-967-7555, publictheater.org
===================================================

COMING SOON (WFUV)

6/17 Keb’ Mo’, Sony Hall
6/18 & 19 Seawolf, National Sawdust
6/19 Father John Misty with Jason Isbell, BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival
6/19 The Lumineers, Pioneer Works

♦ 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 65 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.

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

A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating Places – Greenwich Village

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CAFFE VIVALDI HAS CLOSED, VERY SAD.
I HAVE LEFT THIS REVIEW ON MY SITE AS A KIND OF MEMORIAL.
As reported in the “Gothamist”:
“Caffe Vivaldi, one of the last bohemian bastions of the West Village, is set to close this weekend. During its 35 years on Jones Street, the casual cafe won the hearts of locals and celebs alike, including Oscar Isaac, Bette Midler, and Al Pacino.

Despite that friendly communal atmosphere, the owners ultimately struggled to survive under their notorious vulture landlord Steve Croman, who they say waged a harassment campaign against the restaurant, and eventually tripled their rent.”
==============================================================
“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.

========================================================
“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 2019).
◊ Order before NOV. 30, 2019 and receive a bonus – 27 of my favorite casual dining places with free Wi-Fi.