NYC Events,”Only the Best” (02/09) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 02/09/2019 by GregD

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > SATURDAY/ FEBRUARY 09, 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:  “February 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.
To make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above;  “LiveMusic.”

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

Elizabeth Streb + Dr. John W. Krakauer |
The Power of Practice and Learning to Fly
Rubin Museum of Art, 150 W. 17th St./ 3PM, $28
“Defy gravity at this conversation between neuroscientist John Krakauer and “action architect” Elizabeth Streb on whether humans can do anything with enough practice—even fly.” (ThoughtGallery)

Can practice allow you to master anything? Neuroscientist John Krakauer has been tracking long-term motor skill learning and its relation to higher cognitive processes such as decision-making. He believes humans can become amazingly good at almost anything—with practice. But what about something like flying?

Action architect Elizabeth Streb has been on a mission to achieve human flight for decades through her daring work that tests the potential of the human body. An invitation to perform at the one-hundredth anniversary of the Wright Brothers first flight at Kitty Hawk attests to her ambition to accomplish the impossible. What combination of functions in body and brain does it take to defy gravity?

Here is what the New York Times says about the members of Elizabeth Streb’s company, STREB EXTREME ACTION:

“her fearless team of action heroes, as they’re called, will navigate intimidating industrial contraptions and fling themselves from unnatural heights, seemingly defying physics with the pep of cheerleaders. The hourlong show, “S.E.A.” (“Singular Extreme Actions”), encapsulates all the thrill, humor and energizing fun that makes this company so singular.”

You have to see them to believe it.
Rehearsals – Free and Open to the Public
February 12 – 15, 11:30am – 3:30pm
February 26 – March 1, 11:30am – 3:30pm
March 5 – 8, 11:30am – 3:30pm

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7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Sharon Van Etten,
>> Declan O’Rourke: Chronicles of the Great Irish Famine
>> ‘The New Drum Battle
>> Victor Wooten
>> Freddy Cole Quintet: Songs for Lovers
>> Lunar New Year 2019
>> Brooklyn Wine Fest.

Continuing Events
>> Restaurant Week
>> Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
>> Magic After Hours
===================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Sharon Van Etten,
Soothe yourself with music.
Beacon Theatre / 8PM, $55+
“Sharon Van Etten’s first LP in over four years, Remind Me Tomorrow, is as expansive as her life now — while writing it she also completed a psychology degree, had a baby, scored TV shows and film, and guest-starred on a Netflix show. Special guest Fred Armisen joins her in eschewing her former guitar-driven minimalism for a new pop style.” (grubstreet)

Declan O’Rourke: Chronicles of the Great Irish Famine  
Explore history through performance.
Irish Arts Center / $60
“Through Sunday, the Irish Arts Center presents singer-songwriter Declan O’Rourke’s song cycle Chronicles of the Great Irish Famine, which won a 2018 RTÉ Radio One Folk Award, by combining true and fictional stories of history and O’Rourke’s life.” (grubstreet)

Victor Wooten
Iridium / 8PM, +10PM, $58+
“Best known as the longtime bassist of Bela Fleck’s Flecktones, Wooten’s turned up in various capacities in the city the past several years, including alongside Chick Corea for the keyboard pioneer’s 75th birthday celebration. No telling whether he’s helming his own funky ensemble here or blowing through fiery solo improvisations, but you can certainly expect to be awed.” (TONY)

The New Drum Battle
Smoke, 2751 Broadway, (btw105/106 St.) /
“Drum battles aren’t occasions for making nice; little blood is shed, but there’s always plenty of sweat and possibly even tears left on the bandstand. Kenny Washington and Joe Farnsworth, the two combatants at this now annual event, have the hard-bop ethos of competitive respect deep in their bones. The esteemed pianist Harold Mabern, a veteran player who has presumably experienced similar gladiatorial matches in his time, is in the accompanying ensemble.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

Freddy Cole Quintet: Songs for Lovers (Feb.7-10)
Dizzy’s Club, Jazz at Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $25-$45
“Freddy has an impeccable sense of swing… the most maturely expressive male jazz singer of his generation, if not the best alive.” – The New York Times

“Whatever the accompaniment, Cole extracts the maximum from each tune asserting his stature as our greatest living jazz singer.” – DownBeat

Referred to as a “national treasure” by the Huffington Post, jazz pianist and singer Freddy Cole is a prolific artist of undisputed pedigree. Building his career at the same time as his brother, the iconic Nat “King” Cole, it was never going to be easy for Cole to establish his own musical identity. However, with 20 albums released in just the last 25 years, three of which were nominated for Grammy Awards, Cole has carved out a reputation as an individual and prolific force in the jazz world. Amongst the greatest contemporary crooners, Cole’s sensitivity and effortlessly powerful delivery make him an enduring favorite in our most intimate venue and a perfect artist to enjoy this Valentine’s Day week.

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Smart Stuff / Other NYC EventS

Lunar New Year 2019
Brookfield Place, Winter Garden/ 2PM,FREE
“Happy Year of the Pig! At Brookfield Place on Saturday, in partnership with the New York Chinese Cultural Center, they’re celebrating with traditional dances, a martial arts demonstration, and theatrical players.” (grubstreet)

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
Brooklyn Wine Fest.
Turn your heartbroken tears into wine
Brooklyn Expo Center / $70, food available at additional cost
“Whether you’re a Chardonnay chick or live and breathe for Pinot Noir, you’ll have reason to keep your cup full at Brooklyn Wine Fest. Love yourself and drink up. The Brooklyn Expo Center extravaganza grants you access to a global selection of vino, as well as live music and games. Your ticket gets you a 5-ounce souvenir cup and unlimited wine samples and sips.” (Thrillist)

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Continuing Events

Restaurant Week (January 21 to February 10)
“Some of New York’s best known “deal holidays,” including NYC Restaurant Week and NYC Broadway Week, are joining forces this winter to create, wait for it… NYC Winter Outing.

From January 21 to February 10, NYC Broadway Week, NYC Restaurant Week and NYC Must-See Week will all be running simultaneously offering full nights out for drastically reduced rates. During this time, a selection of Broadway shows, museums, attractions and tours will be available at two-for-one prices and almost 400 restaurants across the city will be offering prix-fixe menus. As in previous years, that means $26 prix-fix lunches and $42, three-course dinners.

For more information on Restaurant Week, including our recommendations for the best deals to take advantage of this season, check out our NYC Restaurant Week page.” (TONY)

Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
Midtown Manhattan’s winter wonderland.
Bryant Park (btw 5th/6th Ave. @42nd St.) / shops to 8PM, rink to 10PM
Enjoy The Lodge by Urbanspace, and The Rink, the centerpiece of Winter Village and New York City’s only free admission ice skating rink.
The Rink
This 17,000 square foot rink features free admission ice skating, high quality rental skates, and free skating shows, special events, and activities.
​October 27, 2018 – March 3, 2019
Daily, 8am-10pm (Rink hours are weather permitting and Rink may be closed for events – check here)

Magic After Hours
Tannen’s Magic, Midtown West (Until Dec 31 2019)

“Twice a week, after closing time, 20 people crowd into the city’s oldest magic shop, Tannen’s, for a cozy evening of prestidigitation by the young and engaging Noah Levine. The shelves are crammed with quirky devices; there’s a file cabinet behind the counter, a mock elephant in the corner and bins of individual trick instructions in plastic covers, like comic books or sheet music. The charm of Levine’s show is in how well it fits the environment of this magic-geek chamber of secrets. As he maneuvers cards, eggs, cups and balls with aplomb, he talks shop, larding his patter with tributes to routines like the Stencel Aces and the Vernon Boat Trick—heirlooms of his trade that he gently polishes and displays for our amazement.” (TONY)

==========================================================================
♦ 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.

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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.

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

Laurie Beechman Theatre – 407 W 42nd St.

Marie’s Crisis – 59 Grove 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.

For a comprehensive list of the best places to hear All Types of Live Music in Manhattan see the tab above “LiveMusic.”

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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)

Whitney Museum of American Art

‘ANDY WARHOL — FROM A TO B AND BACK AGAIN’  (through March 31) “Although this is the artist’s first full American retrospective in 31 years, he’s been so much with us — in museums, galleries, auctions — as to make him, like wallpaper, like the atmosphere, only half-noticed. The Whitney show restores him to a full, commanding view, but does so in a carefully shaped and edited way, with an emphasis on very early and late work. Despite the show’s monumentalizing size, supplemented by an off-site display of the enormous multipanel painting called “Shadows,” it’s a human-scale Warhol we see. Largely absent is the artist-entrepreneur who is taken as a prophet of our market-addled present. What we have instead is Warhol for whom art, whatever else it was, was an expression of personal hopes and fears.”  (Cotter)

Museum of Modern Art

‘BRUCE NAUMAN: DISAPPEARING ACTS’  (through Feb. 18)
“If art isn’t basically about life and death, and the emotions and ethics they inspire, what is it about? Style? Taste? Auction results? The most interesting artists go right for the big, uncool existential stuff, which is what Bruce Nauman does in a transfixing half-century retrospective that fills the entire sixth floor of the MoMA and much of MoMA PS1 in Long Island City, Queens. The MoMA installation is tightly paced and high decibel; the one at PS1, which includes a trove of works on paper, is comparatively mellow and mournful. Each location offers a rough chronological overview of his career, but catching both parts of the show is imperative. Nauman has changed the way we define what art is and what is art, and made work prescient of the morally wrenching American moment we’re in. He deserves to be seen in full.” (Cotter)

‘CONSTANTIN BRANCUSI SCULPTURE: THE FILMS’ (through Feb. 18).
“This show is built around works by the Romanian modernist (1876-1957) that have been longtime highlights of the museum’s own collection. But in 2018, can Brancusi still release our inner poet? The answer may lie in paying less attention to the sculptures themselves and more to Brancusi’s little-known and quite amazing films, projected at the entrance to the gallery throughout the duration of the exhibition. MoMA borrowed the series of video clips from the Pompidou Center in Paris. They give the feeling that Brancusi was less interested in making fancy museum objects than in putting new kinds of almost-living things into the world, and convey the vital energy his sculptures were meant to capture.”(Blake Gopnik)

Museum of Art and Design

‘STERLING RUBY: CERAMICS’  (through March 17).
“Adept at most art mediums, this artist is at his best in ceramics, especially in the outsize, awkwardly hand-built, resplendently glazed baskets, ashtrays and plates and the objects that verge on sculpture in this show. These works actively incorporate accident and aspects of the ready-made, have precedents in the large-scale ceramics of Peter Voulkos and Viola Frey, but may be closest in spirit to the Neo-Expressionism of Julian Schnabel — rehabilitated, of course.” (Smith – NYT)

American Folk Art Museum

‘PAA JOE: GATES OF NO RETURN’  (through Feb. 24).

“Joseph Tetteh Ashong, better known as Paa Joe, is Ghana’s pre-eminent funerary carpenter, turning out thousands of brightly colored lions, soda bottles and automobiles for people to be buried in. Most of his exuberant pieces enjoy the light of day for only a few hours before they disappear into the ground. But in 2004, Paa Joe was commissioned by the art dealer and gallerist Claude Simard to make casket-size hardwood models of 13 former Gold Coast slave forts, and seven of them are now at AFAM. Thanks to Paa Joe’s gift for transmuting even the most complex and brutal material into a cheerful expression of his own artistic temperament, the works’ undeniable conceptual weight doesn’t hamper the overwhelming visual pleasure.” (Will Heinrich-NYT)

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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Posts in right Sidebar dated 02/07 and 02/05.
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NYC Events,”Only the Best” (02/08) + Today’s Featured Pub (Midtown West)

Posted on 02/08/2019 by GregD

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > FRIDAY/ FEBRUARY 08, 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:  “February 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.
To make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above;  “LiveMusic.”

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

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

The New York Pops: Unforgettable—Celebrating Nat King Cole and Friends
Carnegie Hall, Perelman Stage / 8PM, $20+
The Pops snap and crackle through a concert that celebrates the centennary of the smooth-singing Nat King Cole, joined by Broadway ingenue Nikki Renée Daniels (The Book of Mormon) and Grammy-nominated soul singer Ryan Shaw. Among the Cole-powered hits to be performed are “When I Fall In Love,” “Embraceable You,” “Smile,” and “Unforgettable”. (TONY)

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7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Victor Wooten
>>Charles Busch: Native New Yorker
>> ‘The New Drum Battle
>>One-Time-Only Program – George Balanchine works:
>>Carmen
>> Freddy Cole Quintet: Songs for Lovers
>> The Changing Face of Opera: From Mozart to Wagner

Continuing Events
>> Restaurant Week
>> Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
>> Magic After Hours
===================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Victor Wooten (Feb.8-9)
Iridium / 8PM, +10PM, $58+
“Best known as the longtime bassist of Bela Fleck’s Flecktones, Wooten’s turned up in various capacities in the city the past several years, including alongside Chick Corea for the keyboard pioneer’s 75th birthday celebration. No telling whether he’s helming his own funky ensemble here or blowing through fiery solo improvisations, but you can certainly expect to be awed.” (TONY)

Charles Busch: Native New Yorker
54 Below / 7PM, $35+
“Ever since 1984’s Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, Charles Busch has been working toward the title of First Lady of the American Stage, delivering hilariously nuanced portraits of defiant yet vulnerable women, in the style of the great film stars of the 1940s. In his return to Feinstein’s/54 Below, he sets drag aside to continue his side career as a cabaret chanteur. This latest collection is devoted to pop and Broadway music from his formative professional years, including songs by the Jim Croce, Rupert Holmes, Michel Legrand and Stephen Sondheim.” (TONY)

The New Drum Battle (Feb. 8-9.)
Smoke, 2751 Broadway, (btw105/106 St.) /
“Drum battles aren’t occasions for making nice; little blood is shed, but there’s always plenty of sweat and possibly even tears left on the bandstand. Kenny Washington and Joe Farnsworth, the two combatants at this now annual event, have the hard-bop ethos of competitive respect deep in their bones. The esteemed pianist Harold Mabern, a veteran player who has presumably experienced similar gladiatorial matches in his time, is in the accompanying ensemble.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

NEW YORK CITY BALLET (thru March 3)
One-Time-Only Program – George Balanchine works:
Agon / Orpheus / N.Y. Export: Opus Jazz
at the NYS Theater, Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, $35+
“This special one-time-only program brings together three of the winter repertory’s heavy-hitters: the quintessential contemporary ballet Agon and the highly-stylized narrative Orpheus, two of Stravinsky and Balanchine’s “Greek” collaborations, along with Jerome Robbins’ epic sneaker ballet N.Y. Export: Opus Jazz, a breathless reflection on the fleeing joys of youth.”

Carmen
Metropolitan Opera House / 7:30PM, $20+ (LAST CHANCE)
“Mezzo-soprano Clémentine Margaine reprises her remarkable portrayal of opera’s ultimate seductress, a triumph in her 2017 debut performances, with impassioned tenors Yonghoon Lee and Roberto Alagna as her lover, Don José. Omer Meir Wellber and Louis Langrée share conducting duties for Sir Richard Eyre’s powerful production, a Met favorite since its 2009 premiere.”

Freddy Cole Quintet: Songs for Lovers (Feb.7-10)
Dizzy’s Club, Jazz at Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $25-$45
“Freddy has an impeccable sense of swing… the most maturely expressive male jazz singer of his generation, if not the best alive.” – The New York Times

“Whatever the accompaniment, Cole extracts the maximum from each tune asserting his stature as our greatest living jazz singer.” – DownBeat

Referred to as a “national treasure” by the Huffington Post, jazz pianist and singer Freddy Cole is a prolific artist of undisputed pedigree. Building his career at the same time as his brother, the iconic Nat “King” Cole, it was never going to be easy for Cole to establish his own musical identity. However, with 20 albums released in just the last 25 years, three of which were nominated for Grammy Awards, Cole has carved out a reputation as an individual and prolific force in the jazz world. Amongst the greatest contemporary crooners, Cole’s sensitivity and effortlessly powerful delivery make him an enduring favorite in our most intimate venue and a perfect artist to enjoy this Valentine’s Day week.

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

Smart Stuff / Other NYC EventS

The Changing Face of Opera: From Mozart to Wagner
92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave./ 12PM, $29”
“Music scholar and author Dr. Jeffrey Langford brings his extensive research and unique perspective on the stylistic development of opera.

He traces some of the most important changes in the world of serious (as opposed to comic) opera over the hundred years from approximately 1775 (when Mozart started writing serious opera) to about 1875 (when Wagner’s Ring Cycle was completed). Examine not only changes of musical style and changes in singing, but also the underlying development of operatic philosophy that led to a continuous re-evaluation of what it meant to combine drama with music.”

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Continuing Events

Restaurant Week (January 21 to February 10)
“Some of New York’s best known “deal holidays,” including NYC Restaurant Week and NYC Broadway Week, are joining forces this winter to create, wait for it… NYC Winter Outing.

From January 21 to February 10, NYC Broadway Week, NYC Restaurant Week and NYC Must-See Week will all be running simultaneously offering full nights out for drastically reduced rates. During this time, a selection of Broadway shows, museums, attractions and tours will be available at two-for-one prices and almost 400 restaurants across the city will be offering prix-fixe menus. As in previous years, that means $26 prix-fix lunches and $42, three-course dinners.

For more information on Restaurant Week, including our recommendations for the best deals to take advantage of this season, check out our NYC Restaurant Week page.” (TONY)

Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
Midtown Manhattan’s winter wonderland.
Bryant Park (btw 5th/6th Ave. @42nd St.) / shops to 8PM, rink to 10PM
Enjoy The Lodge by Urbanspace, and The Rink, the centerpiece of Winter Village and New York City’s only free admission ice skating rink.
The Rink
This 17,000 square foot rink features free admission ice skating, high quality rental skates, and free skating shows, special events, and activities.
​October 27, 2018 – March 3, 2019
Daily, 8am-10pm (Rink hours are weather permitting and Rink may be closed for events – check here)

Magic After Hours
Tannen’s Magic, Midtown West (Until Dec 31 2019)

“Twice a week, after closing time, 20 people crowd into the city’s oldest magic shop, Tannen’s, for a cozy evening of prestidigitation by the young and engaging Noah Levine. The shelves are crammed with quirky devices; there’s a file cabinet behind the counter, a mock elephant in the corner and bins of individual trick instructions in plastic covers, like comic books or sheet music. The charm of Levine’s show is in how well it fits the environment of this magic-geek chamber of secrets. As he maneuvers cards, eggs, cups and balls with aplomb, he talks shop, larding his patter with tributes to routines like the Stencel Aces and the Vernon Boat Trick—heirlooms of his trade that he gently polishes and displays for our amazement.” (TONY)

=============================================================================
♦ 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.

===========================================================
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:
(4 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)
The Stone at The New School – 55 w13 St. (btw 6/5 ave) – thestonenyc.com (8:30PM)

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)
Jazz Standard – 116 E27 St. (btw Park/Lex) – jazzstandard.com – (1st set 7:30)

For a comprehensive list of the best places to hear All Types of Live Music in Manhattan see the tab above “LiveMusic.”

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 surprised with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It was my favorite spot for an evening of listening enjoyment and discovery.
Alas, Caffe V is no more, another victim of a rapacious NYC landlord. Owner Ishrat fought the good fight and Caffe V will be sorely missed.
Cornelia Street Cafe – UG, 29 Cornelia St. corneliastreetcafe.com, 212-989-9319
And more recently we have lost Cornelia Street Cafe. After 41 years, it too became another victim of an unreasonable rent increase.

 

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NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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A PremierPub / Midtown West

Russian Vodka Room / 265 W 52nd St (btw 7th/8th ave)

Sure, you could travel to Minsk or even Brighton Beach, for an authentic Russian experience, but why bother. On those days when you feel you must wash down your dish of kasha with a few glasses of icy, cold vodka, the Russian Vodka Room will definitely satisfy your urge.

From the outside this place looks a bit drab, and with no windows, a bit mysterious. Midtown tourists walk right by on their way to see “Jersey Boys,” just down the block.
(Alas, no more. After 10 years, “Jersey Boys” finally closed, now it’s “Mean Girls.”)

lThose in the know enter a secret hideaway, a dimly lit front room with soft jazz playing – a perfect spot for an illicit late-night rendezvous, or maybe a meet-up with your Russian spy handler, but that’s later in the evening. Early in the evening the large U-shaped bar fills with the after work happy hour crowd, a group made very happy by the much reduced prices.

Their website says: “Welcome Comrades”. Of course, this welcome focuses on dozens of different vodkas, including their own special infusions, which marinate in giant, clear glass jugs visible around the room. The large vodka martinis ensure that you won’t confuse this place with your mother’s Russian Tea Room.

But man does not live by vodka alone. Eat some food, especially the tapa like appetizers. Be decadent and try the cheese blintzes with chocolate, or try a main dish like beef stroganoff with kasha.

Your best bet is to go on a night when the piano man is playing. This guy, who looks like he has eaten a lot of those cheese blintzes, plays five nights a week from 7 to 12 (no Mondays and Thursdays). When the piano man is playing American pop tunes, and you are at the crowded, dimly lit bar testing the horseradish infused vodka, that’s when the RVR shines.

It’s the kind of place where the noise gets louder and the crowd gets happier as the happy hour goes on. I’m generally a beer guy, but I like to come here with a group of friends. We find a table in the back room near the piano man; we eat, and we drink vodka ‘till it hurts (and it will hurt).
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Website: http://www.russianvodkaroom.com/
Phone #: 212-307-5835
Hours: 4pm-2am; Fri-Sun closes 4am (that could be trouble)
Happy Hour: 4-7pm every day
$4 shots infused vodka (2oz), $5 cosmos; $4 czech draft beer
Music: FR-SU; TU-WE / 7pm-12am
Subway: #1 to 50th St.
Walk 2 blk N. on B’way to 52nd St.; 1 blk W. to RVR
Confusingly, the Russian Samovar is right across the street, on the S. side of 52nd St.
The RVR, your destination, is on the N. side of 52nd St.
Update: music now includes a younger, trimmer piano man. “Tiny” we miss you.
Update#2: Rumor that “Tiny” is back playing only on Friday nights – need to check it out.

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

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (02/07) + GallerySpecialExhibits: Chelsea

Posted on 02/07/2019 by GregD

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > THURSDAY/ FEBRUARY 07, 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:  “February 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.
To make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above;  “LiveMusic.”

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

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

TIBET HOUSE US BENEFIT CONCERT
at Carnegie Hall / 7:30 p.m. $35+
“For the 32nd year in a row, Tibet House US, an organization devoted to preserving Tibetan culture and protecting its refugees, will host an all-star musical benefit. This year’s edition, curated by Philip Glass, a longtime participant, includes Laurie Anderson, Jon Batiste, Debbie Harry, Jason Isbell, Angelique Kidjo, Nathaniel Rateliff, New Order’s Bernard Sumner and the Tibetan artist Tenzin Choegyal. Stephen Colbert will be on hand for comic relief. And surprise one-off collaborations are likely; last year, Patti Smith and Angel Olsen covered the Velvet Underground’s “I Found a Reason.” (NYT-NATALIE WEINER)

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7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Freddy Cole Quintet: Songs for Lovers
>> ROBBINS: A MASTER AT WORK
>> ‘Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah
>> Liberalism & Democracy: Past, Present, Prospects
>> The Dumb Things Smart People Do With Their Money by CBS News Analyst Jill Schlessinger
>> The Flying Tigers: The Untold Story of the American Pilots Who Waged a Secret War Against Japan
>> How Inequality and Climate Change Impede Sustainable Growth

Continuing Events
>> Restaurant Week
>> Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
>> Magic After Hours
===================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Freddy Cole Quintet: Songs for Lovers (Feb.7-10)
Dizzy’s Club, Jazz at Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $25-$45
“Freddy has an impeccable sense of swing… the most maturely expressive male jazz singer of his generation, if not the best alive.” – The New York Times

“Whatever the accompaniment, Cole extracts the maximum from each tune asserting his stature as our greatest living jazz singer.” – DownBeat

Referred to as a “national treasure” by the Huffington Post, jazz pianist and singer Freddy Cole is a prolific artist of undisputed pedigree. Building his career at the same time as his brother, the iconic Nat “King” Cole, it was never going to be easy for Cole to establish his own musical identity. However, with 20 albums released in just the last 25 years, three of which were nominated for Grammy Awards, Cole has carved out a reputation as an individual and prolific force in the jazz world. Amongst the greatest contemporary crooners, Cole’s sensitivity and effortlessly powerful delivery make him an enduring favorite in our most intimate venue and a perfect artist to enjoy this Valentine’s Day week.”

Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah (Feb. 5-8)
Blue Note, 131 W. 3rd St./8PM,+10:30PM, $20-35
The trumpeter Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah was born in 1983, a fact worth noting when it comes to appreciating why the sonic permutations of hip-hop—the genre he grew up with—are second nature to him. His most recent album, “The Emancipation Procrastination,” from 2017, suggests that, for this open-eared jazz figure, groove and texture are on equal footing with animated improvisation.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

NEW YORK CITY BALLET (thru March 3)
ROBBINS: A MASTER AT WORK (next Feb.09, 8PM)
at the NYS Theater, Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, $35+
“The company shows off its many personalities with four distinct programs. Friday night and Saturday afternoon highlight the relationship between Balanchine and Stravinsky in works like “Apollo” and “Agon,” while Sunday’s matinee gives an encore to new or revived works by Justin Peck, Kyle Abraham and William Forsythe. On Saturday and Wednesday night, the Classic NYCB program presents works by Balanchine, Christopher Wheeldon and Mauro Bigonzetti and also includes Peck’s popular 2017 sneaker ballet “The Times Are Racing.” On Tuesday and Thursday, the company focuses on one of its guiding spirits, Jerome Robbins, with a program featuring “Interplay,” “In the Night” and “N.Y. Export: Opus Jazz.” (NYT-Brian Schaefer)

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

Smart Stuff / Other NYC EventS

Liberalism & Democracy: Past, Present, Prospects
The New School, 66 W. 12th St./ 4PM, FREE
“In the U.S. and around the world it’s a perilous time for the continuation of liberal democratic values. The New School hosts a conference of experts, representing left, right, and center, as they give presentations and discuss the tensions between liberalism and democracy.” (ThoughtGallery)

The Dumb Things Smart People Do With Their Money by CBS News Analyst Jill Schlessinger
Shakespeare & Co. (Upper West Side)
2020 Broadway (btw. 69th & 70th Sts.) / 6:30PM, FREE
“Would you like to learn how to better manage your money? Please join us for a book talk with CBS News analyst Jill Schlesinger as we celebrate the publication of her first book The Dumb Things Smart People Do With Their Money: Thirteen Ways to Right Your Financial Wrongs.

By breaking bad habits and following Schlesinger’s pragmatic and accessible rules for managing your finances, you can save tens, even hundreds of thousands of dollars. Practical, no-nonsense, and often counterintuitive, The Dumb Things Smart People Do with Their Money tells you what you really need to hear about retirement, college financing, insurance, real estate, and more. It might just be the smartest investment you make all year.”

The Flying Tigers: The Untold Story of the American Pilots Who Waged a Secret War Against Japan
92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave./ 12pm, $29
“At a time of growing instability in the relationship between the United States and China, author Sam Kleiner, in conversation with William Harris, Deputy Director of the Franklin Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, describes the “forgotten alliance” these super-powers forged during the Second World War.

Using never-before-seen documents, Kleiner tells the thrilling story behind the American pilots who were secretly recruited to defend China before Pearl Harbor and flew their distinctive shark-faced P-40s in the opening days of the war against the Japanese in the Pacific. A dramatic story of a covert operation whose very existence would have scandalized an isolationist United States, The Flying Tigers shed lights on a group of Americans whose heroism changed the world, and who cemented an alliance between the United States and China as both nations fought against seemingly insurmountable odds.”

How Inequality and Climate Change Impede Sustainable Growth
The New School, 66 W. 12th St./ 5PM, FREE
“The “yellow vests” protest in France against fuel tax increases intended to combat climate change shows that people care about the unequal impacts—actual and perceived—of policies. Globalization and economic policies such as deregulation, free capital flows, and austerity, are perceived to have increased inequality. Policies to mitigate change and its consequences, such as disasters and damages, also pose a challenge to equity and fairness for national economies. How can we design policies to foster globalization and tackle climate change in a way that is inclusive and sustainable? How can we overcome cognitive barriers to adoption of policies for the common good?

Join us for a panel discussion with policy analysts, academics, and experts on the relationship between growing inequality and climate change and the path to a sustainable solution.”

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

Continuing Events

Restaurant Week (January 21 to February 10)
“Some of New York’s best known “deal holidays,” including NYC Restaurant Week and NYC Broadway Week, are joining forces this winter to create, wait for it… NYC Winter Outing.

From January 21 to February 10, NYC Broadway Week, NYC Restaurant Week and NYC Must-See Week will all be running simultaneously offering full nights out for drastically reduced rates. During this time, a selection of Broadway shows, museums, attractions and tours will be available at two-for-one prices and almost 400 restaurants across the city will be offering prix-fixe menus. As in previous years, that means $26 prix-fix lunches and $42, three-course dinners.

For more information on Restaurant Week, including our recommendations for the best deals to take advantage of this season, check out our NYC Restaurant Week page.” (TONY)

Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
Midtown Manhattan’s winter wonderland.
Bryant Park (btw 5th/6th Ave. @42nd St.) / shops to 8PM, rink to 10PM
Enjoy The Lodge by Urbanspace, and The Rink, the centerpiece of Winter Village and New York City’s only free admission ice skating rink.
The Rink
This 17,000 square foot rink features free admission ice skating, high quality rental skates, and free skating shows, special events, and activities.
​October 27, 2018 – March 3, 2019
Daily, 8am-10pm (Rink hours are weather permitting and Rink may be closed for events – check here)

Magic After Hours
Tannen’s Magic, Midtown West (Until Dec 31 2019)

“Twice a week, after closing time, 20 people crowd into the city’s oldest magic shop, Tannen’s, for a cozy evening of prestidigitation by the young and engaging Noah Levine. The shelves are crammed with quirky devices; there’s a file cabinet behind the counter, a mock elephant in the corner and bins of individual trick instructions in plastic covers, like comic books or sheet music. The charm of Levine’s show is in how well it fits the environment of this magic-geek chamber of secrets. As he maneuvers cards, eggs, cups and balls with aplomb, he talks shop, larding his patter with tributes to routines like the Stencel Aces and the Vernon Boat Trick—heirlooms of his trade that he gently polishes and displays for our amazement.” (TONY)

============================================================================
♦ 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.

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

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
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St., lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474
and one more, not quite WestSide
Bowery Ballroom – 6 Delancey St. boweryballroom.com

For a comprehensive list of the best places to hear All Types of Live Music in Manhattan see the tab above “LiveMusic.”

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.

Alas, Caffe V is no more, another victim of a rapacious NYC landlord. Owner Ishrat fought the good fight and Caffe V will be sorely missed.
===========================================================

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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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 one exhibition the New Yorker likes:

“God Made My Face”  (Through Feb. 16)

“This beautifully calibrated group exhibition, organized by Hilton Als, a staff writer at this magazine, is subtitled “A Collective Portrait of James Baldwin.” The thesis of the stirring visual essay is that Baldwin has become a stock character—a civil-rights prophet—and that this, however powerful, is a diminishment of the man. Als fleshes out his portrait with a daringly eclectic assortment of art works and documents, which shift in tone from rapturous (paintings by Beauford Delaney and Alice Neel) to harrowing (a fever-dream animation about the antebellum South by Kara Walker). Portraits of the writer by his lifelong friend Richard Avedon hang on the walls, along with a stark one of Michael Jackson dwarfed by his shadow, shot by Anthony Barboza—a prescient portrait of a black man subsumed by his legacy. Photographs of buildings in Belle Époque Paris, by Eugene Atget, establish Baldwin the boulevardier; photographs of the piers in Manhattan, taken by Alvin Baltrop during the pre-AIDS heyday of gay liberation, convey carnal desire. Each choice by Als eloquently amplifies the polyphony of Baldwin’s voice.” (

Zwirner, 533 W. 19th St.

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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 this 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 02/05 and 02/03.

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

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (02/06) + Today’s Featured Pub (Times Square / Theater District)

Posted on 02/06/2019 by GregD

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > WEDNESDAY/ FEBRUARY 06, 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:  “February 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.
To make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above;  “LiveMusic.”

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

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

YOLA
at Rockwood Music Hall, Stage 2 / 7 p.m.; $15
“We give five yeehaws for Yola—a Bristol, England-born country-meets-R&B queen. Her debut album Walk Through Fire (produced by Dan Auerbach) is ridden with heartfelt, soulful vocals and backed by southern charm and soft-rock tempos. After listening to dreamy tracks like “Ride Out in the Country,” you’d think this is the perfect soundtrack for taking a scenic drive in a rural nabe, but this is not simply an easy-breezy country album. Yola has suffered (but prevailed!) after being homeless and surviving a wretched house fire, for which her record receives its name. From the ashes, a country star is born and, damn, she is thriving.” (TONY)

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

7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Inside Chamber Music
>> ‘Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah
>> ESTELLE
>> PAM TANOWITZ
>> CLASSIC NYCB
>> AMNH Presents | SciCafe: Science of Love
>>Culinary Maestro Manhattan: Danny Meyer

Continuing Events
>> Restaurant Week
>> Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
>> Magic After Hours
===================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Inside Chamber Music
Daniel & Joanna S. Rose Studio, Lincoln Center/ 6:30PM, $25
“Join distinguished composer and radio personality Bruce Adolphe for investigations and insights into masterworks performed during the Alice Tully Hall season. Inside Chamber Music lectures are beloved by regulars and a revelation to first-timers for their depth, accessibility, and brilliance. Each lecture is supported by excerpts from the featured piece, performed live by CMS artists. Click here for more info (Opens in a new window)
Borodin Quartet No. 2 in D major for Strings (1881)”

Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah (Feb. 5-8)
Blue Note, 131 W. 3rd St./8PM,+10:30PM, $20-35
The trumpeter Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah was born in 1983, a fact worth noting when it comes to appreciating why the sonic permutations of hip-hop—the genre he grew up with—are second nature to him. His most recent album, “The Emancipation Procrastination,” from 2017, suggests that, for this open-eared jazz figure, groove and texture are on equal footing with animated improvisation.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
ESTELLE
at Baby’s All Right / 8 p.m.; $25
“This British singer’s 2008 major-label debut is best known for its smash hit “American Boy,” which features Kanye West as her raffish suitor. The release had another minor hit, though: “Come Over,” a pop-reggae song featuring Sean Paul. Estelle, whose father is from Grenada, revisited reggae and dancehall on her most recent record, 2018’s “Lover’s Rock” — a tribute to the buoyant, romantic British reggae subgenre that goes by the same name. The album, released on the legendary reggae label VP Records, features heavy hitters including Chronixx, Tarrus Riley and Konshens.” (NYT-NATALIE WEINER)

PAM TANOWITZ
at the Martha Graham Studios / 7 p.m.$25
“Through her own company, Tanowitz has garnered acclaim for stripping away the artifice of classical choreography and rearranging it in inventive ways to conjure a fresh physical language that feels both old and new. For a commission from the Martha Graham Dance Company, set to debut in New York in April, Tanowitz is mixing in some of Graham’s famous and fierce technique while transforming it as well. For this intimate showing, part of the company’s New@Graham series, Tanowitz shares excerpts from the work in progress and discusses its creation with the artistic director at Graham, Janet Eilber.” (NYT-Brian Schaefer)

NEW YORK CITY BALLET (thru March 3)
CLASSIC NYCB
at the NYS Theater, Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, $35+
“The company shows off its many personalities with four distinct programs. Friday night and Saturday afternoon highlight the relationship between Balanchine and Stravinsky in works like “Apollo” and “Agon,” while Sunday’s matinee gives an encore to new or revived works by Justin Peck, Kyle Abraham and William Forsythe. On Saturday and Wednesday night, the Classic NYCB program presents works by Balanchine, Christopher Wheeldon and Mauro Bigonzetti and also includes Peck’s popular 2017 sneaker ballet “The Times Are Racing.” On Tuesday and Thursday, the company focuses on one of its guiding spirits, Jerome Robbins, with a program featuring “Interplay,” “In the Night” and “N.Y. Export: Opus Jazz.” (NYT-Brian Schaefer)

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

Smart Stuff / Other NYC EventS

AMNH Presents | SciCafe: Science of Love
American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th St./ 6:30PM, FREE, with RSVP
“What is love? Turns out, it’s all in your head. Join neuroscientist Bianca Jones Marlin as she discusses her research on the strong emotional bonds that can exist between humans, like those between parents and children. Marlin’s work investigates the use of neurochemicals like oxytocin (the “love drug”) as a potential treatment to strengthen fragile and broken relationships.”

Culinary Maestro Manhattan: Danny Meyer
Temple Emanu-El, 1 E. 65th St./ 7PM, $36
general admission includes a copy of Meyer’s bestselling book and a post-event treat!
Budd Mishkin moderates a night with legendary restaurateur Danny Meyer (Union Square Cafe, Shake Shack), whose restaurants and chefs have earned an unprecedented 28 James Beard Awards. Meyer will talk about his childhood culinary experiences, his war on tipping, and his book Setting the Table, a copy of which is included with the price of admission. (ThoughtGallery.org)

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

Continuing Events

Restaurant Week (January 21 to February 10)
“Some of New York’s best known “deal holidays,” including NYC Restaurant Week and NYC Broadway Week, are joining forces this winter to create, wait for it… NYC Winter Outing.

From January 21 to February 10, NYC Broadway Week, NYC Restaurant Week and NYC Must-See Week will all be running simultaneously offering full nights out for drastically reduced rates. During this time, a selection of Broadway shows, museums, attractions and tours will be available at two-for-one prices and almost 400 restaurants across the city will be offering prix-fixe menus. As in previous years, that means $26 prix-fix lunches and $42, three-course dinners.

For more information on Restaurant Week, including our recommendations for the best deals to take advantage of this season, check out our NYC Restaurant Week page.” (TONY)

Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
Midtown Manhattan’s winter wonderland.
Bryant Park (btw 5th/6th Ave. @42nd St.) / shops to 8PM, rink to 10PM
Enjoy The Lodge by Urbanspace, and The Rink, the centerpiece of Winter Village and New York City’s only free admission ice skating rink.
The Rink
This 17,000 square foot rink features free admission ice skating, high quality rental skates, and free skating shows, special events, and activities.
​October 27, 2018 – March 3, 2019
Daily, 8am-10pm (Rink hours are weather permitting and Rink may be closed for events – check here)

Magic After Hours
Tannen’s Magic, Midtown West (Until Dec 31 2019)

“Twice a week, after closing time, 20 people crowd into the city’s oldest magic shop, Tannen’s, for a cozy evening of prestidigitation by the young and engaging Noah Levine. The shelves are crammed with quirky devices; there’s a file cabinet behind the counter, a mock elephant in the corner and bins of individual trick instructions in plastic covers, like comic books or sheet music. The charm of Levine’s show is in how well it fits the environment of this magic-geek chamber of secrets. As he maneuvers cards, eggs, cups and balls with aplomb, he talks shop, larding his patter with tributes to routines like the Stencel Aces and the Vernon Boat Trick—heirlooms of his trade that he gently polishes and displays for our amazement.” (TONY)

==========================================================================
♦ 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.

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

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

Laurie Beechman Theatre – 407 W 42nd St.

Marie’s Crisis – 59 Grove 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.

For a comprehensive list of the best places to hear All Types of Live Music in Manhattan see the tab above “LiveMusic.”

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NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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

A PremierPub

Jimmy’s Corner / 140 W 44th St (btw B’way & 7th ave)

IMG_2083Jimmy’s Corner is right in the heart of Times Square, but you won’t find it on the corner, it’s mid-block. Enter this long narrow bar and you are struck by the walls covered with mostly black-and-white boxing photographs, and memorabilia. Soon enough you learn that “Corner” refers to proprietor Jimmy Glenn’s long career as a corner man for some of boxing greats – Liston, Tyson, even “the greatest,” Ali.

Jimmy’s is a sort of time machine, taking you back to a time and place that no longer exists. All around you Times Square has cleaned up, grown up, assumed a new identity. Jimmy’s probably hasn’t changed a bit since it first opened in 1971. Certainly the bar itself looks original and the prices haven’t changed much either. When I brought a friend, who owns her own bar, she was surprised when she got the small tab for a round of drinks. Figured there must be a mistake, that maybe they forgot to charge for all the drinks.

Times Square today is filled with neon glitz and wandering tourists from Dubuque, but not Jimmy’s. You’ll likely find some old timer’s at the bar nursing their drinks, some younger locals at tables in the back, and maybe a few adventuresome tourists clutching their trusty guidebooks. There’s no food served here because this is just a bar, and sometimes that’s all you need.

On nights when no local team is playing, it’s a fine place to sip some drafts and listen to a great old time jukebox, with a great selection of  40s& 50s R&B and soul. On sports nights this very narrow bar can get a bit claustrophobic, filled with excited fans watching their team on the TVs. Either way, Jimmy’s is the place to be if you are looking for an old time bar in the new Times Square.
————————————————————————————————————————
Website: are you kidding !
(although there is a facebook page with lots of photos –
facebook.com/jimmyscornernyc)
Phone #: 212-221-9510
Hours: 11am – 4 am, except Sunday they open 12 noon
Happy Hour: not necessary, low prices all day, every day
Subway: #1,2,3 to TimesSquare 42nd st
walk 2 blks N on 7th ave to 44th st; ½ blk E to Jimmy’s

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

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (02/05) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 02/05/2019 by GregD

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > TUESDAY/ FEBRUARY 05, 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:  “February 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.
To make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above;  “LiveMusic.”

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

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

JOHN HAMMOND
The Iridium., 1650 Broadway / 8PM, $25+
“2014 Blues Music Award Nominee –Acoustic Artist of the Year and Acoustic Album of the Year for Timeless. To date John Hammond has been honored with a total of 8 Blues Music Awards and an additional 10 nominations.

BLUES HALL OF FAME Inductee 2012. He remains one of the world’s premier acoustic blues artists.”

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

6 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> TRIBALISTAS
>> ‘An Evening With Dawes: Passwords Tour
>> PAM TANOWITZ
>>MARÍA GRAND QUARTET AND JOEL ROSS GOOD VIBES
>> Robbins: A Master at Work
>> Carmen
>> NYC vs. the Axis

Continuing Events
>> Restaurant Week
>> Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
>> Magic After Hours
===================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

TRIBALISTAS
at the Hammerstein Ballroom / 8 p.m.; $45+
“The singers Arnaldo Antunes, Marisa Monte and Carlinhos Brown were already stars in Brazil before joining forces to record their 2002 album, “Tribalistas.” A collection of lilting songs in the tradition of what’s known as “musica popular brasileira” — a post-bossa-nova movement dedicated to integrating international sounds into Brazilian music — the album boosted the supergroup to international success, selling over three million copies globally. It took 15 years for the trio to release a follow-up, also simply called “Tribalistas”; now, they’re performing in New York for the first time as a group.” (NYT-NATALIE WEINER)

An Evening With Dawes: Passwords Tour
Beacon Theatre / 8PM, $40+
“Dawes is an American folk rock band from Los Angeles, California. Dawes is composed of brothers Taylor (guitars and vocals) and Griffin Goldsmith (drums), along with Wylie Gelber (bass) and Lee Pardini (keyboards).

Dawes was formed from the band Simon Dawes after the departure of co-songwriter Blake Mills, subsequently abandoning a post-punk sound in favor of folk rock. Dawes has been described as having a Laurel Canyon sound derived from artists such as Crosby, Stills, and Nash, Joni Mitchell and Neil Young.”

PAM TANOWITZ (Feb. 5-6)
at the Martha Graham Studios / 7 p.m.$25
“Through her own company, Tanowitz has garnered acclaim for stripping away the artifice of classical choreography and rearranging it in inventive ways to conjure a fresh physical language that feels both old and new. For a commission from the Martha Graham Dance Company, set to debut in New York in April, Tanowitz is mixing in some of Graham’s famous and fierce technique while transforming it as well. For this intimate showing, part of the company’s New@Graham series, Tanowitz shares excerpts from the work in progress and discusses its creation with the artistic director at Graham, Janet Eilber.” (NYT-Brian Schaefer)

MARÍA GRAND QUARTET AND JOEL ROSS GOOD VIBES
at Dizzy’s Club / 7:30; $35
“Grand, a tenor saxophonist, and Ross, a vibraphonist, are two of the most-buzzed-about young players on the New York jazz scene — each with their own sleek, sanguine take on mainstream jazz. They’re also frequent collaborators, and at Dizzy’s on Tuesday they will split the bill, with Grand’s quartet (the vocalist Fay Victor, the bassist Kanoa Mendenhall and the drummer Savannah Harris) starting things off, and Ross’s group (Mendenhall on bass, Immanuel Wilkins on alto saxophone, Jeremy Corren on piano and Jeremy Dutton on drums) playing the second set. Tickets for each performance are sold separately.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

NEW YORK CITY BALLET (thru March 3)
Robbins: A Master at Work (next Feb.07, 7:30PM)
at the NYS Theater, Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, $35+
“The company shows off its many personalities with four distinct programs. Friday night and Saturday afternoon highlight the relationship between Balanchine and Stravinsky in works like “Apollo” and “Agon,” while Sunday’s matinee gives an encore to new or revived works by Justin Peck, Kyle Abraham and William Forsythe. On Saturday and Wednesday night, the Classic NYCB program presents works by Balanchine, Christopher Wheeldon and Mauro Bigonzetti and also includes Peck’s popular 2017 sneaker ballet “The Times Are Racing.” On Tuesday and Thursday, the company focuses on one of its guiding spirits, Jerome Robbins, with a program featuring “Interplay,” “In the Night” and “N.Y. Export: Opus Jazz.” (NYT-Brian Schaefer)

Carmen
Metropolitan Opera House / 7:30PM, $20+ (next Feb.8, 7:30PM)
“Mezzo-soprano Clémentine Margaine reprises her remarkable portrayal of opera’s ultimate seductress, a triumph in her 2017 debut performances, with impassioned tenors Yonghoon Lee and Roberto Alagna as her lover, Don José. Omer Meir Wellber and Louis Langrée share conducting duties for Sir Richard Eyre’s powerful production, a Met favorite since its 2009 premiere.”

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

Smart Stuff / Other NYC EventS

NYC vs. the Axis
CUNY Graduate Center, Skylight Room / 6:30PM, FREE
 
Marci Reaven, curator of the New-York Historical Society’s past exhibit, “WWII & NYC,” sits down with John Strausbaugh to discuss his new book, Victory City: A History of New York and New Yorkers during World War II.

The book presents a view of Gotham at the height of its power, when “far more than today, what happened there mattered.” New York, by 1941 the largest city in the world, had the busiest port on Earth, and the greatest number of manufacturing laborers in America. It was the nation’s undisputed center for finance. But it was also a swirling, contradictory mess of Nazi and communist spies, mobsters and liberal reformers, war profiteers and draft resisters, immigrant hordes and fascist sympathizers. Victory City takes readers on a panoramic journey through it all.”

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Continuing Events

Restaurant Week (January 21 to February 10)
“Some of New York’s best known “deal holidays,” including NYC Restaurant Week and NYC Broadway Week, are joining forces this winter to create, wait for it… NYC Winter Outing.

From January 21 to February 10, NYC Broadway Week, NYC Restaurant Week and NYC Must-See Week will all be running simultaneously offering full nights out for drastically reduced rates. During this time, a selection of Broadway shows, museums, attractions and tours will be available at two-for-one prices and almost 400 restaurants across the city will be offering prix-fixe menus. As in previous years, that means $26 prix-fix lunches and $42, three-course dinners.

For more information on Restaurant Week, including our recommendations for the best deals to take advantage of this season, check out our NYC Restaurant Week page.” (TONY)

Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
Midtown Manhattan’s winter wonderland.
Bryant Park (btw 5th/6th Ave. @42nd St.) / shops to 8PM, rink to 10PM
Enjoy The Lodge by Urbanspace, and The Rink, the centerpiece of Winter Village and New York City’s only free admission ice skating rink.
The Rink
This 17,000 square foot rink features free admission ice skating, high quality rental skates, and free skating shows, special events, and activities.
​October 27, 2018 – March 3, 2019
Daily, 8am-10pm (Rink hours are weather permitting and Rink may be closed for events – check here)

Magic After Hours
Tannen’s Magic, Midtown West (Until Dec 31 2019)

“Twice a week, after closing time, 20 people crowd into the city’s oldest magic shop, Tannen’s, for a cozy evening of prestidigitation by the young and engaging Noah Levine. The shelves are crammed with quirky devices; there’s a file cabinet behind the counter, a mock elephant in the corner and bins of individual trick instructions in plastic covers, like comic books or sheet music. The charm of Levine’s show is in how well it fits the environment of this magic-geek chamber of secrets. As he maneuvers cards, eggs, cups and balls with aplomb, he talks shop, larding his patter with tributes to routines like the Stencel Aces and the Vernon Boat Trick—heirlooms of his trade that he gently polishes and displays for our amazement.” (TONY)

==========================================================================
♦ 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.

===========================================================
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:
(4 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)
The Stone at The New School – 55 w13 St. (btw 6/5 ave) – thestonenyc.com (8:30PM)

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)
Jazz Standard – 116 E27 St. (btw Park/Lex) – jazzstandard.com – (1st set 7:30)

For a comprehensive list of the best places to hear All Types of Live Music in Manhattan see the tab above “LiveMusic.”

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 surprised with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It was my favorite spot for an evening of listening enjoyment and discovery.
Alas, Caffe V is no more, another victim of a rapacious NYC landlord. Owner Ishrat fought the good fight and Caffe V will be sorely missed.
Cornelia Street Cafe – UG, 29 Cornelia St. corneliastreetcafe.com, 212-989-9319
And more recently we have lost Cornelia Street Cafe. After 41 years, it too became another victim of an unreasonable rent increase.

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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)

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

Hilma af Klint : Paintings for the Future (thru 04/23/19)

“Convinced that the world was not ready for her artistry in 1906, particularly as an underrepresented female in her field, af Klint of Sweden kept her work private. Her paintings anticipated by years “breakthroughs” by Kandinsky, Mondrian and others and were unseen before 1986. The Guggenheim rediscovers her.”

“Recognized as one of the art world’s earliest abstract painters, Hilma af Klint was a steadfast believer that her work was inspired by the spiritual. The new Guggenheim exhibition, “Hilma af Klint: Paintings for the Future,” showcases the work of this groundbreaking Swedish artist (1862-1944), whose work was rarely seen until the 1980s.” (Newsday)

See our art critic’s top pick of the year.
“Luckily, the number-one pick in Jerry Saltz’s best art shows of 2018 is still running. Hilma af Klint’s Paintings for the Future at the Guggenheim Museum examines the work of the unacknowledged Swedish visionary and makes a case for her being the first modernist abstract painter. Saltz is especially enamored with the first gallery, so make sure you spend some time there.” (NYMagazine)

GD: Definitely worth a visit. af Klint was like the original Kandinsky and it’s interesting to see both of their works in the same museum, even if not side-by-side.

New-York Historical Society

‘BETYE SAAR: KEEPIN’ IT CLEAN’  (through May 27).

“Saar has been making important and influential work for nearly 60 years. Yet no big New York museum has given her a full retrospective, or even a significant one-person show, since a 1975 solo at the Whitney Museum of American Art. As this exhibition demonstrates, the institutional oversight is baffling, as her primary themes — racial justice and feminism (her 1972 breakthrough piece, “The Liberation of Aunt Jemima,” merges the two by transforming the racist stereotype of the smiling black mammy into an armed freedom fighter) — are exactly attuned to the present.” (Cotter-NYT)
212-873-3400, nyhistory.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)

“In Praise of Painting” (thru Oct.4, 2020)

“How great are the Met’s holdings in the Dutch golden age? Very. This long-term installation rings the lower level of the Lehman Wing with scores of lesser-known gems from the mid-seventeenth century, many of them rarely on view before, amid masterworks by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Hals, and Ruisdael. The period, vivified here, began in 1648, when the end of the Eighty Years’ War with Spain brought a boom in wealth and morale, expressed by genre paintings that exalt the national ideal of gezelligheid—social warmth, comfort, belonging. A key figure was Gerard ter Borch, who had travelled widely and worked at the court of Philip IV, in company with Velázquez. Ter Borch’s lustrous, ineffably witty domestic scenes inspired a generation of masters, notably Vermeer, whose genius rather eclipsed his elder’s. The pictures often star ter Borch’s younger sister Gesina, preening in satins or enigmatically musing. Herself a painter, she is cutely funny-looking—pointy nose, weak chin—and desperately lovable. There’s much to be said for a world with such a family in it.”

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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 02/03 and 02/01.
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NYC Events,”Only the Best” (02/04) + Today’s Featured Pub (Greenwich Village)

Posted on 02/04/2019 by GregD

Today’s Super 7 NYC Events > MONDAY/ FEBRUARY 04, 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:  “February 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.
To make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above;  “LiveMusic.”

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

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

The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra
Village Vanguard, 178 7th Ave. South (btw W11th/Perry St.) / 8:30Pm +10:30PM, $35
world class big band with 16 members on that small stage, a monday night institution.
“Almost exactly half a century ago, the trumpeter-composer-arranger Thad Jones and the drummer Mel Lewis began their Monday-night big band residency at the Village Vanguard, establishing what became a hallowed tradition.” (NYT)

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6 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Rhett Miller w/ Jeff Slate
>> ‘IOLANTA’ AND ‘BLUEBEARD’S CASTLE’ 
>> Juilliard Songfest
>> Jim Caruso’s Cast Party
>> How the President and the FBI Have Been Portrayed in Fictional Films
>> Exploring Ethical Dilemmas In Journalism
Continuing Events
>> Restaurant Week
>> Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
>> Magic After Hours
===================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Rhett Miller w/ Jeff Slate
City Winery / 8PM, $25+
“The Traveler”, was written and performed by Rhett Miller, along with members of Black Prairie, a band based in Portland that plays everything from bluegrass to klezmer to country and shares some members with the Decembrists. The band (Black Prairie) entered the studio with the singer (Rhett Miller) and briskly recorded the songs that make up this album (The Traveler). Some additional guitars were added later by people who included Peter Buck and Scott McCaughey.”

‘IOLANTA’ AND ‘BLUEBEARD’S CASTLE’   (next Feb.09, 12:30PM)
at the Metropolitan Opera / 7:30PM, $30+
“Marius Trelinski’s dark, fascinating juxtaposition of these one-act operas by Tchaikovsky and Bartok is one of the most bracing examples of directorial entrepreneurship to have reached the Met’s stage in recent years, and here it makes its first return since its debut in 2015. The cast is excellent: Sonya Yoncheva takes on the title role in “Iolanta,” with Matthew Polenzani as Vaudémont; in the Bartok, Gerald Finley is Bluebeard and Angela Denoke is Judith. Henrik Nanasi conducts.” (NYT-David Allen)

Juilliard Songfest
The Juilliard School
Alice Tully Hall / 7:30PM, $10
Brian Zeger, curator and pianist

Jim Caruso’s Cast Party (Cabaret)
Birdland, 315 West 44th St. (btw 8/9 ave) / 9:30PM, $30
the witty host attracts broadway stars on their night off, along with up and comers.
“Part cabaret, part piano bar and part social set, Cast Party offers a chance to hear rising and established talents step up to the microphone (backed by the slap and tickle of Steve Doyle on bass and Billy Stritch at the ivories, plus the bang of Daniel Glass on drums). The waggish Caruso presides as host.” (TONY)

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Smart Stuff / Other NYC EventS

How the President and the FBI Have Been Portrayed in Fictional Films
The National Arts Club, 15 Gramercy Park S./ 8PM, FREE
Film scholar, cultural writer, and historian Max Alvarez screens clips of presidential portrayals through the years (one can only imagine what the next generation of films holds). In addition, Bob Herzberg will talk about his book The FBI and the Movies.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

Exploring Ethical Dilemmas In Journalism—To Print or Not to Print? with Claudia Deutsch
New York Society for Ethical Culture, 2 W. 64th St./ 6:30PM, $5
“Hear from former New York Times journalist Claudia Deutsch as she explores the dilemmas she faced as a reporter: the way language can erode objectivity, the ethics of becoming “part of the story,” and the complexities of covering the Trump administration.” (ThoughtGallery)

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Continuing Events

Restaurant Week (January 21 to February 10)
“Some of New York’s best known “deal holidays,” including NYC Restaurant Week and NYC Broadway Week, are joining forces this winter to create, wait for it… NYC Winter Outing.

From January 21 to February 10, NYC Broadway Week, NYC Restaurant Week and NYC Must-See Week will all be running simultaneously offering full nights out for drastically reduced rates. During this time, a selection of Broadway shows, museums, attractions and tours will be available at two-for-one prices and almost 400 restaurants across the city will be offering prix-fixe menus. As in previous years, that means $26 prix-fix lunches and $42, three-course dinners.

For more information on Restaurant Week, including our recommendations for the best deals to take advantage of this season, check out our NYC Restaurant Week page.” (TONY)

Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
Midtown Manhattan’s winter wonderland.
Bryant Park (btw 5th/6th Ave. @42nd St.) / shops to 8PM, rink to 10PM
Enjoy The Lodge by Urbanspace, and The Rink, the centerpiece of Winter Village and New York City’s only free admission ice skating rink.
The Rink
This 17,000 square foot rink features free admission ice skating, high quality rental skates, and free skating shows, special events, and activities.
​October 27, 2018 – March 3, 2019
Daily, 8am-10pm (Rink hours are weather permitting and Rink may be closed for events – check here)

Magic After Hours
Tannen’s Magic, Midtown West (Until Dec 31 2019)

“Twice a week, after closing time, 20 people crowd into the city’s oldest magic shop, Tannen’s, for a cozy evening of prestidigitation by the young and engaging Noah Levine. The shelves are crammed with quirky devices; there’s a file cabinet behind the counter, a mock elephant in the corner and bins of individual trick instructions in plastic covers, like comic books or sheet music. The charm of Levine’s show is in how well it fits the environment of this magic-geek chamber of secrets. As he maneuvers cards, eggs, cups and balls with aplomb, he talks shop, larding his patter with tributes to routines like the Stencel Aces and the Vernon Boat Trick—heirlooms of his trade that he gently polishes and displays for our amazement.” (TONY)

==========================================================================
♦ 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.

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

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. (btw 6/7), thetownhall.org, 212-997-6661
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St., lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474
Sony Hall – 235 W 46th St. (btw 7/8), sonyhall.com, 212-997-5123
and one more, not exactly WestSide:
Bowery Ballroom – 6 Delancey St. boweryballroom.com

For a comprehensive list of the best places to hear All Types of Live Music in Manhattan see the tab above “LiveMusic.”

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.

Alas, Caffe V is no more, another victim of a rapacious NYC landlord. Owner Ishrat fought the good fight and Caffe V will be sorely missed.

See Below.
———————————————————————————————————-

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

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.

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.”

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.
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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.

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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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.
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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 SUMMER 2019).
◊ Order before AUG. 31, 2019 and receive a bonus – 27 of my favorite casual dining places with free Wi-Fi.

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NYC Events,”Only the Best” (02/03) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 02/03/2019 by GregD

Today’s Super 7 NYC Events > SUNDAY/ FEBRUARY 03, 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:  “February 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.
To make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above;  “LiveMusic.”

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

It’s Super Bowl Sunday and if you are looking for a place to go and watch the game there are plenty of options for bars and restaurants hosting viewing parties throughout the city.

This Super Bowl is a game where it’s tough to root for either team and the half time show doesn’t look that great either. So if you are tired of watching the Patriots, who are there only because Brady had his third interception called off on a dumb call by the refs, and if you don’t want to watch the Rams who also shouldn’t be there, except for an egregious, all time bad non call by the refs, then why not try one of these events.

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

HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE
at the Blue Note / 8 and 10:30 p.m.; $20-$35
“The brass-band tradition is naturally associated with New Orleans, but Hypnotic proudly espouses its Chicago roots. With less marching-band thunder and more hip-hop swagger than, say, New Orleans’s Dirty Dozen Brass Band, this eight-piece ensemble mixes the influence of hip-hop, soul and gospel into a coolly grooving sound. And Chicago’s deep legacy as a cradle of experimental, Afrocentric jazz is never far away: All but one of Hypnotic’s members is a son of Kelan Philip Cohran, a patriarch of Chicago’s creative black music scene, who died in 2017.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

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6 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> New Combinations
>> JIMMY COBB
>> Amanda Duarte: Staying Alive
>> PARIS OPERA BALLET
>> Songs of Freedom
>> Super Bowl for Oenophiles
Continuing Events
>> Restaurant Week
>> Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
>> Magic After Hours
===================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

NEW YORK CITY BALLET (thru March 3)
New Combinations (next Feb.09, 2PM)
at the NYS Theater, Lincoln Center / 3PM, $35+
“The company shows off its many personalities with four distinct programs. Friday night and Saturday afternoon highlight the relationship between Balanchine and Stravinsky in works like “Apollo” and “Agon,” while Sunday’s matinee gives an encore to new or revived works by Justin Peck, Kyle Abraham and William Forsythe. On Saturday and Wednesday night, the Classic NYCB program presents works by Balanchine, Christopher Wheeldon and Mauro Bigonzetti and also includes Peck’s popular 2017 sneaker ballet “The Times Are Racing.” On Tuesday and Thursday, the company focuses on one of its guiding spirits, Jerome Robbins, with a program featuring “Interplay,” “In the Night” and “N.Y. Export: Opus Jazz.” (NYT-Brian Schaefer)

JIMMY COBB
at Jazz Standard / 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.; $30
“Cobb, a drummer and National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master, will probably be remembered as the drummer whose crackling ride cymbal adorned Miles Davis’s 1959 classic, “Kind of Blue.” But his career is much bigger than that one date: He accompanied Sarah Vaughan and John Coltrane and Freddie Hubbard, playing on countless record dates and remaining in the top tier of New York jazz for over 60 years. Cobb turned 90 in January, and he celebrates this weekend in a quartet featuring Peter Bernstein on guitar, Tadataka Unno on piano and John Webber on bass.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

Amanda Duarte: Staying Alive
Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater / 7PM, $20
“Satan’s Alley may sound like an apt description for our present political circumstances, but it’s also the name of the fictional musical in the lurid, outrageous Saturday Night Fever sequel Staying Alive. And, 35 years later, it’s the inspiration for Amanda Duarte’s raw, intensely revealing new show. The writer and Dead Darlings host puts the inferno of her personal life in perspective with the great garbage fire of American discourse and sets us straight for the battles to come. Not to be missed.” (TONY)

PARIS OPERA BALLET
at French Institute Alliance Française / 1 p.m., $
“This revered French troupe doesn’t often visit New York, which makes the screening of this film all the more valuable. The movie’s quadruple bill includes a work by the Swiss choreographer James Thierrée that slips offstage into the sumptuous interiors of the Palais Garnier. Also on the program: a typically dark and moody piece for women by the Israeli choreographer Hofesh Shechter, a dance for men by the Spanish choreographer Iván Pérez that nods to Monet’s paintings, and an interpretation of Max Richter’s take on Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” by the much-admired Canadian choreographer Crystal Pite.” (NYT-Brian Schaefer)

Songs of Freedom (LAST CHANCE)
Dizzy’s Club / 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $40
In this program, Nina Simone, Joni Mitchell, and Abbey Lincoln—three of the mightiest voices of their eras—are fêted by the drummer and bandleader Ulysses Owens, Jr. He brings with him a cadre of inspired singers, including René Marie, Theo Bleckmann, and Alicia Olatuja, all of whom are primed to deliver righteous messages of candor and nonconformity.” (Steve Futterman NewYorker)

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Smart Stuff / Other NYC EventS

Super Bowl for Oenophiles
And maybe learn something while you sip.
La Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels / 5PM, $30
Some folks have the Super Bowl. Oenophiles have the showdown at La Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels, which, beginning at 5 p.m. on Sunday, pits no-sulfurs against pro-sulfurs in an everybody-wins showdown. For $30 taste six wines, three examples made with the controversial SO2 and three of their grape counterparts without. Decide which ones you prefer, with the aid of snacks like cacio e popcorn and buffalo rillettes.” (grubstreet)

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

Continuing Events

Restaurant Week (January 21 to February 10)
“Some of New York’s best known “deal holidays,” including NYC Restaurant Week and NYC Broadway Week, are joining forces this winter to create, wait for it… NYC Winter Outing.

From January 21 to February 10, NYC Broadway Week, NYC Restaurant Week and NYC Must-See Week will all be running simultaneously offering full nights out for drastically reduced rates. During this time, a selection of Broadway shows, museums, attractions and tours will be available at two-for-one prices and almost 400 restaurants across the city will be offering prix-fixe menus. As in previous years, that means $26 prix-fix lunches and $42, three-course dinners.

For more information on Restaurant Week, including our recommendations for the best deals to take advantage of this season, check out our NYC Restaurant Week page.” (TONY)

Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
Midtown Manhattan’s winter wonderland.
Bryant Park (btw 5th/6th Ave. @42nd St.) / shops to 8PM, rink to 10PM
Enjoy The Lodge by Urbanspace, and The Rink, the centerpiece of Winter Village and New York City’s only free admission ice skating rink.
The Rink
This 17,000 square foot rink features free admission ice skating, high quality rental skates, and free skating shows, special events, and activities.
​October 27, 2018 – March 3, 2019
Daily, 8am-10pm (Rink hours are weather permitting and Rink may be closed for events – check here)

Magic After Hours
Tannen’s Magic, Midtown West (Until Dec 31 2019)

“Twice a week, after closing time, 20 people crowd into the city’s oldest magic shop, Tannen’s, for a cozy evening of prestidigitation by the young and engaging Noah Levine. The shelves are crammed with quirky devices; there’s a file cabinet behind the counter, a mock elephant in the corner and bins of individual trick instructions in plastic covers, like comic books or sheet music. The charm of Levine’s show is in how well it fits the environment of this magic-geek chamber of secrets. As he maneuvers cards, eggs, cups and balls with aplomb, he talks shop, larding his patter with tributes to routines like the Stencel Aces and the Vernon Boat Trick—heirlooms of his trade that he gently polishes and displays for our amazement.” (TONY)

==========================================================================
♦ 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.

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

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

Laurie Beechman Theatre – 407 W 42nd St.

Marie’s Crisis – 59 Grove 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.

For a comprehensive list of the best places to hear All Types of Live Music in Manhattan see the tab above “LiveMusic.”

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

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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

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)

Whitney Museum of American Art

‘ANDY WARHOL — FROM A TO B AND BACK AGAIN’  (through March 31) “Although this is the artist’s first full American retrospective in 31 years, he’s been so much with us — in museums, galleries, auctions — as to make him, like wallpaper, like the atmosphere, only half-noticed. The Whitney show restores him to a full, commanding view, but does so in a carefully shaped and edited way, with an emphasis on very early and late work. Despite the show’s monumentalizing size, supplemented by an off-site display of the enormous multipanel painting called “Shadows,” it’s a human-scale Warhol we see. Largely absent is the artist-entrepreneur who is taken as a prophet of our market-addled present. What we have instead is Warhol for whom art, whatever else it was, was an expression of personal hopes and fears.”  (Cotter)

Museum of Modern Art

‘BRUCE NAUMAN: DISAPPEARING ACTS’  (through Feb. 18)
“If art isn’t basically about life and death, and the emotions and ethics they inspire, what is it about? Style? Taste? Auction results? The most interesting artists go right for the big, uncool existential stuff, which is what Bruce Nauman does in a transfixing half-century retrospective that fills the entire sixth floor of the MoMA and much of MoMA PS1 in Long Island City, Queens. The MoMA installation is tightly paced and high decibel; the one at PS1, which includes a trove of works on paper, is comparatively mellow and mournful. Each location offers a rough chronological overview of his career, but catching both parts of the show is imperative. Nauman has changed the way we define what art is and what is art, and made work prescient of the morally wrenching American moment we’re in. He deserves to be seen in full.” (Cotter)

‘CONSTANTIN BRANCUSI SCULPTURE: THE FILMS’ (through Feb. 18).
“This show is built around works by the Romanian modernist (1876-1957) that have been longtime highlights of the museum’s own collection. But in 2018, can Brancusi still release our inner poet? The answer may lie in paying less attention to the sculptures themselves and more to Brancusi’s little-known and quite amazing films, projected at the entrance to the gallery throughout the duration of the exhibition. MoMA borrowed the series of video clips from the Pompidou Center in Paris. They give the feeling that Brancusi was less interested in making fancy museum objects than in putting new kinds of almost-living things into the world, and convey the vital energy his sculptures were meant to capture.”(Blake Gopnik)

Museum of Art and Design

‘STERLING RUBY: CERAMICS’  (through March 17).
“Adept at most art mediums, this artist is at his best in ceramics, especially in the outsize, awkwardly hand-built, resplendently glazed baskets, ashtrays and plates and the objects that verge on sculpture in this show. These works actively incorporate accident and aspects of the ready-made, have precedents in the large-scale ceramics of Peter Voulkos and Viola Frey, but may be closest in spirit to the Neo-Expressionism of Julian Schnabel — rehabilitated, of course.” (Smith – NYT)

American Folk Art Museum

‘PAA JOE: GATES OF NO RETURN’  (through Feb. 24).

“Joseph Tetteh Ashong, better known as Paa Joe, is Ghana’s pre-eminent funerary carpenter, turning out thousands of brightly colored lions, soda bottles and automobiles for people to be buried in. Most of his exuberant pieces enjoy the light of day for only a few hours before they disappear into the ground. But in 2004, Paa Joe was commissioned by the art dealer and gallerist Claude Simard to make casket-size hardwood models of 13 former Gold Coast slave forts, and seven of them are now at AFAM. Thanks to Paa Joe’s gift for transmuting even the most complex and brutal material into a cheerful expression of his own artistic temperament, the works’ undeniable conceptual weight doesn’t hamper the overwhelming visual pleasure.” (Will Heinrich-NYT)

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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Posts in right Sidebar dated 02/01 and 01/30.
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NYC Events, “Only the Best” (02/02) + Today’s Featured Pub (Tribeca)

Posted on 02/02/2019 by GregD

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > SATURDAY/ FEBRUARY 02, 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:  “February 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.
To make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above;  “LiveMusic.”

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

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

Bettye LaVette
Iridium Jazz Club / 8:30PM, $40+
“Bettye LaVette is no mere singer. She is an interpreter of the highest order. Whether the song originated as country, rock, pop, or blues, when she gets through with it, it is pure R&B. She gets inside a song and shapes and twists it to convey all of the emotion that can be wrought from the lyric.

In 2016, her most recent CD, Worthy, garnered her a third Grammy nomination. She also received the Blues Music Award for Best Soul Blues Female Artist. She is one of very few of her contemporaries who were recording during the birth of soul music in the 1960s and is still creating vital recordings today.”

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

7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Lucy Kaplansky
>> BALLETBOYZ
>> J. D. ALLEN QUARTET
>> Songs of Freedom
>>A Night of Philosophy & Ideas
>> Lunar New Year
>> Winter Warmer Festival
Continuing Events
>> Restaurant Week
>> Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
>> Magic After Hours
===================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Lucy Kaplansky (Album Release)
City Winery / 8PM, $28
“Lucy Kaplansky is a rare vocal talent, “a truly gifted performer…full of enchanting songs” (New York Times). Blending country, folk and pop styles, she has the unique ability to make every song sound fresh, whether singing her own sweet originals, covering country classics by June Carter Cash and Gram Parsons or singing pop favor- ites by Lennon/McCartney and Nick Lowe.”

BALLETBOYZ (through Feb.3).
at the Joyce Theater  / 2PM, +8PM, $35+
“This company, formed by Michael Nunn and William Trevitt — who met at the Royal Ballet School and both joined the Royal Ballet in 1987 — presents the New York premiere of “Young Men,” a multimedia work focusing on stories of love, friendship, loss and survival among soldiers in World War I. Choreographed by Iván Pérez, a former Nederlands Dans Theater member, the production is set to a score by Keaton Henson and includes a film.” (NYT-Gia Kourlas)

J. D. ALLEN QUARTET
at Smoke, 7, 9 and 10:30 p.m.; $38
“One of today’s premier tenor saxophonists, Allen spent the last decade working with a steady trio, developing a sturdy but flexible sound based around minor melodies and bristling postbop rhythms. But he recently assembled a new trio featuring a couple of younger musicians, the bassist Ian Kenselaar and the drummer Nic Cacioppo. The early returns are good: An appearance at Winter Jazzfest, where the new trio was joined by the tenor saxophone luminary David Murray, showed how ably the young players have adapted to Allen’s personal style. This weekend the group performs with another of Allen’s frequent collaborators: the crisply expressive guitarist Liberty Ellman.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

Songs of Freedom (Jan.31-Feb. 3)
Dizzy’s Club / 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $40
In this program, Nina Simone, Joni Mitchell, and Abbey Lincoln—three of the mightiest voices of their eras—are fêted by the drummer and bandleader Ulysses Owens, Jr. He brings with him a cadre of inspired singers, including René Marie, Theo Bleckmann, and Alicia Olatuja, all of whom are primed to deliver righteous messages of candor and nonconformity.” (Steve Futterman NewYorker)

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

Smart Stuff / Other NYC EventS

Elsewhere, but this definitely looks worth the detour:
A Night of Philosophy & Ideas
Brooklyn Public Library – Central Library, 10 Grand Army Plaza / 7PM-7AM, FREE
“It’s time again to stay up all night with ideas. Top philosophers from around the world will again gather at the Brooklyn Central Library for a 12-hour sleepover, complete with philosophical debates, screenings, readings, and performances.

The 12-hour marathon features over 60 programs with everything from workshops and film screenings to live debates and circus acts. Complimentary Nespresso coffee served all night, and if you make it to 5 a.m. there’s free pastries from Colson Patisserie.” (Thought Gallery) (Metro)

Lunar New Year
Turnstyle Market, 57th St. and 8th Ave/ 3-7PM, $30
“Start your Year of the Pig party a little early. Taiwanese restaurant Zai Lai and the Turnstyle Market are partnering to ring in the new year with Chinese yo-yo demos, Chinese paper-cutting, red silk dancers, a lion dance, and of course plenty of food. Arrive hungry for hands-on make-you-own dumpling and scallion pancake stations, skewers, and the restaurant’s famed Taiwanese pork buns.” (Thrillist)

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
Eat and and drink local at the Winter Warmer Festival
“The Winter Warmer Festival gives guests a chance to sample the seasonal wares of several restaurants and pubs from around the city. Beer and liquors from 11 local makers will be available, and attendees can enjoy all this food and beverage by fire pits. Ticket holders gain free after-event admission to Williamsburg’s Schimanski bar-nightclub starting at 9 p.m.” (Newsday)
WHEN | WHERE Choice of 1:30 p.m. or 5:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 2; Brooklyn Expo Center, 72 Noble St., Greenpoint, Brooklyn
INFO $49 to $75; winterwarmer.nyc

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

Continuing Events

Restaurant Week (January 21 to February 10)
“Some of New York’s best known “deal holidays,” including NYC Restaurant Week and NYC Broadway Week, are joining forces this winter to create, wait for it… NYC Winter Outing.

From January 21 to February 10, NYC Broadway Week, NYC Restaurant Week and NYC Must-See Week will all be running simultaneously offering full nights out for drastically reduced rates. During this time, a selection of Broadway shows, museums, attractions and tours will be available at two-for-one prices and almost 400 restaurants across the city will be offering prix-fixe menus. As in previous years, that means $26 prix-fix lunches and $42, three-course dinners.

For more information on Restaurant Week, including our recommendations for the best deals to take advantage of this season, check out our NYC Restaurant Week page.” (TONY)

Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
Midtown Manhattan’s winter wonderland.
Bryant Park (btw 5th/6th Ave. @42nd St.) / shops to 8PM, rink to 10PM
Enjoy The Lodge by Urbanspace, and The Rink, the centerpiece of Winter Village and New York City’s only free admission ice skating rink.
The Rink
This 17,000 square foot rink features free admission ice skating, high quality rental skates, and free skating shows, special events, and activities.
​October 27, 2018 – March 3, 2019
Daily, 8am-10pm (Rink hours are weather permitting and Rink may be closed for events – check here)

Magic After Hours
Tannen’s Magic, Midtown West (Until Dec 31 2019)

“Twice a week, after closing time, 20 people crowd into the city’s oldest magic shop, Tannen’s, for a cozy evening of prestidigitation by the young and engaging Noah Levine. The shelves are crammed with quirky devices; there’s a file cabinet behind the counter, a mock elephant in the corner and bins of individual trick instructions in plastic covers, like comic books or sheet music. The charm of Levine’s show is in how well it fits the environment of this magic-geek chamber of secrets. As he maneuvers cards, eggs, cups and balls with aplomb, he talks shop, larding his patter with tributes to routines like the Stencel Aces and the Vernon Boat Trick—heirlooms of his trade that he gently polishes and displays for our amazement.” (TONY)

==========================================================================
♦ 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.

===========================================================
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:
(4 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)
The Stone at The New School – 55 w13 St. (btw 6/5 ave) – thestonenyc.com (8:30PM)

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)
Jazz Standard – 116 E27 St. (btw Park/Lex) – jazzstandard.com – (1st set 7:30)

For a comprehensive list of the best places to hear All Types of Live Music in Manhattan see the tab above “LiveMusic.”

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 surprised with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It was my favorite spot for an evening of listening enjoyment and discovery.
Alas, Caffe V is no more, another victim of a rapacious NYC landlord. Owner Ishrat fought the good fight and Caffe V will be sorely missed.
Cornelia Street Cafe – 29 Cornelia St. corneliastreetcafe.com, 212-989-9319
And more recently we have lost Cornelia Street Cafe. After 41 years, it too became another victim of an unreasonable rent increase.

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

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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

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” (02/01) + GallerySpecialExhibits: Chelsea

Posted on 02/01/2019 by GregD

Today’s Super 7 NYC Events > FRIDAY/ FEBRUARY 01, 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:  “February 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.
To make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above;  “LiveMusic.”

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

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

“Underworld” (1927) with Alloy Orchestra
Brookfield Place, Winter Garden, 230 Vesey St./ 7:30PM, FREE
“Credited as the first-ever gangster flick, “Underworld” follows the schemes of “Bull” Weed and his partner “Rolls-Royce” Wensel, who falls for Weed’s girlfriend, “Feathers” McCoy. Things get heated when Weed’s rival gangster “Buck” Mulligan tries to take over his territory.

Alloy Orchestra has been playing to silent films since 1991 and do it with peculiar objects, electronic synthesizers and other instruments. They’ve performed at film festivals, The Louvre, Lincoln Center and more.”

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

6 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> J. D. ALLEN QUARTET
>> PEDRO GIRAUDO TANGO QUARTET AND SOFIA TOSELLO
>> HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE
>> Stravinsky & Balanchine
>>THUNDERBIRD AMERICAN INDIAN DANCERS
>> Songs of Freedom
Continuing Events
>> Restaurant Week
>> Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
>> Magic After Hours
===================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

J. D. ALLEN QUARTET (Feb.1-2)
at Smoke, 7, 9 and 10:30 p.m.; $38
“One of today’s premier tenor saxophonists, Allen spent the last decade working with a steady trio, developing a sturdy but flexible sound based around minor melodies and bristling postbop rhythms. But he recently assembled a new trio featuring a couple of younger musicians, the bassist Ian Kenselaar and the drummer Nic Cacioppo. The early returns are good: An appearance at Winter Jazzfest, where the new trio was joined by the tenor saxophone luminary David Murray, showed how ably the young players have adapted to Allen’s personal style. This weekend the group performs with another of Allen’s frequent collaborators: the crisply expressive guitarist Liberty Ellman.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

PEDRO GIRAUDO TANGO QUARTET AND SOFIA TOSELLO
at Joe’s Pub / 9:30 p.m.; $20
“Giraudo is an Argentine bassist and composer who reinforces his love for tango with a mastery of Western classical and jazz vocabulary. He sometimes performs with a full orchestra, but he’s just as dazzling with his quartet — the group that appears on his 2018 album, “Vigor Tanguero,” which won a Latin Grammy for best tango album. Also on the bill is Sofia Tosello, a vocalist whose last album, “Lluvia Fue” (“Chamber Tango”), presents its own distinctive take on the tango tradition, mixing old songs and new.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE (Jan.31-Feb.3)
at the Blue Note / 8 and 10:30 p.m.; $
“The brass-band tradition is naturally associated with New Orleans, but Hypnotic proudly espouses its Chicago roots. With less marching-band thunder and more hip-hop swagger than, say, New Orleans’s Dirty Dozen Brass Band, this eight-piece ensemble mixes the influence of hip-hop, soul and gospel into a coolly grooving sound. And Chicago’s deep legacy as a cradle of experimental, Afrocentric jazz is never far away: All but one of Hypnotic’s members is a son of Kelan Philip Cohran, a patriarch of Chicago’s creative black music scene, who died in 2017.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

NEW YORK CITY BALLET (thru March 3)
Stravinsky & Balanchine (next Feb.02, 2PM)
at the NYS Theater, Lincoln Center / 8PM, $35+
“The company shows off its many personalities with four distinct programs. Friday night and Saturday afternoon highlight the relationship between Balanchine and Stravinsky in works like “Apollo” and “Agon,” while Sunday’s matinee gives an encore to new or revived works by Justin Peck, Kyle Abraham and William Forsythe. On Saturday and Wednesday night, the Classic NYCB program presents works by Balanchine, Christopher Wheeldon and Mauro Bigonzetti and also includes Peck’s popular 2017 sneaker ballet “The Times Are Racing.” On Tuesday and Thursday, the company focuses on one of its guiding spirits, Jerome Robbins, with a program featuring “Interplay,” “In the Night” and “N.Y. Export: Opus Jazz.” (NYT-Brian Schaefer)

THUNDERBIRD AMERICAN INDIAN DANCERS (FEB.1-3)
at Theater for the New City / mm
“For its 44th annual performance and powwow, this Native American dance company, formed in 1963, offers a program of dance, stories and traditional music from the Northeast, the Southwest and the Great Plains tribes, along with “Silent Echoes of Time,” a contemporary work by Michael Taylor-Dancing Wolf. Inspired by Vietnam veterans, it will be shown at select performances. Other highlights include storytelling by Matoaka Eagle, a hoop dance by Marie Ponce and a deer dance from the Yaqui tribes of southern Arizona. The company’s director, Louis Mofsie, will serve as the M.C.” (NYT-Brian Schaefer)

Songs of Freedom (Jan.31-Feb. 3)
Dizzy’s Club / 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $40
In this program, Nina Simone, Joni Mitchell, and Abbey Lincoln—three of the mightiest voices of their eras—are fêted by the drummer and bandleader Ulysses Owens, Jr. He brings with him a cadre of inspired singers, including René Marie, Theo Bleckmann, and Alicia Olatuja, all of whom are primed to deliver righteous messages of candor and nonconformity.” (Steve Futterman NewYorker)

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Smart Stuff / Other NYC EventS

More smart stuff coming soon.

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Continuing Events

Restaurant Week (January 21 to February 10)
“Some of New York’s best known “deal holidays,” including NYC Restaurant Week and NYC Broadway Week, are joining forces this winter to create, wait for it… NYC Winter Outing.

From January 21 to February 10, NYC Broadway Week, NYC Restaurant Week and NYC Must-See Week will all be running simultaneously offering full nights out for drastically reduced rates. During this time, a selection of Broadway shows, museums, attractions and tours will be available at two-for-one prices and almost 400 restaurants across the city will be offering prix-fixe menus. As in previous years, that means $26 prix-fix lunches and $42, three-course dinners.

For more information on Restaurant Week, including our recommendations for the best deals to take advantage of this season, check out our NYC Restaurant Week page.” (TONY)

Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
Midtown Manhattan’s winter wonderland.
Bryant Park (btw 5th/6th Ave. @42nd St.) / shops to 8PM, rink to 10PM
Enjoy The Lodge by Urbanspace, and The Rink, the centerpiece of Winter Village and New York City’s only free admission ice skating rink.
The Rink
This 17,000 square foot rink features free admission ice skating, high quality rental skates, and free skating shows, special events, and activities.
​October 27, 2018 – March 3, 2019
Daily, 8am-10pm (Rink hours are weather permitting and Rink may be closed for events – check here)

Magic After Hours
Tannen’s Magic, Midtown West (Until Dec 31 2019)

“Twice a week, after closing time, 20 people crowd into the city’s oldest magic shop, Tannen’s, for a cozy evening of prestidigitation by the young and engaging Noah Levine. The shelves are crammed with quirky devices; there’s a file cabinet behind the counter, a mock elephant in the corner and bins of individual trick instructions in plastic covers, like comic books or sheet music. The charm of Levine’s show is in how well it fits the environment of this magic-geek chamber of secrets. As he maneuvers cards, eggs, cups and balls with aplomb, he talks shop, larding his patter with tributes to routines like the Stencel Aces and the Vernon Boat Trick—heirlooms of his trade that he gently polishes and displays for our amazement.” (TONY)

============================================================================
♦ 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.

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

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
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St., lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474
and one more, not quite WestSide
Bowery Ballroom – 6 Delancey St. boweryballroom.com

For a comprehensive list of the best places to hear All Types of Live Music in Manhattan see the tab above “LiveMusic.”

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.

Alas, Caffe V is no more, another victim of a rapacious NYC landlord. Owner Ishrat fought the good fight and Caffe V will be sorely missed.
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NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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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 one exhibition the New Yorker likes:

“God Made My Face”  (Through Feb. 16)

“This beautifully calibrated group exhibition, organized by Hilton Als, a staff writer at this magazine, is subtitled “A Collective Portrait of James Baldwin.” The thesis of the stirring visual essay is that Baldwin has become a stock character—a civil-rights prophet—and that this, however powerful, is a diminishment of the man. Als fleshes out his portrait with a daringly eclectic assortment of art works and documents, which shift in tone from rapturous (paintings by Beauford Delaney and Alice Neel) to harrowing (a fever-dream animation about the antebellum South by Kara Walker). Portraits of the writer by his lifelong friend Richard Avedon hang on the walls, along with a stark one of Michael Jackson dwarfed by his shadow, shot by Anthony Barboza—a prescient portrait of a black man subsumed by his legacy. Photographs of buildings in Belle Époque Paris, by Eugene Atget, establish Baldwin the boulevardier; photographs of the piers in Manhattan, taken by Alvin Baltrop during the pre-AIDS heyday of gay liberation, convey carnal desire. Each choice by Als eloquently amplifies the polyphony of Baldwin’s voice.” (

Zwirner, 533 W. 19th St.

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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 this 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.) “

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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see recent posts in right sidebar dated 01/30 and 01/28.

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

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (01/31) + Today’s Featured Pub (Upper West Side)

Posted on 01/31/2019 by GregD

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > THURSDAY/ JANUARY 31, 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:  “February 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.
To make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above;  “LiveMusic.”

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

Songs of Freedom (Jan.31-Feb. 3)
Dizzy’s Club / 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $40
In this program, Nina Simone, Joni Mitchell, and Abbey Lincoln—three of the mightiest voices of their eras—are fêted by the drummer and bandleader Ulysses Owens, Jr. He brings with him a cadre of inspired singers, including René Marie, Theo Bleckmann, and Alicia Olatuja, all of whom are primed to deliver righteous messages of candor and nonconformity.” (Steve Futterman NewYorker)

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7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> ANI CORDERO
>> Pelléas et Mélisande
>> BALLETBOYZ
>> Nosferatu (1922): silent horror classic accompanied by live music
>>Don’t Bring Extinct Creatures Back to Life
>> MOCATalks: Hong Kong Noir
>> Inside Out|Outside In: Second Nature in Japanese Architecture
Continuing Events
>> Restaurant Week
>> Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
>> Magic After Hours
===================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

ANI CORDERO
at the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center / 7:30 p.m.; FREE, but get there early for a seat.
“The New York-based singer and instrumentalist uses music to tap into her Puerto Rican heritage, performing traditional music from the island, as well as from around Latin America (she’s worked with the Brazilian ensemble Os Mutantes, among others). Specifically, on her debut solo release in 2014, “Recordar,” Cordero paid tribute to Latin American music’s history of protest songs, offering her rendition of compositions by artists like Mexico’s Chavela Vargas and Chile’s Violeta Parra. This concert is free, and the Puerto Rican pop singer JOATA will open.” (NYT-NATALIE WEINER)

Pelléas et Mélisande (last chance)
Metropolitan Opera House / 7:30PM, $20+
Debussy’s only opera, a mesmerizing meditation on love and betrayal, returns to the Met stage for the first time in almost a decade, with Music Director Designate Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducting the landmark score. A pair of brilliant young Met stars, tenor Paul Appleby and mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard, are the naïve title lovers, and baritone Kyle Ketelsen is the imperious Prince Golaud. Ferruccio Furlanetto, as Arkel, and Marie-Nicole Lemieux, as Geneviève, complete the cast.

BALLETBOYZ (through Feb.3).
at the Joyce Theater  / 8 p.m. $35+
“This company, formed by Michael Nunn and William Trevitt — who met at the Royal Ballet School and both joined the Royal Ballet in 1987 — presents the New York premiere of “Young Men,” a multimedia work focusing on stories of love, friendship, loss and survival among soldiers in World War I. Choreographed by Iván Pérez, a former Nederlands Dans Theater member, the production is set to a score by Keaton Henson and includes a film.” (NYT-Gia Kourlas)

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Smart Stuff / Other NYC EventS

Nosferatu (1922): silent horror classic accompanied by live music
Brookfield Place, The Rink, 230 Vesey St./ 7:30PM, FREE
“Vampire Count Orlok expresses interest in a new residence and real estate agent Hutter’s wife. Nosferatu continues to be one of the most influential horror films of all time featuring actor Max Schreck as the iconic vampire villain Count Orlok. Directed by F. W. Murnau.”

Intelligence Squared US Debates:
Don’t Bring Extinct Creatures Back to Life
Hunter College, 47-49 E. 65th St./ 7PM, $40
“Another not-simply-academic dilemma you might not have expected to encounter in this lifetime is whether or not to bring extinct creatures back to life. Rapid advances in DNA science have made the return of the woolly mammoth—a potential savior in the fight against climate change—and creatures like it something approaching inevitable. Intelligence Squared US Debates brings in four experts to weigh the playing of God. AMNH curator Dr. Ross MacPhee and NASA Evolutionary Biologist and Astrobiologist Dr. Lynn J. Rothschild will argue against resurrection biology, with Harvard and MIT Professor of Genetics Dr. George Church and Whole Earth Catalogue co-founder Stewart Brand in favor. (ThoughtGallery)

MOCATalks: Hong Kong Noir
Museum of Chinese in America, 215 Centre St./ 6:30PM, $20
“Join us for a night of food, mysteries and intrigue as the authors and editor of Hong Noir will take us through these unforgettable stories of what will Hong Kong look like in five years, ten years, or thirty years when the “one country, two systems” promise expires? These are some of the questions some of Hong Kong’s finest authors explore in Hong Kong Noir.

Tickets are $20 and include samples of dumplings, spring rolls, mini samosas, wine and Museum admission.”

Inside Out|Outside In: Second Nature in Japanese Architecture
Japan Society, 333 E. 47th St./ 6:30PM, $15
“Bring the outdoors indoors at this talk on Japanese architecture and the role of weather in the conception of architectural space. In our climate-shifting world, the traditional Japanese notion of mediating between interior and exterior has re-emerged as an essential concern for contemporary architects.”

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

Continuing Events

Restaurant Week (January 21 to February 10)
“Some of New York’s best known “deal holidays,” including NYC Restaurant Week and NYC Broadway Week, are joining forces this winter to create, wait for it… NYC Winter Outing.

From January 21 to February 10, NYC Broadway Week, NYC Restaurant Week and NYC Must-See Week will all be running simultaneously offering full nights out for drastically reduced rates. During this time, a selection of Broadway shows, museums, attractions and tours will be available at two-for-one prices and almost 400 restaurants across the city will be offering prix-fixe menus. As in previous years, that means $26 prix-fix lunches and $42, three-course dinners.

For more information on Restaurant Week, including our recommendations for the best deals to take advantage of this season, check out our NYC Restaurant Week page.” (TONY)

Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
Midtown Manhattan’s winter wonderland.
Bryant Park (btw 5th/6th Ave. @42nd St.) / shops to 8PM, rink to 10PM
Enjoy The Lodge by Urbanspace, and The Rink, the centerpiece of Winter Village and New York City’s only free admission ice skating rink.
The Rink
This 17,000 square foot rink features free admission ice skating, high quality rental skates, and free skating shows, special events, and activities.
​October 27, 2018 – March 3, 2019
Daily, 8am-10pm (Rink hours are weather permitting and Rink may be closed for events – check here)

Magic After Hours
Tannen’s Magic, Midtown West (Until Dec 31 2019)

“Twice a week, after closing time, 20 people crowd into the city’s oldest magic shop, Tannen’s, for a cozy evening of prestidigitation by the young and engaging Noah Levine. The shelves are crammed with quirky devices; there’s a file cabinet behind the counter, a mock elephant in the corner and bins of individual trick instructions in plastic covers, like comic books or sheet music. The charm of Levine’s show is in how well it fits the environment of this magic-geek chamber of secrets. As he maneuvers cards, eggs, cups and balls with aplomb, he talks shop, larding his patter with tributes to routines like the Stencel Aces and the Vernon Boat Trick—heirlooms of his trade that he gently polishes and displays for our amazement.” (TONY)

==========================================================================
♦ 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.

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

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

Laurie Beechman Theatre – 407 W 42nd St.

Marie’s Crisis – 59 Grove 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.

For a comprehensive list of the best places to hear All Types of Live Music in Manhattan see the tab above “LiveMusic.”

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NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):
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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.
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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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