NYC Events,”Only the Best” (09/03) + US Tennis Open (Day 8)

Posted on 09/03/2018 by GregD

Today’s Fab 5 NYC Events > MONDAY/ SEPTEMBER 03, 2018

“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: “NYC Events-September”
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.

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

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

Summer HD Festival: Madama Butterfly
Metropolitan Opera Plaza, Lincoln Center / 8PM, FREE
“Anthony Minghella’s striking production stars soprano Kristine Opolais as the tragic title geisha, opposite tenor Roberto Alagna as her unfaithful American lover. Original transmission: April 2, 2016 Approximate running time: 2 hours 30 minutes.”

“The tenth Summer HD Festival features ten thrilling performances from the Met’s Live in HD series of cinema transmissions. The showings run from August 24 through September 3, with approximately 3,000 seats set up in front of the opera house each night, as well as additional standing room around Lincoln Center Plaza.”

=========================================================
4 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Bebel Gilberto
>> Michael Feinstein and Christine Ebersole:
>> West Indian Day Parade
>> Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit
Continuing Events
>> Today’s Top Event –  U.S. TENNIS OPEN
>> Metropolitan Opera Summer HD Festival
>> Fear & Force: New York City’s Sons of Liberty
========================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Bebel Gilberto
City Winery / 8PM, $55–$65
“Bebel Gilberto launched a thousand boutiques around the turn of the millennium with Tanto Tempo, an oxygenated blend of bossa nova and electronica. The daughter of bossa inventor João Gilberto has subsequently dialed down the synths; her latest release, Live at the Belly Up, is a stripped-down set with longtime guitarist Masa Shimizu. Gilberto sounds kittenish and comfortable among awkward sing-alongs, the occasional flubbed lyric, and a cover of Radiohead’s “Creep” that really shouldn’t work as well as it does. If she sometimes sounds as though she really doesn’t give a hoot, it makes her a refreshing alternative to more self-conscious purveyors of sultry nightclub standards. The cool, calming influence of Sade pervades everything from her expatriate take on Caetano Veloso’s “Baby” to Marcos Valle’s seasonally appropriate “So Nice (Summer Samba).” (Richard Gehr, VillageVoice)

 Michael Feinstein and Christine Ebersole: Two For the Road (Sep.01-03)
54 Below / 7PM, $85+
“Feinstein, the popular and polished standard-bearer of American song, returns to the club that bears his name for a long run that teams him with one of the best cabaret performers out there: Broadway leading lady Ebersole (Grey Gardens), who is equally skilled at comedy and sentiment and who moves with ease between her lustrous belt and legit soprano. Among the selections in their Great American Songbook–centered set are “Stormy Weather,” “Time After Time” and “On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe.” (TONY)

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

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures/Discussions, Book Talks, Film, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

West Indian Day Parade
Various Locations / 11AM, FREE
“Celebrate Brooklyn’s West Indian/Caribbean diaspora and its carnival tradition at this annual fest. Expect a boisterous J’Ouvert pre-party to kick things off, then a massive march featuring vibrant steel-pan and calypso bands, and larger-than-life colorful costumes, along with food vendors shelling out authentic island fare like jerk, roti and doubles.” (TONY)
try TimeOut’s West Indian Day Parade 2018 guide

Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit (Sept. 1-3)
University Place at East 13th Street to the east side of Washington Square Park at West Third Street./ 12-6PM, FREE
“The Fall Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit will be held from on Saturday, Sept. 1, Sunday, Sept. 2 and Monday, Sept. 3 from noon to 6 p.m. (as well as Sept. 8-9). It will feature fine arts, mixed media, jewelry, ceramics and more.” (amNY)

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

Continuing Events

Today’s Top Event

U.S. TENNIS OPEN (Day 8)

The U.S. Open begins play today (11AM) at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens (about 45 min. from Times Square) and runs through Sept.09. This tournament, which serves up the world’s best tennis players right in our backyard,    is the fourth and final Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year.
subway: @ Times Square take #7 to Willets Point.

Today’s tips: Arrive Early. Security screening seems to have been ratcheted up which may cause delays to enter. Best not to bring a backpack.

The most comprehensive review of the tournament and the current state of tennis can be found at the NYTimes/Sports. OR for another useful guide to the U.S. Open, try TimeOutNewYork’s guide.

Early in the tournament forget the Big House (Arthur Ashe Stadium), which is a full 60% larger than any of the stadiums at the other majors and not a good place to watch tennis. Get a grounds pass and once inside check out the electronic scoreboard listing matches in progress. Find a match or players that interest you. Head over to their court for some great tennis, because in this tournament even the qualifiers are great players. There is no other major sporting event where you can get so close to world class athletes as at the U.S. Open – at least on the outer field courts, and the Grandstand court. These are  courts where you can get a real sense of the pace of the game.

Unfortunately, the brand new Armstrong stadium carries on the USTA tradition of building humongous stadiums, but we still have the outer courts and Grandstand.

If you always wondered how much money is at stake in this tournament, here are the numbers: (the total purse for the 2018 US Open is $53 million.)

In the men’s and women’s singles tournaments this year, players will earn $54,000 for playing in the main draw, $93,000 for reaching the second round and $156,000 for advancing to the Round of 32. They will take home $266,000 for reaching the fourth round, $475,000 for contesting the quarterfinals and $925,000 for making the semifinals. Reaching the final is worth $1.85M, and the winner gets $3.8M, which means that final match is worth $2M for winning. Don’t make any unforced errors!

Both the men’s and women’s doubles champion teams will earn $700,000, the highest in US Open history. First- and second-round losing teams will earn $16,500 and $27,875, respectively. Teams reaching the Round of 16 will receive $46,500, quarterfinalists will win $85,275 and semifinal teams will take home $166,400. Finalists will collect $350,000.

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

Metropolitan Opera Summer HD Festival (LAST DAY)
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
“Think you can’t afford the finer things? Think again. We got the hookup on free opera. For its tenth summer in a row, the Metropolitan Opera invites you to Lincoln Center Plaza for nightly alfresco screenings of epic performances from previous seasons. From August 24–September 3, the Met will set up over 2,800 seats in front of the Opera House, where you and your date can eat and enjoy tapes of the shows under the stars.

The Met opens the series with a self-aware screening of the Marx Brothers’ A Night at the Opera on August 24. After that, you can check out classics like Anthony Minghella’s stunning Madama Butterfly production (September 3 and 8) and many more. Here’s the lineup: A Night at the Opera (August 24) Roméo et Juliette (August 25) Norma (August 26) Elektra (August 27) Il Barbiere di Siviglia (August 28) Lulu (August 29) Rusalka (August 30) L’Elisir d’Amore (August 31) Un Ballo in Maschera (September 1) Der Rosenkavalier (September 2) Madama Butterfly (September 3 and 8)” (TONY)

Fear & Force: New York City’s Sons of Liberty
Fraunces Tavern Museum, 54 Pearl St./ 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm, $7
“We may not like paying taxes, but we would never think to tar and feather the tax collector. Yet as many of the colonists prepared for what would be the American Revolution, there was an organized group who opposed the government through violent resistance. Come see objects preserved from pivotal moments relating to the New York Sons of Liberty, like the tearing down of the King George statue in Bowling Green Park, and throwing chests of tea into the New York Harbor.”

==========================================================================
♦ 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 63 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.

 

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NYC Events,”Only the Best” (09/02) + US Tennis Open (Day 7)

Posted on 09/02/2018 by GregD

Today’s Nifty 9 NYC Events > SUNDAY/ SEPTEMBER 02, 2018

“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: “NYC Events-September”
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.

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

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

Summer HD Festival: Der Rosenkavalier
Metropolitan Opera Plaza, Lincoln Center / 7:15PM, FREE
“In Strauss’s poignant yet insightful comedy, soprano Renée Fleming and mezzo-soprano Elina Garanca lead an unforgettable performance, which also features bass Günther Groissböck and soprano Erin Morley. Original transmission: May 13, 2017 Approximate running time: 3 hours 15 minutes.”

“The tenth Summer HD Festival features ten thrilling performances from the Met’s Live in HD series of cinema transmissions. The showings run from August 24 through September 3, with approximately 3,000 seats set up in front of the opera house each night, as well as additional standing room around Lincoln Center Plaza.”

=========================================================
8 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Here and Now Festival
>> Cyrus Chestnut Trio
>>  Joe Lovano
>> Michael Feinstein and Christine Ebersole:
>> Brazilian Day 2018
>> Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit 
>> Unicycle Festival
>> New York International Salsa Congress
Continuing Events
>> Today’s Top Event –  U.S. TENNIS OPEN
>> Metropolitan Opera Summer HD Festival
>> Fear & Force: New York City’s Sons of Liberty
========================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

OK, this is not Manhattan’s WestSide, but it is Brooklyn’s WestSide and worth the detour:
Here and Now Festival
Bargemusic, Fulton Ferry Landing / 4PM, $40
“The week surrounding Labor Day can seem like a classical-music desert, with summer festivals ending and the new fall season yet to arrive. Happily, Bargemusic, that reliably unconventional floating concert hall moored in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge, addresses the drought head on, with an annual series that celebrates living composers. Instead of emphasizing marquee names, the opening salvo of the Here and Now Festival, Aug. 31-Sept. 2, showcases friends and neighbors, with companionable works by Daron Hagen, Yoriaki Matsudaira, Peri Mauer, Daniel Schnyder, Gerard Schwarz, and David Taylor, laid out in a smorgasbord of world and local premières (and a few repeats) that changes daily.” (Steve Smith, NewYorker)

Cyrus Chestnut Trio (Aug. 30-Sept. 2.)
Jazz Standard, 116 E. 27th St. / 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $35
“Although his new album, “Kaleidoscope,” finds Chestnut reconfiguring compositions by Mozart, Debussy, and Satie, it’s safe to say that this passionate pianist will dip into the roomy jazz repertoire at this engagement. He’ll play alongside two partners long familiar from his recordings and live performances: the bassist Buster Williams and the drummer Lenny White.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

Joe Lovano (Aug.28-Sept.2)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St./ 8:30PM, +10:30PM, $35
“Too young at age sixty-five to be considered an elder statesman, but with enough experience and wisdom to have secured a position in the jazz firmament, Lovano can safely be called a master, a saxophonist and bandleader of rare inspiration. For this engagement, he steers an intergenerational quartet that includes Marc Johnson (the last bassist to work with Bill Evans) and the septuagenarian drummer Andrew Cyrille (a valued associate of Cecil Taylor).” (Steve Futterman,NewYorker)

 Michael Feinstein and Christine Ebersole: Two For the Road (Sep.01-03)
54 Below / 7PM, $85+
“Feinstein, the popular and polished standard-bearer of American song, returns to the club that bears his name for a long run that teams him with one of the best cabaret performers out there: Broadway leading lady Ebersole (Grey Gardens), who is equally skilled at comedy and sentiment and who moves with ease between her lustrous belt and legit soprano. Among the selections in their Great American Songbook–centered set are “Stormy Weather,” “Time After Time” and “On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe.” (TONY)

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

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures/Discussions, Book Talks, Film, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

Brazilian Day 2018
Groove to the beats of Brazil
42nd Street to Central Park along Sixth Avenue.
stage at 43rd Street/ 11AM-6PM, FREE
“Brazilian music, dancing and food take over 25 blocks of Midtown on Sunday for the second largest celebration of all things Brazil outside of Carnival. Wear green and yellow to get in the spirit on Sunday for an all-day party expected to draw over a million people for free concerts by musicians flying in for the fest, with tons of activities and booths.” (Metro)

Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit (Sept. 1-3)
University Place at East 13th Street to the east side of Washington Square Park at West Third Street./ 12-6PM, FREE
“The Fall Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit will be held from on Saturday, Sept. 1, Sunday, Sept. 2 and Monday, Sept. 3 from noon to 6 p.m. (as well as Sept. 8-9). It will feature fine arts, mixed media, jewelry, ceramics and more.” (amNY)

Unicycle Festival
Governors Island / 12PM-5PM, FREE
Sometimes two wheels are just so boring. Head to Governors Island on Saturday and Sunday for the Unicycle Festival, with games, races, demonstrations, unicycle basketball, Frisbee, and sumo, and the opportunity to learn how to ride a one-wheeler yourself. Add a costume, and you may just have found a new profession.” (grubstreet.com)

New York International Salsa Congress (Aug.31-Sept.2)
Hit the dance floor at a 3-day salsa fest
New York Marriott Marquis, 1535 Broadway /
“Celebrate Labor Day weekend at the New York International Salsa Congress, a three-day festival where Latin dance and the sounds that inspire it will be at every turn. Bands and DJs will provide the tunes, and dance instructors will be on hand to teach the steps.”

Partial/day passes $40-$150, full passes $299-$399; workshops are at 11 a.m. Friday-Saturday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Sunday; Musical showcases at 8 p.m. daily” (amNY)

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

Continuing Events

Today’s Top Event

U.S. TENNIS OPEN (Day 7)

The U.S. Open begins play today (11AM) at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens (about 45 min. from Times Square) and runs through Sept.09. This tournament, which serves up the world’s best tennis players right in our backyard,    is the fourth and final Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year.
subway: @ Times Square take #7 to Willets Point.

Today’s tips: Arrive Early. Security screening seems to have been ratcheted up which may cause delays to enter. Best not to bring a backpack.

The most comprehensive review of the tournament and the current state of tennis can be found at the NYTimes/Sports. OR for another useful guide to the U.S. Open, try TimeOutNewYork’s guide.

Early in the tournament forget the Big House (Arthur Ashe Stadium), which is a full 60% larger than any of the stadiums at the other majors and not a good place to watch tennis. Get a grounds pass and once inside check out the electronic scoreboard listing matches in progress. Find a match or players that interest you. Head over to their court for some great tennis, because in this tournament even the qualifiers are great players. There is no other major sporting event where you can get so close to world class athletes as at the U.S. Open – at least on the outer field courts, and the Grandstand court. These are  courts where you can get a real sense of the pace of the game.

Unfortunately, the brand new Armstrong stadium carries on the USTA tradition of building humongous stadiums, but we still have the outer courts and Grandstand.

If you always wondered how much money is at stake in this tournament, here are the numbers: (the total purse for the 2018 US Open is $53 million.)

In the men’s and women’s singles tournaments this year, players will earn $54,000 for playing in the main draw, $93,000 for reaching the second round and $156,000 for advancing to the Round of 32. They will take home $266,000 for reaching the fourth round, $475,000 for contesting the quarterfinals and $925,000 for making the semifinals. Reaching the final is worth $1.85M, and the winner gets $3.8M, which means that final match is worth $2M for winning. Don’t make any unforced errors!

Both the men’s and women’s doubles champion teams will earn $700,000, the highest in US Open history. First- and second-round losing teams will earn $16,500 and $27,875, respectively. Teams reaching the Round of 16 will receive $46,500, quarterfinalists will win $85,275 and semifinal teams will take home $166,400. Finalists will collect $350,000.

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

Metropolitan Opera Summer HD Festival (Aug.24-Sep.03)
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
“Think you can’t afford the finer things? Think again. We got the hookup on free opera. For its tenth summer in a row, the Metropolitan Opera invites you to Lincoln Center Plaza for nightly alfresco screenings of epic performances from previous seasons. From August 24–September 3, the Met will set up over 2,800 seats in front of the Opera House, where you and your date can eat and enjoy tapes of the shows under the stars.

The Met opens the series with a self-aware screening of the Marx Brothers’ A Night at the Opera on August 24. After that, you can check out classics like Anthony Minghella’s stunning Madama Butterfly production (September 3 and 8) and many more. Here’s the lineup: A Night at the Opera (August 24) Roméo et Juliette (August 25) Norma (August 26) Elektra (August 27) Il Barbiere di Siviglia (August 28) Lulu (August 29) Rusalka (August 30) L’Elisir d’Amore (August 31) Un Ballo in Maschera (September 1) Der Rosenkavalier (September 2) Madama Butterfly (September 3 and 8)” (TONY)

Fear & Force: New York City’s Sons of Liberty
Fraunces Tavern Museum, 54 Pearl St./ 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm, $7
“We may not like paying taxes, but we would never think to tar and feather the tax collector. Yet as many of the colonists prepared for what would be the American Revolution, there was an organized group who opposed the government through violent resistance. Come see objects preserved from pivotal moments relating to the New York Sons of Liberty, like the tearing down of the King George statue in Bowling Green Park, and throwing chests of tea into the New York Harbor.”

==========================================================================
♦ 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 63 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:
(5 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)
Cornelia Street Cafe – UG, 29 Cornelia St. corneliastreetcafe.com, 212-989-9319 (6pm)

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)

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 surprises with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It’s 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.

 

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NYC Events,”Only the Best” (09/01) + US Tennis Open (Day 6)

Posted on 09/01/2018 by GregD

Today’s Nifty 9 NYC Events > SATURDAY/ SEPTEMBER 01, 2018

“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: “NYC Events-September”
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.

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

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

Summer HD Festival: Un Ballo in Maschera
Metropolitan Opera Plaza, Lincoln Center / 8PM, FREE
“An all-star cast—including tenor Marcelo Álvarez, soprano Sondra Radvanovsky, and the incomparable baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky—comes together for Verdi’s tragedy of love, friendship, and betrayal. Original transmission: December 8, 2012 Approximate running time: 2 hours 20 minutes.”

“The tenth Summer HD Festival features ten thrilling performances from the Met’s Live in HD series of cinema transmissions. The showings run from August 24 through September 3, with approximately 3,000 seats set up in front of the opera house each night, as well as additional standing room around Lincoln Center Plaza.”

=========================================================
8 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Here and Now Festival
>> Cyrus Chestnut Trio
>>  Joe Lovano
>> Michael Feinstein and Christine Ebersole:
>> Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit
>> Hester Street Fair: Lobster and Beer
>> Unicycle Festival
>> New York International Salsa Congress
Continuing Events
>> Today’s Top Event –  U.S. TENNIS OPEN
>> Metropolitan Opera Summer HD Festival
>> Fear & Force: New York City’s Sons of Liberty
========================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

OK, this is not Manhattan’s WestSide, but it is Brooklyn’s WestSide and worth the detour:
Here and Now Festival
Bargemusic, Fulton Ferry Landing / 6PM, (Sep.02 @4PM), $40
“The week surrounding Labor Day can seem like a classical-music desert, with summer festivals ending and the new fall season yet to arrive. Happily, Bargemusic, that reliably unconventional floating concert hall moored in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge, addresses the drought head on, with an annual series that celebrates living composers. Instead of emphasizing marquee names, the opening salvo of the Here and Now Festival, Aug. 31-Sept. 2, showcases friends and neighbors, with companionable works by Daron Hagen, Yoriaki Matsudaira, Peri Mauer, Daniel Schnyder, Gerard Schwarz, and David Taylor, laid out in a smorgasbord of world and local premières (and a few repeats) that changes daily.” (Steve Smith, NewYorker)

Cyrus Chestnut Trio (Aug. 30-Sept. 2.)
Jazz Standard, 116 E. 27th St. / 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $35
“Although his new album, “Kaleidoscope,” finds Chestnut reconfiguring compositions by Mozart, Debussy, and Satie, it’s safe to say that this passionate pianist will dip into the roomy jazz repertoire at this engagement. He’ll play alongside two partners long familiar from his recordings and live performances: the bassist Buster Williams and the drummer Lenny White.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

Joe Lovano (Aug.28-Sept.2)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St./ 8:30PM, +10:30PM, $35
“Too young at age sixty-five to be considered an elder statesman, but with enough experience and wisdom to have secured a position in the jazz firmament, Lovano can safely be called a master, a saxophonist and bandleader of rare inspiration. For this engagement, he steers an intergenerational quartet that includes Marc Johnson (the last bassist to work with Bill Evans) and the septuagenarian drummer Andrew Cyrille (a valued associate of Cecil Taylor).” (Steve Futterman,NewYorker)

 Michael Feinstein and Christine Ebersole: Two For the Road (Sep.01-03))
54 Below / 7PM,+9:30PM, $85+
“Feinstein, the popular and polished standard-bearer of American song, returns to the club that bears his name for a long run that teams him with one of the best cabaret performers out there: Broadway leading lady Ebersole (Grey Gardens), who is equally skilled at comedy and sentiment and who moves with ease between her lustrous belt and legit soprano. Among the selections in their Great American Songbook–centered set are “Stormy Weather,” “Time After Time” and “On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe.” (TONY)

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

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures/Discussions, Book Talks, Film, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit (Sept. 1-3)
University Place at East 13th Street to the east side of Washington Square Park at West Third Street./ 12-6PM, FREE
“The Fall Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit will be held from on Saturday, Sept. 1, Sunday, Sept. 2 and Monday, Sept. 3 from noon to 6 p.m. (as well as Sept. 8-9). It will feature fine arts, mixed media, jewelry, ceramics and more.” (amNY)

Hester Street Fair: Lobster and Beer (Sept. 1)
Hester Street and Essex Street / 11AM-6PM, FREE
“Eat enough lobster and drink $4 beer until your heart is content at the fourth Lobster and Beer event at the Hester Street Fair. Local restaurants (DownEast Lobstah and Lobster Joint) will be on site, and you’ll be able to wash it all down with Old Blue Last — a smooth American Pale Ale. Of course, there will be many shops to peruse from as usual.” (amNY)

Unicycle Festival
Governors Island / 12PM-5PM, FREE
Sometimes two wheels are just so boring. Head to Governors Island on Saturday and Sunday for the Unicycle Festival, with games, races, demonstrations, unicycle basketball, Frisbee, and sumo, and the opportunity to learn how to ride a one-wheeler yourself. Add a costume, and you may just have found a new profession.” (grubstreet.com)

New York International Salsa Congress (Aug.31-Sept.2)
Hit the dance floor at a 3-day salsa fest
New York Marriott Marquis, 1535 Broadway /
“Celebrate Labor Day weekend at the New York International Salsa Congress, a three-day festival where Latin dance and the sounds that inspire it will be at every turn. Bands and DJs will provide the tunes, and dance instructors will be on hand to teach the steps.”

Partial/day passes $40-$150, full passes $299-$399; workshops are at 11 a.m. Friday-Saturday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Sunday; Musical showcases at 8 p.m. daily” (amNY)

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

Continuing Events

Today’s Top Event

U.S. TENNIS OPEN (Day 6)

The U.S. Open begins play today (11AM) at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens (about 45 min. from Times Square) and runs through Sept.09. This tournament, which serves up the world’s best tennis players right in our backyard,    is the fourth and final Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year.
subway: @ Times Square take #7 to Willets Point.

Today’s tips: Arrive Early. Security screening seems to have been ratcheted up which may cause delays to enter. Best not to bring a backpack.

The most comprehensive review of the tournament and the current state of tennis can be found at the NYTimes/Sports. OR for another useful guide to the U.S. Open, try TimeOutNewYork’s guide.

Early in the tournament forget the Big House (Arthur Ashe Stadium), which is a full 50% larger than any of the stadiums at the other majors and not a good place to watch tennis. Get a grounds pass and once inside check out one of the electronic scoreboards listing matches in progress. Find a match or players that interest you. Head over to their court for some great tennis, because in this tournament even the qualifiers are great players. There is no other major sporting event where you can get so close to world class athletes as at the U.S. Open – at least on the outer field courts, and the Grandstand court. These are  courts where you can get a real sense of the pace of the game.

Unfortunately, the brand new Armstrong stadium carries on the USTA tradition of building humongous stadiums, but we still have the outer courts and Grandstand.

If you always wondered how much money is at stake in this tournament, here are the numbers: (the total purse for the 2018 US Open is $53 million)

In the men’s and women’s singles tournaments this year, players will earn $54,000 for playing in the main draw, $93,000 for reaching the second round and $156,000 for advancing to the Round of 32. They will take home $266,000 for reaching the fourth round, $475,000 for contesting the quarterfinals and $925,000 for making the semifinals. Reaching the final is worth $1.85M, and the winner gets $3.8M, which means that final match is worth $2M for winning. Don’t make any unforced errors!

Both the men’s and women’s doubles champion teams will earn $700,000, the highest in US Open history. First- and second-round losing teams will earn $16,500 and $27,875, respectively. Teams reaching the Round of 16 will receive $46,500, quarterfinalists will win $85,275 and semifinal teams will take home $166,400. Finalists will collect $350,000.

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

Metropolitan Opera Summer HD Festival (Aug.24-Sep.03)
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
“Think you can’t afford the finer things? Think again. We got the hookup on free opera. For its tenth summer in a row, the Metropolitan Opera invites you to Lincoln Center Plaza for nightly alfresco screenings of epic performances from previous seasons. From August 24–September 3, the Met will set up over 2,800 seats in front of the Opera House, where you and your date can eat and enjoy tapes of the shows under the stars.

The Met opens the series with a self-aware screening of the Marx Brothers’ A Night at the Opera on August 24. After that, you can check out classics like Anthony Minghella’s stunning Madama Butterfly production (September 3 and 8) and many more. Here’s the lineup: A Night at the Opera (August 24) Roméo et Juliette (August 25) Norma (August 26) Elektra (August 27) Il Barbiere di Siviglia (August 28) Lulu (August 29) Rusalka (August 30) L’Elisir d’Amore (August 31) Un Ballo in Maschera (September 1) Der Rosenkavalier (September 2) Madama Butterfly (September 3 and 8)” (TONY)

Fear & Force: New York City’s Sons of Liberty
Fraunces Tavern Museum, 54 Pearl St./ 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm, $7
“We may not like paying taxes, but we would never think to tar and feather the tax collector. Yet as many of the colonists prepared for what would be the American Revolution, there was an organized group who opposed the government through violent resistance. Come see objects preserved from pivotal moments relating to the New York Sons of Liberty, like the tearing down of the King George statue in Bowling Green Park, and throwing chests of tea into the New York Harbor.”

==========================================================================
♦ 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 63 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,

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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NYC Events,”Only the Best” (08/31) + US Tennis Open (Day 5)

Posted on 08/31/2018 by GregD

Today’s Super 7 NYC Events > FRIDAY/ AUGUST 31, 2018

“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: “NYC Events-August”
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.

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

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

Summer HD Festival: L’Elisir d’Amore
Metropolitan Opera Plaza, Lincoln Center / 8PM, FREE

“Donizetti’s bubbly comedy about a spunky landowner, a hapless peasant, and the dubious love potion that may or may not bring them together stars soprano Pretty Yende and tenor Matthew Polenzani. Original transmission: February 10, 2018 Approximate running time: 2 hours 10 minute.”

“The tenth Summer HD Festival features ten thrilling performances from the Met’s Live in HD series of cinema transmissions. The showings run from August 24 through September 3, with approximately 3,000 seats set up in front of the opera house each night, as well as additional standing room around Lincoln Center Plaza.”

=========================================================
6 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>>  Joe Lovano
>> Michael Feinstein and Christine Ebersole:
>> Katie Thiroux
>> Roy Hargrove
>> Unicycle Festival
>> New York International Salsa Congress
Continuing Events
>> Today’s Top Event –  U.S. TENNIS OPEN
>> Metropolitan Opera Summer HD Festival
>> Fear & Force: New York City’s Sons of Liberty
========================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Joe Lovano (Aug.28-Sept.2)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St./ 8:30PM, +10:30PM, $35
“Too young at age sixty-five to be considered an elder statesman, but with enough experience and wisdom to have secured a position in the jazz firmament, Lovano can safely be called a master, a saxophonist and bandleader of rare inspiration. For this engagement, he steers an intergenerational quartet that includes Marc Johnson (the last bassist to work with Bill Evans) and the septuagenarian drummer Andrew Cyrille (a valued associate of Cecil Taylor).” (Steve Futterman,NewYorker)

 Michael Feinstein and Christine Ebersole: Two For the Road (thru Sep.03)
54 Below / 7PM, $85+
“Feinstein, the popular and polished standard-bearer of American song, returns to the club that bears his name for a long run that teams him with one of the best cabaret performers out there: Broadway leading lady Ebersole (Grey Gardens), who is equally skilled at comedy and sentiment and who moves with ease between her lustrous belt and legit soprano. Among the selections in their Great American Songbook–centered set are “Stormy Weather,” “Time After Time” and “On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe.” (TONY)

Katie Thiroux (Aug.29-Sept.1)
Birdland Theatre, 315 W. 44th St./ 7PM, $20-$30
A bassist with a sound as massive as a cruise ship and a singer with a pocket-size voice that she maneuvers with expressive agility, Thiroux is as seriously musical as she is serenely entertaining. Her quartet includes the virtuosic clarinettist and saxophonist Ken Peplowski.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

Roy Hargrove (LAST DAY)
Blue Note / 8PM, +10:30PM, $30-$45
“Fiery trumpeter Hargrove has deep crossover appeal—you can hear him grooving with Erykah Badu and Common on his early aughts album Hard Groove alongside his slick funky combo RH Factor. Since then, he’s proven himself a veritable multitalent, switching over to a soulful neobop quintet. You’ll be hearing him in the latter mode in the second half of his Blue Note residency (Aug 28–Sept 2) and in a duet format with Grammy-winning vet Paquito D’Rivera earlier in the month (Aug 13–Aug 16).” (TONY)

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

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures/Discussions, Book Talks, Film, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

Unicycle Festival
Governors Island / 12PM-5PM, FREE
Sometimes two wheels are just so boring. Head to Governors Island on Saturday and Sunday for the Unicycle Festival, with games, races, demonstrations, unicycle basketball, Frisbee, and sumo, and the opportunity to learn how to ride a one-wheeler yourself. Add a costume, and you may just have found a new profession.” (grubstreet.com)

New York International Salsa Congress (Aug.31-Sept.2)
Hit the dance floor at a 3-day salsa fest
New York Marriott Marquis, 1535 Broadway /
“Celebrate Labor Day weekend at the New York International Salsa Congress, a three-day festival where Latin dance and the sounds that inspire it will be at every turn. Bands and DJs will provide the tunes, and dance instructors will be on hand to teach the steps.”

Partial/day passes $40-$150, full passes $299-$399; workshops are at 11 a.m. Friday-Saturday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Sunday; Musical showcases at 8 p.m. daily” (amNY)

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

Continuing Events

Today’s Top Event

U.S. TENNIS OPEN (Day 5)

The U.S. Open begins play today (11AM) at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens (about 45 min. from Times Square) and runs through Sept.09. This tournament, which serves up the world’s best tennis players right in our backyard,    is the fourth and final Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year.
subway: @ Times Square take #7 to Willets Point.

Today’s tips: Arrive Early. Security screening seems to have been ratcheted up which may cause delays to enter. Best not to bring a backpack.

The most comprehensive review of the tournament and the current state of tennis can be found at the NYTimes/Sports. OR for another useful guide to the U.S. Open, try TimeOutNewYork’s guide.

Early in the tournament forget the Big House (Arthur Ashe Stadium), which is a full 50% larger than any of the stadiums at the other majors and not a good place to watch tennis. Get a grounds pass and once inside check out one of the electronic scoreboards listing matches in progress. Find a match or players that interest you. Head over to their court for some great tennis, because in this tournament even the qualifiers are great players. There is no other major sporting event where you can get so close to world class athletes as at the U.S. Open – at least on the outer field courts, and the Grandstand court. These are  courts where you can get a real sense of the pace of the game.

Unfortunately, the brand new Armstrong stadium carries on the USTA tradition of building humongous stadiums, but we still have the outer courts and Grandstand.

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

Metropolitan Opera Summer HD Festival (Aug.24-Sep.03)
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
“Think you can’t afford the finer things? Think again. We got the hookup on free opera. For its tenth summer in a row, the Metropolitan Opera invites you to Lincoln Center Plaza for nightly alfresco screenings of epic performances from previous seasons. From August 24–September 3, the Met will set up over 2,800 seats in front of the Opera House, where you and your date can eat and enjoy tapes of the shows under the stars.

The Met opens the series with a self-aware screening of the Marx Brothers’ A Night at the Opera on August 24. After that, you can check out classics like Anthony Minghella’s stunning Madama Butterfly production (September 3 and 8) and many more. Here’s the lineup: A Night at the Opera (August 24) Roméo et Juliette (August 25) Norma (August 26) Elektra (August 27) Il Barbiere di Siviglia (August 28) Lulu (August 29) Rusalka (August 30) L’Elisir d’Amore (August 31) Un Ballo in Maschera (September 1) Der Rosenkavalier (September 2) Madama Butterfly (September 3 and 8)” (TONY)

Fear & Force: New York City’s Sons of Liberty
Fraunces Tavern Museum, 54 Pearl St./ 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm, $7
“We may not like paying taxes, but we would never think to tar and feather the tax collector. Yet as many of the colonists prepared for what would be the American Revolution, there was an organized group who opposed the government through violent resistance. Come see objects preserved from pivotal moments relating to the New York Sons of Liberty, like the tearing down of the King George statue in Bowling Green Park, and throwing chests of tea into the New York Harbor.”

==========================================================================
♦ 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 63 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.

 

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NYC Events,”Only the Best” (08/30) + US Tennis Open (Day 4)

Posted on 08/30/2018 by GregD

Today’s Super 7 NYC Events > THURSDAY/ AUGUST 30, 2018

“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: “NYC Events-August”
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.

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

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

Summer HD Festival: Rusalka
Metropolitan Opera Plaza, Lincoln Center / 7:45PM, FREE

“Mary Zimmerman’s fantastical production features soprano Kristine Opolaisas the melancholy water nymph at the center of Dvořák’s dark fairy tale. Original transmission: February 25, 2017 Approximate running time: 2 hours 45 minutes.”

“The tenth Summer HD Festival features ten thrilling performances from the Met’s Live in HD series of cinema transmissions. The showings run from August 24 through September 3, with approximately 3,000 seats set up in front of the opera house each night, as well as additional standing room around Lincoln Center Plaza.”

=========================================================
6 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Mutual Benefit
>> Soy Caribeña!: Women’s Voices of the Caribbean featuring Krudas Cubensi + Carolina Camacho
>>  Joe Lovano
>> Michael Feinstein and Christine Ebersole:
>> Katie Thiroux
>> Roy Hargrove
Continuing Events
>> Today’s Top Event –  U.S. TENNIS OPEN
>> Metropolitan Opera Summer HD Festival
>> Fear & Force: New York City’s Sons of Liberty
========================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Summer Thursdays: Mutual Benefit
The Museum of Modern Art, Sculpture Garden
Free with Museum admission / 5:30–8:00 p.m.
Live music begins at 6:30 p.m.
“Mutual Benefit is the sprawling chamber folk project of songwriter Jordan Lee. For nearly a decade, he has crafted pop experiments that blend orchestral instrumentation and ambient electronic sounds in songs that are uniquely comforting but willing to stare down life’s more difficult existential quandaries. The recordings are highly collaborative, with friends adding keys, electronics, harmonies, violin and banjo, woodwinds, and found sounds, expanding on Lee’s ethereal voice and off-kilter arrangements.

As a writer for The New Yorker heard it, “Bells and flutes and strings blend with basic rock instruments; vocal arrangements pulse and flow, and the result shimmies beyond the fence of the familiar.” At Summer Thursdays, a five-piece Mutual Benefit will play songs from across the band’s discography and from Lee’s forthcoming full-length, due out this fall.”

Soy Caribeña!: Women’s Voices of the Caribbean featuring Krudas Cubensi + Carolina Camacho
Atrium at Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, FREE
“Join a group of pioneering Caribbean women for this powerful night of music. Odaymara Cuesta and Olivia Prendes, a.k.a. Krudas Cubensi, are Cuban hip-hop MCs, independent musicians, poets, theater performers, and educators standing up for Black and Latin womxn, immigrants, queers, and people of color. They choose art as a weapon to fight against oppression and for justice, balance, and human rights for all. They’re joined by the Dominican singer-songwriter Carolina Camacho, who fuses folkloric rhythms with electronic and vocal jazz and “potent lyrics about the power of women, the body, and movement” (Remezcla).”

Joe Lovano (Aug.28-Sept.2)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St./ 8:30PM, +10:30PM, $35
“Too young at age sixty-five to be considered an elder statesman, but with enough experience and wisdom to have secured a position in the jazz firmament, Lovano can safely be called a master, a saxophonist and bandleader of rare inspiration. For this engagement, he steers an intergenerational quartet that includes Marc Johnson (the last bassist to work with Bill Evans) and the septuagenarian drummer Andrew Cyrille (a valued associate of Cecil Taylor).” (Steve Futterman,NewYorker)

 Michael Feinstein and Christine Ebersole: Two For the Road (Aug.21-31)
54 Below / 7PM, $85+
“Feinstein, the popular and polished standard-bearer of American song, returns to the club that bears his name for a long run that teams him with one of the best cabaret performers out there: Broadway leading lady Ebersole (Grey Gardens), who is equally skilled at comedy and sentiment and who moves with ease between her lustrous belt and legit soprano. Among the selections in their Great American Songbook–centered set are “Stormy Weather,” “Time After Time” and “On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe.” (TONY)

Katie Thiroux (Aug.29-Sept.1)
Birdland Theatre, 315 W. 44th St./ 7PM, $20-$30
A bassist with a sound as massive as a cruise ship and a singer with a pocket-size voice that she maneuvers with expressive agility, Thiroux is as seriously musical as she is serenely entertaining. Her quartet includes the virtuosic clarinettist and saxophonist Ken Peplowski.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

Roy Hargrove (Aug.28-31)
Blue Note / 8PM, +10:30PM, $30-$45
“Fiery trumpeter Hargrove has deep crossover appeal—you can hear him grooving with Erykah Badu and Common on his early aughts album Hard Groove alongside his slick funky combo RH Factor. Since then, he’s proven himself a veritable multitalent, switching over to a soulful neobop quintet. You’ll be hearing him in the latter mode in the second half of his Blue Note residency (Aug 28–Sept 2) and in a duet format with Grammy-winning vet Paquito D’Rivera earlier in the month (Aug 13–Aug 16).” (TONY)

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

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures/Discussions, Book Talks, Film, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

More Smart Stuff coming soon.

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

Continuing Events

Today’s Top Event

U.S. TENNIS OPEN (Day 4)

The U.S. Open begins play today (11AM) at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens (about 45 min. from Times Square) and runs through Sept.09. This tournament, which serves up the world’s best tennis players right in our backyard,    is the fourth and final Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year.
subway: @ Times Square take #7 to Willets Point.

Today’s tips: Arrive Early. Security screening seems to have been ratcheted up which may cause delays to enter. Best not to bring a backpack, but bring a hat & cold water – the temps and humidity have been off the charts.

The most comprehensive review of the tournament and the current state of tennis can be found at the NYTimes/Sports. OR for another useful guide to the U.S. Open, try TimeOutNewYork’s guide.

Early in the tournament forget the Big House (Arthur Ashe Stadium), which is a full 50% larger than any of the stadiums at the other majors and not a good place to watch tennis. Get a grounds pass and once inside check out one of the electronic scoreboards listing matches in progress. Find a match or players that interest you. Head over to their court for some great tennis, because in this tournament even the qualifiers are great players. There is no other major sporting event where you can get so close to world class athletes as at the U.S. Open – at least on the outer field courts, and the Grandstand court. These are  courts where you can get a real sense of the pace of the game.

Unfortunately, the brand new Armstrong stadium carries on the USTA tradition of building humongous stadiums which provide good viewing only for those who buy reserved seats in their lower bowls, which can be pretty pricey. Not nice places to watch tennis for the rest of us. But we still have the outer courts and Grandstand.

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

Metropolitan Opera Summer HD Festival (Aug.24-Sep.03)
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
“Think you can’t afford the finer things? Think again. We got the hookup on free opera. For its tenth summer in a row, the Metropolitan Opera invites you to Lincoln Center Plaza for nightly alfresco screenings of epic performances from previous seasons. From August 24–September 3, the Met will set up over 2,800 seats in front of the Opera House, where you and your date can eat and enjoy tapes of the shows under the stars.

The Met opens the series with a self-aware screening of the Marx Brothers’ A Night at the Opera on August 24. After that, you can check out classics like Anthony Minghella’s stunning Madama Butterfly production (September 3 and 8) and many more. Here’s the lineup: A Night at the Opera (August 24) Roméo et Juliette (August 25) Norma (August 26) Elektra (August 27) Il Barbiere di Siviglia (August 28) Lulu (August 29) Rusalka (August 30) L’Elisir d’Amore (August 31) Un Ballo in Maschera (September 1) Der Rosenkavalier (September 2) Madama Butterfly (September 3 and 8)” (TONY)

Fear & Force: New York City’s Sons of Liberty
Fraunces Tavern Museum, 54 Pearl St./ 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm, $7
“We may not like paying taxes, but we would never think to tar and feather the tax collector. Yet as many of the colonists prepared for what would be the American Revolution, there was an organized group who opposed the government through violent resistance. Come see objects preserved from pivotal moments relating to the New York Sons of Liberty, like the tearing down of the King George statue in Bowling Green Park, and throwing chests of tea into the New York Harbor.”

==========================================================================
♦ 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 63 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,

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.

 

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

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (08/29) + US Tennis Open (Day 3)

Posted on 08/29/2018 by GregD

Today’s Super 7 NYC Events > WEDNESDAY/ AUGUST 29, 2018

“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: “NYC Events-August”
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.

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

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

David Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band
Birdland, 315 W 44th St./ 5:30PM, $30
“Inspired by the noble jazz pioneers Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbecke, Duke Ellington, Jelly Roll Morton and their colleagues, David Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band breathes life and passion into America’s own great art form. Legendary record producer George Avakian describes the band in this way:

“There has never been a band quite like this one. Most groups, past and present, stick to one style. Some current groups attempt to recreate early recordings in their entirety. These guys do neither. Inspired by divergent bands of the 1920s and 30s, you’ll hear them swing a variety of styles in music by a wide range of composers, always true to the joy and heart of the music.”

Now in its 14th year of residency at Birdland, the weekly post-workday engagement is the city’s best musical bargain! Tuba player David Ostwald leads a rotating lineup that features talents such as clarinetist Anat Cohen, trombonist/vocalist Wycliffe Gordon, pianist Ehud Asherie, drummer Marion Felder and more!”

=========================================================
6 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Katie Thiroux
>> Roy Hargrove
>> Summer HD Festival: Lulu
>>  Joe Lovano
>> Michael Feinstein and Christine Ebersole:
>> WILLIAM PARKER’S IN ORDER TO SURVIVE
Continuing Events
>> Today’s Top Event –  U.S. TENNIS OPEN
>> Metropolitan Opera Summer HD Festival
>> Fear & Force: New York City’s Sons of Liberty
========================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Katie Thiroux (Aug.29-Sept.1)
Birdland Theatre, 315 W. 44th St./ 7PM, $20-$30
A bassist with a sound as massive as a cruise ship and a singer with a pocket-size voice that she maneuvers with expressive agility, Thiroux is as seriously musical as she is serenely entertaining. Her quartet includes the virtuosic clarinettist and saxophonist Ken Peplowski.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

Roy Hargrove (Aug.28-31)
Blue Note / 8PM, +10:30PM, $30-$45
“Fiery trumpeter Hargrove has deep crossover appeal—you can hear him grooving with Erykah Badu and Common on his early aughts album Hard Groove alongside his slick funky combo RH Factor. Since then, he’s proven himself a veritable multitalent, switching over to a soulful neobop quintet. You’ll be hearing him in the latter mode in the second half of his Blue Note residency (Aug 28–Sept 2) and in a duet format with Grammy-winning vet Paquito D’Rivera earlier in the month (Aug 13–Aug 16).” (TONY)

Summer HD Festival: Lulu
Metropolitan Opera Plaza, Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, FREE

“Berg’s riveting 20th-century masterpiece bursts to life in William Kentridge’s stunning production, with soprano Marlis Petersen as the alluring yet elusive title character. Original transmission: November 21, 2015 Approximate running time: 3 hours”

“The tenth Summer HD Festival features ten thrilling performances from the Met’s Live in HD series of cinema transmissions. The showings run from August 24 through September 3, with approximately 3,000 seats set up in front of the opera house each night, as well as additional standing room around Lincoln Center Plaza.”

Joe Lovano (Aug.28-Sept.2)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St./ 8:30PM, +10:30PM, $35
“Too young at age sixty-five to be considered an elder statesman, but with enough experience and wisdom to have secured a position in the jazz firmament, Lovano can safely be called a master, a saxophonist and bandleader of rare inspiration. For this engagement, he steers an intergenerational quartet that includes Marc Johnson (the last bassist to work with Bill Evans) and the septuagenarian drummer Andrew Cyrille (a valued associate of Cecil Taylor).” (Steve Futterman,NewYorker)

 Michael Feinstein and Christine Ebersole: Two For the Road (Aug.21-31)
54 Below / 7PM, $85+
“Feinstein, the popular and polished standard-bearer of American song, returns to the club that bears his name for a long run that teams him with one of the best cabaret performers out there: Broadway leading lady Ebersole (Grey Gardens), who is equally skilled at comedy and sentiment and who moves with ease between her lustrous belt and legit soprano. Among the selections in their Great American Songbook–centered set are “Stormy Weather,” “Time After Time” and “On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe.” (TONY)

WILLIAM PARKER’S IN ORDER TO SURVIVE (Aug. 28-29)
at Dizzy’s Club / 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.,$35
“Mr. Parker, an eminent avant-garde bassist, has convened bands for over two decades under the title In Order to Survive. His collaborations vary widely, but the music he tends to make under this moniker is quintessentially Parker: rangy, big-toned free jazz with a mix of sly melodicism and slipping-off-the-cliff unease. At Dizzy’s, Mr. Parker is joined by the trombonist Steve Swell, the saxophonists James Brandon Lewis and Rob Brown, the pianist Cooper-Moore and the drummer Hamid Drake.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

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

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures/Discussions, Book Talks, Film, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

More Smart Stuff coming soon.

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

Continuing Events

Today’s Top Event

U.S. TENNIS OPEN (Day 3)

The U.S. Open begins play today (11AM) at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens (about 45 min. from Times Square) and runs through Sept.09. This tournament, which serves up the world’s best tennis players right in our backyard,    is the fourth and final Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year.
subway: @ Times Square take #7 to Willets Point.

Today’s tips: Arrive Early. Security screening seems to have been ratcheted up which may cause delays to enter. Best not to bring a bag. The most comprehensive review of the tournament and the current state of tennis can be found at the NYTimes/Sports.

OR for a useful guide to the U.S. Open, try TimeOutNewYork’s guide.

Early in the tournament forget the Big House (Arthur Ashe Stadium), which is a full 50% larger than any of the stadiums at the other majors and not a good place to watch tennis. Get a grounds pass and once inside check out one of the electronic scoreboards listing matches in progress. Find a match or players that interest you. Head over to their court for some great tennis, because in this tournament even the qualifiers are great players. There is no other major sporting event where you can get so close to world class athletes as at the U.S. Open – at least on the outer field courts, and the Grandstand court. These are  courts where you can get a real sense of the pace of the game.

Unfortunately, the brand new Armstrong stadium carries on the USTA tradition of building humongous stadiums which provide good viewing only for those on expense accounts who can afford to sit in their lower bowls. Not nice places to watch tennis for the rest of us. But we still have the outer courts and Grandstand.

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

Metropolitan Opera Summer HD Festival (Aug.24-Sep.03)
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
“Think you can’t afford the finer things? Think again. We got the hookup on free opera. For its tenth summer in a row, the Metropolitan Opera invites you to Lincoln Center Plaza for nightly alfresco screenings of epic performances from previous seasons. From August 24–September 3, the Met will set up over 2,800 seats in front of the Opera House, where you and your date can eat and enjoy tapes of the shows under the stars.

The Met opens the series with a self-aware screening of the Marx Brothers’ A Night at the Opera on August 24. After that, you can check out classics like Anthony Minghella’s stunning Madama Butterfly production (September 3 and 8) and many more. Here’s the lineup: A Night at the Opera (August 24) Roméo et Juliette (August 25) Norma (August 26) Elektra (August 27) Il Barbiere di Siviglia (August 28) Lulu (August 29) Rusalka (August 30) L’Elisir d’Amore (August 31) Un Ballo in Maschera (September 1) Der Rosenkavalier (September 2) Madama Butterfly (September 3 and 8)” (TONY)

Fear & Force: New York City’s Sons of Liberty
Fraunces Tavern Museum, 54 Pearl St./ 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm, $7
“We may not like paying taxes, but we would never think to tar and feather the tax collector. Yet as many of the colonists prepared for what would be the American Revolution, there was an organized group who opposed the government through violent resistance. Come see objects preserved from pivotal moments relating to the New York Sons of Liberty, like the tearing down of the King George statue in Bowling Green Park, and throwing chests of tea into the New York Harbor.”

==========================================================================
♦ 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 63 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,

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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NYC Events,”Only the Best” (08/28) + US Tennis Open (Day 2)

Posted on 08/28/2018 by GregD

Today’s Super 7 NYC Events > TUESDAY/ AUGUST 28, 2018

“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: “NYC Events-August”
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.

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

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

Summer HD Festival: Il Barbiere di Siviglia
Metropolitan Opera Plaza, Lincoln Center / 8PM, FREE

“Bartlett Sher’s madcap take on this classic bel canto comedy stars baritone Christopher Maltman in the title role, mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard as the clever Rosina, and tenor Lawrence Brownlee as the ardent Count Almaviva. Original transmission: November 22, 2014 Approximate running time: 2 hours 30 minutes.”

“The tenth Summer HD Festival features ten thrilling performances from the Met’s Live in HD series of cinema transmissions. The showings run from August 24 through September 3, with approximately 3,000 seats set up in front of the opera house each night, as well as additional standing room around Lincoln Center Plaza.”

=========================================================
6 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Roy Hargrove
>>  Joe Lovano
>> Michael Feinstein and Christine Ebersole:
>> WILLIAM PARKER’S IN ORDER TO SURVIVE
>> G. CALVIN WESTON
>> Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin
>> coming soon
Continuing Events
>> Today’s Top Event –  U.S. TENNIS OPEN
>> Metropolitan Opera Summer HD Festival
>> Fear & Force: New York City’s Sons of Liberty
========================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Roy Hargrove (Aug.28-31)
Blue Note / 8PM, +10:30PM, $30-$45
“Fiery trumpeter Hargrove has deep crossover appeal—you can hear him grooving with Erykah Badu and Common on his early aughts album Hard Groove alongside his slick funky combo RH Factor. Since then, he’s proven himself a veritable multitalent, switching over to a soulful neobop quintet. You’ll be hearing him in the latter mode in the second half of his Blue Note residency (Aug 28–Sept 2) and in a duet format with Grammy-winning vet Paquito D’Rivera earlier in the month (Aug 13–Aug 16).” (TONY)

Joe Lovano (Aug.28-Sept.2)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St./ 8:30PM, +10:30PM, $35
“Too young at age sixty-five to be considered an elder statesman, but with enough experience and wisdom to have secured a position in the jazz firmament, Lovano can safely be called a master, a saxophonist and bandleader of rare inspiration. For this engagement, he steers an intergenerational quartet that includes Marc Johnson (the last bassist to work with Bill Evans) and the septuagenarian drummer Andrew Cyrille (a valued associate of Cecil Taylor).” (Steve Futterman,NewYorker)

 Michael Feinstein and Christine Ebersole: Two For the Road (Aug.21-31)
54 Below / 7PM, $85+
“Feinstein, the popular and polished standard-bearer of American song, returns to the club that bears his name for a long run that teams him with one of the best cabaret performers out there: Broadway leading lady Ebersole (Grey Gardens), who is equally skilled at comedy and sentiment and who moves with ease between her lustrous belt and legit soprano. Among the selections in their Great American Songbook–centered set are “Stormy Weather,” “Time After Time” and “On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe.” (TONY)

WILLIAM PARKER’S IN ORDER TO SURVIVE (Aug. 28-29)
at Dizzy’s Club / 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.,$35
“Mr. Parker, an eminent avant-garde bassist, has convened bands for over two decades under the title In Order to Survive. His collaborations vary widely, but the music he tends to make under this moniker is quintessentially Parker: rangy, big-toned free jazz with a mix of sly melodicism and slipping-off-the-cliff unease. At Dizzy’s, Mr. Parker is joined by the trombonist Steve Swell, the saxophonists James Brandon Lewis and Rob Brown, the pianist Cooper-Moore and the drummer Hamid Drake.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

G. CALVIN WESTON (Aug. 28-31)
at the Stone / 8:30 p.m., $20
“In the mid-1970s, at age 17, Mr. Weston hit the road with Ornette Coleman’s Prime Time, a leading jazz-funk fusion outfit. His career as a drummer flowed easily from there: Working with James Blood Ulmer, Vernon Reid and others, he became known for his balance of throbbing groove, white-knuckle power and thick blues coloring. At his four-day Stone residency, he will lead a different small group each night: trios on Tuesday and Thursday, and duos on the other nights (with Billy Martin on Wednesday and John Medeski on Friday, both members of Medeski, Martin and Wood).” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin (almost forever: opening night Aug.24- Oct.28)
59E59 Theaters/ 7PM, $25
“Felder has made a career out of solo tributes to famous composers, including Frederic Chopin, Franz Liszt and Leonard Bernstein. His latest is devoted to Great American Songbook legend Irving Berlin.” (TONY)

“Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin brings the man behind the iconic music to life in an evening reflecting Berlin’s remarkable journey from child immigrant to America’s most beloved and prolific songwriter, and featuring the some of the composer’s most popular and enduring songs including “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” “Always,” “Blue Skies,” “God Bless America,” “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” and “White Christmas.”

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

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures/Discussions, Book Talks, Film, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

More Smart Stuff coming soon.

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

Continuing Events

Today’s Top Event

U.S. TENNIS OPEN (Day 2)

The U.S. Open begins play today (11AM) at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens (about 45 min. from Times Square) and runs through Sept.09. This tournament, which serves up the world’s best tennis players right in our backyard,    is the fourth and final Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year.
subway: @ Times Square take #7 to Willets Point.

Today’s tips: Arrive Early. Security screening seems to have been ratcheted up which may cause delays to enter. Best not to bring a bag. The most comprehensive review of the tournament and the current state of tennis can be found at the NYTimes/Sports.

OR for a useful guide to the U.S. Open, try TimeOutNewYork’s guide.

Early in the tournament forget the Big House (Arthur Ashe Stadium), which is a full 50% larger than any of the stadiums at the other majors and not a good place to watch tennis. Get a grounds pass and once inside check out one of the electronic scoreboards listing matches in progress. Find a match or players that interest you. Head over to their court for some great tennis, because in this tournament even the qualifiers are great players. There is no other major sporting event where you can get so close to world class athletes as at the U.S. Open – at least on the outer field courts, and the Grandstand court. These are  courts where you can get a real sense of the pace of the game.

Unfortunately, the brand new Armstrong stadium carries on the USTA tradition of building humongous stadiums which provide good viewing only for those on expense accounts who can afford to sit in their lower bowls. Not nice places to watch tennis for the rest of us. But we still have the outer courts and Grandstand.

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

Metropolitan Opera Summer HD Festival (Aug.24-Sep.03)
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
“Think you can’t afford the finer things? Think again. We got the hookup on free opera. For its tenth summer in a row, the Metropolitan Opera invites you to Lincoln Center Plaza for nightly alfresco screenings of epic performances from previous seasons. From August 24–September 3, the Met will set up over 2,800 seats in front of the Opera House, where you and your date can eat and enjoy tapes of the shows under the stars.

The Met opens the series with a self-aware screening of the Marx Brothers’ A Night at the Opera on August 24. After that, you can check out classics like Anthony Minghella’s stunning Madama Butterfly production (September 3 and 8) and many more. Here’s the lineup: A Night at the Opera (August 24) Roméo et Juliette (August 25) Norma (August 26) Elektra (August 27) Il Barbiere di Siviglia (August 28) Lulu (August 29) Rusalka (August 30) L’Elisir d’Amore (August 31) Un Ballo in Maschera (September 1) Der Rosenkavalier (September 2) Madama Butterfly (September 3 and 8)” (TONY)

Fear & Force: New York City’s Sons of Liberty
Fraunces Tavern Museum, 54 Pearl St./ 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm, $7
“We may not like paying taxes, but we would never think to tar and feather the tax collector. Yet as many of the colonists prepared for what would be the American Revolution, there was an organized group who opposed the government through violent resistance. Come see objects preserved from pivotal moments relating to the New York Sons of Liberty, like the tearing down of the King George statue in Bowling Green Park, and throwing chests of tea into the New York Harbor.”

==========================================================================
♦ 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 63 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.

 

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NYC Events,”Only the Best” (08/27) + US Tennis Open (Day 1)

Posted on 08/27/2018 by GregD

Today’s Super 7 NYC Events > MONDAY/ AUGUST 27, 2018

“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: “NYC Events-August”
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.

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

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

Summer HD Festival: Elektra
Metropolitan Opera Plaza, Lincoln Center / 8PM, FREE
“Soprano Nina Stemme delivers a shattering performance as the deranged title princess lusting for vengeance, in Patrice Chéreau’s acclaimed production. Original transmission: April 30, 2016. Approximate running time: 1 hour 55 minutes.”

“The tenth Summer HD Festival features ten thrilling performances from the Met’s Live in HD series of cinema transmissions. The showings run from August 24 through September 3, with approximately 3,000 seats set up in front of the opera house each night, as well as additional standing room around Lincoln Center Plaza.”

=========================================================
6 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>>  EDDIE PALMIERI & FRIENDS:
>> The Songs of Alan Jay Lerner
>> Evan Ruggiero
>> Jim Caruso’s Cast Party
>> The Secret History of Sushi:
>> Skye & Massimo’s Philosophy Cafe:
Continuing Events
>> Today’s Top Event –  U.S. TENNIS OPEN
>> Metropolitan Opera Summer HD Festival
>> Fear & Force: New York City’s Sons of Liberty
========================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

EDDIE PALMIERI & FRIENDS: HONORING THE LEGACY OF MCCOY TYNER
Blue Note / 8PM, +10:30PM, $30-$45
“In 1961, Palmieri formed his own band, La Perfecta, which featured an unconventional front line of trombones rather than the trumpets customary in Latin orchestras. This created an innovative sound that mixed American jazz into Afro-Caribbean rhythms, surprising critics and fans alike.” (TONY)

We Remember Him Well: The Songs of Alan Jay Lerner
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Bruno Walter Auditorium / 6PM, FREE
“To celebrate the centenary of one of the American musical theatre’s most literate lyricists/ librettists, Steve Ross and Max St. James present We Remember Him Well – The Songs of Alan Jay Lerner. Lerner’s musical partners include Kurt Weill, Burton Lane, Andre Previn, John Barry and, most famously and prolifically, Frederick Loewe. Lerner & Loewe’s many and marvelous contributions to the world of musical theatre and film include: Paint Your Wagon, Brigadoon, Camelot, Gigi and the eternal treasure that is My Fair Lady. The talented cast of faces fresh and familiar will perform such classics as: I Talk to the Trees, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, I Remember It Well, What Did I Have That I Don’t Have?, Heather On the Hill, Wouldn’t It Be Loverly? and Almost Like Being In Love as well as some treasures from the trunk -all accompanied as usual by Steve and Max’s backstage stories.”

Evan Ruggiero
Birdland / 7:30PM, $40
“A Drama Desk Award nominee for his super-charming star turn in the scrappy 2017 musical Bastard Jones, Ruggiero has not allowed his prosthetic leg to impede his career in song and dance. At Birdland he performs a mix of pop hits and reworked Broadway favorites, with support from a band called the S’Evan Legs.” (TONY)

Jim Caruso’s Cast Party
Birdland, / 9:30PM, $30
“Jim Caruso’s Cast Party is a wildly popular weekly soiree that brings a sprinkling of Broadway glitz and urbane wit to the legendary Birdland in New York City every Monday night. It’s a cool cabaret night-out enlivened by a hilariously impromptu variety show. Showbiz superstars, backed by Steve Doyle on bass, Billy Stritch on piano and Daniel Glass on drums, hit the stage alongside up-and-comers, serving up jaw-dropping music and general razzle-dazzle.” (broadwayworld)

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

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures/Discussions, Book Talks, Film, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

The Secret History of Sushi: Presented by Masters of Social Gastronomy
Caveat, 21 Clinton St./ 7PM, $12
“The Masters of Social Gastronomy take on sushi as “historic gastronomist” Sarah Lohman tells the stories behind the Americanized version of a Japanese staple. Co-host Jonathan Soma talks the science of sushi and how it’s possible to safely eat raw fish.” (ThoughtGallery.org)
Please note this is a mixed seated and standing venue. Please arrive early for best seats.

Skye & Massimo’s Philosophy Cafe: Philosophy & Human Nature
New York Society for Ethical Culture, 2 W. 64th St./ 6PM, $5
“The next meeting of Skye & Massimo’s Philosophy Cafe will present a Socratic dialogue on the shift in stances toward human nature. Using contemporary biology, philosophers Skye Cleary and Massimo Pigliucci will push against a trend among modern philosophers to discount what’s inborn in us.”

“The Café is run by philosophers Skye Cleary (http://tinyurl.com/yddu38tf) and Massimo Pigliucci (http://tinyurl.com/msm6d6u). It is based on the principle of the Socratic dialogue. Every meeting has a simple theme (e.g., should we be afraid of death? What’s the ethics of eating?), which is introduced by Skye and Massimo on the basis of short, accessible, suggested (but not mandatory!) readings. The rest of the meeting then features an open discussion among participants, facilitated by Skye and Massimo, aiming at sharpening our thinking about whatever subject matter is being examined.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

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

Continuing Events

Today’s Top Event

U.S. TENNIS OPEN (Day 1)

The U.S. Open begins play today (11AM) at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens (about 45 min. from Times Square) and runs through Sept.09. This tournament, which serves up the world’s best tennis players right in our backyard,    is the fourth and final Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year.
subway: @ Times Square take #7 to Willets Point.

Today’s tips: Arrive Early. Security screening seems to have been ratcheted up which may cause delays to enter. Best not to bring a bag. The most comprehensive review of the tournament and the current state of tennis can be found at the NYTimes/Sports.

OR for a useful guide to the U.S. Open, try TimeOutNewYork’s guide.

Early in the tournament forget the Big House (Arthur Ashe Stadium), which is a full 50% larger than any of the stadiums at the other majors and not a good place to watch tennis. Get a grounds pass and once inside check out one of the electronic scoreboards listing matches in progress. Find a match or players that interest you. Head over to their court for some great tennis, because in this tournament even the qualifiers are great players. There is no other major sporting event where you can get so close to world class athletes as at the U.S. Open – at least on the outer field courts, and the Grandstand court. These are  courts where you can get a real sense of the pace of the game.

Unfortunately, the brand new Armstrong stadium carries on the USTA tradition of building humongous stadiums which provide good viewing only for those on expense accounts who can afford to sit in their lower bowls. Not nice places to watch tennis for the rest of us. But we still have the outer courts and Grandstand.

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

Metropolitan Opera Summer HD Festival (Aug.24-Sep.03)
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
“Think you can’t afford the finer things? Think again. We got the hookup on free opera. For its tenth summer in a row, the Metropolitan Opera invites you to Lincoln Center Plaza for nightly alfresco screenings of epic performances from previous seasons. From August 24–September 3, the Met will set up over 2,800 seats in front of the Opera House, where you and your date can eat and enjoy tapes of the shows under the stars.

The Met opens the series with a self-aware screening of the Marx Brothers’ A Night at the Opera on August 24. After that, you can check out classics like Anthony Minghella’s stunning Madama Butterfly production (September 3 and 8) and many more. Here’s the lineup: A Night at the Opera (August 24) Roméo et Juliette (August 25) Norma (August 26) Elektra (August 27) Il Barbiere di Siviglia (August 28) Lulu (August 29) Rusalka (August 30) L’Elisir d’Amore (August 31) Un Ballo in Maschera (September 1) Der Rosenkavalier (September 2) Madama Butterfly (September 3 and 8)” (TONY)

Fear & Force: New York City’s Sons of Liberty
Fraunces Tavern Museum, 54 Pearl St./ 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm, $7
“We may not like paying taxes, but we would never think to tar and feather the tax collector. Yet as many of the colonists prepared for what would be the American Revolution, there was an organized group who opposed the government through violent resistance. Come see objects preserved from pivotal moments relating to the New York Sons of Liberty, like the tearing down of the King George statue in Bowling Green Park, and throwing chests of tea into the New York Harbor.”

==========================================================================
♦ 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 63 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,

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.

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

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (08/26) + Today’s Featured Pub (Greenwich Village)

Posted on 08/26/2018 by GregD

Today’s Super 7 NYC Events > SUNDAY/ AUGUST 26, 2018

“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: “NYC Events-August”
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.

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

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

Eddie Palmieri + Tony Vega
Central Park SummerStage / 6PM, FREE
“To pronounce piano colossus Eddie Palmieri Latin music’s greatest keyboardist sounds almost constraining. His thundering chords, inventive claves, and cosmic harmonies suggest the kind of effects artist Jack Kirby might have achieved if he’d taken up the piano rather than the pencil. At 81, Palmieri remains a keyboard Galactus, a perfectionist with entire worlds at his fingertips. His horn-enhanced, multi-percussionist lineups sound downright experimental even while providing irresistible dance music, and the recent Full Circle finds him revisiting classic jams like “Vamonos Pa’l Monte” (“Let’s Go to the Mountain”) and “Azúcar” (“Sugar”) in a robust big-band environment. Introduced to Palmieri by Giovanni Hidalgo, singing-salsa smoothie Tony Vega joined the pianist’s band before going solo in 1988 — so maybe expect a reunion?” (Richard Gehr, VillageVoice)

=========================================================
6 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>>  Michael Feinstein and Christine Ebersole:
>> Harold Mabern
>> Karrin Allyson
>> Battle of Brooklyn
>> 2nd Annual Summer Matsuri & Yukata Photo Contest
>> The Jazz Age Lawn Party
Continuing Events
>> Metropolitan Opera Summer HD Festival
>> 2018 U.S. Open Fan Week
>> Fear & Force: New York City’s Sons of Liberty
========================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

 Michael Feinstein and Christine Ebersole: Two For the Road (Aug.21-31)
54 Below / 7PM, $85+
“Feinstein, the popular and polished standard-bearer of American song, returns to the club that bears his name for a long run that teams him with one of the best cabaret performers out there: Broadway leading lady Ebersole (Grey Gardens), who is equally skilled at comedy and sentiment and who moves with ease between her lustrous belt and legit soprano. Among the selections in their Great American Songbook–centered set are “Stormy Weather,” “Time After Time” and “On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe.” (TONY)

Harold Mabern (LAST DAY)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St./ 8:30PM +10:30PM, $35
“What distinguished pianist Harold Mabern from his brethren when he debuted as a recording artist with A Few Miles From Memphis (1968) was the heaviness with which he hit those 88 keys. It was Mabern, after all, who helped bring the crash-chord style of Art Tatum and Erroll Garner into the thick of the jazz-rich era of the late Sixties and early Seventies, via such Prestige label gems as Workin’ & Wailin’ (1969) and Greasy Kid Stuff! (1970). Later in his career, Mabern found his groove as a trio leader, working alongside such indelible rhythm sections as Ron Carter and Jack DeJohnette on Straight Street (1989) and Christian McBride and Tony Reedus on Maybern’s Grooveyard (1996) and Maya With Love (2000). More recently, the 82-year-young pianist’s go-to combo has been John Webber on double bass and Joe Farnsworth on drums. Though it has been a decent while since the group released its excellent 2014 LP for Smoke Sessions, Right on Time, we can only hope that the auspicious trio’s return to the Vanguard for this multi-night stand spells some new music in the offing.” (Ron Hart, VillageVoice)

Karrin Allyson (LAST DAY)
Smoke, 2751 Broadway, between 105th and 106th Sts./ 7, 9, +10:30PM, $40
“In her search for repertoire that fits her like a glove, this veteran singer has lighted on touchstones from, among a small universe of disparate sources, Joni Mitchell, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and John Coltrane. With her new album, “Some of That Sunshine,” Allyson presents her first recording of all-original material. She will sprinkle some shiny new tunes throughout her sets.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

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Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures/Discussions, Book Talks, Film, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

Elsewhere, but this sure looks worth the detour:
Battle of Brooklyn
Green-Wood Cemetery / 11AM-2PM, FREE
“In 1776, the Battle of Brooklyn, the first battle after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, was waged on land that is now part of Green-Wood Cemetery. This Sunday, they’re commemorating the occasion and those who fought for the republic with a free celebration that will include parades, horses, cannon fire, and reenactments with the gorgeous Gothic spires of the cemetery’s main gates as the backdrop. Things will go boom: You might want to bring earplugs.” (grubstreet.com)

2nd Annual Summer Matsuri & Yukata Photo Contest
Slurp noodles at a Japanese festival
4th Ave. btw 9/10St. / 10AM-6PM, FREE
“Salute Japanese culture at the outdoor Summer Matsuri presented by JAPAN Fes. this Sunday. The festival is free to enter, and you’ll learn the Bon Dance, catch Taiko drumming sessions, and test your chopstick acumen in a noodle-catching contest. Bites from Taiyaki NYC, Tojo Kitchen, and Bonsai Kakigori will be available for purchase. Register early for a free Calpio — a Japanese soft drink.” (thrillist.com)

The Jazz Age Lawn Party (Aug. 25-26)
Governors Island / $45-$75, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.,
“Forget 1999 — at this gathering, you can party like it’s 1929. With a prohibition-era theme, the Jazz Age Lawn Party on Governors Island gives guests a chance to gussy up in flapper fashion. Food will be sold, but picnicking is invited (outside alcohol is prohibited). Michael Arenella & His Dreamland Orchestra are the featured performers among the seven musical acts scheduled; find croquet on the lawn, plus Roaring Twenties-style dance lessons.” (amNY)

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Continuing Events

2018 U.S. Open Fan Week (LAST DAY)
Flushing Meadows-Corona Park /
“There’s going to be a lot of racket (swinging) at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park come August 27 during the U.S. Open, a two-week tennis tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens. Tickets for the usually star-studded matches (Bey and Jay-Z attended in recent years) tend to be steep ($65 to $100 for the cheap seats), but you can attend free of charge during U.S. Open Fan Week.

Just one week before the professional matches begin, head to the National Tennis Center to watch a qualifying tournament, where 128 women and 128 men compete. You can also check out the top dogs in tennis practice on the grounds (think Serena and Venus Williams and Rafael Nadal), and be just a few feet away from your favorite players. There’s even more tennis-related activities scheduled off the court, too. Get pumped for New York’s major summer sporting showdown during the U.S. Open Experience on Wednesday, August 22 and Thursday, August 23 at Brookfield Place. Players and special guests will make appearances and pose for selfies, and there will be food sampling and more sponsor-related activities at the scene. The event promises to be more fun than you can shake a racket at!” (TONY)

For a wonderful guide to the U.S. Open, try TimeOutNewYork’s guide.

Metropolitan Opera Summer HD Festival (Aug.24-Sep.03)
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
“Think you can’t afford the finer things? Think again. We got the hookup on free opera. For its tenth summer in a row, the Metropolitan Opera invites you to Lincoln Center Plaza for nightly alfresco screenings of epic performances from previous seasons. From August 24–September 3, the Met will set up over 2,800 seats in front of the Opera House, where you and your date can eat and enjoy tapes of the shows under the stars.

The Met opens the series with a self-aware screening of the Marx Brothers’ A Night at the Opera on August 24. After that, you can check out classics like Anthony Minghella’s stunning Madama Butterfly production (September 3 and 8) and many more. Here’s the lineup: A Night at the Opera (August 24) Roméo et Juliette (August 25) Norma (August 26) Elektra (August 27) Il Barbiere di Siviglia (August 28) Lulu (August 29) Rusalka (August 30) L’Elisir d’Amore (August 31) Un Ballo in Maschera (September 1) Der Rosenkavalier (September 2) Madama Butterfly (September 3 and 8)” (TONY)

Fear & Force: New York City’s Sons of Liberty
Fraunces Tavern Museum, 54 Pearl St./ 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm, $7
“We may not like paying taxes, but we would never think to tar and feather the tax collector. Yet as many of the colonists prepared for what would be the American Revolution, there was an organized group who opposed the government through violent resistance. Come see objects preserved from pivotal moments relating to the New York Sons of Liberty, like the tearing down of the King George statue in Bowling Green Park, and throwing chests of tea into the New York Harbor.”

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♦ 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 63 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,

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.
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NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):
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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,  JUNE 23 WAS THE FINAL NIGHT. VERY SAD.
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 FALL 2018).
◊ Order before NOV.30, 2018 and receive a bonus – 27 of my favorite casual dining places with free Wi-Fi.

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NYC Events,”Only the Best” (08/25) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 08/25/2018 by GregD

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > SATURDAY/ AUGUST 25, 2018

“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: “NYC Events-August”
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.

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

Karrin Allyson (Aug. 24-26.)
Smoke, 2751 Broadway, between 105th and 106th Sts./ 7, 9, +10:30PM, $40
“In her search for repertoire that fits her like a glove, this veteran singer has lighted on touchstones from, among a small universe of disparate sources, Joni Mitchell, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and John Coltrane. With her new album, “Some of That Sunshine,” Allyson presents her first recording of all-original material. She will sprinkle some shiny new tunes throughout her sets.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

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7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> AARON GOLDBERG AND MATT PENMAN
>> Stanley Jordan Trio
>> CHARLES ALTURA
>>  Michael Feinstein and Christine Ebersole:
>> Harold Mabern
>> Count Basie Orchestra
>> The Jazz Age Lawn Party
Continuing Events
>> 2018 U.S. Open Fan Week
>> Fear & Force: New York City’s Sons of Liberty
>> Candytopia
========================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

AARON GOLDBERG AND MATT PENMAN
at Mezzrow / 8 and 9:30 p.m., $
“Mr. Goldberg, a pianist, plays straight-ahead jazz with tight command; his notes almost always seem to be shot with a glint of light. He aims for the sublime almost constantly, and usually gets most of the way there. “At the Edge of the World,” a remarkable trio album due in the fall, is a particularly successful effort. Partly that’s thanks to the help of Mr. Penman, a surefire bassist who appears this weekend in a duo with Mr. Goldberg.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

Stanley Jordan Trio (Aug.23-25)
Iridium, 1650Broadway / 8PM, +10PM, $30
“Way back in the ’80s, when he arrived on the scene to help resuscitate the Blue Note jazz label, Jordan’s slick brand of guitaristics was all about showing off his “magic touch.” These days he can get awful gritty when the feeling hits, in the manner of a modern-day Wes Montgomery. This weekend, Jordan heads a solo show (Aug 23) and two nights in a trio format (Aug 24, 25).” (TONY)

CHARLES ALTURA
at the Jazz Gallery / 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., $25
“Mr. Altura is a virtuoso guitarist who seems unfazed in almost any context. He came up on the Los Angeles scene in the mid-2000s, playing blazing fusion alongside Thundercat, and now he’s a central part of projects led by Terence Blanchard, Chick Corea and Ambrose Akinmusire — all jazz luminaries. This weekend Mr. Altura presents a new work of his own, commissioned by the Jazz Gallery, titled “Portraits of Resonance.” His top-flight band will include Adam O’Farrill on trumpet, Aaron Parks on piano, Joe Martin on bass and Kendrick Scott on drums.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

 Michael Feinstein and Christine Ebersole: Two For the Road (Aug.21-31)
54 Below / 7PM, $85+
“Feinstein, the popular and polished standard-bearer of American song, returns to the club that bears his name for a long run that teams him with one of the best cabaret performers out there: Broadway leading lady Ebersole (Grey Gardens), who is equally skilled at comedy and sentiment and who moves with ease between her lustrous belt and legit soprano. Among the selections in their Great American Songbook–centered set are “Stormy Weather,” “Time After Time” and “On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe.” (TONY)

Harold Mabern (Aug. 21-26.)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St./ 8:30PM +10:30PM, $35
“What distinguished pianist Harold Mabern from his brethren when he debuted as a recording artist with A Few Miles From Memphis (1968) was the heaviness with which he hit those 88 keys. It was Mabern, after all, who helped bring the crash-chord style of Art Tatum and Erroll Garner into the thick of the jazz-rich era of the late Sixties and early Seventies, via such Prestige label gems as Workin’ & Wailin’ (1969) and Greasy Kid Stuff! (1970). Later in his career, Mabern found his groove as a trio leader, working alongside such indelible rhythm sections as Ron Carter and Jack DeJohnette on Straight Street (1989) and Christian McBride and Tony Reedus on Maybern’s Grooveyard (1996) and Maya With Love (2000). More recently, the 82-year-young pianist’s go-to combo has been John Webber on double bass and Joe Farnsworth on drums. Though it has been a decent while since the group released its excellent 2014 LP for Smoke Sessions, Right on Time, we can only hope that the auspicious trio’s return to the Vanguard for this multi-night stand spells some new music in the offing.” (Ron Hart, VillageVoice)

Count Basie Orchestra (Aug.23-25)
Birdland / 8:30PM, +11PM, $40+
“2015 marked the 80th Anniversary of The Count Basie Orchestra. William J. “Count” Basie (1904-1984) started his orchestra in Kansas City in 1935 and proceeded to develop one of the greatest jazz groups in history.

Under Basie’s leadership — with a strong commitment to making sure every tune was danceable — the orchestra featured many of the greatest instrumentalists and vocalists in jazz including Billie Holiday, Lester Young, Harry “Sweets” Edison, Joe Jones, Joe Williams, Snooky Young, Frank Foster, Thad Jones, Frank Wess, Clark Terry, and many more. They played for Kings and Queens, appeared in movies and television shows, and won 18 Grammy® Awards, the most for any orchestra. Today, under the leadership of director, Scotty Barnhart, The Count Basie Orchestra is traveling the world, swinging and shouting the blues with precision, in Count Basie’s unmistakable style of Kansas City swing.”

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Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures/Discussions, Book Talks, Film, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

The Jazz Age Lawn Party (Aug. 25-26)
Governors Island / $45-$75, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.,
“Forget 1999 — at this gathering, you can party like it’s 1929. With a prohibition-era theme, the Jazz Age Lawn Party on Governors Island gives guests a chance to gussy up in flapper fashion. Food will be sold, but picnicking is invited (outside alcohol is prohibited). Michael Arenella & His Dreamland Orchestra are the featured performers among the seven musical acts scheduled; find croquet on the lawn, plus Roaring Twenties-style dance lessons.” (amNY)

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Continuing Events

2018 U.S. Open Fan Week (Aug.21-26)
Flushing Meadows-Corona Park /
“There’s going to be a lot of racket (swinging) at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park come August 27 during the U.S. Open, a two-week tennis tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens. Tickets for the usually star-studded matches (Bey and Jay-Z attended in recent years) tend to be steep ($65 to $100 for the cheap seats), but you can attend free of charge during U.S. Open Fan Week.

Just one week before the professional matches begin, head to the National Tennis Center to watch a qualifying tournament, where 128 women and 128 men compete. You can also check out the top dogs in tennis practice on the grounds (think Serena and Venus Williams and Rafael Nadal), and be just a few feet away from your favorite players. There’s even more tennis-related activities scheduled off the court, too. Get pumped for New York’s major summer sporting showdown during the U.S. Open Experience on Wednesday, August 22 and Thursday, August 23 at Brookfield Place. Players and special guests will make appearances and pose for selfies, and there will be food sampling and more sponsor-related activities at the scene. The event promises to be more fun than you can shake a racket at!” (TONY)

For a wonderful guide to the U.S. Open, try TimeOutNewYork’s guide.

Fear & Force: New York City’s Sons of Liberty
Fraunces Tavern Museum, 54 Pearl St./ 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm, $7
“We may not like paying taxes, but we would never think to tar and feather the tax collector. Yet as many of the colonists prepared for what would be the American Revolution, there was an organized group who opposed the government through violent resistance. Come see objects preserved from pivotal moments relating to the New York Sons of Liberty, like the tearing down of the King George statue in Bowling Green Park, and throwing chests of tea into the New York Harbor.”

Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin (opening night Aug.24- Oct.28)
59E59 Theaters/ 7PM, $25
“Felder has made a career out of solo tributes to famous composers, including Frederic Chopin, Franz Liszt and Leonard Bernstein. His latest is devoted to Great American Songbook legend Irving Berlin.” (TONY)

“Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin brings the man behind the iconic music to life in an evening reflecting Berlin’s remarkable journey from child immigrant to America’s most beloved and prolific songwriter, and featuring the some of the composer’s most popular and enduring songs including “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” “Always,” “Blue Skies,” “God Bless America,” “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” and “White Christmas.”

“Richly entertaining and touching.” – Los Angeles Times
“[Hershey Felder] may indeed rightfully be considered a legend in our time.” – Broadway World

Candytopia (thru Nov.15)
Candytopia @ Penn Plaza, 145 W. 32nd St./ 10AM-8:30PM, $34
“This interactive candy exhibit, which has drawn the likes of Drew Barrymore, Gwyneth Paltrow, James Corden and Wiz Khalifa from California, has more than a dozen rooms and art installations including a swimming pool filled with about half a million giant marshmallows; unicorn-pig hybrids that fart confetti; a candy-covered Sphinx sculpture; and candy recreations of such artworks as the “Mona Lisa,” Van Gogh’s “The Starry Night” and Rodin’s “The Thinker.” (amNY) &  (amNY)
DIVE INTO A HUGE MARSHMALLOW PIT AT CANDYTOPIA
“First it was in Los Angeles, and now it’s made its way to the east coast. Candytopia is officially open in NYC! Just like many other pop-ups, this one has uniquely designed rooms — except this one is all about candy. If you have a sweet tooth, you’ll want to snag a ticket and enjoy the marshmallow pit and candy-filled rooms.” (bestproducts.com)

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♦ 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 63 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.

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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)

Museum of Modern Art:

A special pat on the back to MOMA, who is now displaying art from the seven countries affected by Trump’s travel ban.

“Trump’s ban against refugees from seven Muslim-majority nations has sparked acts of defiance in NYC, from demonstrations across town, to striking taxicab drivers at JFK to Middle Eastern bodega owners closing their shops in protest. Recently, the Museum Of Modern added its two cents by bringing out artworks it owns from the affected countries, and hanging them prominently within the galleries usually reserved for 19th- and 20th-century artworks from Europe and the United States. Paintings by Picasso and Matisse, for example, were removed to make way for pieces by Tala Madani (from Iran), Ibrahim El-Salahi (from Sudan) and architect Zaha Hadid (from Iraq). The rehanging, which was unannounced, aims to create a symbolic welcome that repudiates Trump by creating a visual dialog between the newly added works and the more familiar objects from MoMA’s permanent collection.” (TONY)

‘BODYS ISEK KINGELEZ: CITY DREAMS’ (through Jan. 1). “The first comprehensive survey of the Congolese artist is a euphoric exhibition as utopian wonderland featuring his fantasy architectural models and cities — works strong in color, eccentric in shape, loaded with enthralling details and futuristic aura. Mr. Kingelez (1948-2015) was convinced that the world had never seen a vision like his, and this beautifully designed show bears him out.” (NYT-Smith)
212-708-9400, moma.org

‘THE LONG RUN’ (through Nov. 4). “The museum upends its cherished Modern narrative of ceaseless progress by mostly young (white) men. Instead we see works by artists 45 and older who have just kept on keeping on, regardless of attention or reward, sometimes saving the best for last. Art here is an older person’s game, a pursuit of a deepening personal vision over innovation. Winding through 17 galleries, the installation is alternatively visually or thematically acute and altogether inspiring.” (NYT-Smith)
212-708-9400, moma.org

Rubin Museum of Art

Chitra Ganesh: The Scorpion Gesture (Through Jan. 7)
“The Brooklyn artist’s new animations ingeniously combine her own drawings and watercolors with historical imagery, peppering the journeys of bodhisattvas with contemporary pop-culture references. Five of these pieces are installed on the museum’s second and third floors amid its collection of Himalayan art, elements of which appear in her psychedelic sequences of spinning mandalas and falling lotus flowers. (Ganesh’s works are activated, as if by magic, when viewers approach.) In “Rainbow Body,” a cave, which also appears in a nearby painting of Mandarava, is filled with people in 3-D glasses, watching as the guru-deity attains enlightenment. “Silhouette in the Graveyard” is projected behind a glass case containing a small sculpture of Maitreya, from late-eighteenth-century Mongolia, for a cleverly dioramalike effect. Prophesied to arrive during an apocalyptic crisis, the bodhisattva is seen here against Ganesh’s montage, which includes footage of global catastrophes and political protests, from the Women’s March to Black Lives Matter.” (

New-York Historical Society 

“Celebrating Bill Cunningham (thru 9/9)
marks the New-York Historical Society‘s recent acquisition of objects, personal correspondence, ephemera, and photographs that reflect the life and work of Bill Cunningham. One of the late 20th century’s most influential trend-spotters and style authorities, the legendary New York Times journalist and photographer was frequently spied on the city’s streets, at fashion shows, and elegant soirées capturing images of New York’s fashion innovators and cultural glitterati. Among the highlights of Celebrating Bill Cunningham are a bicycle that he rode around the city; his first camera, an Olympus Pen-D, 35mm; signature blue jacket; personal photographs of Cunningham at home and with friends; correspondence, including a few of the hand-made Valentines he frequently sent to friends; and a New York City street sign, “Bill Cunningham Corner,” that was temporarily installed at 5th Avenue and 57th Street in his honor, following his death. Soon after he arrived in New York, Cunningham worked as a milliner, and items on view from his millinery line, William J., include an innovative beach hat, along with other hats and fascinators; and a press release written for the William J. spring 1960 millinery show. Also on display are selections from Cunningham’s Facades, his eight-year photographic project documenting New York City’s architectural and fashion history, which was shown at the museum in 2014.” (cityguideny.com)

Also now open at NY Historical Society, Summer of Magic: Treasures from the David Copperfield Collection. (thru Sept.16)

SPECIAL MENTION (not Manhattan’s WestSide, but let’s show some love to da Bronx)
at the New York (Bronx) Botanical Garden:

‘GEORGIA O’KEEFFE: VISIONS OF HAWAI‘I’ (through Oct. 28). “Finding out Georgia O’Keeffe had a Hawaiian period is kind of like finding out Brian Wilson had a desert period. But here it is: 17 eye-popping paradisal paintings, produced in a nine-week visit in 1939. The paintings, and their almost psychedelic palette, are as fleshlike and physical as O’Keeffe’s New Mexican work is stripped and metaphysical. The other star of the show, fittingly, is Hawaii, and the garden has mounted a living display of the subjects depicted in the artwork. As much as they might look like the products of an artist’s imagination, the plants and flowers in the Enid Haupt Conservatory are boastfully real. On Aloha Nights every Saturday in June and every other Saturday in July and August, the garden is staging a cultural complement of activities, including lei making, hula lessons and ukulele performances.” (NYT – William L. Hamilton)
718-817-8700, nybg.org / easy 20 minute ride from Grand Central on Metro North.

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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 08/23 and 08/21.
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