NYCity 1-2-3 : What's Happening / Manhattan's WestSide

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (08/04) + Today’s Featured Pub (Upper West Side)

Posted on 08/04/2018 by GregD

“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:

Elsewhere, but this show sure looks worth the detour:
BÉLA FLECK
at Murmrr Theater / 8 p.m., $35-$45
“Mr. Fleck is the most renowned banjoist in modern music, with debts to a variety of American musical traditions. He and the Flecktones, his powerhouse ensemble, just completed a 30th-anniversary tour. In all those years, Mr. Fleck says, he’s never performed a solo show in New York City, his hometown. That’s remarkable, since the banjo has roots as a solo instrument — and as an unimpeachable virtuoso, Mr. Fleck seems like a natural for the format. This show is your chance to catch him onstage alone.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

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7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> GERALD CLAYTON QUINTET
>> KIZUNA DANCE
>> Dance Theatre of Harlem
>> Marilyn Maye
>> Summer Streets
>> Celebrate the Caribbean Diaspora
>> Victory Cup NYC Classic
Continuing Events
>> NYC Restaurant Week
>> Twelfth Night
>> Brasil Summerfest
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Music, Dance, Performing Arts

GERALD CLAYTON QUINTET (through Aug. 5)
at the Village Vanguard / 8:30 and 10:30 p.m., $35
“Mr. Clayton plays mainline jazz piano with surging energy and a miniaturist’s attention to detail. Thinking of him as a sculptor, he’s more of a Hellenist than an Impressionist: He likes beauty and structure and logic, not messy displacement. Two of his big piano influences are Kenny Barron and Oscar Peterson, but the neat power of his playing — if not his harmonic choices — brings Chick Corea to mind. He appears here with four longtime associates: Logan Richardson on alto saxophone, Walter Smith III on tenor saxophone, Joe Sanders on bass and Marcus Gilmore on drums.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

Elsewhere, but this setting can’t be beat, worth the detour:
KIZUNA DANCE
at Brooklyn Bridge Park / 7 p.m., FREE
“As part of Gibney Dance’s effort to bring free dance to public outdoor spaces, this young company, founded by Cameron McKinney in 2014, presents an hour of repertory on the Brooklyn riverfront. Kizuna, which means “bonds” or “connections between people” in Japanese, celebrates various aspects of Japanese culture, and Mr. McKinney’s works address topics such as Buddhism, the March 2011 tsunami and earthquake and the art of the Japanese painter Manabu Ikeda.” (NYT-Brian Schaefer)

Marilyn Maye (LAST DAY)
Birdland / 7PM, $40-$50
“The Birdland Theater is proud to announce that legendary, Grammy-nominated songstress Marilyn Maye will be headlining in the brand new performance space for two weeks. Ms. Maye will be accompanied by the Tedd Firth Trio from July 24 – 28, and the Billy Stritch Trio from July 31 – August 4, with shows at 7pm each night.”

This lady puts on a classic show. Catch her while you can (and she can.)

Dance Theatre of Harlem
Damrosch Park, Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, FREE
“Nearing its fiftieth anniversary, the ballet troupe remains a beacon of inspiration, even if its light isn’t quite as bright as it once was. This free program for Lincoln Center Out of Doors includes a welcome revival of Robert Garland’s “New Bach,” which finds jazz syncopations in the Baroque composer’s rhythms, alongside Dianne McIntyre’s defiant “Change” and a yet-to-be-announced surprise selection.” (Brian Seibert, NewYorker)

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

Summer Streets (3 Saturdays in August)
Park Avenue up to Central Park / 7am-1pm, FREE
“Enjoy 7 miles of car-free roadways. The route winds from the Brooklyn Bridge to the 72nd Street entrance to Central Park, spanning Centre Street, Lafayette Street, Fourth Avenue and Park Avenue. There will be five “rest stops” with free activities, including a 165-feet-long zip line at Foley Square and an 8-feet-tall bouldering wall at Astor Place. Visitors are welcome to enjoy the open road with rented bicycles, roller skates or handcycles. The programming also includes cultural activities such as live music, kid-friendly art workshops and walking tours of Park Avenue architecture. There will also be water fountains and concession stands providing sustenance along the way.” (amNY)

Elsewhere, but each month this is worth the detour:
Target First Saturday at the Brooklyn Museum:
Celebrate the Caribbean Diaspora
Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway (Washington Ave.)/ 5pm-10pm, FREE
Celebrate the Caribbean Diaspora (Aug. 4)
“Brooklyn Museum’s Target First Saturday honors the arts, culture, and diversity of the Caribbean diaspora with the Brooklyn Dance Festival, the mobile art center caribBEING House and music from Alex Mali. Join Choreographer Jessica Phoenix in a dance and fitness workshop covering basics of Afro-Caribbean dance forms, watch performers from Dance Caribbean Collective, The Sabrosura Effect, Project of ContempoCaribe, KaNu Dance Theater, and Bloodline Dance Theatre showcase styles from across the English, Spanish, and French Caribbean cultures. You’ll also get to drink and draw, enjoy readings by Caribbean poets, sit in on a talk about history of Black immigrants and how we can support these communities today and dance to music by Brooklyn-based Pan Evolution Steel Orchestra, among other activities.”

Victory Cup NYC Classic
Catch some polo.
Governor’s Island, 10AM-8PM
“This Saturday Governors Island is host to the Victory Cup NYC Classic, a laid-back equestrian polo match plus food and drink tastings, a kids area, and a car show. For the noncommittal there are even free tickets to watch from the lawn, which gives you access to the craft brewers’ festival tent.” (grubstreet.com)

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Continuing Events

NYC Restaurant Week (July 23-August 17)
“The summer edition of NYC Restaurant Week has arrived. You can make reservations now for deals at 386 participating restaurants through August 17th. How can a ravenous New Yorker whittle down the choices? Depends on what you like. Among this year’s offerings are nearly a hundred American Traditional spots, followed by 86 Italian restaurants, dozens of steakhouses and French bistros and brasseries, nearly as many Mexican joints, a smattering of Chinese, Greek, Indian, seafood, soul food, vegetarian, and Vietnamese options, and two places with the nerve to identify as “eclectic.”

Weekday lunch specials are down a few dollars and a few calories. Twenty-six bucks now buys a two-course midday meal — nobody has time for dessert on a work day, anyway. Three-course dinners still run $42. These four weeks in the throes of summer are like a culinary leap year — free celestial time to be bold, take a risk and try something new. Realistically though, you’ve maybe got the time and money to try, what, like five of these places? And remember the bi-annual NYC Restaurant Week refrain: tax, tip, and drinks not included.’ (Thrillist)
Here are the best of the best.

Twelfth Night (July 17 – August 19)
Shakespeare Delacorte Theater, Central Park / 8PM, FREE* (the Bard is off on Mondays)
“This musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s comedy began in 2016 as a one-weekend run under the auspices of the Public’s civically ambitious Public Works program, which collaborates with NYC communities to create large-scale theater. Director Kwame Kwei-Armah is joined by Public honcho Oskar Eustis to helm the production’s return engagement; Shuler Hensley and Ato Blankson-Wood joins original cast members Nikki M. James, Andrew Kober and Shaina Taub—who also wrote the songs—alongside less seasoned actors and local residents.” (TONY)

*tickets are free (two per person) and may be picked up after noon on the day of performance (be prepared for long lines.) Some tickets are also distributed via online lottery.
See TONY’s complete guide to Shakespeare in the Park tickets for details.

Brasil Summerfest (thru Aug. 12)
Brazil’s beats and bites come to NYC
“Brasil Summerfest, the largest music and arts fest of its kind, returns this week with its biggest year yet and runs through Aug. 12. Starting off Sunday at the Hester Street Fair are DJs Gaspar Muniz and Greg Caz, as well as choro music by Regional de NY, samba by Manhattan Samba and drumming from Fogo Azul. Food will include traditional fare like churrasco, coxinhas, feijoada and more, plus beer and sparkling wine. It’s free for all ages.” (Metro)

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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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A PremierPub / Upper West Side

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que / 700 W125th St. @ 12th ave.

Walk only five minutes from the 125th St. station on the #1 line to find this authentic honky-tonk barbecue joint. Some folks think Dinosaur is just a place to eat ribs. Au contraire. With 24 carefully selected taps, this is a place to drink beer, and eat ribs.

No food goes better with American craft ales than American barbecue. Dinosaur may be the best combo of good beer drinking and hearty eating in town, which makes the trip uptown to West Harlem totally worthwhile.

This second incarnation of Dinosaur in Harlem is in a two story, old brick warehouse near the Hudson River. Don’t let that run down exterior fool you. Inside it’s a large space with huge, rough wooden columns and unfinished wooden floors and brick walls – just right for a bbq joint. As soon as you open the front door you are hit with that tantalizing aroma of barbecue coming from the large open kitchen. Reminds me of those great rib joints I frequented when stationed in North Carolina all those years ago. If your stomach wasn’t grumbling before, it is now.

Head to the bar, sit down and try to decide on a beer. It’s not an easy decision – a good problem to have. This is a pretty damn good beer list to choose from, one that most beer bars should be jealous of. I love that they feature NY craft beers. You may want to try the four beer sampler, which is always fun, and in this place may be necessary.

The blues music playing in the background will get you in the mood for their North Carolina style barbecue, and even when it’s a full house your order shouldn’t take too long (assuming you snagged a table). The food is all slow smoked, so it’s already mostly done and ready to go. I always start with an order of their giant, spice rubbed wings, so good they may make you give up Buffalo wings.

Unfortunately, a place this good does not fly under the radar. There can be some long waits for a table at dinnertime. So you need a strategy – avoid prime time, and try not to arrive with your entire posse, which will limit your seating options.

A seat at the bar, a small table in the bar area, or in the summer, an outside table underneath what’s left of the elevated West Side Highway, all may open before a table inside the main dining room. Otherwise, try Dinosaur for lunch, or come very late for dinner, maybe after a show at the nearby Cotton Club nightclub.

Website: http://www.dinosaurbarbque.com/
Phone #: 212-694-1777
Hours: Mo-Th 11:30am-11:00pm; Fr-Sa 11:30am-12:00am;
Su 12:00pm-10:00pm
Happy Hour: 4-7pm every day; $1 off all drinks
Music: Fri / Sat 10:30pm
Subway: #1 to 125th St.
Walk 2 blk W on 125th St. to Dinosaur Bar-B-Q,
just past the elevated highway.
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“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge (except for certain jazz clubs).

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged BÉLA FLECK, Celebrate the Caribbean Diaspora, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Gerald Clayton Quintet, KIZUNA DANCE, Marilyn Maye, Summer Streets, Victory Cup NYC Classic | Leave a comment

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (08/03) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 08/03/2018 by GregD

“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.

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

GEORGE CLINTON AND PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC
on the Liberty Belle at Pier 36 / 6 p.m., $
“Few active artists can claim to have had as much of an impact on pop music today as George Clinton, the maestro of the seminal funk collective Parliament Funkadelic. His first hit, “(I Wanna) Testify,” was released in 1967; 51 years later, he announced that he would retire from touring in 2019. On his final outing, you can catch him performing as a part of the Rocks Off Concert Cruise series — his sole New York City appearance during this tour so far.”(NYT-NATALIE WEINER)

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6 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Peter Wolf – Super Soul Banned
>> Mike LeDonne & Peter Washington
>> Memo Acevedo & His Latin Jazz Big Band “Manhattan Bridges Band”
>> JANIS CLAXTON DANCE
>> Marilyn Maye
>> Silent Comedy Treasures From the Library of Congress
Continuing Events
>> NYC Restaurant Week
>> Twelfth Night
>> Brasil Summerfest
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Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Peter Wolf – Super Soul Banned
Damrosch Park, Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, FREE
“Known to ’70s FM radio kids and early MTV fans as the lead singer of the J. Geils Band (“Centerfold,” “Love Stinks”), Peter Wolf is a sharp songwriter and eternally hip character who possesses an encyclopedic command of blues, pop, funk, soul, bluegrass, and rock. Join him for a “tour de force excursion through the landscape of American music” (All About Jazz).
The funk level will go to 11 when Super Soul Banned takes the stage. Led by legendary drummer Steve Jordan, the all-star funk supergroup features Kool & the Gang’s Ronald Bell, the Beastie Boys’ Mix Master Mike, guitarist Ray Parker Jr., and artists that have played with everyone from Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson to Ornette Coleman and Sonny Rollins.”

Mike LeDonne & Peter Washington
Mezzrow, 163 W. 10th St./ 8PM, +9:30PM, $20-$25
“Veteran pianist Mike LeDonne is know for his uncompromising hard groove. He is joined by another celebrated veteran, Peter Washingtion on bass.”

Memo Acevedo & His Latin Jazz Big Band “Manhattan Bridges Band”
Zinc / 8pm & 10pm., $
“An award winning educator, Memo can swing a jazz quintet with the same effortless mastery as he rings the bell in the Mambo shout-chorus—either way gets things moving! Accordingly, he’s appeared on a long list of albums with major artists, including his mentor, the late, Tito Puente. On drumset or hand drums, Memo illustrates the diversity of Latin styles mixed with elements of Jazz. Even if you don’t know the difference between Samba, Songo and Cumbia, Memo, Jacquelene and their associates are going to have you feeling it in no time flat.”

JANIS CLAXTON DANCE (Aug. 1-5)
at Lincoln Center Plaza / at various times, FREE
“In “Pop-Up Duets (Fragments of Love),” this Scotland-based choreographer presents a series that explores romantic interludes as part of Lincoln Center Out of Doors. At select times in Hearst Plaza and Josie Robertson Plaza, pairs of dancers will part from the crowd to converge in seemingly spontaneous duets that explore different facets of love. The dancers are Joanne Pirrie, Albert Garcia, Amy Hollinshead and Valerio Di Giovanni.” (NYT-Gia Kourlas)

Marilyn Maye (thru August 4)
Birdland / 7PM, $40-$50
“The Birdland Theater is proud to announce that legendary, Grammy-nominated songstress Marilyn Maye will be headlining in the brand new performance space for two weeks. Ms. Maye will be accompanied by the Tedd Firth Trio from July 24 – 28, and the Billy Stritch Trio from July 31 – August 4, with shows at 7pm each night.

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

That Slapstick Show!: Silent Comedy Treasures From the Library of Congress
The ROC, 59 E. 2nd Street, left basement entrance/ 7:30PM
“Film curator Nelson Hughes shines the spotlight on one of the most significant film archives, the Library of Congress, with a selection of extremely rare silent comedies from the 1910s. With live musical accompaniment by Charlie Judkins.” (citguideny.com)

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Continuing Events

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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 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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NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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WHAT’S ON VIEW
These are My Fave Special Exhibitions @ MUSEUMS / Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue
(See the New York Times Arts Section for listings of all museum exhibitions,
and also see the expanded reviews of these exhibitions)

Jewish Museum

‘SCENES FROM THE COLLECTION’ “After a surgical renovation to its grand pile on Fifth Avenue, the Jewish Museum has reopened its third-floor galleries with a rethought and refreshed display of its permanent collection, which intermingles modern and contemporary art, by Jews and gentiles alike — Mark Rothko, Lee Krasner, Nan Goldin, Cindy Sherman, and the excellent young Nigerian draftswoman Ruby Onyinyechi Amanze — with 4,000 years of Judaica. The works are shown in a nimble, non-chronological suite of galleries, and some of its century-spanning juxtapositions are bracing; others feel reductive, even dilletantish. But always, the Jewish Museum conceives of art and religion as interlocking elements of a story of civilization, commendably open to new influences and new interpretations.” (Farago) 212-423-3200, thejewishmuseum.org

Museum of the City of New York

NY AT ITS CORE (ongoing)
“Ten years in the making, New York at Its Core tells the compelling story of New York’s rise from a striving Dutch village to today’s “Capital of the World.” The exhibition captures the human energy that drove New York to become a city like no other and a subject of fascination the world over. Entertaining, inspiring, important, and at times bemusing, New York City “big personalities,” including Alexander Hamilton, Walt Whitman, Boss Tweed, Emma Goldman, JP Morgan, Fiorello La Guardia, Jane Jacobs, Jay-Z, and dozens more, parade through the exhibition. Visitors will also learn the stories of lesser-known New York personalities, like Lenape chieftain Penhawitz and Italian immigrant Susie Rocco. Even animals like the horse, the pig, the beaver, and the oyster, which played pivotal roles in the economy and daily life of New York, get their moment in the historical spotlight. Occupying the entire first floor in three interactive galleries (Port City, 1609-1898, World City, 1898-2012, and Future City Lab) New York at Its Core is shaped by four themes: money, density, diversity, and creativity. Together, they provide a lens for examining the character of the city, and underlie the modern global metropolis we know today. mcny.org” (NYCity Guide)

and you should be sure to check out these special exhibitions at that little museum on Fifth Ave., The Metropolitan Museum of Art
(open 7 days /week, AND always Pay What You Wish for NewYorkers)

‘THE FACE OF DYNASTY: ROYAL CRESTS FROM WESTERN CAMEROON’ (through Sept. 3). “Upstairs, the Michelangelos continue to knock ‘em dead; downstairs, in the African wing, a show of just four commanding wooden crowns constitutes a blockbuster of its own. These massive wooden crests — in the form of stylized human faces with vast vertical brows — served as markers of royal power among the Bamileke peoples of the Cameroonian grasslands, and the Met’s recent acquisition of an 18th-century specimen is joined here by three later examples, each featuring sharply protruding cheeks, broadly smiling mouths, and brows incised with involute geometric patterns. Ritual objects like these were decisive for the development of western modernist painting, and a Cameroonian crest was even shown at MoMA in the 1930s, as a “sculpture” divorced from ethnography. But these crests had legal and diplomatic significance as well as aesthetic appeal, and their anonymous African creators had a political understanding of art not so far from our own.” (Farago)

‘HEAVENLY BODIES: FASHION AND THE CATHOLIC IMAGINATION’ (through Oct. 8). “Let us pray. After last year’s stark exhibition of Rei Kawakubo’s irregular apparel, the Met Costume Institute is back in blockbuster mode with this three-part blowout on the influence of Catholicism on haute couture of the last century. The trinity of fashion begins downstairs at the Met with the exceptional loans of vestments from the Vatican; upstairs are gowns fit for angels in heaven (by Lanvin, Thierry Mugler, Rodarte) or angels fallen to earth (such as slinky Versace sheaths garlanded with crosses). The scenography at the Met is willfully operatic — spotlights, choir music — which militates against serious thinking about fashion and religion, but up at the Cloisters, by far the strongest third of the show, you can commune more peacefully with an immaculate Balenciaga wedding gown or a divine Valentino gown embroidered with Cranac’s Adam and Eve.” (Farago)

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Museum Mile is a section of Fifth Avenue which contains one of the densest displays of culture in the world. Eight museums can be found along this section of Fifth Avenue:
• 105th Street – El Museo del Barrio (closed Sun-Mon)*
• 103rd Street – Museum of the City of New York (open 7 days /week)
• 92nd Street – The Jewish Museum (closed Wed) (Sat FREE) (Thu 5-8 PWYW)
• 91st Street – Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum (open 7 days /week)
• 89th Street – National Academy Museum (closed Mon-Tue)
• 88th Street – Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (closed Thu) (Sat 6-8 PWYW)
• 86th Street – Neue Galerie New York (closed Tue-Wed) (Fri 6-8 FREE)
Last, but certainly not least, America’s premier museum
• 82nd Street – The Metropolitan Museum of Art (open 7 days /week)*
*always Pay What You Wish (PWYW) for NewYorkers

Although technically not part of the Museum Mile, the Frick Collection (closed Mon) (Wed 2-6pm PWYW; First Friday each month (exc Jan+Sep) 6-9pm FREE) on the corner of 70th St. and Fifth Avenue and the The Morgan Library & Museum (closed Mon) (Fri 7-9 FREE) on Madison Ave and 37th St are also located near Fifth Ave.
Now plan your own museum crawl (info on hours & admission updated June 2, 2015).
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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 08/01 and 07/30.
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Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, JANIS CLAXTON DANCE, Marilyn Maye, Memo Acevedo & His Latin Jazz Big Band "Manhattan Bridges Band", Mike LeDonne & Peter Washington, new york events, new york events today, NYC Events, NYC Events Today, Peter Wolf - Super Soul Banned, Silent Comedy Treasures From the Library of Congress | Leave a comment

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (08/02) + Today’s Featured Pub (Greenwich Village)

Posted on 08/02/2018 by GregD

“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.

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

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

KASSA OVERALL, VIJAY IYER, RAVI COLTRANE AND EVAN FLORY-BARNES
at the Jazz Gallery / 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., $
“These sets offer a rare opportunity to hear Mr. Iyer, a pianist of rippling momentum and a latter-day musical thought leader, alongside the quicksilver saxophone of Mr. Coltrane. Both established themselves in the 1990s and today are among the most respected improvisers alive. But the two younger musicians on the bill — Mr. Overall, a drummer, and Mr. Flory-Barnes, a bassist, both hailing from Seattle — are remarkable, articulate players with diverse résumés across jazz, hip-hop and indie rock. Here they will take part in a mostly improvised performance, built around small melodic sketches.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

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6 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Nico, 1988: A Tribute
>> Lew Tabackin and Toshiko Akiyoshi
>> DAVE LIEBMAN QUARTET
>> OSHUN
>> Broadway in Bryant Park
>> Mzansi Heat & Naija Beats
Continuing Events
>> NYC Restaurant Week
>> Twelfth Night
>> Brasil Summerfest
========================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Nico, 1988: A Tribute
Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker St./ 7PM, $25
In her day, the Teutonic singer Nico drew comparisons to an IBM computer, which may have undervalued the emotional breadth of machines—Andy Warhol seemingly inserted her in the Velvet Underground to make Lou Reed appear cuddly. This tribute concert celebrates “Nico, 1988,” a new film dramatizing the cult star’s final days. Among the featured acts are Tammy Faye Starlite, known for her irreverently affectionate Nico cabaret show, plus young singers like Marissa Nadler and Julie Byrne, with voices far prettier, conventionally speaking, than that of the night’s muse.” (Jay Ruttenberg, NewYorker)

Lew Tabackin and Toshiko Akiyoshi
Mezzrow, 163 W. 10th St./ 8PM, +9:30PM, $20
A married couple who began collaborating in the late sixties and later formed a fabled big band, Tabackin and Akiyoshi unite for an intimate duet. Tabackin leads a double musical life as a lyrical and effervescent flutist and a gutsy tenor saxophonist; the pianist Akiyoshi’s playing has roots in Bud Powell’s furious bebop, but also calls on the orchestral sweep of Duke Ellington, who influenced her celebrated writing and arranging.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

DAVE LIEBMAN QUARTET
at Zinc Bar / 7:30 and 9 p.m., $
“A legacy figure, Mr. Liebman saw his career pick up in the 1970s, playing alongside Miles Davis and John McLaughlin, and it’s been one of almost constant reinvention. To heady fusion and cool ballads Mr. Liebman brings a hollering, dry-call intensity on the soprano saxophone in particular. He plays Zinc with the guitarist Vic Juris, the bassist Gene Perla and the drummer Willy Rodriguez.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

Summer Thursdays: OSHUN
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.

“OSHUN, named for the Nigerian Yoruba goddess of fresh water, pleasure, and love, is an independent hip-hop/soul duo and the sonic manifestation of Afrofuturism. With its digital and acoustic sounds, heavy drums and bass, and ambient harmonic textures, OSHUN uses music to connect with ancestral spirits to manifest a sweeter tomorrow for us all.”

Broadway in Bryant Park (Thursdays through August 16)
Bryant Park / 12:30pm–1:30pm, FREE
The most popular shows on and off Broadway perform their biggest hits. Hosted by 106.7 LiteFM DJ Delilah.

Featuring musical numbers from Disney on Broadway:
Aladdin
Frozen
The Lion King

Mzansi Heat & Naija Beats
Lincoln Center Out of Doors Fest, Damrosch Park / 7:30PM, FREE
“Singer Yemi Alade and DJs Maphorisa and Tunez bring their Afropolitan energy to digital-media platform OkayAfrica’s “Mzansi Heat & Naija Beats” showcase (“Mzansi” and “Naija” being colloquial appellations for South Africa and Nigeria, respectively). Blending Afrobeat, highlife, Ivorian coupé-décalé, and American hip-pop, Alade delivers fast-paced emotional jump cuts in hits like “Johnny” and the food-oriented “Tumbum.” (Richard Gehr, VillageVoice)

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

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

More Smart Stuff coming soon.

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

Continuing Events

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

♦ 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.
———————————————————————————————————-

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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

A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating Places – Greenwich Village

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CAFFE VIVALDI HAS CLOSED, 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.
==============================================================
“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge.

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.
========================================================

3 Good Eating places

It’s not difficult to find a place to eat in Manhattan.
Finding a good, inexpensive place to eat is a bit harder.
Here are a few of my faves in this neighborhood:

Fish – 280 Bleecker St. (just a bit S. of 7th ave South)
This was an easy pick – the best raw bar special in town. $9 gets you 6 of the freshest oysters or clams + a glass of wine or beer. Don’t know how they can do it, but I tell everyone I know about this place. And it’s located right in the heart of some of the best no cover music in town.

Bleecker Street Pizza – 69 7th ave S. (corner of Bleecker St.)
The place is tiny and not much to look at, but this is one good slice. They like to brag that they have been voted “Best pizza in NY” 3 years in a row by the Food Network. I believe them. I would have voted for them.

Num Pang – 21 E 12th St. (btw. University Place/5th ave.)
This is a Cambodian banh mi sandwich shop that kept me well fed while I was in class nearby recently. It’s cramped, even for NYCity, but usually there is room up the spiral staircase to sit down and eat. In good weather carry your sandwich a few blocks to Union Square park. You may have to wait a few minutes, because everything is freshly made, but it’s worth it. Can you believe – an unheard of 26 food rating by Zagat.

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“3 Good Eating places” focuses on a quick bite, what I call “Fine Fast Food – NYCity Style”
No reservations needed.
========================================================
NYCity is the most diverse and interesting place to find a meal anywhere in the world. With more than 24,000 eating establishments you might welcome some advice.

◊ For all my picks of 54 Good Eating places, and essays on my favorite 18 PremierPubs in 9 Neighborhoods on Manhattan’s WestSide, order a copy of my e-book:
“Eating and Drinking on NYCity’s WestSide” ($4.99, available FALL 2018).
◊ Order before NOV.30, 2018 and receive a bonus – 27 of my favorite casual dining places with free Wi-Fi.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 1988: A Tribute, Broadway in Bryant Park, DAVE LIEBMAN QUARTET, KASSA OVERALL, Lew Tabackin and Toshiko Akiyoshi, Mzansi Heat & Naija Beats, Nico, OSHUN, RAVI COLTRANE AND EVAN FLORY-BARNES, Vijay Iyer | Leave a comment

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (08/01) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 08/01/2018 by GregD

“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.

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

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

NPR Music’s Turning the Tables Live: 21st-Century Edition
Music and conversation with: Carly Rae Jepsen, Jamila Woods, Mitski, Phoebe Bridgers, I’m With Her (Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz, and Aoife O’Donovan)
Moderated by Ann Powers
Damrosch Park, Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, FREE
“Last summer, NPR Music and Lincoln Center radically changed how we talk about the history of popular music with the publication of the 150 Greatest Albums Made By Women list and a live show at Lincoln Center Out of Doors celebrating those albums. This marked the beginning of the Gracie Award–winning Turning the Tables project, a challenge to think bigger about music’s past, present, and future by highlighting voices often relegated to its margins. This year, NPR’s Turning the Tables Live: 21st-Century Edition shifts focus toward a new generation of artists claiming center stage. To celebrate, we present a night of music and conversation with Grammy-nominated, multiplatinum recording artist and singer-songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen; visionary Chicago R&B artist and poet Jamila Woods; singer-songwriter and DIY rocker Mitski; Los Angeles-based folk-rock artist Phoebe Bridgers; and Americana supergroup I’m With Her.”

=========================================================
4 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> JANIS CLAXTON DANCE
>> Marilyn Maye
>> Joshua Bell Plays Bruch
>> The Efficiency Paradox: Edward Tenner with Angela Chen
Continuing Events
>> NYC Restaurant Week
>> Twelfth Night
>> Brasil Summerfest
========================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Joshua Bell Plays Bruch
Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra
David Geffen Hall / 7:30PM, $35+
Louis Langrée, conductor
Joshua Bell, violin

Pre-concert recitals at 6:30 pm
Stephen Waarts, violin
Henry Kramer, piano
Brahms: Violin Sonata No. 3 in D minor

The Program
John Adams: Tromba LontanaiTunes
Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1iTunes
Brahms: Symphony No. 2iTunes

“The violin superstar Joshua Bell has long been associated with Max Bruch’s rhapsodic concerto, having recorded it for his first-ever concerto album released when he was just 19. Tonight, with Louis Langrée and the Festival Orchestra, he once again traverses the melodic peaks, brilliant runs, and raucous dances of this unabashedly Romantic violin concerto. John Adams’s enigmatic fanfare Tromba lontana and Brahms’s sun-dappled Second Symphony complete this glowing program.”

Marilyn Maye (July 25-28)
Birdland / 7PM, $40-$50
“The Birdland Theater is proud to announce that legendary, Grammy-nominated songstress Marilyn Maye will be headlining in the brand new performance space for two weeks. Ms. Maye will be accompanied by the Tedd Firth Trio from July 24 – 28, and the Billy Stritch Trio from July 31 – August 4, with shows at 7pm each night.

Marvelous Ms. Maye, who just celebrated her 90th birthday with a string of concerts and a featured interview on CBS Sunday Morning, has been crisscrossing the country playing hundreds of clubs, concert halls and joints for over seven decades.”

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

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

The Efficiency Paradox: Edward Tenner with Angela Chen
New York Public Library—Mid-Manhattan Library, 476 Fifth Ave. (42nd St. Entrance)/ 6:30PM, FREE
“Artificial Intelligence may lead to efficient uncovering of patterns, “but it’s really the rule-breaking events that have made life exciting for us” according to Edward Tenner, a distinguished scholar at the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation. Find him in conversation on his new book, The Efficiency Paradox: What Big Data Can’t Do, which looks back into the development of technology and forward to head-spinning advances in algorithms, smart devices, and the sharing economy.”

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

Continuing Events

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

♦ 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.

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.

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

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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

WHAT’S ON VIEW
My Fave Special Exhibitions – MUSEUMS / Manhattan’s WestSide
(See the New York Times Arts Section for listings of all museums,
and also to see their expanded reviews of exhibitions)

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.” (The New Yorker)

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.

==============================================================
For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 07/30 and 07/28.
============================================================

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged JANIS CLAXTON DANCE, Joshua Bell Plays Bruch, Marilyn Maye, NPR Music’s Turning the Tables Live: 21st-Century Edition, The Efficiency Paradox: Edward Tenner with Angela Chen | Leave a comment

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (07/31) + Today’s Featured Pub (WestVillage)

Posted on 07/31/2018 by GregD

“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-JULY”
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:

Joshua Bell Plays Bruch (also Aug 01)
Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra
David Geffen Hall / 7:30PM, $35+
Louis Langrée, conductor
Joshua Bell, violin

Pre-concert recitals at 6:30 pm
Stephen Waarts, violin
Henry Kramer, piano
Brahms: Violin Sonata No. 3 in D minor

The Program
John Adams: Tromba LontanaiTunes
Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1iTunes
Brahms: Symphony No. 2iTunes

=========================================================
5 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Orchestra of St. Luke’s performs Vivaldi
>> Marilyn Maye
>> Catherine Cohen: The Twist?… She’s Gorgeous
>> “Behemoth: A History of the Factory and the Making of the Modern World”
>> Reflections on Giacometti
Continuing Events
>> NYC Restaurant Week
>> Twelfth Night
========================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Orchestra of St. Luke’s performs Vivaldi
Naumburg Bandshell, Central Park
just south of the Bethesda Terrace bet. 66th and 72nd Streets/ 7:30PM, FREE

All-Vivaldi Program
Concerto for Strings in C Major, RV 117 (1720/24)
“In Furore lustissimae Irae”, RV 626
Four Seasons (1721-25)
WQXR HOST: Terrance McKnight

Catherine Cohen: The Twist?… She’s Gorgeous
Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater / 9:30PM, $12
“After regularly stealing the show at Club Cumming, Union Hall and beyond, supreme multihyphenate Catherine Cohen takes over Joe’s Pub for a night of wickedly subversive musical comedy, fabulous looks and self-directed diva worship. She’s joined by regular collaborator Henry Koperski at the keys. Not to be missed.” (TONY)

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

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

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
“Behemoth: A History of the Factory and the Making of the Modern World”
Brooklyn Historical Society, 128 Pierrepont St./ 6:30PM, $5
Excepting the Awá tribesmen who are reading this, the factory has shaped your life. From efficiencies and economic progression to a flip side of dehumanization and environmental degradation, the rise of industry has stamped the past two centuries on this planet. Hear from historian Joshua B. Freeman, author of Behemoth: A History of the Factory and the Making of the Modern World, as he looks at radical changes in society, labor, and art, as well as the roots of a host of our current challenges” (ThoughtGallery.org)

Conversations with Contemporary Artists: Reflections on Giacometti
Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth Ave. (at 89th St.)/ 6:30PM, $25
“As part of the Elaine Terner Cooper Education Fund Conversations with Contemporary Artists series, a multigenerational group of speakers including artists Diana al-Hadid, Huma Bhabha, and Charles Ray reflect on the enduring legacy of Alberto Giacometti’s influential sculptural practice in a special conversation moderated by writer and scholar Michael Brenson.”

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

Continuing Events

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

♦ 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.

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

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

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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

A PremierPub / West Village

Corner Bistro / 331 W. 4th St.

Sometimes you just need a beer and a burger. If so, Corner Bistro is the place you want. Located just outside the hip Meatpacking district, this corner bar and grill is decidedly unhip, but it’s not uncrowded, especially at night. Seems that everyone knows this place has one of the better burgers in town.

In the maze of streets known as the West Village, where West 4th intersects with West 12th (and West 11th, and West 10th, go figure), you will eventually find Corner Bistro on the corner of West 4th and Jane Street. An unassuming neighborhood tavern, it looks just like dozens of other taverns around town.

The bartender tells me that the Corner Bistro celebrated it’s 50th anniversary last year. The well worn interior tells me that the place itself is much older.

Corner Bistro has outlasted many of those other taverns around town because they know how to keep it simple — just good burgers and beer, fairly priced. The classic bistro Burger is only $6.75, and should be ordered medium rare, which will be plenty rare for most folks. Actually, it will be a juicy, messy delight – make sure you have extra napkins. I like to pull up a stool and sit by the large front window in the afternoon, where I can rest my burger and beer on the shelf, and watch the Villagers walk by.

Corner Bistro seems to attract very different groups of patrons depending on time of day. While it’s crowded with locals in the evening, in the afternoon you hear different foreign languages, and watch groups of euro tourists wander in, led by their guidebooks and smartphones.

For the classic Bistro experience, order your burger with a McSorley’s draft, the dark preferably. This is the same beer that you can get over at the original McSorley’s in the East Village, the pub that claims to be the oldest continually operating bar in NYCity. The only difference is that this McSorley’s ale is served with a smile by the bartenders here. Or you can get a Sierra Nevada, Stella, or Hoegaarden on tap if you want to go upscale a bit. Either way this is a simple, but quality burger and beer experience that is just too rare these days (sorry for the pun).
=========================================================
Website: cornerbistrony.com
Phone #: 212-242-9502
Hours: 11:30am-4am Mon-Sat; 12pm-4am Sun
Happy Hour: NO
Music: Juke Box
Subway: #1/2/3 to 14th St. (S end of platform)
Walk 2 blk W. on 13th St. to 8th Ave.; 1 blk S. on 8th Ave. to Jane St.
Update:
==============================================================
“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge (except for certain jazz clubs).

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.
===========================================================================

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Behemoth: A History of the Factory and the Making of the Modern World”, Catherine Cohen: The Twist?... She’s Gorgeous, Joshua Bell Plays Bruch, Marilyn Maye, new york events, new york events today, NYC Events, NYC Events Today, Orchestra of St. Luke’s performs Vivaldi, Reflections on Giacometti | Leave a comment

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (07/30) + GallerySpecialExhibits: Chelsea

Posted on 07/30/2018 by GregD

“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.

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

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

The Avenue Q 15th Anniversary Reunion Concert
Feinstein’s/54 Below / 7PM, +9:30PM, $65+
“Alums of the beloved puppet musical Avenue Q gather for a deeply felt reunion, sharing anecdotes and performing cut and alternate versions of songs from the show’s score. Scheduled participants include original cast members John Tartaglia, Stephanie D’Abruzzo, Jordan Gelber, Rick Lyon and Jennifer Barnhart, along with songwriter Bobby Lopez, former cast members Barrett Foa, Rob McClure and Maggie Lakis, and the show’s current cast at New World Stages.” (TONY)

=========================================================
7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Shoshana Bean: Spectrum Live
>> Lakecia Benjamin Quartet Plays Coltrane
>> Jim Caruso’s Cast Party
>> An Evening with Nimrod Kamer & Friends
>> A Secret History of Ice Cream:
>> PATSY TARR IN CONVERSATION WITH ABBOTT MILLER
>> Harper’s Presents “How Bernie Won”
Continuing Events
>> NYC Restaurant Week
>> Twelfth Night
========================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Shoshana Bean: Spectrum Live
Apollo Theater / 7:30PM, $35+
“Best known to theater audiences for replacing Idina Menzel as Elpheba in the Broadway cast of Wicked, the big-voiced Bean dips into the Apollo to promote her fourth studio album, Spectrum, which finds her fronting an 18-piece big band. Expect standards, modern pop and a sprinkling of original songs, along with guest appearances by Tony winner Cynthia Erivo (The Color Purple) and jazz singer Ledisi.” (TONY)

Lakecia Benjamin Quartet Plays Coltrane
Dizzy’s Club, Jazz at Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $30
“Rising star saxophonist and Essentially Ellington alumna Lakecia Benjamin takes the Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola stage as a headliner. Benjamin has developed a reputation for energetic, genre-crossing performances, and she has played with musicians ranging from Jimmy Heath, Joanne Brackeen, Charenee Wade, and Harry Belafonte to Macy Gray, Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, and The Roots. For this performance, she will lead her quartet through an evening of John Coltrane repertoire, celebrating and exploring one of her influences on the saxophone. Come check out one of the instrument’s freshest new voices perform her own take on this timeless music.”

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

An Evening with Nimrod Kamer & Friends
Housing Works Bookstore Cafe, 126 Crosby St./ 7PM, $6+

“Better to be blacklisted than to not be on the list at all.”

Some people are obsessively invested in climbing the social ladder. Author, satirist, comedy writer, and journalist Nimrod Kamer undermines this from within by inserting himself in political and celebrity events. His resume of shamelessness includes: Uber trolling, penetrating members clubs, and blackmailing Kanye West. He has pestered the likes of Rupert Murdoch, Pierce Brosnan, and numerous other celebrities. In THE SOCIAL CLIMBER’S HANDBOOK: A Shameless Guide, Kamer collects his findings, so you too can learn the ropes of his mischievous trade.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

Elsewhere, but this is ice cream, surely worth the detour:
A Secret History of Ice Cream: Presented by Masters of Social Gastronomy
Caveat, 21 Clinton St./ 7PM, $12
“Historic gastronomist” Sarah Lohman tells the stories behind some favorite flavors, and some flavors left behind by time. Co-host Soma provides a look at the tricks of major manufacturers and the science behind making the perfect home batch.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

PATSY TARR IN CONVERSATION WITH ABBOTT MILLER
at McNally Jackson Books / 7 p.m., FREE
“Ms. Tarr, the publisher of 2wice Books, and Mr. Miller, who has designed her publications for the past three decades, join forces for a discussion. The talk coincides with the upcoming revised edition of “Mah Jongg: Crak, Bam, Dot,” created in homage to the tile-based game. But Ms. Tarr has a longtime love of dance, and the conversation will veer into such territory: Along with creating performance apps featuring dancers that give users the chance to choreograph, she has published dance-themed books and magazines, including the treasured “Dance Ink.” (NYT-Gia Kourlas)

Harper’s Presents “How Bernie Won”
Book Culture on Columbus, 450 Columbus Ave./ 7PM, FREE
“Get an inside look at the Bernie Sanders presidential run from Jeff Weaver, Sanders‘ campaign manager, who has worked with the senator for over 30 years.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

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

Continuing Events

Brasil Summerfest
Brazil’s beats and bites come to NYC
“Brasil Summerfest, the largest music and arts fest of its kind, returns this week with its biggest year yet and runs through Aug. 12. Starting off Sunday at the Hester Street Fair are DJs Gaspar Muniz and Greg Caz, as well as choro music by Regional de NY, samba by Manhattan Samba and drumming from Fogo Azul. Food will include traditional fare like churrasco, coxinhas, feijoada and more, plus beer and sparkling wine. It’s free for all ages.” (Metro)

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

♦ 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 Music Venues:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are my favorite non jazz music venues on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who’s playing tonight:

City Winery – 155 Varick St., citywinery.com, 212-608-0555
Joe’s Pub @ Public Theater – 425 Lafayette St., joespub.com, 212-967-7555
Beacon Theatre – 2124 Broadway @ 74th St., beacontheatre.com, 212-465-6500
Town Hall – 123 W43rd St., thetownhall.org, 212-997-6661
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St., lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474
and one more, not quite WestSide
Bowery Ballroom – 6 Delancey St. boweryballroom.com,

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

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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

Chelsea Art Gallery District*

Chelsea is the heart of the NYCity contemporary art scene. Home to more than 300 art galleries, the Rubin Museum, the Joyce Theater and The Kitchen performance spaces, there is no place like it anywhere in the world. Come here to browse free exhibitions by world-renowned artists and those unknowns waiting to be discovered in an art district that is concentrated between West 18th and West 27th Streets, and 10th and 11th Avenues. Afterwards stop in the Chelsea Market, stroll on the High Line, or rest up at one of the many cafes and bars and discuss the fine art.

Here are two exhibitions you may like:

Dime-Store Alchemy (Through Aug. 17)
“Drawing inspiration from the boxes of Joseph Cornell, this group show gathers artworks that array ordinary objects within cabinets or other types of containers. The theme is simple, but applied liberally and intelligently by the curator Jonathan Rider, it brims with reminders of the feats of transmutation that artists can perform.” (NYT-JILLIAN STEINHAUER) Flag Art Foundation, 545 West 25th St.

Rammellzee (thru Aug.26)
“There’s more to the underground New York legend than the graffiti for which he’s best known. Rammellzee, who died in 2010, at the age of forty-nine, was a rapper, a sculptor, a performance artist, and a philosopher, who lived in accordance with an elaborate cosmology he called “gothic futurism.” His tags began to appear on New York subways in the nineteen-seventies, and, while his street art has long since disappeared, decades of his paintings on cardboard and canvas trace the evolution of his radical style: a deconstructive, aerosol-based update of the illuminated manuscript. The show, titled “Racing for Thunder,” also includes an installation of “Letter Racers,” from 1988-91—bright, menacing found-object sculptures mounted on skateboards—and a battalion of “Garbage Gods,” the armor-like costumes he began to design in the nineties. This vibrant retrospective allows Rammellzee’s visionary Gesamtkunstwerk to orbit a planet of art, music, and night life, without ever bringing it down to earth.” Red Bull Studios, 220 W. 18th St. (NewYorker, Johanna Fateman)

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

For a listing of 25 essential galleries in the Chelsea Art Gallery District, organized by street, which enables you to create your own Chelsea Art Gallery crawl, see the Chelsea Gallery Guide (nycgo.com) Or check out TONY magazine’s list of the “Best Chelsea Galleries” and click through to see what’s on view.

*Now plan your own gallery crawl, but better to plan your visits for Tuesday through Saturday; most galleries are closed Sunday and Monday.

TIP: After your gallery tour, stop in Ovest at 513W27th St. for Aperitivo Italiano (Happy Hour on steroids). Discuss all the great art you have viewed over a drink and a very tasty selection of FREE appetizers (M-F, 5-8pm). OR try this NYT recommendation: “When you’re done, adjourn to the newly renovated Bottino , the Chelsea art world’s unofficial canteen on 10th Avenue (btw 24/25 St.) “

=======================================================
For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see recent posts in right sidebar dated 07/28 and 07/26.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged A Secret History of Ice Cream:, An Evening with Nimrod Kamer & Friends, Jim Caruso’s Cast Party, Lakecia Benjamin Quartet Plays Coltrane, PATSY TARR IN CONVERSATION WITH ABBOTT MILLER, Shoshana Bean: Spectrum Live, The Avenue Q 15th Anniversary Reunion Concert | Leave a comment

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (07/29) + Today’s Featured Pub (Midtown West)

Posted on 07/29/2018 by GregD

“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.

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

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

Catherine Russell (LAST DAY)
Dizzy’s Club, Jazz at Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $45
With guitarist Matt Munisteri, pianist Mark Shane, bassist Tal Ronen, and drummer Mark McLean.

“Grammy Award winner Catherine Russell has been one of the most widely recognized jazz vocalists since the release of her debut album in 2006. Her latest album, Harlem on My Mind, was nominated for the 2017 Best Jazz Vocal Album Grammy Award. Russell’s experience extends beyond releasing seven acclaimed albums as a solo artist; she has also worked with Steely Dan, David Bowie, Cyndi Lauper, Paul Simon, Jackson Browne, and Levon Helm. Seeing Russell perform live is a truly uplifting experience and an easy recommendation for any fan of jazz vocals.”

=========================================================
6 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>>‘Summergarden: New Music for New York’
>> Panorama New York City
>> Fred Hersch Trio
>> Regina Carter Quartet
>> DIZZY GILLESPIE ALL-STAR BIG BAND
>> NYC Poetry Festival
Continuing Events
>> NYC Restaurant Week
>> Twelfth Night
========================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

‘Summergarden: New Music for New York’ (LAST DAY)
Museum of Modern Art (enter through the Sculpture Garden gate on West 54th Street between Fifth and Six avenues), 8PM, FREE
Tonight: Jazz Concert II: Matthew Shipp Trio

“The Museum of Modern Art’s annual outdoor presentation of contemporary classical music and jazz returns to the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden. Members of the New Juilliard Ensemble, under the direction of Joel Sachs, perform Sunday, July 8, and Sunday, July 22. Jazz groups from Jazz at Lincoln Center perform July 15 (Michael Rodriguez Quintet) and July 29 (Matthew Shipp Trio). (amNY)

Panorama New York City (July 27-29.)
Randall’s Island Park
“For the past two years, Gotham has had its own Coachella in the form of Panorama New York City, a three-day music fest on Randall’s Island that, much like last month’s Governors Ball, functions as a primer on the contemporary sounds that engage those who stream the most music. Rockers, m.c.s, soul-stirrers, and d.j.s rub right up against one another—or, at least, their fans do. It’s interesting to imagine the folks who follow the literary songwriter Father John Misty making nice with the trap-rap denizens who turn out for Atlanta’s Migos; both acts appear on July 27. On July 28, Janet Jackson headlines a fine bill that puts her atop Lil Wayne, Gucci Mane, St. Vincent, and the dreamy pop of Japanese Breakfast. Highlights on July 29 include David Byrne, the xx, and the techno sound-shaper Moodymann.” (K. Leander Williams, NewYorker)

Fred Hersch Trio (LAST DAY)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St./ 8:30PM, +10:30PM, $35
The pianist Fred Hersch generally forms deep connections with his rhythm mates, who, since 2009, have been John Hebert, on bass, and Eric McPherson, on drums—an assured, near-telepathic team. The splendid results of this artistic union recently arrived in the form of the album “Live in Europe,” which stands as a testament to Hersch’s commanding stature as an improviser and bandleader.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

Regina Carter Quartet (July 26-29.)
Jazz Standard, 116 E. 27th St./ MM
Jazz violinists, never a populous breed, are few and far between in the new millennium. Carter, a string stalwart since the nineties, brings a commitment to musical and familial history to her art (her cousin is the maverick sax player James Carter), lending her playing a striking personal edge. (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

DIZZY GILLESPIE ALL-STAR BIG BAND (LAST DAY)
at the Blue Note / 8 and 10:30 p.m., $30-$45
“Gillespie is known for helping to establish two important idioms that aren’t always associated with large ensembles — bebop and Latin jazz — but he did much of his most impressive work with big bands. In the final chapter of Gillespie’s career, his United Nation Orchestra was his main vehicle: an ecumenical group of improvisers from across the Americas, pushing his compositions into fresh terrain. After he died in 1993, the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band sprang up to carry the torch. Today, that group includes such major figures as the vocalist Roberta Gambarini and the pianist Cyrus Chestnut.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

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

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

NYC Poetry Festival (July 28-29)
Governors Island,
“Calling all romantics! The New York City Poetry Festival returns this weekend to Governors Island with two days of live readings, both inside historic homes and outside in the parks, with the skyline of the city as your backdrop. It’s free to hear from established poets and up-and-comers, though ticketed members get better access. Headliners are Nico Tortorella, Terrance Hayes, Danielle Pafunda and Ladan Osman. Make it a VIP weekend with a tent suite, s’mores by the campfire and breakfast included.” (Metro)

Elsewhere, but these two food fests look worth the detour:

Tastes of Brooklyn
Eat your way through Brooklyn
Carroll Gardens and Cobble Hill, Brooklyn / 2-6PM, $20-$50
“Two Brooklyn neighborhoods put their best dishes forward during Tastes of Brooklyn: Carroll Gardens and Cobble Hill. Work up an appetite during a free class at Brooklyn Tango at 2 p.m., then wander along a two-mile trail of participating restaurants and bars offering tasting-size portions redeemed with event tickets. Proceeds benefit Seeds in the Middle, which supports healthy eating for kids.” (Metro)

Brasil Summerfest
Brazil’s beats and bites come to NYC
Seward Park at 25 Essex St./ 12-7PM, FREE
“Brasil Summerfest, the largest music and arts fest of its kind, returns this week with its biggest year yet and runs through Aug. 12. Starting off Sunday at the Hester Street Fair are DJs Gaspar Muniz and Greg Caz, as well as choro music by Regional de NY, samba by Manhattan Samba and drumming from Fogo Azul. Food will include traditional fare like churrasco, coxinhas, feijoada and more, plus beer and sparkling wine. It’s free for all ages.” (Metro)

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

Continuing Events

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

♦ 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.

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.

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

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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

A PremierPub / Midtown West

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

==============================================================================
“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge (except for certain jazz clubs).

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged “Summergarden: New Music for New York”, Brasil Summerfest, Catherine Russell, DIZZY GILLESPIE ALL-STAR BIG BAND (, Fred Hersch Trio, new york events, new york events today, NYC Events, NYC Events Today, NYC Poetry Festival, Panorama New York City, Regina Carter Quartet, Tastes of Brooklyn | Leave a comment

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (07/28) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 07/28/2018 by GregD

“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.

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

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

DIZZY GILLESPIE ALL-STAR BIG BAND (July 24-29)
at the Blue Note / 8 and 10:30 p.m., $30-$45
“Gillespie is known for helping to establish two important idioms that aren’t always associated with large ensembles — bebop and Latin jazz — but he did much of his most impressive work with big bands. In the final chapter of Gillespie’s career, his United Nation Orchestra was his main vehicle: an ecumenical group of improvisers from across the Americas, pushing his compositions into fresh terrain. After he died in 1993, the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band sprang up to carry the torch. Today, that group includes such major figures as the vocalist Roberta Gambarini and the pianist Cyrus Chestnut.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

=========================================================
6 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>>Panorama New York City
>> Linda Eder
>> Fred Hersch Trio
>> Catherine Russell
>> Regina Carter Quartet
>> NYC Poetry Festival
Continuing Events
>> NYC Restaurant Week
>> Twelfth Night
========================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Linda Eder
Feinstein’s/54 Below / 7PM, $90
“Linda Eder—the Star Search songstress turned Broadway and concert star—has never been known for the subtlety of her approach, which can be boiled down to two steps: (1) Stand, and (2) Sing. But gee whiz, the lady can really belt a number. Her current set includes selections from her latest solo album, If You See Me.” (TONY)

Fred Hersch Trio (July 24-29)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St./ 8:30PM, +10:30PM, $35
The pianist Fred Hersch generally forms deep connections with his rhythm mates, who, since 2009, have been John Hebert, on bass, and Eric McPherson, on drums—an assured, near-telepathic team. The splendid results of this artistic union recently arrived in the form of the album “Live in Europe,” which stands as a testament to Hersch’s commanding stature as an improviser and bandleader.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

Catherine Russell (July 26-29)
Dizzy’s Club, Jazz at Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $45
With guitarist Matt Munisteri, pianist Mark Shane, bassist Tal Ronen, and drummer Mark McLean.

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

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

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

Continuing Events

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

♦ 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.

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

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

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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

Jewish Museum

Museum of the City of New York

and you should be sure to check out these special exhibitions at that little museum on Fifth Ave., The Metropolitan Museum of Art
(open 7 days /week, AND always Pay What You Wish for NewYorkers)

Although technically not part of the Museum Mile, the Frick Collection (closed Mon) (Wed 2-6pm PWYW; First Friday each month (exc Jan+Sep) 6-9pm FREE) on the corner of 70th St. and Fifth Avenue and the The Morgan Library & Museum (closed Mon) (Fri 7-9 FREE) on Madison Ave and 37th St are also located near Fifth Ave.
Now plan your own museum crawl (info on hours & admission updated June 2, 2015).
==============================================================
For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 07/26 and 07/24.
=============================================================

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Catherine Russell, DIZZY GILLESPIE ALL-STAR BIG BAND (, Fred Hersch Trio, Linda Eder, new york events, new york events today, NYC Events, NYC Events Today, NYC Poetry Festival, Panorama New York City, Regina Carter Quartet | Leave a comment

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (07/27) + Today’s Featured Pub (Greenwich Village)

Posted on 07/27/2018 by GregD

“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.

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

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

=========================================================
7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Hal Willner’s Amarcord Nino Rota
>> Linda Eder
>> LEE KONITZ AND DAN TEPFER
>> Fred Hersch Trio
>> Catherine Russell
>> DIZZY GILLESPIE ALL-STAR BIG BAND
>> Jeremiah Moss: Vanishing New York
Continuing Events
>> NYC Restaurant Week
>> Twelfth Night
========================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Hal Willner’s Amarcord Nino Rota
Lincoln Center, Damrosch Park / 7:30PM, FREE
“Nino Rota was as indispensable to director Federico Fellini as Bernard Hermann was to Alfred Hitchcock. Few have honored that relationship so memorably as young producer Hal Willner, whose radical 1980 jazz-pop reimagining of the Italian composer’s music, Amarcord Nino Rota, marked the first in a long series of Willner tributes focusing on inspired one-off collaborations. The man behind the curtain has enlisted trumpeter-arranger Steven Bernstein to direct a remarkable convocation featuring keyboardists Karen Mantler and Steve Weisberg, vocalists Joseph Arthur and Jennifer Charles, and too many other great musicians to mention — although Douglas Wieselman (woodwinds), Marty Ehrlich (flute), Marika Hughes (cello), and Gary Lucas (guitar) loom large among them. They’ll play the whimsical and carnivalesque Amarcord Nino Rota in its entirety after delving into Rota’s music for the first two Godfather films.” (Richard Gehr, VillageVoice)

Linda Eder (also July 28)
Feinstein’s/54 Below / 7PM, $90
“Linda Eder—the Star Search songstress turned Broadway and concert star—has never been known for the subtlety of her approach, which can be boiled down to two steps: (1) Stand, and (2) Sing. But gee whiz, the lady can really belt a number. Her current set includes selections from her latest solo album, If You See Me.” (TONY)

LEE KONITZ AND DAN TEPFER
at the Jazz Gallery / 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., $30
“Mr. Konitz, a 90-year-old alto saxophonist and National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master, has developed a close partnership with the pianist Mr. Tepfer, 36. They first performed together in 2007 at the Jazz Gallery; this week they return to that club to celebrate the release of “Decade,” an album of shadowy, improvised duets that attest to the depth of their rapport. Mr. Tepfer proudly displays his debts to the dark harmonics of Paul Bley and Ran Blake, while Mr. Konitz matches his partner’s restraint, playing cleareyed melodies without filigree, all focus and resonance.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

Catherine Russell (July 26-29)
Dizzy’s Club, Jazz at Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $45
With guitarist Matt Munisteri, pianist Mark Shane, bassist Tal Ronen, and drummer Mark McLean.

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

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

Elsewhere, but this important subject is well worth the detour. Just look at what happened to Caffe Vivaldi recently. Jeremiah Moss is the expert. If you can’t attend the talk , then buy the book. I have.

Jeremiah Moss: Vanishing New York Paperback with Jason Diamond
Books Are Magic, 225 Smith St./ 7:30PM, FREE
“Vanishing New York is an unflinching portrait of gentrification in the twenty-first century, and a love letter to lost New York, by the creator of the popular and incendiary blog Vanishing New York.”

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

Continuing Events

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

♦ 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.

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

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

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

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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

A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating Places – Greenwich Village

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

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

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.
========================================================

3 Good Eating places

It’s not difficult to find a place to eat in Manhattan.
Finding a good, inexpensive place to eat is a bit harder.
Here are a few of my faves in this neighborhood:

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Catherine Russell, DIZZY GILLESPIE ALL-STAR BIG BAND (, Fred Hersch Trio, Hal Willner’s Amarcord Nino Rota, Jeremiah Moss: Vanishing New York, LEE KONITZ AND DAN TEPFER, Linda Eder, new york events, new york events today, NYC Events, NYC Events Today, Regina Carter Quartet | Leave a comment

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (07/26) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 07/26/2018 by GregD

“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.

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

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

Catherine Russell (July26-29)
Dizzy’s Club, Jazz at Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $45
With guitarist Matt Munisteri, pianist Mark Shane, bassist Tal Ronen, and drummer Mark McLean.

“Grammy Award winner Catherine Russell has been one of the most widely recognized jazz vocalists since the release of her debut album in 2006. Her latest album, Harlem on My Mind, was nominated for the 2017 Best Jazz Vocal Album Grammy Award. Russell’s experience extends beyond releasing seven acclaimed albums as a solo artist; she has also worked with Steely Dan, David Bowie, Cyndi Lauper, Paul Simon, Jackson Browne, and Levon Helm. She joined the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis on its Big Band Holidays tour for the past two years, packing concert halls nationwide, and tonight you can catch her in the intimate Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola. Seeing Russell perform live is a truly uplifting experience and an easy recommendation for any fan of jazz vocals.”

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7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Old Crow Medicine Show
>> Alika
>> GRACE KELLY T
>> Daniel Norgren
>> On Kentucky Avenue
>> Marilyn Maye
>> DIZZY GILLESPIE ALL-STAR BIG BAND
Continuing Events
>> NYC Restaurant Week
>> Twelfth Night
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Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Old Crow Medicine Show with Asleep at the Wheel.
SummerStage, Rumsey Playfield, Central Park / 6PM, $45
“Old Crow Medicine Show is Grammy Award-winning six-member string band plays classic American folk and roots music.”

Alika
Atrium at Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, FREE
“With music that blends roots, reggae, hip-hop, and socially engaged lyrics, the pioneering Argentinian artist Alika is a pillar of the Latin American dancehall scene and a champion of the fight against injustice and violence in the barrios of her country. She began her career as one half of the duo Actitud María Marta, one of the first female rap groups in Latin America, and has gone on to lead a solo career as one of the most influential Spanish-speaking dancehall artists. On stage she is a force to behold, delivering her messages with breathtaking energy and endless charisma.”

GRACE KELLY
at Le Poisson Rouge / 8 p.m., $35
“Ms. Kelly released her first album over a decade ago, at age 12. With a broad tone and tenacious flow on the alto saxophone, she was clearly in possession of virtuoso talents; two leading alto saxophonists from jazz’s heyday — Phil Woods and Lee Konitz — become her mentors. But in recent years, Ms. Kelly, now 26, has expanded her palette, sometimes putting her impressive singing voice out front, and flitting among a range of styles. Her most recent album, “Go Time Brooklyn,” includes a winsome, countrified ballad (the original “Trying to Figure It Out”), a saxophone-and-drums workout on Thelonious Monk’s “Green Chimneys” and a lively rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” that becomes an open field for improvisation.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

Daniel Norgren
Bowery Ballroom / 8PM, $20
“Swedish folk progressive Daniel Norgren has parlayed his idiosyncratic version of Americana into serious European box office. Where Kerosene Dreams, his 2007 debut, sounded like a young man’s reinterpretation of Tom Waits, his most recent album, The Green Stone, is all moody vibrations sometimes reminiscent of Daniel Lanois and Bon Iver. Norgren does a lot of things well. Accompanied by bassist Anders Grahn and drummer Erik Berntsson, he plays traditional Swedish folk on accordion, croons romantic folk songs over melancholy drones, and bashes out distorted blues solos on electric guitar. Norgren’s reserved affect — he manages himself from the tiny rural town where he resides with his family — and obvious affection for our nation’s glorious folk tradition makes him just about as compelling a singer-songwriter as you’d want to hear. This Is the Kit, a/k/a the esoterically inclined singer-songwriter Kate Stables, opens.” (Richard Gehr, VillageVoice)

On Kentucky Avenue (also 7 dates thru July 28)
Aaron Davis Hall (at City College)/ 7PM, $25
“Ty Stephen, N’Kenge and Andricka Hall head the cast of this musical revue by Stephens and Adam Wade, inspired by the history of Atlantic City’s Club Harlem.” (TONY)

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

More Smart Stuff events coming soon.

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Continuing Events

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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.

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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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.

Rubin Museum of Art

New-York Historical Society

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:

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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 07/24 and 07/22.
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Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Alika, Catherine Russell, Daniel Norgren, DIZZY GILLESPIE ALL-STAR BIG BAND (, GRACE KELLY, Marilyn Maye, Old Crow Medicine Show, On Kentucky Avenue | Leave a comment

	Darin on October NYC Events + NYC Weeke…
	Darin on Selected Events (10/13) + Toda…

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > SATURDAY/ AUGUST 04, 2018

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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A PremierPub / Upper West Side

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que / 700 W125th St. @ 12th ave.

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.

Today’s Super 7 NYC Events > FRIDAY/ AUGUST 03, 2018

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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Today’s Super 7 NYC Events > THURSDAY/ AUGUST 02, 2018

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.)

3 Good Eating places

Today’s Fab 5 NYC Events > WEDNESDAY/ AUGUST 01, 2018

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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Museum of Modern Art:

Today’s Sweet 6 NYC Events > TUESDAY/ JULY 31, 2018

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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A PremierPub / West Village

Corner Bistro / 331 W. 4th St.

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment. ===========================================================================

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > MONDAY/ JULY 30, 2018

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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Chelsea Art Gallery District*

Today’s Super 7 NYC Events > SUNDAY/ JULY 29, 2018

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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A PremierPub / Midtown West

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

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.

Today’s Super 7 NYC Events > SATURDAY/ JULY 28, 2018

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > FRIDAY/ JULY 27, 2018

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.)

3 Good Eating places

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > THURSDAY/ JULY 26, 2018

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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Museum of Modern Art:

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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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