Today’s “Fab 5″+1/ Selected NYCity Events  – FRIDAY, JULY 11, 2014

FALU Naked Soul
Falu performs a concert of songs that feature her patented Hindu-rock style.

After sold out shows at the Rubin in 2011 and 2012, Falu is back at the Rubin by popular demand for a special Naked Soul concert featuring new, all-acoustic songs, and special guest Chris Washburne on trombone.

Falu is a classically trained Indian vocalist whose diverse musical repertoire captures both her traditional roots as well as her unique ability in combining Hindi music with an inventive rock.

XX
The Rubin Museum of Art, 150 West 17th St. (btw 6th/7th ave)
@ 7:00 PM / $25.00
212.620.5000

Bastille Day Events
Lot’s of Bastille Day events this week. Let’s start here (with more to follow):
The French game of pétanque — kind of like bocce — takes center court this weekend at festivities around the city. The pétanque courts that lined West Broadway, between White and Beach Streets, in TriBeCa last year return for a celebration with music and food.
from noon to 9 p.m.
sponsored by the restaurant Cercle Rouge.
212-226-6252

The New York Philharmonic performs Richard Strauss, Tchiakovsky and Smetena
Program:
Richard Strauss’s Don Juan and Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks
Smetana’s Vyšehrad from Má v last
Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet, Overture-Fantasy
Alan Gilbert conducts. Fireworks by Bay Fireworks will follow the performance.

For those that appreciate an evening of classical music under a night of summer stars, the New York Philharmonic once again presents its annual Concerts in the Parks series on the Great Lawn in Central Park.
Enter on the Westside at West 81st or 86th Streets at Central Park West.
at 8:00 pm / FREE

Manhattanhenge discussion
“This annual phenomenon, which occurs when the setting sun aligns with the Manhattan street grid, can be viewed for the second time this year (it also happened in May). It can actually be experienced on Friday at 8:24 p.m. (with the full sun visible) and Saturday at 8:25 p.m. (with the half sun). Best viewing is along 14th, 23rd, 34th, 42nd and 57th Streets, and the farther east the better. The history — and mystery — of the occurrence (which was given its name by the astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium) will be the topic of a pre-Manhattanhenge discussion on Friday at 7 p.m. in the planetarium with Jackie Faherty, an astrophysicist.” (NYT)
Hayden Planetarium, Central Park West and 79th St.,
212-769-5200, amnh.org
at 7PM / $15, $13.50 for students, 65+ and members.

Juana Molina
“Juana Molina is a musician between worlds. She hails from Argentina, but she comes across as a globe-trotting cosmopolitan, and though her job description can be as simple as “singer-songwriter,” she works with all manner of unusual sounds and electronics too. Her superb 2013 album “Wed 21” plays as both a sort of experimental sonic collage and an extraordinarily pleasing collection of laid-back songs, with warm, approachable melodies and playful shifts in rhythm that signal Ms. Molina’s South American roots.

Ms. Molina plays two events attached to the Latin Alternative Music Conference, at the concert space for WNYC radio, with the “psychedelic salsa” band La Mecánica Popular, and then again on Saturday afternoon at Central Park SummerStage.” (WSJ)
The Greene Space, 44 Charlton St., at Varick St.
At 7PM / $20
866-811-4111 / thegreenespace.org

Midsummer Night Swing (also Saturday)
“This is the last weekend for this festival, which turns Damrosch Park into an open air dance party. On the schedule are samba on Friday, and a special swing evening on Saturday, with an appearance by the Harlem Renaissance Orchestra and a lindy hop dance contest.” (NYT)
At 6:30 p.m. (dance lessons) and 7:30 p.m. (music and dancing).
Damrosch Park, Lincoln Center,
212-721-6500, midsummernightswing.org; $17.
but it’s free to just hang out and listen to the music.

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

♦ NYCity is a big town with many visitors, where quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
==============================================================================

What’s on View:
Special Exhibitions @ 3 Museum Mile / Fifth Ave. Museums:

‘Lost Kingdoms: Hindu-Buddhist Sculpture of Early Southeast Asia, 5th to 8th Century’ (through July 27)
The Flowering of Edo Period Painting: Japanese Masterworks from the Feinberg Collection’ (through Sept. 7)
‘Early American Guitars: The Instruments of C.F. Martin’ (through Dec. 7)
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 5th Ave, at 82nd St.
(212) 535-7710 / metmuseum.org

—————————————————————————————————————————————-

Guggenheim Museum: ‘Italian Futurism, 1909-1944: Reconstructing the Universe’ (through Sept. 1)
“This epic, beautifully designed exhibition may be one of the more thorough examinations of modernism’s most obnoxious and conflicted art movement that you are likely to see. Awash in the manifestoes that its members regularly fired off, it follows Futurism through to its end with the death of its founder, Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, in 1944. It covers the Futurist obsessions with speed, war, machines and, finally, flight and the aerial views it made possible. And the show highlights relatively unknown figures like the delightful Fortunato Depero and Benedetta Cappa, Marinetti’s wife. 1071 Fifth Avenue, at 89th Street, 212-423-3500, guggenheim.org.“ (Smith-NYT)
Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth Avenue, at 89th St.
(212) 423-3500 / guggenheim.org.
————————————————————————————————————–
‘Degenerate Art: The Attack on Modern Art in Nazi Germany, 1937’ (through June 30)
Neue Galerie, 1048 Fifth Avenue, at 86th St.
212-628-6200 / neuegalerie.org.

========================================================== Museum Mile is a section of Fifth Avenue which contains one of the densest displays of culture in the world. Ten museums can be found along this section of Fifth Avenue:

• 110th Street – Museum for African Art

• 105th Street – El Museo del Barrio

• 103rd Street – Museum of the City of New York

• 92nd Street – The Jewish Museum

• 91st Street – Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum

• 89th Street – National Academy Museum

• 88th Street – Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

• 86th Street – Neue Galerie New York

• 83rd Street – Goethe-Institut

Last, but certainly not least, America’s premier museum
• 82nd Street – The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Additionally, though technically not part of the Museum Mile, the Frick Collection on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 70th St. and the The Morgan Library & Museum on Madison Ave and 37th St are also located near Fifth Ave. Now plan your own museum crawl. ==========================================================

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar: “NYCity Events: Manhattan’s WestSide” dated 07/09 and 07/07.

Today’s “Fab 5″/ Selected NYCity Events  – THURSDAY, JULY 10, 2014

Happy Bastille Week! – French Restaurant Week (through July 14)
Special deals at select French restaurants in honor of Bastille week.
Participating restaurants offer specials at $17.89 ; $35.78 and/or $178.90

This year discover special pairing with wines of Roussillon!
Shaped like an amphitheater and nestled in the South of France between Spain, the Mediterranean Sea, the Pyrenees & the Corbières Mountains, Roussillon, the sunniest region of France, is known for its diversity of wines & terroirs. Thanks to the region’s unique geology and microclimates, each of the 23 authorized grape varieties reaches its fullest expression in these soils. Most of the region’s exports are dry red & rosé wines.
www.frenchrestaurantweek.com/
Various New York City Locations

Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band (through July 13)
“Roughly two decades since his death at 75, the irrepressible bebop ambassador Dizzy Gillespie lives on through several generations of inheritors, including Freddie Hendrix and Claudio Roditi, members of the trumpet section in this repertory band. Also on the roster are the saxophonist Jimmy Heath and the bassist John Lee, both Gillespie alumni, along with estimable talent like the pianist Cyrus Chestnut and the drummer Lewis Nash.” (NYT-Chinen)
Blue Note, 131 West Third Street, Greenwich Village,
212-475-8592, bluenote.net
At 8 and 10:30 p.m., $35 cover at tables, $20 at the bar, with a $5 minimum.

Savion Glover (through July 12)
The king of tap returns to the Joyce with the new show OM, featuring Marshall Davis Jr., Mari Fujibayashi, Keitaro Hosokawa and Olivia Rosenkrantz.
Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Ave. at 19th St
212-242-0800 / joyce.org
at 8pm / $10-$59

Najee
“A capably suave R&B saxophonist with a clear grasp of his music’s utility — his most recent album, “The Morning After,” opens with tracks titled, respectively, “Anticipation” and “Rendezvous” — Najee headlines this installment of the Smooth Cruise, a leisurely two-hour dinner jaunt around the southern tip of Manhattan.” (Chinen-NYT)
Pier 40, Houston and West Streets, West Village,
866-468-7619, smoothjazznewyork.com;
Departs at 6:30 and 9:30 p.m., / $55, $80 with buffet.

New York Asian Film Festival 2014 (last day)
A festival of eyeball-exploding Asian films.
Many of the movies shown here will never get distribution in the United States or even be available in DVD. Even more reason to escape the heat and see some great Asian films now at the Walter Reade and the Film Society’s other theaters.

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

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

Today’s Films:
Aberdeen
Pang Ho-cheung | | 98 mins – 3:30pm
This ensemble family melodrama about expectations of beauty and marital betrayal features Pang’s (Isabella) signature complex performances and magic-realist touch.
Read more »

Aim High in Creation!
Anna Broinowski | 2013 | 97 mins – 8:15pm
U.S. Premiere. Q&A with Anna Broinowski.
This revolutionary comedy about the cinematic genius of North Korea’s late Dear Leader Kim Jong-il has a groundbreaking experiment at its heart: a propaganda film, made according to the rules of his 1987 Manifesto “The Cinema and Directing.”
Read more »

Cold Eyes
Choi Eui-seok | 2013 | 118 mins – 1:00pm
New York Premiere. Q&A with actor Sol Kyung-gu following July 7 screening, who will be presented with the Star Asia Award.
This epic of nonstop suspense is a three-way race against time between a rumpled surveillance guru, a ruthlessly efficient criminal, and a new recruit eager to prove she’s got what it takes.
Read more »

Control

Kenneth Bi | 2013 | 92 mins – 5:40pm
This futuristic thriller follows an insurance salesman coerced to commit criminal acts by an unseen villain, who sends instructions over the phone and has control of the city’s surveillance cameras.
Read more »

www.filmlinc.com/films/series/new-york-asian-film-festival-2014

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

♦ NYCity is a big town with many visitors where quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
==============================================================================

==============================================================
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 will be celebrating it’s 50th anniversary next 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.
===========================================================================================

Today’s “Fab 5″+1 / Selected NYCity Events  – WEDNESDAY, JULY 09, 2014

Uptown Showdown: Breakfast vs Dinner
Decide who wins the argument over which meal is better — breakfast or dinner — at this oh-so-earnest debate between two comedian/comedy writer teams.

You never know what to expect at this bi-monthly, wacky debate series that brings together two teams of comedians, writers and performers to face-off on a chosen topic.

This installment features Joe DeRosa (The Pete Holmes Show, Louie), Brooks Wheelan (Saturday Night Live), Jen Kirkman (Chelsea Lately, Drunk History), Sheng Wang (John Oliver’s NY Stand Up Show), Michelle Buteau (Best Week Ever), and Dave Hill (This American Life, Tasteful Nudes). Hosted by Kevin Townley (The Talent Show Brand Variety Show).

Debaters will argue these lingering questions, drawing from historical fact and personal opinion in equal measure, and with plenty of sillinesss and audience participation. Forget about school reform and health care, these issues, heatedly argued by some of the funniest, smartest, intensely wacky creative thinkers around, are the topics that keep us awake at night….in a good way. Winner decided by the audience.
Symphony Space, Peter Jay Sharpe Theatre, 2537 Broadway, at 95th Street
(212) 864-5400 / symphonyspace.org
8:00pm / $15

Crosby, Stills and Nash (also Friday)
“Teach your children well. Their father’s hell did slowly go by,” Graham Nash wrote in his pacifying 1970 lyrical anti-war anthem, “Teach Your Children.” Little did he know how prescient he would be that “their children’s hell will slowly go by.” Nor did he realize that he would still be around to sing it to them in three-part harmony.

Yet the folksy troubadour trio is still strumming away to the plangent “Guinevere,” “Helplessly Hoping,” and the kaleidoscopic “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes,” albeit with slightly receding hairlines, though the hirsute Crosby looks more like Gimli from Lord of the Rings than ever.” (VillageVoice, Aidan Levy)
Beacon Theater, 2124 Broadway, at 74th Street,
212-465-6500, beacontheatre.com
At 8 p.m., / $46 to $156

FaceOff Book Discussion
with Lee Child, Lisa Gardner, John Lescroat and Linda Fairstein

For the first time ever, the world’s greatest thriller characters meet head-to head in 11 electrifying stories – a bona fide FaceOff. Meet a stellar group of these authors as they discuss their beloved characters and coming together to write this one-of-a-kind anthology. The lineup features: Lee Child (Never Go Back: A Jack Reacher Novel), Linda Fairstein (Terminal City), Lisa Gardner (Fear Nothing: A Detective D.D. Warren Novel) and John Lescroat (The Keeper: A Novel). Moderated by Steve Berry, (The Lincoln Myth: A Novel).

“Word for Word Author” is an outdoor reading series that features bestselling authors, celebrity writers, and expert-panelists sharing anecdotes, answering questions from the audience, and signing copies of their latest books.
The Bryant Park Reading Room located on the 42nd Street side of the park – under the trees – between the back of the NYPL on 5th Avenue & 6th Avenue. Look for the burgundy and white umbrellas.
In case of rain, events are held under a tent at the Reading Room. In case of severe weather, please check bryantpark.org for the indoor location.
1065 Avenue of the Americas, 42nd Street Side of the Park between 5th and 6th Avenues,
12:30PM / FREE
212-768-4242

Loston Harris Quartet (through Saturday, July 12)
With Special Guest Monica Behan

Loston Harris’ piano playing has been described as percussive but incredibly fluid, his vocals, suave and contemporary. For more than a decade Loston has headlined the legendary Bemelmans Bar in the Carlyle Hotel, a spot previously held by Bobby Short, Eartha Kitt, Elaine Stritch, John Pizzarelli and the Modern Jazz Quartet (MJQ). One of Loston’s mentors, Michael Feinstein, calls him an “innate and dazzling talent… a beacon of quality,” while John Pizzarelli calls Loston “a singular sensation of what music is in NY.”

Loston and his quartet, along with very special guest vocalist Monica Behan, perform swinging arrangements of timeless standards from the Great American Songbook, selections from his recent CD “Swingfully Yours”
Birdland, 315 West 44th St. (btw 8th/9th Ave)
212-581-3080 / birdlandjazz.com
At 8:30 & 11:00PM / $40 cover, with a $10 minimum

Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker
As part of the Lincoln Center Festival, watch master choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker revisit some of her innovative work from the 1980s.

Included is “Fase,” which features groundbreaking compositions from master contemporary composer Steve Reich.
Lincoln Center, Gerald W. Lynch Theater, 524 W. 59th St.
8 p.m. / $35/$75.

Hot Ticket – NYCity Wine & Food Festival
Tickets to the best events sell out early.
For a great guide to this year’s mid-October Fest, see the gothamist.

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

♦ NYCity is a big town with many visitors where quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
==============================================================================

WHAT’S ON VIEW: Special Exhibitions @ 2 MUSEUMS (Manhattan’s WestSide)

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

Designing Modern Women 1890-1990:

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

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

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

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in the right Sidebar: “Selected Events + Special Exhibitions : … …” dated (07/07) and (0705).

Today’s “Fab 6″+1 / Selected NYCity Events  – TUESDAY, JULY 08, 2014

Mandolin Orange
“Despite having a sort of silly pun name, the duo make pretty serious music. It’s unpolished, old timey stuff in the folk, country and bluegrass traditions, and they’re often making the kind of sad, down-on-my-luck country rather than the rowdy, cheerful kind. Their most recent album is 2013’s This Side of Jordan, which is their third since their 2010 debut.” (Brooklyn Vegan)

This is part of the 6th Annual Hudson Square Music & Wine Festival, an after-work Backyard Party held every Tuesday from June 3rd through August 26^th, in the back parking lot behind City Winery.
City Winery, 155 Varick St, Tribeca (btw Vandam/Spring St. – #1 to Houston).
from 5PM-7:30PM / FREE
212-608-0555 / citywinery.com

Midsummer Night Swing: (the festival continues through July 12.)
Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks: Boardwalk Empire
with special guests Margot B. and Stephen DeRosa
Dance Instructor: Roddy Caravella teaches Charleston`

Get dolled up in your fedora and spats for a swanky shot of Prohibition-era big band with those dynamic music men in black tie. Stomps and struts will face off with steamy ballads and blues for a night of speakeasy-style early jazz culled from his Grammy-winning Boardwalk Empire soundtracks, joined by guest vocalists Margot B. and Stephen DeRosa, who have recurring roles on the HBO series.
Prizes for the best dressed in their Roaring ’20s finest.
Damrosch Park, West 62nd St. (btw Columbus and Amsterdam Ave)
(212) 875-5766
at 6:30 pm / FREE

Brazilian Music w/ Irene Walsh, Richard Miller, Sergio Krakowski
Ms. Walsh will be singing samba with Richard Miller on 7-string guitar and Sergio Krakowski on pandeiro. This will be the first time Richard and Ms. Walsh perform together, and she’ll be singing all night (not just one set). Richard and Sergio are both master artists from Rio de Janeiro, and this should be a gorgeous repertoire.
Caffe Vivaldi, 32 Jones St., just S of BleeckerSt./7th Ave.S intersection
@ 7-10 pm / Never a Cover
1 (212) 691-7538 / caffevivaldi.com
subway: #1 to Christopher St./Sheridan Sq.

A Song Cave Reunion at Bryant Park
From near and far, Song Cave poets are headed to NYC to read just for you.

Word for Word Poetry at Bryant Park welcomes The Song Cave!
Come hear:
Todd Colby
Jane Gregory
Nate Klug
Sara Nicholson
The Bryant Park Reading Room, 1065 Avenue of the Americas,
42nd Street Side of the Park between 5th and 6th Avenues,
at 7:00pm-8:30pm / FREE
212-768-4242 / http://www.the-song-cave.com

SummerStage: Andrew Bird / Luke Temple
“Bird was four when he first played the violin, and he spent a decade learning classical music before branching out into folk, jazz, and the blues. By the time he became a recording artist, in the late nineties, he was arguably overqualified for the job. His work has ranged from straightforward folk to zydeco-influenced rock to music that increasingly makes use of whistling. He has also scored films and collaborated on a sound installation at the Guggenheim.

If Bird ended up in the art world, Temple started in it. He was first a portrait painter, and throughout his twenties he focussed on visual arts. He slowly developed a second career in music, and in 2009 he enjoyed something of a breakthrough as a founding member of Here We Go Magic, a group that combined traditional songwriting with electronic accents. The group released “A Different Ship,” produced by Nigel Godrich, in 2012. Temple’s latest solo album, “Good Mood Fool,” came out a year later.” (NewYorker)
Rumsey Playfield, Central Park, mid-Park at 69th St.
At 7PM / FREE
summerstage.org

BROADWAY BALLYHOO!
Scott Siegel’s critically acclaimed Broadway Ballyhoo, which regularly features great Broadway and nightclub stars in New York City, plays this summer at 54 Below.

This ever-changing musical variety show, in its third year of performances, will light up 54 Below this summer with all-star casts. For this second show in its new home, Scott Siegel, best known as the creator/writer/host of Town Hall’s signature series, Broadway by the Year (in its 14th season), welcomes to the stage Jill Paice (Matilda), Mark Nadler, Carol Demas (Grease), Farah Alvin (Grease, Saturday Night Fever), Camille Saviola (Chicago), Bob Stillman (Act One, Grey Gardens), Marya Coburn, and Maxine Linehan. This show will have a 15 minute intermission.
54 Below, 254 W 54th St., btw Broadway and Eighth Ave
at 9:30pm / $25–$35, plus $25 food or drink minimum
(646) 476-3551 / 866-468-7619 / 54below.com

Elsewhere, but worth a detour:

Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society
“Led by Mr. Argue, a composer with roughly equal investment in the currency of big band jazz, post-minimalism and atmospheric indie-rock, the Secret Society has emerged as one of the signature large ensembles of our age. The group plays some new music here, along with pieces from its two ambitious albums, notably “Brooklyn Babylon,” released last year.” (Chinen-NYT)
Jazz Standard, 116 East 27th St.
212-576-2232, jazzstandard.net;
At 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. / $20.

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

♦ NYCity is a big town with many visitors where quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
==============================================================================

A PremierPub – Upper West Side

Dinosaur / 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 to Harlem totally worthwhile.

This second incarnation of Dinosaur in Harlem is in an 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 door you are hit with that tantalizing aroma of barbecue coming from the large open kitchen. Reminds me of all 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 Mississippi 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. 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 humongous 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 Hwy, all may open before a table inside the main dining room. Otherwise, try Dinosaur for lunch, or come very late for dinner.

Website: http://www.dinosaurbarbque.com/
Phone #: 212-694-1777
Hours: M-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 10:00pm
Subway: #1 to 125th st
Walk 2 blk W on 125th to Dinosaur Bar-B-Q,
just past the elevated highway

===========================================================================================
“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.
===========================================================================================

Today’s “Fab 5″+1 / Selected NYCity Events  – MONDAY, JULY 07, 2014

Aaron Irwin Quintet
“The poised young alto saxophonist Aaron Irwin has a new album, “Ordinary Lives,” that showcases his affinity for the melodic sweep of indie-rock, among other things. As on the album, his band for this one-nighter will feature the guitarist Sebastian Noelle, the pianist Danny Fox, the bassist Thomson Kneeland and the drummer Greg Ritchie.” (Chinen-NYT)
Cornelia Street Café, 29 Cornelia Street, Greenwich Village,
212-989-9319, corneliastreetcafe.com;
At 8:30 p.m. / $10 cover, with a $10 minimum.

PEOPLE LIKE US IN CONCERT
FEATURING TODD ALMOND, MATT BOGART AND MORE
Todd Almond’s first musical, People Like Us (co-written with Gus Kaikkonen), premiered at NYMF ten years ago and has been a lost fan-favorite ever since. The original stars of this two-character romance, Pamela Bob (A Gentleman’s Guide . . . ) and Matt Bogart (Jersey Boys), reunite for a special one-night only concert version of the musical, with Almond at the piano.

Two lonely people, adrift in their thirties and in their vastly different careers, bump into each other one snowy New Year’s Eve in New York City and rekindle the romance they once shared as teenagers in the midwest. How much of yourself do you have to change to be the person you once were? Featuring the songs “Sky Above Manhattan,” “We Laugh,” “Moon over Nebraska,” and “Sleep in the Light,” People Like Us features Almond’s signature stylings and heartbreaking and award-winning performances by Ms. Bob and Mr. Bogart.
54 Below, 254 W 54th St., btw Broadway and Eighth Ave
at 7pm / $30–$40. plus $25 food or drink minimum
(646) 476-3551 / 866-468-7619 / 54below.com

Crosby, Stills & Nash
“Releasing their first album in 1969, the trio of David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash are seminal musicians in the history of rock, as well as exemplary activists who have used their music to comment on the political landscape.

On July 7 worldwide, the group with cohort Neil Young are releasing CSNY 1974—an audio box set containing forty previously unreleased songs, several never-before-seen photos, and a bonus DVD of restored concert footage—from their legendary 1974 tour.

The Paley Center will screen the restored concert footage and the group will discuss the mood of the country forty years ago as a president was about to resign. CSN will also talk about how contemporary issues inform their recent collective and individual music projects. In addition, rare footage from the Paley Center’s collection will be screened showing each member in a previous band before they formed the trio.” (ThoughtGallery)
Paley Center for Media, 25 W. 52nd St.
212-621-6600
at 7:00 pm / $35

Vanguard Jazz Orchestra
There’s a tradition in many New York City jazz clubs – Monday nights are reserved for big bands. The Village Vanguard, the most storied of clubs, has observed this practice since 1966. The Grammy-winning Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, established by Thad Jones and Mel Lewis, is definitely a big band with 4 trumpets, and 4 trombones to accompany 6 reed players. Why not make it your tradition, too.
Village Vanguard, 178 7th Avenue South, just below West 11th St.
At 8:30 and 10:30 pm / $25
212-255-4037 / villagevanguard.com

A Sophisticated Reunion:
Terri Klausner, Valarie Pettiford & Ty Stephens
The Broadway at Birdland concert series is excited to announce that there will be A Sophisticated Reunion on Monday, July 7 at 7pm. Broadway’s 1981 Sophisticated Ladies co-stars Valarie Pettiford, Terri Klausner, and Ty Stephens will bring swinging tunes, unmatched style and elements of their individual acts to the evening of music celebrating Duke Ellington. Songs like “Take The A Train,” “Hit Me With A Hot Note,” and “I Love You Madly” will be included in the concert, which will be under the musical direction of Ron Abel.
Birdland, 315 West 44th St. (btw 8th/9th Ave)
212-581-3080, birdlandjazz.com
At 7PM / $40 cover, with a $10 minimum.

Elsewhere, but worth the detour:

Liberty’s Torch: The Great Adventure to Build the Statue of Liberty
by Elizabeth Mitchell
Part of the series Books Beneath the Bridge.
Our annual literature series returns to the Granite Prospect steps featuring 6 evenings curated by local, independent bookstores. Each program will include a reading, Q&A, and book signing with the authors.
Brooklyn Bridge Park
At 7PM / FREE

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

♦ NYCity is a big town with many visitors where quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
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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 – my fave is Ovest on W 27th St., where the aperitivo is like Happy Hour on steroids.

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

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in the right Sidebar: “Selected Events + Special Exhibitions : Manhattan’s WestSide” dated (07/05) and (07/03).

Today’s “Fab 5″/ Selected NYCity Events– SUNDAY, JULY 06, 2014.

Jane Monheit’s Jazz Party (Sundays through Sept. 28)
“Jazz’s need to create on the spot never really goes away–testing moves in front of an audience is always a consideration for performers who truly want to know how an arrangement or an approach will play to a crowd. Jane Monheit is an intrepid soul; starting tonight she’ll green-light this notion for the next three months, hosting a Sunday-evening “Jazz Party,” which affords audiences a chance to peek behind the curtain and enjoy the looseness of a jam session while basking in the talents of a very tight band.

The singer and her trio, including pianist Michael Kanan, bassist Neal Miner, and drummer Rick Montalbano, will be opening the doors to guest instrumentalists and giving new ideas plenty of elbow room–a spotlight on spontaneity. The boss lady and her seductive coo ain’t shy–Monheit is a natural charmer. Whether she’s tweaking her take on “Zing Went the Strings of My Heart” (there’s a Judy Garland tribute in her future) or embedding herself in a boo-hoo opus such as “Two Lonely People,” prepare for charisma around every turn.” (VillageVoice-Jim Macnie)
Birdland, 315 West 44th St. (btw 8th/9th Ave)
212-581-3080, birdlandjazz.com
At 6 p.m. / $30 cover, with a $10 minimum.

Sondheim Unplugged
In this special holiday weekend edition of 54’s popular Sondheim Unplugged series, host Phil Geoffrey Bond leads a company comprised of some of New York’s best from Broadway & cabaret through two of Sondheim’s most brilliant masterpieces: A Little Night Music & Company. Expect tunes ranging from Being Alive & The Ladies Who Lunch to classics like Send in the Clowns and The Miller’s Son. Joining us will be special guests like Teri Ralston, from the original Broadway companies of both shows, as well as Hunter Ryan Herdlicka from the Broadway revival of Night Music, Bruce Sabath from the Broadway revival of Company, & lots lots more! Join us. It’ll feel just like a weekend in the country!
54 Below, 254 W 54th St., btw Broadway and Eighth Ave
at 8pm / $30–$55. plus $25 food or drink minimum
(646) 476-3551 / 866-468-7619 / 54below.com

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

MoMA Summergarden: New Music for New York
The Museum of Modern Art established Summergarden in 1971. In keeping with MoMA’s history of presenting jazz and classical music in the Sculpture Garden, this year’s concert series once again welcomes the participation of The Juilliard School and Jazz at Lincoln Center. Titled New Music for New York, the series comprises four evenings of adventurous contemporary music, with premieres each night. Juilliard concerts are performed by members of The New Juilliard Ensemble, under the artistic direction of Joel Sachs, who has assembled two distinctive programs of recent compositions, all of which are enjoying their New York premieres. Jazz at Lincoln Center has selected two up-and-coming jazz ensembles whose concerts emphasize original works, each with one world premiere.

Summergarden is free and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. The Sculpture Garden may close if attendance reaches maximum capacity. Entrance to Summergarden is through the Sculpture Garden gate on West 54 Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues. The Sculpture Garden opens at 7:00 p.m., and concerts start at 8:00 p.m. and run approximately one hour to 90 minutes. The exhibition galleries are closed during Summergarden.
Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), 11 West 53 St. (btw Fifth and Sixth avenues)
(212) 708-9400
all at 8PM:
Sunday, July 6, 2014 – Juilliard Concert I: New Music for Mixed Ensembles
Sunday, July 13, 2014 – Jazz Concert I: Jonathan Ragonese Ensemble
Sunday, July 20, 2014 – Juilliard Concert II: New Music for String Quartet with Flute
Sunday, July 27, 2014 – Jazz Concert II: Helen Sung Quintet

Elsewhere, but worth a small detour:

James Cotton Blues Band
“James “Mr. Superharp” Cotton has shared the stage with B.B. King, Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters since he left the cotton fields of Mississippi in the early 1950s to play with his hero Sonny Boy Williamson II. He wraps up a run of sizzling blues shows at The Jazz Standard with two sets tonight.” (DNA Info)
Jazz Standard, 116 E. 27th St.
212-576-2232
at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. / $35

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

♦ NYCity is a big town with many visitors where quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
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A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating Places – Greenwich Village

Caffe Vivaldi / 32 Jones Street (btw. Bleecker/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 wines and lite meals, fairly priced, 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. I should note that 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, NYC will have lost a piece of it’s soul.

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 S/left on Bleecker to Jones st, 50 yards E/left on Jones st to Caffe V

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

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.
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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. $8 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)
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 Sq 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”

That covers a wide range of food – pizza, burgers, food trucks/carts, vegetarian/falafel, ramen, chopped salad & salad bars, hot dogs, bbq, soup & sandwiches, picnic fixins’, raw bars & lobster rolls. No reservations needed. ================================================================================

◊ For all my picks of 54 Good Eating places and descriptions of my favorite 18 PremierPubs in 9 Neighborhoods (plus 27 casual dining places with free Wi-Fi) order a copy of my e-book: “Eating and Drinking on NYCity’s WestSide” ($3.99).
(available Fall 2014)

Today’s “Fab 5″/ Selected NYCity Events – SATURDAY, JULY 05, 2014.

American Ballet Theater (last day)
Good Grief! We have not given ABT enough attention this spring season.
Tonight is your last chance – go.

Audiences will explore Dr. Coppelius’s enchanted workshop in Frederic Franklin’s “Coppélia” for two more performances, as the company concludes its season tonight.
Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center,
212-362-6000, abt.org;
at 2 and 8 p.m. / $20 to $245.

Midsummer Night Swing: James Langton’s New York All-Star Big Band
(the festival continues through July 12.)

Lincoln Center’s Damrosch Park transforms into a huge open-air dance party — for pros and newcomers alike this evening for Midsummer Night Swing. Tonight’s dance party pays tribute to the King of Swing, Benny Goodman, with music by an all-star band that features members of Goodman’s own ensemble led by clarinetist Dan Levinson.
Damrosch Park, Lincoln Center, Amsterdam Ave. and W. 62 St.,
At 7:30 p.m. (with a dance lesson at 6:30 p.m.) / $17, $60 for four dance passes
212-721-6500, midsummernightswing.org

The Liar Show
Andy Christie, host; Jim O’Grady, guest host
This month, The Liar Show welcomes Matthew Dicks (NPR’s This American Life), Ophira Eisenberg (Host of NPR’s Ask Me Another), Matthew Mercier (Adjunct Professor, Hunter College; Glimmer Train), and Tracy Rowland (The Moth GrandSlam Finalist).

Four storytellers detail events from their lives. 3 are True Stories, 1 is a Pack of Lies. Uncover the liar and win a prize worth its weight in fool’s gold.
Cornelia Street Café, 29 Cornelia St. (btw Bleecker and W 4th Sts.)
At 6:00pm / $10, plus $10 minimum
212-989-9319 / corneliastreetcafe.com

Joe Farnsworth Quartet
Joe Farnsworth is a briskly swinging drummer, especially persuasive with the dialect of hard-bop. For this shift as a bandleader he enlists the eminent alto saxophonist Gary Bartz, the sharp pianist Eric Reed and the strong bassist Gerald Cannon.” (Chinen-NYT)
Smoke, 2751 Broadway, at 106th St.
212-864-6662, smokejazz.com
At 7, 9 and 10:30 p.m./$38 cover, with a variable minimum.

Arturo O’Farrill with Auction Project (through July 6)
“Mr. O’Farrill is best known as the pianist and bandleader with the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, which has a standing Sunday-night engagement at Birdland. This week he’ll also work in that room with Auction Project, a chamber-like ensemble featuring David Bixler on saxophones, Victor Prieto on accordion, Heather Martin Bixler on violin, Carlo De Rosa on bass and Vince Cherico on drums.” (Chinen-NYT)
Birdland, 315 West 44th St., (btw 8th /9th Ave)
212-581-3080, birdlandjazz.com
At 8:30 and 11 p.m. / $40, with a $10 minimum.

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

♦ NYCity is a big town with many visitors where quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
==============================================================================

What’s on View:
Special Exhibitions @ 3 Museum Mile / Fifth Ave. Museums:

‘Lost Kingdoms: Hindu-Buddhist Sculpture of Early Southeast Asia, 5th to 8th Century’ (through July 27)
The Flowering of Edo Period Painting: Japanese Masterworks from the Feinberg Collection’ (through Sept. 7)
‘Early American Guitars: The Instruments of C.F. Martin’ (through Dec. 7)
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 5th Ave, at 82nd St.
(212) 535-7710 / metmuseum.org

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Guggenheim Museum: ‘Italian Futurism, 1909-1944: Reconstructing the Universe’ (through Sept. 1)
“This epic, beautifully designed exhibition may be one of the more thorough examinations of modernism’s most obnoxious and conflicted art movement that you are likely to see. Awash in the manifestoes that its members regularly fired off, it follows Futurism through to its end with the death of its founder, Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, in 1944. It covers the Futurist obsessions with speed, war, machines and, finally, flight and the aerial views it made possible. And the show highlights relatively unknown figures like the delightful Fortunato Depero and Benedetta Cappa, Marinetti’s wife. 1071 Fifth Avenue, at 89th Street, 212-423-3500, guggenheim.org.“ (Smith-NYT)
Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth Avenue, at 89th St.
(212) 423-3500 / guggenheim.org.
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‘Degenerate Art: The Attack on Modern Art in Nazi Germany, 1937’ (through June 30)
Neue Galerie, 1048 Fifth Avenue, at 86th St.
212-628-6200 / neuegalerie.org.

========================================================== Museum Mile is a section of Fifth Avenue which contains one of the densest displays of culture in the world. Ten museums can be found along this section of Fifth Avenue:

• 110th Street – Museum for African Art

• 105th Street – El Museo del Barrio

• 103rd Street – Museum of the City of New York

• 92nd Street – The Jewish Museum

• 91st Street – Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum

• 89th Street – National Academy Museum

• 88th Street – Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

• 86th Street – Neue Galerie New York

• 83rd Street – Goethe-Institut

Last, but certainly not least, America’s premier museum
• 82nd Street – The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Additionally, though technically not part of the Museum Mile, the Frick Collection on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 70th St. and the The Morgan Library & Museum on Madison Ave and 37th St are also located near Fifth Ave. Now plan your own museum crawl. ==========================================================

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar: “NYCity Events: Manhattan’s WestSide” dated 07/03 and 07/01.

Today’s Selected NYCity Events – FRIDAY, JULY 04, 2014.

Normally, on Independence Day you want to do two things: head to your beach of choice during the day and watch the Macy’s Fireworks at night. Hurricane Arthur may put a crimp in your beach plans, so if you want to head indoors during the day try this:

THE NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC (also July 5 & 6)
“There will be plenty of musical fireworks on display as the city’s premier orchestra puts on a star-spangled concert of great American music from Gershwin’s “Strike Up the Band” to Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever.” (NewsDay, DANIEL BUBBEO)
Avery Fisher Hall, 10 Lincoln Center Plaz
July 4 and July 6 at 3 p.m., July 5 at 8 p.m. / $47.50-$67.50
212-875-5656 / nyphil.org

For good info on Lower Manhattan festivities:
Fourth of July  (NewYorker)
Harking back to the tall-ship display that graced New York Harbor for the nation’s bicentennial, in 1976, an elaborate Fourth of July celebration is set for downtown this year. Spearheaded by James S. Kaplan, a lawyer, historian and walking-tour guide, and presented in conjunction with the Fraunces Tavern Museum, the Sons of the Revolution, the Daughters of the American Revolution, the National Park Service, and many other organizations, the festival includes a fifty-gun salute near Castle Clinton, readings at Federal Hall of the Declaration of Independence, walking tours, and other events. Of particular note is a dramatic reading of George Washington’s 1790 “Letter to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport,” the new President’s groundbreaking affirmation of religious liberty as a natural right.

Kaplan likes to get started early on the Fourth of July: for the past seventeen years he’s led a pre-dawn tour of downtown on that day. This year, he’s leaving at 3 a.m. (For more information, visit july4thinnewyork.com.)

For good info on the fireworks:
Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks   (NYT-SpareTimes)
The Brooklyn Bridge has a starring role in this year’s display over the East River, as both the backdrop for the show and one of the locations for the setting off of the fireworks (along with three barges in the water). For spectators, the best viewing will be from sites in Lower Manhattan and along the Brooklyn waterfront (including the Brooklyn Heights Promenade) with a clear view of the river between the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges.

Elevated portions of Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive from the South Street Seaport to Old Slip will be closed to traffic and open to pedestrians for the fireworks, which begin at about 9:25 p.m. Also open to spectators will be Brooklyn Bridge Piers Nos. 1 to 6. Those with disabilities or special needs can view the show from the track-and-field site of the Murry Bergtraum High School, at Market and Cherry Streets.

Another option is the fireworks cruise; prices start at $125. A televised broadcast begins at 8 p.m. on WNBC, Channel 4 in New York, and features performances by Enrique Iglesias, Ariana Grande and Lionel Richie. A radio simulcast of the soundtrack for the fireworks display can be heard on WINS (1010 AM).
More information on the fireworks: 212-494-4495 or macys.com/fireworks.
Cruise information: circleline42.com; worldyacht.com; julyfourth.com/events.

For the absolutely most comprehensive list of places to watch the fireworks, you have to go to the curbed.com site. It is awesome, with great ideas for watching from on the water.
Here are a few highlights:

Where to Watch the 4th of July Fireworks in NYC, 2014 Edition
by Jessica Dailey

After five years on the Hudson River, New York City’s Fourth of July fireworks display is returning to the East River. Three barges will be positioned near the Brooklyn Bridge, giving Lower Manhattan, Brooklyn Heights, and Dumbo front row seats to the explosive event. The masses will congregate in official viewing areas set up by the city along the FDR Drive, Brooklyn Bridge Park, and the Brooklyn Heights promenade, but there are dozens of other options for those who prefer something a little less crowded. From $400 all-you-can-eat cruises to free rooftop bars, here are 20 26 places where you can watch the fiery fun and celebrate Independence Day. Know of one we missed? Leave a comment or send a note to the tipline.

Please note that the ticketed events on this map all had availability as of June 30 at 1 p.m. Venues that were already sold out (like the Wythe Hotel) were not included. Additionally, while the pedestrian pathways of the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges may seem like ideal viewing points, they will be closed by the NYPD.
—Research by Angely Mercado

Brooklyn Bridge Park – Pier 1
Piers 1 to 6 and Empire Fulton Ferry in Brooklyn Bridge Park are part of the official fireworks viewing locations, and they are bound to be some of the most crowded, so head over early (probably first-thing-in-the-morning-early) to make sure you get in—the police will be closing the park once it reaches capacity. The fireworks will start shortly after 9 p.m., and the show will last about 30 minutes. The NYPD will be checking bags at every entrance, so avoid bringing large bags and coolers. Many parts of the park, including the Squibb Park Pedestrian Bridge and Main Street, will be closed.
334 Furman St, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Brooklyn Heights Promenade
Overlooking the harbor with a great view of the skyline, the Brooklyn Heights Promenade is possibly the best place to watch the show, but it will also be very crowded. It’s one of the official viewing sites, and the Macy’s website lists the access points as Columbia Heights and Pineapple Street, Montague Street and Pierrepont Street or Pierrepont Street and Remsen Street. The following streets in Brooklyn Heights will be closed to vehicular traffic: Montague Street, from Court Street to Montague Terrace; Remsen Street from Court Street to Montague Terrace; Old Fulton Street from Hicks Street to Furman Street; Furman Street from Old Fulton Street to Atlantic Avenue. Columbia Heights from Montague Street to Old Fulton Street; and Hicks Street from Atlantic Avenue to Old Fulton Street. [Photo]
Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, NY 11201

NY Water Taxi-Pier 45 – Hudson River Park
Get a little bit closer to the fireworks and further away from the masses with a water taxi ride. Tickets cost $225, and include a light buffet, dessert trays, refreshments, and hors d’oeuvres. There will be a cash bar for wine and beer. The Taxi departs from Pier 45 at Hudson River Park in Lower Manhattan at around 7 p.m., and the trip lasts three and a half hours.
West St, New York, NY 10014
(212) 627-2020

Cornucopia Majesty Cruise- Pier 36
With ticket prices starting at $180, the Cornucopia Majesty cruise ship offers a fireworks viewing party with an open bar, a buffet dinner with dishes like penne alla Vodka. This ship boards from Pier 36 near South Street at 5:30 p.m. and leaves at 6:30. Admission add-ons include a $7 American flag or a $5 USA tiara.
299 South St, New York, NY 10002

Festiva Cruise-Pier 25 — Hudson River Park
The Festiva yacht provides yet another opportunity to fete the Fourth on the open waters. This ship is perfect for all ages and and includes a buffet dinner and a live DJ. Festiva leaves from pier 25 on Manhattan’s west side at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for this more economical fiesta starts at $145.
West Side Highway, New York, NY 10013

Audubon Yacht- Pier 40 – Chelsea Piers
The Audubon yacht offers a family-friendly venue, but there’s also an open bar on board for adults and a fully stocked buffet for everyone’s enjoyment. There will be a live DJ and of course, great views of the fireworks. This yacht leaves Hudson River park Pier 40 at 6 p.m. General admission tickets are already sold out, but VIP tickets starting at $175 are still available.
West Side HWY, New York, NY 10011

Brooklyn Bridge Garden Bar
The Brooklyn Bridge Garden Bar on Pier 1 of Brooklyn Bridge Park is hosting a private, ticketed event that will offer the best views without the crowds—and with alcohol. The $150 price includes three drinks, plus a buffet with all-American fare like corn on the cob, potato salad, and pulled pork. Guests will need a printed copy of their ticket to gain access to the park through the NYPD check points.
12 Furman Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
(347) 864-1255

NY Waterway Ferry Terminal Port Imperial
Departing from Weehawken in Jersey, the NY Waterway is hosting a four-hour cruise with music, snacks, and drinks. Tickets are $135 for adults, $125 for seniors 62 and older, $99 for children 4 to 12 years old and free for toddlers/infants three and under. Call 1.800.53.FERRY to buy tickets.
4800 Avenue at Port Imperial, Weehawken, NJ 07086
(800) 533-3779

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Designing Modern Women 1890-1990:

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

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